Duct Tape Marketing EXCELerator Coaching

Attention:  Small Businesses, Professional Services, Salespeople and Organizations:

The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to take their revenues to the next level as soon as possible, but don’t have an in-house marketing department to help make that happen.The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is designed to fulfill all the needs you require from a part-time marketing department.

Part 3 of 5:

Your own authorized Duct Tape Marketing Coach

The key to the success of the Duct Tape Marketing Excelerator program is the access you receive to a marketing professional, has received extensive training in the application of the duct tape marketing system.  Your part-time marketing professional will provide you with the advice you need, when you need it.

Unlimited e-mail support -you have a question or want to get input from a marketing professional?  Simply e-mail your marketing coach.  Now you can get the feedback you need, quickly and guilt free.

Quarterly one-on-one sessions-in person or over the phone-once per quarter , you can and should schedule a one-hour meeting to sit down with your coach to reviews those areas you're struggling with on your marketing.  These are great opportunities for you to not only get the ongoing input into your marketing that you need, but also to hold yourself accountable to your marketing commitments.

Special rate for additional one-on-one support -as is typical part-time help, there are times of the year when you may require additional assistance.  That is why all duct tape marketing Excelerator clients receive a special contract rate of additional hours.  You can receive the additional help, you need from your Duct Tape Marketing Coach, time permitting, at the special rate.

Technorati Tags: Marketing Excelerator,Duct Tape Marketing,Markting Excel-erator,Marketing Accelerator,Manufacturer Marketing,Marketing Coach

Duct Tape Marketing EXCELerator Expert Series

Attention:  Small Businesses, Professional Services, Salespeople and Org anizations:

The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to take their revenues to the next level as soon as possible, but don’t have an in-house marketing department to help make that happen.The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is designed to fulfill all the needs you require from a part-time marketing department.

Personal access to leading North American small-business experts

Who has time to read every leading marketing book out there?  Now you don't have to.  As your part-time marketing department, we have access to leading experts and can give you an opportunity to hear what they have to say LIVE as well ask them questions.  You will be kept abreast of these additio nal sessions and just like your ongoing monthly program.

You can invite your employees, partners, or spouse to join in on the call.

Calls are recorded so that you can download and listen to them at your convenience.

Past, experts have included:

• Michael Gerber
• Guy Kowasaki
• Stephen Covey
• Tim Ferris
• Michael Port
• John Batelle
• David Mearman Scott
• David Allen

Learn more

Technorati Tags: Marketing Excelerator ,Duct Tape Marketing ,Markting Excel-erator ,Marketing Accelerator ,Manufacturer Marketing ,Marketing Coach

Duct Tape Marketing EXCELerator University

Attention:  Small Businesses, Professional Services, Salespeople and Organizations:

The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to take their revenues to the next level as soon as possible, but don’t have an in-house marketing department to help make that happen.The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is designed to fulfill all the needs you require from a part-time marketing department.

Annual enrollment in the Duct Tape University.

You want to get the step-by-step process to set up a referral program?
Perhaps you would like to learn more about online marketing?

The Duct Tape University is an online learning Center chart bowl of marketing classes and workbooks to help you build and execute the perfect marketing system.

Think about it:
    No more searching all over the Internet for marketing how-to courses.
    No more purchasing marketing courses for additional fees.
    Now you can learn at your own speed, any time, space-space Day or night.

Sample courses in the Duct Tape University:
    Referral flood marketing -space how to create a flood of new business without spending one dime on advertising.
    Blog lightning space-space, how to create and promote your small business blog in a flash, a step-by-step blogging success to a role.

...  And much, much more!

Technorati Tags: Marketing Excelerator,Duct Tape Marketing,Markting Excel-erator,Marketing Accelerator,Manufacturer Marketing,Marketing Coach

Duct Tape Marketing EXCELerator Program #2

The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to take their revenues to the next level as soon as possible, but don’t have an in-house marketing department to help make that happen. The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is designed to fulfill all the needs you require from a part-time marketing department. You will receive a mix of products and services to help you:

• PLAN your marketing strategy
• CREATE your marketing material
• BUILD your ongoing marketing system
• IMPLEMENT your lead generation strategies
• ...and not just with ONE individual, but with a whole TEAM of EXPERTS through special teleclasses
• Amazing annual three day RETREAT where you will have first hand exposure to a suite of Marketing Experts from fields such as:
  • Small Business Marketing Strategy
  • Effective Writing Skills
  • Email Marketing
  • Do It Yourself Graphic Design
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Pay Per Click Campaigns
  • Lead Conversion
  • Positioning Yourself As an Expert
  • Attracting the Media …and More!

  An overview of this program will be presented through a webinar delivered by Business901. Reservations are required. Please send a request to info@business901.com . A special offer will be available to attendees. This is part 2 of 5.

  Technorati Tags: Duct Tape Marketing ,Marketing EXCELerator ,Marketing EXCEL-erator ,Duct Tape Marketing Coach

Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program

The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to take their revenues to the next level as soon as possible, but don’t have an in-house marketing department to help make that happen.

Is This You?

Chances are YOU ARE the marketing department and often find yourself achieving only small incremental improvements to your bottom line
each year. Where do you start and where can you turn to for help when you need it? Now you can get the help you need through your own “on call”
marketing department.

• Figure out the right marketing approach for YOUR business within the
  confines of a limited marketing budget.

• Get the marketing assistance you need WHEN you need it.

• Have access to the right resources who can help you BUILD the marketing
  tools you need.

• Have someone who cares about you and your business to guide and direct
  you as you implement your marketing initiatives.

On Thursday, November 13, at 10:00 AM, An overview of this program will be presented through a webinar delivered by Business901. Reservations are required.

Technorati Tags: Duct Tape Marketing,Marketing EXCELerator,Marketing EXCEL-erator,Duct Tape Marketing Coach

Duct Tape Marketing EXCELerator - Monthly marketing tele-classes

Attention:  Small Businesses, Professional Services, Salespeople and Organizations:

The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is specifically designed for entrepreneurs and business owners that want to take their revenues to the next level as soon as possible, but don’t have an in-house marketing department to help make that happen.The Duct Tape Marketing® EXCELerator Program is designed to fulfill all the needs you require from a part-time marketing department.

