In order to be successful in any business, you must first have a high-quality product or service. But how do you define quality?

It’s simply the degree to which you meet customer needs, and the dollar-for-dollar value that you deliver. But the problem with “quality” is that only your customer can set the criteria that define it. As a marketer, you have very little say in the matter.

The customer will say “I want a faster, lighter widget,” and all of your competitors will begin announcing that they’ve discovered the “Fastest, Lightest Widget On The Market.”

Announcing the quality of your product is really no way to market your offering. It just sets you up as another commodity provider. The quality of your offering should just be assumed.

Your customer already has an expectation of what they want from you. And if you don’t meet that expectation, you won’t succeed. So don’t even bother talking about it.

So if I don’t sell based on quality, what do I promote?

When people buy things, they usually do so with double-intentions.

First, they have an irrational, emotional need that they want to fill. And once they’ve spent their money, they justify their actions with rational quality-based arguments.

This is the essence of consumerism in a nutshell.

• Make-up companies know that young women are insecure about their looks, so they use anorexic models and digitally altered photographs to set up a standard of beauty which is impossible to attain. And then, they link their product to it.
• In their advertising, Apple portrays their customers as creative, artistic trend-setters. And the people who buy their product want to align themselves with that lifestyle. Almost as if a computer could make them seem more interesting to others.
• One of my clients is a <a href= “http://ontariocleaning.com”>cleaning company in Toronto</a>. They understand that corporate customers are secretly terrified of having their cleaning person steal from the office. So their interactions are heavily focused on reinforcing trust, security and reputability.
• Record labels know that poor urban youth crave money, cars, jewellery and women, so they portray rap artists as the sort of people who consistently have easy access to those things (although it’s almost never true).
• Beer companies know that men want to be desired by women. So beer commercials usually take place at cool parties where the drinkers are seen having lots of fun, surrounded by beautiful women.
• Fashion and jewellery designers know that rich people crave exclusivity and “authenticity” (whatever that means).  So they make their products very expensive and difficult to buy. That’s why some of the best luxury products require you to sit on a waiting list for months, or even years.

How can you associate a fantasy with your brand? What sort of emotions are your customers looking to feel when they hire you or buy from you?

• Love
• Acceptance
• Danger
• Lost
• Belonging
• Hope
• Safety
• Power
• Protection

For example: Let’s assume that you’re selling a time management application, and most of you buyers are career-oriented males between 20 and 30 years old. These people clearly want to be more productive at work so that they can get noticed by the boss and promoted at work.

It’s not about saving time. It’s about social status.

How could you use your advertising to build a fantasy around this?

Figure out what your customers want to feel, and then see how you can associate your brand with that image as a means of differentiating yourself. If you can plant a “gut feeling” in your client, it sets you apart in a very positive way and allows you to charge a higher price.

About The Author:

Paul Rudo is an independent marketing consultant and blogger. He’s currently working with http://ontariocleaning.com to help with their online marketing efforts.  He can be contacted at rudoconsulting@gmail.com.

