Below are five simple tips for protecting yourself online against identity theft, costly data breaches and legal liabilities:

1. Use a Unique Password for Everything

Chances are you’ve done some online shopping recently, which means your personal information is now in more online databases than before. It also means your personal information is at more of a risk of falling into the hands of people you’d rather it not. When you’re shopping online, most retailers ask you to create a free account that you can use when you return to shop again. The problem is, most people use the same passwords for all of their online accounts – whether it is sites they shop on, community sites, social media sites, email, etc. Hackers know this, and they love it. If your personal information is leaked anywhere, they can match your email address and password everywhere online – not just the place it was leaked from.

2. Change Your Passwords for 2012

Make it a point to change your passwords before the end of the year. You should have a different password for everything you use – but definitely your email, online banking, mobile service providers, blog, social media. If you use a unique password for all of your online accounts, you can limit the risk you face if (and when) your personal information is leaked online.

3. Make Your Passwords Longer

When you create an account online, you’re probably assuming that the password you’re entering is being kept secure by the company you’re giving it to. Most likely it is (or they think it is), but even encrypted passwords can be cracked using a rainbow table. Words from the dictionary can easily be cracked, and even using passwords with punctuation isn’t that secure.

But if you use a unique passphrase instead of a common word, then the chance of the password being cracked is much more unlikely. An example of this would be “remember to clean up list of to-dos by end of day Friday.” I could put that phrase on a sticky note on my computer or in a Word document so I’d know what my password is, but to somebody else it just looks like a reminder I’ve made for myself.

4. Make Sure Your Webite is Updated

If you have a website or blog, you need to be sure it’s updated. There are thousands of websites using old scripts that have huge security vulnerabilities in them. Hackers will go from site to site quickly testing vulnerabilities with scripts (like SQL injection), and Google makes it easy to find them.

If your website is using an old script, check to see if there is an update available. WordPress is an incredibly popular tool for running blogs and websites, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve logged into a WordPress installation only to find it’s been over a year (sometimes years) since it was updated. WordPress and other scripts release updates for a reason – usually because there are security flaws that have been fixed! If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, shoot us an email and we can take a look.

If you do end up in a situation when your site has been hacked, make sure you find out how it happened and fix it immediately. Actually, we had a situation where a website had been hacked and we found out who did it – so we reached out to the hacker and worked with him to resolve the vulnerability.

5. Use Terms of Use & Privacy Policy

If you’re collecting information from visitors to your website, it’s important to have these documents available. In the event a hacker is able to steal personal information you’re storing, your Terms of Use and Privacy Policy documents can save you from too much liability. The bottom line, though, is to protect yourself by making sure information is collected in a secure manner.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for staying safe online? Have you ever had your personal information stolen or been a victim of identity theft? Share your comments below, and please pass this information along. Suggest to your relatives and friends over the holidays that they should spend a few minutes updating their passwords heading into 2012 and why.

Here are a couple of other resources to help prevent identity theft and your business network.  We’ve worked with both of them and they are the best. John Silo, Identity Theft Expert www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com and Mike Foster, Network Security Specialist www.FosterInstitute.com

Do Your Marketing Materials, Website and Social Media Match Your Brand’s Promise?

I was talking to a prospect today raving about how he’s built his business through mainly referrals… but now his business has slowed and he wants help.

One look at his website and social media profiles and it was clear why referrals are what has driven his business… because his other promotional efforts lack his brand’s promise.

By that, I mean., they are old, outdated, confusing, lack style, have poor marketing messages and simply don’t communicate the quality or value that his business truly offers.

In short, they are “sales prevention tools” getting in the way of attracting and converting prospects into long-term clients and customers.  They are certainly costing him thousands of dollars in lost sales.

Does that scenario sound familiar? Want to know how to solve these problems?

Here’s your action step:

1. Go look at your website through the eyes of your prospects and ask yourself, “Would I do business with this company?”  Can you easily understand what problems your organization helps to solve or what desires your business fulfills?

2. Next, look at your social media profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube and see if there is a communication disconnect.  Do you have keyword-rich, benefit-driven descriptions that will engage your target prospects to connect with you?  Here is a link to a free replay of webinar on Social Influence. Watch the Video now.

3. Finally, look at your other promotional and sales efforts to ensure that they are congruent with the quality and value you offer. They should be in alignment and be tools that help you find, attract and keep your customers.  If you would like a critique or hot seat to evaluate and improve your results, just let us know…

4. Enter your biggest marketing challenge in the comments below for a chance to win an IPAD.  Answers and winners will show up in future posts.

What I’m talking about is a different kind of NAP– Name, Address and Phone Number– and how these directly relate to driving targeted traffic to your website.

Let me ask you a question… Are your company name, address and phone number all easily visible on your website, social media accounts and local business directories like Google Places, Bing Local, Yelp and Yahoo Local? Better yet, can you access all of these listings, websites and accounts and tell me that your company name, address and phone number are all the exact same?

If not, you’re actually driving traffic away from your website.  Let me explain why.

Essentially, when search engines like Bing, Google and Yahoo create these business listings that you can claim and update for FREE, they use searched information on the web to determine the correct address for your company. If, for some reason, they have an old address from before you moved or a missing suite or building number, you can be missing out on all the traffic that should be pointing to your current address and phone number.

These listing are so simple to claim, access and update and they’re a great starting point to drive targeted, ready-to-take-action traffic to you. So, first things first, make sure the NAP information on your website is accurate and how you want it displayed on all mediums– from social media accounts to your Yelp Local Business Listing.

Next, review your social media accounts, profiles and admin areas and make sure the contact information, business name and address are all the exact same as your website. From there, simply login to your local business listings (if you don’t have one, go to the major sites mentioned above and search for your company name and then claim your business for free) and make sure the same NAP information is accurate and consistent with the other mediums.

This seems so redundant and simple, I know, but you would be surprised with the number of clients we have who are either naive or unaware of the effects that NAPs have on their business. The key is that it’s not too late to claim your listing, update your accounts, profiles and website. By taking a few minutes and checking these areas, you will ensure you’re not making the mistake of continually driving traffic to your competitors.

If you have any questions on how to make these updates or how to claim your listings, please call us today at (316) 942-1111 or comment on this post.

Many business owners know their website could benefit from a website facelift, yet they don’t want to make the same investment a complete website overhaul would entail.  That’s how Prime Concepts can help.

We’ve created a customizable solution designed to give certain clients who qualify the facelift their website needs for a reasonable investment.  A recent example is accountability expert and leadership speaker, Sam Silverstein’s, website.  Sam helps organizations make accountability their competitive edge, creating more effective leaders, selling more, providing greater service and increasing revenue.

The customized solution we provided for Sam included improvements to his website copy, visual design and graphics, navigation and search engine optimization.  As you can tell from www.SamSilverstein.com, the end result speaks for itself!  If you’re interested in getting more targeted traffic, higher search engine rankings and improved conversions, check out Sam’s “refreshed” site, view the rest of our website design portfolio and learn more about our website development solutions.

That’s why I put together some time-tested and proven tips and strategies designed to give you a big boost in growing your business.  I think you’ll find a lot of value from the quick-read ideas presented in “Profit-Rich Marketing: Proven Strategies to Help You Grow Your Business,” which are designed for easy implementation.

