The Tak Team Blog

Niche marketing has always been a key any success in marketing
but lately it has become quite a prominent force in the online
marketing world. Many books, manuals, courses, and web sites
have been developed that focus on niche marketing. It is easy to
find solid resources on the Internet that can teach you how to
make money with niche marketing.

Niche marketing online is a distinct segment of Internet
marketing and is the quickest way to get maximum exposure if you
know how to leverage the search engines to draw attention to
your niche web site.

There’s many things to learn to be successful and profit from
niche marketing and your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) will
dictate exactly how to plan your attack to successfully market
to customers in your niche.

If you plan to use niche marketing to draw visitors to your web
site, here’s a few tactics that you can use to make money:

Niche Marketing Tactic #1, “Research” Fully utilize all of the
research mechanisms that you can find in order to make sure that
you truly understand your niche and all of its nuances. This
requires understanding what tools are best to use so you can
understand what your target niche market does day to day, where
they spend their time online, and what makes them tick from a
personal and business perspective.

Niche Market Research offers free reports and articles to help
you make the most of your research time.

Niche Marketing Tactic #2, “Define your paying niche” Clearly
define who will make up your niche market and make sure that the
people in that niche market are willing to pay for the solution
that you provide to their problems.

A niche is a clear subset of a larger category.

An example of what a niche market is not: “People who want to
learn how to shoot better scores in golf.”

In this example, there are far too many people within the main
category (golf) to make this a true niche. Virtually everyone
who plays golf will want to play better and shoot better scores
so this wouldn’t qualify as a niche, much less a category worth
pursuing.

An example of a niche market: “Women who play golf who want to
learn how to drive the ball longer and straighter.”

This would be a niche because it clearly defines and segments
who you’ll cater to and why they would need your service.

After clearly defining your niche market, you should make sure
that they are willing to pay for your services. The easiest way
to determine this in the online world (other than using common
sense) is to find web sites that may be close to, or even in
your niche, and see if those web sites charge a fee for their
services.

In addition, you should look to see if there is a reasonable
level of competition between those web sites. If you see more
than a few sites listed on a SERP (Search Engine Result Page)
that cater to female golfers for a fee, chances are the people
who are your target customer will pay for your services for
solving their problem - women who can’t consistently hit long
straight drives in golf.

Niche Marketing Strategy #3, “Choosing keywords and domain
names” Research and choose your keywords carefully so you can
acquire the best domain name for your site. Niche marketing most
often includes maximizing the way search engines work to make
sure that your web site gets listed on the first page of the
SERP’s from your chosen keywords. Your domain name contributes
to getting those first page results.

Go to Digitalpoint’s keyword suggestion tool and type in
keywords that you feel people would use to find the product or
service that you offer within your niche. Look at the number of
searches performed per day for those keywords and review the
other keywords listed.

Type the keyword phrase that you think best suits your USP’s
target customer into Google and assess whether or not you can
reasonably compete with the sites that are listed on page 1 of
the SERPs. Can you get a page 1 ranking knowing that you’ll have
to compete with the sites already listed?

Repeat the process until you have decided what your main
keywords will be for your product or service within your niche.

Those keywords should be in your domain name and preferably,
they should be your entire domain name.

Example: if you’ve concluded that ‘blue widgets’ best suits your
USP and you feel that you can compete for page 1 listings on the
SERPs with the sites that come up on page 1 for the keyword
‘blue widgets’, then a good domain name for your niche marketing
site would be ‘bluewidgets.com’.

Niche Marketing Tactic #4, “Posting keyword rich articles or
reports throughout the web” Niche marketing doesn’t differ from
any other online search engine marketing, posting relevant
content is the best way (bar none) to get the right type of
traffic to your niche site.

Writing keyword rich articles or reports and posting them to
high traffic web sites is a great way to make sure that you get
maximum exposure within your niche market. People will use your
keywords to search for information about the topic that they
have interest in, and they will come across your web site on the
search engines results.

To learn how to write articles that are optimized for the search
engines for better rankings, go to Article Optimization.

Niche marketing caters to a distinct and select group of people
who need what you have to offer. If you define your niche
properly and make sure that your ability to solve their problem
is something that they will pay for, you will have established a
“money maker”.

Utilize the search engines to make it easy for your niche market
to find your service or product. Niche marketing is the easiest
way to be successful on the Internet if you do the proper
research.

Be humble, work hard, work smart.

Karl Augustine

In 1950, a chiropractor from America named Bernard Jensen began teaching students about the necessity of using natural foods to detoxify the body. He developed a method by which the color of the iris was used to indicate the presence of different toxins. American iridology was born.

However, iridology, or the study of disease using the color of the iris and certain color and thickness of lines across the eyeball originated in Europe, when a physician from Hungary and a Swedish pastor both noticed iris markings in connection with disease.

The physician-Ignatz von Peczely accidentally injured an owl as a child, breaking its leg. While nursing the owl back to health, the young von Peczely noticed that the thick black mark that appeared in the owl’s eye after the injury began to lessen as the owl healed. He never forgot it, and as an adult practicing his profession, he recoded that patients with bone fractures experienced the same black mark across the iris.

The Swedish pastor-Nils Liljequist-was exposed to malaria as a young man and while recieveing the treatment of quinine and iodine noticed that his blue eyes began to grow darker as the drugs built up in his system. He grew up to study homeopathic medicine and recorded similar reactions in clients who came to him for detoxification purposes.

It has been said that the eyes are the mirror to the soul. The famous Greek physician Hippocrates believed that they were also the mirror to the body-specifically for the purpose of determining various ailments. He too recorded the presence of black marks across the iris of fractured bones in his patients, and a change in the color of the eye of patients coming down with diseases.

Unfortunately, iridology cannot be used to determine a specific disease.

Practitioners of iridology use it to help patients as a preventative measure understand basic health problems in order to refer them to specialists if needed. The belief is that if a disease is detected in the very early stages it can be prevented from spreading further. The colored part of the eye-the iris-is studied for these markings and color changes by isolating the iris and taking pictures of it with a very strong lens. The process takes about an hour and is painless. The photos are then blown up and gone over with a magnifying glass by the iridologist and used to determine and identify potential ailments.

Most of these ailments are believed to be hereditary, and the patients predisposition to toxicity and disease is determined not only by the photos but with an extensive interview of family medical history. This holistic concept is well accepted by other disciplines of alternative medicine, as it is a fact that all parts of the body are related, especially when used to warn the body of an impending degenerative disease.

Under this theory, the color changes in the eyes at the very onset of the degenerative disease are used by the body to indicate an upcoming health problem, and to warn the body to seek preventative measures. The concept is not far fetched at all-take the example of chiropractors using the process of correcting the spinal alignment to help internal organs. Even conventional physicians check the eyes for signs of sickness. (Blood vessel size is an indication of the level of cholesterol.)

There is, however, some criticism toward iridology as practitioners (especially in the United States) are often not fully or thoroughly trained, as the courses offered are usually no more than two to three days in length and are put on by marketing companies who offer “certification” as an iridologist to their distributors. The result is the potential for over diagnosis with the distributor pushing their products through their “specialist.”

This tendency toward American consumerism and over marketing has given iridology a black eye (no pun intended) as a reputable form of medicine.

When seeking an iridologist, find one who has been certified by the Institute for Applied Iridology or by the International Iridology Research Association in Solana Beach, CA.

Rene Graeber graduated from the University of Munic in Educational and Sports Science and from the Paracelsus School of Medicine in Hamburg from Naturopathic Medicine. If you’re looking for helpful information about alternative medicine visit his website at www.naturheilkunde-preetz.de

How many times have you heard:

• “You’ve got to drop your price by 10% or we will have no choice but to go with your competition.”

• “You will have to make an exception to your policy if you want our business.”

• “I know that you have good quality and service, but so do your competitors. What we need to focus on here is your pricing.”

• “I agree that those special services you keep bringing up would be nice, but we simply don’t have the funds to purchase them. Could you include them at no additional cost?”

Every time you hear statements like these, you’re in the middle of a difficult sales negotiation. How you handle that negotiation will determine whether or not you close the sale and how profitable that sale will be. In order to give you a real edge every time, I have listed below some key points taken from my sales negotiation training seminar.

Don’t Believe Everything You See and Hear

Part of a good salesperson’s skill is to learn to read people and situations very quickly. However, when it gets down to negotiating, you have to take everything you see and hear with a grain of salt. Buyers are good negotiators, and thus they are good actors. You may be the only person who has what she needs, but everything she does and says, from body language to the words she uses, will be designed to lead you to believe that unless she gets an extra 10% off, she’s going with the competition. Be skeptical. Be suspicious. Test, probe, and see what happens.

Don’t Offer Your Bottom Line Early in the Negotiation

How many times have you been asked to “give me your best price”? Have you ever given your best price only to discover that the buyer still wanted more? You have to play the game. It’s expected. If you could drop your price by 10%, start out with 0%, or 2%, or 4%. Leave yourself room to negotiate some more. Who knows - you may get it for a 2% reduction. You might have to go all the way to 10%, but often you won’t. A little stubbornness pays big dividends.

Get Something in Return for Your Added Value

What if you discover that the buyer wants to be able to track his expenditures for your products or services in a way that is far more detailed and complex than is standard for your industry? What if your account tracking system is set up in a way that you can provide that information at essentially no cost to you? Often the salesperson’s overwhelming temptation is to jump in and say, “Oh, we can do that. That’s no problem.” Before you do, however, think about your options. You could throw it in as part of the package and try to build good will. Or you could take a deep breath and try something like, “That’s a difficult problem that will require some effort on our part, but it’s doable.”

In the second case, without committing, you’ve told the buyer it is possible. You may not be able to get him to pay extra for it but you may be able to use it as a bargaining chip in resisting price concessions. Which way you choose to go will depend on who your customer is and on the situation. However, you do have options.

Sell and Negotiate Simultaneously

Think of selling and negotiating as two sides of the same coin. Sometimes one side is face up, and sometimes the other side, but they are always both there. This is particularly true in your earliest contacts with the buyer. The face the buyer sees is that of a salesperson demonstrating features and benefits. The hidden face is that of a negotiator probing and seeking out information that may be invaluable later should issues like price, terms, quality, delivery, etc. have to be negotiated.

Be Patient

Finally, and most important, be patient. Sales is a high energy, fast moving business. Patience is one commodity that is in relatively short supply, but if you’re impatient in a negotiation, you’ll lose your shirt. If I’m negotiating with you and I know that you’re impatient, I will hold out just a little longer, no matter how desperate I am to make a deal with you. As long as I know you’re in a hurry, I’ll wait.

So be patient. Take the time that you need, don’t rush to give in, don’t show your anxiety, stay cool and don’t panic. Negotiation is a process and a game. Use the process and play the game. You’ll be astonished at the difference that it makes!

(c) Michael Schatzki - 2004. All rights reserved.

About The Author

Michael Schatzki is a master negotiator who, for over 20 years, has provided sales negotiation training seminars and coaching for thousands of people in the U.S. and globally. More than 75% of Mike’s programs are for satisfied, repeat customers. The Negotiation Dynamics(r) system really works. Check out all of Mike’s articles at http://www.NegotiationDynamics.com. Mike can be reached at (888) 766-3530.

Mike@NegotiationDynamics.com

According to an April 2006 issue of the New Scientist, research has proven that subliminal advertising messages work… and that if conditions are right, subliminal advertising to promote a brand can be made to work.

Previous experiments claiming this were debunked. But in a recent experiment, scientists found that eighty per cent of volunteers who had been exposed to the subliminal advertising message chose that product, compared to only 20 per cent of the controls. Those are scary stats indeed.

The term “subliminal message” was popularized in 1917 (World War I), when the US army would sneak messages into songs and put subliminal messages in posters trying to get people to join the army.

A subliminal message is defined as a signal or message designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. Subliminal messages target the subconscious mind and may be generated in the form of an image transmitted briefly and not perceived consciously and yet perceived unconsciously.

While the conscious, rational mind acts as a filter and screens out messages not consistent with our beliefs, the subconscious mind accepts messages without filtering them - rather like the mind of a child.

The effects of subliminal television advertising could be even more powerful on children. It’s been found that for each additional hour per day that a child watched television an average of one additional request was made for an advertised product.

But then it doesn’t take a scientist to tell us what most parents know anyway. Most of us have experienced pester-power first-hand.

The researchers also found that priming only works when the prime is goal-relevant. In plain English, this means you’re likely to buy a product that quenches your thirst only if you were already thirsty anyway.

So, subliminal messages could be more useful in priming a target audience to choose one brand over another, rather than in creating an actual need for the product.

What if politicians started using it to influence our choices? Well, it’s very likely they do already.

Do subliminal messages violate the code of advertising? Will this change the way advertising is regulated? How could we detect subliminal messages inserted into creatives?

