Launch!

Posted on 2015/08/29 by Jerry Fletcher

“My Composer tells me that sometime this week my new theme music will deliver,“ I said to Kate as the others wandered in.

Our sales specialist asked “Why do you need theme music?” and then said, “Oh yeah, you told me you were going to have something written and arranged to use for opening speaking keynotes… you were calling it Launch as I recall.”

I responded, “It will deliver in the same week as the final results of the national launch for my client’s referral marketing program. That has turned out to be successful beyond my greatest expectations.”

“Well, there’s success and there’s success,” said Rick, the Direct Marketing Pro in our midst. “If you get it off the launching pad that is success but can it climb out of the gravity well? What kind of numbers do you have?”

“In this case I said, we had a list of the top 200 clients of another firm and their backing as strategic partner recommended to all the companies on the list. Going in they had 5 or 6 folks that were referral partners. We dropped a letter to the 200 and then called the list down.”

“You’re the expert Rick,” said Gail, our business writing doyen. “What kind of results would you expect in that situation?”

He said: “A letter and a call down will get you 1 to 1.5% but since you had a tight list and a referral of sorts that would get you from 2.5 to 5% in my experience. Anything more is remarkable. So how did your campaign do?

“We added 40 new referral partners to their list,” I said.

Chris, the digital marketing guy that meets with us whistled. Everyone turned to him. “Guys,” he said, “That’s a 20% response. That is incredible. You don’t get that unless you’re sending out a package!”

Rick said, “I totally agree. I haven’t seen anything like that since we did some very expensive packages for Disney. Are you sure it was just a letter and a call down?”

“Certain. The letter was solid and built to display a box that had an implied testimonial and recommendation. A copy of a card with an offer for the referred end users was enclosed. It offered a telephone or on-line method to get quantities of cards for the customer local sites.”

Rick said, “So you got it launched. What’s next Fletch?”

“Now we’re going to build out a sales program that touches those from across the country who have raised their hands to become referral partners. They, along with the remaining folks on the list will get a monthly newsletter. On top of that they will get two or three other touches a month via phone, letter, handwritten notes and e-mail to build the relationship so we become the automatic referral. But we need more referral sources to reach escape velocity.

We will continue to promote to the entire list we have with html e-mail messaging as only 8 of the titled individuals we’ve gone out to have opted out and those were because they could not use our services.

My guess is that we’ll have about 50 ongoing referral sources by year end.”

Rick said, “I hear it in your voice. That won’t be enough will it?”

“Based on the current data the company will be profitable at the end of September but just a few additions won’t matter. They need to invest in broadening their referral base by buying, mailing to and calling down another list of 1500+ with the titles we need to be effective,” I said.” If we can get just 10% of that list to sign up we will have escape velocity.

If they agree to buy the list and mail to them they can soar. If they don’t they will go down in flames.”

The Takeaway

The launch isn’t over until you have escape velocity. Invest to reach sustainability.

Jerry Fletcher’s blog recaps conversations with clients, prospects and the unruly mob of business development professionals he consorts with. They discuss marketing that works from solopreneur to enterprise level. Jerry Fletcher is the ringleader and “Watson” of the dialogue. Learn how to profit from all his publishing at www.JerryFletcher.com/Profit.html

Jerry has been researching and implementing small business marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy for 25 years as President of Z-axis Marketing, Inc. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

The Expert Content Formula

Posted on 2015/08/22 by Jerry Fletcher

“I’ve been thinking about last week’s guest, “I said.

Chris, our Digital Marketing expert, asked, “Why’s that? Jennifer was delighted with our help.”

“All of us gave her good advice I think,” said Gail. “Each time we have a guest it seems like all of us learn as well. It makes the session a little more focused and each of us tries to be more concise. I try to concentrate on writing and editing advice and each of you dive into your individual expertise.”

“Thas true,” said Rob with a dollop of southern syrup. “Y’all expect me to concentrate on Brand at those times so that’s what I do.”

Rick, Mr. Direct Marketing, as usual, direct in every way said, “So why were you thinking about Jennifer and content?

I responded, “She’s an expert, right?”

There were nod’s and sounds of agreement around the table.

“So if you’re an expert, my research suggests that the way you market depends on the phase your business is in: Startup, Growth or Established. We didn’t take the time to figure that out. Early on the critical elements are Networking and Direct Contacts. When consultants get to the Growth Phase there’s more of a balance. Referrals become dominant but are closely followed by Direct Sales, Prior Experience and Networking. In the established firm Referrals and prior experience account for about 65% of the business.”

Kate, our sales doyen who knows how to listen asked, “So are you saying we somehow let Jennifer down? I think there’s another way we could have been more cogent for her. There’s research from Hinge that shows the impact of most of the content techniques used by experts are separated by less than two percentage points. She pulled a whitepaper from her oversize bag and read:

Books 8.1%
Speaking (non-keynotes) 7.3%
Keynote 7.2%
Company Website 7.1%
Blogs 8%
Articles 6.4%
E-mail Marketing 6.3%
SEO 6.3%
Regular Column 6.1%
Personal Website 6.0%

There all pretty much the same. And notice there is no social media in that list.”

