Do NOT follow the herd when it comes to choosing marketing techniques. Doing what everyone else does, or doing what's the latest-and-greatest hot trend, is a sure path to marketing failure. People tell me they want a marketing plan, but what they really mean is, "Tell me exactly which techniques to choose and when to do them." Guess what? There …
Why Marketing Fails #1: Market Research
I'm going to be harsh here, so hold on to your hat. Have you CHECKED to see if people want your product or service? The first -- and ultimately the biggest -- mistake that small business owners make is that they fail to do adequate market research. We get overly-excited about a new idea and assume that our customers will love it, …
Why Marketing Fails: Introduction
We always want to know which marketing techniques are the best, the easiest, and yield the greatest results for our time and money. Any shortcuts to marketing are viewed with awe and respect. But what can you do when you try the "best" marketing techniques and they just aren't working for you? Do you ditch them? Or is there a simple tweak you can …
Pet Peeve: Marketing in Holiday Cards
Call me anti-Grinch. I love when I receive holiday cards from vendors, colleagues and other business contacts. What I hate, though, is never receiving any other communication from them all year, and then when they finally do send a holiday card, there's a promotion for a sale or a discount coupon. Really people, get a clue! I received a holiday …
The Real Secret to Higher Profits
Every teacher, mentor and guru promises to help you get big profits. Let me short-cut the secret for you: Take your talent and add a dash of passion for owning your own business. Then practice your talent and your business skills, over and over again, until you gain mastery of both. Create a smart plan for growth and then take consistent …
Do You Market to Women? Here are Timely Tips…
Women shop, and buy, differently than men. So if you market to women, it's helpful to know what makes them tick when they're making a buying decision. Let's Start with Some Background Information Did you know that women control over 51% of the corporate buying decisions in America? And women make 80% of all consumer buying decisions, as …