Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Coffee Retailers Giving A Better Cup Of Coffee!

Coffee. Yes I have been known to drink a cup or 2 or 3 or 4. Now I’m happy to report at there is a movement in the coffee retaliating world being driven by both retailers and coffee drinks like myself to put up a better cup of java!

This wave of better coffee is a trend by retailers to engage in a direct trade with coffee bean farmers by a desire to serve the best quality coffee and by a growing demand to know where the beans are coming from and how they are being handled.

Coffee retailers are facing the same challenges as other businesses are in the current economic recession. If they don’t give me the kind of coffee I want I won’t go out and buy a cup.

In this present wave of coffee posturing coffee companies are out there doing a great job of elevating you (my) coffee experience and going out and working directly with the farms. The movement reflects consumers desire to know where their coffee really comes from and how it is being handled along every step of the growing, picking, roasting and shipping process. As the green initiatives grow stronger consumers are demanding organic fair trade options. It will take more than just a specialty coffee blend to be standing out, as Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds are finding. YOU need to be better.

Larson Notes & Satire:
So how many cups of coffee did I drink today? Good question. If you sell coffee in any way shape or form, you want my business. Yes I drink that much

But what can your business learn from “Coffee Wars”? Well that the customer is king. They are the ones that spend the money to keep you in business. Second you need to listen to the demands of the customer. And third, is that you need to bend to their wishes to capture more of their hard earned and spent money. If you listen you will hear.

Enter Social Media and Web 2.0 this puts you in direct contact with your customer. Listen, to them. Take to them. Respond to them.
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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Using Variable Data, Keep Messages Relevant!

If I was going to make 1 and only 1 recommendation for anyone that is even thinking to using variable date printing as part of their marketing attack, that would be to have a pointed relevant message that talks directly to your target audience. You can use all kinds of various kinds of segmentation, form SIC numbers, to geographic to demographic, but if the message you project is meaningless to them, you just wasted time, money and effort. While many people go to the en’th degree with their segmentation, many of them find this to be an effort of diminishing returns. It possible to spend hugs amounts of money on print and doing more and more segmentation and adding more and more revisions and controls and not get the kind of results you projected.

Some will say you need to test, and testing is good if you have a big enough list and your budget is large enough. Some small businesses don’t have that kind of budget, don’t have that large or a market. The quality of data, the offering, the timing and the creative effort should be tested if you can, but enough on testing.

That brings us to expectations. Record the rate of response by phone, e-mail, walk-in, online ordering, etc so that you can have the best data possible. Only in this way can you benchmark yourself.

By going back to the basic elements, marketers should use a more scientific cycle of testing, launching, testing, and launching on a contentious cycle.

Larson Notes & Satire: I guess that is why I like wave mailing so much. It lets you work the cycle over and over and test on the run. You can keep going back to the basic elements seeing what is working while boldly going where no man (you) have ever gone before. By going through a constant cycle of wave mailings you can refine your content and your relevancy and see the recorded results.


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. Want to explore Direct Mail as one of your marketing channels? Call us.

Monday, March 29, 2010

The Week Ahead March 29- April 2, 2010

Monday: Personal Income and Consumption,
Tuesday: Consumer Confidence,
Wednesday: Factory Orders
Thursday:, Construction Spending, Weekly initial jobless claims
Friday: Hourly Earnings Report

Last week sales of new homes fell to their lowest point on record in February. The results pointed to the housing industry's struggle to rebound from the worst slump in decades. Sales fell 2.2 percent last month. The Commerce Department said last Wednesday that orders for durable goods rose 0.5 percent last month. The increase was led by another surge in demand for commercial aircraft — an increase of 32.7 percent that followed a 134.9 percent rise in this category in January. Excluding transportation, orders posted a 0.9 percent increase, much better than the 0.6 percent decline in January. For the Gross Domestic Product last week, the economy grew at its fastest pace in six years, with a powerful 5.7 percent annualized rise in gross domestic product (GDP) last quarter. There is little evidence that inventory rebuilding has started a self-sustaining recovery. Exports rose 18 percent, and there was a 13 percent rise in business spending on equipment and software. As for unemployment? Well unemployment is up again, not down. Oh ya, it is not as up as fast as it was. Great unless you’re one of those with a pink slip.

The official figures for the nation were standing at 8.7%. Come on, you have got to be kidding me. In Illinois we are officially standing at 11.4% and even with those incorrect figures government officials are patting themselves on the back. My gosh man! These are people we are talking about!

Taken from the site Shadow Government Statistics we see a much different number. One that I would tend to believe more than the one the government uses.



So what line do you think shows the real unemployment figure? I’m betting on the gray for real unemployment and the blue for discouraged and under employed workers.

This will be fun. The number I’m really looking to see will be the Consumer Confidence on Tuesday and the Hourly Earnings report on Friday. Those 2 numbers will tell me what is really going on in people’s minds.

Larson Notes & Satire: In as much as all this is interesting we need people to feel good. To feel positive about what is happening out there in and for their future. People are still spending money but I see business spending still increasing more and exports staying robust. But ask me if I am very confident? Heck no.

We are still looking for sales persons in all areas. If you think you have want it takes to really make a difference in a client company’s bottom line, call me.



We are also in need of 1 to 3 at home appointment setters with printing and other various backgrounds.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.


Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Running Training 5:00am,
Wednesday:
Thursday: Running Training 5:00am
Friday:
Saturday: Marathon Training 6:00am,
Sunday:


Trade show schedule:
> April 14-15 Digital Signage Show & Kiosk Self Service Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas NV
> April 26-29 NA2010: The North American Material Handling & Logistics Show: I-X Center, Cleveland OH
> April 27-28 Design 2 Part Show Schaumburg Convention Center Schaumburg IL
> April 29 Greater O’Hare Chamber of Commerce Expo, Elk Gove Park District Pavilion, Elk Grove Village IL
> May 4-6, 2010 Process Technology & Intl Powder Bulk Solids Show(s) Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Illinois
> May 12-13, 2010 OrthoTec Conference Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College Winona Lake (Warsaw), IN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 8-10, 2010 EastPack 2010 Jacob K Javits Convention Center New York NY FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 23, Destination Showcase Conference & Expo; Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont IL


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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Friday, March 26, 2010

People Want Paper!

