Tip for July 1, 2007

Let's get organized The two main kinds of information that you'll need to capture and organize are e-mail addresses and information resources. People who send you e-mail are business prospects and their e-mail addresses should be stored. You can accomplish this by storing them on in a folder, directory or e-mail box. If your e-mail program allows you to, categorize incoming e-mail addresses into subject headings that relate to the specific products or services you offer. As you participate in discussion groups you'll encounter interesting Net resources, competitive sites and potential prospects. Capture them immediately or you may never find them again. To store this information, keep a separate text file or word-processing document open at all times and copy interesting URLs, mailing list references, and Net resources.

Tip for July 2, 2007

Become a Marketing Matchmaker Guerrilla Dana Burke of Mind Your Business, has a terrific idea that can be used by anyone with a box of labels and some ingenuity. Burke maintains a supply of her clients' and associates' business cards in her office and distributes them to likely customers. Using return address labels, she's created a sticker that says "Referred by Mind Your Business." Placed on the back of other people's business cards, the stickers remind the recipient who she is and help them when they call on the prospect. The customer is reminded of her business and her name is the first one the prospect hears. Quite the win-win-win situation.

Tip for July 3, 2007

Why radio advertising? Radio has universal acceptance, portability and high usage. It's easy to target and inexpensive. Radio gives marketers the power of the human voice and the magic of music setting the tone.

Tip for July 4, 2007

Can that message Canned messages and electronic brochures are e-mail letters that you prepare in advance and have ready to send to online prospects when they inquire about you and your business. Your participation in discussion groups will generate leads. With an arsenal of canned messages, you can respond to quickly to requests instead of having to compose new responses on the spot. A carefully prepared response sent immediately will enhance your reputation, while a speedily written message full of typos will only discredit you.

Tip for July 5, 2007

Guerrillas never answer objections. Most objections don't require answers. They usually aren't questions anyway. So why respond to them as if they needed an answer. Guerrillas learn to ask another question or two. "Your prices are too high." This objection doesn't require an answer or an explanation of your price structure. The guerrilla says something like, "What kind of numbers are we talking about?" or "When you say 'too high,' may I ask, compared to whom?" With your questions you'll find something out; with your answers you won't.

Tip for July 6, 2007

Market to human nature! The more you know about human nature, the better you are equipped to appeal to it. A recent study asked people to rate the good things in life. Here's a list of guerrilla insights: - being satisfied with my life (63%) - being able to afford things that are important (57%) - being in control of my life (57%) - traveling for pleasure (52%)

Tip for July 7, 2007

Some discussion group dos and don'ts It's easy to gain visibility in a discussion group by posting messages to it, but if you want to gain credibility and attract business, be careful to provide solid, useful information with each posting. Do describe your subject with a clear subject line. Don't post advertisements unless you want to attract flames and hate mail. Do express your opinion about existing message topics, if you have something new to say. Don't argue for the sake of argument. Do think about the length, format, and content of your messages. Before you post a message read it and evaluate it for brevity and clarity. Don't belabor the obvious or diverge into unrelated topics. Do share information resources with the group. Don't post long articles. You can post an excerpt and point people to the full text. Do start topics of discussion. If you can formulate a topic that showcases your area of expertise, bring it up. Don't try to disguise an advertisement as a new discussion topic. Do invite private e-mail exchanges.

Tip for July 8, 2007

Prospects rarely give a straight answer up-front. Guerrillas know it will probably take three questions along the same line to get to the prospect's real intent or needs. The first time you ask they'll give you an answer they think you want to hear, the second time they'll generalize. Only the third time you ask will they usually begin to tell you the truth.

Tip for July 9, 2007

Re-focus your marketing strategy Be sure the time is ripe for a redirection of marketing strategy. Make it brief and clear enough for all major employees to read. Don't change it merely for the sake of change.

