Don't send Christmas cards unless

My advice to business owners is “Don’t send Christmas cards unless your Christmas card is Sham Wow different.”

Why?

Sending Christmas cards to clients and associates is a marketing activity. Thus it should pass the marketing activity test.

All marketing activities should do at least one of the following things well. And it should do it better than the competition. Your competition is more than just your competitors. Your competition is anyone or anything that competes for the attention, time and money of your prospects and clients. At Christmas time you have a lot of competition.

Your marketing criteria:

Grab Attention
Demonstrate value
Build relationships

That’s what your marketing should do – at least one of those things better than your competition.

If you are thinking of sending Christmas cards then what will you do to out Sham Wow the competition?

The other important criterion is return on investment – ROI. If you spend $1 then you should expect to receive at least $2 in return.

I just received a Christmas card from Tom Beakbane, president of Beakbane Retail Connections, a marketing firm that specializes in helping retail firms sell more.

Why am I excited by this Christmas card?

Because it’s different, creative and playful – all words that fit with the style and service of Beakbane.

This Christmas card was delivered by email (which I’m not a fan of). However it’s different because the webpage is a Christmas tree with several links that lead to seasonal interests. For example: Roast a perfect turkey, Sinful chocolate recipes, Show shoveling tips to save your back, Top ten cocktails to put you in the festive mood, and several more.

Look at the Beakbane Christmas card.

And best of all, the ROI is strong because the cost of creating the webpage and distributing the link by email is minimal.

I’m impressed and not surprised by Tom Beakbane and Beakbane Retail Connections.

Don't send Christmas cards unless...

George Torok
Marketing Speaker
Marketing Expert & Author


PS: Tom Beakbane was a recent guest on my radio show, Business in Motion.

Power Marketing Tip 28: Be seen as the expert

Power Marketing Tip 28:

Be recognized as the expert


Experts are perceived to be more valuable than generalists. A heart surgeon makes more money than a GP. When you are recognized as an expert - clients will brag about you, prospects will buy more readily and your business will be more profitable.


What is the first step?

Decide on your area of expertise. The more specific you are, the easier it is to establish and leverage your expertise. Who looks more like an expert to you - the small business accountant or the accountant who specializes in working with fast food franchise owners?

How do you project the image of an expert?

Use these techniques to build and enhance your image as an expert.

Provide information
Be the source of relevant and valuable information on the topic. The information could be tips, emerging trends, product reviews, industry news or commentary. You could deliver this information in one or more of several ways - write and publish articles, write a blog, conduct seminars, answer questions, publish surveys.

Appear in the media
Folks believe that you are the expert when the media calls you one. If you are providing the above information to the market be sure to also send it to the media. Topical and controversial blog posts are particularly good at grabbing media attention. Do everything you can to get the media to interview you. When they call - talk to them. (More on this in a future tip.)

Flaunt your awards
Let the world know about your designations, certifications and honorable mentions. The courses you completed, plaques you received and trophies collecting dust could be symbols of your expertise. This is not the time to be shy. Be humble but not shy.

Associate with other experts
When you are seen to associate with other experts folks will assume that you are of the same ilk - even if those experts are from other fields.

Be an eager student of your craft
If you want to be seen as an expert be sure to keep learning. Never fool yourself and try to pretend that you know everything. Real experts are continuous learners and they are proud of that. Question your own beliefs, update your knowledge, and hone your skills.

George Torok
Power Marketing

PS: Tell me how this marketing tip helps you.

Register for your free marketing tips

Customers fight back

United Breaks Guitars

Customer service is often a warzone - mainly because of the lack of customer service. The battle has often titled unfairly in favor of the gigantic and uncaring corporations.

What can one individual do to fight back in a customer service dispute with an airline?

Answer: Write a song and post it on YouTube.

That's what singer Dave Carroll did when United Airlines damaged his guitar. The damage wasn't event an acident. It was a wanton act of disregard for the customer. And it was "not my job" attitude that made it worse.

Read Dave Darroll's story about how United Airlines Breaks guitars.


Enjoy the Unitied Breaks Guitars video below: (This is song one in a series of three.)

You complete me

The Joker taunted Batman with that phrase in the movie The Dark Knight. The public image of both Batman and the Joker were stronger because of their conflict. The legend of Robin Hood was enhanced by the cruelty of the Sheriff of Nottingham.

