The other day (4/3/2019) I was meeting a friend for lunch and we decided to meet at Delvecchio’s in Plantation, FL. I showed up a bit early for our meeting only to be surprised that they were closed during what would have been regular work hours. I called another location to find out what was happening as many times things happen and the business would reopen. I was told that the owner decided to close this location permanently. The person on the phone simply said they could keep up with it anymore. I found this a bit odd as they are located near a 55 plus community, have office buildings across the street, are next to an elementary school, and down the block from a middle school, and have a high school near by this location. As I went next store to Subway to eat with my friend I started to think about Delvecchio’s and how many other businesses like Delveechio’s close because they do not market daily. I am surprised by how many business owners I encounter who are not open to receive ideas about strengthening their brand and increasing their revenue. So many times a business owner get’s so wrapped up in the other aspects of the business that they forget the importance of marketing and advertising. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise if you are not marketing you are losing a large segment of the market as they are going those that are on the top of their mind. It is imperative to know your community and how to reach the potential customers/clients in your community. Knowing you target audience and how to reach them and have them do business with you is key.
In order to avoid putting the closed for business sign up permanently you need to develop a Unique Selling Proposition. It is important to set yourself apart from every other business in your industry. Think of business and what they became known for and then follow their model in your business. When you think of McDonald’s you think of The Big Mac, when you think of NIKE you think sneakers, when you think All State you think accident forgiveness. The key is having something that you are known for that others in your industry don’t have. Ask yourself what do I have that is proprietary to my business and how can it put me on the top of the mind of the consumer. Then ask yourself how will I market this Unique Selling Proposition.
The key to marketing is to build raving fans that will share your business with others. I remember working at Sinbad Sports back in 2016 and taking fliers to all the sports bars and speaking to General Mangers who allowed me to hand the fliers out to their patrons in return I allowed them to put fliers in the store. This allowed me to share a unique selling proposition as the sports store with all teams available. Another Unique Selling Proposition was the fact that the store had me as a knowledgeable employee able to answer questions while also promoting the store on social media. I remember during football season on Thursdays I would make my NFL Picks and post them on social media. I did this using different merchandise and showing my picks via video. At Sinbad Sports we also had items that you couldn’t find anywhere else thus I made it a point to feature them as well. I share this to emphasize the importance of marketing and engaging your staff in the process.
It is important to get to know your customers and to make them feel welcomed and important. When some one does business with you give them a reason to continue to do business with you. Do unique things like finding out their favorite food and then getting a gift card to a restaurant that serves that type of food to give to them the next time they come in. When you do things for your customers and they feel appreciated they will not only continue to do business with you they will share your business with others. Surprise, Surprise, Suprise, customer service is important. Remember they chose to do business with you so give them a reason to keep doing business with you and to recommend you to others.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise without a structured advertising and marketing plan you will find yourself throwing good money after bad and eventually this takes a toll on your business as many times it leads to closing the business permanently. Sometimes there are other factors why a business closes however one of the most common reasons is lack of marketing. Marketing is very simple find the problem that your business solves and then promote your business to those seeking to solve that problem. Make sure you know your niche market and target your advertising and marketing to them so that you strengthen your brand and increase your revenue. Marketing should be done daily.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise you can not have results if you are busy making excuses. I have heard so many times that oh business is slow I can’t afford to market. My answer is instead of complaining think of affordable ways to market. If you have some down time in your business hop on social media and invite people to do business with you by offering a special. When I worked at Celebrity Sports I would do videos and send them out and post them in groups. On some of the days doing this brought in a few people who told me I didn’t plan on coming y but I saw your video. On days that I wasn’t in the store I was out in the community finding people who liked sports or knew people who liked sports as a result I picked up a few regular customers. My Unique Selling Proposition was that I could do auctions on a consignment basis with non-profit organizations which helped them raise money while putting the store in front of the consumer so that when they needed something sports or pop culture related they though of Celebrity Sports 1st.
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise you need a knowledgeable marketing person who can build your brand and increase your revenue. You need someone who will be proactive and help you stay ahead of the curve so you are the leader in your industry not a follower. It is important for you to empower this person to make decisions. You will need someone who understand your business and has your best interest in mind. You will need someone that seeks and acts upon opportunities.
Avoid having to put this sign up by making marketing and advertising a priority.
