In last month’s issue of Marketing Quick Tip, our other monthly missive (the little, bitty short one), we mentioned that a recent conference we had attended (it was at that stellar “think tank,” the Advanced Strategy Center) prompted a few of the participants to refer to something they called “The New Reality.”

This made me curious to find out just what this fascinating term means to some of the 9,000 subscribers to our two free monthly newsletters. So, I asked for some feedback. Out of the slightly over 100 replies received, I have chosen to share a few with you (thanks to all of you who responded).

Each response shown below is from the person named above it:

From Carl Cole, Market Search:

“(It) means that customer perceptions, needs and behaviors have or will shift… potentially in your direction if properly guided.”

From Ariana Walicke, Lane Award Manufacturing:

“(It’s) a world where anyone can get a product from anywhere in the world, as we are now truly a global economy. Every company has a website, most companies are utilizing social media, and many organizations outsource for a variety of items. Because of this challenging and complex competitive market, communication and service have become the key factors to being successful. It is critical to not simply push product out, but to ask the customer what he/she wants and then ensure delivery above and beyond expectations. As we know, a highly satisfied customer is more likely to become a loyal customer and give referrals so you can continue to grow your business. A customer who feels special and important because you took the time to answer his/her questions and respond to his/her needs is a customer for life.”

From Gail M. Curran, ACCEL:

“I work in the nonprofit sector and what (it) means to my organization and sector is, nothing is as it once was, and it will never, ever be as it once was. It means not taking business and the community for granted, being patient and diversifying strategies.”

From Norma Richardson, Health Counselor:

“(It’s) looking at life, work, relationships, home, and business with a higher vision than just scraping by to make a buck; working collaboratively rather than competitively so that we all succeed. It’s wanting to do the best because that is what comes from the heart, not the pocket. Until then…happy eating.”

From Darby Checketts, Customer Astonishment:

“To me, the meaning of the ‘New Reality’ is this: “Customer satisfaction is certainly not enough. The goal must be Customer Astonishment.”

From Benjamin Rosky, R.H.U.:

“(It) means, to me, a paradigm shift from an old way of thinking. It’s about breaking out of the mold, the box, or even the moldy box to reinvent yourself as a valuable resource to others. This could happen at any frequency: daily, monthly, annually, or just as your business environment provides. The most important thing about (it) is that you are always looking for it, never become complacent, and constantly working to serve our planet more effectively.”

From Gene Eldridge, Dyad, Inc:

“I’ve heard several people make similar references in the past few months, but this is the first time I have seen the phrase “the new reality”. However, regardless of whether it is “the new reality”, “the way things are”, or “get used to it”, the implication is the same………that we should accept economic and political conditions as they currently exist and that we cannot reasonably expect to see significant change or return to a healthy, business-friendly political climate.

“I reject this premise. I’m not advocating that we live in a dream world and refuse to recognize the reality of our situation, but I believe the use of this phrase to represent the current business climate is indicative of a pervasive lack of resolve. Ironically, the current administration ran on a platform of “change” and that is currently what opponents of the same administration now seek. I would also like to comment on another phrase contained within the same message.

“That is the phrase ‘challenging’ economy. The word ‘challenge’ alludes to ‘competition.’ In this case it refers not to healthy competition between worthy business rivals but to the fight for survival that has developed between the American small-business owner and harmful, anti-business legislation proposed and implemented by our governments whether it be city, state, or federal.

“What most of us have come to overlook is that we the business owners and trend setters still have the real power. We simply do not wield the power we have with sufficient confidence. Despite everything that has happened in recent years, this is still the United States of America. We still have more freedom and more opportunity for success than anywhere else in the world, although several other countries have made enormous advances in the global market recently and will likely eclipse the US within the next few years if we don’t turn our ship around soon. The point is that we are proactive in our personal lives, we strive for perfection in business and from our employees, but we consistently and inexplicably accept poor performance, dishonesty, and betrayal from our politicians. Until we remove the blinders we have donned voluntarily, see the world for what it is rather than what we wish it were, and vote with logic and conviction rather than with our hearts, we will continue to be ‘challenged’ by the economic system created by politicians who have never run a business, made payroll, or sometimes even worked a day in their lives.”

From Les Taylor, Achievement Solutions, LLC:

“Here’s my two cents: (It’s) Wake up and smell the coffee, things have changed.”

From Tom Trush, Direct-Response Copywriter & Marketing Strategist:

“I think (it) means you can no longer rely on force-feeding your prospects the features and benefits of your product/service without worrying about developing a relationship.

