As we all celebrate the holiday season, I
want to take this opportunity to thank all of my friends, acquaintances, business colleagues and clients for a successful 2015. Your support and encouragement mean more to me than you know. By working together and supporting each other we all win.
Merry Christmas!
Respectfully,
Michael Bennitt
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Developing Your Winning Strategy
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If you think strategy is just for chess fanatics, think again! Getting strategy right is hugely important for small businesses - or did you think your products and services would sell themselves? When you don't have an unlimited supply of resources, funding, or time, you have to make the most of what you have while minimizing inefficiencies and mistakes. The best way to figure out how to position your business for success starts with general market research.
Invest in Customer Research
Play to the crowd. Know your audience. These adages are perfect advice for businesses that want to zero in on better sales strategies. When you understand the problems that your customers are facing, you can supply specific solutions to these concerns. This makes your business more relevant and your services/products more desirable. It also opens up a valuable line of communication, keeping you in touch with market complaints, praises, and fluctuations.
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December 2015
Volume 5, Issue 12
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Keep an Eye on Your Competition
Keep your customers close, and your enemies' customers closer. You need to laser in on the tactics of competitive businesses to ensure that your marketing plans are up to date. Even more important, use this data to find ways to differentiate yourself from the competition. Don't blend in to the crowd! If you see a business competitor claiming that they are the best in the business, it won't do any good to make a similar sweeping claim. Instead, find specific problems that need to be addressed and develop a platform that communicates these priorities to your target market.
Investigate Market Channels
See what kind of general activity is taking place in the channels of your industry. In the process, you will uncover valuable information about market demographics, sales funnel timelines, customer complaints, etc. This kind of general research is best done early on, as it can help to show you what plays well and what doesn't. Learning your strengths and weaknesses before you develop a marketing strategy will eliminate wasted resources like time and money. If you want to make a splash in your desired market, it's crucial that you create a business profile that addresses the problems of your customer base, stays abreast of the competition, and understands the basic market structure. In this case, knowledge is true power, and driving traffic into the sales funnel won't happen unless you have information to create a successful business strategy. |
3 E-mail Habits of Highly Successful People
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If you feel like E-mail overload is a big problem in your work life, you're not alone. Many professionals admit to being overly obsessed with checking their inbox, but what they may not realize is that E-mails are the most insidious distraction in their everyday life.
It's even worse than social media platforms or games on your smart phone! Why? Because checking E-mails gives most people a false sense of accomplishment. Look, I'm checking my inbox and being productive! Wrong. In fact, E-mail addiction is quite the opposite. It wastes time and mental focus; so how do you kick the habit?
Set A Schedule When you think about how many times you check your E-mail during the day, the total number might surprise you. Many people do it when they have a spare minute - in the elevator, waiting for a meeting to start, on a lunch break - and it can be extremely distracting. Have you ever sent a message before it was complete or copied the wrong person on a thread? It's embarrassing and unprofessional. Setting up a regular schedule to check in and respond to messages will help keep your head clear. Prioritize Clarity
We've all been witness to overly long and confusing message threads - the kind with multiple recipients and unclear resolutions. If you can respond efficiently to E-mail you will be a happier, more productive executive. Your coworkers and employees will also be better equipped to carry out instructions if you are concise. Consolidate Devices
Switching back and forth from tablet to smart phone to desktop can be a critical error. Managers who want to minimize chaos in their E-mail communication should always try to respond from the same device, preferably a computer. This allows for greater focus and freedom to craft quality responses, access relevant files, and get through the process more quickly.
Think about it - is Donald Trump hunched over his phone, scribbling out hasty E-mail responses? No! That's because there's a better way to manage this essential communication tool. Kicking a bad habit can be difficult at first, but it's worth every bit of effort in the long run.
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