I am functioning as a marketing manager for an India based company. The company has one resort and 5 hospital (Ayurveda). How can I market them? I want to increase the number of OP/IP. How can you help me?

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Jay’s Answer: Since it appears you’ve been in business for some time, you already have a good idea of where your clients come from, why they come, and what their experiences are like. The natural next steps would include identifying: new groups of clients that would similarly benefit, untapped regions (where there’s little competition), follow-up opportunities (encouraging past clients to return).

Our client is a 50-year-old family company. They are looking to polish their identity. They have used an apple as part of their identity for 50 years. They are highly recognized by their local audience by the apple. The logo solution obviously needs to keep the apple. The problem is, the client has also been using a clip-art crane in the logo for a number of years. The logo evolved to this point because the family realized the obvious, their audience wouldn’t associate them with the crane/construction industry with their script logo and apple. We’ve gone to great lengths trying to explain to them the drawbacks of the crane and how it makes the company look like a mom and pop. They won’t let the crane go. There are so many obvious logo design issues to list here, when you consider the solution must use the apple, and the boom needs to remain inside the apple to meet the families requirements. The family is convinced the logo needs a crane to be recognized it is a supplier of large cranes for heavy lifting.

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Jay’s Answer: Why not have their clients have a say in the logo picking. Let them vote on the design – with a donation to a favorite charity as the contest prize? It’s not what you think, it’s not what the client thinks, it’s what the public thinks/remembers that ultimately counts.

I have a painting business, prime painting..focused more on high end customers right now..would like to get into commercial n public works as well..haven’t set up website yet..would like some help in expanding business and would like some ideas on a tagline. I work with builders and homeowners with vacation homes and 2nd homes..

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Jay’s Answer:  It sounds like you need to create a strategy to attract more/different clients. Before you do so, you need to do a couple of things:

• Investigate your competition. Who are they? How do they attract clients? What is their pricing model?
• Understand your clients. You understand high end customers, but not the needs of commercial / public works. Where are they located? How often do they hire? How do they choose a contractor? What problems do they continually face in hiring people?

That’ll help you understand “the lay of the land”. Next, you need to determine how you are better/different from your competition and what you can offer that your competition doesn’t/can’t (and that your clients need or would pay for).

With this understanding, you can begin to create a marketing plan to focus on your new customers. This will include: advertisements, website, business cards, licensing, taglines, etc.

The clearer you are in who exactly you’re targeting and how you’re unique, the easier you’ll be able to spread your marketing message.

So I recently got a second job as a marketing consultant for a tanning salon. Now, my main job is a Leasing Agent, so I’m familiar with marketing, advertising etc. But I need a jump start with this one. Of course I’ve started on facebook, but I need more free advertising! Another thing, this particular salon has 12 other locations around the surrounding area. I need to make sure MY location gain the business and not focus on the others.

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Jay’s Answer: Start by looking at your existing clients. Why do they come to your location (and not your competition’s)? Can you make them tanning ambassadors for you – give them free gift cards to give to your friends for your location?

I am working as a marketing developer in a telecommunication company selling in the Middle-East (mainly handsets, data cards etc). I must  make a marketing manual for my company. I have no idea on what to include or how to do it and organize it. Can you please help me with sites in which i will find effective examples and articles about how to make marketing manual?

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Jay’s Answer: I’m not sure exactly what you’ve been asked to produce. A manual for how to market your company’s products? A marketing strategy document? A best-practices guide? Or something else?

Most of these documents are written by experts who’s analyzed your company’s skills/niches and developed systems for achieving them. Also, many of these documents are ignored by the company that wants them – more rules and things “to do”, but without any clear benefit to those in the company.

So, before you embark in writing a document, find out exactly who will use the document in the company (and why). Then talk to these people – what information do they need to solve their problems. That will ensure the document is useful. Then talk to the people who asked you to write the manual – what are their expectations? How will they judge the manual? Knowing this will ensure the format of material is to expectation. Then your homework is filling in the middle – and that’s done through (online) research.

I am starting up my own drain cleaning company and I am looking for advice on how to contact the right person at the companies and businesses that i am trying to get work from.

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Jay’s Answer: The problem you’ll face is that people won’t think they need their drains cleaned until they have a problem, and until they, see no reason to pay $. Perhaps it’ll be better to target the local insurance companies – people who may be contacted when their client has a problem and need a recommended vendor. You could be that vendor.