John’s recent post Never Let Lawyers Write Your Contracts prompted me to think more widely about the things which prevent us from winning sales – even though that was not the intention.

Every business has to make sales, deliver a product or service and then collect payment – making a profit along the way. Most [...]

Everything your business does, every bit of communication your business sends out and everything your employees do whilst on duty/in uniform reflects on your business. No matter how much you spend on ‘branding’ these actions affect the image of your brand that your customers, suppliers and employees have far more than any ‘branding’.

That communication includes [...]

I frequently find examples of businesses where the concept of niche product has been taken to a whole new extreme – to the extent that they are turning down potentially profitable work because the customer wants their core product with a minor addition. They then bid only the core product and lose the work [...]

One of the “gotchas” for businesses compiling their marketing materials is the:
“Aren’t We Clever” trap.
Here’s how it works. Your business is built on your knowledge and experience. Your clients lack the time, skills and experience to do the work that you do. They rely on you to supply services or to trawl the market and [...]

Harley-Davidson, Nike, Playboy, Coca-Cola, VW, and Apple logos have been permanently etched into the skins of customers worldwide. Why do they do it? Why do these raving fans, or Brand Lovers, scorch their bodies with a company’s mark? And what can marketers and brand managers learn from them?
Most acts of unabashed brand loyalty are [...]

In setting up your business, something to spend some time on is the image you wish to present to the market. And I do not mean your branding and logos – I mean the real basics of your image. I have lost count of the talented people that I speak to who go on to [...]

The Brain
Human brains work against one-off marketing initiatives. This is because our brains are designed to filter out transient information. If we have heard or seen something recently then it is much more likely that we will remember it. If we see something frequently then we are more likely to remember it.
Also, remember that our [...]

So the Apple iPad was recently released in the USA, it’s due over here in the UK by the end of the month and like all Apple products the hype around the launch is spectacular. Like the iPhone before it I expect it will do well.
But how well it does, how good it is, or [...]

When it comes to failed marketing campaigns the UK Government must lead the way. My wife pointed out that the ‘Health in Pregnancy Grant’ being a classic example of this.
For those that don’t know the Health in Pregnancy Grant is a £190 grant paid by HMRC to all pregnant women who have reached 25 weeks. [...]

New businesses often get their marketing wrong. They spend too much, too soon – and on the wrong things. Then, when they have their act together, there is no money left to invest in promotional activities which will drive business growth. The net result is inconsistent promotion of the wrong message to the wrong people. [...]