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Morgan James Publishing Founder Blog
Check back often for new updates from David Hancock personally.
For the full blog visit the Live Spaces site here...





 
August 18

Ten Things that Agents and Editors Hate
The following are ten things agents and editors hate.

They hate when:

#1: Writers claim no competition exists.

Competitive or comparable books usually exist. Rarely does a book have no competition.

#2: Writers claim their books will be the next blockbuster.  Although it's essential for authors to be enthusiastic about their books, it's equally important that they be realistic.

#3: Writers say how much others liked their books.  
Agents and editors simply don't care what others think about a book unless they are (a) book-publishing professionals or
(b) celebrities or published authors who are willing to endorse the book. Even then, their opinions don't carry much weight and will rarely influence the agent's or editor's decision.

#4: Submissions are made for books on subjects that the agent or editor doesn't handle.

Sending submissions that recipients don't handle wastes everyone's time. So don't send your memoir to an agency when the guidebooks and agency's Web site clearly state that it doesn't represent memoirs.

#5: Correspondence is not addressed to a particular agent or editor.

Don't address any correspondence, especially submissions, generally or to "Dear Agent or Editor." It's impersonal and it makes your communiqué look like a form letter that you simply dashed off to a slew of agents or editors.

#6: Writers call constantly, are demanding and don't let up.

It makes no sense to put undue pressure on agents and editors. Be reasonable, patient, and understanding. Agents and editors know how important your book is to you, but their hands may be tied.

#7: Writers try to be cute, instead of being direct and straightforward.

In children, cuteness can be adorable. In adults, it seldom works; in fact, it usually becomes irritating. Agents and editors don't have time for cuteness. They want to know, in a few words, what your book is about, and why you're the perfect person to write it.

#8: Writers send submissions in strange formats and colors.

Attract interest in your writing by providing top-quality work. Great ideas expressed in clear, well-crafted sentences that are built with the most vivid words will speak more convincingly than outlandish colors and designs.

#9: Writers have a bad attitude or act superior.

Acting as if you're entitled to an editor's attention will instantly turn him or her off.

#10: Writers reject professional advice.

Some writers won't listen to constructive criticism from their agents and/or editors. Trust the people who are publishing your book and don't think that you know more than they do about the publishing process.

See you in Atlanta on Oct 1 and 2
http://www.author101university.com

12:16 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

August 15

Looks Like B&N Won't Bid For Borders
The saga continues, and it's getting kind of funny, actually. Now the WSJ reports what I've been saying all along: that Barnes & Noble is not expected to bid for Borders, citing in part "the tight lending markets that likely would make it difficult to arrange bank financing" and high-lease prices on some of Borders' stores. It was the Journal touting BN's head fake in May that "it had assembled a team of senior executives and advisers to study the possibility of acquiring Borders" that gave Borders stock a pop even as the stronger Barnes & Noble has declined during the summer sell-off. (Both stocks have recovered somewhat since this summer's deepest lows.)

The paper cites a source as indicating that  Borders "hopes to complete the auction by the end of September."
WSJ



8:53 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

August 14

An Entrepreneruial Author Is... Part 6
An Entrepreneurial Author understands that they can gain new speaking engagements and other opportunities to get in front of their target audience. “Now introducing Rick Frishman, author of the bestselling book, Where’s Your Wow,” is a familiar sounding announcement when Rick goes on stage. Having a book title follow your name is a powerful credibility tool. 


6:55 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

August 05

Handle Rejection with Grace
It's hard to be gracious when a prospect tells you that you were not chosen for an opportunity or position you desperately wanted.

Yet, your "grace under fire" is important. One reason is that it's a small world, and the fact that you even qualified for the short list puts you in a relatively rarefied atmosphere. Out of all the people in the world, you were one of the few who made the initial cuts!

More important, taking the time to thank your prospect for the opportunity of talking with them keeps you in the running for future opportunities. Circumstances change. The candidate selected may have received a better offer elsewhere, or may not work out as well as hoped. Other opportunities at the firm may open up for you.

