The Achilles heel of most small business owners is sales, especially cold calling. I hear this time and time again so this blog and next month's, I am addressing this very important topic.
My friend and colleague, Gene D'Agostino has graciously shared his lifelong knowledge of sales with you here. Gene is the former VP of TEM Associates a sales training organization. I can personally attest to his expertise as I was one of his students.
Here, we whet your appetite with some Common Sales Mistakes made by both sales & non-sales professionals.
Next time we'll tackle attitudes & techniques that will assist you in developing a systematic sales approach - one that can be used for "cold calls," leaving voicemails that get returned, holding your price and navigating through multiple decision-makers. So whether your business-to-business, or business-to-consumer you will learn easy to apply sales techniques that will help you grow your bottom line.
So, let's begin.
The dreaded sales call - Part One (Stay tuned next month for Part Two)
Ask anyone if they like making sales calls & my guess is 99% of non sales professionals say they'd rather swallow daggers than pick up the phone to make a sales call - especially make a cold call. But yet, so much can be accomplished by simply picking up the phone. When you consider the cost of marketing, you have to admit that making a phone call is awfully affordable. So why don't more small business owners do it? Why do so many put it off for so long?
Well, what I discovered for myself was that I had the absolute wrong mindset. You simply MUST believe that you are selling something valuable & when sales is done right, it has a better ROI than most other marketing techniques.
Like everything else in life it is important to have a plan for your efforts. Without your own selling system you will default to the prospects' intentions. So many times buyer & seller are just dancing in the dark, not sure about their respective roles or responsibilities. This is called "mutual mystification." We'll help you overcome that as well as create the major concepts of a sales system.
The first concept in a sales system is to focus on the customer. In Gene's more than 35 years selling, he says "Most salespeople think they're focusing on customer needs, but they're simply waiting for a break in the conversation to jump in with their canned 'benefits' speech." Ah, so true. We've all experienced this whether we're buying a house, a car, advertising, or a complex software solution for our business. We're being 'sold' & we hate it - we want to 'buy' instead.
The second concept is that you must get the prospect emotionally involved. People (yes, even business people) make their decisions emotionally & then justify them intellectually. You know "Wow! Those $250 shoes [that you'll wear maybe twice] are only $99!"
And lastly, a good salesperson must interrupt patterns. If you move and sound and act just like every other salesperson your prospect has encountered in the past, you will get the same kind of run around those who came before you did. If you act differently, you'll get different results. Results that bring you success.
Mistake #1 - They TALK instead of LISTEN - Too many salespeople monopolize the time they have in front of a prospect by talking too much. The 80/20 Rule of Marketing applies to Sales too. Salespeople should talk just 20% of the time, while allowing their prospects to talk 80% of the time.
Mistake #2 - They PRESUME instead of ASKING QUESTIONS - Salespeople tend to think they have all the answers. Learn to ask questions early on so that you fully understand their problem. Then offer the right solution to them that fits. Imagine you are a doctor writing a prescription. You would listen to your patient before writing a prescription to fix their ills. Same here.
Mistake #3 - They answer UNASKED QUESTIONS - For example, your prospect says "Your price is high", but that is not a question. Before you start talking about value or quality - or worse - lower your price, get to heart of the issue.
Mistake #4 - They fail to get the prospect to reveal their BUDGET UP FRONT - Before you get so tied up in investing time (both yours as well as your prospects) you MUST get to the tough question "Is your prospect ready, willing & able to financially commit to solving their problem?" If yes, you're ready to begin the discussion in earnest, if not, then you're setting yourself up for the age-old standard reply "I'll think about it" which can drag on for a very long time, waste far too much of your time & make you look bad.
Mistake #5 - They make TOO MANY follow up calls - Stop wasting time chasing a dead sale. If the prospect hasn't returned your calls or emails just leave it & move on. Remember that you will never close 100% of your prospects - often for reasons that are beyond your control. Put your energies towards qualified prospects only.
Stay tuned for #6 - #10 in next blog!
© 2015. All Rights Reserved. This blog uses CopyScape.com to protect against plagiarism.
Friday, April 24, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Celebrate National Small Business Week
Plan now for your Small Business Week campaign.
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Friday, March 27, 2015
Small Business Sales Tips - Part One
The Achilles heel of most small business owners is sales, especially cold calling. I hear this time and time again. So I've asked my friend and colleague, Gene D'Agostino, a sales trainer to share his lifelong knowledge of sales with me here. I can personally attest to his expertise as I was one of his students.
The dreaded sales call - Part One
Ask anyone if they like making sales calls & my guess is 99% of non sales professionals say they'd rather swallow daggers than pick up the phone to make a sales call - especially make a cold call. But yet, so much can be accomplished by simply picking up the phone. When you consider the cost of marketing, you have to admit that making a phone call is awfully affordable. So why don't more small business owners do it? Why do so many put it off for so long?
Well, what I discovered for myself was that I had the absolute wrong mindset. You simply MUST believe that you are selling something valuable & when done right, has a better ROI than most other marketing techniques.
