Wednesday, December 31, 2008

New Year's Resolutions for Marketers













We have just finalized our 2009 Strategic Marketing Plan. Along with that plan I thought about some New Year's Resolutions that we as marketers could all follow in '09.

1) Don't whine about the economy..deal with it
2) Look for new market segments
3) Spend more time with customers
4) Do 1 ride along per month with a salesperson
5) Develop a loyalty program
6) Benchmark with people outside your firm
7) Create a customer referral program
8) Rollout a sales contest
9) Don't lower your prices (it will come back to haunt you)
10) Organize a fun activity....yes at work

We live in a great country. It is still the land of opportunity. Let's go out there and make it happen.

Dave

www.salessherpas.com

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Social Media - Unchartered Territory

Social media is still in its infancy and we marketers are still trying to determine how to harness its power. There is no doubt of the explosion of social media. According to a poll conducted during the second quarter by Forrester Research, 75% of U.S.-based Internet users report taking part in some form of social media this year, up from 56% during the second quarter of 2007.

Facebook, which boasts more than 120 million current active members and is the leading social network worldwide attracted more than 39 million U.S.-based unique visitors in September 2008, a 116% increase over the same period in 2007.

We marketers are entering into unchartered territory. Never before have we utilized a marketing medium where we have such little control. Social media is the Wild West of marketing. We are not in control the users are in control. So how do we navigate through this new territory?

Big firms and small alike are flocking to social marketing to set-up pages on social networks. More and more firms are launching blogs, online communities, posting videos and consumer-generated review systems. However, simply launching these efforts is not enough. Monitoring these mediums for user generated content is also vital. We can quickly discover flaws in our products/services that were not caught during product development. New uses for our products/services are discovered.

Social marketing is in its infancy...it is a time of experimentation. However, we must not get overzealous and blow our entire marketing budgets on social marketing. It is yet another arrow in our marketing quiver. So, put your strategy in place and begin exploring this exciting new medium.

Dave

www.salessherpas.com

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Tips for downsized Marketers












Many marketers have been downsized in the past year. Having done some recent hiring I have become keenly aware of the volume of high-caliber marketers out there looking for jobs. BTW-I have also been through a downsizing (I can relate).

Here are some tips for Downsized Marketers:

1) Don't panic - It may take sometime to find that next job but it is out there
2) Scale back on unnecessary expenses
3) Avoid cashing in your 401k look at other sources for income first
4) Write down a game plan
a) List all of the people in your network (you may already have these in LinkedIn)
b) If you aren't on LinkedIn set-up an account now (it is free and a great job search tool)
c) List family and friends (these are also part of your network)
d) Develop an email that can be forwarded to prospective employers (via your network)
5) Set-up a goal to have lunch/coffee with 4 people per week in your network
6) Contact employers(hiring managers) you wish to work for - don't wait for a job posting
7) Do some consulting/freelance work - This will provide you new experiences, generate some cash and also fill in the "employment gap" while you are looking.
7) Create a personal website - Network Solutions provides a template format and url for $125/yr
8) Create an email address tied to your new website (e.g. david.gee@geecreative.com)
9) Search job boards:
* Big Shoes Network - (great resource in Wisconsin, Illinois, Wisconsin). BSN is focused on marketing and advertising only and top firms are using it to recruit. bigshoesnetwork.com
* LinkedIn - Good business social-networking tool
* Marketingjobs.com - A pretty good resource although jobs are limited
* Direct Marketing Association - Good source but many DM jobs only. the-dma.org
* Marketing Ladder - Set-up mainly for $100k+ marketing jobs - marketing-jobs.theladders.com
* American Marketing Association - marketingpower.com
* Sites such as Monster,CareerBuilder do have some solid jobs but tend to less-focused and everyone else is looking there too.
10) Spend time with your family - you will probably not get a break like this again.

Hang-in there....you will find a great opportunity

Merry Christmas and have a wonderful '09.

Dave

www.salessherpas.com

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Come to the Summit

As of December 15th we are in our new office, aka "The Summit." The new location will provide us larger space for growth and better serve our clients. The new location will be equipped with a contemporary multimedia system to facilitate online collaboration meetings and client discovery sessions. The new location is: 210 East O'Connor Drive - Elkhorn, WI - 53121. Please come and visit us to discuss your needs or just come over and grab a beer (HR hasn't put a stop to that one yet).

