The Daily Drucker is one of my favorite books – it is always on my desk. I’m always amazed at how things Mr. Drucker wrote years ago are still so relevant today. Today’s entry in The Daily Drucker poses the question “If we did not do this already, would we, knowing...
This is the time of year for creating plans, determining budgets, and setting goals. Many people are reluctant to set goals, or to set “stretch” goals, because they feel like they are setting themselves up for failure. In the past, we may have mentally beat ourselves...
What would you think if I told you I didn’t have time to talk to my customers? Or if I told you that listening to my customers isn’t a high priority for me? You’d look at me like I was crazy, wouldn’t you? But I hear that quite a bit from small business owners who...
When it comes to setting goals, you have probably heard that you should be setting SMART goals. In case you are not familiar with this concept, here is a brief review of the SMART acronym: Specific – the more specific our goals, the more likely we are to achieve them....
In marketing we often talk about defining our ideal customer. When I work on this exercise with my customers, it is common for the conversation to focus on who CAN be our customer versus what an IDEAL customer looks like. Be careful if this happens to you. Focusing on...
Do the conversations you have with your marketing guy (or gal) sound more like a negotiation or a collaboration? Lately, I seem to be hearing more marketing conversations that sound more like a negotiation than a collaboration. I know I’m biased, but I believe this is...
Yesterday I mentioned that the Small Business Expo is coming up in a couple of week, so today I thought I would post some helpful hints for getting the most out of your tradeshow booth. Before the show Prepare 3-6 questions that will stimulate thought and...
I hear this question and see it posted on web sites all the time. The ensuing discussion typically revolves around various tools and tactics that can be used in a marketing campaign – everything from jingle generators, to online advertising, to good old word of mouth....
Earlier this week, John Jantsch had a nice post on his blog about using a marketing calendar to build good marketing habits. Recently, I put together a sample of what a marketing calendar might look like for one of my marketing presentations, so I thought I would...
John Jantsch has a nice post today about changing your behaviors (or creating new habits) to become successful at marketing. His post reminded me of a concept I learned from my friends at Sandler Sales Training called the Success Triangle. I believe is so important to...