The practical marketing approach and proven strategies will help you to:

• Create the Marketing Mindset
• Create Explosive Growth in Your Business
• Utilize Marketing Secrets of the Masters
• Measure Marketing Success
• Design Profit-Rich Marketing Materials
• Write Copy Like the Pros
• Build Your Online Money Machine
• Drive Targeted Traffic
• Use Blog Marketing to Build Your Business
• Monetize Your Social Media Marketing Efforts

Get more details on my “Profit-Rich Marketing: Proven Strategies to Help You Grow Your Business” and leave us a comment to let us know some of the ways you’d like to improve your business.

Each day you’re faced with new opportunities and the challenges of how you are going to spend your time and money. Whether you’re the CEO, entrepreneur, or the person responsible for increasing results from marketing and sales efforts, you already know that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to find, attract and keep your customers.

The good news is—there is no need to panic! The sky is not falling… these economic times have actually created many new opportunities—if you know how to capitalize on them.

I wanted you to be one of the first to know about this event so you can mark your calendar and get registered for the Las Vegas Event in September 2011.

Watch the video above or visit the Business Growth Summit Event Website for more details.

Remember, grammar and punctuation has the power to showcase the professionalism of your organization.  A lack of proper grammar and punctuation (yes, even in a quickly typed email or buried within copy on your website) can do the opposite—diminish the perceived professionalism of your organization.

I plan on doing a few “refreshers” with our team.  I suggest you and anyone else from your organization who writes at all (nearly everyone!) review this first installment of reminders.

Semicolons

Semicolons usually separate two main clauses that could stand on their own if you wanted them to.  The catch is that they must be closely related main clauses.

For example:

“I need the report by the end of the day.”

“I will expect it from you by 5:00.”

Becomes…

“I need the report by the end of the day; I will expect it from you by 5:00.”

So why use semicolons?  The main reason to use a semicolon is to add some variety to your sentence structure.  This is a nice option if you have a large amount of content.

Colons

Colons are used after complete sentences to signal that what comes after the colon is directly related to the previous statement.  Colons should never be used after sentence fragments.  Instead, a colon should be used to expand or clarify on the complete sentence before it.

For example:

“Our company specializes in three areas.  They are internet marketing, marketing and website design.”

Becomes…

“Our company specializes in three areas: internet marketing, marketing and website design.”

So why use colons?  The main reason to use a colon, again, is to add some variety to your sentence structure.  Additionally, it helps your reader remember the points you included.

That’s enough for today, but why don’t you make a goal of using a semicolon and a colon properly at least once this week?  It doesn’t have to be for anything fancy—these can be used quickly and easily in a memo, email, report, etc.  Then let us know what you think!  Did using a semicolon or colon add variety and sense of professionalism to your writing?  Do you think you’ll start incorporating them on a regular basis?

I stopped into Popeyes Chicken, ATL Terminal C for a quick lunch. It was crowded and I didn’t have very high expectations for fast food airport service, but was amazed at what I saw. There was this Popeyes Employee greeting customers, wiping off tables, getting people napkins, forks, salt and pepper, assisting with luggage and carrying trays to tables. What was interesting was his approach to how he worked. He moved his butt, smiled, was very helpful, warm and friendly. You could tell he actually cared and tried to give people a unique experience. I watched as people smiled back and several of them tipped him for the service.

I don’t think he was working hard only for tips, he seemed to actually care about taking care of the customers. Now I have a few professional speaker friends of mine, like Shep Hyken and Mark Sanborn ,who specialize in Customer Service or Eric Chester who specialized in work ethic, and they could give a better definition of the traits, qualities and actions of customer service and leadership, but I’m going to call it “give a shit”.

Not to just use profanity, but in keeping it real… this guy cared.  It showed in his smile, attitude and approach.  I only have a dozen employees now. I’ve run companies with many more than that, but regardless of the number of employees you may have, you want to find the ones that care… and avoid those with entitlement mentality who think that the world owes them a living.  Okay, back to the Popeyes guy…

Before leaving I asked for his name and he said, “I’m Dwayne Hayes…. How Can I Help You” I said, thank you for your approach to your job, work ethic and service.  Gave him a tip and snapped this quick photo. I also got the number to call in kudos for him Popeyes Corporate at 1-800-682-0219. If Dwayne Hayes served you… you should call too.

When I returned back to my office I googled him and found that Mr. Hayes is known for his customer service throughout Hartsfield Jackson, he won the Ambassador Award for the airport in 2009 and was runner-up in 2010.

Whatever he’s being paid… it’s not enough. If you fly through Atlanta, stop by and see for yourself the amazing display of outstanding customer service.

And if Shep’s reading this blog post… you should include his story in your next book.

Do you have examples of outstanding customer service… post your thoughts or feedback in the comments section below!

If you’re a goal-setter and a planner, you’ve already made great progress on your list of New Year’s Resolutions.  If you’re like most people, you may create the goal list, but struggle with the strategy and action steps to reach them.

A friend of mine recently released a book titled “Clarity.”  Written by Bob Bohlen, a man who’s achieved so much success in his life; it makes you wonder if there are super humans living among us.  Bob doesn’t claim to have extraordinary abilities; he’s simply found a plan that works, and he works that plan every day.

His book is a 30-day foolproof guide to getting what you want from life.  Like the rest of us, you probably have several books promising to do the same, collecting dust on a shelf.   This book will change your life and get you results, if you follow Bob’s simple Life Lessons.  But don’t take my word for it, get your copy from his website at www.Rbohlen.com

I’d also love to hear about the hardest lesson you’ve learned about growing your business.  What have you done that did or didn’t work? Leave your comments below:

Social media is a game changer. We’ve seen it affect how we interact and share with friends and family, make decisions, hear and spread news, market, and much more. It even affects the way people hunt for jobs and the way companies look for potential employees.

Rather than just listing a job opening in your local newspaper or posting it on your website where limited audiences will see it, social media allows you to reach a much wider, much more diverse audience. By posting job opportunities on social media sites and reaching more candidates, you will be more likely to find the person who is exactly what you are looking for and a perfect match for your company. Because of the viral effect of social media, news of your job opening will spread fast, helping you fill roles more quickly.

Here are some ways you can use social media to find that perfect candidate to fill the role at your company:

LinkedIn

Because LinkedIn profiles should be set up like resumes, you can check out applicants’ profiles to see what kind of experience and recommendations they have. You should also make you’re your profile is updated in the same way in case potential job candidates check you out to make sure you are a renowned and trustworthy company to work for. Your contact settings should be set to include that you are interested in job inquiries so people know it’s okay to contact you via LinkedIn regarding employment opportunities.

You can post job openings in the job section on LinkedIn, which people can find by searching for a specific location, field, job title, and several other options. People are more likely to trust a job posting on a professional networking site like LinkedIn than they are on a random job listing site they find on Google. Many people also use the headline portion of their profile like an objective on a resume, stating exactly what kind of job they are looking for and specific qualities and certifications they have to make them a good candidate. You can use this to do your own searching and seek out exactly who you are looking for and contact them about an opportunity to interview with your company.

