How to Win in Business By Playing Your Best Golf

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Playing Golf|How to Win in Business By Playing Your Best GolfGolf has always been synonymous with business networking, mastering team-building skills and for developing working relationships. In the words of the late Arnold Palmer, one of the world’s greatest golfers, “success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character”.

As well as getting to know potential clients and employees, some of golf’s most valuable lessons apply equally well in a business setting for leaders and employees alike. In a relaxed setting, golf has evolved as an opportune sport to evaluate vital qualities prized by business investors, colleague and potential clients, such as:

  • personal drive
  • management skills
  • leadership abilities
  • problem-solving capabilities, and
  • effective communication.

Golf also appeals to businesses as it lends itself well as a team-building tool, showcasing a player’s determination and commitment to a task in hand. When playing golf, you must also take into consideration investing in a quality golf club bag for better storage of your golf equipment.

But, if you’re not a pro and have been invited to or are hosting a golf event, here are some top tips on how to raise your game.

Forget about theories

There are countless tricks and theories online that promise to help you gain the edge in a golf match, from giving your opponents their putts early in the round so they haven’t been able to practice short putting when the pressure’s on, or walking ahead of your opponent so they feel like they’re behind all day. But, the issue with these nuggets of wisdom is that they can distract you from the real focus of the game, putting you further behind. If your goal is to win, you can’t put your efforts towards doing that if you’re spending all day trying to trick the system.

Know your weaknesses

You may or may not know the people you’ll be playing with, but you certainly know where your own strengths and weaknesses lie, so focus on these first of all. You don’t want to try overcoming your weaknesses while you’re playing against someone else, so take the time to perfect your skills and hone in on those elements of the game that tend to trip you up.

Instructional videos are a great way to do this, but also practicing your swing at home is also hugely beneficial. Carry out different drills and swing positions to perfect your short game and correct any weaknesses that will improve your performance when you’re up against it.

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Do your research

There are countless great locations for golfing, but you can give yourself an advantage if you know the course you’re playing on. That might mean agreeing to a course you play regularly (or at least more than your opponents) or reading online course reviews before you visit so you can identify any tricky shots or strategies that others have found effective. You will gain an advantage that provides you with more confidence when you’re playing and helps you prepare mentally for the upcoming shots you’ll be faced with.

Play point by point

Instead of playing a more traditional stroke scoring game, switch up the rules and award points to the person who cups a given hole in the fewest number of strokes. Match play encourages stronger, more exciting shots but it also means that hitting 12+ on a hole won’t completely destroy your round like it would in stroke play, since strokes don’t roll over from hole to hole. It’s still possible that if one of your opponents is a stronger player, they’ll continue to count overall strokes, but being able to secure the match play will still give you plenty of smug satisfaction and is guaranteed to leave the others feeling defeated.

Get aligned

A common mistake that many amateurs make is improper alignment, which can affect your performance on the course. You might think you need to align your feet towards the target or get your shoulders parallel to it, but the correct way to align your shots is to assess your target from behind the ball for the best perspective of the hole so you can aim effectively.

Also, before you make your stance, set the clubface behind the ball and align it towards your target. This should be your focus before you get into stance and paying attention to this can really improve your shots.

Focus on your grip

A more experienced player will always have a fundamentally solid grip and you might be surprised just how much grip can affect your ability to make better shots. Grip the club with your gloved hand and focus on the placement in the fingers between the first knuckle and your palm. Apply your ungloved hand to wrap comfortably around the handle, moving your thumb and index fingers of both hands to form two Vs which should point towards the right side of your chest or right shoulder.

In summary

Golf can be as relaxed or competitive as you want it to be, but when you get a group of colleagues and companies together, there’s bound to be a fair bit of competition among you all. If you’re keen to come out on top at the end of your golfing day, wherever you choose to book it, the best way is to practice, be prepared and do your research when it comes to the course itself. But above all, enjoy yourself and focus on the job in hand.

Don’t sell the steak – sell the sizzle

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Selling|Don't sell the steak - sell the sizzleIn business, it’s all too often too easy to sell the steak rather than the sizzle. That is, to focus on what people are buying rather than why they should buy it.

Most consumers will purchase your product because it’s functional and fulfills a need in their lives. If you want your products to fly off the shelves, you must also give them an incentive- an emotional benefit- that doesn’t come with just any purchase of your product. Don’t just tell them “here is our newest release” or “our product lasts longer”.

