Getting Through This Mess...While Spending Less

Back in January, I opened the new year’s volume of NYUMT by offering “resolutions” to market and promote yourself, one resolution per month, each one a different way to make an impact with your customers.

Now that economic conditions are that much more critical, the need to market is no less critical. But there are ways to manage the process, without breaking your own bank.

Welcome to the March edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

I recently gave a talk to a combined audience of the two leading event planners associations in town -- the International Special Events Society (ISES) http://www.isescharlotte.com/ and the National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) http://www.charlottenace.com/ Now, while my association with these associations is linked to my capabilities as a professional caricaturist ( http://www.caricaturesbyjoel.com/ ), I was given appreciable opportunity to share with them my views as “the marketing guy.”

And, after all, just about all companies can benefit from a good pep talk on marketing. (With the apparent exceptions being the Exxons and Halliburtons of the world…).

The title of the talk was “10 Ways to Market Yourself Without Using Ads, TV, Radio, Billboards or even Brochures”

Let’s go over the first 5, not necessarily in chronology of importance…

Publicity

· What’s new with your company? New product/service? – send an article out to the press.

· What’s new with you? If giving a talk or staging an event, send out an article.

· With permission, write about a client; use it as case study about your business.

· Send out a compelling photo with caption…from unusual vacation or interesting business trip, etc.

· Create an awards program for a worthy cause dear to you.

Seminars

· Practice speaking by joining Toastmasters or other business/fraternal organizations.

· Invite clients and prospects to a talk or dialogue at local subdivision clubhouse.

· Join a local Chamber – even surrounding suburbs – and get on the speakers list.

· Ask to speak at your next industry association convention (state or national).

· Co-sponsor (and split the costs of) a seminar with a related industry colleague…i.e. insurance agent with financial planner; printer with website pro.

Trade Shows/Special Events

· Exhibit at a local trade show; share a booth with a colleague to control costs.

· Don’t exhibit at a local trade show; instead, walk the aisles and network freely among visitors and other exhibitors.

· Submit an article to appear in the trade show literature.

· Create a themed event at a local restaurant, inviting a specific prospect clientele.

· Co-sponsor a charitable event (golf outing, art exhibit, silent auction, etc.).

Promotions

· E-mail a trivia-type question to clients/prospects; the first to answer correctly gets a free gift.

· Is there a movie presently playing that somehow touches on your profession? Tie in free tickets to clients. (“Slumdog Millionaire” for, ahem, bankers and financial consultants..?)

· Coffee mugs, water bottles and pens are cliché; use an item actually relevant to your business.

· Add a coupon for your services to a Welcome Wagon program.

· Promote your business through Val-Pak or Money Mailer coupon/flyers.

Newsletters

· Newsletters can be any size; send out a postcard with news, tips, maxims, etc.

· Newsletters can be e-mailed (“e-zines” such as this one) with all the info, including graphics…

· Co-op with another business that, for instance, could pay for printing through their advertising in it.

· Add an ongoing “newsletter” segment to your website that stays timely.

· Blog. Or vlog (the video version...).

Next month, we’ll go over the remaining five ways to market yourself without spending through customarily big ticket vehicles.

In the meantime, try to keep smiling. People want to do business with those who remain positive.

And I will positively plan on being here again the first Tuesday of next month with another macroeconomic view from “Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.”

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

And from the "What-Alternate-Universe-Bizarro-World-Are-They-In?" Dept.: TV commercials that show cars speeding along on a highway, on a country road, on a city street. The operative word being "speeding." Like, really speeding...

"This Frenchman walks into a bar..."

Every now and then, I like to turn over this space to the musings and pontifications of friends, colleagues and clients on the art, the science…the alchemy…of marketing. From their personal perspectives.

Welcome to the post-Super Bowl, pre-Spring Training edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Philippe Le Baron is the founder and president of LB4G Consulting, Inc., dedicated to sales productivity through realizing the potential of sales managers and their teams.

Philippe has over 20 years experience in consulting, sales, sales management and sales productivity management on behalf of American corporate business throughout Europe.

During this time, the French businessman has designed his own programs and workshops,addressing business cultures as diverse as the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Israel, Russia, Switzerland, and Austria.

To adapt his consultative approach to everyone, Philippe developed a global-ready methodology that he has brought to America. http://www.lb4gconsulting.com/

So what approach is Philippe taking these days to help get the message out on his business?

How about…Stand-Up Comedy!

“When I arrived in Charlotte from France about two years ago my sales productivity services were as new to the area as my accent was.

