Solve the Problem... Win the Race
Posted by malbert on 6/25/2008
Do you ever wonder why you were unable to convince that potential customer of yours that they should use your services, engage in a partnership, and play with your team? Unfortunately for all of us, it happens too often. Where did we go wrong in convincing the prospect that our services are superior, the best, and an absolute must? Let's take a walk through the process and try to discover where some of the normal pitfalls (or craters) lie, and how we can make the hurdle to victory.
Do you know who you are talking to? Have you researched the company and discovered what makes them tick? How large is the company, what is their main product or their foremost service? How long have they been around and how many employees do they have? What do they offer their clients - what are their solutions? How do they advertise and how strong is their brand? Knowing the answers to the majority of these questions will help you sell YOUR product because you understand THEIR needs. As they say in scouting - Be Prepared!
After you are well versed in their business, assess their methods and means of communications. Knowing how they deliver their message to a diverse clientèle will enable you to more accurately assess how you can help them attain better results. This, of course, translates into a healthier bottom line. Is your client able to offer measurable results for their clients? Is their branding strong enough to powerfully and concisely get their strengths across - if not, there may be an opportunity for you to work with them to enhance their brand and message. Communications is of vast importance in helping a client garner new business.
Finally, can you help your client balance the services they are offering within budget? Especially in today's economy, every business is trying to look good on a short budget. There are always alternative directions and creative solutions that will make a difference and not break the bank. Always remember that establishing a relationship is the most important first step in gaining future business. You may have to start small but the rewards may be great down the road.
As you look for ways to help your prospects shine in their customer's eyes, realize that there are many ways to tackle the pitfalls and be closer to that cherished trophy of new business.
Pleased To Meet You
Posted by malbert on 6/5/2008
The Rolling Stones had it down in their 1968 hit Sympathy for the Devil. But we are not talking about Lucifer or the Devil here – I am referring to all the folks out there who are waiting to be met - grasping for a mingle or looking for a friend. It is commonly called networking, and it is what happens when you get yourself out into the menagerie of events, business conferences, the community and just doing the everyday things we do.
Networking for business sake does not have to be a push and shove my way into your face type of thing – in fact, subtlety goes a long way to establishing a meaningful connection. A friend introducing a friend who has a need, who wants advice, or who is seeking a resolution to a problem, is something that can happen walking down Main Street.
How many realtors do you know that meet the new people in town? Now there is a resource. When was the last time you attended a Chamber After Hours event? That is a blatant banquet of possibilities. What about your trusted vendors? Who else do they deal with that may need additional services? What about the organizations where you might volunteer – or the Little League teams that your kids play on? If you are a church goer – coffee hour is perfect. All are casual opportunities to learn more about the people and businesses around you.
Networking lends itself to new business, but you have to be able to grasp the hour, feel comfortable enough to make the right transition in conversation and always follow up with an eMail or a note to reinforce the actual contact. Networks build over the years and while we are now in the generation of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Myspace; face to face social networking most frequently leads to the most meaningful business relationships.
Pleased to meet you.
Will you play my game?
Great Time to Buy a House
Posted by malbert on 5/19/2008
My daughter and future son-in-law are out looking for a house – great time to buy – great interest rates – beautiful time of year to see the yards at their best and anxious sellers who are lowering their prices. Sounds like an ideal situation – they even have the down payment and a pre-approved mortgage from the bank.
This positive scenario in the murk of foreclosures and financial market losses brings me to reflect on what good we can find in hard times. If companies are cutting back and slowing down, they have to focus on what will work for them at a manageable cost. Their marketing needs do not go away; sometimes they just have to be re-focused.
The company that has never looked at cross-media and personalized marketing might benefit greatly by speaking directly to the audience they are looking to do business with. Or the firm that has always relied on traditional printing may discover that digital printing is more cost effective. Possibly a variable message to multiple demographics would be more effective than a universal pitch to the masses. Creative presentations which more closely match the needs of a customer are especially needed in slower times.
- When the economy is slow, you might save your customers money by offering multiple solutions to their marketing needs, just as home sellers are staging their properties
- When one proposal does not fit all needs, vary the message and stand out in the market
- When the market gets more competitive, do some research to make a match with pre-approved resources
- Put your energies into relationships and use the trust you have built over the years to deliver, as always, exceptional customer service
Life is circular… hard times happen… creative perspectives help.
