Archives for engage customers

29¢ Water for $50 – An Offer Your Customers Can’t Refuse

May 8, 2012

Ice cold and irresistible!
Ever been in a situation where you’re dying of thirst and you’d pay just about any amount of money for an ice cold bottle of water? Seriously, you’re so thirsty and so far away from any kind of precipitation, you’d pay $50 for a 29 cent bottle of water.

A compelling offer is just like an ice cold bottle of water in the middle of the Mohave. Irresistible!

How do you make your offer this irresistible? In the building products industry, it doesn’t always feel that easy, does it?! You’ve got these amazing widgets to sell and you send your sales team out there to beat the streets, pound the pavement, drop in on customers and convince them why they need train loads of your stuff. Why are they still beating you up on price? Why don’t they understand how irresistible your quality products are?

Remember, first you need to sell what people WANT to buy. Then make sure you’re talking to the right people at the right time. You know that old saying, “right place, wrong time”…sometimes you have the right audience, but you’re talking to them at the wrong time. And, be still my heart, sometimes you’re not talking to them at all. This boils down to knowing what your audience is struggling with; knowing how to solve these challenges and knowing what they want to buy.

Then you take your product or service and craft it into a compelling pitch … an offer they can’t refuse. If the value is clear, the decision is easy.

Here’s an exercise from author, Chris Guillebeau, that will help you put together the offer your audience won’t be able to refuse.

Remember the Magic Formula:
The Right Audience + the Right Promise + the Right Time = 
Offer You Can’t Refuse

BASICS

  • What are you selling? _______
  • How much does it cost? _______
  • Who will take immediate action on this offer? ________

BENEFITS

  • The primary benefit is ________
  • An important secondary benefit is ________



OBJECTIONS



What are the main objections to the offer?

How will you counter these objections?

TIMELINESS

There’s Good News
The good news is that when you understand what your customers want and how they want to buy your job and that of your sales people gets so much easier. When an offer they can’t refuse comes along at just the right time the perceived value is much higher. Remember to think about value the way your customers do, not necessarily the way you would like them to.

As you follow your marketing blueprint, think carefully about how you can create a more compelling offer. Then take it out into the world! 

Here’s to making your presence felt and quenching that thirst.

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

Social Media Is Not About You

February 3, 2012

It's not about you. 

There is a great deal of hesitation in the building products industry around whether or not to add social media to the marketing agenda. You all know by now that I am a firm believer that social media is here to stay and is a fantastic way to converse with and listen to your audience like never before.

There is also some confusion as to what social media is about. The simple answer, it’s not about you. It’s about your customers. I came across some enlightening dialogue this week from a blogger that I admire, @margieclayman. I think she sums it up nicely. (Thank you, Margie)

Enjoy! 

Social Media should not be about you.

It should not be about you getting a high Klout score.

It should not be about you getting perks.

Social Media should not be about you gaining ground as you tear others down.

It should not be about you calling out everyone (and their mothers and their fathers.).

It  should not be about you scraping money off of people who believe you can help them.

Social Media should not be about you building your case as to why you are the greatest human ever.

It should not be about you making a list.

It should not be about you bad-mouthing a list you didn’t make.

Social Media should not be about you and your ego.

It should not be about you finding a platform where  you can feed unadulterated BS to other people who may buy it.

It should not be about lying to see if you can get away with it.

Social Media should not be about you recreating definitions to better suit your purposes.

It should not be about you offering silver bullets.

It should not be about you maliciously spreading rumors that ruin peoples’ lives.

Social Media should not be about you. It should be about the people you help, the companies you grow, and what you are able to accomplish with this new and powerful tool.

So I’m interested to know, do you agree with this? What do you think Social Media is about?

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

How Enchanted Are Your Customers?

August 24, 2011
Slightly enchanted?
Positively enchanted?
Uber enchanted?
OR Unenchanted?

If you haven’t checked out Guy Kawasaki’s new book, Enchantment, you may want to. I’ve been reading it and thinking about how this idea of enchantment relates to the building products industry. At first, it made me chuckle. Enchanted customers in the building products industry floating around with wings a flapping and sprinkling fairy dust all around the office. Sorry, this is what I actually thought of.

Guy describes enchantment as “causing a voluntary change of heart and mind and, therefore, actions.” The goal is not to sell them your tool or product or widget, but to fill them with great delight and completely transform the relationship. Enchantment reshapes, converts and changes behaviors. Enchanted customers are more loyal. They are changed for having done business with you.

You must know what your customers are thinking. Kawasaki uses an example from when he worked for Apple in the 80′s. Apple failed to sell Macs to the business market because they didn’t understand what their potential customers were thinking. They were so enchanted by their own product that they couldn’t understand why everyone else didn’t feel the same way. Apple was “me” focused instead of “you” focused. They were more enchanted with themselves than with addressing the needs and concerns of their customers.

Are you and your team focused on enchanting your customers or in selling them on why your brand is so enchanting? It’s tough. It’s easy to get caught up in selling instead of serving. Relying only on traditional marketing instead of evolving with customer trends. Engaging customers. Conversing with them. Listening to them. Giving them something they didn’t even know they needed.

