Thinking of Stirring Up some business with a Drip Marketing Initiative?

If you are thinking about ramping up your business our experience has shown us that a multi-touch, timed approach using intelligent media choices is the way to go.

We consistently run into businesses who want to send out a “one off” initiative and feel that will be sufficient. We wish this was the case but the fact is for suspects to be converted to prospects they need to hear from you at least seven times. (Google: “Suspects to Prospects” to see the overwhelming evidence that seven is the magic number)

How frequent do I send?

Sorry not seven times because not every effort will make its way through. We suggest executing 12-15 touches especially if you are formulating your annual plan for a niche audience.

When do I send?

The timing of your initiatives depends a lot on your value proposition and industry.

Example:

If you were a CPA we would recommend sending all year, not just before Tax Season. Keep in mind your customers are still alive (hopefully) in the off season. They just do not have to hear from you as often. Yes, you should reach out more frequently during the natural ramp up and execution times.

A mock plan may look like this:

• Seven touches starting ten weeks before tax season
• Five more during high tide
• Then another three timed appropriately in the off season.

This of course would vary depending on the CPA’s practice, concentrations, community involvement and other outside influences fleshed out during our initial assessment.

Which vehicles do I use to send out my message?

From our previous blog posts you know we are big fans of Marketing Intelligence. Knowing where your prospects hang out is the key to deciding which media you will use to speak to them. In today’s market we feel it essential to not overlook adding Social Media into your drip strategy.

We hope this article helps you GROW!

Over the years Touching Clients has had members of our team participate in a number of referral generating groups both for our business and as representatives for our clients. Some have been successful and others not so much. Attending these groups and participating in all of the activities requires a substantial commitment of time.

We would like to share some of the knowledge we gathered while attending the various groups.

Like most ventures a clear plan with set goals should be outlined before joining an organization. Where some groups you may join are purely for the monetary benefit of growing your business, there are some other associations out there that our business orientated but also provide strong attachments to the community. Then there are some entities that are clearly community first and if you get some business there well that’s okay too. So make sure that when you are choosing your new team you our joining up with professionals that have the same goals in mind.

Case in hand I recently joined a smaller local group on behalf of Touching Clients. The organization consists of main street merchants. Where all of the members in the body our business orientated our mission is clearly more of a socioeconomic interests. In general this group’s purpose is to get professionals together so we can get to know each other, all help in building a community that fosters positive economic and family experiences, and well if we can do some business with each other that’s good too.

In contrast my partner belongs to a very productive “down to business” type group that has stringent referral requirements with detailed tracking as to how well the referral pool is doing. We feel both groups are great and provide benefit to our business in different ways.

How do I make sure I am joining the right group?

• Talk with membership leaders about the groups mission statement
• If your interests is more monetary ask how progress is tracked and how the group is doing
• Inquire into who else in the group is working in your business realm
  • Where some groups keep individual spots for professional categories there will certainly be others in your group that have synergy and typically become an asset or detriment – try to flesh that out before joining
• Find out what the additional time requirements are (events, one on one meetings, volunteer work)
• Ask if anyone that represents your industry has recently left – if so why?
• Find out about industry category changes and how they work. You never know where your business may lead you…
• What are the obligations to remain in good standing within the group

Once you have these details go back to your plan and match up your goals to the various groups characteristics and choose appropriately.

Last but certainly not least remember it takes time for others within the group to get to know you, and anyone who has been in business for a while is not going to start referring business to someone they do not know just because they joined the group. Perform one on one meetings and get to know your team. This way you can get comfortable with them and start referring business their way. This is typically when the favor will be returned.

We hope you find this helpful!

We are big fans of warming up an audience before initiating a Phone Campaign. There are a number of ways to get the wheels turning and I will name a few; however the main goal of this post will be to review phone practices that help promote positive results.

To warm up your audience what savvy marketers like to call “providing air cover” and no we do not have to call in the F-22’s.

• A Strategic Mail Parcel (a “one off” that is guaranteed to get opened & remembered)
• Drip Mail Campaign (generic but consistent mail campaign – postcards, brochures, etc…)
• Radio Advertisements
• TV Commercials (with the advent of spotlight marketing pricing has become more reasonable)
• Banner Advertisements on the internet

Point to ponder… give the prospect a reference point for your call in hopes of generating rapport.

“Oh yeah your those guys” – music to a telemarketers ears.

Let the dialogue begin!

We always train our Virtual Administrators to win over a prospect first by being likable, let’s face it if someone does not like you the chances of them purchasing or attending an event you are promoting has just dropped to next to nothing.

How to be more likeable on the phone?

