Archive For: Sales

A Message from the Music Industry

office space

I was speaking with Zerafina Zara, one of the performance coaches for Mushroom Records recently about the music industry. There is a constant message that applies to your business that you need to know.

No matter how good you are, it doesn’t matter a damn if you don’t have an audience.

So many people work on their skill set, their techniques, their song writing, their creative process, their new development, but if you don’t have an audience, you will starve.

Apparently some performers get to the point where they think getting an audience is “beneath them”. From first hand experience, there are plenty of business people who are not focussed on getting an audience, or as I like to call it, SALES.

We have all seen products and services that are not that good but they have a huge following and significant sales. Maybe it is your competitor and you even have a better product or service than they do. But they have clearly focussed on their marketing and sales processes. This is because they know the value of an audience.

So do you have an audience? What will you do this week to increase your audience rather than work on your product or service?

 

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Are You in Their Shoes?

Hosting conferences means that regularly I get exposed to some great ideas from the sponsors.

Yes, it is true that I run the Exhibiting and Sponsorship Institute, but the first thing you need to know about sponsoring and exhibiting is that there is no ONE WAY to do things. There are many ways and trying new ideas can deliver great results.

One of the great ideas I saw recently was when hosting the Crane Industry Council of Australia’s conference in Perth. 

The exhibitor was FinLease, a finance company. They had some awesome socks.

Here are the key reasons they are a great give away:

  • The audience was predominantly male – men always need new black socks
  • The message for the wearer can only be seen by the wearer – otherwise it is in their shoes
  • The message is subtle – for the most part, they are standard black socks
  • The cost per impression is very low – the wearer will see the message many times unlike some other gifts
  • The cost per pair would be relatively low
  • It is a great message – “We put ourselves in your shoes”. It is true literally and figuratively

A little bit of brainstorming, a dash of creativity and a willingness to do something a little different has created a winning marketing piece.

What would you do for your business?

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Have You Got A Secret?

This is Ron Gottlieb.

He is the CEO of Ricky Richards, a manufacturer and wholesaler of industrial and commercial textiles and they are the platinum sponsor of the SpecTex 2015 trade show.

Also, he has a secret.

Ricky Richards are doing something very different for their industry. They have an exciting new industry partner. Click on the image above to see a three minute video where Ron talks about it and reveals the secret.

What was really cool was how they announced it. Over the past few weeks Ricky Richards has been posting images on their social media sharing how they have a “special announcement” and that you need to come to the trade show to find out what it was.

Their email footers have also been encouraging people to come and find out “the secret”. So the industry has been abuzz with this secret and many have come to the trade show to uncover it. But you had to go to the trade show to find out what it was and from there they have released it to the market place.

The secret is a great one. They have partnered with Melanoma Institute of Australia and are committing to significant donations on an ongoing basis. There are some real synergies between the companies and it not only helps Melanoma Institute but also Ricky Richards’ clients in the selling of their products.

What about you? Have you got a secret? Can you “reveal” it in a way that attracts attention?

 

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Manufacturing is Dead, Long live Manufacturing

Manufacturing is Dead, Long live Manufacturing.

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At the Austech 2015 Trade Show and there was a lot of talk about manufacturing, as you would expect.   But there was a lot of talk about the death of manufacturing in Australia. 

Based on the empirical evidence at Austech, this is clearly not the case. Manufacturing is strong in Australia, but we are focusing on the negativity not the success stories.   Some of the stories heard at the show prove that there are some fantastic companies doing amazing things.  

It is fair to say that Automotive Manufacturing in Australia is in decline, but the feeling is that this is not a bad thing. The margins were extremely tight, the demands were high and the profitability was very low. Remove of the government rebates and financial incentives and it would be difficult to find profitable manufacturers in the mainstream automotive industry.

So what are the success stories?

One company, Lovitt Technoglogies based in Melbourne is a first tier supplier to Boeing in the aeronautical industry – among other things, they manufacture tail pieces for 737s and other equipment for the FA8 Super Hornets.   

