Jane Hamill

Increase revenue using content & email marketing.

Podcast

Shopify vs. MailChimp – WTF??

Of all the tools and resources my clients use in their daily lives, MailChimp and Shopify are the 2 most common.

The news that the two won’t seamlessly integrate anymore has struck my clients as a huge PIA. I’m getting tons of questions…

“Soooooo…MailChimp and Shopify are breaking up. What should I do?”

To be honest, I’m THRILLED about this recent news because I’m not a fan of MailChimp. It’s clunky, it’s frustrating, and it’s terrible at helping you segment your email lists in an efficient (read: money making) way.

The ability to segment your lists and only send emails to those interested in certain topics or products is HUGE. It’s the best way to use email. It works, and it make my clients more money!

Email marketing continues to be the number one ROI for digital marketers across the board.

Email is KING. Still.

Email had the highest conversion rate for all Shopify stores for BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) in 2018

What if you gave me $1 and I gave you $38 back. Would you take that deal?

According to Salesforce…

For every $1 invested in email, the average return is $38. – Salesforce

Yes, open rates are going down overall but emails sent to segmented lists based on user behavior are AWESOME and we’re only getting started with the possibilities. Open rates and click-thru rates are strong. Segmenting your lists is the BEST way to use email going forward.

Segmenting your email lists is the BEST way to use email going forward.

The only way, really.

So if you’re using MailChimp and Shopify and are thinking… “WTF? What am I going to do?”

Don’t panic. I’m here to help navigate through the murky waters of the Shopify vs. MailChimp storm.

This episode explains what’s really going on between MailChimp & Shopify, what it means to you as a small business owner, and what you can do next.

Listen now:

You can also listen on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

Here’s what I talk about in today’s episode:

  • Why I think Shopify and MailChimp are really splitting up
  • Should you use a third party app to connect MailChimp and Shopify?
  • The #1 ROI of all marketing activities
  • Email segmentation and why it’s important
  • The clunky nature of MailChimp
  • Who should stay with MailChimp and who needs to move on
  • The BEST of email marketing for e-commerce and why that’s a good thing
  • The email tool I’m recommending that could account for 20% of your sales like it does for Steve Chou

Mentioned in this episode:

Are you a Shopify store owner? What did you think of this split and what are you going to do?

As always, thanks for reading and listening,

Jane

 

How to Do the Work Even When You Don’t Want To

How to pull yourself out of a business funk

What do you do if you’re feeling overwhelmed by your business?

This morning I woke up feeling great. But then, for whatever reason, I immediately started getting in a bad mood. Just thinking of all the work that had to be done, the taxes, the  emails, the content, the podcasts, the client follow up. Oy.

Can’t I just crawl back in bed?

Everything was stupid. I hated everything. Drivers on the road were stupid. My work was stupid. My coffee was stupid. (Who picks on coffee? Geez.)

I was in a FUNK. Does that ever happen to you?

If you ever feel overwhelmed by your business, your life, your coffee…

YOU ARE NOT ALONE.

Let me tell you how to get out of it. How to get un-funked in under 30 minutes.

That’s what this episode is for. How to get to work even when you don’t feel like it and everything around you seems stupid.:)

Listen now:

You can also listen on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

Here’s what I talk about in today’s episode:

  • Being in a funk and getting un-funked in under 30 minutes
  • Brain dumping
  • The possibility of exercise vs. Netflix
  • Wanting it to be easier
  • Eileen Fisher – millionaire truth teller
  • What I learned from Eileen Fisher

Mentioned in this episode:

What about you? What’s your strategy for getting work done when you’re in a funk? LMK in the comments below because I LOVE hearing from you. NOW. Do it now.

Jane

P.S. I’m waiting for your comment. Waiting.

Why People Don’t Buy Your Products Even if They’re Awesome

Today’s episode will help you understand why more people aren’t buying from you and what you can do about it.

Yesterday, a client told me something that disturbed me. She didn’t say anything wrong, but she told me about a key learning point that she JUST learned. A real aha moment.

She’s actually happy about it because it explains to her why more people aren’t buying from her site and she’s making a plan to fix it.

But I’m like…

You JUST learned that? I’ve been preaching and teaching that concept, ad nauseam, for years!! Where did I go wrong that she only really “heard” it yesterday? Where did I go wrong???

So I’m gonna shout out the “why they don’t buy” concept in today’s episode so there’s not one more person who doesn’t get it – ‘cuz it could be hurting your business.

