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    Casual Articles - Marketing Tip - The Top 6 Biggest Marketing Mistakes

    That Waiter or Waitress Could Be Making You Fat!
    Today I ate in a restaurant and the server messed up my order.There’s nothing new about that; it happens to me all the time.Despite the fact that I repeat myself to make sure I’ve been heard, I still get ice with my Diet Coke, no lemon or lime, and regular, high octane, sugared cola instead of the calorie free.But there’s one failing on the part of a server that is unforgivable.It is bringing all of the meal’s courses at the same time.Take a little quiz with me.Is the “appetizer” to be served:(a) Before the main course?(b) At the same time as the main course?(c) Or, is it to be served at dessert time?If you chose (a), then you have probably never served me a meal.Incessantly, plates are brought to me simultaneously.If I have ordered a salad, I will have taken three bites of it when the entr?e is thrust upon me.Worse, instead of acknowledging the error and asking me if I would like to wait for the next dish, or have it removed, servers imperiously glare at the table, expecting me to pile up the platters or do a circus balancing act so they can crash-land the items, and split.You’ve heard that Americans are growing fatter. Partly that’s due to our rapid (or is that, rabid?) eating habits. When we’re being jammed with lots of dishes at once, we wolf
    n should be made on "for every dollar spent on marketing it will generate X times more dollars" and then we MUST know what X is. If X is larger than an acceptable figure we move forward no matter what the cost because it will always generate more money than we put in. Let's look at it this way, if you could generate 15% every year in the stock market would you do it? Of course....most would anyway. I wouldn't because I believe that for every dollar put into my business I see 10-100 times come out and so I'm always looking for where to invest my money for the greatest return. And if you start managing your business that way instead of where to "avoid spending" you'll find the answer and see similar results. So what does it cost you to acquire a client?

    That usually is a result of not knowing what it costs to acquire a lead or acquire a customer, or what the response rate is for your marketing.

    Let's say that a mailer costs you $0.35 (for a postcard, printed and mailed, using Nice Work! Well Done! Keep It Up!
    I like to (quickly) thank those who give me good service, and (gently) critique those who don’t.Here’s an easy and effective way to do it.I designed and then printed 500,000 laminated, full-color, wallet-sized cards that say: ‘GOOD JOB! Nice work! Well done! Keep it up!’ on one side, and ‘CHEER UP! A smile costs you nothing, but brightens up everything!’ on the other.There’s a big, bright yellow sun on the ‘Good Job!’ side, and a smaller timid sun peeking out from behind dark clouds on the ‘Cheer Up!’ side.I took these cards on a recent trip and gave them to immigration officers, taxi drivers, airline cabin crew, room service staff and others. The impact was amazing! Eyes lit up and smiles appeared. Even those who did not speak English got the happy message right away.Leaving one hotel, I asked the porter, ‘Have I given you a “Good Job!” card?’ He pulled out his wallet quickly. Opening it, he showed me a photograph of his wife and child, with a bright, sunny ‘Good Job!’ card right beside.Key Learning PointPeople everywhere appreciate recognition. Find a way to acknowledge those who serve you well, and raise the spirits of those who need your help. You don’t have to provide therapy, give money or write long letters. A simple ‘Good Job!’ or ‘Cheer Up!’ card will do.Action StepsVisit

    When I started to write this article on the biggest mistake almost every marketer makes I was going to focus on THE BIGGEST single mistake, but there are several. And, an even bigger aha moment is that most companies that "call themselves" professional marketing companies make the mistakes as bad, if not worse, than the non-professionals trying to build their own business.`

    Mistake #1 - Assuming that Marketing Results are Vague, Black Magic, and Not Predictable Marketing tip --Marketing done correctly will provide consistent, predictable results

    As a guideline, the national average for direct mail marketing is 0.5% to 1.0%, meaning that if you send out 1,000 letters, postcards, flyers, etc. And IF you are even average, then you should have between 5 and 10 people contacting you.

    Although that is considered average, doing some simple things can take that number up to 10%-30%, or even higher.

    Mistake #2 - Trying Marketing One Time and Giving Up....Because That Didn't Work. Marketing Tip --Marketing Results, or Leads are one of the critical results of a business that are ABSOLUTELY necessary.

