Posts Tagged ‘Extreme Mini Makeovers’
Thursday, October 14th, 2010
Ya know what I like about the Internet? It’s one great big laboratory. You can test all sorts of ideas and see what happens. I see a lot of that right now: just throw something up there and see what happens.
Now, I’m all for experimenting with the format and scope of your offerings. But as an overall brand strategy? I have a name for that kind of approach: “fools with tools”. Also known as “please give me money and be my guinea pig”. Click here for more on why we do silly things like that on my latest video rant.
Marketing with social media and other sources are handy ways to get out there — but we have to use them correctly. I drill down on some unique strategies on the October 19th call of the Extreme Mini Makeover series. Click here to join us.
Tags: Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
Unless you live on a distant planet somewhere, you’re marketing on the Internet. Key question: How’s that workin’ for ya? I’m hearing way too many stories about experts working hard for hardly anything.
At some point, that effort has to pay off.
My take: This arena has become too polarized. Either you’ve got the spammy, high-cheese factor approach or you have folks throwing all their content out there and hoping for the best. Neither strategy works. Both are being ignored.
There are ways to balance both ends of the spectrum. I have a couple of ideas up my sleeve in my latest video rant. Click here to watch.
Want more? Sure you do. We’re drilling down on how “gotta have” folks act in cyberspace on the next call of the Extreme Mini Makeover series on October 19th. Click here to join us. You get this call plus the mp3 files for all the others.
Tags: Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, October 7th, 2010
I’m always fascinated about the power of price points in challenging times. What I’ve learned from watching thousands of people make decisions: every price point is a mental picture. That’s why folks say they want one thing but buy something different. (This is also why I have clothes in my closet that I will never wear. I call them my “but they were on sale!” wardrobe.)
A recent example: an author called me for help positioning her book. Limited budget was a huge issue, so I suggested the mini-makeover series. The program is a group project, includes 10 calls and one of them is on — you guessed it — positioning your book. The price included all the calls and was less than $50 per session. She decided not to get the help on her book because — get this — she didn’t want the other calls. That’s a shame because, trust me, she needed the market intelligence.
Her response got me thinking about this question (which I didn’t ask): Is the price point $497, or less than $50 per session? The answer: both. It depends on what problem you’re solving. In her case, a better question would be: if positioning your book is worth $497, does it matter that the other calls are included?
Moral of the story: don’t focus on format. Throw away what you don’t need. (Or save it for a while, just in case.) Look at the price, look at the problem, then ask yourself: Is solving my problem worth this amount? You’ll make better decisions — and have more room in your closet.
Tags: authors, budgets, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, September 16th, 2010
One well-known consultant has got the reputation for taking truth-telling to a whole new level. The problem: the market has turned against his abrasive style. He was last seen hanging out in the woods somewhere.
What’s going on? We’re now in the Age of Respect. It’s no longer fun to get verbally beat up by those who think they know better than us. Buyers see right through this, correctly labeling this style as “big me, little you” syndrome.
Here’s a clue: if you have to say “I’m saying this out of love,” we all know that you are not.
What’s hot now: passion with a purpose. You can be forthright; you just can’t be insulting about it. And yes, I have more to say on the subject. Click here for my latest video.
I’ll cover other market dynamics that impact our signature style this Tuesday at the next Extreme Mini Makeover call. Click here to join me.
Tags: branding, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, positioning, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, August 19th, 2010
Here’s another deadly mistake experts make when they pitch a speech: they assume that being an author is enough to get the gig. I can understand why: after all, you’ve spent almost a year writing and promoting the dang thing. It’s time to get out there.
The reality: a book might get you in the first round of consideration if the overall approach is relevant. But in the midst of many options, buyers will go for the topic that not only addresses a hot trend or challenge but also hints at a unique approach. It is the latter — the approach — that gives an expert the inside edge.
Yes, I rant more about this topic via video — here’s the link again. And if you want my best ideas on how to create that topic, join me for Tuesday’s Extreme Mini Makeover call. Yes, you have to purchase the entire series — but the price point is low enough that if you get the help you need from just one call, it’s worth the investment.
Tags: authors, books, branding, experts, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, positioning, promotion, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
Back in the saddle after a whirlwind trip to the NSA Convention. Had a blast catching up with friends and clients. The saddest thing though: watching how many people trade fame for fortune.
Even prominent people do this. Their new book is published and it’s time to promote the dang thing. Or they have a compelling story that just got translated into the latest leadership lessons. A publicist gets hired and — what a concept! — they do a great job. A bunch of interviews are given, the articles run and… not much happens. Sure there are some inquiries but for free stuff “for exposure” or low-fee projects from clients who will never implement.
What really happened? Cute and clever got in the way of strategic and scalable. Smart folks were distracted by the attention they got instead of remembering that buzz has to be directed before money changes hands.
