The world gets smaller. Your competition sometimes comes from places you never heard of before. So what makes you special? That’s what your customers want to know, right?
Well start with what YOUR customer’s idea of quantity is. Not yours, their's. The reliability and durability of your widget is what makes you, you, or in my case the higher hit ratios of my services is what makes me, Me. I expect to be compared to my competition. Bring it on! Look us over. Look at the competition on the web, in their literature and then come back and buy “Us”.
Your customers might have less money than 2 years ago but they still want the same control or more control than they ever had. You, me, our customers don’t want to feel they have been limited in the choices that they are making. So position yourself to appeal to the customer’s feeling of choice. Just make sure the choice is you.
Your customers are looking for independent assessments of what makes you better than the best, Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and other SM sites give them just that power. Keep your hands clean and do what you say you will do for all your customers. Think and act like a pro.
Your customers want their voice to be heard. Ask and listen. They will tell you. Then when you get a good idea for a better product, a new twist on your service, act on it, fast. Don’t delay or someone else will do it first. Then tell that person they were listened to and the changes they made were enacted. They will buy. And they will love you for life, or at least a few more months.
Your customers want quality. Make it better than everyone else. The winners will be the ones who figure out how to make their customers feel good about paying out their good money for your product or service.
Take advantage of any and all technological improvements you can. Technology has always been important but as the age of information, the age of the computer advances so does technology and its uses. Be at the forefront in as many areas as you can. Use everything you can find on and off the web and max it out 100%.
Larson Notes & Satire: I think I said it a thousand times since last August on how I changed my company’s entire focus to printers, graphic, advertising agencies, ad specialties, multimedia, trade show booth builders and other graphically and creatively natured firms. The end result is that we are growing faster than I can keep the lid on. Yes, we still do other industries target marketing and telemarketing projects but we focus and go after printers and graphic companies. So much so that, if you are a printer in a metro area and we have a client in your neighborhood, my personal goal is to make life difficult for you.
I am walking walk, talking the talk, so deep that we will take on a printing account on 100% incentive. (Don’t do this plan or we will make even more money, your best deal is really the flat hourly plan, no kidding) I have no fear in offering a 100% incentive plan because I am so sure of what we are able to achieve.
There will be other services that are pushed out as need, market, requests and the necessary funds allow, yes growth takes cash, but I am having more fun now than a year ago, no wait 10 years ago when life was good!
We asked, we listened, we acted.
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.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Facebook and Business Trust
I found an interesting study from MarketingProfs that 60% of marketers are using Facebook for some kind of businesses communications. Waving my hand in the air, Me, me, me! But as to the trustworthiness of that channel of communication and marketing? Well… the trust factor is another matter all together.
Marketers Trust In Facebook
10% - Completely
58% - Somewhat
15% - Not very much
7% - Not at all
9% No opinion
Movement Of Facebook Trust
0% - Increased a great deal
8% - Increased somewhat
19% - Decreased somewhat
10% - Decreased A Great Deal
47% - Neither Increased or Decreased
16% - No Opinion
*Source: MarketingProfs; Sample: 488 marketers, including 154 marketers at large companies; May 18 thru May 21, 2010
Larson Notes & Satire: I do use Facebook for marketing. Guilty as charged. I do trust what my friends say about their businesses. Am I gullible? I am blond after all. I think most people are honest. The only question to me is; are my Facebook postings going to the right audience? Only my closed sales know for sure, but I did get one customer though Facebook. www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans Join today and get even more inside info as it happens on Larson & Associates.
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.
Marketers Trust In Facebook
10% - Completely
58% - Somewhat
15% - Not very much
7% - Not at all
9% No opinion
Movement Of Facebook Trust
0% - Increased a great deal
8% - Increased somewhat
19% - Decreased somewhat
10% - Decreased A Great Deal
47% - Neither Increased or Decreased
16% - No Opinion
*Source: MarketingProfs; Sample: 488 marketers, including 154 marketers at large companies; May 18 thru May 21, 2010
Larson Notes & Satire: I do use Facebook for marketing. Guilty as charged. I do trust what my friends say about their businesses. Am I gullible? I am blond after all. I think most people are honest. The only question to me is; are my Facebook postings going to the right audience? Only my closed sales know for sure, but I did get one customer though Facebook. www.facebook.com/LarsonAndAssociatesFans Join today and get even more inside info as it happens on Larson & Associates.
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, June 17, 2010
What Brings You Traffic?
What is driving or bring people to your web site? How to people find you?
In a study done by LeadForce1, of all things Wikipedia was found to be the most effective channel in bringing in new relevant leads to a b2b web site. LinkedIn was found to drive the most visitors to a site even if they are not the best leads possible. Twitter and Facebook tend not to be huge lead generators because they are, for the most part made up of existing customers.
As a marketer you don’t necessarily want to go after sites with the largest number of users, but the sites that being you the most hits based on the effectiveness.
