Sales & Marketing Articles For Entrepreneurs & Small Business OwnersMarketing Letters That Open DoorsThe easiest method to inform potential customers about your business, with the least amount of expense, is to mail out marketing letters to your target market. An effective marketing letter can get the results you need. A large, glossy ad looks great but can you be sure the ultimate decision-maker is reading it? A well-written […] Zero In On One Who Says Yes (And No)There are many “buying influences” in today’s solution sales situations. There are a lot of people who can say yes. There’s only one can say no. He (or she) is the benevolent dictator. Every company has one. But in today’s pressure cooker of moving products and services, companies often forget that this person is pivotal to […] R Is For ReferralsAh referrals from business contacts – the one thing most small business owners would like more of. Why then, doesn’t it happen as much as most people would like? I have a theory and it goes somewhere along the following lines: “Two business owners meet at a networking event. Their businesses compliment each other so […] Social Media … Stay in Touch, Be Touched“Face it, Kent. You threw up “on” Dean Wormer.” – Boon, National Lampoon’s Animal House (Universal Pictures – 1978) In college, we had one of the best frat houses on campus. Gawd we’re glad the social net wasn’t around back then. If it were, we’d probably have more to live down than Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg […] Become an Expert … Write an ArticleOne of the easiest ways to gain expert status – at no cost – is to have your own byline. A published article promotes your expertise, your products, and your services. And writing articles is one of the best ways to drive traffic to your Web site. Getting started… Now you may be thinking two […] Creativity LostCreativity, Innovation — Making the Mind Struggle Innovative Thinking – Often viewed as the center of business and technology innovation, the U.S. has done such a great job of implementing formula education, we’ve damaged our ability to think creatively and develop innovations that have become the mainstay of our industries. Labor Day in the U.S. […] Television Coverage – It’s Not as Hard as You Think!Do you often watch your favorite news program and think, “I have a great idea for a news story – but I have no idea how to reach the media or get it covered in the news?” Have you tried to send email or telephone pitches and media releases, but think they might be ignoring […] Q Is For Quick And Easy Ways To Get Customers FastWhen you’re frustrated with marketing and you just need customers fast, here are some simple and quick things you can do to bring new customers in. 1. Talk to your past clients – Have you kept in touch with your past clients? Maybe they’re looking for your products and services right now. Drop them a […] P Is For PersonalityI almost called this article P is for People because I really do believe that people buy people and the more your potential customers get to know you, the more likely they are to buy from you. But then, after giving this a bit more thought, I realised that it goes far deeper than this. […] Social Media #3 – Marketing Changes In Attitude, Changes In LatitudeCustomer Relationships – The social media arena enables companies to direct very customized messages to specific segments more efficiently and more effectively than broad-spectrum messages. One of the key benefits of this 1:1 approach is the opportunity to win customers and retain them for long periods – hopefully a lifetime. Illustration — IDC Social media […] Social Media – A Company’s Friend / FoeMillions Waiting The reach of the Internet has opened the door for companies to be in direct touch with millions of individuals who want to obtain information and discuss your company, products, services and your capabilities. They have thousands of online outlets to research virtually anything – and anyone – who exists on the planet. The […] O Is For OutsourcingFor many small companies, the thought of doing marketing could definitely be classed as hard work! Where do you start? What should you do? Have you got enough time to do it? So the thought of using a marketing company to do the work for them sounds like the best answer in the world. Here […] Pitching The MediaWhen pitching a story idea to a reporter, remember that they don’t really care. Your job is to make them care. A well thought-out, concise pitch will ensure you don’t strike out. Give them a great story that is unique, timely and will help make their job easier! Understand that reporters are contacted by PR […] Creating Key Messages To Get Free PublicityCreating your Key Messages – Part One WHAT are Key Messages? Key messages are phrases of different lengths that provide a description of your company in very succinct understandable terms. These messages take several forms and can be used in multiple ways. One of the forms is called an Elevator Pitch, which is essentially a […] 7 Ways For Your Business To Survive The Summer SlumpIt might only be the start of July, but already I can sense people starting to wind down for the summer. People are telling me that that they are feeling tired, struggling to get through their normal work, let alone do any PR. They are eagerly awaiting their summer break or just in a whole […] M Is For Marketing StrategyDo you have a marketing strategy in place? No, by this I don’t mean a marketing plan (although that’s great if you have one of these). I mean a marketing strategy – something that tells you end to end where each of your marketing fits in. When I talk to small business owners they usually […] Media Releases … Defining Your AudienceHaving a story printed about you and your business is the best form of FREE advertising there is. Why you ask? Because it’s believable. A news story in a local or national publication can give more details about your business in a way that allows your expertise to shine. People skim through the advertisement sections […] Know When To Send Your Media Release For Free PublicityTiming…oh what a controversial subject! Timing can mean the difference between success and failure for getting media exposure. There are a lot variables including time of year, what your competitors are doing, current trends in your industry, whether it’s good news or bad news, and the list goes on. To start, find out what the […] Social Media Marketing … The Challenge of Herding CatsSure, social media –1:1 marketing and communications–sounds glamorous. It’s like the romance, the freedom, the adventure of the old West. It’s just you and him (or her). Long hours in the online saddle, what could be better? Ask the folks who have been doing it for years – customer/tech support – it’s a lot like […] L Is For Linked InEveryone seems to be using Linked in at the moment. If you’re going to be on any social networking site, Linked in seems to be it. But, how do you use it to its maximum potential and get business from it? 1. Write your profile Make sure you’ve set up your profile on Linked in. […] |
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