Tactical
Show how you’ve solved problems for customers with case studies.
Here’s a great format for case studies to connect with customers. Download a stellar example in this week’s Moment of Clarity.
Read More »Not Making the Short List? Look for Chinks in Your Armor.
Nobody ever tells you when you don’t make the short list. They just disappear adding insult to injury.
In this week’s Moment of Clarity I share how chinks in your perception armor can cost you deals.
Read More »Guerrilla Marketing a trade show… Always bring a gun to a knife fight.
It sounds counterintuitive from a business startup, but I love cheap clients.
I’ve learned over the years that the clients with less money to spend are more likely to be adventurous in their marketing.
That thrills me.
Read More »Taking the voice of the customer a bit too far
The fine folks at this Texas motel likely overheard their customers as they arrived. I can only imagine the conversation went something like this.
Read More »The Unblinking Eye of Lost Opportunity
I drove past one of those LASIK eye surgery places today on my way to a planning meeting and saw it. A giant photo of an eye in the front display window. In fact, the eye had me feeling like prey back in the days when getting eaten by a huge lizard was a definite possibility. As this mega eye stared into my soul I thought to myself “What a lost opportunity”.
Read More »How much does it cost to make a video?
One of the most frequent questions I get is “How much does it cost to make a video”. The answer is “That depends”. Some may think I’m being evasive with this answer. I’m not. I really does depend on what you want. Trust me when I say that estimating the cost of video production is a mystery enshrouded by an enigma hidden in a spreadsheet. Accurate estimates of video production costs depend upon a myriad of variables. Seemingly little things can add significantly to the budget. Therefore you must be very specific about what you want to produce. For example, a short video interview of an executive can vary depending the location, the delivery media (television or on-line or both), if a script is used (highly recommended), how well the subject is prepared (being unprepared increases editing time) – any of these variables can have significant impact on costs. To[…]
Read More »Crowdfunding and Marketing. A recent report by Clarity.
Late last year I completed a research project for a client that was interested in crowdfunding. It occurred to me that others might get some value from this research and my experience raising money via the crowd. You can download the report below. The power of the crowd is shaping up to be a valuable tool for entrepreneurs. If/when the SEC decides to let people crowdfund for equity, I believe it will finally become a viable tool to raise capital. My experience with crowdfunding and my research tells me that success is predicated upon a sound marketing strategy. You’ll need to create your program to reach far beyond your friends and family if you are attempting to raise any real money. The most successful crowdfunded projects embarked on significant marketing and promotion campaigns. In other words, they didn’t just rely on word of mouth – they pulled all the levers,[…]
Read More »Good Old Fashioned Sales Letters Still Work
The venerable sales letter is somewhat of an anachronism these days. With all these newfangled electronic gizmos, apps, FaceThingies, LinkedIns, utilizing sales letters seems sort of…well…quaint. But the reality is that a good sales letter (snail mail, delivered online or as a landing page) can generate high value sales leads. The secret lies in the concept of “good”. A bad sales letter not only gets a fast, one way ticket to the trash bin, it can actually damage your brand. Writing is one of those skills/arts that everyone thinks they can do. “I done learned it in grade school. I forms words with letters and strung ’em together….” And while that is true for most people (I hope) writing for sales and marketing purposes is different from writing a comprehensive review of To Kill a Mockingbird. Let me show you how the right approach can make the register ring.
Read More »Download Networking One Sheet Template
When I hear someone say that referrals are what drives their business, I often ask if they use “Networking” as a business development tactic. Often they are fairly active in some form of networking but not seeing any real business impact unless you are measuring in waist line diameter from hundreds of coffee shop meetings.
Read More »What is your head shot strategy?
Head shots are a vital part of the entrepreneur’s or executive’s tool kit. Think about it. The first thing someone looks at on your LinkedIn profile is your photo. The first thing they see at a meeting is your face. The days of the Sears portrait style are over. And, no, Virginia. A selfie won’t cut it unless you are looking for love in all the wrong places. Some of the worst offenders are realtors and insurance sales people for some reason. These hyper perky, over caffeinated gummy grins and poses don’t add credibility or make a true psychological connection with the viewer. The lowly head shot is usually considered an afterthought. Instead, it should be thought through strategically to maximize the value of your personal image. In other words, your selfie is leaving value on the table and could be harming your professional reputation unless you are a twenty-something[…]
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