By Norton E. Warner

The following is an excerpt from the book David Can Still Beat Goliath, by Norton E. Warner:

What is capturing the mind of the consumer? The objective of many advertisers seems to be to create an awareness with as many prospective customers as possible. But to capture the mind, you must go well beyond simple awareness. You must achieve a “consumer franchise”. This means the consumer will patronize your enterprise to the exclusion of your competition. When the consumer needs the product or service you provide, your enterprise will be the only one that comes to mind. Creating this consumer franchise is easier said than done but you can do it. Ask, "Have you ever heard of (insert your companies name here)?" and someone with awareness and aided recall may say, "Yes, I've heard of (your company)" Have you won the battle for this customer's mind? Not even close! Awareness of an enterprise falls far short of trust or preference, which alone, can attract and keep loyal customers. Effective advertising aims beyond "awareness with aided recall" to trust and loyalty. Consistent and effective messages shared with a specific audience will allow you to create your “consumer franchise”!

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: consumer franchise, battlefield, consumers, advertising, marketing

By Norton E. Warner

The following is an excerpt from the book David Can Still Beat Goliath, by Norton E. Warner:

Most advertisers see all ad media as performing the same function: getting the word out. The goal of most advertisers is to reach as many people as possible, believing that the medium chosen makes little or no difference as long as money is being spent on advertising. Such assumptions and practices produce nothing but ineffective advertising and wasteful spending. All advertising media can be effective, but they work differently and perform distinct functions. A common mistake is to develop a budget and then spend it on advertising without any thought as to which medium offers the best solutions for advertising and promotional needs. Many enterprises assume that the longer the list of media used, the more people they reach and the more effective the campaign. Quite the opposite. Even the most prosperous companies have budget limitations. Buying a little advertising from every sales rep who calls on you is a waste of your advertising budget. Concentration of budget on the best ad medium for you is critical to making advertising work for you.

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: concentrate and sell, david can still beat goliath, advertising, media, marketing, budget

By Norton E. Warner

The following is an excerpt from the book David Can Still Beat Goliath, by Norton E. Warner:

John Wanamaker, the legendary Philadelphia retailer, said, “Fifty percent of my advertising does the job, 50 percent is wasted. The only problem is, I don’t know which 50 percent.” Much of the money spent on advertising is wasted. Businesses can ill afford to waste any of their advertising expenditures. There are many ways to waste advertising dollars. If the enterprise is properly conceived, fills a niche, and can attract and keep new customers, advertising can be a productive investment. If not, it’s just another expense - a waste of time and money.

Waste in advertising is everywhere, in every size business. Waste is often caused by advertisers who:

• Choose the wrong medium for their message.
  • Use the medium of choice incorrectly.
  • Target the wrong audience.
  • Fail to provide compelling reasons for customers to use their products or services.
  • Ask advertising to do something it cannot do.
  

Recognize wasteful advertising and avoid making the same mistakes. It will help you use advertising wisely. It cannot guarantee your campaign’s effectiveness, but it can put the odds in your favor.

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: John Wanamaker, wasteful spending, advertising, marketing

By Norton E. Warner

The following is an excerpt from the book David Can Still Beat Goliath, by Norton E. Warner:

Let your competition wander all over the market in search of an identity as your strategy becomes more focused, informed, defined and consistent. Most of your competitors will change from day to day. They will react to every show of enemy strength with a matching strength. Barely comprehending what it takes to win on the battlefield of the consumer’s mind. Constant, unfocused strategy changes erode a business’s identity and confuse the customers. Such businesses are moving targets for consumer perceptions if they change media every month or drastically alter the story they tell. They may not advertise at all, then load up on advertising for several months. They’ll scrap one strategy or campaign and adopt another because of one competitor’s innovation. As a consequence, the consumer never gets to know who they are, what they offer, or how they are different from the rest. Just when customers begin to know them, they become something else, raising doubts about the nature of their businesses, what they offer, when they offer it, and how they excel over their competitors. Maintain your focus and your consistency. You will succeed and win the battle for the consumers mind.

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: david can still beat goliath, Norton Warner, marketing, advertising, consumers

By Norton E. Warner

Maintaining or increasing the advertising budget in a recessionary economy is essential to the long-term health of any enterprise. During an economic downturn or recession, most advertisers cut their budgets drastically. The two reasons heard most often are:

"People do not have the money, so our advertising would be wasted."