Another company based in Dandenong, Volgren is manufacturing buses made of aluminium. They they are more expensive than importing a traditional steel bus but because they are made of aluminum – which no other company does – they are lighter to run and that they are more cost effective, so the total cost of ownership is lower.  What they are also doing is starting to export these buses to Japan.  

We have another company called Tomcar making an urban utility vehicle that was originally made in Israel, but the owner of the intellectual property could not get them made to the specification he wanted, so he started having them made in Australia.  They are now exporting them and selling them to the US Defense Force. 

In fact, throughout the course of Austech Tomcar were searching for local suppliers to increase the Australian made content of the vehicle. Current the Australian made content sits at around 60% and their target is to lift it to 85%

There are some amazing success stories in the Australian Manufacturing Industry if we choose to look for them. 

The significant shift for Australian manufacturing is that we are moving out of commodity manufacturing – mass production. Our labor costs become prohibitive to be able to afford to do that, but what we do have is the ‘smarts’.  

Clever manufacturing is where the future of Australian manufacturing lies.   There is no reason why we can’t manufacture high specification, high quality products that we can then sell to the rest of the world. 

Both Roger le Salle from Matrix Thinking and Professor, the Honorable Stephen Martin, CEO of CEDA, stated at Austech that this is the future for Australia. One of the questions they asked is that instead of looking to Switzerland and Germany for high specification products, why can’t we manufacture them here? 

We have a history of clever innovation and we have proven that time and time again.  From farmers who invented the ‘stump jumpers’, which were ploughs that would jump over stumps to secure plastic bank notes and WiFi, Australia has created some amazing inventions.

David Lake, MD of ATTAR mentioned that his team were able to create some non-destructive testing processes that were previously thought impossible to do and by creating a unique team structure and management style within the business, continued to get significant innovation from his team.

Australia has some amazing universities and technical resources.  

The CSIRO have recently created Lab22.  They invested a significant amount on the latest in additive manufacturing equipment, typically referred to as 3D printing.  Industry can access this equipment and CSIRO’s expertise and you don’t have to make a significant outlay.  You can rent this Lab for some prototyping or looking at how you might be able to use additive manufacturing processes in your own business.

Australia has the ‘smarts’, we have the opportunities and we have the capacity. All we need is manufacturers who are willing to look beyond their current business to see what the future holds.  

Now is the time to fully embrace being “smart manufacturers” looking for the niche, looking for the high specification product you can export to the rest of the world.  

This kind of manufacturing would be ideal for our new submarines. Many visitors to Austech felt it was outrageous that our current Government is not letting Australian companies even bid for the manufacture of these submarines.  There may well be politics involved, but it is important to know that we do have the ‘smarts’ to be able to do this – and we are a clever and lucky country.  

Be confident that our manufacturing industry is recalibrating not disintegrating.

Manufacturing is dead, long live manufacturing.

PS Here are some videos of a couple of the interesting machines at Austech2015

Hilton Digital LED/CD Displays

Renishaw 3D Printed Bike

5 Axis Sculpting

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Got Barriers?

My gorgeous wife and I took some friends out to dinner on Saturday night to celebrate a big success they had. It was one of the nicer places in the area and priced to match – it was a great choice for a celebration.

One of the first impressions all four of us had was that it seemed that every member of the waiting staff had a nose ring, additional piercings and tattoos.

Now there are some great reasons why wait staff should be able to have body art and I am the first to admit it did not prevent them from giving good service. The important question is, are they a barrier for your customers.

Maybe a grungy cafe would be no big deal, but for a high end establishment it seemed out of place.

There are two key elements to consider here:

1) I could just be a grumpy old fart who is incredibly judgemental and old fashioned (that is entirely possible)

2) What simple barriers can you remove in your workplace or life to help make things flow more effortlessly?

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Bringing Home the Bacon

Image: SauceOnPurpose.com

This Friday, I am delighted to be filling in for Jacki Mitchell on her award winning show Taking Care of Business.

