Christmas is Over!

With all the bad statistics of how everyone is worried about how the economy is doing and how the decline in shopping was due to everyone worried about their “Job Security”, hey gang here’s a hint…IT’S A FALSE SECURITY! Anwyay, I wanted to drop thisin for everyonr to think about…wrote it today.

Well, the hardest time of the year is now done!

 

New projects can begin and we don’t have to deal with executives wondering what we’re gonna come up with to drive Black Friday. Not that it was going to help much anyway…We’re in a recession! DOH!

 

I had a couple of really interesting conversations regarding our economy and where they thought things were headed regarding the market and its condition. We all were of the same opinion that if things don’t change soon, we are teetering at the edge of a depression. We also all came to the same conclusion, this particular country is beginning to get out of its comfort zone, and beginning to realize that we are a lot more responsible for our actions than we thought. It was a friend that made me realize that even my meager decisions affect others around me. Guess we all need to take a better perspective on life. Start recognizing that we have a responsibility to the rest of the world, even though we don’t want it, we got it. We need to take care of it.

 

Sure, we don’t want to have to deal with everyone else’s crap, but we started it, we need to finish what we started. This means that the next nuts we vote into office will understand this “bi=partisan” stuff has to end, and they need to do things to the people’s satisfaction. I don’t mean just for the blue collar, or just the white collar, not just the rich or the poor. They need to get it together for the good of the greater not the one.

 

This brings a big “yeah right” on from everyone…ok so, do you throw your hands up and stop fighting to make it right? At the same do we revolt? C’mon, think logically already.

 

I took a Critical thinking class once and our instructor was a trial lawyer…this was an interesting class…believe ye me…the fights that almost started in this class because of what someone’s brother or sister or mom or dad went through with a certain situation, WHOA! The emotions ran deep in this class!

 

I got to speak up in the class one day and nicely explained that not a single person in that room was going to make it in the corporate world simply because they were making choices and decisions in their own lives by their emotions rather than doing their homework and finally coming to a real conclusion…one that was driven by information and “Critical thinking”.

 

The response was kinda interesting. Many sat there in kind of disbelief that I spoke for one. For two, what I just said basically threw all of their opinions and rationalizations right out the window. So, some of them wouldn’t talk to me anymore…LOL! Some chose to think before they did say anything to me. My instructor? He loved me! (not literally) He and I had some great conversations over the phone about the subjects after class about how to think critically and take the point of view that had no view…

 

What da heck does that mean Mike?

 

Here’s what it means;

 

Nothing makes sense until you have all the facts, and to make it make sense you have to have all of the facts. If not, you are taking an uncalculated risk that will cost you in the short and long term.

 

Don’t let emotions and traditions and any other emotional based information permeate into your head or heart for that matter to cause you to decide too early. Take the time to research your thoughts, and sort them out. I have a friend that is so deliberate in his thinking, that when you ask him a question, he will literally say..” uuuummmmm…maybeee, you should try this….ok?” What he does is while he says “ummmmm”, he is thinking how would this work out the best for this subject? Then he makes his suggestion according to what he has figured out. His decisions are usually spot on. Others in that company I cannot vouch the same.

 

Point: Take the time to do your homework, find out, and if you run out of time, see if you can delay the answer. If not, go with the best you can come up with, or find others that have more info than you, and utilize them as a resource. Take the time to take the time…sheesh.

 

Don’t rush…here’s another thought, “If you have to rush, You’re late! Take the time to be early, make it easier on yourself.”

 

Next round I will talk more about how to manage projects when they get dumped on you.

Green business gets the Green Light!!

Business & Small Business

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Hydroelectric Power Goes Greener, With In-River Turbine | Technomix | Fast Company

Hydroelectric Power Goes Greener, With In-River Turbine | Technomix | Fast Company

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If you’re not ready….they will be!

Well this was posted around Facebook and a few other places today, so why not here?

 

Look here’s the skinny…year’s end is upon us…so what have you done to plan for the next round? Your competition is trying to squash you so they can corner the market(even if it never happens the point is).

 

You have to have something in place so you can get ahead and leave “them” behind. If you can’t do that, you might as well close your doors.

 

So what is below is a toolkit my friend created for small business owners to fend off the big dawgs trying to out advertise you. Heck in some cases you could get some better prices for your marketing if you do it right. You might even get some free publicity…but you won’t get anything if you don’t start planning NOW.

 

But to do it, you’ll need to get this stuff in your hot little hands or on your computer so you can absorb the info and start the planning process….Don’t let the rest of the year go by with,”It was seasons…” as an excuse.

 

Keep it rolling!

When was the last time a prospect called YOU with money in hand to do business?  Did you know that, with just one minor change to your marketing message, you can double or even triple your responses?

