We are looking for a catchy tag line for a medical mobile imaging business. We go to doctor’s offices, nursing homes and small hospitals and provide ultrasound and imaging services for their patients.Convenient for the doctors and patients.

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Jay’s Answer: Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Testing Convenience For Your Patients
• Imagine No More Waiting.
• Bring Imaging Service In-House
• Get Results Quicker. Fast and Easy.

I work for a small english charity that sells aids and adaptations to blind/partially sighted people – I am their fundraiser. We currently knock out the gear from 3 geographically separate offices – sight centres. These need to stay, because it is important that clients get to try equipment before they pay, but attendance is very poor and sales low. V. expensive.

Its expensive and my budget isn’t up to it – what’s the best way to make a case for this so my budget is upped next year?

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Jay’s Answer: The success of your advertising is based on many variables: your copy, your target market, the quality of your targeted list, etc.

Instead of trying to start with a big campaign, start with a smaller test case (and work to improve the ROI of the campaign over time). As you figure out what message works, then grow the test cases into larger areas (bootstrapping yourself as necessary).

Also, instead of sending out catalogs, you might consider sending out stories. Don’t forget that some great recent stories may make great PR for your local media (and a no cost to your organization). At Xmas, tell stories about Xmas. At Fathers’/Mothers’ Day, tell stories about fathers and mothers, etc.

I have a huge opportunity with a potential new client. We are a marketing firm (small but growing) and have been called into give a big presentation to a proposal we submitted.

The thing is… I need to be unique and fun about it. This is an organization similar to a zoo. Their whole environment is unique, fun and kid friendly. I don’t want to come in a do a try presentation about our services and proposal.

Do you have any ideas about what I can bring, how I can get creative about this?

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Jay’s Answer: There’s a balance between effective presentation and over-the-top creative.

Your #1 goal is to win the job. Presumably you’ve done your homework, known their business/marketing strategy, and created a plan that balances their resources with their goals.

The creative that you add must not detract from your core message (by making it about your company). Ideally, the creative should help the company be able to experience your marketing ideas through both the eyes of their company AND through the eyes of their target audience. For example, if you can find video footage of their audience experiencing the message (perhaps for a different company/product).

Gimmicks can easily come across as gimmicky. Consider making a segment of your presentation using your words, but with children’s voices.

I am going to school to become a wedding and event planner, and i need help coming up with a name that is unique,and a lot of other business don’t have.

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Jay’s Answer: Believe it or not, a business name is one of the last things I tell my clients to create (yet it’s often the first thing people want to create). Why? Because the name needs to appeal to your target customers. (For more information read my previous article on creating a marketing strategy )

If you’ve clearly identified your target market, what offering you have that’s different/better than the competition, and why you should be trusted.

But wait. You’re in school now, and want to start somewhere. You’re new, don’t have the contacts, list of glowing testimonials, nor a good understanding (perhaps) of the whole wedding/event planning business.

So you start by picking a specific area you want to focus on. It turns out that saying “I can plan any event” is much less interesting to prospective clients than saying, “I specialize in weddings for 40-year-olds who are getting re-married in the Greater Boston area”. But won’t you lose out on clients who aren’t 40-something, or are getting married for the first time, or even a business that wants you to plan their holiday extravanganza? No – you wouldn’t be getting their business in the first place. People are looking for specialists. When you think you’ve broken a bone, who do you see: a general doctor or a orthopedist? You pick the specialist to match the problem.

You wanted a unique name. That’s not as important as you think. It’s not about the name – it’s about the marketing plan of that business. “Secmele’s Wedding Planning” could be as good as name as “Weddings Galore” or even “Corporate Shindigs”. It all depends on your clients first, and your marketing positioning.

We are starting an integral home services company. Services include:plumbing, gardening, electric, general maintenance, repairs, cleaning, etc) Our prospective clients are middle to high income homes and small business as well as apartments and condos. We are trying to get customers that would pay a little more than regular service companies, in exchange for a good service, good presentations, security, and punctuality. Could you give us some ideas of good taglines?

