Back in action. Dayton, Cleveland, Chicago
09' here we come!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Nine Ways To Outwit And Outsell Your Competition In 2009
1. Focus On Your Profit Margin
Are you selling products that have a high profit -- that is products and services that are returning a high profit in dollars and cents -- not in percentages? There can be a big difference between profit in percentages and profit in dollars and cents. Remember, you can't take percentages to the bank.
2. Focus On Your People
Is your staff on your bandwagon? Explain to them that you are building a championship team that's going to survive these tough times. Are they on board? If not, you shouldn't be employing them. You can't afford to have one dissenter on your staff because you simply can't afford to lose one customer.
3. Communicate Your Differentiation, Your Story And Your Value
Do you have a differentiation or value story to tell people? If you do, they will remember you and talk about you. If you don't … they'll forget about you. Give your customers the "materials" they need to remember you, to talk about you and to be your "marketing ambassadors."
4. It's All About Connections
Be the mayor. Your business is up for election every single day of the year. What's your platform? What do you stand for? Put your time and energy into developing relationships within your community and collecting votes. Nurture your connections. The only cost of doing this is your time.
5. Be A Personality
Get in front of people and be the face of your company. Speaking in front of 100 people is worth more (financially and in good will) than you can imagine. People would rather do business with someone they know and like.
6. Love Your Customers
Your customers are the sole reason your business exists. A lot of companies have forgotten that. So, make your customers feel important. Ask them for feedback. Once a year, invite your key customers to a special event to thank them for their business. It's easier and far less expensive to market to your true "fans" than to find new customers.
7. Wow! Be Fascinating
Everything you do and everything the customer sees about you -- your showroom, products and services, greetings, landscaping, washroom and lobby area -- must be remarkable. If they're mediocre, then in your customers' eyes, you're just another average company that's easy to forget about.
8. Make The Internet Work For You
If you're not found on the Internet, people won't know about you. Invest in "search" and PPC programs. Explore the advantages of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Learn about mobile messaging programs. Make it a point to maintain visibility on the Internet and engage in two-way conversations with your customers.
9. Develop A Written Sales-Building Plan
Ideas are a dime a dozen and don't mean anything if they remain stored in your head. Write down what you want to achieve (your vision), your deadline for achieving it and what it's going to take to get you there.
From this, develop a six-month sales-building plan. Get feedback from your staff so they "buy into" the program. And finally, get someone to hold you accountable for getting the plan done.
Having a written plan and having someone to make sure you implement the plan will make you unstoppable.
If you follow these guidelines, 2009 will be just fine.
2009 Will Be Just Fine!
Say goodbye to 2008. What a year it's been! There have been a lot of ups and downs, and most of the downs were a result of things beyond our control.
With a lot of companies in survival mode, we believe this is the best time for you to outwit and outsell your competition. If you follow our nine guidelines, 2009 can and will be just fine.
Best holiday wishes and see you next year!
Mike Langer Director of Client Solutions northlich
720 East Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, OH 45202
Direct: 513.287.1812 Main: 513.421.8840 Cell: 513.703.9637
mlanger@northlich.com
www.northlich.com
Are you selling products that have a high profit -- that is products and services that are returning a high profit in dollars and cents -- not in percentages? There can be a big difference between profit in percentages and profit in dollars and cents. Remember, you can't take percentages to the bank.
2. Focus On Your People
Is your staff on your bandwagon? Explain to them that you are building a championship team that's going to survive these tough times. Are they on board? If not, you shouldn't be employing them. You can't afford to have one dissenter on your staff because you simply can't afford to lose one customer.
3. Communicate Your Differentiation, Your Story And Your Value
Do you have a differentiation or value story to tell people? If you do, they will remember you and talk about you. If you don't … they'll forget about you. Give your customers the "materials" they need to remember you, to talk about you and to be your "marketing ambassadors."
4. It's All About Connections
Be the mayor. Your business is up for election every single day of the year. What's your platform? What do you stand for? Put your time and energy into developing relationships within your community and collecting votes. Nurture your connections. The only cost of doing this is your time.
5. Be A Personality
Get in front of people and be the face of your company. Speaking in front of 100 people is worth more (financially and in good will) than you can imagine. People would rather do business with someone they know and like.
