Author: Scott Asai

Helping people develop their leadership skills to advance in their career

The 3 Principles of Marketing: Attract, Engage, Convert

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In today’s business landscape it’s all too easy to get lost in the world of digital marketing, to the point we forget the power of more traditional forms of marketing – such as human interaction, word of mouth marketing, and paper based formats.

Indeed, not all that long ago, if you were a small business owner then you would go to your local newsagent or corner shop and place a postcard sized advert (either handwritten or professionally printed) that touted your services to the local community with a phone number, and that was your marketing done.

Today, however, due to the phenomenon of information overload where it’s becoming harder and harder to attract people’s attention, let alone engage with them on a meaningful level, it seems all forms of marketing need to be much higher fidelity – both from a creative and intellectual perspective along with a more polished finish; for instance, it would now seem necessary to find a specialty printer to produce high quality documents rather than printing at home.

Similarly, in the digital world, it’s no longer about having a website for your business, or a social media page; that’s not enough today – it’s all about creating the most engaging and attractive digital collateral to ensure you reach the hearts and minds of your audience… as otherwise, they will pass you by and click off.

Therefore, it’s important to master the skill of marketing and look at the three core aspects:

  1. ATTRACT

The first step in the process of marketing is that you need to attract people’s attention, which means, you need to interrupt their current thoughts – distracting them enough to grab their attention and consider your message.  This is why so many marketing campaigns use questions, intense visuals, or focus on a particular pain point so that people stop their inner thoughts for a moment and focus on what it is you want them to focus on.

There are many ways to attract your audience, though one of the most compelling is to use a question within your marketing material – as this way, people can’t help but answer.  For instance, try not to think about the answer to this question.  

  1.  ENGAGE

Now that you have your audience’s attention you need to engage them, and the best way to engage people is to make it about them, rather than you… meaning, you must make your marketing about how you solve their problems, rather than about how great your company is.  Focus on the audience rather than your company and you will engage them much more.

  1.  CONVERT

The final step in the formula is to convert their attention and engagement into action – meaning, they do a particular thing, such as call you or visit your website.  In terms of converting a looker into a buyer on your website, again, it is all about creating value for the customer by focusing on their needs; as most people prefer to focus much more on themselves rather than your company.

The Minor Mistakes Affecting Your Business Image

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Business image matters. But if you want to keep giving off a positive impression to your customers – and attract new ones – it’s not just the major branding campaigns you need to focus on. The small stuff counts, too. Today, we’re going to go through a whole bunch of examples of the minor mistakes made by many small businesses, and suggest a few ideas on how to overcome them. Let’s take a closer look at some of your options.

Inconsistent brand image

Many small businesses go through constant iterations of their branding before deciding on the right course. However, it’s an area which can prove problematic unless you commit to the changes 100 percent. All too often, small business owners try to cut corners, and it’s noticeable to everyone. For example, let’s say your website gets an upgrade, complete with a new logo and mission statement. The trouble is, the front of your store still uses the old one. And your businesses cards are still making use of the logo before that. Inconsistency not only looks unprofessional, but it also confuses your customers. If you decide to make changes, make sure they are wholesale – right across the board.

The broken promise

Next, you can spend years building up positive relationships with customers, yet let things slip by a moment of forgetfulness or a broken promise. It’s vital to consistently deliver an authentic experience because this promotes your brand as trustworthy and professional. Everyone makes mistakes, of course, but ensure you deal with them in the right way – with exceptional levels of customer service, and a promise to put things right.

Spelling mistakes

Poor spelling and punctuation is a real turn off for customers. And as much as you might feel grammar pedants are ruining things for everyone, the reality is that they have a point. It’s unprofessional, provokes distrust, and can significantly reduce your sales.

Bad smells

If you are a customer-facing business, no doubt you understand the importance of looking your best. However, you also need to smell your best. If your store, office or workplace is a little on the pongy side, it’s not going to your sales charts any favors. Having trouble with a whiffy building? If you visit this website, you will find out there are a multitude of diffusers available to use in a business setting. Having to endure employees with a little personal hygiene problem? Don’t be afraid to address it – in private, of course. If you can smell someone, you can bet your customers can, too.

The business insider

Finally, one of the most natural traps to fall into as a business owner is that you fail to see what you are doing from the outside. It’s no surprise, as when you spend every waking hour working to make things better, it can be hard to see the wood from the trees. The solution? Every now and again take a break and try and look at your business with a fresh pair of eyes. If you can’t do this, use services like mystery shoppers or the equivalent for your industry. Seeing your company from your customer’s perspective can make a huge difference.