I'm covering 5 of the Top Ten Most Common Mistakes that people make when making sales calls. Stay tuned for the second half in my next blog post.
Mistake #1 - They TALK instead of LISTEN
Too many salespeople monopolize the time they have in front of a prospect by talking too much. The 80/20 Rule of Marketing applies to Sales too. Salespeople should talk just 20% of the time, while allowing their prospects to talk 80% of the time.
Mistake #2 - They PRESUME instead of ASKING QUESTIONS
Salespeople tend to think they have all the answers. Learn to ask questions early on so that you fully understand their problem. Then offer the right solution to them that fits. Imagine you are a doctor writing a prescription. You would listen to your patient before writing a prescription to fix their ills. Same here.
Mistake #3 - They answer UNASKED QUESTIONS
For example, your prospect says "Your price is high," but that is not a question. Before you start talking about value or quality - or worse - lower your price get to heart of the issue.
Mistake #4 - They fail to get the prospect to reveal their BUDGET UPFRONT
Before you get so tied up in investing time (both yours as well as your prospects) you MUST get to the tough question "is your prospect ready, willing & able to financially commit to solving their problem." If yes, you're ready to begin the discussion in earnest, if not, then you're setting yourself up for the age-old standard reply "I'll think about it" which can drag on for a very long time.
Mistake #5 - They make TOO MANY follow up calls
Stop wasting time chasing a dead sale. If the prospect hasn't returned your calls or emails just leave it & move on. Remember that you will never close 100% of your prospects - often for reasons that are beyond your control. Put your energies towards qualified prospects only.
Remember, that marketing TODAY keeps you in business for TOMORROW. Contact us today to ask about My Affordable Marketing Plan TM - Small Business Marketing. Revolutionized.
©2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This newsletter uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
The dreaded sales call - Part One
Ask anyone if they like making sales calls & my guess is 99% of non sales professionals say they'd rather swallow daggers than pick up the phone to make a sales call - especially make a cold call. But yet, so much can be accomplished by simply picking up the phone. When you consider the cost of marketing, you have to admit that making a phone call is awfully affordable. So why don't more small business owners do it? Why do so many put it off for so long?
Well, what I discovered for myself was that I had the absolute wrong mindset. You simply MUST believe that you are selling something valuable & when done right, has a better ROI than most other marketing techniques.
I'm covering 5 of the Top Ten Most Common Mistakes that people make when making sales calls. Stay tuned for the second half in my next blog post.
Mistake #1 - They TALK instead of LISTEN
Too many salespeople monopolize the time they have in front of a prospect by talking too much. The 80/20 Rule of Marketing applies to Sales too. Salespeople should talk just 20% of the time, while allowing their prospects to talk 80% of the time.
Mistake #2 - They PRESUME instead of ASKING QUESTIONS
Salespeople tend to think they have all the answers. Learn to ask questions early on so that you fully understand their problem. Then offer the right solution to them that fits. Imagine you are a doctor writing a prescription. You would listen to your patient before writing a prescription to fix their ills. Same here.
Mistake #3 - They answer UNASKED QUESTIONS
For example, your prospect says "Your price is high," but that is not a question. Before you start talking about value or quality - or worse - lower your price get to heart of the issue.
Mistake #4 - They fail to get the prospect to reveal their BUDGET UPFRONT
Before you get so tied up in investing time (both yours as well as your prospects) you MUST get to the tough question "is your prospect ready, willing & able to financially commit to solving their problem." If yes, you're ready to begin the discussion in earnest, if not, then you're setting yourself up for the age-old standard reply "I'll think about it" which can drag on for a very long time.
Mistake #5 - They make TOO MANY follow up calls
Stop wasting time chasing a dead sale. If the prospect hasn't returned your calls or emails just leave it & move on. Remember that you will never close 100% of your prospects - often for reasons that are beyond your control. Put your energies towards qualified prospects only.
Remember, that marketing TODAY keeps you in business for TOMORROW. Contact us today to ask about My Affordable Marketing Plan TM - Small Business Marketing. Revolutionized.
©2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC. All Rights Reserved.
This newsletter uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
Friday, March 6, 2015
The ever-important timing consideration of small business marketing
Marketers should take a cue from stand-up comedians - Timing is everything!
The other day I spoke with a small business owner to review his marketing campaign that fell flat. He & his partners wanted to know what could be done to improve their efforts in the future. As we're reviewing the piece on the phone I asked "when did this launch?" I found out they emailed school superintendents the first week of school. Ah ha!
They had the target correct, the offer was pretty good, but boy was their timing off. So let's talk about the relationship between timing and marketing success.
Keep reading & you too will see why it matters very much WHEN you market - even if it's to the right audience.
Most marketing campaigns begin by applying the standard formula for success:
60% audience; 30% offer; 10% design
So where does the timing factor fall? I say it's a portion of the 60% because if your audience doesn't get your offer when they're ready to purchase then it's a wasted effort, no matter how good the offer is.
