AOT Logo

Call 619.291.3700

Visit AOT on Facebook View my LinkedIn Profile Follow AOT on Twitter Subscribe to AOT\'s RSS Feed
  • Home
  • Business Consulting
    • Business Health CheckUp
    • Business Planning
    • Management Retreats
    • Marketing Strategy
    • Client Advisory Boards
    • Budgets and Profit Improvement Planning
  • On Target Program
    • Profit Planning Class
    • On Target Business Success Program
  • Coaching
    • Customized Coaching Options
    • Coaching Skills Training
  • Training
    • Phone Right Communications Training
    • Effective Financial Management
    • Towards Awesome Service
    • Coaching Skills for Managers
  • Speaking
  • Blog
  • About Us
    • Testimonials
  • Contact Us

Social Media Marketing for Painting Contractors

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 06/14/2011

Social MediaWednesday, June 29, 2011
1:30 PM Eastern (12:30 PM Central, 11:30 AM Mountain, 10:30 AM Pacific
Duration: 90 minutes
Presenter: Linnea Blair
A Workplace Training Center Audio Conference by American Painting Contractor Magazine

If you want to know how on earth social media could ever pay off for your painting contracting business, this is the audio conference for you.

Whether you’re using social media already but think you could be getting better results, or whether you are still trying to figure out what all the hubbub is about, Linnea Blair of Advisors on Target has helped many painting contractors get online and get their message out. And now, she shares her best ideas and advice for how you can use social media marketing to reach the audience you want, get the clients you need and be more successful.

How could social media benefit your company? How do you find and reach the people who are most likely to hire you? Are you constantly bombarded by companies trying to get you to pay money for social media services you do not fully understand? What social media can you do on your own—and when is it time to hire someone to do it for you?

If you are like most business owners, you want the confidence and knowledge to create a professional social media presence that reflects your company brand the way you want to be known—and you want the tools to connect effectively with your audience to get more business!

Are you the owner of a small to medium-sized business who wants to get more leads and referrals through social networking? This is one training investment that is sure to pay off for you.

Online relationships mirror offline relationships. If you can connect with your current contacts through social media as well as in person, you will expand your ability to be at the top of their minds and become connected to their networks. In other words, you get your business in front of more eyes—more often! Sign up today to listen to the live event with a Q&A with Linnea afterwards, or order the CD to listen to at your own convenience.

Learning Objectives:

  • You know social media should be part of your marketing strategy, but what does it actually mean to create brand awareness, generate new leads, and gain referral business from existing clients and referral partners using social media?
  • What are you missing by not being online and using social media in today’s modern business environment?
  • How do social media apply specifically to your painting company? How do you use it to reflect your company brand and connect with your audience to get more business—without wasting a lot of time?
  • Define your purpose for using social media so that it makes sense with your marketing goals
  • Maximize your company presence on the top three social media sites: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
  • Start using effective networking and marketing techniques with social media to increase brand awareness

Register Here

Categories : Events
Tags : Social Media

Lead and Appreciate

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 05/18/2011

Your employees depend on your leadership to guide them, inspire them and make them feel that their contributions are of value.  It’s even more critical when you are asking your people to take a risk and join you in your newest business initiative before you have time to prove that it will be a success or in some cases, pay them what they are worth.

Take the time to share your vision for your company and your goals for current projects or strategic initiatives.  Thank them for their contributions and help them see their part in what you are working to accomplish together.

This month, make a point to share one small thing that you want to do better as a company, and then notice and acknowledge at least one team member every day for something that they are doing that demonstrates their contribution.  Some days you may have to look hard to find something, but I’m guessing that if you are looking for and acknowledging the positive things you find more of them to appreciate!

Categories : Uncategorized
Tags : Leadership

How to retain good clients

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 05/17/2011

Follow Your CustomersWhen times get tough, it can cost more to do business. Potential clients are less likely to want to talk to a salesperson because they are in a conservative mindset regarding spending. In recent months you may have heard the phrase “retention is the new acquisition”. This simply means you’re doing well if you can hold onto your clients. And, of course, you want to do all you can to retain your best ones.

The best clients are the ones that appreciate your skills and service and are happy to pay willingly and promptly. It also helps if they have a recurring need for your services; most successful companies have worked to build a base of regular customers to generate consistent cash flow and bring more stability to business planning.

