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The Only Question That Counts- 2 Questions on Google and It’s Impact on YOUR Business
The Only Two Questions That Count
Question #1: Where are you currently ranked for your main products and services, in your geographic region?
Questinon #2: If you’re not ORGANICALLY ranked in the first or second position, what is your plan?
Not Having These Answers is COSTING YOU medications without a prescription MILLIONS!
Some disturbing trends have surfaced based on research by experts on the effect of Google’s PAID campaigns vs Organic listings. You might want to sit down for these statistics:
- Organic (FREE) traffic is growing, paid is declining
- First place organic listings are clicked on 41-45% of the time (22X more than a paid #1)
- Second place organic listings are clicked on 11-18% of the time (10X more than paid)
- In other words, if 100 people perform a search on Google, only 5 will click on a paid listing
- Boiled down, you’ll get 10-20 times more traffic than the top paid listing!
- If 88-90% are going online to find what you sell or service… uh… what IS your plan (Question #2)
How Social Media Helps Your Rankings and Reputation
Sparing you all of the technical detail about mentions, links, referral sources, clicks etc, the more you carve out your Social Space by providing relevant content, the more people see you as listening, caring and providing solutions that actually mean something
They develop trust, they lower their guard, they invite you in, they refer you, they link to you, they “like” you, they “favorite” you and tell friends. You become the trusted source for relevant information that solves problems.
Then, you can sell. Remember the equation: Trust, confidence, sales ROI.
Social Media Delivers Return on Investment
Remember the Jerry MacGuire movie quote… “Show me the money!”? Well, with a proper set up, Social Media management plan, baseline metrics for traffic, conversions, leads and sales, IT”S VISIBLE AND MEASURABLE. There’s no mystery to it. There are some shocking, public case studies of VERY LARGE companies that have totally ditched traditional promotional efforts in favor of Social Media focused efforts.
They systematically built a following, promoted good will, shared information, then dropped a link to a promotional special and WHAM! Trust, confidence, sales, ROI. Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam!!!
So, You Want to be a Solutions Provider, do YA?
Whether it’s the equipment industry, or any other, most industries promote the fact that you are a “total solutions” provider. You can “depend on us for “support after the sale”, etc. But, what does that really mean, anyways?
It’s simple: In the Social Space, you need to identify information sources that enhance safety, productivity, solutions, laws, rules, regulations or anything that may not be on THEIR radar
If you tell them where to go and look for this, by promoting it through a well thought out plan for content distribution, you’ll be known as a “TOTAL SOLUTIONS PROVIDER”. Trust goes up, they visit, they tell friends, they buy.
What EquipmentFX does About This
We perform a rigorous assessment of your entire marketing efforts, your position, your plan and provide you with completely objective, unbiased feedback with a specific plan on what to do with the recommendations.
We’ll be happy to send you a few demo videos to our assessment, output reports and online plan.
To Your Success…
3 Key Thoughts on Marketing Return-On-Investment
Measuring What Really Matters
OK, so Marketing ROI is a mystery, no one has the time, you’re not sure what to measure or it’s a flat our waste of time. We get it! Peter Drucker, the wizened management theorist (god rest his soul), has basically said the following…”Business exists for two reasons, and two reasons alone: Marketing and Innovation. Everything else is a cost.” Wow, that’s pretty profound! But, what does that mean?
Innovate and Market the Heck out of Your Business
Focus on the internal stuff to make it worth a customers time and dime to do business with you, then let the world know about it. Use every available means to notify the world that you’ve got a good story, product or service. Do it responsibly until you get a feel for what works. Test, test and test some more. Focus on the lead sources, where they came from and which leads convert to a sale. Then, track the lifetime value of the customer you created.
The Three Thoughts That Count
The only way to know what works is to establish metrics that matter. Period. If you don’t know where you are, you’ll never know what works and is worth investing in.
