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Articles
- Gavin Heaton: On Generosity and Grace
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Nov 05, 2009
We are marked each day by the casual collisions that are the artefacts of our existence. There are phone calls, messages and the relative anonymity of online interactions. And in the search for connection, communion or community, we thoughtlessly mistake message for meaning, words for action and interaction for friendship. It’s a confusion of intention – and we are the poorer for it.When I began writing my blog I did so with no expectation of return. Like a long-dead star, I felt that I was emitting the weakest of signals with no hope of a destination. The gravity of my expectations was as light as utterance, each word or post marked only by the steam of my breath. But over time an unexpected, slow kind of success appeared in my orbit. Each comment felt like a gift, each email a revelation, and each face emerged from the ether to reveal some other – living, breathing, longing being. Through words, through ideas and by sharing stories we began to find each other – you and I. And each time we brushed past one another we each revealed, perhaps inadvertently, some secret or grain of truth. And yet in losing some small essence, rather than being diminished ,we grew. We prospered. Not in the way of casual connection, but in more mysterious ways – for we were encountering ourselves by way of grace. The paradox, of course, is that with every gift of self, with the free transmission of what-is-mine to what-now-is-yours, our gravity expands. Such reality requires new thinking on all our parts. After all, who among us has not looked with envy on the success of our peers? It’s as if the well-spring of success has only finite resources and each cup taken is a cup lost to us all. But we are living now in a time and a space where both opportunity and results are being reconsidered. We are turning towards the hard face of generosity – where an act of grace is not just expected, but is a mandatory condition for a relationship to take root. We are mercenarily applying the judgement of our peers and their peers to the decisions that we make in business, as families and as individuals. This does not mean that we are un-generous – quite the opposite. It means that your reputation precedes you. It means we act, not alone, but in cognitive unison. We’d like you to understand this. We’d like to help you make all our worlds better places. It starts by being generous. It starts with good grace.
- Ask an Optimizer: How to guide visitor thinking
MarketingExperiments Blog: Research-driven optimization, testing, and marketing ideas | Nov 04, 2009
At our October 28 web clinic about guiding your visitors to conversion, several participants wanted to know more about using the five elements of directing user eyepath. Here are some additional insights from research analysts Boris Grinkot, Heather Andruk, and Corey Trent ...
- How To:: Create and Manage a Team-Authored Blog: 8 Steps to Reap SEO Gains
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Nov 04, 2009
A company blog is a great way to share your industry expertise with clients, and to create keyword-rich content for search engines. But creating a blog and encouraging multiple authors to contribute can be daunting. Read how a small consulting firm had nearly everyone in their company contribute to a corporate blog that now accounts for more than 50% of natural search-generated visits. Learn tips on identifying keywords, creating an editorial calendar and setting deadlines.
- Tech Giants Move Toward Social Networks
CRM Mastery Blog | Nov 04, 2009
Here are several excerpts from an article about what a panel of leading tech vendors had to say about the future of social networking tools at the Collaborate 2.0 Conference, Tech Giants Move Toward Social Networks: As the Facebook generation becomes a bigger part of the enterprise, companies face the challenge of implementing increasingly familiar [...]
- Suzanne Lowe: Digital Versus Paper: What's The Future For Professional Services?
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Nov 04, 2009
In the past several weeks, I've encountered questions about the effectiveness of digital marketing versus paper-driven communications. A recent WSJ piece "Marketers Still Prefer a Paper Trail," asserts that people are motivated to go to a Web site to buy when they see an item in a catalog. Some of my marketing communication friends tell me that their professional service clients are producing print newsletters in addition to (and in some cases, instead of) digital newsletters. They say, "my clients' clients are so overwhelmed with emails that they actually appreciate print newsletters!" It's hard to imagine what will ever knock email off the PSF and B2B marketing radar screen. But PSF and B2B marketers had better imagine it. What's the marcom frontier hold for professional service clients? A return to paper? A blend of paper and digital vehicles? After that, what? Mass-customized holograms! Opt-in or push videos on your client's mobile phone! GPS-driven localized advertising! How about the changeable ads based on retinal scans in Minority Report?
- The Tipping Point and your Contact Center
Buzz Marketing for Technology | Nov 03, 2009
Back in the year 2000, Malcolm Gladwell published his landmark book called The Tipping Point. And little did he know 9 years later he would have set the stage for how many Contact Centers handle Social Media? Let me explain … Many of the most Socially advanced Contact Centers today are using tools to listen in on [...] Related posts:- Use Social Media to spot issues before they hit the Contact Center! Firey laptop batteries, defective chips, tainted foods, toothpaste that stains...
Is Twitter the Next Channel for Contact Centers? If you have never seen this web page http://twitter.zappos.com/...
Using Social Media to Deepen Customer Relations An obvious win for companies looking to jump into Social...
- How To:: Monthly Contest Doubles Email List Size: 4 Steps to Attract Names that Convert
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Nov 03, 2009
Contests are often used as a quick fix to grow an email list. But with a little more planning, you can design a campaign that offers more than a one-time lift, and targets quality names for your database. Read how an ecommerce marketer established a monthly contest targeting customers with a popular product offer. The campaign has more than doubled the size of their email list in eight months and the new names are providing better response than those from the existing database.
- A multi-modal approach to lead nurturing
B2B Lead Generation Blog | Nov 03, 2009
To be successful at lead nurturing marketers can't rely on one specific channel but rather they need to leverage a multi-modal portfolio of channels especially when you have a complex sale. Why? The goal of lead nurturing is to maintain...
- Liveblogging at the Eloqua Experience Conference
The Innovative Marketer | Nov 03, 2009
In a room filled with 600 marketers from companies large and small. Last night at the welcome reception, I met one-person marketing departments and reps from some of the largest multi-national corporations in the world for both service and products...
- eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale
Jill Konrath - Selling to Big Companies | Nov 03, 2009
E-Marketing Strategies for the Complex Sale, the new book by Ardath Albee, offers fresh perspectives and lots of meaty how-to advice on how to: • Catch your prospect’s attention • Amplify your e-messaging • Increase urgency, and • Build a relationship online. I highly recommend this much-needed book! It's totally aligned with my Selling to Big Companies strategies, so I...
- Social Media Training Course Beta Testers Needed
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Nov 03, 2009
Social Media Training Course Beta Testers NeededThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Social Media Training Course Beta Testers NeededThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing This whole social media thing for small business can be confusing, I know, I speak to groups of small business owner routinely and hear things like – “I’m overwhelmed, I’m tired of the hype, what do I do first, how do I find the [...]
- Storytelling Tips from Salesforce’s Marc Benioff
CRM Mastery Blog | Nov 03, 2009
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) pioneer and salesforce.com co-founder and CEO Marc Benioff credits storytelling as one of the primary reasons for his company’s rapid success. “Communication is probably the most essential part of my job,” Benioff told me in an recent interview about his new book, Behind the Cloud. The book describes how salesforce went from [...]
- The Tipping Point and your Contact Center
Buzz Marketing for Technology | Nov 03, 2009
Back in the year 2000, Malcolm Gladwell published his landmark book called The Tipping Point. And little did he know 9 years later he would have set the stage for how many Contact Centers handle Social Media?Let me explain …Many of the most Socially advanced Contact Centers today are using tools to listen in on Conversations. Conversations that are happening about their brand, conversations that are happening about their competition, and of course conversations that revolve around Customer Support! Customer Support makes for an easy anchor of any good Social Media strategy so it stands to reason that Customer Support would play a leading role when it comes to listening in on Conversations.But today’s listening and analytical technology for social conversations are still in their infancy. So many Contact Center managers find themselves using their listening tools to find Support opportunities and then manually “cutting and pasting” them into email to send to the agent that can best handle the inquiry.In his book, Gladwell describes "agents of change" like the Connectors who are the people who "link us up with the world”. He characterizes these individuals as having social networks of over one hundred people. And the Mavens who are "information specialists", or "people we rely upon to connect us with new information." They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others.So in effect the Contact Center Manager acts as the Social Agent of Change, more specifically in the role as the “Connector” linking up the worlds social requests to the best qualified Agent who then plays the role of the “Maven” or information specialist.While this is a great role for the Contact Center to play it has 2 distinct pitfalls. First is this approach while admirable is just not scaleable. Too much manual intervention and we need to evolve the analytical tools take the place of the “Connector” role. Second we are going to need to get to a place where all this is trackable and measurable rather than unstructured workloads.
- Free chapter chock full of marketing "ah ha!"
The Marketing Minute | Nov 03, 2009
I love many things about blogging and social media. But the #1 reason I love it is because it has afforded me the opportunity to meet some really wonderful, smart people. And sometimes it feels as though we've known each other forever. That's certainly true for me of Gavin Heaton, CK, Lori Magno, Luc Debaisieux and many others. But there's this agency guy named Jay Heyman who lives in New York City -- and he and I connect in a whole different way. For some odd reason, we end up...
- Kathy Bushman: Still Questioning The Value In Social Media
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Nov 03, 2009
I had the pleasure of attending the Social Media Business Forum (#smbf) that took place October 23rd in Durham, NC. It’s the first event that was put on by Jeff Cohen, Wayne Sutton, and Ryan Boyles of OurHashtag, and Kipp Bodnar of Howard Merrell & Partners. They are passionate about teaching business people how to benefit from using social media and are responsible for many of the social media events and tweet-ups in the “Triangle” (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) North Carolina area. Jeff Cohen told me that they recognized a real need for business people to be educated on social media and tried to incorporate some educational programs at their other activities before deciding to put together this event. And clearly there is a need to educate business marketers on how social media can enhance both their marketing and business communication in general. There were 160 people who attended the Forum. From speaking to some of the other attendees, I found that many of the people attending were the marketers who already believed in the power of marketing through social media and were looking for information on how to improve their efforts. I heard several people say that they really had to convince their bosses of the value of attending this event and are still trying to convince them of the value in social media marketing in general. That’s a theme that I not only heard at this event but from our own MarketingProfs events as well. And I’ve been hearing it for a while now. Honestly, I would have thought that issue would have died down by now. With all the ways you can now monitor and measure social media marketing, it’s hard to believe, that many presidents and CEOs are still not convinced of the value of using social media. During the keynote panel at the Social Media Business Forum, speaker Jason Falls reminded everyone that customers are seeking information online and in these social media forums. It was a good reminder that we need to be where our customers are, isn’t there marketing value in that alone? So I fail to understand why the question of the value of social media keeps coming up. But it does, and as long as it does, I’ll keep planning sessions for the MarketingProfs events that address this issue as well as social media measurement, monitoring and other topics that address value. And I hope other social media events such as the Social Media Business Forum will as well. All in all, I thought the Social Media Business Forum was a great event. Kudos to Jeff Cohen, Wayne Sutton, Ryan Boyles and Kipp Bodnar for recognizing the need for social media marketing education and providing it to the local business community. See you next year!
- Ted Mininni: Retailers: “You’ll See Fewer Products On Our Shelves.”