“True,” Rick said, “In addition, I can guarantee you that speaking is the most powerful if you can do it well.”

“I think you’re right,” I said. “In both my personal and consulting experience speaking is the single most powerful way to reach a large audience with a personal touch. If you do it well it is the one activity that creates Referrals and Word of Mouth for you in a way none of the other possibilities can.

Kate nodded and added, “there’s one more thing I read in the research that Jennifer should know:

When buyers were asked what convinced them someone was an expert over a third of them answered,

The ability to make complex topics simple.”

The Takeaway

To stand out as an expert make complex topics simple and do it in front of large numbers of people via speaking, a book and regularly released materials.

Jerry has been researching and implementing small business marketing that builds businesses, careers and lives of joy for 25 years as President of Z-axis Marketing, Inc. Learn more at www.JerryFletcher.com

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Content Schemes

Posted on 2015/08/15 by Jerry Fletcher

Chris our digital director type announced, “I need some help with a content problem.”

Gail, the writer/editor that joined in our luncheons asked, “What seems to be the difficulty?”

“Maybe you better introduce your guest and explain what you mean by content first,” I suggested.

“This is Jennifer, he said. “She’s a consultant who works with companies to bring them into the digital age and understand the benefits of business intelligence.

Jen, this is the lunch bunch: Jerry Fletcher is the one that got us all together and he does the blogs you’ve seen. Next to him on his left is Kate. She’s the most knowledgeable sales consultant I’ve ever met. Next to her is Rob. Do not be fooled by his syrupy southern drawl which is why we call him Bubba. He is the Buddha of branding in this group. Next to me here is Gail. She’s run ad agencies, radio stations and is our resident writer and editor. That empty seat next to you is usually filled by Rick who runs a world class direct marketing firm. There are some less frequent attendees but that is the usual group that comes together here each Friday.”

“So what do you mean by content?” I asked.

Jennifer said, “Like I told Chris, I believe I can be more successful if I do Content Marketing instead of the old fashioned pitching of products and services. The problem is I have to generate all this stuff and I’m not sure what will work and how to find the time to do it. I figure I have to do it well or not at all. Is there some sort of template or basic scheme that will work for me?”

Rick, who had arrived as she was explaining, said, “There’s a Roper Poll that says 80 percent of business decision-makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement. About 60 percent say that information they get from companies helps them make better decisions.”

“That may be true,” I said but let’s do a round robin for Jennifer and each come at it from our area of expertise. I’ll start. I think you need to a have a strategy that is written down, followed religiously and that you need to measure the results regularly”

Kate said, “You also need to be darn sure of who your customer is and how what you do can be differentiated. I mean in benefit terms but more importantly the outcome the buyer gets from you.”

“It is a pleasha to have such radiance at the table with us, Bubba drawled. Y’all need to remember that theahs a Brand piece of this pie to be considered, too. You might could change your brand if you’re not careful. Make sure your brand is in sync with the differentiation that Kate was talkin’ about. Think your way through possible problems and make sure all your content is aligned with the singular brand your customers and prospects are lookin’ to buy into.

Gail, shaking her head said, “Radiance at the table…you have no shame!”

Jennifer blushed.

Gail continued, “I was looking at this another way. In order to provide information in a form or multiple forms that communicates you have to define the targets in depth. Demographics. Psychographics, Anecdotes. You have to understand where, when, how and most importantly why they want to engage with you. And knowing those things never do anything once. If you write an article think about how to turn it into an audio presentation, a video, a slide show, an infographic…whatever way your target might like to get it.

“I guess it’s my turn,” said Rick. “Two things. First, I think you have to consider the channels you’re going to use to get the word out. I understand that time is a concern so do you have to minimize some social marketing or change your emphasis from say a blog to a newsletter or vice-versa? Second, even though you’re trying to get the prospect to move through the Know/ Like/ Trust cycle you still have to ask for the order. Include a direct call to action in everything you do.

The Takeaway:

Successful content strategies are documented. You need to decide:

How it fits into your business plan
Who you’re talking to and what they want to know
What impact it has on your brand and how to cope with that
Which channels you’re going to use to connect
When to tell them how you’re different and ask for the order

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Music Maestro

Posted on 2015/08/08 by Jerry Fletcher

My questions, as I took my seat at an alfresco table where the others were already gathered was, “What is the musical theme of our group? Do each of us have a couple of notes that might identify us? What is the melody of this group?”

Kate, our sales doyen put a hand on my forehead and said, “His temperature feels normal, but crazy doesn’t generate a fever, does it?”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a week,” I said. “I had my ears opened last Saturday. Arthur is one of my valued resources. He runs a very successful web site development company.

