Red Zone Marketing's Blog

There Are Only 2 Reasons Your Marketing Isn’t Working

In business, the root of success and failure can often be very complex. However, when you break down marketing successes and failures, there are only 2 reasons a service-based business is not having desired success. 

1) You have the wrong people implementing the strategy

2) You just have the wrong strategy

More often than not we are wasting time and resources fixing the wrong problems.

The wrong people implementing the strategy. Sometimes, you have to look toward your team to determine why your strategy is ineffective. Where are the holes in your process? Do you have a system in place for carrying out the various elements of your strategy? I received a call from a financial advisor last month with a “strategy” issue about the public workshops he was hosting. He had people attending his workshop, he received high evaluations on the presentation, and 75% said they would like more information or a meeting. However, very few ever turned into an appointment or sale. He was convinced that the wrong people were attending, and considering discontinuing the seminars. Crazy enough, after talking with his staff, the real problem was right in front of him. His 2 staff people responsible for scheduling appointments were swamped with their day-to-day work and didn’t begin calling to schedule appointments until almost 1 week after the event. By that time there is no doubt the interest had waned. Conclusion: People problem. We don’t have the results in yet, but he mandated before his workshop last week that his staff schedule appointments at the event or the day after at the latest. He now has a full schedule of appointments for this week and next – already a big improvement!

The wrong strategy. Sometimes, no matter how many times you tweak your strategy, it is the strategy itself that is not working. It’s time to simply try something new. We often spend countless hours modifying something that will never work properly. In another case an advisor was sending out a regularly scheduled email newsletter. The content was well written, but he felt like nothing was happening since he started sending out the email newsletter 6 months earlier – no comments, calls, appointments, etc. After he took a look at the analytics on who was opening his email newsletter, it became clear that very few people were even opening his newsletter called “Retirement Talk.” Turns out, a majority of his email list was comprised of business owners and executives. They obviously weren’t seeing themselves in retirement just yet, and so weren’t even opening his email. He then selected a different email newsletter from his provider that he called “Financial Smarts… for Entrepreneurs and Professionals” and his open rate doubled and continues to go up. Conclusions: Strategy problem.

You may be thinking that these issues are obvious to pinpoint. And they are. But they happen ALL THE TIME! So, try taking a look at your marketing problems in a simpler way. The answer is often right in front of you.

Why Nobody Reads Your Brochure (or any other marketing materials)

I’ve been trying for years to determine why some marketing, in general, is simply not effective. In fact, sometimes marketing has the exact opposite effect than what is desired. Case in point - the company brochure. Some firms work for hours, days, and months to create the perfect brochure with the best writing and layout. Yet later they discover that they could have inserted a swear word inside without a single person noticing (I don’t actually recommend trying such a thing though). Why don’t they bother reading this piece that you poured your creative blood sweat and tears into?

The objective of most marketing collateral is to present a distinctive company filled with unique benefits that a customer needs and wants. Ultimately, the goal is to have a brochure so compelling in nature that people read through it and then decide they HAVE to do business with the firm! But the reality is, people aren’t reading most brochures (or other marketing materials, for that matter) because they know exactly why it is being presented to them. To “sell” them.

A brochure or even your website, filled with perfectly created marketing phrases and pictures of models and ocean waves hitting the shore, certainly are aesthetically pleasing. But in order to compel people to read your brochure and find out more about your firm, your message must sound and be authentic. That is truly attractive. Marketing today should be…

…as authentic as you are. The words you use should be the words your clients and prospects would use to describe their challenges, solutions and benefits. Not perfect words and perfect pictures.  People want to work with someone they are comfortable with, someone they can trust. In sales, less of the pitch and more of the informal conversational approach has proven to be more successful. And that’s what we need more of today.

We are attracted to real, authentic marketing and portrayals of what you do and who you are.  So, take out the perfect-ness to your marketing and replace it with you. Create a blog with your words, use real pictures, create a video. Show them the real you. You may be surprised at how much more attractive you are – without any of the fluff!

People Do Business With You…But Why?

Why do people do business with you? Is it because of WHAT you do or is it because of WHY you do it? According to author and thought leader Simon Sinek, people buy the “why.”

Over the past few weeks I’ve been asking clients and other professionals their “why.” Many times it doesn’t seem clearly defined. I do believe the “why” is critically important in business, and if you watch Sinek’s short lecture on TED video, you may see a different perspective on its importance too.

In this TED video, Sinek explains what he believes to be the reason for Apple’s constant innovations and their repeated successes. It is not because they had some unique access to talented people, advertising, consultants or the media. Sinek makes a case that it's all about the messaging. While most companies explain that they make great products, Apple is unique in that they begin by telling the consumer “why” they make their products.

