tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67923586673512903212024-03-14T08:30:14.956-07:00Brandy Gallegos _ Marketing TipsI love the subject of business and marketing. I have been assisting businesses with solutions for more than 15 years. All businesses need something to help them thrive. Maybe I can help you find your missing business piece.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-51108276429125768492015-12-02T10:56:00.004-08:002015-12-02T10:56:58.299-08:00The Top 10 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wordstream.com/images/social-media-and-marketing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.wordstream.com/images/social-media-and-marketing.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture courtesy of wordstream.com</td></tr>
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This post originally published on<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/11/the-top-10-benefits-of-social-media-marketing/" target="_blank"> this site</a></div>
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The Top 10 Benefits Of Social Media Marketing</h2>
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To some entrepreneurs, social media marketing is the “next big
thing,” a temporary yet powerful fad that must be taken advantage of
while it’s still in the spotlight. To others, it’s a buzzword with no
practical advantages and a steep, complicated learning curve.<br />
Because it appeared quickly, social media has developed a reputation
by some for being a passing marketing interest, and therefore, an
unprofitable one. The statistics, however, illustrate a different
picture. <a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-roi-stats">According to Hubspot</a>,
92% of marketers in 2014 claimed that social media marketing was
important for their business, with 80% indicating their efforts
increased traffic to their websites. And according to <a href="http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/report2014/">Social Media Examiner</a>,
97% of marketers are currently participating in social media—but 85% of
participants aren’t sure what social media tools are the best to use.<br />
This demonstrates a huge potential for social media marketing to
increase sales, but a lack of understanding on how to achieve those
results. Here’s a look at just some of the ways social media marketing
can improve your business:<br />
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<b>1. Increased Brand Recognition. </b>Every opportunity you have to <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233713">syndicate your content</a>
and increase your visibility is valuable. Your social media networks
are just new channels for your brand’s voice and content. This is
important because it simultaneously makes you easier and more accessible
for new customers, and makes you more familiar and recognizable for
existing customers. For example, a frequent Twitter user could hear
about your company for the first time only after stumbling upon it in a
newsfeed. Or, an otherwise apathetic customer might become better
acquainted with your brand after seeing your presence on multiple
networks.<br />
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<b>2. </b><b>Improved brand loyalty. </b>According to a <a href="http://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/outpost/blog/brand-loyalty.php#sthash.GymG5BDh.dpbs">report published by Texas Tech University</a>,
brands who engage on social media channels enjoy higher loyalty from
their customers. The report concludes “Companies should take advantage
of the tools social media gives them when it comes to connecting with
their audience. A strategic and open social media plan could prove
influential in morphing consumers into being brand loyal.” Another <a href="http://www.convinceandconvert.com/social-media-research/53-percent-of-americans-who-follow-brands-in-social-are-more-loyal-to-those-brands/">study published by Convince&Convert</a> found that 53% of Americans who follow brands in social are more loyal to those brands.<br />
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<b>3. More Opportunities to Convert. </b>Every post you make on a
social media platform is an opportunity for customers to convert. When
you build a following, you’ll simultaneously have access to new
customers, recent customers, and old customers, and you’ll be able to
interact with all of them. Every blog post, image, video, or comment you
share is a chance for someone to react, and every reaction could lead
to a site visit, and eventually a conversion. Not every interaction with
your brand results in a conversion, but every positive interaction
increases the likelihood of an eventual conversion. Even if your
click-through rates are low, the sheer number of opportunities you have
on social media is significant. And as I pointed out in my article, “<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2013/06/11/the-four-elements-of-any-action-and-how-to-use-them-in-your-online-marketing-initiative/" target="_self">The Four Elements of Any Action, And How To Use Them In Your Online Marketing Initiative</a>,” “opportunity” is the first element of any action.<br />
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<b>4. Higher conversion rates.</b> Social media marketing results in higher conversion rates in a few distinct ways. Perhaps the most significant is its <a href="http://www.business2community.com/social-media/why-its-important-to-humanize-your-brand-on-social-media-0445512#%21by85az">humanization element</a>;
the fact that brands become more humanized by interacting in social
media channels. Social media is a place where brands can act like people
do, and this is important because people like doing business with other
people; not with companies.<br />
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Additionally, <a href="http://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics#Social%20Media">studies have shown</a>
that social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound
marketing, and a higher number of social media followers tends to
improve trust and credibility in your brand, representing social proof.
As such, simply building your audience in social media can improve
conversion rates on your existing traffic.<br />
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<b>5. Higher Brand Authority. </b>Interacting with your customers
regularly is a show of good faith for other customers. When people go to
compliment or brag about a product or service, they turn to social
media. And when they post your brand name, new audience members will
want to follow you for updates. The more people that are talking about
you on social media, the more valuable and authoritative your brand will
seem to new users. Not to mention, if you can <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/07/24/how-to-get-influencers-to-follow-you-on-twitter/" target="_self">interact with major influencers on Twitter</a> or other social networks, your visible authority and reach will skyrocket.<br />
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<b>6. Increased Inbound Traffic. </b>Without social media, your
inbound traffic is limited to people already familiar with your brand
and individuals searching for keywords you currently rank for. Every
social media profile you add is another path leading back to your site,
and every piece of content you syndicate on those profiles is another
opportunity for a new visitor. The more quality content you syndicate on
social media, the more inbound traffic you’ll generate, and more
traffic means more leads and more conversions.<br />
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<b>7. Decreased Marketing Costs. </b><a href="http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-media-roi-stats">According to Hubspot</a>,
84% of marketers found as little as six hours of effort per week was
enough to generate increased traffic. Six hours is not a significant
investment for a channel as large as social media. If you can lend just
one hour a day to developing your content and syndication strategy, you
could start seeing the results of your efforts. Even paid advertising
through Facebook and Twitter is relatively cheap (depending on your
goals, of course). Start small and you’ll never have to worry about
going over budget—once you get a better feel for what to expect, you can
increase your budget and increase your conversions correspondingly.<br />
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<b>8. Better Search Engine Rankings. </b>SEO is the best way to
capture relevant traffic from search engines, but the requirements for
success are always changing. It’s no longer enough to regularly update
your blog, ensure optimized title tags and meta descriptions, and
distribute links pointing back to your site. Google and other search
engines may be calculating their rankings using social media presence as
a significant factor, because of the fact that strong brands almost
always use social media. As such, being active on social media could act
as a “brand signal” to search engines that your brand is legitimate,
credible, and trustworthy. That means, if you want to rank for a given
set of keywords, having a strong social media presence could be almost
mandatory.<br />
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<b>9. Richer Customer Experiences. </b>Social media, at its core, is a
communication channel like email or phone calls. Every customer
interaction you have on social media is an opportunity to publicly
demonstrate your customer service level and enrich your relationship
with your customers. For example, if a customer complains about your
product on Twitter, you can immediately address the comment, apologize
publicly, and take action to make it right. Or, if a customer
compliments you, you can thank them and recommend additional products.
It’s a personal experience that lets customers know you care about them.<br />
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<b>10. Improved Customer Insights. </b>Social media also gives you an
opportunity to gain valuable information about what your customers are
interested in and how they behave, via <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayson-demers/how-to-use-social-media-l_b_3781277.html">social listening</a>.
