Marketing the Amici Way

Tips to Shorten Your Sales Cycle

2011-02-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

1. Create a crisp, clear Value Proposition - Ask your clients: How do I provide value in what I do? Once you have the answer, refine your message, practice it, live it.

2. Talk to the RIGHT person - You MUST talk to the decision maker, this is usually at the top. Start at the TOP, you can always move down the ladder.

3. Uncover the Prospect's Needs - Stop talking at your client, start asking questions!

4. Gain Trust and Confidence in Your Company - Provide stories, testimonials, case studies and examples on how you have helped other companies.

5. Deal with Objections Early On - Objections can actually be HELPFUL to the buying process. Get to them quickly and act quickly.

6. Plan Each Conversation - "Plan your work, work your plan". Have a plan before each and every conversation with your prospects.

7. Advance the sale to the next step - Supply answers to questions, new information and a reason to have a discussion about how you will meet their needs.

8. Make it EASY for the prospect to buy - At the very least, have an entry level service or product available that makes it easy for the prospect to buy: a pilot program, free assessment, free trial offer.

9. Provide Value in your Marketing - Create and leverage value-based offers and experiences in your marketing efforts.

10. Be Persistent - 5 to 7 yes's for a close. Enough said, the squeaky wheel gets the grease!

Excerpt from Earn.com

Thought of the Day

2011-02-25T13:03:00.000-05:00

The right people and the right motivation can solve most management problems. Often management is the process of trying to get the wrong people to perform for less than they are worth.

Thought of the Day

2011-02-24T13:02:00.001-05:00

People matter–something that many people in management quickly forget!

Party Favors: Flower Pots and Seeds

2011-02-24T11:46:00.000-05:00

Flower pots and seeds. Plant and flower seeds are the perfect party favor for a spring event. Seeds can be purchased from your local nursery for a reasonable price. Then, use glass baby food jars without the labels (or tiny planters sold for cheap at craft stores) to plant the seeds in potting soil for each guest. Tie ribbon around the rim of the jar and include a small, handwritten tag that states the name of the flower and care instructions. Try to vary seeds according to your guests: for those who live in apartments, pick something they can easily grow indoors. Give herb seeds to your foodie friends. Even better—if you’re a gardener, share seeds from your own perennials.

http://ow.ly/41YKk

Thought of the Day

2011-02-23T14:14:00.000-05:00

People want their jobs to be important and fulfilling. Management has the ability to make a problem interesting or boring–often simply in the way the problem is framed and presented.

Human Resource Leadership Awards

2011-02-23T11:55:00.002-05:00

The Human Resource Leadership Awards are the only independent awards that promote and advance excellence in the HR profession in the greater Washington D.C. area by:

Recognizing individuals and teams who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and strategic vision within the HR function. Providing scholarships to the HR leaders of the future.

Nominate someone you know: a direct report, colleague, boss, client, mentor or even yourself. The 2011 award categories are Ethics, Innovation, Leadership, Mentoring, Social Responsibility and Strategic Alignment. In addition, HRLA will recognize a group of Emerging Leaders and award scholarships. Nominations are due by March 4.

http://hrleadership.org/nominations%20OPEN%202011.html

Mangement Quote

2011-02-23T11:22:00.001-05:00

If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings—and put compensation as a carrier behind it—you almost don’t have to manage them. ~ Jack Welch

Customer Service in America stinks

2009-07-30T10:07:00.002-04:00

The Research Institute of America conducted a study for the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, which found:

Only 4 percent of unhappy customers bother to complain. For every complaint we hear, 24 others go uncommunicated to the company—but not to other potential customers.
90 percent who are dissatisfied with the service they receive will not come back or buy again.
To make matters worse, each of those unhappy customers will tell his or her story to at least nine other people.
Of the customers who register a complaint, between 54 percent and 70 percent will do business again with the organization if their complaint is resolved. That figure goes up to 95 percent if the customer feels that the complaint was resolved quickly.
68 percent of customers who quit doing business with an organization do so because of company indifference. It takes 12 positive incidents to make up for one negative incident in the eyes of customers.

Attract High Quality Prospects

2009-07-16T00:29:00.000-04:00

To begin attracting high quality prospects you must be willing to do what others don't, so you that can eventually enjoy the things that others won't!

Quick Tips:

1. You Tube- post 2 minute value filled videos consecutively.
2. Articles- write compelling articles geared towards your target market and post them on sites such as Ezines.com, Linked in groups, face book, hubpages.com, etc.
3. Ezines- Post articles consecutively.
4. Traffic Swarm- Surf for credits daily and post your ads for others to see.
5. Face Book- Create an eye catching profile and join groups while adding friends. GREAT NETWORKING!
6. Free Classifieds- Post Ads for your opportunity or system on kijiji.com, sell.com, usfreeads.com etc.
7. LinkedIn - Leverage your network, build alliances, offer value, join groups, and provide solutions.
8. Forums- Leverage forums such as betternetworker.com, conqueryourniche.com, warriorforum.com participate in these communities and add value. The power is in your signature where you can place back links to your website!
9. Blogs- Creating a blog is the best way to generate leads, drive traffic to your website, and get good SEO rankings to climb up the Google ladder. In addition it gives you the ability to provide a one stop shop for all your information and affiliate programs.

Marketing as Service

2009-07-15T01:24:00.000-04:00

For years, marketers were more concerned with what they said, rather than what their target heard, resulting in endless monologues. Marketers who continually support their customers through the course of life, providing value in each communication, will succeed. The value exchange can take many forms, but only if the marketer understands the needs and aspirations of its target and commits to a genuine dialogue at every point of contact. Marketers who treat marketing as a service and deliver real value to customers and prospects alike will undoubtedly triumph in the end.

Roll Video

2009-07-14T01:22:00.001-04:00

With 70+% broadband penetration, streaming video is a must marketing tool. eMarketer reported 123 million Americans watch a video monthly; three-quarters tell a friend. Whether a B-to-B or B-to-C marketer, video is an enormous opportunity to engage, educate and entertain. Lots of brands are producing instructional videos to help customers install or use their product or service. Others create pure entertainment, hoping to build brand affinity or drive traffic. But the ubiquity of video is not without challenges. With over 7 million hours of video online, cutting through requires quality storytelling and judicious editing.

Get Game

2009-07-13T01:19:00.001-04:00

Gaming now permeates society, creating fresh ways for marketers to connect. Millions of non-golfers are swinging virtual clubs as Nintendo's Wii transformed video games. Senior citizen centers bought Wiis to entertain guests and connect with grandchildren. MTV invested $500 million in online games. Even B-to-B marketers will be smart to give gaming a fresh look while blending in messaging, training or recruiting.

Time to Go Green

2009-07-10T01:18:00.001-04:00

A "green" plan is no longer a luxury. Every day, another venerable brand commits to a sustainable future. While there is much "green washing," rating services like B Corporation will set standards that will have major corporations fighting to prove their green. As GE announces billions in green-related sales, and BP fends off bad eco-press, you may find a new seat in the boardroom, the CGO (Chief Green Officer).

More, More, More! - E-mail That Is!!

2009-07-09T01:13:00.000-04:00

All too common is an e-mailer’s sentiment that “E-mail is cheap! We can touch our customers and prospects many more times at a much cheaper cost than direct mail, social media, public relations or advertising. With budgets so tight, we’d be crazy not to put it all into e-mail!”

Wrong, wrong and wrong! E-mail can be a very expensive proposition when done wrong. You can lose customers, prospects, credibility, not to mention that you can easily get blacklisted by major ISPs (Internet Service Providers) and corporate networks. E-mailing irrelevant, inferior and inappropriate messages over and over again to compete for your audiences’ attention can cause permanent damage to your company’s brand reputation. The road to recovery will be long and arduous, guaranteed, and you may never earn the attention of your original audiences again.

For your e-mail marketing efforts to be effective – successful from a business, marketing and sales perspective – your communications must entertain, inform, educate and then, sell.

Excerpt: Tips for E-mail Marketing Success: Quality over Quantity

Tips for Writing Effective Minutes

2009-07-06T11:55:00.001-04:00

Minutes are an important means of recording and remembering what went on during a business meeting. Even if the meeting is recorded on audio or video, written minutes are useful for verifying and sharing what happened.

Here are some tips for writing effective minutes:

Give all pertinent details. Include relevant personnel—both those at the meeting and those absent. Include the date and place of the meeting, as well as the beginning and ending times. Record all topics discussed, along with the names of those who took part in the discussion.

Include outcomes. Note all decisions made or resolutions passed, including details of any votes. Record the names of people who were given assignments or who volunteered to work on a project.

Ask for clarification. If necessary, ask a speaker to repeat what he or she said, and always verify figures and facts.

Indicate supplementary materials. If handouts or graphics were used, note them in the minutes and attach copies. If an electronic presentation was given, note the content and whether it is available on the company’s Web site.

Note any follow-ups. Give details of related meeting dates or deadlines. Disseminate written minutes. After receiving feedback, make any necessary corrections and publish the minutes.

When taking notes, using shorthand and abbreviations can enable you to get everything down. For the sake of accuracy, rewrite the minutes as soon as possible following a meeting. Finally, keep the real purpose of meeting minutes in mind: Documenting the events of a meeting for future reference and establishing a clear record of ongoing events.

Excerpt: UpWrite Press

Prospects

2009-07-03T23:16:00.002-04:00

You ever feel like you don’t have anything worthwhile to share with your prospects?

Maybe you’re a little hesitant to really “put yourself out there” because you’re afraid of what others might say or think. Maybe you’re doubting whether people will really want to hear what YOU have to say. Does any of this ring a bell with you?

It’s normal to have those skeptical thoughts run through your head. Just take a deep breath and relax. Look inside and build on what is really important to you and go from there.

Create a Path for Success

2009-07-01T08:40:00.001-04:00

As businesses prepare for rebuilding, the executives who lead these organizations need to start thinking about a more productive and profitable future. The first step is to advance your thinking from the past year and focus on what can be achieved in the future. Experts stress that you need to know where you’re going, so you can create a path to get there.

Create an After Expo Plan

2009-06-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

What do you do when you get back to the office after a trade show?

Once you get back to your office; schedule a meeting with your sales manager to review the leads and assign them to the appropriate sales person for follow up. Make sure the person who receives the lead is accountable for calling them in a timely manner and make sure they have been given detailed notes on the conversation from the booth. Most importantly, periodically check in with each sales person on their progress with their leads and if any business has been closed as a result of your marketing efforts at the show. By doing so, you will have some quantifiable data to give you an accurate ROI from your trade show participation.

Prepare ideas for follow-up a week, month, 3 months, 6 months, and even 10 months out. What level of attendee should receive the appropriate amount of follow-up? That depends on the conversations you are having, and the type of services you provide.

Consider ways to reach out to your prospects that include data they can use (like an article from a magazine or website). If you use email follow-up (like everyone), how will your message stand out? Are you visible year round with advertising, involvement, or even written articles? Soft visibility is important to build trust.

Personalization goes a long way with everyone. For great prospects, consider a hand-written note immediately following the event to thank them for visiting your booth. The sooner you make contact after the EXPO closes, the more apt the prospect is going to remember your conversation.

