Saturday, December 20, 2008

Inbound Marketing Video Fun

From Jill Konrath:

Desperate Seller Begs Marketing for Help

It's already hard to crack into corporate accounts. And, because of the turbulent economy, I fully expect it will only get harder in the upcoming months. In my opinion, companies must invest in online marketing initiatives that attract and nurture prospects till they're ready to work with salespeople.

But don't take my word for it! Listen to this desperate seller who's falling apart from cold calling.


This "Oughta Know Inbound Marketing" video was created by Rebecca Corliss from HubSpot - a company that specializes in "helping clients get found by search engines, social media and blogs.

It's posted on YouTube and it's on their company blog with all the lyrics, downloadable audios of the entire song and more.

As you can see, HubSpot practices what they preach! After all, I'm telling you to go to their website. I'm also telling you that salespeople need help like this - desperately!

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Today's Top Ten...


A Hat Tip to AdRants that mentioned this in an email this week. This is from Collateraldamage.wordpress.com


Top 10 Marketing Blunders of 2008


GRAND PRIZE FOR SUSTAINED ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORT

(tie)

The John McCain Presidential Campaign

  • Has no idea how many houses he (or his wife) owns.
  • Picks Sara Palin, the Broad to Nowhere who couldn’t find Russia or Africa on a map.
  • Campaign adviser and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina says Palin couldn’t run a major corporation.
  • Campaign adviser and former senator Phil Gramm says Americans are whiners about economic problems.
  • “Shutting down” his campaign to fix the bailout.
  • “Lipstick on a pig”
  • Egregious attack on Dungeons & Dragons that clearly cost him the election. (OK, maybe not so much the last one).

GM

Runners Up

  1. Ford features “Space Oddity” — a song about astronaut suicide — in new car campaign.
  2. Framingham State College uses the word blah 137 times in a 312-word fundraising letter.
  3. Disney (multiple entries): Bans kids from DisneyWorld restaurant; Changes “It’s A Small World” to “A Salute to All Nations, But Mostly America; and Sells “High School Musical” panties for tween girls with the phrase “Dive In” on them.
  4. Woolworths (UK) launches Lolita brand of beds for young girl
  5. JetBlue lives up to Southwest’s parody ad by charging for pillows.
  6. Russia uses smiling kids in tourism ad for war zone
  7. Residents of Lesbos sue those other lesbians over brand name
  8. Motrin gets headache from viral moms video
  9. Butcher’s ads feature “Meat Products, Fresh Service” on naked woman
  10. Hershey asks if you’ve found Mr. Goodbar

Special Jury Awards

Co-Branding That Shouldn’t Have Been

The Alpha & Omega of Over-reaching

Product Failure

The Penguins Of Irony “Oh NO You Din’t” Awards

Previous years’ lists

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The Future of Phone Books and Newspapers


First, what do they have in common?

Both are published on a regular basis.

Both have deadlines.

Both are having financial problems.

Take a look why:

Print Media Face Staggering Challenges for the Foreseeable Future

"Extinction Threatens Yellow Pages Publishers," screamed a Wall Street Journal article on November 17. "The economic downturn is sending the already ailing industry into a tailspin," wrote reporter Emily Steel. Extinction is a powerful word and one rarely -- if ever -- heard in media circles. The gospel of media has always been that no new medium has ever replaced an existing one. Radio adapted to the introduction of television just as print adapted to the development of Radio. Broadcast networks adjusted when cable came along. The Internet, media traditionalists have continued to assert, might cause upheaval and change for established media, but it certainly could not result in the extinction of those media.

But Yellow Pages will dip in 2009 below their 1998 revenues of $12.1 billion. Myers Report projects Yellow Pages advertising will decline 12 percent in 2009 and 6 to 10 percent in 2010, following a four percent dip in 2008. (Myers will issue its adjusted 2009 advertising investment forecast next week.) While Yellow Pages continues to be a multi-billion dollar business -- far from extinction -- the industry's economic growth prospects are non-existent.

All print media are struggling with the same reality. While some magazine publishers are moving quickly to identify and invest in alternative revenue models, the magazine industry for the most part remains dangerously dependent on traditional print advertising revenues that are eroding at a rate even more dramatic than Yellow Pages' ad revenues. And newspaper ad revenues in some markets are all but disappearing as the auto, real estate, retail, entertainment and other core categories stagger toward a depression-like economic reality.

Consumer magazine ad revenues will decline 12 to 15 percent in 2008 and even more in 2009. Projections on when the industry is likely to see an actual increase in ad revenues can only be based on wishful thinking. As much evidence as exists about the value of magazine advertising and the engagement of magazine readers with advertising messages -- and there is substantial evidence that magazines outperform almost all other media on several engagement measures -- the realities are that print-based media are on the decline.

Newspapers, which do not reap the benefits of high engagement scores (except among Hispanic and African-American readers), are at an even greater disadvantage. In 2001, according to Myers Report, newspaper advertising revenues were $49.2 billion. In 2010, they are projected to be only $28.5 billion, a 42% decline. Consumer magazines are projected to decline in ad revenues from more than $14 billion in 2005 to $10.3 billion in 2010.

