There's nothing better for business than a booming economy. Unfortunately, it often encourages faulty thinking and spawns erroneous ideas. When sales are strong and profits meet projections, we're quick to take the credit. When things go sour, external forces get the blame.
A good economy tends to mask distorted thinking and inappropriate ideas. For example, personal computer sales have been drifting downward, even while prices have been dropping. Manufacturers are petrified. Out of near desperation, they jack up power to a sizzling 500 MHz to try to capture customer attention. Just as this happens, free PCs appear. In the midst of all this, one company rediscovers itself. To IBM's credit, it figured out what business it's in: solutions.

12 LOW-BUDGET MARKETING IDEAS TO BOOST YOUR BUSINESS by Emily Huling Its nearing years end, or weeks end for that matter, and your people are looking just ...

There are still those who believe that something will stick if you toss enough stuff against the wall. John Graham believes that we fail to ask ourselves the right question, the one that defines the marketing and sales mission.

Many in business have elevated the process of marketing to an almost magical, mystical level, either to help them maintain control, or because they don’t understand the process. In this article, John Graham examines six basic principles that will make marketing work.

As your agency grows, you will probably recognize the need for the services of a public relations (PR) advisor to help you get media exposure.
To choose the appropriate PR advisor, you should have a good idea of what to expect in the way of services, what you need (or more accurately, want to accomplish), where to look for an advisor, and how to select one. Not an easy task, but it's a lot more manageable if you plan ahead.

FOUR WAYS TO CUT COSTS AND INCREASE PROFITS by Bill Schoeffler and Catherine Oak Theres more of an emphasis on watching expenses today in order to return a reasonable profit. Many owne...

HOW TO KEEP YOUR SALES FROM RUNNING OUT OF GAS by John Graham Most of us have figured out that its smart to have a least a few gallons of gas in the tank at all times. Its n...

Although salespeople (and sales managers) might blame slow sales on the economy or the lack of company marketing, the truth is that everyone can be smarter and more productive. In this article, John Graham focuses on how salespeople — and everyone else in business — can become more productive. Graham challenges us to take a hard look at we do and, more importantly, what we’ve become accustomed to doing.

THE CONCEPT OF SHARING IN MENTORING AND MARKETING by Jack Burke When writing an article for IMMS subscribers, I often feel like I'm preaching to the choir. ...