tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-194599682008-10-09T17:50:43.644-05:00A Moment of ClarityA Moment of Clarity is a publication of Clarity Marketing Support, Inc. If your marketing department just doesn't "get it", you've come to the right place. Here in my little world, marketing is all about supporting sales. The articles here will help you make the connection between marketing and sales to achieve superior growth.Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-33519919932329201752008-07-18T15:17:00.003-05:002008-07-18T21:18:19.002-05:00Let the Stalking BeginFor some reason, I just signed up for Twitter. OK, it's Steve Golab's fault. He's the head honcho over at FG2 here in Austin and he's an expert in social media. He forced me. (not really, but he did remind me of its existence. So now I'm a twit. Let the stalking begin. So what the hell is Twitter? Good question. According to my good buddies at WikiPedia: Twitter is a social networking and Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-44813521458185137092008-07-17T12:18:00.002-05:002008-07-17T12:24:55.660-05:00The Magic Marketing Bullet - revealedFor years now I’ve kept this highly guarded secret to myself because I didn’t want to let clients in on something that would surely render me useless to them. It’s not like I haven’t been asked a thousand times to reveal this secret - it comes up all the time in various forms but the essence of the question sounds like “What is The Magic Bullet marketing thing I can do to instantly transform my Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-48738220306565977452008-07-17T12:06:00.002-05:002008-07-17T12:18:00.820-05:00STICKING YOUR NECK OUTI have to admit, I always knew what “sticking your neck out” meant, but it wasn’t until I owned my own business did I really get the literal meaning of the phrase. Obviously, it means taking a risk and I’ve learned that risk taking is as much of growing a business as taxes, complaining employees and going to the bank. Of course, the key is to take measured risks. I’ve been doing some work with Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-27688771265598617632008-06-03T15:50:00.005-05:002008-06-03T16:32:00.573-05:00Killing the Competition - A Deadly Case StudyI got a call from a former client last week that really made me smile. We had lost contact over the last couple of years and he simply wanted to re-connect. During our conversation I asked him about the overall impact of the work I did for him and he was pleased to tell me that it continues to be a major driver in his companies growth.
Case Study: Batzner Pest Management
Wisconsin’s largest, Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-20720183370703606662008-06-03T12:15:00.006-05:002008-06-09T09:48:17.984-05:00Marketing and the Art of Corvette Maintenance
Lately my car isn't performing at its potential. The biggest sign something is wrong is the formation of small pools of coolant in the oil. I'm no Mr. Goodwrench, but I'm guessing that's bad. However, the problem could be any number of things – ranging from the relatively inexpensive blown head gasket to the pricier problem of cracked or warped heads to the complete replacement of the motor.
IfPete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-80099805601058474722008-06-03T12:10:00.003-05:002008-06-03T16:39:56.407-05:00Video on the Web - a marketing godsendIf you would have asked me about putting video on your web site a few years ago, I would have strongly discouraged it. In fact, the subject used to come up regularly back in the late 90's when my firm was at the forefront of Internet development but it was not feasible then. Fast forward to today and everything has changed. There were two huge issues for streaming video over the Internet in yearsPete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-3352310455324411622008-06-03T11:52:00.004-05:002008-06-03T11:56:20.431-05:00Some straight talk about “The Recession” Part TwoI dont' know about you but I refuse to participate in any "recessions". So what is really going on out there? What are companies doing to turn the recession into an opportunity?
Based on my research and dozens of conversations with CEOs, Presidents and owners of B2B technology companies the facts on the ground don't quite align with the media's stories of impending doom. In fact, most of these Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-3697714105281930162008-04-17T15:44:00.001-05:002008-04-17T15:47:03.841-05:00What do customers really want?by Pete Monfre
I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that your customers don't really care about the latest whiz-bang feature of your new whatchamathingy. I'm also willing to bet they don't really care that much about how big you are, how small you are, how nice your office is, what your vision or mission might be or how awesome your last ad campaign was. Over the course of doing many Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-26343845053436785022008-04-17T14:37:00.007-05:002008-04-17T14:49:04.981-05:00The sky is falling- Some straight talk about The Recession Part OneBy Pete Monfre
The sky is falling!
