Customers have high expectations. Gone are the days of transactional sales with faceless individuals who breeze in and out of your stores and on and off your websites. Today’s new normal is all about relationship. And one of the best ways to establish that relationship is through routine follow-up. What is follow-up? Follow-up is not…
At first glance, the words cheap and affordable seem to mean the same thing – low price. But in your customer’s mind, cheap can also translate to low quality. Messaging is just as important as selling your products and services. So, considering how word choice or “positioning” affect customer perception is critical to gaining buy-in and cultivating brand loyalty….
Nearly 97% of consumers use online media to research products and services in their local area according to a study conducted by BIA/Kelsey.  That same study goes on to point out that of those surveyed, 90% use search engines like Google and 48% use Internet Yellow Pages. With that said, it’s fair to assume that customers…
If you’re a small business owner or run a non-profit organization, running short on time and resources isn’t an exception, but a hard and fast rule! In between setting appointments, preparing bids, keeping up with emails, and returning phone calls, you’re expected to provide exceptional products and services, raise much-needed funds, and manage to maintain…
Why Pinterest? With more than 70 million users to date, Pinterest is now one of the top online social networks, rubbing social elbows with Facebook and Twitter. Despite this, many traditional business owners are unsure about how to incorporate Pinterest into their online marketing strategy. Pinterest is a powerful digital marketing tool, especially for…
Brand. That’s a term we, as marketers, love to use but sometimes aren’t so good at explaining. And to small business owners, great at what they do, but struggling to reach and retain customers, how they think of their brand and its impact on their business can make a big difference. But first things first…
When sitting down with decision makers, there is a tremendous amount of pressure on us, the business owner, to sell – to close the deal. So, we take out our gadgets and flip through our brochures, determined to convince them to end their search and sign on with us. And after all that time and…
When you hear the word corporate, many of us think back to the days when we worked in a sea of cubicles in a sleek office building downtown. Although we worked hard, there were also holiday parties and potlucks. Employee newsletters and lunch & learns. There may have even been a softball game or two….
The reality is, marketing only works when you keep at it. There’s no magic potion to drink. No secret algorithm to crack. And not enough keywords on the planet to stuff behind your name to turn you into an overnight sensation. The key to effective marketing is consistency. Not just doing it when you feel…
It’s official. Spring is on the horizon and warmer days are ahead. Time for daffodils and buttercups, yard sales and remodeling. Time to clean out the closets and de-clutter the work shed, pull up the weeds and plant the garden. It’s indeed time for new beginnings. And as a small business owner, what better way…
One of the hardest things for small business owners to do is figure out how much to charge. This is especially challenging if you’re a consultant or coach and don’t have a tangible product for customers to see and feel to help them visualize the quality of what they’re paying for. Often times, there’s no…
When many of us are asked who our ideal customer is, our immediate response is ‘everybody.’ As small business owners, we don’t have the luxury of being picky, right? Wrong. It’s not about being picky, it’s about being specific. And taking the time to get to know who your ideal customer is, not only benefits…