Right now, I am really enjoying listening to the song “Airplanes” by B.o.B. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn6-c223DUU. This song features 21-year-old vocalist Hayley Williams. I found Hayley’s voice to be quite captivating so I searched for her videos on YouTube. What I discovered was that she was one of these “under the radar” singers. Most of the videos I saw were either fan-created tributes, videos featuring her band, Paramore, or interviews with Hayley herself.

Her band, Paramore, was signed to a record label in 2005. They are recognized as a contributing band on the 2008 Twilight soundtrack along with several other similar projects. Hayley Williams’ vocals are much rawer in these recordings

Right now, Hayley Williams is riding the wave of the huge success of the song “Airplanes.” Previously, she recorded a cover version of Lady Gaga’s song “Bad Romance” in her living room and posted it on YouTube in March this year. This Lady Gaga cover has received almost 2 million visits since it was posted – a tremendous amount of exposure for this young singer. What’s even more interesting is how this video was labeled. The song is solely performed by Hayley Williams, yet it’s tagged in the credits with her band name, Paramore.

Hayley Williams rode the popularity of Lady Gaga and now she is making a name for herself with “Airplanes”. What opportunities are hot and happening in your marketplace in which you can ride that wave?

Right now I am riding the wave by helping non-profit organizations and small businesses through a government grant that gives organizations money to receive marketing training for employees.

If you work for or own an organization with more than two employees on payroll, find out about an easy-to-complete B.C. Government Grant that will give you access to marketing expertise from Lift Strategies.

Please contact me by email at jen@liftstrategies.com or call me at 604.255.2098 to discuss your options.

Karley Cunningham, Big Bold Brand and Jen DeTracey, Lift Strategies share their process of developing a relevant, powerful and compelling brand for WXN.

This process looks like this:

Members + Organization = Brand

Once the brand and messaging are developed. Lift Strategies works its magic to create a marketing action plan that truly speaks to those members you want to retain and those members you want to attract.

In the “real world” of business, determining the right price for your products or services can be tricky. From my experience, when businesses are in the infant stage, they stumble in determining the right price based on a balance between profitability and what is fair.

In particular, I have discovered that women who offer services such as massage or hypnotherapy, will often under-charge and over-deliver.

The first step is to be aware of what your competition is charging. The second step is to look at what makes your service or product different and, ideally, better than the competition. The third step is to clearly define each product, service or package of services (bundle) in writing. Write it out for yourself first to work out the details of what you are offering. By doing this you are outlining exactly what your clients or customers will be receiving in exchange for their payment.

In your write-up, be sure to include the actual deliverables – such as a 60-minute massage – as well as all the possible benefits they could receive in return (release of muscle tension, reduction of stress, better sleep at night).

Once you complete step three, determine your costs, i.e., time, receptionist fees, laundry, merchant fees, massage oil, rental or leasing of space.

At this point, you can then rejig your prices to be in line with your costs and the value you bring through the service or product you offer.

Jen DeTracey presents her Get Your Business Rockin’ keynote in Kamloops on June 24, 2010 at 7 pm at the Kamloops Convention Centre. This event is presented by the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by NL Radio 610 AM.

A persuasive website, sales letter or brochure can get a customer to buy a product they’ve never tried once. But even the most skillful marketing copy cannot get a customer to buy something they’ve tried already and didn’t like. Either the goods are delivered as advertised, or else the marketing pro and their client go out of business the next day because they’ll be seen as unreliable.

That said, marketing content can take utilize a technique described by Robert Bly in “The Copywriter’s Handbook” as false logic. The idea is to be absolutely truthful, yet play upon the customer’s assumptions. One example Bly uses is a fruit company that uses the slogan, “less than one in 1,000 people have tasted this pear” – which gives the pear an air of exclusivity, when the statistic may only mean that it’s not very popular.

Another example could be a company advertising the idea that “customer service is our highest priority” – when all customer service has been out-tasked to a subcontractor. Customers may assume that customer service calls are handled by internal company representatives.

But so long as the customer gets great service, the company is being truthful (while using “false logic) to give themselves a positive selling proposition. That’s not a bad thing for the company or the customer.

Marketing copy must be truthful to succeed. “Logical” is a whole other story.

Contributed by Jonathon Narvey, President of www.writeimage.ca, a Vancouver-based copywriting company

A Loving Spoonful provides meals to those living with HIV/AIDS. Meals are delivered by a large and enthusiastic community of volunteers.

