Author: Maggie Patterson

Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #45 – Taming Ideas into Action

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date December 2, 2014
2 Comments on Episode #45 – Taming Ideas into Action

Hello December…if you’ve not already started, it’s time to get a game plan so when January rolls around you’re not floundering about once the New Year arrives. Or if you’re already planning, today’s show talks about how to create a realistic plan, plus a glimpse into some behind the scenes of how I’m doing my planning and prioritizing.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

The importance of starting to think about 2015 now so you don’t fall into a holiday coma.
My strategy for getting over the feelings of overwhelm as you start planning.
Ideas for not losing momentum through the holidays.
How to ‘brain dump’ and why it’s necessary so you don’t go insane.
Moving away from a stodgy annual plan to a 90-day plan that’s flexible.
Walking through a 90-day plan so you can create one too.

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

Brain dump! Get everything out of your head: the must-haves, nice-to-haves, everything! Get it all on paper so you can tame your ideas into action.
Start your 90 day plan. Get it written down, and really get clear on what you can reasonably accomplish in the next 90 days.
Get clear on your priorities in terms of life/work so you don’t burn out.

Links for this Episode:

90-Day Plan Template (*Google Doc, please copy to use for yourself)

Portable Whiteboards (Best thing ever!)

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

Episode #44 – Turning Your Clients Into the Hero

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 25, 2014

Diving into the world of storytelling today and talking about how to get out of the “Hero’s Journey” and focus on turning your clients into the hero instead. If we’re always talking about ourselves, we’re missing the point – and customer stories help engage our audience in a totally different way. And it’s a solo show, just me and you!

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Maggie’s history of ‘voice of the customer’ campaigns
Why we should be using customer stories instead of just quotes
Maggie explains why storytelling actually works
Why making your client the hero instead of yourself is so much more impactful
The different kinds of proof and when to use each one
How and why to ‘step up’ from just using testimonials

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

Are you always talking about yourself? Then stop it! Let your customer’s be the hero. Look at how you’re sharing your clients’ successes and how you can step it up.
What’s one type of proof you can add into the mix to let your customers shine?
Learn more about how customer stories can impact your business with The Client Brewery.

The Client Brewery is now open for registration – and Marketing Moxie listeners can $50 until 11/15. If you register after that, I’m extending the $50 off to you – just use the code MOXIE at checkout. Learn all the details and join us at the brew table – The Client Brewery.

Links for this Episode:

HelpScout

Hubspot

The Client Brewery

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

business storytelling

Where’s the Voice of the Customer?

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 20, 2014
2 Comments on Where’s the Voice of the Customer?

Everyone loves a good story. As children our brains are trained to recognize stories as a pattern and it goes from there. We learn how to read, how to write, we start watching movies…and it’s all about the story.

The bulk of communication we do on a day-to-day basis is rooted in stories. If you stop and really observe, it’s pretty much all stories, all the time. And with good reason, stories are a vehicle for breaking down concepts and sharing ideas. Because, wouldn’t it be really annoying if we just cited facts and figures to each other instead?

With so much storytelling around us, that’s why I find it surprising that entrepreneurs rely so heavily on one type of story. There’s so many types of stories we could (and should) be sharing, yet the Hero’s Journey is left to do most of the heavy lifting by many entrepreneurs.

The Hero’s Journey is a storytelling style that we’ve all been taught thanks to Star Wars and other epic stories. The term Hero’s Journey was coined by Joseph Campbell who broke down 17 parts of the journey. But I’ll give you the short version – hero lives in ordinary world, hero is called to adventure, hero refuses the call, hero meets with mentor (ahem, Yoda), hero decides to heed the call and leaves to pursue it, hero undergoes tests, allies and enemies, hero goes through ordeal, hero survives and is ready to see their journey through, they are then severely tested (think final showdown with Darth Vader) and they come home. The end.

While there’s nothing wrong per se with the Hero’s Journey, it assumes certain things, starting with the fact that your audience is engaged enough to hear your epic tale of how you ended up where you are today.

