Marketing Myths
Your online marketing battle will include a number of different methods in different areas of the Internet. You may have a web site, use an auto responder, post classified ads, post articles, place banner advertisements, sponsor lists and newsletters, distribute press releases, and much more. Keep in mind, though, that when you are first starting out, it is critical that you focus on one aspect of your marketing campaign at a time and promote it to its fullest extent before moving on to the next.
It is better to slowly become profitable by focusing on one issue at a time, than to barely be profitable because you are attacking all of the issues half-heartedly.
Diversify and spend small amounts on advertising at first. If you use a cautious approach, you will not be wiped out financially if an ad doesn’t generate the sales you were hoping for. Just keep testing ads as your budget allows until you find the one that works best; then you can roll it out and be confident that you are going to make money rather than lose it!
If you have a lot of competition, state that you will honor all of your competitors’ coupons and/or discounts; use “their” advertising to your advantage.
An age-old problem in business is collecting final payment for services rendered. As a business owner, you need to be prepared for “difficult” clients and “mooches” by doing such things as…
1. In your contract or sales agreements, state the interest rates and late fees that will be assessed if payment is not received within 30 days of completion.
2. Write form letters to be used for collecting the balance. There should be three letters in total — one after the payment is ten days late, another after twenty days, and a third that lets the client know that you’ll be turning their account over to a collection agency (or taking them to small claims court). The third letter should not be sent until 45 days after the payment is late. And of course, never bluff. If you say you will turn it over to a collection agency, do so.
3. The best way to protect yourself is to take payment via credit card. State to your client that you will bill their credit card one third of the total price as an initial down payment, another third just after you have passed the 50% completion point, and the final third on delivery. Or use the two-payment system — half at the initiation of the job and the remainder upon completion.
It is a sad aspect of live but not everyone can be successful. In the world we live in there are winners and losers. Most people want to be in the group of winners but unfortunately many remain where they stand. As you well know, being successful means to stand above the others around you or to know more that the one sitting next to you does.
You should understand how to have more success than your colleague and to work for success. Success doesn’t come free or cheap, you have to pay for it. The price is not monetary but it is expressed in manners of time and effort, these being precious details that you can’t receive back once you gave them away. Success is hard. Generally speaking to be successful you have to work hard, be educated and have a little bit of luck. Often you have to try many times until you truly reach success.
Not being successful is simple: you make all the wrong choices, you work without ethics, the lack of responsibility and of education is almost everything. Although it is not obvious the lack of success is also a choice, but a choice that can be gained on the first try.
Here is some practical advice on how to be successful:
– Build up a purpose in life, create a plan and go on living by it.
– Alter your behavior and learn good manners.
– Always read, always learn and always communicate.
– Think and act fast when faced with an opportunity. If you see what you really want don’t let any chances pass you by. This one might just be the last you will get.
– Give up bad habits and keep the good ones: eat well and regularly, get enough sleep, go to a gym or just go jogging.
– Give up watching so much television, or playing games.
– Try to work more in the shortest possible period of time.
– Keep your sense of humor but don’t become rude.
– Cherish everything you have and get.
– Find out more, be responsible, learn about control and always stay informed.