According to a recent survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Earthtone, a company specializing in comparison pricing for printers, 64% of US adults say that they would rather have printed media because it is easier to read than in a digital form. In addition 68%, that’s more than 2/3’s say they feel more comfortable reading something on paper rather than on a screen.

Larson Notes & Satire: I am sort of in that category. I look at a computer monitor so much that I go crazy. Now I find that maybe I’m not alone. Maybe people really want hard copy rather than looking at everything on a screen. Maybe it’s nice to be able to sit back with you feet up on an ottoman reading. Maybe sitting back and enjoying a good trade journal it in a chair drinking a cup off coffee, underline it, marking it up is a pleasurable experience. Might be a good choice, hey?


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. Want to explore Direct Mail as one of your marketing channels? Call us.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Color of Print Advertising

Color, it is all around us. But what does it mean? When the head line of your brochure is in red or purple what are you conveying to your target audience? Every color does say something. Colors might not be a clear as the words you say or write but there is a message that is conveyed. So you might want to think before you get out your PMS book or using the color or your daughter’s eyes. You need to be conscious of the message you want to convey and who you want your customers and prospects to perceive your products.

The colors:

Red based reds such as Raspberry – Associated with more expensive products.

Yellow based reds such as Tomato red - Slightly less expensive than a raspberry red. If you don’t want to look to high priced.

Orange – to bring out your affordability

Yellow – This is the first color the eye sees and focuses on. When used with dark colors it becomes even more powerful and easily read.

Green - conveys possibility and hope.

Blue – brings a feeling of confidence and safety, good color for banks and medical companies.

Purple – typically used with high fashion, sports teams, chocolate or perfume

Black – says power and promise. If you make it a glossy black it becomes even more powerful

White – implies sophisticate and formality as well as the high-end of your price points.


Larson Notes & Satire: If you can blend color together with market segmentation, you can begin to work a power print and direct mail attack that will bring you results. And isn’t results what it is all about?

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Critical Roll Of Segmentation

We all need to be more cost conscious, get a higher ROI. Many companies have invested very heavily in attitudinal studies and ways to gather and apply segmentation. If you go into segmentation you should be able to get a very accurate personality type for the kind of person or company that is your ideal customer.

Yet, there has been a growing experience that people have been disappointed by segmentation. Could be they are not using it right? If you go into it saying “we are going to find the perfect customer” and haven’t put the right marketing piece together to attack then, it all falls apart.

You might want to look at the metrics that identify the marketplace as a basis of building different customer segments that are more innately applicable to your business in their area of desire not your overall want. You need to get very very specific to use segmentation as a marketing idea. If you combine internal customer data with your market research and come up with some segmented models of perfect customers you can get a picture of who to go after.

Additionally there is a trend with marketers to supplement trasactual customer data with market research and ethnographic data to get a more complete view of your perfect customer. The more accurate you can get the better you are. Historically, these different types of data were kept very distinct and used by different teams within a marketing department. But now, sadly it took a need to reduce marketing budgets, these different groups have stated to come together and create a single segmentation model. It is not wide spread yet, but we are seeing a glimmer of hope.

As much as you might want to move in a more targeted way to approach prospects and customers the data is only half the battle. Segmentation and data is the key, to getting into a target marketing attack, it can be very difficult to gather all the relevant customer information from all the different media channels you are using to get it into a single marketing profile database. Another roadblock is that different channels use the data differently. Online only knows things like age and gender, Telesales must decide what questions they can ask to figure out what “segment” a given prospect falls into in order to ask the right questions. The challenge is how you line up the data to feed out to the channels your using.

3 Stages of customer intelligence

Customer intelligence informs segmentation strategies. In a study by Forrester Research, of 301 marketers 34% achieved marketing intelligence. 12% of those same people said that had researched the strategic intelligence level.

1: Function intelligence.
A firm in this category applies the concepts of the customer intelligence at a function level. The scope of influence is limited to a specific channel, product or service. There is seldom a high value given and they often lack the staff and technology to leverage the customer intelligence throughout the entire company.

2: Market intelligence. A firm in this stage or maturity applies customer knowledge to measure and optimize its marketing performance across the channel, products and ort services. These firms use customer intelligence to inform their marketing planning and strategy but are too likely to use it outside of the marketing process.

3. Strategic intelligence. Firms at this stage of maturity use customer intelligence to drive business growth, these firms are more likely to consider customer data as one of their most valued assets and leverage it on a company wide basis.

*Forrester “Assessing Your Customer Intelligence Quotient” November 2009

So who can you put this in place for your company, simply?
Segmentation presents unique challenges to both offline and online marketing. Yet there are still a few practices that all marketing’s working on both platforms and across multichannel channels need to be considering when looking at a segmented targeted marketing attack.

1: Keep is simple. It has to solve real problems, one at a time. If you look at 2 or 3 problems you want to be solving you will get a profile that is so completed that you get nothing back in return.

2: Uncover the right data. Yes it is all about data collection. You need to find out what data you can gather in that is predictive in your best customers and then find a source of outside data that will give you the same kind of prospects of those you have now. This “transactional data” is very predictive but it is not as easy to get and match up as you might think.

