Advertisement Ideas: Lack Or Abundance – What Mindset Are You?

As I was out collecting donations for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Of West Boca Raton today (6/24/2015) I ran into many people who were coming from a lack mindset. You may ask how I knew this, the answer was in the word’s they used like I can’t afford, business is slow, or how do I know this is legit. These words only hinder us in our personal and professional life as we hold ourselves back.One encounter at The Imperial Cuts Barber Shop really made me realize that as business people we must stop using the lack words and start tapping into our ability to create abundance. In the course of my presentation the owner stated business is slow on 4 occasions to which I sated if you keep thinking things are slow it will remain slow and I did my best to explain that there is plenty of business to be had if he would get out of the shop and start to meet people and share his business. His answer was he didn’t have time. I though okay you just told me things were slow, you were given a few solutions and you made an excuse that you did not have time. It was at that time that I realized that he was coming from a lack mentality. I also have started to put people into two categories action takers and excuse makers. The action taker comes from an abundance mentality and takes action thus making things happen for their business. On the other side is the excuse maker who will come from a position of lack and find every reason not to seek opportunities. I ask you to take a look at how you are expressing yourself and evaluate if you are coming from a lack mindset or an abundance mindset. Look at the opportunities that exist and take full advantage of them by shifting from a lack mentality to an abundance mindset. Instead of being an excuse maker start to become and action taker. Instead of saying I can’t afford start finding ways to invest in yourself and your business. Imagine if Imperial Cuts would have said thank you for coming in and here is $5 for your cause. They would have gotten shout outs on my Facebook Page, on my Twitter Account, and recommendations to my friends in the area who needed a hair cut. Instead they get used as an example of a business that is coming from a position of lack.

If you are to truly succeed in your business you will want to come from a position of abundance in all you do. Everything you do in business should give the perception of success from the way you answer the phone to what you put out on social media. Instead of complaining you can take action and improve the way things are going. Ask people what they think when they see you brand or hear your business name or your name. In coming from a position of abundance as opposed to lack you will see a loyalty from your existing customers and they will be more likely to recommend you to others. If you create an atmosphere where your business is perceived as thriving people will want to do business with you. I am reminded of the story of two steak places in my community one would donate gift cards to every charitable organization that asked while the other said no. One steak house would pay $15 per hour while the other paid $8, one would allow the manager to make marketing and advertising decisions while the other did not. Guess who is still in business and who is not? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Lack Or Abundance – What Mindset Are You?

Advertisement Ideas: Making The Commitment!!!

If you are in business I highly suggest you get a copy of Don Miguel Ruiz’s The Four Agreements a sit can truly help you in making a commitment to grow your business. Today (6/19/2015) I had an 11 AM appointment and arrived at 10:45 AM and asked for the person I was supposed to meet with and was told oh she may have forgotten. I waited until 11:15 AM and then handed my card to the gentleman who was there and I left. As I left I thought wow another person in South Florida who didn’t honor their commitment. As I drove to my next destination, my local Starbuck’s I thought it is her loss as she didn’t know that not only do I represent The South Florida Gold of The American Basketball Association but I also host a TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EDT and I have strong ties to the community and a fairly large social media following. The point is that when you make a commitment you should honor the commitment or at least give someone the courtesy of a phone call to give them a heads up on what is happening. The ironic thing is that today I may have been a solicitor but tomorrow I may have been a customer as I could use health and wellness products. When you make an appointment and you do not show it makes you look bad in the eyes of the person you were supposed to meet with and a a result hurts your business instead of improving it. Remember one oh crap will ruin 1000 at-a-boys.

Your level of commitment will determine your level of success. If you are not committed to honoring your word you will lose in the end because people like to do business with people they know, they like, and they trust. If you don’t honor your commitment to meet with someone you have breached the trust from the start and decreased your chances to have a business ally tremendously. What do you think I am going to say when asked about the business that was a no-show without a phone call? When you are doing your best to build your brand and increase your profits you need as many advocates as possible to be speaking well of you so tat you build your likability and your trust so that when people get to know you they are comfortable about doing business with you. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Making The Commitment!!!

Advertisement Ideas: A Cure For The Summer Time Blues!!!