The Right Mind Set

2009-06-29T07:56:00.000-04:00

Did You Know...66% or more of a salesperson's success is actually due to how they approach their work day. If you think the bad economy or anything else will affect your sales, well guess what, it will. You cannot be successful in sales if you wake-up each day complaining about how difficult it is to make a sale.

Understand What Makes Your Company Different And Then Telling It To Every Prospect

Ask each salesperson who works for you to answer this one question as if you were a prospect: "Tell me, what makes our business any better or any different than the competition?" Why should you ask this question? The answer to that is simple; it will give you an understanding of how well-prepared that salesperson is about your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). And if they spout out things like "how great your classes/trainers are" or "how long you have been in business," you can be sure that they will be competing on price more than ever before.

Try it and see what happens.

Coaching Drives Candor

2009-06-26T08:55:00.000-04:00

Many organizations are investing in improving the way their sales managers coach. There are many benefits to this focus, but one solid outcome is creating a more candid environment. Why is this important? Think about how important forecasting is right now and the amount of pressure that comes down to achieve the targets that have been assigned.

Without a coaching oriented leadership team, you will see overcommitted forecasts, opportunity pursuit plans with missing risks and a burned out sales manager coming up short trying to save the day on every deal. Top organizations are focusing their coaching efforts around accounts and opportunities to keep it centered on results.

Invest in Viable Deals

2009-06-25T09:51:00.001-04:00

When resources are scarce, it is important to invest in viable deals. When sales are down, salespeople tend to hold on to opportunities longer than usual. World-Class sales organizations are more than three times more likely to have an established process to know when to stop investing in a large deal.

One coaching tip is to find out if the key contact in each opportunity is willing to provide access to others in their organization. Not getting this access is a highly accurate warning sign that something needs to change in the pursuit plan, including a decision to stop pursuit.

Solve Your Prospects Challenges

2009-06-24T09:40:00.000-04:00

Prospects, like your current customers, have new challenges they are trying to solve. Salespeople who can articulate how they can help solve these issues are much more likely to get their calls and voicemails returned.

Learn what your salespeople are saying when trying to secure time with prospects. Which salespeople are getting the best return rate on calls? As a manager, you should be leveraging these best practices for the benefit of the rest of the team. This is a scalable activity.

Invest Time With your Customers

2009-06-23T09:38:00.000-04:00

There is no better place to invest time in current market conditions than with your current customers. But the most common mistake made when trying to secure this time with customers is that salespeople lack a valid business reason.

Your customers are facing new challenges. The reasons they started doing business with you may have changed in recent months. It is important to learn what’s changed,but salespeople must be prepared to bring value to the conversation. Trying to schedule time to “catch up” is not likely to produce results.

What's In it For Me?

2009-06-22T05:39:00.000-04:00

Stressing Image Over Substance

Image advertising is all about you and your business. How great you are, your qualifications, years in business, full-service product line, etc.. But your prospects don't care about you, they care about themselves. Anyone reading or listening to your ad has one question in mind: "What's in it for me?"

Simply put, an image ad has no way to track results. Its goal is to keep the company name in front of the public and often tries very hard to be clever. Watch any beer and soft drink commercials and you'll know what I mean. By contrast, a direct response ad is trackable using "coded" responses. Your business knows exactly which ads their prospects are responding to. This helps you measure the effectiveness of each ad.

Follow Up on Your Exhibit Leads

2009-06-19T10:41:00.000-04:00

Did you know that according to the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), nearly 80% of trade show attendees are never followed up with after initial exhibitor contact!?

Imagine if your sales team only followed up with 20% of the phone calls they received!? While not every lead at an event can be treated the same, an effective follow up plan is imperative to an exhibitor's return on investment. The one unique factor that separates trade shows from every other marketing vehicle is the fact that you get to interact and ask questions of the prospective customer face-to-face. In doing so, you are getting valuable information from them that will indicate their purchasing power, their timing for purchase, and ultimately their overall challenges that perhaps your products and services can solve.

Follow-up is Key

2009-06-19T08:26:00.001-04:00

Follow up with any marketing initiative immediately. So many companies make the mistake of putting out messages and not following up on the success of the initiatives in a timely fashion. Set timelines for yourself to look back on your initiatives, find out which media you put out that was most effective for you and create a new strategy based on these results.

How effective would it be to spend thousands of dollars on a television campaign, invest in a following campaign and then find out at the end of your fiscal year that your web advertisements you developed in your first quarter outshone any other initiative you decided on all year.

Market to Your Customers

2009-06-18T05:01:00.000-04:00

Market your product towards your customers, not towards yourself. When you come up with the concept for a product ask yourself "does my product really provide a solution to a customer need?"

So many brand developers come up with great ideas for products only to find out that if your friends and family like the idea - it doesn't necessarily mean the general public will like it. Get professional opinions outside of your circle and really test the true concept of your product.

Make your Marketing Message Sizzle

2009-06-17T05:12:00.000-04:00

Do you know how to make your marketing message sizzle in the mind of your prospective customer? People are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages every minute of the day, from all angles. Making your message "stick" in their mind seems like a challenging task.

Empathize with their pain

The more you can show you understand the specific pain, discomfort or problem that your prospect suffers from, the more they will be inclined to believe you when you tell them you have a solution.

A physical trainer shouldn't ask, "Tired of being overweight?" because this doesn't touch the real pain. Instead they might ask, "Are you afraid that your kids might grow up alone, without their father?"

This is much more direct and shows that you truly understand the challenges of being overweight. Only once you've shown your prospect that you really understand their pain (not just their "problem") and have created both hope and desire by painting them a "perfect picture", it's time to connect the dots with a solution. The key is to show how your particular solution is the best, easiest or most appropriate way for them to move from pain to perfect picture as quickly as possible.

Special Quote #11

2009-06-16T05:31:00.000-04:00

If I set a goal and don't quite make it, I haven't failed! I am much further along than if I had never set a goal in the first place. My plan is to change the date, adjust the goal, learn from my mistakes and keep moving forward! Because I now know and believe that a goal is a dream with a deadline. I can always change the deadline! - Dr. Pamela

Is you Ad Message Complete

2009-06-15T17:03:00.001-04:00

When you are developing your advertising message for your customers make sure that you have a powerful headline that complements that strategy behind your product. If these don't match, your advertising message will not make sense. Your call to action should reflect what you want your consumer's response to be, as well as provide me with the pertinent information.

Watch the Prospect

2009-06-15T05:21:00.001-04:00

When a prospect says something positive about your products or your company, get him or her to expand on it by asking,"Why do you say that?". Then sit back and watch the prospect sell you on your products and your business.

Think about it.

Glimmer of Hope

2009-06-12T21:41:00.000-04:00

People are starting to see them everywhere. Little glimmers of hope are beginning to poke their way through the despair, surefire signals that the economy is starting to turn around. As the economic pendulum begins to swing and confidence starts to rise, it's more important than ever to ensure your business is in a position to gain market share when we come out on the other side.

So, what can you do to get ready? We all know that planning a budget, managing inventory, and knowing when to hire and fire employees are never easy, but a dysfunctional economy has now made forecasting all but impossible. Try tightening the planning and shortening the planning cycle. Review your progress more often than usual and re-evaluate your goals and budget monthly instead of just annually or quarterly. Look for leading indicators of sales like website traffic, phone calls or incoming leads. By building flexibility into your business plan, you can remain nimble and react quickly to unexpected events.

Consider Your Copy

2009-06-11T21:44:00.000-04:00

This article has been excerpted from Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps by Susan Gunelius, available from Entrepreneur Press.

Whether you're a small-business owner, a medium-size business owner, an eBay seller, or simply trying to break into the copywriting industry, understanding the fundamentals of writing sales-oriented copy and put you on a path to success. At its core, copywriting is another device in a business' marketing toolbox. Well-written copy can make or break an ad or marketing piece. With that in mind, copywriting can equate to either well-spent advertising investments or a waste of advertising dollars.

Many people misinterpret the uniqueness of effective copywriting. I can't count the number of times I've heard freelance writers say they want to shift from article writing to copywriting as if it's simply an extension of their existing abilities. Copywriting does come naturally to some people, but for most, it's a foreign landscape they do not know how to navigate. Copywriting is about more than writing the hard sell sales letter that many short copywriting courses offer. In fact, I cringe when I see those over-the-top sales letters, which do little more than provide an ugly representation of copywriting, sales and marketing.

Motivate your customer to buy with these 10 copywriting steps:

1. Exploit your product's benefits

2. Exploit your competition's weaknesses

3. Know your audience

4. Communicate W.I.I.F.M. (What's In It For Me?)

5. Focus on "you," not "we"

6. Understand your medium

7. Avoid T.M.I. (Too Much Information)

8. Include a call to action

9. C.Y.A. (Cover Your Ass)

10. Proofread

Smaller Firms more Vulnerable to in-house Larceny

2009-06-10T22:13:00.001-04:00

Excerpt
June 5, 2009 by Jim Giuliano
Posted in: Special Report

In an economic downturn, small firms find themselves hit by more incidents of in-house larceny. Here’s why - and what to do about it.

First, the statistics. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners looked at 959 cases of in-house fraud and embezzlement, and came up with the following conclusions:

* The median loss in this study was $175,000.
* The typical period between the time of the first act of fraud and the time someone was caught was two years. In other words, most of the instances of theft went undetected for long periods.
* Most of the thefts were committed by first-time offenders - people who appeared squeaky-clean prior to getting caught. Only 7% of fraud perpetrators in the study had prior convictions, and only 12% had been previously terminated by an employer for fraud-related conduct.
* Most of the perpetrators were caught as a result of tips from employees or others, rather than by audits (more on that below).
* Most of the victims were small businesses - who thought their size was an advantage for keeping track of cash and the people who handle it.

To make matters worse, in-house fraud and embezzlement tend to worsen as the economy worsens, for at least two reasons:
1. Cash-strapped employees get desperate and are more likely to scheme against their employers.
2. Layoffs tend to leave holes in the usual controls designed to prevent fraud.

What to do about it

The ACFE study examined what might have been done to prevent fraud in the 959 cases:

* Look for it in the obvious places. Fact is, fraud and embezzlement usually take place exactly where you’d expect: your accounting department that handles the money. There are variations of fraud and embezzlement - some in billing, some in accounts payable and so on. But no matter the variation, the problem usually exists in the accounting department.
* Use checks and balances as much as possible. As mentioned above, many instances of fraud were uncovered as a result of tips: one employee’s noting misdeeds by another. (In a minority of cases, the tips came from customers, vendors and others.) One suggestion: Use cross-training and job rotation, so that one employee isn’t solely responsible for one area all the time.
* Use surprise internal audits. Big, planned audits or those conducted by outsiders are effective and have their place, but the surprise internal audit remains the most effective deterrent and means of detection.

Tips for Using Twitter For Marketing

2009-06-04T13:35:00.000-04:00

While Twitter has quickly turned into a way to promote business, easily, quickly and for free.

Linking

Users can put a link to their website in their profile, not just in posts. So as people visit a user's page, they might see the link, click on it and increase that site's page views.

Commenting

Those who are serious about getting the word out are not only good about posting their own comments, but will reply to other people's comments. They might simply say, "great idea!", but doing so puts their tweets on those who follow the person they are commenting to. Before they know it, they have more followers, and that's more potential customers.

