| I would recommend you have a good
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| | handle all the work by myself. I slowly
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| foundation of marketing knowledge before
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| | began to market less to businesses and
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| you begin your business. Reading a copy
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| | more to the residential area. Today I
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| of Guerilla Marketing for the 90's will
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| | don't market to the business sector at
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| give you the proper foundation you need
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| | all, though I still work for my business
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| to plan your marketing strategy
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| | customers that I originally had.After
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| effectively. You don't need the newest
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| | narrowing my focus to only concentrate on
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| edition. Buy it if you want, but you will
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| | the residential sector I began
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| pay several times the price. Good
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| | experimenting with various marketing
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| entrepreneurs get the most for their
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| | methods to effectively reach this sector.
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| money and the important concepts talked
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| | My initial objective was simple. I needed
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| about in the book have not changed much
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| | to inform as many residents as I could
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| since the 90's.In this article I will
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| | that I was here. A friend told me about a
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| talk about what my marketing strategy was
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| | local newspaper that runs once a week and
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| when I was starting out, how it changed
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| | is specific to his community of Dunwoody,
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| over the year, what worked for me and
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| | Georgia. I picked up a copy of the paper
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| what did not and the marketing lessons I
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| | and skimmed through it. The first thing I
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| learned from my experiences.
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| | noticed was that the classifieds section
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| My very first form of marketing was
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| | was clear and easy to read. The headings
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| flyering mailboxes around my neighborhood
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| | and sub headings were clearly defined. I
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| in early 2003, back when I was doing
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| | could easily open up the classifieds
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| computer support only part time. At the
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| | section and quickly locate the category I
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| time I had never picked up a marketing
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| | was looking for. I looked at the computer
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| book and I knew absolutely nothing about
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| | section and saw that there was about 3 or
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| the subject. I only knew that people
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| | four people advertising there already. I
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| needed to know what I was offering. This
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| | sent an email to one of the businesses
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| method was mostly effective in my own
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| | advertising in the computer section
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| condo complex because on each flyer I
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| | asking them how they liked their results
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| wrote " **the name of my complex**
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| | - I did not mention what business I was
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| resident offering computer support for
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| | in. I got a response back from the person
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| **name of my complex**. In this way I
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| | saying they got more new customers from
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| think the flyer did not seem like such an
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| | that paper than from any other. He also
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| intrusion, as each resident was getting
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| | asked me what business I was in so I told
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| the flyer from one of their own
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| | him. I also told him I was grateful for
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| neighbors, not just some everyday
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| | the info he had given me and that I would
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| solicitor. I flyered other complexes but
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| | be happy to share with him what was
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| never matched the success I got in my
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| | working and not working in my own
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| own.Soon after flyering some calls
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| | marketing efforts but I never heard back
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| started coming in. I would go do a job
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| | from the guy. Probably he was miffed that
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| for one household which would often lead
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| | he had helped out a competitor. I don't
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| to referrals and those referrals to
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| | really understand this kind of attitude.
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| referrals. In one case I got a total of
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| | I think that - to a certain degree - if
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| about 6 new customers from just one
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| | businesses help each other out everyone
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| referral. Eventually I grew tired of
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| | wins out in the end. But that's a subject
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| flyering and stopped it altogether. I
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| | for another post.I paid about $60 per
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| always felt very shady while I was doing
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| | month to have a 5 or 6 line ad in this
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| it. Later I found out I was right to feel
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| | paper. I made sure the text in my ad was
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| uncomfortable as a search on the Internet
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| | different from the others. The ads
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| informed me it is illegal to put anything
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| | already running were all offering a very
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| in a mailbox that does not have
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| | braod range of services; business support
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| postage.During the two years that I was
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| | as well as home support. I wrote my ad so
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| doing computer work part time I got all
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| | that it was more specific - my ad
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| my business from flyering and word of
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| | stressed home technology support , not
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| mouth. It was not a lot of business
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| | home and business. I also made sure my
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| because computer support was just a side
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| | website URL was in the ad.During the
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| gig and I didn't have the time devote a
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| | first few months that the ad I ran I was
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| lot of resources to getting more
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| | very pleased with the results. My phone
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| business.When I went completely on my own
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| | was ringing and I was getting some good
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| in January of 2005 I was still not very
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| | business. One thing I noticed during this
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| knowledgeable in marketing and did not
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| | time was that my ad appeared first among
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| have any kind of formal plan or strategy,
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| | the 3 or 4 ads in the computer section.
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| nor did I know what my target market was.
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| | Also the first line in my ad, my business
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| Starting off I figured every sector and
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| | name High Tech Homes, was in bold
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| category was a potential customer. It
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| | lettering. After a few months the
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| didn't matter if it was a fortune 500
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| | response started leveling off and then
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| company, a 4 family house, a 15 employee
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| | diminished altogether. When the responses
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| office or a car dealership. As for
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| | stopped coming I picked up a copy of the
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| services, I thought I would simply offer
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| | paper to see what might be wrong. It
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| anything and everything - from
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| | quickly became clear. I was no longer the
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| installation of DSL Internet in an
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| | first computer business in the section.
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| apartment to setting up an entire IT
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| | Also for some reason the name of my
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| infrastructure for a 20 person office and
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| | business was no longer in bold lettering.
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| everything in between. If someone asked
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| | Without the bold face my ad was more
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| for it and I didn't know how to do it, I
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| | difficult to pick out. By this time
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| would simply learn how to do it or gather
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| | however I was getting enough residual
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| a team to get it done. I attended
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| | business that I did not need to advertise
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| seminars on how to win government
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| | in that paper any more.
