There’s no better time to receive your Master’s in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution. Mediation and Conflict Negotiators are among the fastest-growing professions in the early decades of this century.

If you are looking to become part of an international negotiation and conflict team or if you are looking to become part of a mediation team at a healthcare or educational facility, the Master’s in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution from Creighton University is a great choice.

These Degrees are offered online.

They have 4 specializations:

Organizational/Transactional Negotiation and Dispute Resolution

International Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

Healthcare Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

Educational Collaboration and Conflict Resolution

Creighton has consistently ranked as the #1 Master’s degree granting university in the Midwest by US News and World Report for the last 13 years.

Marketing and advertising has never been easier for small businesses in Chicago, or in other parts of the world for that matter.

When the economy is tough, you can lean on your marketing agency to help your small business, or you can try to make some marketing decisions on your own and become your own marketing agency.

Google offers advertising programs that will bring your customers to your web site or to your store.

These sponsored search programs place you right on top of the search engines, where your customers will find you.

Not in a month, not in a week. How does today sound?

Do you want to regionalize your traffic to a state or a city?
Google can do that.

How many other advertisers will let you select how much you want to pay for an ad?

How many advertisers will allow you to turn on and off your ads at a touch of a button?
How many advertisers will give you access to the results of your programs during the same day?

If you want more customers, Make Google Adwords part of your integrated marketing plan.

You can manage the program yourself or let the experts at bigblackpencil.com manage your campaign for you.

Big Black Pencil is a small business marketing agency in Chicago. We learn many of our marketing strategies from the very best . Today I learned something about Steve Krug, author of Don’t Make Me Think. I recently visited his web site and thought I had uncovered a usability issue in his web site. I wrote Steve an email to let him know my thoughts.

I really wasn’t expecting a response, but Steve wrote me back and I thought I’d share the email with you. The reason I am sharing isn’t just because his understanding of usability and how people search the web is legendary, It’s because he took the time to respond to me. People who listen to their customers, never stop learning.

First my email to Steve …

From: Mark Cramer
To: Steve Krug
Subject: Problem with your site

Steve,

You are my hero. I use your book to make me look smart. I was on your website today and I had to think too much.

Your Version

“So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.”

My Version

“So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.”

Regards,

Mark Cramer

bigblackpencil.com

From: Steve Krug
Subject: RE: Problem with your site
To: Mark Cramer

Mark…

Thanks for the kind words. I figure we can all use all the help we can get to look smart.

About your suggestion: You’re right, of course, and it’s something I never noticed. (Which is exactly why I’m so gung ho about user testing: we’re all too close to our own “stuff” to see the blemishes.)

But this particular flaw also falls in the category of Probably-a-kayak-problem: Even though it may cause a question mark to appear over some people’s heads, it’s hard to imagine that most of them won’t eventually figure out what it’s supposed to mean (click one of the buttons over on the right that say “Buy!”).

My first instinct was to rush in and change it, and in fact I was already in DreamWeaver when I realized it was a little more complicated than it seemed at first. The two paragraphs actually say
Thanks to Amazon’s Associate program, if you use the links on this page to buy my book, they pay me a small commission.

So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking here.

[“here” actually meaning “on this page”.]

I was going to change the second sentence to read
So if you know someone who’s going to buy the book, please do me a favor and ask them to buy it by clicking _____.

Except I realized I wasn’t sure what _____ would be. “The links on this page”? It already says that in the previous sentence. “One of the buttons on the right”? Kind of awkward, and why did I call them links in the previous sentence and buttons now? Maybe the first sentence should talk about buttons.

And on and on.

So in my book at least, the math works out like this in the long run:

Probably not causing most people a lot of trouble
+ No good solution obvious to me
————————————————————-
Leave it alone and hope for the best

It may not be the right choice, but at least you can see where I’m coming from.

Thanks again, though. It’s always interesting.

Steve

Look how Ebay lists people’s positive feedback. If you want new customers to trust your company, let satisfied customers voices be heard. Interested in having a blog to direct people to your store or website? Contact Mark Cramer at Big Black Pencil. A social media firm in Chicago that listens to the small business voice

.