“This may have worked when people were throwing around money like grass seed on a barren yard because it was much easier to generate sales — funds were more plentiful. These days, how you’re perceived when marketing to your prospects comes down to two factors. Neither one has anything to do with experience … schooling … years in business … location … skill level … budget … or technical knowledge.

“Instead, the two most critical elements in a marketing relationship are the frequency of your interaction and the value of your communication. Simply put, you must contact your prospects often and give them information they view as valuable.

“Think of the courtship process in marketing as being similar to your relationship with your spouse or significant other. It’s safe to assume the connection you have now isn’t the same as when you met for the first time. Your relationship took time to develop, right?

“In the case of a marketing campaign, the common mistake it trying to rush the relationship by initiating contact only when you have something to sell. Can you imagine the relationship you’d have with your spouse or significant other if the only time you talked to him/her was when you sought out personal gain? You don’t have to be Dr. Phil to realize your “relationship” would sour quickly.

“The reality is people are more likely to buy from you after you’ve gained their trust and established a relationship — outcomes that require time and frequent contact. Make sense? The bottom line is you must prove to your prospects you care about their needs before you’ll have any success pitching your product or service.”

From Susan Ratliff, Exhibit Experts:

“New Reality? I don’t buy it. I wish the pundits would just be quiet. Change is change as most business owners know. If you want to survive, you adapt, go with the flow. Change is change for better or worse, some see opportunity, others a curse. Success depends on how you view it. Adapt, innovate and you’ll get through it.”

From Carolyn J. Brown, CEO, The Accountant’s Office, LLC:

“(It’s) that most businesses aren’t as busy as they have been in the past. This means that they have an opportunity to focus on the important strategic areas that will contribute to being a stronger and more successful business. This includes:

· examining systems to make sure you are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible

· evaluating your fixed expenses to see where you reduce costs

· exploring new services that your client base needs, becoming their solution provider

· using cost-effective ways to stay in from of your target market (now if definitely not the time to quit marketing!)

“The economy will rebound and those businesses that operate strategically will not only survive, they will thrive! At The Accountant’s Office, we have done all of the above and are seeing results. We are steadily adding new companies to our client family and our revenues are up over 20%.”

From Ed Taylor, EST Enterprises:

“(It’s) that not only does one have to work harder to keep clients but one has to let high maintenance clients go. Now that time is so important one cannot waste it on a client that is unreasonable or taking advantage of tough times and actually costing you money. Sometimes it is just as important to lose a client and replace them with a more profitable one than spend valuable time and resources to push a noodle up hill.”

From George C. Ritz, G-Help Proofreading:

“(It) means that whatever your offering is, it must now be perceived as being closer to the ‘necessity category’ than the ‘nicety category’.”

The Marketing Partners of Arizona website has recently undergone a complete makeover, from graphics to content and everything else in cyberland. A special thanks to Mike Toll and his team at Scottsdale-based FireDrum Internet Marketing – especially Mellissa Gerke – for doing such a great job for us. If you have an opportunity, take a look through MarketingPartnersAZ.com, and let us know what you think. Any and all suggestions will be welcomed.

How does your strategic plan look for 2011? If you haven’t drafted it yet, that perhaps is forgivable, what with the distractions of the mid-term election and that pesky recession with which you may have been preoccupied.

But the time to plan for next year is now . . . as in immediately. It can be as simple “for starters” as listing these items:
• Your objectives
• Strategy
• Tactics
• Timelines
• Budget
• Benchmarks (for measuring progress)

Mark your calendar for April 15 to “take the temperature” of your marketing efforts and progress to date. Then, make any adjustments that may be necessary at that time. Following this little plan will pay dividends in terms of real progress. To ignore such advanced planning is to invite, at best, mediocre progress and, at worst (need we say?).

A year-end reminder

How does your strategic plan look for 2011? If you haven’t drafted it yet, that perhaps is forgivable, what with the distractions of the mid-term election and that pesky recession with which you may have been preoccupied.

But the time to plan for next year is now . . . as in immediately. It can be as simple “for starters” as listing these items:
• Your objectives
• Strategy
• Tactics
• Timelines
• Budget
• Benchmarks (for measuring progress)

Mark your calendar for April 15 to “take the temperature” of your marketing efforts and progress to date. Then, make any adjustments that may be necessary at that time. Following this little plan will pay dividends in terms of real progress. To ignore such advanced planning is to invite, at best, mediocre progress and, at worst (need we say?).

