Contents:

Editorial

Article: Article: Marketing And Advertising: A Marriage Between
Two Old Friends And How To Keep Them Happy Together [Copyright © 2003 Lynne Bullen]

Resources

Article: Always Ask About Competitors [© 2003 Linda Richardson]

Sponsors

Article: Reflect, Recharge And Refocus Yourself [© 2003 Keith Abraham Csp]

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Editorial

Hello! Good to see you've joined us again. Thanks for coming back. A warm welcome to our new subscribers, too. If you're joining us for the first time, you can catch up by visiting our Newsletter archives.

Well, here we are, just weeks away from Christmas. Some of you will be taking holidays, whilst others may work through the on days which cover the holiday season. It will more than likely depend on where you live and what services or products you offer.

Here, in the land of Oz, we've already been given a taste of what's to come this Summer. In South Australia, our Bureau of Meteorology (or Weather Bureau as some call it) tells us that we've had our hottest November for 14 years. I have a feeling we're in for a long, hot summer "Down Under".

For some of you in the Northern Hemisphere, you're more than likely unpacking the woollies and snow boots and trying to remember where you put your snow chains.

Where ever in the world you are, someone is celebrating Christmas. There are cultures and religions which don't celebrate Christmas, but they usually enjoy the "festive season" in their own special ways.

There are businesses that do really well at this time of the year and others which find that it's better to close their doors, as not too much will be happening.

If you've marketed your product or service, people will know about it. Why not take advantage of this time of year and advertise!

Many of you will be advertising your Christmas Specials. Check out your competition and see what they're doing. It might give you an idea, or it might alert you to something you SHOULDN'T do.

What ever you're going to do, I hope it will reap rewards.

Here's to fabulous Festive Season, safe and happy holidays, and a prosperous New Year!

In the meantime, dare to dream and be "Inspired to Succeed! See you next back here in 2004!

Lynne

Article

Marketing and Advertising: A Marriage Between Two Old Friends and How to Keep Them Happy Together

Copyright © 2003 Lynne Bullen

Marketing and Advertising are tools you'll need to know about if you are to stay ahead of your competition. You will also need to keep working on them to maintain a successful business.

So what's the difference between Marketing and Advertising?

Branding, or packaging, is how you Market your product or service. It will have a unique look, or offer a service that may be similar to others, but it will have an edge, it will be different.

Advertising is how you get information about your product or service to the general public to bring you customers.

Let's start with Marketing

Marketing is the design and process by which your goods or services are "put out there" into the marketplace. Branding is a very large part of the marketing exercise. Branding, or packaging, is how you Market your product or service.

Many of the big multi-nationals are known by their logos, colours, packaging, catch phrases and tags.

To give you an idea, the manufacturers of Holden, Ford, Mitsubishi and other motor vehicles all have a distinct logo. This logo appears wherever their name appears. If they advertise in Newspapers, on Television, or via huge Billboards there it is, and it goes right through from company stationery, business cards, brochures, etc., to the badge on the car. The Toyota motor vehicle manufacturer has the catch phrase "Oh, What a Feeling".

Some banks have catch phrases such as "Which bank?". Do you know which one it is? Fast food chains all have their outlets wearing the same logo, colours, and even dress their staff in uniforms that reflect the "brand". Just about everyone is familiar with KFC ... The logo includes a likeness of Colonel Sanders ... the packages are red and white...Get the idea? Branding, or packaging, is how you Market your product or service. It needs to be recognised among all the other similar products or services. It should stand out, have its own look, its own identity.

Yes, I can hear you saying "Hey, I'm not a multi-national with squillions of dollars to spend on marketing!" I'm sure you have a few dollars to spare ... so use them wisely. An investment in branding your product or service is well worth the wallet becoming a little thinner.

Even a small business enterprise can create "branding" by carrying through with chosen colours, logos, etc., like the corporate imaging the larger companies do. It's a matter of
carefully chosen words, and the look of your "package", whether you're selling a service or a tangible product.

So now that you know what "branding" is and how it works, what are the other components of successfully marketing your service or product?

Market research is vital. You need to find out who your competitors are. You need to know what your customers want. How are you going to win your share of the market? For
instance, ask your customers/clients what their perceptions of your business enterprise are. What would you like them to say? If you've not yet opened your doors, you can ask them what they would expect. When you know the needs of your customers (potential or existing) you can tailor your strategy to suit them.

Developing that strategy means that you will work on four key elements:

• Eliminating the negative factors you can control by correcting or removing them.
• Minimising the negative factors you cannot control by reducing their effects.
• Capitalising on the positive factors you can not control by taking advantage of the fact that they are working in your favour.
• Leveraging the positive factors you can control by using them to exert more influence than the situation might normally allow.
• You need to look at these factors on a regular basis, as things change.

