Does my business need a mobile app ?

There’s no doubt that consumers are using their mobile phones to buy more and with increased frequency on their mobile phones.

Recently Time Magazine – The Wireless Issue dedicated a whole issue to the launch of their own app and an explanation of how the mobile phone has changed how we communicate, explore, do business and pay for items we want.

The business question is should you rely on a mobile optimised website, or should you be considering a mobile app?

The answer appears to be that more users will probably uninstall your app than will use it if it does not meet their needs.

Currently the most prevalent retail mobile apps are Amazon and eBay and those being used by major chain restaurants like Domino’s and others to check on the delivery of your order.

Other apps used regularly by small and midsized business are vouches/discount sites, journey planning, and booking apps. Smartphone users are likely to find their way with Google Maps, check plane times on their mobiles and read the news so what will your app offer?

Who will use your app? 

Subscribers

Nearly 40 percent of American mobile subscribers accessed downloaded apps in June 2012. And, according to a consumer survey conducted earlier this year by MTV Networks, 91 percent of respondents said apps expose them to new things; 77 percent compared apps to personal assistants; and 83 percent of daily mobile app users reported believing they're "addicted" to apps ( Gamers and highly evolved hand held users)

Marketing

Whatever your company does online, can also be done on smart phones, which adds portability, location targeting and other cutting-edge technological enhancements to the mix. The potential of mobile apps extends far beyond marketing.

Sure, companies can leverage applications to promote their products and services, reaching on-the-go consumers looking for compelling places to shop or grab lunch. But mobile apps can also support online purchase transactions, customer loyalty programs, turn-by-turn directions and social media interactions.

As a business owner what should I do?

All businesses looking at apps need to plan carefully. They should plan a budget and a road map. Knowing what you want the app to do and which consumer segments you wish to reach. This can pose a bigger challenge.

Things to look at before you move ahead with an app:

             Know what message you want to send

             Understand your audience

             Clarify what you want your app to achieve

In a recent interview with Ben Duckworth of Duckworth Consultants in Kelowna for this article Duckworth said “Business owners need a plan and what we do at Duckworth Consultants is offer a mobile app solution that is completely customizable, so you can design your app specifically around your business, what your business goals are and how you want your customers to interact with you."

When speaking about their own customers Duckworth pointed out: “What customers like about our app’s is that our platform is unique to apps in that each feature can be changed, turned on or off and even added to when the app is live.”

How will an app help me increase my business sales?

That’s the big question right now. People tend to think of mobile apps as novelties and games or small utility apps for people to use for tasks and calendars.

Here is what you need to consider for why your business needs its own app:

1. You put Your Business in your Client or Prospects Pocket!
2. You can add mobile value by including content and functionality that are time sensitive
3.  Provide content that adds value to client’s and prospect’s daily lives
4. Your app will become a part of a person’s daily life and become indispensable
5. It’s about convenience for your clients and prospects.
6. You can use the App to drive traffic to your brick and mortar store with a Push “Call to Action”
7.  Announce “Specials” to your app subscribers (online shoppers love a bargain)
8. You can announce an “Event” and have the app user keep it in their calendar so they don’t forget. If it’s a ticketed event, tell them how to get tickets or give them links to purchase tickets, or have a cart system to purchase tickets in the app
9. The mobile internet market is growing at a much faster rate than fixed internet
10.  It will differentiate you from your competition
11. You create deeper engagement through a device.  Statistics show people are within 15 feet of their mobile Smartphone 24 hours a day
12. Drive more loyalty to your brand by engaging people with the devices they are so addicted to
13. You are constantly branding your business on your customers phones
14. Your business is provided with great feedback through mobile app two way conversations
15. It is going to drive more revenue and ultimately more profits with its ability to “Push” information to app users instead of waiting for them to “Pull" information like a website
16. It enables easy social sharing of your content between mobile users with in-app sharing features
17.  Reduce costs to your business through automation. With a mobile app that has back end software you can change the information yourself.

So when considering an app for your business or any other  marketing tool  it’s easy to forget what your really  trying to achieve because sometimes we get so focused on the look and feel of the marketing piece.

The best marketing tools not only look good but they actually help solve a problem for your clients and that will   Build Your Business.

If you need help with your  Social Media Strategies or Internet Marketing Strategies contact:

Donald Robichaud
President
Floodlight Business Solutions Group
1-888-768-9415
http://www.floodlight.ca 

Build Your Business

Summer, a great time to plan your Fall Business Strategies

When the long days of summer begin and your business starts to be affected by clients’ holidays, it’s a great opportunity to develop your fall marketing plan.

There are two great times of the year to do planning and the one that is most often overlooked is summer.
In July and August, conduct a review of the first part of the year and set forth a plan for the fall to finish the year with a bang.

Develop a top 10 list of things to accomplish in July and August that will help you through the summer doldrums and accelerate your business through the fall. If you wait till September to start you won’t be ready until Thanksgiving.