Living in South Florida for over 40 years I have heard the excuse from many business owners oh it is the summer and things slow down so I don’t advertise or sponsor things in the summer. I even heard this excuse when I worked at Forum Publishing Group as the culture was oh the summer is our slow season. I have been and still am perplexed by this attitude as the summer can be a time to capitalize on many opportunities and every business whether a brick and mortar business or home based business can thrive over the summer if they plan their work and work their plan by being proactive in the marketplace.
School is out and that means parents looking for things to do with their kids so if you have a business like a bowling center, a Gymboree, or other activities oriented programs this is when you should be advertising your mommy and me programs, daddy and me programs, Grandma and Grandpa and me programs. Think of ways you can create an experience for your clients/customers. If you are a life coach perhaps meet your client at their house so they don’t have to worry about finding someone to watch their kids of maybe you partner with someone you trust and offer a supervised activity for the kids at your office or close to the office. In being proactive you can increase your cash flow by simply doing things that your competition is not doing. If you are holding workshops include a kids component and bring in facilitators to work with the kids and you can make a family plan program. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: A Cure For The Summer Time Blues!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Be Aware And Take Action!!!

Tomorrow, 5/21/2015, is Red Nose Day? You may be asking what this have to do with being aware and taking action? The answer is that it is one of the many days on a calendar that will go unnoticed by the majority of people however those that are familiar with it will capitalize by going to Walgreens and getting a red nose and wearing it out in public to draw attention to themselves and thus engage people. M&M’s is a sponsor as well and will be donation $1 every time #MAKEMLAUGH is used in social media. As someone who is always marketing myself and my services I am using Red Nose Day to further my purpose to help other people excel as I have made a video which is on YouTube that I am sharing across social media platforms. I have taken a selfie of me wearing the red nose and put it upon my Twitter and Facebook Pages. Some have said people may not take you serious because of that picture. My reply is that may be true but those meant to do business with me will see that I am real and authentic and thus want to do business with me. The idea is to be aware of opportunities that are available to you promote your business and build awareness while also driving traffic and increasing revenue.

Imagine you purchase bags of m&m’s and then sell them in your office and donate the money to RED NOSE DAY and publicize this through videos, social media, and press releases showing that you are an entrepreneur with heart who serves the community. Maybe you are a life coach and you choose to donate a portion of every session booked in May to RED NOSE DAY and you promote this across all your marketing platforms. The idea is to leverage RED NOSE DAY so that it helps you strengthen your customer base while increasing your revenue. People like to do business with those they perceive as being charitable and heart centered.

You can do what a local realtor, Ron Contronio, did and buy a couple of cases and organize a watch party to watch The RED NOSE DAY Special on NBC thus creating a fun way to network and help worthwhile causes. When visiting www.rednoseday.org one will see the various charities that are being supported. You could take these logos and make fliers to give out to your customers/clients to support RED NOSE DAY. You could make posters that say We Support RED NOSE DAY. Then in all your marketing material show that you support RED NOSE DAY. Leveraging support for RED NOSE DAY can increase traffic to your business and thus increase revenue.

NBC has incorporated RED NOSE DAY into several of their most popular shows like The Voice showing how important integration marketing is to the success of a business.

RED NOSE DAY is just one of several activities that you can be involved with to bring awareness to your business and thus increase your revenue. Every community now a days has a website where events are listed. Look for the events that resonate with you and fit into your marketing plan. The key is to be aware and to take action so that you are always on the top of the mind of your target audience so that when it comes time to utilize your products and services they think of you first.

Advertisement Ideas: Be Aware And take Action: A Success Story!!!

Regular visitors to this blog know my passion for helping those touched by Cancer. I recently was made aware of several food truck round ups in my area and I went to a couple to solicit donations for Relay For Life. I did very well and was able to use my service with Relay For Life as a lead into to book guest for my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EDT. By taking action and capitalizing on events like these I have been able to help a worthy cause and promote myself. As a result more and more people know who I am and are more apt to do business with me. Remember people will do business with those they know, like, and trust. When someone feels good about you they will be comfortable in giving you business or recommending you to others for business.

By getting involved in the community and being aware and taking action you may be recognized with a community service award like I was and given a great platform to promote yourself. Stay Positive!!!

Advertisement Ideas: No One Is To Blame!!!

