If I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might…
Selected by retailsmart
-
Most Topular Stories
-
Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)
Seth's Blog9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 am -
The Google Wallet Hack Is Not The End Of The World (Or Even NFC) As We Know It [Update: Google Reacts]
Fast Company9 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amStay calm and carry on, people: It's way too soon to say that NFC should stand for Now Fatally Corrupted. Yes, Google's breakthrough NFC payments app Wallet is being mentioned all over the news thanks to a flaw--it's vulnerable to a hack that gives nefarious types access to your secure PIN number. But don't believe any doomsayers or fearmongering that you may encounter on this matter; it's not as evil as it seems and, believe it or not, it's actually a sign that the future of wireless mobile payments is probably more secure than your current credit card. As reported over at the blog of… -
Off the Cuff #2
The Tom Peters Weblog7 Feb 2012 | 8:17 amOur Off the Cuff video series is a direct response from Tom to your questions. This is the second video in the series, which poses the question, "What is the greatest piece of advice you ever received that has made you a better writer or communicator?" It's a terrific question for Tom, and he discusses not only writing influences, but touches on public speaking as well. Don't miss the Dan Pink technique at the end; it may feel excruciating in practice, but there's no denying the improvement gained. -
How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 amHow to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral GeneratorThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve seen and heard this scenario countless times. Two perfectly suited strategic partners determine they should start doing some things together in an effort to create referral opportunities for each other. They shake hands and agree that it’s a fabulous idea, but then nothing happens. Mostly nothing happens because there’s no catalyst to get the ball rolling in a way that makes sense. I mean, sure, they could both send out a mass mailing to their clients professing how great the other is, but… -
The Importance of Networking
Marketing and Public Relations13 Jan 2012 | 8:45 amNetworking is important for any single person or industry. Without adequate networking, nobody will know what product or service you wish to provide.
-
Seth's Blog
-
Inaccurate labels and why we need them (and need to improve them)
9 Feb 2012 | 2:46 amIf I tell you, "I'm going to the baseball game," it seems as though you're likely to understand what I mean. Of course, you won't. When George Will goes to a baseball game, it's a religious experience. Me, I don't even like baseball. Or maybe it's my nephew's ball game (the playoffs), or maybe going to the game causes me to miss an important event, and on and on. We label the experience with just two words, and two words can't possibly capture the emotions and circumstance surrounding an event. The same thing is true with brands. If I tell you that a new business was funded by USV, that might… -
How do they know you're not a flake?
8 Feb 2012 | 2:43 amBefore your link gets clicked or your proposal gets read, a busy person is going to triage it to find out if it's even worth glancing at. Since everyone is now connected, the new permeability has created a deluge of noise, and just about everyone worth contacting is taking defensive measures. Do I know this person? Did someone I trust send them over? Where does she work? (Ideo? the FDA? The New York Times?) Has she won an award? Is she famous? Are there typos and is the design sloppy? Are they pestering me? Do I already follow this person online? Does music play when I visit the website? Will… -
Horizontal marketing isn't a new idea
7 Feb 2012 | 2:09 amBut it is the new reality for just about every organization. Vertical marketing means the marketer (the one with money) is in charge. Vertical marketing starts at the top and involves running ads, sending out direct mail and pushing hype through the media. Your money, your plans, your control. It might not work, but generally the worst outcome is that you will be ignored and need to spend more money. Horizonal marketing, on the other hand, means creating a remarkable product and story and setting it up to spread from person to person. It's out of your control, because all the interactions are… -
Who is your customer?
6 Feb 2012 | 2:26 amRule one: You can build a business on the foundation of great customer service. Rule two: The only way to do great customer service is to treat different customers differently. The question: Who is your customer? It's not obvious. Zappos is a classic customer service company, and their customer is the person who buys the shoes. Nike, on the other hand, doesn't care very much at all about the people who buy the shoes, or even the retailers. They care about the athletes (often famous) that wear the shoes, sometimes for money. They name buildings after these athletes, court them, erect… -
In search of a timid trapeze artist
5 Feb 2012 | 2:01 amGood luck with that, there aren't any. If you hesitate when leaping from rope to another, you're not going to last very long. And this is at the heart of what makes innovation work in organizations, why industries die, and how painful it is to try to maintain the status quo while also participating in a revolution. Gather up as much speed as you can, find a path and let go. You can't get to the next rope if you're still holding on to this one.
