articles

What Word Do You Own?

Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Marketing,
I Learned From Fishing

Which Shoe Salesman Is Right?

22 Immutable Laws of Branding

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

Bad Times Can Be Good for Business

Direct Mail 101: Secrets, Do's and Don'ts

How to Write Ad Copy That Sells

The Single Most Powerful Question to Ask Yourself

Success Secrets

Are You Missing Sheet Music?

What word does your company own?

Federal Express owns “overnight delivery.” What word (or phrase) does your company own? If something doesn’t immediately come to your mind, how can you expect your customers and prospects to remember you when their need arises?

A good slogan helps you build a strong brand that positions you in the minds of customers – it makes you memorable. When crafting an effective slogan, stay away from big words, over-used words and mind-numbing platitudes. “Outstanding Quality & Superior Performance” is a perfect example of what NOT to do. It begs to be overlooked and forgotten. One of the best slogans ever was Hertz’s “We try harder.” Short, simple and it clearly defined an attitude that separated them from the pack.

Another essential element to an effective slogan is truth. What you say about your company has to ring true. It can’t be wishful thinking. While that sounds painfully obvious, I’ve seen a lot of executives confuse their “desires” with actual customer experience.

If you don’t already have a good slogan, start by making a list of your company’s strengths and weaknesses. Do the same for your competitors. Be brutally honest and dig deep. Cover price positioning, quality, service, delivery, location, etc. You may be so deeply involved in your business that achieving a fresh perspective is nearly impossible. Invite others into the process. When the right slogan finally emerges, it should feel right, ring true, and be distinctively different from anything else out there.

© 2009 Thompson Advertising, Inc. Reproduction of this article is only permitted if Thompson Advertising is credited and our Web site address is published along with it. "www.thompsonadvertisinginc.com"

Everything I ever needed to know about marketing, I learned from fishing.

You won’t catch anything unless you have a line in the water.

The more lines you have in the water, the better chance you have of catching something.

If you have too many lines in the water, you can get tangled up.

How far you cast doesn’t matter as much as where you cast.

Fish are smarter than you think. You have to earn the fish’s respect.

Most fish hang out in schools.

Some days the fishing is better than others.

Weather can affect fishing.

You have to be persistent and you have to be patient.

You have to be disciplined.

Some people are better at catching fish than others.

If you see someone catching fish, find out what they are using for bait.

There is no such thing as “bad fishing.”

Fishing costs money.

Get your license.

Don’t give the Game Warden any reason to write you a ticket.

Learn from other fishermen.

The better you are at working the lure, the better your chances of catching something.

Practice improves your chances. It takes more small fish to make a meal, but they are easier to catch.

Catching large fish requires more time, effort, expertise and better equipment.

Sometimes that big fish is right under your own dock.

Not all fish are keepers.

A friend with a net is a tremendous asset.

Just because you have all the attire and equipment doesn’t mean you’re going to catch anything.

If it were easy, everyone would be catching their limit.

Fish bite for different reasons: hunger, anger, habit, instinct.

It’s frustrating when you can see the fish, bounce the bait on their nose and they still don’t bite.

Fish are less likely to bite when they are spawning.

Timing counts. Time of year. Time of month. Time of day.

It’s more complicated than most people think, but it’s not beyond most people’s grasp.

Different fish respond to different baits.

In many cases you have to cast in front of a fish five or six times before they bite.

Luck is a huge factor, but a good fisherman makes their own luck by developing a keen eye for opportunity and by being persistent and patient.

If one bait isn’t working, try another.

Keep trying different baits until you get results.

Give a bait a chance to work before you give up on it.

Maybe it’s not the bait, but how you are presenting it.

Sometimes making a splash is a good thing, and sometimes it is not.

Shiny things attract attention.

Fishing is often a battle to get attention.

Movement attracts attention.

Noise attracts attention.

Smells attract attention.

Some colors work better than others.

Some fish are leery and get scared off easily. Some fish are smarter than others.

Big fish often get big by being smarter, and you have to work harder to catch them.

When you are fishing, every day is a new day.

The best fisherman are those who love the sport the most.

Fishing can be a cold, lonely, wet and miserable experience at times.

Fishing can be addictive. Be safe.

Take life jackets and don’t be foolish.

Take care of your fishing hole and try leave it better than you found it.

A bite doesn’t count as a catch.

A lot of fishermen tell tall tales so be careful of what you believe.

One idiot can ruin the fishing for everybody.

Reading books and magazines on fishing will give you an edge.

Some fish are so big they can pull you in.

Some fish will eat you.

You need to wear a fish out before hauling them in or you risk breaking your line.

Snags are a pain and can be expensive.

Be prepared - you never know when you are going to come across a good fishing hole.

