External Influences
Every industry has their unique set of external influences that govern the validity of your business value. Make you that you know the factors that influence your business – and keep an eye on where they’re heading.
Email Becomes “Me-Mail”
Integrating video into your sales and marketing messaging, collateral and customer engagement activities is taking on ever-greater importance. Video captivates audience attention far better than text and/or images alone, and also helps differentiate your company.
Don’t Listen To Your Customers
Customers don’t always know what they want. That’s your job.
The Danger Of The Gilded Cage
Promotion often means rising to the level of incompetence.
What Value Do You Put On Creativity?
Underestimating the value of creativity in your business sets you on the road to becoming seen as a commodity.
The Second Mouse Gets The Cheese
If your business isn’t innovating, it’s going backwards.
Hidden Message
Some thoughts on Microsoft’s latest ad campaign.
Judging A (Note)Book By Its Cover
The birth of a new product segment – and its soon-to-be rapid, untimely death.
How Do Your Customers Find You?
Customers find your business in a variety of ways, via numerous channels. It’s important to be where they expect to find you – as well as not in places where you’re not welcome.
Keeping Your Business Relevant In Your Customer’s Mind
If your company occupies a space that could conceivably be embraced by your current customer base, then why should they continue to buy from you?
Non-Optional Extras: Hiding The True Cost From Your Customers
When you have the gall to charge an extra $500 delivery on a $30,000 automobile purchase, the only thing the customer remembers is the insult of having to pay the hidden extra.
Are Your Marketing Materials Too “Wordy”?
Are you being too extravagant in your textual messaging? Just the facts, ma’am.
Making Lemonade From Lemons
Even once the economy bounces back, we’re not going back to ‘the good old days’. The climate will be different. Customers will be different, so business will need to be different.
Taking it Personally With Printed Cards
If you’re sending holiday cards out by email, you’re totally missing the point.
Standing Out From The Crowd
Your business needs to stand out. It needs to shout about how great it is. If it doesn’t, don’t expect anyone else to.
Tradeshow Trauma: Are Trade Exhibitions Still Relevant To Your Small Business?
Exhibiting at a tradeshow can be a very effective sales tool. But today, so can many other things.
The Writing’s On The Wall For Blogs
Blogging isn’t dying. But the quality and depth of blog articles must increase, in the light of increased competition for reader attention.
Missing The Point in Sales Copywriting?
Sales and marketing copywriting should be written from the customer’s viewpoint and language – not yours.
Are Your Presentations Letting You Down?
Business Presentations are as much about showbiz, theatre, and acting as they are about message delivery. Which is probably why so many of them suck.
The Impending Digital Disruption For Enterprise Software Pricing
“Enterprise” software manufacturers need to provide more relevant pricing models. Their customers demand it.
Flying Blind: The Importance Of Website Analytics
The only way you can improve the performance of your website is through measurement. That means using and understanding website analytics software.
Increase Sales Leads From Your Website
Want more website leads? Get a better company website. Your site needs to be more than an online brochure.
Embrace Video – Before Your Competitors Do
Video-based content offers huge opportunities within any startup or small business marketing repertoire.Even more articles!