Client Perception is Everything: Avoid Bad Sales Collateral

Making a good impression is the top secret weapon of choice for salespeople. Sales collateral is a major part of a salesperson’s “good impression” toolkit.  Sales collateral include business card, brochure, promotion gift, sell sheet, and anything designed for a salesperson to increase his/her client base.

Have you ever looked at a business card, flyer, website or postcard and immediately said I would never do business with this company or you simply dismissed the company and said next? That is your client perception working.

Some companies use collateral that hurt sales. According to Alexander Hiam, author of Marketing For Dummies, in choosing your sales collateral, avoid the following:

Plastic: cheap plastic folders, clear plastic page protectors, or big, ugly plastic sample cases all say tacky and cheap to prospects. Use high-quality papers and favor cloth or leather cases and bindings, if at all possible.

Amateur designs and layouts: Sure, anyone can design sales and marketing materials in this era of high-quality laser printers, but most people shouldn’t. Amateurs often create poor-looking, confusing layouts. Their work just doesn’t have that special look that characterizes fine design —and the better prospects notice.

Errors: An amazing number of factual and spelling errors exist in sales collateral. Salespeople perpetually have to make corrections or explain errors in front of prospects, which is like saying, “Please use our business. Of course, we can’t even type a spec sheet accurately, but we can muddle through your order somehow.” Right.

Omissions: Most salespeople go on calls without all the collateral materials and information they need to do a great job. They don’t have a good brochure. Their business cards don’t have the current address or the company’s fax number and website. The price list is out of date. Their order form is a cheap pad bought at the local stationery store.

As you send your salespeople out in the field, arm them with good collateral. Help them to be sucessful so that your company can inturn be succesful as well.

Choosing The Right Color For Your Brand

This article was inspired by President Obama’s first State of the Union address.  I noticed he wore a red tie with white stripes and Vice President Biden wore a blue tie with red and white stripes. I laughed at myself as I knew the colors were chosen by someone who knew the meaning / symbolism of color. What did our leaders’ tie scream at me? Red, White and Blue—“America”!

Colors are non-verbal communication. They have symbolism and color meanings. Therefore, as you create your brand identity it is helpful to keep in mind how the eye and the mind perceive certain colors and the color meanings we associate with each color. Here is a list of common colors used in business identities and their meaning*:

RED
Warmth, Love, Anger, Danger, Boldness, Excitement, Speed, Strength, Determination, Desire, Courage 

ORANGE
Cheerfulness, Low Cost, Affordability, Enthusiasm, Stimulation, Creativity 

YELLOW
Attention-Grabbing, Comfort, Liveliness, Cowardliness, Hunger, Optimism, Overwhelm, Summer, Comfort, Liveliness, Intellect, Happiness, Energy

GREEN
Durability, Reliability, Environmental, Luxurious, Optimism, Well-Being, Nature, Calm, Relaxation, Spring, Safety, Honesty, Optimism, Harmony, Freshness

BLUE
Peace, Professionalism, Loyalty, Reliability, Honor, Melancholia, Boredom, Coldness, Winter, Depth, Stability, Professionalism, Honor, Trust

PURPLE
Power, Royalty, Nobility, Elegance, Sophistication, Artificial, Luxury, Mystery, Royalty, Elegance, Magic 

GRAY
Conservatism, Traditionalism, Intelligence, Serious, Dull, Uninteresting 

BROWN
Relaxing, Confident, Casual, Reassuring, Nature, Earthy, Solid, Reliable, Genuine, Autumn, Endurance

BLACK
Elegance, Sophistication, Formality, Power, Strength, Illegality, Depression, Morbidity, Night

WHITE
Cleanliness, Purity, Newness, Virginity, Peace, Innocence, Simplicity, Sterility, Snow

Before you launch your brand identity, consider your goals and what reaction you hope to receive from your target audience. Also keep in mind that culture dictates color meaning hence subtle variations in the international business world.