As I was discussing some issues of the day I realized just how quick people are to blame others for their problems instead of taking responsibility and being accountable for their actions. How many times have we heard oh it is Bush’s Fault from Obama and his supporters or oh outsourcing is hurting our country or it is the economy? How many excuses will people make and how many others will they blame until they realize it is them and their actions that determine whether they will thrive or will they struggle. I wrote a piece a while back titled it is not the economy it is you to show that those who were willing to adapt and overcome were continuing to have success while those making excuses and pointing blame were struggling. I have seen people play the blame game instead of taking responsibility only to see it led to their demise. It is not the competition, it is not the government, it is not the community, it is you. Maybe you wanted to advertise but you came from a position of lack and thought you couldn’t afford to and your competitor put out fliers and went out into the community and supported charitable causes while you found reasons not to invest in your marketing. Maybe you chose to go into a magazine or a mailer without doing your due diligence while your competitor found publications and other media sources that reach his audience. Maybe you didn’t do a video and didn’t utilize social media like Facebook and your competitor did. Maybe you judged the guy who came into your business offering assistance with marketing and public relations while your competitor spent $100 on a session and received a ready-made press release, a video testimonial, and shout out across his social media platforms. Perhaps you said not to being on a TV Show and your competitor went on a TV Show. Perhaps you did the show but didn’t buy the clip for $175 but your competitor did and put it on Facebook and other social media and picked up some new clients/customers. Maybe you used someones services and tried to get out of paying and your competitor used that person’s services and paid promptly. The key is to look at how you are conducting business and stop playing the blame game.

The key is to stop playing the blame game and to break away from the norms by building brand awareness and recognition by creating a buzz about your products or services. Think about what pain do you take away.If you are a restaurant you take away the pain of hunger, if you are a dry cleaner you take away the pain of looking good and making a good impression, if you are a massage therapist you take away physical pain that may be stopping someone from reaching their full potential. Look at what pain you take away and then formulate a marketing campaign that will express this and cultivate clients/and customers. Instead of blaming the competition for taking your customers look at ways you can breakaway and get them back or cultivate new ones. If it was price that drove them away then finds ways to show the value you they are getting for your price. Find out why they went elsewhere and if you can fix that reason and bring them back. The # 1 reason people do not do business with someone is a bad experience. Think of ways you can avoid bad experiences. I remember one day at Starbucks they didn’t make my drink for about 20 minutes and I went to ask about it the manager made my drink and gave me a coupon for a FREE one the next time I came in. In acknowledging the problem and doing something about it Starbucks kept my business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: No One Is To Blame!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Why Community Involvement Works?

Since I was 11 years old I have been involved in some aspect of community service be it raising funds for The Muscular Dystrophy Association or today raising funds for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life. In my years of doing community service I have found that businesses that place an emphasis on supporting the community tend to out perform those who do not? Why is this? It is because the average consumer likes to do business with those they perceive as giving back to the community. A great example of why community involvement works was witnessed by me when I approached The Skyline Chili in Sunrise, Fl. The proprietors Tony and Jenny were very open to the idea of doing give back nights for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Sunrise, FL . I had never eaten at Skyline Chili until the night of our first give back night and since that time I have eaten there on several occasions. They have seen an increase in their business as a result of doing these give back nights as they support many charitable causes and have gained a reputation as an establishment that supports the community. In supporting the community you receive positive advertising that you could not buy. In the case of Skyline Chili they received positive promotion on the radio show I hosted, mentions in videos done at the fundraiser, and mentions in my blog and across my social media. In helping me and my cause they gained a customer and an advocate.

I had the privilege of doing a fundraiser with Tijuana Flats recently as part of their spirit night program. The spirit night is a night where a charity receives 20% of the sales during a certain time for their organization. This gives Tijuana Flats great exposure and brings in people who may normally not have Tijuana Flats on the top of their mind. As a result of doing the fundraiser I learned about Taco Tuesday and now I am a regular customer. My spirit night raised $149 for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. I spend an average of $11 as I get desert and sides with my Taco Tuesday Order. Do the math just from me alone they will get the money donated back. It was interesting The GM said to me that night “JDOGG I either give it to you or I give it to Uncle Sam I would rather give it to you,” I thought for a minute and it hit me by doing a give back night not only does he get positive exposure in the marketplace he also gets a nice charitable write-off that allows him to make a profit and as a result stay open and employ more people from the community. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Why Community Involvement Works?

Advertisement Ideas: Make It A Positive Experience!!!

