Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: What's Their Secret? Author: B.J.
Hi,
I read what you wrote about Victoria's Secret owner Leslie Wexner in Marketing Nuggets. At first, it seemed like you mistakenly wrote "he" instead of "she."
I'm not doubting what you wrote since Victoria's Secret is highly successful.
How can a man - anyone who's not a member of a target market successfully sell what they need or want?
Does this show big box stores don't have to have "intimate" (pun intended) knowledge about their target markets?
If so, that makes it harder for us to compete with them.
Or does it show people will buy when they think they don't have much other choice?
I mean big retailers can outspend us in advertising, so it's almost like our advertising or stores don't even exist. We're lost in the clutter. People probably think they can't afford to buy from a better quality store or they don't see us past the fog of the big retailers.
Subject: Part 1- Branding Will Make Your Marketing More Effective Author: Dennis S. Vogel
In reply to: B.J. 's message, "What's Their Secret?"
Hi B. J.,
Thanks for joining us.
First a disclaimer- This is a controversial topic. I know some prefer lingerie not be made for displaying female beauty. Since some of it is, I'm dealing with reality. This isn't meant to offend or insult anybody. I think I understand why some are defensive about this. Even those, who don't agree with this gender issue, can still learn something valuable.
I hope I answered your questions & implied questions among the rest of what I wrote in this multi-part post. I didn't answer them individually because other issues relate to the issues you submitted.
According to Stephen R. Covey, breakthroughs are usually break-withs, somebody breaks with conventional wisdom & does something different.
Many times those who step around conventional wisdom find better ways to do things. Often those are outsiders or people in the field who aren't accepted by other insiders.
Victoria's Secret was started by Roy Raymond, another man.
Let's think about who is a target market.
Raymond shopped for lingerie as gifts for his wife. The body-language of female shoppers & store salespeople seemed to suggest he was an intruder.
I experienced some of this when I passed through a Montgomery Ward lingerie department (as an employee) to get to a store room of men's clothing.
Raymond thinks those stores were either excessively frilly or blandly conservative. Wexner figured lingerie should be displayed better than department stores did it. Though neither invented lingerie, they both innovated. Innovations don't have to be major changes. Major changes can be harder to market.
Was Roy Raymond part of the lingerie target market? Yes, as a gift buyer & I suppose as somebody who appreciated beauty. Since lingerie is more than underwear, some of it is made for more than female physical comfort. A wife can guess what her husband would like her to wear. A husband hopes to buy things his wife likes & is willing of wear. Lingerie is for both of them.
Reality- Other than basic, functional underwear, what's the purpose of lingerie? It's not all for the women wearing it.
A lingerie store owned by a man doesn't seem so farfetched. He can still have input from women (employees & customers). For women who want lingerie appealing to men, a male company owner can represent part of the male side of the issue.
Leslie Wexner rarely used advertising when he started his clothing businesses. He used exposure to customer traffic in malls. I've seen Victoria's Secret advertising lately. Wexner used to think his stores were too specialized to justify advertising. He figured the big anchor stores, with many product lines, needed to advertise to bring in enough people to buy things from the multiple store departments.
If you read between the lines, you may think Wexner relied on other mall tenants to advertise & attract customers. But some of those other tenants also offer lingerie.
Apparently, relying on general customer traffic wasn't enough. Just because people walk past a store in a mall or drive past a free standing store, it doesn't mean they'll notice. Even if they notice, it doesn't mean they'll automatically know what the store sells, unless they take a closer look. But how would they know if it's worth looking at?
Branding requires matching a name & identity with product/service line. It requires sufficient exposure. This is a simplistic model but it fits -
Product/Service + Brand Name + Promise/Benefit Statement + Sufficient Exposure = Branding
Whether it's a specialty or department store, its success depends on enough members of a target market knowing what it sells. It's easier for a specialty store to establish this, because stocking "anything" or "everything" to sell to "anybody" or "everybody" is a hard identity/brand to establish & maintain. It's also hard to keep enough of "everything" in stock to sell enough "anything" to be profitable. It's too expensive to reach "everybody" with a message that has enough meaning for each person to make an impact on "anybody".
This begs the question - What does Sufficient Exposure =? That's something to test. For a national brand in the USA, it could mean billions of dollars &/or many years. It depends on how much desire & perceived need there is for the product/service. The level & sophistication of competitors matter also. The number of competitors doesn't matter as much as ability & willingness to market.
Victoria's Secret is so specialized, it needs the exposure of consistent marketing messages. Examples- 1) When a wife shops for lingerie in lingerie specialty store, she's not apt to tell her husband, "I'll meet you in the men's wear department when I'm finished." 2) Somebody, who goes to a store to buy a vacuum cleaner, probably won't see lavish night gown displayed in a lingerie store.
If Victoria's Secret owned the top spot in lingerie, it could afford to promote lingerie to build the category. If it was done well, it would increase VS's profits even if it didn't increase market share. 40% of the lingerie market is more profitable when total sales of the category increase.
I think this could be a good basis for promoting the category- "Lingerie is make-up for your body & a lot easier than make-up to put on the right way." A possible double entendre (controversy) could be added - "It's also easier to take off."
This could be adapted to promote a brand or a locally-based store.
Smaller companies can't afford to promote a category as much because their share & profits aren't big enough. Others, in a category, end up promoting themselves as alternatives (better for some consumers) to the top company(ies).
Subject: Part 2- Branding Is A Lot More Than A Name & A Logo Author: Dennis S. Vogel
After absorbing my thoughts on branding, let's consider another angle. Branding authority, Rob Frankel defines branding as marks put on cows to show ownership. He said after he's paid to raise the cow -- food, medicines, etc. -- he doesn't want it to be mistaken for somebody else's cow.
As much as I dislike the thought of burning an animal, I admit it's a valid opinion.
I take it further - it's not enough to make a mark on your product/service, you need to make a mark in the target market's minds. Your ultimate goal should to make your business name (if you sell directly to end-users), product/service brand name & in some cases your name a consistent part of your target market's lives. That can be a challenge if what you offer is used or purchased infrequently.
Considering how quickly people get distracted & forget what they bought, from whom they bought it, why they bought it & might not care about brands, it's critical to remind them.
Even if your business doesn't depend on repeat purchases, after you've developed trust & value as part of the mark you made in people's minds, you can recommend products/services of other businesses. In return for that, you can get access to other businesses' customers or a percentage of sales revenue.
Branding is important, even if your business has done well without it. Many businesses did well without a lot of improvements - until a business using available improvements displaced them.
It's so easy for business owners to think when customers bought them, customers will automatically return. Yet, those same business owners don't automatically buy from the same businesses. One reason is many other businesses are reaching them. It's like Tracy Lawrence sings in "Somebody Paints the Wall" -- "Seems every time I make my mark somebody paints the wall."
There are a lot of businesses painting the walls of consumers' minds. There are a lot of demands, on people, chipping the pain off.
Rude Awakening/Reality Check- Your message isn't a high enough priority, your offer isn't exclusive enough for them to automatically remember every (if any) detail.
Remember AIDA? You attract to get attention, you intrigue to incite interest, you develop their desire,
you ask for action, but it doesn't mean you've made a deep enough impression for them to remember.
Back to Victoria's Secret
Wexner preferred to adapt what others started, instead of taking the risk of pioneering a totally new innovation. Top companies in categories tend to be the former pioneers, but some later entrants took top positions. Some business pioneers started well, but later closed down.
Raymond started Victoria's Secret well. Wexner had a different vision for the stores & took it to the next level. It's common for companies to slow or stop until somebody else with different ability gets involved.
Wexner had the option of starting a new business, as he did with his others, but when he found VS, he knew his ideas could lift the company higher.
Lingerie is a controversial product line. Even those, who approve of it, may reject it completely if it goes beyond their mental or moral threshold.
Beneath a conservative image, may be somebody who likes to wear or see others who wear lingerie. This hypocritical trait can be true of customers of any product/service. Some customers might become very vocal critics. So, don't count on all of your customers to support you.
I'm not trying to dissuade you from owning a business, I just want you not to be overwhelmed if controversies arise.
Some controversy can help a business. Controversy gets attention & those on each side of the issue have emotions & reputations invested in it. That'll definitely make a mark in people's minds. That's the topic for the next post.
Subject: Last Part- Controversy -- Who Needs It? Maybe You! But Be Very Careful! Author: Dennis S. Vogel
Some brands are formed to be controversial (start a controversy), others are adapted to take advantage of controversies, somewhat like trying to cash in on fads. Sometimes controversies are started because somebody starts a rumor or somebody wants attention & latches onto an issue to increase their popularity & to show they're needed. About as bad as starting rumors, some look for evil in good or neutral things.
Examples- Religious & political leaders -- or those who want to be leaders -- spark things to gain or regain popularity.
Don't be surprised if some unpopular national & religious leader says a book was written against a religion & tries to get religious zealots to kill the author & anybody who sells the book. Never mind the obvious ploy to divert attention from the country's problems & the fact the religion's members aren't allowed to read the book to confirm or reject the leader's claims.
How about this? Viewership is low & donations are even lower. A preacher needs more media attention & the image of actually doing something (to warrant asking for more money to do even more work). He latches onto a children's TV show character & exploits it as further evidence of the decadence of a minority group.
Back to Victoria's Secret
Some lingerie advertising is controversial, so people talk about it. But that doesn't mean controversy is enough to attract the target market. Talking about a controversy is a lot different than making a referral.
Negative controversy can hurt, but unfortunately the Wal-Mart scandals & problems haven't brought W-M down yet. There are PDF's available for downloading. You can use Adobe Acrobat Reader 6 &/or 7 to search for documents & web pages about W-M.
Controversy definitely increases attention, but nobody buys a product/service just because they know it exists. Controversy increases positive & negative interest. Though controversy inspires desire in those who want to rebel, except for very inexpensive things, rebels aren't apt to buy something only to rebel. Controversy won't produce or increase enough purchasing action to sustain a business category.
Conflict, created by the older generations in the USA during 1950s & 1960s, + peer pressure + curiosity helped rock 'n' rollers get & maintain attention & interest, but many teenagers liked the music.
Controversy doesn't necessarily communicate product/service value or benefits. Some substance is needed, like explaining advantages of owning something.
Controversy fades if it's not "fed" & marketing is an effective way to "feed" it. This is especially true because the opposition usually realize their criticism reminds others about the controversial things & helps the producers feed the issue. Many producers escalate the controversy to nudge the opposition back into action so the controversy will be sustained.
But some on the other side of controversies use them for exposure, like I wrote above.
Escalation tends to strengthen the opposition's resolve & polarizes more people, so more join each side of the issue.
Dave Thomas used Wendy's "Ain't No Reason to Go Anyplace Else" campaign to get attention. People, who apparently didn't have enough real problems to keep themselves busy, complained about Wendy's using "Ain't No" because "Ain't" ain't uh, isn't a word, plus it's a double negative.
But if "ain't" ain't a word, then how could "ain't no" be a double negative?
Dave wrote in "Dave's Way"- "Some groups threatened to boycott us until we cleaned up our grammar."
This is my interpretation of the situation, not Dave's (so don't blame the late R. David Thomas) - When Dave reminded people about popular songs including "Ain't" he softened the issue for some. He spread the blame/flack, but it also caused more rage in the self-righteous & probably inspired fundamentalists to join in. They wouldn't want such evil songs to be legitimized.
Dave also declared: "Dave Thomas has 2 words for people who don't like the campaign: 'Too bad!'"
Sure, some might figure "It's no use, they won't change." But Dave's response probably ticked more people off.
But the campaign was successful, partly because of the controversy.
So, people are bound to be more upset about a real controversy. If you start something unfavorable some might think "You Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog" though they'll be the ones howling.
In 1984, some had a cow because they claimed Wendy's was demeaning to senior citizens. Remember Clara Peller & 2 other elderly women? The "exploited" Clara Peller earned at least $500,000 from that campaign & related merchandising (T-shirts, baseball caps, records, greeting cards & other items bearing her picture).
I don't know how much Elizabeth Shaw & Mildred Lane profited from their parts.
That was before Clara was featured in a commercial for another business.
The rumor is false- She wasn't fired by Wendy's because she appeared in a dog food ad. She said, "I finally found it!" in Prego spaghetti sauce advertising. (Dave Thomas avoided this part of the issue in "Dave's Way.") Clara heavily implied she didn't need to ask or look for "the beef" anymore because she got it from a different company.
Using other people/characters in marketing messages is useful, but it can backfire. They might be hired by a different company & interfere with the branding of their former employer. They might be involved in a past, current or future scandal.
Ronald McDonald can be portrayed by just about anyone. But when somebody is recognizable, even when portraying a character, it can cause problems.
Spokespersons & others perceived as part of a company can become embroiled in controversy.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Monday, February 25, 2019
Segmenting Makes Marketing More Muscular
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Jay Abraham has also been blogging -- http://www.abrahamblog.com/blog/
Here's a response I posted -
Hi Jay,
There are good lessons in the advertising you wrote about, but I don't know if I'm remembering the exact ad.
I probably started noticing Charles Atlas ads about 10 years after you did. But since we're both Mid-West baby-boomers, we probably both had similar experiences -- in addition to inflamed sinuses.
I can identify with the beach scenes since I grew up along "Wisconsin's East Coast." Though if Charles Atlas's marketing person segmented the messages, you might have seen different messages in Indianapolis.
If those were segmented by location, that could've added more power.
Nobody kicked sand in my face or took a girlfriend away from me. But I didn't have the most stunning body on local beaches.
I lived in Nebraska for a while, the lakes there are like ponds compared to the Great Lakes, so, space on beaches is scarce. Messages about working in fields might have appealed to guys there -- having strength & not being shy about taking off a shirt when heat reached 100 degrees & humidity was over 60%. Maybe this theme would still be appealing, though a lot of the work is done by machines now.
If the theme is developed well enough, it could be something men would aspire to, even if they don't plan to live the full reality.
I can imagine a theme like this - a muscular guy is loading or unloading big, heavy equipment or bales & some attractive women/girls coyly glance at him, then they blush when he notices & winks at them. If the females are different types -- blond, redhead & brunette, short, tall & in-between (to appeal to a variety of men/boys) guys might think my kind of woman/girl goes for that type of guy.
This is bringing out more thoughts than I realized. But writing all of them would take up a web page or more. Is Leo Costa hunting for another theme to test?
Charles Atlas seemed to focus on guys who weren't interested in & probably couldn't afford the money & time to spend 6 or more hours per day in gyms. Some of his direct mail follow-ups focused on injuries from exercise equipment.
The exercises he developed -- I think he called them Dynamic Tension -- didn't include equipment. He used muscles pushing against other muscles to increase strength & size. Some of the exercises are what he-men use as poses but don't look quite so ridiculous.
He didn't seem to have a Mr. Universe or Mr. Olympia physique, but many don't want one of those. If Bill Bixby would've been "before" & Lou Ferrigno is "after", ("The Incredible Hulk" TV show) Charles Atlas might be "in-between."
Some men & women don't like seeing that much definition or blood veins bulging.
Many of us don't want a train car strapped to our heads & don't aspire to want to pull a train car, but Atlas's antics got attention.
