Pay: You know the value of your product and service and what it's truly worth. You charge a fair price and deliver the goods with excellence. There may be discounts and promotions, offers and bonuses but you exchange what you have for money. Do you need to re-examine your pricing? Are you charging enough, too much and to the right market?

Partner: Who can you partner with? What other businesses share your same client base? What are some offerings or promotions that you might be able to share that both of your prospects and/or clients would find beneficial? How do joint ventures benefit the businesses involved? are there any pitfalls?

Barter: Are there situations, services that you could barter for? Is the value equivalent? Is it truly win-win? Be sure to look at the positives and the negatives. Checklists and communication are a great help to be sure that 1.) you're on the same page and 2.) you are giving and receiving what you initially agreed to- it keeps everyone on track.

Trade: Are there ways you can make a straight trade? Examples: Radio Time and concert tickets for restaurant and hotel accommodations. What other trade examples can we think of and how does trade differ from bartering?

1. Give Thanks!

• Making the most of Thanksgiving
• Why that’s a better time to send a card than Christmas
• Customer Appreciation—A great time to say thanks to your clients

2.  Making a List and Checking it Twice

• Go through your list and clean it up
• Segment and Tag as well and as much as you can
• Be sure who should get which holiday greeting or promotion
• Try building your list through offers, coupons, gift cards and certificates
• As you get new leads be sure to put them in the right list before too much time passes
  

3.  Sees You When You’re Sleeping, Knows When You’re Awake

• Track and Measure open and click through rates
• When using email, use an email marketing company like icontact
• When sending direct mail, use a promo code or coupon

 
4.  All I want for Christmas is…

• Decide the purpose of your holiday marketing—sales or salutation
• Sell to prospects--conversion, sell more to customers--increase order size, get more subscribers—lead generation
  
• Make sure your message matches your motive

 
5.  Happy New Year!!

• What’s coming? Let your prospects and clients in on what lies ahead
• Capitalize on resolutions and new beginnings

 
6.  Seasons and Celebrations--Marketing all year long!

• HBD--Dr Seuss’, Albert Einstein and DaVinci
• St Patty’s, Valentine’s, Mother’s Day and more
• National Pretzel Day and National Jelly Bean Day--to name a few
• http://holidaysforeveryday.com/

 
7.  Use Send Our Cards to make your life and your marketing easier

• Talk to the person who’s been talking to you about SOC and find out how to get signed up 
• Get your database into SOC and pre-load your cards so that your campaigns go out in a timely fashion
• www.sendoutcards.com/39477

The Inner Compass—Mindset and Mission
N: Narrow your niche; align it with needs/wants
S: See all the potential and possibility that is there for you
E: Envision the end goal and embrace your dream
W: Walk and work in that direction till you get there

The Outer Compass—Tools and Technique
N:  Network with others both live and virtually
S:  Set up systems for marketing and sales
E:  Email/Events help keep you in front of others
W: Write articles and blogs and drive traffic to your website

True North--The Place called Purpose
WHY are you doing what you’re doing?
What is the most significant thing you bring to the marketplace?
Who are you serving?
How do you know when you’re there?   

It’s spring–the perfect time of year to clean out your closet. But have you thought that your marketing closet could use a little cleaning up as well? Clutter busting is not just for stuff. It can apply to your marketing too. You know the trendy marketing tools and software that you absolutely had to have because everyone else did. Or the ones you bought that you’ve never logged into except to give your credit card information.

Just like in our clothes closet the clutter in our marketing closets can hinder us from being, doing and looking our best. It’s time to jettison the junk being mindful that one woman’s junk is another woman’s treasure.  Find the ones that are the best for you. Let’s get started.

1. Set the timer. The Pomodoro Technique is a must here or you’ll talk yourself into fitting back into things you wore years ago. Vintage marketing is not in vogue. One of the only things left on the table from yesterday’s marketing is relationship building and we all know that will never go out of style.

2. Have you worn it in the last six months? I know it was a steal and you probably could use it at some point for some promotion or campaign but there it sits just taking up space on your hard drive. You keep trying it on and then taking it off again. Hmm! Keep or throw? OK, here’s an idea! Put it in a folder called Maybe Marketing Tools like you would with the box of clothes you’re going to give to Goodwill. Now let it just sit there. And if you don’t go back to that in at least three months–it’s gone. You have lived and can survive and succeed without it.

3. Does this make me look fat? Translation–does this marketing piece show off your company and you in the very best light? “Give us a twirl as my friend”, Ros, would say. Does it look good from every angle? Not to you but to the people you’re trying to reach? Let’s face it, you wouldn’t try to shimmy yourself into your tightest jeans if you thought you looked fat in them so that’s why you ask! Same rules apply.  Ask and find out from trusted business clients and colleagues, who will be honest with you, to be sure that the marketing messages you’re using are representing you and your company.

4. The must-have, non-negotiables. There are a few things in your closet or dresser that are the must-haves. Let’s take undies for example—bras, underwear and the like that make what you’re wearing on the outside look a whole lot better. There’s no way I’m parting with my underwires and my Lycra; end of conversation.  Now what does that have to do with marketing? Everything!  There are tools so essential, so basic, and so integral, that to forgo using them is almost the same as taking yourself out of the equation.  Think of the reaction to “I’m not wearing any…” –tell me that’s not right up there with, “I’m not using Facebook for business.”  The same shock will register when you’re not using email marketing, article marketing and don’t have a website—all considered to be essential marketing tools or your marketing underwear drawer.  So though you may need to get an upgraded version of some of the basics just remember you can’t do without them.

5. DYLT–I used to have those letters on note card on my fridge when I was dieting. They stand for ‘Donna, you look terrific!’ I knew what they meant and the words were more powerful because they were coming from my mother. Ok, let’s make the connection.

Think of the ideal client that you would love to have multiplied in your company. The kind of person you’d want to do business with all day long because they are such raving fans. Now think of a marketing campaign, promotion, message or tool that you’ve used that had that person saying amazing things to you and about you. Once you’ve made them happy they’ll tell the world so they are the ones you’re crafting your marketing for in the end. In fact, that’s really what should be hanging in your marketing closet.

Here’s why:

1. It fits! Your message, services, mission, vision and clients are in alignment.

2. You can do it all the time with ease and it conveys the most powerful platform for your company. Yes, you may do other things as well for special occasions but these are your best mix and match pieces and they always work together.

3. You look terrific! These marketing pieces reflect you and your company the very best. They are current, connected to your target market and deliver results over and over!

Remember that spring is a perfect time to clean out your marketing closet–but it’s not the only time.  Every few months you should get back in there and clear out what doesn’t work so you can stay clear on what does and maximize transformation in the lives of your clients which maximizes profit for you.  So get the boxes out and decide give, throw, and keep! Then take those keepers and get busy doing what you do best!