Archive for marketing coaching

Network Marketing vs. ‘The Pyramid Scheme’

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Friday, June 17th, 2011

I’ve recently joined the ranks of an outstanding direct sales/network marketing company, after some serious due diligence, I might add.

The skeptics among you are silently screaming..”what are you thinking, they’re all scams!” I must confess…I’ve been in the network marketing industry on and off for more than 15 years and while some companies have had integrity problems, the business model is more than 100 years old and in fact is something that you’ve also been participating in, week in and week out, whether you know it or not.

When I begin to talk to someone about the business the most common reply is “it’s one of those pyramid schemes…leave me out”. There is a very fundamental difference between network marketing and a pyramid scheme…a huge difference and if you don’t understand them you’re staying away from something that could make you a lot of money and give you great time freedom. Read More→

New Year…New Direction ?

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Friday, December 31st, 2010

As 2010 is winding to a close it’s time to reflect on what was, what could have been and what will be in the year ahead.

We’ve dealt with a sluggish economy, clients who opted not to initiate projects, governmental regulation changes, team members who had family members laid off, perhaps you faced the need to downsize your staff as well. All in all, not one of the better years for business owners. Read More→

Employees, vendors and clients are all tuned in to WII-FM.

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Tuesday, November 30th, 2010

As a business owner, do you find yourself getting frustrated when all around you seem to think differently from you? Angry when the simplest of tasks or requests seem to be an imposition to others? When the common sense approach (i.e. Yours) turns into an all out brawl when trying to get cooperation? If this sounds familiar it’s because most of the people you are trying to enlist to help you are listening to different stations, they’re all on a completely separate channel.

Now this channel isn’t on Sirius, not on XM, not on cable and not even on those funny in-between HD bands. They are all listening, with you canceling headphones, to WII-FM.

The What’s-In-It-For-Me channel.

The only way that you can get and keep their attention is with really good incentive based advertising on their favorite station. As entrepreneurs and small business owners we have to craft our messages in ways that create mutual agenda items. Read More→

Burning the Koran – An example of bad marketing and bad citizenship.

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Wednesday, September 8th, 2010

Reverend Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Church in Florida thinks it’s a great idea to burn a copy of the Muslim Holy book the Koran on the anniversary of the 9-11 attack. He is getting international attention with his intention and free publicity for his ministry, which should by now be attracting just about every wingnut in the country. This is a great example of how not to use controversy to your marketing advantage.

The number of issues that I need to explain to my kids about this is unbelievable.

His first amendment right to say what he wishes – I respect that. However, how do we feel when someone burns our flag, or how would he feel if a Muslim burned his Bible?

He is a minster – a man who has chosen to preach acceptance and tolerance and the practice of good deeds to his flock. Where is any of this evident in inciting riots and furthering hatred? After all, the attacks were carried out by extremists…every country, religion and political party has them…why should we call attention to their actions by insulting others who were not involved. Read More→

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Categories : Entrepreneurship, Family - Lifestyle, Just for Fun, leadership, Marketing - Sales, Personal Opinion

Tags : bob holdsworth, Entrepenuer, family life, leadership, marketing coaching, personal responsibility, The Holdsworth Group

The fight for the NURDLE

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

I was reading the Wall Street Journal the other day and was astounded, well actually these days nothing surprises me anymore, that two toothpaste manufacturers are going to war over a graphic picture of a squirt of toothpaste.

Now I’m all about protecting intellectual property, I have plenty of copyrights and trademarks of my own, but this seems insane even to me, a professional marketer.

For the uninitiated, a NURDLE is the apparently correct name for the tiny little perfectly shaped glob of toothpaste shown on the box. In this picture the red, white and blue thingy.

nurdle

n. a grain, pellet, granule, or other small piece of a material, especially as part of a large quantity (such as foam kernels used as packing material); (in pronunciation-based spellings) a nodule; a quantity of a gel or semi-solid; a thing of unknown name (doodad, thingamajig, etc.). Also nerdle. Read More→

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Categories : Business - General, Just for Fun, leadership, management, Marketing - Sales

Tags : bob holdsworth, Business Coaching, defining business services, Entrepenuer, innovation, leadership, management, marketing coaching, Small Business Coach, success, The Holdsworth Group, young business owners, young entrepreneurs

Your competition is copying your best ideas while you’re sleeping.

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Saturday, July 24th, 2010

If you’ve got a great product or service, you’re going to be copied, challenged, reversed engineered or outright pirated, it’s a fact of business life.

When I first entered the medical billing business back in 1989, there were no other companies in my niche (ambulance billing) in my state. Fast forward 23 years and there are now ten companies that are directly competing with my firm for some part of the ambulance billing business in my home state.

Now the interesting thing is that only one competitor has opted to match service levels and they are the latest entry into the game. They have only 5 clients, none of them of substantial size or volume.

This poaching of clients, ideas or advertising offers and methods is simply part of business and it took me a while to both realize and to not to get angry about it. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but not when the flattery costs me money to get. Now all of this said, it doesn’t mean you should simply accept this as a fact of life and take it lying down. Read More→