the seven deadliest small business marketing sins…...©2006 stacy karacostas/successstream...

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Stacy Karacostas ©2006-2008 SuccessStream

©2006 Stacy Karacostas/SuccessStream www.success-stream.com 206.200.7594 2

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AAAbbbooouuuttt ttthhheee AAAuuuttthhhooorrr Stacy Karacostas began developing her knack for driving small businesses to success at a very young age…She was just six years old when she went to work in her parent’s animal hospital. By the time she was 14 she was helping run the practice and the entrepreneurial spirit had seeped into her blood. Today, after more than 20 years experience working in and running small businesses—including four of her own—Stacy truly understands the unique difficulties entrepreneurs

face. Although her impressive client list includes large organizations like the Small Business Administration, Eddie Bauer, Philips Medical Systems and REI, her passion is helping small companies grow. An in-demand speaker and prolific writer, Stacy has published more than 200 articles on marketing, copywriting, sales and small business success as well a numerous ebooks and audios. Over the years, she has developed a variety of proven tools, tips and tricks that take the struggle out of marketing your small business. When she’s not working hard on building her business—or those of her clients—you can find Stacy skiing, whitewater kayaking, or biking in the mountains around Seattle with her wonderfully supportive husband and happy dog. To learn more about Stacy, or find out how she can help your small business become a big success, visit her other Websites at: http://www.success-stream.com http://www.marketing-junkie.com http://www.2pagemarketingplan.com http://www.smallbusinesswebsitebible.com

"I love the tips you send each week. For me there's an instant connection to them and they really resonate. Often, I'll be thinking about an idea, get your newsletter, and something you say just clicks and makes so much sense with what is already in my head. There are so many practical ideas in them that work for me. I know a lot of time must go into them because they provide so much useful information. Thank you for sending them." Tashi Sherpa—Sherpa Outdoor Gear


IIInnntttrrroooddduuuccctttiiiooonnn What is the one thing every business needs to be successful? It’s not necessarily a good brand—though that helps a lot. It’s not necessarily a lot of money. Plenty of businesses start up and grow on a shoestring. Employees? Nope. In fact many businesses thrive without the burden of payroll. This is something even more basic. And it’s so important that without this one thing it is impossible to achieve business success. In fact, without this, it is impossible to have a business. Give up yet? All right, I’ll spill the beans. The answer is…Customers!

And how do you get, and keep, customers?

With effective marketing.

That’s why investing in quality marketing is one of the best things you can do for your bottom line.

When you can’t be there to sell your product or service in person, you have to rely on your marketing to do the job for you. Even when you are there to do the job in person, you use marketing to help close the deal.

Over the past twenty years of working in, running, and growing small businesses, I’ve found that most entrepreneurs spend as little time, money and energy on marketing their business as possible.

And most are also guilty of one or more of what I call “The Seven Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins.”

Each of these sins is a major marketing mistake that at best costs you time and money. At worst making these mistakes can cost you your business.


So I’ve compiled this short report entitled “The Seven Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins…Are You Guilty?” to help savvy entrepreneurs like you avoid these common pitfalls.

Luckily, once you can recognize these mistakes, it’s easy to avoid making them. So let’s start with the single biggest marketing mistake business owners make…


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Remember the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ with Kevin Costner? Costner is visited by a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond on his farm. He isn’t sure why, but the voice keeps insisting “If you build it, they will come.” Long story short, he builds the baseball field and all the ghosts of baseball past (including his long dead father) miraculously show up to play there. Before you know it the farm is saved and the family lives happily ever after. What does this have to do with marketing your business? Well, first off, I can tell you that an “If you build it they will come” mentality works much better in the movies than in business. In fact, it does nothing but hurt you when it comes to getting customers and making sales. I’ve seen plenty of people start businesses with a fabulous idea, exceptional product or innovative service and end up making $0. Nada. Bupkus. Many even end up way further in debt than when they started. Why? Because all they did was “build it” and hope people would come. But since they didn’t really do much—if any—marketing, nobody knew “it” existed. Or why they should want it. This is by far the deadliest of all the marketing sins. If you are guilty, chances are you will never have the business you really want—or need. Even worse, your business is poised to die a slow death without ever really getting off the ground. Just take a quick peek at these statistics…

According to a study cited on the 2006 SCORE - Small Business Website, the main reasons businesses fail are: • Poor Business Planning • Poor Financial Planning • Poor Management AND • Poor Marketing Specifically, “more than 64% of the business surveyed in the marketing


category failed because they did not place enough importance on promoting their business.”