Now, some of you have already figured out that potential customers are enchanted with video content on YouTube. Greg Jarboe is the author of YouTube and Video Marketing: An Hour a Day. He says that video content that is enchanting must provide intrinsic value to the viewer. He states that this value comes in four forms:

  1. Inspiration

  2. Entertainment

  3. Enlightenment

  4. Education

The idea is for you to supply a regular stream of video online that inspires, entertains, enlightens or educates your audience. This is a great way to enchantment current and potential customers. I can’t tell you how many manufacturers and distributors in the building products industry are not taking advantage of this fantastic medium. The ones that have are benefitting greatly.

I also encourage you to enchant your employees, but that is another conversation. Until then, please comment on this idea of enchantment. How are you enchanting your customers? What would move them?

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

Stop Following.
Start Leading.

March 20, 2011

Say Something New
About Your Brand

 

For years, standing out in the building products industry meant having quality products, convincing sales people and good customer service. Location was helpful, and a snazzy catalog could put you over the top.

But today, virtually every brand has those things and MORE. Without a clear differentiator, all you’re left with to motivate buyers is price. Yikes!

So how do you break out of the pack? How do you engage customers and create fans? Positioning. Understanding who you are as a brand and how you’re making customers’ lives better—then communicating that uniqueness in a way that resonates with your audience. Here’s how:

1. Really Get to Know Your Customers

Once and for all, define your audience by more than just basic demographics. You know … “buyers, primarily male, 30-55, college grads, located in the southwestern U.S.” Get more specific.

• What are their pasttimes?
• What groups do they belong to?
• How do they like to communicate?
• What’s their favorite blog or eNews?
• What do they fear or dread?
• What do they love/hate most about their job?

These little details can make a big difference in HOW and WHEN you share information and in how they respond. Get inside your customers’ heads to build a better thru-way to their hearts.

2. Uncover Your Brand’s Story

For HP® it was the legendary garage. For Nike® it was Phil Knight and a waffle iron. For FELT®, it was a girl, a Mac and a dream to help companies communicate more effectively. What’s your story? Revisit your brand’s DNA and take advantage of the rich threads of your fiber. Chances are, those are a big part of what made you great.

One of my favorite stories is that of Craig Sommerfeld, the founder of Kreg® Tool Company. By developing a specialized jig, Sommerfeld reinvented the way woodworkers and contractors join wood—and positioned Kreg as the leader in Pocket Hole Technology.

Kreg® doesn’t just have customers, they have a loyal following. Fans. They “Get you started. Keep it simple. And help you grow.” Their success starts with their story, but doesn’t stop after the sale. Kreg® is saying something different. Uncover your brand’s story and SHARE IT.

3. Connect the Dots

Think about your brand’s story—its uniqueness—in the context of your customers’ wants and needs. Find that all-important connection and you go from generalist to specialist, lickety split. You have the basis for a new marketing message, a positioning statement that can serve as a guide for all your marketing efforts; maybe even a whole new category.

What’s the best vehicle for communicating your positioning? Your tagline, website, catalog and ad campaigns are logical places to start. But let your message be your guide: Is it more motivating to see a tool or watch a tool in action on video? And don’t forget your audience research. If your buyers are congregating in online user forums or flocking to demos on the trade show floor, look for opportunities to be heard. Sponsorships, community involvement and outreach are just a few. Then say something new.
………………………………………………

Apple®. Dell®. Target®. Titleist®. Volkswagen®. Great brands that are truly interested in leading their customers are doing so by positioning themselves as specialists, then conveying that expertise through genuine, intelligent and engaging conversations. They talk with their audience, not at them. And they’re chosen based on benefit, NOT on price.

Are you leading or following?

Here’s to saying something new ABOUT YOUR BRAND.

Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

10 Ways To Create A Sensation Around Your Brand – Part 4

July 15, 2010

CREATE CONNECTION -
Bond with your customers,
and keep them

Lest you worry that this installment in our e-series is about hugs and warm fuzzies—which aren’t exactly common in the building products industry—let’s begin with a definition: A connection is a feeling of understanding and ease of communication between two or more people.

Connecting with customers is more about earning their trust than selling them your products. In years past I saw a lot more “selling” than “connecting” taking place in this industry, but that’s all changing. It’s exciting to see that some B2B marketing execs have already embraced this concept and are running with it.

I recently interviewed Michael Williams of Festool, a company competing on quality and value over price. Festool connects with customers through education, training 400 dealer staff and more than 100 end-users a year on the best uses and applications of their products.

“The Festool Training Program, the online Festool Owners Group, and more and more our monthly email newsletter, SysNotes, are our most important means for building strong and lasting relationships with our customers,” Michael said. “Mainly, this is due to the very personal and genuine nature of these programs.” So how can you connect customers with your brand in a meaningful way? Try these ideas:

Host a shindig.