-
Fast Company
-
The Google Wallet Hack Is Not The End Of The World (Or Even NFC) As We Know It [Update: Google Reacts]
9 Feb 2012 | 11:30 amStay calm and carry on, people: It's way too soon to say that NFC should stand for Now Fatally Corrupted. Yes, Google's breakthrough NFC payments app Wallet is being mentioned all over the news thanks to a flaw--it's vulnerable to a hack that gives nefarious types access to your secure PIN number. But don't believe any doomsayers or fearmongering that you may encounter on this matter; it's not as evil as it seems and, believe it or not, it's actually a sign that the future of wireless mobile payments is probably more secure than your current credit card. As reported over at the blog of… -
Fast Talk: How This Bartender Is Rebooting The Condom
9 Feb 2012 | 7:41 amMeet Richard Pessall, a 20-year-old British entrepreneur who wants to take the condom where no man has gone before (no, not space).Richard Pessall, 20, lives and works as bartender in Shropshire, England. He spent nine years living in the United States, but when he ran out of money to pay for college in North Carolina, he was unable to renew his visa and was forced to return to the U.K. He’s decided to make his fortune before attempting to return stateside. His big idea? Reboot the condom. Forplay, the condom company he's been bootstrapping with his barman’s earnings, has grown to a staff… -
Inside INTERPOL's New Cybercrime Innovation Center
9 Feb 2012 | 7:09 amINTERPOL, the international policing agency, is opening a massive innovation center in Singapore in 2014. At the center, law enforcement will learn all about the latest cybercrimes... and have access to cutting-edge forensics laboratories and research stations.INTERPOL, the international policing organization, is building a law enforcement tech geek heaven in Singapore. The INTERPOL Global Complex for Innovation will function as a R&D lab, training facility, and forensics lab for all things cybercrime. Slated to open in 2014, the Global Complex for Innovation (IGCI) will be part of the… -
5 Ways To Put The "Pro" In Profile Pics
9 Feb 2012 | 6:29 amYour profile photo is an important part of your online image, so if you still have an egg as your Twitter avatar or a blue-and-white silhouette for your Facebook page, it's time to step things up. (Hint: This photo is a "don't.")If you still have an egg as your Twitter avatar, it's time to step things up. Your profile photo is an important part of your online image. Not only is this pic the first thing people see when they look you up on the web, whether you're using Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+, this image is now regularly transported into people's in-boxes and pulled onto their phones as… -
Apple May Sell iPads To Air Force, Groupon Reports Surprise Q4 Loss, Foxconn Servers Hacked
9 Feb 2012 | 6:17 amBreaking news from your editors at Fast Company, with updates all day.Rumor: iPad 3 Announcement In March. The latest buzz on the iPad 3, this time from AllThingsD, is that the new device will be unveiled at an early March event. Sources, per usual, are anonymous, but their tips confirm what's already expected of the device--a faster chip, Retina Display, and better graphics. --NS--Updated 9:15 a.m. ESTApple May Sell iPads To Air Force. The Air Force is on the lookout for about 18,000 new tablets, and chances are the iPad--the only device mentioned on their recently spotted notice--may fit…
-
The Tom Peters Weblog
-
Off the Cuff #2
7 Feb 2012 | 8:17 amOur Off the Cuff video series is a direct response from Tom to your questions. This is the second video in the series, which poses the question, "What is the greatest piece of advice you ever received that has made you a better writer or communicator?" It's a terrific question for Tom, and he discusses not only writing influences, but touches on public speaking as well. Don't miss the Dan Pink technique at the end; it may feel excruciating in practice, but there's no denying the improvement gained. -
TLBT Video #73Strategy: Measure Innovation
3 Feb 2012 | 8:46 amWe've posted the latest video in The Little BIG Things series on YouTube. Do you think it's impossible to measure innovation? In this video, Tom offers a brilliantly simple, easy-to-implement method for ensuring that a good portion of your work meets the mark on innovation. You can find the video in the right-hand column of this page or watch it at YouTube (time: 2 minutes 3 seconds). Or, get a PDF transcript of the video's content: Strategy: Measure Innovation. -