For example, you can monitor user comments to see what people think of
your business directly. You can segment your content syndication lists
based on topic and see which types of content generate the most
interest—and then produce more of that type of content. You can <a href="http://www.audiencebloom.com/2013/10/5-best-tools-measuring-social-media-performance/">measure conversions</a>
based on different promotions posted on various social media channels
and eventually find a perfect combination to generate revenue.<br />
These are the benefits of sustaining a long-term social media
campaign, but if you’re still apprehensive about getting started,
consider these points:<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Your Competition Is Already Involved. </b>Your competitors are
already involved on social media, which means your potential social
media traffic and conversions are being poached. Don’t let your
competitors reap all the benefits while you stand idly by. If, somehow,
your competition is not involved on social media, there’s even more of a
reason to get started—the field is open.</li>
<li><b>The Sooner You Start, the Sooner You Reap the Benefits. </b>Social
media is all about relationship building, and it tends to grow
exponentially as your followers tell their friends, and their friends
tell their friends, and so on. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll
be able to start growing that audience.</li>
<li><b>Potential Losses Are Insignificant. </b>Realistically, you don’t
have anything to lose by getting involved in social media. The amount
of time and money it takes to create your profiles and start posting is
usually minimal, compared to other marketing channels. Just six hours a
week or a few hundred dollars is all it takes to establish your
presence.</li>
</ul>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-41837456367719866092015-12-01T08:38:00.001-08:002015-12-01T08:38:12.507-08:00 10 Reasons to Treat Employees as People Not Assets<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW3Bc2qJdlwYKJbmtPe6J64Z8LmZtqpHdMoA83ooFt3JUmdidI1iYlFbxTLaaFKwp1V_wn8-CbewvgyfcAo5X36y3KPesFpjDgOgCjnnjHflYkZkOcngdC4xLskQOLagSSwSzk4As8vI/s1600/happy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGW3Bc2qJdlwYKJbmtPe6J64Z8LmZtqpHdMoA83ooFt3JUmdidI1iYlFbxTLaaFKwp1V_wn8-CbewvgyfcAo5X36y3KPesFpjDgOgCjnnjHflYkZkOcngdC4xLskQOLagSSwSzk4As8vI/s320/happy.png" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of meproducts.net</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">This post was originally posted on </span><a href="http://blog.pluralsight.com/treat-employees-as-people" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">this site</a><span style="text-align: start;">.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #58585b; font-family: FreightSans, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1.6875em; line-height: 1.4;">10 reasons to treat employees as people not assets</span></div>
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For many businesses, nothing is more important than the bottom line. It determines if the lights stay on or not. But there’s a hidden danger there: treating your employees as if they’re nothing more than cogs in a machine. Once you’re in that mindset, you’ll find yourself on the losing end of a long and hard battle. Why does it matter? I’ll give you ten good reasons.</div>
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1. They’re family to someone</h2>
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It may have no bearing on your company, but your employees are someone’s mother, father or child. They mean something very dear to someone else. You likely have family or someone who cares about you, so you know how truly important each person is in the life of another. When you examine your relationship to your employees through this kind of filter, you’ll see them in a completely different way, one of respect and kindness. That’s the kind of treatment your employees deserve.</div>
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2. They are human</h2>
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Even if you have employees who don’t have family, or at least none that you know of, they’re still human and deserve to be treated as such. They’re not just a number on a clipboard or an entry in an HR database. Those workers depend upon you as much as you depend upon them. If you want to enjoy a happy staff of employees, you most certainly should consider viewing them as human instead of profit generators.</div>
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3. You were once at the bottom</h2>
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Unless you came from very special (or privileged) circumstances, you were once at the bottom of the corporate ladder. Remember how that felt? Remember wanting to be more than just a cog in the machine, greasing the wheels for someone else? Each of those employees could be the next “you.” In fact, they could wind up being your boss at some point.</div>
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4. Your reputation depends upon it</h2>
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The world we live in is very, very small. The second word gets out that you treat employees as if they’re nothing more than a way for you to build your financial portfolio, your company could find itself on the bad side of a beast called “reputation.” You may scoff at this, but with Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites spreading information faster than most PR teams can keep up, every company is just one bad move away from ruin.</div>
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5. They aren’t slave labor</h2>
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I hesitate to even add this, because slave labor does exist and needs to be abolished immediately, but in a world where corporate greed is used as an excuse for inhumane treatment of workforces, it needs to be mentioned. You cannot in any way treat your employees as if they are yours to command and conquer. Do not be this type of owner or manager. Period. Do not let your company, something you’ve worked so hard to build, turn into tragedy.</div>
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6. They could have your next brilliant idea</h2>
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Your employees are the ones that work closely with your product or service. They know best what works and doesn’t work. You never know if one of those employees will develop the next idea that could easily take your product to unimaginable of levels of success. Treat employees as if they hold the key to an idea that could make your company more profitable.</div>
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7. If they leave…</h2>
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For whatever reason, employees do leave. When they leave, they carry with them emotions, experiences, secrets, data and much more. If you treat them as if they’re nothing but your pawns, that could easily backfire. Yes, those employees have probably signed NDAs and other documents that would protect you in a court of law, but not in the court of public opinion. It’s that latter court which could quickly bring you to ruin.</div>
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8. They reflect your vision</h2>
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If you’ve built your company correctly, your employees reflect and share the vision you have for the company and its future. With that in place, employees will work hard to ensure that vision is made real. If employees don’t reflect your vision and instead reflect nothing but your greed or mismanagement, your vision simply won’t come to fruition.</div>
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9. Karma</h2>
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You may not believe in Karma, but many people do. But even if you don’t believe in this reference to the principle of causality, the idea that no bad deed goes unpunished is very real. This goes back to reputation and if employees leave. Every action you make could have an equal and opposite (or parallel) reaction. If you treat employees as if they don’t matter, karma could reach through the ether and slap you across your profit reports.</div>
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10. They are the reason you have a bottom line</h2>
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To put it plainly and simply, without your employees you wouldn’t have a bottom line. Never forget that. Sure, you could just replace them, but what happens when the next round revolts and you have to replace them, too? Eventually you’re going to find you’ve spent more resources in training new employees over and over again than you have on improving profitability.</div>
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It shouldn’t have to be said that all companies, regardless of size, should see their employees as far more than just a way to improve the bottom line. Sadly, it is an idea (or ideal) that needs frequent repeating as many businesses still have not grasped this concept or have long forgotten about it. As you work your way up the corporate ladder, or as you reflect on how you’ve handled standing on top of that ladder all along, make sure you aren’t one of “those” leaders.</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-48249085760801913732015-11-30T15:48:00.003-08:002015-11-30T15:48:37.916-08:00Developing an Annual Marketing Plan for the New Year<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graphic supplied by skloot.org</td></tr>
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<h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: center;">
Developing an Annual Marketing Plan for the New Year</h1>
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This post was originally posted on <a href="http://www.sbmarketingtools.com/developing-an-annual-marketing-plan-for-the-new-year/">this site</a>.</div>
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<h3>
Make your business New Year resolution to start the year with an
integrated marketing plan that clearly outlines your business objectives
and the marketing strategies and tactics you plan to use to achieve
them</h3>
An annual marketing plan helps keep businesses on track with goals
and objectives for the year and ensures that marketing opportunities and
budgets are maximized. A solid annual marketing plan should be
structured with a disciplined approach to reaching your business goals
and objectives, yet flexible enough to adapt to changing market
conditions and business opportunities throughout the year.<br />
<h3>
Start Annual Marketing Planning by Reviewing Previous Year Marketing Performance</h3>