I used to hear a lot about the coming recession as it blared from every news channel and radio talk show within ear shot. Since I tossed a brick through my television, I hear much less inflammatory rhetoric these days, but I assume that these fair and balanced media sources continue to trumpet impending doom for American businesses. I thought it might be Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-41875461204917082282008-04-03T14:05:00.000-05:002008-04-03T14:06:37.347-05:00Top Five Beat the Recession Marketing MissivesLook for holes – Take a hard look at your lead/demand generation and sales processes, programs, people and information. It is important that you are totally objective during this review – if you can't be objective, bring in a professional facilitator who is. Look for inefficiencies, out-dated information, assumptions being passed off as fact, broken or missing processes and be aware of people whoPete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-57319715716628441232008-03-30T13:17:00.001-05:002008-03-30T13:20:27.563-05:00I couldn't have said it better.Seth Godin's Top 10 Secrets of the Marketing Process
Try these 10 ideas to get you started down the path of scientific marketing tactics:1. Don’t run out of money. It always takes longer and costs more than you expect to spread your idea. You can budget for it or you can fail.2. You won’t get it right the first time. Your campaign will need to be reinvented, adjusted or scrapped. Count on it.3. Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-84231316840720472612008-03-06T16:20:00.002-06:002008-03-06T16:25:17.806-06:00Getting to the next level. Whatever that means.By Pete Monfre
Everybody wants to get to the next level. That elusive next level might be in the realm of revenue, customer satisfaction, efficiency or laser tag – name your game - it seems that everybody wants to get to this magical place. So why do so few achieve “Next Level” performance year after year?
Dare I say that it's a lack of a clearly defined process? (Oh, no. I've said it.) With no Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-50863370661218786822008-03-06T16:18:00.002-06:002008-03-06T16:24:48.901-06:00Not getting enough new opportunities in the door? Maybe it's your fear of commitment.By Pete Monfre
The average tenure of a chief marketing officer is about 22.9 months at the top 100 branded companies. (according to Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm). This is due to many reasons, not the least of which is my observation that “marketing” has lost its way. Over the past decade there has been a trend in the marketing industry that threatens to destroy any credibility Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-51727307440219905482008-03-06T16:16:00.002-06:002008-03-06T16:24:23.583-06:00What if every Entrepreneur had to tell the Truth?By Wil Schroter
In the movie Liar Liar, Jim Carrey plays attorney Fletcher Reede, who’s been cursed with the inability to lie. Every attempt Fletcher makes to lie results in him blurting out the God’s honest truth instead. Imagine what would happen if an entrepreneur were cursed with the same affliction. What would their pitch really look like?
The Sales Pitch
“Hello, I’m Wil Schroter, and Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-48936897988285235252008-01-24T16:38:00.001-06:002008-01-24T16:59:51.255-06:00Do you profile your customers?Profiling has had a pretty bad rap since 9/11 but that's not the kind of profiling I'm talking about. Or, maybe it is. Basically, profiling means grouping people together based on certain characteristics to predict behavior. When it comes to marketing – that's exactly what we need to do.
While marketing technology has made great strides in terms of one to one marketing, before we can even get toPete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-5598014084975443632008-01-24T11:14:00.000-06:002008-01-24T16:56:45.967-06:00My Top Five Punch in the Face Marketing and Sales Tactics.If you've been reading my clap trap for a while, you should be starting to get the idea that I'm not a big fan on fancy, expensive advertising and superficial marketing tactics. For most middle market companies, these are luxuries and I'd be hard pressed to connect a straight line from these tactics to revenue. I prefer tactics that punch prospects in the face – figuratively of course. Tactics Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-30244090433684950262008-01-24T11:13:00.000-06:002008-01-24T16:54:35.406-06:00A Novel Idea: You Get What You GiveI wish I could remember who gave me this idea. If I could remember, I would give credit where credit is due because I didn't think of this little gem. (If it was you, let me know and I'll thank you in person!)
