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Advertising Resource Center |
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Books, Bibles and Fast-Talkers
Every community has 'em. Fast talkers who rollinto town with a clever idea to sell to people inbusiness. Many times the ideas are clever and cute but youshould weigh the ups and downs of every offerbefore you dig out the checkbook. Most of thesein-town-for-a-day people want their cash upfront. Some of the common flim-flams are: Coupon Books They offer to put you in a giant coupon book to besold for the needy charity or Lions Club. Booksare sold on the phone for $29 and delivered bythe Boy Scouts. Watch out for errors and missingexpirations once the operation has moved toanother town. Telephone Book Covers They wrap around the book and the callers see yourad every time they reach for the book. Might be OKif you own the wrecker service, locksmith orfuneral home, but run the other way if you have agrocery, Mickey Dees, or bank. City Maps Your ad goes somewhere around the edge of the map.You might get pitched by several companies. Somelook better than others, most are very pricey.Pick up maps like these when you see them anddecide if you'd do business with anyone on the mapbecause of the ad. Distribution is the sellingpoint. Placement is the bug-a-boo. What if your adis on the back and the reader only looks at thefront? Don't be fooled by the promise of radio adsproclaiming free maps and mentioning your name. Bibles for Newlyweds I wish I had thought of this one 30 years ago.I would be clipping coupons instead of writingabout it. The fast talker promises to send a Bible to allnewlyweds in the county (the names and addressesof the happy couples are public record at thecourthouse). Four to six sales at about $500 eachand they mail a one dollar Bible 4th class, a peeland stick label stuck inside with the name of the"sponsors" in inkjet color. They can easily sell a town a day at 3 large andmake one trip a quarter to visit the courthousefor names. Work it for two months on a route andeat cake the other 10. A great moneymaker for theBible people, a dud for advertising effectiveness.But like kids in school and American Flags, thisemotion sells well in every community. There are hundreds of advertising "opportunities"out there. Your job as a business owner is toseparate the effective from the cute and clever. For more about advertising, get my article"Your Billboard is Showing"MailTo:Billboards@BigIdeasGroup.com ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights ReservedMike@BIGIdeasGroup.comBIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" NewsletterMailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net
MORE RESOURCES: Three money managers who called the turn in March 2009 see big gains ahead; a fourth dissents Individual investors have largely stayed on the sidelines of the current rally. What will lure them back? The yearlong rally in the U.S. market has pushed the number of stocks showing unusually sharp daily gains to the highest level at least since 1994, a sign that more gains may come, according to Concept Capital. Higher- than-estimated inflation in China spurred speculation the nation will be forced to raise interest rates Shares of the following companies are having unusual moves in U.S. trading. Stock symbols are in parentheses. Prices are as of 11 a.m. in New York. The dollar rose against its Canadian counterpart and South Africa’s rand after a report on U.S. trade indicated the global economic recovery may be slowing, reducing demand for the currencies of commodity- producing nations. Wall Street analyst opinions on stocks making headlines in Thursday's market Investors should avoid Spain’s bonds as the euro region's highest levels of joblessness stifle the country’s ability to cut its budget deficit, according to Invesco Ltd. and Merrill Lynch What Wall Street economists and strategists had to say about key developments on Mar. 11 GMAC Inc., the auto and home lender rescued by the U.S. government, may have overpaid its top executives after receiving taxpayer funds, according to a report by the panel overseeing the Troubled Asset Relief Program. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka listened to Andres and Esteban Contreras tell how Andres moved back home to help with rent and medical care after their father lost his job and their mother had her hours cut. Lloyds Banking Group Plc, Britain’s biggest home-loan lender, will allow customers to increase mortgage repayments without penalty, as the bank seeks to cut its 1.03 trillion-pound ($1.55 trillion) balance sheet. Bain Capital LLC’s Sensata Technologies Holding NV sold $569 million of shares at the low end of its price range in the biggest U.S. initial public offering this year. What Wall Street economists and strategists had to say about key developments on Mar. 10 Wall Street analyst opinions on stocks making headlines in Wednesday's market Ross Morrow, a professor at Iowa State University, talks about the possible impact of U.S. climate-change legislation on gasoline prices. Morrow also discusses the implications of higher prices for the U.S. economy. (Source: Bloomberg) Promotions and international sales let McDonald's wow investors while shares of Wendy's and Burger King languish amid a U.S. hunger for jobs Jim Rogers, chairman of Rogers Holdings, talks with Bloomberg's Betty Liu about Greece's fiscal woes. Rogers, speaking from Vienna, says a bankruptcy for Greece would benefit the euro. (This is an excerpt of the full interview. Source: Bloomberg) |
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