How Can I Build Good Relationship With New Customers?

Publicity, Services

I work in a service firm as a marketing executive. I need to come out with as many marketing ideas as possible to build good relationship with customers before passing over potential customers to the sales department. Currently we send our company info, sometimes hampers and small souvenirs to keep in touch with potential customers. what else can i do to build strong relationship with our ‘to be customers’? I also have to monitor the progress after the sales dept take over – so the bind between me and the customer is a continuous one…whereby i have to keep coming out with new ideas all the time.

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Jay’s Answer: Find out what your customers need, and give it to them (even if it’s not services/products from your company!). Your prospects don’t initially need your company info, hampers, nor souvenirs – they want their problems solved. Get clear on what their underlying problem is, have them place a price tag on it, and offer solutions that clearly (and in a proven way) address their issue. That’s a service worth talking about to ones’ friends.

How Can I Launch My Book At A Conference?

Publicity

I have a book being launched in another state to where I live, at a conference, however after a recent email from an associate in my city asking for an invitation it occurs to me I really need to do something local too – so my family, friends, associates, colleagues, clients and others can attend. This has the potential of growing big if I’m not careful and I don’t want to be paying out huge dollars.

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Jay’s Answer: Are your friends, family, etc. simply wanting to see you “in-action”? If so, if you could record (or even, web-cast) the party, then they can feel a part of it.

If you’re trying to fill seats with friendly faces, be careful to limit it to people who can actually help your business. For example, people that understand what your book is about. Perhaps even provide some questions to your friends to ask should things be quiet.

Your friends & family may also want to help. Ask them to provide snacks/finger-food. Ask them to help you find an appropriate venue.

Lastly, given your book topic, contact local mothers groups in Melbourne. This would be a win-win: they would be interested in the topic, would love to help you succeed, would be great to get support from, and perhaps have a meeting space that they could provide (in exchange for free attendance by their members).

What Is A Good Name For A 24/7 Childcare Center?

Names + Taglines, Starting Out

We are planning to have a educational but fun childcare center.The ages of the children will be from infants to 5 years old. We are planning to open 24 hours a day,seven days a week.We are planning to have an area where the mothers that are still breast feeding can go and have privacy,There will be a nurse on call for the children/staff in case of an emergency or sickness. We will have the best trained employees on site with educational and professional skills, but most of all love for children and their needs and learning abilities.

I need a name that would draw attention to the parents and the child wants to come inside and stay.I need the name to reflect my business on the inside as well as the outside.I also need a tagline. I need a name that would stand out in their heads. Thanks.

Here are some names I came up with:

  • Kids Cove
  • Kids Paradise
  • Sugar & Spice

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Jay’s Answer: Here are some ideas for you to consider:

  • 24/7 Childcare Center
  • Childcare Around The Clock
  • Childcare When You Need It
  • Grandma Thelma’s Childcare Center
  • Childcare Away From Home
  • Child Day And Night Care
  • The Child Hotel
  • Child Cloud (a soft place to care for children)
  • Kids Kare
  • Care 4 Kids
  • Open Arms Childcare

Each of these names focus on different benefits. Unless you have a large budget for marketing, it’s generally best to keep the name “obvious” rather than obscure. Also, some of these names can be used as taglines. For example:

  • The Child Hotel: Childcare Around The Clock

As for your names:

  • Kids Paradise and Cove connote an older kids group.
  • Sugar & Spice sounds little like a bakery’s name, and might be confusing.

Pick a name you like, but more importantly, pick a name that your prospective clients’ like. Find people you know (and don’t) and ask them for what resonates (and why). Your name needs to “work” for your area.

How Should I Launch My Printing Business?

Starting Out

We are opening a new shop in a retail unit close to one of the busiest shopping centres in the city. Our services includes: Printing, Design and Copy.

In that same area we have a very successful well known printing company, already offering the same service that we intend offering. We can match the quality of their service in design plus printing even at a lower price but we do not want a price war. We can also give a quick and professional service to those who are likely to walk in for a quick design of logo business card, letterheads while they wait which the other company no longer offer because they claim they are too busy.