1. There is no free money. No matter what late night infomercial tells you, business grants, when they exist, usually are very specific to outcomes, such as job creation or industry-specific innovations. However, there are financial opportunities for small business with significant loan programs or venture financing.
2. Just because Uncle Lou will buy your product, it doesn’t mean everyone will. Neither does it mean that people won’t., but asking family and friends does not provide the marketing analysis your business plan needs. You must do impartial research to get the true marketing potential of your business. Historic data, primary research and professional consultants are available and can help in this process.
3. You will not go fishing on the weekends. Starting a business takes time … a lot of time.  New business owners eat, sleep and breathe their business. On average, new entrepreneurs spend more than 10 hours a day at work.  So while you may not go fishing or hit the links or catch the games as you used to, your schedule will eventually even out.
4. You must like working with people. Your business will not succeed in a vacuum.  Even if you are a home-based business, your success will be partially based on how well you work with others. Vendors, suppliers, customers, partners and many others groups will be in constant contact with you as you go about your daily business. Make sure you have the necessary people skills.
5. Change is the only constant. Business is in a constant state of flux.  You must stay on top of the trends in your industry as well as changes in daily operations.  Being an active participant in your trade association ensures you stay on top of what is new in your industry.  Trade associations also are a good source of data on customer profiles, marketing techniques and benchmarks.
6. Planning is essential. The old adage about those who fail to plan, plan to fail is more true in business than anywhere else.  Your business plan keeps you focused on your goals while providing you with the foresight to weather challenges.  There are many resources out there to help you plan, including business plan classes and technical assistance. 
7. You can’t do it all. It’s your business, but why make it harder than it has to be?  Put your own board of advisors together to work with you. Make sure that you include an accountant and an attorney.  Their advice will be invaluable to you as your business grows.  Depending on your own strengths, you may also want to include a marketing expert or business consultant.  Having a group of trusted allies helps you keep your courage up and builds your confidence.  It’s good to have someone in your corner.
8. You may not make any money the first year. Even though you may sell your product and do well, sales may fall short of expectations and costs may be higher.  Financial forecasting is an essential part of your plan.  Make sure that you develop your cash flow projections, your income statement and your budget.  Then, make sure you understand what these statements are telling you.  If you are prepared financially for the first few years when money is tighter, your business won’t succumb to cash flow or other financial problems.
9. You should prepare for the end. It’s hard to think about the finish line when you are just starting the race.  But thinking about the long-term goals will help you correctly set up your business now.  Will you want to sell your business as part of your retirement plan?  Will it be passed on to the next generation?  Knowing where you want to end up is a key part of getting started, so keep the future in mind.
10. It will be the best thing you ever do. Entrepreneurs start their business because they have a passion, a dream.  If you ask them, entrepreneurs can’t imagine doing anything else.  Whether someone is just starting out or they have been in business for 30 years, the satisfaction of putting it all together never goes away.  The resources and help to get started are out there.

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About Christina Trombley
MBA, Director, UWGB Small Business Development Center

Christina holds a Masters of Business Administration from UW-La Crosse and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from UW-Eau Claire. As the Director of the Small Business Development Center at UW-Green Bay, she provides dynamic and visionary leadership for the SBDC and as part of an eight-partner Business Assistance Center.  She has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, guiding them in starting their business, bank financing, management issues and more.  She has over fifteen years of experience in marketing, public relations, advertising and sales in several industries, including healthcare, food service, and non-profits organizations, developing marketing plans, creating advertising and promotional plans, and coordinating special events.

Christina has won several notable recognitions, including receiving the “State Star” Award for Wisconsin from the Association of Small Business Development Center, the La Crosse YWCA Tribute to Outstanding Women, and the recognition of a “Top 20 Business Leader under Forty” by the River Valley Business News.  Prior to joining the SBDC at UW-Green Bay, she worked for the SBDC in La Crosse, WI.

Contact:  Christina Trombley
(920) 496-2117
tromblec@uwgb.edu

Why do I say that?

Because Brian displayed an incredible amount of integrity through one action that I will never forget.

His hero was Cal Ripken, Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles who was recently inducted to the baseball Hall of Fame. Known as ‘The Iron Man,’ Ripken played in 2,632 games before retiring after 16 seasons in the major leagues. On September 6, 1995, Cal broke a 56-year old record established by Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees when the Orioles third baseman played in his 2,131st consecutive game, against the California Angels.

Although Summers absolutely idolized Ripken and had a ticket to the ballgame, he chose instead to coach his son in a Little League game in Urbandale, Iowa! Brian had promised his team that if they advanced in a tournament he would be there to coach them.

The team advanced and Brian Summers kept his word. There is not a sports fan in the country who would have held it against him had he asked one of the other coaches to fill in for him that night, but it was not in the man’s makeup to break a promise to his son.

A promise was made and a promise was kept.

I don’t know who your hero is. What celebrity you have admired for years. What activity you have dreamed of attending.

I do know that many of us would be hard pressed to pass up an opportunity of a lifetime. On September 6, 1995, my neighbor did just that and I will forever hold him in high esteem for his action.

It is a lesson that every entrepreneur should take to heart. There are times when it is tempting to take a shortcut or an "everybody’s doing it" attitude about a questionable situation or deal. My hope is that—if tempted—you would take the high road and do the right thing. Keep a promise even when there is a high price to do so.

I admire Ripken for what he accomplished. But truthfully, there’s a part of me that admires Brian Summers even more.

Bill Sheridan—"Sheridan Writes"

There is a subculture that binds every person and every business together and that subculture is called humor. It lightens our day, our load, our thoughts and even our actions. Humor is an amazing thing yet so many times we mis-use or abuse it. Humor, correct and fun, must be embraced in our own personal lives as well as in our business lives.

