Thursday, April 2nd, 2009
Okay, quick... what was the first thought that came into your mind when you read that title? A) Peace B) Joy C) Happiness D) Excitement What... you say? You don't like the choices? Well, then... how about an incredibly professional and friendly staff... or a relaxed, caring, customer-centric environment? How about a dental office that is so on-time at 2 o'clock in the afternoon that the patient (me) never felt the fabric of a chair in the waiting area.…
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Tags: best customers, competition, competitors, culture, customer experience, customer service, customers, customers as marketers, excellence, ideal customers, internet, leader, new media, professional development, referral business, referrals, relationships, service, service professionals, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, staff, team, whole team marketing
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
Well, I wasn't really planning to carry this topic over from
yesterday; however, a conversation earlier today made me want to expand on it. I was asked the question whether I truly believed that a company could no longer make money marketing to the masses, lowering their service offering (quality), and competing on price. The answer, of course, is that sure... it is possible...…
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Tags: customer service, excellence, good enough, impact, influence, mass advertising, mass market, mass marketing, price, service, small business marketing
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Tuesday, March 17th, 2009
Okay, so I was speaking with several business consultants... no, that's not really true; I was listening to several business consultants, and hoping that none of what they said would rub off. Here they were, trying to make the point to a handful of business leaders that in an era where everyone is looking to save money, you should never strive to be too good. I'm serious. The goal, they said, was to be absolutely sure…
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Tags: best customers, bottom-line, consultants, good enough, impact players, leaders, processes, reputation, seth godin, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, strategy, top line, turnover
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Thursday, March 12th, 2009
So, the other day we began talking about the roles of Leadership and Marketing, and why they are so integral to a good business... and a good life. We also heard from someone who stated that the two disciplines don't really fit in the same package... sort of like oil and water... right brain and left brain... good and evil... whatever. Don't believe it. As small business owners, there are two main areas of responsibility that will make or break our companies: First, we must lead our people, and Second, we must grow our revenue and market share. It is impossible to run a growing organization without strong leadership ability... and it is just…
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Tags: bankruptcy, good and evil, lead, market share, oil and water, reputation, revenue growth, right brain - left brain, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, success
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Sunday, March 8th, 2009
So, yesterday I laid out
seven reasons why so much of my time goes into thinking, writing, and teaching about Leadership and Marketing. I'll expand on the first two of those here, and pick up a few more in the next day or two. Like many others, there was probably a time when I thought they were two unrelated, totally distinct skills... although…
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Tags: children, dads advice, decision making, family, finances, free enterprise, improvements, influence, marriage, mission, money, personal growth, plans, purpose, relationships, reputation, right brain - left brain, skills vs talents, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, small business owner, thirty-somethings
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Saturday, March 7th, 2009
Because I don't believe in putting all my eggs in one basket, I am involved in leadership roles in several ventures, and have had multiple irons in the fire since... well, pretty much forever. But one thing never changes... my focus on Leadership and Marketing. Recently, I was approached by someone who had spent a fair amount of time reading the articles here at stevebuelow.com. He stated that previously, he had never really put the two…
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Tags: bottom-line, causes, children, coaching, coworkers, decline, eggs in one basket, employees, eratic, excellence, family, focus, growth, irons in fire, lead, leader, leading, passion, potential, relationships, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, spouse, strength, stress, success, teaching, tension, thinking, weaknesses, writing
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009
Okay, so
yesterday I introduced you to an expert (consultant) who makes his living going from live presentation to live presentation, lecturing business groups on his theory that live presentations don't work. I know... it didn't make sense to me either. His entire teaching hangs on the thread that your customers, regardless of your industry, no longer want to have any…
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Tags: change, commitment, commoditization, commodity, competition, competitors, consultants, customer expectations, customer experience, customer service, customers, improvements, price, referral business, referrals, repeat business, salespeople, satisfaction, small business, small business marketing, small business owner, team, whole team marketing
Posted in marketing
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Monday, March 2nd, 2009
So, a while back I attended a mini-seminar by an expert (consultant) on the internet, and it's effect on turning your product or service into a commodity... whatever it may be. Yes, he said... you are no different than anyone else in your industry... and all he had to do to prove it was to go online and spend eighteen and one half seconds on google. There are twenty-nine million others just like you, he said... and you better be on page one,…
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Tags: commoditization, commodity, consultants, customer experience, customers, emerging technologies, google, internet, internet marketing, margin, niche, razor-thin margins, relationships, salespeople, seminars, small business, small business marketing, transactions, truth, web-based marketing, website
Posted in marketing
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Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Okay... so one other thought that I had while reading my
last post (yes, I admit it... sometimes when I'm not reading your posts... I re-read my own!). Now, I know I made the point that, in speaking with an insurance agent I had met, there was no change at his office in response to some pretty heavy market pressure... everything stayed the same. Same...…
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Tags: change, results, same same same, small business, small business leadership, small business marketing, the same
Posted in leadership, marketing
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Sunday, February 22nd, 2009
Return with me now to those thrilling thoughts of yesterday... You will remember that I had met an independent insurance agent who once had a dominating presence in his local west-coast market, but lately was getting his tail kicked by various online services. Yeah, that friendly gecko is a lovable little guy... isn't he? That is, I suppose, until he removes your ability to pay your mortgage or put food on the table, right? That is what…
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Tags: business model, competition, competitive advantage, competitors, gecko, marketing budget, marketing plan, mass advertising, mass marketing, new media, offer, revenue model, routines, sales process, same same same, service lines, small business marketing
Posted in marketing
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