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Marketing-minded companies know that clients need to be rewarded for being a client just as they would for becoming one. Case in point: I needed to purchase a new cellular telephone from my provider with whom I currently carry a contract that will not expire for almost another full year. I was told that I could purchase the new phone at full price or advance my contract for an additional year to receive a sizable discount. Being a bit unhappy with the company already, I was not excited ...

"XYZ Company... Innovative Leader in Quality and Customer Service" What the heck does that mean? Who is XYZ Company and what do they do? Is your marketing full of empty phrases like "leader in the industry," "quality service," "state of the art" and "all of your needs"? When I read text like that all I'm thinking is, blah, blah, blah! I'm sorry, but no matter how comprehensive your services, there is no way in the world you can satisfy all of my needs. I will admit that I sneak ...

As you'll hear me say countless times, everything is marketing and that includes your reception area, too. This space is far more important than people realize. It can make or break deals and relationships, and it sets a heavy tone of what people think of you and whether or not they want to explore deeper into your company. Of course you need to pay attention to the obvious—keep the area clean, attractive, and professional looking. Make sure that your receptionist presents well in ...

Joe is our painter. He's done so much painting for us that he's practically a member of our family. Joe is the owner of a small operation that knows that business is not just about the final product, but about the process and the relationship that goes with it. He doesn't remember my birthday or send me notes in the mail, though I think both of those are very good things to do. Joe does a lot of other things. Joe is genuine. He genuinely wants to do a good job. He genuinely has high ...

I have put my foot in my mouth when commenting about a speaker to someone whom I later discovered was the speaker. I have had lunch with people who were just people but later became major decision makers on major projects. I have associated with people who have opened up doors I could have never imagined. Never, ever, ever, ever, ever underestimate the power of a contact. You cannot tell by looking at somebody if they are a good prospect for you or not. You cannot imagine who ...

We tend to separate companies as "service companies" or "product companies." In truth, all companies sell both. No matter who you are, if you're in business, you're selling a product AND a service. One might dominate, but you're still selling both. One is tangible and the other intangible. You need to know what they are and, more importantly, market both of them! Let's take insurance as an example. Would you consider that a tangible or intangible business? Most people would say that ...

We all know that word of mouth is possibly the most powerful marketing tool we have. It can help you reach a "tipping point" of success or, frankly, it can kill you. So just be sure you give the marketplace something good to talk about. You do that by doing different things or common things differently. We must remember that people love to tell stories. Something that stands out from the normal product, service, or way of doing business is always going to get the pipeline going. Be ...

Sales and marketing may be two different functions (and they are), but they need to work in tandem. Your marketing team should solicit input from your sales team when producing marketing materials such as ads, brochures and direct mail campaigns since they are the ones most intimately connected to your customer. Likewise, your sales team should be apprised of everything else the company is doing to generate and keep customers so they can more productively "close" what your marketing ...