Business to Business (B2B): Marketing to Executives

When marketing to decision makers in business it is important that your marketing first of all- gets into the hands of the person you intend to receive it.

Get it Opened

Address the mail to a specific individual (not to their job title). Make your mail look personalized and as if the recipient was expecting to receive it. If they requested more information, say so. Using a larger envelope will help your item stand out in the in box. Use high quality paper.

Consider adding a “grabber” to make your envelope lumpy. Including a freebie is a good way to get your mail opened.

Layout

For neatness sake, and to draw more attention to your sales letter, the main envelope should contain just the sales letter. Brochures or additional marketing material should be places in a smaller, inner envelope.

Appeal to Prestige

Executives like the idea that they are one of the few working with your company. Add prestige appeal by using attractive words such as: alternative, association, attractive, charter member, exceptional, exclusive, individual membership, ownership preferred, prominent, select, superior, uncompromising, worthwhile, and yield.

Use membership cards to take the prestige one step further. Get your reader involved by using tokens, stickers, rub-off cards, etc.

Call to Action

A strong call to action ensures the success of your marketing efforts. Make it easy for recipients to call, email, or order. Don’t assume they will know what you want them to do. Tell them and give an incentive for doing so quickly.

Business to business marketing can be highly successful if done well. What was your return on investment for your last campaign? Follow these tips and the next time you market to executives, you’re sure to have an increased response rate.

Call Fletcher Freelance at (715) 584-6773 or email terra@fletcherfreelance.com for personalized help with your next marketing campaign.

Brochure Alternatives

Alternatives to the traditional brochure:

• Magazine
• Educational (white paper)
• Handy list of tips
• “Keepables” puzzle, toy, deck of cards, calendar

Whatever you use, solve problems from the customer’s point of view, make it mailable, and include a call to action with an incentive (urgency). Your “brochure” should be useful and make it easy to order.

If you need creative marketing ideas for your next communications contact Fletcher Freelance at (715) 584-6773 or terra@fletcherfreelance.com.

The Current Marketing Environment: New Rules for the Four P’s

"If you haven’t heard the admonition to consider price, product, place, and promotion, perhaps you’ve been living under a rock. Fear not! Marketers who have had this drilled in may be at a disadvantage. Of course those factors are ever relevant and must be harmonious. The change is in the evaluation of the four P’s."

Read The Current Marketing Environment: New Rules for the Four P’s to understand how the marketplace is changing and what advertisers are doing to keep up.

For a strategic marketing consultation call or email Fletcher Freelance today at (715) 584-6773 or terra@fletcherfreelance.com.  Your first consultation is always FREE!

Writing Your Company History

Writing history. It shouldn’t be that difficult; it’s not like you’re making stuff up, right? But, when it comes to putting it in writing, I understand the hesitation. Company history is an important feature of your About Us page and helps your visitors get to know you.

Yes, your company history should be based on reality. It should be an interesting truth. Just as every individual has a tale to tell, so do businesses. Your company history should be a success story that lets your reader feel your passion and excitement.

Let them see where and how you began as well as your philosophies and values. Don’t tell them, show them. Keep the story light and factual. Show how your experience and skills combined to bring you where you are today.

Include a graphic element in your storytelling. Consider a timeline or perhaps a picture of how things looked when the business first began.

If you need assistance in writing your company history or just a quick edit please call Fletcher Freelance at (715) 584-6773 or email terra@fletcherfreelance.com.

Determining Technology Needs for your Business

The two biggest factors that make purchasing technology difficult are the desire to keep up with the latest advances and the high price tags. Answer these questions the next time you consider getting the newest gadget for your business.

1. Will this item ultimately contribute to my company’s bottom line?

2. Could it eventually become a necessary tool in my industry?

3. Will it improve efficiency of an existing, value-added process? (What is my return on investment?)

4. Can it ultimately drive sales?

5. Is it compatible with what I already have?

6. Am I considering the environment in this decision?

7. Is it really going to make me money or do I just want a new toy?

Calculating return on investment for technology can be difficult. The price tag on a new gadget will likely shrink in short order. If you buy something when it first comes out your technology will depreciate quickly. But if you’re the last one in the industry to switch over, you could lose out on valuable business.