How do know if you are suffering from “Field of Dreams Syndrome”? Just answer these six simple questions…

1) Do you often find yourself procrastinating about putting together a new product or promotion?

2) Would you rather scrub the bathroom floor than spend the afternoon cold-

calling?

3) Are you uncomfortable “selling yourself”?

4) Does the very thought of networking make you nauseous?

5) Do you keep promising to start sending a newsletter, sales letter, post card or other promotion, but never find the time to get it done?

6) Would you rather have a root canal than work on your marketing

strategy? If you answered yes to two or more of these, chances are you are guilty! Luckily, you only have to do a little quality marketing on a regular basis to make a big difference in your business. But perhaps the problem is not that you don’t want to do marketing…It’s just that you aren’t sure what to do or how to do it. I know how it is. When you first start trying to market your business, you realize the options and opportunities are endless. But they all cost money. And it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know where you should put your hard-earned dollars. Or maybe you’ve tried placing an ad, doing some networking, or sending out a letter—with no results. This can be discouraging, to say the least. You know you’ve got a great product or service, but no one else seems to “get it.” Or want it. If so, odds are good you are guilty of one of the other six marketing sins. Keep reading to find out…


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You’ve heard the statistics, right…? In the US today, we are bombarded by more than 3,000 advertisements every day. Just take a second to look around right now and see how many brand names are in plain sight. No, really…Take a look around and count for yourself. From my desk chair I can see my Panasonic phone, a Linksys wireless network router, one KDS monitor, my Blackberry, a pack of Listerine breath strips, Microsoft on my stickies, Verizon on my phone, Quartet on my white board…Well, you get the idea. These days, we’re forced to handle tons of input from every direction. It’s no wonder the makers of Ritalin are raking in a fortune. The thing is, all this input—and the choices that come with it—make life much more difficult for a small business trying to get noticed. Recent statistics show that a potential customer has to see your ad an average of seven times before they even notice it. That’s right—seven times just to notice your ad is there. Then about another seven times before they might think about taking action—assuming they are even interested in what you are selling. That means you have to get your message in front of a potential customer an average of 14 times before they might even think about getting in touch. So, your number one goal is to make sure people recognize and remember your business. Which is why, when it comes to marketing your business, consistency is key. All your marketing materials need to have:

• A consistent look and feel, so people recognize you time and again

• A consistent message, so people remember what you do, who you do it for, and why you are better or different from the competition


• A consistent delivery schedule, so people see your name and message often enough to recognize you, remember what you do, and have you at the top of their mind the next time they need what you offer

Unfortunately, businesses that are guilty of Random Whim Marketing rarely have any kind of consistency at all. Instead, they simply do a little marketing or advertising whenever it is convenient, they have some extra cash, or an opportunity or idea presents itself. The local newspaper is having a special on advertising this month…You go for it. You get tired of looking at your logo…You change it. You start a quarterly newsletter…It goes out twice. Or maybe you are one of those people who always has the next great idea, but rarely finishes implementing the last one before you are off to something new…? Unfortunately, when you engage in Random Whim Marketing, your target customer never has a chance to recognize, or get to know, you and your business. Every time they come into contact with you, your marketing, or your advertising is like the first time all over again—either because too much time has passed, or because nothing looks the same so they simply don’t recognize that the materials came from you. The end result is…There really aren’t any results. Because there is no consistency. You are just pouring money down the drain. Are you guilty of Random Whim Marketing? Answer these five questions to find out:

1) Do you tend to do marketing primarily when business gets slow or an opportunity happens to present itself?

2) Have you avoided writing out any formal marketing plans, strategies or goals?

3) Are you always putting your advertising and marketing materials together at the last minute?

4) Do you make marketing decisions based primarily on what you (or your friend, spouse, family-member or significant other) personally like?

5) Have you ever changed your logo, brand, colors, ad or Website because you were tired of it?


If you answered yes to any of these, then yep, you guessed it…You’re guilty! But don’t worry, you are not alone. And I’ve included some easy solutions at the end of this report.