All the best,

Dave

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Learning from Disney








My family and I just returned home from a wonderful trip to Disneyworld. I have traveled the world but incredibly never to see Mickey.

After about 3 days of winding down via Disney immersion I could not help but put my marketer's hat back on. One of the first things that struck me was the crowds of people. "What recession?" We spent at $5,000 including airfare for 5 days at Disney (for a family of 4). Which seems about average from talking to friends. So we have thousands upon thousands of families during tough economic times spending a significant amount of money on a few days of entertainment. How does Disney do it?

Lessons we can learn from Disney:

1) Create a unique customer experience - Do what others can't
2) Make buying easy - Reduce the steps in you sales process
3) Spread the word - Use blogs, email and social media
4) Generate excitement - Do something fun for your team
5) You can still charge a premium - Premium services=Premium prices

Don't get dragged down by current economic challenges and let it control you and your firm. There are great opportunities for all of us in 2009! Think about new ideas to create new experiences for your customers and then spread the word.

All the best,

Dave

www.salessherpas.com

Sunday, October 26, 2008

You can steal my chili recipe....











I was recently giving a seminar at a conference. I like to greet people as they enter my seminars to help ensure that I deliver them helpful information. So as usual, I was doing so. As I gazed outside the door to the seminar I noticed one of my competitors waiting in the hallway (obviously waiting to come in).

So, as with all of the participants I greeted and welcomed her. During the seminar I noticed she was feverishly taking notes. Part of me was amused and the other part felt like she was stealing proprietary information. Then I reflected back to a quote from a friend of mine, Vic, from Texas.

"You can steal my chili recipe....but you still can't make my chili."

Ultimately, it is not technology, trade secrets, patents, or contracts that determine your success....it is you and your people.

All the best,

Dave

BTW-If the picture above got your mouth watering, email us and we will send you our favorite chili recipe. - inquiry@salessherpas.com


Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Search Engine Optimization Strategies













SEO(Search Engine) optimization is now a key tool in creating an effective online presence. A few clients have recently asked me "how much would it cost to optimize my site?" Typically the client is seeking a one time investment and only considering on-page optimization.

First of all, we need to discuss on-page versus off-page optimization.

On-Page Optimization focuses on elements ON your website:
1) Meta tags
2) Keywords
3) Title tags
4) Other elements behind the code

These on-page optimization components help drive page rankings on search but they do not represent the entire SEO picture. Most firms stop with on-page optimization.

Off-page optimization refers to links that connect to your website. This is sometimes also called "link popularity." This also drives page ranking. Before you run off and add as many links as possible to your website....stop. You want to ensure you have relevant links. Developing links from irrelevant sites is simply a waste of your time and frankly of the visitors time. Spend some time thinking about where visitor's would go to get complementary information.

Example: If you are a carpet retailer perhaps you want to develop links from remodeling contractors.

The SEO Process is not a one-time event where you spend a few thousand dollars and magically "your website is optimized." Keep in mind many firms, including perhaps your competition, are also optimizing their site therefore your ranking could be consistently declining.

Develop on-page and off-page SEO strategies and tactics. Then create a monthly or quarterly budget to drive those strategies and tactics. If you have the internal knowledge and people to develop these strategies and tactics commit those resources accordingly.

If you need assistance with your SEO strategy and tactics to help drive your online presence please contact us at 800.287.7198 or at inquiry@salessherpas.com

Thanks,

Dave

www.salessherpas.com

Thursday, October 16, 2008

10 Secrets to Achieving Marketing ROI












Dave Gee, our CEO, recently completed a seminar on "10 Secrets to Achieving Marketing ROI." It provides critical tools for marketers during tough economic times and those with shrinking marketing budgets.

Some of the secrets include:
1) Incorporating key marketing measurements
* Which measurements are the most important

2) Importance of testing
* Key components to test

3) Utilization of Pay-Per-Click campaigns
* How your competition is diverting searches to your website

If you would like a free copy of the seminar PowerPoint slides please email: inquiry@salessherpas.com.

Please Include:
1) Your first and last name
2) Company name
3) Email address where you would like the presentation sent
4) Reference seminar "10 Secrets to Achieving Marketing ROI"

You can contact Dave Gee directly at 262.949.4969 if you have any specific questions or requests for seminar engagements.

www.salessherpas.com

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

WSTA Speaking Engagement







David Gee, Sales Sherpas CEO and University of Wisconsin - Madison Marketing instructor, has been invited as a guest speaker to the Wisconsin State Telecommunications Association Fall Conference - October 13th-15th in Stevens Point, WI.