Magazine publishers with strong print brands can offset some of these losses by leveraging their brands beyond the print page. But the economic reality is that digital, mobile and other "new" media options simply do not have the short or long term revenue growth potential that traditional media companies require to replace the looming declines.

There are solutions, but cost-cutting measures are only a band-aid on a deepening wound. Being the harbinger of negative economic realities is not a pleasant role and I wish I could be more positive. But publishers need to be far more aggressive in confronting the truth of their situation. There will, of course, be magazines that survive and do quite well in a depressed economic environment and some will successfully sustain their business with their traditional business models.

But for the print media industry as a whole, there is a pressing need to adjust to a new reality. There are solutions. There are opportunities. But if management fails to quickly and dramatically heed the clear warning signs of both economic and systemic, secular dangers to their core business, the reality of extinction will face them sooner than they imagine.

(Source: JackMyers Media Business Report, 12/8/08)

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Copy Writing Tips


I hate cliches. If you are writing ad copy, talk like a real person. And take a look at these tips from MSNBC:
10 Advertising Words to Avoid in 2009

Shun meaningless words like "a lot" and "guarantee" in your copy. It'll help you out a lot--we guarantee it.

By Susan Gunelius Entrepreneur.com

The economy, unemployment, companies folding, people losing their homes--2008 has left consumers wary of businesses. And that lack of consumer confidence requires straightforward, honest advertising messages to regain marketplace security. In 2009, perhaps more than ever, the words you use in your copywriting can determine whether you make a sale or lose a customer.

Here are 10 words to avoid in your 2009 copywriting.

  • Free
    Ads that include messages about a free product or service promotions can work well during an economic downturn, but consumers need to see the products perform well. E-mail spam filters are tough on messages that include "free" in the subject line. While it might be tempting to use a subject line that says, "Open now to get your free widget," that's an e-mail spam filter red flag that will send your message to most recipients' spam boxes. When the economy is tough, you can't risk having your e-mails not make it to the intended recipients. Replace "free" with "complimentary" or "gratis" to sneak by spam filters without compromising the effectiveness of your message.
  • Guarantee
    Few people believe in guarantees these days. Unless you can prove your guarantee is real, use the valuable real estate space in your ad for a more effective message that consumers are likely to believe and act on.
  • Really
    If you want to waste space in your ads, include "really" in your copy. This word does nothing to help your messages. Instead, it slows consumers down, and they are not likely to wait around for the complete message. Don't risk losing them by loading your copy with useless filler words. Make sure every word in your copy is there for a reason.
  • Very
    Does a message sound more compelling with "very" in it? Is "When you need very fresh flowers, call ABC Florist," more effective than "When you need fresh flowers, call ABC Florist"? If you answered, yes, reread the last paragraph.
  • That
    Once you finish writing copy for your ad or marketing piece, reread it and make note of every time you use "that" in your copy. Chances are, you can delete 90 percent of them because "that" is a filler word that doesn't advance the consumer through the message. Instead, it slows down time-strapped consumers. Deliver the messages your audience is likely to respond to, and deliver them quickly.
  • A Lot
    Don't use vague copy with words like "a lot" that do nothing to differentiate your business from your competitors. Instead, quantify your messages. If you offer 20 varieties of roses in your flower shop, say so. If you respond to customer service calls within five minutes, tell people. Which is more compelling: "You can choose from a lot of shoe styles at Sally's Shoe Boutique" or "You can choose from more than 100 shoe styles at Sally's Shoe Boutique?" No doubt, "100 shoe styles" is more intriguing than "a lot of shoe styles". A lot can mean different things to different people. Don't leave room for guesswork in your copy. Make your messages extremely clear with no room for confusion.
  • Opportunity
    You're not helping anyone when you offer "opportunities" in your copy. Consumers don't want opportunities. They want to feel confident handing over their hard-earned money. They want to know they'll get the results they want and need, not the opportunity to perhaps get those results. Don't let them wonder what they'll get when they pull out their wallets. Tell them.
  • To Be (or Not To Be, For That Matter)
    Write your advertising and marketing messages in the active voice, not the passive voice. If any form of "to be," "has been" or anything similar appears in your copy, rewrite it. Writing in the passive voice doesn't command action. Writing in the active voice does.
  • Synergy
    This overused piece of jargon has had a long life, but it's time to move on. Leave jargon and 10-dollar words out of your advertising messages. There's no room in copywriting for buzz words and words that consumers need a dictionary to understand. Consumers don't care about your "unique value proposition." They care that when they pay for your product or service, it will deliver the results they expect. Naturally, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as B2B copywriting, where jargon might be expected. In most copywriting, however, keep it simple.
  • Drinkability
    Budweiser is already using "drinkability" in its ads. Seriously though, the point is valid--don't copy your competition. Instead, differentiate your product and business with unique copy and messages that your target audience is likely to respond to.
  • The rules of successful copywriting don't change from one year to the next, but as the marketplace and environment change, so must your messages. Use the list above as a guideline to writing great advertising copy in 2009.

    Susan Guneliushas more than 15 years of marketing and copywriting experience working for some of the largest companies in the world. Gunelius is the president and CEO ofKeySplash Creative Inc., a marketing communications company offering writing and copywriting services, and marketing and branding consulting. She is also a published author, and her latest book,Kick-Ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps, is now available fromEntrepreneur Press.

    URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28239300/

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    Make it Personal


    Saturday morning, before the short week of Christmas. Our radio station office will only be open on Monday and Tuesday, then we have a 5 day weekend, followed by another short week. So now is the time to really prep for 2009. Jill Konrath has some great ideas and insight:

    How to Immunize Yourself Against Tough Economic Times

    By Jill Konrath


    Selling in today's economy is tough. And, it's likely going to get a lot tougher in the upcoming months. That's not news that we want to hear, but it is the reality we face so it makes sense to address it head on.

    Recently I noticed that 465 fewer sellers get my newsletter today than 3 months ago, even though I've added tons of new subscribers. Why? Dead email addresses. I can only surmise that these sellers have lost their jobs. Ouch!

    So let me ask this: What are you doing about it?
    I can tell you right now that I'm taking action. Tough times call for different sales approaches, new offerings and stronger business cases. It's not enough to just make more calls or have more meetings. We have to be better than we've ever been - in every aspect.

    But let's talk about you right now. Are you hoping you can hang in there for a while longer? Hoping that you'll still have customers? Hoping that you'll make your numbers?


    As Rick Page says, "Hope is not a strategy." As far as I'm concerned, there's only ONE thing that makes sense right now. It's time to take charge of your own career.

    You can't count on your employer to take care of you. That's a brutal statement,
    but true.


    Whether you work for a big organization or an upstart firm, you could lose your job tomorrow. Even if your boss really cares about you! Even if your company is still doing okay. Of course, you realize that it's not personal. It's just a business decision.

    But it is personal. It's your life, your career, and your family that's at risk. I don't mean to be an alarmist. I just want you to wake up and take responsibility for your future now so you can minimize the effects of this economic downturn.


    Too many sellers I know are complacent, coasting, doing what's expected of them but not a whole lot more. If this continues, it will be their downfall.

    When companies hit tough times, mediocre sellers are the first to go. Doing an "okay" job or being "average" is no longer an acceptable contribution.


    If you're mediocre, you're also disposable to your customers. Being knowledgeable about your product or service is no longer enough. All that information is online, so you don't bring value. When that happens, they replace you with a lower cost solution.

    Customers want to work with experts who understand their business and can help them achieve their objectives. To do that well, you need to be a problem solving, critical thinking person who can synthesize lots of information and turn it into invaluable, actionable ideas.

    In tough times, you have to sharpen your sales skills and bring expertise to your customers. Doing just one is not sufficient. Whew! That's asking a lot.

    You just have to keep getting smarter and better in order to stay in the game. If that's not your focus, you're vulnerable to the ravages of these tough times.


    Don't let it happen to you. Give yourself a booster shot! It's time to invest in your own professional development program. Don't wait for your company to send you to training programs to upgrade your knowledge and skills. You're not #1 on their priority list.

    But you are #1 on your own priority list. So, wake up. Get going. Your livelihood depends on it.
    Booster Shot 1: Open Your Mind to New Thinking


    When was the last time you read a book that offered fresh perspectives on how you can be a valuable resource and/or a top seller? Honestly? What are you waiting for?

    Here are several books I've found stimulating:

    • A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink: Discover the skills needed in a changing economy.
    • Good in a Room, Stephanie Power: Fresh observations and useful advice.
    • Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds: Learn how to tantalize with your presentations.
    • Made to Stick, Chip & Dan Heath: What makes (sales) stories memorable.
    • Back of the Napkin, Dan Roam: Discover strategies to really engage your prospects.
    • Metaphorically Selling, Anne Miller: New ways to make what you say, pay.

    And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Selling to Big Companies . It challenges your entire process for getting into corporate accounts and shows you what's required. If you haven't read it yet, you're missing out.

    Blogs are also a great place to get fresh perspectives. I regularly read blogs about sales, marketing, business development, creativity, writing and more.

    Booster Shot 2: Increase Your Personal Productivity


    Virtually every seller I know could get much more done in less time if they leveraged technology better. Not only that, but you'd be a whole lot savvier when you're with your customers - which should directly correlate to increased sales success.

    There's no excuse any more for not using these resources. In fact, if you don't know about them or can't use them, it's time to get educated. Here's what I recommend for:

    • Finding contacts: Jigsaw, Netprospex, LinkedIn
    • Triggering event updates: InsideView, Google & BizJournals Alerts
    • Account research: Hoovers, D&B, ZoomInfo
    • Industry intelligence: First Research
    • Email intelligence: Genius
    • Sales productivity: Landslide
    • Online Meetings: GoToMeeting, Webex

    All these resources are affordable to everyone. If your company doesn't pay for these services, use your own money. The value that you get from them far outweighs the expense. You'll save so much time, plus learn critical insights that can be leveraged for business success.
    Booster Shot 3: Get Connected - and Stay Connected

    The worst time to build your personal network is when you're desperate. No matter how hard you try to sound normal, every contact oozes with your neediness.

