The Essentials Group in Croydon Hills, Victoria | Advertising agency

The Essentials Group

Locality: Croydon Hills, Victoria

Phone: +61 3 8682 9523

Address: PO Box 4108 3136 Croydon Hills, VIC, Australia

Website: http://www.theessentialsgroup.com.au

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25.01.2022 Direct-response ads can be integrated effectively into the marketing efforts of nearly any business, and can take the form of mail order, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and telemarketing. Each of the components of a direct-response ad can be measured and tested separately so you can determine which combination of headline, opening statement, body copy, offer, guarantee, etc. works best. Here are three simple, but not conclusive guidelines that can help you get the most from... your direct-response ads: Create an attention-getting, emotional-based, benefit-oriented headline. Start small and test each component separately. Only increase the size of the ad gradually as you determine which combinations work the best. Offer a free gift for responding. Make sure the offer has a highly perceived value to the reader, listener or viewer. Consider things such as special reports, free tapes, booklets, introductory seminars or initial consultations. Remember that the only reason you ever run an ad any type of ad, is to evoke an immediate and qualified response from your customers or prospects. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

24.01.2022 Build a database of current, past and prospective customers and keep in touch on a regular basis. Who are your current customers? Do you know? How do you know? ... Do you have a record that shows who they are, what products or services they regularly purchase, what their last purchase was, when it was, and how often they make purchases from you? How do you know that the person you consider to be a current customer isnt, in fact, a past customer? When was the last time he or she bought from you? Have they sent any referrals to you lately? If so, who? If not, why not? Have they taken their business down the street to a competitor? If so, to whom? And why? What about your prospective customers? Do you know who they are? Have you developed an Ideal Customer Profile that accurately describes who your best customers are so youll know whom to target with your marketing efforts? Do you have a list of them? Do you know how to reach them? Are you reaching them on a regular basis? The answers to these questions can give you valuable information that can blast your business to heights never dreamt of. By knowing exactly whom you have dealt with in the past, who you currently deal with, and who you would like to deal with in the future can dramatically change your business, your profits and your bottom line. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips #Sales #Marketing

24.01.2022 A few years ago, a friend of mine had dinner with Earl Nightingale and his wife Dianna. My friend, who has two teenage daughters, asked Earl what kind of advice he would give the young women to help them select their lifes work. Without hesitation, Earl asked the first girl what she would do if she woke up on Monday morning, it was raining, and she had enough money in the bank that she didnt have to go into work. My friends daughter laughed and said, Well, Id probably go... shopping.Without cracking a smile, Earl looked at her and said, Have you ever considered becoming a buyer for a large department store? With that kind of job you could go shopping all day every day and get paid for it!Earl then asked the next girl what she would do. She replied that she would most likely go horse riding. Earl then pointed out that where they lived, there are a number of Arabian horse farms, and perhaps she might enjoy work as a trainer. Then she could do all the horseback riding she wanted. It is surprising to note the incredible number of people who have difficulty in determining what they want to do to occupy the time they have to spend on this earth. Its true that there are so many interesting and challenging things a person can spend their time doing. But for the most part, it is simply a lack of focus an inability or an unwillingness to look at one particular thing, then focus all your efforts on finding ways to do it better than anyone else. With a clear focus any normal person can accomplish more and out-achieve even the brightest and most intelligent person who has a limited vision or an ill-defined path to run on. Indeed, focus is the essence of success. See more

24.01.2022 Any promotion worth putting your time, money and effort behind, is worth measuring how well it performs. Only by knowing what kinds of results a certain marketing effort produces, can you determine whether or not to run it again, or what you may need to do to change or tweak it in order to make it more effective. Its absolutely amazing how many business owners dont understand this simple concept. Theyll let the Yellow Pages advertising salesperson sell them an ad in their ...local phone book, let the phone company ad department layout the ad, then let the ad run with no way of knowing whether or not a prospect called or a customer was obtained as a result of that ad. The ad has no accountability or measurability. So, next year, the same ad gets run, the same results are had, and the business owner continues to complain about how poor business is. And the same thing happens with his or her newspaper ads, magazine ads, direct mail campaigns, Val-Pak marketing and every other type of marketing they do. As an astute business person, you should never even consider running an ad or executing a mailing campaign or promotion without having some type of response mechanism to measure the results. You wouldnt think of ordering and paying for a product any kind of product, and then not checking to see if you received it. Yet, many business owners will run ads in their newspaper, magazines, Money Mailer, or Val-Pak, or send out a mailing and never even bother to see what kind of results the ad produced. I know its crazy. But it happens every day. And millions of dollars are wasted because of it. Some people even go so far as to say, Well, my advertising isnt to bring in customers right away. Its purpose is to keep our name in front of our prospects and create top-of-mind-awareness so when theyre ready, theyll remember me. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips #sales #marketing #Australia