I have noticed more and more businesses bashing their competition instead of building themselves up when I see this type of marketing I usually look for another option when I need the product or service that is being offered. I have also seen a trend in brick and mortar businesses where the interaction is far from positive and when I have a bad experience with a business I generally don’t go back and I let others know so they can avoid the same experience. In today’s ever more competitive world it is imperative to make every experience a positive one. When you are dealing with the general public their will be interruptions of your daily routine which to you may seem ridiculous but to the person walking into your business or calling you on the phone it is important. If you can take the time to be courteous to all those who you come in contact with and create a positive experience you will see an increase in your sales and a strengthening of your brand. Every aspect of your business should reflect positivity from your voice mail to your advertising to your human interaction. The idea is to be positive in everything that you do so that the end-user thinks positive of you and comes to you when they seek your product or service.

There are certain businesses I frequent just because I get a positive vibe from the moment I enter until the time I leave. I also frequent businesses where they have taken the effort to get to know me. I have a big advantage as I am generally positive and thus am met with positive responses. I had someone ask me JDOGG how do you make each interaction positive? My answer was I look for the good that comes from it, for example the guy at Pucinnis Pizza in Boca Raton was not receptive to my Relay For Life. At first I was upset as I though everyone would come forward to help this great project and then I realized you know what it saves me a phone call and creates an opportunity to find people who will support the cause. Had the man been open and receptive he could have had a more positive outcome because he would have had an ally in the marketplace speaking positively about him and recommending his business. I have had people give me some excuses and I simply do my best to overcome the excuses and then if that doesn’t work I thank them for their time and wish them luck. The key is to help as many people you can through your business so that your business is seen in a positive light and so that customers and potential customers have a positive interaction with you.

The greatest thing that a business can do is to find ways to establish goodwill in the community. A local Pizza Restaurant at Boca green Plaza, Davito’s, sponsored a track marker for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Of West Boca Raton and I have personally been there for lunch on 2 occasions and have given him shout out on Facebook and promoted him at committee meetings as a result of his creating a positive interaction he has gained me as a customer and I represent about $8 each time I come in. Think If I come in 40 times in the year he makes a small profit all because he spent $100 on a track marker sponsorship. I come from the tradition of supporting those who support me. I think there is enough to go around for a business to support many charities. If your business is not supporting the local community there is a strong chance that you will go out of business. If you are struggling in business look at all the areas where you interact with people and what your attitude is. I remember walking into a business years ago when I worked for Forum Publishing Group selling advertising and they said I am not interested I don’t need to advertise. I said okay and I left. There were many times I was in the neighborhood and needed their services but I didn’t use them I went to their competitor because the competitor gave me the time of day and listened to me and though did not buy an ad asked me to check back with them on a regular basis. Guess what the negative interaction business is out of business no longer selling his subs and the positive interaction business is still in business and thriving. Ask yourself which one are you going to be the positive or the negative business? Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Make It A Positive Experience!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Earn Shout Outs!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Earn Shout Outs!!!

One of the best things a business can do is to create a following of raving fans who when given an opportunity will give you positive shout outs. Remember that the person walking into your business or calling you on the phone can be someone with a large platform to put you in a positive light with shout outs. The best form of advertising is positive word of mouth. In my workshops I teach people to be smart when interacting with everyone and earn positive shout outs because you never know when a potential customer will share their experience with their followers. I have had many great experiences with people while out promoting and soliciting donations for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton and would like to recognize Fashion Scoop located in The Boca Ale House Plaza on Glades Road and Lyons Road in Boca Raton for supporting my effort to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays by making a $20 donation. If you would like to earn a shout visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 and make a donation. Then there is Maria at www.giftbasketsrus.com who donated an amazing basket for the chance drawing who now gets mentioned in a positive light and who I will recommend to anyone needing a basket for events. There is David at Jet’s Pizza in The Somerset Plaza in Boca Raton who is helping by sponsoring The Pizza Lap along with Stella’s Pizza, Domino’s, and Mama Mia. WALMART and Jeanne have raised $1755.25 and have gotten business from relay participants as a result. The list of those that have helped in someway is amazing and because of their support they will see a return on their investment in the community.

