In looking at Social Media and Social Media Marketing, isn’t it confronting to know that when taken as a whole only 40% of B2B companies have a dedicated person to work on their SM Marketing Plans? Most have only a part time staffer or person paying any attention to SM. So how many eyes are looking and being involved in a company’s SM Marketing?
2% - None
27% - One
42% - Two
15% - Three
4% - Four
10% Five or more
Ok so you know what you’re up against sort of. So of those working SM but what are they doing with their efforts?
Only about 2/3 of B2B Marketers are doing any kind of SM measurement. So out of the same study,
34% - Not Measuring
33% - Participation only
22% - Site traffic only
11% - Direct ROI
* Source WhiteHorse of a sample of 104 marketers across a range of industries.
Larson Notes & Satire: Is this good new or what? You can own your Social Media Marketing sites and arena even against the “big boys”. As I talked about yesterday about being a Big Fish in a Little Pond. That can be you. If you can keep a narrow focus on your service/product line and the channels you are using you can be the Big Kahuna, The Grand Poobar. It really is there for the taking.
If my web site can be getting a record number unique hits. If my company can be having the best summer of work in 6 years, all by doing the little thighs, so can you.
Note to self: Next business cards should have a my title Grand Poobar instead of owner.
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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Where Is Web Advertising Money Going?
Working off of yesterdays blog “Closing the web sale” (if you missed it go back and have a look/see) I am taking us into where your competition is or might be going in their web marketing attack. Now let’s be clear this is a poll of major businesses not small fish who want to control their personal pond, or should I say Big Fish in a Little Pond? Never the less, it will show you where money is flowing to, at least by the heavy hitters.
39% - Paid Search
13% - Affiliate marketing
11% - E-mail (both house and prospecting)
7% - Comparison shopping engines and marketplaces
7% - Behavioral targeting & remarketing
7% - Traditional portal deals
3% - SEO and natural search
1% - Social Media
12% - Other
* Source: Shop.org a unit of the National Retail Federation and Forrester Research from a sample of 109 marketers March thru June.
Larson Notes & Satire: Over the last year I have been focusing my main marketing online thrust into SEO, natural search and Social Media marketing to take advantage of real-time search, and I am happy to report that for whatever reason my web site, www.larsonassociates.ws has been getting for the last month a massive increase in number of unique hits with last week being an all time record in that category. I had dropped out of e-newsletter marketing and went into blog marketing over a year ago. I am thinking of restarting my monthly emailed-newsletter but have made no decision on restarting it up yet.
Big fish in a little pond? It can be a good strategy for a small business. You might have to bring down your geographical attack, or nitch or position yourself (like I did) but I am proof that the results can be wonderful. You can OWN your market if you do it right.
So I use myself as an example for you to think of what can be achieved using only the bottom 4% of the online and search marketing. Record number of hits, sales up in the high double digits and one new associate taken on. You can do it and get the same 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://teamcircle.ning.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.
39% - Paid Search
13% - Affiliate marketing
11% - E-mail (both house and prospecting)
7% - Comparison shopping engines and marketplaces
7% - Behavioral targeting & remarketing
7% - Traditional portal deals
3% - SEO and natural search
1% - Social Media
12% - Other
* Source: Shop.org a unit of the National Retail Federation and Forrester Research from a sample of 109 marketers March thru June.
Larson Notes & Satire: Over the last year I have been focusing my main marketing online thrust into SEO, natural search and Social Media marketing to take advantage of real-time search, and I am happy to report that for whatever reason my web site, www.larsonassociates.ws has been getting for the last month a massive increase in number of unique hits with last week being an all time record in that category. I had dropped out of e-newsletter marketing and went into blog marketing over a year ago. I am thinking of restarting my monthly emailed-newsletter but have made no decision on restarting it up yet.
Big fish in a little pond? It can be a good strategy for a small business. You might have to bring down your geographical attack, or nitch or position yourself (like I did) but I am proof that the results can be wonderful. You can OWN your market if you do it right.
So I use myself as an example for you to think of what can be achieved using only the bottom 4% of the online and search marketing. Record number of hits, sales up in the high double digits and one new associate taken on. You can do it and get the same 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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 27, 2010
Closing the Web Sale or Not
So you finally did it. You sat down and put up or reworked your web site. Wonderful but did you take into consideration the new matrix of online selling?
