I’m frequently asked for an answer to some “pressing question” about marketing, advertising or public relations. Many of these seem to have to do with isolating the most important elements in some copy. Perhaps, therefore, it is pertinent for me to go on record with what I regard as the vital keys to effective marketing communication. To that end, I am offering several key points for your consideration.

The most compelling things in marketing communication are:

1. A better (or, at least, worthy) product/service to promote
2. Favorable word-of-mouth “advertising”
3. A clear explanation of benefits
4. A persuasive presentation
5. Appropriate audience selection

Surprise: These are not necessarily listed in their order of importance!

About number one:

This one doesn’t ensure success; it merely establishes a solid foundation upon which to build the marketing. There are other considerations, e.g. a) did you put it in front of the right target audience and b) did you do so in a timely manner

About number two:

Though this can be the most powerful, it is always the slowest

About number three:

It’s amazing to see how frequently marketing messages deal with features rather than benefits, and when benefits ARE stressed, how often it is done with “inside” terminology or “cute” buzzwords rather than the language of the street or, at least, the target audience.

 About number four:

Don’t fear a fresh approach. If others are saying it this way, don’t be afraid to say it that way. If others are being overly serious, don’t hesitate to incorporate a little humor; just make sure it makes your point and is in good taste.

About number five:

A tried and true (though ancient) marketing idiom says, “If you want to shoot elephants, go where the elephants are.”

In this age of overused superlatives, silly gimmicks, self-impressed copy and non-credible claims of superiority, grab the opportunity to be refreshingly different and shockingly simple. And remember, “brevity is the soul of wit” (thank you, Will Shakespeare). If you can say it just as well – or better – with nine words rather than 20 words, by all means, do it!

At the end of the day . . .  (forgive me: just once, I couldn’t resist the temptation to use the number one cliché of this century) . . . the thing that separates effective marketing communication from the blah, blah, blah variety is sharp-edged prose flavored with points of differentiation. Although even the infallible Google couldn’t tell me the originator of the term, Dare to be different (it has been co-opted so very many times), I’ll dare to use it here. Alas:

Dare to be different!  The other choice is to blend in and be unnoticed or forgotten. And, dare I add, neither is desirable nor affordable. What’s more, bad communication usually costs every bit as much to put out there as good communication. The only important difference is found in the results.

 

Marketing Memo from A. Starr – Being a consultant involves requirements We were interested recently to hear a radio station sales manager describe his sales department’s status as that of “marketing consultants.” Indeed? . . . we thought. Actually, the three indispensable requisites of a consultant are: A thorough understanding of client objectives An in-depth knowledge of the available options Objectivity If one accepts the above standard, the sales manager’s claim was a case of . . . three strikes – you’re out! What if paint isn’t enough? If one were to retain a painting contractor as a “real estate consultant,” to advise us as to the best method for adding value to our home, it’s a fairly safe bet the answer would come back, “paint the house.” Likewise, selecting the representative of a specific advertising medium to create a valid, cost effective marketing plan would be, at best, a dubious exercise. As a source frequently retained to develop marketing plans for clients, we would be the first to admit that a marketing campaign has the potential for being the biggest money–eating black hole there is. At the same time, it has the greatest potential for delivering bottom–line results that can make it not only a self–liquidating expense but one of the most cost–effective of all investments. A most exciting part of our experiences in this business is seeing how an effective marketing plan can transform a seemingly marginal business into a highly profitable one, while it can propel a very good well above the growth charts (in this regard, ask us about our experiences with Standard Optical, Universal Roofers and Arizona International Travel). A high–stakes game Though, of course, it isn’t really a game, business owners and corporate marketing managers often play it like it were, betting the company’s precious funds on the basis of the flimsiest marketing information and knowledge imaginable. We marvel at how often we’ve seen a convincing media salesman induce their prospect to literally bet the company store on a half–baked advertising idea that an authentic marketing pro could see was doomed from the start. The very least a marketing consultant should bring to the table is absence of any monetary stake (can you say, commission) in the client’s decision. Better yet, a consultant’s recommendations should be based on a comprehensive and current knowledge of the client’s market, and include an intelligent and frank analysis. Ignorance is no excuse Like the driver who professes to not have been aware of the speed limit, the client is ultimately the party that bears the consequences for marketing choices that are made. There are alternatives. He either can seek the assistance of a truly qualified party, or learn the rules of the road (in this case, some viable options) and have a “road map” (marketing plan) before heading out on that marketing excursion.