3: Pick your partners wisely. Because online / offline and multichannel marketers face different challenges with segmentation it is import to consider who you are working with to do the job. Both internal and outsourced marketing

Larson Notes & Satire: Yes even I mess up trying to have a mailer or landing page try to be doing too much. I want to get the biggest bang out of my dollar and in the end get next to nothing because it does not take to anyone. My best advice is to use the KISS system: Keep It Simple Stupid.
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. Want to explore Direct Mail as one of your marketing channels? Call us.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

6 Ways To Thrive With Direct Mail

As a rule, Target Marketers are very cost conscious and very nose to the grind stone type of people, looking at our customer’s ROI constantly. 2009 was not a nice year (duh!) and if made me and others like me look ever harder than before to find hidden efficiencies in our service and refine our techniques. So now that we are 2 months into 2010 direct mail is and will continue to be a very viable, effective marketing tool. Here are 6 powerful reasons why you should be relooking at direct mail as part of your multichannel marketing attack

1: It is a very strong acquisition tool. The economy has not completely gone down the tubes. It might be harder but then sales has always been hard. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. There is still business to get, sales still to be made. People, companies are still buying “stuff”. So whose stuff are they buying? Yours or your competition. Maybe you need to step up your advertising and marketing now. Yes don’t be dumb with your cash but don’t be foolish either.

2: Technology continues to improve. With variable data printing, marketers can get very customized if they want. Not only will more companies be taking advantage of it, but those already using it will be using it smarter. Better use of customer data, tracking, tailoring content with needs and wants. The more personalized the more important your mailing piece becomes to the reader.

3: Newspapers are in turmoil. As newspaper circulation goes down, there will be a significant migration to using mail by those marketers that need to reach a high number of people in a very targeted geographic location or tight demographics.

4: Content marketing is on the rise. Custom publishing is delivering a marketing message in a more personal and relevant way. With custom publishing you get a quality job and a directed message.

5: Clean lists are very eco-friendly. As marketers continue to address list hygiene and cleaning, make mailing even more efficient. You are going to find that not only will it deliver a better rate of return but with less waist the overall number of pieces will decline and your ROI increase.

6: Mail will be getting even easier to track. With the advent of Intelligent Mail from the US Postal Service you can barcode to sort and track letters and flat packages. You can be receiving more detailed information that ever before on how and when your direct mail is being delivered as well as how customers actually are responding.


Larson Notes & Satire:
Is 2010 the year of your direct mail project? Has the recession created a new way to attach mail to your marking plan? At the old formulas evaporating even as we speak. Marketing needs an effectiveness and accountability will give you and show you how to accomplish stronger results for less investment, And Direct mail can be a part of that. Showing even greater performance that in the past.

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. Want to explore Direct Mail as one of your marketing channels? Call us.

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Week Ahead March 22-26, 2010

Monday:
Tuesday: Existing Home Sales, Durable Goods Orders,
Wednesday:
Thursday:, Weekly initial jobless claims
Friday: Gross Domestic Product

Last week the Fed did leave interest rates where they are, so if you are a borrower you don’t have to worry, at least for now. February industrial production increased 0.1%, Manufacturing production fell 0.2% and mining and utility output rose 0.2% and 0.5% respectively. Capacity utilization for total industry increased to 72.7%. My thoughts are that until inventories start to increase there is little hope for a big increase in manufacturing, but I was really happy to see an increase in utilization. As we get that figure higher companies only have 1 of 3 choices. Hire more people, buy new equipment with higher productivity, or outsource. Following four months of advances, headline producer price inflation eased in February. Producer prices dropped 0.6% on a monthly basis following a 1.4% rise in January. The slim rise in the Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators was the smallest gain in 11 months. The gauge of future economic activity rose 0.1 percent in February, suggesting slow economic growth this summer. My advice is to get yourself cranking to get more market share

This will be a pretty good week. Our exports are doing well so that should only help our domestic product, but orders are still going to be hurting


Larson Notes & Satire: My advice is to get yourself cracking to get more market share. We are not out of the recession woods yet, so the more of the market you own the stronger your company will be.

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 Printers both small and mid-sized in certain regional areas.

As for the Health Care bill? It passed for the good or bad. Personal freedom? Ya right. I wish the government would MAKE my prospects HAVE to buy my companies services. If it is so good why did the Speaker and the Prisident have to stong arm congressmen to pass it? Prediction: Stock prices on insurance companies are up over 10% minimum today.

We are still looking for sales persons in all regions.



We are also in need of 1 to 3 at home appointment setters with printing and other various backgrounds.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.



Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Running Training 5:00am,
Wednesday:
Thursday: Running Training 5:00am
Friday:
Saturday: Marathon Training 4:30am,
Sunday:


Trade show schedule:
> April 14-15 Digital Signage Show & Kiosk Self Service Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas NV
> April 26-29 NA2010: The North American Material Handling & Logistics Show: I-X Center, Cleveland OH
> April 27-28 Design 2 Part Show Schaumburg Convention Center Schaumburg IL
> April 29 Greater O’Hare Chamber of Commerce Expo, Elk Gove Park District Pavilion, Elk Grove Village IL
> May 4-6, 2010 Process Technology & Intl Powder Bulk Solids Show(s) Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Illinois
> May 12-13, 2010 OrthoTec Conference Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College Winona Lake (Warsaw), IN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 8-10, 2010 EastPack 2010 Jacob K Javits Convention Center New York NY FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 23, Destination Showcase Conference & Expo; Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont IL


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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Friday, March 19, 2010

The 6 Basic Buying Motives

What are the buying motives that would cause a person to go from no to maybe to yes? There are so many false objections running around that it might confuse the average salesperson. But not to worry; really they can all fit quite neatly into one of the 6 basic categories. Once you are able to identify the category that the prospect is in you can then concentrate on matching your product or services benefits to the true motives of your intended customer. You can then match your sales presentation to the exact needs of THAT person and company and take them through the necessary steps to signing on with you.