In the office, humor usually begins downstream and may or may not work its way upstream. What I see to be true in today’s workforce is that there is a lack of humor, good, clean humor to give people a good belly laugh. Nothing relieves stress and creates healing as humor does!

In order for it to begin, leaders must bring humor back to the workplace. So humor must begin from the leader! Does it have to be the CEO, owner, supervisor or President? No, not necessarily. Just because you have a title that recognizes you as a leader doesn’t mean that you are a leader. There are a lot of leaders out there today with no title. So, if you are a leader, make certain that humor is alive and well in the workplace. It will change your life for the better and it will change the lives of people around you and they will know it began with the leader.

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About Linda Talley
Linda Talley, a change and growth expert and business coach, is the recognized authority on how to use words and language to create the results you want in your business and personal life. Author of The Daily Win, Business Finesse: Dealing With Sticky Situations in the Workplace for Managers and Business Finesse: How to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time, Linda is a creative thinker in the areas of customer service, culture change, team relationships and communication.

Contact:  Linda Talley
713.668.9659
linda@lindatalley.com

His real name was Norm McMullen and I understand that he died a few years ago in his late-fifties. I don’t know any of the details but have to believe that he left this world kicking and screaming.

Norm was the first real dare-devil that I knew on a personal basis. He seemed to know no fear. If there was a challenge, he would accept it. Once, when we were playing "cowboys and Indians," he fell off a parked railroad car and broke his collar bone.

It was a different time back in the 1950′s when my friends and I would swim in Crane Creek meandering through my little hometown of Lawler, Iowa. There was a railroad bridge over the creek that seemed very high to all of us. Only the bravest of the brave would dare plunge into the depths below. In reality, my guess now is that it was only ten feet or so from the water. At the time, however, we viewed it as an enormous feat tackled only by the bravest of the brave. Norm jumped off the bridge only when all eyes were on him—with reckless abandon and great flourish shouting, "Here I come! Tarzan–King of the Jungle!"

There followed a huge cannon ball splash as he savored our admiration for his courage each of the dozens of time we saw it that glorious summer. One day, however, there was a startling modification to his ritual. Waiting until he was the center of attention, Norm stood at the edge yelling at the top of his lungs, "Here I come. Tarzan…king of the…" Down he went into the murky waters of Crane Creek only to quickly emerge with the final words of his proclamation, "…eeeeek. Bloodsuckers!"

Sure enough, our hero was covered with tiny black leeches that drove the rest of us to the sandy banks of the creek in shear terror.

That day a new moniker was born: "Stormin’ Norman–King of the Bloodsuckers."

Why do I relate that tale?

Because Norm had a sense of adventure and courage that would be good for all entrepreneurs to emulate. He wasn’t the type of guy who would wear a belt and suspenders at the same time. He wouldn’t take a map to go on a trip. I’ll bet he bungee-jumped when he was forty.

I admire someone who is willing to take risks and hope for the best knowing full-well that the proverbial dive into the water has its elements of danger but does it anyway because the reward outweighs the risk. It is something that the small-business owner does every day the shop is open.

Hat’s off to you, Stormin’ Norman. May the rest of us follow your lead in some small way?

Bill Sheridan—"Sheridan Writes"

When a group of us heads out to a sporting event or shopping mall, I will be the first to ask, "When and where are we going to meet in case one of us wanders off?" or "Does everyone have a cell phone with them and is it on?"

My friends razz me about being a ‘Nervous Nellie’ but it gives me a comforting feeling to have a back-up plan.

This was never more useful to me than when I was in charge of a national meeting with five hundred plus attendees. Our main speaker was a marvelous young man who had overcome a drug and alcohol habit to become a model citizen and community leader in the city where he lived. With help, he had transformed his life to become a millionaire businessman and now spent much of his time making motivational speeches to encourage others to follow his path.

I was excited to see him perform in person after watching the video that his agent had prepared. He was dynamic, funny and had a wonderful story to share with our audience of insurance agents.

But the event didn’t happen.

He was first scheduled to speak to a small group of high performers at an early morning breakfast followed shortly by the main speech in the grand ballroom. However, at 10:30 p.m. the night before I received a disturbing call from our meeting planner. The speaker–to my chagrin–had fallen off the wagon and arrived at the hotel loaded with drugs and booze in a totally disoriented state.

My boss and I talked it over and made the decision to get him back on a plane (fortunately non-stop) early in the morning to his hometown and called his wife to meet him at the airport. Although we felt sad for the choices he had made, our immediate concern was how, in an incredibly short time, to fill in his space on the main platform.

