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DECEMBER 1998
Tip of the Week - Dec. 26, 1998 Create a network of entrepreneurs
Tip of the Week - Dec. 19, 1998 - Your Display Ad Gets More Attention Here
Tip of the Week - Dec. 12, 1998 - Technology Advances And Your Customers
Tip of the Week - Dec. 5, 1998 - Brochures: Make The Package Inviting
NOVEMBER 1998
Tip of the Week - Nov. 28, 1998- Newspaper Inserts: How To Get The Most Out Of Them
Tip of the Week - Nov 21, 1998 - Customer Business Cards: How To Get The Most
Out Of Them
Tip of the Week - Nov. 14, 1998 - One Large Ad Verses Several Small Ad's?
Tip of the Week - Nov. 7, 1998 - Employee Performance You Can Bank On
OCTOBER 1998
Tip of the Week - Oct. 31, 1998 - Brochure Creation (Don't forget these)
Tip of theWeek - Oct. 24, 1998 - Make Your Business Memorable To Your Customers
Tip of the Week - Oct 17, 1998 - Employee of the Month Award: A Disaster Waiting To Happen
Tip of the Week - Oct. 10, 1998 - Referrals: Now that you've got one,
what do you do with it?
Tip of the Week - Oct. 3, 1998 - How To Spot The Difference Between A Fad And A Trend
SEPTEMBER 1998
Tip of the Week - September 26, 1998 - Don't Make Customers Do Your Job
Tip of the Week-September 19, 1998 - Your Competition Goes Out Of Business...Now What?
Tip of the Week - September 12, 1998 - Three Keys To Sales Success
Tip of the Week - September 5, 1998 - When not to use a business card
AUGUST 1998
Tip of the Week - August 29, 1998 - Information Sources: These are often overlooked
Tip of The Week - Aug 22, 1998 - Marketing On The Telephone - The Right Way
Tip of the Week - Aug. 15,1998 - Direct Mail - Which colors work best
Tip of the Week - Aug. 1, 1998 - Always Deliver A Promise To The Customer...and keep it.
JULY 1998
Tip of the Week- July 26, 1998 - Test Radio Where It Will Be Heard
Tip of the Week - July 19, 1998 - Yellow Pages - Get Noticed At A Low Cost
Tip of the Week - July 12, 1998 - Lighting your business to increase sales
Tip of the Week - July 4, 1998 - Finding new uses for your products and/or services
JUNE - 1998
Tip of the Week - June 20, 1998 - How we saved $4,000.00 at the printer on our four color stationary
Tip of the Week - June 14, 1998 - Place Your Ad's Where The Competition Isn't
Tip of the Week - June 7, 1998 - Put Your Image Where They Can See It
MAY - 1998
Tip of the Week - May 31, 1998 - Getting Your Brochure To The Decision Maker
Tip of the Week - May 17, 1998 - Keep In Touch The Easy Way
Tip of the Week - May 10, 1998 - East Coast, West Coast , Make the time zones work for you
Tip of the Week - May 3, 1998 - Brochure Help - Where to get it
APRIL - 1998
Tip Of the Week - April, 27, 1998 - Should You Create Your Own Website? Things to think about|
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Create a network of entrepreneurs In Bozeman, Montana, my home town, the local Chamber of Commerce has organized "Leads Groups." These are non-competiting business people who form groups and exchange information and leads from each other. Points are given for each lead passed or for bringing a guest (potential new member) to the meeting.
During the weekly meetings each person gets 60 seconds to "spotlight" their business. Each week one member gets 15 minutes to make a formal presentation about their business to the group.
The real strength of the group is having several eyes on the community instead of just yours. If someone hears of a new business coming to town the entire group can benefit. The printer can arrange for business cards and stationary. The insurance person gets the business insurance lead. The Internet provider gets the new website. The list goes on and on.
In the past year I have found this type of association to be invaluable for business growth. It's a great way to get in on the "ground floor."
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Your Display Ad Gets More Attention Here Most small towns have a PennySaver© type newspaper. It's a paper that consists of "classified-ads". In Bozeman, Montana we have the MiniNickel©. If the publication will allow display ads (most will) your ad will be much more visible than in a conventional newspaper.
Downside: This type of publication may not be reaching your target market. The fact that your ad has high visibility means nothing if the people seeing it are not your customers. Try a small display ad with a "call to action" coupon or special offer to track the success of the ad.
