Many of you don’t do Yellow Page advertising anymore, but for those of you that do, here’s what I suggest.

When someone is looking in the yellow pages, they are actually ready to buy, so your ad has got to jump out at them, and then have them contact you instead of all of the other so-so ads that are listed.

I often hear many business owners grumble about the high cost of Yellow Pages advertising, but those who insist it costs them anything are simply foolish.

For 70% to 80% of all business, you have to work at Not making a profit from Yellow Pages advertising. In most of the businesses I created, Yellow Page advertising wasn’t useful. But for the others it was a Gold Mine. For most businesses, Yellow Pages Advertising will work.

The reasons many Yellow Pages ads do not pay off for their advertisers are very simple and common. All you have to do is look and you will know what I mean. They can be summed up as not having a direct response ad at all.

-They don’t have a headline to grab the reader
-There aren’t any reasons to choose you verses the other advertisers.
-No offer
-They look just like all the rest of them.

Here’s just one example

FREE Special Report Reveals What the Real Estate Industry Never Tells you About.
“How you can get top dollars When Selling Your Home in Today’s Slow Market!”

Call 1-800, 000-0000 Extension 11 for Free Special Report and Recorded Message.

It will jump out at the person looking for your specific product. If you do advertise in the Yellow Pages, change it to the above and let us know the results you get.

Technorati Tags: acquire customers, acquiring customers, acquiring leads, ad testing, ad writing, Advertising, attract clients, attract customers, attracting leads, Attracting More Clients, attracting prospects, boost sales

Probably 99.9 times out of 100 prospects, will not spend the time to read your unsolicited ad or direct mail piece.

The reason is that you are “interrupting their lives.” The simple act of having an ad or sales letter before a prospect will bring them to the proverbial “fork in the Road” and forces them to make a decision to either read on or not read your message.

Every time their eye moves from one word to the next, from one sentence to the next sentence, from one paragraph to the next, they reach yet another fork in the road. Now they have to decide whether they are going to keep reading the ad or not.

What makes your prospect make the wrong decision and drop your ad into the nearest trash bin?

Unsuitability: Your prospect already has what you are offering and quickly decides your product is of no interest to them.

Boredom: Most of the time ads are very boring so they stop reading it.

Disbelief: Your claims are too exaggerated or even dishonest and they figure that they can’t trust anything you say. So always tell the truth.

Exhaustion: Your ad is so difficult to read and impossible to follow, that they simply give up on reading any more.

Interruption: This is probably the number one reason a prospect stops reading your offer. Something just happened to take their attention away from reading. They now will deal with the immediate crisis instead of continuing to read your offer.

I’m sure you can come up with more items but this should give you a start. Let us know why you stop reading an ad or sales piece.

Technorati Tags: acquire customers, acquiring customers, acquiring leads, ad copy, ad story, ad testing, ad writing, Advertising, alex mandossian, all marketers are liars, attract clients, attract customers, attracting leads, attracting prospects, creating customers, customer acquisition, magazine ads, promoting your business

A friend of mine, Ron Beard, sent me the link below and I was so impressed with the message that I would like to share with you what I believe to be the most cost effect and creative way to make you business stand-out from the others.

Be Creative With Your Customer Service.

Make your business Stand-Out!

Once in a great while you will see something that will bypass the brain and go straight to the heart. I guarantee that this short, 3-minute movie will be one of those times.

I’ve probably watched it 20 times, and each time I love it more than the last. Not only does it bring service into perspective, it brings life into perspective.

Just click this link to watch: Creative Customer Service

Don’t forget to pay it forward, by sharing this with friends, family, and co-workers. They’ll thank you for it!

I would suggest that you forward this link to all of your employees and ask them to watch it. I will guarantee that it will make a difference in your Customer Service.

Let me know your thoughts after watching the video. Also let us know how it has helped you and your business.