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Nov 03, 2009
A recently published Media Post Marketing Daily piece, “Some Categories May Be Vulnerable at Retail,” points to some serious fall-out at retail after many months of sales declines. The gist: retailers are intent on cutting inventory levels. That doesn’t only mean there will be less back stock in stores. It also means there will be considerable SKU cuts made to reduce costs, optimize assortments and improve profit margins.According to the Wall Street Journal, the nation’s largest retailers will be cutting their overall product assortment by 15% in 2010. Wal-Mart is committed to an overall reduction of 15-18% in their assortments. That’s significant. In fact, it’s a total reversal of the trend in the past few years to grow assortments. It’s a safe bet, mid-sized and smaller retailers will follow suit. The losers here will be CPG companies. Many will face the real possibility of not only losing a few SKUs out of retailer assortments; “They may lose an entire (brand) line,” according to Willard Bishop retail consultancy VP Paul Weitzel. Ouch! The economic downturn which has been in force since 2007 has fueled unprecedented growth for store brands, so it is possible many retailers will see their own brands as logical choices for category and product expansion at the further expense of national brands. Over the past year, store brand sales have increased by 10% versus a 2% sales increase for national brands. According to Nielsen, store brands, on average, comprise just over 10% of most retailers’ total product mix, but account for over 20% of sales, while achieving a turn rate that is better than two-to-one. While many retailers have adjusted their pricing in response to economic realities, store brands are still delivering excellent profits. The new frugality in the marketplace is forcing retailers to take a look at their assortments; so are manufacturers. The “SKU rationalization” trend has begun. According to Willard Bishop, five key metrics related questions will have to be answered: Variety. Retailers’ optimal product mix to meet consumer demand. Profitability. Retailers’ bottom line by product/brand/category. Productivity. Retailers’ product turn per shelf. Working capital. Retailers must assess their inventory costs and ROI much more closely. Growth. Retailers must identify growing and declining categories and adjust inventory dollars and SKU mix accordingly. The article states consumer product categories that are most vulnerable include: bottled water, carbonated and “new age” beverages, salad dressings, ethnic and gourmet foods; diet products, cosmetics, skin care, bath and soap products, pet supplies—to name a few. Questions: Do you think the overall SKU reduction will be noticeable given the plethora of consumer products available at numerous retail outlets around the country? Do you expect to be able to find the kinds of products you want to purchase regardless of the cuts? Does it concern you that some of your favorite products may become unavailable in your favorite stores? Do you dislike having to choose another national brand to replace one you currently purchase? Do you see store brands as a strong alternative? While the short term ramifications of retailers’ decisions may result in fewer products being manufactured and result in lost jobs, do you think there may be long-term benefits to SKU rationalization? I’d love to hear from you.
- How To:: Measure Paid Search Advertising's Contribution to Offline Sales: 4 Steps
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Nov 02, 2009
The ROI for search engine advertising includes more than direct online sales. Measuring your PPC ads' contribution to offline revenue is not always easy, though. See how a consumer marketer found a unique way to tie offline conversions to online searches, and has improved paid search ROI. Includes the key calculation you'll need to get there.
- Article:: New Chart: Do Email Tactics That Take More Work Get a Bigger Payoff?
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Nov 02, 2009
In today's economy, it is common for marketing departments to be understaffed and overburdened. This problem makes the amount of time and effort required to implement a tactic nearly as important a consideration as the effectiveness of the tactic.
- Got Friends Who are Struggling to Find a Job Right Now?
Jill Konrath - Selling to Big Companies | Nov 02, 2009
Last December my brother lost his job. Two other friends were laid off about the same time. All struggled to find a new position - a tough challenge with so many people out of work. That's when I decided to write a book on how to get back to work faster. You see, job hunting is really about selling yourself....
- What else can I test… to increase email clickthrough rate?
MarketingExperiments Blog: Research-driven optimization, testing, and marketing ideas | Nov 02, 2009
Email marketing is still the more preferred and effective way channel marketers can communicate directly with their customers. Here are eight tactics that you can use or re-visit to increase your email clickthrough rate.
- Biznik Blends High Tech with High Touch
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Nov 02, 2009
Biznik Blends High Tech with High TouchThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Biznik Blends High Tech with High TouchThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Fortunately, it’s starting to feel like the wave of social media hype has crested and small businesses can turn their attention to understanding social media “best practices” rather than obsessing over next week’s new tool. Today’s greatest small business opportunity awaits those who learn [...]
- Is the Promise of Social Media Enough? What About ROI?
CRM Mastery Blog | Nov 02, 2009
Here is a post by Jacob Morgan, Principal of Chess Media Group, that appeared in Social Media Insider that I wholeheartedly agree with, Is the Promise of Social Media Enough? What About ROI? I’m sitting at the 140 Conference in L.A. and have just finished listening to the CMO of Kodak and the VP of [...]