Developing a good rapport with your clients/customers is paramount. Make contact often, but don't become a pest. Make sure you not only keep up with changes in your business, but also your customers' changing needs. This practice should be carried into the Advertising phase of your business.

So, let's move on to Advertising

Advertising: Let me count the ways! The accepted definition of Advertising is to give information that is designed to attract public attention, to bring you customers. It should be specifically designed to attract your targets, to let them know that your product or service is available.

There are so many ways you can promote or advertise your business. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, notice boards, letter drops, delivery of flyers to local business. The list is almost endless.

What suits one business may not necessarily work for another. You have to find out what's right for you. That means doing a little sleuthing!

Need some ideas? Talk to the people you see on a regular basis (your local grocer, hairdresser, motor shop or service station, supermarket check-out girls and fellas). Engage them in conversation and find out what's happening in your area. Talk to your family members, friends, and work colleagues from the present and the past.

Don't get up or change channels on your TV when the commercials come on. Sit and watch them. Take note of words and phrases used. Listen to the radio when you're out and
about in your car. Do the commercials paint a picture in your mind?

Read newspapers at breakfast. Read magazines whilst you're in the doctor's waiting room. Check out the billboards as you go about your daily business. Look carefully at the advertisements. Think about how they're structured. What is it that catches your eye, why you want to find out more?

If you were looking for a particular service or product, would those advertisements entice you? Why? Why not? Start to think like your customer/client would. The key here is
research.

Your current clients are a valuable resource. Word-of-mouth is still the best form of advertising. If you treat your clients well, produce their work on time, give them value for money and build a good rapport with them, they're sure to tell a colleague or a friend.

If you're not yet up and running, there's no reason why you couldn't adopt these ideas now. What's to stop you? Nothing like being a step or two ahead, is there?

A way to begin Advertising without any cost (except for your time) is to find out who in your area produces a regular Newsletter. It could be your child's school. Maybe it's a local sporting club. You may have a Neighbourhood Watch in your area.

Talk to the editor and offer to put together items he has collected from members and put the information together for their newsletter. Format it and have it ready for printing. Don't charge for this service. Do it as a voluntary, community service activity.

Your assistance would certainly benefit them. Most of the schools, kindergartens, little league other sporting clubs are strapped for cash and you may just fill a vital need.

You will also benefit. How? You can create awareness about your business in these newsletters simply by adding a line to the last page which states:

"The typesetting of this newsletter has been kindly donated by JP Smith, PO Box 0, Suburbia. Phone number, email address."

After you've done a few, talk to the editor of the newsletter and ask if you can put an advertisement in some issues, in return for your services. Most of them will be willing to say yes, as you are saving them time and money by allowing them to get on with their own business. No cost to you or to them. Well, I hope that's the way it will work for you. It has for me.

There is a way to combine your marketing and advertising, and that's to have a working website

I believe that a GREAT website is a must, but not everyone (yet) makes use of the Internet to find various products and services. Keep the faith ... that will change in the not too
distant future.

One thing you must keep foremost in your mind is this: You can have the greatest website ever designed, but if people don't know about it, how can they visit? If they do find it, what's going to keep them coming back?

Your website is an extension of your business card, so make sure your website address (your URL) appears on your card and any other business stationery. When you're giving your card to someone, invite them to visit the website to find out more about you and your business. Don't forget that your website and any business stationery should reflect the same theme, colours, wording, etc ... all part of that most important thing called "Branding".

A great website needs to be attractive, inviting, easily navigated and most of all, give the visitor a reason to return, often. Changing and adding material on a regular and frequent basis will keep your visitors coming back. Make sure you continue to give them a reason to return, and if it's a good enough reason, the word will be passed around, creating more traffic, with the opportunity of bringing you more business.

I'd really like to give you some URLs to some amazingly bad websites, to show you what not to do, but I'd probably end up being taken to court! Instead, I will direct you Birgitt
Thursby. She has produced some extremely attractive and very user friendly websites, among them, mine. Her work is envied by many other website designers.

Birgitt's attention to the needs of her clients, being able to tactfully extract information about her clients, their products or services, gain an understanding of what's required, and a natural ability to bring all of these things together, ensures not only a great looking website, but also a website that gives her clients the results they expect. A working website is the best website!

If you're seriously considering your own website, contact Birgitt by visiting her website [http://www.bpthursby.com.au] and take a look at her Portfolio.

