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    Measuring Creativity, DIY style
    Creativity measurement is often required in order to benchmark existing competencies, monitor improvement, increase output and generally provide tangible and useable processes and structures for clients.Individuals can measure their own creativity, the creativity levels of their group, department or organisation.However, a fundamental lack of understanding of creativity and innovation seems to make this a difficult task for many.First, we need to define the difference between creativity and innovation. Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation. This reveals at least two issues:a) Creative measurement requires isolation of problems and ideas.b) Innovation measurement requires isolation of idea selection, development and commercialisation processes.The above means that creativity can be measured without the production of a final, commercially successful product or service. We can simply measure how good an organization is at identifying problems and generating ideas. If an organization scores relatively high at this stage (and is not producing adequate commercial output), we can then look deeply at their innovation processes.Second, we need a measurement system. A very simple and often used quantitative system is to list criteria and rate them on a scale. A rating before and after, say, a training session or activity, will indicate tangible levels of change.Third, we need to discern the criteria we will measure.There are in fact a number of definitions of creativity. One of the most use
    make and keep appointments

    7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

    6. Taking the customer for granted

    5. Lack of follow-through

    4. Lack of product knowledge

    3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

    2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

    ... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

    You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

    In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

    In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

    The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

    * competing products/services

    * the prospect d

    The Evolution of a Successful Marketing Campaign
    Despite what many may tell you…successful marketing does not happen overnight. It takes time, testing and a plan.You may be extremely surprised to first learn that some marketing and advertising campaigns are considered a success if they break even. If you spend $500 on the ad placement and you get back $500 in profit, it may be a great success for your business.WHAT? How can breaking even be considered a success?Most business owners never put 3 seconds worth of thought into what the lifetime value of your clients may be. Lifetime value of a client is calculated by adding up the initial purchase (averaged out) of a first time buyer in your business, multiplied by the amount of times in a year they buy from you, multiplied by how many years they stay a loyal client.For example:A hairdresser's average first time client is worth about $25, returns 10 times per year, and on average remains a customer for 3 years.Multiplied out, that makes each and every client worth $750 to the hairdresser. (25x10x3).If you are a hairdresser and look at each new client as being worth $750 to you, what are you willing to do to get more clients? Would you spend $50 to make $750? I would certainly hope so. If not, let me repeat, each and every new client is worth $750 to you. Bring in 10 new clients a week and you are adding $7500 in new business a week. While you earn the money over the next few years, it is money you NEVER would have had.Do the math in your own business, the numbers don't lie.Now, here's the real exciting part. The key to lifetime value is to increase each number by small (or large) amounts. For exampl
    Marketing has traditionally been broken down to a formula known as “the 5P’s” – the five factors that make up an organization’s marketing strategy. If these are done consistently, well, and for a long enough period of time, these 5 factors also become part of their brand.

    So far, so good. But the problem is that no one can seem to agree on exactly which 5 P’s are important, so the list typically includes: people, product, place, process, price, promotion, paradigm, perspective, persuasion, passion, positioning, packaging, and performance.

    Wow. Sounds complicated, huh? I’m going to try and simplify effective marketing into five moves – five concrete actions – that you can implement immediately. Your challenge: try one or more of these NOW.

    Move 1: Move Up

    Want to try something different? The next time you’re speaking with a prospect, when the question of price comes up, DOUBLE your normal price and see what happens.

    Am I crazy?

    Maybe, maybe not. The other side of the coin is that maybe YOU’RE crazy for not charging for VALUE, but instead competing on PRICE. Businesses that compete on price lose. Period.

    The easiest thing your competition can do is undercut your price. In fact, the first thing they will copy is your price. It takes no imagination, no creativity, no innovation, no market leadership, and no vision to lower the cost of something. And it hurts all parties involved. Lower prices always mean lower profits. Studies have shown that a 1% drop in price leads to an 8% drop in profit.

    What happens when you double your usual price?