Facebook

People often will use Facebook to let the world know when they are searching for a new job and you should also use the same method to get the word out there that you are looking to fill specific roles. This will not only let people know to contact you if they are looking for a job themselves, but also keep you in mind if they see that someone else they know is looking for a similar job.

You can also use Facebook in the hiring process to check out a candidate’s profile to see if they are an influencer and know how to effectively and professionally use Facebook. Having someone who will use their social media influence to spread the word about your company could be very beneficial in increasing awareness and establishing credibility.

Twitter

There are more than 190 million Twitter users. Among those millions, there are always many actively seeking jobs. Use the opportunity to search this large community for people to you’re your team as well as publicize that you are currently hiring – in this economy word about job openings will spread fast.

While Twitter users send more than 75 million tweets per day, Twitter search allows you to look for people tweeting specific terms or keywords relevant to what you are looking for — For example “copywriting jobs” “administrative assistant positions” etc. The reverse can be done with your tweets: People looking for jobs can type in search terms and pull up any of your tweets that contain those words – so make sure you are using keyword rich terms in your tweets.

Blogs

Not only can you use your blog to advertise the fact that you are looking for certain candidates, but many other people would be willing to put your job postings on their blog if it’s relevant. For example, Mashable lists jobs in the social media industry for companies throughout the world.

You can use social media sites to not only post job opportunities and how to apply, but you can also look for people who are using these sites to promote themselves as potential candidates.

How have you used social media in the employment process? Leave a comment below and let me know.

You see examples of social proof everyday… beyond client testimonials, case studies and customer reviews; it’s in the star ratings on Amazon, the number of likes of Facebook, the video views on YouTube and followers on Twitter.

Be recognizing how social proof affects buying behavior, you can look for ways to leverage it to establish trust and credibility for your products and services.

Just the other day, I was searching ITunes for movies to download to my Ipad for a cross-country flight.  I was considering a few new releases and realized I was making my selection based on the number of stars a certain movie had.  Then I thought to myself “I don’t know these people, yet here I am letting their opinion impact my decision.”  In reality, their opinion may not mean squat about whether or not I’d like the movie.  We’ve all been to 4 star movies that were crap and we’ve seen movies that were one star that we really liked.  Even so, the star ratings of the movies influenced my selection.

Recent statistics tell us that 74% of consumers trust peer recommendations (social proof) and only 14% trust advertisements.  Even if you don’t agree with the stats, you’ll agree that you’re influenced by what your friends, peers and independent recommendations say, more than advertisements.

Testimonials

It’s hard to ignore the power of these recommendations from people with whom you’ve done business.  Buyers want to purchase from someone they feel they can trust; by displaying testimonials on your site, your prospects are getting a third party endorsement which helps them feel confident they’re making a sound decision.  Testimonials can come in multiple formats, from text, audio to video and I love to use short video testimonials because it captures the authenticity of the client.

You can capture them with a video camera, Webcam or even a simple Flip® USB camera.  Post them on your website or on a video sharing site like YouTube. Testimonials should be used like spices… salt and pepper them throughout your website, product landing pages, use them on thank you pages, auto-responders… just don’t overdo it.

Media Exposure

Without going too far off topic, it’s important to recognize that “media exposure” can be categorized into two main types… Social Media methods and Traditional Media.  Social Proof includes both types.   When your prospects read your name in print, hear you on the radio, or see you on TV, it helps to influence top-of-mind awareness.  They come to regard you as an expert resource, and ultimately, someone they might like to do business.

Visible Buzz

If you’ve been published or featured in traditional media sources, then showcase it (tactfully) on your website.  You can do this in a number of ways. Create a news release or add the appearance to a media section or media page on your website, or by displaying the source and media logos on your website… Yes, get permission or take your chances.

Mystery Searching a.k.a., Mystery Shopping

This is a simple exercise that you can do right now. Just go to your favorite search engine, Google™, Bing™ or Yahoo™ and type in your keyword phrases to see what shows up on the Search Results Pages (SERPS).   For example, if you search for “Ford Saeks” you’ll see that it’s impossible to not be able to find out more about me than you care to know. My websites come up first, followed by Linkedin, Twitter, Youtube, Naymz and various articles and blog postings.  Yes, that’s easy because my name as a search term is unique and there isn’t much competition on that keyword phrase.

Top rankings in the search engines are only part of social proof.  Research shows that more people are now concerned more about how many followers they have on Facebook pages, comments posted to their blogs, re-tweets on Twitter, connections and recommendations on LinkedIn, and views on their uploaded videos.

So what about You?  Go back and look at your level of social proof that you have on your website, on social media websites and throughout traditional media sources and create your action plan to step up the volume.

I’d love to hear what you think about social proof; post your comments below.

I’ve been a cyclist for many years.  As a CAT 3 cyclist, I’ve logged thousands of hours, mostly from show and go training rides, where people show up at a specific location and go for a pack bike ride.

The unique thing about cycling in a pack is that the speed of the pack is always determined by the leaders.  The rest do their part in the pace line or just suck wheel, which means they stay at the back and draft, saving up to 30% of their energy.  In a race, it makes total sense to conserve your energy to sprint for the finish line. In business, however, drafting (or coasting) leads to bankruptcy.

Are you drafting or leading in your business or career?

Are you someone who looks for short-cuts and the easy way out, or are you committed to improving your personal and professional life?  Don’t get me wrong, process improvements and efficiency aren’t what I call short cuts. Those are positive improvements.  What I’m referring to is personal accountability.   There’s a saying, “The true character of a person cannot be measured by what they say, but by what they do when nobody is looking.”   How true.

As 2010 comes to an end and you plan your new year, ask yourself the tough questions related to what you want to change and what you’re willing to do to achieve those outcomes.   Are you going to be a leader and be in control of the pace or draft, expecting others to pick up the load for you?

What prompted this blog post was a conversation I had with a friend of mine, Rory Vaden.  Rory is a keynote speaker who’s brand is focused around the concept of “Taking the Stairs.”  In short, his message is about self-discipline and what it takes daily to re-commit to our dreams and goals.  It includes three main areas… Focus, Sacrifice, and Action, with a metaphor between escalator mentality vs. stair mentality.  The point is that you have to improve your self-discipline and actions if you really want to reach your goals.

Now as simply profound as that may be… society conditions us to do the exact opposite.  Fast food, instant gratification, maxing out credit, entitlement mentality, and lack of consciousness have all contributed to create the disaster facing our economy.   

As a business leader, finding and retaining great employees has been a challenge.  Especially with the generation gap between GEN X/Y and Millennials.  I don’t understand the “everyone gets a trophy” concept.  How can you create and inspire great leadership when no one is accountable?  If you have employees who are drafting, it’s time to encourage them to lead or free them up for new opportunities.

Time to get off my soap box.

I want you to think about 2010 and the progress you made or didn’t make this year.  Did you get what you wanted? Did you achieve prosperity and your dreams… or at least some of them?  If not, why?  What are you waiting for?  How much time do you think you have left on this planet?  Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to anyone so quit drafting, pull out of the pack, and become a leader for your own personal and professional success.

