The Competitive Advantage

January 4, 2016

Marketing Measurement: 3 New Methods You Have to Try in 2016

Measuring your marketing & sales is critical. Why? Because it tells you if what you’re doing is working… or not. If it’s working – do more of it! And if it’s not working – stop doing it! Or figure out how to change it to achieve better results. Good stuff, right?

But the reality is this – and it doesn’t matter who you talk to – when it comes to marketing & sales, everyone universally agrees that the one aspect of it that we all hate is the tedious task of measurement.

Yeah, we do it (sort of!)… but we hate it.

December 30, 2015

Top 10 Blog Posts & Articles of 2015

As 2015 draws to a close – and we put a wrap on another year of content – I thought it would be interesting to look back at the year and highlight our top 10 blog posts & articles… those that generated the most likes, views and comments.

December 22, 2015

9 Proven Marketing Tips to Try in 2016

Last week, our blog post contained 9 really great sales ideas to try in 2016. This week, I want to tackle some marketing ideas you might want to try next year. Like the tips last week… they’re all low-cost/no cost, easy to do and – most importantly – have been proven to work…

December 15, 2015

9 Proven Sales Tips to Try in 2016

One of my favorite sayings of all time is this: “If you keep doin’ what you’re doin’… you’ll keep gettin’ what you’re gettin’!” It applies to your business just as much as it applies to everyday life.

So, unless you’re 100% satisfied with the growth of your business in 2015, now is the time to think about trying something new in 2016. “Like what?,” you ask! Well, here are 9 sales tips to get your creative juices flowing and help you to increase revenue next year…

December 8, 2015

To Be Really Successful… Try a Little ‘Negative Thinking’

Part 4 of the ‘Retreat Series’

It’s that time of the year when most firms are working (some might say ‘scrambling!’) to finish their 2016 Marketing & Sales plan. Setting lofty goals… thinking about opportunities for growth… considering the possibilities for success. All good stuff!

But I submit that you’ll create a more focused plan and achieve even greater success if you think ‘negative.’ That is, in addition to the opportunities in the marketplace, also look at your business through the lens of the problems and the challenges you face.

November 30, 2015

The One Thing You Must Include in Your 2016 Marketing & Sales Plan

December… year-end wrap-up… and planning for next year. Have you started on your 2016 marketing & sales plan yet?

Whether your firm invests in a full-blown plan with well-thought-out strategies and detailed tactical steps… or if your plan is more of a one-page outline, there is one thing that every marketer must employ to effectively manage their growth plan…

… a Marketing & Sales Calendar.

Yeah, I know, everyone right now is saying, “Well, duh…” And my response is, “Well, maybe…”

I’ve seen too many marketing & sales plans in our industry without a good calendar to go by. Because of that, I want to use this article to make two recommendations… one is about the best kind of calendar to use and the other is about the best way to use it.

November 24, 2015

Why are Firms Afraid to Specialize?

Part 3 of the ‘Retreat Series’

Prior to our first corporate retreat a few weeks ago, I conducted a survey of our current clients, as well as some of our past clients. One of the questions I asked was, “What, if anything, do you think makes Harpeth Marketing unique?”

Across the board, they all said the same thing, “… your focus on the market research industry.”

Now, we’re obviously not a market research provider, but as I look across the MR landscape, I see four primary areas where [a few] research firms tend to specialize:

• By the vertical industry(s) they serve (e.g. specialists in the automotive industry)
• By the specific methodology(s) they espouse (e.g. qualitative specialists)
• By the application(s) of MR (e.g. focused on patient satisfaction research)
• By the market segment(s) they serve (e.g. conduct research on children and teenagers)

So, with all of these opportunities, why are the vast majority of MR providers generalists? Why is their business model to provide a wide variety of services to a wide variety of client types?

November 18, 2015

Are you setting your goals the right way? Think “actionable goals.”

Part 2 of the ‘retreat series.’

At our first corporate retreat a couple of weeks ago, setting goals for 2016 (and beyond) was one of the things I focused on. But I went about the process a little differently. Let me explain…

By now. We’re all familiar with the SMART method for setting goals. That is, goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-framed.

As an example, a SMART goal might be “to increase annual revenue by 15% in 2016.” It meets all of the SMART criteria. The trouble is… YOU don’t have control over revenue… your clients and prospects do. But in the goal setting process, this is where most people stop.