How would you describe the way you market your business? When I used to speak with marketing students, I would explain the three basic small business marketing approaches like this. Marketing approach 1: Chopping down a tree with a hammer Yes, you can chop a tree down with a hammer but it ...
One of the problems with people who use a DIY approach to marketing, is that they often waste time and money, looking for answers to the wrong questions. As a result, the very best they can then hope for, is that they learn how to do the wrong thing, correctly.
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…
Here's a quick question for you: "Do you fit your business around your lifestyle or your lifestyle around your business?" Many people start a business with big plans and dreams. They want to get out of the rat-race and start earning what they are really worth; not what their boss pays ...
Here's a quick question for you: Think about the websites, blogs and newsletters that are most valued. What do they all have in common? The answer is that they all have something to say, which is not just a generic rehash of popular opinions. They dare to be different. The writers have the courage to ...
One of the most powerful tools in marketing is also one of the least mentioned. Ladies and gentlemen, I am talking about the marketing value of feedback. Marketing feedback The fastest and most accurate way to guarantee you are giving the marketplace what it wants, is to ask the marketplace what it wants! This feedback is ...
Whenever I ask a business owner, why he or she refuses to get professional help in the key areas of their business, the answer is always the same. They tell me that they can't afford it. This answer is based on a 100% incorrect assumption. The incorrect assumption, is that by not investing in ...
If you want to develop the effectiveness of your marketing and increase your sales, I have a piece of advice, which could help you massively improve your results. Stop pushing! If you are walking down the street and a stranger pushes you, they get your attention! Of course, the attention you are giving them is 100% negative, ...
Right now, no matter what kind of business you are in, one person or company is leading the way; locally, nationally or internationally. These elite providers get to work with the most commercially valuable clients and their name is usually on everyone's lips - but why? A great marketing question Most businesses spend their time focusing on ...
This post is all about how to increase your sales and profits, by matching your actions to your promises. Marketing & trust Trust plays a BIG part in sales and marketing. That's because we buy from people we trust. It's also why testimonials and referrals are such powerful marketing tools. They provide ...
Question: What happens whenever the economy gets tough? Answer: People become massively more value focused! Right now, there are businesses in the same industry, in the same town, selling to the same people; with very different results. Some will be struggling, whilst others will be seeing their market share increase - even in a recession. We know that ...
One of my favourite sayings is; "start with the end in mind." In other words, make sure you know what your outcome is, before you decide to take action. I was thinking about this earlier, when I received an email from a reader, who had just realised that the time and money she ...
In this post, I am going to show you how to get massively better results from your advertising – starting right now! Making advertising work! If you tried advertising in the past and found that the only winner was the person who sold it to you, you’re not alone. Over the years, I have
Here's a quick marketing tip, which has helped thousands of people to massively improve their sales results. One of the most common marketing problems businesses have, is reaching the right people at the right time. You need to get YOUR message in front of people, at the exact point where they are extremely interested in buying ...
One of the secrets behind the most successfully marketed small and medium sized businesses, is that they utilise more forms of marketing than their less successful counterparts! In my experience, 'the average' business will use just two or three different kinds of marketing - yet the most successful businesses will be ...
With the media focusing constantly on negative business news, it's refreshing to see some good news stories coming out; (yes, there are still a lot of businesses doing really well!) Apple announce record breaking revenue & profits This article, from my tech news blog, gives some background to yesterday's ...
With so many buzz words and marketing ideas flying around, it's easy to forget the basics. That's why I wanted to share something with you today, which really helps us focus on what's important. 4 ways to ...
Judging by my inbox and the comments on this blog, it seems that the current recession is having a very different impact on different people. That's to be expected, yet I'm seeing businesses of similar sizes, in the same industries and the same region having totally different experiences. Recession marketing I wrote a while ago, about how ...
As any of my regular readers will know, me and Google have a very strange relationship! I decided to write this blog exclusively for people and develop it's readership via 'social media marketing.' As a marketing professional, I wince when I see blogs, which are clearly written primarily to score SEO points; with the actual ...
As we move into a brand new year, I would like to share one of the simplest, yet most valuable pieces of advice I know with you. Don't mistake movement for progress! Progress is not the result of hard work. If hard work were the secret to success, our grandparents would have been millionaires!Progress only comes when ...