Look at your brand identity…Did you choose a color that represents you, your culture, and your beliefs?

* Color meaning taken from www.changingminds.org

“Guerilla Marketing” In The Bronx

Guerrilla Marketing is defined by Jay Conrad Levinson in his book Guerrilla Marketing.  The objective of guerrilla marketing is to create a unique, engaging and thought-provoking concept to generate buzz, and consequently turn viral. The term has since entered the popular vocabulary and marketing books.

Guerrilla marketing involves unusual approaches such as encounters in public places, street giveaways of products, PR stunts, any unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources. Evidenced by my recent blog post on one of the things Blossom Flower is doing to increase profits.

Travis Bowens owner of a tax franchise, Instant Tax Service, located at 646D Neried Avenue (Bronx, NY) wowed the neighborhood with his grand opening stunt.  Travis worked with AARROWADS.COM to create a buzz in the town.  For 8 or 10 blocks from Travis’ office we could see men wearing bright red shirts and twirling signs with the name and logo of Instant Tax Service.

Take a look at the posted video featuring Erwin Pacheco (1-888-5-AARROW) and tell me what you’ve done in your neighborhood to earn the name “Guerrilla Marketer” or share what others are doing to maximize profits.

 

 

What Should I Put On The Back of My Business Card?

Summary: How do you determine what to place on the back of your business card? Some say, use it all. Others say keep it blank. Bottom line is that it’s your decision—just know all the facts.

A subscriber asked me for suggestions on what she should put on the back of her business card. She had attended a marketing class and was told to put something of importance on the back. Something like a top ten list or a calendar, or something similar.

Maria Answers

I have to say, that any time I’ve saved someone’s card, for the back of the card, I really didn’t care what the front said. And as a business owner, I would want someone to save my card because of what the front said.

However, there are many other reasons to leave the back blank.

Business owners you meet who are serious about building relationships (which should be all business owners) know that networking is not just about meeting some stranger and selling to them. It’s much more. It’s about connecting, collaborating and seeing how you can be a resource for others. What these business owners do, is write notes on the back of business cards they receive. They might write things like where they met you, the date, something they liked about you, something they heard you say, what they wanted to talk to you about, etc. Then they put that information in their databases and/or contact those they met to start the process of building a new relationship.

The back of the card is important for another reason, too. Let’s say you’re at a meeting and during the conversation the other person mentions that they’re looking for “x” with “x” being a resource or contact that can help them in some way. Well, what you should do is take YOUR card, and on the nice white back write “call me about ___whatever resource they are looking for___”. Yes, make them call you for the resource. If they don’t call you, then be glad you know up front how they operate. However, when they do call you, you’ll have another chance to speak to them, get to know them, maybe put them on your ezine list, or turn them into a client, best referrer or best buddy. But you’ll never know… if you don’t have a place to write things on the back of your card!

Contributor: Maria Marsala
© 2010 Chief Business Collaborator Maria Marsala has been publishing MORE BUSINESS ezine since 1999. If you’re ready to make more money, kick-start your marketing and live a high quality life, get your FREE tips now at www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com.

 

Building Your Marketing Collateral In 2010

 

New Year—New decade—Optimism is in the air. I predict 2010 will be your most productive year ever if you take action today!

Begin by taking stock of your current marketing collateral and determine what worked for you in 2009. Marketing collateral — or printed pieces that support your marketing efforts include but are not limited to:

• Brochures
• Business Cards
• Catalogs
• Newsletters
• Note Cards
• Pocket Folders
• Postcards
• Reports/Whitepapers
• Sales Sheets

2010 Action Plan

• Review current marketing collateral.
• Remove outdated or non-producing pieces.
• Post reports, whitepapers on your website and provide an easy way for prospects to view them.
• Keep extra brochures, mailers and business cards with you.
• Write thank-you notes, follow-up letters, reminder cards and more on your note cards.
• Be sure to give out brochures and business cards to people and businesses that not only want them, but can use or recommend your services.

