Excuse to Call

Posted by AndyM on March 16, 2010 under Business Growth | Be the First to Comment

During my seven years of leading and managing a national sales organization, my team and I often talked about wanting an “excuse” to call on a prospect or a customer.  As a sales person one often feel like a nuisance — like you are looking to take more than to give.  I had a flashback recently when working with one of my clients — we needed to “tee up” situations that would allow my client’s sales rep to touch base with current clients. 

What did we do?  We created a simple, but valuable, promotion that we plan to send out via email.  I signed up my client with Constant Contact so we can do it quickly, make it attractive looking, and monitor our results (how many people opened the email, how many clicked through to visit the web site, etc.).  Once that email goes out, the sales representative on my client’s team will have a reason to call — just to follow up on the promotion their customers should have all seen in their emails.

It may seem like such a simple concept — a little mundane, in fact, in this age of complex marketing programs.  All she will do is call each of the people who received the promotion via email to:

1. Make sure they noticed it (it’s easy to overlook emails these days isn’t it?)
2. Ask them to either open it up, or send them another copy if they can’t find it
3. Explain a few details and ask if they have any questions

Who knows where the conversation will go from there, but this little two-step plan accomplishes a few things:

1. It communicates that my client doesn’t just blast messages at their clients and prospects.  By simply following up, they are making it clear that the messages they send have useful information.  They wouldn’t be calling to confirm receipt if they didn’t feel so!
2. Increases the likelihood that future messages will be noticed.  It’s so easy to become numb to the emails you receive!  Once the receiver makes the stronger connection between the message and who the sender really is, future emails will get more attention.  Even when my client merely leaves a voice mail that is never returned, the exercise will be worth it.
3. Oh ya, it will increase immediate results.  If you’ve created a good offer in the first place, you’ll get more people to pay attention and take advantage if you follow up with a call.

I urge you to not overlook the simple things when designing your next “system” for increasing profits through more effective marketing and selling. 

More information about Constant Contact

As a business partner, I offer business owners who sign up through me (simply by using either link in this post) the same price as available by signing up directly.  I ALSO provide a free 2-hour email marketing strategy consultation.  If you’ve been kicking around the idea of email marketing, it may be time to take action!  Let me help you get started.

Writing a Press Release to Drive Traffic

Posted by AndyM on March 3, 2010 under Business Growth | Be the First to Comment

With all the buzz about social media (justifiable as it may be), some useful, traditional marketing activities can get overshadowed. Take this post as a reminder that a simple press release can be a valuable tactic.

Moreover, when submitted for online distribution, it helps your web presence as well. Include some links to your web site in your release and voila — you have backlinks from reputable web sites that post it, adding “juice” to your SEO efforts.  A few keys to developing a successful press release:

1. Make it newsworthy.  As much as your new product or service excites you, is it relevant and exciting to others?  An important aim of your press release is to get some attention from writers (traditional news and blogs alike).  Be sure to test your message on friends, clients, advisers, etc.  Does your “news” help people resolve a problem?  Is it related to a “current” issue?  Bottom line, think like a reporter.
2. Get it out.  Simply posting your press release to your web site may help you stay positioned as a viable, active business to your existing visitors, but it doesn’t help you get additional exposure and traffic.  Submit your release to relevant sites, or use a service like PRNewswire or Free Press Release to get it out there.
3. Follow up.  You can’t make someone write about the topic of your release.  If you’re calling writers and professional bloggers, they have busy schedules, deadlines, etc., and pestering them will only guarantee your position at the bottom of their pile.  However, you can use their busy-ness to your advantage — outline the potential “angle” for an article they could write and leave a short message on voicemail and a brief email.  Don’t keep after them, just drop that suggestion and only work with the responses you get. You may hit the right person at the right time who is happy to have a story idea handed to them.

I have put together a simple report to help you create the right message and get your business the exposure you’d like via a press release.  This includes a MS Word template and samples of well-written press releases.  If you’d like it, just drop your email in the form below and I will send you a copy.  Not sure if a press release is right for you?  Check the box for a free consultation, and we’ll set up a time to talk about your circumstance.  I’ll help you figure out the right plan for you.