Buying vs. Renting Your Next Trade Show Exhibit

Are you thinking about purchasing a display, but not sure about the investment? Renting may be the best option. Good justifications can be made for both renting and purchasing a trade show exhibit. This sometimes stressful decision depends on the nature of your trade show program, marketing goals, and budget.

Keywords:
trade show exhibits, rental displays, portable displays, exhibit rental

Are you thinking about purchasing a display, but not sure about the investment? Renting may be the best option. Good justifications can be made for both renting and purchasing a trade show exhibit. This sometimes stressful decision depends on the nature of your trade show program, marketing goals, and budget.

Renting can be a wise decision when your company has decided to start exhibiting at trade shows, your company is new and wants to make an initial big splash with a smaller budget, or your trade show schedule has overlapping shows and you need a second display. When first developing a trade show program to drive, supplement, or diversify your marketing mix, it can be difficult to determine the best exhibit for your needs. Making a large financial commitment on an exhibit under these circumstances can be a daunting task. Analyzing your company’s needs and choosing the right booth is integral to a successful trade show. It can be a good idea to rent rather than purchase a display even after you have done your research and decided on the best exhibit to fit your needs. This offers you an opportunity to “test drive” your exhibit. This renting strategy can also be used anytime you need to purchase a new exhibit, even if you have a trade show program already established.

Trade shows are huge undertakings, and when launching a start-up company with new products, trade shows are almost always in the marketing mix. Yet an exhibit, as integral as it is to a trade show, is one of the last things a marketing manager is thinking about when trying to launch a new company’s concept, service, or product at an industry trade show. All the tasks that go into a show exhibit – transportation, drayage, installation and dismantling – can be major headaches when you have leads and clients to cater to, not to mention promotional materials and product samples. Renting often relieves this burden since most display rental companies handle the installation and dismantling, shipping and drayage of the rental display, which frees up your time to handle more important things.

Renting a booth may be a great idea when purchasing an exhibit is not an option. This greatly reduces the initial expenditure and allows you to maintain the visual presence necessary to generate leads at a show.

If you only attend one show per year, it may be more beneficial to rent a display and purchase graphics, however if your organization has a more rigorous convention schedule, it will be more economical to purchase an exhibit. Typically, after about four shows the rental booth costs would have covered the purchase of a new exhibit.

The best of both rental and purchase worlds is when the rental display company offers a rebate plan similar to OneSource Exhibits’ Rental Rebate Program, which allows 100 percent of the rental fee to be applied toward the purchase price of a similar display if purchased within 90 days of the rental. This gives your company the flexibility to determine which type of display will work best for your trade show program prior to buying the exhibit. Call a OneSource Exhibits Consultant today at 800-767-8225 to learn more about our wide variety of rental displays.

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The Search For A Mentor

There are many so called “gurus” on the net that are offering their advice to you concerning internet marketing. The net is packed with experts and they all want you to join their list.

Most of them just want to sell you something and you never learn anything. How do I know this? Because I have fallen victim to the promises of these experts and joined almost all their lists.

So I have come up with a checklist to consider when attempting to choose a mentor.

1. Is he/s…

Keywords:
internet marketing,guru,marketing expert,

There are many so called “gurus” on the net that are offering their advice to you concerning internet marketing. The net is packed with experts and they all want you to join their list.

Most of them just want to sell you something and you never learn anything. How do I know this? Because I have fallen victim to the promises of these experts and joined almost all their lists.

So I have come up with a checklist to consider when attempting to choose a mentor.

1. Is he/she widely known? You would be surprised to learn that not every one with a fancy website is truly an expert. Do a search on Google for his or her name and see what you come up with. Check out their website and see what PR (Page Rank) they have. If they have been around a while the page rank should verify this.

2. Now search his or her name and type in “reviews”. Does he or she get favorable reviews? If the reviews are about 50% good and 50% bad-pass on him or her. If he is truly an expert his/her reviews should run 80% to the good.

3. Is his product or membership site worth the money? How can you tell? Read over the sales letter. Is it choppy or does it run really smooth? Does it offer all the points of interest you are looking for? Does he offer a good unconditional money back guarantee? If he doesn’t, close that page fast.

