Jay Hamilton-Roth
Jay Hamilton-Roth founded Many Good Ideas (http://www.ManyGoodIdeas.com) to help businesses brainstorm, design, and implement effective marketing strategies. He is available for public speaking and is the host of the TV Series "Business With Passion".
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Marketing in the Blink of an EyeIt happens so quickly. You meet someone at the print shop. You notice a flyer on a bulletin board. Colorful packaging catches your eye. Almost before you’re aware of it, you’ve already decided how you’ll react. How can this affect your business marketing? -
The True Cost of EstimatesAfter arriving at my appointment, I was warmly welcomed and presented with a written estimate that was significantly higher (almost twice the cost that was stated over the phone). I was shocked. What would you have done?
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Speak with Passion: Your IntroductionImagine you’re about to take the stage to give your short talk and you’re not (yet) a household name. Should you have someone else introduce you onstage or should you introduce yourself?
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The 5 Keys to Unlocking Your Business MarketingEveryone wants to know the secret to magically attracting customers to your business. Maybe it’s the name of your business. Or your business’s website. Or the graphics. Maybe the tagline. Hmm… so what’s the secret?
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Multiply Your BusinessAre you tired of being on the never-ending business cycle of: create new marketing materials, network, negotiate, get some new clients, and repeat? Does it ever feel that if you take a break from the cycle, you’ll never get any new business?
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What Will it Take?There’s a phrase that you used to hear a lot from car salespeople, “What will it take for you to leave with this new car?” The phrase was overused and therefore much-parodied. However, the underlying thought is timeless for your marketing strategy.
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Speak with Passion: Reboot Your Old PresentationIf you’ve been giving the same one or two speeches for awhile, how can you reboot your old presentation into something more passionate? It starts with 2 questions.
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Speak with Passion: Start to Write Your SpeechNow that you’ve clearly identified the goals of your talk (3 questions) and clearly articulated your audience’s “message”, how do you start writing your speech?
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Your Marketing NumbersUltimately your business is about numbers: income, costs, profit, sales, and referrals. But what numbers should you focus on based on your company’s goals?
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Facebook Marketing Strategy1 in every 13 people on earth are on Facebook. If you haven’t already created a page for your business on Facebook, you’ve strongly considered it. But do you know how to use Facebook for your business marketing?
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Who Cares What YOU Think?We all think that our ideas are the best ones. Our way is the right way. Our views are the right worldview. But in business, it doesn’t truly matter what you think about your offering – it’s what your customers think about it that matters.
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Speak with Passion: SlidesWhether you use Keynote, PowerPoint, Prezi, or your own favorite presentation tool, it’s vital that you think about the effect your slides will likely have on your audience.
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It’s the Marketing Story, Stupid!Imagine you’re looking to purchase a bottle of wine as a gift for the host of a party. You’ve narrowed it down to two bottles in your budget that look good. Both of them are well-recommended by the wine store owner. Which would you buy?
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Speak with Passion: Using Props & SlidesBefore you start spending lots of time creating slides or shipping your props across the country for your speech, you need to do your technology homework first and know what the audience will be seeing when you’re on stage.
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Launch Your New Business the Right WayNew year, new business idea? Before you start leasing an office space, hiring a web designer, ordering business cards, designing a logo, ordering checks, or even registering your new domain name, start by talking to people.
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Marketing to the ChoirLet’s say you’re about to sell a new eco-fabulous product. Who are you going to target your marketing message to: the people who say they’re ecologically aware (“green”) or to people who aren’t?
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Speak with Passion: Your Storytelling StructureWhen you consider how to tell your story, you’d do well to follow some of the more popular storytelling formats. Using these age-old formats helps to shape expectations and therefore easily have people know how to receive your speech.
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Marketing – a Little or a Lot?When you are marketing a product or service, how do compare it to the competition? Is your product 5% better? Are your prices 10% less? Is your offer 100% guaranteed?
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Speak with Passion: Start with the EndWhen you start crafting your speech, start with the end result you wish to achieve. Your audience is likely to only remember 3 things about your speech: the beginning, the ending, and how it made them feel.
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Speak with Passion: It Starts with 3 QuestionsYou’ve just been asked to give a speech for an upcoming event. How do you prepare to give the speech for maximum benefit? You start by asking yourself these 3 questions.
