Tip for April 1, 2005

The best marketing plans usually call for a combination of advertising and public relations. The two go hand in hand. One is highly credible but gives you no control. The other has less credibility but gives you complete control. Together, they supply most of the pieces of the marketing puzzle.

Tip for April 2, 2005

How stupid do they think we are? Has the following ever happened to you? You get a brilliant idea for a URL, and you enter it into your web browser to see what happens. Suddenly, you're at a "buy domains" search engine that informs you the URL you are interested in has been taken, but they'll sell it to you for a princely fee. That's not the problem. In disgust, you exit the site.....only to find--the next time you go online--that the search engine site is now your default opening page. This, of course, requires wasting time figuring out how to change the default page, etc. Do these firms really think you will ever buy anything from them? The point of Guerrilla Marketing is to become a trusted resource, not a source of aggravation. Hopefully, none of us do anything as equally frustrating to our casual web site visitors.

Tip for April 3, 2005

Keep the concept of problem-solving alive in your mind, your marketing materials, your sales presentations, and your company mission. Be sure your employees are tuned into the same wave length.

Tip for April 4, 2005

Offer opportunities to upgrade. Any type of business can find simple ways to enlarge the size of the purchase. Offer an additional product with the purchase at a steep discount.

Tip for April 5, 2005

Guerrillas know that it now costs six times more to make a sale to a prospect than to an existing customer, so they do everything in their power to increase the size of their customer list, then market with guerrilla gusto to customers and acquaintances of customers.

Tip for April 6, 2005

Fusion Marketing: Example 1 of 3 Jay frequently emphasizes the importance of Fusion Marketing. I encountered an example yesterday. A local Mercedes-Benz dealer had donated its showroom for use as a Red Cross Blood Drive. Not only was this a laudable goal, but the dealership used Fusion Marketing to the utmost: * Two radio stations were broadcasting live from the showroom, in addition to numerous promotions in the days prior to the event. * A local restaurant provided free lunches for donors. * A local limousine service was offering free pickup and drop-off service to businesses where they were three, or more, employees willing to give blood. Everyone benefited from heavy media exposure before, during, and after the event.

Tip for April 7, 2005

Fusion Marketing: Example 2 of 3 S-gauge is a small, but growing, segment of the model railroad hobby. As participants of a small segment of the hobby, it is hard for S-guage manufacturers to attract visibility on their own. But, on the inside cover of one of this month's largest model railroad magazines, 12 S-gauge manufacturers had split the cost of a full-page, full-color ad. Together, they can now attract the attention that, individually, they could never afford.

Tip for April 8, 2005

Fusion Marketing: Example 3 of 3 What do you do if you're an independent automobile located in the crowded suburbs of Boston or Seattle? With media costs rising, and "super-sized" dealers spending more and more money on media, how do you get your voice heard? Once again, Fusion Marketing to the rescue. By forming an association, like a "Route 1 Automile," dealers can pool their money, buy media more efficiently, and together, attract more car buyers to their stretch of the road. Whether its Federal Way, Washington (south of Seattle), or Norwell, Massachusetts, the idea works the same. The same can be tried by groups of restaurants, consultants, or any other providers who share a common target market

Tip for April 9, 2005

Identify potential references. List everyone with whom you have worked in the past three years, and others who know you well.

Tip for April 10, 2005

Choose an appropriate e-mail address Prospects rely on numerous subtle details to judge your competence and attention to detail. Before you even open your mouth, your prospect will be evaluating you by analyzing small details, like e-mail addresses. These can tell a lot about you. Be especially careful if you are selling relatively high-priced professional products and services, but are using a free e-mail address, i.e., a Hotmail or Yahoo, etc. It's hard to take a Mercedes-Benz salesperson carefully after glancing at their card and seeing a free e-mail address, especially a humorous or "cute" e-mail address.

Tip for April 11, 2005

Guerrillas love the free press coverage they get from the big newspapers, but they rarely overlook the small ones.

