Build Your Business Through Networking (12 Jun 2006) Every businessperson and professional knows that networking is the most effecive and least effective way of attracting new business. Yet few people in business really understand how to network. In the business of networking, you have to stand out and be remembered.
How to Set (and Get) the Right Prices (12 Jun 2006) Which product feature of yours is every buyer keen to know about? Which sales tool closes prospects instantly? Your price. Yet, despite the far-reaching consequences of a company's pricing, I'm surpr...
How to Use Marketing Judo to Beat Big Competitors (12 Jun 2006) If yours is a small business and you have big competitors like Wal-mart, or Amazon.com, how can you hope to beat these guys? Use a technique called marketing judo and you can actually turn these companies' strengths into weaknesses. This article explains marketing judo and presents examples of how it can be used successfully ...
Profitable Marketing Programs (Part 1) (12 Jun 2006) Deciding whether a particular marketing program is profitable to your business is often more subjective than the accountants would have you believe. You should not only consider the direct revenue and costs associated with a marketing program, but you should also think about the long term impact on your business. Part 1 of this article explains ways to take into consideration both short term and long term profitability when planning marketing programs.
Profitable Marketing Programs Part 2: Figuring Break Even Point (12 Jun 2006) In Part 1 I discussed how to consider both long term and short term profitability in your marketing programs and assumptions that go into conducting a break even analysis. Here in part 2, I will look at three different break even formulas. Each formula shows the break even point for a different type of marketing program. In other words, the maximum amount the marketing program should cost in order for the program to be profitable.
Client or Customer? There Really Is A Difference (12 Jun 2006) Understanding the difference between a customer and client is crucial if you want to create a long-term, lasting relationship and grow your business on return sales.
6 Simple Ways to Determine Which Marketing Ideas Are Best for Your Business (12 Jun 2006) Did something catch your eye in a direct mailing this past week? Did a friend of yours use a new technique and generate a few thousand dollars of extra business overnight? As a small business owner, it's all too easy to get caught up in the hype of new marketing techniques that promise quick rewards for little cash. But this can be dangerous to your bottom line -- or even your entire business. Here are 6 quick tips to keep your small business marketing on track.
Marketing Discipline and the Joy of Success (12 Jun 2006) Does a person have to make a choice between being the fabled lazy grasshopper or the hardworking ant to succeed at marketing? Building a business and a regular marketing routine is about a practice. It is about discipline, but this in no way detracts from being creative or enjoying today, right now, in this moment.
A Creative RIOT (12 Jun 2006) Relevant, original and impactful: that's what my friend Creative Director Jim Mountjoy says that effective creative must be. With apologies to Jim, I have my own acronym because I think ROI is only 75 percent of the way there. Effective creative is a RIOT: relevant, impactful, original and true.
What is a Marketing Plan Anyway? (12 Jun 2006) Most small business owners seem to get by without a clearly defined marketing plan. Who needs a marketing plan anyway?
Marketing: Are You Focused? (12 Jun 2006) Your marketing messages focused, and working together, or are they competing with each other?
Developing A Focused Marketing Strategy (12 Jun 2006) You want all of your marketing messages to have a single focus, so they pull together instead of competing with each other. Great! So how do you come up with one?
Marketing: Can I Trust You? (12 Jun 2006) We live in an unprecedented era of communication. Because of this, your prospects are literally bombarded from all directions with marketing messages. They've heard so many hyped claims, that they automatically distrust them all.
Maximizing Your Yellow Page Investment (12 Jun 2006) Yellow Page users are the hottest of all prospects - someone who has made the decision to buy, and now is looking for a place to do it. Does your ad convince them that your business is that place?
How To Let Your Customers Search For YOU! – Part 2 (12 Jun 2006) First I want to welcome you to part two of the article 'How To Let Customers Search for YOU!', where you can learn how to attract new clients at any time you want. The techniques I describe here have proofed to work for me and a lot of other people.
The Secrets of… (12 Jun 2006) The article asks if there are real secrets of search engine optimization or if it is just a good business to sell books that reveal the secrets. It cites sources of available information about search engine optimization.
Perceived Value Is In The Eye Of The Beholder (12 Jun 2006) Pricing is an important aspect of every business because price is used to create financial projections, establish a break even point, and calculate profit and loss.
