Category Archives: Services

How Can I Get More House-Painting Leads?

Publicity, Services

I am having problems finding new leads for new customers and have tried flyers and other things.

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Jay’s Answer: Find local (highly visible) homes that have large side areas. Offer to paint their home for free (or deeply discounted), in exchange for the following: You use the side of their home as a billboard, initially painting your message (perhaps changing weekly), and slowly covering it up as you finish up. A clever message (that changes) could be a great way to get people talking about you.

Customer Living = 2 Apples?

eMarketing, Services

I’m stuck — On our campus we have just finished building a new student housing complex. As with many campuses students have a meal plan and eat at a dining hall. This new community is by far the most expensive living option.

I’ve been asked to determine if adding kitchenettes to the complex would increase it’s attractiveness, and if so how much. We have built a mock-up of the kitchenettes in one unit. Some of the admins who are in favor of the kitchenettes have taken a few students to review the remodeled unit and an original unit. They are convinced that the research I’ve done to date that points to the price as the biggest deterrent must be wrong. They base that decision on the fact that when they show the same group of students both options most prefer the kitchenette unit.

While I’m in agreement that the kitchenettes will help (a little) spending more money on this is taking us in the wrong direction since price is the issue.

Are you aware of some kind of published research that gets at what I’m calling the two apples problem? If I give someone the choice between one free apple or two free apples most will choose two apples even if they only want one. Without factoring in price the opinions gathered that way are (in my mind) useless. Is there by any chance a term for this kind of problem that might clue me in on where to look for info?

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Jay’s Answer: This topic is described well in Chapter 1 of Dan Ariely’s book “Predictably Irrational“. It’s hard for people to deal with an either-or situation, and you can artificially manipulate people’s biases (or simply learn how to pitch the offer) by introducing a 3rd choice into the equation. People can’t cope with A vs. B well, but A vs. B vs. C allows them to feel like they can make an informed choice.

The one vs. two free apples is covered in another chapter as well…

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]

How Can I Find New House Painting Leads?

Publicity, Services

I am having problems finding new leads for new customers and have tried flyers and other things any thing to suggest?

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Jay’s Answer: Find local (highly visible) homes that have large side areas. Offer to paint their home for free (or deeply discounted), in exchange for the following: You use the side of their home as a billboard, initially painting your message (perhaps changing weekly), and slowly covering it up as you finish up. A clever message (that changes) could be a great way to get people talking about you.

What’s a Creative Way To Give a Huge Presentation?

Services

I have a huge opportunity with a potential new client. We are a marketing firm (small but growing) and have been called into give a big presentation to a proposal we submitted.

The thing is… I need to be unique and fun about it. This is an organization similar to a zoo. Their whole environment is unique, fun and kid friendly. I don’t want to come in a do a try presentation about our services and proposal.

Do you have any ideas about what I can bring, how I can get creative about this?

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Jay’s Answer: There’s a balance between effective presentation and over-the-top creative.

Your #1 goal is to win the job. Presumably you’ve done your homework, known their business/marketing strategy, and created a plan that balances their resources with their goals.

The creative that you add must not detract from your core message (by making it about your company). Ideally, the creative should help the company be able to experience your marketing ideas through both the eyes of their company AND through the eyes of their target audience. For example, if you can find video footage of their audience experiencing the message (perhaps for a different company/product).

Gimmicks can easily come across as gimmicky. Consider making a segment of your presentation using your words, but with children’s voices.

Ideas For A Management Development Program?

Services

I am trying to organize a Management Development Program on the topic – Designing Effective TV Commercials. The participants (Brand Managers/ Marketing Managers) would primarily be from the consumer goods industry.

Could you give me suggestions/ ideas what should be the content so that the takeaways from the program are actually considered valuable? I am already trying to invite someone from the ad industry as a speaker who would add value to the program.

I would appreciate if you also let me know how I can make the whole program an interesting and entertaining one at the same time.

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Jay’s Answer: Show (good and bad) commercials that you have case studies for. After showing the commercial, stop the video, and ask the audience their opinion of the commercial and the likely results from it (and why). Then show the case study. Repeat.

Split the audience into groups, and give them each the same assignment, handing them a Flip Camera to film the commercial. Show the commercials at the end, and award prizes (if desired).

Ideas To Celebrate Our Bank’s 25th Anniversary?

Publicity, Services

I work for a community bank that is preparing to celebrate our 25th anniversary. What ideas do you have to promote our anniversary? I am thinking I have two goals with this event: (1) Thank our customers and employees, (2) capitalize on our strength and stability.

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Jay’s Answer: Go through your records and identify homes and businesses that you’ve loaned to. Then contact them, asking for pictures of their home/business (ideally with them in it). Create a photo wall (also on website) of your customer community. Each week of the 25th year, randomly pick someone’s name (who gave a photo) and reward them publicly ($25? Give the money to a local charity of their choosing?)

What To Name My Mortage Broker Newsletter?

Branding, Names + Taglines, Services, Starting Out

I am designing a newsletter for real estate agents I want to work with. I am a mortgage broker and this letter will go out once a month, free, and be full of the latest up to date changing rules and guidelines for mortgage lending. Agents need to know this as it impacts their customers. Other competing brokers don’t always keep up with the rules nor bother to inform the agents. I see a chance to set myself apart. My first newsletter will tell about me and my credentials and include a photo; it will be in a newspaper format, with a header and columns and plenty of white space to make it easy to read. I will promise monthly mailings of the latest changes. This is a chance to brand myself as well…and I just cannot find the “perfect” name.

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Jay’s Answer: I’d suggest also a link in the newsletter back to your website and/or RSS feed to get any important changes that real estate agents need to know immediately.

  • Real Lending News
  • Lend Me Your Ear
  • The Real Estate Lending Advantage

How Can I Communicate Our Digital Picture Quality USP?

Branding, Services

This is a service which has only 1 differentiating factor from other competitors which is its digital picture quality. It has only 18% market share till now. The market leader has a 51% market share. The major competitors are the traditional cable operators. Please suggest how to increase the customer base and different ways of communication with single minded proposition.

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Jay’s Answer: You provided what’s better (digital picture quality), but what about what’s not-as-good as the competition? If you’re as good as the competition, and still have something unique, you can have a side-to-side comparison and ask people to choose what they prefer (all other things being equal). As for the 18% market share – you get more customers when: 1) people leave existing providers or 2) new people choose you. If people are unsatisfied, then give them motivation to switch to you (free first month’s service with proof that they have been customers of your competition in the last 6 months). For new people, create a matrix comparing yourself with the others, and show how the choice is “crystal clear”.