Recent Articles From EvanCarmichael.com http://www.evancarmichael.com/ http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/BNI-And-Other-Stories-How-one-marketer-uses-networking-clubs-to-find-good-leads.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/BNI-And-Other-Stories-How-one-marketer-uses-networking-clubs-to-find-good-leads.html A twist on the familiar: Using networking groups to find business leads. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/The-Power-of-Choice.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/The-Power-of-Choice.html How one copywriter uses a free offer to get the inside scoop on his market. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/Do-You-Do-The-TwoStep.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/Do-You-Do-The-TwoStep.html Time after time, I see managers in all types of organizations make the same mistake in pursuing new business. They spend money and waste time trying all sorts of things to get leads, but they neglect a fundamental piece in sales process management. What are they doing wrong? The simple truth is: they try to do too much all at once. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/Nine-Ways-to-Spend-Less-on-Marketing--Communications-Consultants.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/Nine-Ways-to-Spend-Less-on-Marketing--Communications-Consultants.html It is wise to hire experienced consultants to help develop communications. Time is money, however, and an unstructured approach can cost you plenty. These points will help you control costs, and ensure that projects are on time and within budget. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/Selling-Mark-Twain.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/Selling-Mark-Twain.html This short article describes Samuel Clemmons’ “Subscription Sales” process. In addition to being an extremely gifted author, Clemmons – who most people know by his pen –name “Mark Twain” – was an acknowledged sales genius. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/RAISING-VENTURE-CAPITAL-IN-TOUGH-TIMES.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/RAISING-VENTURE-CAPITAL-IN-TOUGH-TIMES.html It’s no secret that it’s not as easy as it used to be to raise money for your business. Longer investment cycles, suppressed valuations, and limited opportunities to cash out of deals has made venture capitalists increasingly selective. As a result, many VCs look only at companies they know and have invested in before, rather than pursuing new deals. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/ACHIEVING-WORLD-CLASS-CUSTOMER-SATISFACTION.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/ACHIEVING-WORLD-CLASS-CUSTOMER-SATISFACTION.html In many businesses, repeat buyers provide up to 95% of a company’s revenues. The reason: Longtime clients know how to make hassle-free use of your services. They’re familiar with your operation and knowledgeable about what you provide. For many clients, the value of an established relationship may even make them willing to pay higher prices. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/MAKING-SURE-THE-PRICE-IS-RIGHT.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/MAKING-SURE-THE-PRICE-IS-RIGHT.html Price, one of the Marketing Mix’s “Four Ps”, is an often-misunderstood weapon in the marketer’s arsenal. Too often, small- and medium-sized enterprises rely on Price to carry the weight for its “little brothers” - Product, Place, and Promotion - in the firm’s marketing battles. This is because of many firm’s misconception that they have little choice but to make sure their prices are comparable to those of the competition. http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/USING-REWARD-PROGRAMS-TO-CREATE-LOYAL-CUSTOMERS.html http://www.evancarmichael.com/Marketing/43/USING-REWARD-PROGRAMS-TO-CREATE-LOYAL-CUSTOMERS.html Customer reward programs were first introduced by the airlines more than a decade ago. Since then, businesses ranging from bookstores to coffee shops to credit cards have implemented reward programs. Properly implemented reward programs create loyal customers. However, many reward programs simply don’t work. The rewards are either ineffective motivators or too costly to be practical. Often reward programs and short-term promotional programs conflict, turning off loyal customers and attracting only less profitable price-switchers. In order to avoid the traps that can sour customer relationships or drain scarce resources, it makes sense to examine the fundamentals of developing a successful customer reward program.