As marketing and sales people, we are sometimes obsessed with metrics. I know I am. If I can't measure it, I can't improve it. We like to measure things like qualified leads, conversion Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-32944663557024276652007-11-29T11:28:00.000-06:002007-11-29T11:55:27.144-06:00Is that the forest? Nope, just a tree.I know the question you are asking yourself right now. It goes something like this: “Is Pete Monfre some kind of super genius?” While my mother might answer in the affirmative, I’m going to give you the real answer. But before I do, consider this.
Owning a business is like trying to find your way through one of those crazy garden mazes that rich people use to confuse their neighbors and keep Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-27189000827229019362007-11-29T11:27:00.000-06:002007-11-29T11:55:09.318-06:00The power of process. This is a no-brainer.I often say that there is no business problem that can't be solved by creating, improving or tweaking a process. (I sometimes say it in my sleep, which scares my wife.) Let me give you an example.
The other day, my wife and I took our son to the doctor. We went to a local clinic and all turned out well. (sinus infection). The next day - a Sunday - I realized I better get in there too since I hadPete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-83018603703519032192007-11-29T11:26:00.000-06:002007-11-29T11:54:49.259-06:00Branding is a painful experience for livestock. But is it important for your business?Allow me to be perfectly clear about this. The answer is yes and no. In the sense that the way you represent yourself as a company, what you stand for and how you want to be perceived by the marketplace, yes - you should develop and manage your "brand". But a strong brand alone won't help you sell more. For most companies who don't advertise on television and employ scores of sales people, Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-26800059300332885092007-11-29T11:11:00.000-06:002007-11-29T11:17:56.002-06:00Pete Monfre's Big Five Secrets of Marketing Success.OK, this is where I give away the farm. Marketing your products and services is not something that only large companies with legions of staff can do. The fact is, if you get just a few basic things right, the principles of marketing can work for you.
1. Have a process. Marketing is really just a process. It goes something like this:
a. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-36807784341983780072007-10-27T10:37:00.000-05:002007-10-27T11:49:41.563-05:00Are you for real?I've been thinking a lot lately about authenticity - in other words, letting my true self shine through in all of my interactions with clients, prospects, friends and anyone else who happens to be around me. For me (and most people) that is a scary thought. Allow me to explain.
Way back in the dark ages, (1991) my wife and I founded what would become a successful marketing agency. I gave myself Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-60097612838096407432007-10-17T14:18:00.002-05:002007-10-17T14:23:57.412-05:00The single most important thing you can do to grow your business.First let me say that I’ve been guilty of what I’m about to share with you. In the past, as the founder and owner of a successful marketing firm in Milwaukee, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about what my customers want and how they buy. My biggest mistake was thinking that my company could do no wrong when it came to servicing clients. I thought we were the best and I knew my Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-59061633252255024482007-10-17T14:18:00.001-05:002007-10-17T14:18:46.460-05:00The single most important thing you can do to grow your business.First let me say that I’ve been guilty of what I’m about to share with you. In the past, as the founder and owner of a successful marketing firm in Milwaukee, I thought I knew everything I needed to know about what my customers want and how they buy. My biggest mistake was thinking that my company could do no wrong when it came to servicing clients. I thought we were the best and I knew my Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19459968.post-77934479945618145052007-10-17T14:14:00.000-05:002007-11-03T21:17:37.192-05:00The Cold, Hard Truth About Viral MarketingEvery month I get an inquiry from a potential client who is interested in doing "something viral". If that term isn’t familiar, allow me to explain. According to Wikipedia.com, The term "viral marketing" was coined by a Harvard Business School professor, Jeffrey F. Rayport, in a December 1996 article for Fast Company magazine. It refers to marketing techniques that self replicate – similar to Pete Monfrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07277529689149484240noreply@blogger.com