What is the current state of direct marketing these days? Pretty good thank you. When you consider that 3 out of 4 consumers (76%) read the direct mail they receive. Women 35-49 and the heaviest readers at 86% with men above 50 the poorest at 65%.
Direct Marketing Readership in Men
Age 2003 2008
18-34 65% 67%
35-49 64% 77%
+50 68% 65%
Readership in direct mail among women of all ages has increased. As with men the largest increase is among woman in the 35-49.
Direct Marketing Readership in Women
Age 2003 2008
18-34 65% 67%
35-49 64% 77%
+50 68% 65%
Readership of direct mail marketing has increased among woman all age groups. As with the men the largest increase in retail direct mail readership is in the 35-49 age groups.
Direct mail from discount and grocery sorts are the most heavily read, with more than 8 out of 10 respondents 86% say that they pay attention to direct mail form discount stores and almost as many, 83% saying that they read direct mail sent form their grocery stores.
So what are people responding to?
71% Coupons
71% Buy one, get one free
63% Single discount item
59% Percent off
52% Gift card
37% Everyday lowest price
36% Grand opening
34% Gift with purchase
29% Consumer tips
26% Loyalty card
23% Event invitation
8% None
Reasons that make a difference to what direct mail people open?
67% Timing coinciding with need
66% Consumers name on the front
60% The piece LOOKs interesting
54% A special offer or discount
52% The piece looks important (watch this one, can be effective, but might get you into legal trouble)
51% Feel something in the piece. (Personal favorite, MAKE IT LUMPY)
42% A free gift or token inside
35% Dated material enclosed
5% None of these
This shows or seems to that people seem to read their direct mail. And they are going through it even harder looking for information and the best possible value they can get. We have found that there is a direct link on sales with marketers who have cut back on their mailings and those who have kept their planned mailings going out as they organically scheduled in there (written) marketing plan.
Marketers said they prefer and rely on direct mail and print advertising for information on products but also used tactics such as telemarketing.
43.6% Newspaper/magazine
43.5% Direct mail (letters, postcards, catalogs)
32.0% Radio, TV
27.4% Phone call telemarketing
For online tactics marketers said they planned to increase spending on every online tactic they surveyed such as micro sites, resource centers, social networking and webinars.
72% Referrals
57% Search engine marketing
44.5% Educational web sites
38% Email newsletters
28% Social networking sites
20% Forms/chat rooms
19% Video/podcasts
8% Mobile ads
Keep in mind that the above staticsis are for a retail operation. In a B2B situation phone usage and telemarketing go up over 50% while use of newspapers goes way down below 10% with some moving over into their target markets trade magazines.
I have always preached a multichannel attack. I use what I call the 3 legged stool approach of telemarketing, mail, and web. You might choose to use print, email and web landing pages. Doing so shows an improvement of 35%, if personalization is used (variable data) you can see improvement of over 50% on what you are now getting.
Larson note: Now what can you do? Go back to the campaigns you have run in the past. Look at the results and see if the ROI if increased 35% or 50% would warrant the additional expenditures. You kept your results and worked out the statistical numbers, yes? If you did that you can predict in hard numbers what you can expect to achieve with little or no guessing.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Is Snail Mail More Effective Than E Mail?
E-Mail is the new junk mail. I use it. To a moderate degree but not like I use to. I’m pushing more and more of my marketing back to one-on-one emailing and targeted direct mail projects.
So what has happened? E-mail is so fast, so cheap, so everywhere. Every inbox is filled with spam and everyone has signed or found themselves on who knows how many lists.
We are all so overwhelmed by it all and routinely just switch once e-newsletters that were once important to the junk file. So why not do what email can’t. It is hard to not open an envelope that is lumpy. Put some physical objet in it and it gets opened. Another tired and true tactic is to make your mail look like a formal invitation. E-Mail, it just can’t compete.
Larson note: Now you can tell me that with direct mail there is not instant response that it has not real flexibility, (enter variable data) and the overall cost. Yes it is hard to compete with a mailing package that costs upwards of over 275.00 more per 1M. You need a real good ROI. So … use both.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
So what has happened? E-mail is so fast, so cheap, so everywhere. Every inbox is filled with spam and everyone has signed or found themselves on who knows how many lists.
We are all so overwhelmed by it all and routinely just switch once e-newsletters that were once important to the junk file. So why not do what email can’t. It is hard to not open an envelope that is lumpy. Put some physical objet in it and it gets opened. Another tired and true tactic is to make your mail look like a formal invitation. E-Mail, it just can’t compete.
Larson note: Now you can tell me that with direct mail there is not instant response that it has not real flexibility, (enter variable data) and the overall cost. Yes it is hard to compete with a mailing package that costs upwards of over 275.00 more per 1M. You need a real good ROI. So … use both.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Monday, October 26, 2009
The Week Ahead October 26-30, 2009
Monday:
Tuesday: Durable Goods Orders (B), Case-Shiller Home Price Index, Consumer Confidence (B)
Wednesday: Durable Goods Orders (B), New Home Sales (C+), Crude Inventories
Thursday: Weekly initial jobless claims (C+), Gross Domestic Product (B)
Friday: Personal Income and Consumption (C+), Chicago Regional Manufacturing Surveys (B)
*Rating Scale by Importance (A-F)
Tuesday: Durable Goods Orders (B), Case-Shiller Home Price Index, Consumer Confidence (B)
Wednesday: Durable Goods Orders (B), New Home Sales (C+), Crude Inventories
Thursday: Weekly initial jobless claims (C+), Gross Domestic Product (B)
Friday: Personal Income and Consumption (C+), Chicago Regional Manufacturing Surveys (B)
*Rating Scale by Importance (A-F)
Larson note: Last week we saw Home sales go up but new housing starts going down. What can you expect? With the glut of homes on the market there are some real bargains if you have the money and/or credit, but new homes, not quite as cheap. Of course that is not to mention (remind you of) the $8,000 first time buyer tax credit. The US Senate could decide this week if it going to extend the credit, but if you are in the market I would not trust them to do the right thing.
The focused industries we are looking to add clients in for the month are Advertising Specialties, Trade Show Booth Builder, Sign Shop, a Graphic Design Studio, and Printer both small and mid-sized.
We are still look
ing for sales persons in all areas exceptthe Great Plains States.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.
Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday: Tuesday: Running Training 6:30am,
Wednesday: Thursday: Running Training 6:30am
Friday: Saturday:
Sunday:
Trade show schedule:
> October 21-22 2009, Mid-Pak Minneapolis MN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> November 15-18, 2009 Fabtech Int. & AWS Welding Show McCormick Place, Chicago
> December 2-4, 2009 The Intl. Work Boat Show, New Orleans LA (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> December 3-5, 2009 Athletic Business Conference & Expo, Orlando FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> March 14-16 Internal Home and Housewares Show, McCormick Place, Chicago
Time slots still available to meet & talk over coffee.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday: Tuesday: Running Training 6:30am,
Wednesday: Thursday: Running Training 6:30am
Friday: Saturday:
Sunday:
Trade show schedule:
> October 21-22 2009, Mid-Pak Minneapolis MN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> November 15-18, 2009 Fabtech Int. & AWS Welding Show McCormick Place, Chicago
> December 2-4, 2009 The Intl. Work Boat Show, New Orleans LA (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> December 3-5, 2009 Athletic Business Conference & Expo, Orlando FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> March 14-16 Internal Home and Housewares Show, McCormick Place, Chicago
Time slots still available to meet & talk over coffee.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Growth expectations leveling out: PMA
American Metal Market
October 19, 2009
By Corinna Petry(PMA mentioned, PMA members quoted)
Metalforming companies expect a leveling in business conditions and incoming orders during the final quarter of 2009.Some 30 percent of Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) members expect the trend of general economic activity will rise over the next three months, according to the association’s October survey, down from 47 percent last month, and 54 percent predict activity will remain the same over the next quarter.
Thirty-eight percent of members said the trend in incoming orders will increase over the next three months compared with the past three months, down from 51 percent in September."While metalforming companies generally have experienced a significant rebound in orders and shipments over the past few months, there is real concern about whether the rebound has staying power," PMA president William E. Gaskin said. "Many believe that the current uptick is primarily inventory restocking and that without a more robust recovery of consumer spending and capital investment their increased orders will disappear later this year and during the first quarter of 2010."On the other hand, he said, members’ outlook "is much more robust than it was one year ago, when the majority were seeing new orders drop precipitously.""Overall, business will probably be down from what it has been in the past couple of months," said Bill R. Smith, a principal with Termax Corp., a Lake Zurich, Ill.-based maker of automotive fasteners. "I think the last couple of months were good due to ’Cash for Clunkers.’ We expect that business activity going forward will be about 85 to 90 percent of the level seen in August and September. "Smith said his company is still producing two to three times what it was in April and May. "August was good and September was a little bit better, but I have a feeling automotive is just filling up inventories and this level won’t be sustained," he said.But D&H Industries Inc.’s national sales manager, Michael San Filippo, said his company’s October order rates are up from September."We have landed some new business (to supply parts for lawn and garden equipment) and that will start shipping this month and picking up in November," he said. "A manufacturer was performing this work in-house and decided to outsource it to make room for a different product line."Business from other customers to the Oconomowoc, Wis., company "are pretty much level," San Filippo said. "We are seeing an influx of rush orders where people are looking to replace depleted inventory."Some 54 percent of members said their average daily shipping level is above that of three months ago, compared with 53 percent in September, while 31 percent said their shipments are flat compared with 30 percent in September.Companies appear to have stopped their head-count reductions. This month, only 60 percent of metalformers reported employees on short-time or layoff vs. 68 percent in September. The rate also may reflect that some companies have permanently downsized their work force, eliminating plans to recall workers previously considered temporarily laid off, Gaskin said. The worst month for layoffs in the industry was April, when 85 percent of PMA members said they had layoffs.The PMA surveys 149 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada for its monthly report
Larson note: I to agree that restocking inventories is the main thrust of this manufacturing increase but so what. An increase is an increase. Now look for the cash for more energy efficient appliances to come on in a month or two. Let’s see it as a way to help jump start America's factories. This in and of itself will not stop the downward spiral of unemployment but it has got to help. At least Mrs. Larson might get a new stove out of the program.
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
October 19, 2009
By Corinna Petry(PMA mentioned, PMA members quoted)
Metalforming companies expect a leveling in business conditions and incoming orders during the final quarter of 2009.Some 30 percent of Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) members expect the trend of general economic activity will rise over the next three months, according to the association’s October survey, down from 47 percent last month, and 54 percent predict activity will remain the same over the next quarter.
Thirty-eight percent of members said the trend in incoming orders will increase over the next three months compared with the past three months, down from 51 percent in September."While metalforming companies generally have experienced a significant rebound in orders and shipments over the past few months, there is real concern about whether the rebound has staying power," PMA president William E. Gaskin said. "Many believe that the current uptick is primarily inventory restocking and that without a more robust recovery of consumer spending and capital investment their increased orders will disappear later this year and during the first quarter of 2010."On the other hand, he said, members’ outlook "is much more robust than it was one year ago, when the majority were seeing new orders drop precipitously.""Overall, business will probably be down from what it has been in the past couple of months," said Bill R. Smith, a principal with Termax Corp., a Lake Zurich, Ill.-based maker of automotive fasteners. "I think the last couple of months were good due to ’Cash for Clunkers.’ We expect that business activity going forward will be about 85 to 90 percent of the level seen in August and September. "Smith said his company is still producing two to three times what it was in April and May. "August was good and September was a little bit better, but I have a feeling automotive is just filling up inventories and this level won’t be sustained," he said.But D&H Industries Inc.’s national sales manager, Michael San Filippo, said his company’s October order rates are up from September."We have landed some new business (to supply parts for lawn and garden equipment) and that will start shipping this month and picking up in November," he said. "A manufacturer was performing this work in-house and decided to outsource it to make room for a different product line."Business from other customers to the Oconomowoc, Wis., company "are pretty much level," San Filippo said. "We are seeing an influx of rush orders where people are looking to replace depleted inventory."Some 54 percent of members said their average daily shipping level is above that of three months ago, compared with 53 percent in September, while 31 percent said their shipments are flat compared with 30 percent in September.Companies appear to have stopped their head-count reductions. This month, only 60 percent of metalformers reported employees on short-time or layoff vs. 68 percent in September. The rate also may reflect that some companies have permanently downsized their work force, eliminating plans to recall workers previously considered temporarily laid off, Gaskin said. The worst month for layoffs in the industry was April, when 85 percent of PMA members said they had layoffs.The PMA surveys 149 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada for its monthly report
Larson note: I to agree that restocking inventories is the main thrust of this manufacturing increase but so what. An increase is an increase. Now look for the cash for more energy efficient appliances to come on in a month or two. Let’s see it as a way to help jump start America's factories. This in and of itself will not stop the downward spiral of unemployment but it has got to help. At least Mrs. Larson might get a new stove out of the program.
