Whether you’re creating a sales letter, a brochure, a newsletter, or any other business promotional piece, you need to write in a way that not only explains your product or service, but also compels your prospects to contact you.

Unfortunately, many promotional pieces miss the mark. Outrageous claims, weak calls to action, and sloppy formatting are the common mistakes that plague most people’s writing. Such errors accomplish only one thing: They destine your promotional piece for the infamous “round file.” They also suggest that you’re uncreative and possibly incapable of delivering quality work.

To entice prospects to contact you based on your promotional mailings, you need to keep your writing both lively and factual. Here are seven “secrets” that will help you write promotional pieces even your toughest prospects can’t resist.

1. Make it readable. When you select the paper stock for your pieces, opt for white, off-white, or other soothing paper colors only. If you think using outrageous paper colors such as neon yellow or fuchsia will gain attention, think again. Hurting someone’s eyes is not the way to gain attention.

Also, be mindful of the font you choose. Sure, your computer comes with all sorts of innovative fonts, but this is not the time to try them out. Stick with a simple font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a 10, 11, or 12-point type. If you have to make your print tiny in order to squeeze everything into your allotted space, then you’re saying too much. As Shakespeare said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” In the case of promotional writing, “Brevity is the showcase of your wits.” 

2.  Write a headline that gets to the point. You have less than five seconds to impress your prospects to read on. And the first thing any prospect reads is the piece’s headline. So craft a compelling headline that immediately conveys why this information is important to your prospects. The four main headline formulas that work are:

• “How To.” The formula is “How to” + verb + product/service/noun + benefit. For example: “How to Create a Store Promotion that Increases Revenue.”

• “New.” The formula is “New” + product/service + benefit. For example: “New Tax Law Saves You Money”

• “Power Verb.” The formula is “Power Verb” + product/service + benefit. For example: “Prepare a Business Plan that Boosts Company Profits”

• “Free.” The formula is “Free” + product/service + benefit. For example: “Free Booklet Reveals the Secret to Lowering Your Interest Rate”

Regardless of the headline formula you choose, avoid sounding like an infomercial. Since your headline determines if the prospect keeps reading, craft yours wisely.

3. Keep the hype to a minimum. Many people think that in order to solicit interest in their promotional piece they must write something outrageous. To some degree, this is true. Saying something outrageous is a great way to generate interest, since people naturally love controversy. Plus, if you can stir things up, you’ll get a lot of exposure. The thing to remember, however, is that you must be prepared to answer questions and/or prove everything you write. So, if you want to write something just for sensationalism but can’t back it up, don’t. You must be able to support everything you print.

4. Go easy on the posturing. Although you may produce the best products or offer the most unique services in the world, that is for your prospects to decide. Every superlative you use in your promotional piece will reduce the prospect’s trust in what you say. So, instead of telling prospects that your product is “the most extraordinary widget to hit the market” or that your service is “capable of revolutionizing the industry,” show your prospects how these claims are possible. Give the benefits of using the product or service as they pertain to your prospects’ lives so they can determine just how extraordinary or revolutionary the product or service really is.

5. Evoke images. As you write, evoke more than one of the five senses. Paint a picture with your words so prospects see, hear, smell, taste, and feel what you’re describing. Contrary to popular belief, the best promotional writers think in pictures, not words. They see the image they want to convey to their prospects, and that’s what they write.

If you are a candy manufacturer or a florist, for example, write so that your readers smell the candy or the flowers, not just see what they look like. If you are in the restaurant business, help your readers taste the food. If you are writing about business productivity, help your prospects hear the hustle of productivity and feel the rush of a sales call. Do more than just tell prospects what’s going on.

6. Make a compelling call to action. What do you want the person reading your sales letter, brochure, or other promotional piece to do? Buy your product? Call you for more information? Visit your web site? Whatever action you want your prospects to take, state it clearly.

Too many promotional pieces ramble on about all the features and benefits of the product, but they never tell the prospects to actually do anything. For example, in a sales letter you could write: “Please call our office immediately for more information on how we can help.” A brochure could say: “Order the widget at our special introductory price today.” In a newsletter you could state: “Visit our web site for more information about our new product line.” Tell prospects precisely what you want them to do.

7. Clearly state your contact information. Always let prospects know who to contact and how to do so. List a name, phone number, and e-mail address prominently on every piece. Rarely will prospects search for your contact information, so display it prominently at the top and bottom of every page. Highlight the contact information if it blends in with the text too much. Remember, the goal is for your prospects to contact you. Make it easy for them to do so.

When your promotional pieces present your information in the most compelling and factual manner, your prospects will find them and your company irresistible. So as you write future sales letters, brochures, or other promotional pieces, keep these guidelines in mind. When you do, you’ll create a promotional piece that delights prospects and makes them eager to do business with you. With well-written promotional pieces, you will attract more and better clients to help your business grow.

Dawn Josephson, the Master Writing Coach, has been helping business professionals write better to earn more since 1998. For more information, visit www.masterwritingcoach.com.

