The other night when I was driving home from work I heard a commercial for a local car dealership. They were bragging that their sales people were not on commission, thus there was no pressure for the consumer to buy. By saying this, they were insinuating that their sales people, and thus their dealership is better than the rest. I realize that car sales people get a bad rap, but lets face it, the fact that they are on commission or not has little bearing on the caliber of a sales rep.
Commissioned compensation means that salary is earned only when a sale is made. If this is the case, then all small business owners are effectively on commission. Since a business owner cannot make money with out making a sale, then their entire business is on commission. I resent the notion that commissioned sales people are pushy, demanding, and not professional. There is nothing wrong with being compensated based on performance. It provides a vehicle for businesses to reward employees based on success.
Professional, consultative sales reps are problem solvers, fact finders and the ultimate customer service rep. If you are on commission-like a business owner is- you are more likely to treat customers with respect, find their need and provide solutions that meet their requirements. The better you are at this, the higher your compensation can be if you are on commission. Why limit a sales rep with salary, when the more successful they are, the more profit a business can earn. They should be on commission to share in the success of the company.
Waiters and waitresses are effectively on commission. I enjoy a waiter/waitress that is responsive, friendly and helpful. They are not pushing me t buy something, they are being a good commissioned sales person.
Lets not equate poor sales skills with commission paid sales people. Business people that provide service beyond the norm and thus provide more revenue for their business should be compensated at a higher level.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Short Run Book Publishing
Many great authors go unpublished and many terrific stories go untold because of the barriers to enter the book publishing world. Today’s digital printing capabilities can help. The modern digital printer can help by offering publishing services to authors. Authors that choose self publishing can get their works to the market quickly and inexpensively.
Short run books are usually in the 200-2000 book copy range. Savvy digital printers can even help with ISBN numbers, barcodes and copy write. Authors looking to self publish can do this themselves, and then bring the book to a digital printer for production. A talented designer can create a cover that will capture an audience and help market the book. Editing can be done by a professional editor, or sometimes friends and family can help to reduce costs even further.
Short run books are typically printed 8.5” x 5.5” with perfect binding (glued edge) with a full color, UV coated cover. They are professionally looking and are appealing to the reader.
Marketing is a key for the self publishing author. Social media marketing is rapidly gaining as a vehicle for authors to spread the word about their book. Books sell largely by word of mouth. Social media; Facebook , Twitter, and Blogging are the modern vehicle for delivering word of mouth referrals, recommendations and evaluations. Imagine a Facebook page with 200 fans of the same book, if they all have 20 contacts each, suddenly a book could be recommended to 4000 people with a single tweet or blog. The potential for word or mouth advertising is tremendous.
Short run book publishing can be a viable option for many authors. Local digital printers can provide a valuable service and help authors publish and market their books.
Many great authors go unpublished and many terrific stories go untold because of the barriers to enter the book publishing world. Today’s digital printing capabilities can help. The modern digital printer can help by offering publishing services to authors. Authors that choose self publishing can get their works to the market quickly and inexpensively.
Short run books are usually in the 200-2000 book copy range. Savvy digital printers can even help with ISBN numbers, barcodes and copy write. Authors looking to self publish can do this themselves, and then bring the book to a digital printer for production. A talented designer can create a cover that will capture an audience and help market the book. Editing can be done by a professional editor, or sometimes friends and family can help to reduce costs even further.
Short run books are typically printed 8.5” x 5.5” with perfect binding (glued edge) with a full color, UV coated cover. They are professionally looking and are appealing to the reader.
Marketing is a key for the self publishing author. Social media marketing is rapidly gaining as a vehicle for authors to spread the word about their book. Books sell largely by word of mouth. Social media; Facebook , Twitter, and Blogging are the modern vehicle for delivering word of mouth referrals, recommendations and evaluations. Imagine a Facebook page with 200 fans of the same book, if they all have 20 contacts each, suddenly a book could be recommended to 4000 people with a single tweet or blog. The potential for word or mouth advertising is tremendous.
Short run book publishing can be a viable option for many authors. Local digital printers can provide a valuable service and help authors publish and market their books.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Trade Show Tips
Trade Show Tips
Spring is a busy season for conventions and trade shows. These opportunities for exhibiting your company can prove to be very effective in finding new customers. Good preparation for any show is essential for success.
Know the Audience
Who will be attending the show/conference? It is important to know the demographics of the potential show attendees. Are they the decision makers to purchase your product and service? What will be important to them to learn about your company? The more information you have about the audience, the better you can prepare your exhibition and staff. Have materials ready to answer their questions. Do you have examples of your work on display? Perhaps you will have a demonstration of your product. Have materials ready to give to attendees.
