Tagged: marketing RSS

  • admin 12:29 pm on July 12, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , book, , marketing   

    Cover | Advertisings’ Missing Link: Cultivation 


    advertisingcultivation

    As you may know I am putting a little ebook together on advertising. Here’s an introduction

    Some time ago a fisherman had a problem. He had this fish cage in the water right where big and small fish were. He noticed that many large fish came to visit him, made use of his offer and then disappeared again. He also noticed that some of his large fish never came back. But he saw them at his friend’s cage. This was upsetting. After all the work he did giving fish what they want they had the audacity to leave him.

    The fisherman made another starling discovery. There were many small fish reading the story that he left on the door of the cage. But they all stopped there. They read and disappeared. But as these small fish grew fatter his friend collected most of them.

    He gathered all his courage and asked his friend why he was so successful? The friend said it’s pretty simple. But he was not sure if he wanted to share the secret. This secret has been part of his family for ages.

    However he noticed how desperate his friend was and decided to help.

    You already have your cage where the fish are but you have a problem. You are only attracting the few big fish who want what you have on offer today. Most of the fish coming past your gate and reading your story are not ready or don’t want what you have. They don’t want it when they read it. They do want it tomorrow but then they have moved on.

    You have no bait for the small fish who want it later. You must add other bait that will attract them to you even if they don’t want to take your main offer.

    Let me say that to take your main offer is a major commitment from the fish and they cannot or will not make that commitment yet. What I want you to do are to offer something they want today! But something that does not need any major commitment from them.

    The other problem that you have is that when you do catch a large fish, and you exchange the offer, you let the fish go. This is a waste.

    I want you to go and create two cultivation pools; one for the big fish that grab your offer, and another pool for small fish who are not yet ready to make the major commitment.

    Then I want you to change your story on your cage door. Tell them about your major offer but also share information about your cultivation pool. Tell the fish that you will feed them tips and secrets on how to survive. You will share “For Free” when they become part of your cultivation pool. The cultivation pool is their place where they can grow huge with knowledge. And only when they are ready can they take you up on your offer or they can leave. There’s no obligation.

    But you may say that I am stupid telling them there’s no obligation. This is a long story and I will suffice to say that I am getting more fish in my cultivation pool because of my “no obligation” statement. I think it helps fish coming into my pool because they feel at ease.

    But that’s not all. You must also offer a cultivation pool for the large fish who took your offer. This will keep them happy until they are ready to take another offer.

    It is that simple.

    If it’s that simple why are more fisherman not using the cultivation pool?

     

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  • admin 2:21 pm on July 10, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , marketing, mind map, , online,   

    Case Study: Disastrous Small Business Advertising 


    cultivationandhookadvertisiThis is also a request for help. If you feel like helping create this mind map go to MindMeisters and improve it. I will take the final product and add it to the ebook, Cultivation: Advertisings  Missing Link I am writing. If you want a copy subscribe to my newsletter.

    Not so long ago a friend was burgled. A few minutes after I learned about the incident I was on the phone and I asked if I could assist. My friend said that he would appreciate it if I could research home security systems and advise him.

    I knew a local provider, even the name of the business, but not the phone number. That was unfortunate because I have done business with Hawk Eye Security. I have met the owner at various events. And his technicians did some work at my home; they are pleasant and professional.

    Hawk Eye advertised in every possible off-line publication. They were involved in, and sponsored, many local events. Peter, the owner is well known and liked in the community. He grew up here.

    I, therefore, felt that Hawk Eye Security was a trust-worthy business I could recommend with confidence. Unfortunately I did know Peter’s or Hawk phone number. And I went searching on Google. I entered “Hawk Eye Security.” Nothing. Hawk Eye Security did not exists, at least not according to Google. The alternative was the Yellow Pages but we treat this 5 kilogram book as a dangerous implement. The Yellow Pages is not easily accessible.