The topic will be "10 Secrets to Achieving Marketing ROI." Attendees will gain insights on how to measure their marketing, implementation of marketing tests, web-based tools that deliver strong ROI and more.

The presentation will be held Tuesday October 14th from 2:00pm-2:50pm in the Stonefield room(Meeting Room 3). Space will be limited to this event so WSTA members should arrive early.

PowerPoint slides of the presentation will be available by request after the conference at: inquiry@salessherpas.com or 800.287.7198.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Website Costs


During initial discovery meetings many of our clients frequently rush to the question of "how much do you charge for a website?" Clients that have never built a website before or have a first- generation website tend to shop on price. They tend seek out their brother-in-law who is a sociology major "but does websites on the side." Then they will brag about how they spent $1,000.00 on their new website.

These low budget websites frequently:
1) Are never designed to achieve a specific goal or action
2) Lack the visual appeal necessary to engage the audience
3) Do not contain the necessary information desired by the target audience
4) Have no support from the original web designer
5) Possess outdated information
6) Have not been optimized
7) Contain programming errors, dead links and more
8) Most importantly do not drive sales

After a few months or sometimes years the client realizes that their current website is actually damaging their image. They start reviewing their competitors websites and realize that their prospective customers are going through the same process. This is when companies start seeking professional website designers to develop their new web presence.

Let me cut to the chase.....There is no average website cost. Just like every client, every website is different.

Some of the questions that need to be asked - that will determine your cost:
1) What are the goals of the website? (e.g. inquiries, sales)
2) Do you need to incorporate animation or video?
3) What graphical images will need to be created?
4) Will the website require database capabilities?
5) How many rounds of edits will be included? (you WILL underestimate this)?
6) Who will maintain/update the website?
7) Do you need the website to be optimized? (It should be)
8) What will be the final number of pages? (you WILL underestimate this too)
9) Will you provide all of the copy or will you need a copywriter?
10) Is the website being built from scratch or are there components that can be reused?

Lastly, ask yourself this question..."How many sales will it take to break-even on this website?" This will help you determine whether the proposed website is a good investment or not.

If you have questions about this blog or questions about Sales Sherpas website services you may reach us at 800.287.7198 or visit us at www.salessherpas.com.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Google's boosts Web Search dominance

(Reuters) - Google Inc. extended an already wide lead in the U.S. Web search market to a 63 percent share. This represents its biggest monthly gain in five months.

Yahoo, the No. 2 player in the U.S. Web search market saw its share drop .9 percent to 19.6 from July, while MSN the No. 3 player, slipped .6 percent to 8.3 percent according to ComScore Inc.

ComScore estimates that the number of searches performed by U.S. Web surfers on the top five search engines was virtually unchanged at 11.75 billion searches compared with July. This figure excludes directory information, information or user-generated videos.


Monday, September 1, 2008

Elknet Website Goes Live

















Sales Sherpas is excited to announce the launch of the brand new Elknet Internet Service website. The new website was developed in an effort to project Elknet's image as a technological leader in its marketplace and generate more Internet inquires and sales.

"Sales Sherpas created a website that is absolutely night and day from our old website. Thanks for such a great job." - Elknet Internet Service Marketing Director - Carol Scharfenorth.

The new website was created after listening to Elknet's goals and strategies benchmarking with some of the premier U.S. telecommunications providers. The website was designed to be user-friendly, informative, captivating and comprehensive.

If you are seeking to increase your sales and improve your brand awareness please contact us for a FREE website consultation.

Call: 800.287.7198 or Click: inquiry@salessherpas.com

All the best,

Dave

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Email Marketing Insights
























Why is Email Marketing usage exploding?
1) Measurable
2) Targetable
3) Immediate response
4) Cost effective (no printing nor postage costs)
5) Viral
6) On-going client communication


Here are some insights for your email marketing campaigns:

1) Wednesday is Opening Day

* Wednesdays are the days with the highest open rate. Open rates for emails tend to hover around 22% on Wednesdays, followed by Thursdays at 21%, Tuesdays at 20%, Fridays at 14%, Mondays at 13%, Saturdays at 4% and Sundays at 4%.