If Apple communicated like most of us, their message would sound something like this, Sinek says: "We make great computers. They're beautifully designed, simple to use, and user friendly. Want to buy one?"

Instead, according to Sinek, Apple is actually telling us: “Everything we do, we believe in challenging the status quo. We believe in thinking differently. The way we challenge the status quo is by making our products beautifully designed, simple to use and user friendly. We just happen to make great computers. Want to buy one?”

Sinek says, "All the great and inspiring leaders and organizations in the world, whether it's Apple, or Martin Luther King or the Wright brothers - they all think, act and communicate the exact same way."
I believe a compelling “why” exists in many businesses – it just needs to be clarified first.

Red Zone Marketing’s “Why”: We focus our efforts on finding simple, common sense and inexpensive alternatives to creating growth in a business. We are committed to designing smart marketing strategies – not the flashiest or most complex. We use our focus to design, plan and implement sustainable marketing strategies proven to compel others to WANT to buy.

The Power of Planning: It Pays!

In the book, What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School, Mark McCormack refers to a study conducted on students in the 1979 Harvard MBA program. In the study, students were asked, "Have you set clear, written goals for your future, and made plans to accomplish them?" Only three percent of the graduates had written goals and plans; 13 percent had goals but they were not in writing; and 84 percent had no specific goals at all.

Ten years later, the members of the class were interviewed again, and the findings were shocking. The 13 percent of the class who had goals were earning on average twice as much as the 84 percent who had no goals at all. And what about the three percent who had clear, written goals? They were earning on average ten times as much as the other 97 percent all together.

Setting goals and planning your path for bringing in new sales for 2011 may not be a lot of fun and can feel slightly overwhelming. Most feel they can survive just fine without planning. But the fact is, you will NOT have fewer sales and less profits when you plan. It is really a win-win for you and your 2011 results.

With 2010 coming to a quick close, it is not too late to plan out your marketing for 2011. At Red Zone Marketing we have been working with many firms helping them plan their strategy and actions for 2011. BUT, you don’t have to hire a firm to do this! There are a few tools we have created that can help you get your planning moving forward (including one for FREE!).

1.  A FREE Holiday Gift for Marketing Audibles subscribers. Click here for your free download of the Red Zone Marketing Action Plan template that we use with clients to help plan, visualize and hold everyone accountable for marketing activities. It is a tool that allows you to keep all of your marketing activities organized so you can implement systematically. This is a great way to keep you focused on others in the New Year!

2.  The Marketing Planning Guide: The Marketing Planning Guide for Building Your Best Growth Plan for 2011 is your Marketing Formula for Success in an immediate download of a 65-page, complete marketing plan template, for attracting your best clients. A step-by-step plan that walks you through thinking about and planning YOUR strategy for all the critical aspects of marketing, planning, and the actions you will take to move to your next level.

Enter code PLAN2011 when checking out to receive an exclusive discount for Marketing Audibles subscribers.

Better to Give than to be Grateful

I received 3 email newsletters this week where the authors share with their readers all that they are grateful for. And although it is certainly good to be grateful, it seems to me that something is missing – a focus on others. I do understand that we find ourselves reflecting and thinking about what we are grateful for during this time of year. However, when truly connecting with others (in conversation, in a sales situation, in an email newsletter, etc) it is much more about how they feel than how you feel. And how we impact the way they feel is the critical differentiator in business.

How do I make it about how they feel?

Wise people have long said that it is better to give than to receive. Why? Because ultimately, impact comes from what you are doing for the other person, not what you have done. So, in keeping in this spirit and following those much wiser than me, I offer to you today a holiday gift that I hope will help with your marketing in 2011.

Click here for your free download of the Red Zone Marketing Action Plan template that we use with clients to help plan, visualize and hold everyone accountable for marketing activities. It is a tool that allows you to keep all of your marketing activities organized so you can implement systematically. This is a great way to keep you focused on others in the New Year! 

I’m sure you can imagine if I’m grateful or not – but I suspect you won’t spend too much time considering it. Thank you and Happy Holidays!

The 3 Elements of Infomercials Every Business Should Employ

 

 

Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing 

Infomercials help brands sell over four billion dollars of products and services every year. While some members of the advertising industry view infomercials as second-rate campaigns, in general, they work. That’s why they are on all of the time! So whether you use the medium or not, following these 3 elements of what makes them so successful is smart business.
 

