Snapchat Is NOT The Silver Bullet For Growing Your Business in 2016

Here’s all you have to do to get in shape:

• 1820: Vinegar and Water diet

• 1903: The “stuck-in-the-White-House-bathtub-William-Howard-Taft” diet

• 1925: Reach for a Lucky Strike cigarette instead of a sweet” diet 

• 1930s: The Grapefruit or Hollywood Diet

• 1950s: The Cabbage Soup Diet

• 1950s: The Tapeworm Diet, per Maria Callas

• 1963: Weight Watchers

• 1970: The Sleeping Beauty Diet, per Elvis

• 1975: The Cookie Diet

• 1977: Slim-Fast

• 1978: The Complete Scarsdale Medical Diet

• 1983: Jazzercise

• 1988: Oprah’s liquid diet

• 1991: Low-fat like MdDonald’s McLean Deluxe

• 1992: Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution

• 2000: Gwyneth Paltrow recommends the Macrobiotic Diet

• 2003: The South Beach Diet

• 2004: The Biggest Loser premiers

• 2006: Beyonce uses the Master Cleanse

• 2010 & 2012: Jennifer Hudson then Jessica Simpson bring Weight Watchers back into the spotlight

• 2011: The HCG diet (I know a lot of women that did this)

• Today: Exergaming, Superfruits, No Salt, Vaginal Fitness (I’m not making this up), DNA-based diets, bike riding, and detoxing

Fads come and go and while some diets may not cause actual damage, after watching my WWII bomber pilot grandfather die of emphysema after decades of smoking Lucky Strikes, I can tell you most assuredly that some fads will actually kill you—and your business.

You don’t go to the gym January 1st for 24 hours straight and you’re suddenly in shape for the entire year. So why do you think Sales and Marketing are any different?

Sure, in 1988 Oprah got slim for a while, but how did that work out for her in the longrun? 

Yes, Snapchat and live video is all the rage today, but what if you have a face made for radio or the personality of an IRS auditor? 

While I agree that you need to be aware of changes in technology and you need to experiment with them and even get ahead of the curve and stake your claim in the digital landscape in case today’s new platform really does take off, you need to realize a fundamental truth about business, namely, that people don’t do business with you for one of two reasons:

1. They don’t know who you are…

2. Or they do.

If your business is down because of #2, it may be time to get into a new business. But before you do, take a close look at how you’re doing things and see if you’re suffering from:

• Negative reviews online that have not been addressed,

• A website that is not mobile responsive,

• A static, “brochure” website that is all about you instead of the needs of your customers,

• No tools or technology to deliver sequencial, targeted, segmented, multi-media, multi-step communications to your prospects and customers,

• An inability to answer the phone in less than 5 rings,

• Having a bad attitude when you do answer your phone,

• A habit of greeting new prospects with kids macking down on tuna casseroles while their feet are propped up on the front desk, (this happened to me)

• Staff that can’t fill out standard forms and do basic data entry,

• A dirty, stinky, crowded, under-stocked, under-staffed facility,

• Staff that won’t follow your instructions,

• The social / people / communication skills of Donald Trump when he’s down in the polls, which causes your people to run for the hills when they see you pull up into the parking lot…

…then what you need is not a silver bullet but a house-cleaning…and an attitude adjustment.

But if your business is down because of #1, that’s where someone like me can help.

Yes I’m conversant and competent in the major social media platforms on the market today. More importantly, I’m conversent and competent in the foundational components of sales, marketing, persuasion, and connection that make all of those tools viable to begin with.

The biggest silver bullet on the planet for growing your business beyond your wildest dreams is a coach / friend / mentor / advisor / strategist / no-bullshitter that has not only been there and done that, but is still doing it and getting it done and will tell you in no uncertain terms:

• “how the cow eats the cabbage,”

• where your blind spots are,

• how to create realistic goals and action plans, and who will

• hold you accountable to completing them even when you’re bone tired.

Once you have your house in order I’ll help you tell the world. If it’s not ready for primetime, I’ll help you get it there, then help you tell the world.

But paying to market a business that is not ready to make that great first impression is like running your air conditioner with your windows open. You’re literally throwing money out the window.

I’m ready to help you grow. Are you ready to grow?

Good Selling,