From Papyrus to Elephant Poo

It's getting difficult to keep up with the newest trends, isn't it? Especially to stay on top of your industry. Seems like everyone's in a hurry to get to the next big thing, we barely get enough time to enjoy what was hot last week.

Take writing, for instance. The earliest writing (beyond what has been found on cave walls and in mud) was done on papyrus. This was back around 3000 BC, about the time the city of Troy was founded and, quite a bit west of there, some folks were setting up what would become Stonehenge. We're talking ancient history here. Papyrus was great stuff, but kind of a pain to make.

Fast forward five millennia to the present day, and what are we writing on? Good ol', tree-grown, machine-made paper. Right? I mean, we all write on paper, don't we?

Well, if you're green (ecologically), you might be writing on poo. Elephant poo, that is. No, really, check this sh** out. They're selling us a "better" alternative to -- again -- good ol', tree-grown, machine-made paper. Better, as in this stuff comes from the outbox of the largest, most poopin'-est land mammal.

Imagine the lovestruck gal sealing her ecologically superior letter with a kiss. Wouldn't it be ironic if they made toilet paper from this stuff? If someone printed their best selling novel on it, wouldn't you still be correct in saying "it's crap"?

But I digress. The point is, I like good ol', tree-grown, machine-made paper; it's biodegradable, and ... who the hell figured out that you can make paper from an elephant patty?

I guess the lesson here is that we have to pick and choose the advancements that come our way, even if they could be good for the Earth. Going green is good business these days. I'll turn off the lights when I'm not using them. But if you ask me to give fertilizer-grade paper a try, I'm going to be a party pooper and stick to the tried and true stuff.

Happy holidays, friends. Looking forward to enlightening you more in 2010.

Mike Spanjar

Branding Yourself: Part 2

I recently attended a conference where the keynote speaker knew a thing or two about marketing and advertising. One of his clients was MasterCard, and he came up with the winning word we've all heard: Priceless. Okay, he didn't coin the word, he just gave it one hell of an overhaul.

Stewart Emery knows branding. He differentiates great products from simply "objects" by referring to them as "ideas" or better still, "experiences." In this economy, Emery said, you must provide the ultimate experience. Your brand lives in your customer's gut. I love that.

Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu, says that "brand" is what people say about you when you're not in the room. Again, brilliant. Because if you can get people speaking positively about you when you're somewhere else, you've truly arrived. And Emery agrees. When you matter to your customers, they talk about you and they want you to win.

So you need to be more than a URL, more than a set of features, and more than a common promise. You have to be an experience your customers want and prefer over competing experiences. Actually, if you can rise to the status of "Positive Experience," you've already beat out most or all of your competition that remains content being a quality product or service."

Think of the phenomenon known as iPhone. This device has transcended mere phonehood to be a truly positive experience. The iPhone represents iTunes and fancy accessories and slick commercials with the phrase "There's an app for that." People have a lot of choices when it comes to phones, but look how many are flocking to one of the most expensive devices on the planet.

What can you learn from the iPhone experience? How can you provide a truly ultimate lifestyle for your clients? Start with the little things: get back to your clients right away, use the phone more than that impersonal e-mail, and smile when you speak. Whatever it is you do for a living, be a good one, and always seek improvement. Leave the self-improvement door open or take it off its hinges completely.

Are you content to be just another product, or are you willing to be an experience?

Branding Yourself: Part 1

A friend of mine in the promotional products business complained about how slow things are at work. He said the Internet has stolen more than half of his volume, competitors are practically giving away their services, and it looks like the end.

I asked him a series of questions: How are you marketing your services? Where do you stand out? What trends do you see emerging? Do you have a customer retention or loyalty program in place?

Then I gave him the news he dreaded hearing: Steve, you're a lousy salesperson, you're depressing to be around, and you're nothing more than a cheap commodity.

Okay, to be honest, I was only thinking the first two, but I did tell him the third. He failed to differentiate himself and he continued to do business the way his father taught him more than 20 years earlier.

I told him he needed to get out there and brand himself. I suggested he write a series of articles about promotional marketing, little-known tips about how to effectively use promotional products at trade shows, and to be sure to explain time and again how his products are more than trinkets -- they represent marketing with value, handing out something with your marketing message PLUS something people can use.

Steve started submitting short articles to various publications. Before long, he appeared in a promotional marketing trade magazine and the local newspaper. In fact, the local paper allowed him to do a weekly column as long as the articles never specifically encouraged people to buy from him (that would be considered free advertising). He recently got picked up by another newspaper and appears on several websites.

