In Marketing Survival Guide, you learn proven marketing strategies to set your business apart from your competitors, double the effectiveness of your ads, and keep you connected with your clients so they’ll buy more from you...and not from your competitors.

You must learn to change your thinking and think of yourself of as a marketer and not a technician. Know your customer, your market, and how to attract and keep A-List clients.

There is one problem with this. It takes time. 

You can’t read, understand, and implement the marketing strategies of Marketing Survival Guide overnight. However, you can follow chapter 20's action step and join your local chamber of commerce. This leads us to step  2....

Chambers of commerce have survived world wars, monetary breakdowns, the 1918 Spanish flu, and many economic depressions. Once again, chambers will survive our current economic disaster of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Even now Chambers are the ideal place to market you and your business to local business owners and professionals.

You say you don’t know anything about chamber or what’s involved? Not sure how to get started? Afraid you’ll choke during your 30-second introduction at chamber networking meetings?

No worries. I wrote Chamber Advantage to help brand new chamber members like you get started quickly and maximize your chamber membership.

Now is the ideal time to join (or re-join) chamber because many local businesses are cutting back or not participating at all. Most chambers have returned to in-person meetings now. Get involved now. You'll stand out as an involved chamber member and lay the groundwork for business growth later. This book shows you how to do this. 

“According to most studies, people's number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you're better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” ― Jerry Seinfeld

As a Distinguished Toastmaster, I’ve coached over a hundred Toastmaster members. From brand-new members who can’t look up from their shoes to near professionals looking to take it to an even higher level. Most people are somewhere in between. All of them got better with qualified coaching and purposeful practice at Toastmasters.

You can see me in action on my speaking page. Let's talk if you want me to make presentation to your group.

Becoming a better public speaker helps you market yourself better. You sell your products and services easier. You gain confidence. You enjoy networking events more.  

I get it that most people will ignore this advice. I wouldn’t tell you if you weren’t reading my website! To find out more go to Toastmasters.org and look for a club to visit near you.

I write my books to help local business owners and professionals like you survive and thrive regardless of the economy. You might read enough to know you need help and just hire a marketing strategist like me do it for you. Or you'll be like most readers who want to do it yourself.  

Your business is different in some respects because of your strengths, your services, and your local market. You should expect to run into roadblocks and problems when you implement the general marketing strategies in your particular business. Where should you go to get answers?

You could search online and get answers from Facebook gurus and blogging strangers who might or might not give you the answer you need. Can you trust the answers? In the words of singer/songwriter Allan Sherman, "Good advice costs nothing, and it's worth the price."

Rather than hiring me for consulting project, you can hire me for a one-hour consult. Your $300 investment might help you avoid a business mistake which would cost you thousands of dollars. Or improve an ad so that it results in 2x or 10x the response.  Or brainstorm a book project which can make you the go-to-expert in your city.  You might want a second opinion before you launch a new advertising campaign, service or product.  

Dan Kennedy famously said, "Observe what the majority of people are doing, then do the opposite". This is true in so many aspects of life. Including advertising. 

The majority of businesses focus so much money, time, and energy on Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Social Media Marketing. Doing the opposite means looking for local advertising alternatives. This includes local radio stations, chamber advertising, and advertising in local community newspapers such as the Oregon Eagle.