Business Book Summaries

To increase sales is about making connections with the people also known as qualified prospects that have a need, a budget, decision making authority and urgency. Making and maintaining these connections is essentially what relationship selling is.

To be successful in relationship selling, you must demonstrate some key behaviors. From my observations after being in sales for over 30 years, I believe that these 7 behaviors will help you make even more sales.

1. Proven Sales Process   Do you have a systematic way to move your prospects through your marketing and sales funnels? A proven sales process helps you to achieve this goal as well as to tell you when to stop those behaviors that are keeping you from your goal to increase sales. Each step (the respective behavior) must be successfully achieved before you can proceed to the next step or behavior.

2. Consistent Follow-Through   Are your behaviors consistent respective to follow through? Do you follow up on your promises to send something or to make that call on time when you promised? Many sales opportunities are lost because of this behavioral inconsistency.

3. Think of Customer First   Are your behaviors thinking of the customer's needs first? In relationship selling, the behaviors should be focused on your customer and not on yourself.

4. Keep an Open Mind   Do your behaviors demonstrate an open mind? What this means is that do you look at every interaction as a possible way of establishing another new potential relationship? Or, do you view some people of not being worthy of your attention and later you realized that you lost an significant sales opportunity?

5. Authenticity   Are your behaviors always authentic? Do you consistently demonstrate your personal values and business ethics where you essentially are walking your talk? Since relationship selling is about connecting with people, if your ethics are suspect will people want to have a relationship with you less alone buy from you?

6. Reputation   Are you known for having behaviors that reflect an extraordinary reputation? Again, this is all about your ethics or values. Do you engage in knocking your competitors or in gossip? Are your products and services also reflective of the highest quality possible?

7. Ongoing Professional Development   Do your behaviors demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional development? Are you bringing new information to your prospects and clients that will give them value and potentially help them to achieve a strategic competitive advantage?

Are these the only behaviors needed within relationship selling? Absolutely not! But, they are a place from which to start.

About the Author:

Do you want more sales? Then register for FREE professional sales skills assessment http://www.processspecialist.com/sales-skill-assessment.htm.

Are you where you want to be? To find out where you are, then M.A.P. for Success, a FREE email course may help you begin to chart a course of business, professional or personal success. Visit http://www.processspecialist.com/action-plan.htm.

Please feel free to contact Leanne Hoagland-Smith, Your Chief People Officer and Business Coach, who works with individuals and organizations that are tired of not being where they want to be and truly want more for their businesses and their selves. 219.759.5601 Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, sales, marketing

Estimated at over 250 billion dollars, the office products market is enormous and the future growth potential remains promising. Fully aware of these impressive numbers and armed with the knowledge that women are the predominate buyers in this product category; marketers are desperately seeking effective methods for appealing to them. Let's begin with some interesting statistics. Women are the heads of approximately 40% of households in America. They are responsible for making 85% of consumer buying decisions and they are running 40% of all companies in the U.S. In the office supply niche, I they're at almost 86%.

Obviously marketers and merchants are paying close attention to what inspires the female purchasing decision. All the studies reveal that there are so many factors such as generational history, culture, life stages, and daily realities that a true formula is almost impossible to attain. Would you expect anything different? However, in order to influence a woman's buying mind, the manner in which women buy is more critical than what's being sold. Listening to women earlier and more often leads to more powerful strategies.

Too often marketers adopt out dated approaches centered on flowers and pastels without acknowledging the true professional prowess of the female consumer. They do this to their own detriment. Having different priorities, values, communication styles and preferences than men consumers, women typically analyze their problems form a totally different angle.

My advice on how to attract today's savvy, busy, informed, educated, female customer, is to focus on solving her issues and concerns. You must overcome outdated, stereotypical thinking about female consumers.

The office products industry, while often viewed as rather mundane, is hugely impacted by women buyers. This shift is even reflected in the product mix now available. For example, color coding is hugely popular as women appreciate the benefits of such a system and how it improves efficiency. On the other hand, men often select a drab product based solely on price. Basically, the old adage "time is money" is practiced more often in our women buyers than in our men. The women truly see the value of certain products beyond just price. This is not to say they are not cost conscious.

