If you visit https://adwords.google.com/o/Targeting/Explorer?__u=1000000000&__c=1000000000&ideaRequestType=KEYWORD_IDEAS#search.none you can have a look at the tool and discover what people really type into Google.

You can type different phrases into the box at the top of the page and then search on those phrases and see how many people use them.  Google will produce a report for you which gives you the data for your chosen keyphrases and they’ll also suggest other phrases you might want to consider.

The report will tell you how many people search on a given keyphrase each month globally and locally (UK).  And it will also tell you how many sites compete for that keyphrase – which is important data about your competitors and your chances of getting to the first page in Google for any given page.

Top Tip… If someone calls you and tells you they can get you to the top of Google for a given phrase, run it through this tool and see how many people are searching for that phrase.  If it’s a low number, then a monkey could probably get you to the top of Google for that phrase, but it still wouldn’t bring you very much traffic.  This is one of the latest marketing scams, but now you have the marketing knowledge, you can catch them out at their own game.

Have a play around and enjoy finding out what people really search on!

And it seems even the world of football is following this trend and tapping into the power of their customers…

I recently read about Murcielagos FC in Mexico; a team which is managed by the crowd who make decisions about strategy, substitutions and best players.  The team talk is made public and fans can vote on whether they agree with it.

The team is apparently performing very well…http://abiteof.com/2011/03/17/who-needs-a-trainer-when-you-have-a-crowd/

You don’t ask them any questions.  You might record their telephone number.  And, worst case scenario you lose the scrap of paper containing their details over the coming weeks.

Whatever the reason (or excuse) you don’t follow-up.

What if they haven’t received the brochure (trust me, it happens on a frighteningly regular basis)?  What if they’re interested and are waiting for you to call?

It isn’t the customers job to remember to do business with you – it’s your job

Most customers take on average seven points of contact before they buy.  And most sales people give up at 5 points.  What’s even more scary is the number of businesses who don’t follow-up at all – despite the fact that it’s free marketing!

So what is best practice with follow-ups and how can you really make the most of incoming enquiries?  Here are our top 5 tips (most of which are free or cheap to implement and could be done very quickly):

1. If a customer calls, have a script to follow and find out as much information as you can
2. Gain permission to follow that person up and ensure they received the information they wanted
3. Answer enquiries promptly – be available by phone and email and respond where possible within 24 hours
4. Record all the information you take in a database (ideally customer relationship management – CRM – software)
5. Diary a follow-up and stick to it (and then diary another)

If people take time out of their busy lives to enquire about your product, they’re paying you a huge compliment.  The least you can do is treat that compliment with respect and try to help the customer towards a solution.

Sites such as Groupon and Living Social have sprung up seemingly overnight.  Voucher Codes offers discount codes for everyday items, such as shopping, meals out and clothes.  Martin Lewis’ money saving expert site is also full of discounts and deals – and they’re proving more popular than ever.

It’s very easy to think of joining the bandwagon and adding your deals to these sites, but how can you do so profitably?  Here are our top tips from our experience and that of our customers:

1. Ensure you’re making a profit.  The number of people we’ve met who have created deals that lose them money is frightening.  Deals are not about no profit.  They are about great deals that attract new customers and make you a good return.  Look at added-value, rather than discounts.  And if you can’t make money, don’t offer the deal.
2. Try to use a site that will help you reach new customers.  If you can attract new people to your business, it could be worth a reduction in profits on their first visit.
3. To achieve a long-term growth in business and profitability, you must keep a database of these new customers and then market to them directly.  With hotels and restaurants, you save approx. 20% commission if people book directly, so encourage as many as you can back to stay with direct offers.
4. Ask for reviews.  One hotel that we work with has been rushed off their feet with Groupon deals and it’s been really hard work.  But the reviews they’ve received on Trip Advisor (and the database they’ve built up) has been worth slightly lower profits on these first visits.
5. You must impress the people who use the vouchers.  If you’re happy to take a smaller profit margin on the first visit and see this as a marketing expense for finding new customers, you must generate a profit at a later date.  If they are impressed, they’re likely to return… and they might recommend you to friends as well.

To see what might be next for the Daily Deal sites, look at http://www.thinknear.com/main_pages/how_it_works

It’s all very exciting!

If this is your situation, or you know someone in that position, please pass on some marketing tips that will help them get the cashflow moving again:

1. Chase every debt.  This is money in the bank; it just often isn’t in yours.  People think debt recovery falls into admin rather than marketing, but this is easy income and every debt should be chased in a systematic way.  Speaking to people about the money they owe is also another opportunity to find out what needs they have that you may be able to solve.
2. Keep in touch with past clients.  All too often, we spend time looking for new customers and forget about the people who already know, like and trust us – those who have bought before.  By keeping in touch, you remind them you exist and what you can offer.  (Just this week I had a client come back after 5 years, so it’s never too late.)
3. Listen – ask customers, prospects and contacts what they need.  What challenges do they have and how can you solve them?  Listen first, ask questions and propose your solution afterwards.  You’re more likely to solve their problem that way – and they’re more likely to buy.
4. Stay positive.  It’s increasingly difficult to ignore the news, but ignore it you must.  People are spending money.  The question is whether they’re spending it with you.  Your mindset is a large part of whether you succeed or not, so monitor your thoughts and keep them positive.  (This sounds fluffy, but you wouldn’t believe the power of it.)
5. Ask for the sale.  Make the calls. Get active.  Take massive action if you need massive results.  You are the route out of your situation, so set a target and then enjoy smashing it.