Connecting

Smart businesses put a widget on their web page that suggests others "follow me on Twitter" but even smarter businesses are finding better ways to get noticed. These smart Twitter users will put a widget on their page that gives people the opportunity to quickly and easily put a link to a site on their Twitter page. At TweetThisSite, a free download offers just such an opportunity. People no longer have to follow the business Tweets, but can click on links in others' profiles that increase site traffic.

There are many ways to leverage the power of Twitter. The key is to be smart, be ahead of the game and be willing to try new things.

Small Businesses Need to Market During Recessions

2009-06-03T08:28:00.001-04:00

Many small businesses are painfully unaware of how critical this is to their businesses. With 80% of American households turning to the search engines for local business results, it's time for small businesses to develop your web presence.

Historically, recessions force businesses to cut costs. Many small businesses decide that the first cost needing to be cut is the marketing budget. Notice how big business does things. They cut jobs, reduce manufacturing, tighten their product focuses...but they don't touch their marketing budget. Why? Because marketing is the act of finding, engaging, and creating customers. Advertising is only part of the equation, but it's a big part. Without customers, there is no business. So why do some small businesses cut that out of their expenses?

The internet may be your only solution for survival. With over 80% of households turning to the search engines for local business results, you now have the opportunity to dominate. Don't loose this window of opportunity.

Trade show Marketing, It's All About Making Impressions.

2009-06-02T08:16:00.000-04:00

Trade show marketing is really all about making impressions. Successful exhibitors give careful thought to everything from display design and tag lines to novelty promotional products, and the selection of optimal floor space. Now in days budgets are stretched and nothing is overlooked while focusing on the goal of putting the company's best image on display.

Trade shows and other forms of event marketing have one clear advantage: They are people events. Businesses are run by people and customers are always people. A handshake and a greeting, as a way to start the prospecting/sales process, supercedes everything else.

Managing your personal impression is more important than anything assembled, printed or distributed. Always being conscious that impressions are emotional, not fact-based, will be the real foundation of successful marketing. Impressions are not about what you want someone to think, but how you want them to feel.

Treat your next marketing event like you were hosting a party at your home. Greeting people with a smile and a handshake will make them feel welcome and happy to be there. This approach will serve you well in your goal of turning attendees into prospects and customers. Standing slump-postured with your arms folded or talking on a cell phone let's people know you have priorities greater than spending a few minutes with them.

Let Go of Old Marketing Pieces

2009-06-01T08:07:00.000-04:00

Help spread the word that as a business owner, sometimes you need to take notice of how things look. Give your website the once-over and compare it with the up and coming competitors from time to time. Check out your business card, your direct mail pieces, and maybe even your tagline. Over time, the look, the feel, the perception of your marketing pieces by the people who matter (your target market) can fall victim to "old age" and this isn't a good thing.

It is very important to stay consistent with your brand, but you also want to stay connected with what your target market wants and likes. And if you're not giving it to them, someone else will.

Look at your marketing pieces with a discerning eye and ask other people what they think. (Tip: Don't start with people who originally designed the pieces. They are too close to their work.) Hold a survey. Develop some focus group sessions. Do what you need to do in order to get true stock on current marketing pieces and whether they need a refresher or complete overhaul.

Your business will looke fresher, be relevant, be seen, and beat out your competition for sure!

Special Quote #10

2009-05-29T09:22:00.001-04:00

"Stop selling what you have and start selling what your prospect need."

Your Sales Performance Starts With These 6 Things

2009-05-29T01:52:00.001-04:00

The Right Mind-Set - 66% or more of a salesperson's success is actually due to how they approach their work day. If you think the bad economy or anything else will affect your sales, well guess what, it will. You cannot be successful in sales if you wake-up each day complaining about how difficult it is to make a sale.
Understand What Makes Your Professional Training Company Different And Then Telling It To Every Prospect - Ask each salesperson who works for you to answer this one question as if you were a prospect: "Tell me, what makes our business any better or any different than the competition?" Why should you ask this question? The answer to that is simple; it will give you an understanding of how well-prepared that salesperson is about your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). And if they spout out things like "how great your classes/trainers are" or "how long you have been in business," you can be sure that they will be competing on price more than ever before.
Get Your Prospecting Database Aligned and Organized - One of the biggest challenges you will face is the organization of your salespeople's prospecting database(s). If you cannot direct your salespeople to your most fertile prospects, guess what? They won't find them either.
Become Better At The Art of Selling - Practice, practice and practice even more. Make sure your salespeople know you are tracking their "sales metrics" and help those who are having a tough time. The key metrics for the most organizations are: # of "oh by the way" calls, # of appointments set each week, # of proposals sent, # of referrals they received, # of proposals closed and how much money they brought in. Remember, a good sales leader grows salespeople not sales.
Make More "Oh By The Way" Calls - As I mentioned above, the number of "oh by the way" calls is a critical metric to track. Why? Because magic starts to happen when a sales person picks up the phone to follow-up on a marketing campaign.
Automate Your Marketing Campaigns - If you are a business owner or the person responsible for sales, do not let your salespeople do their own "street marketing." Why? Because it will not be done well or consistently. Our research has determined that salespeople tend to be poor writers and lack the skills necessary to create compelling marketing campaigns.

Assess what People are Really Thinking

2009-05-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

If the recession has you rethinking your marketing strategy or plan, or if you are concerned about how your crew is handling the uncertainty with each other and with customers, it may be time to assess what people are really thinking within the four walls of your organization.

Removing dysfunction in your company's execution of marketing is always important, but it is never more important than when times are tough. You must have a team approach to your fight on the recession's impact. But to have a team approach, you must have buy-in from employees to the marketing strategy. And, to truly have buy-in, you must must engage your employees from the very beginning of your planning (or re-planning) process!

Engage in Social Media - Do not Fear

2009-05-27T09:16:00.000-04:00

If you read blogs about marketing small companies, you're inundated with "social media" advice about why you need a blog and a Twitter account and everything else. Still, most people and most businesses don't think they need a blog.

Did you know that Back in the late 1990s, there was a day when suddenly every company in the western world decided they needed a website. Not that anyone knew what a website was for. Was it a brochure? A storefront? A billboard? What pushed everyone over the edge was that they soon realized that if you didn't have a website you were invisible.

Sure you had advertisement and PR; you could get a message in front of people. But then what? It's not just a new media, it's a completely different world. Business models are changed forever. Flash-forward to today, and the same pattern is emerging, just in a different guise.

Tips for Tech-Enabled Prospecting

2009-05-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

With so many new options to communicate, why does it seem harder to connect with and secure appointments with prospects? Even when you use modern technology to reach prospects and schedule appointments, be sure you apply some fundamentals that have proven successful in the past. Here are a few reminders for contacting prospects in order to schedule time:

DO address potential business challenges they may be facing in opening statements so you have their attention from the beginning.

DON’T just say "hi."’ Communicate something of value – demonstrate that you understand their business or industry, how you have helped organizations like theirs solve problems or increase in areas like profitability or efficiency.

DO offer research information or an article or whitepaper that pertains to some of the issues companies in that industry may be dealing with to pique their interest and position yourself as a credible resource.

DO cut through the clutter. Keep your messages concise and relevant to show that you value their time and attention.

Most importantly, ask your prospects how they prefer to be communicated with: emails, texts, voicemails, instant messages, Linkedin, Twitter? Reaching out to them in the manner they prefer shows you will make them a priority as you advance your business relationship.

Excerpt from Miller Heiman

Make your Website Work For You!

2009-05-22T15:31:00.000-04:00

Create an Architecture for a Content Rich Site

You are going to be writing many, many pages for your website. So the first thing you need do is create a structure for the pages you will be writing. The diagram of a website's architecture looks very much like a family tree. At the top is a single page, the home page. Linked directly from the home page are the second level pages. These are typically the principal categories of the website. Beneath each of these main category pages are the third-level pages.

Ask yourself how many second and third level pages should there be? There are no rules, but you might want to start out aiming for the home page, ten second level pages and ten third level pages for each of the second level pages. That gives you 111 pages in total. And that's about right, because 100 pages is pretty much the minimum number of pages for a content-based website that makes a good passive income.

If that sounds like a lot, don't worry. You don't have to write them all at once. Just work out a structure that makes it easy for your readers to find all the information they want.

Write Useful, Informative Content

Once you have a clean, well organized structure for your site and you know which phrases to use to best optimize each page, it is time to start writing for your readers. While search engine optimization is essential when you want a ton of traffic, your site will ultimately thrive or fail depending on the quality of your content. Make sure that every page is useful and informative. Write in a way that addresses people's interests and concerns and answers their most frequent questions.

Special Quote #9

2009-05-22T08:34:00.002-04:00

I missed 100% of the shots I didn’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky

How Many Touches

2009-05-21T08:09:00.000-04:00

The key to success in marketing is to choose a niche market and then dominate it by using repetitive marketing. What I mean by repetitive marketing is marketing to both your customers and the prospects in your niche market over and over...forever. This keeps your company fresh in the minds of your customers and prospects.

Here is sample marketing campaign a client used over a 1-year time period to absolutely dominate their market:

18 mailings (direct mail - sales letters/promos)
4 personal calls from their sales associate
4 Telephone Voice Broadcasts
52 weekly emails

That is a total of 78 contacts (also known as "touches") per year to each prospect and customer. And, each prospect and customer is being contacted using 3 different marketing channels - direct mail, the telephone, and email. Very, very smart!

If you want to dominate your marketplace, the way to do it is with repetitive marketing. If you are only contacting your customers and prospects a few times per year, you are going to get killed by your competitors. Make it a rule that you should contact every customer and prospect in your database a minimum of once per month and contact them using different channels such as direct mail, phone calls, email, faxes, thank you notes, etc. If you do this, you will quickly dominate your marketplace and have very loyal customers.

Special Quote #8

2009-05-20T13:55:00.000-04:00

The Company That Doesn't Stay In Touch Is Forgotten When Someone Is Ready To Buy.

Growing you Mailing List

2009-05-20T07:20:00.000-04:00

Social media sites offer exciting new ways to showcase your newsletter content and invite people to sign up for your email list. But it’s not about adding your voice just for the sake of increasing exposure. It is about making new connections.The key is demonstrating that you have valuable content to share with new subscribers and then turning those connections into customer relationships — and additions to your mailing list.

Innovate ... Conceptualize your Business Future

2009-05-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

For your next innovation meeting, consider putting down the PowerPoint and picking up some markers instead. Rather than simply discussing the future of your company, invite your team to draw it out.

Give everyone in your meeting a large piece of paper and spread out some fun crafting supplies around the room—markers, crayons, magazines, anything that might help participants visualize the future of your company.

Next, ask people to draw your company in the year 2020. Don’t get into too many specifics; the beauty of this exercise is in everyone’s unique interpretation of the challenge. Give participants 15-25 minutes to complete their artwork, and then ask everyone to share their creations with the rest of the group. What does your company look like 11 years from now? Who are its customers? Where is it located? Who are its competitors? What does it do?

Once everyone has shared their creations, you’ll have a better understanding of how your team views the future of your company, and you can begin to discuss how to get there. Most importantly, you’ll have given everyone an opportunity to voice not just their short-term goals, but their long-term vision.

