Category: Sales & Marketing

Cultivating Rising Stars

Posted by: on July 14

We consider young team members on the client side of a consulting engagement to be ideal prospects as annuity clients as their careers mature. As bright stars take new positions,…

A Simple Model for Branding

Posted by: on July 11

We have adopted a simple model for helping clients think more expansively about bringing their brand experiences to life. Our model builds on the familiar visual aspects of a brand…

The Case for Direct Mail Marketing

Posted by: on July 08

As more and more of one’s work and personal life shifts into the digital zone, it’s easy to consider abandoning direct mail marketing initiatives. But it’s important not to be…

When Advertising, Appeal to Senses

Posted by: on July 07

You don’t need to be a big company to make a big impact in advertising. But you do need to be smart about how to catch people’s attention—and that means…

Using Video to Market your Small Business

Posted by: on July 02

The production and distribution of video has long been a mainstay in the marketing campaigns of global brands, governments, and NGOs. Now, thanks to the Internet, small businesses can also…

The Key to Marketing Any Product

Posted by: on June 20

Whether you are marketing an existing product or introducing a new product into an existing space, you need to present the "whole product." Not just the primary product offering, but…

Advertising Basics

Posted by: on June 19

If you’re spending money on advertising, you need to have a compelling offer. Even though they’ve been around for decades, "X% off" coupons are still an effective advertising tool. However,…

Your Growth Rate Is Key to Selling Your Business

Posted by: on June 16

Buyers are demanding greater growth in the companies they consider acquiring. Your company could have 85% profitability, but if your growth rate is anemic you will still probably get passed…

Why Call Tracking Makes Sense

Posted by: on June 13

I often hear small business owners ask, "How can I best use call tracking?" and "How will it help my business?" One key benefit of call tracking is that it…

Discontinuing a Product Line

Posted by: on May 21

Sometimes you discover that a product that once generated revenue and was beloved by customers and staff no longer holds the same viability in the marketplace. You now face a…

Outsourcing Your Marketing Services

Posted by: on May 14

Have you ever considered outsourcing some, or even all, of your marketing? Doing so can help you achieve your business goals if you don’t have a marketing department, or it…

How to Make the Most of Your Database Lists

Posted by: on May 13

If deals are the currency of good partnerships, then lists are the currency of good marketing. Without good lists, good content, and good timing, you’ll quickly find your company among…

How to Combine Direct Mail with Online Marketing

Posted by: on May 12

Today, the highest-impact marketing campaigns strategically combine direct mail with online marketing to yield impressive results. If direct mail is well targeted, conceived, written, and designed, it has a much…

When Competitors Copy Your Marketing

Posted by: on May 09

In the marketing industry there is a lot of follow-the-leader being played. During my 23-year marketing career there have been countless times when I’d make an aggressive move, just to…

Market Research Through Customer Profiles

Posted by: on May 06

A marketing plan must be highly detailed and also explain what strategies you will use to reach out to customers. Before you can develop a strategy, however, you need to…

Delivering Value to Your Customer

Posted by: on May 05

Understanding your customers’ values will lead you to develop products and services that can provide high profit-potential for your business. While you already believe your services or products are superior,…

Making Your Marketing Run on a Shoestring Budget

Posted by: on April 29

If you are a startup in a competitive marketplace, you probably don’t have enough money to engage in branding, but you must have funds allocated to generate leads. The question…

Keep Your Customers Coming Back in a Down Economy

Posted by: on April 23

As the recession sets in and consumers continue to tighten their belts, retailers and restaurants are left wondering how to pull more customers through their doors. While many merchants’ immediate…

Creating Customer Evangelists

Posted by: on April 22

Having a customer who comes back to you time and time again is great. But even better are those customers who tell their friends, write positive reviews, and blog about…

Treat Your Customers Like People, Not Invoice Numbers

Posted by: on April 21

Think for a minute about the companies you’re loyal to. It could be the neighborhood pharmacy where the pharmacist knows your name. Or the coffee shop where the barista starts…

