Sandra Martini's Success Strategies

Get Real and Make Things Happen

I remember, as I'm sure you do, my parents telling me how much easier we had it than they did (after all, they probably had to walk 5 miles up hill in the snow, BOTH ways, just to get to school). :-)

Given that my Dad grew up in a small town in Italy where electricity came from a car battery, I always believed them.

Lately, I've been hearing a lot of reasons about the tough times and why people aren't making money:

1. We're in a recession and the economy stinks
2. Emails aren't being delivered
3. The "list" isn't big enough or has the wrong people on it
4. Prospects are more wary about purchasing (justifiably in my mind)
5. I'm overwhelmed and have so much to do, I don't know where to start
6. . . .the list goes on.

What I'm not hearing are all the reasons why people can make money:

1. Access to pretty much any info with a few clicks on our keyboards
2. Ability to partner with a coach or mentor and see fast results
3. A client pool of the entire world rather than simply as far as you can drive on a given day (thinking door-to-door sales here)
4. Teleseminars and webinars as a means of sharing information and teaching a group of people at the same time without requiring them (or you) to leave home
5. Digital products and the ability to have a 6 figure business without fulfillment hassles
6. . . .and once again, the list goes on. :-)

So what are YOU doing to increase your revenue this year, this month, this week?

• Do you have an ezine that you send out regularly (not just when you "get to it") AND that contains info your prospects want to hear about OR are you overly focused on sharing the "what and why" without any "how"?
• Are you reaching out and communicating with your clients and prospects or are you hitting "send" and hoping for the "ka-ching" sound to tell you someone purchased something?
• Do you make it easy for people to purchase from you (see my blog for some recent trainwrecks I encountered around this)?
• Do you care about your clients? I mean REALLY care about them, not just the revenue they bring you? And does it show without you having to tell them regularly?
• Do you take the time to do at least one thing EVERY SINGLE DAY to move your business forward (such as article marketing or social networking or sending a card to a client or prospect)?
• Do you know the return on investment for everything you do or are you just doing things and hoping something sticks?

Basically, are you taking the right actions to grow your business or are you sitting on the sidelines complaining about all the reasons it can't be done and griping about those who have done it?

These days we have so many more opportunities to make money faster and easier than ever before -- even with the recession -- and those who are focused on providing value and being of service to clients, while authentic to themselves, are poised for the most success.

If you're overwhelmed or feel like a top spinning round and round, unsure of what to do next (or how to do it or even if you should be doing it), email my assistant to set up a no obligation "Get Acquainted" call with me. For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

Marketing Mess of the Week

I was recently debating about attending a very high end workshop this spring and, in reviewing the sales page, noticed several things:

1. There were 2 different prices within about 3 inches of space and all related to the current day and time (so "no", I wasn't reading a "regular" versus "early bird" price).

2. When I clicked to purchase the full-pay option, there was a THIRD price, so just for fun, I clicked on the multi-pay option and, you guessed it, a fourth price not seen before emerged.

3. There were two sets of conflicting dates on the site and the event location was given very broadly so I had no real idea WHERE I'd be going (I understand and agree with not listing hotel info, but I do need to know what city I'm flying into when determining cost).

4. I tried to call the business owner to give her a heads up, but couldn't get through on any of the extensions given on rather long, and very "insurance company corporate" sounding voicemail.

I made the decision pretty quick not to attend.  After all, I couldn't reach a live person, I didn't know what city the event was in, there were conflicting dates on the site and I didn't know what the price was.

Why am I sharing this with you?

It's not to embarrass the business owner (reason I'm not providing name or website).  It is however to ask you to take your time when putting an offer "out there" and either double check the information yourself or hire a team worth their salt to do it for you.

All of the above has resulted in my not attending (or promoting) a pretty expensive workshop and possibly signing up for more programs as a result.  After all, if this sales page was THIS sloppy, what does it say of the rest of the business?

Do you want to take that chance with your prospects and clients?

Social Networking: Easy Peasy Lead Generation

Everywhere you look, people are talking about Web 2.0, social networking, Twitter, Facebook, Tweetdeck or Twhirl, to name a few.

There’s even a whole new Twitcabulary: tweets, tweeples, retweets, twitpics, etc. which can make things seem a lot more complicated.

Here’s the skinny on social networking. . .

Social networking using sites like Twitter and Facebook are an AMAZING way to build relationships, connect with others and yes, even generate leads.

My friend, mutual client and Mastermind buddy Nancy Marmolejo is phenomenal at social networking and building relationships online.

I highly recommend you follow her and read her blog in order to both learn a ton and have great fun!

Here are 5 simple ways to make lead generation “easy peasy” by combining social marketing with things you’re already doing (gotta love that repurposing!).

1. Link your Twitter and Facebook accounts so whenever you post to Twitter, Facebook is updated.
2. Link your blog to each Twitter, Linked In and Facebook so whenever you post a new item, the 3 separate sites will share the title and a link back to it automatically.
3. Link your Ezine Articles account to Twitter so whenever a new article is accepted, it will update Twitter (and therefore Facebook) with the title and a link back to it automatically.
4. Schedule “tweets” to go out offering great tips daily. I send out quotes and repurposing tips, my co-host in Raw Professionals Online, Karen Knowler sends out “Successfully Raw Daily Bites” – what will you do?
5. Create a “tweet ring” with those who you admire and complement your business.