He is also a composer. (listen in here)

Last Sunday he revealed his work for a composer’s contest to a group of friends in a home concert. About 25 of us squeezed into his living room around a baby grand and were taken into his creative process.”

Rick asked, “What do you mean, taken in?”

“He literally walked us through how he developed a composition for this contest. This was one of those fortuitous situations when I was already thinking about music because a friend asked me what one thing I was going to do as a result of attending the National Speakers Association meeting in Washington D.C.My answer was I’m going to add intro music to my speaking website and my speaking introduction.

I’ve already got Arthur working on it.”

“Y’all know I couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket with a lid on it, said Rob, our branding wizard. But there’s things that music can do for a brand you cain’t do no other way. I may be a child of the south and I do like country rock but every kind of music can put a hex on you if it matches up with your perspective on a product or service. If it’s right, jus’ one or two notes touch the “wareness and preference centers in your brain.”

“You’re right on, Bubba,” I said. Arthur did variations on the theme that included a ragtime immediately followed by a tango. He made it silly and sad and joyous. In just a few minutes his composition took us on a life journey. Along the way he used that elusive ability of music to take us to places all of us have been and to show us how those emotions can be tapped into with as little as two notes.

”Gail asked, “Did he prompt you or just let you guess about the scores?”

“No prompting was required. He played two notes and all of us could see the fin breaking the water. He talked about how Star Wars had re-introduced the idea of a full movie score. He let us hear why we knew something foreboding was on its way and how music could help us envision someone on screen thinking about another character.”

Kate leaned back, took a pull on her iced tea and said, “So you’re suggesting that each of us has a theme and that somehow they combine to make a mini-symphony each time we gather.”

“No, I wasn’t but if I were producing these blogs as radio plays that would be a brilliant idea!”

The Takeaway:

Music has the ability to use your emotions to build memory hooks that resonate regardless of how long it has been since you heard as little as two notes.

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Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

Bubba’s Newfangled Branding

Posted on 2015/08/01 by Jerry Fletcher

Bubba, who still looks like the Gerber baby, said, as he was taking his seat, “All this newfangled digital stuff makes it harder and easier to build a brand.”

Kate, who could sell just about anything said, “There’s lot of things about branding I might agree about with you but I’m not buying this. You can’t have it both ways!”

He responded, “Mamma always said you cain’t never do sumpin like that but let’s see if we might could get that knot outa your tail. It makes it harder as y’all are bein’ measured way quicker than before so sometimes folks don’t give the strategy time enough to work. On the other hand some of the things you can do today are quicker than stirrin’ up a wasp nest under the eaves.”

“Rob, Take off that beret and put that drawl away for minute or two and tell us what you’re talking about!” I said. “I know you do that on purpose some times. I’ve seen you present and sound like a Midwest announcer. So just tell us would you?”

Sorry,” our branding guru mumbled, “I figured with friends I could be natural.”

Rick and Gail each patted him on a shoulder and said. “That’s okay. What were you saying?”

“I’ve got a bunch of ‘em but I’ll start with one you couldn’t do a few years back:

Blog your brains out… as a guest for other blogs. Start small and work your way up to the big guys. If you do that enough you wind up being seen and repeated all over the place especially if someone actively tweets quotes from your guest blog. I saw this a week or two ago with one of the articles Fletch does for Small Today.

Build a community. This can be done old style. Think baseball cards and Barbies. The new way is to put the trading and comparing and talking about on line. For the latest entries there is no physical item involved. But it still works. Thing is, it takes time. Yelp added reviewer profiles and now has accumulated over 47 million reviews but it took them 5 years.

Share the experience with thought leaders. One of my clients calls this the Johnny Appleseed approach. He’s not looking to get known by everybody in a hurry. His preference is to have one perfect customer tell the next until his product is the most desired in the category. It’s working at the enterprise level.

Create an infographic. Subway posters in the old days were the prototypes of this approach but they were nowhere as heavily packed with information. We know that over 80% of the American public is visually oriented so this is an obviously powerful way into their hearts and minds. The newfangled flip on this is that you can send them to a landing page and sign them up to get more!

Partner with another brand. Borrow that brand’s awareness to kick yours up the driveway. If you’re design-oriented get a deal with the local art museum to let your customers or prospects attend one evening a week or at a special time for a special showing with tickets or vouchers you provide on line. You can go to a broader audience with a coupon for ice-cream or pizza. Just make sure you pick a brand that people think highly of.”

Kate asked, “So what’s the takeaway?”

The Takeaway:

Brands are still built one customer at a time but you can now build a personal relationship with them faster than ever before.

Schedule a personal appearance. Jerry speaks internationally on Networking, Marketing and Contact Relationship Magic. www.NetworkingNinja.com

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Monthly Archives: August 2015

Launch!

The Expert Content Formula

Content Schemes

Music Maestro

Bubba’s Newfangled Branding