Monthly marketing tele-classes to fast-track your business

One of the biggest pitfalls business owners encounter is wearing blinders when it comes to their marketing.  The sector changes rapidly, and it should be the responsibility of your marketing department to ensure you stay on top of new, innovative approaches.  One-dimensional marketing approaches are high risk and usually ineffective.  You need to consistently take a multi-pronged approach to your marketing.

Once a month, your duct tape marketing coach will be leading a private training call on a variety of powerful marketing tools.  These detailed how-to calls will outline, step-by-step, proven strategies and action steps to help guarantee your marketing success!

Calls would be held and recorded every month so that you can:
train your partners and employees space-space.  You're welcome to invite your business partner, spouse or key employee by the call, or have them attended in your absence.  What better way to educate others on your team on various aspects of?

Create your own Bible resource Library space-space may be the initiative covered.  One month won't come in handy for another year.  No problem.  You will receive CDs of the training calls in the mail each month, at North surcharge so you can curry your own marketing resource Library.

Listen to them, what is most convenient time for you-we know you're busy and may not have time to make all of your move live marketing Excelerator calls are you.  That's why we record each call, and the audio is quickly posted online--usually within 24 hours.  You can download the MP3 file at your convenience, and listen at your leisure on your iPod, computer or any other MP3 player.

Upcoming marketing sessions:

1. Develop your marketing hourglass.
2. Great lead generating two-step advertising campaigns.
3. Get in front of years prospect of powerful direct mail techniques.
4. Buying strategic partners to sell for you.
5. Build your credibility by attracting media attention.
6. Develop an online moneymaking machine.
7. Make it to the front page of Google.
8. Generate $$$ through speaking engagements.
9. Price for profits-increase the amount your customers spend export instantly
10. Automate and optimize your marketing with technology

Learn more, attend a webinar!

Technorati Tags: Marketing Excelerator,Duct Tape Marketing,Markting Excel-erator,Marketing Accelerator,Manufacturer Marketing,Marketing Coach

Lean Marketing Assessment Program launched by Business901

Fort Wayne, IN – Joe Dager, owner of Business901 will be introducing the “Lean Marketing Assessment” to the attendees of a webinar hosted on Wednesday, December31st . This program will allow participants to gain a clear snapshot of their present marketing conditions and practices. The participants can use the assessment to determine areas in need of improvement and develop a plan accordingly.

The Business901 Lean Marketing Assessment is used to determine a company’s current position relative to the recognized practices of a Lean Enterprise. It begins with an outline of the Key Performance indicators and the scoring system that is used in the evaluation of each. The participants complete the assessment during the process and active participation is encouraged to reinforce the evaluation of each indicator. The final element is a review and explanation of the scatter diagram that is created. This will allow participants to see the areas of greatest concerns and strengths.

Exploring the data to identify a cause and effect relationship between variables is an important part of the webinar and in building a Lean marketing process. Knowing your current state is one of the most powerful tools but is the least understood. “Establishing a baseline and understanding your root marketing issues will result in a true reality check,” says Dager. He also added: “Without this, wishful thinking and superficial solutions creep into your marketing process."

An assessment will make it easier to create standards and once the standard is in place, it will then allow companies to continuously look for better ways to do the work because to be truly of lean fashion, it must be realized the work is never done, it is continuously improving. Without understanding this step in the process, people become confused with what planning and standards are meant to be. Standards are not control mechanisms. Having a process does not stunt creativity. A true standard is actually the direct opposite as it allows time to focus on the creative aspect as it is part of the plan. Standards and plans are dynamic. They let you know where the problem is quicker, where to begin a search for solutions, and prevent you from making the same mistake twice. Continuous improvement cannot happen without a standard. Continuous improvement in any part of the organization is the only true advantage that you have as a company.

About Business901: Joe Dager is president of Business901, a progressive company providing practical, information-rich services and product offerings designed as implementable systems that work in the real, not enough time, not enough people world we operate in. Business901 tools simplify the marketing process, not complicate it. Joe's experience includes manufacturing, retail, and professional services and has been through several start-ups and turnarounds. Affiliations include Duct Tape Marketing, The One Page Business Plan, Get Clients NOW and Ten Step Project Management. The Technorati rates the Business901blog in the top 1% of all blogs worldwide, and Hubspot grades the website in the top 3%. Joe has a bi-monthly local television program, Connecting Your Passion and is also a contributor to the American Express Open Forum and Business Week Forum.

Technorati Tags: Marketing Assessment,Lean Marketing Assessment. Lean Marketing,Lean Six Sigma Marketing,Marketing with Lean

Teach Your Way to Referrals

Read the entire post from: Duct Tape Marketing

Teach Your Way to Referrals

Creating marketing materials that educate is the best way to develop customers, but it doesn’t and shouldn’t stop with lead generation and conversion. You can extend the education as a way to create raving fans and generate more referrals.

When ever someone buys a product or service they should also be taught the proper way to get the most from that product or service. You can teach them over time how to get more and more from the product or service. You can teach them how to move up the next level of product or service. You can them the secret hacks, the under the hood tips, and even expose them the best practices from your other customers.

Far too often we sell a product or service and just assume our customers are getting the results they desired or were promised. By creating a systematic “how to” set of materials we can help them be more successful, use more of the features, and ultimately experience greater value.

It may take a little extra effort to create these tools initially, but the dividends in terms of customer satisfaction and word or mouth will be tenfold.

The Telephone Doesn’t Use Any Gas

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

The Telephone Doesn’t Use Any Gas

Technologyand data speed advances have made the use of web meeting technology a no brainer for even the smallest of businesses. In the fast paced world we live in, the ability to get a group of folks together online is such a powerful way to conduct business.

Now,I’m not suggesting that you never venture out and grab some face time, I’m just suggesting you can be smart about employing technology to help you get more done with the same 24 hours everyone has in a day.

Hereare some great ways to use webinar or webcast technology

One to one seminar –

Peerto peer seminar –

Livewith you –

Interviewan expert – .

