About Us
We focus on effective marketing. In a nutshell, that means understanding your customers or potential customers and--this is key--what they want. What's motivating them. We also design messages that respect the customer/potential customer.
Our partners: Don--MA in journalism, Accredited in Public Relations (PRSA), 35+ years writing, editing, and marketing. Has written everything from brochures to books. Also: Licensed real estate agent and Realtor. Producer at Fairfax Public Access, a local public access television station.
David--BS in psychology. Certified personal trainer. Competitive martial arts athlete: Brazilian jiu jitsu (black belt), grappling, wrestling, judo, kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts (5-1 record). Martial arts instructor.
Diane--MS in Information Systems Technology.
The products and services we offer
Products & Services
Brief (60-120 second) videos, either with live spokespersons or animated, explaining the product or service offered by a company. See, for example,...
Blogs, marketing materials, articles, and videos—your customers can't get enough content. We can help you keep up. Black Belt Solutions offers a fu...
A fresh pair of eyes can help clear up your prose, find and eliminate errors, and ensure your writing is clear of distracting mistakes. Black Belt ...
Recent Activity
{SIGH}
"Stop.paying for people to stay at home on unemployment!"
"Need more emergency funding to keep the doors open."
"Place a term on unemployment benefits."
"Reducing both taxes and Regulations will stimulate the growth of small businesses."
So if I understand these comments, it comes...
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{SIGH}
"Stop.paying for people to stay at home on unemployment!"
"Need more emergency funding to keep the doors open."
"Place a term on unemployment benefits."
"Reducing both taxes and Regulations will stimulate the growth of small businesses."
So if I understand these comments, it comes down to "Give us more money" and "Get those bums back to work."
Nice!
After four years of the current administration, I think we have to address some of the basics. On the legislative front, how about a Congress that doesn't consistently vote the party line, but one composed of generally thoughtful people from across the political spectrum who can debate, who listen to the other side, and make their decisions based on their judgment and with input from their constituents.
On the judicial front, how about the appointment of more-or-less moderates who will weigh the facts of the case in the context of the Constitution and the world in the 21st Century? Not appointees whose appointment is designed solely to achieve a political goal. To support the results of an election that hasn't even been held yet.
On the executive front, how about Cabinet officers directed to operate their agencies more efficiently and to the benefit of the public? And at the highest level, someone who is respected for his or her reasoning, his/her willingness to consider a full range of opinions, and who can be respected as a person and a leader...and someone we can let our kids listen to without worrying what we're going to have to "bleep out." Or explaining to our kids what he meant when he said there are good people on both sides...or when he simultaneously disclaimed knowledge of a fringe group while praising it for opposing pedophilia. Or apparently directing the Postal Service to disassemble sorting machines to kneecap efforts at mail-in voting.
I get it that the question asked "What issues that affect small business would you like to see prioritized?" But I'd argue that an honest government working for the benefit of the people, recognizing both the words and intent of the Constitution while acknowledging that the document was written hundreds of years ago also are issues that affect small business. A vindictive leader with his Congressional followers marching along unquestioningly does not serve the interests of small business...or any business...or American citizens.
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While I'm sympathetic toward all the companies negatively affected--my son, a personal trainer, was out of work for months because all gyms were shut down--I see it largely as wasted money at best, and craven politics at worse. Why wasted money? Most small businesses got little or none of the...
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While I'm sympathetic toward all the companies negatively affected--my son, a personal trainer, was out of work for months because all gyms were shut down--I see it largely as wasted money at best, and craven politics at worse. Why wasted money? Most small businesses got little or none of the stimulus money. And more important, without a plan to overcome COVID-19 and rebuild the country, it's just wasted money. It's like people whose basements get flooded every time it rains. They complain, they're unhappy, but without fixing the problem the flooding will continue.
You've got to fix (or at least seriously address) the problem . . . not do the equivalent of putting a BandAid on a deep knife wound. And this Administration has fought long and hard against vaccinations. Trump was against them since 2012, and perhaps earlier.
The latest Administration strategy seems to be "herd immunity"--allowing people to become infected (the death rate is around 3%, with survivors with long-term effects another whole group) in order to develop immunity (possible, but as yet unproven).