If everything meets your expectations the go ahead and order. But be sure to find out where the refund link is as soon as you purchase. If it is not what you thought it should be then just ask for your money back. Don’t be shy about it. They will honor your request. (If they don’t then you have found out the hard way whether or not they can be trusted)

4. Does what he/she teach make a difference in your marketing? Obviously if they are teaching you the things that made them a success and you are seeing positive results then you have a winner.

I hope this will help you in your pursuit of internet marketing knowledge. It is not all that is needed to find a reliable mentor but it is a start.

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Media Darlings: The Top Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Working with the Press

Many exhibitors don’t know how to work effectively with the media. Exhibitors wring their hands in despair when not a single word about their new products show up in the trade publications. It’s a no-win situation – but it doesn’t have to be!

Keywords:
trade show marketing, trade show planning, trade show training, trade show staff training, exhibitor staff training, trade show books

There’s a saying in the newspaper business: Advertising is expensive—but editorial is priceless! This simple phrase speaks to the fact that readers trust and value any information they read in an article or column far more than any data they glean from an advertisement. Even when the facts presented in an article and an advertisement are identical, the results are the same. Positive editorial coverage is worth its weight in gold.

Yet many exhibitors don’t know how to work effectively with the media. I hear it all the time – from both sides of the aisle. Exhibitors wring their hands in despair when not a single word about their new products show up in the trade publications – and reporters get irritated, frustrated, and downright disgusted with those exhibitors who seem to go out of their way to make getting a good story possible. It’s a no-win situation – but it doesn’t have to be!

Here are ten do’s and don’ts about working with the media at a trade show. Remember, the press is not your enemy! Reporters have a job to do, and nine times out of ten, it’s in your best interest to help them do it. You both win – they get good copy for their story, and you get editorial coverage.

Do: Do your homework before the event. Develop several newsworthy angles that showcase your message. Emphasize timely information, such as industry trends, statistics, new technology or products, do-it-yourself tips, techniques or strategies, and useful advice. Human interest stories are great because they allow writers to put a ‘face’ on what could be a dry nuts and bolts story.

Don’t: Decide what story the reporter is going to write before they even get to the show. Sure, you might have all these great human interest angles or wonderful quotes, but if the reporter is trying to put together a succinct, ‘just-the-facts-Ma’am’ story, that’s just extra noise the writer doesn’t want or need. Listen to what the reporter is asking for, and provide that.

Do: Build a working relationship with the press. Get to know the editors and writers. Volunteer to be a resource for them. Reporters keep ‘source lists’ – people who are informative, friendly, and quotable. That’s where they turn first when they need to write a story on a particular topic. You want to be on that source list.

Don’t: Snub the little guy. Just because someone is writing for the Omaha Chamber of Commerce today doesn’t mean they won’t be editing the most prestigious trade journal tomorrow. Professionals move in the media with amazing speed and regularity – but they take their memories with them. Burn a reporter when they’re nobody, and they’re going to remember when they’re somebody!

Do: Have a good press kit. Include interesting and timely information; a one-page company bio sheet – corporate structure, executive staff chart, sales figures; complete product information – specs, distribution methods, pricing; good product photos or links to on-line FTP sites where photos can be found; key contacts. Everything must be accurate and verifiable. Unique packaging is good if you’re unknown, otherwise, don’t bother.

Don’t: Pad your press kit with tons of ‘fluff’. Short and to the point is much better. Avoid gimmicks, head shots of your CEO, outdated, false, or exaggerated information. Misleading statistics can be the kiss of death – give context for all numbers. Standard sized folders or smaller is best, as these easily fit into bags and briefcases.

Do: Make every effort to spread the word. Coordinate with show organizers at any media events they host, and make sure that plenty of your press kits are available in the media room. Post all relevant information on line, so information can be accessed after the event. Hold press conferences when appropriate.

Don’t: Hold a press conference ‘just because’. Press conferences are specifically for major announcements, new product introductions, but only if they are truly new or improved, or general industry trends – what’s hot and what’s not. If you host a poorly organized event when nothing newsworthy is shared, you’ve just irritated a whole room full of reporters. Not a good idea.

Do: Keep your promises. If you schedule an interview, be available and on time. If you arrange to have materials sent to a reporter, make sure they’re actually sent. Promised photos should be as described. Reporters work tight time frames, so when you fail to deliver what they’re expecting, they don’t have time to come back looking. They’ll move onto another, more accommodating source.