Tip for April 12, 2005

Excellence example of Preprinted Second Color Accents The next time you're in your local Barnes & Noble bookstore, pick up a copy of their Events newsletter, listing current and upcoming author readings and signings. Notice how good looking the sheet is. Pay particular attention to the fact that the accent colors, green and salmon (orange-pink), are limited to words and graphics that are unlikely to change from issue to issue. Text that is changes is printed in black. This permits Barnes and Noble to preprint the second colors in great quantities, and ship them to their stores around the country. These preprints form a framework for each individual store to run through their black and white laser printers or photocopiers. Production costs are low because each store's unique issue is photocopied or printed at rock bottom price, yet the overall impact is that of a three color print job! How can you put this idea to work? Newsletters, business cards, flyers?

Tip for April 13, 2005

Never neglect to direct folks to your site in direct mail letters and postcards, in all your faxes, almost anywhere your name appears.

Tip for April 14, 2005

Never hyphenate headlines or subheads Always turn hyphenation off in headlines and subheads. Hyphenation creates awkward headlines and subheads. To eliminate headline hyphenation in a document that is otherwise hyphenated, manually break the headline at logical points by entering a Hard Return (usually done by holding down the Shift key while pressing Return). Subheads should not require hyphenation, anyway, because subheads should be limited to one line.

Tip for April 15, 2005

Will local or industry newspapers write about your online site? Of course they will if you make it fascinating enough for their readers. That’s your job. Promotion will get them to your site. Killer content will get them to make return trips.

Tip for April 16, 2005

Savvy retailers wait at least one month before having their grand openings. If they don't wait, customers will come flocking in to become acquainted with untrained salespeople, poorly stocked shelves, slow delivery times, clumsy sales procedures and messy surroundings. Polish these items to perfection before your grand opening or it won't be so grand. Guerrillas are rarely in hurry.

Tip for April 17, 2005

Enlarging the size of each transaction, costs you absolutely nothing. The customer has already decided to make a purchase from you. And all you've got to do is make it a larger purchase. You can do that by offering a deluxe version, by offering the item or service as part of a package, or by turning the single purchase into some kind of subscription.

Tip for April 18, 2005

Guerrillas Willingly Adopt New Technologies Guerilla Marketers are proud to be early adapters. They take full advantage of the economies offered by advancing technology and the up-to-date image which adopting it projects. While their competitors are concentrating exclusively on yesterday's solutions--yellow page ads, and newspaper/radio advertising--Guerrillas are promoting their expertise by hosting teleseminars, adding autoresponders to their web sites, and distributing e-mail newsletters to their opt-in mailing lists. They are also protecting their computers--and their customer's computers--by using the latest virus protection software. For Guerrillas, the learning curve never ends.

Tip for April 19, 2005

Consider actually "firing" some of your customers -- those who take up the most time, have the most problems, and do not prove their loyalty to you. Firing a customer is never fun, but it is worth your time -- especially during a down economy.

Tip for April 20, 2005

Everything in your marketing should be designed to increase your profits, not merely your sales, but your profits. Profits are the only valid measurement of your marketing's success. This requires knowing the true cost of every sale, so every sale generates as much profit as possible. This helps you identify the customers and products or services you should concentrate on. You must also improve the efficiency of your marketing. This requires tools like: - Identifying the prime benefit clients enjoy when buying from you. - Tracking results so you can identify your most efficient marketing tool. - Testing to choose the best offer and media - Writing headlines that capture the essence of your offer. - Asking for the sale in clear and unambiguous terms, and other techniques. Increased profitability typically comes from constantly improving efficiency rather than "creative breakthroughs."

Tip for April 21, 2005

Wanna shortcut to credibility? Run a full-page ad in a regional edition of a national magazine. Just running the ad won’t net much credibility for you, but the reprints you display, mail, incorporate into other marketing, and proudly disseminate will. They’ll all proclaim “As advertised in Time magazine.” And if they don’t say, Time, they’ll say some other prestigious publication.