6. Love Your Customers
Your customers are the sole reason your business exists. A lot of companies have forgotten that. So, make your customers feel important. Ask them for feedback. Once a year, invite your key customers to a special event to thank them for their business. It's easier and far less expensive to market to your true "fans" than to find new customers.
7. Wow! Be Fascinating
Everything you do and everything the customer sees about you -- your showroom, products and services, greetings, landscaping, washroom and lobby area -- must be remarkable. If they're mediocre, then in your customers' eyes, you're just another average company that's easy to forget about.
8. Make The Internet Work For You
If you're not found on the Internet, people won't know about you. Invest in "search" and PPC programs. Explore the advantages of LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Learn about mobile messaging programs. Make it a point to maintain visibility on the Internet and engage in two-way conversations with your customers.
9. Develop A Written Sales-Building Plan
Ideas are a dime a dozen and don't mean anything if they remain stored in your head. Write down what you want to achieve (your vision), your deadline for achieving it and what it's going to take to get you there.
From this, develop a six-month sales-building plan. Get feedback from your staff so they "buy into" the program. And finally, get someone to hold you accountable for getting the plan done.
Having a written plan and having someone to make sure you implement the plan will make you unstoppable.
If you follow these guidelines, 2009 will be just fine.
2009 Will Be Just Fine!
Say goodbye to 2008. What a year it's been! There have been a lot of ups and downs, and most of the downs were a result of things beyond our control.
With a lot of companies in survival mode, we believe this is the best time for you to outwit and outsell your competition. If you follow our nine guidelines, 2009 can and will be just fine.
Best holiday wishes and see you next year!
Mike Langer Director of Client Solutions northlich
720 East Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, OH 45202
Direct: 513.287.1812 Main: 513.421.8840 Cell: 513.703.9637
mlanger@northlich.com
www.northlich.com
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Information Impacting You and Our Fast-Forward Economy
1. You May Not Be Able To Beat The Economy, But You Can Outlast Your Competitors
2. Why You Shouldn’t Lower Prices During These Tough Times
3. How To Get Your Name Listed On Google
4. Being There When The Dust Settles
The arrival of a new administration traditionally sparks optimism within the economy, but this year will be different. Retail prognosticators are forecasting a gloomy holiday shopping season. Is your business prepared to beat the odds?
Going to battle against the recession is a no-win situation. But if you want to be the one standing when the smoke clears, you’ve got to have a plan to outwit and outsell your competition.
**************************
2. Why You Shouldn’t Lower Prices During These Tough Times
· It’s hard to resist the urge to lower the prices of your retail products or services during these times, but you must realize that if you do so, you are taking a risk.
· Despite eating into their profits, most companies lower their prices, hoping to bring in additional sales and keep their staff on payroll. This tactic may attract bargain customers, but they’ll most likely abandon you once you increase your prices.
· So, what do you do? Rather than lowering your prices, develop a way to increase your value. The reason people won’t pay your price is because there’s not enough value attached to the product.
· For example, a high-end steak restaurant, rather than lowering their menu prices, should be adding value by developing a promotion with a high-end retailer like Brooks Brothers.
· Discounting and dropping your prices is the penalty you pay when you’re not delivering enough value for the money you’re charging.
**************************
3. How To Get Your Name Listed On Google
Ever “Googled” your name and wished you were listed in the first two pages of results? For many people, having their name listed on Google is part of their Web presence and self-branding program. Does it sound egotistical? Not really, considering that fact the second most popular search criterion on the Web is searching for a person’s professional background, according to Pew Internet American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org).
LookupPage (www.LookUpPage.com) is a powerful marketing tool that helps you promote your name on the web and manage the information people see about you. “The LookupPage product will make sure you have great visibility across the Web and that you are prominently presented on the major search engines whenever your name is being searched online,” according to the site’s Frequently Asked Questions.
**************************
4. Being There When The Dust Settles
Some of the best-known companies in the country, in your region and in your neighborhood –- your competitors -- may not have the endurance to make it through the next quarter. We believe you will succeed. But just as your customers have changed, your marketing needs to change as well. It needs to tell a story of trust and integrity -- of something remarkable.