There certainly is a lot to Marketing and Advertising, isn't there? You'd be amazed at the number of people who think Marketing and Advertising are the same thing. As you can see, they are quite their own entities, and each certainly has a very distinctive purpose. You need both of them for a successful business enterprise.

Here are some websites you might like to visit. They should spark an idea or two for you.

Entrepreneur Business Centre -
http://www.ebc.com.au/artserver/as2.asp?inA=0&hx=1,2

Some daily marketing tips at these sites: http://www.isquare.com/mkttip.cfm and
http://www.webadvantage.net/tip_archive.cfm

Whilst you're checking out these links, or those you've found yourself, you're sure to come across some rather extraordinary, inviting and attractive offers. Be very careful. Some of them may be scams. Check out this website: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/pyramid/index.html

To sum up on the Marketing and Advertising; remember that you first need to create your image or package - "branding". Your product or service needs to have it's own identity so
that it stands out from other similar products or services. Research your market. Define your targets. Create your package and then ...advertise, advertise, advertise.

There's much more to these two tools and what to do with them that I could possibly cover, but I'm sure that I've put you on the right path ... the rest is really up to you. I hope I've helped, even in a small way.

Do you recall the saying, "From a little acorn, a mighty Oak does grow"? It's true, you know. The mighty Oak tree that dropped its little acorn, dropped in precisely the right spot. He made sure it had fertile soil, enough sun and just the right amount of water to promote and sustain healthy growth.

You could think of your business idea as the little acorn. Setting of a strong foundation could be the fertile soil. Your research and planning could be the sunlight. Your marketing and advertising could be the just the right amount of rain.

Your business, like the acorn, will grow steadily and strongly if you continue pay attention to it. Make change when change is needed, and nurture it every step of the way.

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, Mentoring Services and Secretarial and Administrative support
She is a specialist in Digital Transcription

Contact Lynne via email:
or visit her website at http://www.lynnebullenstrategies.com.au

Resources

An Australian site especially for small business. No matter where in the world you are, there are articles and items which are sure to spark some ideas:
http://smallbusiness.ninemsn.com.au/smallbusiness/experts/

If yours is a business one that requires you to translate documents from one language to another, there's some useful information about Translation Software on this link:
www.stresstips.com/mall/language_translation_software.htm

Article

Always Ask About Competitors

Copyright © 2003 Linda Richardson

Sometimes you can get so caught up in learning about the client's needs and so excited by your own enthusiasm for your solution, that you can miss asking about the competition even if the client mentions "competitors." Although you can, you may not want to ask about the competitor the minute the client brings it up, but you must get back to it.

Whether or not the client raises the issue of competitors, it is VITAL that as the salesperson, you ask about competitors. Many salespeople are hesitant to ask. Some are concerned it is inappropriate. Others may not want to hear what could be bad news. But most, it seems, just are not disciplined to make it a critical part of their sales dialogue. Of course, there is a small percentage of clients who will not disclose who the competitors are and, for those, a simple acknowledgement ("I can understand") and moving on works well. You often can try again to get competitive data by saying, "I know you don't want to share names, how does... (your idea) compare to what else you are hearing?"

Much of the time in most sectors, if you ask, clients will tell you about competitors in real depth. You will gain very important information that will let you plan a competitive strategy and best position your solution/recommendation.

To learn about your competitors:

Time it

• Don't ask too soon in the meeting. Identify client's objective, needs, current situation, etc., first.
• Ask about the competitors before you position what you offer.
• Preface your competitive question with a client benefit ("To help me understand the approaches you are considering, can you tell me who else you are talking to?").
• After you ask about the client's criteria is often a good time to ask about the competitors.
• When the client mentions the competitor, you have a
  perfect opportunity to probe the topic.

Probe it

• Acknowledge what the client says.
• Once you learn who the competitor is, ask for details ("What is their approach?" "What are they offering?" "How do you feel about it?" Most importantly after you position your ideas, ask, "How do you feel we compare?"). Drill down to gain specifics. Find out who the competition has met with, what the relationship is, and what they are offering.
• As you ask questions you will gain very important competitive data for this and other sales.
• Ask other contacts in the organization for their perspective on the competition to get multiple views. (Once a salesperson was told by one of her contacts that her experience with the company's top competitor would be a detriment to her being selected. She learned, just in time, from two other decision makers that, in fact, her relationship with the prospect's competitor was a big advantage - one she used to win!)
• Tread gently if the customer is reluctant.

Offset it

• Know your competitors but never denigrate them. To point out competitive weaknesses, ask questions that strike at the competitor's weakness. For example, if you know the competitor has poor distribution capabilities, ask about that and then position your capabilities to highlight your advantage. Sometimes you can raise a point that the customer has not previously considered about the competitor. Always ask your client for feedback on what you have positioned.
• The most compelling reason to ask about the competition is to give you the information you need to create a competitive strategy to help you win deals. Asking about competitors also provides you with competitive data critical not only to your deal, but to your organization.

