VITO in 8 Seconds

I'm reading Anthony Parinello's new book "5 Minutes with VITO" (VITO stands for Very Important Top Officer). He talks in the book about how when dealing with VITO you have 8 seconds to make an impression! Or rather, VITO forms his/her impression of you, ...and if they are likely to do business with you, in those 8 seconds.

That sounds like a lot of pressure in 8 seconds, but the advantage of selling to VITO is that he doesn't have to go to anyone else to approve his decision. He generally moves fast and wants things done fast once he decides on something. VITO is the person you want most to be dealing with.

We're all a lot like VITO in our own circles, we make snap decisions or judgements about people within those same 8 seconds. The key when interacting with others is to know what their concerns are and how you can help them. Some ideas I try to keep in mind when meeting with someone:

• What is my goal or objective when meeting with someone, and order, another meeting, learning about what they need? Setting your goal gives direction to your meeting.


• How will they expect me to be dressed. For some appointments I'll wear a shirt and tie, some more casual, sometimes a suit. I try to know my environment (and it's always better to go in overdressed than under dressed...in my opinion).


• Know about the person and company you are meeting with BEFORE the appointment, look at their website, google for news. Don't go in and ask stupid questions about their business that you should already know.


• Don't spill your guts and tell everything about your company, your prospect only cares about the things that directly affect them...otherwise your wasting their time.

It's also interesting to note that the same principles apply to your printed marketing pieces. When they show up in your prospects mailbox you only have 1-2 seconds to make an impression before your targets puts you in the "read" pile or the garbage can. It is important to note that in the same way talking with your customer about what they are interested in works for your printed pieces too. Now days you can customize the content of each piece based on what you know about the prospect. Is it a map in their area? An offer that they specifically qualify for? A stage of their life that they are in? All should be taken into account when approaching your prospect whether in person or another media.

www.pipmarketinggroup.com

10 Ways to Generate Leads

Smart salespeople use a variety of methods for identifying prospects. Here are 10 tried-and-true ways to get qualified leads:
1. Referrals. These are much easier to sell to than a new lead. Just ask current customers if they know anyone else who could use your products or services.
2. Networking. Join organizations that bring you closer to potential buyers. Increase your exposure by becoming an active member. (Talk to me about how I'm involved in the Osceola Chamber of Commerce)
3. Trading Leads. This works best with other salespeople who sell in the same markets as you. There are even "Leads Groups" that meet weekly or bi-weekly to share leads.
4. Lists. Obtain highly accurate lists of businesses and people in your target markets. You can target income ranges, family demographics, ethnic groups, homowners, renters...I think you get the picture, we can zero in on your target.
5. Business Directories. These often provide additional information about businesses and people in your target markets. You can also subscribe to some online like you will find at www.salesgenie.com
6. Canvassing. Canvassing is done by physically walking into offices and introducing yourself. You might even get an opportunity to speak with a key contact. (Sometimes we call this "cold-caling" some people think it's scary, but if you do it right it doesn't have to be).
7. Direct Mail. Did you know the typical consumer is hit with 4000+marketing messages a day! How effective can a mail piece delivered directly to your prospect with a relevent message be? VERY!!! Make sure you grab their attention in the first 1-2 seconds though or it might not get completely looked at.
8. Trade Shows & Community Events. These provide excellent opportunities for face- to-face contact. Pay attention to your local area, there are often smaller trade shows or community events you can take advantage of.
9. Business Journals. These help keep you up to date on companies and their people, such as those who have been recently hired or promoted. If you want to make it really easy you can subscribe to an "rss" feed. I have an app on my google home page that shows me the headlines from my local business journal every day!
10. Old customers. Are you considering ways to breath old life into your new accounts? I have specific letters I send out to invite former customers to do business with us again!
11. Bonus Tip: Keep Your Existing Customers: When was the last time you talked to your best customers and thanked them for doing business with you. The new year is a perfect time to call your top customers and ask them what they will be doing for 2009 and how you can help them!

www.pipmarketinggroup.com

Small Business Council Retreat

I thought I would put up a brief slideshow of the SBC Reatreat in action!

In our current economic situation we will be working hard to help the small businesses of Osceola County be successful! Stay tuned for more!

http://www.pipmarketinggroup.com/

Networking, Worth the Effort

Today we met as the Osceola Chamber Small Business Council for our annual retreat and planning session for the upcoming year. (I serve as the Communications Chair this year). It was interesting that in a discussion of how to help the Chamber keep members there was a lot of discussion about helping members learn how to network. The discussion ranged from a better orientation to a year long effort at handholding with a lot of discussion in the middle.

The bottom line is that if you are a business owner or salesperson trying to grow your business, you must become more comfortable with networking in order to be effective. One concern we discussed today was some business peoples unrealistic expectations to join the Chamber, attend and event for the first time and expect a truckload of business to fall in their lap. They get to a room full of people they don't know and realize it is hard to walk up to people you don't know and introduce yourself, or to stand by yourself and wait for people to walk up to you.

