The Magic Email for Referring Business
(Thanks to Jan Vermeiren, How to Really Use Linkedin for his Magic Email concept)
A few weeks back I shared with you the real power of networking—it’s not who you know but who they know—the second and third degree of networking. Today, I will share with you a magic email message that you can use to tap into the 2nd and 3rd degrees of networking.
Transferring Trust
You already know that people buy from people they know, like and trust. Did you know that trust is something that can be transferred? If I have trust in you, I can transfer that trust to someone who does not know you. You can do this in an email.
Let me give you an example of the magical email and show you how this can open up new business opportunities.
The Magic Email
In this case, I will send an email to Danny Grimes and to a friend who has been complaining of lower back pains, John Greise. I would send the email to John Greise, the receiver of services with a CC to Danny Grimes the supplier of services. I would put in the Subject Line “An Introduction”. Here is what I might say in the body of the email.
Hi John,
I want to introduce you to Danny Grimes. Danny is a chiropractic doctor that specializes in the activator treatment. The activator is a low impact treatment program that doesn’t involve the usual chiropractic twisting and turning. I have seen first hand how effective Danny’s treatments can be. I think Danny could help you with the lower back pains you talked about the last time we golfed. Danny is good. He’s also a very big Vikings fan.
Hi Danny,
John Griese is a lawyer and a long time friend. He has been having lots of trouble with his lower back. Because I have seen the effectiveness of your treatments, I think John would be a perfect candidate for the activator treatment program.
I suggest the two of you talk, maybe even share some Viking stories.
John, you can reach Danny at phone number
Danny, you can reach John at phone number
Good Luck,
Al
Let’s break down this magic email
I have a receiver of the service (John) and a supplier of the service (Danny). I have offered reasons for connecting the two of them. I have given them information and why I think this connection could work and what I appreciate about the supplier. I have also given them some non-professional information, in this situation, love for the Vikings which can be the basis for establishing rapport between the two of them.
I have also given a Call to Action. I have provided the telephone numbers and how to contact each other. Now I am leaving the connection up to the two of them..
I know both people and I have transferred the trust I have in Danny to the other person.
The COC Challenge
The email is a simple form you can use to make a referral. Do you feel comfortable using a magic email like this for other members of the COC? If you feel uncomfortable, is it because you don’t really know or trust some other businesses in the group? Is it because you have not been listening in your daily life for opportunities to share with others the work done by businesses in the group? Is it because you just are too busy and forget to take the time to refer others to businesses in the group? Imagine what our COC group would be like if every week, each one of us took 15 minutes, created a magic email and send it for another person in COC.
Al Hanzal
www.successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Social Media—Not Who You Know but Who…
At their core, social media programs like Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin are digital networking programs. Just as many small business owners fail to maximize the real power of physical networking groups, most fail to maximize the full power of digital networking. In this article of the Small Business Tool Box, I will share the real power of networking. It’s not who you know but who…
What is the real Power of Networking?
Some might say the power of networking is in its low cost. True, its one of the cheapest forms of marketing. Others would say that word of mouth advertising is networking’s greatest power. True, word of mouth advertising is your most effective form of advertising. Others would suggest that the exposure your business gets from networking is the real power. True, business exposure is good.
The real power of networking is not who you know but who they know. Let’s look at this power.
Your 250 Contacts
Experts tell us that each of us knows about 250 people. What happens once we contact these 250 people? Where to we go from there?
Each of these people we know also knows 250 people. If each of these people that we know introduced us to 5 of their contacts and each of those contacts introduced us to just five of their friends or contacts? Well, you can do the math. Your network has increased exponentially.
Space and time limit our networking abilities. Now, let’s look at how digital networking eliminates these limitations.
I will use Linkedin as an example of second and third degree networking. (Face Book and Twitter have specific applications that will allow you to do the same thing). When you go to your Linkedin page, you see your first level of contacts. People you are directly connected with through the program. Then you can click on any one of their profiles and see who they are connected with. Then you can click on any one of their connections to see a third level of connections.
Linkedin tells me that with my 70 connections I have potential contact with 1.4 million connections. They also tell me on my page that the new connections I added last month has increased my overall connections by 3,000.
Digital networking overcomes the time and space limitations of physical networking and now allows us to see well beyond our immediate contact list. Do you see how this can opens up new possibilities for your small business?
Conclusion
It’s not who you know but who they know that is the secret of digital networking. To fully utilize social networking programs, go beyond your first level of contacts and explore the second and third degrees of contacts that are just waiting for you to tap into them.
Al Hanzal
www.successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Ways to Get your Testimonials?
Long Term Customers
Start by calling your long-term customers or those customers who are repeat buyers. You know these people well. You’ve done a lot of business with them. These are easy testimonials to get. They will be more than willing to help you.
Tell these customers what you would like them to focus on in their comments—remember your benefits. This step will produce some immediate testimonials.
Search Your Mail
Search your morning mail, invoice payments or letters for positive comments from your customers. Many times, people will write a comment when paying their bill. This can be the source for a testimonial. When you find something good from one of these sources, call them, thank them and ask them if it’s ok to use their words in your sales and marketing efforts.
Third Party Endorsement
Every business has other businesses they work with. Go to these businesses and ask for a testimonial about your business. Exchange testimonials about their business. Third party testimonials have the additional quality of showing how your business is part of much larger business network. This impresses the customer.
