In business we have opportunnities that present themselves, sometimes overlooked because we are not paying attention. I saw a recent discussion that was wrapped around what happens if you have a meeting and no one shows up. It takes dedication to find the lemonade recipe in the situation.

Many people who are launching a new idea expect to “build it and they will come.” This happens, but only after you have marketed, marketed, marketed.

If you call a meeting and no one comes, use the time to decide what to do next time to influence a larger audience. Have your digital camera handy and create your commercial, youtube introduction, or simply have some fun. If you’ve been way to busy being busy, use the time to reflect, plan, and even meditate.

If you write a blog post and no one reads it, write another, and another. Figure out where you should be promoting, do some more marketing and try it again.

What are your tips when opportunity knocks and you are distracted, or forget to open the door?

In business we have opportunnities that present themselves, sometimes overlooked because we are not paying attention. I saw a recent discussion that was wrapped around what happens if you have a meeting and no one shows up. It takes dedication to find the lemonade recipe in the situation.

Many people who are launching a new idea expect to “build it and they will come.” This happens, but only after you have marketed, marketed, marketed.

If you call a meeting and no one comes, use the time to decide what to do next time to influence a larger audience. Have your digital camera handy and create your commercial, youtube introduction, or simply have some fun. If you’ve been way to busy being busy, use the time to reflect, plan, and even meditate.

If you write a blog post and no one reads it, write another, and another. Figure out where you should be promoting, do some more marketing and try it again.

What are your tips when opportunity knocks and you are distracted, or forget to open the door?

This is a guest post by Tom Harris, Your Marketing Coach. Tom helps entrepreneurs and small businesses develop and execute marketing plans. He specializes in website usability and effectiveness.

All effective marketing pieces need to follow a common formula, whether the piece is an email, postcard, web page, coupon, radio or TV ad, brochure, flyer, verbal presentation or anything else that is used to promote your business and gain customers.

There are four functions to a marketing message: Grab, Engage, Inform and Offer (GEIO)

These functions are performed by the four parts of a marketing piece: Headline, Subheadline, Body, and Call to Action.

- GRAB – this is what a Headline does, and you’ve got microseconds to accomplish this.  Headlines are critical because if you don’t grab them, then the rest of your marketing piece might as well never have been created.  And once you’ve grabbed someone’s attention, you’ve got a few more microseconds to get them to the next step, which is:

- ENGAGE – this is the function of the Subheadline, to move the prospect on a bit further, to pique their curiosity a bit more, and to tell them that you’re about to give them some valuable information that they’ll be vitally interested in.

- INFORM – this is the message itself, the Body of the marketing piece.  It must be concise, interesting and contain useful information that will prepare the prospect for the:

- OFFER – this function is performed by the Call to Action, where you’re asking the prospect to actually DO something – download a free report, email you, call you, visit your website, make a purchase, etc.  A marketing piece that is just informative and doesn’t ask for an action at the end is a wasted effort.

So here’s the formula again:
Grab = Headline
Engage = Subheadline
Inform = Body
Offer = Call to Action

It’s a simple formula, and you can easily apply it to any new marketing efforts you undertake, or use it to evaluate your current efforts.

This is a guest post by Gary Butler of Butler Fitzgerald Associates. Gary has seen all aspects of organizations, good and bad, and has had significant success in affecting positive changes throughout his career. This has translated into working with others to achieve the things of which they have always dreamed.

It is a reality that in the economy today there are many who are finding themselves without a job, or insecure in the job they do have, who never expected it to happen to them. You may be highly educated or highly experienced or both. You have been a valuable member of your organization for years and now you are not sure what you are going to be doing next week or where. In the past the normal next step is to start looking for a similar position at a similar company doing a similar function. Today that option is not available to most because those organizations are going through the same contortions.

An approach is to look on this as an opportunity (you know – the bit about making lemonade…). Most of us can trace how we got where we are through a series of short term decisions that did not really have a long term goal. Take this opportunity to look inward and discover what is truly important to your inner self. What excites your passion? What are your dreams? To experience contentment and satisfaction take the time to explore yourself and discover a destination that will give you new purpose.