Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you can’t argue that pop queen Madonna and domestic doyenne Martha Stewart are two master marketers.  One is a calculated maverick who’s stayed at what has to be the world’s toughest and most fickle business for nearly a quarter century.  The other turned an at-home catering business into a multimedia […]

I racked a fresh shell of 00 Buck into the chamber of my 12-gauge shotgun and drew the weapon to my shoulder. As I took careful aim at the dead tree branch about 30 feet above and 10 feet down range of me, my friend asked, “What are you doing?”
“Creative problem-solving,” I answered.
The smooth squeeze […]

I couldn’t help myself. It just sort of slipped out. “Well, Shelly … you’re gonna have to either get a shorter banner or taller kindergarteners.”
A brief moment of silence was broken by her laughter letting me know I hadn’t “blown it” and that she had a sense of humor — something I really like in […]

I’ll never forget the day I decided to quit my stable $50,000 a year job. Candy, the older assistant who really ran the company, had the radio on in her office. (She actually bossed me around sort of like the Meryl Streep character in “The Devil Wears Prada”. But most of the time she tolerated […]

We all need to focus on three key pillars for success: marketing our businesses to build clients and income; management practices and procedures to establish the framework for our business as it grows; and mentoring support to keep us on the right track, and provide different levels of support as our business grows.
1. […]

I walked into the office of my Chiropractor/Acupuncturist and signed in. There on the desk were three pens. One looked like a syringe, another was a crooked pen and the third looked like a bone.
“What are these,” I asked, knowing full well they were pens.
“They’re pens,” the doctor replied. ” I’m trying to decide which […]

So your prospect, Mary, is sitting at the computer reading your compelling sales letter. She’s convinced she needs your product. So she clicks on the order link, with her credit card next to the mouse. She’s taken to the order page. What she sees next makes her change her mind and click away. Can you […]

How do you know which strategy will grow your business most effectively in the short and long term? Market penetration, market extension, product development or diversification are the primary strategies for building your business. You can also grow organically (growth in your own business) or by acquisition (of another business). This article […]

Businesses help to build a $1 Million dream…
A 22 year old entrepreneur aims to make $1 Million whilst bed bound with a dislocated hip and small businesses are helping out. Richard Stratton came up with the theonebigad.com business web site whilst bed bound with a dislocated hip. He plans to use the money to promote […]

Networking is not just about numbers, it’s about relationships. It’s quality over quantity. It’s not about meeting as many people as you can; it’s about helping as many people as you can.
We network to create mutually beneficial relationships with our peers, clients and potential clients.
So how has it come about that networking has ended […]

Preparation

Do you have enough information on the customer’s company to understand their business and the context of their inquiry/request/approach to you?
Have you identified the stakeholders?
Do you understand what each of the stakeholders really wants?
Have you assessed the business requirements, and the individual requirements, of your customers?
Do you know who your competitors are, or likely to […]

In this corner we have the reigning champ “long copy”. And in this corner we have the apparent crowd favorite “short copy”. (Feel free to insert a high-pitched whine as you read each objection.)
Objection Number One:
It’s Darn TOO Long!
The funny thing is when I got my first long copywriting assignment I secretly snickered too. […]

Okay, you know you have your product (or service) in front of you. Now it’s time to get the word out with an attention-grabbing sales letter. But where do you begin? Whether you hire someone to write your copy, pass it off to a staff member or learn to write it yourself, you need this […]

All successful marketers know the sale comes from the words or the copy. While the traditional definition of copy is “salesmanship in print” I actually take a broader approach. Copy is used in ALL your promotional sales and marketing material. That means any place there are words about your business there is copy.
So it’s EVERYWHERE. […]

No-one. How is your performance measured then? By the performance of your business. If you don’t measure this, no-one else will. It’s all up to you.
A review of your business will identify any areas which are working really well, and any which may require you to take action. As we’ve […]

Think you have what it takes to be an consultant or a coach? I wasn’t so sure I knew when I first started in 1999. All I knew was I desperately wanted to work from home to raise my two sons after my divorce. It took a lot of trial and error to get to […]

The car ride was library-quiet despite having a 10 year-old daughter and an 8 year-old son in the back seat. The peaceful respite from the calamity that usually takes place behind me should have been my clue that something was up. But I was enjoying the rare serenity to the point that I was actually […]

When I say “green” I am talking about the environmentally conscious consumer, also called “Cultural Creatives” or the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) market which includes about 50 million people. If you are trying to reach them, ya gotta go green. They are all about a better lifestyle for the planet over the long […]

Our primary focus is to work with our clients to grow the value of their businesses. It is the value of the business which ultimately delivers wealth and returns to business owners and shareholders.
From a business valuation perspective, there are a number of factors which will influence the value of your business, some of […]

I don’t know about you, but I secretly love watching infomercials. I enjoy dissecting how they sell, how they get people excited, how they entice people to take action now and pick up the phone and order something they completely don’t need!
As you know, these programs always offer a huge bonus or multiple bonuses for […]

As marketers and businesses seek to promote themselves, their products or events, they need to think through the promotional products they use in their promotions. While they need to consider the positives, they also must explore possible negatives. A product that may seem like a sure-fire hit may actually turn into a public relations problem. […]

Did you know that marketing isn’t only about getting your clients or customers? It’s also about KEEPING them, and keeping them happy. That’s a big key to growing your business, because not only will those customers themselves keep coming back to you for more, but they’ll send their friends and colleagues as well.
Studies done by […]

