A couple of years ago I proposed a book update to one of my publishers. I had written a book on direct mail marketing back in 1992 and, obviously, things have changed quite a bit since then. Not surprisingly, as I began my research, I discovered that the direct mail landscape had changed quite a big to accommodate–and capitalize on–new media. I found that my personal belief that traditional direct mail might be seeing somewhat of a resurgence was right on. Effective marketers were beginning to seize upon the ability to communicate in a less-cluttered space. For example: (more…)
Archive for February, 2013
The Reports of the Death of Direct Mail Are Greatly Exaggerated
Thursday, February 28th, 2013What to Avoid When Marketing to Women? Defining the Audience Too Broadly
Tuesday, February 26th, 2013Marketers often pose questions like: “What are the best practices when marketing to women?” In my opinion, that question is far too broad. Women are not a homogeneous market segment. There are a myriad of variations among them. I was recently asked this question; here’s how I responded: (more…)
Writing Your Elevator Speech: Individual Branding for Personal and Professional Success
Thursday, February 14th, 2013I recently did a presentation for a group of Young Professionals that are part of a local Chamber of Commerce on how to create and deliver effective “elevator speeches.” Elevator speeches are those brief introductions that we’re all called upon to give from time to time, particularly in networking situations when we’re asked: “What do you do?”
For business owners, consultants and business leaders in any field, the opportunity to deliver an “elevator speech” is an opportunity to support your desired brand perception. We often fail to think of it that way, though–instead, we tend to think of it as simply a requirement to provide some general information about what it is we do.
Interestingly, as I worked on the presentation for this group it became very clear to me that just as when thinking about organizational brand impact, individually we have an opportunity to define and manage our personal brands. The steps are very similar to the steps I take when working with clients on branding-related issues. They are: (more…)
Marketing Research: It’s All About Answering Questions
Tuesday, February 12th, 2013Can you think of the last time you were engaged in a marketing research project? If you’re like most business people, when you hear that question you’re probably thinking about some long-range, very intensive, data-gathering exercise that involved a lot of time, a lot of money and a lot of data analysis. And, yes, that is research. But we’re guessing that you are engaged in research far more frequently than you realize. Importantly, your research efforts don’t have to be full-blown initiatives that involve extensive quantitative research and analysis. Sometimes, yes–but, often, no. The trick is determining when you need to gather more information. And that comes down to two important steps: (more…)
Landing Your First Client, Customer or Patient
Thursday, February 7th, 2013For those in consultative roles, clients are everything. As consultants consider the launch of their businesses, obviously one of the first questions is: “where will my first client come from?” My answer, based on my own experience, as well as discussions with consultants in a variety of fields is: from those you know. Many consultants and freelancers have launched their businesses, initially, by reaching an agreement with a current employer to take on work on a contract basis and that can be a great starting point. If that isn’t possible, another channel to pursue (more…)
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