Coffee News: Learn Why The Hammering Salesman Is So Successful

On August 23, 2010, In advertisers, marketing, testimonial, By Johan Horak

Let me ask:

Are you proving proof Coffee News success and do you compare Coffee News with the opposition?

The Hammering Salesman is successful because he compares his services with the oppositions services and he provides proof of that.

And his potential clients find it fascinating.

He is a shatter proof glass salesman.

This is how he became the most successful shutter proof glass salesman:

  • He made an appointment with someone who would be interested in buying shatter proof glass.
  • He took with him a hammer, a piece of glass from his opposition and a piece of glass from his company.
  • At the meeting he would demonstrate; using the hammer to first shatter the opposition’s product and then try and shatter the glass that he propose.
  • The glass from the opposition shattered in 1000′s of pieces…. flying all over, and hisglass broke in 1000′s of pieces but it stuck together. Proof that his glass is shutter proof.

The question I have for you:

Are you comparing Coffee News to your opposition?

Do you have an easy way to compare Coffee News to newspaper classifieds and to those booklets dropped at homes?

And do you have visible or believable or third party endorsed that Coffee News are better?

If not you are leaving money on the table.

Why not tell me what you do?

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2 Ideas On How To Run A Coffee News Competition

On June 9, 2010, In Competitions, advertisers, marketing, By Johan Horak

I asked Trish, from Coffee News – Durban Umgeni, how she runs competitions in Coffee News. I never expected her to share not only one but two ideas. Competition entrants sends her sms-s.

Just think how you can create a database using a company like http://www.smsmalls.co.za/ to educate your readers —not spam — on Coffee News or educational ideas from your Coffee News advertisers. (It’s important that you inform people that they may get educational news from Coffee News).

The other way is to get more subscribers to your online Coffee News magazine, for example the one used by Paarl/Wellington Coffee News. Winners of the competitions are people who are subscribers to the online mag. Now you can use your online mag/newsletter to add value to your Coffee News paper advertisers.

Here’s the great ideas from Trish.


I run a competition all the time, and I’m also currently running a separate competition for waiters.  The monthly comp has proven very successful in building loyal readership, and in getting an idea about reader response.  For the prize, I’ve found a number of advertisers have offered one, which gives them more exposure (eg the Persian Carpet lady offered a prize of two Persian table mats – hugely popular!!), or else I offer a meal voucher usually from the Coffee News outlet of the winner’s choice for R150 or R200 (which I usually stump up too), also hugely popular!  Last month we had 245 responses – all by sms to my phone, which I respond to!  Occasionally restaurants offer to sponsor a prize.

 

The waiters’ competition is to challenge them to hand out copies of Coffee News to their customers, and to ask the customers to sms their waiter’s name and restaurant name to me.  It hasn’t taken off in the way I had hoped – I need to do the rounds of the restaurants again to speak to managers and waiters again, but it is beginning to have an effect. Some of the waiters are excited about it. The prize it R100 cash – which I cough up, but if it gets more copies into readers’ hands, it’s worth it.

 

Thanks for the tips, Johan.

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Are you choosing the victim option when advertisers say no

On June 2, 2010, In advertisers, marketing, By Johan Horak

If you are selling advertising through your publication and people don’t want to advertise anymore how do you react to the situation? Read more about the compliant from the person who runs the publication:

I received an email from a current advertiser in which she states that she has not received any response from her ad.  On the other hand, I have had people tell me how much they like her ad and what a great idea the business is (they run errands, etc).

I invited her to participate in a vendor expo,in which she seemed very excited about, but then didn’t return any calls or emails and didn’t do it.  I have invited her to a professional group that I belong to, but she hasn’t come and also invited her to join the Chamber, but again, she choose not to. She has stated that she sees this ad as a tax deduction and nothing more and at the end of her 6 months she wants out.

I replied saying that I am sorry to hear that she is disappointed and suggested (again) some ad changes, that she has agreed to try.  Is there anything else that I can do?  Any and all help is appreciated.

