It’s axiomatic that if you want to get ahead—no matter what field you’re in---you have to do more than everyone else is willing or able to do. The good news is that you don’t need to work 12-hour days—you only need to do a little more than everyone else. Right now, with the emphasis on impersonal mass marketing strategies, doing a little more has never paid bigger dividends. Doing a little more requires a lot more strategy and a little more effort (not necessarily time) than

Is your company well branded? Go through the following list to find out. My brand aligns with my short and long-term business goals. I’ve performed thorough research to test the effectiveness of my brand. My brand communicates and delivers on a clear promise My brand is distinctive within its segment. My brand message is consistent across all venues My brand’s graphic identity is included in everything that originates i

The psychological phenomenon of confirmation bias has significant implications for marketing and communications--especially as it relates to sales of high-end products--but most people don’t know what it is and---more importantly---how they can get prospects to move past it. Confirmation bias is the tendency to favor information that confirms what you already believe, regardless of whether or not the information is accurate; and ignore alternatives that may be bette

Melina Palmer, longtime host of “The Brainy Business” podcast, has a new book out called “What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You”. The book, like the podcast, reveals some very useful insights regarding subconscious consumer behavior. Many, if not most, of these insights apply to technology companies that sell to other businesses. As a marketer focused on the technology industry, here are some takeaways that I found useful: · Determine what information buyers nee

There are three times every year when many colleagues are not available: · Now--Winter holidays: The week before Thanksgiving, the weeks before and after Christmas and the week after New Years · The weeks before and after Easter · Late July and early August If you’re working during these times, you’ve noticed that, without all the meetings and interruptions, you get a lot of work done. But on the other hand, it’s frustrating when the people you collaborate with daily are not

One of the most important considerations for choosing key terms is knowing the search patterns of the audience you are trying to reach. For example, if you have an ecommerce site, you are looking for buyers—which generally means a key term with a very specific product/service description—including the model number. On the other hand, if you are selling expensive or complex products, you are targeting shoppers and that is an entirely different keyword strategy. Be

It makes sense, right? The person that makes the first offer loses? Not always. In fact, the opposite can be true. Following are 5 things small companies need to know about negotiations that may create an edge. 1. It can be advantageous to make the opening offer. Here’s what the experts say. First of all, most negotiations don’t start with an offer, they start with something far more important, which is each party’s position. There is some advantage to getting the other