Now is not a good time to give up return on investment for your media efforts. Instead, let’s focus on campaigns that not only get attention, but also inspire action. I’ve got some unique strategies that will rock your world coming up next Tuesday at the Extreme Mini Makeover call on killer media campaigns. Click here to join the fun!
Tags: Extreme Mini Makeovers, promotion, publishing, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
Greetings from the NSA Convention in Orlando, Florida. First thing I learned here: humidity matters. I have come to appreciate the “dry heat” of Arizona.
I’m hearing one question over and over again: How do I “get out there?” Folks assume that if they “just get in front of the right people,” they are golden. The good news: there are so many opportunities to distribute your brilliance. The interesting news: these opportunities have created a lot of white noise. Getting in front of people is not the challenge; getting them to pay attention to you is the real first step. The more crowded the market, the harder it is to get that attention.
Throwing spaghetti at the wall no longer works. We have to go an inch wide and a mile deep, not a mile wide and an inch deep. We have to get strategic about what we know, not just tell it. How to create that kind of publicity? Check out the next Extreme Mini Makeovers call next Tuesday, July 27th and leave with a blueprint on what to do next.
Tags: education, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, promotion, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, June 24th, 2010
Great call the other day on books that brand. What I didn’t get the chance to discuss was the role of the publisher’s speaker bureaus. Let’s drill down on this important issue.
First, a little context: to broaden readership for their authors, publishers have established speaker bureaus to book speeches for their authors. A relatively new trend, the bureaus sprang up around 2006; a couple (such as Macmillan) launched last year.
Many authors think that the speaker bureaus will go out and get them speaking engagements. The reality: nope, the in-house folks are just answering the phone. When it rings. For you specifically. Why? Because they don’t know how to promote speakers and don’t have the database that the established bureaus have.
Another problem with the in-house bureaus: they focus on exposure, so they’ll lower your fee at the drop of a hat. This practice doesn’t make friends and influence people at the bureaus that represented you before the book came out. Be prepared for the ensuing cat fights. And, yes, you are the referee.
Before you sign that contract, ask the publisher about their bureau. Is it outsourced or in-house? What’s the policy on fees? How proactive will they be? To paraphrase an old saying, an ounce of clarity is worth a pound of assumptions.
Tags: authors, books, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, publishing, speakers, speakers bureaus, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Thursday, June 17th, 2010
The most frequently asked question I get from authors: now that my book is out, how do I get more revenue? Everyone knows that books don’t pay — the money comes from the better opportunities, the cooler clients that call, the invitations to speak.
My answer: it’s all about strategy. Yes, publicity from books creates prominence. But not all prominence is created equal. The dirty little secret we don’t talk about is that there are two kinds of prominence: 1) the kind that creates mostly promotional opportunities — such as those dreaded free speeches — but not revenue. That gets old really fast. And, 2) prominence that generates revenue — as in paid speeches and paying clients. Usually the reason why folks write books in the first place.
There are three ways to position your book to create the revenue authors look for. I’m drilling down on each one on Tuesday’s Extreme Mini Makeover call on positioning your book. This call alone will be worth the price of the entire series. Click here to register.
Tags: authors, books, Extreme Mini Makeovers, promotion, speakers, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
I’ve heard a lot of crazy things because of the economy, but this takes the cake. I’m hearing a lot of folks are writing a book right now. When I ask why, here’s the number one answer: well, business has been slow so why not? This answer has spawned a rant not to be missed – click here to see the video.
Let’s get real: this kind of delusional thinking takes over when a business is in trouble — that big client suddenly goes away, referrals dry up, a more prominent competitor invades your space. It’s easy to rationalize, “Hey, instead of figuring out how to get more business, I think I’ll go write a book.” It’s easier to focus on a book than it is your business strategy. Why? Because we feel vulnerable when we don’t know what to do when the game changes. What used to work doesn’t anymore and we’ve got to do something NOW to fix it. The book becomes our security blanket. Writing that book makes us feel in control. By golly, this book will jumpstart my business. And while writing that book, we don’t have to do tough stuff like get out into the marketplace and compete. It’s a great way to hide, to stick our head into the sand. And again, there’s plenty of people urging us to write that manuscript. For a price.
The hard truth: the best motivation for writing a book is market-driven. So before the book train leaves the station, let’s step back and take a hard look at our motivations. Ask yourself: what trends are converging that will make this book create more clients or more speaking?
This recovering economy has created trends that will make some books soar – and some sink. I’m unveiling my latest analysis on those market dynamics at the next Extreme Mini Makeover call on June 22nd. Click here to join in the fun.
Tags: books, branding, experts, Extreme Mini Makeovers, Marketing, positioning, Speaking, strategy, Vickie Sullivan
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