The Competitive Advantage

April 10, 2013

Ask the MAGIC QUESTION to gain a competitive advantage

I’m writing this blog post from a coffeeshop about an hour from home while my wife & I are living with my in-laws for a few days.  Our new hardwood floors are being finished and we needed to be out of the house.

But it wasn’t by design.  The floors were actually finished a week ago… but then got scuffed up by the painters dragging their ladder across the floor to do their job.  Was the scuffing bad?  Not really… but enough that it bothered us.

We called the general contractor to express our displeasure.  Some people in his position would have argued, said the scuffs were to be expected, blamed it on others, etc.  Not our contractor.  His question was simple and straightforward, “What do I need to do to make you happy?”

April 2, 2013

Hiring your first sales rep? Answer these 3 questions first… (part 3 of a 3-part series)

This is part 3 of a 3-part series to help answer a few important questions for those firms in the Market Research industry that are thinking about hiring their first sales rep.

In part 1, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Inside vs. Outside sales rep.  In part 2, we talked about the Hunter vs. the Farmer role.  In this post, it all about the money…

Question #3: How to compensate salespeople?

March 28, 2013

Harpeth Marketing Launches Two New Services for Market Research Firms

Harpeth Marketing has launched two new services this week…

The Lead Builder Program™, built on a series of Lead Generation and Lead Nurturing activities, provides Market Research firms with the opportunity to outsource much of their marketing & sales efforts for less than the cost of a full-time employee.  Our goal with this program is to deliver to our clients a steady stream of “project ready” sales leads.  Details at www.LeadBuilderProgram.com.

The Sellers Reality™ helps our clients to make sure they’re not looking through “rose colored glasses” when making decisions about their firms and the environments in which they compete.  We help them understand why their current clients buy from them, why lapsed clients stopped buying and what their competitors are up to.  Learn more at www.TheSellersReality.com.

March 27, 2013

Six marketing and sales mistakes MR firms make every day

If you’re not interested in growing revenue this year, stop reading now.

Thought so! There isn’t a firm in our industry (or any other, for that matter) that doesn’t want to increase revenue – and most reasonably-successful research firms have been able to do it over the years at some level.

However, the majority of the people inside these research firms are research professionals, not business development pros, and as such, tend to flounder a bit as they try to plan for and execute their marketing and sales initiatives. To help with understanding that, here are the six biggest mistakes that most MR firms regularly make that, if fixed, can dramatically enhance revenues and perception in the marketplace.

March 27, 2013

Hiring your first sales rep? Answer these 3 questions first… (part 2 of a 3-part series)

This is part 2 of a 3-part series to help answer a few important questions for those firms in the market research industry that are thinking about hiring their first sales rep.

In part 1, we discussed the advantages and disadvantages of Inside vs. Outside sales rep.  In this post…

Question #2: Hunter or Farmer?

March 19, 2013

Hiring your first sales rep? Answer these 3 questions first… (part 1 of a 3-part series)

I’ve worked with several research firms in the past year that made the commitment to hire their first sales rep.  That’s a big step for most firms… and to be successful with it, there are three key questions that need to be answered before the new rep comes on board.  [This is the first of a 3-part series to help answer those questions.]

Question #1: Inside or outside?

The decision for your first sales rep to be inside or outside is not an easy one – the implications are many.

March 13, 2013

How Advertising can Support your Marketing & Sales for a Competitive Advantage, Part 3

This is the third in a 3-part series on a few current consumer advertising campaigns that really got it right with their advertising – all of which were an excellent execution of a strong marketing strategy. [Yes, they’re B2C, but they illustrate very important marketing lessons.]

In the last two posts, we showcased Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. and Chik-Fil-A and the interesting work they were doing with their TV ads.  This week I want to talk about the law firm of Cordell & Cordell.

I first heard about them through their radio ads here in Nashville.  They are a firm that focuses on men in cases of divorce.  That, in itself, is very interesting.

March 5, 2013

How Advertising can Support your Marketing & Sales for a Competitive Advantage, Part 2

This is the second in a 3-part series on a few current consumer advertising campaigns that really got it right with their advertising – all of which were an excellent execution of a strong marketing strategy. [Yes, they’re B2C, but they illustrate very important marketing lessons.]

Last week, we talked about Hardee’s & Carl Jr’s.  This week, I’d like to focus on Chik-Fil-A (http://www.chick-fil-a.com/), the fast-food restaurant chain serving [great!] chicken sandwiches, etc.