Pictured here is my dad with my sister and me some time in the 50's! 1. Watch where you step. In a farm full of animals, it was always a good idea to watch where you step. In marketing, it’s easy to step into something without first taking a good look! With all the resources on the web, there are more marketing activities/strategies than you can count. It’s tempting to try out several, but examining the strategy to see if it really fits with your brand will prevent potential problems later. 2. If you want to eat, put a lot of work into it. No one said living on a farm was easy and no one said marketing was easy either. Allocate time for marketing, whether it’s returning phone calls, updating your web site or social media, networking, writing articles . . . whatever your marketing plan calls for, work hard at it. After all, that’s the only way to pay your grocery bill and eat! 3. Keep an eye on the crops. I remember my dad examining his emerging crop each year after planting and worrying that he’d have a crop failure. He never did; in fact every year, the yield surpassed the previous year. Your “crop” is your business and, like dad did, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on the "crop" to see if your goals are being met. 4. Growing crops takes time. I often think that my dad excelled at patience as he waiting for the crops to grow. Growing a business takes time also. While we’re anxious for the silver bullet and quick fix, they don’t exist. Be patient and allow time for the business to grow! 5. Not every job on the farm is pleasant. Cleaning the chicken house was never one of my favorite jobs but if I was to reap the benefits of selling the eggs, cleaning was part of the job. There are undoubtedly things you don’t like to do in your business, but they are necessary nevertheless. If you can afford it, outsource those tasks that you are either not good at or have no desire to learn! or just do it! 6. Listen to your dad. Dad was a pretty smart guy even though he lacked a formal education. As I look back, he had some pearls of wisdom that will stay with me forever. For your business, find a mentor to share your thoughts and questions. My mentors are vital when I consider a new program or product or just have a general question. 7. There's always risk involved in whatever you do. On the farm the risks were many – investing in seed and fertilizer and having weather problems that prevent planting or harvesting, for example. Business is a risk in and of itself – the state of the economy being a big risk for most businesses. Have a fallback plan in case things don’t go as anticipated. 8. Save for a rainy day. As a little kid, I remember my dad giving me an allowance and urging me to save half of it. It was hard to do then and it’s hard to do now in business. Business can be like a roller coaster – up some months and down others. Save during the good months to carry you through the bad. 9. It’s ok to ask for help. One of fondest memories of growing up on the farm is “haying season” when neighbors would gather to help each other “put up” hay. It meant hearing the other farmers talk around the lunch table and learning from them. One of my favorite farmer friends even taught me to rake hay one summer, something I’ll probably never do again, but it was fun at the time. In business, I’ve found that when I need help of some kind, I just have to ask! Don’t be afraid to ask for help! 10. Eat three squares a day. My mom was truly a country cook and prepared three square meals a day for my dad to nourish him as he worked.To translate this into business, take care of yourself. Your business won’t succeed if you are not able to do the job. Exercise, eat properly and take a vacation now and then! It’s good for you and your business! How has your upbringing influenced your career? Let me know! Add Comment My favorite iPhone apps 03/28/2012
Having been a happy iPhone owner for some time, I’ve collected a long list of apps that I really like. So, rather than expound on a topic this month, here’s a list of the best iPhone apps I use. Most of these are free. Utilities/Productivity
At Valentine’s day/month, it’s natural to show love to important people in our lives but frequently, we forget that our businesses could use some love as well. Here are a half dozen ways you can show your company some love this February!
20 Ways to Upgrade your Web Site 02/08/2012
Of the large number of web sites we’ve created over the years, unfortunately very few clients elect to make regular updates. Search engines “like” sites that are updated with fresh content. Without these updates, you may be getting less traffic than you want. Why, then, do so few companies update their sites?
