
June 23, 2017 No one is alone ... not even in marketing
Let's talk about business
today.
Arnold (not his real
name) lost his company this past week. He had gone all out in promoting
his business --- a grand opening, social media and participating in networking
events. etc. But it fizzled out and ended with a sad letter that he was
closing shop.
I had no inkling he
was struggling. I wish he asked me for help. If I had known, I would have
advised him to focus on his target first and then build the marketing
campaign around his potential client.
Many business owners
parrot ideas about SEO, apps, flyers, posters, postcards, newsletters,
banners, websites, print ads, telemarketing, videos, etc. But effective
marketing comes by ingraining your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) to
a specific group of people so that you will be their first choice when
they need your kind of service. I don't claim to know it all but I do
know that "one size does not fit all."
I've often wondered
how "SEO specialists" guarantee the top spot of a Google search.
My question to them: If they have two clients from the same industry
and same geographical area, who do they put on top? (Let that sink in
for a while.) Depending on their answer and a few other probes, I know
if these SEO guys are legit or after a quick buck. Formulas, Fakes
and Fools. The business world is full of these characters.
When you put up a
sales sign, an instant sale is great but it should not be the measure
of success. You attain true marketing success when you are in your client's
mind at the time they need you. Of course, the gestation period would
vary according to your service or product.
Years ago I too had
to close my (electrical generator) business. I remember being stuck in
traffic on my way home after locking the office for the last time. A beggar
knocked on my window. I looked at his disheveled face and the coins in
his donation can. I thought "this guy not only looks better than
me but has also earned more cash than I did with my business." I
wish I had understood marketing better back then. I wish someone was there
to guide me and make me better than my competitor.
In Business and
in Life,
Don't think twice.
it's always good to seek advice.
No one is alone.
Life
is like a box of chocolates. Sometimes you're the favorite chocolate
to be eaten up; sometimes you're the last. And sometimes you just get
thrown away with the box.
TGIF people!
How
Do You Get to Heaven? Contributed by
Ed of Nashville
From the TGIF vault of 2006
I was testing the
children in my Sunday school class to see if they understood the concept
of getting to heaven.
I asked them, "If
I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money
to the church --- would that get me into Heaven?"
"NO!"
the children answered.
"If I cleaned
the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy
--- would that get me into Heaven?"
Again, the answer
was, "NO!"
By now I was starting
to smile. Hey, this was fun!
"Well, then,
if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved
my husband --- would that get me into Heaven?" I asked them again.
Again, they all answered,
"NO!"
I was just bursting
with pride for them."Well," I continued, "then how can
I get into Heaven?"
A five-year-old boy
shouted out,
"YOU
GOTTA BE DEAD!!!"

Electric
Chair Contributed by
Don of Kelowna, B.C.
From the TGIF vault of 2006
Three
women go down to Mexico one night to celebrate college graduation, get
drunk, and wake up in jail, only to find that they are to be executed
in the morning, though none of them can remember what they did the
night before.
The first one,
a redhead, is strapped in the electric chair, and is asked if she has
any last words. She says, "I just graduated from Brigham Young
University and believe in the almighty power of God to intervene on the
behalf of the innocent." They throw the switch and nothing happens.
They all immediately prostrate themselves; beg for her forgiveness, and
release her.
The second one,
a brunette, is strapped in and gives her last words, "I just graduated
from the Harvard School of Law and I believe in the power of justice to
intervene on the part of the innocent." They throw the switch
and, again, nothing happens. Again, they all immediately prostrate themselves;
beg for her forgiveness, and release her.
The last one, an airhead,
is strapped in and says, "Well, I'm from the University of Idaho
and just graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering, and I'll tell
you right now, you're not going to electrocute anybody if
you don't plug this thing in."

TGIF Videos

Sergeant
Major Sent by Art of Sierra Madre, CA
Here's a vintage
clip from Monty Python. Very British humor.
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Krista's
Tony Awards Sent by Krista of New York
Krista is a
professional photographer whose work is all over the major publications.
She wants to share never-published photos she took at the latest
Tony Awards. Feel free to pass it on.
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Beyond
Money Sent by Peter Paul of S. Pasadena, CA
If you've got
time, watch this mini-SciFi-movie then read the article about it.
Pretty profound. There's no shortcut. Our experiences are key in
shaping who we are today.
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Parting
Shot Thanks
to Charlie of New Jersey

Click on the image
for more animal Dopplegangers. WARNING: This page link has so many popup ads
so it takes forever to load.
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Comments
Anonymous
Sat, 07/22/2017 - 16:33
Permalink
Did not like
I did not like the movie in Spanish. It bothers me to see people put on tilt.
Heather
Anonymous
Sat, 07/22/2017 - 16:35
Permalink
Priceless Monty
Enjoyed your piece and the Monty stuff is priceless.
Heather