Never burn a bridge or fail to acknowledge a rejection with a Thank You. Your Thank You is the first step towards ensuring your consideration for the next opportunity to come along.

At Morgan James we have the unfortunate pleasure of delivering that rejection almost 3,900 times a year. I'll tell you what, those that handle the news with Grace get remembered when they submit another book proposal. Many times authors will go back and write a proposal or book idea based on what we will accept. It all starts with that ever important guerrilla marketing weapon of building relationships and not burning bridges.

Speaking of Guerrilla Marketing, I know, I know, I do often, we do have a new Guerrilla Marketing book arriving on bookstore shelves as I type this. It is Guerrilla Marketing on the Front Lines: 35 World-Class Strategies to Send Your Profits Soaring (Paperback). It is full of stories from the most successful Guerrilla Marketers on the planet. Check it out at your favorite bookstore or online at Amazon.com.


11:57 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

An Entrepreneurial Author Is... Part 5
An Entrepreneurial Author understands that a book is a powerful lead generation tool that can help grow their customer and prospect databases—customers, or prospects who may go on to become life-long customers. They see their book as one of the tools for the top of their marketing funnel.

An Entrepreneurial Author understands that a book, with full bookstore distribution, can give them access to markets that they otherwise would not have had access to. They know that a book can open up new markets for them, providing access to new customers, new clients and new partners.



6:10 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

July 28

The Goals of Graphic Design
Graphic design is based on objective goals, not subjective opinions like "I like red!" The design of your Books, ads, brochures, newsletters, proposals, and web site should be determined by the image you want to communicate.

Guerrilla Entrepreneurs take an active role in working with graphic designers, commercial printers and web site designers by describing, in detail, the image they want to project. Guerrilla Entrepreneurs can define the image they want to communicate, whether it's "classic" workmanship, contemporary "cutting edge" technology, or "safe haven" investments in a troubled world.

The more they define their market and their position relative to their competition, the better a job business owners can do in directing the work of the specialized talents they hire to help them.

Thanks to Jay Conrad Levinson for passing on this incredible wisdom to me.

Discover more in the only association dedication to Guerrilla Entrepreneurs like you and I. The Guerrilla Marketing Association has allowed me to give you free access for 2 full months. Take advantage of it before your competition does. www.Morgan-James.com/gma


2:03 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

July 21

An Entrepreneurial Author Part 4
An Entrepreneurial Author is concerned first and foremost for the readers of their book. They think about the benefits that the readers will gain by buying and reading the book. They also think in terms of the customers, the clients, or the constituency they serve.


2:24 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

July 16

An Entrepreneruial Author Part 3
An Entrepreneurial Author sees their book as a way to become a celebrity in their market—as a way to gain instant expert status.


5:21 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

July 09

Guerrilla Soft Steps
It's a hard step for a prospect to decide to buy from you. Guerrilla Entrepreneurs make that hard step a whole lot easier by offering prospects several soft steps.

Just imagine how difficult it is for a prospect to make the decision to buy what you are selling. That prospect has never purchased from you before, doesn't know all that much about you, and has been stung in the past by making purchasing errors from others.

Guerrilla Marketing makes that hard step a lot less hard by creating a series of soft steps for prospects to take first. One such soft step is the offer of a free consultation. It's easy to say yes to such an offer because it carries with it no pressure. And after it's over, it makes the hard step of buying a whole lot easier.

The guerrilla entrepreneur's arsenal abounds with such soft steps, all designed to make purchasing from you more risk-free, less of a momentous decision, and simpler because you've removed most barriers with information.

What are some other soft steps that guerrillas take? I thought you'd never ask. In addition to free consultations, there are free seminars and free clinics, free samples and free demonstrations. These are soft steps that let the prospect know what it's like to actually own what you are selling without taking any risk whatsoever. After taking these soft steps, the hard step of buying from you doesn't seem all that hard anymore.