Last year was a difficult year for businesses, regardless of size or industry. Everyone’s sales suffered. This left many companies in the Catch 22 of having to downsize—even in the sales department— just to survive the economic landslide. Organizations were forced to reduce their ability to reach out to clients just at the point when they needed even more face time and client “touches” to maintain market share.

With half the year gone, 2010 is looking more promising. The big challenge is how to recover the lost contact with clients and begin to rebuild and grow sales. A three-step process can help you accomplish this: lead, follow, and get out of the way.

Lead

Leadership can be demonstrated in a number of different ways. However, a simple way to demonstrate it is through developing talent, attitude, and trust.

• Talent. To turn aptitude into skill, conduct weekly developmental sales meetings that do more than cover general housekeeping items. For instance: Plan your meetings in a series to keep attention and energy flowing from one week to the next. Incorporate current industry trends, late-breaking news, and product knowledge. Other suggestions: take the team on a field trip to see a new business or bring in an outside speaker.

Try engaging your team with a monthly feature called “You Run the Meeting.” Assign responsibility for planning one sales meeting each month to a team member, on any topic they choose.

• Attitude. Help your team become prepared mentally for the task at hand. Reward great performances publicly during the sales meetings with a “Wall of Fame” where great sales are posted, and individually with small gifts and tokens to let each person know that you care about them and value their efforts.

If an employee’s attitude (a disposition, not a temporary mood) becomes negative, take that person aside (perhaps at lunch) and talk about what is clouding his or her vision and how you can help get the person back on a positive path.

• Trust. Don’t place blame; show you trust your staff, even when mistakes happen. Help them to solve problems while teaching them how to avoid making the same mistake again.  Value your team members’ opinions.

Follow

“Following” means listening and taking into account suggestions and ideas that can make your department function at a higher level. Here are three ways to follow:

• Channel the energy. Every team member has his or her own unique set of experiences, hopes, dreams, passions, and desires. That diversity of thought is very powerful if channeled into creative problem solving.  

• Build attitudes from within. Channeling and directing a team’s energy helps to create a culture of teamwork, trust, and respect. This positive environment breeds a positive attitude that increases productivity.

• Have fun. When tension builds within the department, take note and do something to ease the stress. Some suggestions: Have an impromptu team lunch; go to a movie as a group; hit a happy hour on a Friday afternoon.

Get out of the way

Getting out of the way—letting go—take courage and trust. It is the most empowering way you can motivate a sales team. To get out of the way:

• Let your staff make decisions. Sales—and decisions leading to signing on the dotted line—are made in the field. Give your staff the authority to make decisions as they deal with clients. How much authority? Give them parameters that allow them to deal with customers while keeping you comfortable.

• Learn from mistakes. The only way sales people really learn their craft is in making mistakes. Do not assign blame; rather, look for ways to avoid the mistake in the future. And, in the meantime, back up your staff.

• Pave the road. Give credit where it is due; never take credit for your sales team’s success. Create an environment that allows each person to flourish— “paving the road”. Smooth out the bumps, put up signs telling them when danger is approaching, and then get out of the way and let them drive as fast as possible toward their personal goals!

Brad Raney is local sales manager of CBS47 and is the creator of the “Improve Your VOWELS” program and Web site. He can be reached at brad@ImproveYourVowels.com or 904-343-0169.

The task before you looms like that big dark cloud on a hot summer day: You need information but have no idea how to get it.

You may be thinking about measuring customer satisfaction or launching a new product or service. Perhaps you are contemplating expanding your business or buying a new one. Or, maybe you are wondering why your customers are not knocking down the door while your competition is going gangbusters.

No matter what the need, it all boils down to doing research that is smart, solid, and reliable. And it must be affordable as well.

Research can provide certain metrics that allow you to track the course of your business. As we are often reminded in the world of business, “you cannot manage what you do not measure.” This counsel applies to everything about your business, and it definitely applies to the research process. Just make sure you are measuring those factors that influence your business, and that you are measuring those factors you can influence.

A 12-step start

Start with a few basic tasks you can easily accomplish on your own or assign to a responsible employee. It is the simple task of converting observations into something you can measure.

1. Ask yourself two basic questions: What do you need to measure so you can manage it? How will you apply this to growing, sustaining, or starting a business?

2. Create a database of your customers or clients. A simple Excel spreadsheet will work well since you can continue to add fields when necessary. Whether you have a professional service or a retail establishment, this database is created to reflect your business model. Gather pertinent information (in separate fields) about your customers such as name, address including zip code and contact information including home phone, cell phone, and e-mail address. In retail, ask your customers to complete a short contact card as a great way to start building repeat business.

3. Collect zip codes. Getting a zip code from every customer and potential customer lets you determine the market areas from which you are pulling traffic. This information is helpful in directing your advertising and marketing activities.

4. Plot customers on a map. Use technology to your advantage if you have a geographic trade area. With an address, you can plot their home on Google maps. This type of free information will assist in purchasing advertising, locating a new store, building information on your competition, or conducting due diligence when purchasing a business, or increasing the value of your business when you sell.

