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

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: Sell Your Why Not Your What!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Sell Your Why Not Your What!!!

finding-your-why.jpg As we begin to promote ourselves we need to make less of what we are promoting but why we are promoting it. Too  many times entrepreneurs and marketing executives get caught up in the what and forget the why. people don’t really care about the what they care more about the why you are doing things. When you engage potential clients/customers don’t tell them what you do tell them why you are doing it. A typical example in when I am asking people for donations for Relay for Life I always tell them why I am collecting using some of the programs that are funded when someone visits http://main.acsevents.org/goto/jdogg2 and makes a donation. I inform them of facts like we want to provide rides to and from treatments and doctor’s appointments for cancer patients through Road To Recovery  which provided 380,000 rides to and from medical appointments in 2013 that number is expected to increase by 10% for 2014.  The key is to let people know why you are doing something. In business it is when the customer/client buys into your why that you will have the most success with your business endeavors.   Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Sell Your Why Not Your What!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Pounding It Hard!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Pounding It Hard!!!

 

Description Basketball game.jpgIn 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.

Gerald Green Slam Dunk ChampionIn 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: Put Out Or Get Out!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Put Out Or Get Out!!!

In the ever evolving market place where social media seems to be taking over it is still important to get out from behind the computer and put yourself out into the market.  I have written many times about the 3 feet rule and the importance of getting out into the community. You can have all the social media sites in the world but if people don’t know about them they do not serve you well so it is important to get out and let people know who you are, what you do, and how they can connect with you.  One key when putting yourself out there is to answer the question how you can be of service and value to the people you come in contact with.

Advertisement Ideas: Ways To Put Out Instead of Getting Out!!!

Networking_Events-2When attending networking events it is imperative to get to know a few people at the event. Do not try to get to know everyone build relationships one event at a time and each time you go to the event greet the people you meet and then set a goal to meet 3 new people so that you build your data base and also strengthen relationships. Think of the one thing you want to offer those you meet and then how you will follow up.  The idea is to pick a lane and stick to it.  As you build relationships through networking you will find that you are able to convert people into clients as you continue to be of service and value. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: Put Out Or Get Out!!!

Advertisement Ideas: CVS Re-Branding! Smart or Stupid?

Advertisement Ideas: CVS Re-Branding! Smart or Stupid?

 

CVS/PharmacyCVS Health (CVSHealth) on TwitterToday, Corporate America is all a buzz about the recent name change for CVS and the decision to remove the tobacco products a month earlier than expected. This leads to the question of whether a name change is good or bad for business?  If CVS is to be a totally health based store they need to remove more than tobacco products from their shelves. They will need to stop selling sugar laden drinks, candy bars, food high in sodium and any other items that are considered to be risk factors creating health issues. The CVS name has come to mean community, value, and service to the loyal customers it has garnered over the years. The change from using pharmacy to health should prove lucrative as the connotation of pharmacies in The United States has become a detriment as they are often viewed as evil corporations out for the big money grab. Depending on what other steps CVS takes in the re-branding process will determine whether this was a smart business move or a knee jerk stupid decision to satisfy shareholders. The removing of the tobacco products may prove to be advantageous in the long run as the staunch anti-smoking groups may be more inclined to shop at CVS.

Walmart launches healthy foods initiative to reduce salt, sugar and ...CVS is not the first large chain store to remove tobacco products from their stores.  A few years ago Walmart removed tobacco products from their shelves and have also added healthier food choices in their stores. As a result their earning have seen a trend upward. Though I only go to Walmart to fill prescriptions and check my blood pressure I have seen first hand the increase volume of people shopping there. How much of this can be attributed to the removal of  tobacco products I do not know, however from the outside looking in it seems to have been effective. Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: CVS Re-Branding! Smart or Stupid?

Advertisement Ideas: Stop Making Excuses!!!

Advertisement Ideas: Stop Making Excuses!!!

no 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: What The Ice Bucket Challenges Teaches Us!!!

Advertisement Ideas: What The Ice Bucket Challenge Teaches Us!!!

&nbsp

 The ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) Ice Bucket Challenge translates into any language. As I was watching all the videos of people taking The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge I began to think about all the lessons that this teaches us and how it relates to delivering your message. What began as a way to honor and support Peter Frates, who is a former Boston College Baseball Player who was diagnosed with ALS, by raising awareness and funds for The ALS Association, www.alsa.org , has morphed into a world wide phenomenon where it seems everyone from a local coach to someone like Former President George Bush is taking the ice bucket challenge. Some  like Charlie Sheen dumped $10,000 over his head and challenged his colleagues to do the same and donate the $10,000 to The ALS Association, www.alsa.org.  Verne Troyer put a twist on it dumping milk over his head while eating a cookie.  The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has taught us that if you have the right message targeted to the right audience and utilize the right platforms  you can be very successful. In the time frame of July 29 – August 22, 2013 The ALS Association raised just under $2 million in that same time this year due to The Ice Bucket Challenge they have raised over $40 Million.

ESPN recently did this story on Pete Frates who is the inspiration behind The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  Now to look at what The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge teaches us.

1: Taking action and having the right motivation leads to success

2: Being creative in how we deliver the message garners attention and creates positive results

3: Developing a following and having them become advocates builds awareness and support Continue reading Advertisement Ideas: What The Ice Bucket Challenges Teaches Us!!!

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.

Small Descriptive Sign NO ADVERTISING MATERIALAnother 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.

Turn Down MoneyMany 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.

Closed MindedYou 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.

If you have a business then business motivational quotes can also help ...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.