MOAP #4
30 Jan 2012 | 7:53 amThe latest installment of Tom's "Mother of All Presentations," or MOAP, is now available at ExcellenceNow.com. You can download the PowerPoint version or a PDF. We'll be releasing a section every other week throughout 2012. Part 4 introduces Tom's conviction that encouraging your people to make friends in other functions of the organization should be a top priority. Tom says you should reward such behavior, make it an agenda item. Download Part 4 of Tom's Mother of All Presentations, and learn how and why cross-functional socialization (read, idea-sharing) is essential to business excellence. -
Race to Nowhere
27 Jan 2012 | 4:51 amTom has said, "We tell our kids to 'be still,' then tell them to 'read history books'—which are replete (100%!) with tales of people ... who never sat still." This is obviously not the ideal way to cultivate a talented workforce. The education system in the United States still seems to be attempting to churn out well-behaved factory workers. With the enormous pressure placed on teachers to produce sufficient test results, the classroom becomes more about test preparation than exploration and discovery. Albert Einstein, long since deceased, had this to say: "It is nothing short of a… -
Advice, For What It's Worth ...
25 Jan 2012 | 7:20 amI was asked to contribute (a very few words) to a family page offering words of wisdom to a graduating high school senior. That's a serious challenge—and I literally spent days on the task. Here, for better or for worse, is the result: Rules For Living Life to the Hilt Nothing will turn out the way you thought it would. There is no bigger waste of time than making plans. Any success you have will be the byproduct of having thrown yourself headlong and without reserve into what you were most passionate about—and then ridden the wave you created wherever and at whatever speed it…
-
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
-
How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator
9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 amHow to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral GeneratorThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve seen and heard this scenario countless times. Two perfectly suited strategic partners determine they should start doing some things together in an effort to create referral opportunities for each other. They shake hands and agree that it’s a fabulous idea, but then nothing happens. Mostly nothing happens because there’s no catalyst to get the ball rolling in a way that makes sense. I mean, sure, they could both send out a mass mailing to their clients professing how great the other is, but… -
Turn Your Business Into a Community Building Platform
8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 amTurn Your Business Into a Community Building PlatformThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I believe the future of business and commitment building resides in the idea of viewing your business as a platform for your community. The notion of a platform is one that receives a fair amount of play in various contexts. An author is said to possess a platform when they have built a following. Consultants might work with a business owner to build a platform through speaking, writing, blogging and connecting in social media. And finally, many tech firms have built platforms by creating open source… -
Is Your Marketing Producing the Results You Expected
7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 amIs Your Marketing Producing the Results You ExpectedThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Quipol Image:One-Fat-Man via Flickr CC The poll question above is a bit loaded and, not that I want to skew the results, the answer for most lies in the fact that they don’t really know what results they expected or what result they are actually getting. Mostly they know the results aren’t what they had hoped for, but that’s another issue. Setting expectations One of the simplest, yet most effective, things you can do is set expectations or goals for your marketing. You can create… -
This Is a Message from Your Heart