Invite small groups of customers (and prospects) over for lunch, a tour, a product demo. Spend time getting to know each of them and their needs, and follow up to see if there’s a need you can fill.

Show your appreciation.

Thank your regular customers with special perks, exclusive sales or even barbeques in their honor. And don’t forget that a simple, handwritten postcard can make a powerful connection—and it won’t get lost in a sea of email.

Share your expertise.

Offer to do a product knowledge session at a customer’s location; they can invite some of their key customers to attend. Share information you glean from industry conferences or workshops. And pack your e-newsletter with practical tips your customer can use.

Make it personal.

Create a simple database to store information about your customers—what they buy, how they like to be reached, personal interests and other information you can use in future conversations and mailings.

Build a community.

Include on your homepage an invitation to subscribe to your e-newsletter. Use Twitter® and Facebook® to start conversations around a particular product or line. And use social media to create a customer community around their interests (and your products) a la the Festool Owners Group.

Keep in touch.

Communicating with your customers year round—using all the available tools—demonstrates commitment and care.

Go the extra mile.

Look for ways to deliver more value—email alerts on the status of orders, longer business hours for customer service, or another product or service your customers will appreciate. Make resolving issues your first priority, and put price and $$ second; your customers will walk away feeling like they come first.

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Above all, keep in touch. Communicate with your customers year round, using all the available tools. Brands that stay connected cultivate loyalty (but that’s next month’s topic).

Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.

Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment

10 Ways to Create a Sensation Around Your Brand – Part 2

May 20, 2010

CREATE CURIOSITY -
Never Be Boring

 

A common assumption in B2B marketing—particularly so in the building products industry—is that because you’re reaching out to abusiness instead of a consumer, you don’t need to be “creative.” Or different. And certainly not fun.

Just inform the target audience that you’ve been in business for 50 years, you have what they need, your prices are fair—and the orders will come. Right?

Not in today’s competitive, cinch-this-belt-any-tighter-and-I’ll-stop-breathing market. The simple truth: Boring brands don’t spring to mind first when there’s a need. The ones that do have interesting things to say, and do so in a way that resonates. They’re perceived as dynamic, relevant and authoritative.

So how do you become the interesting brand? So interesting that customers and prospects are curious to see what you’ll say or do next?

For starters, say and do things regularly.

Introduce new products. Issue special offers or discounts (a different one each month?). Hold product demos in your trade show booth. And communicate with your target audience about what you’re doing at least once a month—via e-mail, snail mail, social media or blog. In other words, get on their radar and stay there.

Shift to customer-centered advertising.

Instead of talking about the company behind the product, focus on the benefit to the customer. And be thematic. We created an ad campaign for Würth USA, depicting product benefits—the sharpness of a blade, the speed of a degreaser and the accuracy of a fastener—in an unexpected way. (see the campaign.) The ads still honored Würth USA’s 40-year history in the maintenance and repair industry, but the primary focus was on the product and the user. The campaign increased brand awareness in the U.S. by 14% in the first year.

Leave a popcorn trail of information.

Be THE source for useful information about the building products you sell: Create lists of top sellers in specific product categories. Survey your customers about a hot topic and share the results. Produce a video or slide show demonstrating how to use a new product. Identify the greenest products in your line and show applications for them.

Dispense this information via your e-newsletter or blog or social media channels, then archive it on your website in an organized way that’s easy to navigate. Soon you’ll have a library of information your customers want and need—one they’ll return to again and again.

Give it a name.

Introducing a new product? Don’t just identify it: urethane resin flexible mouldings. Give it an identity: Valuflex™. (Incidentally, this moulding from EL & EL Wood Products was used by a contractor in my own home, and I love the results. Would I have remembered “urethane resin flexible moulding” and mentioned it here? Probably not.)

Products aren’t the only nameable aspects of your brand. Instead of “July’s Special Offer,” try something like “July’s Things-You-Can’t- Live-Without Sales Event.” Your blog, e-newsletter, and the online library mentioned above could also benefit from memorable, brand-centric names.

Use social media to leak the story.

Remember that new product you’re about to introduce? The one with the intriguing and memorable name? Pique curiosity before the launch with a teaserly Tweet such as: “Coming June 1st … the most innovative accessory yet for fine cabinetry and furniture manufacturers.” Closer to launch, post photos of the product on your Facebook page. Use LinkedIn to conduct a poll related to the product, then share the results.

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Social media is an easy and effective tool for communicating with customers and prospects. If you’re not yet taking advantage of these tools—and you haven’t yet created a strategy to apply them to your business—we can help. Look for your copy of “Social Marketing 2.0 – Advanced Tips for Building Products Professionals” to arrive via regular mail later this month.

Remember, there are people like you and me behind those businesses you’re marketing to—people who respond to brand messages on an intellectual and emotional level. Keep them interested (read: curious) and they’ll keep you top of mind.

Here’s to creating a sensation! Let’s get started.

Allison DeFord, Trailblazer
allison@felteverywhere.com

Allison DeFord POSTED BY: Allison DeFord| 1 Comment