Point is: Handing money out--even if it makes its way to smaller, deserving companies--won't help if the underlying cause (COVID-19) isn't effectively addressed.
My best advice?
Tell your friend to work in the food business for a minimum of two years before trying to start or run a business there. And your friend should work in a place as similar as possible to what she's planning to do. For example, if she's planning on operating a Mexican food truck,...
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My best advice?
Tell your friend to work in the food business for a minimum of two years before trying to start or run a business there. And your friend should work in a place as similar as possible to what she's planning to do. For example, if she's planning on operating a Mexican food truck, she ought to find a job with a food truck, not an upscale bricks-and-mortar restaurant.
From your question, it appears your friend doesn't even know whether he/she wants to operate a food truck, a small restaurant, or offer online catering. That's a guaranteed recipe for disaster.
Tell you what. Tell him/her to get a job in a small restaurant. If that doesn't work out well, then your friend should work in a food truck operation. I definitely would advise starting out with online catering. (There's no low-risk way to get the experience that's necessary.)
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I may be a contrarian, but the question--while relevant--overlooks the bigger issue of the problem itself and how to address it.
Let's get the initial question out of the way: You respond online with a sincere apology and (if true) explain how what happened was an anomaly and not the standard...
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I may be a contrarian, but the question--while relevant--overlooks the bigger issue of the problem itself and how to address it.
Let's get the initial question out of the way: You respond online with a sincere apology and (if true) explain how what happened was an anomaly and not the standard you've set for your establishment. And, okay, you can try flooding the review site with positive reviews. If you wish, reach out to the specific customer and express your apology directly. Those are all good, positive steps.
There. That answers the question. But it doesn't solve your problem.
Your problem is: If the complaint is accurate, you've got a real problem in your restaurant. I'm not a serial complainer, but I do complain--in person when possible and online--when something goes wrong. I don't do it if a server just is slow or gets an order wrong. But in a few recent cases:
-->My son and I were at a sports bar watching a sporting event. But, even though this was a major event, the sound for this event was muted (unlike normal). We asked the server if the sound could be turned up. She knew it was inaudible. A bit later, the "manager" comes out, remote control in hand, and "boosts" the sound from mute to barely audible. We actually changed tables to move close enough to hear any sound.
-->My son and I were watching another sporting event and there were some clearly drunk, rowdy, and threatening customers. The restaurant bills itself as a family place. The manager did nothing to help control the situation.
-->Our family had attended several extended family get-togethers at a fairly well-known restaurant. (Back in the 1980s, it was popular with Ronald and Nancy Reagan.) Each time, the food was absolutely terrible. Cooked improperly, far too heavily salted. Just really bad. And the service was consistently poor.
I could describe a few more.
The point is: These are management problems. And it's not just affecting me. Other customers are exposed to the same problems and having the same bad experiences. Many/most of them probably don't complain. Meanwhile, those problems are driving customers away.
So: An online complaint isn't just a public relations issue to be managed. It's possibly--as another answer here correctly observes--the tip of an iceberg. Your customers are being driven away, and you may not even know it.
So, sure. Go ahead and make a public apology. Reach out to the customer individually. Make sure your good reviews get posted. But don't hide your head in the sand and ignore the underlying issue. Most important:
FIX THE PROBLEM.
Not so much "new" trends but rather intensified or refined trends.
1: Far more targeted marketing. Example: My family belongs to one of those warehouse stores. The selection is somewhat limited, but the quantities are large and the price per unit is cheap. I received a nice glossy sales brochure...
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Not so much "new" trends but rather intensified or refined trends.
1: Far more targeted marketing. Example: My family belongs to one of those warehouse stores. The selection is somewhat limited, but the quantities are large and the price per unit is cheap. I received a nice glossy sales brochure from the store a few months ago and initially thought, "Wow. We actually buy a lot of that stuff." Then I paid closer attention. We buy all that stuff. The brochure used variable data based on our past purchases to advertise items they knew we bought. It looked like any other brochure, but it clearly contained items the store knew we'd bought before. Another example: I do real estate marketing. I use several companies that can insert variable data. Based on public data, I can finely tune my pitch--separately--to each of several thousand people I mail to.
