This is Part Two in our series focused on creating your marketing plan. In Part One, I explained why it's so important that you create a WRITTEN plan, and I tackled the first "key question" that your marketing plan needs to answer. Today, we move on to the second key question.  In the last installment of this series, you set a monthly revenue goal for your business. (If you haven't done that yet, click here Read More

Imagine if the next time you boarded a plane at the airport, the pilot said: "Hey welcome on board! I don't have a flight plan and I'm not actually sure where we're going, but just relax and enjoy the flight!"  What would you do? I'd get off the plane - and I hope you would too!!  Of course, you'd never get on an airplane - or even get in the car - without a clear idea of your final destination and the Read More

"Don't offend anyone." This is "common sense" advice that most business owners hear with regards to their marketing and branding.  Don't take political stances, don't talk about religion, don't risk offending anyone.  Here's the truth: You can offend people - you just can't offend the wrong people.  Two things to keep in mind before we dive in: I'm not asking you to go around offending people just Read More

This entry is an excerpt from my Marketing Tipsheet that went out on July 4. I’m publishing it here as well because I want to reach as many people as possible with the message. Most of my Tipsheet content never sees the light of day on the internet, so if you want this type of content on a regular basis, make sure you click here to subscribe! Today in the United States we celebrate freedom. Freedom of religion, Read More

Marketing and sales are distinct but related processes in your business. Marketing generates new leads or prospects. Sales converts those prospects into buyers, users, customers, or clients. It’s important that you recognize that there’s a critical handoff between your marketing and sales team. If you can’t make this exchange cleanly and well, your sales team is going to struggle and you're not Read More

I was having this conversation today and decided to make it into a blog post. These are three of the most impactful books I've read as a business owner. They cover a broad topic area - from building business systems to branding and messaging to advanced marketing strategy. But they've each been very valuable for me and my businesses. If you haven't read any of these, I think you should check them Read More

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com. Every business relies on its marketing to fuel growth. Effective marketing produces a steady, predictable flow of qualified leads for a business, which their sales team converts into paying clients. But if the flow of leads dries up, so does business growth. This is a scary situation for any business owner. I've been there before, too. Sooner or later, you Read More

Too many business owners compartmentalize their marketing and don't spend enough time thinking about it. It's like they put "marketing" in a little brown box, seal it up, put it on a bookshelf, and only pull it out once every blue moon. If this is you, I understand where you're coming from. You're busy serving customers and putting out fires. You're working long hours. Marketing Read More

This article was originally published on Forbes.com. Creating happy clients and customers is the key to growing your business. Happy customers are loyal customers, and they become the most powerful promoters of your business when they spread the word to their network. So, how do you make (and keep) your customers happy? For all of the thousands of books that have been written about happiness and how to Read More

Talking about their marketing, a cliché that a lot of business owners repeat is that “50% of marketing and advertising works - the problem is figuring out which 50%.” That statement may be true for many, but it doesn’t have to be. And if it is true for your business, it’s costing you money. The easiest way to go wrong with your marketing is to stop paying attention to results. I’ve seen business owners Read More