And, in our opinion, what is “wrong” - the fact that they actually work, or that advertisers would be sneaky enough to use them?

But far better uses have been found for subliminal messages than advertising. In personal transformation, for instance.

As we learn more about the way our mind works, it will become clearer how subliminal messages really affect our decisions and whether they should or should not be allowed in advertising.

_______________________________________________

Copyright © Priya Shah

Priya Shah blogs on internet marketing and personal growth. Click here for free self-help ebooks.

This article may be reprinted as long as the resource box is left intact and all links are hyperlinked.

_______________________________________________

Cruising down the river was always deemed by couples the ultimate romantic date. You can’t be much more together alone than when you’re separated from the rest of the world by sheets and sheets of water.

But who started the idea of a floating honeymoon is not hard to imagine. As in most wedding traditions, it was probably suggested by the action of the rich and the famous, or the royals who are usually one or the other; and often both.

The newly-wed royals themselves, keen for some intimate privacy, left the palace grounds soon after the wedding. Some showed a suprising lack of imagination. With the whole country at his disposal, Henry V111 chose the same honeymoon spot on three of his marriages. If the late Princess Diana thought there were too many people in her married bed, that seems to go double for that of Henry’s.

When going off on their own, the British royals never actually said that they were taking a honeymoon. Rather it was considered a wedding tour. And the means of transport was always the best available at the time.

In the last century it was the train. The Orient Express type of thing. But as private yachts became almost indispensable to anyone who was anyone, sea travel became a romantic option. Not surprising, many couples since then, have made a cruise their favourite honeymooning option also.

The ships at their disposal are many and varied. There are those impressive liners which not only resemble a floating hotel, but literally are floating hotels. Some are up to six stories in height - or should I say six decks in height - have bedroom suites with private balconies to remind you, in case you’ve forgotten, that you’re on the sea.

Like high-class hotels, these ships might even have a dress code where passengers are expected to dine in style - gentlemen in a tuxedo, ladies in an evening gown.

For a less formal getaway, there are smaller ships that carry only several hundred passengers, as opposed to several thousands. On the decks of these, casual clothes will be more appropriate, though even here jeans and working boots might raise eyebrows.

However, whatever ship you choose, whether it’s one of England’s “Queen” ships, or the USA “Princess” which started the whole business of “Love Boat” romance, you can expect one thing to be of high standard on all sea voyages. Excellent cuisine.

Perhaps it all started with all those mutinies on the high seas. But it seems maritime officialdom has learned to accept that people can put up with a lot of things when isolated on the sea for months at a time, but bad food is not one of them.

Vlady, an Australian Civil Marriage Celebrant, is an author of “The Complete Book of Australian Weddings”, “The Small Organisation Handbook” and an ebook “Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle!” which you can see on her website http://www.vlady-celebrant.com

Without a powerful headline, your message stands little chance of being noticed in an increasingly competitive marketplace. If your headline doesn’t capture attention and pull prospects into your sales copy, than your marketing effort is a total waste of energy and resources.

Nothing is more important to getting your message noticed than your headlines. If you’re not allocating a sizable percentage of your time and creative effort to the headline used on each page of your website, you could be losing out on a large chunk of business.

Top copywriters understand this concept well. They know how essential it is to capture attention by literally stopping pre-occupied prospects in their tracks.

Here are five good reasons why your site headlines deserve greater emphasis and attention:

1) Headlines Are Natural Attention Getters. The majority of online prospects are quick scanners. No one reads the body copy of a page without first reading and being pulled in by the headline. Headlines are the first thing your visitors see. They jump out visually and command attention. Headlines are leads set distinctly above the rest of the text. Often the typeface, size, and style used for headlines contrasts with that uses in the body copy. It’s a proven approach that naturally attracts eyeballs, virtually forcing interested prospects to grasp the message of the headline and to read on.

According to advertising legend David Ogilvy, 5 times more people read headlines than body copy. Although Ogilvy was talking about print advertising in general, the observation is certainly applicable to websites as well.

With 5 times the readership, headlines have the power and capability to make any message many times more successful.

2) Site Headlines Serve As Valuable Guides To The Busy Surfer. Headlines reveal key details. They tip off readers as to what follows. They provide clear signals to help readers decide whether they should stick around for the full message, or dash off to something else - something better suited to their own special needs and interests.