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
5 Practices for Digital Marketing
How can you start to unleash the power of your web site?
There is no magic formula for successfully moving from an email blasting program as your communication and online marketing tool to one that features real-time interactions between your the marketer and your prospect customer.
There is however some common elements that separates a successful to mediocre to poor program.
Here are 5 of the best practices I have come across.
1. Leveraging interactions to collect customer information. SM gives us such a chance to be in a dialogue with our customers and prospects in real time. You have the ability to create multiple interaction paths within and across campaigns and create ongoing dialogues which enables your prospects to build a trust factored in you and your company This not only allows you to respond to the prospect or customer with the right information but you are better able to understand when they are ready to engage with you in a buying decision.
2. Create a since of conversion urgency with your promotions while reducing your over all exposure. Offers are not one size fits all. Never were, never will be. The more you more away from that though process and create a sense of individually the better off you will be.
3. Combine off line segmentation data with real-time on-line and site visitation behavior to drive your messaging and offer relevance and value. The digital marketing capabilities enable marketers to collect meaningful actionable online behavior information that can be linked in real time to a customer value to drive immediate relevant messaging which may include offers that are designed to stimulate a purchase and not just subsidize a sale that would happen anyway.
4. Monitor purchase and transactions to trigger reminders on when to reengage in a dialogue. When you enter SM Marketing you have the opportunity to enter into interaction marketing and provide a firm foundation.
5. Keep customer satisfaction management linked to marketing activity. It is easier to generate repeated purchases with satisfied customers that disgruntled ones. If you use a mix of communications interactions you can geek an actionable pulse on the human emotions.
Larson note: The benefits are being actively able to manage your customer’s satisfaction to improve retention and improve campaign performance but focusing on the selling messages. Need I say more?
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
There is no magic formula for successfully moving from an email blasting program as your communication and online marketing tool to one that features real-time interactions between your the marketer and your prospect customer.
There is however some common elements that separates a successful to mediocre to poor program.
Here are 5 of the best practices I have come across.
1. Leveraging interactions to collect customer information. SM gives us such a chance to be in a dialogue with our customers and prospects in real time. You have the ability to create multiple interaction paths within and across campaigns and create ongoing dialogues which enables your prospects to build a trust factored in you and your company This not only allows you to respond to the prospect or customer with the right information but you are better able to understand when they are ready to engage with you in a buying decision.
2. Create a since of conversion urgency with your promotions while reducing your over all exposure. Offers are not one size fits all. Never were, never will be. The more you more away from that though process and create a sense of individually the better off you will be.
3. Combine off line segmentation data with real-time on-line and site visitation behavior to drive your messaging and offer relevance and value. The digital marketing capabilities enable marketers to collect meaningful actionable online behavior information that can be linked in real time to a customer value to drive immediate relevant messaging which may include offers that are designed to stimulate a purchase and not just subsidize a sale that would happen anyway.
4. Monitor purchase and transactions to trigger reminders on when to reengage in a dialogue. When you enter SM Marketing you have the opportunity to enter into interaction marketing and provide a firm foundation.
5. Keep customer satisfaction management linked to marketing activity. It is easier to generate repeated purchases with satisfied customers that disgruntled ones. If you use a mix of communications interactions you can geek an actionable pulse on the human emotions.
Larson note: The benefits are being actively able to manage your customer’s satisfaction to improve retention and improve campaign performance but focusing on the selling messages. Need I say more?
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Unleashing Web Site Marketing
Now, as if you did not need to before, you really need to be creative with every dollar you spend and with every minute you spend on your marketing. So here are 3 simple things you need to be doing.
1st. make it easy to help your customers find exactly what they want on the first click, if possible! This often means directing them to a landing page rather than your front or home page but it is worth the effort.
2nd. You need to create a call to action. You need to get users to the right page then show them what to do once they are there.
3rd. Check and recheck your success. The two ideas above will do you no good unless you are ready to watch your conversion data and know what is working and what is not.
Larson note: If you don’t track and change your program you will not really get the most bang from your buck. You really need to know which programs, campaigns and activies are getting you results. Your business might be depending on it.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
1st. make it easy to help your customers find exactly what they want on the first click, if possible! This often means directing them to a landing page rather than your front or home page but it is worth the effort.
2nd. You need to create a call to action. You need to get users to the right page then show them what to do once they are there.
3rd. Check and recheck your success. The two ideas above will do you no good unless you are ready to watch your conversion data and know what is working and what is not.
Larson note: If you don’t track and change your program you will not really get the most bang from your buck. You really need to know which programs, campaigns and activies are getting you results. Your business might be depending on it.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Get Upfront and Personal
Today more than ever in a marketplace that is filled with media overload, it is critical for businesses to be able to cut through the clutter. But how? Get personal.
Personalization goes beyond inserting a name of someone in your copy. It is true customization utilizing variable data and giving a customer an entirely new perception of feeling appreciated.
Once you engage your audience it is then time to work on building a lifetime relationship. Remember Harvey MacKay’s 66? Ok, so now what. Take all this knowledge and create a deeper point of engagement with your customers enabling you to determine and address THEIR needs. Not your wants.
And the cost?” Remember it costs 5 times the amount to get a new customer as opposed to keeping an established one. 5 times!
Larson note: Keep your focus on the customer. It’s really that simple, or is it?
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
Personalization goes beyond inserting a name of someone in your copy. It is true customization utilizing variable data and giving a customer an entirely new perception of feeling appreciated.
Once you engage your audience it is then time to work on building a lifetime relationship. Remember Harvey MacKay’s 66? Ok, so now what. Take all this knowledge and create a deeper point of engagement with your customers enabling you to determine and address THEIR needs. Not your wants.
And the cost?” Remember it costs 5 times the amount to get a new customer as opposed to keeping an established one. 5 times!
Larson note: Keep your focus on the customer. It’s really that simple, or is it?