Start now with 10 summer business development ideas
1. Deepen your relationships. Catch up with that client or business associate and ask “how ya doin’? It will pay off in the fall when you need to leverage the relationship to assist you with your project or new venture.

2. Build your sales team. Think about the ideal person to help you with your business and spend the summer interviewing people for the busy fall months. Use the summer to train part-time staff for the fall.

3. Time-line for your fall marketing strategy. You can think about things like the dates that you will host your major event or the dates for your press release.

4. New product launch. Put the final touches on you new product launch. By September 15th the kids are back in school and most people are back into full business mode and more receptive to your call or product push.

5. Work on your video strategy. Plan and shoot the videos you’ll need for your September marketing launch. It’s perfect weather to capture the video (or line up the testimonies) that will enable you to recruit new clients to your business.

6. Clean up your database. Whether you’re using Outlook, Act or any number of contact management software, review that pile of business cards you’ve collected and add them to your data base and then import them to your newsletter database.

7. Update your website. This is something we have done for the last 5 years in a row. In fact the new Floodlight site will be launched shortly. A new or updated website will ensure that all of your information is current.

8. Create your blog. It always amazes me how many people have not added this simple technique to their marketing arsenal. A blog enables you to speak directly to all of your clients past, present and future, providing them with relevant information and ideas.

9. Develop your Social Media strategy. The big 3, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Learn to use these tools and add their Icons to your website which will encourage your followers to share your content with their personal networks

10. Plan some Rest and Relaxation. We get so wrapped up in the daily running of our business that we often forget to take time off for ourselves to recharge our batteries.

Summer means renewing old friendships, meeting with long time business associates, taking care of you and preparing to Build Your Business in the fall.

Have a great summer, from the team at Floodlight Business Solutions Group

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight – Build Your Business
Kelowna / Ottawa / Toronto Kingston
Email
1-888-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

Business Vision, Mission and Values

In the last few years I have written many articles for my monthly newsletter, blog and for Castanet.

Of all the articles I have written this week’s article on defining Company Business Values is the most read article on my Floodlight website.

This week we focus on your Company Values.

Company Values: Strong values will be those which actually operate in practice. Your company values underpin the Vision and the Mission of your company. No business is value-free and it is important to be explicit about those values that are essential to the business achieving its vision.

If values are not made explicit, then the values of the most dominant people are likely to be those which actually operate in practice. If you do not define your company values, the company will be adrift without proper direction.

Four key questions to define your Company Values:

1.     What are the values that are important to you as the business owner?

2.     What are the values that will be important to your team members?

3.     What are the values that will be important to your customers?

4.     What are the values that will be important to the success of the business?

Example of Values for a construction company:

Our core values form the bricks and mortar of our business, which operates and grows as a company and proud community member.

TRUST: All long-term relationships are grounded in trust and we take great pride in representing ourselves with honesty and humility in all our affairs. Our win-win philosophy also enables us to develop lasting partnerships with our clients.

VALUE: Our clients expect us to earn our fee – not just collect it. We work hard on all our projects to find value through design efficiencies and creative execution in our work.

TEAMWORK: We are easy to work with (clients find that refreshing).

INNOVATION: We are committed to always improving how we deliver our services. From continuing education in the field, to investment in industry-leading management and estimating tools, we strive constantly to be the leader in our field.

COMMUNITY: We feel blessed to be involved in literally building our communities, and we are committed to making a lasting difference in the ones which we build. Five percent of the company’s earnings are donated back to charities every year.

So if the Vision is your “Big Picture”, the Mission is the “How we do it here”, then the Company Values define “How we do business every day”.

Now go and “Build Your Business”.

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight – Build Your Business
Kelowna / Ottawa / Toronto Kingston
Email
1-888-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

Build Your Business with a Solid Business Plan

A business plan is an essential roadmap for business success.

This living, breathing document generally projects 1 to 3 years ahead and outlines the Sales, Marketing and Financial Strategies that the company intends to undertake to maintain sales and grow revenues and profits.

Many people believe that a business plan is just for start- ups.

This is not true.

A business plan is for any business owner who is serious about taking their business to the next level. For the established business it’s an evaluation of where you are and where you want to be.

A well thought out business plan also helps you to look down on your business from 10,000 feet and to think about the key elements of your business. A business plan will help you to obtain financing for expansion, arrange strategic alliances, attract key employees, and boost your confidence. A business plan sells your company to the world and gives you direction as the world answers back.

It also helps you solidify your thoughts on your specific Products and Services and will clarify your thinking before you sit down with your bank or investors.

I am often amazed when I ask people about their business and they are unable to answer simple questions about their business.

I ask questions like:

1. What is your mission Statement?
2. Who is your target market?
3. How much will your product cost?
4. How many units do you need to sell to make a profit?
5. How will you market your product?

I am usually answered with I don’t know!!!

Yikes!!!! This is a recipe for disaster.

The real value of doing a business plan is not having the finished product, but the process of research and thinking about your business in a systematic way.