Because the overwhelming majority of our clients are women, we decided to tweak the traditional approach of just flat out price pounding with a more solution oriented system.

OfficeBundle.com was created with the female buyer largely in mind. A simple solution to common price concerns was immediately addressed. Now our buyers are given immediate proof of savings rather than a promise. Women want to save money just as much as men, but they tend to focus on efficiencies more so. Thus, our system offered them a savings with no extra work on their part. This was crucial. Asking a busy professional to generate a list of products and then manually review the cost per item was quickly losing traction. With our site, our buyers could attain the discount automatically. Orders could be placed quickly and efficiently. So much so, that future orders on reoccurring products can be completed in about a minute.

The results have been great. Our customers are happy and responsive to our message. Lastly, because the professional woman has no qualms about pampering herself when deemed earned, we incorporated a rewards program centered on her rather than future product discounts.

We haven't cracked the code because there is no such thing. However, we have altered our business to address the unique attitudes and perspectives of the woman buyer and we're pleased with the outcome.

About Author: Tommy has been in the office products industry for 12 years. A resident of Louisiana, a father of two, and a co-founder of Officebundle.com, he has helped to create a newer method for commercial office supply sales. Visit the site on the web at http://www.officebundle.com Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, marketing, sales

Sales executives are often characterized as either hunters or harvesters. "Hunters" are those that develop new relationships and open new doors for a company. "Harvesters", on the other hand are those that nurture an existing relationship and milk it as much as possible to maximize the sales of the company's products and services. Both are equally important to the growth of a company's business. Arguably, however, it is the hunters that are in greater demand and hard to find.

What makes a hunter sales person successful? Well for a start they have a different personality than the harvester. They have greater confidence in their ability. They can quickly strike a rapport with someone. They are not afraid to make cold calls. They work well under pressure. They get bored doing the same old stuff again and again, and look for challenges. While personality traits are important, a hunter sales person also needs tools to replenish the source of leads that can work on. Large companies such as IBM and Microsoft have lead generation programs such direct marketing, telemarketing and spend billions of dollars uncovering new prospect customers that a hunter can go after. However, in most small companies, the hunter sales person is expected to generate and replenish his or her own lead pool.

There are number of such tools available in the industry – some from large information services companies such as Dun and Bradstreet, InfoUSA and others from startups such as Walker's Research, JigSaw, and Spoke.

The Incumbents

The two big gorillas in the industry are InfoUSA and Dun and Bradstreet. These two have created the category of business information products for b-to-b marketing and b-to-c marketing. Both claim to have millions of companies in their database and millions of executives that a sales person can prospect. While this is true, there is no assurance of the quality of the data that these companies supply. The reason is simple. The cost of verifying and updating millions of records of information is prohibitive. So typically these companies can in a given year update only a finite number of records and as a consequence the quality of information is somewhat questionable.

The Scrapers

Then there are the scrapers that use Google like search tools to exhaustively through an automated process compile names and titles from company websites, old news articles, conference attendance roster, investor conferences, and other commonly available sources of information. Like the incumbents these players have a huge database (even larger than InfoUSA, and D&B), but don't be surprised if you get three CEO names for the same company or an executive that is no longer there with the company.

The Targeters

These companies start with a different thesis. The thesis is that most sales executives do not need information on millions of companies and zillions of executives. And in any event, the millions of small companies really are not big spenders on third-party products and services. So companies like Walker's Research instead focus on the top 200,000 companies that account for 70-80 percent of the GDP. The data is then compiled and updated on a regular basis, the old fashioned way – by human beings working the telephone. The result is a targeted list of business information and business leads that is fresh, highly accurate and available at affordable price of less than $20 a month.