Co-brandedpanel –

Sponsoredshow –

Qand A time –

Here are some of the more popular online meeting tools

• GoToMeeting/Webinar - .
• FreeConferenceCalls -
• Zoho Meeting
• WebEx
• Adobe ConnectNow
• Skype Video

Three Tools Marketers Overlook

From Chris Brogan, there is more

Marketers and PR types looking to use the social web to build business relationships receive more than enough advice on using blogs, wikis, podcasts, and social networks to connect. While you’re considering which software tools might work for your online marketing strategies, don’t forget these three sites, especially if you have location- or niche-based information, products, or services to promote.

Yelp -

Upcoming.org -

Meetup.com-

Thereare several tools like this that you might not have considered creatively in your potential online efforts. These might have even sparked other ideas for other tools people use on the web in a slightly different way. If so, let’s talk about that in the comments, shall we?

Otherwise,what do you think? Does this make sense? Any other recommendations?

 

28 Day Plans - Marketing & Business Plan

The 28 Day Plans are really kits that have been compiled from the best material that these products offer and establishes a basic understanding on how to apply the principles of each through an initial seminar and then 28 days of coaching. By participating in group coaching it is like being a part of a mastermind group for 28-days.

More information on individual products:

The One Page Business Plan

Duct Tape Marketing

Get Clients NOW

Learn more about our  28 Day Plan

 

Technorati Tags: Get Clients NOW,One Page Business Plan,Duct Tape Marketing,28 day plans

Decreasing Connections While Increasing Our Networks

 Here’s a special guest post by Corvida. If you’re not already subscribed to her blog, you should be.

DecreasingConnections While Increasing Our Networks

While lounging on my couch this morning I decided to go through all 200 Twitter and FriendFeed requests that I’ve procrastinated on getting to this week. Lately I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed with requests that I’ve created a filter in Gmail to label and archive these requests. When I clicked on the label and took a cursory glance at my inbox, I wondered why I’d been feeling so overwhelmed with going through these requests. After about 10 minutes it hit me: as my network grows social networks don’t allow me to connect to my followers the way I used to.

ItWas All A Dream

Corvida writes at SheGeeks.net

Your Lead Generation Methods Have to Change

Read Brogans post and if you are thinking about following a blog, well this is one that I would Brogan is awesome. 

Lead generation is a fairly core activity to marketing. Sales people need leads to close sales. You might not always look at it in those baseline terms, but that’s the general process, right? Find people who want that thing you’re selling, be that Jesus or real estate, higher education or luchador masks.

Youbuild someone’s interest, you make the offer, you close the sale. That’s the basic cycle. Let’s talk about leads and how lead generation might have shifted in the last little while. I’m thinking that our tactics and strategies have been born out of yesterday’s “mild interest” methods, versus a shift, I’m thinking, to today’s “they presented a need” method.

SoundLike Your Plan?

Youhave a product to sell. To get interest, you look for your target market of prospective buyers and try to figure out what they are like. You then try messaging them using whatever forms work for you. Maybe you buy some door knockers with your offer on them, or you buy radio spots in the 6-9AM drive time sports radio markets of 14 key cities. Maybe you’ve got a website that tells people the same stuff you put in your direct mailing piece, so that you have brand consistency.

Somenumber of people limply respond to your call to action. They opt into the next wave and your sales process kicks in to try and close them before they lose interest. If they don’t close, you just keep sending them information, trying to keep the pulse of that lead alive by reinforcing what you’ve been sending them.

Inthis above model, you have to keep coming up with new offers, new ideas, new ways to make something seem interesting and pertinent. Think about Ford for a moment. They are out there trying to figure out what else to say about their new Ford Flex so that people will swing by and give it a chance. But the thing is, we the consumer aren’t exactly reacting that way any more.

Thatwas distraction marketing, or interruption marketing, as Seth Godin called it forever ago. That’s list building. And list pounding. And it’s not always bad to have a list, but how are you cultivating it?

The New Stuff

Ifyou’re Seth, you call it Permission marketing. If you’re Hubspot, you call it Inbound Marketing. You call it whatever you want to call it, but we’re in a world where the power of marketing is in the hands of the consumer more than the marketer right now, at least in the wide area of the sales funnel.

If you’re going to use social media tools to work on “wide funnel sales” opportunities, then you’ve got to make a conversion engine, something that moves me from “love your blog” into “want your product.” And that’s a lesson for another time.

Your Turn

So, you’re the pro. Tear me apart. What’s wrong here? Don’t say scale. This isn’t about scale. Look how good scale’s been treating you lately.

What’sgood and bad about these ideas to you?

Photo credit, Josh Staiger

Building Blocks

Great article from fellow Duct tape Marketing Coach Bill Brelsford:

Building Blocks Referrals - Give Them to Get Them

Do you struggle to ask for referrals on a consistent basis?

Many of the professional service providers that I meet feel uncomfortable asking for referrals on a regular basis. They may feel it is not “professional”. Some feel they will be perceived as a nuisance.

If you happen to be one of these people who doesn’t feel comfortable asking for referrals, here is a tip that may help. Set goals related to giving referrals.

For example, I have a goal of giving 5 referrals a week. That’s just one referral a day. This modest goal helps me with my own referrals in a number of ways:

1. It forces me to get out from my office or behind the desk and talk to people. This can sometimes be a challenge for us technically oriented folks.
2. It helps me be a better listener. I am more engaged in the conversation, listening for ways I may be able to help the person I’m talking to.
3. I’ve become better at describing who is an ideal prospect for my business. When you are able to help someone, most people want to reciprocate. They ask how they can help you. By learning to be very specific in my description of who I am looking for, I make it easy for them to help me if they can.
4. I can talk to the same people, frequently, about referrals and how I may be able to help them without feeling I am being a nuisance.
5. More often than not, I end up meeting a new contact when the person I am visiting with thinks of “someone I should meet”.

So if you struggle with asking for referrals, change your focus and set some concrete goals for giving referrals.

