Beyond B&C

PLAY WHAT IF!

Some people say that numbers are just for sales guys. I say to them that if you're in business then you're in sales. Cold, hard measurements are central to serious business growth and it's usually the winners that know this instinctively. Here's a game you can play that will show how focused you are on the numbers in your business. Play it now and keep playing it. Go into a room every three months with your team and play it. As games go, it will be either terrifying or reassuring. It depends how well you've got the numbers going for you.

Hope for the best plan for the worst

I learned this game many years ago from a man who was incredibly successful. He taught me to play What If? It's a scenario-planning activity. You're supposed to imagine all kinds of events, likely and unlikely, and think about how they would impact your business, your marketplace and your position in it.

For example,

• What if the price of oil went to $200 a barrel?
• What if the stock market went below 5,000?
• What if your industry started to die?
• What if a natural disaster caused your client base to shrink?

You can't avoid disaster but you can prepare for it

Take each scenario and spin it out to see how it would impact your business and whether your numbers stand up. Personally speaking, playing "What If?" could have saved me a lot of headaches and money. I might have asked: "What if my biggest client, got bought out by a company that decided to start paying their bills in 120 days instead of 30?" I might have realized that my cash flow situation wasn't robust enough and remedied it. I might have realized I was over-reliant on one client and remedied that.

Bury your head in the sand and bury your business

Play What If? and you might realize your numbers aren't as great as you think they are. If I'd had this knowledge ahead of time, if I had been more forward-thinking, I might not have gone to the brink of disaster with New England Printing. Frankly if it was not for some great suppliers, some wonderful employees and a very understanding wife, this scenario would have bankrupted me in the late 80's.

The 'Kick Our Own Butt' game

A variation on the "What If?" game is the Kick Our Own Butt game. Take your senior management team somewhere for half a day and say: "If we were a start-up company competing with us, knowing what we know, what would we do to kick our butt?". Because the truth is that someone out there is thinking that way, and they just might actually do it of you are not forward-thinking about the numbers!

If you take just one thing away from this post, this is it, PLAY WHAT IF!

Quality, Service, and Price...Pick two.

There are many areas in which companies can shine. Three, however, Quality, Service, and Price, have stood the test of time as being the fundamentals.

Conventional wisdom holds that a given company can only survive and thrive when offering no more than two of the three. It’s the “pick any two” mentality. Often, a company will stand on just one. True, some companies try to break the mold and shine in all three arenas. They may even appear successful for a time. But in the end, at least one will fold. In my experience, no company can consistently offer all three…the finest quality and the best service at the lowest cost.

And that’s understandable. Trying to maintain excellence or market leadership in all three areas is a tremendous drain on corporate resources. Further, there are natural “rivalries” that take place between the three titans of market success. Price and quality, for example, are often enemies…gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “mind your ps and qs” doesn’t it? You might challenge yourself in attempting to discover the model used by various businesses. Spotting the ones who operate on a single value is easiest. It’s not hard, for example, to spot the “low price leader.” By the same token, some companies are clearly driven by a singular mission of quality or stellar service. Spotting those walking on two legs is a bit more challenging. Often, I find that the company itself is not aware that it has settled into a two-pronged approach to its market. And then there’s the added complexity of companies who have identified their approach and are heading that way but not quite there yet.

How about your company? What’s your approach to business success? Us? That’s easy:

Quality has been a foundational principle at emediagroup. We are passionate about it. That’s not to say we’re perfect. But continual improvement is alive and well here. We have focused a good deal of attention on improving our service. We have the delivery component down pat. And we’ve put the professionals and practices in place to be attentive to other customer needs. Last but not least, we have proactively lowered our costs and increased our efficiencies in order to bring competitive pricing to the market. We know that this competitiveness is essential for your business success. Yet, we will never be the low-price leader. Doing so would place us on an irreversible path to unacceptable quality and service. That is not our model. Instead, we prefer to discuss “value.”

In our indusry and particular market there is always this price-value tug of war going on. We prefer to lend our hands to the value side. While the “how much does it cost” question is always valid, others become important when considering value. For instance: “How many complaints am I going to get from that clearly inferior product?” Or, “How much more can I make as a result of higher turns due to more reliable delivery?”

So you don't  think that I’m trying to pull a fast one on you, let’s conclude by reverting to our original three: Quality, Service, and Price. The only question remaining is this one: In the long run, which two are most important to you?

