Why marketing to prospects who need you is a bad strategy 28 Jul 2012 10:21 AM (12 years ago)
Why are prospects who clearly need your product or service completely ignoring it? Click through to find out why. (Hint: it has to do with cat pee, cigarette smoke, and a weird quirk of human nature.)
How to get referrals from the Mafia 27 Feb 2011 9:00 AM (14 years ago)
Want your colleagues to make their customers "an offer they can't refuse" -- namely, of your services? Collaborate with them to form your own "media mafia."
Why your marketing plan needs an editorial calendar 27 Feb 2011 8:45 AM (14 years ago)
Smart businesses know that marketing should be an ongoing activity, not just something to do when business slows down. Plan now for a smooth, steady drip of marketing messages to your prospects with an editorial calendar. Here are some tips on compiling one.
What eating a sandwich in front of your dog can teach you about marketing 16 Oct 2010 3:50 PM (14 years ago)
If you've ever sat down to dive into a yummy sandwich worthy of Dagwood, only to look over and see the family dog staring up at you, you may not have made the connection between the dog's behavior and your own. Here's what that experience can teach you about your marketing approach.
Why your marketing materials make people go “Huh?” 9 Oct 2010 3:46 PM (14 years ago)
If prospects look over your website or brochure and STILL don't get it, you may be using The Official Style. Fix it with these 3 writing tricks.
How economic bad news can be good news for your marketing 19 Jul 2010 3:00 AM (14 years ago)
In a bad economy, you need to be more creative than ever to successfully market your business. Here are some suggestions for making lemonade out of economic lemons.
Guest Post: How getting your groceries delivered could make you a million dollar business owner 3 Jul 2010 6:31 AM (14 years ago)
Here's a link to a guest post I wrote riffing on Laura Vanderkam's recent USA Today article about millionaire women entrepreneurs.
Guest Post: Be more memorable at networking meetings 14 Jun 2010 2:00 AM (14 years ago)
How can you make sure more people remember you after a networking event? Think "Broca's Area." This guest post on Sylvia Browder's blog explains how.
Guest Post: “Tapping the Power of Story in Your Marketing” 19 Sep 2009 7:30 AM (15 years ago)
Friend and colleague Sylvia Browder, the superwoman (Business Coach! SCORE Counselor! Mom to Five Kids!) who’s Project Director at the Women’s Business Center, Inc., has graciously added me as a Contributor on her blog (http://sylviabrowder.wordpress.com). Once my post goes live, check the comments below for a trackback. If you own a small business (whether you’re...
Blog post ideas, part 2: Handling big topics in a series 27 May 2009 1:55 PM (15 years ago)
Got a big topic to cover in your blog? Create a series of shorter posts to relieve reader fatigue and create anticipation.
Ideas for blog posts 24 May 2009 1:18 PM (15 years ago)
Running out of ideas for your blog? Here are some memory joggers that'll cure your "blogger's block."
Marketing’s new "perfect storm" 15 Mar 2008 8:59 AM (17 years ago)
No, it’s not just you. Other B2B marketing professionals are getting the same results. Calls are going straight to voice mail. Phone messages aren’t being returned. Sales appointments are harder to come by – when you can actually get past that Rottweiler of a gatekeeper. And that’s just your direct contact strategies. But even your...
Reaching the marketing-resistant prospect 3 Mar 2008 3:00 AM (17 years ago)
Advertising is risky and expensive. Networking can be time-consuming and downright exhausting. And Caller ID has all but killed cold calling. What’s a small business to do? Anyone who’s been in sales and marketing for long can tell you the game is changing, and in a lot of ways. Consider these factors: Technology is making...
Stay out of the spam nets 21 Feb 2008 8:57 AM (17 years ago)
No question about it – spam filters are a good thing. At least when they’re protecting your inbox! Often, though, legitimate email marketing messages can get caught in the net intended to screen out all of the junk. While spam filter avoidance is becoming more complex every day, here are three tips to help your...
Build credibility with your own domain 21 Feb 2008 6:51 AM (17 years ago)
“Yeah, I know, he’s got a Yahoo.com address, but we won’t hold that against him.” It was just a humorous comment from a graphic designer friend of mine. But it really got me thinking: What impression do your prospects get from something as innocuous as a “freebie” email address? Not a very favorable one, it...
The two questions your home page must answer 18 Jul 2007 9:37 AM (17 years ago)
When new visitors hit your website’s home page, what impression do they get? Do they understand what you offer? Do they see something that interests them? Are they intrigued enough to contact you for more information? If you want your website to pre-qualify sales prospects and encourage your ideal prospects to do business with you,...
Are you holding your sign upside-down? 31 May 2007 7:20 PM (17 years ago)
One Saturday morning, I was on my way to grab an oversized latte with a friend. I pulled up to the light just outside my neighborhood and saw some local high school students hawking boxed donuts to raise money. But even though I wasn’t interested in donuts (I was craving an espresso brownie instead), one...
Open Letter to a New Website Owner 6 Jan 2007 5:00 PM (18 years ago)
I came across your marketing materials a few days ago and was impressed enough to visit your website to get more information. Wow. And I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way. Don’t get me wrong. You’ve obviously put a lot into your startup – a lot of time, energy, thought, maybe even money....
The perfect testimonial 31 Dec 2006 7:27 PM (18 years ago)
“Joe Blow is a great guy and a pleasure to do business with” may be a terrific compliment, but it’s a poor testimonial. Good testimonials from your satisfied customers are a gift. They’re an invaluable sales tool … IF they’re worded right. So, how do you get the perfect testimonial? Here’s how I structure testimonials...
Your home page as a conversation 31 Dec 2006 7:07 PM (18 years ago)
Imagine you’re at a networking event. You’re meeting new people, exchanging business cards, having a pretty good time (even if you are working). You greet an unfamiliar but friendly-looking person in a nice suit, and he/she begins the conversation: “Hi, I’m Chris with Generic Solutions, Inc. We provide our customers with proactive solutions for systemic...