1. Industry Timing - My client's case in point is a perfect example of this. Decision makers at schools are otherwise distracted during the first few weeks of a new school year, so it is not the best time to get their attention. Similarly, consumers won't be installing pools in February, so you must know the best time to get the attention of the target decision makers. If you're marketing to a new industry segment, educate yourself by doing your homework so that you don't waste efforts.
2. Channel Timing - Brand Mechanics recently published a detailed analysis of the 10 best times of day/week for social media marketing. Some of their findings are common sense, others were a bit of a surprise to me. For example, as I wrote in the email chapter of my book, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are typically the best days to email B2B, while Thursdays and Fridays are best for B2C. But, I hadn't known that the highest percentage of Facebook shares happen beginning Friday evening and all day Saturday. And, Bitly says that most B2B links are clicked weekdays in the 11AM hour.
3. Time of Day - Yes, this matters too. Salespeople know that you don't call prospects first thing in the morning, but did you know that a blogs best times and highest read rates are early morning? For emails too timing is important. The best open rates for B2B are between 11AM-2PM during peak days.
4. Lifecycle Timing - Also called "triggers" there are certain events that would naturally trigger purchases. These include buying a new home or having a baby. Getting to these folks at the time they need your products & services is crucial to your success. Selling furniture? Purchase new homeowner lists in your target zip codes. Selling diapers? Advertise on the new mommy blogs, or partner with a local hospital. Consider Facebook's advertiser tool called "real time" marketing. One of their best case studies comes from a wedding photography studio. The studio tested putting an ad on a user's page as soon as they changed their status to "engaged." The company claims that with just a few hundred dollars' investment, they've made many thousands of dollars by getting to newly engaged folks before their competitors could.
5. Event Timing - If you're having a seminar, workshop, or special event consider 6 weeks' notice, with email follow-ups at two week intervals as the date gets closer. The day before you should plan on sending a final reminder too. I recently received an email inviting me to a seminar the very next day. Not good timing & I wonder how many folks showed up.
6. Two-Step Follow-Ups - One shot marketing almost never works, so how do you plan your follow up touches to maximize response rates? Consider that each channel is handled differently, so follow these industry guidelines for the two most common prospecting channels:
• Direct Mail - follow up with a phone call within two weeks
• Direct Mail - follow up with a second mailing within four weeks
• Email - follow up with a phone call within three business days
• Email - follow up with a second email within two weeks
7. Holiday Timing - It seems that retailers are always one season ahead & while consumer may not respond right away, it makes their to-do list & acts as a reminder. There will always be those that are on top of gift/card giving, but consider those last-minute shoppers that you can appeal to as well. And, remember there are many holidays that marketing can play upon if it makes sense for your business. For example, Arbor Day for a landscaping firm or tax deadline dates for financial professionals.
A few final words on timing:
-Before planning a big event Google the date to be sure it doesn't conflict with something else in your area, especially if the same audience would be interested in both.
-When doing your marketing planning for the following year, get out a calendar & plan for each one not just by launch date, but also by adding follow up efforts so you can better plan for budgeting & project management.
Marketing TODAY keeps you in business for TOMORROW.
Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
The other day I spoke with a small business owner to review his marketing campaign that fell flat. He & his partners wanted to know what could be done to improve their efforts in the future. As we're reviewing the piece on the phone I asked "when did this launch?" I found out they emailed school superintendents the first week of school. Ah ha!
They had the target correct, the offer was pretty good, but boy was their timing off. So let's talk about the relationship between timing and marketing success.
Keep reading & you too will see why it matters very much WHEN you market - even if it's to the right audience.
Most marketing campaigns begin by applying the standard formula for success:
60% audience; 30% offer; 10% design
So where does the timing factor fall? I say it's a portion of the 60% because if your audience doesn't get your offer when they're ready to purchase then it's a wasted effort, no matter how good the offer is.
1. Industry Timing - My client's case in point is a perfect example of this. Decision makers at schools are otherwise distracted during the first few weeks of a new school year, so it is not the best time to get their attention. Similarly, consumers won't be installing pools in February, so you must know the best time to get the attention of the target decision makers. If you're marketing to a new industry segment, educate yourself by doing your homework so that you don't waste efforts.
2. Channel Timing - Brand Mechanics recently published a detailed analysis of the 10 best times of day/week for social media marketing. Some of their findings are common sense, others were a bit of a surprise to me. For example, as I wrote in the email chapter of my book, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are typically the best days to email B2B, while Thursdays and Fridays are best for B2C. But, I hadn't known that the highest percentage of Facebook shares happen beginning Friday evening and all day Saturday. And, Bitly says that most B2B links are clicked weekdays in the 11AM hour.
3. Time of Day - Yes, this matters too. Salespeople know that you don't call prospects first thing in the morning, but did you know that a blogs best times and highest read rates are early morning? For emails too timing is important. The best open rates for B2B are between 11AM-2PM during peak days.
