When we first met Nick and Jack, we were floundering a little with our training business…we had all of the pieces, but didn’t have a cohesive vision or strategy of where it could take us. Since working with them, we have put more systems into our office, we are looking at the marketing (and the results of that marketing!) in a whole new light, our website actually looks like a professional did it, AND we have an awesome vision for our company that will allow us to retire in just a few short years. Sometimes we get so busy in the day to day “stuff” of our businesses that we forget to stop and look AT our businesses, The Dicks + Nanton Agency has afforded us an impartial outsiders’ view of our own business and the potential that it has.Latest Articles 
The Next Big Thing: Building an Industry instead of a Single Product (or Service).
Posted: Friday, October 31st, 2008
Sometimes we all fall into the trap of building a better mousetrap: a “thing” or a single “service” we hope people will beat a path to our door to discover. All too often, however, the result is that we spend lots of time, money and energy only to find the consumer really didn’t want our hot idea. This process although entrepreneurial, is a path to frustration and a pattern from which to break ...read moreCelebrity Branding You! – Typing Your Way to Fame!
Posted: Friday, October 31st, 2008
Over the last few years, there is no denying that the online community has started harnessing the power of the Internet for more than just “surfing” the web to look for information. We have now started using it as a networking tool that allows us to connect with others to share ideas, opinions and videos of ourselves looking like fools. Okay, so hopefully we don’t have too many of those videos; but having ...read moreIt’s E-Time!
Posted: Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
The rise of “The 3rd Option” of Wealth Building The Great Bull Market of the 1990s made us feel rich. The real estate boom boosted our hopes all over again and we all got caught up in the excitement. We borrowed against our assets like never before, and spent the equity we thought we had. Today, the stock market has fallen back to where it was eight years ago, and the housing ...read moreCelebrity Branding You: Tweeting … and Why it’s Not Just for the Birds
Posted: Wednesday, October 1st, 2008
You’ve probably heard the buzz-terms “social media” and “social networking” more times than you care to count; although if you’re like most people, you still haven’t figured out what it means or how you can use it to increase your celebrity status, and, most importantly, your profits. You’ve also probably seen kids wandering around aimlessly with their cell phones, tapping away at their keys as they wander through the world -- clueless about what ...read moreThe Three Steps to Recession-Proofing Your Business
Posted: Thursday, September 11th, 2008
I must admit that I don’t watch the news often enough. It frustrates me and depresses me, all at the same time. But, I do walk by a television that is showing a news program often enough to see the constant predictions by the Chicken Littles of the world. They are all too ready to offer up the “news” that “the sky is falling.” Now, before you run off and start actually believing ...read moreTelling Your Story for More Profit
Posted: Thursday, September 11th, 2008
Telling stories is not only one of the oldest forms of communication; it is also one of the most effective. Accepting this statement as true should help you see why creating a business story is a reliable way to connect, and to create a bond with your customer that helps you rise above your competition in their eyes. Your business story should be real and personal. The more you can connect your story ...read moreThe Secret Formula for Media Success
Posted: Saturday, August 9th, 2008
It was great seeing many of you on the road while on my book tour this past month. I had a great time. I’ll be booking a few more dates coming up in the next month, so be on the lookout for the announcement! As I was traveling and speaking with business owners of all kinds (and I do mean all kinds of businesses!), it became very apparent to me that there was some ...read moreThe Next Big Thing! - New Business
Posted: Saturday, August 9th, 2008
Despite the doom and gloom crap that you see in every US newspaper and TV news broadcast, there is an interesting counter-culture buzz that I think merits some real attention: New Business. Every time there is upheaval in the economy, every time there is “blood in the street,” there is always a counter-opportunity to step in and fill in the gap. Please note the words: EVERY TIME! What I mean by “filling in the gap” ...read moreIt’s The Economy Stupid!…Again.
