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Recently, I was interviewed by Mark McRae, CEO of Eagle & Cross Marketing Pty Ltd, out of Australia, who conducted one of the most impactful (and fun!) interviews I've ever been a part of! It's a far-reaching, but in-depth interview, with focus on Marketing and Mergers & Acquisitions, but we range to topics of life, social media, success, failure and more. Topics include:
Thank you for watching!
If you enjoyed this interview, please feel free to leave a comment below!
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Even if you aren't a professional speaker, an actor, or a social media “influencer”...if you are a business owner, no matter where you are, consider yourself “on stage”. Why? Because one never knows when or where you will meet your next customer, business partner, employee, or friend. Case in point... It was ten years ago this week, and I was on my way to Long Branch, New Jersey to deliver a social media marketing presentation to over 500 entrepreneurs. (Yes, I've been doing social media marketing for that long, and even longer!) The best way to get to Long Branch from my home in the Midwest was via a flight to Newark, and then a 2 hour train ride from the airport to the “Jersey Shore” of Long Branch, NJ. My flight arrived late in the evening, so when I boarded the train, it was already dark. I'm a “read my book and mind my own business” kind of traveler, so that's what I was doing as the train was rolling southward. BUT, I do make it a deliberate practice to maintain situational awareness at all times. It wasn't long before my senses were tingling, telling me something was off. Looking around, I noticed a group of not-so-savory-looking characters had boarded the train car. I also noticed that several rows in front of me sat a couple of young ladies who appeared to be VERY uncomfortable with the darkness outside the train...and even less comfortable with the sudden new passengers inside the train. I decided to gather up my things and move seats. I wasn't sure if me moving closer to the fair travelers would make their discomfort situation worse, but I figured if didn't matter. I strive to be the guy who can be relied upon in an emergency, so if something happened, I wanted to be in the right position to react and intercept. After a few minutes, I broke the ice with the ladies traveling together. We had a nice talk, and it turns out they were business owners traveling to the very same event where I was headed to speak and coach! Nothing bad actually happened that night...so the three of us chatted the evening away as the train rolled down the tracks... A few days later, when I was on that stage, guess who was clapping and cheering the loudest? That's right, the wonderful people I met on the train before I ever knew they would be students at the seminar! You just never know where, when or how you will meet someone important to your business. So treat everyone you meet with kindness, respect, and dignity. Your kindness will be returned. In my case it was validated with applause, but in your case it may be something even more valuable to your business. As I mentioned in the beginning of this story, this true event took place a decade ago. Just this week, one of those ladies from the train reached out to me and said “I've told the story many, many times of the nice man who made me feel safe on a very scary evening in New Jersey.” I was so honored that a decade later she was still telling stories about some random guy on a train. She gave me permission to share this story, as well as her original post about it (see below). So I wanted to recognize her. Her name is Robin Mcintire, and she is a successful wellness coach for women. Check Robin's business out at https://robinmcintire.com, and let her know “that guy from the train in New Jersey told me about you”!   Today I was featured in a two-part article series titled “How to access business funds during COVID-19 recovery—and beyond”
The two articles in the series are broken up into “traditional” and "alternative" sources of funds. The traditional funding includes:
The second part of the series focuses on “Alternative” types of funding for your business, including:
Even though the publication featuring these tips is focused on the natural product industry, the advice contained within can apply to ANY business. Give it a read, and let me know what you think in the comments below. May I help you? If your business is struggling, I may be able to help. I've teamed up with a number of investors, and we have strategic investment funds available. Our goal is to rescue companies, save jobs, and help entrepreneurs and small businesses who are largely being ignored right now. If this sounds like something of interest for your business, please click here to contact me for a confidential, no-obligation conversation.  Once in a lifetime media opportunities? Seriously Marty? Yes indeed. Let me explain... Current events have caused advertising media to change literally overnight, as BILLIONS of dollars in ad money was canceled by brands that have been forced by the government to close up shop. Think about how many movie trailers, restaurants, car dealerships, big box retailers, airlines, hotels, travel destinations, and so many others had to turn off their advertising without notice. That's caused a MASSIVE inventory of available ad space, and that space is selling cheap as media outlets scramble for every dollar they can get to replace it. If your business is lucky/blessed enough to be open right now, this is your opportunity to get advertising for pennies on the dollar and GROW your business. Some examples...
