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Digg it UP - Four Super-Deadly Marketing Sins - And How To Fix Them
It's been said that 80% of America is two missed paychecks away from financial disaster. Do you fit this mold? What would happen if you were laid off without pay tomorrow? Can Americans look forward to a secure retirement under Social Security or the company pension plan?Current labor statistics do not paint a pretty picture, with quality jobs being outsourced overseas quicker than new jobs are being created. Sure, there are always low paying, low skill jobs available. But who can support a family on minimum wage?Manufacturing jobs in particular have taken a beating in the marketplace during the past few decades, with some states, like Michigan, losing over 23,000 jobs in the course of a year. According to Labor Department figures, 26 states have seen manufacturing job losses in the past year. The federal government claims many of these displaced workers are receiving retraining, however, Bureau
And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!
Deadly Marketing Sin #3
Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!
Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t It seems nowadays every marketing guru and their brother-in-law has a “deadly sins and how to fix them” book, ebook or at least an article! But apparently nobody is reading this stuff! How do I know? Because nine out of every ten businesses continue making the same marketing goof-ups.
The most amazing part is – they are convinced their marketing is great and their phone will be ringing off the hook any moment now!
Time for a reality check! Are you guilty of these four marketing sins? Find out how to fix it!
Deadly Marketing Sin #1 You want to be one in a million not one of the million. In the marketing jargon it’s called a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). I call it a HUB – Hot Undeniable Benefit of doing business with you. Your HUB sets you apart from the crowd. It tells your customers why you are special. And it answers the question your customers are asking themselves, which is: "Why should I do business with you versus anyone else?"
So how do you go about discovering your HUB? Do you know what makes you different from others offering similar product or service? The more competitive your industry the more important it is to emphasize even the smallest differences. Do you cater to a specific group of people? Are you better than others in addressing a specific issue? Do you guarantee your work?
How about the one thing no one can duplicate - what makes you – you?
If you can’t find anything unique right now, look for unresolved problems in your industry and become an expert in providing a solution to them. Here is good example. You’ve heard of a small parcel delivery company called FEDEX, right? Do you know their USP? It’s: "When you absolutely, positively need it overnight. Guaranteed." Funny thing is they are no longer the only company doing it – but they offered it first.
Discover your HUB, articulate it in all your marketing messages and watch your results soar.
Deadly Marketing Sin #2 Small business owners are a very special breed – we walk, talk, breathe, eat and sleep thinking about our business. Listen, just because you think about your business all the time doesn’t mean your customers do the same!
Fact is, I can count on one hand the businesses I became exposed to in the last twelve months that didn’t fail to educate their customers on how they solve their problems and meet their needs and wants.
Your customers don't really buy products and services. They buy SOLUTIONS to their problems. Use articles, presentations and case studies to educate them about WHAT you do, HOW it works and WHY it’s the only logical solution to their problems.
And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!
Deadly Marketing Sin #3 Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t - So how do you go about discovering your HUB? Do you know what makes you different from others offering similar product or service? The more competitive your industry the more important it is to emphasize even the smallest differences. Do you cater to a specific group of people? Are you better than others in addressing a specific issue? Do you guarantee your work?
How about the one thing no one can duplicate - what makes you – you?
If you can’t find anything unique right now, look for unresolved problems in your industry and become an expert in providing a solution to them. Here is good example. You’ve heard of a small parcel delivery company called FEDEX, right? Do you know their USP? It’s: "When you absolutely, positively need it overnight. Guaranteed." Funny thing is they are no longer the only company doing it – but they offered it first.
Discover your HUB, articulate it in all your marketing messages and watch your results soar.
Deadly Marketing Sin #2 Small business owners are a very special breed – we walk, talk, breathe, eat and sleep thinking about our business. Listen, just because you think about your business all the time doesn’t mean your customers do the same!
Fact is, I can count on one hand the businesses I became exposed to in the last twelve months that didn’t fail to educate their customers on how they solve their problems and meet their needs and wants.
Your customers don't really buy products and services. They buy SOLUTIONS to their problems. Use articles, presentations and case studies to educate them about WHAT you do, HOW it works and WHY it’s the only logical solution to their problems.
And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!
Deadly Marketing Sin #3 Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t If you can’t find anything unique right now, look for unresolved problems in your industry and become an expert in providing a solution to them. Here is good example. You’ve heard of a small parcel delivery company called FEDEX, right? Do you know their USP? It’s: "When you absolutely, positively need it overnight. Guaranteed." Funny thing is they are no longer the only company doing it – but they offered it first.
Discover your HUB, articulate it in all your marketing messages and watch your results soar.
Deadly Marketing Sin #2 Small business owners are a very special breed – we walk, talk, breathe, eat and sleep thinking about our business. Listen, just because you think about your business all the time doesn’t mean your customers do the same!
Fact is, I can count on one hand the businesses I became exposed to in the last twelve months that didn’t fail to educate their customers on how they solve their problems and meet their needs and wants.
Your customers don't really buy products and services. They buy SOLUTIONS to their problems. Use articles, presentations and case studies to educate them about WHAT you do, HOW it works and WHY it’s the only logical solution to their problems.
And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!
Deadly Marketing Sin #3 Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t Small business owners are a very special breed – we walk, talk, breathe, eat and sleep thinking about our business. Listen, just because you think about your business all the time doesn’t mean your customers do the same!
Fact is, I can count on one hand the businesses I became exposed to in the last twelve months that didn’t fail to educate their customers on how they solve their problems and meet their needs and wants.
Your customers don't really buy products and services. They buy SOLUTIONS to their problems. Use articles, presentations and case studies to educate them about WHAT you do, HOW it works and WHY it’s the only logical solution to their problems.