5. Record demographic characteristics. Include gender, age bracket, marital status, or if the customer has children.

6. Record lifestyle characteristics when available. What kind of vehicle do they drive? Does the car bear any membership stickers for clubs, churches, or schools? Do any of these exterior signs indicate an affluent market or customers who may be struggling? Does your observation suggest success or failure for your company? What if they are your competitor’s customers?

7. Track traffic flow. How many people call or come into your business by the hour, day, or week? How many in the party? Of those who purchase, do they buy on impulse? How many walk away without buying? How do these customers differ from those who purchase? Once you establish the standard traffic flow, experiment with various techniques to see if you can vary the pattern in a way that increases your cash flow without impacting your overhead.

8. Ask how your customers heard about your business. Why did they select your business when they could have gone elsewhere? How did they find you? Did they mention where else they shopped? (Ask them about that experience.)

9. Make your advertising measurable. Did you include a coupon in the print ad? Did you tell customers to ask for Joe or mention a code word in the radio or TV commercials? Are you monitoring and measuring hits and click-throughs on your microsites or Web sites? Without monitoring the effectiveness of your advertising, how will you ever know if or what part of your advertising is effective?

10. Watch weather conditions. If weather can affect your business, keep a log of daily weather conditions and see if you notice any trends. If rain or cold keeps traffic away, create a draw to reward your customers. If inclement weather has the opposite effect, then be prepared for the deluge that is coming to your store. (Suggestion: Consider using Twitter to send “rain special” announcements, effective only for the period of a downpour!)

11. Record the sales. How much money did your customers spend? What were the high and low sales of the day? What was the average sale? What is the potential for add-ons? Is this a one-time sale or opportunity for repeat sales?

12. Mystery shop. Do this to your competition or the business you want to purchase. A wise man once said the only business you need to know more about than your own is that of your competition. Mystery shop by phone and in person when feasible. How many cars are in the parking lot at different times of the day compared to your place of business? What kinds of cars are their customers driving? Are the grounds well-maintained, indicating a thriving establishment? What are the signs of activity? What types of delivery trucks do you see coming and going? (While you are at it, mystery shop your own business.)

Remember, no one knows your business better than you do, so ask the tough questions and find a creative way to gather the information. Once you start to quantify these answers, you will soon discover how to apply data in a meaningful way—to help you build the business, avoid costly mistakes, modify your business plan, outpace competition, and deliver value-added services and products to existing and new markets. These observational factors are especially important if you are considering the purchase of an existing business.

Nancy Ulrich

Nancy Ulrich is president of Ulrich Research Service, Inc. (www.ulrichresearch.com), 1329 Kingsley Ave., Suite A, Orange Park, Fla. Contact her at 904-264-3282 or nancy@ulrichresearch.com.

SIDEBAR

Basic steps to design your research project

Regardless of the purpose for your research, the basic steps apply in most situations.

1. Establish your goals and objectives. Ask yourself or your team what you hope to accomplish with the research. How will we apply the findings? Are they realistic? Are they strategic or tactical?
2. Refine your goals and objectives. You should have one primary goal, maybe one secondary goal, and no more than a few key objectives.
3. Select your target audience. This can get tricky, especially when it comes to exploring new opportunities or existing challenges. However, if you do Step 2 correctly, the target audience will reveal itself.
4. Match your methodology to your target audience. Know what type of survey you want to conduct and which methodology will work best for the target audience. Basic formats of quantitative research include conducting surveys by telephone, direct mail, in-store comment cards, online, and intercept (great way to increase the value of cashiers, wait-staff, sales reps, delivery personnel, and receptionists).
5. Design the survey.  Stay focused on your goals.
6. Pick the best methodology to address your goals and objectives. If you are going to conduct your own research, make sure you feel comfortable using the tools that are available. Survey Monkey (www.surveymonkey.com) has brought the art and science of marketing research onto the desktop of most business owners. If you are conducting a phone or direct mail survey and lack analytical skills, simply set up Survey Monkey and input the data into this system. It will calculate the responses and provide you the basic metrics.
7. Allow enough time to gather and analyze information. Time your survey so that it is relevant and meaningful.
8. Analyze the data. Sit down with your team and take an objective look at the data. Remember the goal is to gather data that influences your business over which you can exert some control and influence. Expect some fluctuation in the data. And most important, do not stop collecting data because you do not like the results, feel that you are not learning anything new, or suspect that you already know all the answers.
9. Apply the learnings. Based on the metrics that are most useful, continue monitoring your progress. Readjust goals as necessary based on facts, not emotion. Share the information with your staff and engage their assistance and enthusiasm.

Some cautions

Do not do research unless you are willing to implement offered recommendations or make significant changes when indicated. In other words, if you don’t want the answer, don’t ask the question.

And don’t expect to get all the information you want with one survey. The length of the survey depends on the mode of data collection: Keep a direct mail survey to one page, front and back. Telephone surveys should be under 10 minutes to avoid respondent fatigue. You may be able to risk have longer online surveys, however, especially if respondents can stop and start again. As tempting as it may be, don’t use a survey to sell or solicit business.