2) Looking to kill your email effectiveness? Then DYI.

* A survey of 1,000 different business and consumer emails showed: 21% of emails sent showed-up completely blank when images were turned off by clients (which is the trend).

* The same survey showed that 28% of the emails sent had dead links.

* Save the DYI for updating the family room. Get a pro to manage your email marketing.

3) How are you on the Links?

* Subject lines with fewer than 50 characters as well as an increased number of hyperlinks led to increased open rates and click-through rates

4) Is that baby getting delivered?

* Here are some benchmarks to see how your delivery rates measure-up. If you are over 90% you are doing well. If you are at 70% or less you need to evaluate your lists and your email content.










Looking for more email insights? Contact us at 800.287.7198.

All the best,

Dave

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Job Security in an unusual place.
















I wanted to take a break from my typical blog to share with a story with you. I know this guy that had a Fortune 500 career, moved up the rungs on the corporate ladder, got his MBA, was making good money.....but his job stress level was high, job security was minimal and frankly his job satisfaction was moderate. Does any of this sound familiar?

Then the bottom dropped-out and the guy went through a down-sizing. For the first time in 18 year career he was "out of a job." He had a mortgage, two kids to get through college, a car payment, and all the rest.

Then he spoke to a friend of his, a successful entrepreneur named Harry. He explained to Harry how he always wanted to have his own company but the risk and the stress would just be too much for him and his family. Harry asked him "What risk? You could start a business (such as a marketing/advertising firm) with virtually no start-up costs, you don't need any employees, your overhead is low, you get to control your own destiny, your income is unlimited, you no longer rely on one source of income (your employer) - you get multiple streams of income from each of your clients and BTW you will have more fun."

You know what? Harry was right.

Thanks Harry,

Dave

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

When to use Channel Partners

Dave Gee has over 20 years of experience in sales and working with Channel Partners with the Fortune 500. He also teaches a course at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Marketing Through Channel Partners in the Executive Education program.

When we refer to channel partners we are referring to indirect sales channels. This includes both agents and distributors. Agents typically do not take ownership of goods (e.g. real estate agent) whereas a distributor does take ownership (e.g. a beer distributor).

So, executive leadership has three main choices to make when determining Channel Partner options:

1) Direct Sales Channels
2) Channel Partners
3) Combination of Direct/Channel Partners

Advantages of Direct Sales Channels
A) Maximum control of activities
B) Accountability
C) Adaptability

Advantages of Channel Partners
A) Minimal overhead costs
B) Quick access to new markets
C) Scalability

So, when should companies use channel partners?
1) Firms seeking quick expansion into markets
2) Companies seeking to reduce direct salesforce but maintain market presence
3) New firms without the budget dollars to launch and maintain direct sales channels

For more information on channel partners see our recent article in Demand Gen Report.

If you would like to discuss your Channel Partner questions please contact Dave Gee directly at (262)949-4969.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Website Stats Made Easy














It is easy to fall into the "build it and they will come" mentality when it comes to launching a new website. Companies spends tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands on a new website and then ask themselves "so what happens now."

One of the first questions we ask our new clients is: "What is the goal of the site." Followed-up by "Who are the audiences for the site." Typically, I will get vague answers. Once these questions have been answered with all of the applicable sales and marketing strategy questions the site is built. It is also critical to have a strategy on how you are going to promote the new website. We will leave this for another discussion. So, we first need to capture stats from our website.

I am consistently amazed at massive corporations that have absolutely no grasp of basic website stats on their website.

Some of the basic stats include:
1) Visits
2) % New Visits
3) Page views
4) Page views per visit
5) Bounce rate
6) Average time on site

These stats need to be measured vs. benchmarks. The benchmarks can be historical vs. your previous company website stats and/or vs. other websites. Needless to say, if you have a new website with no historical benchmarks you can compare to other websites. You can even compare to other websites within your industry.

Capturing these statistics for your website is not complicated. Some html code simply needs to be added to each page of your website and you can track easily through a service like "Google Analytics."

Once you have these stats you can make modifications to the site to help achieve your website goals. Without this data you will waste time and money playing the guessing game.

If you would like more information on website statistics please contact us at 800.287.7198.

All the best,

Dave

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Direct Mail Secrets











Many marketers discount direct mail as an ineffective and outdated marketing vehicle. In fact, direct mail is still one of the most cost-effective marketing methods available for BOTH business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketers.

Why is direct mail an effective marketing tool?
1) It can be highly targeted
2) It can complement other marketing methods
3) It can be turned on or off to balance sales peaks and valleys
4) It can be easily to tested to show Return-on-Investment
5) It is a great marketing vehicle for firms with a limited marketing budget

My telecommunications clients love direct mail. It allows them to target only geographic areas where customers can get High-Speed Internet service. In the past they would spend their marketing dollars "spreading the word" to thousands or in some case millions of people that could not even get their service. The result? Frustrated customers that could not get the service and wasted marketing dollars.

Direct Mail Secrets

1) Direct Mail response rate is effected by three things:
* List (60% of direct mail response - on average - is due to the list)
* Creative (20% of direct mail response - 0n average - is due to the creative)
* Offer (20% of direct mail response - on average - is due to the offer)
2) Test your lists. Test your creative. Test your offer.
3) Don't give-up after a couple of campaigns...see #2 above.
4) Don't be afraid to spend $1.00 or more per piece...the response rate could be worth it.
5) It is all about the cost per call, cost per appointment & the cost per sale.
6) Track your response rate with 800 numbers and landing pages.
7) Seek list vendors with a strong track record - Ask a professional for help.
8) Don't use poor creative - A piece developed in Word creates a poor image and simply won't get the response you need. Get professionally designed pieces.
9) Ask your prospects what kind of offer would appeal to them-Don't guess.
10) Coordinate your direct mail drops with your business cycle and call volume.

If you would like to discuss how to improve your firm's marketing return-on-investment feel free to contact Dave directly at (262)949-4969.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

B2B Marketing Budget Trends

How does your Business-to-Business marketing spending compare with current trends? Here is some of the latest data to help you benchmark with other U.S. firms.

1) B-to-B Direct Marketing Spending (change from 2007 to 2008)
  • Internet Marketing +18.5%
  • Direct Mail (Catalogs) + 6.3%
  • Direct Mail (Non-catalog) + 6.1%
  • Magazine + 4.4%
  • Radio + 4.0%
  • Telephone Marketing + 2.2%
  • Newspaper 0%

Source: Direct Marketing Association 2008
2) B-to-B Internet Marketing Spending (Projected change 2008 to 2009)

  • Website +74.0%
  • Email +70.1%
  • Web Search +64.3%
  • Video +39.5%
  • Banners +36.4%
  • Social Media +26.2%

Source: 2008 Marketing Priorities and Plans Report - BtoB Magazine

3) Marketing Area Budget Proportions

  • Product Marketing 18%
  • Branding/Advertising 17%
  • Field Marketing 15%
  • Corporate Communications 12%
  • Channel Partner Marketing 9%
  • Marketing Operations 9%
  • Marketing Research 7%
  • Inside Sales/Telemarketing 7%

Source: B-to-B Marketing in 2008 - Forrester Research

Monday, July 21, 2008

SmartSkim website Goes Live

Sales Sherpas is delighted to announce the launch of the new SmartSkim website. The new website is going to help increase the volume of qualified prospects and maximize the SmartSkim brand awareness in the marketplace.

www.smartskim.com

Universal Separators is the manufacturer and marketer of SmartSkim products and is based in Madison, Wisconsin. SmartSkim products are the premier provider of tools for skimming and capturing floating oils and other contaminants from industrial process fluids.

Sales Sherpas went through the following steps when developing the SmartSkim website:

1) Discovery of company strategy and goals
2) Review of current online presence
3) Determination of gaps between current online presence and desired presence
4) Review of the competition
5) Development of a website architecture map
6) Creation of website copy
7) Design of the home page
8) Design of the secondary pages
9) Integration of graphic and multimedia elements
10) Programming of the website
11) Website usability testing
12) Website launch

Sales Sherpas included the client of all steps of the process including weekly WebEx sessions. This ensures Sales Sherpas delivered exactly what SmartSkim needed, on-time and within budget.

If you are in need of an improved online presence to drive more qualified prospects to your business please contact us:

800.287.7198

or

inquiry@salessherpas.com

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Marketing Tips for Tough Times

I cannot start this blog without addressing all the "doom and gloom" that we are getting bombarded with everyday. Yes, oil prices are up. Yes, the dollar weak. Yes, the housing market is rough. Blah, blah, blah.