How do you improve your self-discipline and actions to reach your goals?  Leave your comments below.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I know I need to be using social media, but I just don’t have the time.” Or “I have Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts but I can’t manage them all.” I have a simple answer for them: Aggregate and Syndicate.

By that I mean, using one tool to manage all of your social media sites simultaneously. There are a lot of Social Media dashboards out there to help you sort through and send out messages to your fans and followers, but I use Hootsuite.

Hootsuite allows me to pull all of my streams from Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare and several other social media sites so I can keep track of everything going on in all of my networks, in one place. It also lets me send a message to any and all of them at the same time so I don’t have to log in individually to each site and post the message.

What are the benefits of using Hootsuite? You can:

• Easily check stats and track results. For example, you can see how influential you were on Twitter in the last day, week, or month. See which of your tweets were popular so you know what type or topic to send out more of and which to avoid. You can also see what influencers have mentioned you so you can continue to build relationships with them. This feature really helps you with the Test – Track – Repeat cycle in your marketing.
• Get your team involved. If you have multiple people that help you with your social media, you can give them all unique log in information so they can access the account without sharing passwords. You can also assign tasks, such as delegating a certain team member messages you want them to respond to, etc.
• Schedule your updates. Leaving town for a week? Schedule your updates to go out at certain times and dates to make sure you are maintaining your online presence while you are gone. Or, just get them scheduled so you don’t have to worry about sending out the messages, all you have to worry about is monitoring the responses.
• Easily manage multiple social media accounts. Send out messages to multiple networks at one time and keep track of mentions of your brand or key terms on any of the sites you have integrated with Hootsuite. You can also look at the live feeds from people you are following on Twitter, friends with on Facebook, etc. so you can keep up to date with everything and know when your input could be helpful.
• Use your smartphone to manage your account. Not only can you log in straight from your computer, but you can download the app for your Android, iPhone, or other smartphone and update and manage your Hootsuite from wherever you are, whenever you want to.

The amount of time you spend on your social media efforts is up to you and your schedule. No matter if you are a super user or a once a day user, Hootsuite makes it much easier to manage multiple accounts at once to make sure you are monitoring conversations about your brand, responding to customer inquiries and comments, and sending out valuable updates to your networks.

How do you manage your social media profiles? Leave a comment and let me know.

Those that earn the majority of their income from selling products and services teaching others how to be internet marketers and those that show other companies how to utilize Internet marketing to grow their business.

One helps others become Internet Marketers and the other type offers services to grow through leveraging the power of Internet marketing.  They differ widely on their experience and expertise.

If you’re looking for an Internet Marketing Speaker to help you grow your business, increase conversions, get higher rankings in the search engines and make the most of your social media efforts then I can help you.  

As an Internet Marketing Speaker, I’m hired to present at many types of corporate, association and public seminar events.

Meeting planners want someone that can help their audiences understand and benefit from using Internet marketing strategies, monetizing social media marketing, and improving their website.   They want someone who will present in an interactive, entertaining way that delivers implementable action steps for their audience members.

With over 15 years of Internet marketing experience, developing hundreds of websites and selling millions through the power of the Internet, I have the real-world business experience and can present on the main stage general session keynote or an interactive break-out session.   Check out the social proof from our testimonials.

You can learn more about me, Ford Saeks, at my professional speaker website catered to meeting planners looking for a business, internet or social media presentation from a platform professional.

Ask me, Ford Saeks, a true Internet Marketing Speaker to present at your next event.

I’m talking about the attitude that they think they are  irreplaceable,  indispensable and that they deserve to keep their job even with poor or lackluster performance.

I’m Ford Saeks and I’ve been self-employed most of my life.  That comes with it’s own pros and cons, but as any entrepreneur knows, you have to be self-motivated and surround yourself with quality, capable employees and then lead them well for success.  You also don’t go broke when you’re making a profit.

My comment about thinking or wearing a paper hat is not meant to insult those hard working fast-food employees. Every job or career is an opportunity for self-respect, to add value and earn money.   But let’s face it. People wearing paper hats don’t have to be the sharpest tool in the shed or make too many higher-level decisions because they follow systems. Systems that have been designed so they don’t have to think that much, which is why they earn minimum wage or close to it.

If you have to spoon-feed your employees and they aren’t capable of meeting the minimum standards for their position then it’s time to make a change.  Pay should be in relationship to their level of responsibility, performance and results.  Not because they are comparing themselves to other people, other companies, their past position or making excuses.

You can make excuses or results… but you cannot do both.

The economy has changed. There is double-digit unemployment and many markets have been hit hard. Every day there are news stories of company layoffs, downsizing, restructuring and bankruptcies.

Ultimately, the business leader is responsible 100% for the results or lack of results… including me, as the CEO of Prime Concepts Group.  Changes can be difficult for some to grasp, but are necessary for the success of your business.

Employees have to add specific valuable benefits at a profit, which means they have to be continual learners, polishing their skills and on a path of personal growth and improvement… unless of course, they want to make minimum wage or worse yet, settle for victim-hood and unemployment compensation.

What can you do to help them improve?  Is it You?  Are you leading, directing, and managing expectations and outcomes?  Is it that you hired wrong by matching the wrong person to the position?  Or is it that they are simply not capable of doing the requirements for the job and you’re spending an inordinate amount of time doing their work instead of the many things that you’re supposed to be doing to grow the company?

My new motto is “hire slow and fire fast”.   If not, payroll and poor performance will kill your business.

My friend, Les Brown used to tell me “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch”. Another close friend, Roxanne Emmerich, from The Emmerich Group is a master at improving workplace performance and culture. She wrote the best-selling book, “Thank God It’s Monday: How to create a workplace that you and your customers love.”  You can get it at www.ThankGoditsMonday.com or at any major book seller online or bookstore.  It’s a must read for every business owner, entrepreneur, and management staff.  Roxanne suggests that everyone in your company read it so everyone is on the same page making changes.

My advice is to read the TGIM book, review your staff’s performance and make those decisions that you know you need to make before it’s too late.

Agree? Disagree? Tell me what YOU think in the reply box below.

First, we are not providing legal advice, but want to make you aware of the PCI compliance concerns if you process credit cards.

You may be at risk of fines, legal risk, or even jail time depending on which state you operate in if you violate the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards – PCI-DSS Compliant requirements.  As a customer, you want to make sure that the businesses you give your credit card to are PCI complaint too.

Here are the PCI basics:

• Credit card companies want to stop fraud and are requiring organizations be PCI-DSS compliant.
• Merchants that accept even one credit card a year fall under PCI-DSS requirements. This includes:
  • Restaurants
  • Hotels
  • Retail Establishments
  • Every company that accepts credit cards in any way
• The requirements vary depending on several factors.
  • Even organizations that accept almost no cards must complete a 15 question questionnaire and have official documents from their processors – even if you never use a computer to process credit cards.
  • Other organizations must fill out longer questionnaires with more than 200 questions and, depending on several factors, may need to have a PCI assessor visit once a year.
  • Many organizations are also required to have internal and external vulnerability scans and penetration tests on their networks.
• PCI is not a one-time event; your compliance needs to be constantly examined and updated.
• Our IT Security Consultant, Mike Foster, The Foster Institute, Inc. wants to help you reduce your exposure to credit and debit card fraud and to comply with the PCI-DSS standards.
• The PCI requirements can be confusing to understand and Mike Foster can help you become PCI compliant and keep your network safe.  He’s great to work with and you’ll never find a nicer, more talented guy to secure your network and valuable company assets.