Choose imagination. Expect results.™
Giving Big
Posted by malbert on 5/5/2008
How many not for profits depend on your good nature and
philanthropic support? A LOT, that is if you are a giver. With the economy
running away with many of our expendable dollars and the gas pump, groceries, and
service prices skyrocketing, we can all attest personally to the pain in our
wallets and the anxiety in our lives.
Multiply that tenfold when you are trying to run a not-for-profit
organization which provides much needed services to expectant, and sometimes very
needy, customers, recipients and/or the community. A company which can provide
support through discounted or pro bono services is a welcomed partner and a
much appreciated friend.
The question is…where to draw the line. Having worked as the
Senior Manager of Sponsorships for one of the largest regionally based banks
for many years, I know that the “asks” are unending and the needs are great. You
have to create guidelines and set your priorities, or you will literally end up
giving away the bank! When you have specific areas or individual needs you
CHOOSE to support - the rejection is easier - you have made your intentions
clear, and the potential recipient of your philanthropic giving understands the
limitations.
When you can provide a discounted product or service, such
as marketing services, at a digestible cost to the community partner, the
benefits to your company are tremendous. Most sponsorships come with a high
degree of visibility for the sponsor – never a bad thing – free advertising for
a good cause. You also often get to give your employees the opportunity to
participate in an activity that supports the organization and provides a
meaningful relationship for your company. But the most important, and probably
the greatest benefit you will receive, is the knowledge that you are enabling
an organization to succeed on their limited resources, and that improves the
community overall.
Decide when and where you want to give – if and when you can
give – and how you can create the best result for your choice of giving. Give,
and you are the winner.
What's In a Customer?
Posted by malbert on 4/23/2008
According to Google, “a customer is a person or organization that a marketer believes will benefit from the goods and services offered by the marketer’s organization.”
There are three types of customers:
- Existing: Existing Customers have a current relationship with a company
- Former: Those who have formerly had relations with the marketing organization typically through a previous purchase. The value of this group to a marketer will depend on whether the customer’s previous relationship was considered satisfactory to the customer or the marketer.
- Potential: Those who have yet to purchase but possess what the marketer believes are the requirements to eventually become Existing Customers.
Why should you care about customers – existing or potential? Because those are the individuals or companies which will dictate the success of your business. Building meaningful relationships with your customers affords you the opportunity to keep your business afloat, expand to other territories, or create innovative additions to the products you offer.
Customers are the lifeblood of a business. Every employee who interacts directly or indirectly with the customer is critical. In general, we think of the sales staff as the face of the company, but in reality the delivery person, the production staff, the receptionist, and the accounting team are equally as important in keeping the customer happy.
Good customers are something we strive to build. Customers who contribute consistently to your revenue stream; make payments on time; interact with your staff with helpful suggestions; and recommend your products to others, are the best customers. You can turn most customers into valued customers with attention to detail, face to face time, sincere and prompt customer service, and an understanding of the importance of each and every customer you serve.
You decide…What’s in a customer?
Not Interested..... Thank You
Posted by malbert on 4/22/2008
How many times have you heard that response on the other end of the telephone line when you are following up on a sales lead? It doesn’t seem to lead to anything or anywhere…BUT, if you are persistent enough to get some face time in front of that uninterested individual, you may stir some interest in your new and expanded services. A potential customer, who knows your company historically as a one product or limited services company, will not immediately make the cross over to innovative marketing services in their own mind, UNTIL you listen to their needs and translate YOUR services into the perfect solution for THEIR company.
After sending a letter to a neighboring company and following up to hear…Not interested…thank you, I kept them on the line long enough to ask for a few minutes of their time – after all we are neighbors. The president of the small company agreed to meet and in a half hour visit we learned that a new web site had gone down three months ago; that their sales reps are often going out on cold calls; and that they have recently expanded their territory to Boston and the North Shore. We discussed helping them revise and update the web site; creating multi-channel marketing campaigns and measuring the response to help give their sales force better insight into their potential customer needs; and building and adding to their database to include their new territories.
Amazing to find there was interest – and where there is interest we have a better chance of finding new business. Point made: Listening to customers is one of the most important sales tools you have. Get past the Not interested…thank you, and you may hear….Oh! Maybe we could use that