Social media has jumped into the main stream as a viable, cost effective way to market your company. There are countless workshops, seminars, webinars, white papers and blogs available to learn more about social media platforms.

But before you jump into social media, make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Ask yourself these questions:

• Why do you want to be on social media?

• Who exactly are you targeting?

• How will you participate?

• How will you measure success?

• What is your strategy? 

Anyone who has researched marketing through social media has quickly come to realize it is not as straight forward as traditional marketing methods, such as placing an ad in the newspaper or running spots on the radio. Social media marketing is more complex because the audience has an expectation of participation from the advertiser.

Companies can’t simply put up a Facebook Fan Page and watch fans (and sales) roll in without any type of interaction. Social media users expect it to be…social! This means that companies need a clearly defined strategy for how they are going to execute this without wasting company time “tweeting” the day away. Here are the steps to building that strategy:

1. Identify your social media objectives. Is your goal to build brand awareness, increase customer loyalty (also known as improving customer service) or increase sales? Most companies will gravitate towards the latter; however, it is difficult to sell a house or a car via Twitter, so if you have a complex product, focus on brand awareness or customer loyalty.

2. Define what segment of the market you plan to target. You can’t target everyone at the same time. Instead of defining your target market by age, gender, and location, first think in terms of your relationship.

Are you targeting people who know your company or people who have never heard of you? Have they bought from you before? Have they referred your company to others? This will help narrow your objective and message. If you are targeting people who have never heard of your company, then the objective should be to build brand awareness, which is a much different message than if you were targeting people who have been referring friends regularly.

3. Decide your to be ‘human.’ Social media campaigns fall flat when there is no personality behind the message. Social media is a way to interact and build relationships with prospects and customers. If your company is consistently sending out highly edited, corporate messages with no “human” or individual voice behind them, consider the message lost in cyberspace.   

4. Determine how to measure success. Social media success is different than traditional marketing success. In the old days, companies would measure success by how much walk-in traffic they had the day their ad ran in the newspaper. That type of measurement doesn’t transfer to social media.

Thankfully, there are countless ways to measure social media success, and most companies already have the tools in place—Web site analytics. A primary indicator of success is an increase in Web site visits due to social media exposure. When someone hears of your company through social media the logical place to go for more information is your company Web site.

In addition to an increase in Web site traffic, other indicators of social media success include:

• Increase in time spent on company Web site;

• Increase in Web site traffic referrals from other sites;

• Increase in followers, fans, and friends; and

• Increase in mentions of your company on social media Web sites.

After going through this exercise to plan a social media strategy, you should have a clearly defined objective, target market, point-of-contact and means to measure success. For some companies, social media marketing is not the best place to invest their resources, which means those resources are free to be used in other forms of marketing that better reach their target market. Trying new things and taking risks with your marketing is fun, exciting and essential in these highly competitive times. Social media can introduce your company to a new audience and wider group of consumers, but take the time to outline a strategy before jumping in, otherwise your marketing goals could get lost in the shuffle.  

Maxine McBride is the president of Clockwork Marketing Services, Inc. (www.clockworkmarketing.com), a full-service marketing firm. She can be reached at 904-280-7960.

Kristin Doakes

“It also allows you to create a relationship with your customers that will help your business succeed,” Kristin Doakes, president/CEO of High 5 Productions and a certified Constant Contact expert, told a recent Knowledge Is Power workshop. “Most importantly, e-mail marketing is permission-based (as opposed to unsolicited spam). This means when customers or prospects give you their e-mail address, you are marketing to someone who is genuinely interested in what you have to offer—no guesswork involved.”

But, to get the results from your e-mail marketing program, you need to use the best practices available. Doakes shared some of those practices:

Use an ESP

Using an e-mail service provider (ESP), such as Constant Contact, automates best practices by providing easy-to-use templates, so you can create professional communications.

You use your logo, colors, and fonts that are consistent with your Web site and other marketing materials, so your brand identity is reinforced. With an ESP, the e-mail is addressed to the recipient only. That means a string of other e-mail addresses is not exposed and you don’t have to blind-copy mass addresses. A reputable provider improves e-mail delivery, tracks results, and obeys spam laws—including removal from your e-mail list.

When someone wants to be removed from your e-mail list, the best practice is to remove them immediately and permanently. An ESP can automatically handle unsubscribe requests by placing an unsubscribe link in every e-mail.

Build your e-mail list

As you begin to build your list, think quality over quantity. Consider the different places where you interact with customers and potential customers and set-up a way to capture their e-mail addresses at each touch point. Here are a few ideas to build your list:

• Include a newsletter sign-up box on your Web site.

• When people call your business, ask them if you can e-mail them messages about specials, offers, and sales promotions.

• Place an e-mail-capture book by your register or check out point. Consider showing a printed version of the latest e-newsletter so customers know what they’re signing up for

• When attending networking events or trade shows, ask contacts if you can add them to your list.