Even a humble compression spring has a sizzle to be sold

When you look at humble compression springs it can be hard to see beyond the fact that a spring is springy. How can you look at a spring and come up with a story to sell it?

A compression spring’s history

It’s history for a start. In 1763 by R Tradwell filed the first patent for a coiled spring which was used to replace the leaf spring in automotive suspension systems. Another interesting patent for a compression spring was filed in 1865 when the use of a compression spring in a mattress was patented.

Comfort is the common factor in both patents. So why not build on this history? It’s all about knowing what makes people buy. The proof is in the history books. People want to buy comfort while they sleep, they want to be able to go on a long journey without the fear of their car breaking down, and they certainly don’t want the risk of their body being uncomfortable in any way at home or at work.

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A sizzle to support your steak – ease of use

The next product sizzle that you may be able to build around is easy of use. Ballpoint pens offer writers a clean writing experience that has been improved by the inclusion of a spring that allows the pen’s nib to be stored with the pen ensuring fewer leaks.

As you can see, even a humble spring has features and benefits that can be used to create a sizzle to sell.

Creating the sizzle

To create a sizzle that is going to sell, you must ensure that everyone on the development team, from the marketing and sales teams to the engineers and the QA testers, are all part of the process. If you don’t do this and try it all yourself or go at it alone you won’t be able to build a product with a good enough sizzle.

It’s important to build a product with a good sizzle because in today’s competitive market if you want to succeed you need to stand out. To stand out, you need an edge that is going to make your product sell.

To come up with a good product idea, break down the composition of your product, or the process behind it. From there draw on the history of your business and its products. You may be able to find something that has gone before that can help you create a story about your new product.

Every new product is an opportunity for you to give customers an added benefit that they won’t get from anyone else.

The Importance Of Packaging: What You Need To Know

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Packaging | The Importance Of Packaging: What You Need To KnowWith so many other elements going into creating, marketing, and selling a product, it is easy to overlook its packaging. However, it can make or break someone’s decision to buy that product for products bought in person. Likewise, for eCommerce products, the packaging can dictate whether or not a person will offer their repeat business. In short, the packaging of a product is vital; let’s take a closer look.

Protects Products

Packaging isn’t all about design. It serves a function too. First, it protects products from damage. Transporting a product can do a lot of harm. Packaging a product well ensures that you have done your best to keep it safe, and this goes a long way in encouraging consumers to trust you.

The function can add to the aesthetic, too. For example, banding your products with paper or ribbon helps protect them and provides a nice finish. To band your products properly, you need a packaging banding tool like the ones offered by Felins. Working with professionals like this help to ensure you’re getting the right service.

Keeps Consumers Informed

Most packaging also contains information. It educates customers on the purpose, uses and ingredients in the product. In fact, there are often legal obligations that dictate the content on the packaging. While you must adhere to legal requirements, you should also try to avoid overwhelming your consumers with information. Find the balance and consider the design.

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Communicates Your Brand

Branding is vital for a business, and your packaging helps to communicate your brand to consumers. By keeping the design consistent with your brand, you help to build a better brand recognition; your brand becomes more recognizable to consumers. Think about your colors, fonts and even tone of voice when it comes to designing your packaging; what can you do to identify your product as a part of your brand?

Acts as a First Impression

The way that you decide to package your products provides the first impression for your consumers whether they have bought the product in person or over the internet. It needs to be eye-catching and communicate your brand.

However, it goes beyond what it looks like. Think about the materials used, too; how will it feel in your consumer’s hands? Consumers can tell when something feels high-quality. Consumers are willing to pay a higher price when they know that they are receiving a quality product.

Environmental Impact

The materials that you use have a direct effect on the environment. A lot of consumers are trending towards brands that demonstrate more eco-friendly values. Think about the environmental impact of your packaging materials. For example, packaging your products in recyclable materials is more responsible, and it can act as a draw for consumers. Some packaging has uses beyond the products themselves; they can be reused by consumers.

Wrapping Up

The packaging of a product has far-reaching effects. It can act as a selling point for consumers in addition to protecting the products themselves. This is why it is worth putting the time, effort and money into ensuring that the packaging of your products is of a high quality.

Color trends for 2022

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Color trends for 2022|Color trends for 2022The most important trends in the colors of 2022 have their roots in optimism, warmth, growth and enthusiasm. Color and predictive authorities in trends such as Pantone, WSGN and Etsy have started to launch their color forecasts for next year, many of them being bright shades that give a source of energy against the background of the current situation.