Be Ready to Capture Information
You should have a pre-determined method ready to capture information about potential customers you meet. Many conventions utilize the name badge of the attendee and a scanner to capture the contact information of the attendee. Be ready to have whatever equipment is necessary to easily capture that information. Many local shows like home shows, boat shows or chamber of commerce business fairs do not have electronic name badges. In this case you must have a simple, convenient and easy method to gain contact information from potential customers. A giveaway with an entry will allow potential clients to fill out a form for entry. Make sure that you are capturing enough information that will help with lead follow up. Take notes on specific product interest and make special notice of hot leads.
Know the Numbers
Be prepared for the number of attendees that will be attending. The organizers of shows will have previous attendee information and will share that with exhibiting companies. Have booth staff ready for the busy times. Try not to make potential customers wait to talk to someone in your booth. If you will be handing out materials at the show, have enough copies. Tracking the number of people that stop at your booth is important for measuring ROI and knowing if the show was a good use of marketing dollars.
Put Some Pizzazz in Your Display
Exhibit Graphic is the magnet that attracts visitors into your booth. Good graphics will pre-qualify a potential customer. If effective, your graphics will communicate your message and let people know you have a solution for their needs. Your graphics should communicate who you are, what you do and what you offer. Put some thought into this and invest in graphics that will enhance your exhibit.
Pre Show Marketing
Many organizations will supply pre-registered attendee lists to exhibitors. If this is the case, use this opportunity to let attendees know you will be exhibiting at the show. This is a very effective use of direct mail. You have a well qualified list, you know they will be attending the event, you are just trying to get them to stop by your booth or display. Let them know of the new product/service you are introducing. Entice them with a give-away or prize if they stop by. Invite them with a formal invitation if you will be holding a press conference, technical seminar or other presentation.
Have a Follow-up Plan
Make sure you have a strategy to follow up on all leads. It does no good to go to the time and trouble of exhibiting, if you don’t plan to follow up. Assign follow up duties to specific individuals. Have daily wrap up summary to review hot leads and special follow up needs.
Trade shows and conferences can be and excellent venue for finding new customers. By knowing your audience, implementing a show strategy and following up with new leads, the ROI on a show can be well worth the time and expense.
Spring is a busy season for conventions and trade shows. These opportunities for exhibiting your company can prove to be very effective in finding new customers. Good preparation for any show is essential for success.
Know the Audience
Who will be attending the show/conference? It is important to know the demographics of the potential show attendees. Are they the decision makers to purchase your product and service? What will be important to them to learn about your company? The more information you have about the audience, the better you can prepare your exhibition and staff. Have materials ready to answer their questions. Do you have examples of your work on display? Perhaps you will have a demonstration of your product. Have materials ready to give to attendees.
Be Ready to Capture Information
You should have a pre-determined method ready to capture information about potential customers you meet. Many conventions utilize the name badge of the attendee and a scanner to capture the contact information of the attendee. Be ready to have whatever equipment is necessary to easily capture that information. Many local shows like home shows, boat shows or chamber of commerce business fairs do not have electronic name badges. In this case you must have a simple, convenient and easy method to gain contact information from potential customers. A giveaway with an entry will allow potential clients to fill out a form for entry. Make sure that you are capturing enough information that will help with lead follow up. Take notes on specific product interest and make special notice of hot leads.
Know the Numbers
Be prepared for the number of attendees that will be attending. The organizers of shows will have previous attendee information and will share that with exhibiting companies. Have booth staff ready for the busy times. Try not to make potential customers wait to talk to someone in your booth. If you will be handing out materials at the show, have enough copies. Tracking the number of people that stop at your booth is important for measuring ROI and knowing if the show was a good use of marketing dollars.
Put Some Pizzazz in Your Display
Exhibit Graphic is the magnet that attracts visitors into your booth. Good graphics will pre-qualify a potential customer. If effective, your graphics will communicate your message and let people know you have a solution for their needs. Your graphics should communicate who you are, what you do and what you offer. Put some thought into this and invest in graphics that will enhance your exhibit.
Pre Show Marketing
Many organizations will supply pre-registered attendee lists to exhibitors. If this is the case, use this opportunity to let attendees know you will be exhibiting at the show. This is a very effective use of direct mail. You have a well qualified list, you know they will be attending the event, you are just trying to get them to stop by your booth or display. Let them know of the new product/service you are introducing. Entice them with a give-away or prize if they stop by. Invite them with a formal invitation if you will be holding a press conference, technical seminar or other presentation.