8 Questions You Must Ask

8 Questions You Must Ask

Welcome to this week's business insight by Shep Hyken. This week's insight is titled:
Know Your Customers
It is very important to know what your customers want, expect and think of you. (This goes for your internal customers as well.)
So how do you get to know your customers? There are a number of ways. You can hold focus groups, mail surveys, call on the
telephone, keep a guest book with a place for comments, etc.
The best way is to directly ask them. Here are a few questions
you may want to ask. They may vary depending on what you do and the type of business you are in.
1. Were you satisfied with your most recent experience with us?
2. Was the service friendly?
3. Were the employees helpful and knowledgeable?
4. Were your expectations met?
5. What products (or services) would you like to see added?
6. What would you suggest we change about the way we do business?
7. Where else do you do business for the same products (or
services)?
8. Can you think of one thing that can make your experience with us even better?

Copyright © – Shep Hyken, Shepard Presentations
Shep Hyken, shep@hyken.com. (www.hyken.com)

via ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom dedicated to Marketing, Advertising and the Creative Process"

Pragmatic Marketing Training

Joe Dager, Business901 completes Pragmatic Marketing training For Effective Product Marketing

Create a Journalist Listening Station

This content from: Duct Tape Marketing

Create a Journalist Listening Station

Garnering great press for your business is a powerful marketing strategy and as such, journalists should be on your radar as a target market. Now, instead of abusing them with buy (press releases) messages, how about starting by building some know, like and trust before you ever ask for the order - that’s just good marketing.

The absolute best way to do this is to become a resource to a select group of journalists that report on your industry or businesses in your community. As a resource your primary job is to help them do their job better by sending along industry information, adding to stories they write and commenting on potential resources and angles they might consider - nothing to do with selling your business or story.

If you do this I can almost guarantee you will start getting calls to provide quotes in stories as a reliable source.

Here’show to make the job of journalist relationship building easier.

Use Google Alerts and Google Reader to track every story, blog post and mention your target list of journalists create and scan them in five minutes from one location (or, even have them sent to your email inbox as they happen in real time.)

Thenyou can visit your Reader page, see if anything from one of your journalists pops up and go make a relevant comment on their blog, drop an industry study in mail or suggest a follow-up angle to their story through a hand-written note. This entire process should take just minutes a day and can even be delegated once it’s up and running.

Sometech notes:

GoogleAlerts
• Use quotes around full names to get best results - “bill smith”
• Check the RSS version to have it sent to Google Reader

GoogleReader
• Create a folder in Google Reader just for your PR efforts so that you can store the results of your RSS alerts in one handy place
• Get in the habit of checking and responding at least several times a week.

Whiteboard presentation: T. Boone Pickens on reducing America's dependency on foreign oil

 

Perhaps you've heard by now, but billionaire oil man T. Boone Pickens is on a mission to make sure the USA has an actual energy strategy under the new US president. He has a plan — The Pickens Plan — and he's been talking about it to anyone who will listen (watch this behind-the-scenes clip from The Daily Show), and he's put together a nice little four-minute presentation outlining the plan. Slides were added to this whiteboard overview presentation (below) with good results. The combination of the whiteboard, the actual map, and animated slides worked well and is something that is easily replicated live in a typical conference room or classroom. Some of the best presentations I have seen were by people who moved from using slides and video to whiteboard to using hands-on visuals such as maps or prototypes, etc. and then smoothly back to slides and so on. Now, Pickens does not get into great detail, but he gives you the story of the plan. In a live setting what would follow from this is lots of discussion, elaboration, and good Q & A, but in the first four minutes you got the story...and you want to hear more. That's how leaders communicate.

The slides
The slides were well done and introduced rather smoothly. They look very similar to the kinds of slides Duarte Design creates for Al Gore's presentations. The simple slides did a good job of supporting his narrative. Below are a few of the slides from his talk above.

Pickens gets right to the problem: "...we're importing almost 70%."

Slide in mid-transition. The yearly cost of the dependence = 700 billion/year. Next slide: 750 out of 1000 Americans have cars. In China 44 people out of 1000 have cars.

Pickens: "...we consume 25% of the world's oil..."

"...and have 4% of the people — that's a problem."

Pickens goes analog and brings out a map on poster board. "The United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind power."

Pickens's idea: take natural gas from power generation and use it for transportation, replace it with wind for power generation.

Case in point: Clearwater was a town in decline (slide with subtle Ken Burns effect).

"...but because of wind..."

"...it's a booming community.."

"...this can all be accomplished in ten years if you have the right leadership."
Links
• The Pickens Plan website
• Same whiteboard presentation on YouTube
• "Green T. Boone" talks to Larry King
H/T Brandon Mullins

This is syndicated from Presentation Zen, and written by Garr.

Content is everything

More and more successful businesses are employing something called "content marketing". Content marketing is the practice of creating relevant, valuable and compelling content to customers and prospects (instead of sales information). This type of "un-marketing" is now the last option available to target buyers who are tuning out advertising messages across the board.

In order to attract the attention of buyers, manufacturing marketers must first understand search engines -- where most buyers start their search. Search engines love content, especially valuable and relevant content that generates links from outside, reputable Web sites. Unfortunately, creating valuable and compelling content is not easy to do.

Even though most manufactures may agree with the movement to the Web, most are still using the traditional marketing strategies they have used for decades. There are several reasons for this:

• Most manufacturers are set up to sell products and services, not to provide relevant and valuable information to customers and prospects. Educational newsletters, blogs, white papers and free reports are just a few types of initiatives that are challenging for manufacturers to consistently produce. It's as simple as this: if the information you are sending out to customers doesn't help them do their jobs better or live happier lives, don't send it.
• Most manufacturers have well-worn marketing paths that are easy to follow. Going off the beaten path into uncharted territory is intimidating.
• Most manufacturers may believe that their customers are still not active on the Web.
• Many manufacturers aren't measuring their marketing, so they aren't even sure what is and what is not effective.
• Many manufacturers lack both the right people and the right processes to implement a new kind of marketing.

 

Read this entire post from Industry Week

Joe Pulizzi is founder of Junta42 Match, a free resource for businesses looking for content experts that match their fields. Additional information on content marketing can be found in Pulizzi's book, Get Content. Get Customers. -- How to use content marketing to deliver relevant, valuable, and compelling information that turns prospects into customers.  The book teaches you, step-by-step and through countless case studies, how to create and market your own content to acquire customers. www.getcontentgetcustomers.com.

Social Media, have you heard enough?