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
5 Fundamentals for Email Success
E-Mail markets are always well served by remembering the basics. When you forget the basic rules of email marketing you get in trouble big time.
First, focus on the call to action. If you first identify your goal for the e-mail then determine what you want to subscribers to do and carry this though from the subject line to the e-mail design to the landing page, you’re in good shape. Keep the call to action simple, prominent and neat the top of your message.
Second, craft your subject line careful. Make sure the message and benefit of your message is clearly put forward and matches. The main message should be font loaded with in the first 30 characters of the massage.
Third, design your message for the preview window of mobile devices. Yes we have arrived in the age of walking viewing n our (or some) mobile devices. The one space that will always show up is the upper left corner, Use it 1st and use it wisely. By identifying your name and short message.
Forth, remember image blocking. Image blocking happens more often than not. You need to design your piece with that though in mind. When graphics are used make sure to use alternative image attributes (alt tags) to convey the message intended.
Fifth, stop unsubscribes. The main reason for unsubscribes are lack or relevancy (58%), and too many emails from the sender (44%). Send them what they signed up for. If you don’t you will get what you deserve, being dumped into the spam folder.
Larson note: By building on these fundamentals when creating a new e-mail, or reviving your current e-mail marketing attack or program you will stand a better chance of getting you message though 1st time, every time.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
First, focus on the call to action. If you first identify your goal for the e-mail then determine what you want to subscribers to do and carry this though from the subject line to the e-mail design to the landing page, you’re in good shape. Keep the call to action simple, prominent and neat the top of your message.
Second, craft your subject line careful. Make sure the message and benefit of your message is clearly put forward and matches. The main message should be font loaded with in the first 30 characters of the massage.
Third, design your message for the preview window of mobile devices. Yes we have arrived in the age of walking viewing n our (or some) mobile devices. The one space that will always show up is the upper left corner, Use it 1st and use it wisely. By identifying your name and short message.
Forth, remember image blocking. Image blocking happens more often than not. You need to design your piece with that though in mind. When graphics are used make sure to use alternative image attributes (alt tags) to convey the message intended.
Fifth, stop unsubscribes. The main reason for unsubscribes are lack or relevancy (58%), and too many emails from the sender (44%). Send them what they signed up for. If you don’t you will get what you deserve, being dumped into the spam folder.
Larson note: By building on these fundamentals when creating a new e-mail, or reviving your current e-mail marketing attack or program you will stand a better chance of getting you message though 1st time, every time.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Exploiting Social Media
Facebook, twitter, ning sites and other social medial sites are great ways to engage your customers. There are many ways you as a marketer can take advantage of this new and misunderstood phenomenon.
1. Incorporate social media networking into a header or footer in your email template. You can keep it simple with a little link to your facebook fan page of your business twitter account; of you can make it quite complex and encourage sharing to Digg, Delicious or other sites. If you want to aggressively embrace multiple social media sites you might want to use a simple share icon.
2. Send solo e-mails out promoting your presence on the social media sites you are active in. Many e-mail marketers send special e-mails to all recipients (sm spam) encouraging them to partake in their social medial communities. If you engage one at a time and talk about them and their business (yes you actually need to look at their page to talk to them about them and how your business and theirs might actually have seridipanity) you are not spamming but starting a contact engagement point, big difference!
3. Capture the data you need. First be sure to complete YOUR profile page. Then go to the pages of the people and business you want to engage with. It’s really sad to find someone who wanted to start an engagement process with you only to find that they could not event take the time to finish their profile page, Do that to me and I’ll smell as skunk and cut you off. On facebook, complete the “info” tab, include a link to your web site, on twitter use key words in your description to others to see and follow you.
Larson note: If you are engaged in the SM world you can make it work to your advantage but it is not a standalone deal. You need to embrace it and actually be social.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
1. Incorporate social media networking into a header or footer in your email template. You can keep it simple with a little link to your facebook fan page of your business twitter account; of you can make it quite complex and encourage sharing to Digg, Delicious or other sites. If you want to aggressively embrace multiple social media sites you might want to use a simple share icon.
2. Send solo e-mails out promoting your presence on the social media sites you are active in. Many e-mail marketers send special e-mails to all recipients (sm spam) encouraging them to partake in their social medial communities. If you engage one at a time and talk about them and their business (yes you actually need to look at their page to talk to them about them and how your business and theirs might actually have seridipanity) you are not spamming but starting a contact engagement point, big difference!
3. Capture the data you need. First be sure to complete YOUR profile page. Then go to the pages of the people and business you want to engage with. It’s really sad to find someone who wanted to start an engagement process with you only to find that they could not event take the time to finish their profile page, Do that to me and I’ll smell as skunk and cut you off. On facebook, complete the “info” tab, include a link to your web site, on twitter use key words in your description to others to see and follow you.
Larson note: If you are engaged in the SM world you can make it work to your advantage but it is not a standalone deal. You need to embrace it and actually be social.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage. We do sm monitoring for companies.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Week Ahead October 12-16, 2009
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Retail Sales, Business Inventories
Thursday: Weekly initial jobless claims, Consumer Price Index, Crude Inventories
Friday: Industrial Production, Capacity Utilization
Larson note: I was a little surprised by the retail sales report for September as were a lot of people. I guess school supplies were really selling like hot cakes. That and consumer bowering going down will only help in the long run. But it is still employment. Do you add people or equipment to increase production? I’m betting that companies will be buying more productive equipment. Then maybe we can put people back to work.
This week the big pay out for reports comes out Friday with the Industrial numbers and capacity utilization. I am looking for higher utilization numbers. Lower production but good new on the horizon with the US government’s new plan of cash or clunker appliances. Need a new refgerator? Hold off a month or two and get a coupon for a new one. The amount will vary from state to state.
The focused industries we are looking to add clients in for the month are Advertising Specialties, Trade Show Booth Builder, Sign Shop, a Graphic Design Studio, and Printer both small and mid-sized.
We are still looking for sales persons in all areas except
the Great Plains States.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.
Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday: Tuesday: Running Training 6:30am,
Wednesday: Lunch appointment, Parcel Forum 09 Hyatt Regency O’Hare in the PMThursday: Running Training 6:30am
Friday: Saturday:
Sunday:
Trade show schedule:
> October 21-22 2009, Mid-Pak Minneapolis MN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> November 15-18, 2009 Fabtech Int. & AWS Welding Show McCormick Place, Chicago
> December 2-4, 2009 The Intl. Work Boat Show, New Orleans LA (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> December 3-5, 2009 Athletic Business Conference & Expo, Orlando FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
Time slots still available to meet & talk over coffee.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Retail Sales, Business Inventories
Thursday: Weekly initial jobless claims, Consumer Price Index, Crude Inventories
Friday: Industrial Production, Capacity Utilization
Larson note: I was a little surprised by the retail sales report for September as were a lot of people. I guess school supplies were really selling like hot cakes. That and consumer bowering going down will only help in the long run. But it is still employment. Do you add people or equipment to increase production? I’m betting that companies will be buying more productive equipment. Then maybe we can put people back to work.
This week the big pay out for reports comes out Friday with the Industrial numbers and capacity utilization. I am looking for higher utilization numbers. Lower production but good new on the horizon with the US government’s new plan of cash or clunker appliances. Need a new refgerator? Hold off a month or two and get a coupon for a new one. The amount will vary from state to state.
The focused industries we are looking to add clients in for the month are Advertising Specialties, Trade Show Booth Builder, Sign Shop, a Graphic Design Studio, and Printer both small and mid-sized.
We are still looking for sales persons in all areas except
the Great Plains States.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.
Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday: Tuesday: Running Training 6:30am,
Wednesday: Lunch appointment, Parcel Forum 09 Hyatt Regency O’Hare in the PMThursday: Running Training 6:30am
Friday: Saturday:
Sunday:
Trade show schedule:
> October 21-22 2009, Mid-Pak Minneapolis MN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> November 15-18, 2009 Fabtech Int. & AWS Welding Show McCormick Place, Chicago
> December 2-4, 2009 The Intl. Work Boat Show, New Orleans LA (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> December 3-5, 2009 Athletic Business Conference & Expo, Orlando FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
Time slots still available to meet & talk over coffee.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Free Fall Marketing
As SM progresses as a major component of a company’s marketing efforts we are all in some way, either large or small imprisoned by our minds. Now is the time where we need to accpet that the entire web is a social media experience and by not embracing it you are handing the new openness of increased loyalty, better cost controls, and driving customer acquisition to a select few. Those few who overcome the pressing challenges that confront us from cost containment to the actual delivery of goods and services are the new elite of the marketing world.
These days is seems most marketers claim that ownership and measurement of digital and social media are what is preventing them from really shining. Balderdash! It is your hands to own and control. It’s social. Go out and meet people (electronically). Once we are able to wrap our minds around the reality of digital and media coming together under one roof it starts to become both honest and easier to navigate
Larson note: Do you have any friends? You know people who you can sit down and have a cup of coffee with and talk about things? Ok now transform that into doing it electronically to make friends. I cannot say it enough. People buy from their friends more times than not. If I don’t like you do you think I will buy anything from you? As my sales mentor Hank Trisler once said “People buy on emotion and justify with facts.”
Friendship is one of the best emotions I know of. Use it but don’t abuse it. Friends don’t take advantage of friends. They work with them, helping them succeed with the best product or service that is right for them. The idea is to make long term friends and customers not one buy wonders.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
These days is seems most marketers claim that ownership and measurement of digital and social media are what is preventing them from really shining. Balderdash! It is your hands to own and control. It’s social. Go out and meet people (electronically). Once we are able to wrap our minds around the reality of digital and media coming together under one roof it starts to become both honest and easier to navigate
Larson note: Do you have any friends? You know people who you can sit down and have a cup of coffee with and talk about things? Ok now transform that into doing it electronically to make friends. I cannot say it enough. People buy from their friends more times than not. If I don’t like you do you think I will buy anything from you? As my sales mentor Hank Trisler once said “People buy on emotion and justify with facts.”
Friendship is one of the best emotions I know of. Use it but don’t abuse it. Friends don’t take advantage of friends. They work with them, helping them succeed with the best product or service that is right for them. The idea is to make long term friends and customers not one buy wonders.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thriving Your Business in Turbulence
Thriving Your Business in Turbulence
8 ways to excel despite widespread uncertainty and upheaval
1. Secure your market share from your core customer segments. This is no time to be getting greedy. Your first priority is to get your core customer base firmly secured. Be prepared to ward off attacks from competitors attempting to take away your best and most profitable customers away.
2. Push aggressively for greater market share. All companies are out there fighting for market share and in these chaotic times, some of your competition has been weakened. Some are slashing marketing budgets and advertising expenditures. This is the time to add to your share of the market when you can, more easily than when times are good.
3. Research customers more than ever. Everyone is under pressure during times of turbulence and chaos. This means customers might be changing some of their habits. Yes even your customers. Stay close to them. You don’t want to find yourself giving out an old marketing message that no longer has any meaning.
4. Seek to increase or at least maintain your marketing budget. This is really the worst time to go shrinking or cutting your marketing. If possible you need to be adding to your budget or take money away from those areas you were planning to go after in totally new customer segments and concentrate on your core market.
5. Focus on what is safe. When things are going creasy, there is a massive flight to safety. Your customers need to feel safe and secure in working with your company, its products and services. Do everything you can possibly do to communicate that by continuing to do business with you is the safe thing to be doing. Do whatever it takes to get out those good vibes.
6. Drop programs that are NOT working. If you’re not watching your spending be sure that someone else is. Cut out ineffective programs and divert that money to your marketing attacks that are working. Use your money wisely.
7. Don’t discount your best brands. If you go and start discounting your best services or products you are telling the market, you’re yelling out to them that your prices were too high in the first place, and you will have a hard time pushing the price back up when the recession is past. Instead create a new service or product offering a lower price. Give them options and guide them to what works best for them
8. Save strong lines, drop the weak ones. You need to make your strongest stronger and get rid of the garbage. Now is the time. Don’t go wasting time or money on marginal brands for fragile unsupported services that are not supported with strong value propositions and a solid customer base.
Larson note: Keep your focus on your (written) goals. Now is a time of great opportunity not one of weakness.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
8 ways to excel despite widespread uncertainty and upheaval
1. Secure your market share from your core customer segments. This is no time to be getting greedy. Your first priority is to get your core customer base firmly secured. Be prepared to ward off attacks from competitors attempting to take away your best and most profitable customers away.
2. Push aggressively for greater market share. All companies are out there fighting for market share and in these chaotic times, some of your competition has been weakened. Some are slashing marketing budgets and advertising expenditures. This is the time to add to your share of the market when you can, more easily than when times are good.