24.01.2022 Get more customers. Build your customer base. Just get more prospects to buy from you and become your customers. This is the lifeblood of your business. You see, when more people buy from you, you take in more dollars, and so you make more money. And the more people you add to your customer base the larger it becomes, and the more people you have to go back to for additional and repeat sales. Now, its in this one single area where most business owners (including your competi...tion, and probably, you, too, if youre honest), spend most of their time, effort and money. If youve been in business for any length of time, you probably realise that getting new customers is not always the easiest or most profitable thing you can do. The reality is, most businesses only employ one or two main methods of attracting new prospects. For example, prior to enactment of the Do Not Call law many insurance agents were heavy into the use telephone soliciting. And many of those calls seemed to come when unsuspecting prospects were just sitting down for dinner. Chiropractors, car dealers and lawyers are known to advertise heavily on television especially during the afternoon and late night hours to attract new customers. Now, what about you? Think about your business for a minute. Chances are, that you and your business, like every other business, also utilises one main method of attracting new prospects. And, most likely, the method you use, is the same method that nearly every other business in your industry or profession uses. If you would like to know more about new and effective methods to improve and grow your business to new heights, contact The Essentials Group for a free consultation. See more

23.01.2022 Remember what I said earlier you wont be able to download or delegate everything at once. It may take some time to find the right persons to share your load. The best people are those who enjoy and have a desire to do the kind of work you want to delegate to them. Some people are numbers oriented, and really enjoy working with figures, formulas, and facts. Others absolutely despise those tasks, and no matter how hard they try, how much you train, and how well you compens...ate or reward them, theyll never be able to make a go of it. So, dont be discouraged in the beginning, if it takes a while to get to the point where youre spending most of your time doing the higher payoff activities. If you keep at it, eventually, youll find yourself spending most of your time and effort doing the things that bring the greatest rewards both financially, and personally. And, youll be surprised at the improvement in attitudes and responsibility others around you assume, as you give them more of your trust. If your business is one in which you engage your prospects and customers in face to face selling, and you find that by delegating less important tasks that you have more time to spend in those selling situations, youll delight as your income takes quantum leaps. If your business is engaged in other kinds of operations, you be amazed at the increase in productivity youll realise because youre able to spend more time and effort doing the things that bring an increase in efficiency and effectiveness of the operation of your business. As the owner or manager of a small or medium sized business, you have a tremendous advantage. Just by making a few changes in the way you conduct your business, you can turn your business around and double, triple, or even quadruple your effectiveness and your profits. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

22.01.2022 Increase The Number of Customers Get More Leads That is find ways to get in front of more prospects to tell your sales story to. There are a number of lead generation devices that can do this very effectively.... Increase Your Conversion Ratio This is the converting of interested prospects into paying customers. You develop your sales skills, your word tracks and your scripts. Reduce Customer Defections That is, close the back door dont let existing customers slip away to do business with the competition. Increase The Number Of Referrals Getting new customers through referrals is one of the most cost effective methods there is for growing a business. Referrals from good customers are much easier to sell to because theyre already somewhat pre-sold. Establish Referral Reward Programs. Make it worthwhile for your customers who take the time and make the effort to tell others about the benefits of doing business with you can do a lot to bolster the number of referrals you get. Establish Joint Venture Arrangements Work together in mutually beneficial arrangements with your centers of influence. Find people or companies who have already spent considerable time, effort and money establishing and building relationships with customers who are of the same buying profile as the customers you are targeting. Then work out reciprocal arrangements with those business to refer, endorse or suggest that their customers consider certain products or services offered by your company. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

21.01.2022 Differentiating Factor To be competitive in the marketplace today, you must differentiate yourself and your business from any and all other options your prospects and customers have to choose from. In effect, youve got to stand out not only as the most logical choice for your customers to buy from, but the only choice they have. That differentiating factor has to be as clear and compelling as FedExs, When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight was for them. ...There was no question in the minds of the buying public that when something was so important or urgent that it had to be delivered the next day, that the only one who could get it there was FedEx. Not, not the Post Office, not anyone. Coming up with your own unique differentiating factor that one thing that no one else can offer, or that preempts anyone else who markets the same products or services as you, is critical. And when you can articulate it in such a way as to capture a unique position in the minds of your prospects and customers, you will gain a very competitive edge, and your competition wont stand a chance. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

21.01.2022 How you prioritise and choose the activities you get involved with on a daily basis, as well as how much time, effort and attention you devote to those activities has a tremendous amount to do with determining the impact you have on the growth and direction of your business. The reality is that when you work in your business, youre doing the activities that, at best, produce only average results for you. On the other hand, when you work on your business, youre doing the 2...0% of activities that have the potential to produce an incredible 80% or more of your results. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

20.01.2022 Make all of your advertising efforts Direct-Response. Nearly every advertisement or promotion you see today is whats known as institutional or image advertising. That is, the ads promote the image of a particular product, service or business.... Now, heres a hard and cold fact: People, your customers couldnt care less about you or your image, your company or its image, your sales quotas, or whether or not youll be in business this time next month. Not, at least, until you show them how your product or service can benefit them. Image advertising may be okay for very large organisations that just want to create or maintain name recognition in the marketplace, but if you own a small or mid-size business, you most likely cant afford that luxury. You have to make every dollar you spend on promotions count. The best way to do that is with direct-response advertising. This kind of advertising focuses on the customer or prospect, and shows them how to solve their problems with your products or services. Direct-response advertising is designed to get your customers or prospects to become emotionally involved and to take a certain action such as, call for more information, send in a response card or make a direct purchase. With standard, institutional ads, you have no way of knowing how effective your ads are because you have no way of measuring how many people respond to them. So, you have no way of calculating the actual cost of the ad. Thats not good. On the other hand, because direct-response ads require a person to take a specific action, they have an automatic built-in method of measurement, and you can measure whether or not it is profitable to run that ad again, or if it needs to be changed to be more effective. Direct-response ads can be integrated effectively into the marketing efforts of nearly any business, and can take the form of mail order, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and telemarketing. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

