LeePemberton.com

“Marketing is not about how much you spend, it’s about how you spend it!”

How are you and your business doing, as we move full bore into spring, 2012?
Can’t see your way clear to spend on marketing during this current economic slog?

A frugal, budget conscious behavior is totally understandable, but you have more options than just spending a lot of your marketing budget on printing, postage and other costly mainline promotions!

KEY MANTRA FOR TODAY:
Marketing is not about how much you spend, it’s about how you spend it!

Here is a chart that gives you some options. The left column focuses on marketing tactics that you can use which require more of your time, but far less money.

Click Image to Enlarge

If this is your busy season, start your day early and schedule a business breakfast before your regular production day starts with a commercial or institutional contact. If your business (and cash flow) is slower, you might want to do a simple coffee & danish. One or two breakfasts and / or several coffee & danish contacts a month will probably run no more than $100.00 per month, and look what you’ll accomplish! Four or five one-on-one sit-downs, away from their work environments will do a lot to create and maintain relationships. Where can you purchase advertising for that amount?

There really are dozens of categories of people you touch as you move through your personal and business life every week. How many of these people know who you are or what you do? How much business are you missing by ignoring the opportunity to just share your message?

Marketing really isn’t about expensive advertising or glitzy direct mail campaigns. It’s about belly-to-belly, face-to-face and voice-to-voice communication, while you build confidence, comfort levels and trust with people who are either prospects or centers of influence.

Don’t know what to talk about? I guarantee you that reading the CleanTip each week will give you more new subjects of interest for discussion over a breakfast or coffee & danish than you will ever need!

And this is a great time of year to do just that. Pick up the phone and invite somebody now!

We all hate cold calls, especially me! On the other hand, I have developed many strong business relationships by overcoming my fear of such a simple (but devastating) action as cold calls. Every restoration contractor will need this ability if he intends to grow the business!

Last week I read a delightfully simple article in the INC newsletter that is really worth passing on . . .

It is titled:
How to Make a Successful Cold Call
by Geoffrey James

There’s a quick and easy way to get a potential customer interested.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to the conversation…

Read more here…
http://tinyurl.com/tip1-20a

Start by focusing your marketing message. When your marketing message is highly focused, you have a 60 percent greater chance of long-term success. This is especially true when you do the things others are unwilling to do!

Look at “Urine Decontamination & Odor Control”

You can believe this or not, but most carpet cleaners would rather not fool with the “hassle” of going through the inspection and educational part of this service – and that’s why they will never be seen as the authority in this specialty even when asked to perform the service. The consumer will be unsure of what to expect and in many instances, will have unrealistic expectations!

Result? Unhappy consumer, disgruntled technician, a less than profitable job, and worst of all – probable lost customer and bad word of mouth in your market area!

Marketing successfully today is about building a trust between your customers and exactly who you are.
This trust is built on the belief that you (and your company) have a greater level of expertise in this specific area.

A customer’s trust in you is dramatically enhanced when you focus on doing one thing better than anyone else.

However true this may or may not be, the perception that you are becomes the reality! This trust results in greater customer loyalty and also results in far less price sensitivity.

The bottom line is, like it or not, when you attempt to be all things to all people, you then are perceived as a master of nothing.

Think hard about your service offering. What is the one element that, above all others, defines why someone should become your customer?

Today’s customers have an incredible amount of information available to them. As you focus, you increase the odds that today’s overwhelmed customers will detect and take action on what you really offer.

I want you to think about something.

Q: Is it better to have a bunch of small things working, or a big project that never gets done?

A: A bunch of small things working, right?

Ok… now if that’s true (and it is), then:

Q: Is it better to consistently market your business using simple, proven techniques you CAN handle and get results with, or should you constantly go after the more difficult things to do that you don’t have the time, expertise or money to handle?

A: Obvious isn’t it? Do the small, simple things CONSISTENTLY and you’ll get better results than you will with a big plan that you never get done for any number of reasons!