• Hold an e-mail-capture contest. Get your employees, staff, or volunteers involved by offering a prize to the person who’s collected the most e-mail addresses from customers, clients, or members. Reward them with a day off, a gift certificate, a free meal, or a cash bonus!

• Convert your ESP archive into a Web page. Then link to this page from your Web site or social media outlets. It will give people a peek into your business and all that you offer your customers.

Note: Whenever you capture an e-mail address, be sure to get explicit permission to e-mail. One of the best ways to do this is with a return e-mail that contains a confirmation link.

Create engaging content

Content is always king in any type of cyber communications. When it comes to creating content for your e-mail communications, build an open dialogue with your customers and write about things they’re interested in.

Allow customers to communicate with you about what they like and dislike or changes they recommend. Address the popular topics in your newsletter; your customers will be glad to know you’re listening to them.

Be sure to keep communications brief; include only essential information in the e-mail itself. Use bullet points whenever possible. This creates a “quick read” for recipients. Consider initiating a call to action such as a link to your Web site or to a blog to read a full article or your online store to purchase products.

Identify yourself

The “from” line is one of the most important parts of your e-mail communication. Sixty percent of consumers say they open e-mail only if they recognize who it is from. Always identify yourself in some way that your audience will recognize you—by brand, your name, or your company’s name.

Take care with your subject line

Just as the “from” line is important, so is the “subject” line. If you get too “cute,” your e-mail may land in a spam filter. Not enough compelling information and the reader will not open the e-mail, even if your name is recognized.

Keep the subject line short—about five to eight words maximum. Spell everything correctly; capitalize and punctuate carefully. (Don’t overdo exclamation marks.) Incorporate an immediate benefit into this line.

Avoid “spam-speak.” That is, don’t use the words “guarantee,” “free,” “or credit card” in the subject line. (To learn which words to avoid using in the subject line, study the e-mails in your spam filter.)

Measure your results

Use an ESP that has reporting tools to measure the results of your campaign. E-mail reports should show you how many, and which, contacts opened an e-mail, clicked on specific links, forwarded an e-mail, unsubscribed, or did not receive the e-mail. You can monitor your e-mail’s results over time to evaluate your performance and determine strategies to improve your e-mail marketing results.

If you need help getting started with an e-mail marketing campaign using an ESP, interpreting results, or strategizing ways to improve your campaign, call an e-mail marketing expert.

Kristin Doakes is the president/CEO at High 5 Productions (www.High5Productions.com), a full service design and marketing company. She can be contacted at Kristin@High5Productions.com or 904-527-1119.

SIDEBAR

How often should you e-mail?

The basic rule of e-mailing is wanting to achieve maximum impact with minimum intrusion.

Newsletters often follow a monthly schedule; promotions, as needed. It is best to create a plan and then follow it. Recipients will then know when to expect communications from you.

Your ESP should be able to provide statistics for you concerning the time when e-mail is opened, and which days have a better opening rate. Assess these statistics and schedule accordingly. For many industries, Tuesdays and Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. are good times to send e-communications.

By Dawn Josephson

Your ability to write an effective and persuasive business proposal directly relates to your level of success. Write a great proposal and you’ll get the contract or make the sale. Write a ho-hum proposal and your prospect will go elsewhere.

Regardless of the product or service you are pitching, your prospects make their ultimate decision based on how you write the proposal—not the product or service itself. That means even if you have the best product in the world, if you write the proposal poorly, you probably won’t get the deal. A lesser quality product or service may very well beat you out just because the other person knew how to write persuasively.

For any proposal you submit, realize that your prospect is likely reviewing at least 20 others. Therefore, your job is to make your proposal not only stand out, but also get selected as the bidder of choice. To increase the odds of your proposal winning, follow the proposal writing guidelines below. Doing so will enable you to get the “yes” you deserve.

1. Use the correct name, title, and company name. While this may sound obvious, many salespeople and business owners send proposals to the wrong person, or they misspell the prospect’s name or company name, or they write an incorrect corporate title.

Such oversights make a negative impression and alert the prospect that you are careless. If you don’t know how to spell someone’s name or his or her exact title, call the person’s office and ask. While you are at it, verify the street address and company name. Is the prospect’s title “Sales Director” or “Sales Manager”? Is the company “Inc.” or “LLC”? Is it located at “41 Buckingham St.” or “Ave.”? Prospects look at these details to get a feel for your professionalism and attention to detail. Pay attention to the details every time.

2. Include a cover letter that states the reason for your proposal. Since your prospect is likely reviewing more proposals than just yours, include a brief cover letter that recaps any conversations you’ve had and that clearly states why you are presenting your proposal.

For example, you could write, “I am enclosing the proposal we discussed on June 1, which will introduce you to the ABC widget. Based on your stated needs of [state the needs], you will see in the proposal that this widget will [state the benefit].” Too many salespeople fail to state a reason for the proposal. But if you don’t give people an immediate reason to keep reading, you’ll miss your chance to capture their attention. A lonely proposal in an envelope or attached to an e-mail gets absolutely nowhere.

