Growing core business is key for sustainable, profitable growth, yet advice on how to do it is thin on the ground. Grow the Core is a practical guide to focusing core business for brand success, illustrated with inside stories on brands that include Apple, James Bond, Heinz, Nespresso and McDonald’s. A program of six “Workouts” helps to harness the whole marketing mix to grow … [More]
Small Business Prospers in the Global Village
Small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) engaged in international markets are twice as likely to be successful as those operating only domestically, according to a recently completed study by IHS that was commissioned by DHL Express. IHS studied SMEs in the blocks of countries referred to as G7 (United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan) and BRICM … [More]
What’s in a Name? Arizona Law Firms Gain Marketable Options
As of last month, law firms in Arizona have the option to name themselves a trade name rather than being required to use the attorney’s surname, with the limitation that the trade name must be truthful and accurate and not be misleading, such as implying an affiliation with a government office. This brings Arizona in conformity with a majority of the other states nationwide on … [More]
Customers Can Be a Company’s Best Marketers
The old paradigm works like this: A company produces goods and services that help customers get a job done. In return, the customers pay the company money. The company takes that money and invests a good portion of it in traditional sales and marketing efforts — including product developers, creative people and salespeople, all of whom are paid to figure out what buyers want … [More]
Prospecting Behavior Trumps ‘Sales Personality’
Studies show that having a “sales personality” is only one piece of a complex puzzle. In fact, a recently conducted study found that focusing on personality to forecast sales success is putting the cart before the horse. “Before personality traits, sophisticated training or financial incentives can even come into play, salespeople must first have prospective buyers to sell … [More]
Breakthrough Marketing Plans
Almost every company creates a marketing plan each year, and many spend hundreds of employee hours researching, preparing and presenting their tomes to senior executives. But most marketing plans are too long and too complicated. They end up sitting on a shelf, unread and unrealized. Breakthrough Marketing Plans provides simple, clear frameworks that are easy to apply, and … [More]
Brand You
In the modern workplace, clearly defined hierarchies are on the wane, few have “jobs for life,” and many have portfolio careers or are self-employed. In these self-reliant times, it’s essential to be remembered for the right reasons. Brand You helps the individual develop a powerful personal brand, both on- and offline, and shows one how to discover one’s talents, values and … [More]
Ask Straight Up — and Close the Deal
Most salespeople, when it comes down to it, are downright scared of being direct and to the point and telling people in no uncertain terms, “Here’s what I want!” Think about it. There’s a conspiracy that encourages people to bury their most important wants and desires. Marketing trainers use consultative selling to draw people out. Social media consultants say, “Selling … [More]
Drive Business to Success with a Winning Marketing Concept
Behind every successful product, service, or brand is a powerful concept. It is really that simple. Products and services that win in the marketplace are successful in presenting an idea that combines a clear benefit with invisible consumer logic. Whether the business is big or small, just started or in some stage of maturity, it needs a marketing concept. Surprisingly, many … [More]
Small Message, Big Impact: The Elevator Speech Effect
Acclaimed speaker and consultant Terri Sjodin defines an elevator speech as a brief presentation that introduces a product, service or idea. Its purpose isn’t to say everything about the topic — just to intrigue and inspire the listener to want to hear more. And Sjodin suggests businesspeople expand their vision of what it can do. In this newly updated edition, Sjodin offers … [More]
The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself
The small-business guru behind Duct Tape Marketing shares his most valuable lesson: how to get your customers to do your best marketing for you. The power of glitzy advertising and elaborate marketing campaigns is on the wane; word- of-mouth referrals are what drive business today. People trust the recommendation of a friend, family member, colleague or even stranger with … [More]
Sexy Little Numbers: How to Grow Your Business Using the Data You Already Have
Imagine if you could identify your business’s most profitable customers, craft a better marketing strategy to communicate with them and inspire them to buy more. Today, everything we do creates data, and the volumes are enormous. We no longer need expertise in math or statistics or even expensive modeling software to get the most out of all these revealing consumer insights. A … [More]
Marketing and Packaging Partner into a New Company
PRfect Retail was created as the perfect fit between a national packaging and display company — California-based Heritage Pioneer Corporate Group — and a marketing and advertising agency — Phoenix-based PRfect Media International. The two companies came together to create a new model for the retail packaging and POP display industry, what PRfect Media CEO John Hernandez calls … [More]
The Media Mileage of Corporate Philanthropy
Though the economy continues to endure the deeper valleys of a rollercoaster half-decade, with employment rates still sagging, real estate sales only beginning to regain a pulse and consumer spending remaining stagnant, many Arizona small businesses and corporations are nevertheless embracing philanthropic opportunities as a means of staying connected to their communities while … [More]
