Archived entries for Sales and Marketing Tips

Ten Steps to Build Your Brand - by Michael Doyle

Determine what it takes to reach your business goals: Gather your executive team and clearly determine what you’re trying to accomplish. Are you trying to drive revenue, launch a new product or service, gain market share or generate more leads? Whatever your plan to take your company to the next level, set your goals in stone and put together a plan to reach them.

Get to know your competition: There’s an old saying, “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Scout the landscape and scrutinize your competition. You must fully understand who owns what space in your marketplace and truly identify where you stand. Be realistic about what your company is up against.

Separate yourself: After maximizing your knowledge on the external realities of your business, turn the focus inward. Figure out why you’re better than the competition and focus on your target market. Make sure you grasp the real value of what you have to offer and start to differentiate yourself. Don’t settle for saying, “We provide great service,” “We offer the best experience,” or “We have the best people!” Every company in the world says these things. Understand your true differentiators, based on the space you desire to own. Determine the true value of your product/service brings and the unique reasons you really are better.

Forge your brand: Package your company and your product/service offerings in a way that attracts attention and generates some sex appeal for the targets you’re trying to reach. Envision your brand’s look and feel and what it should stand for. Make sure the values that really separate you are clear, concise and easy to understand. Make sure that the execution of your creative strategy stands out from the crowd and elevates your company’s brand as the true leader in your space.

Embrace the workload ahead: By realizing that it usually takes 7–12 “touches” for a prospect to get to know you, you can plan your marketing approach accordingly. How many leads do you need? What is the level of marketing and sales activity needed to produce these leads? Establish timelines and milestones while determining what methods of measurement you will use to track your progress.

Develop a holistic brand plan: Holistic branding means having one unified message and being able to effectively communicate it, market it, sell it and deliver on it based on your brand’s value proposition. The most effective companies incorporate their brands holistically not only through marketing, but through sales and operations, too.

Roll out the brand internally: Get your people on board so they understand the brand and the value you bring to the marketplace. Make sure they know their role in making your brand come alive and that they are brand ambassadors for your company.

Commit to reaching your business goals: Start by taking a hard look at how you plan to produce leads and bottom-line results. Consider developing a strong call-to-action for your customers. Look at developing a “partner program” with those in the periphery of your industry as a way to provide incentives for business referrals. Develop an online marketing strategy that maximizes your budget and produces quality leads. Consider things like search engine optimization (SEO), Google Adwords for online search engines, and even blog strategies. In preparation for launching your brand, you must coordinate the implementation, work hard to make sure you are doing everything you need to do to generate leads, gain customers and drive revenue.

Monitor your progress: Track your branding efforts to make sure you are reaching your goals and objectives, and measure against your sales matrix. Are the marketing efforts working to generate leads? Are you gaining customers? Are you delivering on your brand value proposition? Does everyone know what they need to do to produce results?

Don’t stay static. Make sure your brand is evolving the way you want it to. If it’s not evolving, then modify the plan as necessary. Don’t stay static. Your competitors won’t. Stay in front of the competition.
A strong brand positions your company as a leader in the marketplace and allows you to charge a premium price and attract and retain the best employees. Embracing these 10 steps will play a vital role in your ability to be successful during these challenging economic times.

Michael Doyle is president of Brand Iron, a Denver-based branding and marketing consulting firm.

Follow Up on Commitments - by Robert Whipple

• Keep an action item list. Whatever form, whether a 3″x5″ card in your pocket or a handheld computer, get the item written down along with a time frame to answer. It helps to write it in front of the person with the concern. You can say, “Just a second – let me jot that down so I don’t forget to get back to you.” The person feels honored that you are considering the issue strongly enough to document it and will tell everyone about the exchange during the next break.

• If you delegate the issue to another person for follow-up, make sure they preface their response with, “Bob asked me to get back to you on this question.” Also, make sure your agent confirms with you when it is done. Cross it off your list when your agent tells you it is closed, not when you delegate it to him. In some cases, you should circle back to the person with a note or call saying, “I asked Mike to get back to you on your concern about the slippery floors. Did you hear from him and was his response satisfactory?” Doing that gives you the opportunity to jack up any agents that shirk their duty. In a staff meeting you can say something like, “I have been following up when I ask some of you to get back to employees on their concerns. Some of them have complained that their concern is downplayed. When I ask you to act as my agent, I expect you will keep working on it until the situation is resolved satisfactorily to the employee. If you can’t resolve their concern, get back to me. Don’t let it drop.”

• Use handwritten notes to people. A brief note, along with a “thank you for bringing this up,” will be prized by the individual and shared in the break room. Be careful to use a tangible note only when the response is positive and difficult to misinterpret. Otherwise, you may find your note tacked to the break room bulletin board next to a Dilbert cartoon. For difficult issues, it is always better to deal face-to-face.

Closure on action items is not confined to personal discussions. The same logic holds when you promise something to a group. If you say, “I will make a decision on overtime by noon,” make sure they hear from you on that schedule. It is important to state a deadline or things tend to stretch out. You may think a week to unveil a new organization is reasonable, but for some people it feels like, “he promised to do something about that but never got back to us.”

The best approach is to set a personal expectation that you will always be prompt and helpful with getting back to people. Think of it as a personal trademark that will set you apart from most other leaders. This is not to say that you need to resolve every issue in the original expected time frame. That would be impossible. Just do not leave people hanging wondering why you are not addressing their concern. It is a common courtesy that most leaders neglect.

Have the Courage to Create a Brand! - by Jane Adamson

Branding is a tricky subject to discuss with small to mid-size companies. It’s a concept that’s more easily associated with consumer products, packaged goods, or the Fortune 500. Branding books use examples like Starbucks, Apple or Dell – examples that don’t resonate with midsize service companies, B2B companies, or industrial product companies.

Many of these types of businesses think of a brand as their logo, the look & feel of their web site, or their slogan. Unfortunately, a brand is none of those things.  Instead, we define a brand as the combination of what you sell, how you sell it, and to whom. The result is an experience that develops your customers’ trust, and it can create substantial value because the right customers will be willing to pay a premium for that experience. That experience is based on trust and belief that you will be who you say you are every single time and in all circumstances. Not most of the time. Not just with certain people. All the time, everywhere.

A BRAND IS NARROW

The very essence of branding is being very clear about who you are and what specific customer segment you best serve. Thus, done correctly, branding is discomforting for a small to mid-size company because it requires a courageous and counter-intuitive choice to limit your market.  After all, when you’re very specific about your target customers, you leave out other customers that don’t perfectly fit your target.  For a small company fighting for survival, decisions don’t get much tougher than that.

Why should you limit your market and develop a brand? Because the dangers of NOT branding the company carefully, of NOT choosing, are lethal.

NO BRAND?  YOU’RE NO DIFFERENT.

First, the act of NOT choosing very specifically who you are, what market you’ll serve, and how you’ll serve that market, is in itself a choice. It’s the choice to be like everyone else, to be anonymous, to hide in the chorus of companies and hope that your voice will be heard amongst all the others.

In an age where your customers can choose from a huge swell of service providers from around the globe, choosing anonymity is a dangerous decision indeed. If you don’t answer the question of “why me,” a competitor surely will. Very simply, branding gives customers a reason to buy from you without you having to plead, prod, and cajole a sale.

A BRAND IS A CLEAR PROMISE

A good brand says, “You can trust that I will meet your expectations because I’ve clearly told you what those expectations are.” If a company hasn’t developed a clear brand, then it’s difficult to be clear about the promises it makes to customers.

If a company knows, internally, what it promises to customers, then the entire structure of the organization (including compensation plans, values, reward systems, resource allocation and so forth) can be clearly established to ensure that the company delivers on those promises. Without brand clarity, it’s easy for internal systems to become misaligned, inevitably leading to customer disappointment and overall mediocrity.

For example, online shoe retailer Zappos.com promises no hassle returns, and they successfully deliver on that promise. I returned a pair of shoes last week, and there was absolutely no hassle — no questioning of my return decision, no cost to me, easy instructions, and friendly service. Their business processes are set up to ensure no hassle returns and their employees are enthusiastic about returns. In other words, their organization is aligned to deliver on a clear brand promise.