Prime Concepts is PCI Compliant and we don’t store credit card data digitally or physically after processing.

Read Mike Foster’s Blog Post about PCI Compliance.

I‘m not that political, I’m just a business owner that loves to help my clients.  I pay in plenty in payroll, social security and unemployment taxes.  I guess you would call me a conservative.

As an entrepreneur my entire life I don’t understand why big government wants to increase taxes on small businesses.  From my point of view, albeit limited, if government cut taxes for small businesses, they would hire more people or pay their current employees more which would mean that they would spend more and everyone would win.  Okay, back to using Social Media Marketing to help with your job search.

Those that know me will attest that I live by the credo, “Add value and make a profit”.  If you’re reading this blog then please understand that while I recognize the understanding for unemployment benefits, I also recognize that it’s killing the economy.  Just think of what it’s doing to millions of Americans by making them even more co-dependent on the Government.

Unemployment benefits are supposed to cover the gap, not be a solution to income.   There are too many stories of people that are milking the system, working for cash and collecting unemployment.  How long do you think this system will work before it’s drained dry?

I believe there are plenty of jobs and a ton of ways to create value to generate an income. I don’t believe it’s a money problem… I believe it’s a lack of creativity and ideas. If you want more money or a different or better job, then get creative and start focusing on what value you bring to the situation.

Using social media allows  you to research, connect and network with virtually anyone in a wide variety of industries.

LinkedIn: Use Linkedin to research people and companies.  It’s designed to be for professional networking. Create your professional profile, connect with more people and spread the word what type of value you can add.  You need to market yourself in today’s competitive marketplace to stand out above the competition.

FaceBook: You can use FaceBook to learn about new areas of interest, participate in group discussions and network in that community too.  There are over 400 million people on FaceBook.  It’s more than a place to post erroneous data about your self.  As a business owner, I’d caution you what you put on FaceBook and other social networking sites for that matter because it could influence  a future company’s hiring decision.  Make sure you set your privacy settings properly so that things you want private stay that way.  A good rule of thumb is don’t post anything that you don’t want shared.  Go back through your profile and make sure you’re communicating the value you bring. Then let the word out what type of position or opportunity that you’re looking for.

YouTube: (and other video content sharing websites) If you want to learn a new skill or enhance your current skills you can start with searching Youtube for video training.  There are millions of videos online on every subject imaginable, including how to prepare for an interview, so make your list of needs and get going.  The answers are just a few clicks away, but you have to take the initiative.  You should also create your very own YouTube channel and create your online video resume.  Then when you email new prospective companies you could include a link to your YouTube channel so with a video describing your talents and value that you offer to an organization.   The days of the old copy cat boring resume are coming to an end.  I’ve read hundreds of resumes and very few are prepared for today’s methods of communication.   They are lifeless, lack-less, boring, and insulting.  The closest anyone every comes to perfection is on their written resume.    Creating a video resume shows your communication style which is key for most hiring situations.  Don’t know how to create a youtube channel or create a video resume. No problem, go search for those keywords and you’ll get many solutions.

Twitter: A micro blog of 140 characters or less. This one is a bit more challenging for job searching.  This really depends on if you’ve built a following already. If not, you may want to skip Twitter, but if you have a following, then you could use twitter and other twitter aggregaters and to create, monitor, influence conversations and prospect for a new career opportunity. You can also tweet links to your YouTube videos and your video resume.  You can literally reach thousands or even millions of people with a few keystrokes.

There are many other online resources like CareerBuilder, Monster and other employment search and social media websites that can help you look for that new job.  It’s a digital age and the old style way of circling help wanted ads and mailing resumes is a tough way to make things happen for you.

Have a great suggestion how to get people off of Unemployment? Agree or disagree with this blog post:  Enter your comments below.

Common Sense… Is it really all that “common?”

Common Sense is such a debatable topic. Some people say you’re either born with it or not.  Others, like me, believe that it can be developed.

What do you think?  How would you rate your level of common sense? What would your friends and colleagues say?

You might be surprised by their answers, but I’m sure you would agree that many people make things way more complicated than they need to be—both in business and their personal lives.  I want to help you add more value, increase your revenues and grow your business.  In a new book I’ll be launching in 90 days, I’m going to reveal how you can develop your super power of common sense.

In this book,  we’ll explore how to see the blinding flashes of the obvious to create amazing results.  Want more website traffic and improved conversions?  Imagine creating a steady stream of leads that convert into customers that rave about your products and services.  Regardless of the current level of success in your department, company or organization developing the common sense insights of you and your team will transform your business.

Super Power Impact

As the headline reads… Common Sense is a super power that can unlock the hidden profits in your business.  Really. A super power?  Well, yes.  Because when you develop, implement and refine your strategies, tactics and insights related to how to market and sell your solutions you create amazing results. You start to see things that others don’t see. You are able to identify new opportunities, new products or channels of distribution.

With over 25 years of helping people find, attract and keep their customers through innovative marketing and sales campaigns, I’ve been privileged to participate in hundreds of new product launches, market expansion plans, branding sessions, and master mind meetings for a wide variety of products and industries. Using the common sense approach that I’m going to reveal in my new book,  I’ve produced millions of dollars of increased business for myself and my clients.

By the very nature of my experience people say that they love my insights, ideas and ability to be innovative.   While I’m flattered… it’s not about me. It’s about helping them communicate the value of their solutions in such a way as to produce better results.

What do you think of the title for my new book…

Common Sense is a Super Power: Unleashing the Hidden Potential in Your Business to Increase Sales and Profits.

What are your thoughts and opinions about Common Sense? Post them below.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Ford Sakes.

Really though, my name is Saeks… not SAKES, but Google, Bing and Yahoo aren’t  smart enough to figure that out yet.

Ford Sakes spells his name Saeks

I’m writing this blog post to help the search engines and new prospects find me, Ford Sakes on the Internet. You see, since I preach that “keywords drive traffic” then unless I create a blog posting with the proper keyword density for “Ford Sakes” then I won’t be found in the rankings.

My name, while spelled F O R D   S A E K S, is commonly search for as FORD SAKES.

Other common mistakes in my name are:

• Fred Sakes — Common… is having a name like Ford that odd?
• Ford Sacks — glad I didn’t have grow up with that name
• Fred Sacks — doesn’t sound that good to me.
• Ford Saekes — perfect for those that are dyslexic and paid by the letter.
• Ford Steaks — Right, like that will work.
• and my favorite… Fred Sucks.  Really?  Who typed that into a database and thought that was correct?  At least Ford Sakes makes more sense since that’s how my hame is pronounced… Sakes… as in “For Heaven’s Sakes”

This is really just about my last name… because people search for it as Sakes.  I’ve heard all of the funny acronyms for my first name. Imagine what it was like growing up with a first name like Ford.  Sakes is the easy part.

And I even have my name “Ford Saeks” trademarked to prevent other people from stuffing their keyword descriptions with my name to generate traffic.  Seriously, I did. Hey, I’m a great Internet Marketer, but hardly a celebrity.