Industry statistics
This type of “testimonial” starts to stretch the envelope on testimonials but it has its place. For example, national studies show that when a business has sales training, they increase their profits by 16%. That does not say anything about your sales training, but that statistics show a 16% increase when a company gets sales training. This type of testimonial will help some customers buy your product.
Customer Call Backs
After every sale, call the customer to see how they like the product. Have a series of questions that leads the conversation in the direction you want. When you get some good comments, thank the customer and ask if it’s ok for you to use their comments. As a side benefit, you will learn a tremendous amount of information about your business. It’s wonderful feedback and takes only a few minutes for each sale.
Networking
It is common practice at most business networking meetings to give others members of the group a verbal testimonial when someone has used their service. “I want to tell you what good service I received from Jane last week when I went to her bank to switch over my account.” Typically, Jane nods her head and says, thank you. Go to the person after the meeting and ask if you can write down what they said about you and your business and if you can use it in your marketing efforts. Don’t let an opportunity like this slip by.
Photo Testimonials
Use photos of your customers using your products or services—make sure they are smiling! If you provide a service, have someone take a picture of you doing the service. I know a financial adviser, who gives workshops to seniors. He had his picture taken at a workshop, then used the pictures in brochures to advertise his workshops.
Have a contest with your customers to send in the best picture of them using your product or service. Give the winner a free dinner. Always, let people know you may want to use their picture for marketing purposes, call back the winners, thank them and again ask permission.
Customer photos with written testimonials are doubly powerful.
Audio Testimonials
Present you testimonial in audio form. You can easily create a customer hot line where customers can call in at any time to comment on your product or service. This could be a dedicated line with an answer machine. Make it easy for the customer to give you a testimonial. Some customers find it easier to call in comments, rather than write comments. These audio comments can be used on websites or turned into a testimonial CD.
Ask Before you Start the Project
This is a great systematic way to generate an ongoing stream of good testimonials. Make your request for testimonials part of the package you are offering the customer. As part of the details with closing the deal, you ask, “I assume that I will do a great job for you. If I do xyz will you be willing to give me a testimonial about the job?” I have never had a customer turn me down when I have made this offering.
This technique gives a different impression of you. The customer realizes that it’s your intention to do a good job. They will happily want to write a testimonial about that job. This is also a wonderful way to systemize a testimonial system to get ongoing referrals in an easy, no effort way.
Customers Feedback Forms
There are many versions of customer feedback forms. These forms help you direct the types of questions you ask about your products and services.
“Did you enjoy our product? What was the best thing you liked about the product? What was the thing you leased liked about the product? What other comments would you like to make about the product or your buying experience. May I use your comments in my efforts to help other customers?” (Enclosed a self-addressed envelope)
Keep it simple for the customer. You may also wish to give them some reward for taking the time to complete the form. Giving rewards is perfectly acceptable because you are asking the customer to do something extra.
Expert or Well Known People
Expert testimonials can be two types. You can find expert opinions that speak to one or more of your benefits but are not speaking directly to you particular product. Doctors speak about conditions necessary for weight loss programs. Your program has several of those conditions. Like industry statistics, these become a form of endorsement or testimony for the generic use of your product.
The second and more powerful testimony comes from an expert who has actually used your program or service and wants to tell others about it. Who hasn’t read reviews on a back of a book cover to help you decide to purchase the book?
Movie stars and athletes have been using their names to sell products for years.
Conduct an Interview
Have a third party conduct an interview with some of your customers. This could be a professional, a PR person or a friend. They invite the customers to offer their comments about the recent purchase. Customers feel free and easy sharing comments to a third person.
You can use these interviews in their audio or visual form or you can transcribe them and edit them into useful written forms.
These are powerful testimonials. Even when you use a professional , your costs will easily be offset by the return these types of testimonials will bring to your business
Surveys and Questionnaires
Surveys and questionnaires receive mixed reviews as a technique for getting testimonials. Remaining anonymous is usually a chief characteristic of surveys. This would defeat one of the primary qualities of good testimonials—using the name and address the person giving the testimonial. Without the name and address you sacrifice the power of the testimonial.
Their Name in Print
One popular reward you can offer for a testimonial is getting your customers name in “lights.” You address the customers, “I was wondering if you could help me. I want to thank you for being a wonderful customer and ask for your help. Could you answer the following questions?” You give them some simple directive questions to answer and tell them this may result in using their name on your website, in your brochure, etc. Everyone loves their 15 minutes of fame!
Offer to Write it for People
There is nothing wrong with helping the customer write a testimonial. You can say, “I know that you are very busy. I’d be happy to draft something you can use. You can edit or change it.”
Many customers prefer this method of giving a testimonial. They want to say nice things about your business but they don’t know how to articulate them. They don’t know where to start so they put it off in their busy schedule. They promise to give you a testimonial. You wait and wait, not wanting to bug them. Helping them write it overcomes this bump in the road and allows you to get some very pointed testimonials.
Personal Testimonials
You can use personal testimonials. You may need these especially when you are just getting started in business. When I wrote my book about how to buy carpet, I had a good friend provide a testimonial for me. She said in the testimonial, “I did not use Al’s book, but he has worked on our house in the past and his experience and insights were wonderful.” In short, you can trust Al, the person. While these are not as powerful as product testimonials, they have their place.