3. Include a brief overview of your product or service. In one opening paragraph, state what your product or service is, what pain or challenge it solves, and how your prospect will benefit from what you offer. Stick to the facts. Resist the temptation to make your product or service sound grander than life. Phrases such as “first,” “only,” “greatest,” revolutionary,” and “groundbreaking” typically raise red flags and indicate that you are exaggerating.

4. Write in chunks. A business proposal is not a book. Structure your proposal so your prospect can skim read it and pull paragraphs out as needed. Think in sound bites and text block chunks. Why? Because studies show that people have greater comprehension and longer retention when printed information is presented to them in bullet points, numbered lists, or some other format that sections out pertinent details. 

5. Include all the important technical details. Make sure your proposal lists the small but important technical details your prospect will need to know, such as: How many items come in a case? How many user licenses does it include? How long is the warranty? Does the price include service calls, consultation, or training? If so, how much?

Don’t let your prospects guess about anything. Make it easy for them to get the facts so they can make a quick and informed decision.

6. State the obvious. Remember, the prospect reading your proposal does not know much, if anything, about your product or service yet. So, just because you know that an accounting computer program can calculate and create employee paychecks, don’t expect your prospects to make that assumption. They need to read everything, even the obvious, or they may not realize all the features and benefits your solution provides.

7. Make a compelling call to action. What do you want the person reading your proposal to do? Buy your product? Contract for your services? Stock your merchandise in his or her store? Whatever action you want your prospect to take, state it clearly, such as: “I recommend you begin by placing an introductory order for 500 pieces.” “I suggest we start with a three-month consulting contract.” “I recommend you devote three shelves to this product.” State precisely what you want.

As any business owner or salesperson knows, “You are only as good as your last proposal.” Commit to enhancing your business proposals, and focus on writing effectively and persuasively. By following these pointers, you’ll be seven steps closer to landing that next deal.

Dawn Josephson, the Master Writing Coach, is the author of Write It Right: The Ground Rules for Self-Editing Like the Pros and Putting It On Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces that Sell Books. Contact her at dawn@masterwritingcoach.com.

By Jennifer Marko    

Ideas. They are what motivate most entrepreneurs to act on creating a product or service that improves what is currently available.

Many ideas, however, are similar, so what can you do to differentiate your product or service from the competition? To differentiate yourself from your competitors, find the unique experience your product or service offers. Do an honest analysis by answering these questions.

• Who is your target audience? What are their characteristics—male, female, young, old, special interests? Where do they “hang out”? How do they spend their money? How much discretionary money do they have? Are they local, regional, or national?

• Who are your competitors? Make a comprehensive list of them and the products and services they offer. List all of the good points as well as their shortcomings.

• What makes your product better than the competition’s? Quality, design, features, price, and availability are all ways to differentiate your product or service. Which aspects are the most important to your target market, and how do you deliver them better than your competitors?

Discover these hot-button issues by conducting focus groups, observing online chats about your industry, or doing an online research about your competitors.

• How can your product or service solve customer frustrations? Customers get frustrated over shoddy workmanship, exorbitant fees, and extra charges. Analyze the complains you hear about products and services that are similar to yours—then figure out how to make an offer customers can’t refuse.

For instance: If you are a plumber, can you guarantee the quality of your work? If you are a computer technician, are you willing to waive a travel fee for onsite repairs? Can you turn your dental office into a spa-like retreat? As a tax professional will you make house calls?

Remember that customers want to buy the experience you can give them through your product or service. Find that unique experience and sell it at every opportunity.

Within a crowded marketplace, differentiating your product from the competition is vital to gaining market share, converting customers, and generating name recognition. The most valuable attributes to communicate are those which are most important to your customers. Once you know who your targeted audience is and what it is are looking for, you are well on your way to success.

Jennifer Marko is president of Bottle Snugglers (www.bottlesnugglers.com), a baby product company based in Jacksonville. Prior to opening this business, she spent a decade in the public relations field helping clients in multiple industries to stand out from their competitors. She can be reached at 800-385-7684 or jennifer@bottlesnugglers.com.  

Sidebar

Does your product look different from others?

Products need distinguishing characteristics to make them stand out on the shelf. Make those distinguishing characteristics part of your brand, and put the brand where people will see it—in employee uniforms, in the lobby of your building, on your stationery, business cards and brochures, and on your Web site.

This is your “presentation,” and it is a prime opportunity to create a positive first impression and connect with potential customers.

It’s no secret that networking is an essential ingredient of any successful marketing program, whether it’s marketing your small business or yourself. In fact, making good contacts is as important as having the right skills, product or service.

Online social sharing sites such as Linked-In, Facebook, and Twitter have revolutionized networking— making it easier, cheaper, and quicker than ever to keep in touch with contacts. And while these tools have become an indispensable tool for effective networking, too many people have made the mistake of letting face-to-face networking go by the wayside.

Don’t make the mistake of dismissing face-to-face networking as “old school” or too time-consuming. Enrich your networking with one of the most effective lead-generating and reputation-building tools around— start your own business networking group.

