http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/ This is an European Adult webmaster forum en Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:33:54 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.ynoteurope.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/ http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/351-writing-evaluation-who-else-can-say-part-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:40:06 GMT

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Who Else Can Say That - Part 2

Yesterday we discussed the writing evaluation "Who Else Can Say That".

Here are more examples of this:

Another example is a box company that could turn a custom box order in just four hours or less. They started using a slogan and a logo that read "Custom Boxes on Your Dock In Just Four Hours...Guaranteed." What about that? Do you think any of their competitors would even dare put that slogan on any of THEIR promotional materials? Not on your life. Why? Because there's no way any of them could perform at that level. Not even close. Their competitors Inside Reality could not support that kind of Outside Perception. Although the box company could turn four hour orders long before they started using the slogan, they weren't using that slant in their advertising which meant they weren't taking advantage of the opportunity, and that unique thing about their business. They used to just spew out the same junk as everyone else. "We have boxes, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." Not anymore.

Here are a couple other examples: A big barbecue catering company stated in their advertising that: "The flavor and taste of our quality meats gives you the best BBQ you've ever eaten." Yeah, that's really believable...Who else could say that? Only every other barbecue company on the planet, and anyone who's ever fired up the backyard barbecue.

Guess what industry this is:

"Experienced staff; Company in business 35 years. Research &
Development of New Technology. Customer service always available."

Who else can say that? This could be any company...in any industry.

Here are a couple more "Who Else Can Say That?" examples: Here's a chiropractor with a headline that says, "Gentle Techniques To Relieve Your Back Pain." That's original. Who else can say that? What about this ad for computers: "We've got the lowest computer prices in town." Lazy communication at it's worst. Everyone else could certainly say that...and most of their competitors DO say that.

Are you seeing how this evaluation could potentially expose gaping holes in your current marketing efforts? Take a moment to review your marketing, if it fails the evaluation...change it.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/351-writing-evaluation-who-else-can-say-part-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/350-writing-evaluation-who-else-can-say-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:21:26 GMT

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Writing Evaluation - Who Else Can Say That?


"Who Else Can Say That?" Is an excellent question you can use to evaluate your writing - especially your headlines. Pay close attention to this one though, because the question is NOT, "Who else can do what you do?" The question is, "Who else can say what you say?" And the answer usually is...anybody and everybody.

For Example - There's an auto repair facility that was by FAR the most awesome auto repair facility you could find. They had 11 ASE certified mechanics, twice as much hi-tech equipment as any dealership, 63 bays, and floors you could eat off of. Do you realize how many ELEVEN ASE Certified mechanics is? It's a ton for one shop. Most have one, maybe two. Do you realize how many bays 63 is? It's a lot. Most BIG shops have less than 20...and small ones only have 4 or 5 or LESS. This company had the ability to start and complete 95% of all jobs in less than 24 hours - the only exceptions were transmissions, engine replacements, and differentials - and every repair job was absolutely, 100% guaranteed. If you called in to check the progress of your car, they would send your call straight through to the TECHNICIAN who was working on your car within 10 seconds. Every mechanic carried a cordless phone at all times. This place kicked some serious butt. They put three or four competitors out of business every year, and as a result, they literally own the marketplace in the city where they're located.

But even though their Inside Reality was great, and even though they were very successful, they still had a big marketing problem: Although nobody could even come close to performing at their level - i.e., nobody could match their Inside Reality - their yellow pages ad, where a good portion of the new business was generated from, looked virtually identical to all of their less-competent competitors. It used the same generalities and platitudes as everyone else: it said things like "ASE Certified Mechanics. Foreign and Domestic Cars Serviced." And then the usual long laundry list of services performed...ranging from air conditioners to brakes, to transmissions and more. So ask this question: "Who else can say that?"

When the service manager was given this evaluation on his ad, he got really upset. He started ranting and raving; "There's nobody else that can say what we say. They can't even come close to touching us. Even the dealerships bring their cars to us when THEY can't fix them. Our mechanics are far and away the best in the state. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can say what we say."