If you’re not selling as much as you’d like, you may be having the same issue my client was having.

If you only listen to ONE podcast of mine ever, evah, EVAH, MAKE IT THIS EPISODE! <– note the all caps and, yes, I’m yelling at you because you need to learn this shizzle today!

Listen now:

You can also listen on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

Here’s what I talk about in today’s episode:

  • The magic of the KLT factor (Know, Like & Trust)
  • How to stop ignoring 48% of your potential customers
  • Why a discount isn’t the only thing you should offer to build your list
  • How to make sure people don’t land on your site only once, never to be seen again

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Want to learn the 5 steps to getting all the online sales you ever wanted? It all starts here.

Your homework:

Let’s talk about the 48%. What are you going to do to capture the “other 48%”? Don’t leave me hanging, people! Leave a comment below – I can’t wait to read what you say.

Jane

From Almost Shutting Down to an 8-Figure Business with Jen Geale (Part 2)

Interview with Jen Geale

How cool would it be to own a profitable 8-figure e-commerce store? Do you ever wonder what that really takes?

I’m PSYCHED to share part 2 of my interview with Jen Geale, co-owner of Mountain Bikes Direct. To give you an idea of how awesome my guest today really is, here are  few quotes…

“You hear from so many people who tell you about how their business is going now and how it’s awesome. But I often wonder, how many people have gotten to an awesome businesses without going through some sort of valley of despair at some point?? And I dunno, but that’s the story I want to hear about.”

“I want to hear how people overcame challenges so that I can either overcome those challenges or avoid those challenges altogether.”

“Forgive me for putting an ad in front of you, but I’m giving away a mountain bike holiday. You tend to get really good engagement with that kind of stuff. I mean, what else should we show them, you know, what else should we advertise? 

“The giveaway wasn’t actually that hard to organize but it had massive returns for us.”

Jen’s business had grown to $1 million in sales pretty quickly but there was zero profit and no money leftover in the bank. They almost shut the whole thing down but they gave themselves 6 months to turn it around.  Part 1 tells that part of the story.

(If you missed part 1 of the interview, click here.)

Today’s interview is all about scaling the business and how Jen and her partners grew from $1 million in sales to 8-figures. 🙂

Jen is SO HONEST about the successes and the struggles and doesn’t hold back with what they’ve done to grow. I love how she refers to the struggles as the “valley of despair”.

Here’s what we discuss in this episode:

  • The power of an email list – especially when there’s a small budget for marketing
  • Why she and her partners have resisted building a HUGE list
  • Using giveaways to grow the business
  • Why they’re focusing on the on-site experience
  • Increasing conversion rates
  • Why it’s so important to define your own version of success
  • Switching the business from a “lowest price” focus to a site with true expertise in the niche and customer service

Have a listen to part 2 of the interview right here…

You can also listen on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

Mentioned in this episode:

What do you think about this episode? How awesome is Jen? I’d love to know your biggest takeaway so leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Jane

Sales Online Were $1 Million But Zero Profit Left Over with Jen Geale (Part 1)

Imagine you start an online store and grow sales to $1 million pretty quickly. How awesome would that be? And everyone around you thinks you’re successful and doing great.

But you know differently.

Yes, sales are rolling in. But, and it’s a big BUT, you ain’t go no money. There’s nothing left in your bank account and you’re not profitable.

Then what???

You have 2 options.

  1. Shut down your e-commerce site completely because mama’s got rent, or…
  2. Figure out a way to get profitable in the next 6 months. Period. Profitability or bust.

These were the only 2 options for my guest today.

In this episode, I interview Jen Geale, one of the owners of Mountain Bikes Direct. They sell gear, bikes, and accessories for the mountain bike niche in Australia.

Jen is so honest about what she and her partners did when faced with a $1 million dollar business that wasn’t making any money.

You’re going to love Jen – she’s awesome – and so is her business journey.

Have a listen…

You can also listen on iTunes and Stitcher Radio

What we cover in this episode:

  • When all 4 partners took a red pen to the P&L
  • How they turned around their e-commerce store in only 6 months
  • Being ruthless with product offerings to increase margins

Mentioned in this episode:

  • Jen’s online store, Mountain Bikes Direct, MTB Direct
  • Jane’s best-selling course for online sellers – Sell More Products Online – SMPO

What do you think about this episode? I’d love to know your biggest takeaway so leave me a comment and let’s chat!