19.01.2022 As a business owner, manager, or entrepreneur, you’re familiar with the importance of properly managing the assets of your company, and you probably do a pretty good job with those that are under your direct supervision. You’ve no doubt set up systems or controls to make sure those assets are protected, managed, and handled properly so you get the most benefit and return from their use. But, if you’re like most others in your position, if you’re not managing the most importan...t of those assets your time with as much precision, care, and control as you could be. You’re no different than any other person in business, or in life, for that matter. You have the same 24 hours; 1,440 minutes; or 86,400 seconds in your day that everyone else has. There’s nothing you can do to get any more time. You can’t buy any more, you can’t trade anything to get more of it, you can’t borrow it, save it, or change it. In fact, contrary to what most time management experts will tell you, you can’t even manage your time. The only thing you can do with time, is let it run. That’s it. You have no control over it, whatsoever. What you can do, however, is manage the activities you perform during any given portion of time. In other words, it’s not the management of time that makes the difference, it’s how you manage the activities you perform during the time you have that counts. So, rather than trying to save time, you would be much farther ahead focusing on ways to better do the activities and tasks you need to do that can help move you (in your personal life), and your business closer to your goals. To put it another way, time management is no more than effective activity management. If you can learn to manage your activities effectively and efficiently, you’ll find that you can accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible. And, as a result, your life and the satisfaction you derive from it will take on a whole new meaning. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

18.01.2022 Motivation and Goals What I found was, that most people have the concept of success and motivation mixed up. Motivational speakers run around the country putting on seminars and selling their books and tapes telling people that if they get motivated, they can become successful. Well, to a certain extent, what they say is true. You do need to be motivated in order to be successful.... The fact is, however, that everybody is motivated to one extent or another. Youre either motivated to do something, or youre motivated to do nothing. To do a little, or to do a lot. To study enough to pass a test, or not. To work hard and long enough, or smart enough to make a project, job or relationship succeed, or not. Or to select a career or vocation that will enable you to live comfortably and enjoy life, or choose one that will just allow you to get by. Its up to each of us to make our own choices. But regardless of which choices we make, we are motivated enough to make the specific choices we make at the time we make them, and we must live with the consequences or results that follow those decisions. #TheEssentialsGroup #FoodBusinessConsultingServices #BusinessTips #Australia

17.01.2022 If you really want your business to be successful, youve got to make getting and keeping customers your number one priority. You can probably name quite a few businesses that are no longer around because they didnt have enough people buying from them, coming back for more and referring others to them. And thats where Marketing comes in. Letting others know about what you have in such a way that they are compelled... nearly forced to find out more. And then, ultimately, t...o buy the products and services you offer from you, and not your competitors. Most businesses... no, not most every business makes mistakes with their marketing efforts. Some mistakes are worse than others. Some can even be deadly, and if done often enough, or severely enough, can put the very business out of business. But so much for other businesses. What about you and your business enterprise? How are you doing? Which mistakes are you making that could be holding you back from making the income, and enjoying the lifestyle youve always dreamed about? Take a look at these 20 Critical Mistakes Most Businesses Make. And, as you read through them, think about your business, and see how youre doing in each of the areas. Remember, Marketing, or the ability to get your message to others about the goods and services you offer, in such a manner that it compels them nearly forces them to do business with you, is one of the most fundamental, yet misunderstood areas in business today. Properly utilised, effective marketing can skyrocket a business to new and undreamed of heights. If you can get control of your business and avoid making these costly mistakes, you can expect astounding results! But if you fall short on any of them, and your competition masters them watch out! Theyll leave you in the dust. And you cant afford that! #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips #sales #marketing

17.01.2022 A Call for Australian Food Business Owners Working with some of Australias most successful companies, as well as hundreds of small and medium size businesses, the business development consultants of The Essentials Group have been able to uncover tremendous profit centers that have been lying dormant, just waiting to be tapped ready to unleash a flood of new found profits that go directly to the business bottom line. If youre serious about growing your business, virtually... eliminating your competition, and dominating your market, we need to talk. The ideas, strategies and systems we can create for you and install in your business have been proven time and time again in countless businesses, a variety of industries and in nearly every profession. And we are confident we can work the same magic for you and your business. The future of your business is directly in your hands. Well be happy to discuss how, together, we can create a powerful marketing strategy that will position your business to become not only the obvious choice, but in reality, the only choice for your prospects and customers and your competition wont stand a chance. So dont delay. Pick up the phone now and give us a call before your competition does. We guarantee you wont regret it. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

