Blog – Page 14 – Maggie Patterson

Business Strategy for Entrepreneurs The Marketing Moxie Show

Episode #46 – Money Mindset & Marketing with Denise Duffield-Thomas

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date December 9, 2014
18 Comments on Episode #46 – Money Mindset & Marketing with Denise Duffield-Thomas

Money mindset expert Denise Duffield-Thomas joins us on the show to talk about money mindset, marketing and her experiences self-publishing her book. We discuss manifesting versus hustling, moving people from a book into a paid program and more. And, there’s an awesome giveaway too for listeners! (You can enter below.)

Items Discussed in this Episode:

Denise talks about the process of self-publishing her first two books and what it did for her business.
The differences between self-publishing and going through a publisher.
Denise’s biggest lessons learned from the publishing process.
How Denise used her books to move clients into the paid programs she offers.
How to become more of a ‘Lucky Bitch’ in your marketing.
The importance of following through with your intentions in your business.
There isn’t a big secret in how to be successful, Denise breaks it down on how to remove your mental blocks.
The number one thing Denise wishes entrepreneurial women knew about money.

Top Takeaways for this Episode:

Use your book as a calling card, even if you self-publish. It’s a way to legitimize your business.
For writing a book, it’s really just a matter of sitting down and doing it. You don’t have to wait for anyone, it’s something you can make happen now!
With marketing, it’s not just about setting a goal or intention. It’s so easy to stay stalled in the idea phase. The difference between people who make money and people who don’t is action.

GIVEAWAY! Win a Lucky Bitch Christmas Bundle

Denise has generously offered to giveaway a Lucky Bitch Christmas Bundle to one lucky listener!
The bundle includes:

The Lucky Bitch Manifesting Course
Lucky Bitch Live Event Recordings
Lucky Bitch and Get Rich Lucky Bitch Audio Books
Manifesting Meditations Pack + Money Mantras Subliminal Meditation

Just comment below to enter and tell us WHY you’d like this bundle. We’ll draw one lucky winner on December 17th at Midnight ET via Random.org. We’ll post winners on this thread!

Links for this Episode:

Lucky Bitch
Lucky Bitch Christmas Bundle
Link to Free Marketing Moxie Facebook Group

business storytelling

The Fine Line Between Vulnerable and Victim

Post author By Maggie Patterson
Post date December 4, 2014
3 Comments on The Fine Line Between Vulnerable and Victim

One of the most refreshing things about being an entrepreneur is the freedom to be imperfectly human.

Let me explain. Being in communications, especially in a corporate environment, there’s not a lot of room for error. It’s all about the details…and with good reason:

The public company’s press release on quarterly earnings with a 3 where there should be an 8 in a string of numbers can cause a major issue with shareholders.

A typo in the name of one of the executives in a media guide for an event (with 50 reporters attending) means the next day that person’s name is published in 49 places with the wrong spelling.

Or when someone’s business card proof isn’t checked…suddenly the Director of Public Relations…is the Director of Pubic Relations and they only find out after handing out cards at a major industry event.

Details matter. And being human isn’t entirely possible when you’re striving for as close to perfection as possible. Which is why when I showed up in this fun loving new world of entrepreneurship, all the being vulnerable and authentic seemed refreshing as suddenly I didn’t need to have a heart attack over a typo.

Until I noticed a pattern. Where storytelling goes so, so wrong and takes a sharp turn into “holy shit, are you kidding me territory.” There’s storytelling…and then there’s some stories that shouldn’t be told in your business.

Before I go any further, this is not to deny or belittle anyone’s sad stories. We’ve all got them, some of us more than others, but just because you have a story doesn’t mean it’s one that should be shared. There’s no entrepreneurial rule that says you need to dish all the dirt on your past (or present) to be likeable and human. How much you share, how deep you go, is up to you.

But before you share anything else personal, give some thought to what exactly you’re doing because it’s a fine line between vulnerable and victim.

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

business storytelling content marketing strategy social proof The Marketing Moxie Show

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