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If You're Tired Of Adverts That Don't Work And Letters That Don't Sell, Then You Must Read This
Over the 32 years I've been involved in sales, marketing and management, I've discovered that there are two fatal marketing mistakes made by business owners. They are? · Lack of focus · Lack of implementation There's certainly no shortage of ideas and information - the world is full of it - but what are you doing with it all?Let's do a quick reality check here and now: · How frequently do you get in touch with your customers? · How far up your hierarchy of buyers do you go? · What actions are you taking to make next week, next month or next year better? Pick one thing you've always meant to do and do it tomorrow to start marketing your business more effectively. It may be to focus on a market sector, write an article to gain you more exposure as an authority in your industry or it may be to write a better Yellow pages advert. The more you do now, the more you will have to do down the road. There are all kinds of lame excuses and I've heard most of them. Excuses like "I don't have time" or "Maybe when I'm less busy" Here's a blinding flash of the obvious - the best time to market yourself IS when you're busy. Why? Because one day you won't be? You see, how you get less busy is by NOT marketing yourself. To make sure you have a constantly increasing flow of customers, develop and implement marketing processes that you can put on autopilot. They run whether you're busy or not. Of all of the things you've read or heard that you could or should do, how many have you actually done? You know what it's like - you go to a seminar or read a book and say, "I should do that" but you never do. Successful strategies are based on solutions and information. Your customers don't really care about you or your company - what they care about is what you can do for them. Yet sadly, far too few companies bother to tell their prospects what they can actually do for them. No, they're far too busy "getting the name out there" or "promoting our logo" If this is a little too close for comfort, consider this provocative statement: "If you're advertising for any other reason than to generate leads or sales, you're wasting your money" Run this checklist over your Yellow Pages advert and see how well it rates. Score 1 point for each Yes. Those points may save your ad from oblivion? 1. It looks like an article instead of an ad 2. It has a strong, benefit-rich headline 3. It includes a personal photo 4. It promotes benefits NOT facts 5. It uses testimonial(s) 6. It states your performance guarantee 7. It contains an irresistible offer 8. It has a strong call to action 9. The phone number is clearly displayed 10. The Company name and logo play a very small part How many did you score? Six or more? Good, your advert might work for you. Less than four? Good luck? © James Yuille, Brisbane, Australia, 2004. About the author: James Yuille is a sales and marketing consultant and trainer with over 32 years experience. He is based in Brisbane, Australia. His free weekly sales and marketing newsletter provides topical information for business owners and salespeople. Find out more at http://www.jamesyuille.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news [News] 5 O'Clock Shadow News you can't leave work without: Asamoah makes a deal News of record News of record reports for Chelan and Douglas counties Newport News police seek help on thefts from cars NEWPORT NEWS A rash of summer-night car break-ins and vandalism has police asking the public for help, and warning them to lock their vehicles. Newport News hit with rash of car break-ins NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are asking for help in solving a large number of car break-ins and vandalism cases in Newport News. According to police, 134 cases were reported in the area between J. Clyde Morris Blvd. and Oyster Point Road since June 1. Most of the incidents were between J. Clyde Morris and Middle Ground Blvd. and happened during the early evening hours. Police say many thefts happened ... NEWS ALERTS: Sign up to get breaking news on your mobile phone Get breaking local news as it happens. Enter your phone number: Standard Messaging Rates or other charges apply. To Opt-out text STOP to 4INFO (44636). For more information text HELP to 4INFO (44636). Contact your carrier for more details. Powered by 4INFO. Newport News police search for suspects in string of car thefts Newport News detectives are seeking assistance from the Community, in solving a large number of cases involving damage to, and larcenies from, cars. Newport News police seek information regarding larcenies and property damage NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are investigating 134 cases of damage to cars and larcenies from cars that occurred between June 1 and July 25, according to police. News in brief Here are a selection of brief news items from this week?s paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn?t make it in the paper. Newport News townhouse damaged by fire NEWPORT NEWS A townhouse in the 1000 block of Willow Green Drive was damaged by fire this morning, fire officials said. One of the residents had minor burns to his hand, a Fire Department news release says. An off-duty city firefighter/medic helped evacuate the adjoining homes. News of the Past who has deep genealogical roots to Winston County, provides news from past editions of the Winston County Journal. The Winston County Board of Supervisors posted a notice of the new "Dog Law" which was passed in the July term. Site: news - Google News Arizona News Round Up - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for advertising Advertising at the Colosseum? The Italian government is offering advertising rights at the Roman Colosseum in exchange for money for restoration work at the iconic site... U.S. TV advertising trends remain strong TV advertising trends remain so strong in the U.S. that Barclays Capital on Thursday raised its 2010 TV forecasts despite modestly lowering total ad spending estimates. Advertising and the Big Society-'happy bedfellows' ePolitix.com speaks to Ian Barber, director of communications at the Advertising Association , about the big society and the economic downturn. Advertising uplift helps BSkyB's profit rise 10% Pay-TV broadcaster BSkyB's operating profit was up 10% year on year in the 12 months to the end of June, bolstered by an uplift in advertising, according to results out today. As Mobile Advertising Heats Up, Millennial Media Prepares For An IPO In 2011 Mobile advertising is currently a billion dollar market and we've witnessed tech giants like Google and Apple move into the space with the acquisitions of mobile ad networks AdMob and Quattro Wireless, respectively. AdMob is now part of Google's mobile advertising business and Apple is using Quattro to power its new ad format, iAds. But there is another player that has silently been growing its ... Flex-National Radio Advertising Service Launched by Wholesale TV & Radio Advertising ? Dallas, TX Wholesale TV and Radio Advertising in Dallas, Texas, announces that they have launched a new service called Flex-National Radio Advertising. ADVERTISING INFO Prices quoted are for display ads only Each page is divided into 30 blocks The price is determined by the number of blocks the ad occupies. For example: MDG Advertising Selected as Communications Agency of Record for Vita New York NEW YORK----Vita New York handcrafted jewelry, anchored in Manhattan?s Soho neighborhood, has selected MDG Advertising to handle their public communications. Smaato Mobile Advertising Award: VC Partners and Nominees Shortlist 2010 Announced REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.----Smaato Inc., the leading mobile ad optimizer and mobile advertising company, is delighted to announce the VC partners and first set of nominees for the Smaato Mobile Advertising Award 2010. Mediaset 2Q Profit Up On Advertising Spending Growth Mediaset 2Q Profit Up On Advertising Spending Growth Site: advertising - Google News Mediaset First-Half Profit Rises 34% on Increased Advertising - BusinessWeek
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