Use testimonials as Success Stories
On your website or other marketing materials, you may have the occasion to share success stories with prospects. These can be very powerful, especially when a customer does not know a lot about your product. Design the success story in the following manner.
Describe the problem the customer was experiencing. Provide some details about the problem—so the reader can identify with it. Then tell how your product or service solved the problem. The third section is the quote from the customer about your business. This simple three step process is very effective because in step one and two you create a clear problem-solution scenario. The customer testimonial becomes reinforcement to that scenario.
Al Hanzal
www.successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
Long Term Customers
Start by calling your long-term customers or those customers who are repeat buyers. You know these people well. You’ve done a lot of business with them. These are easy testimonials to get. They will be more than willing to help you.
Tell these customers what you would like them to focus on in their comments—remember your benefits. This step will produce some immediate testimonials.
Search Your Mail
Search your morning mail, invoice payments or letters for positive comments from your customers. Many times, people will write a comment when paying their bill. This can be the source for a testimonial. When you find something good from one of these sources, call them, thank them and ask them if it’s ok to use their words in your sales and marketing efforts.
Third Party Endorsement
Every business has other businesses they work with. Go to these businesses and ask for a testimonial about your business. Exchange testimonials about their business. Third party testimonials have the additional quality of showing how your business is part of much larger business network. This impresses the customer.
Industry statistics
This type of “testimonial” starts to stretch the envelope on testimonials but it has its place. For example, national studies show that when a business has sales training, they increase their profits by 16%. That does not say anything about your sales training, but that statistics show a 16% increase when a company gets sales training. This type of testimonial will help some customers buy your product.
Customer Call Backs
After every sale, call the customer to see how they like the product. Have a series of questions that leads the conversation in the direction you want. When you get some good comments, thank the customer and ask if it’s ok for you to use their comments. As a side benefit, you will learn a tremendous amount of information about your business. It’s wonderful feedback and takes only a few minutes for each sale.
Networking
It is common practice at most business networking meetings to give others members of the group a verbal testimonial when someone has used their service. “I want to tell you what good service I received from Jane last week when I went to her bank to switch over my account.” Typically, Jane nods her head and says, thank you. Go to the person after the meeting and ask if you can write down what they said about you and your business and if you can use it in your marketing efforts. Don’t let an opportunity like this slip by.
Photo Testimonials
Use photos of your customers using your products or services—make sure they are smiling! If you provide a service, have someone take a picture of you doing the service. I know a financial adviser, who gives workshops to seniors. He had his picture taken at a workshop, then used the pictures in brochures to advertise his workshops.
Have a contest with your customers to send in the best picture of them using your product or service. Give the winner a free dinner. Always, let people know you may want to use their picture for marketing purposes, call back the winners, thank them and again ask permission.
Customer photos with written testimonials are doubly powerful.
Audio Testimonials
Present you testimonial in audio form. You can easily create a customer hot line where customers can call in at any time to comment on your product or service. This could be a dedicated line with an answer machine. Make it easy for the customer to give you a testimonial. Some customers find it easier to call in comments, rather than write comments. These audio comments can be used on websites or turned into a testimonial CD.
Ask Before you Start the Project
This is a great systematic way to generate an ongoing stream of good testimonials. Make your request for testimonials part of the package you are offering the customer. As part of the details with closing the deal, you ask, “I assume that I will do a great job for you. If I do xyz will you be willing to give me a testimonial about the job?” I have never had a customer turn me down when I have made this offering.
This technique gives a different impression of you. The customer realizes that it’s your intention to do a good job. They will happily want to write a testimonial about that job. This is also a wonderful way to systemize a testimonial system to get ongoing referrals in an easy, no effort way.
Customers Feedback Forms
There are many versions of customer feedback forms. These forms help you direct the types of questions you ask about your products and services.
“Did you enjoy our product? What was the best thing you liked about the product? What was the thing you leased liked about the product? What other comments would you like to make about the product or your buying experience. May I use your comments in my efforts to help other customers?” (Enclosed a self-addressed envelope)
Keep it simple for the customer. You may also wish to give them some reward for taking the time to complete the form. Giving rewards is perfectly acceptable because you are asking the customer to do something extra.
Expert or Well Known People
Expert testimonials can be two types. You can find expert opinions that speak to one or more of your benefits but are not speaking directly to you particular product. Doctors speak about conditions necessary for weight loss programs. Your program has several of those conditions. Like industry statistics, these become a form of endorsement or testimony for the generic use of your product.
The second and more powerful testimony comes from an expert who has actually used your program or service and wants to tell others about it. Who hasn’t read reviews on a back of a book cover to help you decide to purchase the book?
Movie stars and athletes have been using their names to sell products for years.
Conduct an Interview
Have a third party conduct an interview with some of your customers. This could be a professional, a PR person or a friend. They invite the customers to offer their comments about the recent purchase. Customers feel free and easy sharing comments to a third person.
You can use these interviews in their audio or visual form or you can transcribe them and edit them into useful written forms.
These are powerful testimonials. Even when you use a professional , your costs will easily be offset by the return these types of testimonials will bring to your business
Surveys and Questionnaires
Surveys and questionnaires receive mixed reviews as a technique for getting testimonials. Remaining anonymous is usually a chief characteristic of surveys. This would defeat one of the primary qualities of good testimonials—using the name and address the person giving the testimonial. Without the name and address you sacrifice the power of the testimonial.