How To Use Social Media For Branding

2009-05-18T11:49:00.001-04:00

Branding is all about going beyond simply selling to your audience. Branding involves an emotional connection between a company and its key stakeholders, including customers and employees. For a small business, branding is ultra important when you consider local competition

Here are different ways companies can extend brand attributes via social media:

Twitter, Facebook, MySpace - Social networking and relationship building

Flickr - Photo sharing with others

YouTube - Sharing videos

Stumble, Digg, Del.icio.us - Social bookmarking pages and online information

LinkedIn - Professional networking

The first step in developing this deep emotional connection is identifying with your customer what it is that they like above and beyond just having a good price (you’re lying if you say price never plays a role in your shopping decision). Social media lets you reach out to your audience on a one-by-one basis to deeply understand what motivates their behavior.

Excerpt from - How To Use Social Media For Branding

Get Along with People

2009-05-15T11:39:00.001-04:00

Theodore Roosevelt said, "The most important ingredient in the formula for success is knowing how to get along with people."

Business owners who possess great people skills or emotional intelligence have a huge advantage. It doesn't matter how big your company is. It doesn't matter whether you employ three people or four hundred. The customer's first impression of your company is formed based on how you present yourself. No one is born with great people skills. By being aware of your actions, your emotions and how you speak around others you're headed in the right direction.

Quick Tips on Keeping your Customers

2009-05-14T10:41:00.000-04:00

Keeping the customers you already have is vital to staying afloat right now. Using fresh, cost-conscience ideas, such as online promotions, is a great way to keep your base coming back. Be Creative... come up with a few ideas for incorporating online promotions into your marketing that will help you retain customers and weather this challenging economy.

Give Your Customers What They Need, Not What They Want.
Give Your Customers Hard Numbers.
Stay Disciplined in Your Message.

Reflection Of The Day: Prosperity Begins Within, A Deeper Thought

2009-05-13T09:16:00.004-04:00

Reflection of the Day: Prosperity Begins Within, A Deeper Thought

May 12, 2009

So if the past month hasn’t been painful spring cleaning your soul, good for you. Give yourself a hi-five and step into your place of wealth. To the damaged goods I referred to last, stick with me for the next couple of minutes and we’ll join the others in a bit.

Admit The Pain and Don’t Complain

Don’t ignore the wounds. Denying the pain is a counterproductive move. Pain is an indicator that something is not functioning properly so count it a blessing that you are now an informed individual. Knowledge is power and self-knowledge is power on steroids (apologies for lack of a wholesome reference). Once you have identified the issues that cause malfunction in your ability to excel, you are now perfectly positioned on the offense. I call this the stance of the victor. Don’t let your circumstances or your weaknesses torment you with defeat. Resist the victim mentality and adopt the victor’s stance.

Nurse The Wound

So how do you nurse the wound in the victor’s stance without submitting to the temptations of defeat? Treat it like you would a physical wound. With the expectation of recovery,

identify the severity
prescribe and apply the proper treatment
bandage the wound
monitor the healing progress to determine continual treatment

Don’t let the severity of the wound define who you are. Pain is nothing more than a side-effect no matter what degree it manifests. It’s irrelevant to the essence of you. A healthy way of tackling pain is to simply endure it like you would a road block on a highway—you may rant and rave for a brief moment, but ultimately (and quickly, I’d hope) you work your way around. The lesson here is you make do. You find an alternate route (or just plow through, more power to you) and get to the place you need to be without hesitation. Pain will back off when it can no longer intimidate you and manipulate your perspective.

Understand that issues need to be dealt with. They can’t be ignored or simply swept under the rug. It’ll fester into an infection and show up like a persistent bully sometime in the near future. Blow the bully from the roots and “sweep the leg” like Johnny’s sensei told him to do Mr. Miyagi’s apprentice Daniel san. You will have to discern (or seek guidance) as to what would be the best appropriate method of working out your issues and apply them. Don’t skip this step. Just don’t.

Move On

Once you have taken steps to work through your issues and you have set the healing process in motion, it is now safe (and wise) for you to move on. Bandaging the wound has a two-fold impact on your psyche. The maneuver will protect the wound as it undergoes recovery, and it will also simulate health as if it wasn’t there. This allows you to move on as if nothing happened, while (important) you are mindful of the condition and respectful of the healing process.

Why the spring cleaning and the first aid talk? It has everything to do with your financial health. For enduring success and wealth in your life, it’s important to build financial health. This requires the same attention and mindset you would invest in your own physical health. In order to manifest prosperity, you must prosper within, because the inner road blocks will spring up like weeds to tear down what progress you have achieved. Don’t worry, we’ll jump into monetizing your vision as soon as we repair this bridge to your place of prosperity. In time, once healed, you’ll be sporting the battle scars with a proud sense of accomplishment and a million dollar smile. For now, admit the pain, quit the complaint, and move on to the better tomorrow.

Become a Thought Leader

2009-05-12T17:50:00.000-04:00

TV commercials and print ads have been losing their effectiveness for decades. The Internet has only accelerated that curve. Today's TiVo and delete key are yesterday's fast-forward and channel-surfing. As far as print ads go, have you noticed how thin magazines are lately?

So what's a marketer to do? You still have to reach your target audience, right? You now need to put useful and relevant information in that ad space you buy. Your ads can't just talk the talk, they must walk the walk. Some would argue this can only be done in b2b marketing, not b2c. I disagree. Look at the leadership role Apple has taken with iPod. Below are examples of Thought Leadership Marketing.

Talk Less, Listen More...

I've met my share of industry leaders, gurus, wizards and virtuosos. I find most of them ask loads of questions of everyone around them. The seasoned ones tend to be reflective and very observant of what goes on around them. The older they are, the quieter they get.

Start a Newsletter, RSS and/or Blog...

If your product or service has a long lead time, it makes good sense to start a periodic publication online. An email newsletter is the most obvious way to go, but you should probably augment and amortize the content by employing other channels, such as publishing your own blog (which can also help boost your rankings in search engines). When done right, there's no better way to spend your marketing money.

The Power of Public Speaking...

Some people are scared to death to speak in front of audiences while others think they're really good when in fact they aren't. Sometimes, what you have to say is so strong it doesn't need to be polished into a perfectly controlled presentation. But if you are going to be presenting in front of an audience, you might as well communicate as clearly as possible while letting a bit of your personality shine through.

Get Published...

There is a distinct halo effect when you can add the word "author" to your self attributions. If you can get a well-known book publisher to publish you, so much the better. While it is maybe less important in today's digital age than before, it's still impressive. Don't expect to make money on your book. Even with a decent advance you're likely to spend more promoting it, yourself and your firm than you get in an advance.

Tip: What Does Your Competition Miss?

2009-05-07T17:45:00.001-04:00

Whatever it is, it could have your name on it. Often, when looking for a niche to own, it's a good idea to see what is not being done well - or at all - by your competitors. Now you may get lucky and find something that isn't being covered and really does need to be addressed. But then, sometimes there's a good reason why no one is addressing a given niche already. Approach with a skeptical but open mind.

5 Keys to Building Better Benefits Communications

2009-05-07T11:15:00.000-04:00

	Identify and address your key communication challenges
	Increase participation through strategic communications
	Increase message comprehension and retention
	Use communciations to successfully manage problem issues and areas
	Optimize your messages through tracking and measurement

Tip: Learn from Your Competitors

2009-05-06T05:42:00.001-04:00

Before you spend any money, before you budget any funds, see what your competitors are doing. What email channels are they employing? Solo emails? In-line ads within newsletters? Do they have their own newsletters? How do they get new subscribers? Do your competitors run offers similar in nature month in and month out? If so, it's probably working for them, or else they'd do something different. Mind you, sometimes they're testing and don't know themselves if a given campaign is working, which is why you want to track them over months, not weeks.

It's all well and good to closely track and mimic you competitors, but you don't want to do that exclusively or else you only follow in their footsteps. Look for venues where they are not. There may be a good reason why they're not there, or it may be an oversight, or a personal preference that causes them to overlook an opportunity rife with prospects.

Avoid Landing Page Disconnect

2009-05-05T05:37:00.001-04:00

Try to avoid making one landing page that fits all outbound messages. The first job of a landing page is to confirm that the readers of your outbound message have indeed come to the right place. If you've advertised one white paper, but you have four others to offer, first play off the one you originally heralded before you present the others. You may offer the other three white papers after the advertised white paper or on a subsequent screen, but do lead with the original offer. Yes, some forms of email marketing "bury the lead or offer" and force you to read through hundreds or thousands of words of copy, and this can work. But you really need to know how to do this right. The delayed gratification offer better be so juicy as to keep visitors reading on and on before hitting pay dirt.

Loss-Leader White Papers & Webinars

2009-05-01T05:31:00.000-04:00

The Internet is an information treasure trove. People typically turn to it to learn something they don't already know. You may have noticed that most of the ads and solo emails you get from vendors are offering white papers and Webinars. So, it stands to reason that your prospects may be attracted to documents and Webinars on your topic or subject of expertise. Offering discounts on services and products doesn't work as well because these readers aren't in buy-mode, they're in information-gathering mode.

You know your mileage may vary, depending upon your target audience and the venue in which you advertise. But our point here is to examine closely the vehicle in which you advertise and what sort of offers are apt to meet with satisfying response rates. Think about the modality your audience is in when they see your message, be it a newsletter, a solo email, an advertisement within an email newsletter, a website advertising banner, etc.

Tip: Answering the What Do You Do? Question

2009-04-30T17:23:00.001-04:00

Take a moment and think about the results that your work delivers to others. When someone asks you "What do you do?" pretend they asked, "How do you help people?" Then play around with some new ways you might answer the question and see which ones create the most understanding and interest. When people seem able to completely grasp your role without needing a lot of follow-up questions, you'll have a winning answer.

Stop Wasting Your Marketing Efforts! - Use AIDA

2009-04-28T17:14:00.000-04:00

What is AIDA? It is an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Every marketing message you prepare must reflect the AIDA method.

Develop your marketing messages with the following in mind:

Attention: You must use a headline that attracts the attention of your recipient to want to know more about what you have to say. If you fail to attract your recipient with your headline your marketing efforts will be kaput! The most powerful winning headlines will evoke emotion as you highlight a problem that affects your target audience. You must address the every-present question of your target audience Why Should I Care? about what you have to say.

Interest: Your headline has made a promise and you must deliver on the promise. You must keep them interested in your marketing message by focusing on What is In It For Me and quickly communicate on a one-to-one level how your product or service solves their problem or issue. Keep in mind that this approach works with both consumer and business markets. Give the recipient the facts or the evidence needed to support your claim to establish credibility. Do not swamp them with statistics or product specifications otherwise you risk boring them to death.

Desire: Your message must convert the recipient's interest into a desire to have your product or service. Explain how your recipient will receive the benefits by accepting your offer. Yes, that is correct your message must make an offer to the recipient. Your recipient will need to be reassured. You must include customer testimonials and guarantees or warranties to minimize if not eliminate any perceptions of risk on their part. Your recipient must be able to visualize how they will benefit when they accept your offer.