Effective Storage Solutions for Your Small Business

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Increasing numbers of people are deciding to stop working for someone else and start building their own dreams instead by setting up their own small businesses. They will develop products and sell them on to the consumer market at a higher price to generate profit. But one thing that many small business owners don’t take into account when starting out is stock storage. They simply don’t consider where they will store items until they have been purchased and need to be sent. But not to worry. Here are a few tips and tricks that can help you to prepare effective storage solutions that meet your small business’ needs!

Home Storage

When your business first starts out, you are likely to deal in small quantities of stock, and you may be able to cut storage costs by storing these products at home. If you have a spare room, this could prove to be ideal. Just make sure that you store your products safely. This includes storing them in a way that prevents them becoming fire hazards, and avoiding piling boxes up in a manner that means that they could topple over. If you plan to store items in a garage or similar structure, you need to make sure that it is secure (to avoid problems with theft) and well sealed (to prevent problems involving products becoming damaged by rodents, insects, or water).

Warehouses

As your business begins to expand, you are likely to find that you need to expand when it comes to storage options. You will start dealing with quantities of stock that simply cannot be contained to your own home. This is where warehouses can come in handy. A warehouse is a huge storage space where you can safely and securely keep larger quantities of items. The size of warehouse that you decide to hire out will be entirely dependent on the amount of space that you need. You should consider investing in a pallet rack, rather than simply piling your products up. This will help with organization, allowing you to source stock safely and quickly.

Security

It’s important to remember that security can be compromised in any area that stores your products. Not only could members of the general public break in and steal your goods, but immoral staff members may take advantage of their easy access to products and steal some too. So, make sure to take security measures to prevent this. Install security cameras in any stockroom or warehouse. This will monitor behavior and help to identify culprits of theft. This may seem excessive, but you don’t want to make losses due to stolen stock.

These are just a few steps that you can take to ensure that your stock is always safely and securely stored away until it is sold. Incorporate them into your business plan as soon as possible!

Which Career Skills Do You Want To Master?

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When it comes to your career, you’re always going to want to make sure that you’re in control and on the right path. But that’s often so much easier said than done. Because we all often find ourselves just falling onto a life path. You’ll do what others want you to do, you’ll move to where others want you to do, you’ll put others’ needs above your own. And that’s just natural. But, at some point, when you realize that you want to be happy, you know that you need to make your own choices. And this is always the case when it comes to your career. Because it is YOUR career and you deserve to be happy in it! To do that you may want to start working on yourself and the key skills you have to be able to get to where you want to be. But what are they?

Self-Believe & Confidence

So first of all, you may just need confidence. Maybe you have no self-belief? Maybe you feel like an imposter? Then, you need to start believing in yourself. These tips on The Luxurialist may help you to build more confidence in your career. This could be to be able to push yourself and grow in your current career, or to be able to believe that you can change paths and have the career that you’ve always dreamt of.

Writing

When it comes to skills that can help you to develop in your career, writing is a popular skill that many want to work on. Because most jobs require a ton of writing. From emails and reports to analysis and even things like blog posts or social content – there’s a lot of writing that you may do on a daily basis. So, maybe you want to be more eloquent, or be able to develop your written communication methods to strengthen your career prospects.

Public Speaking

From here, you’ve then got public speaking. And we all know that public speaking is one of the aspects of life that most of us hate. Yet you may need to do it in your job at some point. So maybe you want to improve your public speaking skills now, so that you can make use of them later? Because overcoming this issue can help you to progress in your career.

Networking & Communications

Then, you’ve got the idea of getting better at your networking and communication skills. Maybe you want to do trade shows, with Steelhead Productions sets, so that you can grow your business? But you need the skills to actually get the most out of those experiences? Then you need to start talking to people in your industry, and just get comfortable with communicating.

Financial & Analytical

And then there’s the idea of improving your skills and knowledge with money and numbers. This is something that can be largely beneficial to almost anyone – no matter what industry or role you’re in. Because you’re going to deal with numbers at some point. Being able to analyze in the workplace is also so important. Here, teaching yourself about different analytical software is so important. But you could also look to take a course in financials to get a little stronger in this area.

Protecting Your Business in Today’s World

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Business owners go to a lot of effort and expense in terms of their business, yet, it’s so easy for things to become undone in a matter of days should you not protect yourself from significant risks.

Today’s landscape, in the modern world of business, has changed dramatically in terms of security, with much focus on digital security and data protection rather than the physical security of locks and bolts, or security guards, that was once associated with commercial security.