June Van Klaveren is the owner of Compelling Communications, Inc., a marketing/design company that specializes in helping service related companies market their products and services. Contact her at 800-779-0067 or at june@compelcom.com. Winter time is a great time to do those things that may have fallen through the cracks during the busier seasons of the year. Here is a short list of things to do in the winter when you’re not out serving your customers. 1. Plan for the year. 2. Review your processes. 3. Conduct customer service training. 4. Conduct technical training. 5. Review your advertising. 6. Create/revise promotional materials. 7. Hire a business coach for 6 weeks. 8. Community service. 9. Analyze last year’s business. 10. Focus on cross selling/upselling your current customers. 11. Calendarize marketing to be sure it gets done! 12. If you’re not on LinkedIn or Facebook, spend some time acquainting yourself with these and other social media outlets. Join the ones you feel will be the most benefit to your business. 13. Write social media posts and schedule them to be posted using Hootsuite.com. 14. Attend a networking event and cultivate referral partners. 15. Take a class/seminar. 16. Review and update (or make a list of updates) for your web site. 17. Shop and replace old, hardly-working equipment. 18. Read a business book. 19. Explore new technology that will enhance your business. 20. Spend time with each employee and encourage them where needed. 21. Review/develop your unique selling proposition. 22. Learn new features of the software you use every day. 23. Clean your office! 24. Meet with a mentor. 25. Go on VACATION! June Van Klaveren owns Compelling Communications and www.HowToMarketPestControl.com. She can be reached at 800-779-0067 or by emailing june@compelcom.com. 20 Ideas to Spur Your Marketing for 2012 11/14/2011
20 Ideas to Spur your Marketing for 2012 November 14th, 2011 | Author: JuneV People call in frustration that everything they’ve tried in marketing their business has failed. “What can I do,” they ask. Here is a list of marketing ideas to try. Remember, there are no guarantees in marketing. The economy, the weather, the competition, the area of the country, the call for the product or service — all these impact the growth of your business. Take a look at these ideas and plan to do at least three in 2012. 1) Mail postcards on a regular basis to the SAME mailing list so the recipients see your company name repeatedly. Be sure they are eye-catching and carry a good offer and are mailed to the right list of prospects. If you’re looking for a list company, try SalesGenie.com or InfoUSA.com. They are the same company, just different divisions. 2) Set your company up on social media — FaceBook (with a business page) and LindedIn. LinkedIn is more of a networking group where you can exchange ideas with others in or out of your industry. It’s also a great place to read what others are saying about a variety of topics through groups you can join. 3) Develop a keep-in-touch program. Millions of dollars are spent trying to get new customers when current customers often are slighted. Your current customer base is your most valuable asset so it’s important to keep in touch with them. Send an emailed newsletter — or send an article of interest through snail mail. 4) Thank your current customers. Handwritten thank you notes are a lost art and are rarely sent, so send thank you notes to your customers three or four times a year. 5) Support your community. Sponsor a ball team, church, school or community event through a variety of means. 6) Give away a service or product. Watch for a charitable group to which you could contribute and make it part of your marketing budget each year. Charitable contributions are tax deductible — so find your favorite and contribute money, products or services. 7) Hold seminars or workshops to educate your customers/prospects about your business. We often forget that others don’t know as much about our business as we do, so it’s helpful to hold open houses or educational events for clients and prospects. Network at BNI, Chamber of Commerce meetings, networking events, Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs and other business organizations. 9) Make presentations to local groups about your business — giving plenty of helpful tips and hints that people can actually use. 10) Talk to a marketing person once in a while just to bounce ideas off. It helps to talk to a third, objective person. 11) Go to a seminar or educational meeting about marketing. Spent time before and after the meeting networking with others and sharing ideas. 12) Evaluate your business card. Does it speak for your company? Project a professional image? Is it memorable. 13) Evaluate your web site. Again, does it speak well for your company and project a professional image. Is it easy to navigate? Is it full of useful information? Is it changed on a regular basis? To keep your web site fresh and encourage frequent visitors, continually ad useful information. 14) Hold a customer service training meeting with your staff because customer service is an important part of marketing. If your staff (and you) doesn’t project a helpful, pleasant attitude, your financial statement will soon reflect your poor customer service. 15) Hire a business coach who can help you through the aspects of your business that are holding you back or that you procrastinate about. 16) Join a Master Mind group for the same reason. Choose carefully the members of your group so they are all nearly the same sized businesses with the same challenges. 17) Learn to MindMap to solve problems and think through issues. Inspiration.com is my favorite; you can download a trial copy. You’ll be sold on it when you start brainstorming ideas about virtually any topic. 18)i Create a relationship wth a local publication or trade journal and send them story ideas on a regular basis. 19) Create a press release when someone newsworthy happens within your company. Or write a short feature story about a problem that your company solves, providing valuable information. Don’t make it a “commercial” or it won’t be printed for sure! 20) Use a promotional item that will be viewed of some value. Most companies use things like imprinted pens, mouse pads or colorful coffee mugs that will remind people of your company. June Van Klaveren owns Compelling Communications, a company dedicated to helping clients get and keep customers. She may be contacted at 800-779-0067 or june@compelcom.com. October 11th, 2011 | Author: JuneV Halloween is a perfect holiday for pest control companies to observe and have fun with! Here are some promotional activities: 1) Arm each technician with a Halloween giveaway to leave behind after service. Ideas: Candy roll w/custom imprinted wrapper, pumpkin magnet with your company contact info, key ring flashlight, imprinted trick or treat bag, reflective shoe stickers, Halloween yo-yo, bone pen, LED safety lights, imprinted bag of plastic bugs. All of these items can be customized with your name, number, etc. 2) Award a prize for the best decorated desk, cubical or office. 3) Donate Halloween candy to a food pantry in your area. 4) Hold a pumpkin carving contest for employees and customers. 5) Serve a Halloween breakfast for employees and customers. 6) Post on your social media “boo facts” about bugs in the days leading up to Halloween. If you have other ideas, let me know!! June Van Klaveren owns Compelling Communications, a company that helps pest control companies market their services. Call and say “Boo!” at 800-779-0067. Visit the website at www.compelcom.com. Be a more effective networker 10/03/2011
