Posts by Steve Stroum
Product Publicity is Powerful and Versatile
Product news releases have always been the most powerful marketing tool. Today, however, they are even more powerful because, in addition to editors and web hosts telling your story for you, the internet lets you tell your story directly to potential customers
Read MoreIt Doesn’t Hurt to Have a Lucky Push
My first sale was to a company I interviewed with for a sales management position. I was candid with the president of American Career Planning Services, Inc. at that interview and mentioned that I might start my own business.
Read MoreWhy Most Product Publicity Fails
There are numerous reasons why product publicity fails to get results. The first is that companies don’t pursue it. If you don’t swing the bat, you can’t get a hit!
Read MoreSolutions Marketing
B2B Magazine has finally recognized a marketing technique which has been a major reason for Venmark International’s success since 1977.
Read MoreBrand Your Small Company
“A great brand raises the bar. It adds a greater sense of purpose to the experience, whether it’s a brand challenge to do your best in sports or fitness [like Nike], or the affirmation that the cup of coffee you’re drinking really matters,” said Howard Schultz, Starbucks Chairman.
Read MoreGlobal Marketing with Product Publicity
Small manufacturers are frequently intimidated by the idea of international business. They’ve heard horror stories about letters of credit, payment delays, lost shipments, the cost of advertising support, and other issues.
Read MoreLawyer or Businessman in the White House: There’s a Huge Difference
Frankly, I don’t recall whether I read this or heard it. So, don’t accuse me of plagiarism. However, if you think about it, a lawyer is an expert you go to when you need help. He or she is trained and conditioned that they are experts who know what is best for you.
Read MoreChoose Your Marketing Medicine Wisely
I have a bad back. It happened back in ’97. Anyone who has had a back episode knows how debilitating the pain is. Over the years, I’ve had many different evaluations and treatments administered from The Lahey Clinic, New England Baptist Hospital Spine Center, Newton-Wellesley Hospital Spine Center, orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists,…
Read MoreProduct Publicity, B2B Marketing and the Web
Sean Callahan, Media Editor at BtoB Magazine, in an article entitled “Content marketing becoming vital,” wrote, “In the days before the internet, advertising was the driving force in most marketing departments. Today, however, with the advent of company websites and the rise of social media marketers have been able to move their content to the…
Read MoreThe Key to Success: Know What You Don’t Know
Regarded by the Wall Street Journal as “The dean of America’s business and management philosophers,” Peter F. Drucker wrote in his book Innovation and Entrepreneurship that “Entrepreneurship is ‘risky’ mainly because so few of the so-called entrepreneurs know what they are doing.
Read MoreWhen Your Prospect is Ready to Buy, Will You be In Front of Them?
Regardless of how effective a salesperson you are, the events that stimulate a prospective customer’s buying behavior are outside of your control.
Read MoreToo Bad You Can’t Hire Your First Boss
Most of us have purchased an automobile. I don’t think anyone would argue that you’re at a huge disadvantage because it is something you do infrequently and the car salesman, especially the sales manager, does it every day. If you’re an above average negotiator, the best you can hope for is a fair deal.
Read MoreSuccess is Very Infectious
Your greatest strength is always your greatest weakness. Imagine Tom Brady just relying on his field skills instead of studying the opposition, preparing a good game plan, and then executing. He’d get his butt kicked!
Read MoreThe Great Irony of Publicity
Among the greatest challenges I’ve faced over the past 35 years in working with smaller manufacturers and distributors are the misconceptions about what product publicity can achieve for them. This is because publicity has always been viewed as a fringe function
Read MoreProduct Publicity Attracts and Supports Distributors
What follows is actual feedback I’ve received from clients which describes the impact that properly executed product publicity campaigns have had on their businesses beyond getting exposure in magazines and on the web.
Read MoreCreate a One-Two Sales Knockout Punch
The events that stimulate a prospective customers’ buying behavior are outside of your control; regardless of how great a sales team you have. If a prospective customer doesn’t perceive a need for what you are selling, you can call on them until you are blue in the face without success.
Read MoreWhy Should Someone Buy from You?
Creating a sales presentation and executing it lets you really understand who you are, what you are selling, the benefits you provide to a prospective customer, and why they should buy from you.
Read MoreOffice Mates Aren’t Your Friends
Back in the early seventies, I was the first Northeastern University co-operative education student ever to hold a field sales position at the Paul Revere Insurance Company. It was an opportunity I created for myself.
Read MorePlan Your Work and Work Your Plan
Starting a business can be a very scary experience, especially if you are a working-class kid trying to realize the American Dream. That was me over 35 years ago and I remember saying to myself, “If I was a farmer back in the early 1900s, I’d have to
Read MoreWould I Have Received the Job Offer?
Back in the mid-seventies when I was a young man interviewing for a sales manager position at a fax machine company (brand new technology then) that I don’t recall because, after all, that was long ago,
Read MoreIt isn’t What People Say That Matters, It is What They Mean
I remember when I started my career as a Brokerage Supervisor for The Paul Revere Insurance Company, my job was calling on life insurance salesmen for other companies to persuade them to sell our disability income insurance to their clients.
Read MoreContent Marketing
A recent headline in BtoB Marketing Magazine (Feb. 2012) read, “Content marketing becoming vital.” It relates to the growth of search and social media and the impact of blogs and websites on marketing today.
Read MoreVenmark Recognized by Media as Source of Information About Small Companies
In order to get the most publicity for our small business clients, I had to assure that Venmark International would be a “source of information” for media outlets around the world. Getting that validation would not be an easy task.
Read MoreBest way to Support Vendors
What follows is actual feedback that I received from a client which describes the impact that properly executed product publicity campaigns have had on their businesses beyond getting exposure in magazines and on the web.
Read MoreWe Provide a Service, We Don’t Sell a Product
If I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that phrase my income would rival Mitt Romney’s. Virtually every job shop in our client base started out believing that.
Read MoreProfit is an Essential Condition of Success
“In business the earning of profit is something more than an incident of success. It is an essential condition of success; because the continued absence of profit itself spells failure.
Read MoreYou Can’t Fool Dogs and Small Children
That was one of my father’s favorite lines. And it is true. The pure sensibilities of dogs and small children are noteworthy.
Read MoreAttitude and Altitude are Keys to Success
“The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.”
Read MoreVenmark International Celebrates 35th Anniversary
Venmark International, a firm specializing in publicizing products, applications, awards, and events for small- and medium-sized technical, industrial, and commercial firms is celebrating its thirty-fifth year in business.
Read MoreEditorial Integrity Matters More Than Ever Today
“Separation of church and state” in the trade media has always been a great editorial tradition. In other words, news and other editorial information are published based upon merits and not influential advertisers.
Read More