Sorry Tater...You Can Fix Stupid!

There can be a lot to learn from mistakes made by other marketers, I learn something every day just by observing. Come on people…this is not rocket science!

Of the three marketing mistakes (in my opinion) I will share with you, one came from a trip to Florida. I want you to imagine you own a Starbucks located inside a large hotel that caters to seminars and conventions. There is a huge three day seminar with over 800 people happening only feet away from your establishment. These people are there from 6:30 am to about 10:00 pm for two of the three days. Naturally you take into consideration that this crowd will need ample supplies of goodies and caffeine to fuel their way through the day. So what do you do with this opportunity? Close up shop at 2:00 pm! These seminars and conventions are booked several months in advance. Would it not make sense to know when a thirsty crowd will be coming and prepare for it? Would you not want to offer some form of premium so that most of the crowd will come to you at least once during the day? I found them only because I was looking for a secondary washroom.

Another questionable marketing incident happened earlier this year. In the mail I received a calendar from a service provider I met a few years ago. While I appreciate the calendar as a promotional tool I question the wisdom of sending it to me at the end of January. My needs for a calendar for 2010 have long since been taken care of. Sending it late tells me that it was not organized to go out before the new year began. Unfortunately the sender lost the opportunity to make a good impression by providing me with a useful tool. Instead I now have to choose between finding yet another place to hang a calendar or pitch it in the dumpster. Neither will positively affect his ROI on his marketing dollar.

The third marketing mistake arrived via email just last week. The marketer was trying to increase my urge to buy using a combination of social proof and fear of loss. Unfortunately the result was a strange message. He attempted to amp up my interest by saying that because there was an unprecedented interest in his program that he was throwing in another thousand dollars in bonuses. That flies right in the face of the law of supply and demand. Why would you need to give me more for the same price if there is already a crowd of eager customers ahead of me for a limited number of product? In his case it would have paid to have someone else read over the marketing piece before it went out.

Each of these mistakes was a result of not having an effective marketing strategy to guide them. Do you have your marketing strategy in place for 2010? Is it designed to maximize your marketing opportunities? Or are planning to make it up as you go along?

I Get It...Do You?

The last thing you want to hear when your target clients read your brochure copy is that "you do not know what you are talking about."

No matter how great your design is, if your copy reads like the person who wrote has a lack of understating on the subject, then the time and energy you put towards printing brochures will be wasted. Laziness is often the cause of marketing copy that is insufficient to describe what you really do. If the writer did not do any research to understand both the technicalities of the product, as well as the needs and interests of your target market, the result would only disappoint and convince them that your message does not have any value at all.

Another problem with writing marketing copy is that the one writing it usually seeks to be clever - more than what is really needed. Being creative is a good thing for any marketing message. However, having to do it too much often turns off rather than engage the target readers. How does it benefit you to tell a joke if the reader does not get it? Then there is the problem where the writer assumes that the reader knows what he's talking about. Technical people often make this mistake with their marketing copy. These people usually have a solid understanding of their product. Hence, they can very well describe their product fully. However, they also take it for granted that the reader speaks the same jargon, has the same level of understanding and interest, and the same technical expertise. This then leads to your printing output not getting the message across the way you want it to.

The key then is to plan well and carefully study the product or service that you have. Be able to write copy that your customers will surely appreciate. Your marketing copy should then be about having a balance between the technical and creativity. If you do that, then your brochure printing will definitely improve and your customers will someday say that they read your entire brochure and they got your message loud and clear.

Sometimes Crap is Gold & Green

If you ever wonder why some people are so good at what they do or how some of the top sales people are making the numbers everyday, this is an article you need to read. Top performers have all mastered one thing - How to add Killer Value to their product or service.

There is a zoo in Denver that had a dilemma when it was just about ready to open its gates to the public. The management realized that the cost of removing the exotic animal waste from the property was not only going to be astronomical but also leave a big footprint on the environment. Determined to find a better way, the leader of this team charged the entire management team to figure out the best way to reduce the cost of this liability as well as make a smaller footprint on the environment. No small feat if you asked me.

Nonetheless, the team went to work brainstorming ideas on how to make this happen. By the time the zoo opened, they had devised a plan and implemented what I believe was the most awesome solution.