His business has more than picked up; he stands to have his best year over the last five. His advice has helped many small businesses use promotional products more effectively, and his weekly tips are anticipated by a growing audience. People have come to see Steve as an expert and confidant rather than a commodity. He has branded himself, and people prefer his brand over others. Cool, huh?

Next month, we'll take the concept to the next level. In the mean time, are you branding yourself? Are you?

New Website Alert

Be on the lookout for a new Bold Copy website. The new site promises to be more sophisticated, certainly darker, and provide an improved visitor experience. See? There's the benefit statement!

This is a great time to ask you: When did you last update your site? From simply changing the story on the front page to rebuilding the entire enchilada, site updates more than keep your visitors interested in coming back. Updates show visitors you exist, that you are moving and shaking.

And you may need to make changes. Does your site contain outdated content? Still referencing upcoming events ... from last year? Take a look -- now!

We expect the new Bold Copy site to launch in late November. If you'd like to make suggestions before then, go ahead. We promise to read them before ranting about everyone having a freaking opinion, and why can't they just leave us alone. Insert smiley emoticon here.

Why Loyal Customers Make the Best Customers

You've probably heard that keeping customers is far easier than creating new ones. I've certainly found this to be true. Existing customers like you already, they have done business with you. They may do repeat business with you -- which is the point of keeping customers in the first place.

So how much repeat business do you get from these customers? Do they come back? Would you call them "loyal"? Ah, that term. We've seen it before, and it reminds us: Yes, it would nice to have loyal customers. So many of them fail the loyalty test, right?

Imagine: You get the customer, you treat her so nicely, you go out of your way for her, she buys. You send her a thank you, you put her on your e-mail list and send her special offers. And she eventually buys again, only this time, from your competitor.

Have you done anything about it? Customers require a lot of attention, during the sales process and certainly after. But what kind of attention do you give them? If all you do is send them a bunch of offers to purchase more from you, your methods fail the "What's In It For Me" test.

What can you give to them? Can you give them rewards? Points toward other products? Something of similar value? Employing a loyalty program in your business could be the smartest thing you ever do to retain customers. I've discovered a great system that does the job nicely. It mimics the ones you see big retailers using, only the makers of this product have built theirs as an online application to put it in the hands of the masses. You can check it out here.

Never underestimate customer loyalty. Loyal customers always come back for more.

Of Course You Are Full Service

Do you rely on the phrase "full service" to:
- advertise your company?
- explain your range of capabilities?
- appear bigger than your competition?

Full service has become a catch phrase, and little more in recent years. Instead of creating meaning, it has become meaningless.

First, if I am in a different industry than you, we can assume I know only a few of the many products and services that make up your total offering. By relying on the term to explain your business, you ignore what you are good at, and the kind of business you want to receive. Second, if I am in the same industry, I will take full service to mean what it means to me. And if I only know about 3 of the 20 services you provide (because my company is smaller than yours), it would be a great injustice to you.

Using the term is a form of desperation, as though you will catch a nibble if your prospects assume you do everything. Many salespeople wield the term "full service" like a giant fishing net -- a catch-all. And when their prospects look inside that net, they will see that it contains more than just fish ... it also has an old boot, a piece of driftwood, and some used syringes.

But seriously, if you want to give meaning to what it is you do, simply tell people what you do. If you can, keep it short and specific. If you meet with a group on a frequent basis, such as a networking group, offer a new element every time you meet. This makes your message crystal clear and memorable.

The Recession Paradox

Many business owners and salespeople ask me: In a down economy, do you believe in lowering prices? And I have to scratch my head and wonder what they're thinking, because their question spotlights a paradox in how people think about restoring their income.

You're struggling financially, and the answer is to lower the amount of money you're bringing in? Lemme ask you this: When the car is running out of gas, would you recommend punching a hole in the gas tank as a solution? Obviously not. Better solutions might be to check your tire pressure, clean the air filter, turn off the air conditioning, drive the speed limit, etc.

Your costs haven't changed, your lifestyle hasn't changed, the bills aren't any lower this month. You MUST think about how you can maintain not just pricing but income. How can you help clients and prospects see your superior value in times of economic stress? How can you keep your pipeline full? Back to my car analogy, what can you check or turn off to maximize returns?

One thing would be to network more, and network smarter. Attend more business events, join a BNI chapter, get more face time with decision makers and people who value your friendship, your skills, and your success.

Talk to clients and prospects about how you're NOT stripping down your product or service but maintaining price to increase your profits. Eroding value is a dangerous game.

Or, DO strip down your offerings to give your customers a "B" option. Can you provide Widget Lite? Are there things you currently package with your product/service that your customers could take care of on their end? That would be an acceptable reason to drop the price, and no one would think you're desperate.

