Sales are slow, the checking account is getting low. You've got to cut costs and/or raise revenue. It's tempting at times like these to look at your ad budget for solutions. That's actually not a bad thing to do, but your aim should not be to reduce the amount of advertising, just the cost.
The last thing you want to do during a prolonged slow period is reduce or eliminate your public profile. People may not be in a buying mood today, but when they are, they are much more likely to head for the familiar. If you've been out of sight, you've been out of mind.
There are ways to stay visible and cut costs, especially when business is slow and you've got more time on your hands. Consider using doorhangers and newspaper inserts as opposed to direct mail. Use regional newspapers and organizational newsletters as opposed to the major daily. Spend more time attending networking events. Take advantage of events large and small where you can set up a table and hand out information and promotional material. Consider hosting a network event or fundraiser. Send out update letters with your regular invoices. Develop in-store or in-office advertising displays. You can also use any extra time you find yourself with to get around to those tasks you'd been putting off. Finish the website. Start the blog. Update the business card.
This is also the time to evaluate your product and service line and see what needs updating, replacing or eliminating. People love new stuff. Give them some. While you're at it, put anything new and different into a 100 word press release and send it to the local media. Follow up with a phone call asking if they received it and if it's something they'll consider running.
Don't think of a slowdown as crisis time. Think of it as half time. Review your past performance. See if there are lessons to be learned, adjustments to be made. Get ready for the next round. When they economy does come back, and you've got to assume it will (there is absolutely no point in assuming it wont), you want to hit the ground running. Don't get caught flat-footed.
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Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Marketing Through Uniforms
By Everett Abrams
When making decisions about uniforms this line of the Profit and Loss statement usually reflects a very low number or even a zero. This is a mistake for your business. Uniforms can be a very effective form of advertising that often is overlooked. When decisions are made to cut back on expenses this is one item that contractors often cut. When planning a budget or business plan this line item should be given very careful consideration. Uniforms can be a great marketing tool that boosts your bottom line.
Uniforms should always have your company logo on them. This is part of the branding of your company and builds brand recognition. Most decision makers will also include a phone number as well. One thing to consider is to list services, a tag line, or company slogan on the back of the uniform. This does not only apply to shirts but also company sweatshirts that employees often wear. These items should be listed so that potential customers can easily read them. You should view these as walking billboards on the backs of a mini sales force.
Your employees often stop for coffee in the morning, go out for lunch during the day, and stop to pick up something on the way home at night potentially being exposed to many potential customers. How often have you stopped in a store and struck up a conversation with someone? Have you ever noticed a contractor or serviceman in a uniform and asked some questions or asked for a business card? Uniforms that list your company services can start up a conversation that would otherwise never happen.
This leads to other considerations to be prepared for though. Your employees should be properly trained on how to handle these situations. It is important to recognize that not everyone is a great or even good sales person. This does not mean that they are not great employees. In these situations they should be armed with company business cards and instructed to ask the potential customer to call the office for more details or to have any questions answered. Hiring practices are a completely different topic but, this is the perfect reason why you should hire "nice" people. You can not train "nice" and if your employees are nice and friendly it will make a difference in customer service and the "selling" of your brand. When these potential customers interact with your employees they potentially become the "first impression" of your company.
Uniforms also add a look of professionalism that speaks volumes to your customers and more so your customers neighbors! Your neighbors will notice a professional company in uniforms over the company that has their favorite rock band t-shirts on. If you are a landscaper and the neighbor needs to hire a company to care for their property they may certainly ask the neighbor about their company that is doing a great job and always arrives in uniform and looking professional. The other item to consider is how your employees feel about the company they work for. They are much more likely to be more productive and be proud of the company they work for in professional looking uniforms.
Do not forget to address the negatives though. For all the exposure that your employees and their uniforms have it can work against you. You should address with your employees that it is important to not cause a negative image for your company. They should certainly NEVER wear their uniforms to their favorite drinking hole. Alcohol affects everyone differently and you don't want your uniforms involved in potentially bad situations. Employees should always be cognizant of any actions that will reflect negatively on the company when wearing uniforms. It is important to address these situations before an incident occurs.
Now you can see why an often overlooked line on our budgets can be so important to our bottom line and increasing company profits. Investing in company uniforms now seems like an expense that your company can not afford to do without.