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Technology Advances And Your Customers Computer advances, the Internet, cell phones, think pads. Our society is advancing at a mind boggling rate. What does this mean to your business? It's an opportunity for more sales and more business from your steady customer base.
How? Think about it. Are you offering goods and services you didn't have a year ago? Most businesses are. The problem is, many industries are advancing so fast its hard to keep up. Chances are you've added services or products your customers don't know about.
Many companies are missing the boat by not keeping their key customers up to date on new services and products.
Start a registration list for those customers that wish to be informed about technology upgrades or new products and services you offer. If you don't, your competitors certainly will.
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Brochures: Make The Package Inviting Have you ever noticed that we always open and look at certain types of advertising? What we do with advertising is often determined by how the item is packaged. A lot of it goes into the waste basket...unopened. There is nothing to motivate us. Or put another way, NO BENEFIT to us. If we feel something inside the envelope we usually open it to see what free item is enclosed.
Unfortunately, free stuff is only free to the customer. It costs us, the small retailer, big bucks. Sometimes these items produce income and are worthwhile, sometimes they aren't.
So how can you package your information so it gets read by the customer?
One of the most looked at items is the "report" style booklet. This will have a card stock cover, five to ten pages and will be spiral bound on the side. This type of booklet says, "Hey, you better look. There just might be valuable information in here."
Have you ever received a brochure and it unfolds, then unfolds again, and by the time you're done, it's the size of your desk? Large size papers and folding are costly. Why not make your brochure into a "report" type brochure. Spiral binding is relatively inexpensive. Two staples are even less (but not as impressive).
8 1/2 x 11 pages are cheaper than tabloid size copies or prints. Another advantage; you can change one page of information without having to change the entire brochure. Updates are less expensive. You can add spot or full color to one page (usually the cover) without printing the entire brochure in color. The spiral binding can be removed and replaced so individual, personalized information can be sent to your best customers. How many customers want a personal touch?
Consider a report style brochure with information the customer will want to keep and watch your sales skyrocket.
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Newspaper Inserts:
How To Get The Most Out Of ThemChances are you received some 8 1/2 x11 inserts in your newspaper this morning. Did you look at them? If you didn't, you are in the minority. Tests show inserts produce more response than actual ads in the paper. Why? Because people handle them. They have a curious tendency to stop and read them. There is a fear of loss. Your ad will probably appear again but this insert may be a one time thing.
Did every subscriber to the paper get one? Probably not. Most newspapers will let you target your insert to certain areas of town. You can test response by using different colors and types of paper. If you can make or copy the inserts yourself you can save a lot of money. If you do your own make sure they are first class. Remember, this is your business image.
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Customer Business Cards:
How To Get The Most Out Of ThemYou're at a business or social gathering and someone gives you a business card. What do you do with it? Most people would put it in their pocket and later, transfer it to some kind of file.
Are you blessed with a photographic memory? Most of us aren't. So now, its six months later, and you want to contact this person. How much do you remember about them? Most people are hard pressed to remember what the person looks like, let alone remember any details. You make the appointment anyway and pray you will recognize them when you get there.
Let's go back to the gathering where you first got the card. Suppose that after your conversation you excused yourself and went to a quiet corner and wrote everything you can remember about the customer and the conversation on the card. You may need to write small or invent a code for certain things. Do this as soon as possible while facts are fresh in your mind.
Now, when you go to the office for the appointment, you remember the wife's name, their kid's names, pieces of the conversation and even what he or she was wearing. How powerful is that? If it happened to you would you be impressed with this person...would you want to do business with them?
Suppose they called you - out of the blue. Before you take their call, you pull out their business card from your file, and there's all the information you kept. "Do I remember you?" "Of course I remember you." "We met at ....." "How's your wife, Mary?" "How're Muffy and Skip?" "What did you shoot in that golf game you were going to?"
That's real power in the business world. We all like to be noticed and appreciated.It's a power you can easily use and practice.
Before you leave ask for a couple of business cards for possible referrals and repeat the process. Taking the time to write the information will actually aid in helping you remember the information. As your business relationship grows into professional friendship you'll be glad you used this simple tool.
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One Large Ad Verses Several Small Ad's?
So, you've finally got the money together for your big sale ad. Let me ask you this. Is a large ad the best use of your advertising budget?
Consider for a moment the layout of the newspaper. There is the front page section, features section, sports section, financial section and, depending on the size of your paper, several others. Not everyone reads every section of the paper. If they don't read the one section that contains your ad, your advertising dollars have been wasted.
