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Marketing – the Top 3%.  I recently heard that only 3% of all businesses have a marketing plan.  Virtually every company out there does some type of marketing – but it seems that only 3% have a plan??? Whether you believe the statistic, or not, the statement begs the question: Do you have a strategic and systematic way of evaluating your marketing?  If you are part of the 3%, that is great.  But if you are part of the remaining 97%, then here are some things to get started. In this blog, we will cover the following items: Evaluate your current marketing efforts by calculating your actual cost per lead. Make sure that you have a process in place to properly track (e.g. source) each lead. Be careful in evaluating lead quality. Consider adjustments to your...

Copy- improve- create.  It’s like lather-rinse-repeat.  When you break it down, it’s really quite simple.  Most businesses, regardless of industry, are following one of those themes. Let me suggest to you that if you want to make the most impact, then don’t spend your time copying what someone else is doing.  They say “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  If you merely copy what some other business is doing, you do more for your competitor than you do for you. Now, if you can improve on someone else’s idea – by all means.  The pendulum will shift back to you.  Countless businesses and products have been launched from the “shoulders” of its predecessors.  If you can, improve on your own products or services -that’s even better. But if you really want to...

  Identify the key drivers that contribute to success.  Here’s an example.   ACME Company usually observes the following monthly sales performance: 45 total leads  x 20% close ratio  x $11,667 avg. per sale  = $105,000 ACME would like to double their monthly sales volume so they hire a consultant to drill down and develop a strategic approach to improvement.  The consultant found ACME’s composite performance is as follows: 30 “self-generated leads”  x 10% close ratio  x $10,000 per sale  = $30,000 15 “referred leads”  x 40% close ratio  x $12,500 per sale  = $75,000 The Sales Department consists of a salesman named Joe (who does “cold-calling” and runs 100% of the leads in the field) and a support team that does “cold-calling” only.  Joe and the support team...

Is all money created equal?  If you think money is money – think again.  Whether for personal reasons or for your business, do your best to establish some level of working capital.  Call it a “rainy day” fund, working capital, a reserve account, etc.  Something is better than nothing – and more is better than less. Into every life (or in every business), a little rain must fall.  You will appreciate your diligence in establishing a reserve account when you have to wait out that next little storm.  Once you establish a reserve account, do your best to be disciplined about maintaining it. Avoid the temptation to use your reserve account for that down payment on the brand new home (or commercial building), etc.  If you spend your reserve account on a “long-term”...

I’ve heard that “symptoms” of steroid use among athletes were injuries such as muscle tears, torn ligaments and tendons, etc.  Steroid use was, in fact, building significant gains in muscle; however, the gains in muscle were happening at a pace greater than the surrounding tendons and ligaments ability to “handle” the extra force being generated. We can draw some parallels when it comes to business.  For the record, steroid use is bad – but business growth is good!  Here’s the parallel though: when we are blessed to grow, we get excited because we begin to see the long awaited gains materialize.  The phone starts ringing, orders pick up, we get busier, revenue increases, and we get busier – all good stuff.  And then, little mistakes start happening.  Simple...

When I was in grade school, we used to ride around the neighborhood on our bikes; they were single speed bikes.  When we got to Jr. High school, most of us “graduated” to 10-speed bikes.  What a concept.  Starting from a dead stop with a single speed bike was a big chore.  With the 10-speed bike, it was somewhat easier. You would start out in 1st gear – then systematically move up through each gear as you gained more and more momentum.  When you got to 10th gear – you were able to move a great distance and at great speed with just a single pedal stroke.  The key was to gain momentum – and keep it as long as possible. The same holds true in business.  It’s hard starting out, but with time and experience and a focus on the right business processes and practices,...

Have you ever noticed that all of us tend to want to find that comfortable little place I will call equilibrium point.  It’s that little “pocket” where things feel just right.  Whether it’s your exercise routine (or lack thereof), your relationships, your diet, or the business you manage, we tend to find ourselves stuck in these spaces in life that we find down right comfortable.  The problem is, over time, those equilibrium points tend to get very confining and they eventually diminish.  For example, you start out on a diet with all kinds of commitment, resolve, and discipline.  Eventually, at some point, the hard work becomes a challenge and we begin to allow ourselves a “cheat meal” here and there.  The “cheat meal” eventually becomes the “norm” again and we...

Our executives will help you accomplish your goals and objectives.  We can increase our involvement with your Company as your needs change or because of growth.  The longer we are involved, the more results accumulate and compound; thus, further increasing your business’s value.

More than just consulting, we act as your CEO, CFO, COO, etc.  Your business deserves the best.  Everyone wants the direction and experience provided by a seasoned C-level executive but not every business can afford a full-time C-level executive.  We make it possible to get 100% of the expertise you need for a fraction of the cost.

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