Pricing Strategies

Posted by: on April 15

Want to price your product right? Start by going shopping. Find out what your competitors are selling, and for how much. If you can, buy the competing products, take them…

The Real Currency of Networking

Posted by: on April 11

Networking is an essential activity for any successful entrepreneur. However, while almost everybody networks and eagerly hits all the big events with a fistful of business cards, ultimately the success…

Customer Retention, Online and Offline

Posted by: on April 09

Typically we think of promotions as a way for new customers to learn about our business. So it’s worth remembering that retaining customers and growing revenue within your existing client…

Brand Reinforcement, Online and Offline

Posted by: on April 08

As audiences continue to fragment, integration is increasingly essential to the success of a promotional campaign. One-off promotions and offers have less of an impact on your prospective and existing…

Leveraging Consumer-Generated Marketing Campaigns

Posted by: on March 24

Branding is one of the most important tasks for a business, yet it can be one of the most challenging. Building a brand, conveying the brand to the public, and…

Call Tracking Can Gauge Ad Campaign Effectiveness

Posted by: on March 03

Measuring the effectiveness of any promotional or advertising campaign has always been a challenge for small businesses. Knowing the money invested in an advertising campaign is delivering solid ROI (return…

Don’t Be Afraid to Advertise

Posted by: on February 28

People do not buy what they do not know about. Advertising informs potential customers about the availability of your products or services. To avoid wasting your time and money, you…

Escaping the Tyranny of Price Competition

Posted by: on February 27

For U.S. manufacturers, competing on price with companies that are exporting goods from a low-wage-paying country is nearly fruitless. While you expend effort and know-how on shaving a percentage point…

Tell Your Story with a Product Marketing Specialist

Posted by: on February 26

When people buy a given product, they are often buying the story of the product, which includes why and how it is going to make their life better. Unfortunately, most…

Set the Right Goals for Your Sales Team

Posted by: on February 25

Your sales team will make or break your company, so you need to make sure the drum beat they march to matches the financial goals of your company. Setting the…

Why the Greatest Roadblock to Growth Is Your Sales Team

Posted by: on February 21

Most sales teams produce a small fraction of the sales they need. This does not necessarily mean they are slacking—they simply may not have the right tools to do their…

Social Media’s Impact on Your Offline Business

Posted by: on February 19

You may think not having an online presence means the Internet does not have an impact on your business. The truth is consumers are increasingly turning to the Internet for…

Tips for Successful Cold Calling

Posted by: on January 30

Cold calling. Even the name is chilling, and you’re not alone if you dread the process. In fact, many people consider cold calling the most intimidating aspect of the sales…

Use Your Instincts to Close a Sale

Posted by: on December 26

When involved in a conversation, have you ever had the feeling that your companion was not being completely honest and up front with you? While many people have felt this…

How to Conduct an Effective Sales Meeting

Posted by: on November 21

The purpose of a sales meeting is to prepare your sales staff to sell. Yet all too often sales meetings turn into boring lectures and redundant wastes of time. Meetings…

Finding Your Place on the Mobile Web

Posted by: on November 09

In an increasingly competitive business environment, staying connected to your customers is more important than ever. As mobile Internet use goes mainstream, it will change the way consumers communicate—both with…

Finding New Sales Prospects

Posted by: on October 17

Prospecting is crucial to small business survival. In order to grow, your small business will need to expand its customer base. But even loyal customers eventually use other suppliers, so…

Effective Affinity Marketing Programs

Posted by: on October 08

Affinity marketing is promoting an established brand’s products or services to a niche audience. The challenge with affinity marketing is finding the right audience. However, once found, the audience has…

Get More Bang for Your Ad Buck, Part II

Posted by: on October 05

As more and more companies are looking to utilize the power of social networks for advertising and marketing purposes, there are a few considerations to keep in mind: •See beyond…

Get More Bang for Your Social Media Buck, Part I

Posted by: on October 04

Small businesses are beginning to look at social media and bloggers to help reach a very targeted audience, but many are struggling when it comes to knowing how to tap…