    In other words you can't survive without delivering the number of leads needed to survive, nor will you ever super succeed without delivering the exact number of leads needed for that level either. Therefore, when someone tells me that they

    • Tried marketing once
    • Tried direct mail once
    • Tried a newspaper ad once
    • Or any other approach in marketing
    and walked away because it didn't work (that's their opinion, not a reality) then I'm looking at a company that will fail soon, or at least not far down the road. Some move on to things that cost less in dollars and cents, but cost more in time, and the results delivered is almost nil. Delivering consistent marketing results, and in the right amount is not a choice. Do it or close your doors! Marketing Tip -- Marketing results, or leads, are dependent on two things
    • How many people see our marketing materials
    • The percentage of those that see our materials who actually are COMPELLED to give us a call, signup, or touch base with us in some way.
    It looks like this: If I need 10 people to call me this week, and if I know that for every person who sees my marketing 1% will call me then I only have to touch 1,000 people with my marketing. Now does that sound hard? Of course it isn't...if you are reaching out to over 1,000 people every week. (# exposed to marketing materials) X (response rate) = # leads .

    The problem is that in the hundreds of seminars I've done, most people miss that point totally. They report that they sent out 100 letters and only got 1 reply, so, in their opinion, it didn't work because they didn't get the 10 they needed. They missed the whole concept.

    Mistake #3 - Not knowing your response rate Marketing Tip - Always know your marketing response rate, or be finding it.

    So, when you send out marketing and have no clue of what your response rate is, then how in the world do you know how much to send?

    Well, I'd send out enough to hit the 0.5% as a test market, and then measure the actual results coming back to be used in the next mailer.

    Mistake #4 - Not knowing when your marketing isn't working?

    Mistake #4A - Not sending out marketing because it is perceived that it "costs too much."

    Mistake #4B - Not knowing what it requires to acquire a customer? These are sort of one in the same mistakes -

    • Not knowing when your marketing isn't working, and
    • How to measure when it does work.
    • And the answer to both is "what does it cost to acquire a client."
    How would you define "not working?" There is only one time when your marketing could be defined as "not working" and that is when it costs too much to acquire a customer. Notice, I didn't say what marketing cost. I said what it costs to acquire a customer. Most decisions to not send marketing this month are based on "fear of spending money" when the decision should be made on "for every dollar spent on marketing it will generate X times more dollars" and then we MUST know what X is. If X is larger than an acceptable figure we move forward no matter what the cost because it will always generate more money than we put in. Let's look at it this way, if you could generate 15% every year in the stock market would you do it? Of course....most would anyway. I wouldn't because I believe that for every dollar put into my business I see 10-100 times come out and so I'm always looking for where to invest my money for the greatest return. And if you start managing your business that way instead of where to "avoid spending" you'll find the answer and see similar results. So what does it cost you to acquire a client?

    That usually is a result of not knowing what it costs to acquire a lead or acquire a customer, or what the response rate is for your marketing.

    Let's say that a mailer costs you $0.35 (for a postcard, printed and mailed, using

    Business Consultant - Choosing the Right One
    What is a business consultant, why would you need to hire one? and how can you choose the one that’s right for your business?These are important business questions and we can lead you through this commercial mine field without becoming a victim and getting a business consultant who will be a valuable asset to your business.What is a Business Consultant?Generally a business consultant is someone who has worked for many years in a particular field, knows the business inside out, has innumerable contacts, and has become a coach rather than a player.He may have his own business, he may not. He may be semi-retired. If he is real, he can save your thousands of hours of learning, help you avoid mistakes, and lead you correctly to your goal.Why do you Need to Hire One?No matter how good you are in business, you can’t know it all, and can’t do it all. When you have a new business in mind, or some new targets, or some activity within your business for which you are not competent, you often need a business consultant.His experience and contacts will be made available to you and your needs, and thus you save time, you add to your own status, and more often than not ,save a lot of money.Choosing A Business ConsultantYou cannot be too careful in this respect. You must interview the consultant
    keting Tip --Marketing Results, or Leads are one of the critical results of a business that are ABSOLUTELY necessary.

