Business & Finance Tips » Marketing

The Role of Marketing for Boards of Directors

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:15:23 +0000

Small and emerging companies often do not put together a board of advisors or board of directors for many reasons. Some entrepreneurs believe that businessmen and women would not be willing to serve on their board of advisors for the little or no compensation that the new company can afford. Another reason small and emerging companies do not have boards of advisors is that often the entrepreneur does not want advice from others. In some extreme cases, entrepreneurs believe they do not need advice from others. GSI knows better.

GSI works with entrepreneurs, like Kelly O’Brien, President of TurningPointe Marketing, http://www.turningpointemarketing.com, who has hired our firm to assist her in putting together a strong board of advisors to help her grow her company. Entrepreneurs like Kelly O’Brien are finding out that having a board of advisors for your company that meets regularly can pay huge dividends.

Beginning with its first meeting on November 18, 2004, Turning Pointe Marketing’s board of advisors consisting of 6-12 members will meet quarterly for one year to help expand the company’s business model. Currently the company provides intensive marketing clinics twice a month for its clients where Ms. O’Brien, in a classroom/boardroom environment, helps create marketing approaches for each of the company’s clients.

In the future, the Turning Pointe Marketing will greatly expand its use of technology, virtual classrooms and will be writing articles and books on marketing for a broad audience. The board of advisors will play an essential role in making this large-scale expansion of the offerings and media used by the company a reality within two years.

For more information on TurningPointe Marketing, contact Kelly O’Brien at kelly@turningpointemarketing.com. For more information on the services that GSI provides to help organizations create and manage boards of advisors and boards of directors, please contact Herb Rubenstein at herb@growth-strategies.com.

Marketing Information Website

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:36:32 +0000

When advertising, most people look for all the help they can get. Turning to a marketing information website can help give you some ideas. In order to get the best effect out of your advertising, you will want to use a professional advertising service like we offer at Wag the Dog Marketing.

Using our service will give you the benefit of all our years of expertise. You will be able to increase profitability through our suggestions. We will help you use social networking websites, create a profitable message, increase exposure and use low cost direct advertising campaigns.

The onset of social networking websites have been a boon to every business which knows how to use them. We can help you get your business on these websites with the highest profitability. Since the cost of using the websites are low, you can focus more energy on your exposure.

The great part about using a social networking website is you do not have to write the announcements. You have the option to hire someone to post updates on the website. This will allow your business to stay in the lime light while allowing you to concentrate on running your business.

So many people use these websites, you are sure to reach your demographic and possibly even expand it. You will definitely be able to reach the computer savvy crowd while reaching all of the younger generation. This is a advertising solution most every company uses.

In order to keep your business from falling behind, you will want to generate more exposure through social networking. In order to find out more, you can look into marketing information websites. Your time would be best served if you contacted us at Wag the Dog Marketing.

Profitable Messages Drive Business

Your advertising campaign will be centered around a message. This message will allow you to reach more people based on how it is created. In order to reach the most people, you need to keep in mind your core demographic. This will allow you to create a message which will speak to them.

By keeping in mind the interests of your core demographic, you will be bale to include things to catch their attention. Since you have a limited window of time to catch interest on the web, it is important you maximize the time you have. This will make your business more profitable.

Choose the Right WebSites

The best way to increase your exposure is to be highly selective about which websites you will advertise on. All websites have a demographic they are looking to reach. By advertising on the web sites looking to reach the same demographic as you, you will increase your exposure.

Since the website has done the hard work for you in finding your core demographic, all you have to do is decide on the right advertising size for the website. A good marketing information website should be able to make this clear to you. We will be able to make it happen.

Direct Marketing Can Work For You

Once you have people responding to your advertisement, you may want to consider a direct marketing campaign. A marketing information website may tell you how this is done. We can help you to put your marketing campaign into effect to retain clients.

Direct marketing can be accomplished in many different ways. You may want to market through SMS cell phone messages or through email. No matter which you choose, you will want to create a program which will be best received by those on your client list. We can help.