Action: Now you need to tell your recipients what to do and when to do it! Be assertive and do not assume that they will know what to do. You need to be absolutely clear about your call to action and make it simple for your recipient to accept your offer. Reiterate the benefits and the consequences of not taking up the offer. Encourage your recipients to take action now and accept the offer by including incentives available only during a limited time frame or availability.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patrick_Zuluaga

25 Twitter Tips

2009-04-22T17:18:00.001-04:00

1. Join Twitter! Choose the name of your business, yourself, or a product (like a book title). Beware with product names - what if you aren't selling that eventually? You don't want to lose all your followers!

2. Upload a picture of you. Be a real person!

3. Find like-minded people to follow. Don't follow too many at once though - maybe 20 a day at tops.

4. RT means retweet - it's like forwarding an email.

5. Give people real information. Don't advertise!

6. Help people 90% or more of the time. Promote yourself 10% or less of the time.

7. Put "@" before a username to reply to someone or mention another user. I.e., instead of saying "Andi Enns" say "@andienns".

8. Don't post the same thing over and over.

9. Post links to articles at other people's websites, too.

10. You don't have to read every tweet.

11. DM means "direct message". It's private, like an email.

12. When you @reply, that is not private. It's like yelling across the room at a party.

13. Tweet at least once a day. Aim for morning to early afternoon on workdays to get the most attention.

14. Snip your URLs. Go to Tiny URL and put your link to "enter a long url to make tiny".

15. Write your bio. You have 160 characters - let people know what you do, and maybe a hobby or two.

16. Hashtags look like this: #hashtag. Put these in your tweets to come up on searches for that tag. Useful for events, popular news stories, industry news, etc.

17. Go to search.twitter.com to search for keywords related to your business, as well as your business name.

18. Periodically go through the users you follow and unfollow ones who aren't following you - with the exception of shows or reporters you want to keep an eye on.

19. If you're unsure about a Twitter term, look it up in the Twittonary.

20. When you see a tweet you want to share, RT @thatpersonsname to share it (changing @thatpersonsname to their actual user name, like RT @andienns)

21. If you tweet while your coworkers or clients think you are working, you'll be in trouble. Best to tweet in the lunch hour.

22. Ask questions! Even "personal" ones like, "Anyone have good recipes for asparagus?" This helps keep you personable.

23. Answer questions! It's great to help people out. Don't tell them the answer lies in your product or service though. Be genuine.

24. Use Qwitter. It tells you when people unfollow you and after what post. It can be useful for seeing what your followers don't like.

25. Be sure to reply to anyone who complains about your business, and offer to fix it!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andi_Enns

Reflections: Prosperity Begins Within

2009-04-14T16:31:00.003-04:00

The fastest enduring way to achieve wealth at any given point of your life and career is to begin within. As cliché as that sounds, quite frankly it's true. As simple as it sounds, quite frankly, it's not. The process of aiming inwards to establish a solid foundation of self image, awareness, passion and vision is rather complex, potentially long, and perhaps even painful. It requires a great amount of patience, courage, and honesty to endure the process. It truly is a journey and it should be one that every dreamer is willing to venture. It is a path, safe to assume, that every great legacy has endured and overcome (with the exception of those gifted with easy access to their greatness). But for the rest of us damaged goods, there is hope still.

It is possible for the average person to reach within and pull forth the best that he/she can be. For the one who catches this vision and is willing to risk venturing outside the comfort zone of mediocrity, it is inevitable to be grafted into the same destiny of greatness as those we read about, admire, inspire after, and envy. I speak to this forward thinker—YOU who have the capacity to think beyond limitations. Friends, you are what you think and you think what you believe. Believe possibility. Believe success. Believe prosperity. This prosperity mentality is what will carry you to your Promised Land. So go ahead and take the plunge. Start within, build within, and then branch forward to achieve your goals. Nothing is impossible for the one who believes.

Beat the Recession: Build Your Lists

2009-04-14T10:41:00.000-04:00

According to a TopRank survey, 28% of marketers are saying that they're looking to increase their email marketing budget in 2009. Borrell Associates also notes in their April 2008 report that over 80% of those surveyed said that they would give away personal information (name and email address, for example) in exchange for a chance to win a big prize. Get targeted, motivated leads from list companies. They should be providing you with names, email addresses, physical addresses, and custom marketing questions. You should be able to build an opt-in list of consumers who are excited to hear from you, which makes your marketing all the more powerful.

Beat the Recession: Boost ROI

2009-04-06T10:50:00.000-04:00

According to National Mail Order Association's DMA 2009 report, a successful direct marketing campaign returns about a 1 - 3% response rate, whether you're using mailed pieces, SMS texts, email, or PPC ads. When you consider that Borrell Associates announced in their April 2008 report that direct marketing sees increases of 300 - 500% when tied to a promotion, you can see how promotions can dramatically increase your ROI. You can add a promotion to your already existing marketing campaign for as little as $500, making it easy for you to increase the power of your marketing without increasing the cost.

5 Ideas to Thrive in A Recession

2009-04-01T10:58:00.001-04:00

Focus on Profitability not Growth.

Many times we need to invest in order to grow our business. In a recession, you can only grow if it is profitable. If you can't be profitable and grow at the same time, just be profitable. Growth needs to wait.

Remember Your Resiliency.

Economic cycles come and go. You have been here before and survived. Cheer the good times with parties, awards and trophies. Mourn the bad times but then let go. Value action so you have more chances at success.

Cut costs now even if revenue has not gone down.

No owner has ever regretted cutting costs too soon. Don't get caught in a death spiral. First, in deciding which ones to cut, use the "cringe factor". Ask yourself, which checks do you "cringe" when you write them at the end of the month? Which payroll checks do you "cringe" when you sign them? If you do cringe, it means that you are not getting value out of these expenses and you need to either cut them or find another way (provider/ person) to offer those services.

Focus on Cash not Sales.

"It's Cash Flow, Stupid" and this is even truer now. Forget about the sales line on your profit and loss statement. Look at your cash flow statement. Focus on getting paid from your customers, extending your payments to vendors and keeping your inventory as low as possible.

Challenge all of your business assumptions.

This is no time to be scared. Can your business be done another way? How can you increase gross margin? How can you sell to your clients at a lower cost? What parts of your business make a profit? Which are the profitable customers? What are nice to haves and what are luxuries in your business? Take all of these questions into consideration when making your move.

Invite People to Come Back

2009-02-21T18:12:00.000-05:00

You might have new and interesting content on your web site. Your customers might be raving fans. You might offer daily specials or monthly coupons. And yet...

People get busy. They get distracted. Life happens. They aren't necessarily unhappy about anything; they just forget that your site exists. They need a tap on the shoulder. If you know who they are and have their permission to stay in touch, you can invite them to come back. Some of the most effective messages impart a sense of urgency. A sale is about to end! Free shipping until midnight! Hurry, or you'll miss out!

Remember, to be able to send these reminders, you need email addresses and permission. Because few are excited about clicking an "email sign-up" present this as an enticing opportunity, such as "become an insider." And be sure the content has real value for the reader. Make people happy to continue hearing from you. Take advantage of any additional communications, too. Include information on a new special when you confirm that you've shipped a customer's order, or invite customers to view new products when confirming their email subscription. This is just like the warm "thank you for coming in, and remember to stop by next week when our big sale is on" that you might get when shopping in person. Make people feel appreciated and welcome to return.

Once people stop by, we want them to stay -- but why would they? We need some sticky content to keep them around, but what makes content sticky? What is sticky for one person, at a particular moment, will not be sticky for another -- or even for that same person at another point in time. But there is one universal truth in this regard: Sticky content fulfills some need for the visitor. People are strongly motivated to get their unmet needs met. Websites obviously can't meet all our needs, but when a site does offer something we really need, it is very easy to get caught up in it and hang around. We could be drawn in by the prospect of being admired for our taste in clothing, promise of finding meaningful work or by having a place where we can belong and feel understood. Let's look at a few of the many needs that could compel visitors to spend time on your site.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

2009-02-19T09:26:00.000-05:00

1. The first dysfunction is absence of trust amongst team members. If team members are not genuinely open with each other about their mistakes and weaknesses, it is impossible to build a foundation of trust.

2. Absence of trust creates the circumstance for the second dysfunction, fear of conflict. Teams that lack trust are incapable of fully and honestly debating issues as they resort to veiled discussions and guarded comments.

3. The inability to openly discuss issues leads to a lack of commitment. If team members are unable to fully air their views, it is unlikely that they will be fully committed to the decisions of the group.

4. If team members are not fully bought into the decisions of the group, they will inevitably avoid accountability. How can they stand up and be counted on issues if they were not completely committed to them in the first place?

5. Failure to hold one another accountable creates an environment where the fifth dysfunction can thrive. Inattention to results occurs when team members put their individual needs (such as ego, career, recognition or reward) or even their division above the collective needs of the team.

by Patrick Lencioni (San Francisco; Jossey-Bass, 2002).

Networking: The Beehive Game

2009-02-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Networking: This activity is great fun and is called the Beehive Game:

unlimited total number of people
everyone brings tons of business cards
break into small groups of four or five people
3 rounds of activity
for each round, every participant is given an envelope and a blank recipe card
participants write on the card a need that they have. Could be a business need i.e. I want to get in touch with potential audiences of x type - or a personal need i.e. I need a good real estate lawyer, or I want to get in touch with people who can give me ideas about where to go on my next trip
for each group and each round: Queen Bees, and Worker Bees.
each person in turn gets to be the Queen Bee, and someone else represents him or her as the Worker Bee.
the Worker Bee "buzzes" around the room with the Queen Bee's request and collects business cards that match that request
time the rounds to keep a sense of energy and urgency.
this activity can be processed to whatever degree you wish. The game can take three hours or a couple days. For the shorter version, people go away with tons of leads to explore on their own time.F or the longer version, you can ask people questions about which role they felt most comfortable in, what new things did they notice about themselves, how did the teams work etc.

Justify Social Network Spending

2009-02-13T06:17:00.000-05:00

To justify spending and ensure budget for future projects, it is crucial that marketers can demonstrably prove the success of a given campaign. As the economy worsens, and the struggle for budget becomes increasingly more challenging, it becomes even more important. While the majority of digital marketing can provide highly quantifiable results, social media can prove challenging. Create a metrics program to track the success of a campaign.

Determine what to measure
The first step is determining what to measure. Start by considering why social media is being used in a particular campaign, and then look for ways to measure the results. It is important to set the campaign up for success. Don't track data that is hard to gather, but do set your sights on the low-hanging fruit that will yield meaningful results. For example, many sites offer a tool enabling users to post content to their Facebook or MySpace pages. By using a tool such as Omniture, it is possible to track the frequency with which users are posting, and which networks they are using. By tracking this information, meaningful insights into the resonance and value of material on the site can be gauged.

Take advantage of existing tools
Social networking sites recognize that they live or die by their user base, and they understand that advertisers on these sites want specific insights into who they are talking to and how the message is being received. By using Facebook's sophisticated tool kit, it is possible to track specifically who is engaging, and what they are doing there.

3 Sales Tips For A Tough Economy!

2009-02-11T05:57:00.001-05:00

Data from past recessions has shown we must continue to market. Those that do, win. They win during the recession, and perhaps more importantly they win even more after. But, our sales folks on the frontline may need a little more than historical knowledge to help them through.

