Sales & Marketing

Basic Definitions: Advertising, Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations and Publicity, and Sales Entered by Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD Also consider Related Library Topics It’s easy to become confused about these terms: advertising, marketing, promotion, public relations and publicity, and sales. The terms are often used interchangeably. However, they refer to different — but similar activities. Some …

There was Mary, with a goofy smile on her face, telling her audience about a serious situation they were going to be facing. They had a hard time buying it. There stood Frank, welcoming new customer to a plant tour, with a sour, grim facial expression. They didn’t feel the vibe. Do facial expressions matter? …

All About Advertising and Promotions © Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Before you learn more about advertising, you should get a basic impression of what advertising is. See What’s “Advertising, Marketing, Promotion, Public Relations and Publicity, and Sales?”. Advertising is specifically part of the “outbound” marketing activities, or activities geared to communicate …

Marketing Committees © Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Vast majority of content in this topic applies to for-profits and nonprofits. This book also covers this topic. Marketing Committees Committees The purpose of the Board Marketing Committee is to ensure ongoing, high-quality marketing. “Marketing” is the set of activities to cultivate useful relationships …

You have a unique idea that would benefit an organization, a client, or management. How do you present your proposal? Plan It Out. Gather all the information you can before making your presentation, and ensure that it is all correct and fits a need. Make sure it fits a niche. Decide if it is something …

Not long ago I worked with an energetic, creative group who, while focusing on presentation skills, wondered how to best engage their audiences. I asked them what engagement strategies they appreciated when they were in the audience. They had plenty of ideas about engagement techniques that I think any speaker could benefit from. These are …

So much has been written about how to craft a speech or presentation, and much of it is conflicting. Do you need a separate opening, in addition to your key message? Do you start with your key message, or end with it? It is a seven-part process, or a three part process? Do you need …

You probably spend a great deal of your workday in meetings, phone conversations and face to face conversations of all types. While communication is rarely perfect, here are five tips for making your communication clearer, with fewer opportunities for misunderstandings.

Customer Service Management: Guidelines and Resources © Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Although there is a conventional difference between the terms “customer” and “client,” this topic refers to “customers” as meaning both. Also, although a product is a tangible offering and a service is an intangible offering, this topic often refers to …

Building strong relationships with your customers is key to increasing sales and running a successful small or midsize business. However, it takes time and effort to keep track of vital information related to your prospects and customers. That’s where customer relationship management (CRM) software comes in. CRM is a centralized system that lets you easily …

In our digital age, it’s easy to hop on the internet and see how a company fares based on its reviews. This simple rating can send a customer to your site or run away in fear. Reputation management software makes it possible to track ratings and offer tools to boost your company’s status as well. …

Today’s call center software connects humans and machines to address the needs of customers. Through automation and artificial intelligence, calls are seamlessly routed through carefully designed flowcharts before a live agent ever picks up the phone, saving time and money in the process. This article showcases the best call center software options currently on the …

Selling or buying property is a complex, expensive process, and agents are often expected to juggle several at once. This creates the need for proper customer resource management (CRM) software to keep each realtor on track, and to keep the flow of closings happening. The right CRM software will depend on your needs, but we …

You received an example of customer service gone awry. Perhaps now, an explanation and discussion that will stir up a training solution. That’s it really. This blog belongs in two major blog categories: Training and Development, and Customer Service. I wrote it for three reasons: I’ve trained customer service as have many of you I’ve …

As new technology emerges, professional communication tools are no longer limited to large corporations. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) software brings cost-effective calling to businesses of any size while adding features that increase both productivity and efficiency. We found the best VoIP providers for businesses of all types. Quick View Best Overall – RingCentral Best …

Managing a relationship with a customer requires far more than just remembering birthdays and previous purchases. The right CRM software can handle all the details and dates, leaving your sales agents free to focus on developing leads and making sales. While free CRMs can be useful when you’re just starting out, they’re very limited in …

Thought Leaders in Marketing and Advertising: What are the cornerstone philosophies of the industry’s top executives? At the top of the list is David Ogilvy, the most famous copywriter in the world.

consider using Twitter as a tool for engaging them. TJ McCue, Founder of Sales Rescue Team, offers case studies on web traffic conversion using Twitter. Companies such as Etsy, JetBlue, NakedPizza, Pepsi, and Levi’s are role models for smaller businesses by using Microblogging to actually close sales.