For companies that aren't extremely marketing sharp, the Inside Reality and the Outside Perception often have very little to do with each other. So finally, to try to prove the point in a nice way, the owner was told to pull out the yellow pages and see what all of his competitors were saying in their ads. He pulled out the book, and sure enough, he looked at the ads and stood there in silence for about two minutes. Finally, he pointed at the page and said to the service manager; "Look. I know this guy. He's terrible. His ad says the exact same thing that ours does. And look at this guy. He's a rip-off artist, and his ad reads just like ours too. In fact, I think he copied our layout and verbiage word for word." That's what we call, SELF EVIDENCE. See, if you've got a great Inside Reality, but don't exploit it in your advertising by Saying It Well, then anyone can say what you say...whether or not they can perform at your level.

More on this subject tomorrow.

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We're a Nation of Lazy Communicators - Part 2

Last week we talked about why we're such lazy communicators. Today we continue on that subject.

Communication autopilot can serve us well in many situations. Don't think. Don't reason. Just talk. Ever heard this one before? You say to a guy, what's happening? He says, "Same old, same old." What a great answer! Same old, same old. Or maybe he says , "same stuff, different day." Ever heard that one? No thinking involved.

The problem is that these lazy communication habits spill over into marketing and advertising all the time where they can kill your chances for success. Show me 99% of advertising and I'll show you a huge jumble of hyperbole, fluff, platitudes, and yawnably unbelievable, black hole nothing words. Words like cheapest, professionalism, service, quality, speedy, convenient, and best are littered throughout advertising with reckless abandon. These empty words are the tools of the lazy communicator; they do absolutely nothing to communicate why you're the best deal. Why you're an exceptional value. Why or how you solve the problems that nobody else solves. They build no believable case for your product or service. Regardless of your product or service, you must build a case. But the fact is most businesses go on year after year spewing out the same junk that does nothing more than get their name out there if that. They just create NOISE that adds to the confusing mass of information flooding consumers.

Advertisements written using lazy communication are what I call "same old, same old" ads or "different ad, same stuff" ads. You've probably written a few of them yourself. Heck, we all have. You have to learn how to overcome these lazy tendencies. Start by writing effective headlines. The headline is the ad for the ad. It's what makes a person decide if he or she wants to invest any more time in your advertisement or not; it's the single most important part of any advertisement. You also have to judge whether or not the "things" in your advertising are powerful. Most of the time you will find that they are not. You also have to understand the nuts and bolts of effective ad writing like word choices and punctuation. Avoid the tiresome junk that English classes force students to endure - instead meticulously choose words that sell, educate, and eventually make you money!

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/349-were-nation-lazy-communicators-part-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/348-were-nation-lazy-communicators-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Wed, 25 Jan 2012 17:49:17 GMT

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We're A Nation Of Lazy Communicators

A big part of the reason many advertisers have a hard time communicating effectively is because of the society we live in. Stated simply, our society has turned us into a bunch of communication zombies. Don't think so? See if this scenario sounds familiar. When you get home from work, your spouse asks you how your day was. What do you usually say? Fine. Okay. I'm tired. Great. It stunk. Basically, you come up with a one to three word description of your day and leave it at that. But do these words actually communicate anything? No! They're just obligatory niceties. Now let's say you see someone you know at the store and you say, "Hey Bob, whatcha doin'?" like you really care or can't just tell by looking. Bob says, "Fine," which is actually the answer to the other question he was expecting, which is "How Ya Doin'?" Come on, you know that's happened to you - lots of times. The reason we react this way is that we are a society of lazy communicators...we are on communication autopilot. Don't think, just talk. We've been brought up this way in this country for some reason. Ask any little kid how he or she is doing and they'll almost surely give the universal kid's answer to that question. "How ya doing, Billy?" What's the answer? That's right, "Fiiiiiine."

