The Marketing Mentor Podcast

The new year is upon us so it's time to reflect on what worked, and especially on what didn't work, so we can improve it. In this year-end podcast, Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com is joined by time-lapse filmmaker, Michael e. Stern, of BuildaBetterPhotograph.com to share mistakes made and lessons learned regarding excited clients, partnerships, contracts and more. If your goal for 2016 is to g...

There has been a ton of interest in Package Pricing for creative services but some confusion amongst other pricing strategies, like tiered-pricing and the trendy "productizing." In this podcast interview Jason Blumer, of BlumerCPAs.com , and Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com , sort out and clarify these strategies so you can use them to gain more control over your life. Isn't that the point? Wan...

Laurie Millotte used to worry that she was undercharging. Other times she worried that she might be overcharging. Even when clients hired her, she never really knew if she had come up with the right price for her creative services. Then she started offering packages and it changed the way she does business. In this podcast, she shares with Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun, how she packages her design...

If you're selling big-ticket services and want to connect directly with your best prospects, the phone is an effective marketing tool, if you know how to give good phone. Michael e. Stern generously shares his proven techniques in his 3rd podcast/interview with Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips here .

How do you reach a wide audience when you don't have thousands of raving fans? In my latest interview, music entrepreneur, Budi Voogt, explains exactly how he gets wide exposure for his talented musicians and how commercial artists and other creative professionals can adapt these strategies to reach a larger audience to find better clients. Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips here .

As a right brainer in a left brain world, Michael e. Stern has learned a lot in his 36 years in business about how to price his creative services. In his 2nd podcast/interview with Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com he shares his 3 best pricing strategies, including what he calls the "J.B. factor" and many other pearls of wisdom. Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips here .

What are corporate in house design managers looking for in the freelancers they hire? Andy Epstein, author of The Corporate Creative , answers that question and many others in the latest podcast interview with Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com. Find out where the growth is and which skills will set you apart. Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor . 

From surviving to thriving as a creative professional -- that's the path Michael E. Stern walked the past 35 years as a photographer. It's taken him time, but he's found the niche that fits him like a "fur-lined" glove -- construction time-lapse films -- and gives him the freedom many can only dream of. You can hear that freedom in the sound of his voice as he talks with Ilise Benun of Marketing-M...

Cynthia Sterling of Sterling Creativeworks talks with Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun, about how she chose the wine and spirits niche in 2011 when reinventing her business. She also shares how the resulting clarity has freed her to pursue (and secure as clients) the top multi-brand marketers in the category. Learn about her at SterlingCreativeworks.com and Sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mento...

In this interview with the Small Business Advocate, Jim Blasingame, Ilise Benun debates what exactly is a niche and how to go about choosing one. If you're struggling with your niche, download the free worksheet "Is Your Market Viable,"  excerpted from The Pick a Niche Kit,  http://bit.ly/ ViableMarket

For this special " Pick a Niche " podcast, Ilise Benun is joined by Tomas Fransson of  FlauntMyDesign.com  and  Scarlett Rugers  to talk about Scarlett's success in the book design niche. Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor .

Copywriter & Marketing Strategist, Amy Posner, describes in exquisite detail the 9-step direct outreach approach (avec chocolat) with has so far yielded a 16% response PLUS a dream client. Learn about her at amyposner.com and Sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor . The transcript of this interview is also included in the 30 Minutes a Day Marketing Plan for Creative Professionals.

Ilise Benun talks with Jenny Poff, founder of the national accountability group, The Designers Roundtable , about the inaugural Designer's Retreat, an event unlike any other, designed for creative professionals by creative professionals.

Designer, Robin Ridley, describes how she decided to focus on the animal welfare and vegan markets and the steps she took to determine the viability of these markets. Learn about Robin at  parfaitstudio.com  and Sign up for  Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor . The transcript of this interview is also included in the Pick a Niche Kit .

In Episode 5 of the #HOWLive 2015 Speaker Podcast Series, Ilise Benun, HDL Partner for the Creative Business program and founder of  Marketing-Mentor.com , interviews communications strategist and writer,  Doug Dolan , on his HDL 2015 topic, "There Will Be Words: How To Get Designers And Writers On The Same Page." Details here  www.howdesignlive.com .

In Episode 4 of the #HOWLive 2015 Speaker Podcast Series, Ilise Benun, HDL Partner for the Creative Business program and founder of  Marketing-Mentor.com , interviews Janine Vangool, Publisher, Editor and Designer, UPPERCASE magazine on her HDL 2015 topic, "What I Learned From Design Clients Led to My "Retirement"... And Launched A Whole New Career." Find out more about Janine and UPPERCASE at  ht...

In Episode 3 of the 2015 HOW Design Live Speaker Podcast Series, Ilise Benun, Partner for HDL's "Creative Business" program, interviews poet and creative coach, Mark McGuiness, on his topic, "How to Handle Rejection & Criticism as a Creative." In this podcast, he explains why he believes creatives have trouble with criticism and what we can do about it. Find out more about Mark at  http://laterala...

Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame at Small Business Advocate  to talk about why packaging your services has many advantages for you and your clients. For more, check out the Package Pricing Bundle.

In Episode 2 of the 2015 HOW Design Live Speaker Podcast Series, Ilise Benun , Partner for HDL's "Creative Business" program, interviews Rob Harr, VP of Sparkbox , on his topic, "How to Make Hourly Pricing Work." He explains why he thinks creatives have such a hard time with pricing and how his firm keeps cash flowing and clients paying on a weekly basis!  Details here  www.howdesignlive.com .

In this podcast interview with Ilise Benun, Programming Partner for the "Creative Business" program of HOW Design Live 2015, Aaron Draplin gives a taste of his topic. Officially entitled, "Tall Tales From a Large Man," he thinks of it as "graphic treasures from the American underbelly" and he'll talk about mining the world for what he sees as a resource that's going to be gone soon. "I hope to ope...

In this podcast, Nathan Powell of Nusii Proposal Software interviews Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor and creator of the Designer's Proposal Bundle  series. They discuss the 4 types of proposals, what exactly should be in a winning proposal and what it really means when a proposal is about the client's project and not about you! Plus, much more, of course. The transcript of this interview is also inc...

In today's podcast, Ilise rehearses the introduction for her upcoming CreativeLive course, Command the Fees You Deserve . This course, presented by Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com , will help you enjoy greater stability and security by finding the right niche, marketing and pricing your work, and sifting good clients from bad ones.

Listen to find out how Jen Neal's Toronto-based firm, K9 Strategy & Design , has evolved since we last talked in 2011. She shares details on their rebranding and how their involvement in the supposedly dying publishing industry has led them to a leadership level in the industry and which marketing tools they use to get there. If you need a plan to get anywhere near this, check out the Enhanced Mar...

This podcast collage is a sneak peek at the brand new Enhanced version of the Marketing Plan + eCalendar for 2015. You'll hear clips from 3 interviews between Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com  and creative professionals who are practicing what I preach and it's working! They are targeting their markets and finding better clients! If you want a plan to follow, check out the 2015 Marketing Plan i...

This podcast is a little different than usual – it's a sneak peek at the brand new Package Pricing Bundle, the newest product in the Marketing Mentor Toolbox . You'll hear clips from 4 interviews with creative professionals who so generously shared the creative pricing strategies they're using to take more control over their business and grow! Find the Package Pricing Bundle here.