Other first-rate guerrilla entrepreneur soft steps include free brochures - printed, on videotape, or on audiotape, or in the form of your book. And then there are free catalogs, a free newsletter, and free tours of whatever you want your prospects to see.

Guerrilla entrepreneurs know deep in their bones that many prospects need a little nudge and that soft steps provide that nudge. So they search their imaginations for other soft steps. Some offer free appraisals. Others, free estimates. Still others dream up special events to attract prospects. They do everything in their power to make that hard step of buying from them seem not so hard after all.

Guerrilla entrepreneurs still know that buying from a stranger is not an easy task. So the guerrilla entrepreneur bends over backwards to be removed from the ranks of strangers and to become a friend first. One of the best ways to accomplish this is to offer free information of value. And that's exactly what soft steps are all about.

Your job as a guerrilla entrepreneur is to provide enough data so that buying from you is the next logical step, as natural as breathing - instead of the perilous, risky step that purchasing really is.

Guerrilla entrepreneurs go out of their way to utilize the soft steps I've already mentioned, then to create even more soft steps so that the hard steps become as easy as pie.

Thanks to Jay Conrad Levinson for passing on this incredible wisdom to me.

Discover more in the only association dedication to Guerrilla Entrepreneurs like you and I. The Guerrilla Marketing Association has allowed me to give you free access for 2 full months. Take advantage of it before your competition does. www.Morgan-James.com/gma


1:12 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

July 07

An Entrepreneurial Author is...
An Entrepreneurial Author is an author who sees their book royalties as a small bonus for writing a book, but not the reason for writing a book. 


5:32 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

July 03

An Entrepreneurial Author is ...
I am an Entrepreneurial Author and so are all of you or you would not be here.

Being an Entrepreneurial Author is about having the right mindset and approach to your book. It’s also about learning how to profit from your book, and making the most out of your opportunities. 

What Does It Mean To Be An Entrepreneurial Author? Well I'm going to tell you.

Over the coming weeks I'll be sharing with you exactly what is an Entrepreneurial Author in short easily digested segments.

An Entrepreneurial Author is an author who knows that they will make the most money from what their book does for them—not from the royalties of that book.



6:29 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

June 25

Patience in Marketing
Take a reality check to determine how clearly you understand what your prospects are thinking each time they look at your advertisement.

The owner of a small business takes a leap of faith and contracts to run a weekly ad in the local newspaper with a frequency of once a week for a full year. After five weeks, the results displease him so much that he cancels his contract.

Five ads in five weeks seems like a lot of frequency in marketing. Five exposures do, indeed, establish some momentum. But they don't even come close to create enough desire to motivate a sale. To truly comprehend how much frequency is enough to spark that sale, you've got to know just what your prospects think from each exposure. Here is exactly what each one thinks as he or she looks at the ad you've run:
  1. The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it.
  2. The second time, he does not notice it.
  3. The third time, he is conscious of its existence.
  4. The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.
  5. The fifth time, he reads it.
  6. The sixth time, he turns up his nose at it.
  7. The seventh time, he reads it through and says, "Oh brother!"
  8. The eighth time, he says, "Here's that confounded thing again!"
  9. The ninth time, he wonders if it amounts to anything.
  10. The tenth time, he asks his neighbor if he has tried it.
  11. The eleventh time, he wonders how the advertiser makes it pay.
  12. The twelfth time, he thinks it must be a good thing.
  13. The thirteenth time, he thinks perhaps it might be worth something.
  14. The fourteenth time, he remembers wanting such a thing a long time.
  15. The fifteenth time, he is tantalized because he cannot afford to buy it.
  16. The sixteenth time, he thinks he will buy it some day.
  17. The seventeenth time, he makes a memorandum to buy it.
  18. The eighteenth time, he swears at his poverty.
  19. The nineteenth time, he counts his money carefully.
  20. The twentieth time he sees the ad, he buys what it is offering.
The list you've just read was written by Thomas Smith of London in l885.So how much of that list is valid right now, today? The answer is all of it.

