Beverly Sills, America’s best known opera soprano, died yesterday and I was struck by a quote she made during a past New York Times interview.

“I always had a theory that people became a superstar because they could do one thing better than anybody else in the world,” she said. “I think there was an aria in Julius Caesar called ‘Se Pieta,’ and I used to think I sung that aria better than anybody.”

I love that notion - now think about your business. What one thing can you claim to do better than your competition, better than anyone else in the world. You’ve probably got to shed trying to be all things and strip your business down to doing just one thing better than anyone else.

Maybe you already do one thing, maybe you need to figure your one thing out - either way, narrow the focus of your communication to something you can claim to own and own it.

Duct Tape Marketing

Top five expressions people use when they are talking about networking that can make you cringe:

1. Schmoozing — this word makes networking seem so slimy and insincere. Networking is about teaching your contacts to believe in your character and competence so they want to work with you, send business your way or hire you
2. 30 Second Commercial — while you want to “sell yourself” you don’t want to appear as too much of a hard sell
3. Pick Your Brains — this expression makes the authors think of vultures coming in for the kill; and wish that people would instead say “I’d like to get your thoughts about something.”
4. Work a Room — this phrase sounds as if you intend to work people over and take all you can. Instead, focus on listening and showing others what they can count on you for and what kinds of opportunities to send your way.
5. Information Interview — You can make networking a way of life — at professional meetings, backyard barbeques and all kinds of professional and social venues.

All 10 expressions by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon.

powerhomebiz.com

Have you ever planned and implemented a direct marketing campaign only to end up with dead air? Not a single order or even a peep of a response. You’re not alone. But that never has to happen again.

Just register to attend this free seminar from Target Marketing on Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 2pm eastern and they guarantee you will learn how to diagnose weak points in your campaign before you deploy and what to change in under-performing campaigns to make them deliver. Plus,

•

• How to evaluate and hone your media and offer strategies to pump up response rates, lead-quality rates or conversion rates.
• •How to assess each part of your demand generation system to optimize your marketing ROI.

This session is for both B2C and B2B marketers, at companies of all sizes. A live Q&A following the presentation will allow you to get feedback from the experts on your toughest campaign challenges.

Mark your calendar and register now, just go to the Target Marketing site.

Some words used in business names just bring certain connotations to mind, and, it can be enough to make me not go inside and shop.

1. “Today’s”
2. “Modern”
3. “Classy”
4. “Savvy”
5. “Swanky”
6. “Lady”
7. “Tidy”
8. “Charming”
9. “N’ Things”
10. Anything with a “K” where a “C” belongs - If you own “Kountry Klutter Kakes”, I will Kut you.

BusyMom.net

All too often companies spend a lot of time and money developing their logo and the graphic look and feel of their promotional materials - important aspects of effective marketing - while giving only cursory consideration to their marketing message - an equally important component to successfully promoting your business. Development of your marketing message should be given at least equal time as development of the graphic elements or what is commonly referred to as the “look and feel”.

Here is a six step process that will help assure your marketing message will sell.

1. Capture the attention of your target market with a headline that clearly defines who you are talking to.
2. Identify the problems, symptoms, issues, needs and wants of your target market.
3. Provide a brief description of the product.
4. Describe the benefit and the value that the customer will derive from purchasing your product or service.
5. Give your message credibility.
6. Specifically state the action you want the recipient of your message to take.

Follow these six simple steps and you’ll have a marketing message that sells. And the great thing about investing in development of your marketing message - just like your logo - you will be able to - and you will want to - use it in all your promotional materials from your 30 second introduction to your website.

businessknowhow.com

One day in the early 1990’s Diana Duyser of Hollywood, Fla. made herself a grilled- cheese sandwich. Then she gazed down at the brown skillet marks on the bread: “I saw a face looking up at me; it was the Virgin Mary staring back. I was in total shock,” she later told reporters. Diana held on to the sandwich for 10 years — then sold it on eBay for $28,000.

Golden Palace purchased the notorious Virgin Mary cheese sandwich, a haunted walking stick ($65, 000,) and the “mystery envelope?” ($7,600.) More recently the company bought a Britney Spears half-eaten egg salad sandwich and a William Shatner kidney stone.

At first glance it might seem that the folks at Golden Palace have more money than sense — a lot more money. But do they really? The publicity garnered from purchasing these ridiculous items is much better than simply spending money on traditional advertising.

EBay’s home for the absurd is the “Weird Stuff” category that breaks down into three sub-categories: “Slightly Unusual,” “Really Weird,” “Totally Bizarre.” A recent check showed about 12,000 auctions in the three sub-categories.

eCommerce-Guide

With all the talk about the best ways to build backlinks, getting recognized by other bloggers, and “tips & tricks�? for promoting your own blog, it’s easy to forget about one of the simplest and most effective ways of marketing yourself: being friendly.

1. Introduce Yourself & Your Blog.
2. Make Friends via MyBlogLog.
3. Pay it Forward.

People spend so much time trying to learn how to game the system, write the best linkbait, and come up with automated methods for promotion, that they tend to ignore the basic strategy of networking. Be friendly to your fellow bloggers and they’ll be friendly to you.

Net Business Blog