Oct
16
Elite regional groups help members achieve success
By BOB MASSEY
Editor
Helaine Treitman is an Argentine tango dancer and teacher with her own business in Naples. She was doing what she loved – but she wasn’t making any money at it.
That was before she joined a “mastermind” marketing group.
By her fourth monthly meeting, Treitman had what she called an “economic breakthrough.” For the first time, she was able to implement principles and practices that made her income skyrocket.
“I never thought of myself in the marketing business or moneymaking business,” she said. “There are people who are so busy but they don’t know how to monetize, they’re not making money. I started to make money and know how to make money – but first I had to identify why I wasn’t making money.”
That revelation came courtesy of Ernesto J. Fernandez, doctor of oriental medicine, acupuncture physician, licensed mental health counselor and – incongruously – a successful marketing consultant. In addition to a medical practice he describes as “high end,” Fernandez not only markets and presents seminars, he teaches other seminar speakers to effectively market their own practices. And he does it well enough to boast a national clientele.
Fernandez lives and works in Sarasota – but in his elite, six-member mastermind group, only half are from that area. There’s Treitman from Naples, one member from Estero and another from Cape Coral.
The mastermind group itself grew out of a monthly marketing club – part of the internationally known Glazer-Kennedy Insider’s Circle – that used to holding chapter meetings from Manatee to Collier counties.
Though growth seems to be a word associated with mastermind groups in recent years, the concept is hardly a new one. In fact, it’s more than 70 years old. Read more
Oct
16
How to REALLY reach a prospect with your sales message
Filed Under Business Builders, Editorial & Guest Columns | Leave a Comment
EDITORIAL
By BOB MASSEY
Time was, the mantra of copywriting was “Stress benefits, not features.” That is, don’t talk about the traits of a product or service, or what it does – elaborate on why those things pose an advantage for the consumer.
“ ‘Features versus benefits’ is Marketing 101,” says expert Internet marketing consultant and bestselling author Bryan Eisenberg in a ClickZ column. “But as I look around the Web, I wonder if anybody heard that through their college-day hangovers. Very few people even talk about benefits, much less make the effort to get really good at translating features into benefits. Yet power-packed words describing benefits are what trigger the emotions that motivate us to spend our money, time, or energy. People (including you and me) buy because of the positive emotions associated with the benefits.”
However, to create copy that engages customers and compels them to buy, you have to your copy to the next level.
Don’t get me wrong: If you’re creating an ad, brochure, direct mail piece or Web site that’s based primarily on the merits of your product or service, you’d definitely want to emphasize benefits over features.
But in the latter part of his quote, Mr. Eisenberg touches on an element that’s far superior to just a product’s benefits.
Oct
16
Customer loyalty is Key
By GUS BUENZ
Naples SCORE Counselor
Today customers benefit from an endless array of choices. New opportunities for them to spend their hard earned money grow, and with the Internet, they seem to quadruple. This is true regardless of the type of business.
When customers can easily comparison shop online with a few mouse clicks, the notion of loyalty seems almost old fashioned. Your best customers are someone else’s most sought-after prospects – so how do you keep them?
Jul
31
What’s the SCORE?
Filed Under Business Builders | Leave a Comment
Solutions to common Web site errors
By GUS BUENZ
Naples SCORE Counselor
E-commerce sales by small businesses are increasing rapidly and could double, triple or more during the next five years. A recent free Web business workshop, conducted by the Naples SCORE chapter, was filled up within a matter of days, which led us to schedule another one in August.
Web sites are no longer a novelty; they are a necessity for small firms, solo operators and home businesses of almost any type.
Meanwhile, customers have become more discriminating, more Internet savvy than they were just a few years ago. They feel more comfortable buying online and they expect Web sites to be clear, crisp, informative and highly functional. Small businesses that don’t deliver higher levels of Web sophistication risk being left behind. Read more
Jul
31
By JANET NOACK
Guest Columnist
Today’s economy has had a negative effect on customer service provided by businesses. Companies that once had the luxury of customer service personnel have eliminated many of those positions due to cash constraints. This has caused the business owner to often be pulled in too many directions.
Decisions to eliminate positions have mostly been made on the cash in the bank available for payroll and the estimated cash inflow. Business owners have traditionally understood that expenses paid cannot exceed the available cash in the bank; however, most have never done a cash flow forecast. Read more
Jul
31
Editorial
By BOB MASSEY
I write this not as an editor, but as a customer, one who continually patronizes the businesses in our area.
Too many companies think marketing consists of ads, brochures, direct mail, Web sites, public relations, etc. In taking such a narrow view, they are missing one of the most powerful, compelling - and potentially damning - elements in the marketing mix
Let me tell you a story or two. Read more
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