Has Twitter helped you attract new clients or customers? Some business owners and entrepreneurs, who use Twitter as part of their marketing strategy, do extremely well. Others seem unable to transform their tweeting time, into tangible, commercial results. I would like to hear from you, if you use Twitter as part of your marketing efforts and ...
In marketing, we know that feedback can be extremely valuable. That's why marketing professionals like myself test and measure everything. It's too easy to wrongly assume that something is working or under-performing, just based on hunches or ill-informed input. I was talking to a lady yesterday, ...
I see a lot of small businesses right now, opting to lower their prices or fees (herein called prices), in order to boost sales and grow their business. However, I'm also seeing a smaller number of businesses, increasing their prices for the exact same reason. Before you decide to cut or increase your prices, here are ...
Would you spend money with a business, if you thought they were going broke and you wouldn't get what you paid for? That might seem like an odd question, yet since starting my business in the mid 1990's, I have seen countless small business owners create nervousness within their marketplace, by the often illogical things they ...
With most things in life, there's a balance we need to adhere to if we want to get a desired result. Marketing is no exception! I was speaking with a motor mechanic yesterday, who explained to me the importance of balance in high performance cars. He said that ...
How many Internet users have the same name as you? For most of us, the answer will be in the thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or more. Right now, this represents a challenge for a growing number of consultants, entrepreneurs, trainers and authors etc, who trade or work in their own names. That's because ...
Last week, something occurred to me, which I would like to share with you. I suddenly realised that right now, in 2010, many software companies STILL use that little image of a floppy disk, as the icon for the "save" feature on a software program! It's years ...
Here you go: Over 140 ideas and answers to help you with your marketing and business development – all in one post! These posts were scattered all over the blog, so I thought some of you might find it useful if I put them all in one place. Enjoy!
Ultimately, what do you plan to do with your business?
One of the best pieces of business advice I ever received came from my mentor, Mr Jim Rohn. Jim used to say; “start with the end in mind!” In other words, know where you are going, before you get going.
Here’s the thing: Most small business owners I speak with (and I speak with them every day), have only a fuzzy picture of what they ultimately want to do with their business. Many have no real idea at all! With that lack of clarity, it’s impossible to make the right decisions, as all planning is done in the short or medium-term at best. Here’s why this can be a VERY costly mistake and how to avoid making it…
I was in a friends restaurant yesterday, when he received a tele marketing call from one of the many salespeople, who target his industry with cold calls. The call was made during lunchtime, on a Friday afternoon – a VERY busy time for city-based restaurants; as they deal with not only a large volume of diners, but diners, who need to get back to work quickly.
Here’s why this is a VERY bad move…
If you are serious about getting the maximum return from your sales and marketing efforts, this message is for you:
In marketing, nothing is neutral. Every marketing activity is either working for you or it’s working against you!
Here’s what this means to you and your business AND why it matters…
Do you ever find yourself suffering from writer’s block?
If you just answered “yes”, take a look at the following 10 ideas and see if you can find something, which will help you flood your mind with inspirational ideas…
What limitations have you attached to your business?
I often speak with business owners, who have restricted the growth of their business because of limitations they have placed on themselves, often without knowing. Interestingly, in the majority of cases, these limitations are groundless. In other words, a lot of business owners are missing out on countless opportunities, needlessly!
Here’s how to spot if you too are missing out…
Creativity plays a big part in the development of any successful business. In fact, your ability to creatively solve problems and spot opportunities will to a large part, determine just how far you and your business will go.
In my experience, one of the best ways to kick-start our creativity, is to ask ourselves questions, which lead us to creatively search for answers and new ideas. So, here are 31 questions, designed to help you find new opportunities or improve key aspects of your business…
In marketing, the more focused your messages are, the more effective they will be and the more business they will generate for you. A focused marketing message speaks directly to the reader, in a language they understand. It addresses a challenge or opportunity that’s directly relevant to them. These messages have the power to motivate the reader to take action, to; buy from you, call you, email you or visit you.
Compare that kind of focused approach, to what we see with the typical marketing messages used by small and medium sized businesses…
Have you ever wondered how things would change, if every company you dealt with, treated you as if you were the husband or wife, parent or child, of it’s owner?
Most companies genuinely try hard to make the customer experience as good as possible, but many set their gold standard for service, too low. This is because they allow the typical customer experience within their industry or profession to determine what counts as either good or average. Here’s why YOU need to avoid this…
Sales leads or enquiries, are an essential part of the marketing process. After all, a steady flow of good quality sales leads, when acted upon correctly, can lead to a regular stream of lucrative business and allow business owners to plan ahead with confidence.
SO, this post gives you TEN 10 popular and powerful lead generation ideas, to add to your marketing arsenal…
Endorsed Relationships, have been referred to by marketing experts, including Jay Abraham, as the most powerful form of marketing in the world. I totally agree. This brief post, will show you what endorsed relationships are and how you can use them to market your business.
What is an Endorsed Relationship?
An endorsed relationship, in marketing terms, is simply a relationship you form with another person / company / brand, where they endorse (or recommend) you and your services to their clients, customers and contacts. This can come via literally any form of marketing…
Joint Ventures, often known simply as JV’s, can be an extremely effective way to generate new business. This is probably why so many of you asked me for information on Joint Ventures, when I asked you for your marketing questions recently.
The following is a brief explanation of what JV’s are and how they work…
This blog contains thousands of free marketing ideas and marketing answers, to help you achieve your best sales results ever. With new marketing material being added all the time, I hope to provide you with an increasingly valuable marketing resource. However, in order for me to make this blog ...