Keep your marketing collateral current as different styles, colors, even words change from the “in” to the “out” list and a smart business stays on top of these changes and responds to them.

Here’s looking towards 2010 and beyond…put your action plan in place today!

Maria’s Insightful Solutions. Lasting Results.

I welcome Maria Marsala as a new contributor to our blog. Maria is a Business Strategist, Coach, Speaker and former Wall Street trader. You will find her articles insightful and I urge you to visit her website at www.coachmaria.com.

The One-Hour Marketing Solution
Summary: If you hate the thought of marketing, this article is for you. There are people who have found ways to market with integrity and have lots of fun, too. If this describes you, then skip this article! Other people would rather be doing anything else – even getting a tooth pulled (well almost) – instead of marketing. If that describes you, then start marketing 60-minutes each day.

Now, I’m not talking about creating forms, business cards, etc. Instead, take 1 hour each day and “really” market. First use that time to design a marketing plan (review your business plan for some ideas). Make sure that your plan includes many enjoyable ways to market or ways you think you’d enjoy. Do I hear lunch? Next, spend one hour per day conducting any type of marketing! Or spend the equivalent of that time – 2 afternoons per week or whatever way works for you – as long as it equals 5 hours per week.

Over time, you too will realize that marketing is fun. Without realizing, your marketing time will automatically begin to increase. Remember, if you get stuck… go to the web or your local bookstore and check out all the marketing information. There are rows upon rows of “how to market” books. So, keep in mind, you can market your way, market with integrity, and have fun, too.

Use the books below to investigate fun ways to market:

• “Guerrilla Marketing Handbook” (or any guerrilla book) by Jay Levinson and Seth Godin Lots of inexpensive and great ideas to build a marketing foundation and see what enjoyable methods you can add to your marketing plan.
• “Selling The Invisible: A Field Guide To Modern Marketing” by Harry Beckwith Especially good if you market a service vs. a product.
• “The Portable Coach: 28 Surefire Strategies for Business and Personal Success” by Thomas Leonard Marketing using the 28 principals of attracting people and business to you.
• “Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers Into Friends, and Friends into Customers” by Seth Godin and Don Peppers.
• “Integrity Selling: How to Succeed in Selling in the Competitive Years Ahead” by Ron Willingham.
• Visit our recommended business foundation books, at www.TheResourceQueen.com/books.

Contributor: Maria Marsala
© 2009 Chief Business Collaborator Maria Marsala has been publishing MORE BUSINESS ezine since 1999. If you’re ready to make more money, kick-start your marketing and live a high quality life, get your FREE tips now at www.ElevatingYourBusiness.com.

 

What One Business Owner Did To Increase Sales?

The key to promoting any business in hard times isn’t to reduce your marketing but to switch to low-budget or no cost marketing activities.

While driving in my neighborhood last weekend a sign caught my eye. Although small, and seemingly inexpensive, it was a fantastic marketing idea:

 “If your name is Frederick?
Come in to receive your FREE GIFT”

 I was excited because my brother-in-law’s name is Frederick. I told the kids we should tell Fred to stop by for his free gift. This little inexpensive sign made me stop the car and enter the shop to see what was going on inside.  The shop was full of holiday cheer, beautiful flower arrangements and best of all helpful store associates. I made a note to myself that this shop is a must stop next time I am on the block.

A young lady at the register greeted me with a smile and I asked her for the manager.  I then met Christine Price (order coordinator and graphic designer at large). I asked Christine about the sign and this is what she said. “We have been using it for a few years. This was thought up by the owner to get “window shoppers” into the store.  They might not buy anything at the time they come in to get their free prize. Our hope is that they remember what they got and also what they saw while waiting. We have a lot more to offer in the store that they can’t see from the street. So when people come in they can browse around while they anxiously await their prize. Also it’s nice to meet people in the neighborhood. People like to win things; it is a small price to pay for a new customer!”