1. Profit or Gain: The buyer cites saving money, making money, the economy, increasing profit, increasing sales, a desire for better quality and or personal advancement as the reason to make a purchase.

2 Fear of Loss:
The buyer wants to reduce costs, prevent loss, guarantee safety, save time, protect property, health increase quality and security, reduce risk and or reduce blame.

3 Comfort & Pleasure:
The buyer seeks enjoyment, good health, comfort, good food & drink, good housing, beauty, sexual attraction, entertainment, sports, recreation, improved employee morale and or to keep attracting better employees.

4 Pain Avoidance: They buyer wants protection, relief from pain, less work, to save time, increased security, good health, less sorry, to be more attractive and or to reduce loss..

5 Love & Affection: The buyer values family, social approval, beauty, admiration, security of loved ones, loyalty, friendship, better public relations, and or better employee relations.

6 Pride & Prestige: The buyers top considerations are social acceptance, a desire for style, fashion, high quality, learning, advancement, admiration, imitation, self-improvement, honors, recognition, leadership, an improved product, beating the competition, higher sales, and or a good public image.

How can you zero in and identify your prospects top buying motive?

1st, start by asking questions.

2nd, listen for their answers

3rd, listen to their comments during the presentation

4th, observe Study the prospect and their surroundings which might just reveal evidence of interests and motives to who they are and how they think.



Larson Notes & Satire: Yes I know, nothing new here right? Sorry. There really is nothing new in sales. Except technology. Good old tried and true sales knowledge and practices still works today just like it did the first day I hit the road and made my first f2f sales call. But still, it never hurts to look them over and review. Heck, maybe you forgot 1 or 2 or 3. I know my brain leaks.

As it is Salespeople are not a bunch of talkers but rather we are a lot of hard working listeners. As I was told early in my career, God gave you 1 mouth and 2 ears use them in that proportion.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

16 Candles to Build Your Sales

The Platters had it right in 1953. “Sixteen candles in my heart will glow forever and ever for I love you so.”

It was my birthday last Tuesday. Yes March 16th, so here is my birthday present to you 16 candles to build your sales:

Candle 1: Don’t Experience Recession Thinking. The economy has not completely gone down the tubes. It might be harder but then sales has always been hard. If it was easy everyone would be doing it. There is still business to get, sales still to be made. People, companies are still buying “stuff”. So whose stuff are they buying? Yours or your competition. Maybe you need to step up your advertising and marketing now. Yes don’t be dumb with your cash but don’t be foolish either.

Candle 2: Look at your resources. Brainstorm on how you can make a small difference in improving the results with each resource you have. Things don’t have to be a big splash. Even a small improvement can do wonders.

Candle 3: Go for excellence in your service. Get finicky on behalf of your customers. Do whatever it takes to give “legendary service”. Be sure that not only your staff is customer friendly but that all your in house systems are friendly as well. Things like distribution, accounting, delivery and follow-up. The small things do make a difference.

Candle 4: Get out of your comfort zone. There are no rules. The old reflexes that use to work in the last recession don’t work anymore. Rethink and retool yourself.

Candle 5: Believe there is an answer. There is an answer to any problem or question you might face. Be ready to think outside the box.

Candle 6: Rejuvenate your self-confidence. In hard times it is easy to become discouraged. But if you’re discouraged the entire company becomes discouraged. Be the leader you are.

Candle 7: Put your attack plan together. As if you are a general your staff is looking to you, counting on you, ready to flow you into battle. Wars are won on in the planning room but out in the trenches. Write down your goals and prepare a written action plan.

Candle 8: Train to optimal performance. People are your number one asset. You might want to hold down your spending but doing a little spending on training might push some of your people into the next level of salesmanship.

Candle 9: Measure your performance. When performance is measured you start to form a benchmark and you know what can be or should be able to be accomplished. But remember at the same time what you reward is more often repeated so reward what you desire.

Candle 10: Keep your eye on the finish line. In most companies getting and keeping customers is the most important activity. Nothing and I mean nothing should get in the way of this activity. It is everyone’s job. Always be asking is this good for my clients, it this bring me closer to making that sale?

Candle 11: Keep a dialogue with your salespeople. Have conversations constantly with your sales people. Don’t have meetings. Meetings are time wasters. Help them with time management. Keep them in front customers as much as possible. That is the only time they are selling. If you needed it heir a telemarketing firm (raising my companies hand) to make sales appointments for your sales people.

Candle 12:
Have a central theme. Make a vision for your people to grab onto and feel the power. When the going gets tough the tough get going. Put up inspiration posers and mottos if you and your company can truly believe and live them.

Candle 13: Accept responsibility. The buck stops here! At your feet. Don’t put out blame. Blame is an energy drainer.

Candle 14: Stay the course. Though storms and disasters keep your eye on the goal, the finish line.

Candle 15: Adjust make necessary changes. It is easier to adjust to the hardships that to redo from scratch. Nothing not your sales plan, not your marking plan is cast in stone.

Candle 16:
Have a dream. Become the visionary to your company!

Larson Notes & Satire: Now I was not 16 on my birthday last Tuesday. But the glow of the candles was just as bright. Let your candles shine brightly. Be the you, you want to be. You were meant to be. Yes times are not easy right now. But there is and are still sales to be made. What you do with your time and energy does make a difference. Be the visionary your people can look up to.

Then remember to keep your safe harbor. Keep your home life as calm and secure as you can. Love the ones who are there so support you in good and bad times. That is your safe refuge to where you can go and recharge your energy.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Mail Means Business

How can your direct mail program influence purchases at all levels in and around your business?

