tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105813322011-04-21T16:46:17.938-07:00** Please Note: This blog has moved to AllBusiness.com. Please <a href="http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/BetterLocalMarketing/3992/">CLICK HERE</a> to go to the new blog location and to read current articles.Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.comBlogger521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1116181882358572322005-05-15T11:29:00.000-07:002005-05-15T11:31:22.366-07:00

Here's an easier link to get to Better Local Marketing at AllBusiness.com:www.BetterLocalMarketing.comThis will redirect to my place in the AllBusiness.com blog center. It's easier to remember (and easier to type) than the actual address!Thanks for reading!

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1116098734952551892005-05-14T12:24:00.000-07:002005-05-14T14:37:41.206-07:00

I'll try to contact everyone individually, but in case I miss you, here is the new link to the Better Local Marketing blog:http://www.allbusiness.com/blog/BetterLocalMarketing/3992/I'd be grateful if you update your links.Thanks!Kevin

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1116022154416907172005-05-13T15:03:00.000-07:002005-05-13T15:09:14.420-07:00

Big news! I have entered into an agreement with the good people at AllBusiness.com to host this blog on their fabulous website.I am now one of 12 business bloggers writing about different aspects of business for the AllBusiness.com website.If you're not familiar with AllBusiness.com, you should take a look. It's one of the top business websites on the Internet with thousands of resources for

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1115758549304603432005-05-10T13:49:00.000-07:002005-05-10T13:55:49.340-07:00

There is a new restaurant in my hometown that I just have to tell you about. Not for their food (which is fantastic, by the way) but because of their marketing. It almost leaves me speechless. (Almost, because, as my wife would tell you, I'm never completely speechless!) They've been open only a few months and I'm not sure they've ever had a slow period. And they've done this with no

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1115577192235318652005-05-08T10:54:00.000-07:002005-05-08T11:34:53.353-07:00

I ran across this article today that everyone who owns a small business should read. It's by Barbara Findlay Schenck who wrote "Small Business Marketing for Dummies" and it has a lot of good advice for anyone thinking about promoting their small business.You can read the full article here.She offer some specific ideas that make a lot of sense. I'll cover a few here with my comments.1. Have a

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1115087179828088732005-05-02T18:56:00.000-07:002005-05-02T20:12:59.720-07:00

In the 20 years since I was in college I have read a lot of books and articles on how to sell and I've attended a lot of sales classes and seminars. I've even taught a few classes and I've written a few articles about it. In this time I have seen a lot of different theories on how to sell.One theory of how to sell has never worked for me. I call it the "Needle Nose Ned" school of selling. It's

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1115003046363743272005-05-01T19:51:00.000-07:002005-05-01T20:15:06.550-07:00

If you have not yet read Small Business Trends, you should. A few minutes there each day keeps you up to date with ideas and trends affecting small businesses.Plus they have a great weekly feature called PowerBlog Reviews which they describe as follows:We call them PowerBlog Reviews. "PowerBlog" because these weblogs really are powerful. Many of them are downright superb. Each of them that we

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114970512464500562005-05-01T10:53:00.000-07:002005-05-01T19:51:29.883-07:00

This weekend I was treated to a perfect example of very good local marketing at work. It worked well. It was not complicated. And it didn't cost a lot.The marketing genius behind this success story is a neighbor of ours. She held a garage sale this weekend and despite the weather being cold and windy (lousy weather even by Minnesota's standards) they had a steady flow of shoppers that would make

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114782885580830252005-04-29T06:19:00.000-07:002005-04-29T08:54:04.220-07:00

A good friend sent me an email yesterday. It noted how two news sources reported the same information in completely different ways, based on their perspective. One source cited our 3.2% annual growth rate as a positive development, a sign that our economy is still growing. Another said it showed how bad our economy and that things are slowing down.What does this have to do with local marketing,

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114780632174957952005-04-29T05:59:00.000-07:002005-04-29T08:37:36.306-07:00

As we think about how to improve our marketing it helps to define our activities so we use the right tool for the right job.With a lot of local businesses, the line between selling and marketing is blurry (if it's there at all). But, I've always found it helpful to look at it this way:1. Marketing involves anything you do that gets you in front of someone who is interested in what your business

