Do I really need a creative strategy or can I just see what happens?

In my twenties, out of college, I had a philosophy.  "Take life as it comes, look for the positive, and go with your gut."  It seemed to work in business and I was able to make some traction adding clients, regions, and new revenue streams for companies.  I actually got a little bit of an ego as I became known as the door opener.  The problem was that I would open up just about any door that came my way regardless of whether or not I believed in their product or thought their company was strong and had merit.  I often found myself in precarious situations in business dealing with people and issues that weren't always the most positive and I would shake my head and wonder what I had done to deserve such clients. 

Flash forward ten years or so without giving up my exact age and I sit here smiling at my younger self.  If you sit down stream in any old spot in the river anything might pass you by.  You have choices and you can move from your spot at any given time. There are no rules as to how you make your choices and how you set your standards.  In my twenties if my boss asked me to pick up another trade show for a fellow employee I would automatically say yes even if I had just gotten home the day before, my pipeline was full of clients, and I was swamped with incoming/outgoing calls.  It never crossed my mind that I could actually say no to my boss.  So off I went packed and ready for another NACA show, sleep deprived, cranky, and stressed from not being caught up with clients. 

If amazing opportunities exist in times when you let "what may come your way" be your strategy imagine the possibilities and opportunities you will run into if you actually creative an effective strategy and position yourself and business where you want to be in a  global market.  What if you made the decision consciously that you were only going to work with clients and prospects who fit a certain criteria?  What if once you determined your targeted demographic you did some research and uncovered which region of the country most of those individuals or business resided in, and then imagine if once you had this incredibly valuable information you created a strategy that was tailored to their interests, needs, and decision making process.  Business no longer seems so much like a shot in the dark and you have just cleared away ten years of doing business with what happens to flow down the river into your lap.

As in life, synergy plays an important role in business.  If you try to shove a square peg in a round hole you may actually get it to fit and pass through but the results could be less than desirable and very messy.  If you take the time to search out the round pegs with the right diameter think of how much your level of productivity just increased.  It seems so simple and makes so much sense now as I sit here in my midland thirties nearing forty, but are you owning it?  I'm trying to and the more I create targeted strategies for TRG Northeast and also my clients the more I'm convinced that you can shorten your sales cycle, increase productivity, tighten up operations, and make yourself happy because you are working where and with who you most desire!

For me? I am exactly where I want to be, developing TRG Northeast for Tyler Ryan Group.

Really? Did I just bite off more than I can chew?

Feeling Overwhelmed?  Did you put yourself out there to the world beyond your comfort zone and now feeling as though you have no clue how to move forward?  No worries mate. It's nothing that a little time and list making can't take care of and produce the best possible results.

When you start a new chapter in life or in your business you can quickly begin feeling overwhelmed.  You are inudated with new ideas, people, places, and programs and it feels as though you will never be able to organize this new world in your mind and make sense of it.  Change naturally produces endorphins and can make even the calmest individual feel as though they now have ADD.  I'm there now with TRG Northeast.  Tyler, my partner was here for three days this week and we filled the time with client, prospect, and social meetings to make the most of his visit.  I even made him come with me to some of my "have to do in life" things just so he could get a clear picture of how my daily schedule flows with the business and being my mom.  I'm sure it was overwhelming to him to have to get ready for a client meeting with a house full of kids, neighbors stopping by, and a teenager that had to be somewhere in ten minutes.  My new business partner made me proud.  Not only did he rise to the occasion at our business meetings he was able to go with the flow with all of my "mommy duties" and unavoidable sidetrips and delays.

One of the things that I learned from working with Tyler this week is no matter where you are and what you are doing take the time to acknowledge those you have met and the possiblities that may exist in the future from working together.  Now with our addictive smartphones we can instanly plug in our new contacts, send them gratitude and thoughts of future dealings before we even hit the interstate.   We used to have to exchange biz cards, jot down some notes on the back of the card, fly home from the tradeshow, sit at our desks Monday morning and create emails or thank you cards to keep our new connections alive.  Modern Technology has simplified the process but you still have to remember to make the effort and to care about the connections you've made stepping out of the comfort zone of your office.