    Several things. Prospects perceive:

    * An increase in the value of your product/service

    * An increased level of prestige in owning/using your product/service

    * An increased level of trust in you – and all your other offerings (the halo effect)

    * An increased level of confidence that your product/service really works

    A marketing consultant that I respect once gave me a very valuable piece of advice. She said, “Be expensive or... be free.” Being one of the most expensive providers of a service is remarkable – people talk about their $200,000 Italian sports car or $21,000 platinum-plated cell phone. Nobody talks about their $19,000 GM sedan.

    I’ve helped companies double their prices, with great success, and I’ve helped independent consultants double [and in one case triple] their fees. In each of those cases, they got more clients, not fewer. Details on how to do this in Move 3. And perhaps this means you’ll lose a few unprofitable clients along the way. If you don’t lose some unprofitable clients, you won’t have room to serve the more profitable ones when they come along. It’s professional suicide to continue focusing on serving a market sector “that can afford” to pay your old (low) prices. Price doesn’t find clients. VALUE finds clients. And those clients that value your work should – and will – pay according to that value.

    Free is also a powerful price point. And, of course, free is remarkable. Which is another facet to moving up – you move up when you give VALUE first. For free. Got a great idea for a prospect? Great! SEND IT TO THEM. Even better, got a business lead for them? Hand it over! Did you come across an article, a profile, or a piece of research that directly impacts their business? Clip it and mail it to the top person with a brief note. That prospect’s door is now open.

    Move 2: Move In

    Moving in means moving closer to the customer. Live in their world, think about their problems, and think about their clients and prospects. What’s the first step? Research. Preparation. Homework. Industry, regional, business, and company news is now at every salesperson’s fingertips on the Internet. If you’re not intelligently researching your prospect’s issues, challenges, and pressures, how can you possibly come in with a credible solution?

    Don’t like sitting at the computer all day? An even better idea is to hit the street. Visit businesses, talk to your contacts in the fields you serve, get some firsthand information about what’s going on in their world – what are their challenges, perspectives, obstacles, priorities; what are their dreams, their “only-ifs,” and their biggest aspirations?

    Is this a lot of work? You bet. Do the majority of salespeople put in this kind of effort? No way. Which is exactly why YOU should. That brings us to Move 3.

    Move 3: Move Ahead

    Moving ahead means going above and beyond what most salespeople are doing. It means putting in the work – yes, the real, hard work – that makes the difference between being a peddler and being a partner.

    Want to move ahead? Start by avoiding doing things your prospects dislike.

    Here are the top 10 things salespeople do that buyers dislike according to a Purchasing magazine survey. See if you (or your sales team) might be guilty of any of the following professional no-no’s:

    10.Failure to keep promises

    9. Lack of creativity

    8. Failure to make and keep appointments

    7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

    6. Taking the customer for granted

    5. Lack of follow-through

    4. Lack of product knowledge

    3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

    2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

    ... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

    You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

    In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

    In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

    The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

    * competing products/services

    * the prospect do

    Online Business Ethics
    Very simple: Be a source of integrity. Don't be phony, people will know and not come to visit your site again. Even worse, they will post a bad review somewhere on the web and others will not even come to see for themselves. If you don't know about something, don't pretend that you do. Respect your customers, or prospective customers, and offer them something of value. Give good information that will draw your customers' attention and this will help to build trust. It also gives them a reason to stay or come back again for more. Follow-up with your customers, but don't be a pest. Basically, don't spam, don't steal, and don't lie.Just as in an offline business, there are ethics and standards that should be followed. If you are starting an online business, you've probably spent some time online already and can see that there are hundreds of thousands of businesses trying to sell their products and information and services to you. Study how they do it. Spend some time visiting the websites of your competitors, much like you would when preparing a business plan for an offline business. Look for and evaluate the following characteristics to determine the integrity of the business as a whole:What are they selling? When you first come to their index page, can you quickly and easily figure out what they are selling? Is it a real product, an information product, a membership or a service? Do they offer something of real value right off the bat for free such as informative content or a related ebook? If you cannot determine within the first 30 seconds what they are selling or why they are in business, chances are that they are just a hodge
    s your price. It takes no imagination, no creativity, no innovation, no market leadership, and no vision to lower the cost of something. And it hurts all parties involved. Lower prices always mean lower profits. Studies have shown that a 1% drop in price leads to an 8% drop in profit.