About Author: Sam Miller has over 20 years experience in the consulting, IT, and the internet industry. He is particularly knowledgeable about the information services industry and has hands-on experience with the launch of a number of products and service. Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, marketing, sales

Miami, Florida, October 23, 2007—BusinessSummaries.com releases its new business book summary “Teaching an Anthill to Fetch”  by Stephen James Joyce.   Subscribers may now access PDF, PDA, Powerpoint, Audio, Video and Mindmap formats of  “Teaching an Anthill to Fetch”  and enjoy the book summary anytime, anywhere.

 

Miami, Florida, October 23, 2007—BusinessSummaries.com, one of the leading e-commerce sites for business book summaries, today releases the abridged version of one of the business bestsellers, “Teaching an Anthill to Fetch”  by Stephen James Joyce.  This executive book summary is now accessible to subscribers in PDF, PDA, Powerpoint, audio, video and mindmap formats. 

 

Whether working with a small group of five people or a big organization of 100 or 1,000 people, one major challenge facing today’s leaders and business managers is how to get their team to deal with change in a fast-moving environment.

 

“Teaching An Anthill To Fetch” by Stephen James Joyce provides a key concept and tool for this – collaborative intelligence or CQ. The book argues that in today’s world, IQ and EQ are no longer enough – we must also need CQ or the capacity to harness the intelligence and energy of people.  This book teaches tools on how to attract and retain high quality employees, create meaningful participation and effective collaboration, instill a strong sense of purpose to teams, and balance leadership with “followship.”

Visit the BusinessSummaries.com website at: http://www.bizsum.com.  For additional information, call 1-305-433-8579.

 

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About BusinessSummaries.com

 

BusinessSummaries.com is one of the leading e-commerce sites for business book summaries that provide corporations, busy executives, and entrepreneurs with a concise summary of the latest business bestsellers in an easy-to-read, structured outline highlighting all the vital information, ideas and concepts.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jojy Azurin

BusinessSummaries.com

1-305-433-8579

http://www.bizsum.com

 

Building a powerful brand by using a consistent marketing strategy is absolutely essential to having a successful and profitable small business.

A powerful brand identity can influence your customers to buy your product or service over your competitors — even if they have to pay more for it! A powerful brand can influence your customers to think that no one else, but you or your company, can deliver the quality or the benefits that they want.

By building a unique brand identity, you can have the most powerful business edge that your competitors can NEVER take away from you!

The Problem: Your customers are constantly bombarded with marketing messages from your competitors. It's hard to stand out and get your own message heard. You try to have an edge by having a great product or service. But, your competitors just keep creating a similar version of your product or service… or even a better and cheaper version.

The Solution: How do you get a business edge that your competitors can never take away? By building a powerful brand! Having your own brand identity will maximize the effectiveness of your marketing. Branding helps your business by simplifying your customers' decision– when they need your product or service… they need only to think of you.

Building a Powerful Brand Identity for Your Small Business Doesn't Have to Cost a Lot of Money

Do you think that you would have to have a lot of money in order to build a powerful brand identity for your small business? This is a common misconception. When we think of branding, we often think of IBM, BMW, Coke, McDonald's and the gazillion dollars they spend to build their brands. But, there are creative ways of building a powerful brand without spending a lot of money.

Before you start developing your brand marketing strategy, you must understand what a "brand" is and how it can affect the profitability and success of your business.

What Is a Brand?

A brand can be a name, a phrase, an image, a symbol or a combination of things that tend to identify the products or services of one company as unique or different from its competitors. A brand can represent something intangible about your company, your product or service. It can be a combination of feelings and perceptions about your name, image, quality, reputation and personality.

At its most powerful level, branding creates in the mind of your customers the perception that there is no other company, product or service like yours!

A powerful brand can influence your customers to buy your product or service over your competitors — even if they have to pay more for it! A powerful brand can influence your customers to think that no one else, but you or your company, can deliver the quality or the benefits that they want.

Why Is Branding Important?

* Your personal reputation or branding can attract and repel opportunities. It has a powerful effect on people's opinions and actions.