Interested in learning more about how you can outwit and outsell the competition? Want to be there when the dust settles? Then call us. We can help you get there … faster than ever.
Cheers!
Mike Langer Director, Client Solutions northlich
720 East Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, OH 45202
Direct: 513.287.1812 Main: 513.421.8840 Cell: 513.703.9637
Northlich is a brand engagement agency specializing in changing not simply perception but behavior. On the tube, in the paper, online or on the street, we engage people with brands however, whenever, and wherever they choose to engage.
------------------------------------------------
EXTRA “FAST FACT FLASHES” IF YOU NEED THEM.
1. Merchants Continue To Invest More Dollars In PPC
Merchants continue to put more of their ad dollars towards Pay Per Click campaigns According to the 2nd Annual Pay Per ClickStress Survey, about 65% of merchants surveyed report using PPC ad platforms for three years or more. (www.BizReport.com)
*********************************
2. Record Numbers Are Visiting Newspaper Web Sites
· They may not prefer the paper version, but readers continue to flock to newspapers’ Web sites for fast breaking information and analysis of the news. Visits during the third quarter were up 16% over the previous quarter. (www.marketingcharts.com)
********************************
3. Will Facebook Survive Or Go Bankrupt?
· With incredible growth, Facebook’s expenses are rising faster than the revenues it generates. How many times can it go to the well for more money, especially in this economy? (www.marketingpilgrim.com)
2. Why You Shouldn’t Lower Prices During These Tough Times
3. How To Get Your Name Listed On Google
4. Being There When The Dust Settles
**************************
1. You May Not Be Able To Beat The Economy, But You Can Outlast Your Competitors
The arrival of a new administration traditionally sparks optimism within the economy, but this year will be different. Retail prognosticators are forecasting a gloomy holiday shopping season. Is your business prepared to beat the odds?
Going to battle against the recession is a no-win situation. But if you want to be the one standing when the smoke clears, you’ve got to have a plan to outwit and outsell your competition.
**************************
2. Why You Shouldn’t Lower Prices During These Tough Times
· It’s hard to resist the urge to lower the prices of your retail products or services during these times, but you must realize that if you do so, you are taking a risk.
· Despite eating into their profits, most companies lower their prices, hoping to bring in additional sales and keep their staff on payroll. This tactic may attract bargain customers, but they’ll most likely abandon you once you increase your prices.
· So, what do you do? Rather than lowering your prices, develop a way to increase your value. The reason people won’t pay your price is because there’s not enough value attached to the product.
· For example, a high-end steak restaurant, rather than lowering their menu prices, should be adding value by developing a promotion with a high-end retailer like Brooks Brothers.
· Discounting and dropping your prices is the penalty you pay when you’re not delivering enough value for the money you’re charging.
**************************
3. How To Get Your Name Listed On Google
Ever “Googled” your name and wished you were listed in the first two pages of results? For many people, having their name listed on Google is part of their Web presence and self-branding program. Does it sound egotistical? Not really, considering that fact the second most popular search criterion on the Web is searching for a person’s professional background, according to Pew Internet American Life Project (www.pewinternet.org).
LookupPage (www.LookUpPage.com) is a powerful marketing tool that helps you promote your name on the web and manage the information people see about you. “The LookupPage product will make sure you have great visibility across the Web and that you are prominently presented on the major search engines whenever your name is being searched online,” according to the site’s Frequently Asked Questions.
**************************
4. Being There When The Dust Settles
Some of the best-known companies in the country, in your region and in your neighborhood –- your competitors -- may not have the endurance to make it through the next quarter. We believe you will succeed. But just as your customers have changed, your marketing needs to change as well. It needs to tell a story of trust and integrity -- of something remarkable.
Interested in learning more about how you can outwit and outsell the competition? Want to be there when the dust settles? Then call us. We can help you get there … faster than ever.
Cheers!
Mike Langer Director, Client Solutions northlich
720 East Pete Rose Way Cincinnati, OH 45202
Direct: 513.287.1812 Main: 513.421.8840 Cell: 513.703.9637
Northlich is a brand engagement agency specializing in changing not simply perception but behavior. On the tube, in the paper, online or on the street, we engage people with brands however, whenever, and wherever they choose to engage.