We’ve been to two company-sponsored events recently (two different companies) that had the same problem: They were staged outdoors, but – curiously – neither provided a microphone for the speakers on the program. The result in both cases was a logistical disaster! . . . to wit, one simply couldn’t hear most of what the speakers on the program had to say. We never thought we would have to admonish program sponsors to not fail to have a “mike” setup for outdoor programs, but here goes: BE SURE TO PROVIDE A MICROPHONE AND SOUND SYSTEM FOR YOUR OUTDOOR PRESENTATIONS!

Check out the sales email generated in 2009 as compared to spending for it as compared to conventional advertising, and you will note a very dramatic difference in ROI. Then, take a look at the eight factors that induce people to open and respond to email marketing messages. To do so, simply pop the link at the end of this sentence into your browser, and you’ll see some surprising figures. http://linkd.in/bE0Y1o

If prospects don’t know you exist, they can’t send you business. Go out and join a face-to-face networking group today, and develop an active presence on Linkedin, Facebook and Twitter. The former will pay dividends – and if you’re active – a great ROI. The latter, besides being free of charge, will stimulate sales and complement your other marketing efforts. What ever you DON’T do — DON’T hide your light under a bushel basket!

In the current issue of our monthly Online mailng piece, Marketing Quick Tip, we asked for feedback on the question, “What does the term, ‘The New Reality’ mean to you?” Already, the feedback has been voluminous, enthusiastic and fulfilling. We’ll put some of the more interesting responses in next month’s issue of our Online newsletter, Marketing Monthly, which will be released early in November.

99% of the time, words are ultimately what generates leads, motivates people to action and makes you money. The right words can produce an astonishingly better response. We all have the same words available for our use. It is how they are arranged that makes the critical difference.

We attended a conference of management and marketing big-wigs at the Advanced Strategy Center last week (at which we were the only little-wig).
The most popular phrase that arose during discussions was the one listed above.

I don’t know precisely what it meant to the others, but to us it means working harder to get an account and then working harder to service it once it is landed (because our clients need the highest level of effort and competence in this . . . ahem, “challenging” economy).

We’d be interested in learning what this expression means to you. The most interesting reply will be passed along in our next newsletter (circulated to 9,000 subscribers) and will also net the sender something tasty from a coffee joint near to them.

There are three balls that need to constantly be juggled in order to at least maintain the value of a brand. These are:

a) customer acceptance
b) a reasonable level of employee contentment, and
c) fiscal viability.

The first of these is, of course, product/service driven. The second, in addition to their getting a paycheck on a regular basis, has more to do with employees’ general job satisfaction, working conditions, self-image, etc. The third is required because relatively few people want to buy a “loser.”

If maintaining the brand is Business 101, then building equity in the brand requires, not only doing things right, but, doing the right things. Key among these tenets, and a fourth ball one must keep an eye on is business growth.

In other words, if your brand equity today equals “$$,” would the sale of your business net you a comfortable retirement or even an adequate down payment on that cottage in the woods or another business venture? . . . I was afraid that would be your answer! The remedy: build your equity to (at least) $$$$.

How to do this?

The late Peter Drucker, who during the whole of the 20th century was the foremost business management guru of them, all has put it this way:

“Business has two basic functions: Innovation and Marketing.
These produce results. All the rest are costs.”

It may not surprise you to learn that I agree with the renowned Mr. Drucker, whom I hasten to underscore was not a marketing person, but, rather, a management expert. Indeed, unless you are that notable exception (would you believe one in 100,000?) whose business grows sort of “organically” at a rate (and of a quality) significant enough impact the bottom line, you can count on the fact that effective marketing will need to be your key engine in achieving growth.

When a sale of your business is a goal

If preparing an exit strategy and “cashing in your chips” have become more dominant factors in your thinking, it would make sense for you to start a dynamic marketing program with specific objectives and benchmarks, sooner rather than later. If your timeline is to put your business on the market within the next couple of years, it certainly is not too late to mount an aggressive marketing campaign aimed toward making the sale date a bigger pay day (keep in mind that the average business sale easily can take 12-18 months).

Such a campaign most likely will involve direct marketing (probably e-mail) and your online presence (attracting traffic to your website) because that’s where the action is these days. This should not be left to chance or random efforts, but, rather, should be based on an effective marketing plan featuring strategies to meet your objectives, and tactics through which to implement those strategies. And there should be an ongoing review of your exit plan so necessary adjustments can me made throughout the process.

Following these guidelines will help to ensure that the results of what may be the biggest sale you will ever make will meet or exceed your goals.