Their Name in Print
One popular reward you can offer for a testimonial is getting your customers name in “lights.” You address the customers, “I was wondering if you could help me. I want to thank you for being a wonderful customer and ask for your help. Could you answer the following questions?” You give them some simple directive questions to answer and tell them this may result in using their name on your website, in your brochure, etc. Everyone loves their 15 minutes of fame!
Offer to Write it for People
There is nothing wrong with helping the customer write a testimonial. You can say, “I know that you are very busy. I’d be happy to draft something you can use. You can edit or change it.”
Many customers prefer this method of giving a testimonial. They want to say nice things about your business but they don’t know how to articulate them. They don’t know where to start so they put it off in their busy schedule. They promise to give you a testimonial. You wait and wait, not wanting to bug them. Helping them write it overcomes this bump in the road and allows you to get some very pointed testimonials.
Personal Testimonials
You can use personal testimonials. You may need these especially when you are just getting started in business. When I wrote my book about how to buy carpet, I had a good friend provide a testimonial for me. She said in the testimonial, “I did not use Al’s book, but he has worked on our house in the past and his experience and insights were wonderful.” In short, you can trust Al, the person. While these are not as powerful as product testimonials, they have their place.
Use testimonials as Success Stories
On your website or other marketing materials, you may have the occasion to share success stories with prospects. These can be very powerful, especially when a customer does not know a lot about your product. Design the success story in the following manner.
Describe the problem the customer was experiencing. Provide some details about the problem—so the reader can identify with it. Then tell how your product or service solved the problem. The third section is the quote from the customer about your business. This simple three step process is very effective because in step one and two you create a clear problem-solution scenario. The customer testimonial becomes reinforcement to that scenario.
Al Hanzal
www.successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
Sunday, April 19, 2009
5 Rules of Branding
5 Rules of Branding
There is more to creating and promoting a brand than making a pretty logo and tagline. In fact, a logo and tagline are just representations of your brand. Following are several rules to help you create, promote and maintain your brand.
1. BE SPECIFIC
Know what your brand stands for, and know what your brand promises. Your brand promises should be precise and attainable, and you should be able to communicate them clearly. For example, don’t just say your brand stands for quality. That’s a broad statement that any company can make. How does your brand specifically live and breathe quality? Those specifics are what will make your brand stand out from your competition.
2. BE AUTHORITATIVE
Once you know what your brand stands for and promises, don’t be afraid to flaunt it. You need to make everyone else believe you’re the leader and authority in your area of expertise and specialization. Don’t meekly communicate your message. Say it with powerful words and conviction.
3. BE CONSISTENT
Get your brand message out there and don’t waiver on it. Statistics state as soon as you’re tired of your message, your customers are just starting to recognize it. A consistent message and customer experience are critical elements to building your brand.
4. BE HONEST
In today’s world, people welcome honesty and your business will be rewarded for it. Don’t offer promotions or guarantees you can’t deliver. Instead, admit your fallibility and deliver on your promises. Integrity goes a long way.
5. BE RELENTLESS
Get your brand message out there. Then get it out again and again and again. People are inundated with a myriad of messages each day. It’s not only critical that you try to stand out from the competition but it’s equally important that you are not forgotten. Don’t drop the ball on communicating your brand promise and building your brand image. Your efforts will be rewarded in time.
These rules apply to company, product and personal branding. They are simple, basic rules that are critical to your brand’s overall success.
Posted by Ensemble Creative & Marketing, Source Susan Gunelius
There is more to creating and promoting a brand than making a pretty logo and tagline. In fact, a logo and tagline are just representations of your brand. Following are several rules to help you create, promote and maintain your brand.
1. BE SPECIFIC
Know what your brand stands for, and know what your brand promises. Your brand promises should be precise and attainable, and you should be able to communicate them clearly. For example, don’t just say your brand stands for quality. That’s a broad statement that any company can make. How does your brand specifically live and breathe quality? Those specifics are what will make your brand stand out from your competition.
2. BE AUTHORITATIVE
Once you know what your brand stands for and promises, don’t be afraid to flaunt it. You need to make everyone else believe you’re the leader and authority in your area of expertise and specialization. Don’t meekly communicate your message. Say it with powerful words and conviction.
3. BE CONSISTENT
Get your brand message out there and don’t waiver on it. Statistics state as soon as you’re tired of your message, your customers are just starting to recognize it. A consistent message and customer experience are critical elements to building your brand.
4. BE HONEST
In today’s world, people welcome honesty and your business will be rewarded for it. Don’t offer promotions or guarantees you can’t deliver. Instead, admit your fallibility and deliver on your promises. Integrity goes a long way.
5. BE RELENTLESS
Get your brand message out there. Then get it out again and again and again. People are inundated with a myriad of messages each day. It’s not only critical that you try to stand out from the competition but it’s equally important that you are not forgotten. Don’t drop the ball on communicating your brand promise and building your brand image. Your efforts will be rewarded in time.
These rules apply to company, product and personal branding. They are simple, basic rules that are critical to your brand’s overall success.
