Marketing 101 (revised)

Marketing 101 (revised) -

1.  Know what you're doing before disrupting a process that works smoothly (note last paragraph), or even close to smoothly.

2.  If you don't know what you're doing (read paragraph 4), admit it and get help from someone who has a clue.

3.  Provide valid contact information.  Sporadic availability and lack of response to people and vendors you are asking to trust and work with you is a perfect recipe for failure.

4.  Be truthful, trustworthy, tactful, sincere, (read paragraph 5) helpful, and a pleasure to work with and be around.  Hard sell, inflexibility, pushiness, arrogance, and blatant manipulation  is a fast ticket to downhill spiral.

5.  Have a resume' you are proud to share with prospective clients.  Provide them with a truthful list of achievements under your leadership.  Outline how it has helped previous clients.

6.  On your letterhead provide the address of your office (read post #13), email, and fax number.  Provide a pleasant atmosphere in your personal domain for meeting with clients. Show stability; dress and act like a person who represents someone important.  First impression means a great deal.

7.  When you say you are going to do something, do it (read last sentence in first paragraph).  If, for some reason things don't work out due to your short comings, admit it.  Everything can't be someone else's fault.

8.  Clear up any previous business issues and unpaid debts.  Use it as a stepping stone to being the type of person clients may be able to trust in the future.

9.  We all have room for improvement.  One has to recognize the shortcomings and implement change or results will be the same.

10.  If all else fails, switch careers.  Get a regular job with a regular salary.  It creates a win/win situation.  You actually do the work and you get paid money for a job completed. 

******  Please note post #5.  TO BE CONTINUED...