Why You Should Avoid Vanity Metrics

Every business has metrics, but too many use vanity metrics that make them feel good about what is being done rather than providing insights to be better. For example, we’ve all suffered from the call center that is so focused on wrapping up the call rather than resolving the problem. Why? Because the more calls,…

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The No. 1 Reason You Aren’t Rich

There’s one reason why most people in our industry aren’t rich. At the end of the day, the business we are really in is the “know, like and trust” business. That’s right. Our real job as industry professionals is to get people to know us, like us and trust us. It’s true if we are…

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Differentiating Customers and Vendors in QuickBooks

Question: I have a vendor who has become a customer. QuickBooks will not let me use the same name. What do I do? Answer: You can use a variation of the name, such as “ABC Company” for the customer and “ABC Company Inc.” for the vendor. Alternatively, you can do something as simple as adding…

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Listen to Me!

This is what you clients want. This is what your staff wants. This is what your colleagues want. This is what baby boomers want. This is what millennials want. This is what my kids want. This is what my wife wants. This is a nearly universal truth. People want to be heard. Listen. Listening is…

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Describe Your Best World

Do you know what success looks like for you? I’m amazed by the number of people who are dissatisfied with their current situations but cannot describe what their personal happiness would look like. In “Alice in Wonderland,” the Cheshire Cat tells Alice that if you don’t know where you want to go, then “it really…

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Customers Buy What, When and from Whom

The customers make the buying decisions to buy what they want, when they want and from whom. What Salespeople are inundated with what to sell from suppliers, managers and their general experience. It’s not a secret that customers want to know what is popular. We all want to know today’s special when we visit a…

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Voting With Your Dollar

The Democratic National Convention was held here in Philadelphia last month, about 4.5 miles south of Promo Marketing offices. If you were in the city, you could see the convention’s influence everywhere, from the demonstrators to the crowded streets, the rallies to the blocked roadways, the … actually, protests and traffic were all you could…

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Promotional Products and How to Elicit an Emotional Response

It’s not the product itself that provides value, but it is how the recipient uses and perceives it that influences branding and promotional efforts. You can assume that swag is a cheap and expendable marketing tactic, or you can leverage every impression possible and evoke valuable emotions in your customers and clientele by choosing the right…

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