These days it seems customers don’t just shop in a store or on the web, they are shopping both places as well as using their social media networks. For some even their cell phones are coming into play. As a business you can and must do a better job of engaging customers as they go moving around the web and the streets of the brick and mortar world, spending money.
Did you know that 30% of customers are using 3 or more channels before the finally buy something. Did you know that many online shoppers are still going out to stores to actually buy something?
If you want to engage in online selling or promotion do your homework and know the territory.
Why did you buy your Widgets in a store after researching online?
39% - To touch the product before buying
36% - To touch and compare several brands before buying
26% - Not Applicable. Always prefer to purchase online
22% - Need the product immediately
16% - To talk to a sales associate in person
Why did they contact customer service after researching online?
43% - Product/service information not online
22% - Did not want to enter personal information online
19% - Online buying process too difficult
19% - To inquire about return or refund policy
15% - To inquire about shipping options
9% - Did not want to buy an expensive item online
How often do you share your shopping results with friends on social networks?
55% - NEVER
22% - Didn’t know people did this.
12% - Not often
9% - Sometimes
3% - Frequently
*Art Technology Group Inc, Respondents could give several answers to some questions.
Larson Notes & Satire: Well do are you going back to do a remake of your fancy new web site or does it really matter? Over the last month my site has gotten a record number of hits. In fact last week was the highest number of hits EVER. Thus is the best summer my business has hand in over 6 years and my AR are the highest they have been for the last 7 years. We are launching a new service this fall out of cash flow, not a loan, so we in the Land of Larson are feeling pretty darn good.
Web wise what’s coming down? A totally new web look, but first we will tweak what we got a little bit more, keeping in mind our first job is keeping the customers we already have happy content and growing.
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://teamcircle.ning.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.
These days it seems customers don’t just shop in a store or on the web, they are shopping both places as well as using their social media networks. For some even their cell phones are coming into play. As a business you can and must do a better job of engaging customers as they go moving around the web and the streets of the brick and mortar world, spending money.
Did you know that 30% of customers are using 3 or more channels before the finally buy something. Did you know that many online shoppers are still going out to stores to actually buy something?
If you want to engage in online selling or promotion do your homework and know the territory.
Why did you buy your Widgets in a store after researching online?
39% - To touch the product before buying
36% - To touch and compare several brands before buying
26% - Not Applicable. Always prefer to purchase online
22% - Need the product immediately
16% - To talk to a sales associate in person
Why did they contact customer service after researching online?
43% - Product/service information not online
22% - Did not want to enter personal information online
19% - Online buying process too difficult
19% - To inquire about return or refund policy
15% - To inquire about shipping options
9% - Did not want to buy an expensive item online
How often do you share your shopping results with friends on social networks?
55% - NEVER
22% - Didn’t know people did this.
12% - Not often
9% - Sometimes
3% - Frequently
*Art Technology Group Inc, Respondents could give several answers to some questions.
Larson Notes & Satire: Well do are you going back to do a remake of your fancy new web site or does it really matter? Over the last month my site has gotten a record number of hits. In fact last week was the highest number of hits EVER. Thus is the best summer my business has hand in over 6 years and my AR are the highest they have been for the last 7 years. We are launching a new service this fall out of cash flow, not a loan, so we in the Land of Larson are feeling pretty darn good.
Web wise what’s coming down? A totally new web look, but first we will tweak what we got a little bit more, keeping in mind our first job is keeping the customers we already have happy content and growing.
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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 26, 2010
Remember Short Term Goals
You business probably has a 1 year goal. Heck you might even have a 5 year goal or plan, but do you have a 3 month or a 6 month plan? A shorter term plan to build the bridges to your long goals and keep you motivated at the same time?
In setting realistic and attainable short term 3 and 6 month goals, and then giving your best to achieve them is a good motivator while you work toward your longer goals. Additionally it makes those long term goals easier to accomplish.
The setting of short term goals is not only ambitious but it makes you look at your current situation harder, looking at your stronger areas and your weaker spots with a more critical eye. Not to dwell on the negative but to build on the positive.
A short term goal could be as simple as finishing a research project or vowing to make 10 appointments to new prospects over the next month.
