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I think we've all wondered how to answer that question before!  How much do your customers want to pay? In 20+ years as a small business owner and entrepreneur, I've struggled to try to find that answer over and over again.  I finally decided that there must be a better way. Over time, I've worked out a solution that works well for me and has helped lots of other small business owners that I've shared it with.  I'd like to share it with you too.  I call it the WRAP Pricing Framework and it is probably the most powerful tool in my kit. I've found that working through the framework not only helps me come up with an accurate price, but it also ties much of my business together neatly.  My marketing and sales, messaging, funnels, profitability, goals, etc. are all enhanced by the answers that come from walking through the WRAP Pricing Framework. I made a quick explainer video to describe it, I hope you enjoy it!  If you'd like to get a copy of the framework to go along with the video, I put together a free PDF and infographic and you can grab a copy by clicking here.

In this Fast Five Video I walk through a simple copywriting flow that anybody can do.  In no time, you’ll improve your copy and start seeing better results with your marketing.     Read the full post here:  http://thecogentcoach.com/fast-five-video-fast-copywriting-that-anybody-can-do

In this Fast Five with The Cogent Coach Video, I talk about the three simple pieces of a good introduction to your business and areas that will benefit from being able to simply and quickly talk about your business to others, both in person and digitally.     Read the full post here:  http://thecogentcoach.com/fast-five-video-how-to-talk-about-your-business   Grab the tool guide here:  https://cogentcoach.leadpages.net/ultimate-marketing-tool-guide/

In this Fast Five Video, I cover what a marketing system is and what tools can be used to build one.  I walk through the three part flow of a marketing system along with the types of tools that help with automation, cost savings and higher conversions.  Then I cover a range of specific tools that can be used in marketing systems. What tools have you used?  I’ve made a list of my favorite tools, you can download it here free.  What would you add?

In this episode of my video blog, I discuss how to build and define the critical foundational elements that let you create a successful marketing and sales system for your business.  I included a transcript for people who prefer to read or who are operating in quiet environments. You can download the FREE course I mention by clicking here. I’d love to know what you think, please leave a comment.  I’d be grateful if you’d share it on social media too.  Thanks! Read the full post here:  http://thecogentcoach.com/get-these-basics-right-to-make-your-marketing-simple

Growth hacking is going to be a liberating process for many small business owners.  Over 80% of small business owners list marketing as one of their biggest problems.  By adapting growth hacking for small business, marketing becomes predictable, costs become clear, it blends with the rest of the business seamlessly and will help you ensure you deliver products and services that delight your customers. To continue reading the full article, click here... 

Fortunately, while marketing can be complex, the foundations of a successful program are much easier.  After all, you should be an expert on what you are selling.  You are, right?     Put the proper foundation in place and much of the challenge of marketing fades away. CLICK TO TWEET  

Making products or services that customers love is a challenge and can feel very 'hit or miss.'  Here is a simple and nimble flow that I use to involve my customers and prospects in creating my services.  It has the added benefit of helping build marketing that works and a business model at the same time.Read the full post here:  http://bit.ly/1bUxy58This is adapted from high tech start ups who have to be quick about creating a solution that they can build and their customers will want without taking loads of money or having high risks.How do you build and test your products or services?  What do you find most challenging?

Creating and writing down the strategy for your small business will make you 80% more likely to reach your goals.  This is especially true for solopreneurs or businesses with only a few people.  Getting your strategy together and organized around reaching your goals makes a huge difference in reaching your goals and it makes your business much easier to work on and in.

Are you struggling with your marketing messages?  Selling is much harder if you can’t articulate what you offer and why people should buy it!  This quick video and accompanying workbook will help you to think through your marketing from your customers view point.  Your reward for the time you spend working on this will be a nice uptick in your marketing and revenue! Get a copy of the workbook here:  https://cogentcoach.leadpages.net/crafting-your-marketing-message/

I meet a lot of entrepreneurs who have just launched their business or have been around for a bit and they struggle with the “business” side of business.  They’re great at delivering service and value to their clients, but the structure of their business is a bit wobbly.  I’ve made this video to provide an easy way to check the sanity of your business model in five minutes or less and you can run all sorts of scenarios with it as well. If you’d like the tool I use in the video, I’m giving it away free.  Click this link to go to a page where you can download a copy (the link on the page appears after a few minutes).

Know what your customers are willing to pay for (only 2 things…) and keep your communications focused and on target – marketing ideas for small business. Your customers are interested in eliminating pain points or reaching their compelling desires and those are the two areas that inspire them to spend.  For your marketing to work, you need to embrace emphasizing those messages throughout your communication and across the digital marketing triad of visitors, leads and sales. Read the full article here.

When people don’t buy your services or products, it’s often a challenge to find out why and to make changes that help it sell. This episode of The Cogent Coach Video Blog covers the three most common reasons your products aren’t selling and how to make changes that fix the problem.

Facebook has become increasingly challenging to use for business without paying for ads.  This video talks about how to make the most out of Facebook by delivering value and creating relationships, the three types of posts and how Facebook ranks posts. I describe Edgerank in more value in my blog post about small business marketing: click here to read.

If your sales and marketing confuse your customers, it will hurt your sales and cost you money.  In this episode of the Cogent Coach Video Blog I’ll tell you how to provide a clear path for your customers to find, engage and purchase from you.

Social media is about building relationships, providing value, and by doing so influencing your customers’ decision journey.  Using automation can destroy your chances at doing any of those three.  But, you can use automation to help you if you choose your tools and purposes carefully.   You can find more marketing and strategy articles on my blog by clicking here.

Feast or famine marketing is the bane of small business.  Having too much or too little business presents equal challenges.  If your small business marketing suffers from the feast or famine cycle, check out this episode and learn how to smooth the marketing cycle so that your business has a steady flow of the appropriate number of clients into your business.