6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 amThis Is a Message from Your HeartThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I had a heart scan the other day – mainly because I’m old and my spouse is convincing in the most loving way. a4gpa via Flickr CCIf you’ve never done it, it’s a pretty incredible experience to get to watch the awesome mechanical miracle that is you heart spray blood in and out through a series of valves, tubes, chambers, levers and doors that any engineer would be challenged to recreate. More often than not the heart is the subject of poems and songs about romance and love but in addition to being a physical… -
Weekend Favs February Four
4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 amWeekend Favs February FourThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or from my own travels. First run of the day Telluride Good stuff I found this week: Quipol – Easily create and embed social polls that are very easy to use and very good looking Transcribe – free online tool that makes it much easier…
-
Marketing and Public Relations
-
The Importance of Networking
13 Jan 2012 | 8:45 amNetworking is important for any single person or industry. Without adequate networking, nobody will know what product or service you wish to provide. -
Logo Board Game Shows the Value of Company Brand Recognition
30 Nov 2011 | 11:25 amBuilding strong brands is reinforced in family-friendly game that plays on brand nostalgia and pop-culture memory of popular company brands over the years. -
Three Social Media Marketing Trends for 2012
25 Nov 2011 | 10:07 amThree of the major social media marketing trends for the year 2012 - Customer Service via Twitter, Content Marketing, and QR Code Marketing. -
Sponsorship for Non-Profits: Available Opportunities
7 Nov 2011 | 12:15 pmNPOs seeking sponsorship need to know exactly what they have to to offer as vehicles or "properties" for marketing sponsor names/brands. -
Brilliant Branding Strategies of Highly Celebrated Brands
6 Nov 2011 | 6:12 amApple, Google and IBM, the three highly celebrated brands employ brilliant strategic branding programs that help them retain the top positions every year.
-
Franchise-chat Resource Articles
-
New Zealand Franchising Starts 2012 With Improved Confidence
3 Feb 2012 | 1:43 pmThe Franchize Consultants’ January 2012 Franchising Confidence Index finds a rebound in franchisor confidence, following the substantial deterioration in October 2011. However, considerable uncertainty remains. -
How great research saved my butt (and could save yours)
27 Jan 2012 | 11:49 pmGreg Nathan of the Franchise Relationships Institute backgrounds his latest franchisee research and how he has found research important during his franchising career. -
Stop Selling and Start Recruiting
21 Jan 2012 | 7:05 pmSell and pay the consequences. Joe Mathews, Founding Partner, Franchise Performance Group, explains the important difference between franchise sales and franchise recruitment. -
If it were me (buying a franchise).
13 Jan 2012 | 7:21 pmCallum Floyd, Director of Franchize Consultants (NZ) Ltd, provides a list of five key factors he would consider if he were taking the plunge. -
If The Franchise Doesn't Come With A Marketing Machine, Keep Shopping!
6 Jan 2012 | 4:12 pmIf you're buying a franchise, you want to make sure it comes with customers and/or proven methods for obtaining them.
-
Franchise Blog
-
New Franchise Direct Report Examines Automotive Industry
9 Feb 2012 | 7:07 amYou might have seen the Chrysler ad at the Super Bowl starring Clint Eastwood. The famous actor described an automotive industry on the rise. Well, automotive franchises are on the move. At a time of great change and growth in the automotive industry, Franchise Direct has chosen to examine the state of automotive franchising with its new 2012 Automotive Franchising Report. Automotive franchises have delivered the keys of career freedom to thousands of American entrepreneurs in the last 30 years and Franchise Direct’s new report says this franchise sector will experience ever greater growth… -
In The Food Business, Mobile Can Take You Farther
8 Feb 2012 | 5:39 amI remember during my first week’s of college enjoying nothing better than eating a sausage with loads of onions, peppers and chili sauce from a mobile vendor outside the gates of my university. The food was outstanding, but so was the atmosphere. I didn’t realize then that I was witnessing the future of food franchising. Mobile food franchises like ZooHoo and FishTales have taken this grassroots eating concept and tried to spread it around America. Advertising Age has examined the rise of mobile eateries in a recent article. Their theory is that van-based based businesses owe a… -
