Marketing Flashes on "A Dumb Mistake"

Not all dumb mistakes are ethical lapses. Most of them have to do with attaching to limiting beliefs such as...
* Being Right - If there's one thing humans are, it's judgmental. We judge others quite harshly but let ourselves off quite lightly for worse offences. Look in the mirror.
* Stopping Creativity - Most people don't think they are creative. But is that true? Absolutely not. Who would you be if you couldn't think you weren't creative? You'd be out there creating things.
* Being Too Serious - Lighten up. Seriously. Ever notice that the people who seem to be be the most successful are also often having the most fun? They focus on how to make things work instead of worrying what's wrong.
* Avoiding Assistance - Doing it all alone is highly overrated. I know, I'm the poster child for independence. I work alone but my coach and my mastermind group keep challenging my rigid ideas of reality.
* Working Too Hard - Remember, work is supposed to be fun. And it is if we don't overdo it. Find some balance, take more vacations, spend quality time with your family. Then you'll come back to your work refreshed.

Marketing Flashes on "Differentiate or Die"

How do you start to differentiate yourself? Kick your creativity into high gear by using the five approaches outlined in today's More Clients.
* Differentiate Your Market - Can you specialize in a very specific market segment? What industry do you know the best? What networking opportunities does it offer? Can you write and do talks for this industry and stand out as an insider?
* Differentiate Your Problem - Do you solve a sticky problem that everyone else has ignored? Can you hit a nerve with this issue or challenge? Perhaps your competitors are missing this problem altogether. What cries to be solved?
* Differentiate Your Expertise - What do you know more than anyone else? What can you do better, faster, more elegantly? Again, speaking, publishing and writing an eZine or newsletter to highlight your expertise will make you stand out.
* Differentiate Your Results - Can you promise to produce results that others would be reluctant to? What can you guarantee? How can you remove the risk of using your services by taking on the risk yourself?
* Differentiate Your Approach - Do have a model, approach or methodology that makes you more credible, more valuable? Can you back it up with research and results? If so, get the word out at conferences and in industry journals.

Marketing Flashes on "The Dreaded Follow-Up Call"

Here are five big mistakes you can make when following up with prospects.
* Ask if they read the article you sent. What if they didn't? You put them in an awkward position. Just assume they read it and continue with the approach outlined above.
* Fail to have a good opening and transition line. This can be the hardest part, and you don't want to fumble it. So think it through, write it down, practice it out loud and even do a role play with a friend until you feel comfortable.
* Forget to do any research on your prospect. This can make all the difference. You'll impress them and make them feel you care because you've taken some time and effort to learn about them. This really doesn't need to take a lot of time.
* Get sidetracked by talking more about your business than finding out about theirs. It's very easy to blab on and on about what you do, but that will get very boring to them. Every time you give away some information, ask for some in return.
* Not asking for the appointment. Remember, that was the main objective of the call. If after talking for awhile, you sincerely feel you can help them, let them know and suggest that you get together. It's not as hard as it looks!

Marketing Climbing

Imagine being the greeter (if there is such a person) at Everest Base Camp and welcoming those who were about to ascend the mountain the next day. And your job was to certify them before they were allowed to continue their expedition. You didn't want anyone to die on the mountain, so you were very careful to screen out those who were not prepared.Outer preparation would be important, of course. Clothing, equipment, training, maps, support and physical fitness would all be carefully scrutinized. But inner preparation would be just as, if not more, important. Clarity of purpose, teamwork skills, attitude, persistence, and the ability to overcome hardship might mean the difference between life and death.As an Independent Professional, you've embarked on the climb to grow your business and reach the pinnacle of success. But how well are you prepared? If you had to pass a readiness test would you be sent back for more training?Take this seven-question test and see how ready you are. Rate yourself from one (low) to 5 (high) in terms of your readiness to climb the mountain of marketing success.
1. You have a clear purpose, goals and plan for your journey. You haven't necessarily mastered everything you need to do, but you "know what you don't know" and have a plan to get the information and skills you need.
2. You feel comfortable with the process of marketing yourself and your services. You realize you're not an expert, but that you have a grasp of the fundamentals. You know how to effectively use the marketing tools of networking, writing and speaking.
3. You are completely comfortable with the electronic aspects of marketing your services. You can get a web site developed, create an eZine, set up an online discussion group, and coordinate a teleclass with relative ease.
4. You have packaged your services for high value. You are well prepared to offer a very high level of service to your clients. You are confident in your ability to produce consistent results.
5. You are extraordinarily persistent and tenacious. You realize that it takes a certain amount of time, energy, and money to get the attention and interest of a prospective client. You can be counted on sticking with it until you land the project. And when you experience setbacks, you bounce back quickly.
6. You see business and marketing as a game. You like to play hard, play with integrity and excellence, and play to win. You are confident in winning because you have the knowledge, skills and commitment to make things work.
7. You get all the support you can. Realizing that mastering business and marketing takes knowledge and expertise, you tap into resources such as magazines, books, workshops, coaching and masterminding to keep you focused and on track.
Possible high score: 35 -- Your score: _____How did you score? Are you ready to embark on your expedition or would you be sent back? Perhaps you've been on the expedition for awhile and you realize why you've been struggling so much. What is your plan to get prepared to succeed?