Where am I going with all of this?  Tyler sent me a you tube video that was a parody about biting off more than you can chew and it triggered some of my insecurities that I run into time and time again in business.  When I am out and about in the community or abroad I get an adrenaline rush from meeting new people and experiencing new places and then when I return home I feel overwhelmed by the thought of not being able to keep up with all of my new relationships and opportuniites.  I am a self proclaimed people pleaser and never want to feel as though I let anyone down.  So here I sit writing a daily blog that I haven't touched in almost a week, needing to send out some overdue proposals, having to finish up some press releases and of course wondering if I bit off more than I can chew.  NAH!! Make a damn list, take a deep breath, and know that you are doing the best that you can do.  Stay focused on your list crossing off each line one by one and at the same time stay balanced.  Accomplish a few of your tasks than get up, move away from your computer and do something for yourself that makes you happy.  Do something that screams I am being me.   Okay don't laugh but when I need to become defrazzled I take a shower.

Something about being somewhere where I can just check out for five minutes and have time to myself brings me back to a place of balance AND  I might add I've gotten some of my best ideas in the shower.

If you want - let's do a coffee meeting.

Jen Houghton
TRG Northeast
www.tylerryangroup.com
207.450.8441
Marketing! It's what we do.

A missed opportunity will come around again.

One of the biggest mistakes in business or life is to approach an opportunity as "it's now or never".  I know because I've done this over and over in the same business and with different businesses I've owned.  Call me a slow learner but it took me several experiences to learn that opportunity does come knocking again.  Sometimes it just comes a little bit early and you don't have the resources, manpower, or cash to full take advantage of the opportunity and be able to effectively manage the growth the comes with it. 

You've heard many people say "I'd like to have the problem of too much business."  Sure, it sounds sexy and the visions it brings with it are adrenaline pumping.  My favorite is the story of two men who create a widget for kids and just three months they have a national order from Walmart and its entire distribution channel.  How flippin amazing is that?  Can you picture the two men throwing the correspondance up into the air and literally dancing arm and arm in their manufacturing facility (shed behind one of their houses)? This is a prime example of their story having grown, exploded way ahead of their manufacturing capabilities.

Soon the music ends and the men stop dancing. Now they have an order for a million pieces deliverable in sixty days.  Even if they did have the cash could they source enough raw materials, manpower, and actual space to produce the Purchase Order?  Do they have enough time to have a lawyer review the 40 page document outlining the specs of the order and making sure that even with the price cutting they will in fact be able to turn out these million widgets and make a profit at the other end of the delivery date.  And for some reason they don't make the delivery date as stated in the agreement what will be the reprecussions for the two men and their fantabulous widgets they created?

OK, so you get my drift.  Opportunity will come knocking when you open your doors for business. My thought for you is that it might not be the right opportunity at the right time for your business and even more importantly don't ever worry that if you don't take advantage of the opportunity as it comes knocking that it won't be back at a better time.  Opportunities are nothing more than learning experiences unrealized. By nature their purpose is to happen and to create a new unique situation for growth and learning to occur. They will continue to circle back until they are realized or have just lost their relevance or meaning.  Either way a missed opportunity is better looked at as an extension to get your "merd" in order for the future.  Please don't misinterpret that by missing opportunity it gives you a green light to stay stagnant without growth or change.  We all know what happens to those who stay in one place too long.  It just means that sometimes you're not in the right place at the right time to take advantage of an opportunity but instead use it as a measuring stick to know what you need to do and prepare for when the opportunity swings back around.

Is it the right time?

New opportunities, experiences, and change comes flying at you everyday when you are in business. Some of these you've already experienced and good or bad you have a strong sense of whether or not to become involved again with a certain type of project or prospect.  Then every so often something comes your way that you have been hoping for. It is an experience or opportunity that you have been dreaming of doing or taking part of and you know in  your heart you just can't pass it up!


When I was in business school, my dream was to be quoted in the Wall Street Journal. Once it had happened I knew in my heart I would truly have been successful.  Funny thing is I ended up being quoted for a law signed by President Bush and how it was going to negatively impact my business.  Well so maybe our dreams don't always turn out to be what we expect but don't dismiss them so quick. Every experience is and opportunity in life for growth or to decide to stay where you are for a little bit longer.