When I asked my social media contacts what did they want me to talk about, there was a resounding reply of “BACON”.

As many people know, I am a huge fan of bacon (new research shows it keeps you young too!) but I thought that listeners may be more interested in Bringing Home the Bacon.

It is one thing to talk about sales, marketing, strategy, productivity, business plans and so on. What counts is actually earning money.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer that SUCCESS is measured by far more than just money, but as the late great Kevin Merry (my dad) used to say to me, “it’s not a sin to be poor, just damn inconvenient”.

How good are you at Bringing Home the Bacon?
Do you bring home enough bacon?
What are you doing to provide better value to your employer and customers?

There are always ways to acquire more and better bacon if you need it. What are you doing about your bacon supply?

PS My apologies to any vegetarians for this image and bacon concept

PPS Join me on Friday 10th April 2015 on RPPFM (you can stream it) at 11am to hear about one of my favourite businesses The Farmers Larder (they make real bacon) as well as tips on how to turn Linked In contacts in to high quality bacon.

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To Serve or Delight?

I have had many a discussion with my mentor group on whether we should aim for Customer Service or Customer Delight. Million Dollar Relationships expert Danielle Storey defines Customer Delight as “Providing the customer service experience that was expected, plus a little bit extra.”

Friends and I were delighted on the weekend. We stayed at a great little B&B as part of our B&B Crew weekends (we all kick in $50 a month and head somewhere different every couple of months). This time it was off to Ocean Grove and we found a colourful and funky looking place with four bedrooms called Fairmont

Now we have stayed at a few B&Bs over time but it was the little bit extras that made a big difference. An early check in, a late check out, chocolates for us, doggy treats for the dogs, quality linen, all the little supplies like slat, pepper, coffee, tea, herbal teas, quality appliances, quality bathroom products, quality toilet paper, … I could go on.

All of these little things that would not have cost a significant amount of money, time or effort, all added up to not just Customer Service but Customer Delight.

So how do you delight your customers?

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Are You Really There?

Registration Desk

I had the great joy of working at a client’s three-day conference and trade show last week as Master MC and Exhibition Host.

It was a huge success on so many levels. But still…

It is a personal bugbear of mine that companies pay large money to sponsor an event or exhibit an event and they get the wrong people on the stands.

While this was a great show, so many of the exhibitors were not really there. They were on their phone, on their laptop, chatting to colleagues, doing anything but being present and focussing on the delegates – THEIR TARGET MARKET!

It is really simple, don’t take your phone to the stand. If you need to be near your phone all day you are the wrong person to be there so get someone else. Use the conference as a marketing tool by creating a special out of office message.

Leave a phone message that states; “Hi you have called YOUR NAME. I can’t take your call because I am hosting a stand at the XYZ Conference. Come and see me at stand 123 or leave a detailed message and I will get back to you once the show closes for the day.”

Do what it takes to focus on your target market – the whole reason you are there!

What about you?

Whether it is on a trade show floor, chatting with friends or meeting with colleagues, are you really there?

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It’s A Success

My apologies for the delay in this weeks motivator. You see, I didn’t work yesterday as I was busy celebrating seven magnificent years of marriage with my gorgeous wife.

Success comes in many forms and another year of happy marriage is a great success.

As I have always said, if you may celebrating success a habit, you will make success a habit. So I HAD to have the day off yesterday.

Let me keep this message short and sweet. When you look at successful people they have some key habits and perspectives on life. Success is not about who you are but about what you do.

If you want to learn this “Psychology of Success”, join me tonight or tomorrow afternoon for a complimentary webinar on the subject.

We will cover:

1. How to set yourself up for success
2. Why some people enjoy good fortune and others endure endless mis-fortune, and how to be the former
3. How to recognise and over-come procrastination
4. Why “good” is a barrier to “great”… and how to achieve greatness
5. How to overcome fear
6. How to deal with adversity, how to turn adversity to opportunity
7. Why so many fail to reach their potential and what to do about it

 

Click here now to find out more and register.