    Start by creating or updating your LinkedIn profile. From a business perspective, it's the place to be. If you're not sure what to do, check out my profile at http://www.linkedin.com/in/sellingtobigcompanies . Once yours is ready for prime time, you can:

    • Ask your boss, co-workers and clients to recommend you. Do it now,
      not when you need it.
    • Invite your customers to connect with you online. That way, if anyone
      changes jobs, you can keep in touch.
    • Look up former colleagues (classmates, friends, etc.) and invite them
      to connect.

    Get out from your self-imposed isolation too! I know you're busy. But it's important to talk or meet with people from outside your own company. Arrange breakfast meetings. Attend industry events. Take a former colleague to lunch. My favorite? Meet for coffee over the phone! It saves so much time, but it gives you a dedicated time to talk.

    Finally, remember that networking is not a one-way street. You'll find people much more willing to help you out if you're a GIVER first. You can share insights, refer potential customers, make connections, or offer genuine assistance in any area. As a bonus, giving makes you feel good inside too!

    In Conclusion

    While these booster shots can't protect you against everything, they will give you the best immunity possible for these tough times. Plus, when you make them a part of your life, your success is truly guaranteed - in tough times and in good times!

    Everything is within your control. That's why it should be your focus right now. Because it is what you can do. Because it will make you a better seller. Because it changes your life & your career.

    Jill Konrath, author of Selling to Big Companies, helps sellers crack into corporate accounts, shorten sales cycles and win big contracts. She is a frequent speaker at annual sales meetings and association events. For more articles like this, visit http://www.SellingtoBigCompanies.com . Get a free Sales Call Planning Guide ($19.95 value) when you sign up for the Selling to Big Companies e-newsletter.

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    Friday, December 19, 2008

    Friday Night Marketing News


    Been sort of crazy here in Fort Wayne Indiana, with lot's of folks without power due to an ice storm. However, I was able to get this to you during one of the up times!

    Automotive
    by Karl Greenberg
    Norm Olson, retail sales operations manager, explains that Toyota TCUV has a presence on over 300 Web sites ... and has "extensive [search engine optimization] words on Google and Yahoo. Most of our advertising and marketing is on the Internet; we have been almost completely out of print for quite a while--we found that for our product, interactive is really the way to go." ... Read the whole story > >
    Retail
    by Sarah Mahoney
    Retail Forward's report estimates that sales growth for 2009 will approach 2%, but fall short of 2008's 2.3% average growth. Sales will rebound in 2010, and then "gain momentum through 2013, when annual increases in sales will again approach the 5% average growth rate of the past 10 years. Adjusting for inflation, however, growth is forecast to remain below average going forward." ... Read the whole story > >
    Food
    by Karlene Lukovitz
    Of the total of 16.3 pounds consumed per person, Americans ate 12.1 pounds of fresh and frozen finfish and shellfish, down 0.2 pounds from 2006. Consumption of fish fillets and steaks averaged five pounds per person, down 0.2 pounds from 2006. However, canned seafood (primarily tuna), which is both cheaper and easier to prepare, remained at 3.9 pounds per person. ... Read the whole story > >
    Beverages
    by Karl Greenberg
    Sixteen pro board riders, including Olympic Gold Medalist Shaun White and freestylist Travis Rice, will compete. The event will include performances by bands like Anthrax. There will also be a spectator "village" located in East River Park, at Houston Street and FDR Drive. A panel of internationally licensed judges will score the event. To promote, Red Bull has a Web site, www.RedBullSnowscrapers.com. ... Read the whole story > >
    Food
    by Nina M. Lentini
    In its first partnership with a major movie studio, Campbell Soup is promoting Universal Pictures' "The Tale Of Despereaux," which opens today, on 50 million cans of condensed Chicken Noodle and Tomato soup. The soup can labels will feature the film's hero, Despereaux, holding a golden spoon. The story takes place in the mythical Kingdom of Dor, once renowned for its great soups but where soup has become a rare treat. ... Read the whole story > >
    Beverages
    by Mark Walsh
    PepsiCo announced in November that it plans to invest $1 billion in China over the next four years as part of its wider strategy to expand into emerging markets. The investment is expected to generate thousands of new jobs in China, where PepsiCo employs more than 22,000 people. Capital will also go toward expanding local research and development facilities and increasing the company's local sales force. ... Read the whole story > >

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    Selling Body Parts

    From an Adrants email, unlike the Starbucks Cups hoax, this is really, really real. (I hope):

    Eyevertising: Further Proof There is No Final Frontier in Advertising

    eyevertising.jpg

    The next time you find yourself in bed with that person of your dreams and you lean in for the kiss, don't be surprised if, when your lover closes their eyes for the impending kiss, you see an ad gracing their eyelids.

    Oh yes. Eyevertising is here. British beauty brand FeelUnique is offering to pay 10 pence per wink up to a total of 100 pounds. Exactly how all of this will be measured is unclear but that's irrelevant. Like all of its cousins, it's all about the PR and has little at all with the actual exchange of money.

    A trip down blank-vertising memory lane brings headvertising, dogvertising, forehead advertising, assverting, bravertising, blogvertising, bloodvertising, adverblogging, invertising, advergaming, chipvertising, thongvertising, replacevertising, busvertising, police car advertising, adverwear, and urinal advertising.

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    Good News for Yellow Pages?



    Every now and then I feature a story regarding the decline of the phone book.