Technorati Tags: creative customer service, customer service, stand out, standing out, wowing customers

by guest author, Sandra Folk

The other day I was in my favorite upscale food store and bought these perfect, glistening, deep red raspberries, the kind that make your mouth water when you look at them. In spite of the price, I was unable to resist and bought them.

A day later when I went to serve my perfect berries for dessert, they were covered with mold! Needless to say, I was less than pleased. At this point you’re probably wondering what moldy raspberries have to do with the art of persuasion and how it is key to effective communication. Bear with me.

I decided to take them back to the store and ask for my money back. But I didn’t get around to it for about three days. When the sales clerk checked the receipt, she replied with disdain in her voice: “You bought these berries five days ago. Madam, raspberries simply do not last that long. You can’t expect us to refund your money.”

Of course, I didn’t walk into the store without a plan. I had a hunch I would encounter resistance when I asked for my money back. With my plan of action to the ready, I proceeded to carefully persuade her why I should be reimbursed. Firstly, I convinced her that the berries had indeed gone off almost as soon as I had bought them. The problem was that I just didn’t have the time to bring them back until now. Secondly, I reminded her that I was a loyal customer, who frequently shopped at the store, especially for the wonderful berries they always have. Thirdly, I assured her that I would continue to shop at the store buying berries and other fruits and vegetables were she to recompense me for my loss. Ultimately, I walked out of the store with my money, knowing that I had achieved my goal, by being persuasive. (No berries, but you can’t have everything.)

In most areas of life we are either persuaders or among the persuaded…at some point. The entire advertising industry depends upon the ability to persuade people to buy a product. A relationship may depend on one person’s ability to persuade the other that there’s a future in it. A court case is often won by a lawyer’s ability to persuade a jury. And in business, products and services are sold because of someone’s ability to persuade a client that this product or service is the best one for their needs.

The crucial aspect of persuading someone lies right there – identifying a need. When I meet with potential clients, one of the first things I try and do is find out about what’s missing for them, what their problem is, in other words, what’s their need. It’s not “about me,” it’s about them. What problems do they have that I can help solve? What issue do they have that I may be able to unsnarl? It’s my job then to persuade them that I can, in fact, help them.

Employing the art of persuasion (LINK:// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasion) in business is essential. Without it, we literally would not be in business. So, you may ask, “how does the art of persuasion work?” Here’s a simple breakdown of the process, whether you apply it to oral or written communication:

The Language Lab’s (LINK:https://www.thelanguagelab.ca)Four-Step Art of Persuasion Strategy:

1. Clearly identify your goal. For instance:

-Reimburse money for moldy raspberries
-Gain the interest of a potential new client
-Improve employee productivity
-Increase sales of products or services for an existing client

2. Determine your approach. For instance:

-Appeal through reason, logic, and factual information
-Appeal through values and emotions – less tangible, but frequently crucial elements of persuasion
-Appeal through invoking higher authorities (credible studies or spokespersons who endorse your point of view)

(For a thorough breakdown of how appeals work, have a look at UBC’s Writing Centre.) [LINK: http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/tools/argument.htm]

3. Be prepared with evidence. For instance:

-Demonstrate proof that raspberries should not go moldy after a day
-Provide your prospective client with proof your business will uniquely meet their needs
-Show your existing client the proof that demonstrates how increased use of your services will benefit their business.

4. Use compelling language. For instance:

-Rather than saying “These berries are lousy, give me my money back,” consider: “Your produce is normally so wonderful; I look forward to shopping here in future.”
-Instead of writing: “Your business signs are shabby, I could fix that,” try: “We have some beautiful, reasonably priced signage available that would really draw attention to your business.”
-Avoid a barrage of statistics, instead simplify: “This graph shows you how your sales would rise if you use our service. I’m happy to walk you through the fine points at your convenience.”

Persuasion may be either a gentle or an assertive art, but it is never a “hard sell.” Bombarding someone with your ideas and information is more a “Lack of the Art of Persuasion.”