I remember the pictures of him showed shadows of his nose & eyebrows. I used to wonder why he'd use pictures in which he looked like he had black-eyes & his tongue was hanging out. But maybe I'm the only one who perceived those. Since a major part of the theme is appearance, I think different pictures from different angles or at least a change of lighting would be better.
From a branding angle, though it's obvious mythology, I don't know if Atlas is the best idea. Atlas is/was strong enough to hold the Earth & heavens apart, but that's written as a punishment. That would seem to conflict with an idea of being liberated by being stronger & bigger. But considering how some religions are formed & sustained around the theme of punishment & burdens - maybe it's appealing to some.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Jay Abraham has also been blogging -- http://www.abrahamblog.com/blog/
Here's a response I posted -
Hi Jay,
There are good lessons in the advertising you wrote about, but I don't know if I'm remembering the exact ad.
I probably started noticing Charles Atlas ads about 10 years after you did. But since we're both Mid-West baby-boomers, we probably both had similar experiences -- in addition to inflamed sinuses.
I can identify with the beach scenes since I grew up along "Wisconsin's East Coast." Though if Charles Atlas's marketing person segmented the messages, you might have seen different messages in Indianapolis.
If those were segmented by location, that could've added more power.
Nobody kicked sand in my face or took a girlfriend away from me. But I didn't have the most stunning body on local beaches.
I lived in Nebraska for a while, the lakes there are like ponds compared to the Great Lakes, so, space on beaches is scarce. Messages about working in fields might have appealed to guys there -- having strength & not being shy about taking off a shirt when heat reached 100 degrees & humidity was over 60%. Maybe this theme would still be appealing, though a lot of the work is done by machines now.
If the theme is developed well enough, it could be something men would aspire to, even if they don't plan to live the full reality.
I can imagine a theme like this - a muscular guy is loading or unloading big, heavy equipment or bales & some attractive women/girls coyly glance at him, then they blush when he notices & winks at them. If the females are different types -- blond, redhead & brunette, short, tall & in-between (to appeal to a variety of men/boys) guys might think my kind of woman/girl goes for that type of guy.
This is bringing out more thoughts than I realized. But writing all of them would take up a web page or more. Is Leo Costa hunting for another theme to test?
Charles Atlas seemed to focus on guys who weren't interested in & probably couldn't afford the money & time to spend 6 or more hours per day in gyms. Some of his direct mail follow-ups focused on injuries from exercise equipment.
The exercises he developed -- I think he called them Dynamic Tension -- didn't include equipment. He used muscles pushing against other muscles to increase strength & size. Some of the exercises are what he-men use as poses but don't look quite so ridiculous.
He didn't seem to have a Mr. Universe or Mr. Olympia physique, but many don't want one of those. If Bill Bixby would've been "before" & Lou Ferrigno is "after", ("The Incredible Hulk" TV show) Charles Atlas might be "in-between."
Some men & women don't like seeing that much definition or blood veins bulging.
Many of us don't want a train car strapped to our heads & don't aspire to want to pull a train car, but Atlas's antics got attention.
I remember the pictures of him showed shadows of his nose & eyebrows. I used to wonder why he'd use pictures in which he looked like he had black-eyes & his tongue was hanging out. But maybe I'm the only one who perceived those. Since a major part of the theme is appearance, I think different pictures from different angles or at least a change of lighting would be better.
From a branding angle, though it's obvious mythology, I don't know if Atlas is the best idea. Atlas is/was strong enough to hold the Earth & heavens apart, but that's written as a punishment. That would seem to conflict with an idea of being liberated by being stronger & bigger. But considering how some religions are formed & sustained around the theme of punishment & burdens - maybe it's appealing to some.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Marketing Leverage
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: I don't understand some things
Like you, I've also learned a lot of good things from Jay Abraham, but I don't understand some things.
He often says, "The headline is the ad for the ad." It may be profound, but I don't remember him explaining what he means. He's often talked about leverage on leverage. But, maybe I'm thinking too literally, how can leverage be put on leverage?
I may have missed something while reading a Clayton M. Christensen book. I remember he wrote people won't know ahead of time how they'll use a product. Companies won't know ahead of time, who will buy products.
If that's the case, how do products ever get sold?
Subject: Marketing Leverage Author: Dennis S. Vogel
In reply to: "I don't understand some things"
Hi,
I don't remember Jay Abraham explaining these either. The short explanation is: We use ads to attract people to come to our store. These ads ask prospects to come in. Headlines & graphics advertise the ads & "ask" prospects to pay attention to the ads. (The longer explanation is below.)
Clayton M. Christensen answered your question briefly in "The Innovator's Dilemma." It's in his analogy of being an electric vehicle project manager. I don't remember if this is in both editions of his book. You can find it in Chapter 10 of the updated edition or maybe both.
If you looked for something specific about small businesses, it may be why you missed it. He wrote about a big company forming a small division or separate company to make electric vehicles.
Now The Longer Explanations
I'll try to tie these concepts together in a meaningful way.
To add what I've learned from other sources, the task would be to determine which niches might be able to use the innovation.
Determine if the innovation:
1) Improves how they do things, if they can already do what they want.
2) Would help them do what they have trouble doing.
3) Would help them do what they think they need/want to do.
Each of these calls for speculation, so what you find today could be outdated by the time you'd produce a solution or find a supplier. When you market your solution, it may undershoot the need by being a partial or inconvenient solution. People can use the solution, but they wish they'd have something better.
If you anticipate what they'll need in the future, based on what they need now & what they say they'll need in the future, you may overshoot their need. Then your solution would have too many features (with POTENTIAL benefits, but no CURRENT/ACTUAL benefits). Example: If you need a knife, a Swiss Army Knife would overshoot your need to cut or carve. The extra features wouldn't provide benefits, unless you'd use them.
Persuade people to use the products (hopefully to buy or at least use free samples). Then observe how they use the product & get their input about improvement, including which features to eliminate. Extra features add more expense but no extra benefits for particular users. (Many those in the Swiss Army get full use & benefit of each Swiss Army knife feature, but most of us don't.)
I'm taking a chance on this explanation overshooting your questions & curiosity. 8^) But I want to cover what may be your next questions or what I think your next questions should be. I want you to get a full benefit from the short answers I gave.
To Take A Stand, You Need A Place To Stand
I think Archimedes said, give me a lever long enough & a place to stand & I'll move the move the Earth. He may've added the need for a fulcrum.
But what if he didn't have a long enough lever? Or what if he had a long enough lever to reach past Pluto, but no place to stand to get the maximum use from it? If he had many friends, who each had strong levers & places to stand (on Mercury, Venus, Mars & Jupiter), they could move the Earth. If they each put their levers & fulcrums in advantageous places, they could exert pressure at the same time & do the work.
(You may've heard of Rube Goldberg. Or you may've seen the Mousetrap game. Putting things together in strange configurations [somewhat like my explanations {8^{] to do something relatively simple.)
This next concept may seem like a Rube Goldberg. In theory (mine), if you had good levers, but not a convenient place to stand, you could use a lever to push another well-placed lever, which would move a load.
These are examples of leverage on leverage. Since these examples are so confusing, they may show why Jay Abraham didn't explain what he meant.
Leo Burnett advised, "Plan the sale when you plan the ad." "The sale" can be a sales event with discounts. It can also be the act of selling something.
Retail displays, sales techniques (what we do & say, plus how we do & say them), point-of-purchase signs, ads/commercials, referrals/testimonials/ endorsements are "levers." Each should be planned as much as is practical. (Each of these is also something we should test by trying variations.)
What I wrote in another post about blaming versus accepting responsibility for what you can do applies here with a small change. To figure how to change a situation, we need to start somewhere. If we start with a person having a problem, we still need to figure how to induce the person to buy a solution from us. A journey starts with the first step, but it's easier to map a route by starting with what we know. What we know is OUR current situation.
The mousetrap fallacy doesn't address this, it states people will beat a path. If it were true, business failures would be very rare. This is like thinking, "If people don't know I have a better mousetrap, it's their tough luck. I won't tell them. So, it's their fault if my business fails."
It's our job to accept responsibility & beat the path. It's usually easier starting the path from where we are, while we look ahead for a destination.
In general, I recommend finding people who have a problem before finding or inventing a solution. But it doesn't guarantee when we find a solution we'll have enough expertise & production capacity to provide what people need.
Clayton M. Christensen's books for innovators focus on disruptive technologies that were discovered or developed before a problem to solve was discovered. In effect, it means disruptive innovators work backwards. This approach can be used when demand for a product/service is low or nonexistent, as in mature markets/product categories or new product/service categories.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: The Leverage Process
As I wrote in the previous post, we know our situation, but since we may not know who will use our products/services, we need to start from we are. As we progress, we hope to have a clearer vision of our potential target market.
After we convince our potential target market to use our products/services, we can find what they like & dislike.
It's a potential target market because they may prefer something else. Even if they prefer our solution, they may not be able to afford it. If they can't afford it, we can determine if we can decrease our costs by removing features they don't want or would seldom use. Or if they need a short-term solution, maybe we can make the product or service result less durable & less expensive.
If We'd Start With Consumers
Though it seems ideal to start with people or businesses & their needs, we have to start with what our knowledge & priorities. To start with something totally foreign would be impractical because the learning curve would be too long & steep.
Instead of producing a complete product/service, we could've started with research, then designed our product/service according to what we learn about people's needs. But by the time our product/service is ready to be marketed, our prospects' needs/desires may change. It'd mean scrapping what we did or find somebody to buy what we produced. So, we could still end up doing the process I described below.
The order of these issues varies according to the situation. If you don't have an answer to each question, find answers to the others. These answers can direct your thoughts to other answers you need. If you start in the middle then work toward each end of the list, it's OK if you get the answers you need.
Backwards May Be Inevitable
These issues are in approximate reverse order like disruptive innovation creators should use.
This list isn't complete enough to fully cover every possible scenario. Each of these issues/steps is a point where we need to apply leverage to "lift" prospects out of their previous situations.
The drawback of working backward is we don't always know--specifically-- where we're going. If we get stuck, we can jump ahead--in planning--to where we think we want to go (where we think a problem exists which our solution can solve). It's like a maze drawn on paper, the starting & ending points are indicated, if we get stuck working toward the end, we can leave our route marked, then work from the end toward the beginning. If our routes "meet" then we're successful.
A Retailer's Current (Hypothetical) Situation/Internal:
When we bought our inventory, which problem(s) did we think these products would solve?
Which other products/services do people need to get a complete solution?
What do we need to set in motion to sell our inventory? What do we need to do so people will buy? Do we have the necessary resources, values & processes?
Why should prospects believe our claims? How will we show these are true?
What has to happen to make people aware of the consequences of their need?
We want people to buy products, how will it happen?
We need to know what other problems our product might solve.
Message Distribution-
We need attention inducing devices, like headlines & graphics, to "advertise" our ads. These should convince people to invest enough time & attention so they'll understand our messages.
We need prospects to notice our advertising messages.
We need to find people who want to & can afford to solve this problem.
Mapping The Potential External Situation:
Message Development-
We need people (who might have that problem) to come to our store.
We need to let them know we have that product/solution.
Does our niche already accept their need & want to solve it?
We need to let them know how serious their problem is & will be. What will happen if it's not solved?
Is solving it a high priority?
What causes the problem? What makes it worse?
We need to let them know their problem can be solved.
We need to get them to admit to themselves, they have a problem.
We need to get them to trust us as people who care about them & have valuable knowledge.
How do they describe their problem? We should use these descriptions in our marketing messages so our sales copy will be interesting & meaningful.
We need to get & keep their attention long enough to inspire their interest, desire & action.
How will we recognize those who have this problem?
Who has this or a similar problem?
Questions For Drilling Down On Some Issues
We need to find 1 or more of these (Knowing more of these will help us solve the problem for the most people.)-
Where they are when they first discover they have the problem.
Where they are most often when the problem recurs/flares up again.
What are they doing most often when the problem recurs/flares up again?
Where they are most often when they feel the strongest motivation to solve the problem.
Where can they most comfortably solve the problem/apply the solution? (Somewhat facetious example- People may feel pain from hemorrhoids wherever they go, but they won't apply a solution anywhere.)
When are they closest to a place where they'll apply/use a solution?
When are they closest to a place where they're willing to buy a solution? (Is it a competitor they're close to? If we can change this, how can we do it?)
Where & when are they closest to a place where they can buy a solution?
Are there typically times when they can't afford to buy the solution?
Taking Action-
How can we help them discover they have the problem?
How can we help them realize they need to solve the problem?
How can we cost-effectively make the solution process easier for our target market?
How can we cost-effectively make the solution process more efficient for our target market?
How can we cost-effectively make the solution process more convenient for our target market?
Easier, efficient & convenient are almost synonymous, so the last 3 questions may seem redundant. But we can substitute whichever words fit the situation. Example: painless, helpful & timely.
You may've concluded a lot of this intuitive, but when people do things without conscious thought, they may miss something important.
Except for 1-step messages, which convince people to buy something without any more sales effort, good ads inspire people to inquire about products/services. After the inquiry, they'll buy what they can afford if they want it.
An ad copywriter needs to achieve AIDA. But it won't happen unless people notice & pay attention to the ad. Good headlines & graphics get a target market's attention & interest by "advertising" the ad.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: I don't understand some things
Like you, I've also learned a lot of good things from Jay Abraham, but I don't understand some things.
He often says, "The headline is the ad for the ad." It may be profound, but I don't remember him explaining what he means. He's often talked about leverage on leverage. But, maybe I'm thinking too literally, how can leverage be put on leverage?
I may have missed something while reading a Clayton M. Christensen book. I remember he wrote people won't know ahead of time how they'll use a product. Companies won't know ahead of time, who will buy products.
If that's the case, how do products ever get sold?
Subject: Marketing Leverage Author: Dennis S. Vogel
In reply to: "I don't understand some things"
Hi,
I don't remember Jay Abraham explaining these either. The short explanation is: We use ads to attract people to come to our store. These ads ask prospects to come in. Headlines & graphics advertise the ads & "ask" prospects to pay attention to the ads. (The longer explanation is below.)
Clayton M. Christensen answered your question briefly in "The Innovator's Dilemma." It's in his analogy of being an electric vehicle project manager. I don't remember if this is in both editions of his book. You can find it in Chapter 10 of the updated edition or maybe both.
If you looked for something specific about small businesses, it may be why you missed it. He wrote about a big company forming a small division or separate company to make electric vehicles.
Now The Longer Explanations
I'll try to tie these concepts together in a meaningful way.
To add what I've learned from other sources, the task would be to determine which niches might be able to use the innovation.
Determine if the innovation:
1) Improves how they do things, if they can already do what they want.
2) Would help them do what they have trouble doing.
3) Would help them do what they think they need/want to do.
Each of these calls for speculation, so what you find today could be outdated by the time you'd produce a solution or find a supplier. When you market your solution, it may undershoot the need by being a partial or inconvenient solution. People can use the solution, but they wish they'd have something better.