I’d rather see you do a couple of simple things at first and handle them correctly and effectively than have some big direct mail expense for your marketing and you don’t even know how you can pay for it.

Do NOT fall prey to the notion that complicated & expensive is better. What’s better is consistent, simple, effective action … especially when it comes to your marketing efforts!

Have a great weekend

by Clate Mast, CEO of Infusion

There is one marketing truth you must understand: People buy when they are ready to buy, not when you are ready to sell. So, just because your lead is not ready to buy today, doesn’t mean they aren’t important. After all, today’s leads are tomorrow’s customers, or next month’s or next year’s.

Treating your leads like customers ensures they will come directly to you once they are ready to buy.

I’m going to admit something that may sound a little arrogant. I have hundreds of thousands of customers. They just might not be buying from me right now. But, whenever I’m talking to any small business owner, I am thinking, “This is one of my customers.”

I don’t even have a chance to tell them what Infusionsoft does before I have categorized them as “Customer” in my head. Many times it is my perceived value of this person that causes them to want to learn more about Infusionsoft…and often earns me another customer!

Customers are often disloyal; friends are usually loyal.

A shopping experience I had a few weeks ago inspired me to share my story with you, so here it goes. . .
For those of you who don’t know it, the greater Pittsburgh area is “Pierogie” country. Whether you spell it pierogi, piroghi or pierogie, authentic homemade pierogies are a Pittsburgh tradition. Here in Pittsburgh we eat more than 11 times the pierogies of any other city in the nation. – That is — except for me! I have always considered pierogies “boring” & only ate them when it was obviously the polite thing to do.

Something happened to me in a local super market that has completely devastated my “disdainful” attitude! It went like this:

I was diligently performing my weekly shopping task when a sweet little white haired lady wearing an apron and standing behind a little portable stove offered me small, pleasant smelling tidbit on a toothpick to taste.

Not anticipating anything terribly disgusting, I smiled and accepted it. ONE WORD – DELICIOUS! I said, “my that was tasty” & she said “would you like a bigger bite? I said “SURE“! After I finished it I asked what was that? It is delicious.

She answered, That was a very special “pierogie” with a filling of whipped potatoes, spinach and feta cheese, sautéed in olive oil, garlic & butter. Then she pointed to the freezer where stacks of boxes were waiting!

Bottom line? I love those delicious “pierogies” –
but would never have tasted one without that demonstration!

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My Message To You Is “Demo Or Starve!”

FACT:
Sales or marketing presentations that offer a first-person demonstration as proof of effectiveness are nearly 50 percent more effective than simply relying on your reputation.

FACT:
There is never enough time to make a presentation that covers everything we really want to tell our prospect. Deciding what not to say, present, or cover is always a real challenge.

SOLUTION:
Whenever possible, include a hands-on, sensory-filled (sight, sound, taste, touch) demonstration to achieve outstanding results!

Strategy Evaluation Results:
In a well documented study conducted in 2001, the original marketing messages for nine hundred products & services were divided into four categories, based on the type of credibility strategy used.

Using only the credibility of a “brand” actually determined the baseline or “lowest success” results when the primary source of credibility presented was the established brand’s or parent company’s name and reputation.

The second best strategy was the “pedigree” of the new product or service (actually 21 % more effective than the baseline strategy). That means explaining how it was created or how it is delivered, including its source of technology, components or ingredients, as well as duration of the results.

The third best strategy was the “testimony” of customers, experts, and/or celebrities speaking of the product or service delivery results. (this was 29 % more effective than the baseline strategy)

However, without question, the very best strategy was the “demonstration” of the product or service itself (47 percent more effective) delivering a sensory impact (sight, sound, taste, touch) that provide first-person credibility of delivery of the benefit.

No amount of words comes close to the impact of first hand experience with a new product or service benefit.

