Tupperware’s home party business was started and launched by a woman: Brownie Wise. A woman-led business was unheard of in the 1950s as, at that time, a woman’s place was in the kitchen, the nursery, and the bedroom. Few families had more than one car, leaving the woman home with the kids all day. Having the opportunity to make a … Continued
The worst time to plan for disaster
I had a job for six years. I started as a bookkeeper and quickly became the company’s controller. Within two years, I had become the director of business affairs. Then I bought the business, just six years after joining the firm as a bookkeeper. I used employment as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. I set up the … Continued
Monthly Subscription Billing Checklist: Unless Your People are Doing This, You are Losing Money Every Month
Through the process of working with several different membership marketers, Denise and I have discovered an alarming truth: few of their internal member relations teams are performing the basic systems necessary to retain members. Their people often mean well—they have the best of intentions—but they just don’t know what is necessary to ensure they are collecting the full amount of … Continued
When I was in debt and scared
My wife and I were having dinner in our dining room while the news played on the television in the adjacent living room. Although we weren’t paying much attention, one of the teases before a commercial break caught our attention. “Police shoot dog on Eddie Road! Story right after this break.” My wife, Kory, and I looked at each other. … Continued
Finally, a Newsletter Designed for Maximum Engagement and Member Retention
You’ve got to check out this monthly newsletter published by Brandon Lewis of The Academy for Professional Painting Contractors, the world’s biggest expert in marketing for painting contractors. His newsletter is only four pages long but it’s PACKED with member recognition. Brandon has clearly taken the emphasis off himself, opting to focus the newsletter on the terrific results his members … Continued
Proclaiming the unpopular truths
Imagine walking into a church just before the service begins, striding up to the front, getting everyone’s attention and proclaiming there is no God. Or—this could get you injured—imagine going to a Veteran’s Day ceremony and telling everyone their service to our country was just another job, like spending four years working at a Chrysler plant. How are you going … Continued
The Ruthless Truth About Member Retention, Revealed
In January, my son, Robert William, and I attended the Rolex 24 at Daytona, a 24-hour race held in Daytona Beach, Florida. Then, this March, we attended the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by “Fresh from Florida” held in Sebring, Florida. A total of 36 hours of auto racing. Robert and I were lucky enough to … Continued
Get your clients results quickly
Before I created and sold information products, I delivered consulting services for many years. Most projects required strategic planning; some entailed creating systems and business process; and others involved marketing. While the projects varied in scope, they had one thing in common: The business owner always thought his or her employees were the problem. I was brought in to train … Continued
Stand out and get noticed
You and I are bombarded by commercial messages. While Consumer Reports estimates the average American receives 247 commercial messages each day, it seems like I get more than that in emails alone. Each of us has to adopt a coping mechanism to get through the day without spending all of our time reading and listening to advertising. You and I … Continued
The Tribe You Get is the Tribe You Accept
While I was excited about the new direction, one employee was entrenched, frustrated and refused to yield. Once I understood Dan Kennedy style marketing, positioning and how to ask my clients to pay reasonable fees for the premium quality services I was providing, it took a couple of years to make it happen. My association marketing consulting agreements are typically … Continued