Monthly Archives: November 2021

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Client Testimonials: Cheerleaders for Your Business

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As you ambitiously devise and implement leadgen campaigns and branding strategies designed to keep your sales pipeline filled with prospects that you hope to convert into a few sales, it is easy to lose sight of a basic fact of marketing—your clients are the best promotional resource you’ll ever have. Satisfied clients can become your cheerleading squad and they have more credibility with prospects than any marketing tactic you could ever devise.

Today, there is so much sensory overload noise in the marketplace that Freelancers and other business owners are often best served by peer-2-peer testimonials to persuade prospects that doing business with your company is a safe bet. Unless you can afford to buy an ad during the Super Bowl, nothing has more credibility than from the trenches client testimonials, referrals, or case studies.

So how can you recruit a client to publicly recommend your products or services without seeming to overstep a boundary? Basically, you ask the right clients, you make it easy to say yes, you make the ask at the right time and you make sure that the end result makes the client and his/her organization look good.

Ask the right client

Obviously, your first job is to know which of your clients would make a good recruit for a testimonial ask. Recall clients with whom you worked over the past 2-3 years and for whom you’ve done an exceptional job in terms of beginning to end customer experience, delivering the solution and meeting, if not exceeding, all expectations. Most of all, the client has to recognize and value what you did on his/her behalf. In other words, ask clients who have plenty of good things to say about your company and the work you do or the products you sell.

Timing

Timing takes more than one form. One factor is, how far into the past can you reach to make an ask? Will it be awkward to ask a client with whom you worked, say, four years ago? The answer, I think, is that it depends. If you maintain contact with past clients, e.g., sending December holiday cards and perhaps also sending announcements about your appearances on webinars or podcasts, it will be easier to reach out and ask for a testimonial.

Another timing issue is to avoid the client’s busy season, or the end of the fiscal year, when the client may have deadlines to meet. To the best of your ability, avoid making the ask when your client faces time-sensitive, pressing work responsibilities.

The ask

The window between your last interaction with the client and when you plan to ask for a testimonial will impact your choice of communication. If it seems right to approach a client soon after the work is completed or the product purchased, including your testimonial ask in a post-sale client satisfaction survey will be perceived as a natural progression. Email the survey and encourage your client to share feelings about working with your organization, the products that were purchased, or the services provided.

Invite the client to provide more specific, detailed comments in the Testimonial Template that you embed in the survey. Note that comments may appear on your company website and social media sites.

To approach a client with whom you worked a year or more ago, it may be more appropriate to first call and discuss the testimonial ask and then follow-up with an email to confirm, with your Testimonial Template attached.

If your client prefers to make a video testimonial and you have the skills to record and edit the video, which should probably be no longer than 6-8 minutes, arrange to meet for the shoot. Alternatively, you might set up a videoconference call and record an interview with the client as s/he discusses the positive experience and great results obtained from working with you. Audio-only testimonials can also be recorded and they are likewise compelling. When using the audio or video options, send the Testimonial Template a week in advance and send it again 48 hours ahead of the recording session.

Questions and quotes

Help clients to endorse your products and services by including a few open-ended questions in your Testimonial Template to get the ball rolling. Devise simple, direct questions that put the client in story-telling mode and will yield good quotes.

Ask the client to briefly detail the goal that had to be achieved or problem solved and why there was a need for the products or services that were purchased. Also ask the client to divulge if s/he previously used another company to obtain similar products or services and to provide insight into what motivated him/her to explore your company. Remember to ask the client to share reasons why your organization was chosen and not another. Finally, urge the client to discuss the experience of working with your organization, with an emphasis on expectations and benefits derived.

Client benefit

Your testimonial will be posted on your company website and on one or more social media channels—-remember to link the text, audio, or video back to your client’s website. Let the client know that you’ve provided these valuable back links by sending links to all platforms on which the testimonial appears. Informing clients whom you approach for a testimonial that you’ll provide this sort of publicity may yield a “yes” for your ask and put your venture on the road to obtaining the best endorsements available.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Cheerleaders in 1920s America

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Clubhouse: It’s About Networking

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As you know by now Clubhouse, the newest social media platform, is a live audio-only service that’s accessed through an app and was launched in October 2019. Clubhouse facilitates candid and compelling conversations between smart and interesting people and those conversations are intended for members only and are never recorded.