When B2B Marketers meet the items listed below there is a better than average chance that direct mail is going to be one of the best marketing vehicles available to them

Something Intangible: Some products or services are so complicated that they are hard to articulate in a quick pitch. A miler can spell it out for them

Multi-year contracts: Lengthy contracts require a lot of hand holding to sell which makes them a prefect candate for the personalized approach that direct mail can bring

Long sales cycle: Direct mail is a low key way to keep companies in touch with prospects during a long extended sales process.

Hard to reach customers: Print ads are seen by only a reaction of a targeted nitch audience. Direct mail can go directly to the decision maker’s mail box and desk.

Large ticket items: Direct mail helps prospects establish a high comfort level before making a big purchase.

Larson Notes & Satire: If you go after this kind of customer better take a look at what direct mail can be doing for you. It is amazing the kinds of doors that can be opened that other sales and marketing tools can’t do. Put this together with a SEO and telemarketing campaign and stand back and watch the leads fly!

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. Need pricing for your next Derict Mail project? Call us, we can put it together from start to finish and everything inbetween.

P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Direct Mail And The Purchasing Funnel

How can your direct mail program influence purchases at all levels in and around your business?

Direct mail has one goal to inspire a purchase no matter if it is a microwave or a robotic spray booth. Seems this days many marketers behave as thought the buying process is limited only to a customer’s initial recite of a marketing piece and their ultimate decision to buy. Yet there are still steps in the process that marketers should follow better than they do now.

Step 1: Recognition. New or old businesses should send a message repeatedly to earn that recognition. It still takes 27 messages based on people see 1 out of 3 messages and need 9 hits to make a purchase.

Step 2: Consideration. Some purchases decisions can thank years, others are instant. In all products and services there is a sales cycle and each customer has a cycle of their own. You job is to mix the two together.

Step 3: Purchase Intent. Mail can help you gage consumers’ intentions to buy. You can give them options to start a dialogue phone, return card, online. You initiate the conversation and go from there.

Step 4: Closing the deal. As prospects respond you start to answer their questions and draw them closer to the sale.

Stage 5: Retention. A pleasant interaction with a brand or product helps people to remember it. If they are happy with you and your service/product they will buy again.

Larson Notes & Satire: The faster you can move people down the sales funnel the fast they will buy. The more opportunities you give them to buy again, the more ways you let them talk to you, the more channels that you put in front of them the more they will remember that you are there to buy from.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Monday, March 15, 2010

The Week Ahead March 15-19, 2010

Monday: February Industrial Production
Tuesday: Federal Reserve Meeting, February Housing Starts
Wednesday: February Producer Price Index
Thursday: February Consumer Price Index, February Leading Economic Indicators, Weekly initial jobless claims
Friday:

At the top of the list for last week was that wholesale inventories fell 0.2% while sales increased 1.3%. With businesses are still trimming down inventories, which is a cost and selling more goods and services the ratio to inventories to sales dropped to a low of 1.1 meaning that it will take 1.1 months to deplete inventories. That number was the lowest since 1992. It is essential that inventory turnover stay tight but at 1.1 does that mean that more companies are looking at just-in-time delivery of goods and services? Can you give this kind of service to your customers?

On the home front household wealth in the USA grew in the 4th quarter and consumers cut back on borrowing at a wonderful pace to live more within their (our) means, Something ALL governments should take note of from Federal to State to Local and any other tax bodies that are hammering us with their oppressive taxation. Seems the reason there was a glitch in extending unemployment benefits was not because the US senator from Kentucky Jim Bunning was opposed to them but because he wanted the Senate to find the money to pay for them. In his own words “Just over a month ago Democrats passed pay-go legislation and then turned around and waived it for the next two major pieces of legislation that were considered by the Senate. What was the point of passing pay-go legislation?” Hats off to Senator Bunning.

Another highlight of last week was a smaller trade deficit and a slower job loss. We are still losing jobs but the pace is slowing. Better yet was the report that Caterpillar was considering building a new plant in the USA and closing one in Japan to CREATE 250 jobs.

As for what to expect his week if you want to hedge your bets, I’m feeling the Fed will leave interest rates where they are. Economy is way too fragile. The leading indicators will be up despite the job depression.

Larson Notes & Satire: Suppliers beware or go on the attack. If you are going to be the warehouse of choice for your customers be prepared or if you are in a financial situation where you can warehouse your customers’ goods, offer them a just-in-time deal and lock them into to using you on a long term contract. (Do a credit report on them before you get to tight?) If a service industry can be a just in time deliverer we at Larson’s are working at an over 100% capacity (yes that is called overtime and are looking at starting out one or 2 phone people in the next 2 weeks.) I could pick up more accounts right now but have not seen people flocking to work. Seems funning to have jobs sitting empty and unfilled.

I’m expecting a wild ride over the next month or two and will be held on the edge of my chair in wildly swinging excitement and stress. If my cash flow can keep up with my expected growth and my personal stamina can excel and propel me to where I want to be and there are no unexpected events that get in the way all will be well in Larson Land.

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 Printers both small and mid-sized in certain regional areas.

We are still looking for sales persons in all areas except
The Midwest, Great Plains States, South Central Regions.




We are also in need of 1 to 3 at home appointment setters with printing and other various backgrounds.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.


Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Running Training 5:00am,
Wednesday:
Thursday: Running Training 5:00am
Friday:
Saturday: Marathon Training 4:30am, Fast ends at sundown
Sunday:

Trade show schedule:
> March 14-16 2010 Internal Home and Housewares Show, McCormick Place, Chicago
> April 14-15 Digital Signage Show & Kiosk Self Service Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas NV
> April 26-29 NA2010: The North American Material Handling & Logistics Show: I-X Center, Cleveland OH
> April 27-28 Design 2 Part Show Schaumburg Convention Center Schaumburg IL
> April 29 Greater O’Hare Chamber of Commerce Expo, Elk Gove Park District Pavilion, Elk Grove Village IL
> May 4-6, 2010 Process Technology & Intl Powder Bulk Solids Show(s) Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Illinois
> May 12-13, 2010 OrthoTec Conference Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College Winona Lake (Warsaw), IN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 8-10, 2010 EastPack 2010 Jacob K Javits Convention Center New York NY FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 23, Destination Showcase Conference & Expo; Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont IL


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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Friday, March 12, 2010

What I Learned From Social Media

Web 2.0, Social Media Marketing, whatever you call it, it is less a concept about technology than it is about the 4 Cs connectivity, communication, creativity and collaboration. It is also about peer to peer networks that are transforming direct marketing as we once knew it.