Even if you’re short term goals are nothing like what you really want to achieve you need to have short term goals to keep you on the right track
Larson Notes & Satire: When you are making promise to yourself be careful, don’t over promise yourself. The key is to set realistic goal that you need to stretch for but are still attainable and are in your power to achieve not an outside force.
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://teamcircle.ning.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.
In setting realistic and attainable short term 3 and 6 month goals, and then giving your best to achieve them is a good motivator while you work toward your longer goals. Additionally it makes those long term goals easier to accomplish.
The setting of short term goals is not only ambitious but it makes you look at your current situation harder, looking at your stronger areas and your weaker spots with a more critical eye. Not to dwell on the negative but to build on the positive.
A short term goal could be as simple as finishing a research project or vowing to make 10 appointments to new prospects over the next month.
Even if you’re short term goals are nothing like what you really want to achieve you need to have short term goals to keep you on the right track
Larson Notes & Satire: When you are making promise to yourself be careful, don’t over promise yourself. The key is to set realistic goal that you need to stretch for but are still attainable and are in your power to achieve not an outside force.
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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 16, 2010
Is Social Media The New Sweat Equity?
If I have said it once I have said it a dozen times. When active in Social Media Marketing watch your clock. Set an alarm. Anything to keep track of the time you’re putting in. Social Media takes up time, much more time that it does money and time is money.
In the “Old Days” we called it sweat equity to building a business. Now here we are in the “information age” and we sell time and information so is marketing into Social Media the new sweat equity in building your business?
The clock keeps ticking as you go and respond to your information requests, friend requests setting up your profile page. Time again and time you are making an expenditure with. I suggest therefore that you view time as money. Emails replacing hand written notes. Welcome posts replacing walking to the new business in your complex and saying hello. Online virtual trade shows, group meetings. This is the new investment you are making.
Larson Notes & Satire: If you have the time to invest and you have the correct business that your SM group is looking for, SM might be a good way to invest your time. In sales there was a thought that you should never have lunch alone. Eat with a client, a prospect or a possible source of referrals. If SM is cutting into your productive working time, maybe you need to cut back and use it only as a lunch event, or your 15 minute break time at the water cooler. Or you can heir a SM monitoring service to keep track of inquiries, to write and post blogs and make the initial follow-ups though email or phone. Sitting back wondering, now what company would do that?
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://teamcircle.ning.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.
In the “Old Days” we called it sweat equity to building a business. Now here we are in the “information age” and we sell time and information so is marketing into Social Media the new sweat equity in building your business?
The clock keeps ticking as you go and respond to your information requests, friend requests setting up your profile page. Time again and time you are making an expenditure with. I suggest therefore that you view time as money. Emails replacing hand written notes. Welcome posts replacing walking to the new business in your complex and saying hello. Online virtual trade shows, group meetings. This is the new investment you are making.
Larson Notes & Satire: If you have the time to invest and you have the correct business that your SM group is looking for, SM might be a good way to invest your time. In sales there was a thought that you should never have lunch alone. Eat with a client, a prospect or a possible source of referrals. If SM is cutting into your productive working time, maybe you need to cut back and use it only as a lunch event, or your 15 minute break time at the water cooler. Or you can heir a SM monitoring service to keep track of inquiries, to write and post blogs and make the initial follow-ups though email or phone. Sitting back wondering, now what company would do that?
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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 15, 2010
Social Media Danger?
If there is any danger with social medial (other that the eating up of time) it is the danger that people and marketers are expecting too much from it.
It is a medium that we, you and I are trying to engage the customer or prospect in a conversation that is relevant to both them and you.
SM is not a standalone channel. You need to put it together with other forms of marketing to get it really working, whether it’s a promotion, a telemarketing campaign or a direct mail push.
With each touch you are bringing people deeper into your sphere of influence and closer to a main line customer.
Larson Notes & Satire: In marketing it is good to have one fall back channel to direct your best efforts into all the time. But keep your eyes open to multiple ways to be making those critical touch points with customers and prospects.
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
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.
It is a medium that we, you and I are trying to engage the customer or prospect in a conversation that is relevant to both them and you.
SM is not a standalone channel. You need to put it together with other forms of marketing to get it really working, whether it’s a promotion, a telemarketing campaign or a direct mail push.