* The most powerful marketing you can have is a positive reputation or branding. Your customers will either be attracted to what you have to offer or they will avoid it.

* A good reputation or branding can bring repeat sales without advertising… while a bad one can cause a business to fail.

* People will pay more for a brand that they trust.

* Having a strong brand or reputation can influence people. It can influence people to buy. It can influence people to choose you over your competitors.

* When opportunities are attracted to you and you don't know why, it's often your personal reputation or branding at work.

* A good reputation or brand builds a customer's confidence and trust BEFORE a sale is made.

* Do your very best to protect your reputation and your brand. Even if it took you many years to build it, it will take just a few seconds to destroy it.

* The most successful businesses are not necessarily those with the best employees, products or services. They are the ones with the best brand due to consistent application of the best marketing strategies and the best brand management.

How Do You Develop Your Own Brand Identity?

Make a decision about your brand building goals before you start developing your brand identity. You want to be clear as to what it is that you want to accomplish with your brand… what "image" you want for your brand. Once you have a unique brand identity, you will have to communicate your brand in all your marketing strategies consistently and repeatedly.

"To establish a favorable and well-defined brand personality with the consumer, the advertiser must be consistent. You can't use a comic approach today and a scientist in a white jacket tomorrow without diffusing and damaging your brand personality." — Morris Hite

* Make a list of things that are unique about you, your company and your products or services. Based on the information on your list, create your unique brand identity. Your brand identity should help you come up with good answers to the following questions:

1. Why would anyone use your web site instead of your competitor's site?

2. Why would anyone buy from you instead of your competitors?

* Select the best marketing strategies that can create increased awareness of your unique brand identity in your target customers. Communicate your brand in all your daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly marketing strategies… consistently and repeatedly.

* Communicate what is unique about your brand as often as you can. As your customers' awareness of your brand goes up, your sales should also go up.

When you create a powerful brand identity, you will build mind share. It is not only the best competitive advantage that you can have… it is the most powerful business edge that your competitors can NEVER take away from you!

Allie Mendoza specializes in business marketing SHORTCUTS using less time, money and effort. To get a step-by-step tutorial on how to use FREE Viral Marketing Shortcuts for building traffic, opt-in list and income: visit http://8020shortcuts.com Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, business strategy, branding

A powerful shared vision is essential for effective teamwork. It’s critically important to recognize that your teams do not hit the starting line being of one mind or sharing a common sense of purpose. Anything you try to do in business (or in life) that involves working together with others will sooner or later require you to deal with five issues. Start your team off right by working them out up front before tackling anything else.

1. DESIRED RESULTS—What is it we’re trying to do? What outcomes do we want—both quantitative and qualitative—and by when?

2. GUIDELINES—What are the parameters within which we’re trying to do it? What are the essential values, policies, legalities, ethics, limits, and levels of initiative to be aware of in going after the desired results?

3. RESOURCES—What do we have to work with? What budgetary, system and human help is available and how do we get access to it? What constraints are we facing and what obstacles will we need to overcome?

4. ACCOUNTABILITY—What does success look like? How do we measure what we’re doing so we’ll know when we’ve achieved it? What standard criteria will we use to show progress in obtaining the desired results? Will they be measurable, observable, or discernible, or some combination of the three? To whom are we accountable? When will the accountability process take place?

5. CONSEQUENCES—Why are we trying to do it? What are the natural and logical consequences of accomplishing or not accomplishing the desired results?

The two most important reasons for addressing these five issues from the start are:

1. Team members cannot interact efficiently with one another if they are not clear about where each person stands on these issues.

2. Team effectiveness is severely limited when you have to spend most of your time trying to repair, redefine, or resolve problems related to expectations and support of one another (a typical result of not dealing openly with the point mentioned above).

Achievement is measured only in terms of what we actually do; not what we talk about doing. At the start of the day it’s about possibilities, but at the end of the day it’s only about results! Most people spend more time talking than doing; successful people “talk” less, and “do” more.