Instead consider several small "strategically" placed ads and cover the entire newspaper. Extra bonus: For those people who do read every section your message is reinforced by repetition and the customer is more likely to remember it.
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Employee Performance You Can Bank On
We have a company here in Bozeman, Montana that uses a novel way of increasing employee productivity. At the beginning of a specified time period an employee is given a certain dollar amount in an "imaginary" company bank account. During the time period, imaginary checks are written against the employees account for instances of undesirable performance or behavior. Deposits to the account can be made for good ideas that increase productivity or save the company money.
For example, the employee starts a 6 month period with a bank account of $500.00. Each time the employee is late for work money is deducted from his account. Mistakes that cost the company money or lost production also cost the employees involved. Vehicle accidents, poor paperwork, inventory losses, etc. At the end of the period, the employee receives the remaining amount in the bank as a bonus and the process repeats. The employee can offset any of their losses by coming up with money saving ideas which are adopted by the company. The better the idea, the more goes back into the bank. With good performance and good ideas the employee can receive more than the $500.00 starting figure. If the company benefits from good ideas and good job performance so does the employee.
Employees are more conscience of company costs and lost production (it costs them too) and take more pride in their work because they are in control of the payout. They are also competing against themselves and their personal goals and not another individual. This procedure also stimulates good ideas several times a year from those with "low" bank accounts.
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Brochure Creation (Don't forget these)
There is always a concern that you have left something out of your brochure. The truth is, you probably did. Many time there are things overlooked by your competitors that you can include in your brochure that can get that sale.
Here are a few things to check. They aren't all necessary in every brochure but many are often forgotten.
- Name of a contact person. You want them to call but...call who? Include a picture of the person if possible with a caption like, "Jim is waiting to take your call."
- Terms of payment. Net 30? C.O.D.?
- Return Policy. If they've been burned they'll want to know this up front.
- Minimum purchase. If you have penalties prepare them before the sale.
- Any warranties or guarantees. Show them up front you stand behind your products.
- Any shipping restrictions or extra charges for deliveries to outlying areas.
- A "Call To Action". You've seen the brochure... now call! Return a card, come down, anything to make them act now.
- Web-site address or 800 number for more information.
Knowledge is power. The more the customer knows about your business the easier it is for the customer to make an informed decision.
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Make Your Business Memorable
To Your Customers
In the competitive world of business keeping your company name in front of your customers is imperative. Print, radio and TV are certainly important but there are also some other less costly ways that might prove to be more effective.
A real estate agent I worked with several years ago distributed a small, one color brochure that had her name and company information on the front and inside were important local phone numbers. Hospitals, airports, golf courses, parks, schools, city hall offices, non-profits, Red Cross, medical offices, and other emergency "hotline" numbers.
When she called on her clients again they told her how much easier her "phone book" was to use than the conventional phone book. The best part, her picture and company name was in front of the customer far more often than other types of advertising for a lot less money.
Other types of items that are also effective are things like: coffee mugs, refrigerator magnets, water bottles or key chains. One of my personal favorites is the famous "Post-It Note". These little stickers go everywhere. From company to company, from CEO to janitor. They can get pricey for small businesses but their effectiveness may offset other types of advertising. It may be worth it to give up TV ads and put that money towards Post-It Notes or some other promotion.
They will only call you if they remember you. Make your business memorable.
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Employee of the Month Award:
A Disaster Waiting To Happen
In the current issue of Inc. Magazine is a short article (See "Employee of the month pitfalls) that addresses a business practice that, in my opinion, should be eliminated from all businesses. I have been preaching for years that the "Employee of the Month Award" is more detrimental to businesses than an incentive for improved business performance.
The more employees you have, the worse effect the award will have on your business. On paper, like most business ideas, the award seems like a great idea. Let's encourage good work and recognize those who perform "above and beyond" the call of duty. When the other employees see this they will be motivated to do better and try and win the award. Sounds logial. Yeah, right.
The problem is that when logic and emotion come in conflict, emotion always wins. So each month you have 1 "logical" winner and 25 "emotional" losers. It doesn't matter how "fair" the selection process is, they are still losers. Most of the employees will justify their loss in their own minds in various ways. Most popular, in no particular order, are:
- It's a popularity contest and I'm just not popular.
- I worked really hard this month, now I have to start all over.
- My supervisor hates me.
- My job is a low profile job. They just don't notice all the good I do.