Sometimes your spouse gets mad because you spend so much time fishing.

Different types of fish live in a community and when you understand their relationship to each other, you have a better chance of catching what you want.

Check your bait frequently.

Pick the weeds off your lure frequently.

Getting up early and staying up late is all part of the process. It’s not for everyone.

The more you work at it, the better you become.

Sometimes one good bite can start a feeding frenzy.

Getting there is half the fun – enjoy the trip!

Teaching someone else how to fish is rewarding to you.

Some fish taste better than others.

Learn to bait your own hook and take your own fish off our line. Set your drag.

The sun will come up again tomorrow and along with it, another opportunity to catch fish.

Sometimes the big one gets away. Sometimes you catch the big one that got away.

Catching bait can be as much fun as catching fish.

Sometimes you cast for hours before getting a bite. Sometimes you cast for hours and never get a bite.

Which Shoe Salesman Is Right?

Two shoe salesmen are on a boat. The boat lands on an isolated island. The first shoe salesman sees lots of barefoot people and says, “Wow, what a great opportunity! I’m staying.” The second shoe salesman sees the same barefoot people and says, “No one wears shoes here. There’s no opportunity here. I’m leaving.”

Which shoe salesman is right? Which one is most likely to succeed? Which is most likely to make more money?

Most people are quick to see the barefoot people as a tremendous sales opportunity. At first glance, it seems promising. There’s no competition. You can name your own price. There will be no price war. You are the only expert in the field, and no one will challenge or twist your message.

The need is obvious and the benefits will be easy to convey: No more stubbed toes. No more pain from stepping on sea shells. No more ugly, calloused feet. You can introduce the concept of style and prestige. Your product ought to catch on like wild fire, and you will own the market.

That’s the upside. Now here’s the down side. The people are not wearing shoes for a reason. They have learned to live without them and have adapted well. You are introducing “change,” and people resist change. You have to educate the masses, and they are not as quick to learn as you’d hoped. They have other issues in their lives, and footwear has never been a priority. You have to work very hard at each sale - explaining the product from the ground up each and every time. Things are never as easy as they appear.

Being a resourceful shoe salesman, you decide a low price point would help offset the learning curve issues and encourage buyers to “jump in” more readily. You make your shoes affordable to virtually everyone. Unfortunately, your problems are compounded because they don’t really have a clue about the true value. Your bargain price just diminished the overall perceived value and painted yourself into a corner. Now you have to sell twice as much to keep profits at a healthy level.

It’s more of a perplexing situation than most people think, but there are solutions for selling to the “barefoot,” but first, let’s look at the other side of the equation.

“Going back” as the second shoe salesman does, takes the vast majority of us into very familiar waters - fiercely competitive markets. There’s a shoe salesman on every corner. Stores everywhere. Countless brands. Prospective shoe buyers have countless options. And then there is the Internet - Yikes! How do you compete with that? Ask a loan officer how they compete with Ditek.com. Ask an insurance salesman how they compete against Progressive. Ask a travel agent how they compete with Priceline.com.

The barefoot natives may be ambivalent about shoes, but the “big city crowd” is so jaded and numb to marketing, you may as well be talking to a brick wall. They too, have the attention span of a gnat, and can’t, or don’t care to, take a minute out of their busy day to hear what you have to say about your “wonderful” shoes.

So what do you do? Which type of prospects do you want to pursue - barefoot or shoe-wearing? Let’s first be clear about what the two types of prospect are. Barefoot prospects are people who are relatively new and uneducated about your product or service. Shoe-wearing prospects are people who have already bought it at least once, not necessarily from you.

Here’s why you need to categorize your prospects this way. There are proven techniques for selling to both barefoot and shoe-wearing prospects, but the tactics are different.

Selling to barefoot prospects requires some counter-intuitive thinking. While you may think competition is bad, it definitely is not. One of the biggest challenges is getting the word out about new products - educating the masses. It takes immense resources. Left to their own devices, a single player will have trouble making significant waves to create meaningful change. It’s why you see competitors form trade organizations and hold tradeshows - to educate prospects and promote an entire industry.

The proper pricing strategy is also critical. This is where a lot of people make a mistake. In the early stages of a product’s life cycle, it is imperative to price it high. Think of high definition TV. The price of the units is much higher than traditional TVs. The manufacturers need to make extra money to support the aggressive marketing required to educate the masses and build perceived value. The manufacturers are targeting “early adopters” who typically have to have the latest and greatest gadgets, and are willing to pay a premium price for it. It is upon the strength of their wallets that markets are built.