    In other words you can't survive without delivering the number of leads needed to survive, nor will you ever super succeed without delivering the exact number of leads needed for that level either. Therefore, when someone tells me that they

    • Tried marketing once
    • Tried direct mail once
    • Tried a newspaper ad once
    • Or any other approach in marketing
    and walked away because it didn't work (that's their opinion, not a reality) then I'm looking at a company that will fail soon, or at least not far down the road. Some move on to things that cost less in dollars and cents, but cost more in time, and the results delivered is almost nil. Delivering consistent marketing results, and in the right amount is not a choice. Do it or close your doors! Marketing Tip -- Marketing results, or leads, are dependent on two things
    • How many people see our marketing materials
    • The percentage of those that see our materials who actually are COMPELLED to give us a call, signup, or touch base with us in some way.
    It looks like this: If I need 10 people to call me this week, and if I know that for every person who sees my marketing 1% will call me then I only have to touch 1,000 people with my marketing. Now does that sound hard? Of course it isn't...if you are reaching out to over 1,000 people every week. (# exposed to marketing materials) X (response rate) = # leads .

    The problem is that in the hundreds of seminars I've done, most people miss that point totally. They report that they sent out 100 letters and only got 1 reply, so, in their opinion, it didn't work because they didn't get the 10 they needed. They missed the whole concept.

    Mistake #3 - Not knowing your response rate Marketing Tip - Always know your marketing response rate, or be finding it.

    So, when you send out marketing and have no clue of what your response rate is, then how in the world do you know how much to send?

    Well, I'd send out enough to hit the 0.5% as a test market, and then measure the actual results coming back to be used in the next mailer.

    Mistake #4 - Not knowing when your marketing isn't working?

    Mistake #4A - Not sending out marketing because it is perceived that it "costs too much."

    Mistake #4B - Not knowing what it requires to acquire a customer? These are sort of one in the same mistakes -

    • Not knowing when your marketing isn't working, and
    • How to measure when it does work.
    • And the answer to both is "what does it cost to acquire a client."
    How would you define "not working?" There is only one time when your marketing could be defined as "not working" and that is when it costs too much to acquire a customer. Notice, I didn't say what marketing cost. I said what it costs to acquire a customer. Most decisions to not send marketing this month are based on "fear of spending money" when the decision should be made on "for every dollar spent on marketing it will generate X times more dollars" and then we MUST know what X is. If X is larger than an acceptable figure we move forward no matter what the cost because it will always generate more money than we put in. Let's look at it this way, if you could generate 15% every year in the stock market would you do it? Of course....most would anyway. I wouldn't because I believe that for every dollar put into my business I see 10-100 times come out and so I'm always looking for where to invest my money for the greatest return. And if you start managing your business that way instead of where to "avoid spending" you'll find the answer and see similar results. So what does it cost you to acquire a client?

    That usually is a result of not knowing what it costs to acquire a lead or acquire a customer, or what the response rate is for your marketing.

    Let's say that a mailer costs you $0.35 (for a postcard, printed and mailed, using The Shotgun and Your Business!
    Using a shotgun to drive customers to your website, might be a bit over the top!What I’m talking about is the shot gun splatter approach to analyzing your market.I recently saw a video that demonstrated this technique to me and I found it very useful, but a little difficult to understand using the shot gun analogy.So here’s a way analyzing your market that I feel more comfortable with.Look at your target market as a commercial eco system. Everything is related and in some way reliant on each other in one way or another.For example: If I am assessing wether to get into the English Language education market. I should look at the eco system surrounding the particular environment.I could look at the teachers, who need students, the students who need books, the teachers who need books, the book manufacturers who need teachers and students, the book manufacturers, students’, and teachers who need stationary.You get the picture? When assessing a market we should always look for other related products and services that would interest people in the particular market we are assessing.Sometimes we’ll notice an overlap this is good because it can allow us to expand across the different markets and eventually break into completely different markets all together. We can do this relatively easily becaThe percentage of those that see our materials who actually are COMPELLED to give us a call, signup, or touch base with us in some way.It looks like this: If I need 10 people to call me this week, and if I know that for every person who sees my marketing 1% will call me then I only have to touch 1,000 people with my marketing. Now does that sound hard? Of course it isn't...if you are reaching out to over 1,000 people every week. (# exposed to marketing materials) X (response rate) = # leads .

    The problem is that in the hundreds of seminars I've done, most people miss that point totally. They report that they sent out 100 letters and only got 1 reply, so, in their opinion, it didn't work because they didn't get the 10 they needed. They missed the whole concept.

    Mistake #3 - Not knowing your response rate Marketing Tip - Always know your marketing response rate, or be finding it.

    So, when you send out marketing and have no clue of what your response rate is, then how in the world do you know how much to send?

    Well, I'd send out enough to hit the 0.5% as a test market, and then measure the actual results coming back to be used in the next mailer.

    Mistake #4 - Not knowing when your marketing isn't working?