- I produced thousands of dollars this month and they give the award to one of the secretaries. Why am I working so hard?
- I'm just a secretary. I don't have a chance against all those salesmen bringing thousands of dollars into the company. Why am I working so hard?
- The same group of people win month after month.
A better way
All human beings want to be appreciated for their efforts. Do you know what each employee does every minute of every business day? If not, how can you evaluate one employee against another.
A better system is to set aside a specific period of time, six month perhaps, and find a reason to publicly recognize each person in the company for a small victory. This way each employee has their "moment in the sun" in front of their peers. This is a much better way of motivating people. Instead of pitting them against each other, they see the value of individual contribution and working together as a team. Each job becomes more important. You will see people helping each other in a team effort not working against each other for their own personal rewards.
Another way might be to meet privately with employees (one-on-one) and help them set personal monthly business goals. If the goals are reached they are publicly acknowledged and rewarded accordingly. If the goals are not met, they are not humiliated as failures, find the positives for this month and set new goals for next month and learn from the experience.
You don't find good employees, you develop people you hire into good employees by creating an environment where each person can excel at their own level. When this happens, the business excels.
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Referrals: Now that you've got one,
what do you do with it?Referrals are one of the most powerful methods of selling. You can approach your prospect with a "pre-approval" from the prospects friend or acquaintance. However, getting the referral is just the first step. Just because you have the referral doesn't mean and automatic sale.
In my opinion, the biggest mistake salespeople make, is to assume they have a sale without the "fact finding" process to see if there is a need for the product. They assume that the customer has the need and the ability to buy or the referral would not have been given. The person giving the referral may not know the real needs of their friend.
Only when it's too late, does the salesperson discover that the referral is only an introduction to begin the sales process. It is not a substitute for determining needs, making a good product presentation to meet those needs and a good close.
Remember, referrals are a business help not a guaranteed sale.
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One of the major mistakes businesses often make is to bet the ranch on what looks like a trend but turns out to be a fad. Your customers identify your business with the fad. It becomes outdated and so is your customer's perception of your business.
What's the difference between the two? The major difference is longevity and how many people are doing it. Most trends start out as fads but become trends over time. Fashion fads, hair styles and other fads show up each year at high schools across America. Next year they are replaced with new ones. Most parents in the 1950's were sure Rock N' Roll was just a fad that their kids (us) would eventually outgrow.
The typical "life-cycle" of a fad is generally six months to two years. A trend emerges over many years. Such as Rock N' Roll music. It's gone through many artistic changes but the basics of the music have been pretty much the same since the '50's.
Trends are not always on a national level. Often trends are confined to geographic areas and even to individual towns and villages. They affect a variety of demographic groups.
What's happening in your area of the world? Are there trends beginning in your town? Are you ready to capitalize on them?
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Sooner or later, you are going to have a customer problem that requires sending the product back to the manufacturer for repair or replacement. Who should take responsibility for completing this process, you or your customer? The correct answer is you. You make the necessary calls, write the letters, deal with the sales reps and keep the necessary records to keep the customer informed.
You may feel that it would be easier for the customer to deal directly with the manufacturer and you would probably be right in many cases. The problem is, you want to keep this customer for a long time. The customer may not want the hassle of keeping track of the process and may not be experienced in dealing with this product or with your suppliers. You know the product, the supplier and their procedures better than any of your customers.
In the long run the customer will appreciate this enhanced customer service. They will have increased confidence that you will handle any future problems and will be more inclined to deal with you than your competitors.
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Your Competition Goes Out Of Business...Now What? So, your competitor finally gave up. Hallelujah!! Now you can relax...right? WRONG!! The first order of business is to let those customers know that they have not been left out in the cold. They have a new source of product...your business. Run ads directed to these customers to re-introduce your business to them.
If you had a friendship with the competitor, see if they will give (or let you buy) their mailing list. They may even let you use their name to recommend you as the new provider of the product or service. Do a mailing offering a discount as a new customer incentive to do business with you.
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Three Keys To Sales Success
What does it take to develop a crack sales force? Here are three keys to success.
- Select the very best salespeople you can. Easier said than done right? When ever I go out to buy anything I always carry a employment application with me. That way when I come upon a good sales person I ask if they might want to interview with me. Most do. Crack salespeople are always on the lookout for a better opportunity.
- Training: Salespeople develop habits from their previous jobs. Some are good, some are not. The problem is, you want them to work a certain way. They want to work in a way that is comfortable for them. Let them use the phrases and postures that have worked for them and tailor their strengths to your business. Remember, you both have the same objective: lots of sales.