Don’t: Assume that the reporter knows everything about your industry, especially if they are from a general interest publication. Provide background data, give real-world examples, and avoid industry specific jargon. Spell out acronyms at least once, and explain the relevance of any awards, certifications, or honors you may be discussing.

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Nation Branding and Place Marketing – VIII. The Psychology and Demographics of the Consumer

The country’s “customers” are its investors, tourists, traders, market intermediaries, NGOs, and office-holders in other countries and in multilateral institutions. Understanding their psychology and demographics is crucial. Their interactions with one another take place in a complex environment, affected by governments, social forces, cultural factors, and markets.

Keywords:

VIII. The Psychology and Demographics of the Consumer

The country’s “customers” are its investors, tourists, traders, market intermediaries, NGOs, and office-holders in other countries and in multilateral institutions. Understanding their psychology and demographics is crucial. Their interactions with one another take place in a complex environment, affected by governments, social forces, cultural factors, and markets.

The country must clearly identify its clientele: who are they, what motivates them, what do they do and buy (and how, where and when), what are their decision-making processes and priorities, who influences these and how. It is important to remember that people and institutions buy goods and services to satisfy needs. Nation branding is tantamount to casting the country as the superior if not exclusive answer to those needs it can cater to or even create.

The country’s brand manager would do well to analyze the purchasing process: how, when, and where transactions are concluded. Understanding consumption and investment habits and patterns allows for better targeting and education of relevant market segments in order to influence and alter the behavior of target customers.

The brand manager must distinguish consumer customers from business customers and from institutional customers.

Consumer customers purchase goods and services from the country for their own consumption. Tourists are consumer customers.

Business customers buy goods and services from the country on behalf of third parties. Tour operators are business customers.

Institutional customers assemble information about the country and analyze it in order to make or to influence political and credit decisions. Banks, governments, NGOs, and lenders evaluate and finance tourism projects based on such data.

Business customers operate on a large scale and are, therefore, less numerous and less dispersed than consumer customers. Consequently, it is easier to foster long-term and close relationships with them. But, being dependent as they are on end-users, theirs is a volatile, demand-driven market. Moreover, business customers are tough negotiators (though some of them seek quality rather than price advantage).

To attract these movers and shakers, the country’s brand manager must constantly monitor the global economy as well as the economies of the nation’s main partners. Everything, from monetary policy to regulatory and fiscal developments affect purchasing and investment decisions.

The Encyclopedia Britannica 2009 Edition mentions some additional considerations:

“… Organizational factors, which include the objectives, policies, procedures, structures, and systems that characterize any particular company… Interpersonal factors are more salient among business customers, because the participants in the buying process—perhaps representing several departments within a company—often have different interests, authority, and persuasiveness. Furthermore, the factors that affect an individual in the business buying process are related to the participant’s role in the organization. These factors include job position, risk attitudes, and income.”

Consumer customers are the hardest to predict and “manipulate” because they are influenced not merely by hard-nosed intelligence – but also by rumors, age, education, stage in one’s life-cycle, occupation, lifestyle, self-conception, past experiences, pecuniary circumstances, personal predilections and prejudices, as well as by a variety of cultural and social factors such as one’s values, perceptions, preferences, one’s status, reference groups, family, and role models. Thus, the customer’s idiosyncratic background largely determines the economic outcome.

It is here that branding has an often decisive role. The more costly, infrequent, and risky the purchase, the higher the consumer’s emotional involvement in the buying task. The more differentiated the country’s brand, the less the anxiety provoked by the need to commit resources irrevocably.

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Attorney Marketing – Boosting Revenues With No Added Costs

Attorney marketing can encompass a number of areas. You might have a media campaign; direct mail, educational marketing, PR, Internet or you might focus your legal marketing on building a referral network. Whatever your attorney marketing approaches, you can focus, assure and enhance your positive results with an effective weekly planning meeting and appropriate delegation.

If you start out attorney marketing without any sort of direction or plan, it is also likely you wil…

Keywords:
attorney marketing, law firm marketing, lawyer marketing, law practice management, legal marketing

Attorney marketing can encompass a number of areas. You might have a media campaign; direct mail, educational marketing, PR, Internet or you might focus your legal marketing on building a referral network. Whatever your attorney marketing approaches, you can focus, assure and enhance your positive results with an effective weekly planning meeting and appropriate delegation.