Web Hit Source
52.58% - Direct Hits
29.66% - Search Hits
13.71% - Referral Hits
4.05% - Paid Hits
*Source: LeadForce1 Study done in 2010. A company is identified as a unique visitor
Larson Notes & Satire: A hit is a hit. A sale is a sale. To me a successful hit is one that causes a prospect to either email me or pick up the phone and call to inquire about my services. I know though analytics how many hits and unique hits my various web pages get. I am here for sales. If you’re a big LinkIn networker, network away. If you’re on Facebook, stay there. If you twitter your PR news, keep it up. If you blog, write and post away. But keep your links in place. Keep putting out your name out there for searches. Print your web site on everything you have. Yes a hit is a hit, but interest, real interest, real relevancy is the key denominator to bringing in the sale.
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 a study done by LeadForce1, of all things Wikipedia was found to be the most effective channel in bringing in new relevant leads to a b2b web site. LinkedIn was found to drive the most visitors to a site even if they are not the best leads possible. Twitter and Facebook tend not to be huge lead generators because they are, for the most part made up of existing customers.
As a marketer you don’t necessarily want to go after sites with the largest number of users, but the sites that being you the most hits based on the effectiveness.
Web Hit Source
52.58% - Direct Hits
29.66% - Search Hits
13.71% - Referral Hits
4.05% - Paid Hits
*Source: LeadForce1 Study done in 2010. A company is identified as a unique visitor
Larson Notes & Satire: A hit is a hit. A sale is a sale. To me a successful hit is one that causes a prospect to either email me or pick up the phone and call to inquire about my services. I know though analytics how many hits and unique hits my various web pages get. I am here for sales. If you’re a big LinkIn networker, network away. If you’re on Facebook, stay there. If you twitter your PR news, keep it up. If you blog, write and post away. But keep your links in place. Keep putting out your name out there for searches. Print your web site on everything you have. Yes a hit is a hit, but interest, real interest, real relevancy is the key denominator to bringing in the sale.
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.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Can CRM Fix Your Sales?
CRM cannot fix anything. There I said it. Don’t be fooled into a faluse sence of hope. CRM does nothing, does not fix anything, does not make you sell better, unless you do work to make it work.
Just because you go out and spend a chunk of money on a new CRM with all the latest bells and whistles, it will do you no good if you don’t learn how to use it and focus on the needs of your customers and not the needs of your company.
Just because you have the tools of CRM technology sitting on your computer, does not mean you understand how to engage the customer with your product or services. Until you make a 180 degree turn and start focus on customer needs and finding ways to satisfy them, it’s all for naught.
Larson Notes & Satire: CRM is not about technology but rather a tool to give better customer service. If you ignore the basics of customer service CRM will do nothing for you. Money and programs won’t buy you success. Only your actions can do that for you.
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.
Just because you go out and spend a chunk of money on a new CRM with all the latest bells and whistles, it will do you no good if you don’t learn how to use it and focus on the needs of your customers and not the needs of your company.
Just because you have the tools of CRM technology sitting on your computer, does not mean you understand how to engage the customer with your product or services. Until you make a 180 degree turn and start focus on customer needs and finding ways to satisfy them, it’s all for naught.
Larson Notes & Satire: CRM is not about technology but rather a tool to give better customer service. If you ignore the basics of customer service CRM will do nothing for you. Money and programs won’t buy you success. Only your actions can do that for you.
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, June 15, 2010
Is Direct Mail Dying?
It is true that direct mail on any scale is not the kingpin of a marketing plan like it use to be, but it is far from dying away. Any channel will lose its overall effectiveness when it is used alone. Not all customers and prospects respond to your advertising and marketing message in the same way. We all are more sensitive to the way we process information, sight, touching and hearing all come into play. So to with communication preferences; phone, email, search, radio & tv, youtube and mail as well.
On the down side of a mailing campaign is the launching. A direct mail campaign requires an expenditure of some money before it happens. Cash is needed for layout and design, writing, production, printing, list creation, postage.
Yet, when used in a wave of channel attacks each element can complement one another. Direct mail can drive people not just to your store, but to your web site and your phone. Don’t think that only electronic methods will get your customers online to give you hits.
Direct mail might not make sense in all situations or marketing campaigns but it is still a viable and integral part of a cross-channel total marketing campaign.
Larson Notes & Satire: Whenever I put direct mail into my marketing, even a simple plan I see a 7%-10% bump in sales to new customers. That is getting in a new customer 7 to 10 times faster or deeper in penetration of my market. Maybe that is why this week we are working at the highest number of billable hours for the last 9 years. Phase 3 of my companies marketing plan has a different element of direct mail involved and is planned to go into effect in September. Can we get another 10%? Heck, I’ll take another 3-5% off the top.
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://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.
On the down side of a mailing campaign is the launching. A direct mail campaign requires an expenditure of some money before it happens. Cash is needed for layout and design, writing, production, printing, list creation, postage.