In keeping with its audio format, Clubhouse operates as an endless series of talk radio interviews (or podcasts, if you prefer) and group meetings that invite members to create virtual audio “rooms” and “clubs.” Clubs function to build communities within the platform—-audience development, in other words. Rooms are where audio chats take place and there are three types: Open, Social and Closed. Chats in the Social and Closed rooms are available only to members of the sponsoring club and Open rooms accept all parties.

Rooms are sometimes hosted by those with a following—thought leaders and opinion-makers, celebrities, venture capitalists, journalists and so on, but regular folks are also able to host a room. Each room offers its own format, an audio happening that may primarily attract devoted listeners or might bring in those who look forward to joining a lively discussion. Room events can be either pre-scheduled or surprise pop-ups. Rooms might hold just a small group, perhaps hosted by someone not well-known, while other rooms are led by marquee name players and draw dozens or even hundreds of listeners.

Clubhouse quickly grew in popularity during the early weeks of the coronavirus shutdown. Initially, the app could be downloaded only on Apple phones and membership could be obtained only by an invitation from a current user. The velvet rope policies proved to be a brilliant marketing tactic. Clubhouse became the darling of the A-list elite. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg were guest speakers. Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, R & B superstar Drake and comedian Chris Rock were said to be members. I first wrote about Clubhouse in February 2021. https://lionessmagazine.com/clubhouse-an-audio-chat-platform-for-beautiful-people/

Clubhouse continues its upward trajectory, especially since Android downloads became possible in May 2021 and invitations to join are no longer needed. According to Quantummarketer.com, there are 10+ million users globally mostly located in the U.S., western Europe, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Now I’m certain that you find all of this quite fascinating but you may wonder, is this new social media player worth your time? I think yes—-that for B2B service providers and start-up entrepreneurs, Clubhouse has the potential to be useful in your Next Normal networking strategy.

Because interactions are about listening and talking live and IRT, communication is enhanced. Furthermore, the profiles of all room and club participants are available, making the experience feel sort of like a big conference call, where everyone on the phone is vetted and circumstances confer a degree of credibility and trust. At least some people may feel comfortable enough to chance off-line conversations and open the door to building a relationship.

Time must be invested and goals defined, as is true with other marketing activities. Key word searches that describe your goals will help to locate clubs and rooms to visit. Develop a good profile (because it matters) and step in.

Look for room topics that will expose you to recognized experts in your field, to help yourself deepen and expand your knowledge and therefore enhance your credibility. Get the heads-up on developing trends on the horizon in your field. Raise your hand, ask questions and share experiences or insights that are relevant to the discussion. Become a regular, get known and facilitate relationship building. Popular clubs that might appeal to Freelancers and others in business are listed below.

But remember that Clubhouse is not about making sales, but about listening to insightful conversations and contributing to the discussion by sharing your own wisdom. By being an active, friendly, generous participant your networking can take you to any number of paths and can yield many tangible and intangible benefits. You can even choose an appealing topic yourself and host a room every now and again, to work on building a following of your own. You might even find a mentor or be inspired to become one.

Community Club’s main purpose is make Clubhouse a welcoming place for everyone. It’s the best club for growing a Clubhouse community. Members mainly talk about Clubhouse features, support topics and onboarding newbies.

Bitcoin is the biggest club about cryptocurrency on Clubhouse. Some members who are real professionals on Bitcoin, heavy hitters. Visitors will find open, friendly and enlightening conversations about Bitcoin technology, markets, culture and the ecosystem.

Creative Executive Officers is a guide to the business of creativity for artists and entrepreneurs. Topics are mainly about business advice, entrepreneurship and education. 

Future of Work is where to discuss earning a living—entrepreneurship, creator economy, gig economy, freelancing, creatives, startups, venture capital, business, tech, AI, health, wellness, personal development, the hustle and the self-employed.

The Hustler Club “Your daily dose of motivation” is where hard-charging entrepreneurs, hustlers and creatives discuss ideas and have from-the-trenches style conversations.

Marketing Club features conversations about marketing, advertising and making the most of Instagram. Group members are marketers, creators and verified experts. 

Start-up Club is the largest of the clubs and introduces impressive and successful start-up stars who share their secrets. You’ll meet founders, entrepreneurs, angel and VC investors.