If you start out attorney marketing without any sort of direction or plan, it is also likely you will be wasting money, right? In target shooting it is “ready, aim, and then fire – so too with attorney marketing. Well, the trick is to continue this thinking throughout the marketing life of your firm. The need for focused lawyer marketing does not run out like a warranty. The marketplace, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your circumstances change over time and so should your legal marketing stance.

How To Do An Effective Weekly Planning Meeting:

Each week, it is imperative that you sit down with yourself and some paper and get focused on your lawyer marketing. This is your time to think about the practice and where it is going, to consider your mission and goals and what you can do to make them real, and to take a good look at the status of your attorney marketing.

The meeting itself should be scheduled on your calendar as at least a thirty-minute block of time. You should have no interruptions and be able to hold the meeting each Friday towards the end of the day or perhaps early Monday morning. Out of this meeting, you will come up with a fully prioritized to do list as well as a clearer picture of where the practice stands and what you need to do to meet the long term goals of the firm, in your personal life, and in attorney marketing.

How to Make/Prioritize Your Empowering List:

For the first part of your meeting pull out your firm mission and 1, 5, 10-year goals (if you have them – if not do make them) and review them. Next put something on your “weekly to do list” that will further at least one of your firm one year goals (you can put more of course). Next, put down the items of all types that must (or it would be best if completed) get done during the upcoming week. Now, for each task, you need to rank it using the letters A, B, and C. To do this ranking A = important and must be done by a lawyer; B = less important and does not require a lawyer (although you personally might have to do it); C = not very important and does not require a lawyer (although you personally might have to do it).

Next, among the A’s, rank each item with either a 1, 2, or 3. The items marked with a 1 must be done within two days. The items marked with a 2 must be done in three to five days, and the items marked with a 3 can wait until next week if necessary. Do the same with the Bs and Cs.

For example, if you have some attorney marketing task that needs to be done by Monday, then you would mark it an A1. If you have a client that needs specific information from their file by Friday, you would probably mark it a B2 and delegate that to a paralegal. If you have a doctor’s appointment on Friday it would also be a C2 since it does not require a lawyer but you need to do it although you could reschedule it if necessary.

Delegating Tasks:

Delegate any tasks that are B or C level of importance if you possibly can. If you can’t delegate it ask yourself why? No staff? Not enough staff? Not trained the staff? Staff not effective? Fix these issues so you can delegate. Create a form to use that you can give to each team member. Include the following information for each task:

· Today’s date
· Due date for task
· What is to be done
· Who is responsible for this task
· Why the task is important
· How often to report to you on progress or status
· Further instructions

The goal here is to stop doing as many B and C tasks as you possibly can. You make your money doing things lawyers do (associate, partner and managing partner lawyer things) not other things. This will free up your time to do more A tasks, and you can attend to important matters like growing your practice through attorney marketing. If you have associates now you can do less technical work and do more legal marketing that is the lifeblood of any practice.

You should always keep your marketing goals in mind as you prioritize your list and delegate tasks. The success of your attorney marketing will grow as the skill and effectiveness of your managerial and entrepreneurial time and skills grow.

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The Power And Magic Of High-Tech High-Touch Marketing

Alright, you’re probably thinking… what in the heck is high-tech high-touch marketing?

In it’s simplest terms, high-tech high-touch marketing is a strategy and process that utilizes the most recent advancements in technology to simplify and automate your marketing efforts, build rock solid, long term relationships, and as a result allow you to earn more, work less, and have an absolute BLAST in the process.

Sounds pretty exciting right? Well, as you are about to learn…

Keywords:
internet, marketing, travis greenlee, coaching, build a coaching practice

Alright, you’re probably thinking… what in the heck is high-tech high-touch marketing?

In it’s simplest terms, high-tech high-touch marketing is a strategy and process that utilizes the most recent advancements in technology to simplify and automate your marketing efforts, build rock solid, long term relationships, and as a result allow you to earn more, work less, and have an absolute BLAST in the process.

Sounds pretty exciting right? Well, as you are about to learn it is.

Now before I go into the strategies around high-tech high-touch marketing, let’s first get clear about the challenges we all face.

The Problem:

As you know, the service profession is evolving more rapidly than ever before. Competition, technology and consumerism are taking huge bites out of our business possibilities.

