Part 7 of 7 The final question in my initial interviews! Tell me about your referral marketing program. We all rely heavily on referrals, yet an astounding number of companies don't put together a formalized referral marketing strategy! It simply doesn't make sense. Learn three critical components of designing a successful and proactive referral marketing strategy. If you missed … [Read more...]
It’s a New Dawn…a New Day…a New Year…
Are you glad 2016 is over? Or did you have an epic year and wish it would never end? Well, either way, it's OVER, and that's both good and bad news! Regardless of whether you had a bad year or a good year, you still have to work hard to grow your business in 2017. In this video, Steve shares the four (or is it five?) actions you should take every single day to grow your business. Are you … [Read more...]
The Opportunity to be Legendary
Don't anybody move. Keep your hands where I can see them. And you might want to sit down for this. I've got a GREAT customer service story for you! And there's a terrific lesson we can all learn from it. My smoking' hot wife, Kay, works for the Federal Way Mirror. For those of you less worldly travelers, the Mirror is a weekly newspaper based right here in Federal Way, Washington, the hot … [Read more...]
Interview with Makers Mark Distillery
I had the privilege of recently interviewing Rob Samuels, COO of Makers Mark Distillery and eighth generation in his family to run the company. Makers Mark is an outstanding marketer and great example of creating the club your target market wants to be members of. Starting from the time he was nine years old, Rob Samuels worked at virtually every position in the distillery. Today, as Chief … [Read more...]
7 Marketing Tools Every Small B2B Must Use
Being an entrepreneur can be equally rewarding and frustrating. Owning your own business, no matter how small, can provide a giant measure of enjoyment and personal satisfaction. I can personally attest to that. There is much that can be frustrating, though. One is the simple fact you can't do everything you want to do. Take marketing, for example. Marketing is one of the two basic functions … [Read more...]
You’re Paying the Wrong Person for a Referral
Do you offer an incentive to those customers who send you a referral? If so, you're probably paying the wrong person. Referrals are huge. They should be an integral part of any small business marketing strategy (and big business, for that matter). Unfortunately, most small business marketers don't have a formal referral strategy, and those who do might be doing more harm than … [Read more...]
The 6 Most Important Questions For 2012
What will you do different in 2012? I asked that question in my last post. It's a pretty big question and, frankly, you may not know how to answer it. I can help you on that. I'm a consultant. That's what we consultants do. First, I'm going to teach you how to tell a good consultant from a bad one. Bad consultants come in to your business, analyze the situation, and then tell you … [Read more...]
Not Happy with 2011? What Will You Do Different in 2012?
Holiday season is tough. It's tough for a lot of reasons - some small and some not. For example, I like to say "Merry Christmas" to people. It's what I grew up saying and I WANT to say it, so I do. At the same time, I understand others may not feel so inclined to say it or even want to hear it. They may prefer "Happy Hanukkah," or "Heri za Kwanzaa." A lot of … [Read more...]