And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!
Deadly Marketing Sin #3 Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t And don’t just do it once. Frankly, if you don’t have a way to consistently and automatically keep in touch with prospects, customers, centers of influence and strategic partners – you are missing the boat!
Deadly Marketing Sin #3 Do you know which of your marketing efforts result in new business? Do you ever calculate the time, money and effort it takes to get a new customer from each promotional strategy you use? Why? Because if it is working – you want to do use it more often! And if it isn’t - you need to stop wasting your money!
Case in point; most professionals believe that networking is the best way to get new business. And it can be - but not always and not for everyone. Find out for yourself. Add up the amount of time you spent networking last month. Put a dollar value on it based on your fees. Add the actual price you paid to attend those events. Then divide this total amount by the number of new customers your networking produced. Are you happy with your results? Or is it a shock to see what it actually costs to get new clients by networking?
It doesn’t matter if it’s networking, advertising, referral or joint venture strategies – if you don’t know your ROME (Return On Marketing Efforts) I guarantee you are wasting money doing things that don’t work! Every marketing strategy can be tracked and measured. So figure out what works best for you!
Deadly Marketing Sin #4 You’ve heard about the back-end-sales, haven’t you? Are you doing it? It’s astonishing how many small business owners do not develop strong relationships with their customers and have no plan for generating repeat business.
You see, one of your biggest costs of doing business is marketing and getting new customers into your funnel. And once you’ve done a great job for them, and then you nurture the relationship you’ve developed, it’s so easy to ask for more business. But you have to develop different levels of products and services to offer to them.
Listen to your clients and develop new offerings to respond to their needs. Create assessments to uncover hidden opportunities for additional projects. If you can’t or don’t want to offer those new solutions – partner up with someone who does. McDonald’s made a fortune on “supersizing” their fries – time for you to start thinking about supersizing your business with each client.
Bottom line is this: when I hear businesses talk about bad economy, clients not having money and overall complaining about how tough it is to make a sale I can always pinpoint their poor performance to at least one of those marketing sins. Frankly, there is no such a thing as a shortage of business – there is a shortage of knowledge how to get that business.
(c) 2004 Adam M. Urbanski
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It happens over and over in businesses every day.Within large companies, people are promoted to management positions to reward them for performance as individual contributors. After all, the compensation system limits reward options, so why not just promote them?In small businesses, the owner is getting overwhelmed with all that needs to be done. They think that hiring a manager is the solution to give them a little more balance. The hunt begins!Unless you get the RIGHT person for the position, both cases have the potential for disastrous results!You can save yourself and others a great deal of stress and angst if you take the time to be mindful enough to make an intentional decision.Here are 10 questions to consider BEFORE you select your new manager.How will they fit into the environment?How well will they develop and treat the employees?
Not Standing Out From Your Competitors
Assuming Your Customers Know As
Much About Your Business As You Do
Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!
Panic could grip you when you first hear that you are fired. Although it is the most natural reaction, panicking, especially when you need to think rationally, could potentially rob you of the opportunity to turn tables in your favor.No Job Loss Is a Sudden DevelopmentIf you look back at the events that led to your firing, you would see that it was not a sudden event. However, this is not to suggest that you had to have done something to save your job as in most cases it is a futile exercise once management decides on who stays who goes.On the other hand, as things become clear, you should realize that panicking only leads to self-pity and skepticism. These are the few things you need to avoid if you want to look forward and get going quickly.Do not Panic! We Are Living In the 21st CenturyThe biggest advantage to living in this day and age is that it you can forget losses more
Assuming Your Customers Know As
Much About Your Business As You Do
Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!
Six Sigma is a relatively new concept as compared to Total Quality Management (TQM). However, when it was conceptualized, it was not intended to be a replacement for TQM. Both Six Sigma and TQM have many similarities and are compatible in varied business environments, including manufacturing and service industries. While TQM has helped many companies in improving the quality of manufactured goods or services rendered, Six Sigma has the potential of delivering even sharper results.Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management is often associated with the development, deployment, and maintenance of organizational systems that are required for various business processes. It is based on a strategic approach that focuses on maintaining existing quality standards as well as making incremental quality improvements. It can also be described as a cultural initiative as the focus is on establishing a cult
Assuming Your Customers Know As
Much About Your Business As You Do
Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!
Before you make the leap into starting your own business, ask yourself these four questions:• Is it really a better personal career choice?
• What do I need to know to decide?
• How can I prepare myself?
• How do I get started?In this article, I will help you find answers to those key questions by relating to my own experience as both a corporate manager and an entrepreneur in addition to what I have learned from more than 15 years of consulting to owner-managers.Do really want to own your own business? The advantages are attractive, but don’t forget the disadvantages that are an inevitable part of the choice.Advantages
• Unlimited opportunity
• Freedom, independence
• Continuous challenge, variety
• Your choice of management style
• Responsible for and involved in the whole business
• If the business does well, you do wellDisadvan
Much About Your Business As You Do
Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!
As a result of Internet influence on the buying markets, today's catalog copy is changing to include 4 aspects that increases sales. Understanding these trends is the key to catalog success...online or off.The first trend involves increasing the level of informality. Today's effective product descriptions are written in an informal, conversational tone rather than the traditional more formal, "list-the-features" style. Making sales in today's highly competitive marketplace revolves around BENEFITS. The most effective catalogs today gives the potential customer the "feel" of the product. Makes sure your catalog copy hits the prospects "emotional" BUY NOW button by placing the focus on the benefits of the product.The second trend also related to benefits/features. Using plain features as a product description without the impact of the benefits will only result in a response rate that is at best
Wasting Time and Money On Marketing
Strategies That Don’t Work!
Missing Out On Repeat Business
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