Feature Article: Unleash Your Marketing Creativity and Increase Sales

Business Owner in the Spotlight
Mike Ballard
Turning Points

Refueling Recommendations
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Make-it-Fly® MarketPlace

Victoria’s book for entrepreneurs on how to get and keep a healthy balance in life is moving along. It will be ready this week for its final editing, then proofing before being printed. Last evening, we met with some awesome people in a small group to beta test the process and the usefulness of the companion Leader’s Guide. It was great fun! We learn so much and really appreciate the valuable feedback and ideas from our clients and friends.

Because balance is on our minds these days, we wanted to suggest you look at your life—along with running your business, are you enjoying the summer? Spending time with friends and family? Perhaps playing tennis, golf or hiking?

Another activity to add balance and fun might be a concert in the park. We invite you to join us on Sunday, August 13, to enjoy a picnic and listen to The Nacho Men at Hudson Gardens. Sign up online, bring family or friends and a picnic. Meet us and other Make-it-Fly® friends in the northwest corner near the front of the stage.
http://www.hudsongardens.org/Calendars/?c=2006_Concerts_All.inc

Our very best regards,

Dave and Victoria

Twenty-five years ago, Mike Ballard’s parents Jack and Phoebe started Turning Points. Mike, who claims to have been a serial entrepreneur since he sold greeting cards door-to-door at the age of ten, got involved with the company about four years ago.

Today, college career centers, human-resources consultants, employee-assistance programs, and independent career counselors and coaches help their clients find meaning and purpose as they navigate life changes using Turning Points web tools and hybrid curriculum.

Between retiring baby-boomers and the economic upheaval in our society, Mike estimates the market for their products is in the range of about 100 million people. He couldn’t resist an opportunity to create wealth and help people at the same time. An added bonus is that he gets to help his parents leave a legacy to the world after they are gone.

Q: What is your background experience in this area?
MB: I am the poster child for career transitions. I’ve been fired, laid off, downsized, outsourced, recruited and sacrificed as a pawn in political power struggles. I have been on hundreds of interviews and written countless resumes. Most career counselors haven’t been through half of the career transitions I have or had the private sector experience, so that makes me unique in this industry.

Regardless of whether we are hired as a W-2 or a 1099 in today’s career world, we must do two things: 1) think like a free agent entrepreneur, and 2) create diversified sources of income. We must be active and vigilant, because companies will ultimately act in their interest over ours.

Q: Who has influenced you most in your life?
MB: From my personal life, I would say my coach and mentor Joanne Dunleavy, my father Jack Ballard, my mother Phoebe Ballard, and so many other friends and family.

Q: What has proved to be your most successful marketing strategy?
MB: Testimonials have been key, since our products and business model are so new and unique. We targeted colleges as a large institutional market, but also a market that prizes innovation and new ideas. This year I will appear at a minimum of six national and regional conferences, and continue to build a reputation as an “industry expert” through public speaking and publishing articles. We will also publish another book this year, co-authored by an academic expert with a Ph.D. Books provide instant credibility. We operate in the world of ideas, and our success is happening through aggressive participation in that world.

Q: What have been the greatest challenges you have had to overcome, or are currently facing, in your business?
MB: Our business model and product are so new and innovative that our greatest challenge is educating the market. It took me years to figure out what the model was, then another year to figure out how to talk about it—and this continues to evolve. Now the challenge is to hang around long enough for the buzz to pay off! The latest example is our mention in a recent BusinessWeek article. (There is a link on the front page or our web site).

Q: How did you benefit from participating in a Make-it-Fly® program?
MB: Make-it-Fly® came at the perfect time for me, especially as far as learning to express what we do and why. During Make-it-Fly® I was able to refine my branding and positioning to a much higher degree—because of all the preparation, plus the practice I was getting at the meetings. The mutual commitment by all the participants creates an environment where no one holds back, so the level of feedback and communication is very high. The difference between my marketing before and after Make-it-Fly® is dramatic and is yielding dramatic results.

Because of Dave and Victoria, the participants at Make-it-Fly® tend to be people who understand the value of helping others and take it very much to heart. I have received countless referrals, and have dramatically expanded my sphere of influence. I have added some great new friends as well. I am very thankful I decided to try Make-it-Fly®.

