by tradesmeninsights | Dec 5, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
No matter what business we’re in, we’re all in the communicating business. I think sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget some simple pointers.
Today we have a guest post by Ryan Franklin, a small business blogger and marketer who writes on behalf of Ordoro. He points out the obvious but sometimes we need to be reminded.
Did you know that the golden rule applies to business, too? That is, treat clients how you would like to be treated. How do you expect to be treated when you have to call into a supplier with a customer service issue? That is how firms and tradesmen expect to be treated when they contact your company. So here are a few key points to communicate with those customers effectively.
Listen to your client. You may be hearing what your customer has to say, but are you listening? Active listening is an essential part to communicating with customers effectively. There is nothing worse than getting on the phone with a service provider to explain your issue with their product or service and realizing that the rep is just not listening – causing you to repeat everything you just said! Pay attention to what your clients are saying; picking up on keywords can assist you in directing the conversation to address the problem.
Do not interrupt your client. Another step to communicating with clients effectively is to avoid interruptions. The last thing your client wants is to be cut off mid-sentence. Show them respect by letting them have a fair chance to speak, and then address the issue carefully. If a client has a complicated issue or is upset about something, it can be helpful to repeat the situation back to them to show that you understand. This is plain common courtesy and good customer service, and clients will appreciate your willingness to listen.
Smile. This may seem a bit ridiculous when you are making calls on the telephone, but this point still applies. Call center representatives across the nation are taught to smile when they speak because it conveys a friendly demeanor between the rep and the customer. How do you feel when you clearly reach a customer service representative that obviously does not want to be at work that day? Customer service agents should always smile and make the customer feel like they care. This will ensure return customers and high client satisfaction.
Make small talk. Avoid dead air even if you are researching an issue for the customer. If you must put a client on hold, be diligent in checking back with them every 60-80 seconds. Even a minute can feel like an eternity when you are placed on hold. Every customer feels like their issue is of great importance and that’s how you should make them feel. Without your clients, you don’t have a job; treat each one of them like they are the only one you have. At that moment, they are.
Again, communicating with customers can be as simple as treating them as you would want to be treated. Train your representatives to think the same way.
by tradesmeninsights | Dec 4, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
Content Marketing is developing useful information to various questions a potential customer might have about your product or application. When someone goes to Google and types in a question, hopefully you already have an answer waiting on page 1 of the search results.
If not, you’ll be missing a big opportunity. If you haven’t capitalized on things like case studies, white papers, newsletters and blogging, you should consider trying some of them. They are content rich and will help you gain credibility.
So the question arises, what do I write about or how do I know what they want? Here’s a way to start. Ask your sales force, customer service, engineering and product management what are the top 10 issues you continually get asked. That should be a start.
Ask the question on some of your social media sites, like groups on LinkedIn. You might be surprised at the feedback you get. If you have the opportunity to visit customers or go to trade shows, ask the same type of questions. Then when you have all the questions, answer them!
The key to content marketing is how you present your info. Storytelling is one of the best ways.
I read a post by Heidi Cohen, How to Create B2B Content Marketing That Sells that highlights ways you get to tell your stories. Here are some highlights:
- Use show and tell – use photos or videos to show products and features.
- Become a teacher – offer training by providing them info on why to buy or use it more effectively.
- Answer questions – this will give your responses more life.
- Interview others in your organization that might not think they have valuable info to contribute, and then you write it.
- Interview existing customers – get their perspective (good and bad) and address them.
- Offer insights from senior management – on industry trends or issues.
Content is king and we need to do everything we can to make sure that we get GOOD content out. If we do, you’ll be surprised at who will find it.
by tradesmeninsights | Nov 28, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
We spend money generating leads, but most of us do a poor job when it comes to leading them through the sales funnel since not all leads are ready to buy. I think we would all agree that if we had a process, chances are we would increase the number of leads that turn into new business.
According to Forrester Research, companies that excel in lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% of the cost. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with social media leads. How is your marketing department handing off leads?
What is Lead Nurturing?
Lead nurturing is how your business establishes a relationship with a prospect that is still in the early stages of buying. This type of campaign focuses on creating a beneficial, working relationship so that when it comes time to buy, that lead turns to your business instead of someone else. Lead nurturing is:
- Providing high-quality content that is relevant to where the potential is in the buying cycle
- Establishing and building trust between you and the potential customer
- Finding the most-qualified leads from your generation efforts
Does everyone within your organization understand your different stages in the selling cycle? Most sales funnels were set up for developing traditional leads. A question you must ask yourself is whether social media leads fit into your existing process and if so where? As a rule, social media leads take longer to convert because they are engaging you earlier in the process.
How are you moving social media leads into your sales funnel?
Nurturing social leads needs to be handled differently. This will include decision-making content designed to answer questions, overcome objections and provide opportunities that arise during the purchasing process.