Entrepreneurial Extra Volume 2

It's here!  If you don't yet have a FREE subscription to Entrepreneurial Extra click the subscribe button to the right or send a quick email to terra@fletcherfreelance.com.

FREE Internet Marketing Class!

Join me at the Shawano City-County Library May 20th from 10-11am. I will be presenting “Internet Marketing for the Writer,” sponsored by Shawano Area Writers. The class is FREE and open to the public. Although tailored to writers, this class will benefit business owners or anyone interested in learning more about internet marketing. I hope to see you tomorrow!

Outrageous Advertising

I just finished reading “Outrageous Advertising that’s outrageously successful” by Bill Glazer. It was a very light read, but inspirational nonetheless. I hope to use this book as a reference when I need an outrageous idea.

Remember, boring doesn’t get noticed. Boring doesn’t get results. I’ve told you before how a strong business differentiation strategy is key to a successful business. Being outrageous fits right along with that strategy.

Here are a few things that I gleaned from this book. I hope you can apply them to your own business.

General Advertising Ideas/Suggestions

     • Always give a reason for the offer.

     • Tell a story.

     • List all pertinent info in every ad.

     • Use a deadline!

     • Anything “lumpy” in a mailing is good. These are called grabbers because they grab attention.

Events (other than holidays) Worth Celebrating

     • Business anniversary

     • January – clean out, fresh start

     • Spring cleaning

     • Tax day, April 15

     • Graduation

     • Back to school

Advertising Media

     • One is the worst number in marketing. There is too much risk.

     • Same as your financial portfolio – diversify.

     • We learn better if we learn in multiple ways (hear, see, do). Multi-media messages achieve the same affect.

Notes on Success

“It’s very seductive for an entrepreneur to fall prey to success and ignore stability.”

Just because what you’re doing works – that doesn’t meant that you shouldn’t do more. You can’t take for granted that what you’re doing will always work. Things change.

Bill Glazer speaks directly to business owners. He says, “Marketing is your job. Without it all other jobs go away.”

If you’re not sure how to do this important job call Fletcher Freelance today for a strategic marketing consultation. Fletcher can help you compose your marketing plan, expand it to new media, and help you find something outrageous that will work for you. Call (715) 584-6773 or email terra@fletcherfreelance.com today. Your first consultation is always FREE!

Testimonial - Shawano Sports Park

I’ve been enjoying working with Mark at the Shawano Sports Park. We rewrote his website and just started a facebook page. The Sports Park does well and I see a lot of potential for growth. Mark is a nice guy and really driven to present a family-friendly atmosphere at the park.


Be sure to stop in at Shawano Sports Park and meet their friendly staff. It’s supposed to be nice weather (finally) all next week! I’m going to try to sneak in a few rounds of mini golf soon, too.

Here is what Mark had to say about working with Fletcher Freelance:

“We are in our 11th year in business at Shawano Sports Park, Adventure Mini Golf, Batting Cages, and Go Karts. There was definitely room for improvement in our marketing. Terra was very professional meeting with me; put together some great ideas, with extremely reasonable rates. She did a fabulous job with our website updates. We will continue to work with Terra on the additional marketing she has put together.” – Mark K. Shawano Sports Park

Thanks Mark and I wish you all the best!

Reasons to Use Email Marketing

As a small business owner perhaps you have asked, “Should I use email marketing?” What are the benefits of email marketing, who uses it, and why? Is email marketing still effective?

Read Reasons to Use Email Marketing now.

For a jumpstart on your email marketing campaign or to get help with the content call or email Fletcher Freelance today at (715) 584-6773 or terra@fletcherfreelance.com.

*Constant Contact is hosting a FREE webinar at 3pm tomorrow.

How to Effectively Use Premiums to Increase Sales

Read my latest marketing article, How to Effectively Use Premiums to Increase Sales, on ducttapemarketing.com. I’m very excited to be published to this highly reputable website (and be a featured article on the archive page). I hope you can apply my advice on how to use premiums to increase sales.

My thoughts on the Yellow Pages

I’m sitting here, quietly working, and WHAM! I’m startled. I glance out my office window to see a rather unkempt man walking down the street with a handful of yellow bags containing phonebooks. “They still print those things!” was my first thought.