Whilst such measures are still required, after all, you don’t want to leave the doors open to your office or a shop floor unattended – there is a need to think about security slightly more holistically, incorporating the digital aspects, and in this vein this article offers a number of aspects to consider as a business owner in today’s security conscious world.

  1. PROTECT YOUR DATA

In addition to cybercrime, the most common issue when it comes to data loss is through physical theft (e.g. your laptop gets stolen at an airport) or, more likely, corrupt data as a result of accidental damage.

For this reason, you want to make sure you back everything up to the cloud, rather than relying on your laptop’s hard drive (even if you like to believe it’s indestructible), external hard drives which often malfunction over time, or USB’s which are flimsy and easy to snap – meaning the data on them would have to be forensically recovered which is an expensive process.

  1. EMPLOYMENT

If you’re employing staff then employment lawyers are absolutely essential to protecting yourself, and your staff – as this area of law is particularly intricate with new case law informing modern practices on an almost weekly basis.  This area of law evolves so rapidly that even if you think you can get away with using something you used previously, it’s wise to get it checked out first by the professionals.

  1. INCIDENT PREVENTION

Business owner’s are vicariously liable for the negligent actions of its employees – meaning, if for instance, you had a restaurant and a waiter slipped whilst holding a knife, which subsequently landed in the leg of a dinner, you would be held liable for your employees negligence.  

It’s therefore imperative, from a legal perspective, to ensure the adequate training of your staff, as this will mitigate your liability as if you can show you took all reasonable steps as an employer to prevent the incident taking place – the courts are likely to look much more favorably on your position in terms of damages.

  1.  PHYSICAL SECURITY

We often forget the importance of physical security, in a business context, yet as with recent incidents such as people walking into corporate offices and attacking office workers, whether randomly due to mental health issues, or planned as a reaction to their disdain for corporate policies… employees are feeling more and more vulnerable, therefore, it’s good to have measures in place to protect your staff, and your customers.

It’s sad that so many public facing services, such as transport operators, now have to put up signs stating “we will not tolerate abuse or physical violence”, but this is the landscape we live in today, and it’s good to have a plan in place… along with practical measures, to ensure you protect yourself and your staff.

How to Become Happier in Your Career

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Career fulfillment is something that many people spend their lives chasing, but a lot of them never actually find it. There are a lot of things that have to happen in order for you to become happier in your career, and a lot of it is to do with what you want to achieve. There are so many things that can affect or impact upon the enjoyment of a job or career.

When you get up every morning and go to work, it should be an experience you look forward to, not one you dread. This is why it is important to work toward proper career fulfillment. But, happiness is subjective, right? So, how you can make sure you are working a career that makes you happy? Or even improve the way you feel about your existing career? Well, here are some ideas that can help you!

Adjust Your Expectations

Sometimes when you are trying to become happier and more fulfilled in your career, it is a case of adjusting expectations. You may not be doing what you wanted to be doing 5 years ago, but you’re a different person now. This is not the same world anymore, and you should change your career goals accordingly. If you can do this, you are much more likely to achieve happiness and career success.

Settle Disputes

Sometimes you will find yourself in a situation where you are in a dispute with your employers. This might be over working conditions, or it could well be over pay. Make sure you sort out any issues or disputes that might be affecting your happiness at work. Check out https://turleylawfirm.com/practice_areas/san-diego-california-wage-and-hour-attorneys.cfm and see what you can do if you are facing unpaid wages. Act now and nip this in the bid, then you can focus on being happier and more fulfilled at work.

Switch Careers

If things are really bad and you find yourself very unhappy in your job you might like to think about switching careers. This is something that will mean a big leap of faith, and it may well wind up being something you regret. But, you won’t know unless you try, and this is often essential for improving your career happiness. Do what you can to choose a career path you have a passion for first and foremost.

You might be thinking you are too old now for a career change or you have done the same thing for too long. These aren’t valid excuses people can use when you apply for jobs with them so don’t worry about it, it all comes down to how you are as a person. Plus, you can always train to become whatever you want. For instance, you may enjoy talking to people for a living. If you are great at chatting and selling then combine the two and have a look into life insurance sales. Companies are always looking for new individuals and will offer life insurance sales training on the job.

Talk to Your Boss

Sometimes the issues you have are issues that can be resolved by a simple dialogue with your manager. This is something that has to be done swiftly, and can really have a big impact on whether or not you are happy in your job. Sometimes these disputes can be settled quickly. This is also something that is going to allow you to speak to them about what you aren’t enjoying job-wise so that they can work on fixing the problem.

