Turn your Invoices into Marketing Tools

I love when I hand an invoice to a new customer, and they say:
"Oh! I didn't know you made pillows!"
(...or bedding, or ottomans, or shutters, etc.)
All of my products and services are listed on my invoices.

When a potential client calls you for an initial consultation, they often have blinders on. They assume you only handle the product or service that they are interested in at the moment. But if they enjoy working with you, they will most likely want to use you for future projects. So make sure they know about everything you offer.

Here are some other ways to transform your invoices into great marketing weapons:

• Promote an upcoming event
• Provide helpful tips
• Offer a special discount on future sales
• Include a "treat" - (chocolate bar, mug, pen)

Being a part of a Success Team ...the support and motivation we all need.

I want to talk this week about Success Teams - sometimes called Goal Groups or Dream Teams. A Success Team is small group of 4 - 6 people who meet regularly to encourage and support each other. Barbara Sher, author of Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want, says that a Success Team is "everything your family should have been and probably wasn't."

I can not stress this enough. You NEED a Success Group in your life!

So what does this have to do with marketing? Well, in my weekly Success Group, I have brainstormed with five fabulous women to create wonderful ideas to increase my business while enjoying my life more than ever. Five heads are better than one! I now have five times the resources, five times the creativity, five times the contacts, etc. And I have seen amazing results from my group. One woman successfully increased her prices; another went back to school to get another degree; one woman just got a call from the Oprah show! (note: When I wrote this is February, Oprah's producer said that she would keep my friend in mind for a later show. And just last week, she got a call back to do a show in mid-September!)

If you want more success (in ANY area), here are the reasons for being part of a Success Group:

• Expand your resources
  Running a business can be very isolating. And to be successful, we need to have expertise in so many areas. Having a group gives you access to skills and resources that you would not have alone.
• Continuous motivation
  Attending seminars and trade shows, reading books and magazines, learning a new skill... this all gives us confidence and motivation, but the feeling usually fades within days. Meeting with your Success Group gives you a "shot" of motivation on a regular basis.
• Be held accountable
  Do you ever set a goal, and then fail to take action? Most of us only get things done if someone else will be angry or disappointed in us if we don't do it. Your group holds you accountable, and so each time you meet, you move one step closer to your goal.
• Brainstorming
  Studies show that brainstorming with just one other person expands your ideas ten times!

Start thinking of who you want on your team!