12.01.2022 Image Advertising Versus Direct Response Advertising There are two types of advertising design strategies, image advertising and direct response advertising. Image advertising is meant to remind consumers of your brand and the products and services you offer. If youve seen Nike or Pepsi commercials, youve seen image advertisements. Some 95% of all advertising you see on television and in print is image advertising. Direct response advertising, on the other hand, is... meant to evoke an immediate response and compel your prospects to take some specific action, such as picking up the phone and calling for more information, or to place an order. Most infomercials are good examples of direct response advertisements. One of the biggest mistakes business owners, managers or salespeople make is running image ads on television, on the radio, in print or in their direct mail campaigns. Theres no question, image ads are effective at building brand awareness. The problem is, it takes time time most small business owners or operators dont have. To effectively create any type of brand recognition, your target market must see your ad 12 to 15 times or more. And when you consider that everyone in your target market doesnt see your ad every time it runs, in order to make those 12 to 15 impressions, youll have to run your ad a lot more times than that perhaps as many as 100, 150, or even 300 times. Most business owners and salespeople arent big enough to afford that kind of advertising budget. Its just not feasible. Besides, as a small business person you need to have a quick response to your ads so that you can immediately see whats working, as well as receive a speedy return on your investment.

12.01.2022 Competition in business today is so keen, products and services are so similar, and prices are so cutthroat, that its difficult, in fact nearly impossible in almost any industry, business or profession, to maintain for any predictable length of time, a competitive advantage because of the products or services a business offers, or the prices they charge. The simple truth is, that if you cant give your prospects and customers clear and compelling reasons to do business with ...you, you can never expect for your business to be any better than any of your competition. And youll just be another me-too business at least in the eyes of your customers. And since theyre the ones with the money, thats the only place that matters. To be competitive in the marketplace today, you must differentiate yourself and your business from any and all other options your prospects and customers have to choose from. In effect, youve got to stand out not only as the most logical choice for your customers to buy from, but the only choice they have. That differentiating factor has to be as clear and compelling as FedExs, When it absolutely, positively has to get there overnight was for them. There was no question in the minds of the buying public that when something was so important or urgent that it had to be delivered the next day, that the only one who could get it there was FedEx. Not, not the Post Office, not anyone. Coming up with your own unique differentiating factor that one thing that no one else can offer, or that preempts anyone else who markets the same products or services as you, is critical. And when you can articulate it in such a way as to capture a unique position in the minds of your prospects and customers, you will gain a very competitive edge, and your competition wont stand a chance. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips #Sales #Marketing

12.01.2022 A New Paradigm... A New Outlook... A New Way Of Seeing Your Role In Your Business Whatever the reason, youve got to put that behind you, now. Youve got to change the way you look at yourself, your business, and the role you play in it. You can no longer think of yourself as a chiropractor, an insurance agent, a plumber, a carpenter, or doctor. Being a carpet cleaner, a real estate agent, an attorney, a restaurant owner, or retailer is no longer enough. Whatever business you... are engaged in, and no matter what your primary duties are in it, you must begin to see yourself as a business manager and business builder. Sure, if youre a doctor or dentist, youre most likely the one who provides the health or dental care. And, its the same with any of the other businesses or professions. But, if you want your business to grow and to provide you with the income its capable of, youve got to begin looking at things differently. You have to begin delegating and off loading some of the busy work or lower payoff activities to others. And, that means you must have people working with you either a staff in your employ, or companies or independent contractors you can outsource to. If you think you cant afford it, I urge you to think again. Just go back to the previous tables and plug in your own activities, assign dollar amounts to them, and see how much money youre missing out on. After youve done this exercise, Im sure youll be convinced that theres no way you can afford to not be without someone in your employ or at your hire to delegate to. Once youve discovered that you can double, triple even quadruple your income without having to work a minute harder or longer, youll be hooked, and youll never turn back. Its that powerful. Remember, the more low payoff activities you can delegate to others, the more successful youll become. This is undoubtedly one of the most common sense, but least practiced secrets of success... #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

11.01.2022 It Takes More Than Low Prices For A Business To Remain Competitive In Todays Market No longer is it possible for a business to maintain a competitive advantage for an extended period of time because of the products or services they offer or the prices they charge.... The availability and affordability for many businesses to take advantage of cutting-edge technology, low-priced, skilled labour, and more efficient delivery or distribution systems make it possible for an increasing number of businesses to enter and compete in the marketplace. This wasnt the case just a few years ago. Even if a business can offer a unique product or service, or perhaps even a lower price on similar products or services that are currently being offered, it wont be long until the competition finds a way to duplicate, or at least pretty closely match that businesss performance. And that puts an end to the competitive advantage the original business held. So if a business cant depend on its products, services or prices for their competitive advantage, if they expect to survive, let alone thrive, that business is going to have to perform exceptionally in a number of critical areas.