Dental Marketing Basics

admin — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:29:59 +0000

As with any business, marketing is the key between success and failure. If no one knows about your business or can’t find you, you will not make any sales and your business will cease to exist. Doctors and Dentists are not different. They run a business called a practice, and they need clients (patients) just like any other business. If they lack patients, their practice will cease to exist. The way to attract new patients to the dental practice is through dental marketing.

This is quickly becoming one of the most requested and important topics of discussion in the dental field. It is one area that is important for all dentists, but in order to stand out and become successful in your dental advertising campaigns, your marketing campaign needs to be different. Your campaign must be well designed to communicate your objectives as a specialist dental practice in the area and must include all the ways that your practice can help prospective patients. Do you have new, high-tech equipment? Do you have foreign language speakers on staff? Do you offer something unique like aromatherapy or soothing music, or no pain procedures? If so, aggressively market these unique characteristics of your practice in your marketing.

Dental marketing is a very broad term. The basic rule of all dental marketing is to start with the patients you have and ask them to refer other patients just like themselves. You could even offer a coupon for discount services for your existing patients if they refer new patients.

This is more effective when it is created as a multifaceted campaign and not just one ad. For example, a series and/or combinations of advertisements, direct mail pieces, networking activities or referral-based marketing tactics are more effective than simply placing an ad in the newspaper or making one announcement on the radio. Newspaper advertising can be extremely effective because dental practices more easily can afford frequent and well-placed ads. And you can run them on successive days to further increase your exposure.

To have a successful dental practice, marketing and financial goals are just as important as medical advancements and dental continuing education. Marketing simply tells others about who you are, what you do, how you can benefit people, and why they should get it from you. It can be the single most important factor in determining whether or not you will be successful in your practice. By keeping your name in front of prospective patients, when the time comes for them to choose a dentist, or to refer someone else to a dentist, they will more than likely remember you and recommend your practice. This will be, in part, due to your successful dental marketing campaign.

Marketing Tip – Market Yourself Through Public Speaking

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:57:36 +0000

A noteworthy way for you to get exposure and new customers is public speaking. As a small business owner, it is always a more powerful position to be in the front of the room than in the back. You further position yourself as an expert and reinforce the brand as YOU. People tend to perceive speakers as being more important than non-speakers.

Create a core talk that reinforces your specialty and practice it. Then, come up with a compelling title for your speech. Remember, your presentation isn’t a sales pitch; it’s a way to showcase your expertise. So, provide great, practical information that is helpful to your listeners.

Make the same speech in lengths of 30 minutes, 45 minutes and 90 minutes. This will be a talk you can use over and over again. Show confidence by using humor and letting your passion shine through!

During your speech, your audience gets an opportunity to meet you without obligation and to get a feel for your personality, style, and expertise. The people who like your approach will either hire you or spread the word about your company.

Your audience is a goldmine of prospects, so don’t miss out on this opportunity to get their contact information. Be sure to pass around a sign-up sheet to collect the names of attendees. As an incentive, offer them a free special report or a subscription to your ezine for signing the sheet.

In every city, there are associations, service clubs, and support groups that are looking for speakers for their meetings. Check your telephone book and highlight some of these. You can start with smaller groups as practice.

After you feel comfortable with your speech, seek out larger groups who have members in your targeted audience. When you call, ask for the name of the person in charge of lining up speakers. Offer to speak for free and explain the ways in which your speech will benefit the group’s members. Be sure to mention the remarkable title you developed – it will help sell your presentation.

Once you begin to promote yourself as a speaker, groups will hear about you and you’ll find yourself getting requests, as well. After you begin to get more engagements and feel at ease with speaking, add more topics to promote. If a group liked your speech, you can tell them you have new material and they may ask you to return to speak again.