Remember, just knowing who the competitors are is not enough. As you debrief the call, ask yourself -

Who are the competitors?
How do my offerings stack up?
How does the client feel about them?
How does the client feel about the competition compared to how they feel about my company?

No matter who the competitor is, don't be crestfallen. Don't make the assumption that you can't compete. Don't underestimate yourself. Remain confident. Ask questions. Get specifics. Get the competitive information you need to differentiate your offering and win.

About the Author: Linda Richardson: President and CEO of Richardson, training consultants to corporations, banks, and investment banks globally. Richardson has 110 professionals, 15 regional offices in the United States, and presence in London, Australia, Singapore, Latin America, and Asia. Clients of Richardson include KPMG, Federal Express, General Mills, Tiffany & Co., Dell Computer, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Citibank, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, and Kinko's. Visit Linda at http://www.Richardson.com

Sponsors

B & P Thursby Digital Services - Innovative, Creative and affordable Website design and maintenance. http://www.bpthursby.com.au/

Digital-e - Info To Go!, your source for ebooks, e-courses and information to help you achieve your dream of your own creative home-based business. http://www.digital-e.biz/

JR Executive Services Specialising in MYOB and Minute taking as well as offering other secretarial services. http://www.jrexecutiveservices.com.au

Article

Reflect, Recharge And Refocus Yourself

Copyright © 2003 Keith Abraham CSP

Wow, what a year! As we fast approach the end of another year I normally spend some time thinking about the year that has just past. I think about what progress we've made, what learning experiences we've been through and what changes we need to make for the New Year.

You see, how can we ever progress personally if we don't reflect on the past, recharge our batteries for the future and refocus on the things that count in our personal and professional lives. With that in mind I thought I would get you take a moment and think about the year that was and where to go from here.

Reflect On Your Past

The past is a great teacher if we are prepared to be the student. Learning experiences are only learning experiences if we learn from them. As you look at the last 12 months answer these questions for yourself.

What was the 1 thing you achieved that made you feel great?
What was 1 thing you learnt and would not do again?
What was 1 thing you learnt and would do again?
What was the highlight of the year for you personally?
Who influenced you the most over the last 12 months in a positive way?
What was one goal you did not achieve that is still worth pursuing?
What new skill did you learn or piece of knowledge did you gain this year?

Reflecting on the past is a good activity to do, but it's not great if we stay in the past and beat ourselves up over it. Learn from it and move on!!!

Recharge Yourself

The energy levels that you and I have are critical in the personal and professional achievement cycle. We need to recharge our batteries by stopping and giving back to
ourselves. I love the quote, "You can't give what you have not got". If you and I feel run down, unmotivated and lack energy then it is not likely that our successes will come
easily to us.

Here are some questions to ponder -

What activities give you energy and make you feel great about yourself?
What do you love to do?
When was the last time you did it?
What road blocks stop you from giving back to yourself?
What is one thing you have been procrastinating about doing? Set a deadline to do it! Procrastination is the greatest robber of self-esteem and energy.
Who is your mentor or coach that can make sure you stay on track?

For some of us we need to be disciplined not to work, to make ourselves take time out. It is so easy to work away thinking to ourselves, "As soon as I finish this project, I will take a break". But we don't, we get back on the tread-mill of life and work pounding away. Take time to recharge your batteries. Don't be your own worst enemy.

Refocus Yourself

Goal setting is easy. Remaining focused is the hard part. Whenever I lose the plot or become frustrated, it is because I have lost my focus on the things that counted. Think about these questions with a focus on the next 12 months.

• What is one thing you want to achieve in next 12 months?
• What are your goals in these areas - Family, Financial, Business, Your Personal Development, Holidays or your next country you want to Travel to?
• What are some of the steps you need to take now to make these goals come true?
• What are you going to do to remain focused on your goals?

As the year draws to an end we need to reflect on the past, recharge our batteries and refocus on the things that count. You see, if it's not you, then who is going to do it for you and if it's not now then when are you going to do it.

About the Author: Keith Abraham, Director of People Pursuing A Passion - Certified Speaking Professional. Keith is a unique and entertaining conference speaker who uses the latest Multi Media skills to enhance his powerful, thought provoking presentations at conferences and workshops. Keith authored 'Creating Loyal Profitable Customers', which is fast becoming becoming the new customer retention bible for Australian businesses. Visit Keith on http://www.keithabraham.net.au or e-mail loyalty@keithabraham.net.au

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