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Top 3 Ways to Make Your Business More AwardingUnless your selling something that no one else is, you’ve got competition. They have experience, you have experience. They have selection, you have selection. They have good prices, etc. But how do you tip the scales in your favor?
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Good Marketing CentsA local business made headlines for doing something small – eliminating pennies from their cash register. How can this help your own business marketing?
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Speak with Passion: Become Super HumanIf you’re giving an instructional talk, you need to position yourself as an guru. But positioning yourself in this way will limit your ability to give a speech with passion, something that is remarked upon, remembered, and shared.
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Evolutionary Versus Revolutionary MarketingSimon Cowell recently said that “he would have kicked Lady Gaga off the American Idol stage if she’d auditioned for the talent show before becoming a superstarâ€ÂÂ. If you’re looking for marketing advice for your business, be careful who yo
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Add Quick Response (QR) to Your MarketingIs a QR code the right way to attract clients to your business?
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Transparency Vs. OpacityDo your market your business transparently or opaquely? How should you market your business?
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Introducing: Speak with PassionIf you want to be just another public speaker, there are a lot of books, seminars, and classes. But none will teach you how to give a speech that will 'œwow' the audience, and have your speech be remembered and remarked upon.
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Fan Your BusinessAre you tired of trying to grow your business with your own team? Have you considered that there are a world of people who might be willing to share your business with the world -- for free? Empower your business' fans to do more than simply like you...
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Who's Taking Care of You?How do you cope with "down" business days?
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3 Steps for Boosting Your Business LuckWhy do some businesses have all the luck?
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Create Your Business Video Easily with SlideshowsI was talking with a client the other day who was interested in making a video for their website, but was concerned about cost/effort necessary. Here's one way to create video without a lot of technical know-how.
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Selling the DreamWhile you think you're selling products or services, your customers aren't buying for the reasons you're imagining... People ultimately are trying to fulfill their dream.
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How Do You Know when It's Right?If you're selling your creative services, one of the most frustrating (and dangerous) phrases your client can tell you is, "I'll know when it's right." You've been warned...
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Who Cares About Your Secret Ingredient?If you're selling something with a special ingredient that only your product has, be warned: your prospective customer really doesn't care a whit.
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Marketing That's SeenHave you stopped to think what marketing you stop and pay attention to? Was it a series of words, a color, an image, a testimonial, or a recommendation by someone you know?
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Marketing on Cruise ControlIf you want to increase your miles per gallon while driving, use cruise control...So, what does this have to do with your business marketing?
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Ignore Everybody: And 39 Other Keys to CreativityI first heard about Hugh MacLeod from Seth Godin. Seth wrote a story about an advertising executive who prolifically doodled original artwork onto the backs of his business cards...
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Go for NoOne of the biggest habits I've been correcting is that I'll email or call a potential client and get miffed when I don't hear back from them
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Cutting Out the MiddlemanThe Internet has provided us all with a double-edged sword: the ability to purchase directly from a supplier instead of a local store. So, how does this affect your business?
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Who's More Important: Your Employees or Your Customers?Is it better for your business' health to support your customers or your employees needs?
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What's Your Perceived Fear Risk Quotient (PFRQ)?What are you afraid of in your business life? How much does the fear control your (in)actions? How can you overcome your fear and succeed?
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Want Success? Don't Make This Marketing Mistake!How can you craft your marketing message to boost your business both short-term and long-term?
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The Joys of Negative MarketingIntentionally doing things all wrong can sometimes result in positive results. But try this at your own peril.
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Are You Your Ideal Customer?Are you selling "something" or selling "something you love"? Your best customers care.
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The Fastest Way to Sell Easily. GuaranteedThe right marketing strategy (and language) for the right target audience will increase your sales dramatically.
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Franchises: Marketing on Others CoattailsOwning a franchise is great ... or is it?
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Where Good Ideas Come FromSteven Johnson's findings show that good ideas seldom arose from the workbench of a solitary thinker/inventor but more likely from a person who actively networks with a wide variety of peers.
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What is Your Definition of Success?We spend our lives in search of success. But what does success look like? It depends on who you listen to.
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150 Million People Can Be WrongAccording to Twitter, 150 million people generate 1000 tweets (a 140-character message) per second. That's a lot of short messages '" but where's the benefit to you or your business?
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Is Your Community Behind You?Why can't a local boy make his business good in his home town?