Pantone has revealed that Very Peri, a shade of blue-purple, is its color from 2022. The shade is described as a “warm and friendly shade of blue, with a carefree confidence and cheerful attitude”. He also anticipates that Spun Sugar (a pastel blue), Glacier Lake (a powder blue), Skydiver (a bright blue) and Harbor Blue (a dark blue-green) will resonate with many this year.

If 2022 were a color, it should carry all these nuances and undertones of our present life. And Pantone aims to illustrate this with a new shade, Very Peri, created to encourage personal inventiveness and creativity. We could say that in times like these, no existing color can fully represent us – so the winning shade is the first in the history of the Color of the Year program that was selected from outside the Pantone Color Guide.

“Creating a new color, for the first time in the history of our educational program, reflects the global innovation and transformation that is taking place. As society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication and a way to express and affect ideas and emotions, to engage and connect, the complexity of this new shade of blue infused red-purple highlights expansive possibilities. standing in front of us, ”explains Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.

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Described as “the happiest and warmest shade of blue”, Very Peri is the essence of our current state. The color has the vibrant properties taken from blue, but it carries us among cheerful shades of red-purple.

As in previous years, many of the colors of 2022 are once again rooted in nature. The 2022 Etsy color, Emerald Green, reflects nature as harmony, growth and refinement.

However, Very Peri is not the only shade nominated to represent next year. If we look at the big paint manufacturers, we will notice a trend around the deep, warm shades of green and blue.

Each of the colors of the year expresses a need for safety and comfort, but also a hope for new, more lively beginnings. And as the time spent inside is substantial now, we will look for solutions to bring color to the living space.

The good part is that the chosen shades are easy to integrate in any room, if you have a gram of creativity and courage.

And the color of 2022 for WGN is the Orchid Flower. The saturated magenta color reflects a feeling of positivity and escape through its bright nature.

Why Influencers Are Vital To Your Brand

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StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Influencers|Why Influencers Are Vital To Your BrandWe’re living in a world that involves more social media use than ever before and companies are sitting up and taking notice. More and more of us are paying attention to what’s going on on social media, and companies realize that the best way to get through to their audience is with the strength of marketing on social media.

The reason that social media marketing is becoming so popular is with the rise of the influencer. Influencers offer people a trusted opinion – it’s like peer reviews on a much larger scale. There are people who pull influencers onto their podcasts and channels with the help of a podcast booking agency, and there are those who use the strength of social media advertising to reach further than their usual audience. There are so many reasons that you should be incorporating influencers in marketing your brand and we’ve got these for you below:

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  1. Your audience trusts influencers. If you choose the right influencers, you are going to reach your audience in a way that you can’t elsewhere. People trust the voice of the influencer because they are able to reach out in a way that you can’t. The level of trust there is something you might not have built yet, but that’s why you use influencers!
  2. They are opinion leaders. Influencers aren’t just celebrities who won the latest competition. They are opinion leaders and they are able to push your product in a way that you aren’t able to do. Celebrities can reach a bigger and more diverse group of people and if you focus on the way in which the influencers value their audience, you can maximize what your brand stands for.
  3. Social media is growing. Your business can’t be everywhere at all times on its own. You need help and with social media growing so rapidly, you need to be able to grow more and influencers have a reach that you couldn’t possibly keep up with. Social media pages are flying right now and if you’re on them, your reach will grow – it’s how influencers can drive traffic to your page! It’s important to remember that there are so many kinds of social media that you need to think about trying out. A good example is Twitch, the streaming service which allows people to stream videos of themselves. This is something that influencers are making a lot of use of these days, so it might be worth considering doing that yourself. You can change Twitch stream title to reflect your brand and stream things that your audience will love – and the results will often be huge.
  4. Adverts are being blocked. More and more people are moving away from watching traditional television because they prefer to watch uninhibited adverts. We’re paying for streaming services and we’re opting for premium streaming so that we can get away from adverts in general. With social media influencers, people want to listen to their favorites and what they have to say!
  5. Your brand is losing power. You need all the help that you can get as a startup who is looking to market their business. The use of influencer marketing can be a gamechanger for most businesses; you just have to figure out which influencers would be the best option for you and your business. Aligning yourself with the right ones will improve your brand immensely!

Trying out influencer marketing could change your entire business – why not give it a try and find the influencers right for your business today?