Entrepreneurs Circle Certified Coach

Top 10 Marketing Business Books for Entrepreneurs ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Books for Entrepreneursjulian top 10 marketing and sales booksHere are my top 10 marketing business books for entrepreneurs (PDF download). Now, these books will only resonate with you if you own or work in a small entrepreneurial business where generating sales is key. If you are looking for academic marketing books or you work in corporate marketing then these will not be for you. There is just a brief explanation of the value I received each time I read these books.

The 1 -10 ranking does not apply, as each of these books has its own unique angle so it would be like trying to compare apples and oranges. Unless I gained valuable business and marketing insights and enjoy reading them, then they would not be on the list. The non-affiliate link takes you to Amazon where there are full descriptions and reviews to enable you to decide for yourself.

 

1 The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes.

ultimate sales machineWhat can I say about this book? If you are in sales you should read this book. Unfortunately, Chet died in 2012 and so it appears a little dated with regards to internet marketing but the principles are timeless and I am sure this will become a classic sales/marketing text. Only 3% of people are ready to buy at any time when we are adverting. But what about the other 97%. How do you tap into these people and generate sales? The top 100 concept is a killer strategy for B2B marketing Amazon Link . BONUS – Check out this video with Chet and Tony Robbins. All in all it is about an hours worth of video, but very compelling – link to video.

2 They Ask You Answer by Marcus Sheridan.

Mention blogging, content marketing, keywords, CMS, SEO to most business owners and their eyes glaze over with the thought of technical marketing mumbo jumbo. But this book is a practical ‘how to’ guide totally focused on what customers are looking for and how you can deliver education online that ultimately draws customers to you, rather than you chase them. One of my clients recommended this to me after I got him started with “blogging” and I showed him how I was able to attract customers to me just by providing valuable content online. This book contains timeless marketing principles, not a quick fix, gone tomorrow solutions that are so prevalent in internet marketing. Amazon Link

3 DotCom Secrets by Russell Brunson.

Fantastic book as it gives the small business owner a solid foundation by which to structure their marketing. Do you just sell one product? Russell introduces the concept of product ascension. His products range from free to $1M a year consulting. This is game-changing for most small businesses.  Amazon Link

4 Emyth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

Another top selling publication. As with Work the System (4) this is all about organising your business for success. Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business. Amazon Link

5 Work the System by Sam Carpenter.

So many small businesses are run on a wing and a prayer. No formal systems and this holds them back from greatness. In his book Sam uses his business as an example- taking it from working an 80 hour week, fighting bankruptcy and all the stress to a hugely successful business where he just has to work a couple of hours a week. Systems are key to business growth. Amazon Link

6 Launch by Jeff Walker.

The Product Launch Formula online training by Jeff Walker has been around now for 10 years or so. In this book, Jeff maps out his process for selling products and services online. The separate principles of his concept are nothing new, it is the way Jeff has organised them into a system which makes it so powerful. The book costs around £10 but I must say it contains about 80% of what is contained in the Product Launch Formula online course which costs about $2000. So this book is a smart investment. Amazon Link

7 Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestly.

Traditionally businesses spend money on advertising and chasing after customers. But times are a changing. With the internet and Google, anyone can quickly learn about any service or product they are interested in. In this book, Daniel explains in this new world how to position yourself and your business as the experts and so attract customers to you so that you are oversubscribed and as a result charge a premium for your product or service. Amazon Link

8 Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself by Mike Michalowicz.

This book goes hand in hand with Work The System (No. 4 above). It is all about how to plan and set up systems so that you can take a full month out of your business initially and prove to yourself that your business no longer requires you to work in the business, rather you become the designer of your business.

9 Duct Tape Marketing by John Jantsch.

Duct Tape Marketing is a great book for the small business owner and marketer without being full of marketing speak and jargon. Full of practical steps that a marketer can take to move the business forward. Read more.

 

10 How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie.

This is a timeless classic and is the foundation by which so many of today’s “gurus” are based. To be honest this should be a read for everyone. This is more personal self-development than marketing, but it just has to be on this list for me. Amazon Link

 

What is your most valued read as an entrepreneur? I would love to hear and maybe it will make it on my list of top books for entrepreneurs.

Get a free copy of my book - The Entrepreneurs Marketing System 

The Entrepreneurs Marketing System has been written by myself and Nigel Botterill and has taken the best part of 10 years to hone, refine and test and is the foundation of the Entrepreneurs Circle coaching system.

It gives SME business owners a proven step-by-step system to get and retain all the customers they'll ever need.... Rhythmically & consistently -  just like clockwork.

You'll need a deep understanding of the Entrepreneurs Marketing System if you are going to use it in your business and this is exactly what our new book provides. If you would like a copy you just pay the postage and packing.

>> GET YOUR FREE COPY <<
    

ActiveCampaign implementation in the UK. Do you need help from a marketing automation consultant?