So how do all these social media outlets influence each other and how we marketing to our customers?

Direct marketing is a would all unto its own. We are all too interested in efficiency and ROI and getting more out of less than we are of caring what is happening in the non-direct world of advertising and marketing. Cost-effect-result driven part of the industry. The real “What have you done for me lately” side of the advertising and marketing industry.

As a part of this part of the industry, I, we need to start placing more of our emphasis on community dialogue and partnership. We will not be able to hide behind the old methods as economic reality is demanding that we produce more with less, The result is that we need to embrace the new ideas and find ways in our sharply cut eye for taking new approaches to arrive an these new goals in our wonderful cost effective way of doing business for our clients.

Too often we think about the process of winning over customers in terms of action items, reaction, exposure and the sales debate that goes on before that hard won sale. As in the web, a direct mail channel provides marketers an opportunity to broaden the ever expanding discussion with customers and prospects.

Yet we must remember that now more than ever, (and I mean this) being real is more important that the flash and glitter that has made our industry shine as the side that brought the most bang for our clients buck. Yet I must accept the fact that control of the conversation is shifting from the product to the customer. The trust, motivation, and drive to make purchases are increasingly in control of the buyer rather than the seller

With the rise of Social Media a new path has been opened up with new options. Now as before we must learn these new rules and shape our message to tap into new areas and opportunities

Larson Notes & Satire: Weather you embrace to Social Media revolution or now really does not make any difference. You’re not in control anymore. Get use to it, yet the old rules still do a apply, the more channels you use in harmony with each other the higher your rate of return. The key is, getting them to work in harmony, and knowing what does what and how it will affect one another. Now I will not brag (oh yes I will) but as a telemarketer, target marketing and direct mail company, I have been active in the Social Media world. I work it for myself and some selected clients to get them visible. Now I don’t know it all, but who do? SM is changing almost every week if not day.

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 help getting your complete marketing attack put together. Maybe you should call us, before your really swimming upstream.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Don’t Cut Prices

So we are still in a down turned economy. Did you think that we would just bounce back out of this thing and go on our merry way? The world has changed. Some for the good, some for the bad. But it has changed, forever.

If you have been reading this blog you might has seen a trend about not worrying about sales but more about market share. I still hold true to that idea.

Some of the most effective sales departments are now adjusting there approaches with solid (collected) data, disciplined analysis and systematic selling to focus their selling efforts and keep more of the customers they want. The key is a numbers driven approach to boosting up the effectiveness of your sales organization.

So what do you do?

1) Target Your Offerings. Which customers are the strong ones and will keep buying even in a recession? Which prospects should you be focusing on to get and go after. Once you identify those highly desirable prospects you can create a map for your success to use as a guide for your sales efforts.

2) Optimized tools and your procedures. Recession cycles are always longer than you want or expect. But with discipline and an ever increasing pipeline you can improve your win rations. Using systemic channeling of leads funneled down to your sales reps with detailed account information and solid tracking CRM tools you can predict a customer’s readiness to purchase even in this current recession.

3) Performance management. Territories and quotas that might have made since last year might not be realistic today. Maybe you need to redesign your territories and reset your quotas in today’s world.

4) Sales resource deployment. Measure the time your reps spend in front of customers. It is less than it should be consider channeling some of the functions your sales staff is doing to support staff. They only sell when they are in front of a customer not doing reposts or paper work.

Larson Notes & Satire: If you don’t have the staff maybe you need a virtual secretary to do the job. A recession is a real opportunity for you; it is a real time to change everything for the good. A downturn also offers you opportunities to beef up sales channels such as telesales or a sales network, Think outside the box. If you want to do something but can’t or don’t want to take it internal, outsource 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. If you wish to explore if outsourcing is an option for you, Call me and I'll go over the cost factors, both pro and con.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Value Of Direct Mail

You’re out there web site, email, blogging working every cross channel you can think of, so does the war horse of marketing, a direct mail piece fit in? Effective cross channel practices require personalization and a means to capture and track purchases and preferences to the intended nitch. Businesses who want to promote events, sales or services should be taking advantage of what only mail can bring, A non-electric way to get your message in front of a customer. Yes that’s right no internet, just your mailer in their box. You want to put on a big Easter Promotion? Put some bunnies and Easter eggs on a postcard with your promotion and mail it. Want to attach your company to the Pro American feelings put some flags on a mailed brochure and aim your attack for Flag Day or Memorial Day weekend. Make it good enough and it might get put on the refrigerator door (with an ad specialty magnate you provided?)

Larson Notes & Satire: Not everyone is on the internet. Those that are still get mail. And those electric messages get deleted but a post card mailer? A mailed brochure does not always go right into the bucket. Yet even if it does they need to look at it as they drop it in. Even if you love your internet campaign go on and put your web site address on your mailer. But DON’T ever forget your address and phone number. They might just stop by and buy something.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Direct Mail the Newest (?) Marketing Tool

Direct mail isn’t the latest or most sophisticated marketing tool around. It does not get the big press like mobile or Social Media but it might still the most reliable marketing tool you can use.

No matter if you’re using a #10 envelop of a postcard mailing attack or a sophisticated designed promo piece, mail gets attention and generates results you CAN measure.