 

For a limited time Facebook users can receive a special discount for an amazing new marketing tool-kit designed for business owners and marketing professionals.  Called the Power Marketing on a Budget Guide, this resource will steer you through the myriad of marketing options and create a “buzz” that is GUARANTEED to make your phone and cash register ring!

 

Check this out: www.CorporateRainMakers.com/PowerMarketing/Facebook.htm and start marketing like a pro today!

Are you playing in the right playground?

I’ve had the pleasure of working with quite a few different people in different industries, and how they interact with potential clients. You know, customers…

 

What amazes me, is how many business owners want to venture into new territories to drum up new business, but fail to really understand where the brunt of their clientele is to be found.

 

I watched at a playground recently where an older kid was hanging out on the “kiddie” side of the playground. As I watched he and another friend struggled to use the smaller equipment there on that side. Mind you, in the same area was the bigger kid’s playground equipment just on the other side of the actual playground, but these two found it funnier and actually hilarious in watching each other struggle to get into the much smaller stuff, like the swings, and the slides that were much shorter and so on.

 

What really caught my attention though was that when they called their other friends, none of them would come over to struggle with them and laughing more at them than with them.

 

Surely if they had called to their friends to come and play at the bigger equipment, they would have had a lot more attention and probably gotten their friends to join them there.

 

It goes the same in business. Where do you place your marketing efforts? How do you position your product, or service? Is it in the right place so that those that could use or need your deal is right in front of you? Or are you like a couple of business owners I know that force the square peg into the round whole?(that was intentional by the way)

 

In order to be sure you are in the right market place or targeting the right demographic, you need to do your homework.

 

This is a two fold lesson; make sure your product or service is being advertised or marketed to the right consumers or businesses, or risk losing out on a LOT of income. As well, make sure your product matches what the market needs at that time.

 

To bring out a product that is more about Christmas, in January, I think you can guess the rest. At the same time, if you don’t market enough to your marketplace even when the time is right, you risk losing out as the world rushes by.

 

To put out a service or product that is needed by the elderly to a market full of young people, you will have a stale market that won’t bother even looking at what you have even if you spend huge dollars on marketing.

 

Whatever your deal is, make sure you are “playing in the right playground” or you’ll go home feeling pretty sore from uncomfortable consequences. Make sure you are putting your efforts in the right area. Don’t risk spending needlessly on markets that may or may not respond to your business.

 

I’ll follow up on this idea as the weeks roll on…there’s a lot to go over regarding this concept and I don’t want anyone missing out.

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Dumbest kid in the world?

I had to write about this one just because I got such a kick out of it and the fact that it demonstrates something really neat when it comes to intelligence and how to use it to gain customers, and keep customers.

 

There was once a barber that saw a youngster that came by his shop often. His first reaction to seeing this boy was, “There’s the world’s dumbest kid.” His client said, “How do you mean?” The barber replied, ”Here watch this…I’ll show you.” He motions to the boy to come in.

 

Once the boy came in, the barber looks at the boy and holds out his two hands and says, “ I have a dollar in one hand, and 50 cents in the other. Which would you like?”

 

The boy looks at his hands puzzled then his face lights up and he says, “I’ll take the 50 cents sir.” To which the barber gives the 50 cents to the boy and sends him on his way.

 

“You see? He’s the world’s dumbest kid! I would have taken the dollar…so would anyone else!”

 

The client of the barber saw the young boy later eating an ice cream cone and stopped him asking, “Earlier you took 50 cents from the barber…why didn’t you take the dollar?” To which the boy said with a grin, “Mister, if I take the dollar, the game will be over!”

 

Ok. So what do we learn from that? Kids ain’t dumb? Yep! Neither is your customer! If they can get one over on you, they will. Question is will you think you’re getting the best of them? Or will they get the best of you? Or will you both believe the best deal has been gotten on both sides? Remember, business done honestly is business done right…the first time, everytime!

 

Here’s the thought; If you have product that is worth $100 today, and someone offers $80 to take it off your hands right then and there, are you getting the better part of that deal? Perhaps, if you have some kind of feeling or guarantee that they will bring you more business in the near future or become a referral for you. How often does that feeling actually come? Not often enough I’m sure.

 

Example: Appointment setting service. Brand new. One client. Special pricing? or normal pricing and take care of him later on? IF you think for one minute that they are going to give their whole referral base to you right off the bat just for you giving some kind of discount on your service or product, you run the risk of “playing the game” and most likely losing.

 

So, here’s a suggestion. Instead of trying to discount your product or service, and possibly devaluing your deal, make it worth their while by letting them know that if they wish to be a part of your “platinum client base” they can have a bunch of advantages later on. Or, you can simply “take care of them” when their next purchase comes. Now if you have no way to resell them, or have any follow up products to sell them later, you need to start thinking of just how valuable your product or service is. IF you can link to other products or services, and create revenue through affiliate programs, perhaps you need to go that route.

