If you listen to business commentators on TV, you'll often hear them mentioning a
"mature" business or product as if it were the kiss of death. It is! When your business is mature, it can stop growing and begin a downward spiral.
How do you avoid this descent to oblivion?
You look for ways in ... Views: 1512
To be successful you need to differentiate yourself from other businesses, and the easiest way to do this is to focus on your niche. Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) should give you a clue to your niche. A USP by the way is that short statement that tells consumers why they should do ... Views: 1322
In my book, Marketing Your Small Business For Big Profits, I talk about the importance of separating yourself from the pack. Finding your unique benefits and promoting them.
It is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) and it lets everyone know why they should use you over all the others that ... Views: 1441
You realize you have a problem and you need to fix it. You don't know exactly what is wrong but you know that your business really needs some help.
Are you unsure if you should hire a coach or a consultant?
It is important to know the differences between the two because there are certainly ... Views: 1893
By now I'm sure you know the marketing value of a good press release. However, it is important to write a press release properly to ensure it will be given the necessary attention. The following steps will give you an acceptable format and include what media outlets expect to see in a press ... Views: 1532
Customers love saving money. They love great deals and knowing they are getting the best for their money spent.
Motivating customers with rewards is can be really simple because many customers are already looking for them.
There are many different ways to reward customers, which in return ... Views: 1512
Press releases can have significant value. Depending on the type of press release, the value can differ.
The different types of press releases include announcements, spots, reaction stories, bad news, and local 'hometown' releases.
An announcement can include a public service announcement, ... Views: 2100
Follow-up is one of the most important steps in customer service, sales, and in any type of business in which you are hoping to make a sale.
Why?
Follow up shows people that you care that their experience went well and if they were happy with the service.
Or in the case of a prospect, it ... Views: 1509
Sometimes it is just plain hard to figure out at what price you are going to sell your item or service.
You might need to do a comparison with your main competitors and find out at what price they are selling their items. In doing a comparison, you will want to fully compare the products or ... Views: 1250
Referral relationships are not only important for any businessman or woman but also for anyone trying to get somewhere in life. However, these relationships go both ways.
Creating referral relationships mean making a commitment and if you want someone to refer you as the best person for the ... Views: 1333
It is common knowledge that the best place to sell your products or services is to a crowd of people that already want them. Once you have created a client that is buying from you, the next easiest place to make a sale is to that same person. And why wait for another time, why not make another ... Views: 872
Start a small business today and US Small Business Administration (SBA) statistics say that the odds are your business will fail before four years have passed. Thousands more limp along not making much money and dumping stress on the owner.
Why does that happen? Tom and his business are a good ... Views: 1169
Are you one of those people that think that success is only for the gifted? Or better yet, that really successful people are lucky or that everything they have today was given to them on a silver spoon.
Here's the deal, while that may be true in some cases, it would be a very few. Success is ... Views: 1091
Printing and mailing costs can make direct mail a costly investment. But as you've learned, there's nothing quite like putting your offer right into the hands of the consumer.
But hey, who says it has to be a 5-piece mailer with a brochure, response card, sales letter, lift letter, ... Views: 1131
The fear of making a mistake is a HUGE obstacle that keeps many consumers from opening up their wallets. That's understandable. We all hate to be wrong, especially when it comes to making a purchase. Offering a guarantee of satisfaction means that there's no chance that the consumer can go ... Views: 1177
Small business marketing may be the most important part in owning and maintaining a successful small business. A good portion of the marketing effort is determining the needs of your target market and then explaining that you provide solutions to meet those needs.
Contrary to popular ... Views: 1125
Small business coaching is hot. A few years ago the only coaches anyone talked about were sports coaches. But today, PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimates that there are 30,000 business and life coaches worldwide.
Thousands of small business owners and managers turn to coaches every day to improve ... Views: 1070
Do you want a sales letter that sells? Well then, that means someone has to read far enough to get to the Call To Action.
This means that the opening has to be so compelling that the reader simply must read on. These openings make it almost impossible for consumers to stop reading. They ... Views: 1202
I’m sure you have heard of The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne. It is a hit movie on DVD, a best selling book and audio book. It is based on the premise that the secret to success is the Law of Attraction. Basically, if you focus on what you want and set the intention to get it, eventually the ... Views: 1166
Phone surveys are a wonderful way to conduct market research. If possible, schedule time to speak to someone in advance so that you don't catch them off-guard with your call. They'll be more receptive to spending time with you that way.
Another advantage to phone surveys is that people feel ... Views: 1690
Fuller brushes and encyclopedias are some of the "iconic" items
that we all think of when the topic turns to door-to-door sales (i.e. face-to-face). And when we think of face-to-face salesmanship be it door-to-door, on a showroom floor or in an office.
Whether the product is a vacuum cleaner, ... Views: 4140
Do you know what matters to YOU?
A Look Ahead
This book is not your "short cut" to an MBA in Business and Marketing. It's not a magic pill that you can swallow so you're suddenly transformed into a marketing superhero. (And if it were…do you really have what it takes to run around in a ... Views: 1067