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Tuesday 21 September 2010

Tuesday 21st September 2010 Running an Exhibition Stand




The Marketing Mix Roadshow takes place in Swansea at the LC on Oystermouth Road on Tuesday 28th September. Although run for the Tourist Industry it is a great opportunity for any business owner or manager to grab some great marketing seminars and talk with a comprehensive range of companies and organisations offering business support.

We ashall be at the Show and will interview speakers and exhibitors so watch out for an interesting Show in 2 weeks time. 

The programme is set out below so you can see the theme is "How to use the Media to promote your Business" with speakers from newspapers, radio and Andy Crawford, a dynamic PR guru. This is the opportunity to explore ideas that you may have not thought of or even rejected in the past. Now you'll be able to pick up on thoughts that could really push your business.
Exhibitions are a great way to promote your business. BizTalkRadio today is dedicated to ideas for running an exhibition stand. Whatever your business or the type of show you are exhibiting at you will learn or remember ideas that'll ensure you squeeze every last drop from your efforts.

The show is the podcast from the CD "Running an Exhibition" Masterclass.


Marketing Mix Roadshow 2010
Programme in full
10.30am – 11am – Registration – Tea & Coffee – Exhibitors
Sports Hall
Main Presentation Area
Ask the Expert! - Breakout Sessions
1pm – 3.15pm - 3 to choose from – Take your pick or do them all!
11am - Welcome
11.10am – ‘Balance your budget to suit your market’ - Lisa Cameron,
Advertisement Director, South West Wales Media.
Do you know where your visitors are coming from? What percentage is ‘local’
and what percentage is ‘further a field’? Preaching to the converted can
sometimes seem pointless, getting the balance right on where and how to
spend your budget is crucial.
Come and listen to what South West Wales Media have to say about how
they can reach your target audience in Ireland, Devon and Cornwall.
11.30am – ‘Performance, Evaluation and Direction of Proper Holidays’ -
Gill Bernsten, Head of Campaigns and Digital Marketing, Visit Wales.
Looking at the challenges we continue to face when marketing Wales as a
tourist destination - how and why ‘Proper Holidays’ was developed as a
marketing theme; what it is achieving and thoughts on how it will need to
evolve during a time of tight public sector budgets. Followed by ‘Questions &
Answers’
12.10am – ‘Marketing Your Business on the Radio – The Sound of
Success’ - Helen Bowden, Station Director, The Wave & Swansea Sound
Taking a detailed look at the power of radio, how radio can help market your
business? This presentation will look at the range of creative opportunities
this powerful medium can offer. Just imagine what your business could do by
advertising itself to 177,000 people across South West Wales every week?
What next!!
Exhibitors / Lunch / Networking / Ask the Experts &
FREE business advice sessions
Day ends at 3.30pm
1pm - “Make your business essential to editors” Andy Pearson,
Swansea based PR expert from Effective Communication
“How can I tempt a journalist to write a great story about my business?” –
Andy in discussion with South Wales Evening Post business reporter Rupert
Hall.
1.45pm - “The Benefits of PR and how it can help your business”
Natasha Fulford, Owner of MGB PR
Building Your Brand: MGB will take you through the process of creating a
brand and using your brand to connect with your audiences - from
understanding your brand and your audience to finding the winning idea to
help build your brand in a memorable way.
2.30pm - “2011 Marketing Partner Benefits” Steve Hopkins, Tourism
Manager, City & County of Swansea.
Question - Where else, from as little as £266, can you get an online
presence on a destination website, an advert in destination guides, inclusion
in major local, national and overseas marketing campaigns, priority referrals
from a tourist information centre and a first call on press and PR visits to
Swansea Bay, Mumbles, Gower, Afan, and the Vale of Neath.
Answer – the 2011 Marketing Partner Package. The City and County of
Swansea and Neath Port Talbot Council offer a range of packages to suit
your budget. Come along to the presentation, where representatives from
the tourism teams will answer any questions you might have about what
their marketing activity can do for you.
Why not meet Neath & Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and
Carmarthenshire County Councils who are also in the ‘Sports Hall’ as
exhibitors.
*Programme subject to change