In business it all comes down to the bottom line of how much revenue are you producing and how much of that revenue is profit. In our society today it has become all about the Benjamins. It is important to know why you went into the business you went into. Once you find your why you can begin to generate a whole lot of Benjamins. Many people I come in contact who have a business do not understand that you need to invest in a solid advertising and marketing program so as to generate the Benjamins. I have walked into many a business and been the only shopper there and I thought how is this business surviving. The other day I stopped by a store that I used to work at and in the 1 hour I was there they had 0 traffic. The fact that they are located in a busy shopping plaza behind three sports oriented bars and due to the merchandise they have they should have been busy. I asked how sales have been they said a bit on the slow side. I did notice a buy 1 get 50% promotional sign at the entrance. I thought how are they letting people know they are open and making this great offer? In a matter of minutes I had formulated a plan of action that if the owner was receptive and willing to make a small investment could work in driving traffic and being on the top of the mind of the consumer. They have incredible merchandise however if no one knows they are there and no one is shopping in the store they will not be making many Benjamins. I thought they need brand awareness so I did a quick live video which is something they should be doing daily with a featured item of the day. They should create a tag line that is easily remembered and entices people to shop there. They could implement some type of cause marketing program as consumers like to support businesses that they perceive to be giving back to the community. They had an item that I really liked and I thought why are they not advertising is sports memorabilia publications and featuring this item. They recently placed an ad for a social media marketing intern for $10 an hour. If you are serious about creating a buzz on social media and acquiring customers and turning them into loyal customers it is going to take more than paying someone $10 an hour to do social media marketing. If you want to make Benjamins you have to invest Benjamins. Make sure that when you have a retail store that your associates working the floor have top notch customer service skills and that they are creating buyers not browsers. Ask questions get to know the people coming into your store. Treat every customer as though they are the most important person walking into your store.
If you are going to attract Benjamins to your business and create a nice profit margin you need to have a plan that is proactive. Sometimes it is necessary to go back to the old school way of doing things and hit the street talking to people that are with in 3 feet of you. For example you have an eyeglass store you should go out and everyone you see wearing glasses you should hand them your 4″ x 6″ card showing who you are and what you do and why they should do business with you. Make shure that when you planning that you include your unique selling proposition or point of difference so people know what sets you apart from everyone else. Look at who you are seeking to attract and where you might find your ideal customer and then formulate a plan to bring in those Benjamins.
If you want to learn more about strengthening your brand and increasing your revenue so you have a good flow of Benjamins please attend the OLD SCHOOL MEETS NEW SCHOOL MARKETING WORKSHOP in October. Look for more details coming soon. For a $50 investment you will receive a video interview, a promotional one sheeter, and a tailor made press release to help you in your quest to strengthen your brand while increasing your revenue.
Jonathan JDOGG Lederrman has been helping businesses to grow for over 20 years and has a proven track record of success as he possesses a keen ability to find the essence of a business and come up with easily and affordable marketing programs that will build brand awareness while also increasing revenue. Businesses that have listened to JDOGG have had success. STAY POSITIVE!!!
Yesterday (8/22/2017) I encountered a situation that got me to asking why the hate? Here I was reaching out to a business owner, Mike Artz of Collectables in Hobart, Indiana and this was his response via a Facebook. Wouldn’t it have made more sense for him to simply write thank you for reaching out to me I wish you much luck in your effort however at this time I am unable to support your project. Think about how you are responding to people and it will tell you why you may be struggling in your business. If this is how he responded to me how many other people has he responded to in this manner and how many of them have not done business with him and share their negative experience with others. In today’s marketplace it is imperative to be nice in all encounters so that people are moved to do business with you. At the end of the day the only thing that endures is your character.
He obviously forgot the first adage of business that Kindness Counts. I simply did what I have been doing for over 40 years and asked a business owner for support of a charitable cause. I never expected this type of response. This only goes to show us that our marketplace needs to be taught compassion.
Now think about it the next time someone approaches you for support because you never know the reach that person has and how they can impact your business. In this case all the accolades that Mike Artz may have built up are gone because he will never see my business and those that read this article may think twice about doing business with him.
As an experienced marketing and public relations consultant the 1st thing I teach my clients is to be kind in all that they do as you never know how that kindness will be returned. Imagine if Mike Artz had been kind in saying no I may have still recommended that my colleagues who collect sports and pop culture memorabilia contact him to see what he is selling. The lesson to take from today is that all it takes is one oh crap to ruin a thousand accolades.
