How to Get Better Results Than the Grim Reaper
In a medical study I read about in Fast Company magazine, only about 12% of heart attack patients changed their lifestyle, even when they were told that if they didn’t change, they would face nearly certain death from a second heart attack. How come only 1 in 9 of these patients changed, even when face- […]
Why Marketing Often Feels Sleazy (and How to Avoid It)
I was recently teaching marketing to a whole flock of spiritual healers at the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism (formerly known as the Jaffe Institute.) Now, these folks aren’t slouches. Some of them are extremely successful corporate consultants, highly visible doctors used to addressing hundreds of people at conferences, a nationally published spiritual weight-loss […]
Marketing and Copyright Lessons from the Grateful Dead
A month or two back I was in an online discussion with someone who had had an article of theirs printed and quoted from without their permission, and without the proper copyright notice. The author was up in arms and was wondering what to do about it. No matter how much inventory you have, or […]
Would Being a Cross-Dressing Dairy Farmer Increase Your Repeat Sales?
Professionalism is a curse for you as a small business owner. Just the other day, I read on a discussion forum someone asking: “I’m going to be published, but should I include my website as a contact? I’m afraid it will turn off people who are more conservative.” What I wrote to her was: “Be […]
"Are we there yet?" – How to create overnight success in your business
A person I admire has a very successful business. He’s sharp, personable, funny, smart, and helpful. And, the products and services he provides are top-notch. He’s sold thousands of them, and his business is operating at a level much higher than mine. Then he announced that he was celebrating three years in business. What! Only […]
How to Clear Deadly "Heart Blocks" In Your Business
I have a client who just broke through a haze of vagueness in her business. When she came to me, she had some extremely powerful skills, a sincere heart, but a floundering business. What was she vague about? She wasn’t vague about the skills she brought. Nor was she vague about the value she held […]
Four Sure-Fire Ways to Connect with Your Prospects and Make the Sale
I can’t seem to let go of this “sales” theme. And the fact that my wife and I keep successfully using the Sacred $ales approaches in our relationship builds my excitement to bring them out to you. This week I was in a conversation with her, it was going along perfectly well, and then, for […]
Lessons from Authentic Marketing
I’ll be honest with you from the get-go: I canceled the Focus on Marketing class. Although some of you stepped forward to take me up on the haggling, the class wasn’t full, and it didn’t feel right to me. I want to explain my experiences here, because this is of prime importance in your marketing: […]
The Biggest Shift
Happy New Year, everyone! Welcome to 2005. I wish you a prosperous, healthy, happy year for you and your business. A good friend of mine was recently put in charge of marketing for a nonprofit I admire greatly. She was both excited about her position, and also wanting to learn more. The big problem she […]
The Big Secret to Referrals
It’s no secret that word-of-mouth is the best marketing. When happy customers send you referrals, it just doesn’t get any better than that. However, there is a secret to making those referrals happen. Before I share the secret, tell me if this sounds familiar: Dozens upon dozens of former clients have told me “I told […]