Who is Ford Sakes?

I’m a business growth expert, Internet Marketer and CEO of Prime Concepts Group.

Why Care About Ford Sakes

If you’re looking for Ford Sakes, you’ve found me. Well you’ve found Ford Saeks… same guy that can help you improve your Internet Marketing, Website Designs and Grow your business.

You can learn more about Ford Sakes by visiting the about us page on this website. Let’s see how long it takes to get this page indexed in the search engines under Sakes, so that I don’t lose prospects who know the sound of my name, but not the correct spelling of Saeks.

The Three things that can get in your way and block your creativity are:

• Your Perceptions
• Your Emotions
• Your Culture & Environment

Perceptions. – What things MEAN to you?

Like…. Stereotypes. Or having a Limited Vision Or being set in your ways with Habits that might keep you stuck in old patterns. What about your perception of Tradition VS. Change? Are traditions keeping you stuck?

Or your Emotions - How do you FEEL?

Does it bother you to look like a fool? Do you fear taking risks? Are you afraid make a mistake or fail? Real problem solving and idea creation is messy.

When you change your thoughts and change your actions and you’ll get better results.

Cultural & Environmental Blocks might be…. Other People’s Opinions… Lack of cooperation and trust among colleagues or co-workers. And then there’s Distractions – phone calls, and easy intrusions. All of these things can block your creativity…

Have you ever had a big idea that you didn’t take action on… Maybe it was your Perceptions or emotions that got in your way… Well, it almost happened to me…

In 1986, I invented a product line that was used to store bicycles inside your home or apartment… Maybe you’ve seen them in the Sky Mall Magazines on airplanes, in Sharper Image, sporting goods stores or other specialty catalogs…. The main line was hand-crafted from solid Oak and was a tension-mount system that went from Floor-to-Ceiling, to hold 2 bikes in a limited space, protecting your bikes and your home.

In the beginning, I tried several different ways to get the product to market. It was a tough first year and I thought about quitting many times. I can assure you that my own perceptions, emotions and my environment got in the way more than just a few times… but through creativity and innovation, and using the mindset tools we’re going to be exploring today, I was able to sell over 28 million dollars worth of product in just a few short years…

I’ve used these same tools, again and again to help clients differentiate themselves in a competitive market; to launch innovative publicity campaigns; to build websites and online marketing strategies that created virtual money-machines; to design new advertising concepts, and improve many other areas of their businesses, even beyond the marketing department. These are proven tools that YOU can start to apply immediately…

Think about your business… Products… or Services… Are you truly doing everything you can to find, attract and keep your customers?

Are you allowing self-imposed limitations to hold you back? It’s time to breakthrough those limitations, use your resources, and expand your creativity. You deserve it!

Wow, Might seem like a lot to think about, but actually, it’s all about your B.S…

Your Belief System can either get your way or launch you to success.

I’ve used the tools I’m about to share with you to help organizations in many different industries around the globe achieve amazing improvements in their marketing results and you can use them too.

You may be familiar with some of these techniques, but I’m sure you’ll have a new appreciation for them as they apply to your marketing strategies!

Have you ever heard of Idea-mapping or Mind-Mapping? It’s one of my favorite creativity tools! Idea Mapping is a simple technique you can use to capture and organize your thoughts and Ideas visually on one page.

Idea Maps are especially helpful for Brainstorming to help you think up new and creative ideas more quickly and easily. Here’s how you get started…

Take out a blank piece of paper with out lines. You want it without the lines because the lines can restrict the natural flow of your thoughts. Turn the paper landscape… with the long side of the paper at the top.

Next, in the center of the page, draw an image or print the words that represent your main theme, concept or topic that you want to brainstorm. For example, you might start with “ideas for New products” or “How to sell product X”…

State it in the form of a question… who, how, what, why?… you decide. Allow plenty of white space for the rest of the map. I like to have a few colored pens available too because color stimulates the brain and helps captures attention.

At first, your Idea maps might be pretty simple branches with lines and a few words and that’s okay… As you practice, you’ll become more creative and you’ll find this to be a fast way to capture and generate new ideas. This will also help you create new connections between ideas and concepts.

A picture really is worth a 1000 words! It stimulates the brain to think up new associations, it focuses the thoughts and it results in much better recall of the content at a later date. So draw pictures to represent your ideas. They can be simple stick figures, sketches, symbols…what ever makes sense to you. The brain works by association so by connecting the main branches to the central topic, the brain links those elements together.

The main branch words and images stimulate other thoughts and associations. They allow the random flow of your thoughts as you add other levels of thought. So make the central lines from the center thicker, curved and organic (like the branch of a tree attached to the trunk) to help organize your sub-themes.

Start to add a second level of thought. These words and/or images are linked to the main branch that triggered them. Add more branches and levels of thought as ideas come to you. Feel free to jump from branch to branch as the mood strikes you.

Remember, You can use:

• Pictures
• Line drawings
• Patterns
• Symbols
• Shapes, boxes, circles
• Colors, etc…

I encourage you to use this new tool. Use it in meetings, sales presentations, and of course when you are planning your marketing strategies. While I started out drawing most of my idea-maps, now I also us mind-mapping software called “MindManager from www.mindjet.com. There are several others too, but don’t think that you need to get software… Start right away using paper and pen to open your mind and expand your creativity. I’m sure that you’ll quickly see how using idea mapping can help you and your team!

I’ve explained how Idea mapping can work for brainstorming… and I’m sure that most of you are already familiar with the concept of brainstorming…but just to make sure, here is a quick review of the rules for GROUP BRAINSTORMING:

• Set a time frame… generally the shorter the better… like 15 to 30 minutes max!
• The Goal is to collect as many ideas as possible from all participants with no criticisms or judgments made while ideas are being generated.
• All ideas are welcome no matter how silly or far out they seem. Be creative. The more ideas the better because at this point you don’t know what might work.
• Absolutely no discussions during the brainstorming session. Talking about the ideas will take place after brainstorming session is complete.
• Do not criticize or judge the other people’s ideas. Seriously….Don’t even groan, frown, or laugh. If you do… you’ll hamper the creative process.
• Write all ideas on a flipchart or white board so the whole group can easily see them.

Here’s a great tip! If you’re in an organization that’s had trouble with brainstorming, either because of certain people, egos or office politics, or have trouble in getting a large list of ideas, then I suggest you send out a memo before the meeting with the main brainstorming topic or question?

Ask them to print their ideas on paper as a requirement to the meeting, or you can use post-it notes during the session, so people can participate anonymously.

Let’s talk about making your final selections.

• When all the ideas have been recorded–combine ideas as much as possible,
• Next, Vote to select the best 3 to 5 ideas.

Let’s review what we’ve covered so far…

That it’s your mindset that determines the actions you’ll take.

Without action… you can’t improve your results. Why improving your creativity helps your mindset as well as your business. We discussed removing the mental blocks that get in your way… like certain perceptions, emotions and your environment. And then how to use “idea-mapping” and brainstorming basics to stimulate your mind!

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Think about your role in the marketing process?