Posted by Ensemble Creative & Marketing, Source Susan Gunelius
5 Elements of Logo Design
5 Elements of Logo Design
Creating a logo to represent your business and brand image can be an important aspect of your overall business plan, and as such, a great deal of consideration should go into selecting the best graphical interpretation of your brand’s value and promise. Following are five of the most important factors to consider when choosing your brand’s logo.
1. IMAGE
If you develop your brand effectively, over time, your logo will become the most recognizable icon of your business and product. It’s important to choose a graphic that appropriately demonstrates your brand’s image and values. Make sure no part of your logo could be considered offensive, and if your company is global or could become global in the future, make sure it’s not offensive in other countries. Try not to be too trendy. Select a design that can be timeless. Creating a new logo in a few years can be expensive and requires a rebranding investment that you may not be able to take on in the near future.
2. COLOR
The colors used in your logo are important not only in terms of production, but also in terms of how logos are perceived psychologically. Do some research about the meanings behind colors, and take a close look at your competitors’ logos. You want your logo to be appealing aesthetically, and you want it to help differentiate you from the competition.
3. PRINTABILITY
So many companies choose logos on aesthetics alone without taking production issues into
consideration. For example, printing halftones on promotional items like coffee mugs and t-shirts can often be a problem. What if your budget doesn’t allow you to print all of your marketing materials like brochures, advertisements, direct mail, etc. in full color? You may have to print in 1-color or 2-colors to meet your budget restrictions. Make sure your logo will translate well to black and white and 2-colors. Additionally, stick with colors from the most common print production color palette, Pantone, rather than custom colors. The size of your logo can also affect it’s production quality, so make sure your logo works in small and large formats.
4. CONSISTENCY
Once you’ve chosen your logo design, make sure you use it everywhere to represent your brand, and make sure it is always used consistently. That means it should always look the same. Everyone in your company, your business partners, and anyone else who may print or use your logo, needs to understand how the logo is to be used.
5. GUIDELINES
To ensure your logo is used correctly and consistently at all times, it’s important to develop some basic guidelines for logo usage. For example, you need to define the colors used in the logo for consistent printing. If you selected any, you need to define preferred secondary and tertiary colors that can be used in printed materials. You need to define the background colors that the logo may or may not be printed on. You need to define the amount of required white space surrounding the logo.
Bottomline, your logo is another extension of your brand’s message, image and promise. You need to communicate your message and promise in every aspect of your business to fully develop your brand, and your logo is no exception to that rule. If that consistency in your brand message doesn’t carry over to your logo, then your logo is just a useless piece of clipart.
Posted by Ensemble Creative & Marketing, Source Susan Gunelius
Creating a logo to represent your business and brand image can be an important aspect of your overall business plan, and as such, a great deal of consideration should go into selecting the best graphical interpretation of your brand’s value and promise. Following are five of the most important factors to consider when choosing your brand’s logo.
1. IMAGE
If you develop your brand effectively, over time, your logo will become the most recognizable icon of your business and product. It’s important to choose a graphic that appropriately demonstrates your brand’s image and values. Make sure no part of your logo could be considered offensive, and if your company is global or could become global in the future, make sure it’s not offensive in other countries. Try not to be too trendy. Select a design that can be timeless. Creating a new logo in a few years can be expensive and requires a rebranding investment that you may not be able to take on in the near future.
2. COLOR
The colors used in your logo are important not only in terms of production, but also in terms of how logos are perceived psychologically. Do some research about the meanings behind colors, and take a close look at your competitors’ logos. You want your logo to be appealing aesthetically, and you want it to help differentiate you from the competition.
3. PRINTABILITY
So many companies choose logos on aesthetics alone without taking production issues into
consideration. For example, printing halftones on promotional items like coffee mugs and t-shirts can often be a problem. What if your budget doesn’t allow you to print all of your marketing materials like brochures, advertisements, direct mail, etc. in full color? You may have to print in 1-color or 2-colors to meet your budget restrictions. Make sure your logo will translate well to black and white and 2-colors. Additionally, stick with colors from the most common print production color palette, Pantone, rather than custom colors. The size of your logo can also affect it’s production quality, so make sure your logo works in small and large formats.
4. CONSISTENCY
Once you’ve chosen your logo design, make sure you use it everywhere to represent your brand, and make sure it is always used consistently. That means it should always look the same. Everyone in your company, your business partners, and anyone else who may print or use your logo, needs to understand how the logo is to be used.
5. GUIDELINES
To ensure your logo is used correctly and consistently at all times, it’s important to develop some basic guidelines for logo usage. For example, you need to define the colors used in the logo for consistent printing. If you selected any, you need to define preferred secondary and tertiary colors that can be used in printed materials. You need to define the background colors that the logo may or may not be printed on. You need to define the amount of required white space surrounding the logo.
Bottomline, your logo is another extension of your brand’s message, image and promise. You need to communicate your message and promise in every aspect of your business to fully develop your brand, and your logo is no exception to that rule. If that consistency in your brand message doesn’t carry over to your logo, then your logo is just a useless piece of clipart.
Posted by Ensemble Creative & Marketing, Source Susan Gunelius
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Your Elevator Speech
COC Business Education—4-15-09
The elevator speech—it’s that short speech, 10-30 seconds long speech you give on the elevator from the 10th floor to the lobby to explain your business to someone trapped in the elevator with you! Most of us are not doing business in tall buildings so we should rename it as our mall speech or waiting in the line speech.
