We always start a new client relationship by asking the client to relate the things that makes them different and better than their competitors. There are two reasons for this.

 

One: It gives us a clearer picture of the marketing “ammunition” we will have with which to work.

 

Two: If a client doesn’t at least believe they are better than their competitors, we don’t take them on (we are opportunity agents, not turnaround artists).

 

When clients ask me how we want this information formatted, we point out that we have a questionnaire for them to complete, but also ask them to write “a letter to an uncle,” as if they were bringing a long-lost relative up to date on the status of their business. These little missives can be quite revealing, and often contain some of the more intimate details that may be lacking in the more formalized questionnaire.

 

If I were to write such a letter now, while I would report gratefully that business is quite good, I’d add, “But, Uncle (Jim), I’m nonetheless concerned because I   see an awful lot of ‘hurt’ out there.” This, of course, includes excellent business operators who are inexorably caught up in a riptide of negative circumstances not of their own making.

 

Yet, as an optimist by nature (what marketing person isn’t?) I see a light at the end of the tunnel and, hopefully, it isn’t attached to the front of a Southern Pacific or Santa Fe locomotive. With some notable exceptions like the construction and real estate industries there are many whose fortunes, while impacted by the pervasive economic malaise experienced within these fields, are nonetheless neither entirely nor directly dependent upon them.

 

To these relatively fortunate folks, I would say, yes, swimming upstream is difficult – but not impossible – and is eminently worth the effort, particularly when considering the alternative; for to merely “float” is to fall back.

 

There are many success stories currently being written by people who have opted for reinvention in the face of perfect storms of economic upheaval. And they are punctuating their new direction with infusive promotional initiatives that fly on the wings of energetic marketing effort. Various tales of their reemergence are being related in the traditional media and, in increasing numbers, Online and along Main Street.

 

Shiny paint, new carpeting, new pursuits and positively inclined press releases that chronicle these are shoving aside the vestiges of doom and gloom while inspiring us all. Indeed, the “brass ring,” though undeniably harder to reach, is still there for the grabbing. And while in a couple years some among us will still be cursing the darkness, fortune, to a degree never before seen in our lifetime, will, again, have favored The Bold.

 

And The Bold will be looking back on their immediate past, flushed with their “new” success and relieved to have survived yet another “close one.”

 

 
In the early ’90s a Website was something of a novelty. As the millenium dawned, it became a must, but it almost seemed sufficient just to have an adequate site. Then, people started to make them better and easier to use. Nowadays, the state of the art is nearly spectacular. But, strangely, companies have been slow to recognize  and apply effective techniques to attract more visitors. Indeed a fine Website is like a smile in the dark . . . it’s nice, but nobody sees it.

 

We’ve been watching an awful lot (operative word – awful) of the political stuff on TV lately, and hearing it on radio, and reading about it in newspapers, magazines, e-mails and on the Web.

 

Yes, it’s captured our attention because, after all, they’re tossing around some pretty important stuff, what with jobs, healthcare, national security and the like at stake.  And in the process, effective marketing communication – the marketplace of ideas – is taking a tremendous beating.

 

That’s because the conversation (arguments) on all sides (left, right and the middle) has degenerated into shouting, plays on the emotions, and misrepresentations (can you say, lies?). And what of value have we learned through the body politic up to this point? . . .  Very little of substance insofar as the most pertinent issues are concerned.

 

Paragons or buffoons?

 

Aren’t these “politician paragons” supposed to be the best and the brightest . . . those whom we are to look to as good examples among leaders and communicators, even role (dare I say) role models? By comparison, methinks maybe we plain folks ain’t so bad at communicating after all!

 

Indeed, one can’t be an effective leader without first being a good communicator (we recall The Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan), but more to the point of this missive is the fact that without clear communication neither can one be an effective marketer. Regardless of whether we are selling a piece of legislation, or a piece of pie, a convincing level of communication is key.

 

Yet, for ultimate success, it’s the product and/or service, the subject of the communication, that must be just as valid (Edsel comes to mind). I remember that great adman Bill Bernbach telling a group of us in New York, ”If your product is bad, good advertising communication will only sink it faster!”    

 

Good communication is . . .