Q: What would you say to other business owners who are contemplating getting involved in a Make-it-Fly® program?
MB: As entrepreneurs, part of our challenge is to think outside the box at every opportunity. If you are looking for fresh new perspectives on how to take your business to the next level, there is no better place to do it than on a Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board. If you are looking for honest feedback about how well your sales and marketing is working, there is nothing better. Finally, Make-it-Fly® will help you to expand your network—a key factor in expanding your business.

Mike Ballard and Turning Points can be reached by phone at: 720-641-5919. Or visit the website: http://TPNavigator.com.

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Unleash Your Marketing Creativity and Increase Sales By Victoria Munro
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” — Edward de Bono

Marketing is the lifeline of your business. As an entrepreneur, you can't afford to neglect it. Growth, even survival, rarely happens without marketing. Unless your current marketing is working really well and you have more customers than you can cope with, unleash your creativity and try out some new ideas. We’ve listed several to start your creative juices flowing.

Hold a brainstorming session
Gather a group of friends, colleagues or employees to brainstorm marketing ideas for your business. Make it worth their while—perhaps treat them to dinner first. Make and follow a clear agenda.

Possible topics might include:

	Explain your current and past marketing activities and the results. Ask for suggestions on how each could be more effective.
	Have participants take a critical look at your marketing materials and offer suggestions.
	Describe the major obstacles your business faces and ask for ideas on how to overcome them.
	Discuss ways to increase the number of qualified leads.
	Ask for ideas on services or products you could offer that meet a current need in the market.

Brainstorming can be invaluable, but will only work if you resist the temptation to become defensive or comment on ideas generated. This will quickly stifle creativity. You may have already tried a suggestion made, with pitiful results, but keep quiet and keep an open mind! Record everything and take time to review it later.

Never shoot down wild ideas. In his best-selling book Marketing Outrageously, Jon Spoelstra writes about his time as president of the New Jersey Nets. They had a page in their company manual that said: “If people fall down laughing when you present an idea, that idea has a chance of becoming a breakthrough idea. When an idea is so outrageous that it causes people to laugh at the idiocy of it, then it’s time to push the outrageous envelope and see if that idea can be developed.” Joe’s marketing efforts with the Nets proved to be wildly successful.

Study your competitors
How are they marketing? What is working for them? Why is it working? Are they using methods you could adopt and improve on?

Take a trip
Visit or talk to those in similar industries or professions in other cities and states. Find out how they are marketing and what is working in their area. Keep in touch and trade marketing suggestions

Start a ‘Marketing Ideas’ file
Always be on the lookout for fresh ideas. Every time you come across an article, a brochure or an ad that appeals to you, drop it in the file. When you need to create a new marketing piece, write an ad or rewrite your marketing plan, you have a file full of ideas and you won’t have to start from scratch.

Avoid Creativity Killer Comments Like:

	That will never work for us
	Great idea for another business
	I don’t have the time it would take to do that
	Our budget won’t stretch that far
	People in our profession/industry don’t do things like that
	Sounds like something my kids would come up with
	We tried that last year and it didn’t work

If you don’t feel very inspired and imaginative, remember creativity is like a muscle: the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes. Start working out today with some of the above ideas!

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The Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101

Each Make-it-Fly®Advisory Board 101 program consists of 12 non-competing business owners who meet once a month for three consecutive months. In the spirit of giving, they offer each other solutions, ideas, resources and encouragement. Dave and Victoria facilitate each group and share powerful tools to assist business owners in reaching their goals and living more balanced lives.

If you have experienced a Make-it-Fly® program, please share the following openings with other business owners who need support. Call Dave for more information at 720-962-8888.

Programs are held from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Current program openings in Denver:

• Fridays - September 8, October 6, November 3, 2006
• Thursdays - October 5, November 2, December 7, 2006

Click here to sign up for programs in 2006.
Or call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Alumni Boards are groups of 12-14 small-business owners who have participated in at least one Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 and wish to continue the support and accountability with a group of like-minded, giving business associates. Members meet once a month for a three-hour meeting. If you completed the initial Make-it-Fly® Advisory Board 101 and are interested in more information on Alumni Boards, call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Next Make-it-Fly® Café
High altitude networking, where exceptional people help each other.

Date: Thursday, August 24, 2006

Time: 4:30 to 7 p.m.

Location: Seasons Café in the DTC, located at 8101 East Belleview, in the Marina Square Center.

Make-it-Fly® clients may offer door prizes and speak about their business. If you would like to offer a prize, please call Dave at 720-962-8888.

Click here to read previous issues of Make-it-Fly®'s email newsletters.