The Biggest Mistake in Selling

Posted by: on September 21

The biggest mistake in selling is believing that if you can just tell your prospect enough about your product or service, if you just get the chance to "make your…

Positioning Your Brand

Posted by: on September 20

Most places I go, I’ll ask someone in a company, "If you could put one idea about your business directly into the mind of a prospective customer, what would that…

Think About Your Prospective Client’s Ego

Posted by: on September 18

When working with a prospective client, it is imperative that you consider his or her ego in the process. As you make the sale, you want to come across as…

Remember, You’re in the Sales Business

Posted by: on September 10

No matter how good you are at whatever you do, your small business will die without sales. In today’s oversaturated market, you cannot afford to sit around and wait for…

Maximizing Revenues in Mobile Advertising

Posted by: on August 23

A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive and Ingenio revealed that more than four out of five U.S. adults own a mobile phone compared to only about seven in ten…

Generating Repeat Business

Posted by: on August 22

The biggest sale you make with a customer probably won’t be the first one. In fact, it’s usually the third or fourth sale that takes place after you have earned…

Small Screens Signal Big Opportunity for Businesses

Posted by: on August 21

An inherent difference between mobile and PC environments is that mobile advertisers are assured that an extremely high percentage of mobile users who conduct Internet searches intend to immediately act…

Branding: A Key to Your Success

Posted by: on August 02

During my 28 years in the commercial printing industry I’ve come to realize that branding is one of the most important components to any business, as it allows a company…

Fulfillment Firm Fundamentals

Posted by: on June 14

In direct-selling lingo, "fulfillment" covers everything from taking the order to packing, shipping, and processing the purchase for payment. You can fulfill orders yourself or you can outsource these duties…

Top 10 Public Relations Mistakes

Posted by: on June 12

The goal of public relations is to portray your business in the best possible manner. This can range from establishing yourself in the market to damage control. Unlike advertising, your…

Seven Low-Cost Marketing Ideas

Posted by: on June 05

Growing companies trying to figure out how to make a splash in the marketplace sometimes pay consultants thousands of dollars for advice on the subject. And they get suggestions that…

Metrics for Measuring Ad Campaign Effectiveness

Posted by: on May 22

Advertising is not an exact science. There’s no precise way to measure the success of an ad campaign. You can’t, for example, determine how many sales dollars are generated by…

Delivering Quality Customer Service

Posted by: on May 14

As small businesses grow, owners often find it difficult to efficiently handle customer support and service calls. Yet that is often the service that most affects customer satisfaction and the…

How Podcasting Is Used

Posted by: on May 08

Currently, most who are familiar with podcasting are technically savvy, but it is clear that podcasting will be more than a passing fad. Many businesses are adopting podcasting and employing…

Guerrilla Guide to Trade Shows

Posted by: on May 01

While strolling through the show, look for an ally. If you can find a suitable partner, offer to split the cost of a booth at the next trade show. Explore…

Paying Your Sales Reps

Posted by: on April 25

Many small companies are tapping into or dove-tailing with existing sales channels with limited results. Assuming that the company is linked to the correct sales channel, the problem may be…

Sell It Before You Build It

Posted by: on April 05

In the movie Field of Dreams, the advice to Kevin Costner’s character was "If you build it, they will come." This is precisely the wrong advice for building a company….

What People Are Saying About You Online

Posted by: on April 04

Today on the Web, there are literally thousands of reviews on small businesses that range from restaurants to health spas, retail stores, and real estate agents. More and more consumers…

Asking for a Higher-Than-Standard Rate

Posted by: on April 02

There is a right way and a wrong way to ask your clients for a higher-than-standard rate. To do it successfully, you must show the client that you are worth…

Cut Your Communications Costs

Posted by: on March 19

Trim down your operating budget by reevaluating your communication tools. With the combined cost of smartphones (BlackBerries, Treos, etc.), the numerous service plans needed, and a constant flood of new…

Communicate Strategically

Posted by: on March 07

Map out your communications strategy with outside consultants, such as a public relations or analyst relations team, before you talk to any media or analysts. It’s important to know what…

Educating Outside Salespeople

Posted by: on February 21

To educate your company’s outside salespeople, start by putting yourself in their shoes. For example, understand what a retail clerk selling your product needs to know to help a customer….