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So, you’ve got a business…Congratulations! That means now you need to get the word about your terrific products or services. But how do you decide what to put in your brochure, sales letter or Website? Some people just sit down and write whatever they think is best, grab some pictures, and put it all together. Others look at competitor’s marketing and create something similar. I’ve even had a client who had literally copied someone else’s brochure word for word and picture for picture! The problem with all these methods (other than the fact that the last one is illegal), is that you usually end with a generic message that does nothing to set you apart from the competition. Instead you are just saying “Me too…I do that too.” What’s wrong with that? If you are guilty of Me Too Marketing, potential customers don’t have a compelling reason to do business with you instead of one of your competitors. This is a serious problem. Because if they don’t have a good reason to do business with you instead of anyone else, chances are, they won’t. Let me give you an example… A while back, I was working with a client to come up with an effective Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for his business (basically, something that sets him apart from his competition). As a chiropractor, he has plenty of competition—there are at least six other chiropractic clinics within a two-mile radius. Which means that figuring out how to differentiate him from the doctor literally down the street, is critical. I knew that if all his brochure and Website did was talk about the wonders of chiropractic, he wouldn’t stand out at all. So I scheduled a brainstorming meeting with my client and his staff to talk about what they provide that might be both different, and valuable to his target market.


Throughout the meeting, staff and Doctor alike kept throwing out ideas like:

* We have really convenient hours * We have an in-house X-Ray machine * We offer treatments for infants through elderly * We have payment plans * We see emergencies same-day * The staff has a pleasant, upbeat energy * The doctor has 12 years of experience * We have a massage therapist * We use special exercises to strengthen and loosen your spine

At first glance, it seemed like they could have the making of a solid Unique Selling Proposition based on convenience (good hours, payment plans, on-site services, etc). Except for one problem… None of these features were any different from what the other chiropractors were doing and promoting. How do I know? Because I picked up the phone and called the competition to find out. You know what I discovered? Every clinic in the area offers almost exactly the same conveniences and hours. As for experience, three doctors had many more years of experience, one had about the same amount, and two had just a couple years less. Can you guess what would have happened if I hadn't taken the time to survey the competition? My client would have wasted a ton of time and money on marketing that was not going to make his practice stand out from the crowd. Are you guilty of Me Too Marketing? Let’s find out… First, grab a pen and paper. Then, answer either one or both of the following questions: “Why should I buy from you instead of one of your competitors?” Or…


Want more help figuring out what makes you or your business unique?

Grab a copy of my 2-page marketing plan workbook “Putting Your Business on the Road to Success.” It makes creating a marketing plan as easy as planning a vacation road trip, and includes chapters on finding your USP and doing a quick yet effective competitive analysis. Find it here:

http://www.2pagemarketingplan.com.

“What is it that makes your products, services or business different from everyone else’s?” Now, take a few minutes to search online and look in the phone book to find out what your competitors are saying in their marketing. If your marketing materials and sales promises sound just like your competitors, then you are guilty. Again, don’t let it get you down. The first step in fixing a problem is admitting that you have one. So if you are guilty of one or more of these sins, just know that you have now won the first battle. You’ll find out how to go from marketing sinner to marketing saint at the end of this report.


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Let’s face it; we humans are egocentric by nature. We approach everything from our own perspective. And we spend most of the time thinking and talking about what’s important to us. It’s only natural. After all, we spend all our time dealing with our own life, family, health and body. And you know what? Your potential customers are no different. Here’s the rub though… You, by your very nature, want to talk about yourself and what you do in your marketing materials. But your clients are not really all that interested in you—at least not initially. In the beginning, what they really want to know is “What is in it for me?” (Marketers call this WIIFM). Because they have their own set of needs, problems and desires occupying their minds. And chances are they are hoping your products or services are going to help them in some way. Here’s a good example of what I’m talking about... Let’s say you are shopping around for new Customer Resource Management software to streamline your marketing efforts. And your main priority is to start tracking your email marketing. What would you want to know first about the software? The name of the manufacturer? Their history and background? Their mission? Or, whether or not the software tracks email marketing? Personally, I’d be looking for that last one. Because if the software isn’t designed to track email marketing, then I don’t care about the other stuff. In other words… If I ended up on a page that started with something like:


“Acme software is the premier developer of robust CRM applications for small to mid sized businesses. Our company is made up of thirty of the nation’s top software engineers who specialize in creating powerful relational database software for account management…” I’d likely click away. But, if I ended up on a page that said: “Entrepreneurs…Manage your contacts and automate all your email marketing campaigns quickly and easily with Marketing Manager! Designed especially for small businesses, this full-function software takes all your time-consuming contact management tasks and streamlines them into one, easy-to-use dashboard.” Well, now you’ve got my attention. After this I’d look for a list of the features and benefits. Then, if it looked like this software might fit the bill, I’d probably want to learn a bit more about the company. On the other hand, if the first page had been all about the company (like my first example), I never would have read past the headline. So, where do your marketing materials fall? Are they egocentric or not? If you write your own marketing materials, chances are you’re guilty of Egocentric Marketing. How can you tell for sure?

