The Tin Shingle Blog

We used to have a Jack Russell Terrier named Rosie (aka Boutros Boutros Gally, Agent Han Ratty and Rose Monkey among others– don’t ask me why). She was just such a little fat furry ball of sunshine! But give that dog a toy and she turned into a completely different animal. Within minutes she could ravage a squeaky toy, completely demolish it, put a hole in the squeaker, pull all of the stuffing out and leave the toy lifeless and limp on the floor. To watch her do this was quite funny actually, she would attack it, bite it until she found the squeaker and then she would squeak, squeak, squeak it until she made a small tear in the casing. Then, she would grab the toy and shake it – not just with her head, but with her whole body. After that she would grab the toy between her two front paws and rip and tear and chomp and shake again until she had gotten the thing open. Once the ‘belly’ was exposed, she’d dig deep and pull stuffing after stuffing after more stuffing until finally the squeaker became free at which point she would bite it until it ‘died’.

On those days, we called Rosie “Tenacious B”.

I’ve been reminded of Tenacious B while I’ve been out on sales calls these last few days and I realize that I learned a lot from my little dog. 

When it comes to getting yourself in front of a customer or closing the deal, it really pays to be tenacious. I left corporate America six months ago thinking that it would be easy to pick up clients.  I had a good reputation, had done great work for clients in the past, had a ton of contacts, etc… I was a little unprepared for what I really needed to be successful in my ‘new job’. The skill set that you need as an entrepreneur is decidedly different than the one you’ve developed as an ‘employee’. Learning how to do The Hustle is paramount. And you can’t just do The Hustle once; you have to keep doing it again and again and again. But sometimes you get tired, or feel a little dejected, or question whether these potential clients are even getting your emails or your phone calls. And that’s when you have to dig deep and tap into your inner Tenacious B. 

I’ve been courting one old client of mine since the day that I left corporate America and finally, last Friday, they gave me an opportunity to put together a proposal for a new project for them. I had a week to prepare (when typically it would take a few weeks to put something like what they were asking for together). And it was a total long shot – they were asking four other companies to bid on the project as well. I could have taken the easy way out. I could have declined. I could have put something together and sent it via email or followed-up with a phone call. And that's normally what I would have done because that's what I'm comfortable with.

But being an entrepreneur isn't about being 'comfortable' and building a business requires that you push yourself beyond your own envelope. Getting this piece of business was important to me. It not only represented income, but more importantly, it was a good strategic client that I could have on my roster and it was with people that I really liked working with. So I did what Rosie would do. I went after my squeaky toy and flew out to LA.

But as the entrepreneur with nothing to lose who looked at this trip as an investment in my business, I didn’t just stop there. I booked my flight with a stopover in San Francisco so I could visit a client’s booth at their biggest convention of the year and meet some of the team face-to-face for the first time.

And I didn’t stop there either. I sent a note out to another old client who had relocated to a new company out West to see if we could catch up and ended up meeting with her and another person on her brand team.

All told, I saw nine people who could potentially work with my company either now or in the future. And it wasn’t that scary. Once I made the decision to fly out to LA, I had nothing to lose by trying to pack in as many customer visits as possible. And they say that for every nine ‘No’s’ you get one ‘Yes’. So if that’s the case, I’ve already guaranteed my next deal!

So, I just advise you when it comes to sales and new customer acquisition, be ferocious.  Be a Tenacious B.

It’s no secret that the retail world has been dealing with a lot these days.  Whether you’re a “big box” retailer or a small business, whether you're selling online or via a brick & mortar store, you’ve no doubt felt the blow of the depressed economy.  That said, despite economic woes, shoppers will be lining up virtually and braving the cold weather in “real life”  outside of stores to kick off the holiday shopping season during this month’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales . This means that if you are a small business that doesn’t have thousands (to millions) of dollars to spend on advertising these sales you’re going to be relying on things like do-it-yourself public relations & marketing, social media and perhaps your company’s newsletter to get the word out about your sale.

Before doing any more sales strategizing, be sure you review these tips in order to maximize yoru Black Friday and Cyber Monday buzz, and create some new and return customers in the process!

Prepare NOW:  If you don’t know what you’ll be discounting or selling via your Cyber Monday or Black Friday sales, prepare now.  This means getting the copy ready for your website, your newsletters and the press who may be asking about your deals; prepping and testing discount codes (you don’t want any mistakes costing you sales on the big day) and checking to be sure your inventory, packaging and all else is ready to go!

Double Discounts Opportunities for Future Sales:  Once a customer enters your virtual or brick & mortar store they’re already telling you they are excited enough about your product/store to check it out, and that’s when you hit ‘em with discount #1, the specific Cyber Monday or Black Friday discounts you want to share.  But don’t stop there!  Encourage future sales by creating a second discount code or gift certificate that shoppers will receive after their purchase.  This can be sent via email if you run an e-commerce site or via a physical voucher if you are in a brick & mortar store.  This is a great way to capitalize on all the web and foot traffic coming into your store, and to begin creating a long term relationship with future and current customers.

Make it a Triple (Sale), Tell a Friend:  Everyone loves telling their friends about the great deals they snagged or are planning on snagging during the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy.  Remind your customers to tell a friend about your upcoming sale or make it easy for them by allowing them to share the sale directly from your website or via a promo card they can pick up at your store and physically give to a friend.  Your newsletter (if you have one) should also have a place they can forward the message along to a friend.  It’s human nature to want to share great scoop or news, so make it easy to share news of your sale, and you could snag even more sales!

