Tip for September 1, 2007

Prospects will trust you and look forward to your presentations if they feel you (1) understand and (2) want to help them look good. This is the essence of all good selling. Showing a prospect that you comprehend the problem or the pain and how your product will make them look better to others is the sum and substance of guerrilla selling. When you learn how to get this message across in indirect ways your sales will soar!

Tip for September 2, 2007

Guerrilla Freebie Hint: If you plan to lure prospects with a freebie, be sure to research your freebie. Guerrillas not only research the best promotions, they also research the best premiums with their target audiences. Problems arise when freebies aren't matched with their target audiences. Problems also arise when the freebie breaks or wears out in a hurry.

Tip for September 3, 2007

Is it time for a media calendar? Publicity is time-consuming. It takes several hours to prepare and print a daily newspaper; a day or more to lay out and print a weekly; and a week or more to compose a monthly magazine. You need to know when in the cycle to present a story idea and press materials, in order to appear in the best edition of the publication. To prepare a media calendar, first find out the "lead time," or amount of advance notice each publication requires. You can get a publishing schedule from the advertising department. This schedule will also provide editorial themes of upcoming issues. Next, work backward from the date dictated by each target's lead time to prepare a schedule for your own work, which includes assembling a press kit, references to research each article, and finding the editor's contact information. Finally, write lead-time deadlines on your calendar and set milestones for your own work leading up to them.

Tip for September 4, 2007

Many sales presentations are organized and hard-hitting. But if your assessment of the client's need is poor, the impact of your solution for the need may land you off-target. Be careful. It is far better to repeat a question by rephrasing it to define the need further than to have the slightest hesitancy that you have (or haven't) heard the full story.

Tip for September 5, 2007

Passion in marketing This is about the most important attitude Guerrillas can have about their business. Most business owners have experienced it. If you possess it, your company is probably a magnet for profits. If you don't, maybe you should consider another business.

Tip for September 6, 2007

Press kits: Beyond the basics You have an attractive folder, a comprehensive and up-to-date company backgrounder, a business card, and a press release specific to an upcoming event or circumstance. What else can you do to augment that press kit? - Photos or slides: Are you announcing a product, a new location , a major personnel change, or other event that would be enhanced with pictures? If you want to include color pictures, use slides, because they provide top quality and processing flexibility. - Brochures and reprints: Use these when sending the kits to members of the press who may be unfamiliar with your company. - Competitive table: A general market overview should already be in your company backgrounder. A competitive analysis highlights your strengths when compared to your competitors. - Press guide, or Q&A: This document anticipates the key question a reporter might ask about your company or its announcement and then answers them. - References: When announcing a product or service, include references to some of your most satisfied customers, one or more industry analysts who will comment favorably on your company, and perhaps even the names and key contacts of your major competitors.

Tip for September 7, 2007

When you listen carefully and show you sincerely want to understand, prospects will relax, talk freely, and later welcome your recommendations. All of us tend to give short incomplete answers. This is due to laziness or our belief that others don't care that much. Show that you care.

Tip for September 8, 2007

What's free and produces results? The answer is publicity. You can create a press release to announce an upcoming event, grand opening, re-opening, or new product or service. Here are some tips for writing an effective release: 1) Find a news angle for your headline 2) Present the basic facts for the angle of your headline in paragraph one 3) Gather or create a lively quote that elaborates on the basic facts for paragraph two 4) Elaborate further in paragraph three 5) End with the nitty-gritty details 6) Send it out

Tip for September 9, 2007

Building a good reputation A good reputation is difficult to achieve but once you have one, it will keep business coming in. Building your reputation begins with remembering your business mission and key identity characteristics. Focus on demonstrating your positive attributes in every contact you make with the online marketplace. Make sure that your employees know that your reputation is one the line during each of their customer contacts too. With a good reputation, you'll become a star in cyberspace.

Tip for September 10, 2007

There are two major purposes for listening well: to get information and to make prospects receptive to your ideas. People are hungry for understanding. When you've shown yourself to be a good listener most people will naturally imitate your positive behavior and listen more closely to you when you begin to tell them how your product will solve their problems.

Tip for September 11, 2007

Outsmart your competition Possibly one of the earliest examples of guerrilla marketing was practiced by Wards. When most families had both a Wards and a Sears catalog in their house, Wards deliberately designed their catalog to be smaller so that it would be set on top of the other catalog and thus more likely to be picked up first. Good idea?