Bloomberg Video Shows The Diversity Of Franchising
7 Feb 2012 | 7:02 amLast weekend, Bloomberg TV posted a really informative news report of just how interesting and unexpected a life in franchising can be. The video features interviews with Mike Loger, a US veteran, and his wife Robin, who bought a Valpack direct mail franchise in 2007. There’s a lot of interesting strands with this video - the Loger’s are second-generation Valpack franchisees, while Mike himself found his military training to be quite interesting preparation for life in the business. We also meet Patty and Kelly Bosco, a mother-daughter team who opened the first Lucille Roberts… -
Franchise Direct Interview With Cornell’s Warren Ellish
6 Feb 2012 | 7:41 amIf you’re interested in brand positioning, you may have come across the work of Warren Ellish, a renowned practitioner/speaker on brand positioning and a faculty member at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management. Mr. Ellish will be presenting his thoughts on brand positioning at the IFA Convention February 13, 2012 (a week from today) at 10:15AM, and we thought it might be a good opportunity to ask him a few questions about brand positioning as well as his thoughts on the panel he’ll be presenting at #IFA2012. What are the most important things for start-up… -
New Poll Shows Franchise Financing Likely To Rise This Year
2 Feb 2012 | 6:52 amThere has been much consternation about the state of franchise financing in this slumping economy, but new data seems to indicate that franchise financing will increase in 2012. Boefly, “an online small business loan marketplace that connects business owners and franchisees with over 1500 banks”, polled 133 lenders to compile data that states that “many banks plan to originate more franchise loans in 2012″ than 2011. The study also shows perhaps not surprisingly that franchises consider the access of financing to be “very important”. Some of the other data…
-
Entrepreneur Update
-
Eight Creative Marketing Ideas to Make Your Business Stand Out
9 Feb 2012 | 8:00 amIf your marketing could use a new twist, consider these new ideas to reach today's customers. -
Four Questions to Ask Before Setting a Price
9 Feb 2012 | 5:03 amBefore you figure out your pricing, figure out your business. -
Three Ways to Extend the Battery Life of Smartphones and Tablets
9 Feb 2012 | 4:00 amConsider these options for extending the battery life of your mobile devices. -
Fashion Mogul Christopher Burch Talks Business
9 Feb 2012 | 2:00 amAs Fashion Week kicks off, we sat down with the man behind brands like Tory Burch and Monika Chiang to find out what it takes to make it in the business. -
Seven Ways to Kill Your Meetings and Unleash Productivity
8 Feb 2012 | 12:08 pmDespite studies showing that meetings are a colossal waste of time, they remain common. Here's how to collaborate while cutting back on meetings.
-
BWebCentral Social Newspaper !
-
5 Tips for Dealing with Feeling Unappreciated
22 Jan 2012 | 3:08 amOh how I crave gold stars One of my worst qualities is my insatiable need for credit I always want the recognition the praise the gold star stuck on my homework I struggle to master my need for gold stars because it makes me a resentful scorekeeperRead More... -
Awesome LMFO Parody Featuring Elmo
15 Jan 2012 | 9:31 amRating ExcellentRead More... -
Im Elmo and I know it
14 Jan 2012 | 1:33 pmRating ExcellentRead More... -
How do you create happiness
1 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pmHere are some simple yet important ways for finding happiness in your lifeIt can be easier than you thinkWatch your character for it becomes your destinyWatch your thoughts for they become wordsWatch your words for they become actionsWatch your actions for they become habitsWatch your habits for they become characterUNKNOWNRead More... -
Rasing your level of happiness
31 Dec 2011 | 10:00 pmIm told that in the world of energy nothing is ever destroyed That energy cant be destroyed it simply changes form So that means everything that we WANT already exists right now It is simply in an energetic form that we may not be aware of yetRead More...