The best way to retain good clients is not to offer them a better price each time (although discounts for repeat business are always welcome). If your strongest connection is only price, you leave yourself open to a competitor undercutting you – perhaps with a loss-leading marketing campaign – and there isn’t much else to hold back clients from trying someone else.

The boom in loyalty programs that began in the airline business and has spread to nearly every gift store, supermarket and gym shows the importance of creating a database of regular clients that you can target with promotions. However, these require some investment in marketing resources to run and maintain. Loyalty programs themselves are not the best way to hold onto your valued clients.

Instead offer your best clients better service, something that is clearly beyond their expectations for the price they are paying. If you can meet their needs 110% then your clients will feel greater loyalty towards your firm and be much less likely to consider alternative suppliers.

Better service starts with doing what you have said you are going to do. Business shouldn’t be taken casually. Every deadline you meet and target you hit reinforces the trust with your client and strengthens the relationship.

Another relationship-building tactic is to communicate regularly with your top clients. Regular contact through email newsletters, for example, tells your clients you are actively working in their interests and keeping up with the pace of change.

And don’t forget to give your clients a chance to give feedback. Showing them you can listen and respond to their opinions makes them feel valuable to you.

Even if they feel you charge a slightly higher price, the value of better service ultimately means greater efficiency and better results for the client, and that has a clear financial value.

+Some information in this article is sourced from RAN ONE © 2011 Bullseye

Categories : Customer Service Systems
Tags : Customer Loyalty

Social Media Marketing – From Mystery to Mastery : 4-Session Teleclass Series

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 05/12/2011

Are you missing the boat on Social Media?

Social Media Networking• Do you feel that you don’t fully understand how Social Media can benefit your company?
• Do you know that Social Media is an effective way to market your business but you aren’t using it well enough to get results?
• Are you constantly bombarded by companies trying to get you to pay money for Social Media services you don’t fully understand?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, read on…

If you are like most business owners, you want the confidence and knowledge to create a professional Social Media presence that reflects your company brand the way you want to be known, and the tools you need to effectively connect with your audience to get more business!

Are you the owner of a small to medium sized business who wants to get more leads and referrals through social networking?

Online relationships mirror offline relationships. If you can connect with your current contacts through social media as well as in person, you expand your ability to be top of mind with them and become connected to their networks. In other words you get your business in front of more eyes – more often.

Do you want to learn from someone you know and trust?

I’ll give you straight answers so you don’t waste your money on “experts” because you don’t know enough about social media to discern what is a good investment of social media marketing dollars and what’s a rip-off.

As a business coach, I’ve been working with small businesses for over 10 years to grow their businesses, and my clients will attest to the fact that I keep their best interests in mind. That is how I build long term relationships as a trusted advisor.

Social Media Marketing – From Mystery to Mastery

Whether you ultimately want to manage your own social media marketing in-house or decide to have someone else manage it, it is worth your time to spend 4 hours to educate yourself about how social media marketing can be implemented in your company to reflect your company brand and effectively connect with your audience to get more business.

Social Media Marketing – From Mystery to Mastery is a 4 part Webinar Series to help you to get moving with Social Media Marketing and start generating leads! This is a class series focusing on implementing Social Media Marketing for Your Company – not just learning about it.

Four Thursdays: May 26, June 2, June 9, June 16, 2011
Presenter: Linnea Blair
• Thursdays, May 26, June 2, June 9, June 16, 2011
• 5:00 PM Eastern (4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, 2:00 PM Pacific

May 26 – Social Media Marketing Overview – This first class is FREE!
Online social media is a critical piece of your marketing strategy to create brand awareness, generate new leads and gain referral business from existing clients and referral partners.
• Learn why the social media landscape makes it imperative that your company has a strong marketing presence online
• Determine your purpose for using social media so that you show up appropriately for your marketing goals
• Learn how to maximize your company presence on social media sites
• Start using effective networking and marketing techniques with social media

LinkedIn NetworkingJune 2 – Power Up Your LinkedIn Networking

Discover how to develop new referral relationships and enhance existing ones by creating an active presence on LinkedIn. Here’s what we cover:
• A Good Profile is your calling card – You will create or tune up your profile
• Who are your best Connections and how to find them – You will grow your connection list with good contacts you already know, and learn how to find more.
• Increase your visibility – You will begin taking actions to bring more attention to your profile.