But that is only the very beginning of direct mail and the power it can give. Direct mail is also a powerful driver for results across the marketing spectrum. Got a web site? Direct mail can drive more people to it. Got a brick and mortar location? Direct mail can guide people to and through the doors. Going to an expo, direct mail can bring customers to your booth.

And when the dust settles for every dollar spent on direct mail it generates $15.60 according to the Direct Marketing Association. But put it together with other marketing channels and it can light up the board! Time and time again studies show that sending a printed mailing piece drives additional sales on a company’s web site some as much as 96% per research by Vovici EFM)

IN a marketing world where you need to be everywhere at once to insure your customers see you and find you, online, at home in the office, providing information that gets your brand noticed and considered, that it takes an extensive set of tools online and offline to ensure that your brand is seen and there when the buying decision is being made, and that by integrating the other marketing tools into your arsenal it only increases your ability to make the sale and dive up revenue.

Larson Notes & Satire: Direct mail might not be the biggest buzz word when talking about your next marketing attack but don’t discount it. All those new apps and technologies mean squat, if you don’t get a sale. Truth is direct mail remains as effective today as it has ever been for the last century in driving action to your company. Listen to the buzz, look at all the new marketing tools and think how they can help you, but me, I would not bet my bottom line on them.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Monday, March 8, 2010

The Week Ahead March 8-12, 2010

Monday:
Tuesday:
Wednesday: January Wholesale Inventories, February Budget Report
Thursday: January Trade Balance, Weekly initial jobless claims
Friday: February Retail Sales, January Business Inventories

Well we lost fewer jobs than expected. WOO HOO! Happy happy, joy, joy? Not if one of the lost jobs was yours. Personal spending up? Ok use those credit cards. WOO HOO! Happy happy, joy, joy? When you going to pay those babies off? Government Motors, sorry I mean General Motors, is now going to close 660 fewer dealerships from among the 2,000 they were planning to close. WOO HOO! Happy happy, joy, joy? Why close any if they are making a profit? This is still America where a man or woman has an inherent right to pursue the (their) right, liberty and the (our) pursuit of happiness. Let them duke it out. Of are we losing our sense of what freedom to make choice about our lives and lively hood is?

Larson Notes & Satire: I keep looking at jobs and the job market as the way to American (and yours and my) prosperity. Last week I got one of those disappointing emails that one of our clients here was suspending service for a week. But that is good news for them. Why. Because we over booked there sales department with too many sales leads and appointments. I started thinking, since we have all this Obama money and job stimulation money why doesn’t the government look at companies that are hit by imports from abroad and then give money to companies (like mine) that give jobs to people in America and to book them sales leads and appointments to sell more American made products. Then those companies will need to hire more American workers. Is this too simple or am I too blond?


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 Printers both small and mid-sized in certain regional areas.

We are still looking for sales persons in all areas except
The Midwest, Great Plains States, South Central Regions.



We are also in need of 1 to 3 at home appointment setters with printing and other various backgrounds.
If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.


Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Running Training 5:00am,
Wednesday: F2F Appointment 9:15
Thursday: Running Training 5:00am
Friday:
Saturday: Marathon Training 4:30am
Sunday:

Trade show schedule:
> March 14-16 2010 Internal Home and Housewares Show, McCormick Place, Chicago
> April 14-15 Digital Signage Show & Kiosk Self Service Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas NV
> April 26-29 NA2010: The North American Material Handling & Logistics Show: I-X Center, Cleveland OH
> April 27-28 Design 2 Part Show Schaumburg Convention Center Schaumburg IL
> April 29 Greater O’Hare Chamber of Commerce Expo, Elk Gove Park District Pavilion, Elk Grove Village IL
> May 4-6, 2010 Process Technology & Intl Powder Bulk Solids Show(s) Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Illinois
> May 12-13, 2010 OrthoTec Conference Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College Winona Lake (Warsaw), IN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 8-10, 2010 EastPack 2010 Jacob K Javits Convention Center New York NY FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 23, Destination Showcase Conference & Expo; Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont IL


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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Resonate the Innovation

It’s tough to keep yourself on your toes in this age of 27/7!

Cut backs, running lean, have made innovation next to impossible. Creative ideas are lost. Yet, now more than ever, your customers, my customers, everyone’s customers are looking for any sort of innovation they can grab hold of and run with and their eyes are firmly on you as their supplier! You need to be the innovator in your circle of family, friends and followers, for your customers to grow and advance. You need to reduce your customers time to market, broaden their offerings, speed up there turn-time.

I am almost certain your company has idea killers. They are out there. The Nay sayers of the world. You know that people who walk around saying this won’t work or that’s a bad idea. Yet I am just as sure that you have a few people hanging around the joint that are idea developers! Always thinking, always advancing a new technique or service to give “their” customers. Watch them, talk to them, love them, and reward them.

The needs of your customers and the marketplace you serve is there waiting for you and needs you to start innovation not pull back from being an idea source.

Larson Notes & Satire: Yesterday, we launched our new 1040 Special. Maybe you saw it in some of my ning postings or on MerchantCircle or on Yelp (yes I’m on Yelp). Now you know I am not an account. Far from it. I have a telemarketing/target marketing company so what am I doing with a 1040 promotion? It reads “1040 Special: Sign by April 15th and get 10 extra telesales hours & 40 free direct mail postcards, B2B only. Call 847-991-0488 for details.” This is my little innovative way of offing and giving service to my future customers, and tying it into a day we all know but instead of taking like taxes do, if you sign up by April 15th, I give more service for your dollar. I, like you for your company, believe in what I am doing for my customers, to make them stronger tomorrow than they are today. Why this promotion? Because I firmly feel that direct mail is vastly under used as a marketing vehicle and my customers can stand out better by using it and get more sales. I know it raises lead generation my at least 3%-5%.