The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #43 – Creating a Design Mindset with Christie Halmick

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 18, 2014

Design, love it or hate it, you need to be somewhat design literate as an entrepreneur. Today’s guest, Christie Halmick is an ex-magazine designer who helps entrepreneurs master the basics of DIY design and she offers some great advice on must-have skills and how to get comfy with design. Listen in as we talk about creating a design mindset.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Christie’s background and how she got where she is today
Christie’s advice for where to start in the design process if you are brand new
How to overcome the hesitation, fear, and overwhelm that you feel when you start to design something
The top pitfalls and traps we tend to fall into when designing something and how to avoid them
Christie explains how to start to ‘make yourself a brand’ from the beginning
Why it’s important to pay close attention to your image choices
Christie’s favorite do-it-yourself friendly tools

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

Design is a mindset. It’s not brain surgery, get in a playful mindset and let yourself have fun!
Quality over quantity. There are so many design elements available to us now but that doesn’t mean you have to use them all. Really think about starting to simplify, and focus more on telling a story with your design.
Focus on visual consistency. Start to think about your brand’s colors, fonts, etc. so there is harmony and consistency with your design. Make sure your images tell the same story.

Links for this Episode:

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

business storytelling

3 Strategies for Owning Your Story as a Boss Lady

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 13, 2014
10 Comments on 3 Strategies for Owning Your Story as a Boss Lady

Today’s post comes to you as part of the Bosslady Blog Tour – yesterday we had an awesome post from Lisa Consiglio Ryan, which you can check out here.

The BossLady Blog Tour features 12 entrepreneurs over 12 days sharing how to channel your inner boss lady. It’s the kickoff to The Bead Effect, which is a kick ass product that I personally adore.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as a boss lady, don’t let that idea scare you. If you run or own a business, you are a boss lady. I know that feeling all too well. Because for nearly 8 years, I would have never said I was a boss lady. I was a freelancer, a contractor, a hustler….but definitely not a boss or a lady. (Now…I’m a boss…lady maybe debatable.)

Like me, you may not feel comfortable with the idea of being the boss, and you may feel pretty freakin’ far from being a lady. Which is where the power of story comes in. The story we tell ourselves, and the story we tell the world about our business. Without the right story, we hold ourselves back and play small. We’re “good enough” when we could be SO much better than just good.

Until we own our story of being a BossLady, our business will suffer.

The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #42 – The Why Behind the Buy with Brittany Becher

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 11, 2014

This is one juicy topic – we’re talking sales psychology, the why behind the buy and all kinds of things you need to understand before you build another website, email campaign or try to sell a single thing on the Internet. Guest Brittany Becher joins us to talk about why online business isn’t that different and what we can learn from the consumer packaged good industry and Target.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

How does sales psychology work?
Brittany’s tips for figuring out the ‘why behind the buy’
Brittany breaks down how the purchasing decision is made by the client
How to get the client in the door, and also how to keep them there longer
Brittany connects her ‘corporate world’ sales expertise to the online entrepreneur world
The choice paradox and how to avoid it
How to use sales psychology without being sleazy or feeling like you’re scamming your clients
Brittany’s advice for getting your clients to trust you from the beginning so they keep coming back for more
How to use the sometimes untapped resource of repeat customers
When to pull the trigger and ‘get to the ask’
How to make sure clients can give you their money if they want to

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

Take the time to consider WHY people do what they do as your create your emails and marketing plans. The more you understand the triggers, the more apt you’ll be to be successful.
Choice Paradox. Are you unwittingly creating it? Take a look at your website and see how many decisions people need to make as they go through it. If you find too many – time to streamline!
Are you open for business? Don’t make it hard for people to give you their money. Be clear and don’t hide the price away. Having no price says “I can’t afford this.”

Links for this Episode:

Foundation & Flow

Foundation & Flow on FB

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

PR for small business

Having an Opinion is No Longer Optional

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 6, 2014
2 Comments on Having an Opinion is No Longer Optional

There’s a saying which I’m sure you’ve heard about opinions…and how we all have them. I’m not sure if that is entirely true. Because if what I see out there some days in the entrepreneurial world is any indication, it’s a whole lotta vanilla.