- Paul Barsch: Beyond ZIP +4 To Location Intelligence
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Nov 02, 2009
In the United States, ZIP +4 assists marketers in targeting customers by city, neighborhood, or street, but geospatial location intelligence can help marketers perform much deeper analysis. And “analysis” is where the real value of geospatial lies. A ZIP + 4 code according to Wikipedia; “uses the basic five-digit code plus four additional digits to identify a geographic segment within the five-digit delivery area, such as a city block, or a group of apartments.” And since the introduction of ZIP + 4 in 1983, this feature has assisted direct marketers (not to mention the USPS) in saving millions of dollars in costs. While some marketers may decide that ZIP +4 is enough for customer targeting purposes, they’re missing out on a whole level of analysis available from geospatial that can help squeeze more return on investment from scarce marketing dollars. The term “geospatial” describes a specific type of analytical software combined with geographic data. Going much further than simple ZIP +4 formats, geospatial comes to life via the transformation of a customer address into geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude). With geospatial, a whole host of marketing analytics is now available to marketers. Examples include: Map locations. By overlaying geospatial data types with a mapping tool (such as Google Earth) marketers can pinpoint store or office locations in proximity to customers. Calculate distances between locations. Stores, offices or distribution centers can be precisely calculated and then evaluated to examine if they are too close or too far apart. For example, marketers can determine the midpoint between two stores to meet the needs of an under-served customer segment. With geospatial, there’s no guessing, whereas it’s pretty difficult to calculate the distance between locations with ZIP +4. Marketing by the mile (or less). Suppose you have a specific store location and you want to market to households 5.1 miles to the north, 2.5 miles to the south, etc; essentially building your own polygon for direct marketing purposes. With geospatial capability, you can do this exercise; ZIP +4—not so much. Disaster planning. When an event occurs, let’s say a hurricane is brewing, will you be able to see which stores will be in its path? How about households? How might this event affect your ongoing or future marketing campaigns? Risk management. Customer concentration or density analysis (Fig 1) can identify specific areas in which you may be taking on too much risk. Figure 1. A visual example of density analysis. Source Some marketers want to know, in comparing ZIP +4 vs. geospatial—which is best? The answer depends on your specific problem, resource constraints, and level of analysis required. ZIP +4 can help a marketer drill down towards a fairly small area for targeting and the process of converting a mailing list to ZIP +4 is relatively inexpensive. Whereas, adding geo-spatial capabilities usually involves use of an analytical infrastructure (database and hardware), software applications (i.e. data integration and visualization tools), and both technical and business know-how to perform analysis and act upon newly discovered information. ZIP +4 may work best as an inexpensive way to improve customer targeting. However, as seen from the above marketing examples, geospatial capabilities open a whole host of analytical options for marketers that ZIP +4 just cannot match. Questions: With three billion mobile phone users in the world (and growing) will “location” become an increasingly important component of marketing in the next 3-5 years? A business intelligence infrastructure is a necessary pre-cursor to geospatial analysis. What does this say about the skill sets marketers will need in the future to perform such analysis?
- Some Weeks are Hard to Top!
Buzz Marketing for Technology | Nov 01, 2009
Last week was the perfect storm of 3 major life moments all coming together in one week to form the perfect trifecta. It’s a week that is going to be hard to top in Dunay history but don’t put it past me to try!It all started Friday, Oct 23rd when my wife came into the house and said “oh yeah, I think your books have arrived – I saw a whole bunch of boxes out by the garage”. Little did she know in that moment I became a published author! I spent the weekend packing up copies of Facebook Marketing for Dummies (Wiley) and sending them to family, friends, long time mentors but most importantly to influencers who I would love to have review the book.Monday, Oct 26th rolled around and I was privy to some huge news that was going to be announced – no it wasn’t just my son's 11th birthday – but BtoB Magazine (a Crain’s publication) voted me onto their list of Top 25 Marketers of the Year 2009! I could barely wait to see it in print or have it go live on their website so I could share it with everyone. It’s one of those serious industry honors and one that I have been hoping, praying and striving to achieve.And to top it all off, Friday Oct 30th I got to appear on my favorite web TV show – HubSpot TV live from Boston. I have been a long time fan of HubSpot TV and I have seen every episode. So when Mike Volpe offered to have me on as a guest around the time of my book launch - I jumped at it. My only reservation was that it was so close to Halloween that they might want me to appear in costume. But when I got there and saw the entire staff of HubSpot dressed in costume, I knew it was time to just go for it. So I ended up appearing as Hulk Hogan – which if I must say – I thought I looked pretty good as the Hulk!I want to point out that none of this would have been possible without the unending support of my wife and family, close friends, and many of you along the way keeping me inspired to achieve new heights. This blog has been the single most important thing I have ever done and has opened doors to meeting new people, writing books (hint another one may be in the works) and learning more about a topic that I am so passionate about. And to that end I am feeling a renewed sense of energy around my blog, so look for more learnings each week as I report back in real time what I have learned.I have to thank (again) my inspiration for this blog – Keith Ferrazzi. In February 2006 while on holiday in Costa Rica I read Never Eat Alone. And while the point of his book was about how to network more effectively, on pages 100-101 he covers the topic of sharing your passions via a blog. I made up my mind that day that when I got home I would do what I had been contemplating for a while and start this blog. Little did Keith know it but he changed the course of my life with just a few keystrokes.
- What I'm reading (11/01/09)
The Marketing Minute | Nov 01, 2009
Sorry I've been lax with this feature in October. It wasn't that I was not reading....but I've been on the road and at conferences just about all month and I just didn't have time to get this post built. None the less, here's what I've been reading these past few weeks and my take on each. Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz (buy it here) If you think you've already read this book -- you haven't. Andy did a revised version in early 2009 and added lots of new...
- Weekend Favs October Thirty-One
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Oct 31, 2009
Weekend Favs October Thirty-OneThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Weekend Favs October Thirty-OneThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve added a weekend post routine that I hope you enjoy. Each weekend I write a post that features 3-4 things I read during the week that I found interesting. Generally speaking it doesn’t involve much analysis and may range widely in topic. (Flickr image included here [...]
- How to make time for social media: Twitter
The Marketing Minute | Oct 31, 2009
As I traverse across the country talking about social media, whether it's with clients one-on-one or with conference attendees from a stage -- the "I don't have time" mantra is a common response to the conversation. I'm with you. I get the time crunch thing. I'm caught between that same rock and hard place. But...I have figured out some ways to create time/time savers when it comes to social media. So, I thought I would share what works for me, with the hopes that you can steal some of these...
- Blogging Plugin Adds Rich Mutli-Media Content
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Oct 30, 2009
Blogging Plugin Adds Rich Mutli-Media ContentThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Blogging Plugin Adds Rich Mutli-Media ContentThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing There are a few plugins and services out there for blogs that automatically create links to content on the web. Some of these tools, such as Chitika are simply ways to monetize content and traffic by showing pop-up ads related to contextual text and others, [...]
