Most small business owners miss the boat when it comes to getting a constant flow of referrals because they start off looking in all the wrong places.

If they seek referrals at all, most small business owners think only of their clients. Now, your existing clients can be a good source of referrals. And when you think about it, who better to sing your praises than someone who has actually experienced your rare abilities. ... full article

Almost every small business marketer knows that they should gather testimonials to use in their marketing materials.

The problem though is that getting your clients, the ones who know your greatness, to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and crank out a glowing testimonial can be a bit of a chore. It isn't that they don't want to do it; it's just that there are other priorities calling to them as well.

I accidentally stumbled on a way to get clients to systematically write testimonials. And, I found that this method actually produced far better, results oriented, copy than anything I had done on my own in the past.
Here's the system. ... full article

"What am I doing wrong?" That's a question business owners often ask themselves when business is slow. Often, the answer is... "You're not doing anything wrong. You just need to do some things better -- and you need to start doing a few things you've been neglecting."

Here's a list you can use to evaluate your own marketing efforts. It includes what I've found to be the 7 most important marketing principles contributing to the success of ANY business. ... full article