    Google provides easy alternatives. I phoned another security company and spoke to a pleasant man. He was in the business for 6 six years. It was obvious that he knew his story because he fed me with advice. And the more advice he gave me the more I liked him. At the end I asked him to call my friend in need. He said he will.

    But what about Peter and Hawk Eye?

    Eventually I found his number via Google. He was listed on an obscure classified ads site.

    I phoned Peter but he was not available. I told my story to the staff and ask them for advice. They said Peter was the only one able to help me. I asked if they have a brochure that they could email or fax to me. Nothing. I asked for Peter’s cell phone number.

    The assistant hesitated and eventually told me she could not share Peter’s cell number. The next thing I was transferred. Another assistant told me that Peter is not in. I explained again that I wanted info. He could not help me. Reluctantly he gave me Peter’s cell number. I left a message and Peter phoned me back later the afternoon.

    This is what this book is all about. Peter spends mind blowing amounts on advertising and sponsorships but he is wasting most of it.

    What can we learn from this?

    1. Advertising is more than placing an advert.
    2. Your staff needs to be educated.
    3. Staff is not incompetent the boss is
    4. Your staff needs tools to communicate and sell when you not there
    5. The boss is not the only seller
    6. You must be visible online
    7. You need to ensure your advert is not designed to sell
    8. Your advert needs to cater for people who want info
    9. When people ask for info you need to collect names and email addresses
    10. You need an automated system to follow up with these people until they spend money with you
    11. When they have paid you for services or products proved, you need to keep them well fed with info and tips until they spend again

    I call this process the Creation Of A Cultivation Pool. And as I said, I will include the final mind map with the ideas on how to set the record straight.

    Please share this with your friends on lets get the mind mapping the problem experienced by small businesses.

     

    • morne 4:45 am on July 23, 2009 Permalink

      I have found your Blog (article) on Google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.

      If you want, you are more then welcome to visit my website by Googling (Mortgage Plus cc) “a website aimed at helping the youth in South Africa find good financial advice with regards to bonds, home loans and mortgages. This is also aimed at building awareness to those in South Africa especially with our current escalation in property prices“.
      We are bond originators in South Africa, who is dedicated to procuring and arranging highly competitive mortgage lending rates to existing and new residential bondholders and we shall private a seamless transaction which not only results in substantial savings to the client, but which is also effective and convenient.
      If you know someone that needs assistants in NEW HOME LOANS, FURTHER BONDS, BUILDING LOANS, DEVELOPMENT FINANCE, or AFFORDABLE HOUSING please refer them to me. It will be highly appreciated.

      Ps: Keep up the good work. !!!!

      Yours truly,
      Morne Prinsloo
      http://www.mortgagepluscc.co.za

    • riffraffcoza 9:31 am on October 5, 2009 Permalink

      I believe offline an online advertising share the same importance. Every brick-n-mortar business should have a website with all their contact details and information available 24/7. Even if it is only one page.

    • best_business_phone 10:42 am on November 20, 2009 Permalink

      Yep! I was agreed, I'll keep in touch to your blog.

  • admin 11:55 am on June 25, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , marketing, ,   

    Help With Cold Calling! 


    Telephones - Bangkok ; "City Of Angels&...

    Image by Sailing "Footprints: Real to Reel" (Ronn ashore) via Flickr

    Today I read this request, from a small business person, on cold calling. And I thought that you may be able to help.

    I was wondering if some of you could help me out. When you have to go out cold calling what do you say to get the best results? I guess what are some of your lines? I have trouble sometimes not getting to make contact with a decision maker and only hand off information to a receptionist behind the desk. I am not sure if the focus should be on going in to get an appt with a specific decision maker on advertising or if you just go in and try to start selling them on coffee news. Just need some help with boosting sales.

    I had a look at the request and though I may be able to help with the last part of the request, therefore I did not address the issue of getting past the gatekeeper.