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| contracts and made appointments to meet
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| | Anytime I met with a customer I would
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| with certain government officials that
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| | try to gain an insight into their
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| might help me make the right government
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| | consumer behavior by asking my them why
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| contacts, not realizing I did not have
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| | they chose my ad and not the others. If
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| the resources to take 3 and 4 days to
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| | my ad was not the first on the list the
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| write detailed 10-20 page proposals nor
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| | response I usually got was that they
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| the proper business history to win these
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| | simply called the first add on the list
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| contracts. From a marketing standpoint I
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| | and got no answer, at which point they
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| was clearly a ship without a sail.My
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| | moved onto the second ad which was mine.
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| first method of marketing was to simply
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| | From this I learned two things. It helps
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| tell everyone I knew what I was doing. I
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| | to be the first ad in your category, and
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| utilized my parents by getting good leads
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| | the importance of never missing a
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| from them or having them call their
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| | business phone call.I've learned some
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| friends who were business owners to tell
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| | important marketing lessons in the time
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| them about me. This worked out well,
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| | I've been in business.* Try to focus on a
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| landing me my first quality business
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| | niche marketOnce I abandoned the business
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| client; a small office of about 6
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| | sector things got much easier for me. I
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| employees. This client was a good source
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| | was able to focus my marketing efforts
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| of revenue for me in the early days.Next
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| | more effectively.* When advertising in
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| I took a stab at what I would soon find
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| | classified sections, I've found the most
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| out is the toughest form of marketing out
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| | success with papers that have clear and
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| there - cold calling. I now have respect
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| | concise classifieds.The papers that did
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| for anyone able to do this for 8 hours a
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| | the worst for me were ones where the
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| day and be successful at it. I simply do
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| | classifieds section was messy and the
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| not have the patience or the tough skin
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| | major headings and categories were not
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| for it nor do I take the constant
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| | well defined.* Differentiate yourself in
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| rejection well. Most of the businesses I
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| | your advertisingIf your ad is going to
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| called did not have a need for me for one
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| | stand out from all the other ads it is
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| reason or another - they were a franchise
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| | going to have to be different. When
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| and got their IT support from the
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| | forming my strategy for some phone book
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| franchisor, they got their support from
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| | advertising I opened up a copy of the
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| their corporate parent, they had a
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| | phonebook I had and thumbed over to the
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| support agreement with Dell and called
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| | computer section. I was surprised to see
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| them for all their needs. Maybe I would
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| | that almost all the ads looked the same.
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| have found more success with this method
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| | All the businesses were offering the
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| had I stuck with it longer, but I did not
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| | exact same thing - upgrades, virus help,
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| have the patience to put a lot of effort
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| | system crashes, networking, high speed
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| into to it. The funny thing is, on my
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| | internet. Ad after ad, all with the same
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| very first cold call I was able to
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| | services listed in bullet point, all
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| schedule a meeting with a small business
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| | blended together with the occasional
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| located right across the street from
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| | picture of the computer monitor with a
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| where I lived. We had the meeting and to
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| | frowny face or a guy standing over his
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| this day that client is my best business
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| | computer looking frustrated. I fired up
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| customer. Since I landed a great client
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| | Adobe Photoshop and came up with an ad
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| on my very first cold call I started
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| | that is completely different, offering a
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| wondering what everyone was complaining
| |
| | totally different set of services along
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| about with cold calling. Turns out my
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| | with a couple of the usual ones just so
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| next one hundred or so calls landed me
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| | the viewers know that I can do all the
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| nothing and I quickly gave it up.I had
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| | usual stuff as well.* Be creative in your
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| some business customers but was not
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| | advertisingGoing back to my previous
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| having the success I wanted to have in
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| | example, nothing that I saw in the phone
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| this sector. I was growing tired of
| |
| | book was very creative. The ad I made up
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| writing a lot of lengthy proposals for
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| | is very attention grabbing. As I write
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| projects just to be turned down. Looking
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| | this the ad will be coming out this very
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| back one of the problems was that I was
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| | week. While I can't say for sure exactly
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| only one person. I didn't have the
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| | how well it will do, I have a very good
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| resources to hire a full time staff that
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| | feeling about it.If you are starting out
|
| could back me on projects. Instead I was
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| | I hope that what I've written here will
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| trying to rely on hiring associates on a
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| | help you to improve your own marketing
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| contract basis who were already working
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| | strategy. If you have already been in the
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| full time. I didn't feel completely
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| | game for awhile you may be able to concur
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| confident going into meetings to sell
| |
| | with some of the things I've said based
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| large projects or contracts because I
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| | on your own experience. If you have
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| didn't have a full time staff behind me,
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| | anything to add I would like to hear it,
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| and that lack of confidence probably
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| | either in a comment posted here or in an
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| showed through in my presentation.I began
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| | email sent to me. Happy
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| to realize I was having much more success
| |
| | entrepreneuring.Carlos Cabezas writes
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| in the residential and work from home
| |
| | about entrepreneurship and
|
| markets. Since each job was smaller, I
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| | solopreneurship on his web site, He runs
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| didn't have to spend hours or days
| |
| | solo computer business called High Tech
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| writing a proposal for each job. I felt
| |
| | Homes and an online training and tutoring
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| more confident because I could easily
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| | business called MyOnlineTutor.net.
|