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114617614298104572005-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:002005-04-27T09:00:14.300-07:00

I was thrilled a couple days ago to find a great online resource to help make our marketing a little easier.It's a new service from the U.S. Postal Service that lets you setup a mailing online and they will handle all the printing, folding, stamping, etc. I did several mailings this week and the total cost was about what I would have paid just for the stamps.The service is called NetPost Mailing

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114617131986648332005-04-27T08:47:00.000-07:002005-04-27T10:55:02.140-07:00

If you're in the Twin Cities, you can join me every month at our new "Improve Your Marketing" workshops.Since starting this blog and writing a marketing email newsletter I have gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who want to improve their marketing. I guess it's a hot topic. So, I decided, let's have some workshops and see what happens!In May we are starting these monthly workshops.

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114485365433766702005-04-25T19:46:00.000-07:002005-04-25T20:59:52.700-07:00

The business I own is a franchise. One of the benefits of being a franchise is that we have semi-annual conferences where we get together and share ideas and learn from each other. (We've also been known to do the "chicken dance" at Joe's Crab Shack but that's a different story for a different time!)Our most recent conference was in Myrtle Beach, SC two weeks ago. This was perhaps the only time

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1114481138930244532005-04-25T18:36:00.000-07:002005-04-25T19:32:19.656-07:00

Too often we get so busy and focused managing our businesses that we forget life is supposed to be fun. I'm as guilty of this as anyone. Running a business is serious work so we seem justified by keeping our noses to the grindstones. Unfortunately, when we do that we often forget to enjoy our businesses and our work.And that's too bad because after spending 42 years on this planet I am convinced

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1113874782803749692005-04-18T18:34:00.000-07:002005-04-18T18:39:42.803-07:00

Over the last weekend we were the lucky subjects of an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, one of two major metro daily newspapers in our Twin Cities. You can read the article by clicking here or open the pdf version here.

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1113149572708046252005-04-10T08:41:00.000-07:002005-04-10T09:12:52.710-07:00

Yes, it's true, I watch 'The Apprentice'. And, while I'm not a fan of so-called reality shows, this one does catch my interest. No matter how you feel about reality shows or Donald Trump, there are some lessons we can learn from this show. Here are a couple that have come to my mind recently.Know Your MarketLast week the project was to design hi-tech clothing (obviously aimed at a younger market

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1112841103453639362005-04-05T18:48:00.000-07:002005-04-08T15:19:58.096-07:00

I ran across an article yesterday that does a wonderful job reminding us that patience is a virtue when trying to attract new customers. It's by Mark Munday and you can read it here.In the article Mark talks about how often people get frustrated because they're not closing enough sales. He aptly reminds us of a study done by the National Sales Executive Association that found only 2% of all sales

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1112452825538338302005-04-03T06:39:00.000-07:002005-04-18T18:34:22.126-07:00

On April 1 (yes, I know, Aprils Fool's Day) we celebrated our third anniversary of being in business. Although I've owned and managed a number of businesses it seems this one has taught me much more than the others. Or, maybe as I have aged I have become more open to such learning.Either way, here are some things I've learned (or have been reminded of) over the last several years. Be of ServiceIn

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1112454155314333432005-04-02T06:40:00.000-08:002005-04-06T19:55:25.440-07:00

I was reading an article recently by Perry Marshall where he said "I don't chase customers anymore, I let them chase me". (Or something along those lines. My apologies to Perry if I have misquoted.)This concept (of being chased by rather than chasing a potential customer) resonated with me. I hear and read an awful lot about it these days. Many marketers say it's the 21st century way to sell. The

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1112224490808108772005-03-30T14:35:00.000-08:002005-03-31T06:38:44.303-08:00

The good and bad of local advertising is that you pay the same whether your is effective or not. An ad that gets people's attention and produces the desired response costs no more than one that people ignore completely.So, if you are going to buy local advertising, it makes sense to take steps to make sure your ads are the ones getting the results. Leave the duds for someone else!Yesterday I had

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1112072378633332562005-03-28T20:56:00.000-08:002005-03-29T06:12:00.916-08:00