It is now time not only to think outside the box but to burn the box and release the contents that may be stopping you from maximizing your brand awareness and revenue. In the 40 years that I have been working with non-profit organizations and for profit businesses I have noticed something that those who struggle have in common and that is they get stuck in their ways and do not adapt. There is no reason today for anyone to struggle. The reason you may be struggling is that you allowed yourself to be caught in a way of thinking that hasn’t allowed you to move forward in a positive direction of your goals. I have heard so many times over the years that I don’t have money to advertise or I’ve tried everything and nothing is working. This mindset is what is keeping you trapped in the box and why you are falling short of your goals. It is time to burn the box and go from limiting beliefs to limitless beliefs.
It is time to put all of your limiting beliefs into a box and burn the box then spread the ashes as compost and then begin to change the way you go about doing things. When you think you don’t have money to advertise you need to turn that into I will find affordable and effective advertising methods. I recently came into 19 boxes of books from assorted genres as a result f a death in my family. Instead of saying oh I don’t have the money to advertise theses books I found some free resources like sell and trade groups on social media and started posting photos of the books. I also decided to donate 50% of all book sales to The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Of Sunrise. As a result I sold 4 books today (7/15/17). I still have a condo that looks like a used book store but I am finding ways to let people know about the books and as a result I am moving the books and helping a cause that I believe in while also turning inventory into cash. When you burn the box and release the stinking thinking that is stopping you from manifesting the life that you want you will find that you begin to attract more peace, love, joy, and prosperity into your life. It all comes down to having the proper mindset when it comes to raising funds for charity or running your own business. 
How many times have you stated I am not interested or you haven’t returned a phone call only to miss out on the opportunity to build your brand and increase your revenue. Over the last 40 years I have approached many different businesses to assist me in my efforts to help charitable causes. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to companies supporting causes. I have had organizations like World Wrestling Entertainment send me items that have helped in my efforts to help those touched by cancer. I have had companies like Jimmy John’s refer me to corporate and I haven’t received a return phone call. I have had some business people tell me to leave their store the minute I introduced myself and told them about what I was doing. This prompted me to wonder how many businesses are missing opportunities for their shortsightedness? I have come to learn that there are many people who lack the business acumen to take things to a level where their brand would stand out and as a result would pick up more business. In today’s very competitive market where competition seems to be on every corner it is important to take advantage of every opportunity to stand out and create a buzz while garnering new business while also retaining existing customers.
If you are a frequent reader of this blog you know how deep my passion runs for helping those touched by cancer through my involvement with Relay For Life. I do my best to share Relay with as many people as I can especially businesses that can use cause marketing as a strategy to acquire customers and retain customers. I have partnered with many business like The Tijuana Flats in Tamarac, FL, The Chuck E. Cheese’s in Sunrise, and Skyline Chili in Sunrise, FL to do fundraisers and I have been very successful in bringing people to these establishments who normally would not have gone. As a result several of those involved in Relay have become regular customers at these establishments. I have had mush success with those who understand the importance of cause marketing. The key is to partner with a cause that you are passionate about and then leverage your involvement by mentioning it in advertising, through your social media, and in your media releases. The idea is that you never know who may come into your business because of your support of a cause.
I went to a McDonald’s located Nob Hill Road and Sunset Strip yesterday (4/1/2017) to seek support of Relay For Life and the manager told me you have to call the owner but didn’t have the owner’s number. I thought here is someone who is supposed to be looking out for the best interest of The McDonald’s franchise and should be astute enough to understand the importance of cause marketing. The interesting part of the interaction was that I was going to place and order but because of the manager’s attitude and lack of information to give me to contact the owner I left and went to SUBWAY and bought my meal there as they have supported Relay For Life. Think about it and do the math I would have sent about $8- $10 at McDonald’s but because of the manager’s lack of understanding of the importance of cause marketing another business received my business. The reason I share this with you is to show you that you must empower your managers to make some decisions when it comes to cause marketing because you may be leaving money on the table because of their lack of understanding the importance of cause marketing. $8-10 may not seek like a lot of money to be walking out the door but think about it how many people will see this story and not go to that McDonald’s and do you think I will be going back to patronize that location?