So the shoe salesman who stayed on the island should have invited help in the form of competition and priced his product high. He would also need to be patient and persistent, and have sufficient resources that allow him to survive through the initial start up phases of the product launch. 90% of new businesses fail, and 90% of the time it’s because of a lack of working capital necessary to keep its doors open through the challenging start-up phase.

And you thought selling shoes to barefoot people was a quick and easy path to success. Nothing is ever as easy as it appears.

When vying for shoe-wearing prospects in a mature market, gaining a competitive edge is the name of the game. Your competition is everywhere, but that’s OK because they will chase some business your way. That’s why you’ll find McDonalds, Burger King and Hardees all in close proximity to each other.

So what works in highly competitive markets? There’s a long list, and what would work in your market would depend on a number of factors, but here’s a collection of a few of the top tactics.

Woody Allen once said, “80 percent of success is showing up.” In other words, be there when your competition drops the ball, have a strong presence in your market and leverage your longevity. Shake hands and get to know as many people as possible. Return phone calls and e-mails promptly. Join trade organizations and be an active member of your business community. Advertise. Volunteer. Be a leader. Write articles. Basically, aspire to have a high profile in your industry and understand that it doesn’t happen overnight.

Study your competition closely. Being successful is like playing a game of chess, Every one of your moves is predicated by the position everyone else holds on the board. With every strength, there is a corresponding weakness that can be exploited. A strong brand is a powerful tool, but look what Suave did with its “Ours does what theirs does for a lot less” campaign. A large company may have tremendous financial resources, but are they nimble, responsive and can they provide the level of personal service a small company can? Calmar offers a vast array of products at low prices, but what level of expertise does it’s sales associates have on the products they sell? What kind of after-the-sale service do they provide?

When selling to shoe-wearing prospects, you have to differentiate your product in some way. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Pick one strength, one attribute, and claim it for yourself. Translate it into a slogan, and then adopt your slogan as a battle-cry. Live it, breathe it and eat it every day.

If you keep doing the same things, you’ll keep getting the same results. If you want better results, you have to use better/different tactics. If you aren’t sure what to do, and don’t want to waste time and money experimenting with something so important, get professional advice and counsel.

So which shoe salesman is more successful? In most cases, its the salesman that goes back and does battle in the competitive arena. Why? Basically, because it’s easier. They can get a sales job with a large company and rely on a professional support staff to do the marketing and strategic positioning of the company and its brand. The rewards may not be as high, but it’s where most people make their money.

Selling to barefoot prospects is best left to hard-core entrepreneurs that have the drive, determination and resources to breathe life into a business. Many successful entrepreneurs have a history of repeated failure before finally arriving at a successful business model. Nine out of ten new businesses fail within their first year. In most cases the failure is caused by not understanding what it takes to sell to barefoot prospects.

The following is a brief summary of “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding” by Al and Laura Ries, an excellent book that everyone should spend some time with.

The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding

1. The law of expansion — As you spread the brand out over more areas, it loses its potency.

2. The law of contraction — As you focus the brand more sharply on a single aspect, virtue or quality, it grows in strength.

3. The law of publicity — Brands are built (born) on publicity.

4. The law of advertising — Advertising is used to maintain the brand’s strength, protect market share and make competitive entry difficult.

5. The law of the word — Own a single word in the mind of consumers. Fed Ex is “overnight delivery.”

6. The law of credentials — You can’t be what you are not. Be credible. Your slogan should be the one thing you are that defines your position in the market place. Coke is the real thing.

7. The law of quality — Perception is more important than reality.

8. The law of category — The leading brand should promote the category. Create a new bay and make the water rise. Encourage competitors to enter and promote the new niche, with your boat in the premium position, yours will rise faster and further than others.

9. The law of the name — Think long term and choose a name that will be distinct decades from now. Xerox.

10. The law of extensions — The easiest way to destroy a brand is to put its name on everything.

11. The law of fellowship — To build the category, welcome other brands. Use their resources to grow the market you are first and number one in.

12. The law of the generic — Generic names fail. They worked 75 – 100 years ago, but not in today’s market. General Electric succeeds for many reasons, but not because of its name.

13. The law of the company — A company’s name should be much smaller than the brand name.
Procter & Gamble has little to do with TIDE’s success.

14. The law of sub brands — Sub branding dilutes the message and confuses the consumer. Holiday Inn Deluxe, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Select. What exactly do they mean?

15. The law of siblings — There is a time and place to launch a second brand. Honda launched Acura, they didn’t call the new models Honda Plus or Honda Ultra.

16. The law of shape — Brand names (logos) should be horizontal, not vertical in orientation.

17. The law of color — Color is a powerful tool for staking out territory in a consumer’s mind. Chose one
opposite of your primary competitors. Sprint is Yellow. AT&T is blue.