    What happens when you double your usual price?

    Several things. Prospects perceive:

    * An increase in the value of your product/service

    * An increased level of prestige in owning/using your product/service

    * An increased level of trust in you – and all your other offerings (the halo effect)

    * An increased level of confidence that your product/service really works

    A marketing consultant that I respect once gave me a very valuable piece of advice. She said, “Be expensive or... be free.” Being one of the most expensive providers of a service is remarkable – people talk about their $200,000 Italian sports car or $21,000 platinum-plated cell phone. Nobody talks about their $19,000 GM sedan.

    I’ve helped companies double their prices, with great success, and I’ve helped independent consultants double [and in one case triple] their fees. In each of those cases, they got more clients, not fewer. Details on how to do this in Move 3. And perhaps this means you’ll lose a few unprofitable clients along the way. If you don’t lose some unprofitable clients, you won’t have room to serve the more profitable ones when they come along. It’s professional suicide to continue focusing on serving a market sector “that can afford” to pay your old (low) prices. Price doesn’t find clients. VALUE finds clients. And those clients that value your work should – and will – pay according to that value.

    Free is also a powerful price point. And, of course, free is remarkable. Which is another facet to moving up – you move up when you give VALUE first. For free. Got a great idea for a prospect? Great! SEND IT TO THEM. Even better, got a business lead for them? Hand it over! Did you come across an article, a profile, or a piece of research that directly impacts their business? Clip it and mail it to the top person with a brief note. That prospect’s door is now open.

    Move 2: Move In

    Moving in means moving closer to the customer. Live in their world, think about their problems, and think about their clients and prospects. What’s the first step? Research. Preparation. Homework. Industry, regional, business, and company news is now at every salesperson’s fingertips on the Internet. If you’re not intelligently researching your prospect’s issues, challenges, and pressures, how can you possibly come in with a credible solution?

    Don’t like sitting at the computer all day? An even better idea is to hit the street. Visit businesses, talk to your contacts in the fields you serve, get some firsthand information about what’s going on in their world – what are their challenges, perspectives, obstacles, priorities; what are their dreams, their “only-ifs,” and their biggest aspirations?

    Is this a lot of work? You bet. Do the majority of salespeople put in this kind of effort? No way. Which is exactly why YOU should. That brings us to Move 3.

    Move 3: Move Ahead

    Moving ahead means going above and beyond what most salespeople are doing. It means putting in the work – yes, the real, hard work – that makes the difference between being a peddler and being a partner.

    Want to move ahead? Start by avoiding doing things your prospects dislike.

    Here are the top 10 things salespeople do that buyers dislike according to a Purchasing magazine survey. See if you (or your sales team) might be guilty of any of the following professional no-no’s:

