Sales & Marketing Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersOne Simple Way to Make Marketing EasierDisorganization costs your business money. Not only that, it’s just plain stressful. You know the feeling, you want to find a certain document or an article you need for a project but you can’t find it. Or, things may be in such a state that you’re discouraged from even trying to look for something because […] 10 Reasons to Sell Your Product in CatalogsFor many small companies the marketing plan to launch a new product is a make-or-break strategy. A big misstep could result in the quick demise of the product and possibly the company. That’s why, for a lot of small businesses, a logical way to introduce a new product is by selling it through other companies’ […] …And The Last Thing You Say In MarketingPeople seldom remember the details of a marketing message the first time they see it. They read your message (see: The First Thing You Say In Marketing…) because something about it appealed to them. How you end the communication determines how they “walk away” from your marketing. On your website, when someone signs up for […] The First Thing You Say in MarketingPeople make snap judgments in all their interactions. According to Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, you have two seconds before someone jumps to a conclusion. You have two seconds to state your initial marketing message. On your website, you have two seconds to convey who your web page is targeting. Make it obvious through the use of […] Self Test: Small Business Marketing IQHow much do you know about marketing your small business? Spend a few minutes with this quiz and see how much you know. 1. Does your business need a website? a. Yes, definitely . A website is needed so people can find you around the world. b. No . My business is tactile, and doesn’t […] The PR AdvantagePR is important in good times and essential in hard times. It is always important to promote, market, and advertise your business. The good news is that compared to other forms of marketing, PR is generally less expensive and always more validating. How Do I Set My Price?Most small business owners will agree that pricing is one of the most critical factors of any product or service’s success in the marketplace. It is also often the most confusing question for my clients who own small businesses. Pricing, I’ve found is more a science and a process rather than an art—you need to […] How Cheap is Cheap?As a marketer I have found that many businesses operate under the delusion that they can be successful by selling their products or services at the cheapest price. It has become almost universally acceptable that this pricing strategy will only work for large companies who dominate a marketplace. If you think about this, it does […] When You Should Issue a Press Release…If I had a pound for the number of times I’ve been asked this question; I’d be a very rich man living the lifestyle that I’ve always wanted to have! Like so much of marketing, it’s really down to common sense as to when you should issue a Press Release. So, here is some simple […] In Sales, Words Just Don’t ComputeIn studies conducted by Motivational Systems of West Orange, New Jersey, researchers found that 72% of the 12,000 participants reported that, in first time meetings, non-verbal communication carried significantly more weight than a verbal message (words). Only 6% of the respondents paid the slightest attention to what a person said at a first time meeting. […] Hire A Six, To Consistently Produce Sales SuccessFor many years as a sales manager, I would only hire the stereotypical sales representative. You know the type—on a human relations continuum or scale of zero to ten, with the ten representing a candidate who is totally gregarious and outgoing and the zero, someone who is introverted with few people skills, I’d always recruit […] How to Increase Sales by 20% Without Spending More for AdvertisingThe managers in your dealership must have a written job description with clearly defined responsibilities and expectations. Having specific goals for the department is required. Daily action plans for selling, training, appointments, one-on-one coaching, save-a deal meetings, deal structuring, follow-up, etc will increase sales by 20 percent without spending more for advertising. If you read […] Lead Generation = Dollar CreationAll businesses are built on two areas of competency – people skills and marketing skills. Many sales people who are more than adequate in their sales and people skills are struggling today. The reason is most sales people lack enough opportunities with customers. Lead generation = dollar creation As a sales person you are in […] Find Your Hidden WealthWhat is hidden wealth? Hidden wealth is an unused, dormant or under utilized part of your business that contains great value. All businesses have at least one hidden wealth. Even the best businesses in the world contain hidden wealth. The key is to determine your hidden wealth and begin to mine the potential gold that […] How to Build a Winning TeamEach year at the start of football practice, Vince Lombardi, the coach of the Green Bay Packers started his season the same way. His opening statement to his players was, “This is a football.” Every year, John Wooden, the legendary basketball coach of the UCLA Bruins started his first practice of the season by demonstrating […] The Champion CoachGreat managers view themselves as coaches more than managers. There is an old adage: “Lead people and manage things.” There is a fine line between creating and utilizing systems and processes and micromanaging details without emphasizing the power of personal interaction. Good systems and processes should allow employees to raise their performance by giving them […] You Can Make Things HappenThoreau once said, “Things don’t change, people do.” If things are to happen, you must make them happen. Good people and businesses always make things happen. Let’s look at the essential rules of making things happen. Rule 1 – Always have a CEO attitude – You must start by taking responsibility for all things […] You Are The CEOAre you the CEO of your company? If you’re a sales person, and you answered no to this question, think again. To be successful you must have a CEO mentality. All successful sales people view themselves as a business within a business. Never forget that the company you work for writes and signs your check, […] Words Are CheapWords are cheap. What matters is the true belief system behind your words and the actions you take because of those belief systems. Economies don’t improve, people improve. Waiting for something to happen is for losers. The most important economy is the one created between your ears. During down markets you have to get creative […] Super Bowl Ads: Super Marketing or Super WasteMy wife is from Pittsburgh, so you know what I was watching Super Bowl Sunday. Being a lifelong Bengals fan, it was painful for me to watch the game. Although the game wasn’t played well by either team, it was fun to watch the advertisements. I watched the ads not from a football fan or […] |
|