Persuasion in any aspect of life works best when it is focused, calm, and determined. After all, in the end you are trying to win someone over to your side. Even if it is just trying to get a grocery store clerk to say: “Madam, I stand corrected. Raspberries should not go moldy after only one day. And you should not be required to pay for them.”

Any other tips for how to be an effective persuader, let us know and we’ll share them?

Sandra Folk, a business communications expert, is an innovator in online learning. Her proven track record creating writing programs for international and national clients, in a variety of sectors in business and government, has resulted in excellent outcomes. You can learn more about Sandra and the Language Lab at http://www.thelanguagelab.ca.

Technorati Tags: getting what you want, persuasion

If you are on LinkedIn, you joined to use this social media venue to create potential customers/clients.

The greatest stumbling block has been that once you joined, you found that the Linkedin culture frowns upon self promotion. That may have discouraged you. Or you may not have found a way to talk about yourself within the constraints of that culture.  

Once I understood the culture, I too decided not to pursue self-promotion.  Instead I started a few discussions to help everyone with ideas on creating customers and sharing my vast experiences.  When someone commented, I responded.  It grew so well, that all of a sudden I became a "celebrity".  That’s right!  I started receiving many messages from other Linkedin members asking me questions. 

This resulted in creating a bond between a large number of members and me.  You can do the same. 

An idea I’ve given a lot of people on my groups is to make weekly comments on my discussions and weave in the message they have for introducing themselves.  I’ve seen that if this is done over an 8-week period, each and every week, individuals in the group get to know who you are and then reach out to you when they could use your services.  

So, I would suggest that you go to LinkedIn.com, and if you aren’t using this medium, sign up….it’s free.  You can join my groups or any other groups that fit you.  If you type in Ken Varga in the people search bar at the top of the page, you will get my profile and you can see the groups I belong to. The groups are listed at the bottom of my profile page.   Make comments each week on my discussions when I make posts and/or when others make comments.   

Let me know how it works out for you.

Technorati Tags: Finding Prospects, getting prospects, leads, leads generation, turning prospects into clients, turning prospects into customers

It isn’t what is inside your envelope that is relevant if your envelope never gets opened.  Just picture what you do when you get your mail.

I sit near a trash bin and sort the mail according to pile A and Pile B.  Pile A goes right into the trash bin, most of the time without me opening the envelope.  I can guarantee that this always happens with me when I know there is a credit card solicitation inside the envelope.

When putting together a Direct Mail Campaign, it is very important to give careful thought and consideration to the envelope design that most likely will be opened by the most number of prospects receiving it. 

The first choice is to design what I call a “sneak-up envelope.” 

A “sneak-up” envelope is designed to contact new prospects and its purpose is to look like personal mail.  You would only have your name and street address (my suggestion is to only have an address) in the return corner.   It would have a live stamp (not bulk-stamped) and be individually hand-addressed  or printed in a font where it looks like it was written by someone.

Another choice is called “teaser copy” It has something on the outside of the envelope selling the recipient on opening it and reading what is inside.  You might be asking yourself the question, “Why would you want to do that?”

One of my rules is that if you are going to reveal your envelope as being business related, then you might as well use teaser copy to create the interest in opening the envelope.  Should it be a sentence or more?  It should have on the envelope whatever message it takes to get the recipient to open it.

Here are some ideas of types of envelopes and what they might look like.

1.  An imitation of Federal Express/or priority mail envelopes.

2. Very official looking envelopes.

3. A window envelope with checks showing through the windows.

Those are just a few thoughts.  If the envelope looks official, it will be opened and that is the objective you set out to achieve.

There isn’t one approach that is always better than another.  Each will serve a purpose in totally different situations.  It depends on how it is to be applied.

Let me know your thoughts and suggestions that you come up with.

