Aligned Marketing Blog

He was referring to me being a consultant and, indeed, there’s evidence to support his statement. The industrial market is heating up. The Industrial Supply Association’s (ISA) most recent Economic Indicator Report was up for the second month in a row. Their Manufacturer Index was 66.42% in February while the January index was 60.63%. The Distributor Index saw similar gains (61.1% and 65.72%, respectively). Anything above 50% indicates those surveyed expect economic expansion.

The subjective evidence is equally strong. I talk with frustrated marketing people every week. Their complaint is with management and goes like this: “They laid off half my staff so we’ve been struggling to keep up for over a year. Every month we fall further behind and are getting our butts chewed out. Now, because business is getting better, they want us to do a bunch of new stuff. We can’t complete our work now! I have no idea how we’re going to get any new projects completed.” Maybe you can help them?

If you’re an unemployed or underemployed marketing professional consider becoming a consultant. As my CEO friend said, the timing may be perfect.

The client benefits because they can rent the expertise they need (from you). You simply augment their staff as a variable cost solution. A competent resource they can eliminate quickly without a long HR process.

Do a great job and maybe you get hired full-time, if that’s what you want. Here are a few things you need to be prepared for before accepting your first consulting job.

• Be prepared to add value immediately. One good way is to do more than you’re asked. In other words, take tasks off your new employer’s task list. Most marketing managers have presentations to create, reports to format, blogs to write and other nuisance tasks that they’d love to delegate but are beyond the skill level of most support personnel. Don’t wait for them to ask you to help. Be proactive and add value.
• Understand that there will be politics and much of it will be invisible to you. You represent a variable cost option and, as such, threaten everyone in your area of expertise that is an employee, a fixed cost. The best way to combat this is to recognize the politics exist and find a few key alliances within the client’s organization that will help you navigate through the terrain.
• You must be taken seriously so don’t walk in meekly. State your positions and your recommendations clearly and directly. Not everyone will agree but if you focus on pleasing everyone, finding the maximum in common ground and playing politician, you’ll lose. Understand your pre-designed role is to get in, complete your assignment, and get out. You are not part of the long-term extended corporate family (not yet, anyway).
• There’s nothing unethical about selling more services while you’re completing your project. Be polite and professional but keep your eyes and ears open for pain points, new projects and things the company would like to have if they had the resources. There’s truth in the old saying: “The best source of new business is old customers.” In my experience the big firms spend up to 30% of their time onsite looking for a new project while they’re completing the current project. I find that objectionable (selling while I’m on the client’s clock) so I never charge by the hour and I only spend about 10% of my time prospecting for new projects. You’ll need to find your own balance.

If you have skills and are either unemployed or underemployed I encourage you to think about consulting. The market is getting stronger, it’s a great way to leverage your strengths, and may get you the inside track on a full-time job if that’s your ultimate goal.

Feel free to call me if you want to discuss further.

Steve

800-707-9150

Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Nowhere in the world are the gaffs more noticeable than in sports. Athletes live in a world where the communication and interpersonal rules most of us rely to get through life don’t apply. In fairness, they often find themselves with a microphone in their face at inopportune times, like after a tough loss or bad play.

Sports Illustrated listed some classics in their 12-28-09 magazine:

What should do if this happens to you?

Own up to it, be self-effacing, and let it go. Take a tip from professional gaffers, politicians. Explaining and making excuses just prolongs the attention and, at some point, makes you look defensive and small.

How we express ourselves sends a powerful message to the world about ourselves and about our company. If you need help perfecting your message please give me a call at the number below.

Steve

800-707-9150

Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

1. There are basic formats for press releases and, for the most part, they are all similar to one another. We won't go into formatting here but if you type in "press release format" into Google you get about 69 million results. WebWire's formatting guidelines came up first so here's a link: http://www.webwire.com/FormatGuidelines.asp
2. Make sure the editor is interested in your topic area. When targeting a selected list of papers and outlets, review their recently published articles and try to draw a connection between your press release and their stories. If you don’t know who to contact at a news organization, search their website for stories about related topics, products, or companies similar to yours and approach the people, editors and reporters, involved in those stories.
3. Stick to the facts. Opinions are great but unless you’re famous more news outlets, sorry, don’t care. Professionally trained journalists stick with the essential five W's and the H are who, what, why, where, when, and how when writing a story so you need to do the same. Answer these questions for them, do their work and you’ll increase the odds of getting your story into print.
4. Be clear. Make sure your press releases are free of industry jargon and acronyms. Translate technical or industry jargon into plain English and write in short declarative sentences at approximately an eighth-grade reading level. (Just guess.)
5. Brevity is a must. Every word and every line, including the obligatory quotes from company executives, must provide editors and reporters with useful information. Use only the facts you need to support your story, edit out any filler that snuck in during the drafting process and get to the point.
6. Provide proof sources. If there is someone, a credible source, the editor or reporter can contact to verify your statements and claims, then include their contact information. Be sure to let your sources know that they may be contacted, what they can expect to be asked about, and you would like them to respond.

Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

1. Fire
2. Jesus and
3. the Internet

I know a lot more happened, I just think the rest of it is largely subtext. I guess I’m a big picture guy. Some of us operate at 20,000 feet and some us at 3 feet. That’s fine. We’re just different. One view is not necessarily better than the other and we need both types of people (and a lot more) in the world. We all have a role to play.

Even though I consider myself a decent writer, I’m not the guy to hire if you want to a write long detailed process manual, which may be needed to implement a strategy. I’d get about 90% through, get bored and struggle with the last 10%. Attention to detail has been a life-long issue for me. My best work has been done when I had highly analytical teammates, people to help me with details. These differences are good, in fact they’re important.

Can you imagine how boring it would be if every night you sat down with your friends and family and said, “Okay, what should we talk about? Fire, Jesus or the Internet?” That wouldn’t work well, although I know people who, it seems, do only talk about the last two.

It’s hard to figure out your own set of words. It takes time and effort to work through and reconcile your inner-most thoughts and feelings. But that’s exactly how we learn about ourselves. My little three-word exercise is just one tactic and those are my results.

I’m going to assume your list, your top three (fifteen, whatever) is different than mine and that’s the point. Write your own list. Once you have it, study it. What does it tell you about yourself? How can you incorporate your natural tendencies, the real you, into your work? How can you mix it into your fun?

I’ve shared my list. Care to share yours?

Steve

Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Sales letters and direct marketing predate the first postage stamp, Shakespeare had children pass out flyers announcing his plays.

The fall of the Berlin Wall (November 9, 1989) signaled an end to the Cold War (see Reagan's speech at Brandenburg gate) but the changes for the “brick and mortar” world were only beginning because The Wall came down about the same time as the Internet, and online marketing, was ramping up.

In the early days of the Internet security and trust were huge issues and, in case you haven’t been paying attention, they still are. To combat that angst many marketers use recommendations, endorsements and testimonials, which for our purposes, are all the same. If you’re going to use testimonials in your sales copy there are a few things you should know.

1. Add names and website addresses (URL) to your photos.

Names and web addresses make your testimonials more believable. Text and names, I’m sorry to say, can be and are faked. Providing additional information such as a name and/or URL gives your  audience enough information to investigate and verify your claims  The verification opportunity increases the credibility of your testimonials.

Photos of those providing your testimonial are great because they carry a hidden message – our customers are so passionate about our products and services that they are willing to share personal information and be accountable for our results.

2. Audio or video.

Audio and video endorsements are even better than text and photo endorsements. Hearing the sound of someone’s voice and/or seeing them deliver a a testimonial, with all the visual cues that come with direct communication, is more personal and, therefore more believable, than words on a page and a static photo.

It’s also easier for your satisfied customers to communicate their wonderful experiences through the spoken word, something they use every day, than it is in writing, which usually takes more time.

3. Highlight your testimonials.

Using a Light Yellow highlight around your copy (or even a photo or video image) is an excellent way to draw attention to them and  make them stand out on the page. If yellow is too in-our-face for your tastes or conflicts with your color scheme, then a Light Blue or Gray highlight also works well. And don't go nuts with the yellow, you'll look like the schlockmeister.

4. If you have lots of testimonials, sprinkle them.

Having a bunch testimonials is fantastic. My recommendation is to sprinkle them around the page to avoid having a “testimonial section.” A testimonial section, where you list 4, 5, 6 or more testimonials, is a bad idea since most people will only read one or two. Testimonials are precious so you’ll want to extract as much value as you can from each one.

A good place to insert them is right below your sub headlines.

5. If you have only one or two testimonials insert them below the mid-point of your sales copy.

Inserting one or two testimonials below the mid-point of your sales copy gives you enough time to make your pitch and, then, have it reinforced by satisfied customers.

Some marketers argue that your testimonials should be inserted right after your first sub-headline, to encourage your audience to keep reading, but I disagree. If you’ve pulled someone into your website they, typically, will read a paragraph or two before they consider leaving. If your copy is well-written that’s enough time to make your strongest points and then use your testimonials for reinforcement.

6. Testimonials need to be results-oriented.

In short, your testimonials shouldn’t be “Yippee, Sam’s the best ever!” Testimonials need to be about the results produced by your product or service. Those results are even more believable if they are qualified (“excellent service”) and quantified (“the work was delivered as promised in 4-hours”).

What do you think? Are testimonials part of your sales arsenal?