 

Sooner or later, it probably will happen to you. You are going to consider entering into a new market. Staking out a new territory can involve a geographic expansion, or even a whole new field in addition to, or as a replacement for your current one.

.Entrepreneurs usually do this for one of two reasons: 1) business needs a shot in the arm or 2) business is good, and it seems like it could be the right time to capitalize on current earnings or other funds by spreading out into other pursuits.

As one who over the past few decades has engaged in such expansion several times – with wildly varying degrees of success – I feel it incumbent to advise you to pause to consider some of the actions listed below before entering untested waters:

35 things to consider when entering new markets:

1. Examine your motives. Are they frivolous, fact-driven or ego-driven?
2. Consult family, partners, trusted friends, associates, advisors, skeptics, optimists or any number of others to find a comfort level.
3. Conduct a capabilities “self-exam.”
4. Examine existing versus required financial and human resources.
5. Determine how it will impact current key personal and business relationships.
6. Consider existing and prospective vendor relationships
7. Go slowly, and understand that smart growth usually takes time
8. Utilize research, e.g. type of expansion, market-suitability, timing, etc.
9.  The open minded about the value of focus groups.
10. Look closely at economic and consumer conditions and trends.
11. Examine appropriate case histories
12. Will new skills, techniques and business methods be required?
13. Seek expert counsel accounting in legalities, business, finance and marketing.
14. Leave the things that are hardest to change for last
15.  Evaluate your administrative systems and management team.
16. Ponder the ramifications of staff reorganization.
17. Pay mind to the Peter Principle.
18. Select vendors, employees, partners, alliances with care.
19.  Commission a professional business plan and a marketing plan. Be sure the latter includes a SWOT analysis.
20. Avail yourself of short-  and long-term strategies
21. Set clear objectives, goals and expectations.
22. Focus on budgets and demand-capital.
23. Assess advisability of product and price adjustments.
24. Consider new products for new markets.
25. Survey capitalization sources, e.g. investors, angels, joint ventures and venture capital.
26. Gage your staying power conservatively.
27.  Compare your “gut” to hard, cold facts.
28. Establish startup and ongoing progress benchmarks.
29. Make “why I should” and “why I shouldn’t” lists.
30. Keep meticulous notes and records from the start.
31. Weigh demand for the products or services you will offer, as well as. your   sales and marketing capabilities.
32. Will you engage in traditional and/or unconventional marketing techniques?
33. Conduct competitive intelligence for the new market.
34. Interviewing prospects for employment and consumer support.
35. Be sure to use every avenue for securing the long-term future of your prospective enterprise.

 

A golden opportunity

Recently I had the opportunity to present a program for members the Executives’ Association of Greater Phoenix (EAGP). For the benefit of Marketing Monthly’s 700-plus out-of-state subscribers, let me explain that EAGP, founded in 1956, has a select and very diverse membership   comprised of entrepreneurs and senior management people representing almost any SIC code you could imagine..

Because this speaking appearance represented a fine opportunity for yours truly to speak his marketing mind, it was my purpose to relate within the 30-minute time frame I was given some of those things I consider to be the most important. I will use this month’s newsletter to relate a few of those points to you.

Owing to the fact that the format of this missive is also finite, I will, in this space, deal with a couple of the more salient points, but only in brief. Perhaps there are some of you who will have other ideas of the relative importance of these (there are more than four hundred of our subscribers who are marketing firm principals and corporate marketing managers), and I would love to hear from you.

Seven essential marketing ingredients  

To be really effective, marketing communication should include these seven elements:

• Truth

If what you have to say – and sell – needs to be “doctored up” even a bit in communicating it to your prospects, you are on the wrong track coming right out of the box. An immediate and critical reappraisal of your products and services is called for.

•      Relevance

Your target audience has neither the time nor inclination to wade through a lot of poppycock. Tell them only those things they need to know. They will probably have you repeat these if you are fortunate to have a follow-up call, so why water them down with confusing irrelevancies and meaningless fluff.

• ·       Clarity

Have you noticed those marketing communications that make you wonder if you and the “perpetrator” are even speaking the same language, let alone leave you to wonder if you are on the same page? Chances are this does not trigger your buying impulse. More likely, you will move along to the next competitor on the list. It should come as no surprise, then, that your prospects will react similarly.

