Want to Book More Business? Write a Book.

Wall Street Journal columnist Sarah Needleman suggests publishing may be the key to acquiring more customers.

She profiles a Richmond, VA-based dentist who's published five books recently, including This Won't Hurt a Bit.  

The books have brought the dentist 450 new patients, at an acquistion cost of only $90 each.

Most entrepreneurs-turned-authors seek not only to capture new customers, but to generate "invisible income," writes Needleman. 

The latter comes from consulting, media appearances and speeches. 

"The trend wouldn't have been possible without the emergence of print-on-demand publishers," she notes. 

Thanks to firms like iUniverse.com and Lulu.com, authors can publish for little or no cost, in exchange for a percentage of sales.

Paint Me a Picture

I've been researching a hot technology lately.  My efforts have included reading the Websites of 40 firms in the "space." 

In doing so, I've encountered statements like these on every, single site:

"We are committed to continually driving innovation within the industry."

"Innovation is the backbone to everything that we collaborate, develop and deliver."

"Our passion for developing innovative software solutions is surpassed only by our commitment to our clients‘ success."

"Our team ranks among the best in the industry."

"Our goal is to empower your organization with the revenue it needs to advance its mission."

Not persuasive.

You might advise the firms to ditch such drivel as, "Our team ranks among the best in the industry."  That would help a lot.

But what else could they do to improve their Websites?

1. Tell me why the technology matters to me.  Who cares if the firm is "continually driving innovation within the industry?"  What's in it for me?
2. Deep-six the fuzzy words.  Don't require me to think so hard.  Words like "collaborate" and "empower" are way too vague.
3. Paint me a picture.  Use language the way it should be used.  "Show, don't tell."  And employ clear, colorful words.  As Winston Churchill (pictured above) once said, "Short words are the best, and the old words when short are best of all."

Marketing is All

How do you define your business?

I hope your definition, whatever it is, features the word marketing.

As Regis McKenna once said, "Marketing is everything and everything is marketing."

On that note, editor extraordinaire Alan Webber offers a "Book Store Parable" on his blog this week.

Recounting a visit to San Francisco's City Lights Bookstore, Webber writes:

"Once I walked into the book store it was clear to me—obvious beyond any need to state it, actually—that I was going to buy a book.  At least one. I didn't know which one.  But I kind of knew I'd buy at least one.  Which made the following proposition clear: The task of a book store isn't to sell books.  It's to get people to walk in the front door.  Selling books: easy.  Getting people to walk in the front door: hard."

In other words, your business is marketing; it's hard; and it's all.

B-to-B Buyers and Social Media

In August, producers of the incentive travel-industry show IMEX asked 1,000 B-to-B buyers to share their views on social media. 

The responses offer a good glimpse into buyers' current preferences.

LinkedIn is the networking site of choice.  It's used by 64% of B-to-B buyers.  Facebook is used by 60%; Twitter, by 27%; and YouTube, by 23%.

Blackberry is the smartphone of choice.  Blackberries are used by 57% of buyers; iPhones, by 31%.

Nearly half the respondents (46%) also said they've increased their use of social media for networking in the past six months.

How beefy is your LinkedIn profile?  How mobile-friendly is your Web site?

Getting Personal

Personas are the latest craze among B-to-B marketers.

For good reason.

Like the GPS in your car, personas guide you in your quest to find new customers.

Jeff Ogden, president and CMO of Find New Customers, offers these five tips for creating strong personas:

1. Start with the companies of your ideal customers.  Begin by developing profiles of your best buyers' companies.  Think about the problems you solve for these businesses.

2. Identify your customers' job titles.  Ask your salespeople who the decisionmakers are.

3. Ask 13 questions.  What’s the prospect's role in the buying decision?  What keeps her up at night?  What motivates her?  Is she acquainted with your organization?  Where does she get news?  How does she make decisions?  What associations does she belong to?  What events does she attend?  Does she seek advice from colleagues and peers?  How is she dealing with problems today?  What words does she use to describe the problems?  Does she prefer high-level or detailed information?  What prevents her from choosing you?

4. Leverage all contact points.  For answers to these questions, talk to all the people who deal with customers.  Ask both sales and customer support.  Pose questions on Linkedin and Twitter.  Use internal surveys.  Participate in blogs and online communities.

5. Keep revising the personas.  "Personas are an endless quest for perfection," says Ogden.  So set bimonthly meetings to review them.