BRANDING DRIVES MARKETING EFFICIENCY

A good brand is extremely specific about the profile of ideal customers. Without that specificity, marketing efforts are diluted because they need to appeal to a broad audience. Next, expensive sales time is wasted as sales reps talk with prospects who really aren’t a good fit for the company.

Is your company facing this problem? Check your revenue generation metrics. Are you attracting the right number of prospects for your investments? Are you closing a high percentage of the prospects you do attract? If either numbers isn’t where you’d like it to be, there’s a good chance that your organization isn’t completely clear about your customer profile and you are, unfortunately, wasting money.

BRANDING DRIVES WORD OF MOUTH AND REFERRALS

There is one true indicator of a good brand: word of mouth. Strong brands are so reliable and rare that people talk about them. This fact is true even in service industries, industrial companies, small businesses, B2B product companies and the like. Regardless of size or industry, a well-branded company enjoys a tremendous advantage in the marketplace because word of mouth and referrals are the best possible form of marketing.

If your company doesn’t have a strong brand, your competitors have a major opportunity to beat you to the punch and gain an enormous advantage.

ACTION PLAN TO CREATE A STRONG BRAND

1. Focus on the customer problem you’re trying to solve.

As Marty Neumeier says in his excellent book The Brand Gap, “A brand is not what you say it is; it’s what they say it is.”  Therefore, you need to start with the real needs of your customers – and those needs typically have nothing to do with your product. Ultimately, your customers need to generate revenue and profit, and your solution has to help them get there. Customers also have needs such as mitigating risk, convenience, personal image within the company, political agendas, technical limitations, and much more.

Be VERY SPECIFIC concerning what problems your customers actually have and how your solution can solve those problems.  Become a specialist your customers can trust, not a generalist for everyone.

2. Create a detailed profile of your perfect customer.

Companies often say they have a target customer profile, but it’s typically so general that it’s ineffective. Dig much deeper than top tier characteristics such as company size, geography, job title or industry. The goal is to help the prospect feel like you are talking specifically to him/her.  Help your marketing and sales department understand the problems your customers face as well as characteristics like how they make decisions, what’s important to them, what they struggle with, with whom they interact, and how they like to do business.

When the profile is complete, the marketing and sales teams can then identify how best to reach the target group and how to recognize a “good” target customer.  A great brand will attract certain types of people. Do not bend to the temptation of responding to prospects that do not fit the profile. Let go. Trying to appeal to different groups will dilute and ultimately crush the brand.

3. Decide, as a company, on your promises.

A promise is a much stronger word than “value proposition.”  Value proposition sounds casual and murky and spineless.  A promise is real. People are careful about making promises and breaking them is a serious cultural violation.  Your brand promises should take on the same solemn quality.

For instance, if a local nursery promises to help customers make informed buying decisions, everything about that company should be set up to deliver on that promise. HR would hire only cashiers with backgrounds in gardening and the different types of shrubs, trees and plants. Training classes would be held on a regular basis so the staff could keep up to date with local planting techniques and watering requirements.  Employees would be well versed on all inventoried items.  Specialists would be available for detailed questions.  The company may even conduct gardening classes for its customers.

A brand promise is a solemn vow. Are you keeping yours? How do you know?

4. Avoid corporate speak.

Great brands speak directly to their client groups in language that they understand and believe.  Corporate fluff such as “we’re dedicated to your success,” “we have a full range of products to meet all your needs,” and “we’re better, faster, cheaper” have lost all meaning and credibility. Tell your prospective clients exactly how you solve their problems. Then walk, talk, and demonstrate your dedication to that brand.

A local Scottsdale remodeling contractor I know requires all his subs to clean up a home every evening.  He bases his remodeling recommendations on how a family lives their daily lives, and he spends time perfecting every detail of the project even though it may never be noticed. In a city among the hardest hit by the housing crisis, this contractor stays booked, and he enjoys strong word of mouth. He has created an authentic, powerful brand.

The buzzword “transparency” is another way of telling companies to be authentic.  In this world of instant messaging and the internet, companies cannot get by for too long without authenticity because the market will unmask the reality and spread the word.

CONCLUSION

Why don’t more small to mid-size companies spend more time on creating an identifiable brand? The answer is that, like most good things, it’s hard to do and takes enormous corporate discipline and strength of character. Every company has heard the internal plea “we can’t be that specific, then we’ll lose all these other opportunities.”  The counter-intuitive pull is tough. Yet when you choose not to create a brand, you’re choosing to be the same as everyone else.

Remember: Your goal is to consistently communicate WHAT you do, for WHOM, and HOW you do it.  Make a solemn promise and keep it every time. That’s a powerful brand that can differentiate your company in a difficult, crowded market.

Ways to make your website sizzle - by Philippa Gamse, CMC

A few relatively simple adjustments to your company website can help you stand out from competitors, turn casual browsers into customers and keep existing customers on board.

“Your website may be beautiful, but if it doesn’t reflect and support your overall corporate strategy, you’re leaving money on the table,” says Websites That Win president Philippa Gamse, a site analyst, consultant and speaker based in Capitola, Calif. “You’ve got to think beyond the sale. Especially in this economy, it’s about keeping the customer happy.”

The best adjustments are those that save you time and money even as they enhance value and ease of use for your customers.

Gamse, who has analyzed some 5,000 sites since 1995, recalls one woman in California who was exhausted from getting up at 4 a.m. Pacific time to handle support for customers in Europe.

“Their site was almost entirely sales driven,” Gamse says. Her advice: First, think about the issues customers raise most consistently. Then, create easily navigable FAQ  (frequently asked questions) sheets and manuals addressing these problems. Implementing these solutions spared the site’s customers from frustrating rounds of trans-Atlantic phone and e-mail tag, and the overtired site owner got more sleep.

Consider these other tips.

Understand your traffic
Just knowing how many hits you’re getting or where you rank in search engine optimization doesn’t do much good unless these hits produce real, live customers.

A free service such as Google Analytics can give you vital, actionable information on how your visitors are interacting with your site, says Gamse.

For example, Equity Trust, a self-directed IRA custodian in Ohio, found that an astonishing 40 percent of its visitors were coming through a single portal – an informational article on federal IRA contribution limits.  Many people were coming in, getting that information and leaving. Now, that information is flanked by detailed facts about self-directed IRAs and, in particular, the services this company offers.

Keep your home page simple
Companies eager to grab online surfers often inundate their home pages with hundreds of graphics, facts and options. Unfortunately, this approach can confuse or repel newcomers and irritate regulars, Gamse warns.

The home page of Easi File, a UPS customer in California that makes one of the world’s best large-document storage systems, offers a classic example of ease of usage, uncluttered attractiveness and simplicity. A few basic facts and graphics dominate a page that is engagingly but unobtrusively designed to look like a large file. Tabs offer clear options for where to go next.

A good home page explains some fundamentals and then gently guides visitors (or better, lets visitors guide themselves) to the inside pages they want to see. Keep in mind that visitors using search engines often don’t arrive at your site through the home page – so spread the pertinent information around.

Emphasize “calls to action”
Every page of your website is there for a reason. Consequently, every page should have a call to action. This urges the visitor to follow your best-case scenario. “Add to Cart” is the most classic and obvious.

There should be other actions for visitors: Can they click to contact a rep? Is there a number to call for more info? Can they fill out a brief survey? Each of these actions puts casual visitors one step closer to becoming customers.

Offer news they can use
Superior content such as white papers, articles and FAQs tells customers that you really want to help and reinforces your stature as an authority in your field.

And here’s a little-known tip: Articles and papers are a magnet to your site. People using search engines for general information are likely to be directed first to informational papers rather than marketing-oriented sites.

Yet, by reading your white paper, they’ve entered your site. Gamse points out that these visitors are especially valuable prospects, because they have already demonstrated a serious interest in learning more about your field.

The website of Birkman International, a personality assessment developer, offers a host of white papers and articles on trends and findings in human resources, and each one enhances this Texas firm’s reputation for scholarly expertise. Note that your white papers or articles should include helpful links to other parts of your site; this encourages visitors gleaning your information to stick around and become clients.