I don’t have a lot of sympathy with this kind of victim mentality. If your advertiser wants to stop advertising with you it means you have done a poor job of educating the advertiser, and you have  done a poor job of creating value…..even if it’s apparent value.

Your job as a Coffee News owner is not to sell advertising….it’s to create relations and to educate. You are an educator. Teach the people advertising. Teach the people marketing. Give them stuff. Give them a monthly marketing class for free. They will beg you to advertise.

Turn what you do around.

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How Effective Is Testimonials?

On March 23, 2010, In Uncategorized, advertisers, marketing, By Johan Horak


Most real estate agents spend a lot of money advertising. And that’s why you want them to advertise in your Coffee News. Do you think that if you walk in to their office with the following testimonials that you will get them to advertise for a year?

  1. I have a realtor that has been with me for almost 5 yrs he says he will “ Never leave Coffee News.“  He plays a game with the papers as well… whenever his ad is below the fold he turns the papers over so his ad shows.  He’s known as the “Coffee News Realtor Guy “and he loves it. Rod Coffee News owner

  2. We have a realtor in every edition, 3 of the 4 for multiple years. They all advertise a specific property each week, one includes a photo of the property with a brief description and contact info of the agent. The other just list a brief description of the property with her picture. None of them will give up their slot. I think it is also a bit more of a ‘farming’
    than a ‘hunting’ philosophy as well. The ad keeps their agency front and center with the readers for when they have a need and a specific property is intended for prospective buyers. This is a tough real estate market and it will only take 1 call to pay for a lot of advertising.
  3. My realtor has been getting multiple calls each week since I talked her into adding the 2nd ad with the picture and description of a house. Hope this helps. Gene.

You need to collect testimonials from your advertisers. If they have something to say, let them say it on paper and keep it. You will find selling your ads becomes a lot easier when other advertisers do the talking for you.

By The Way: If you want to give your advertiser a bonus then teach him, for free, on how effective testimonials are. Search Google and find an ebook on testimonials or write your own  and share it as a gift.

Coffee News South Africa A Small Business Opportunity

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Making Money With Coffee News

On March 23, 2010, In advertisers, marketing, By Johan Horak

Let’s agree that Coffee News is not easy if you have to continuously chase your tail. To chase your tail you basically have no system and no plan. But if you have a plan it becomes fun to help your community businesses make a success.

How do ensure you have fun while making money with Coffee News? You need to break it down and do  the seemingly difficult stuff first:

  1. You need to set a budget and a forecast. In other words you need to know how much you spend to get one advertisement and you need to decide how many advertisements you want every month. And at what rate you will grow your paying advertisers.
  2. Keep graphs on the number of advertisers, the number of actual paying advertisers, the number of advertisers who renew, the number of 13, 26 and 52 week advertisers. 
  3. Also keep a graph of the number of people reading your Coffee News and your blog newsletter. If you have not got a blog get one and integrate a newsletter like this one.
  4. Let’s say you need about 10 ads to break-even. Then you have another 22 to make money with. In general you can have a net turnover of R19 000 after you have paid the printer and royalties.
  5. If you have a system in place to ensure the money comes in then you don’t have to focus on collecting and begging for money. Get this system in place and ensure it’s automated.
  6. Sell ads for long periods; 13 weeks, 26 weeks and 52 weeks. Never sell an ad for a month because the advertiser wants to check it out. If she wants to check it out you have not done a great selling job and the advertiser does not  have the guts to be in business.
  7. Focus on advertisers who advertise already. There’s no sense in trying to convince the paint shop owner who is stuck in his hole. Don’t waste your time.
  8. Go where the money is. People who advertise already have money and are sensible. That’s not all. When you walk into a business you will no if they are successful or not.
  9. Decide who spends a lot of money on advertising. If you can find a guy who spends R2000 and more on advertising then go for them. Who are they? Real estate agents, motor car dealers, franchise businesses. Check out the businesses with fancy pick up trucks and delivery vans. 

Sit down every day and think what drives your business and drive the good stuff. And then measure.

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