- Compensation: Good employees are good employees because they have a focus on a goal and are working toward that goal. It might be a new car, vacation or gift to their church. They accepted the job because they thought that the compensation package you offered and their efforts would meet those goals. Make sure you know the goals of your employees and let them know their goals are important to you. Do everything you can to support them in their quest and they will reward you with tireless effort and great performance.
These are certainly not the only points of a good sales force but they will get you started.
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When not to use a business card
One of the time honored rules of marketing is to give your business card to as many "qualified" customers as possible. So why would there be a time when you don't want to give a business card? Let's look at this example:If you do the majority of your business by phone then you might want to consider giving those good customers a "Rolodex" card instead. If these customers need your phone number handy on a regular basis, give them an easy way to contact you.
Rolodex advantages
- Have you ever gone through a stack of business cards trying to find someone? The more cards you have, the worse it is. A Rolodex card has a tab that can be filed alphabetically and is easy to locate.
- The Rolodex card is larger than a conventional business card and can carry more beneficial information than a business card.
- Most people turn to the Rolodex before going to the Yellow Pages or phone book. If you are the only plumber in the Rolodex you will get the call. Best of all, your customer doesn't see all the competitor's ads in the Yellow Pages.
- You must be good at what you do, why else would I have put your card in my Rolodex?
If you do most of your business by phone the Rolodex is a must. The cost is about the same as a double sided business card. If you can do color (also reasonable) the phone will ring off the wall. Remember, the card keeps on working long after you're gone...keep it professional.
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Information Sources:
These are often overlookedNow that the Internet is upon us, and information is as near as a computer key click, we sometimes overlook older, time-honored traditional sources of information. Here are a few that are often overlooked:
- Patents: Watch for patents that have the potential to change your industry. New products that are more attractive to customers can put some firms out of business. Try and buy a typewriter or a record turntable. They are still out there but harder and harder to find.
- Annual Reports: These are advertisements to current and present stockholders and may divulge new technologies or other useful information. You may not run up against public companies in your small town but their suppliers may be Fortune 500 companies. Make sure you know what they're up to.
- Classified Ads: Are your competitors advertising for new employees? What are they looking for? Are they making a change? Adding new products?
- Professional Associations and Trade Shows: Check out your competitors booth. What are their brochures showing? Keep an eye out for changes in management philosophy, or changes to current procedures.
- Freedom of Information Act: Are you in a regulated industry? If your competitor had to pass government inspection before doing business with a federal agency, that information is available to you and the government must hand it over.
- Newspaper and Magazine Reports: These two sources are always ready to look to the future of a company or industry. Sometimes they will blow the whistle on your competitions new technology (on page 27) months before they are ready to release the information to the public.
These are just a few of the overlooked sources of information on your customers and industry. The best advice for any company of any size in any industry---READ. Read everything you can get your hands on about your business or industry. Somehow, some way, set aside 15 minutes a day to read. Good Hunting.
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Marketing On The Telephone -
The Right WayIf there is one single abuse to the customer of any business it's the lack of professionalism in dealing with the phone. When a customer calls your business here is what should happen:
- The phone should never ring four times. Always try to answer by the second or third ring. Have a backup person if the regular phone answering person is busy or away from their desk. Everyone should be on alert for the sound of the phone.
- Smile when you answer. People in surveys claim they can actually "hear" a smile on the phone. We all want to deal with a pleasent sounding person who wants to help us.
- Customer service applies. Just because you are not face to face with the customer, don't throw customer service out the window. You still need to maintain the highest levels of service to each caller.
- Take all calls. If the president of Nordstrom's can do it, so can you. Nothing erks me more than calling a business and having the person ask "Can I tell him whose calling?" I feel as if my call is being "qualified" as to whether I'm worthy or not. How can knowing who I am possibly make a difference? What if I'm a salesman but I'm calling for the church or about a civic matter. I may be a salesperson but I may also be a potential customer. And I may recommend you to other potential customers. It may be a pain and an interuption in your work but try it, you may experience a whole new world of information you didn't know was out there.
- Make sure each employee knows the value of the telephone to your business. Impress upon them that each contact they make with a customer has the potential to far outweigh any marketing and advertising plan you are running.