Tip for September 12, 2007

Join a club Clubs raise money for good causes and contribute to the community as well as allow the members to socialize and develop important business contacts. Online discussion groups are a good resource for finding online organizations. Each discussion group is an informal club geared towards a particular topic. Even if participation in a discussion doesn't lead to news of an official organization, it may result in informal meetings with other participants in the discussion. You may be able to meet some of your online correspondents at a trade show or conference. Personal contacts like this are crucial because they reinforce the relationships you've established online by adding faces to the names you've come to know.

Tip for September 13, 2007

Many sales people are eager to fire the first shot in what they call "the business battle." Don't. Remember your job is not to sell, win, or score any points. Your job is to uncover the hurt, pain, upset, and illness that your product cures.

Tip for September 14, 2007

POP goes the planet! In Europe, 55% of purchasing decisions are made at the point of purchase, compared with 65$ (down from 74%) in the U.S.A. Spending on POP among brand leaders takes up 15% of all marketing funds in the U.S.A., but only 5% in France.

Tip for September 15, 2007

Get involved in the online community People prefer to do business with people they know, and the best way to get to know people is by getting involved in their discussion groups., Web sites and other venues in cyberspace. Here are some ways to get involved online: - Discussions: Participate in non-business discussions that interest you. Use your business signature so people know what you do and where to find you. - Web sites: When you encounter a Web site that you like, send e-mail to the owner and say so. This could lead to a fusion marketing arrangement. - Online services: Offer to help administer part of a forum, perhaps by helping to line up experts for online conferences. You'll help out the community and increase your visibility. - User groups: Show people how to get online or how to navigate around the Net, or do a presentation about a topic related to the Net at a meeting.

Tip for September 16, 2007

A Guerrilla closes at the beginning, right up-front, rather than at the end. The key to up-front closing is Intense Listening. Closing means eliminating the objections people come up with so as to not buy from you. Do this by being 100% sure about the need, their budget, who makes buying decisions of this type, and are they ready to make some kind of decision today. You find all this out before you talk about you, your company, or your products.

Tip for September 17, 2007

Trade show personalities: The perfect trade-show seller is a problem solver, honest, knowledgeable, follows up, and is very responsive.

Tip for September 18, 2007

Boost goodwill through sponsorship Sponsorship notices are advertising ploys; sponsorship of an online or off-line event is a commitment of time that can enhance your credibility. You can moderate a newsgroup, forum, or mailing list discussion. You get an opportunity to create a discussion that is focused on your area of expertise, and the participants know that your company is backing the discussion. In addition to your business storefront, you might create another site devoted to a cause you support. You can also sponsor an event off-line, ensuring that your company name and URL are conspicuously posted. By donating labor, materials or money to a charitable event or fund-raiser, you'll gain publicity and goodwill.

Tip for September 19, 2007

All objections to buying take one of four forms. No need, no money, no authority, and no hurry. As in, "Well, I really don't think I need that." or "You know, I really can't afford that much." or "Actually, I need to check with our comptroller first." or, finally "Thing is, we're just shopping right now, we'll get back to you in the Spring." Remember NBC! It will eliminate the classic objections. Find out the Need first, their Budget for this need second, and who makes and when will a Commitment to purchase be made?

Tip for September 20, 2007

Words to live by: Lily Tomlin says, "We're all in this alone." David Ogilvy says, "The consumer is not a moron; she's your wife."

Tip for September 21, 2007

Being real in the virtual world Use every contact opportunity to build and strengthen the human bonds between you and customers. You may establish a customer base with a product or pricing, but people will only continue to do business with you if they are satisfied. A human connection can transcend price, selection, service, and many other weapons your competitors are using. To build human bonds, respond to initial inquiries with some questions about the customer's business, plans for using the product, and how she heard about you. Ask the prospect about other need she might have relative to the product or service being purchased. You may be able to add to the sale or recommend another vendor, thus assuring the customer that you're concerned for her satisfaction. Finally, send an e-mail note after the transaction, thanking the customer for her business and offering to help with future needs.