Networking CAN be a very valuable tool, but it is developed over time and is not an instant big win, but it is many small relationships that build to a large success over time. Some of the ways to make it effective are to join groups and participate in bigger ways than just attending an event. Serve on a committee, volunteer to help with an event, be an ambassador, go to a leads group. The more you go the more you will get to know the people in your business community.

Another important tip is to have a goal when you go to a meeting. It may be as simple as committing yourself to introduce yourself to 2 new people you haven't met before. The SECRET is that everyone else is there to meet people and they will appreciate your introduction! (We all deal with the same challenge of building up our courage sometimes). It is also important to look for ways to help other people be successful and they will return the favor! Look for ways to give other people business and send them referrals.

The real key is to get out there and do it consistently, one or two meetings or events will not make your networking and effective part of your plan.

http://www.pipmarketinggroup.com/

Johnny the Bagger and Customer Service

If you haven't seen or read the story of "Johnny the Bagger" you need to watch this videa at this link http://www.stservicemovie.com/

I do believe it is in each of us to transform our job or our business, we can learn a great lesson from Johnny.

www.pipmarketinggroup.com

Marketing Tips to Start the New Year...Let's hear them.

It's that time for New Year Resolutions, defined as the oaths we make on New Year's Day for the things we are determined to do the following year...I've also heard it said as "Goals that go in one year and out the other".

What marketing ideas are you going to implement this year? One of the things that I have found valuable is to visit my top customers and learn what they are going to be doing for the coming year. It's a good excuse to go visit them and gives me the opportunity to learn how I can be of better assistance to my customers and also make them aware of how I can HELP them accomplish their goals. I want to be thought of as a partner and a resource to my customers.

Another tip is to review your innactive customers, it's a good time to call them and invite them to do business with you again!

Any thoughts on what you're doing with the New Year for Marketing? I'd love to hear them.

~Dale

www.pipmarketinggroup.com

Mailing Lists, Targeting and Acquiring

One of the most challenging parts of a good direct mail campaign is developing the right list. If done poorly, it can mean thousands of dollars wasted. If done correctly it can mean that a business connects with their target customers increasing sales and business!

In the past it was harder to target our list, and we used the "shotgun" approach, we sent out huge numbers of direct mail pieces in the hopes of hitting the few with interest in what we sold. Today we are discussing a new type of direct mail, or direct marketing that is often called one-to-one marketing.

One-to-one marketing is focusing our message on recipients who are the most likely to buy, it can take several forms, (and I will blog about them in more detail later). The first level of one-to-one marketing, is marketing to people who are interested in your product. If done correctly you can target your ideal customer, increase your response and save money in postage and printing by not mailing to people who are not prospects.

These days, as we know, there is a LOT of data on businesses and consumers. There are national companies that compile this data and make it available for a fee. It is literally incredible the lists that you can order. We can sort individuals by income, age, children in the household, age of children in the household, homeowners, renters...and on and on. We can sort businesses by gross income, number of employees, business type or industry.

We also have many options available to us to search by area. We can search by zip code, city, state, radius around a single address, we can search for the first thousand, two thousand or more around and address, even by the first number of prospects that hit a certain demographic. To really zero in on neighborhoods we can specify carrier routes, which is literally taking the specific route that a single mail carrier delivers to. Searching by carrier routes enables us to target specific neighborhoods or subdivisions.

The next question is: do you do it yourself, or hire an experienced mail provider to do it for you. Of course you can save some money doing it yourself, there are several mailing list providers that will sell directly to anyone. Some of the good ones are http://www.accudata.com/ and http://www.infousa.com/, and there are many others, just try a Google search for mailing list.

I would recommend that you use an experienced mail provider. When I do searches for my clients I make sure the list is correct when I order it. Once you hit the "order" button, there are no refunds (If I make a mistake when buying a list for a customer though, I eat it, I'm the professional and when hired it is my job to make sure it's right!). An experienced provider should ask you questions about what you do and help you identify the demographics to target your ideal customers.

Some tips I would give when you start are:
1- Think about your ideal customer, maybe even write down a description of him or her and everything you may know about them. Buying habits, income range, children...etc.
2- Compile those thoughts into a list and identify the ones you think you could use to create a list from.
3- Talk to your mail provider or go online and search to find the ideal list.

I'll give you an example about how this can work. I had a customer with 29 locations, that wanted to target people around their store. We determined that their ideal customer was a family with an income over $40,000 per year and with children at home. We were able to take the first thousand consumers that fit that target around each store. We then combined all the databases to make one large mailing that targeted each store individually. We even set up the job so that each consumer had a map of the store closest to them on the post card that they received. That is one-to-one direct marketing that gets results!

Direct mail can be a great tool. Just remember that it starts with the right mailing list.

http://www.pipmarketinggroup.com/

Florida State researchers to develop sustainable-energy research park

Big news for Osceola County! Florida State will be bringing a high tech energy research center to our county. It was announced by county commissioners today at the Small Business Council Awards Luncheon. See the below link for more information!

http://www.fsu.com/pages/2008/12/01/sustainable_energy_research_park.html

http://www.pipmarketinggroup.com/

Marketing During Recession...Should I Cut Back?