Stock Market Moves welcomes experienced, successful stock traders and those who want to become just that.

Tech Talks. is said to not be your normal tech community. It is group for diverse individuals from all walks of life, diverse backgrounds, industries and departments. Their main purpose is bringing together a group of people to talk about the good, the bad, the technical and business side of tech.

Women in Business is the largest women’s club and they are committed to empowering women in all sectors of business. and entrepreneurship.

Happy Thanksgiving and thank you for reading,

Kim

Image: © Keystone-France/Gamma Rapho. Pirate radio hosts on the ship Caroline were rescued and brought to at the police station after the ship ran aground at Frinton-on-Sea, UK on January 20, 1966.

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10 Under $30: Holiday 2021 Client Gifts

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The holidays are knocking on the door and savvy Freelancers know to respond with a client outreach strategy that could generate referrals and repeat business. December is your big chance to demonstrate to clients past and present that you value them and would be happy to work with them again. Before November slips away, create a plan to send holiday cards to clients with whom you’ve done business over the past 4 or 5 years and as well to send a gift to those who’ve been active over the past 12 – 18 months.

Clients will be delighted to hear from you and flattery might get you somewhere! Your thoughtfulness is also a brand-enhancing, relationship-building strategy that sets you apart in the best way and can place you at top-of-mind when clients plan the logistics of future projects.

Start today and search for holiday cards that celebrate “the season” and will be appropriate both for business and for those who do not celebrate a holiday on December 25th. I highly recommend that you send a physical card, unless on your list there are those who work from home and may not receive forwarded mail from the office. You may want to design your own card through Uprinting, the UPSstore, Vista Print, Sir Speedy, or another reliable service.

Re: your client gift list, I suggest that you match billable hours to the amount you spend on the gift; you may choose to gift only those who’ve invoiced $1000 or so. No matter how modest the amount of money you spend, understand that the gift is an investment. Your card and/ or gift communicate to clients that you consider them important and that you are a consummate professional.

Amplify audio

You don’t have to be a video gamer to appreciate the benefits of having a sound bar mounted to a desk top monitor. Whether your client streams music or movies, attends or leads videoconference meetings, or occasionally appears as a podcast or webinar guest, s/he will want to clearly hear and be heard. $24.99 https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/cyber-acoustics-ca-2890-sound-bar-for-monitor-usb-2-watt/apd/ab768633/monitors-monitor-accessoriesFounder of FY #tabs_section.

Yummy honey

A flight of three two-ounce jars are the perfect introduction to this delicious, premium-grade, raw, artisanal honey. Add a teaspoon or two to a favorite tea. Include a dish on a cheese board spread and surprise guests with a tasty and unexpected condiment. The bees and the antioxidant rich honey that they produce are sourced from hives in Jamaica and other Caribbean islands. $14.99 for the box of three

https://www.ivyees.com/product/ivyees-honey-minis

Umbrella and art

Those who live in America east of the Mississippi River and have been deluged by more than their fair share of rainy days will appreciate an umbrella. This sturdy mini umbrella displays an eye-catching image of Vincent Van Gogh’s iconic painting The Starry Night (1889) and measures 48 inches across. It is auto open & close, includes a matching carrier and is delivered in a gift box. $30.00

https://mfashop.com/fashion/umbrellas

Bath and body basket

Whether your client WFH, has returned to the office, or does some of both, the intense focus required to effectively function in the pandemic business environment can be exhausting. Do your him/her a favor and enable a luxurious bath or shower ritual that promotes relaxation and even a good night’s sleep. This lovely gift basket contains 8 products that are delicately scented with white orchid fragrance and includes a shower gel, bath salts, body lotion and a loofah back scrubber. $27.99

https://lovery.com/collections/20-30/products/white-orchid-spa-bath-and-body-set-in-gold-basket?variant=12601117474870

Wine rack

An elegant, pyramid shaped countertop wine rack that harmonizes with nearly any kitchen or dining room decor. This compact and sturdy wine storage solution holds bottles in the horizontal position and discourages both the collection of wine sediment at the bottom of bottles and dry corks that may crumble when bottles are opened. $20.99

https://www.wayfair.com/kitchen-tabletop/pdp/mind-reader-pyramid-6-bottle-tabletop-wine-bottle-rack-mndr1563.html

