Advertisement Ideas: Lessons Learned From Relay For Life!!!

As I watched this video of one of my Relay Idols, Jeff Ross, A member of The American Cancer Society Relay For Life Hall Of Fame. Jeff’s lessons from this presentation can carry over to almost any business model when it comes to marketing and delivering your message. The key is to be consistent with your message. Jeff’s passion for The Relay For Life teaches us that if we are to attract and keep clients/customers we must be passionate and consistent. We also learn that having a team that can lift you and promote you will help you to succeed in business.

Relay for Life teaches us the importance of planning, implementing and evaluating a project so that we can grow our business. Relay shows us the importance of advertising as with put promotion and advertising people do not find us and if people do not know about you and how to do business with you they will go elsewhere. Relay teaches us about brand recognition, now that I have been involved in Relay for Life for over 15 years I can spot that logo a mile away. Relay teaches us how important it is to make our customers happy and why we need to turn our customers into advocates. We learn that when we deliver what we promise and give people a reason to engage with us that we increase the chance of them becoming a customer. Relay teaches us to overcome excuses as many people will tell you why they don’t want to be involved or why they do not want to make a donation this is like someone making excises why not to do business with you. Relay teaches us how to use the logo so it is used in a way that gives people a good feeling so that they will want to do business with us. Relay teaches us the importance of knowing your target audience so as to effectively market to them. The way you attract a 21-year-old is different from the way you attract a 75-year-old. Each demographic that you seek has a different way that they will resonate with you. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Lessons Learned From Relay For Life!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Why You Still Suck At Business!!!

The reason you still suck at business could be attributed to you not following these 4 basic agreements. On Friday I saw first hand why a so-called marketing expert continues to struggle in his business as I called to ask about his donation to The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and his answer it is out of my hands I made a formal complaint against you with The American Cancer Society. He violated agreement #1 and now I see why he has jumped from client to client with little or no success.Like many so-called entrepreneurs in South Florida he was all flash no cash, good talk but no execution, and more promises without delivery. What was funny is the donation was only going to be $18.70 and all he had to do was visit http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 and make a donation. Another gentleman who wrote me on Facebook and told me to remind him about the donation which I did several times and guess what still no donation. Again a gentleman that shows pictures of his fancy car and fancy house but doesn’t deliver on his promise. Then there are those who said they would participate in POINTS FOR THE CURE BASKETBALL EDITION AND DONATE $.10 per point their team scored and still haven’t made a donation. By not being impeccable with your word you are doing yourself and others a disservice and probably costing yourself business that is going to a competitor who is impeccable with their word. Remember one oh crap will ruin a 1000 at a boys. This could be why you still suck at business.

The second principle is very important as it is important for you to do what is right in your heart and not take anything personally. I used to get upset when people would come to The WRPBiTV Studio to tape a segment for my TV Show The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EST and not buy their clip as I believe the clip is well worth the investment of $150. Then I realized it wasn’t about me at all and I shifted to be thankful to and grateful for those who did purchase their clip. Those that understand the value of having the clip as part of their marketing mix are those I choose to do business with and to recommend. It is very interesting to hear why people do not buy their clip and then I remember that there are two types of people in the world action takers and excuse makers. Those that are proactive with advertising and implement sound advertising ideas and make solid advertising choices are the ones who are successful while the others still suck at business. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Why You Still Suck At Business!!!

Advertisement Ideas: How To Ensure For Success in 2015!!!

As we enter the final days of 2014 now is the time to evaluate how successful our marketing and advertising was for 2014 and to put the necessary pieces in place to ensure for success in 2015. When you look back over the marketing strategies implemented in 2014 will you be able to have tangible measurements such as money spent on advertising and marketing and the return on the investment. For example you ran a one week advertisement in your local community newspaper and paid $450 for the advertisement and the offer brought back $900 in sales. In looking at the tangible results you can make informed decisions as to where you should invest in 2015. One great thing to do is to go out into the community and ask 100 people if they heard of your business and what their thoughts about your business are. This will help in the planning of an effective marketing strategy for 2015 so that you can enhance your image and have more brand recognition. The more people see and hear positive things about your business will translate into growth with new customers. Have you tracked how many times a customers uses your products and services? In doing this you will be able to have success in 2015 as you increase the frequency of use for your products and services.