Whether you’re working solo or as part of a team, a lifetime of personal and professional success can be had using this simple approach:

THINK. LEARN. DO. EVALUATE. SHARE.

We all want things from our lives and work. To be successful in achieving them, it isn’t necessary that we want the same things. It is only necessary that we:

1. know what we each need,

2. share that information freely and honestly,

3. habitually discipline ourselves toward accomplishment, and

4. commit to helping one another learn, accept, and achieve whatever each person needs to take away from the experience in exchange for the effort contributed.

“Shared vision” is your master key to team success. You’ll often see management attempt to implement this within the organization by developing a vision statement, publishing and communicating it to employees, then seeking to help employees collectively “see” the path to be followed. Eventually, they will start to wonder why nothing has changed. And, they will have completely missed the point about what it means to “share” a vision. Don't let that happen to you.

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It's shocking how many leads and clients you can get with a special report. A simple 10 to 20 page document powers more punch for your marketing strategy than any other tool. Every day you can have people pounding at your door hungry to hire you when you use a special report (also called a white paper).

And writing a special report doesn't have to be complicated. Even if you hate writing this is easy to do…well, as long as you use my proven 7 point outline to guide you. Simply answer the following questions and voila — you have your special report ready to be your client magnate.

1. "What's the big problem?" Start your special report by waking up your reader. Show them that you understand the core problem they're facing. Don't just tell them their problem – empathize with them. Show that you care and you understand how frustrating having this problem really is.

2. "What's this problem costing you?" Rub the pain of the problem in their face. I know it sounds tough but remember, you have the solution and unless you slap them across the face to wake them up fully then they'll continue suffering unnecessarily. Is this problem costing them the money they could be spending on a new car? Are they wasting time without a solution? Does the opposite sex look at them like moldy bread?

3. "What's the general solution?" You have two options herein your special report. First, before giving your specific solution give the big picture solution. Show what's possible. Second, you can show how people have tried other solutions but failed and why. This sets you up as THE solution.

4. "What's your specific solution?" Lay out your method or system at this point in your special report. This is the bulk of the special report. Maybe you have a 5 step method to stop divorce…briefly spell it out. You want to show your reader what to do, not how to do it. (For that they have to work with you one-on-one). Give the reader tips and strategies they can use today to start solving their problem. They'll like and trust you more, the more you share.

5. "What's the proof that your solution works?" Share case studies of people and clients you've worked with. Don't just give testimonials. This isn't a sales letter. Think of it as a magazine article — the writer will tell stories and to show proof. A great formula for telling a case study story is the P.A.R method – Problem, Action, Result. First, state the Problem a client of yours had before they worked with you. Second, show the Action your client took (this should involve how you came in to save the day). Third, tell the Results the client made because they used your method or system.

6. "Why listen to you?" State your credibility. This can be a single bio page with your credentials or you can share your success story. Tell how you discovered your unique method or system. In doing so, you establish your authority and expertise on the subject.

7. "What's next?" This is the most important part of your special report. By this point the reader should be frothing at the mouth hungry to take the next step. All you need to do is clearly spell out a specific call to action. Give them an irresistible offer they can't refuse and a time limit for them to take advantage of the offer.

And that's it! Just make sure your special report isn't too formal. Make it conversational. Think of what you would say to a friend who is a part of your target market if you were both sitting in a coffee shop. You wouldn't use "sales" language! You'd have a heart-to-heart talk with them – simply sharing your experience and showing them a way to solve their problem.

Remember, the purpose of your special report is to build the relationship between you and your lead so you can move them closer to getting to know, like and trust you, which leads to more sales for you.

About Author: James Roche, "The Info Product Guy", helps entrepreneurs create a marketing strategy and information products so they get more clients and generate passive revenue. He is the creator of the Info Marketing Action Plan (iMap) Program that shows you how to create a simple marketing plan for your business. To learn more about his simple, step-by-step programs and receive a free Special Report, go to: http://www.infoproductguy.com

Technorati tags: book summaries, business books, business productivity, self improvement, marketing, management

The steps you take to brand and market your professional services firm is not radically different from your steps up the corporate ladder. In either case, it's typically not an overnight accomplishment – and if it is, you've probably done something disingenuous or perhaps illegal to get there. Is that the "60 Minutes" van outside?

