Category Archives: Products

A Welcome Package That’s Not a Bribe?

Products

I have been asked by the owner of our company to create a welcome package for our new clients, and the employees in their shipping depart. We build all custom new wood pallets and shipping crates. Our initial marketing has had an awesome response. He would like once they are on board to receive a “thank you” just as memorable, that “I can’t believe they did this for us “and that they feel they made the right choice about choosing our company for the shipping needs. Most shipping departments are happy with the traditional pizza and pop. The problem I’m running into is some of our much larger new clients company’s do not allow this kind of gratuities. I am looking for some creative ways around this so as not to break any of their company policies and still let them know how much we appreciate their business, and something more creative for our new contact person within their company, different than the traditional gift basket.

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Jay’s Answer: Why not send a thank you note, with an signed image of everyone in your company? That lets the other company know there are people crafting the pallets and not machines.

What Should A New Owner Do?

eMarketing, Products, Publicity, Starting Out

I’m a new owner of existing restaurant that wish to increase the amount of clients . Based on your experience, what would be the best and fastest way to attract customers?
And should I change the name of the restaurant?

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Jay’s Answer: If the restaurant wasn’t doing well, then rebranding it makes sense. Don’t put “under new management” signs up – people don’t care. If the food is good, the word spreads. If it doesn’t, it spreads faster. New management is a plea for trying it again, because there was a problem.

If the restaurant is doing well, then increasing # of customers (or average expenditure/customer) is your goal. Don’t rebrand – do improve the menu, adding some high-priced items (not necessarily to sell these, but it will psychologically cause an increase in the the avg. expenditure/customer). Build a loyalty program to increase the pull to come to your restaurant.

How To Reach C-Level Execs For IT Solutions?

eMarketing, Products, Services

We market a comprehensive IT outsourcing solution and as such am looking for a way to reach C-level execs. The rub is that in many instances the C-level people have little familiarity and thus a low comfort-level in making IT decisions.

We’ve had near zero success in targeting IT folks – as we apparently threaten their ego and even their jobs – and nearly every attempt ends in their sabotaging our efforts.

We’re working on focusing on our clients, trade shows and SEO. But in addition I’d like to focus on direct targeting through direct mail possibly as well as partnerships with other vendors who target the same market.

Any suggestions on how to go about this or alternatives would be greatly appreciated.

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Jay’s Answer: Based on looking at your website (www.isutility.com), your key benefit is saving money in IT expenditures. If so, your target market would be CFOs and/or comptroller. These people don’t care about the specific IT issues, they care about the bottom line and want to ensure that spending less doesn’t equal getting less. For these people, they need well-written case studies. One of your case studies that I looked at (Wexler Surgical Supplies) describes what you did, but not concrete ROI results. How big was the company (both in # of employees and annual revenue)? What were their expenditures before/after? What were their short- and long-term results?

You’re right you don’t want to target IT directly, since you’re threatening their jobs.

Don’t forget that you can also target government organizations, since their budgets are always stretched thin and their needs are similar to Fortune-500 companies.

Your existing website needs some updating of copy to be more professional and better target your market as well.

How To Do B2B Marketing Inexpensively?

eMarketing, Products, Services

Our small, B2B company is trying to ramp up its marketing, and we’ve given ourselves the challenge of making marketing headway for an entire month without hiring any outside services or incurring any outside costs at all, using our elbow grease alone. We’re open to both old media efforts and online footwork.

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Jay’s Answer: Before you try to make headway, spend time to figure out your strategy:

  • What market segment has been your largest customer?
  • Why have they been buying from you (and not your competitor)?
  • Who are your competitors now? (things may have changed)
  • What have your customers biggest feedback/complaints have been?

Once you’ve gotten clear on who you have been selling to, spend time to figure out (i.e., brainstorm) who else (i.e., other niches) would benefit from your offering. Notice that you might have to change the language of your marketing materials to appeal to them. [Cost $0]

Next, look at your website. Does it have analytics installed? If not, add it (Google Analytics is free). It’ll provide invaluable information about who’s visiting your site, what they’re looking for, how they found your site, etc. [Cost $0]. Once you have data, see what other pages you can add to your site to specifically appeal to the market niches you’ve identified (above).

Next, segment your customer list (CRM). Have you tracked who’s purchased from you, why, when, etc.? Segment your list based on purchase habits, region, industry, etc. This will allow you to make a more targeted e/mailing in the future, talking to the segment’s specific needs. This will result in a higher percentage of sales if you’ve done your homework. [Cost $0]

Get current in your industry. It might mean due dillegence on competitors, reading journals/blogs/books. Talk to customers (call your own, etc.) to learn what products/services they need (both before using your offering and after). Learn what they need. Become up-to-date about new technology, innovations, and problems. [Cost $0]

Write articles. If you have some new offerings, observations about the industry, case studies, or cautionary tales, write about it. Submit the articles to well-read journals in your field. Also place the articles on your website, mention it on appropriate blogs, and submit to article banks. [Cost $0]

Make Your Marketing Personal

Creative Business Ideas, Products

Many Good Ideas Sneakers

It used to be that only big companies could afford to create a marketing message that was highly visible: newspaper ads, direct mail, television, radio, skywriting, sponsorships, etc. But modern technology allows people to create one-offs inexpensively: email blasts, your own ink-jet printer, local digital printing, or even personal 3D fabricators.