We learned at a very young age that if we give the communication autopilot answer to routine questions, it saves us from having to actually think and put any effort into a conversation. It's a useful shortcut. And that serves us well in many situations. Just think if you had to honestly and accurately answer every question that anyone ever asked you. It would be a complete nightmare:

How ya doin', Bruce? Well, let me tell you how I'm doing. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say that I'm at about a 2 and a half. I left the house this morning and forgot my briefcase, which turns out was okay because I ran out of gas and had to have my wife come bail me out, so she just brought the briefcase with the gas can. When I finally got to work, there were two people out sick and the reports that I needed for my client weren't done and then I got a call from a major account with a major problem and. Well, I think you get the point.

More Tomorrow.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/348-were-nation-lazy-communicators-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/347-why-dont-you-own-your-market-part-4-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Mon, 23 Jan 2012 14:13:30 GMT

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Why You Don't Own Your Market Part 4

Today we conclude our discussion of reasons why you may not own your market. Number one was somebody else has a better deal, in which case you need to innovate. Number two was people perceive someone else to have a better deal, in which case you need to own the market by effectively marketing to them.

Reason #3: Your Prospects Don't Know That You're An Option: If your target market is very narrow and easy to identify, then this is an unforgivable mistake. For instance, if your market consists of all of the meeting planners for the top 500 businesses in Baltimore, these 500 people should all know who you are. If your market consists of many possible customers like ours does, then you need to constantly add prospects to your files.

Prescription #3: OWN THE MARKET...But Don't Break Your Budget! One common approach is to buy a ton of media impressions to get what they call "name recognition or branding." If you're not a Fortune 1000 company, forget this strategy. Not that you shouldn't use publications, direct mail or other media, you just have to be a lot more careful and strategic.

If you can follow these three quick prescriptions, you can own your marketplace. Obviously, this isn't an overnight task and it won't be easy. But if you do, you will beat your competition into a demoralized, quivering pulp.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/347-why-dont-you-own-your-market-part-4-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/claudio/346-chatporno-moglie-infedele-telefoni-erotici-siti-extraconiugali.html Thu, 12 Jan 2012 01:43:00 GMT

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Ecco alcuni nuovi tentativi di comunicazione, dall'esperienza diretta con centinaia di mogli infedeli si trae la nozione necessaria per inculare bene a fondo la moglie infedele incontrata al telefono erotico; dalle vergini villane illibate ma puttane si trae il godimento del chatporno; dalle studentesse vergini dell'Università Bocchini-Bocconi si cavano bollentissimi minuti di godimento ai telefoni erotici; si segnala inoltre il BPQ, il blog delle puttane qualificate per telefoni erotici e webcam porno, i siti extraconiugali per lo scambio di coppie, i siti di scambi di coppia e webcam mature, i bocchini ad ingoio totale della moglie infedele che li fa ovviamente a tutti tranne che al marito e i siti extraconiugali per incontrare la moglie adultera, numeri troie, ]]> Claudio http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/claudio/346-chatporno-moglie-infedele-telefoni-erotici-siti-extraconiugali.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/345-why-dont-you-own-your-market-part-3-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Fri, 06 Jan 2012 19:40:18 GMT

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Why You Don't Own Your Market - Part 3

Today we continue our discussion of reasons why you may not own your market. Number one was somebody else has a better deal, in which case you need to innovate.

Reason #2: People perceive someone has a better deal: Okay, so you've innovated and you're now the best deal. Anyone in your target market would be a fool to buy from your competitors. But they still do. Why? The only possible reason is that your marketing plan doesn't effectively nurture and coddle prospects through what we call the educational spectrum. You may attempt to communicate your obvious advantages, but your prospects either don't believe you or don't think about you in the moment of truth.

Prescription #2: OWN THE MARKET ALREADY! First, identify all of your prospective clients and gather their information in your database files. Next, create a series of compelling, well-articulated marketing messages that target each of the possible concern areas and build trust over a period of time. Make sure your marketing materials all are hot-button-based, and target the group we call the INVESTIGATOR on the educational spectrum. Then you need to carefully execute your plan and communicate with your entire prospect base to guide them through your educational process.

Just realize that the whole key to effective marketing is to let your target market know in a consistent, compelling way they would be a fool to buy from anyone but you. If you have truly innovated like we talked about in prescription #1, then it's just a matter of time before you'll win all the clients you want.