If you anticipate what they'll need in the future, based on what they need now & what they say they'll need in the future, you may overshoot their need. Then your solution would have too many features (with POTENTIAL benefits, but no CURRENT/ACTUAL benefits). Example: If you need a knife, a Swiss Army Knife would overshoot your need to cut or carve. The extra features wouldn't provide benefits, unless you'd use them.
Persuade people to use the products (hopefully to buy or at least use free samples). Then observe how they use the product & get their input about improvement, including which features to eliminate. Extra features add more expense but no extra benefits for particular users. (Many those in the Swiss Army get full use & benefit of each Swiss Army knife feature, but most of us don't.)
I'm taking a chance on this explanation overshooting your questions & curiosity. 8^) But I want to cover what may be your next questions or what I think your next questions should be. I want you to get a full benefit from the short answers I gave.
To Take A Stand, You Need A Place To Stand
I think Archimedes said, give me a lever long enough & a place to stand & I'll move the move the Earth. He may've added the need for a fulcrum.
But what if he didn't have a long enough lever? Or what if he had a long enough lever to reach past Pluto, but no place to stand to get the maximum use from it? If he had many friends, who each had strong levers & places to stand (on Mercury, Venus, Mars & Jupiter), they could move the Earth. If they each put their levers & fulcrums in advantageous places, they could exert pressure at the same time & do the work.
(You may've heard of Rube Goldberg. Or you may've seen the Mousetrap game. Putting things together in strange configurations [somewhat like my explanations {8^{] to do something relatively simple.)
This next concept may seem like a Rube Goldberg. In theory (mine), if you had good levers, but not a convenient place to stand, you could use a lever to push another well-placed lever, which would move a load.
These are examples of leverage on leverage. Since these examples are so confusing, they may show why Jay Abraham didn't explain what he meant.
Leo Burnett advised, "Plan the sale when you plan the ad." "The sale" can be a sales event with discounts. It can also be the act of selling something.
Retail displays, sales techniques (what we do & say, plus how we do & say them), point-of-purchase signs, ads/commercials, referrals/testimonials/ endorsements are "levers." Each should be planned as much as is practical. (Each of these is also something we should test by trying variations.)
What I wrote in another post about blaming versus accepting responsibility for what you can do applies here with a small change. To figure how to change a situation, we need to start somewhere. If we start with a person having a problem, we still need to figure how to induce the person to buy a solution from us. A journey starts with the first step, but it's easier to map a route by starting with what we know. What we know is OUR current situation.
The mousetrap fallacy doesn't address this, it states people will beat a path. If it were true, business failures would be very rare. This is like thinking, "If people don't know I have a better mousetrap, it's their tough luck. I won't tell them. So, it's their fault if my business fails."
It's our job to accept responsibility & beat the path. It's usually easier starting the path from where we are, while we look ahead for a destination.
In general, I recommend finding people who have a problem before finding or inventing a solution. But it doesn't guarantee when we find a solution we'll have enough expertise & production capacity to provide what people need.
Clayton M. Christensen's books for innovators focus on disruptive technologies that were discovered or developed before a problem to solve was discovered. In effect, it means disruptive innovators work backwards. This approach can be used when demand for a product/service is low or nonexistent, as in mature markets/product categories or new product/service categories.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: The Leverage Process
As I wrote in the previous post, we know our situation, but since we may not know who will use our products/services, we need to start from we are. As we progress, we hope to have a clearer vision of our potential target market.
After we convince our potential target market to use our products/services, we can find what they like & dislike.
It's a potential target market because they may prefer something else. Even if they prefer our solution, they may not be able to afford it. If they can't afford it, we can determine if we can decrease our costs by removing features they don't want or would seldom use. Or if they need a short-term solution, maybe we can make the product or service result less durable & less expensive.
If We'd Start With Consumers
Though it seems ideal to start with people or businesses & their needs, we have to start with what our knowledge & priorities. To start with something totally foreign would be impractical because the learning curve would be too long & steep.
Instead of producing a complete product/service, we could've started with research, then designed our product/service according to what we learn about people's needs. But by the time our product/service is ready to be marketed, our prospects' needs/desires may change. It'd mean scrapping what we did or find somebody to buy what we produced. So, we could still end up doing the process I described below.
The order of these issues varies according to the situation. If you don't have an answer to each question, find answers to the others. These answers can direct your thoughts to other answers you need. If you start in the middle then work toward each end of the list, it's OK if you get the answers you need.
Backwards May Be Inevitable
These issues are in approximate reverse order like disruptive innovation creators should use.
This list isn't complete enough to fully cover every possible scenario. Each of these issues/steps is a point where we need to apply leverage to "lift" prospects out of their previous situations.
The drawback of working backward is we don't always know--specifically-- where we're going. If we get stuck, we can jump ahead--in planning--to where we think we want to go (where we think a problem exists which our solution can solve). It's like a maze drawn on paper, the starting & ending points are indicated, if we get stuck working toward the end, we can leave our route marked, then work from the end toward the beginning. If our routes "meet" then we're successful.
A Retailer's Current (Hypothetical) Situation/Internal:
When we bought our inventory, which problem(s) did we think these products would solve?
Which other products/services do people need to get a complete solution?
What do we need to set in motion to sell our inventory? What do we need to do so people will buy? Do we have the necessary resources, values & processes?
Why should prospects believe our claims? How will we show these are true?
What has to happen to make people aware of the consequences of their need?
We want people to buy products, how will it happen?
We need to know what other problems our product might solve.
Message Distribution-
We need attention inducing devices, like headlines & graphics, to "advertise" our ads. These should convince people to invest enough time & attention so they'll understand our messages.
We need prospects to notice our advertising messages.
We need to find people who want to & can afford to solve this problem.
Mapping The Potential External Situation:
Message Development-
We need people (who might have that problem) to come to our store.
We need to let them know we have that product/solution.
Does our niche already accept their need & want to solve it?
We need to let them know how serious their problem is & will be. What will happen if it's not solved?
Is solving it a high priority?
What causes the problem? What makes it worse?
We need to let them know their problem can be solved.
We need to get them to admit to themselves, they have a problem.
We need to get them to trust us as people who care about them & have valuable knowledge.
How do they describe their problem? We should use these descriptions in our marketing messages so our sales copy will be interesting & meaningful.
We need to get & keep their attention long enough to inspire their interest, desire & action.
How will we recognize those who have this problem?
Who has this or a similar problem?
Questions For Drilling Down On Some Issues
We need to find 1 or more of these (Knowing more of these will help us solve the problem for the most people.)-
Where they are when they first discover they have the problem.
Where they are most often when the problem recurs/flares up again.
What are they doing most often when the problem recurs/flares up again?
Where they are most often when they feel the strongest motivation to solve the problem.
Where can they most comfortably solve the problem/apply the solution? (Somewhat facetious example- People may feel pain from hemorrhoids wherever they go, but they won't apply a solution anywhere.)
When are they closest to a place where they'll apply/use a solution?
When are they closest to a place where they're willing to buy a solution? (Is it a competitor they're close to? If we can change this, how can we do it?)
Where & when are they closest to a place where they can buy a solution?
Are there typically times when they can't afford to buy the solution?
Taking Action-
How can we help them discover they have the problem?
How can we help them realize they need to solve the problem?
How can we cost-effectively make the solution process easier for our target market?
How can we cost-effectively make the solution process more efficient for our target market?
How can we cost-effectively make the solution process more convenient for our target market?
Easier, efficient & convenient are almost synonymous, so the last 3 questions may seem redundant. But we can substitute whichever words fit the situation. Example: painless, helpful & timely.
You may've concluded a lot of this intuitive, but when people do things without conscious thought, they may miss something important.
Except for 1-step messages, which convince people to buy something without any more sales effort, good ads inspire people to inquire about products/services. After the inquiry, they'll buy what they can afford if they want it.
An ad copywriter needs to achieve AIDA. But it won't happen unless people notice & pay attention to the ad. Good headlines & graphics get a target market's attention & interest by "advertising" the ad.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Want to Stand Out? Will Consumers Stand For It?
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Note: Since magazine editors like subscribers' comments to be brief & my comments usually aren't brief, I have 2 versions of the following post. The article I've responded to is "Want to Stand Out?" It's in the December issue of Inc. The URL for the web page is:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/handson-marketing.html
This is the long version of my comments.
Advertising clutter can't be fought by adding to it. Plenty of advertising agencies & marketing consultants will gladly take your retainer (meaning they retain your money), then claim they've cut through the clutter by increasing the reach & frequency of your message.
In the early years of broadcasting, show sponsors avoided clutter by being the only advertisers during shows. But I doubt ad agencies or marketing consultants would make those kind of arrangements for clients. NO, they'll use some "creative" way to get attention (but not necessarily interest), then claim they cut through the clutter by spending more of your money.
Do you want to find out if they'll really cut through the clutter? Tell them you'll pay on a per order basis. If you don't make sales, you don't pay them. Would anybody work under these conditions? Yes, some of us will.
The number of minutes available to broadcasters is fixed at 1440 seconds every day. Can they reduce clutter by squeezing in more commercials? They have technology to compress the shows they get, but show producers object. But it doesn't significantly increase a broadcast schedule.
Print & Internet publishers can add more pages of advertising &/or more ads per page. They won't decrease clutter, unless they reduce the ad space per page.
Will Consumers Stand For It?
As far as I know, there are 2 main reasons people shun advertising: 1) Too many messages are irrelevant to their circumstances. Even if people are in the target market, they may think they already have the full solution & don't want to hear or see any other potential options. 2) They feel they're exposed to too much already. They resent the intrusion, even if advertisers pay for what those people want--news publishing & entertainment.
Too many advertisers think their messages are relevant because what they sell is relevant. What advertisers think doesn't matter or, at least, is a lower priority.
Examples- "38 years combined experience." 76 people can each have 6 months of experience. Each can do exactly the same thing & it adds up to 38 years combined experience. But this only impresses those who make these meaningless statements.
"Open until midnight" means nothing, if I don't perceive the value of, or even know, what the store offers.
"Smith Electronics, established in 1874" Of course, when the forefathers established it, the business name was 'Smith Buggy Works.' Plus, nobody in the Smith clan has been involved in it since 1902. If I don't know which electronics it offers, the name is almost meaningless. Since electronics didn't exist in 1874, it's meaningless as far as experience is concerned.
Classical Conditioning
Ring a bell when you serve food & ringing a bell will cause salivation.
I often see advertising in rest rooms & wonder, "Do merchants really want what they offer to be psychologically linked with rest rooms & unpleasant things in those rest rooms?"
When the average person is in a rest room, does s/he want to think about drills or pizzas? S/he may think, "What I need now is a good air freshener or hand-sanitizer." Power tools are irrelevant to the current situation. Eating pizza may be the reason s/he is in the rest room. :^( Bon appetit!
If you use mini-billboards as described in "Want to Stand Out?" I advise you to only do it if what you offer is relevant to 1 or more of these: 1) What viewers are doing when they see the messages. 2) What they do in about an hour after they finish what they're doing. 3) What they should've done, to gain more benefit or prevent something unfavorable, before starting what they're doing.
The headline should focus on how your offer is relevant to these consumers in the present or immediate future. Mini-billboards aren't apt to give you enough space to explain why they should plan to buy what you offer in more than 24 hours.
Unless you can include something for them to take with them--a brochure or flyer, they'll probably forget your offer when they leave the place. If you set the context in their minds, they may remember the next time they plan to go where they saw your mini-billboard. Example: "Next time you'll (be more comfortable, get more benefits) if you (use the offered product/service.)"
Advertising is a multiplied version of what sales reps do. Would you expect anybody to pay attention to a sales presentation in a place where you want to put your message?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Note: Since magazine editors like subscribers' comments to be brief & my comments usually aren't brief, I have 2 versions of the following post. The article I've responded to is "Want to Stand Out?" It's in the December issue of Inc. The URL for the web page is:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/handson-marketing.html
This is the long version of my comments.
Advertising clutter can't be fought by adding to it. Plenty of advertising agencies & marketing consultants will gladly take your retainer (meaning they retain your money), then claim they've cut through the clutter by increasing the reach & frequency of your message.
In the early years of broadcasting, show sponsors avoided clutter by being the only advertisers during shows. But I doubt ad agencies or marketing consultants would make those kind of arrangements for clients. NO, they'll use some "creative" way to get attention (but not necessarily interest), then claim they cut through the clutter by spending more of your money.
Do you want to find out if they'll really cut through the clutter? Tell them you'll pay on a per order basis. If you don't make sales, you don't pay them. Would anybody work under these conditions? Yes, some of us will.
The number of minutes available to broadcasters is fixed at 1440 seconds every day. Can they reduce clutter by squeezing in more commercials? They have technology to compress the shows they get, but show producers object. But it doesn't significantly increase a broadcast schedule.
Print & Internet publishers can add more pages of advertising &/or more ads per page. They won't decrease clutter, unless they reduce the ad space per page.
Will Consumers Stand For It?
As far as I know, there are 2 main reasons people shun advertising: 1) Too many messages are irrelevant to their circumstances. Even if people are in the target market, they may think they already have the full solution & don't want to hear or see any other potential options. 2) They feel they're exposed to too much already. They resent the intrusion, even if advertisers pay for what those people want--news publishing & entertainment.
Too many advertisers think their messages are relevant because what they sell is relevant. What advertisers think doesn't matter or, at least, is a lower priority.
Examples- "38 years combined experience." 76 people can each have 6 months of experience. Each can do exactly the same thing & it adds up to 38 years combined experience. But this only impresses those who make these meaningless statements.
"Open until midnight" means nothing, if I don't perceive the value of, or even know, what the store offers.
"Smith Electronics, established in 1874" Of course, when the forefathers established it, the business name was 'Smith Buggy Works.' Plus, nobody in the Smith clan has been involved in it since 1902. If I don't know which electronics it offers, the name is almost meaningless. Since electronics didn't exist in 1874, it's meaningless as far as experience is concerned.
Classical Conditioning
Ring a bell when you serve food & ringing a bell will cause salivation.
I often see advertising in rest rooms & wonder, "Do merchants really want what they offer to be psychologically linked with rest rooms & unpleasant things in those rest rooms?"
When the average person is in a rest room, does s/he want to think about drills or pizzas? S/he may think, "What I need now is a good air freshener or hand-sanitizer." Power tools are irrelevant to the current situation. Eating pizza may be the reason s/he is in the rest room. :^( Bon appetit!
If you use mini-billboards as described in "Want to Stand Out?" I advise you to only do it if what you offer is relevant to 1 or more of these: 1) What viewers are doing when they see the messages. 2) What they do in about an hour after they finish what they're doing. 3) What they should've done, to gain more benefit or prevent something unfavorable, before starting what they're doing.
The headline should focus on how your offer is relevant to these consumers in the present or immediate future. Mini-billboards aren't apt to give you enough space to explain why they should plan to buy what you offer in more than 24 hours.
Unless you can include something for them to take with them--a brochure or flyer, they'll probably forget your offer when they leave the place. If you set the context in their minds, they may remember the next time they plan to go where they saw your mini-billboard. Example: "Next time you'll (be more comfortable, get more benefits) if you (use the offered product/service.)"
