Category Archives: marketing
Do you sell or do you entice?
Slimy-feeling marketers push a prospect’s “fear” buttons in attempt to “sell” her. Effective, admirable marketers persuade, educate, and demonstrate their problem-solving skills as a way to facilitate her purchase. There’s a big honkin’ difference. There’s no question that a purchaser … Continue reading
“Too much of a good thing can be wonderful” – or can it?
Actress Mae West is credited with this sly observation. While it’s worth a good laugh, I have to ask myself: Is it true? I recently spoke to an acquaintance, Rodney, about email marketing. I mentioned how I’ve chosen to get … Continue reading
How to kick marketing butt even if you “hate marketing”
“How did I get here?” This plaintive and bemused question came from a woman I met at a networking event. She was reflecting on the fact that she claims to hate marketing, yet now she’s in the throes of … Continue reading
4 EEEEasy Steps to Creating a Powerful USP
You’ve probably been subjected to more than one incredibly lame 60-second commercial at live networking events. The purpose of this so-called “elevator pitch” is to position oneself as someone worth learning more about because of the huge value you … Continue reading
Three ways to make your strengths part of your USP
Several years ago I attended a speed-networking event where I met a would-be entrepreneur who had some very obvious problems with figuring out what she actually had to offer. When it was our turn to talk, she pulled out … Continue reading
And don’t do THESE things when speaking to a group, either!
You might think that the eight speaking screw-ups I addressed last week are more than enough to ruin any presentation, and they are. However, there’s more where that came from. Here are five more things never to inflict on a … Continue reading
7 first-aid treatments for a sick close ratio
A few weeks ago I wrote about 7 easy-to-overlook factors that will trash your close ratio. Looking back, I realize that, as helpful as that heads-up may have been, it would have been even better to follow up with suggestions … Continue reading
And don’t do THESE 3 things to prospects, either. Just. Don’t.
Last week I addressed five things you should never do to a prospect. Here’s a quick recap of how I packed a single prospect call with a bunch of lessons on what not to do. took a call from … Continue reading
Do you share these traits with the world’s luckiest entrepreneurs?
According to Dictionary.com, luck is defined as “good fortune; advantage or success, considered as the result of chance; a combination of circumstances, events, etc., operating by chance to bring good or ill to a person”, while lucky is defined … Continue reading
Looking For Loyalty? Start Here.
Love your clients? I bet you DO. Most business owners adore their clients. They LOVE their colleagues. They are grateful for the relationships they make through their business. So it might surprise you to hear the statistic that 68% … Continue reading
5 things your prospect needs to hear from you before she says “yes”
We’ve all been there at least once. You connect with someone you just know would be a great client. You spend an hour talking to her, establishing what feels like a strong rapport and describing what you can do … Continue reading
Do your prospects suffer from sticker shock?
You know the pain of getting excited about a potential new purchase, only to recoil when you read the price tag? It’s called sticker shock, and it’s not pretty. Sticker shock is the clash between the value of the … Continue reading
Fears, desires, wants, needs – what does your marketing appeal to?
You need only spend a short time listening to radio or television or viewing Internet retail sites to encounter a whole slew of techniques whose goal is to motivate you to take some particular action. As an entrepreneur, you … Continue reading
Give ‘em what they need NOW.
So you’ve clearly described the characteristics of your ideal client and identified her major pain points. You’re ready for the third vital step in creating your Ideal Client Profile: letting her know you understand exactly what solutions she needs … Continue reading
If they’re not writhing, they’re not buying.
Perceived value is relative. It all depends on how much pain and urgency you’re experiencing and how readily a potential solution can relieve that pain. If you were having a heart attack, who would you want working on you: … Continue reading
Are you taking the lazy way out?
Ask any ten entrepreneurs why they do what they do, and I’ll bet you that at least eight out of the ten will reply, “I love to help people.” Yawn. Understand that I’m not disparaging this reply. (Well, okay, … Continue reading
Are your clients clueless?
I recently explored how developing clarity through contrast is a powerful way to super-charge your confidence, beef up your marketing messages, and stay sane. Have you gotten crystal clear on the real value you provide clients? Then here’s a … Continue reading
Emotional business building
One of my favorite sayings is, “Too much of anything is toxic.” In other words, no matter how useful or productive something may be—an attitude, a belief, a work habit, whatever—if you take it to extremes, it will begin … Continue reading
And I care…why?
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, summer is finally, almost, maybe, probably here. While it’s wonderful to venture outside without winter garments, there’s a real danger that comes when entrepreneurs are faced with “those lazy, hazy, crazy days … Continue reading
The advanced class: Speaking for six-year-olds, Part II
If you read last Thursday’s post, you know that I encouraged you to take the time and effort to craft such a powerful, easy-to-understand marketing message that even a six-year-old would have a good idea of the work you do. … Continue reading
How to become fluent in six-year-old-ese, Part I
After reading last Thursday’s post, which posed the question, “Are your prospects as smart as a six-year-old?,” maybe you’ve started to fret over whether you’re talking to your ideal prospects in a way that’s easy to understand. If you’re not … Continue reading
Are your prospects as smart as a six-year-old?
K.I.S.S. Regardless of whether you prefer the snarky version of this acronym or the kinder, gentler version, the gist of it is the same: Keep it simple. This advice is invaluable in a whole slew of situations, both personal and … Continue reading
Who would you rather make nice with – a person or a spider?
As far as I’m concerned, spiders are kind of creepy, whether you’re talking about a tiny beast a quarter inch across or a tarantula as big as a dinner plate. However, if you want to succeed in business today, even if … Continue reading
How simple counting can alert you to a fatal marketing flaw
I can’t even remember the first time I heard about “the radio station that everyone is tuned into: WII-FM.” The reason we all tune in, as you probably know, is that the “call letters” stand for “What’s In It For … Continue reading