We can afford to cut our advertising because our competitors are cutting theirs." I have discovered a principle of personal or entrepreneurial success that seems to prove itself again and again. If you would succeed, observe what everyone else is doing and do the opposite. This seems to be true for advertising budgets in recessionary periods.

Nariman K Dhalla, in an article titled "Advertising as an Antirecession Tool" published in the Harvard Business Review, said, "Rather than wait for business to return to normal, top executives should cash in on the opportunity that the rival companies are creating for them. The company courageous enough to stay in and fight when everyone else is playing safe can bring about a dramatic change in market position."

Malcolm Moses, of Malcolm Moses & Associates of Boston, wrote in Boardroom Reports in the article "Recession Wisdom for Marketers,""Get more leverage from the advertising budget. Don't drastically reduce it. Companies that keep an advertising presence emerge from recession faster and stronger."

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: recession, marketing, advertising, budget

By Van Coker

If there is one undeniable truth in small business advertising, it is this: Business owners are more concerned about the media they choose than the message they choose to communicate.

If you don't believe me, just stop by your local coffee shop early in the morning. Ask one of the business owners enjoying his or her morning cup. Entrepreneurs are easily identified. They are always up at the crack of dawn, (probably because they just can't sleep) and the last people on the planet to put head-to-pillow. Always thinking. Always worrying. Always looking for a better way to attract customers. Always quick to offer an opinion regarding the advertising media. Which media works poorly...and which do not work at all.

They've tried absolutely everything under the sun with limited success. Newspaper, television, radio, yellow pages, billboards, pens and pencils and door-to-door coupons. They've spent money on quarter-pages, half-pages, full-pages. They've written checks for cable and local affiliate television. They've tried to connect with every radio station's morning-drive, afternoon-drive, and day-time listeners---even the overnight crowd that can't sleep, either. The yellow pages rep told them their troubles would disappear if they would simply "buy a bigger ad" and "add color." While every other media sales rep advised they were "just not reaching the right people."

Before you spend another dime attempting to attract customers to your business, consider---the message. Is the message in your ad...commercial...billboard...or whatever of any interest to your most likely customers? Does it offer anything of real value? Does it communicate what you can do for them? Is there anything in your message that might cause me to consider doing business with you? Or are you just one of the many "friendly"..."courteous"..."bigger selection" and "whatever your (fill in the blank) needs" businesses that offer nothing of any real consequence?

Don't get me wrong. Your choice of media is a very important decision. But no advertising media can possibly work if your message is missing the mark. It is important to reach the right people...but you must also make certain you reach them with a message that makes a difference.

What about your message? Is it making a difference? Or are you just wasting money on insignificant drivel? If you're not sure, give me a call or send me an email at Marketing Firepower. I'll be happy to listen and offer some thoughts about how to make your message relevant.

Van is vice president of Marketing Firepower with decades of experience in helping small business succeed through the effective use of advertising.

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Tags: marketing, advertising, media, message

By Jeff Dostal

I've been traveling quite a bit lately visiting with small businesses across the country. There is a common theme shared by the majority. When I ask the question, "Why should I spend my money with your company versus the competition?" I receive an interesting reply...silence. It's a bit scary the number of businesses that don't have a solid reply to this simple question. Do you?

One of the reasons we created what we call the Value Story Discovery process is because, as a business owner, you are too close to your business to know and understand the real value(s) of doing business with you. To put it bluntly, you just don't know why customers spend their money with you.

When we conduct a Value Story Discovery for a company, they are amazed at how the things they didn't feel were important are often the main reasons folks choose to do business with them.

If you'd like to know how a Value Story Discovery could dramatically improve the way you market and advertise your business, give me a call or email me. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Jeff is President of Marketing Firepower and an experienced marketing professional. He has helped many business become successful through the effective use of advertising.

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Tags: advertising, marketing, money, budget, Value Story Discovery

The most essential ingredient of any successful business is an effective Marketing Bridge. If you are unfamiliar with the term, “Marketing Bridge” refers to all the forces that combine to make a sale and create a customer for your enterprise. Every business has a Marketing Bridge. Some are in good shape. Some are in need of major repair and reconstruction. The creator of the Marketing Bridge, Norton E. Warner, also happens to be the founder of Marketing Firepower.