These modern fabrications allow you to more easily create guerrilla marketing messages – putting your message in places people would not have previously considered. Initially, this will be fun and innovative. And as more businesses copy the idea, it’ll become annoying unless the message is well-targeted to the proper audience.

If no one else is doing this in your business niche, lead. If others are doing it, do not simply copy their idea. Do something remarkable. For example, donate to a sponsored charity for everyone that comments on your marketing message. Or, if everyone else is filling banners with lots of words, put up a blank banner with a small message (“Talk is cheap. Watch my actions.”).

Asides:

  • Neil Gershenfeld described this phenomenon in a 2006 TED Talk.
  • Zazzle.com has a wide variety of products you can customize for do-it-yourself-ers.
  • If you need a recommendation for professionals who can help create high-quality custom products at an affordable price, contact me.

How Can I Increase Subscribers To My Weekly Magazine?

Products, Publicity

I have a new newsletter called the Monday Morning Business Mentor Weekly. I need some wisdom/strategies for getting the word out, getting subscribers. It is a free newsletter, my objective is to help others build their businesses and in turn find subscribers, clients and in the future, users of my services and software.

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Jay’s Answer: From a strategy perspective, I’d first start with your desired subscriber/client. What industry are they in? Where are they located? How big is their company? How much do they make annually? How old are they? Male or female? Will they work with you face-to-face or remotely?

Once you’ve identified WHO, then you need to figure out WHY they need you. What specific problem are you targeting? More revenue? More free time? Hiring? Startup angst?

Then, HOW do you help them solve their problem. What are you offering that’s unique and (ideally) proven to solve this problem? The more proof, the more trust.

Once you have some of these basics, then it’s time to figure out where your target market is. Do they read the same blogs, magazines, eZines, etc.? Do they attend certain conventions, watch same TV shows, webinars, etc.? Where they are is where you want to pitch your newsletter.

Finally, if your newsletter articles are 250+ words, write articles and publish them. Ideally, exclusively publish them in magazines that your target market read. Alternatively, publish them in article banks.

How To Promote Products During Ramadan?

Products

I am working in a retail company for building materials. It’s located in one of GCC and am preparing for holy month promotion for Ramadan would you please help me to find a theme what we can do in Ramadan for attracting customers and what will do for a good advertising campaign since our business is so far from this month but still i have to work on this project.

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Jay’s Answer: I wouldn’t use “Ramadan” in your promotion, since the goal of the holiday is to focus your attention on God, not on worldly activities. If you feel you must, then advertise that you’ll donate a large % of your profits during Ramadan to your local charities (since it is a season of sharing).

Headlines For New Lingerie Line?

Names + Taglines, Products

I am the owner of a new lingerie line, and am trying to create some clever and sophisticated, yet edgy slogan for an ecard campagin directed to my buyers…..any ideas? My lingerie collection targets an affluent consumer. We sell at high-end boutiques, and better department stores. Our niche is that we incorporate great printed fabrics into our line, where most other lingerie available out there is in solids. The three key words we used to define ourselves are rich, feminine, and distinctive, with an empahsis on distinctive. Many of the prints we use are exclusively devleoped for us.

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Jay’s Answer:

  • Your Prints Has Arrived
  • Wear Your Prints Out

How To Market High-End Ceiling and Lamp Templates?

eMarketing, Products, Starting Out

I needing some marketing advices on how to market the products for (ceiling and lamp template). They at present use distributor to sell. And they would like now go retailing to expand the company. [Pls visit www.plafoncantik.com to see the product]

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Jay’s Answer: Given the website’s photos, I’d suggest focusing on interior designers (both residential and commercial). The product is a high-end specialty product, so focus on people likely to work with clients who’d recommend this purchase (and can create the most attractive use of it).

Grand Opening Ideas For Small Children’s Shop

Products, Publicity, Starting Out

We have just opened a very small retail shop which carries fine children’s clothing, toys, and other gifts. Our main concern is how to attract new people to this shop, and for our grand opening, especially because we have an extremely small budget. Our main benefit is that we We are a sister company to a large swimming instructional school which is located right next door. We know that our main group of customers will be from the swim school, and we are already completely making use of that customer base. My main concern is getting new people in the door for our grand opening in a couple of weeks. We are going to be flyer-ing cars with a small discount attached and we are doing a pass along email to friends and family. The grand opening is going to be week long, and we are doing daily giveaways and a grand prize. But, we can’t even afford a mailer right now.

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Jay’s Answer: Have you offered a referral bonus to customers that the swim school refers? If there’s a swim team, give the bonus to the team to pay for gas, cover-ups, etc.

Where do the parents go when their kids are taking swim classes? Make it your store by offering free drinks and snacks (comarket with a local snack shop) and a cool place to sit and read.

When kids are waiting for their class to start, or for their parents to pick them up, where do they wait? Can you offer to set up a small game room for them to use?

Also: consider an essay contest (“Why I want to win the prize”) for a shopping spree. Post the entries on a wall, let everyone vote for their favorite (using an email address?). A press release about the contest would be a natural for the local newspapers to pick up on.