With each touch you are bringing people deeper into your sphere of influence and closer to a main line customer.
Larson Notes & Satire: In marketing it is good to have one fall back channel to direct your best efforts into all the time. But keep your eyes open to multiple ways to be making those critical touch points with customers and prospects.
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
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, July 12, 2010
Is Real Time Marketing Now Possible?
Now, 24/7, Just In Time. If you don’t give it, if you don’t offer it, your competition might and quite possibly will.
How much does a quick turnaround on incoming leads have on your ROI and your bottom line? In a survey coming from MIT the odds are 21 times greater off a qualifying web based lead if it is responded to in 5 to 30 minutes. Now don’t get all upset, yet. It is not only about getting back to the prospect fast but you now need to engage the prospect in a meaning and relevant discussion on things that are important to them, not you.
Monitoring data in real time allows you to test, track and tweak your efforts. In addition if you are able to operate in the fast track you can spot problems in your (online) marketing campaign as it unfolds and make the necessary changes on the fly, rather than waiting till the campaign ends before you make necessary changes in real time.
Web site, landing pages, e-mail blasts even mobile lets you work this way.
Larson Notes & Satire: Do we at Larson’s use the web for marketing? Well yes. I might even say we do it to serve our other more self serving areas of marketing, our telemarketing and direct mail programs. As you construct your program using cross channels to push your message you might want to lead in with electronic methods that can be changed dong your initial testing period with some telemarketing and various social media sites thrown in as you work with refining your message and then once you have your message down, slingshot it out with direct mail.
Will it work for you? I don’t know, but ask yourself it what you are now doing is working? If it is, stick with it. If not do some careful adjustments.
Yet keep in mind that someone can always do something faster and cheaper but there is one thing they can never ever do or have, and that’s the YOU factor. They might be able to duplicate everything else except YOU, Only problem is now, YOU just have to be faster.
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://teamcircle.ning.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.
How much does a quick turnaround on incoming leads have on your ROI and your bottom line? In a survey coming from MIT the odds are 21 times greater off a qualifying web based lead if it is responded to in 5 to 30 minutes. Now don’t get all upset, yet. It is not only about getting back to the prospect fast but you now need to engage the prospect in a meaning and relevant discussion on things that are important to them, not you.
Monitoring data in real time allows you to test, track and tweak your efforts. In addition if you are able to operate in the fast track you can spot problems in your (online) marketing campaign as it unfolds and make the necessary changes on the fly, rather than waiting till the campaign ends before you make necessary changes in real time.
Web site, landing pages, e-mail blasts even mobile lets you work this way.
Larson Notes & Satire: Do we at Larson’s use the web for marketing? Well yes. I might even say we do it to serve our other more self serving areas of marketing, our telemarketing and direct mail programs. As you construct your program using cross channels to push your message you might want to lead in with electronic methods that can be changed dong your initial testing period with some telemarketing and various social media sites thrown in as you work with refining your message and then once you have your message down, slingshot it out with direct mail.
Will it work for you? I don’t know, but ask yourself it what you are now doing is working? If it is, stick with it. If not do some careful adjustments.
Yet keep in mind that someone can always do something faster and cheaper but there is one thing they can never ever do or have, and that’s the YOU factor. They might be able to duplicate everything else except YOU, Only problem is now, YOU just have to be faster.
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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 9, 2010
Telemarketing Still Can Drive Sales
If you’re in business and you’re not calling customers and taking to prospects you will not close as many sales as you could.
No matter that email marketing costs next to nothing. It makes little difference if you direct mail piece is so well designed and with right offer into a perfect database that your prospect knows they need to do business with you. If you don’t make the call your chances of success drop off significantly. People still need the personal touch of voice.
If you’re a small to midsized business look at your larger competition. Larger businesses are finding they can use a telemarketing attack and effectively reach into the small and medium business market. The sales might not be as large but there are more of them, so the risk of attrition is spread out over more customers.
Maybe because I live in the b2b world, and not the b2c, but in my limited view of the world, companies need to be more flexible and faster than ever before. Cell phones and wireless internet make salespeople not be on vacation even if they are. Prospects expect answers to questions, needs and quotes in 15 minutes not 1 or 2 days. If you’re not there hitting that movable target with an increased urgency your competition will and is. It might mean blending email and online marketing and adding in the telemarketing element and pound your message down.
