Becoming accustomed to a growing economy is easy and dangerous. Although there are always pockets of problems, we forget that success is often more the result of a good economy than our business acumen. If everyone else is doing well, our major challenge becomes how to pull ahead of the pack. Unfortunately, many business people tend to get a bit lazy-and that's when we can get caught.
There are ways to become more successful, keep business booming, and give companies the opportunity to gain a competitive advantage. Here are 15 ways to develop an extra edge:

No matter what their size, many businesses use most of their available energy just keeping things running on a day-to-day basis.
Unfortunately, there seldom seems to be much time for those tasks that can have a profound effect on a company's future, such as communicating the company's message and projecting its image.

If you're in sales, you can identify with this situation - about two weeks after starting a new job, you begin to doubt your decision. You detect a widening gap between what you were told to expect and what actually occurs. After only a month on the job, you conclude, 'I think I made a mistake.' You're probably right, because salespersons seem to be more prone to selecting the wrong job. Too often, their profession's tendency to stress the positive and minimize negative factors extend into their approach in choosing a job.

There may come a time when your agency's communications needs exceed the capabilities of in-house personnel. You want to concentrate on producing new business, developing products, and servicing clients. Who has the time and expertise to create newspaper or radio advertising-or perform the myriad public relations functions necessary to keep your agency in the public eye?

Customer service begins with thinking like customers.
A good place to start is with language. Thought and language mirror each other, and when the right words are used, the organization begins to behave as if they were true. Use the wrong words and the opposite happens.

Before purchasing a car, computer, copier, or equipment, businesses do the usual due diligence. They do research, make comparisons, and then decide on the most appropriate product with the best value. John Graham explains why research is required before making an extensive marketing investment.

When it comes to paying for a professional service, most of us are skeptical when the bill arrives in the mail.

SALVAGING CLIENTS/PROSPECTS IN A STAGNANT ECONOMY by John R. Graham It's taken a couple of years to figure out just what's happening in the economy, but the picture now ...

Even though marketing is a well-established concept in business, committing...

Follow these guidelines to develop a comprehensive, effective e-marketing program.
With spam at epidemic levels and phishing and virus attacks threatening the industry, e-marketers face the challenge of getting their messages through to the right audience, while following e-mail marketing best practices.
Although many of the principles that govern print and broadcast media apply to e-mail, e-marketing has its unique set of opportunities and pitfalls. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts to consider: