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The Marketing Mix
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How I handle the unpredictable nature of self e...
The nature of self employment (maybe of life too) is up and down. Things come in waves. You’ll get 5 new projects at a time or 3 proposals all due...
[Podcast] #340 Carl Smith on Agency Business Mo...
In the latest episode of the MarketingMentorPodcast.com, I chatted with Carl Smith, former co-founder of nGen Works, about the various business models his agency tried, including the 4-person partnership that...
Life’s too short to write proposals
At the end of my client intake phone calls, I say: When we get off the phone I’m going to send you a detailed estimate of everything we discussed today....
Do People Follow Up Anymore? [QTMM 2/24/18]
I connect with some people, and not at all with others. You too, right? And I want to work with the people I connect with, don't you?But how do you cultivate...
[Podcast] #339 Michael Solomon on the real curr...
In my latest podcast interview for the HOW Design Live podcast, I interview Michael Solomon. Today’s topic is the most important currency being exchanged in today’s economy (it’s not money)...
STARTS TODAY: Free Online Event -- Creative Con...
I've been surprised lately to see how many creative professionals feel insecure and are asking for material about how to build confidence.So if that's you, you're not alone. That's why...
If your content marketing isn't working....[QTM...
I know why your content marketing isn't working... Finding the right prospects is the biggest marketing challenge you have, right? We all know that you just can't afford to be...
[Podcast] #338 Managing Your Money as a Creativ...
It’s almost tax time... So in this episode of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, time lapse filmmaker, Michael e. Stern of BuildaBetterPhotograph.com, and Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun, talk big picture about...
[NEW] Excellent Examples of Email Marketing Con...
I love collecting excellent examples of marketing tools that my clients are using to grow their creative businesses. Today I want to share 3 recent marketing messages from a design...
Not sure what to say when tricky things happen ...
Do you ever get tongue-tied or freeze or simply not know what to say when speaking to a client, a work colleague or your boss? If so, my new course...
Afraid of Pitching? Watch my video chat with Te...
I had a great time with my dear friends and colleagues, Terri Trespicio and Paula Rizzo, as their guest on the brand new "radio" show, Lights Camera Expert: Unleash Your Expertise,...
A Much Better Alternative to Hourly-based Retai...
Almost everyone I talk to these days wants retainer clients. You know, the type of arrangement where your client pays you $X,XXX every month, like clockwork. There's nothing better for your...
A Trick to Eliminate Negotiating [QTMM 1/25/18]
If you don't like talking money, then you probably imagine that everyone else does it better than you, especially your clients. (And if you're a drama queen, you may even...
[Podcast] How to Earn More on Every Project wit...
In this episode of the Unemployable podcast, Brian Clark and I chatted about how to do tiered pricing and why it's so much better for your business than (heaven forbid)...
[New Group] Experienced Newbies Accountability ...
Reinventing yourself mid-career is not easy! You’re too old to start over but too young to retire. You are trying to figure out what’s next for you. You’ve been around...
Excuse me? You want your deposit back?
It had never happened to me before. I didn't see it coming at all. There were no initial red flags, except that maybe the project was too good to be...
2017 by the numbers & ladies, watch this…
So, I didn’t meet my financial goal this year. I made $2779 less than last year, but you know what? I’m freaking proud of myself. Because I made 3 times as much...
[Podcast] Michael Solomon on Marketing (and more)
I can't wait to hear Michael Solomon, who literally wrote the book (Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being) on marketing, when he speaks this year at HOW Design Live's new...
Where my confidence comes from [QTMM 1/3/18]
To start off the new year, here is a very simple idea that is at the root of what I think of as my own self confidence: Life is...
[Podcast] #336 Michael e. Stern on How to Decid...
I got this message recently from a creative professional who signed up for my free mentoring session: "I've been in business for a while, I do good, creative work for...
[Podcast] How to Deal with Difficult Clients
Is it your job to make your clients happy? Lots of creative professionals seem to think so -- especially the "people pleasers" -- you know who you are! But I...
Top 5 Podcasts of 2017
Listening is the new reading! And if you listen well, you can learn a lot. So in case you missed some of the Marketing Mentor podcast episodes in 2017, here are...
[Podcast] #335 Andy Brenits on Confidence as an...
In the next installment of the Experienced Newbie series of interviews, I talked with Andy Brenits of Brenits Creative. He's a designer who has gone back and forth over the years between self employment and working...
Should you design your own website?
We live in a culture where the do-it-yourself mindset is prevalent. Just take a glance at Etsy, Pinterest and HGTV. I’m not knocking them—they are some of my faves—but they...
Join me this Wed. Dec. 20 online or in Seattle ...
Here's a special invitation for Wednesday, Dec. 20 from 9 am - 12 pm Pacific (that's 12-3 Ppm Eastern). I will be in Seattle shooting (and streaming live) my new course...