We've recently received many inquiries asking about where companies should focus precious resources? We know times are lean and there is so little room for error. Here are three tips for selling in a tough economy:

Mine your existing customer base. Your best opportunity is in your current customer base. We know you've heard this before. But have you really done it?

Common scenario (SOURCE: accenture, The Point, Vol. 4, Issue 4):
- 20% of customers provide 80% of margin
- 85% of margin comes from only 4 products
- More than 50% of the customer base uses only one or two products.
Use this time to meet with EVERY single current and past client. Find out what is happening with them. Look for, and focus on, the areas where you can help them during these tough times. Make sure every customer is aware of every product you offer.
Create an economical option. Times are tough for everyone. Be sure you have accounted for that with your product offer. Do you have an option that takes into account the economic conditions in your market? By doing so, you let your prospects know that you understand their pain and you're responding to it.
Network, Network, Network. Now is NOT the time to be silent. There may be many in your market who simply cannot enter the buying cycle right now. But that will change. And, when it does...you want to be top of mind. Be sure you are showing up, wherever possible. This is the time you want to canvas the market to build and maintain awareness. While others are cutting back, you will be the one remembered when the dust clears!

Truthfully, these are tactics you should employ no matter the strength of the economy! Still, use this "slower" time to sharpen your skills in these areas, and you will not only survive...but THRIVE!

Go To Market Strategies

Entrepreneurship is Alive and Kicking

2009-02-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

A new survey commissioned by Elance and Microsoft Office Live Small Business and conducted by independent research firm Decision Analyst collected insight from 600 small-business owners across the nation. The survey, released January 2009, determined that nearly 90 percent of respondents would still prefer to start their own business rather than work for someone else, despite the economic downturn.

In addition:

40 percent indicate that they have a positive outlook for their business in 2009.
76 percent said they would maintain their current levels of staffing throughout 2009.
67 percent said that profitability is the most important priority for them in 2009.

The survey also questioned small-business owners regarding their presence on the web. Here are the key findings:

A majority of respondents do not have a presence on the web even though 43 percent indicate that having a web presence is extremely or very important to the success of their business, and 71 percent report using e-mail and/or online advertising to market their business.
Money, time and expertise are the key barriers to having a presence on the web, with 60 percent reporting that they spent less than $500 on their websites in 2008.
Most small-businesses owners would rather do something other than web design.
Web design/consulting is one area where small-business owners would look for freelance consulting help, with marketing coming in second.
Most small-business owners would try and redesign the site themselves, or ask a friend for help. About 20 percent would search online for a consultant to help them with web design.

If the state of the current economy leaves you uncertain about the future, don't despair. Instead, take a good look inward and remember how you came to be an entrepreneur. After all, it appears that even when unemployment is on the rise, sales are on the decline and the dollar is, well, just simply degenerating, the spirit of entrepreneurship still shines through.

Make Your "About Us" Page More Effective

2009-02-07T22:48:00.000-05:00

When viewers see the "About Us" designation, they immediately assume that the company is willing to share essential information. It has been observed that a large number of people want to see who they are dealing with.

Your "About Us" page should include:

Where you are located with address and contact information.
Some of your principal staff. Pictures can help as well, with easy ways to contact these folks directly.
Business organizations of which you are members.
Recent significant industry awards.
Company value or mission statement.
Customer support links.
Guarantee/warranty links.
Testimonial links.
Email and customer information policy links.

Source: Web Marketing Today

Economic Downturns: Survive the Recession

2009-02-05T04:57:00.000-05:00

What ever else you do, don't stop marketing. Most companies that are cutting the budget sacrifice marketing first. You should never stop marketing. In fact in quiet times like these when people are afraid to spend money you should be LOUDER. And for those out there that think sales and marketing are the same thing - they aren't. Low cost but effective things you can do to market and have conversations with people are to attend networking functions, spruce up your Web site and leverage social media effectively. You can also go the traditional route by sending out post cards or put out a new sign in front of your office if that applies to you.

Manage Your Cash Flow. People always say that cash is king. It is true and for a small business it is the difference between life and death. Crack open your accounting software and really look back at your previous year and how your cash went in and out. See if you noticed there were time periods were business picks up or is really slow. You need to prepare for things to be slower in the good periods and really slow in the normally slow periods. It is harder to get business lines of credit these days if you need to bridge for 60-90 days. But sometimes when you have employees and must make payroll, you gotta have the option. Having a good cash position makes you look good to a bank and having confidence you can pay it back will keep you going through this period.

Launch new products or services. Now is the perfect time to test the market for new ideas. A recession gives you the opportunity to step back, rethink and review all sectors of your operation. While many are just thinking about staying quiet and surviving, you should consider launching a new product or service not currently offered in your market. Use the time to test out what is working and what doesn't. This will help you diversify your products, services or industries so you don't have too many eggs in one basket. Not only that but you will have launched something that has value during a tough time which means selling during good times will be super easy.

Avoid death by frivolous discretionary spending. Think of all the little expenses $10-100 that you spent in 2008 on things. They are like little cash flow paper cuts that can bleed you dry. In good times many people most people don't really look hard at expenses because they are profitable and can afford it in the name of "doing business". It is time seriously evaluate all expenses and more effective use of free services and alternatives to accomplish the same things you did before.

Take customer service to a new level. Great, you still have customers. Love them 10X more than you ever have before. They know that now is the time when they can look at alternatives and you seem too aloof or don't seem to value their business, they are gone. Take nothing for granted. Make sure your pricing is competitive, your service is exceptional and your attitude reflects how much you value their business.

Also, open up that Rolodex and call dormant customers and see what you can do to bring them back. Sometimes it takes as little as just asking to restart a relationship. Resurrecting a past customer is less expensive than finding and breaking in a new one. One other thing - Ask your customers for referrals.

Be creative! Be yourself! Be On Time!

Consistency is the Key to Great Web Sites

2009-02-01T17:27:00.004-05:00

Make sure your content has a consistent look and feel throughout. While you might think mixing colors and fonts or even writing styles presents a more dynamic picture, the cardinal rule for any professional looking site is to stick to branding guidelines.

Experts says to stick to a reasonable pallet of two to four colors. If you use too many for the graphics or the text, it looks like very amateurish. Most people tend to overload their landing pages with content and pictures. Given that visitors are prone to scanning, especially when they're in navigation mode, it's important to keep your Web pages looking clean and that your copy short and to the point. Web content is not all about great pictures and logos. You should strike a good balance between making your site graphically unique and stripping out what doesn't need to be there. Legibility is the key. When it comes to copy, you don't want to overwhelm visitors to your site. Nothing frustrates a visitor more than having to wade through multiple links to get to where they want to be. Make sure your links are visible and easy to find at all times. If space allows, have them on the side and across the top of each page, just to make things easier.

Know Your Limits

While your content needs to be kept fresh and relevant, small-business owners don't always have the time to constantly refresh content. When planing your content, keep in mind how many hours you can devote to updates. If most of your time is spent managing day-to-day business issues, make sure the bulk of your site's content can stand the test of time.

If you simply can't manage updates on your own, you can tap into design resources for a reasonable hourly rate (as long as you're not looking at a major redesign). It's worth the investment in the long run.

The importance of having calls to action on every page cannot be emphasized enough. All too often people neglect to put the "contact us" and "buy" icons on every page, and think that having it on the home page will suffice. Make sure your company e-mail, phone number and contact links are included on every page and easy to find -- preferably at the top and the bottom.

Web Why Nots

2009-01-29T12:20:00.000-05:00

It used to be setting up a site was a major investment and a lot of headaches. Staying on top of content was time consuming, coding was impossible for the technically challenged, updates were painful and slow, and it tended to be a job that fell behind the more important business basics -- like making sales calls, ordering supplies, managing inventory or handling your daily tasks. Paying a few thousand dollars for a third-party service provider to handle all the design, hosting and content management for you was simply beyond available budgets.

However, procrastinating when it comes to your Web site is a big risk these days. Entrepreneurs wonder why they need a site, and think word of mouth is working, but no one can compete without being online. With everyone using search engines and social media, if you don't have a site, you're not in business.

No Excuses

At a time where competition is only going to get stiffer -- and margins thinner -- it's more critical than ever that you take the time to put yourself on the map. Given that even the smallest of small businesses can access web site producers that, the 50 percent that are behind the game already might want to start rethinking their business strategy.

People need to find you and a Web site is a wonderful way to differentiate yourself and that's especially important in today's economic environment.

Amici Communications, LLC

Special Quote #7

2009-01-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

"The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one."

--Oscar Wilde

Social Networking for Small Businesses

2009-01-22T16:44:00.000-05:00

There are many Online Social Networks out there that can put you in touch with hundreds, thousands and even millions of people for free. One site that is all about business networking is LinkedIn, which has over 30 million users. So if you're not on there, you should be! Make sure you spend some time on your profile. Think of this as your online resume or a billboard for your company. Tell people about yourself and your business and be specific about how you can help them. Use the "Specialties" section to list all or most of your services. Write about yourself in the third person - it's better for search engines to find you and list you. Find groups that are relevant to your business. Think about your customers or ideal customers and look for groups they would be interested in joining. If you're a local business, look for groups on LinkedIn that are in your area.

Use LinkedIn to promote your business by going to the group page and then go to the discussions page. Here you will find people posting questions, job announcements, etc. Feel free to introduce yourself to other group members and try to open up a dialogue on how you can help them and their business. Reach out to other people and ask them to join your network, give them your email address to make it easier for them to send you an invite. You can also reach out to people directly in your groups and invite them to join your network. Make sure to tell them a little bit about why you would like to link with them and how they may benefit from the connection. It may take you some time but it's a great way to network and get your name out there without having to make a financial investment.

Special Quote #6

2009-01-21T16:22:00.000-05:00

The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided."

--Casey Stengel

Focus on Delivering Quality Service Today

2009-01-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Don't just focus on what you currently do. Also think about what people need – and make sure you can provide it. If you do, your business will grow and prosper in 2009 and beyond!

Develop a long-term plan.
Focus on delivering a quality service today, but also take the time to plan for at least the next two years. Revisit your marketing business plans. Evaluate where your business is today, identify short and long-term goals, and put a plan in motion to achieve those goals. Create an action plan that will help your business grow and prosper during almost any economic climate.

Expand or shift to provide services where less competition exists.
Take the time to review job postings in other service areas and check out trends. If you find an under served market, go for it! While you or your team may need to learn new skills, the effort could be well worth it.

Bid outside your "normal" customer profile.
You may typically submit proposals for established companies; but try bidding on smaller jobs to build relationships with new clients. Revisit what you haven't done or have purposely decided not to do in the past. New business relationships take time to develop – so get started now.