3. Research customers more than ever. Everyone is under pressure during times of turbulence and chaos. This means customers might be changing some of their habits. Yes even your customers. Stay close to them. You don’t want to find yourself giving out an old marketing message that no longer has any meaning.
4. Seek to increase or at least maintain your marketing budget. This is really the worst time to go shrinking or cutting your marketing. If possible you need to be adding to your budget or take money away from those areas you were planning to go after in totally new customer segments and concentrate on your core market.
5. Focus on what is safe. When things are going creasy, there is a massive flight to safety. Your customers need to feel safe and secure in working with your company, its products and services. Do everything you can possibly do to communicate that by continuing to do business with you is the safe thing to be doing. Do whatever it takes to get out those good vibes.
6. Drop programs that are NOT working. If you’re not watching your spending be sure that someone else is. Cut out ineffective programs and divert that money to your marketing attacks that are working. Use your money wisely.
7. Don’t discount your best brands. If you go and start discounting your best services or products you are telling the market, you’re yelling out to them that your prices were too high in the first place, and you will have a hard time pushing the price back up when the recession is past. Instead create a new service or product offering a lower price. Give them options and guide them to what works best for them
8. Save strong lines, drop the weak ones. You need to make your strongest stronger and get rid of the garbage. Now is the time. Don’t go wasting time or money on marginal brands for fragile unsupported services that are not supported with strong value propositions and a solid customer base.
Larson note: Keep your focus on your (written) goals. Now is a time of great opportunity not one of weakness.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
5 Tactics To Improve Your SM Efforts
If your company does not have anything to talk about, go out and find or make something happen. You need to get out from under your rock and say all those great things you and your company are doing to the world as we know it.
1. Tell the people something new. People love to find new things and make new discoveries. If you provide interest items on your SM or Blog sites let your customers and prospects find them so they can help you spread the word.
2. Find out who’s talking. Twitter search is a great way to get the scoop on your company or just Google your name and or company name. Might be surprised what comes up.
3. Leverage your total exposure. Any and I mean any public mentions from a media outlet or 3rd party is there for you to use and exploit. This is not the time to be bashful!
4. Give your key employees an open voice. Am I nuts? Let your employees speak their minds? Go for it. It might be your company but it is their career.
5. Address negative publicity publically. It’s out there. If someone is saying something unflattering, you need to respond. Fight fire with fire. Respond to that negative or inaccurate posting of comment. SM lets thighs travel like wild fire so start pumping out the water and kill those flames.
Larson note: Being transparent is a 2 way street. Keep your activity in SM honest, above board and sincere.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
1. Tell the people something new. People love to find new things and make new discoveries. If you provide interest items on your SM or Blog sites let your customers and prospects find them so they can help you spread the word.
2. Find out who’s talking. Twitter search is a great way to get the scoop on your company or just Google your name and or company name. Might be surprised what comes up.
3. Leverage your total exposure. Any and I mean any public mentions from a media outlet or 3rd party is there for you to use and exploit. This is not the time to be bashful!
4. Give your key employees an open voice. Am I nuts? Let your employees speak their minds? Go for it. It might be your company but it is their career.
5. Address negative publicity publically. It’s out there. If someone is saying something unflattering, you need to respond. Fight fire with fire. Respond to that negative or inaccurate posting of comment. SM lets thighs travel like wild fire so start pumping out the water and kill those flames.
Larson note: Being transparent is a 2 way street. Keep your activity in SM honest, above board and sincere.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Week Ahead October 5-9, 2009
Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Consumer Credit, Treasury Budget
Thursday: Weekly initial jobless claims, Wholesale Inventories
Friday: Trade Balance
Larson note: I was ready this week. Auto sales drop, employment rate higher. Still I like what I and my people are hearing off the street.
This week, don’t expect anything good report wise. We need inventories to keep low and I am not sure if they are low enough. My only suggestion is to pick your battles and push forward. There are victories to be won. You might want to look at our afternoon blog last Friday and see if there are any growing industries you could be marketing into. I am.
The focused industries we are looking to add clients in for the month are Advertising Specialties, Trade Show Booth Builder, Sign Shop, a Graphic Design Studio, and Printer both small and mid-sized.
Additionally we are also looking for sales persons in all areas except
the Great Plains States.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.
Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Marathon Training 6:30am,
Wednesday: Lunch appointment, Parcel Forum 09 Hyatt Regency O’Hare in the PMThursday: Marathon Training 6:30am
Friday: Saturday:
Sunday: Chicago Marathon
Trade show schedule:
> October 5-7, 2009, Parcel Forum 09 Hyatt Regency O’Hare
> October 21-22 2009, Mid-Pak Minneapolis MN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> October 22nd, 2009: 2009 Midwest Fall Business Expo Serb Hall Milwaukee, WI
> November 15-18, 2009 Fabtech Int. & AWS Welding Show McCormick Place, Chicago
> December 2-4, 2009 The Intl. Work Boat Show, New Orleans LA (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> December 3-5, 2009 Athletic Business Conference & Expo, Orlando FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
Time slots still available to meet & talk over coffee.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Tuesday:
Wednesday: Consumer Credit, Treasury Budget
Thursday: Weekly initial jobless claims, Wholesale Inventories
Friday: Trade Balance
Larson note: I was ready this week. Auto sales drop, employment rate higher. Still I like what I and my people are hearing off the street.
This week, don’t expect anything good report wise. We need inventories to keep low and I am not sure if they are low enough. My only suggestion is to pick your battles and push forward. There are victories to be won. You might want to look at our afternoon blog last Friday and see if there are any growing industries you could be marketing into. I am.
The focused industries we are looking to add clients in for the month are Advertising Specialties, Trade Show Booth Builder, Sign Shop, a Graphic Design Studio, and Printer both small and mid-sized.
Additionally we are also looking for sales persons in all areas except
the Great Plains States.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.
Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Marathon Training 6:30am,
Wednesday: Lunch appointment, Parcel Forum 09 Hyatt Regency O’Hare in the PMThursday: Marathon Training 6:30am
Friday: Saturday:
Sunday: Chicago Marathon
Trade show schedule:
> October 5-7, 2009, Parcel Forum 09 Hyatt Regency O’Hare
> October 21-22 2009, Mid-Pak Minneapolis MN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> October 22nd, 2009: 2009 Midwest Fall Business Expo Serb Hall Milwaukee, WI
> November 15-18, 2009 Fabtech Int. & AWS Welding Show McCormick Place, Chicago
> December 2-4, 2009 The Intl. Work Boat Show, New Orleans LA (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> December 3-5, 2009 Athletic Business Conference & Expo, Orlando FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
Time slots still available to meet & talk over coffee.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Economic activity in September
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in September for the second consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the fifth consecutive month, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business®. The recovery in manufacturing continues as the PMI registered 52.6 percent in September, which is 0.3 percentage point lower than the 52.9 percent reported in August, and the second month of expansion following 18 months of decline.
"The manufacturing sector grew for the second consecutive month in September. While the rate of growth moderated slightly when compared to August, the recovery broadened as the number of industries reporting growth increased from 11 to 13, said Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management™ Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.
"Both new orders and production are growing, but at a slower rate when compared to August. It appears the fundamentals for continuing recovery are still at work as inventories and sales are gaining balance. This month, we asked a special question with regard to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Twelve of the 18 manufacturing industries expect to derive some benefit from the program, and 12 manufacturing industries responded that they expect their companies to see some benefit."
In September, 13 of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth.
The industries — listed in order — are: Wood Products; Paper Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Transportation Equipment; Textile Mills; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.
The four industries reporting contraction in September are: Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Machinery.
New Orders
ISM's New Orders Index registered 60.8 percent in September, 4.1 percentage points lower than the 64.9 percent registered in August. This is the third consecutive month of growth in the New Orders Index. A New Orders Index above 48.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau's series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
The 13 industries reporting growth in new orders in September — listed in order — are: Textile Mills; Paper Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Transportation Equipment. The four industries reporting decreases in new orders in September are: Primary Metals; Machinery; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; and Furniture & Related Products.
Production
ISM's Production Index registered 55.7 percent in September, which is a decrease of 6.2 percentage points from the August reading of 61.9 percent. An index above 50.4 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board's Industrial Production figures. This is the fourth consecutive month the Production Index has registered above 50 percent.
The 11 industries reporting growth in production during the month of September — listed in order — are: Paper Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Transportation Equipment; Printing & Related Support Activities; Chemical Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The three industries reporting decreases in production in September are: Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.
Employment
ISM's Employment Index registered 46.2 percent in September, which is 0.2 percentage point lower than the 46.4 percent reported in August. This is the 14th consecutive month of decline in employment. An Employment Index above 49.7 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.
Three of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in employment in September: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; and Transportation Equipment.
The 10 industries that reported decreases in employment during September — listed in order — are: Primary Metals; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Furniture & Related Products; Machinery; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Fabricated Metal Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.
Inventories
Manufacturers' inventories contracted at a slower rate in September as the Inventories Index registered 42.5 percent. The index is 8.1 percentage points higher than the August reading of 34.4 percent. An Inventories Index greater than 42.6 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis' (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
Two of the 18 manufacturing industries reported higher inventories in September: Wood Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The 12 industries that reported decreases in inventories in September — listed in order — are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Printing & Related Support Activities; Primary Metals; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Transportation Equipment.
Larson Notes: So how are we doing? Good? Bad? I guess it depends on who and what you are. I see quotes going out but not much real activity for my customers, Some but not what we would like. We always expect double digit growth for our clients and if they are not in a position to get over 10% growth I really don’t want to work with them.
The key is you, Look at what is growing. Can you move your company’s services into one of these areas?
Side note: either the stock market read my blog as I was getting the information together or they are reading the same sources.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
"The manufacturing sector grew for the second consecutive month in September. While the rate of growth moderated slightly when compared to August, the recovery broadened as the number of industries reporting growth increased from 11 to 13, said Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management™ Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.
"Both new orders and production are growing, but at a slower rate when compared to August. It appears the fundamentals for continuing recovery are still at work as inventories and sales are gaining balance. This month, we asked a special question with regard to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Twelve of the 18 manufacturing industries expect to derive some benefit from the program, and 12 manufacturing industries responded that they expect their companies to see some benefit."
In September, 13 of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth.
The industries — listed in order — are: Wood Products; Paper Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Transportation Equipment; Textile Mills; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.
The four industries reporting contraction in September are: Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; and Machinery.
New Orders
ISM's New Orders Index registered 60.8 percent in September, 4.1 percentage points lower than the 64.9 percent registered in August. This is the third consecutive month of growth in the New Orders Index. A New Orders Index above 48.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau's series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
The 13 industries reporting growth in new orders in September — listed in order — are: Textile Mills; Paper Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Computer & Electronic Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Transportation Equipment. The four industries reporting decreases in new orders in September are: Primary Metals; Machinery; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; and Furniture & Related Products.
Production
ISM's Production Index registered 55.7 percent in September, which is a decrease of 6.2 percentage points from the August reading of 61.9 percent. An index above 50.4 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board's Industrial Production figures. This is the fourth consecutive month the Production Index has registered above 50 percent.
The 11 industries reporting growth in production during the month of September — listed in order — are: Paper Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Transportation Equipment; Printing & Related Support Activities; Chemical Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The three industries reporting decreases in production in September are: Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.
Employment
ISM's Employment Index registered 46.2 percent in September, which is 0.2 percentage point lower than the 46.4 percent reported in August. This is the 14th consecutive month of decline in employment. An Employment Index above 49.7 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.
Three of the 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in employment in September: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; and Transportation Equipment.
The 10 industries that reported decreases in employment during September — listed in order — are: Primary Metals; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Furniture & Related Products; Machinery; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Fabricated Metal Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.
Inventories
Manufacturers' inventories contracted at a slower rate in September as the Inventories Index registered 42.5 percent. The index is 8.1 percentage points higher than the August reading of 34.4 percent. An Inventories Index greater than 42.6 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis' (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
Two of the 18 manufacturing industries reported higher inventories in September: Wood Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The 12 industries that reported decreases in inventories in September — listed in order — are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Paper Products; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Printing & Related Support Activities; Primary Metals; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Transportation Equipment.
Larson Notes: So how are we doing? Good? Bad? I guess it depends on who and what you are. I see quotes going out but not much real activity for my customers, Some but not what we would like. We always expect double digit growth for our clients and if they are not in a position to get over 10% growth I really don’t want to work with them.
The key is you, Look at what is growing. Can you move your company’s services into one of these areas?