1) Read through your marketing materials and count the number of “I’s” and “We’s” (plus any time you use your company name).

2) Count the number of “You’s” and “Your’s.”

If either the “You’s” or “We’s” are in a headline or subhead, or at the start of a sentence or paragraph, count them twice.

3) Compare the two numbers. If you’ve got more “I’s” and “We’s” than

“You’s” and “Your’s”, then you are indeed guilty of egocentric marketing! Luckily, there’s no time like the present to change your focus. The best way to do that is to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Then write about the things that matter most to them instead of what’s important to you.

Want more practical tips on writing money-making marketing materials?Sign up for my FREE 7-day copywriting e-course at http://www.copyecourse.com.


5 DDDeeeaaadddlllyyy SSSiiinnn ###555 ––– FFFooocccuuusssiiinnnggg ooonnn ttthhheee FFFeeeaaatttuuurrreeesss What do these three things have in common…

• Magnetic field balancing • Native command queuing • Brushed tricot pocket bag Well, if you’re the average consumer, it could be that they don’t mean a darn thing. Or it could be that these are all product features. Or in this case, both. Now features are important, and need to be included. But most of the time a feature without a benefit is just a waste of space. What the heck am I talking about? Let me ask you another question… Why does anyone buy anything? It could be because a good friend has one. Or because we think we should. It could also be because we’ve always dreamed of owning, experiencing or doing X. Or even because we truly think we need whatever it is. But no matter what the reason might be on the surface, there is really only one reason people buy…Because they believe there is going to be some sort of benefit to them. This is that “What’s in it for me?” or WIIFM, factor again that I mentioned in the last chapter. Unfortunately, especially when you are selling your own products or services, it’s easy to fall into the trap of talking only about features. But if you do that, you’re missing the boat—and the sale. Here’s a good example… Not too long ago I went out shopping for a new vacuum. These days, vacuums come in a wide array of sizes, shapes and styles, and quite honestly I didn’t know a thing about ‘em.


So I went into the local vacuum store where I was promptly cornered by an over-eager salesman who started going on about features. He talked about amps and filters and bagless models (how do you empty those things anyway???) until I began to glaze over. Finally, I left empty-handed, and went to another store where I found just what I was looking for in less than ten minutes. What made the difference? In the second store, every time the salesman showed me a feature, he also explained exactly how that feature might benefit me. The first vacuum he showed me had a long hose attachment (feature) to make it easier to vacuum stairs (benefit). Only I don’t have stairs. So that benefit didn’t grab me. The next vacuum he showed me had especially powerful suction (feature) and a rotating brush (feature) designed to pull pet hair out of even the thickest carpets quickly and easily (benefit). At the time I had two dogs, so this was a benefit I could buy into—and even justify paying more for. After all, with this vacuum my house would be cleaner, smell better and I would spend less time cleaning. Benefits galore, all from this one little feature…How could I resist? It was WIIFM in action! Want to find the benefits in your products or services? Here’s a simple formula…

1) Choose one product or service (or your business as a whole) and list of all of its features.

2) For each and every feature ask yourself, “So what? Why would someone want this?” The answer to these questions is the benefit.

To put it another way, don’t just tell what it is; tell what it will do for me. Of course, selling the benefits only works if you’re selling benefits your target market wants. So, you have to know who you’re selling to, and what their pain or problems are, in order for this technique to really make your cash register ring.

Get more practical ideas for writing marketing materials that sell!Sign up for my FREE 7-day copywriting e-course at http://www.copyecourse.com.


6

DDDeeeaaadddlllyyy SSSiiinnn ###666 ––– MMMiiissssssiiinnnggg ttthhheee TTTaaarrrgggeeettt Let me ask you one simple question…“Who is your target market?” If you:

• Don’t know • Think it is “anyone with money” • Said something really broad like women, or teens, or mothers, or athletes… Stop all your marketing and advertising right now! And don’t spend any more time, energy or money marketing your business until you’ve found the real answer. Why? Because you are definitely guilty of Missing the Target. You see, people buy products or services that solve a problem, fill a need or help fulfill a dream. And everyone’s problems, needs and dreams are different. If you try to speak to too broad of a market, chances are, you won’t really be communicating effectively with anyone. Let’s face it… A 20-year-old male college student and a 40-year-old businesswoman aren’t that likely to purchase the same things. And even when they do, it is usually for very different reasons. So if you want to get the most bang for your marketing buck, the first thing you should do is decide who is most willing, likely and able to buy from you—and why. Once you’ve done that, it’s easy to learn about their wants, needs, problems and goals. Then all you have to do is show how what you are selling is going to help them fill their wants or needs, solve their problems or achieve their goals. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you can only sell to one group of people. I’m just saying you should create marketing that speaks to each group separately, and specifically. Not sure what I’m talking about?