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Jay’s Answer: Here are some tagline ideas to play with:

• Service Beyond Your Expectations
• 4 Star Service For Your Everyday Needs
• Your Property Is Our #1 Concern

I have recently applied (& failed) for an Assistant lecturer’s position in Marketing. I failed in part due to my lack of publications (i.e. I haven’t any publications). I have 6 years marketing experience + a first class honours Business & Marketing degree. I currently don’t have anything written or research topics or contacts in the publishing world.

So I am looking for advice for: identifying a suitable topic and actually getting published.

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Jay’s Answer: You’ll want to find a topic that is your “sweet spot” – something that you’re passionate (or at least interested) in AND is something that others care about also. What is important is that your opinion needs to me more than “yes, I agree with the common wisdom” – it needs to either enhance the current thinking or show why the common thinking is wrong. Ideally, you don’t want just your opinion – you need data that proves your thesis. And if you have a topic is that’s really juicy, you can publish your thoughts from many different angles: as it applies to corporations, small business, target markets, niches, etc.

I will be opening a small assisted living facility for 6 elderly residents. It is located in an upscale neighborhood and we will provide assistance with the activities of daily living 24/7. The company name is Space Coast Assisted Living and we are calling the home Hammock Pointe Manor. Typically the elderly parent is the resident, but it is usually the family that makes the decision on the facility. We are thinking the keywords comfort, compassion, confidence in a home-like setting are what we are trying to portray. I can’t quite condense it into a memorable tagline though.

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Jay’s Answer: The key for a tagline is to have it fit your business like a glove, otherwise the tagline is generic. All assisted living businesses should evoke trust, caring, comfort, safety, and confidence. That’s a given. But what about your facility makes it different/better from the other facilities people can choose from? Who specifically would be an ideal client for your facility and why?

I have a new newsletter called the Monday Morning Business Mentor Weekly. I need some wisdom/strategies for getting the word out, getting subscribers. It is a free newsletter, my objective is to help others build their businesses and in turn find subscribers, clients and in the future, users of my services and software.

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Jay’s Answer: From a strategy perspective, I’d first start with your desired subscriber/client. What industry are they in? Where are they located? How big is their company? How much do they make annually? How old are they? Male or female? Will they work with you face-to-face or remotely?

Once you’ve identified WHO, then you need to figure out WHY they need you. What specific problem are you targeting? More revenue? More free time? Hiring? Startup angst?

Then, HOW do you help them solve their problem. What are you offering that’s unique and (ideally) proven to solve this problem? The more proof, the more trust.

Once you have some of these basics, then it’s time to figure out where your target market is. Do they read the same blogs, magazines, eZines, etc.? Do they attend certain conventions, watch same TV shows, webinars, etc.? Where they are is where you want to pitch your newsletter.

Finally, if your newsletter articles are 250+ words, write articles and publish them. Ideally, exclusively publish them in magazines that your target market read. Alternatively, publish them in article banks.

I am representing an eye surgeon who performs eyelid lifts and eyebrow lifts. The new set of services also include; botox, wrinkle fillers, micro-dermabrasion and medical grade skincare products. I need a brand and tag line for the cosmetic offshoot of the business. I would like a simple, elegant name. The doctors’ goal is to be a resource for those looking to refresh their look. We plan to only work on facial cosmetic solutions- not liposuction, etc.

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Jay’s Answer:

• Eye Appeal
• Eye Love
• Face Forward

I’m going to be an insurance agent soon. However, people are scared of insurance agent. As soon as we say the word “insurance”, they run away. Can we say “I am an insurance agent” in a better way? I came up with “I help people protect their family financially”. It’s not good enough.

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Jay’s Answer: You can also play at your discomfort, and say, “I hate saying I’m an insurance agent”. That will elicit the natural question, “Why?”, and you call tell them that most people run away as soon as you tell them, but you love helping families protect their future…