It’s no secret that writing consistently successful proposals is an art.
Used well, however, a proposal can be a great marketing tool. In fact, if you really play your cards right, you can even sell your proposals as a service.
When was the last time you searched for something on Google and read (actually read) the first three articles you clicked on?
If you’re anything like me: never.
No matter how smart or innovative you are, the fear of failure is definitely a problem; it’s kept many entrepreneurs from realizing success.
All entrepreneurs feel that fear. In fact, it’s often what lights the fire in our belly and leads to success.
Asking the right questions can make or break a sale, idea, or even a whole business.
We’re constantly asking questions (sometimes without even actually asking a question) but we rarely plan out what we should be asking.
Have you ever thought about how a coffee machine works?
Have you ever noticed how machine-made coffee is so much better (and consistent) than the instant kind?
No, I’m not talking about the IPO flop.
Facebook has been plagued by another much more serious problem since day one. It’s something that they’re still struggling to solve at a $100 billion valuation.
The difference between success and failure as a leader lies in your purpose.
The most successful leaders don’t focus on marketing, operations, and finance. They work to build an army of Evangelists.
I’ve been suffering a Big Bang Theory (Amazon aff) addiction lately. Don’t worry, though.
It turns out that it’s a veritable fountain of knowledge for entrepreneurs and marketers. Not only does the show offer scientific & historical tid-bits that you’ll never use in real life, but there’s some solid business wisdom.
Pinterest, the picture sharing social network, is obviously doing something right.
Not only did the site reach 10 million monthly active users faster than any other in history, but it’s generating quite a buzz even as it’s growth slows.
…is you.
It’s cliche, I know, but it seems to be something that we have trouble remembering and believing.
Getting more website traffic is at the top of every marketer’s mind right now.
It seems pretty straight-forward, too. There are thousands of articles and guides on how to drive your pageviews up.
This past weekend, Marvel Studios shattered all box office records with the opening weekend for its Avengers movie.
Yet, I don’t really remember seeing many ads for the movie. In fact, the only Avengers ads I remember were joint promotions from Dr. Pepper and Farmers.
Every time your customer doesn’t buy from you, they’re making a string of choices leading to that decision.
Successful marketers understand what that chain of choices really is, and focus on influencing the chain early on.
So many entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking they need a fancy logo and kick-ass brand to be successful.
Be different.
Marketers have long known that getting media attention is one of the most effective ways to generate buzz.
But why rely on others for this? With advances in technology, we now have the opportunity to become the media ourselves.