Published weekly by Sydni Craig-Hart
The Smart Simple Marketing Coach™

Friday, May 18, 2012
Volume No. 3, Issue No. 20

ISSN 2156-2156

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Hi there,

It's been a GREAT week and I'm so beyond thrilled with the progress my clients are making. A new client just started this week and we spent 2 hours together on Tuesday mapping out her marketing plan. Here's what she had to say:

"I am relieved to walk away with a plan and to-do’s.  This will get me on the straight path instead of bouncing from thing to thing. Focusing on a target (ideal client) is a huge relief and I can use my time more wisely. I'm so excited to move forward! 

I never cease to be amazed at how powerful clarity is. Do you need a burst of clarity in your business right now? (Be honest...you KNOW you do!) Here's an opportunity to get exactly what you need. CLICK HERE to schedule a Profit Breakthrough session with me. There is no cost to you and a chance for you to sample what you and I working together will look like. I will be on the lookout for details on your business. :)

As you read I'm heading out the door to enjoy a weekend I've been looking forward to for many months! One of my long-time friends and another close friend of Wil and me are getting married tomorrow! Wil and I are both in the wedding and couldn't be happier for them.

Today kicks off the festivities with lunch, rehearsal and spa treatments for us girls. Then we'll enjoy the wedding and reception tomorrow in the gorgeous Napa Valley (it's supposed to be 80°). It will be a day filled with laughter, celebration, tears of joy, great music, dancing, delicious champagne and so much love. I haven't been this excited about a wedding since I married Wil almost 10 years ago! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with the people you love! :)

Sydni Craig-Hart
The Smart Simple Marketing Coach™

P.S. A great big welcome to the ALL new subscribers who have joined our community since last week! You are going to love the resources you find to help you grow a successful service-based business. I'm thrilled to have you here!

P.P.S. Don't keep this to yourself! Forward this newsletter to your friends and colleagues or send them to www.SmartSimpleMarketing.com so they can register for themselves. Then, brainstorm, talk about your ideas and start writing down your plans!

How To Create A Solutions-Based Business

By Sydni Craig-Hart

Ouch, I’m in pain over here! It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do. If you can solve my problem, I will happily give you my time and money.

We each have a pain that needs healing, an itch that needs scratching, or a problem that needs a solution. And we're on the hunt for that solution...yesterday!

Keep this in mind as it relates to your ideal client and the reason you went into business for yourself. You are a problem solver. Therefore, you must make sure that your business is focused on solving problems and nothing else.

Your business doesn't really have anything to do with you. I know you are passionate about what you do. I know you love it and you're really good at it. However, to bring your vision of success to life, you cannot focus on that. You have to focus on truly being of service to others and solving the problems that are important to THEM.

By offering solutions to your target market, you will create a business that is as attractive as candy store is to a 5 year old. SWEET!

There are 3 aspects of your marketing that you want to emphasize.

1. What pain(s) is your target market trying to heal?
2. What specific problem(s) do YOU solve?
3. What benefit(s) do your clients receive as a result of working with you?

The Pain

“Pain” can be another way to describe a desire, a need or a problem. For example, you may have the pain of traveling from Point-A to Point-B in a slow, less than desirable vehicle. The solution may be found at your favorite car dealership in the form of a shiny, black, v6 automobile. Thus, a newer and faster vehicle is the solution for your desire to speed up travel time and look great while you're out and about.

When it comes to your business, it is imperative that you can clearly and simply address the pain that your prospects are facing.  If you stay focused on this and only this, your marketing efforts will operate like a well-oiled machine that constantly attracts new business for you.

Your Solution

Now, you have the prospect interested. They view you as the person who understands what struggles they are going through. In order for your business to flourish, you must serve them even further. You need to demonstrate that you have the solution to their problem.

Imagine going to a doctor who only gave you a diagnosis, but could not prescribe a solution to your illness. Would you feel like you were wasting your time in searching out that professional and visiting him only to learn that you need to go elsewhere to start the healing process? That is wacky!

How can you substantiate that YOU are the person that your prospects need to work with? There are a few ways:

1. Give Social Proof: Testimonials are a great way for your prospects to see that there are other people with similar problems that you were able to solve. Keep in mind that your testimonials need to be deeper than, “ Sydni is so funny and great to work with.” (That is true, but totally beside the point). "Fluffy" testimonials simply won’t work nowadays. Details on what your clients have gained as a result of working with you need to be specific. Use concrete numbers along with before and after scenarios. CLICK HERE for examples.
   
   
2. Educate: Most people LOVE to learn something new. Especially about a topic they are interested in. Use this to your advantage. Establish your expertise by teaching them. Share the latest and greatest about your work. Update them on industry trends. Be a thought leader and share your perspective. Show them how learning more about the topic can help them get faster, better, more enjoyable results.
   
   
3. Demonstrate: You likely became familiar with "show and tell" in grade school. It's still as popular now as it ever was. People love "tasting" before they buy. So make it easy for them to do that. Create an opportunity for them to interact with you via a video, a free class, a complementary strategy session, whatever makes sense for your business. Let them taste and see how good you are. When prospects can experience your brilliance for themselves, they don't need to be "convinced" to buy.