The act of planning helps you to think things through thoroughly, study and research when you are not sure of the facts, and look at your ideas critically.

A business plan will help you clarify your goals and focus on defining every detail of your business opportunity.  It takes time now, but avoids costly mistakes later.

It typically takes several weeks to complete a good plan.  Most of that time is spent in research and re-thinking your ideas and assumptions.

But then, that is the value of the process.  So make time to do the job properly.  Those who do, never regret the effort.

A good business plan should include:

• a description of your business,
• the business and owner’s background information,
• the proposed resources to be used,
• the business strategy
• present trends on your business and the industry it will operate within,
• how your business will operate,
• who will manage and work within it,
• what other businesses operate in the same market/industry,
• how you will market/ sell your product or service,
• the results expected and finally
• a summary of its feasibility.  (Executive Summary)

There are 9 key components to any business plan:

• Executive Summary
• Vision
• Market analysis
• Competitive analysis
• Strategy
• Products/services
• Marketing and sales
• Operations
• Financials

Once you have covered all the areas of the business plan then you are ready to get serious about moving your business to the next stage.

Now it can be broken down into smaller pieces by achieving targeted goals in 90 day increments.

When was the last time you revised your business plan to help you Build Your Business?

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight - Build Your Business

Email
250-768-9415 or 1-888-768-9415

http://www.floodlight.ca   

Kelowna - Ottawa - Kingston - Toronto

8 FREE ways to Build your Business

There are a number of methods that you can use to build your business. Many of these methods may already be in use but they are rarely used as part of a total marketing system so they are not used consistently.

When you begin using any marketing strategy as part of a system, then it becomes a positive source for the growth of your business.

Most businesses have methods of marketing; however, most do not pay close attention to the results and frequency of implementation. The key to remember is that when something is part of a system, then it is repetitive therefore multiplying the effectiveness and guaranteeing significantly better results.

The best way to implement your marketing strategy is to use this guide and make sure that you answer the questions that are part of each concept.

The goal of you answering the questions is simple. If you take the time to answer the question, even if it is just in your head, you will take yourself to a higher level of awareness of how you are working in your business.

MARKETING WEAPONS

1. Business Cards – Your business card should have key contact information and must be distributed to everyone you meet. The goal of giving your card to everyone is placing you in the subconscious mind of everyone you meet.
Q: Do you give your card to everyone you meet or just people that ask you about your business?

2. Ask For Referrals – Everyone you develop rapport with both inside and outside your business should know what you do and be able to refer someone to you. The best way to get a referral is to give one first. It will pay major dividends for you.
Q: How many people you know who are in business that would appreciate a referral? What goes around comes around!!!

3. Have a Clearly Defined Message – Make sure that everything you do has a message about who you are and/or what you do. Hone your Elevator Pitch!!
Q: What is your message? What do you specialise in? Who is your target market and what are your services? What problems do you solve?

4. Voice Mail Marketing – Make sure your voice mail has special marketing statements. It is very important to place some type of reminder for the listener to ask you about something specific about you or your products.  An example of a voice mail marketing system is at the end of your greeting, you add the statement “Don’t forget to ask me about….!”
Q: How do I get people to ask me about my competitive advantage?

5. E-mail Marketing – This is very similar to voice mail marketing. Every e-mail you send must have as part of your signature, a special offer or a marketing message!
Q: What does your e-mail signature look like?

6. Testimonials – It is a must for you to get testimonials from your clients and referral sources. Your website and marketing material should contain a customer quote. These quotes give customers sub-conscious references to your services and the quality of them.
Q: How many testimonials do you have and are they from different types of sources so you can attach them to the appropriate marketing piece?

7) Community Involvement – Get involved with your community and increase your exposure. Individuals that participate in community activities tend to be compelled to want to help other members of the activity because of the common bond that is shared.
Q: What organization could you join that would surround you with the type of people that either could use your services or refer you to people that could benefit from your services while simultaneously giving something valuable back to your community?

8). Accessibility – Make sure you are easily reachable. Make clear to your clients the best way to reach you along with the best times to reach you. Add on your voice mail message specific times that you will be returning phone calls so clients know when to expect to hear back from you. When you return clients messages when you say you will, your credibility grows and so do the quality of your referrals.
Q: How much time do you need to answer your messages and when would be the best time of the day to answer your messages and return client calls? Do this daily.

Implement each one of these simple marketing weapons and “Build Your Business” in 2012.

Donald Robichaud
FloodLight - Build Your Business

Email
250-768-9415 or 1-888-768-9415

http://www.floodlight.ca   

Kelowna - Ottawa - Kingston - Toronto

Donald Robichaud - It starts with a Great Elevator Pitch

I recently attended an Ottawa Chamber of Commerce networking with 100-plus people and had the pleasure of meeting many new business owners.
When I meet someone for the first time at one of these events, I usually start with something like, “So, (use their name here), what do you do at (their company)?”

It helps to be a good listener, and ask open questions. I let the other person speak first.