- Paul Williams: Compartmentalize: Brainstorm Like a School Lunch Tray
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Oct 30, 2009
Most brainstorm meetings start with the meeting lead proclaiming, "Okay guys... think out of the box and remember, there are no bad ideas!" We say "there are no bad ideas" before we brainstorm the same way we say "bless you" after someone sneezes. No one is sure why anymore, but it is polite.For sneezing? We used to believe when someone sneezed good spirits left their body. Our quick prayer "God Bless You" put them back. For brainstorming? Saying "there are no bad ideas" is the reminder to not immediately judge and filter out what you may think is a bad idea. Our brains are wired for quick categorization and judgement. It goes back to our caveman days when we didn't have time to assess the large-toothed, giant-clawed creature trotting our way. We needed to instantly categorize "danger" and judge "run fast!" These are our basic reflex and memory systems. When brainstorming - instead of seeing a new idea as new - we instinctively try to find a category for it. This reflex often delivers two categorized responses: "we already did that" (i.e. it is old, not new), or "we already tried that (i.e. it didn't work). Seems all you can come up with are old or failed ideas.So what?
Okay, we get that people are good a quashing ideas... But, how do you change this habit? For starters, kindly asking your team to remember there are no bad ideas is not the solution. You need something more rigorous and shifting than that. A method to force us into separating idea generation from judgement - at least for a brief period.Edward's Six Hats
In his book Six Thinking Hats, Edward de Bono offers a method for breaking the thinking process into phases. He suggests six different roles or hats, each with a different perspective. White (facts and figures), Red (emotional), Black (caution/devil's advocate), Yellow (positive), Green (new ideas), and Blue (organization). Very simply put, the objective is to have the team wear one hat at a time. Green hat "new ideas" is different from Black hat "caution." Six Thinking Hats offers you and your team a language and rules to follow for better brainstorming and problem solving. If different hats aren't distinct enough "compartments" for your team, perhaps try a method Walt Disney would use.Walt's Three Rooms
Walt would often approach idea generation in three phases- The Dreamer, The Realist, and The Spoiler.
- Seven prospecting rules that produce leads webinar
B2B Lead Generation Blog | Oct 29, 2009
The phone is still a powerful and effective lead generation tool. It is inarguably the human touch of a lead nurturing program. That’s why every opportunity - including cold calling - should be treated with great respect. Each time you...
- 5 Tips for Getting More Leads from Speaking
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Oct 29, 2009
5 Tips for Getting More Leads from SpeakingThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing 5 Tips for Getting More Leads from SpeakingThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing A lot of folks dream of being a sought after, highly paid speaker (some people wet themselves at the thought of it as well.) But, in this education based marketing environment we find ourselves in today, speaking for leads may be the best [...]
- If they'll play on your site, they'll pay on your site
The Marketing Minute | Oct 29, 2009
Last year, I told you about Meijer, a 180 big box store in the Midwest and the very cool promotion they unleashed on Chicago and Cincinnati around Halloween. Their headless horseman rode wild through the streets...having some fun scaring the downtown crowd. Well this year, they've upped the ante. They've created a 3D experience where you can "put on a mask" and record a Halloween greeting. Basically, it's a digital hologram called augmented reality. (Kevin Dugan explains it better than I can.) Using this technology and your webcam, you can...
- Lead management metrics, measuring “sales pursuit”
Better Closer | Sales Improvement | Oct 28, 2009
Nothing is more important to a marketer or lead generation company than lead acceptance. Sales needs to like your lead for it to have any chance of converting. Every other lead conversion metric is irrelevant until you get this part right. Brian Carroll, of the B2B Lead Generation Blog nails it: For this reason, I think cost-per-opportunity [...]
- How To:: Merge Email, Microsites and Social Media for Product Launch Success
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Oct 28, 2009
Finding new twists on product launches can be difficult in this day and age. Most ideas have been worn out, making it harder to cut through the clutter and create brand awareness. See how an email and social media combo did the trick for a graphics technology vendor, and discover how they gained nearly 250,000 prospects into the sales funnel in only five weeks.
- Elaine Fogel: What a Genuine CEO Message Looks Like
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Oct 28, 2009
Transparency and authenticity are what it takes today. Yet, many companies have been slow on the uptake in demonstrating a genuine approach to their customers. I have posted many times about lackluster customer service and messaging, so it's time to balance the score card and share a shining CEO message.I just purchased a new router and wireless network adapter to replace older technology. Admittedly, my choice of product was motivated by cost, so after doing my due diligence at the local Best Buy store, I decided on the Belkin N router and wireless adapter, both on sale. After installation (during which the overseas Belkin rep was extremely helpful), I noticed that the Best Buy bill had a message on the bottom: ........................................................................ BEST BUY VALUES YOUR FEEDBACK!! TAKE OUR SURVEY AND ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A $5,000 BEST BUY SHOPPING SPREE!! Visit http://www.bestbuycares.com & enter the following codes: ......................................................................... The link takes you to a landing page with a large photo of Best Buy CEO, Brian J. Dunn. I immediately notice that he is wearing a jacket, a pale-blue, open-collar shirt and no tie. The picture doesn't even look like a posed professional shot, but one taken in the hall of the office one day. Message: informal, relaxed, friendly, approachable. Here's the message that falls under the page title "Best Buy Customer Voice Survey." First, I'd like to thank you for shopping with us. We recognize that you have many choices about where to spend your hard-earned money and I appreciate that you have given us an opportunity to earn your business. Second, we strive to create the best possible experience for you, and I appreciate your honest feedback about what we are doing well in our stores and where we need to make improvements. Listening to our customers is very important and you can be assured that your voice will be heard. Thank you in advance for your time and input. At the conclusion of the survey you will have the opportunity to enter a drawing for a $5,000 Best Buy shopping spree*. Sincerely, Brian J. Dunn Chief Executive Officer I really liked the message. I liked that he thanked me first before saying anything else. So, I took the survey. As a marketer, I know how important the feedback is, so I usually comply with these requests. Mr. Dunn and his marcom people "get it." The message appeared genuine, caring and indicative that he and his team will take the survey results seriously. The first step gets an A+. Of course, I can't say whether they walk the talk at this juncture, but I was impressed. What do you think? Take a look at the landing page and tell me what your impressions are? Is it genuine to you? Does it create a positive brand experience?