1. What will be the best way to introduce ourselves to the local businesses that might already be using their services with a view of them giving us the chance for a quote and their business?

2. What marketing campaign should we put in place that will help us attract a good percentage of the local business both the walk in and B2B?

3. What should we do on the day of our opening that will attract shoppers and create awareness?

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Jay’s Answer: Distinguish yourself on service. Offer to pickup and deliver (within a small range) all their printing. Offer a web-based system to deliver and proof your jobs. Make your menu of services easily understood.

To attract business on day 1, you could: offer free copies (or the first N copies for free), spin a wheel for people that are about to checkout giving them a discount of up to 100% off, free business card critiques, etc.

How Can I Get My Company To Listen To My Marketing Ideas?

Clubs + Associations, Starting Out

I am working in the soft drink business. I am always coming up with marketing ideas. My company has used some but most they feel are more for the national level. when contacting are parent company they say they have a inside marketing department and that’s the end. How can I move these ideas forward and be paid for them if they have merit. I do not have a degree in marketing but I am very creative in product promotion development and many other areas. Would like a chance to do some good with what I have.

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Jay’s Answer: I’d suggest first getting known by your parent company’s marketing department, and offering your ideas to them. Instead of simply emailing an idea every so often, you need to build a relationship with them. Ideally, you find a mentor/champion in your company that could help you connect to the department. If not, then you need to talk with the head of the internal marketing department for an informational interview. You’re looking to learn more about what they do, how they do it, and the problems they’re facing. Your ideas would need to fit into their way of working so you can be seen as an asset.

If your ideas get received well, implemented, and results clearly demonstrated, then you have an opportunity to claim a better salary.

If you hit a dead end, then consider other avenues: becoming an (unpaid) intern for the marketing group, looking for another job (where your skills could be better used), or start a marketing promotions consultancy on-the-side.

What Is A Good Marketing Strategy For A Coconut Trading Company?

Products, Publicity

I am helping out a family friend’s Coconut Trading Company (let’s just call it CTC for now) that is based in Asia. They import fresh premium coconuts by land directly from Thailand and started out as the only distributor in the local market. They have been in the business for more than a decade now and with no competition over the first few years, they were able to establish good relationships with the restaurants owners, beverage stands and hotels within their country.

About 5 years ago, an employee with the knowledge gathered from working at CTC decided to put up a business in the same trade, New Coconut Trading or NCT. The new player thought that by offering low grade coconut at a lower price will be enough to get into the market. But when they tried to tap into CTC’s client, NCT found out that offering a lower price is not enough. So NCT took a different approach by offering other fruit drinks that CTC doesn’t have and was able to tap into CTC’s client, which the loyal customers supported as long as its not coconut related. So with this, CTC learned to adapt to its competitor and the new changes that came with it but at the same time was able to maintain his client.

Everything seems okay for CTC and NCT until 2008. They are both facing a new challenge as another player made its introduction to the market recently. Rumour has it that previous employees from CTC and NCT joined forces to put up Another New Trading or ANT. And this time ANT is trying its best to tap into both CTC and NCT’s client by offering premium and low grade coconuts plus a new array of fruit drinks. Lets add to that the number of mobile vendors who are also now selling low grade quality coconuts in the streets. The demand for premium coconut is getting less as the supply of cheaper coconuts from Thailand is increasing in the local market.

What is the best Marketing Strategy for CTC to be able to survive these new threats and at the same time maintain their market share?

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Jay’s Answer: Here are a few ideas:

1) Diversify. If CTC is only selling coconuts, any new company that also offers coconuts will be a threat. Sell other products that CTC’s existing clients need.

2) Make Premium Brand Clearer. What are the benefits to the premium coconut? Taste? Vitamins? Organic? More milk? Less chance of spoil? Continue to highlight the benefits of your products to differentiate them from your competitors.

3) Make Service Clearer. Why are CTC’s customers continuing to purchase from it? Is it your refund policy? Your quality? Low spoilage? If you don’t know, ask your clients what are the top 1 or 2 reasons.