June 9 – Your Business On Facebook
Facebook LikeJust being “on Facebook” is not enough. Your success requires creating a visible presence and generating interest for your audience. Here’s what we cover:
• Professional Business Page- You will create or tune up your Facebook Business Page
• Content Creation – You will begin to add interesting content to your Page and set up your Blog (if you have one) to update your page.
• Increase your visibility – You will begin taking actions to bring attention to your page, grow your audience, and keep them looking for more.

June 16 – Tweet & Connect
TwitterTwitter is so easy to use that it’s a no-brainer to have an account. Here’s what we cover:
• Set-Up with a Twitter Profile and start growing your list
Tweet your Message – learn to create interest with interesting mini messages that people notice
• Social Media Connections – Connect your social media accounts to leverage your time & expand your visibility.

There is “homework” for this class! Be prepared to spend time between classes working on your social media action steps. Classes will be recorded, so if you miss a session, you will be able to download the audio recording of the live class and listen to it later.

Register Now!

Your Investment in this 4 Class Webinar Series is just $147

But if you register by May 25th you pay only $97!

Bonus: Receive our social media mind map when you enroll

Can’t decide right now? Take the first class for free and then sign up for the other three! Of course you miss out on the bonus pricing that way, but it’s still a great value!

Testimonials for Linnea’s Classes and Workshops

“Linnea is a great speaker for a workshop. She has a thorough understanding of her subject and presents it in an easy, relaxed manner that all can understand and take back home and implement into their business.”

“I had never realized what a powerful tool Social Media could be. The class that I took last year helped me get started using Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Your suggestions helped me refine my approach to this form of marketing and also how to avoid potential land mines. I am now able to quickly and cheaply reach my existing customer base and it has helped get the word out to new customers as well.”

“Linnea has been a regular speaker for PDCA. Her knowledge of marketing and finance has benefited members of our association. In addition she has been helpful in improving our educational programming by working with us on determining better topics and solutions for members.”

“Thank you for sharing your time and expertise with our business alliance group. Your presentation was excellent and I hope it inspired everyone to put together a formal business plan.”

“I had the privilege of watching Linnea lead a group exercise in a training workshop that she developed and was very impressed with her easy manner in delivering new and potentially difficult information. It was clear to me that everyone in the room felt comfortable with her. Later, when she was away from the group, the comments made between participants confirmed my observations. A born teacher/coach.”

Register Now!

Categories : Events
Tags : Social Media

On Target Client of the Month – April 2011

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 04/27/2011

I feel very lucky to have such a great group of clients. I often tell people that all of my clients are really nice people, and it’s true. Generosity is a common trait among most of my clients, whether it is taking time to talk to a fellow business owner or sharing their time and expertise in leadership positions in their trade associations.

John makes friends where ever he goes - Here on a recent trip to India in 2011

I have been able to witness the generosity of our April Client of the Month, John Peek first hand this month, when a close family member had a critical situation involving lead paint exposure (in a home with small children!) due to another painter’s negligence. This is one of those horror stories that all painting contractors should be able to use to put fear into your potential client’s minds when they hire or consider hiring one of those unlicensed “pickup truck painters”. You might well wonder why any family member of mine would be using one of those guys for their project, but it is a rental situation where the landlord hired the painter – on the cheap. One wonders if they would have used the same lack of care in choosing a painter for their own home?

I reached out to my local client, John Peek of Peek Brothers Painting Contractors in San Diego for advice, and he has been incredibly helpful in sharing his knowledge and advice with the landlord, and with our family. At his recommendation, the landlord has hired lead inspectors and an abatement company to do the cleanup. I can only hope that the landlord will be wise enough to hire Peek Brothers Painting Contractors for any future projects. This story proves that hiring the right contractor the first time is much more cost effective in the long run, and I hope that at least one consumer has learned a valuable lesson!

One of the initiatives I am helping clients with this year is creating a customer communications plan. As part of my own Client Communication Plan for 2011, I have decided to showcase a client of the month that I especially appreciate working with or who is simply put, “On Target”.

Categories : On Target Program
Tags : Advisors On Target, Customer Service, On Target Program, painting contractors

On Target Client of the Month – February 2011

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 02/27/2011

One of the initiatives I am helping clients with this year is creating a customer communications plan. As part of my own Client Communication Plan for 2011, I have decided to showcase a client of the month that I especially appreciate working with or who is simply put, “On Target”.