Classy note cards

Sometimes the best way to communicate is to go old-school and send a hand-written note. Give your clients the means to gracefully communicate with their own important prospects and clients and they’ll be forever grateful. This elegant, high-quality folded note card features a bold yet classic calligraphic initial embossed in metallic gold ink. The card is made of all-cotton ecru paper and is partnered with a matching striped metallic lined envelope. $26 for 10 cards and matching envelopes

https://www.crane.com/hand-engraved-script-initial-note

Panettone holiday

Celebrating the December holiday in Italy often means indulging in this popular dessert that originated in Milan. The exquisites cake is studded with raisins and candied orange peel and it pairs well with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla gelato (Italian ice cream). Suggest serving a cup of espresso for an afternoon pick-me-up, or aan after-dinner dessert with a glass of vin santo wine. $29.90

https://www.eataly.com/us_en/christmas-holiday-gifts/panettone-pandoro/classic-panettone-26-46-oz

Patchwork scarf

Take the edge off the winter wind with a warm, soft scarf that features a mix of muted pastel colors and a quilt-inspired design. Made of polyester-cotton-acrylic blend of recycled materials, it’s a cruelty-free alternative to cashmere that feels like the real thing.

https://www.uncommongoods.com/product/recycled-patchwork-scarf

Out to lunch

Make lunch time fun whether eaten at the office or on a quiet bench in a pretty park. Your client will be thrilled to grab this stylish and practical little lunch carrier from Kate Spade even if it’s packed with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on Wonder Bread. A coated linen exterior makes the tote easy to clean. The insulated interior protects the food. The gold top zipper pull is a flirty bow, the finishing touch of a pretty package. $30

https://www.katespade.com/products/out-to-lunch-tote/825466939622.html?

Giving good

GlobalGiving makes it easy and safe to support local projects anywhere in the world, while providing nonprofits with the tools, training and support they need to thrive. Inspiring and enabling your clients to give back may be the best holiday gift.

https://www.globalgiving.org/gifts/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsrCjm4WP9AIVNG5vBB1KQgIvEAMYAyAAEgJOGvD_BwE

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Holiday lights at Boothbay Harbor, Maine

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AI, Your Data and the Big Reveal

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Under no circumstances would you call me a technophile true believer. I still roll with an iPhone X and there’s no immediate plan to trade up. That said, I believe in keeping eyes and ears open to tech advancements that are potentially useful and also affordable, to figure out what I might want to integrate into my life or business at some point.

In February 2018, I wrote about how Machine Learning and AI could eventually be useful to Freelancers and small business owners, even though the technology was impractical for small operators to adopt at the time. In October 2018, I wrote about how Freelancers who win a complex, big money contract may want to suggest to the client that a Blockchain Smart Contract be created, to both guarantee transparency and ensure that all expectations will be satisfied.

As those and other tech developments have taken hold, I think we all might benefit from taking another look at how one can improve operational efficiencies in a business and consider what tools might be successfully incorporated into your organization to achieve those goal, even if you’re a one-person shop. Having the ability to interpret and use actionable data is worth money.

No need to code

No code (and low-code) platforms are replacing programming languages that you (honestly!) may not want to learn with simple drag and drop processes. In other words, where not long ago it required a team of engineers to build whatever software you needed, civilians with home computers and mid-level tech skills can now essentially create and customize software to support their cross-functional objectives—-sales, marketing, operations, finance, HR, administrative.

With off-the-rack widgets available on website building and hosting platforms such as WordPress, you can upload a chat bot to your site and thereby make it fast and easy for prospects to obtain basic info about your company that might lead to a sale. I call that worthwhile.

Experts recommend that Freelancers and other small businesses approach AI and other cutting edge tech resources as potential solutions for small, time-saving and data- analyzing tasks and projects such as, for example, intelligent lead scoring. Because leads can be generated from multiple channels—-website or social media, blog or newsletter, webinar or podcast, or business cards handed out. But when you’ve received numerous leads, the challenge is deciding which ones have the greatest potential to produce a sale?

