Two years ago, I met Gene Simmons at a conference I was attending. My buddy Owen and I jumped up and went to say hi. He was incredibly friendly, offering us signatures or photos if we wanted. As we were snapping a couple pictures, people around us started to figure out who this was... and the crowd soon surrounded him. What impressed me was watching him with the crowd. There's a guy that knows who pays his bills! He was patient and friendly with everyone. Photo? Sure. Sign this? Sure. He made sure every single person who wanted it, either got a picture with him or went home with something signed by Gene (the girls usually went away with some very strategically written ink on their bodies).

The next morning he gave a fantastic talk about thinking big and success in business. Many people judge Gene by the image he portrays in his old KISS costume, with makeup, platform boots and tongue sticking out.

If that is all you know about Gene, you will be astounded to learn how successful he has become marketing himself, his brand, and his many companies. Seriously, Gene is a marketing genius and his Sex, Money, Kiss book gives you some incredible insights into the way he thinks, acts and grows his business. If you watch his Family Jewels show, you catch a glimpse of how he runs some of the business and makes tens of millions of dollars a year, when most Rock-and-Roll old timers have dried up and blown away.

Did you know Gene has never used drugs or been drunk? Most have no clue. Most don't want to believe it. Gene took control of the main assets and has continued to leverage his success for decades now.

Some of the lessons I have picked up from Gene that are ideal for small business marketing:

1. Make it a cool and catchy name - Many of the major successes in business are centered around products and businesses whose names are memorable (or they paid huge bucks to make it memorable. Make the name into a catchy logo, and, the real key, make the logo attractive enough that you would wear it on a t-shirt, or baseball cap, or on a poster, etc.

2. Find ways to incorporate a membership program into your business - This is a BIG money maker if done properly (the KISS members club has a massive client base that will buy anything that is promoted). Price your membership program monthly or yearly, definitely worthy of testing both options. With a membership, they should get some form of discount of future purchases, have special member-only days, be eligible for contests, points for purchases or redeemable for additional goods.

3. What is your conversation piece - When someone talks about you and your business, what one thing are they likely to bring up in the conversation? If you don't have that, yet, start thinking it through. Find something, anything that can position you as highly unique.

4. Cross promote everything that you sell, or want to sell - Each and every part of your business needs to be selling the other parts. You can do this through inserts in your product shipments, in your electronic newsletters, in your customer follow-up pieces, you can even create catchy cartoon or graphic logos that make for great stickers - include a bunch of stickers with each shipment.

5. Always be asking yourself how you can make more money from your existing products or services, and how you can repackage them for bigger boosts in sales - Try surveying your clients to find out what they like most, and least, about the products and services you offer now.

6. Brand yourself as the personality of your business - Many of the world's great business success stories (and turnaround stories) are the result of the business leader becoming the front person and personality in all their marketing. Lee Iacocca WAS Chrysler when he turned them around. He was front and center on the television, the voice you heard on radio, and the person people connected with when they wanted to buy a new vehicle. Use that personality in your blog posts, in your newsletters, in your marketing and on your website - that is one of your greatest assets if you leverage it right.

Few people in any business can make ten, twenty, fifty million a year consistently... for decades. Those that do, leave some serious clues on how you can do the same.
To your success,
Troy White

About the Author

Copyright © Troy White, All Rights Reserved.

Troy White is a top marketing coach, consultant & direct response copywriter based in Calgary, Canada. He has a powerful approach to growing small businesses and entrepreneurial run ventures on a budget. His FREE Cash Flow Surges newsletter shares tons of great strategies at www.smallbusinesscopywriter.com. He also publishes the incredibly powerful Cash Flow Calendar system that gives you daily, weekly and monthly marketing ideas to promote your business and stand out from the crowd. To get your free tips for growing your business, you can register at www.cashflowcalendars.com.

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