Recently I was privileged to speak to a group of like-business owners from the Midwest on the topic of improving sales through effective marketing and advertising. With the current economic conditions, there were many valid concerns. And many questions asked of me about advertising. Such as, “With so many consumers using the internet these days, what should we do about our Yellow Pages advertising?” Or, “We thought we could stimulate sales by lowering our prices, but our business has actually gone down….any suggestions?”

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Tags: marketing, advertising

A small business owner was sharing his frustration with advertising. He told me he had a hard time telling all that he did in one message. I told him that’s where he was making his mistake. In “City Slickers," Jack Palance tells Billy Crystal he needs to find his one thing. Jack had it right. It’s a lesson we can all learn about our marketing. Each message you share with your target audience needs to offer one clear idea. One thing. If you try to put multiple ideas into one message, the consumer won’t remember any of them. Here’s another example. Get a handful of tennis balls and toss them to someone. Read More...

Tags: marketing, advertising

By Van Coker

The most essential ingredient of any successful business is an effective Marketing Bridge. If you are unfamiliar with the term, “Marketing Bridge” refers to all the forces that combine to make a sale and create a customer for your enterprise. Every business has one. Some are in good shape. Some are in need of major repair and reconstruction. The inventor, designer, and creator of the Marketing Bridge, Norton E. Warner, also happens to be the founder of Marketing Firepower.

Almost everybody has heard the old saying, “He could sell iceboxes to Eskimos.” And for our friends in the southern hemisphere, they may be more familiar with, “He could sell sand to the Sahara desert.” These adages, of course, refer to a super sales person who can supposedly sell anything to anybody, even if the need doesn’t exist. The hidden truth is this; you can’t sell products and services to people who don’t need your products or your services. If you don’t know that there is no perceived need for ice, you will go bankrupt trying to sell ice. You have to know what customers need.

So how well do you know your customer? Do you really know what your customer wants or needs…or are you just guessing? Do you really know why your customer likes to do business with you…or are you just assuming? Only when you really know can you make progress on bringing new customers to your business. You will attract new customers for the same reasons you attracted your current customers. It’s just that simple.

Guessing the answers to all of the above questions won’t cut it. As management consultant, Peter Drucker, once stated, “What the people in the business think they know about the customer and the market is more likely to be wrong than right. There is only one person who really knows – the customer.”

One of the single biggest marketing mistakes I see repeated by businesses large and small, is “guessing” what attracted current customers to do business with them in the first place. Guess correctly and you might get by. But incorrectly assessing what attracted your current customers can be most detrimental. You will waste a great deal of time and money by throwing the proverbial you-know-what at the wall and seeing how much sticks.

A friend who owns a chain of highly successful convenience stores was ready to discontinue an in-store customer loyalty program. He thought it was costly, time-consuming, cumbersome and unnecessary. In his opinion, the customer loyalty cards made no positive difference and could be taken off the table with little or no consequence. He later discovered how wrong he was.
By interviewing his customers, we discovered how important clean restrooms were to the customer. Many, many customers were impressed with the friendliness of the cashiers. But the selling advantage mentioned most frequently was the customer loyalty card. Customers liked the fact that it required only five purchases to get a freebie…rather than ten or twelve like other convenience stores. The customer loyalty program that was almost discontinued turned out to be a huge competitive advantage.

Imagine what would have occurred if the customer loyalty program had been discontinued. Customers would have been disappointed, dissatisfied, and open to any and every invitation to do business with any other convenience store. They would have seen a gradual decline in customer count…a gradual decline in daily sales of coffee and soda…a gradual decline in sales at the gas pumps…and a certain decline in profitability.

When you really know why your current customers are choosing you over your competition, you will know what to communicate to attract new customers. Customer comment cards won’t do it. Having employees ask customers won’t get you the real answers. It takes someone with real skill and training to extract the real reasons why customers do business with you. Otherwise, you’ll end up with meaningless information like most everybody else wastes in their advertising. You’ve seen it; “friendly, courteous personnel,” and “for all your (fill in the blank) needs.”

