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Three Myths about What Customers Want - Karen Freeman, Patrick Spenner and Anna Bird. By Karen Freeman, Patrick Spenner and Anna Bird | 9:10 AM May 23, 2012 This post is the last in a three-part series. Most marketers think that the best way to hold onto customers is through “engagement” — interacting as much as possible with them and building relationships. It turns out that that’s rarely true. In a study involving more than 7000 consumers, we found that companies often have dangerously wrong ideas about how best to engage with customers. Myth #1: Most consumers want to have relationships with your brand. Actually, they don’t. How should you market differently? First, understand which of your consumers are in the 23% and which are in the 77%. Myth #2: Interactions build relationships. No, they don’t. Of the consumers in our study who said they have a brand relationship, 64% cited shared values as the primary reason.

CEB has done extensive work on shared values, showcasing how brands like Mini, Pedigree and Southwest use them to engage with customers. Wrong. 3 Signs That You've Got What It Takes To Be An Entrepreneur. Being bad at your current job might just be your cue to start an entrepreneurial career. At a recent meeting, I heard the story of someone who announced that she was "smarter than everyone else in the company" and that she had been fired because the boss was jealous and insecure. While the room laughed at the perceived arrogance, I couldn't help but wonder, "Is this visitor delusional, or is she an undiscovered entrepreneur?

" Entrepreneurs often get a bad—though sometimes well-deserved—reputation for having a big ego. But what they may lack in humility is certainly compensated for by their sense of empowerment, fulfillment, and freedom. In fact, some of the worst employees make the best entrepreneurs and are often considered—by the corporate world at least—to be unemployable. Even more so, all current entrepreneurs had that moment when they knew that the promises of a traditional job or work environment would pale in comparison to a new opportunity. Sign No. 3: You Love Lazy Shortcuts. 9 Qualities of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs. Good entrepreneurs make money. Great entrepreneurs make serious money. But remarkable entrepreneurs do more than make money. They are the few who possess qualities that don't appear on balance sheets but do make a significant impact on the lives of their employees, industries, and communities. Here are nine qualities of remarkable entrepreneurs: 1.

Great business teams win because their most talented members are willing to sacrifice to make others happy. Where does that attitude come from? You. Every great entrepreneur answers the question, "Can you make the choice that your happiness will come from the success of others? " 2. Novelty seeking—getting bored easily and throwing yourself into new pursuits or activities - is often linked to gambling, drug abuse, attention deficit disorder, and leaping out of perfectly good airplanes without a parachute. But, according to Dr. Sounds like every successful entrepreneur I know. So go ahead - embrace your inner novelty seeker. 3. 4. 5. 6. Whatever. 7. No Matter How You Slice It, It’s All Marketing. New channels. Updated tools. Social media standards. Television commercials and print advertising. Regardless of the tool or the medium, it’s all marketing.

It’s all marketing. After reading Lisa Barone’s article about how email remains king for promotional messaging and reviewing the new survey from ExactTarget that she referenced, I am left with one key thought (the same one I had before reviewing the survey): There is no marketing miracle. This is what I mean. According to the ExactTarget survey, email is the preferred channel for personal written communication as well as permission-based promotional messages. What age range do you serve? There is a place for email marketing, text messaging, post cards through the mail, Facebook Fan Pages and commercials. Quick Take Away Email is far from dead. Say “thank you”receive promotional messagesask for customer feedback via surveys, polls and questionnaires At the end of the day, it’s always about focused effort.

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