18. The law of borders — A brand should know no borders.

19. The law of consistency — Brands are not built overnight. Their success is measured over years.

20. The law of change — Brands can be changed, but only infrequently and only very carefully.

21. The law of mortality — No brand lives forever. When paradigms shift and whole industries change, it may
be time to use the cash reserves to introduce a new brand and lay to rest the old.

22. The law of singularity — A brand is a single idea or concept that you own inside the mind of the prospect. Atari was “video games,’ when it ventured into computers, it died.

The following is a brief summary of “The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” by Al Ries and Jack Trout, an excellent book that everyone should spend some time with.

22 Immutable Laws of Marketing

1. The law of leadership. It’s better to be first than to be better. Lindberg was the first to fly across the Atlantic. Who was the second person? Washington was the first president. Who was the second? Gatorade was the first sports drink. What was the second?

2. The law of the category. Create a category you can be first in. Everyone is interested in what’s new. Few people are interested in what’s better. Promote the category where you have virtually no competition. Forget the brand. Think category. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly over the Atlantic. The category was redefined with “woman.”

3. The law of the mind. It’s better to be first in the prospect’s mind than it is to be first in the market place. Once a mind is made up, it rarely, if ever, changes. Don’t waste money trying to change people’s minds. Apple is easier to remember than names like MITS Altair 8800 and TRS-80.

4. The law of perception. Marketing is not a battle of products, it is a battle of perceptions. All truth is relative.

5. The law of focus. You burn your way into the mind by narrowing the focus to a single word or concept. The leader owns the word that stands for the category. Crest owns cavities. Mercedes owns engineering. Domino’s owns home delivery. Volvo owns safety.

6. The laws of exclusivity. Two companies cannot own the same word in the prospect’s mind. When a competitor owns a word or position in the prospect’s mind, it is futile to attempt to own the same word.

7. The law of the ladder. The strategy depends on which rung you occupy on the ladder.

8. The law of duality. In the long term, every market becomes a two-horse race.

9. The law of the opposite. If you’re shooting for second place, your strategy is determined by the leader. In strength there is weakness. Wherever the leader is strong, there is an opportunity for a would-be number 2 to turn the tables. You must present yourself as the alternative to the leader. Don’t imitate the leader.

10. The law of division. Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories. Many companies make the mistake of trying to

11. The law of perspective. Marketing effects take place over an extended period of time. The long-term effects are often the exact opposite of the short-term effects. A sale gets short-term results but trains customers to wait for a sale before buying. A sale-oriented company puts itself on a treadmill that is difficult to get off. Couponing is a drug. It is addictive and painful to get off.

12. The law of line extension. There is an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of a brand. Don’t do it. When companies become successful, they invariably plant seeds for future problems.

13. The law of sacrifice. Opposite of the above law. If you want to be successful, you have to give up something. You can’t be all things to all people. If you chase two rabbits, both with get away. Less is more.

14. The law of attributes. For every attribute, there is an opposite, effective attribute. Pick an attribute opposite to that of the leader or your competitors.

15. The law of candor. When you admit a negative, the prospect will give you a positive. Avis is number 2 – we try harder. Listerine – the taste you hate twice a day.

16. The law of singularity. In each situation, only one move will produce substantial results. A single, bold stroke – the line of least expectation.

17. The law of unpredictability. Unless you write your competitor’s plans, you can’t predict the future. Be flexible. Be open to change. Keep your eye open. Don’t
believe everything you hear or see, or that shows up in market research.

18. The law of success. Success often leads to arrogance, and arrogance to failure. Donald Trump is bankrupt. CEO’s should get involved in marketing and delegate other stuff to underlings. CEOs should stay close to the front line. Gorbachev told Reagan, “It is better to see once than to hear a hundred times.”

19. The law of failure. Failure is to be expected and accepted. Recognize failures early and cut your losses. Japanese seem to be better at admitting mistakes and moving on quickly because of their consensus style of managing.

20. The law of hype. The situation is often the opposite of the way it appears in the press. When things are going well, you don’t need hype. When you need the hype, it usually means you’re in trouble.

21. The law of acceleration. Successful programs are not built on fads, they’re built on trends. Fads can be stretched out and milked longer as though they are a trend if the product is not over-hyped. Cabbage Patch Kids were over-hyped. Barbie was not. Elvis greatly limited his exposure.

22. The law of resources. Without adequate funding, and idea won’t get off the ground. Donald Trump’s father was a millionaire. Money makes the marketing world go round. You have to find the money you need to spin those marketing wheels.