Posted: Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
Once again, this year’s Presidential election will be centered around the economic state of Americans. The candidate that misses its importance won’t get elected. Yes, the war is a critical issue, and I’m not in any way denouncing the importance and honor of soldiers, but the war is not an impactful issue to consumers’ minds when compared to the pain we feel when hearing the click- click- click of the fuel pump reminding us of ...read moreThe Truth About Celebrity Branding(tm)
Posted: Wednesday, June 18th, 2008
A Note from Nick & Jack: This month to celebrate the launch of our book, Celebrity Branding You™ we decided to include the first chapter of the book for you to review. Although we are giving it to you for free, please don’t think that is has no value and just throw it aside. Please use this chapter to get you started on the path to creating your celebrity status. We hope you ...read moreSell the Store, Not the Chair
Posted: Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
As with all technology, there are positives and negatives. This is evident with the web as a new marketing source. Most products are becoming a fast commodity, even if they were not before. If you are interested in buying a chair, you can quickly search on Google, eBay, or any other major search engine, and you will instantly find all chairs of the kind that you are looking for. You will ...read moreREVEALED: How to Reach the Top Rung of Credibility, Power & Influence
Posted: Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
It is no secret that we live in the age of information overload. No matter where we look, eat, sleep or breathe, we are bombarded with information. The problem is that our potential clients are too. So how do we cut through the clutter? For starters, we have to build credibility with our audience and get them to begin looking for our messages, because they know that what we say has value. ...read moreTHE CONTINUITY FACTOR
Posted: Tuesday, April 29th, 2008
The best new ideas are often old ideas brought back to life. Sometimes the ideas are altered to fit particular circumstances but, many times, the application is altered to fit current circumstances. Over twenty years ago, when I was in the financial services industry, I decided to alter our business from commission-based to charging a monthly fee based on a percentage of assets. This was a radical thought at the time because the brokerage business ...read moreTHE ONLY THING CONSTANT IS CHANGE
Posted: Monday, February 18th, 2008
Who said that? We did. Someone else said it first, but that’s not important. What is important is your recognition that change is an integral part of life and if you don’t incorporate it into your business, sooner or later you will be left behind. Now for those conservative minded readers who still wear bow ties and Brooks Brothers suits, we will gladly acknowledge that exceptions abound. Unfortunately, however, most ...read moreThe Next Big Thing!
Posted: Monday, February 18th, 2008
Big Cash For Big Information Ever since the first gumshoe paid his favorite informant $20 for the name of the doll that shot Mr. Big three times in the head with his own .45, money has been the motivator for getting the right information from those who have it. Leap forward a few decades and the biggest payday was recently made by Burt Rutan and Paul Allen who were paid $10,000,000 bucks by the X Prize ...read moreFREE Press? (How to get major columnists, journalists and reporters to talk about you in their articles…for free!)
Posted: Monday, February 18th, 2008
There’s no doubt that at some point in your career you’ve had a new product to sell, a new service you’re offering or some other piece of news that you knew would make a great story in a magazine or newspaper which could provide some great free marketing for you. The next thing that probably crossed your mind- how could you make that happen? For most people, the problem is that they stop ...read moreWARNING: Are you treating your clients like a cheap date?
Posted: Monday, October 8th, 2007
This sounds really silly at first glance, but if you compared the relationships most companies have with their clients to the relationships of everyday life that don’t involve money, it’s hard not to cringe. Seriously, think about it. Most companies don’t communicate with their clients for months on end, then, when the company really needs to “boost the bottom-line” they send out some bogus direct mail piece that essentially says, “Hey, how are ya? ...read moreThe 1 Question you’ve probably never asked…
Posted: Thursday, September 6th, 2007
When most new businesses go about setting their pricing model, they generally: 1. Look at what competitors are charging and set their price somewhere near that price point (usually below, which is most often a mistake) 2. Determine how much money they’d like to make over a particular time period, determine how many read moreIt’s in the BLOG
Posted: Tuesday, June 19th, 2007
If you’re looking to grow your business, then a BLOG is a great tool to add to your tool chest. In this article we will discuss BLOG basics and how you can use them in your business. 1. What’s a BLOG? What’s a BLOG you ask? Well, let me tell you. According to Wikipedia.com: A blog (short for web log) is a user-generated website where entries are made in journal style and displayed in a reverse chronological order ...read more