Guerrilla Entrepreneurs know that the single most important element of superb marketing is commitment to a focused plan. Do you think commitment is easy to maintain after an ad has run nineteen times and nobody is buying? It's not easy. But marketing guerrillas have the coolness to hang in there because they know how to get into a prospect's unconsciousness, where most purchase decisions are made. They know it takes repetition. This knowledge fuels their commitment. Anyhow, they never thought it was going to be easy.

As real estate is location location location, marketing is frequency frequency frequency.

Thanks to Jay Conrad Levinson for this incredible wisdom. Discover more in the only association dedication to Guerrillas like you and I. The Guerrilla Marketing Association has allowed me to give you free access for 2 full months. Take advantage of it before your competition does. www.Morgan-James.com/gma



11:06 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

June 16

The Entrepreneurial Book Boom
Each year The Wall Street Journal tracks the growing number of books written by consultants, real-estate moguls, retailers and other entrepreneurs. Over the past six years, the number of books written by entrepreneurs or about entrepreneurship has risen steadily, to an estimated 312 in 2007 from 188 in 2002, according to Books in Print, and publishers say there are more on the way. Morgan James actually published over 100 of those.

With layoffs and cutbacks dominating the headlines, demand for advice books based on true-life stories is peaking.  "In this economy, everybody wants to be in command of their career and destiny," said Rick Wolff, editorial director of Grand Central's Business Plus Unit.

It's a category with a handful of proven celebrity stars - including Donald Trump and Jack Welch - whose advice books inevitably hit the national best-seller lists. There also have been some big successes from lesser-known entrepreneurs whose stories resonate with readers.

But most books by entrepreneurs quickly vanish - as, of course, do most books in general. Some of the most common problems of these titles are that they fail to provide new information or lack broad appeal or possibly lose focus on why they wrote the book in the first place.

It takes time, patience and a lot of great advice. Read more from WSJ...


9:42 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

May 15

I've got good news and bad news...
Which would you like first?

Okay the good news it is. When Rick Frishman came on as our Publisher and partner one of the first things he mandated is that I take some time off. Building Morgan James from idea to a $15 million dollar company has been fun, but exhausting! So some time off to spend with the family has been much anticipated.

So what was the good news? Well, for me, that was it! But for you, it is that I will be unable for a short period of time.

And the bad news? I'll be taking that time off between May 16th and May 25th.

On average I receive 800 emails a day that I personally respond to. While I'm off the unread emails will become rather overwhelming so I have some suggestions on how to make sure you get what you need.

First let me say it is extremely likely that I may not actually be able to respond to your message, but I do have a great plan of action and a great team that is going to be helping me.

1. If you need anything high level pertaining to Morgan James, need help with a book proposal or need help with Marketing or PR, contact Rick Frishman, our Publisher, at rick@morganjamespublishing.com or call him at 516-620-2528 ext 210.

2. If you need anything pertaining to general operations, status of your book in process, design, layout or printing questions please contact Jim Howard, our Director of Operations, at jim@morganjamespublishing.com or call him at 516-620-2528 ext 107. Of course, you probably should reach out to your Project Manager/Author Relations contact first. You know who that is, if you have one.

3. If you need anything pertaining to internal office administration like author book orders, royalties, staffing or such, please contact Cindy Sauer, our Director of Administration, at cindy@morganjamespublishing.com or call her at 516-620-2528 ext 108.

4. If you absolutely must talk with me, and don't mind waiting for me to return, please contact Temeka Shelton, my administrative assistant, to set up a phone call by emailing her at temeka@morganjamespublishing.com or calling her at 516-620-2528 ext 101.

I appreciate you and thanks for allowing me to know that your needs are being met while I'm away. I'll start fresh with new emails received on May 26 and work backwards as time allows.

