It’s Marketing, Horn Tooting is Allowed!
November 14, 2011
How often do you remind your customers of all the little extras you provide that they most likely take for granted as just a routine part of doing business with you? If you’re like most of us, probably not often enough. Marketing is as much about reminding our existing customers of our value as it is attracting new customers. So how do you gently remind your customers of all the value you bring to them every day?
Here are a couple of ways I saw businesses do it this week that I think we can all learn from:
At the Vet
My vet’s office has a notice on their counter, nicely printed and in a decorative frame that reads,
“Dear Customers, We realize that times are tough for many these days and your pets are very important parts of your lives. That’s why we haven’t raised our rates in over 3 years. We want to make sure your best friend stays a happy healthy part of your family for years to come.”
This is brilliant on so many levels – I stood there just staring and re-reading in some kind of marketing-envy trance while my dog Capone tugged on the leash wanting to get the heck out of harm’s way.
Why is this so brilliant? What marketing purpose does this simple notice serve? For one, it tells their customers they care and they are looking out for our needs and interests – every customer wants to know a business cares, right?
WOW… again, brilliant! Really? Your job, not mine? These days I feel guilty just standing at the cash register staring at the cashier if there’s no bagger and these guys are telling me I don’t even have to unload my groceries , much less feel guilty about bagging my own? Ok, that’s worth the extra 5 cents for a box of cheerios!
With this simple sign Raley’s is marketing to existing customers; setting themselves apart from the other grocery stores and reminding me of why I shop there. It’s an excellent testimonial to the value they bring their customers every day. What this sign really says is, “Other grocery stores make you do their work for them… not here! We’re different. You’re the customer – relax and let us do our job, that’s what you pay us (a little extra) for! “
Do You Toot Your Own Horn?
So, what sets you apart and what are you doing to remind your customers? Do you offer free delivery? Do you perform complimentary audits or inspections? Do you offer longer payment terms than your competition? Have you not raised rates? What are the little – or not so little – things that you – and your customers take for granted?
Or did you win an award, donate, volunteer, fund-raise, or get mentioned in the news? Did a customer rant and rave about you? All of these things are toot-worthy! Put a notice on your invoices, website, or your next ad. Or include it in a Thank You, Birthday, or Holiday cards. Don’t be afraid to announce these things on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, your newsletter, – or even a special email to clients! It’s Marketing, horn-tooting is allowed!
By the way, if you liked this post, I’d really appreciate your Retweet!!! Thank you. 
Is Your Business Competing with SPAM?
August 23, 2011
We’re all familiar with the “who-actually-falls-for-this-stuff” SPAM and we all know its complete bogus.
For example: RE: I await to hear from you urgently Please I am seeking for your help (sic) From Google: Google winning notification Or the ones that actually warn you they’re SPAM in the subject line, what is up with that? Is their honesty and up-frontedness supposed to catch me off guard and mak
e me want to open it?
I think you get the point. Hilarious, right?!?
But what about the SPAM that isn’t so obvious? The emails from people we handed a business card to at a Chamber mixer (and did not give permission to be added to their list) or who friended us on Facebook or emailed us through the Contact page on our website? What about those SPAMMERS? They’re a little more insidious – but are you competing with them? I would hope not.
Here’s the thing. I get hundreds of SPAM emails a week some are of the hilarious type and some are from people who actually want my business and think that SPAMMING me is the way to get it. And what strikes me hilarious is that for each SPAM email I get, I probably know at least 5 businesses personally – or even virtually for that matter, that I would turn to if I were looking to hire that particular product or service. Why would I hire a complete stranger – and a SPAMMER at that?
So here’s my point: When I am working with small business owners to develop marketing systems for their businesses one of the key elements of that process is figuring how they are different so they can stand out in a crowd. One way you can be different is to NOT spam, another is to actually get out there – either off- or on- line and meet people. The more people who know you, the better your chances of being thought of when they are ready to buy what you have to offer. The whole goal here is to you’re your business known in your niche so that your target market never has to turn to a stranger!
Here are 4 things you can do so you don’t have to compete with SPAMMERS (or anyone else!):
- Network – This is a great way to meet potential clients and expand our sphere of influence. Join a networking group or two – and whatever you do, make sure the networking group, association or organization is full of people who fit your target market profile – or at least can introduce you to them. If your target market is women between the ages of 25 and 35, Rotary is probably not the best networking group for you.
- Engage in Social Media – I know thousands of people online. Some I’ve met face-to-face, some I haven’t yet, some I probably never will. But in today’s world, none of that matters. I have formed real professional relationships with people I may never meet face to face – and I’ve received and referred business to them! Social media is not about merely blasting ‘salesy’ stuff; it’s about educating, informing, and engaging an audience. This is a great way to stand out from the crowd and build some top of mind awareness for your brand.
- Blog– Blogging is a great way to promote your brand and build a reputation and credibility. Writing relevant, informative posts/articles will help you stand out from your competition (and certainly SPAMMERS). And blogging isn’t just about writing a few words and posting it to your blog site; you must become diligent about repurposing your blog posts and submitting them to sites that our target market reads to expand your reach.