As marketing and sales leaders if we buy into all of the "doom and gloom" eventually it is going to affect our morale, our energy, and drive to succeed. So, before we can address marketing strategies in tough times, make a conscious decision not to dragged down by all of the pessimism in the media.

Tip 1: Less News!

I am not advocating that you move to a remote part of Siberia and cut yourself off from the world. But cut back to 10-15 minutes of news per day and replace that time listening to some of your favorite music or getting some exercise. I used to listen to/watch/read an hour of news a day and cut back to 15 minutes and it was incredibly rejuvenating and liberating. I get all of the headlines and will "drill down" into stories on the web when it is mission critical. Spend the time you used to use getting depressed doing something you enjoy. Once you do this you will find your energy increases, your outlook improves, and you will succeed.

Tip 2: Get Real

Once we re-capture our energy we need to get a solid grip on where we are at. Have you been burying your head in the sand because sales are down or not achieving goals? Take a look at that sales forecast and determine your year-to-date sales to budget. Overachieving? Great, keep doing what you are doing and look for new ways to boost business even more (see tips below). If sales are stagnant or not achieving sales forecast you need to reassess the goals. Are they still achievable? If they are not achievable it is ok to re-forecast. I know this could be considered heresy in some organizations but I have seen too many companies where the marketing departments and sales organizations are chasing completely unachievable goals. Guess what happens? Everyone gets demoralized, goals are missed, the best people quit, and you are left with the laggards. So, get realistic sales goals in place.

Tip 3: Cut the crap

Once we have defined our realistic sales goals and we know what we need to achieve we can start formulating new marketing strategies. Many of my clients used to conduct a great deal of marketing that did not generate any sales or at least none they knew of. If you are Coke or P&G this next part is not relevant to you. If your marketing budget got cut by 10%/15%/20% or more you have to come up with new marketing strategies. We cannot simply reduce our spend on every marketing vehicle and hope for the same or better sales results.

Steps:
  1. Open up an Excel spreadsheet (I know some marketers will break out in hives here)
  2. Type all of the marketing/advertising mediums you use in one column
  3. In the next column write down "measurable" or "unmeasurable" next to each marketing/advertising medium you use. (Example: Company newsletter - Unmeasurable, Direct Mail - Measurable)
  4. In the next column put your budget for each marketing/advertising medium
  5. Now add the budget dollars for all of the "unmeasurables." This is the money you should first look at to pare back.
  6. There could be some "sacred cows." But tough times call for tough measures. Maybe you need to kill the company newsletter? Maybe you need to kill that sponsorship? Maybe that skybox at the stadium needs to go? Maybe you suspend TV advertising for a quarter?
  7. Once you have done this you should have a list of measurable marketing mediums and also perhaps budget dollars for new measurable marketing mediums
Tip 4: Open your mind

Open your mind to new marketing methods that are measurable:

1) Direct Mail - Direct Mail done effectively it works. Think about what a 1% response rate could convert into in terms of sales. Combine with an outbound calling campaign and watch your results soar.

2) Email Marketing - Email marketing can yield quick, measurable results. You need to be careful of "CAN SPAM" laws. We only advocate sending email marketing to current customers that have "opted-in" to receive the emails. The emails need to be relevant, concise and provide a on-going incentive to receive the emails.

3) Landing Pages - I am still amazed at the number of firms still not using landing pages as a way to measure their marketing campaigns. Creating a landing page is extremely cost effective and can provide metrics to marketing vehicles that were previously impossible to measure (e.g. billboards).

4) Loyalty Programs - Sometimes we get too focused on generating new business meanwhile customers are fleeing out the back door. Analyze the lifetime value of your customers. Determine the most valuable customers and develop loyalty programs that keep them happy and keep them with you.

5) Referral Programs - The old adage goes "the best source of customers is...other customers." Think of your happy customers as a 100% commission sales force. Provide incentives for referrals. If you are selling consumer goods perhaps a gift card or discount on a bill will work for each referral that turns into a sale. If you have a long sales cycle or you are selling capital goods perhaps a free round of golf at the best local course for each referral that turns into an appointment.

In future blogs we will explore some of these measurable marketing mediums in-depth and also provide you some new ones.

So Remember:
1) Less News
2) Get Real
3) Cut the Crap
4) Open your Mind

All the best,

Dave Gee

Sales Sherpas
www.salessherpas.com
800.287.7198