Last week I had a local retailer “offer” me the “opportunity” to become an affiliate of their store. Their offer entailed my company giving them free advertising in our publication. In exchange, they would pay us an affiliate fee on any sales they could track back to their ad in our publication. As you can see by my use of quotes I consider this to be neither an offer nor an opportunity. (I'd

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1111380127493392762005-03-20T20:41:00.000-08:002005-04-06T19:33:08.896-07:00

I got an email this week from Perry Marshall, a well known marketing consultant. Perry's a pretty sharp guy and usually has a lot of good stuff in his emails and articles, which is why I enjoy reading what he sends me.In his email this week was a statement that got me thinking about a topic very near and dear to my professional heart. Here's what he said:...“I noticed that he kept using the word

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1111114549175015372005-03-17T18:42:00.000-08:002005-03-19T13:25:47.920-08:00

I had a good conversation today with a customer. He provided a great example of a lesson we should all remember.This gentleman (who is both intelligent and educated, no shortage of brain-power here) ran a local ad that worked very well. His return was fantastic so he decided to ramp up his advertising substantially by expanding to other similar media.The problem was he changed the ad. And,

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1111063876623129442005-03-17T04:50:00.000-08:002005-03-17T04:51:16.626-08:00

A couple weeks ago I had a conversation with a guy who runs an auto service business. Their company has a good name in town and I believe they do a pretty good business. He hit the nail squarely on the head as we were discussing local advertising.His observation was that he really wasn't sure which of their ads were bringing in the most customers. And like many small business owners he felt they

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110990471823697182005-03-16T08:00:00.000-08:002005-03-16T08:27:51.826-08:00

This came from a post on Jim Logan's website (www.JSLogan.com) discussing voicemail. Jim mentions (correctly) that many calls never get returned because the caller does not give a compelling reason for the other person to call back. They'll say something like, "call me back when you have the time". If I get a voice mail like this I'm probably not going to call back unless it's someone I really

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110945933883100642005-03-15T18:52:00.000-08:002005-03-15T20:05:33.886-08:00

I got an email today from Jeff Mayer (SucceedinginBusiness.com) about how important focus is to succeeding with your business. He's right, of course, and I appreciate the reminder.But his email also reminds me of how important focus is in promoting your local business. The more you focus and concentrate your marketing, the greater impact your message has on your intended market.First, remember,

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110941476283547832005-03-15T18:38:00.000-08:002005-03-15T18:51:16.286-08:00

Many thanks to John Jantsch (Duct Tape Marketing) for letting us know about Google's local search engine. A while back Google began offering local searches so people could more easily find businesses in their community. They started by including businesses listed in the phone book.Now, they have added the ability for anyone to list their business. Or, you can make changes to your listing if it's

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110841007444642732005-03-14T14:36:00.000-08:002005-03-14T15:12:20.380-08:00

Often when I meet with a local business owner to discuss their advertising, they'll tell me how they've run ads in a direct mail piece that comes out monthly or quarterly (or something in between). Usually the piece features a lot of coupons from restaurants, drycleaners, tanning salons, etc. Their hope is that the direct mail piece will drive them business because it gets delivered to a large

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110839753079924622005-03-14T14:12:00.000-08:002005-03-14T14:35:53.080-08:00

A while ago I was talking with a realtor about advertising in our publication, Coffee News. It's a weekly paper people read in restaurants and it's designed to deliver low impact, high repetition exposure for its advertisers.This realtor made a great comment on how he could use advertising like this. He said it would be an easy way to put himself all over town so he could (virtually) stay in

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110554015103126632005-03-11T06:53:00.000-08:002005-03-11T07:13:35.103-08:00

Yesterday I was talking with one of the very talented people who help make our company successful and she said something that really got my attention. "Advertising is an impulse buy for a lot of small business owners."I had been thinking this for a long time but I never put it to words. Good thing I have smart people around me!It's a little disturbing to me that there is a LOT of truth in this

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110552761094648102005-03-11T06:49:00.000-08:002005-03-11T06:52:41.096-08:00

I feel remiss in not mentioning this site earlier but you should check out Jim Logan's website at JSLogan.com. He has a ton of great tips, ideas, advice and comments that almost any of us would find useful as we look for ways to grow our businesses.

