Running Your Business Via Cell Phone - Really?
July 16, 2012

I’ve noticed that many owners and managers actually run their businesses via their cell phones—constantly allowing calls and text messages to interrupt even important meetings, meals, and any personal time. Think of each call as an ERROR in your business.

Improve Your Website’s ROI by Using SEO, Part II
July 13, 2012

A few tips to improve your website’s search rankings: prioritize fresh content, write search-engine-friendly site copy, implement KEI (keyword effectiveness index), and, if you have a Wordpress site, take advantage of the many free SEO-boosting plugins.

5 Quick Ways to Build a Long-term Marketing Strategy
July 13, 2012

Regardless of what your specific strategic goal is, one of the most important guiding principles is to realize you may be wrong. This is tough for many marketing leaders to own up to because no one likes acknowledging that a strategy they’ve developed isn’t working.

QR Codes: One in Five Consumers Can’t Be Wrong
July 11, 2012

While only one in four people know what CR codes are actually called, nearly everyone you ask has seen them. If you want a person to scan your code, the key is to make clear “what’s in it for them.”

When Do You Qualify a Prospect?
July 11, 2012

I’ll never forget the time I sat down to lunch at an expensive restaurant with a “potential BIG customer.” He ordered an expensive entrée and we got to chatting. It turned out he was an IT guy. Meaning this guy will NEVER buy print from me.

Without This, Don’t Bother Being in Sales
July 10, 2012

Mel Fisher knew it was there. Somewhere. “It” was the Atocha, a sunken Spanish ship. Every day that he got on his search boat, for 17 years, he effectively sent the same message to his crew: “Men, today’s the day.”

If You Can Read This, Thank a Printer
July 10, 2012

Admitting you don’t know something is not easy, especially when you’re being paid to know it. So most of the time, asking a co-worker for help—let alone in the cutthroat world of advertising—can be very difficult. Printers, on the other hand, are career neutral, and the smart ones know the more they help ME, the more I will rely upon them to make sure I don’t screw up...and more work will come their way.

Improve Your Website’s ROI by Using SEO, Part I
July 6, 2012

Good search-engine optimization (SEO) practices lead to more interested prospects finding a company’s website. SEO best practices can be broken down into just seven components, starting with acquiring inbound links, using page titles that are search-engine friendly and increasing website traffic.

Product Strategy and Why It’s Crucial
July 6, 2012

Being able to differentiate your product from all others is the best hedge against becoming a commodity. Today, what often defines a brand is the level of customer service that supports the daily use of a company’s products and/or services.

How Ethical Is Your Behavior as a Customer?
July 5, 2012

We expect our customers to appreciate the service that we give them and understand that we are in business to make profit and employ people. But do we treat other businesses the same way? We should walk the walk and talk the talk.