 

 

Here’s a couple suggestions for doing this:

 

-         If you don’t already have one, create a “referral program”. This means that anytime one of your clients refers someone into your business, they get some kind of consideration. I have a client that does this in appointment setting and when a referral comes in, they award that client with a few free appointments to “take care” of them.

-         Have different levels of service. When there’s more money is invested, the level of return service is equaled in value. If they are a Bronze member, they can’t expect to receive the considerations that a Platinum member would. Of course, the investment level the platinum member makes has to be considerably more, but that is to be expected. Just be sure that the service or product being offered is equivalent to the investment made.

-         If you haven’t done so, change up your services offered. Remember to keep your clients happy, something different needs to be brought out every once in a while. (and I don’t mean a Christmas card with a gift certificate to Micke D’s) I mean really show that you are trying to keep up with your clients needs. Find out what they need next, and if your company can provide it, do so. If not get hooked in to someone that can. Else not your competition will and they will eventually end up persuading your clients that they are the better choice to hang with long term. (this goes along with using Return On Customer rather than Return On Investment) Example: There is a business I know of that offered one product giving information about promotions through an eBook. Great start, but no follow up to what they started with. Another younger company did the same thing and had other products that were ready to follow up (how to market your promotion, operations that bring profit, how to make your advertising stick out, getting above the noise in promotions, etc.) but held them back until the client base was big enough to make the offer so it would create a new flow of income. They continually offered new products every so often to the same client base of the first company, and eventually put the first company out of business simply because they didn’t want to do anything else and depended on the one product line. Who was the smarter? The barber, or the kid?

 

Make sure you take the time to really develop your marketing plan and have something more to offer later on down the road, or have at least an idea of things you can develop to keep your customers coming back. This will prove who the smarter one is in the short and long term.

Marketing, Entrepreneur – The Ingredients of a Press Kit

Marketing, Entrepreneur – The Ingredients of a Press Kit

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How’s that work again?

ScienceDaily (2008-12-04) — Stop and think for a moment. What do you remember about your breakfast this morning? One part of your brain will recall the smell of coffee brewing, while another will remember your partner’s smile while walking out the door. How does the brain weave together these fragments, and how does it bring them back to conscious life?

Tel Aviv University (2008, December 4). Unlocking The Mysteries Of Memory. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 6, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2008/12/081204133612.htm#

OK so here’s the reason for this:

Knowing how the human brain works is a definite must and needed refresher course for all marketers. We have this tendency to depend on our past successes and keep thinking, “if it ain’t broke, DON’T FIX IT!”

How in the world are we to come up with cutting edge marketing and advertising or new vision consulting if we keep with that old notion?

I have seen a lot of new consultants and think tanks, and you name it…they’re out there. But what are they really providing? Anything new? Is it really that fresh?

I have a new friend by the Name of Jim Sagar, who is a great consultant in marketing. His process takes any product or service from Positioning, right through to campaign selection, sales processes, to statistics for effective ROI/ROC.(Return on Investment/Return on Customer)

He and his partners have come up with a Blueprint that helps any company find the “new way” to position themselves. Their template leaves open the ability to “test”  the market and find that new avenue that is needed to get a consumer or business owner to “remember” the things that are the most associated with that product or service.

That being said, to wait around for the next best thing or just to innovate on an existing idea that is too fresh, (mind you innovations on old ideas can work very well, you just have to have the research or homework done to prove its worth) You’re going to do your client wrong. Not to mention the marketplace will miss out on something that could be the next step in advancements for human kind….not a good idea.

Look at what the marketplace associates with the idea you’re presenting at that moment, see what a normal reaction or thought would be to you putting anything in front of a consumer or business owner and watch their first reaction. (NLP Neuro Linguistic Programing, if you haven’t read it…you better) Are they formulating? Or just not interested? What’s their body language say about it? (Not interested? Can you say that again please? That was interesting? etc.)

Bottom line, Marketing is always about touching hot buttons enough that when a sales person comes into the picture the marketing has done most of the presenting and the product or service makes so much sense, it’s almost as if you need only to hire order takers rather than closers.

In the end, your customer knows they want it, there’s no formulating needed and your marketing is more than effective enough to make the marketplace spend with you or your client. There are multiple examples on late night TV everyday proving this thought and philosophy. They get hundreds of thousands of orders just by doing an…”INFOMERCIAL”!! Pretty effective even if the stuff’s boring as the dickens, eventually someone out there(or some thousands) gets the idea stuck in their head that having that new waffle maker(which just triggered the wonderful smell in the morning of waffles but the mess and hard work not wanted…) will make life better…right?

So, how are you helping your clients? How are you getting them better positioning? How are you getting their message out to their customers to bring up those wonderful smells or feelings that they remember? Are you getting humans to reconnect their transmitters properly?

If yes, you got ‘em…if no…GET BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!!!

Some stuff to think about…what do you think?