    Mistake #4A - Not sending out marketing because it is perceived that it "costs too much."

    Mistake #4B - Not knowing what it requires to acquire a customer? These are sort of one in the same mistakes -

    • Not knowing when your marketing isn't working, and
    • How to measure when it does work.
    • And the answer to both is "what does it cost to acquire a client."
    How would you define "not working?" There is only one time when your marketing could be defined as "not working" and that is when it costs too much to acquire a customer. Notice, I didn't say what marketing cost. I said what it costs to acquire a customer. Most decisions to not send marketing this month are based on "fear of spending money" when the decision should be made on "for every dollar spent on marketing it will generate X times more dollars" and then we MUST know what X is. If X is larger than an acceptable figure we move forward no matter what the cost because it will always generate more money than we put in. Let's look at it this way, if you could generate 15% every year in the stock market would you do it? Of course....most would anyway. I wouldn't because I believe that for every dollar put into my business I see 10-100 times come out and so I'm always looking for where to invest my money for the greatest return. And if you start managing your business that way instead of where to "avoid spending" you'll find the answer and see similar results. So what does it cost you to acquire a client?

    That usually is a result of not knowing what it costs to acquire a lead or acquire a customer, or what the response rate is for your marketing.

    Let's say that a mailer costs you $0.35 (for a postcard, printed and mailed, using Corn - Natural Fibre Option
    Unlike Halloween costumes, can you think of wearing your desired dress wear made of the corns instead of just eating them? The fact is that Nature Works PLA has developed the fiber exclusively made from corn the ultimate product of which is natural plastic. Dextrose has been extracted from corn by Nature Works PLA and it is the fermented for producing Lactic Acid. To convert it in the fiber form the water is eliminated. Due to cheaper costing and bulk availability of corn, it is used as the dextrose source.Cargill Inc. and The Dow Chemicals Company are the two giants in the fields of agriculture and chemicals who jointly formed Cargill Dow Polymers LLC to produce the fibers. Cargill markets, processes and distributes agricultural products the world over whereas Dow manufacturers chemicals, plastics and agriculture products globally. Lactic acid is supplied by Cargill and cost effective polymer production in bulk is managed by Dow in joint venture enterprise. They have applied for generic fiber classification to the Federal Trade Commission.Exclusive optional combination of fabrics made with Nature Works PLA is offered to consumers which have drawn substantial attention. The fabrics are comfortable similar to natural fibers like cotton, silk and wool even in terms of its performance, cost and easy caring characteristics of syntheow how much to send?

    Well, I'd send out enough to hit the 0.5% as a test market, and then measure the actual results coming back to be used in the next mailer.

    Mistake #4 - Not knowing when your marketing isn't working?

    Mistake #4A - Not sending out marketing because it is perceived that it "costs too much."

    Mistake #4B - Not knowing what it requires to acquire a customer? These are sort of one in the same mistakes -

    • Not knowing when your marketing isn't working, and
    • How to measure when it does work.
    • And the answer to both is "what does it cost to acquire a client."
    How would you define "not working?" There is only one time when your marketing could be defined as "not working" and that is when it costs too much to acquire a customer. Notice, I didn't say what marketing cost. I said what it costs to acquire a customer. Most decisions to not send marketing this month are based on "fear of spending money" when the decision should be made on "for every dollar spent on marketing it will generate X times more dollars" and then we MUST know what X is. If X is larger than an acceptable figure we move forward no matter what the cost because it will always generate more money than we put in. Let's look at it this way, if you could generate 15% every year in the stock market would you do it? Of course....most would anyway. I wouldn't because I believe that for every dollar put into my business I see 10-100 times come out and so I'm always looking for where to invest my money for the greatest return. And if you start managing your business that way instead of where to "avoid spending" you'll find the answer and see similar results. So what does it cost you to acquire a client?

    That usually is a result of not knowing what it costs to acquire a lead or acquire a customer, or what the response rate is for your marketing.

