Cavalletti Communications

Are you a soloist, entrepreneur, micro- or small to medium business?  If so, sometimes, as the owner of such a business, it can feel like you are all alone, out there on a big big ocean and only a few islands in sight.  But you are not alone.  And dry, solid land is there for the taking – if you know how to look for it and stake your claim.

In their book The Risk Takers Renee and Don Martin identify ten common traits, challenges and ultimately opportunities for entrepreneurs:

1. Trust your Instinct
2. Challenge Convention
3. Persist
4. Find your Niche
5. Spot Trends and Act
6. Fill the Gaps your Competition’s Left
7. Just Start – there is no Perfect Time
8. Get Creative in Marketing
9. Competitor’s Weakness = Your Strength
10. Never stop Changing
11. I like to add another point here: Be Clear and Consistent about your Brand.
    Ensure you communicate clearly, regularly and in an engaging way with your target audience, i.e. your potential and existing clients.
    Be relevant, give them something for free, don’t just hard-sell. Be professional, yet personal. Put yourself in the client’s shoes and think how you would like to be communicated with and treated.
    There is much you can do yourself towards this aim. Everything else a good copywriter and communications expert can help you with.
    Help is at hand – for all budgets.

Read more on how to get motivated, find your niche and not lose the edge over your competition here.

Until next time,
Daniela

As a consumer or client, we all can get riled at bad service or a product that looked oh-so-enticing but fails to deliver what it promises.  And we all appreciate getting a good result when buying a product or receiving a service.

But what about those businesses, services and items that surprise us, that deliver extraordinary experiences? Those are the ones that stick in our mind, that we recommend and which we will go back to over and over again.

I live by the belief that it is the extraordinary  – experience, service and reputation – we should aim for. As employees, service providers or manufacturers, no matter which.  Putting in that extra bit of effort, passion, care, quality and professionalism will set you apart from the crowd, distinguishes us from our competitors and makes our business or career flourish.

Marketing “guru” Seth Godin talks about the disproportionately positive effect of the last ten percent of effort here.

Until next time,
Daniela

Few of us are immune to getting sucked into our inbox and our social media interactions: 
What’s out there that I might be missing out on if I don’t read this email, this newsletter, this blog?

But where does the ability of these technologies to be helpful, constructive and enhancing end – and where does the time wasting and procrastinating begin?

Are you a slave to your inbox and social media interaction?
How many hours a day do you spend checking your email and facebook page?
What is this interaction adding to your day, and what does it take time away from – your core business, your family, your quiet time?

While email and social media are useful tools to communicate, learn and do business, I believe it’s all about balance.
More on this subject in this blog by marketing “guru” Seth Godin.

Do you know how your company is perceived?  Be fab, not drab:

* It costs 6 to 8 times more to get a new customer than to keep an old one.
* There is a 12% higher profit margin with your existing customers.
* Each customer tells at least ten people about their experience. Via email and internet they may potentially tell thousands.

Know your customers, potential clients and employees – then reap the rewards. Read more here.

Know where to save – and where to spend.
Keep your competitive edge with that extra bit of unexpected service.

Read Seth Godin’s blog “Pennies and Dollars” here.