Side note: either the stock market read my blog as I was getting the information together or they are reading the same sources.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. We are offering 2 free (a $75.00 value) ½ hour consultation periods per week to talk about marketing businesses. Call or email to get your spot to pick my brain for 30 minutes today.
Offline For Online Push
There is symmetry in using both online and off line marketing to push your business. Not everyone is going to do a search to look for what you do or sell. Off line marketing might trigger a need that a person did not know they had.
Where is that balance?
For some it is telemarketing, others postcard mailers or wave mailings, still others catalogs.
Don’t stop your SE program. Don’t end a successful pay for click campaign. Build it up with a foundation of other marketing tools.
You need to look at your customers shopping behavior to know what makes them tick, Ask yourself, “Why do my current customers buy from me?” Answer that one and you will have a key to why your future customers will buy from you. If you have a market, secure it.
You should be spending a lot of your time looking at the life-cycle of a customer to understand the sequence for needs and the sales cycle of each purchase.
Larson note: You need to be using offline marketing to bring in new online customers. It’s that plain and simple.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
Where is that balance?
For some it is telemarketing, others postcard mailers or wave mailings, still others catalogs.
Don’t stop your SE program. Don’t end a successful pay for click campaign. Build it up with a foundation of other marketing tools.
You need to look at your customers shopping behavior to know what makes them tick, Ask yourself, “Why do my current customers buy from me?” Answer that one and you will have a key to why your future customers will buy from you. If you have a market, secure it.
You should be spending a lot of your time looking at the life-cycle of a customer to understand the sequence for needs and the sales cycle of each purchase.
Larson note: You need to be using offline marketing to bring in new online customers. It’s that plain and simple.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a complete marketing attack? Call us for complete coverage.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Are Your Social Media Initiatives Starting To Pay?
If you were a front runner in to the world of SM (Social Media) you probably used 1 of 5 different kinds of tactics.
1. You joined and became a lurker
2. You joined and disappeared
3. You spammed everyone
4. You friended everyone, which means no one
5. You gave solid information about your company and stayed active
This is for all you PR blogger focused people. If you went this route you should be starting to see some payoffs in your efforts. You have become a valuable member of your varosu SM networks and people are looking for the information you provide. Congratulations.
So what is the measure of your efforts?
1) Customer retention: As a company/person who as stuck their neck out in the SM world you have begun to open a two way dialogue with your customer base which you, all your customers and your prospects can see, view and comment about. As a part of a community you can take an active role in this dialogue.
2) Customer Insight: As your communities gathers in working and talking together though the various blogs, forums and groups, there will be positive as well as negative comments being made and sometimes about you. You have an opportunity to remedy the situations as the happen to your satisfaction in an active role. It’s either be proactive or die, so take part in the dialogue.
3) Innovation: The community also provides a means to introduce new products and concepts and to solicit immediate feedback as well as encouraging friends and followers to suggest new products and services they need. (I know I have floated out new service ideas to see who bites and how they fly).
4) Sales: We are not here for out health, at least I’m not. And I don’t think we are here to past the time of day. At least I don’t think so. We as business people are here to make a buck, get a sale, sell something. In an enthusiastic community members are rewarded for buying but even better service after the sale.
Larson note: What kind of a SM member are you. Do you share or are you out there for the good of all, which in helping others achieve what they want they will help you get what you need. It works both ways in the world of SM. Merchants Circle, Team Circle, Business ii Business, Ultimate Connection, Chicagos Black Business Network, MySpace, Facebook, twitter or my own ning site Business Warfare your follows what you do to them will define your place and personality in the group. We all know who the spammers are, we all (don’t know) the lurkers and drop outs and we all see the active user site friendly friends.
On SM as in life people buy from friends.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a Social Media facelift. Call us for how we can give you a Social Media Marketing attack that fits your business.
1. You joined and became a lurker
2. You joined and disappeared
3. You spammed everyone
4. You friended everyone, which means no one
5. You gave solid information about your company and stayed active
This is for all you PR blogger focused people. If you went this route you should be starting to see some payoffs in your efforts. You have become a valuable member of your varosu SM networks and people are looking for the information you provide. Congratulations.
So what is the measure of your efforts?
1) Customer retention: As a company/person who as stuck their neck out in the SM world you have begun to open a two way dialogue with your customer base which you, all your customers and your prospects can see, view and comment about. As a part of a community you can take an active role in this dialogue.
2) Customer Insight: As your communities gathers in working and talking together though the various blogs, forums and groups, there will be positive as well as negative comments being made and sometimes about you. You have an opportunity to remedy the situations as the happen to your satisfaction in an active role. It’s either be proactive or die, so take part in the dialogue.
3) Innovation: The community also provides a means to introduce new products and concepts and to solicit immediate feedback as well as encouraging friends and followers to suggest new products and services they need. (I know I have floated out new service ideas to see who bites and how they fly).
4) Sales: We are not here for out health, at least I’m not. And I don’t think we are here to past the time of day. At least I don’t think so. We as business people are here to make a buck, get a sale, sell something. In an enthusiastic community members are rewarded for buying but even better service after the sale.
Larson note: What kind of a SM member are you. Do you share or are you out there for the good of all, which in helping others achieve what they want they will help you get what you need. It works both ways in the world of SM. Merchants Circle, Team Circle, Business ii Business, Ultimate Connection, Chicagos Black Business Network, MySpace, Facebook, twitter or my own ning site Business Warfare your follows what you do to them will define your place and personality in the group. We all know who the spammers are, we all (don’t know) the lurkers and drop outs and we all see the active user site friendly friends.
On SM as in life people buy from friends.
Howard Larson
Larson & Associates
Target Marketing & Telesales Professionals for new account acquisition
Making good businesses great and great businesses even better
847-991-0488
howard@larsonassociates.ws
http://www.larsonassociates.ws
http://larsonassociates.blogspot.com
http://member.merchantcircle.com/larsonassociates
http://businesswarfare.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://teamcircle.ning.com/profile/HowardLarson
http://www.businessiibusiness.com/profile/HowardLarson
https://twitter.com/LarsonAssociate
P.S. We make telesales for small business affordable by offering programs down to only 15 hours a week. Maybe you could add telesales into your marketing mix call today and find out.
P.P.S. Need a Social Media facelift. Call us for how we can give you a Social Media Marketing attack that fits your business.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
