Tips Archives - Katherine McGraw Patterson

Using Buyer Behaviors to Drive Your Marketing

I saw a t-shirt recently that said “I’m going to Target. See you in $150!” and I could totally relate. What is it that makes us walk into stores like Target and Costco and drop the Benjamins with abandon? People buy…stuff…for lots of reasons, rational and emotional. In fact, psychologists have defined a whole host of drivers that cause us to pull out our wallets. Marketers and advertisers have honed their visual and written messaging … Read more

The Parable of the Popsicle: Promise and Expectations in Branding

We are in the dog days of summer here, folks. It’s HOT. Which is why, when I was strolling down the frosty frozen aisles of my local Tar-Jhay, I thought to myself “You know what, self? We need some popsicles!” I grabbed one of my favorite flavors – Pineapple. Yum! After putting the groceries away at home, I wanted one of those cool treats, so I reached into the freezer for a yummy, sweet Pineapple … Read more

Out of Alignment

Y’all, I’m out of alignment. Not chiropractically. Energetically. I can tell because my to-do list has gotten out of control (like two pages, single spaced), I have a constant sense that I’m forgetting something, and I’m withdrawing from activities and people. What got me here? Why am I so out of whack? When I’m balanced, my achiever and maximizer are what help me drive my business forward. My achiever is what gives me the energy … Read more

Attract More Customers: Using Buyer Behavior to Drive Your Marketing

I saw a t-shirt recently that said “I’m going to Target. See you in $150!” and I could totally relate. What is it that makes us walk into stores like Target and Costco and drop the Benjamins with abandon? People buy…stuff…for a variety of reasons. There are rational reasons and emotional reasons. In fact, psychologists have defined a whole host of drivers that cause us to pull out our wallets. Marketers and advertisers have honed … Read more

What if your ideal client isn’t so ideal AFTER the sale?

Katherine-McGraw-Patterson-Ideal-Client-After-The-Sale-blog

As business owners, we spend a lot of time thinking about how to target our ideal clients, what messages to use to get them to buy, and how to close the deal. But what happens after the sale? Sometimes, we’re so focused on making the sale, we don’t stop to think about whether we want to work with an individual after they’ve purchased our products and services. Case in point: I was recently working with … Read more

The Hourly Cost of Networking

If you know me, odds are you’ve heard me say “every minute we take away from our business is an investment, so spend it wisely.” As I’ve been speaking with groups about my book, “Lunching with Lions: Strategies for the Networking-Averse” there’s one part of my presentation that creates an interesting deer-in-the-headlights look from audience members. It’s the part of my talk where I ask them how much their time is worth. See, when we … Read more

What’s Your Networking Personality?

This week, I presented my talk “Lunching with Lions: How to Survive and Thrive at Networking” (based on my new book) to one of my favorite women’s groups. Before I took the stage, everyone was asked what their greatest networking challenge happened to be. Out of nearly 100 responses, two things stuck out as common conundrums: Dislike/discomfort of small talk and the desire to connect more deeply from the get-go; and The question of what … Read more

How to Nurture Your Network

Have you ever heard of Dunbar’s Number? It’s the number of people with whom we (as humans) can maintain “stable social relationships”. Relationships in which we know who each person is and how they relate to every other person. That number is 150. How many LinkedIn contacts do you have? Facebook friends? Names on your oh-so-important email list? I’m going to bet it’s way beyond Dunbar’s 150. As business owners, we are challenged to maintain … Read more

Cashing in on Brand Equity

The following is from a blog I wrote in 2008: “Today on NPR, I was listening to an interview with tourism analyst Ralf Garrison of the Denver-based Advisory Group, Inc. He was discussing the downturn in the Ski Industry this year. Now, I’m not a skier, but he said something that immediately caught my attention. “Some resorts are characteristically better known than others. They have more BRAND EQUITY. They have more loyalty in the marketplace, … Read more

How to Create a Simple Marketing Plan

Take a deep breath. I’m going to say something now that might freak you out a bit. You need a marketing plan. If you know me, you know I preach the holy trifecta of AWARENESS, PURPOSE, and INTENT in running your business. You must be AWARE of what you are doing in order to align your activities and actions with PURPOSE and INTENT to achieve that end goal. Like this: When you’re aware of your … Read more