We quickly searched our data base for presenters who had taught break-out classes the previous two days to see if any were still in the hotel. Fortunately, several were. Because I had taken the time to see each one in action, I knew who would be my favorite.

I called her room at 7 a.m. to explain our dilemma and asked, "By any chance do you have a material on another subject than the one you presented in your breakout sessions yesterday?"

"Absolutely," she replied. "As a matter of fact, it’s about always being prepared for the next opportunity."

"By any miracle–would you have a PowerPoint to go with it?"

"Oh yes. I always come to these meetings with more than I need."

"We’ll pay you what we were going to pay him if that works for you."

"That’s just fine," she said. "Give me a little time to fix myself up and I’ll get my material down to your A-V guys."

Bottom line: We informed the audience that our advertised speaker had to return home due to a family emergency but we had a terrific replacement. Elaine did not disappoint–they loved her. She had a wonderful message and was rewarded with both a standing ovation and a sizeable check for her efforts. She and I have remained friends and keep in touch to this day.

The lesson for you?

Your best laid plans as an entrepreneur can fall apart in a minute for reasons beyond your control. Do you have a back-up plan in place if the proposal you make is rebuffed? If you are about to make a group presentation and the equipment doesn’t work? If your favorite product become uncompetitive? If a shipment doesn’t come in. If your best employee leaves?

I suggest that you join me in being a ‘Nervous Nellie’ about those sorts of things. You will never regret having a Plan B to fall back on.

Bill Sheridan:  ‘Sheridan Writes’—see my bio under Guest Authors

Are you a mystery shopper? Why not? Just because they don’t pay you to mystery shop, does that mean you can’t or shouldn’t do it? Absolutely not! Regardless of what business you are in, you should be out mystery shopping your competition! In fact, you might want to set aside time each month to mystery shop, in person, and also e-shop if that’s available.

When you do this, you get a feel of what’s happening with your competition. How do you know they aren’t mystery shopping you? If they are, they could have the competitive advantage over you.

You know you have been “mystery shopped” when:

1. a staff person goes to work for the company down the street

2. your advertising campaign is being duplicated

3. your web site is being duplicated

4. you are losing business to the competitors

5. the competition’s vision is bigger than yours

6. your competition seems to be going some where with a lot of action steps—in other words, they have a strategy and are taking action steps to achieve it

Is mystery shopping just for retailers? Absolutely not!

If you don’t feel comfortable mystery shopping yourself, hire someone or get one of your family members to do it for you. If this won’t work, network with people to get a pulse of what’s happening at the competition. Information is knowledge, how you use it creates wisdom but you’ll never get to wisdom if you don’t get the knowledge first!

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About Linda Talley
Linda Talley, a change and growth expert and business coach, is the recognized authority on how to use words and language to create the results you want in your business and personal life. Author of The Daily Win, Business Finesse: Dealing With Sticky Situations in the Workplace for Managers and Business Finesse: How to Say the Right Thing at the Right Time, Linda is a creative thinker in the areas of customer service, culture change, team relationships and communication.

Contact:  Linda Talley
713.668.9659
linda@lindatalley.com

In the front window of our Urbandale, Iowa home we have a shade known as a silhouette that allows us three forms of light control:

• When pulled completely up it allows full view of the outside and allows beautiful warm sunshine or street lights to enter the room.

• When pulled down but not ‘closed,’ the space between portions of the shade covered by a veneer cloth gives a modicum of privacy but allows some outside sunshine or artificial evening light in

• When down and fully closed—we are given 100% privacy

We very much like this particular piece of window treatment but it has one slight drawback. Because it is spread across a wide window area, the shade is fairly difficult to raise up in the morning due to its weight. The silhouette is run by a pulley system using a strong chord.

Early on I thought I was doing the chord a favor by pulling down on one side while simultaneously lifting up on the other.

Bad move on my part.

By lifting up I caused the chord to slip. Eventually, even though I quit doing that, there was not enough tension on the pulley to lift the shade and we had to have it replaced.

The lesson that I learned from that situation is that sometimes we need to appreciate and respect the problems, issues and challenges (read ‘tension’) that occur in our daily lives. I am now convinced that—when properly used and appreciated—they can be tools to help us achieve success in our various ventures.

Too much tension can paralyze and even kill. The right amount, however, can provide the exact degree of focus and enthusiasm to overcome difficult occurrences in our personal and professional lives.

Bill Sheridan