• ·       Brevity

I believe I may have quoted this Shakespearian line before, but here goes: Brevity is the soul of with. David Belasco, the famed theatrical producer of another era, hit the nail on the head when he uttered the following: ”If what you have to tell me can’t be written on the back of your business card, you don’t have a clear idea.” Or, as a young lady I fancied in my youth once exhorted me, “Are you trying to say you want to sleep make love to me? .  .  . Why not just spit it out?

• ·       Timeliness

Having the right selling proposition at the wrong time amounts to little more than an exercise in futility. Getting caught in a torrential rainstorm, as I did last summer in Aspen, CO, made me easy pickings for the umbrella salesperson. Had she been pushing sunscreen, her task would have been more difficult by a several magnitudes. Though an oversimplification, the point in nonetheless valid – timing matters (have you noticed?).

• ·       Persuasiveness

People like me are hired by people who know more than we know, because, perhaps among other things, we can say it better than they can. Things that are written better tend to stick to our mind – at least long enough for us to remember long enough to place an order.

• ·       Uniqueness

The cardinal rule of marketing communication is this: Build it upon and around things your competitors can’t say (enough said?).

 Don’t overload your salespeople

Too many companies send their sales force out into the field without providing them with the kind of marketing support that is required to help them gain appointments and, in affect, “grease the skids” for making sales. It is important to remember that developing prospects is not the exclusive province of sales staff. As a matter of fact, it is more effective to let one-way communication – through the use of marketing materials – do the heavy lifting.

Use your salespeople, not to open the sale, but, rather, to close it. It is a far easier sale if the prospect is already “leaning in your company’s direction” BEFORE that first sales call is made. And, remember, it takes an average of six calls by a salesperson to get an appointment, making it a very expensive appointment, indeed.

 

One more point

Make sure your communication effectively reflects the tenets listed above. After all, the radio or TV station, billboard advertising company, printer or other media vendors won’t grant you a discount for poorly conceived advertisements or marketing communication that fill their time or space, or that go on the printing press. You will pay precisely the same amount as if it were an effective example of marketing communication.

You see as much marketing communication as I do. The difference is, you see it and I read it (but only because it comes with the job).  The reason you and 99.9% of the populous dismiss most of it out of hand is that you neither are attracted to it, nor is it by any stretch compelling in its content.

WARNING! Just as you don’t really read “theirs,” it must stand to reason that “they” may not actually be reading yours. The primary reasons for this in either case are the same:

• There’s a great deal of marketing material out there (reportedly 60% more than when Bush 41 left office).
• The consumers’ available reading time and attention span are severely limited.
• Most marketing appeals have a boring sameness to them.

Nearly all professes to have “excellent service”, ”quality assurance”, “dependability”, “good people” .  .  . you get the idea. In many cases these claims are true. Sometimes they’re not. The problem is, how is one to tell the difference without a serious investment in due diligence? The reality is, they can’t and, furthermore, they won’t.

ON THE HORNS OF A DILEMMA

What are we to do? .  .  . Resign ourselves to the apparent futility of attempting to say something different, or say it in a better way, and, instead, simply fall in line with the flock, as, sadly – and obviously — most have? .  .  . Or, shall we merely release our hand from the marketing trigger entirely, only to forfeit any chance at real promotional success we otherwise might have had?  Neither, I say!

First and foremost, we must continue to make claims, for if we don’t seem to believe in ourselves, who, then, should believe in us?  However, we must make relevant claims, ones that go well beyond the overused and worn adjectives such as, bigger, better, faster, guaranteed to last. For, it is these shopworn gems that have driven the prospect to the point of distraction and inattention, if not total numbness.

Key point: The relevance of product and service claims, of course, must be based on products and services worthy of them. This is a given that must be dealt with at the product and service design stage. Recognizing what is a relevant claim normally comes about through the experiential process of winning – and, losing – business based on an ability – or inability – to back them up.

ONWARD AND UPWARD

Assuming we are in it for the long haul; that we have decided to cast our lot among the communications glut, it is imperative to enter the marketing wars armed with more than the customary look-alike, sound-alike, feel-alike claims. We must seek that aforementioned breakthrough. Happily, I submit the answer can be found where we may least expect to find it, right beneath our collective noses.