Before you begin the annual planning process for the coming year’s
marketing efforts, you’ll want to take a close look at how you performed
over the current year. Even if you did not have a structured marketing
plan in place previously, you should be able to review past marketing
activities and results.<br />
Here are some questions to ask when evaluating the performance of a previous annual marketing plan or year’s activities:<br />
<ul>
<li>Did you achieve desired results from your marketing efforts (such as
improved brand recognition, X number of leads generated or
sales/revenue figures)?</li>
<li>Which specific marketing activities were effective?</li>
<li>Which specific marketing activities were not effective?</li>
<li>Should you reallocate resources to better performing targets, markets or marketing tactics?</li>
<li>Has your target market, audience or geographic area changed over the year?</li>
<li>Were you able to stay within a marketing budget at the end of the year?</li>
<li>What areas of your marketing budget do you need to cut costs in for the coming year?</li>
<li>What areas of your marketing budget do you want to invest more in for the coming year?</li>
</ul>
The answers to questions about your previous year’s marketing plan
will play a big part in building an annual marketing plan for the coming
year. Each year adjustments should be made to your marketing planning
efforts that incorporate learning from the past – what works or what
doesn’t work.<br />
<h3>
Develop Essential Components of an Annual Marketing Plan</h3>
A marketing plan is a written document that contains a business’
marketing strategies and tactics. The first step in developing an annual
marketing plan is getting organized. Make a list of all the marketing
components or categories that are important for your business.<br />
(NOTE: See our <strong>Marketing Plan Templates</strong> below for free or low-cost planning tools to help you with the planning process)<br />
Typical components in a marketing plan include:<br />
<ul>
<li>Advertising (print and/or online)</li>
<li>Branding and Graphics (promotional giveaway items, photography, video production, graphic development)</li>
<li>Collateral (sell sheets, brochures, business cards)</li>
<li>Events (trade shows, webinars)</li>
<li>Direct Marketing (email, direct mail, list generation, promotional incentives/contests)</li>
<li>Public Relations (press release distribution, PR agency)</li>
<li>Research (focus groups, surveys, marketing reference books)</li>
<li>Social Media (social media networks)</li>
<li>Website (search engine optimization, web development/hosting)</li>
</ul>
Of course the actual components for your business may vary depending
on your business, industry and marketing budget. The important thing is
to identify all the potential components in your annual marketing plan
so you can decide how you plan to address those components for your
business. Even if you do not plan to allocate budget for a category –
like social media – it should be included if you have any marketing
efforts planned for the category so strategies and tactics can be
outlined in an integrated planning approach.<br />
<h3>
Define Marketing Plan Strategies, Tactics and Budget</h3>
Once marketing components are outlined for the business, all
potential strategies and tactics should be defined per category or
component.<br />
Here is an example of defining strategies and tactics for the “advertising” category:<br />
<strong>Marketing Category:</strong> Advertising<br />
<strong>Strategy #1</strong> – Drive traffic to website via online advertising<br />
<strong>Tactic # 1</strong> – Google Adwords<br />
<strong>Tactic #2</strong> – Banner ads on industry association website<br />
<strong>Tactic #3</strong> – Internet yellow pages ads<br />
<br />
Each tactic will also need to have an allocated budget, if
applicable. The marketing plan should include fields to capture your
allocated budget, actual spend and budget variance so that you can track
throughout the year and make any adjustments needed. For example, if
you are tracking under budget in one category you can shift funds to
another category where you may be tracking over budget.<br />
<br />
Flexibility to adapt an annual marketing plan throughout the year is
important to adapt to a changing business environment and be
“opportunistic” in marketing efforts. Be sure to take advantage of
tracking mechanisms for marketing efforts whenever possible – such as
unique 800 numbers or website analytic reports – so that you can make
adjustments to maximize performance of campaigns (or dump marketing
efforts that are not producing desired results). Goals should also be
set for all areas of a marketing plan so that you can measure the
performance of marketing tactics against business objectives.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-45412675880144302602014-12-10T08:06:00.000-08:002014-12-10T08:12:55.332-08:00Don't Think Your Business Doesn't Need A Website? Think Again....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PoCIpuio2h5uH1IW-gqD9LreAK3vHIYd1XzY8Uv9dA5A4ncNvkUKhwH2WhLffbg0LqVTMTT8mASEFYtFguuBU7WndXH75g0Sxr_O71s6OwyxU9oG3OD5E2fgUKUBcHi-nxetoIxaKOg/s1600/You-Really-Need-a-Website.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PoCIpuio2h5uH1IW-gqD9LreAK3vHIYd1XzY8Uv9dA5A4ncNvkUKhwH2WhLffbg0LqVTMTT8mASEFYtFguuBU7WndXH75g0Sxr_O71s6OwyxU9oG3OD5E2fgUKUBcHi-nxetoIxaKOg/s1600/You-Really-Need-a-Website.png" height="248" width="640" /></a></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Don't Think Your Business Doesn't Need a Website?</h2>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Brandy Vasquez, New Image Consulting</div>
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As a business consultant, I hear this question a lot. Does my business really need a website? <br />
There are plenty of businesses out there that think no they do not need a website for their industry, line of work, or for whatever reason people may concoct to not have to go through the pain of building a website. What I will tell you is this. Do I, as a professional business consultant think you need a website? Yes, yes I do. But it's not just enough to have a website. It's not about going on WordPress and creating a fly by night website. If you are going to build a website, you have to build it to look professional. So do you need a website, yes, but it needs to be done right. </div>
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Today's technological world requires that people interact online. Almost anything and everything can be done online. You need your driver's license renewed? Do it online. You need to order flowers for your loved one? Order it online. You want to talk to a customer service rep about an issue but you don't want to call, chat online. The way of direct communication and interaction has gone digital. So why would you think you wouldn't need to follow the already placed model of online interaction with a website?</div>
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Great example.... let's say you decide to open up a dog grooming shop. You have a nice store front, you spent serious cash on getting the place well equipped with the latest technology to ensure quality production. You even create a Facebook page because a) you know how to do Facebook and b) you know Facebook is great exposure. But in your rush to get things going, you decide Facebook is enough for an online presence and you do not need a website. What do you think this says to people who are looking for a dog groomer online? For one, your main competitor down the street has a website. Not only does your competitor have a website, but she has a website with pricing, grooming tips, pictures of happy doggies, a place to book an appointment, and a social interaction portal. Who do you think is going to get more online business? You with your Facebook page or your competitor with their cool and very efficient website? If you guessed the competitor, you are correct. This is why... people want to know that they can trust who they do business with. We all hate giving away our money and the last thing we want is to get screwed right? So if you are going to go online and you see one company has a website, with pricing, information, etc... and another company only has a Facebook page, what seems more professional? What does this say to the potential consumer? </div>
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This is what a consumer thinks if you do not have a website or if you have a bad website:</div>
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1) This business is completely unprofessional and unreliable.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb41lvu6C_2hCgppm5p2RVJdn2NAN3mAmeGn5ibxYdQpPX60nPGKpHdUtaiNy2vFOMDRRP_0ns1eOEXys56waqdDpWpo07JChUWDItWk0ByqZYXb5cYq2x0BKg9_2ywHBnQ27WvtY2B8/s1600/index.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyb41lvu6C_2hCgppm5p2RVJdn2NAN3mAmeGn5ibxYdQpPX60nPGKpHdUtaiNy2vFOMDRRP_0ns1eOEXys56waqdDpWpo07JChUWDItWk0ByqZYXb5cYq2x0BKg9_2ywHBnQ27WvtY2B8/s1600/index.jpg" /></a></div>
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2) This business is either too cheap to put money into their business or too poor. What does that say about the quality of the service they provide?</div>
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3) What is this business hiding? By not having a website, I cannot research information on this company which seems shady to me. </div>
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4) They don't have the information I need so I am going to go the the business that does.</div>
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5) Their website is horrible, I'm not going there. It's too busy or outdated.</div>
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This list goes on and on. In today's world with everything at our fingertips, people use the internet for practically anything. More than 20 million people shop online, and most people spend half their day logged into something. And your missing the boat why? Because you don't think you need a website? Maybe you think it's going to be too expensive to build one? Maybe you think having a crappy website is better than not having anything?</div>
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I am not going to say it will not cost money to properly build a website. Whether you choose to go the CSS/HTML route or if you use a templated website like GoDaddy or Wix, you will have to pay something to have a good website with a solid URL. And it does require either skill or money to get your website displayed on a good web page. SEO does not happen over night and their are methods behind the madness. But is it worth it? YES!!! A business without a website is like a king without a crown. It just isn't good business practice. Your business means something to you. There is a reason why you started the business in the first place. One of the first things you should budget for is a website. Your customers depend on it. This is how they interact and Facebook will only take you so far. Don't be THAT business. Be your business and proudly display that online. </div>