Flash Sales within a Sale:  Ready to really kick it up a notch?  With the help of social media and a few properly placed pitches, you can really rev up sales by running flash sales throughout the day on specific items that come and go, thus creating a sense or urgency to BUY NOW!  An example?  What if Tin Shingle member Object Mythology discounted all her cozy alpaca gloves throughout Cyber Monday but from 12-2 pm only she did an additional discount on her infinity scarves.  People who may have been on the fence would have extra incentive to buy, before the sale ended.  Perhaps propreneur Simply Sweet Arrangements is doing a day long free shipping sale from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, but on Monday from midnight to 12 noon she also did an additional 25% off all orders.  That’s extra incentive to buy!

Socialize your Sale:  Help your message go viral by buzzing about the sales you’re offering leading up to the big shopping days and then throughout the shopping weekend via your company’s Facebook & Twitter.  This will help news of your sale go viral even faster!  If you’re tweeting your sale, be sure you check out which hashtags are trending in regards to Black Friday & Cyber Monday, and include those hashtags on your tweets!  Want to up the ante even more?  Include a SPECIAL bonus (maybe a free shipping offer, early access to sales or an extra ten percent off) for your loyal social media followers!

Pitch, pitch pitch – to the Right People!  Keep in mind that the stories going up about Black Friday & Cyber Monday are short lead stories – this means they will be appearing on television, websites, blogs, and some newspapers.  This is not the time to be pitching long lead outlets (monthly magazines) because these editors are already planning spring issues.  Instead, reach out to the outlets (especially large blogs and websites) that match the niche of the product you’re selling whose readers or viewers would be interested in your product.  This is also a great time to send your sale information to experts and shopping gurus who regularly appear on television talking about these types of sales. 

Finally, look for opportunities to share your sale via pr lead generators such as HARO and the Tin Shingle PR Leads.  Members of Tin Shingle can also post their sales in our Events section, which we will “socialize” via our website, newsletter, Facebook & Twitter, and pass along to any media looking for Black Friday & Cyber Monday sales information!

Be Honest about your Fulfillment Schedule:  Several of your customers will be purchasing their holiday gifts via your sale.  If it will take you 2 weeks plus to fulfill their order, let them know prior to them purchasing your item.  There’s no sense in generating lots of sales if you’re also going to generate angry customer responses!  The best way is through a forewarning and honesty.  Speaking of order fulfillment, make sure you have an internal system in place, should you need extra hands on deck to man orders and shipments!

Despite the economy, the shopping "show" will go on, and you want to be sure customers looking for a great deal and a great gift find you, get to know you and continue to shop from you!  Follow our tips, plan ahead and use this Black Friday & Cyber Monday time to build retail relationships with customers for now and into the future!

In her sought-after Virtual Assistant business, Amanda Krill has worked with some of the top internet entrepreneurs in the business, including Marie Forleo and Lisa Wilder. Just this year, Amanda transitioned her business from Virtual Assistance to Web Design & Marketing Coach. She specializes in eBooks, WordPress setups, and website design.

Visit Amanda's portfolio here to see how she can propel your business.

Normally our Motivation Mix Monday DJ's are hot entrepreneurs or media's finest, so you can imagine how excited we were to get a combo deal!  Presenting this week's guest DJ on the Motivation Mix turntables: Micah Jesse.  If you work with the media, especially the celebrity media in any way, OR if you are like many of us who love reading about celebrity & entertainment news and gossip, you know Micah. 

Not only is his eponymous website (www.MicahJesse.com) which he started approximately four years ago a hot commodity but so is Micah Jesse himself, who regularly serves as an on-air expert on all things Hollywood.  What we love about him, beyond the juicy scoop he dishes up daily, is that he created his dream brand the old fashioned way - hard work, hustling, connecting, serving as his own best publicist....and all the other things that make a great entrepreneur!

So how did he power his way into the spotlight and how does he keep up the pace that's help him spread his brand from NYC to LA to ATL?  Perhaps his choice of songs has a little bit to do with it.....

(Don't forget to follow Micah on Facebook & Twitter)

PLAYLIST OF MICAH JESSE, WWW.MICAHJESSE.COM

Keep on Singing my Song > Christina Aguilera
This song is about not letting bad things happening around you get you down and recognizing your blessings. Plus, Christina's vocals are crazy on here!

T.G.I.F. (Last Friday Night) >  Katy Perry
This song is just so fun and can make me dance every time its on. It's a great party song!

Nobody's Perfect > Jessie J
This song is about admitting when you're wrong and treating people like you want to be treated. Both great messages.

Yeah! > Usher
Being born and raised in "the A" (or Atlanta) has inevitably made me an Usher fan. I'm in love with almost all of his songs but this one takes the cake any day! The second it comes on I turn into a full blown dancing machine!

Everything Is Everything > Lauryn Hill
This song is about recognizing that "what is meant to be will be." Its a great positive message to remind yourself that things happen for a reason.

What Doesn't Kill You (Stronger) > Kelly Clarkson
This is one of the most empowering songs on the radio right now. Despite having an incredible upbeat tempo that makes you want to dance, the message is clear: what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger! I love listening to this song on the treadmill when I'm going 8 MPH +.

Need You Now > Lady Antebellum
This song is just SO good! It's got such a great beat and such heartfelt vocals.

Soar > Christina Aguilera
This song is about loving yourself despite hardship which is a very important message to me! Christina's vocals on this track are incredible!

A Moment Like This > Kelly Clarkson
Okay, call me cheesy, but I am in love with this song! If you watched "American Idol" Season 1 you saw Kelly take home the title of the 1st "American Idol" but the message of the song lives on: to really live and relish in a big moment in your life. It's inspiring and so heartfelt!

Give Me Everything > Pitbull
Not only is this song one of the best dance songs of our generation but it also starts with a great message about turning every negative into a positive. I feel like it screams, "shake the pain away and just dance!"

Want to get even MORE inspired this Monday?  Check out past Motivation Mixes HERE!