Creating opportunities to earn a shout out should become part of your everyday marketing strategy as it will create brand recognition and awareness so that when the end-user is ready to use your product or service you will be on the top of the mind of the consumer. IN creating shout outs for your business you also create a buzz about your business as people start to speak about you in a positive light and patronize your establishment. There is an Italian Restaurant in Lauderhill, Goodfellas, who will make you a pizza you can’t refuse who understands the importance of community engagement. The owner recently sponsored The S.A.K.E. Awards and as a result picked up some business as I have become a regular along with several other member of the community who are involved with youth sports. By engaging the community you will earn shout outs and strengthen your business. People like to do business with those they perceive to be supporting the community so when the opportunity arises to be involved in events like Relay For Life, National Night Out Against Crime, Cultural Festivals, or other community events make an effort to have a presence at these events. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Earn Shout Outs!!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Using Gratitude As A Marketing Strategy!!!

I recently attended an Introduction To Gratitude Training done by Jo Engelesson who is an author and speaker who is a leader in the personal development and spiritual development industry. Her website www.tofa.us allows visitor to purchase tokens of appreciation that they can register and then pass on to those who have positively impacted their day. Jo told her story about how assuming the attitude of gratitude changed her business. I visited the site and bought 5 of the coins and have handed out 4 of them so far. Each time I have given out a token I have seen a great shift in my attitude and as a result have had a successful day. As I gave out one of the tokens of appreciation I began to think how can business owners and marketing directors and those involved in charitable work use the concept of gratitude as a marketing strategy. The answer was simple incorporate gratitude as part of the strategic marketing plan by rewarding existing customers and donors and also when procuring new customers and donors.

One of the greatest thing you can do in business or in your personal life is to express gratitude. People like to feel appreciated. In today’s world where people text, facebook, and email receiving a hand written thank you note goes a long way in making a person remember you. Sometimes the more creative you are with the thank you the better. I remember working for The NY Liberties of Major League Volleyball and asking potential sponsor’s secretaries what their favorite pizza was and then going to the owner of the team, Jerry Saperstein, and asking for a budget to send them pizza with thank you note. He said yes and I sent the pizzas and had the pizza place write a note thank you for speaking with me about The NY Liberty, Jonathan Lederman. This tactic worked and we secured a few sponsors as a result. I then began to use this tactic with reporters. If a reporter did a story about the team I sent a hand written thank you note. The idea is that using gratitude as a marketing strategy works. I would secure people’s addresses who attended games and send them a thank you note and something with The NY Liberties logo on it and tickets. This helped to take the attendance from 300 fans a game to over 1000 fans a game. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Using Gratitude As A Marketing Strategy!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Building Revenue Through Community Involvement!!!

Today I am at The Starbucks in Boca Raton on Federal Highway North of Glades Road picking up items to use in a fundraiser for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. I normally do not come to this particular Starbucks however while I was here I ordered a Venti Caramel Frappuccino and a Bagel. I plan on doing another drink and snack. In giving me items to use in the fundraiser for Relay For Life they generated some revenue that they would not have had. Think about it how many others now go to their local Starbucks because of their support of Relay For Life. I gave them a shout out on my Facebook Page as well so they reach over 2700 people that they normally wouldn’t have reached. I mentioned them in this blog so they gain some positive exposure. Think about how your business could support an event like Relay For Life and use it as leverage to build brand awareness and increase your revenue. Sometimes it is when you give that you get the best form of advertising.

Walmart is a national corporate partner of Relay For Life and gains massive exposure by being on every track marker displayed at over 5000 Relay For Life events nationwide. The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton is very fortunate to have a team from Walmart involve din our relay and they are doing outstanding with hosting events. You can see their progress at www.relayforlife.org/westbocaratonfl. As a result of them hosting events to raise funds for Relay For Life they have seen an increase in revenue because the volunteers have bought water and other drinks from the store. Many of the Relay For Life volunteers have also begun to do some of their grocery shopping at Walmart. You may be saying but I am not as large as Walmart and I can’t do what they do. The rebuttal to that is you can do something.

Davito’s Pizza is small Italian Pizza Restaurant in Boca Raton who stepped up ans sponsored a track marker for $100 for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of West Boca Raton. As a result he has already gained me as a customer. For frequent readers of this blog you know my love for Pizza. If I go to Davito’s 2 times a month he will make his sponsorship money back just from me. He saw the value of being aligned with community project like Relay For Life and has even offered to do a fundraiser in August for Relay For Life. If you are a business and you are seeking ways to increase your revenue being involved with community events is a great way to gain brand recognition and increase your revenue. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Building Revenue Through Community Involvement!!!