Just when you think you have heard enough there is more. I don't think this is going to end and I even feel this may overtake TV as the most popular media source.

Anyway, who is better to talk about Social Media than John Jantsch. At least that is what Microsoft thinks. Download this free e-book. 

 

Technorati Tags: Duct Tape Marketing,Socail Media,Small Business,Microsoft Live,Let's Talk

Marketing EXCELerator

Attention: Small Businesses, Professional Services, Salespeople and Organizations:

Finally! Here's your chance to get the ongoing marketing support you need to take your business to the next level.

Announcing our BRAND NEW "Marketing EXCEL-erator Program"

A BRAND NEW program that truly gives you the access, support and accountability you need to effectively market your business on an ongoing and consistent basis. Structured to encompass all the duties of a typical marketing department, this affordable alternative gives you the strategy, the know how, the resources, the one-on-one attention and the “kick in the pants” you need to stay creative and ahead of your competition.

Now, let's review HOW you'll be receiving this business-changing information and training, as well as our personal coaching and hands-on support from leading experts…

1 LIVE Training Calls on Featured Topics: On generally the 1st Wednesday of each month, we will be leading a private training call exclusively for our EXCEL-erator members. Each call will focus on one of the topics outlined earlier. Some calls will feature handouts that will be distributed before the call.

2 Annual Admission to an EXCEL-erator Retreat of Your Choice: All Marketing EXCEL-erator members who join the Annual program in 2008 are guaranteed a complimentary spot at one of two EXCEL-erator retreats scheduled in 2009.About the EXCEL-erator Retreat

3 Special Guest Calls on Featured Small Business Topics: During the year, we'll also have Special Guest Calls to give you access to some of the leading experts out there on small business topics. Past guests have included Michael Gerber from the e-Myth, Guy Kowasaki, author of The Art of Start, and Tim Feriss of the 4 Hour Work Week. This is an amazing opportunity to tap into the minds of some extraordinary resources out there to help you accelerate your business.

4 Online & MP3 Recordings of all Training and Special Guest Calls: We know you're busy and may not have time to make all of our LIVE Marketing EXCEL-erator calls. But you don't have to worry about schedule conflicts, because we record each and every call, and the audio is quickly posted online -- usually within 24 hours.

5 CDs of all Training Calls: Best of all, you'll also receive CDs of the training and special guest calls mailed to you at the end of each month, at no extra charge! You see, we want you to have no excuse not to get your hands on the valuable information we're sharing.

6 Quarterly Private One-On-One Coaching: On announced days each quarter, we will set private coaching timeslots of 30 minutes where you can dial up for a one-on-one mini-consult. Be prepared with specific questions, and we will give you specific answers so you don’t get hung up on various components of your marketing system.

7 Full Access to the Duct Tape Online University: You will have full access to the Duct Tape University. This online resource center is only accessible to subscribers and is a rich source of courses and workbooks on a variety of marketing topics. You can download workbooks and participate in as many courses as you like at no additional cost as long as you are a member of the Marketing EXCEL-erator program.

8 Access to Our Vast Array of Resources: Marketing is an ever-changing field. It’s important to keep your finger on the pulse when it comes to trends, new resources and new schools of thought. But how do you keep up on these changes along with everything else you need to know on a regular basis.

So, are you ready to take your business to the next level?

" Yes! I’m ready to step up to your new "Marketing EXCEL-erator Annual Program" created specifically for those who are ready to learn and apply more advanced, high-income-generating marketing and success strategies to fast-forward their business to the next level!"

Membership includes the following benefits:

• (4) 90-minute Marketing Bootcamps to define the direction to take with my marketing
• 10 training calls per year covering a variety of marketing/business success topics listed above
• Special Guest calls covering even more marketing/business success topics
• 1 complimentary seat to a Marketing EXCEL-erator retreat for 3 full days of workshops, keynotes and networkings with leading marketing experts – for annual members only (2009 retreat: $3,500 - $5000 US)
• Quarterly private coaching sessions (During these sessions, we will book 30 minute calls to help you with your specific questions. First come, first served.)
• Online and MP3 audio recordings of all training calls
• CDs of all training calls mailed to me each month
• An ongoing subscription to the Duct Tape Marketing University during my attendance in the program
• Access to our vast array of Marketing Resources

Technorati Tags: Duct Tape Marketing,Marketing EXCELerator,Marketing System,Manufacturer Marketing,Lean Six Sigma,Lean Marketing

Turn Your Favorite Blogs Into A Personal Magazine

 From Twisted Image

How great would it be to grab all of your favourite Blogs, dump them into one site and have all of that content formatted into your own personal magazine?

Enter: Tabbloid.

Here's how it works:

1. Enter the Blog URLs or feeds that you like.
2. Select when you would want your own personal magazine delivered to you.
3. On schedule, you get emailed a print-ready PDF.

It works, it looks great, it has a very clean and nice design, it's a one-step process and it's completely free.

Tabloid is an HP "hatchling project" (I was unable to find any info on what, exactly, a hatchling project is) and it speaks to three recent issues we've discussed on this Blog.

1. Marketing Needs To Shift From Trick To Treat -

2. The Feeding Frenzy Has Just Begun -

3. The Power Behind A Faith-Based Initiative -

If you find that you don't have enough time to read all of your feeds, check out Tabbloid and see if publishing your own personal magazine and reading them when you're not on a computer (travelling, on the couch, sitting on a park bench, etc...) creates a whole new experience with your content.

CONSTRUCTION STIMULUS WILL BOOST EMPLOYMENT AND CAPITAL SPENDING

Ohio general contractor Brian Burgett today told members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to recommend to the full House economic stimulus activities that would have an immediate positive impact on economic activity.

"An infusion of federal infrastructure funding would have a direct stimulus effect by putting more contractors and their employees back to work," said Burgett, President and CEO of the Kokosing Construction Company, Fredericktown, Ohio. "We have excess capacity at Kokosing and throughout the construction industry. Federal investments will create jobs in the Midwest and throughout the country. Additional public infrastructure projects will allow our industry to maintain our work force and necessitate hiring more workers. It will allow us to purchase equipment and preserve manufacturing jobs."