5 Tips to Avoid Recession Pitfalls

2009-01-09T16:02:00.000-05:00

SCORE's five tips for small business owners on avoiding recession pitfalls are:

Cutting expenses too slowly— Don't cut expenses a little bit at a time. Now is the time to look at expenses and decide whether your company needs to cut expenses five, 10 or up to 20 percent. Do what it takes early in the year and bring costs down.
Maintaining the same product and service mix— Your needs are changing. You can bet your clients needs have changed too. Call your existing clients and ask them what they need. Then, design your product service mix around those needs.
Reducing marketing instead of focusing on marketing— The company that stands tall, strong and visible in the marketplace has stature and status. Differentiate with strong marketing to drive leads and sales.
Lacking systems to free up your time— Streamline your business and become more efficient. Use a handheld organizer to keep track of phone numbers, dates, appointments and meetings. Set a time each week to handle routine tasks, bills and paperwork.
Keeping everything to yourself— Your team knows the economy is tough and wants to understand what the company is facing and how, together, you can make it through. Lead toward a brighter future by focusing your efforts on today.

Visit www.score.org.

Special Quote #5

2009-01-07T09:53:00.002-05:00

A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go, but ought to be."

--Rosalynn Carter
Former first lady of the U.S.

Start This Year Off Right

2009-01-02T15:41:00.000-05:00

Start this year off right – revisit your goals, set new targets, and create a plan to grow your business. Here's a reminder of the ways you can improve your existing services, grow your capabilities, and creating meaningful customer relationships in 2009.

Stay in touch with potential customers.
Follow-up is critical at all times, but especially during the sales process. Work hard to sell the quality of your work and service and communicate effectively and you'll win more jobs. Stay on top of every proposal and respond quickly to questions or request for samples.

Build and reinforce existing relationships.

No matter how long you've worked with a client, be sure to continually delight them so you can count on their business in the future. Make a consistent effort to push yourself outside your comfort zone. When you talk to an existing client, remind them of other services they could take advantage of. Offer suggestions to help improve their business. Their growth could help fuel your growth. Never be complacent – right now another provider is considering ways to win your customers' business.

Focus on excellence.
How can you provide better service? How can you communicate better with clients? What sets you apart from competitors? How do your customers see you? Take a minute and ask yourself the tough questions.

Special Quote #4

2008-12-31T09:51:00.001-05:00

Whenever you are asked if you can do a job, tell 'em, 'Certainly, I can!' Then get busy and find out how to do it."

--Theodore Roosevelt

Special Quote #3

2008-12-24T08:52:00.000-05:00

You can't sell solutions unless people realize they have problems.

Special Quote #2

2008-12-17T08:51:00.000-05:00

Marketing creates wealth, but marketers have to prove it.

Tips to Have a Trade Show Booth that Draws Potential Customers

2008-12-17T08:12:00.000-05:00

The key to great trade show exhibiting is marketing - Having a strategic exhibit marketing and tactical plan of action is a critical starting point. To make trade shows a powerful dimension in your company's overall marketing operation, there must be total alignment between the strategic marketing and your exhibit marketing plan.

Here are a few points to make your trade show booth popular in the exhibition:

Think neatness and visibility when putting your trade show display together.
Use a display board to hang some of your products at customer eye-level to draw them into your display. Make sure your display is organized and tidy; customers will be turned off by messiness or by having to do too much searching to find what they want. Have all your prices clearly marked.
Build the impression of demand into your trade show display.

Customers will want your products more if they think they're in high demand. Place a strategic sold sign on one or two items. You might even leave a display spot empty, giving the impression that you've been too busy to restock.

Pull a crowd to your trade show booth.

Use an interactive display, such as a quiz or game on a computer, a contest draw, a scheduled demonstration; it doesn't need to be fancy to draw people's interest and get them to cluster around your trade show display rather than the others. At a gardening trade show, I once saw over 50 people crowding around to watch an exhibitor demonstrate how to turn compost!

Have a stock of promotion items that you can use as giveaways at your booth.

Small items that people can take away and use (while being reminded about your business) are best. Be sure you place these items in a location where people will have to walk into or through your trade show display to get them.

Use a prize draw or contest.

Having some kind of prize draw or contest is a great way to collect contact information from booth visitors. You can give away promotion items to encourage people to participate.

Make it easy for booth visitors to get information.
Use signs in your trade show display to give information about prices, minimum orders, shipping costs, or any other basic information they might need to know, to save them the trouble of having to wait to ask when you're busy with another potential customer.

Make sure you have plenty of promotional literature on hand.

You'll want to have a good supply of color fliers and brochures as well as order forms, price sheets and business cards that you can hand out to booth visitors so it will be easy for them to find all the information they need about your business later. You should also have a press kit prepared for the trade media.

Be ready to do business.

Be sure you have a good supply of order forms, pens, credit card slips, or anything else you need to conduct sales and keep track of people's orders.

Have your trade show booth manned at all times.

Someone has to be there to greet browsers, engage them in conversation, and take their questions. If you can't be there every minute the trade show is open, you'll need to have at least one other person help man your booth.

Actively engage trade booth visitors.

Give people who approach your trade show display a friendly welcome, and let them welcome their questions. Be sure your body language is friendly; don't stand there with your arms crossed over your chest, for instance. "Chat" with booth visitors, and find out what aspect of your business they're most interested in. Be prepared to offer specific solutions to their questions. The trick is to draw them in without intimidating or overwhelming them.

Follow up promptly.

Send out email, regular mail, or make the phone calls to follow up on the contacts and leads you made during the trade show as soon as possible. The faster you send them out, the more your business will stand out from the rest.

Trade shows can be incredible sources of contacts and customers for your business - if you choose your trade show venue carefully and plan in advance then you will have a successful trade show experience.

Author: Kishor Nayak is a Business Consultant working with International clients.

Ten Key Shopping Trends

2008-12-16T12:49:00.001-05:00

Ten key shopping trends Porter Novelli encourages retailers and marketers to consider right now:

Willing to Wait. Consumers want to buy, but in this economic climate they're willing to wait until the price is right. For marketers, it's imperative to identify specific areas of pent-up demand: Who is waiting to buy which products, and what will trigger them to spend?
Decidedly Undecided. For many consumers, it's not that they don't want to buy--they have the urge. It's that they don't know what they want. The implication for marketers: For some consumers, the emotional high that comes from acquiring the purchase is more enticing than the item itself.
Discount Dash. With millions of Americans deciding whether to spend a little or spend nothing at all this holiday season, the outlook seems bright for discounters. That means non-discounters need to compete on value, because they can't compete on price.
One for Me, One for Me. The International Council of Shopping Centers found that 81% of Americans who planned to shop on Black Friday weekend intended to buy something for themselves--up from 69% in 2007. With funds limited, consumers are asking themselves, "Should I be altruistic...or narcissistic?" Either answer adds up to sales.
All in for Next-Gen. Familiar technologies such as computers and music players are facing likely sales declines of 10%, but newer products such as Blu-ray players, smartphones and HDTVs are expected to do well. To build sales, marketers should consider bundling the old with the new.
Online on Top. More consumers than ever will be shopping online this year, looking to save time and money, avoid crowds and find a better selection of products. Companies who can make online and interactive marketing work even smarter and more efficiently will win.
Text to Shop. Scarborough Research data shows text messaging delivers a young, multicultural audience for marketers by providing a very locally targeted vehicle. Amazon.com is already tapping into texting over the holiday period to deliver its Deal of the Day, which recipients can purchase using their phone. The critical point for text marketing pioneers is to figure out how to use this tool without becoming a nuisance.
Future Tense. Black Friday retail performance was better than expected, but all signs point to tough times ahead for retailers. If sales contract and retailers scale back, marketing communicators will need to work a lot harder and a lot smarter to earn their keep.
Just Saying No. Not long ago, consumers blithely made impulse buys with cash or credit. But the less secure about cash flow shoppers become, the more they will have second thoughts. Retailers and product marketers must become adept at engaging with "second thought" consumers; they are likely to see a lot more of them.
The Cause Effect. As consumers shift from impulsive frenzy to second-thought hesitation, the notion of supporting a good cause may just provide a means to convert those second thoughts into buying mode. In a post-boom, post-greed retail climate, incorporating social and/or environmental responsibility into purchasescould be the acceptable new version of instant gratification.

Excerpt from Capital Communicator.

Hiring a Small Business Marketing Firm

2008-12-15T17:27:00.001-05:00

A small business marketing firm can lead you out of troubled waters and into your field of dreams. A small business marketing firm should take an integrated marketing plan and put into place a strong foundation for you to build your growing business upon. That is the key in finding a successful small business marketing firm that will help to grow your business. Integrating graphics, copy and growth ideas is what will make or break your business plan. Finding a small business marketing firm that has a talented and easy to work with staff will be important in your decision to work with them. With staggering small business failure rates, having a marketing firm that is ahead of the game will keep you in the game. Work hard to find the right small business marketing firm that will help you work smarter and at a reasonable cost.

Have You Created an Impossible Business?

2008-12-12T05:30:00.000-05:00

It's easy to think that any business can be successful if you work hard enough, but there are many situations where this just isn't so. Consultants, coaches, and other service professionals often start a business believing that all they need to do is charge a "reasonable" fee and sell "enough" of their time. But unless you do the math to prove or disprove your assumptions, you may be creating a business that can never succeed.

New consultants, coaches, and other professionals almost always overestimate how much they can earn and underestimate the amount of time and money required to successfully market themselves. They also forget that they will have to cover not only their living costs and business expenses, but pay self-employment tax, buy their own health insurance, provide for their own retirement, and allow for unpaid vacation and sick time. If earning a decent living as a self-employed professional sometimes seems impossible to you, start asking how it could be possible. What can you change about how you are marketing yourself, how much you are charging, and how you are packaging your services? While it could be that success will come if you just work a little harder, it's more likely that you first need to start working a little differently.

Making Time for Marketing

2008-12-11T05:33:00.000-05:00

"I don't have time to market." It's a common complaint from self-employed professionals. When you are the only one who can serve the clients, manage the business, and perform all the sales and marketing functions, time becomes the most precious commodity you have. How can you find time for marketing with so many other important priorities? There are many time management techniques at your disposal, of course. You can defer tasks or delegate them, chunk down projects to smaller steps, and set aside time on your calendar for making calls, writing letters, or updating marketing materials. Perhaps you have already tried all those methods and discovered that time is still scarce.

Maybe the real answer is not to find more time for marketing, but to MAKE time. Every day, you take part in many time-consuming activities that don't include marketing. What if you could integrate marketing with all those things you are already doing?

