McMaster University Alumni Luncheon

I attended the luncheon for McMaster University Alumni.

It's a good way to network and have some stimulating conversation. The first is about making and building business contacts. The second is about staying sharp because that will help you build your business contacts.

I graduated from McMaster University in 1979 with my degree in Economics. I sat at a table with graduates from 1962. As you can imagine, they were now retired. We were decades apart. Several had been teachers so we were able to connect on the topic of public speaking and motivation.

The year of 62 grads were planning their 50th year reunion. They were engaged and motivated. That impressed me. They must be 70 plus in age.

I connected with several other people I knew. People need to see you again to remember you.

I also made a first face meeting with one person that I had only connected with online.

An Alumni event is an easy way to connect and reconnect with people. The environment is non-threatening.

It was a stimulating event. If you haven't been to a college, university or high school alumni event in a long while then just do it.

It's amazing that even though we attended the same school, in different decades, we can still find a bond.


George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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Your Car as a Marketing Tool

Is That Your Car?

Your car sends a message about how successful you are. Maintain it. A rusty car is never cool. If you have an old car, get it repainted. Customers might think that you are an antique collector. But if it is rusty they know you have no money. If you have no money they think you are not successful in your business. And if you are not successful you must not be good.

If you drive an old car, you might rent or borrow a better one for an important meeting.

Keep your car clean inside and out, even if,  no, especially if, it is the family car. When you are on business it is acceptable to have a baby seat in the back, but not the diapers.

Use your car as a signboard. Paint your name on the sides if it fits the image of your business. If you're in a big city with tall buildings, put your name on the roof of the car. If signs are not appropriate, then you can always go with vanity plates.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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Introduce Yourself with Flair

Introducing Yourself Like Zorro

You may have heard your name thousands of times, so to save time you state it very quickly. The listener does not hear your name and won't remember you. Say your name slowly and clearly so they hear it. Enunciate for them. “Hi, I am (short pause) George (longer pause) Torok (pause and smile)." Look happy to state your name. If you have a difficult or unusual name, repeat it. You might help them remember it by saying, "rhymes with . . ." or "in my mother tongue it means . . ." And if you can make people laugh when you say your name, they will remember you.

State your name clearly when meeting face to face, talking on the phone, or introducing yourself to a group. Be proud of your name and show it. Never apologize for introducing yourself.


The next time that you introduce yourself picture how Zorro would do it.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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Soiled Collar Kills the Sale

The Power of Presentation

The president of an oil company remembers going shopping with his dad for a new car when he was a young boy. His father's business had done well and they were going to buy a brand new Cadillac. 

They entered the showroom, both of them proud and excited. They smiled as the salesman approached them. 

Then a strange thing happened. As the expectant salesman got closer, the smile on the father's face disappeared, and he reached down, grabbed his son's hand, turned around, and marched out. 

The boy was almost in tears. “What happened, Dad? Why did we leave?” His father barked, “I’ll not buy an expensive car from a man with a soiled shirt.” It seems the negligent salesman had worn his shirt at least two days in a row.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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Can You Say "Thank You"?

Is "thank you" a lost phrase?

Has this happened to you recently? You were passing through the door of a public building and in a gesture of kindness you held the door for the next person behind you. And that person marched through without saying “Thank You”? Not only did they not say anything but you didn’t even receive a smile, a nod or acknowledgement of any kind. In fact they acted as if they were entitled to your servitude. If you felt annoyed you would be normal.

We want to be appreciated – especially when we go out of our way to show kindness to someone else. Often all it takes is a simple “thank you”. A “thank you” costs nothing yet it is given so seldom in earnest.

The best thing that you can do to improve your customer service is to say “thank you” to your clients. The cost is nothing. The return is huge. Consider that everyone wants to be acknowledged. Everyone wants to feel good about themselves. Saying thank you is the simplest way to do that. Yet many customer service people do not say thank you.

It seems strange yet many customer service people seem to expect to be thanked for doing their job – even when they snarl at you. They give you back your change and expect a thank you. Hey, that was my money that I gave you.

They seemed to miss the fact that the customer should be thanked for visiting their shop and spending money.

I believe that this is the result of entitlement mentality and poor customer service training.

The first might be the result of over indulgent parents and the second the fault of untrained retail managers.

It seems that rotten customer service has trained customers to expect lousy service and be overly polite to the servers.

What’s wrong with this scenario?

I’m all for treating people with respect. I believe that I do. And I expect to be treated as a valued customer when I’m spending my money.

How does your staff react when a customer walks in the door?

1. Damn! Another annoying customer.

2. Wonderful! Welcome to our shop, and thank you for your business.

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

Robin States with Conquest Financial Services

Does email marketing still work?

Yes. But we need to be much smarter then we were five years ago. You need to capture attention with real benefits. You need to avoid the perception of SPAM.

Here's an email from Conquest Financial that fails on several points. You might learn from the mistakes of Robin States with Conquest Financial Services.

I've received at least six copies of this message from Robin States. It's so bad that naturally I ignored the first few messages. I requested removal from Mr States list at least twice. So now I'm annoyed at receiving this SPAM from Conquest Financial.

So let's see what we can learn from this bad email.

First mistake. The email was marked, "High Priority". To me, only life and death issues are high priority. I have never marked an email "High Priority" because nothing in business is "high priority". So my first reaction is annoyance.

Second, the subject line was not bad. 

"Important Merchant Account Information - Reduce Your Rates!"