    Here’s my proposal on how to handle the cold call when you got trough to the main Mac:

    Cold calling is like asking for the kiss on the first date.

    There’s nothing wrong with asking for a kiss on your first date as long as you can handle the smacks you’ll get.

    Mostly these smacks are 90 people saying no and 10 saying yes.

    It become pretty painful at the end of the day as you feel personally injured because of all the nos.

    But you know that.

    My point is that when we expect the sale or appointment (the kiss) when we cold call (ask for the kiss) we miss the point.

    By the way: Most Coffee News ads also expect the kiss on the first date and we will have to change our approach to ensure more success for our advertisers. But that’s another related story.

    Getting back to your question:

    What should you say when you cold call?

    Here’s what I do:
    ————————————————————————————————————————————
    Say you call and the potential advertisers answers you then start
    "Hi Jane here I am from Coffee News.
    I am sorry…. did I interrupt you?…………….(give it some time)
    I am calling because I want to share a FREE small business marketing book with you called "Learn Why Jean Daum’s 17 Marketing Secrets Rocked The Small Business World"

    Would that interest you?
    ————————————————————————————————————————————-

    This approach means that you are not selling anything

    You are pre-selling…..

    You are giving and the floor is open for easy discussion

    You can now ask for the contact details to send the free ebook

    (You can have an ebook or a hard copy)

    Then you should try and get an appointment

    If you don’t get the appointment you have the email address and hope the free ebook will do the selling for you.

    If you have an appointment see that as the bonus.

    This is what I do:

    1) Set up a blog with free tips

    2) Make my cold call and offer the free book

    3) Get the email address, name and phone number

    4) See if I can get an appointment

    5) Add the email address to the blog/newsletter

    6) As soon as the email is added to the blog newsletter an autoresponder dispatch ebook

    7) Once a week I publish more tips on my blog that gets emailed to all my subscribers

    8) Now I can cultivate them and after some time of cultivating they will give me the kiss because they now no and trust me.

    You’ll notice that the process is not focused on selling but on designing a system to create trusting relationships.

    I have written many articles on the subject but this one may be the most relevant as it covers cold calling.

    I am at this moment creating such an ebook for the South African small business people like the Coffee News Marketing agencies. If you want a copy subscribe to our free tips newsletter (see top right for the subscription box).

     

    Regards

    johansig

    Johan Horak

     

    • Andre 2:34 am on August 19, 2009 Permalink

      Cold calling should be banned as it is a irritation to the general public and a invasion of Privacy!

    • johan horak 3:39 am on August 19, 2009 Permalink

      Yes. I agree.

    • Andre 7:34 am on August 19, 2009 Permalink

      Cold calling should be banned as it is a irritation to the general public and a invasion of Privacy!

    • johan horak 8:39 am on August 19, 2009 Permalink

      Yes. I agree.

  • admin 11:29 am on June 18, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: , , marketing, two step marketing   

    What Is Two-Step Marketing And How To Use It? 


    Two-step marketing means the prospect must respond to your (step 1) advertisement to (step 2) get more info. This info may be a letter, a free report, and tips. The intention is that the letter or brochure does all the pre-selling of your product or service. The two-step (1) advert normally directs your customer to a web page. (2) At the web page they exchange their name and email for the free information. Let’s look at…

    One-step advertising is when the ad goes all out and asks for the sale. This is also known as ’selling off the page.’ It is by far the hardest advertising method, and is very difficult to achieve successfully when selling a high value or complicated product or service. [I call this kiss on the first date advertising]

    (More …)

     

  • admin 10:38 am on June 17, 2009 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: 2 step advertising, , , , , marketing, , , ,   

    How To Create The Cultivating Pool 


    You have now decided to follow the small business marketing advice and create a cultivating pool for the fish (clients) you plan to catch. Therefore you are not using a fishing net designed for Hippos like traditional small business advertisers do. Let’s now create the cultivation pool.

    (More …)

     

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