I have always thought of the elevator speech as a qualifying speech. Based on my elevator speech, does the other person show any interest in my business? If so, I can go on; if not, I move on to a different subject.
The purpose of the elevator speech is to engage the other person, to check out to see if they have interest in your business. It is not a sales pitch.
The elevator speech consists of 100-150 words, short, sharp, engaging, easy to remember and usually with curiosity attached.
Three Step Format
I have found the best format to be a simple three step process. When someone asks what do you do?
The first step, “Well, do you know how—then identify a problem, a fact or a desire that most people have.
The second step, the person answers, “Yes.”
The third step, “Well, I--share what you do, with whom and benefits they receive.
My elevator speech goes like this,
What do you do?
Well, do you know how more people are buying products from the internet?
Yes,
Well, I show small business owners how to use the internet to get more of those customers to buy from
them.
Really, how do you do that?
Let’s look more closely at this structure. You start with a common problem, a fact or desire that the person can relate with. You are engaging them. You are building a common ground with them. You don’t want to use something like, “Well did you know that 67% of the people start their shopping by going to the internet?” People don’t know if that is true or untrue!
You want to solicit a “Yes response” indicating you have engaged them.
With the third step, you are telling them what you do with whom you work and what benefits you provide. If you start with the problem of people needing money to pay their energy bills, you might say, I want to say, I show them a way so they no longer need to worry about their energy bills. Problem—solved.
Typically, they say, “Wow, how do you do that?” I have left them with some curiosity and now they give me permission to talk more about my business.
Where to Use the Elevator Speech
Where can you use your elevator speech?
• Use it on your business card
• Use it as a tag line for your commercials
• Use is as part of your branding
• Use is on your website.
It captures your business in a nutshell.
Al Hanzal
www.successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
The elevator speech—it’s that short speech, 10-30 seconds long speech you give on the elevator from the 10th floor to the lobby to explain your business to someone trapped in the elevator with you! Most of us are not doing business in tall buildings so we should rename it as our mall speech or waiting in the line speech.
I have always thought of the elevator speech as a qualifying speech. Based on my elevator speech, does the other person show any interest in my business? If so, I can go on; if not, I move on to a different subject.
The purpose of the elevator speech is to engage the other person, to check out to see if they have interest in your business. It is not a sales pitch.
The elevator speech consists of 100-150 words, short, sharp, engaging, easy to remember and usually with curiosity attached.
Three Step Format
I have found the best format to be a simple three step process. When someone asks what do you do?
The first step, “Well, do you know how—then identify a problem, a fact or a desire that most people have.
The second step, the person answers, “Yes.”
The third step, “Well, I--share what you do, with whom and benefits they receive.
My elevator speech goes like this,
What do you do?
Well, do you know how more people are buying products from the internet?
Yes,
Well, I show small business owners how to use the internet to get more of those customers to buy from
them.
Really, how do you do that?
Let’s look more closely at this structure. You start with a common problem, a fact or desire that the person can relate with. You are engaging them. You are building a common ground with them. You don’t want to use something like, “Well did you know that 67% of the people start their shopping by going to the internet?” People don’t know if that is true or untrue!
You want to solicit a “Yes response” indicating you have engaged them.
With the third step, you are telling them what you do with whom you work and what benefits you provide. If you start with the problem of people needing money to pay their energy bills, you might say, I want to say, I show them a way so they no longer need to worry about their energy bills. Problem—solved.
Typically, they say, “Wow, how do you do that?” I have left them with some curiosity and now they give me permission to talk more about my business.
Where to Use the Elevator Speech
Where can you use your elevator speech?
• Use it on your business card
• Use it as a tag line for your commercials
• Use is as part of your branding
• Use is on your website.
It captures your business in a nutshell.
Al Hanzal
www.successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
I love vacations for many reasons. There is the obvious reason of a warmer climate. It always gives me some space and time to step back from the daily grind of business and gain new perspectives. I always find time to do more writing on vacation. There is airplane time. There is beach time. It also gives me an opportunity to listen and see what is happening in other parts of the country that have yet to appear in Minnesota.
New Things I saw on Vacation
A couple of new things I noticed on my vacation. One local TV station offered with each new program comments from their Face Book and Twitter accounts. People now feel free to make comments about the news on the stations social networking accounts and the TV station shares the comments on the air.
Watching the Today show, when they had their Expert Help Segments, instead of just letting the experts tell their story, they have webcams where people actually asked questions of the experts directly from their home computers.
As I watching the last day of the golf tournament, several times during the tournament, the announcers read emails from viewers and answered their questions directly on the air.
Do you see a pattern developing? An interactive mode of programs and marketing now is replacing the traditional models of controlling the news and TV programming.
The Question for Small Business Owners
The question becomes how will this interactive mode affect your small business? How are the Social net tools going to change the way you do business?
Let me start by suggesting that the Social net will not eliminate other marketing tools to create awareness for your business. Physical networking groups like Circle of Connections can still meet and produce results. Some of you may still put an ad in the local newspaper or create a brochure to help advertise your business.
However, it becomes even more critical for you to ask the question, “What results are my current marketing tools producing for my business?” Don’t use any marketing tool because someone tells you to use it! Keep evaluating what you are doing. Keep what’s working; discard what’s not working.