11.01.2022 Be sure you always give more service than the customer perceives they should be getting from their transaction with you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself that will help you determine how well youre doing: Do I offer the best quality product or service I possibly can?... What can I do to improve it? What is the best benefit to my customers that each of my products or services have to offer? How can I better convey that to my customers? What can I offer my customer above and beyond the product or service they purchased? Do my customers trust the advice and suggestions they get from my staff, and do they feel comfortable dealing with us? Why should they do business with my establishment instead of any and all options they have, including doing nothing? Would I purchase this product or service if I were in the market for it? Would I purchase it from my company if I didnt own, or work for the company? Would I feel comfortable referring my friends, relatives and associates to this company? The answers to these questions can help you determine where you need to make changes that will benefit both you and your customers, and add substantially to your bottom line. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

10.01.2022 Use the testimonials of other satisfied customers to help pre-sell your prospects. Testimonials are one of the most powerful tools any business owner can use, but also one of the most under-utilised. Testimonials are not limited to any one type of advertising or promotional media. Television ads, radio announcements, newspaper layouts and infomercials all make use of testimonials.... Often, celebrities are used to promote certain products, especially when national or large-scale exposure is involved, but thats not always necessary. Your own clients are some of the best sources of endorsement you could possibly want. Especially if they are known to those you are marketing to, or if they have something else in common perhaps they live in the same town, have similar businesses, belong to the same organisation or association, etc. There are really only three reasons people dont buy from you. 1. They have no use for your product or service. 2. They cant afford your product or service. 3. You havent developed the level of trust, credibility, and believability they need in you to do business with you. Theres not much you can do if a prospect cant use or pay for your services. But there is a lot you can do to help wipe away the underlying layers of skepticism they bring to the relationship and establish the trust level they need to say Okay to your offer. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips #Sales #Marketing

08.01.2022 No longer is it possible for a business to maintain a competitive advantage for an extended period of time because of the products or services they offer or the prices they charge. The availability and affordability for many businesses to take advantage of cutting-edge technology, low-priced, skilled labour, and more efficient delivery or distribution systems make it possible for an increasing number of businesses to enter and compete in the marketplace. This wasnt the case ...just a few years ago. Even if a business can offer a unique product or service, or perhaps even a lower price on similar products or services that are currently being offered, it wont be long until the competition finds a way to duplicate, or at least pretty closely match that businesss performance. And that puts an end to the competitive advantage the original business held. So if a business cant depend on its products, services or prices for their competitive advantage, if they expect to survive, let alone thrive, that business is going to have to perform exceptionally in a number of critical areas.

08.01.2022 Why should I do business with you, instead of any and all other options I have? This is a question that goes through each of your prospects minds before they choose to do business with you, and through each of your customers minds before they return to buy from you again. And, its a question you must take the time to formulate an answer to. Without such an answer, you become like every other business who sells the same products or services as you.... It doesnt matter what product or service is being offered, your customers can go nearly anywhere and find the exact same (or very similar) products or services offered for the same price, or perhaps for even less money than what you charge. Think about yourself, for a minute. Why do you do shop at the same stores or eat at the same restaurants over and over again? Most likely, its because they offer you something you cant get from their competitors. Maybe theyre closer to where you live or work. Or maybe you like the way a particular restaurant prepares a certain meal. Perhaps its the environment or the people who work there. Or maybe you just feel comfortable almost like youre at home while youre in their place of business. It may not be one single thing that influences you, but rather a combination of several factors. Nevertheless, the businesses you continue to frequent give you something special. Something unique. Something you just cant get anywhere else. Its that uniqueness that keeps you coming back over and over again. If you expect people to do business with you rather than your competition, its imperative that you have something to offer that your competition doesnt have. Preferably something your competition cant offer. Something that sets you and the products or services you offer apart from everyone else in your type of business. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips #Australia #sales #marketing

07.01.2022 All Businesses May Not Operate In The Same Way, But Basic Business Principles Apply To All Businesses Look, it doesnt matter what type of business you operate, the principles are the same. Sure, you may not have a person who does your prospecting or appointment setting for you. But you do have activities that rank higher as well as activities that rank lower on the priority scale. The activities listed in the previous tables were merely used as illustrations. Its up to you ...to determine just what activities you are spending your time on, then place a dollar value on them, and rate them according to their importance. You are the one who has to determine exactly which activities and tasks are the most profitable for you to undertake each day. The idea is to try and delegate as many of the lower payoff activities and tasks to lower paid employees, associates, or outsourcing vendors as possible, so you can free up your valuable time to spend on those activities that will give you the most return for your investment of time, money, and effort. Like I said earlier, if you find yourself spending 80% of your time doing the activities that bring you 20% of the results, it may not necessarily be your fault. It could be that you were never taught how to prioritise your tasks and proportion your efforts. Or, it may be that your business just grew so fast, or that because of market conditions or other circumstances your business is so slow, that out of necessity, youve found yourself wearing all kinds of different hats. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