It is imperative that come January 5,2015 you are ready to truly market your business aggressively and have a plan in place to ensure for success in 2015. Are you looking at events in the community that are synergistic with what you offer? Are you budgeted to use newspaper, magazine, TV, Radio, and Social Media advertising? Do you have a consistent message ready to roll out? Are you prepared to go back to the basics of getting out in the community and networking? Do you have your 30 second introduction in place with a consistent message that encapsulates who you are and what you do? Have you booked yourself to appear on TV and Radio Shows? Have you updated your website? Are you using the same logo and photo across all of your marketing so as to create consistency? In answering these questions and being honest with yourself you will be able to insure for success in 2015. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: How To Ensure For Success in 2015!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Pounding It Hard!!!

In basketball when we say someone is pounding the paint it is a compliment. The mentality to go hard to the basket should translate to you in business as you need to be pounding the paint, your area to cultivate new clients/customers. In basketball we refer to the ball as the rock and when that rock goes in it is a success. Getting the rock in the paint and scoring baskets doesn’t come easy it comes with hard work, dedication, and a commitment to be better every time you take to the court. In business clients/customers just don’t appear you need a plan of action to get them and keep them.

In basketball a slam dunk excites the home crowd and energizes the team. In business sometimes you have to go above the rim and throw down a monstrous dunk to excite your clients/customers and energize your brand. Ask yourself how can I pound it hard and create a slam dunk? One way is to look at your resources like your phone. When was the last time you connected with a past client/customer to see if they needed your product or service or if they knew someone who could benefit from doing business with you. I was recently in a jewelry store and the gentleman behind the counter who identified himself as the owner was complaining how bad things were and how his sales were off. I asked what are you doing to promote your business? His answer nothing. There is your answer you can not score points and garner clients/customers or retain clients/customers if you do nothing. I suggested he take out his phone and every day call 10 clients/customers that he hasn’t seen in a while and ask them if they have gold to sell or know anyone who is looking to sell gold. His answer was I don’t have time for that. I thought wow you just told me your business is off and you don’t have time to build it. I told him my theory about pounding it hard, which is to go out and hit the streets and find the people who are in your target audience and hand them information about who you are, what you, do and why they should be doing business with you. He said no people will come I have been here for 20 years. I said thank you and wished him luck. I went down the street to another jewelry store and the owner who I knew through some of my sales/marketing jobs said to me JDOGG things are doing well I have those calendars you like. I thanked him and asked him what he was doing and he say like you always say pounding it hard, I have my street team out everyday flooding the area with fliers announcing my specials, I have people calling past clients/customers to update records, I am sending out mailers to a target specific audience, I am attending networking events, and supporting charities. I left thinking that is why one business struggles while another thrives. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Pounding It Hard!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Roll Up The Sleeves And Get To Work!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Roll Up The Sleeves And Get To Work!

In my business consultations I tell my clients all the time it is time to roll up the sleeves and get to work. I believe it doesn’t matter who the governor is, who your mayor and council people are, who you state senator is, who the president is because in the long run they have very little impact on your business. It is you who will determine your level of success. It is you who will find the right people to help with your marketing and media relations. It is you who will build your brand. The decisions will be yours as an entrepreneur. Sure you will delegate your responsibility but when it comes to the success of your business it lies with you and only you. If you choose not to advertise and your business slows down that decision is on you not your competition, not the economy, not your workers, and not any other outside influence. I speak to many entrepreneurs and I hear so many excuses that I say okay which are you going to be the excuse maker or the action taker? The key to have a successful flourishing business is to work on it everyday and make sure that you are creating brand awareness daily. Ask yourself how am I rolling up the sleeves and getting to work? What can I do differently?

In rolling up your sleeves and getting to work you will begin to reap many benefits like a buzz in the community, customer/client loyalty, and of course increased cash flow. I was out collecting donations recently after delivering my All You Have To Do Is Ask Presentation when I came across a jewelry store and the owner said I am not interested things are slow. Granted I look like a salesperson when dressed in a suit and tie but I am also a potential customer who can also refer people business. I said to the gentleman to bad as I could have brought you some people. He argued and said not in this economy I simply asked him when was the last time you called customers you haven’t seen in a while?His answer I don’t do that. I said okay maybe you should consider adding that to your mix instead of complaining, and I left. Think had he rolled up his sleeves and called 10 previous customers and asked for referrals he may have seen a jump in his business. When things are slow that is when you should be making personal contact with people and letting them know you are still here to serve them and asking them if they know 2 people who can benefit from you services. Remember that every encounter you have is a chance to build a stronger customer/client base and to enhance the customer/client experience. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Roll Up The Sleeves And Get To Work!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Overcoming People Who Suck!!!

