The One Thing My Dad, Curly and Gary Taught Me
The path to my current ONE Thing began 24-years ago when the bank changed the locks and put 25 good people out of work.
Are You Making This Relationship Destroying Mistake with Customers?
You paid an extraordinary amount of money to bring that phone call in. Don’t screw it up by being selfish with your language.
Lambo vs Lear. Plot the growth curve for your business.
You can create campaigns that are fast like a Lambo. Fast to get moving. Quick to reach maximum speed. Then tons of resources to just keep steady...
Is Lifetime Customer Value Still Important?
We discuss considerations in calculating lifetime customer value, how you can maximize it, and how to be sure you don’t go broke waiting for that customer to come back.
The 2 Most Common And USELESS Pieces of Marketing Advice Given to Home Service Companies
Unique Selling Propositions are counter-productive.
Never Let a Committee Make Strategic Marketing Decisions
"If Columbus had an advisory committee he would probably still be at the dock." - Arthur Goldberg. A committee in small business can be a group of employees or a loose bunch of well-meaning family and friends.
Media Agnosticism
From matchbook covers to skywriting, it all works. Which is why you have to approach it all with Media Agnosticism. If somebody in your affinity group tells you they had success with direct mail, ask to see the piece. It matters.
Reverse Psychology and Advertising Strategy
It’s called “reactance.” When someone tries to tell you what to think or do — that automatic resistance you feel is called reactance by psychologists. And for advertisers, there are plenty of work-arounds for reactance.
What About SEO?
A business owner says "I want to show up when someone is looking for a plumber. Shouldn’t we use the “near me” expression because it’s up 500%?" But aggregators that sell leads are dominating the SEO and PPC wars.
Do You Suffer from Feed the Beast-itus?
You’re no longer a one-man-brand or only running a few trucks. You should be getting ready to hit breakthrough. And yet, the bigger your business gets, the harder it is to “feed.”
Good Spiderwebs
Too often, a company uses their marketing to push their features and benefits - ‘Best location, Best Product, Best Service, Best Employees’ - but these are not clingy and sticky. Features and benefits are slippery and rarely remembered.
Change the Name, Change the Results
If you’re selling a commodity and that commodity is called the same thing at every business, give yours a better name. I can get a “large coffee” anyplace. I can get a Grande only at Starbucks.
5-Steps for Using Brand as a Leadership Tool
A great branding campaign crystalizes the company’s self-identity as much for the owner and his team as to the public at large.
The evolution of the ease of recording at home or office.
The radio station was just telling their clients to record into their iPhones or Android phones. What!? This year has brought more options for better recording that are easier for the business owner.
Who Cares?
Who cares? 148.7 people, apparently. Dunbar’s Number has ramifications in social media, sure, but for small business, it has far more to do with marketing and influence and the importance of delivering a delightful customer experience.