Site launch: PepinValleyConsulting.com

“Regardless of whether you know what you are looking for or not, we can make the process of buying the right franchise for you easier.”

Bob Hebert, President

Pepin Valley Consulting needed a digital face lift. The new site not only needed to be very informative, it also needed to uphold the professional standard that Pepin Valley is known for.

Throughout the site you will see photos of success – entrepreneurs who achieved their goals and dreams by taking that leap towards owning a franchise. You will also find information on how to get started, learn the process, and get answers to questions such as, “Why is this service free?” and “Why should I use Pepin Valley Consulting”.

Buying a new franchise can be a difficult, time consuming, and very stressful process. Lucky for all of you franchising entrepreneurs out there, Pepin Valley Consulting can help alleviate some of that stress – for free! For more information, check out www.pepinvalleyconsulting.com.

We’ve enjoyed working with Bob Hebert and Pepin Valley Consulting, and we look forward to his continued online success as we continue to optimize his website for search engines.

Surprise!!!

This post is about the art of surprising your customers.

The best way to increase your sales is to have what we all know as a USP (Unique Selling Point). I won't insult your intelligence by going through what that is, but if you are to get the most out of this post, just take a few seconds to remember your business training and experience and what the acronym alludes to.

Done? Right, now we can move on.

Even though you might have the most amazing USP you still don't have the one thing under your belt that guarantees that people will look at your company and what it does on a regular basis, and get one step closer to becoming your client. What you need is the ability to build the element of surprise into your company's marketing on a regular basis.

An example. Suppose you are in the market for a car. You search the dealerships for an entire Saturday, and it is now four o'clock, nothing done. All the vehicles look the same and all the people selling them look the same. Then you get to the last dealership in town. This one has all of the cars on the lot decorated in balloons and pink ribbon. Everyone who passes is given a free coffee and all of the salespeople stand in the background.

Wouldn't that be a surprise? Which dealer would you remember? Which dealer would you probably consider spending money with?

Include the element of surprise in everything you do when it comes to marketing. Emails need to have a nice message. Give all customers a discount now and then. Send them a card for no reason other than to say that you value them.

If you surprise your customers you take their brain out of the comfort zone and they remember you. Try it, just think about how you can surprise your customer base and just do it. This way you will really stand out from the crowd.

Get your plan together...

Most people out there who are planning on starting a new business online or adding to an existing business have their plan in their head. This is especially true for those of us who are already online. This is a sure-fire recipe for disaster, and what this post is going to do is look at a few things you must take care of before you start firing away with your online business. Basically, if you rush into a web business without taking care of this stuff, the cracks will show soon enough...

1. When you realize that you are going to use the Internet for marketing, make sure you have an objective. By this I mean you have to sit down and think carefully about what you are trying to achieve with this venture. Are you planning to use the Internet to find new clients? Or are you using it to offer information and services that they might not find elsewhere? Do you want to create an online community for your existing clients? How much money do you want to spend? Work out all of this and you are on your way to being sensible and focused when it comes to Internet marketing.




2. You could utilize what many of the most successful online companies do these days and have a marketing funnel. To best understand this concept, think of an upside down triangle. Clients start at the top of the funnel, where they can expect base-line or low cost products and services offered by your company. Then as they progress down the funnel, add-ons and other products that add value to the customer experience are offered. Does your company do this? Look at your product line or portfolio and work out how to keep customers travelling down deeper into the funnel...



3. Get on Google and do a keyword search for the products and services that you offer. Then write down the URLs of the op five competitors that offer the same stuff you do. Then find the gaps in their service and exploit, exploit, exploit...



4. Whatever you do, don't do shotgun marketing. This is where a company just tries to sell to everybody and their cat. Target your market, find out what they are like as people. Are they male or female? Where do they socialize (both on and offline?). What do they read? Find out and focus all of your efforts on them. They make your company what it is, so respect them.



5. As outlined in earlier posts, know what problems your consumers have and solve them. Don't just offer a product that will help. Actively solve their problem by making it very clear to them that you know what their needs are.

We will look at more ideas on your plan for Internet marketing next post.

Are you a problem solver?

Customers have problems. They surf the internet to find solutions to those problems. Got a weed problem in your garden? Search online for solutions and advice, feel better, solve the problem.

Don't know where to go for debt advice? Find it online, feel better, solve the problem.

That is the nature of the Internet and it is also the nature of a successful business. Anyone who is doing well in business is out there solving problems on a daily basis. It is what they do.

Now I know there are a number of problem solvers out there, and some companies even have their market pretty much sewn up. But there is a way to dig deeper into the psyche of your client base and find out what is, in a sense, really troubling them.