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For more information on websites or for a free consultation, please visit our website at www.newimageconsultingcs.com. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-12256635956619686702014-10-02T16:11:00.001-07:002014-10-02T16:11:15.393-07:00No Planning... No Money.... No Marketing... No Business!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxEoUO41wBMmjg1TL7-WaHx3mHSrv5GC26s_V4j5jLIrDgq1O4r4Gd83sTvDjYxCQM3kfwOB_9P_J2F9Tn4oyCW3tVJ2XNWUeqxb9yhkJoHqUYZo1G4khZoV2jH-y-Ou8J7zAMwPUvmM/s1600/starting+a+business.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxEoUO41wBMmjg1TL7-WaHx3mHSrv5GC26s_V4j5jLIrDgq1O4r4Gd83sTvDjYxCQM3kfwOB_9P_J2F9Tn4oyCW3tVJ2XNWUeqxb9yhkJoHqUYZo1G4khZoV2jH-y-Ou8J7zAMwPUvmM/s1600/starting+a+business.png" /></a></div>
By: Brandy Vasquez<br />
<em>New Image Consulting, LLC</em><br />
<br />
Starting a business is not an easy task. A good entrepreneur understands what it takes to start a business and make it successful. Poor business planning will usually result in a failed attempt to own a business. So why spend all your time and money at attempting to run a business if you are not going to do it correctly in the first place?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV60DlzP4m_5tQ51gqG008k1VTeYKJwXV4IGaXiJ24eme47l8Xt-xqZzbTnDtblUMRnIg0Op4Ih99aFO2QgOtQVXCuyr5LcDKuPp3zpn5rM0zVRfTqZDLxgo-5q3TxMM-otIRaQiSPHP0/s1600/going+out+of+business.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV60DlzP4m_5tQ51gqG008k1VTeYKJwXV4IGaXiJ24eme47l8Xt-xqZzbTnDtblUMRnIg0Op4Ih99aFO2QgOtQVXCuyr5LcDKuPp3zpn5rM0zVRfTqZDLxgo-5q3TxMM-otIRaQiSPHP0/s1600/going+out+of+business.png" height="188" width="200" /></a>There are many reasons why a new business will fail; however, there are major key factors that will stop a business dead in it's tracks if the business owner does not know how to properly start a business. So do you have what it takes to start a business and keep it going?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGKWjGf8KWqY0WTgl2hv7EFPyWpEb3bSVwXsWu_df2lvC30v74OIp_WA9kv1T8T48FtRcVGBMe6yeydJ7iGGymp_Rda-gZHPc3QrtYCsFfr0u2c4IFPb_CtzPypB-p7489iNKq3a0ppA/s1600/business+plan.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSGKWjGf8KWqY0WTgl2hv7EFPyWpEb3bSVwXsWu_df2lvC30v74OIp_WA9kv1T8T48FtRcVGBMe6yeydJ7iGGymp_Rda-gZHPc3QrtYCsFfr0u2c4IFPb_CtzPypB-p7489iNKq3a0ppA/s1600/business+plan.png" height="187" width="200" /></a>1) The most important piece any potential business owner should have before starting a business is a solid, detailed, and realistic business plan. A business plan takes a business owner through steps to ensure a business will succeed. A business plan gives you an idea of the who, what, when, where, and why your business is a good idea and what it will take to grow. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJB80mxg4Q2csKzRzedncsJEagLhar48WLD_m46IosSMjCYy37VRPV5eiyjO73e7f2UmlmHoys6a-_pArp-Nq41DMj2aZNBT4wxKmlO_NmhQt2y0B6N-fDBP2-W7Txne7TfyFwAQhVpE/s1600/money.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJB80mxg4Q2csKzRzedncsJEagLhar48WLD_m46IosSMjCYy37VRPV5eiyjO73e7f2UmlmHoys6a-_pArp-Nq41DMj2aZNBT4wxKmlO_NmhQt2y0B6N-fDBP2-W7Txne7TfyFwAQhVpE/s1600/money.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>2) The second most important piece to business is money!!!! Starting a business is usually expensive. Start up costs can range in the thousands and until a business is profitable, a good business owner will need to make sure he or she has enough start up funds to keep the business going. Many businesses fail within the first few months because they run out of money. Understanding how much money you need to get the ball rolling and keep it going is very important and a fundamental piece in the business plan. <br />
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3) The third most important piece to business is marketing. Without a solid marketing plan, your business will fail. There are three major components of marketing. The first component of marketing is understanding your brand, demographic, geography, and strategy of your market for branding and reach. The second component of marketing is advertising. Advertising includes traditional methods of advertising (radio, television, newspapers, direct mail), new age marketing (websites, social media marketing, and SEO), and marketing materials (business cards, fliers, graphic design, and other materials) to brand your business. The third component to marketing is sales (sales people, ecommerce sites, etc...). <br />
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When I speak to business owners about marketing I often here "I don't have time to market or sell my business", "I don't need marketing because I have a location", "I cater to a lot of people, nothing specific", "I don't have money for advertising", "I rely on word of mouth", "I use Facebook and Twitter to get the word out", or "advertising doesn't work". As a professional marketer, when I hear people give me excuses on why they do not have a solid marketing plan, I laugh. <strong>How on Earth do you expect your business to grow if you do not invest time or money into marketing your business?</strong><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV-Yelm8t2PYFFMvtoKN1dijf3m2T2gLt8twtSi9hZPSTvZtf0JPWw7LJpH1ra8i9HE6CTBea4cNrsBQqRe_b2W1vzmC3FCM6awFC3Iz68lqIH03DTwyRkG5Lqp0x_IPgdlU0JgPgFFE/s1600/advertising.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSV-Yelm8t2PYFFMvtoKN1dijf3m2T2gLt8twtSi9hZPSTvZtf0JPWw7LJpH1ra8i9HE6CTBea4cNrsBQqRe_b2W1vzmC3FCM6awFC3Iz68lqIH03DTwyRkG5Lqp0x_IPgdlU0JgPgFFE/s1600/advertising.png" height="149" width="200" /></a><br />
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Have you ever heard the saying from the movie Field of Dreams, "If you build it they will come?" This is not the case in business. Just because you rent a building and put up a sign, does not mean people will come flooding in your door by the thousands. And just because you start a Facebook page or profile and friend 500 people, does not mean you are successfully marketing your business. As a matter of fact, most people on Facebook will NOT pay attention to what you have to say or offer unless you properly market your business on Facebook.... which takes time, money, and know how! Remember, when I say marketing that means materials as well (like I said above in advertising). You need marketing materials to present your business. If your business does not have a website, logo, business cards, fliers, etc.... then you better find a way to accommodate for that. And for traditional and new age advertising methods.... just look at advertising this way... if big box companies and corporations like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, and Wal-mart spend millions of dollars a year on advertising, don't you think you should do what the big boys do? There is a reason they are that big and there is a reason why they spend money in branding and advertising. Advertising is designed to bring your business customers which turns into cash flow. So why would you say no to that? Now I'm not saying you need to spend a million dollars in advertising, but you will need to spend advertising dollars according to your marketing plan and budget. <br />
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All businesses who understand marketing and advertising will invest in branding. You may wonder, just how much money should you invest in your business, and this is an excellent question. A large company like Wal-mart has to stay large. When they put together their marketing budget (marketing budgets are normally annual budgets) they have to factor in how much return on investment they will get for the money they spend. Because they are so big, they have to invest in the millions to stay where they are. However, for a company just starting out (that does not have millions of dollars to advertise) overspending in advertising would be silly. If you cannot afford it or if your company is not big enough to keep up with the demand that advertising will create, then you have a problem. So I tend to recommend spending anywhere between 10-20% of your gross sales for an advertising budget (this may vary depending on your cash flow, overhead, and costs to keep the business open). This includes your marketing materials. I like to tell my clients that if you are projecting to hit $100,000 in sales for a year, $10,000 is a good amount to spend on marketing and advertising. JUST REMEMBER that marketing and advertising is supposed to be a good return on your investment. Do not sink your money into advertising that does not work or make sense for your company. For example if you are a lingerie shop and your key demographic is women, do not advertise on a sports channel (unless you are trying to target men specifically).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpfLq00wf14H8TDqd0N60lphP_blGsxp_xvFHcrADgV_OI0vrjewf4uvpRmdrGILU2wLvSNzyWQCHaxfYJb0iudAL_eRb2e-hmrhNKAr22IBLyLMo8DaxW7lmJK8GavMJjpIs8pF3AnA/s1600/door+to+door.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbpfLq00wf14H8TDqd0N60lphP_blGsxp_xvFHcrADgV_OI0vrjewf4uvpRmdrGILU2wLvSNzyWQCHaxfYJb0iudAL_eRb2e-hmrhNKAr22IBLyLMo8DaxW7lmJK8GavMJjpIs8pF3AnA/s1600/door+to+door.png" height="149" width="200" /></a><br />
Even if you are starting a home based business like Avon, Mary Kay, or Pampered Chef, you need a marketing campaign and a plan of strategy for growth. If you do not have start up money to properly market or advertise your business, then you may need to get your sales on and use gorilla marketing tactics. What is gorilla marketing? For a lack of a better word... sales. Gorilla marketing is when you put your most comfortable pair of shoes on and go door to door with fliers and products in hand and sell to consumers. Is it hard? YES!! Will you hate it? YES!! But if your business is that important to you and you do not have money to start a business, then this is a great way to get cash flow.<br />