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110514959988160512005-03-10T20:04:00.000-08:002005-04-30T07:01:49.243-07:00

I'm not a big fan of blogging about blogs. But in the context of local marketing I do see some value in using a blog to help a business connect with their local market. So, in this post I am going to break my "no blogging about blogs" rule (just this once).Now, I'm not suggesting every small business could or should blog. Nor am I suggesting they rely heavily on a blog to deliver their message

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110203462791146592005-03-07T05:46:00.000-08:002005-03-07T05:51:02.796-08:00

Yes, I know most of us hate cold calling. But for many B2B businesses it can be a cost effective way to generate quality leads. I'm not necessarily an advocate for cold calling but I am an advocate for doing what works and doing it well so you get the best return possible.If cold calling is accepted in your industry then you should consider making it a prospecting tool. A benefit is that you

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1110056189144868052005-03-05T12:49:00.000-08:002005-03-05T12:56:29.146-08:00

I've read this numerous times over the years. It's as true today as when it was written 120 years ago.Hints to Intending AdvertisersBy Thomas Smith, London, 1885 * The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it. * The second time, he does not notice it. * The third time, he is conscious of its existence. * The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1108563265154169692005-02-16T05:44:00.000-08:002005-02-16T06:14:25.156-08:00

Jeremy Cohen has written a well thought article about local marketing. He talks about the benefits of focusing your marketing efforts (a spear) rather than casting a broad "net" with your marketing.You can read his article here.I like what he says about focus. Most small businesses would do better to focus rather than spread out their marketing. Focusing gives you more impact with a certain

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1108415696946073572005-02-14T13:11:00.000-08:002005-02-14T13:14:56.946-08:00

Good article about local marketing. Read it here.The writer talks about a "12 block rule" meaning most people buy their consumer oriented products and services no more than 12 blocks from where they live.Good point and well written. It's worth your time to read it.

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1108391608959979782005-02-14T06:31:00.000-08:002005-02-14T06:33:28.963-08:00

To get better results from your marketing, manage what you can control (your activities) and monitor what you cannot control (the results).Once I began to understand and believe this concept (with the help of some smart friends) things got a lot easier. And, it has helped me manage my business better, as well as improve our marketing performance.(Actually this one works well in all areas of life,

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1108354122247633342005-02-13T19:53:00.000-08:002005-02-13T20:33:42.086-08:00

"It helps if you are passionate about your service; that makes it easy to promote. Be prepared to spend more time marketing and promoting your business than any other single activity."(Read the whole article by clicking here.)These words go right to the heart of running a small business. Too many people start or buy a small business without considering these two important concepts.First, be

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107902925937043132005-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:002005-02-08T14:48:45.936-08:00

I try to spend a little time each day reading quotes from people who have made a name for themselves by sharing their wisdom. Today it was Zig Ziglar. Here's one I just love: "You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough people get what they want." -Zig Ziglar

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107874421117297212005-02-08T06:25:00.000-08:002005-02-08T07:41:44.273-08:00

A pretty smart guy reminded me recently of the reason we're in business. He said it's to "create customers." I thought about that and decided I had to agree. Our businesses exist for a reason. I use to think the reason was to make widgets (insert your product or service here). But our customer needs to come first because a warehouse full of widgets does not a business make. However, add a

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107793480425960442005-02-07T08:02:00.000-08:002005-02-07T09:32:01.453-08:00

This is probably a good time to talk briefly about the purpose of this blog and how it might differ from other marketing blogs. When I talk about "local marketing" I mean marketing that helps a local business deliver their message to their local community. Some definitions I use: Local: Relevant to a community. Could be a city, town, county or mainstreet. Business: Any organization made

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107791640400264312005-02-07T07:50:00.000-08:002005-04-25T13:18:24.996-07:00

“Five Minute Marketing” is a 2 hour workshop that helps people plan and implement an effective marketing plan for their small business or product or service.This course is designed for busy people who want to improve their marketing without spending a fortune and without taking a lot of time.It's useful for salespeople, small business owners and managers, non-profits and anyone who needs to