While they speak, I’m able to assess if my services are the right fit to their needs.

I can take it one step further and deduce the specific area where I might be able to help, by breaking it down between Sales, Marketing or Branding. If my service is appropriate for their business, I use my tried and true Elevator Pitch to explain my services.

I spent time with all my friends and business acquaintances and as I left the event, I realized that I had made 10 new business acquaintances and found 5 new leads.

Another successful night of networking!

FloodLight - Tip of the month / You need an Elevator Pitch

Every day you meet people who could use your products or services, or people who know others who could benefit from what you do. But unless you tell them what you do in a clear, concise and compelling manner, these relationships go nowhere.

That’s why you need an Elevator Pitch – a short description of your business that enables prospective buyers to know who you work with and what value you bring to the relationship. An elevator pitch conveys these marketing messages in a manner that literally attracts the right
customers to you.

In today’s fast-paced world, the average person is bombarded with thousands of marketing messages from multiple mediums every single day. Advertising is everywhere and most people don’t even notice them anymore.

To break through all this marketing clutter, it’s imperative to have an enticing elevator pitch that speaks directly to the needs of your customers. And it has to roll off your tongue easily, naturally and conversationally – and in about the time it takes, you guessed it, for an average elevator ride.


Click here for great examples of Elavator Pitchs from MSNBC Your Business


How do I write an elevator pitch?
If you need help creating your Elavator Pitch Click here!!
Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/
Sales Coach Sales Consulting Kelowna Canada

Ottawa Business Coaching

Ottawa Business Coaching

At Floodlight our Ottawa Business Coach  and Consultants work with business owners, executives, and senior managers to Assess their business needs, Assemble a comprehensive business strategy, and Apply tailor-made business solutions in a practical, day-to-day action plan.

Floodlight will help you to illuminating the dark corners of your business and to expose things that you don’t always look at closely enough. Our goal is to help you breakthrough your present situation, with actions to maximize your results and achieve a business turnaround..
What to do! How to do it! And When to do it!

What our clients like best is that we help to identify the inefficiencies or problems in their work flow, and set forth a plan that ultimately improves the success of the company.


Floodlight specializes in:

Business Coaching,
Sales, Marketing,
Branding,
Business Development,
Web Content and SEO development
Debt Reduction and Profit Strategies in Kelowna, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto Canada.

To start  to Build Your Business today:
Please contact Ottawa Business Coach  Donald Robichaud at 613.466.0416  or email us (Click Here) for more information on how we can help you “Build Your Business”!

Donald Robichaud President
FloodLight Consulting - Build Your Business - 613-466-0416
http://www.floodlight.ca

Ottawa Social Media Marketing

Ottawa Internet Marketing Social Media Solutions and Ottawa Marketing Support

At Floodlight we can help you through the marketing maze!

We work closely with our clients to identify and action the marketing strategies and opportunities that will grow and improve your business.

■ Create a quarterly marketing plan -- Set the following year into four key quarters and then begin to target marketing dollars and resources to achieve your business goals

■Send out monthly Newsletter -- Create a strategy to inform, educate and support all products and services to your past present and future clients. This program keeps you top of mind which becomes the branding of your organization.

■Blog Marketing -- Re-purpose all relevant information to the blog so that you become the leaders in your field and utilize all the free internet tools made possible on Google to drive down traditional marketing costs.

■Search Engine Optimization (SEO) -- This includes, the Research of Key words, Develop search strategy, Optimize web content(tweaks), Link Building, Monitor and adjust

■Competitive Analysis- We then determine what your competitors are doing we look at how many links they have, where they are getting those links and the keywords they are optimizing for their websites. This gives us an edge as we can see what is working to get top results for your keywords. This analysis will allow us to implement strategies that should move your site above your competitors in the search engines.

■Localized Search Optimization -- Local search sites are primarily supported by SEO for businesses that wish to be prominently featured when users search for specific products and services in specific locations. Local search optimization can be highly effective because it allows your services to be targeted very precisely to the search terms and location provided by the user.

■Analytics -- Floodlight can help you track your efforts and analyze the visitors to your Blog and website, and assist you in making better internet marketing decisions for your business.

■Social Media Optimization -- Set up of accounts and tools to push out marketing message • Need a social media strategy that will incorporate Site-Specific Programs •Micro blogging (Twitter)
•Business Networking (LinkedIn)
•Social Networking (Facebook, MySpace)
•Photo & Video Sharing (Flickr, YouTube)
•Submissions to web based Articles Directories

■Link Building -- What is your back link Strategy? -- High rankings can ensure that your message is viewed first. One of the most important aspects of increasing your Google Page Rank The search engines still believe that back-links are an important factor in assessing your site, so until that changes, we still have to work at generating valuable back-links.

■YouTube Videos - Videos are a great way to promote your products and services. Signature Videos set the tone for your company; Testimonial Videos give you instant credibility with your consumers
Give us a call today to implement your Internet Marketing Plan.

