| Marketing is a multi-faceted process that
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| | marketing requires three key things: an
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| can take you from where you are now to
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| | excellent product, outstanding service,
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| where you want to go. Let's take a good
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| | and follow-up.One thing that Saturn has
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| look at what should be included in your
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| | done is make it easy for the customers to
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| "marketing plan," but not necessarily in
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| | deal with them. This is important to
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| the order shown.Design a dynamite
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| | remember and emulate. You need enough
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| brochure that stresses the benefits to
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| | phone lines - there is a growing
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| your customers and potential customers of
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| | irritation among consumers about the
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| your service and products. Very few
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| | number of times that they hear, "Your
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| people - except maybe your competitors -
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| | business is important to us," and then
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| are interested in what you market as much
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| | find themselves on hold for an
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| as they are in how what you market will
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| | inordinately long period of time. It is
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| benefit them or further their goals.
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| | also important make certain that ALL
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| Take a look at your brochure.SIX THINGS
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| | calls are returned promptly and that
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| TO CONSIDER:1. Does it convey that
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| | phones are answered on the 2nd or 3rd
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| message?
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| | ring. If you answer on the first, the
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| 2. Is it eye appealing?
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| | caller will not have heard the ring, and
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| 3. Is it on glossy paper?
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| | after the third ring, he/she thinks you
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| 4. Is the layout attractive?
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| | have gone out of business. It is also
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| 5. Did you avoid the problem of "too
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| | annoying to customers to find themselves
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| much information?"
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| | in what I call the "telephone loop" where
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| 6. Are the graphics appropriate in style
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| | they are instructed to push one, push
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| and number?If you can't say "yes" to
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| | two, push three and then eventually they
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| these questions, then set aside that
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| | get voice mail anyway.Signage, word power
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| brochure and begin again. You have only
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| | and remnant space - it's important to
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| one chance to impress your customer with
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| | make use of all three of these. Let's
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| that brochure. Take advantage of the
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| | look first at the sign. A good sign
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| opportunity and do it right.Be sure that
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| | reminds, spurs impulse, implants
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| your business cards do double duty by
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| | inclination, sharpens the company's
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| making certain that their layout and
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| | identity, and gives a brief message. Go
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| message are correctly planned. Are they
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| | out and read your sign. Does it do all
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| attractive to the eye, easy to read? Do
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| | of this? Now, let's consider a different
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| they provide your title, email address,
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| | kind of advertising, flyers or
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| and web site? And don't forget that a
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| | classifieds. Are there any words that
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| logo and slogan go a long way toward
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| | are more appealing and powerful than
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| building your brand. Keep the logo
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| | others? You bet there are. A study done
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| simple. Consider some of the most easily
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| | at Princeton found that the following
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| recognized and remembered logos - Coca
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| | words had great drawing power: "save,
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| Cola ©, Apple Computer © are two good
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| | new, results, safety, easy, discovery,
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| examples. Note how simple but memorable
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| | proven, guarantee, free, now, secret, and
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| they are. Your slogan should be simple,
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| | benefits." Consider using them
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| easy to remember, and easy to quote -
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| | appropriately in your advertisements.
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| "Drink Coke" - is an excellent example.
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| | Also, did you know that there is a way to
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| Last, but far from least, use good card
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| | buy radio and T.V. time and even magazine
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| stock and remember that some colors are a
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| | space without incurring the equivalent of
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| turn-off. Create a card that your client
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| | the national debt? Well, there is! Use
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| will keep and remember.While we're
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| | remnant space! When you contact the
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| talking about getting your name in front
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| | media in which you have an interest, tell
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| of your clients, let's consider the power
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| | the sales person to provide you with
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| of the internet. Do you have a web page?