Not to mention the challenges of not being able to reach our desired prospects. Spam filters, mass deletions, increased bounce backs and worse yet, people changing their email addresses. In fact, statistics show that 30% of internet users change their email addresses each year. Meaning that, if your list isn’t growing by at least 30%, if not more per year, you are actually going backwards.

Another interesting statistic is that we are now being bombarded by over 5,000 messages a day from all media sources. The internet, radio, TV, print media is taking it’s toll on our awareness and ability to focus on what’s really important. Is it any wonder why we are all waking around so dizzy in the head? I’ve beginning to think we are ALL suffering from one form of ADD or another, lol!

We’re working harder, feeling more stressed, and not yet seeing the results we want. We are afraid the old answers to building and sustaining our businesses just don’t seem to be working any more.

Whether we like it or not, it’s time to take action and re-engineer our marketing efforts and our businesses – or risk our futures.

With this in mind, I am honored to teach you the Secrets and Strategies to creating a Highly Automated, Very Successful practice, giving you complete freedom and control once and for all.

What’s the key to your success? It’s the level of your commitment.

Just check out these stats…

48% of marketers give up after the first contact
25% give up after the second contact
12% give up after the third contact
5% give up after the fourth contact

Meaning that 9 out of 10 people are never followed up with more 4 times.

Statistics show that it takes an average of 7 contacts to make a sale.

So, what’s the Solution?

It’s vitally important to connect frequently, consistently, and automatically with your target market. It’s essential that you leverage the power of technology to simplify this entire process.

Strategy number #1: Automate your business, build a million dollar contact list.

As we all know, the key to your success online rests in the quality, responsiveness, and size of your mailing list.

1) It needs to be highly targeted, providing quality content that addresses the challenges your target market faces and provides realistic solutions to make their lives and businesses more enjoyable.

2) Needs to include a strong opt in form on your homepage. Using free give aways, or legal bribes such as ebooks, assessments, mini course to attract new visitors.

Get creative. Offering a free newsletter simply doesn’t work anymore. The internet is saturated with these offers, as a result, they’ve lost their effectiveness. Think about when you became a new subscriber on someone’s list, what was it that attracted you? Make your offer sexy and compelling.

Now that you’ve created the system to build your list, the next step is to drive TONS of highly targeted traffic to your website.

I’ve broken it down for you…

3 Simple Strategies to Generate More Traffic to Your Website:

1) Build it yourself: Write and publish highly targeted articles.

2) Borrow it: Create a Strategic Alliance with a partner who currently supports your target market, yet isn’t your direct competitor. This is a true win/win relationship. As you share their services with your contacts, they will in turn, share your services with the people they know, like, and trust.

3) Buy it: Pay Per Click marketing is a miracle of the modern world. In fact, I believe history will show it to be the most important development in advertising this decade. Never before has it been possible to spend 5 bucks, open an account and have brand new, precisely targeted customers coming to your website within minutes.

As you are beginning to understand, building a highly successful practice online is not difficult. It does take proper training, however the results are most certainly worth the effort.

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Secrets from David Copperfield

David Cooperfield – live at the MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas! You might be fascinated to know what I discovered behind the curtain. I was lucky enough to assist him with one segment of his show. Of course I was sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal the magic behind that trick.

Keywords:
marketing, speech coaching, presentation skills

David Cooperfield – live at the MGM Grand Hotel Las Vegas! You might be fascinated to know what I discovered behind the curtain. I was lucky enough to assist him with one segment of his show. Of course I was sworn to secrecy and cannot reveal the magic behind that trick.

Watching a master at work inspired me to do more than just watch – to observe and learn. I can reveal to you the secrets of David Copperfield that you can apply to your business.

There is no magic
The first rule. Reality. You will not reach success – in any field because of magic. Copperfield does not claim magical powers. He proudly points out that it is illusion. Masterful illusion. The secret is in the mastery.

Illusion is more powerful than reality
You might wonder – “how does he do those amazing things?” And you might believe him to be embodied with special powers. Why? Because you see what he wants you to see – through the skills of direction, suggestion and having the right things hidden from view. How can you use these skills to create the right illusion for your customers?
You can create the right illusions when you understand and apply the power of communications.

People believe what they want
You can control what you want them to see but you cannot control what they believe. You can, however, influence what they believe and feel. If people want to believe in magic – they will. If your customers want to believe in you – they will. It is up to you to influence them to want to believe in you.