Take a More Collaborative Approach to Business and Work

Many people end up feeling burnt out and exhausted in business because they’re trying to do it all by themselves and they have the world on their shoulders. Taking a more collaborative approach and finding better suppliers and partners to work with will make life a lot easier, and make you a lot happier. Whether that means finding a company to deliver your concrete supplies that actually puts you needs first or a business to work with that’s interested in mutual growth; collaboration is about making things better and easier for you.

These are just a few of the excellent ways in which you can be sure you improve your happiness as a business. There are a lot of things that play a part in this, and you need to be sure you’ve made the ideal choice. Have a look at these suggestions and use them to make sure you become happier in your chosen career.

How to See Your Productivity Skyrocket with Mail Merge

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Tips for Getting More Out of Your Marketing Secret Weapon

It’s an exciting time to be a part of the workforce– new businesses, startups, and entrepreneurs burst onto the scene every single day, which creates an environment that has growth and innovation built right into it. Unfortunately, all of that growth also has a downside– markets are also becoming increasingly competitive. How can you make sure that you’re still reaching your audience? What can you do to make sure your message doesn’t get lost in the crowd?

If you aren’t already using mail merge to boost your productivity, let me introduce you to your marketing secret weapon. Even if you are already using mail merge, check out these quick tips to make sure you’re getting the most out of this essential marketing tool:

  • Make sure you’re using the best mail merge platform
  • Check, double check, and triple check your messages
  • Get personal

1. Use the best mail merge platform.

Mail merge has been around for a while now, and there are plenty of mail merge platforms out there to choose from. If you truly want to get the most out of your email marketing, newsletters, and other mass email campaigns, make sure that you select the right tool for the job.

The best mail merge platforms we’ve found have these key features:

2. Don’t forget to proofread.

How many times have you caught an embarrassing typo in an important professional email… after you hit send? Your mail merge campaigns go out to dozens or hundreds of recipients, so it’s extra important to make sure you give your message a thorough proofreading before you actually hit send.

3. Find ways to personalize your messages.

Using someone’s name in conversation is a great way to connect with them, and the same principle applies to your mail merge messages. Even if you don’t know the names of the people on your mailing list, you can find ways to draw them into your message. Here are a few of our favorite strategies:

  • Address recipients by name if possible
  • Include other relevant information you might have (their title, company, city, etc)
  • Create a call to action that really draws them in
  • Make your message engaging with beautiful images and clear copy

In Conclusion

There’s a lot going on in the business world today, which is exciting but can also make it difficult to get your message out there. Boost your productivity and make sure your voice is being heard by taking advantage of these simple mail merge tips today!

Are You Restricting Your Employment Chances?

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If you have been in unemployment for a while, you need to ask yourself why. It may be that you have simply been unlucky when applying for jobs, but on the other hand, you may be sabotaging your employment chances yourself. Consider the following as possible reasons why.

 

  1. You may be applying for jobs that you are underskilled or under-qualified to take on. If so, you need to do one of two things. Firstly, speak to a careers advisor for guidance on what jobs suit you and ask their advice on the skills and qualifications you need for jobs you are interested in. Going back to school to get the qualifications you need, such as an MR license or a specific certificate of study, will add to your employability. Secondly, find voluntary work in the areas you are passionate about, as you will learn useful skills that will help improve your chances at job interviews.

 

  1. You struggle at job interviews. We understand that job interviews are difficult, but you can improve your chances. Role-play interviews with family and friends, research the company you are applying to, and arrive early to give you time to go over your notes and gain confidence before facing the interviewer. Again, a careers advisor will also give you some useful tips on how to interview well.

 

  1. You are unmotivated. After being out of work for a while, depression and despondency can set in. You may have the ‘woe is me’ attitude, with the assumption that you are unemployable, and that you will never get the job you want. But here’s the thing. Other people will sense that attitude within you, including any employer you interview with. It’s a vicious circle, we know, especially when you continually face rejection, but use some of these tips to help you stay motivated when you’re feeling low.

 

  1. You aren’t doing enough to find work. You need to do all you can to get a job, so explore as many avenues as possible. Look at all the job sites online, network with employers at job fairs, and visit the places you are interested in working, and hand in your cv in person. And don’t forget to tap into the power of social media, as you can improve your chances using the information presented in this useful guide. The more you can do to find work the better, so get out of bed in the morning, make a plan, and put it into action.

 

  1. You are too fussy. It’s only fair that you apply for the jobs you want, but you can’t be overly-fussy. Sometimes, any job is better than no job, as you will at least have references and something on your cv to prove your employability at interviews. So, even if you don’t get the salary you want, and even if you have to do work that you consider beneath you, know that you will never get anywhere if you’re always on the lookout for that ‘dream job.’ You may find it eventually, but you can continue searching while you are in employment doing something rather than nothing.