The Benefits

As we discussed earlier, we're all, always, looking for solutions to our problems. What solutions do you offer your clients For instance, will they be able to earn more money, save money, save time, or increase their productivity as a result of working with you?

Whatever the benefits are that you provide, your prospects should be able to see themselves experiencing those benefits. How can you make this easy for them to visualize such results?

Normally, the benefits that your clients receive fall into three categories: 1) Financial 2) Emotional or 3) Physical. Ensure that your marketing materials truly speak to the benefits that your prospects want to receive from your work together.  Show them how their lives will be different as a result of having a professional relationship with you.

You are the pain healer, the problem solver, and the desire fulfiller. There are thousands of people out there who are RIGHT NOW looking for the solutions that you provide. Your marketing machine needs to speak to the pain of these individuals and show them how you can help. Remember to clearly and simply convey that you understand their problems. Demonstrate that you are the right person who can help them. Don't be shy about really putting yourself out there. This is the only way for them to see you standing above all the noise in the marketplace. Happy marketing!

When have you been the pain healer, the problem solver or the desire fulfiller? Share your thoughts by posting a comment on the blog.

Your Action Plan For This Week:

1. Identify 5 problems that your target market wants you to solve.
2. List the solutions that you provide for those 5 problems.
3. List all of the benefits that your clients receive from working with you.
4. Make sure that your marketing materials (especially your website) clearly and simply convey this message.

Want to use this article on your website, blog or in your own ezine?  You're welcome to do so! But here's what you MUST include:

Sydni Craig-Hart, The Smart Simple Marketing Coach, is founder of SmartSimpleMarketing.com. Known for her easy, strategic and results-focused approach to marketing, she also has the unique ability to find untapped profit centers in her client's businesses so they can create money NOW. Visit www.SmartSimpleMarketing.com for your FREE kit, "5 Simple Steps to More Clients, More Visibility and More Freedom" and apply for a FREE "Profit Breakthrough" session with Sydni!

Connect with me online!

    

"What really impressed me was her ability to take that knowledge and apply it to my business creating customized strategies to get me in front of my ideal clients and close business."

“It was very clear upon first meeting Sydni that she has vast knowledge of online, email and social media marketing as well as traditional forms of marketing like PR and press releases. But what really impressed me was her ability to take that knowledge and apply it to my business creating customized strategies to get me in front of my ideal clients and close business.

Sydni is incredibly professional and passionate about working with small business owners to reach their goals through marketing. Sydni is always on time for meetings, she follows through and she does what she promises. Shortly after hiring Sydni, I had a new baby. While I was spending time with my family, my marketing plan was moving right along and Sydni even managed the creation of an entirely new info product while I was resting at home. My experience with Sydni has reduced my stress level significantly and given me the support I needed to leverage all my efforts and relationships to create more business.

Before working with Sydni to create a strategic marketing plan for my business, I was overwhelmed and didn’t know how to best leverage my opportunities. I was bogged down with all the ideas for marketing on the internet and through social media. Now that I’ve taken advantage of her services and she’s created my marketing plan, I feel there is no stone unturned and that I am able to make the most out of my efforts to build my business. Sydni has enabled me to better utilize content and copy that was sitting on my computer to market my business. There is a sense of organization to my marketing efforts and I know she’ll keep me on track.

If you are thinking about working with Sydni to upgrade your marketing efforts and create more income in your business, you should go for it! Sydni has a true talent for seeing your vision and then creating a marketing plan and assisting you and your team in implementing it.”

Rachel Wall, Founder, Inspired Hygiene – Charlotte, NC

You started your business to be successful. You set out to be profitable. I am 100% sure that wherever you happen to be on your entrepreneurial journey, you'd like a bit more of both.

I can help you make that happen. All you have to do is register for a FREE "Profit Breakthrough" strategy session!

CLICK HERE

What's in it for you?

No more feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about which actions will yield you the greatest return. No more spinning your wheels trying to figure out what to do next.

Let's get started! Simply click on the following link to schedule your session:

CLICK HERE

I can't wait to talk with you!

I've created a special opportunity for you to "Jumpstart Your Profits!" This is your personal invitation.

Here's what you get:

• An assessment of your current marketing activities and how to tweak them for maximum profits (Value: $500)
• A copy of my "Create Your Money Map" system which will walk you step-by-step through the process of creating your customized marketing plan (Value: $197)
• A private 45-minute strategy session with me by phone within the next 3-4 weeks (Value: $500)
• An MP3 recording of the session for you to review at your convenience (Value: $47)

Total Value $1,244

Why is this such a big deal? People ask me all the time if they can "just hire me for an hour". And I've always declined to do so.

However, I know you need the help NOW. And I want to give you what you need at an affordable price.

So, you won't pay $1,244. You won't even pay half that. Your investment is just a one-time payment of $297.

CLICK HERE

NOTE: I only have space left for 5 of these profit focused sessions!

So, if you want in, I encourage you to secure your spot immediately, before I send this out to a few hundred other people.

What's in it for you?

No more feeling overwhelmed and uncertain about which actions will yield you the greatest return.

You WILL walk away with a solid, step-by-step, CUSTOM marketing strategy that gets you the fastest and easiest results you desire.

Let's get started! Simply click on the following link to register and schedule your call:

CLICK HERE