The audience is always right
Your customers are always right. Never argue with them. Demonstrate that you understand their position and respect their feelings. Then guide them in the direction you want to take them. Occasionally the audience did not react the way he expected or a volunteer was slow to follow instructions. Copperfield never pouted. Instead he acknowledged the misunderstanding and adapted.

Preparation is everything
Imagine the tremendous amount of rehearsal that goes into a David Copperfield production. Scripting, movement, positioning, lighting, team coordination, key words, timing, coaching. Now imagine the results if Copperfield stopped rehearsing. Have you and your people stopped rehearsing your marketing and sales messages? Imagine your improved results after you rehearse.

Pepare for the unexpected
Even with good preparation things happen. First – smile. Then continue to move the illusion in the direction you want. Don’t show stress or any of the negative emotions (anger, indignation, disgust). Your customers will react to any negative emotions they perceive in you.

Believe in people
Copperfield’s team moved about the stage and audience in harmony – always in the right place at the right time. They were personable, effective and efficient. The team member who volunteered me established rapport, qualified and instructed me. When it was my turn – it all happened the way he predicted.

Surround yourself with a good team. Then make them an excellent team with the right training, guidance and encouragement. Then trust their intentions and respect their abilities. Most of all – model the message and character you want them to follow.

Offer them Hope
Copperfield’s illusions work – because the audience wants to believe in the possibility of magic. Your customers buy from you because of their hopes. Your staff works with you because of their hopes. You run your business out of hope. Understand how fundamental the power of hope is. Offer possibilities. Offer opportunities. Offer hope.

Make it fun
Copperfield showed that he enjoyed his work and his customers. At one point he even spoofed his own illusion by redoing it in slow motion – revealing all the goofy things that we might have missed in real time.

You are the model for your staff and your customers. Show that you are having fun. Sure you need to be serious when required. But occasionally let the child in you show through. Be impish. Flash that spark of passion. Laugh – at yourself, with your staff, with your customers. Never laugh at them. If your staff is having fun – your customers will enjoy doing business with you more. They will want to believe in your illusions – and they will tell others about you.

Be vulnerable
Copperfield’s parents were in the audience. He acknowledged them. Then he told us how his father had wanted to be in show business – but did not pursue that dream because of his father’s (David’s grandfather) stubborn prejudice against a career in show business. David revealed an inner pain. Why? That shows that he is human like the rest of us.

Reveal a little of your inner secrets – a failure, an imperfection, an unfulfilled dream. Don’t pretend to be perfect. If you do – we will hate you. Instead be real – so those around you can see and believe that you are like them – human.

Don’t be seduced by the magic of technology
I was surprised to see, that before the show started, the stage was empty. No props or equipment to clutter up the message and distract our eyes from Copperfield. Yes, technology was used – as tools to support and enhance the illusion. The technology was never allowed to become the show. Clearly, Copperfield was the creator of the illusions.
Who or what is sending your messages to your customers? Do your customers mistake the technology as the center stage? Does the technology harm the relationship with your customers? Use the tools to support your message. And insure that you and your people are the center stage.

You don’t need a cape
Remember Mandrake the Magician? David Copperfield looked nothing like him. In fact he was rather casually dressed. Curious, I thought. Then I realized that you don’t need a cape, top hat or magic wand to create illusions. And maybe this was David’s most important message to his audience. We all are capable of creating the illusions we want. If we learn the fundamentals, focus our efforts and invest in ourselves and our people.

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Starbucks: How To Recruit For The Love And Meaning Of It.

In the previous post, “What’s love got to do with it?” I reported that most of today’s aspiring entrepreneurs say they do NOT put money first when they think of launching something of their own.

Instead, they want something they love, something that matters to them, where they can be their own boss, and then, yes, also earn some money with it.

I suggested that if we are to take them at their word, we’d better think of ways and language to attract these kinds of people t…

Keywords:
Kim Klaver,Klaver,Marketing,MLM

In the previous post, “What’s love got to do with it?” I reported that most of today’s aspiring entrepreneurs say they do NOT put money first when they think of launching something of their own.

Instead, they want something they love, something that matters to them, where they can be their own boss, and then, yes, also earn some money with it.

I suggested that if we are to take them at their word, we’d better think of ways and language to attract these kinds of people to us. They’re waiting for us.

So, instead of leading with the money, or how grand the opportunity is, or how the company is positioned to be the preeminent provider of XYZ product, we offer these people something completely different – something that matches more what they say they seek.