Do the philosophies and core concepts of historic Thought Leaders in the Marketing and Advertising industries transfer to Web 2.0 and social media? In the case of Raymond Rubicam...

Do the founding principles of Marketing Thought Leaders in history still apply to the new paradigm of social media marketing? Here we take a closer look at Leo Burnett and his now worldwide agency. The quick answer to our question – YES!

Customer lifetime value (CLV) is a metric you can track to discover who are your best and most valuable consumers. It measures how much a customer is likely to spend over a “lifespan.” Learn how to calculate your small business’s CLV, and ways you can improve unsatisfactory values. What is Customer Lifetime Value? Customer Lifetime …

One of the world’s foremost marketers is John Kremer. An Internet authority and award-winning author he understands, and consistently implements, cutting-edge strategies.

Is Direct Response Marketing still a powerful concept in the digital age? Marketing in the digital world is a race for the most current information, the best technology, and the fastest implementation. David Ogilvy remains one of the most famous names in advertising and one of the handful of thinkers (Raymond Rubicam, Leo Burnett, William Bernbach, Ted Bates) who shaped the business after the 1920s.

YOU can be recognized as an expert in your industry, both online and offline, by offering your services as a public speaker.

Converting a lead into a sale is 100% on you. You may not close many, and in many cases you may not close any at all.

I spent ten bucks on a cell phone purse, and it’s a conversation starter every time I wear it.

The Founder of Montana Instruments Corp projects several million in sales over the next few years. He added 3 employees, created a strategic marketing plan and branding campaign, and increased the company's online presence.

A compelling list of 30 provocative questions companies ought to ask about their marketing, and aspiring marketers ought to consider before deciding on a career path.

People Browsr is a 'social search engine' and a 'conversation mine'. It's 'sentiment analysis', where people, computers, or a combination of both, trawl through online comments, conversations, opinions, for information about how people are thinking and feeling about certain products.

How to Conduct Market Research Various methods of market research are used to find out information about markets, target markets and their needs, competitors, market trends, customer satisfaction with products and services, etc. Businesses can learn a great deal about customers, their needs, how to meet those needs and how the business is doing to …

Market Pricing — What Price Should You Charge? Sections of This Topic Include What is a Pricing Analysis? Pricing Strategies Additional Perspectives on Determining What Price You Should Charge Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Market Pricing In addition to the articles on this current page, also see …

Marketing: How to Name and Brand Your Products Sections of This Topic Include Basic Guidelines for Naming and Branding How to Create a Powerful Marketing Message Additional Perspectives on Naming and Branding Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Naming and Branding In addition to the articles on this …

Clarifying Your Unique Selling Position — Your Best “Elevator” Pitch Sections of This Topic Include What is a Unique Value Proposition (and Unique Selling Proposition)? Your Best Elevator Pitch Various Perspectives on Unique Selling Propositions Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Unique Selling Position In addition to the …

Evaluating Your Marketing and Advertising Activities Sections of This Topic Include General Resources About Evaluating Marketing and Advertising Activities Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Evaluating Advertising and Marketing In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which have posts related to Advertising …

Competitive Intelligence — Who Are Your Competitors? Sections of This Topic Include What is a Competitor Analysis? Competitive Intelligence? What’s a Direct Competitor? Indirect Competitor? Competitive Intelligence — Learning About Your Competitors Competitive Analysis — Analyzing What You Learned From the Competitive Intelligence Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related …

Marketing: Planning and Strategizing Sections of This Topic Include Rules of Marketing: Old Vs. New Makin’ the Marketing Strategy Happen! Additional Perspectives on Market Planning Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Market Planning In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs that …

Common survey question types and examples include Multiple choice questions, Rank order scale questions, Rating scale questions, and Open-ended questions

Basic Guide and Free Resources for Using Social Media Sections of This Topic Include Introduction – What is Social Networking? – What is Social Media? How to Get Started With Social Media – Which Social Media Tools Should You Use? – What Are Uses of Social Media? – How to Get Started With Social Media …

Like any organization, nonprofits should view their website as a potential ‘conversion machine’. Here are some tips for defining and tracking such conversions.