4. Lifecycle Timing - Also called "triggers" there are certain events that would naturally trigger purchases. These include buying a new home or having a baby. Getting to these folks at the time they need your products & services is crucial to your success. Selling furniture? Purchase new homeowner lists in your target zip codes. Selling diapers? Advertise on the new mommy blogs, or partner with a local hospital. Consider Facebook's advertiser tool called "real time" marketing. One of their best case studies comes from a wedding photography studio. The studio tested putting an ad on a user's page as soon as they changed their status to "engaged." The company claims that with just a few hundred dollars' investment, they've made many thousands of dollars by getting to newly engaged folks before their competitors could.
5. Event Timing - If you're having a seminar, workshop, or special event consider 6 weeks' notice, with email follow-ups at two week intervals as the date gets closer. The day before you should plan on sending a final reminder too. I recently received an email inviting me to a seminar the very next day. Not good timing & I wonder how many folks showed up.
6. Two-Step Follow-Ups - One shot marketing almost never works, so how do you plan your follow up touches to maximize response rates? Consider that each channel is handled differently, so follow these industry guidelines for the two most common prospecting channels:
• Direct Mail - follow up with a phone call within two weeks
• Direct Mail - follow up with a second mailing within four weeks
• Email - follow up with a phone call within three business days
• Email - follow up with a second email within two weeks
7. Holiday Timing - It seems that retailers are always one season ahead & while consumer may not respond right away, it makes their to-do list & acts as a reminder. There will always be those that are on top of gift/card giving, but consider those last-minute shoppers that you can appeal to as well. And, remember there are many holidays that marketing can play upon if it makes sense for your business. For example, Arbor Day for a landscaping firm or tax deadline dates for financial professionals.
A few final words on timing:
-Before planning a big event Google the date to be sure it doesn't conflict with something else in your area, especially if the same audience would be interested in both.
-When doing your marketing planning for the following year, get out a calendar & plan for each one not just by launch date, but also by adding follow up efforts so you can better plan for budgeting & project management.
Marketing TODAY keeps you in business for TOMORROW.
Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Small Business Slogan Development
This post continues with the branding theme as we go to the next step beyond logos which is having a good slogan (aka 'tagline'). A slogan or tagline is a brief sentence - or just a few words - that when located just after your company name, gives your audience a more concrete idea of what your company does. It acts like advertising in that it consistently brands your company whenever its name is used.
"Got Milk?," "Just Do It," "Mmmm Good," "The Ultimate Driving Machine," and so many others are imbedded in our minds that in fact, no brand name's mention is even necessary, we just know the company it refers to.
When I began my firm I too wanted a slogan & began tossing around several options. I settled on "big business marketing solutions for small business." For a long time I was happy with it & used it diligently on all my marketing collateral materials. Then, one day I was having a discussion with someone who saw my services as "accessible to everyone" & so I began to think that perhaps "affordable, accessible marketing for all" might be a more focused and warmer way to convey the same thing. So, after passing it by a few trusted people, I decided to make the change.
The lesson? It may take a try or two to get it right but it's worth the effort. When I go to networking meetings & say my tagline everyone gets it. It requires no explanation & invites further discussion - which is exactly what every business owner wants!
There are myriad branding companies who charge many tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to create these taglines for big corporations. But you too can affordably create a memorable, meaningful tagline that will help your audience 'get it'. Here's how:
1. Play the name game. If at all possible, try to get at least part of your company name in. This helps to reinforce your brand and helps your audience connect the name & tagline without much effort.
2. Make it benefit driven. By doing this, it makes your selling job much easier because prospects will see your company name followed by a benefit-driven tagline. By association your company will then be remembered for its benefits.
3. Ask for help. If you're not sure exactly how your audience perceives you then ask your customers, vendors, employees, prospects - even friends and family. As you begin to gather their responses you'll see a very definite pattern of words or phrases crop up consistently. These are the words you will want to incorporate into your tagline development.
4. Be specific. So many slogans have absolutely no differentiation for their intended brand. While researching this topic I read that "Simply the best" is used in 30+ company slogans. If you can easily replace your company name with your competitors, then so can your target audience! Pick something that is unique to what you do.
5. Rhyme Time. Some branding consultants say that your tagline should rhyme. This makes it impossible for anyone to substitute their own company name for yours if you add your name to it & creates a much more memorable line. Think of "See the USA in your Chevrolet" and you'll hear immediately why this works.
6. Phrase it in the positive. Research shows that if a slogan contains negative phrases, people tune out. For example, Lea & Perrins' old tagline was "Steak sauce only a cow could hate." Cute, but not positive. In fact, this conjures up strange images in my mind. Their current tagline is "Unwrap the Possibilities®". This plays off the fact that they still wrap their bottles in paper & this differentiates their product on the supermarket shelf. It also conjures up a "hmmmm" factor such that it makes you think of how else you might use the sauce (in dressings, soups, sandwiches?)
7. Keep it legal. If you absolutely, positively don't want anyone else to ever be able to steal your slogan, then you can easily protect your marketing investment by filing for a trademark. Go to www.uspto.gov for more information. But first, search the trademark database to be sure no one else has already done so.
8. Keep it short. Branding experts say that your tagline should never be more than 10 words. The fewer the words, the easier it is to remember.
