We’ve been hearing about the local labour shortage for a long time. In fact, employers are going to unusual and costly lengths to locate suitable talent, such as sponsoring overseas workers and even celebrity-endorsed television and radio advertising.

The shortage is a real problem, likely to last for a long time...

If I were to ask you to define the common traits of a successful entrepreneur, what would your answer be? Let me guess. Did you say that they need to be leaders, innovators, self-confident, organized risk takers and competitive? Well, that’s the typical definition, and those are all good answers. But in my experience, there’s one key trait that is often overlooked when people think of a “successful entrepreneur”. It’s a trait that I call the Marketing Mindset..

Credibility is the foundation upon which your success is built. To establish credibility, you have to position yourself as the low-risk provider; your customers have to believe that in doing business with you, they have the least possible amount of risk. Credibility is created in many ways. To name a few, there’s your company: the history, time in business, market share. The quality of your products and services is important, as are your guarantees and testimonials. Even your telephone and e-mail manners make a difference...

Whether you know it or not, your company has a brand already. The question is: is it working for you or against you? People already perceive you as something; the question is, what?

Your brand is not your logo; it’s much more...

The success factors of marketing are the same, whether you are a Fortune-100 company or a start-up operating out of your basement. 

The following is a guide to help you succeed in your marketing and maximize your profit potential.

You know you’ve crafted a great offer. It’s so good, any qualified prospect would be a fool to pass it up. Still, many do.

So what can you do to improve the pulling power of your offer? It’s easier than you think: simply add a bonus and a guarantee to what you are already proposing.

Let’s take a closer look...

Whether you create ads, websites, promotional strategies or sales programs, there are four questions you must answer if you’re going to succeed in grabbing your prospects’ attention, then keep them interested while you build their desire to buy, and move them to action.

You’ll seldom hear these four questions directly. They arise in the minds of your prospects at different...

The increasing pressure on businesses to become more environmentally sustainable is not a fad. It’s not going away; in fact, it’s only going to increase. It may seem like a big-business issue – oil and chemical companies, etc. – but it’s not just big industry that needs to focus on this. The “green” consumer market will only continue to grow, and it’s an opportunity just waiting for smart small businesses to get in early on what is the inevitable.

Why is it that one sales presentation works with one qualified prospect, and fails miserably with another, equally wellqualified? Why will a person buy in response to one type of sales copy, ad or promotion, but not to another?

Every business relies on sales and marketing to create and keep customers. In the process of selling, you will have to deal with different types of people with different personalities. How well you succeed will depend on...

All businesses need leads – they are your lifeblood. You must consistently build your list of prospects and introduce yourself and your company to new potential clients and opportunities. The ability to generate a regular flow of qualified leads is the hallmark of a successful business. And referrals are the least costly and most effective way to generate those leads.

Referrals leverage other people’s contacts and relationships, they speed up your sales cycle and, done right, a good referral program can all but eliminate the need to cold call.

Referrals are the best kind of leads because...