1.    Infomercials build a comprehensive and convincing case. Infomercials are designed to capture viewers' mindshare, inspire them to write down their phone number, dial it, and buy. And the only way that will happen is if the infomercial works as a complete stand-alone sales presentation. The goal is to build a comprehensive and convincing case for buying by giving viewers all of the information they need to make a purchasing decision. They explain every benefit, answer all objections; and then do it again.

2.    Infomercials present testimonials to eliminate objections. Infomercials prove the worthiness of a product by showing it in action and then presenting the results with real customers. The goal is to inspire action by taking all of your objections away.  But if you can’t use testimonials in your business, don’t worry. You can still verbally explain what others have said about your service and personal touch. For example: “The best way to describe what we do is by sharing what one of our clients said last week…”

3.    Infomercials provide strong and immediate calls to action. Infomercials make a very specific offer. They don’t give you lots of options or choices to customize; instead, they make the recommendation easy to understand. You essentially have only two choices: buy, or don’t buy.  And to get you to act right away, the offer is typically doubled, or accompanied by an additional free product.

Do you build a convincing case, eliminate objections and make a specific offer? If not, it may be a great time to test out the proven methods of infomercials. Why? Because they work!
 

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Is Your Marketing Authentic?

 

 

Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing 

Do you think politicians are authentic? How about financial advisors? What about the way you present your business?  Do you take an approach that is genuine to who you are?

Many people assume that their marketing has to be a hard push to get people to take action.  Relying on tactics that strike fear in their audience or attack their competition, instead of taking an approach that highlights who they are, and what their business offers others.

Why does being authentic make such a big impact on your business?

People who are authentic, genuine and real are usually at ease because they’re not trying to cover anything up. In turn, being at ease puts others at ease. Authenticity is giving others the idea that what you see is what you get.  Real people are easy to be around because you feel safe knowing that you can trust what they say.

Marketing should be as authentic as you are. The words you use should be the words your clients and prospects would use to describe their challenges, solutions and benefits. Not perfect words and perfect pictures – your words, their words and authentic pictures. We are attracted to real, authentic marketing and portrayals of what you do and who you are. 

In politics and in business, people want to vote for or work with someone they are comfortable with, someone they can trust. In sales, less of the memorized pitch and more of the informal conversational approach has proven to be more successful. Why? Because it is authentic. And that’s what we need more of today.

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Marketing Botox

 

 

Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing 

Botox is not a permanent solution to aging and wrinkles. It is a superficial fix and after a few months the same old wrinkles reappear. There is often the urge for a similar approach to marketing efforts. Many businesses are looking for a quick fix to bring on new business fast. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with a quick fix. But if you have a quick fix, you end up doing it over and over again instead of getting to the root of the issue and developing a longer term strategy-based solution.

We look at one main indicator to determine the health of the business, and ultimately it is quite simple.

The indicator: Are you getting as many qualified referrals as you believe you deserve?

When you evaluate your ability to generate referrals you are taking a look at the core of your business and the strength of your business relationships. Relationships tell so much about longevity and success. Marketing tactics may generate new business, but typically, the most powerful strategy for new business in a service-based firm is one that most don’t even consider a marketing tactic. Generating referrals is a marketing strategy and it is gives a clear look deep into a business.

If a business is lacking referrals, the first reaction may be to look outside of the client base to attract new clients by advertising, sending out direct mail, conducting workshops, etc.  The best plan of action may be to use some quick fix strategies, while at the same time looking more in depth at the business. Evaluate and improve the service, the communication, the interactions, the web presence, presentation of your benefits, and ultimately the ability to generate referrals. Marketing Botox alone will rarely get a business where they want to go – but it sure will keep you busy. Busy thinking of new quick fixes to your business challenges.

 

Thank you to the staff of Red Zone Marketing: Representing my staff of 7, on Saturday Jolene and Denise showed up at my house and completely surprised me with beautiful roses and an ice cream cake…for Bosses Day! They know the direct path to my heart! It was better than my Birthday (I didn’t have to get older to get gifts ☺), and I didn’t even know it was Bosses Day last week! Thank you, thank you! 

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More Isn’t Always Better

Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing

I’ve often heard – if we could only afford to send out more pieces of mail, have more events, do more advertising and marketing – then we would have everything!

It seems logical, you do more to get more, but it isn’t always right. At Red Zone Marketing, we often roll out new products and offerings. In September we rolled out Red Zone University. We started in August by promoting it using the More-Is-Better philosophy to let as many people know about our newest and most comprehensive offering. I personally worked for years developing specific content that now lives inside our University. And of course, we wanted to generate a big buzz! What happened, however, is success and failure at the same exact time.

