Ok, I’ll admit - this is a bit silly - but the metaphor resonated with me, maybe it will for you as well.

(See the 1 min 28 sec video on what I’m talking about here)

It’s 7:58 AM right now and I have already “ate my frog” this morning. The toughest task that I had on my to-do list is done and my day will be much better off because of it.

A current Your Marketing Academy member, Nick Hopwood, had a feature article today in the Northville Record.

Nick is a Partner at Park Avenue Wealth Management in Livonia, Michigan and has done an excellent job of implementing the Public Relations portion of the Duct Tape Marketing System.

We know this is true: There is something very powerful about a third-party endorsement from a magazine or newspaper. Nick was featured as the expert in the article. He offered several great (and relevant) quotes and will no doubt generate very positive PR.

He will also be able to highlight this article on his own blog, at his office and in his Marketing Kit.

Marketing Lesson: Take a systematic approach to generating Public Relations for your company. A little effort will go a long way. Good work Nick!

The Duct Tape Marketing System is based on 7 Proven & Practical Steps:

1. Narrow Your Marketing Focus
2. Find and Communicate a Core Difference
3. Package Your Business
4. Create Marketing Materials that Educate
5. Establish Your Lead Generation Trio
6. Automate & Dominate
7. Live By the Calendar

I’d like you to grab a copy of our free report that expands on each of the 7 steps. Please fill out the form below:

Today I spoke at the Tecumseh Rotary Club meeting on the 7 Steps to Small Business Marketing Success. It was a great group and a great lunch as well! (Thanks Evans Street Station!)

During the Q&A time a gentleman asked if I had any marketing ideas for him… He owns a few condo developments and has several units up for sale and sitting vacant. The housing market is down in Lenawee County and he didn’t know what to do.

One component of the Duct Tape Marketing System is to create a Referral Marketing System. My advice was to offer the folks who already live in these developments an outrageous commission for referring a new buyer. They want folks to move into the vacant units (helps their property value) and with the incentive of a cash commission - overnight, he could have dozens of sales reps helping him find buyers.

I threw out offering $2,500 to folks who referred buyers. When I talked to him after the meeting he said, “I decided I’m going to offer them $5,000.”

Excited to hear how this strategy goes for him.

What is your Referral Marketing strategy?

Is that Yellow Pages ad you are running profitable? How about the ads you run in the county newspaper?

I met with a business owner last week and we reviewed all of his marketing/advertising activity. His answer to the questions above were: “I don’t know.”

He’s not the first small business owner with that response.

Your advertising should be accountable and measurable. Getting ready to renew your Yellow Page advertising? Consider using a tracking number that will allow you to see how many calls the ad generates (as well as the duration of each call and a recording of the call!)

I guarantee in a few months you’ll know if that ad is profitable or a money suck.

Hold your marketing and advertising dollars accountable! Track and Measure!

Please take a look (and feel free to leave a comment!) at my blog post that was featured today on the very popular American Express OPEN blog:

You don’t know me. Want to get married?

During an old episode of Sesame Street, the Cookie Monster participated in a game show. As a prize winner, he got to choose among door #1, which contained $1 million, door #2, which contained a French chateau, and door #3, which contained a cookie.

He chose the cookie! What is your ‘cookie?’