 

The ingredients of good marketing communication, in no particular order because all are irreplaceable, are:

 

• Truth
• Clarity
• Relevance
• Substance
• Persuasiveness
• Appropriateness
• Targeting
• Timeliness

                                         

There may be still other ingredients, but just don’t try to bake the cake with any of the above folded into the mix. Maybe the absence of some of these ingredients is why the potential followers of the politicians are confused and (if you read the polls) seem to be quite negatively disposed toward all sides. The only unanimity of opinion seems to be we consumers don’t want to be force-fed anything (duh!).

 

Thus, if, for instance, there are to restaurants side by side and close to home, but we are attracted to neither by their communication, we’ll choose another alternative, even though it may be further away or otherwise involves more effort on our part or, even, inconvenience. Consumers, after all, are not stupid. And, lest we forget, they do have choices.

 

In other words, marketers : Be straight or be gone.

 

Within the next 30 days, contact three of your favorite customers or clients (depending on what term you use to label these people) and present them with something they can use, i.e. an idea; a suggestion; a special offer; a hot tip; a sincere compliment; a congratulatory note; an invitation to coffee, lunch, dinner, etc. Use your imagination because as their vendor (and, hopefully, confidant) you are in a unique position to “deliver the goods for them.”

 

Around our Phoenix-based marketing, advertising and public relations agency, we have a little saying. Pause and put on your thinking cap, it will come to you. If you really set your mind to the task suggested above, the right answers surely will come to you. The only problem you will have is trying to limit it to just three.

 

Whether you are a marketing agency in Arizona, a retailer in California, a financial services company in New Jersey or a manufacturer in Illinois, there are a number of reasons that making such an offer to your patrons is a good idea, and just about all of them fall into the category – It’s just good business. To be a bit more specific in elaborating the list above, here are but a few thoughts. It will:

 

• Remind them you are still “alive,” viable and interested in them.
• Help them in an unsolicited and refreshingly unexpected way.
• Offer them something in the way of a useful idea.
• Suggest something they may not have been considering but which will be of assistance in some way.
• Offer a something special that is not readily available to others, either through you or elsewhere.
• Alert them to a piece of information of which they may not be aware, but which can impact their business.
• Give them what is sure to be some appreciated kudos for something they have recently accomplished (if doing so is appropriate).
• Send a congratulatory message if they’ve done something “big.” This could be accompanied by flowers, a plant for their office or, eve, a mention in your newsletter.
• Take them out to “break the bread,” providing you both with the opportunity to, perhaps, become reacquainted and, at the very least, share a pleasant breather. 

 

In this fast-moving, increasingly challenging environment, advertisers and public relations pros, as well as others in business development roles, have found that opportunities to reach out in some depth to those with whom we may have, even, regular contact are becoming more rare – and (perhaps for this reason) ever more important.

 

Looking at its more mercenary aspects leads ones to quickly conclude that: a) a good customer is hard to find and harder to keep and b) inattention may send the wrong message to clients who are, doubtless, being aggressively pursued by your competitors c) as humans, we all appreciate and are generally responsive to a little TLC.

 

How to do it

• Make a list of your most valuable clients
• If necessary, research their most recent accomplishments (talking to a colleague may be the best way)
• Review their recent transaction record with your company
• Select the subjects of your project
• Act!

 

The results this little 30-day sampler campaign yields will induce you to form a habit of recognizing those most valuable people – your clients. Like when the mechanic warns when urging motorists to consider preventive maintenance, “Pay me now or pay me later,” this writer advises, pay attention to your clients now, or you may pay the price later.

 

Marketing Partners of Arizona (MPA) was founded in 1976 by Allan Starr, and serves a local, regional and national clientele with diverse services including strategic marketing, advertising, public relations, sponsorship procurement, e-mail marketing, Website optimization and other online initiatives. Starr is former governor of the Southwest District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), two-term president of The Arizona Small Business Assn. and is serving a sixth term on the board of directors of The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

 

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Do three favors this month

 

 

By Allan Starr, President/CEO Marketing Partners of Arizona

 

Within the next 30 days, contact three of your favorite customers or clients (depending on what term you use to label these people) and present them with something they can use, i.e. an idea; a suggestion; a special offer; a hot tip; a sincere compliment; a congratulatory note; an invitation to coffee, lunch, dinner, etc. Use your imagination because as their vendor (and, hopefully, confidant) you are in a unique position to “deliver the goods for them.”