Just imagine the amount of people your articles and posts are now reaching! Your friends, friends of friends, complete strangers – all are now exposed to your information AND given a link where they can learn more and sign up for your list.

It’s important to note that the above is a supplement to participating in actual conversations and chatting with others and is not a substitute for the “social” aspect of “social networking”.

I like to think of it as a big party with a ton of great people and interesting conversations that I can pop in and out of based on my schedule – and I don’t even have to “dress up”.

Make It Real: My Request To You

If you haven’t yet set up a Twitter and Facebook account, run, don’t walk, to Twitter.com and Facebook.com – there’s no cost and they can be set up in minutes (seriously, you can tweak things later).

And then implement items 1 - 5 above in order to maximize your social networking presence and easily repurpose all that article writing you’ve been doing!

If you know you need to get everything set up and linked together, but it’s not your passion or desire to futz about with the techy stuff, check out my new Social Networking: Done 4 You service here and let my team handle all the details while you simply chat.

Talk about “easy peasy”. . . :-)

For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

Increase the Professionalism of Your Constant Contact Ezine With This Simple Change

Chances are, if you're using Constant Contact for your ezine, you have THEIR logo with a little "try it free" phrase on the bottom right of your ezine.

Want to increase the professionalism (and appearance) of your ezine?

Simply email their support (from within the Help & Support menu) and ask them to remove the logo from your account. 

After all, you want your ezine to brand YOU, not your ezine service provider.  :-)

3 Reasons Your Prospects Aren’t Buying From You

You've worked for months to create the perfect ebook. It includes the answer to every possible question your audience could have. You've created a sales page.

You even offered threw in a ton of bonuses.

So why aren't they buying?

Despite what all the "instant gurus" may tell you about how you can generate millions of dollars of sales simply by purchasing their program and doing X, the reality is there's a system to building your business - whether online or offline.

Before you embark on any new business, product or service offering, you must determine:

1. Is there a need?

Is there a group of people who believe they have a need or want which you can fulfill?

Notice the language. . .I did not ask if YOU THINK there's a need. What you think is irrelevant unless you plan on purchasing your own products.

2. Do they know-like-trust you?

Have you built a relationship with the people you are asking to purchase your products and services or do you fly in, offer to sell something and then disappear until the next offer?

Much, MUCH too often, I receive emails which call themselves newsletters, but are nothing more than sales letters which contain NO content (Can we say UNSUBSCRIBE here?).

You want to take the time to get to know your prospects and clients and then treat them right when they do decide to purchase from you.

3. Why are you special?

What do you offer your clients and prospects that your competitors do not? What makes you stand out?

Many experts say you should share the "what" and the "why", but not the "how" until your prospect purchases something.

I disagree in that it's not authentic for me to do that. If you've been on any of my calls, you know I believe in giving a lot of content - that is one of the things which separates me from others. I'm a teacher at heart.

What makes YOU special in your industry?

If your prospects aren't buying from you, you're missing at least one of the above three critical components of a successful and profitable client/vendor relationship.

Always remember, in designing your business, regardless of your industry, you have to be constantly aware of what your clients and prospects are searching for even as you build a business to suit your lifestyle.

Make It Real: My Request To You Starting with your business, step outside yourself and ask each of the above three questions from an objective point-of-view.

If your business passes, ask the same questions for each product and service you offer/plan to offer.

Once you have the answers, you can confidently move forward.

For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

Blog Tag: 10 Honest Traits About Me...

Hey Everyone,

I've been tagged in a "blog tag" by my friend and Mastermind buddy Nancy Marmolejo of Viva Visibility.  These are so much fun and will give you a little more info on bloggers you like to follow.

The name of the game is for me to share 10 honest things about myself and then invite more people to do the same.

Here goes...

1. I'm a first generation American -- my Dad was from Italy (RIP Dad, I miss you SOOO much!) and my Mom is from England.
2. My friends are constantly telling me I have a career in stand-up comedy if I ever want to go there.
3. My hobbies consist of swimming, gardening, reading, volunteering and learning what I can about Atlantis. 
4. The plane that crashed onto the White House South Lawn on Sept 12, 1994 came close to ruining a Presidential event I had spent months planning and that was to be held later that day -- we held it on the North Lawn instead (AmeriCorps).
5. I inherited my keen intuition, strategic mind and common sense from my Dad -- whenever in doubt, I ask myself "What would Dad do?".
6. Languages come easily to me and I've learned Chinese on a bet, Turkish for a guy, Russian to fight the Cold War (I'm dating myself here), French because no one had ever studied two languages at my high school before and Italian to survive family gatherings (in Italy).
7. I've never eaten a pickle (the smell turns me off) and get sick when in the vicinity of tuna fish.
8. A PETA poster of chickens in the D.C. Metro sytem is what turned me into a vegetarian.
9. One of my goals is to run, and finish, the Boston Marathon.
10. Over the course of 5 years, I had 7 jobs (and turned down 3 others), but only applied for 2 -- the rest were offered to me as a result of my ability to get things done, no matter what.