“As I built my American operations locally, I went to market with networking, surface mailing, email marketing, web presence, brochures, flyers, cold calling, you name it. Since my business is very much based on an ‘education’ sale, as opposed to a pure ‘pain’ sale, I quickly realized that earning significant mind share was not easily achieved unless I could quickly talk to a lot of people at the same time to maximize ‘education’ effectiveness.

“Workshops, seminars, talks became my main route to market, and I got my first referrals from these interactions. It also helped me position my services faster to an audience I had not anticipated – the small business owners market.

“Last summer I pushed the exercise to its limits. Willing to develop myself further, and in the search for the best "Toastmaster"-type training I could find, I was attracted by a workshop run by the International House in Charlotte, titled 8 Weeks to Become a Stand-Up Comedian. My initial sense was ‘Let's try this – if I can do it, I can give any public speech anywhere.’

“This took me a little further past my comfort zone than I had anticipated, but I have now performed six times at such Charlotte area venues as International House, Matthews Comedy Zone, Alive in NODA. It also has opened new horizons for my business. Not that I intend to make a living from this (even though I did earn a few bucks from my last performance), but I get called on now for corporate presentations and kickoffs, where the experience as a stand up is actually a plus to my ‘serious business’ pitch. After all, sales people and sales managers can always use a little humor to help them look at themselves, and embrace change faster.

“Last but not least, I found that there were similarities between stand-up and sales management: there is an art piece to it, and there is a science piece to it. And there is actually a process to making people laugh (as one who was schooled as an engineer, I love processes).

“There is a setup: a topic, an attitude and a premise that will, when worded right, lead to a joke that should get laughs...if you are funny (that's the art piece). The same way great sales managers blend their art of managing sales people with the science of sales force productivity.

“I now use both skills and content to resonate with my target audience. It does get my name out there too. It stretches one to new levels. And if by standing in front of an audience you are not otherwise scared s*#%-less – pardon my French – it can be fun too...”

Join us again the first Tuesday of next month for more shtick from Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin

http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

Resolutions

For the last several years, I’ve opened the January edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management with proposed Resolutions for the New Year. (And here we are -- Volume 7, Number1 -- Wow!)

Since resolutions, like advertising itself, tend to make an impact only when repeated…and repeated…and repeated…I figured I’d once again give a nod to this time-honored tradition.

In no particular order, then, here are 12 Resolutions, one for each month, for you to consider effecting in 2009:

Guerilla Marketing: Think outside the box for ways to promote yourself. There are rules. And then sometimes you know what they say about rules...

Networking: Do more, by joining more…networks that is (associations, fraternal organizations, fellow hobbyists, etc.). Marketing yourself continues to be a numbers game…

Publicity: Toot your own horn – no one else knows your “key” as well as you do…

Web site: If it’s been a while since you’ve “Spring-cleaned” your site – updating and streamlining – maybe now’s the time to have at it. And not wait, by the way, until Spring…

Seminars: Think you know it all?? Heck, maybe you do! – at least as far as certain audiences to whom you would speak are concerned, and the new market opportunities they might present to you…

Newsletters: Share your ideas, broaden your constituency – send out industry-relevant information either as hard copy…or electronically (such as what you’re presently reading)…

Trade Shows: Go to them, be in them, mingle within them, write a program article for them…

Event Marketing: Promote a cause, sponsor a charity, have an Open House – it’s good P.R. by “humanizing” your business…

The Newspaper: Remember that old-fashioned thing, for which the death knell has been sounding for years? For ideas, for client contact opportunities, for business references…don’t rely on the 11:00 PM News. Read the newspaper…

Greeting Cards: It doesn’t have to be Christmas to send them. Get your name out year-round, with Valentine’s Day, July 4th, Arbor Day – whatever! – as an excuse to stay top of mind with clients and colleagues….

Postcards: Along with greeting cards, postcards are a fast, convenient, economical way to let people know about your business (think realtors, financial planners, etc.)…

JDK Marketing Communications Management: Yeah, I know, I “cheated” on this last one. But how else are you going to be able to effectively take care of the previous 11 resolutions, without first resolving to contact yours truly…?

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2009. And we’ll see you again the first Tuesday of next month with another Auld Lang Syne rendition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

…And from the “Just Wondering” Dept.: This past holiday season, as usual, the radio airwaves were filled with Christmas standards sung by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, et al. Since it was primarily the rock and country stations that played them, I was Just Wondering…if these timeless, iconic artists are good enough to play at Christmas time, why aren’t they good enough to be played on these same stations throughout the year?