As prospects what information now, as the need to validate you as you speak, more and more times we are either sending emails out as we talk to the prospect of within 5 minutes of the call. If there time line to buy is not NOW, that is what the sales funnel is for. Make the hand off to the sales department and just say NEXT!
Larson Notes & Satire: Here at Larson’s we have a method to go after new accounts. We really have a few methods that we use for ourselves and our clients. Do they work? Well, I just closed one new account today and one two weeks ago. Is that a lot? If your sales goal is 3 to 4 closed new accounts a month, that looks pretty close to on target to me.
I have never heard of a company going out of business because of too few sales. So tell me, if your company got between 36 to 52 new accounts this year would that make a big improvement on your companies viability, sustainability and profitability?
So I say again; NEXT!
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://teamcircle.ning.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.
No matter that email marketing costs next to nothing. It makes little difference if you direct mail piece is so well designed and with right offer into a perfect database that your prospect knows they need to do business with you. If you don’t make the call your chances of success drop off significantly. People still need the personal touch of voice.
If you’re a small to midsized business look at your larger competition. Larger businesses are finding they can use a telemarketing attack and effectively reach into the small and medium business market. The sales might not be as large but there are more of them, so the risk of attrition is spread out over more customers.
Maybe because I live in the b2b world, and not the b2c, but in my limited view of the world, companies need to be more flexible and faster than ever before. Cell phones and wireless internet make salespeople not be on vacation even if they are. Prospects expect answers to questions, needs and quotes in 15 minutes not 1 or 2 days. If you’re not there hitting that movable target with an increased urgency your competition will and is. It might mean blending email and online marketing and adding in the telemarketing element and pound your message down.
As prospects what information now, as the need to validate you as you speak, more and more times we are either sending emails out as we talk to the prospect of within 5 minutes of the call. If there time line to buy is not NOW, that is what the sales funnel is for. Make the hand off to the sales department and just say NEXT!
Larson Notes & Satire: Here at Larson’s we have a method to go after new accounts. We really have a few methods that we use for ourselves and our clients. Do they work? Well, I just closed one new account today and one two weeks ago. Is that a lot? If your sales goal is 3 to 4 closed new accounts a month, that looks pretty close to on target to me.
I have never heard of a company going out of business because of too few sales. So tell me, if your company got between 36 to 52 new accounts this year would that make a big improvement on your companies viability, sustainability and profitability?
So I say again; NEXT!
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://teamcircle.ning.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, July 6, 2010
The Web & Purchase Decisions
63% of shoppers read product or service reviews before making a purchasing decision.
65% - Retailers site
58% - Brand manufactures
53% - Amixon.com
37% - Review sites
27% - Specialty print publications
15% - Enthusiast of specialty sites
6% - Social Media
Why do buyers decide AGAINST purchasing?
72% - Poor product content
49% - Lack of user friendly customer reviews
33% - Lack of expert reviews
30% - Limited media surrounding the product
16% - No live chat support
Source: The E-tailing Ground and Product Reviews
Sample: Approximately 1000 consumers. March 2010
Larson Notes & Satire: I looked at this review and had to put it in the question box. My gut feeling is this is a very strange sample they must have been using. Or should I say now how I would have made purchasing decisions. The top categories fall in line with what I would have thought, the site itself and poor content after that? You be the judge.
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
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.
65% - Retailers site
58% - Brand manufactures
53% - Amixon.com
37% - Review sites
27% - Specialty print publications
15% - Enthusiast of specialty sites
6% - Social Media
Why do buyers decide AGAINST purchasing?
72% - Poor product content
49% - Lack of user friendly customer reviews
33% - Lack of expert reviews
30% - Limited media surrounding the product
16% - No live chat support
Source: The E-tailing Ground and Product Reviews
Sample: Approximately 1000 consumers. March 2010
Larson Notes & Satire: I looked at this review and had to put it in the question box. My gut feeling is this is a very strange sample they must have been using. Or should I say now how I would have made purchasing decisions. The top categories fall in line with what I would have thought, the site itself and poor content after that? You be the judge.
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
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.
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