Why are some marketers more successful than others? Is it that they are smarter? Do they have a secret sauce? Are they just in the right place at the right time, surrounded by the right people?

After years in corporate marketing and now operating Marketing Eye Dallas, I've seen some exceptional marketers and a few others who I'm surprised can even call themselves a marketer. So what separates a wannabe marketer from someone who is really effective?  

Here are the fundamentals that all exceptional marketers live by to be successful at their craft.

Rarely do we make a buying decision without consulting the internet for reviews and information. From selecting a doctor, to home repairs, to a night out, or a vacation, we want to know the reviews on just about everything.  Choices seem endless and asking a friend is not always possible or reliable.  What  a collective group of people say about a service can make a huge impact on your buying decisions.

On the flip side, as a business owner a poor review can feel like the kiss of death.  Maybe the bad review came from a bad reviewer, a misunderstanding or was based on a former employee or issue that has been resolved.  Your options for removing a bad review are limited at best and only the reviewer has full control of taking down a review.

Analyst group Merrill Lynch recently found that spending among women in the US is a staggering$5 trillion dollarsa year.

Most important, women are multiple markets in one.  Because women serve as primary caregivers for children and the elderly in virtually every society in the world, women buy on behalf of the people who live in their households and influence the buying habits of their friends.

So as marketers we must determine how to target this powerful demographic.

Every year I speak with and help other entrepreneurs market and grow their businesses.

Some are able to achieve their desired success.  They have a solid business plan in place, the right attitude, make the proper investments, are able to delicate and know when to enlist help.  

Others have every good intention, but wander aimlessly with no plan or a plan that changes from day to day.  They rely on luck rather than hard work and a more strategic approach.

Then of course, there are the dreamers who do nothing more than dream and talk about their aspirations. They often talk about what the could have done or will do, without taking the first step to put their plan into action.

Being an entrepreneur takes a lot of grit and determination, bravery and thicker skin than you might have first thought. There will be people that want to see you succeed, but just as many that secretly (or not so secretly) want to see you fail.

For an entrepreneur, that's all part of the journey.  They are often motivated as much by proving doubters wrong as they are proving to themselves that their ideas and instincts were right. They value the reward of building something for themselves over the risks and long hours that are required.

Ah, St. Valentine’s Day, when thoughts turn to romance and finding the right partner. So much time and energy is spent chasing the object of your affection, only to find the feelings aren't mutual. And worse, you see that special someone holding hands with someone else.

We’ve all been there. We’ve all felt the pain of rejection and wondering to ourselves “What’s wrong with me?” Generally, there’s nothing wrong. In business we often feel the same. Why are my customers choosing a competitor over my product or service. The issue may not be what you are offering, but how it is being offered and perceived by you customers.

As I moved up in my corporate career, I sought out mentors.  It is amazing what I learned that helped me grow, improve and maneuver sticky situations.  As a business owner I enjoy mentoring young business men and women and seeing them grow in their career with me, above and beyond what I can offer them.

I had a call today where another business owner told me she spoke with a woman who worked for me. My former employee and she said I had helped her build her confidence enough to apply and interview for  a job she had really wanted. Guess what, she got the job.

Being a mentee and being mentored is all well and good, but  what do you do when you are at the top of the business?  You can't look to someone up-the-ladder for guidance.  This is when your enlist a coach.  

Who doesn't love good cake?  It tastes great, smells wonderful, can be absolutely beautiful and is the center piece of many celebrations. All you need is a good recipe, good ingredients and a decent baker.

If you were to taste each of the cake ingredients on their own, most would  be downright awful. A poor recipe can leave you with a cake that is flat, dry, dense or in many other ways unpleasant.

So why so much talk about cake, no it's not the mid-afternoon need of a pick-me-up.  It's that marketing is very similar to that of baking a cake. Marketing components do not function as well individually as they do when implemented together under a single strategy. 

As you move forward with any marketing plan consider how outsourcing marketing to a company with full oversight differs from outsourcing each piece ad hoc. 

I get it, marketing is frustrating.  It's not fast, it can be unpredictable and even with modern analytics it can be difficult to measure.

What I can tell you is that if you don't put together a marketing strategy, you are as good as hiding.  If your website isn't mobile friendly and optimized, it can been like finding a needle in a haystack on Google.  Yes, people can type your business name in, but what if people don't know your name or they misspell your business name? Then what?

It's week three of the Girl Scout cookies sales season.  It's hard to miss these little girls, decked out in sashes and aprons outside of your local supermarket, drug store or restaurant.  What you may not see is all that goes on behind the scenes of this truly entrepreneurial experience.

My daughter is a third generation Girl Scout. The tradition of selling Girl Scout cookies dates back to 1917 (for the organization, not my three generations) and cookie sales has been many girls' first experience in business, sales, marketing and entrepreneurship.  Few organizations have stood the test of time like Girls Scout cookie sales. 

Here are the amazing skills each girl learns as part of being a Girl Scout...