(Yeah, right.)

The Gift of Gifting

‘Tis the season to be giving, whether it’s Christmas or Hanukkah. Talking business gifting here, not charitable donations. Though the latter is something that, thankfully, remains a stalwart of our corporate as well as civic culture, I sometimes wonder if some of us haven’t forsaken the tradition of thanking our clients for their business, with a tangible token of our appreciation.

Welcome to this year’s last installment of Not Your Usual marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

According to Rosanne J. Thomas, Certified Etiquette and Protocol Consultant, “a business gift is a powerful tool, and one not to be overlooked. Study after study shows that a thoughtfully selected and presented gift of high quality and taste can indeed help cement relationships with customers and employees alike.”

I don’t have empirical evidence of this, but I sense that many of my counterparts in the service industry think business gifting is somehow no longer appropriate. Not cool. Of another era, not of these times. Kind of like the three martini lunch. More like something out of TV’s homage to the Madison Avenue era of the ‘60s, “Mad Men.”

Call me old-fashioned – but I’ve always liked the idea. Maybe it’s my Dad’s influence when occasionally he took me as a child on his rounds throughout New York City thanking his own marketing clients. I think it makes a defining statement about yourself and your character. Sort of like a strong handshake. Here’s author Alex Palmer’s take, whose article “A Giving Spirit” is in this past November’s issue of Incentive magazine:

“A study released by the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) at the end of September found that 80 percent of the sales and marketing executives who responded classify themselves as gift givers. The study reflected that relationship building was the most commonly cited reason for givers, with 70 percent giving ‘to thank customers,’ and 66 percent giving ‘to build goodwill.’

…(according to Steve Slagle, president and CEO of PPAI)…’It’s not about price. There are certainly products in this industry that have higher perceived value than others, but often if it’s a thoughtful gift – whether it’s $5 or $10 – it will have impact for the individual.’”

Palmer goes on to quote another expert in the industry who further takes a “green” approach: “’Gifts that are better for the environment (i.e. biodegradable or recyclable items) say a positive thing about the giver.’”

I’ve got a lucky 13 on my list of clients who I especially wish to thank for their “contributions” to my bottom line this past year; I’ve also got my annual New Year’s “chochke” that many of you will be receiving in the next few weeks.

Who will you be thanking this holiday season?

Happy Holidays and see you again the first Tuesday in the New Year for Volume 7(!), Opus 1, of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

What's your "EQ?"

I enthusiastically assert that I am one of the few people I know who doesn’t dread Sunday night.

That’s because I really enjoy what I do – whether it’s the marketing and advertising hat I wear, or that of the caricature artist (reminder: holiday parties are coming up!), it’s fun to get the old creative juices flowing and keep that right side of the brain percolating.

I get to work with graphic designers, photographers, web developers, printers, media people on occasion (even they have “creative” ideas)…and, for the most part, clients who are willing to try something arresting and engaging.

I mention this – which, frankly has nothing to do with talent but everything to do with attitude and mindset – because every now and then I run across folks who give their 30-second elevator speech at networking groups with a dulled indifference that is disappointing if not downright discouraging.

Welcome to another edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Anyway, “enthusiasm” is something that marketing guru Robert Middleton -- http://www.actionplan.com/ -- seems to find in short supply. And that can have dire consequences for those out there marketing their business. Like, er, um, everyone…

“Look at some of the synonyms for enthusiasm,” he writes in a recent entry from his weekly e-zine (edited for brevity):

“Keenness, ardor, fervor, passion, zeal, zest, gusto, energy, verve, inspiration, excitement, vigor, fire, spirit, avidity, devotion, motivation, commitment, willingness, earnestness. ”

"What can you do to generate (enthusiasm) in a society that's become increasingly skeptical, let alone downright cynical?

“1. Fall in love with good ideas. (I was convinced that the next step in my business) was to offer programs at graduated levels. It took me five months to implement it, but the idea took hold and never let go.

"2. Trust your inner voice. If you feel you can do something, feed that feeling. You feed your enthusiasm by sharing your ideas with like-minded, supportive people who are just as enthusiastic about their ideas.

"3. Act as if. I used to call this ‘fake it until you make it.’ When you exhibit enthusiasm, it's contagious and you can become addicted to it. I can certainly think of worse addictions!