Are you an Executive, Marketing Director, Entrepreneur, business owner, or sales person? … Regardless, “The Profit Rich Marketing Show” will help you increase your sales and profits!

Here are some Keys get you on track.

Check your (BS). Belief System. Is your BS supporting you or getting in your way?

What about your Self-Talk… That constant voice in your head… Is it mostly optimistic or pessimistic?

You’ll also want to Overcome F.U.D.(Fear, uncertainty and doubt-that can keep you stuck-in-a-rut of inaction or analysis paralysis.

My mindset as a marketer started at age 15 when I started my first business. It was a painting company and you can imagine the challenges I faced, especially since I was earning minimum wage, living on my own in the “projects-paying $17 a month for government housing.

I still remember my first customer lead. A prospect called asking for a quote to paint the interior of their home…I was so excited… whoo hoo!

One little problem. I didn’t even own a paint brush!

So I went to the local paint store and asked for help from the manager. I said “if you help me, I’ll buy all my paint and supplies from you forever.” At first, he was reluctant and didn’t take me seriously. I suppose I wasn’t the model businessman. Age 15… long hair… army jacket. He went over to the shelf and opened a can of paint, dipped a new brush and then started spackling me with paint.. He said, “If you want to be a painter-you’ll have to look like one!” He gave me a clipboard, calculator and instructions. I was set…or at least I thought I was…

I drove to the prospect’s house, walked up to the door and was about to knock… when that little voice in my head said, “Hey, what are you doing? You don’t have the skills, experience… You aren’t old enough, Smart enough…”

That self-talk wasn’t helping much. Then my other voice kicked in! “What have you got to lose? Go for it !” So I knocked on the door.

A man answered and we went through his house room by room, with him telling me what he wanted. “Oil based here. Semi-gloss there, Fix the cracks in the ceilings, Glaze the windows…”

My mind was racing… “Oh my god, What am I doing now”-but I just wrote it all down. I told the man I’d have to go back to my office to prepare the quote and that I’d be back in 30 minutes. My Office… Right.. J

I returned to the paint store and the manager helped me prepare the quote. Back to the prospects house I went. Walked up to the door again and just as I was ready to knock… that little voice said, “just go home… forget about it…” F. U. D!

Something possessed my hand, and I knocked! The door opened and this time the man’s wife was home too. Great!

She took one look at me and stepped behind right her husband.

I handed him the quote and said…, “The total for the painting job is $1,025. I need 50% up front… and 50% on completion”

There was the longest pause in my life. He took a look at me, took a look at the quote, and said, “Do you have any experience?” Being a street-smart kid, I replied “Here’s how we work… if you’re not 100% satisfied with the work we perform, then you don’t have pay!”

The wife said, “Honey… Write the boy the check!… And he did!”

I got to my car and sat there staring at this check for $525. That was more than I earned in a month… and I’d done it in about an hour. I thought, This is so cool! I’ve got to learn more about marketing and making money! By the end of the first year, I was making $35,000 with three crews with an average age 40 years old. This was 1976 – That was a lot of money for a teenager!

The main point is that it’s not your circumstances, experience, marketplace, competition, or products that determine you’re overall marketing success…. It’s your mindset!

This brings us to the next point…

There’s really no such thing as Money Problems… only a lack of ideas. If you want to increase your profits, then increase your creativity to generate more money-making ideas. Subscribe to the RSS feed to be automatically notified for Part 2.

I was at my desk when my new assistant brought me a stack of the day’s mail. She said, Don’t you want me sort this out for you so you don’t have to waste your time with the junk mail? I said, no thanks… I’ll like to look through it all. Why you may wonder? Because I know that new marketing ideas are found everywhere… especially in direct mail pieces. Sure, I sort my mail over the waste basket like everyone else. One stack for keepers and one for the trash, except my sorting process is a bit different. I keep the regular business correspondence & interesting mail pieces. I pay attention to the design and marketing messages of the mail pieces that catch my eye.

To me it’s not Junk Mail… It’s Idea Mail.

I like to study them for ideas. Ideas I can model to find new concepts that can be adapted to projects I might be working on. Key word– adapted–not copied. I look for interesting headlines, teaser copy, and creative designs. Companies spend millions on direct mail because it works… While a vast majority of it may end up in the trash, it’s your job to make sure that if you’re going to use direct mail, you do it effectively… otherwise you’re just killing trees and filling up landfills… and worse…wasting a lot of money.

I’ve worked with several clients and students of my marketing boot-camps that say direct mail doesn’t work. It certainly does work, but you need to follow the rules that we’re going to explore today. I use direct mail in conjunction with a multitude of other marketing methods to generate leads and sales. Recent statistics show that even with increases in postage and paper costs, marketers are continuing to spend over 70 billion, that’s billion with a B, on direct mail.

This blog posting is about making your direct mail efforts profitable.

First, a few clarifications are in order. The terms, direct marketing, direct-response and direct mail are easily confused by many people… even experienced marketers. So, to clarify, direct marketing typically refers to marketing efforts directed at the end-user when a retailer or distributor is in the middle. Direct-response advertising is any advertising method (print, broadcast or direct mail packages) that invites the recipient to contact you directly. with a specific call-to-action. Direct mail uses the mail service to deliver your sales piece directly to the mailbox of your prospect. I specialize in direct-response marketing because it allows me to solicit direct responses, hence the name, which is specific and measurable. By measuring the results, I can tweak the process until it’s profitable… thus creating a virtual lead-generating cash machine.

By the end of this show, you’ll never look at direct mail quite the same way again. You’ll be armed with the secrets of successful mailings that you can use to grow your profits. My goal is to help you increase your response rates, lower your cost per qualified lead and make you more money. If you’re using direct mail, do you know your response rates? Do you know how much you’re spending to generate a lead from the number of pieces that you’re mailing? Without measuring the costs, responses and profitability of the mailings you cannot insure your success.

Oh, one more quick clarification. Direct Mail is really categorized in two types. Internet-direct Mail (sent via EMAIL) and Traditional Direct Mail sent through the post office or shipping company.

Today, our focus is on traditional direct mail, but many of the strategies apply to both methods. Direct mail offers unique advantages over other media. You can selectively target a list of customers within your market. It can be personalized to your prospects allowing you to provide detailed information required to motivate them to take action. It can help you build a database with valuable information to help your sales efforts. It’s flexible because you can send small or large amount of marketing messages in a variety of printed formats, including letters, postcards and brochures. And as I’ve mentioned it’s measurable allowing you to quantify the results.

Think about your goals for direct mail… You may want to drive traffic into a retail store… Or generate traffic to a web site. Maybe you want to build your database, improve customer service or build relationships through special offers? Certainly you have products or services that can benefit from power of direct mail.

Subscribe to the RSS feed to be automatically notified for Part 2 on Free Publiciy.

Oh, and follow me on twitter.com at www.Twitter.com/Prime_Concepts

Are you surprised to know that many businesses operate their marketing efforts similar to this scenario?

They send out a few postcard campaigns and direct mailings, invest in a website, make a few signs and counter displays-oh yeah-and don’t forget about the pretty brochures with a picture of their building, their logo and tons of content with no action steps.

