self-sabotaging patterns
Panic that there is enough time and at the end small jobs will be done instead of big jobs
Postponing things when not feeling ready, especially admin tasks
Lack of focus to stick to the plan
Think and research endlessly, trying to find perfect solutions
Start more projects than have time to finish.
Overwork when really need to step back and s… Read More
Relax take your time and maybe in head combine stories from other companies or discussions to come up with a better solution. Plan ahead and connect the dots for every project / job.
It really depends on some many other factors as well. We increased our prices and reduced our cost but we are having the worst 2 months ever!!!!! But with the economic situation, energy prices,war and everything else that is happening people are not buying.
With Asana, Jira and similar programs you can create a project or epic and then create smaller tasks inside. Then you can review, approve or reject a task that it was or wasn’t done according to the brief. It’s a good way to deligate without losing time and control of the project.
A bit tricky for us, since we don’t have 1-1 sessions with our customers. What we think they want came from working on an actual shop for many years. We wanted to listen and talk with them and be able to sell them something they needed instead of forcing them to buy something they wouldn’t use. We end up with many returning customers. We are trying to apply the same approa… Read More
Something we are still working on to improve, but we used before something like ‘just to say thank you’, ‘free points with your next purchase’, ‘here is your 10% off (with a gift icon)’, ‘free shipping’, ‘are you ready for our biggest sale ever?’
We are trying to be as helpful as we can even if in same cases it means losing money. Also for returning customers we like to send them a small gift with a thank you tag.
Listen to their feedback and understand their needs. For example we test every size for each product to make sure if it is suitable per size. We don’t create small sizes and then scale them up to bigger sizes. We only use plus size models and influencers for our designs. We use reviews from different sources to showcase more happy customers. But as always we can’t please e… Read More
Do not interrupt. Do not rush a meeting ignoring something they want to share. Something simple could be important to them. Keep an eye on how you use your hands and their body language. Finish the meeting with a clear plan of what is doing what.
Be honest and care. When you are not trying to sell everytime people will start listening and value your opinion. I had a customer who said ‘I like listening you talking’ lol. It came natural from him while I was thinking out loud
Keep reading, news, relevant websites and blogs. Everything is useful at some point and it could generate a good idea. Keep testing using different tools.
Automate, automate & automate more if you can. Use agile tools to automate tasks and data studio to blend data for sales and traffic. If the day is 7 hours plan 4-5 to do work and leave some time to think. Take a few steps back and view your business as a customer – make personas to understand how different customers will react to the product/ service / website.
1. Small steps including testing before applying the approach to an entire campaign
2. Feel the love! If you are not feeling ready to do it maybe do something else
1. Be afraid to be different
2. Adding too many tasks during the day
3. Do something quickly with the plan to go back and finish – yeah that never happens
1. I am always doing my homework; for their company, their sector and any economical and social events around their business / sector
2. Story telling; a story from me and a story from another business
3. The discussion will always include future plans and how they can grow and be better than their competitors
Automate quotes, invoices, purchase orders.
Automate review emails
Automated discount emails
Use csv if you are dealing with products
API intergrations
Data studio for automated data reports
Give something they are not expecting. Either a small gift or a tip for their business. Customers that we are having an overall business discussion tend to trust our experience more. Let them talk! It makes our job better and efficient.
Make an initial plan the day before.
The pomodoro technic is good, smaller tasks even for the same project. Finish it and have a small break. Go back and move on the next task.
It depends why they are unhappy and if they willing to find a solution together. If they just want to be unhappy no matter what, then maybe let them go.
If they are willing to find a solution then always their is a solution to keep everyone happy!
1. use the rules of 3s – to mix brand awareness, problem solving, news, new products etc.
2. use structured data to get a place in the drop down in search results
3. use it with social media, using a mix of posts
4. like me journalist is saying ‘recycle’ and reuse the content
5. get good quality links to point to your blog posts
6. optimise your meta tags
It needs time an effort. Facebook messaging ads are great for some sectors. Don’t waste your money with placements that are not working. Focus on placements on Facebook and Instagram that are working. Also set up conversion ads, anything else is awareness.
Get a good number of followers to be able to achieve anything – around 1000 is a good starting point. Keep testing … Read More
1. Content is the king!
2. Invest in latest technology
3. Get an investor
4. Work with influencers
5. expand and be everywhere; organic, paid results & social media
6. keep an eye on competition
Something interesting, if you are not using it already, is the functionality from Instagram to add guides. If you are writing new blogs often it could be a good tool. Have a look!
Again this is a subject to discuss with my kids!
Again it depends, if the kids are willing to sleep on time. If yes, check emails, plan the next day, check my news feed, social media and business blogs.
I think this is something you need to discuss with my kids! lol
Unfortunately it depends the day. But most of the days, is coffee, emails, orders, labels, take the orders and take the kids to school.
1. try and test to find the voice of the business
2. optimise your website for search engines
3. set up analytics to see what’s going on
4. find quality backlinks for your website/ blog
5. collaborate with other websites – but not with guest posts or comments
1. Don’t panic – can’t do everything in a day
2. Plan the day in advance – use an agile software for repeated tasks and projects
3. Prioritise according to deadlines and urgent issues that will bring more money
1. try and solve their problem fast if possible
2. give them something for free even if they returned all the products
3. send them something for free with every order
4. we use a leaflet with a QR code to go to trustpilot and leave a feedback
5. we use a swing tag with a small gift to say thank you
1. to create awareness
2. to show your exprert position
3. refer to the book when suitable during a discussion
4. if only optimise it to get organic results and use structured data to be in positions 0 and the questions or also people asked
For us is more to find the right influencers to wear our clothes. We are trying to mix funny, sexy and body confidence.