06.01.2022 Whatever the reason, youve got to put that behind you, now. Youve got to change the way you look at yourself, your business, and the role you play in it. You can no longer think of yourself as a chiropractor, an insurance agent, a plumber, a carpenter, or doctor. Being a carpet cleaner, a real estate agent, an attorney, a restaurant owner, or retailer is no longer enough. Whatever business you are engaged in, and no matter what your primary duties are in it, you must begin ...to see yourself as a business manager and business builder. Sure, if youre a doctor or dentist, youre most likely the one who provides the health or dental care. And, its the same with any of the other businesses or professions. But, if you want your business to grow and to provide you with the income its capable of, youve got to begin looking at things differently. You have to begin delegating and off loading some of the busy work or lower payoff activities to others. And, that means you must have people working with you either a staff in your employ, or companies or independent contractors you can outsource to. If you think you cant afford it, I urge you to think again. Just go back to the previous tables and plug in your own activities, assign dollar amounts to them, and see how much money youre missing out on. After youve done this exercise, Im sure youll be convinced that theres no way you can afford to not be without someone in your employ or at your hire to delegate to. Once youve discovered that you can double, triple even quadruple your income without having to work a minute harder or longer, youll be hooked, and youll never turn back. Its that powerful. Remember, the more low payoff activities you can delegate to others, the more successful youll become. This is undoubtedly one of the most common sense, but least practiced secrets of success... #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

06.01.2022 It really doesn’t matter how good the products or services you sell are, or how low your prices are. The image and reputation of you’re your suppliers or manufacturers don’t really amount to much when you get right down to it, either. And location? That really doesn’t matter that much, either. You don’t have to be located in a highly visible, high traffic area to be successful. What really matters what really counts what really makes the difference, is how you market your... business. That’s it. How you let others know the benefits and advantages they’ll gain from doing business with you, as well as what they’ll lose if they don’t do business with you. The plain and simple fact is, MARKETING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY in your business, by far. Everything else in your business can be the greatest. You can have great products, the lowest prices, a wonderful reputation, good name recognition, the best customer service but if you don’t have anyone to sell to, what good are these things? On the other hand, even if you don’t rate number one in all those categories, if you have a steady stream of qualified prospects seeking you out, wanting to know more about how you operate, and nearly standing in line to do business with you, it’s nearly impossible for you to fail. Wanting only the best for your business? Be the best marketer and contact us now for a free consultation!

05.01.2022 Tight Competition Heres a simple test you can perform: Ask any business owner, any manager, any entrepreneur or any professional why their prospects or customers should buy from them, and youll most likely hear something like, Because we offer the highest quality products, the best service, the fastest delivery and the lowest prices around. But really, what do you learn from that kind of statement? That kind of answer does absolutely nothing to compel you to want to know ...more, or to nearly force you to get out of your chair, pick up the phone and call, or to get in your car and drive to the place of business, or to fill out and mail in a response card. In fact, just the opposite. Youve heard this kind of ho-hum statement so many times before by countless other businesses, that you no longer pay any attention to such statements. Competition in business today is so keen, products and services are so similar, and prices are so cutthroat, that its difficult, in fact nearly impossible in almost any industry, business or profession, to maintain for any predictable length of time, a competitive advantage because of the products or services a business offers, or the prices they charge. The simple truth is, that if you cant give your prospects and customers clear and compelling reasons to do business with you, you can never expect for your business to be any better than any of your competition. And youll just be another me-too business at least in the eyes of your customers. And since theyre the ones with the money, thats the only place that matters. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

05.01.2022 It really doesnt matter how good the products or services you sell are, or how low your prices are. The image and reputation of youre your suppliers or manufacturers dont really amount to much when you get right down to it, either. And location? That really doesnt matter that much, either. You dont have to be located in a highly visible, high traffic area to be successful. What really matters what really counts what really makes the difference, is how you market your... business. Thats it. How you let others know the benefits and advantages theyll gain from doing business with you, as well as what theyll lose if they dont do business with you. The plain and simple fact is, MARKETING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY in your business, by far. Everything else in your business can be the greatest. You can have great products, the lowest prices, a wonderful reputation, good name recognition, the best customer service but if you dont have anyone to sell to, what good are these things? On the other hand, even if you dont rate number one in all those categories, if you have a steady stream of qualified prospects seeking you out, wanting to know more about how you operate, and nearly standing in line to do business with you, its nearly impossible for you to fail. Wanting only the best for your business? Be the best marketer and contact us now for a free consultation!

04.01.2022 Contrary to popular belief and much misconception, designing, creating, building, and growing a successful and profitable enterprise that commands a dominating position in the marketplace doesnt automatically require hard work, frustration, and enormous costs. You and I both know that this year, in this country, in the greatest and most prosperous times the world has ever known, a huge number of businesses, even large and well-established businesses, will close their doors, ...never to do business, or provide their products or services to their customers again. Some analysts say that the major reason for business failure is under-funding a lack of capital. Others say its because of poor business management practices. And theres another school that teaches that some businesses are started by the wrong people that certain people lack entrepreneurial skills, and would be better off working in their respective businesses as technicians or employees, rather than trying to run the business. But when you get right down to it, for a business to even be a business, in the first place, that business has to have customers someone to exchange their dollars for the products and services the business sells. You can have all the funding in the world, you can have great management skills, and you can even have a tremendous entrepreneurial mindset, but unless and until you have someone to purchase your products and services in sufficient numbers, youll never have much of a successful business enterprise. And youll only generate an average income, at best. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