Develop a speaker’s sheet that you can send to groups. Create a page on your website that describes your expertise, background, and speaking style. Include testimonials if you have them. Hand out information to your audiences about you, your company, and your services. If you have information products, you can often offer these for sale for people to purchase at the event.

Public speaking is a powerful way to get new customers and leads, so be sure to incorporate it into your quiver of marketing techniques. You’ll find opportunities abound when you commit to getting yourself out there!

ACTION ITEM: What idea do you want to develop into your core talk? List three potential ideas right now. Then, come up with an attention-getting title. Show them to your existing customers and ask them which one is of the most value to them. Develop the winner into a speech of different lengths.

Copyright 2006 Marketing Maven

Youth Juice – Network Marketing

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:05:03 +0000

Everyone has the same basic necessities. We all want the nice house, the new car, the latest HD widescreen TV with the 10,000 watt home theatre system. Maybe we don’t the have same dreams but we can attest to the basic desire to provide a better life your for yourself, your family, and those around you.

Most of us work the 9-5 and we are working our selves to death to make someone else rich. I know the frustration of being passed up for a promotion or being given more responsibilities without compensation. I was looking for a way out, I started my own business and began doing hard labor to make a little extra cash and hopefully one day be able to work for myself. I realized very quickly that I wanted a way out without the hard labor and I needed to do it before I got myself into debt with a huge mortgage that I can’t afford to pay, a fancy car with the rims and supercharged sport package, and all those things we want but we really don’t need. I wanted a way out before all of that happened to us, as it has for so many of you out there. You’re stuck! You can’t quit, you can’t move, and you can’t afford to go anywhere else. Trust me I know, I’m there too. But there is something else I know, and that is the power of leverage. We have a great opportunity to provide something extremely healthy to people around us and all the while making money and having fun.

This business is such a blessing and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to share it with you. This business is unlike anything else you’ll do out there. The comp plan is robust and easily attainable, if you work at it. The most important concept that I can see is that it’s basically “People Helping People”. People helping people to become Healthy and Wealthy. Once you grasp the idea that ‘without each other this cannot succeed’ then you will see how much of a no-brainer this really is. It’s all matter of how soon will you join and how much will you invest. Remember you’re investing in yourself, your future, and more importantly your investing in the future of other people. Together we can make this work. You can make money just for being willing to introduce others to this amazing product and business opportunity. I can’t wait to see what 2008 has in store for us. Join the Youth Juice Revolution!

Visit us at our website http://www.OWNYouthJuice.biz

Angel Abundis

IBO

ownYouthJuice@Gmail.com

Marketing Doesn’t Work?

admin — Mon, 31 May 2010 06:40:34 +0000

I continually run into companies that believe that marketing doesn’t work and stress all they need are a few “GOOD” sales people. These companies are looking for a magic bullet to “FIX” their companies. Just hiring sales people to “CALL PEOPLE” may generate some leads that eventually may turn into sales, however, good marketing will generate MANY MORE QUALIFIED LEADS that will convert faster and more often than a sales person alone because marketing and sales go hand in hand. Marketing is about messaging, creating awareness and creating leads for a handoff to sales. When marketing campaigns are done properly in this context, marketing works well.

The marketing funnel below shows the marketing and sales funnel where leads from marketing campaigns enter into the pipeline, interest of these leads are gauged, a preliminary evaluation for a sales handoff is performed and then sales can work to turn the qualified lead into a customer. This process of taking a lead from Awareness to a Repeat Customer may take minutes or it may take months.

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* Marketing Campaigns *

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* Awareness *

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* Interest *

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* Evaluation *

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* Commitment *

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* Referral *

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* Repeat *

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Marketing campaigns be it email, eNewsletters, Websites, Video, Direct Mail, Online Campaigns, Social Media, Webinars, etc. can generate many leads for a hand-off to sales and will be a repeatable system for leads and future sales…leading to record revenues for your business. The key to making this happen for your business is deciding on the metrics for marketing campaigns and tracking the leads in your marketing and sales pipeline. Companies with some type of customer relationship management/sales contact management system (system to track activities related to sales leads/prospects) have 43% more sales per employee than companies without one.

So if you want more sales to your company now and in the future:

SETUP A SYSTEM FOR SALES & MARKETING IN YOUR BUSINESS

START PLANNING & IMPLEMENTING A FEW MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

START USING A CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM) SYSTEM

What Is Direct Response Method Marketing?

admin — Sat, 29 May 2010 21:04:12 +0000

Direct Response Method refers to advertising methods which solicit an immediate and predictable response from target audiences. A distinguishing characteristic of the Direct Response Method is known as a ‘Call-To-Action’.

The idea behind Direct Response Advertising is to broadcast a marketed message through media forms such as radio, internet, newspapers, magazines and TV.

The Direct Response message is intended to encourage potential customers to act on the message presented to them and to make a purchase. A thing to note about Direct Response Advertising is that it is only one small part of the entire process of the Direct Response Method of Marketing.

The Direct Response Method of Marketing encompasses product pricing, sales strategy, distribution, customer support, media planning, market research, and of course, the ever important advertising.

Advertising through the internet can be classified under Direct Response Internet Marketing. Direct Response Internet Marketing includes advertisements sent through emails, banners, links, forum posts, etc…

Online advertisements for Direct Response offers can be found on virtually every type of website, whether they are blogs, news sites, reference sites, and/or network sites as promotional banners or refer links.

When clicked, these banners and links bring the user back to the advertiser’s particular website for more information and in hopes of generating a sale by way of the ‘Call-To-Action’.

Direct Response Advertising is intended to produce direct and immediate results. Results from Direct Response TV, Radio, and/or Internet Advertising Campaigns can be instantaneously measured and quantified, which is one of the reasons it is so popular.

Unlike traditional marketing and advertising campaigns, data is accessible over a very short period of time. It is unlike branding campaigns implemented within traditional marketing and advertising techniques because such campaigns may take months for enough data to be generated in order for the impact of the campaign to be measured.

In coming issues, I’ll explain in greater detail, the benefits of using various Direct Response Advertising Methods and exactly how you can go about implementing them for your own campaigns.

What to Look Out For in an Internet Marketing Agency

admin — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:19:22 +0000

If you run your own business or are in charge of the website for the company you work for, chances are that you’ve heard people going on about how important it is to optimise your website. If you’ve heard this but have ignored it because you’re too busy or simply just don’t know where to start, you’ll be upset to know that search engine optimisation is one of the single most important things you can do for your website.

If your site is poorly optimised then it may as well not exist because if search engines don’t know you’re there, nobody else will either. The good news is that as companies have come to realise this, there is now plenty of help on hand for those who are generally clueless.

Using an Internet Marketing Agency to do the hard work for you is something that more and more businesses are investing in. However, with so many different companies around offering this service, it can be hard to know where to begin. As long as you use a bit of common sense and follow a few bits of advice it is unlikely that you can go wrong though.

One of the most important things to look out for when deciding on which Internet Marketing Agency to use, is their reputation. Word of mouth is a powerful tool and people’s previous experience of a company speaks volumes about them. It’s impossible to please everyone all the time but if a particular company has a lot of bad reviews then don’t use them because chances are that you will have a bad experience with them too.

When looking for an Internet Marketing Agency, customer testimonials are a great way of sussing them out. Obviously no company is going to put a bad review of themselves on their website but chances are that if they’ve had positive feedback from some of their customers, they know what they’re doing. If you can’t see any customer testimonials on a company’s website then don’t be afraid to ask them if they can provide you with some customer feedback.

Another way of working out whether an Internet Marketing Agency is worth investing time and money on is to take a look at their list of customers. Recognising companies is always a good sign because if well-known brands are willing to work with them then chances are they know what they’re doing. Even if you don’t know of any of their customers, look them up on the Internet as this will give you a fairly good idea of some of their previous work.

