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GET CONNECTED TRAINING
Know-how you need to succeed
Marking Time
Jazz up your marketing campaign next year
with a promotional calendar for your business.
Calendars keep your business name in front of
customers 365 days a year. You can create a
date book/planner for about $5 each. Or choose
a hanging wall calendar using stock artwork
for about $1 each. The more you personalize
the calendar to reflect your business, the
more you’ll pay.
Start planning your calendar early in the
year. That gives you a chance to get ideas
from current-year calendars. The earlier in
the year you produce a calendar, the bigger
the discount you can negotiate from printers.
Want to know more? Check out these Web sites
for starters:
Image Is Everything
Every small-biz owner hears the advice.
“Differentiate yourself from the competition.”
The lingering question is always, “How?” Jack
Trout’s book
Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of
Killer Competition (John Wiley & Sons,
2001) answers the question in straightforward
language.
For instance, here’s what Trout’s book has to
say about differentiating product attributes:
“Staying focused on one kind of product
attribute is superior to telling a multiple
attribute story. It enables you to be
different by taking ownership of a perceived
benefit. Volvo took ownership of ‘safety’ in
automobiles. Crest took ownership of ‘cavity
prevention.’ Nordstrom took ownership of
‘service.’ Dell took ownership of selling
‘direct.’ Your product might offer more than
one attribute, but your message should be
focused on the one you want to preempt.”
With this book, you’ll learn strategies to
help you differentiate your product’s unique
qualities. You’ll see shining examples of how
and why some companies have succeeded with
their differentiation strategies while others
have failed. Trout doesn’t mince words. Follow
his advice in this book and you’ll find your
business becoming a leader in the marketplace.
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