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Speaking of gorilla marketing and sales, sales is a major component of marketing. Believe it or not, sales and marketing go hand in hand. Sometimes you get people who are sales heavy and sometimes you get people who are marketing heavy. What does it mean to be heavy in sales or marketing exactly? Well true marketing people are the creative thinkers and dreamers. These are the people who understand branding, strategy, statistics, design, media buying, etc. Sales people think more along the lines of money and closing deals to generate revenue. However, they go hand in hand. Without the ideas, understanding, and marketing knowledge from the marketing people, sales people may not have the materials and understanding needed to sell a great product or service to the right demographic of people. Also if your business in an internet based ecommerce business, you need marketing strategies like SEO to get people to your website so you can sell product. It's a circle because they need each other. Without marketing there is no selling, and without selling (cash flow) there is no marketing (or business). If you are not a sales person but own a business, you may need to hire a sales person to sell for you. But what if you can't afford to hire on a sales person? Well that's simple. Sales people are usually driven by money. Create a commission plan and pay the sales person based on what they sell. That way you are able to pay them as your business grows. The more they sell, the more money they make, and so does your business. It is a win-win (as long as you have a dedicated sales person willing to make sales). <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ1Ix8aGoLW5fZZwwlY-UjlAkLfosv5oBa4y9vqDu0NTNR8BYJmlQyPrR18qvsbFmIbDZQSnwHZrmE0kZEiiOfEIxdVS0e4rd-XHoaiUThsCR4aeesD9nlR5JQ6Cy23yjOJnGx3qfctw/s1600/goals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJ1Ix8aGoLW5fZZwwlY-UjlAkLfosv5oBa4y9vqDu0NTNR8BYJmlQyPrR18qvsbFmIbDZQSnwHZrmE0kZEiiOfEIxdVS0e4rd-XHoaiUThsCR4aeesD9nlR5JQ6Cy23yjOJnGx3qfctw/s1600/goals.jpg" height="235" width="320" /></a>4) Understand your operating goals and objectives is important! Businesses will fail if you do not follow your business plan. Why create a business plan if you do not intend to use it? I get it, as a business owner you will get busy. It is easy to put things aside while you are working. Unfortunately letting goals and objectives fall through the cracks will break your business. "In your planning process, create goals and objectives for your business. Break down goals and objectives by quarter – in other words, identify all of the things that must be done during the first quarter, the second quarter, the third quarter and the fourth. <br />
<br />
Examples of specific goals could be for each month; revenue objectives, profit objectives, numbers of new customers, specific marketing and operational activities, etc, (R.H Williams, 2014)".<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_IZKv0pk4O3_9Jcqwtg1uHiqe6lrb2AD2neKGeAXQYRHGXkLf9IlCWUP007cyh6VJt7FNai2PHCvWeNyf0XZrAdBuUasEIeASrQKcjoSVdoWkI6KhCAz7_DjePJ16mjPbxTI-RtjU-k/s1600/be+prepared.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA_IZKv0pk4O3_9Jcqwtg1uHiqe6lrb2AD2neKGeAXQYRHGXkLf9IlCWUP007cyh6VJt7FNai2PHCvWeNyf0XZrAdBuUasEIeASrQKcjoSVdoWkI6KhCAz7_DjePJ16mjPbxTI-RtjU-k/s1600/be+prepared.png" height="154" width="320" /></a>5) Finally be prepared for ANYTHING!!! Business is ever-changing and you must be ready for the positives and negatives that may lie ahead. For example, if you have a newspaper write about your business and all of a sudden you are so busy you can't keep up.... have a plan for that. OR if your business is moving right along, picking up speed and suddenly sales STOP. Be prepared for that. Know your business and KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY! You should know as a business owner busy months and slow months. You should know what products are best sellers and what products will sit on a shelf for months. You should know the ins and outs that make you the expert of your industry, otherwise don't be in that industry. <br />
<br />
I could keep going on for pages discussing business methods, the dos and don'ts, and the whys and why nots. This is a good start to your success as a business owner. If you need more information, then don't hesitate to ask!!<br />
<br />
Check out my website at <a href="http://www.newimageconsultingcs.com/">www.newimageconsultingcs.com</a> for more updates, stories, and information regarding business and what you can do to successfully run a business. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-61427358713769971822012-06-25T11:49:00.000-07:002012-06-25T11:49:56.201-07:00The Makings of a Great Sales Person<br />
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Sales… people just hear this word and they automatically
think either a job I would hate to have or people I hate to converse with. And why is that one may ask? Why do people hate salespeople and refuse to
be put in a sales environment? I can
tell you that at times I get it. I
understand where people come from. There
is a simple reason why people hate the word SALES… because that’s what it is….
SALES. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime7SdCaIvfpBLPheAeC6Jyzw4nR1fIB3ijDFz9Ax-UDiePATqe1D5epp0uATRTvrw6NQyhSE5_QA1rQt7Mx6KLRb2MbGzWPmQ53SFdF2wKWVnDtoNoOhsIR6U6-ztpIfNJxoucp51_lw/s1600/shake-hands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEime7SdCaIvfpBLPheAeC6Jyzw4nR1fIB3ijDFz9Ax-UDiePATqe1D5epp0uATRTvrw6NQyhSE5_QA1rQt7Mx6KLRb2MbGzWPmQ53SFdF2wKWVnDtoNoOhsIR6U6-ztpIfNJxoucp51_lw/s320/shake-hands.jpg" width="320" /></a> I started
my sales career at a very young age.
After going to dental assisting school and realizing that blood makes me
queasy, I got my first real professional job with Farmers Insurance as an
assistant. After learning the insurance
world, I moved to American Family Insurance where I became an agent with my property
and casualty license. I did this at the
age of 18. After a year of answering
machines, hang ups and cuts from the white pages on my fingers, I moved to a
different kind of sales with The Gazette.
I was invited into the world of call center sales. </div>
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I have been
with The Gazette off and on for nine years.
In between my nine years with the Gazette, I was a Retail Sales
Associate with Denver Mattress and a General Manger for American Laser Centers. I came back to The Gazette because I missed
the atmosphere, the comradery, and the fun at The Gazette. I especially missed the training on how to be
an accomplished salesperson here. It’s
different than any other sales position I have ever had. So what makes a great salesperson?</div>
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First of
all, don’t call me a salesperson. That
is not what I do. I do not sell people
anything. Not saying that what I do
doesn’t come with a price, but I’m not selling products like other sales
jobs. I am creating, designing, and
implementing marketing solutions that guarantee results for my client. I am a marketing specialist, not a salesperson. So what does this mean to my clients? When I walk into an office as a marketing specialist,
it means I am coming in with knowledge and expertise, not products. I am not here to act like a “car salesman”
and nickel and dime my clients. No… I am
here to listen to what you have to say, what your needs are, and how… as a
consultant… I can make your life better as a business owner. DO NOT CALL ME A SALESPERSON!! I am a marketing specialist. So as a business owner who has salespeople,
I can tell you how to bring people in and train them to be consultants for your
company. I can tell you how to create
partnerships, not sales, and I can tell you how to build a clientele base based
on relationships and not a bottom dollar.
How do I do this? It’s simple… by
being human.</div>
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Here are my basic simple yet effective rules of being a
great consultant:</div>
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10. Any consultant (A.K.A salesperson) must believe
in the company and the products in which he or she is representing. If you don’t believe in the company you are
with, you will never be able to show the positives of what your company has to
offer, and that is a waste of everyone’s time.</div>
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9. Any consultant must be confident and cool. You must believe in yourself and express
passion in what you do. </div>
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8. What would you do if you weren’t afraid? Many consultants (A.K.A. salespeople)
fall short of success because they are afraid to go beyond their comfort
zone. If you know you cannot get passed
the fear, then this profession is not for you.
Besides part of the thrill is when you finally break through the fear
and see success.</div>
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7. Be sincere!!! Let
me say this again… BE SINCERE…. Nobody
likes to be sold. And when I say nobody,
I really mean nobody. The last thing
people want is to be pressured by someone who talks a lot of game. This is why car salesman have a bad rap. Deep down, we know that they are in it for
the money, not to help the customer out.
Be sincere… it’s not about making the bottom dollar. It’s about helping a customer and winning
them for life. You show them that you
are honest and really care about helping them; they will open up, break down
that sales wall and let you in. Some of
the best sales people I know will tell you they have never sold anything in
their life. They have only assisted
people in making their lives better.
What great advice!!!</div>
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6. Dress for success!!
Your appearance can make or break a sale. This is because people judge you in the first
three seconds they see you. Now not to
say you can’t be yourself. Heck I’m out
of the norm when it comes to professionalism, but I am professional
nonetheless. Your appearance says a lot
about who you are. This also means don’t
try too<span style="background-color: white;"> hard either.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Believe it or not
men…. Sometimes a tie can scare people.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Or
the jacket may be a bit much.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Either
way, make your appearance your own and dress for success.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">No jeans allowed!!</span></div>
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5. Make the meeting about the customer!! It’s always about the customer. It’s not about you and your knowledge. It’s not about what you know. It’s about them. This means if you are going into a meeting
with a client DO YOUR RESEARCH… know their website, when they first started
their business, and what they are all about.
And be inquisitive!! Ask questions about the business but also learn
about the person you are talking to. BE
SINCERE!! Don’t ask questions to get ahead.
Ask because you sincerely want to know.
