You are here: Home / Archives for strategy
December 28, 2008 By

How To Snatch The Golden COIN!

COIN – Circle Of Influence Networking.

On a regular basis, I am on the look out for new opportunities for companies and individuals within my circle of influence. Whether they are located within my immediate market, across the continent or around the world, I am keeping their best interests in mind. As you might imagine, I speak with CEO’s from many different types of companies all the time. If for instance, I speak with a manufacturer, I immediately curious as to who supplies their pallets or wood packaging? I have a client contact who does that. What about corrugated packaging? Looking to tie the knot, perhaps it would benefit you to speak with Atlanta’s ONLY Intimate Bridal Salon? No matter what the situation, I love the idea of my clients doing business together.

I subscribe to a service that looks for news sources. Whenever I spot a topic that a reporter is looking to research and one of my clients would fit the bill, then I pass it on. I consider these efforts part of my overall marketing strategy. One thing that it helps to spur is additional business. It keeps me on their radar. We are referring each other. Much of my new business is from referral. I see it as a two-way street.

Don’t forget that branding is all about the relationship. Take a look at your typical week. I’ll bet that you too trip over situations where your customers could benefit. Take for instance a retailer – if you’re smart and you’re building a customer database, find out what they do. Imagine if you were able to link them up with an opportunity? How golden would you be to them?

If you send out a monthly html newsletter to your list, feature a customer. It’s the little things that make a huge impact. When you’re in their company, pay close attention to what they’re saying about their daily lives. An irritant might possibly be addressed by someone within your circle of influence. What you will definitely find happening as a result of this, is that your customers will start looking out for you.

None of us are any different – we are all looking for new business. Ask your customers what they’re looking for?

Make COIN pay off for you!

File under: Featured
December 1, 2008 By

Your Audience Deserves Your Very Best.

My wife and I were out with friends recently and talk of my recent art exhibit came up. I paint in watercolor, and I held a studio Christmas show. (www.EdRoachWatercolors.com) My friends and my wife all thought I had blown an opportunity to sell a certain painting to a guest. They remarked how the guest remarked how they had liked the painting and how “I talked them out of it”. I “missed a sale,” they said.

Here’s what happend:

The painting was part of a stack of work I keep under my work table. I consider these junk. I keep them to remind myself of my progress. They are not meant for sale. The person in question spotted this pile and asked to see them. I obliged. There was one in particular she admired and said she’d like to buy it. Here’s where the source criticism comes into play. I proceeded to explain why the painting was not good enough to sell. I had painted another cat, and the effect was striking, as you see in the photo here. The painting was soft and somewhat menacing. This second one was too harsh. It did not have the sophistication of it’s sister painting. For this reason, I deemed it not worthy. It didn’t put out the feeling I was looking for. I felt it valuable that the guest understand that my vision for this painting was important and that it was especially critical that only my best work be out there. I don’t want my brand to be tainted “for the sale”. My friends were aghast that I would talk the guest out of a sale – after all it was an art show. They offered to attend the next show and help me sell. I’m afraid they might sell my drawing board if someone made an offer:)

I believe you must have standards. When I discuss my art, and my branding business, I try my best to educate. Explaining what to look for. I don’t want my audience to be taken in by mere flash, it is important to appreciate what makes something great and what does not.

I suppose the cat on it’s own my be OK, but it did not fulfill the criteria of my vision. My goal is to create a series of cats, with much the same expression and style. I mostly paint landscape but I keep my hands in every subject so that I will grow across all. When a painting or branding project “works”, it is a great source of pride. It is very fulfilling for the artist and patron. Both “get it.”

Be sure not to prostitute your services just to make a buck, or your brand will stand for nothing.

File under: Branding, Featured, Marketing
November 23, 2008 By

Brand Common Sense in 5 Easy Steps

It’s a little late to think about buying a parachute when you’re going down in flames. Businesses that chose to ignore their brands and marketing to save a few dollars are now scrambling to try and and fend off their inevitable demise. Have you ever noticed that many in the retail world, both large and small do their best job at marketing when they are going out of business. The liquidation sales are adequately promoted with proper funding. When they had the opportunity to take marketing seriously they chose to pinch pennies and failed to invest in themselves, believing people would just beat a path to their door.

Their brands are now so weak they it will take very deep pockets just to stay above water let alone grow. Take this 5 step action plan that is more common sense than anything miraculous:

1) Respect your brand and don’t fall prey to the temptation of being all things to all people. Now is the time, more than ever before to define your brand and compel your customer. If you fall back on a price advantage, the competition will gladly buy the business back. Deeper pockets will work every time.

2) Get in the door with a competitive positioning strategy and sell up from there.

3) Build a relationship that builds loyalty and service the hell out of them.

4) Don’t rely entirely on technology for communication but put your bum in front of them when ever you can.

5) And for God’s sake, don’t stop trying to satisfy and keep your name in front of them – what ever it takes.

File under: Featured, Marketing