Naming Your Business

Posted by: on February 15

When new ventures start, founders struggle to find an appropriate name for their business. Names are subjective and, as a result, a "right" answer does not necessarily exist. One thing…

Five Good Reasons to Do a Mass Mailing

Posted by: on February 06

In-house mailings are a great way to stay in touch with your customers—and to contact prospective customers. Mass mailing, in small-business terms, ranges from sending out a dozen invitations to…

Answer Your Phone Calls

Posted by: on January 15

A key consumer turn-off is the business that doesn’t answer its phones, even during normal business hours. People might be used to calling the major U.S. chains and being trapped…

When a Customer Calls

Posted by: on January 10

Many small-business owners are well aware of the importance of greeting customers as they walk in the front door of their business. The traditional pleasantries—"Good morning," "How are you today?"…

Learn Regional History 101 Before You Go Abroad

Posted by: on December 13

Going overseas to sell your product or brand is a far cry from taking a vacation. Even so, learning as much as you can about a country’s culture and history…

How Do I Find the Right Branding Company?

Posted by: on December 07

The companies that create branding and identity are often difficult to distinguish from graphic design firms. How can I find and decide on the right company to help me brand…

Finding a Point Person While Selling Abroad

Posted by: on December 06

New potential business opportunities are popping up in areas of the world that were once off limits. Our company, Mechtronix Systems of Montreal, has made successful inroads into countries like…

Boost Your Sales by Accepting Credit Cards

Posted by: on December 05

Accepting credit cards is becoming a must for entrepreneurs and small businesses in today’s business environment. There are numerous social, demographic, and technological factors combining to make plastic the payment…

When Selling Abroad, Start Slowly

Posted by: on December 03

American companies are aggressive—sometimes too aggressive. Meetings are often brief, to the point, and focused on a particular problem or agenda item. While this approach may work well back at…

Are You Doing All You Can for Your Business?

Posted by: on October 30

Internet advertising has mushroomed into a billion-dollar industry, and this means great things for scrappy small-business owners. The rise of new Internet advertising tools and technologies make it possible for…

Do You Measure Your Advertising?

Posted by: on October 30

If you think back in time, 10 to 15 years ago measuring local advertising performance was significantly less important than it is today. Back then small businesses could assume that…

14 Reasons Small Businesses Need Both a Logo and Marketing Materials

Posted by: on October 26

Experts urge small business owners to "brand" their businesses with a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. But they rarely explain the reasons behind this advice. Here are…

Make Waiting Interesting

Posted by: on October 23

If you have customers who have to spend any time at all within the walls of your business, now is a good time to consider implementing digital signage. The concept…

Savvy Networking

Posted by: on October 17

Everyone knows that it’s important to spend time networking in the places where potential clients are likely to be. But sometimes that can cause real problems, if you arrive at…

Tips for Using E-mail

Posted by: on October 12

Although e-mail is considered less formal than paper correspondence, your business messages should convey a professional tone. Remember these e-mail etiquette tips the next time you send a message: 1….

Eight Collateral Marketing Items Every Small Business Needs

Posted by: on October 11

Over time, you’ll want to provide information about your company to lots of different people, including employees, investors, existing and potential clients, and the media. Your company’s success may depend…

Getting the Best Results with Direct-Mail Marketing

Posted by: on October 10

Direct mail can be a high-powered, cost-effective marketing tool. Tie direct mailings to other marketing efforts like local advertising, networking, or public relations efforts. Here are a few pointers that…

Overcoming the Home-Based Business Image

Posted by: on October 03

Although home businesses are becoming more and more accepted, some people still question their credibility. Image is part of marketing and can be especially important for a home-based business. Build…

Building Your Referral Business

Posted by: on July 20

Referrals always begin with providing your current customers with prompt, reliable, quality service. If they’re happy with you, they’ll be happy to spread the word on your behalf—often without you…

