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Do You Have a "Knows" for Successful Marketing?By Jeffrey Hauser
That’s right, I mean “knows,” not “nose.” Fine, you still think you’ve read this all before. You run a small business and bought all the start-up books, scanned the Internet for ideas, joined the local BBB and figure there’s nothing new out there any more. And you’re right. What? An honest consultant? How could that be? Because I’m a retired consultant that already made a small fortune consulting with over 7000 businesses during my thirty years in the industry. And I don’t need to charge for my services any longer. So why waste my time and yours writing articles about marketing? Because maybe you still don’t get it. At least yet. Like I said, I’m a professional marketing consultant. So you might want to take me seriously. I doubt if there are many out there that have more experience in all the available media. But let’s take this one step at a time. Suppose you wanted to lose weight. Most books might propose diet and exercise and they would be correct. But which program makes the most money? Why the ones that offer a magic pill, short-term fixes using grapefruit or some other food, or strange herbal supplements. Those are the real money-makers. It’s human nature in action. No one wants to admit it will take hard work and time to lose weight. We can apply the same logic to male impotence, financial or credit problems, or hair loss. The simple and easy solutions always get the most press. Therefore, when I talk to companies, they invariably ask for the lowest cost, yet most effective answers, as if they go hand-in-hand. And do you still believe in the Easter Bunny, too? Be real. Life’s problems often come with tough, long-term goals. The same is true for marketing. I’m sorry I have no short-cuts, silver bullets, or mystical tricks that only people like myself know about. And no, there’s no Priory of Promotion as in the “DaVinci Code,”where ad men in black cloaks meet in underground caverns to sacrifice old trademarks or logos before the marketing Gods in exchange for fantastic advertising powers. Instead, consultants like myself have years of training and practical experience behind us as we meet above ground with people just like you. And so, with that said, what can I do to help you do a better job marketing your business? Here are real, long-term suggestions, that are the first of my many “knows” to ponder:
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