In the course of doing business and promoting Relay For Life I have come across some people who really suck. These people will be the first to complain about anything and try to debate you. The best thing to do is to ignore them and then sage your car, your home, your office and remove the negative toxins that they brought into your environment. When you encounter these people who suck take a deep breath and then surround yourself with love from GOD and pray that he will guide you toward more positive people. In some cases you have to just make a decision to not interact with those who bring negativity into your life even if this means turning down their business.

The best way to avoid those people who suck is to make a commitment to avoid negativity. When negativity enters into your work place do the best you can to breath and take it as a learning experience. Recently all the political ads have taken on a negative tone so I just change the channel when they come on or I do not watch TV. In not allowing negativity to pervade your life you will find that personally and professionally your life is enhanced. In understanding that many people will find fault with what you are doing because they are unhappy with their life. I run into this all the time as I approach people to appear on my TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EST. as they will tell me all the reasons they don’t think it will work for them or how they don’t have time to come to the studio or how they can not afford to buy the clip. These excuses breed negativity so I adopt the idea that some will, some won’t, so what, some waiting, next. I have taken the no’s a s a positive to get me closer to a yes. In many cases I have come to the conclusion that many people aren’t aware that they suck and are making money despite this. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Overcoming People Who Suck!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Why Doctors And Big Pharma Piss Me Off!!!

As I sat in my cardiologists office debating why I did not want to take Lipitor and would do a natural holistic approach I realized just then why doctors and big pharma piss me off. Doctors piss me off because of their holier than though attitude and the belief that they are the only ones that know what is best for your treatment. Big Pharma pisses me off because of all the advertising and side effects. I asked my doctor why would I take one prescription drug that can cause other issues. It also pisses me off that even with insurance my echo-cardiogram will cost me $250 out of my pocket. The idea of affordable health care sounded great on paper but on practice it has done exactly the opposite of what was promised. Doctors also piss me off because they hide behind their degrees and try to justify the high rates they charge. It all comes down to the idea that there must be a better way. Why is is you can buy a bottle of Tylenol in a CVS for $5.99 and the hospital wants to charge you $7 per pill come on hospital administrators give me a break. Hospitals, doctors, big pharma, and insurance companies have become greedy money grabbers who have no regard for their patients.

Here are more reasons why big pharma pisses me off, the side effects of Lipitor.

Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Why Doctors And Big Pharma Piss Me Off!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Stop Making Excuses!!!

This entry was prompted by an interaction I had with someone as I offered to put promotional materials into 25 Swag Bags that I will be giving out during my presentation at The How To Sell Your Genius Tap Into You Seminar on Friday, August 29, at Broward College in Fort Lauderdale. The woman has an herbal and essential oil business who the last time I spoke to her told me how slow business was. Those of you who read this blog on a regular basis know that I believe there is no reason for a business to be slow and thus when people tell me how slow their business is I always look for ways to change that perception. I offered to put her cards and a small sample bottle into The Swag Bags she wrote me back that she was involved in many expos where she had to give gifts and would be passing on my offer. I thought okay her loss because of the 25 people who will receive The Swag Bags 2-3 may have wanted to purchase her oils and herbal supplements if they knew about her. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Stop Making Excuses!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Why You May Be Sucking At Business!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Why You May Be Sucking At Business!

One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs and marketing executives make is that they do not research the culture and thus think they have the greatest idea to implement that will bring much success. These 7 examples show you how not understanding the market you are advertising to can adversely affect your brand image and thus decrease your cash flow. There are many examples of this in the market place my favorite example was when Chevy tried to market their NOVA in Latin America. They were unsuccessful because NOVA means doesn’t go in Spanish and thus didn’t sell many of that model. It is imperative to know what your message translates to and how people of different cultures will perceive your message.

Another reason you may be sucking at business is the misuse of grammar and punctuation. This advertisement misused the apostrophe s when it was intended to show these events as plural. I have seen it on numerous occasions where the wording should be we accept major credit cards and it read we except major credit cards. The consumer is going to think twice about doing business with you if you have misspelled advertisements.

Another reason you may be sucking at business is because you do not have advertising material that is effective or That effectively delivers your message. I had decided to launch The FREE HUGS Campaign and I made a hand written sign. That sign was not effective and did not give off a professional image so I went and had a professional banner made and it was more effective. At first I didn’t have advertising materials with me Now I make sure I have my business cards and any promotional material for projects I am involved in to share with people. I have instituted a 3 foot rule so if someone is with on 3 feet of me I will talk to them as you never know who you may meet and how they can assist you or how you can assist them. When I sold advertising space I found it amazing the excuses that I would hear and I would walk away think now I know why you may be sucking at business.