Marketing a grand opening on a low budget is a challenge almost all local businesses face, but there are plenty of ways to do it effectively.

Website builders allow you to create stellar sites even if you have zero design or programming knowledge. This way, you can get a top-notch website for your small business without spending a fortune on hiring a developer. Choosing the best website builder for small business can be one of the most important decisions you make. …

One of the factors that limit the effectiveness of your content is its reach. On this blog post, discover six ways to expose your content to massive social media audience.

Thanks to modern technology, starting an online store has never been easier. Shipping companies make it possible to get products anywhere in the world in a flash. Web hosting platforms educate even the untrained in how to build the website of their dreams. Follow the steps below to learn how to start an online store …

Backlinks are links from other sites that are directed to your site. Backlinks are widely regarded as one of the primary building blocks of SEO - important for high ranking by search engines. Concentrate on getting highly ranked, relevant, natural backlinks.

If a social media marketing firm doesn’t first seek to understand certain core fundamentals about your business and competitive environment, they are likely not a goof fit for you.

All About Sales Sections in This Topic Include Foundations for Successful Sales What is Sales? — Understanding the Sales Process — Understanding the Sales Cycle Value of Product Knowledge Useful Skills to Have in Sales — Useful Business Skills for Salespeople — Useful People Skills for Salespeople Understanding Types of Clients and How to Engage …

It’s a great time for small businesses to expand into online selling, as there’s an expansive range of excellent ecommerce software available. But there are so many features and pricing options, it can be difficult to choose one. Use this guide to find the best ecommerce platform so you can jumpstart your online sales. Best …

Telemarketing Sections of This Topic Include Various Perspectives on Telemarketing Telemarketing Problems Also consider Related Library Topics Learn More in the Library’s Blogs Related to Telemarketing In addition to the articles on this current page, see the following blogs which have posts related to Telemarketing. Scan down the blog’s page to see various posts. Also …

Every business needs to distill their message down to an effective core marketing message that each employee can deliver comfortably at a cocktail party, and becomes the foundational message in company literature, videos; essentially, all advertising or promotion.

Marketers believe that the economy is rebounding, and predict a moderate increase in their company’s performance going forward.

A business proposal is a documented, formal offer to provide a product and/or service to a potential buyer (a prospect). The proposal can be in response to a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) which is a solicitation issued by the prospect that is seeking bids from providers. The business proposal documents the provider’s bid. Other …

A great sales letter or sales email has the potential to transform your direct marketing campaign and grow sales if the messaging and target audience are aligned.

Metrilogics offers a rock-solid guarantee that sets them apart from other consulting firms – giving them an important competitive advantage.

Conference calling helps connect with clients and brings team members into the fold through audio and video chats. The best conference call services simplify the process and offer tools to collaborate and show off your business. Check out our top picks for conference calling below. Best Conference Call Services Nextiva – Best Overall Conference Calling …

Managing all the facets of a restaurant can be a tireless endeavor. Fortunately, point of sale (POS) systems exist to bring everything from payments to staff management together in one neat package.  This article looks at the top restaurant POS systems in the restaurant industry today and highlights those that stand out the most. Quick …

Video conferencing software helps make our world that much smaller by connecting people from wherever they may be. The best video conferencing software provides tools to make conversations a breeze while offering tools to collaborate seamlessly. Read on to check out our top picks for video conferencing available today. Best Video Conferencing Software Zoom – …

One of the best ways for businesses to connect with customers is through the phone. With phone communication, sales teams reach out to prospects, customers call help centers, and internal teams collaborate. However, costs quickly add up when businesses are handling hundreds and thousands of calls daily. This makes it necessary to find a solution …

Keeping accurate real-time sales records, managing inventory, and tracking customer information can be difficult when you’re processing transactions manually. Fortunately, you can use a POS system to streamline these tasks and gather important sales data. What is a POS system, and why do most small businesses have one in place? A point of sale system …

We don't read at a fixed speed, and similarly, we need this FREE tool - an easy way to accelerate a video, slow it down, and quickly rewind the last point to listen to it a few more times.

Your business can literally explode online sales with a simple and easy to administer affiliate marketing program.

: CompareTheBrands.com offers an in-depth look at many of the Affiliate Networks and their typical commission structures, along with great insights from real experience.