 

Around our Phoenix-based marketing, advertising and public relations agency, we have a little saying. Pause and put on your thinking cap, it will come to you. If you really set your mind to the task suggested above, the right answers surely will come to you. The only problem you will have is trying to limit it to just three.

 

Whether you are a marketing agency in Arizona, a retailer in California, a financial services company in New Jersey or a manufacturer in Illinois, there are a number of reasons that making such an offer to your patrons is a good idea, and just about all of them fall into the category – It’s just good business. To be a bit more specific in elaborating the list above, here are but a few thoughts. It will:

 

• Remind them you are still “alive,” viable and interested in them.
• Help them in an unsolicited and refreshingly unexpected way.
• Offer them something in the way of a useful idea.
• Suggest something they may not have been considering but which will be of assistance in some way.
• Offer a something special that is not readily available to others, either through you or elsewhere.
• Alert them to a piece of information of which they may not be aware, but which can impact their business.
• Give them what is sure to be some appreciated kudos for something they have recently accomplished (if doing so is appropriate).
• Send a congratulatory message if they’ve done something “big.” This could be accompanied by flowers, a plant for their office or, eve, a mention in your newsletter.
• Take them out to “break the bread,” providing you both with the opportunity to, perhaps, become reacquainted and, at the very least, share a pleasant breather. 

 

In this fast-moving, increasingly challenging environment, advertisers and public relations pros, as well as others in business development roles, have found that opportunities to reach out in some depth to those with whom we may have, even, regular contact are becoming more rare – and (perhaps for this reason) ever more important.

 

Looking at its more mercenary aspects leads ones to quickly conclude that: a) a good customer is hard to find and harder to keep and b) inattention may send the wrong message to clients who are, doubtless, being aggressively pursued by your competitors c) as humans, we all appreciate and are generally responsive to a little TLC.

 

How to do it

• Make a list of your most valuable clients
• If necessary, research their most recent accomplishments (talking to a colleague may be the best way)
• Review their recent transaction record with your company
• Select the subjects of your project
• Act!

 

The results this little 30-day sampler campaign yields will induce you to form a habit of recognizing those most valuable people – your clients. Like when the mechanic warns when urging motorists to consider preventive maintenance, “Pay me now or pay me later,” this writer advises, pay attention to your clients now, or you may pay the price later.

 

Marketing Partners of Arizona (MPA) was founded in 1976 by Allan Starr, and serves a local, regional and national clientele with diverse services including strategic marketing, advertising, public relations, sponsorship procurement, e-mail marketing, Website optimization and other online initiatives. Starr is former governor of the Southwest District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), two-term president of The Arizona Small Business Assn. and is serving a sixth term on the board of directors of The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

 

#  #  #

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do three favors this month

 

 

By Allan Starr, President/CEO Marketing Partners of Arizona

 

Within the next 30 days, contact three of your favorite customers or clients (depending on what term you use to label these people) and present them with something they can use, i.e. an idea; a suggestion; a special offer; a hot tip; a sincere compliment; a congratulatory note; an invitation to coffee, lunch, dinner, etc. Use your imagination because as their vendor (and, hopefully, confidant) you are in a unique position to “deliver the goods for them.”

 

Around our Phoenix-based marketing, advertising and public relations agency, we have a little saying. Pause and put on your thinking cap, it will come to you. If you really set your mind to the task suggested above, the right answers surely will come to you. The only problem you will have is trying to limit it to just three.

 

Whether you are a marketing agency in Arizona, a retailer in California, a financial services company in New Jersey or a manufacturer in Illinois, there are a number of reasons that making such an offer to your patrons is a good idea, and just about all of them fall into the category – It’s just good business. To be a bit more specific in elaborating the list above, here are but a few thoughts. It will:

 

• Remind them you are still “alive,” viable and interested in them.
• Help them in an unsolicited and refreshingly unexpected way.
• Offer them something in the way of a useful idea.
• Suggest something they may not have been considering but which will be of assistance in some way.
• Offer a something special that is not readily available to others, either through you or elsewhere.
• Alert them to a piece of information of which they may not be aware, but which can impact their business.
• Give them what is sure to be some appreciated kudos for something they have recently accomplished (if doing so is appropriate).
• Send a congratulatory message if they’ve done something “big.” This could be accompanied by flowers, a plant for their office or, eve, a mention in your newsletter.
• Take them out to “break the bread,” providing you both with the opportunity to, perhaps, become reacquainted and, at the very least, share a pleasant breather. 