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The 3 Step Marketing Mockingbird SystemYour marketing system can borrow a lot from the natural wisdom of the mockingbird.
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Scratch the Surface of Your MarketingIs it possible to market your product to the largest audience and simultaneously appeal to different subgroups effectively?
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How to Boost Your DonationsAs a non-profit, you're constantly looking for opportunities to increase both your donor base and the average donation. In Dan Ariely'˜s book The Upside Of Irrationality, he details the 3 triggers necessary to boost donations...
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What is Your Ideal Business Day?Have you ever imagined exactly how your ideal business day would unfold? If you're like most people, you spend your business day reacting to phone calls, emails, and customers...
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Your Marketing PunchlineWhat makes a joke funny? The punchline. When marketing your business, you don't have to be funny, but you might want to strive to say something unexpected.
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Go Beyond Your Comfort ZoneMost of us are wired to avoid physical risk (especially as we get older). What what types of risks should we be regularly taking with our lives to ensure growth and satisfaction?
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Beat the Marketing ClockDoes it feel like your business marketing efforts is a constant race to beat the clock? Are you overwhelmed by the seemingly never-ending deadlines looming? Is there any hope for making your marketing effortless (or at least, manageable)?
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Marketing FlotsamEveryday we're bombarded with product names and messages. As a business owner, we're hoping our name rises above the marketing noise. But the reality is, your marketing effort is more likely than not to fail.
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Be a Marketing Stand OutWhen you're just like everyone else, no one notices you. To make your business stand out, you need to be different -- for the right reasons.
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Marketing Without a Hitch?If you've been struggling to attract new clients to your business, stop and think. If you're selling something people have never seen before, then you need to educate them '" and that takes both time and money...
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Marketing to Do-It-YourselfersHow does your business treat do-it-yourselfers (DIYers)? Do you only offer premium products that require a special service call to install/maintain?
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Marketing CourtesyI got a cold-call message the other day. The person was selling me the opportunity to buy booth space. Their phone message ended with, " -- please have the courtesy to call me back at (800) 555-1212 -- ". I didn't call them back. Would you have?
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Marketing to Us (And Them)One of the easiest ways to market something is to make it easier to join the "club". You want to be cool? Dress like we do. You want to look like us? Exercise like we do. But is there a risk to using this technique?
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The Marketing StripteaseThe goal of your marketing is to have people stop to pay attention to it, listen to your message, and then take immediate action. But these days, with lots of competition for attention, how can you be successful?
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The Marketing MarathonEndurance athletes know that they need to pace themselves if they wish to finish successfully. To train these feats, they exercise to build up aerobic capacity. To conserve their energy, they need to move optimally. Your business has similar needs.
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Marketing CreativityAre you an artist, writer, photographer, or doing some other creative work you're trying to sell? How can you sell your creativity? You can't. People don't buy creativity - they buy things and services that help them solve problems.
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Buying InThis book attempts to answer the branding question: Why should someone buy my product? People place a value on a product based on how owning it makes them feel/seem. It's part status and part comfort. This book shows why this isn't quite correct.
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Marketing HappinessThe marketing equation is simple: convince someone that they'll be happier if they buy your product or service and you'll make a sale. Do it often enough, and you'll be rich...
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AsymmetryWhen we market to someone, we're looking for a reaction (ideally, a purchase). Just like when we talk to someone, we want them to listen. When we don't get the immediate reaction, we feel like we've failed.
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Start-Up NationThe authors answer the question, "How does a country of 7.1 million - surrounded by enemies - produce more start-up companies than large, peaceful, and stable nations like Japan, China, India, Korea, Canada and the UK?"
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Top 5 Ways to Annoy Your Prospective CustomersDo you know if your marketing efforts are backfiring on you? Look through the list to ensure that your well meaning work is actually causing you professional harm.
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What Do People See in Your Marketing?The great unspoken truth about Marketing is that while marketers create names, taglines, websites, social media campaigns, etc. - they are unlikely to know WHY people reacted positively to their work.
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Marketing the InvisibleMost people have no idea how much effort it takes you to do your work. Whether you're a gourmet chef, a house painter, a web designer, or a graphic designer '" the work you do is invisible. Can you (and should you) market your invisible work?
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What's Your Marketing Number?If you run your own company, you know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by all the day-to-day tasks to keep your business on target. But what about the employees in your company? How do they know what to focus on?
