Be Yourself
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Saturday, 25 April 09 - 11:03 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Be yourself.
- It's what people want
- It's the only way to be successful
- It's the only thing you can truly be anyway
So be yourself.
Are you yourself with customers?
Have a list of FAQ's
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Thursday, 19 March 09 - 08:06 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Having a list of frequently asked questions, or FAQ's, available for your customers can do wonders. This works particularly well on websites where people are trying to gather some facts on their own and can quickly get their questions answered.
Internally compiling FAQ's helps you determine what people ask the most. You can then address these concerns up front in your marketing. It is also great preparation for your sales people. If they already know what people are asking the most they can be prepared with some good answers before they make the call.
What are your FAQ's? Where do you post them for customers and employees?
Does Your Stuff Work?
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Thursday, 05 March 09 - 12:31 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Does you stuff work? Do you use your own product? It's hard to know if your stuff gets the job done when you don't use it yourself. Most customers are more concerned with your product doing the job than your advertising. A well made product is the best advertising.
Are you more concerned with advertising or making sure your product does what it says?
Enter a Contest
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Saturday, 28 February 09 - 01:00 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Why not enter your company, brand, product or promotion into a contest? Put yourself up against your peers and see how you do. You may win a prize which is good for morale and nice to tell customers. If you lose, you can learn from the winners how to excel in your field.
What contests are there for your industry? Why don't you enter one?
Joyce Meyer Ministries Fights Poverty | Blog Action Day 2008
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Wednesday, 15 October 08 - 11:12 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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The focus of Blog Action Day 2008 is fighting poverty, something Joyce Meyer Ministries does all year.
What's the number one killer? Cancer? Heart disease? Non-child proof lighters? None of the above. The real killer is poverty.
Think about it, the main reason why so many people suffer and/or go without food or medical treatment is because they can not afford it. The problem is poverty.
That's why I think organizations like the Grameen Bank that helps people change their economic situation are so cool. They don't just give the proverbial fish, but the fishing pole.
In the meantime, there are many organizations that are doing something to fight poverty and help people in need. The blog action day site has a great list of ways you can help.
I work for Joyce Meyer Ministries. Many people in the U.S. know Joyce from her books and TV show. Those are two areas where we are able to help people, but we also have a world missions department called Hand of Hope.
Hand of Hope does so much cool stuff around the world that I can't even begin to describe it here. The one stat I always remember is 28,000, that's how many kids are fed each day by Hand of Hope through the donations they receive. I recommend you check out the website (I helped put it together), or watch the overview video below.
There are a lot of good causes out there, but I think ending poverty would help eradicate many of the global problems we face.
Is there anything you can do about poverty? What affect do you think a global blogging day has on this issue?
Real Estate Agents Must Adapt or Die
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Friday, 22 February 08 - 11:30 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Jay Phillips
In this volatile market it is more important than ever to specialize
I had a conversation with my friend Jay Phillips about specializing in an area as a real estate agent. The way the market is today, it is more important than ever to set yourself apart as an expert in your community.
Marketing guru Seth Godin seems to agree with my approach in his post today. Great minds think alike I guess ;)Jay is a sharp guy so I have a feeling he will be around for a long time...
How do you set yourself apart as an expert who specializes?
The Phrase that Pays- Creating a Tagline You Can Take to the Bank
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Tuesday, 10 July 07 - 04:16 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Your tagline should summarize your competitive advantage
Please, just don't do it. There are a so many people that have been misdirected by the success of the Just Do It tagline they think that's what a tagline should be. Remember that Nike spends billions on advertising. You probably don't have that kind of moolah, so let's be a little smarter.
To stand out in the market your tagline should be an easy to remember distillation of your competitive advantage.
My friend Eric manages a bank. It is locally owned and provides great customer service. I told him a bank is a bank to me and most people. I asked him how his bank is different. He was giving me the standard list of junk that all banks do, but I would not leave him alone.