 

In this fast-moving, increasingly challenging environment, advertisers and public relations pros, as well as others in business development roles, have found that opportunities to reach out in some depth to those with whom we may have, even, regular contact are becoming more rare – and (perhaps for this reason) ever more important.

 

Looking at its more mercenary aspects leads ones to quickly conclude that: a) a good customer is hard to find and harder to keep and b) inattention may send the wrong message to clients who are, doubtless, being aggressively pursued by your competitors c) as humans, we all appreciate and are generally responsive to a little TLC.

 

How to do it

• Make a list of your most valuable clients
• If necessary, research their most recent accomplishments (talking to a colleague may be the best way)
• Review their recent transaction record with your company
• Select the subjects of your project
• Act!

 

The results this little 30-day sampler campaign yields will induce you to form a habit of recognizing those most valuable people – your clients. Like when the mechanic warns when urging motorists to consider preventive maintenance, “Pay me now or pay me later,” this writer advises, pay attention to your clients now, or you may pay the price later.

 

Marketing Partners of Arizona (MPA) was founded in 1976 by Allan Starr, and serves a local, regional and national clientele with diverse services including strategic marketing, advertising, public relations, sponsorship procurement, e-mail marketing, Website optimization and other online initiatives. Starr is former governor of the Southwest District of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), two-term president of The Arizona Small Business Assn. and is serving a sixth term on the board of directors of The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.

 

 

 

#  #  #

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is excellent customer service becoming something of a rare commodity, or have I just been getting unlucky lately?

 

Just this past week, for instance I have experienced three separate incidents in which the customer service I received was, to put it mildly, deficient. Two of these times involved auto repair situations (when it rains, it pours!), one at a highline dealership that speaks with a decidedly Teutonic accent and one that involved my (heretofore) trusty 2004 Hyundai. One encounter was characterized by seeming indifference seasoned with a pinch of arrogance and the other featured a frustrating blend of incompetence and undependability (I’ll let you guess which dealership was which, though I suppose that is immaterial).

 

One case involved a repair bill just north of $1200.00 and the other – though it has yet to be estimated six days later! – will (just a guess) probably come in closer to $3,000.00. The latter will be entirely covered by a warranty, but, silly me, it seems expenditures on this scale (and the fact my P______ died in the middle of a busy intersection) merit just a little bit of TLC.

  

Yet another incident involved a purported “help desk” attendant at a well known, maybe “not-so-super” market chain, who for several minutes ignored me, then snapped at me when I asked politely if anyone was on duty there.

 

The lesson

 

The point to all of this is: If major (or, even, minor) marketing budgets are not complemented by good and caring customer service, does marketing serve its purpose? Or, to put it more succinctly, if a company makes a brand promise to attract customers, shouldn’t that promise be kept?

 

The Hyundai case in point has caused me to strongly consider taking my future business – which may even involve a new car purchase – to a dealer 12 miles away, rather than this one, conveniently located only two miles away. And, rest assured, I am doing this neither out of spite nor as a demonstration of masochistic tendencies. It’s just that I need to be able to count on a vendor, and trust their word.

 

Granted, these may be isolated incidents, but when three crop up in a matter of three consecutive days, it feels more like a trend. Well, now that I’ve vented, please heed the lesson imbedded within these stories. It is this: Treat customers like precious possessions, ones that once lost may never return.

 

Not only will this leverage your marketing expenditures, it likely will convert them to lasting relationships and — that most valuable of all results – good word-of-mouth advertising.

 

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is traditionally a slow business period. It’s a great time to chill out, but it can also be more than marginally constructive. Use some of your “quiet time” to devise one important new marketing initiative for 2010. Then, be sure to put it into action next year. Come January 4, you’ll not only feel challenged by the year that lies ahead, you’ll feel better for having done something constructive  during this break (you may even be able to take the results to the bank).

 

 

 

To the degree it is recognized, your brand sends a message to your prospects.

 

It can work something like this in the consumer’s mind:

 

“(Your brand here) is:

• a good ‘place’”
• good, but too expensive”
• ok, but too cheap.”
• well-suited to my needs.”
• not for me.”
• don’t know what it stands for.”