Contact us today and start to Build Your Business!!
Floodlight -- Build Your Business
Kelowna -- Ottawa -- Kingston -- Toronto
1-888-768-9415
http://www.floodlight.ca/

Donald Robichaud
President FloodLight Consulting
Build Your Business

Floodlight Expands Across Canada

Floodlight Business Solutions Group of Kelowna, BC, is growing. With the addition of more experts in a variety of business disciplines, Floodlight offers a wider range of products and services for its clients in the Okanagan Valley and now across Canada.

Floodlight was founded by local entrepreneur Donald Robichaud in the summer of 2005. His vision was to
offer cost effective business coaching, sales training, marketing advice and branding solutions to small and medium sized businesses in Kelowna and surrounding areas.

Robichaud‘s ultimate goal has been to develop the same services for business owners across Canada. That dream is becoming reality
as Floodlight opens for business in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto.

Robichaud says, “With changes in the global economy there is tremendous pressure on businesses to operate effectively in all facets of their business. They are looking for expert guidance through cost effective coaching and mentoring.”

Floodlight advocate’s a 3-stage process they call Assess, Assemble, and Apply.

“What our clients like best is that we help to identify their key priorities with our free assessment focused on ten key areas of business”, says Robichaud. “This helps us set forth a plan that ultimately improves bottom line results. At the core of our solutions based coaching programs is our ability to help Build Your Business.”

Being a business owner presents a variety of challenges. FloodLight Business Solutions Group offers one-on-one programs to provide the coaching and mentoring necessary for success in today’s ever-increasing competitive market place.

“We found that our clients were using Floodlight as the sounding board to guide them through their many decisions”, says Robichaud. “As a result, we surrounded ourselves with experts in the areas of Sales, Communication, Marketing, Debt Reduction and Profit Strategies, IT and Software Solutions in order to improve our services.”

Among the new products to be launched this fall are Floodlight Corporate Video Production, Corporate Identity Packages, Mobile Web Pages and Digital Signage.

Clients now have the ability to introduce and promote the virtues and benefits of their brand to current and prospective customers by using powerful corporate videos on their websites and in other marketing venues like mobile devices.

On September 20^th 2011, Floodlight is holding a launch party at the Avenue Bar in the Prestige Hotel on Abbott Street. Please
join us from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, to meet the Kelowna based Floodlight team, including Ted Farr, Andrew Gregson, David Anderson, Jerry Mason, Rudy Jaspers and John Gibson.

RSVP at 250-768-9415

Floodlight Business Solutions Group services clients across Canada with consultants in Kelowna, Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto.

Within the next year, Floodlight plans to expand further with more consultants in other key Canadian markets.

For more information please contact Donald Robichaud at 250-768-9415 and you can visit us on line at www.floodlight.ca.

Social Media Marketing ..Is it for You? Lets get Social!!

Social media marketing is the process of promoting your site or business through social media channels such as:

Social media marketing is the process of promoting your site or business through social media channels in Kelowna, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto and throughout Canada.

• Micro blogging (Twitter)
• Business Networking (LinkedIn)
• Social Networking (Facebook, MySpace)
• Photo & Video Sharing (Flickr, YouTube)

This is a powerful strategy that will get you backlinks, attention and a great amounts of traffic.

There is no other low-cost promotional method out there that will easily give you large numbers of visitors, some of whom may come back to your website again and again.

Tradtional marketing like TV, Radio and the Newspaper are having their market share reduced.

If you are selling products/services or just publishing content social media marketing is a potential method that will make your site profitable over time with the appropriate strategy.

Those who ignore the benefits of social media usually fall into three categories;

1. the ones who don’t know much or anything about social media
2. the ones who are interested but don’t know how to use it
3. those who don’t believe in the value that a social media strategy can bring to any site or business.

Which one are you? Let's Get Social!

For more information contact:

Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight – Build Your Business
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlight.ca/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

Build Your Business in Ottawa by Listening more!!

Listening is the key to selling

In today’s business world, unless you go into the sales arena with a strategy in mind, you will fail more times than you win with prospective clients, as they are busy with their own businesses.

When selling in these times, you must learn to ask the proper questions in order to gain the appropriate information that then leads to increased knowledge.

What are your best questions?
Knowledge is power, and as you ask great questions, listen to your client’s answers, you will discover a tremendous amount of information that will be pivotal in the sales process.

What are the top 10 questions that you will ask every client?
Once you fully understand the client’s situation, you will be able to make effective presentations which will enhance your personal credibility.

This will give you the confidence to express your own ideas clearly, specific to the situation, and visually when necessary.

All of these factors will significantly increase the probability of making the sale.

Please contact us for more information on how we can help you "Build Your Business"!

Floodlight – Build Your Business
Kelowna – Ottawa – Kingston – Toronto
1-888-768-9415
http://www.floodlight.ca/

Raise your Celebrity Status!!!!

In this tough economic climate it is very important to continue to market your products and services, and to raise your so-called 'celebrity' status for yourself and your business.