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How We DecideI've always known that a marketing message should "connect" with your prospective customer's emotions. The traditional explanation has been that emotions truly rule the decision making process. This book explains why this mantra isn't quite right.
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Marketing RxThe biggest marketing mistake small businesses make is using hunches to improve their business without first diagnosing their problems.
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Found Your True Calling (To Action)?You already know that every time you market your business, you need to include a call to action. A reason for someone to contact you now. Where should you place it? How should you phrase the call?
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4 Steps to Hypnotize Your Business ProspectsAs business owners, our fantasy is to be able to cause our prospective customers to do exactly what we tell them, when we tell them.
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How to Branch Your BusinessIf you're thinking of growing your business (or increasing its revenue), focus on your business structure first.
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Ogilvy on AdvertisingDavid Ogilvy (the creative head of Ogilvy & Mather) describes in plain language what it takes to create great advertising and lead an organization. He also includes lots of advertisements that work - with a description of why they were effective.
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Remember My Company?We've all been to a party where we remember someone's face, but not their name. Or their name, but not their "story". Or their "story" but not what they look like. We even have language for it ("good with faces", etc.)
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Is New+Improved Better?You've probably been taught that the phrase "new and improved" are strong words to place in your marketing copy. From the customer's perspective however, does newer = better?
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Influence: Science and PracticeRobert Cialdini's book is all about "click, whirr" '" how we're programmed as humans, how marketing can leverage the programming, and how as individuals we can overcome the programming.
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Are You Selling or Consulting?You've studied your target market (in general) and know the typical problems your prospective customers are facing. You assume that each prospect that's looking at your marketing message fits that profile (on average) and talk to them appropriately...
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How to Drive Your BusinessWhen you first learned to drive a car (or bicycle), you probably looked at the road immediately in front of you. You were looking for potholes, the edges of the road, and other obstacles/hazards that you were heading for...
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Is Your Advertising Amoral?You already know that a strong headline gets people to start reading your copy. You also know that the purpose of every paragraph is to get people to continue to read the rest of the copy. But what happens when people get to the end of your copy?
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Hyperconnectivity StressAre you on Twitter? Facebook? MySpace? LinkedIn? Other social networks? Posting regularly? Checking your email every 15 minutes (and immediately responding)? Is it helping your business? Cellphone on all the time? Is it helping your quality of life?
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The Anatomy of Buzz (Revisited)Everyone is looking for buzz - people talking about their offering. We all know that word of mouth marketing is the strongest form of marketing: it's free, it spreads, and it's personal. But how can you get your message to be spread virally?
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The Adjective of Your MarketingOnce you have identified your customer's needs, you need to communicate your offering in language that inspires them to take action. Both the restaurant and consumer paint industries know this very well.
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Make Your Marketing PersonalIt used to be that only big companies could afford to create a marketing message that was highly visible: newspaper ads, direct mail, television, radio, skywriting, sponsorships, etc. But modern technology allows people to create one-offs inexpensively...
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Buy-ologyMarketing is not yet a science, which means that there's no guarantee that "if you take this action, you'll get this result". However, if you don't understand how people react to your message, you are likely to be guessing.
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Marketing Secrets of a Mail Order MaverickThis is my third review of a Joseph Sugarman book (previous reviewed: Triggers: 30 Sales Tools You Can Use To Control The Mind and Television Secrets for Marketing Success).
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Are You Marketing with Adrenalin?Someone recently asked me if the only way to cause people to react emotionally to your marketing message is by using fear (fear of the unknown, loss, death, family, job, etc.).
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Is Your Elevator Pitch a Monologue or a Dialogue?When most people think "elevator pitch," they think of a paragraph that they can utter in about 15 seconds that tells people what they do.
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Selling the InvisibleSelling The Invisible is packed with tips and insights on how to market your business services. Harry Beckwith claims that most marketing advice is based on a product marketing model, most of which doesn't apply to service businesses.
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What Are You Really Buying?I read with great interest the article "Burt's Bees, Tom's of Maine, Naked Juice: Your Favorite Brands? Take Another Look - They May Not Be What They Seem". Andrea Whitfil (the author) is very bothered by the deception.
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What Comes First? Ready..Aim..Fire?No doubt the phrase "ready..aim..fire" has been drummed into your head as the right way to do things. But is it really?