Along with your traditional marketing efforts, you will need to develop an internet strategy on which tools you are going to use to help promote your business in this internet marketing medium. You need to go where your customers are going. They are going to the internet. As you do create a strategy for the Social net, I make two notes of caution.
Follow Basic Marketing Principles
First, if you are weak on the basics of small business marketing, you will fail on the Social net. By the basics I mean clearly knowing your customer niche, clearly knowing how your products benefit your customers, and showing proof that people can believe what you are telling them.
If you are missing these critical ingredients, you will quickly fail on the Social net. Why? There is too much competition from people who follow the basics. You don’t have the luxury of dealing face to face with people to overcome your marketing limitations with your charming personality or a face to face encounter.
Adopt a Different Marketing Mentality
My second warning, you must behave differently on the Social net. In traditional marketing, you talk directly at people telling them about your business and what you can do for them. On the Social net you must be willing to give up control and find ways to influence people rather than tell people.
Your primary skill in these social net programs is listening. You are invited as guest, to participate along with other guests. You can listen, you can add suggestions, you can ask questions, you can share your insights as an expert in your field. You can become a person of influence.
If you think you can go to a social networking group and blast your business in front of them, you will be shut out. Worse, people will simply ignore you. The key is to come as a person of influence. When you do this, you can have some success on the Social net.
I believe you cannot avoid the Social net if you want to really be successful in your small business. The world has already moved there. Each of us needs to develop a strategy on how we are going to make our business presence on the Social net.
Al Hanzal
www. Successfulmarketingtools.com/wordpressblog
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Branding Your Small Business by Al Hanzal
Branding Your Small Business
In 1997 Tiger Woods won the Masters Golf tournament by 12 strokes, the largest margin in the history of that tournament. Despite his win, Tiger said he needed to remake his golf game if he was going to compete and win long term. It took him two years to remake his golf game and now he is considered to be the best golfer on the planet.
Why do I share this story with you? Because it has to do with business branding and business make over’s. We will be talking about business branding in the next two weeks. I will talk about the invisible elements of branding. Next week Kristina and Nicole will talk about the visible aspects of branding, logo, colors and ways to promote your brand.
I see four elements involved in a successful brand.
What do you do? Your first element in creating a brand is to provide the prospect with a clear picture about what you are offering. What do you do or what does what you are selling do? You must be able to answer this question simply and clearly. Confused buyers never buy.
Write down the answer to this question in simple and clear words. Then show it to three people. Is it simple and clear to them?
What is your specialty? A second branding element is what is your specialty? People don’t buy from Jack of all trades and masters of none. They have too many buying options. When you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. Make it clear about your specialty.
How are you different from the competition? How are you different or better than your competition?” You don’t just want to be different. You may be the only sales person with green hair. That would make you different. Does this different matter to your customers?
Here is the heart and soul of branding. Does your difference make an emotional connection with your customers? What’s the one thing they can get from you that they cannot get from your competition?
When you think of Tiffany’s—what do you think of? Fine jewelry and romance. When you think of Tiger Woods, what you think about? Golf! Your difference is what makes the deep connection with your customers.
Dominate your market. The fourth quality, do you want to just be another peddler in the market place? Be the best. Be recognized as an expert in your business. Understand your customer better than your competition. Tell the world about your expertise. Dominate. Don’t just exist as a brand.
When you bring these four elements to the market place, you have a successful brand. You become enviable. People will look at you and admire you. And that makes your entire business operations more enjoyable and prosperous.
Branding and Being Different
So how do you create and bring this brand which is YOU to the market place? Let me just focus on one element--being different in today’s crowded market place.
Start by staking out your new position. Stop marketing to everyone. Pick out a narrow segment of the market place. The best way to identify this segment is to find a place where you can be different from your competitors. Your success depends on the ability to identify your difference and tell the world about it.
Here are three areas where you can look for business differences. Each business does have a difference to discover! Each business has a brand waiting to be developed.
Customer Differences
You can make yourself different by choosing a specific group of customers or subset of customers to serve. Some mortgage businesses deal only with high end customer mortgages. Some businesses sell only to left-handed golfers.
Or maybe you choose a specific problem within a customer group. Some mortgage businesses cater to the re-financing of high-end mortgages. Some businesses only sell shoes to left-handed golfers. Is there one problem or set of conditions that you can solve with your business that separates you from your competitors?
Product Differences
Look at your product or services as a second place to find your differences. Here are a number of things you can promote about your products or services to make your business stand out in a crowded market place.
Customer Buying-Process Differences
If you're not different with your customers or your product, you can be different in the customer buying process. Customers today put as much value on the buying experience as they do on the product or service.
Can you change the physical environment of your business so it stands out from competitors? A neat, attractive, well displayed showroom will clearly separate you from competitors.
Do you have employees who have more dedication, more knowledge, more “whatever” than your competitors? Just saying good things about your employees does not work because everyone claims they have the best and most knowledgeable employees. If the differences are real, and they affect the customer’s buying experience, use them.
Do you have more credibility than your competitors? Credibility is fostered by testimonials, credentials, guarantees and evidence of expertise. For example, if your guarantee was double the industry average, you could use this as a way of separating yourself from your competitors.
Do you have a better follow-up process with your customers? Follow up and customer support are critical for ongoing relationships with customers.