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4. Know what you are talking about! You are the expert right? So act like it. Do not go somewhere unprepared. You know the ins and outs of your business
and every product you have to offer. You
should never come across a question where you have to say “I don’t know”. You never say that!! Instead if they do ask a
question that you don’t know, say “I will get that information to you as soon
as I get back to the office”. You are
the expert; you better make sure you act like you are.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh383Y2N66YydxVW36M-3fH2f0eohGL_ez4TLBQx_Edr3VVtrbSiYP0WJyQ2EQqQac_N5Z0Y1hY5VkU_bNVP4SQH8t5jYrzK2P7wCt6UmEcxwMdrrNdqLgmeNL8d2uhyphenhyphenGQhDCOuvDkaZrE/s1600/bad+salesman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh383Y2N66YydxVW36M-3fH2f0eohGL_ez4TLBQx_Edr3VVtrbSiYP0WJyQ2EQqQac_N5Z0Y1hY5VkU_bNVP4SQH8t5jYrzK2P7wCt6UmEcxwMdrrNdqLgmeNL8d2uhyphenhyphenGQhDCOuvDkaZrE/s320/bad+salesman.png" width="320" /></a>3. This is not a sales call, this is a conversation. Do not go in expecting to make a huge sale on
your first try. Be grateful you got
in. So do not go in there trying to sell
something right away. THAT’S BAD, VERY
VERY BAD. The only time you do that is
if the customer wants that. Instead your
first meeting is about a conversation.
It’s about getting to know the client and their needs. You cannot sell
something to someone if you do not know what their needs are. Can a car salesman sell you a car without
talking to you first? No!! Can a store
associate help you find the right size shoes without talking to you first? NO!!!
So don’t expect that you can read their minds and do that on the first
try. </div>
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2. Build the relationship!
This means making friends. This
means long term partnerships. This means
that you honestly care enough about the person you are talking to, to invest
your time and efforts into their cause.
Some of my best clients are my closest friends. They trust me and know that if I am going to
bring something there way it is because I have their best interest at
heart. They know if I ask them to lunch
it’s because I enjoy their company, not because I need to make an extra $$$ to
hit my revenue goal for the month. </div>
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1. BE YOURSELF!!!!
Let me say this again… BE YOURSELF!!!
I have been a top producing representative at The Gazette for a long
time because I am nothing more than myself.
Don’t believe me? Ask anyone at
The Gazette who I am. I am simply
me. I dress the way I want, I act the
way I want, and I sell the way I want. I
sell by not selling. And this makes me a
successful sales person. Sounds funny
right? It’s true though. I am myself all the time and people respect
that. I am not coming in with strings
attached. What you see is what you
get. I am genuine, honest, and very
caring. I NEVER treat my clients like a
sale. I treat them like my friends. And I am genuine about it. </div>
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I know that
what I am showing you here is a bit unorthodox in the sales world. But I’m telling you that I have been selling
my heart out since I was 18 years old. I
am now 31 and I am still going strong. So
if you have a business with sales people that have a hard time pulling their
weight… there could be a few reasons why.
Maybe they don’t have that special ability to sell or maybe they just
don’t know how. Either way, if you
follow my steps and bring the human element back into the sales process, you
may be surprised by the outcome. </div>
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Brandy Vasquez</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-56124079990050096782012-06-11T10:38:00.001-07:002012-06-12T10:56:41.896-07:00Using a QR Code Correctly<br />
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We all see them everywhere we go. Most companies understand that they must have
one. I mean what an easy way for people
to download and receive your website information right to their phone. But there is a problem with these fantastic
squares of downloading joy… if it is not done correctly, then people will not
use the code. </div>
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What is a QR code? Do most people know and understand what
these fuzzy looking squares are all about?
Have you actually downloaded a QR code as a consumer? And if so what was
your thought about the experience?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz-oiHPC-F1UcVKMPgK2uXXVpTeZTVxajpp3KkY5fcIZky5QSjQYgt823m8ngO4XPcF-BOE3dIGIQwm7gXhmj4LA3fG2qAOAybrsB2mQxjZooCFifqV_MPCcNdkrbHBCKiVILs56cYJU/s1600/example+qr+code.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJz-oiHPC-F1UcVKMPgK2uXXVpTeZTVxajpp3KkY5fcIZky5QSjQYgt823m8ngO4XPcF-BOE3dIGIQwm7gXhmj4LA3fG2qAOAybrsB2mQxjZooCFifqV_MPCcNdkrbHBCKiVILs56cYJU/s1600/example+qr+code.jpg" /></a></div>
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This
is a QR Code. You see them
everywhere!! All you have to do is take
a look. They are on signs, buildings, brochures, sites, vehicles, calendars,
businesses, and everywhere else that may get your attention. The object of the QR code is so the consumer
can scan the code and receive your information quickly and effectively through
their incredible smart phone. Once they
scan the code, then the consumer can tap into your website, receive information
on upcoming events, check in to foursquare, like your Facebook page, enter to
win prizes and much more. The QR Code is
an ingenious design for the person on the go, which… let’s face it is everyone. Companies can even make a QR code look like
logos, designs, change the color, and so much more. There is so much you can do with this
technological bundle of fun!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyRHkgTzmRa24EHQFZJm2oGor275z1Xy16Us6c9z4nRhxkY9fZzbAk5Cz-8JwPqW2ZKMEkyIwLmPVMwZV1bTXUJNDHccLOe7DptONutp_hYyWeNESQi6RIU5wOO6pXTg9YJRcVq4JZeg/s1600/pamela+good+qr+code.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvyRHkgTzmRa24EHQFZJm2oGor275z1Xy16Us6c9z4nRhxkY9fZzbAk5Cz-8JwPqW2ZKMEkyIwLmPVMwZV1bTXUJNDHccLOe7DptONutp_hYyWeNESQi6RIU5wOO6pXTg9YJRcVq4JZeg/s1600/pamela+good+qr+code.png" /></a>Here is a great example of a QR code. Pamela Hazelton is from eCommerce,
Shopability & webOS. She has a
strong knowledge of QR codes and how they should be done effectively. Here is a copy of her QR code. Now go ahead and scan the code. What do you see? The QR code takes you to a very simplistic <st1:place w:st="on">MOBILE</st1:place> website.
Yes I will say this again… MOBILE website. What is a mobile website? This is website designed to fit a phone. If you maneuver in the mobile website on your
phone, you can clearly see it moves up and down and fits on your screen. Unlike a regular website that is not
mobilized, it is simplistic and easy to use.
If you go to a regular website on a mobile phone, your scrolling up,
down, left and right, the words are to small, and it is very hard to maneuver a
large website on such a small screen.
What Pamela has done here is made the consumer experience easy and
fast. That’s what we want nowadays… easy
and fast. I cannot stress enough how
much I HATE having to use my phone to look up sites and a company DOES NOT
have a mobile website. YUCK!!! This will
50% of the time make me get out of that companies site and look up another
company that may have a more simplistic way of getting what I want. You know what I am talking about don’t
you? I am not the only person out there
that hates that. I mean just think about
it for a minute. Think about the last
time you used your phone to look up information on a company. Try and Google a product, any product… let’s
say shoes. You can tell when a website
has been mobilized. The first site that
popped up under shoes was shoedazzle.
They have a mobilized site. Very
easy to use, fits right on my phone and it’s convenient and fun. Now from there
go and pick a local store that pops up underneath all the national websites. I
chose Runners Roost <st1:state w:st="on">Colorado</st1:state>. This is a perfect example of a website that
is not mobilized. This website is small,
unreadable, hard to maneuver and in my opinion irritating to use. The fact of the matter is they should have a
mobilized website and they don’t. Now
back to what this has to do with a QR code…</div>
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YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A MOBILE WEBSITE OR MOBILE FEATURE ATTACHED
TO A QR CODE!!!</div>
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You should not create a QR code to scan directly to an non-mobilized website. That is bad!!!
