Marketing

What Not to Display on Display Signs

What Not to Display on Display Signs
 by: Jay Conners

If you are promoting a product and you are doing some advertising with displays, dont allow for your customer to know everything. Otherwise, they wont have a reason to call you, or come visit you.

For instance, when I was working in the banking industry, we displayed our rates on a fancy looking board in the middle of our main lobby.

Customers would come in, take care of their business, glance at the rate board, and walk out the door.

Than one day, some genius decided to take the rate board down, forcing the customer to come into an associates office, have a seat, and verbally ask for the rates.

This gave the sales associate an opportunity to sit down with the customer, discuss rates one on one, and also have the opportunity to go over some other products the customer might be interested in.

When you put together an advertisement, put on just enough information to peak your customers interest. Enough to get them to pick up the phone and call you, or come into see you.

Never underestimate the power of meeting one on one with a potential customer.

And remember, props dont sell, people do.

If a customer has gone as far as contacting you, they have pretty much placed the ball in your court. You now know that they are interested, and it becomes your responsibility to finish the advertisement and close the deal.

When putting an advertisement together, you want people to be wowed by it. But you also want to save some of that magic for when they contact you.

So when you get their attention with your products great features, make sure you save some of that magic to peak their interest even greater once they contact you.

An example of this would be a bank advertising a free checking account.

The advertisement would read:

Open a free checking account today, and receive a free gift.

The customer would take interest because they would be getting a free checking account, but it is the free gift that will spark their curiosity. And of course they wouldnt know what the free gift was until they came inside and sat down.

So once again, dont let your advertisements do all of the selling for you, only allow them to kick open the gates, so your customer can come inside, sit down and talk to you.

This article may be reproduced by anyone at any time, as long as the authors name and reference links are kept in tact and active.
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What Distinguishes You From Your Competitors?

What Distinguishes You From Your Competitors?
 by: Catherine Franz

In marketing, U.S.P. is the acronym for unique selling proposition. The USP process answers the distinct question: "What distinguishes your product or service from similar products or services, even businesses as a whole?" After continually battling my wits using other recommended USP models, I developed my own -- a list of 50 questions -- that gave me the same results, but faster. [For simplicity, allow the word product to mean service as well.]

First, select an equal, or as closely matched as possible, playing competitor. Even if you sell apples, be careful in choosing your comparison. A Granny Smith apple is different from a Winesap. Even though both are a snack, each taste different and cook different. If you think there aren't any equals, be mindfully open, somewhere there is a close match -- guaranteed.

Second, gather whatever product information is available -- print or electronic. Lay the material out in singles for easy viewing. I like to color code, using highlighters, each set of USP characteristics. For instance, yellow for features, blue for the benefits. Later, when I'm ready to compare the apples, I use the abbreviations S and D for similar or different to mine. Poorly written material will produce limited results in your analysis. If this occurs, record their limitations and choose another player. Later, use this error list as a checklist against your own created material.

If you are a new player, select a player with fewer than two years in business or with the same number of selling products, otherwise, you will be working under "measurement stress." Measurement stress pleases the inner critic but will challenge your focus, energy, and your commitment.

Third, answer the following questions to create a list of their unique selling points:

1. How long have they been in business?

2. Where is the product on the maturity line? Is it a new product, old, or somewhere in-between?

3. Are there any business stories they tell? What type of story is it and how do they use it?

4. What is the size of their business? What are the advantages or disadvantages to their size?

5. Highlight all the products benefits.

6. What product stories do they use? How and when do they use them?

7. Identify and list the features the product offers.

8. What features are least important to the buyer?

9. What features may be assumed to be there but are not stated?

10. How is each feature used by the buyer?

11. Why would buyers see the feature as desirable? Examine one by one.

12. What is their price?

13. Where is this price in line with other similar products in the marketplace?

14. What emotional needs/desires does the product meet?

15. What customer physical needs or desires does their product meet? Even services meet some needs and desires.

16. Does the product sell better at different times of the year? If so, when, where, and why?

17. Does the competitor have an office? Any advantages to that location? How about their website location or domain name advantages? Disadvantages?

18. Where are they advertising the product? Find and keep copies on file.

19. Do they have a media kit? Obtain a copy.

20. What are the products demographics?

21. What type of customer care services do they offer?

22. Do they offer any special type of advice?

23. What is the guarantee or warranty for the product?

24. How does the product get into their customers hands?

25. How fast do they fulfill their orders?

26. What type of questions and answers do they offer to consumers about the product?

27. How long does it take for them to answer "contact us" type of questions? Submit a few to find out.

28. What are their payment options? Is there room for expansion?

29. What is their customer service policy?

30. List the number of ways their customers can contact them? Test and track each one.

31. What are their "available" (contact/support) hours? Their time zone?

32. Do they offer product discounts? What must a buyer do to earn them?

33. How do they ship? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each method?

34. Do they offer any value-added incentives seen from the customers point of view (freebies, documentation, support, newsletters, ebooks, or other items)?