 

The possibilities are many and varied, but they don’t have to be. It is within your control to “paint” a clear picture of what your brand will translate to in the minds of your prospective consumers. And here are the “colors” on your “palette” that are available for you to use:

 

• Realize you can’t be everything to everybody
• Select the audience you want – demo-  and socio-graphically –    through your choice of media, distribution methods, marketing style (the latter through words and graphics, in the case of advertising).
• Though your “look” and/or delivery method of your marketing message may vary  (in fact , that’s desirable), the quality of your message shouldn’t.
• Use multiple initiatives to support your brand
• Consistency of message-quality and constancy (persistence) are the keys.
• Actually delivering what you promise is essential.
• Delivering more than you promise will win (as customer-relationship guru Darby Checketts professes) “Customer Astonishment.”
• Customer Astonishment translates to rave reviews.
• Rave reviews translate to more – and repeat – business.

 

Ouch!

 

All of this was brought to mind by an article I read recently which reported that a hotel visitor posted a glowing online review of the Best Western Inn in Sedona AZ after a recent stay. The review stated: “I am somewhat of a snob when it comes to hotels. I was leery of Best Western, but this exceeded my expectations.”

 

According to the article, understandably, the chain’s President/CEO David Kong cringes when he hears raves like that. “It might be a compliment for the hotel, but it’s not a compliment for the brand,” he said.

 

What goes around . . .

 

Now, let’s take the case of Community Tire, a 7-outlet tire and auto service company with centers mostly in the metro Phoenix area, headed by my friend Howard Fleischmann and his partners. Howard is a “hustler,” of the highest stripe, seeing to it that the Community brand message is spread in myriad ways. His latest initiative is transforming his locations into “certified female friendly” places, seeing to it that they create “an inviting and comfortable environment where women feel welcome.”

 

Howard and wife Patricia, who was the evident inspiration for the program, sensed a need to change women’s outlook on the perceived image of repair shops, and have done something constructive to change it. And, perhaps equally important, they are making sure their market area knows about it. The energetic Howard (can you say, driven)  is proving once again through the firm’s Ask Patty certified service centers and many other ideas that the difference between advertising and marketing is this:

 

Advertising is selling what you have, and marketing is having what will sell.

 

 

#  #  #

I have attempted to buy a product and a service recently (from two different vendors, both of whom I know and like). In each case, they did not respond to my e-mail request, even with a simple, “we’re too busy,” etc. (which I doubt) or, an “I’ll get back to you.” I neither owe these vendors money, nor have we had any difficulties in the past. What am I to think? Moral: Always take the time and effort to at least answer every request for your product or services, even if the answer is “no thanks.”

 

 

The “specials” are everywhere: “buy one, get one free” . . .  “order Online for a 10% discount” . . . “two dinners for $20” . . . a fast-food burger for a buck . . . and these heretofore-unheard-of offers also are nearly as ubiquitous in the business-to-business world.

 

Are these vendors desperate? Surely, some may be, but to dismiss these offers merely as acts of desperation would be to miss the point. Certainly people are hurting – on both sides of the selling cycle. And, as a defense, consumers are stashing their dough rather than spreading it around. This is demonstrated by the fact that the savings rate is the only “upside” to the economy.

 

For consumers to make purchases, there must be a good reason. And, there you have it, the clue imbedded in the messages being sent through all these specials. Let me repeat it: There must be a good reason for a purchase. And that is “the message” in the specials.

 

Have you got the message?

 

Now, more than ever, you must cloak your offers in a reason to buy. And you mustn’t be too subtle. Rather, you must be more explicit than implicit. Not as cute. Not as clever. Just to the point.

 

It’s simply a matter of stating:

 

·       What you have to offer

·       What it will do

·       How it will help

·       How to get it

 

This, of course, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it artfully, attractively and persuasively, plying, as it were, all of the marketer’s arts. But do it simply and clearly, with a message based on – here it is again – a reason to buy.

 

Now, to a degree as never before, the suicide pill is to do nothing at all. Look around you. Are your competitors drifting? If so, you’re lucky, because they soon will disappear. But, if, in response, you join the drift, you may be lucky, but you’re not smart.

 

In this age of must marketing, the smart act while others drift.

How long has it been since your company has made news? Not necessarily the earth-shaking kind; perhaps just a new product, service, client, equipment, modification, reconfiguration or idea. Something that might even justify sending out a press release. If you