The other day I got a call on my cell phone from Bank of America from a women who claims she helped me open my account roughly 14 years ago wanting to “get back in touch” and “see if there’s anything I can help you with.” Of course, I didn’t call her back, although I felt like ripping her a …
One of the most important things your marketing must accomplish is establishing trust and credibility. We live in a very non-trusting society, and without earning a prospect’s trust, you won’t make the sale. One incredibly powerful tool for establishing trust is the use of an abundance of quality testimonials — yet I see so many businesses making the mistake of …
Not “spam” but “junk folder.” Okay, that’s two, but it’s my newsletter so I get a little poetic license. Trivial matters aside, study after study shows that the average click-thru rate for most e-mail is in the 2%-3% range, meaning a whopping 97%-98% never had a chance to connect with your recipient – and people aren’t just deleting you, they’re …
In looking through the classified ads in the back of Response magazine (opposite), I was appalled to discover that not one single advertisement – NOT ONE – used direct response marketing. ALL lacked a compelling headline, OFFER, benefits or testimonials, and MANY didn’t have a means for responding – which is the entire purpose of direct response marketing: to elicit …
At the Roadshow, I’ve been going over a three-page list of questions you ought to be able to answer about your customers and/or selected target market if you’re going to have any hope of successfully selling services to them at premium prices. Naturally, most are stumped by the first three on the list, with one being “How big is your …
Two questions from Brad Ashmore, Practical Technology Services: 1. “Can you provide the steps to properly brand my new startup company?” 2. “What is the best way to find a qualified business partner to join me in this new venture?” As a new startup, you have a special place in my heart because I’ve been in your shoes. And since you’re …
Here’s a question I often get: “At what point should you stop marketing to someone on your list?” My personal opinion is that you never stop unless they specifically tell you to stop, give you reason to believe they will never buy from you or they give some indication that they aren’t the type of client you’d want to acquire. …
A few years back the Better Business Bureau cancelled one of my client’s memberships because they thought his marketing was “too aggressive.” Particularly his web site where he clearly and specifically stated why a prospect should choose his company over every other IT service company in the area (which I wrote for him). His reaction was the same as mine: …
I hate dieting. Requires a LOT of self-discipline; a word that is usually associated with Nuns and flogging. To me, eating good food with an excellent vino is one of the great pleasures in life…and I do mean GOOD food…not the factory-made mystery meat, intestine-clogging cryogenically manufactured corn products, or the anti-freeze dipped mock-vegetables Taco Bell tries to pass off …
Q: From John Micciche, Micciche Computer Services: “What’s the most common mistake business owners make that causes them to go out of business?” A: While it seems an incredibly self-serving answer, ineffective or non-existent marketing to bring in new customers. Put another way, a complete lack of systems or process to generate sales and profits on a consistent basis. After …