That’s why the Marketing Firepower “Value Story Discovery” process makes such difference for small business success. When a business knows why consumers should do business with them, and know why current customers do conduct business with them, they will possess the information necessary to attract new customers. It means the difference between productive marketing and wasting money. And that can mean the difference between business success and business failure.

Don’t leave this information to guesswork. Invest in worthwhile information that will make a difference.

Van is vice president of Marketing Firepower with decades of experience in helping small business succeed through the effective use of advertising.

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Tags: marketing, marketing bridge

By Norton E. Warner

Advertisers sometimes buy advertising with the idea of testing the ad medium. There is nothing wrong with testing. A successful enterprise continually evaluates expenditures. Remember, however, that advertising may test your marketing bridge more than it does the medium.

Former president of Procter & Gamble, Howard J. Morgens once pointed out, "No amount of advertising can force people to buy things they do not want. Advertising cannot sell a poor product. It might induce people to try it once, but it cannot build an enduring business on such a product." Nor can advertising build an enduring business with a poor or ineffective marketing bridge.

There's an old story about a dog food company that developed a new product. Extensive marketing, distribution, and advertising supported the new dog food's introduction, but sales were poor nevertheless. The management brought the entire organization together to ferret out what the company was doing wrong in advertising and promotion. The answer emerged at a large group session when an elderly woman stood up and said, "I gave some to my dog and he don't like the damn stuff."

Naive advertisers are looking for that magic ad campaign, that enchanted medium, that inspired idea that will bring hordes of customers to their doors without any additional effort on the advertisers' part. Successful entrepreneurs must of course take risks, venture into the unknown, try new things, and take creative and innovative approaches. Sometimes, however, such an adventurous spirit leads businesses to try a medium and "see if it works." Advertisers say, "Let's give it a try" or "Let's give your medium a shot," as if they're offering the medium a brief trial period in which to show its stuff. Such advertisers usually jump from medium to medium, which undermines the frequency of impression that is essential for effective advertising.

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: marketing, marketing bridge

By Norton E. Warner

A practical, dynamic, creative entrepreneurial vision is rare. Vision begets innovation and is a prerequisite to leadership. If you have a precise vision for your business, it can be your greatest competitive advantage.

Your competitors who have no vision will find themselves chasing yours. Running after your vision, your imagination, your innovations and your leadership, they will forever be in your dust, months, maybe years, behind you. They may imitate what they see as your success strategy, not because it is right for them, but because they're trying to catch and then overtake you. However, no one can copy your heartfelt commitment to serve your customers.

No one can occupy your mind, duplicate your thinking processes or experience your desire to win. No competitor can usurp your goal of customer satisfaction. Your competitor cannot be you. You are the competitive advantage. Only from your vision as the leader of your enterprise can a winning strategy emerge.

Author and corporate consultant Peter Drucker claims that business, "because its purpose is to create customers," has only two functions: "marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results. All the rest are costs."

The first function, marketing, was the subject of Chapter II, "The Battlefield" from my book, David Can Still Beat Goliath. The second, innovation, is the key to your strategy. Be innovative in ways that set you apart from your competition. Use innovation to establish a proprietary enterprise. If yours is perceived as a commodity enterprise, you could be fighting Goliath with an empty slingshot.

To create a winning strategy, you must learn everything you can about your competition, your own enterprise, and your most profitable customer. In marketing and advertising, the proper analysis of this knowledge is a source of power.

Norton is the author and creator of Marketing Firepower. Five decades helping businesses develop strategies, create campaigns, identify and target the most profitable customer and proper budgeting advice have all contributed to the Marketing Firepower information. Norton created Marketing Firepower to make his experience and success strategies available to businesses around the world.

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Tags: entrepreneur, marketing, advertising, small business

You’ve heard of the 80-20 rule, right? Ask a business owner what the 80-20 rule is and he or she will tell you 80% of the sales come from 20% of the customers. The opposite side of that equation is also true, 80% of your customers account for only 20% of your sales.
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Tags: statistics, 80-20 Rule, marketing, advertising, small business

Welcome to June. We have some great new videos this month as well as a very special ebook we’re excited to share with you. Read More...