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Taglines Passe? Try Six-Word MemoirsAfter listening to an interview on NPR I realized that a six-word novel might even be more juicy material to build your marketing.
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Branding Only Works on Cattle Book ReviewIn Jonathan Salem Baskin's book, Branding Only Works On Cattle, he takes firm aim at the practice of the marketing practice of branding. Simply put, he believes that branding is useless.
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How to Make Your Business Message Go ViralI am often asked what tricks people can use to get their video or product announcement to go "viral" (spread online quickly). In almost all cases, people are trying to make an entertaining message get passed around like a funny joke...
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Marketing with Love?Recently I was reading The Five Love Languages book and realized that the principles that apply to communicating love between people also apply to conveying the emotion of love in your marketing.
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Predictably IrrationalAs a marketing strategist, I'm always looking for information to help understand human psychology. Predictably Irrational is full of wonderful insights on the surprising differences between logical thought and emotional consumer action.
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Break a Record for Charity -- And Free PRThe next time your organization wants to get some free media attention, consider breaking a record in Guinness Book of Records with the benefit to a local charity.
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How to Field Others' PitchesI learned some lessons about putting out a call for sources for my new Business With Passion TV series...
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How to Pitch Your BusinessI recently put out a call for sources for my new Business With Passion TV series on "If I Can Help a Reporter Out...". Because I received a wide range of responses, I thought I'd share some advice for how to pitch yourself (or your client) well:
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Find Out What They Like: My Marketing SongWhen I try to define what marketing is, I find myself thinking about this song from Thomas "Fats" Waller's Ain't Misbehavin'˜ Musical. While the song is about how to attract a man, the meaning behind the song can apply to your small business marketing.
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Television Secrets for Marketing SuccessJoseph Sugarman is probably best known for his BluBlocker® sunglasses, which he sold in print, by informercial, on QVC, and retail. Although this book is ten years old, his key insights are still relevant today.
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What Do People Hear in Your Marketing?At a business mixer when someone asks you, "What do you do?", tell them and then immediately ask them a question. "What did you hear?" And listen to their response.
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Fishing for Business?Imagine sitting on a quiet lake in the early morning. You've been out on the same boat, on the same lake for a week, but you haven't yet caught anything. Today...
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The Power of Body LanguageThe subtitle of this book (â€How to succeed in every business and social encounterâ€) gives a clue about how much information Tonya Reiman has amassed.
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Do You See What Everyone Else Sees on Your Website?Your website is up and running. It looks great, and you get an email from a website visitor: “I wanted to let you know that your graphics on your site look strange…you might check it out.â€
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Does Your Website Jingle?Because people are being saturated with marketing messages, your message needs to be on-target but also worth remembering.
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How to Wear Your Sales MessageAt a recent conference session I spoke at, an exhibitor came up to me after my presentation and asked a great question: "How can I start a sales conversation with people without being obnoxious?".
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Influencer: The Power to Change AnythingAt the core of all great marketing strategies is to clearly identify who your target market is and what their problem is. This book is about the strategies for solving problems.
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Unpeeling Your Marketing OnionOne metaphor I use to describe what a marketing strategy is (and how I work) is a small business onion.
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Self Test: Small Business Marketing IQHow much do you know about marketing your small business? Spend a few minutes with this quiz and see how much you know.
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Advertising that Drives People AwayThis automotive dealership advertisement got my attention, but not in a good way. All I could think about was, "uggh!".
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Are You Wedded to Your Marketing?The other day I received a most curious email from someone I've never met....
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Jump Start Your Marketing BrainIn marketing most people give something a "good shot" and hope for the best. Doug Hall has done what I've been wanting to see for years: he's done extensive research of what works in marketing, why, and how you can apply it to your business.
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Confessions of a Serial EntrepreneurWhat struck me about Stuart Skorman's book (subtitled, "Why I Can't Stop Starting Over") is his creative need to start new businesses and his (growing) wisdom about business. Stuart's better-known accomplishments are launching Reel.com (sold for $100M) and Elephant Pharmacy.
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The Little Touches that MatterI've been noticing a growing trend of restaurant dining inconsistencies. For example, the Station House Cafe makes a point to talk about how much it supports the local economy, uses the freshest organic ingredients, and is environmentally friendly:
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Boost Your Store's Foot Traffic for FreeTo get more customers into your store, make it easier for people to find your business online. Here's how...