Mobile websites, unlike big websites are quick to build and a lot less
expensive to create and maintain. The people here at the
Gazette can get a mobile website set up for you with a QR code quickly and at
an affordable cost!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwr2yohPfBlS619BAtVAgxKTv6X0sYVSS-WdhlbED1LknnkrzhgcEBzYZPl2Y1PtD7jgAMRqARGsWCD8oRgL3bedX4n_GQRdlPpUT1TfuEpGGS0qO1BoIT3784Cd8MJf4AJePWh7eFgE/s1600/bad+qr+code.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMwr2yohPfBlS619BAtVAgxKTv6X0sYVSS-WdhlbED1LknnkrzhgcEBzYZPl2Y1PtD7jgAMRqARGsWCD8oRgL3bedX4n_GQRdlPpUT1TfuEpGGS0qO1BoIT3784Cd8MJf4AJePWh7eFgE/s200/bad+qr+code.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Now that you have seen a good example of a QR code that goes
directly to a mobile site, here is an example of a nice looking QR code that
does not go to a mobile site. Go ahead
and scan it. What do you think about
that? It’s small and cluttered, hard to
read and you lose interest right? I mean
a company spends money to make a cool QR code, but attaches it to a site that
is not compatible with a phone? That’s a
big no no in my book. </div>
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In this day and age, every business should have a QR
code. Every business should also have a
mobile website. If the majority of the
world is looking up information on their phone more so than on a computer,
don’t you think you should have a site that is compatible? The Gazette practices what it preaches and
has mobile websites for every site we run.
Go check out <a href="http://www.gazette.com/">www.gazette.com</a> on
your smart phone and see how our mobile site works.
It’s easy, convenient, and yes… fast.
So if this information intrigues you and you think you would like to
have a mobile website, give us a call here at the Gazette. We will be more than happy to assist you in
that. In the mean time, do some research
and scan QR codes when you see them.
Check to see what other companies are doing and how, as a consumer, you
feel about the way that company is marketing their business. </div>
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-56345672308423667492012-04-30T13:26:00.000-07:002012-04-30T13:26:34.419-07:00Creating New Ideas May Create New Revenue StreamsIf you were to ask anyone of my personality, they would tell you that I am a bit eccentric. I'm flashy, I'm spontaneous, I'm creative, I'm different, and I'm myself. So when I create marketing strategies and plans for clients, thinking outside the box is a very strong skill of mine. I am not a fan of the boring or subtle. I'm not a wear black and tan kind of gal. This allows me to use my form of creative flow to create unique and interesting marketing possibilities. Some of which The Gazette itself has loved and allowed me to do. This has allowed The Gazette to take my talents and bring in some new revenue streams. Thinking differently can make a company innovative, in my opinion. Give the world something new and before you know it, it is something you need. Kinda sounds like I am quoting from the Lorax doesn't it? If you think about it though, it is how business works. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOIFnghWGhe2wa0F3wxCnRdyGSBwKct5Xegr09V10fXXFhlel0WNL7WXXIN6uJVTi1b1jS4QADT-oYtBoRhjzve1Pz1uh2RWB9yINRisEc3WGBW3i2wd2KBEyGrEXBPcTuvpaYeFsuYI/s1600/nail+colored+tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMOIFnghWGhe2wa0F3wxCnRdyGSBwKct5Xegr09V10fXXFhlel0WNL7WXXIN6uJVTi1b1jS4QADT-oYtBoRhjzve1Pz1uh2RWB9yINRisEc3WGBW3i2wd2KBEyGrEXBPcTuvpaYeFsuYI/s200/nail+colored+tips.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
I have decided to write on this topic this week because I was impressed by a local business that added "flair" to an every day product. Like many women in the Colorado Springs area I get my nails done every couple of weeks. As a woman it is important to me to have nails and because I am what you would call a chronic nail biter (yummy right), I get my nails done. Recently I have been getting my nails done in a standard fashion with colored tips. Elegant, sexy, professional, classy... whatever you want to call this design, this is what I usually get. I do not like the standard white tips like most women because it does not suit my unique and colorful style. So by changing my tips to black, red, pink, green, orange, blue, etc... I am able to express my individuality better. That is until last Friday I went into my nail salon, and my nail artist threw a colorful curve ball my way. <br />
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I currently have my nails done at Smashing Nails, which is located at 129 N. Wahsatch Ave (across from McDonalds off Kiowa). The cute quaint nail shop lured me in with a fantastic Groupon deal and has kept my business ever since. The great thing about this shop, is Monica, the Nail Artist and Owner, is a vibrant young woman with a very keen fashion sense and unique style that appeals to my own style. She is currently a one man operation, but has a healthy clientele base and amazing customer service. She also has an amazing eye for flair like I do. So during my bi-weekly visit to Smashing Nails I decided that it was time to do something a little different with my nails. Maybe a new color on the top, or full color, I didn't know... just something different. That is when I seen her nails done. I almost fell out of my chair they were so enchanting!! When I commented on her nails and told her how amazing they were, she then asked me if I would like the same thing. Immediately I was like YES YES YES!!! I have NEVER seen nails done quite like this before. They were colorful, unique, stylish and still professional. When I asked her about it, she called this style a fade.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CYX5psujid3XlsrqOLsI3rJiryGxwFkS7CEphySU9M-bffdepzl6YYK31OwFSXobfJbINEDUQVISoSAOMXrr1vWyqfMDsL3EW1wqnFUp5o0p5CbXlvGZ1xiwvZgDo1YmBFLcHCVOtmQ/s1600/my+nails.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8CYX5psujid3XlsrqOLsI3rJiryGxwFkS7CEphySU9M-bffdepzl6YYK31OwFSXobfJbINEDUQVISoSAOMXrr1vWyqfMDsL3EW1wqnFUp5o0p5CbXlvGZ1xiwvZgDo1YmBFLcHCVOtmQ/s320/my+nails.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The creative new fade style on my nails.</td></tr>
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Now you may be wondering... why on Earth am I blogging about nails? What a boring topic that has nothing to do about business. Hold your horses... I am getting to the point. My point is that Monica created a new style all her own. She told me she was just messing around one day and learned how to create this new fade style for nails. Instead of my nails having just one color on the tips, I now get to pick 3 colors!! So not only did Monica speak to my sense of style as a consumer, she has not trapped me in her grasp and kept me as a loyal client who will never ever EVER go anywhere else to get nails done. She created a new technique that can very well become the new fad of nail fashion and I am one of the first people to help display this new creative design. To me... this is great business. So my point... thinking outside the box and having creative flair, even to existing product, can create a whole new form of revenue for a business. Usually business and product is about what the consumer wants. So if a business can speak to different characters of people, then these different personalities can all shop at the same businesses. <br />
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Now what Monica did for my nails may not be for the next person. I know many women out there who prefer the classic white tips. That is perfectly fine because Smashing Nails does that too. But expanding the reach of those who may be looking for something different is a great way to bring in a new clientele base. <br />
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So the point being GIVE THE CUSTOMER WHAT HE OR SHE WANTS and they will love you forever. Plain and simple. You make someone happy and they will be loyal. But don't forget to keep impressing your current clientele base as well. Customer service never (and when I say never, I mean never) stops. And customer service doesn't just mean helping your clients out with simple questions and solutions to problems. Customer service means you hold your clients dear and give them exactly what they want. If they ask, then they should receive. <br />
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Another thing that Monica did that I don't see a lot of businesses do, is she used her own product for marketing purposes. She did her own nails the way she liked them. So when her clients come in and see how lovely her nails are, then they know they are good hands. I cannot tell you how many times I have gotten my nails done at salons and the person doing my nails were for a lack of a better word gross. Yuck... why should I let you do my nails if yours look horrible?<br />
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I'll tell you that not only has Monica wowed me by tailoring to my unique style, but she always has time for me, she doesn't rush me, she makes our appointments relaxing and personal, and she remembers my name. That is very important to me, especially if I have to sit in a chair for an hour and have you work on a piece of my body. Many times have I gone to nail shops where I am just another person walking in, even if I have been going to the same spot over and over. Let me tell you business owners, if I am a regular at your shop and you don't know my name by the 3rd visit... SHAME ON YOU!! Doesn't matter how many people walk through that door!! <br />
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So back to the main focus of my rants here... is that creativity can be the doorway to new possibilities for a business. Do not be afraid to venture out a little. Do not be afraid to listen to employees when they have ideas, and definitely listen to your customers. If you give your customers something your competitors cannot, then you have gained more than a customer, you have gained a loyal friend. <br />
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For you ladies out there that may be interested in a new look for your nails, feel free to call Monica at Smashing Nails. Her phone number is (719) 244-6533 or go like her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/smashingsalon. Let her know that Brandy with The Gazette sent you her way!!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-38940249611459273402012-04-17T11:33:00.000-07:002012-04-17T11:33:58.593-07:00Deal of the Day... Groupon... Living Social... Is this a good marketing tactic?I know when I say that I LOVE Deal of the Day, Groupon, and Living Social, I am not the only person out there. It's pretty obvious that in these hard economic times, people want to save a few dollars on the things they love to buy or want to try. It's even better when you save anywhere from 50% + off of these items. Although consumers love to bargain shop and save some serious dollars on these fabulous deals, is this a good marketing tactic for businesses?<br />
