Every business needs what is known as a “USP.” That stands for Unique Selling Proposition and it represents the single biggest benefit your business offers that your competition doesn’t. If you don’t have a USP, or you don’t articulate the one you do have, then you’re lucky if you get any business at all. In fact, most businesses don’t communicate ANY benefits that differentiate themselves from their competitors. This is a HUGE mistake when they attempt any sort of marketing! When they’re trying to attract new customers, by not stating their distinctive advantage, they’re indirectly saying, “Give me your business

“Forget about the crowds, the size of the school, their fancy uniforms, and remember what got you here. Focus on the fundamentals that we’ve gone over time and time again.”  – “Hoosiers” Coach Norman Dale played by Gene Hackman. In the small business arena, there are three fundamentals every business MUST have in place to not only survive but also THRIVE. First, your business must stand out from the crowd, and it must be “unique.” You MUST establish an all-important market-dominating position. Second, your business must offer extraordinary and exceptional value. Your prospects, no matter who they are or what

As a kid growing up in Atlanta, I was a huge fan of the baseball team, the Atlanta Braves.  One of my childhood heroes was former Hall of Fame pitcher and current FOX and MLB Network announcer, John Smoltz.  Even though Smoltz was one of the best post-season pitchers of all-time and one of the few to dominate as both a starting pitcher and closer, he did experience some ups and downs early on in his career. It turns out a pivotal moment in his turnaround was to partner with a sports psychologist to make some mental adjustments to boost

In today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, small businesses must be quicker, more agile, and far more creative to adapt, respond, and effectively meet customers’ ever-changing preferences and demands. Customers and prospects of the Digital Information Age are more knowledgeable than ever before. Unfortunately, customers are also more fickle, too.  Did you know that an unsatisfied customer will tell 9 to 15 people about her bad, frustrating experience?   One can only imagine how that number has increased exponentially as a result of the world’s newfound addiction to the social networking phenomenon…As you’re reading this blog, you better not have any of your

The other day I read “6 Things You Should Never Do First Thing in the Morning” by Jeff Haden in Inc., who is one of my favorite authors in that magazine. Here are the highlights of recommended key things not to do as part of your morning routine: 1. Don’t plan out your day. Trying to plan your work first thing in the morning or when you get to work can have unintended consequences resulting in a complete waste of time.  The mere act of doing this results in stress and anxiety as your list piles up.  As you rush to finish the list