As a business owner it's important to understand what we can do to become 'celebrities' in our own right.

Why?

Because as consumers; we view some people as “worthier” or “more expert” than others, just because they’re better known.

In fact, these people may not be any more talented than anyone else, but we assume that they are more skilled or talented just because they are more famous.

And because they’re famous, their names become currency in themselves. For example, think of how many movie stars make commercials for hair products, when they don’t even do their own hair!

It's important for us to do what we can to add some sparkle of celebrity to our own names. Simply put; the better known we become, the more customers and clients we’ll be able to draw in, and the higher the fees we’ll be able to command.

One of the easiest ways to raise your celebrity status is to create your own 'Special Event' - one that will draw attention to your company and its core products and services. The benefit of raising your celebrity status with an event is that the event speaks directly to your target market and establishes credibility for you as a leader in your industry and makes you and your business better known.

Becoming better known is a stepping stone to achieving other goals like attracting new clients, participating in speaking gigs (especially paid speaking gigs), making connections with marketing partners, attracting talented employees, and other activities that generate more business.

I recently worked with a client and helped him create a 'Special Event' designed to draw attention and create awareness for a custom service he provided to his clients. It was a fun event, capped by a contest that allowed him to tap into radio, TV, and newspapers with traditional marketing strategies, and incorporate Internet Marketing Strategies, utilizing newsletters, a Blog, Twitter, and Face book. The event and contest were both successful and the client was subsequently featured on both Global and CHBC news.

Events like this take a little time to assess the opportunities, assemble the right marketing information, and apply the right marketing strategies.

If done correctly, it’s a great way to raise your celebrity status and Build Your Business.

Donald Robichaud is the President of the FloodLight Consulting team and can be reached at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/  or at 250-768-9415

Internet Consulting - What Makes for a Good Blog?

I just read a great article on "What makes for a Good Blog" written by Merlin Mann. He is a regular on the CBC show Spark hosted by Nora Young. Donald Robichaud / FloodLight Consulting

What is a blog? Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online information. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, websites and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on art, photographs, videos which are part of a wider network of internet social media.

What makes for a good blog?

Good blogs have a voice. Who wrote this? What is their name? What can I figure out about who they are that they have never overtly told me? What’s their personality like and what do they have to contribute — even when it’s “just” curation. What tics and foibles fascinate make me about this blog and the person who makes it? Most importantly: what obsesses this person?

Good blogs reflect focused obsessions. People start real blogs because they think about something a lot. Maybe even five things. But, their brain so overflows with curiosity about a family of topics that they can’t stop reading and writing about it. They make and consume smart forebrain porn. So: where do this person’s obsessions take them?

Good blogs are the product of “Attention times Interest.” A blog shows me where someone’s attention tends to go. Then, on some level, they encourage me to follow the evolution of their interest through a day or a year. There’s a story here. Ethical “via” links make it easy for me to follow their specific trail of attention, then join them for a walk made out of words.

Good blog posts are made of paragraphs. Blog posts are written, not defecated. They show some level of craft, thinking, and continuity beyond the word count mandated by the Owner of Your Plantation. If a blog has fixed limits on post minimums and maximums? It’s not a blog: it’s a website that hires writers. Which is fine. But, it’s not really a blog.

Good “non-post” blogs have style and curation. Some of the best blogs use unusual formats, employ only photos and video, or utilize the list format to artistic effect. I regret there are not more blogs that see format as the container for creativity — rather than an excuse to write less or link without context more.

Good blogs are weird. Blogs make fart noises and occasionally vex readers with the degree to which the blogger’s obsession will inevitably diverge from the reader’s. If this isn’t happening every few weeks, the blogger is either bored, half-assing, or taking new medication.

Good blogs make you want to start your own blog. At some point, everyone wants to kill the Buddha and make their own obsessions the focus. This is good. It means you care.

Good blogs try. I’ve come to believe that creative life in the first-world comes down to those who try just a little bit harder. Then, there’s the other 98%. They’re still eating the free continental breakfast over at FriendFeed. A good blog is written by a blogger who thinks longer, works harder, and obsesses more. Ultimately, a good blogger tries. That’s why “good” is getting rare.

Good blogs know when to break their own rules. Duh. I made a list, didn’t I? Yes. I did. Big fan. And, yeah, you should disagree with potentially all of this. It’s because I have an opinion, and so do you. It’s why you probably have a blog.See? The system works.

David Mann @ http://www.43folders.com/2008/08/19/good-blogs
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Donald Robichaud
President FloodLight Consulting
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/
Marketing Coach Kelowna - Sales Coach Kelowna - Branding Coach Kelowna

What is your Obama marketing strategy 2009?

What is your strategy for using the internet to raise your profile in 2009?