How do you decide if it is the right time to take on a new risk?  I've always followed my gut instinct and my heart but last week in Cancun I had an experience where I had to push past what I thought my gut was telling me and I am so glad I did.  I came face to face with fear and thankfully there was someone there to literally pull me through it to the other side.  Life tends to bring you what you need exactly when you need it - just keep your eyes and mind open to the possibility.

I am a risk taker in business. I have no problem saying yes to new opportunity and prospects.  I tend to jump before I look and I have faith that everything will eventually turn out as it is supposed to be.  When Diana asked me to go to Mexico with six other women I said YES!  In my mind I pictured a long overdue break that alternated between lying poolside and by the beach. Perfect!  Then Diana came back from a Scuba Dive and literally jumped on my lounge chair and made me promise I would dive.  NO, NO, NO I told her. It didn't fit my agenda of lying, sleeping, reading, and being in a pure "lizard" state of mind in the sun.  Then something in my gut said "why not".

My experience started in the Resort pool with my instructor Daniel for a quick try to see if I liked it.  It went well and I felt okay about the experience. I would have to do it again in the pool the next day to learn more of the basics and gain a knowledge of how it would work in the open ocean.  I was joined by a brother and sister from New York who were in their early twenties.  Not that I feel old but it made me realize that if there is something in life you want to do don't keep putting it off to when you have more time or are in a better place.

After the hour long pool lesson we had a lunch break and then met back to take a taxi to the park for our dive.  I was very calm during the taxi and boat ride out to the dive site.  Cancun is beautiful and there is so much to look at in every direction.  Then the boat stopped and Daniel said we were going in the water first.  We sat on the deck at the back of the boat with our flippers, mask and tank and suddenly I started to freeze.  My body became tense and my heart began to race.  My mind began flooding with a million what ifs and suddenly my gut was screaming don't do this, don't take this risk, you don't want to go here.  Daniel motioned for me to jump into the water and I did but I had already made the decision I was going to somehow stay on the boat while the others dove.

My two new friends were already down at the bottom holding onto the guide rope and Daniel motioned to me to put the respirator in my mouth and start descending.  I couldn't move.  He handed it to me and I put it in my mouth but couldn't breathe. There was a lump of fear in my throat and no matter how deeply I took in air from my tank it wouldn't push past the fear.  I turned and started swimming back to the boat but felt a hand tugging me back.  I tried to pull away but had become weak from the fear I was experiencing.  Daniel tugged at my arm until I was facing him and he motioned for me to look at his eyes. We were floating in the water and he took a huge breath from his tank and told me to do the same as he kept looking at me. Somehow I was able to do it. One breath after another floating at the surface and without me knowing it he was slowly deflating my vest and I went under the water.  It seemed to take forever to reach the bottom and join the other two even though it was only 20 feet.  I had to keep stopping to blow air through my nose to pop my ears from the pressure.  Daniel never let go of my hand or took his eyes away from mine.  It felt like he was descending for me.

At the bottom, I had finally pushed through my fear and realized that I had just literally been guided into a brand new world that I had never experienced before by a total stranger who spoke English as a second language but had communicated with no words at all. This stranger had taken me through a major lesson of trust without saying one word to me.  He held my hand at the bottom as we swam over coral looking at fish and creatures but soon into the dive my independence took back control and left his side to swim by myself  and have the experience of being alone under the water with the sea life and current moving back and forth pushing and pulling me at the same time. My gut had told me not to  take the risk but my heart was overjoyed that someone was there to guide me through it and open up a whole new world that I would have never experienced on the boat sitting with the captain.


My advice to you whether you are wondering if it is the right time for a new opportunity in business or life, when in doubt open your eyes and look around.  If you are meant to have the experience someone or something will be there to guide you.  Don't let fear be the deciding factor as you are becoming who you were always meant to be.

We're building a company with a future not just a revenue stream.

Tyler Ryan Group is nearly ten years old and has been building its foundation one customer at a time.  Not just wanting to make the quick dollar but making sure that the right campaign was strategically placed and positioned with the clients best interest at heart.    If you build something solid that provides value and benefit than the dollar will follow!