Tags: marketing, advertising, success, ebook

Advertising and marketing are much different. You can see advertising. You can hear advertising. In many cases you can even touch advertising. But in most cases, it’s extremely difficult to precisely measure the results of advertising.
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Tags: marketing, advertising, marketing bridge

Longtime professor of advertising at Harvard University, Neil H. Borden, defined advertising as, “the chief means by which businesses communicate with the customers about their products or services to bring about an exchange.”

Professor Borden did not define advertising as “building store traffic” or “selling” merchandise or services. The keyword in the definition is “communicate.” “The chief means by which businesses communicate with customers about their products or services to bring about an exchange.” Read More...

Tags: advertising, marketing, small business, sales

A consumer franchise is when a consumer patronizes your business to the exclusion of your competition. Do you have a consumer franchise with any of your clients? If you do, how did you achieve it? Advertising is simple when you think about it. Read More...

Tags: franchise, consumers, marketing, advertising

By Van Coker

One of the most essential ingredients of any successful business is an effective Marketing Bridge. If you are unfamiliar with the term, “Marketing Bridge” refers to all the forces that combine to make a sale and create a customer for your enterprise---or any enterprise. Every business has one. Most don’t even realize it. Some are in good shape. Some are in need of major repair and reconstruction. The inventor, designer, and creator of the Marketing Bridge, also just happens to be the founder of Marketing Firepower, Norton E. Warner.

In future articles, we’ll focus on each and every element necessary to build your successful Marketing Bridge. This month, let’s talk about “price” and “value.” Read More...

Tags: marketing, advertising, price

By Norton E. Warner

If a prospective customer enters your business and is greeted like royalty and made to feel important, and if she leaves having been treated as she feels she deserves, you are on your way to creating a lifelong customer and a positive center of influence. Clearly, the advertising that brought her to you was an investment.

If, on the other hand, she was attracted by your advertising but is met with... Read More...

Tags: marketing, advertising, small business, investment, expense

By John DiPietro

Marketing...The Most Misunderstood Word in Business!

In this crazy business climate we are currently experiencing, business owners need to look beyond traditional methodologies and right into the mirror to see how they can win more business and just as importantly, keep the business they have already worked so hard for. So often, when you mention the word " marketing" to a businessperson the first thoughts that come to mind are... Read More...

Tags: marketing, advertising, mistakes

If you look at a picture of a big airplane that’s close to the ground, it’s difficult to determine if it’s taking off, or coming down. Landing gear is down. Nose is slightly up. Yet you can’t really tell if it’s landing or taking off. But watching the airplane in motion makes everything obvious.

A similar phenomenon occurs when you look at a business. You may see a well-kept, modern facade, nice parking lot and beautifully lighted at night. But just like the airplane, you have to see the business “in motion” to determine if it’s going up or coming down.

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Tags: marketing, advertising, marketing bridge, business, improvements

Have you ever seen or heard advertisements that proudly proclaim they are the “best kept secret?" Not something that should be a source of pride. The same can be said for businesses who don’t want to “toot their own horn."

Is there a reason consumers should spend money with your business? Read More...

Tags: advertising, marketing, small business

Ever seen that one written on the chalkboard? (Chalkboard. Did I just give my age away?) In over 16 years of helping small business attract customers, I’ve yet to come across one that didn’t assume their customers knew more than they really did. I hope you are the exception to the rule, but I won’t assume you are.

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Tags: advertising, marketing, assumptions

The other day a restaurant owner and I were discussing the challenges he’s facing in these economic times. His food costs are up...utilities are up…health insurance for employees is always going up...taxes are higher, and on and on and on. Everything is headed up---except his sales volume. Read More...

Tags: recession, marketing, advertising

If you knew how little others thought about you…you wouldn’t worry so much about what others think about you.

Related to our daily lives, the title is a good lesson in life. However, in relationship to your small business it should read…”If you knew how little others thought about you…you should worry.”
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Tags: perception, advertising, marketing, small business

Why is it most business owners do all the wrong things when tough times hit? It’s almost like they have a death wish.

Think about it. What’s the one thing you must have enough of…plenty of…even more of during a recession? I’m not talking about money. I’m not talking about time. Read More...

Tags: advertising, marketing, small business, mistakes, recession

A friend of mine passes along inspirational thoughts to me each day. What he sent today jumped right off of the page and has stayed with me all day. I want to share it with you... Read More...