Bad times can be good for business

A client recently told me “The best thing that could have happened to my business was to have a bad year.” Jack explained how his business had enjoyed steady, but modest, growth for decades. No big fluctuations. No big worries. They just showed up day-to-day, did the same thing year-after-year, and got the same results. Then, for no clearly apparent reason, the business began to sputter, choke and slowdown.

It took a while for reality to sink in. Jack spent most of the year tinkering with the business, confident it would turn around with the old tried and true methods. When cash flow started getting tight, it was apparent the “hiccup” was actually the beginning of a downward trend. Something had to be done, but what?

If the declined in sales had been for any single reason, Jack would have made the corrective adjustment instantly, but it was a combination of factors that was taking its toll on his business. The factors were elusive and hard to pin point. Was it a matter of quality or service? Did he have the right people doing the right jobs? Was there a new competitor out there? Was the Internet impacting his sales?

Jack realized he had to re-evaluate everything from the ground up. He solicited input from his customers and had brainstorming sessions with employees. He brought in an outside consultant to give him a fresh, impartial perspective and to introduce new ideas. He challenged all his old assumptions and made dramatic changes.

Jack’s business is healthy again now, but he was shrewd enough to know that “change” is difficult. If left to his own devices, he would have gravitated back to what he was used to. By bringing customers, employees and consultants into the process, he was able to get a clearer picture of his challenges and was equipped with more effective solutions.

Businesses shouldn’t wait until troubled times before they re-evaluate. A tune-up today will help you avoid a breakdown tomorrow.

Direct Mail 101: Secrets, Do’s and Don’ts

Direct Mail is a powerful tool when used properly because it gives you direct access to your target customers and clients. But Direct Mail has to be handled with care and precision.

Here are some essentials for making your direct mail produce results:

• The Golden Rule of Direct Mail is to test and measure everything. This is the only way to determine with precision whether your campaigns are successful and should be rolled out on a larger scale.

• You should start testing a new Direct Mail campaign with a small number. Depending on the size of your business this may be a few hundred or a couple of thousand.

• By far the best place to start increasing your Direct Mail is with your existing customers and clients. How often do you mail them now and what would happen if you increased the frequency of mailing?

• Always include a letter with a brochure - statistically, it will improve the response.

• The first thing people will read in your letter is the headline (or the first line of the letter if there is no headline) and the PS. So make sure these convey your message in a concise way.

• Make sure that your mailings focus on the benefits that your customers/clients are going to receive.

• If you get a good response from a mailing – and repeat that mailing two or three weeks later – you are likely to get another significant response – around 50% of the first mailing.

• Consider the break-even concept. This involves using Direct Mail to target new customers and clients – even if the mailings only break even. Providing a percentage of them do repeat business with you – it can be a very effective way to rapidly grow your customer base.

DO:

• Keep your message simple. You have only a few seconds to get your prospect’s attention - do it with a simple, powerful message that clearly tells what you are selling and what the benefits of your product are.

• Avoid too many details, especially on the cover of a brochure.

• Determine your “Customer Profile”. Examining your current customer base and determining its important characteristics is the starting point. You want to target the right audience for your product, so come up with a customer profile first.

• Test. Many variables can affect the response to a mailing: the list, the offer, price and so forth. Test with smaller mailings – a few thousand pieces - to refine these variables before rolling out those big mailings. There is no mailer that consistently performs better than any others, so you have to test. This can help you avoid major mistakes.

• Design your mail piece to include something that will make your customer react. A mailer that just tells them your businesses location and hours of operation won’t get them to come running to your door. But a buy one get one free promotion just might!

• Personalize – the more personal you make your mailer, the better chance you will have increasing your response rates

• Give your customer a time limitation (ex: 25% off until the end of the month).

• Offer a free gift.

• Analyze the response. Make sure you can track leads and orders, so you can determine the return on your mailing investment.

• Mail more than once. Repetition is important; mail at least six times a year to your prospects for maximum impact. In most cases, the effectiveness of your message will be enhanced by repetition. Be persistent, it will pay off!

DON’T:

• Mail only once. Too many times, businesses use a mailing as a one-time “knee-jerk” reaction when things are slow. But this doesn’t give a true picture of the potential. Like other kinds of advertising, repetition is the key to success in direct mail. You should mail at least six times to the same group to get best results.

• Forget existing customers. Direct mail is a great way to stay in touch with your customers, offer them specials, and get more orders from them. You should mail to existing customers several times a year.

How to Write Advertising Copy that Sells

Powerful advertising copy can boost your business, and with a few simple pointers, you can turbo-charge your marketing efforts. Here is a checklist you can use to avoid common mistakes and put real muscle into your marketing.

1. Command attention! If the headline doesn’t get noticed, the rest of your message is a complete waste. Ask a provocative question. Make a compelling promise. Warn people. Use a “How to” headline. Challenge the status quo. Educate and enlighten.