7 Worst Negotiating Mistakes
Can you commit to stop making these negotiating mistakes in 2018? In this new talk I gave at the Titanides Live event in Delray Beach, I described 7 of the...
I had to remind myself…
I spent all last week toiling with a small project. I felt like it was SO HARD. But the real truth is: I was making it painful. I was allowing...
[Podcast] #334 How to Break Down Your Services ...
Here's the thing -- when you do what you do, whether design or copywriting or any other creative service, you do it so naturally that you aren't fully aware of...
Do you have an SSL certificate?
Today’s post is more of a public service announcement. If you haven’t already, it’s time to get an SSL certificate for your website. Do not wait. The time is now....
100 Best Business Blogs (according to QuickBooks)
I'm thrilled to report that this blog, the Marketing Mix Blog, is #58 on the list of 100 Best Business Blogs recently published by Intuit's QuickBooks Resource Center (Find us...
What to say (and do) when...the client wants th...
It happens to everyone at some point, usually early in your self employed career, but sometimes later on too... You deliver what you promised to a client who showed no...
[Podcast] #333 How to Do Tiered Pricing with Ed...
Today's episode is a special treat -- my friend and colleague, Ed Gandia, recently interviewed me about tiered pricing and this conversation spawned a brand new product: The Tiered Pricing Kit: How to...
Do you know the right people?
Whether you call yourself "solopreneur," "freelancer" or small business owner, you can't run a business all by your lonesome. To be successful (not to mention prevent burnout), there are certain...
How to Present Tiered Pricing QTMM 11/15/17
Are you offering tiered pricing? It's the most profitable pricing strategy I've been using and advising my clients on lately. And sure enough, we're earning more with better projects. ...
Highlights from Get Better Clients Bootcamp #2 ...
One of the best parts of the Get Better Clients Bootcamp is hearing directly from one of those "better clients" - the ones who value your services and can pay...
[Podcast] #332 Networking tips for creative pro...
Why are people so reluctant to connect with strangers? I’ve been presenting quite a bit the past couple months at HOW Design Live (see the short clip above), Revolve, PhotoPlus Expo,...
Being a teacher feels awesome
I didn’t expect to be “a teacher.” And I didn’t expect to be so impressed with the process of putting together a Skillshare class—but they made it so easy. Because...
[Podcast] How a postage stamp turned into a $14...
In my recent podcast interview with Carl Smith, of Bureau of Digital and host of the Bureau Briefing podcast (he interviewed me), we got into the nitty gritty of direct outreach...
What “working smarter” means to me
Sometimes I wish I never worked in a conventional job in Corporate America. Then I wouldn’t have all these comparisons and pre-conceived ideas in my head that I’m always battling...
In case you missed The Revolve Conference...
This is me last week trying something totally new as an intro to my talk, "Cracking the Code: The Art of Making Meaningful Connections." I decided I needed a...
Skip the impostor syndrome
Yes, I have a WordPress web design business I love. I have amazing clients. I feel confident in my abilities and knowledge. I know my ideal clients. My pricing. My...
[Podcast] #331 Cheryl Smithem on What is PR The...
In the 4th episode of Season 2 of the special Revolve Conference edition of the Marketing Mentor Podcast, I spoke with Cheryl Smithem of Charleston PR, a firm that specializes...
[Podcast] #330 Thomas Heath on Personal Brandin...
In the third episode of Season 2 of the “Revolve Conference Speaker Podcast Series,” Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Business Coach and Brand Strategist, Thomas Heath, whose topic is Increase...
Experienced Newbie? These are for you!
I'm in Delray Beach this week at the AWAI Bootcamp and just gave a brand new talk about mistakes women (and sometimes men) make when negotiating at Titanides Live, the...
What to do when work dries up [QTMM 10/12/17]
Do you know what to do when things get slow? Being self employed can feel like a roller coaster sometimes. I know that from experience -- my own and that of...
[Podcast] This one's for my mom
I know my mom will love my recent interview for the podcast, Getting Work To Work. Chris Martin, who runs his own video production company, and I talked about the common...
5 Reasons You Should Do Case Studies
Note: I could not have produced my latest Case Study Bundle without the help of long time Marketing Mentor client, Tiffany Butler, of Whole Brain Creative. She also wrote a case study as...
[Podcast] #329 Katie Lane on the Negotiating Ch...
Do you have trouble asking for (and getting) what you need from clients? If so, you're not alone. In my latest podcast interview, I talked with Katie Lane of WorkMadeforHire.net about the many ways...
Do You Blurt Out Prices? [QTMM 9/27/17]
Have you ever blurted out a price and then instantly regretted it? Of course, we all have! It's easy to feel pressured by someone who wants you to give them...
“I don’t want to be that pushy salesperson.”
“I don’t want to be that pushy salesperson.” I hear this at least once a week from a client who has a hot prospect and needs help closing the deal....