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activecampaign implementation uk consultantAre you an ActiveCampaign user in the UK looking for ActiveCampaign consultancy and implementation help?

Since 2009 I have specialised in marketing automation using tools such as MailChimp, Keap / Infusionsoft and ActiveCampaign.

What I have found working with hundreds of small business clients is that before choosing any system it is essential that you have a clear strategy that will effectively guide you through the process of setting up your marketing automation.

And this strategy ultimately defines which marketing automation platform will be best suited to your needs. For my small business clients who want to do sophisticated marketing then they tend to go with Keap / Infusionsoft, however, I do have a number of clients for whom ActiveCampaign is better suited.

I now work with a select number of ActiveCampaign clients to first develop a marketing strategy and then assist with the ActiveCampaign implementation.

Interested? Let’s schedule a 15-minute discovery call to see if there is a fit. Schedule discovery call.

Cheers

Julian

Marketing Automation Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

Get a free copy of my book - The Entrepreneurs Marketing System 

The Entrepreneurs Marketing System has been written by myself and Nigel Botterill and has taken the best part of 10 years to hone, refine and test and is the foundation of the Entrepreneurs Circle coaching system.

It gives SME business owners a proven step-by-step system to get and retain all the customers they'll ever need.... Rhythmically & consistently -  just like clockwork.

You'll need a deep understanding of the Entrepreneurs Marketing System if you are going to use it in your business and this is exactly what our new book provides. If you would like a copy you just pay the postage and packing.

>> GET YOUR FREE COPY <<
    

Wedding Venue Marketing: 5 Ways for Wedding Venues to sell more wedding events

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wedding venue marketingIf you are responsible for wedding venue marketing then I hope you will find these 5 top tips valuable, so please read on.

The first step to booking more wedding events is to think like the bride and groom planning their big day. Put yourself in their shoes.

What thought processes will they go through? Where do they go and visit when planning their wedding day? How can you engineer to “meet them” while they go on their wedding planning journey?

During the early stages of planning their happy day, the bride and groom will be actively seeking information and advice on wedding and reception venues. The venue(s) is a key part of the wedding and will be one of the first parts of the wedding to get booked. So it is vital that your marketing activity catches the bride and groom’s attention early on.

Creative marketing tactics to secure more wedding venue bookings

1. Co-operative marketing with other wedding service suppliers.

There are other wedding services and products the bride and groom will likely explore before looking at wedding venues in detail. For instance, right at the very start is the engagement ring, you cannot get any earlier in the wedding marketing cycle than at this point! Look to join forces with a local jewellery shop and work out a mutually beneficial agreement between the two businesses.

Another key point, shopping for the wedding dress is an exciting time for any bride and often brides will have an eye open for the perfect dress before the question is even “popped”! Again co-operate with a local wedding dress shop so that your wedding venue comes to the bride’s attention early in the process.

If you co-operatively work with wedding suppliers who work with couples in your budget range then you will generate warm leads easily. Why not give your partners a coded gift certificate to present to newly engaged couples that offers them a special discount or maybe a free service at your venue – a meal or drink for instance. Just so that they get to experience your venue and the service you provide.

2. Referrals. Even in this online world, word-of-mouth advertising is still the best. How can you encourage previous brides and grooms to talk about your venue? Can you offer them an incentive if one of their friends books your venue? Can you reach out to all your previous happy couples and remind them about your venue, this is really easy if you have a marketing system in place, see point 5.

3. Be visible online.

When the happy couple first agrees on a wedding date they are the most receptive to wedding venue ideas.

These days the first port of call will be the internet and primarily using Google. It is imperative that your wedding venue is visible on Google.

So do a check – how do you appear on Google right now?

Step 1 – Go to Google, enter the name of your local area followed by the word “weddings”, “wedding locations”, “wedding venue” into the Google search bar.

Example: London weddings, London wedding locations, London wedding venues

Step 2 – Make a note of the websites that come up on Page 1. Study them and get inspiration for your own ideas. Is your wedding venue on the list? If not


Step 3 – You need to get your website listed.

Google Adwords are the ads down the left-hand side of the search results page.  Advertising is a quick win. But can be expensive and you need to know what you are doing. Either hire a Google Adwords Expert or if you want to teach yourself then this is the definitive Google Adwords book  on the subject. (An advanced Google Adwords tip – use Google Remarketing, this enables you to display ads to your website visitors AFTER they leave your site – the ads follow them all over the internet. These work great and cost next to nothing).

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is the process to optimise your website so that Google lists in the rankings. You need to be on page 1 of Google. The good news is that this is free, the bad news is that it can take many months of work to achieve a result. But once you do you will reap the rewards for a long time. SEO is a huge subject so you can either hire an expert or if you have the time and inclination you can teach yourself, here is a useful beginners guide to SEO.

4. Facebook.

Get active on Facebook. If you have not done so already, set up a dedicated Facebook page for your wedding venue. Start posting interesting news and information about your venue – photos of recently weddings, videos etc. It is all about creating noise out there and getting noticed.