I read daily on what is new in my field so I can offer new services to my customers to keep them at the forefront of marketing innovation. It’s my job to make them (or you if you’re a customer already) better and better. I read weekly in the fields my customers so I know what problems they are facing so I can help solve them for them as best as I can.

And for what I do, I want them to be able to resonate the innovations I bring to them to their world.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

5 Challenges Social Media Brings to Business

Twitter in the workface. Facebook on the desktop. Blogging galore. What’s a business suppose to do? As SM becomes more main stream we need to be out there but how and how can we control the bad side effects?

Integration
Becoming a Social Business can impact every function and area of your business. What is it really? Is it a function? Is it a department, will companies start hiring a Chief Social Media Office like they do a Chief Marking Officer?

Governance So now what you are out there, you not only need to begin to actively listen so that you know what is being said about you. At the same time you need to establish rules of what is being said by you, or employees of your company. You need to know how you will handle both an external twit or post about you and you need to know how you will handle an inappropriate positing from an employee.

Culture All companies will fall somewhere in between the wide spectrum of being “open” or “closed”. We have the potential to benefit from being all embracing to customers and employees in new and exciting ways but will still need to manage that freedom intelligently and with a company focused purpose.

Human Resources Companies are going to have to upgrade their HR protocols as well as legal and train the people who may be leveraging all those wonderful social media technologies.

Measurement and ROI This question in business will not go away so deal with it. What is the cost of Social Media and what is the return on investment? There needs to be a pay back. This is still business.

Larson Notes & Satire: Yes I’m all over the place in the SM world. I am on at least 60 if not 75 Social Media sites or more, not that I follow them all closely mind you. I follow some more closely than others and I use then in different ways. Some get hot and have lots of activity so I work them harder then go quiet. Others never do anything, some are always going strong.

Yes I have gotten customers directly off of my Social Media activities. So I know it does work. And yes I have used the services of some of my Social Media friends, so I know it worked for them. And I have even made a referral or two along the way.

So how can you make it work for you? That’s the million dollar question isn’t 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. Need to get on Social Media in a big way? We can set you up and monitor your sites. For a fee of course.

P.P.S. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

How Underdogs Win Sales

So you’re not the biggest dog out there. That doesn’t mean you put your tail between your legs and go home? Do that and you are out of business, out in the parking lot with your feet sticking straight up into the air? Is that what you want? I don’t think so.

To start, get real about you and your company. You have just as much of a chance of winning that contract when you are honest with yourself as to your strengths and your weaknesses. Underdogs more often than not do win. We are quicker on or feet, can adapt to change faster and hit it harder! When you understand your weaknesses and play to your strengths, you have a better than 50/50 shot at beating the big dogs.

Second go where they’re not. Even the big dog can’t be everywhere. You can succeed by going where the competition isn’t. It might be they are afraid to call fortune 500 companies; it may be that they don’t think small businesses are worth the effort or that small business is beneath their status. Find it and you might have an open untapped market!

Lastly, get over it. Underdogs are the innovators of the world. We question assumptions and tired over used ideas the big dogs take for granted. We have a culture of change, not for changes sake but for the betterment of ourselves and our companies.

Larson Notes & Satire: “We the willing, lead by the unknowing, are dong the impossible for the ungrateful. We have done so much, for so long, with so little, we are now qualified to do anything with nothing.”

Does that sound like you and your sales efforts?

My thought of the day today was the Nike slogan, “Just Do It” Oh how true it is, don’t sit there crying in your soup. Get up and take charge of your life. Go the distance. Run the race of your life whatever it is. What makes you the best at who you are? Don’t work from your points of weakness but go on and work from strength to strength.

Is sales war, then go to victory to victory. Is it a race, then run to win. Put it all out there and leave nothing in the tank when you are done. In the sales game 2nd place means nothing.

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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Week Ahead March 1-5 2010

Monday: February ISM Index. January Personal Income & Spending
Tuesday: February Vehicle sales, Fast starts
Wednesday: Federal Beige Book, February ISM Services Index
Thursday: 4th Quarter Productivity. January Factory Orders, Weekly initial jobless claims
Friday: February Unemployment Report

Wasn’t last week refreshing? Heck what did you really expect? If you thought consumer confidence would be going up? What planet are you living on? New home sales down. And that is with government subsidies still in place. Employment on the rocks. When people don’t have or are afraid of losing their jobs what can you expect

Larson Notes & Satire: I think that for this week, any good news has already been factored in.

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 Printers both small and mid-sized in certain regional areas.

We are still looking for sales persons in all areas except
the Great Plains States. We are also in need of 1 to 3 at home appointment setters with various backgrounds.





If interested give us a call at 847-991-0488.



Howard’s out of office public schedule for the week:
Monday:
Tuesday: Running Training 5:00am, Appointment 10;00am
Wednesday:
Thursday: Running Training 5:00am
Friday:
Saturday: Marathon Training 4:30am
Sunday:

Trade show schedule:
> March 14-16 2010 Internal Home and Housewares Show, McCormick Place, Chicago
> April 14-15 Digital Signage Show & Kiosk Self Service Expo, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas NV
> April 26-29 NA2010: The North American Material Handling & Logistics Show: I-X Center, Cleveland OH
> May 4-6, 2010 Process Technology & Intl Powder Bulk Solids Show(s) Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Illinois
> May 12-13, 2010 OrthoTec Conference Orthopaedic Capital Center at Grace College Winona Lake (Warsaw), IN (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 8-10, 2010 EastPack 2010 Jacob K Javits Convention Center New York NY FL (Registered but not committed to going yet)
> June 23, Destination Showcase Conference & Expo; Donald E. Stevens Convention Center, Rosemont IL


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. An American Company, marketing American Companies! Call or email to get an appointment to pick my brain (a $125.00 value) for 30 minutes.