Tip for July 10, 2007

Note-taking demonstrates that you're listening carefully. A few prospects may feel uncomfortable about note-taking, and will appreciate your courtesy in asking for permission. If they do not give you permission, they probably won't buy, and even if they do; they usually make poor customers. They are distrustful and often feel controlled by others.

Tip for July 11, 2007

Expand your niche Expand it by offering products and services that your competitors don't excel in. Expand it by targeting markets too small for big competitors. Expand it by discovering the new markets that change creates. Strategies for expanding niches: speed, service, specialization.

Tip for July 12, 2007

Storefront design A good storefront design enhances an business identity, provides useful information and encourages return visits. To accomplish this, your storefront's main page should be like a window in a retail store. It should identify the business and briefly describe what the visitors can see or do if they move further into the store. Always have some helpful text on the page. If there are only graphics on a page, visitors who turn their graphic browser off will see only generic icons or boxes. Organize your storefront logically. The names of departments listed on the home page should be descriptive and evocative enough to induce people to check them out. Break up information into multiple pages so people won't have to scroll. Make it interesting. Encourage return visits by having elements that change frequently. Since you want people to order from your site, make it as easy and safe as possible. Let people know that credit card information transferred via e-mail or over the net is secure. Offer a no-hassle guarantee. Explain the ordering process. Make your business tangible. Let customers know how long you've been in business, include a short history and brief biographies of your key employees. If a page is under construction, keep that information to yourself. Test the site before premiering it.

Tip for July 13, 2007

Silence may make you uncomfortable, but it's part of the required discipline of the guerrilla. Say something and wait for the answer. Count to ten and say, "Did you understand that?" When they say yes, and they always will, you say, "And?" and count to ten. They'll now ask you to repeat what you said. Re-phrase it and count to ten. You'll get a good answer by the time you get to three!

Tip for July 14, 2007

Appeal not only to emotions, but also to the senses: - sight: "that looks great on you" - sound: "hear that powerful engine" - touch: "feel the luxury" - smell: "such a clean, fresh aroma" - taste: "it's so delicious"

Tip for July 15, 2007

What other solutions to the problem are they considering? Doing nothing is frequently an option; are they considering doing nothing? Learn as much as you can about all their options. Help them honestly see the pros and cons of all of them. Be honest as the day is long. Especially be honest about the negative side of the option you are suggesting. No product or service is 100% perfect. This will build trust and get more business for you.

Tip for July 16, 2007

Create a new competitive advantage Change opens many doors and guerrillas rush through them to offer exactly what the new customers want. They want speed, service, value and technology that works.

Tip for July 17, 2007

Repetition, repetition When the competition is stiff, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd. The only way to develop an identity in customers' minds is through repetition of your company name and basic marketing message. Use discussion group memberships, classified ads, directory listings, electronic publishing and conferences to spread the word. Seek opportunities to add your company name to online business directories. If you have a Web storefront, look for chances to trade Web links with related sites, propagating company mentions. All of these methods will provide the online visibility and repetition that will create a position for your company in the customer's mind.

Tip for July 18, 2007

Guerrillas relate to prospects as people with wants and needs, not just as potential buyers. There are some universals in human endeavor. One of them is that we all want to look good and we all want to feel good. There are others, but upon these two you can build any business! Uncover your prospect's wants and needs. This is tough, but very worth while for the both of you.

Tip for July 19, 2007

If at first your mailing doesn't succeed... 1) Then mail testimonials. 2) Mail a reprint of an article from a major publication. 3) Mail a survey. 4) Mail a totally new brochure. 5) mail a final notice.

Tip for July 20, 2007

Information please Be prepared to learn about and respond to requests for information as quickly and effectively as possible. Consider using a mailbot to provide instant replies to initial requests. Prepare the mailbot document in advance and study the mailbot's server log once every couple of weeks to find out who is requesting your information. If you don't have a mailbot, check your e-mail every couple of hours and have prepared electronic brochures ready to send right out.

