Leadership Tried and True

Here are some thoughts on leadership from our Silver Fox Round Table Advisory Group presented from
Len Fuchs:

1. Leaders avoid battles over statue
2. Leaders understand that they are only as good as their people
3. Leaders of successful organizations hire only people who are comfortable with change
4. Great organizations genuinely care about their people and the people in turn, truly care about the organization
5. Leaders should not fear having great subordinates; a subordinate's leadership may become vital when least expected
6. Effective leaders don't focus that much on what they need to know;instead they figure out who they need to be.

What are your thoughts? What is your leadership style? At CMT, we manage the creative side while incorporating the strategic principles that have proven timeless.

Saludos and thank you for your continued interest!

Jerry/CMT

Give a Quote or Present it?

It's tempting, but don't do it.  Under no circumstance should you ever give someone a quote.

I'm not saying you shouldn't quote your product or service.  I'm saying you should never simply give a quote when asked for one.

You should present it!

When you give a quote, the emphasis is on price and cost -- both are commodities.  This is the fast path to discussion on discounts, terms, and conditions.  Quoting leads to comparison shopping and raises price in the hierarchy of buying decisions.

When you present a quote, you emphasis value -- positioning the price of your product or service in support of achieving or avoiding something worthy of spending money to own.

Presentation doesn't have to be elaborate.  A simple statement or two may suffice for lesser strategic purchases.  In other cases a page or two explaining how the offer you're making is well thought and intended to achieve something valued by your prospect is best.

The idea is the same in all cases -- make your price stand for something more than the simple cost of ownership.

Do you present quotes or merely hand them over?  Is presenting a quote worth the trouble --or-- is the whole thing overstated?

We present our services around our clients needs then build value around their pain points..
What say you?

Saludos
Jerry/CMT

Social Media with Mike

http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/where-to-learn-entrepreneurship-online

He posts generally get to the first page on Google....Mike shares lots of resources with everyone...
and it's a win-win for everyone...

Saludos
Jerry/CMT

SEO Fitness Tips

1. Google SEO Optimization - Guide to Google's SEO Resources
Google is the world's No. 1 search engine, no doubt. But sometimes someone needs to Google Google as it were. The company hides some of their best SEO, AdWords, and Analytics resources in a maze of disconnected websites. Here is our guide.

2. SEO Tutorial - the HTML Title Tag and SEO
The

3. Landing Pages for SEO - Stop the Insanity!
Landing pages are one of the most important ideas for both effective SEO and PPC / AdWords advertising. Yet there is a lot of confusion about what is a Landing Page. To make matters worse, there are competing definitions of landing pages and big differences in strategy between landing pages for SEO and landing pages for PPC.

4. SEO Tutorial - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips for Inbound Marketing and Google Local
SEO Tutorial - Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips for Inbound Marketing and Google Local Today is a great day to spend an hour creating a listing for your business at Google's Local Business Center. Your Google business listing is an effective (and currently free) Off-Page SEO tactic for customers to find you and your business from home, work, or on-the-go from the next generation of mobile devices where the web meets the phone.


Good stuff...!
Saludos
Jerry/CMT

“The State of Small Business Report

Most small businesses satisfied with results

A difficult economy has helped spur small businesses to adopt social media marketing in greater numbers, according to “The State of Small Business Report” from Network Solutions and the Center for Excellence in Service at the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business. Social media usage increased to 24%, from 12% the year before.

The most common usage of social media among small business was a company page on a social networking site, followed by posting status updates.


Small businesses’ expectations of social media seem roughly to be in line with their experiences, although they are not quite as successful as they had hoped. Respondents’ top accomplishments were customer acquisition and placing their own businesses within the market, but did not meet expectations fully. Social media’s capabilities for staying engaged with consumers and collaborating with other businesses, however, were more in line with businesses’ expectations.


Most small businesses say they are just breaking even with their current usage of social media, but a solid one-fifth find it profitable already. Businesses are positive about the potential as well: Nearly one-half believe it will make them money in the next 12 months, and another 39% think they will break even on it. Just 9% think social marketing will continue to be a losing proposition.


Overall, 58% of respondents felt social media lived up to their expectations. One-half felt it took up more time than they realized, but only 6% claimed negative comments on social media had hurt their business.

“Social media levels the playing field for small businesses by helping them deliver customer service,” said Janet Wagner, director of the Center for Excellence in Service, in a statement. “Time spent on Twitter, Facebook and blogs is an investment in making it easier for small businesses to compete.”

Previous research on small businesses and social media use revealed a somewhat rocky relationship. A Citibank study indicated social media was not working well for small businesses’ lead gen efforts, but other data showed small companies would be upping spending in the channel.

What has been your experience? How much in resources are you dedicating towards these platforms?
What platforms do you dedicate most of your time and resources?
Happy to hear your thoughts....

Saludos
Jerry/CMT

Buzz_Word of Mouth_ Where are You?

FourSquare  its relatively new in 21th Century terms but its gaining traction. FourSquare encourages users to explore their neighborhood and then rewards them. We know the power of having a local presence and this platform makes it fun..and social. It's a community and all brands need to build viable communities both online and offline, connect the dots...that is the future of engagement!

http://foursquare.com/businesses/

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT

Entrepreneur_What Makes You Different

Look at these "good people" maybe we all have some commonalities and can take something away?

http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/marketing-tips-for-entrepreneurs

We're #59....Google indexes these posts....and you can become a guest blogger...which will drive some traffic to you or and your business.

Saludos:
Jerry/CMT