1713 S. State St., Ste. 102, Champaign, IL 61820 | 217.621.3737 | info@zabbo.com
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1713 S. State St., Ste. 102, Champaign, IL 61820 | 217.621.3737 | info@zabbo.com |
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| The AMPLIFIER |
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Your inside
guide to impactful business growth strategies
April 20th, 2007 - 2nd Quarter - Issue One - RULER OF SUCCESS: Track Your Results with Multiple Phone Lines - AMPLIFIER: Customers Sing Your Praises with Live Testimonials - PUBLIC RELATIONS: Speaking to the Press - IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Turn Customers into Salespeople with Gift Cards RULER OF SUCCESS: Track Your Results with Multiple Phone Lines If you can't track the results of the money you're spending on marketing, you could be flushing dollars. There are many ways to track your results, but you'll want to start by designing a database to keep track of individual marketing efforts and the leads and sales they generate. Make sure you include the dates of your campaigns, campaign descriptions, the number of leads generated and sales made. Once you have a tracking system in place, one of the easiest ways to tag each of your marketing tactics is to have multiple phone lines. Using a different phone number in different advertising sources will help you to determine which one is most effective. Assign telephone #A to billboards and #B to a newspaper ad, for example. This is a great way to determine which media outlet is most effective for the type of service or product you're promoting. Remember, the effectiveness of a campaign can change based on a lot of factors: the offer, the timing, the cost, your audience, AND how you're reaching out to them. So make sure you consider those factors when comparing your results! AMPLIFIER: Customers Sing Your Praises with Live Testimonials Nearly every business has a list of testimonials they've gathered from satisfied customers. They're a great way to form credibility, build trust, and make your prospects comfortable with forming a partnership with you. When your prospects read what others are saying about their experience with you, it instills security and encourages the prospect to make the decision to buy from you. Take the power of testimonials one step further... While a list of testimonials can help you build trust and sell, the impact of audible testimonials is tenfold! What better way to let your customers share their experience with your prospects than by letting them do the *talking.* To really get a sense of what we're talking about, visit http://www.zabbo.com/word.htm. Here, you'll find recorded testimonials from some of our own clients! How
does it work?
If you've never spoken to the press before – it can be an intimidating task. Let us be the ones to tell you from experience that reporters are far too busy to help ease your anxiety, or extract the highlights of a story from you, before determining whether or not it's something worth writing about. It's YOUR job to sell your story. If you don't sound like you have faith in your own press release and can't present it in a manner that makes it sound like it's important news, how can you expect a news reporter to view it as such? So, put your anxiety aside and focus on your story instead of your experience speaking with the press (or lack thereof). Before you make contact with any reporters or media personnel, practice your pitch. Mock interviews can be useful and may help to identify questions before they're asked. Be prepared to answer. When you're ready to speak to the press be clear, honest, and to the point. Pay attention to your presentation and make eye contact with the reporter to establish credibility and trust. Also, while it may be difficult – stay relaxed. Speak with confidence and you'll earn respect. Remember if your story is rejected or not picked up by the press, don't let it get to you. The term ”newsworthy” is subjective. What may not be of interest to one reporter could be another reporter's idea of a main feature. Lastly, reporters are often running on deadlines and don't have much time to listen to your pitch. Always begin a conversation with asking if they have a minute to talk or if there's a better time for you to call. When they're ready to listen, make it quick and concise. They'll appreciate your understanding and will respect your courtesy. IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Turn Customers into Salespeople with Gift Cards Gift cards and membership cards are one of the most powerful ways you can promote your business or organization. What better way to extend your reach than to give your existing customers a way to promote your business for you! Gift cards make gift-giving easy. And membership cards make branding and administrative tasks (like checking members in) simple. If you're looking for a new way to promote your business, consider the gift card. Here are a few facts, you might not know: - People spend more on gift cards than on gift certificates. - 40% of shoppers using a gift card bought items at full price. - Only 16% of shoppers using other payment methods bought at full price. - 56% of consumers spend more than the initial value of their card. - 96 million Starbucks cards have been activated since they were launched in 2001 - Starbucks customers have reloaded those cards more than 38 million times - Gift cards smooth out the drastic sales drop in the weeks after the busy Christmas season What's
the difference between gift cards and gift certificates? The
difference is more than just plastic vs. paper. (Although, it's a good
point that the durability of the gift makes it possible for you to
redistribute it and save money on production). But the real winner:
While both products are sold in pre-set denominations, consumers expect
cash back if their gift certificate is worth more than their purchase.
Not so with gift cards. Remaining balances on gift cards bring the
customer back! And worst case scenario: that leftover $ is already
in your bank account. Oh, and gift cards are a lot harder to counterfeit
than gift certificates. For more information about producing a gift card, visit http://zabbo.com/giftcards.htm or call 217-693-3846. |