Here’s how Starbucks attracts such people.

Big sign in Starbucks on the Plaza in KC:

“HIRING EVENT: At Starbucks you can make a difference in someone’s day-and in your career…Date and place…”

That’s it. No talk of the money, such as it is, or the bennies, which ARE nice, no talk of how wonderful the company is, or how proud they should be to be able to work at (truly) one of the top companies in the world, blah blah blah.

Nope. Just…Here, you can make a difference in someone’s day-

Think of the kind of person who responds to that. I’m sure that explains why they have the most friendly people working at those stores around the world. It is NOT the money, that’s for sure. It’s tiny compared to the lofty money promises network recruiters hold out.

I just want a chance to “make a difference in someone’s day…” Indeed.

If there’s any doubt in your mind about how little ‘big’ money means to some of the most committed people in the world, think missionaries or volunteers. Or, think of the people lined up by the hundreds and thousands to work at Google, or Nordstroms.

It’s not the money that draws them, because the pay is not special. It’s the people there they want to be around, the feeling the community gives, the chance to max out your brain, your efforts, helping people get what they want, whatever it is…somehow, to make a difference and be part of a community that values and celebrates that.

In Rushkoff’s uplifting and provocative book, Get Back in the Box ( http://kimklaverblogs.blogspot.com/2009/03/did-we-fall-out-of-box.html ) he notes that “Apple is still widely considered one of the best places in the computer business to work. Apple workers still feel they are saving the world.” And look at the cool stuff they come out with! iPod, anyone? No, it’s not the money there, either.

In our business more than any other I have been connected with, I hear the same desire: people who’ve had a special product (or business) experience, who now want to save those who still have the problem.

Only network marketers have never learned the words to use, so they come across like sales types. But this can be remedied. The attitude, however, needs no remedy. It needs a chance to be seen and heard, to be put front and center by anyone in the business who shares that perspective. Does that sound like you?

If so, isn’t it time we do like Starbucks?

What if we could build up and promote that kind of community within our business? You know, for those of us where meaning matters more than money…

P.S. Just in from a 20-year veteran in Shaklee: “My greatest joy is to
experience people turning their health around.” -Margo C.

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Mirror Reality thru Full Color Rush Postcards

Nothing compares to seeing and feeling reality in front of you. The sight can be enchanting and moving. You can be moved by the sight or flabbergasted by its beauty.

Keywords:
Postcards Printing, Commercial Postcard Printing, Color Postcards Printing, Rush Postcards Printing

Nothing compares to seeing and feeling reality in front of you. The sight can be enchanting and moving. You can be moved by the sight or flabbergasted by its beauty. Feel it, sense it, there is no way you can seize it other than having it that way.

Ooops – did I say no way you can seize the moment and vista? Not anymore, because modern technology had burned the bridge of mediocrity to capture reality in every picture. It is like putting a mirror to a certain moment and allowing others to stare and seize the moment. It is bringing that moment right next to you.

Pictures are bright and clear. Texts are crisp and brusque. It’s a reality in a not so real time. If you cannot get there, no worries, it will be sent to you via postcards. What else will you ask for? It is already a complete dish of mesmerizing sight plus momentous memories. That is how amazing modern postcard printing services can give to us. It is all that and more..

Rush postcard printing has evolved in the drastic change of time and technology. From the inception of digital presses in 1990 up to this very moment, rush postcards have already gone a long way and is still aiming a good fight in the coming years because of the state-of-the-art innovations and craftsmanship.

The most recent innovation was that involving full color rush postcard printing. It involves a process called four color process – a system of printing where a color image is separated digitally into 4 different color values by the use of filters and screens. What results is color separation which is then transferred to printing plates and printed on a printing press. After that – viola – the original color and appearance of the image!

Full color printing adds zest to the usual way of printing postcards. It is responsible for creating astounding imagery that leaves us clueless about further details. All we know is that it is so realistic that it can satisfy just anybody’s passion and want of details. This plight may be inconceivable in the past decades nevertheless, very much possible and feasible at this present time.

Full color rush postcards are gaining popularity not only because of the captivating colors and crisp of the texts more so for the reason that it is also money-wise. It is creating a new realm that offers affordable printing services at a fast turnaround time.

Seize the moment and be amazed..