- Do not have "new" or inexperienced employees on the phone with customers. That call may be your only chance to make a good "first impression" to the customer. Make sure all employees who answer the phone know the "key phrases" customers use that may suggest they had a bad experience somewhere else. (See Customer phrases employees should watch for )
Many businessmen I know that are on the phone a lot, use a headset. They can continue working with both hands while talking or taking notes.
The phone is a tool. Like any other tool it can be misused. Used the right way it is a very powerful business asset.
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Direct Mail - Which colors work best If you're like me, you're always on the lookout for what works in advertising. Direct mail is one of the most effective means for the small business to get their message out at a low cost. But, the most often asked question, what paper, what color ink?
Black ink for the text and red for headlines, graphics or other important points you want to make is the most common advice. I agree with these choices up to a point.
In a small town, your mailing will go to a more specific audience, than in a large city. These colors may not work for every situation. Red may be to "loud" a color for certain types of businesses. Attorneys, for example, may not be comfortable with "ambulance chaser" red.
If you're considering direct mail as part of your advertising mix, start a "swipe file." Start looking carefully at all the so called "junk mail" that you receive at home or at work. Look for use of color, types of paper that you can use for your business. Don't be concerned if the mailing happens to be on expensive paper or four colors. What can you adapt to your business. If you can't use four color, use three or two color. Show your printer the samples from your swipe file and ask for suggestions.
The point is, in advertising and marketing, there is no "magic bullet" that works for everyone. See what works for others and capitalize on their successes.
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Always Deliver A Promise To
The Customer...and keep it.Customers usually don't do business with you unless there is a benefit to them in some way. The fact that you're a nice person doesn't really make any difference. If the benefits aren't there, neither are the customers.
Lose 10 pounds in 10 days. We've all seen these kinds of promises in advertising. That's why people are so skeptical of sales messages. Promises are made which always seem to include a multitude of fine print and disclaimers. Do this, if you feel you must, for legal reasons, but remember, most people are honest and are not out to "rip you off." You will learn the few who do very quickly and you will know how to deal with them in the future.
Those customers who see you as someone who is an honest businessman who keeps their promises will win the skeptics of the world...and, that's a big market.
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Test Radio Where It Will Be Heard Each time you have a radio commercial made, have the station make a copy on tape for you. Take the tape and play it in your car at the time it will be played on the radio. See if traffic noise or any other outside noised interfere with the "tone" of your commercial.
Also try it at work with office noises. Your message is important and costly to produce, make sure the message is getting out to your customers as clear and crisp as possilble.
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Yellow Pages - Get Noticed At A Low Cost One of the first things I did when I started my marketing company was get a Yellow Page listing. In those early days, I couldn't afford a display ad so the only option was a text listing which consisted of company name, address and phone number.
The phone company gave me the option of adding an additional line of text under my business name. I added four words that got a lot of response. What were the four words? "Low Cost Marketing Help"
People tend to look through the company listings first and then at the display ads. It gives the small guy a chance.
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I have seen the light! Next time you spend the day out shopping, pay particular attention to the lighting in the stores you frequent. If there's one often overlooked area of retailing it's store lighting. Small towns tend to keep the old style architecture in their buildings that add charm to their down towns. Often they also keep the old style lighting too. Lighting can be the difference between dark and drab and something bright and cheery. Stores that are well lit tend to look cleaner, warmer and friendlier. Shoplifters don't like brightly lit places.
Last but not least, people need to see what they are buying. So, light up your life and your profits. Maybe you'll see the light too.
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Finding new uses for your
products and/or servicesAfter being in business for awhile, we settle into a sort of comfort zone. We know what we do and we do it very well and there is a resistance to change. Remember the old adage, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it." Every business needs to grow. Without growth, there is only stagnation and death. Discovering new uses for your products and services will do two things for your business.
1. If could open the door for a whole new secondary market of customers you didn't know you had. Ever use baking soda? Sure, you put it in the refrigerator to keep it smelling fresh and clean. Was it originally developed for that purpose? No. In addition you can bake with it, also brush your teeth, sweeten the litter box and clean your carpet just to name a few.
2. You can build on your existing customer base and try new marketing techniques on a smaller budget. Your customers already know you and are confident of your products.
Look at your existing products:
- Can you combine your product with another?
- Can your product do another job?
- Can it be packaged differently?
- Can it be enlarged? Reduced?
- Can it be reused?
- Can it be less expensive?
- Can it be faster?
