What IS ‘Marketing’ About, Really?

I don’t know what you think ‘marketing’ is . . . but whatever you believe, you know it has to evoke an emotional response from your market.

Coca-Cola did this recently with a commercial.  Sure, the coke logo is in the piece.  But look at this commercial and ask yourself, “What are they selling?”  

More importantly, what would YOU be buying after you view this?  I’ll bet it’s not a caramel colored beverage from an international conglomerate! Oh, by the way . . . maybe you’ll want to view this on a daily basis — it’ll help keep your head on straighter!

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Marketing Lessons of The Recession

I just read a great article in Advertising Age magazine on what CEO’s and CMO’s (Chief Marketing Officers) are learning thanks to the recession.

It suggests four (4) things that CEO’s and CMO’s are learning to respond to in these ‘interesting’ times.

Consumer Behavior Shifts

  • Perception is reality
  • Positioning modifies Perception 
  • Aligned perception modifies buyers’ behavior

Pricing Sensitivity

  • Focus on creating / communicating VALUE over dropping price
  • Align what you’re offering to be attractive to a price-sensitive consumer
  • Don’t drop price without first creating and communicating the value you offer 

Leveraging Your Marketing Budget

  • Learn to ‘do more’ but ‘with less’ 
  • learn to ‘be creative’ 
  • learn to co-operate with other partners to promote your business

Embrace the Internet

  • Online media is the future . . . don’t shy away, learn it and leverage it
  • Go beyond advertising — consider your website, blogging and social networks as well
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10 Common Mistakes

10-common-mistakesAmong people who are professionals (CPA, CFP, JD, etc.) and others who are in the business of providing a valuable, problem-solving expertise or service you’ll find that most don’t know how to effectively make the most of their first meeting with a prospective client.

In fact, while doing the work for a client may be a high point for most, the actual meeting you have with a prospect is often one of the least exciting things you can do.

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The Marketing Blueprint

marketing-blueprintI use the term ‘by design, not accident’ when I discuss marketing your services for a reason. Doing it by design usually produces a lot more and better results than if you do it by accident.

In this Special Report, I examine why marketing is such a mystery for so many people who are otherwise incredibly brilliant and extremely talented. You’ll learn the three (3) Key Strategies and six (6) Key Elements that can really help you convert your competence into compensation.
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Testimonial: Flo-Tech

The direct mail piece you designed generated a 9% response… in the first 12 hours. Thanks!

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testimonial: Quantum Educational Discoveries

The marketing campaign you designed generated one of our highest attendances ever recorded at one of our public workshops.

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Marketing Seminar with E-Myth Worldwide in California

Act today and get 25% off the Marketing Intensive Seminar

John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing wants to help you create your marketing plan in person, in the beautiful Sonoma County region of California.

Spend two transformative days with him and the folks at E-Myth Worldwide Thursday, November 13 and Friday, November 14 to develop the marketing and lead generation systems that will take your business to the next level of success. Read more

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Duct Tape Marketing Conference was SUPER!

I just returned from a conference in Kansas City, MO for Duct Tape Marketing Coaches. As a DTM Coach since 2005, I found this year’s conference or ‘gathering’ to be the best yet.

We spent three great days together with John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing and one of the most prolific people I’ve ever met.

What was really exciting about this meeting was the degree to which the coaches, not John, were the main contributors on the program. That is symptomatic of the significant growth of the community of coaches—a sign of great progress for the Duct Tape Marketing brand in a relatively short time.

The other thing I found quite interesting was the unveiling of a new program that is, well… absolutely FANTASTIC!

While the unveiling of a whole new offering is a few weeks away, all I can say is that it combines one of the most fantastic combinations of valuable services for helping a small to mid-size business market itself. Stay tuned for more details as they are released in the next two weeks.

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What’s Price REALLY All About?

My wife and I just returned from a nice day on the CT shoreline.

We have a casino nearby… Mohegan Sun.

Joyce, normally one of the most practical and frugal people going, always indulges herself by going into the Coach™ store at Mohegan Sun.

Why she finds a Coach™ bag so attractive and desirable is both amusing and amazing. She LOVES these bags! Sure, they’re nice, but the price of a Coach™ handbag is, relatively speaking, pretty high.

But these things are flying, literally, out of the store.

If the materials and workmanship, nice as they are, aren’t intrinsically enough to explain the price they sell for… what is?

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Is Your Fee Based on History or the REAL Value You Provide?

I just read about a new trend in legal billings.

Some attorneys are moving away from their traditional model of charging for their time and moving toward a negotiated fee that reflects what the attorney will accept and the client will pay.

In legal circles, this is radical.

In business, this is normal.

Years ago, while studying for my CLU / ChFC, I learned that a ‘fair’ price is “what a willing buyer and a willing selling can agree upon”.

Today, that equitable understanding has come home to roost in the legal profession. (reference this article)

Think about the value YOU offer your clients… if you help a client seize an opportunity or avoid a disaster… should they pay you a fee based on some arcane hourly rate or an ‘equitable’ fee that reflects the honest value the client receives?

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