Growth Driven

Book Review: "The Star Principle" by Richard Koch

Richard Koch has made over $100 million from spotting 'Star' businesses. In his new book, he shares the secrets of his success - and shows how you too can identify and enrich yourself from 'Stars'. 

Star businesses are ventures operating in a high-growth sector - and are the leaders in their niche of the market. Stars are rare. But with the help of this book and a little patience, you can find one, or create one yourself.

THE STAR PRINCIPLE is a vital book for any budding entrepreneur or investor (of grand or modest means). It is also invaluable for any ambitious employee who realizes the benefits of working for a Star venture - real responsibility, fast personal development, better pay, great bonuses, and valuable share options.

Richard Koch is the author of The 80/20 Principle, which has sold more than a million copies and been published in approximately forty languages. He is also a successful entrepreneur and investor whose ventures have included Filofax, Plymouth Gin, Belgo restaurants, and Betfair, the world's largest betting exchange. He was formerly a partner of Bain & Company and co-founder of LEK Consulting. He has written more than twenty acclaimed books on business and ideas.

Bill is the author of the bestselling books Don’t Keep Me a Secret, Get More Referrals Now, Beyond Referrals, and his popular new release – Radical Relevance.

Bill has also been featured in many publications and programs, including Wall Street Journal, ABC Business Report, and more.

Your prospects and clients are bombarded with messages from all directions.

You must hit the bullseye in their brain with messaging that is radically relevant to grab their attention and critically compelling to move them to take meaningful action.

Due to a number of factors all coming together over a short period of time through my study, my spirituality, my own contemplation, what's happening in the world. I've been looking at like for me, what really brings me joy? What's really important to me.

There are two evergreen maxims in marketing & sales which are eternal:

1. The money is in the list.

2. The fortune is in the follow-up.

While technology and systems have evolved since I began in marketing & sales in 1981, these maxims still hold true today.

Yet, when I look into businesses that struggle to grow or obtain their ambitious goals, what do I discover?

A lack of lists, very little or no follow-up, and sparse use of technology to accomplish both.

Building Team and Client Loyalty with Lisa Copeland

A dental hygienist of 30 + years, Lisa knows the business of dentistry! 

By combining a professional speaking career with clinical practice expertise, Lisa brings a unique perspective to diverse business cultures around the world.  
                                
As a global speaker, business consultant, workshop facilitator, corporate coach/educator, speaking coach, and highly skilled dental hygienist, her dynamic presentation style motivates audiences to take action.

She has presented a wide range of topics to audiences throughout the world. 

Her diverse career path focuses on:  Communicate With Influence consulting, dental practice team management, and corporate team education.

The Importance of Brand Awareness for Small Business 

Ambiguity is a Brand Killer 

Brand awareness plays an important role in the consumer's purchasing decision-making process. Strong brand awareness can be a predictor of brand success. Brand awareness is strengthened by its brand-related associations such as the consumers’ evaluation of the brand and their perceived quality of the brand.

Brand awareness is the extent to which customers are able to recall or recognize a brand under different conditions.

As brands are competing in a highly globalized market, brand awareness is a key indicator of a brand's competitive advantage.

6 WAYS SMALL BUSINESSES CAN BUILD BRAND AWARENESS

As a small business, building brand awareness is a crucial part of your marketing strategy. It’s likely you don’t have the capacity or budget for large-scale advertising efforts or campaigns. The best way to gain momentum as a small business is to get your name out there as much as possible and create brand evangelists by providing an excellent customer experience.

There are a number of different ways to build brand awareness for your business – here are 6 of our favorites.

1. GET SOCIAL
One of the easiest ways to build brand awareness is to be on social media – and to actually be social! Just having a Facebook page for your business isn’t enough; you have to post creative and engaging content that makes people want to interact with your business. This could be in the form of blogs, videos, or even contests that encourage your fans to participate.

2. ASK FOR REVIEWS
Reviews are an integral part of most buying processes now. Over 90% of consumers read reviews at least occasionally before making a buying decision and 7 out of 10 consumers will leave a review for a business if they are asked. (BrightLocal). By building up the number of positive reviews you have, you can build your reputation in the eyes of your consumers (with the added benefit of boosting your SEO).

3. CREATE CONTENT
Creating content is a great way to educate people about your business and drive more traffic to your website. By creating content that is relevant and engaging, you are also creating something that people can easily share via social media or email. This allows even more people to read your posts, and gets your name in front of an audience you might not have tapped otherwise.

4. LOCAL PARTICIPATION
Be everywhere in your community. If your town or city is having a festival, sign up to have a booth! Partnering with local charities or sports teams is another great way to get your name out there in places that people will see and remember.

5. EVERYONE LOVES FREE STUFF
What better way to get your brand out there than literally putting it into people’s hands? Invest in some koozies or pens to hand out with your logo or information on them! This gives you the opportunity to have your brand in the homes of everyone you interact with.  

6. PROVIDE OUTSTANDING CUSTOMER SERVICE
All your efforts may mean nothing if you’re not providing great customer service in the end. Brand evangelists are created by people interacting with and loving your brand – so much that they want to share it with the world. When it comes to customer service, treat your customers better than you would expect to be treated. Customers who are treated with respect and get their issues resolved are likely to share their experiences with others. There is nothing quite as powerful as word-of-mouth advertising when it comes to building your brand.

Positive Content Is A Winning Strategy 

Positive content gets results. 

People are more likely to be inclined to listen to a brand if they like them. 

Positive emotions can be a very powerful driver for certain people.

A Simple Content Marketing Strategy Template for Small Business

Strategy is all about setting aside the time to plan, concoct and cull ideas, and importantly, ensure your content marketing efforts align with your core business goals. What you’re doing is creating a roadmap into the future.

Setting Content Marketing Goals
That starts with revisiting your company’s overall goals and objectives, as well as your more specific marketing goals. If you don’t have any marketing objectives, that’s okay, but you’ll need to spend some time setting some goals before you go any further.

This is vital because if you aren’t clear on your business and marketing goals, you won’t be able to assess the efficacy of your content marketing strategy.

If You Lack Money or Opportunity, This One Action Will Change Everything

As we’ve all experienced, sales prospecting essentially boils down to two things: numbers and time.

And those two things often go hand-in-hand — while we (and our team) are racing to hit quota against that clock. But we can save time and maximize our numbers by investing in the right processes, activities, and skills.

The truth is, sales is changing — quickly. As sales conversations grow even more buyer-focused, sales reps have begun developing their hacks, techniques, and processes for prospecting.

How To Build And Scale A Marketing Team

1. Hire only those who are fully committed to the brand and processes.

2. Build processes and systems which are proven. Constantly test.

3. Know your data and numbers. Manage by KPIs. 

4. Be willing to move at the pace of technology and audiences. Both change often and rapidly.