Sales & Marketing Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersPR For Fashion DesignersPublic relations is an important marketing component for nearly any company or product, but when it comes to fashion, beauty or style, an effective PR campaign is not an option, it’s a necessity. Think about it, fashion and style is directly linked in our culture with celebrity and fame. When Entertainment Tonight or In Style […] 11 Things That Irk Decision MakersSelling in today is highly competitive business world requires more effort and energy than ever. However, there are certain things that can work against you, especially when you sell in a B2B environment. Sales people do a variety of things that irk decision makers and prospects and prevent them from moving the sales process forward. […] 5 Ways To Keep In Touch With Your CustomersIt seems that business owners out there are finding it harder and harder to stay in touch with their customers. Consistently when I ask small businesses to rate themselves at following up, they always say that this is where they are weakest. Actually, there are tons of ways to follow up and stay in touch […] Using PR to Build a Beauty BusinessEven in a down economy beauty sells. The cosmetic industry was born in the Great Depression. This is one industry where it pays to promote when things are good, but pays even more to market aggressively when times are tough. As in the fields of entertainment and fashion, a strong public relations campaign is critical […] Long Term PR Strategies To Make More MoneyAn effective public relations campaign takes planning, time, and work. You need to mine your stories and use the media you garner to land more media. A truly effective PR campaign cannot be launched or realistically measured in two, four, or even six months. Once you do decide to move forward, begin with some clear, […] 10 Things Sales People Need To Know About C-Level Decision MakersSelling to high-level decision makers is challenging at the best of times. However, it can be easier if you understand a few business principles. C-level decision makers are paid to improve their business results. Regardless of how the media portrays these executives, their primary concern is to improve their business. This includes increasing sales, market […] Act Like Your Business Is Worth ItHow many times have you heard the phrase “Act like your business is worth £1m” and left thinking that although that would be nice, there is no way you could do that because you just don’t have the money. Me too! And then, the other day I reached an epiphany. By this phrase, people don’t […] Y is for Yo Sushi (and other stories)Well, this article isn’t exactly about Yo Sushi! It’s about the fact that if you pay attention to the big companies around you, it’s very likely that you’ll find ideas that you can apply to your own business. Remember, big companies can afford to do things – they can afford to hire the best marketing […] Product / Service Acceptance, Success Beyond StatisticsAs far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality. – Albert Einstein We recently read that contrary to recent Android claims/statistics, the iPhone was way ahead of Android smartphones. According to the author – editor-in-chief of MacNewsWorld […] X is for XenophobiaXenophobia is the fear of strangers or foreigners so this article is all about turning strangers into friends into customers and it’s something that you’re going to have to do if you want to succeed in your business. You’re going to meet people all the time – whether it’s from networking, on the internet, through […] Franchise Question: Is there a Viable Market for this Business in my area?While you may be at the very beginning of your research, you should know what you ultimately need to consider after you’ve done all your research and are ready to sign and move forward. Question: Does the franchise offer a product or service for which there is a viable, long-term market in your area? Viable […] W is for Why is my Marketing Not Working?One of the questions many small business owners ask is why is my marketing not working? Many people have spent a lot of money, time and effort getting their marketing to work only to find they have little or no results. It can be very frustrating and be enough for many business owners to give […] Your Phone Could Be the Key to Making AR Real“I can’t afford to have an independent programmer monitoring me. Do you have any idea how many outside systems I’ve gone into?” – Master Control Program, Tron (1982), Walt Disney Engineers must have fantastic imaginations because in their early stages, most technologies are pretty ugly…wires going every which way, oversized circuit boards, cases the size […] U is for UnderstandingI try not to write too much on market research and understanding your customers and your competitors – while it’s important, it’s not what most of you want to hear. Most small business owners simply want to know how to get more customers and don’t necessarily care how this comes about. But what if I […] New Consumer, New Tools Equals New Normal“This is Jason Bourne. You are nine hours behind the toughest target you have ever tracked. Now I want everyone to sit down, strap in, and turn on all you’ve got. That would mean now.” – Pamela Landy (Joan Allen), The Bourn Ultimatum (2007), United Pictures You should really be excited. The government – no […] Seven Ways to Improve Sales Results Without Hiring New PeopleAre you tired of hiring new sales people that never seem to quite work out? Since 1980, we have been helping our clients improve sales results by assessing and developing their people. We’ve learned one or two things along the way. Take a second look at the big picture. What are your goals for the […] T is for Time to do MarketingAs small business owners, one of the things that we’re short on is time and particularly time to do marketing. Marketing is just one of those things that goes by the wayside when everything gets busy isn’t it? Here’s the problem though. If you only do marketing only when things gets are quiet and then […] Business Must Constantly Look to, Plan for Tomorrow“There must be alternatives. You must have some technology that could solve our problem.” – Professor Barnhardt, The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2008 Even though a few companies have sold 10M +/- tablets and phones in the US and are slowly, painfully rolling them out in other wealthy consumer markets (Japan, North America, Europe), […] Online Videos – The Move to Entertain, Educate, Sell“Money is honey! Money is honey!” – Max Bailystock (Zero Mostel) – The Producers (1968), Embassy Pictures Ever wonder why when someone wants to show you how good their device is, they never show you a PowerPoint presentation? They’re boring…yes, even yours! But video? It grabs your attention and keeps your attention. It’s so good […] 30 Tips For Successful Trade Show ParticipationPre-show Marketing Allocate a percentage of your trade show budget for pre-show marketing to attendees. via @VectorDisplays Send a pre-show postal mailing and/or e-mail promising something exclusive to show attendees who visit your booth. via @VectorDisplays Include the show name and booth number as part of your phone voice mail message 60-90 days before a […] |
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