Mind the Gap: Are You Losing Prospects Before You Even Know They Exist?

When somebody's looking to hire a new vendor in the B2B world, they're not going to pick the first one they see, especially in the building trades with big-budget projects. People obviously want the job done right to a high standard, but they are also looking for the right ‘fit.' Every potential client you've ever…

The 5 Brand Killers You Need to Avoid

Your brand might have started strong, but even the mightiest brands can get weak over time. If you're a bodybuilder and you get buff beyond belief, you have to pump iron in the gym daily and consume ridiculous calories. If you stop putting the time and effort into nurturing those biceps, they'll eventually disappear, and…

The Hidden Costs of a Bad Website

I know you've seen them—those neon-colored ads for $500 websites. A whole website for $500. An absolute BARGAIN, right? The saying ‘If it sounds too good to be true, it is!’ has been around for centuries for a good reason. It’s freaking true! As a business owner, it’s essential to understand what to expect from…

3 Tips To Reinvigorate Your Brand Now

Ok, so the world still feels slightly crazy, despite 2020 being a distant memory. You might not have control over the market right now, but you do have control over how you’re positioned in it and what you’re doing to attract new prospects. It’s time to kick things back into action and focus on the things…

B2B Does Not Mean Boring to Boring

B2B does not mean boring to boring or building to building. Technically it is business to business, but those businesses are still made of people. And people like dealing with other people. People have personalities and nuance, and so does your business. Read on as I share my thoughts with The Branding Journal in this…

Do You Have a Brand Wedgie?

I would like to thank the wonderful Karen Adamsbaum, CIC, for having me on her podcast Risk Intelligence. What's riskier than ignoring your website for years and walking around with a brand wedgie? I believe that every CEO should provide their biz dev/sales team with tools that don’t suck. Your team is out there busting…

How to Create a Brand Management Strategy

Your brand's success relies heavily on whether you have a successful (and proactive!) brand management strategy in place. When I say brand strategy, I mean the rules and guidelines on how, what, where, when, andto whom you should communicate your brand message. And it is based on your business DNA – what you do, who…

What's a Brand Mindset & Do You Need One?

Having a brand mindset is a key business strategy available to everyone regardless of business size. Branding isn’t about having a pretty website and a fancy business card. And it isn’t your logo. (If you’re new here, we’ve covered this before, check out this Branding 101) Branding isn’t a set it and forget it kind of…

How to Stop Customers From Fixating on Price

‘Can you do it cheaper?’ ‘The guy down the road is selling the same thing for $15 less…’ Sound familiar? Frustrating as hell, right? You do kick-ass work. You shouldn’t have to justify an extra couple of bucks per hour. So how do you stop people from asking? Convey your worth before they even contact…

How to Maintain Your Company’s Standards During COVID-19

You’re probably sick of reading all-things-COVID-19. I get it. It’s been months of non-stop news updates and social media shares. But, it’s still affecting business. It’s affecting clients, income, profits, and let’s be honest, our steam is running low from the constant pain-in-the-ass that is the coronavirus. For many, many businesses, they’re hurting right now. Business owners…

request for a proposal RFPs ruin your business

RFPs Can Ruin Your Business Without You Even Realizing It

During a recent Brand Intensive Workshop with an established flooring installation company, we uncovered a serious problem with their sales team – that I’ve seen in a worrying amount of other companies before and since. The problem? They were wasting all their selling hours filling in endless RFPs. Hold up, RFPs are the lifeblood of…

What to Post (& Definitely Not Post) on LinkedIn

You’ve put hours, weeks, months, even years of hard work into carefully creating your brand – growing your company into a successful business with a devoted base of loyal customers. It’s taken dedication. Determination. Probably plenty of dollars too. You try to embrace new marketing techniques, tactics, and platforms to attract new clients and keep…