- Matthew Grant: Looking Back at the Digital Marketing Mixer
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Oct 28, 2009
It's a week ago today that I departed Boston for Chicago in order to attend, and blog upon, Marketingprofs' Digital Mixer.While I live-blogged a number of sessions - on creating effective webinar programs; on developing corporate social media policies; on using Facebook for brand recognition; on deepening customer relationships with Twitter; on SEO plus Social Media; and on the exceedingly clear thoughts of Dr. BJ Fogg - I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some of the grander themes or gaudier threads that I noticed running through the event. 1. It's the humans, stupid Again and again I heard people talking about "personalizing" or "humanizing" social media efforts, which makes sense to me since I've always viewed blogs and such as "personal genres." This humanization needs to take place both at the organizational level, by creating social media policies which encourage participation on the part of employees and other stakeholders, as well as on the tactical level. There needs to be a living person behind your blog or Twitter stream or what-have-you who will take the time to listen and respond to folks looking to interact with your brand or organization. 2. Personal Brand vs. Professional Brand Of course, if you are asking people to put themselves into social media efforts, there is always the possibility that they will develop relationships with customers or recognition within a community that begins to outshine the connection to the brand. While many people raised questions concerning the proper mix of personal and professional in brand-related social media activities, the bigger fear seemed to be about retention. Specifically, they asked, "What happens when someone becomes so associated with the brand via social media that their departure leaves a gaping hole in your company's online presence?" 3. Social Media is Growing Up There was a palpable dearth of 101-type sessions on social media and its application to business. Instead, we were treated to a lot of pithy studies describing what real companies - Best Buy, Intel, Hansen's Natural Soda, Pitney Bowes, SAS, etc. - have really done with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Slideshare, blogs, podcasts, etc. Yes, Dell, Comcast, and Zappos all got mentioned, but it was clear that emerging social media technologies have not only entered the cultural mainstream but have become a permanent and rapidly maturing part of the commercial landscape. 4. SEO = Great Content + Grunt Work. I got into a rather lively conversation by asserting in a loud, boorish tone that "SEO is a scam," a conversation in which I was duly schooled but which also clarified my understanding of how optimization happens. In fairness to me, there were plenty of folks who were warning attendees against "SEO snake oil," but they contrasted such efforts with the legit, white-hat things that people can, should, and must do to optimize their content for, as Liana E. Evans sagely pointed out, "Optimized content is king." That being said, I discovered that there are certain link-building activities - directory submissions, Digg-ing, even blogging - that approach data entry in terms of complexity (ie., "not very) and labor intensivity (i.e, "very"). Hiring an intern or "some guys in India" to do this for you isn't scammy, at the end of the day, but it's not brain surgery either and reminded me that search engine rank not only reflects quality of content but also quantity of effort. 5. States Rights Finally. while discussing the assassination of President Lincoln with Apogee's Bill Leake, I considered for the first time the effect that the 17th Amendment had on states' rights. This amendment "... restates the first paragraph of Article I, section 3 of the Constitution and provides for the election of senators by replacing the phrase 'chosen by the Legislature thereof' with 'elected by the people thereof.'" (read more). The result of this shift, which made senators beholden to their constituents rather than state governments, was the further consolidation of federal power at the expense of the states insofar as senators no longer needed to concern themselves with pleasing their respective state legislatures and could focus on perpetuating their own careers through the maintenance of voting blocks representing diverse local and private interests. I never really thought about that before. But then again, I'm a damn Yankee.
- Effective Lead Management Executive Summary and Webinar
B2B Lead Generation Blog | Oct 28, 2009
We had a great turn out for our recent B2B Lead Generation Rountable Webinar “Effective Lead Management: Learn How to Convert Marketing Leads into Sales Pipeline.” In case you missed the live presentation, there are still two ways you can...
- Lead management metrics, measuring “sales pursuit”
Better Closer | Sales Improvement | Oct 28, 2009
Nothing is more important to a marketer or lead generation company than lead acceptance. Sales needs to like your lead for it to have any chance of converting. Every other lead conversion metric is irrelevant until you get this part right. Brian Carroll, of the B2B Lead Generation Blog nails it: For this reason, I think cost-per-opportunity [...]