------------------------------------------------
EXTRA “FAST FACT FLASHES” IF YOU NEED THEM.
1. Merchants Continue To Invest More Dollars In PPC
Merchants continue to put more of their ad dollars towards Pay Per Click campaigns According to the 2nd Annual Pay Per ClickStress Survey, about 65% of merchants surveyed report using PPC ad platforms for three years or more. (www.BizReport.com)
*********************************
2. Record Numbers Are Visiting Newspaper Web Sites
· They may not prefer the paper version, but readers continue to flock to newspapers’ Web sites for fast breaking information and analysis of the news. Visits during the third quarter were up 16% over the previous quarter. (www.marketingcharts.com)
********************************
3. Will Facebook Survive Or Go Bankrupt?
· With incredible growth, Facebook’s expenses are rising faster than the revenues it generates. How many times can it go to the well for more money, especially in this economy? (www.marketingpilgrim.com)
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Why New Business is Everyone's Business
Posted By: Mr. Mitchell Caplan
Date: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 12:34 PM
Categories: 4A's Mission, Agency/Client Relations, ANA
I was at the recent ANA Conference and (surprise!) found myself at the bar before dinner। Before I knew it, I was surrounded by about a half dozen of my favorite people: the CMO's and Business Development Directors of some of the best and largest agencies in the business।
These are people I highly respect and admire. The agency business is tough enough, but being in the bull's-eye of arguably the most stressful and challenging part of the business is in my opinion one of the hardest jobs. These folks are great at what they do, but manage to also be some of the best people (and friends) you would ever want to have.
As I looked around at the group I realized that this group of people had become another one of the "communities" I belong to. We all speak with each other on a fairly regular basis (sites like Facebook and LinkedIn have only accelerated this), sharing, when we can, information about pitches, prospects, consultants, and the general business of new business.
One of the reasons I've been lucky enough to be at all successful at business development is because of what I’ve learned over the years from this group of professionals and others in the same line of work. Now, of course, it’s a highly competitive group. We all want to win all of the time. But all of the members of this community have always been open and fairly transparent about sharing best practices and insights when there would be no harm to their own firm.
It's an unusual state of openness among competitors. But I also think there is a genuine understanding that new business is a tough gig, so we all want to see others succeed (when it doesn’t come at our expense). In many ways, I think we all feel a responsibility to help each other when we can, as this is one of the toughest jobs you can have in the advertising/marketing business.
Part of the 4A's Mission is as follows:
"To improve and strengthen the advertising agency business in the United States by counseling members on operations and management, by providing the collective experience of the many to each, by fostering professional development, by encouraging the highest creative and business standards, and by attracting excellent people to the business."
That is in essence is the spirit of this blog. What you'll find here is commentary and suggestions from some of the best in the business. No state secrets, just a continuation of the spirit of the "community" that I described above, and the "counsel" that is a basic tenant of the 4A's Mission. One that benefits all of us, while allowing for us as an industry and as individuals to be the best we can at what we do.
As Chairman of the Large Agency New Business Committee, I encourage all of you, regardless of the size of your agency, to contribute to this blog, and to participate in what we hope will be a highly beneficial conversation about new business.
Now, did anyone hear anything about that pitch for… ;-)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Promote Your Ad Agency Through the Recession
Let me preface this post by saying that small to midsize agencies have a once in a lifetime opportunity to grow their agency during the current, turbulent financial crisis. Now is the time to step up your advertising agency’s new business efforts.
Promote your agency through the recession by expanding your agency’s “Online Footprint.”
In 2008, four things have taken place that particularly impacts small and midsize agency new business:
In a 2008 CMO survey, 80% of decision makers say they found the vendor, not the other way around.
CMO Council’s Marketing Outlook study states that Marketing 2.0 is by no means a brand new idea, but this year it becomes mainstream with the general public.
Tim Williams, founder of Ignition Consulting Group , and author of the book, Take a Stand for Your Brand, declares in 2008 that it’s, “The End of Cold Calling.”
The current economic crisis that is impacting advertising budgets and will greatly accelerate Web 2.0. Following this recession, there will not be a return to business as usual.
