Always carry your business cards

Anyone can market. Anyone can put some fancy pictures and copy together for distribution~especially today. Software technology has made it as simple as coloring in a child's coloring book. But, does it work? Did it work for you?

So often, I run into people that share with me the exorbitant amounts of money they are or have spent on marketing their product and/or business. The first question that I ask is: is it working for you? What is your ROI? Do your materials reflect who you are? Your company's culture?

Marketing is the easy part - proper implementation, follow up and having measurable results is the key. Today, next to the Internet, word of mouth marketing is one of your best referral sources. All marketing should be measurable, though. After all, why would you dedicate 6-10% of your annual revenues to a program that yields little to no results? Would you buy a car only to leave it in the driveway? A suit 2 sizes too small? I think you get the picture.

Marketing should be a direct reflection and representation of your firm - your value proposition. Feel confident that when you exchange business cards, the recipient will remember you for future referrals. I know that when I hand you two of mine, I expect you to keep one and hand the other out on my behalf!