On Target Executive Peer GroupHow many business owners are willing to take two days at a beautiful resort and put their energy into working ON instead of IN the business?  In January, several of my clients who belong to our Executive Peer Group program did just that.

Winter is the slow season for many businesses and I often see the tendency for business owners to scale back business activity and planning just when they can get the most value from doing some advance planning to help get their year off to a great start.

These On Target Executive Group members spent two days acting as a board of directors for each other’s companies as well as discussing Market Trends and what to look for to make sure they are on the leading edge as the economy comes back.  We also learned from guest speakers with workshops on topics as diverse as leadership and emotional intelligence, and learning ways to increase the value of your business in order to sell or otherwise transition out of it in the future.

So, kudos the business owners like these who see the value in taking time to work ON the business.  I expect that they will achieve increased growth and profitability in 2011 as a result. In recognition, I am naming the On Target Executive Group as On Target Client of the Month!

Categories : On Target Program
Tags : Advisors On Target, Business Planning, Business Strategy, On Target Program

Seven Facebook Changes You Need to Care About

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 02/23/2011

Face it, Facebook changes the way it works all the time, and doesn’t always tell us about it! If you plan on using Facebook as a place to market your business, you need to keep up to date on these changes and how they affect your business marketing and how your business shows up online.

Some of the hints and tips you will learn in this webinar you may already know about but haven’t acted upon. Others you may not be aware of yet.

In this free webinar, you will learn about recent changes to Facebook and:

• How to make a simple change to your profile to make your business page accessible
• How to educate your audience so they will see more of your content
• How to interact with your market as your company
• And more!

Date: Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Time: 5:00 PM Eastern (4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, 2:00 PM Pacific)

Register Here

Categories : Events

The Best Tool for the Job

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 02/09/2011

I have had several reminders recently about the importance of good tools. Don’t you appreciate it when you have a tool that works really well? I received a Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas and amused my family by stroking it lovingly each time I passed it for the first few days because I appreciated the aesthetics as well as the efficiency of its performance.

I recently spoke at the Painting and Decorating Contractors of California annual convention. At the trade show afterward I had occasion to speak with some of the other service providers to the painting industry. While as a business coach, I work with many painting contractors to help them grow and manage their businesses, I am relatively unschooled in the tools of the trade: brushes, rollers, sprayers etc. At the convention, I fell into conversation with one vendor who offered such tools, and I was pleased that I actually recognized one of his products called Whizz, which I only knew about it from reading one of my clients’ blog posts. As we made our acquaintance, I mentioned that one of the areas I coach my clients about is productivity of their field crews. As we continued our discussion, the vendor noted that by using good tools rather than cheaper ones, a painter can be much more efficient and take less time to complete a project with high quality results. I don’t know how many painting contractors are losing productivity (and money) on projects because they don’t require that their painters use good quality tools, but it certainly raised an interesting question.

I know that I am personally much more productive when my tools fit my task, are easy to use and sophisticated enough to give me a quality result. My tools are more likely to be software and computer hardware and peripherals, but I know the difference it makes to choose well. When evaluating whether or not to try to cut costs with a less expensive version of a particular software I use frequently, I decided it was a no-brainer to stick with a product that I am so efficient at using and is one of the best on the market. Price is not the only indicator of how perfect a tool is for the job however. I use plenty of free or low cost software that work perfectly for me in certain applications. The main thing is to be aware of what works best for you to accomplish best what you need to do.

If you are looking for the tools you need to grow and manage your business, let me know. I can help you personally or I can point you in the right direction.

If you need better brushes and rollers for your painting crews to work more efficiently, you can contact my friends at Purdy Brush, Wooster Brush and Whizz Rollers.

Categories : Productivity
Tags : Business, painting contractors, Productivity

Give Your Business a Health Checkup

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 02/04/2011

Have you taken time to review your key metrics for your business lately? Do you know how your business metrics stack up against best business practices? Do you know how the typical performance of other companies in your industry and region compares to your own margins?

Early in the year is a perfect time to get a Business Health Checkup. Usually by February you have finished all your year-end bookkeeping, reconciled all your accounts and made sure your data was accurate so you could send out your 1099s and W-2s. You also have likely created a budget or what I like to call Profit Plan for the new year and you are starting to implement it.

Doing a business health checkup now gives you good information about where your business stands presently and a view of recent performance. What you find in your health checkup report and consultation will give you knowledge, tools and recommendations to make changes that will ensure greater success in working your plan for the coming year.