9. Once it is final, use it everywhere! My tagline is at the end of my email signature block, on all my stationery & marketing collateral materials (including the banners I use for trade shows). Say it on your voicemail message, incorporate it in to your "elevator" speech used at networking meetings. The whole point is to begin to brand your company & each of these efforts will add to your success.
Now that you've got a great slogan, go tell everyone!
Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
"Got Milk?," "Just Do It," "Mmmm Good," "The Ultimate Driving Machine," and so many others are imbedded in our minds that in fact, no brand name's mention is even necessary, we just know the company it refers to.
When I began my firm I too wanted a slogan & began tossing around several options. I settled on "big business marketing solutions for small business." For a long time I was happy with it & used it diligently on all my marketing collateral materials. Then, one day I was having a discussion with someone who saw my services as "accessible to everyone" & so I began to think that perhaps "affordable, accessible marketing for all" might be a more focused and warmer way to convey the same thing. So, after passing it by a few trusted people, I decided to make the change.
The lesson? It may take a try or two to get it right but it's worth the effort. When I go to networking meetings & say my tagline everyone gets it. It requires no explanation & invites further discussion - which is exactly what every business owner wants!
There are myriad branding companies who charge many tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to create these taglines for big corporations. But you too can affordably create a memorable, meaningful tagline that will help your audience 'get it'. Here's how:
1. Play the name game. If at all possible, try to get at least part of your company name in. This helps to reinforce your brand and helps your audience connect the name & tagline without much effort.
2. Make it benefit driven. By doing this, it makes your selling job much easier because prospects will see your company name followed by a benefit-driven tagline. By association your company will then be remembered for its benefits.
3. Ask for help. If you're not sure exactly how your audience perceives you then ask your customers, vendors, employees, prospects - even friends and family. As you begin to gather their responses you'll see a very definite pattern of words or phrases crop up consistently. These are the words you will want to incorporate into your tagline development.
4. Be specific. So many slogans have absolutely no differentiation for their intended brand. While researching this topic I read that "Simply the best" is used in 30+ company slogans. If you can easily replace your company name with your competitors, then so can your target audience! Pick something that is unique to what you do.
5. Rhyme Time. Some branding consultants say that your tagline should rhyme. This makes it impossible for anyone to substitute their own company name for yours if you add your name to it & creates a much more memorable line. Think of "See the USA in your Chevrolet" and you'll hear immediately why this works.
6. Phrase it in the positive. Research shows that if a slogan contains negative phrases, people tune out. For example, Lea & Perrins' old tagline was "Steak sauce only a cow could hate." Cute, but not positive. In fact, this conjures up strange images in my mind. Their current tagline is "Unwrap the Possibilities®". This plays off the fact that they still wrap their bottles in paper & this differentiates their product on the supermarket shelf. It also conjures up a "hmmmm" factor such that it makes you think of how else you might use the sauce (in dressings, soups, sandwiches?)
7. Keep it legal. If you absolutely, positively don't want anyone else to ever be able to steal your slogan, then you can easily protect your marketing investment by filing for a trademark. Go to www.uspto.gov for more information. But first, search the trademark database to be sure no one else has already done so.
8. Keep it short. Branding experts say that your tagline should never be more than 10 words. The fewer the words, the easier it is to remember.
9. Once it is final, use it everywhere! My tagline is at the end of my email signature block, on all my stationery & marketing collateral materials (including the banners I use for trade shows). Say it on your voicemail message, incorporate it in to your "elevator" speech used at networking meetings. The whole point is to begin to brand your company & each of these efforts will add to your success.
Now that you've got a great slogan, go tell everyone!
Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing Solutions LLC
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Small Business Logo Design
Golden Arches, Bull's-eye, The Swoosh, Big Blue. These are all immediately recognizable even without saying a word. Consumers know exactly which company belongs to which logo. How? And, why should you care? Well, to put it simply the word is "branding." This gives your customers instant identification with your company, product, service & brand.
A big part of the success of branding is having a logo. How you portray your company visually when in the public eye is important. Just as we are personally judged by the clothes we wear (in other words, how we "appear"), our business is similarly judged by how it appears to its target audience of potential buyers.
According to the American Marketing Association, "...there is proof that a recognized brand can help a consumer differentiate a product from its competitors." The article goes on to say that if two companies are perceived as very similar, then the only differentiator is price - never good for any small business owner in the long run.
There are social psychologists that will tell you that color evokes strong emotion & that certain shapes are interpreted in certain ways. You will likely need the assistance of a professional graphic designer to get your look just right, but here are some tips:
1. Start with a feeling. What emotion are you trying to evoke? A bank wants consumers to think it is stable, strong, so their standard color palette uses blue. A kids' cereal wants to create a sense of fun & its colors are happy; they use primary colors. A perfume seeks to create passion; these are usually red or black with touches of metallic colors. For example, when creating my own colors and logo I knew green is my favorite color & I wanted a quirky touch. I wanted it to reflect, well - me! I have come to identify with "upside down man" & my clients expect to see him on all my materials.