A better line would have been "How to Reduce Your Merchant Account rates"

Next, the greeting and opening line.

-----------------

Hello,

Robin States here, with Conquest Financial Services.  Keeping this email brief I would like to introduce our services.

-----------------

It starts with Hello - but not my name. Clearly it's not addressed to me. Looks like SPAM already. Read the next two sentences. Nothing of value there. I don't know Robin States or Conquest Financial so neither of those names mean anything to me. The next sentence is total crap and wasted words. If you wanted to keep it brief then don't waste my time by telling me that.

---------------------------

At Conquest Financial Services, our mission is to provide our customers with the most innovative and diverse suite of payment processing solutions that will fuel the success of their business while developing a long-standing relationship through outstanding customer service and support. 

---------------------------

What does that mean?

It's gobbly goop. No benefits offered there.

These words are meaningless: our mission, most innovative, diverse suite, fuel the success, outstanding customer service and support...

Further down, Mr States ask for referrals. Here is my referral. Don't do business with Robin States or Conquest Financial Services because they SPAM and lie.

Naturally like any referral that is based on my opinion of my limited experience with this company.

And way at the bottom is the offer to "unsubscribe". My experience is that that is a lie.

This SPAM email from Robin States with Conquest Financial offers good example of what not to do in your email marketing.

See the full email below.

-----------------

Hello,

Robin States here, with Conquest Financial Services.  Keeping this email brief I would like to introduce our services.

At Conquest Financial Services, our mission is to provide our customers with the most innovative and diverse suite of payment processing solutions that will fuel the success of their business while developing a long-standing relationship through outstanding customer service and support.

Conquest Financial Services has mandated to enable its clients to process all major card brands including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club, JCB and Interac Direct Payment in Canada AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE RATES.

WE WILL BEAT YOUR CURRENT RATES GUARANTEED!

I SERVICE ALL OF CANADA!

Conquest Financial Services offers comprehensive payment solutions specially tailored to your business.

• Full line of the most Advanced smart card enabled POS equipment 
• Flexible low-cost transaction processing
• Merchant Cash Advances
• Outstanding 24/7/365 Customer Service and Technical Support

If you are interested in saving on your merchant services cost, and would like to put more of your hard earned revenue back into your business, please contact me to discuss your options further, and to arrange for an analysis on your current merchant situation.  I will show you how you can save $$$ by switching to Conquest Financial Services as your merchant services provider.

*** Also, Conquest Financial Services provides Working Capital Loans to Small & Medium Businesses for whatever your business needs require.  Please contact me for more information regarding working capital loans.

If you are not interested in our services, but know of someone who would be, please forward on my contact information or this email communication and I will get them into the best possible processing situation.  Referrals are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to speaking with you soon,

Rob States

Regional Accounts Manager 

Conquest Financial Services | 326 Adelaide St W. Suite 400 | Toronto ON M5V 1R3

Tel: 1.877.505.9383 ext. 161 | Fax: 1.866.209.9359 | E-Mail : rstates@conquest-financial.com

P Please consider your environmental responsibility before printing this e-mail 

This message contains information which may be confidential and privileged.  Unless you are the intended recipient (or authorized to receive this message for the intended recipient), you may not use, copy, disseminate or disclose to anyone the message or any information contained in the message.  If you have received the message in error, please advise the sender by reply e-mail, and delete the message.  Thank you.

***If you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please reply to Unsubscribe with the subject "Remove" in the email header. We will gladly remove you and your information from the mailing list within 24 hours.***

George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing Get your free copy of "50 Power Marketing Ideas" Power Marketing on FaceBook Marketing Zoo on Twitter

What's in a Name?

Does a name determine value?

Maybe. Names plant images or emotional value in our minds. Product names seem to influence value. Consider these examples.

Wine
If you are selling wine then consider the study by Brock University as reported in the Globe and Mail.


“Names that seem unique or harder to understand or wrap your mind around are that way because they’re rare,” said Antonia Mantonakis, the Brock associate professor of marketing who led the study. “Things that are rare are more valuable.”

Apparently wine appears more valuable when it seems to be unattainable.

This study demonstrated that a difficult-to-pronounce name like Tselepou was perceived as more valuable than Titakis, which was perceived as more valuable than a simple common name. Wine drinkers want to be mysterious. Read the rest of this report at the Globe and Mail

Investment
The same article in the Globe and Mail mentioned:


"In one subsequently famous case, Harley-Davidson shares shot up 16 per cent in the weeks after it changed its ticker from HDI to HOG, the biker-slang term for its motorcycles."

When it comes to investments simple names are better. Investors want to be reassured - not confused.


Dating
Imagine if you are a guy looking to meet a woman on an online dating site, how likely are you to contact a Gertrude, Bertha or Gretchen? Would Melanie, Tiffany or Jennifer sound more attractive?

Imagine that you are a woman hoping to meet the guy of your dreams. Your friend offers to introduce you to   Igor, Rudolph and Herbert. Would you prefer Brad, Stephan or Trevor?

Naturally the attractive people names will be influenced by your age and culture.


I suggest that when you are naming your company or product think about what sounds attractive to your best prospects. They are the ones who need to give you money. Buyers won't care about the name of your grandmother, your hero or your pet.

Should the name sound exotic, simple, foreign, common, reassuring, provocative or suggestive?



George Torok Keynote Marketing Speaker Co-author of Secrets of Power Marketing
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