Here are five easy steps.

1. Reach out. Look through the contacts in your cell phone and select other ambitious types who you know intuitively would be great resources to help get a networking group off the ground.

Ideally, you are looking for folks with good contacts themselves and in different market areas. Call these handful of people and pitch your idea. Sell them on how this group can help them gain leads, generate new ideas, make more contacts, and position themselves as experts in their respective fields.

2. Plan well. It’s important to set regular meeting times, define group “rules” and maintain a consistent meeting structure. Arrange for a different member to speak for two minutes at each meeting but allow everyone to make their 30-second elevator pitch. Clearly define your goal for the group so everyone understands and can easily communicate its benefits.

3. Diversify. Open the doors wide! Identify different business categories and actively recruit contacts from those fields. Enlist your members to recruit. Some business-to-business groups require members to bring one or two new people to each meeting.

4. Stay consistent. Once you have planned well, stay on course. Keep regular meetings, and maintain a consistent structure. A couple of poorly attended meetings is not reason to give up. Keep doing what you’re doing and things will click.

5. Keep innovating. Ask your group members what they want to get out of their networking efforts. Brainstorm new ideas and keep things fresh with new topics and new events. Staying relevant is key.

Karen Palmer serves as vice president of residential sales for Davidson Realty, Inc., www.davidsonrealtyinc.com. She can be reached at kpalmer@davidsonrealtyinc.com or 904)-940-5000.

SIDEBAR

Case study: Birth of a network

Karen Palmer started Business to Business Coffee Group in February of 2008, when the economy was bad and getting worse, as a way to help support the businesses of individuals who were affiliated with Davidson Realty. She said it seemed like the perfect time for a “give it a try” approach to marketing.

The first meeting attracted only about four or five business people. Since that first meeting, however, the group has grown to more than 100 businesses, which meet the third Friday of each month. Members share ideas, leads, market news, and gain insight from each other.

The meetings are well attended. At least 40 business representatives attend each meeting, which Palmer says “makes for a dynamic exchange of information.”

The group keeps growing, because members are encouraged to bring guests. So, at each meeting, business cards are collected, which Palmer enters into a database. She then sends out a reminder e-mail to each person prior to the next meeting.

Although guests are encouraged, new members “just show up.”

An outcome of this networking group was an Area Business Expo, which was open to the public at no charge. (Exhibitors paid $25 to have a table.) The event attracted 65 businesses, some of which gave free samples, discounts, prizes, and raffles.

In today’s challenging economic climate, attracting customers may be the key to survival for many a small business. One way to do so is with advertising. But with so many options for advertising your business—print, online, radio, television, billboards, Yellow Pages and more—how do you get the most bang for your advertising buck?

Most small business owners don’t have the budget for radio, TV, or billboard advertising, but that’s OK. Print and online advertising, tailored correctly, can be highly effective in targeting prospects, communicating your message, and getting customers in the door.

“Print is a very good vehicle for reaching a large potential customer base,” said Andy Dykstra, a partner of Burdette Ketchum, a full-service marketing firm in Jacksonville. “Online has really become a vehicle where you can be really highly targeted.”

Advertising can take many forms. We’re all familiar with typical display ads that appear in newspapers and magazines as well as the banner ads that seem to pop up whenever we’re online. But there are plenty of low- or no-cost forms of advertising, such as business cards, gift certificates, brochures, flyers, door hangers, mailbox inserts and paper or plastic bags with your name and logo. And, of course, your Web site is a form of advertising as well.

Most experts recommend that you combine a variety of advertising forms to get your message across. Community First Credit Union in Jacksonville, for example, uses traditional media such as magazines, newspapers, TV, radio and outdoor as well as the new media—online ads, search engine marketing and social networking. “There’s a basic tenet that your potential customers can’t do business with you unless they know about you,” said Kim Deppe, vice president of marketing. “And advertising is still one of the least costly ways to get people familiar with your company and with the products and services that you offer.”

Here are some tips for effective advertising in any form:

• Know your customers. That means understanding how they make decisions and how they find information relevant to purchasing your product or service. That way, you’ll know how to reach them. Do your clients find you through networking events? If so, you may not have to spend any money on advertising. But if they find you through the Yellow Pages, then you need to be there. By knowing your customers, you’ll also be able to craft your message, whether in print or online, in a way that’s highly relevant to them.

• Know what you’re selling. This may seem obvious, but in many cases it’s not. Are you advertising a sale? Branding your company? Introducing a new product? What are your advertising goals? “People have a tendency to rush right to the tactics—‘I need a brochure syndrome’ is what I call it,” Deppe said. “But the selection of the tactic has to come after you’ve already thought through your goals and strategies.” Your goal should be specific and measurable.

• Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repetition is vital. One-shot ads rarely work. Advertising has a cumulative effect, and it often takes time to see results. Dykstra recommends placing an ad a minimum of three times. “If you’re not accomplishing that, you shouldn’t even spend the time doing it,” he said.