Tags: football, recession, small business, marketing, advertising

That magnificent 6-inch orb that rests on top of our shoulders is really an amazing contraption. It has the capability of understanding, analyzing, predicting, and improving the most complex, abstract, and intricate of concepts. Read More...

Tags: small business, marketing, advertising

By Jeff Dostal

Many advertisers have been asking us if they should spend less money on their advertising with the recession in full bloom. What do you think? Let me offer an analogy for you. Read More...

Tags: small business, marketing, advertising, investment

It’s absolutely amazing how business owners tend to blame poor sales figures on the back of advertising.

“Weekend traffic was down…must be the advertising.”

“Pretty good traffic this weekend but no sales…must be the advertising.”

“We seem to be getting more and more grumpy customers…we must be talking to the wrong people with our advertising.”

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Tags: advertising, marketing, small business

How many times do we say this when looking at a problem we believe has a complex solution and when a simple one is presented…”Well, that makes sense!” Your advertising is one of those problems that many feel needs to have a complex solution. You have the answers to effectively communicate your story. You just need to understand how simple the process is. Read More...

Tags: advertising, marketing, small business

Have you ever made a decision that turned out to be a bad decision? Maybe it cost you a lot of money. Perhaps it cost you a friendship or your marriage. We all make decisions, even very important life-altering decisions, based on information we have gathered or our personally held attitudes and beliefs. Read More...

Tags: decisions, direction, mistakes, small business, marketing, advertising

Never rely on the memory of your customer for the success of your business. I could and probably should stop right there because that says it all. But I won’t. Let’s explore this thought. My experience with too many businesses is that once they make contact with a consumer or once they get that customer in the door or on the phone, they feel they can move on to the next one. STOP! You can’t leave them hanging there, blowing in the wind of the unknown. Read More...

Tags: customer, marketing, memory, small business

If you are reading this blog entry, there is a good chance you own a small business and you make decisions about how you will advertise your business. Chances are good you are bombarded on a daily basis with one or more media sales people wanting to “show you the way”.

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Tags: advertising, marketing, small business, trust

Entrepreneurship has been defined as “the art of finding profitable solutions to problems.” It’s the successful entrepreneur who studies a problem…researches possible solutions…implements change…and stays the course while the solution is given proper time to work.

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Tags: advertising, marketing, small business, success, problems

Ask 100 small business owners what the most important factor is when a consumer chooses where to do business---and about 90 of them will say “low price.”

Is that really how people shop? Is that really the predominant factor in buying anything? Read More...

Tags: price, competition, marketing, advertising, selling

Over the past 30-plus years of working closely with small businesses of all sizes, from “Mom-and-Pops” (some were so small they were just “Pops”) to businesses with several locations, one of the proclamations I fielded with great frequency was, “Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising.” Read More...

Tags: advertising, marketing, small business, word of mouth

Every employee…every manager….and, most likely, every business owner gets extremely frustrated with customers from time to time. You know the kind. There’s the customer who asks for a “little extra.” The customer who can’t make the buying decision as quickly as you would like when you’re busy. The customer you spend hours with only to see them actually buy from your competitor. What a great business this would be if it weren’t for the customers. Read More...

Tags: small business, marketing, service, customer service

Do you have kids? Do you know someone who has kids? Watch them work. Especially the younger ones. These are the best sales people around. Read More...

Tags: sales, marketing, small business marketing, advertising, salespeople

A friend of mine was telling me about a new diet he started a few weeks back. He was pretty excited that he had lost a few pounds already and that he “didn’t have to do anything to lose the weight”. The magical pills worked overnight melting his extra pounds away. Read More...

Tags: advertising, recession, small business, marketing

Ask almost any small business owner what the best form of advertising is, and you’re likely to hear, “Word of mouth.” “It’s the cheapest form of advertising” they’ll say, “And the most effective.” And they’re right. Sort of. Read More...

Tags: word of mouth, advertising, small business, marketing

I’m blessed with four kids, ages 13 to 5. When they ask a question or complain about a request made of them, they get to participate in the “You always have a choice” conversation. The oldest knows it pretty well. The nine year old just rolls his eyes when he sees it coming. Read More...

Tags: recession, advertising, small business, marketing