When deciding on which company to use, another important thing to look out for is the support they offer during and after they have been helping you to optimise your website. SEO is an ongoing thing and not something you do once and forget about. It is hard work getting your site to rank highly in the likes of Google and a lot more goes into it than people realise. Therefore, there is no point working with a company who improves your rankings and then leaves you to it because it won’t be long before you disappear of search engine results pages again. You want a company that will offer you ongoing support and are willing to work with you in the long term so your site will consistently be performing to the best of its abilities.

Consultative Techniques For Sales & Marketing

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:15:55 +0000

Below I have detailed how I use consultative techniques to build relationships, sales and discover new products that lead to industry trends. My experience has proven this to be the best way to develop trust, credibility and results.

This is my business philosophy and I have presented it at National Sales Meetings as a sales and marketing training tool. It is all about earning the trust of the customer by creating success for them. People deal with those they like and trust. It is a simple concept but requires a psychological expertise that only experience can teach. Once learned, it is absolutely deadly to competition.

PREMISE & STRATEGY It is imperative in these competitive times to be able to set yourself above the pack as not just a vendor, but as a trusted partner and business consultant. People buy (long term) from those that they trust, respect and like. To build that kind of relationship you must do everything in your power to prove that you are there to ensure your customer’s success.

Consultative selling is something most have heard of. It is simply a “softer sell” approach that centers on identifying needs and getting the buyer to agree to that need and your solution. Any buyer can sense a pitch and is going to be wary of it, no matter how “soft” it is. This system differs in that you are functioning as a pure consultant to the client, partnering with them to develop trust and create success on their terms. It fosters a rock solid relationship between you and the customer. If the solution to their need does not exist with your company, go to corporate to create it. Show the customer that you are there to serve their needs, not yours. Trust me, if you do this the payoffs are well worth it.

Create Trust You must take a true consultative approach and concentrate on uncovering needs, providing solutions and adding value to your customer’s business through your relationship with them. This means taking a seat on their side of the desk, seeing things through their eyes and partnering with them to develop a long-term growth plan. Treat their business as if it were your own. If you say you will follow up on something, do so promptly. Email thank you notes after appointments. Earn their trust and respect.

Ask probing questions and listen proactively because needs are often implied rather than expressed. Your customer will be very pleased and surprised when you identify an unspoken need because you listened with an intuitive ear. They will wonder why other vendors aren’t as insightful. As you begin to work on solutions together, they will see the value you bring to them and their business. Then the magic happens, you break into their “trust zone”.

Become the “Value Proposition” They may even try to buy from you at this point. If the product really suits their needs, fine. If not, discourage that action and explain why. This is your opportunity to earn everlasting trust and respect. Think of their perception of that action. A salesman discouraging a sale? There could only be one reason for that, the guy is the real deal. He is truly here to help me. You have just earned trust. Never betray it. Don’t be in a hurry to sell things. Instead, sell yourself and the value you bring to the relationship. Become the value proposition to the customer.

Now you have real credibility. You have earned their trust and they are comfortable with your counsel. You did not start off by trying to sell product, you sold yourself. You partnered with them, identifying needs and providing solutions to help their business grow. Closing now becomes welcomed advice from a trusted consultant and friend. They are anxious for your recommendations. What a difference! By putting the relationship before the sale, you have guaranteed the sale. In all probability, you have also created a customer for life.

The beauty of this approach is that it is win/win. It is low key, consultative, provides solutions and adds value (you) to the customer. It enables a solid foundation of trust, credibility and creates a long-term relationship that pays big dividends. You are now much more than a vendor. You are a trusted and valued business partner.

While the system is relatively simple to apply to any account, as with many things, one cannot judge a book by its cover. It requires a subtle psychology that only experience can teach. For instance, you must know when to listen and when to talk, when to be aggressive and when to be laid back. These are the nuances that can make or break the “connection” with the buyer. However, once mastered, it provides you with many advantages over the competition.