A champion needs a formidable villain and vice versa.

The marketing lesson from that is that the public defines you by your competition.

The boxer, Mohammad Ali understood this marketing principle and demonstrated it well. He built up the credibility and threat of each of his opponents before every fight. That made his victories more exciting.

Avis could not defeat the market leader in the car rental business Hertz, so they defined themselves by the phrase, “We try harder.”

Pepsi positioned itself as the alternative to the market leader Coke. Lex Luthor was legitimized by his role as the greatest enemy of Superman. Doctor Doom is feared because he is the greatest threat to the Fantastic Four. Sir Edmund Hillary is nothing without Mount Everest. Winston Churchill would be unknown without Hitler. Wyatt Earp is defined by the Clantons. The 300 Spartans are known because of their stand against the Persian Empire. David is only remembered because of his contest with Goliath. And Delilah is only known because of her betrayal of Samson.

With its clever TV ads, Apple has positioned itself as the alternative to the market leader, Microsoft.

Who or what is the Darth Vader to your Luke Skywalker?

George Torok
Marketing Speaker
Executive Briefing

25 Ideas to Write Your Article

If you write articles to promote your business, (I think that you should), here are 25 ideas to help kickstart your brain.

Top 25 Article Topic Ideas
by Steve Shaw

Are you stumped for what to write about?

Don’t fret–We all are at some time or another.

No matter how long you’ve been writing there are always times when the creative well is just bone dry, and you need a little jump start.

Well, here it comes:

I’ve assembled 25 of my favourite and most effective article topic ideas and article topic idea stimulators. I hope these are helpful to you!

Let’s get started…

1) Use one of our free article writing templates (that’s actually several article topic ideas right there!)

2) Adapt content from your blog to create articles.

3) Write for newbies and more advanced readers–you can cover the same topic in two different articles geared towards groups with different knowledge levels.

4) Use customer frequently asked questions as the basis for an article.

Read the rest of this article at Creative Article Marketing blog
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George Torok
Marketing Speaker
Marketing Articles by George Torok

What Boomer Women Want

What Boomer Women Want
by Jeff Mowat


Recently, Gifts and Tablewares Magazine asked me, as one of their retailing expert panelists, to comment on whether retailers should be targeting Baby Boomers, or shifting to Gen Xers and Gen Ys. My response includes several tips you might find helpful for selling to your customers.

Here's what I wrote...

Forget which group is the largest or has the most money... the question gift and tableware retailers need to ask is which group is the most appropriate target for the types of products you sell. Typically, younger people are not 'all that into you' if you retail tableware or kitchenware.

For most gift and tableware retailers, baby-boomers are their largest target market. That's a good thing since not only is this a massive portion of the North American population, but it's one that will inherit more wealth over the next decade. Plus, as the Gen-Xers and Ys mature, they'll want more of your products later. Meanwhile, the challenge for retailers targeting boomers is this group is becoming fed-up with the hassle-factor of typical retail shopping.

Boomers are busier than ever - especially the women who do most of this type of shopping. They spend most of their waking hours working/commuting and dealing with their 'Millennials' (20 something children who will never leave the concierge service they receive at home). At the same time boomer women are caring for aging parents. They're run ragged. In today's soft economy they may not be buying luxury; but they're still buying quality. The implications for gift and tableware retailers are several fold:

• Reduce the hassle-factor for your boomer women customers. Offer easy on-line ordering. Offer to gift-wrap. Offer that you'll put together custom baskets of your goods and ship anywhere for them. Don't wait to be asked to do this; pro-actively announce it (pick up the phone and start dialing during your slow periods).Your customers' money is plentiful.Their time and energy is scarce.
  
• Don't offer cheap junk that will end up in garage sales. Sell unique products that provide real quality and lasting value.
  
• Hire mature employees who can relate to your target market... not students who have no interest in the products they're trying to sell.
  

