Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Marketing Myopia: Do You Make This Mistake?

Here's a question I get asked a lot: "What common mistakes do you see business owners make in their marketing?"

Well, look. I don't know everything about marketing, or even most things.

But I can see things differently by looking at someone's business from the outside.

And the #1 marketing mistake I see is this: Taking short-term, tactical actions without a long-term, strategic plan.

It's a fact: Most business owners don't plan their marketing more than a day or two in advance. They have no weekly, monthly, or annual plans -- nothing.

Of course, no marketing plan ever survives first contact with the customer. The landscape changes every day and your plan should be flexible and allow for changes.

But the act of planning your marketing gives you clarity and power. And unless you base your plan on answers to questions like these:
  • Who are my ideal clients? 
  • Where are they?
  • How can I reach them cost-effectively?
  • How much money can I invest in tactics to "buy" them?
  • When will I deploy those tactics? 
... you're at the mercy of anyone who tries to sell you a bright, shiny marketing object.

Example: I was talking to a very smart guy last week. He's in charge of marketing for a $10-million business. He asked me, "A magazine called me up and wants me to be in their next issue, about the 10 most influential marketing officers in America. It costs $5,000 for a feature article."

I asked, "Did you plan on spending five grand for print publicity?"

"No," he said. "But it sounded like a good idea when they called me."

It was not a good idea, by the way. We talked it over. I raised several red flags and saved him $5,000.

But that kind of thing happens every day. You might call it marketing myopia. Or simply a failure to plan.

Whatever you call it, know this: If you don't have a plan for your marketing, someone else does.

You might as well plan strategically, which simply means writing down your marketing calendar and budgets in advance. Otherwise, you are easy prey for someone else's plan. And you may be parted from your money, with little or nothing to show for it.

One more thing: If you own a business in the U.S., there's a box of 11 Marketing Multipliers waiting to be shipped to you. You can try it Free. Click here now.

Friday, December 18, 2015

Marketing Multipliers Success Story: Vance Morris

Vance Morris is a smart guy.

A former executive and trainer at Walt Disney World, he owns three businesses in Maryland and has clients around the world.

Vance also speaks at trade shows, conventions, and events around America.

Last year, he was awarded Marketer of The Year by Glazer Kennedy Insider Circle (GKIC), whose members are some of the world's most successful entrepreneurs (I'm member #750, dating back 18 years).

So I was pleasantly blown away when Vance sent me this video explaining how just one of the tools in my Marketing Multipliers program put an extra $5,000 in his bank account.

Take a look ...


 ... then, if you own a business and you want to grow faster, try Marketing Multipliers FREE.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Money Back Guarantees: How to Grow Your Business Faster

Want to grow your business?

Guarantee your work ...




Money-back guarantees are not new or high tech. Maybe that’s why they’re over-looked or under-used by most entrepreneurs.

But they’ve made millions for successful mail-order companies, like L.L. Bean and Land’s End.

And guarantees were key to the early success of FedEx, Amazon, and Zappos, to name a few.

If your clients are mostly satisfied now, there’s nothing to worry about. By offering a risk-free guarantee, you’ll simply call more attention to the quality you already have. Make the strongest promise you can comfortably live up to, and feature it prominently in all your marketing materials -- your Web site, advertisements, letterhead, business cards, on your telephone hold message, etc.

Of course, if you offer a guarantee, some people will take advantage of you. But if you double your sales with a guarantee, will you really care?

Besides ... you already have a guarantee. Here's why: If an unhappy client calls with a problem, you will fix it, replace it or refund part (or all) of their purchase. Otherwise, they will tell the world, starting with their friends on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter ... not to mention Yelp and GooglePlus reviews.

In short, you can NOT afford even one unhappy client if you want to stay in business. Refunding a disgruntled client today is a bargain in the long run.

So, here's what I suggest: Make your guarantee a focal point in your marketing efforts.

Boldly spread the word that you have no unhappy clients. Because unhappy clients get their money back. To the extent that you do this, you’ll enjoy a competitive edge. Your courage will pay you back with more new clients, sales, and profits.


Now get a box of 11 tools to build your business, delivered FREE by U.S. Mail. Try Marketing Multipliers Here

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

How to Finish 2015 Strong and Leap Into 2016

Today is the first day of December.

It's a perfect time to look back on 2015 ... and forward to 2016.

As a reader of mine, I'd like to help you do that -- with 3 questions I ask when analyzing the past and planning the future.

Here they are:

1) What's working?
Do more of that.

2) What's not working?
Fix or stop doing that.

3) What's next?
Invest more time and money in what's working, and less in what's not.

If you want to finish 2015 strong and get a jump start on 2016, let these 3 questions be your guide.

And the best time to start is NOW.

One more thing: I just created a new Cheat Sheet that reveals 4 ways to "force" Amazon to build your business, at no cost. Click To Download Now