- Ann Handley: Who Are You and Why Do You Want My Candy: Making Halloween a Cross-Cultural Hit
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Oct 28, 2009
This is a guest post by Gavin Johnston, Chief Anthropologist at Two West, Inc. Cultural traditions and celebrations represent a very important opportunity for retailers. The tradition of Halloween has become one of the highest revenue producing events in the United States, representing $21 billion dollars each year, with a median of $40 spent per family. However, it is easy to forget that Halloween is a largely American phenomenon and can be off-putting for someone with no cultural context for the holiday. To capture an untapped multicultural market, expand market share and increase revenue, companies must consider how to make Halloween accessible and appealing for all cultures.Halloween is finding traction in Europe, parts of Asia and Latin America. The key is making sure that while a retailer speaks to the needs of a culture already immersed in the holiday, the newcomers embrace it as their own. It is about providing people with little or no familiarity with Halloween with the tools to make Halloween their own. To increase the overall revenue during cultural celebrations, we need to know the origins and cultural contexts of the holiday and create environments that are cross-culturally appealing. For example, The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos) is a popular tradition in Mexico and parts of Central America, and is rooted on the Aztec tradition of honoring the dead. Aztecs used to honor the dead by talking to the spirits, dancing and celebrating death. This celebration was dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, the “Lady of the Dead.” Spaniards considered the exposure of human remains as a sacrilege and tried to eradicate this tradition. A way of doing so was to coincide the date of the festivity with November 1st All Saints Day. Just as the Celtic celebration of Samhain evolved into Halloween, so did the Day of the Dead transform into something new. While very different, the important point is that these two cultural traditions have certain similarities in the ways they are celebrated. These similarities, the migration to the United States and the development of a new U.S./Latin culture by 2nd and 3rd migrant generations, are once again transforming Halloween. So what can you do to grow sales at Halloween? Expand what you offer. This transformation of American culture requires companies to provide sugar and wooden skulls, flowers, portable music players and toys for the children that have passed away alongside pumpkin pies and costumes. This provides a cultural signpost inviting people to explore rather than shy away from the holiday aisle. Use multiple languages in signage. Using Halloween as a way of signaling inclusion in the larger American society helps build interest and customer loyalty. We frequently take for granted that consumers and shoppers will simply explore a well-dressed store front or aisle, but for many first and second generation consumers culturally-specific events, such as holidays, can signal that they are not welcome. Using multiple languages in signage serves as an invitation to engage with and become part of the general population. That invitation can build loyalty like nothing else. Go beyond orange and black. Most retail displays incorporate colors and sounds that are associated with either the harvest (orange) or death (black) in Western societies. Expanding the color scheme to include colors associated with harvest time, death, and all things scary in other cultural systems helps draw associations with similar holidays in the native culture. For example, white and red are often associated with Día de los Muertos celebrations and will draw people into the aisles to shop. Create “safe” areas of terror. The hormonal reaction we humans get from responding to a threat or crisis is what motivates us to "like to be scared.” This is the same "fight or flight" syndrome which guaranteed our survival in more primitive times. At the moment we are threatened, we have increased strength, power, heightened senses and intuition. The key is to sanitize that fear rather than causing people to run. Without a culturally-centered idea of Halloween, the holiday isn’t a safe type of fear, it’s just plain scary, causing people to avoid the retail environment altogether. Don’t make the most frightening elements of a display the first thing people encounter, rather condition shoppers to the experience by starting with less threatening imagery that becomes scarier as they move deeper into the shopping setting. Companies can readily learn the type of food, music, clothing, toys, etc., needed to cater to a changing U.S. population. These differences need to be known and addressed in order to effectively increase profits and customer loyalty. The knowledge and origin of traditions as well as the knowledge and prediction of human behaviors allows marketers to better speak to their market. During a recession the elasticity of products fluctuates, but when purchasing these products is attached to a deep cultural need, the economy will have little or no effect on these products demand. Knowing these cultural and psychological variables allow retailers and marketers to build loyalty and grow their businesses even during tough economic times. When the time comes to celebrate Halloween (or any holiday), it is your brand, your service, or your product that will win out. About Gavin Johnston: Gavin is Chief Anthropologist at Two West, Inc. For the last 12 years he has done research worldwide for a diverse set of clients and research topics within legal, telecommunications, health care and consumer products industries. He leads the Two West research and strategy team in turning research findings into design and product innovations. He has been featured in a wide range of publications, including Alert Magazine, Quirks, Marketing Profs, CMO Magazine, Marketing Daily, Media Post, Practicing Anthropology, and The Wise Marketer to name a few.
- Turning up the Heat! Motivating Your Sales Team
Better Closer | Sales Improvement | Oct 27, 2009
You learn the best lessons from the simplest experiences. Here’s mine… Last night I crashed about 11:00 p.m., never even cracking my MacBook to take my typical final pulse for the evening. I was exhausted. My work is a bit chaotic (my business is in a full scale client-led strategic shift because of our new Eavesdropper [...]
- Lead generation metrics should emphasize opportunities not just leads
B2B Lead Generation Blog | Oct 27, 2009
I was asked to write a response to this question, "In what ways have metrics evolved with the increase in digital B2B marketing? Suggest one ROI metric that you have found to be very effective." Read ClickInsights: What ROI metric...
- David Allen on Getting It All Done
Small Business Marketing Blog from Duct Tape Marketing | Oct 27, 2009
David Allen on Getting It All DoneThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing David Allen on Getting It All DoneThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with David Allen (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes Getting all the stuff you’ve got to manage done as a business owner, might be the greatest challenge of all. Then of course all the [...]
- CRM Tips: Don’t Let Leads Die Prematurely
CRM Mastery Blog | Oct 27, 2009
Here are several excerpts from an excellent article by David Tabor, CRM Tips: Don’t Let Leads Die Prematurely: Most leads are declared dead too early. Many a sales rep will give up on a lead after a couple of e-mails or phone calls. All too often, reps don’t even go that far, declaring leads as [...]
- Turning up the Heat! Motivating Your Sales Team
Better Closer | Sales Improvement | Oct 27, 2009
You learn the best lessons from the simplest experiences. Here’s mine… Last night I crashed about 11:00 p.m., never even cracking my MacBook to take my typical final pulse for the evening. I was exhausted. My work is a bit chaotic (my business is in a full scale client-led strategic shift because of our new Eavesdropper [...]
- Use Social Media to spot issues before they hit the Contact Center!
