Russ Dalbey's Blog

The key to being successful
in business is not just about having a great product, being a great
salesperson, or having lots of money for advertising (although all of these can
certainly help as well). For me, running a successful business boils down to about
having good people who will work to find solutions to other people’s problems.
Effective communication is what enables you to show people how you can solve
their problems.

Communication is of course
at the heart of marketing. So, what you say in your marketing, and how you say
it, are absolutely critical.

A lot of small business
owners feel obligated to try to create the impression that they’re larger than
they actually are. They think that this will give them an advantage in
convincing their potential clients to trust them – that’s they’re not a “little
fish” in a big ocean.

While this is
understandable, especially if your business is new, don’t forget that the human
and personable service you provide as a small company makes you distinctive in
the big marketplace. And as an entrepreneur, it is often your best strategy to
portray yourself as an individual and a person – not a faceless corporation
busy taking over the world.

Think about this: in today’s
society, there are thousands of mega corporations that people are forced to
interact with on a daily basis. These companies spend millions of dollars a
year trying to convince customers with their advertising that they’re friendly,
caring, likeable, or have a sense of humor.

But when it comes down to
it, these airlines, cell phone providers, utility companies, or credit card
companies are usually anything but personable. And when you call their customer
service number, you’re guaranteed to get a different person every time – but
they’re all trained to follow a script and act the same way.

Most people hate this!

If you’re a small company,
with a dedicated core of personnel that service your clients, you’re the exact
opposite of robotic, “for English, press one” service. Make sure to use that to
your advantage. Remind your clients that there’s a real person at your office
to help them.

If you’re about to name a new
start-up business, consider incorporating your name into the title. Your most
powerful branding strategy might not be a clever slogan, or a name that rhymes,
but rather just your name (hey, it works for Charles Schwab and Donald
Trump).

You can emphasis the
“personal touch” of your business by signing your marketing emails with your
name; put it on your postcards, newsletters, and most certainly in your
business blog too.

In fact, if you can take
the time to hand-sign each print marketing piece, such as your promotional
postcards, this one little detail will go a long way to building the positive
image of personalized, human attention from your company. So will a hand-signed
“thank you” card or follow-up call after each job is complete. This makes it
clear that you are the person – not necessarily the company – they want
to turn to.

Finally, remember that while
email is a great tool for marketing and instant communication, it does has its
limitations. Don’t make the mistake of using email to deal with a sensitive
issue when a phone call or in-person meeting would be much better. Email can be
easily misinterpreted, and it can come across as dismissive or impersonal too.

So, if you’re not as big as
Microsoft or General Motors just yet, that’s OK. Just make sure you capitalize
on the fact that YOU are your company’s greatest asset.

Warmly,

Russ
Founder of Winning In The Cash Flow Business
The Dalbey Education Institute

Founder of Winning in the Cash Flow Business