TRG Northeast is taking the knowledge and expertise that has been growing and building for the past ten years and combining it with Jennifer Houghton's business experiences and networks built from the past 20 years in the North to make an even bigger impact up and down the East Coast.

Tyler has promised Jennifer "the sky's the limit".  Jennifer simply stated, "let's get it done".

To find out more about Tyler Ryan Group visit our website!

A change of perspective is always a good thing.

When you are building your business especially in the early stages you can get tunnel vision and begin to see things only one way, your way.  Your world becomes consumed with assets/liabilities, income/expenses, insurance/taxes, and building your brand. You start losing sleep, your thoughts spin, and your conversations are monopolized by everything about your business. You are firmly planted in the forest and all you see are the trees.

Sometimes you need to literally stand up and move yourself to a place that you've never been before and just observe.  It could be attending  a local community group that is new and where you don't know any of the people.  Sit and just observe how the individuals interact and hopefully you will be able to listen to others talking about their businesses or ventures.  There's a certain wisdom that comes from listening especially when you are in a time of extreme focus about your own situation or project.  You may hear something that will help remove an obstacle in your process or you might gain a new connection that will be able to aid you in the near future.

A new fresh perspective does a world of good for one's attitude and outlook on life and in business.  The world is always moving and us with it.  Nothing is stagnant and when you simply get up and move to a different spot your situation will look entirely different!

Free Press - it doesn't have to be painful.

Remember as a kid visiting your grandparents house and fooling around on their old fashioned typewriter? This is all relative depending on who is reading this blog but let me give you my visual.  I was the youngest of 26 grandchildren born into my mother's family.  So needless to say my grandparents were always old and had really cool things at their house.  For some reason I remember being mesmerized with two of their items: a very old typewriter like this one and their very old beagle dog.  For very long blocks of time I would hover over the keys and just look at them.  I don't think I was even old enough to type or form an entire written thought but more than anything I wanted to get my fingers on those keys.
My grandparents born in the late 19th century prescribed to the train of thought that children should be seen but never heard so visits were most often painful and terribly long.  Opportunity would present itself and they would leave the room to share this or that with my parents and I would be able to take a precious strike at the keys and more often than not I would skin my finger on the metal arm from trying to hit it so quick.  Now I can envision reporters and businessmen sitting at those keys and painstakingly typing out their message or story trying to get it perfect each and every time.

Today - writing and publishing your work is as simple as it gets and the opportunities for free press for your business or organization are endless.  Even if you're not a writer putting together a press release is nothing short of filling in a template with all of the information you are trying to share with the world about your product, service, or event.  Always send off your press releases on letterhead whether going through the mail or being sent out electronically.  Your logo should appear at the top of the release and  PRESS RELEASE in bold capital letters needs to jump out at you from the page.  Remember that your purpose is to share as many pertinent details with the publication you are contacting to give them the whole entire story and if you catch their interest they will already have the building blocks of their angle.  Put your most important data and facts in the beginning.  Give a quick summary of what you are announcing and then go into more details in the following paragraphs and finally end with a summary of what you have told them.  When you are happy with your release and ready to end it make sure you include ### on the next line centered. This is a visual clue to the editor that you are done and complete.

You don't have to be a brilliant writer to get your press releases in the news just make sure that when you send out a copy that it is actually interesting and newsworthy.  You can be creative with your headline to make it stand out in the pile of other releases hot off the press.

Don't be intimidated by the process if you've never done it before.  Don't let fear hold you back from taking advantage of  one of the best way to get your word out there to your foot soldiers.  Remember that people like to be "in the know" and you are doing the general public a service by letting them know about your product and service! It's a good thing that you are doing!

If you have any questions or need any help, give me a call!

Jennifer Houghton
TRG Northeast
www.tylerryangroup.com
207-450-8441
jennifer@tylerryangroup.com
Marketing! It's what we do.

How strong is your logo?

Ideally you want your customers to be able to identify your company and product by a symbol.  That its your end goal when building your brand and creating your marketing strategy.  Most kids today can identify 1000's of brands by image alone without the company name anywhere in sight.

It's not going to happen overnight and it requires a lot of forethought and vision on your part. The best piece of advice is to keep it simple and go with your gut.  Most of us won't be able to come up with and create the graphic on our own so we'll need to bring in an outside talent to translate our ideas and what we are trying to achieve.  You will however in an instant know whether or not the graphic created to represent your entire brand and line of products and services is the right fit for you and your business.  Trust that intuition and know that you are going to need to commit to the basic  premise of the logo.

There's no doubt that your new logo will need to evolve over time as both your company grows and changes along with the market but you still want to make sure that the foundation you lay will be strong enough to carry you way into the future.

It's always good to receive positive feedback - especially when it comes from your CEO!

“When you look to take a big expansion step in your company, there are a few key players that can make or break you.  Recruiting the right people is often daunting.  It’s just shy of fate that I found the right person to head TRG Northeast not on a website or an ad…I just had to go back 25 years in school pictures.  I am very excited to welcome Jennifer in overseeing TRG-Northeast.  Since the minute we first spoke about the idea, she has been nonstop building not only the firm, but every client that was on my radar and relationships she had enjoyed for a long time.  Her vision, experience, and drive make it instantly clear her motives are to not only growing TRG Northeast, but doing by building a long list of successful clients along the way.”

Tyler Ryan

President/CEO

Tyler Ryan Group

TRG-Northeast

It's all about to change - are you ready?

It's Monday morning just shy of 9:00am on the East coast and in the day it's the time that just about everyone commuting to an office is getting ready to pull up there chair to the desk and say, "OK, let's do this."

Well okay, I've been there, done that and I'm not sure I always approached Morning with the excitement knowing it was the day I was going to make business magic happen. There was always a little bit of resentment that my relaxing weekend of doing housework, yard work, birthday parties, and family BBQ's had come to an end.

Many of us have left that way of life and are now integrating our offices into our homes, our cars, our methods of transportation, and even poolside. With the invention of the internet, smart phones, and ISDN lines basically any type of business can be conducted outside of the office. Is this a good thing? I'll leave that one up to you. However it is a catalyst for major change in how we are doing business and exactly who we are doing business with and I'm proposing the question, "Are you ready?"

Remember fifteen years back, relatively, when the buzz was the dot com movement? The first question out of everybody's lips was "do you have a website?". People were buying up urls like they were collectible Pez dispensers hoping to snag the right one and soon find themselves on easy street. The funny thing is that happened to a large group of intuitive buyers. I found myself smack dab in the middle of the dot come revolution and remember the swirling of misinformation and projections of the future of business that clouded everyone's way of looking at doing business. Some of the crazier notions were that newspaper, radio, and tv were on their way to becoming obsolete, it was actually possible to buy up all of the online inventory to block your competition from having any advertising real estate on the internet, and my personal favorite the great debate of whether an individual should log in or log on to the web.

Well buckle your seat belts and get ready for the next big advancement in virtual business. Most of you are already aware its happening many thanks to You Tube. The new question on the street is "do you have a video I can take a look at?". Think about it as a commercial for your business, product, service, or project. Companies are making it their entire focus and building their business plan around the creation and marketing of videos for commercial and non profit groups. Why? Because as one who prides herself on creating a story and then spinning it to build a brand or market niche it is one of the easiest ways to help give your story personality, reputability, credibility, and two very fast legs to help it spread out all over the globe. I love the possibilities it brings to the individual artist, small business, non profit and large corporation. The possibilities are endless and it doesn't have to cost an arm or a leg. We have a number of professionals in our town of 7,000 already servicing customers in this medium. TRG, our parent company, has been creating videos for clients for almost ten years. It is something that you as an individual can do by yourself.

Think about it, write it down, and let your creativity run wild.
If you would like help putting together your video, call me!

Jennifer Houghton
TRG Northeast
207-450-8441
www.tylerryangroup.com
Marketing! It's what we do.

Jennifer@tylerryangroup.com

Tyler Ryan Group Introduction

Pick my Brain for Free! Jennifer Houghton TRG Northeast

So you want to pick my brain? OK, let's be honest. During the days of our retail stores in Little Hat Company, people had a sixth sense of knowing when I was covering a shift or somehow knew that I would happen to be working behind the counter and would often say to me, "hey good to see you here today, do you mind if I pick your brain?"