Are your marketing and promotional ideas stopping customers in their tracks? Share your ideas by leaving a comment below. 

Photo and marketing idea was posted with permission from
Blossom Flower: The Kegan family established its floral business in the Fordham area of the Bronx, NY, in 1925. Now in our fourth generation of continuous family service, we have grown in orderly manner to a central distribution facility in Yonkers, NY (just 15 minutes north of Manhattan) and 1 additional shop in White Plains, NY. Visit our Blog: www.blossomflowerblog.com and Website:  www.blossomflower.com.

 

 

Mt. Vernon Business Owner Gail Lewis Honored

Gail Lewis, founder of Gail’s Graphic Designs, was honored in New York Real Estate Journal’s 7th Annual Women in Real Estate Spotlight issue . In this issue Ms. Lewis answers the question “What impact has social networking had on your success?”

The special issue recognizes women and their achievements. “I am truly grateful to be named amongst the esteemed list of women honored this year,” said Lewis. “This recognition is a great way to end 2009 and start off 2010 as Gail’s Graphic Designs continues on its path towards great success.”
 
Ms. Lewis has more than 15 years of marketing experience, including senior level corporate marketing positions in leading commercial real estate investment and service companies. Ms. Lewis has extensive background in advertising, website management, events & sponsorships, marketing collateral, and email-marketing initiatives

A graduate from Bernard M. Baruch CUNY, Ms. Lewis earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with a focus on Operations Management. She is a member of the American Marketing Association (AMA) as well as the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (CACCI). Ms. Lewis is also a contributing writer to “Mind Your Business” column in Your Money eZine (Jamaica’s premier business and financial eZine).
 
About Gail’s Graphic Designs
Based in New York, Gail’s Graphic Designs offers a broad spectrum of creative design and communication solutions to assist in the marketing of your product or services. Visit Gail’s Graphic Designs at www.gailsdtp.com.

About New York Real Estate Journal
New York Real Estate Journal is the largest weekly commercial investment real estate newspaper in the state of New York covering all aspects of the commercial real estate industry. Learn more at www.nyrej.com.  

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Good Promotion or Tired Trick?

I saw this on AOL Shopping. 10 weeks of sweepstakes to help you with all your holiday shopping! They are giving away the hottest holiday gifts of the year! There will be a new sweepstakes every Monday from now through January 4, 2010. Readers are urged to come back every week for a chance to win a new prize!

Good ploy to drive sales or unnecessary giveaways to people that shop anyway? Does this type of giveaway have an impact on consumers who are used to ridiculous black Friday deals?

What does your small business do in terms of freebies and giveaways?

Click To Download Images…Arghh!

I met a young executive at a conference last month who had already begun her e-mail marketing initiatives. As she was fine tuning her campaign her team had one question. Below was my response to her. I hope you will find it useful as well. As always, I encourage you to share information with my readers. If you have anything to add, please leave a comment.

Question
Do you find that often when sending HTML e-mail campaigns, depending on the e-mail service provider, that people have to click to download the pictures (red x)?

Answer
Unfortunately you as the sender of the e-mail do not have control of the download issue. That is actually a setting in Outlook. It is activated or deactivated by the individual user. You can however educate your e-mail distribution list on how to activate the auto download of images as most of them do not know how. Read Email Safe Send Instructions>>

Incorporating the tip below can increase your chances of eliminating the red x issue. But as I said before, the recipient is the one who ultimately decides if they want to enable images automatically or not.

Tip: Improperly referencing your images can cause them to appear broken when you send your message—the dreaded red x. To insure the image is referenced correctly it must appear as, img src=”http://www.yourdomain.com….” rather than, img src=”/images/picture.jpg”. Alt tags are another important part of your images. The new security features on almost every e-mail client these days disables images automatically. Having alt tags in place allow your reader to identify the image and determine if it is safe to enable.

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