4) Merge (Co-market) with NCT. Use both of your names & customer lists to establish a stronger single brand or ease of ordering.

What Is A Good Name For A Bakery-Style Bath And Body Business?

eMarketing, Names + Taglines, Starting Out

It will be an online bath and body (hope to open a store later). Handmade, natural soap, scrubs, creams, bath bombs, etc. High end. Theme is bakery style healthy confections for the body. Any ideas?

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Jay’s Answer: Since you’re looking for an online business, I scoped out some available domain names for you. Hopefully something will inspire:

  • CookiesNCremes.com
  • AhABath.com
  • TimeForMyself.com
  • BatheWithLove.com
  • 1LovingHand.com
  • ALovingHandful.com
  • ScrubARub.com
  • BeautyPatisserie.com
  • BeautePatisserie.com (Beaut?© is French for beauty)

How Can I Promote My Asset Management Company?

Publicity

There’s always a question in my mind that what could be the best strategy to promote the walk-in customers/ bank customers or the stakeholder to get attracted towards what the asset management company is offering. Let’s say, if the asset management company want to increase the sales of unit of their product so what could be the tools or techniques that we can use to make a successful campaign/BTL activity.

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Jay’s Answer: I’ll assume you already have a great high-quality offering.

There are 4 basic temperaments for people, so your offer needs to appeal to each: Methodical (transparency of offer), Spontaneous (something new/different), Humanistic (show how others have benefited), and Competitive (results better than everything else). The words and images must echo the temperaments so people can quickly filter and evaluate your message.

How Should We Name Our Health Insurance Business?

Names + Taglines, Starting Out

My fiance and I are both self employed HEALTH insurance agents. We are in the process of really venturing out and I am trying to come up with a great name for our business.

So many insurance companies around here are just the agents name, BORING and I am having a hard time finding different examples.

Our background: Currently most experienced with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement, but now we are embarking into the individual health insurance side. We will be dealing with individuals, seniors, dental, indemnity, accident, etc, basically all health insurance besides life since we do not have our life license (but will shortly). We are licensed in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida so can service those states. The last name will be Jadick once we are married.

Any suggestions of something creative would be WONDERFUL!!

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Jay’s Answer: You have 2 basic choices: something that mentions insurance in the name or doesn’t.

Names that mention insurance make it more obvious what you do, and don’t require much extra wording to clarify:

  • So’East Insurance
  • InsurAbility
  • A Policy For Everyone
  • Jadick Insurance Co.

Names that are a bit obscure, require more description to clarify what you do:

  • Policize
  • Nest Egg Protectors
  • Safety Netters

If you’re planning on advertising in the Yellow Pages, you might consider having a name that’s earlier alphabetically, such as:

  • 123 Insurance Made Easy
  • 1 Policy Protection

How Can I Create Buzz Around a Company’s 10th Anniversary?

Publicity

I have a client that I am pitching not only a new logo but a new 10th anniversary “concept” to capitalize on their anniversary year. This business deals province wide in the promotion of business, economic and community development through various partnerships of over 200 communities. I am one of 6 invited to submit a proposal, so it has to be good. They are kicking around the tagline of “growing together” but are open to other options. What can I incorporate “10” into that would create a buzz? What would it take for other businesses, as well as provincial, municipal and industry partnerships to pay attention to this special year? Any great ideas???

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Jay’s Answer:
Simple logo: (10 interlocks with growing together)

grow1ng
   t0gether

Since I don’t know the specifics of your client, it’ll be hard to come up with something specific. But the process I’d use would be to look at the success stories that the company has had, and extrapolate them forward. Have they eliminated homelessness? Have they improved the happiness quotient of residents? Have they taught people how to save money? Focus on the key benefits – that’s what others will care about in the promotion, not that they’ve been around for 10 years.

Perhaps you can get attention by having an essay contest for communities. Have them write a 100-word essay on why your client should help them, and the client would provide a year’s free service to the community. That’ll generate PR, and get the community working together for the goal.