Don't forget that you can still sign up for Author 101 University and see me there on May 29th. You can also get with me at BEA from May 29th to June 1st. The Morgan James booth is on the main floor, right next to Ingram, at booth #1104.

Okay, that's it for me!

I look forward to connecting with you then.

David Hancock, Founder
Morgan James Publishing

516-620-2528 ext 110 Office
516-908-4496 Fax
800-485-4943 Toll Free

david@morganjamespublishing.com
www.MorganJamesPublishing.com


6:50 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

May 07

Always wear clean underwear!
That is really good advice isn't it?! May not have been expected to come from me, but still, good advice.

I, take this advice to heed, just as I have since I first heard my very own mother preach it to me when I was too young to know any better. She, my mother, works in our Southeastern Virginia office, and I see her often. She still checks! I'm kidding! But she would if she could ;-). But seriously, one of our new authors, Alexis Martin Neely, is screaming up the Amazon and Barnes & Noble charts with her first book.  It's called, you guessed it:

"Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents"

She's already hit #1 on Amazon in all of her categories and #135 on BN.com, despite a glitch in the system showing her sold out on Amazon. Don't you love modern technology?!?

Let's help her get over the top.

Here are three reasons you should buy Alexis' book today:

1.  If you are a parent, you need the book.  It contains critical information you need to know for the well-being of your kids and your money besides teaching them to wear the, hopefully, ever present, clean underwear.

2.  When you order today, you get over $3,000 in valuable bonuses for parents plus a Family Wealth Planning Session with a lawyer.

3.  A hidden reason - you'll see how a masterful book launch is orchestrated.  You'll discover many ideas you could implement for your book launch. 

Order "Wear Clean Underwear: A Fast, Fun, Friendly - and  Essential - Guide to Legal Planning for Busy Parents" right now by going to:

www.WearCleanUnderwearBook.com

You and your family will thank me for years to come!


1:23 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

May 06

Police await autopsy results before commenting on Amherst death
The family at Morgan James is deeply saddened by the news of Dave Mason's passing and extends our sympathy and prayers to the family.

AMHERST — RCMP forensics officers have wrapped up their investigation at the site of an unexplained death on Friday but are not prepared to say how David Mason died.

The 40-year-old was discovered by a family member at his Amherst-area residence late Friday afternoon.

RCMP Const. Paul Calder says police are still "awaiting the results of the autopsy before" they say anything further on the case.

Additional information is expected to be released today.

Mason was an author, motivational speaker, coach and consultant whose company, Mason Performance Development, worked one-on-one with groups of small business owners and sales and service professionals.

According to his website, Mason was a research biologist with Agri-Foods and Agriculture Canada before going into the consulting business.

He was the best-selling author of Marketing Your Small Business for Big Profits and spoke to the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce a couple of weeks ago.

He was nominated for Fast Company’s Fast 50 and was nominated for the 2007 Ethan Awards, created to honour and generate public recognition of the efforts, accomplishments and positive contributions of entrepreneurial authors worldwide.

He leaves behind a wife and two children.

http://http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1053922.html

11:53 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

May 02

Knocking on the doors of BEA
Book Expo America (BEA) is held Friday through Sunday in May or early June every year. This year is May 30th - June 1st.

The primary purpose of the show has traditionally been to make booksellers aware of publishers’ fall lists. However, between the decreasing number of independent booksellers who now generate less than 20 percent of book sales and the fact that sales reps have already sold the fall list by the time BEA takes place, the convention is in the process of reinventing itself. But your understanding of publishing will not be complete until you have been to BEA. It’s the only opportunity to see almost all of trade publishing in one place. Observing how publishers promote their books to the trade will be an eye-opening experience.

