A giant misconception about marketing is that it’s more art than science. Couldn’t be further from the truth. The problem is marketing usually isn’t held to the same standards as sales. Sales knows what it’s expectations are. Here is your quota. Make your quota and you get to keep your job. Believe it or not, marketing can and should be held to the same standards. Unfortunately, not only … [Read more...]
Dropping F-Bombs in Your Marketing?
Maybe it’s my age showing. Maybe it’s my small town Indiana upbringing. I’m getting tired and more than a little offended by the loosening of language in the business world. Bestselling books dropping F— and Sh— in the title. High traffic websites casually using the same coarse language. Speakers and authors adding vulgarity to their messages to do what…shock us into listening to them? Frankly, … [Read more...]
The #1 Lesson from the Death of the 8-Track
My smokin’ hot wife, Kay, suggested that a lot of my BFFs might not know the story of my Dad co-inventing the 8-track tape player. So besides sharing that story with you, I’m also sharing the #1 business lesson I took away after observing my Dad’s efforts to keep the 8-track alive. Many, many other long-gone companies have fallen because they didn’t understand the importance of this. Don’t be … [Read more...]
Dying Small Town Becomes Uncopyable by Thinking Big
It’s not news that small towns across America are struggling to survive. Downtown Mom-and-Pop shops are going out of business and young people are moving to big cities to find jobs. Are small towns doomed or can they survive? And what’s the lesson for small businesses? In this week’s Uncopyable Business program, Steve Miller shares the story of one small town in Illinois that appears to have … [Read more...]
If your prospects are satisfied, you have NO sale
Do you think everybody who fits the profile of your targeted customer needs your product or service? Well, guess what, there are a lot of them who don’t agree with you! Here’s a simple fact of selling and marketing: people only change when they are DISSATISFIED with their current situation. Look at it this way - are you satisfied with your car? Yes? Then if a car salesperson called you today … [Read more...]
Uncopyable Rock Star: Teatro Zinzanni
I can't really describe this Uncopyable Rockstar. I'll explain in a minute why that's a good thing. If you haven't been to Teatro Zinzanni, here's a quote from their website: "It's a three-hour whirlwind of International Cirque, comedy and cabaret artists all served up with a scrumptious multi-course feast and elegant libations." As great as that sounds, it falls short of what it's like to … [Read more...]
Great Customer Service Doesn’t Make You Uncopyable
There appears to be a blind spot in most corporation’s marketing strategies. Most organizations get the fact it’s very difficult to separate from the competition through product capabilities and quality. But far, far too many have shifted to the cliched statement of “we give the best customer service.” No specific description of what it means. No examples. No proof. Just a vague … [Read more...]
Best Practices Are Stupid
Interview with Stephen Shapiro For those of you who don’t know, I’m an Advisor and Radio Headliner for the C-Suite Network. A couple of months ago at a C-Suite meeting in Dallas I met Stephen Shapiro, author of the great book, BEST PRACTICES ARE STUPID. This week I’m breaking from my regular UNCOPYABLE BUSINESS mode and presenting a full 49-minute interview with Stephen about one of my … [Read more...]
The One Thing You Can Do To Increase Marketing Results
In the 1991 movie, City Slickers, cowboy Curly (Jack Palance) shares his philosophy of life with Mitch (Billy Crystal). “One thing,” Curly says. “Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean sh—.” “That’s great,” Mitch says, “But what’s the one thing?” “That’s what you’ve got to figure out.” Marketing isn’t as deep as looking for the secret to life, but there is one … [Read more...]
A Star Wars Hotel is Coming & I Can’t Wait
At last week’s D23 Expo, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts announced a new Star Wars-inspired resort will open in 2019. The thought of a Star Wars themed hotel doesn’t really rev me up, but read what Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, had to say: “It’s unlike anything that exists today.” Bob said. “From the second you arrive, you will become a part of a Star Wars story! … [Read more...]