Every great salesperson knows that the key to success is listening.  Listen carefully, and prospects will tell you their needs, preferences, budget and even objections.  This begs the question: if the goal of marketing is to generate sales, where does listening enter into your marketing efforts?  How easy do you make it for a customer…

A common problem with a lot of marketing out there today is information overload.  People can really only retain one big idea about you at a time (maybe two if they’re done well).  But often, companies try to pack all kinds of information into an ad, so the one idea that matters most gets lost. …

You can’t teach new media old tricks – yet most businesses are trying to.  Take social media like Facebook.  The basic idea is that you cultivate a community of people who talk to one another about issues related to what you do, and you get to be part of that conversation.  If you’re a hospital,…

This may be an eye-opener.  Take a look at where you spent money on media last year.  Now think about the media you invested in ten years ago.  If the two aren’t very different, it probably means you’re marketing with an outdated model.  It almost certainly means the money you’re investing in marketing isn’t reaching…

Between basic information like area code, online registration information, network and GPS data, it’s easier than ever to know where your customers are.  If yours is a walk-in, product-oriented business, you can use that information to bring in customers who are in the neighborhood.  This “hyperlocal” marketing is growing rapidly ($2 billion in 2010), so…

In the digital maelstrom of social media, texting, e-mail and the rest, it’s easy to overlook the value of getting out on the street.  On the Food Network’s “Restaurant: Impossible” (one of the best business shows on television), host and chef Robert Irvine helps revive the fortunes of failing restaurants.  In one episode, he predicts…

In the film, “The Social Network,” the cofounders of Facebook debate the merits of selling advertising on their site.  As portrayed in the movie, Mark Zuckerberg argues passionately against the idea, noting that if the site is no longer perceived as “cool,” the entire enterprise will die.  This is the essence of branding: understanding the…

Here’s something to consider as you evaluate your website.  Research shows that people like to get where they’re going online in as few clicks as possible.  Make the process too cumbersome, and they’re likely to leave without finding what they need.  This means you get no business.  It also means their only experience with your…

The percentage of retail e-mails being read on mobile devices continues to rise sharply as smartphone use increases.  If you send regular e-mails to consumers, this suggests you keep them as short as possible.  Be sure your headline sells your offer or news with the biggest possible impact.  And if you include website links, be…

There are literally thousands of things you can do to help search engines find your website, but one basic step is to look at the way you name and tag pages within the site.  For example, there’s no reason to name your home page “Home,” since that’s a nearly useless search term for most businesses. …