If this content was ice cream…it wouldn’t even be yummy French vanilla or delicious vanilla bean, but the cheap knock off discount kind of vanilla that’s not even in a proper container but those freakin’ boxes that no one even can close properly. The kind of ice cream that’s just a sad waste of calories and leaves you pretty unsatisfied.

When it comes to creating a voice for your brand and telling stories, you need to have a damn opinion. Not convinced? Think of the brands you love. Companies you admire. They’re leaders because they have opinions. They’re worth following because they aren’t discount vanilla, but the most exotic and tantalizing jamoca almond fudge in packaging that makes you feel like a total someone for only $5.

In short, you know exactly what they stand for.

The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #41 – Customer Experience: Not Just for Big Brands

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 4, 2014
1 Comment on Episode #41 – Customer Experience: Not Just for Big Brands

Creating an outstanding customer experience isn’t just for big brands. As a small business owner you have the opportunity to create lasting relationships by delivering an amazing experience for each and every customer. Guest Val Geisler joins us today to talk about how to make that happen and all the systems we need to back it up, along with why customer experience isn’t just for big brands.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Areas where business owners are dropping the ball in customer service
Val’s must-have basic customer service practices
The importance of lists and systems in your business
Why Val is so passionate about customer service, and why it’s so important
Why and how to address negative reviews and issues that arise, because no matter how good we are – it happens
The importance of remembering people are ‘people’ even in the virtual world
Val’s favorite examples of great customer service
Some of Val’s customer service ideas to differentiate yourself

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

Pay attention to what happens once someone becomes a client. We need to continue to impress our clients, even after you get hired.
Write out your systems. If you want people to have a great customer service experience, write out step-by-step how exact that happens so nothing gets missed.
Understand the difference between service and experience. Service is a baseline, but experience is what tells the story about your brand and makes you memorable.

Links for this Episode:

Aspire and Grow

Systems Finishing School

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

content marketing strategy

Behind the Scenes of My Big Ass Branding Project

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date November 3, 2014
14 Comments on Behind the Scenes of My Big Ass Branding Project

First of all, welcome to my new digs and thanks for stopping by. This has been a big ass project going from zero to today – and I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to wax poetic about font combos, but more my perspective going through this project.

Last May, I was going through some serious growth in my business, and I knew I was outgrowing my lovingly bootstrapped website. And then, in a single week two people that I know, love and trust gave me the straight goods. Unprompted. And somewhat uncensored.

Then I got some really distinct opinions on how I was hiding out behind my so-so brand and not doing myself any favors. So I took the plunge and decided to step up my game – time to get a real brand and a website to go with it.

It started with photos. First point of resistance. Massive pain. Not because I have any particular concern with how I look, but rather, why personal branding matters in the first place. Like, why do you need to see my face to know that I’m really freakin’ good what I do? You’re hiring me for my brain so why do I need a cute necklace on? Like really?

The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #40 – Legal Liabilities with Tamsen Horton

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date October 28, 2014

The law is one of those things that seems unglamorous and super expensive as a small business owner, but guest Tamsen Horton breaks down why covering your bases is the best way to be more creative. If you’re in business, you need to handle your legal stuff and this episode explains the areas of your business that need protection.

Items Discussed in this Episode:

The biggest things Tamsen sees entrepreneurs skipping over when it comes to legal necessities
Why and how to treat your website like your storefront
How protected are you online? How to tell and how to gain protection
Tamsen explains the difference between copyrighting and trademarking
Why you have to do the ‘hard legal stuff’ at the beginning and why it’s not smart to wait
Why the law should be customized to your business
Tamsen’s advice for picking a lawyer

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

The law is what lets us be creative. Without protecting our intellectual property, we can’t be as creative as we want to.
Get it in writing! Any joint venture, contract, etc. Protect yourself by having something in writing.
Legal things are not meant to be templated. This is your business and your life, the best way to conduct business is not using a one size fits all template. Educate yourself to protect yourself.

Links for this Episode:

Tamsen’s worksheet for this Episode

Tamsen’s site: Vuja De Law

Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group