    Here's a few you can check out:

    Bye-Bye Yellow

    Saying No to Yellow Page Advertising

    Another view of the Yellow Pages

    Yellow Page Predictions

    Why I Don't like the Phone Book


    Online Yellow Pages

    Yellow Pages & Nursing Homes

    Yellow Page Alternatives

    However, despite all the doom and gloom, this survey says many folks still use it according to Adweek:

    Study: How Consumers Find a Business

    Print Yellow Pages, search engines top list

    Dec 17, 2008

    -By Mark Dolliver

    NEW YORK When searching for a business or service -- from dentist to pizza parlor -- Americans employ a mix of old and new media, according to a Knowledge Networks report released this week. Based on polling conducted in the spring among respondents age 13 and older, the report says 77 percent turn to print Yellow Pages. Forty-eight percent of those polled said this is the source they use most often. Search engines were the runner-up, with 49 percent saying they use them to seek out a business or service, including 21 percent for whom this is the most-often-used source. The only other resources to register in double digits in the survey were Internet Yellow Pages (36 percent, 13 percent most often), free or fee-based 411 (30 percent, 8 percent most often) and newspapers (19 percent, 2 percent most often). For all the talk about people roaming the streets with mobile devices in hand as they seek stores and restaurants, just 5 percent of respondents included "mobile search" among their sources, including 1 percent who said it's the source they use most often. The study found that users of mobile search "were most likely to see themselves as 'opinion leaders' in their social groups," with 55 percent voicing that self-assessment. It was beyond the purview of this survey to determine whether these opinion leaders actually have opinion followers.

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    Confusion over Social Media


    I never expected to be writing about Social Media. But there are too many out there that have no idea what is, what it is about, and why they should care.

    This week I was included in the taping of a T.V. show that discussed these topics and once it is online, I'll share it with you.

    In the meantime click here for an introduction to social media that anyone can understand.

    And take a look at what Seth said this week about it too:

    Brands, social, clutter and the sundae

    The Times reports that traditional brand advertising on Facebook is a total failure. If you've been doing this for a while, this is no real surprise.

    And yet, Mark Drapeau insists that brands belong on Twitter. Venture Beat says that Twitter made Dell a million dollars. That's nuts. Did the phone company make Dell a billion dollars? Just because people used the phone to order their Dell doesn't mean that the phone was a marketing medium. It was a connecting medium. Big difference.

    There are two key problems here.

    First, these big companies are asking precisely the wrong question. They are asking, "how can we use these new tools to leverage our existing businesses?" They want to use the thing they have (money) to get the thing they need (attention) and are basically trying to force ads onto a medium that just doesn't want them. Do people really want to follow P&G on Twitter so they can learn about the history of the soap operas they sponsored? Why? There are millions of people to friend or follow or interact with... why oh why are you going to spend time with Dunkin Donuts unless there is something in it for you?

    Traditional advertising is inherently selfish. It interrupts in order to generate money (part of which pays for more interruptions). That approach doesn't work at a cocktail party, or at a funeral or in a social network.

    This is the meatball sundae. Asking what the medium can do for you instead of what you can do for the medium.

    The second problem is a lot more subtle. It's the clutter of the impersonal. Yes, you want an alert from a friend when it's really a friend and really an alert. But what happens when it's an ad that pretends to be an alert? Or what if it's not an ad, but not really a totally personal tweet either?

    It's too late for the social sites to go back to descriptions of what you had for lunch. There will be a line drawn, and right now it seems to be at the point where marketers discover that they are wasting their money.

    The clutter is going to get a lot worse. Marketers and free media are drawn to each other, even if the results aren't always very good. Until marketers get off the greed train, though, it's going to be a long time between pots of gold.

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    Checking Social Media References

    Social Media and Search work hand in hand. I did a Google Search for my Social Media Name, "ScLoHo" and Google said there were 38,000,000 results!

    Show Me the Way

    You know it's time for your company to enter the realm of social media, but perhaps you're unsure of how to get started, or where to concentrate your efforts. You probably require outside help. And in a premium article at MarketingProfs, Mack Collier provides an in-depth primer on hiring a social-media consultant. Here's a taste of his advice:

    Google the potential candidate. When you enter Collier's name, "you see that there are over 30,000 search results, and among the first 10 results you see my blog and my Blogger profile, as well as my Twitter account and my LinkedIn account. You can immediately tell that I am active on multiple social sites." Be wary if a search returns only a few hundred results, especially if they aren't related directly to the consultant.

    Investigate expertise with specific social-media tools. If you need help with blogs, for instance, look for evidence of success at the consultant's blog. Do posts appear at least once a week? Do visitors leave comments? Does the consultant publish statistics on the volume of traffic and subscribers? "Evaluating a consultant's blog is important, because if a consultant appears to have a healthy and vibrant blog, then odds are he or she can help you improve your blogging efforts. Blog consultants will understand that their blog is a tool that can be used to sell potential customers on blog consulting."

    The Po!nt: Don't rule someone out only because their consultancy resume is thin. "Many successful bloggers begin consulting simply because potential clients begin inquiring about their availability to consult," says Collier. "Also, since the field of social-media consulting is relatively new, many consultants wont yet have a robust package of client work. So, although a nice portfolio of client work is important, its not essential."