Technorati Tags: acquiring customers, direct mail envelopes, grow sales, reaching prospects

An ongoing challenge for any company is the retention of customers. It is well known that getting new customers costs much more than maintaining ones already doing business with you.
Here are just a few things you can do in the customer care arena to retain customers:

1.  Be Responsive: respond quickly when a customer contacts you or your business through your employee.  Provide a way for customers to have easy access to any information they might need.  Be sure all employees recognize the value of each customer and then take the time to teach them to go after lost customers.  Also, you must empower the employee to make good decisions for the customer and not just for the company.

2. Be Reliable:   This means consistent follow-through and execution.  UPS and FEDEX, are prime examples of this.    Reliability means repeat business.

3. Be Empathetic: empathize with your customers and mirror their emotions.  If the customer is anxious, reassure them. 

4. Be Credible: credibility is seen when you do exactly what you say you will do, each and every time. Don’t even attempt to imply that you are in business just for fun.  Customers know you are in business to make a profit.

5. Train your staff: constantly train your employees.

6. Make it Easy to do business with you. Search out the things that give customers difficulty and solve them.  Work at reducing a customer’s paperwork.  Their time is also valuable. Make it all a simple process.

7. Hire Well: hire great employees.  This is the last one, but one of the most important.  Hire great people with great attitudes then teach them the skills needed.   I would actually steal an employee of another company if I felt they were exceptional.

I know I’ve listed quite a few things, but they will lead to a greater profit for your business.

Let me know what things you are doing to make it easier for your customer’s to do business with you.

Technorati Tags: client retention, Customer Retention, keeping clients longer, keeping customers longer

Here are two lessons I want to share with you. 

I recently got back home after being away for three months.  In opening the mail I noticed a flyer from a jewelry store.  I don’t know if you are familiar with the Pandora line of bracelets and charms, but the line is designed to keep you coming back over and over again every time a special occasion occurs in your life.

The problem was that the sale was the week before I returned.  When I called to see if they would make an exception, the sales woman said, “No problem, we will still honor the sale.”

Here’s what the flyer stated.  “You are invited to our Pandora Event.  Come into the store and choose from our large selection of Pandora jewelry’s charms, necklaces, and bracelets.  Get a FREE Pandora Lobster Claw Bracelet with every $75.00 Pandora Purchase.”

So I went with my wife. The sales woman stated that we could upgrade to any of the other bracelets, of course at a higher price.  I won’t go into the one we chose, but then we purchased what they call spacers, and of course a few charms to make it look good.  I spent a total of over $5,000. 

Now here’s the kicker and the great part about this lesson.  Remember the sales message said,” Get a Free Pandora Lobster Claw Bracelet with every $75.00 Purchase?  That’s 66 bracelets. 

All of a sudden it dawned on me….I now can give a bracelet to a lot of people.  For those that I’m always purchasing something during the year, it now gives me an opportunity to purchase a charm or charms for those persons on their special occasions. 

When I asked the owner of the store about the bracelets, he stated that the company Pandora gives the bracelets to them for free. 

Anyway, I now proceeded to spend more money.  How? Because I upgraded 4 bracelets for my granddaughters, and of course had to purchase spacers and a charm for the first occasion.  Just because they gave me the additional 66 bracelets, I spent an additional $3,000.  No I didn’t upgrade the bracelet to a gold one, but the silver one looked real nice also. 

So the first lesson is the obvious one of….give something VALUBALE away for free! “Free” can be your ticket to huge sales. 

Here’s the second lesson I want to share with you….make it easy to recreate your successful sales.
 
Unfortunately, I had to give them this idea. They should have come up with it first….

 I asked them if they had a data base of their customers and they said “Yes” they did.  I asked them to record my granddaughter’s birthdates, my wife’s birth date, and also my two daughter’s birthdates, to remind me that I needed to come in to purchase another charm for this special day.

This not only made it easy for me to come back in and purchase these charms; it also made it easy for them to recreate similar types of purchases from me in the future.