At this Denver zoo today, you can buy garden manure called Zoop; I'll let you guess which 2 words make up "Zoop." Essentially, rather than paying exorbitant amounts of money to haul away the waste and create all sorts of toxins in the environment, the management decided to simply package the waste in the form of manure to be sold as fertilizer to anyone with a garden. Needless to say, the lines are frequently out the door with patrons purchasing Zoop in droves.

Another zoo in Kansas City, MO repeated this same idea opting to call their product Zoo Manoo. Either way, this is definitely high on the scale of adding killer value.

The point is that if you can add value to animal poop, you can definitely add value to anything.

It's not the Steak...It's the Sizzle

When it comes to good direct-marketing tips, you never know where you're going to find good lessons and creative ideas.  For example, when I lived in Connecticut, every Sunday in my local paper, they would have a spreadsheet comparing the cost of a basket of groceries at a few different supermarkets.

So one week, Stop & Shop might be the cheapest...and another week it was Waldbaum's and sometimes even the A&P got in there. I don't know, I really didn't pay too much attention to the winner as much as I did the concept. The thing is -- and these are the little kinds of pearls of wisdom I'm always looking for -- it's very easy to get shopped around for prices when you're selling the same thing as everyone else is.

When you're a commodity, you can only charge "so much." After all, a gallon of milk is a gallon of milk, regardless of where you buy it, right? Same thing with oranges, Oreo cookies, and Windex, for the most part. I mean, if you're a price shopper, it's kind of hard to justify spending twice the price on Windex when you can walk across the street and get it at half price, right?

But if you look at this from the outside in, this whole concept is very revealing. Because what this tells you is that if you want to charge and collect more money than your competition, then you have to be selling something different. This completely removes any ability to "compare" prices.

So for instance, if you're a music teacher, while most people are offering Music Lessons, you can create a "Professional Guitar School," or a blues-guitar school, or a heavy metal guitar school where you "Make your students into metal Gods" or something like that. If you're a financial planner, and you're mired in mutual funds and insurance products, you can sell a "Baby Boomer Freedom Plan."The point is, if you want to remove the price factor, the easiest way of doing this is by offering something different than what everyone else is offering.

After all, no matter how you cook 'em... eggs... will always be eggs, regardless of what kind of direct marketing you're using.

Now go sell something!

Corporate Clothing Helps Brand Building

Your staff is the first point of contact for your customers. They are literally the face of the company. Much time and effort goes in to staff training, product knowledge and researching the market. However, considering the impression of somebody is made within the first 3 seconds are we putting enough time and consideration in to the appearance of our staff? It is a fact that due the appearance of somebody, without us even knowing it, we automatically form an opinion about somebody.

Many companies get around this by enforcing a strict dress code, maybe for their staff to wear a certain color or have formal dress code. However, there is a big brand  opportunity on the clothing of the staff. A logo on an upper pocket quickly gets attention as it stands out from the rest of the clothing. This not only promotes brand awareness but also gives a completely professional and polished image to the company. Having every member of your staff wear branded clothing gives a long lasting image to the clients. A popular choice by many companies is to simply provide staff with a shirt embroidered with the company's logo.

For a more informal, practical option polo shirts could be used. Imagine the difference if your plumber came to the door in a t-shirt covered in dirt or a polo shirt with the company's logo on the front. Just small details presenting a professional image of the company can build customer loyalty and increase trust. It is not just at work that the logo will get noticed. People are mobile so any other place your staff will be will be a possible advertisement for your company; on the bus to work, the supermarket after work and in the local and surrounding area. So the importance of staff clothing is of vital importance that should not be overlooked. Corporate clothing provides professionalism and neatness at the same time as brand building and recognition.

Pocket Folders fit any Budget

Printed pocket folders, feature many great qualities, including unique styles, designs and vibrant colors. Different organizations have different needs and different budgets but most companies will find these folders are a economical way to make an impressive presentation.

Printed folders can be produced to virtually any size and shape. Some of them have large capacity or have different shaped pockets and are highly practical for holding larger amounts of documents or booklets. These folders with your logo can be used at trade shows, client presentations or for direct mail pieces. There are some with symmetrical design and pockets on both sides. Printed folders provide enough space for your company logo and business name. This can be printed in multiple colors or embossed giving a rich raised effect. Increasing popularity and high demand of these folders will boost your sales and grow your profits. They are a great way of attracting new customers and will leave a great impression on any prospect.