- Metrics that Matter: Current customers, rolling two year average of customers, current customer spend, credit applications per month, leads per month, phone calls per month etc. KNOW YOUR NUMBERS!
- Metric Tracking: Where did the lead come from, web imports into a CRM, tracked back to a sale, a sale that converted into other departments products or services, newly created lifetime customer value measurement tools, impact on your financial statements. TIE THE LEAD BACK TO HARD DOLLARS.
- Lead order drugs without prescription Monitoring: The human element. No CRM or piece of software will every tell you the value of a lead, when it converted and what the lifetime value of a newly created customer is. Buying cycles are too long, plus the sales reps forget, you don’t have a full time analyst that tracks lead inception to closure etc. Create processes that tie back a sale to a commission statement, 800# call or weblead. CREATE HUMAN PROCESSES.
Sure, it takes time, but when you set up some simple metrics in the beginning, you’ll soon understand and apply what makes sense for your company. It’ll surprise you how quickly good marketing pays for itself. Don’t live in fear of what doesn’t work, or invent reasons why it won’t. Get out of your comfort zone and begin to build your own ROI process that make sense for YOU!
To Your Success…
4 Quick Tips to Improve Your Marketing
4 Quick Tips to Improve Your Marketing
Makeup and hair, check. The hottest dress you own, check. Confidence that helps you get the most calls, double check. Ok, so you may not “date” your potential customers, but your marketing makes a lasting first impression, and just like a date, you want it to be a good one.
Here are some tips that every business marketer should apply to win the sale.
1. Pay Attention to Your Appearance
- The appearance of your marketing (whether it’s postcards, email or TV) should appeal to your target audience. If your target audience is “moms with kids under 7,” the look will be different than if your target market is “women CEOs.” Just think about exactly who will be seeing your material.
- You may not come face-to-face with everyone you market to, but you should design your ads as an extension of your brand and convey a consistent message.
For example, all age groups (even kids) know Mc Donald’s for their golden arches. Let’s say one day they decided to change the arches from gold to green. Would you recognize the restaurant when you pass by? Would you still go there? That seems extreme, but companies do it all the time.
- Make sure that the quality of the direct mail piece or ad you send out is the same quality as the services you provide. This one can be a bit tricky – everyone thinks their service is top notch (and I hope it is), but sometimes if you look too slick and professional you can scare off your market. So think with all the data – if your target market is blue collar families and your material is designed to look soooo upscale you may scare them off before they even inquire.
On the other side, you may be a reputable and professional business in your area, but if your marketing is of sub-par quality, the people receiving them will assume the same thing about you. Don’t fall into the trap of finding the cheapest one-color flyer that you can. It can hurt your image.
2. Keep the conversation going
All of your marketing pieces should make your prospects want to continue their conversation and find out more about your products or services. Once you have an interested audience, build a rapport by asking what they’re looking for in regards to your business.
- Listen and gather data. Finding out more about who you’re marketing to will help you pinpoint exactly what they are looking for and how to further the sales cycle. en you discover a new business, you want to know more and possibly try it out. Direct buy antibiotics online people to your website and have them sign up for a free trial of your product or service if possible. If you can’t give them a free trial, offer them free valuable information in exchange for their contact info.
- Whatever you offer has to have a high perceived value and be of little or no cost to you. This enables you to gather their contact information, plus shows the prospect what you’re about. If they like you, they may buy. If not, it’s no money lost on their part and they still retain a good image of you – they may even refer you to a friend.
3. Focus on the other person
When you see an ad, what do you think? Most say, “what’s in it for me?” That’s exactly what you need to tell your prospects. Focus on benefits of what your product or service will do and how it will help them.
- Benefits vs. features
When I get an email or catalog from someone, a day spa using a recent example, I don’t really care if they have “4 qualified doctors on staff.” That statement means nothing to me and it won’t to your prospects, either. Instead, list benefits such as, “Early and Evening Appointments” or “Comfortable, Relaxing Atmosphere” or “Look Years Younger.” These all appeal to different lifestyles.
