- Bob Martel
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- Bob Martel |
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Direct Marketing | Database Marketing | Copywriting | ||
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Issue #15 In this issue: Welcome to Power Marketing Tips. You can (print and) read this newsletter here in its entirety now, or you can read it at www.jmbmarketing.com ... but, by all means, read it today! I confess, since I skipped the August issue, this is hardly a brief issue - but I hope you'll find something you can apply within the next hour. Before you proceed, I have a favor to ask you. If you find even one gem, one nugget of gold in this issue, then I've done my job - and I'd like you to forward this issue, in its entirety, to a friend in business. If you did not find even one iota of thought provoking marketing advice - let me know. Now...stop what you are doing and... Grab a pencil now and write down your goals for the following, as you look to Dec 31, 2002:
The above questions are designed to get you thinking about what's working and what's not, and the level of marketing performance you need to get you where you want your business to take you in the coming year. I have about 75 more marketing questions you should be asking yourself. Send an email with QUESTIONS in the subject line and I'll forward them to you. You are receiving this free newsletter because you subscribed at www.jmbmarketing.com, or you asked to be on the mailing list. If you received this newsletter in error, or If do not wish to receive future issues, simply reply and we'll delete you from our database. My apology in advance if this is the case. My perpetual promise to you: Power Marketing Tips will always make you think, hopefully on a strategic level, about your marketing opportunities and offer fresh advice to make you a better marketer. In this issue: Thanks to the patience of my publisher, my first book 'How to Create All of the Business You Can Handle' will be out soon. (Watch for pre-publication private offer!) Enjoy this issue! Feedback always welcome. Power Marketing Tips is now read in every time zone, reaching success-minded marketers in 28 countries! Bob Martel P.S. - Do you know how many sales people struggle to clearly articulate the value of the company's services and end up squandering a golden opportunity? Well, your Hypnotic Marketing Proposition (HMP) will cause prospects - even people in the elevator - to ask you to do business with them! I've been helping sales people, consultants, and business owners across the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia to craft powerful messages to differentiate themselves. In one hour on the phone I can help you put your prospects 'into a trance' by using the right words that make them take notice and pay attention to what you have to say. Isn't it worth $137.00 to create a customized, hypnotic marketing message that will your message clarity and magnetism? P.P.S. - About the trance... I meant it figuratively speaking. But be advised, the words you choose to use in your marketing mean the difference between a successful campaign and mediocre results. P.P.P.S. - How would you like to hit one keystroke and have your printer spit out your entire marketing strategy, best benefits, objections and how to handle them, copywriting ideas, irresistible offers, and more? The software I have been using for years to develop strategies and write direct marketing copy... is now available to you. Power Marketing Analyzer is available for $197.00. Through October 15, 2003, it's yours for only $177.00. Money back guarantee. Send email if you want more information. Have you seen that sleek new design that Discover has introduced for their credit card? You can put it on your key chain, bring it to the beach or to the mountain resorts, or literally anywhere without carrying your wallet. Neat idea. It pre-empts the competition and stimulates usage among current cardholders. This innovative idea follows on the heals of Mobil's SpeedPass and offers convenience to the busy consumer. What about the new liquid BandAid, or the waterproof BandAid guaranteed not to fall off your finger while you swim? What about Huggies printed in blue, and in pink patterns? Walk down the mousetrap aisle in the hardware store. There is powerful news to be learned. Victor Mousetrap Company, the world's leader in mousetrap manufacturing, has introduced a new mousetrap design. They must have determined that the world does, indeed, want a new mousetrap and will beat a path to the hardware store. Either that or the mouse has evolved to outsmart the old trap. Innovation at work. In an earlier day, the Pennsylvania Mousetrap Company sold a four-mouse trap that baited the mice and snapped their heads off. Victor came out with a more humane alternative, trapping them by the tail. And there is, of course, another product that catches the mice using a sticky tape, and they starve to death. What's my point? Like the mousetrap business, band aids, or credit cards, you always have to be thinking about the best way to solve your customers' problems. Reinventing your company can breath life into an otherwise ho-hum service, or extend the life of a mature product. A very large part of being a good marketing company requires that you pay attention to your surroundings-and act on opportunities to innovate before the other guy (figure of speech!) beats you to it and absconds with your future cash cow. Watch for innovation outside of your industry. Study what the best of the best are doing in other trades and professions. Start by paying closer attention to the consumer products and services being promoted to you. How do you find ways to innovate in your small business? Here are 5 ways to create new ideas, revive a mature product, or reinvent your entire company, large or small: Ask yourself the "what if" questions that lead to even more benefits for your customers using your existing products and services. It is only when you get to the heart of the matter, the benefits that the subconscious mind finds most appealing, that you will consistently excel in your business. This requires that you are in touch with your best customers and prospects.
