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.
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.
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.
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.
So many entrepreneurs make the mistake of thinking they need a fancy logo and kick-ass brand to be successful.
Be different.
What was your new year’s resolution?
Most people try losing weight, being healthier, or something similar. Me? I’m trying to work less while producing more.
Humans have been around for tens of thousands of years. Heck we’ve even been advertising for thousands of years. Chances are that someone’s already thought of your “innovative” idea.
Sorry to burst your bubble.
A few weeks ago, I rented the recently released “Friends With Benefits” (aff). Besides being a pretty decent movie, it (surprisingly) taught me an important lesson about life (and business).
If you know anything about me, you know that I’m a bit of a risk taker. I guess it comes with being an entrepreneur; but sometimes the risk is too high, even for me. And I often come across clients who are too conservative to be truly successful in their business.
Right now you’re thinking I’m full of crap.
It’s true though! The key word here is can. You see, many small businesses just blindly throw up a page on their website listing all their testimonials. That, or they ask all their friends to review them on Yelp or Google Places (don’t look away in embarrassment! You’re probably not the only one).
What do the most powerful brands have in common?
They have an army of loyal brand ambassadors willing to spread their message across the world. I read an interesting book a few weeks ago by Mark Hughes (pick up Buzzmarketing from Amazon.com – affiliate link). About half way through, he talks about Britney’s brand.
Have you ever thought about our transportation infrastructure? It’s really something quite amazing. Millions upon millions of miles of paved roads connect us to each other.
Yet it seems like there’s a lot of waste in roads. They wander and curve all over the place. You’ll rarely find a completely straight road (especially outside of a city).
It’s easy (especially when you’re starting out) to work with any and all potential clients. You don’t think to screen your clients when you need the money to stay afloat.
But in my experience, it’s not always beneficial to “dog it out” and work with clients that might not pay on time, even if the alternative is no business. Of course, this principle is even more important if you’re selling a product that costs you money.