2. But, there are 64 colors in my crayon box! Yes, but you don't have to use all of them. In each case discussed above they use only 1 color. Golden Arches are, well - gold. The bulls-eye is red. The swoosh is either white or black. And, of course, Big Blue is just blue. Don't overdo it.
3. Is it reflective of your product or service's benefits? I recently worked with a company that created vitamins & supplements that were scientifically superior to their competitors. The specific product I worked with them on was a formula to preserve the youthfulness & elasticity of skin. Their label, however, looked more like grandma's cross-stitch pillow. If you saw their packaging on a shelf while shopping for such a product you would not identify it with youth at all & would likely walk right by it.
4. Lost in translation. A powerful logo requires no thought on the part of the consumer. If we don't "get it" immediately, it's a wasted effort. This should hold true on a local, or perhaps one day in your company's future, global basis. Some well-known corporate logos transcend culture & language. Coca-Cola & MTV are as easily recognizable in New York as they are in New Delhi. So while today you may be a small, local business tomorrow you may be selling everywhere from your website.
5. Psychological impact. I recently met with a client who wanted a brochure redesign. She created a sketch of it herself on her computer & brought it to our meeting to discuss. She wanted to incorporate a "10 Step Plan for Financial Success" & laid out the steps vertically. I immediately noticed that the arrow was pointing down. Now, this made sense in the scheme of things as Step 1 was on top, proceeding further down to Step 10. But I suggested to her that she let the designer redo it so that the arrow pointed up. Psychologically I thought that a downward pointing arrow would not benefit her Financial Advisor business model of growing nest eggs & increasing clients' net worth.
6. Many, many media. Once your logo is finalized it will be used everywhere to identify your business, including: stationery, business cards, website & brochures. If you plan on doing advertising you may want to consider how your logo will look in black & white as this will help keep your costs down when purchasing ad space. Do you plan on taking part in trade shows? If so, give some thought to what your logo will look like when it is enlarged for use on a big banner. What about a billboard?
7. Educate and inform. It is very important to let your target audience know where you are in the market (low price? luxury brand?), what it is that you do (plumbing? estates and trust lawyer?) & what is the nature of the product you are selling (this is also true for services). Some of these can be accomplished just be using a smart choice of font (for example, script fonts evoke a sense of higher pricing.)
8. Think of all the places it will go. Once your logo is finalized, ask your graphic designer to save it for you in various formats so that you can easily use it everywhere. I suggest a JPEG format in both high & low resolutions, a black & white version & in a few different sizes; & you'll also want a TIFF file in both these color palettes as well. By doing this you are covered for every use imaginable including some you may have never thought of such as: custom mailing labels straight from your office printer, social media, create your own sell sheets, for use on your proposals & so much more.
9. Haven't I seen this before? Be aware that companies take their logos very seriously & most are copyrighted. If you use or create a logo that looks very similar to someone else's be prepared to receive an invitation for a court date. I feel fairly confident (not having a legal degree) saying that another restaurant couldn't get away with, say, "Orange Arches."
10. Consider production. It's never too early to start thinking about the final printed product. When designing a logo on a tight budget consider the # of colors used - the fewer the # of colors, the less expensive it is to print. And, consider the closeness of the colors - if 2 colors touch or overlap it is more expensive to print because of something called 'trapping' which means critical alignment so that the colors don't butt up against each other. Making sure this doesn't happen can take several steps at the print shop which adds cost to the final piece. Finally, it is recommended that you talk to your printer before embarking on a complex logo creation. In the end this will save you lots of time & trouble.
So, how does a start-up company know what its logo should look like? Find a graphic designer that will spend time with you verbally brainstorming ideas. It is a collaborative effort & the business owner must play a role in the logo's creation. The process usually works like this:
• Start with brainstorming sessions.
• Sketches are drawn & colors considered.
• Some get knocked out immediately due to various factors.
• Does it appeal/speak to your target audience?
• After some back & forth a final design is created.
What about redesigning a logo that might be out of date? Some companies choose to redesign logos after a period of time. Campbell's Soup has morphed their logo over time & even Betty Crocker has gotten a facelift. So, when should a logo be redesigned? Here are some guidelines:
• How old is it? Some logos can live on forever without ever needing a change, and some benefit from a more modern look to stay relevant in today's digital world. Recent logo changes have included Payless Shoe Source, and Stop and Shop Supermarkets.
• Has it lost its effectiveness? If it no longer evokes the right emotion or has lost meaning over time, it might need an update. Perhaps the generation gap is playing a part here, or perhaps pop culture symbolism has changed over time.
• Does it reflect your current business? In some cases, a logo was created before a business grew into itself or took on additional lines of business. If it no longer speaks to what you do, this may signal time for a change.
• What does the logo design mean to your consumers? If they're confused, or worse - can't remember what your logo looks like - think about making a change. Don't know what your customers think? Try asking them via a short email or phone survey.
So, do you need a logo? Yes. Does it have to cost a fortune? No. Consider these easy ways to get what you need:
-Adapt an existing graphic to fit your needs. Stock photography websites have millions of drawings, photos & art that you can purchase & then edit for your own needs.