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Your Melbourne Cup Runneth Over

Your Melbourne Cup Runneth Over

Your Melbourne Cup 2014

Your Melbourne Cup

It is the Monday before Melbourne Cup.

For many, the excitement is building about the “race that stops a nation”.

The trainers have been working hard to get the horses ready. The horses have been doing most of the work to get themselves ready (whether they know it or not). The venue staff have been making the place look beautiful, getting the food and beverages ready and working on people logistics. The bookies are doing their research to make sure they know what odds they need to put out there. Everybody involved is getting ready.

The place is abuzz with excitement – particularly because this is a carnival is not just for Melbourne Cup but for many races as the carnival lasts for over a week.

But what about the jockey? The humble person dressed in bright colours who seems to perch precariously on the back of the majestic beast and control the run towards victory. The Australian Medical Journal has research showing that the job of jockey is THE MOST DANGEROUS JOB ON LAND (with only offshore fisherman being more dangerous).

What mental courage to head back out into a gladiator like battle time and time again. Ignoring the odds and managing the risks to strive for victory.

They must have such a strong drive for success and commitment to their goal.

Sitting in our comfy workplaces in relative safety, how can we have that same drive for success? How can we stay commited when we want to give it up?

Bright, colourful, silk covered hats off to the jockeys. The real heroes of the Melbourne Cup.

PS If you want to Get More Success and learn some of the secrets that committed people like our friends the jockey’s use, then join me on a complimentary webinar next week.

It is being held in the evening of Tue 11th November or during the day on Wed 12th November. Click here for more information or to register. I would love to have you on the call.

 

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015 Danielle Storey – The Cartridge Family

Danielle Storey is one of the founders of The Cartridge Family. (To be completely open, she is also my business partner in the Exhibiting and Sponsorship Institute).

The Cartridge Family is a multimillion dollar business selling low margin, high turnover products in a highly competitive market. So what is their secret?

Listen as Danielle shares the secrets of their success that has then led to her now speaking on Customer Delight.

 

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast in iTunes at www.EntrepreneursInAction.com.au

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Where Do You Get Them?

Let me be blatantly obvious. I am promoting a 30 minute webinar I am running this Friday on Successful Sponsorship Management. You probably got that from the last edition.

I will be covering Where to get sponsors, How to get sponsors and How to retain sponsors. If you want to find out more, be on the call or get access to the recording, register here.

In response to the last edition and some of my marketing of the webinar, I keep getting the questions, “Where do I get sponsors from?”

It is similar to the question, Where Do I Get My New Customers From?

Too often people will say “EVERYONE needs what I am selling.” It may be true but it is really hard work selling to people who don’t want to buy or don’t realise they need your product or service.

My sales coach, Paul McCarthy, has always said, “Go where the love is.” Years of being a muso taught him that it is easier to perform in front of people who love your style of music than those who don’t know it.

What sort of reaction would you get from a punk crowd if you started playing folk music? How would country and western fans respond when you start playing rap music?

It is the same when you are looking for sponsors. Go where the love is. Who loves your stuff, wants your stuff, needs your stuff and will pay money to access your stuff?  They are your IDEAL sponsor.

To find out more, register for Friday’s webinar. Simply click here to find out more and enter your details.

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Greetings from Abu Dhabi

Greetings From Abu Dhabi

I have only just arrived here and I am here for a week presenting and hosting different elements of conference (I am looking forward to hosting the day at Ferrari World!)

In a session with The Bucket List Guy, Travis Bell, he told me that it is not achieving the item on the bucket list that counts; it is who you are on the other side of achieving it.

That put into words for me how I have always felt about travel. It is the exposure to different cultures, putting yourself in unfamiliar locations and situations, being resourceful enough to communicate when you don’t know the language, comprehending that YOU are the odd one out that stretch your mind.

When did you last put yourself in a “Foreign situation”? How can you have more of these growing experiences that stretch your mind?

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque near my hotel

 

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