This question can be answered in different ways. This tactic may be fantastic for some businesses and not so great for others. It really does depend on the goals of the business, what is trying to be accomplished by using this method, and how customers are handled after the deal is purchased. <br />
So how do these deals work for businesses? It's pretty simple. What is great about these marketing tactics is there are no upfront costs to the business like advertising has. You simply create a deal that is 50% off or more for the consumer and sell the deal for one day. Once the deal is sold, Deal of the Day, Groupon or Living Social split the profits made with the business 50/50. This allows the business to generate a client base and bring people in the door. But the main concern I hear with this when I recommend the Gazette's Deal of the Day to clients is "Well I can't afford to sell my product that low and split the profits with the Gazette." I'm sure many business owners feel this way and this is exactly why they have not tried this marketing tactic before. However, when looking at this form of marketing with a "glass half empty" perspective, takes away from the overall big picture.<br />
The overall big picture... what is the overall big picture for a business? Well for most businesses it's getting people in the door to buy product. Consumer + Product = Business Growth. Simple logical math right? Without the consumer there is no business growth. <b><i>The equation fails without the consumer</i></b>. So to fix the equation, a business owner may ask "how do I get the consumer in to sell more product? How do I do this if I don't have the money to advertise?" <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNibpar_i5-uGW2tO5i3Npf5uhj6f_k5IrOIdLCHlc4KEHJukMlD-bqkqQuqRwTrf5mUhyrefSS2jQGGRaYRFqsUXQ3vx8U5JKnaVgcOLHI3XzGZd7vzFV1JAdy6MOgftJk1pf8xNLLA/s1600/deal+of+the+day.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisNibpar_i5-uGW2tO5i3Npf5uhj6f_k5IrOIdLCHlc4KEHJukMlD-bqkqQuqRwTrf5mUhyrefSS2jQGGRaYRFqsUXQ3vx8U5JKnaVgcOLHI3XzGZd7vzFV1JAdy6MOgftJk1pf8xNLLA/s400/deal+of+the+day.png" width="400" /></a></div> This is where a marketing tactic like the Gazette's Deal of the Day comes into play. Create a fantastic deal... advertise to the consumer for one day only to entice the consumer to try your product... sell a lot of product... split the profits in the end. You pay for the marketing after the results of your campaign are in. <br />
But the bigger picture... just exactly how many new consumers did you bring in that have never tried your product before? Out of those new consumers, how many will like your product enough to come back and purchase again... at full price? After the deal, a yoru business will have a whole new equation... “How many new consumers did I bring in and how do I turn then into long term buyers?” New consumer + _____________ = long term buyer. That equation can only be answered depending on how well you plan out this deal and manage your results. <br />
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The Deal of the Day, Groupon, Living Social… can all be marketing tactics if done correctly. For a business to effectively work this campaign with great results, specific steps and strategies should be put into place.<br />
1. Great a fantastic deal!! All deals must be 50% off or more. The bigger the discount, the better your odds of selling more deals will be.<br />
2. Honor all coupons with a smile. DO NOT treat these consumers like coupon bargain shoppers. Treat them as if they are paying full price for your items. This will ensure the consumer will come back.<br />
3. Be upfront and honest with your deals!! Do not bait and switch and do not try to charge more unless specified in the deal. For example, if you have different versions of your product that may be more expensive, then specify that in your deal when it is being sold.<br />
4. Have enough time for your expiration date. My recommendation is 6 months to a year, but do not go less than 3 months.<br />
5. Above all, make sure you have a way to turn your deal consumer into a long turn consumer. This includes different marketing strategies like email, direct mail, social media and other costumer campaigns. Make sure that you are always in front of the consumer.<br />
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So don't think of this type of marketing tactic as a "glass half empty" type of strategy. The long term rewards will more than pay for the great deal offered. Hey, it may work so well that you can do it again. I have seen many businesses do these deals multiple times. There is a reason that many businesses use this strategy. It's because it completes the equation and makes business work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6792358667351290321.post-49080894573604966872012-04-05T09:37:00.001-07:002012-04-10T07:43:28.859-07:00Adding Humor to Marketing... Smart or Stupid??<div style="border: medium none;">When it comes to marketing campaigns, I love to see what creative flair that people bring to the table. I applaud the master minds of creativity that are behind the funniest campaigns of the year. This is why people sit around the television during the Superbowl to check out the commercials. Yes... some like the budweiser horses with the cute dogs but really, we want to see the commercials that will literally make us bust a gut. But is funny smart for a marketing campaign or does funny come with a big red FAIL stamped on the campaign?</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border: medium none;">Well let's look at some of the current campaigns on the market today. When you think about ads and commercials, which ones do you remember? After surveying many people on what their favorite commercials are, most people came back with commercials that have funny scenarios to them. People remember these because that funny bone has a direct link to the brain. People like to laugh, so why not make them laugh while marketing to them?</div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
Why do people remember funny commercials? It is the same reason people remember heart felt commercials; it triggers an emotional response which sticks in the brain causing people to remember the brand. However, just like an emotional commercial, this must be done right. A bad commercial, funny or not, is still a bad commercial. </div><br />
Check out these bad commercials....<br />
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After these bad commercials, what kind of emotional response did you feel? Personally, I don't even remember most of them. I completely lost interest. Now check out these commercials....<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/OLgrcqWRlow">http://youtu.be/OLgrcqWRlow</a><br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/IbbLCvUtHGo" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/IbbLCvUtHGo</a><br />
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Because these commercials were done correctly, they were funny and most likely made you laugh. The idea is that you will remember the brown M&M or the Dorito commercial. Of course these are large corporations that have a ton of money to spend on funny commercials. These type of companies have the best of the best marketing strategists to come up with hillarious ideas for commercials. Here are some really funny commercials for businesses that may not be quite as large as Doritos, but funny just the same:<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/8cyAqEjZ2as" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/8cyAqEjZ2as</a><br />
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Print advertising can have the same affect on people as commercials. Being in the print industry for most my career, I can remember the ads that either my client or I have created that were a lot of fun. I don't however, remember the ads that were not. Having a good kick to a print ad is important because ads in a magazine or newspaper do not have the sense of sound to assist the visual stimulation to the eye. Ads need to be quick, precise and to the point. Print ads also need to be very catchy. You tell me... which ad do you prefer?<br />
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The one on the left shows a simplistic look. It's red, catchy, funny and to the point. This is a great ad for print publications. The one on the right however, is not a good ad for print. This ad isn't a good ad for anything. It's ugly, busy, and distasteful. I mean really... you are going to sells rugs at discounted prices because the owner died? Get real!! That's not a good ad. <br />
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<div style="border: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWHhUnOAh8ViYMZgGuAM_59ZRUQ1huKHI_SiWClaINHcQ_-uQ8oTz-OHjTJpJoI4FEInJ0pm22o4IZU3qk1AJQynZCsoKRscmzJ1JkPJvgtQbc1TLOHAYV4XGoy_Y1rwBq2O7eHQz4k4/s1600/wpid-imag0224-1-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWHhUnOAh8ViYMZgGuAM_59ZRUQ1huKHI_SiWClaINHcQ_-uQ8oTz-OHjTJpJoI4FEInJ0pm22o4IZU3qk1AJQynZCsoKRscmzJ1JkPJvgtQbc1TLOHAYV4XGoy_Y1rwBq2O7eHQz4k4/s320/wpid-imag0224-1-1.jpg" width="242" /></a> </div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border: medium none;">The great thing about adding humor to marketing pieces is that even though this has been done many times, humor can be reconstructed and redesigned over and over again. This can create new and exciting pieces using the old element that many marketing experts have used over the years. It makes branding fun, people enjoy the laugh, and tend to remember the brands. However, if this is not done correctly, it could also be detrimental to a brand. So is adding humor smart or stupid? In my opinion, I think it is smart. I think this is a great way to get the attention of the consumer. Obviously good judgement is required when it comes to creating a funny campaign. After all, companies that are not meant to be funny, let's say a funeral home, probably shouldn't go along the lines of funny. Using correct judgement when creating a marketing campaign is crutial. However, if your business can afford to bring in a campaign that will tickle the consumer funny bone, I say go for it. I mean who doesn't like to laugh right? I know I do. So when it comes to funny ads, I say bring it on!</div><div style="border: medium none;"></div><div style="border: medium none;"><br />
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10981285289505998809noreply@blogger.com0