Think about incentives, too. What could you include with purchases that has a high perceived value? Shipping? A carrying case? A Starbucks gift card? A valuable report?

Keep your head in the game, keep that smile shining at all times, and give your best to your clients every day.

Sell Your Smarts

One of my favorite topics when talking to niche groups is Information Products, or more commonly, eBooks.

These groups tend to have a following, whether it's one another or their end users. And on the individual level, some of these professionals just may know a lot more than the majority in their field. They've got marketable knowledge, and it's only making them so much money because they only use it 5 to 8 hours per day.

So I ask them: Why aren't you making money 'round the clock? While you sleep, you should be selling your services; while you eat your Cheerios, you should be cha-chinging that virtual cash register; and while you're out on the golf course, you should be working on your swing ... AND making some much-deserved dough.

How? With Information Products, of course. Take what you know, get an experienced writer to put it into book form, and get the writer to also create a compelling ad that can be easily distributed to the masses.

I'll bet YOU know a thing or two, don't you? Thinking about what you know that might be worth some coin? Give me a call and I'll help you add "Author of..." to your credentials.

"Free" Advice

What motivates people to buy in a down economy? Mostly, it is need. This is one of the strongest motivators, stronger than desire.

Some believe the opposite. But in a down economy, people can convince themselves that the luxury item they "want" or "desire" can wait. "Need," on the other hand, justifies itself.

So how do you capture the purchase among your competitors? By giving away something for FREE. That's right, I said it. Despite my insistence that you must sell on any principle before price, this is a little different. And, let's face it, people have less money right now.

So what are some examples of effective freebies?

- Free shipping. People LOVE free shipping, it's like an aphrodisiac, and it's often negligible anyway.

- Free bonus. Throw in a free, valuable report that your customer would really want to have. Or include a carrying case with your product. Or hand out a gift card to a local merchant with every purchase.

- Free time. That's right, time. How about a free month of your premium service, or an added service? Be creative. You might have a cross-sell opportunity.

And now the bonus question: Which is better? Half off or buy one, get one? You may believe they are the same, but I know the real story. The answer is FREE ... if you call.

Get Uncomfortable!

Dear Entrepreneurs:

How will you define your success in 2009? Will you stick to what didn’t work in 2008, or will you step outside your comfort zone to build the success you need for yourself and your family? I’m telling you: GET UNCOMFORTABLE.

There’s a wise saying … It is far easier to adjust to the hardships of day to day life than to make a few uncomfortable changes to improve the rest of your life.

- How do you calm a cough in the middle of the night? You swallow that bitter cough suppressant.

- How do you remove a stubborn bandage? You rip it off.

- If you’re a parent, this will ring true for you: How do you get your child off a pacifier? You go through a couple nights of hell.

It’s another morning at work. Have you called your clients to say hello, or called a prospect yet? Sure, it would be easy to sit and hope your client still cares about you, or hope that your prospect will somehow call you instead of the other way around. But why don’t you GET UNCOMFORTABLE and make a call that will make a big difference in your life?

Does anyone else in your contact sphere need to GET UNCOMFORTABLE? Help them reach a discomfort of biblical proportions. They might thank you for it in a way that really helps you.

Here's to your discomfort in 2009!

Proofing is Insurance

Every day, I seem to find at least one printed or Web item that contains a typo, grammatical error, or some other text-related mishap. The average consumer might miss some of these mistakes. But the writer in me scratches his head in wonder.

I realize that, in this day of instant messaging and similar quick forms of written communication, we are learning that punctuation, capital letters and even correct spelling are optional. But for God's sake, professional communicators need to know when to turn the filter on and off.

The people and companies we write for depend on us, not only to get the message across clearly and effectively, but to make sure we don't forget that all-important ® (registered trademark) or transpose the digits in a phone number. Yes, proofreading is a pain in the tuchus. That may be why so many simply cross their fingers and hope the client proofed the work. Dangerous thinking.

Look at it this way: you begrudgingly pay monthly for property insurance, life insurance, health insurance, etc. You rarely use them, but does that mean you will ever cancel them? I'm hoping your answer is "no." We don't like paying for insurance, but not having it could mean something much more costly. Proofreading is insurance. By plunking down our chunk of time, we are insuring ourselves against everything from embarrassment to a very expensive mistake.

For professional copywriters, proofing is part of the job (hopefully). As society continues to relax the rules of correspondence, I'd like to remind everyone that accuracy still counts in real life.

Who's writing your copy? Are you well covered?