2. Be sure to deliver on promises made in the headline, and reward the reader for reading on by providing important facts and answers to relevant questions.

3. Get attention from the RIGHT people. Try using words that are hot buttons for your target audience.

4. Use colloquialisms as opposed to common terms so your message is more likely to stand out and get noticed. Example: “Are you getting a POT BELLY?”

5. Use the word “you” to make the message more personal and invite the reader into your world.

6. Write about YOUR CUSTOMERS’ needs, wants and desires, and how they can be satisfied with your product or service. Don’t write about yourself. They don’t care about your history, traditions, philosophies and vision. They care about themselves.

7. Write about the benefits your product or service delivers to customers. Don’t emphasize features over benefits. Features are just the means by which a benefit is delivered.

8. Use “proven facts” to support your claims. 80% of people question advertising claims the first time they encounter them, so you have to build credibility. Facts work. Testimonials work. Guarantees work. Warranties work.

9. Remember “less is more.” Getting people to read “long” copy is an art best left to the professionals. Keep it simple and stay focused. Resist the temptation to write every reason you can think of for someone to buy your product or service.

10. Use bullet points to make a list of benefits easier to digest. Make the top and bottom bullet points your strongest selling points. Items in those positions are recalled more often.

11. Read your copy out loud and see if it flows properly and seems like a reasonable way to express your point. If it seems “herky-jerky,” massage the copy and try adding a few transitions.

12. Humans are visually-oriented creatures so use words that conjure up vivid images.

13. Use metaphors to help people understand complex subjects. Metaphors work, and they work fast!

14. Personality counts. The copy you write reflects you and/or your company’s personality … or the lack thereof. Don’t preach or pontificate. Write as though you were speaking to the person across the table. Allow some enthusiasm and personal energy to come through.

15. If you are offering some type of promotion, put a time limit on it, and make sure you tell people to act before the offer expires. Warn them of the potential for missing out.

16. Tell the reader exactly what you want them to do. You will be surprised at how powerful a “call-for-action” is, and how often people forget to include one. Examples: Call right now! Hurry, this offer ends soon!

So now, this is what I want YOU to do: Put a copy of this near your desk so you can refer to it next time you are “wordsmithing.” Do it – you’ll be glad you did.

The Single Most Powerful Question To Ask Yourself

I have one favorite question. The answer to it helps you chart a course through an ocean of information and possibilities. It is:

If we could _______, our business would be ten times bigger.

Finish the sentence. Don’t create a laundry list, it only works if you list one and only one thing. It will tell you where to focus your efforts and resources to grow your business. But despite a focused effort, developing a successful company will take a more thorough situation analysis.

Here’s what we examine when we sit down with a client. We take inventory of strengths, weaknesses, market conditions and brand positioning to formulate a marketing plan that deploys tactics that are carefully prioritized to yield the greatest ROI on our client’s marketing investment.

The following questions provide a strategic “CAT Scan” that affords the opportunity to evaluate every major facet of an organization’s marketing strategy. Somewhere in these 98 questions is a great idea, or combination of ideas, just waiting to ignite dramatic growth in your business. The trick is in knowing which is the most important question, and which is the most important answer. It changes with each company, because each is unique. Concocting the right formula takes an experienced eye. That’s what we do. We formulate marketing mixes that deliver success.

Client Profile Worksheet

Sales organization:
What geographical area do you sell to?
Do you have on-staff or independent sales representatives?
Do you sell direct or through distribution?
Do you have in-field sales representation of any type?
Do you use outgoing telemarketing?
Do you have dedicated customer service reps for incoming sales calls?
What is the single biggest obstacle do you have to overcome to get
a sales appointment?
Who answers your phone, a live person or a voice mail system?
Do customers have access to any type of on-line order tracking system?
Do customers have direct lines or cell phone access to key sales people?
Do you have 24/7 emergency call service?
Finish this sentence: If we could _______, our business would be ten times bigger.

Strategic planning:
Do you have a written marketing plan?
Does your company have a mission statement, and if so, what is it?
Does your company have a value statement, and if so, what is it?
Does your company conduct marketing research or customer surveys?
What percentage of sales, or amount, have you budgeted for marketing?
Are your sales and profit goals more long-term or short-term?
What goals have you set for your organization?

Customer Profile:
How many customers do you have?
What is your customer churn rate?
Describe your typical customer.
How much of your business comes from existing customers versus new customers?
What market segments do you serve?
What type of person/position(s) do you have to sell to? (Purchasing agent, owner, etc.)
What other influencers are there in the process? (plant manager, engineers, etc.)
Describe the perfect customer for your company.
Describe the customer you don’t want.

