The Marketing Mentor Podcast

Have you ever had trouble putting what you do into words?  This week, Colleen shares a three-step tool that will help you write a powerful bios for your social networking profiles.  It's a simple tool, but it will help with writing any bio you'll need in your marketing endeavors!

One of the best ways to get new clients-- is to have them read (or hear) the wonderful things that other's have said about working with you.  In this audio clip, Ilise talks about how to get (and give) endorsements or recommendations on LinkedIn .

Did you meet your goals for January?  If not, take a few minutes today to create your goals for February. The focus for February is developing your online presence with social networking sites like Biznik.com, LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com.  These sites can be used very effectively for marketing, but remember to be professional.  If you have profiles on other social networking sites, ple...

This week, Colleen isn't sharing demos or how-tos, but a cautionary tale about what not to do .  Remember, it's important to do one task at a time and not to get overwhelmed.  Colleen stresses the importance of measuring success by small  I did-its !  She also talks about taking care of yourself, and adjusting the marketing plan so it becomes more personalized, and more realistic, for you.

Today, Ilise interviews Jennifer Neal from K9 Design . Jennifer reveals the tools that make up her "Marketing Machine" and descibes exactly how she uses them and fits them into her weekly schedule.  This will be a great help for anyone who is trying to work out the logistics of thier marketing efforts. Listen in, and find out how to make your own marketing machine work for you.

This week, Colleen tackles unchartered terrian with her very first cold call ever.  Was it as bad as she'd imagined?  Listen in to find out!  You will also find some excellent tips on how to make cold calls a success.

Check out this free consultation Ilise had with Dennis G. Dennis is a designer in Indiana who generously agreed to let Ilise tape the phone consultation they had last week. They talked a lot about how he can leverage what he does know as he enters new markets. Here's what else he wanted to know: -What if I have never focused on marketing? Can I start with nothing? -How do I brave a new industry (w...

How are you doing at the end of two weeks?  Is your target market clear, or mushy? Have you found a list you can work with, events you can attend, or places you can interact with your prospects?  Listen in for some inspiration from Ilise. 

Colleen, aka the communicatrix, will be straight with you- she hates cold calls.  Here, she talks about how she's putting aside her hatred and  getting ok with idea of calling someone.  Keeping it low key, being prepared, and the hamburger theory, can help you get your head around the idea.  Listen in, and follow along.  Remember, you're not doing htis alone, you've got Colleen as your guide.

Are you still listening?  Good job!  It's important that you don't give up. Just a few minutes each day can make a big difference in the long run. Listen in today for some more guidance and inspiration.

Marketing doesn't have to be overwhelming.  Today, Ilise deals with not getting overwhelmed, and answers a few questions about trade associations.  Thanks for following along, and keep up the good work!  

Things are really moving now-- it's time to get a list together of actual prospects!  Listen in, and for your reference, here are the links Ilise talks about in this podcast.  YPulse Mashup (conference for marketing to youth that provides a list of attendees) Massachusetts Surgical Centers (web site that provides all contact info)

After a successful week 1, we're on to week 2!  Today it's time to look more closely at the trade associations you've found.  What kind of contact information can you find? P.S. We've compiled a list of all the  trade associations  you've sent in just in case you need help.

Marketing Mentor's Colleen Wainwright, aka communicatrix, begins her 52-week marketing endeavor with the Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar (Veteran's version) as her guide.  She talks about Week 1's challenge, wrangling your contacts into a database, and gives you all the specifics you'll need to do the same. If you're following the Veteran's calendar, or you're an experienced marketer...

You've found some trade associations for the markets you're interested in-- now what?  Now it's time to find out which ones will make your marketing easiest. Listen in to find out how, and by the end of today you should be able to pinpoint your market!  You're doing great-- and we look forward to continuing this journey next week.

Today you will take your list of 3 possible markets and figure out which market will be the most viable for you.  It's important that the market you choose needs you, realizes that they need you--and is willing to pay for your services. How can you tell which market is the most viable? Listen today.  And don't forget to send your list of markets and trade associations to Ilise, at Ilise@marketing-...

It's time to identify your market!  Every successful business needs a well-oiled marketing machine to keep the prospects coming, and that marketing machine should focus on one market to start with! How do you choose your market?  Listen to find out.

How much marketing should you do?  Find out in today's tip.  Also, today is the day to set some quantifiable goals for the year ahead.    And don't forget to send them to Ilise at Ilise@marketing-mentor.com  so she can keep track of them.  Listen and follow along with today's tip- and your business will be growing in no time.

Week 1, Day 1- It's time to get revved up for a successful year of marketing!  Which tools should you use? How can you make sure your pipeline is full this year? The answer is in your marketing plan. Without a plan, the feast or famine syndrome is right around the bend.  What if you don't have a plan?  We created one for you.  It's called the 2009 Grow your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar ( www...

What does it mean to grow your business?  Everybody has a different definition.  To some it means moving out of the spare bedroom, to others it means making more money. In Episode 13, we will help you take a detailed look at your business, decide what growth means to you, and determine how to achieve that growth.

You got the job!  But it's not time to celebrate just yet.  Before you get to work on the project, there is some business to take care of.  A contract! Episode 12 will talk you through contracts, why you need one, and what yours should include.

Proposals- documents that detail what you do for a client and under what terms- are essential to the selling process.  In Episode 11, we discuss your proposal, and how to make it work as a marketing and sales tool.    Join us!

Here's the reality. You are in business, and you can't do business without dealing with money.  In Episode 10, we deal with the ever important question, How Do I Talk About Money? You will learn that your prospects don't expect you to work for free and that talking about money is OK.  Once you get comfortable with money matters, business success is at your fingertips!  Join us...

The fact is, most designers are not charging enough.  In this podcast, we cover the nuts and bolts of estimating a project and figuring out how much to charge.  One of the most important parts of knowing what to charge is understanding what you're selling.  Join us to answer the question, How Much Should I Charge?

There are two aspects to the pricing side of your business: how you deal with your own issues about money, and how you deal with your clients.  Episode 8 shows you how to deal with your own money issues.  Until your own issues- such as payment terms and policies- are resolved, you can't begin to think about how those issues affect your clients.  Remember, the goal of your business isn't just fulfi...