Learn What Keeps Your Customers Up at Night

Posted by: on July 14

Sometimes there’s just no substitute for good old-fashioned communication. Just ask Adrienne Lumpkin. She’ll tell you customer relationships were key to the success of Alternate Access, the Raleigh (N.C.)-based computer…

10 Marketing Tools for Home-Based Businesses

Posted by: on July 05

Owners of home-based businesses sometimes view marketing as an unnecessary expense, but nothing could be further from the truth. Because a home-based business doesn’t have a storefront for passers-by to…

Understanding Your Target Market

Posted by: on June 27

No business can be all things to all people. Instead, you must reach specific customers and satisfy their particular needs. As an entrepreneur, you must identify those customers and understand…

How to Advertise, Cheap!

Posted by: on May 25

Advertising is expensive, so know why you are advertising and what you want to accomplish. Evaluate your advertising carefully, and measure its effectiveness. Here are a few suggestions for making…

Offering a Toll-free Telephone Number

Posted by: on May 22

Providing a toll-free telephone number can be an effective customer service tool and a savvy marketing strategy for many small businesses. Most long-distance carriers provide toll-free numbers at reasonable rates….

Customer Satisfaction Means Brand Awareness

Posted by: on May 08

How many times have you called a company only to be treated as though you’re bothering the people there? Or a company representative agrees to call or meet you at…

Tips for Closing a Sale

Posted by: on May 03

Many entrepreneurs have little or no experience in outside sales. Finding new prospects and explaining features and benefits — the stock-in-trade of salesmanship — can be difficult for a non-sales-oriented…

Make Yourself Known

Posted by: on April 20

Here are some ideas for making your company more visible in your local community: 1. Create an advisory board representative of your customers, even if they’re kids, and publicize it….

Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

Posted by: on April 04

For entrepreneurs, creative thinking can be an important and effective marketing tool. Always be on the lookout for innovative and inexpensive ways to promote your business. Use new combinations of…

Online Marketing: Hiring vs. Outsourcing

Posted by: on March 24

If you’ve got the time and inclination, doing online marketing yourself will be more cost-effective than hiring a dedicated employee or outsourcing to an agency. In the beginning, however, there’s…

Measuring the Success of Your Internet Marketing Campaign

Posted by: on March 15

The success of an Internet marketing campaign can be measured by its conversion rate. Depending on your site and your type of business, your conversion rate may be based on…

The Two Little Words Your Customers Love to Hear

Posted by: on March 10

What are the two little words you can say to all of your customers that will immediately endear your business to them and guarantee they will be your customers for…

Marketing on a Shoestring

Posted by: on March 03

For entrepreneurs, creative thinking can be an important and effective marketing tool. Always be on the lookout for innovative and inexpensive ways to promote your business. Use new combinations of…

Sell, Sell, Sell

Posted by: on March 01

When starting a business, your No. 1 goal should be sales. Marketing and advertising are often too costly for most new businesses, so sales will have to be generated the…

Spiff Up Your Sales Skills

Posted by: on February 22

As an entrepreneur, it’s important to be good at selling yourself and your product or service. And good sales skills mean more than just having good people skills. Developing good…

Three Common Closing Mistakes

Posted by: on February 08

Successful entrepreneurs often come by selling naturally. But closing a tough sale requires more than a winning personality. As any sales veteran will tell you, closing can be tricky, and…

Understanding the marketing and sales sequence will get you more clients

Posted by: on December 16

Think of your marketing as a short flight of stairs into your business. First you help prospects understand the problem you solve, then you explain the solution you provide, next…

Battle Plans for Guerrilla Marketers

Posted by: on December 14

Never forget that 70% of business that’s lost is lost due to apathy after the sale. The opposite of apathy is follow-up. Follow-up not only reduces your marketing investment, it’s…

Stop Selling to Increase Your Sales

Posted by: on December 01

If you want to get your prospects’ attention so they will contact you and buy from you, let them know how you can help them. Few people like to be…

