Don't Be Too Wordy...

"It slices, it dices, it makes Julienne fries..." may have not meant so much had we not seen that amazing product performing all of it's capabilities. Television does have it's benefits one of those being the drawing in of those of us that are more visual than others. If you have to see it to believe it yourself you may want to think about that before you layout your next PRINT ad campaign. Print is a dicey medium of thumb licking, page turning, woops there you go by without so much as a glance that your opportunity is finite, fleeting, and must be well thought out.


I thought of this as the phone was ringing off the hook this week, our web contacts hitting my inbox one after another, "what could be causing all this fuss," I wondered and thinking back to the last time we posted a new product line on DuvallDesign.Com, recalled the buzz that occured around a simple .pdf of products, pick and choose if you will, a simple solutions based option, ..."here it is choose one or many". To me, it seems, it has always been as simple as show someone a solution and they will own it. So looking now at the simple print ad we are running and considering it was designed around a collage of images at our bosses desk, those he thought best represented our companies broad reach of capabilities I see that what occured may have something valuable for all of us. In the past we had run ads that spoke a lot about who we are and what we do and they were beautiful ads, yet somehow this new ad seems to say more without one lione of text included within. Just a logo, web address, and phone number brushed over image after image of "here it is, come and get it." Sometimes, I know it to be true for myself, we can be just too wordy for our own good.

Selling Vs Providing, It's all about Customer Experience

We've all seen them, small hordes of Salesmen huddled on the Showroom stairs or hiding just inside the doors. Car Dealerships are notorious for generating the hungriest of predator sales-people.
We all buy from them, so no offense meant here, but what a poor feeling it is to be dealt with by someone who just does not listen to you at all and cannot wait for you to get out of the Sales Office because there's another "live one" drooling over an over-priced luxury model right outside the window? Have you ever wondered how and why so many small independent auto dealers can stay in business even though their pricing and inventories are not competitive at all? It's because time after time they maintain real satisifying relationships that result in repeat and referral business.

Building relationships is very difficult as let's face it the customer IS not always right, yet they are never wrong. Each one comes to us with pre-conceptions and fears and it will be the sales-person with skill and compassion that will win them over and get them back time and time again. By becoming a "provider" instead of a "seller" success will follow every time. As a "provider" we realize that the consumer does not need us or the product we represent, that we must educate and build value, most importantly we need to earn the trust and respect of that consumer before we can expect to ask them to purchase. Once you have done that you have created a relationship wherein you may ask for their business, their recommendation; and really important here, their referrals.

Try these core principles to become more of a "provider":

1) A provider asks questions to develop an understanding of need(s)
2) A provider listens to the consumer to develop an understanding of need(s)
3) A provider "owns" the sale and is truly available, always

If you have questions please use the contact form to get your answers, or just leave a comment.

Marketing Counts, make the most of it...

In the Northern reaches of Maine you may assume that not a whole lot goes on in the background however with a region struggling to hang on to it's 4-Season Tourism every business owner is frantically reaching out for new consumers while fluffing the pillows a bit more for those who return each year. They join the local Chambers and Regional Tourism Groups, they have websites, or at least listings on the local Town sites. They spend here and there on local newsprint and placemat space ads, yet when they get together noone can agree on any one strategy to make things better and/or get the best bang for the buck. When new opportunities come along, that may land their names in front of well sought after markets, they balk at what is new. And who can blame them when all it takes is one rainy summer or ironically a winter without enough snow and each following season becomes all that much more dear as do the small morsals of income that come with them?
It truly brings to mind the one-armed paper hanger struggling to drape the next piece in place while the last piece begins to slip down the wall, all round. Like a house of cards, like Babylon out of control.

Upon recently learning of a "new to that neck of the woods" couple's purchase of a remote Lodge Outfit my wife and I thought either bravehearted, deep-pocketed, or fools each! The sobering thought that even if all three were true the venture may eventually fail within a year or two. And what a shame! With miles and miles of hiking or biking trails, lakes and ponds at every turn, open for use and as clean as the day created, what a shame it would be if noone could keep a lodge open, or the stores, or restaurants. Those of us who don't want to do it all on our own would be shut out of the Northwoods of Maine forever for lack of facilities to accomodate us. And yes, I have to point out I'm a mostly 'do it myselfer', we tend to go to town out of patronage more than need and even still I read the placemat ads and I pick up the local free paper because I know that this is where you find out who really wants your business. Read that last line again folks and let it sink in...

The biggest mistake a small business owner can make is to assume people know about their business, what it offers, and who it serves. The second biggest is to throw money at marketing like you have already made it, so don't get me wrong... budget counts and the spending has to fit.
By spending within budget; in carefully researched mediums, in consistent campaigns, a business will see the return on investment and the smartest spenders research this as well. Ever scoff at a clip-out Coupon until you find yourself standing in an icecream line waving two Washingtons and a Coupon for one free? One of the oldest media tracking devices, Coupons tell you concretely that your ad worked and if you put a code on each campaign's Coupon, it can tell you even more. Now I'll caution you readers, don't get lost in the message, and run out and print coupons just yet. Different markets require different strategies to be effective. Noone is going to carry a Coupon for five dollars off a Mercedes Coupe, so the point is don't just spend money on ads and make sure you pay attention to the following each time your ads run to ensure you are spending your marketing budget wisely:
1) Where did the consumer see/hear the ad (Use different ads for each Medium)
2) When did the consumer see/hear the ad (a two year old response may mean consumers no longer pay attention to that source)
3) What are the consumers buying and why? (running ads for 'cogs' does one no good when they wind up coming in for 'widgets' so if it's 'widget' time again advertise 'widgets'). Never let the consumer forget you're out there waiting to help them because they will forget you. Those advertisers that are stalwart and have a consistent message with a consistent delivery will always reap the rewards. And isn't that why we're doing this thing we do after all?

How do I outlast my competition?

Here's something you may never have heard a consultant say before... "making money is easy." Considering so many new businesses fail within the first year, with great ideas and enthusiasm, then if making money is so easy what the hell happened? I'm going to tell you that it's not enough to have a great offering, nor is it enough to work night and day. Nope, I can attest from personal experience that it's not the easiest thing to do if all you're in it for is the money. Service with a smile is more than an old fashioned buzz phrase it is the competitive edge in the real world of success. And that's not all it takes either.

If you do have "all the right stuff" you will get paid along the way, yet with the US economy tanked and the Global markets opened up to us via the internet and our own brick and mortars, you had better have a little more to offer than a cultured look and a "quality" product if you want to stay in the game for good. You need a message that makes you preferred.

Now here's something you may have heard, "quality" just doesn't mean what it used to. Back in the day "quality" meant that you possibly couldn't afford it, quality was selective and elusive, yet obvious when you found it. But somewhere in the last thirty years "quality" came to mean, "we do as good as the other guys," and that good means just that. The standard or norm and no better. What happened?
So be careful when your ads cite quality as a reason to do business with you because it's old, it's tired, and it compares you to others who may not have an offering as good. To wrap this up here are three reasons you should list in any customer conversation:
(1) Our offering is unique because _____.
(2) Our clients refer us because _____.
(3) Or clients come back again because _____.
Filling in the blanks should be easy here, however if it is not, please contact me to discuss.