Business Tip of the Week: “Hit ‘em where they ain’t”
“They” being your competitors.
These are the words of the legendary New York Yankees’ manager, Casey Stengel. He enjoyed telling the story of “Wee Willie” Keller, the baseball Hall of Famer who stood only 5′ 4″, 140 pounds, and began a streak of consecutive seasons with more than two hundred hits. The baseball great’s bat was only 30″ long. Asked by a sports reporter how such a small guy could get so many big hits, Willie replied, “Keep your eye clear, and hit ‘em where they ain’t–that’s all.”
Practice this same principle in your business. Set their sights on areas that your competitors have neglected or ignored. Look for ways to fill a niche that others have not spotted or are too small for larger corporations to consider.
No Joke, Where Will You Be On April Fool’s Day?
The nation may observe April 1, 2012 as April Fool’s Day, but as a business owner, the day holds much more significance. The first three months of each New Year serve as the benchmark that helps determine whether you’re on target for a breakthrough year. Will you meet, surpass or fall short of your intermediate goals? Will you simply need to make a few tweaks to remain on course or will you need to be more aggressive in your executions in order to meet your overall goals for the year?
Where you sit on April 1 is a critical juncture for your business—early enough to evaluable your progress and far enough along to make major or minor adjustments to either stay the course or change directions, and still end the year end on a high note.
How you begin 2012 is a good indicator for where you’ll be on April 1. Unforeseeable variables are always a possibility, but we can put ourselves in the best position to excel by setting key indicators at the onset of the year. The first order of business for the New Year is to define your financial projection. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Tips for Writing a Cutting-edge Marketing Plan in 2012
I would dare to say that most of you reading this message were taught to never lavish praise upon yourself. I certainly was. “Don’t be bragging on yourself.” I was told to let other people boast about my accomplishments and accolades. While I don’t believe we were taught wrongly, I do feel that, as business owners, there are things we have to unlearn— or dare I say— separate, from the personal and the professional. When it comes to marketing your business, you must set aside the meekness and put your best face forward.
Some people don’t see the need to add lettered credentials behind their names as I do in promoting my business. Perhaps that’s true for them, but I find it to be a very practical designation for the market I target. If you’re content with being just another event planner, bunched in with the other thousand in your vicinity, I’d be the first to suggest there’s something wrong with that picture. Read the rest of this entry »
Is Your Web site “sticky” Enough?
In my last email I talked about the value of adding video to the home page of your web site. If you subscribed within the past two weeks or somehow missed that email, read Part 1 of this message below.
As I mentioned in my last message, placing video on your website and social media pages increases your sales conversion rate by 70%. Having a “sticky” web site means that the content on your site makes your visitors want to stick around and check out what you have to offer. That “stickiness” begins with having video on your home page. Most people prefer a visual as opposed to reading large chunks of written material. Wouldn’t you agree? Read the rest of this entry »
Add the Personal Touch with Video Marketing
Did you know that placing video on your website and social media pages increases your sales conversion rate by 70%? How’s that? Because people get to see the real you, up close and personal. Your prospects and clients will respond more favorably when they have a visual to identify with the person behind the photos, print and advertising. Simply stated, it’s a more personal connection.
However, if done without proper insight and planning, your video can weaken your brand appeal. Your brand is your identity to the outside world. It is what customers think of every time they see or hear about you and your company. Your marketing videos should be consistent with your overall brand strategy. Read the rest of this entry »