We certainly accomplished our goal of getting many people interested in Red Zone University and we surpassed our goals and nearly filled up the University subscriptions (SUCCESS). But to do that we sent out a series of individual emails in a direct response campaign…probably 10 or more emails than people wanted to get (FAIL). Many of the people in our email list I have met personally, they have heard me speak, or have read one of my books. It was like we were sending a slew of emails to a good friend or long time acquaintance – which is entirely unexpected and unnecessary for such a relationship.

Some people were offended that a marketing firm they trusted was doing such heavy marketing...to them. There was a disconnect between what they expected and what we did. That was where we slid from More-Is-Better - to - More-Is-Definitely-NOT-Better. So although we accomplished our goal to have many people join the university (original purpose), we ultimately over did it (not our intention).  My apologies to those of you who were bothered by our campaign for Red Zone University.  I am sorry.

And, as much as I love the good buzz, having new clients to serve, and having people taking advantage of all the wealth of content -- the bad buzz for me negates the good. Learn from our mistakes, and don’t over market to those that know you. They will think you’ve lost your mind ☺

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Killing Your Competition with (Client) Kindness

Blog from Maribeth Kuzmeski of Red Zone Marketing

Five Core Principles for Turning Clients and Prospects into Raving Fans

Once upon a time customer service meant more than pressing 2 to wait (and wait and wait) for “the next available representative.” Companies valued those who bought their goods and services and went the proverbial extra mile to make them happy. Today we’re more likely to hear about a company that’s ripped off its customers.

Failing to make your customers happy is more than a shame. It’s slow-motion corporate suicide. If you want to make it in today’s crowded, recession-wracked market, you absolutely must create clients and customers who rave about your company the way they would their favorite sports team.

Obviously, making raving fans out of your clients is easier said than done. If it were easy, then corporate giants that have plenty of money to throw at such a concept would be overrun with happy customers.

In my new book, …And the Clients Went Wild! How Savvy Professionals Win All the Business They Want (Wiley, 2010, www.AndTheClientsWentWild.com), I lay out a blueprint for cultivating loyal clients and generating growing sales through a collection of principles and tactics that have proven successful for others in business.  These businesses have effectively created a loyal following of passionate vocal clients, and with the execution of these principles, you can too.

1st Principle: What Are YOU Doing That No One Else Is Doing? In order to gain exposure, it helps to be or to offer something unique—or do something that no one else dares. It’s true that standing out from the crowd is probably the riskiest of the five principles. However, it may be equally risky to run a conservative, “under‐the‐radar” firm these days—you risk becoming an anachronism. While successful firms stick to their values, they also find ways to be so exciting that people don’t have a choice but to pay attention…and buy.

2nd Principle: Focus Your Marketing on Benefits, Results, and a Call to Action. Another way to gain success is to ensure you are answering the question, What’s really in it for me? for your clients. Too many businesses accentuate the features of their products or services rather than the benefits—what your clients really care about. “Open 24 Hours” is a feature. Benefits are value statements about the features of a product or service, with an emphasis on what the customer gets. For example, a benefit might be that a product makes you look slimmer or saves lots of money on gas. Too many companies leave it up to their prospects to figure out the benefits of their products or services.

3rd Principle: Go Viral! A viral message is an idea, notion, or practice that’s transmitted from person to person through speech, gestures, the internet, email, or other media. It ignites and motivates people to move the message. Most viral marketing programs give away valuable products or services to attract attention—free benefits, information, software programs, or downloads. It’s essential that you do everything possible to make it easier for people to access information or material that may go viral.

4th Principle: Leverage Your Business Network for Incremental Growth. It takes a plan, but using your network—business and otherwise—can be the miracle alternative to the typical grind of cold calls and prospecting. A productive business network is filled with respected, well-connected, influential people—called “Centers of Influence”—that share your target market and have a complementary rather than a competing service or product. You can capitalize on these connections by creating strategic alliances or by simply sharing your networks and making referrals.

5th Principle: The Ability to Execute Is Critically Important to Your Game Plan. In today’s fast‐moving, completely networked world, superior execution is clearly driving success for business. Small business owners are great at adopting many new marketing ideas. What they are not so great at is finishing. The best marketing strategy is the one you can pull off completely.

Perhaps more than ever before people want to do business with those they feel they can trust. They are attracted to businesses they feel will go out of their way to provide them the absolute best products or services available. And the absolute best way to elicit that trust in prospects is by having clients who cheer you on at every turn. So, don’t waste another second waiting to develop a marketing plan that will influence your clients to go wild for you.

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