Providing our customers a complete printing facility along with in-house finishing is the cornerstone of our business. Custom pocket folders that include your company information can be the cornerstone of your successful marketing plan.  

So You Want to be a Coach?

There are many people out there who call themselves coaches. Throughout my career I have crossed paths with several of these so called experts and have mixed feelings about the profession in general.  I have always left the program or the seminar with the same feelings. If the coach I just listened to was so successful in their past endeavors, why are they doing this now?  In my opinion if you want people to respect your program,  you need to ask yourself these questions before calling yourself a coach.

Do you have any specialized knowledge, experience, or expertise? Most coach training organizations will tell you that you don't need to be an expert on anything, and that having coaching skills will be enough to be successful. The reality is that every successful coach is also an expert on something else in addition to coaching. Whatever you are currently doing at your job, as part of your other business, or in any area of your life experience, you can turn that knowledge into a specialty that people will follow and believe. Coaching skills is not expertise - it's a tool you can use to deliver your expertise, and you must specialize in a niche.

Do you understand that coaching is a business? Some people believe that coaching is a profession, a calling, or a career. The fact is, coaching is a business. Just like in any business you will need to reach and become desirable to your audience. This means investing in your marketing materials, such as books, a web site, and a newsletter. This also means establishing your credibility and building your platform through meetings and workshops. Taking a trip down memory lane is not going to help your cause.

Do you have good communications skills? Regardless of your specialty or expertise, you must be able to communicate clearly in writing and speaking. You'll be using your communication skills when coaching, negotiating with a potential client, speaking to a group of interested prospects, and in many other situations. The ability to clearly express your ideas and the value you bring to the table can become your best friend in building credibility.

Do you understand that credibility is not guaranteed? Coaches are not guaranteed instant credibility. No audience will buy your pitch just because they know who you are or just because you claim to know what is best for them . You need to position yourself as an expert in your field and establish trust and a relationship, only then will they give you a chance. If your audience walks away feeling you are disingenuous in any way you have lost them.

Do you understand marketing?  Do you understand enough about the business to put together an effective plan? Most people believe they can spend a few hours a month marketing their business and they'll be successful. The reality is that truly successful programs revolve around marketing. 90% coaching and 10% marketing is a slippery slope. Without a strong marketing program, no coaching program will survive.

I offer this up because in days past I had the unfortunate experience of being involved in a program that obviously did not ask themselves any of these questions. The sad truth is neither did the people who paid for it.

 

 

Advantages of Postcard Marketing

Postcard marketing is becoming increasingly popular as businesses find that this method of maintaining presence with customers is more effective than using email as the primary contact for marketing to customers. As most people have come to be inundated with emails from advertisers, marketers, businesses, and spammers it has become a habit to delete unsolicited emails without opening them. Whether the subject line of the email is interesting or not, if it is not from someone they know they are not likely to open the email. The average person today receives over one hundred emails a day. If the address is attached to a website, that number is tripled. These people do not have the time, and will not bother to open each email they receive to see an advertisement or sales promotion.

Postcard mailing is more personal. When a person goes to their mail box on a daily basis, they read their postcards. Many will not open an envelope from a business, but they will read a postcard on the way into their home. This is an opportunity for you to give a short message that compels the individual to respond by visiting your business, calling for service, or putting the postcard in a prominent place as a reminder of a coming event. A strategically worded postcard with a bright design and company logo is an excellent way to increase your customer base and expand the targeted audience for your product or service.

As part of the postcard marketing strategy, you will want to include an incentive for the customer to make a purchase. This can be a discount or rebate for bringing the card to the store. An excellent expansion strategy is to give the customer a double discount for having a friend shop at the regular discount that is offered. For instance, you may offer a ten percent discount on a product. If the card is shared with a friend the recipient automatically receives a twenty percent discount, while their friend receives the ten percent discount.

The postcard that is mailed to households is still the most effective way to touch customers. The postcard shows that the customer is more important than an auto-responder email or a mass mailing. When the card has been designed, created, and sent by a company like emediagroup coastal, the customer does not know that. All they know is that the company cares enough to send a postcard. When the postcard is signed by you it provides the customer with the subliminal message that they are important to you.