Advertising is a multiplied version of what sales reps do. Would you expect anybody to pay attention to a sales presentation in a place where you want to put your message?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2006 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Randomness Happens --Go Ahead, Make A Mess
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
In case you want the full context, you can use this URL http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/make-a-mess.html
After you read the article ("Go Ahead, Make A Mess" By: David H. Freedman)you may understand what I wrote below.
Some of what David wrote about success from a mess, should be attributed to randomness. It's a corollary of "If you always do the same thing in the same context, you'll always get the same result." It's not exactly true though. If you practice the same thing, you may get a better result by doing it better.
As Chet Holmes & others contend, what makes the difference between highly successful businesses & also-rans are systems: policies, plans & procedures.
My corollary is: If you don't track what happened, you won't know, for sure, which parts worked or didn't work. You'll only know the result of the whole effort. You won't have a firm enough idea of what to do again in the same way or what you should change & what to eliminate.
Apparently, Strymish "organized" books by publishers' names, so it wasn't total chaos.
Too many consulting prospects are quick to say, "I tried it, it didn't work." They don't like it when I ask, "What exactly didn't work? Was the problem the medium, headline or offer? Of course, they won't know if they don't try other versions - limited randomness.
Some randomness brings success accidentally; many times we need to determine what to make different.
I realize multivariate testing can be used, but many small businesses can't afford to use it. My example is set in a limited context. In psychology & marketing, we can try totally varied methods--at first--to test a wider variety. But until we narrow the difference to 1 variation in each version, we can only guess what made the project work or fail.
Step by step formulas aren't always practical, especially when designed by somebody who isn't familiar with the situation. This is applicable in customer service & handling products.
We'll never be able to eliminate every possible variable beyond our control. If we test ads, we need to put them in the medium & vehicle (a specific newspaper or station) & change one element like the headline with the same copy.
If more than 1 person does the same kind of task, each person (or team) can do it in a different way. But don't make the Wal-Mart mistake. Continual tinkering may be good in theory, but you shouldn't keep changing procedures, after people have figured out how to make them work. It doesn't give them any incentive to make procedures work, unless they want variety.
A big reason for McDonald's success is the systems. People get trained to do things the same way, so supervisors know what's going wrong. People can moved from one task to another as needed. Customers know what to expect from franchisee.
As David wrote, people may file things, but forget where those are. The answer though isn't giving up on neatness. The answer is to have a system, so things can be stored/filed quickly, then retrieved quickly. Purchase orders shouldn't be filed with maintenance manuals.
David found the same fault, as I, in the dictum of scheduling phone calls at a specific time. But if the calls are from same people, they can be told when the best time to call is. But it may still be best to call customers, or respond to their email messages, as soon as is practical (when you have answers they need).
The Lesson: A little randomness is good; a little random mess is tolerable.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
In case you want the full context, you can use this URL http://www.inc.com/magazine/20061201/make-a-mess.html
After you read the article ("Go Ahead, Make A Mess" By: David H. Freedman)you may understand what I wrote below.
Some of what David wrote about success from a mess, should be attributed to randomness. It's a corollary of "If you always do the same thing in the same context, you'll always get the same result." It's not exactly true though. If you practice the same thing, you may get a better result by doing it better.
As Chet Holmes & others contend, what makes the difference between highly successful businesses & also-rans are systems: policies, plans & procedures.
My corollary is: If you don't track what happened, you won't know, for sure, which parts worked or didn't work. You'll only know the result of the whole effort. You won't have a firm enough idea of what to do again in the same way or what you should change & what to eliminate.
Apparently, Strymish "organized" books by publishers' names, so it wasn't total chaos.
Too many consulting prospects are quick to say, "I tried it, it didn't work." They don't like it when I ask, "What exactly didn't work? Was the problem the medium, headline or offer? Of course, they won't know if they don't try other versions - limited randomness.
Some randomness brings success accidentally; many times we need to determine what to make different.
I realize multivariate testing can be used, but many small businesses can't afford to use it. My example is set in a limited context. In psychology & marketing, we can try totally varied methods--at first--to test a wider variety. But until we narrow the difference to 1 variation in each version, we can only guess what made the project work or fail.
Step by step formulas aren't always practical, especially when designed by somebody who isn't familiar with the situation. This is applicable in customer service & handling products.
We'll never be able to eliminate every possible variable beyond our control. If we test ads, we need to put them in the medium & vehicle (a specific newspaper or station) & change one element like the headline with the same copy.
If more than 1 person does the same kind of task, each person (or team) can do it in a different way. But don't make the Wal-Mart mistake. Continual tinkering may be good in theory, but you shouldn't keep changing procedures, after people have figured out how to make them work. It doesn't give them any incentive to make procedures work, unless they want variety.
A big reason for McDonald's success is the systems. People get trained to do things the same way, so supervisors know what's going wrong. People can moved from one task to another as needed. Customers know what to expect from franchisee.
As David wrote, people may file things, but forget where those are. The answer though isn't giving up on neatness. The answer is to have a system, so things can be stored/filed quickly, then retrieved quickly. Purchase orders shouldn't be filed with maintenance manuals.
David found the same fault, as I, in the dictum of scheduling phone calls at a specific time. But if the calls are from same people, they can be told when the best time to call is. But it may still be best to call customers, or respond to their email messages, as soon as is practical (when you have answers they need).
The Lesson: A little randomness is good; a little random mess is tolerable.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Finance Raising Funds
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070101/finance-elevatorpitch.html
Apparel company Sistahs of Harlem has creativity, buzz, and attitude to spare.
Though I don't have enough to invest in anybody's business, this article caught my attention, when I saw "Elevator Pitch." I don't like the term "pitch" applied to sales since a pitch is intended to be delivered to a small area, but thrown in a way, so a batter can't hit the ball. We should want prospects to hit home runs with what we deliver.
Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
"Investors React" is a good reality check. I agree with the panel. I think I have a resolution for the Sistahs. It seems they're appealing to aspirations. Not everybody who wears the Bessie Coleman collection will be a pilot. But flying doesn't have to be literal. "Flying" can be when we're feeling & doing our best.
I wonder how much J. Peterman-style personality is on the clothing tags.
Though I don't know their target market precisely enough, I think the age range is too wide as it's stated. Females, ages 15-50, may not have enough in common to form a cohesive market. In reality, the age range may be highly accurate.
Other than the obvious gender & racial traits, what do the 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds have in common? Do they aspire to be like women in their early 30s?
Teens typically want to be perceived as mature as (as they feel) they are. Middle-aged people typically want to be perceived as vibrant as (as they feel) they are.
In "Bottom-up Marketing," Jack Trout & Al Ries wrote, "The target is not the market." Preteen girls aspire to be more mature teens; some read Seventeen Magazine. But few 17-year-olds read Seventeen Magazine.
In a case like these fashions, the Sistahs need to get their styles worn by 30-35-year-old women, so 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds will wear their styles. If most customers are teens, middle-aged women might think, "No! Those are something my daughter would wear." If most customers are middle-aged, teens might think, "No! Those are something my mother would wear."
What may happen later is what I call reverse-aspirations. More women in the mid-30s may wear those fashions when they see their role models wearing these. They may think, "Oprah looks good in those clothes." If they want to feel & appear younger, they may notice 25-year-olds wearing these styles.
The key is to focus on the target age group, but let the desired market feel the benefits are in their reach.
First, to make this work, they should appeal to the group with the strongest desires & biggest budgets. Teens may not have as much money as women, but women tend to have more financial demands. Which group feels they "gotta have it?" Does this group have the money to get it?
Also, why do they feel they "gotta have it?" Is it for social settings or careers? This should be integrated also, so the market knows those clothes are ideal for certain situations.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Finance Raising Funds
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070101/finance-elevatorpitch.html
Apparel company Sistahs of Harlem has creativity, buzz, and attitude to spare.
Though I don't have enough to invest in anybody's business, this article caught my attention, when I saw "Elevator Pitch." I don't like the term "pitch" applied to sales since a pitch is intended to be delivered to a small area, but thrown in a way, so a batter can't hit the ball. We should want prospects to hit home runs with what we deliver.
Aspirations Can Be Inspirations For Buying
"Investors React" is a good reality check. I agree with the panel. I think I have a resolution for the Sistahs. It seems they're appealing to aspirations. Not everybody who wears the Bessie Coleman collection will be a pilot. But flying doesn't have to be literal. "Flying" can be when we're feeling & doing our best.
I wonder how much J. Peterman-style personality is on the clothing tags.
Though I don't know their target market precisely enough, I think the age range is too wide as it's stated. Females, ages 15-50, may not have enough in common to form a cohesive market. In reality, the age range may be highly accurate.
Other than the obvious gender & racial traits, what do the 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds have in common? Do they aspire to be like women in their early 30s?
Teens typically want to be perceived as mature as (as they feel) they are. Middle-aged people typically want to be perceived as vibrant as (as they feel) they are.
In "Bottom-up Marketing," Jack Trout & Al Ries wrote, "The target is not the market." Preteen girls aspire to be more mature teens; some read Seventeen Magazine. But few 17-year-olds read Seventeen Magazine.
In a case like these fashions, the Sistahs need to get their styles worn by 30-35-year-old women, so 15-year-olds & 50-year-olds will wear their styles. If most customers are teens, middle-aged women might think, "No! Those are something my daughter would wear." If most customers are middle-aged, teens might think, "No! Those are something my mother would wear."
What may happen later is what I call reverse-aspirations. More women in the mid-30s may wear those fashions when they see their role models wearing these. They may think, "Oprah looks good in those clothes." If they want to feel & appear younger, they may notice 25-year-olds wearing these styles.
The key is to focus on the target age group, but let the desired market feel the benefits are in their reach.
First, to make this work, they should appeal to the group with the strongest desires & biggest budgets. Teens may not have as much money as women, but women tend to have more financial demands. Which group feels they "gotta have it?" Does this group have the money to get it?
Also, why do they feel they "gotta have it?" Is it for social settings or careers? This should be integrated also, so the market knows those clothes are ideal for certain situations.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Format Your Business Culture & Get Consistently Better Results
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I posted this on Inc.com as comments about what Leigh Buchanan wrote in the February issue. I advise you to read what she wrote since it fits what I've been teaching you.
The URL is http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/column-buchanan.html
Those who use Microsoft Word may understand this analogy. It's different in various versions of Word but the effect is the same.
Hiring a person is like copying & pasting text from a web site to a document. Each site is formatted differently. If you paste things from various sites without using "Paste Special", your document will be a hodgepodge of knowledge & possibly wisdom, but it won't look like it is. It'll look chaotic & somewhat like a stereotypical ransom note.
Sometimes what's pasted hijacks a document & the rest conforms to its style. If you haven't disabled "Automatically Update" your document may change formatting every time one thing changes. Too often, "Automatically Update" mysteriously gets checked again.
You should have a policy against "Automatically Update" in your business. If the culture is changed without your permission, you'll have to uncheck "Automatically Update" by having a training session again. Employees may think their changes are updates, but changes are only updates if the situation is improved.
Each person has a comfort-zone & starting a new job disrupts comfort-zones. It's natural for people to try to change environments to suit themselves. But a business can become a big mess, if each employee adapts it to him/herself. Customers won't recognize your business, if every product, service or customer interaction is left to employees' whims. Business owners won't recognize what they create, when others recreate their businesses.
Businesses should be formatted & maintained by policies, plans & procedures. Some randomness is tolerable, if it doesn't adversely change what customers expect. But randomness may happen anyway, without it being instituted. If something different works, it should be refined & kept.
Instituting policies, plans & procedures is a vital way to work on your business, so employees will work consistently. Even employees, who don't like your particular structure, dislike chaos.
If you don't have a policy to guide plans, it's like traveling in a foreign country without a map. You may end up somewhere else. If you don't have a plan for procedures, your procedures won't accomplish much. Results may be different each time.
If you don't set up procedures, how will you or employees know if something is being done correctly?
"Running" a business any other way is doing it by the seat of your pants. Eventually, you'll be found with your pants down & competitors will kick your butt.
Marketing may seem effective when people interpret it their way. But it means some will be disappointed or frustrated. This includes marketing your business to employees.
Effective branding requires providing what customers expect. Brands promise a result. If you haven't designed & installed policies, plans & procedures for yourself & employees, how can you consistently fulfill what your brand promises?
If you don't have a brand promising consistent solutions, you're depending on luck. Luck is usually being in the right place at the right time. Successful people & businesses make their luck by being where the right things happen & being ready for those things to come to them.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I posted this on Inc.com as comments about what Leigh Buchanan wrote in the February issue. I advise you to read what she wrote since it fits what I've been teaching you.
The URL is http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070201/column-buchanan.html
Those who use Microsoft Word may understand this analogy. It's different in various versions of Word but the effect is the same.
Hiring a person is like copying & pasting text from a web site to a document. Each site is formatted differently. If you paste things from various sites without using "Paste Special", your document will be a hodgepodge of knowledge & possibly wisdom, but it won't look like it is. It'll look chaotic & somewhat like a stereotypical ransom note.
Sometimes what's pasted hijacks a document & the rest conforms to its style. If you haven't disabled "Automatically Update" your document may change formatting every time one thing changes. Too often, "Automatically Update" mysteriously gets checked again.
You should have a policy against "Automatically Update" in your business. If the culture is changed without your permission, you'll have to uncheck "Automatically Update" by having a training session again. Employees may think their changes are updates, but changes are only updates if the situation is improved.
Each person has a comfort-zone & starting a new job disrupts comfort-zones. It's natural for people to try to change environments to suit themselves. But a business can become a big mess, if each employee adapts it to him/herself. Customers won't recognize your business, if every product, service or customer interaction is left to employees' whims. Business owners won't recognize what they create, when others recreate their businesses.
Businesses should be formatted & maintained by policies, plans & procedures. Some randomness is tolerable, if it doesn't adversely change what customers expect. But randomness may happen anyway, without it being instituted. If something different works, it should be refined & kept.
Instituting policies, plans & procedures is a vital way to work on your business, so employees will work consistently. Even employees, who don't like your particular structure, dislike chaos.
If you don't have a policy to guide plans, it's like traveling in a foreign country without a map. You may end up somewhere else. If you don't have a plan for procedures, your procedures won't accomplish much. Results may be different each time.
If you don't set up procedures, how will you or employees know if something is being done correctly?
"Running" a business any other way is doing it by the seat of your pants. Eventually, you'll be found with your pants down & competitors will kick your butt.
Marketing may seem effective when people interpret it their way. But it means some will be disappointed or frustrated. This includes marketing your business to employees.
Effective branding requires providing what customers expect. Brands promise a result. If you haven't designed & installed policies, plans & procedures for yourself & employees, how can you consistently fulfill what your brand promises?
If you don't have a brand promising consistent solutions, you're depending on luck. Luck is usually being in the right place at the right time. Successful people & businesses make their luck by being where the right things happen & being ready for those things to come to them.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
A Brand For The Man Who Keeps Reaching For The Stars
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
This my response for "The Greatly Improbable, Highly Enjoyable, Increasingly Profitable Life of Michael Kobold." Here's the URL to use so you can read this article.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070501/features-michael-kobold.html
A Brand For The Man Who Keeps Reaching For The Stars
I'm speculating based on this article. Until I read it, I didn't know Kobold watches exist.