The Apple iPod is a perfect example. When they launched with their funky ads featuring young people and hip music, Apple was clearly marketing to stylish, artsy, urban teens and twenty-somethings (or people who want to be seen as such). They chose a target market that was ready and willing to embrace the device. This decision turned the iPod into one of this century’s must-have gadgets. Now, everyone from my 12-year-old cousin to my mother-in-law has one. So, even though Apple targeted one specific market, that hasn’t stopped them from selling the iPod to everyone else as well. What made this such an effective target market? 1) A quick search of demographics shows that 18-29 year olds download more than twice as many music tracks as any other age group. Hmmmmm…Do you think these folks might see the benefit of owning a portable player for all those downloaded tunes? 2) Colleges bring together thousands of young adults who go to class together, live together and party together. And they regularly share everything from class notes to clothes and music. If you can get college kids into something, the chances of it spreading “virally” are sky-high. 3) Younger people are more likely to be what are called early-adopters—especially when it comes to technology. In other words, they are more than happy to give the latest and greatest a shot. And they have the money to buy. Someone in their forties, fifties or sixties, on the other hand, is more likely to wait and see if something is really worth it. Or they might feel too intimidated by a new technology to buy it until it becomes commonplace (it took my parents seven years to buy their first microwave, and five to invest in a cordless phone). So, Apple could have decided to target business people. Or Baby Boomers. Or teens. But when you think about who is most willing, able and likely to buy an iPod, twenty-somethings are an obvious choice. Again, that does not mean Apple can’t, or won’t, sell to anyone else. That’s just who they’ve targeted. By doing so they can create marketing that is unique, interesting and truly resonates with that target market.


Need more help honing in on your ideal client? Grab a copy of my 2-page marketing plan workbook “Putting Your Business on the Road to Success.” It makes creating a marketing plan as easy as planning a vacation road trip, and includes a detailed chapter on choosing your ideal client and target market. Find it here:

http://www.2pagemarketingplan.com.

Just imagine what their marketing campaigns might have looked like if they had tried to sell to teens, boomers and twenty-somethings all at the same time… My guess is their ads would have been pretty bland. Because that’s what happens when you try to satisfy everyone. Plus, they would have spent a lot more money trying to reach all those diverse groups, without managing to connect with any of them. So be like Apple—pick a target market and make it as specific as possible. Then figure out what is important to them. Once you have a clear picture of your market, you can target all of your marketing to show you understand their needs, wants and desires. Plus, you can explain exactly how your product or service solves their problem better than anything else. Best of all, you’re likely to create rabid fans in the process.


7 DDDeeeaaadddlllyyy SSSiiinnn ###777 ––– MMMaaarrrkkkeeetttiiinnnggg IIInnnsssaaannniiitttyyy You know the definition of insanity, right? Not the Webster’s version, but the other one… The one that says, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get different results.” I’d always thought this saying was mostly funny, and just a little bit true. But now I suspect that—based on this definition—most folks really are at least a little bit insane (myself included). And small business owners tend to suffer from this kind of insanity even more than most. Let me give you an example… I was working with a client recently who brought me in because he was not getting enough new clients. I spent hours learning about his business and creating a marketing plan based on his needs. I even incorporated a number of ideas he was already planning to put into action. Then I mentioned that he really needed to define a strong Unique Selling Proposition (you know, something special that—all other things being equal—would make me choose to do business with him instead of with the guy down the street). Mind you, I wasn’t suggesting he change the way he does business. Just that he needs to better highlight the qualities and services that make him different from his competition. You know what the first thing he said was…? “I don’t want to change anything.” Of course, I’ve heard this fateful phrase shoot forth from the lips of clients many times before. Yet it still never ceases to amaze me. After all, he hired me to help him with his marketing because what he is currently doing isn’t getting any results. Yet when I propose a very minor change in the way he presents his business—one that is sure to improve his returns—he immediately slams on the braks. Why? Because, like most people, he is simply not comfortable with change.