Lead the way to action and sales
Any driver in an unfamiliar city knows the difference between helpful road signs and those that seem to assume you already know where you’re going.

But while the car driver is stuck in that city, a confused web “driver” can move to a competitor’s site in a nanosecond. Tabs are your site’s road signs. Make them clear enough that all visitors know where they’re going before they click.

Too many companies use product names as tabs, Gamse says. Visitors who don’t know what “X-J Eagle Plus” means shouldn’t have to go to a whole new page just to find out.

StoneL, a Minnesota manufacturer of tech components, features pictures of each product on its home page. Move the cursor over a picture, and both the product name and its type pop up. These identifiers make it that much easier for customers to locate what they want.

Welcome ALL your customers
“Think about your customers, one visitor at a time. What is it they really want?” Gamse says. “Sit down with your team, especially those who deal directly with customers, and ask them what different types of customers care most about.”

Blended Waxes Inc., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of industrial coatings, needed its site to appeal both to experienced customers, who know exactly what they want, and to novices unsure which products might suit their needs. Gamse is helping the company address this challenge with short, clear paragraphs that introduce each product group and describe its uses, immediately followed by lists of individual products. Novices get a warm welcome to the industry, while pros can skip directly to the list without wasting time.

Differentiate yourself
You have certain qualities that make your company stand out in the industry. You’re the most fun, or the most elegant. You’re a cranky perfectionist, or you have the quickest turnarounds, or the most knowledgeable staff.

“Don’t just say that you are committed to quality and customer service. Everyone says that,” Gamse advises. “Find your points of true differentiation.” These should be clearly stated in a brief positioning statement on your home page.

Beyond that, these qualities should be reflected on every page of your site. Every picture, typeface, visual element and sentence should reinforce your image.

Build your credibility with testimonials
Testimonials tell strangers that people who are just like them love your company. That’s especially important in an age when your next customer might come from around the corner or around the world.

Wherever possible, identify the person. “Bob, company president” says a lot less than a full name and title (get permission first, of course).

Don’t bunch them on a separate page marked “Testimonials.” Visitors won’t click a tab to see you brag. Instead, place them organically around your web pages, next to applicable services or products.

If you select “Mortgage Center” or “Business Banking” on the website of First National Bank of Fox Valley(Wisconsin), product information pops up along with a picture and name of an actual customer describing how those services helped.

Make the most of “About Us”
One of the biggest mistakes companies make online is assuming that people who visit their site know who they are, Gamse warns. A concise but thorough and easy-to-find “About Us” page is an absolute must. It should tell your company’s history, mission and principles.

People want to know that there are names and faces behind a company’s logo. If applicable, your “About Us” page should identify staff members with whom customers might interact if they do business with you. Pictures are a plus (again, get permission first).

Take advantage of website expertise from UPS
With UPS’s application programming interfaces, you can empower customers to get the information they need, when they need it – saving you time and expense.

10 Body Language Do’s and Don’ts for Presentations

Show confidence with long strides when entering the room/stage.

The posture of a leader starts with the entrance. Walk out to the podium with a confident, upright posture using long strides. Avoid shifting your weight from side to side. This gesture is often perceived as nervousness. First impressions are made quickly, last a long time, and can’t be repealed. Play the scenario in your head ahead of time. Think about what you want to project and act accordingly.

 Show engagement by making eye contact with the audience.

Direct eye contact often increases significantly when we are listening, especially when we pay close attention to what another person is saying. Eye contact is often reduced when talking, particularly by people who are visual thinkers, as they stare into the distance or upwards and “see” what they’re talking about. Strong, consistent eye contact is essential. Dry, tired-looking or bloodshot eyes reduce the effectiveness of eye contact. Use eye drops to help your eyes sparkle.
Show credibility and confidence by stepping away from the podium.

Face-to-face meeting is a powerful communication medium. The best leaders get out from behind the podium so the audience can see their entire bodies. They fully face the audience, make eye contact, keep their movements relaxed and natural, and stand tall - all of which are nonverbal signs of credibility and competence.

Emphasize your message with a pause.