Michael Kobold may have crossed the line between being a real-life business owner & a brand character like Tony The Tiger & Charlie The Tuna. He may seem fishy "Big Fishy" to us, but if we're not in the niche that buys what Kobold sells, it doesn't matter much.
I suppose Kobold aspires to be or appear to be like Richard Branson. Would Branson's stunts be done publicly if they didn't have some promotional value for his Virgin brands?
How much does Kobold's niche rely on image -- as opposed to solid, real identity -- & pretense? Reasons to buy a luxury item are 1) to feel good about owning it; 2) to feel good about oneself as a result of owning it; 3) for something that's an obvious luxury (which others will notice & realize it's approximate price) & using it in public is to inspire envy or respect in others.
Each of these are affected by & effected with marketing (Massaging the truth). Sometimes there's little difference between effected with marketing & infected with marketing. It depends how much is meant to be fiction & how much is meant to be believed.
The Underdog Brand
If Kobold achieved what he seems to aspire to, I think he & his brands would lose some of their appeal. If he changed his approach & he mass-produced his watches, his niche wouldn't lose interest only because the watches wouldn't be scarce anymore. Many of them would also lose interest because Kobold & his brands wouldn't be for little guys who want to feel powerful, but know they'll never achieve high levels of power.
They identify with a guy who owns a small business, lives in a regular apartment & has a business in small corners of a big business's building.
Success is achieving worthwhile goals, so Kobold is very successful. But he doesn't act like he's very successful. He acts like he aims for success, but doesn't quite hit the target. He acts like he strives to be a top dog, but being an underdog -- maybe a middle dog -- is his brand.
As Leo Burnett said, "If you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't end up with a handful of mud either." Kobold watches are for those who keep reaching.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
This my response for "The Greatly Improbable, Highly Enjoyable, Increasingly Profitable Life of Michael Kobold." Here's the URL to use so you can read this article.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070501/features-michael-kobold.html
A Brand For The Man Who Keeps Reaching For The Stars
I'm speculating based on this article. Until I read it, I didn't know Kobold watches exist.
Michael Kobold may have crossed the line between being a real-life business owner & a brand character like Tony The Tiger & Charlie The Tuna. He may seem fishy "Big Fishy" to us, but if we're not in the niche that buys what Kobold sells, it doesn't matter much.
I suppose Kobold aspires to be or appear to be like Richard Branson. Would Branson's stunts be done publicly if they didn't have some promotional value for his Virgin brands?
How much does Kobold's niche rely on image -- as opposed to solid, real identity -- & pretense? Reasons to buy a luxury item are 1) to feel good about owning it; 2) to feel good about oneself as a result of owning it; 3) for something that's an obvious luxury (which others will notice & realize it's approximate price) & using it in public is to inspire envy or respect in others.
Each of these are affected by & effected with marketing (Massaging the truth). Sometimes there's little difference between effected with marketing & infected with marketing. It depends how much is meant to be fiction & how much is meant to be believed.
The Underdog Brand
If Kobold achieved what he seems to aspire to, I think he & his brands would lose some of their appeal. If he changed his approach & he mass-produced his watches, his niche wouldn't lose interest only because the watches wouldn't be scarce anymore. Many of them would also lose interest because Kobold & his brands wouldn't be for little guys who want to feel powerful, but know they'll never achieve high levels of power.
They identify with a guy who owns a small business, lives in a regular apartment & has a business in small corners of a big business's building.
Success is achieving worthwhile goals, so Kobold is very successful. But he doesn't act like he's very successful. He acts like he aims for success, but doesn't quite hit the target. He acts like he strives to be a top dog, but being an underdog -- maybe a middle dog -- is his brand.
As Leo Burnett said, "If you reach for the stars, you may not quite get one, but you won't end up with a handful of mud either." Kobold watches are for those who keep reaching.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Help Consumers Be The Stars They Know They Are
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com? Author: Lisa Bloom
Lisa posted this question in Inc.com-
What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?
It is an online jewelry store inspired by Hollywood celebrities.
Then I posted a brief message; I added to it & posted my longer response below.
Subject: Help Consumers Be The Stars They Know They Are
In reply to: Lisa Bloom 's message, "What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?"
Hi Lisa,
I took a quick look at the home page. The main idea seems to be "inspired by Hollywood celebrities." Since many aspire to be stars, in show business or other businesses, they're inspired by what celebrities wear, say, do & think.
I advise you to focus on star-studded events like awards shows. As soon as you see what celebrities were wearing & before the shows' effects dim, check your inventory for things that look like what celebrities wore. Promote those items.
How & where to promote those can be tricky. Using pictures & names of celebrities, without their permission & for promotional purposes, can bring more trouble than it's worth. When you know what you can legally do, it'll be easier to decide how to do it.
Use magazines, ezines, newsletters, newspapers, web sites, TV shows (possibly through cable TV), search engines/portals & whatever else will help you visually show what you offer.
If you can legally use celebrities' names, you could test headlines like "Did You See What Sandra Bullock Wore At The 2007 Academy Awards? Check what we have to help you shine like Sandy did."
You could follow it with "Even the most beautiful pictures are accentuated by beautiful frames. Your beauty needs an equally beautiful frame like jewelry Sandy used to frame her beauty. It's called a choker, but you know it'll be your friends & family who'll be breathless when they see you wearing it. Sandy probably paid $XXXXX for hers, but you'll be wearing yours for only $ZZZ. We offer this much beauty for a few dollars because (then briefly describe the quality & qualifications of your staff & suppliers & how it helps you keep quality high & prices reasonable)."
"Welcome to GlamForLess.com" isn't a headline. Each home page & other web pages should have effective, compelling headlines to intrigue web surfers, so they'll look more deeply in your site. Headlines should have specific benefits for readers, don't be subtle. Put it out there so people will understand with no doubt--what's available for them.
Web browsers commonly have multiple tabs. Surfers, especially those with broadband service, have multiple web sites open at a time. If your home page doesn't give them a reason to keep it open in a tab, they'll close it.
Test different headlines, change them as often as you get a major product or a major event happens.
Help web visitors virtually try the jewelry. If you can't afford to put an application like this in your site, give them tips how to do in their computers. There are graphics programs made to paste layered images transparently so only the desired object is added.
They can use camera phones or other hardware to get pictures of themselves. You should also use a disclaimer like- "Imagine how great this jewelry will look when it's on your skin instead of in a cobbled-together picture."
Though the results of copying & pasting graphics together won't be great, it'll still get people involved with your site & products. They feel more comfortable with it. You can demonstrate with step-by-step pictures & instructions how to do.
Show a picture a regular person & how s/he looks with the jewelry. This can be done by copying & pasting jewelry or putting people's faces into a celebrity picture. There are programs made to do this for serious or entertaining effects.
Showing how good regular people look (wearing what you offer) is important anyway. It's too easy for people to think, "Of course, it looks good on (celeb name), anything looks good on her."
This is already getting to be long, so I'll cut it here. With more time & information I could develop more.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com? Author: Lisa Bloom
Lisa posted this question in Inc.com-
What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?
It is an online jewelry store inspired by Hollywood celebrities.
Then I posted a brief message; I added to it & posted my longer response below.
Subject: Help Consumers Be The Stars They Know They Are
In reply to: Lisa Bloom 's message, "What is the best way to promote http://www.glamforless.com?"
Hi Lisa,
I took a quick look at the home page. The main idea seems to be "inspired by Hollywood celebrities." Since many aspire to be stars, in show business or other businesses, they're inspired by what celebrities wear, say, do & think.
I advise you to focus on star-studded events like awards shows. As soon as you see what celebrities were wearing & before the shows' effects dim, check your inventory for things that look like what celebrities wore. Promote those items.
How & where to promote those can be tricky. Using pictures & names of celebrities, without their permission & for promotional purposes, can bring more trouble than it's worth. When you know what you can legally do, it'll be easier to decide how to do it.
Use magazines, ezines, newsletters, newspapers, web sites, TV shows (possibly through cable TV), search engines/portals & whatever else will help you visually show what you offer.
If you can legally use celebrities' names, you could test headlines like "Did You See What Sandra Bullock Wore At The 2007 Academy Awards? Check what we have to help you shine like Sandy did."
You could follow it with "Even the most beautiful pictures are accentuated by beautiful frames. Your beauty needs an equally beautiful frame like jewelry Sandy used to frame her beauty. It's called a choker, but you know it'll be your friends & family who'll be breathless when they see you wearing it. Sandy probably paid $XXXXX for hers, but you'll be wearing yours for only $ZZZ. We offer this much beauty for a few dollars because (then briefly describe the quality & qualifications of your staff & suppliers & how it helps you keep quality high & prices reasonable)."
"Welcome to GlamForLess.com" isn't a headline. Each home page & other web pages should have effective, compelling headlines to intrigue web surfers, so they'll look more deeply in your site. Headlines should have specific benefits for readers, don't be subtle. Put it out there so people will understand with no doubt--what's available for them.
Web browsers commonly have multiple tabs. Surfers, especially those with broadband service, have multiple web sites open at a time. If your home page doesn't give them a reason to keep it open in a tab, they'll close it.
Test different headlines, change them as often as you get a major product or a major event happens.
Help web visitors virtually try the jewelry. If you can't afford to put an application like this in your site, give them tips how to do in their computers. There are graphics programs made to paste layered images transparently so only the desired object is added.
They can use camera phones or other hardware to get pictures of themselves. You should also use a disclaimer like- "Imagine how great this jewelry will look when it's on your skin instead of in a cobbled-together picture."
Though the results of copying & pasting graphics together won't be great, it'll still get people involved with your site & products. They feel more comfortable with it. You can demonstrate with step-by-step pictures & instructions how to do.
Show a picture a regular person & how s/he looks with the jewelry. This can be done by copying & pasting jewelry or putting people's faces into a celebrity picture. There are programs made to do this for serious or entertaining effects.
Showing how good regular people look (wearing what you offer) is important anyway. It's too easy for people to think, "Of course, it looks good on (celeb name), anything looks good on her."
This is already getting to be long, so I'll cut it here. With more time & information I could develop more.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
People Need Information So They Can Take Action
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I put in Inc.com related to a few articles, the latest article's URL is-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-inventors-best-friend.html
Another thing hobbyists & inventors need is information. Jim Newton & Clark Kepler should team up to provide it. Clark needs help with increasing & sustaining book & magazine sales. (Check for Bo Burlingham's articles about saving Kepler's Books & Magazines store. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060401/kepler.html) Jim's startup needs help, as all startups do. As Jay Abraham would advise, 'Think of who else can benefit from your success, even if they benefit more than you.' This is too valuable to overlook especially since Jim & Clark are both in Menlo Park.
They should cross promote. Many of Clark's customer's could be "wanna-bes." They want to be inventors or they want to build what's in their minds as hobbies, but they don't have enough space or money for machines. They may buy more books & magazines when they find they have a way to implement their new knowledge.
Jim & his staff could invest time teaching customers what to do, but it'd be more efficient for them, if customers already know enough to use the equipment. Time spent instructing a customer isn't available for answering phone calls or questions of other customers.
Maybe Jim or Clark will benefit more than the other will, so what?! As long as it works (a win-win-win) for all involved (including customers), what difference does it make?
The lesson for the rest of us is to find relationships like these. Develop flyers & newsletters to carry these promotional messages. Clark should develop some for Jim to give to customers. Jim should develop some for Clark to give to customers. These would be noticed more than mass media advertising & can be very effectively targeted.
I don't have enough space here for sample sales copy, but I could write it if I have enough information.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I put in Inc.com related to a few articles, the latest article's URL is-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-inventors-best-friend.html
Another thing hobbyists & inventors need is information. Jim Newton & Clark Kepler should team up to provide it. Clark needs help with increasing & sustaining book & magazine sales. (Check for Bo Burlingham's articles about saving Kepler's Books & Magazines store. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20060401/kepler.html) Jim's startup needs help, as all startups do. As Jay Abraham would advise, 'Think of who else can benefit from your success, even if they benefit more than you.' This is too valuable to overlook especially since Jim & Clark are both in Menlo Park.
They should cross promote. Many of Clark's customer's could be "wanna-bes." They want to be inventors or they want to build what's in their minds as hobbies, but they don't have enough space or money for machines. They may buy more books & magazines when they find they have a way to implement their new knowledge.
Jim & his staff could invest time teaching customers what to do, but it'd be more efficient for them, if customers already know enough to use the equipment. Time spent instructing a customer isn't available for answering phone calls or questions of other customers.
Maybe Jim or Clark will benefit more than the other will, so what?! As long as it works (a win-win-win) for all involved (including customers), what difference does it make?
The lesson for the rest of us is to find relationships like these. Develop flyers & newsletters to carry these promotional messages. Clark should develop some for Jim to give to customers. Jim should develop some for Clark to give to customers. These would be noticed more than mass media advertising & can be very effectively targeted.
I don't have enough space here for sample sales copy, but I could write it if I have enough information.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Pre-marketing Template
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article, you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-enlightened-mba.html
Find problems your niche members have when they use the wrong (a competitor's) products or no product & no solution. Then put those into marketing messages.
Though I focus on B2C, I'll write from the B2B perspective since Hayden Hamilton expects more B2B sales for GreenPrint.
1st, how much hard copy printing is done? Example: I have copies of thousands of articles in PDFs. I store them in CD-Rs & send them via email. But people's eyes get weary from looking at monitor screens, so I've printed some. But searching for information, in many documents, is easier through computers. Am I typical? If so, GreenPrint is in trouble.
So, as Hayden figures, big businesses may use GreenPrint more than small businesses.
How will he find viable prospects? Do they think they have problems with wasted paper & ink? (What marketers think is a problem doesn't mean much.) Will prospects consider GreenPrint to be a solution to a problem?
Is GreenPrint easy to install & use? Does Hayden have tech support people? Or should Hayden focus on companies with IT staffs?
There are more benefits than saving the world & saving money on paper & ink. These other benefits may be more important to prospects.
It's good for GreenPrint to offer multiple benefits, but it's vital to promote the main benefit customers will get. As important as conservation is, it can conflict with business survival--a green business can't survive without cash flow. It's not a green business if it goes out of business. Good or bad, saving money takes precedence. Show prospects how they'll save money & the world.
Even major companies, which seemingly won't blink at $70 per user license fees, have CFOs who blink a lot. CFOs don't want to tell stockholders, "You won't get a dividend this year; but we're saving the world."
I wrote a variety of choices below; Hayden can find answers to the questions he feels are more important. Then he can craft his marketing messages using these. If answers aren't quickly available & he doesn't have time for research, he can test marketing messages to find what's most appealing. But if he does it on paper, he may seem like a hypocrite if he focuses his marketing on using less paper to save trees.
By testing messages & offers, businesses are apt to get some sales, while gaining insight. Plus, as David Freedman wrote in his July "What's Next" column, people don't always answer research questions accurately.