Tip for September 22, 2007

A Laugh Discount? Have you run out of ideas for new marketing tactics? Guerrillas know that it's better to spend marketing money on existing clients than it is to spend money looking for new customers. The problem is that so many tactics get taken for granted and are quickly forgotten. Guerrilla Drew Roberts came up with a "laugh discount" for his customers. Any client that makes him laugh during the first five minutes gets a small discount. Customers love the discount and never forget him. It also makes his work easier.

Tip for September 23, 2007

What we dream about: failing is first, being chased or attacked is second, trying and not being able to do something simple is third, chores at work and school are fourth, and sexual activities (activities?) are fifth.

Tip for September 24, 2007

Advice is cheap Giving advice is the easiest and most flexible way to offer free information on the Net. You can choose whom you give it to, when to offer it, and how much detail to provide. There are a variety of ways to offer free advice. Here are a few: - Discussion groups: Offering free advice in a discussion group showcases your expertise, proves your altruism, and provides visibility for your business and its Net location. - E-mail: If you have any sort of Net presence, you might receive e-mail requests for information and advice. Respond to as many of these as you can. Direct your correspondents to other sources if you can. - Guest spots on forums: If you know of a forum where your expertise would be useful, contact the administrator and inquire about becoming a guest expert for a specified time. - "Ask Us" notices: If you have an online storefront, include a department where you solicit questions from visitors. By offering free information, you'll demonstrate your expertise and convince visitors of your ability to help them with more involved (and profitable) projects.

Tip for September 25, 2007

An aggressive sales-person wants to go where the action is, not sit around gathering information about prospect needs, so their diagnosis of the need is generally superficial. Don't make this mistake. Prescription without thorough diagnosis is malpractice in both medicine and sales.

Tip for September 26, 2007

The world and the tube Globally, people watch 2.7 hours of TV per day and have an average of 12 channels to choose from. They like, in order, movies, news, and comedy. They don't like, in order, soap operas, kids' programs, and religious shows. North Americans average 27 channels each and Russians average 4 channels each.

Tip for September 27, 2007

FAQS are frequent winners The FAQ, or Frequently Asked Questions document, has become one of the best-known publications on the Net. An FAQ combines in one document all the common questions about a subject. To leverage your effort in preparing an FAQ document, publish it in several locations, such as your storefront, your favorite discussion forums, and one or more bulletin boards. You can also promote it in your e-mail and newsgroup signatures and offer to send it to people who request it. An FAQ is easy to create, and it can score a lot of points for your company's credibility.

Tip for September 28, 2007

A Guerrilla's follow up is meticulous, bordering on fanatical. They take personal responsibility for making sure everything sold is delivered exactly as specified. They take full responsibility for any and all slip-ups regardless of who may be at fault back at the office or warehouse. They get right on top of remedying the situation. When all goes well, they credit the support staff. They return to the customer within 30 days of delivery to see that all is running well. When it is they ask for referrals.

Tip for September 29, 2007

Points to consider when choosing packaging: 1) Environmental issues 2) balancing function with appearance 3) Appropriateness for target market and position 4) Safety in opening 5) Legal requirements for export markets 6) Attachability of promotional material 7) Physical protection of product 8) Filling process required 9) Can the pack be handled within the company's production capabilities? 10) Hygiene 11) Graphics and labeling 12) Convenience in opening and resealing 13) Effectiveness in delivering the product to the consumer 14) Acceptance by the distribution network 15) package cost in relation to selling price.

Tip for September 30, 2007

Become a publisher Guerrillas with publishing skills or resources should consider putting out a newsletter or 'zine. A newsletter is a text-only document generally distributed via e-mail to a subscriber list. A 'zine contains graphics and is usually displayed on a Web site. The 'zine should provide useful information to customers and prospects, bolster the company's reputation, and offer another online venue where the company can showcase some of its own products. To date, most marketing-oriented 'zines have been done by technology businesses so the field is wide-open. Whether you opt for a newsletter or a 'zine, you should endeavor to set a regular publishing schedule, plan issues in advance and promote your publication. Announce your newsletter or 'zine in every appropriate place. This includes notifying existing customers via e-mail (perhaps sending them a sample issue of your newsletter and the offering free subscriptions), announcing the publication in related online discussion groups, on your storefront, or Web site. If you publish a 'zine, you should also announce it in the "alt.zines" newsgroup.

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