Don’t blame your customer for not believing what you say. You have to prove it. Imagine Thomas Edison or the Wright brothers trying to “sell” a movie camera or airplane without a demo! – - – impossible!!!

PRACTICAL IDEAS

#1 – Get the Customer to Take a Taste!
Go to whatever length necessary to help your customer try your service (or product). Have them taste, feel, experience, and enjoy the wonder of what you offer. One of the country’s most successful car dealers has a weekend test-drive program that provides qualified customers with a car for the weekend. Once a customer has test-driven a car for a weekend, the dealer has a 90 percent close rate.

#2 – Show and Tell Your Demo
If you can’t get the customers to try your service, then bring your point of difference alive through show-and-tell demos. Let them see, feel, and/or touch the point of difference to make it come to life in their minds.

#3 – Use Technology to Bring the Demo to Life
If you can’t bring the real thing to life as a demo, then bring photos and video that show the points of difference. With today’s digital photos and video cameras, there is no reason to not have excellent visuals. Let the customer “see” for themselves you’re your difference fits into their life.

#4 – Use Technology to Remind Customers of the Demo
When possible, take photos or video of your customers actually utilizing your service or product. Then send the images to them as a visual reminder of the feeling they experienced that day.

I recently asked for comments from some respected marketing persons from our industry regarding the use of the new Facebook phenomenon by carpet cleaners. (I have openly expressed my concern of time investment vs. results for already time constrained carpet cleaning businesses)

However, I must admit that I have received some quite insightful responses and I am sharing the comments I received from Doyle Bloss (VP of Marketing and Education, Interlink Supply) here . . .

Using Facebook to secure new customers for a smaller cleaning and restoration company would seem to be too much work for not enough return, especially if you are working hard at making a “readable” and educational Facebook page.”

Doyle then presents a very interesting concept; one that I had never heard of, to be perfectly honest!

Doyle goes on to say:
“I think a professional cleaning and/or restoration company should approach Facebook as kind of an on-line customer newsletter. It is a great way to keep in contact with your local, loyal customer base.

The same kind of things that make an effective Client Newsletter will make an effective company Facebook page. It has the added advantage over a mailed or emailed periodic newsletter of being able to do instant promotions. For example, if suddenly on Tuesday, you find cancellations piling up on Friday, it could be used to try and generate instant repeat business with an attractive enough offer to fill up Friday.

So what I tell our customers is look at what makes an effective client newsletter (there are a lot of great articles on that floating around), and integrate that kind of thing into your Facebook page.”

At this point, Doyle then proceeds with some examples which follow:

Some examples might include:

• You should make your referral rewards program a significant part of your Facebook promotions and reminders.
• You should include testimonials from your clients on a constant basis. Whenever you can, include pictures of the customer or amazing things you did in their home. Even better, use flip video and record the testimonial and include it on your Facebook page.
• Your Facebook page should be part of an overall education based marketing program.
• Your Facebook page should help be a part of what solidifies your company as “the experts” in the recipients minds
• Your Facebook page should constantly reinforce the credibility and integrity of your company.
• Your Facebook page should include content that demonstrates your company’s commitment to the neighborhoods and community of which you are a part of.
• Your Facebook page should provide the reader with useful information about how to maintain the investments your clients have made in their flooring, furniture, and fixtures. Break larger step by step articles on how to care for carpet, rugs, upholstery, wood, ducts, dryer vents, stone, tile etc.. into bite size “Facebook style” posts (tidbits, tips, mythbusters, etc.)

I believe the best use of Facebook for most small cleaners and restorers is a “living” client newsletter.