Look beyond what seems to be the main benefit. Ask yourself hard questions like prospects would. Using GreenPrint saves ink & paper, so what? What's important about it? Which problems are associated with using paper?
To save money & time, businesses buy paper in bulk, this requires storage & shipping costs. These also cost internal labor. How quickly can somebody reorder these, then go back to their other tasks? How often is this task done?
Are ink cartridges & paper delivered or does somebody go to a store to buy & haul them? What about liability insurance for employees who drive to get supplies? Insurance is apt to cost more when employees drive a lot. Fuel prices are extra high & paper is heavy, how much money can a company save--on fuel--by decreasing paper usage?
Paper is lifted, moved & stacked, how many workers' comp claims are attributed to this grunt work?
After articles from Inc & other web sites are printed, what's done with them? Are they discarded the same day or sent to colleagues? Sending them to colleagues may require going through the mail room. More paper means extra labor costs. Do the senders keep a copy & send another to a colleague? Do these copies get filed? How many filing cabinets or boxes will be required when non-essential pages are printed & filed? How many in- & out-baskets are full of these articles? How much extra clutter do these articles cause?
From an opposite side, how many businesses prohibit printing articles? How much might this lack of knowledge cost? (It may be hard to quantify, but raising the question may be valuable.) Would it be cost-effective to allow printing articles, if non-essential pages were avoided?
It's good to recycle paper, but how many businesses pay to have the paper hauled away? How many pounds less will be hauled away if a business uses GreenPrint?
How many printers do these businesses have? Will printing articles disrupt & delay printing proposals? Will a network printer screw up & print pages of proposals interspersed with pages of articles? If so, more pages means more time sorting through them & possibly sending an article in a proposal - not good for credibility.
Will somebody grab too many sheets from a network printer? Example: The first page of an article may be missing because it was sent to a customer, in a business letter by mistake.
If a printer is reloaded with paper less often, will this decrease paper jams? How many times are proposals or letters delayed because paper trays are empty?
How much extra maintenance or printer replacements are necessary because extra, unneeded pages are printed? How much time is spent filling paper trays & replacing ink cartridges?
Hayden can test prospects' responses to various messages with potential Unique Selling Propositions. After this, he can determine what GreenPrint's Unique Selling Proposition is.
Example: "Using GreenPrint is like getting a bonus of X reams of paper & Y ink cartridges every time you order those."
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article, you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-start-up-enlightened-mba.html
Find problems your niche members have when they use the wrong (a competitor's) products or no product & no solution. Then put those into marketing messages.
Though I focus on B2C, I'll write from the B2B perspective since Hayden Hamilton expects more B2B sales for GreenPrint.
1st, how much hard copy printing is done? Example: I have copies of thousands of articles in PDFs. I store them in CD-Rs & send them via email. But people's eyes get weary from looking at monitor screens, so I've printed some. But searching for information, in many documents, is easier through computers. Am I typical? If so, GreenPrint is in trouble.
So, as Hayden figures, big businesses may use GreenPrint more than small businesses.
How will he find viable prospects? Do they think they have problems with wasted paper & ink? (What marketers think is a problem doesn't mean much.) Will prospects consider GreenPrint to be a solution to a problem?
Is GreenPrint easy to install & use? Does Hayden have tech support people? Or should Hayden focus on companies with IT staffs?
There are more benefits than saving the world & saving money on paper & ink. These other benefits may be more important to prospects.
It's good for GreenPrint to offer multiple benefits, but it's vital to promote the main benefit customers will get. As important as conservation is, it can conflict with business survival--a green business can't survive without cash flow. It's not a green business if it goes out of business. Good or bad, saving money takes precedence. Show prospects how they'll save money & the world.
Even major companies, which seemingly won't blink at $70 per user license fees, have CFOs who blink a lot. CFOs don't want to tell stockholders, "You won't get a dividend this year; but we're saving the world."
I wrote a variety of choices below; Hayden can find answers to the questions he feels are more important. Then he can craft his marketing messages using these. If answers aren't quickly available & he doesn't have time for research, he can test marketing messages to find what's most appealing. But if he does it on paper, he may seem like a hypocrite if he focuses his marketing on using less paper to save trees.
By testing messages & offers, businesses are apt to get some sales, while gaining insight. Plus, as David Freedman wrote in his July "What's Next" column, people don't always answer research questions accurately.
Look beyond what seems to be the main benefit. Ask yourself hard questions like prospects would. Using GreenPrint saves ink & paper, so what? What's important about it? Which problems are associated with using paper?
To save money & time, businesses buy paper in bulk, this requires storage & shipping costs. These also cost internal labor. How quickly can somebody reorder these, then go back to their other tasks? How often is this task done?
Are ink cartridges & paper delivered or does somebody go to a store to buy & haul them? What about liability insurance for employees who drive to get supplies? Insurance is apt to cost more when employees drive a lot. Fuel prices are extra high & paper is heavy, how much money can a company save--on fuel--by decreasing paper usage?
Paper is lifted, moved & stacked, how many workers' comp claims are attributed to this grunt work?
After articles from Inc & other web sites are printed, what's done with them? Are they discarded the same day or sent to colleagues? Sending them to colleagues may require going through the mail room. More paper means extra labor costs. Do the senders keep a copy & send another to a colleague? Do these copies get filed? How many filing cabinets or boxes will be required when non-essential pages are printed & filed? How many in- & out-baskets are full of these articles? How much extra clutter do these articles cause?
From an opposite side, how many businesses prohibit printing articles? How much might this lack of knowledge cost? (It may be hard to quantify, but raising the question may be valuable.) Would it be cost-effective to allow printing articles, if non-essential pages were avoided?
It's good to recycle paper, but how many businesses pay to have the paper hauled away? How many pounds less will be hauled away if a business uses GreenPrint?
How many printers do these businesses have? Will printing articles disrupt & delay printing proposals? Will a network printer screw up & print pages of proposals interspersed with pages of articles? If so, more pages means more time sorting through them & possibly sending an article in a proposal - not good for credibility.
Will somebody grab too many sheets from a network printer? Example: The first page of an article may be missing because it was sent to a customer, in a business letter by mistake.
If a printer is reloaded with paper less often, will this decrease paper jams? How many times are proposals or letters delayed because paper trays are empty?
How much extra maintenance or printer replacements are necessary because extra, unneeded pages are printed? How much time is spent filling paper trays & replacing ink cartridges?
Hayden can test prospects' responses to various messages with potential Unique Selling Propositions. After this, he can determine what GreenPrint's Unique Selling Proposition is.
Example: "Using GreenPrint is like getting a bonus of X reams of paper & Y ink cartridges every time you order those."
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
How To Make "Elevator Speeches" Work
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article; you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-explain-what-your-company-does-in-30-seconds.html
Apparently, Elevator Speech's approach is getting a deep buy-in from clients. I know 6 magazine pages won't include a consultant's full work, but it seems like something is missing.
Socratic interviewing has good points, especially if a client has time & is willing to do the consultant's work. But then why hire a consultant?
Socrates believed everybody had all answers in them & they only need somebody to draw answers out. It's almost like getting somebody to figure out how to build a clock, when s/he just wants to know the current time.
In businesses, this will work, but meanwhile people are spending money & paying SOMEBODY ELSE! Consultants should ask clients some vital questions & get answers, then tell them it's time to test what consultants recommend. Clients should serve customers & get paid. Hours of Q & A aren't always necessary.
A big problem is business owners put their core stories in nutshells, then depend on prospects to crack the nuts. Prospects can't because it's all shell -- an organic rock -- with nothing for them to digest. So, they drop it & go on with their lives.
I think consultants should be more involved in making the content to put into nutshells.
Based on answers from uControl's team (in the article), I have an idea for them to test with prospects & customers. Before I get to it, here's the kind of explanatory introduction a marketing/elevator speech consultant should give clients.
In the context of elevator speeches, person A starts a 1-minute conversation by asking, "What do you do?" It's always a request for information, but more of an icebreaker to get person B to the point of asking, "What do you do?" Person A probably isn't interested in person B's career choice & just wants a chance to politely talk about his/her job.
Person B can deliver his/her speech or punt & let person A deliver an elevator speech.
Since person A asked, but probably isn't much interested, person B better use a bit of drama to inspire curiosity.
Business writers, Paul & Sarah Edwards advise starting with "Do you know how__?" The blank is filled by a problem with a challenging solution or a competitor's incomplete "solution". Then a better solution is offered.
It's a good template. The "Do you know how__?" question can engage curiosity, but it decreases time available for the main presentation.
uControl can test this for effectiveness- "If you pay attention to the news, it's easy to feel insecure, right? Our business is named uControl because we offer you virtually risk-free control in your home. We give you what you need to control as many risk factors in your home as you realistically can. While you're away, you can use web access, a land-line or cell phone to check your home security. So, when your family enters, you know you'll be safe."
This won't answer every possible question - it's not a full sales presentation - but elevator speeches are intriguing summaries. If person A is interested & has time, s/he can ask for more information. If s/he doesn't ask, s/he probably isn't a viable prospect, so more discussion may be pointless.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I submitted this in Inc.com in response to an article; you can read it using this URL-
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20070701/features-explain-what-your-company-does-in-30-seconds.html
Apparently, Elevator Speech's approach is getting a deep buy-in from clients. I know 6 magazine pages won't include a consultant's full work, but it seems like something is missing.
Socratic interviewing has good points, especially if a client has time & is willing to do the consultant's work. But then why hire a consultant?
Socrates believed everybody had all answers in them & they only need somebody to draw answers out. It's almost like getting somebody to figure out how to build a clock, when s/he just wants to know the current time.
In businesses, this will work, but meanwhile people are spending money & paying SOMEBODY ELSE! Consultants should ask clients some vital questions & get answers, then tell them it's time to test what consultants recommend. Clients should serve customers & get paid. Hours of Q & A aren't always necessary.
A big problem is business owners put their core stories in nutshells, then depend on prospects to crack the nuts. Prospects can't because it's all shell -- an organic rock -- with nothing for them to digest. So, they drop it & go on with their lives.
I think consultants should be more involved in making the content to put into nutshells.
Based on answers from uControl's team (in the article), I have an idea for them to test with prospects & customers. Before I get to it, here's the kind of explanatory introduction a marketing/elevator speech consultant should give clients.
In the context of elevator speeches, person A starts a 1-minute conversation by asking, "What do you do?" It's always a request for information, but more of an icebreaker to get person B to the point of asking, "What do you do?" Person A probably isn't interested in person B's career choice & just wants a chance to politely talk about his/her job.
Person B can deliver his/her speech or punt & let person A deliver an elevator speech.
Since person A asked, but probably isn't much interested, person B better use a bit of drama to inspire curiosity.
Business writers, Paul & Sarah Edwards advise starting with "Do you know how__?" The blank is filled by a problem with a challenging solution or a competitor's incomplete "solution". Then a better solution is offered.
It's a good template. The "Do you know how__?" question can engage curiosity, but it decreases time available for the main presentation.
uControl can test this for effectiveness- "If you pay attention to the news, it's easy to feel insecure, right? Our business is named uControl because we offer you virtually risk-free control in your home. We give you what you need to control as many risk factors in your home as you realistically can. While you're away, you can use web access, a land-line or cell phone to check your home security. So, when your family enters, you know you'll be safe."
This won't answer every possible question - it's not a full sales presentation - but elevator speeches are intriguing summaries. If person A is interested & has time, s/he can ask for more information. If s/he doesn't ask, s/he probably isn't a viable prospect, so more discussion may be pointless.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
What's In Your Value Statement?
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
NOTE: A Value Statement is a critical part of Unique Selling Propositions, Unique Strategic Positions, branding & positioning. A Value Statement highlights, at least, one reason a particular group of people or businesses should buy a specific product/service. In retailing, a Value Statement highlights why a specific store is the best choice a particular group of people or businesses should buy from it.
A Value Statement is a strong differentiator, it's stronger than "3 locations to serve you" or "Open until 11:00 PM." If these are the only differentiators available to you add some power by explaining why these are important. Examples- "We have 3 locations to serve you, so you can quickly go to the nearest store & easily get (what you need) & live your life." "ABC is open until 11:00 PM, so we're available when you'll need us most. Because we know how unpredictable life is."
I emphasized "a particular group of people or businesses" because 1) small businesses can't afford to reach everybody with their marketing messages frequently enough to make a difference; 2) small businesses can't afford the resources (staff payroll, inventory, sales floor/storage space, equipment, etc.) necessary to serve everybody.
I know frequency isn't always necessary with the right message & offer, but it still costs extra money to serve many customers at the same time & fulfill many orders. If you had the best possible, most compelling offer, you may be able to attract thousands but you'd frustrate most of them because you & your staff couldn't serve them all quickly enough. You couldn't even talk to enough of them to refer them to other businesses to pick up your overflow.
But yet, you should develop (or get somebody else to develop) offers like these. Just closely control your message distribution to avoid overwhelming your business & underwhelming customers.
I just read "The Google Get-Together That Wasn't About Google" from Advertising Age. If you have a subscription you might still get it from the Ad Age web site. http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=121131
The pearl in this "oyster" article is - "FedEx Chairman-CEO Fred Smith talked about technology's effect on his business & how FedEx's real service is in tracking items, not merely shipping." "The central feature of modern logistics systems,' he said, allows you to 'see inventory at motion & at rest.'"
This set off sparks, then flames in my mind. I remember hearing from FedEx co-founder Mike Basch in a Marketing Master Mind program by Jay Abraham. Mike's emphasis when he talked to the firm's initial sales team was "Get the package." He wanted business owners & executives to experience the quick, efficient delivery service. They offered to send almost anything for free in a customer's first package or even send an empty box, so customers could confirm the packages were received on time & in good condition.
Would FedEx still exist if this were still its whole "value statement"? Maybe! Obviously, tracking packages wouldn't be much of a business model without somebody hauling those. But hauling packages--even overnight delivery--became a generic commodity, so FedEx added a proprietary value-tracking.
If something is profitable, eventually one or more me-too competitors will make a product or service a commodity.
Hauling packages is just an oyster & some don't like oysters. As long as their stuff was received in good condition at a good time, they didn't want to think about it anymore. So, many business owners & executives have subordinates deal with shipping companies.
If something goes wrong, the s--t & the subordinates hit the fan. It's worthwhile for subordinates to think about potential problems. If a boss asks, "Where's the (contents in the box)?" Subordinates better have a good answer or at least a good fallback answer.
Tracking provides a good fallback answer. To report the (contents in the box) is in Falls City, is better than "I don't know." "I don't know" means subordinates spend more time in trouble.
I could promise you, "No matter what, the (contents in the box) will be at the destination at the appointed time." When you think of how those fan blades feel on your skin, you'll probably want a good fallback answer. You know your boss won't throw you on the fan.
The Lesson: You may've started your business by successfully selling a specific benefit. Because of different competitors & changing priorities, customers probably want something different or in addition to what you offered back then. Maybe you've added extra value to your offer, but do you compellingly communicate it?
Continuously find things to make your primary offers far more valuable & necessary. Always develop secondary things to make your primary offers the best choice in your competitive environment. If you do it correctly, eventually secondary things you'll offer become your new primary offer. What was your primary offer will become secondary or obsolete.
