Sep. 15-From Random Strangers to Raving Fans Workshop
I’m excited to be team-teaching a course with my sales coach, Matt Nettleton of Sandler Training Trustpointe. The class is called “From Random Strangers to Raving Fans: Using a system to create the right messages for the right people at the right time.”
We’re going to talk about how important it is that your sales and marketing support each other. After all, the best marketing plan in the world won’t help you if you can’t seal the deal, and the best sales strategy won’t help you if you don’t have leads in the first place!
Check out the details below. Hope to see you there!
September 15, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Sandler Training Trustpointe Offices, 6666 East 75th Street, Indianapolis
Fee: $29.99 Seating is limited, so be sure to register soon. Click here
All Things Marketing – Personal vs Corporate Branding
Last spring I particpated in a panel discussion as part of the All Things Marketing Conference. Here is an excerpt from the discussion. The question was about Personal vs Corporate branding in social media. Opinions varied between the panelists as to whether you should brand as a company or an individual.
There are pros and cons of each to be considered. Watch the video for our opinions
Marketing by the Numbers! – Aug. 26
Good marketing begins with a budget based on the numbers which drive your business. To help our clients and friends start this process, Howard Cox of Somerset CPA and I will team up once again to teach Marketing by the Numbers.
In this workshop, we will show you how to build an ROI based budget. Howard will show you how to calculate the Lifetime Value of a Customer, and how to use this a a starting point for your marketing budget. I will explain the relationship between leads and closing rates, referral percent and advertising targets to determine where you should be spending your money!
There is no fee to attend the program, but RSVP’s are required. The class will be held at the offices of Somerset CPA, 3925 River Crossing Parkway, Indianapolis, IN 46240 on August 26, 7:30-8:30 a.m.
To reserve your seat, fill out the form below. We look forward to seeing you there!
An Association for Associations? I’m there!
I’m going to be heading up to Michigan City on July 14 to present “Marketing: Being Resourceful With a Small Budget” at the annual convention of the Indiana Society of Association Executives.
In my presentation, I’ll help these executives, many of which represent non-profit associations, how to make a big impact with a small budget. I’ll shed light on how to create professional looking marketing material on a limited budget, use publicity and PR tactics to build awareness of a company, product or service, and use strategic cross promotions to build awareness and traffic to the business and business website—all on a shoestring budget.
Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to attend. Click here for more info!
And if you can’t make it to the event, you can sign up for an online version of the program or one of my other Free online courses.
Leading Questions, Part 2 – Presentations and Networking
Mason King from the IBJ and I covered so much ground in our interview for the Leading Questions series that they wound up releasing a “bonus” video. Check it out for some tips on approaching everyone’s favorite chore: networking.
Where to Find Lorraine Ball
I have a busy few months ahead, with lots of public speaking engagements planned. Here is a short list of where you will be able to find me:
March 30 - Rainmaker’s Main Event
April 14 - Introduction to Business Planning
April 16 – 17 – Marketing by the Numbers, New Orleans
April 22 – Marketing Segmentation – Hullabaloo
April 27 – All Things Marketing Seminar
May 5 – Improve Your Website ROI
May 6 – From Random Strangers to Raving Fans
Lorraine Ball in Action
Are you looking ofr a speaker for your next meeting? I would love to talk to you about my small business programs on marketing, networking, business planning, and team building.
To get a preview, check out some of the previews below.
Lunch and Learn with PinpointMultimedia
My good friend Dave Anderson has asked me to be part of his Lunch and Learn program next week. The topic is social media, and I will be sharing the panel with some of my favorite local social media experts; Colin Clark, Dave Anderson and Michael Reynolds.
The event will be from 11:30 – 1:00 on December 2nd, at the Fox and Hound on 82nd Street in the Castleton Area. There is no cost to attend the informal event, but RSVP’s are requested since space is limited.
Hope to see you there, for what is sure to be a lively conversation!
Shop Local!
As the internet makes the world seem smaller and smaller, it is easy to forget that you are part of a local business ecosystem. As you make purchase decisions you choices impact the local economy. If, like me you are concentrating in a specific community, hoping to generate revenue from the community, then you need to put money into that community.
As consumers, we have power. Use it to actively support the businesses you care about and force change in the ones we don’t. Seth Godin summed it up well when he said:
If you don’t like what an organization stands for, work actively to spread the word and force them to change
AND
If you will miss a product, a service, a book, a site or a professional when they close up shop, stand up, speak up and bring them masses of new business.
This was the theme of my presentation at Rainmakers last month. ( I just got the video links) . The video is in two parts and it contains a serious call to support local businesses.
With this local focus in mind, I thought I would share just a few of my favorite local restaurants. These are places I would miss if they were gone. . I hope you will consider voting with your dollars this holiday season, paying them a visit, and helping to build a strong local economy.
No links to websites sorry, but more importantly I have listed address so you can check them out yourself.
Ocean World on 86th Street and Ditch. Some of the best and most reasonably priced sushi in town. The food is so good it is easy to overlook the mediocre service. It is usually busy, but not overcrowded at lunch time, 1/2 prices specials on Sunday, and always a long wait on Friday night.
LaPeidad 6524 Cornell Ave – Great, authentic TexMex. Fast friendly service, good food, reasonable price. Nice outdoor dining when the weather permits. When I need a TexMex Fix this is my favorite.
Kona Jack – Meridian and 96th Street – Not to be confused with the Kona Grill chain in Clay Terrace. This Indy tradition has a wonderful, diverse fish menu, and even sells fresh fish for you to take home and prepare yourself. Sharing a kitchen with Daddy Jacks, you can often convince your waitress to serve something off the menu from the other side.
Santorini Greek Kitchen – 1417 Prospect Street, in Fountain Square – Well worth the trip to Fountain Square for the huge portions, home-style Greek food, and great service. It is also the only place in the city that makes Eggplant parmesan the way I like it – I think you will too.
These are just a few of my favorites. What are yours? List them here, and more importantly, pay them a visit this month!
Last Days of the Presidency
No I am not talking about Obama. I am talking about me. Tonight I step down as President of Rainmakers. It has been an amazing three years, in which I have met incredible people, learned and grown so much, and seen my life and business move in directions I would never have anticipated.
And so, as I get ready for my last speech as President, I have really struggled with what I want to talk about. In the last three years, I have given more then 100 speeches, so what is left to say? After weeks of planning, I have decided to keep it simple, and focus on one theme – ATTITUDE.
I did have a nice 3 part concept working, attitude, action and accountability but attitude was running about 11 minutes, so with a few thank yous along the way, there isn’t much time for the other two. And if you have the right attitude, it is easier to move toward action.
So tonight I will be talking about attitude, how you determine the outcome of your day, by your approach. Why this topic and why now? There are lots of things in the world which distract and impact us as individuals and as small business owners. There are things I can not control, but I can control, how they make me feel, and how I react in response.
And there is power in attitude! Ask any doctor about the patient who lived or died, long after all medical treatments had been exhausted. Patients Will themselves to Life and Will themselves to Death every day. That same powerful energy can will your business to life or death.
I know the economy is still depressing, and many companies are struggling, I simply choose to focus on what I can do to be successful now. I chose to act with enthusiasm despite the outside world. I choose to make today great, and as a result it will be.
So if you can’t make it to the Rainmakers Main Event tonight, you just got the short version of the speech, and if you do, you get to hear the stories which go with the message.
