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Permalink Reply by LaShanda Henry on July 12, 2010 at 1:41pm

I love that you posted this and the next thing I do (after sharing my response) is to encourage other members to do the same. Here is my two cents on the topic:

In all honesty, this stuff can get overwhelming. I give out information and even I get overwhelmed with the information that I both take in and give. But you know what? Sometimes we have to shut down, so we can recharge our batteries, clear our heads, and get back to work with a new state of mind. Crazy I know, but to me the key has always been:

1) Keep It Simple
2) Keep It Steady
3) Keep It Consistent

What do I mean by this?

Keep is simple means don't get overwhelmed with all the marketing strategies that I or anyone else gives you. These strategies are meant to help you increase your sales, but before that you need to focus on just getting basic sales. The basics to any business is creating a good product and building your customer base. Ask yourself these questions: where are you selling? Is anyone buying on those spaces? If so, who and how many?

Have you tried to get your product in a few local stores our boutiques? Has anyone reviewed your product online or talked about it in any way? If these very basic things are not happening, that is what you need to focus on. Think about when you made sales and what worked for you at that point.

At the end of the day, you've got to put most of your focus on whatever strategy works best for you and gradually work in new marketing techniques at the same time.

This is free consultation here, because you know we've been going back and forth for awhile with your business and I really want to see you get to a place where you feel comfortable.

Keep it Simple. Your site design has improved, although I think you really need to have your products on the main page. Intro text is great, but let the product sell itself. Look at http://www.CocoaBabies.com... you want to work on creating a site that pops, shows people what people look like in your product, and get's them excited to buy.

Ok ... Keep it Steady and Keep it Consistent Go Hand in Hand
Answering the questions ... Do you know how many people have bought from you? Have you put them in a list? Do you send them an email, if only once a month to share new products, deals, etc. When coaching my clients about marketing, I always talk about Carol's Daughters because she always sends me newsletters about her products. You can't just send out one and then stop.

Keeping it steady means being consistent. If you want to create a strong facebook or twitter following, that means pick one and be consistent. Go hard on something until you get it right, I click by click one by one asked people to join BBWO ... and I've been working on it for years... so it is truly a labor of love. Great example, on facebook I Love Being Black has over a million fans and they sell t-shirts, they also commit to daily quote of the day posts and they do it consistently.

It's all about find a few things that work for you and sticking with them. You have made sales, so something worked at some point. The key is to figure out what those points were and how to make them better.

Back to feeling overwhelmed... some times you have to walk away from it. Sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes to look at it (ie someone else). Sometimes you need to really look at what other entrepreneurs did who sold similar products to your own and commit to figuring out what is working for them, which might help you find something to work for you.

By the way, I've been meaning to do this... FINALLY DID! I Just bought one of your shirts, can't wait to wear it. Keep going sista!

Related Articles I've written about getting overwhelmed with all the information and new marketing strategies.
1) Tweak Vs Twitter
2) Why Social Media Alone Can't Fix Your Business

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Permalink Reply by SoulSeed Tees on July 12, 2010 at 2:10pm

Oh Lashanda,

You are so on point with getting the basic sales. This weekend I will be in Atlanta for the Afrikan Woman Institute Grand opening and I remember what you said before. You told me that I needed to get out there and I will definitely be in the house because my target market will be in attendance. I'm going to do as many festivals that I can this summer. Ok I will keep the social media to a minimum because I have a twitter, facebook, myspace, youtube and about 3-4 ning sites I was trying to keep connected to all at once. Thanks for the tip. I am going to take heed to all the pearls that you have given me today. Lashanda, I really appreciate you taking the time ...and I will be sending out all orders towards the end of the week. When you receive yours I would be honored if you would rock it for me and send a pic. Thanks again.

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Permalink Reply by LaShanda Henry on July 12, 2010 at 6:19pm

Great, I can't wait to hear all about your trip to Atlanta. That is great blog material, so blog about it on BBWO and of course your own official blog. Letting people know that your buzzing is apart of building buzz. People want to see who's hot, where they are going, and who is wearing your stuff! So if you can get people to rock your shirts at the event, take as many pics as you can!

Start with the basics and work in the social media as you work your way up!

Can't wait to rock my shirt (BIG SMILE)

LaShanda

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Permalink Reply by Katrina M Harrell on July 12, 2010 at 8:34pm

You're awesome! You go...

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Permalink Reply by Tameshia Weaver on July 12, 2010 at 2:05pm

AMEN! It can be very difficult at times! My thing is I cant say no. I am constantly over- extending myself when it comes to my career, my businesses, and my social life. I am trying to get better, but it is really hard for me to "Just say NO".

This weekend, I have decided to take some me time and just drive to Tampa and relax for four days! I cant wait!

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Permalink Reply by SoulSeed Tees on July 12, 2010 at 2:29pm

enjoy yourself

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Permalink Reply by LaShanda Henry on July 12, 2010 at 6:20pm

Me time is key. On Thursday I shut down the lap top, took my son, niece and hubby and we had a blast watching Toy Story. You gotta work in the fun because the work will always be there. -lh

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Permalink Reply by Genia James on July 12, 2010 at 3:29pm

Wow! I know what you mean. I am new to online marketing. I'm not sure how to apply alot of these stategies to my business either. Learning but not yet sure. My biz is information it's not tangible goods per se, so figuring out how to show people in or enjoying my products through pics as on Cocoa Babies is somewhat different. I understand and I could use some help with this as well. A lot of new information sometimes makes me feel overwhelmed when it comes to applying to my biz.

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Permalink Reply by LaShanda Henry on July 12, 2010 at 6:23pm

I here ya Genia,

Products and services are alittle different to market. Watch my youtube video on selling services online to give you a few pointers. The link is below.

I sell products and services so the key with services is figuring out who you want to target, what do they need, what problem do they have, what solution are you providing... you have to answers those questions for yourself and then explain that stuff to them.

Watch the video...
http://mybbwo.com/page/find-customers-make-sales-and

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Permalink Reply by A.Michelle Blakeley on July 12, 2010 at 8:05pm

Sometimes you have to just turn it off. Turn it all off and give your mind a chance to rest. I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes your brain simply can't process one more piece of information. The world will not fall apart if you take a day off and give your mind, body and soul rest. Do something that actually feeds you and/or brings you joy. Something that actually gives you a sense of delight (i.e. read a book uninterrupted, go for a long drive, take a long walk, retail therapy and lunch, dance, spend quality time with the kids, have a long chat with an old friend or a wise elder, etc.) All of these things allow you to "step away" from it all, refresh your eyes and look at things from a new perspective. That new perspective then gives you the energy you need to move on to the next day.

Overprocessing can be dangerous because it leads to burnout and health issues. Be careful. Take care of YOU.
AMB

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Permalink Reply by LaShanda Henry on July 12, 2010 at 8:21pm

Very true. None of us are energizer bunnies, give it a rest for a bit and you just might find something new to push your vision forward. -lh

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Permalink Reply by Kristal Johnson on July 12, 2010 at 8:23pm

Daily affirmations, prayer, and an accountability team. People I can call and talk about business, ins and outs, struggles triumphs and everything in between. Focusing on the goal, and concentrating on steps, not leaps. Consistency is key, and for me, I need to breathe once in a while, so I take the much needed breaks. If you are seeing progress from six months ago, you are doing well. Do your best, forget the rest.

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