-Consider a graphical treatment. That's what I did. I use a dollar sign for the "S" in Solutions to get my "affordable" point across.
-In another case, I know an accountant whose first name begins with an "S" so he made that into a dollar sign &, conveniently, his last name begins with "C" so he made that into a cents sign. Easy & inexpensive too.
-Use some piece of online clip art or other existing graphic in a unique or unusual way. For example, you can color it differently, or change it to black & white.
-Talk to several graphic designers to get the best fit for your needs. Some designers specialize in working with small businesses & can create an identity for you that won't break the bank.
So, next time you pass by a store whose logo is memorable, keep in mind that you can do it too!
Happy Marketing!
Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing $olutions LLC
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
A big part of the success of branding is having a logo. How you portray your company visually when in the public eye is important. Just as we are personally judged by the clothes we wear (in other words, how we "appear"), our business is similarly judged by how it appears to its target audience of potential buyers.
According to the American Marketing Association, "...there is proof that a recognized brand can help a consumer differentiate a product from its competitors." The article goes on to say that if two companies are perceived as very similar, then the only differentiator is price - never good for any small business owner in the long run.
There are social psychologists that will tell you that color evokes strong emotion & that certain shapes are interpreted in certain ways. You will likely need the assistance of a professional graphic designer to get your look just right, but here are some tips:
1. Start with a feeling. What emotion are you trying to evoke? A bank wants consumers to think it is stable, strong, so their standard color palette uses blue. A kids' cereal wants to create a sense of fun & its colors are happy; they use primary colors. A perfume seeks to create passion; these are usually red or black with touches of metallic colors. For example, when creating my own colors and logo I knew green is my favorite color & I wanted a quirky touch. I wanted it to reflect, well - me! I have come to identify with "upside down man" & my clients expect to see him on all my materials.
2. But, there are 64 colors in my crayon box! Yes, but you don't have to use all of them. In each case discussed above they use only 1 color. Golden Arches are, well - gold. The bulls-eye is red. The swoosh is either white or black. And, of course, Big Blue is just blue. Don't overdo it.
3. Is it reflective of your product or service's benefits? I recently worked with a company that created vitamins & supplements that were scientifically superior to their competitors. The specific product I worked with them on was a formula to preserve the youthfulness & elasticity of skin. Their label, however, looked more like grandma's cross-stitch pillow. If you saw their packaging on a shelf while shopping for such a product you would not identify it with youth at all & would likely walk right by it.
4. Lost in translation. A powerful logo requires no thought on the part of the consumer. If we don't "get it" immediately, it's a wasted effort. This should hold true on a local, or perhaps one day in your company's future, global basis. Some well-known corporate logos transcend culture & language. Coca-Cola & MTV are as easily recognizable in New York as they are in New Delhi. So while today you may be a small, local business tomorrow you may be selling everywhere from your website.
5. Psychological impact. I recently met with a client who wanted a brochure redesign. She created a sketch of it herself on her computer & brought it to our meeting to discuss. She wanted to incorporate a "10 Step Plan for Financial Success" & laid out the steps vertically. I immediately noticed that the arrow was pointing down. Now, this made sense in the scheme of things as Step 1 was on top, proceeding further down to Step 10. But I suggested to her that she let the designer redo it so that the arrow pointed up. Psychologically I thought that a downward pointing arrow would not benefit her Financial Advisor business model of growing nest eggs & increasing clients' net worth.
6. Many, many media. Once your logo is finalized it will be used everywhere to identify your business, including: stationery, business cards, website & brochures. If you plan on doing advertising you may want to consider how your logo will look in black & white as this will help keep your costs down when purchasing ad space. Do you plan on taking part in trade shows? If so, give some thought to what your logo will look like when it is enlarged for use on a big banner. What about a billboard?
7. Educate and inform. It is very important to let your target audience know where you are in the market (low price? luxury brand?), what it is that you do (plumbing? estates and trust lawyer?) & what is the nature of the product you are selling (this is also true for services). Some of these can be accomplished just be using a smart choice of font (for example, script fonts evoke a sense of higher pricing.)
8. Think of all the places it will go. Once your logo is finalized, ask your graphic designer to save it for you in various formats so that you can easily use it everywhere. I suggest a JPEG format in both high & low resolutions, a black & white version & in a few different sizes; & you'll also want a TIFF file in both these color palettes as well. By doing this you are covered for every use imaginable including some you may have never thought of such as: custom mailing labels straight from your office printer, social media, create your own sell sheets, for use on your proposals & so much more.
9. Haven't I seen this before? Be aware that companies take their logos very seriously & most are copyrighted. If you use or create a logo that looks very similar to someone else's be prepared to receive an invitation for a court date. I feel fairly confident (not having a legal degree) saying that another restaurant couldn't get away with, say, "Orange Arches."
10. Consider production. It's never too early to start thinking about the final printed product. When designing a logo on a tight budget consider the # of colors used - the fewer the # of colors, the less expensive it is to print. And, consider the closeness of the colors - if 2 colors touch or overlap it is more expensive to print because of something called 'trapping' which means critical alignment so that the colors don't butt up against each other. Making sure this doesn't happen can take several steps at the print shop which adds cost to the final piece. Finally, it is recommended that you talk to your printer before embarking on a complex logo creation. In the end this will save you lots of time & trouble.