More Monday.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/345-why-dont-you-own-your-market-part-3-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/344-why-dont-you-own-your-market-part-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:52:07 GMT

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Why You Don't Own Your Market - Part 2

Most business owners don't even realize that complete market dominance is an option. They just figure there's always going to be competition in business. And they'reright - and wrong. Just ask Bill Gates if he has any competitors in operating software. Or ask our client from the auto repair shop we discussed yesterday if he has any competitors. The answer in both cases is yes. But if you think that anyone else has half a chance at cracking their empires...it ain't going to happen. They OWN their marketplaces. And so can you. So why don't you?

We've found that there are really only a few reasons why competition even exists in the first place. I mean, you would think in every category of products and services there would be one competitor that was so good and so aggressive that they would smother their competition. But it just doesn't happen very often.

The following is a short explanation of reasons why you might not own your marketplace, along with prescriptions to fix the problem. See if you can identify and remedy your situation. If so, there's no question that you'll beat your competitors for the majority of market share every time.

Reason #1: Somebody Else Has A Better Deal: I'm not talking about price here either. I mean there's a competitor who is offering more value to your prospects than you are and the prospects recognize that fact and don't buy from you. This sounds simple enough but I would contest that if you're not offering the best deal possible, you shouldn't expect to win.

Don't quit reading because this sounds so simple. This is the first reason (that a business doesn’t own their market) listed because it's the most basic and most widely ignored. Why do you think traditional sales training exists? It's designed for companies with sales mentalities that believe all competitors are equal and your only chance of landing any business is to out-sell, out-trick, out-technique, out-cold call, out-persist, and out-luck all of your competitors. I disagree in a most fundamental way.

Prescription #1: INNOVATE ALREADY! And don't say that innovation is too hard. Innovation means simply figuring out a way to offer more value than any of your competitors. There are literally thousands of ways to do this. But on a basic level, just ask yourself one simple question: If I were a customer of my business, ”John Smith,” what would compel me to buy from me instead of my competitors?

If you can't answer that question and aren't willing to work your guts out figuring out the answer, I think we’ve figured out why your market share is what it is. And remember we're looking for real, quantifiable, interesting, exciting, and compelling reasons for customers to buy. Not things like we've been in business for a zillion years. Not things that are pretty neat, but all of your competitors do also. Not things that your customers have come to expect from you or your industry as status quo. What is it? If you don't know what it is, YOU MUST INNOVATE. If you're stuck about how to do it, give us a call.

Reason #2 tomorrow.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/344-why-dont-you-own-your-market-part-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/343-do-you-own-your-market-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Wed, 28 Dec 2011 18:12:18 GMT

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Do You Own Your Market?

When we talk in our newsletters about owning your market, most people initially think we're just trying to be catchy and cute. On the contrary, we're dead serious. When we say "separate yourself from the competition...then eliminate them," we mean it literally.

One of our favorite mainstream clients we've worked with is an auto repair shop that regularly puts three to four competitors out of business every year. His business operations are run so flawlessly, his marketing is so compelling, and his customer satisfaction is so high...customers are irresistibly drawn in and drawn back time after time. They are helpless. In their minds (and in reality), they would be FOOLISH to go anywhere else to get their cars fixed.

Now understand - this client doesn't go around gloating about destroying his competitors. He doesn't hate their guts or put big X's on a map at their location after they quit. He just has a big problem with the idea of anyone taking his/her car to get fixed anywhere else - and not just because he wants to make the money, it's because he knows that if they go anywhere else, there's a good chance that they'll pay too much, their car won't get fixed right, and the customer will get mad at ALL auto repair shops (you probably can't relate, right?).

Why don't you own your market? The reasons starting tomorrow.

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Your Customer's Perception Isn't Necessarily The Same As Reality - Part 2

Yesterday we said there are two parts of your business, the Inside Reality and the Outside Perception.