-
The Engaging Brand
-
Cat Stroking, Not Facebook Poking, Satisfies Needs For Real Interaction
9 Feb 2012 | 9:55 amMartin Lindstrom is one of my favourite authors as he combines brain science with marketing - you might have listened to Show 208 when I interviewed him about The Truth and Lies About How We Buy - great listen if you haven't! Anyway, with a new book out called Brandwashed Martin wanted to share with The Engaging Brand Podcast listeners an insight....so from Martin! "Forget poking on Facebook or IMing people, shaking a hand or putting an arm on someone else's shoulder is where social interaction really begins. In Japan, this need for touch has extended to a focus on pets, including cafes for… -
How Memories are Made and Unmade
8 Feb 2012 | 11:47 amIt strikes me as odd that we see the future as unmade and the past as made, because in a sense I think it works the other way! I was coaching a leadership team today and when they started to talk about an acquisition, it was really interesting to compare how people perceived what had happened. This is so often true. We imagine that the past fixed and yet as we talk about the past we preserve it, but we also slightly evolve it based on our emotional investment. Memories are made, unmade..... Ironically, we also make the future with the decisions we take today. We decide our future by what we… -
How to Optimize Your Resume with Social Media
7 Feb 2012 | 9:35 amThere are two things we know for certain about today’s economy. 1) Finding jobs is getting more and more difficult, for both college educated and non-college educated people. 2) Social media has made job hunting and job candidate hunting trickier. Social media brings a degree of transparency - for better or worse - to the application and interview process that wasn’t there before.In the old world, before the heavy use of LinkedIn and Facebook, employers relied on personal networks to find great candidates. Now, they combine that with these impressive social networks, not just for fact… -
Why Social Media Can Work For Your Brand
6 Feb 2012 | 7:01 amIt is often said that art externalises and fixes beliefs. When we express our ideas in whatever format, we bring our ideas to life. Social media is an art form. It allows us to share experiences, expectations, fears and hopes in a format that personalises what you stand for.... The social part of this kind of media means that it can be shared. Just like art, the 'can be shared' can be transformed into 'will be shared' if it reflects real life, real problems, real facts or real opportunities which people can relate to... And just like art, there is nothing new to share...there is just your… -
Show 371 - Little Black Book of Innovation
3 Feb 2012 | 3:04 amI hope you enjoyed last weeks show on Steve Jobs and here is show 371 of The Engaging Brand business and marketing podcast talking about social media, leadership and marketing and sponsored today by MozyPro Online Backup: Simple, Automatic & Secure Backup - for special offer try today! Today Scott Anthony of Innosight joins Anna Farmery to discuss The Little Black Book of Innovation and we discuss The paradox of innovation - the optimism of the word and yet the stress it causes How to look at innovation The idea of "thunk' value How we all have to find our inner salesperson Is…
-
Kevin Eikenberry on Leadership & Learning
-
A Workshop Alone Isn’t Enough
7 Feb 2012 | 12:00 pmEven though most people would say we are in the training business, we don’t see it that way. Yes, we deliver training, and so we are intimately aware of both the benefits and the limitations of that method of transferring skills and knowledge. There are many benefits training can provide. Here are just a few: [...] -
Seven Powerful Lessons I Learned from Zig Ziglar
6 Feb 2012 | 3:00 amI first read See You at the Top (Zig Ziglar’s classic first book) over Christmas one year during college. I had heard of Zig, and checked out the book from the library. I took pages of notes since I couldn’t write in the book. I still have the notes. Soon after, I started listening to Zig’s [...] -
Born to Win
6 Feb 2012 | 2:30 amThis week’s Resource Recommendation is Born to Win by Zig Ziglar and Tom Ziglar. Let me start by saying I am a 100% Zig Ziglar fan, so by definition, this review will be biased. I’ve read much of Zig’s writing throughout my professional life, listened to him speak, both live and on tapes (yes, cassette tapes) [...] -
It’s Your Choice
3 Feb 2012 | 5:17 amI didn’t remember who Harry Browne was, or that he ran for U.S. President as the Libertarian candidate in both 1996 and 2000. When I read his quotation though, I knew I wanted to share it with you. I hope you choose to read on . . . “You don’t have to buy [...] -
Are We Becoming Leadership Wimps?