Regards,
Doyle Bloss
VP of Marketing and Education
Interlink Supply

Here is quote I emailed Jeff Cross, editor of Cleanfax, as well as John Braun of Hitman Advertising (along with the link to the blog)

You are running a small business, not a national or international brand, and need to take a different tack. Lucy Beer, of Web Training Wheels, puts it really well:

“Here’s what no one in the social media space seems to want to say:

Facebook is a difficult place to reach new eyeballs organically if you do not already have good brand awareness. There I said it. If you are trying to use Facebook to reach a new audience, organically (i.e. without paying for Ads), from scratch – you are facing an uphill battle.”
( for the article, go to http://tinyurl.com/CleanTip2 )

In my opinion this article on the value of Facebook for small guys like us seems right on target. Bottom line, it won’t bring new customers, but can possibly help with a Customer Retention Program.

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I received a very interesting response from Jeff . . . . . he says:

Hi Lee, It’s a good article.

The only thing that I believe in is that Facebook CAN be used to find new customers, although it is great at keeping the ones you have.

I have a few of my TBU (Totally Booked University) attendees reporting that they have their Facebook pages open to the public (anyone can view) and they post pictures of their work and have landed new customers that way. One got the attention of an adjuster and now gets several water jobs a week from him.

Another way to use Facebook is to join “groups” in your community. In Columbus, for example, there is a group that takes nighttime tours of the city, looking at the lights. Another is an art group. Yet another is a restaurant fan group – they post their thoughts on the best restaurants. Done right, you can “infiltrate” these groups and at least make new “friends” and perhaps land new customers.

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Here is an equally interesting answer from John . . .

Lee …that’s basically what I said the other week at Connections during my talk.

Facebook won’t bring you many new clients. But it helps your current clients keep close to you.

Sure, your average cleaning company owner may pick up a few jobs from Facebook if they do it well. It’s all about being social.

Mostly from what we’ve seen as a benefit is getting a referral from a “friend” of a “friend” who sees a mention on Facebook.

But I totally agree that currently it’s more beneficial for client retention with an extra perk of a new client on occasion.

Cleaning companies should focus more on ranking in Google though…Facebook can be WAY too time consuming.

Until later,

John Braun

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Tip from the “Educational Marketing Guy” Lee Pemberton

Six Powerful Benefits You Receive From Narrowing Your Marketing Focus:

1. You will find it easier to become an authority in your chosen “niche”
2. You will also begin to develop a larger share of your “niche” market.
3. The customer will perceive you as delivering a higher quality service in this “niche”.
4. You will learn that perception is the true reality of quality.
5. You will now understand that the driving force in business isn’t quality, but the perception of quality.
6. Your profits will improve, and your business will grow!

In the midst of the 2008 – 2009 financial madness, the American pillar of capitalism crumbled: Trust totally disappeared from our economic system.

The “credit crisis” turned into an “econolypse” because at the very heart of the crumbling of capitalism was the fact that “a credit crisis is a problem with basic trust”. And trust, not just credit, is what powers everything from business loans to elections to everyday consumer decisions.

The bottom line is: Trust is Marketing 101.

Since the 2008 – 2009 financial collapse, we now have a well founded, deep-seated distrust of our “economic system that will not soon diminish!”  -  and  -  that goes from the White House to local car dealerships. Only local businesses are still trusted because of reliable, pre-existing relationships! That means you won’t find a better time to strengthen your trust base!

Our society has now shifted from a period when trust was naively taken for granted to one in which trust rightfully must be earned.

What does this new era of trust look like? It is definitely relationship-based, person-to-person and mostly unrelated to big-brand institutions that sail by on a name that can be bought and sold. Only trusted product brands remain unscathed!

1-10 employee businesses, those who work hard, make payroll and don’t expect a bailout, will lead the way in establishing and strengthening this new era of “earned trust”.

Local business people, who are in touch with their customers, and who can be reached by phone easily; and who will do anything they can to properly service their customers, are the ones who will come out of this crisis not just intact but successful.

This era of personalized service, local brands and hands-on results will grow, and companies who are developing one-on-one relationships will thrive.

Service businesses that today establish good old-fashioned local trust by way of responsibility, hard work and commitment can look forward to a great future!

The most powerful marketing tactics available are those which are used in your “Educational Marketing”