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107713259048182002005-02-06T09:55:00.000-08:002005-02-06T11:27:32.980-08:00

Okay, the big day is finally here. The media and snack blitz is in high gear. All we're hearing about is the Super Bowl. So, in honor of this esteemed marketing event, lets talk about those much-talked about Super Bowl ads. Who knows, maybe we'll learn something along the way... My biggest complaint about Super Bowl advertising is that it has so often been mis-used. The dot-coms were great at

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107669170548522852005-02-05T21:50:00.000-08:002005-02-06T09:42:58.513-08:00

The good and bad of marketing is that price and results are not necessarily connected. You can pay the same price for poor results as you would for great results. The difference is largely based on what you put into your marketing before you implement. By planning your marketing you can put more quality into it and get better results out of it. Here is an easy yet effective four-step method to

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107669003108283552005-02-05T21:49:00.000-08:002005-02-06T09:43:17.673-08:00

If you've been involved with sales or marketing for a while you might recognize this acronym. Attention Interest Desire Action It’s a time-tested effective way to get greater response from your marketing. Plus it’s easy to use and it doesn’t cost extra! ATTENTION The first job of any marketing message is to get the ATTENTION of the prospective customer. Whether you are using print advertising

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107668927405582862005-02-05T21:47:00.000-08:002005-02-05T21:48:47.406-08:00

Whether you’re marketing is through direct mail, bus benches, ads in the phone books, newspaper or elsewhere, you can get better results by using better headlines. The job of a headline is to sell the rest of your ad. It's like having a guy in a gorilla suit on the sidewalk in front of your retail store. It gets people's attention and drags them into your business. (Not that you want a guy in a

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107668809631818482005-02-05T21:46:00.000-08:002005-02-06T09:46:44.946-08:00

Recently I have seen a commercial on our local cable television that purports to show why TV ads are so much better than radio ads. The commercial ends with a pictures of an old fashioned radio and the word “mangia!” which is Italian for “eat!” I think it’s entertaining and clever. And it has both puppies and Italian food so, from a visual perspective, it’s a pretty good commercial. But does it

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107668737270549692005-02-05T21:43:00.000-08:002005-02-06T09:47:15.696-08:00

With so many networking groups and meetings these days it’s easy to get overwhelmed when you try to decide how to implement the ‘networking’ part of your marketing plan. Some groups do speed networking. Others pass leads. Still others don’t seem to be networking at all but rather social events where business never even gets discussed. So, how do you use your time wisely to get the most from your

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107438681664249112005-02-03T05:51:00.000-08:002005-02-03T05:51:21.663-08:00

Psychologists tell us we need 8-15 exposures to something new before we accept it. This repeated exposure helps us become comfortable and familar with the new “thing” whether it's an idea, a person or a new situation. You can use this basic human need for repeated exposure to get better results from your marketing. Make sure the message of your marketing is delivered

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107438633319094342005-02-03T05:48:00.000-08:002005-02-03T05:50:33.320-08:00

Make sure all your marketing is clear, direct and consistent. The saddest thing in the marketing world is an ad or a brochure that leaves people scratching their heads and wondering what the company is selling. Solution: Always have 2 or 3 people from outside your business review and critique any marketing you plan to do. Pick people who will be brutally honest with you. Have them look at your

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107366421644490602005-02-02T09:46:00.000-08:002005-02-02T09:50:18.720-08:00

Psychologists understand that the more we are exposed to something the better we remember it. Some suggest it takes 15 or more exposures of an idea or concept before we really accept and understand it. Keep this in mind when you promote your business or organization. If you want people to remember your company, when they need you, then give them to opportunity to remember you. Do this by keeping

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10581332.post-1107365852910913042005-02-02T09:37:00.000-08:002005-02-06T09:49:53.106-08:00

The purpose of networking is to make contact with people who might need what you offer. It's the first step in the sales cycle. It's a great way to meet people in a "non-selling" setting. So, don't sell. Meet and greet. Ask people about their businesses. Be friendly and relaxed. Enjoy yourself. Get to know people. If and when someone appears to meet your target criteria, ask for their business

Kevin Stirtzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311156805896247057noreply@blogger.com0