Attracting TENS

In working with clients over several years, I developed a scale that predicted their success. It wasn't based on how good their overall business model was, or the years of training they had or degrees they had accumulated.It was based on the amount of base metal they turned into gold.The base metal was my consulting and coaching input. The gold was what they made of it. My favorite clients were those who took the "ONE" that I gave them and turned it into "TEN."I would give them some ideas about speaking in public and by the next session they had researched every speaking venue in their area, had created their speaker's package and were working on the outline for their second presentation. If I helped them with a networking plan, they had gone to three meetings, made five contacts and had arranged one-on-one meetings with several prospects.These kind of people, the TENS, don't need to be told how to do anything. They just need to be told what and pointed in the right direction. They are so resourceful that they just automatically pick up ideas and turn them into plans that get implemented.Then there were the clients who took ten from me and came back with one. In a session together we would outline the structure of an article and how to write it for maximum impact. They would come to the next session with three vague bullet points, usually grammatically incorrect.Of course, there were several people who were in-between. But I've always wondered what the difference was between the ONES and the TENS? Was it intelligence? I don't think so. I've worked with a few Ph.D.s who were ONES and high school drop outs who were TENS.Was it background, work ethic, creativity, ambition or was it simply something they were born with? I honestly can't say. Perhaps it's a little of all of those. As an Independent Professional, your success depends to a great degree on the track record you have with your clients. If you produce great results, you'll have powerful case studies that can give you tremendous leverage. But you'll never have great success stories if you continue to work with ONES. They will drag you down. They will resist your advice and coaching. They won't keep their word and they'll blame you if things don't work. ONES will find problems instead of opportunities, and they'll pay you late to boot. What I've also noticed is that Independent Professionals are attracted to ONES and intimidated by TENS. After all, ONES need more help that TENS. It's easier to see all the ways you can help ONES and you quickly jump in, only to regret it later.If you're really going to be successful, you need to attract TENS. They are moving towards success, not away from failure. They are looking for opportunities and are willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. They can be harder to sell to, but they stay with you longer and refer a lot more business.TENS make the best clients because they appreciate the value you bring and they take responsibility for making it happen. Although they are high producers, they know they can't do everything alone and appreciate expert help. How do you attract TENS? For one, you need to be a TEN yourself. Are you clear on your purpose and goals? Do you have a very focused marketing message? Do you have great marketing materials and a quality web site? Do you get the word out consistently about your business? Do you have a keep-in-touch marketing system? Do you have a well-designed sales and proposal process? Do you have a structure of support to keep on on track yourself?If all of your marketing is haphazard and you present yourself inconsistently, do you think you'll attract many TENS? Not likely. Marketing is everything you do that makes an impression on a prospect or client. And you don't get a second chance to make a first impression.Want to attract more TENS? First get your marketing act together

Apa itu Pemasaran?

Dari Wikipedia Bahasa Melayu, ensiklopedia bebas.
Pemasaran ialah fungsi sosial dan pentadbiran yang bertujuan untuk mencipta, mengembangkan dan mengekalkan pelanggan dalam suatu aktiviti ekonomi atau pertukaran barang dan perkhidmatan. Pemasaran menyasarkan untuk mengenali dan memenuhi kehendak pengguna di dalam mengekalkan keuntungan aktiviti yang dijalankan. Pemasaran berupa produk dan perkhidmatan pada hari ini boleh dijalankan dengan berbagai cara.