Going to the breakfasts will enable you to watch authors sell themselves to booksellers. It will also offer you the chance to tell a table of booksellers about your book. There are state-of-the-art sessions about industry trends and realities that will help you understand what you to have to do to create the career you want. The BEA offers an unparalelled opportunity to meet other authors, publicists, people in the media, subsidiary rights buyers and your publisher’s sales and marketing staff.

You will also have the chance to shake hands with as many “blue badges” as you can find. They are worn by booksellers who, as their numbers decline, are treated like royalty. Until the industry started losing 150 booksellers a year, the number of booksellers in attendance was a litmus test of how successful the convention was.

The BEA will enable you to place your books in the context of the thousands of others that will be published in the fall. Going to BEA is one of the best ways to keep tabs on what’s happening in the business, especially if you’re living outside of New York.

It will be most worth your while to attend BEA when you have a book coming out in the fall. Then you will want to talk up your opus to as many blue badges as you can buttonhole. They will be valuable sources of information about local media and about what kind of promotion generates sales. The booksellers you meet may be willing to host mini workshops in their cities. The BEA is a superb opportunity both to learn about how publishing works and to forge friendships that may last a lifetime.

All you need to join the family is a passion for writing and books and a bemused fascination with the industry’s perpetual gyrations. The more you attend BEA, the larger your family will grow.

Attending BEA will also give the sales and marketing staff in your publisher’s booth the opportunity to make your book stand out from the hundreds of others they sell by matching your book with the author behind them.

Publishers are able to bring only a few authors to BEA, if any. Their first choices will be the authors who need the exposure least but whom booksellers most want to hear and meet: celebrities and best-selling writers.

Your publisher may not want other authors in their booth distracting the staff, whose job is to justify their travel expenses by helping as many blue badges as they can.

That said, if yours is a fall book, your publisher may be willing to provide a badge for you for at least one of the three days the show runs. If not, you can register as an author. Register in advance or the day before the show opens. Opening day generates a line that may take you hours to get through.
If your agent is attending, he or she may be willing to add your name to the registration form, especially if you pay for the ticket. 


BEA is a valuable source of contacts and knowledge, making it an essential learning tool for authors. For many of the more than thirty-five thousand people who attend it, BEA is also like a family reunion at which they meet friends from around the country they see only at the show.

The excitement of being at the convention, the parties, learning about the business, being inspired by the speakers, catching up with old friends and making new ones make BEA an extremely enjoyable way to combine business and pleasure. You will also enjoy picking up complimentary galleys of upcoming books and other freebies.

Although what the BEA offers is worth more than the cost of attending, traveling costs will add up. So entrepreneurial authors make it a goal to find people with whom they can stay or share the cost of a room. Ditto for the cost of driving to the convention if that’s an option.

GUERRILLA TACTIC FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL AUTHORS 

When you re at BEA check out the press room to see if any media people are around and do a reconnaissance of the publicity materials set out for the media. Also attend trade shows in your field. Thousands of regional and national trade shows take place a year Whether you re writing about interior design or mortgages there is a trade show that can help you under stand how to make your books as salable as possible and reach the gatekeepers between you and your readers.

Don't forget one of the best annual BEA event. The day before activities which include our very own Author 101 University where publishing and marketing experts reveal tools and techniques to get your book published and double or triple your income as an author.

Join Mark Victor Hansen, Rick Frishman, Brendon Burchard, Barbara DeAngeles, Alex Carroll, myself and a hand picked publishing panel of editors, agents and publishers this year at Author 101 University on May 29, 2008 in Los Angeles at the WESTIN LAX from 8:00am to 6:00pm.

Read More...



2:21 PM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

April 23

Only 2 days left until we meet in Atlanta!
Well it is that time again, and boy are we excited. BigSeminar is only 2 more days away! As you may have heard when Armand and I did that teleseminar last month, Big has played a Big role in our success as an Entrepreneurial publisher. The networking, the contacts and the teaching all has been incredible. This one should be the best one yet. Many of our authors are on stage this year and their books have played a Big role in their success. From Armand himself, to Mike Stewart, Jim Edwards and more.