I’m not trying to sound cynical, but I hate to see good money being tossed down the drain because there isn’t even a basic marketing plan in place. Or maybe there’s a plan, but it’s being implemented without, testing, tracking or benchmarks for improvement.

When Was The Last Time You Reviewed Your Plan? I’m sure it’s a part of your regular operations, right? Generally speaking, developing a marketing plan is undertaken as part of the yearly planning process. It should also be used when you want to introduce new products & services; enter new markets; opening a new location, or when you’re using new strategy to fix an existing problem.

Use this outline to ensure success at your next planning meeting. It’s a Five Step Marketing Plan.

Step 1: Purpose & Mission (“Where do you want to go?”)

Create a summary of your market position & goals. Write out a clear statement of the purpose of your business, your chief product or service along with the problems that you help solve that other people will pay to make go away?

If I asked your employees what your company mission is, what would they say? It might be a good action step for you to take? You may be surprised with the answers you get.

I’m not talking about some 150 word mission statement that’s on a plaque in your office. I am taking about a clear vision and focus that can be explained and repeated easily. The shorter the better.

Step 2: Situational Analysis (“Where are you now? What’s working and what needs to be improved?”) Here’s are the major parts of step 2:

Do Your Research to gain a competitive edge.

Product Analysis – What stage in the product life cycle are your products? New, Growing, Mature, Declining?

Target Market Analysis – Profile your customers using Demographics – Statistics; and Psychographics – Behaviors.

Customer Analysis – Find out how customers react to your quality & price; service & delivery; image & brand-everything that influences their purchasing decision. To discover what they think just ask them. Make personal calls or send surveys via e-mail or postcards.

Distribution Analysis – What are your channels of distribution? Retail, Wholesale, Internet direct, Distributors, Sales Rep network, Mass Merchants?

Competitor Analysis – There are direct and indirect competitors. Direct is an actual competitor that offers the same solution. An Indirect competitor is something that competes for your same dollars. For example, if you sell copiers an indirect competitor might be new office furniture.

SWOT Analysis – Of course, Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

Industry Analysis – How to you rate against others in your industry? Above or below average?

External Environment and Trends – Consider Market Factors, Political factors, Legal Factors, Economic Factors, Technological Factors? Social and Cultural Factors?

Financial Analysis – Are you making a profit? What are your primary financial ratios telling you? Can you identify any trends?

Let’s review what we’ve covered so far: Use the 4-Question System to measure performance of your promotions. And we’re in the middle of the 5-step Marketing Plan, Step one: Purpose & Mission. Step two was your Situation Analysis.

Post your comments or questions below. Thanks!

In today’s competitive marketplace-it’s critical that you make the most of your marketing efforts. A great way to accomplish this is with a solid marketing plan, combined with a marketing calendar. It sounds like common sense, but some things that are simple aren’t always easy-however, they can be with the right strategy.

If you’re like most of the businesses we work with you want to grow your business? Maybe you want to introduce a new product or service? Or differentiate yourself from the competition… or maybe you just want to sell more to your current and new customers…

Well, you’re watching the right show. Grab your note pad and pen and let’s get started!

I’ve used a four-step system to measure performance & generate millions of dollars sales. It starts with a basic understanding of these four questions.

Second question: 2. How many of these prospects get converted into customers?

The third question is: 3. “What’s the up-front profit on the first sale?

And the forth question is 4. “What’s the long-term value of the customer/client?”

Can you answer those questions about your business? Take them into consideration as you implement new marketing strategies.

To apply this system, select a specific promotion and then track your results!

For example, if you send a postcard mailing to 2,500 prospects and the mailing cost is $ .65 each, then the answer to question #1 is $1,625 dollars. That’s (2,500 x .65).

If you get 50 new customers from the mailing, then you know how many leads were converted and have the answer to question #2. Take the 50 Customers divided by the 2500 prospects and you get a conversion rate of 2% percent. That’s (50 / 2500 = .02 or 2%)

If you earn $100 on the first transaction-you raised $5,000, that’s (50 customers x 100 each=5,000) and you have the answer to question #3. This also let’s you calculate gross profit on that mailing. Take the $5,000 revenue MINUS the expense of $1,625 and that leaves you with a profit of $ 3,375 dollars.

Next, consider the long-term value of gaining a new 50 customers. Question #4 is the most important question. Sometimes you may lose money or just break-even on the actual promotion, but in the long-run with referrals and repeat sales, you can be very profitable.

Sure there are other considerations too, like the overlap of other promotions, different time frames and the synergistic effect of your other marketing efforts. Don’t let the math scare you. The point is to make sure that your marketing efforts are producing profitable results.

“No one plans to fail… but many fail to plan” Face it. Having a marketing plan saves you money, saves you time, keeps you focused, and says that you’re serious about your business. “Planning without action is futile… Action without planning is FATAL”

Is your business acting without a marketing plan? Do you feel overwhelmed, over-worked, or frustrated trying to get it all done? Well, a marketing plan won’t solve ALL of your problems, but it will help your organization increase the chances of success.

A marketing plan is a road map detailing the route you’ll take to get your business noticed by potential clients. By following a properly crafted plan, you’ll know what to do and why you re doing it, while avoiding some of the mistakes that can cost you money and future growth.

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I just watched this Wireless Hacking Demonstration by IT Security Consultant, Mike Foster as he shows how easily your personal data and wireless traffic can be stolen even with a firewall, virus protection and spyware installed.

Watch the two videos now…  The second video is the Mike’s demo showing the Laptop wireless hacking demo. You don’t need to be technical to understand how scary this is if you are traveling… and it can even happen at your business. His new book “The Secure CEO explains how to protect your computer and network in plain english. Get it today and get secure! You’ve been warned… so don’t call me when you lose your vital computer data.

How Safe Is Your Computer Data from Internet Hackers? Watch The Demo Below:

“The Secure CEO: How to Protect Your Computer Systems, Your Company, and Your Job” Packs Plain-English Security Solutions for Executives

Viruses… hackers… malware… identity theft… security breaches… it’s enough to make any CEO’s head spin. In order to remain competitive and profitable these days, it’s absolutely imperative that you—and your organization—take control of your IT issues before they take control of you!

In his new book “The Secure CEO,” Vital Systems Security Review Specialist Mike Foster combines his considerable Internet technology experience with his innate understanding of the latest business and security technologies. The result is “The Secure CEO,” the definitive IT handbook for CEOs and key executives. And best of all, it’s written in easy-to-follow “plain English” that readers can understand, regardless of their technological background.

Foster’s premise is that although CEOs may ‘think’ their networks and company information are safe from prying eyes, more often than not they are not. In his book Foster asks critical questions key executives need to consider, such as:

• Are you sure your network isn’t running illegal programs that have been remotely installed by criminals in other countries without your knowledge?
• Is your IT team so under-trained or over-whelmed that daily “fires” keep them from performing critical security tasks?
• Are unclear communication and negative personality types adversely affecting your IT department?

“The Secure CEO” gives you the bottom line answers you need to effectively analyze your current use of Internet technology. Readers will uncover strategies to minimize IT security breaches, tactics for keeping their companies safer, and proven “best practices” to implement to help keep systems secure in the future.

http://www.keepmynetworksafe.com/secure-ceo.html