The truth is I love business and would often spend hours listening, internalizing, and then helping to create solutions for their marketing strategies or new product launches. Sometimes it would be simple as letting them know what my accountant thought about a certain situation. I love hearing about business and its obstacles and growing pains - it's a puzzle and it always feels good when you "get a piece".

SO now that I no longer have the store fronts and school pick up is out for the summer I have a proposal for all of you who may want to pick my brain for free. Actually the proposal includes a FREE 2 hour sit down dedicated entirely to your business, project, event, or fundraiser. So - there is a catch but its not brain surgery.

Part of branding your company or positioning your product in the marketplace is getting people to know it exists. One way to jump start the momentum of growing your business is by using effective promotional products. What? You know - slap your name or logo on basically anything under the sun. School is just around the corner. One of the least expensive, most effective promotional product is a number 2 pencil or a bic pen. Most of you are already placing quarterly orders for promotional products anyways...Give TRG Northeast your next order of any size and I will give you two hours of my time with my complete attention and all of my experiences and business education at your disposal.


How do I know promotional products work? Ask my friend, Mr. Gagnon. Everytime I make my way to the gym I bring with me my faithful PGagnon and Son sports bottle. Every time my kids go to practice or the beach we fill up our trusty PGagnon and Son sports bottle! LOVE IT!! In fact it is common for when you cross paths with another carrying their PGagnon bottle to perform a "cheers" in recognition that we are supporting local business!


Anything under the sun can be branded with your logo or business name and it can be a very small expense or you can go hogwild and spend 100,000's of dollars. I'm suggesting that for now let's start small and let me show you how cool it is to work with TRG Northeast.




Email me and ask me lots of questions about this crazy idea or just pick up the phone and call me!

Jennifer Houghton
207-450-8441
jennifer@tylerryangroup.com


P.S. My first job out of business school was working for Forbes Marketing Group in Exeter, New Hampshire. I was hired to open up the Midwest and South Central Markets by selling promotional products to colleges and universities. I traveled like a demon, attended a zillion NACA shows, met celebrities, lectured to students on how to effectively promote their programs and events on campus and also experienced many unusual encounters with TV personalities: Skippy from Family Ties, Barry "Greg Brady" from the Brady Bunch, Mohamed from one of the original Real World Cast, and Faith Hill while she was still singing to crowds of 50 people or less....Very cool job right out of college!!

Appreciating and Getting to know your foot soldiers!

When your business offers a quality product or service word travels fast. This is the most reliable and affective way to grow your audience and brand recognition.

Imagine if you enabled that word of mouth to grow at even a faster pace and helped it build its own momentum by providing it with tools to make it more accessible, entertaining, and full of value.

One of the best ways to grow your business is to take traditional word of mouth marketing and stretch, pull, and tug it in just about every direction it allows. The internet and traditional marketing channels provide the perfect distribution for this technique. Remember business is not rocket science its taking what you already have and building a story around it so people can relate, identify, and share your information.

Steps to expounding word of mouth marketing - getting to know your foot soldiers.
1. Every peer group, community, town, city, market, region, country, and beyond has its own leaders who pride themselves on knowing things of interest and value first. These are your first targeted group of foot soldiers that you need to identify and introduce yourself to. You need to get to know them and find out what their likes and dislikes are, where do they spend their free time, and how do they connect with people.
It's not hard - I'm sure you already know a handful of these people in your community. These are the people that when you are out and about in town, or at community events their names keep popping up. Introduce yourself to them. Strike up a conversation about the day and try to find simple points of identification. Remember you're not trying to rule the world you're just trying to make yourself known.

2. Local Groups happen naturally in Communities and are a perfect way to get to know your foot soldiers and organically grow their numbers. Reach out to local groups in your area through Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, One More Referral, Community Centers, etc... ask a member about their group and if there are any restrictions or costs on attending a meeting. When you feel comfortable enough ask if you could present yourself and your business. Remember props always bring laughs and laughter always sparks memories.