Refreshments and Lunch
Lunch - (If you have a voucher) lunch is available from 12.30 – 2.30pm - (If you do not have a voucher please use the ‘coffee shop’) Vouchers are available from the registration desk, cost £6. Tea and Coffee is available FREE in the networking area. Have you!!!! ‘Paid and displayed’ in the car park OR given you car details to the registration desk (if you arrive before 10.45am)
Brought your own literature to swap with people – tell them what you do!! We hope you have a good day!!
I feel this will be a great event for both exhibitors and visitors.

I contuinue to look for interesting interviews, news and views on all growing business matters. If you have some tips to tell us you'll get a byeline so it'll promote your business.

You can contact us at ask@biztalkradio.co.uk or call text +447976364681
You can call in during the Show
We'd love to hear from you.

Mike Leahy


BizTalkRadio Thursday 17th September 2010



 This is a repeat of an interview we had back in July. Selling is the food that will grow your business. You need to have or have smeone in your business with the killer instinct to close those sales and get cthose new customers clamouring for more.

I highly rfecommend that you listen carefully to these words of wisdom.
 
 With over 40 years in sales and marketing as well as owning over a dozen companies, Phil Gerber has developed a significant portfolio. He has utilized the principles developed through his experience to make his sales teams the most successful in their respected industry. He has literally “been there and done that”.  As Bottom Line Consultants, Phil has been helping organizations improve their sales and marketing for over 10 years.  His simplistic approach to sales has enabled even the novice salespeople to become overnight stars.  His experience in retail, wholesale, and sales to both consumers and businesses gives him insight into a multitude of sales issues and problems. 
Phil was a frequent guest on a Houston radio talk show discussing sales.  He has also written articles for a number of internet newsletters. His book “Cut the B.S.” was published in December of 2007. When he’s not playing golf and running his businesses, Phil loves to travel with his lovely wife Carol.  

Philip' new book A Business Owners Guide to Managing Sales People is available now. You can see the intro and contents on the following link.
http://www.freado.com/read/7445/a-business-owners-guide-to-managing-sales-people

I've read through the book and I can tell you it's written in a plain common-sense style and covers every aspect so you'll employ the right person, give them good training and then go on to motivate and manage them on the job. As a life-long professional salesman I find this book to be a practical  manual that no small business owner should be without. Technology has changed dramatically over the last 20-30 years but people haven't. We do still bleed when we are cut and are still afraid of the unknown. Sales ideas and techniques have altered but there is no dramatic change: people are still people. It's just that good training is difficult to find.

You can order the book, just click here

On the other hand I have been running sales teams and training salesmen for around 35 years. If you want someone to recruit sales-people and then manage them give me a call on 07976364681 or e-mail me at ask@mikeleahy.com   Together we can grow your business.

Be successful.

Mike Leahy


BizTalkRadio Tuesday 14th September

Handy hints that will help you in your business. That is the theme for today's BizTalkRadio. 


Here is a short video about communications that  made over a year ago. I would like to continue the series as so much has happened in the last 60 years with communications.




I've set myself a task now to produce these shorts. I hope you are enjoying them and that you learn something.

In the 50's life for us kids was easy. You just can't believe what it was like in comparison to today. At around 8 years old 3 or 4 of us would go off for the day. I guess that my mother used to worry about what I was getting up to but she never said anything.

We lived in Birmingham and it was unusual to lock the doors and usual to leave windows open if we went out together. Compare that to today. Today you have to bolt most things down.
But getting back to communications and the changes it is difficult to imagine that once you were out of signt that was it until you came home again. And it was usual to phone in at work to see if there were any messages. And when we did get a message we dealt with it straight away. Do you deal with your messages within a set time? I was with an accountant last evening looking at his marketing. On his card and other literature he promised to call back on any missed calls within 3 hours. Now that is good.