Understand Your Customers

Posted by: on November 11

Focus relentlessly on customer experience. In my business that means the hotel-guest experience. I’ve taken what I’ve learned from guest feedback and codified it in design principles that govern everything…

Don’t Let Your Prospects Forget You

Posted by: on November 08

Prospects are more likely to buy after the fifth or sixth contact, and some take even longer depending on what you’re selling. Use your marketing system to stay in touch…

Motivate Your Customers to Stay in Touch

Posted by: on October 31

To close more sales, try motivating more prospects to contact you. The first step in generating qualified leads is giving people a reason to contact you. Take a lesson from…

A Guerrilla Strike on All Possible Targets

Posted by: on October 27

Crafting an effective guerilla-marketing campaign requires reaching out to three critical targets and carefully allocating the proper amount of marketing resources to each. Your first target market is your universe…

Anticipate Negative Responses

Posted by: on October 24

All responses can be anticipated. That means salespeople who’ve been selling for more than a week can prepare for — and be ready to turn around — the vast majority…

Perfect Pitching

Posted by: on October 14

Don’t pitch business on the laurels of your client’s brand, but on the specific solutions you provide them. Diversify your skill set. Offer many solutions. Don’t project one process, or…

Be an Unrelenting Marketer

Posted by: on October 11

Marketing isn’t an event as much as it’s a process. It’s the never-ending process of moving members of the universe onto your prospect list, then motivating these prospects to buy…

Give Your Company Some Wiggle Room

Posted by: on October 10

Don’t spend your time creating marketing and new business materials in the first year — focus instead on your client relationships. In the first two years, our company tripled its…

Make Your Pitch — and Don’t Be Afraid to Move On

Posted by: on October 07

Keep your cold calls short. Any prospecting call that exceeds two minutes is probably too long. Say who you are, say why you’re calling, and suggest a specific date and…

Give Everyone the White-Glove Treatment

Posted by: on October 04

Treat every customer like they’re Microsoft — you never know where one sale will lead you. That means give advice freely, answer questions honestly, and make it easy for customers…

Be Patient and Don’t Get Discouraged

Posted by: on October 03

Client relations and communication are my two most important priorities. I constantly remind myself to really listen to my clients and show a sincere interest in what they need. That…

The Importance of Loyalty

Posted by: on September 28

The difference between true customer loyalty and mere customer satisfaction is like the difference between lightning and lightning bugs. Loyal customers spend up to six times more than satisfied customers…

Invite Customers In

Posted by: on September 23

Think of your marketing as a short flight of stairs into your business. First, you help prospects understand the problem you solve, explain the solution you provide, establish your credibility,…

Connect with Your Customers

Posted by: on September 14

Marketing and sales are about making emotional connections. Ultimately, people select products and services based not only on the business at hand but also on their emotional needs. Great salespeople…

Identify Organic Growth — and Build Upon It

Posted by: on September 08

Look at what end of your business is growing organically. Find out where things are flowing naturally, and then veer in that direction. Don’t push the side of the company…

Convince Customers to Preach Your Gospel

Posted by: on September 01

There are only three ways to increase sales. Increase the average transaction amount. Get your customers to purchase more frequently. Or get more customers. But if you can create a…

Sometimes You Have to Work for Free

Posted by: on August 25

Give away your services for free and do pro bono work in the community. For me, I’ve found it’s one of the best ways of marketing your business — it…

Stand Out from the Crowd

Posted by: on August 23

The most important thing is to get your positioning as “right” as possible. You want to be perceived by your target market as better than the competition on some attributes…

Never Stop Marketing

Posted by: on August 19

Marketing is a process, not an event. Marketing is absolutely every bit of contact any part of your business has with any segment of the public. Guerrillas view marketing as…

Don’t Get Distracted

Posted by: on August 17

Really understand what your core competency is. What do you really do best? Focus on that. Being all things to all people is not a good strategy. Position your product…

To Boost Sales, Stop Selling!

Posted by: on August 15

If you want to get your prospects’ attention, the first thing to do is let them know how you can help them. Few people like to be sold, but every…