Instagram is more tricky as the algorithm is different than all the others.
We are trying to think the Worst-Case Scenario, but because we are having a product and not a service we can’t control currency changes, shipping costs etc. Income is coming from 2 different business but still there are months that are difficult.
My clients don’t like many questions. My main question is what is stopping you or is creating a delay or is upsetting your team on a daily basis. Accroding to their reply I’ll come up with a plan to help them streamline their business
1. Brand videos
2. Product videos – including 360 view
3. Collection videos
4. Happy videos – like the one with a model that is turning around and she is wearing a different outfit
5. Shopping videos
Probably distribute them on youtube and video. Remarketing works nicely as long as the videos are optimised.
I always do my homework. About the business, the sector and any relevant news
15min before the meeting a stop for a coffee and I am not thinking anything!
Let them talk, observe body language and facial expressions. People love to talk!
When the time is right impress them, adjust what you learned from your homework and from what they said so far.
1. Calm down and evaluate the situation
2. There must be a solution – not always
3. Try and change it to an opportunity
4. Re-package and adjust to new trends
Despite the fact that I love to spend money, I will try to:
1. Arrange one off fees on different months
2. keep calculating VAT to pay, so I don’t need to give all the money for VAT payments
3. plan ahead and get materials when there is an offer
4. instead of an awareness generic ads campaign plan one for specific events / seasons
I guess increase prices and reduce cost? Or adjust prices according to other economical changes? Shipping, taxes, currency etc.
Yes definitely upselling and offers.
SEO as it can give long term results.
1. keep learning
2. keep talking with other people
3. keep notes
4. spend time with your kids, especially when they are doing silly things that are sooooo funny
5. look after yourself
Very tricky this one.
1. Vouchers – welcome vouchers. 10% off with your first order
2. Free shipping
3. Newletters with offers
4. Good customer service
5. Reviews – if you have reviews for individual products connect them to a system like trustpilot to show them in organic results and google shopping
6. Reply to reviews even if these are bad or unfair
7. A gift, s… Read More
prfire.co.uk/ – pay as you go but a bit limited. They’ll publish to specific websites but we found if the press realease is good bigger websites will approach you.
agilitypr.com/ – subscription based. More organised with journalists and bloggers from big and small websites
cisco.com/c/en_uk/index.html – pay as you go, but more expensive than the first one
I hope if helps… Read More
1. Find a software for press realease and content distribution with journalists
2. Influencers – not the big ones but those who are willing to work with you for free or for a small fee
3. Bloggers
4. Try and solve a problem. Don’t try to sell anything
5. Maybe use something like buzzsumo to see the trends out there and find opportunities
1. I love the Shower Principle or what I call my coffee storm.
2. Read everything, at some point you’ll connect the dots and maybe you’ll create a new product / service
3. Observe other companies, other people. A simple discussion can lead to a new product or service
4. Keep an eye on the competition; they are spending so much money to test products / services. Why not to… Read More
1. Take a break, go for a walk and get some fresh air
2. See the positives and what you achieved so far
3. Rearrange your plan. We can’t be as productive every day
4. Use agile software to plan your day(s) and make smaller tasks
5. Use the pomodoro technique it helps to do smaller tasks, have a little break and go back to start another task
6. I usually call my sister for … Read More
1. buy when there is a sale
2. buy bulk
3. buy when the currency is better
4. review what works and stop it if there is no return on investment or return on ad spend
1. use agile tools. something like asana to plan your days and repeating tasks like blog posts.
2. allocate 5 hours of work and allow 2 for extras
3. plan ahead
4. keep notes
5. prioritise jobs that will give money – leave nice to have actions for later
6. connect the dots – jobs / tasks that are connected and it makes sense to do them together
7. use canva or hootsu… Read More
1. Redesign often and do A/B testing
2. Create functionality to help you manage it faster and efficiently.
3. Make a website easy to use for customers to take an action. Fill a form, buy a product etc
4. SEO, SEO, SEO and quality back links
5. Google shopping, Bing Shopping etc if ecommerce
6. CTA’s, and CRO as an ongoing process
7. Use a continuous improvement plan … Read More
1. Write a blog using a long tail phrase – especially if it is an ecommerce website. Describe a problem and give a possible solution
2. Write about something new, a new product, a new service
3. Write about awards and events
4. Embed videos and reviews if possible
What we found was, that if you can’t add any more content to the blog, just stop. Don’t write anything e… Read More
1. Read about their sector what they do
2. Identify common problems with daily tasks that they are taking them more time to complete and give solutions.
3. Study their competitors; products, service etc. Propose a plan, solution, functionality to put them ahead of the competitors instead of following what their competitors are doing
4. Give them something they are not expe… Read More
1. Automate invoices, quotes etc to have time for more important areas of the business
2. heatmaps and recordings if ecommerce to see how customers are responding to the website
3. stay loyal to social media plan
4. shower storm for new ideas and functionality to streamline yours and your customers’ process
5. Stop, think and pre-plan
self-sabotaging patterns Panic that there is enough time and at the end small jobs will be done instead of big jobs Postponing things when not feeling ready, especially admin tasks Lack of focus to stick to the plan Think and research endlessly, trying to find perfect solutions Start more projects than have time to finish. Overwork when really need to step back and s… Read More