Everyone wants to know how to INNOVATE, CAPTIVATE, AND CONVERT consumers to customers –it’s marketing without breaking the bank. That’s what we’re all about here at Marketing Masters.
Today’s guest in the hot seat is Ed Tate. As an entrepreneur and former executive, Ed’s success in business spans over two decades. While an Executive in the computer industry, Ed sold over $500 million in computer products and services and co-created two business units that produced over $1.25 billion in revenues.
A partial list of Ed’s clients includes:
Johnson & Johnson, Cigna Insurance & – Nielsen Ratings
Using the principles he teaches, Ed Tate won the “American Idol of Public Speaking” and became the 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking – Toastmasters International’s highest speaking award among its 300,000+ members globally.
Using these same principles, Ed’s business weathered the recent economic tsunami.
Ed works with executives and managers of large corporations and associations in two areas:
a. Making managers into leaders®
b. Breathing life into their business presentations
Additionally he works with small businesses, entrepreneurs in solo practitioners to breathe life into their businesses through Guerrilla Marketing.
Ed shares his most memorable failure in business. In 2007, at the beginning of the worldwide economic tsunami, he made two critical mistakes.
c. He had all of his business with just two accounts. Both businesses when out of business within 10 days of each other.
d. He had abdicated his marketing responsibilities. Specifically, he had other companies marketing his business. He had not picked up the phone in seven years. When he lost it all, he had to learn how to market himself from scratch. Thankfully, the Guerrilla Marketing program saved his business.
On his journey as entrepreneur, his ah-ha moment came in 2008, after starting all over again from scratch, having lost well over a half $1 million in 2007, he booked close to $300,000 in business. The ah-ha was, it’s not the economy it’s your economy. The economy doesn’t matter as long as you’re willing to outwork your competition.
Ed’s best advice is to define your own market. Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, uses a poker table analogy. He says, “Define your own table.” When Ed started his career all over again, he was more in tune with defining his message and his uniqueness rather than copying what everyone else is doing; or following the latest trends.
Favorite success quote:
“What is impossible in one mindset is easy in another.” – Ed Tate
Favorite business books:
· Jeff Walker – Launch
· Decisive – Chip and Dan Heath
You can learn more about Ed Tate at edtate.com