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The $100,000 Question"So, what do you think my web-based business worth?", someone recently asked me. I questioned them about previous year's income, expenses, traffic, page rank, and the amount of effort they put into the business.
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Waiting for Your Cat to Bark?The subtitle of this book gives a hint about its purpose: how to appeal to your prospective customers. While the book can be enjoyed by any small business owner, the information is a bit more sophisticated than the usual ...
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Book Review: Fundraising for Social ChangeIf you work for (or with) a non-profit, this book is a must-read. Kim Klein (the editor) focuses on key problem all non-profits face: acquiring, retaining, and upgrading donors.
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Optimize Your Website for Search in 3 StepsSince the purpose of having a website is for people to find you online, I wanted to go over some basic strategies for ensuring that people searching for your types of services/products find your small business's website.
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Marketing Snake OilFor the longest time, I associated people who market and advertise with evil. I hated seeing advertisements telling me "if only I bought this, I would be cool also". I couldn't imagine what type of person became a marketer or advertiser. Now I am one.
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The Last Thing You Say in MarketingPeople seldom remember the details of a marketing message the first time they see it. They read your message because something about it appealed to them. How you end the communication determines how they "walk away" from your marketing.
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The First Thing You Say in MarketingPeople make snap judgments in all their interactions. According to Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, you have two seconds before someone jumps to a conclusion. You have two seconds to state your initial marketing message.
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Endless ReferralsAs a small business owner, I'm always searching for ways to build my list of referrals. Two previous books I've reviewed (Brag! and Networking Magic) also described strategies for building referrals, but this book is my new favorite.
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How Aikido Can Save Your Business MarketingAikido is a Japanese martial art based on "blending with your opponents energy". As I learned during my 12+ years of training on the mat, victory over others is a matter of physical and mental training. In business, you need to ...
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Unscrewed: The Consumer's Guide to Getting What You Paid ForThis book provides some strong tactics for resolving customer service problems where you know you're in the right. It's a great way to learn how to market your needs to an organization, guerrilla marketing, and also how to improve your own business's customer service.
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10 Rules for Great TaglinesA tagline or a slogan is a phrase (for example, "Just Do It (tm)") intended to get "stuck" in prospects' heads. The tagline should be short and memorable, like a great piece of haiku.
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10 Rules for Creating Effective Home Pages for Your Web SitePeople form a split-second judgment of your web site. Is it "talking to them?" Is it worth their time to continue reading it? Are you getting the traffic you want? Are visitors converting to customers?
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Is Online Social Net-working Worthwhile?Maybe you're already a member of LinkedIn, FaceBook, MySpace, or any one of the myriad of social networking websites. You've heard people talking about "Web 2.0" and how everyone is online. You clearly don't want to miss the next wave.
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Book Review: Squirrel, IncStories have the power to ignite, educate, unify, lead, share values, and focus attention. We're born to tell and listen to stories. Why are we shy to use them to help us in business?
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How to Find Business Customers and Turn them Into FansIdeally, a business wants customers and fans. You want your business name to be passed around via word-of-mouth without you having to do any work. How do you find customers? How do you turn them into fans?
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Using Google Alerts to Discover Who's Talking About Your BusinessUnless you are a large company, you probably do not have your own clipping service scouring the media, looking for mentions of your business, competitors or industry trends. So what's a small business to do?
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Book Review: Web Marketing for DummiesWeb Marketing is more than just having a website - it's the strategy of using a website in conjunction with e-mail, e-commerce, chat rooms, blogs, etc. to attract customers. If you are just starting out marketing online...
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You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a SeminarAre you having trouble getting people to buy what you are selling? Read this book. Let's say you already know that to be successful marketing your business you need to identify your audience's problems and show why you have the best solutions. Isn't that good enough?
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Leggo My LogoSince I recently changed my business logo, I wanted to explain my process so you can likewise better develop your own logo. While your logo isn't the soul of your business, it does give a quick impression about it.
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How to Make 2008 Your Best Business Year EverStart your year with specific and measurable business goals. For example: I want to earn $200,000 in 2008. Or, I want my newsletter distribution to double.
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Marketing in a FlashLet's say that business is slow, so you want to market a new product you're selling. How can you get the word out “yesterday†and get measurable results?