Buzz Marketing for Technology | Oct 27, 2009
Firey laptop batteries, defective chips, tainted foods, toothpaste that stains teeth – these are just some real examples of issues that struck companies recently that might have been headed off at the pass by Social Media.When you have an issue these days – what’s the first place you go for more information? That’s right – the Internet – most likely Google but increasingly for real time information search you might use Twitter. Conversely most people don’t just pick up the phone and call a company anymore.Some of these issues first showed up on Twitter way before they ever hit the Contact Center. Perhaps days before anyone called into the Contact Center to inquire.With the speed of Social Media these days – wouldn’t you love to have a few day head start? Well you do – but only if you are listening.A peer of mine said that she has seen this effect already on Twitter but she doesn’t jump at the first sighting – she waits to see at least a second sighting perhaps in a different channel (or coming from a different region) before she decides to engage.While clearly you need to use your best judgment – you do have the opportunity to head off at the pass serious issues for your brand before they become front page news. The only caveat is, you have to be listening …
- Confused stock boy...or brilliant product placement?
The Marketing Minute | Oct 27, 2009
So simple...and yet so smart. Check out where BBDO got grocery stores to stock Campbell Soup's Chicken Noodle soup. Sometimes you don't have to spend millions on a campaign. You just have to ask a different question. In this case: "Would you be willing to stock some soup in your cold meds aisle?" Smart, smart, smart. Related articles by Zemanta 30 Rock 's Emphatically Branded Windows Computer Is Confusing [TV] (gizmodo.com) Ofcom to ban product placement in children's TV shows from December (guardian.co.uk)
- Ted Mininni: In Search of the New Cool
Marketing Profs Daily Fix | Oct 27, 2009
“Most people know this feeling instinctively. When anything—a brand, a rock band, a style of clothing—becomes popular with a huge mass market, the cool people increasingly find it uncool, and look for something new.” –Kevin ManeyIn his new book, “Trade-Off: Why Some Things Catch On, and Others Don’t,” author Kevin Maney makes the argument: “We constantly, in our everyday lives, make trade-offs between fidelity and convenience.” Recapping the book in a recent article for Fortune and CNN Money.com, Maney discusses: “How Starbucks lost its ‘fidelity’”. The author explains how trade-offs between fidelity and convenience lead brands astray and often, to their demise. And he uses Starbucks to illustrate his points. Bear with me. There is a point to outlining the Starbucks story yet again. Maney defines “fidelity as the total experience of something.” “Convenience is how easy it is to get what you want.” He goes on to explain how Starbucks, when purchased by former and current CEO Howard Schultz in 1987, sought to emulate the Italian coffee-bar experience, to form a unique culture around the brand. Obviously, Schultz succeeded—probably beyond his wildest dreams. By giving customers the choice of customizing their own caffeinated beverages and offering exotic coffee blends, customers found the experience cool, new and exciting. Standing in line for an expensive, hand-crafted drink, full of exotic aromas, and made by expertly trained baristas was no problem. In fact, it was part of the experience. By making Starbucks “the third place”—not home, not office—but an oasis in life, the experience became rooted with a strong emotional pull. Starbucks had become a “cultural touchstone.” Of course this bit of luxury cost money. A few store locations kept the Starbucks brand cool and “exclusive” in feeling; customers had to sometimes go out of their way to get their desired coffee fix and experience. But hey—that’s what made it so special, right? Then, the big misstep happened. Schultz thought: why not open Starbucks stores everywhere? Why not saturate markets large and small? Won’t that make access to the experience much more convenient for consumers? Won’t we make much more money? But, by having Starbucks stores pop up everywhere, where was the exclusivity factor? Where was the cool factor? Gone. As Maney points out, if consumers wanted convenience, why not pop into Dunkin Donuts or 7-Eleven, and save a few bucks while they were at it? Maney: “People looking for aura and identity turned back to smaller chains or independent local coffee shops.” Exactly. By February 2007, Schultz wrote to CEO Jim Donald about “the watering down of the Starbucks experience” and the “commoditization of our brand.” In January 2008, Schultz took the helm of the company again. Since then, baristas have been trained and retrained, outlets closed and attempts made to recapture the aura of the brand. But there’s no doubt: the brand is still ailing. Can Starbucks recapture its former brand magic? Unlikely. Questions: Do you think it’s possible for brands to deliver great experiences and convenience at the same time? If so, which brands exemplify both core values? Do you think it’s possible for a brand that starts out as delivering great experiences or convenience, can adopt the other and still remain strong? Or do you think straddling both inevitably leads to a watering down of the brand and eventual failure? Which brands, if any, have done this successfully? I’d love to hear from you.
- Free Lead Management Software
Better Closer | Sales Improvement | Oct 26, 2009
Image via Wikipedia Looking for free lead management software? It is possible. The basic principles of lead management can be cobbled together with free tools. Depending on your sales goals and quotas, these just might do the trick. Let’s build a free lead management system. Lead Capture: Email, Contacts, and Spreadsheets Most sales leads are coming from business cards, [...]
- How To:: Drive Search Traffic with Better Product Descriptions: 5 Steps
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Oct 26, 2009
Having high-quality content on your site is fantastic. But creating it is less exciting and a lot of work. Find out how an apparel retailer manages his team of writers to build high-quality product descriptions. The keyword-rich descriptions have helped make natural search the top driver of site traffic. Includes tips for finding and managing writers.
- Article:: New Chart: The Benefits of Sharing Email Content with Social Media Sites
Marketing: Case Studies & Know-How from MarketingSherpa | Oct 26, 2009
Social sharing allows email recipients to share email content on popular social networks and other social media sites. Combining targeted email with the reach of social media opens a wealth of new opportunities for marketers.
- Gavin Heaton: On Generosity and Grace
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