Key Message Sales Copy Platforms-The Secret To Increasing The Power of Your B2B Marketing Materials
It’s a simple fact. When your customers are presented with inconsistent or muddled marketing messages, they instinctively say ‘no,’ and move on. However, creating consistent selling statements throughout your B2B marketing materials can be difficult. Especially when you’re under the gun to produce a sales letter by the end of the week and a brochure by the end of the month—not to mention a print ad that’s due ASAP.The solution is creating a comprehensive key message copy platform that serves as the “master message document” for your product, from which you can write all your marketing pieces. Effective key message copy platforms typically include the following sections:The Problem Your Product Solves. Every product exists to solve a problem or a meet a need of some kind. Make sure your key message platform includes a clear explanation of the specific need your product addresses, and include it in your marcom materials.How Your Product Works. If your customers look at your web site, brochure and data sheet and see three different descriptions of how your product works, you’re in trouble. So develop one good explanation that’s easy to follow, and use it throughout your campaign.Market Research Facts and Figures. Your key message platform is the ideal place to list all the key market stats, facts and figures you need to substantiate the marketing claims you want to make about your product.Unique Selling Proposition (USP). To effectively market your product, it’s ideal to have a unique selling proposition (USP) that makes it superior to its competition. W

Soccer Versus Football: Sports and Sponsorship the American Way
There is a reason why Americans are disillusioned with what the rest of the world calls football. In addition to being a low-sometimes-no-scoring game, soccer lacks the level of aggression that so defines the American culture. The methodical focus and relative politeness of soccer makes matches monotone to American-breed sports senses.Absent in soccer are the pretentious--even brass--players who know that part of the game involves putting on a good show for the viewing audience and sponsors. In football, cheerleaders and sometimes marching bands help maintain the pep for slow-moving games. In soccer, cheering and spontaneous sing-a-longs are solely fan driven. Also fan-driven is the sea of national pride displayed by each country and the camaraderie between teams and their players. In America, being from the same country rarely equates to unity between the States. Football is a competition not an opportunity to fraternize.More interesting than the first hour and ten minutes of a soccer match are the fans and sometimes, the commercials. More interesting in the first hour and ten minutes of a football game is the game.In many ways, the international soccer audience is very much like the brands that support them--self-promoting. In America, name brands plaster everything mobile and stationary but individuals tend to drive promotions through word of mouth. In an ad overdosed society, it takes much more to garner viewer attention and ultimately consumer loyalty than the “Because I said so,” approach so prominent in American sports—especially footb

Where Have All the Leaders Gone
I find it disturbing that in many businesses these days we find an obvious lack of leadership. We can find managers everywhere, but no real leadership. What ever happen to independent thinking and risk taking?It is easy to be a manager. Managers follow processes and monitor the action of people around them and insure the "Process" is being followed. Leaders on the other hand create independent thinking among their teams. They inspire pride. They stand out from the crowd and command respect. They are entrepreneurial. They are willing to take chances. They are innovative. They are willing to accept responsibility for decisions, right or wrong. They are people whom others will follow. Because of these characteristics, they do great things.I am seeing a trend in business today that does not encourage leadership, and therefore does not produce leaders. Instead they produce managers. Here is what I am seeing. When a difficult challenge is presented to a manager, he or she will form a committee to discuss the issue before them. The committee is made up of team leaders (managers?) who sit around a conference room and throw out ideas regarding the challenge at hand. The committee may have appointed or been assigned a committee chair who will report back to the manager. When all of the ideas have been discussed, they vote on what to present to the manager.The manager then takes this suggestion and forms another committee of peer managers and again the ideas are tossed around until a consensus is reached by the committee. The decision is then presented as the solution to the prob

How To Find An Organization Worth Working For
Sadly, many “top” companies today would likely flunk a spiritual audit.Hidden behind the endless talk of organizational values, are profit-driven, high-pressure labor camps trading paychecks -- and diminishing perks – for your soul. All of which means that uncovering a company's corporate culture is a critical task for today’s job searcher. As important as the job itself.To find a company that recognizes you have needs and desires beyond the workday – children, aging parents, personal interests, church and self -- start with the highest level view of the qualities that make any organization spiritually rich:**Trust, active participation, mutual respect, and a feeling of belonging. **Open, honest communication flowing up, down and across an organization **Congruity -- stated values are healthy and consistently practiced. **Leadership emerges and is welcomed at all levelsThe cumulative result of these four patterns is a high "group intelligence" which produces organizations that are flexible, responsive, and able to react to change quickly. These companies respect you as an individual and are productive, profitable entities.3 Steps To Uncovering Cultural Truth You may never completely know a corporate culture until you have worked at the company for a while, but you can get darn close with the right kind of research. And do be pro-active. If there is an organization that you have even a inkling that you might like to work for – take them through this 3-step process.1. Know your own cultural values. Use the list of questions