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Book Review: Made to StickHave you ever wondered why you remember what you do? The authors have distilled the essence of "sticking" (remembering a message) into 6 principles ("SUCCES")
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Words that WorkHave you ever wondered how to make people react to what you say? While some people are better crafting words than others, this book shows how the pros do it.
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How to Disaster-Proof Your BusinessHow much pain would your business feel if suddenly you couldn't email your clients? What if you lost your correspondence file or your phone lost its dial tone?
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Overhauling My WebsiteThe evolution of my website, from templates, to Dreamweaver, to CSS.... and why you should care.
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It's Only a Money ProblemMost common business problems / challenges are symptoms. Solving the symptoms isn't likely to work (for long) until you address the underlying cause of the problems.
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Book Review: PersuasionDave Lakhni's book describes the fine line between the art of persuasion and manipulation. While a manipulator attempts to get you to do something you wouldn't normally do, a persuader tries to get you to choose them over the competition.
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Marketing: What Would You Do?Let's say that you opened a new restaurant in town. The restaurant gets some "buzz" and some positive reviews in the local media. It's packed every night. How do (or should) you market your success?
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Improved Brainstorming with IntrospectionMany people have been commenting about Frans Johansson's The Medici Effect. Most brainstorming groups suffer from a "too loud, too fast" phenomenon.
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Pop! Stand Out in Any CrowdIn her latest book, Sam Horn's describes some great creative business marketing wordplay techniques for getting your product or service to be noticed and stand out from the crowd.
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Tune in to Video MarketingIs your product or service visually appealing? Do you offer workshops? If so, consider making videos to highlight your business on your website. It's not as hard (or expensive) as it once was.
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Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've GotJay Abraham calls himself "America's Number One Marketing Wizard". His client list is impressive and in his 25 years he has amassed a lot of knowledge about what works - why - and when.
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Marketing 103: Branding"Branding" is providing a consistent message to your customers. It's rooted in the combination of your core values and your strategic plan for your company (think of it as your "business persona").
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Marketing 202: Networking SkillsYou now know your goal for attending an event. If you're naturally outgoing, then you're well on your way. But what if you're shy? Nervous? Insecure? Not a "people-person"?
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Marketing: Practice What You PreachWhen I meet a professional for the first time, I want to know if they practice what they preach. It's too easy to tell others to do something. I'm looking for a disconnect between someone's image and actions.
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Book Review: Innovation: The 5 Disciplines for Creating What Customers WantCurtis Carlson (president/CEO of SRI International) and William Wilmot (director of the Collaboration Institute) share their system for innovating in business. While the book is written for larger corporations, their message translate to all types of businesses.
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Marketing 201: Networking GoalsHave you dreaded going to a business event? While at the event, found yourself wishing that the event would end soon so you could go home? Once at home, you then wished you were more outgoing and could connect with people at the events?
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Book Review: Networking MagicWhen I started networking, I did it the way most people do: I showed up and hoped to meet people and convince them that they should use my services. It became quickly evident that this doesn't work (at least not for me).
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Tips for BrainstormingThe following steps I use in my Many Good Ideas Brainstorming Seminars
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Increase Your Business LuckI recently read "The Luck Factor" (Dr. Richard Wiseman) which described scientifically studying luck. After three years of study, Dr. Wiseman determined that "Luck is something that can be learned". His research boiled down to four principles:
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Marketing 102You've crafted your marketing message (customer benefit, customer trust, and customer emotional connection). What now?
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Top 10 Rules: Corresponding with ClientsHere are my rules for corresponding with clients (these rules work for either email or postal letters)...
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Client Relations Tip: Talk Little, Ask LotsAs a business person you want to engage in a dialogue to understand the potential client's needs and build trust. After you've introduced yourself, ...
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Top 10 Ways to Get Noticed by Potential ClientsHow do you get your business message to stand out from all the thousands of others? Here are 10 rules for getting noticed.
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No More Cold CallingHow do you market yourself to others? Tired of hearing "no" one too many times?
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What's Your Niche? Make it Easier to Find People Who Want Your Product or ServicesWant to make it easier to find people who want your product or services? Instead of saying, "This is great for everyone," you want to say, "This is great for you." This article details how to simply and clearly define your narrow offering.
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Marketing 101Why should someone buy your product? You know it's great, but why should they care?
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How to Launch Your Online Business for FREEStarting a new business and don't have a budget for a website? This article gives you concrete steps for creating a professional-looking website (using free tools).