Some may be pressed for time, some want to look younger – you have to tell them why they should come to you. Think of what you’d want if you visited your own business.
- It’s not all about you
It’s natural to want to show off what’s in your life. Lots of business owners say, “I want to put my kids on the front of my postcard.” That may be ok if you live in a small town and people know you. But what are you promoting other than that you’re family-oriented? If I received that ad from a dentist, I may look at it, but my time is so limited, I’d probably throw it away. A person with unhealthy teeth (your potential client) wants to see an attractive person with a bright, white smile. That would catch their attention because they want to look like that. You have to think what your recipients want to have, see or feel.
4. Follow up with no pressure
Nobody likes feeling pressured during a sale, but everyone likes being courted. One thing I can’t stand is when I’m shopping for furniture and I have a salesperson following my every move. Even if I want to buy something, I’ll leave and come back another day…or go to another furniture store!
Depending on your product or service, some people will make quick decisions right on the spot, but if they’re buying a boat, they may need months to decide. However, there are ways to nudge people without pushing them over the edge!
- Send a “Thank You” or “Nice Meeting You” Email
It’s great to acknowledge someone who is interested in what you have to offer. It shows you’re serious about customer service and want their business. You can then send multiple emails to your customers before and after they buy just to say thanks, get their feedback and offer any additional help in the process. It will go a long way and may be a deciding factor on whether they choose to buy with you.
While I steer clear of playing matchmaker, you can definitely improve your marketing results by applying the above tips. A good marketing consultant can help you put together a complete marketing plan from client “wooing” to following up, professional and effective design and website campaigns. For more free marketing advice or to start a campaign, call us at 936-499-4644.
To Your Success…
The 1 Question That Counts
1 Question… Everything Else Takes Care of Itself
“Would you recommend our business to a friend, colleague or business?” On a scale of 1 -10, where would you rank us?
Understanding the response, the level buy antibiotics and what to do about it is the fundamental way to increasing business. Why? It creates promoters of your business, statistically the #1 way of growing a business profitably and consistently.
The concept is not new. In fact, there is a whole school of thought wrapped around the Net Promoter Score, a way of scoring based on customers surveys that ranks the answers, spits out a score, and tells you how, when and where to improve. There is a book written on it. It’s a great read if you’ve got the time.
The key is, of course, how do you work the findings back into your business. If you’re not surveying and doing something with the information, you’re missing a big opportunity to understand how needs changes and how to build your service culture around what the customer wants, not what you deem they need.
Asking the 5 Penetrating Questions
If you’re always ranking a 9-10, then you’re good. Chances are you’re not. The next step is to ask 5 levels of additional, penetrating questions…”What do you mean by that”… “Can you give me an exact example of that”, “Can you tell me how that made you feel” and so on.
Armed with that data, you’d better bring it to the attention of your management and fix what’s broken. Then call the customers back that aren’t satisfied, and you’ll create the kind of long term relationships that turn them into the best promoters of your business.
Of course, there’s a lot more to customer surveying that’s above, but that’s a start. Don’t just build the normal service… build what customers would love!
To Your Success…
Do You Suffer from 4 Symptoms of DDD (Data Deficiency Disorder)
Symptom #1: Do you suffer from DDD?
No, it’s not a disease. DDD in our world stands for Data Deficiency Disorder and contracting this dreaded malady is critical to the health of any company. Sure, you’ve got financial no prescription online pharmacy data that your business system spits out on a regular basis, and make no mistake, this is THE critical stuff. But what drives the improvement right to your bottom line is less understood, and, in the end, just as critical to growing your business.