The solution is in the way we not only choose to phrase or present our relevant claims, but in how we are able to support or verify them, right there, on the spot, in our initial marketing messages, whether these are through advertising, collateral or publicity releases. Simply stated, we must add that ring of truth to such claims by (key word follows) briefly saying how or why the claim is operative.

Don’t, for instance, merely say, “Our training produces results you can use immediately,” but, rather, add what I call the all-important “Because Clause.” As in “.  .  . because we give you a proprietary and individualized template to take with you, and against which you can track your progress from day one.” Such support statements tend to induce a follow-up by interested parties.

SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN

What this one key move does is to give prospects a reason to believe that our product or service actually is better than the others. They must, at least, believe our claims and believe in their worth enough to make it sufficiently attractive for them to respond with a phone call, visit or similar fact-finding action.

If we fail in this, we never will have an opportunity to fill the prospect in on the vital data that substantiates the relevance and value of our claims and, indeed, our prices. In other words, a prospect who is not from the get-go properly conditioned (by us) to buy is a prospect lost (perhaps forever) to some less worthy competitor.

We owe it to ourselves – and that prospect – to entice them from the outset to want to “see the light,” which usually and ultimately can only be shone on the basis of a more thorough exploration of the salient details, at a later time. To close the sale, you must, first, open their mind. 

 

When people want to construct the best commercial or residential building for their specific needs, the intelligent approach is to design and build it with the help of an architect. To achieve the best results, it simply wouldn’t be reasonable to go forward without a set of plans, instead merely hiring one or more subcontractors independently.

 .  .  . The same should hold true for building a brand, in which case the architect/builder would be a qualified marketing specialist and the “sub-contractors” might include:

• printers
• graphic designers
• PR people
•  photographers/videographers
•  website designers
•  media buyers
•  radio/TV stations
•  on-air talent.

For best results, marketing initiatives should reflect an overall strategy; one developed with the help of a proven-qualified marketing expert, with specific client objectives and outcomes in mind. A common misconception is that this approach is more expensive. Nothing could be further from the truth. What truly are unaffordable are results that fall short of serving the best interests of the brand.

Well established marketing firms – those with a track record for success – are, among other things, “good shoppers,” with well developed relationships among – and first-hand knowledge of – marketing product and services vendors (the “subcontractors”). Understanding of “the whole” and an ability to select vendors that are the right fit make using a strategic-marketing consultant cost effective.

The next time you have a campaign or project in mind, consider calling in someone who has “earned their chops” in marketing. Initial consultations usually are cost-free, and can at least lead to a proposal that will start things off in the right direction, with plenty of foresight.     

 

 

 

 

 

Making a marketing plan work

The main reason that marketing plans don’t work is that they are not allowed to. That is to say, most companies don’t have an actual marketing plan. Oh, yes, they “plan to sell things,” but, most often, in an amazingly haphazard way.

We have an opportunity to visit with several small-business CEOs during the course of an average month, and find that they are quite aware of what is going on in their marketplace; aware of its opportunities and challenges and aware, at least in general terms, of the movements and actions of their key competitors.

What seems to be lacking is a comprehensive, systematic plan to combat the negative factors while effectively harnessing the positive things it is in their power to bring to bear on the situation. Most seem to rate high in analysis and low in execution. In most cases, I detect the presence of that storied paralysis by analysis syndrome.

Where does one start?

As the sage said, “One starts at the beginning.” Ask yourself and key staff, if one is available to you, some basic questions, and don’t stop until you are satisfied with the answers. Topping the list should be seemingly obvious questions like, ”What is it we actually sell, and whom should we be focusing on as best prospects?

Next, questions like, “What do we do – and have – that is better than our competitors?” and, “What needs attention and improvement” should be posed. As for those positive points, you must conduct a thorough self-examination of just what it is you are – or should be – doing to exploit your advantages.

No such examination should be conducted or concluded without homing in on your marketing message. Is it clear and well presented, as well as suitably and attractively illustrated? Is your branding dominant and does it project an image to which your key prospects are likely to respond. Or (God forbid) is it kind of scattered and indistinct?

Facing your fears

Be prepared for various worst case scenarios (ref: Murphy’s Law), or as one of my cowgirl friends says, “S____ happens!” Those of us who have been in business for a long time, know that, sooner or later, disaster can – and will – strike. As the saying goes, it’s not a case of if – but when.

Your biggest client decides to go elsewhere; your star salesperson quits and takes two or three key accounts in the process; business slumps for an extended spell; expenses soar and – what do you know? — negative cash flow comes calling, along with some of your major creditors.