31 Jan 2012 | 1:22 pmLast week, I wrote a short case for the bold leader. Over the course of the days that followed, it received decent traffic, but certainly not as much as what I have come to expect from one of my posts, and certainly not as much as what I have been receiving in recent weeks. This [...]
-
Drew's Marketing Minute
-
The 5 things that will derail your marketing in 2012
8 Feb 2012 | 6:37 amI don’t want to rain on anyone’s parade but the truth is — most organizations’ marketing efforts stink. And they stink for reasons well within the marketing department’s control. If you’re worried that your own efforts might fall short — beware of these five danger zones that can derail you in a blink! Inconsistency: Does your monthly newsletter go out 5 times a year? Does your copy tone/style fluctuate between somber and casual? Are your weekly sales calls happening every week? Inconsistency not only waters down your results but it also… -
Crisis communications – don’t wait to create a plan
6 Feb 2012 | 6:10 amDoes your organization have a crisis communications plan that you could actually put into action at this very moment? All of the hubub surrounding the Susan G. Komen decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood and then their reversal of that decision following a 72+ hour firestorm of public outrage should have scared the bejesus out of you. If an organization as large, powerful and well respected as Komen can get into that much hot water — and is that ill-prepared to handle it then what in the world would happen to you if there was an accident on your job site, if your CFO embezzled… -
Don’t add frill until your core is rock solid
2 Feb 2012 | 6:15 amA couple times a month a cleaning company comes into our house and does a deep clean. Every time I walk into the house after they’ve cleaned… the toilet paper rolls and tissues sticking out of the boxes are folded in some sort of origami art. Sometimes, they leave a truffle on the kitchen counter. I get what they’re trying to do. And it’s a lovely little extra. Unfortunately, I also find things like: Every waste basket in the wrong spot (they’ve been cleaning the house for over a year) The back door unlocked or a window left open A few lights left on… -
What you don’t know about your sales funnel
30 Jan 2012 | 5:56 amWe all think and talk about our sales funnel a lot. We’re always saying things like: We need to keep it full. We need to stay active with the prospects that have been in it for awhile. On average, it takes a prospect X months to move through it. And so on…. But consider the statistic to the right. 60% of your sales efforts are what happens before you have actively put someone into the funnel. In other words — it’s not you who is doing the selling. Who is? Your existing customers The customer who left and is working with your competitors Your vendors Your website… -
What’s your purple goldfish?
11 Jan 2012 | 11:30 amGet your free copy of Stan Phelp’s book! A few years ago, I met Stan Phelps, another marketing guy, online (I think he commented on my blog and we started chatting via email) and before I knew it — we were friends. He was just dipping his toe into the blogging waters and I tried to be helpful along the way. Fast forward to today, January 11, 2012. Stan’s first book, What’s Your Purple Goldfish*, is being released today. I’ve read it and know you’re going to love it. Really love it. I’m also very humbled to say that Stan asked me to write the…
-
Planning Startup Stories
-
3 Questions Business Owners Need to Ask About Employee Expenses
9 Feb 2012 | 10:09 amDo you own a business? Do you run a business? Then I recommend you follow me through this simple math and some reasonable conclusions. Assume you have a person making a $50,000 gross salary. Assume their true cost — including health insurance, overhead, work space, computers, Internet, electric power, payroll taxes, etc. — is $80,000. That person costs your company about $40 per hour. For that calculation, I divide the $80,000 by 49 to calculate the weekly cost of $1,633 (I take off two of the 52 weeks in a year for vacation and another for national holidays). I divide that… -
Challenge: Can You Tell a Business Model from a Business Plan?