Symptom #2: Understanding data is not THAT vital to your company’s health
If you spent a few hours and brainstormed all of the stuff you would want to see an increase of, what would that list look like? The obvious ones are customers, leads, sales, profits and market share. What about the other metrics that drive those increases? How much time have you spent establishing those and quantifying the importance and collection of them? Things like: webleads, conversion ratios, 800# call tracking, total phone activity, credit applications, leads by department, service response times, completed customer surveys, dispute resolution time and countless others are all key drivers of your business. Understanding how to establish these, how to collect the information and how to report on it can be time consuming and difficult without the proper road map.
Symptom #3: Collecting and analyzing the data must be an exact science
Everyone wants to know a Return-on-Investment and have the data that backs up the ROI. Who wouldn’t want to look at the expense/investment and see that it generated sales of $X, and profit of $X. But that is living in dreamland and it won’t happen. The reasons are numerous, and start with lack of time or understanding , but can be illustrated by the following, real life example: Customer A receives a direct mail piece, goes to the website, calls the 800# and the call is routed to the sales rep. In a perfect world, the rep asks…” How’d you hear about us?”, and the prospect responds…” Well, I got this mailer, left it on my desk for a month, then went to the website, then called the 800# because I am not comfortable giving out my email address”… and so on.
You get the picture. And when commission time comes along, the manager asks which sales were generated from a lead. And since 3 years and 4 months has gone by, resulting in multiple rentals, parts and service dollars and profits, before the 16 unit sale was completed (true story, I’m not making this up), the rep responds… “ Well, Bob and I have known each other for years.” Which is true. And who can fault the rep. You think he is going to check the web import into the CRM system against the sale? Forget it.
Symptom #4: We need to know EXACTLY what works, don’t we?
Absent a full-time analyst, it is next to impossible to know EXACTLY which campaigns generate which return. And too much time is invested looking for that exact trigger point that compels a prospect or customer to take action. So, just do the right thing, market efficiently, establish key metrics that should point north in due time when a seamless campaign comes together and build a program that analyzes current customers with prospects that convert into sales. This can be done electronically if you know how to manage information and keeps everyone honest and not wasting time on things that, realistically, you can’t control. Unless you have a full time analyst, of course!
Just do the right thing, commit to best practices, establish realistic baseline measurement tools and processes and go for it.
To Your Success…
16 Questions Every Forward Thinking Company Needs to Answer
16 Questions Every Forward Thinking Company Needs Answers For…
Asking these questions is hard enough, but when a clear and concise answer or a detailed plan doesn’t come quickly, where do you turn for answers? This stuff affects your ability to create, manage and satisfy customersEquipmentFX has pioneered a better way to give you the answers you need and eliminate the awkward looks at your meetings…
1) Do you think the Internet is here to stay? And if it is, how will it affect my business? Sounds obvious but, think about the “affect” part.
2) Do you think Social Media is here to stay? And if it is, how will it affect my business? Ditto above.
3) Do you measure ROI with your sales and marketing efforts?
4) Do you have a fundamentally sound Database Management system in place? Does it include proper resource allocation, productivity numbers, contact points and a process for each of your branch locations?
5) Do you have a “closed loop” lead management system in place? What are your response goals- 30 minutes, 1 day, or next week? Do you monitor this?
6) Do you have a thorough understanding and a sound strategy for Search Engine Optimization for your website?
7) Do you have fundamentally sound SEO analytics in place that are easy to understand, and is there a process in place to act on them?
8) Does your website integrate with a CRM system, distribute leads automatically, and develop reports in real time?
9) Do you have a marketing fulfillment buy prozac process mapped out, and are you executing this at all points of contact?
10) Do you have all of your key indicators, key drivers of your business, centralized, in real time?
11) CRM- what stage are you at in terms of development, understanding or what the goal really should be with respect to timeframes, aptitudes and what is realistic?
12) Do you have a system of auto responders and marketing automation built into your CRM platform?
13) Do you have a Content Management System in place on your website to keep programs and products from all your manufacturers up-to-date?
14) Are there contact forms installed on all landing pages, how is the information captured, and is it distributed, immediately, to the most qualified individual to make the sale?
15) Do your direct marketing efforts focus on solving problems, or telling prospects more about your company and its history? Do you have a compelling offer, or call to action on every marketing related piece?
16) Do you have specific, quantifiable evidence in your marketing material that clearly articulates why you are a better alternative to the incumbent service provider?
And There Are More…
There are endless questions, and, unfortunately, not enough good answers. Using this as an outline, conduct meetings with key stakeholders within your organization and ask them what the strategy is. Expect clear, concise answers to these questions, and ask for examples, plans and timelines to accomplish the goals. From there, you might find you are on the right track, with the right plan and acceptable timeframes. If not, you might find EquipmentFX has some solutions you have been looking for.
To Your Success…
6 Reasons to Consider Social Media Today
6 Reasons to Embrace Social Media Today
- Your customers are using it to make buying decisions. Millions of web users, both in the business to consumer and business-to-business markets, are reading blogs and listening to podcasts daily. They are relying increasingly on social media for buying information in both the b2b and b2c worlds.
- Smart news organizations are with the social media program. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal and almost certainly your local newspaper have made social media fundamental to how they learn and how they report. If it’s good enough for their information gathering and sharing where it really counts, it’s certainly good enough for the rest of us.
- Most small and medium-sized companies are still not using it. You won’t always have the chance to get the jump on your competition. Imagine yourself back in the early days of TV and you were the first car dealer, furniture store or air conditioning company to run local advertising opposite I Love Lucy or the Lone Ranger. You would have demolished the competition. You still have a small window of time to be early enough to create competitive advantage.
- Your smartest competitors are using it. You’re almost certainly paying attention to your smartest competition. Check ‘em out. I’d be surprised if a high percentage of them are not at least putting a toe into the social media waters. Organizations as diverse as law firms, interior designers, real estate agents, roofing companies and yes, even equipment companies are using blogs, podcasts, videos, and user communities such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube to demonstrate their expertise and thought leadership. Don’t let those tough competitors outmarket you via social media.
- It can be your most cost effective marketing strategy. The required financial investment in creating a blog, for example, can be close to zero. The real investment will be in time and thought required to craft a content marketing strategy which provides valuable information to your customers and prospects. You may need to a hire specific content creation resources either internally or externally. But this will probably be less expensive than a many traditional advertising outlets.
- Your online drugs old-style marketing is less and less effective. Because buyer behavior has changed, you cannot expect traditional advertising alone to drive buyers to your business as it did a decade ago. You may certainly want to use it to drive them to your online home. That’s where you can prove to prospective customers that you are a reliable supplier who can be trusted, based on your knowledge and understanding of your their problems. A regular blog or a series of informative podcasts may be just the ticket to prove that you are the best choice to provide essential solutions.
Look, don’t get caught in the “but it’s not our industry” syndrome. If you were one of those back in the year 2000 and wondered about the impact of the internet as you continued to sign yellow page contracts, think again. This is big, but it’s gotta be done right so no time is wasted on the wrong activitives.
3 Marketing for Truth Concepts & Marketings REAL Role
Madison Avenue & Branding
Do we really think that works for us small and medium sized businesses? Traditional ad agencies would have you think so. And it’s true, a good look, brand, tag line and message is important to running your business. But… sit and think about this for a second. If you have finite dollars, where should you really spend this, today. And… tomorrow. Trends and change comes so fast, it’s hard as heck to really know for sure. But, look for ways that market your company that are MEASURABLE!
Direct Response, New Age and How to DO the Above
Look, survey your customers and employees, gather their ideas and emotional hot buttons, work it into your message as a solutions provider, clearly articulate this across all media points and LIVE IT within your company and you’ve got it nailed. Just do that and good things will happen. Use direct response mechanisms, calls to action, compelling offers, good quality material, plan print runs in advance to lower costs and send some material to the best set of prospects. Don’t forget to build in cross-sell and up-sell processes at EVERY opportunity. Then… combine this into your website, your SEO efforts (yes, their emotional pain points mean a LOT in SEO) and come up with your ideal Social Media platform, build and nurture your groups, and provide relevant, helpful information.