Tip for April 22, 2005

Guerrilla Marketers understand that customers and prospects are constantly judging their actions. Your image is constantly on the line. One negative can undermine months of hard work and customer loyalty. Tonight, at a "neighborhood" type of franchise restaurant, I had an experience that really soured my meal. Upon arriving at the front entrance, I was pleased to see one of the hostesses come out and hold the door open for my wife and I. She greeted us with a warm and friendly, supposedly sincere, "Hi!" I was really impressed. "What a nice touch," I thought. I was very flattered that I turned to her and thanked her. Unfortunately, instead of replying "You're welcome," she responded with an equally enthusiastic "Hi!" that she delivered without even looking me in the eye. Her thoughtless response undermined the good feelings that her opening the door had generated. Instead of being treated as an "individual," I felt she was simply going through the motions and not even present at the doorway. Don't allow a "habitual" or insincere comment to undermine your otherwise friendly and sincere way you treat your customers and prospects. They're individuals--each and every one of them!

Tip for April 23, 2005

Credibility is not automatic but it is do-able. Give a seminar. Work hard for a community organization. Nudge customers into referring your business. Word-of-mouth is omnipotent in the credibility quest.

Tip for April 24, 2005

Experienced Guerrillas know that the best source of future customers comes from past customers. Accordingly, Guerrillas do everything possible to show their customers how much they appreciate their patronage and support. Taunton Press, publishers of Fine Homebuilding, and several other "Fine" publications, has come up with an ideal customer reward. Fine Homebuilding subscribers receive their magazine in a protective, heavy cardboard wrap-around. The back of each issue's wrap around is different and contains a illustrated "Professional's Notebook" appropriate for builders and carpenters. The "notebook" idea is reinforced by the instructions which invite subscribers to save each technique in a 3-ring binder. The idea is great. The wrapper protects each issue and, each month, subtly thanks the subscriber by offering them bonus content that is not available to newsstand buyers. What can you do to reward your customers?

Tip for April 25, 2005

An amateurish logo or meme makes your company seem like an amateur. Any hint of amateurism in your marketing indicates to your prospects the potential for amateurism elsewhere in your company -- throughout your company.

Tip for April 26, 2005

No time to write a book? Are you sure? Yesterday, I attended a book signing with Robert Parker. Robert (no relation) is the author of the best-selling Spenser for Hire series. He generally publishes three new books a year. Someone asked him: "How much do you write?" His answer: "fI write 5 pages in the morning, and 5 pages in the afternoon." "Every day?" "Nope! Just Monday through Friday. I like my weekends off." Parker's words reinforced other authors who don't attempt to write books at one sitting, but, instead, concentrate on consistent daily output. If you have just 45 minutes a day, you can become a published author. At worst, just get up a little earlier, or go to bed a little later each day.

Tip for April 27, 2005

Think in terms of expanding your offerings. Do absolutely everything you can to motivate customers to expand the size of their purchase.

Tip for April 28, 2005

Copying and Pasting from E-mail to Word Often, you only need to print or save a single sentence or paragraph out of a long e-mail. In this case, printing the entire e-mail is wasteful because you end up printing all the header and footer information associated with the e-mail. Easiest solution is to copy the relevant sentence or paragraph and paste it into a Word document, then save or print from there. You can also save sentences and paragraphs from a variety of e-mails into a single Word document, which helps you keep track of important ideas scattered over several e-mails.

Tip for April 29, 2005

Trade shows can enhance your credibility and so can free demonstrations. Free consultations can do wonders for it and so can free samples. Do glitz and glamour enhance your credibility? They do --- but be careful that you don’t send out the wrong message. If you’re a discounter, glitz can sabotage your identity.

Tip for April 30, 2005

Start countdown timers before call begins It's 15 minutes before you begin a one-hour teleconference. You stare at your timer, and remind yourself to start it when you began the call. But, unfortunately, you often forget to start your time in the stress of beginning a call. The solution is to start the countdown time before the call begins. Say you're going to begin recording a 60 minute call in 15 minutes. Simple: start a 75 minute countdown (60 plus 15) right now. This ensures that your timer will warn you when you near the end of your time. (Thanks to Betsy Parker for this tip.)

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