The right tech capability will reveal behavioral patterns in your various lead sources and rank them according to their probability of turning into sales. A spreadsheet is created with your leads sorted, from the hottest to the coldest, revealing which prospects to focus on because they’re most likely to buy. Big businesses have used AI to do just that for several years and proved that AI can increase sales revenue.

Best platform — easy integration

First, find a platform that syncs with the Customer Relationship Management software you use, if you use it. Easy integration with popular spreadsheet software, such as Excel, is another important consideration. If leadgen data will be sourced from multiple places, your chosen platform should be able to merge it.

Second, your platform should have a search mechanism that will identify the best analytics model to use based on the data and the prediction required. You should not need to know their way around data science to run your model. The platform should just deliver what works best.

Finally, the platform should be able to monitor model performance over time and adapt as the business environment shifts and new data becomes available.

Not all no-code AI platforms are made the same, and the right tool depends on a company’s business needs. Solutions range from just a few dollars a month, affordable for many Freelancers and small business owners.

Finding the right one for a particular company may require some trial and error. The good news is that the best platforms are open, which means that anyone can try them to see how they work. In other words, users can take the platforms for test drives on relevant tasks and see how they perform.

Verify that the AI software is so simple to use that non-technical people will be able to adopt it into their workflows. Check the onboarding processes of various platforms. If working with AI software requires anything beyond basic tech skills, move on to another option.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Image: Robots C-3PO (l) and R2D2 from the Star Wars movie franchise (created, produced and directed by George Lucas)

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On Becoming an Expert

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Can we agree that competition for the eyeballs, ears and wallets of prospective customers in both the B2B and B2C sectors has resulted in near-intolerable noise in the marketplace? As a result, the 70% or so of Americans who are Freelance solopreneurs or small business operators face an uphill battle to get noticed by those who might become your customers. So the big question is—-what strategies might you employ to persuade prospects that you are The One? In the B2B sector, perhaps the most effective way to gain trust and sign contracts is to present yourself as an expert throughout the buyer’s journey and particularly in decision-making conversations.

To win clients, Freelance consultants have to be the smartest ones in the room, or at least make everyone think they are. On the other hand, you can’t look like a smart-aleck know- it-all because diplomacy matters. Just keep in mind that successful Freelancing is about inspiring trust and confidence and building relationships. Everything you do must support those objectives, which are the pillars of your business. Let’s look at some pivotal moments in a sales conversation where you can reveal your expertise and win over prospects.

Problem-solver not sales rep

Rule #1 of sales is to sell the customer how s/he wants to be sold. The way that prospective customers, especially in B2B, want to be sold is to first, connect with a problem-solving expert who’ll listen and learn what s/he needs to achieve and then recommend potential solutions that are tailored to the prospect’s objectives. High pressure sales pitches have no place in the scenario and are best left in scary memories of the 20th century.

Question, listen, diagnose

Think like a doctor and listen well to accurately diagnose the problem or objective the prospect must resolve or achieve. Ask open-ended questions that encourage the prospect to open up and talk. Your questions should aim to uncover the frustrations associated with the problem, the importance of achieving the objective and the impact of either on the prospect’s business. Ask questions to also discover if the customer has attempted to “self-treat” and attempt to solve the problem in-house. As the prospect tells the story, you’ll envision potential solutions that your organization can provide.

BTW, if you realize that you’re not a fit, it will reflect well on you to make a referral to a colleague or even acompetitor. Do that and you’ll enhance your credibility and brand. You might even get some business from this prospect in the future, either directly or through a referral.

Share experiences, show empathy

Let the prospect know that you are an seasoned problem-solver who has successfully resolved knotty problems before and helped customers achieve mission-critical, high profile goals. As an expert, you have valuable industry experience that prospective customers will be reassured to hear. A short, well-told war story or two will increase your perceived value. Moreover, your anecdotes will help the customer to feel more comfortable to spill the tea and tell you what’s really going on. Plus, it’s a great relationship- building technique.

Talk just enough

Another sales rule is that the seller talks just 15% of the time. In a sales meeting, the floor belongs to the prospect. You’re there to ask the right questions, share a good war story or two to give the prospect confidence in your abilities and judgment and then suggest a couple of possible solutions.

Through your questions, you will control the conversation and the sale. Follow this rule and prospects will respect you as a trusted expert, one with whom they’d be happy to do business.

Thanks for reading,

Kim