What you offer will probably become obsolete anyway, so you should be the one to make it obsolete, so you can get ahead or stay ahead of competitors.
FedEx still hauls stuff; just about anybody can. If overnight delivery doesn't happen, customers know it & will still want to know where their stuff is. FedEx added an extra value-tracking. Soon tracking became its new value-added offer.
Tracking requires accountability each step along the line. From years ago, I remember this advice, "Send letters via certified mail because they'll get there sooner than if you send registered mail. Registered mail is signed for at each step, this takes extra time & costs more money. Certified mail is signed for twice - when the Post Service accepts it & when it's delivered. Both services are accountable."
Think then what FedEx's investment meant - Total package accountability: condition of contents, delivery time & destination. Packages are tracked all the way, but FedEx still has its overnight promise to keep.
So, before you add to your value statement, think about what you'll have to do to deliver that extra value. Then think about it a few more times from different angles, so you won't take on more than you can afford to.
Will you have to raise the price? Do you have enough staff? Do you have enough selection? Will you need more equipment? Will you need better technology?
Don't jump too quickly to match competitors' promises. They may have things you don't know about. They probably know things you don't know.
Head-to-head competition may not be worthwhile. By the time you learn to do something effectively & efficiently, it may be time to offer something different. Some oysters never produce pearls. Some pearls are worth more than others. Pearls are made slowly. Some people don't appreciate pearls; so don't offer them pearls.
Just because you &/or competitors think something is valuable, it doesn't mean prospects will. You may have to persuade people to accept what you value. They won't automatically buy it just because you say, "Trust me."
Changing your offer/value proposition now may not increase your sales this year. You need to invest time, effort & probably money to introduce it to prospects.
You may need more equipment, knowledge or staff. If you invest too much in it, you may have cash flow problems. But if you invest too little in it, you may not sell any & not have any cash flow. If you jump now, you may put too much money into what will soon be obsolete, then you won't have enough money to invest in something better in the near future.
You may have to concede this battle to competitors because maybe they can afford to do something you can't do. Maybe you'll have enough to invest when a better product or technology is available. Besides, competitors may have put their money into what will soon be obsolete.
When you're reasonably sure it's the right thing to do, open that oyster--EW! Did you buy the right oyster? Is there a pearl in there?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
NOTE: A Value Statement is a critical part of Unique Selling Propositions, Unique Strategic Positions, branding & positioning. A Value Statement highlights, at least, one reason a particular group of people or businesses should buy a specific product/service. In retailing, a Value Statement highlights why a specific store is the best choice a particular group of people or businesses should buy from it.
A Value Statement is a strong differentiator, it's stronger than "3 locations to serve you" or "Open until 11:00 PM." If these are the only differentiators available to you add some power by explaining why these are important. Examples- "We have 3 locations to serve you, so you can quickly go to the nearest store & easily get (what you need) & live your life." "ABC is open until 11:00 PM, so we're available when you'll need us most. Because we know how unpredictable life is."
I emphasized "a particular group of people or businesses" because 1) small businesses can't afford to reach everybody with their marketing messages frequently enough to make a difference; 2) small businesses can't afford the resources (staff payroll, inventory, sales floor/storage space, equipment, etc.) necessary to serve everybody.
I know frequency isn't always necessary with the right message & offer, but it still costs extra money to serve many customers at the same time & fulfill many orders. If you had the best possible, most compelling offer, you may be able to attract thousands but you'd frustrate most of them because you & your staff couldn't serve them all quickly enough. You couldn't even talk to enough of them to refer them to other businesses to pick up your overflow.
But yet, you should develop (or get somebody else to develop) offers like these. Just closely control your message distribution to avoid overwhelming your business & underwhelming customers.
I just read "The Google Get-Together That Wasn't About Google" from Advertising Age. If you have a subscription you might still get it from the Ad Age web site. http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=121131
The pearl in this "oyster" article is - "FedEx Chairman-CEO Fred Smith talked about technology's effect on his business & how FedEx's real service is in tracking items, not merely shipping." "The central feature of modern logistics systems,' he said, allows you to 'see inventory at motion & at rest.'"
This set off sparks, then flames in my mind. I remember hearing from FedEx co-founder Mike Basch in a Marketing Master Mind program by Jay Abraham. Mike's emphasis when he talked to the firm's initial sales team was "Get the package." He wanted business owners & executives to experience the quick, efficient delivery service. They offered to send almost anything for free in a customer's first package or even send an empty box, so customers could confirm the packages were received on time & in good condition.
Would FedEx still exist if this were still its whole "value statement"? Maybe! Obviously, tracking packages wouldn't be much of a business model without somebody hauling those. But hauling packages--even overnight delivery--became a generic commodity, so FedEx added a proprietary value-tracking.
If something is profitable, eventually one or more me-too competitors will make a product or service a commodity.
Hauling packages is just an oyster & some don't like oysters. As long as their stuff was received in good condition at a good time, they didn't want to think about it anymore. So, many business owners & executives have subordinates deal with shipping companies.
If something goes wrong, the s--t & the subordinates hit the fan. It's worthwhile for subordinates to think about potential problems. If a boss asks, "Where's the (contents in the box)?" Subordinates better have a good answer or at least a good fallback answer.
Tracking provides a good fallback answer. To report the (contents in the box) is in Falls City, is better than "I don't know." "I don't know" means subordinates spend more time in trouble.
I could promise you, "No matter what, the (contents in the box) will be at the destination at the appointed time." When you think of how those fan blades feel on your skin, you'll probably want a good fallback answer. You know your boss won't throw you on the fan.
The Lesson: You may've started your business by successfully selling a specific benefit. Because of different competitors & changing priorities, customers probably want something different or in addition to what you offered back then. Maybe you've added extra value to your offer, but do you compellingly communicate it?
Continuously find things to make your primary offers far more valuable & necessary. Always develop secondary things to make your primary offers the best choice in your competitive environment. If you do it correctly, eventually secondary things you'll offer become your new primary offer. What was your primary offer will become secondary or obsolete.
What you offer will probably become obsolete anyway, so you should be the one to make it obsolete, so you can get ahead or stay ahead of competitors.
FedEx still hauls stuff; just about anybody can. If overnight delivery doesn't happen, customers know it & will still want to know where their stuff is. FedEx added an extra value-tracking. Soon tracking became its new value-added offer.
Tracking requires accountability each step along the line. From years ago, I remember this advice, "Send letters via certified mail because they'll get there sooner than if you send registered mail. Registered mail is signed for at each step, this takes extra time & costs more money. Certified mail is signed for twice - when the Post Service accepts it & when it's delivered. Both services are accountable."
Think then what FedEx's investment meant - Total package accountability: condition of contents, delivery time & destination. Packages are tracked all the way, but FedEx still has its overnight promise to keep.
So, before you add to your value statement, think about what you'll have to do to deliver that extra value. Then think about it a few more times from different angles, so you won't take on more than you can afford to.
Will you have to raise the price? Do you have enough staff? Do you have enough selection? Will you need more equipment? Will you need better technology?
Don't jump too quickly to match competitors' promises. They may have things you don't know about. They probably know things you don't know.
Head-to-head competition may not be worthwhile. By the time you learn to do something effectively & efficiently, it may be time to offer something different. Some oysters never produce pearls. Some pearls are worth more than others. Pearls are made slowly. Some people don't appreciate pearls; so don't offer them pearls.
Just because you &/or competitors think something is valuable, it doesn't mean prospects will. You may have to persuade people to accept what you value. They won't automatically buy it just because you say, "Trust me."
Changing your offer/value proposition now may not increase your sales this year. You need to invest time, effort & probably money to introduce it to prospects.
You may need more equipment, knowledge or staff. If you invest too much in it, you may have cash flow problems. But if you invest too little in it, you may not sell any & not have any cash flow. If you jump now, you may put too much money into what will soon be obsolete, then you won't have enough money to invest in something better in the near future.
You may have to concede this battle to competitors because maybe they can afford to do something you can't do. Maybe you'll have enough to invest when a better product or technology is available. Besides, competitors may have put their money into what will soon be obsolete.
When you're reasonably sure it's the right thing to do, open that oyster--EW! Did you buy the right oyster? Is there a pearl in there?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2007 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Stupid Scammer Or Just Mistaken Spammer?
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Just Mistaken Spammer?
The message attached to mine in this thread is a spam/scam message I found in this forum. What I wrote in response is harsh, but I don't feel sorry to low-life spammers/scammers. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I put this back in here to encourage you to check facts & confirm numbers in your marketing messages before you send them. Plus, be careful when you consider buying into somebody's claims, even mine.
My Comments/Response to Joe Banks:
There are a maximum of 7 billion people on the Earth now.
According the U.S. Census Bureau Population Clock, the world population is about 6,546,891,714. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/world.html
According to the United Nations (http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp), the world population in 2005 was 6,464,750,000. If you want to learn about life expectancy you can use this URL http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=4
I'm assuming people still die & you'd provide access to people who are alive. Dead & not yet born people, statisically don't pay attention to email messages.
Maybe half of the currently living population have Internet access. Human cloning still isn't perfected. Human gestation takes about 9 months. About half of the world's population are females, maybe half of them are of child bearing age.
In the USA, children start understanding the concept of written communication at about age 2.
Then there's the problem of various languages & illiteracy. Many people can't read any language.
These are just a few of the problems you'll have. When you've solved these, if I'm still alive, ask me about the other issues. Maybe by then the population of the universe will be high enough to fulfill your claim. But of course, then there'll be other issues to contend with.
So, Joe, how will you provide daily access to 1 billion unique individuals for 90 days?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: Let us advertsie for you (great spelling huh?) Author: Joe Banks
Let our company email your ad to close to 1 billion people a day for 3 months--these are different people daily,,not spam,,get more sales now http://-----
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Spammer? -- Meaning Of Compelling
I don't feel sorry for low-life spammers/scammers, who try to trick & cheat others. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I just deleted another loser's garbage. Here's one sentence:
"If you would like to take part in this SCHEME or would like a bit more information then please see the attached file that was kindly donated to us."
I emphasized "SCHEME" as the word explaining this scam. It's also a word you shouldn't use when you're marketing your legitimate offers. If you're perceived as a schemer, you'll lose or never earn credibility.
Another bad word choice from a scam/spam message was in an email garbage I got. I was encouraged to act now on the offer to buy Viagra because it won't last.
What won't last the Viagra, the "benefit" or the offer? It wasn't specified.
If you leave anything open to interpretation, people will interpret it different ways. Some of those interpretations will work against you.
People have too many things to think about, they're too distracted to CONSCIOUSLY fill in any blanks. (You need them to be conscious to some degree to decide to buy from you.) But people's subconscious minds have plenty of time & energy to interpret, misinterpret & reinterpret things.
If your message isn't clear or is otherwise forgettable, a subconscious mind will drop it & focus on something better - more interesting & compelling. Subconscious minds are very good at distracting conscious minds & focusing them on other things.
You need subconscious minds to work with you, not against you. Even if you're not trying to get to executives by going around gatekeepers (receptionists, assistants& secretaries), you still have gatekeepers to deal with prospects' subconscious minds.
If your messages & offers aren't more compelling than any competing messages, offers or thoughts, you'll lose. Yes, you compete with people's thoughts too. You need to make your messages & offers more urgent & compelling than what prospects are thinking or you won't gain or hold their attention.
What I mean by compelling is undeniable, forceful, urgent & important; something they can't afford to miss. It should be clear to prospects they'll lose something. Even if they won't lose what they already have, clearly emphasize the opportunity they'll lose by delaying. When a prospect hears or reads your offers, s/he should feel restless & a bit desperate. Don't overdo the desperation or you won't be credible. Don't push past integrity either by inducing fear unless it's a true emergency.
In a message I wrote for a nail-biting remedy, I could've warned nail-biters they could end up with blood poisoning from severe infections. It's true, they could have dire problems, but it's not likely.
Also be sure your messages go to real prospects, who can afford what you offer. I get offers for insurance quite often. I suppose I can't afford to lose the opportunity to gain more protection for my family & me. But I also don't have the money to invest in more insurance, so I'm not a prospect.
It's hard in some cases. Which TV programs (maybe "Fear Factor"), radio stations, newspapers &/or magazines do nail-biters watch, listen to or read? You'd need to dig deeper for other attributes. Define a typical nail-biter - gender, age, marital status, family life cycle, career choice (actual & aspirational), hobbies (what they do to distract themselves from biting their nails or worrying?), which other remedies they may've chosen, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Just Mistaken Spammer?
The message attached to mine in this thread is a spam/scam message I found in this forum. What I wrote in response is harsh, but I don't feel sorry to low-life spammers/scammers. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I put this back in here to encourage you to check facts & confirm numbers in your marketing messages before you send them. Plus, be careful when you consider buying into somebody's claims, even mine.
My Comments/Response to Joe Banks:
There are a maximum of 7 billion people on the Earth now.
According the U.S. Census Bureau Population Clock, the world population is about 6,546,891,714. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/world.html
According to the United Nations (http://esa.un.org/unpp/p2k0data.asp), the world population in 2005 was 6,464,750,000. If you want to learn about life expectancy you can use this URL http://esa.un.org/unpp/index.asp?panel=4
I'm assuming people still die & you'd provide access to people who are alive. Dead & not yet born people, statisically don't pay attention to email messages.
Maybe half of the currently living population have Internet access. Human cloning still isn't perfected. Human gestation takes about 9 months. About half of the world's population are females, maybe half of them are of child bearing age.
In the USA, children start understanding the concept of written communication at about age 2.
Then there's the problem of various languages & illiteracy. Many people can't read any language.
These are just a few of the problems you'll have. When you've solved these, if I'm still alive, ask me about the other issues. Maybe by then the population of the universe will be high enough to fulfill your claim. But of course, then there'll be other issues to contend with.
So, Joe, how will you provide daily access to 1 billion unique individuals for 90 days?
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subject: Let us advertsie for you (great spelling huh?) Author: Joe Banks
Let our company email your ad to close to 1 billion people a day for 3 months--these are different people daily,,not spam,,get more sales now http://-----
Subject: Stupid Scammer Or Spammer? -- Meaning Of Compelling
I don't feel sorry for low-life spammers/scammers, who try to trick & cheat others. They're pitiful, not pitiable.
I just deleted another loser's garbage. Here's one sentence:
"If you would like to take part in this SCHEME or would like a bit more information then please see the attached file that was kindly donated to us."
I emphasized "SCHEME" as the word explaining this scam. It's also a word you shouldn't use when you're marketing your legitimate offers. If you're perceived as a schemer, you'll lose or never earn credibility.
Another bad word choice from a scam/spam message was in an email garbage I got. I was encouraged to act now on the offer to buy Viagra because it won't last.
What won't last the Viagra, the "benefit" or the offer? It wasn't specified.
If you leave anything open to interpretation, people will interpret it different ways. Some of those interpretations will work against you.
People have too many things to think about, they're too distracted to CONSCIOUSLY fill in any blanks. (You need them to be conscious to some degree to decide to buy from you.) But people's subconscious minds have plenty of time & energy to interpret, misinterpret & reinterpret things.