2: Far more targeted video and television marketing. Similar to the above, many sites already use cookies to record your interest. Then, when you visit another site, you get ads targeted specifically to you. But those are primarily based on your having visited another site previously. Otherwise, the sites (and TV shows) show ads that, based on the demographics of viewers, they think will appeal to you. But that's just informed guesswork. You'll soon start seeing ads that really are designed for and targeted at you. (Confession: I'd had an interesting idea for an invention that would insert customized commercials in television shows, based on the viewer's demographics. I did a quick online search of patents at the Patent and Trademark Office and saw that pretty much my exact idea had already been patented, along with some bells and whistles I hadn't even thought of. Want to guess who the patent holder is? Google. Seriously.)
3. More deceptive and junk marketing. Over the past few years, we've seen an explosion of spam, junk phone calls, and the like. We've seen the rapid growth of ringless voice mail (another answer here refers to it). We see phone number spoofing. I'm not even talking about outright scams. Why do companies engage in those practices? Because it works. It produces a positive return on investment. And why don't phone companies, ISPs, and others crack down on those practices? Despite their protestations, it's all about the money. The technology exists to put an end to virtually all of the spam and junk. The service providers--again, despite their claims--won't implement it. So long as they allow it to continue, and so long as those marketers are making money with those efforts, it'll keep growing.
4. More skeptical, and even hostile, consumers. See Point 3, above, regarding the explosion in spam and junk phone calls. The drop in the number of consumers with home landlines isn't just a reflection of the love of smart phones. It's also an indication that home landlines provide far more value to junk callers than they do to the home's residents. And allow me to include elements of our current political situation. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, you've heard plenty about "fake news." That skepticism--even hostility--seeps into all areas of our society. When you're marketing a widget to a consumer--or even a business--you're going to be met more often with the purchasing equivalent of "fake news." What you're peddling may fall into the realm of "fake."
Those are just four of the marketing trends that will become more prominent in 2020.
It's difficult to keep it to "#1 thing." Here are three that have proved particularly true for me this year.
Deliver on what's asked/expected of you. But don't expect to be rewarded, compensated, or acknowledged for doing things--even doing them extremely well--if those things aren't what's...
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It's difficult to keep it to "#1 thing." Here are three that have proved particularly true for me this year.
Deliver on what's asked/expected of you. But don't expect to be rewarded, compensated, or acknowledged for doing things--even doing them extremely well--if those things aren't what's being asked or expected of you.
If you're getting evasive, confusing, or a string of "we'll look into that" answers from a person or company--even a person with great credentials or a highly-respected company--there's something wrong. Don't expect the situation to improve with time. It'll only get worse.
The advice of even very good marketing consultants may not work for you because of your client mix, your (or their) price points, your geographic location, your brand, or something else. No, your company isn't unique. You've got plenty in common with others. But it may be different enough that generally good advice won't work for you. Pay attention to your gut, and know when to move on with another strategy.
It depends on whether the topics is in some way related to Alignable (marketing, small business, etc.) or any topic on the face of the earth.
Here are a few I know about and feel strongly about:
Technology (websites, Twitter, LinkedIn) is just a method of communicating. It's a means, not the...
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It depends on whether the topics is in some way related to Alignable (marketing, small business, etc.) or any topic on the face of the earth.
Here are a few I know about and feel strongly about:
Technology (websites, Twitter, LinkedIn) is just a method of communicating. It's a means, not the end. People frequently confuse the two.
Marketing should be targeted and speak to specific identifiable markets. You can't be all things to all people. If someone claims, "I know the best marketing method," run away. Fast.
America's healthcare system is horribly messed up, perhaps fatally flawed. It's all about the money: Charging as much as possible and spending/delivering services as little as possible. And selling drugs. And hiding the true cost of services. Despite all the talk about preventive healthcare (which, yes, can save a lot of money while keeping people healthier), it's still mostly talk and very little action.
While owning real estate is fine for most people, it shouldn't be "the American Dream." Many people are far better off renting than buying. [And I write this as a Realtor and a real estate investor.]
Immediately stop pursuing the prospect. Otherwise, if you land him/her as a client, you'll constantly be taken advantage of. (Not just "at a disadvantage," but being taken advantage of. You'll be playing by one set of rules and the client by another.)
As for advice to have a clear contract and...