- Be a giver - I was in sales and marketing for 17 years when I worked for other people and it wasn’t until I became a business owner that I realized the power of being a giver. I had always approached networking and relationship building with a “what’s in it for me” attitude. I now approach it with a “how can I help you attitude”. And the more people I meet the more I am able to refer and make introductions that can help other people. I enjoy this aspect of it much better than the old way! Being a giver instead of a taker, makes it that much more fun! When is the last time a SPAMMER gave you anything?
It boils down to this: our goal as business owners is to help our target market Know, Like, and Trust us so that when they are ready to buy, they buy from us (a John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing saying). What are you doing each and every day to work toward that goal? If you don’t have an answer, your target market could be encouraging those SPAMMERS!
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!! Leave your comments here.
By the way, if you liked this post, I’d really appreciate your Retweet!!! Thank you.
Don’t Say That!!! How to Improve Your Image by Keeping Your Mouth Closed!
July 10, 2011
One thing I realized during my 9-5 career is that the things you don’t say can oftentimes be way more powerful than the things you do say. I remember telling my boss, the VP of Sales, a story about a how another VP of Sales in a past job took a huge account that I had landed away from me and transferred it to a senior rep because he felt I couldn’t handle it. I told this story as a w
ay to prove that I was capable of bringing in big accounts. But as I told it, I realized that what I was really doing by telling the story was instilling doubt in his mind of my abilities to effectively manage a large account. If another person in his position had made that call, then maybe there was some validity to it.
I vividly remember sitting there after having spilled the beans, immediately regretting it; realizing that although I was trying to make myself look capable it really did quite the opposite… It was a valuable lesson and I learned to be a lot more mindful about what I say – and don’t say! And that is a skill that is definitely useful in developing marketing communications….
Now cut to yesterday…. I stole a couple of lazy hours on a Saturday afternoon to watch some mindless TV. And on comes a Nutella commercial. I rarely watch commercials these days, but as a marketer when I do, I pay attention. In this particular Nutella commercialI noticed how they positioned the product as a fun, easy, and healthy choice. I didn’t quite buy the “healthy” claim so I went to my laptop to look up their ingredients. Guess what??? No so healthy…! But it got me thinking again about Marketing and Advertising and clever big corporations are with their messaging – like politicians, they are great at focussing on the good and ignoring the “bad”. So I thought I’d point out what Nutella did in their commercials to help small business owners know what to say – and NOT say!
Here are some lines from their commercial that I thought were interesting uses of marketing messaging. I also included lessons that all small businesses can learn from them.
“Serve it on whole wheat toast or even whole wheat waffles.” - I love this line. Without saying the product is healthy, it leads you to believe it’s healthy simply by associating it with something that is healthy! Using this strategy, you can slap 20 tablespoons of sugar on whole wheat bread and voila! It’s healthy! Lesson: In your business, what can you associate your product or service with to make it more appealing to consumers?
“My ki
ds love it and I feel good about serving it.” - Translation: I don’t have to force my kids to eat healthy stuff they hate- yet, it’s healthy enough that I don’t have to feel guilty about feeding them junk. Lesson: What emotional affect does your product or service have on consumers and how can you make them feel good about using it?
“Nutella is made with Simple, Quality ingredients; like hazelnuts, skim milk and a hint of cocoa” –How can you go wrong with nuts and skim milk and just a ‘hint’ of cocoa??? Sounds so nutritious and wholesome and good, doesn’t it? What they don’t say is that the first ingredient is sugar and the second is palm oil (which is proven to increase bad cholesterol). Lesson: How are you showcasing your best qualities (and down-playing your not-so-great qualities)?
“No artificial colors or preservatives” – What they don’t tell you is there are artificial flavors, but because they say “no artificial colors or preservatives” you forget to ask about artificial “anything” and assume it’s “artificial”/junk free! Lesson: As small business owners we sometimes feel the need to apologize for the little things we don’t do- or the services we don’t provide… but instead of apologizing for what you don’t offer, focus on what you DO – and more often than not, people won’t even notice what you don’t do!
I’m not writing this to pick on Nutella or to tell you shouldn’t smother it all over your whole wheat toast for breakfast. I wrote it to use a real world example of how an effective marketing strategy and careful marketing messaging can transform your product or service. Happy Marketing !
(And one more thing, can you really call it a Hazelnut spread if hazelnuts are only the THIRD ingredient? Wouldn’t it be a sugar spread?” – I guess it’s all about packaging!)
What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!! Leave your comments here.
By the way, if you liked this post, I’d really appreciate your Retweet!!! Thank you.
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+Carolyn Higgins, President of Fortune Marketing Company
- Carolyn Higgins, President of Fortune Marketing Company specializes in helping small to medium sized businesses get the customers they need to sell more, increase profits and achieve all of their business and personal goals. We do this by implementing and managing marketing systems based on data and strategy - there is no guess work. For more information visit us at: FortuneMarketingCompany.com. We'd be glad to help!
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