A great way to emphasize a point is by pausing both your talk and body movement after you make it. This is an effective tool but don’t overuse it or you may bore the audience.
Express interest by turning your ear towards an audience member asking a question.

When you tilt your head and turn your ear towards someone who is asking a question, you’re simultaneously showing interest in what they have to say and encouraging them to express their thoughts.

Agree with and acknowledge the audience by nodding.

By using positive gestures such as nodding repeatedly to acknowledge the audience, you build an alliance with them, a nonverbal agreement that you are all on the same side.
Show honesty with open hands.

Keeping your hands open sends the message that you have nothing to hide. Straight, open hands forming one line with the arm, shows honesty and openness. Keep open body posture and appropriate eye contact.

 Answer questions confidently, using the “The Tower.”

Placing tips of fingers, one against the other, indicates active listening and serious attention. It also displays a honest attempt to provide an accurate and thorough answer.
Finish strong with shoulders back and head high.

Finish as convincingly as you started–with energy and confidence. Walk away with your shoulders back and head high. This is the image to leave your audience with.

 Deepen relationships by shaking hands after the presentation.

When people ask you questions or greet you after a presentation, use a handshake to empower and deepen relationships. Pump hands once or twice, while maintaining eye contact and then release. Weak handshakes and bone-crushing handshakes both leave a negative impression. Don’t be afraid to practice shaking hands.

When preparing a talk, try to align the message or subtext (openness, restraint, willingness etc.) with associated and commensurate body gestures. Practice gestures in front of a mirror until they flow and feel natural.

Gestures to avoid when making a presentation

Don’t cover your mouth.

This gesture suggests that you’re hiding information, lying or not convinced of what you are saying.

 Don’t press on the bridge of your nose.

This is sign of fatigue and stress, the equivalent of saying, “I want to get out of here.”
Don’t play with a ring.

Fidgeting with a ring may be a habit for some people, but avoid doing it during presentations as it indicates emotional sensitivity, agitation or boredom.

 Don’t massage your throat.

This suggests that you’re having difficultly accepting someone else’s premise, argument or terms and it can alienate your audience.
Don’t put your hands on your hips.

This position is an attempt to increase your presence, show dominance or attract attention.

 Don’t hide behind objects or hold items between you and the listener.

Standing behind a chair or other object, holding an object close to your body or even crossing your arms indicates defensiveness and insecurity.
Don’t lock your ankles.

Locked ankles conveys that things are getting too difficult for you.

 Don’t point at someone while casting a direct look at them.

This gesture is aggressive, authoritarian and, in some cultures, insulting.

Asia Rols, holds a PhD in neuroscience and currently conducts research on memory consolidation processes at Stanford University. She’s been a key contributor in the development of the Body Language Cards. Body Language Cards use flash card methodology to introduce the basics of body language and the general concepts of how to read and understand body language.

Marketing Planning for those with no time to do marketing

A question often asked is: “What is a marketing plan and why do we need one?” The purpose of this article is to provide a brief overview of marketing planning for those who might not be too familiar with the process.

Is marketing all about big ad campaigns? 

There is a perception that marketing is all about expensive advertising campaigns and big budgets. Nothing could be further from the truth. While no marketing manager will ever turn down a big budget the reality is that your marketing plan should be appropriate to the scale of your business.

There is also a perception that marketing is simply about supporting the sales team. This is not necessarily true either. Marketing and Sales are two distinct disciplines that need to work together but also need a certain amount of independence. 

Put simply, marketing is about making your customers and potential customers aware of who you are and what you do at a general level. Marketing tends to have a longer term focus and is about building awareness and making the task of the sales team easier. Sales is much more focussed on specific customers, their exact needs and “signing on the dotted line”. Marketing can assist Sales through activities such as direct mail.

So what is a Marketing Plan?

A marketing plan is about organising yourself to keep your business in the minds of those people who are most important to your success. There are many different tools available to you but the most important part of any marketing or communications plan is that it involves regular contact. It is far too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day swirl of running your business and neglect longer term needs. Having a marketing plan can help keep longer term communication goals on the agenda.

What to examine when developing a marketing plan.