35. Do they offer purchasing gifts? Are they one-of-a-kind type or generic? What needs to occur to receive one? How often do they change and why?

36. Brainstorm a list of unique, customer-valued gifts, that they don't offer.

37. What special qualities do their employees contribute to the product?

38. Do they offer any type of training?

39. What would make you excited about selling their product?

40. What do their customers say about the uniqueness of that product?

41. What statistics do they have on the product that shows, not tells, its uniqueness?

42. Do they have any celebrity endorsements?

43. In what ways does the product change buyers life style or shift their mindset?

44. How long does their product last with consumer use?

45. Where is the product in the economic trend line? Is it at the beginning or end?

46. How frequent does the company change a feature on the product and remarket it as an update? Examine the products history and look for patterns.

47. How fast can consumers obtain the product?

48. Were they the first to develop this product? When was it developed and first marketed?

49. What are the advantages and disadvantages the product holds in the marketplace now? How is that different then when it first appeared?

50. Where are the product distribution locations? What are the advantages and disadvantages for each?

Always remember, people are attracted to restaurants with full parking lots. The perception is...if lots of people are eating there, it must be good. This is why all restaurant employees are encouraged to park out front. A good USP process will provide the support you need to gather the information needed to fill your parking lot.

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SPECIAL NOTE: Side Bar available at: http://www.abundancecenter.com/articles/USP.htm. Contact author for text copy.

For copy of FAB form: http://www.abundancecenter.com/Forms/Subscribe.htm

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Do You Have Marketing ADD?

Do You Have Marketing ADD?
 by: Stephanie Frank

So you have a website, email address, and you're getting your newsletter out there (well, at least a little bit). You've been to seminars, bought information about how to promote your site, and you're ready to implement.

You decide to start creating keywords for search engines. Then, someone tells you to do pay per click, ezine advertising, write articles, participate in discussion forums, start a blog, update your newsletter, write a sales letter, write a better headline, automate your mailing list, do joint ventures...Ack! This marketing stuff is hard!

It doesn't have to be that way. Before you dive into the specifics of any marketing campaign, you must know first exactly what you want to accomplish with your efforts. There are 3 major results you will receive with your marketing:

1. Visibility -- Visibility is getting your company or product name out there to your marketing. One of the best ways to get visibility is simply to advertise. You can advertise in online or offline publications that are read by your target market -- the people who will want to buy your company's product.

2. Credibility -- To get credibility, one must get an endorsement by another person or company. This result is most useful for independent service professionals who need to be known as an expert to get clients. Credibility can be easily produced through writing articles, speaking or press releases.

3. One-To-One Connection -- Once you have prospects or customers, you will want to keep them up to date and informed of your products or services. This can be done in the form of a simple thank note, or in a more broad sense through the use of technology such as newsletters. One-on-one connection builds and maintains relationships with your prospects so when they are ready to buy, they come to you.

Once you know the end result you want to achieve, you can then begin to drill down into the specific strategies and tactics that you can use to achieve that end result. For example, if you need credibility and decide to write articles, then study the specific article format that successful article writers use to generate traffic to their website. Get really good at ONE THING and watch your profits soar!
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How To Choose the Affiliate Software That is Right For You

How To Choose the Affiliate Software That is Right For You
 by: Peter Koning

With online advertising forecast to grow by 30% this year, the affiliate marketing segment is expected to grow in line with this estimate. Merchants are expected to either add affiliate marketing to their existing online sales channels or upgrade their platforms to expand their existing programmes even further.

A key part of running a successful affiliate program is being able to manage your affiliates efficiently and cost-effectively. Thankfully, there are software products to help you do this. The trouble is, with dozens of different affiliate software suppliers offering a wide range of features, functionality and pricing, how do you choose the right one?

There are six main types of affiliate software, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Once you choose and implement a particular solution, it can be complicated and expensive to switch. Be sure to do your research beforehand and choose a program that meets your needs both now and for the future.

1. Stand-alone Software

You pay a one-time fee to own the software. You install it on your web server where it integrates with your other systems, such as your e-commerce and CRM components.

Pros: Typically has extensive features and functionality. Ongoing fees are minimal and do not change with the size of your affiliate program. Affiliate links show your domain address because the software is hosted on your server. As more affiliates create more inbound links to your site, it can have a positive effect on your search engine rankings.