“4. Question your unenthusiastic attitudes. When we're feeling apathetic, bored, disinterested, hesitant, stagnant, or fearful, it's useful to ask, ‘What would I have to believe to feel that way?’ Often it's something like: ‘If I really went for it 100% I might fail,’ or ‘I really don't make a difference anyway.’ Are those thoughts true? Probably not.

"5. Take on a huge project. Think of Kennedy's speech: ‘We choose to go to the moon in this decade, not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.’”

Okay, this soap box is getting kind of rickety; I better get off and save it for another time. Such as the first Tuesday of next month, for another enthusiastic shout-out of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

A Tale of Two Press Releases

I wrote and distributed two different press releases this past month for two different clients. One was for a charitable event, singular in its cause and focus. The other was for a restaurant, touting everything they offered under the sun.

Guess which one got the most play.

Welcome to another edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Now, who knows – especially here in Charlotte, which tends to favor charitable causes – maybe the media has more of a thing for “good works” than work that tastes good. But I have a sneaking suspicion that a single subject (accent on the modifier “single”) resonated more quickly and more succinctly with more media than the multiple items implied in the subject line in the e-mail head of the restaurant story. Special appetizers, Karaoke Night, Happy Hours, family-friendly but singles are welcome…not quite “TMI,” but still “too much information!”

I remember attending a marketing communications seminar where the speaker held two props. One was a square “bed” of small spikes. The other was another small square, but containing only one spike. When the speaker took a sheet of paper and tried to run it through the many spikes, the sheet did little more than crease at the points where they hit.

When he took the same sheet of paper and came down on the single spike, the sheet was impaled clean through.

In the fast-paced world of trying to get your advertising or publicity message through to you’re A.D.D.-like audience, the point is… get to one. And best to get to one point only.

My restaurant client wanted to consolidate his funds and assign only one press release that covered virtually everything they offered at the place. Though I made an effort to dissuade him and save each item for a separate release, I understood and respected his wishes.

Maybe next time.

And maybe next month, first Tuesday, you’ll join me again for another single subject take of “Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.”

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

From the “Greening with Envy” Dept.: Go into a public lavatory these days, and the faucet is electronic-eye automated, as is the paper towel dispenser. But you have to manually press the soap dispenser…

Teacher's Pet

It’s September. Which means it’s time for the young’uns to go back to school. Which further reminds us that there’s still plenty for us all to learn. About a year and a half ago, I devoted this space to discussing the value of subscribing online to the wizened commentary of some pretty sharp people who know their stuff about marketing.

What held true then holds true today. As much of schoolwork is repetition, to get the points across, here’s that column again.

Welcome to another edition of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips from JDK Marketing Communications Management.

Years ago, when I wrote advertising copy at Royal Insurance, we created an ad for Royal to appear in a trade publication representing the insurance industry for recent college grads looking to break into the field. So I wrote the “twisty” headline: “Now that you’ve got your degree, come get an education.” The idea being that there’s nothing like the “real-world” know-how one can get on the job as opposed to the theory of the class room.

I’m reminded of that line as, thirty years later, I’m still learning stuff…even as I dispense my own pearls of wisdom from this lofty seat of experience.

No doubt many of you subscribe to your own industry-related electronic newsletters, but since this one is devoted to marketing…and, after all, regardless of your industry, you won’t get too far without marketing…I thought I’d share these resources with you.

Alexandria Brown writes all about e-zines – how to write them, how to use them -- from her self-anointed website: http://www.ezinequeen.com/

The ClickZ Network “is the largest resource of interactive marketing news, information, commentary, advice, opinion, research, and reference in the world.” Which, for my interest, also deals with e-mail marketing. You can subscribe to their periodic info at: http://www.clickz.com/

Who in the Charlotte area hasn’t heard of Jeffrey Gitomer? For advice on how to score “the sale,” subscribe to him at: http://www.salescaffeine.com/

Perhaps my own personal favorite is the advice on a multitude of pertinent topics rendered weekly from Robert Middleton, a West Coast marketing guru who can be reached by typing in: http://www.actionplan.com/

Since I also get involved in publicity for clients, writing and placing press releases, I can still learn a thing or two from Joan Stewart’s http://www.publicityhound.com/

There you have it – not everyone in marketing, but a good enough cross-section to at least keep yours truly “dangerous.” Maybe you too?

In the meantime, see you the first Tuesday of next month with another postage-paid dollop of Not Your Usual Marketing Tips.

Joel Kweskin
http://www.jdkmarketing.biz/

…And from the You-Wanna-Run-That-By-Me-Again Dept:

I ate at a “Just Fresh” recently. There were plastic flowers on the table.