If any of you have daughters and grandchildren, you know they have at least 3 to 4 special events happening each year.  Regarding my wife Barbara, she has special events all of the time. 

In my book, “ How to Get Customers to Call, Buy and Beg for More,” I go into an entire chapter on how to double your business in one year and the concept is often referred to as “The Bump.” It’s all about creating ways to get your customers to continually come back and purchase from you over and over again. 

You can let your imagination run amok and determine how much they just made in profit, plus how much more they will make in the future. 

Would you like to have similar kinds of sales results?

Let me know if you can implement this concept, or if you have already done so.  This is so powerful that I would like your comments about it. 

Technorati Tags: acquire customers, grow revenues, grow sales

There is a lot of power in Coupons.  Notice how Groupon has become a huge phenomenon within the last year. Currently, it is planning an IPO at a valuation of $15 to $25 billion. This is a coupon issuer folks; not a high tech innovator.

It has merely taken a thing of value (coupons) and combined it with the Internet to better reach potential customers and bring them to offline (though not exclusively) retailers and businesses.

The power of coupons cannot be ignored.

Retailers and service business owners should understand the power of coupons.  Consumers clip ‘em and use ‘em.  Coupon usage in America is huge, so you might as well participate and create such a system if it fits your enterprise.

Incidentally, when you offer a coupon, it is usually best to put a big, thick coupon border around the coupon, or for that matter around the entire ad, so that there is no confusion.

I have found that a thick border beats out a thin one and the dotted coupon border beats out other borders.  I’ve had my consulting clients test this over and over and it works all the time. 

For one of my clients, I created a promotion, to expand their customers’ usage—to get regular, retail customers who were buying and using only a few items, to try additional ones and to redeem “store-brand” coupons for like products. It always created lots of sales and lasting usage expansion.

Here’s the concept and idea.  If you are a retailer or operate a service business, accept your competitors’ coupons.  This puts all their advertising to work for you. 

If it is possible and you can afford it, DOUBLE, the value of the competitors’ coupons that you redeem. They will be redeeming your competitors’ coupons that they paid a lot of money to advertise, with your company. 

You have to create that system and educate your customers/clients that it is available.

Let me know what you think about this. And if you are having difficulty, let me know and I will try to guide you in this process.

Technorati Tags: businesses and coupons, buying coupons, coupons, groupon, retailers and coupons, service providers and coupons, using coupons

Whenever you ask for a sale, run an ad, or have a salesperson make a proposition to a customer or prospect, always tell the customer or prospect the reason why.

If you have a product or service that you can offer at a lower price than your competitor, tell the customer/prospect the reason why.  It could be because you have lower overhead or you purchase in volume.

If your price is high, tell your customer or prospect why.  You could have a far superior product than the competition. Your product could be made with better materials, or your product could last or perform ten times longer than your competitors.

It could also be three times as durable or with three times the personal stitching of similar products.

If the price of your package gives an especially appealing value, tell them why you are making the offer to them.  It could be because they are ordering from you for the first time and you want to reward them for becoming your customer, or because it’s an exclusive offer to first-time customers.

Whenever any business owner needs quick profit, I tell them to say something like: “I’m overstocked with goods and I need to get my capital out of slower moving inventory, so I’m able and willing to sell you this product this one time only at an actual loss—far less, in fact, than what any other company could or would offer this product or service for.”

Always tell the “Reason Why”.  Why should they patronize you instead of your competitors?  Tell me what you are doing, will do, or will avoid doing that makes favoring your business better for me than dealing with your competition.

Tell the customer/prospect all the reasons why.  I’ve just listed a few, but if you keep your mind on it, you can come up with many, many more.

The more factual, believable, credible and plausible the reasons you give your customers/prospects for dealing with your business, the more compelled they will be to favor you with their business.

Let me know what you think.

Technorati Tags: acquire customers, grow revenues, grow sales