Positioning:
What words would your competitors use to describe you?
What words would your customers use to describe you?
If you could pick one word or phrase that you’d like customers to associate with your company, what would it be?
Does your company have a slogan, and if so, what is it, and did it come up in the previous questions???
Does your company have a mascot or spokesperson?
Does your company have a color that everyone in the industry recognizes as yours?
What brands or trade names do you own, or have trademarked?
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Do you sell off-the-shelf or custom-made products?
Are you a primary, secondary or both types of supplier?
On a scale of 1 to 10 with ten being the highest, where would you rate your price?

Competitor Analysis:
Who are the leading competitors in the market?
What is your leading competitor’s greatest strength?
What is your leading competitor’s greatest weakness?
When your competitors drop the ball, how do they do it?
How do your competitors sell against you?
Describe a time you beat the leading competitor and how you did it.
Describe a time when the leading competitor beat you and how they did it.

Market Conditions:
What percentage of market share do you own in your industry?
Do you have any cash cows or profit dogs in your product line, and if so, please describe?
How price sensitive is your industry?
How important is delivery speed and how fast is your company?
How important is turn-around and how quick is your turn-around?
How important is expertise and where are your areas of expertise?
How important is personal service and how good is your company at providing it?
How important are consultative services and how good is your company at providing it?
How important are personal relationships?
Where do you see the greatest opportunities?
How important is quality and how good is your company at delivering it?
How do you measure quality?
What is your warranty and return policy?
Are there any governmental or industry codes that impact your industry?
What, if any, other industries are your business impacted by?
Have there been any innovations or paradigm shifts having significant impact on your industry in the past five years?
Have, or are, any of your major competitors going through management or ownership change?

Sales Promotion:
Do you participate in tradeshows, and if so, which ones?
Do you have any type of recognition program for loyal customers?
Do you use premium items to promote business?
Do you provide customers with samples of any sort?
Do you have a showroom?
Do you have a prospect mailing list, and if so, describe it?
Are your prices published, negotiated or custom quoted?
Do you offer discounts or sales promotions?

Training:
Do you have to warn customers about anything regarding the use of your products?
Do you offer technical training in schools, manuals, CDs or DVDs?
Does your product involve installation or assembly instructions?
Do you use Power point presentations for sales or training?

Web sites:
Do you have a Web site?
Are you satisfied with the traffic and results you get from your Web site?
Do you have a pay-per-click campaign for your Web site?
Is your Web site kept up-to-date?
Does your Web site reward visitors with tips, insights and industry secrets?
Does your Web site have links to related industry sites?
Is your Web site registered with all the major search engines?
Is your Web site optimized for search engines?
Do you give people a tangible reason for going to your Web site?
Does your Web site feature testimonials from satisfied customers?
Does your Web site entice visitors to places where their areas of interest can be tracked?

Trade advertising:
Does your company belong to trade organizations, and if so, which ones?
Which trade journals serve your industry?
Do you advertise in them, and if so, which ones?
Do you send out press release on new hires, new capabilities and new products?
Do you list your company in industry buyer’s guides?
Do you use postcard decks?
Do you write articles for trade publications?
Have you ever published a white paper on a trade topic?

Print media:
Do you publish a newsletter?
Do you have a product or capability brochure?
Do you have a catalog?
Do you have an annual report or image brochure?
Do you use invoice stuffers?

Why would we share our “template” for success with prospects before they become clients?
Giving customers this list of questions is like giving someone a list of ingredients for making some exotic gourmet dish, and the telling them to make it without detailed instructions. Even with instructions, a talented chef with years of experience will get a better result. We give our clients a “better result.”

The answers to these questions is just a list of ingredients that go into an effective marketing plan. What you choose to do, and not do, and where you set your priorities is your company’s marketing mix. We use our experience to help you choose the proper tactics wisely to maximize your marketing ROI. How well you execute each task, and what results you get is largely based on talent – another element we bring to the table.

Success Secrets

If you want something bad enough, you’ll find a way to get it. Want things badly!

Whether you think you can, or think you cannot, you are right. Think right!

In life, you never lose until you give up. Never give up!

80% of success is showing up. Show up! Call back! Follow up!

Being first is more important than being better. Invent a category you can be first in!

The size of your success is measured by the size of your belief. Believe!

Sales is easy if you work it hard, and hard if you work it easy. Word hard at sales!

The more you prepare, the luckier you get. Create your own luck by practicing!

A first rate commitment to a second rate idea beats a second rate commitment to a first rate idea every time. Commit yourself and stay focused!

Persistence is omnipotent. Never give up!

No person ever wandered around aimlessly and ended up on Mt. Everest. Set clear goals!