You do this by finding out where they are online. Get to know your customers by going online and finding out where you can locate blogs and discussion groups that are peopled by the type of person who buys your product, and then listen.

If someone complains about the fact that X company does not offer a guarantee for this particular aspect of their service, then do it, offer it.

Search the blogosphere, the discussion forums, and look for the small things that tell you that people are dissatisfied. Customers don't always stay the same. They may want something new, or at least the promise of it. The more you get involved in the online customer talk, the more you will be able to turn up and say 'I know what you want, I know what the problem is, and I have the solution.'

By doing this you build the connection between you and your customers, and you then start scoring points in the marketplace, because you can solve their problems.

Knowing Your Enemy.

When it comes to doing well in business, sometimes it takes a little competition to spice things up, to give you the edge.

There is a very famous ancient text that is based upon the principles of war craft that pretty much advocates doing all you possibly can to get one up on our opponent. Many business professionals have built their careers on this text, and while it doesn't suggest impaling your competitors with a spear, it does make it clear that business is a cold game.

You do have to be clear-headed when it comes to protecting your bottom line, but this doesn't necessarily mean sneaking around doing nasty deals that threaten your rival's business directly.

Modern technology and communications have made it easy to see what other companies in your industry are doing, what they are good at, and how their business may affect yours. This is where the real business sense comes into it. When your competitor is doing well, concentrate on what they are doing well and examine how you could change what you do to make your firm look more attractive.

If, for example, you manage to get a look at their website, take the time to gauge public opinion. If there is the slightest sign of a customer making a comment about the service and how it can be improved, jump on it, and make that desired change part of what you do in your business.

For example, if the rival doesn't offer an email newsletter, and you find that the customers are asking for one, get one set up for your company immediately and get it out there. Make the new thing you do part of your advertising, and watch your own value as a company soar. People like companies that listen. That is how business works. To put it another way, if your competitor is not doing something right, make sure that you are.

Giving Back Through Public Service

For some reason, I've had a compelling draw towards public office for the last 10 years or so. Each election season, I seem to get the "itch" to run for something. I could be nuts, or it could be that I'm one of those people who doesn't like to complain about things and not try to do anything about it. For several years, I've sat on the sidelines and been involved in local government through advocacy groups like the Chamber's Government Affairs committee. This has been a tremendous learning experience, but I still feel as if I'm sitting on the sidelines and complaining about what others are doing.

This year is different.

Last week, I filed for a City Council seat in Byron, MN (my hometown). I decided on a small, local position because I'm a results oriented person. There is nothing worse for me than not being able to get things done and make a difference. I felt that a "higher up" position at the county/state level would be full of "politics" and my abilty to make a positive change would be greatly reduced.

So far, it's been a great learning experience in and of itself. I've had the opportunity to meet with people involved in the Byron community and hear about issues that concern them. In a tough economy, I'm hearing about high property taxes, excessive water bills, and a new storm water fee. On the flip side, the existing council members are concerned about the loss of LGA, or Local Governement Aid, from the state.

Hopefully, 11 years of experience as a small business owner will provide some sort of clarity to these budget concerns. When I started Corporate Web Services as a broke college student in 1996, I didn't have LGA, a tax base, or even a business loan... so in my mind things could be much worse.

If you happen to live in Byron, MN, I'd be honored to receive your vote for City Council on November 4th. If you'd like to get involved with the campaign, be sure to visit my new campaign website designed by CWS.

Authentic leadership cont...

So, thinking about the last post in which you chose your values, we are going to take it one step further and ask you to cut them down to just two. Two values that you believe your company is about.

To help you see that this is possible, take a company that has truly dominated their market and look at their slogan. The slogan should, if not spell out their core values, at least give you a hint.

Let's take UPS and 'Consider it Done'. From this slogan, what do you consider to be their core values?

Well, how about professionalism and integrity? Reading their slogan should give you that impression. From the beginning they were so confident that this is what the company was about, they embedded it into their slogan. That is their message. They are authentic (and successful) because they know what they are about.

Now that you can see that companies exist by their values, take it one step further and work out what your number one core value is. Then live by it. Run your company by that value. If it is integrity, look at your slogan, your banner, and your advertising. Consider that UPS doesn't have 'we have integrity' for a slogan, or 'we are professional'. They knew their values so well they created a slogan that 'spoke' it.

When you make a statement to a trade magazine, 'speak' your values. When your staff answer the phone, make sure they communicate your values implicitly. Remind your team of your values during meetings.

Let everyone know, through your values, why they are here working with you. Then you will be an authentic leader, of an authentic company.