You can find Loic Le Meur at www.twitter.com/loic and his product at www.seesmic.com

Here’s why: anybody +everyone = nobody

If you cannot give me an example of the perfect person to refer to you, then I am unable to mentally search the roster of 2000+contacts I have to find a great potential client for you. If you the business owner cannot narrow your focus, how can I the colleague that wants to help you out, do it either?

So try a few suggestions that will help you to not only craft the perfect 30-second commercial, but also better enable me the faithful referr-er to send you gobs of business leads:

1. Pick 1 or 2 “sample customers” to talk about. Maybe one is a really “successful business” example, and the other is less so (if you walk around telling everyone your ideal client is pathetic, who would want to admit they need you?).

2. Think of 1 or 2 of your best clients from recent years. What did you do for them that was so spectacular and how did it make their lives better for working with you? The happy ending stories are what people want to hear – doom and gloom marketing doesn’t make people want to hang out with you.

3. Pick 1 or 2 companies that you want as your client and ask everyone you know to introduce you to them. Even if the room your talking to doesn’t have that referral, they will think of a company just like your sample and want to help you with a connection. trust me.

4. Don’t be afraid to focus. A little focus will go a long way in building meaningful relationships. On a business management level, focus in a particular industry or market segment can help you to measure results, and then you can have an educated understanding of whether or not the selected industry or market segment can work for you. I’ve worked with dozens of people who thought their ideal client was xyz, but discovered they had the best working relationships with abc… but they didn’t know either way until they focused on each segment and measured the results.

5. You are forgettable. So am I. If we don’t make an impact and give our audience(s) something to associate with us as business, as a business owner, or as an individual, we will be forgotton. Focusing on 1 or 2 examples gives a cornerstone for people to remember you by. This is why taglines are so useful. Try a few out and see what people respond to. I’m the marketing maven because someone teased me once and called me a maven, I used it a couple of times and people remembered me, and so now it sticks. I didn’t pick it, but it helps people remember me, so I’m sticking with it regardless.

Now that you know these tips and tricks – please share them! Let’s kill the “anybody” and “everyone” schpeal, for everyone’s sake!

-pun intended-

R

An economic downturn and technology advancements will lead to increased coupon usage among U.S. shoppers, according to survey results released today by Toronto-based ICOM Information Communications (ICOM).

Of the 1,529 U.S. consumers who responded to a recent ICOM survey conducted in mid-February, 67 percent said they are much more likely, or somewhat more likely, to use coupons during a recession. The breakdown was 45 percent much more likely and 22 percent somewhat more likely.

Which really seams like common sense. Interesting though was the breakdown included by age and by region, and this little tidbit:

When it comes coupon technology, 58 percent of respondents believe their coupon use would increase if they could download a coupon from the Internet and have it automatically connected to an electronically swiped frequent shopper card.

Of that 58 percent, 35 percent said they are much more likely to use such a card and 23 percent said are somewhat more likely. AOL, Kroger, General Mills and Procter & Gamble are currently testing such high-tech coupons.

Wha-whaat? you mean I don’t have to clip at all? I’d become die-hard in a heartbeat for sure. I’m lucky enough that I don’t need to use coupons in my shopping, but I choose to whenever possible. Why? Because who doesn’t love a great deal? Why not save a buck or two if you can?

And truly, I have to admit that if they go through all the trouble to make ‘em, I’ll use em.

I’m a total consumer.

Read the article yourself here, if you are so inclined.