I’m sure printed telephone directories have their place, but what place is that? I pick up the book to have a closer look. The front cover says “Eco-friendly size.” I wonder if the book is just smaller to reduce costs. My curiosity turns to the ads in the yellow pages.

Who is advertising in here these days? My accountant has a nice little ad, an HVAC ad catches my eye, assisted living facilities. Perhaps, the older generation still uses the phonebook. I guess if that was your demographic- sure, advertise in a phone directory. Law firms. Of course, and full color ads. I bet those are costly. I wonder what their ROI (return on investment) is.

Golf courses, a few nice ads. I can see that. Similar to restaurants – tourists in hotel rooms might use the phonebook to find places to see, things to do, and restaurants to try.

I see one of my favorite clients does NOT have an ad. My brother has a small one, very nice. Wow some of the churches have BIG ads. I wonder who’s paying for those.

Here is a good ad. A builder’s ad that doesn’t prominently feature a house. Bear’s Builders of Waupaca has an ad with a bear. A big bear with a tiny little house in its open mouth. I like it; this ad caught my attention, unlike the rest of the ads with pictures of houses. Sometimes it is good to be different!

Okay, I’m only in the C’s… Dentistry ads. There is one with a picture of the office’s exterior. How is that suppose to attract patients? The ads of people showing off their great smiles are only a slight improvement. The only insurance ad that garnered my attention has a picture of Alex Trebek. Ok, celebrities work, even on me.

This book would be a lot smaller if it didn’t contain so many ads for itself. I have to admit some of the self-promoting cartoons catch my eye- which is impressive, they aren’t even color cartoons. Pizza ads. Those should be big and eye-catching. My favorite place doesn’t even have an ad! They better have ads in hotel rooms. Plumber ads. Why in the world is your company name the biggest thing in the ad? Think like your audience, people!

Here is a simple ad that caught my eye. A refrigeration company, the ad is simple, but the outline is a van, not a box. There is a salon with a bikini-clad woman in the tanning bed. She caught my attention. As did the smiling, half-naked men in the travel agency ad (yes, there were bikini-clad women, too).

Restaurants. I still have some faith in the yellow pages! Appealing ads with maps and phone numbers and pictures! Even menus! Great job Brick Oven. You even highlighted some of the dishes on the menu with a red box, have an obvious unique selling position, and prominently declare “We Deliver.”

Yes, phone directories are still in print. There are few cases where I can recommend ads beyond a basic listing. If your target demographic, your best customers, use a book to find your phone number, place an ad. But please be different, simple, yet unique. If your ad looks like the ones around it, no one will ever even give it a second glance.

Current Resident Alternatives

Never again address your mail to “current resident.”

The technology to personalize email and snail mail campaigns kicks “current resident” to the curb. Most email marketing providers, such as Constant Contact, make it easy to address each correspondence to each recipient- by name.  Mail merge programs use your database of contacts to personalize printed mail pieces.

If you don’t have a name, try these titles (as recommended by Dan S. Kennedy) instead…

To the Busy Family that lives at

To the Concerned Parent that lives at

To the Person Who Must Increase Sales for

I've also had mail addressed to me as...

To the friend of (organization)

Any of these phrases is an improvement over "current resident."  If you need assistance in choosing the right words for your next marketing campaign call or email Fletcher Freelance today! I can be reached at (715) 584-6773 or terra@fletcherfreelance.com

Four Simple Customer Service Reminders

In customer service training you may hear, “The customer is always right.”

Not necessarily, but they do sign your paycheck.

How do you keep customers happy (within reason)?

     1. Greet customers as guests. Walt Disney insisted that customers were thought of, referred to, and treated as guests (not bodies, numbers, or head counts).

     2. Answer questions knowledgeably.  Train your staff to do the same.

     3. Prevent policies from driving away customers. (How many times have you stood in a customer service line only to be told that your request was against policy?) Ask yourself what you will lose to accommodate this customer and what will you lose if you do not?

     4. Have a process for handling complaints. When possible, don’t let a customer leave angry.

Remembering these basic tips will go a long way in your customer retention efforts, especially as customer service seems to be deteriorating everywhere.