Marketing & Sales
10 Ways to Find Success by Phone: Are you breaking these rules?
While I know that most of our communication these days seems to be by email and text, I’ve noticed that phone manners have really gone downhill. Perhaps it is because of a lack of use and there are younger people coming into telemarketing and the workplace in general and they didn’t grow up with a…
3 Fast and Easy Ways to Fail at Email Marketing
At a recent networking function I met an experienced business consultant who was actively seeking new business. Following meeting live, he invited me to connect on LinkedIn and I connected. His next action surprised and dismayed me. He put me on his email list as a subscriber WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. This is not okay. Yes,…
Business Model: Neiman Marcus or Walmart, What’s Your Pick?
I’ve been in business over twenty years and I’ve seen a lot of business models. It always intrigues me to see the difference between those who go after only the high end markets (The Neiman Marcus models), those who only go after the masses and the low end markets (The Walmart models), and those who…
Marketing Strategies for Small Business: How to Win Customers and Influence Clients
Got some awesome lessons in customer service during a recent stay at The Hotel Palomar in Chicago. First I should say that I am a sucker for modern luxury hotels, however with a business degree in hospitality management I am also a stickler for details and pay close attention to service. They began with a…
The Marketing Trap: Perfect Won’t Get You to Profits
We are living in the Age of the Amateur Invasion. With the gazillions of online marketing methods available today and the popularity of “reality” TV, anyone at any level can make a name for themselves. You don’t have to be an expert, a professional, or a guru. You can claim your status and portray yourself…
Marketing Failure: Are you UNSELLING yourself?
I had a very interesting experience recently. I was looking for a graphic designer to help me with a new website. The gal I wanted to work with was unavailable and she referred me to three other providers. I checked each one’s website and decided to talk with one specifically. I liked his portfolio and…
Facebook Netiquette: Are You Hanging Up on Your Customers?
I’ve always struggled with the idea that you have to camp on Facebook. The statistics all show that over 50% of users climb on once a day at least for twenty plus minutes. In a world where 30 seconds is our average attention span that feels like an eternity to me. But then I got…
The Power of One: How to Make Social Easy on Facebook
When you are getting started on Facebook for your business,(yes, there are still many folks who aren’t on board) one of the most challenging tendencies to overcome is acting as if you are speaking to a group or population. Using words like “everyone” “you all” “anyone” is very impersonal and ineffective. You will get more…
Marketing Strategies: Why Winging It, Isn’t Working!
Have you noticed how easy it is to just keep adding new tools to your marketing toolbox without giving any thought to whether they are the right tools and if they fit your plan? Oh, you don’t have a plan? I see, so your idea is that by loading on an infinite level of busy…