But if he keeps doing the same thing, we all know what will happen… He will keep getting the same poor results. If my client wants to be more successful, he has to give up this insane way of operating. And, he has to stop doing things the same way just because that is how he has always done it. Sadly, far too many small business owners are guilty of Marketing Insanity. They keep running an ad because they always have—whether it pulls or not… They keep using the same brochure—even though no one who reads it seems to understand what they do… They keep trying to save money by having a Website built on the cheap—even when the poorly designed results don’t help them make money (and they end spending as much if not more than they would have if they had paid to have it done right the first time). Now I’m not saying you should go crazy making changes either. But you should always be on the lookout for ways you can change your marketing for the better. How do you know if you are guilty of marketing insanity? Just answer these four easy questions…

1) Do you do marketing and advertising without tracking the results?

2) Do you have a number of months of data showing you that you are not on track to reach your goals, but you haven’t done anything about it?

3) Do you find yourself complaining about the same problem three or more

times without making a change?

4) When you are presented with a new idea or system for your business, do you hear yourself saying “I don’t want to change anything”, “it will never work for my business or in my industry” or “it will be too difficult to implement”?

If you answered yes to any of these, chances are you are guilty of Marketing Insanity.


Don’t worry, you are not alone. Most people have trouble embracing change. But if there is one thing you can count on, it’s change. So you might as well learn how to get comfortable with trying something new. If you are really uncomfortable with change, or have a hard time letting go of things or ideas, start small. Drive a different way to work. Try a new restaurant. Order something other than the usual at your favorite haunt. Rearrange your office. Wear a new color. Whatever you do, make it fun. Before you know it, your business—and your life—will be growing and changing for the better! Ready to make the transition from marketing sinner to marketing saint and jump-start your business growth? Keep reading for easy-to-implement ideas you can put to use today…


8 WWWhhhaaattt tttooo DDDooo NNNeeexxxttt????????? If you are guilty of one or more of these sins, don’t worry. There is no better time than the present to try new tactics or improve your marketing materials. As you move forward, I’d like to leave you with a few last words of wisdom… 1) Recognize that marketing is not an optional expense—it is an essential investment in the long-term success of your business. If you don’t do it—and do it right— at the very least you are wasting time and money. At worst you are signing the death warrant for your company. 2) Learn all you can about marketing. You are off to a good start by reading this Free Report, but you can never know it all. So if you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for my weekly e-newsletter, Bright Ideas, at http://www.success-stream.com/brightideas.htm. The Internet is chock-full of useful information, and you can always pick up a book or two from the local library. Check out anything by Dan Kennedy, Jay Conrad Levinson, Robert Bly, John Caples or David Ogilvy for starters. For specific suggestions and more helpful tips, visit: http://www.success-stream.com/resources.htm 3) You don’t have to do it all yourself. If you don’t have the time to learn about marketing, or are overwhelmed by the idea of creating your own marketing plan (let alone designing and writing your own marketing materials), don’t let that stop you from growing your business. Instead, hire professionals to do the job for you—or at least provide guidance and advice along the way. Many of my clients have been taking advantage of my consulting and critiquing services, workshops and teleseminars to make sure their marketing is on the right track. And I’ll be launching a couple of new, virtual programs to make getting access to my advice even more affordable. You can learn more at: www.success-stream.com. 4) Develop a marketing plan. Don’t worry—you don’t have to write the next great novel. A simple and inexpensive way to get your own plan on paper is by using my new e-workbook “Putting Your Business on the Road to Success: The savvy


entrepreneurs down and dirty, step-by-step guide to creating a powerful, 2-page Marketing Success Action Plan™ for attracting customers, making sales and exploding your business.” The highly effective Marketing Success Action Plans I show you how to create are just two pages long. But they take into account your target market, your business and personal goals, your budget, your strengths and weaknesses, how to choose the right strategies and tactics, and a whole lot more. And they include a timeline for getting everything done. Grab your copy at http://www.2pagemarketingplan.com. If you have any questions or comments about the material presented in this report, please don’t hesitate to email me at [email protected]. Here’s to your future success!

P.S. Did you find any typos or errors in this report? Please know they are in here for a purpose. Some people enjoy looking for them and I always aim to please as

many folks as possible. ☺ If you find any typos or grammatical errors, please do email them to me at [email protected]. If you send me a bunch of them I’ll even send you a small gift.

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the seven deadliest small business marketing sins…...©2006 stacy karacostas/successstream...

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