You can have internal business processes that make you different and better than your competitors. When the internal system can be translated into real customer benefits, you can use it.
You can also separate yourself by having a better marketing process. Marketing involves selecting the right customers, offering the right message and choosing the right means to get your message to the right group of customers.
Conclusion
Take these insights I have provided about being different and find the difference in your own business. Now you have a tool to compete in today’s crowded market place.
Al Hanzal
In 1997 Tiger Woods won the Masters Golf tournament by 12 strokes, the largest margin in the history of that tournament. Despite his win, Tiger said he needed to remake his golf game if he was going to compete and win long term. It took him two years to remake his golf game and now he is considered to be the best golfer on the planet.
Why do I share this story with you? Because it has to do with business branding and business make over’s. We will be talking about business branding in the next two weeks. I will talk about the invisible elements of branding. Next week Kristina and Nicole will talk about the visible aspects of branding, logo, colors and ways to promote your brand.
I see four elements involved in a successful brand.
What do you do? Your first element in creating a brand is to provide the prospect with a clear picture about what you are offering. What do you do or what does what you are selling do? You must be able to answer this question simply and clearly. Confused buyers never buy.
Write down the answer to this question in simple and clear words. Then show it to three people. Is it simple and clear to them?
What is your specialty? A second branding element is what is your specialty? People don’t buy from Jack of all trades and masters of none. They have too many buying options. When you try to appeal to everyone, you appeal to no one. Make it clear about your specialty.
How are you different from the competition? How are you different or better than your competition?” You don’t just want to be different. You may be the only sales person with green hair. That would make you different. Does this different matter to your customers?
Here is the heart and soul of branding. Does your difference make an emotional connection with your customers? What’s the one thing they can get from you that they cannot get from your competition?
When you think of Tiffany’s—what do you think of? Fine jewelry and romance. When you think of Tiger Woods, what you think about? Golf! Your difference is what makes the deep connection with your customers.
Dominate your market. The fourth quality, do you want to just be another peddler in the market place? Be the best. Be recognized as an expert in your business. Understand your customer better than your competition. Tell the world about your expertise. Dominate. Don’t just exist as a brand.
When you bring these four elements to the market place, you have a successful brand. You become enviable. People will look at you and admire you. And that makes your entire business operations more enjoyable and prosperous.
Branding and Being Different
So how do you create and bring this brand which is YOU to the market place? Let me just focus on one element--being different in today’s crowded market place.
Start by staking out your new position. Stop marketing to everyone. Pick out a narrow segment of the market place. The best way to identify this segment is to find a place where you can be different from your competitors. Your success depends on the ability to identify your difference and tell the world about it.
Here are three areas where you can look for business differences. Each business does have a difference to discover! Each business has a brand waiting to be developed.
- Customer differences
- Product differences
- Customer buying differences
Customer Differences
You can make yourself different by choosing a specific group of customers or subset of customers to serve. Some mortgage businesses deal only with high end customer mortgages. Some businesses sell only to left-handed golfers.
Or maybe you choose a specific problem within a customer group. Some mortgage businesses cater to the re-financing of high-end mortgages. Some businesses only sell shoes to left-handed golfers. Is there one problem or set of conditions that you can solve with your business that separates you from your competitors?
Product Differences
Look at your product or services as a second place to find your differences. Here are a number of things you can promote about your products or services to make your business stand out in a crowded market place.
- Make your product faster—we live in a time starved environment.
- Customize your product—people want to be treated as special and unique.
- Make your product larger--this can increase the value to the customer.
- Improve the quality of the product—people will pay for quality.
- Make your product safer—people are always concerned about safety.
- Make your product greener—hot social trend in today’s world
- Make your product more convenient—people are looking for ease of use.
- Eliminate a common complaint or weakness about products in your industry.
- Make it last longer—people want durability.
- Make it more portable—take it to the people rather than people come to you.
- Make it more available—people hate to wait for things.
- Package your offerings so you are different from your competitors.
- Combine several elements into one—less complexity for people.
- Make your price the difference—be the lowest or the highest.
- Make the product more innovative—some customers want the newest.
Customer Buying-Process Differences
If you're not different with your customers or your product, you can be different in the customer buying process. Customers today put as much value on the buying experience as they do on the product or service.
Can you change the physical environment of your business so it stands out from competitors? A neat, attractive, well displayed showroom will clearly separate you from competitors.
Do you have employees who have more dedication, more knowledge, more “whatever” than your competitors? Just saying good things about your employees does not work because everyone claims they have the best and most knowledgeable employees. If the differences are real, and they affect the customer’s buying experience, use them.
Do you have more credibility than your competitors? Credibility is fostered by testimonials, credentials, guarantees and evidence of expertise. For example, if your guarantee was double the industry average, you could use this as a way of separating yourself from your competitors.
Do you have a better follow-up process with your customers? Follow up and customer support are critical for ongoing relationships with customers.
You can have internal business processes that make you different and better than your competitors. When the internal system can be translated into real customer benefits, you can use it.
You can also separate yourself by having a better marketing process. Marketing involves selecting the right customers, offering the right message and choosing the right means to get your message to the right group of customers.
Conclusion
Take these insights I have provided about being different and find the difference in your own business. Now you have a tool to compete in today’s crowded market place.
Al Hanzal
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