1. Have your marketing agency create a blog (web log) for your company to let people know about your products or services. Once your blog is online, you will be able to begin a two way communication with your customers. Be creative, timely and write about things that you believe your customers will find interesting. Ask them to comment and post their comments on your blog. When you write about your company, and link to information that your customers find useful, you create a buzz. Best of all, once your blog is up and optimized correctly, you will be able to create user generated content as often as you like, without contacting your marketing agency each time you want to make a change.

2. Find a marketing agency that understands social media and can help you increase visibility of your brand. You don’t have to outspend your competition if you have the right marketing agency. Outsmart your competition and contact Mark Cramer at Big Black Pencil. Big Black pencil is a Chicago-based marketing agency specializing in small business marketing, advertising, branding, social media, traditional marketing and website design.

1. If we come on board, where do we fit in your client roster in order of billing?
2. How do you measure your clients success?
3. Do you have integrated marketing experience? for whom? and what were the results?
4. Can I speak get a referral from one or more of your current clients?
5. Can you tell me one thing that you’d immediately fix about my website? For FREE?

Contact Big Black Pencil. We want you to succeed. We are looking for a LTR, not a one night stand.

If you are tired of juggling all of your marketing activities, or just want to learn where to start, Contact Mark Cramer at Big Black Pencil. 1-312-HER-IDEA.

1. Create a marketing budget that you can afford. If you’re only allowing a small budget to advertising, you wouldn’t want to put in all in one media basket.
2. Talk and listen to your customers Offer them incentives to repeat or increase their purchases.
3. Review what your competitors are doing. This is important for determining what type of advertising is best for you.
4. Make your Marketing plan scalable to leverage immediate results and long term goals.
5. Use local resources. Local shopping web sites , free local TV guides, newsletters, community papers. These are targeted toward a specific audience with relatively low ad rates.
6. Know who your customer is. If you are a retirement home, maybe online marketing isn’t the best place to spend your money.
7. Negotiate with vendors. Insist on reduced introductory rates or special rates for larger reach or frequency.
8. Pick a full-service marketing agency that is local and has an interest in your long-term success
9. Set up a blog to communicate with your customers. It is an inexpensive way to gain new customers and stay in touch with current customers.
10. Keep your messaging consistent. If you have a web site, print ads and a direct mail campaign, keep them consistent. Use an integrated marketing agency that understands your brand

Big Black Pencil is interested in your business. Tell us your concerns and we will offer recommendations to help your small business succeed. We will even answer your first marketing question for FREE.

You have 30 seconds to grab your customer’s attention online. Your website need to get down to business.

Successful small and medium sized businesses in Chicago know that an outdated website can be worse than no website at all.

Big Black Pencil Marketing can review your website and help you find your unique attribute and help you communicate it effectively and economically.

Your business is unique. Together, we’ll uncover your selling advantages and make your website more profitable. Let’s get the fluff out. Let’s get down to business.

It supercharges your website with viral marketing shared through the use of networking through
a variety of blended medias.

Your Chicago small business blog can contribute by sharing content through the use of RSS in the blogsphere
and special blog search engines such as Technorati.

Unlike some other forms of online marketing, Social Media Optimization
encourages customer engagement and rewards quality content.

If you are looking for a small business marketing agency in Chicago or want to learn how to get your blog on, Contact Mark Cramer at Big Black Pencil.

We specialize in: Advertising, Branding, Company Naming, Competitive Marketing Intelligence, Design, Integrated Marketing, Optimized Website Design & Strategic Thinking

1. Create special offers or incentives for bulk or repeat purchases for past customers only in a letter or post card.
2. Pick up a phone or send an email to your best customers and  thank them for their business.
3. Contact Big Black Pencil to find out how to bring your customers back.

Your customers haven’t stopped needing what you sell, they just need a reason to come back.

For more marketing tips, visit the blog. The advice is priceless.