Sex sells at tradeshows – or does it?

On the trade show floor, too often this translates into go-go dancers and supermodels lounging in the aisle. They get attention, certainly – I’ve seen throngs of men gather around these booths – but does this attention translate into sales?

Infomail – unadressed advertising in your post box

If you receive post in South Africa, you will probably have received many unaddressed pamphlets, brochures and even magazines. This is a paid-for marketing platform provided by the South African Post Office (SAPO) which they call Infomail.

A brief introduction to what Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a way of learning more about customers’ needs and behaviours – by analysing data about the customer that has been collected – with the aim of developing stronger relationships with them.

Four unusual ways to make competition work for your small business

Competition is a fact of life for almost all smaller companies. Knowing about your competitors can help you focus on what will sell best and how best to market what you are doing. Using your knowledge creatively can also lead to innovation, mutual assistance and even expanding commerce.

Six uncommon networking techniques to stand out from the crowd

There comes a time in every small businessperson’s life when common networking practices like handing out business cards, attending various meetings and schmoozing with potential clients only goes so far. Eventually, the same old techniques get overused to the point that they become insufficient.

Writing a company profile that works

A company profile is one of the basic marketing tools that all companies should have. It gives an overview of what your company can offer potential clients, who you are as an organisation, and what makes your offerings unique.

Oh dear – there’s competition!

Competition. Oh dear! So how do you persuade your prospect to buy yours, and not one of the dozens of others so readily available? Obviously you have to stand out from the crowd.

Above the noise – a plan to set you apart

Treat your plan as a living document that you can reshape as your business changes, or as you identify key trends that may provide opportunities.

The ABCD growth marketing plan

An effective marketing plan will keep you from falling victim to the “episodic marketing” approach – when business slows down, you come up with a new marketing idea.

Testimonials – Your secret sales force

Small business owners have a powerful “sales force” that they can draw on to work for them without having to pay a cent in advertising – these are testimonials.

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