Will You Add? - Business

1 Secret Lesson In Delegation
When we first began franchising our company we believed that the franchisees should be able to call up the founder anytime they wanted to ask a question. We know this would not last forever, in fact we figured until about 120 franchisees or so. We later learned 70 is about all any one person can handle and I beat my head against the wall micro-managing all aspects of the company. It seemed at the time relevant, as I had built the company and knew every single aspect of it, you name I knew it, from legal documents to soap supplies for our “Mobile Car Wash Rigs.”It wasn’t until we had about 50 franchises or so before I realized that the franchisees had felt intimidated to call with what they believed to be non-essential things and thus were flustered and frustrated in not knowing answers to their questio

Always Sell Consequences
Customers would rather not lose something than save something. If offered the choice to not lose $100, or to save $100, the customer will choose the not lose option. This is an important marketing understanding. Always communicate the consequences to the customer of going without your product. The fear of loss is a much stronger buying motive than the potential to save.For example, take the storm window manufacturer who claims its double-paned windows "Will save you $2.00 a day in reduced energy consumption." It is more effective, more memorable, and more compelling to say, "You are losing $720 a year with your old single-pane windows. Try ABC Double-panes." The gauge and controls company that says, "New Spillex Controller prevents overfilling, saving you hundreds of dollars in cleanup costs," would ge

In marketing, U.S.P. is the acronym for unique selling proposition. The USP process answers the distinct question: "What distinguishes your product or service from similar products or services, even businesses as a whole?" After continually battling my wits using other recommended USP models, I developed my own -- a list of 50 questions -- that gave me the same results, but faster. [For simplicity, allow the word product to mean service as well.]

First, select an equal, or as closely matched as possible, playing competitor. Even if you sell apples, be careful in choosing your comparison. A Granny Smith apple is different from a Winesap. Even though both are a snack, each taste different and cook different. If you think there aren't any equals, be mindfully open, somewhere there is a close match -- guaranteed.

Second, gather whatever product information is available -- print or electronic. Lay the material out in singles for easy viewing. I like to color code, using highlighters, each set of USP characteristics. For instance, yellow for features, blue for the benefits. Later, when I'm ready to compare the apples, I use the abbreviations S and D for similar or different to mine. Poorly written material will produce limited results in your analysis. If this occurs, record their limitations and choose another player. Later, use this error list as a checklist against your own created material.

If you are a new player, select a player with fewer than two years in business or with the same number of selling products, otherwise, you will be working under "measurement stress." Measurement stress pleases the inner critic but will challenge your focus, energy, and your commitment.

Third, answer the following questions to create a list of their unique selling points:

1. How long have they been in business?
2. Where is the product on the maturity line? Is it a new product, old, or somewhere in-between?
3. Are there any business stories they tell? What type of story is it and how do they use it?
4. What is the size of their business? What are the advantages or disadvantages to their size?
5. Highlight all the product’s benefits.
6. What product stories do they use? How and when do they use them?
7. Identify and list the features the product offers.
8. What features are least important to the buyer?
9. What features may be assumed to be there but are not stated?
10. How is each feature used by the buyer?
11. Why would buyers see the feature as desirable? Examine one by one.
12. What is their price?
13. Where is this price in line with other similar products in the marketplace?
14. What emotional needs/desires does the product meet?
15. What customer physical needs or desires does their product meet? Even services meet some needs and desires.
16. Does the product sell better at different times of the year? If so, when, where, and why?
17. Does the competitor have an office? Any advantages to that location? How about their website location or domain name advantages? Disadvantages?
18. Where are they advertising the product? Find and keep copies on file.
19. Do they have a media kit? Obtain a copy.
20. What are the product’s demographics?
21. What type of customer care services do they offer?
22. Do they offer any special type of advice?
23. What is the guarantee or warranty for the product?
24. How does the product get into their customers hands?
25. How fast do they fulfill their orders?
26. What type of questions and answers do they offer to consumers about the product?
27. How long does it take for them to answer "contact us" type of questions? Submit a few to find out.
28. What are their payment options? Is there room for expansion?
29. What is their customer service policy?
30. List the number of ways their customers can contact them? Test and track each one.
31. What are their "available" (contact/support) hours? Their time zone?
32. Do they offer product discounts? What must a buyer do to earn them?
33. How do they ship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
34. Do they offer any value-added incentives seen from the customers point of view (freebies, documentation, support, newsletters, ebooks, or other items)?
35. Do they offer purchasing gifts? Are they one-of-a-kind type or generic? What needs to occur to receive one? How often do they change and why?
36. Brainstorm a list of unique, customer-valued gifts, that they don't offer.
37. What special qualities do their employees contribute to the product?
38. Do they offer any type of training?
39. What would make you excited about selling their product?
40. What do their customers say about the uniqueness of that product?
41. What statistics do they have on the product that shows, not tells, its uniqueness?
42. Do they have any celebrity endorsements?
43. In what ways does the product change buyers life style or shift their mindset?
44. How long does their