04.01.2022 The market will tell you if your product is right or wrong for them and whether or not your prices are too high. And, theyll tell you exactly what you need to do to make it saleable to them. Not only that, as a bonus, theyll tell you exactly how much to charge for it. How do they do that, you ask?... Its simple: When you run an ad or promotion, if a lot of people respond or take you up on your offer, it obviously worked. If the response was too great, it may mean that your offer was too good, or your prices too low. On the other hand, if you get no or very few responses, then something is wrong. 1. Either youre marketing to the wrong target. 2. The message youre sending them is not clear. 3. The offer you have made them isnt attractive enough for them to justify parting with their money. (Your prices are too high.) But, if you just conceptualise the ad, design it, lay it out, and spend months on end analysing it, you wont learn a thing, except that your procrastination cost you a lot of unnecessary time and missed income. Better to get the ad out in the marketplace and find out if it works or if it needs improvement. No need to second-guess. Let your market evaluate it for you and tell you what corrections you need to make. But do it carefully by testing as we discussed earlier. Once you find that it works, take massive action. Roll your ad or mailing campaign out and let it bring you the profits youve worked so hard to earn. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

04.01.2022 Are the Australian Consumers being SHORT CHANGED? Australian Food Manufactures are missing out on Millions of dollars in lost revenue through not meeting the wants and needs of the Australian consumer. Too many Australian Food businesses believe they are supplying products that meet consumer requirements, although they spend no time or money in researching consumers wants and needs.... Walk along a supermarket isle and you will see 60% without a clear call out to the consumer they are seeking to purchase there products. Find out what the consumer desires, meet these needs and raving fans and additional revenue and profits will follow. Australian Food Manufacturers lead your business by Consumer focus and the rewards will follow. Dont let potentially Millions of dollars slip through your fingers through lack of quality consumer research. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips #Sales #Marketing

04.01.2022 Achieving Maximum Performance And Results Requires The Careful Allocation Of Your Time And Resources Working in the first four areas leads to wasted time and increased frustration, and moves you further away from your goals. Spending time in the Excellent or Expert areas will move you closer to your objectives and give you satisfaction from knowing that you are doing a good job, but it is the Unique state that will produce the greatest rewards and satisfaction from your... efforts. One of the keys to massive success is to identify the tasks you are not competent at, or that you dont enjoy doing. Then spend as little time as possible doing those things. Surround yourself with other people who are Expert or Unique in dealing with those tasks, and delegate the responsibilities to them. For every task you dont enjoy doing, there is another person who absolutely loves doing that thing. This will free you up to spend more time, effort and energy doing the things that only you can do, and will begin to move you more quickly toward your goals. #TheEssentialsGroup #FoodBusinessConsultingServices #BusinessTips #Australia

03.01.2022 An action plan for success: Determine what their buying habits are. See where they live or work. Look at what types of products or services they buy. ... What their repeat purchase patterns are. What types of ads they respond to. Look at all the information that may be pertinent to your business. Does their age, family characteristics, type of home they live in or cars they drive have anything to do with how or what they buy from you? And how about the kind of work they do, or the profession they work in? Once youve carefully analysed your existing customers and categorised them into like groups according to buying patterns, habits or interests, then look in your marketplace for other, similar groups of people or businesses. The sources for locating these groups are numerous, and can range from compiled lists to directories to list brokers, and a number of other resources. Now that youve identified who your best prospects are, use the same steps outlined above for following up with your existing customers, to contact them. Follow up. Stay with it. Dont let this slip. And always be testing different offers, different guarantees, and different headlines. Be on the lookout for anything that increases your response rate. And be open to using and testing different methods of contacting them. This group of contacts has the potential of driving your business right through the roof, if you approach them properly. Your clients your customers current and existing past and potential are the greatest assets you have in your business. Youve got to treat them with love and respect. Youve got to let them know that you care about them both as customers and as people. And youve got to constantly keep in touch with them, always offering them a better deal,, a better value, increased ways to further enhance the advantage, benefit, use or enjoyment they get from using your products and services, and from doing business with you.

03.01.2022 As a business owner, manager, or entrepreneur, youre familiar with the importance of properly managing the assets of your company, and you probably do a pretty good job with those that are under your direct supervision. Youve no doubt set up systems or controls to make sure those assets are protected, managed, and handled properly so you get the most benefit and return from their use. But, if youre like most others in your position, if youre not managing the most importan...t of those assets your time with as much precision, care, and control as you could be. Youre no different than any other person in business, or in life, for that matter. You have the same 24 hours; 1,440 minutes; or 86,400 seconds in your day that everyone else has. Theres nothing you can do to get any more time. You cant buy any more, you cant trade anything to get more of it, you cant borrow it, save it, or change it. In fact, contrary to what most time management experts will tell you, you cant even manage your time. The only thing you can do with time, is let it run. Thats it. You have no control over it, whatsoever. What you can do, however, is manage the activities you perform during any given portion of time. In other words, its not the management of time that makes the difference, its how you manage the activities you perform during the time you have that counts. So, rather than trying to save time, you would be much farther ahead focusing on ways to better do the activities and tasks you need to do that can help move you (in your personal life), and your business closer to your goals. To put it another way, time management is no more than effective activity management. If you can learn to manage your activities effectively and efficiently, youll find that you can accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible. And, as a result, your life and the satisfaction you derive from it will take on a whole new meaning. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