    Source: MarketingProfs. Click here for the complete article.

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    Wizard Wisdom

    From my inbox:


    Wizard-Chronicle-Newsletter.jpg

    Dear Scott,

    When telling it like it is...

    “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your enemies, but a great deal more to stand up to your friends.” - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

    In this issue:

    Connection Vs. Control

    You Need to be Near and Far Sighted to Grow a Business

    Introverts and Extraverts

    Wizard Academy upcoming seminars:

    Fight the Big Boys and Win 20-21 Jan 2009

    Boom Your Business 19-20 Feb 2009, Denver, Colorado


    Connection Vs. Control

    By Michele Miller, Wizard of Ads Partner & Co-Author of "The Soccer Mom Myth"

    "A business can’t create connection. It can only give its customer the information and experience she desires so that SHE can connect your brand with all that is good and right in the world."

    Truth is an onion.

    The real, core truth of a concept is concealed beneath layers that most people ignore or neglect.

    You can always go deeper. You can always peel away one more layer.

    Maybe you’re afraid, because the very layer you caress between your fingers is the one that everyone else believes to be the essential truth. It’s the layer that everyone else focuses on - the layer upon which everyone else’s marketing strategies, advertising campaigns, and mission statements are based.

    But you’re not like everyone else, are you?

    When it comes to capturing the heart of the female customer, the overriding mantra being chanted by marketers today is:

    Connect with her and all is well.

    Connect with her and all is well.

    Connect with her and all is well…

    Too many marketing-to-women strategies and campaigns have failed on the concept of “connecting” with the female consumer.

    It’s not about connection. It’s about CONTROL.

    Connection is a process. Control is ownership.

    A business can’t create connection. It can only give its customer the information and experience she desires so that SHE can connect your brand with all that is good and right in the world.

    Giving her control means:

    1. Information is not withheld. You provide all of the answers to her questions, before she even has a chance to ask them.

    2. You strive for transparency. There’s no fine print, no shell game.
    Phone calls are returned, mistakes owned up to.

    3. You give her the peace of mind to know that you are taking care of everything that can and should be done. Peace of mind means that when inevitable mistakes do occur on your part, it’s very easy for her to forgive you.

    4. She feels like she’s having an honest dialogue with you. She has a voice in your relationship, and feels valued.

    It’s up to you to give her the control she needs. Total control provides every possible opportunity to let the customer decide where you fit into her world of connection.

    What do you want your customer to feel - out of control, or in control?

    What are you doing to ensure that she feels in control? Do you have a system in place for information, transparency, and dialogue?

    That system could be the key to the fanatical customer loyalty you dream of.

    Go ahead. Peel down to control, then let her do the connecting.

    She’ll love you for it.

    The Editor: Michele has limited days available each year for speaking engagements.

    For your next event hire Michele and learn where marketing is headed and how to keep your business light-years ahead of your competitors.


    You Need to be Near and Far Sighted to Grow a Business

    There are basically two ways of seeing:

    1. the way things are.

    2. the way things ought to be.

    Do you find yourself moaning about lack of resources, and wishing that things were different? Follow the advice of Teddy Roosevelt, who said, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

    Now that we've established the wisdom of a pragmatic, clear-eyed worldview, let's examine the equal-but-opposite wisdom offered by that other hemisphere of your brain, the right. What might happen if a person simply rejected the way things are and insisted on seeing them as they ought to be?

    1. First, the person would be considered irrelevant, an impractical dreamer.
    2. If persistent, they'd become a nuisance.
    3. Then a renegade, a rebel, a lunatic and a heretic.
    4. Finally, a serious troublemaker and a borderline criminal.
    5. Later, the founder of a movement.

    Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. Mahatma Gandhi. Martin Luther King.

    "Every man with a new idea is a crank until the idea succeeds." - Mark Twain

    "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."
    - George Bernard Shaw

    I'm not trying to be mysterious when I say I agree with both of these equal-but-opposite worldviews.

    We must do what we can, with what we have, where we are if we are to accomplish anything in the short term, and we must be the crank with a new idea if tomorrow is going to be better than today.

    The Editor: Do you possess a balanced way of seeing?


    Introverts and Extraverts

    By Roy H. Williams

    Run the following ad in any newspaper:
    2006 Honda Civic DX 4dr, White, 63,000 miles, $8,100. Call 555-1212

    These are the questions you’ll be asked by nearly half your callers:
    “What year is that Honda Civic? Is it a 2-door or 4-door? What color? How many miles on it? How much are you asking?”

    I know this because I bought and sold an average of 3 cars a month for the first several years Pennie and I were married. I’ve answered these questions many hundreds of times and in every instance the information was in the newspaper ad.

    I always wanted to ask, “Where did you get this phone number?”

    Then a few years ago Dr. Richard D. Grant taught me the difference between introverts and extraverts.

    Introversion and extraversion don't refer to shyness and boldness.
    They refer only to how you charge your emotional batteries. Introverts gain energy from internal contemplation, centering, and quiet time. Extraverts gain energy from external people, places, and things.

    I’m an introvert. Those car questions were asked by extraverts. Contrary to what introverts like to think, extraverts aren’t stupid. They simply prefer the spoken word to the written.