- Can it be portable
Remember the old "Kelly Girls?" They were a service that placed temporary office secretaries. Now, similar services place accountants, computer programmers, and office managers. IBM started as a wiring company. MCI was a CB radio network for truck drivers. Proctor and Gamble was a soap and candle company.
Many Fortune 500 companies went through a long process of evolution that produced many products and services. Take another look at your products. Ask your employees for suggestions on additional uses for your products and services. You may have a better business hidden just below the surface.
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We saved $4,000.00 at the printer
on our four color stationary.One of the biggest costs in the 4-Color process is what are called "color separations". When you see a full color ad in a magazine is was created by the mixing of just 4 ink colors. Cyan (a light blue), Magenta (a light red), Yellow and Black. Commonly referred to as CMYK. Why isn't it CMYB? I don't know.
Anyway, to create a 4 color picture or ad, the printer makes a piece of film for each of the four colors. These pieces of film are called "film separations". Printing plates are made from the film separations and the colors are mixed by the pressman to create the finished four color product. In larger cities, computers print directly to the press or "Docutec" and film separations are not needed. Most of the major magazines in the United States are produced this way. In most small cities you'll have to use film. The cost of this computer technology is very high and small town printers will seldom have the volume to justify the cost.
What I want to show you is a money saver if you must use film separations.The graphic below shows a letterhead, business card and envelope design...all on one page. What we want to do is create one set of color separations instead of three. If we don't do it this way we need one separation for the letterhead, another for the business cards and still another for the envelope. Each set of separations is around $25.00 - $30.00 per color separation. ($100.00 - $125.00 for four). 3 sets of separations x $125.00 = $375.00. We save $250.00 by doing it as described below. Let's take a look at it.
In the example below for Jennifer's MakeOver Magic, #1 is the letterhead, #2 is a 4-up business card, and #3 is the #10 business envelope. One set of separations for three different pieces of stationary. The printer will cut them apart and print each individually.
Yes, a question in the back. We need business cards with different names can we still do it this way? Answer: Yes. And you'll save big.
Let's say you're a realtor and you have 10 agents in your firm. Each agent will (should) give out about 1,000 business cards every six months (7 cards per working day). If they aren't, they're not contacting enough people. (That's an article for another time). You are going to need 20,000 cards per year. (2,000 cards per year for each of 10 agents.)
When you set up the design of the business card, set aside one area where changeable information will go. Print the cards in full color with no names or phone numbers. Print the 20,000 cards at a better lot price than 1,000 cards and have the printer hold the excess inventory for you. Typeset the names and numbers and have the printer go back and print the names in black on the 4 color cards in small quantities. Trust me this is much cheaper than 20 orders of 1,000 full color business cards with different names. I did a four color fold over card for one of my clients. The price for 1,000 was $275.00 ($275.00 x 20 = $5,500.00). The price for 20,000 was $75.00 per thousand ($55.00 x 20 = $1,500). Is it just me or did we just save $4,000? And don't forget the $250.00 we saved on the separations above.
Want to save still more? Share the cost with another business. Do one set of 11x17 separations. One 11x17 is usually cheaper than two 8 1/2 x 11 separations. Check with your printer. This also works great with brochures. Print 5,000 brochures each business gets 2,500 each. Each business gets a 5,000 lot price to split instead of a 2,500 lot price. Network with your business friends and you can save big time.
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Place Your Ad's Where
The Competition Isn'tDo you confine most of your print advertising to the same places your competition does? Examine your advertising options and look for niches others are overlooking.
For example: In Montana, a large percentage of our rural real estate requires wells to be drilled on the property as the only source of water available. Yet I can't recall any ads for well drilling companies in any of the raw land development publications.
Those looking to build on raw land are going to need water and some great leads could come from these ads. Look for the gold your competitors are missing.
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Put your image where they can see it Remember the Gulf War? It put CNN on the map as a reputable news source. Everyone tuned in to see the daily reports of what the "smart bombs" hit and to hear the latest information.
One small thing CNN pioneered was the placing of their logo in the lower right hand corner of the TV screen and it stayed there all day long. A constant reminder of what company you were watching. This practice was quickly picked up by almost every other TV network. And you can do it too.
When you run TV commercials, put your logo in the lower right hand corner through the entire commercial. People are already conditioned to look there and your customers will start to mentally associate your logo with your message. A powerful tool in advertising. Try it, you'll like it.
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Getting Your Brochure To
The Decision MakerOne of the problems with sending brochures and other sales information by mail is it's sometimes intercepted by a secretary or other screener and never gets to the decision maker.
To overcome this problem include a personal hand written note. The secretary will probably pass it along because it's personal in appearance. There is a better chance that the decision maker will read the note also. Follow up with a phone call and get the business.
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Keep In Touch The Easy Way Replying to an email message is easy -- just click the reply to button and the mailer receives the original message alone with your reply attached.
Why not do the same thing with "snail-mail"?
Make a copy of the original letter for your files. Have a rubber stamp made with, "Speed Reply" or some other catchy phrase. Stamp copy and hand write the reply right on the letter. Then fax or mail a copy back to the sender.
This is a pretty good indication that you read the letter and acted upon it immediately. They will appreciate your quick response.
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East Coast, West Coast -
Make time zones work for you.Although this tip doesn't apply to every business in the world, it's still a good one.
If you do business on the West Coast of America, or Hawaii, and you're located on the East Coast you may be loosing business because of the time zones. Here's how:
I don't know about your business, but our office gets hectic and we don't always notice the time when we make calls to the East Coast. When it's 3:00 pm in Montana, it's 5:00 pm in New York.
If I need to order your product, and I can't reach you, I'm going to start calling suppliers (your competitors) until I either get an answering machine, voice mail or a live person. Remember, back in the old days when you got a live person when you made a call. What about email you say? Check any small town Chamber of Commerce listing and see how many have email. I'll save you the trouble, not many.
Make sure that you have a quality voice mail, or answering machine with a clear concise message (including email address/website) suggesting you will call the customer back ---- and be sure and make the call back.
Your work day on the East Coast for us is roughly 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. That's not eight hours, that's five hours. If you do business in Hawaii? -- You do the math.
Make sure customers in other time zones can easily reach you and leave a message. And watch your sales grow.
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Brochure Help: Where To Get It Trying to put that brochure together and its just not working? Ever wish you could see what other people in your industry are doing? Well, you can!
The S.D. Warren Paper Company in Boston, MA has a program that will allow you to request samples of brochures, mailers and other business print materials from your industry, FREE.
As a courtesey, they ask that you send some samples of your brochures. After all, that's where all the samples come from. When I did this, some years ago, I went over to the Chamber of Commerce and picked up about 20 brochures and sent them in. They were happy to get them and I was happy with the samples I received.
In some cases you will recieve brochures in full color. If you can't do full color, don't panic. Look at the design and the message. Could you do the same thing in black and white or two color. In most cases the answer in Yes! You are looking for ideas. Look how they did the pictures? Do you like the typestyles they used.
Call or write and ask for an S.D. Warren Library Card. When you receive the card, fill out the type of industry you're in and the types of brochures you'd like. Mail the card, and in a few days, you'll receive dozens of samples from other businesses just like yours.
You can also view samples of papers and brochures at their website: http://www.sdwarren.com
Or you can write or call them at:
Sappi Fine Paper, North America
S.D. Warren Company
225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA 02110
1-800-822-IDEA
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Should You Create Your Own Website?
Some things to think aboutAre you on the net...yet? Do the prices of creating a web site scare you? Would your business benefit from a presence on the web? Here are some questions to ask:
- Do you sell to the world or do you do business locally? Local business can benefit greatly from a web presence if there are enough computers in your area. The cost can be prohibative in small towns. If there are enough computers, you can put your brochure, catalog, price lists, maps and anything else you can think of on your page. Realtors, Travel Agents, Crafts, love web pages. Look at http://www.santalady.com/ for a global example and http://www.billiondeal.com/ for a local example.
- Can you create your own web site? I created this entire site in Adobe Pagemill 2.0. (160 page user guide, very easy to use) Software cost: About $65.00. I created one simple page and took it to my internet service provider (ISP) to make sure it would work before I did the whole site in this program.
Cost of the site at $60.00 per hour had I used a web service? Around $3,000.00 to $5,000.00! A pretty good savings. Can't afford the software? Free web pages are availalbe at: http://www.geocities.com and http://www.cybertown.com. Am I a computer wiz? No, I'm a marketing wiz. Finding ways of getting your message out while saving money is what we do here.
- Does your provider have multiple connections? For example, if they are exclusive with MCI and MCI goes down - guess what - You're Down Too!! With multiple connections you are protected from the failure of a single carrier.
- Do you have the time to maintain the site and keep it up to date? Nothing will turn people off more than a site that never changes. Why keep coming back if there is no new information? If you're going to have a site you must make it interactive with your potential customers.
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