So, how does a start-up company know what its logo should look like? Find a graphic designer that will spend time with you verbally brainstorming ideas. It is a collaborative effort & the business owner must play a role in the logo's creation. The process usually works like this:
• Start with brainstorming sessions.
• Sketches are drawn & colors considered.
• Some get knocked out immediately due to various factors.
• Does it appeal/speak to your target audience?
• After some back & forth a final design is created.
What about redesigning a logo that might be out of date? Some companies choose to redesign logos after a period of time. Campbell's Soup has morphed their logo over time & even Betty Crocker has gotten a facelift. So, when should a logo be redesigned? Here are some guidelines:
• How old is it? Some logos can live on forever without ever needing a change, and some benefit from a more modern look to stay relevant in today's digital world. Recent logo changes have included Payless Shoe Source, and Stop and Shop Supermarkets.
• Has it lost its effectiveness? If it no longer evokes the right emotion or has lost meaning over time, it might need an update. Perhaps the generation gap is playing a part here, or perhaps pop culture symbolism has changed over time.
• Does it reflect your current business? In some cases, a logo was created before a business grew into itself or took on additional lines of business. If it no longer speaks to what you do, this may signal time for a change.
• What does the logo design mean to your consumers? If they're confused, or worse - can't remember what your logo looks like - think about making a change. Don't know what your customers think? Try asking them via a short email or phone survey.
So, do you need a logo? Yes. Does it have to cost a fortune? No. Consider these easy ways to get what you need:
-Adapt an existing graphic to fit your needs. Stock photography websites have millions of drawings, photos & art that you can purchase & then edit for your own needs.
-Consider a graphical treatment. That's what I did. I use a dollar sign for the "S" in Solutions to get my "affordable" point across.
-In another case, I know an accountant whose first name begins with an "S" so he made that into a dollar sign &, conveniently, his last name begins with "C" so he made that into a cents sign. Easy & inexpensive too.
-Use some piece of online clip art or other existing graphic in a unique or unusual way. For example, you can color it differently, or change it to black & white.
-Talk to several graphic designers to get the best fit for your needs. Some designers specialize in working with small businesses & can create an identity for you that won't break the bank.
So, next time you pass by a store whose logo is memorable, keep in mind that you can do it too!
Happy Marketing!
Copyright 2015 Affordable Marketing $olutions LLC
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Small Business Marketing. Revolutionized. #IHaveAPlan
I'm so excited to announce My Affordable Marketing Plan™ - it really is small business marketing revolutionized. Many months of work, collaboration, design & research have led to this launch. It is the first of its kind, on-demand marketing membership plan exclusively for entrepreneurs, small business owners and self-employed professionals.
Plans begin at just $99 month (that's a 20% discount) for marketing time to use any way you want.There's one that's just right for your needs whether you're a solopreneur, retail or service business - it's like having your own marketing department!
Use your time in the way you need each month - phone or email consults, even hands-on help. Then, every 30 days your credit card will automatically be charged so your membership will never expire. You may cancel or change your plan at any time.
And, once you become a member of My Affordable Marketing Plan™, you'll also get:
• A Welcome Package along with your membership card
• Access to a network of proven industry professionals all at a prenegotiated discount on your behalf all standing by - at a member savings of up to 10%
• Use it for yourself or any designated member of your staff
• Priority access on set evenings and Saturdays by appointment
• Free subscription to exclusive marketing content in the weekly Monday Marketing Mania™ - bite-sized nuggets of marketing intelligence to start your week off right
• Free whitepapers
• First notice for workshops, seminars & events
• Nonprofits save an additional 10% on monthly membership fees
Why didn't anyone think of this before?
Get your very own My Affordable Marketing Plan™ here. Then tell everyone #IHaveAPlan.
Happy Marketing,
© 2015. All Rights Reserved.
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
Use your time in the way you need each month - phone or email consults, even hands-on help. Then, every 30 days your credit card will automatically be charged so your membership will never expire. You may cancel or change your plan at any time.
And, once you become a member of My Affordable Marketing Plan™, you'll also get:
• A Welcome Package along with your membership card
• Access to a network of proven industry professionals all at a prenegotiated discount on your behalf all standing by - at a member savings of up to 10%
• Use it for yourself or any designated member of your staff
• Priority access on set evenings and Saturdays by appointment
• Free subscription to exclusive marketing content in the weekly Monday Marketing Mania™ - bite-sized nuggets of marketing intelligence to start your week off right
• Free whitepapers
• First notice for workshops, seminars & events
• Nonprofits save an additional 10% on monthly membership fees
Why didn't anyone think of this before?
Get your very own My Affordable Marketing Plan™ here. Then tell everyone #IHaveAPlan.
Happy Marketing,
© 2015. All Rights Reserved.
This blog uses copyscape.com to protect against plagiarism.
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