Thanks for reading and listening,

Jane

 

7 Female Entrepreneurs Doing Business Their Own Way

It’s International Women’s Day and that makes me smile like a toddler on her birthday.

I’ve chosen 7 women who knocked my socks off this week because they executed on an idea that will help grow their business quickly and professionally.

The most successful clients I work with are the ones who take fast action when they get a good business idea. The ones who can barely stay on the line until the end of a coaching session because they’re dying to start IMPLEMENTING what they just learned.

Speed to implementation matters. 

In my experience with hundreds of product-based entrepreneurs, speed to execution is one of the tells. A true sign of who will be successful.

Each of these 7 entrepreneurs is running their business on their own terms, and they’re doing the hard stuff:

  • Getting cozy with spreadsheets even if they “hate math and numbers”
  • Staying consistent with their marketing no matter how busy they get
  • Making quick business decisions without second guessing themselves to death
  • Embracing the spirit of “perfect is good but DONE is better”

They’re all at different stages of businesses and they’re all doing it in their own way.

Whether it’s list building, digital marketing, videos, inventory control, or making the hard freaking decisions, these women are executing on ideas quickly.

You will learn a TON from this dream team of seven.

Have a listen:

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes and Stitcher Radio.

Mentioned in today’s podcast:

Your turn…

Do you feel inspired? What’s your biggest takeaway from this episode? I LOVE hearing from you so leave a comment below.

As always, thanks for reading and listening.

Jane

P.S. Want to know who’s who??

 

 

How Often Should I Follow Up With a Retail Buyer?

contacting a retail buyer from Nordstrom

When you’re contacting wholesale buyers, it’s a tricky balance of contacting buyers enough to stay on their radar without feeling desperate for the sale or appearing stalker-ish. 

In this episode, I answer a question from a clothing designer…

“I reached out to Nordstrom via LinkedIn and the buyer responded with a message with her email and interest to check out my line sheet this past Saturday. I responded via LinkedIn the same day that I have sent her the linesheet and information via Gmail. It’s been five days but I don’t want to come off obnoxious or desperate. When would you say would be an appropriate time to follow up? Next Monday? Thank you!” 

First of all, kudos to you for getting an actual response from this Nordstrom buyer! Just think about how many times she gets pitched in a week. The fact that you got her attention is a terrific sign.

I get it that you don’t want to seem sales-y or desperate for the sale, but waiting 5 days to contact her is not going to be enough. Most entrepreneurs give up way too early and easily and lose the sale because they don’t follow up enough. In fact, the author of Guerilla Marketing tells us…

“68% of Sales are Lost Due to Poor Follow-up” – Jay Conrad Levinson

68%! Ouch. I’ll explain the strategy I would use to contact a Nordstrom buyer in a moment. but first, you should probably understand something…

To be a retail buyer is to be in EMAIL HELL.

I was a buyer for 14 years and got pitched so often I became numb to cold pitches. I can only imagine what it’s like to be a big-box retail buyer like this Nordstrom buyer.

So what’s the fine line between stalker and a 68%-lose-the-sale quitter?

Let me explain…

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes and Stitcher Radio. 

Mentioned in this Episode:

How about you? Are you selling your products wholesale? What works BEST for you to get a retail buyer’s attention? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

As always, thanks for listening (and reading),

Jane

What’s the BEST Way to Grow My Online Store?

I recently got this question from a Shopify store owner…

“My sales are growing steadily (we did almost 300K online last year) but we’re still not very profitable. I need to grow my sales to have better cash flow. What’s the BEST way to grow my business so I can be profitable? Maybe I need to focus more in Instagram?”

  • Instagram stories? 
  • Get more Press?
  • Influencers? 
  • Viral YouTube videos? 
  • Facebook ads?
  • Hire an SEO expert?

All of these things can work – and they do. But it’s not any of these that will truly help you take your business to the next level.

The BEST way to grow your online store is to bring your focus to 4 specific aspects of your business. It’s not more complicated than that.

Let me explain the FOUR things…

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes and Stitcher Radio. 

Also…

If you’re serious about wanting to GROW your online store, I’m doing a free webinar to help.

We’ll dive deep into what you should do – and NOT do – if you want to go from “OK” online sales to holy-moses-my-phone-keeps-dinging-with-sales types of days. 🙂

It’s all brand-new info, it’s free, and you can register here:

janehamill.com/grow

What are YOU doing to grow your business? What’s working for you right now? I love hearing from you so please let me know in the comments.

Jane

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