There is YOUR Marketing Plan
Sound easy? It’s not I realize, but forming a plan like this and staying on it will yield big results. The TRUTH in marketing will happen when an approach like this is installed, the metrics are set up and measured, and you make adjustments when and where necessary. The TRUTH happens when you tie back customers created to these efforts. The TRUTH happens because marketing the right way becomes accountable for results, just like every other department.
To Your Success…
15 Questions Forward Thinking Companies Need to Answer (at some point)
15 Questions Every Forward Thinking Company Needs Answers For…
Asking these questions is hard enough, but when a clear and concise answer or a detailed plan doesn’t come quickly, where do you turn for answers? Internal, external, oursource, somebody, ANYBODY!
1) Do you think the Internet is here to stay? And if it is, how will it affect my business? Sounds obvious, but do you have a PLAN!
2) Do you measure ROI with your sales and marketing efforts?
3) Do you have a fundamentally sound Database Management system in place? Does it include proper resource allocation, productivity numbers, contact points and a process for each of your branch locations?
4) Do you have a “closed loop” lead management system in place? What are your response goals- 30 minutes, 1 day, or next week? Do you monitor this?
5) Do you have a thorough understanding and a sound strategy for Search Engine Optimization for your website?
6) Do you have fundamentally sound SEO analytics in place that are easy to understand, and is there a process in place to act on them?
7) Does your website integrate with a CRM system, distribute leads automatically, and develop reports in real time?
8) Do you have a marketing fulfillment process mapped out, and are you executing this at all points of contact?
9) Do you have all of your key indicators, key drivers of your business, centralized, in price Xenical real time?
10) CRM- what stage are you at in terms of development, understanding or what the goal really should be with respect to timeframes, aptitudes and what is realistic?
11) Do you have a system of auto responders and marketing automation built into your CRM platform?
12) Do you have a Content Management System in place on your website to keep programs and products from all your manufacturers up-to-date?
13) Are there contact forms installed on all landing pages, how is the information captured, and is it distributed, immediately, to the most qualified individual to make the sale?
14) Do your direct marketing efforts focus on solving problems, or telling prospects more about your company and its history? Do you have a compelling offer, or call to action on every marketing related piece?
15) Do you have specific, quantifiable evidence in your marketing material that clearly articulates why you are a better alternative to the incumbent service provider?
And There Are More…
There are endless questions, and, unfortunately, not enough good answers. Using this as an outline, conduct meetings with key stakeholders within your organization and ask them what the strategy is. Expect clear, concise answers to these questions, and ask for examples, plans and timelines to accomplish the goals. From there, you might find you are on the right track, with the right plan and acceptable timeframes. If not, you get a plan together. In today’s hyper-competitive market, there is NO time like the present!
To Your Success…
7 Things To Track-A Quick Health Check
The Short List of Things to Track are:
- Sales fundamentals, relationship selling skills, and product knowledge
- How to make your company found online and the metrics that tell you how you’re doing
- How to make sure your overseas online pharmacy sales and marketing processes are repeatable
- How to respond to ALL inquiries, in the best way possible, for the lowest possible cost
- Lead tracking, conversion and reporting on when those leads come back with friends
- Customers created, lost and percent increase of customer spend
- True Return-on-Investment to take the mystery out of where you money goes and what it brings back
Of course there are sub groups, and subgroups of subgroups, but understanding, planning for and having a system of how to stay on task with these 7 is a start to building a customer service leader in any industry. Each of these forces you to question, understand, create and finally execute on building a solid sales and marketing plan that tells your company story, to more prospects, for less.
To Your Success…
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