Selling services is selling people – primarily yourself and secondarily your firm as a group of diverse people with a similar, cohesive goal. So, where do you start building that brand and planting the seeds that grow the elusive word-of-mouth success?

Start with your cube neighbors. Do they know what you're about and what you're doing? Can your employees, associates, partners, accountant, attorney, and current customers recite your elevator pitch? Are you staying in contact with them with news, developments, accomplishments? It's a captive audience and they can be your biggest advocate.

Don't set off the BS alarm. Start with talking in plain English, everywhere. On your website, in written and oral communications, in your collateral material. Buzzwords are for you and your comrades. The people don't get them and glaze over when you use them. Not a good thing.

This is the first step to what James Gilmore and Joseph Pine term "exceptional authenticity" in their book Authenticity: What Consumers Really Want. Gilmore and Pine remind service providers in particular that "people tend to perceive as authentic that which is done exceptionally well, executed individually and extraordinarily by someone demonstrating human care."

Become that helpful, smart coworker. Be a thought leader in your area of expertise and give away your ideas at every turn. Become an expert and the media, other influencers, and eventually the right customers will stop by your cube and form a line.

Use the web as a forum for raising your stature. Blog, write and distribute white papers and case studies about what you're doing (psssst – see the MCT blog). Speak at events. Call reporters back within five minutes when they do call you.

Tell your story until your voice fails – or until you are promoted. Individual self-promotion and professional services self-promotion is essentially the same thing. The key is creating and refining efficiency in your message – meaning discovering and developing your spiel, then creating all the fun stuff – logos, taglines, websites, printed materials, ads and press releases.

About Author: Mark Harrison is a marketing, public relations and advertising consultant who lives in Matthews, NC. His business website is http://www.my-creativeteam.com His blog can be found at http://harrison.prblogs.org

Miami, Florida, October 15, 2007—BusinessSummaries.com releases its new business book summary “The Truth About Getting Your Point Across… And Nothing But The Truth”  by Lonnie Pacelli.   Subscribers may now access PDF, PDA, Powerpoint, Audio, Video and Mindmap formats of  ““The Truth About Getting Your Point Across… And Nothing But The Truth”  and enjoy the book summary anytime, anywhere.

 

Miami, Florida, October 15, 2007—BusinessSummaries.com, one of the leading e-commerce sites for business book summaries, today releases the abridged version of one of the business bestsellers, “The Truth About Getting Your Point Across… And Nothing But The Truth”  by Lonnie Pacelli.  This executive book summary is now accessible to subscribers in PDF, PDA, Powerpoint, audio, video and mindmap formats. 

 

“Different strokes for different folks.” This saying applies not only on how people relate to one another but also to the manner one communicates with people to convey ideas — be it in professional settings such as meetings, presentations, interviews, brainstorming or even a simple chat. Effective communication brings about productive employees and healthy relationships. Be it verbal or non-verbal communication, the thing that matters most is how you get the message across, effectively.

 

“The Truth About Getting Your Point Across”  by Lonni Pacelli outlines breakthrough techniques on how you can improve your communication skills to help supercharge your career.   It also presents practical tips on how to be effective communicators. Some situations are based on true to life experiences of the author.  And as you walk through the pages, you may find yourself in one of the many situations.  The tips offered in this book on improving your communication skills are practical, simple and easy to apply.

 

With the succinct and easy-to-read book summary of “The Truth About Getting Your Point Across” by Lonnie Pacelli busy executives can now learn new ideas and business strategies in minutes through its different summary formats.

 

Every week, subscribers enjoy business book summaries of today’s business bestsellers in PDF, PDA, Powerpoint, audio, video and mindmap formats. The latest versions of the book summaries are all available online upon subscription to BusinessSummaries.com. 