Read more:

CONSTRUCTION STIMULUS WILL BOOST EMPLOYMENT AND CAPITAL SPENDING

Technorati Tags: Construction,AGC,Construction Spending,Economic Relief,Stimulus package

Steve Jobs at the whiteboard (c. 1991)

 

Some 17 years before The Back of the Napkin was published, and before death-by-PowerPoint was a familiar refrain, Steve Jobs was not only a master of the slide presentation, he was a clear and thoughtful presenter at the whiteboard as well. I love this old presentation below featuring Steve Jobs at the whiteboard as he methodically, yet passionately, explains NeXT's positioning and future growth opportunities. Sure, his projections did not pan out and NeXT never really enjoyed large commercial success, but NeXT's influence in the computer industry was big (and Jobs would go on to sell NeXT and its object-oriented operating system to Apple in 1996 for over $400 million...and the rest, as they say, is history).

A lot of what Steve covers in this short "chalk talk" are the kind of things an entrepreneur would cover in a pitch: The market, the competition, sales and the channel, challenges and solutions, etc. This is a good and interesting presentation, but many people — especially business educators — will find the content illuminating as well. Steve states the fundamental questions right from the start: "Who is our target customer? Why are they selecting our product over the competition's? What distribution channels are we going to use?" The video is quite low-rez which makes reading the whiteboard difficult, but this is well worth a look.
Part 1

Part 2

An early Jobs demo on interpersonal computing
If you still have not had enough of going down Memory Lane, then check out this NeXT demo by Steve Jobs circa 1991-92. Pretty impressive stuff actually, especially when you consider that this was before most people ever heard of the internet or email, etc. (There are three additional parts to this demo on YouTube: 2, 3, 4.)

This is from Presentation Zen, and written by Garr.

Contractor's Guide to Building Information Modeling

 

The Contractor's Guide to Building Information Modeling

A Must for Contractor's Using Virtual Design

Order Form

This informative guide will assist you in determining how to get started using Building Information Modeling (BIM). Item # 2926 · Retail: $75.00 · AGC Member: $25.00

Other available BIM products can be found at the AGC Bookstore:

BIM: The Actual Risks of Virtual Modeling

Item #AC13· Retail: $229.00 · AGC Member: $149.00

Building Information Modeling: Planning and

Managing Construction Projects with 4D and Simulations

Item #5093 · Retail: $99.95· AGC Member: $79.95

BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling

Item #5089 · Retail: $85.00 · AGC Member: $106.29

Green BIM Handbook

Item #5101 · Retail: $49.99 · AGC Member: $62.50

Project Delivery Systems for Building Construction

Item #2915· Retail: $133.50 · AGC Member: $89.00

CM/GC Guidelines for Public Owners

Item #2912 · Retail: $45.00 · AGC Member: $30.00

CM/GC Best Practices for Public Owners and Contractors

Item #AC7 · Retail: $229.00 · AGC Member: $149.00

To order: fill out the Order Form and fax it to AGC at (703) 837-5405.

For more information, please call (800) 242-1767.

CONTRACTORS URGE HOUSE DEMOCRATS TO INCLUDE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN RECOVERY PLAN

It is estimated that $100 billion of new infrastructure projects have been delayed due to the reduced credit market. Coupled with construction materials cost inflation, fewer contracts are going out to bid, resulting in 52,000 lost construction jobs and a further deteriorating national infrastructure. Over the past year, AGC has met with congressional leaders, sent strong messages to both the House and Senate, and signed on to letters from transportation related coalitions in support of infrastructure investment. Speaker Pelosi has indicated that the Economic Forum will help Congress develop a plan that will create jobs by building roads, bridges and highways.

"Construction has always been an engine of economic stimulus and can play that role once again," said Sandherr. "Increases in infrastructure investment can be quickly put into play and will have a direct, immediate and dramatic impact on the economy."

CONTRACTORS URGE HOUSE DEMOCRATS TO INCLUDE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT IN RECOVERY PLAN

Technorati Tags: Construction,Contractors,AGC,Economic stimulus,Recovery plan

Seven Steps to Cost Reduction

Seven Step method for solving a cost reduction problem:
1. Define your problem
2. Define your ideal solution(Stop doing it!)
3. Gather the facts
4. Try various combinations, look outside the box, but be careful what you ask for you might get it.
5. Break the pattern, not everything happens outside the box. It is interesting how many things are solved within the box. Do not forget the simple solution. Complexity is seldom a solution; it is usually part of the problem.
6. SCAMPER it
a. What can you Substitute?
b. What can you Combine?
c. What can you Adapt?
d. What can you Modify or Magnify?
e. Can you Put to other uses?
f. What can you Eliminate or reduce?
g. What can you Reverse/Rearrange?
7. Leave it sit for a day, but set a deadline. Sleeping on it has value!

This is an excerpt from a rather wordy blog post of mine over a year ago.

Technorati Tags: Cost Reduction. 7-step metod,Problem Solving,Manufacturer,Solutions

AT&T Reply to Your Small Business Question

 

Hello,

Small business expert, John Jantsch, has posted a customized response to your business challenge.

To review the response, follow the link below.

http://smallbiz.att.com/community/expertadvice/johnjantsch

Thank you for looking to the AT&T OnwardSmallBiz web site as your ultimate resource for the latest industry news and insights. Continue to turn to AT&T Onward Small Biz for expert advice to keep moving your business onward.

Sincerely,

The AT&T OnwardSmallBiz Site Team

Technorati Tags: Duct tape marketing,John Jantsch,AT&T,small business,onward small biz

Other links: Duct Tape Marketing, Business901 Weblog

Marketing Plan Pro Review

 

A review by Ivana Taylor on the new Marketing Plan Pro. A good PR piece for Duct tape Marketing. Remember the definition of PR: A positive mention of your product or firm by a 3rd party.

BestPoints

• Practicaland easy to use — This is not your corporate marketing plan. It is intuitive and uses your natural entrepreneurial thinking. This makes it very easy and quick to fill out.
• Hasaudio guides and examples — I love that John Jantsch does these little introductions as audios – it feel like he’s coaching you through the process. There are also several examples for each section – you can read, get inspired or just copy and edit to change later.
• Resourcesreduce the risk of procrastination – Love the resources section! This will get you started on creating the business of your dreams.