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| | information on remnant space and to let
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| If not, you really should consider
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| | you know how deep the discount is going
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| setting one up. It's easy (at least the
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| | to be.A few years ago, we designed some
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| simple ones are), and it can be put up
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| | marketing/advertising tip sheets for our
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| and hosted for very reasonable fees by a
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| | own clients,
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| company like Go Daddy (I'm not kidding
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| | and I shared some of the key points with
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| that is really the name of the server and
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| | you in this article, but if you are
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| host). Once you have that page set up,
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| | really serious about creating a world
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| you will want to:CREATE YOUR WEB SITE:It
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| | class image on an imagination budget,
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| is very important to link to
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| | here are some quick tips that should help
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| associations, chambers, trade journals,
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| | you achieve that image:14 TIPS TO
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| and vendors whose products you use or to
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| | REMEMBER1. White is always a
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| whom you provide services because that
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| | safe color for envelopes, and white, # 10
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| link will increase the traffic to your
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| | sized envelopes with first
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| website. So, call them and ask if it is
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| | classstamps on them are more attention
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| all right if you link to their pages. It
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| | getting than metered letters.
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| is very rare for anyone to refuse the
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| | 2. You have only three
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| linkage (assuming the product or service
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| | seconds to "get" someone to open an
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| offered doesn't violate their code of
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| | envelope.
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| ethics) since the linkage is a good form
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| | 3. Invitation sized envelopes tend to
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| of advertising and marketing for them,
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| | get opened before regular ones.
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| too.Make that web page easy to use. If
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| | 4. Handwritten addresses trigger a
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| it is too complicated, visitors go
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| | greater level of curiosity than do
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| elsewhere - probably to one of your
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| | printed ones.
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| competitors. Don't forget to set up a FAQ
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| | 5. If you are using a teaser on the
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| (frequently asked questions) section.
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| | envelope, make certain that it applies to
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| Note the questions, and answer them for
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| | the receiver.
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| your visitors who hate to be left in the
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| | 6. Mass mailings only work if they go to
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| dark about anything.Provide an address
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| | carefully selected, target audiences.
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| and a means of reaching you or your
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| | 7. If you are going let people know that
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| company. Nothing is more annoying to a
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| | a "free gift" is enclosed in your mail,
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| customer than finding the company wanted
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| | make certain
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| and then having no way to get in touch
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| | that it would be one that is helpful to
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| with them. Once the individual realizes
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| | the receiver.
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| that, it is quite possible that questions
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| | 8. If you have a product and deal with
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| about reliability and ethics may hove
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| | resellers, let them know if they can mark
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| into view.The internet's power lies in
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| | it up and still
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| its connectivity. So, don't undermine
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| | be highly competitive.
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| it; build on it.In addition to creating a
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| | 9. You can get free publicity in
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| level of awareness, you also want to make
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| | newspapers and on radio if you provide
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| certain that your clients and customers
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| | free training sessions.
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| remember you. Many people use incentive
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| | Just send a press release that provides
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| gifts for this purpose. If you decide to
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| | the details that can be provided in a
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| do this, make certain that the gifts are
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| | "community calendar."
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| useful reminders of you and your company.
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| | 10. If you have a brick and mortar
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| We have all been handed strange little
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| | store, arrange the aisles to direct the
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| "gifts" that will never be used by us or
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| | flow of traffic through
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| by anyone in our companies, so if we
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| | the store past those items most likely
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| later remember the company, it is not
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| | to attract the eye and trigger the
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| necessarily a favorable memory. Also,
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| | impulse to purchase.
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| consider the fact that if everyone
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| | 11. Do a good turn and reduce staffing
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| "gives" such an item, it won't be
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| | costs by setting up a student intern
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| memorable. I can't tell you how many
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| | program. The
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| company pens I've received over the
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| | students profit by gaining experience
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| years. Useful? Yes. Memorable? No. The
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| | (do screen and train with care). Letting
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| gift needs to stand out, last, and be
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| | the local news
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| used on a regular basis. If it won't be,
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| | agencies know about the program is a
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| why spend the money to buy and give it?
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| | great way to trigger good publicity.