    Let's say that a mailer costs you $0.35 (for a postcard, printed and mailed, using Using the Internet to Find Nursing Jobs Online
    Using the internet to find nursing jobs online is a great way to find a job after graduating. The internet is filled with job sites, classified ads, and web sites that advertise nursing jobs in most cities and countries. When a person graduates, they can begin their search for employment from home. They can post resumes, answer ads, and perform company searches. Many companies and hospitals advertise for job openings on the internet. Corporations that are searching for on site nurses will also post advertisements on their web sites. Narrow down the search by looking for companies that have a good reputation for hiring nurses. Visit the web sites to see if they are hiring. Many times they will only post advertisements on their web sites. Visiting the same site a few times is also a good idea because new jobs are always being posted.Posting a resume on a job web site will get a person noticed. Every day companies search for prospective employees on the internet. Posting resumes is free and one of the best ways to find work. Using the internet to find nursing jobs online is also a good way to see the types of jobs that are out there. A person can search in any city they would like and also search for the types of positions they would be suited for and enjoy. For those who want to work in the hospital system, there are hospital web pages tn should be made on "for every dollar spent on marketing it will generate X times more dollars" and then we MUST know what X is. If X is larger than an acceptable figure we move forward no matter what the cost because it will always generate more money than we put in. Let's look at it this way, if you could generate 15% every year in the stock market would you do it? Of course....most would anyway. I wouldn't because I believe that for every dollar put into my business I see 10-100 times come out and so I'm always looking for where to invest my money for the greatest return. And if you start managing your business that way instead of where to "avoid spending" you'll find the answer and see similar results. So what does it cost you to acquire a client?

    That usually is a result of not knowing what it costs to acquire a lead or acquire a customer, or what the response rate is for your marketing.

    Let's say that a mailer costs you $0.35 (for a postcard, printed and mailed, using http://www.usps.com/ ). If you send 1,000 pieces, that is $350, and if you get 1%, or 10 calls, that lead cost you only $35.00 each....right? Not bad if you ask me.

    Now that is a lead, not a sale. So, let's say that you close 40-50% of your sales, which I also consider a reasonable figure. That means that it costs you $70.00 to acquire a customer. If that is a reasonable figure for you, then your statement of "I can't afford to send marketing this month" is nothing but a ‘business killer." It really should be changed to "how many customers do I want to buy this month" and then adjust the number of letters going out to deliver that result.

    If your sale is small enough that $70 will not work, then we've got to work on that we can. The point is you can't afford to not make this work. We just have to find the results that will work for you.

    Marketing tip - Have a clear cost to acquire a customer, and knowing what is acceptable.

    Mistake #5 - Marketing that talks about you, your product, your features. Most companies look at marketing as a black hole, or black magic that they have no control over. That is only their perception....in which case they've made it reality....at least for them.

    You are going to get a golden niblet here. This is a huge mistake that businesses make, and this is the one that relegates them to the "less than nothing" response rates in their marketing. Learn that this isn't about you, it isn't about your product, it isn't about the features of your product, or even what you do....it is only about one thing...."what your prospect wants and needs, or a solution to his greatest problem."

    I know....I know...I hear the grumbling now....You say your product does all of that. The customer doesn't know that, so don't open your marketing with anything about you, your product, your features, or what you do. The first thing at the very top of your marketing should

    Get Your Prospect's Attention by making a value statement about what kind of results the prospect could get, or will get, or you will guarantee that he will get, or that a previous customer has gotten. Make it in dollars and cents.
    Your response rate will jump up to over 5% to 10%. If you've been getting 0.5% to 1.0% (the national average) then this is a 10 to 20 times increase in the number of people walking through your door for a relatively simple change. If you've not even been hitting the 0.5% area, then it is how much bigger than where you are now....pretty darned big. I've seen customers increase their business results by over 10 times in a week by getting this right.

    Marketing Tip-Marketing is ALWAYS about the customer, his wants and needs, and his pain or solution. Not about you, your product, features, or what you do.

    Mistake #6 - Hiring a Professional Marketing Company That Won't or Can't Define Their Measurable Results When you hire anyone for anything, always ask for measurable results as a guideline. If you noticed in mistake #5 above, I suggested that you state your value in dollars and cents to the customer. After all, he will ultimately make a decision on hiring you or someone else based on the value you bring to the table. When you allow the customer to figure out what you are worth it isn't likely to be anything near what you are actually worth. So, why shouldn't you expect your marketing provider to provide you the measurements you need to make your decision?

    Also, when a vendor is aware that that is what they are responsible for delivering they will also start managing it for better and better results. It just seems to happen that way.

    So, IF you decide to hire out your marketing then ask one key question:

    What measurable results do you, as my professional marketing company, typically deliver?

    It should be a response rate, in other words a statement like "approximately 1% to 5% of the marketing sent out should call you" or what other action you want. And keep in mind that 1% is considered average and for a really good marketing company it should be a LOT higher.

    Now,

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