If your message isn't clear or is otherwise forgettable, a subconscious mind will drop it & focus on something better - more interesting & compelling. Subconscious minds are very good at distracting conscious minds & focusing them on other things.
You need subconscious minds to work with you, not against you. Even if you're not trying to get to executives by going around gatekeepers (receptionists, assistants& secretaries), you still have gatekeepers to deal with prospects' subconscious minds.
If your messages & offers aren't more compelling than any competing messages, offers or thoughts, you'll lose. Yes, you compete with people's thoughts too. You need to make your messages & offers more urgent & compelling than what prospects are thinking or you won't gain or hold their attention.
What I mean by compelling is undeniable, forceful, urgent & important; something they can't afford to miss. It should be clear to prospects they'll lose something. Even if they won't lose what they already have, clearly emphasize the opportunity they'll lose by delaying. When a prospect hears or reads your offers, s/he should feel restless & a bit desperate. Don't overdo the desperation or you won't be credible. Don't push past integrity either by inducing fear unless it's a true emergency.
In a message I wrote for a nail-biting remedy, I could've warned nail-biters they could end up with blood poisoning from severe infections. It's true, they could have dire problems, but it's not likely.
Also be sure your messages go to real prospects, who can afford what you offer. I get offers for insurance quite often. I suppose I can't afford to lose the opportunity to gain more protection for my family & me. But I also don't have the money to invest in more insurance, so I'm not a prospect.
It's hard in some cases. Which TV programs (maybe "Fear Factor"), radio stations, newspapers &/or magazines do nail-biters watch, listen to or read? You'd need to dig deeper for other attributes. Define a typical nail-biter - gender, age, marital status, family life cycle, career choice (actual & aspirational), hobbies (what they do to distract themselves from biting their nails or worrying?), which other remedies they may've chosen, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Get All You Can From Your Business
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
If you plan to keep your business, you can still sell your knowledge & intellectual to people in other areas who will sign non-competition agreements with you.
If you want to retire or change businesses (& start another) you should sell your business multiple times.
Whatever kind of business you have, you have more than physical things to sell. Since many business fail, if you have a successful business you have an asset to sell.
You have knowledge, intellectual resources, processes, values, policies & plans you`ve used to become & remain successful. You don`t have to sell it only once.
If your business is regional, there are people--in other areas--who`d like to learn what you can teach them.
An entrepreneurial lawyer, consultant, seminar promoter or business broker could sell this knowledge for you or with you, if you don`t want to do it alone.
Be sure you specify you control the rights to sell what you know as a course, seminar, book, video/audio set, business opportunity &/or franchise. Otherwise, somebody may just assume these rights & profit from what you know & not share the profits with you.
You can sell your knowledge to each person for various payment terms--lump sum, deposit plus payments, share of the profits (percentage), limited partnerships, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
If you plan to keep your business, you can still sell your knowledge & intellectual to people in other areas who will sign non-competition agreements with you.
If you want to retire or change businesses (& start another) you should sell your business multiple times.
Whatever kind of business you have, you have more than physical things to sell. Since many business fail, if you have a successful business you have an asset to sell.
You have knowledge, intellectual resources, processes, values, policies & plans you`ve used to become & remain successful. You don`t have to sell it only once.
If your business is regional, there are people--in other areas--who`d like to learn what you can teach them.
An entrepreneurial lawyer, consultant, seminar promoter or business broker could sell this knowledge for you or with you, if you don`t want to do it alone.
Be sure you specify you control the rights to sell what you know as a course, seminar, book, video/audio set, business opportunity &/or franchise. Otherwise, somebody may just assume these rights & profit from what you know & not share the profits with you.
You can sell your knowledge to each person for various payment terms--lump sum, deposit plus payments, share of the profits (percentage), limited partnerships, etc.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Get More Success From Case Studies & Other Proven Methods
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I know many entrepreneurs want "proven methods" so they don't have to struggle with failure & experimentation.
Maybe you learned how somebody did something successfully, but you had little or no success with it. It's not necessarily a bogus method. Maybe you didn't do it the same way somebody else did. Or maybe you did the same things, in the wrong sequence. Even if you did the same things, in the right sequence, your situation is different than somebody else's so you'll get different results.
Rich Schefren (www.strategicprofits.com/) suggests mapping processes so you can identify what works & doesn't work. Then use the process map to be sure you do what you want to do. If you don't get your expected result, you'll have something to check, so you may find what went wrong. If you do everything randomly - unplanned - you'll be acting by chance, not by design.
Without a process map, you may've been distracted by a phone call, a customer or employee, then you may've tried to pick up from where you left off. But maybe you didn't complete the step you started (though you think you did).
In a world of distractions, you need to do all you can to be sure you do the right things at the right times & in the right ways.
When I was in the US Navy, I heard this many times, "If it's got more than 1 moving part, it's not sailor proof." What we should all remember is - If it has more than 1 step, it's not distraction proof.
Many entrepreneurs can't afford to reserve a day each week to work on their businesses. By mapping your processes, you can work on your business in between tasks (working in your business). It means you may need a process to make process maps, so after each interruption; you can get back on track until you finish or are interrupted again.
Because change seems to be the only constant, you can't maintain your past or present success by repeatedly doing the same things for many years. You have to adopt different ways & adapt them to your current situation. As much as you can, adapt them for your future also. Even if that future is only a month away, be ready for it by having the right processes.
You probably learned from others &/or me, you shouldn't test more than 1 thing at a time or you won't really know what went right or wrong. Unless you know how to do multivariate testing, you need a way to track what you do so you'll only change 1 variable. That way of tracking is a process map. Because of rapid changes & client demands, you may end up changing a few things. By mapping your process & the changes, you may determine what to do & not do next time.
A process map is a flow chart like a PERT chart in project management. You should use a process map like a chef uses a recipe to get the same or a similar result each time food is cooked. Everyday, your business is open, it's like you serve a multiple course meal, if it tastes bad once, you may not get another chance to serve to dissatisfied customers again.
Depending on your situation, your process maps may have to be like diagnostic charts. Did a prospect respond to (identify a specific ad)? If yes, go to square 1a. If no, go to square 1b. Then each step has different variations/results until you can determine what happened & why, then what to do about it.
If you don't want to use a flow chart, you can write outlines like you may've learned about in writing classes. Microsoft Word 2000 has Outline View in the View menu (other word processing programs probably have outline formats).
Word 2000 also has AutoShapes including flow chart symbols. You don't necessarily need a project management program, unless you'll make a lot of charts.
Some things, like sales scenarios, should be role played since it wouldn't be good to look at a process map while talking to prospects. After a prospect leaves without buying or a customer buys, the process can be reviewed.
Why do I, & why should you, trust Rich Schefren (pronounced like CHEF wren)? I learned about him from Jay Abraham. After learning about process development from Rich, I know he has more I should learn. Chet Holmes, Dan Kennedy & many others trust Rich also.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
I know many entrepreneurs want "proven methods" so they don't have to struggle with failure & experimentation.
Maybe you learned how somebody did something successfully, but you had little or no success with it. It's not necessarily a bogus method. Maybe you didn't do it the same way somebody else did. Or maybe you did the same things, in the wrong sequence. Even if you did the same things, in the right sequence, your situation is different than somebody else's so you'll get different results.
Rich Schefren (www.strategicprofits.com/) suggests mapping processes so you can identify what works & doesn't work. Then use the process map to be sure you do what you want to do. If you don't get your expected result, you'll have something to check, so you may find what went wrong. If you do everything randomly - unplanned - you'll be acting by chance, not by design.
Without a process map, you may've been distracted by a phone call, a customer or employee, then you may've tried to pick up from where you left off. But maybe you didn't complete the step you started (though you think you did).
In a world of distractions, you need to do all you can to be sure you do the right things at the right times & in the right ways.
When I was in the US Navy, I heard this many times, "If it's got more than 1 moving part, it's not sailor proof." What we should all remember is - If it has more than 1 step, it's not distraction proof.
Many entrepreneurs can't afford to reserve a day each week to work on their businesses. By mapping your processes, you can work on your business in between tasks (working in your business). It means you may need a process to make process maps, so after each interruption; you can get back on track until you finish or are interrupted again.
Because change seems to be the only constant, you can't maintain your past or present success by repeatedly doing the same things for many years. You have to adopt different ways & adapt them to your current situation. As much as you can, adapt them for your future also. Even if that future is only a month away, be ready for it by having the right processes.
You probably learned from others &/or me, you shouldn't test more than 1 thing at a time or you won't really know what went right or wrong. Unless you know how to do multivariate testing, you need a way to track what you do so you'll only change 1 variable. That way of tracking is a process map. Because of rapid changes & client demands, you may end up changing a few things. By mapping your process & the changes, you may determine what to do & not do next time.
A process map is a flow chart like a PERT chart in project management. You should use a process map like a chef uses a recipe to get the same or a similar result each time food is cooked. Everyday, your business is open, it's like you serve a multiple course meal, if it tastes bad once, you may not get another chance to serve to dissatisfied customers again.
Depending on your situation, your process maps may have to be like diagnostic charts. Did a prospect respond to (identify a specific ad)? If yes, go to square 1a. If no, go to square 1b. Then each step has different variations/results until you can determine what happened & why, then what to do about it.
If you don't want to use a flow chart, you can write outlines like you may've learned about in writing classes. Microsoft Word 2000 has Outline View in the View menu (other word processing programs probably have outline formats).
Word 2000 also has AutoShapes including flow chart symbols. You don't necessarily need a project management program, unless you'll make a lot of charts.
Some things, like sales scenarios, should be role played since it wouldn't be good to look at a process map while talking to prospects. After a prospect leaves without buying or a customer buys, the process can be reviewed.
Why do I, & why should you, trust Rich Schefren (pronounced like CHEF wren)? I learned about him from Jay Abraham. After learning about process development from Rich, I know he has more I should learn. Chet Holmes, Dan Kennedy & many others trust Rich also.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Prospects Don't Understand Things Like You Do
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I posted in Inc.com; the article is "Fire & Motion". The URL is -
www.inc.com/magazine/20080401/how-hard-could-it-be-fire-and-motion.html
Marketing Isn't A Fire Fight, It's A Hostage Rescue
Joel,
You didn't complete the military analogy. Fire & motion may get to the location where hostages - consumers - are. But it doesn't have a follow-through plan for extraction.
Shooting terrorists - competitors - can be hard when they hide behind hostages.
The thought of target markets is flawed: Targets are terrorists - competitors. The market is people who may buy from you, not the ones you should be shooting.
This is a simplistic metaphor since hostage rescue is far more complicated. My example doesn't start with a hostage release negotiation via bullhorn. In my example, the rescue team goes into a foreign country & uses total surprise. Even the hostages are surprised; besides what else they feel.
Hostages - consumers - have problems. They're apt to be scared & confused. They don't feel safe. They're in a situation they don't control & they don't know how to get out of it. They're so stressed, they may have convinced themselves the terrorists are good & aren't a threat. They may run into the line of fire instead of away & run toward the terrorists.
When you come in shooting, you seem to be their enemy. It's hard to build trust that way.
To build trust you need to look like somebody they want to trust & do things to earn their trust, in addition to shooting terrorists.
You have to earn their trust by speaking their language & looking at least somewhat like them or like rescuers they expect--Uniforms with insignia. You also have to act like somebody who can rescue them - have a clear plan & confidence. If you look worried, they'll feel worse. If you don't know what to do next, they won't want to your "help".
As a rescuer, your job isn't finished just because the terrorists are neutralized. You & the hostages won't be safe until you extract them. You can't extract them unless they cooperate with you.
To get them to cooperate with you, you need to offer them something they perceive to be better than their current situation. It may seem like a no-brainer to you, but not to them.
Whatever somebody gets used to is a comfort zone, no matter how dangerous it really is.
Too often what people know seems a lot better than an unknown result - situation. As long as they're alive & don't feel immediate danger, your "solution" seems more dangerous because they don't know what it is.
You need to have a goal & know a few plans (Plan A, B & C) how to reach it. Then help prospects - almost rescued hostages - visualize the situation they'll face if they don't take action. Then, if they still won't move, visualize the situation they'll have when they're free.
Assume the sale & lead them out.
NOTE: If they haven't bought/aren't buying a competing solution, you're competing with nonconsumption as Clayton M. Christensen wrote about in his books for innovators.
They still need solutions.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
This blog post was transferred from another service.
Here's another post I posted in Inc.com; the article is "Fire & Motion". The URL is -
www.inc.com/magazine/20080401/how-hard-could-it-be-fire-and-motion.html
Marketing Isn't A Fire Fight, It's A Hostage Rescue
Joel,
You didn't complete the military analogy. Fire & motion may get to the location where hostages - consumers - are. But it doesn't have a follow-through plan for extraction.
Shooting terrorists - competitors - can be hard when they hide behind hostages.
The thought of target markets is flawed: Targets are terrorists - competitors. The market is people who may buy from you, not the ones you should be shooting.
This is a simplistic metaphor since hostage rescue is far more complicated. My example doesn't start with a hostage release negotiation via bullhorn. In my example, the rescue team goes into a foreign country & uses total surprise. Even the hostages are surprised; besides what else they feel.
Hostages - consumers - have problems. They're apt to be scared & confused. They don't feel safe. They're in a situation they don't control & they don't know how to get out of it. They're so stressed, they may have convinced themselves the terrorists are good & aren't a threat. They may run into the line of fire instead of away & run toward the terrorists.
When you come in shooting, you seem to be their enemy. It's hard to build trust that way.
To build trust you need to look like somebody they want to trust & do things to earn their trust, in addition to shooting terrorists.
You have to earn their trust by speaking their language & looking at least somewhat like them or like rescuers they expect--Uniforms with insignia. You also have to act like somebody who can rescue them - have a clear plan & confidence. If you look worried, they'll feel worse. If you don't know what to do next, they won't want to your "help".
As a rescuer, your job isn't finished just because the terrorists are neutralized. You & the hostages won't be safe until you extract them. You can't extract them unless they cooperate with you.
To get them to cooperate with you, you need to offer them something they perceive to be better than their current situation. It may seem like a no-brainer to you, but not to them.
Whatever somebody gets used to is a comfort zone, no matter how dangerous it really is.
Too often what people know seems a lot better than an unknown result - situation. As long as they're alive & don't feel immediate danger, your "solution" seems more dangerous because they don't know what it is.
You need to have a goal & know a few plans (Plan A, B & C) how to reach it. Then help prospects - almost rescued hostages - visualize the situation they'll face if they don't take action. Then, if they still won't move, visualize the situation they'll have when they're free.
Assume the sale & lead them out.
NOTE: If they haven't bought/aren't buying a competing solution, you're competing with nonconsumption as Clayton M. Christensen wrote about in his books for innovators.
They still need solutions.
Thank you for using my blog. Please let me know if I should clarify anything.
Copyright 2008 Dennis S. Vogel All rights reserved.
When you compete against big businesses with big budgets you need powerful marketing strategies & tactics. You'll find them here-
https://thriving-small-businesses.blogspot.com/
http://www.voy.com/31049/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)