What They Could Have Done Better

The software won’t write your plan for you – but it comes pretty close.

Youhave to listen to the introductions – there’s no reading or writing ahead. On the other hand, there was NOT an audio instruction for the Gap Dashboard section, and I felt that many of us would have liked some additional explanation to complement the instructions that were provided.

WhoShould Get Marketing Plan Pro

• Marketingprofessionals for any size organization — this is a great tool to get your thoughts and ideas out of your head or off of scraps of paper, into an outline.
• Smallbusiness owners and entrepreneurs creating their first real marketing plan, or looking for a painless way to create a plan.
• Independentconsultants who help clients create plans and want a structure to follow.

About the Author: Ivana Taylor has spent over 20 years helping industrial organizations and small business owners get and keep their ideal customers. Her company is Third Force and she writes a blog called Strategy Stew . She is co-author of the book “Excel for Marketing Managers.”

Othersites for Marketing Plan Pro:

Nonprofit Marketing Plan

Nonprofit Marketing Plan Forum
MarketingPlan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing, Coaching Offer

Duct Tape Marketing

TechnoratiTags: Ivana Taylor , Small Business Trends , Marketing Plan Pro , Duct tape Marketing

SmartBrief: Construction economist sees more problems to come

 Market Update

• Construction economist sees more problems to come
  Residential construction will be slow next year and costs will continue to rise, according to AGC's chief economist, Ken Simonson. He also predicts that the commercial sectors performing well now will begin to sour and that school construction will slow as declining home prices bring fewer tax dollars. However, military construction and energy projects should do well. The Tennessean (Nashville) (9/29)

So what do you think? Have you changed how you do business?

 

Technorati Tags: SmartBrief,Construction,Residential,Nashville

Turbocharge your search engine marketing

StartupNation recently collaborated with Microsoft Office Live Small Business to develop a search engine marketing ("SEM") ebook. It's a quick read with very practical tips, free of charge and downloadable without much fuss at all.

Download 3 Steps to Search Engine Marketing Success.

Included in the ebook are the following items of interest:

• quick definition of what SEM is
• how to create a rationale SEM strategy
• whether to outsource your SEM effort or keep it inhouse
• how to use reports on performance to optimize your efforts and make SEM work for your website.

This one's well worth your time if you're just getting up the curve on what search engine marketing is all about.

Free Ebook that may help you with search engines!

Getting used to infinity

Seth Godin blog had this post today but the interesting comment I think is "we live in a world of content infinity."  As I mentioned the other day to someone it is not about the package, the book or the program, it is about being associated with someone that will get something implemented and done!

I have a new thing to collect.

I collect pictures of crowds stunned by a baseball bat heading their way. I don't collect photos where anyone is injured, just the ones where people are all weirded out.

This, of course, is a crazy thing to collect, but the fascinating thing is that it's possible at all. All of us grew up in a world of content scarcity, and now we live in a world of content infinity.

That means, for example, that finding a rare song is essentially banal. There are no rare songs (except on LP). It means that finding a photo of what you're looking for isn't the hard part, it's deciding what to look for in the first place.

Of course, it's not just photos or music. It's service providers, freelancers, employees, charitable tools, places to live, vacation spots, dogs to adopt, people to date.

If you find a great baseball bat flying in the stands photo, I'm hoping you'll send me one. In the meantime, don't be afraid of infinity. There's a lot of it going around.

The New School ways

I blogged about the old school and a couple people asked about the new school, so here they are.

SoundBite Back

Learn something new today

Posted: 20 Feb 2008 07:23 PM CST

Communication is changing every day. The only way to keep pace is to learn as much as you can, as soon as you can. This stuff isn't going away, so it's important to get comfortable with it and not fall behind. The good news is that you can learn most of what you need to know quickly, at no cost. And it's fun.
Here are a few ideas to get you started. Pick the thing you know the least about and jump in with both feet--and do it today:

• You obviously read blogs, but have you ever left a comment? Leave one here or on another blog, and get involved in the conversation instead of just observing it
• Better yet, start your own blog on Blogger or WordPress. Create your own conversation.
• Don't have time for a blog or want to walk before you run? Try Twitter.
• Join a social network like Facebook, Smaller Indiana, or LinkedIn
• Start your own network on Ning
• If you've never sent an instant message, create an account on Yahoo Instant Messenger or Google Talk (or sign up for Meebo and access multiple accounts at once)
• Add to a Wikipedia article
• Build a website using Google Page Creator
• Post about your favorite place on Wikimapia
• Post a video on YouTube
• Post your photos on Flickr
• Learn how to subscribe to RSS feeds
• Start a Jott account to use when you're on the road
• Share your bookmarks and discover new sites on del.icio.us
• Listen to a podcast
• Make your own podcast

So you say you've already tried all of these things? Great. What else do you recommend for those who are willing learn more about communication technology tools and trends?

What does your written message say to your audience?

If you want to learn more about Duct Tape Marketing, click here!

SoundBite Back

Even a contract can benefit from technology, here is some good resources for old school ways. 

SoundBite Back

Try something new (the analog version)

Posted: 09 Mar 2008 11:12 AM CDT

Last month I challenged SBB readers to improve their communication skills by trying something new. Since everything I listed involved technology, however, I want to issue a follow-up challenge from the analog world. While it's crucial to keep pace with technology, it's just as important to learn how to use some tried-and-true communication tools and skills, like:

• A library card. Still free, and still relevant. (If you live in Allen County, apply for one here.)
• The Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature. Still the best way to find every magazine article in print in a given year, and only available at your local library.
• Your reference librarian. Reference librarians are the original search engines, and they're better company than Google or Yahoo. When you need to dig deep on a research project, they're the people to see.
• Public speaking. One of the best ways to raise your profile at work or in the community. But make sure you can do it well before you volunteer. How do you learn?...
• Try Toastmasters or another skill-building group. There are plenty to choose from in northeast Indiana.
• Write a letter to the editor. Petrified of public speaking? Let your pen do the talking instead. Click to learn more about where and what to send to the Journal Gazette or News-Sentinel
• Your writing's not ready for prime time? Well, take a writing class at Ivy Tech Community College or IPFW.
• Learn a foreign language. Given population trends, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, or Indian are probably good choices. French no longer makes a lot of sense from a practical standpoint, but learning just about any language is worthwhile. (Except Klingon. Learning Klignon is just nerdy.)
• You'd rather speak with pictures instead of words? Take a photography class. See pg. 32 of the spring Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation catalog from a class that's only $67.
• Teach a class. Already good at most of this stuff? Consider teaching others. You'll hone your public speaking skills, too, and you'll inevitably learn something new about your topic.
• Read. A book. A real book. Something with actual pages.
• Travel.
• Turn off the computer and talk to someone. Yes, I mean now.