Everett Abrams is on the Executive Board of Directors of the Power Washers of North America (PWNA) as President-Elect, Instuctor for the Wood Cerification Class of the PWNA, and co-author of the "Exterior Wood Restoration" manual that is used to teach professionals across the country. Everett also participates on the Joint Coatings Committee of the Forest Products Laboratory. Everett Abrams is also President of Deck Restoration Plus, a franchise company that specializes in wood restoration.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Everett_Abrams
When making decisions about uniforms this line of the Profit and Loss statement usually reflects a very low number or even a zero. This is a mistake for your business. Uniforms can be a very effective form of advertising that often is overlooked. When decisions are made to cut back on expenses this is one item that contractors often cut. When planning a budget or business plan this line item should be given very careful consideration. Uniforms can be a great marketing tool that boosts your bottom line.
Uniforms should always have your company logo on them. This is part of the branding of your company and builds brand recognition. Most decision makers will also include a phone number as well. One thing to consider is to list services, a tag line, or company slogan on the back of the uniform. This does not only apply to shirts but also company sweatshirts that employees often wear. These items should be listed so that potential customers can easily read them. You should view these as walking billboards on the backs of a mini sales force.
Your employees often stop for coffee in the morning, go out for lunch during the day, and stop to pick up something on the way home at night potentially being exposed to many potential customers. How often have you stopped in a store and struck up a conversation with someone? Have you ever noticed a contractor or serviceman in a uniform and asked some questions or asked for a business card? Uniforms that list your company services can start up a conversation that would otherwise never happen.
This leads to other considerations to be prepared for though. Your employees should be properly trained on how to handle these situations. It is important to recognize that not everyone is a great or even good sales person. This does not mean that they are not great employees. In these situations they should be armed with company business cards and instructed to ask the potential customer to call the office for more details or to have any questions answered. Hiring practices are a completely different topic but, this is the perfect reason why you should hire "nice" people. You can not train "nice" and if your employees are nice and friendly it will make a difference in customer service and the "selling" of your brand. When these potential customers interact with your employees they potentially become the "first impression" of your company.
Uniforms also add a look of professionalism that speaks volumes to your customers and more so your customers neighbors! Your neighbors will notice a professional company in uniforms over the company that has their favorite rock band t-shirts on. If you are a landscaper and the neighbor needs to hire a company to care for their property they may certainly ask the neighbor about their company that is doing a great job and always arrives in uniform and looking professional. The other item to consider is how your employees feel about the company they work for. They are much more likely to be more productive and be proud of the company they work for in professional looking uniforms.
Do not forget to address the negatives though. For all the exposure that your employees and their uniforms have it can work against you. You should address with your employees that it is important to not cause a negative image for your company. They should certainly NEVER wear their uniforms to their favorite drinking hole. Alcohol affects everyone differently and you don't want your uniforms involved in potentially bad situations. Employees should always be cognizant of any actions that will reflect negatively on the company when wearing uniforms. It is important to address these situations before an incident occurs.
Now you can see why an often overlooked line on our budgets can be so important to our bottom line and increasing company profits. Investing in company uniforms now seems like an expense that your company can not afford to do without.
Everett Abrams is on the Executive Board of Directors of the Power Washers of North America (PWNA) as President-Elect, Instuctor for the Wood Cerification Class of the PWNA, and co-author of the "Exterior Wood Restoration" manual that is used to teach professionals across the country. Everett also participates on the Joint Coatings Committee of the Forest Products Laboratory. Everett Abrams is also President of Deck Restoration Plus, a franchise company that specializes in wood restoration.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Everett_Abrams
Sunday, February 17, 2008
How's Your Feedback Rating?
Paypal popularized the concept of feedback ratings when it introduced them as a means of quality control on it's auction services. It's a very handy mechanism for getting an idea of whether the person you're buying from or selling to has a history of keeping their word.
The same concept can be applied to your daily transactions and associations. Consider your reputation to be your "feedback rating". A good feedback rating can greatly enhance the value of your more tangible marketing efforts. Each person you associate with has a general image of you in their mind. Is it a good one? Keep in mind that every action you take, or don't take, everything you say, everything you do, is an opportunity to add to, or subtract from your feedback rating. It may not be written down, or publicly posted, but it is very real. How will the customer or supplier you're dealing with right now respond when asked "What do think of so and so's?".
Word of mouth can be very powerful, both postively and negatively. You can't control what people say about you and your business or who they say it to. You can control their perception of you by how you interact with them.
You don't know who people deal with or talk to during the course of their day. Your lowest income, lowest spending customer is potentially just as valuable as your biggest spender. Don't cherry-pick who you're going to do right by. Do right by everybody, and accept no less from them toward you. Your efforts and awareness will pay for themselves many times over in the long run.
