We have created lots of award-winning ads and we’re proud of it!. But we’re more interested in what works: what is going to help you sell more of what you need to sell.

No matter what you are producing, first you need a clear message and a way to get to your target market.

After that we focus on the details that decide the effectiveness of marketing pieces. How will you be distributing sales collateral? At a trade show, in person, in the mail? What medium will you be advertising in: print, radio, TV and/or the Internet?

We’ll ask these questions and more, and guide the answers, so we can develop effective selling pieces for you.

Pick up any media publication and you’ll read about online marketing. Everyone is clamoring for a social media strategy, trying to create online viral campaigns, wondering how to add user-generated content to their websites, or how to reach consumers with ads right on their cell phones, and how to manage their reputations online with Google, Yelp and other recommended engines/sites.

It’s insane and a whole lot of fun. Anytime a new medium comes along marketers throw a lot of darts at the wall, trying to figure out what will stick. We understand that experimentation is part of new media, but we also understand that you can bring “yesterday’s wisdom” to bear. Ask questions: What will engage my customer? How is my customer using these tools? How can I make them a part of my product development, my marketing strategy, my extended sales force?

Our team was there when advertising on the web was new (and hard to sell). Sherean was the sponsorship manager for Cox Interactive Media in 1997. She left there after two years to become the VP of Sales & Marketing for SuperGroups, an early social networking site. We have the experience and perspective to make sure your digital marketing strategy is a sound one. And we have the creative geniuses to execute and make sure your digital marketing campaign is a memorable one!

“Absent of a plan or strategy, all ideas sound like good ones.” That’s Sherean’s favorite saying. Most of our clients don’t lack for good ideas; they’re entrepreneurs, full of great ideas! What they lack is the ability to execute on those ideas, or prioritize them according to their business objectives.

That’s where we come in.

We start with the foundational aspects of your business: Is there a market for your product or service? We focus in on a target audience. Who needs it? Who’s jumping up and down for the chance to purchase it? How much will they pay? How do we explain to your audience what you’re selling in a way that solves a problem they have?

Our marketing plans and budgets are direct and to-the-point. We work with you to map out a plan to profitability. We often serve as Interim VP’s of Marketing. In that capacity, we ask ourselves, “what would I do if this were my own company?” We help you make the tough choices. And we consider ourselves ace negotiators who will help you manage your money, not spend it.

What is that one simple phrase or statement that sums up who you are? What makes you different? Have you ever asked your customers what they think of your product or services?

If you don’t define who you are to your prospects, then your competition will. If we say “Volvo,” did you think “safety?” Or Wal-Mart (“always low prices”)? These companies have adopted various positioning strategies.

The key is to find out what your customer wants, and what makes you YOU. We work with you to develop short statements that separate you from your competition. We give you an elevator pitch. And we spin key messages to your different audiences. If you’re pitching to a CEO, your pitch may sound very different than if you’re pitching to an investor.

Once you know who you are, we’ll show you how to translate that visually into a clear and powerful brand identity, including logo development.

We love this stuff! Several of our principals have worked in the media: TV, radio, cable, Internet. So we have insider knowledge. If you know how a sales rep is paid, then you understand what your negotiating leverage points are. That’s how we negotiate the best deals on behalf of our clients.

We don’t just negotiate rates. We negotiate placement. If you’re in print, we want you in the first 1/3 of the publication; if you’re on TV, we want you in the first position in the break, etc.

And we negotiate freebies: Lots and lots of “added value” from the media companies, like contests, lists, e-newsletter ads, upgrades (free color for your magazine ad) and more. We were in charge of all that stuff when we worked in the media, so we know exactly what to ask for and how to get it.

Taking your company to the next level sometimes means adding (or evaluating) a sales department. For an owner/entrepreneur who knows the product but not sales, putting together a sales department can be daunting.

Many think that if they just hire a good sales manager, the rest will take care of itself. Sometimes, this is true. But often, it’s not.

The skills that make someone good at managing a sales team are not necessarily the same skills needed to build a team from scratch. Most sales managers came up through the ranks, inheriting employees and processes. We have done both: managed existing teams and built sales organizations from the ground up.

Today, we often serve as Interim VP’s of Sales. We’ll get your sales department off to a good start, and make sure you have the team in place to accelerate your growth.

Our founder can up with the axiom that “absent of a plan or strategy, all ideas sound like good ones” after working with clients who had more ideas than time.

ThoughtStorming is one of our most popular services and really sums up what New Thought Marketing is all about: focus. In one afternoon, we help you get all your ideas and activities out of your head and onto a simple project plan with timelines, deadlines, and team leaders.

We develop highly functional web sites: What is the main point of your site? To generate leads? So if you’re just looking for flashy graphics, we’ll refer you elsewhere.

Website is marketing in three dimensions. You can’t just write about your company. You have to think about how copy might link to another area of the site. You have to think about how to write so that the search engines will figure out who you are, what you do and give you a high ranking.

We work with about five different web development firms so we can pull in the team that makes the most sense for your project. Some of them are great at just banging out basic sites; others have the geek power to develop the most complex sites.

Whomever we recommend, we serve as your project manager, guiding you through the process and ensuring that your website stays on target with your marketing goals!

And then once your site is up, we have the experience to promote it.