Last night as I was waiting to listen to the speech of President elect Barack Obama, I received an email from Barack Obama about half an hour before his speech:

Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2008 11:38 pm
To: robichaud_don
From: info@barackobama.com
Subject: How this happened

Donald --

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history. And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

Barack Obama’s campaign has redefined how to use modern technology to elect an official. They have promoted awareness and raised funds for their party. They have leveraged the internet to promote their cause on their organization’s website; Improved communication with their faithful, repurposed all speeches on YouTube and even directed campaign supporters with GPS to knock on doors for their target market.

Along the way they amassed over 640 Million dollars through donations over the internet. Barack Obama’s campaign leveraged the internet to create awareness of their brand, Barack Obama.

So as you assess 2008 and look ahead to 2009, what is your strategy for using the internet to raise your profile, market your services and increase sales?

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If you need help creating your Marketing strategy for 2009 Click here!!
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Donald Robichaud

President FloodLight Consulting

250-768-9415

http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/

http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

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FloodLight - Marketing Consulting - Repurpose information for your target markets with a Blog

Emerging Technology Trend - Increasing your business exposure through the internet by repurposing your past marketing material

In working with my clients at FloodLight Consulting, one of the areas that we leverage is the Internet, so that we can get key information out to our target markets.

The internet today has become the main source of information for your clients. Your past, present and current clients may have found out about your business in any number of ways, including word of mouth, print or radio advertising and so on, but increasingly if potential clients can’t find you online, they might never find you at all.

Within your business and industry you have great marketing material and literature that is specially targeted for your market, so why not repurpose this information so that it will be accessible on the internet?

FloodLight Tip of the Month – Repurpose information on your Blog

Utilizing a Blog with key information for your target audience can be a very cost effective way to raise your profile and credibility. If you send out regular newsletters on specific topics for your market, you can repurpose this material on the internet and speak to your past, present and future customers.

Key Points: Probably the most important thing to do is to repurpose your present information.

• It allows you to reorganize, reuse and redefine key information that you have targeted for your target market.
• Blog Post – This is a great way to repurpose information.
• Blog Post – allows you to control your own content and the story you want to tell.
• Blog – allows you to express your personal view and raise your profile.
• Blog- Cost effective Marketing with little cost.

For further Sales and Marketing information you can visit my website at http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/ or my personal blog at http://www.donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

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FloodLight - Marketing Consulting - Dealing with Procrastinators

In my thirty years of sales and marketing experience I have had to deal with many clients who cannot make a decision. They literally procrastinate and delay moving forward for many reasons. As a small business, the survival of your business may depend on the positive outcome of many sales calls. If your main prospects are all vacillating, you will need to move the sales process to the next step.

So why do procrastinators procrastinate?

People procrastinate because they don't know what the next step is. If they don’t know what it is, they can’t take it. It's that simple!

If you are currently dealing with a procrastinator who professes real interest but keeps putting you off, you’re probably dealing with a genuine procrastinator. They don’t procrastinate intentionally. It’s just in their Buying DNA.

Here’s a great question to ask to help you get the ball rolling with all the procrastinators you encounter. Please don’t underestimate the potency of this question.

“The Great Question”

“What would have to happen”for you to place an initial order of three units of our new XYZ product?

The key words are, “what would have to happen”?

Trust me, it works.

Insert whatever is appropriate for the situation after the phrase, “What would have to happen...?”

This question works like magic. It literally forces the procrastinator to think what the next steps ought to be. He tells you what the steps are and at the same time he tells himself what the steps are.

I can’t tell you how many times I've seen this work. It may be the single best way to un-procrastinate procrastinators.

FloodLight Tip of the Month – You have to ask questions.

One of the keys to closing the sale is the opening dialogue. The best way to get a conversation going is to start with really good questions. With great questions you will open up a great dialogue with your prospect and develop rapport over a shorter period of time.

You can judge the quality of your questions by the quality of the responses. Not asking intelligent and prepared questions trips up more business people than anything else.

One of the best ways to close more sales in less time is to ask rock-solid questions. Good questions eliminate all the guesswork and assumptions. Put your key questions together and bring them to every meeting to start creating better relationships.

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If you need help creating your Best Questions Click here!!

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Donald Robichaud
President
FloodLight Consulting
250-768-9415
http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/
http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

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FloodLight Consulting - VODA Computer Systems Ltd. - Technology Showcase in Kelowna

Register now for VODA Computer Systems Ltd. Third annual technology showcase in Kelowna, BC October 8th, 2008.

Participate in informative and captivating discussions regarding some of the most exciting technology trends available for your small to medium business today!

Date: October 8th, 2008

Location: The Grand Okanagan Conference Centre and Resort
1310 Water Street, Kelowna, BC Canada

Registration begins between 8:00am and 8:30am. Breakfast will be served. Ample parking available.

Grand Prize: Laptop Computer.

Log onto www.vodagroup.com/tradeshow to register today!

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Press Release - Jerry Dombowsky - “Grandpa sells Motels and Hotels”

Jerry Dombowsky was at a family gathering last summer when he started talking about his love of selling hotels and motels and working with buyers on their purchase of a property.

