My Blog

How many times do you get called by marketers selling you advertising ?  And how many do you sign on with ?  It's important to review all those marketers spruiking their services, rather that a standard 'no thanks' reply.  A standard response we have to many advertisers is this, "If you can run an ad / campaign for us for free (or seriously reduced rate) once and we get a positive return based on your full rate fees, we'll use you again"  You'd be surprised how many advertisers will take you on based on this principle, and you're then in a position to test and measure the results to make informed decisions about your advertising for the future.  If you need tips on putting ads together, Delegated can help.

There's a great book called "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing" (can't remember who wrote it). Whilst many of the 'laws' seem to contradict themselves, there's a common theme. Do more and get more. This means that by simpy listing absolutely everything even remotely connected to your products and services, you'll attract more people into your circle (perhaps breaking the law of line xtension ?). So, make sure you tell your market everything you can do to attract attention. BUT....doesn't this fly in the face of the new niche marketing phillosophy ? Well, maybe, but if they don't call at all, you can't say no. Get listing.

If you've been around longer than my kids, you may remember what networking was like before Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and all the other online networks.  Online networking provides excellent tools to seek out and communicate with like minded folks both personally and professionally, however it's important to throw in a little old fashioned 'chat' as well.  Using the adage that the whole planet is connected by no more than 6 degrees of separation, we can connect to anyone we need to with a little pro-active effort.  So.....where to start ?  Here's 3 simple tips for your offline networking.  1. Make a weekly diary note to contact an associate about something you're doing that's new, but not a sales call, just an introduction.  This will provide valuable feedback for you.  Ask for a referral from them to someone who may be interested in the concept and follow the lead.  This will widen your network, and people always talk about new ideas.  2.  Keep a 'circle of influence' list updated every week with associates who network well, this will make it easier to figure out who to call each week.  3. Remember that networking and selling are different things, so be specific about who you're networking with as a hard sell may push them out of your network.  A chat over coffee can often lead to greater achievements than a proposal or quotation.    

OK, so all business owners and managers may get a little stresses from time to time.....but it's a red hot tip to remember to say 'thank you' at least once a day to someone in your organisation, regardless of your mood. Why not put it in your computer calendar as a reminder ? Remember your success is only as good as the people around you help you to make it.Thank You for reading this, please pass it on.

When the big 'E' took hold in all our lives, we embraced Email, Ecommerce and Enews wholeheartedly. Then the obvious thing happened, where we used to throw out the hard copy newsletters before reading them, we're now discarding enews for all the same reasons. So, does this mean Enews is dead ? Far from it. Your opening rates for Enews reflect the subject lines and content you include, just like your old hard copy newsletters, so the rules haven't changed, just the medium for delivery. So, what to do ?

Step 1 - You need a red hot Subject Line that reflects a bonus to your reader for opening your Enews.

Step 2 - You have t deliver on your promise, so make sure your offer(s) are IN YOUR FACE when opening the email and easy to redeem/purchase etc.

Step 3 - Include relevant information other than just your offers to keep people aware of what's happening in your industry THAT AFFECTS THEM (not you).Step 3.1 - Include a Funny Joke, Link, Video or story, everyone needs a laugh !

Have you ever been stuck selling / representing products and services you're not passionate about ? If the answer is yes, then you'll know it's a struggle. Perhaps you're not in a position to change everything you do, but it's nearly always possible to change enough of what you do to bring your passion into your everyday working life a little. Who knows, a little passion may just turn into a full time gig for you.....and that would be really satisfying ! Start today, or if you're stuck, ask for help.

Ever had a world beating business concept, new product idea or revolutionary new system ? We have........ and we've learnt that truly unique ideas/products/services only come about every once in a while. If you have a new concept and you're passionate, go for it, but remember this.......There's about 6+ billion people on the planet and a few of them may share that unique idea which you believe just belongs to you. So don't get despondent, do your research, as you may find someone's way ahead of you and can hepl you develop tour plan. A few nights spent Googling your idea may show you it's been done.....and that doesn't mean you should stop, just put a little perspecive on what's already out there before you mortgage your house to create the dream. We've worked with (and are guilty of being) ideas peope, but we've learnt that a little research may be the differnce between success and failure. Here's a couple of place to go when searching: www.google.com (OK you probably knew that one) ... www.alibaba.com www.madeinchina.com and http://www.ideaconnection.com/new-inventions/

Are you a procrastinator ? Well, perhaps everyone has a degree of that in them (yours truly duly included). Question of the day is this, "What do you know you should do, but you just don't get around to it ?" By the time we get to the ripe old age of.......well.....old enough to know better, there's a bunch of things we just know we should do.....but don't. Here's an example, let's say you knew that if you spent 15 minutes a day actively developing your circle of influence, rather than just dealing with the day to day, would it be helpful ? Absolutely !!! So, what could you do about it ? Well, you could actually diarise that once a day you'd call someone in your circle (or close to it) just for a chat, no strings attached. No hard sell and no agenda to make a quid from it. It'd pay off in spades, as your world, and your success is largely determined by the positive (as opposed to the toxic or mundane) company you keep. So pick up the phone and chew the fat once a day, and let the circles of your influence help shape your success. You'll only get back what you put out there.