02.01.2022 Targeting your marketing efforts to the right people can make or break your entire advertising or marketing campaign. And if youre a small business, you cant afford to have that happen too many times. Itll drive you right out of business! Keeping in touch with your customerspast, current and prospective, is one of the best marketing tools you can employ. It doesnt have to be hard-sell. It can be as simple as any of the following examples: Send birthday cards to your ...clients. Send postcards on the anniversary date of their first purchase with you. Send a questionnaire asking for their evaluation of the product or service they purchased, or feedback on how it could be made better. Send an informational newsletter on a regular basis. Involve your customers in a contest or promotion perhaps a referral generating promotion. Sponsor client lunches with guest speakers that address subjects of interest to your clients. Have them bring a friend. Send announcements of preferred customer sales or events by special invitation. Include an invitation for someone who is not one of your current customers. Make your current customers feel special Make your past customers feel missed And make your prospective customers feel wanted Use your internal database to keep in touch with these groups of customers. Let them all know how much you care, and how much you appreciate their business, and this will take your business to new levels faster than nearly any other method you can think of. #TheEssentialsGroup #BusinessTips

02.01.2022 Earlier, I mentioned that most business owners spend too much time putting out fires and handling crisis, and not enough time running, managing, and growing their business. And, the reason for that is that they dont have the correct vision of the role theyre supposed to play in the business. Either that or they are in a crisis situation where time and/or money has gotten away from them, and they have very little other choice but to do much of the work themselves. But this... is a critical mistake. And it can be a deadly (to the business) one, as well. If you really want your business to realise the success its capable of, and if you really want to enjoy the money freedom and time freedom having or running your own business can afford you, then, its critical that you begin viewing your position... your job... your responsibility in the correct and proper manner. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

01.01.2022 An old sales trainer, Red Motley, said, Nothing happens until something is sold. And he was right. Selling, or the process of getting goods and services into the hands of consumers and having them exchange money for those goods and services, is what our whole economy is built on. The mere selling of a product or service to someone, suggests that a job had to be created in order to make, manufacture or produce the thing that was sold. And, in order for that item to be purc...hased, another job that produced and sold a product or offered a service of some type, had to be in existence in order for the buyer to have the money to exchange for that item. The process we call Marketing, is the bringing together of potential customers (prospects) and certain products or services so a purchasing agreement (sale) can be reached. Marketing effective marketing is critical to the success of a business. With ineffective marketing, your prospects may never find out about the products or services you offer and that they may need, may want, or that could benefit them, and consequentially, a sale may never be made. Statistics tell us that 80 percent of small businesses will go out of business the first year theyre in business. And of those that remain, 80 percent of them will not be in business five years from now. Make no mistakethose are alarming statistics! Yet, even with those incredible numbers, people still take their dreams into the marketplace with little or no planning, and with little or no regard for the harshness and cruelty of what the marketplace can bring without proper planning. Common sense coupled with the experience of what others have done in the past, should tell us that if a business is going to expect to succeed in todays competitive marketplace, that that business is going to have to do a number of things right or at least better, or perhaps differently, than most other businesses that have gone before them. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips

01.01.2022 Getting Motivated To Do Something Is Not The Answer, Its The Result So motivation doesnt necessarily lead to success. What I found was, that success produced certain desirable results, and I enjoyed the benefits of those results.... I reasoned that if I wanted more of the benefits of the results of success in any endeavor I undertook, I simply had to do the things that would make me successful in those endeavors. Thats called motivation. Motivation, then, is a byproduct or a result of reaching a certain success, and then wanting more. Success is not necessarily an end result, or end product. Rather, its more the effect of doing something that results in accomplishment. Its, as Earl Nightingale once said, The progressive realisation of a worthy ideal. #TheEssentialsGroup #FoddBusinessConsultingServices #BusinessTips

01.01.2022 Management expert, Peter Drucker said, Because its purpose is to create a customer, the business has two and only two basic functions: marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. With that in mind, the most important function you as a business manager and builder can perform in your business, is to make sure your business is constantly developing and offering new and innovative products and services to your customers, that youre growing by adding new ...customers to your client base, and that youre constantly increasing the quality of those customers. As Drucker says, those are the things that produce results. Anything else you do or get involved with is just a cost to the business. Well, knowing that, why in the world would you want to do anything other than be involved with marketing your business or innovation... the only two things that produce results? As the business owner, manager, or entrepreneur, youre the one ultimately responsible for your companys growth, for its stability, for providing security for your employees, and value to your customers and clients. The fact of the matter is, your business is either moving forward, or its going backwards Theres no such thing as stagnation... just staying even. Even if you have the same number of customers, clients or patients from one year to the next, your business operating expenses, wages, supplies, and the general cost of doing business continues to rise. And without an increase in your customer base, or the monies you derive from sales to your existing customers, your profit margins will deteriorate. #TheEssentialsGroup #businesstips