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Immediately stop pursuing the prospect. Otherwise, if you land him/her as a client, you'll constantly be taken advantage of. (Not just "at a disadvantage," but being taken advantage of. You'll be playing by one set of rules and the client by another.)
As for advice to have a clear contract and to document everything . . . forget it. That can work for an honest client. That may be good advice for a new client. But for a compulsive liar: So what if you have a clear, even iron-clad, contract? Suppose the client owes you $10,000 and you can absolutely show that it's owed. (You've got the contract. You have witnesses. You've contemporaneously kept meticulous records of all communications and all the modifications in the agreement.) But he/she is lying about some critical factor.
What's your option?
Take the client to court.
Now let's starting up the expenses:
Your time and attention to gathering the information. The time and attention of anyone else in the firm. The interruption in your cash flow, perhaps leading to your inability to pay your vendors or meet payroll. The cost of an attorney. The risk that the judge or the jury may, for some inexplicable reason, find for you client, not you. So you end up with a judgment. Now you may have to go through similar steps to try to collect what's owed you.
Remember: This isn't a legitimate dispute with a client. This is a dispute with a "compulsive liar." One who'll lie for his/her own benefit, or just because the client is a compulsive liar.
All that is reason enough to disengage as quickly as possible from a client you determine to be a compulsive liar. But when that person isn't even a client, but just a prospect? Break contact off immediately.
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This isn't a plug, but Long & Foster Realtors just announced a program to allow its agents to offer home automation services. I wouldn't be surprised if other brokerages have (or soon will have) something similar.
One question to consider is: Do you approach individual agents, or do you...
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This isn't a plug, but Long & Foster Realtors just announced a program to allow its agents to offer home automation services. I wouldn't be surprised if other brokerages have (or soon will have) something similar.
One question to consider is: Do you approach individual agents, or do you approach the company itself?
Another question: Do you approach sellers or buyers? The linked article suggests sellers, as does your question. If so, you'll have to demonstrate that the additional cost will be worth it, either in a higher sales price or in a quicker sale. That may be difficult to do. My gut instinct suggests approaching buyers. Furniture and home furnishing companies do this, as do many other types of companies that market to new home buyers. I also certainly could see working with a company that, for examples, that wires houses for music or sets up "man caves"--if they haven't already moved into this niche.
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My son's a personal trainer, so I'm particularly interested in this question. And I've been very interested in the answers. Wendy: You suggested that perhaps your question wasn't clear after two answers seemed to misinterpret it (thinking the person would be working out in the gym...even though...
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My son's a personal trainer, so I'm particularly interested in this question. And I've been very interested in the answers. Wendy: You suggested that perhaps your question wasn't clear after two answers seemed to misinterpret it (thinking the person would be working out in the gym...even though you'd said in your question "instead of the trainer coming to your home"). No, your question was very clear. The problem is that some people aren't grasping the concept. And that's a problem. If you tried to market the idea, you'd have a segment of your target audience quickly rejecting the idea (as did those two here) because they think you're talking about something else. And there's another problem: Several answers seem to see no value in a 1-on-1 training situation. Notice those references to DVDs and YouTube videos...saying they can get the same benefit from those? They don't see the value to having someone make sure you're doing the exercise properly. Or adjusting the number of repetitions for the specific client. (My son was complaining about that just last night--that people think they can watch a YouTube video and get the same benefit.) My opinion: There's a definite value in 1-on-1 coaching. But I also think Jenn makes a good point about the tactile feedback being valuable. And the feedback vis-a-vis yoga is also good. You'd lose a lot by doing the sessions over Skype--there would be some things you couldn't do at all either because of the danger or because the client wouldn't have the equipment. And it often does help to observe the person from different angles. Using Skype could fill the gap between real personal training in a gym and just watching YouTube videos or DVDs. So I wouldn't give up on the idea. Just understand what its benefits and weaknesses are. i'd also suggest targeting certain client segments. One that immediately comes to mind are the elderly. They're not generally going to need the sophisticated gym equipment. They can do a lot with a chair (sitting, standing, squatting) and some weights. (If the don't have weights, canned food works well.) And so on. That's just one example. But I think you'll do best if, rather than simply seeing and marketing the service as a substitute for a personal trainer in a gym, you emphasize its strengths, both in your marketing and by targeting the right clients.
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