Your life follows where your thoughts lead it. Choose good thoughts; de-select bad thoughts!

Too much of anything, even a good thing, is a bad thing. Practice restraint and balance.

A penny saved is a penny earned. Save money!

Managers manage while leaders inspire. Inspire!

Nothing succeeds like success. Build positive momentum!

Leaders are readers. Read to improve yourself!

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Risk is part of reward!

I am the captain of my soul, and the master of my destiny. Be accountable; take
ownership of your life!

Less is more. Be a master of brevity!

The top begs for more to climb its heights. Climb high!

The American public wants more than it asks for. Give it to them!

Everything great starts with a thought and is powered into realization by belief.

What you believe about yourself, the world will believe about you. Model yourself with care!

Everything made in the world begins as an image. Imagine! What you can conceive, you can achieve!

Success is like pushing a giant, heavy flywheel over a long period of time. Persist!

If you keep doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same results. Change your
behavior to change your results!

If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no. So ask!

Does your company have sheet music?

If not, it should! Lack of sheet music is one of the main reasons small companies struggle to grow and take off. It’s one of the reasons small businesses flounder or die when the founder attempts to step back and delegate, or ownership changes, and they move on. The heart and soul of the company resides in the entrepreneur who had the original vision. They alone are the one who knows the business inside and out, and it is their “gut instincts” that guided it through the precarious birthing process.

The entrepreneur is a talented musician. Much of what resides within them is nebulous. It’s talent. It’s a fiery storm of thoughts and opinions and experience and drive and persistence. It is a bizarre blend of experience, knowledge, insight and intuition that allows them to make the big decisions in such a way to get the right results.

As a musician, the entrepreneur can draw upon his talent to create a beautiful sound that people love and adore and are willing to pay hard-earned cash for. He/she often doesn’t even fully understand where their talent comes from, or exactly how it works. It just comes forward, and they can play. They love what they do. They practice hard. The results are good. The system works, until…

One day he grows tired of toting the entire load himself. He wants to hire help and delegate. Playing beautiful music is easy to him - a transparent process. Surely he can teach others to do the same and assemble a talented team of musicians that will succeed to the highest level. The entrepreneur sets out to build an orchestra that will be his ticket to fame and fortune. No more small nightclubs.

Being a talented musician, the entrepreneur finds it easy to attract like-minded people who want to share in his vision – the American dream of prosperity. Upon finally assembling a 100-piece orchestra, he is ready to raise his baton, and with a flick of his wrist, watch all the adoring fans shower him with praise, and throw money at his feet.

Unfortunately his orchestra gets a luke warm reception. The music was somewhat disjointed and off-key. Rolling up his sleeves, the entrepreneur invites each musician into his office for an individual coaching session. Other than a few minor issues, he finds that each musician is quite talented in their own right. Confident again, he parades his orchestra back in front of a crowd. Again, the results were disappointing. Something just wasn’t right.

Now frustrated, the entrepreneur takes his anguish out on some of the musicians. “They are clearly talented, so they must be slacking off,” he thinks. “A little pressure should be the cure.” Pressure is applied. He fires a few. Some also quit on their own. Others come on board with hopes and plans of making a difference. More pressure is applied and a performance is scheduled. The show must go on!

Sadly, the results are no better. The music is adequate, but certainly not the shining accomplishment the entrepreneur originally envisioned. The public agrees. Sales are flat. Profits are dwindling under the pressure of supporting a full orchestra.

Crushed and bewildered, the talented orchestra leader crawls into bed and confesses to his beloved wife that his vision for greatness is turning into a nightmare, and he is at wit’s end. Calmly, she responds, “Did you give them sheet music?”

Entrepreneurs are a conundrum. The same qualities that make them capable of breathing life into a business, are the ones that prevent them from growing it. In the start-up phase of a business, entrepreneurs have to do a lot of the work themselves. They wear a lot of different hats and have to micro-manage. They have to trust their gut instincts, make quick decisions, and learn to thrive in chaos. As a business grows to include many more employees, they have to learn how to “put their guts on paper.” By that I mean they have to get everyone on the same page, with the same understanding, pursing the same goals with the same tactics. Everyone needs to have the same priorities.

It’s like writing sheet music for an orchestra. Without the sheet music, even the most talented and best-intentioned musicians will not play in harmony and the orchestra will never live up to its potential.

For businesses, sheet music is their marketing plan. The marketing plan gets all members of the company on the same page. It points out opportunities and challenges. It tells them what the corporate goals are; what priorities are; who’s responsible for doing what; how they are supposed to do it, when it is to be done; and what results are expected. Without this “map for success,” even the most talented and knowledgeable management team will fall far short of its potential.

We write sheet music for our clients.