Thursday 28 January 2010

5 Reasons To Get Out and Network Tonight

Yes I know its cold and you'd probably be happy to curl up this evening in front of the fire but let me just share with you 5 reasons why I think you should make the effort to come along to Winning Women tonight.

1. You never know who you might meet - All opportunities come from people.

2. Maintain your visibility - If you aren't getting out there, and getting known how will other people get to know you?

3. Its a cost effective marketing strategy - Okay the recession is officially over, that doesn't mean we can all suddenly splash the cash on marketing. Word of mouth is highly powerful.

4. If your not networking then I'm sure your competitors are - you need to be consistently at the fore of your customers minds.

5. Learn something new - even if the topic doesnt link directly to you or your business, it could be useful for your customers and clients which will add value to the relationship.

Oh and another very important reason - we have Rosie Hamilton McGinty as our guest speaker A winning Woman with a winning attitude.

See you there!

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Is Time Ruling Your Life?

Do you often wish you had more time to do all the things you want to do?

Do you spend your day in a frenzy of activity but never seem to accomplish much?

Do you want to find more balance instead of feeling like the different parts of your
life are always competing against each other for your time?

Do you sometimes find yourself focusing on the smaller, less important tasks
instead of what you know needs to get done?

Click here to find out more

If you said YES to any of these questions then make an appointment with yourself on Tuesday 9th February at 8pm when I will be talking to Debbie Hayes who knows a thing or two about making more effective use of your time. On this call Debbie has promised to share with you her 4 Step Process that will make your life more manageable, leaving you time to do the things you really wnat to be doing.

You know you it makes sense. Take the first step and register here right now.

Friday 22 January 2010

12 Reasons Your Clients Don’t Buy

Do any of these resonate with you or your business? Ponder on these for awhile and see where you can improve relationships with your prospects.

# They don’t know about you
# They don’t understand you
# You offer what you think they need instead of what they really want
# Your offer isn’t compelling enough
# They don’t believe in you
# You gave up too soon
# You don’t have a clear or specific offer
# You didn’t make it easy for them to say ‘Yes’
# You have exhausted your list of contacts
# They don’t trust you
# They aren’t paying attention to you
# You haven’t given them a big enough reason to act NOW.

Monday 18 January 2010

Is Marketing An Uphill Struggle?

Do you find marketing your business a struggle?
On Thursday 21st January, I will be co-hosting a half day workshop with Emma James
(owner of Tasty Marketing) where we will be revealing the 12 Reasons Why Clients Do and Don’t Buy.

When you really understand what influences a clients buying decision you will be able to promote yourself in a far more efective way.

Want to know what those 12 reasons are?

Then come along and join us between 9.00am - 12.30pm at the beautiful Moorhill House Hotel,on the edge of the New Forest Please RSVP to:

allison@allisonmarlowe.com or rsvp@dwib.co.uk

Lok forward to seeing you there.

Monday 11 January 2010

What Planet Are You On?

One of my favourite all time books has to be 'How To Win Friends And Influence People' by Dale Carnegie. Wouldn't you agree that having the ability to get on with other people is key for success?

When I came across this video by Wendy Dashwood-Quick I knew I had to share it, because too many of us waste too much time blaming and comparing ourselves to others with little or no return.

How would it be to accept yourself for who you are and accept others too, try it for a day or two, see what happens when you think differently.

Watch Wendy's video now.

Sunday 3 January 2010

Ten Small Business Trends for 2010

These trends are based on my observations and what I believe to be relevant for 2010.

1. Social Media exploded in 2009 and in 2010 it will become even more popular. This is a must have for the small business owner as an easy and effective method to grow your business and develop relationships with prospects and clients alike. Reach more people, more quickly, more often. Get the ball rolling and connect with me on www.facebook.com/allisonmarlowe and www.twitter.com/allisonmarlowe

2. Multiple streams of income, not entirely new however there are definitely more and more small business owners realising they are unable to continue trading time for money. More business owners will be pursuing multiple paths and feel less afraid of changing direction.

3. Text messaging will become a mainstream marketing tool. In a time where we expect instant results, text messaging will become like email. Instead of collecting email address we will start to collect mobile numbers. Think about it, I am sure you already use your mobile more often than you do a landline. Recent research suggests that texting gets 7 times the response rate versus email. Get used to text reminders, notifications and special offers. Its here to stay.

4. There will be a big focus on Customer Service. The reputation of your business will become even more important. It’s a known fact in marketing that it is easier to ‘sell’ to existing clients than it is to acquire new ones. Look after your existing clients make sure you have something else to upsell to them, and then under promise and over deliver.

5. More women continue to start their own business and taking up leadership roles. In a recent government survey 86 % of women would set up a business again, 75% of respondents said work life balance is better when you run your own business, 78 % gained greater independence once they became an entrepreneur and 66% have enjoyed increased confidence.

6. Video is the most powerful personal branding medium. The use of video builds trust and connection far quicker than any other marketing tool. Remember, people buy from people they like know and trust. Video closes the gap between knowing someone and meeting someone. Are you using it yet?

7. There is a great social demographic trend towards Small Local Business. This can benefit you as there is a greater community focus and more local marketing opportunities are created to help you get out there and get known.

8. Think Web 2.0. again not a new phenomenon, but are you actively using applications that encourage collaboration and interaction with your clients? Interactive websites like wordpress or Blogging for instance? In 2010 we will be using the blog as an effective tool for keeping in touch with you. Make sure you are following us here or miss out.

9. Brand realisation not many women have created a clear brand for their business. Here’s a tool I think you will love to discover what your brand is and to get some great feedback on what your target audience are saying about you. mustexist.com

10. Keeping on top of what’s new in your industry. As a business owner you have a duty to keep up to date on latest developments in your specific niche area. The world of business is moving at an incredibly fast rate so you really do need to keep up with all that is going on.