 

Visit the BusinessSummaries.com website at: http://www.bizsum.com.  For additional information, call 1-305-433-8579.

 

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About BusinessSummaries.com

 

BusinessSummaries.com is one of the leading e-commerce sites for business book summaries that provide corporations, busy executives, and entrepreneurs with a concise summary of the latest business bestsellers in an easy-to-read, structured outline highlighting all the vital information, ideas and concepts.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Jojy Azurin

BusinessSummaries.com

1-305-433-8579

http://www.bizsum.com

 

1. Know your goals. Okay, I know. Your goal is always to generate more income for your business. But specifically, you need to ask yourself—Am I trying to generate new leads from this piece? Achieve direct sales? Educate my clients? Develop existing relationships with clients? All of the above? Once you get a clear idea of the goal(s) of your specific marketing efforts, then each step of the marketing process should be designed to bring you closer to your intended results.

2. Know your target. In order for marketing to be successful, you need to know who your audience will be and what they are looking for. Are you marketing to first-time home buyers? mature pet owners? college grads looking for a job? To help you determine your target, just visualize your ideal client and make sure your product or service fills a specific need they may have. The more you know about your target, the more successful your marketing efforts will be.

3. Know the message you want your recipient to walk away with. After seeing a marketing piece you always walk away with a message and/or a feeling about that product or service. This could be positive or negative. Of course, your goal is a positive reaction, which would lead to a positive result. Choose a single message by asking yourself, what do I want to say to the recipient? What perception do I want him/her to form of me, my product or service after viewing my piece? Note that mixed messages get mixed results.

4. Know your competition. Yes, it’s time to do your research. You need to determine how many businesses in your area offer the same or similar products or services? Who are these businesses? What are they doing to market themselves? How can you set yourself apart from these businesses? A good starting point is the yellow pages or the internet. It’s best to know your competitors so you can market smarter.

5. Be consistent. Once you’ve established a visual look and feel in your marketing pieces based upon the previously outlined steps, it is crucial to be consistent. Have every piece you produce reiterate your “brand” so that people recognize you. Repeat visual elements like a particular color and/or typeface. And, always use your logo and contact information. Consistency creates a familiarity with your audience, which is more likely to elicit a response.

6. Be unique. From the time they wake up, until the time they go to sleep at night, consumers are bombarded with over 1,000 brand names, radio ads, television ads, direct mail, bulletin boards, email advertising, etc. This is why you need to be different from the rest and get noticed. For example, if you think a direct mail piece would receive the best response, then create a piece that is a slightly different size from the others. Use a unique offer to entice the consumer. Or better yet, use an innovative technology such as variable data (or 1:1) printing to imprint each recipient’s name on the piece. You get the picture. Being unique pays off.

7. Track your success. Before launching any marketing piece, determine how you will track the results. Will you do an informal tally by asking how your respondent found out about you? or will you have the consumer send in a reply card included with your piece? Whatever you decide, information about your marketing performance will help your future marketing efforts be more successful. And, in the end, will save you both time, energy and money. Happy Marketing!

About the Author: Danielle Mai, Senior Designer and Top Banana of Banana Creative, brings over 17 years of industry experience to the table. Her work experience includes design for publications, advertising agencies and large corporations. In 2000, after managing a corporate marketing communications team for over 5 years, she decided to venture out on her own to create Banana Creative—a company passionate about providing smart and affordable print and web marketing tools for startups, growing and established businesses.

As a Graphic Designer, Danielle offers a strong combination of marketing and design expertise which is unique in the industry. Through the use of print and online communication vehicles, such as logo/identity programs, advertising, direct mail, collateral and web marketing, she helps company’s grow and realize the power of successful marketing. Glowing reviews from clients highlight her creativity, professionalism, attention to detail and marketing savvy.

Contact Banana Creative today to see what they can do for you! http://www.bananacreative.com

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