One of the keys to effective marketing is "TOMA", Top Of Mind Awareness, which can easily be demonstrated by answering the following question:

What comes to mind when you think of: (1) Pizza Delivery?, (2) A Soft Drink Company?, (3) An American Car Company? Most likely brands burst into your mind such as Dominos, Coke and Ford (and they spend a LOT of resources on advertising to make that so). Locally,...have you heard of Ace Electric? or Morgan and Morgan? I'll bet you have...they strive to be the first name that comes to mind when you need what they provide.

THAT is top of mind awareness, and it is the main reason that we advertise. When your customer has a need that you provide, does your name come to mind or their competitors. It has a big impact on your share of the market.

The next question is "During tough times should I cut back on my advertising and marketing?" It's a fair question, we should be reviewing all of our finances during tough times...but stop marketing and seeking after that Top Of Mind Awareness? ABSOLUTELY NOT (unless your goal is to concede the market and go out of business...then it's ok.)

McGraw Hill Research analyzed 600 companies from 1980 through 1985 and found that those who advertised during a recession increased both sales and profits...how?, through that same Top Of Mind Awareness. Could there be a better time to advertise than when your competitors are cutting back? Just take a look at the chart below...and do the math!



As usual, please share your thoughts and ideas!

www.pipmarketinggroup.com

Updating Your Mailing/Customer List and the Post Office

One of the projects that I am working on right now is updating my customer list and my mailing list. It's a good idea at least once a year to clear out bad addresses and companies that have moved or gone out of business.

My company is a direct mail provider and there are also new postal regulations that affect your mailing list. As of November 24th, all bulk mailings have to have their mailing list ran through the Post Office's National Change Of Address database (or NCOA for short). It will update the addresses of businesses or individuals that have moved (as long as they are on file). This has to be done every 95 days or you could face fines from the post office. There is a way to get around it, and that is to add the words "or current occupant" or " or current resident" after the name.

The great thing about this is that anyone that can run an NCOA for you should also be able to give you back a list of changed addresses. I eliminated a number of businesses from my list that have moved out of my area, that I didn't want to market to.

You can expect to pay about $15.00 per thousand addresses for this service and most companies have a $50.00 minimum charge for processing a list. But well worth it, when you figure it costs about $260.00 for postage for 1000 8.5 x 5.5 postcards and, if you eliminate bad targets, you'll probably save at least that much over three months.

If you really stick to the Post Office's 95 day rule you will be reviewing your customers and prospects at least every 90 days or 3 months...a good idea. It's an opportunity to consider customers you haven't heard from and even add new prospects.

www.pipmarketinggroup.com

It's the Economy Stupid

Officially my first post, and it's about what I am sure is our biggest concern...The Economy. I know a lot of businesses that are struggling, whining and complaining about our current mess. I know that there is not a lot that I can do to fix the overall problem, but I do know that there is much I can do in my own circle.

Business, Sales and Marketing are what I love. So what I can do is get back to the basics as I see them, to weather this storm and come out on top. Some of the things I am doing to move forward are as follows:

• Take Care of My Customers: It's a lot easier to make sure my current customers know that I value and appreciate them. Do you have a customer retention program? Do you call and follow up on completed jobs/transactions? Do you strive for 100% Satisfaction? If you don't you will lose in today's market. More and more consumers can communicate with each other and share their experiences. Do you ever leave your business and go visit customers, take them a little gift to remind them of you? Notepads and a logo pen? It costs much more to find a new customer than to keep one.


• Involve My Employees: Yes it's hard, I had to let someone go because of the slow down in the economy. But communicating with employees helps keep morale up. Discussing business goals and giving them input help them understand our challenges. They'll give you some good ideas if you ask them. No surprises, we even share financial data...so that when we've had to make tough decisions, they understand them.


• MORE Marketing...not less!: When the economy is tough, people do one of two things, cut the marketing to save the budget (and consequently they cut sales even more), or they work harder for that "Top Of Mind Awareness". My customers are ordering less, but I am adding new customers! Tough times weed out the weak, when a competitor fails, do your prospects know that you are a great alternative? We are sending out letters, direct mail, and using Search Engine Marketing , I'm even starting this blog both to share and get ideas for staying on top of my game!


• Community Involvement: Are you involved with your local Chamber of Commerce? Help with your kids school? The Scouts? Your Church? All of that networking helps. And believe it or not, when times are tough, people like to do business with people in their community and keep dollars supporting local businesses. The Osceola County Chamber of Commerce is looking for more involvement in the different councils it sponsors, and the Chamber needs more Ambassadors (You can ask me about that if you need more information).


• Yes, I'm watching my expenses very closely: Review EVERYTHING, we've saved money on combining our high speed Internet and phone services...nearly $400.00 a month. We cancelled a business cell phone. We do our own cleaning now. Every little bit helps.

The bottom line is that we have a responsibility to ourselves, our families, our employees, our employers, our community to step up. When your behind in the game and it's the 4th quarter. You don't slacken your efforts and give up...you review your strategy and figure out what it's going to take to win the game. I'm gonna win this game...how 'bout you?

I'd love to hear what others are doing right now.

www.pipmarketinggroup.com