Many people are sucking at doing business because they are turning down opportunities. I host a TV Show, The Anything Bucket, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EDT and I invite people to come to The WRPBiTV Studios to tape a segment for my show. I am always surprised by the amount of people who will say no I am not interested and then when I see them they complain how they are struggling. WRPBiTV offers my guests a chance to buy the clip of their appearance to use in their marketing for $125 and many of my guests turn that down. Again this is why they may be sucking at business. Think about it you have a business and you need positive exposure in the market place and you don’t take advantage of opportunities that someone is presenting to you.

One of the reasons you may be sucking at business is poor customer service. I remember working for Footlocker and the one thing that was stressed was to greet the customer within 5 seconds and make them feel welcome. I would greet the customers and begin to ask questions so that I could better meet their needs. I became so proficient that I had people coming to the store asking for me by name and if I wasn’t working my manager told me that many would leave the store. When I left Footlocker and went to work for Athlete’s Foot word got around and people found me. In addition to delivering good customer service I got to know the sports culture of the community where I worked. When I worked at The Footlocker in Wellington I knew about the Muck Bowl and the fact that the kids liked to buy the Tall Tees and decorate them themselves. I went to The District Manager and asked about ordering an extra gross (144 tall tees) in white to sell for Muck Bowl Week. At first he said no then he approved the order. We sold out of tall tees that week. The reason you may be sucking at business is that you are not delivering what the consumer is after.

You may be sucking at business because you think you know everything and are not listening to others. I remember being out one day soliciting for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and I asked a Pizza Place for a donation of 10 large pizzas for the pizza lap he said he wasn’t interested. Guess what 6 months later he was closing his doors. The pizza places that did make a donation received great publicity and business from those involved in Relay. The reason you may be sucking at business is because you are not open to receive.

To overcome your sucking at business put people first, advertise, create a good experience when people deal with your business, be creative in your marketing, seek opportunities to maximize your business.

Advertisement Ideas: 10 Ways To Stop Sucking At Business!!!

1: Know who your target audience

2: Know the culture of where your business is

3: Make people feel important

4: Advertise regularly with a consistent message

5: Participate in local events

6: Support charitable causes

7: Create a recognizable brand

8: Attend Networking events and follow-up with the people you meet

9: Always carry your business cards

10: Put people before profits.

Advertisement Ideas: Who Is Walking Through Your Door?

Today’s entry is inspired by some encounters I had while out promoting and collecting for The American Cancer Society Relay For Life and seeking guests for my TV Show, which airs on www.wrpbitv.com at 6:30 PM EDT. The first stop I made was to Best Friends Animal Hospital, where I was greeted by someone who was anything but friendly. I stated I understood that I was catching them at a bad time and asked if I could leave my business card as I am inviting people to be guests on my TV Show. In was told no and to get out of the office. I left and I wondered does this person realize the opportunity that he missed today as I would have written something positive, tweeted out a positive tweet with a link to their site, posted a posted review on Facebook, mentioned them in a positive light in this blog. He probably didn’t understand the idea that a solicitor today may be a customer/client tomorrow. So think about it you never know who is walking through your door and how they can be of service and value to you. Everyone who contacts your business can be of some help or may know people who can use your products and services. I did call The Animal Hospital and left a lengthy message explaining all the ties I have to people with pets and how people trust my recommendations and if he wanted to make amends I would like to speak to him. I don’t anticipate a return call but I know that it is important to walk in your truth and close the book on issues of the day that may have upset you.

The Animal Hospital wasn’t the only one who needs to learn who is walking through the door. I stopped by Thaler’s Printing and was greeted by the owner who said that he couldn’t give today to which I stated sir I am only asking for $1 or $2 to help create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. He said if he did that he would have to close his business. I then said no problem I would like to leave you my business card as I host a TV Show and help businesses to maximize their message. He said he didn’t need my card or need my help. I said wow you just complained how you were struggling and I am giving you a chance to overcome that struggle. he said I just told you that to get you to leave. To which I said so you lied to me and I left. I find it amazing that someone can be in business for 35 years with the attitude of this business owner. The sad part is he missed an opportunity as I need business cards, post cards, banners, and other printed materials and I know many people who could use his services Guess what he loses out and will continue to struggle. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Who Is Walking Through Your Door?