You decide to attend a networking event and go on line to register when you see the list of people who plan to be there. As you review the list, you notice that there is a website link associated with each registrant. You intend to check those out some time before the event. Time passes and the day arrives but you haven’t taken the time to see who’s going to be there and learn about them. “I’ll just introduce myself and we’ll see where it goes,” you say to yourself. What a surprise it is when several different people walk up to you and express an interest in your company and seem to already know all about you. How do you feel at this point? Impressed and flattered that they took the time to get to know you? Offended because they’ve checked you out? I’m sure you’ll feel impressed and flattered! Remember this feeling! That’s how you can make folks you meet feel just by spending a little preparation time. Knowing something about the person automatically opens the door for conversation and enables an immediate connection, the first step in developing a relationship. So the next event you attend a networking event, try to find out who is going to be there before hand so you can prepare to impress!! June Van Klaveren helps her clients attract and keep customers. She can be reached at 800-779-0067 or through her web sites: www.compelcom.com or www.howtomarketpestcontrol.com.This article may be reprinted with permission in your newsletters, magazines, or web sites. 6 Ways to Kill Butterflies 09/06/2011
September 6th, 2011 | Author: JuneV I’m not really advocating killing beautiful insect butterflies. Let me explain. I recently attended a seminar and came away with some good ideas from the topics presented. But where I learned the most was what NOT to do when you present! Given that you’ve prepared and rehearsed your presentation, here are some “day-of-the-talk” to do items to help tame the nerves, kill the butterflies and insure a successful presentation. 1) Scope out the room. Walk around the room to check visibility of the screen and podium (if you use one) from all points in the meeting room. If something needs to be moved, move it. Just be sure everyone can see you and the screen clearly from their vantage point. 2) Test equipment. If you are going to use a projector, laptop and PowerPoint or some other presentation program, be familiar with it so that if something goes wrong, you can fix it on the spot. It’s also a good idea to have plan B (another expert) in the room in case things go awry and are beyond your expertise. 3) Practice with your equipment as much as you rehearse your presentation. Get to the room early and go over your talk before anyone else arrives if possible. I like to bring my own laptop and projector so I’m familiar with the way they operate. 4) Test the sound system. Clip the microphone on your collar and walk around the front of the room or wherever you’ll be walking to be sure there’s no feedback, squeaks or squeals. Turn down the sound system until the feedback disappears. Have someone walk around the room while you speak into the microphone to be sure the levels are set correctly so everyone can hear. 5) Check your notes (if you use them). I saw a speaker drop a deck of note cards just before his presentation and scrambled to get them all back in order. Needless to say, this didn’t help his fear of speaking! If you use cards, punch them and connect with a big key-ring. 6) Make friends in the room. Greet people as they enter the room so that everyone feels they know you before you get up to speak. Try to remember as many names as possible so you can call people by name during your presentation. This creates a friendly, welcoming audience. Remember, the audience is rooting for you. They want to see you succeed – so do everything you can to make this happen! Good luck and happy speaking! 6 Ways Gardening and Marketing are Alike 08/03/2011
Having just helped plan a lovely garden outside my office window, it occurred to me how gardening is very similar to marketing to increase a customer base. Here are the similar steps: Plan the garden Plan the garden space, layout, shape, sun or shade, and size. Determine the goals of the garden – vegetables or flowers or, perhaps, a barrier between you and unattractive landscape. Plan the marketing Examine the goals of your marketing. Then take a look at the methods of achieving these goals. Develop your budget and choose the methods that fit your budget and that work for others in your industry. Research the garden Research native plants that will grow well in your soil and explore places to purchase those plants. Research the marketing Who will be your customers – their demographics, interests and location? What will be your budget and how will you spend it? Prepare the soil Creating a garden is not an easy task, especially when it comes to removing sod, brining in top soil, tilling it, fertilizing and mulching. Just ask my trusted gardening company, Potager Gardens! Preparing to market Be sure to have your marketing materials and web site created before you actually begin to market. Work with your graphic designer (Compelling Communications?) to craft your message to best grow your business. Plant the garden Lovingly, plant your selected specimens in your newly prepared soil. Plant your marketing Begin to contact prospects and publicize your business according to your plan. Nurture your garden Water and feed the plants as you place them in the earth. Pull any weeds that spring up and watch for evidence of pests like rabbits. Pull weeds and treat the garden with an animal repellent. Nurture your customers Nurture your customers by keeping in touch with them after the sale. Remember that your biggest asset is your current customer base. If you’re working with a customer that doesn’t seem to “fit” with your personality or philosophy, kindly request that they use one of your competitors. Harvest your garden Whether you planted flowers and ornamentals or vegetables, one of the most rewarding aspects of gardening is harvesting what you planted. Harvest your business Harvest in your business is, as you might expect, taking the checks to the bank. So there you have it. . .similarities between gardening and marketing your business! Happy gardening and happy marketing. Here’s what you can do today: Choose any one of these categories to examine your business in detail. Then if I can help, contact me at 800-779-0067 |  ArchivesApril 2012 June Van Klaveren
These articles may be freely published in any e-zine, newsletter, newspaper, magazine, website, etc. as long as my name and bio remain in tact. Please send me a link when you run my work. Just be sure to NOT edit them in any way and to always include this credit line: Categories |
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