Cons: Requires installation, which you will need to pay for if you cannot do it yourself. Having the software on your server may require a bigger web hosting package, resulting in higher hosting charges.

2. Hosted (ASP) Software

The software is provided as a service by a third party. They host it on their server and you pay to access it.

Pros: Upgrades are typically included and are rolled out as soon as they are available. Requires no technical skill as installation and hosting is handled by the vendor. Upfront costs are lower.

Cons: Ongoing monthly fees are usually based on volume of transactions. As your affiliate program grows, your costs may grow as well. Some vendors may not allow links that go first to your domain reducing the added benefit of inbound affiliate links and search engine positioning.

3. Affiliate Networks

Again, the software is hosted and provided by a third party. You also gain access to an established community of people who are actively looking for affiliate opportunities.

Pros: No technical skill or maintenance required. Instant access to a large pool of potential affiliates, which can help build your program quickly. Usually the network handles the administration of the entire program, including affiliate payouts and reporting. You do nothing but upload your affiliate offers to the network site.

Cons: The network takes a relatively high transaction fee on each affiliate sale. Minimal options for customizing the program to your specific needs.

4. MLM Software

Multi-level marketing (MLM) is often considered the black sheep of the affiliate marketing concept. However, there is significant overlap between MLM and affiliate marketing. MLM talks about a downline whereas affiliate marketers refer to their sub-affiliates. Same concept, different name. Since there are software packages to manage an MLM business, you should not overlook this possibility for running your affiliate program.

Pros: Excellent for managing an affiliate program with multiple tiers.

Cons: Theres a certain stigma attached to MLM. Potential affiliates may be scared away if they discover you are using MLM software.

5. Shopping Carts

Shopping cart software allows customers on an e- commerce site to select items they wish to purchase and store them in their virtual shopping basket, before paying for their purchase in one electronic transaction. Many e-commerce shopping carts include affiliate management features as either a standard or add-on module.

Pros: E-commerce and affiliate management functions are integrated into one program, making maintenance easier and less expensive. The affiliate module is not typically based on volume so fees remain the same as your program grows.

Cons: Affiliate management is not the vendors primary focus so the software may have less functionality than other software options.

6. Web Site Builder Systems

These all-in-one packages usually bundle web site building tools, web hosting, e-commerce and affiliate functionality.

Pros: Can help you launch a complete e-commerce site from scratch very quickly. Little technical expertise required.

Cons: Paying for many different services as one lump sum means you may be overpaying if you only want one or two pieces. Again, affiliate management is not the vendors primary focus so functionality may be limited.

Whether it is the effectiveness of cookie tracking, the booming popularity off RSS and datafeeds, or companies using the latest tools in fraud and parasite detection, its critical when choosing an affiliate provider to work with a company that is going to adjust to the market. The affiliate software solution that works best for you will depend on your affiliate strategy and requirements. Think about your needs, do your research, and choose wisely.
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Marketing Your Business Successfully

Marketing Your Business Successfully
 by: Tina Valiedi

Marketing - The First Step In Business Success

Marketing keeps a business running by bringing in new customers and building name recognition. Without a marketing plan, a business is doomed to failure. Don't make the mistake of developing a product or service and then finding the market who will buy it.You can market your business effortless if you find a need and then fill it.

Proper marketing starts with having a product or service that will provide fix for your customers needs. You need to designate your target market that will need what you have to offer. For instance, if you where selling electrical components you would not want to target the plumbing industry. It is also a good idea to incorporate a diverse product line, so anyone who would use your product or service on a minimal basis will be able to purchase from you instead of your competitors. In this case you need to assess what size the need is and how you will be able to best market your product to fill the need.

Two goals in developing your marketing plan. One, determine you can develop a product or service to meet the demand without a huge up front investment. Two, don't promise more than you can reasonably deliver.

Cash flow and marketing should go hand in hand. If you purchase too much merchandise and cannot roll it over quickly you could put a strain on your marketing ideas. Try to prepare for being one step ahead of the customer, not a hundred steps. Too much overhead can lead to disaster before you ever get started.

A fatal flaw many business make in getting the sale, especially eager new business owner, it to give an unrealistic completion time line. This tactic may give you the first time sale but not repeat business. Repeat customers and referrals keep you in business. Allow a cushion of time to finish the job. You never know what problems can happen. Even if you do give a realist timeline and problems still cause the job to run over delivery time, keep in communication with your customer. Most customers understand things happen and if you show a sincerity in solving the issue, you can turn that problem into a lifetime customer.

Over deliver, under promise and focus on knowing about your target market and your customer needs. This approach gives a better and more effective way to market your and gauge your business growth.
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