If the Inside Reality is about what you do and what you are that allows your business to perform better, then the Outside Perception is about how customers and prospects perceive your company. And usually, the Inside Reality and the Outside Perception are different. You see, regardless of how good you are, or how great your Inside Reality is, your prospects are more than likely going to be, initially at least, apathetic. And it's not because they don't like you or they think your business is bad, but because trying to figure out how good you are is the last thing on their priority list. Ask yourself this question: How many competitors, either direct or indirect, does your business have? Whatever that number is, that's how many choices your prospects have and how many businesses they have to sift through before making a buying decision. And that's assuming they want to buy what you're selling!

We call this situation the Confidence Gap. The Confidence Gap represents a consumer's inability to make a distinction whether any of the products or any of the services are any different or any better than any of the others. And unfortunately, many businesses are heaped right in the middle of that pack of indistinguishable competitors!

Which brings us to the crux of the problem: Most businesses don't have the ability to communicate via advertising and marketing their Inside Reality to the outside world. They can't lead prospects to the conclusion "I would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you, regardless of price."...even if their business is good, and has achieved "WOW."

Now, there's a whole host of books, seminars and trainers that try to help businesses with their Outside Perception. There are books like "Guerrilla Marketing", "Principles of Marketing", "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing".. and then there are sales, marketing and advertising 'gurus' galore that all try to help you make your business look good to the outside world. And these are fine, but almost none of these books or trainers pay any attention to how good your business actually is - in other words, they ignore the Inside Reality. And they are almost all strictly technique oriented. They say, "Here, do this, that, this again, and then a little more of that and your ads will pull like crazy."

A very important principle to remember, though, is that advertising tricks and techniques won't compensate for a lack of confidence and perceived value in the consumer's mind.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/342-your-customers-perception-isnt-same-reality-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/341-your-customers-perception-isnt-same-reality-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:26:21 GMT

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Your Customer's Perception Isn't Necessarily The Same As Reality

There are really two different sides to your business: There's the "Inside Reality" and then there's the "Outside Perception." The Inside Reality has to do with all the things your business does that makes it valuable to your customers - from a product, operations, and management standpoint. It's what gives you a competitive advantage in the marketplace. It's the instantly recognizable things that makes your business great. It's your "Something Good To Say." The reason it's called the Inside Reality is because there's a good chance the reality of what you do, the value you offer, isn't necessarily the same as your customers' perceptions of what you do. You'll find that these two words - Reality and Perception - are very important to the process of winning in marketing and advertising.

The Inside Reality encompasses everything you do and everything you are that makes you good. It's all your skills, your people, your expertise, your service to the customer - before, during, and after the sale - your systems, your operational procedures, your commitment to excellence, your passion, and the way you conduct your business. Now you might think you're actually better than you are, or you might not be giving yourself enough credit for the things you do well. But regardless, there's a reality of how valuable you are to the marketplace based on those things.

If you asked your customers why they buy from you, they could probably tell you something quantifiable, specific, and instantly obvious. They could point to specific advantages of doing business with you and say, "That's why I do business here, that's why I refer my friends to come here, that's why I'm a loyal customer of this place, that's why I don't mind paying more here, and that's why I keep coming back." This is what business trainers like Ken Blanchard, Tom Peters, and Michael Gerber are all about...innovating your company. Tom Peters calls it the "Pursuit of Wow!", and Ken Blanchard calls it creating "Raving Fans."

But here's the problem: Just because you've achieved "WOW!" or can create "Raving Fans" - i.e. you Have Something Good To Say - doesn't mean customers are going to flock to your business. Achieving "WOW" is extremely important, but there's still a job of marketing that has to be done. And that's where Outside Perception comes into play.

More tomorrow.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/341-your-customers-perception-isnt-same-reality-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/340-when-marketing-know-your-objective-part-3-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Thu, 22 Dec 2011 19:58:38 GMT *When Marketing Know Your Objective - Part 3* Yesterday we discussed knowing your objective when marketing. Here are a couple of other examples...

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When Marketing Know Your Objective - Part 3

Yesterday we discussed knowing your objective when marketing. Here are a couple of other examples of how to do this:

California's largest SBA lending bank put together a report detailing everything a business owner needed to look out for and know about getting a small business loan. They then promoted this report in all their advertising and generated leads. A large mutual fund services company ran ads promoting a FREE audio program called "Investment Strategies: Which Ones Actually Work, And Which Ones Are Guaranteed To Drain Your Savings and Jeopardize Your Retirement..."