Here are some examples of how that can work:

Attending workshops, business mixers, and cultural events. Whenever you plan to attend an event like this, consider inviting a business contact to join you. Just extending the invitation will contribute to building a stronger relationship between you. If your contact decides to attend, you can often get to know each other better in a more relaxed way than meeting one-to-one.
Having lunch or coffee with a prospect or colleague. If you are already planning to take time meeting with someone, add a third or fourth person to the party. Those invited will usually appreciate the opportunity to make new contacts themselves, and you may find conversation flows more easily when there is a group.
Traveling to another city. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, arrange to meet for lunch or dinner with a client or colleague. On a business trip, this is usually much more enjoyable than dining alone. As a tourist, a meal you would be eating anyway takes no time out of your vacation schedule, plus you'll often get local tips about where to go and what to do.
Taking a walk, visiting the gym, and other forms of exercise. Meetings with business associates don't have to take place in the office or a restaurant. Invite someone to join you for a walk in the park, run around the track, or a game of tennis. You don't have to learn to play golf in order to get exercise and do business at the same time.
Reading an article. Any time you read an interesting article in the newspaper, a magazine, or online, think of three people you could send it to. Writing a short "thought-you-would-be-interested" note and forwarding the item will take only a moment, but can make a big impression on the recipient.
Shopping, dining, or running errands. Every time you leave your home or office, you meet new people. They are behind the counter at the office supply store, in line at the coffee shop, sitting at the next table, or shopping in the same aisle. Whenever you find yourself chatting with strangers, remember to introduce yourself by name and occupation. You'll be surprised to discover how often this will lead to a connection that can result in business.
Attending social events. The best business relationships often begin casually in social environments. Keep your business cards in your pocket when you attend a wedding, housewarming, holiday party, or your child's soccer game. After you ask, "How do you know our hosts?" or "Which child is yours?" make your next question, "What do you do?"
Relaxing. You may have a long list of marketing projects that will take time but not your full attention. Consider doubling up these mundane tasks with a fun activity or some pleasant company. Enter business cards into your contact database on your laptop at the beach. Make phone calls from the hot tub or a park bench. Review your prospect list while watching old movies or listening to music. Ask your kids to help you stuff and address envelopes. Take your project to a friend's house so the two of you can work together on marketing.

As you can see, there are many ways to include marketing activities in your busy life. So instead of wishing you had more time for marketing, why not make marketing a part of the time you are already spending?

From C.J. Hayden, for About.com

Generations at Work and Why We Collide

2008-12-10T10:58:00.003-05:00

The term "generation gap" came to prominence in describing the disparity between kids of the first postwar generation and their parents, sometimes called the G.I. Generation. But another gap inevitably exists on the other side of the Boomer generation. This gap, created by differing sensibilities and economic realities, has put passing the leadership torch from Boomers to Gen X-ers low on the priority list. For the past 20 years, Boomer-led organizations have been highly focused on cost cutting and downsizing, often to the detriment of emerging leader training and mentoring programs. Furthermore, Boomer culture tends to emphasize competitiveness, self-importance and youthfulness-qualities that may make it hard for Boomers to grasp their responsibility to mentor and prepare their successors. In fact, some organizations are choosing to invest in short-term solutions, such as retirement postponement incentives that keep knowledge-rich Boomers in the workplace longer, rather than in long-term training and development initiatives for future leaders.

Given the lack of consideration or preparation for the future that most organizations have demonstrated to date, it is quite likely that Gen X-ers are going to find themselves suddenly in the driver's seat and expected to steer organizations through complex, chaotic and uncertain terrain, prepared or not. How can this next generation of leaders take charge and seek out the knowledge that they will need to lead well? How can they step up and prepare for their future? It is unlikely the status quo will change. As has been the lifelong truth for those who grew up as latchkey kids, Gen X-ers must continue to figure out what to do to take care of themselves. In short, if you are just waiting in the shadow of the Baby Boomers, push aside the apathy for which Gen X is known and use the coping skills you grew up with to effect positive change.

Self-knowledge is the most important tool that good leaders possess. When you are aware of your strong points and have insight about your shortcomings, you can chart a path for yourself to advance and succeed. Resist the compulsion to be overly self-critical; you are simply taking an inventory of your abilities and what you need to learn. Consider how your values, such as a desire for work/life balance, can be leadership strengths, and how a lack of political savvy may be a limitation. Successful leaders need to understand how to inspire people to work toward meaningful goals, and these skills can be learned if you are willing to do the work.

Excerpt from Donna Hickey

Special Quote #1

2008-12-10T08:49:00.001-05:00

It's not what you do, but how you do it!

Sales and Marketing Must Work Together

2008-12-09T10:39:00.000-05:00

In this economy, it is more important than ever to capture and nurture every sales lead and to pass only the most qualified leads to Sales. Salespeople can't rely simply on a consultative approach because it is time consuming and reactive. Marketing can't focus on simply generating leads and hope that sales can close that gap between "vague interest" and "fully qualified opportunity alone." Sales and Marketing must work together to make the sales process more proactive. Marketing must expand its role to pick up where the consultative salesperson falls short by blending the proactive nature of marketing with the consultative selling approach.

There is a significant change taking shape in business-to-business selling. We are seeing in business the rise of Marketing to supplant Sales' dominance. It is a dramatic and rapid evolution changing the way suppliers and buyers initially contact, interact and then transact business. This requires an interactive dialogue and interaction between buyer and supplier across all channels of communication. Website, blogs, trade shows, sales team, support, customer counsels, social network marketing, and touch points which have yet to be conceived, every touch point must be integrated, consistent and proactive.

This is not the first dramatic shift in business-to-business sales and will not be the last. This approach benefits both parties in a sale by minimizing the interactions required to make a buying decision.

Customer First Perspective for Web content

2008-12-08T09:46:00.001-05:00

How do you define good Web content? The push to make all content look as though it came from one person is what used to drive marketing campaigns and make companies rich. However, this created enormous disconnect between the customer and the company. Your customers just aren't into that anymore. They do not want to be condescended to; they're an incredibly sophisticated, increasingly impatient and skeptical audience. They expect to be written to (and understood) by their content providers.

What Customers Want:

Short lists
The ability to search for information easily
To offer feedback on what they like and don't like
Scannable articles, with bullet-points and images (nothing gratuitous though… only if it serves the content)
Humor (they don't want to have to take you, or themselves, all that seriously)
Authenticity (phoniness on the Web is as obvious and transparent as that flash content that, come to think of it, seems to have died down…)

If you work on Web content and are interested in people and their opinions — and are comfortable with giving up some control — you'll be okay during this transitional time. It's a messy, subjective process.

Jump Start A Partnership

2008-11-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

Stand out from the competition by generating more visibility and value with the right partners and methods. When partners serve their mutual market better together everyone wins. At the very least you get introduced to your kind of customers through businesses they already know and trust.

1. Print joint promotional offers on your bills and/or receipts.

2. Offer a reduced price, special service, or convenience if customers buy a minimum amount of services or products from you and your partner. Make a much better offer when they buy a larger amount.

3. Hang signs or posters promoting one another on your walls, windows, or products.

4. Mention one another's benefits when you speak at local events, write articles or are interviewed by the media.

5. Describe the situation where you and your partner's products or services work well together.

6. Pool mailing lists and send out a joint promotional postcard.

7. Promote your partners' products during their slow times, and ask them to do the same for you.

8. Share inexpensive ads in local shopping papers or a nonprofit event program.

9. Give a joint interview, demonstration, or Q & A. session to local media.

10. Put one another's promotional messages on Lucite stands on counters or floor stands in waiting areas.

11. Encourage your staff to mention how your partner's products can be used with yours.

12. Give your partner's product to your customers when they buy a large quantity of your product, and ask your partner to do the same.

Frugal Marketing

2008-11-25T08:05:00.000-05:00

We all know that marketing is an important part of any business. It's how we get the word out about our products and services to prospective customers and clients. If we want our businesses to be successful, marketing is not something we can skimp on. Large companies spend millions of dollars on marketing each year to maintain their brands' market share. For most small businesses, there aren't millions of dollars in the entire budget, let alone available for marketing. Some small businesses commit a large portion of their budgets to marketing. They produce elaborate ads and reserve premium ad space, have all sorts of fancy promotional items made, and sponsor lavish events. This helps them gain visibility, and possibly market share, but at what cost? In some cases, profits suffer unnecessarily due to overspending on marketing.

Marketing doesn't have to be that expensive. There are methods of marketing that are costly, and some are even free. These methods may not be as flashy as the ones that cost lots of money, but they can be very effective. And in many cases, they have a much better return on investment. It might take a little time to learn the ropes and make connections, but it can save you a substantial amount of money.

There are plenty of marketing techniques that you can employ at a low cost. But did you know that it's possible to get great results without paying a dime? Publicity is easier to get than you might think. Writing press releases and distributing them can get your business featured in newspapers, and possibly even on the TV news. You might be surprised at the things that the media will find newsworthy about your business. Some of the best topics for press releases include special events, correlations with national news stories, and joint ventures. Marketing might seem impossible when you're on a tight budget, but there are plenty of ways you can reach your target market without breaking the bank. Some methods have no cost except your time. Frugal marketing is alive and well, and it can provide great results for the small business owner.

Following Up is Essential

2008-11-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

If you’re an entrepreneur operating and managing your own small business, you have many responsibilities. You are your own secretary, bookkeeper, marketing director, sales person and ‘deal closer’ among other things. Even if you do not like the sales side of things, you have to do it. Part of the sales process that’s too often overlooked is follow up. Consistent follow up can dramatically increase your conversion of leads to paying clients.

Follow up should be started when you first make contact with a new prospect. If you meet someone at a networking event, take some time to make notes on their business card and follow up with them the next day with a handwritten note. Even if this person is not a great lead for you, they may know someone who would be.

5 Tips for Enhancing Sales

2008-11-18T09:37:00.001-05:00

Educate your customers. Entrepreneurs whose businesses are ahead of the curve need to help customers understand the value of their products or services.

Put prospect identification on the front burner. Keep developing sales leads and cultivating the people or organizations most likely to become your customers.
Make an offer the customer can't refuse. One professional association offered $250 off on next year's annual conference if members signed up and paid now. Only $50 was not returnable if the member could not actually attend.
Don't give up. Persistence pays off—as long as it's friendly and helpful and not overbearing.
Show customers that you are an asset to them. Prove that you can improve their businesses or enhance their lives.

Brought to you by SCORE "Counselors to America's Small Business."

Common Sense = Key to Success

2008-11-17T11:47:00.002-05:00

Many childhood lessons are applicable to owning and operating a small business. However, it appears that not enough common sense makes its way into business practice. Marketing is about standing out in a flurry of consumer choices. It is about becoming a destination in what has turned out to be a very volatile and recessionary business environment. Marketing is extremely important during a recession. Often, entrepreneurs wait for the world to beat a path to their door. This is the old "mousetrap" approach, based on the belief that if you have a better product, the world will beat a path to your door. But that doesn't apply in the real world. It is important to take your business and your ideas to the world.

In an effort to save money it is easy to try to do everything yourself, and that is where small businesses drop the ball. Larger firms have the resources to delegate tasks to other employees, consultants or subcontractors, while smaller firms do not. The ability to delegate responsibilities to qualified people gives a firm a tremendous advantage. The firm runs more professionally and there is less waste as jobs are done quickly and correctly. What tends to happen in a small business, where the owner does almost everything, is that jobs are not necessarily done well. Sometimes taking shortcuts to save money results in more waste and may even cost more in the long run.

Why do small business owners get themselves into such tough spots? One reason may be their psychological makeup. Entrepreneurs tend to be go-getters who like a challenge and who are not terribly afraid of risk. The entrepreneurial persona does not readily identify limitations, whether personal or professional. When the business idea takes over, common sense may take a back seat. Many entrepreneurs hear negative feedback from family and friends when they tell them about their business plans. Rather than fighting negative feedback, it would be wise to re-examine the business plan.

Is there room for improvement?
Do others' recommendations ring true?
Do they make sense?

Common sense is critical in business. Today's business environment is highly volatile. Small businesses will be pounded by loss of consumer confidence, tighter finances and declining sales. It is time to keep your eye on the ball, and to remember to show up in the marketplace in a decisive and confident way.