Times are changing.  And they’ve been changing for millennia.  It’s the only constant.  As someone famously once said – you can make money, or you can make excuses, but you can’t make both.

I wish you success and I offer my assistance if you need it.

a) Nip to the loo?

b) Pop the kettle on? Or

c) Fast-forward the adverts?

The presenters on some channels even encourage you to leave the room now (which would upset me a little if I’d paid thousands of pounds to show my advert on their channel).

Let’s imagine you choose option C (otherwise this will be a very short post).  You fast-forward the adverts.  But one of them is so compelling, you have to rewind the recording and watch it.  Surely that is the new power of advertising.  It happened in our house last night and I was absolutely amazed that my husband (who really dislikes marketing!) rewound the adverts to watch one that had shown.

…which got me to thinking.  Perhaps we should be designing adverts (if we don’t already) that work fantastically well on fast-forward.  Many people do watch the adverts at speed, so advertisers can perhaps use that to their advantage.  I for one would love to see what they could achieve.

What top three things could you do (for free) every day to boost your profits pre-Christmas?

1. Call five existing customers and ensure they have everything they need for this quarter / ask whether they need any help with other items you provide
2. Call five past customers and remind them you exist.  Perhaps tell them about your autumn special offers and incentives
3. Make contact with five prospects and give them a special offer if they buy before Christmas

If you did this every day to Christmas, you’d make contact with 1200 people who already know, like and/or trust you – in other words, the people most likely to buy from you.

I’d love to hear your results – if you stick to the plan, I’m certain your tills will be ringing into the New Year.

Good luck!

What most business owners fail to recognise is the risk to the person who recommends you:

They put their own reputation on the line by telling their friends that you’ll do a great job. 

And most people don’t do that lightly.

We had a friend give us such a recommendation for someone to respray our campervan recently.  The business was effectively his; we just needed him to see the camper so he could give us a quote.  And that’s where the problems began.

So here’s a list of what not to do, if you want more business:

1. Make it difficult to see the client and give them a quote
2. Make the customer come to you
3. Be vague about times you’ll be there to see them
4. Leave them waiting outside your offices for 30 minutes
5. Put the phone down on them (after telling them you’re not really bothered about the work)

It beggars belief that in the current economic climate, small business owners are still wasting opportunities and damaging relationships with the people who recommend their company.

We’d love you to share if you have similar stories of people who talk themselves out of business.

And I hope we’ll be planning for growth in 2012, rather than survival.  It’s that mindset that will help us pull free from the recession.

So what can the history books teach us and what trends should we look out for?

I’ve always said that the 2007 Crash has more in common with the Great Depression of the 1930s than with subsequent recessions, so I’ve looked back at things that happened post-depression to get a feel for what some of the top trends could be in the next 6 months.

1. People are looking for escape, so books, games and films are all popular.  As are gambling and drugs / alcohol (sadly).  We want a few minutes to relax and forget our troubles and it’s likely this will continue through the winter months and at least into Spring 2012
2. Health became increasingly important after the Depression, perhaps because of the subsistence diets which led to increased cases of scurvy, rickets and TB.  I suspect the same will be the case next year, as people witness more friends becoming ill through stress and worry; meaning they start to look after themselves better
3. People are already questioning their beliefs in democracy and the use of endless credit, with some looking for a simpler life where they live within their means and have a smaller impact on the environment.  Whilst there will be smaller numbers who take this to extremes, their influence on society as a whole shouldn’t be overlooked
4. Allotments and home-grown produce have boomed this year and I suspect this will continue.  As people begin to learn about the seasons and the higher nutritional values (and taste) of local produce, this trend may well continue into supporting local growers and a resurgence of the local markets that had lost ground to the convenience of the supermarkets
5. Make-do and mend and second-hand markets are likely to continue to thrive, as people realise they don’t have to buy new to get a great product and an even better deal.  Charity shops now compete on our high streets and no longer give clothes and goods away cheaply.  They now offer value and a feel-good factor in that you can save money and donate to a good cause at the same time.

If you can tap into these trends in your business, there should be plenty of opportunities for you.

The one trend I’m hoping isn’t repeated based on the 1930′s history is the Second World War; the reamament for which pulled us out of the Great Depression.  Let’s hope the government come up with a better plan than that one!