Facebook Ads – These are simpler to manage than Adwords and are a good place to start with paid advertising. Start by targeting “Relationship Status” (Engaged or In a Relationship).

5. Have a wedding venue marketing follow up system.

This is what the majority of wedding venues do not have or understand. In points 1 to 4 above we are looking at ways to generate interest in our wedding venue, which is essential. But what you have to realise is that of these interested couples who visit your website only one or two in every 100 are ready to buy today. So if they do not buy today then that means 98% leave your website and the chances are they will never come back. That 98% is where the gold is for your business. So you have a system in place that enables you to consistently follow up with EVERYONE who expresses an interest in booking your venue. This can be really simple – paper-based or Excel, it is possible but it is a definite chore that requires dedication and time to manage. And that leads me nicely on to what I do. I specialise in helping clients set up a marketing automation system called Keap / Infusionsoft and this is the leading marketing automation system for small businesses. OF course I think it is brilliant, hence I specialise in helping businesses to implement it. But why take my word for it? Check out the video below where I was able to grow the wedding booking sales for The Wellbeing Farm venue by over 1000% in just a year. And I did this by putting in place systems to consistently and automatically follow up with the 98% of couples that expressed an interest in booking, but did not book immediately.

Wedding venue marketing photo by FĂĄbio Alves on Unsplash

Get a free copy of my book - The Entrepreneurs Marketing System 

The Entrepreneurs Marketing System has been written by myself and Nigel Botterill and has taken the best part of 10 years to hone, refine and test and is the foundation of the Entrepreneurs Circle coaching system.

It gives SME business owners a proven step-by-step system to get and retain all the customers they'll ever need.... Rhythmically & consistently -  just like clockwork.

You'll need a deep understanding of the Entrepreneurs Marketing System if you are going to use it in your business and this is exactly what our new book provides. If you would like a copy you just pay the postage and packing.

>> GET YOUR FREE COPY <<
    

Oversubscribed by Daniel Priestley ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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oversubscribed book cover

I had to read Oversubscribed after my brother said that it contained many of the ideas and principles that I follow.

And he was right. This book resonated very strongly with me – it makes perfect sense.

Rather than think of the market forces of supply and demand being fixed, the paradigm shift occurs when you see how the factors governing demand can be changed by you, for your benefit.

Another paradigm shift is to think about getting new clients in batches rather than one at a time.

On page 159 Daniel says – “From now on you’re also in the IT business” – and that is so true. If you do not have systems in place (like Keap / Infusionsoft) to automate your marketing and business processes then you are in big trouble. So many businesses do not realise what technology can do for them or how the costs have come down.

What this book has done is given me context for the things that I have been doing and have given me success already. Now I have more structure and insight into how it all fits together, rather than just doing things off the cuff because they feel the right things to do.

Oversubscribed is one book I look forward to reading again and will be a book I recommend to my clients.

Link Amazon to buy Oversubscribed book (please note this is not an affiliate link)

Get a free copy of my book - The Entrepreneurs Marketing System 

The Entrepreneurs Marketing System has been written by myself and Nigel Botterill and has taken the best part of 10 years to hone, refine and test and is the foundation of the Entrepreneurs Circle coaching system.

It gives SME business owners a proven step-by-step system to get and retain all the customers they'll ever need.... Rhythmically & consistently -  just like clockwork.

You'll need a deep understanding of the Entrepreneurs Marketing System if you are going to use it in your business and this is exactly what our new book provides. If you would like a copy you just pay the postage and packing.

>> GET YOUR FREE COPY <<
    

If you have lots of logins and passwords to remember – LastPass

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lastpass

lastpassIf during the day you have to log in to many online applications then you can save time by automating signing into sites with an automated tool.

The tool that I used is called LastPass.

With LastPass you can at the click of a button you can login to any site. Really easy, really quick. I have been using this for over a year and it has saved me a tremendous amount  of time and agro remembering usernames and passwords for sites. It can even randomly generate unique passwords and automatically fill in forms with your details, make payments from your credit card (if you wish).

If you want to access your passwords from multiple devices then you do now need a premium subscription.  But the free version works for me as most of my work is done on a single laptop. Check it out at www.lastpass.com

Get a free copy of my book - The Entrepreneurs Marketing System 

The Entrepreneurs Marketing System has been written by myself and Nigel Botterill and has taken the best part of 10 years to hone, refine and test and is the foundation of the Entrepreneurs Circle coaching system.

It gives SME business owners a proven step-by-step system to get and retain all the customers they'll ever need.... Rhythmically & consistently -  just like clockwork.

You'll need a deep understanding of the Entrepreneurs Marketing System if you are going to use it in your business and this is exactly what our new book provides. If you would like a copy you just pay the postage and packing.

>> GET YOUR FREE COPY <<
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