Thanks for reading, and good luck in your job search!

7 Startup Hacks To Build Your Business Faster

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Building a business from the ground up can be a slow process. Many people can lose patience or run out funding if their business doesn’t develop quickly enough. If you’re eager to jumpstart your business make sure to try some these hacks…

Don’t be afraid of borrowing

Some of the best businesses were started on a loan. Taking out a business loan can give you the funding you need without having to spend months saving up. This could allow you to get things started more quickly. There are many sites where you can compare business loans to get the best deal

Get funding from investors

Another way of getting funding is to seek out investors. You may need to be willing to offer a share in your profits but in exchange you get given the money to help jumpstart your business (and unlike a loan, you won’t have to pay it back).

Save money by working from home

A lot of budding entrepreneurs feel that they need an office, but in this age of digital communication it can often be an unnecessary cost. Working from home at first could allow you to save money to spend in other areas. If you’ve got dreams of a retail business, you could even start by selling online before buying a physical store. That said, some people may prefer to get things going straight away in a physical store.

Prioritize building a website

Most people will discover your business via the web, so don’t put off building a website – it’s your most important form of marketing. You can build your own website for free using a website builder or you can pay a professional to create a website for you. Make sure to do your research into domain names – your ideal website address may not be available, in which you’ll have to find an alternative.

Stuck for business ideas? Consider a franchise

If you’re eager to become your own boss but are struggling for business ideas, you could always consider buying a franchise of a large company. You’ll find many franchises advertised online such as this opportunity to own a business brokerage. When starting a franchise all the groundwork is done for you – you already have an established brand and the parent company can provide you with all the equipment you need. You’re also using a business model that has been proven to work, making it less risky that starting your own business from scratch.

Consider a launch party

A launch party could be ideal for raising local awareness of your business – it’s ideal for shops, bars and restaurants. You can invite influential people in your area such as fellow business owners and journalists to come along and offer them freebies. This will help to make your business known in the community so that you can start building customers faster.

Get in the news

Media attention could be great for also raising initial awareness and encouraging customers. You can try contacting local new outlets or you can use a PR company. Try to come up with an angle that’s likely to hook journalists in.

The Key To Making Yourself The Most Desirable Candidate At A Job Interview

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Job interviews can be a nerve wracking experience. You want to present the best possible version of yourself, and of course, be the one to end up with a job afterwards. So, how can you make sure you’re the most desirable candidate at a job interview? Here we’ll go through some pointers that can help you to make a brilliant, lasting impression:

Make Yourself Readily Available

It’s key to make yourself as available as possible when hunting for a new job. If you’re not responsive when it comes to phone calls, for instance, it isn’t going to make you look very good.

If you can discuss things on the phone and arrange an interview at a time that suits the company, it’ll show flexibility and high interest in the role you have applied for.

Always Be On Time

Punctuality is key. If you’re late, it doesn’t paint a very good picture of what you’ll be like in the role. Even if there was a freak accident, it’s unlikely your potential employer will care or want to hear your stories. All they know is that you’re late. Move heaven and earth to be on time.

Be Willing To Hand In Your Resignation Right Away

Accepting a job offer with enthusiasm and being willing to hand in your resignation at your current place right away is a good way to become more desirable. A company won’t want to see you be indecisive about accepting the role.

Prove That You Are Suitable And Trustworthy

You want to prove that you are a suitable, trustworthy candidate. You might like to go out of your way to have certain background checks done, depending on what industry you’re hoping to work in. You might also look at acquiring one or two extra skills that they will find useful. If you’re looking to work in construction, for example, you could get forklift license training. If you want to work in digital marketing, having a few specialisms and knowledge in things like photoshop and web design will help, even if they aren’t part of the job description.

Give Glowing References

Make sure you provide the right references to a potential employer. It’ll help if you chat with your references in the beginning and let them know your goals and what you are hoping to achieve so you can be on the same page before they are called.

Remain Respectful And Professional

During the interview process, it’s crucial you remain respectful and professional. Of course, showing your personality is key, as this can set you apart and help you to land the role over somebody who has the qualifications but is not fit for the company culture. Make sure you avoid making any inappropriate jokes or risky faux pas. Take the lead from the person interviewing you.

Be Enthusiastic

Enthusiasm is so important, so make sure you get that across in person, too! Looking as if you’re neutral may put the interviewer off you as a potential hire.