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| Items that are useful and can be put on
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| | 12. Build brand recognition by
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| the client's desktop will have good
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| | remembering that "snappy" press releases
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| visibility.The best gift you can give any
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| | that equal one inch of
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| client or customers is attention -
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| | column space are likely to get printed
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| solicit input, listen, and take action
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| | since most papers need fillers. Get to
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| when you learn needs and interests. One
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| | know the
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| thing you should do is solicit input from
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| | editor. Get to know the reporters that
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| customers and clients on a regular basis
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| | cover the business beat and feed them
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| and act on what was said if it is
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| | stories about
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| feasible, legal, and possible. Then let
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| | newsworthy events -- then when you have
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| all of your clients know what you are
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| | a story about your company, it is more
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| doing with the information they
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| | likely to
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| provided.One of the most effective ways
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| | get printed.
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| to secure good information is to
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| | 13. Get into the Chamber habit - if it
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| establish a focus group. This group
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| | is business focused, and get on the
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| provides you with face-to-face contact
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| | committees that most closely relate to
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| (or ear-to-ear if you use a phone
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| | your business focus.
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| conference) and critical input. The
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| | 14. Hold a contest - design a contest
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| group can shift members, but regular
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| | and have prizes such as T shirts or hats
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| meetings should be held in order to stay
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| | with your company's logo on them. The
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| informed about customer needs and
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| | winners become walking billboards for
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| views.If we all had our way, our
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| | your company, and the publicity is both
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| customers would do our marketing for us
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| | valuable and free.So, what's the real
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| by telling their friends about us and our
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| | message of this article - be creative,
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| services or products. Well, why not
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| | make use of your resources, and be
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| encourage "word of mouth" action? Ask
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| | consistent in your efforts. Success is
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| for it and encourage it with thank you
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| | in your hands, and with a little
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| gifts. Sponsor a community or school
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| | imagination, you can step out ahead of
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| event that will result in "fame." And,
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| | your competition.Elizabeth Kearney, Ph.D.
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| last, but far from least, hold training
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| | Sits on some four boards, writing a
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| sessions (related, of course, to your
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| | monthly column for a newspaper, is
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| product or service) to remind the world
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| | founder of Kearney & Associates: The
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| that you not only exist but care for your
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| | Experts' Alliance which identifies issues
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| customers and want to help them succeed.I
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| | for which solutions are sought. She and
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| doubt if there is anyone in business who
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| | the members of her Alliance then design
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| hasn't been told to study the competition
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| | and deliver related programs and/or
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| and do it one better. But because public
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| | consulting services. Liz specializes in
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| speaking is so frightening to many
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| | strategic planning and effective
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| people, if they were once told to speak
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| | leadership and is an award-winning author
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| or write on topics that mesh with client
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| | and professor, was a John Hopkins
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| needs, many probably tuned out the
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| | Fellow, and three of her books were
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| suggestion. So, I'll make it again - get
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| | Fortune Book-of-the-Month Club
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| known as an expert - after all you are
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| | selections. Her latest book, Women Who
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| one - speak at local, state, and national
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| | Paved the Way, was introduced in November
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| events and write articles that you trade
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| | of 2005 and in late December of 2005 was
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| for ad space.You've probably already
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| | already in its second printing. Liz was
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| figured out my next point - build brand
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| | selected in 2003 & 2004 as Businesswoman
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| recognition through repetition.
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| | of the Year by the National Business
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| Consistency is vital, so it is important
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| | Advisory Council and received the same
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| to let your customers hear from you on a
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| | accolade in 2003 from ABWA. She was one
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| regular basis, but make certain that what
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| | of fourteen business owners who were
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| you send out has value to them.Saturn has
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| | honored in Washington, D.C. in March of
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| built its brand recognition in a number
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| | 2005, and in the same year, she was
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| of ways, but when you ask people about
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| | presented with the Ronald Reagan medal
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| the company, one of the first you hear is
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| | for her work with small businesses and
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| how good the follow-up is. Take a page
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| | their related issues.
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| out their book - remember successful
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|