Have a Follow-up Plan
Make sure you have a strategy to follow up on all leads. It does no good to go to the time and trouble of exhibiting, if you don’t plan to follow up. Assign follow up duties to specific individuals. Have daily wrap up summary to review hot leads and special follow up needs.
Trade shows and conferences can be and excellent venue for finding new customers. By knowing your audience, implementing a show strategy and following up with new leads, the ROI on a show can be well worth the time and expense.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Direct Mail is Not Dead Mail
Direct Mail is Not Dead!
You can use mail to effectively and efficiently market your product or service. There are many factors to consider before you develop a direct mail campaign. The most important is the list you are mailing to. Is the list up to date? Are the names and addresses current? Are the contacts on the list the decision makers for the product/service you are promoting? Lists can be obtained from many sources. The first and best choice is your company’s database of existing and potential customers. The more information you collect from your customers, the better you can target your list for a specific promotion. If you are a new business or do not have a target customer list, you can work with a vendor to provide a list for you. Lists are available for very specific demographics. For example you can purchase a list for women aged 30-50 with a college education and a specific income range. Business lists are available by geography and financial criteria like sales volume and number of employees. You can also select business data by industry specific information like all landscapers or lawn care companies.
After you have a good list there are other criteria to consider. The timing of the mailing piece is important. You should not offer lawn care services in the fall, or snow removal in the spring. This may seem obvious but, make sure the timing of your offer is pertinent. Try to be specific, like reaching out to potential trade show attendees before a convention to drive traffic to your booth.
The next important consideration is the offer. What are you offering the customer? Is it of value? Try to determine something that will be of value to your audience that will make them take action to obtain it. For example if you are a preschool or daycare offer free activity ideas for parents and their child. If you are a business consultant you might offer a free hour of consulting time to uncover opportunities. Your offer needs to be a value to your audience.
Finally, you need to consider the call to action. What does the recipient of the mailed piece have to do to receive the offer? You must make this simple and convenient to them. Do they call and request the offer? Do they need to bring an entry to your booth at a trade show? Do you direct them to a web page? The call to action should be related to your product or service.
There are four key issues to consider for any direct mail campaign that will help to increase the response rate. First and most important is the list; second is the timing of the piece; next is the offer and finally there is the call to action to obtain the offer.
A recent article in the January 12th Wall Street Journal “Firms Hold Fast to Snail Mail Marketing” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703481004574646904234860412.html#mod=dist_smartbrief?mod=dist_smartbrief) stated that despite the proliferation of email marketing many companies are returning to direct mail. Effective direct mail pieces can result in increased opportunities for your business.
You can use mail to effectively and efficiently market your product or service. There are many factors to consider before you develop a direct mail campaign. The most important is the list you are mailing to. Is the list up to date? Are the names and addresses current? Are the contacts on the list the decision makers for the product/service you are promoting? Lists can be obtained from many sources. The first and best choice is your company’s database of existing and potential customers. The more information you collect from your customers, the better you can target your list for a specific promotion. If you are a new business or do not have a target customer list, you can work with a vendor to provide a list for you. Lists are available for very specific demographics. For example you can purchase a list for women aged 30-50 with a college education and a specific income range. Business lists are available by geography and financial criteria like sales volume and number of employees. You can also select business data by industry specific information like all landscapers or lawn care companies.
After you have a good list there are other criteria to consider. The timing of the mailing piece is important. You should not offer lawn care services in the fall, or snow removal in the spring. This may seem obvious but, make sure the timing of your offer is pertinent. Try to be specific, like reaching out to potential trade show attendees before a convention to drive traffic to your booth.
The next important consideration is the offer. What are you offering the customer? Is it of value? Try to determine something that will be of value to your audience that will make them take action to obtain it. For example if you are a preschool or daycare offer free activity ideas for parents and their child. If you are a business consultant you might offer a free hour of consulting time to uncover opportunities. Your offer needs to be a value to your audience.
Finally, you need to consider the call to action. What does the recipient of the mailed piece have to do to receive the offer? You must make this simple and convenient to them. Do they call and request the offer? Do they need to bring an entry to your booth at a trade show? Do you direct them to a web page? The call to action should be related to your product or service.
There are four key issues to consider for any direct mail campaign that will help to increase the response rate. First and most important is the list; second is the timing of the piece; next is the offer and finally there is the call to action to obtain the offer.
A recent article in the January 12th Wall Street Journal “Firms Hold Fast to Snail Mail Marketing” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703481004574646904234860412.html#mod=dist_smartbrief?mod=dist_smartbrief) stated that despite the proliferation of email marketing many companies are returning to direct mail. Effective direct mail pieces can result in increased opportunities for your business.
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