When I purchased my ticket for this fundraising event, a ticket was mailed to my office without a service charge. Two weeks later, I received a personally handwritten card from A Loving Spoonful volunteers thanking me for buying a ticket to the event.

The day before the event, I was contacted by phone from a volunteer who wanted to confirm that I had received my ticket. When I asked what the dress code was for this event, I was put on hold and the volunteer found out the details and got back to me immediately.

Of all the events I have attended, whether for profit or not, the customer service has never been as impressive as what I experienced with A Loving Spoonful. What is your organization doing to provide the best customer service possible to your fans (volunteers, employees, customers, donors, suppliers, and collaborating partners)?

Want expert advice from one of Canada’s Top Marketing Strategists? If you have more than two employees on payroll, find out about an easy-to-complete B.C. government grant that will give access to marketing expertise from Lift Strategies.

Please contact us by email at info@liftstrategies.com or call me at 604.255.2098 to discuss your options.

This funding made it possible for Teafarm to receive marketing training as well as find the time to develop a solid marketing action plan. Over the course of a full-day session, I walked them through the LIFFT Process. Through this process, I was able to assess their business model and uncover where and how their business could achieve the greatest level of growth at minimal risk. Coming up with their growth solution required an assessment of their available financial resources.

As a result of this productive, high-energy day together, it’s true, they definitely will work hard over the coming months to build their business according to their newly created plan. The difference is, they now have a number of new tools and systems to run their company more effectively, as well as a road map to promote both their company and its products. I am confident that if they stick to the plan, the fruits of their efforts will start to emerge in the coming months.

It is my mission to help small-business owners and non-profit organizations experience the same positive shifts, meet projected goals and develop new systems to grow effectively. If your business has at least two part-time employees and has been in business for more than a year, you may want to find out how I can help you through this government funding process so we can work together. Please contact me by email at jen@liftstrategies.com or call me at 604.255.2098 to discuss your options.

The call to action doesn’t have to be a request for an immediate sale. It might be a suggestion for the customer to get information or sign up for your newsletter. You need to be clear in your own mind about your business objectives.

Examples might include:

• “Call us today at (555) 555-5555 to schedule your initial consultation.”

• “Email info@info.ca to get your free information package and take the first step to financial independence.”

• “Purchase online in the next 24 hours and get our complimentary gift pack absolutely free.”

A call to action can be a clickable button on a website or the last paragraph of a sales letter or business email. In a one-page brochure, it might be the only line of copy on the page. It needs to be there if you want results.

Contributed by Jonathon Narvey, President of WRITEIMAGE, a Vancouver-based copywriting company. www.imagewrite.ca

Video – http://www.liftstrategies.com/video-podcast/sales-flight-plan-workshop/

The Sales Flight Plan Workshop by 30,000 Feet Coaching will help you grow your revenues and reduce your closing time.

Gabe Padva, expert sales trainer and coach, will show you how to develop and use a proven sales system which is effective and measurable. Most importantly, he’ll show you how to powerfully communicate what you do best so that your prospects will pick you over the competition regardless of price.

At the end of this workshop you will have the tools you need to double or even triple the amount of your incoming qualified leads plus a sales system that cuts your closing time in half.

Register now: http://salesflightplanworkshop.eventbrite.com/

To get the Lift pricing, you will need to add the following discount code:

Liftgov – government funding payment $97 commitment deposit
Lift – payment without government funding $1,250

What is a sponsorship agreement? To me, it is an agreement between two organizations in which both gain benefits and meet specific objectives.

Simply put, festivals of all kinds – including music, theatre and film – are prime examples of organizations that seek sponsorship. They are often looking for suppliers who can contribute money, sound equipment, printing, catering, beverages, advertising, prizes and media coverage.

I believe sponsorship works best when the audience of a festival gets to truly experience the sponsor’s product or service. One way to achieve this objective is through providing product samples to the audience.

Back in 2008, we wanted to increase ticket sales for the gala opening of Vancouver’s International Fringe Festival. One way in which we achieved this goal was by providing $25 goodie bags filled with cool stuff including a beer glass, handmade card, chocolate and tea.

If you are considering entering into a sponsorship agreement, ask yourself: “What is the best way to create an experience for the customers, patrons or audience that will provide a lasting impression?”
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Partnerships with other businesses or organizations can work similarly. Look to industries you want to be connected with and find out how you can each gain exposure and experiences with each other’s customers.