FedEx Wins Some Christmas Day Word-of-Mouth

In my office, our main overnight delivery service until recently was DHL. It was cheaper than FedEx, and reasonably reliable. But the word around the office was always that if you were serious about getting a package to someone overnight, you should spring for FedEx. DHL is gone now.  On Christmas Day FedEx took a […]

Maybe Your Prices Are Too Low

It’s a reflex in many sales situations — when you’re competing with others who offer a similar product or service, the first impulse is to cut your price. What if, instead of reducing your price, you made sure you were the most expensive option in the category? Columnist Harold Meyerson recently discussed the concept of positional […]

The Power of Free Samples

If you’re wondering how effective free samples are in influencing consumer behavior, a new study by the Oregon Department of Human Services provides a powerful answer. According to an article on Salem-News.com, Public health researchers analyzed survey responses from 2,684 new mothers. Almost 67 percent said they were breastfeeding at the time they left the […]

Good Advertising Can Kill a Bad Business

I read that somewhere — unfortunately, not even Google can remind me where. But it came to mind the other day when I met with the owner of a home improvement company. I’d put together a very powerful ad campaign for him, and we were scheduled to hit the airwaves in six days. But he wanted […]

What You’re Facing in 2008

Roy Williams’ Monday Morning Memo has a remarkably clear-eyed look at the forces you’re up against as you go to market in a rapidly changing society. Scroll down to “What to remember when selling in 2008.” Inspirational excerpt:  “Naiveté is rare today. Your customer is equipped with a bullshit detector that is highly sensitive and […]