As a quick summary of the entire piece, headlines either attract continued interest and readership, or they repel it. Without a headline, the reader is forced to wade through a portion of the text to understand the meaning. Forcing readers to do this is to risk losing them altogether. It’s sales suicide. In effect, having no headline will cost you at least 80% of your potential audience.

3) Headlines Prepare The Reader For What Is To Come. Headlines stimulate interest. They captivate, arouse curiosity and stimulate the desire for more. It’s the headline that starts the reader’s motor running. A good headline sets up a feeling of expectation as the reader anticipates discovering more — and can’t wait to get it!

Successful headlines address specific audiences. They open prospects minds to new possibilities and expand their level of enthusiasm and interest. The best headlines involve prospects, virtually guaranteeing their sustained attention for the time being.

4) Headlines Simplify The Learning Curve. Every headline serves to introduce whatever follows. As an opening or lead-in, the role of the headline is to succinctly communicate the essence of the message it precedes in a n interesting and compelling way.

Effective headlines and sub-headings reveal key bits of information — often with the added power of emotion. A review of the various headings alone can often provide one with the gist of a given message. This makes it faster and easier to understand, remember, and review.

Use your headings to generate emotional involvement and you increase the chances prospects will go back and read more of your copy. When you make it easier to read and comprehend your messages, you increase the chances of making the sale.

5) Headlines Allow You To Deliver Your Biggest Bang Right Up-Front. Capture attention and interest at the outset, by using your most appealing selling point. If your strongest, most desirable product attribute (benefit) fails to pull prospects in, surely nothing else you could ever say would do the trick, either.

The stronger and more compelling your headline, the more readers are likely to read on and spend more time at your website. Create every headline to grab attention and inspire interest. The more alluring and irresistible you can make it, the more genuine prospects you’ll attract and ultimately, the more sales you’ll record. Headlines are powerful marketing tools when used effectively. Take a good look at your site headline. Could you add more intrigue, curiosity, or interest?

Test different headlines by trying various appeals and offer combinations. Keep an eye out for additional headline opportunities throughout your sales letters, as well as on other pages on your site. Make your headlines impossible to miss and difficult to ignore… then, watch your results soar!

About The Author

Robert Boduch is the author of Great Headlines Instantly! — How To Write Powerful, Attention-Grabbing Headlines That Pull In More Prospects, More Customers And More Profits, NOW! This full-length manual features hundreds of helpful tips, techniques, strategies and hands-on formulas for writing successful headlines of every kind.

Visit the author’s site at: http://www.headlinesecrets.com

Or email him at: behappy@total.net

It’s that time of the day again. You’re hungry. You’re busy. Your friends are sending you text messages and IM messages asking the age-old question, “What’s for lunch?” You’re so hungry you can’t think straight. You change your status on Facebook.com, pleading for help. You try to run through all of your favorite restaurants in your head but only the same, tired, two or three keep popping up. You know that Santa Fe has over 200 restaurants. There’s got to be SOMETHING new and fun. Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a website that could alleviate this tiresome task? Now there is, SantaFeLunch.com.

Can good Chinese food exist close-to-south-of-the-border? Does seafood, flown in over-night to the Southwest, still taste fresh? Does lasagna cry out for some green chili? If you can’t drive and talk on your cell phone, then why can you eat and drive? These may not the deeper questions in life but they rank right up there with, “Where are my keys?”, and “It’s 5 o’clock. Do you know where your children are?” How many times do you get asked those questions?

SantaFeLunch.com can’t solve global-warming, lower gas prices, feed the hungry, or shelter the homeless. It can relieve you of questions that get in the way of solving these problems. Log on to SantaFeLunch.com today. Realize your capacity for human potential when you aren’t wondering where to eat all the time!

I suppose there is no such thing as the imperfect Christmas gift, but I am sure that there are some gifts that are less desirably received than others.

Let’s take a look at the “Personal Trimmer.” Every time I hear of one of these items or see it in the store I think, “nose hair trimmer.” Hey, there is no way of getting around it: if you give this gift you are telling the recipient that the strand of hair hanging out of their left nostril is unsightly. Or, since the product is also marketed for the ears, you’ve noticed a bit ‘o fuzz on their earlobes.

One way to test the wisdom of gift selection is by doing this: imagine your loved one at work hanging around the water cooler. “Bob” comes up and says, “so, what did you get for Christmas?” Your loved one replies, “I got slippers, some shirts, a tool case, and a really cool personal trimmer.” Sure, like he is going to share this information with blabbermouth Bob, who is known to share “news” throughout the office. You get the picture: if he is ashamed of the gift he’ll lie and say, “a one year subscription to Sports Illustrated” or some other tale. Never encourage your loved ones to lie!

For the ladies, you must always be careful what you buy for them. Us menfolk are at a disadvantage: we’re wired to think practical while women are wired to think sentimental. Exercise equipment might be smart, but like the fella in the Best Buy television ad who purchased exercise equipment for his sweetheart, you don’t want your wife to assume that you think that she is fat. In case you make that error, you must think fast and say, “no babe, I just want to keep you heart healthy so I have many more Christmas’ with you!”

Unfortunately, men don’t always think that fast. Better yet, if your wife tells you what she wants, get her that. You can always run over to Victoria’s Secret later to purchase lingerie which she’ll like because you like seeing her wearing it. Trust me!

Are you going to the neighbor’s for a Christmas social? Then leave the Royal Dansk cookies at home. Better yet, don’t buy them. Are they awful? No. Just too common. Like the unwanted fruitcake that gets passed around the family and neighborhood year after year the Royal Dansk cookie tin is getting the same reputation. If tasked with the responsibility of bringing a dessert and you aren’t baking, pick something up at the local bakery. It’ll be fresh and it will be eaten. Let them worry about their cholesterol level.

What should you buy the boss? Well, the standard gifts over the years have been wine or hard liquor, something for his desk [photo frame], or a personal item like a fold up umbrella. Boring! Rather, have some fun and purchase spyware for your boss so that he can spend the time snooping on his employee’s internet access. See if that wins you valuable points during review or promotion time!

Seriously, maybe the whole gift thing has gotten a little bit out of line. Maybe we should think of more practical gifts to give such as: spending time with an elderly relative; volunteering to help coach your child’s soccer team; or by making a cash donation to a relief agency in the gift recipient’s name.

Two thousand years ago the greatest gift ever given, Jesus, was freely given to mankind; I believe anyone freely receiving His love is receiving that very same gift. Jesus is one gift that perfectly suits mankind: God’s boundless love and unrestricted forgiveness.

This article originally appeared on Townstead.com, a defunct site managed by Matt Keegan. It was part of his “Life in New Jersey” series of articles.

Matthew Keegan is the owner of a successful article writing, web design, and marketing business based in North Carolina, USA. He manages several sites including the Corporate Flight Attendant Community and the Aviation Employment Board. Please visit The Article Writer to review selections from his portfolio.

Medical Coding training can be acquired from several different sources, but it is not always easy to locate a reputable, quality program. Virtually the entire training curriculum deals with the academic training. This is a very necessary part of the training, but the best program is one that facilitates strenuous hands-on, realistic training. This is of utmost importance when prepping students for their new career.
We highly recommend looking for a program that permits a person to attain a medical coding education at their own pace from home, without having to give up their current job.
This training requires an investment of time and money, and although not for everyone, it is the best way to attain a medical coding education and become eligible for a satisfying job in the field.
A Medical Coding training program can cost you a great deal in terms of both time and money, so which program you choose is a critical decision. One of the most frustrating aspects of committing to a program can be the time and expense incurred if you change your mind and decide to withdraw and start over with another program. So how can you decide if a Medical Coding program is any good, and what sets quality schools apart from the rest? Realistically, the only thing that matters is your ability to get the job that you desire upon completion of your training. Desirable coding abilities depend upon your personal effort in a reliable course of training. If you put 100% of your effort into a respectable program, you will learn to be a competent Medical Coder.

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.

There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Whilst there is no sure fire route to commercial success, these processes improve the probability that good ideas will be generated and selected and that investment in developing and commercialising those ideas will not be wasted.

One of the useful methods of valuing ideas is to analyse whether the firm, team or individual responsible for turning an idea into a commercial success has the required fit.

Fit with the firm can be measured in a number of ways:

a) Does the idea have a strategic fit with the company? It may be a great idea but if lacks strategic fit, its development and commercialisation may cause long term problems. In this case there are three choices: drop it, license it or create a joint venture.

b) Does the firm have the technical expertise to make it work? If not where can it be found? What is the cost of importing the technical expertise?

c) Does the organisation have the business competencies to make it work? These include competencies in marketing, new product development, the ability to manage widely diverse and scattered employees and facilities. Again, is the idea big enough to justify the expense?

These topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com.

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.