I look forward to catching up with you in person, but this is a last minute reminder...there's still time to register for BigSeminar...

Act NOW...Once these seats are sold Armand will have to close the door.

Only 3 Seats Remaining As I Write This!!

See you then!

5:55 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

April 17

Congratulations- You are now an author!
NOW ACT LIKE ONE...

Now that your are an author you need to be bragging that you've been picked up by a New York publisher, you need to be visiting bookstores-a lot! Go into several of your local bookstores and make sure the manager or the community director, knows that you are a local author. Set up workshops- lectures- seminars- not book-signings.

Lets face it- you are probably not yet a celebrity and they won't come and line up around the block for a typical "book-signing".

When you are on the road - visit bookstores and when you find your book-put it face out (they'll catch the "error" and fix it so go back often). If you carry "signed by author stickers" with you and sign the books, make sure you have permission to do so. They will still return signed copies unlike the rumors of "sign them and they won't return them". Meet the manager or community director and see if he/she will order more books or put the signed ones on a table out front.

Being an author is an every day job- Keep working it- it will pay off. Remember, marketing is every bit of contact you have with anyone in the outside world. That means a lot of marketing opportunities. It does not mean investing a lot of money.

9:18 AM GMT  |  Read comments(0)

April 07

Fundamentals First
My good friend, and fellow Morgan James author, Jay Conrad Levinson just emailed me a reminder that I just had to pass on to you.

Here are some fundamental marketing rules for living life in the slow (but safe) lane that Jay and Mitch Meyerson taught me back in 2003 during my Guerrilla Marketing Training but a refresher is always welcome:

  1. Ensure all marketing collateral (web and offline) are in synch - invest sufficient time and resources to ensure there are no discrepancies between them to build a cohesive brand that effectively communicates what you do.

  2. Take time to really evaluate business opportunities, don't just blast through relationships, meetings or assessments - many times you can build viable partnerships by sitting down and taking a hard look at how third parties complement your business and vice versa.

  3. Use the web for what's its really meant for - as a highway for communications and commerce, its not the "saving grace" its been touted to be by many companies; 87% of Internet users today utilize the web to research goods and services.

  4. Make time to look at your competitors, whether they are across the road or on the other side of the world - the web has created a commerce model where a competitor is just a click away; so carefully analyze what your competitors are doing.

  5. Communicate with your customers and partners - it doesn't do much good to build a beautiful web site that does not make it easy for people to contact your company. I've seen hundreds of web sites the last year that don't have e-mail contacts or phone numbers listed prominently - take/make time to build a site that lets people communicate with you.

  6. Hire people with some gray hairs - they may not flash the latest PDA at you or wear the latest trendy clothes, but many of them have years of experience building companies slowly and carefully, by paying attention to business fundamentals. I've got nothing against youth, but it seems like many over 40-somethings got left by the wayside in the .com mania and to the detriment of many companies.

  7. Think small when your building a business, the billion dollar days are gone with last year's PR hyperbole. I get no royalties from E.F. Shumacher, but I really think his "Small is Beautiful As if People Mattered" is a wonderful book and the forward is done by Paul Hawken, a brilliant serial entrepreneur, well known for his landmark PBS (Public Broadcasting Service for global readers) series on "Growing a Business" that inspired many of us to take the entrepreneurial plunge.
So true. Now don't forget starting tomorrow Jay will be co leading an intensive 8 week program with Mitch Meyerson, David Hancock's Guerrilla Marketing Coach and co-author of Guerrilla Marketing On The Front Lines.

I promise you that every one of the marketing tactics you will learn will be laser-focused to these tough times, inexpensive and ready to launch to increase your business profits... Read More...

PS if you want Jay to email you directly these wonderful Guerrilla Marketing Intelligence tips, you can get it free for two months in the Guerrilla Marketing Association at www.Morgan-James.com/gma.



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