Yet, when used in a wave of channel attacks each element can complement one another. Direct mail can drive people not just to your store, but to your web site and your phone. Don’t think that only electronic methods will get your customers online to give you hits.
Direct mail might not make sense in all situations or marketing campaigns but it is still a viable and integral part of a cross-channel total marketing campaign.
Larson Notes & Satire: Whenever I put direct mail into my marketing, even a simple plan I see a 7%-10% bump in sales to new customers. That is getting in a new customer 7 to 10 times faster or deeper in penetration of my market. Maybe that is why this week we are working at the highest number of billable hours for the last 9 years. Phase 3 of my companies marketing plan has a different element of direct mail involved and is planned to go into effect in September. Can we get another 10%? Heck, I’ll take another 3-5% off the top.
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://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, June 14, 2010
Upselling Plans For Businesses
Upselling, selling more of what you got to the customers you already have. Sounds nice, doesn’t it. 38% of B2C and B2B businesses are making upselling a top marketing goal this year. And why not, sell more to the people who are trusting you to take their money already. I do it. My son’s running specialty shop does it. Maybe you should think about it as well.
To Better Leverage New Channelsb>
31% - B2C
29% - B2B
To Improve Analytics To Strengthen Campaigns
39% - B2C
34% - B2B
To Increase Their Contact Database
37% - B2C
41% - B2B
To More Prospects/Leads faster through the sales funnel
29% - B2C
51% - B2B
More B2B Marketers are using CRM than B2C Marketers
B2C
43% - Yes
58% - No
B2B
69% - Yes
31% - No
*Source: Silverpop from a sample of 1,805 marketers in mid-March 2010
Larson Notes & Satire: If you sell more than one thing why not do it. I sell direct mail to my telemarketing customers and telemarketing to my direct mail customers. My son sells socks to his shoe customers. If you even increased the amount of a sale by 5% on 10% of your sales what would that do to your bottom line?
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.
To Better Leverage New Channelsb>
31% - B2C
29% - B2B
To Improve Analytics To Strengthen Campaigns
39% - B2C
34% - B2B
To Increase Their Contact Database
37% - B2C
41% - B2B
To More Prospects/Leads faster through the sales funnel
29% - B2C
51% - B2B
More B2B Marketers are using CRM than B2C Marketers
B2C
43% - Yes
58% - No
B2B
69% - Yes
31% - No
*Source: Silverpop from a sample of 1,805 marketers in mid-March 2010
Larson Notes & Satire: If you sell more than one thing why not do it. I sell direct mail to my telemarketing customers and telemarketing to my direct mail customers. My son sells socks to his shoe customers. If you even increased the amount of a sale by 5% on 10% of your sales what would that do to your bottom line?
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, June 4, 2010
Mobile Activity Use In Marketing
Not using mobile in your marketing? You are not alone. 78% of companies are NOT, yes not using any mobile marketing in their outreach.
For those that are, here is the breakdown of their usage, just in case you want to make the plunge.
Mobile version of website
38.5% - Retail
63.4% - Overall
Mobile applications
30.8% - Retail
52.1% - Overall
Text messaging
53.8% - Retail
56.3% - Overall
Mobile e-mail
53.8% - Retail
39.4% - Overall
Retailers are also spending more on acquisition channels and email service providers than other kinds of companies
E-mail service providers
21.5% - Retail
17.3% - Overall
Acquisition channels
36.3% - Retail
30.3% - Overall
Emerging channels
6.7% - Retail
12.3% - Overall
*Source Omniture from a sample of more than 600 respondents from an online survey from May 10.2010
Larson Notes & Satire: Not being a mobile user does not mean that I think there is not a place for using mobile in some businesses. Just not mine. Look at your demographics of your target market. The younger it is the more acceptable to mobile and text marketing they are, the older the more the distaste for the efforts, yet I might see a place in even my business in a more mobile friendly web site. Yes the old dog can learn new tricks.
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.
For those that are, here is the breakdown of their usage, just in case you want to make the plunge.
Mobile version of website
38.5% - Retail
63.4% - Overall
Mobile applications
30.8% - Retail
52.1% - Overall
Text messaging
53.8% - Retail
56.3% - Overall
Mobile e-mail
53.8% - Retail
39.4% - Overall
Retailers are also spending more on acquisition channels and email service providers than other kinds of companies
E-mail service providers
21.5% - Retail
17.3% - Overall
Acquisition channels
36.3% - Retail
30.3% - Overall
Emerging channels
6.7% - Retail
12.3% - Overall
*Source Omniture from a sample of more than 600 respondents from an online survey from May 10.2010
Larson Notes & Satire: Not being a mobile user does not mean that I think there is not a place for using mobile in some businesses. Just not mine. Look at your demographics of your target market. The younger it is the more acceptable to mobile and text marketing they are, the older the more the distaste for the efforts, yet I might see a place in even my business in a more mobile friendly web site. Yes the old dog can learn new tricks.
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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