When a prospect is deciding to hire you, register for your program, or buy your product online, you aren’t there in person to help convince them you’re “for real.” That means you have to go the extra mile by building credibility, so your web visitor immediately can trust you!
One of the easiest and most effective […]

I admit that for some time I was resistant to doing any marketing via old fashioned snail mail. After all, email is FREE (at least for the time being). Why pay to print and mail anything at all? I mean, I’m the Ezine Queen - not the direct mail queen! And I was already making […]

As regular readers will know, in my coaching and speaking business I put considerable emphasis on who is an ‘ideal client’ for me.
It’s only by recognising who that person is and being certain that the services I have to offer are relevant and needed that I’m able to tailor my marketing messages and actions.
Soloists who […]

One day a few months ago, I emptied my mailbox after being away for several days.
Because I give regularly to charities, I seem to be on the mailing lists of every organization in the world. So there were plenty of solicitations to sort through.
Usually I toss most of the envelopes I receive, the ones with […]

I’m guessing that right now there are several marketing tasks you’ve been putting off. Perhaps it’s revamping your website. Or sending out your first e-zine. Or getting listed in the search engines. Or putting together a media kit.
So why haven’t you done it?
Believe me, this is a battle I fight with myself too. But you […]

Many new business owners ask me, “Should I offer a money-back guarantee? I know it will help sales, but the risk really scares me.” I offer guarantees on everything I sell, but that doesn’t mean you should too. Here are some factors to consider and some ideas to get you started.
The Pros:
A guarantee puts your […]

There are more than 50 million websites on this planet and this number is growing rapidly each day - by the millions.  I know myself I have 2 websites and in the process of building number 3.  You are probably familiar with the terms, blog, my space, and u-tube. Even my 11 year old knows how […]

Advertisers have known for years that certain words have great psychological impact on us. These words evoke deep feelings, bring back memories and often motivate us to look at things in totally new ways. Often the result is that we decide to try something we have never tried before.
Some of the most successful […]

From past years of experience in selling information products online, I knew that December sales are generally always slow. So this year I decided to try something different - have a sale.
I was always nervous in the past about having a sale. Would it diminish the value on my information in people’s minds? Would it […]

After my third attempt to de-code the phone number from my voice mail … I gave up. Seems Frank Janson … Johnson …  Jorson or something like that from some company in Mauzoula or Missouri wants me to call him back. His number is 269-6 something, four, 36 or maybe it’s 3 zero then 6, […]

Every week I publish my ezine, I get almost instantaneous feedback. Most of the time it’s wonderful comments like “Thank you for all you do, Ali!” and “I really appreciated this article. It gave me tips I could really use on that subject.” Or “Great teleseminar you’re offering - it’s just what I need to […]

A client of mine, whom I’ll call “Mary,” is a financial planner. She’d had a Web site for a few years that pretty much served as an online brochure for her. When Mary came to me, she was looking for other ways to generate income besides working directly with clients.
During our first conversation I introduced […]

A few years ago I spoke at a large marketing conference in Atlanta, Georgia. One woman approached my display table to ask a few questions. Honestly she was so attractive it was intimidating. Tall with a pretty face, understated jewelry, a blue designer suit with beautiful shoes and a high-end bag. She looked like she’d […]

As business owners we know that it’s important to get to know others, both suppliers and potential customers are on the need to know list. We go to functions, do mail outs and other marketing activities, join business clubs and go to early morning breakfasts to network and listen to others speak. It’s time consuming […]

There’s one marketing condition I see over and over with my clients, and it’s called “but-I’m-not-an-expert-itis”. These people are afraid to play bigger because they think it’s not their time yet. (The important words there being “they think”.) They’re waiting for something to happen - a degree, a certification, a blessing from the gods in […]

Having and maintaining a constant flow of communication with our clients and customers is essential in this day and age of technology and increased competition. Often we find that there is information that we know will benefit them, but simply due to pressing demands on our time, we sometimes don’t get around to talking to […]

If you’re forever hearing great things said about your work, yet not seeing these translate into sales and revenue, it could just be because you’ve fallen into the innovator trap.The innovator trap is where we can end up if we confuse educating with marketing. Going out and telling the world about something completely new and […]

If you’re considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure, Web site, or marketing project. Congratulations! You should get great results if you hire a pro to do it right.
Many business owners and marketing professionals have valid concerns about letting an outsider develop their content. After all — it’s your business, you know it best, […]

The dual purpose of asking questionsMost sales people have some understanding of asking questions to reveal their client’s needs, but most have no understanding of the other equally important reason for asking questions.
Why you’ve got to “disturb” your prospect before you offer a solution
The second purpose of asking questions is to disturb our prospect about […]

Corporate training is an investment, not an expense, but how do you choose an appropriate trainer? Firstly, establish what skills are lacking in the company.
Choosing the right type of training programme can be a daunting task. If you haven’t researched the needs of your people, don’t waste your budget on training; make sure it is […]

In the busy, noisy world of solo business it can be a challenge to be heard and get noticed. One thing is for sure - it’s far better to be heard well by one person than ignored by thousands.Our solo ventures stand the best chance of growing by word of mouth when those around us […]

Hi everyone,
If you are here to check out the web site GREAT! If you are a business professional and write articles, blogs etc, or want to, then this is where your opportunity rocks!
We want to build this web resource to be world class, with great depth and a multitude of solutions for all people in […]

Have them, carry them, never run out. Business cards are a physical reminder to others that you have had contact with them. Business cards should also contain all your contact details. This may sound extremely obvious, but it never ceases to amaze me when I run into clients or people wanting advice, who essentially have […]