Steve

Comments (2) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

1. Project centric: The change that is required to make tomorrow better than today is often measured by the number of projects completed. Outsourcing is project-centric and delivers results with minimal impact on day-to-day operations or personnel.
2. Size doesn’t matter: Small projects such as web design, training and video production are ideal for outsourcing for all but the largest corporations, those with virtually unlimited internal capabilities. Large projects that require an outside perspective, such as institutionalizing Six Sigma or Strategic Pricing, are excellent projects to outsource since true change rarely happens from the inside out.
   
3. Skills: Outsourcing lets you acquire specialized skills to accomplish goals, complete projects and augment your existing resources. Projects that are popular to outsource are social media tasks, such as blogging, search engine optimization, and specialized training or coaching like improving presentation skills.
4. Cost effective: Outsourcing is a variable cost option and preferred by many over adding full-time employees, which is a fixed cost solution. In this economy variable cost projects are approved easier than new headcount. Since outsourcing is a global industry adding world-class talent to your team is not as expensive as hiring talent.
5. Velocity: Speed can make the difference between good and excellent. Outside providers can deliver resources, even in large quantities, quickly while hiring fill-time expertise can take weeks or even months.
6. Technology: Few companies can afford the money to purchase or the time it takes to learn the latest technologies available in every function – sales, marketing, IT, logistics, etc. Outsourcing allows you to rent the best technology available from the best providers.
7. Accountability: Outsourced resources do not suffer from goal diffusion or the day-to-day fire-drills that impact full-time staff and extend project deadlines. An outside provider of resources has one responsibility and one priority, which is to complete the project. Their focus delivers better results and greater accountability.

Comments (3) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

1. Grab your reader's attention. Begin with an interesting fact, important question, comment on a current event or something personal, such as congratulations for being named Person of the Year.
2. Then transition your reader into the purpose of your letter - introduce your company, request an appointment, or a free offer, for example. Be sure to connect your request with your grabber from (what will be) paragraph one. Your transition is key, it must be both smooth and brief, people are busy. See next bullet.
3. In today's hurry-up, get-to-the-point world, many people switch the first two bullets of their outline. they begin letters by coming right out and stating, "The purpose of this letter is to request a 30-minute appointment to..." and then write their grabber. I prefer a subtler approach but will use the direct approach if I know the reader well.
4. Insert numbers or testimonials that back up your claims next. A list of indented bullets works well for either. People like reading lists of tightly written facts - summaries.
5. Your fourth section/paragraph is your call-to-action. Tie your attention grabber or your reader's self-interest into the benefits of responding to your solicitation. I don't sell actual products so I often use mutual gain as my call-to-action: "I propose a 30-minute meeting to better understand your business objectives, review our capabilities and determine if we can help one another achieve our  goals..."
6. Your final outline point let's your reader know that your letter is one of a series of contacts, that there are more to come. Explain that you will be following up by voicemail, email or both. Basically, you're telling them "you're not going away, so let's have our conversation and see where it leads."

Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Copywriting is the use of words to promote a person, business, opinion or idea. Although the word copy may be applied to any content intended for printing (as in the body of a newspaper article or book), the term copywriter is generally limited to such promotional situations, regardless of media (as advertisements for print, television, radio or other media). The author of newspaper or magazine copy, for example, is generally called a reporter or writer or a copywriter.

I define copywriting more simply: It’s the act of using words to sell or influence. My expanded definition is still more concise than the Wikipedia version: It’s written persuasion created to make your target audience act in a certain way, such as click, read, buy, or register.

Storytelling is a great copywriting tactic. Stories are entertaining and engage the reader in a more subtle way than the triple-decibel BUY THIS! blast-messages we get hit with everyday.

Long before human beings learned to read and write we used storytelling to transfer knowledge and influence one another. A million years of storytelling has altered our genetic code. It’s now in our DNA to listen to stories, decide what’s important to us and then apply that to our lives.

If you want your audience to associate with your brand, your products and with you, then tell them a story. At a strategic level, it’s not much more complicated than that. 

The best way to get your audience to take action, however, is to include these five key elements in your story:

1. Measurement
2. Comparison
3. Time
4. Uniqueness and
5. Compelling

Measurement: Most people grant numbers more credibility than they do general comments. Whatever it is you do for your clients, using numbers to quantify the benefits will make your claims more believable than claims that lacks numbers.

Comparison: Give your audience before and after examples of the benefits of your product or service. Demonstrating results in a before and after scenario gives your claims perspective.

Time: Similarly, providing a timeframe around your results helps your audience understand the true impact of your product or service, especially if the benefits were produced quickly.

Uniqueness: Since you want to stand out from your competition and have your own brand, it’s important to make your claim as unique as possible. That’s really hard in a web-connected world, but that’s also why it is so critical.

Compelling: The compelling element answers the question: “Who cares?” You may be able to clean reading glasses faster than anyone in your city but I doubt many people will pay for that unique skill.

Steve

Comments (1) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink