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Business Marketing Strategy that Doubles Your Results Through 5 Simple Questions
Many small business owners, remember small is defined as companies with under 500 employees, fail to market themselves and consequently continue to lose market share. The inability to increase sales revenue goes beyond the expertise of your sales staff and is directly tied into your marketing plan.First, do you have a marketing plan to deliver your marketing message? How are you marketing yourself and your business? Even if you are a Single Office Home Office Business (SOHO) or home based business, you need a marketing plan. Obviously if you are a larger organization, you understand the value of having such a plan. HINT: If you don’t have a plan or have been procrastinating about writing a plan, STOP right now. Find; hire someone to help you write that plan. These plans should be directly tied to your str

f the target audience provides just what you need to establish your public relations goal – the specific perception to be altered.

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

Now, the right strategy sends the public relations program off to a good start because it shows you how to proceed towards your goal. Luckily, there are just three strategic choices for dealing with matters of opinion and perception. You can create perception/opinion where there may not be any, you can change existing opinion, or you can reinforce it. An effort should be made to match the strategy to the public relations goal you sel

Workplace Security: Are You Any Safer At Work From Terrorism?
TABLE OF CONTENTS1. The Security Consultant's Perspective...2. The Insider Threat...3. Threats by the Outsiders…4. The Terrorist Threat...5. Protective Measures...1) Security Consultant's Perspective...Traditional techniques at combating Workplace Violence pits the disgruntled employee against the system and the potential victims in a waiting game. It seems that the “Inside Threat” is reduced to monitoring the known potential, the “Ticking Bomb”, while the unknown threats go unmonitored. Threats by "Outsiders" are just as common and equally violent. Complicating this challenge, we now must grapple with the threat of terrorism (political and domestic) in our workplaces. I am reminded of a quote by James Baldwin from his book, "The Price of the Ticket". "No one can poss

I say to business, non-profit and association managers, a key part of your job description is – or should be – do everything you can to help your organization’s public relations effort as it strives to persuade important outside stakeholders to your way of thinking. Especially when it’s YOUR PR program that is tasked to move those stakeholders to behaviors that lead to the success of YOUR department or division.

Which is why I suggest that business, non-profit and association managers embrace what I call PR’s 8 fix factors, those steps necessary to prepare their public relations operation for the battles certain to lie ahead.

The fix factors are based on this fundamental premise: People act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Fix Factor 1

For starters, I caution Mr/Ms Manager that you may find yourself data-challenged should you be unaware of just HOW most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization.

Has anyone sat down and listed those external audiences whose behaviors could hurt your unit badly? Then prioritized them according to the impacts they have on your operation? A necessary first step in creating the right public relations objective because, while behavior is the goal, and a host of communications tactics are the tools, our strategy is the leverage provided by key audience perception. Sometimes called public opinion.

Fix Factor 2

Lets take a look at the audience you place at the top of your prioritized target audience list. Because there could be negative perceptions out there, someone must interact with members of that audience and ask a number of questions. Do you know anything about our organization? Have you had any kind of contact with our people? Have you heard anything good or bad about us or our services and products? Watch respondents closely for hesitant or evasive answers. And stay alert for inaccuracies, rumors, untruths or misconceptions.

Fix Factor 3

Here, fortunately, you have a choice. You and your PR staff can interact with members of that target audience yourselves, which seems appropriate since your PR folks are already in the perception and behavior business. Or, if budget is available, you can hire professional survey counsel to do the work for you.

What are you hearing during your perception monitoring sessions? Misconceptions that need straightening out? Rumors that should not be allowed to fester? Inaccurate beliefs about your products or services that could drive people away from you? Do you notice other perceptions about your organization that need to be altered?

Fix Factor 4

The responses gathered by this kind of perception monitoring among members of the target audience provides just what you need to establish your public relations goal – the specific perception to be altered.

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

Opening a Dollar Store - Don't Forget the Music!
Are you opening a dollar store? If you are, then don’t forget the music! The right music can result in higher sales and more repeat customers. Having the right music playing in the background can make you money.When preparing for opening a dollar store invest a small amount to set your store up for music. This can be accomplished by installing a relatively inexpensive sound system. Make sure that there are speakers (We found ceiling speakers to work best.) installed throughout the store. Spots without music will cause shoppers to unconsciously move on quickly without examining products and without selecting products for purchase.Pleasant music can keep shoppers inside your store for longer periods of time. The longer shoppers are in you store the more they spend. When opening a dollar store you will s

em, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.

Fix Factor 1

For starters, I caution Mr/Ms Manager that you may find yourself data-challenged should you be unaware of just HOW most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization.