What if your business is closed or restricted right now? There may still be opportunity to benefit from these once in a lifetime media rates. Some businesses I'm working with don't have a product or service that can be delivered/provided during the shut-down, but they are still aggressively marketing right now in order to build a prospect lead list, so when things open up, they'll be poised to make up for the revenue they've lost during the shutdown. One client I'm working with started a lead-gen campaign last week, and in just 3 days, had 40,000 new email leads in their funnel to nurture for later! If you want to chat about how your business might benefit in these unprecedented times, fill out the contact form below to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. About a decade ago, I was working on a web project with video editor and producer Bruce Feagle, when he said something that struck me like a bolt of lighting: “You can have good, fast, or cheap. But you can only pick two” Over the years, I have quoted that line to clients, vendors, employees and business partners. Sometimes I’ve had to choose good and cheap, but it wasn’t fast. Other times I’ve had to explain to a client that he could have something good and fast, but it won’t be cheap. Whether it’s producing infomercials, creating web sites, or crafting multi-million dollar marketing campaigns, I’ve seen rare exception where you didn’t have to pick two out of the three. Heck, some days I’d be happy just to have any ONE of the three qualities delivered to me by a service or product supplier. Yesterday, one of my social media connections Issamar Ginzberg posted a cool graphic he had designed which clearly articulates this concept. He gave me permission to share:  This graphic is Issamar’s variation of the “Project Triangle” aka “Project Management Triangle”. Click to read more in Wikipedia.
So what do you think? Do you agree with the Good / Fast / Cheap philosophy? Why or why not? Please leave your thoughts and experiences with Good / Fast / Cheap below in the comments section. This question was posted on my Facebook wall today. The answer was a bit more extensive than I wanted to post on Facebook, so I’m reposting the original question (along with my answer) here for all to read and comment…  Question: Is there a difference between non-profit and not for profit? I would love to do a foundation but I know my partner would like to make enough to decrease her hours at the office and put her hours into the business. What are your thoughts? Answer: For many people, the terms “non-profit” and “not for profit” are interchangeable. However, there can be subtle differences between the two. A “Nonprofit” is generally an organization with a 501(c)3 IRS designation which allows them to receive charitable donations, and have the donor claim such donations on their taxes. Most non-profit organizations are formed around a “cause” or area of focus such as Salvation Army helping the poor, Boy Scouts of America training tomorrow’s leaders, or your local Sertoma civic club promoting hearing health and awareness across the country. A “not for profit” is an entity which exists to serve a community or cause, but it’s not in the business of soliciting donations, but is rather a more traditionally-run business. The best example of a “not for profit” that I can come up with is a Credit Union. Unlike a bank (blech!), a credit union is charted by and owned by it’s members, so any excess “profit” at the end of the year is returned to it’s members. To answer the second part of your question: Many non-profit and not-for-profit organizations have paid employees, including board members, staff, and even a president. So it is possible to have a “nonprofit” organization that is chartered to serve a community or cause, may receive favorable tax and social benefits AND pays a salary to the founders of the organization itself. **** DISCLAIMER: I am neither a licensed tax adviser nor an attorney. This response is my opinion only, and may or may not be accurate depending on your particular situation. Please consult an attorney and a tax adviser before acting on any advice you read here.
I’ve said it time and time again, the secret to great marketing is being; . . . at the right place, . . . at the right time, . . . with the right message, . . . to the right audience If you hit all four of those, you are pretty much guaranteed to be a success. For example:  Need I say more?
Now go forth and do likewise I’m always on the lookout for examples of businesses that provide something extra in their marketing or customer service so I can share them with you. Who knew I would find it at a Best Western in Branson, Missouri. Researching a recent weekend getaway with my kids, TripAdvisor said the #1 rated hotel in Branson was the Best Western Music Capital Inn. I admit to being a bit suspicious of the results, as my last stay at a Best Western was probably 15 or 20 years ago…and it wasn’t a pleasant one. My impression of Best Western was “cheap, dirty, and thin walls”. However, I have yet to be disappointed in TripAdvisor reviews, so I called the hotel and booked the room. They gave me an excellent rate on a huge family suite…on a holiday weekend no less. We checked in, and the hotel was indeed clean, nice and perfect for our needs. Everything met with expectations and matched the reviews. So what was the “something extra”?  Upon walking into the room, I noticed on the dresser was a Bible open to Proverbs. That open Bible was “Customer Service Distinction #1” as most hotels don’t display the Bible, they just stick it in the nightstand drawer. In fact, I’m noticing more and more hotels doing away with supplying a Bible in the room at all.  Customer Service Distinction #2 was the card that was with the Bible. It read as follows:
To Our Guests In ancient times there was a prayer for “The Stranger Within Our Gates.” Because we care about our guests, we pray that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof. May this room and hotel be your “second” home and may those you love be near you in your thoughts and dreams. May your stay with us be an enjoyable one and may you feel as comfortable as if you were in your own home. Amen. Sincerely, Team Members of Myer Hotels In my 20 years of business travel, I’ve stayed at some of the top hotels in the world, including Ritz Carltons, Mandarin Orientals, and many other 5 star hotels in the U.S. and Asia. I’ve been greeted and made welcome by some of the best trained staff in the world. Yet with a simple gesture, the little Best Western in Branson made me and my kids feel welcome and blessed for staying there. Nice touch. |
AuthorMarty M. Fahncke is an expert in multi-channel direct response marketing with over 30 years experience. Having been involved in marketing campaigns that have generated over one BILLION dollars in sales, Marty has seen what works...and what doesn't. Archives
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