“Marketing Therapy: Stop Sabotaging your Marketing”

Written by Allison Bliss


As a CEO or business owner, have you ever felt like your mind was going in circles when trying to decide what you should do next to grow your business? Have you agonized over how to get more business, express your value, minimize your risks, and realize your dreams? Then it’s time for what I like to call “marketing therapy”. This process will help you unlockrepparttar issues that are holding your marketing strategies back, so you can achieve success and make more cash … even during this bedraggled economy.

WHAT ARE THE COMMON ISSUES? Common issues relating to marketing include a fear of rejection – this is most common when you’re conducting sales. After a company has been in business for 15-20 years,repparttar 119983 issue of burnout and complacency often arises. You know you’re stuck when you never can seem to findrepparttar 119984 time to unleash that marketing strategy you’d planned which, of course, isrepparttar 119985 issue of procrastination—the queen of issues for so many of us! “Marketing therapy” resolvesrepparttar 119986 core issue underlying that procrastination. Often it surfaces as a marketing strategy that really isn’t a good fit for your particular business or skills. Sometimes you just need that step-by-step knowledge required to take action.

Conversely,repparttar 119987 fear of success, or of growing too fast, typically comes fromrepparttar 119988 overwhelming worry that you’ll have to work even more hours than you’re already cramming into each day. There’s another surprisingly common issue (to which women, in particular, often fall victim) – that of feeling like a fraud, or that you really “don’t know what you’re doing, and they’ll find out soon.”

If you’re a business owner with 10+ employees, you’ll often begin to feel ‘disassociated’ with your company, since you’re spending more time managing your employees, payroll, and systems rather than focusing onrepparttar 119989 beloved product or service that prompted you to launch your business inrepparttar 119990 first place. Depending onrepparttar 119991 size of your business or organization, andrepparttar 119992 length of time you’ve been in business,repparttar 119993 issues will be different. Even non-profit Executive Directors experience a kind of ‘dependency’ issue feeling torn between their obligation to their programs, members, and funders while simultaneously being answerable to their Board of Directors—or feeling let down by their Board’s lack of help.

FIND ME SOME BETTER CLIENTS Often, your perception (as a business owner or CEO) is that your marketing strategies or promotional materials aren’t working, whenrepparttar 119994 underlying cause is actually some unresolved issue. Sure,repparttar 119995 strategies or communications may not be strong enough to ensure company growth in this depressed economy. But it’s crucial to ensure that underlying issues aren’t cripplingrepparttar 119996 good marketing that you’re doing. That’s exactly how our services help.

For example, lately I have had many companies ask for help in finding “better” clients, rather than “more” clients or revenues. Frequently, this request is a signal thatrepparttar 119997 CEO and/orrepparttar 119998 company’s employees are not enjoying their work with customers, or thatrepparttar 119999 customers (or clients) are feeling unsatisfied, anxious, or are difficult to please.

When we analyzerepparttar 120000 business, our team of designers, writers, researchers, and strategists often uncover a basic issue with communications. Quite oftenrepparttar 120001 clients are not being kept inrepparttar 120002 loop, making them feel that they have no “control.” This, in turn, creates an undercurrent of negativity that revolves around howrepparttar 120003 CEO and employees discuss clients’ projects, how they communicate with clients, andrepparttar 120004 fact that mayberepparttar 120005 client is simply a bad fit for that company. It’s a vicious cycle, and becomes even more so over time.

HOW CAN A COMPANY SOLVE THIS ISSUE? First, we recommend a communications evaluation. It starts with an impartial review of how a project was sold, what was communicated & promoted, what sales discussions were held withrepparttar 120006 client, how estimates were prepared, and what interactions took place, from inception to completion. As someone who is not ingrained inrepparttar 120007 company’s business processes, a marketing expert or consultant can easily see at what levelrepparttar 120008 issue or misfit is occurring, so that it can be resolved. Some typical options are to: ·Establish project tracking forms that communicate regularly withrepparttar 120009 client onrepparttar 120010 progress of each project. ·Removerepparttar 120011 negative undercurrent of distrusting clients from all promotions, estimates, sales, employee beliefs, and communications. Spend time up front getting to know what your clients expect, as well as their visions and goals. You’ll all enjoy each project much more alongrepparttar 120012 way. ·Revamp your marketing strategies to reach out to a clientele you will enjoy, be challenged by, respect, meet your goals with – whether those are financial or creative goals – and who will really appreciate what you offer. So many subliminally negative marketing communication issues are rooted in CEOs or employees not feeling appreciated for their work. (Note: to resolve these issues, see item on “client surveys” below) ·Retool your promotions to ensure you are communicating authentically withrepparttar 120013 clients you want to attract. ·Establish client surveys throughoutrepparttar 120014 duration of a lengthy project, or atrepparttar 120015 end of shorter projects, to ensure you’re meeting your clients’ needs, and that everyone is satisfied. Be sure to review these with your employees, too! Allison Bliss Consulting has an unbiased, third party exit interview process that powerfully strengthens your positioning atrepparttar 120016 same time.

Secrets Of Getting Free Advertising

Written by Jason Barrow


Tips and trick for getting free advertising for your product or service.

The opportunities for getting free advertising for your product or services are limited only by your own imagination and energies. There are so many proven ways of promoting your own objectives without cost that it literally bogglesrepparttar mind just to think of listing them.

Ezine article writing: One way is to write an article relative to your particular expertise and submit it to allrepparttar 119982 publications and media dealing inrepparttar 119983 dissemination of related information. In other words, become your own publicity and sales promotions writer. Getrepparttar 119984 word out; establish yourself as an expert in your field, and "tag-along" everything you write with a quick note listing your address for a catalog, dealership opportunity, or more information.

Participate in radio and TV talk shows: Another really good way is by becoming a guest on as many ofrepparttar 119985 radio and television talk shows or interview type programs as possible. Actually, this is much easier to bring about than most people realize. Write a letter torepparttar 119986 producer of these programs, then follow up with an in-person visit or telephone call. Your initial contact should emphasize that your product or service would be of interest torepparttar 119987 listeners or viewers ofrepparttar 119988 program - perhaps even saving them time or money.

Posting advertising circulars: Other ways of getting free or very inexpensive exposure includerepparttar 119989 posting of advertising circulars on allrepparttar 119990 free bulletin boards in your area, especiallyrepparttar 119991 coin-operated laundries, grocery stores, and beauty and barber shops. Don't discountrepparttar 119992 idea of handing out circulars to allrepparttar 119993 shoppers in busy shopping centers and malls, especially on weekends. You can also enlistrepparttar 119994 aid ofrepparttar 119995 middle school students in your area to hand out circulars door-to-door.

Use your business cards and envelops: Some ofrepparttar 119996 more routine methods include having a promotional ad relative to your product or service printed onrepparttar 119997 front or back of your envelopes, business cards atrepparttar 119998 time you have them printed with your return address.

Userepparttar 119999 publications: Be sure to check allrepparttar 120000 publications that carryrepparttar 120001 kind of advertising you need. Many mail order publications just getting started offer unusually low rates to first-time advertisers; a free-of-charge insertion of your ad when you pay for an order to run three issues or more; or special seasonal ad space at greatly reduced rates. And there are a number of publications that will give you Per Inquiry (PI) space - an arrangement where all orders come in torepparttar 120002 publication, they take a commission from each order, and then forwardrepparttar 120003 orders on to you for fulfillment.

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