Fix Factor 2

Fix Factor 3

Fix Factor 4

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

The Myths of Career Change
Chances are you already have many ideas about what it takes to successfully transition into a new career, even if you have never done it before. Some of those ideas might be useful – most probably are not. In this article I would like to expose The Myths of Career Change, which might actually be holding you back.MYTH #1: PASSION AND WORK ARE NOT COMPATIBLEIn fact, research shows the opposite to be true. Most successful people are those who have learned to follow their passion. The problem is that many of us were taught to be rational when we make career decisions. So we buried our passion.Think about your own career path. Maybe you were passionate about writing when you were younger, but made the rational choice to go into nursing. Maybe you were passionate about working with children, b

cause, while behavior is the goal, and a host of communications tactics are the tools, our strategy is the leverage provided by key audience perception. Sometimes called public opinion.

Fix Factor 2

Fix Factor 3

Fix Factor 4

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

Hotel Chains are adding Fake Plants and Trees to Rooms
Hotel Chains are adding artificial plants and fake trees to their room requirements. Hotels are adding 2-3 fake plants per room to their decor standards. Decor Standards are what hotel chains set as a minimum decor level for the entire chain so that guests feel can be assured of a similar look and feel at any hotel associated with the chain.By adding Fake Plants, the hotels can give a room an upscale look without the high cost of maintaining live plants. The plants and trees are regarded as furniture and can be maintained by the housekeeping staff. The plants need only light dusting to keep their life-like appearance and the plants give guests the look of a residential home.Most plants are chosen to match either the decor or the local climate. While a hotel in Miami may have palm trees, a New

ctor 3

Fix Factor 4

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

Demise of the Lone Ranger Manager: A Lesson in Management Communication Style
When executives see themselves as solely responsible for the overall success of their enterprise, subordinates can hardly be blamed for acting according to predictions.Let's look at a familiar scene in classical American - if I may use the word - mythology.Panic and terror have brought all normal activity to a standstill in some pioneering settlement in the Wild West. A bunch of bad guys have been scaring the pants off the innocent, helpless and disorganized townsfolk.Then an imposing masked figure rides up on a white horse. He arrives just in the nick of time.With the right blend of courage and cunning, he vanquishes the bad guys by being just a little quicker, smarter and tougher than they are. Then, satisfied that everything is under control, he stoically rides o

f the target audience provides just what you need to establish your public relations goal – the specific perception to be altered.

You might start with a straightforward goal like clearing up that misconception, correcting that inaccuracy or replacing a perceived untruth with the truth.

Fix Factor 5

Fix Factor 6

Here, there is a little more work to do in the form of the message that, hopefully, will alter people’s inaccurate perceptions of you and the organization.

Some serious writing is needed here. The corrective message to be communicated to members of the target audience is an opportunity to write something designed to change individual opinion, and that’s a positive experience for any writer.

Clarity is first, followed closely by accuracy and believability. Stick closely to the issue at hand – like that inaccurate belief, misconception or dangerous rumor. A compelling tone is useful because the message must alter what a lot of people believe, and that is a big job. Tryout the message on some colleagues for effectiveness.

Keep in mind that your message must be believable and that rather than delivering it in a high-profile news announcement, you may want to make the message part of another general interest release, presentation or address.

Fix Factor 7

Now you must throw that message to receivers in the end-zone or, continuing this scintillating mixture of metaphors, every bullet needs a gun to fire it at the target. Which brings us to the stable housing our beasts of burden – the communications tactics whose job it is to carry your message to the attention of those key target audience members.

Fortunately, there are many, many such tactics ranging from luncheons, news releases and personal contacts to print and broadcast interviews, speeches, press releases and dozens of others. Only requirement is that they have a proven track record for reaching your target audience.

Fix Factor 8

Soon, associates (and others) will inquire whether any progress is being made in altering the offending perception or opinion. If you’ve ruled out pricey survey counsel, your best hope of assessing that progress is a return to the field for a second perception monitoring session.

Yes, you and your PR team will ask the same questions as you did in the initial monitoring session. But this time, you’ll be looking for evidence in the responses that the offending perception is finally being altered. You need to see and hear signs that perceptions are actually moving in your direction.

That tells you that positive behaviors by your key external stakeholders cannot be far behind.

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Is the litigious US business environment driving away foreign investment in US public companies? Has the SarBox section 404 caused these declines and how could it be changed to build confidence but retain assurance of the efficiency of internal controls? The SEC is facing these tough questions while deciding how to go forward with regulating public companies.

Winning in the marketplace means many things. Some define it by corporate growth, profitability, and market leadership. Others look to employee loyalty, industry honors, and favorable media headlines as evidence of their accomplishments. No matter how you define a win, the cornerstones for creating a successful organization include bold aspirations for success, clearly-defined and commonly-shared goals, team behavior governed by strong ethics and core values, and leadership’s attention focused on the success of team members.

In the late 1990's we witnessed a complete shift as computers become commonplace. Personal Computer ownership skyrockets and every small business started using email between customers, vendors, employees and locations. The information age was set and now some complain that there is too much information? But how can you have too much information.

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