I now tag the following friends and ask for their 10 honest traits.  They'll then tag 7-10 other people:

Baeth Davis www.handanalyst.com/blog

Adam Urbanski www.themarketingmentors.com

Fabienne Fredrickson  www.clientattractionsystem.com/blog

Elizabeth Potts Weinstein www.thewealthspa.com

Shama Hyder http://clicktoclient.com/blog/

Mari Smith www.marismith.com/blog

Sandy Grason www.theroadtofabulous.com

Wendy Y. Bailey www.wendyy.com

And I'm looking forward to reading Karen Knowler's, Anese Cavanaugh's, Helen Grave's and Kendall SummerHawk's!  :-)

Creating Results, Not Resolutions in 2009

Every year millions of us diligently work on our New Year's Goals or Resolutions, determined that this year will be *THE* year, somehow different from all the rest which preceded it.

We labor over writing the goals, create Vision Boards, and start the year bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (like children on Christmas morning when they see a tree loaded with presents).

And yet within a week, maybe two or three, reality sets in. We're the same people we were before midnight on January 1st and, likely have the same habits. . .good and bad.

So how do we create results and not simply resolutions?

The answer is simple. . .treat the New Year as you would any large project and break it down into manageable pieces.

Let's see what that looks like:

1. Choose one of your annual goals and break it down into 4 quarterly (90 day) goals.
2. Take the first quarter (January - March) and break that down into monthly goals -- what do you need to achieve each MONTH to reach your first quarterly (March 31st) goal?
3. Take the first month (January) and break that down into weekly goals -- what do you need to achieve each WEEK to reach your monthly (January 31st) goal?
4. Take the first week (January 4 - 10) and break that down into daily ACTIONS -- what should you do each day which will allow you to reach your weekly (January 10th) goal?
5. And what needs to happen for you to get your daily actions DONE? Do you limit your email/Twitter/IM time? Do you tell your best friend you have work to do? Do you get up an hour earlier or work an hour later? Do you invest in a mentor who can save you hours of learning time? Figure out what you need to do. . .and then do it!

Simple, right?

It is until you take a look at ALL your New Year's Goals and realize you'd have to work 15 hours a day and be on a treadmill eating carrot sticks while chatting with your friends and family the remaining 9 hours in order to reach every goal you set.

The above exercise does two things for you:

1. It gives you the power to create real results. . .in a way which keep you focused and allows you to see progress throughout the year and
2. It forces you to "get real" about how much you can achieve and where you may want to pull in outside resources to speed up your learning curve, outsource work, etc.

So, what's next?

You have a choice.

You can take this ezine and move it to your "I'll get to it later" folder, you can delete it, or you can use it to change your 2009 forever.

Making It Real: My Request To You

My request to you is that you pick one of your goals for 2009 and use the exercise above to ensure it's doable, a stretch for you, but still attainable. And go through this process until all your goals are mapped out.

Once you've mapped out your goals and the actions needed to get there (this method also forces you to look at your goals at least monthly), you can "ask" any opportunity or offer which comes your way whether it will support you in reaching your goals or serve as a distraction and make your decision based on your immediate, intuitive answer.

Just imagine, no more laboring over decisions. . .they either do or do not support your goals. How freeing is that?!?

And if you want some help determining just how to reach your goals, you'll want to check out my personalized and customized Strategic Marketing Action Calendar program -- there's one spot open for February! For the past 5 years, Sandra Martini has been showing self-employed business owners how to get more clients consistently by implementing processes and systems to put their marketing on autopilot. Visit Sandra at http://www.SandraMartini.com for details, compelling client testimonials and her free audio series “5 Simple and Easy Steps to Put Your Marketing on Autopilot”.

2009 At-a-Glance

HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!

I'm amazed at the amount of emails and calls (yep, people are still using the phone!) asking me what programs I'll be coming out with in 2009.  As a result, I wanted to give a quick "2009 At-a-Glance" for those of you who are interested:

• Launch of "Revenue Roadmap" -- for those who understand the importance of systems and want to leapfrog over figuring them out on their own -- details coming soon
• Accepting applications for my Success Mastermind Program (starts in February) -- email Gina@SandraMartini.com for an application
• Release of 90 Day Intensive Online Business Builder Mentoring Program Home Study -- due out in mid-February
• Accepting 3 private clients to work 1-on-1 with me in January-- email Gina@SandraMartini.com to learn more
• Debut of Clients-Only Newsletter (and you think the ezine is good!) -- for clients only
• 2-day workshop coming this fall -- details coming soon
• . . .and a whole lot more stuff I'm not quite ready to share yet  :-)

If you're ready to figure out just what the heck you should be doing in order to maximize profits while minimizing overwhelm, I'll be giving you lots of ways to do it...you just gotta pick the ones that work best for you. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!