Why A New Web Site Won’t Help

Many small business owners are under the impression that if only they had a new web site, all their problems would be solved. Well, I’m here to tell you, SAVE YOUR MONEY! If sales are dismal, a new web site is not going to solve your problem. Granted, a better designed site may help. But unless you clarify brand communications, your sparkly new site won’t bring in any more customers than your old one did. You will still have the same problem….and only a lot less money.

Small Biz Spotlight: Michelle Pippin

There is no shortage of business consultants that entertain their Clients with words of encouragement. Many of these are “hungry for business” and will say or do anything that meets their Clients’ approval. These types of consultants are more interested in becoming your friend than in helping you achieve your business goals. And if you have ever hired someone like this, it’s time you met Michelle Pippin.

Michelle Pippin is a business and marketing consultant that caters to small business owners. And from the second I landed on her web site, it was clear to me what this lady was all about! I didn’t have to look long, hunt across several pages or read the between the lines; Michelle’s brand communications are deliberate and simple to understand. Her message is:

Real-world strategies. Right-now solutions. NO fluff. NO junk. NO fillers. NO KIDDING!

Michelle is a true inspiration, not just to small business owners but to other marketing consultants as well. She sets a great example for what a competitive advantage is and how it benefits a business when properly and consistently applied. Michelle is very pleasant, an absolute joy to chat with and she has a great sense of humor. She is a positive and lovely lady! But she won’t allow you to make mistakes. With her direct and honest approach, her clients are provided a clear path to successful marketing and business development.

Learn more about Michelle at www.bmichellepippin.com

Tell us about your business, Women Who WOW. What a fabulous name! What is your strategy behind this? And why women specifically?

Well, I do love that name. Really and truly. But, now about 35% of my clients are men. I figure if they’re bold and secure enough to call “Women Who WOW” and say, “Can you help me too?” I should give it a try. LOL…

But, I created Women Who WOW for women who were committed to doing this business thing RIGHT… but not at the expense of all the other roles we play. For me, a woman who WOWS isn’t just making waves in the business world, but making an impact in HER world as well. Women Who WOW allows me to do two things:

1) Create a community that encourages, empowers and equips women entrepreneurs AND
2) Highlight REAL women who WOW

I’m fortunate that my business is truly my passion. It’s my hobby and my profession. I can honestly say that I love what I do.

What was your motivation for going into marketing? What drives you?

What drives me? Well, two things really… as it pertains to what I chose to do with my business. One, I realized that the fastest way to change someone’s life is to change what they do for a living. AND, two: what’s holds MOST businesses back from financial success, I’m convinced, boils down to helping them cut thru the hype so they can market and sell effectively. Let’s face it. Most business owners go into business because they are good at what they SELL… not good at SELLING it. That’s where I come in. =) Put simply, marketing and sales is where I can make the most impact, the most measurable difference. That’s what drives me.

But also, small business success in general is important. It’s where our true economic stimulus plan will be realized. It’s where our country started, and — I believe — where it’s headed again. And it’s where the most jobs will originate. So, this “small business success” thing resonates with me at a far deeper level than JUST having my own clients succeed. It’s more important than that. Critically important, actually.

I’ve met my share of marketing consultants that comply with a client’s wishes, regardless of foreseen dire results. You take a much more direct, results-driven approach. It’s refreshing to see this authenticity in our fields. Obviously, it’s the natural Maverick in you. It separates you from the Swamp of Sameness and provides you with a tremendous competitive advantage. How did you go about developing your brand’s personality?

Well, I didn’t really “deliberately” create a brand personality, or weave it into what I do. It’s just the ONLY way I operate. It’s the only way I know how to “be”. So, those characteristics of being a “maverick” are sort of woven in to me. And when it comes to business… nothing short of a reality-based, results-focused approach will do. Anything short of that (sometimes necessarily harsh) honesty is a disservice to my clients and delays or derails their success. Unacceptable.

Is this a marketing advantage? Well…

Certainly fluffier, more affable coaches are — in my opinion — an easier sell. BUT, my clients come to me when they’re ready for a “no excuses. just results.” approach. Nothing sugar coated will do. So, I get BETTER clients. And they see unreasonable results because of their own focus on results. And that leads to more and better clients. So… yeah, I guess it is a marketing advantage! =)

What challenges do you face in your business and what is your method for overcoming those challenges?

