The key to being the ultimate survivor in business in an extremely competitive landscape is to have a strategic plan. These five components will help you thrive.
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Before I stopped watching television, I used to watch Survivor. One of my favourite scenes was an episode where Rupert stole shoes and other items from the other tribe, and then they used the pirated loot to trade for more useful – and untraceable – […]
Most small and mid-sized businesses cannot clearly define the process they use for successful sales. This lack of clarity severely limits the growth potential of an SMB. Here’s why.
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I didn’t say YOU can’t sell. If you’ve been in business or sales for a few years and are still around, you’ve probably figured something out that works for you.
In fact, I haven’t met very many business owners who don’t think they can sell or at least have someone on […]
When creating any online content, the first thing most people read is the headline. It either entices them to read it, or it doesn’t.
Your headline gets displayed on search results pages, social media shares, and in blog listings. In social sharing, posts with well-chosen images have several times the engagement and click through ratios if the headline is compelling.
The third factor is the text that introduces the article. This text description can originate from the meta description or the first part of the article […]
Most starting and early growth entrepreneurs are focused on costs. Shifting your mindset about marketing budget can change your results dramatically. These 3 questions help you do that.
If you own a business and someone says you should use some powerful integrated marketing software that costs $800 per month – what is your first thought?
If an online marketing firm comes to you with a proposal to increase traffic and lead generation from your website and it will cost $4,000 a month […]
One of the keys to strategic marketing is to make the best use of your limited resources for the greatest results. One of the most powerful drivers of marketing results is to define your ideal clients precisely.
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The best way to show how this works is to take you along on my latest journey to do just that for the online marketing services portion of our business.
A good strategy is just as much about what you will not […]
When you make mistakes, it is best to learn the lessons they teach you. Sometimes the lessons are about something else entirely – like time management and inbound marketing.
It all started when I was making my supper. I was a bit hungry and grabbed some baby potatoes to roast. I would usually eat one large potato or two medium ones. Baby potatoes are much smaller. Obviously, one large potato is the equivalent of about 50 baby potatoes.
Having made this mistake before, and being considerate of […]
There are two main camps in online marketing: business is business and business is personal. The first camp paints itself as impersonal, professional, and aloof. The second acknowledges that people do business with people. When done right, letting your humanity shine through your marketing messages increases social media engagement – without losing the professional touch.
If you are considering any of the companies in the Virgin Group, you will probably find the personality of […]
In rehab, you engage with experts and specialists to get through the first few stages of recovery. You can also speed it along by outsourcing to clinics outside of the public health care system.
At some point, you have to do some of the work on your own. If the exercises are too complicated or time-consuming, most people won’t do them.
So here are some simple but powerful exercises you can do to rehab your business. You will get stronger faster, by pushing the exercises […]
For most Oil and Gas (O&G) service companies, marketing works like this. You put money into it, and if it works, you get some leads. Marketing is an ongoing expense instead of an asset. Stop spending, and you stop getting results.
Sales work much the same way. The biggest difference is it is primarily composed of people. If customers are spending somewhere and you want more sales, you either motivate your sales team a little more or hire additional sales people.
There are two common types of sales people everyone talks […]
Ultimately buyers are responsible for making wise purchases. However, they usually need help. That is your opportunity to guide them through the buyer’s journey.
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When buyers don’t know how to differentiate their vendors or the solutions they provide, they focus on price.
It is easy to blame vendors for not making things clear in their marketing and sales literature. How many buyers know what questions to ask a supplier, so the important differences are evident?
To get […]