Marketing for the Mystified
Imagine you are in the process of setting up your own business, the culmination of all that training, experience and investment but are not confident of knowing or being good at the best steps to success.Or, imagine that you are running your dream business but the dream is a bit tarnished and you just aren't quite getting where you intended to be.So there you are mystified but imagine you knew all the answers to creating your success.And imagine you knew all the questions to get to these answers.It would be fabulous wouldn't it? Your problems would just dissolve and all your greatest challenges become fun. You're doing all the work so how do you access the rewards?Reality 1 - You know many more answers than you may believe that you do.Reality 2 - You have access to al

For instance, yellow for features, blue for the benefits. Later, when I'm ready to compare the apples, I use the abbreviations S and D for similar or different to mine. Poorly written material will produce limited results in your analysis. If this occurs, record their limitations and choose another player. Later, use this error list as a checklist against your own created material.

Third, answer the following questions to create a list of their unique selling points:

Marketing 101 - Effective Ways To Market Your Daycare Services
Marketing a daycare business need not be an expensive exercise, if managed effectively. Your marketing budget can be as expensive or as cheap as you wish for it to be. That said, sometimes it does pay to invest a little more in marketing to ensure greater returns. Remember not to fall into the trap of being “penny wise pound foolish”. Here are a number of suggestions to help you market your daycare centre:1. Marketing collaterals / Direct mailers Direct mailers are very important marketing tools. They need not be flashy. A simple flyer telling your audience about your centre and what you offer is good enough.Distribute them wherever possible; put them at community clubs, caf?s and restaurants and/or hire temporary help to distribute them at train stations, bus stations, basically any high t

t is the size of their business? What are the advantages or disadvantages to their size?
5. Highlight all the product’s benefits.
6. What product stories do they use? How and when do they use them?
7. Identify and list the features the product offers.
8. What features are least important to the buyer?
9. What features may be assumed to be there but are not stated?
10. How is each feature used by the buyer?
11. Why would buyers see the feature as desirable? Examine one by one.
12. What is their price?
13. Where is this price in line with other similar products in the marketplace?
14. What emotional needs/desires does the product meet?
15. What customer physical needs or desires does their product meet? Even services meet some needs and desires.
16. Does the product sell better at different times of the year? If so, when, where, and why?
17. Does the competitor have an office? Any advantages to that location? How about their website location or domain name advantages? Disadvantages?
18. Where are they advertising the product? Find and keep copies on file.
19. Do they have a media kit? Obtain a copy.
20. What are the product’s demographics?
21. What type of customer care services do they offer?
22. Do they offer any special type of advice?
23. What is the guarantee or warranty for the product?
24. How does the product get into their customers hands?
25. How fast do they fulfill their orders?
26. What type of questions and answers do they offer to consumers about the product?
27. How long does it take for them to answer "contact us" type of questions? Submit a few to find out.
28. What are their payment options? Is there room for expansion?
29. What is their customer service policy?
30. List the number of ways their customers can contact them? Test and track each one.
31. What are their "available" (contact/support) hours? Their time zone?
32. Do they offer product discounts? What must a buyer do to earn them?
33. How do they ship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
34. Do they offer any value-added incentives seen from the customers point of view (freebies, documentation, support, newsletters, ebooks, or other items)?
35. Do they offer purchasing gifts? Are they one-of-a-kind type or generic? What needs to occur to receive one? How often do they change and why?
36. Brainstorm a list of unique, customer-valued gifts, that they don't offer.
37. What special qualities do their employees contribute to the product?
38. Do they offer any type of training?
39. What would make you excited about selling their product?
40. What do their customers say about the uniqueness of that product?
41. What statistics do they have on the product that shows, not tells, its uniqueness?
42. Do they have any celebrity endorsements?
43. In what ways does the product change buyers life style or shift their mindset?
44. How long does their