    10.Failure to keep promises

    9. Lack of creativity

    8. Failure to make and keep appointments

    7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

    6. Taking the customer for granted

    5. Lack of follow-through

    4. Lack of product knowledge

    3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

    2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

    ... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

    You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

    In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

    In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

    The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

    * competing products/services

    * the prospect d

    7 Steps to a New Career
    If your job is leaving you feeling bored, frustrated, uninspired, or burned out, you’re probably wondering what else is out there. Where can you find a career that makes you excited to get to work each day? Does your dream job really exist? It may seem overwhelming to try to find that perfect career, especially if you’re feeling stuck in your current one, but if you start small and do some hard thinking, you’ll find that a satisfying career is not so far out of reach.1. Start positive. If you’re dissatisfied with your current job, it may be hard to identify the elements you like about it. Most people, though, enjoy at least a few aspects of even the dreariest job. You may hate your boss but love your colleagues. Or maybe you believe in the cause you’re working for, despite the dismal pay. Make a list of the things you like about your current job—these are your first clues about what to look for in a new one.2. Think big. Now’s the time to make a wish list. What characteristics would make a job perfect for you? Would it be flexible hours, a cooperative team, more responsibility? Maybe you’d like a chance to work in a creative or artistic setting, or the opportunity to show your leadership potential. Don’t worry about whether these things are realistic or whether there’s a job out there that fits the bill (not just yet!). Make a list of all the factors that you’re looking for in a dream career.3. Brainstorm. Compile a list of every job, no matter how farfetched, that you’ve ever thought you might like or be good at. Don’t censor yourself; once you’ve got a good list going, you’ll start to see patterns. Look for common factors in the jobs you
    And perhaps this means you’ll lose a few unprofitable clients along the way. If you don’t lose some unprofitable clients, you won’t have room to serve the more profitable ones when they come along. It’s professional suicide to continue focusing on serving a market sector “that can afford” to pay your old (low) prices. Price doesn’t find clients. VALUE finds clients. And those clients that value your work should – and will – pay according to that value.

    Free is also a powerful price point. And, of course, free is remarkable. Which is another facet to moving up – you move up when you give VALUE first. For free. Got a great idea for a prospect? Great! SEND IT TO THEM. Even better, got a business lead for them? Hand it over! Did you come across an article, a profile, or a piece of research that directly impacts their business? Clip it and mail it to the top person with a brief note. That prospect’s door is now open.

    Move 2: Move In

    Moving in means moving closer to the customer. Live in their world, think about their problems, and think about their clients and prospects. What’s the first step? Research. Preparation. Homework. Industry, regional, business, and company news is now at every salesperson’s fingertips on the Internet. If you’re not intelligently researching your prospect’s issues, challenges, and pressures, how can you possibly come in with a credible solution?

    Don’t like sitting at the computer all day? An even better idea is to hit the street. Visit businesses, talk to your contacts in the fields you serve, get some firsthand information about what’s going on in their world – what are their challenges, perspectives, obstacles, priorities; what are their dreams, their “only-ifs,” and their biggest aspirations?

    Is this a lot of work? You bet. Do the majority of salespeople put in this kind of effort? No way. Which is exactly why YOU should. That brings us to Move 3.

    Move 3: Move Ahead

    Moving ahead means going above and beyond what most salespeople are doing. It means putting in the work – yes, the real, hard work – that makes the difference between being a peddler and being a partner.

    Want to move ahead? Start by avoiding doing things your prospects dislike.

    Here are the top 10 things salespeople do that buyers dislike according to a Purchasing magazine survey. See if you (or your sales team) might be guilty of any of the following professional no-no’s:

    10.Failure to keep promises

    9. Lack of creativity

    8. Failure to make and keep appointments

    7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

    6. Taking the customer for granted

    5. Lack of follow-through

    4. Lack of product knowledge

    3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

    2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

    ... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

    You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

    In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

    In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

    The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

    * competing products/services

    * the prospect d

    Your First Job
    “Your first job is an extension of your education”Fresh out of college. Loads of dreams. A whole new world waiting to be explored. And you are just waiting to put all those fat books you have spent the last few years studying into practice. Self-assured and confident yet anxious about the new world ahead. To make all those castles in the air real…with your very first job.Like every other first experience, the first job is one experience which you wouldn’t remember to forget. The experience could make lasting impressions in your mind.DesirablesIn your first job, there are a few things that are helpful. Though they are not mandatory yet they are desirable in view of the long-term benefits they offer.1. Postpone marriage.2. Starting up with MNCs helps.3. Start in line functions.Choose between:· Accounting vs. Audit.· Sales vs. Marketing.· Production vs. Planning.4. Start in the private sector.5. Work outside your hometown.The BasicsFirst, understand that your first job is not a job. It is an extension of your education. The first job is the foundation of your job career.By foundation of your job career I mean that the experiences you come across leave indelible impressions on your mind that are often lasting ones. It shapes your attitude and outlook towards lot of many things.The first job is a stepping stone to higher levels in the corporate hierarchy. Don’t start looking for new jobs when the going gets tough or when someone offers a few hundred bucks more. Stay on for a minimum period of 5 years. The experience provides you a solid base upon w
    re not intelligently researching your prospect’s issues, challenges, and pressures, how can you possibly come in with a credible solution?