After some harassment I got him to say that his bank offers big bank resources with small bank customer service. Bingo, there's gold in them there words. B of A can't offer the same thing so that's all he should be talking about.
Now he's got a phrase he can take to the bank!
What is your tagline? How does it reinforce the reason you are better than your competition?
No Copycat Marketing- Whatever Your Market is Doing, Do Something Different
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Friday, 29 June 07 - 10:13 AM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Most people copy the marketing of their competitors- big mistake
Marketing is all about differentiation. The big winners are the ones who stand out or do things differently. Not different for the sake of being different, but unique or better than what else is in the market.
My friend Doug asked me if canvassing with flyers was a good idea. I gave him my standard "you need to use the right tool for your situation speech." Then I asked him if his competitors use flyers. Of course they do, I probably have 3 on my front door right now (I enter through the garage.) Every once in a while I go collect them and throw them in the trash so my neighbors don't get uptight.
The next day my friend Jeff that sells hearing aids lamented about his recent failed direct mail campaign. I asked him why he did a mailing and he said that the biggest hearing aid business in the area did mailings.
These guys are doing the same exact thing as their competitors and expecting to stand out. Have you noticed that certain industries gravitate to the same promotional methods?
- Real estate people on my shopping cart
- Mortgages on the radio
- Smart ass marketing guys with their blogs (mea culpa)
If you are offering what everyone else is, why should I pay attention or remember you?
Are you a copycat marketer? How do you stand out in your market?
I Am Not a Marketing Consultant
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Friday, 18 May 07 - 01:24 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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Watch the video to see Michael Daehn in action
Looking at my skills and passion, I have decided that consulting is not my gig
I was just part of a teleconference with marketing guru Seth Godin. He said something that caught my attention. He said he is not a consultant. The reason why is because he can not get people to change. He sees his role as providing people the information they need to know, but the responsibility to change is up to them.Wow, that really resonates with me because I feel the same way. I have been frustrated acting as a consultant because clients want me to create a website or brochure, not help them create effective marketing strategies. Most of the time when I agree to do a project they don't take my advice and I end up fulfilling production orders for stuff I don't think is great.
Seth said he chooses to write books and speak to help people learn to market better. That is exactly what I decided to do the other day. I sat down and looked at all of the stuff I do. I write books, blog, teach, speak, and consult. Books and blog posts don't pay the bills, and consulting has been no fun. So my focus is now on speaking. I love writing, so the speaking will help pay the bills so I can still write and blog. And I still have a very cool online marketing university running.
So here's the kicker- I need to book a lot of speeches. Who do you know that needs a speaker for their company or organization? Do you belong to any groups or associations that have speakers on a regular basis? Wouldn't you like to have me do your next meeting? You know it will be interesting.
There are more details on my speaking topics and videos here. If you know where I can speak next, help me out and give me a call (636.236.5718) or email. Thanks!
What part of your business are you passionate about? How could you focus your efforts there? Who do you know that needs a speaker?
Marketing Like Galileo | Changing Perceptions
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Monday, 05 March 07 - 04:59 PM (GMT -06:00) By Michael Daehn in Key 1: Finding Your Advantage |
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When Galileo started stargazing and figuring out that the Earth and other heavenly bodies revolved around the sun, and not vice versa, he caused quite a stir. Believe it or not when he showed some of his colleagues his discovery they could not see it. He had his friends look through his telescope at stars and planets, but they would shake their heads and say they saw nothing. What can us modern day marketers learn from this story?
- Don't listen to the naysayers- they are blind
- Just because you can see your potential, and know your advantage, does not mean your audience can- you have to spell it out for them and it may take time
- People are resistant to change so if you have a new idea it may take some convincing for people to adopt it
- Perception is reality to the perceiver- it does not matter what the truth is, people believe what they want to believe
A lot of marketing is changing perceptions. It can be tough, but it is also exciting being on the vanguard of change like the great men of history (you too girls).
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