Find out more about the business health checkup process.

Categories : Business Strategy
Tags : Business Health Checkup, Business Planning, Business Strategy, Finance

On Target Client of the Month – January 2011

Posted by Linnea Blair on
 01/14/2011

One of the initiatives I am helping clients with this year is creating a customer communications plan. As part of my own Client Communication Plan for 2011, I have decided to showcase a client of the month that I especially appreciate working with or who is simply put, “On Target”.

Pam Sola Cloudland PaintworksFor January 2011, I am naming a relatively new client for Client of the Month. I am always impressed by clients who implement well, but Pam Sola of Cloudland Paintworks in North Haven, CT is a star at implementation. Pam has taken on the marketing for the company owned by her husband Raymond Sola in her “spare” time. A mother of two with a full time job as well, Pam manages to create great marketing pieces in the form of client communications through newsletters and e-blasts as well as ad copy. She is instrumental in finding local venues to promote Cloudland Paintworks and has a special flair for writing. She has recently taken up blogging, and I am sure many will enjoy reading her blog posts. I know I do!

Categories : On Target Program
← Previous Page
Next Page →
Sign Up for our Monthly Newsletter

Email:

Recent Posts

  • Business Goals…what Business Goals?
  • Best Time to Make a Business Budget?
  • Budget your vacation?
  • Know Your Numbers – What does it mean to you?
  • Best Business Practice Guide

Categories

  • 6 Advisors
  • Business Operations
  • Business Planning
  • Business Strategy
  • Construction Law
  • Customer Service Systems
  • Employees
  • Employment Law
  • Events
  • Financial Management
  • Human Resources
  • Internet Marketing
  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Member Notices
  • On Target Program
  • Personal Growth
  • Productivity
  • Productivity Tips
  • QuickBooks Tips
  • Relationship Marketing
  • Social Media Marketing
  • Uncategorized
  • What's Next?

Archives

  • January 2024
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • October 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • November 2016
  • August 2016
  • November 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • November 2014
  • August 2014
  • March 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • July 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • October 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • December 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
  • August 2006
  • July 2006
  • February 2006
  • November 2005
  • October 2005
  • September 2005
  • August 2005
  • July 2005
  • June 2005

Tags

6 Advisors 90 Day Goals Accounts Receivables Action Plan ADA Advisors On Target Appreciation Bartering Best Business Practices Blog Blogging Borrowing Brand Budget Busget Business Business Finance Business Health Checkup Business Law Business Mistakes Business Operations Business Plan Business Planning Business Strategy Business Valuation Cash Flow Cash Management Charitable Christopher Olmsted Client Deposits Client Retainers Closing Ratio Coaching Cold Calling Cold Calls Collections Communication Company Culture Computers Computer Virus Construction Law Conversion Customer Communications Customer Loyalty Customer Service Delegating Easy Marketing Economy EEOC Email Marketing Email Newsletter Employee Development Employee Expenses Employee Fraud Employee Morale Employee Retention Employees Employment Employment Law Entrepreneur Exit Strategy Finance Financial Management Financial Statements Focus Forecasting Goals Hiring Human Resources Internal Fraud Internet Explorer Internet Marketing Invoices iPad IT Key Performance Indicators KPIs Lawsuit Leadership Leads Litigation Marketing Marketing Strategy Mechanic's Lien Mobile Monitoring Networking Niche Market Non-profit Online Marketing Online Strategy On Target Program Owner Compensation painting contractors Payroll Processing Payroll Service People Development Personal Growth Personnel Management Politics Pomodoro Positive Thinking Productivity Productivity Tips Profit Profit & Loss Profit Plan Project Management Pro Painting Net Quarterly Plan QuickBooks Tips Relationship Marketing Relationships Marketing Retention Retirement Sales Sales Pipeline Sales Receipts search engine marketing Selling Sellling SEO Sexual Harassment Training Small Business Small Business Coaching Small Business Consulting Social Media Strategic Planning SWOT Analysis Team Team Training Teamwork Technology Time Management Trading Services Twitter Webinar Website WordPress
NetworkedBlogs
Blog:
Advisors On Target Business Success Blog
Topics:
business strategy, marketing, internet marketing
 
Follow my blog

Copyright © 2003-2019
Advisors On Target LLC   |   3940 Hortensia Street, #201   |   San Diego, CA 92110  |  619-291-3700

Contact Us
Privacy Policy