The important thing in your planning is to have a plan of action that can head off such a tragedy or, at the very least, kicks into gear in order to turn the tide in the event they do. The best remedies usually involve a combination of expense cutting and business promotion, but inasmuch as ineffective or slow-acting promotion is absolutely unaffordable at such a time, that alternative plan had better be ready to roll out – now!

10 keys to an effective plan

1. Form a vision of what you plan to achieve.
2. Develop a plan to make your vision a reality.
3. Judge whether an opportunity is one to seize or let pass within the context of understanding whether or not it fits into your goals (you can’t act on every good idea).
4. Make sure your plan gives you a framework for making decisions.
5. Get accustomed to making choices.
6. Understand that the “perfect solution” is never going to come along (looking for perfection is merely a way to avoid making choices).
7. Get out of your comfort zone (change is always uncomfortable).
8. Make a real commitment to progress.
9. Get used to saying “yes,” get used to saying “no,” and do both with commitment and conviction.
10. Recognize opportunities, and, then grab on (if you don’t “pull the trigger,” you can’t hit the target).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan your marketing . . . then “pull the trigger.”

One of my favorite sayings is:

 “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

The point would seem to be that before setting out on a journey to a new place, it obviously is prudent to have a road map.

A marketing campaign is, for many I have encountered, one such new place. It, therefore, follows that one should have a road map, and definitely a written one. Writing it in pencil would be ideal, because it should be a changing, growing thing – the mother of all “living wills.”

There are dozens of templates for marketing plans offered online, or you should be able to get one through your marketing consultant. Most of these – both, the customized and the canned — are proprietary, so you should expect to pay a fee. But if you are hazy on what comprises a good marketing plan, it is well worth the investment.

10 key actions that make marketing plans work

Of course, after planning, the other – equally important – step is execution.  Following is a list of 10 guiding principles that if followed will maximize your chances for marketing success:

1. Form a vision of what you plan to achieve.

2. Develop a plan to make your vision a reality

3. Judge whether an opportunity is one to seize or let pass within the context of understanding whether or not it fits into your goals (you can’t act on every good idea).

4. Make sure your plan gives you a framework for making decisions

5. Get accustomed to making choices.

6. Understand that the “perfect solution” is never going to come along (looking for perfection is merely a way to avoid making choices).

7. Get out of your comfort zone (change is always uncomfortable).

8. Make a real commitment to progress.

9.Get used to saying “yes,” get used to saying “no,” and do both with commitment and conviction.

10. Recognize opportunities, and move forward (if you don’t “pull the trigger,” you can’t hit the target).

 

 

When I was a “boy” advertising/pr photographer in the Sixties, it seemed every upstart ad agency used the self-descriptive term “creative” as an implied synonym for “effective.” Of course, it wasn’t true then, and it isn’t true now. But – I was recently thinking – nobody seems to even use that word anymore, let alone claim it as a credential. And, surprised as I am to think this, I believe that’s a shame.

While many of the hotshot agencies claiming to be creative in those days actually were one-dimensional twerps playing to the other ad agencies by being cute with clients’ money, at least they were giving their peers a definition – artificial though it often was  – for which to shoot. And some that answered the challenge actually were effective on occasion at helping a client move goods and services.

But, today’s braggadocios success–rhetoric coming from agencies and advertisers is more along the lines of things like “record-busting sales, market saturation, top of mind awareness-building and, even, that most ubiquitous of platitudes, “thinking outside the box.” Almost nobody seems, even, to be laying claim to creating truly fresh and new marketing or advertising concepts anymore, let alone delivering them. Geico Insurance’s Gecko and the Aflac Duck may be two exceptions that prove the rule, but even those cute little characters are little more than name awareness gimmicks that speak not to the usefulness or uniqueness of the products they represent.

TELL‘EM, STAN!

What ever happened to advertising campaign lines that made the prospect think about the product, like that Stan Freeburg classic for Zee paper towels, ”Zee is nice enough to keep, but cheap enough to throw away!”  .  .  . or Wendy’s, “Where’s the beef?” .  .  . or Alka Seltzer’s, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing!”  Today, image for the sake of image seems to be king, at least in our more popular consumer categories.

I agree with you if you’re thinking these taglines fell short of rocket-science status, but they, at least, were lines that made one tend to connect the product-to-benefit dots. And, their very simplicity helped them to make a point, and, then, quickly get out of the way so the substance of the message could be delivered. In a word, and in that important sense, they were functionally creative.