• Emphasize benefits. What does your product or service offer its audience? What’s in it for them?. Your goal is to motivate the reader to act.

• Keep your message simple. You want people to remember it.

• Have a Web site. That’s the first place many people will go to find out about your company. You can include details about your product or service as well as testimonials, which can be highly persuasive.

• Avoid clutter. Don’t include too much copy in your ad. Keep your message focused.

• Understand what print advertising can do. Print advertising is a very good vehicle for creating broad reach—to connect with a large potential customer base. Online advertising allows you to target your audience more precisely.

• Establish a realistic advertising budget. A good rule of thumb is that you should spend about 3% to 5% of your revenues, depending on the type of business and stage. “When you get started, you may want to spend a little more to get your name recognized and create a brand,” said Cathy Hagan, area director of the Small Business Development Center at the University of North Florida. “But once you build that network, the smarter you can be with your advertising dollars.”

• Track your results. Ask your customers how they found you. That will help you hone your advertising plan in the future.

Remember that advertising is just part of an overall marketing plan, which should also include public relations, direct mail, trade shows and word of mouth. “Everything from your Yellow Pages listing to the sign over your front door is part of your advertising,” said Deppe. “It should all go together and work as part of an overall strategy.”

Robyn A. Friedman is a contributing editor to Jacksonville Small Business Advantage. She can be reached at RAFWriter@att.net or through her Web site www.everythingwrite.com

SIDEBAR

Print or online? Different features for different focus

Advertising is not an all-or-nothing proposition. Print advertising has its place; likewise, so does online advertising. In most cases, you’ll want to do some of both. Here’s what differentiates the two forms:

Print advertising should:

• Grab your prospects with a catchy headline and image. Powerful visuals are essential to stop readers, draw them in, and get them to read the body copy. The headline has to have punch. The words “free,” “sale,” and “buy now and save” are proven ways to encourage your readers to act now.

• Include a call to action. Tell readers to do something.

• Include your company contact information. Include your company’s name, usually at the bottom of the ad, as well as your address and phone number. Make your phone number larger to encourage people to call. If you’re a new business, include a cross street or brief directions to help people find you.

• Be placed in the most prominent position possible.

Online ads should:

• Be placed where your customers go. Know your customers and what their online habits are. Find sites for your ads that will reach the right demographic. For example, you can advertise on Jacksonville.com by running a banner ad across the home page. Or you can place your ad in the sports section or business section—choose the section where your prospects are most likely to visit.

• Use a rich media banner ad, which has motion. That allows you to scroll a message and have more than just a single headline. Rich media also allows you to animate your ad to draw readers in. Use attention-getting artwork.

• Include a call to action in your banner ad. In most cases, you will be trying to attract viewers to your Web site for a deeper message, so you’ll want to invite them to click on the ad to be linked to your site.

Everyone is networking these days. Networking builds relationships and lays the groundwork for new business. A critical component of networking, however, is following up.

Following up is an art whose skill is worth developing. The proof? Everyone can recall a well-written, thoughtful note that stood out above the rest. That note is follow up done to the “T”.

If you’ve never been taught the art of following up, you are in for an informative lesson that will help you cultivate relationships, which may eventually lead to new business.

Follow up is key to business development, whether you’ve just attended a networking event, hosted a table at a dinner event, or bumped into someone at the grocery store. All of the time you spent catching up or learning about that person isn’t worth much if you don’t take it to the next step.

• Create a reason to follow up in the very near future. Here are a couple of questions to get the ball rolling: “May I call you to talk more about what we do?” “May I add you to our e-mail list”?

• Set up a plan to send a note immediately following your interaction. No matter how you do it, follow up should happen immediately (within 48 hours) after the meeting. Make a phone call to schedule a one-on-one meeting; send an e-mail and include the link to that newspaper article you mentioned while talking to the person; or send a handwritten note. Do anything—just follow up!

• Set up a follow up system. Every company has a follow up system that works best for its industry. It’s important to use one that works for your team. The system is no good if no one uses it. A simple follow up system can be as easy as a contact management computer program, a spreadsheet, a good old-fashioned tickler file that you maintain or some other tracking mechanism.

• Create goals. It is also important to create internal goals for turning those contacts into leads and clients. In today’s business environment, you need to be aggressive, uncomfortable, and brave. You won’t get anything without asking for it. Create an accountability system within your team to keep everyone on target.

• Keep networking. To keep your contacts fresh and flowing, make sure you and your team are consistently networking. Set internal goals for the number of functions you will attend each week or each month. Identify your target market and don’t just look at their industry events – think about other social, civic or educational events they may attend.

Remember that every opportunity is a chance to make a new business contact, prospect, client, advisor or friend. Don’t overlook something or someone as unimportant or not worth your attention or effort – you never know when a diamond will be found in the rough. And please, don’t forget to follow up!

Maxine McBride is the president of Clockwork Marketing Services, Inc., a full-service marketing firm in the Jacksonville area. Visit www.clockworkmarketing.com or call 904-280-7960.