Bottom line - your business can't be all things to all people. Targeting Gen-Xers and Ys and boomers is attracting none. Pick a lane. Forget trying to go cheap to be affordable to young people... price-wise you won't beat Wal-Mart or China. Be a specialist providing quality and remark-able customer service that your target market actually appreciates and is willing to pay for.
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About award-winning speaker, Jeff Mowatt, BComm., CSP
Jeff Mowatt is the bestselling author of the books, Becoming a Service Icon in 90 Minutes a Month (for managers), and Influence with Ease (for professionals who interact with customers). As a customer service strategist, Jeff's Influence with Ease® column has been syndicated and featured in over 200 business publications. To help professionals put ideas into action, Jeff heads his own training company and has produced 4 multimedia training kits. An award winning international speaker, Jeff is among the top 7% of professional speakers in the International Federation for Professional Speakers to achieve their highest designation - Certified Speaking Professional (CSP). For more Influence with Ease® tips, training resources, and information about engaging Jeff for your team, call 1-800-JMowatt (566-9288), or visit www.jeffmowatt.com.
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Very good advice from Jeff for all retailers - especially the part of hiring mature staff who can relate to the values of your best customers.

Your best marketing is customer service training for your staff.


George Torok
Marketing Expert and Speaker

Bad Customer Service: Grant Rant

Carriage House Inn Fails

Customer service is always news. Sometimes it's good news and too often it's bad news.

People talk about both extremes. When it's good news that's good marketing for you. When it's bad news that's good marketing for your competition.

You decide who you want your customers marketing for.

Enjoy this bad news customer service story from my colleague Kit Grant about the Carriage House Inn in Calgary. Apparently they wanted to create marketing for their competition.
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GRANT RANT!!
by Kit Grant


It's been awhile but many have asked for one so here we go ...

**WHO KNEW THINGS WERE THIS BAD? Apparently the whole recession thing has had a much bigger impact on the hospitality business than anyone realized. We recently held our Boot Camp for speakers at a local hotel here in Calgary. On the second day we had ordered granola bars for the afternoon snack (minimum order is a dozen).

That day we had two meeting rooms and the group decided to leave the granola bars for a late evening snack since we were having pizza for dinner around 5pm. We ate in the room apart from where the break had been set up and discovered upon returning there around 7pm that the hotel had cleared out all remnants of the afternoon break including the coffee and the granola bars.

These were not home-made ones but just the kind you buy at Costco (or for more money at 7-Eleven. They're wrapped up and can last for some time ... apparently to be re-sold over and over by the hotel until consumed or discarded.

A couple of days later when the Catering Manager was back at work I went in to see her and explained the situation asking if we could have the $24 + GST charge removed from the bill.

NOPE! I had ordered them and whether or not I used them was not her concern - I should have eaten them when delivered.

She said their contract says they can remove buffet food after two hours (really, she used the term buffet food to describe granola bars ... that was such a defensive response it was actually funny) although she was unable to show me the those terms anywhere on the agreement I had signed.

I went to see the General Manager and quickly discovered where she got her training. This "service wizard" was less than sympathetic but said he would look after it. What has he done so far? - Nada, nothing.

I'm sure in his busy world there can be nothing more annoying than an unhappy customer. Now we've used this facility before on more than one occasion. What do you think the odds are of my using it again?

It's amazing that a small hotel with arguably some of the best food in town could have it so right in some departments and so wrong in others. Who knew they were this desperate for $24?

The $240 + service fee charge ($80/day)for the screen we ordered consisted of moving a switch on the wall to lower the screen. Not once over the course of the weekend did an AV technician do this. I checked. This screen has to have been paid for many times over but it now represents a major profit centre - who would've known?

I'm no novice here - I've been conducting meetings in hotels since 1976 and I know when I'm getting the shaft.

Most people wouldn't even recognize what's happening here.

NO, I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT $24!!

It's just the principle here - somehow it just seems wrong and could have been handled so much better in light of the total bill of over $1700 plus what we spent in the dining room for three meals for 8 people.

It's so amazing it's worth telling the story to as many people as I can. Now all 13,000+ of you know about it just to illustrate how "lazy service" stories can spread so easily and rapidly because you'll hopefully tell many more.So if you've been missing that "We're going to really stick it to you" feeling you should probably consider scheduling your next meeting, conference or wedding at the Carriage House Inn on Macleod Trail.

There's nothing quite like it AND apparently they really need the money so please go and help them out. Just watch your granola bars carefully!


So endith the rant.
(Kit Grant)
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And look what the Carriage House Inn says about themselves on the home page of their website.

"A Calgary tradition for more than 40 years, the Carriage House Inn offers excellent customer service,impressive function space, remarkable accommodations and fantastic food and beverage. Our experienced and friendly staff will ensure that every detail or request is met with the utmost attention."

George Torok

More customer service stories