So take some time to identify and implement a lead follow-up process that includes nurturing. You’ll be glad you did.
by tradesmeninsights | Oct 31, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing
Mobile is a hot topic, and I thought that a practical view from someone who is dealing with contractors on a daily basis would be beneficial. Fred Ode is CEO/Chairman of Foundation Software, and they are the leading accounting software for contractors. Fred has written several articles and is known for his insight into this market. Here are some practical ways contractors should be using mobile. Enjoy.
Guest post By Fred Ode, CEO/Chairman of Foundation Software
Stop where you are right now and look around. I bet there are at least two mobile devices in your vicinity. Depending on where you are—say a crowded street—there may be even more! This is the Mobile Age and many industries, including construction, are using this technology to improve their work processes.
So what types of mobile applications could benefit your construction business? One is a remote timecard entry.
Remote Timecard Entry
Contractors can now utilize remote timecard entry applications to streamline the flow of timecard and job data between the field and the office. Some other benefits of a remote timecard entry system are:
Less Double Entry, Fewer Errors. By entering time in the field, contractors can eliminate handwritten timecards (and the difficulty that comes with reading them!) Time is entered directly from the field in a digital format just once, and is then synced back to the office.
Data Defaults. Many apps have dropdown fields that already contain information pulled directly from the company’s accounting software like employee names, job codes, and more.
Multiple Timecard Formats. A good remote timecard entry app will offer multiple timecard formats, including single and group timecard options.
Benefits of Mobile Applications
When it comes down to it, the ultimate goal of any mobile app is to help contractors improve their processes across the board. Some of the benefits include:
Better Communication. Mobile devices can greatly improve communication between crew members. Workers on a large job site can instantly send one another updates, pictures and more.
Improved Workflow and Real-time Data. Along with communication, mobile devices also offer improved workflow and real-time data. Because communication is instant, there’s no waiting around to see if requests were approved or if the next steps can be taken.
Offline Capability. Some apps are equipped with offline capability, allowing contractors working in remote job locations to enter timecards, save them, and sync back to the office once they re-enter their service area.
Electronic Trail of Data. Using mobile applications also creates an electronic trail of data that contractors can reference at any time. Whether it’s solving an issue while a job is still active, or looking back at past jobs to better plan for future ones, the ability to save and learn from past data can only be beneficial.
Making the Move to Mobile
Remote timecard entry is just one of many helpful applications available to contractors. So where to begin with making a move into mobile? Start with a clear goal and thorough research. Find the options that will benefit the company and that have all the features they need. And don’t forget to get the end-users on board before starting the implementation process!
by tradesmeninsights | Oct 24, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
The correct answer in my mind is today. We all get caught up in the day-to-day to do list and putting out the most recent fire, but we should be aware of our brand daily.
Branding is about your whole organization, from the way you answer the phones, to the attitudes of your CSRs. It’s about a culture, things that are out of the control of the marketing department. Yes, marketing can control the look and feel of promotional materials, but once we’ve hooked a prospect, what happens when they contact the company and actually talk to a human being?
Heidi Cohen, in her post, Why Brands Matter (And Size Doesn’t), highlights several attributes we can all use to help in our long-term objectives.
Here are some highlights:
- Are you providing value to your customers – understand your target markets and their needs
- Are you relevant to your customers – be where your customers are
- Extend your brand beyond the product – provide useful info at every step of the purchasing process
- Have a brand personality – needs to be consistent in all dealings with customers
- Creating a trusting relationship – earn your reputation every day. Don’t assume anything.
What’s your company doing on a daily basis to make sure your brand is living up to expectations?
by tradesmeninsights | Oct 17, 2012 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Traditional Marketing
If a picture is worth a million words, then what’s a video worth?
B-to-B marketers are finally coming to realize that video is an important marketing tool. What some don’t realize is that putting it on your website may not be the best place to house it. Video should be housed somewhere like YouTube. From a branding perspective, start your own channel on YouTube. I don’t know a manufacturer that couldn’t take advantage of this marketing tool.
Here are some interesting stats:
- Next to Google, YouTube is the next highest used search engine.
- YouTube has 30 million daily active users. There are 500 hours worth of video being uploaded every minute.
- Google says that an indexed video stands a 50-time greater chance of ranking on the first page of search than a textual page.
- Video rates have 400% higher engagement than a static site.
Anyone can get into the video game today. You can buy a good camera for around $300 and there is editing suite software available that almost anyone can use.
Here are just a few of the ways that video can be effectively used for B2B business challenges:
- Boost Awareness, Visibility and Reach
- Customer Education with Product/Service Demos and Training
- Build Trust with Customer Testimonials/Case Studies
- Boost Engagement (keep attention on your message)
- Lead Generation: Drive Interest and Boost Leads
- Change Management: Leverage Video to Persuade and Motivate
- Call to Action: Engage Emotion – Demonstrate Value – Create Interest – Drive Action
- Branding: Craft a Consistent Message for a 24/7 Global Audience
So if you haven’t taken advantage of video, you should give it a try to see what kind of new activity will come your way.