The same concept can be applied to your daily transactions and associations. Consider your reputation to be your "feedback rating". A good feedback rating can greatly enhance the value of your more tangible marketing efforts. Each person you associate with has a general image of you in their mind. Is it a good one? Keep in mind that every action you take, or don't take, everything you say, everything you do, is an opportunity to add to, or subtract from your feedback rating. It may not be written down, or publicly posted, but it is very real. How will the customer or supplier you're dealing with right now respond when asked "What do think of so and so's?".
Word of mouth can be very powerful, both postively and negatively. You can't control what people say about you and your business or who they say it to. You can control their perception of you by how you interact with them.
You don't know who people deal with or talk to during the course of their day. Your lowest income, lowest spending customer is potentially just as valuable as your biggest spender. Don't cherry-pick who you're going to do right by. Do right by everybody, and accept no less from them toward you. Your efforts and awareness will pay for themselves many times over in the long run.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Website Advertising in Print
Many people market their websites almost exclusively on the web. This makes about as much sense as advertising your phone number only in the phone book. A website can be your most cost effective promotional tool, if it's promoted properly. If you're relying on people just stumbling across it or getting there from another website, you could be missing out on a lot of traffic.
Make your website prominent on your print advertising. It should be at least as prominent as your phone number if not more so. Invite people to visit. When I want to buy lampshades you don't want me to do a Google search for lampshades and maybe come across your site. You want me to go directly to BobsHouseOfLampshades.com. I'm much more likely to do so if I have a magnet or a postcard laying around with your web address on it.
Your web address should be on your letterhead, your envelopes, your packaging labels, flyers, newspaper ads, door hangers, anything that has your name and/or logo attached to it. Make sure your web address is also included in your email signature as well as your signature block for any forums you may belong to.
If you want to get the most out or your website, don't make me work to find you. Make It Easy.
Make your website prominent on your print advertising. It should be at least as prominent as your phone number if not more so. Invite people to visit. When I want to buy lampshades you don't want me to do a Google search for lampshades and maybe come across your site. You want me to go directly to BobsHouseOfLampshades.com. I'm much more likely to do so if I have a magnet or a postcard laying around with your web address on it.
Your web address should be on your letterhead, your envelopes, your packaging labels, flyers, newspaper ads, door hangers, anything that has your name and/or logo attached to it. Make sure your web address is also included in your email signature as well as your signature block for any forums you may belong to.
If you want to get the most out or your website, don't make me work to find you. Make It Easy.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Marketing Alert - PostCard Special
Easy Street Designs is having a 3 week sale on 4.25 x 5.5 post cards. Full color one side or both, any quantity 10 Cents Each from now until February 15, 2008. Get 'em while they're hot! Easy Street Designs postcard special
Need Customers? Go Get 'Em!
By Timothy Wenk
In our society there are two kinds of people. MarketERs, and marketEEs. The people who create and disseminate marketing messages, and the people who receive (we hope) and react to those messages.
In marketing, there's a fundamental truth that is counterintuitive: "The initial spark that leads to the vast majority of transactions, emanates from the marketER."
When I say that truth is counterintuitive, I mean the typical consumers or potential customers believe the 'opposite.' What they believe would appear to be perfectly reasonable. Something like, "Back off marketers! If I want to find something, I'LL go out and I'LL find it for myself. Your ads and other marketing efforts have no effect on me. I will behave in exactly the same way (buy or not buy the exact same things), with or without your marketing efforts." Again, that seems to make perfect sense.
The average marketEE believes this: "The initial spark that leads to the vast majority of transactions, emanates from the marketEE."
Problem is, this is incorrect.
And if you market your small business as if it IS correct, you are making a fundamental mistake. Possibly a fatal mistake.
The truth is, the most effective marketing happens when the marketER reaches the marketEE, not the reverse. Further, the marketER must reach the marketEE, whether the marketEE wants to be reached or not! I know that's a bold statement, and it flies in the face of 'modern,' so-called 'permission marketing.'
But let me build my case...
Here are two words which, if you take heed to the lessons they can teach you, could change your business for the better: END CAPS. End caps, as you may know, are the ends of the aisles in stores. Let's take supermarkets, for example. Ask any supermarket manager why the end cap 'real estate' is so valuable. He or she will tell you, whatever item is placed there 'automatically' sells much better than otherwise. How much better? Well, one manager I spoke to said it's a boost of about 60%. Same item at the same price as the one sitting on the shelf where it usually is. He said, if the item's on sale, it's an increase of 100%, compared to the same item, at the same lowered price, on the 'regular' shelf!
Think about that. Buy merely putting a product in front of the consumer's face -- whether he asked for it or not -- produces an increase in sales of 60-100%. The ONLY difference is creating that 'initial spark.'
Here's another example: Your local newspaper. Let's agree that the ads therein are effective to a certain degree. Keeping that degree of effectiveness in mind, let's try an experiment. Let's rearrange the paper's format. Let's put all the ads in one section, and all the news in another section -- and let's try that for several months. What would be the result? Answer: The paper would go out of business. But why? Of course, because everyone would read the news section, and ignore the ad section, which would cause the ads to LOSE whatever effectiveness they had before the change in format. To the consumer, the ads are an unnecessary annoyance. If the audience is given a choice about viewing the ads, they will choose NOT to view the ads, in general. In other words, the effectiveness of the ads is dependent on their intrusiveness. Now I KNOW no one wants to hear that, but it's true.
Here's another example: McDonald's. You already know everything there is to know about McDonald's. You know (pretty much) where they are, how to find one, what their menu is, what the food tastes like, how much it costs, what you 'experience' will be like when you go there, etc. If you wanted to eat at McDonald's, you certainly would have no problem doing so. So, why do they advertise? What in the world could they POSSIBLY tell you in an ad, that you don't already know? The answer is, telling you something you don't already know is not the PURPOSE of the ads. Bugging you is. Bugging you repeatedly.
Because McDonald's knows (and so should you), "The initial spark that leads to the vast majority of transactions, emanates from the marketER, not the marketEE."
If that's NOT true, then McDonald's is wasting millions on ads every year! But it is true.
Let's put it this way: What would happen to McDonald's if they were to STOP bugging you repeatedly? They would go out of business, because ALL 'sparks' (bugging) would then emanate from the competition -- and the vast majority of the transactions would go to them.
It's a shame, but so-called internet marketing has made this consumer's myth even stronger. The temptation to rely on search engine and pay per click marketing comes from believing (incorrectly) that the group called, "my potential customers" is exactly the same group as the one called, "people already searching for what I offer." That's not so. That's thinking like a consumer.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever been to McDonald's? Have you ever been to McDonalds.com?
The lesson here is, don't market your small business using a "consumer's mindset." Realize it is YOUR responsibility to send out as many 'initial sparks' as you can. Don't wait for your potential customers to come looking for you, believing they will behave in the same way (buy the same things), with or without your ads. Look for ways to DELIVER your marketing message -- yes, even without your potential customers' "permission." And, most of those ways can be found OFFline.
___________________________________
Timothy Wenk, marketing consultant, can be reached at 518-448-6642 and TW@USPexpert.com .
In our society there are two kinds of people. MarketERs, and marketEEs. The people who create and disseminate marketing messages, and the people who receive (we hope) and react to those messages.
In marketing, there's a fundamental truth that is counterintuitive: "The initial spark that leads to the vast majority of transactions, emanates from the marketER."
When I say that truth is counterintuitive, I mean the typical consumers or potential customers believe the 'opposite.' What they believe would appear to be perfectly reasonable. Something like, "Back off marketers! If I want to find something, I'LL go out and I'LL find it for myself. Your ads and other marketing efforts have no effect on me. I will behave in exactly the same way (buy or not buy the exact same things), with or without your marketing efforts." Again, that seems to make perfect sense.
The average marketEE believes this: "The initial spark that leads to the vast majority of transactions, emanates from the marketEE."
Problem is, this is incorrect.
And if you market your small business as if it IS correct, you are making a fundamental mistake. Possibly a fatal mistake.
The truth is, the most effective marketing happens when the marketER reaches the marketEE, not the reverse. Further, the marketER must reach the marketEE, whether the marketEE wants to be reached or not! I know that's a bold statement, and it flies in the face of 'modern,' so-called 'permission marketing.'
But let me build my case...
Here are two words which, if you take heed to the lessons they can teach you, could change your business for the better: END CAPS. End caps, as you may know, are the ends of the aisles in stores. Let's take supermarkets, for example. Ask any supermarket manager why the end cap 'real estate' is so valuable. He or she will tell you, whatever item is placed there 'automatically' sells much better than otherwise. How much better? Well, one manager I spoke to said it's a boost of about 60%. Same item at the same price as the one sitting on the shelf where it usually is. He said, if the item's on sale, it's an increase of 100%, compared to the same item, at the same lowered price, on the 'regular' shelf!
Think about that. Buy merely putting a product in front of the consumer's face -- whether he asked for it or not -- produces an increase in sales of 60-100%. The ONLY difference is creating that 'initial spark.'
