If you market to business decision-makers, there’s a powerful marketing tool that can help you stand out from competitors and demonstrate your expertise: A white paper. Part 1 of a three-part blog post explains why white papers are so effective in business-to-business marketing and how to create a high-impact white paper for your smart marketing strategy....
View MoreRetail marketers often use email to promote sales and events to customers and prospects that have opted in to receive email communication. It’s a smart marketing strategy when it’s done right. But when it’s done wrong – especially when it’s overdone – retail email marketing can annoy the customer and ruin the relationship, particularly when the customer is new. Case in point: Ann Taylor Loft. Here’s how this retailer bombarded a new customer with 11 emails in the first 11 days of the relationship and provided a powerful example of...
View MoreExternal suppliers are critical to the success of nearly every business. Some vendors become trusted partners. Others have good intentions but struggle to deliver. A few fail so miserably they’ll never get a second chance. What makes a great client-vendor relationship? Here are some insights and 10 tips for becoming your client’s favorite vendor....
View MorePhilips Healthcare, a global medical technology giant with major operations in Cleveland, Ohio, took a different approach to the launch of a breakthrough medical imaging product line. Here’s how “radical” B2B marketing paid off for Philips – and four valuable lessons for your smart marketing strategy. ...
View MoreThere’s a simple business communication tactic that can have a huge impact on how your clients and prospects feel about you and your organization: The handwritten personal note. Here’s why personal notes are so effective in building strong client relationships and six tips for using personal notes in your smart marketing strategy. ...
View MoreOne of the most difficult marketing challenges is differentiating a service business from its competitors. One strategy is to market the knowledge and experience of the firm’s employees. Another is to focus on how the firm's employees make customers feel. Case in point: Tom, my UPS delivery guy. Here are 5 lessons in how to create loyal customers from a UPS driver in Cleveland....
View MoreThe quality of your sales proposal can make or break your ability to close the deal. So why do so many business-to-business (B2B) marketers produce such poor sales proposals? Here are five common mistakes in sales proposals that can cost you the business and some lessons for your smart marketing strategy. ...
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Promoting a professional services firm is one of the most difficult challenges in marketing. Whether you’re selling legal services, marketing services, accounting, IT, insurance, benefits, payroll, or consulting, it can be tough to create a marketing strategy that differentiates your company from everyone else who does what you do. Here's the usual approach: “We have great capabilities and we deliver great service.” No offense, but you must, or you wouldn’t still be in business. Plus, all your competitors say the same thing. Is that really what makes you stand out? Is that...
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If you’re a business-to-business (B2B) marketer, sponsoring your industry's trade show can deliver high visibility for your brand. But trade show sponsorship can be a big investment. Sponsorship packages for some national shows are topping six figures and even smaller sponsorship options can be costly. Before you spend valuable marketing dollars on a trade show sponsorship, here are 10 guidelines for choosing sponsorships that are worth the marketing investment....
View MoreSmart business-to-business (B2B) marketers work hard to create and keep great relationships with their clients. In my last post, I shared the story of how a new B2B sales rep nearly destroyed a 10-year client relationship with my marketing agency by making six crucial mistakes in the first meeting. But transitioning a legacy client to a new sales rep doesn’t have to be a sales minefield. When handled well, assigning a new rep to a key account can be an opportunity to increase the client’s satisfaction and boost sales. Here are 10 things...
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