How does this impact ad agency new business?
According to current research and trends, traditional media and methods will no longer generate sustainable leads for your agency’s new business. The new business paradigm that we are witnessing is positioning small and midsize advertising agencies online to be found their best target audiences. Agencies should develop an appealing point of differentiation and use Web 2.0 tools to greatly expand their agency’s “online footprint” to be easily found by their best prospective clients.
Below is an overview chart of the various inexpensive, online tools agencies can use to expand their online presence:
As a first step, I would suggest subscribing your agency to the following online services. It doesn’t matter if you don’t use them all immediately, but it is important to get a general understanding of them. Sign up for:
Facebook/Myspace
LinkedIn
Twitter
Digg
Technorati
Feedburner
GoogleAnalytics
YouTube
Flickr
Wikipedia entry
Secondly, agency principals and staff subscribe to relevant online professional networks and professional online forums. You and your staff should immediately link to one another, then to clients, friends and prospective clients. Everyone becomes an agency ambassador.
Experience the new media tools for yourself and build your staff’s capabilities and utilize the cost effectiveness of new media to promote your agency. For success, you’ll need to understand that motive matters, these tools need to be used correctly. Also they wont be effective unless they are used consistently.
Thirdly, create an agency blog, specific to a particular target audience. Provide useful information and resources. Build relationships and trust along with being positioned as an expert among your target group.
Fourth, continue expanding your agency’s online footprint using other new media tools such as eNewsletters, online surveys/polls, PR, presentations (SlideShare), downloadable whitepapers, PPC (AdWords), Ebooks and article marketing (EzineArticles).
When other agencies are cutting back, there is no better opportunity to pick up new clients, increase your agency’s profile and market share. You can do more online with a fraction of the cost.
Promote your agency through the recession by expanding your agency’s “Online Footprint.”
In 2008, four things have taken place that particularly impacts small and midsize agency new business:
In a 2008 CMO survey, 80% of decision makers say they found the vendor, not the other way around.
CMO Council’s Marketing Outlook study states that Marketing 2.0 is by no means a brand new idea, but this year it becomes mainstream with the general public.
Tim Williams, founder of Ignition Consulting Group , and author of the book, Take a Stand for Your Brand, declares in 2008 that it’s, “The End of Cold Calling.”
The current economic crisis that is impacting advertising budgets and will greatly accelerate Web 2.0. Following this recession, there will not be a return to business as usual.
How does this impact ad agency new business?
According to current research and trends, traditional media and methods will no longer generate sustainable leads for your agency’s new business. The new business paradigm that we are witnessing is positioning small and midsize advertising agencies online to be found their best target audiences. Agencies should develop an appealing point of differentiation and use Web 2.0 tools to greatly expand their agency’s “online footprint” to be easily found by their best prospective clients.
Below is an overview chart of the various inexpensive, online tools agencies can use to expand their online presence:
As a first step, I would suggest subscribing your agency to the following online services. It doesn’t matter if you don’t use them all immediately, but it is important to get a general understanding of them. Sign up for:
Facebook/Myspace
Digg
Technorati
Feedburner
GoogleAnalytics
YouTube
Flickr
Wikipedia entry
Secondly, agency principals and staff subscribe to relevant online professional networks and professional online forums. You and your staff should immediately link to one another, then to clients, friends and prospective clients. Everyone becomes an agency ambassador.
Experience the new media tools for yourself and build your staff’s capabilities and utilize the cost effectiveness of new media to promote your agency. For success, you’ll need to understand that motive matters, these tools need to be used correctly. Also they wont be effective unless they are used consistently.
Thirdly, create an agency blog, specific to a particular target audience. Provide useful information and resources. Build relationships and trust along with being positioned as an expert among your target group.
Fourth, continue expanding your agency’s online footprint using other new media tools such as eNewsletters, online surveys/polls, PR, presentations (SlideShare), downloadable whitepapers, PPC (AdWords), Ebooks and article marketing (EzineArticles).
When other agencies are cutting back, there is no better opportunity to pick up new clients, increase your agency’s profile and market share. You can do more online with a fraction of the cost.
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