Here's another example: Your local newspaper. Let's agree that the ads therein are effective to a certain degree. Keeping that degree of effectiveness in mind, let's try an experiment. Let's rearrange the paper's format. Let's put all the ads in one section, and all the news in another section -- and let's try that for several months. What would be the result? Answer: The paper would go out of business. But why? Of course, because everyone would read the news section, and ignore the ad section, which would cause the ads to LOSE whatever effectiveness they had before the change in format. To the consumer, the ads are an unnecessary annoyance. If the audience is given a choice about viewing the ads, they will choose NOT to view the ads, in general. In other words, the effectiveness of the ads is dependent on their intrusiveness. Now I KNOW no one wants to hear that, but it's true.
Here's another example: McDonald's. You already know everything there is to know about McDonald's. You know (pretty much) where they are, how to find one, what their menu is, what the food tastes like, how much it costs, what you 'experience' will be like when you go there, etc. If you wanted to eat at McDonald's, you certainly would have no problem doing so. So, why do they advertise? What in the world could they POSSIBLY tell you in an ad, that you don't already know? The answer is, telling you something you don't already know is not the PURPOSE of the ads. Bugging you is. Bugging you repeatedly.
Because McDonald's knows (and so should you), "The initial spark that leads to the vast majority of transactions, emanates from the marketER, not the marketEE."
If that's NOT true, then McDonald's is wasting millions on ads every year! But it is true.
Let's put it this way: What would happen to McDonald's if they were to STOP bugging you repeatedly? They would go out of business, because ALL 'sparks' (bugging) would then emanate from the competition -- and the vast majority of the transactions would go to them.
It's a shame, but so-called internet marketing has made this consumer's myth even stronger. The temptation to rely on search engine and pay per click marketing comes from believing (incorrectly) that the group called, "my potential customers" is exactly the same group as the one called, "people already searching for what I offer." That's not so. That's thinking like a consumer.
Let me ask you this: Have you ever been to McDonald's? Have you ever been to McDonalds.com?
The lesson here is, don't market your small business using a "consumer's mindset." Realize it is YOUR responsibility to send out as many 'initial sparks' as you can. Don't wait for your potential customers to come looking for you, believing they will behave in the same way (buy the same things), with or without your ads. Look for ways to DELIVER your marketing message -- yes, even without your potential customers' "permission." And, most of those ways can be found OFFline.
___________________________________
Timothy Wenk, marketing consultant, can be reached at 518-448-6642 and TW@USPexpert.com .
Saturday, January 12, 2008
You down with "OPP"? Other Peoples Products
Everyone likes to get free stuff. This is why it's such a great promotional tool. But most businesses give away their own products or some little trinket with their logo on it. That's fine, but consider another alternative: OPP, Other People's Products.
Free stuff can generate traffic, good will and awareness. It doesn't have to be your stuff though. Give away a free coffee from a nearby shop, an order of chicken wings from a local restaraunt or wing joint, a free oil change. The possibilities are endless and it can be just as inexpensive as giving away your own stuff.
Talk to your network partners or neighboring merchants. Many of them will agree to give you the items free if you pay for the printing of the coupon and limit the amount you're going to give out. For example, a free coffee with a purchase of $x or more, or a free apple pie certificate included with an invoice.
Promotions like these can generate value for both the business giving out the free goodies and the business providing them. Your customers will love it and they'll remember you, even if you are a hardware store giving away hamburgers. The idea is to make their visit to your establishment pleasant, enjoyable, fun, something they want to do again.
Free stuff is a great promotional vehicle, especially when the economy is slowing down and consumers are feeling tight on cash. Be a hero, get down with OPP.
Free stuff can generate traffic, good will and awareness. It doesn't have to be your stuff though. Give away a free coffee from a nearby shop, an order of chicken wings from a local restaraunt or wing joint, a free oil change. The possibilities are endless and it can be just as inexpensive as giving away your own stuff.
Talk to your network partners or neighboring merchants. Many of them will agree to give you the items free if you pay for the printing of the coupon and limit the amount you're going to give out. For example, a free coffee with a purchase of $x or more, or a free apple pie certificate included with an invoice.
Promotions like these can generate value for both the business giving out the free goodies and the business providing them. Your customers will love it and they'll remember you, even if you are a hardware store giving away hamburgers. The idea is to make their visit to your establishment pleasant, enjoyable, fun, something they want to do again.
Free stuff is a great promotional vehicle, especially when the economy is slowing down and consumers are feeling tight on cash. Be a hero, get down with OPP.
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