7 Feb 2012 | 8:45 amWhat’s the difference between a business model and a business plan? It depends on who you ask. Business plan means a lot of different things to different people, and so does business model. I’ve complained occasionally about confusing terminology, but I guess it’s just the way things are. There are similar problems with strategic plan, annual plan, etc. What I really don’t like is people saying “don’t do a business plan; do a business model instead.” My favorite definition of the business model is the excellent book Business Model Generation, by… -
How Contagion Can Help You Forecast Sales
6 Feb 2012 | 8:45 amCan we talk about beauty in numbers? Amidst all the nervousness about forecasting new products, does it not make sense, and add elegance too, to talk about the classic s-curve we see in nature? So many natural phenomena show an increase along a natural S-curve and bell curve like the two shown here on the right. Which, by the way, was done with Excel. And I’m going to explain it here and give you the formulas, so you can use them in your own sales forecasting. If you like this sort of thing. What we see there is a natural projection of a good product — like cell phones or… -
Make My Business Analysis Intuitive, Please.
3 Feb 2012 | 8:42 amAre you thinking type or feeling? Analytical or intuitive? There are studies, there are tests, there’s a whole body of work on personality types dividing people into types. Most of us have heard of this, but if you haven’t, and you’re curious, you could find out more with this google search. It’s about the work of Carl Jung, the Myers Briggs tests, etc. There are more factors than just this one division, but this division — thinking vs. feeling, analytical vs. intuitive — is interesting to me. I’ve had a career focused on business planning, metrics,… -
Blaming Angels and VCs for Choosing is Like Blaming Up for Down
2 Feb 2012 | 2:35 pmI was happily reading Sramana Mitrea’s The Other 99% of Entrepreneurs on Read/Write Web, agreeing with every detail, when I ran into a snag. It’s in italics in this quote from Sramana’s post. Over 99% of entrepreneurs who seek funding get rejected. Yet, the entire world is focused on the 1% that is “fundable.” The media, when pitched a startup story, is interested in who funded the venture. They seldom ask how much revenue the company has or if it is profitable. Incubators take pride in how exclusive they are and how many “deals” they…
-
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing
-
How to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral Generator
9 Feb 2012 | 5:19 amHow to Use a WordPress Blog as a Referral GeneratorThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve seen and heard this scenario countless times. Two perfectly suited strategic partners determine they should start doing some things together in an effort to create referral opportunities for each other. They shake hands and agree that it’s a fabulous idea, but then nothing happens. Mostly nothing happens because there’s no catalyst to get the ball rolling in a way that makes sense. I mean, sure, they could both send out a mass mailing to their clients professing how great the other is, but… -
Turn Your Business Into a Community Building Platform
8 Feb 2012 | 5:36 amTurn Your Business Into a Community Building PlatformThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I believe the future of business and commitment building resides in the idea of viewing your business as a platform for your community. The notion of a platform is one that receives a fair amount of play in various contexts. An author is said to possess a platform when they have built a following. Consultants might work with a business owner to build a platform through speaking, writing, blogging and connecting in social media. And finally, many tech firms have built platforms by creating open source… -
Is Your Marketing Producing the Results You Expected
7 Feb 2012 | 5:58 amIs Your Marketing Producing the Results You ExpectedThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Quipol Image:One-Fat-Man via Flickr CC The poll question above is a bit loaded and, not that I want to skew the results, the answer for most lies in the fact that they don’t really know what results they expected or what result they are actually getting. Mostly they know the results aren’t what they had hoped for, but that’s another issue. Setting expectations One of the simplest, yet most effective, things you can do is set expectations or goals for your marketing. You can create… -
This Is a Message from Your Heart
6 Feb 2012 | 5:51 amThis Is a Message from Your HeartThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I had a heart scan the other day – mainly because I’m old and my spouse is convincing in the most loving way. a4gpa via Flickr CCIf you’ve never done it, it’s a pretty incredible experience to get to watch the awesome mechanical miracle that is you heart spray blood in and out through a series of valves, tubes, chambers, levers and doors that any engineer would be challenged to recreate. More often than not the heart is the subject of poems and songs about romance and love but in addition to being a physical… -
Weekend Favs February Four
4 Feb 2012 | 5:32 amWeekend Favs February FourThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week. I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or from my own travels. First run of the day Telluride Good stuff I found this week: Quipol – Easily create and embed social polls that are very easy to use and very good looking Transcribe – free online tool that makes it much easier…