    Don’t like sitting at the computer all day? An even better idea is to hit the street. Visit businesses, talk to your contacts in the fields you serve, get some firsthand information about what’s going on in their world – what are their challenges, perspectives, obstacles, priorities; what are their dreams, their “only-ifs,” and their biggest aspirations?

    Is this a lot of work? You bet. Do the majority of salespeople put in this kind of effort? No way. Which is exactly why YOU should. That brings us to Move 3.

    Move 3: Move Ahead

    Moving ahead means going above and beyond what most salespeople are doing. It means putting in the work – yes, the real, hard work – that makes the difference between being a peddler and being a partner.

    Want to move ahead? Start by avoiding doing things your prospects dislike.

    Here are the top 10 things salespeople do that buyers dislike according to a Purchasing magazine survey. See if you (or your sales team) might be guilty of any of the following professional no-no’s:

    10.Failure to keep promises

    9. Lack of creativity

    8. Failure to make and keep appointments

    7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

    6. Taking the customer for granted

    5. Lack of follow-through

    4. Lack of product knowledge

    3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

    2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

    ... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

    You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

    In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

    In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

    The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

    * competing products/services

    * the prospect d

    Employee Turnover: Is It Eating Up Your Profits?
    Keeping the cost of doing business down, yet providing a quality product or service, is one of the most critical components of success for today’s leader. What many fail to realize is that employee turnover can represent a very substantial price tag to a company's productivity and its bottom line.Turnover is costly – just how costly? Research studies have shown that the cost of replacing a professional or managerial employee runs 1.5 to 3.0 times his or her annual salary. And it can cost up to five times annual salary if you are looking at the intellectual capital – what a key person knows – when he or she walks out the door.For example, to replace a $50,000 top notch sales person with a large customer base can cost you $171,500. And a $150,000 technical manager can ultimately cost $380,000 to replace. That’s no small pocket change.Therefore, in almost any business situation —g rowth, downturn, merger, or even stability — it makes business sense to retain your best people. Here are four steps to get you started: Calculate the True Costs. This includes the direct administration cost of recruitment (ads, background checks, assessments, paperwork plus the manager’s and HR’s time for interviewing, training, orientation) PLUS the indirect costs of performance differential (lost productivity, impact on customers, disruption to the team, lower morale and the lost institutional wisdom).Study the Demographics. Understanding and conquering turnover requires probing into the details. For example: Who is leaving (high performers or low performers, older versus younger people, recent hires
    make and keep appointments

    7. Lack of awareness of the customer's operation ("What do you guys do here?")

    6. Taking the customer for granted

    5. Lack of follow-through

    4. Lack of product knowledge

    3. Overaggressiveness and failure to listen

    2. Lack of interest or purpose ("Just checking in")

    ... and the Number 1 dislike: Lack of preparation.

    You can also move ahead by charging more (remember Move 1?) and DEMONSTRATING the VALUE of your product service with hard numbers.

    In his insightful book, How to Become a Rainmaker, author Jeffrey Fox calls this process dollarizing. Dollarizing is one of the most powerful sales techniques because once you show (with real numbers that your prospect will provide you with) the return on investment – how THIS much spent will generate THIS much savings, or profits, or sales, or new clients, or hours, etc. – you basically shift the conversation from selling what you’re selling to SELLING MONEY.

    In my seminars, I do an exercise called “The Money Machine” that will help you spell this out in hard dollars, very clearly.

    The Money Machine goes one step further because you can use it monetize against:

    * competing products/services

    * the prospect doing nothing

    * the prospect doing it themselves

    * other things the prospect is already comfortable spending money on

    For a free copy of my Money Machine worksheet, email me: david@unconsulting.com.

