4 Simple PR Strategies to Magnetize Business Customers Like a Pro

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Magnetizing prospectsIf you’re like most successful agency owners and executives, you want your agency to stand out from the thundering herd of competitors — the rank and file of agencies making bland pitches to prospective business clients.

The first step is to identify your competitive advantages. These are the special expertise, services, products and other factors that set you apart from the competition. Then you have to effectively communicate and promote those advantages so prospects know why it’s worth their time to meet with you; so they want to meet with you.

Some agencies, though, particularly smaller ones, find it hard to come up with differentiators to magnetize prospects. Continue reading →

“Anybody got a match?”

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bogie and bacallSeated at a desk, Bacall smolders up at Bogie. Bogie sizzles right back. “What do you think’s fair?” he asks, lighting her cigarette.

“I’ll leave that to you,” she says as he lights his own. Their chemistry is so searing, it’s amazing that anyone even needs a match.

To Have and Have Not is a smoker’s classic (those were the days!); if you’ve ever noticed the interactions among a group of smokers, you’ve seen how one person lighting up seems to trigger the desire for a cigarette in their comrades. It’s wonderfully illustrative of a connection between two people, strengthened by the unintentional bond created by mirror neurons. Continue reading →

Sales Algorithms for the New Millennia

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one more eulerThese days it seems that, for a business to succeed, they’ve got to have a winning algorithm.

A decade or so ago, Google clobbered Yahoo with its superior search algorithm, and it shows—in a nearly 7:1 usage rate. Netflix, Amazon, and countless other online leaders use algorithms to offer customers smart suggestions, encourage cross selling and upselling, and get right to the heart of their needs and wants.

Past behavior determines future behavior, and anyone who can leverage the events of history can win the battles of today.

We used to talk about knowing the formula for success; now we use another word ’cause it sounds more scientific.

So what are the algorithms for sales success? Continue reading →

The real selling begins after the contract is signed

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Which side of the switching economy are you onIn the rampant churn of business relationships, which side of the switch will you be on?

$1.3 trillion.

That’s the amount of annual revenue being moved from one vendor to another as consumers across a range of industries – including P&C insurance – switch brands and relationships because they’re dissatisfied with the service they’re getting.

According to the 2013 Accenture Global Consumer Pulse Survey, which measured the experiences of customers across 10 industries, we’re entrenched in a global switching economy.

Why customers are frustrated

In the multi-channel convenience (and complexity) of the digital world, people want a smooth, efficient, and tailored experience. But in many cases, that’s not what they’re getting. From your own perspective as a customer, no doubt some, if not all, of these consumer complaints will be familiar: Continue reading →