1. The first element of any plan is to review current marketing activities, even if they are only ad hoc in nature. With ad hoc activities, such as an occasional golf outing or a one-off ad, it can be very difficult to see any benefit. By creating a plan you can make it easier to see what activities work for you and what ones do not.

2. Agree target audiences. We all tend to focus on winning new business but key audiences also include existing customers and the internal audience. We all know of the 80/20 rule – 80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers – and that it costs five times as much to win a new client as it does to win new work from an existing client. Even if your marketing plan only focuses on the top 20% this means you are securing a large portion of your business.

3. Review the corporate brand. It is important that your corporate brand is working for you. You need to be sure that your brand is correctly positioned in the marketplace. Perhaps part of your plan for the year is to compare your brand with that of your competitors and see where you stand. You also need to be sure that it is being implemented in a coherent and consistent manner. Does your brand look the same wherever it appears – stationery, signage, vehicles, website? If not, you may be sending out a confusing message. If in doubt please contact Baseline and we will be happy to advise.

4. Examine all your communications options – there is more to life than advertising! There are a wide variety of communications methods available today. Some are better at mass communication, some are better at targeting individual markets and customers. You need to select the tools that suit you best. The main channels are:

 - Advertising

- PR

- Direct Mail

- Sponsorship

- Promotion

- Electronic (includes web, email, SMS etc)


5. Identify the resources required. This of course includes the budget but also includes:

- Collateral: Do you have the marketing materials required for your plan? Apart from obvious requirements such as brochures or product information sheets this area also includes exhibition material, multi-media and branded merchandise;

- Sales Tools: Does your sales team have the tools it needs to benefit from marketing activity? Items to consider include sales presentations and product literature; Consider using digital print to customise printed material.

- External resources and advisers to meet needs that cannot be fulfiled in-house;

- Market Research: Understanding how you are perceived in the market is always worthwhile information.

Finally, creating a marketing plan need not be a daunting task. What it can do is to provide a simple structure to all your communications activities and create a framework to make sure these activities happen.

Marketing advice is one of the four key services provided by Baseline and if you would like to discuss the preparation of a marketing plan for your business please contact Alec Drew on 01 889 3150.

“….marketing and innovation add value, everything else adds costs.” Peter Druker

Sales, Technology & Speaking Tips by Frank Furness

You’ve just met with a potential new client and tension levels are fairly high. This is the stage for ‘small talk’ and developing rapport and a business relationship. So what do you speak about?

Well, think about it, who do most people like to speak about. They love to speak about themselves, so that’s what we have to do; we have to get them to speak about themselves. 

For many years, I’ve used ‘past, present and future’. I’d walk into the prospect’s office, have a look around and say, “this is amazing, you’ve got this great position with this top company, how did you get started?” Nobody’s asked them that question for years and they are really proud of what they have achieved and how well they have done in the company (this works really well with CEOs). 

They may reply, “Well, fifteen years ago I started as a clerk and I worked my way up….and now I am the CEO” 

You just keep quiet and listen. The next question you would ask would be about the present situation. “So tell me about your position at the moment, how are things going?” 

They may reply, “well I’ve got fifteen people working for me, we’re expanding and opening three or four new branches as soon hope to be known in many countries worldwide.” At this stage you just keep quiet and listen. 

Your next question is asking them about the future, and with this question you’ll learn more about your potential client than in any other part of the interview. “So where do you see yourself and your organisation in five or ten years time?” and you just keep quiet.

What they now say will give you all kinds of buying signals. You will hear things like; ‘Well, I want to expand and open another three branches………’ 

This is where the clients talk from the heart. These are the emotions and the reasons why they’re going to buy from you, so remember that when you walk in, use ‘past, present and future.’ Also remember that logic makes people think and emotion makes them act, focus on the emotion when selling.

Frank Furness CSP CFP TOT is a professional speaker and trainer specialising in technology, sales and customer service. He has educated, entertained and inspired audiences in 48 countries. Frank is the author of bestselling books ‘Walking with Tigers – Success Secrets of the World’s Top Business Leaders’ and ‘How to Find New Clients and Business’

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