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New Website Marketing Made Easy

Often new website owners ask me how to get traffic to their new creation. Some have been known to stare at their computer in an attempt to will visitors to the site. The truth is, the Internet is evolving every second of every day. And with that, it becomes more difficult to establish a viable presence—or does it? Follow these easy steps and carve your slice of the cyber pie.

Keywords:
marketing, website marketing, jason a martin, market junction, website traffic, website promotion

Often new website owners ask me how to get traffic to their new creation. Some have been known to stare at their computer in an attempt to will visitors to the site. The truth is, the Internet is evolving every second of every day. And with that, it becomes more difficult to establish a viable presence—or does it? Follow these easy steps and carve your slice of the cyber pie.

Step One: Preparation

Before going out to proclaim the glory that is your website, first make sure it’s in tiptop shape. Was your website carefully and professionally constructed? That includes content copy. It’s vital that your copy (the text on your website) be written well, including a logical flow, clarity, good sentence structure, wise word choices and proper grammar/punctuation. Studies reveal the average Internet visitor is getting more sophisticated and expects features, such as proper language use (whether English or another language). Fail in this area and you’ll lose business. It’s that plain and simple.

Now that your copy is humming, how is your search engine optimization? Did you at least look into some basics? Search Engine Optimization is the act of making your website search engine friendly and more likely to appear under the keyword phrases appealing to your targeted audience. While it can be a complex process, the basics should include having your pages search engine friendly, containing some keywords to attract your target audience. Once these two components are satisfactory, you’re ready for the next step.

Step Two: Links

Your website needs links. Today, even a simple link exchange can be complicated. Many website owners don’t want to reciprocate links with a new website. So how can you advance if you can’t get links? Thankfully, there are alternative solutions. When you’re first starting out, don’t spend too much time trying to find websites willing to link with you. Instead, work on establishing yourself first.

Today’s Internet world revolves around content. Website owners across the globe are just waiting for free content from people like you. So the best way to gain links to your website in bunches is by providing content to other websites—also known as “promotional articles.” These articles offer other website owners something of value. The result? Your new website receives many one-way links from other websites easily.

Naturally, your article needs to be written well to succeed. Simply throwing words down on paper doesn’t cut it. The better your article is written, the more it will appeal to website owners. In the end, you’ll glean more worldwide coverage, which is what you want. Not a writer? No problem. You can visit PromotionalArticles.com and have promotional articles professionally crafted for you. Simply slap your name on them and away you go. And even if you’ve written your own article, I strongly suggest using their editorial service. As every good writer knows, all writing should be professionally reviewed and polished by a savvy editor before publication.

Step Three: Promotional Articles & Repetition

If possible, you want to release a few promotional articles, at the very least. Timing is important. For example, if all you have is three articles currently, space their release. Don’t release them all at once. Promotional Articles can be fast acting. Yet, it really depends on the market the article is geared toward and how well it is written. I have seen my articles end up on other websites within hours of release.

Once released, the search engines will begin to pick up the fact your article is on other indexed websites. When this happens, your back links go up, which can continue for quite some time. Without a doubt, you’ll discover the process for releasing promotional article to the world quite simple. At my website, JasonAMartin.com, there is an article all about how to do this.

Step Four: Further Linking

Once you have allowed a little time to pass after step three, your website will begin to take hold. When it does, it’s time to seek solid links on other websites. Stick to websites that are either on the same topic or related. For example, if you owned a website that sold cheese, receiving a link from a website that sold motor oil wouldn’t be beneficial. However, receiving a link from a website about cheese or wine would.

As time permits, search for smaller websites in your field, then see if they sell advertising on their front page for a small fee. For example, one night I found a website, which was set up decently in the search engines and was on the same topic as one of my websites. The site offered a homepage text link for $2 per week. I not only received a nice link to help my search engine status, but a possibility for highly targeted traffic as well. The Internet is full of on-topic websites for you to locate for potential profitability.

That’s a Wrap

By following this plan, you can significantly increase the staying power of your website. It really isn’t that complicated when you do things properly. “Is there more?” you ask. Sure. For instance, you can purchase traffic from trusted PPC sources. This and other techniques are discussed in various articles, which are all available at JasonAMartin.com. Once you master the art of opening a website properly, you’ll want to open up many more. Submit your articles to ContentTycoon.com.

©2009 JASON ANDREW MARTIN LLC All Rights Reserved.

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