The Sea Freight Industry is Failing to Meet Its Schedules
A recent survey of the reliability of scheduling in the sea freight industry has revealed worrying results. The survey examined sea freight schedules on a worldwide basis. It demonstrated that over 40% of the world’s cargo carrying ships arrived at their destination at least a day late. In many cases ships arrived in port well over several days late.The survey derived results from an examination of 3,300 ships arriving on 23 east-west and north-south routes. It was part of a quarterly review of the global sea freight industry.Although the survey showed that nearly 60% of all container ships arrived on time, the overall results were not inspiring. 22% of all the container ships arrived a day later than their scheduled arrival date. Moreover, 21% of the ships that were tracked arrived more

ain name advantages? Disadvantages?
18. Where are they advertising the product? Find and keep copies on file.
19. Do they have a media kit? Obtain a copy.
20. What are the product’s demographics?
21. What type of customer care services do they offer?
22. Do they offer any special type of advice?
23. What is the guarantee or warranty for the product?
24. How does the product get into their customers hands?
25. How fast do they fulfill their orders?
26. What type of questions and answers do they offer to consumers about the product?
27. How long does it take for them to answer "contact us" type of questions? Submit a few to find out.
28. What are their payment options? Is there room for expansion?
29. What is their customer service policy?
30. List the number of ways their customers can contact them? Test and track each one.
31. What are their "available" (contact/support) hours? Their time zone?
32. Do they offer product discounts? What must a buyer do to earn them?
33. How do they ship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
34. Do they offer any value-added incentives seen from the customers point of view (freebies, documentation, support, newsletters, ebooks, or other items)?
35. Do they offer purchasing gifts? Are they one-of-a-kind type or generic? What needs to occur to receive one? How often do they change and why?
36. Brainstorm a list of unique, customer-valued gifts, that they don't offer.
37. What special qualities do their employees contribute to the product?
38. Do they offer any type of training?
39. What would make you excited about selling their product?
40. What do their customers say about the uniqueness of that product?
41. What statistics do they have on the product that shows, not tells, its uniqueness?
42. Do they have any celebrity endorsements?
43. In what ways does the product change buyers life style or shift their mindset?
44. How long does their

Branding - More Than Just a Statement - A Memory Scar
Conjure up in your mind broad rolling meadows with runs of cattle or stock of some type, all discriminate by virtue of a registered brand. That's a most common and accepted understanding of branding.You have just now used your mind to develop a picture that promises easy recall. You may not yet be aware but there's always a new secret marketing aid being developed and made available ... nearly every day of the week.I'd be one of many that could point out who the target group is for all of these hidden treasures and industrious salespeople. But if you're reading this, then take a bow and a large step forward! You are in fact the "demand" component of the supply that's being generated.Now what happens when you also join the ranks of the industrious? It doesn't take a whole deal of thinking

a buyer do to earn them?
33. How do they ship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?
34. Do they offer any value-added incentives seen from the customers point of view (freebies, documentation, support, newsletters, ebooks, or other items)?
35. Do they offer purchasing gifts? Are they one-of-a-kind type or generic? What needs to occur to receive one? How often do they change and why?
36. Brainstorm a list of unique, customer-valued gifts, that they don't offer.
37. What special qualities do their employees contribute to the product?
38. Do they offer any type of training?
39. What would make you excited about selling their product?
40. What do their customers say about the uniqueness of that product?
41. What statistics do they have on the product that shows, not tells, its uniqueness?
42. Do they have any celebrity endorsements?
43. In what ways does the product change buyers life style or shift their mindset?
44. How long does their product last with consumer use? 45. Where is the product in the economic trend line? Is it at the beginning or end?
46. How frequent does the company change a feature on the product and remarket it as an update? Examine the product’s history and look for patterns.
47. How fast can consumers obtain the product?
48. Were they the first to develop this product? When was it developed and first marketed?
49. What are the advantages and disadvantages the product holds in the marketplace now? How is that different then when it first appeared?
50. Where are the product distribution locations? What are the advantages and disadvantages for each?

Always remember, people are attracted to restaurants with full parking lots. The perception is...if lots of people are eating there, it must be good. This is why all restaurant employees are encouraged to park out front. A good USP process will provide the support you need to gather the information needed to fill your parking lot.

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Web 2.0 is the current phase of the internet. Users create, alter, or vote on content, in effect, controlling their online experience.

My mechanic has me trained. When I take my car in for an oil change, he places a sticker in the upper left hand corner of my windshield to remind me what date and mileage I should have my next maintenance completed. But every once in a while, he forgets to put the sticker on the window. Then I have to remember the date and mileage details...

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Will You Add? - What Distinguishes You From Your Competitors?

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