The grandchildren were within “ear shot” of this conversation when they began shouting “Grandpa sells hotels and motels”.

This struck a cord with Jerry.

In his 32 years of real estate experience in Alberta and British Columbia, Jerry Dombowsky has seen a lot of real estate transactions, specifically in the hotel and motel industry.

Jerry says, “The internet is an integral part of day to day communications. The diversity and transference of information brings the property to the property buyer in a timely informative manner.”

Jerry has a broad knowledge of hotel and motel markets in Alberta and British Columbia and has completed many hotel and motel sales and purchase transactions including small and large businesses, and commercial real estate. Having owned and operated ranches, hotels and motels, in the past, Jerry Dombowsky has a very good understanding of the effort needed to close the deal.

As of September 1st, 2008, through Jerry Dombowskys connections with Premier Canadian Properties and Christies Great Estates, the benefits of buying a hotel, motel or resort will be presented to a worldwide audience. Jerry’s new website which is dedicated solely to the acquisition of hotels and motels in Alberta and British Columbia is located at http://www.premierhotelsandmotels.com/

Now that “Grandpa sells hotels and motels”, the grandchildren are looking for extended stays with Grandpa.

For more information or an interview, contact Jerry Dombowsky at (250) 717-1886.

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Donald Robichaud - Business Coach - Defining your Mission Statement

Last month we discussed how to define a great Vision Statement. This month we will focus on the Mission Statement.

Mission Statement: Your Mission Statement is the route to the destination of your company; a particular expression of the mission that is specific to this business given its history, context and circumstances. It is a more practical focus on what the business does, and will do, than the vision statement.

So if the vision is your “Big Picture”, the mission is the “how we do it here”.

FloodLight - Tip of the month / “Five steps to follow when defining your Mission Statement”

Once you have clarified your vision you need to define your mission statement, which is a statement of purpose and function.
1. Your mission statement draws on your values.
2. Your mission statement must be future oriented and portray your organization as it will be, as if it already exists.
3. Your mission statement must focus on one common purpose.
4. Your mission statement must be specific to the organization, not generic.
5. Your mission statement must be a short statement, not more than one or two sentences.

Here is an example mission statement for a company selling energy saving products:
"By providing quality products, we empower our clients to become caring, competent, and environmentally responsible citizens who care about the air they breathe today and the legacy they leave behind for their children."

The Benefits of defining your Mission

· It focuses your energy and clarifies your purpose. When you try to write your mission statement, you will find that you have to really define what you are going to do. Many questions will come up that must be resolved. For instance, who will you serve? And, who will you not? Are you concerned about just your local area, or the whole count

· A well-defined mission can attract people and resources. A mission statement is not just for internal use. It is a beacon that will attract people and resources to your cause – a common goal. Make your mission statement compelling as well as clear. It will be your best public relations tool.

· It also enables a focused allocation of organizational resources because it compels a business to address some tough questions: “What is our business? Why do we exist? What are we trying to accomplish?"

Effective mission statements can be a great asset to an organization. When everyone is working together in a defined manner greater organizational purpose is achieved. A mission statement is a stepping stone in the strategic planning process. It is important that when an organization implements a mission statement they apply it to their functional strategies.

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If you need help creating your Mission Statement Click here!!

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Donald Robichaud

President FloodLight Consulting

250-768-9415

http://www.floodlightconsulting.com/

http://donaldrobichaud.blogspot.com/

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FloodLight - Marketing Consulting - Overview

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Effective marketing is the key to a successful business operation in Kelowna, and when it comes to marketing many business owners are at a loss as to where to begin—this is where a marketing consultant proves helpful. More and more business owners are relying on marketing consultants to help their businesses establish a public image and to advertise their business’s products or services. Why are business owners turning to the creative talents of marketing consultants to market their businesses in Kelowna? Is correct marketing that important to a business’s success? Indeed; not only is marketing important to a business’s success, correct marketing: a strategy that grabs the attention of the public is critical, actually vital to the success of any business.

A marketing consultant is an individual or a company that knows precisely what actions are needed to advertise a Kelowna business’s services and/or products. Marketing consultants are trained professionals and they can literally help a business owner get their business off the ground and keep it there. Rather than rely on ineffective self-employed marketing strategies, many business owners choose to hire a trained professional to handle all of their necessary marketing. The initial investment proves ideal: a marketing consultant can handle every business marketing need and leave the business owner to tend to other needs of the business.

Marketing consultants are effective advertising solutions. A marketing consultant can be relied on to carry out every measure necessary to get a business recognized and remembered by the public. Meanwhile, if problems arise, a marketing consultant is trained to deal with them in an effective and timely fashion. What’s more, the business owner will not be caught up in the myriad marketing difficulties a business faces because the hired consultant is ever ready to deal with every situation that arises. A successful marketing campaign is one that must be appropriately planned and implemented, and a marketing consultant knows when to act accordingly.

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Donald Robichaud - FloodLight Consulting