    Books are written for introverts. Audiobooks are recorded for extraverts.

    Introverts rarely say what they are thinking.
    They say only what they have thought. Introverts think to talk.

    Extraverts talk to think.

    When introverts get stuck, they close the door, turn off the radio, take the phone off the hook and go deep inside themselves to find the answer. When extraverts get stuck they strike up a conversation with someone. This gets the mental flywheel spinning again and sure enough, within moments, out pops an idea. Extraverts get their best ideas during conversation.

    Although nearly half our population is introverted, the US maintains a strongly extraverted social etiquette:

    Focus groups measure the opinions of extraverts.
    Churches plan social events for extraverts.
    Companies hand out promotions to extraverts
    and sales trainers teach us how to sell to extraverts.

    Do you remember the old sales adage, “close early, close hard and close often?” This may be a sure way to keep your extraverted customer engaged in conversation and “flush out” their true objection, but you’ll just as surely alienate your introverted customers. Good luck with that.

    Extraverts think introverts are socially inept.
    Introverts think extraverts are noisy.
    What extraverts call “reaching out to someone,” introverts call an invasion of privacy. Extraverts prefer to work in teams. Introverts do their best work alone.

    Given their polar opposite preferences, can introverts and extraverts work well together, become partners, be happily married?

    Absolutely.

    The key to showing courtesy to an extravert is to listen to them more than you think is necessary. Maintain eye contact, nod your head and smile.

    The key to showing courtesy to an introvert is to give them time and space for reflection and processing. Don’t bombard them with questions or subject them to a barrage of jabber when they’re “all peopled out." Give them an uninterrupted hour to read the mail and they’ll soon be ready to hear about your day.

    Do it however works best for you, but keep your emotional batteries charged.

    Happy Holidays.

    Sending out a Flyer? 2 Factors You Must Understand

    How to Survive a Family Business


    A Closing Thought
    "Education either functions as...
    1. an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity, or
    2. it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world." - Paolo Freire
    Have a great Christmas break.

    Craig Arthur
    Wizard of Ads

    PS. Need help to attract more customers and grow your business?

    Australia Call (07) 4728 4866 or email craigarthur@wizardofads.com

    North America

    Call 308-254-2732 or email daveyoung@wizardofads.com

    Call 440-610-9746 or email tomwanek@wizardofads.com

    We will never try and sell you. You may punch us in the arm really, really hard if we do.


    Call or email to book a FREE alignment meeting. No obligation. No pressure. It is at this meeting we both decide if there is a fit between our 2 companies. It is only then can we explore your options. We will never try to sell you. Call (07) 4728 4866.

    Wizard Partners Australia. Call Us: (07) 4728 4866

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    Excuses or Results?


    Start the new year early with these tips from Art:

    This Week's Tip:
    Here's How You Will Sell More
    Than Ever in 2009

    Greetings!

    Do you know anyone who is constantly whining, complaining, and
    making excuses for their performance?

    Stay clear of them, because they will try to suck you into their pity parties.

    Oh sure, there's no denying that the current economic environment
    could be better. But, when the weather is bad, do you say, "Oh,
    the weather's bad. I can't go outside today, or do my job." I doubt it.

    The successes in life adapt to their environment. They make changes.
    They act. I bet that is you.

    And just like we need to regularly work on our physical health to stay
    in shape, we need to do the same with our mental and "sales health"
    to perform at peak levels.

    At my regular meeting of Master Speakers International, I sat down
    with one of the top experts in the world on peak performance and
    motivation, my friend Dr. Alan Zimmerman. I asked Alan what
    salespeople need to do, right now, to keep their attitudes high
    and outsell the competition.

    Here are his common-sense, on-target answers. First, on attitude:

    1. Refuse to blame anyone or anything for sales problems.
    Blaming anything outside of yourself doesn't change anything. All
    blame can do is keep you stuck or make you spiteful, neither of which
    will turn you into a winner. Ever wonder why one salesperson prospers
    while another suffers in the same situation? The answer is simple:
    The suffering salesperson wastes his time on blame, while the
    prospering salesperson is investing her time, learning how to get
    better at what she does.

    What are you doing, right now, to get better?

    2. Refuse to use a loser's language.
    The most successful, and I might add, the happiest salespeople,
    refuse to use a loser's language. They know that words precede results.
    They know if they talk like a loser, they'll end up losing. George Schultz,
    the former U.S. Secretary of State said, "The minute you start talking
    about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost."

    The salesperson who will not acknowledge defeat cannot be defeated.
    That person is guaranteed to win in the long run. It's a given.

    It's like the little boy who walked onto the baseball practice field
    saying, "I'm the greatest hitter in the world." He threw up the ball,
    swung, missed, and said, "Strike one." He threw up the ball again,
    and once more he swung and missed, and said, "Strike two." He
    did that for three strikes in a row.

    At that point he picked up his bat and ball. With a smile on his face,
    he walked off the field and said, "I'm the greatest pitcher in the world."

    He refused to use the language of a loser. He only talked about winning,
    and so should you.

