15 AMAZING WAYS TO SUPER CHARGE YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS

We decided it would be fun to interview 10 of the smartest marketing gurus we know, including 7 multi-millionaires, about the best ways to increase customer and cash flow for just about any business.
What we got were a variety of fresh, innovative ideas -- and once you read them, you will know that they came from a group of folks who have already made it big in businesses of their own.
The following are the "15 Best" ideas for super charging your business, no matter what kind of business you are in.
1. "SAME-OLD" IS OUT -- Getting attention with something new is in. To get new business, you must strive to be innovative and dramatic. For example, an insurance agency, offered "the biggest steak dinner in town" if it couldn't save any person money on their car insurance. This challenge was enough to make the telephone start ringing off the hook for days at a time. The customer flow was "absolutely crazy" for days. The bottom line: dozens of new insurance buyers and tons of new cash flow -- and all they had to do was fork out the cost for a half dozen steak dinners!
2. TIGHT TARGET MARKETING. The big job in marketing and sales is getting to the right people inside another company. Addressing mail to "Facilities Manager" or printing a "routing slip" on the outside of the envelope is ineffective. Hitting the target is the challenge. Scoring a bull's eye means making contact with the right individuals and is the only way to make the sale. Taking time to be highly targeted in business communication is essential.
3. BE MORE CREATIVE. Pushing direct-mail pieces out the door or sending the newsletter to the mail room isn't doing the job.
Ask yourself: "Will anyone be intrigued enough to read the mailer--before tossing it in the wastebasket?" Ask the same question about the company newsletter. A highly creative approach is necessary to be different and distinctive. Creativity costs money. But, if more people read the ad, take time with the newsletter or decide that the offer in a mailer makes sense, you have accomplished the goal.
4. FOCUS ON WHAT CUSTOMERS CARE ABOUT. After listening to the admissions director talk about what should be shown in the school's new recruiting video, the marketing consultant asked, "Is this what parents and prospective students are interested in knowing?" Suddenly, everyone became less confident. Someone suggested asking the student tour guides what questions the visiting parents and kids asked? Whether creating an ad, a brochure, or a sales presentation, knowing what the customer wants needs and expects is what works.
5. TELL CUSTOMERS HOW TO THINK ABOUT YOUR COMPANY. We come to conclusions by making comparisons. If you don't let customers and prospects know why it is in their best interests to do business with you or buy your product, they won't. The rating of life insurance companies makes an impact on customers. The J.D. Powers' customer-satisfaction survey on cars and personal computer manufacturers influences buying behavior. Wise companies spend time and effort consciously influencing the way they are perceived by customers, prospects, bankers and stockholders.