Hope you enjoy this short video. Your comments will be appreciated.

BizTalkRadio Thursday 10th September 2010

BizTalkRadio Tuesday 7th September 2010

Wednesday 1 September 2010

BizTalkRadioThursday 3rd September 2010


This show is sponsored by the Local Business Forum. Bring you the best tips and interviews to get you motivated and increasing profits and enjoyment from your business. 

Time waits for no man. You need to agressively look for business so today's programme is just about that. Running small exhibitions of your products and services. Attending general business exhibitions are great but private ones can be more focussed.

Why don't you make an exhibition of yourself. Exhibitions can be a great focus for bringing prospects to a decision. And they don't have to be at an exhibition. Run your own for your products and services.


Why not book a hotel room and arrange a series of appointments with prospects. It's different and isolates the propsect from his own work environment - no interuptions. I have run countless. In fact I used to run one every month in a different hotel, sometimes in a small conference/seminar size room and others I'd actually book a bedroom and have the bed removed. I've sold photocopiers and mobile phones, pagers and hairdressing equipment. It works provided you have a plan and work to it.

Watch and read all the secrets to running an exhibition that will bring you in loads of orders. This cd-rom includes a 37 minute video shot at the Liberty Stadium Swansea is fast moving and practical and the accompanying comprehensive 58 page e-book will give you a step-by-step guide to success.

You’ll have an exhibition to beat any that you’ve run before by simply following the hundreds of tips and ideas in this video and book. Expect a return of more than 250% on your investment.

From when you start thinking about attending an exhibition right through to signing up the order from the last prospect when you are back in the office.

Running an Exhibition Master-class cd-rom available from www.marketing-basics.co.ukExhibitions are a great opportunity to make sales to a target market, build a list of prospects, launch a new product, get great exposure, demonstrate products that are too large to take to a prospect, to build up better relations with existing customers and much, much more. You can take a stand at an exhibition, you could have a stand-alone exhibition or you might run a virtual exhibition. You can spend the earth or manage on a tight budget. Whatever your choice you must ensure you get a high return on your investment. This book will show you how to succeed at every stage
Learn how to:
* Plan to get a good attendance of visitors
* Reel in  passers-by onto your stand
* Quickly qualify visitors into prospects and customers
* Stand head and shoulders above other exhibitors
* Train up your staff
* Network to success
* Close more sales
* Ensure you make the most of every minute.
  1. 1) Stand-alone Exhibitions
  2. Set up independent local exhibitions for your business alone
  3. 2) Virtual exhibitions
  4. Be different and hold a virtual exhibition here visitors stay at their desk. For “greener” exhibitions
  5. 3) Standard sales techniques
  6. Just some basics to get you closing. Excepts from “Master Sales Skills” master-class

Written and presented by Mike Leahy, the Marketing Man, who has given countless seminars and run stands at dozens of exhibitions at top venues like Olympia, Earls Court, NEC, HMS Belfast , the Royal Horticulture Hall and the Liberty Stadium Swansea, right down to hotels, shopping centres, showrooms and mobile exhibition trailers. He has also exhibited in Germany. This is a no-holds exposé of exhibition secrets.
This video was recorded in front of a live audience at the Liberty Stadium Swansea to the exhibitors of the Federation of Small Businesses Roadshow in 2007. He was asked to give the seminar again at the 2008 “Road to Success Show”. Watch the following preview to get a taste.




It doesn't matter whether your market is over a small town, major city or large region. This is a system that will work for you.  And how about doing a joint venture exhibition? Just two or three businesses that target the same market segment   plumber, electrician and carpenter or accountant, solicitor and marketer! Be creative!!

Someone pointed out to me recently that there were a couple of selling mistakes in a post I wrote. This person doesn't run a blog, isn't on LinkedIn, doesn't have a business Facebook page or use Twitter. It is better to take positive action and have mistakes than to do nothing!

BizTalkRadio Tuesday 1st September

The first day of September and less than 16 weeks til Christmas.