• Stand Up
• Have a mirror in front of you and be smiling – Yes you can feel a smile through the phone
• Do not be “salesy” believe in what you are doing and provide valid reasons as to why your event or product makes a difference
• Listen to your prospect and have rebuttals for common reasons not to attend or purchase in front of you but relate them so they are authentic to the prospect on the line.

Next steps….pick up the phone, breathe, dial and smile!

We hope you find our tips profitable!

One of the challenges we often hear at Touching Clients is about conversion or “closing the deal”. There are certainly no guaranties that even if you do all the correct things that a deal will definitely happen. The fact is there are some outside circumstances that you cannot control, however if you are consistently performing a well rounded marketing initiative you should be filling your pipeline with qualified prospects.

In this post we will discuss some of the areas we review with our clients when it comes to closing.

When you are working with a targeted audience, do your homework. What does this mean? Find out what associations that your audience is a part of. Look over what credentials they need to have to practice their craft. Review which trade magazines are typically subscribed to by their profession. The more you can align yourself with their train of thought the better off you are.

TIP: It used to be common practice for Salesman to wear suit and ties to every sales call. In today’s environment over dressing can be harmful as well. People want to do business with people who are like themselves. So if you are going to the attorney’s office to pitch them your new initiative, yep break out the suit and tie but if you are going to a software company you may want to research what their culture is like. You don’t want to be seen as the stuffy-square guy either. A lot of this type of information can be found at www.glassdoor.com . It is written by job candidates but the information is very relative to sales calls.

By the time you have scheduled the closing meeting you should have a historical perspective on what other relevant products your client has tried. Make sure when you are gathering this information earlier in the sales process that you make note of what worked well and any negative experiences. Align yourself with the positive and directly state how whatever negative experiences they may have had will not occur because you have safeguards in place and provide examples.

Gaining a prospects confidence and proactively removing any inhibitions is a critical step. It is here typically the decision maker starts questioning themselves as to “why wouldn’t I do business with this firm”.

We hope you find this helpful – happy hunting.

Ever wonder…  

“If I only I could do something that does not cost a lot of money to increase traffic to my website?”

 Here is your opportunity!

Here are free, yes we said FREE online directories that you can update with your information. You will need to go to these URL’s and “Claim” your information as the business owner.

 Local Online Directories

· CitySquares.com

· GenieKnows.com

· InsiderPages.com

· Yelp.com

For a more complete listing of cool, free directories you should be a part of our email list.

Text Touchingclients to 22828 to join our mail list and you will receive our ALL STAR Directory list containing 18 of the best Free Directories your company should be listed on within 24 hours!

So you have been approached by a regional representative from a large online social coupon service provider (OSCP). Is this a blessing or not?

The Devil is in the Details, these service providers drive in revenue for themselves by claiming an average of 50% of all deals that you agree to run through them to their subscribers.

They will insist on promoting a discount that most merchants feel is extremely high. Typically the minimum amount they will agree to solicit to their subscribers is a 50% off deal and they will most certainly push for a higher discount. Their feelings are that if the deal is not compelling enough it will simply not generate the interest of their followers.

So make sure you understand the math.

Example:

Your flagship product (prime rib, kick boxing package, bungee jump sessions) costs $50. The OSCP will want to be able to offer their clients your product or service for a minimum of $25 (50%). Now remember the OSCP hasn’t taken their percentage yet so $12.50 (50%) of this will be going to them. Kind of reminds me of the old Eddie Murphy skit “I want half Eddie” – ha.

This is where most merchants will start to question if the opportunity is truly in their best interests. Is the OSCP building brand acknowledgement, customer retention for themselves or the merchant? This will depend on how well prepared your staff is to service the influx in traffic and just how well you negotiate the terms of your deal.

Some merchants were able to capitalize on the initial discount and generate repeat business from the deal while others were not prepared and it actually hurt their business. There are numerous reviews out there (www.hotcomplaints.com, www.measuredup.com) where you can see how both customers and merchants alike were not happy with the end result. However there are many merchants who prevailed and were able to generate loyal customers from the heavily discounted offering.

How do I make sure my business is a winner?

• Do your homework, perform online searches and read how other merchants in your industry negotiated their terms
• If you have an introductory product that you consider a loss leader, work with the OSCP to promote that item
• Make sure the time period for folks claiming their deal jives with your businesses seasonality / staff schedules
• Capitalize on the new traffic by collecting contact information from the new patrons. If it was a loss leader product / service promote receiving additional coupons by signing up for your businesses email list

So prepare for your meeting with the OSCP Representative and remember it is a give and take experience. If the deal is negotiated correctly it can be a great resource for new clients. The willingness of the Representative to negotiate will have allot to do with area presence, similar offerings, and what his competitors our offering.

I hope you find this information Profitable.