Chalk one up for the apostrophe

Posted: 09 Mar 2008 11:11 AM CDT

More proof that puncutation isn't optional.
Photo from Grammar Girl's Group Photo Pool on Flickr

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Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing

I went through an in-depth workshop with John Jantsch and the Marketing PlanPro guru's. To tell the truth, when I was looking at the Beta version, I was kind of ho-hum about the whole thing. But this looks pretty impressive as a finished product. Special offer on August 24th Release Date, details coming soon! Do not pre-order it. This will ruin my surprise. You will be able to download it instantly if you wait.

Product Features

• Powered by Duct Tape Marketing, providing a practical marketing guide upon which you can build your plan
• Detailed explanations and examples including audio introductions narrated by John Jantsch, renowned small-business marketing guru
• Step-by-step instructions & expert guidance every step of the way
• Easily forecast sales and expenses and track your progress
• Framework to help you build an action plan that will lead to marketing success

Amazon Says:

Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing is a brand new release of the #1best-selling marketing-planning software from Palo Alto Software. Are you getting the results you want from your marketing programs? How will you grow your business this year or month, starting today?

Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing is the answer. We've taken the award-winning Duct Tape Marketing process and embedded it into simple software that will guide you through the process of creating a powerful marketing system that will help you grow your business. Duct Tape Marketing is a systematic approach to marketing that is as elegantly simple as that sticky and trustworthy roll of duct tape.

The Duct Tape Marketing system, developed by renowned small-business marketing guru John Janstch, shows you how to develop and execute a marketing plan that will give your business the life and longevity you always knew it could have. The Marketing Plan Pro software package integrates this powerful system into a step-by-step approach that guides you through the process of creating a marketing plan that will get results. Marketing Plan Pro will not only produce a great looking marketing plan, but a true action plan that you can start using immediately in your business. Every step includes detailed explanations, examples, and links to the forms and worksheets you need to translate your plan into action. Audio introductions, narrated by John Jantsch, are also included for major topics.

Marketing Plan Pro will automatically generate charts and graphs, and it guides you through the process of creating your forecasts, milestones and goals. Now you can have one of America's most respected small-business marketing experts - one who has helped thousands grow their businesses with a proven step-by-step system - actually guide you along the marketing path for a fraction of what others have paid for the same expert advice and coaching.

Technorati Tags: Marketing Plan Pro,Duct Tape Marketing,John Jantsch,Pal Alto Software,Marketing Software

How to Form an Innovation Strategy

Great post on thinking about your innovation strategy. But one comment he makes here is so true. How many of innovate one product at a time thinking that it is the answer. Remember, even with a well thought out strategy, you are not always right, especially when it comes to innovation. The word kind of says "Risk" doesn't it?

Scott D. Anthony is President of Innosight LLC, an innovation consulting firm in Watertown, Massachusettssay this in his Amazon blog today:

Companies just starting innovation efforts often begin by getting a group of people together and telling them "It's innovation time!" I've never seen efforts like this succeed in meaningful ways.

• Instead, we suggest that companies begin innovation efforts by creating an innovation strategy that details clear targets and tactics.

• Clear targets help internal innovators know what they're shooting for.

• Then think about the sources of growth.

• Look at what's already in your development pipeline.

• Calculate the gap (it will almost always be a gap) between where your projections suggest you will be and where you want to be.

• Think of the tactics that are on and off the table.

• Use this "Goals and Boundaries" visual (from Chapter 1 of The Innovator's Guide to Growth).

   The figure (download it here) represents the "goals and boundaries" of innovation. Note how the figure includes a diverse set of elements, such as steady-state revenue, channel, business model, and brand. Customize the vectors for your context, and gain consensus about what's clearly in bounds, what's on the fringes, and what's clearly out of bounds.

Gaining consensus on this visual will help you to evaluate ideas and to guide innovators in their exploration efforts.

Formalizing targets and tactics is a great way to kick-start your innovation efforts. Start allocating resources to support your strategy, and you are on your way to innovation success!

This is from Scott Anthony.

Technorati Tags: Innovation,Scott Anthony,Innovation Strategies,New Product Intorductins,Product Launch

Startup Fundraising According to Paul Graham

I like Ben's blog and he is always having good things to say. 

From the Instigator Blog by Ben Yoskovitz 

Paul Graham is well-known in the startup world for his past successes and most recently, the launch of Y Combinator. Y Combinator continues to garner a ton of attention, from a combination of the sheer volume in startups being launched through the program, the successful exits, and the way in which they’re shaking up the venture capital industry.

I’ma big fan of Y Combinator. I wish I could have gone through the experience. From the outside looking in, I see an insanely talented and dedicated group of people running the operation, who are working with a slew of bright, young, hungry entrepreneurs. I’ve met several Y Combinator folks and have been impressed with all of them.

I think Canada needs a similar model, although for a whole host of reasons, it can’t be quite the same. But that’s a topic of discussion for another time.

PaulGraham recently published his Fundraising Survival Guide, and I wanted to take a few moments to go through some of his key points and add my own thoughts and experiences to the mix.

1. Fundraising is brutal.
2. There are no secrets.
3. Consulting is the only option you can count on. 
4. Creates an us vs. them attitude.
5. Keep working on your startup.
6. Raising money for the first time alone is almost impossible.

Ben offered some great comments and also other insights as well that I did not duplcate here. If you are newbie to raising money take a look here.

Getting ready to offer a Duct Tape Marketing Product Launch kit.

Technorati Tags: Instigator blog,Ben Yosovitz,Paul Graham,Fundraising Survival Guide