Escape the Mundane + Experience the Remarkable

Does Easy = Simple?

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Business

This post is for the consultants, coaches, trainers, contractors and other service industry folk out there curious about pricing their offerings…

When you reflect on your area of expertise or specialty, do you feel it has become pretty routine? I bet you do. And I bet a lot of your skills have become effortless.

How do you perceive your ability? If you’ve been doing it for a while, I bet you start feeling anyone can do it.

If so, do you feel it’s become easy? Or is it simple?

Ignore what your dictionary says for a moment…

Let’s define easy as achieved without effort. And simple as anyone can do it.

So, where am I going with this?

I was working with a client on her pricing structure today and realized a profound theme: most people think what they find easy isn’t worth charging for.
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Social Media Marketing in a Small Town

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Marketing

Ask anyone from a rural area about technology and you’ll hear two common responses, “limited cell phone coverage” and “slow Internet speeds.” Which means most of the residents in low populated areas can’t easily access YouTube, communicate on Twitter or check-in on Foursquare.

Do you want to become a big, well-connected fish in a little, low-technology adoption pond?

This lack of social media adoption in small towns unfortunately leads to small businesses believing that the old methods of marketing (eg. newspapers, phonebooks, local TV) are the best strategies.  Yet, most businesses fail to realize it’s 2011 and technology is improving rapidly. While AT&T may be crappy today, tomorrow (actually let’s be serious, AT&T will be horrible long-term)… Verizon, Sprint and the like are quickly improving their coverage and speeds. Add to this the expansion of high speed offerings farther into the boondocks and we will be discovering that social media is on the verge of much higher adoption rates in low population areas

The Implication for Small Town Brands

If you are marketing your business in a small town and have yet to create an account on the top social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, FourSquare, YouTube, etc). Nor have you found the tech innovators in the town or set alerts for your brand and town, do it right now. The sooner you can learn the networks and establish a presence, the more prepared you will be against the competition.

Specific Strategies to Start:
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The #1 Skill Needed to Succeed in Anything

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Mentality

We all want to be successful. It’s a given. But unfortunately most people find themselves staring at a glass ceiling. Unable to leap to the next levels in their careers and life, forever locked into their current scenario.

Why is this?

While I cannot make sweeping conclusions, nor assume everyone can become successful. A majority of people are lacking in the ability to sell. And I’m not saying they cannot sell real estate or life insurance. They fail to sell their ideas.

Think about this for a moment:

When you call a coworker for immediate action to support your project, what are you doing? Selling your need for help.

When you plead with your kids to eat their green beans, what are you doing? Selling the benefits of green beans.

Or most importantly, when you approach your boss for a raise or promotion, what are you doing? Selling yourself.
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Is This Simple Item Killing Your Chances at a Positive First Impression?

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Business

If you’re in a profession where first impressions matter. Which is every profession. You must be aware that people are judgmental. And while most people wouldn’t admit it. Subconsciously, they are.

So what does this mean for you?

It means you must be aware of one of the most crucial aspects of your wardrobe…
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How Famous Dave’s Restaurant is Losing Countless $10 Sales & Unlimited Promotion

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Marketing

The family and I took a labor-day road trip to Hayward, WI. After a great time at the Fishing Hall of Fame, we decided to hit up the original location of Famous Dave’s restaurant chain. For the non-BBQ fans out there, it’s an award winning barbecue joint with dozens of locations across 36 states.

Besides all of us appreciating the great atmosphere, the scrumptious food and the beautiful location on Round Lake, my bro-in-law and me enjoyed one of the local brews on tap. (worth mentioning before continuing: they were served in generic mugs).

Since I’m a collector of beer glasses I was excited to remember the occasion by buying a Famous Dave’s logoed beer mug. And I knew they once existed because my dad bought one from a previous Hayward trip a while back.

A Case Study in a Failed Merchandising Strategy

Having visited the gift shop, I looked through the custom tees, the logoed water bottles & coffee mugs, even a business success manual from the founder. But no bar gifts.

No beer mugs at a famous restaurant/bar’s gift shop? Seriously?

So after finding out they didn’t have any barware for sale I inquired into the matter. The response I received from both the gift shop lady and the bartender was, “too many people were stealing them.”

What?

While I seriously doubt these workers’ ridiculous reasoning for discontinuing their barware line. I responded by saying, “Your destination location with huge memorabilia appeal doesn’t have logoed mugs anymore because of crappy security?”

And the fact that people were stealing the mugs, it shows the high demand for these glasses – I wonder if there would be a way to cash in on the demand? Hmm…?
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