Doesn't the name of that program just jump out and grab you? If you were even remotely in the market for investing, wouldn't you just have to call and request the program? A corrugated box manufacturer put together an audio program that told the story of how and why they were the only company in the country that could design, produce, and deliver any custom box order in less than four hours. The CD was offered on all of the mailers and emails that were sent out to prospective clients.

A company that manufactures soaps and chemicals used in car washes put together a video that showed how their competitor's acidic products would actually eat metal on cars during the car wash. They did this by putting strips of aluminum in each of three different beakers...two beakers contained competing products, one contained theirs. The two beakers with competing products in them instantly started to foam and bubble within 15 seconds of the aluminum being put in, while the manufactures' product just sat there doing nothing. The video was titled the "15 Second Safe Test" and was offered in all of their trade publication ads and direct mail.

So Think About Your Ads.

1. What are you trying to accomplish?

2. Do you need to add another step?

3. How can you get more people to at least say they're interested?

4. Can you offer information or something to lower the risk to entice prospects?

Clarify and know your objective - the results you get from your marketing depend on it.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/340-when-marketing-know-your-objective-part-3-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/339-when-marketing-know-your-objective-part-2-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:16:00 GMT *When Marketing Know Your Objective - Part 2* Yesterday we talked about knowing your objective in marketing and we discussed a consignment...

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When Marketing Know Your Objective - Part 2

Yesterday we talked about knowing your objective in marketing and we discussed a consignment furniture store that ran generic ads that did absolutely nothing for their business. Here's more on that subject:

The problem was, they were missing a step. Instead of assuming everyone was just waiting to hear their ads so they could finally find a place to empty their wallets, the owners needed to assume nobody had ever heard of the store, and that they would need a very low-risk way to find out more about it before they would even invest the time to come check it out. In their store, because it's consignment, the inventory changes all the time, and they never have the same stuff twice. What they have just depends on what people bring in to sell.

So they started using the "Inventory Update List," which is simply a list that's printed out every two weeks of everything that's come in during that time period. Then, on the radio ad, after talking a little about the store, instead of only giving people the option of coming into the store, listeners were given a lower-risk option of calling in or going on line to get put on the "Inventory Update List" the store would e mail to them. The results? First of all walk-in traffic just about doubled, but more significantly, they took over 30 calls a day from people who just wanted to be on the list. Once they got someone on the list, they had the ability to contact them as many times as they wanted to offer incentives to purchase.

The Point Is: sometimes it's appropriate to generate sales from ads, in a lot of cases though, it's smarter to generate leads. You just want to make sure you know exactly what you're trying to accomplish before you start. The owners with the furniture store thought people would come into the store when they heard the radio ads - they were wrong. There was actually an in-between step for many prospects - calling in to be put on the list. Now, they've got the list on the internet with pictures of furniture in stock so customers can go online and get an updated inventory list as often as they like.

More tomorrow.

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Know Your Objective

Before you begin advertising, there's something you must establish upfront - Your Objective. Sounds a little bit elementary, doesn't it...maybe too simple. But you'd be surprised how many people say, "I know what my advertising objective is...it's to generate business, to make sales, and to make money. What else is there?" Well, there are lots of other things. Specifically, you want to decide if your ad is going to generate leads, generate sales, move somebody to the next step in the buying process, or a combination of these things.

Many advertisers assume that everyone who sees their ad will be ready to buy - that they'll just waltz right in and plunk down cash. But consumers don't always behave that way...because it depends on what you're selling and to whom you're selling. To illustrate this, here's an example of an upscale consignment furniture store that only carried really nice stuff in excellent condition. They'd spent almost $20,000 on radio advertising that sounded like the typical advertising nonsense. You've heard it before, "We carry this, this, and this. Only the finest that. We're committed to this. Yaddi, yaddi, yadda. Our store is located at such and such shopping plaza, we're open from 10 to 6 everyday."