You know, the same challenges as everyone else. I wrestle with when to hire, and for what. I go through weeks in which I feel like there’s a NO around every corner. I struggle with integrating my life as a business owner and my life as a wife and mother.

How do I overcome ANY challenge? Well, I do what I advise my clients. I take a look at what the challenge is…. and make a list of possible ways to either go AROUND it or DESTROY it. Then, I decide on a course of action and do NOT look back. I decide and act.

Most mediocre businesses are beaten up by challenges because they are absent either firm decision or swift action.

What passions do you infuse your business with? What’s your favorite part of “the job?”

You will find I am a woman of very limited passions. =) I love my business, the financial means it allows my family, and the sense of challenge and accomplishment it provides me. Truly, my business IS my passion.

But, my CORE passion is my love for my family. And for me, love is spelled T-I-M-E. Time to cuddle on the couch with my three kids or to steal precious moments with my husband. Time for slow jogs and long baths. At my core, I want TIME. So, my favorite part of “the job” is the flexibility it allows me. I do work hard. BUT, my work allows me the freedom to go on school field trips, serve as homeroom mom, and pick my kids up from school at 3 o’clock every day. I love the time freedom.

Your brand messaging is strong and supports your Claim To Fame: “No fluff. No junk. No fillers. No kidding!” Most consultants I’ve met worry about losing Clients with such a direct approach, but it has worked in your favor. Why do you think that is?

I’d say because it’s so rare… and so valuable. My clients have already learned that you can’t eat fluff, and the mortgage company only accepts cash, not compliments. So, it works for me because my clients are READY for results and are FED UP with fluff.

But, that sort of wimpy, affirmation-based consulting you describe actually works against those consultants. A consultant should never need their client (or their client’s acceptance or approval) more than the client needs the consultant. When those tables are flipped, it spells trouble.

When do women-entrepreneurs most seek out your help and why?

I say that my clients come to me — typically — after they’ve tried a bunch of other blueprints in a box, coaching programs and mastermind options that left them “broke and bummed”. THAT’S when they seem to find me. I’m not sure they know exactly what makes me different, but they arrive knowing that SOMETHING is different, and that’s a great start.

They seek me when they are ready for results measured in dollars. That’s the “why”. They need their business to start producing a profit — and a healthy one. They want to know what to do… and what they can STOP doing… and they want someone to hold them accountable to their BEST. They are literally PREGNANT with potential, but need to give birth to profit.

What are some of the most common mistakes women business owners make in communicating their brand’s voice? What advice can you offer a woman who is just getting started communicating her brand?

I think the most common mistake women business owners make regarding branding, voice and establishing their unique place in the market is trying to avoid “offending” anyone. When trying to offend no one, they actually connect with no one. And this spells financial trouble for their business. They become vanilla, fall into that swamp of sameness, and lose the incredible marketing advantage of authenticity. I challenge these women to be FEARLESSLY, AUTHENTICALLY themselves. Nothing short of reckless individualism will do.

There’s certainly no shortage of business “gurus” vying for your attention, promising you the world on a silver platter, dollars while you sleep and other business myths that often lead their clients feeling broke and bummed. B. Michelle Pippin, the undisputed authority on creating clients for your business, is committed to doing the opposite and measures her own success by the increase her clients see to their bottom line. She’s often described by her clients as relentless, grass-roots, offensive, passionate, profit-driven… and sometimes, even worse! If your business is pregnant with potential, and you are ready to (FINALLY!) give birth to profit, you’ve got to speak to Michelle. She can be found at www.bmichellepippin.com.

Do You Have Faith In Your Brand?

For anyone who thinks they can get a “nice logo” online by running a design contest or crowd sourcing, consider this:

Graphic designers did NOT go to school to study art, design, typography and color psychology so they could spend the rest of their career days hoping to win contests.

In other words: You won’t find professional, experienced or quality graphic designers on 99Designs or Crowdspring or any other crowd sourcing logo site.