The Benefits Some of the important benefits of the system are that you now can stop by most accounts unannounced and be welcomed. You have access to free focus group studies. You have an inside track to competitive and important marketing information. It also creates a hedge against competition. You have earned your way into the “inner circle” with top management of the account.

The Value of Asking, “What If”…… You are now a trusted consultant and business partner, the value proposition to the account……the reason they do business with your company rather than with a multitude of competitors. Now begins the real payoff. Asking, “What if”………… Because of the stature you now hold with the account, you will surely get some very enlightening information as a result of asking that question. It puts you in the perfect position to conduct focus group studies about ideas you may have about improving business, new products, etc. For instance, you have a very big customer who is very influential in the industry. You have a great idea for a new product/program. You ask, “John, what if we were to do this or that, would that be something you could use? Share your thoughts and suggestions”.

Given your relationship, “John” is going to be more than happy to let you know what he thinks of your idea and share some of his own. This is the whole point of developing the relationship to such a high level of trust. “John” will see that you are trying to find ways to create success for him and be appreciative of that. Your bond is now that much closer.

Of most importance, within these answers lie the key to new products, programs and industry trends. So simple, yet so effective. Do this with every customer and you cannot go wrong.

SUMMARY I have proven its effectiveness on many occasions, given presentations about it at National Sales Meetings and used it to train both direct and indirect sales personnel. This approach works for all customers, large and small, regardless of the product involved. It is classic, old school and deadly to the competition.

Learning How to Measure Marketing Effectiveness

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:26:02 +0000

The problem of how to measure marketing effectiveness is one of the biggest dilemmas of many marketers today. Most often, marketing effectiveness is related to financial metrics, such as Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI) and Marketing ROI.

The concept of marketing effectiveness is largely related to the marketing activities undertaken by companies, as they plan and execute their product, price, place, and promotion strategies for the products or services that they sell. Marketing is usually defined as the process by which organizations create and distribute a product or service that their target customers will not only desire, but will also be willing to buy. Today, the field of marketing has become so broad that it already includes such activities as advertising, distribution, and selling. In addition, marketing has also come to mean anticipating the future wants and needs of customers, as well as monitoring the changes in consumer behavior.

Marketing plays a pivotal role in the achievement of organizational objectives. After all, an effective marketing strategy translates to increased sales; which in turn, leads to larger profit margins for companies. To ensure that all marketing activities achieve their purpose, company managers now see the need to quantify marketing performance or marketing effectiveness.

Modern marketers define marketing effectiveness as the quality by which marketing activities are implemented with the goal of optimizing company resources to achieve desirable short-term and long-term results. In assessing marketing effectiveness, there are four major dimensions that need to be considered namely, corporate, competitive, customers/consumers, and exogenous factors. The corporate dimension focuses on the size and financial capacity of the company to undertake marketing activities. The competitive dimension, on the other hand, centers on how competitors are likely to react or respond to their marketing activities. Competitive marketing information is an important commodity for this particular dimension.

Customer or consumer dimension, meanwhile, considers the need for a company to have a good understanding of how their customers make purchasing decisions. By achieving this, companies would be able to increase their marketing effectiveness. Lastly, exogenous factors refer to factors beyond the control of marketers that could potentially impact the effectiveness of marketing activities.

The level of marketing effectiveness could be improved by employing a marketing strategy that will prove to be more successful than that of one’s competitors. In addition, marketers could also make certain changes in their marketing execution by changing some of its marketing mix decisions without necessarily changing their strategic plans. The same could also be achieved by changing the company’s marketing infrastructure, which means changing the budgeting and agencies of companies, as well as promoting the coordination of marketing activities to gain desired results. Lastly, marketers should also be able to take advantage of certain factors beyond their control, like regulatory environment, seasonality, and interests that may influence the result of the marketing activities they undertake.

It is a challenge for marketers to learn how to measure marketing effectiveness. Such is no easy task. But it can be made easier by learning from experts and through the use of advanced software applications that make use of relevant marketing metrics.