The indisputable lack of results proved that their ads were not good. And like many businesses, the owners concluded that radio advertising does not and will not work for a furniture store like theirs. But remember, there are 2 parts to every advertisement: The medium, and what you actually say in the medium. In this case it wasn't the radio station that was bad...it was their ads. They had assumed the next step in the buying process was for the prospect to come into the store to browse around. Sounds reasonable, right? What would you expect people to do after they heard an ad for a consignment furniture store? Come on in and take a look.

For the rest of the story, tune in tomorrow.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/338-when-marketing-know-your-objective-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/337-what-purpose-marketing-part-3-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:18:30 GMT

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The Purpose of Marketing - Part 3

OK, so we've been discussing the three purposes of marketing. They are:

Objective #1: Capture the attention of your target market (prospects).

Objective #2: Facilitate the prospect's decision-making process.

Objective #3: Give your customers a specific, low-risk, easy-to-take action that further facilitates their ability to make a good decision.

Let's discuss Objective three in more detail.

Lower the risk of taking the next step in the buying process so you can further educate them.

You can't cram everything that a person needs to know into one advertisement. (And my god I see this so much in the format of flash banners on boards) You have to find a way to give them more information-and you do this via marketing tools-reports, websites, audio CDs, and CD ROMs.

Have you ever bought a new home from a builder? They have lots of ways to advertise and promote, one being the Sunday paper in the New Homes section. But if you look in that section of the newspaper, you'll see that none of the ads there accomplishes the three objectives of marketing: 1) to capture the attention of the target market, 2) facilitate their decision-making process by educating them about what they need to know, and 3) give them a low-risk way to become more educated and take the next step to further the buying process. Those ads don't do this. Instead, they feature beautiful, happy, smiling people, pictures of houses and floor plans, price ranges of homes, and maps to various neighborhoods.

The ads all look virtually identical and contain similar pictures and words. From the prospect's standpoint, they are the same. There's nothing to get their attention, no acknowledgment of what the customers needs or problems might be. And, there's nothing in any of the ads to educate the prospect. There's nothing to facilitate their decision-making processes. There's nothing to show them what they need to know or tell them what issues to consider. How many things do you need to know when buying a new home? Are you an expert on lumber, plumbing, masonry, electrical, insulation, flooring, framing, roofing, finish out, and the 613 other relevant, pertinent issues involved with building a home? Of course not. And you won't be after reading those ads, either.

I'm not saying every buyer wants to know all that stuff; I am saying that all buyers would like to at least be aware of the relevant issues that are at stake. With these ads, all you know is that smiling people supposedly live there, and they all have floor plans and maps to neighborhoods. All of these ads are ineffective because prospective buyers want and need to be educated-so they can feel confident when making their decision. Nobody is providing this information. The first one who does, wins.

Then there's no low-risk way for the prospect to take the next step in the buying process. The only option these ads give is to come into the model home. You say, "That's low risk." The heck it is! If you're just thinking about buying a new home, and the only option is to come to a model home that's 45 minutes from your house, and you know that it will stocked with starving salespeople who will do everything in their power to force you to buy that home on the spot, is that low risk?

All of the ads fail miserably on this level; as a result, they get lost in the shuffle of all the other ads.

There's a better way to handle this situation.

Why do you think that marketing people always feel forced into a price-competitive situation? If you feel like that's the case in your business, it's your own fault. Your lack of marketing ability has led to a situation where there are no distinctions between you and your competitors. You haven't introduced the proper parameters or educated your prospects on the relevant issues. You've made no offers to lower the risk of taking the next step.

Effective marketing accomplishes all three objectives. It causes your prospects and customers to conclude: "I would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you regardless of price."

If you feel that you're always competing on price, it's because price is the only relevant variable you've given your prospects to consider, and from the prospect's perspective, all things are equal, so they would be fools not to demand a lower price.

For more information SUBSCRIBE to our new weekly marketing newsletter. ]]> AdultB2B http://www.ynoteurope.com/blogs/adultb2b/337-what-purpose-marketing-part-3-adult-b2b-marketing-tip.html