Tip for July 21, 2007

Whether they acknowledge it or not, prospects are probably overworked, over stressed, and overwhelmed. Show that you'll be fair with them, that you really care, and that your job is to share in solving their problems and difficulties. How many of us have about had it up to here with reorganization, re engineering, and downsizing? How many of you are really sick of all this change and, especially, technology? Your customers feel about the same way you do. Being fair, caring, and doing more than your share will show that you're on their side with the weekly changes in everything we all face. The difference is, the guerrilla brings answers and solutions.

Tip for July 22, 2007

Respond to those complaints A full 95% of complainers will do business with you again if they feel you've resolved their complaint quickly.

Tip for July 23, 2007

Speed up that Access When a customer expresses interest in placing an order or obtaining information, your ability to respond quickly may depend on your level of technology. In the online market place, speed of access is affected by some factors that you can control and others that you can't. You can't control the speed of data transfer between your server's connection and the customer's location or the speed of the computer and Net connection at the customer's end. But you can maximize the speed of the following three factors: - the processing speed of the server sending out your data - the speed of the connection between the server where your information is and the Net - the amount of data you're sending out in a given transaction You can find a provider who is using a relatively fast computer. Ask how many other businesses are using the same server and how many simultaneous callers the system will support with reasonable speed. When you set up your storefront, most Internet service providers should guarantee a specified level of service-either a certain amount of data transferred per day, week, or month, or a certain number of user accesses (hits) per day, week, or month.

Tip for July 24, 2007

People buy solutions to their problems. They do not buy because you are smart or nice. The absolute worst thing a salesperson can do is to try to impress the prospect with his or her knowledge. This really drives people away from you. Wanna have a few sales? Be smart, be interesting. Wanna have a lot of sales? Be interested! Being nice is nice. Mother will be pleased. Customers buy because they're in pain. They need to cover their behinds. They want to look good. They want to be respected. They will buy from you when you solve these problems; and only then.

Tip for July 25, 2007

Market to causes Cause related marketing is letting your prospects and customers know that you're doing things that are helping the environment, for example. Perhaps you've switched materials, use recycled paper exclusively, or contribute to an ecology-minded group. Get the word out.

Tip for July 26, 2007

Organize menus logically When setting up your storefront, design the home page so it tells a visitor immediately what the site is about. Typically, the menu items should move from the general to the more specific as a visitor scans them from top to bottom. For example, put departments such as What's New and About this Site at the top of the list and leave departments like "Other Related Sites" and "Ordering Information" at or near the bottom.

Tip for July 27, 2007

Guerrillas know that people do not buy features and benefits. Well maybe they buy benefits to them, but they really buy solutions to their problems. Some prospects disguise this pretty well. They will tell you that it's all bottom-line, and request a lot of facts, figures, and data. But we know that they will buy because your product will make them look better in the eyes of others. They will tell others that they bought because of the following features, but don't be fooled. They bought it because it'll make them look better than if they' bought Brand X.

Tip for July 28, 2007

Frequent Buyer Programs Cater to your precious customers by inviting them to join your frequent buyer program. This means that they get special discounts, a membership card, and perhaps a gift for joining.

Tip for July 29, 2007

Keep marketing messages short and sweet Bandwidth-the amount of data you can provide to your customers-is at a premium. To conserve this precious commodity, condense the messages you use to market your company, such as classified ads and discussion group postings. A good classified ad should be no more than one screen long, a good discussion group message no more than two screens long.

Tip for July 30, 2007

Try to find one small thing you share in common with every prospects. Building rapport is important. In some cultures it is more important than in others. In North America, finding some one thing that you have in common with another strengthens the bond of confidence and trust between buyer and seller. But remember you're on a business call. Find one non-business rapport item chat for a few minutes about it and get on with your problem-solving business.

Tip for July 31, 2007

Micro-market now! Micro-marketing is the gathering of highly detailed information about your prospects: where they live, work, eat, play and relax--and then talking directly to these people. Do it with direct marketing tools, cable TV, zoned newspapers, regional magazines, phone calls, and postcard decks.

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