by tradesmeninsights | Sep 25, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
When you start to develop an internal email database for marketing purposes, what are the protocols you should follow? Beyond your existing customer lists, you normally get addresses from trade shows, ad leads or possible contests you are running. Should you just assemble them and start emailing?
A recent article by Karen Talavera in Marketingprofs contends that the “better to ask for forgiveness than permission” might not be the way to go.
There are several reasons she states, among them email addresses go bad, people change jobs and companies change internet providers. Permission is granted to a brand or company, and if they don’t hear from you in a timely manner, they may forget that they gave you permission. Karen suggests you consider the following:
- Remind people how they got on your list
- Give them a reason for staying on the list
- Let them know what types and frequencies they might expect from you.
She also notes that after the first email to get rid of any non deliverables so you don’t get caught in any spam filters.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 24, 2013 | Marketing Tips
I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m finding dealing with people, both personally or in business, is that they just don’t seem to care about the “customer experience.” I eat out a lot and I tend to go back to places where they treat me better. Their food might not be any better than the guy down the street, but I feel they appreciate my business.
The same holds true in my business dealings. I tend to do business with people I know, like and trust. Yes price is a consideration, but it certainly isn’t the main one. Unless you have a one-of-a-kind product or service, there are other options, whether it be for dining, dry cleaning or buying a new contractor tool storage box.
From a marketing perspective, I see this as a great opportunity to not only keep existing customers happy, but to convert potentials. Just think, if your competitors are just treating their customers OK, doesn’t that leave room for an opportunity for you?
What a missed opportunity for some folks! When someone does go that extra step, whether it’s a waiter or a CSR at a manufacturer, it makes an impression and not only do I take notice, but when the opportunity arises, I tell people about it.
So what are you doing to ensure that your customers are having a better than OK experience with you?
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 17, 2013 | Marketing Tips
When we think about sales training, we all think about teaching our sales crew about the latest and greatest product we have and seeing how many we can sell. But these folks who we send out into the trenches each day aren’t our only salespeople. What about your non-selling sales people?
Think about your guy who does will calls or the truck driver who delivers your products. How about the receptionist that answers the phones (yes, some companies still have them), customer service folks and yes, even your credit department. These are all non-selling roles that could ultimately affect future orders.
The point I’m trying to make is anyone who comes in contact with your existing customers has an impact on future sales whether they’re thinking about it or not. Think about the last time you called in with a problem or an issue and got treated like they were doing you a favor by taking time to talk to you? Now you’d expect that the customer service department is aware and has had training in how to be nice to people.
Think about your credit department (most people would break out into a cold sweat). Are they working on future sales or just trying to collect money. I know of credit departments that are firm but flexible in coming up with ways that treat customers fair and foster the relationship. Abe Walking Bear Sanchez gives you a fresh perspective on this job function and how it can be a positive way to increase sales.
But are you overlooking other ambassadors within your company that can influence future purchases? We need to instill in all that come in contact with our customers that our future paychecks are hinging on keeping them happy. I think companies need to make sure the attitude and culture is reflected on the front lines and not just in a mission statement that’s on our lobby wall or on our website.
We are who we appear to be and success is based on the weakest link in the chain. Maybe we should all be a little more sensitive on how we present our companies… and a THANKS FOR YOUR BUSINESS every once in a while couldn’t hurt.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 11, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
Email is still a preferred marketing tool, especially in the B-to-B space. The key to success is having a plan to build relationships with your audience whether they are existing customers or potentials.
To be successful, you need to pay attention to your audience, the messages you’re sending out and not be so self-promoting. Marketo has published Top 10 Tips for Better Email Performance. It’s a quick read and gives you the basics you need to be successful. Highlights include:
- Don’t talk at people, but rather create a dialog.
- Segment your audiences and the messages for each.
- Automate where you can. It makes life easier for you.
- Mix it up – days you send them out, use of surveys or a fulfillment piece.
- Make sure it can be delivered. Check to ensure that there’s nothing that might prevent your message from being delivered.
If you’re going to make the effort, let’s make sure you’re getting the most out of it!
If you like this post, you may want to read:
Why Email Marketing is so Important in Lead Nurturing to the Professional Tradesman.
Benchmark Report on Email Marketing Sheds Light on Priorities and Challenges to the B-to-B Markets.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 4, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
The professional trades are no different from normal consumers when it comes to using mobile. There have been a few articles in eMarketing.com about both time spent on mobile devices and what’s being used to open and read emails. Both are significant when it comes to reaching contractors with your messages.
Email remains one of the most critical marketing channels—if not the most exciting. And as more consumers access on mobile, there is a growing imperative to make sure emails are smartphone- and tablet-optimized. However, that doesn’t mean marketers can forget about the desktop just yet according to a recent article in emarketer.com. That coupled with the fact that the US now spends more time on mobile devices than desktop should send up a red flag for those of us who haven’t addressed the mobile market.
The shift includes watching video, checking social media and reading emails. So what does this mean to the B-to-B market? It means if we want to effectively communicate with our audiences, we need to be doing it in a format that is easily read.
Matt Sonnhalter, in another post on mobile, indicated that by 2015, mobile will be the first screen that people will use. That’s not that far away!
A recent survey by Equipment World Magazine on those contractors that had smartphones:
- 85% view emails
- 81% use it to text
- 71% connect to the internet
- 52% use apps
- 24% visit social sites
- 20% watch videos
- 4% don’t use it for any of the above
Bottom line is, if you don’t have your website optimized for mobile, you’re going to miss lots of opportunities.
by tradesmeninsights | Sep 3, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
When planning events, you must not lose sight that your brand needs to shine brightly. This is especially true when you’re doing an annual event. We all have our checklists of what was done last year and you repeat it again this year. While details and checklists are important, the how, when and where can make a difference on how the event is perceived. The unexpected can work too in your favor. You don’t have to reinvent the event, just add an unexpected sizzle to it.
Events give us a unique opportunity to be face-to-face with the targeted audience, and in today’s world, it’s becoming a rare thing. Whether you’re doing a major press event, hosting a distributor round table or doing a key customer appreciation event, you have the opportunity to really shine and make an impression. Don’t miss the opportunity.
Here are some things to consider:
- Don’t be predictable – Do something different to make the event memorable. It doesn’t have to be something crazy. It could be something as simple as a nice gift for them to remember the event by.
- Treat people like you were hosting them at your home – Great hosts make sure that their guests are well taken care of. One-on-one time from your key executives are crucial to the experience. Leave your smartphone someplace else and focus on building relationships face-to-face. Think about when the last time was you were able to spend quality time with these key individuals. More importantly, when will you have the opportunity to do it again?
- Personal follow-up – When was the last time you went to an event and after got a personal note from your host thanking them for participating?
Events are not to be wasted and should be considered a rare opportunity for a face-to-face with key people. Make your brand shine!