3. Involve yourself and business as a volunteer in community events. It's one thing for your business to sponsor an event its another for you and your employees to submerse yourselves and your product/brand into the day in a non intrusive way. Example? Nature's Way Market didn't hesitate to say yes when asked to be the BBQ provider for the 1st Annual Field of Dreams Home Run Derby in South Berwick, Maine to benefit local Team Laffalot. The day was amazing and it was all about breast cancer. Nature's Way Market stepped up to the plate and offered a wide array of fresh quality choices to the attendees and batters without charging them an arm and a leg. They also made a donation to Team Laffalot which was greatly appreciated. The crowds were fed, happy and stayed longer helping to build the dollars raised for the day and now a week later the community is still talking about the steak tips and baby red potato meal deal for $6.00.



These are just a few of the steps I've taken in my businesses to help encourage and grow my foot soldiers! Word of mouth marketing at its finest is cost free and the most effective. You just need to know how to stretch the limits! I invite you to call me anytime to sit down and consult how we might grow your business!

Jennifer Houghton
TRG Northeast
207-450-8441
www.tylerryangroup.com
Marketing! It's what we do.

Synergy - you know the word, do you know the meaning?

We've all been there, I call it being in the groove. When everything you touch in life, more specifically your business turns into gold and the world seems to be at your feet. It's a sense of momentum that keeps building leaving you feeling exhilarated and on top of the world, and while you are smack dab in this feeling of immortality it seems more and more opportunities are drawn to you and you are nothing short of a kid in a candy shoppe.

Did you ever stop to think that it was more than just a feeling? That there was actually a social science behind the cycle and with just a little bit of insight you can create this whirlwind of success and pure force of a positive bottom line. Business is not rocket science. Trust me it wasn't the academic icons that turned in the best projects or senior case management studies in business school. Not that there isn't merit in scholarship and the ability to apply ones studies to real life situations. The issue is that real life situations are constantly evolving and changing and it is the basic equation of synergy that will be able to propel you into a a spiral of positive cash flow and brand positioning.

In college, I remember Mr. Chaput telling us if you take nothing from his courses in marketing and actually our entire business syllabus remember the four P's. It seemed simple enough at the time but for some reason in each of my businesses I would allow myself to get ahead of where I was and forget to remember the simple equations for success. So let me remind myself as I begin this new venture with The Tyler Ryan Group and promising the CEO I can blow open the Northeast, wide open were my exact words and just in case you haven't heard of the four P's before let me bring them to your attention.

Product
Place
Price
Promotion

Which smiling to myself as I write this blog post have become my best friends in business. Each of the four P's are compelling by themselves, however when you can create a compelling strategy that integrates and incorporates each into one very strong story with legs you have instant attraction and success. While some of my friends get a shopping high, others a running high, I get my high from spinning a story and seeing how far I can spread it. As I have matured (loosely stated) I have come to realize that as you spin your story and create brand recognition it is oh so important that each of the four P's are well thought out, contain value, integrity, and have a natural tendency to balance each other out. If you have one superstar in the group and the others fall way short, I'm predicting you will have the shooting star affect in your business. You'll start out strong and bright but will quickly fade into the darkness of an overcrowded marketplace.

When you create a synergy between the four P's in business than you have created your very own super nova. Let's be realist as we are riding our business high, life is everchanging and there is always a new trend just around the corner but there is no reason that you can't catch an early ride on a wave and let it bring you all the way into shore. There is no good without bad, there is no black without knowing red, and there is no demand without supply. Remember that business is always a careful balance and although everchanging it is important to keep your perspective on the synergy, relationship between your product, place, price, and promotion. And as Tyler loves to say you can be sitting on a pile of gold for sale but if know one knows where you are and noone can afford to purchase a bar from you at the end of the day you will still be sitting on your pile of gold. And really how much fun is that? Wouldn't you rather be out creating memories from extraordinary experiences?

http://TylerRyanGroup.com

If you would like some help getting rid of that pile of gold shoot me an email or pick up your smart phone and call me. I'm personally addicted to the technology and will always have mine with me.

Jennifer Houghton
jennifer@tylerryangroup.com
207-450-8441
TRG Northeast
Marketing. It's what we do!
"excuse me while I go outsmart some bears"