You must innovate to dominate your market. But if this is something you struggle with, take steps to simply improve on the perceived value of the products and services you offer. In an economy fraught with poor service, doing what is expected, on a consistent basis at a fair price may seem innovative compared to your competitors. It's not a new idea, but conducting basic market research can lead to innovation. Perhaps starting a customer advisory board is the answer. If you can take an objective look at your business, and empathize with your prospects, innovation will emerge. Remember, the battle is for mind share and wallet share. In a down economy especially, you have to stay focused on the customers' decision to give you a small piece of their hard-earned expendable income. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a steadily declining economy. All of the signs are right in front of us. Bush's Economic Forum closed a few weeks ago with an interesting remark from the President: "Americans have been through tough times before, and we can handle this, too." The Federal Reserve is scrambling to turn things around. Consumer confidence is low, credit card debt is staggering, and everyone knows at least two or three people who can't find work. Lending institutions are worried about loan defaults. What does this mean for your business? Discretionary income is going to shrink. Most people are going to be more careful about their spending as time goes on, and you may need new strategies to keep things afloat. As our economy gets even tighter, capturing your customers' mind-share and wallet-share will become more challenging. The marketing battle for your prospects' expendable income, which you hope they will spend (more of) with you, will intensify and, as you'd expect me to say, the smarter marketer will weather this economic storm in far better condition. We are entering a time where those who have honed their marketing skills in a growing economy will have a chance to apply them now, as survival skills. But new marketing and sales skills, and new strategies will be required. Not every small business will survive the hard times that lie ahead. Scary, huh? Marketing happens in the mind, so the more you know about influencing human behavior the better you will understand how to capture the hearts, minds and wallets of your customers. You will need to pursue an education in the underlying psychology of marketing so that all of your efforts achieve maximum payback. In other words, there are proven marketing methods that the big companies have been using for decades. Now, it's imperative that you learn how to use them as well. You have no choice but to begin learning more about buying behavior, and why customers buy or don't buy from you. Let me offer you a few brief examples of what you need to learn more about: The Law of Scarcity- People want what they can't have, so make your products or services scarce. In my favorite men's store, a sign in the Dockers section reads 'Dear Customer, So that everyone can enjoy this special sales event, please limit your purchase to six pair of Dockers.' Works in retail, consulting, and ever business in between. The Law of Association- We respect the advice of those we trust, relate with, or want to associate with, don't we? If Rush Limbaugh tells you to buy a Bose Wave Radio, for example, and you happen to actually like Rush, you're going to take his advice. How can you use endorsements to move your products? If Bob Hope tells you to buy Texaco gasoline, you probably will, right? And if Tom Brady endorses the Dunkin Donuts steak and egg sandwich, you want one, too. The Law of Contrast- Car dealers use this to focus you on the relatively low monthly payment in contrast to the price of the vehicle. It's much easier to say yes to $289 per month that it is to swallow $39,995, isn't it? In another example, use this law to demonstrate an expensive product beside a more reasonable choice. This technique is common in selling watches, caskets, electronics, and just about every thing under the sun. Only 6 easy payments of $139.95 sure beats the full purchase price. The Law of Reciprocity- When you give someone something of high perceived value, they respond with an immediate need to give something back to you. Free gift with purchase is one way to use this in retail. This is the most powerful law of selling persuasion, so I'll give it more ink in another issue. But I do have an incredible free gift for you. Send me an email now to receive it. Intrigued but not quite sure how to apply the above to your market? Call me at 508-481-8383 and I'll offer you a couple of ideas. Smart marketing has never been more urgent. Add these strategies to your marketing action plan now:
You will need to make smarter marketing decisions and carefully evaluate every marketing dollar you spend. Every on-line, print, television or radio advertisement program, direct mail campaign, trade show event, and phone campaign must return measurable results. Mind you, I am not saying that your marketing should come to a screeching halt. On the contrary, you may need to redirect other budgets to invest in lead generation and retention programs now. Stealth Marketing: Are you ready to torpedo your competition & "sneak up" on your prospects, armed with a marketing perspective than fewer than 5% of sales and marketing people understand? It's really quite easy if you do three things in tandem:
Here are a few questions to consider: - What is your customer really buying from you... and why is that important? - With the benefits of your product "in hand" what is the customer now about to do or have? - Why is having these things important? What will it allow or enable? - How does owning the benefits make your customer feel, deep down inside, on a personal level? If you know why your customers and prospects (subconsciously) seek the benefits of your products and services, you are better prepared to deliver true value. Until next time, Bob |
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JMB Marketing Group |
Voice (508) 481-8383 |
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