    The research is quite clear. The more you talk about failing to meet
    your sales goals, the more negative your attitude will become. And
    the more negative your attitude becomes, the poorer results will be.
    It's a vicious downward cycle that you must refuse to enter.

    What language do you use when you talk to yourself and others
    about your performance, effort, and outlook on life?


    3. Choose to believe in yourself.

    Even though you may have some doubts about your sales abilities,
    even though the balance sheet of your life may show more liabilities
    than assets, you've got to believe in yourself. Sugar Ray Robinson,
    the boxing champ, said, "To be a champ, you have to believe in
    yourself when nobody else will."

    If that sounds easier said than done, all you have to do is start
    affirming it. Tell yourself twenty times a day, a hundred times a day,
    "I like myself. I believe in myself. And I am a great salesperson."

    Eventually your subconscious mind will start to accept your affirmation,
    and you will believe in yourself. (By the way, the cynics laugh and
    make fun of this. Just ask them what their sales results are, though.)

    By the way, if your attitude could use a boost, I suggest getting
    instant access to the audio seminar I did with Dr. Zimmerman,
    "Getting and Keeping A Successful Telesales Attitude,"
    http://businessbyphone.com/Zimmerman.htm

    In addition to working on your attitude, according to Dr. Zimmerman,
    there are a few things we need to do to keep selling during tough times:

    1. Work hard. If someone were to follow you around for a week
    and painstakingly recorded everything you did to advance your sales
    career, would that person walk away with a long list of all the things
    you're doing to get ahead? Or would that person have a long list
    of the excuses you gave and the times you wasted?

    Sometimes people fool themselves into thinking they're putting
    out 100% effort, when in reality, they're not.

    For example, many salespeople aren't doing too well these days,
    and Alan often hears them say, "I sent out 100 flyers announcing
    our new product line, and I didn't get any response. I did everything
    I could." Oh really? How about picking up the phone more?

    One hundred percent effort means that you've exhausted every
    possible opportunity for reaching your goal. If you're looking for a
    sale, 100% effort would include researching individual companies
    that are a great fit for your product or service, sending these
    companies personalized letters, and calling to follow up with
    intelligent, company-specific questions, not to mention networking,
    referrals, and a host of other selling strategies.

    2. Practice endurance.
    To many salespeople, "endurance" is a nasty word. They would
    like to come by success the "easy" way. They want it to fall into
    their laps.

    But that's an extremely rare occurrence. 99.99% of the time,
    success comes AFTER you "endure" awhile. And all the greats
    in every field of endeavor have learned how to "endure."

    As professional tennis player Bjorn Borg noted, "My greatest
    point is my persistence. I never give up in a match. However
    down I am ? I fight until the last ball. My list of matches shows
    that I have turned a great many so-called irretrievable defeats
    into victories."

    Could the same be said of you? That you never give up?
    That you endure?

    Or do people, secretly behind your back, say you bail out
    when things get a little tough? Do they say you give up way
    too easily or throw in the towel too quickly? Do they point
    out the fact that you seldom finish what you start?

    If you answer "yes" to any of these latter questions,
    remember the words of John Quincy Adams. He noted,

    "Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before
    which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

    In other words, there's power in perseverance.


    3. Stay committed.
    Everything else being equal, commitment wins every time.
    So fight back any feelings of discouragement that might
    get in your way. Don't allow yourself to hang it up when
    things get rough.

    If you're going to be successful, you've got to remember
    the letters M.I.H., just like that one high school wrestler.
    During his Junior year he won the second place trophy
    in the state championships.

    Now he could have thought that was good enough.

    But the day after the state finals, he was back in the same
    old gym working out in the same old sweats with one small
    change. He had placed white tape on each of his three
    middle fingers, and on each piece of tape was a letter: M.I.H.

    He kept the letters on his fingers all year, and he trained
    harder than ever, until he again found himself at the state
    tournament. This time he was crowned state champion.

    Of course people wanted to know how he did it. He created
    a tool that helped him focus, stay the course, and keep up
    his commitment. He knew that if he really wanted to be the
    best, it was up to him. He was determined to Make It Happen.

    As you pursue your goals, as you strive towards greater
    sales success, follow these four points, and you will not only
    survive, but thrive. After all, most salespeople don't fail. They
    just give up.

    Alan has so much great self-development material to share
    that I asked him what else he would suggest for my readers.
    He suggested his "12 Little-Known Keys To Extraordinary
    Success On And Off The Job."
    Awesome stuff. To see
    them, click on http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/?af=516819

    then on the left side menu bar and choose "2-Day Journey."


    QUOTE OF THE WEEK

    "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start,
    anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
    "
    Marcus Aurelius

    Go and have your best week ever!

    Art

    _____________________________________________________________

    Planning Your next National Sales Meeting
    Or any of Your 2009 Training? Let Me Help
    You Make It the Best Ever

    If your company or association would benefit from a content-packed,
    entertaining, interactive, how-to customized workshop on any
    part of, or the entire telesales and prospecting call and process,
    let's talk. I specialize in developing and delivering programs
    that get sales reps saying and doing the right things, right
    away, to get more YES answers from prospects and customers.
    Isn't it time that the organization does something special
    for the most important part of the sales process?

    We're now booking the popular date for 2009. To ensure you get
    the date you want, get in touch with me.

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