Marketing Is….

mar-ket-ing noun 1. the act of buying or selling in a market. 2. the total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the consumer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing and selling. Actually marketing is….. finding ways to tell the story of what you do so that the…

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Crafting Your Intention

I met a really passionate financial planner recently who was a bit stuck about how to craft a 30 second pitch to deliver to the people he met at networking events. The problem was that while he was agonising over finding the right words he lost the ability to communicate his intention. If you have…

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Rethinking The Sales Process

The food halls and nail bars were humming last Thursday evening. Apparently when they have a few extra shopping hours people want to do one of two things, grab a bite to eat or have their nails done. The designer clothes boutiques were dead. Not a soul in sight in any of them, apart from…

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The Fortune Cookie Principle™

Every idea, innovation, product and service has two elements. The cookie…. the commodity, the utility, the tangible, the facts, the logical benefit. The cookie is the thing you put in the shop window which has a fixed inherent value. Then there’s the fortune, the intangible part of the product or service which is where the…

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The Easy Way Out

A $6000 full page advert in a magazine with a readership of 200,000 people might feel like a bargain. All those eyeballs connected to all those credit cards just waiting to discover you. Now all the advert must do is convince people to pick up the phone. Buying ads feels safe, but handing over advertising…

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The Elephant In The Room

John (not his real name) was discussing the features and benefits of a new product he’s bringing to market with me yesterday. He had a niggle, a way which his product worked that other products in the same category didn’t. An elephant in the room. He wondered if this might be a problem. What if…

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You Scratch My Back

The suited up guy approached me at the end of the meeting saying he wanted to find ways to promote my business. He was that impressed! “There is a quid pro quo though.” he said. The old you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours routine. A transaction. This for that. The most valuable relationships…

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No Strings

Alexx saw the sign outside the local gym and decided that there was no excuse. It was just a hundred metres from her front door and was advertising a six week membership for just $99. An opportunity not to be missed. As she signed up Alexx tried to overlook the quiet desperation of the owner.…

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The Story Is Your Advantage

“Whoever tells the best story wins.” —Annette Simons This is the whole truth, and it scares all kinds of people, from creators to scientists, fledgling entrepreneurs to established brands. The best man doesn’t always win. It’s not enough to be bigger or better, and that frightens us because our understanding of the world comes from…

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Speak Human

The new perspex sign in the toilets of fast food restaurant read… “It is our intent to provide you with the cleanest possible facility. If the room needs attention please notify a Manager.” I stood in the mirrorless bathroom looking at it for some time wondering how this was supposed to make me feel. There…

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