Of course, today we have lines like, ”When the moment is right, will you be ready?” (Cialis or Levitra?) At that, who can relate to this question, when so many would-be  devotees are probably going to fall asleep, anyway, after a three-hour  concert, steak, baked potato with sour cream and chives, and at least two stiff drinks (perhaps an unfortunate choice of words).

NOTABLE QUOTES

According to an article produced by Christine Staudinger in Woman’s Day (with thanks to Marketing Monthly subscriber and well-known PR pro Arlynn Satz), here’s how others have described that long lost phenomenon, creativity. (Even if we don’t agree with all of them, they, at least give food for thought):

“Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.”

-Eric Fromm

“Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts.”

-Rita Mae Brown

“It’s like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”

-E.L. Doctorow

“Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better.”

-John Updike

“The chief enemy of creativity is good taste.”

-Pablo Picasso

“True creativity often starts where language ends.”

-Arthur Koestler

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun.”

Mary Lou Cook

MARY LOU IS COOKING!

Reread Mary Lou Cook’s definition (above).   If you buy her definition even a little (as I do, a lot), then, ask yourself – do your marketing moves pass this creativity litmus test? Or, like so many, has the siren call of the “safe way home” somewhat blunted your creative edge?

I must hasten to insert at this point, you don’t have to be a self-proclaimed marketing wizard to need to subject yourself to ms. Cook’s definitive test. You merely have to be someone seeking to clarify your selling message in an overcrowded marketplace. And, unless I miss my guess, that’s all of us .  .  . is it not?

My personal definition of creativity goes something like this: “Achieving a desired result by breaking the boundaries of convention while leaving the safe harbor of conventional wisdom.” On those occasions when we’ve done so effectively, I must say, it’s served us and our clients quite well. How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

After being a member of Linkedin for a couple of  years, a few years back I decided to actually get involved with this venerable business/social networking site that was launched in May of 2003.

Bulletin: It works!

Let me count the ways:

1. Reunions –      First of all, it induced and enabled me to reconnect with a number of      former business associates, friends and clients after varying lengths of time      (from months to years) being out of contact.

What a delight this particular aspect was. It turned up people like New  York-based Jeff Burger, longtime executive editor of Business Jet Traveler magazine, who I, as publisher of two national trade magazines in the late ‘80s, had hired when he was fresh from a stint editing Phoenix Magazine  (aside: I’d hire Jeff again in, ahem, a New York Minute).

2. Recommendations      (inbound) – We all realize that word of mouth is by far our most      effective advertising. The kudos I have already received in the first few      days – you could check it out – have been enough to warm the cockles of      this near-petrified, but well-gratified old heart. I never thought I could      possibly hear so many kind remarks about me .  .       . without dying.
4. Recommendations      (outbound) – The recommendations      feature has also has given      me the opportunity to recommend and relate some pertinent information      about some of the great services and people I have come across and in the      past 33 years, both in this business and as an active member of some key      business groups like The Arizona      Small Business Association, The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce      and The Executives Association of      Greater Phoenix. 

4. Idea exchange      – One of the first things I did since surfacing on Linkedin was to launch a discussion      group, Marketing Partners Memos,      and the response has been great – over 40 members and several comments on      the first full day! In Memos, we      take up marketing and management topics that have an impact on our bottom      line, and we really would welcome your insights and active participation      (I’m betting you’ll get some valuable tips, too, because we’ve got some      very bright, experienced and well-qualified folks contributing, already).

5. Overview – Just      this feature, alone, is worth      the price of membership in  Linkedin (it’s free of charge,      already!). I refer to the exposure and outlook it gives one to the      business scene and the various segments in which one is most interested      (it’s like looking in through the windows of the shops of some folks you      have often wondered about, without being detected).
7. Gift-giving – I’ve      noticed that some of the people I’ve had the opportunity to ask to connect      with me on Linkedin had not      previously been active on the site, much like my situation barely a few      days earlier. I’m already convinced that if they take advantage of the      medium, they’ll appreciate it as much as I do. And if they choose to join      the Marketing Partners Memos      group (simply click the Groups link at the top-left of      the Allan Starr Profile page)      that, alone, will be worth the price of admission.

.  .  .  (And, like I said, – it’s free of charge, already!)