    Suddenly, your product/service becomes a real “investment”: meaning, you can show people the math behind “this much IN” for “this much OUT.” There’s nothing much easier than selling money at a discount!

    Here’s another way to move ahead: stop the ridiculous game of “closing the sale.” Closing is not a technique; closing is not a trick; closing is not about magic phrases and looks and power games. Closing should be a natural extension of your conversation, and the two most effective questions you should ask your prospect as you near the end of your value-based discussion are:

    1. Does what we’ve talked about so far make sense?

    2. What would you like me to do next?

    Answer to Question 1: If you’ve prepared for the meeting, discussed the prospect’s key issues, and monetized the value of your solution, of course it makes sense!

    Answer to Question 2: “Let’s go ahead” or “Let’s do the paperwork.” Or if your prospect answers this with “Get Out” or “Drop Dead,” you have a pretty good idea that the sale is not ready to close. Seriously, carefully listening to the answer to this question will allow you to address any hidden concerns, hesitations, or issues – right then and there before the prospect would otherwise blurt out an abrupt “No!” to any other traditional “ask for the sale” verbiage that so many sales trainers recommend. Remember, you’re not there to sell – you’re there to HELP THE PROSPECT BUY. If you need to tattoo that on your forehead, be my guest.

    Move 4: Move Aside

    Here’s another thing that most sales and marketing people have a hard time with: you can’t be all things to all people. Move Aside is about finding your niche, and claiming your expertise in a narrow area of specialty. In plain English, this means you want to become the “Go-To Guy” for your specific product or service – the exact opposite of a “jack-of-all-trades and master of none.”

    The people you speak with will have a very different reaction to these two mental images of your product/service:

    * “I think we can make this fit.”

    * “This is exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

    Let me give you an example. There’s a real company that lists among its services “Carpet removal, house cleaning, odd jobs, catering.” Now, I don’t know about you, but when I want a caterer, I’m looking for someone who does catering 24/7. I don’t want to have to worry about “Did they wash their hands after the carpet removal job and before serving my guests?” In fact, if I’m looking for a caterer for a wedding, I might even be drawn to “Wedding Bells Catering” much more so than “Sam’s Catering” or “Good Eats Catering.”

    Here’s another example. There are lots of graphic design companies that do all sorts of work – websites, logo design, brochures, collateral material, wine labels, book packaging, etc. You name it, they do it. And business is generally OK. (But let’s face it, if they were going like gangbusters, they probably wouldn’t have sought out my help!) Some of them had a hard time differentiating themselves from the competition and others found it challenging to develop a strong client base and referral network. We’ve had some good success developing their current business, but when we delve into the possibilities of “Moving Aside” and carving out a real niche, or developing one thing that is their flagship specialty, most of my clients get cold feet.

    One company (not my client – too bad for me!) that has done this with fabulous results is MaxEffect. They made a tough call. They moved aside. They could obviously do a wide variety of things with their graphic design and advertising skills, but they do ONE THING: they work exclusively on yellow pages ads. That’s it. If you want a killer yellow pages ad with bold graphics, custom or stock photography, clean layout, and a strong, compelling message, these are your go-to people. They’ve designed hundreds and hundreds of yellow pages ads and they’ve built a fanatical client base, and they get a steady stream of referrals – not to mention the steady and growing flow of client work.

    Check it out for yourself: http://www.max-effect.com

    Move 5: Move Alone

    Right now, you are lost in a sea of gray. Me-too rules the day. Everywhere you look, there is more and more and MORE of the SAME OLD THING sold by the SAME OLD PEOPLE in the SAME OLD WAY. Boring. And deadly.

    The problem is that people don’t buy gray. If you and your company and your offerings blend into the background, you might as well close up shop right now. Let me put it another way: all companies go bankrupt. It’s just a matter of time. Want proof? Out of the 100 largest companies of 50 years ago, 17 survive today. And none of those 17 are the market leaders they used to be.

    Why? Shift happens. If you’re not separating your

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