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“The traditional business definition of marketing is identifying and fulfilling customer needs. There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.” Heidi Richards Mooney
Do you remember the “WIIFM” formula when designing your promotional tools? You know, the “what’s in it for me?” The “me” in this case is not about you, your company, your product or business, rather it is about the customer, the prospect, the reader, the person you are trying to get to take action regarding your product or service.
How many times have you picked up a brochure about a company to find out what they can do for you only to find it filled with stuff about them? And have little or no idea what they can do for you? Your customers and prospects could be asking the same question.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is to talk about themselves and their products rather than talking about the CUSTOMER and what he/she will gain by doing business with them. “The traditional business definition of marketing is “identifying and fulfilling customer needs.” There’s no mention of your business. Marketing is all about the customer.”
Identify and focus on the benefits. Prospects want to know how what you offer will benefit them. You MUST make it clear what benefits the prospect will receive from doing business with you, otherwise then there is no reason for that prospect to do so. You MUST focus on what the prospect is going to GAIN by using your product or service.
In order to articulate the “what’s in it for them,” you must first understand the difference between a feature and a benefit. A feature is something that your product does or has (for example, a shirt can be 100% cotton). A benefit to 100% cotton could be durability, easy-care or even wrinkle resistant. Now you’ve given them the WIIFM. Why the prospect might want to purchase the shirt.
Count how many times you refer to you – that includes the “I,” the “WE” and your “company name.” Take a second look and count how many times you refer to the “YOU,” the “prospect/customer” or “she/he.” If your copy has more than 50% “I,” etc. take a look at how you can reword it to tip the scales in favor of the prospect. Good copy should be at least 60-75% prospect focused and only 25-40% focused on who you are, (such as the awards you have, the color of your building, the type of equipment you have, etc.).
To change things around in your marketing message whether it is in your proposal writing, brochures or your website (any advertising), you must identify the goals, objectives and obstacles of your prospect. Then you show your prospects how you can help them reach their goals and overcome their obstacles.
Once you know how your business benefits your customers, and you begin to focus on the how the customer benefits formula, you can write copy that will increase prospect response. You will begin seeing a greater response to your marketing messages and your bottom line!
(There are 42 “You’s” in this article and only 2 “I’s.” Did it get your attention?)
Redhead Marketing specializes in creating copy that makes you stand out. Need a print ad for a publication? Need a flyer in a hurry? Let Redhead Marketing create it for you. Special Holiday pricing starts at just $50. Call 954-625-6606 or email heidi (at) redhead marketing dot com (no spaces) Today!
November 18th, 2009
Tired of spending all your money on advertising and marketing that just doesn’t work? Here are 10 cheap ideas to grow your business without breaking the bank!
1) Market to Former Customers and Clients. It costs less than marketing to new customers. Make them an offer they can’t refuse, such AS $5 off their next purchase.
2) Join Associations, professional organizations, and civic and charitable clubs. Get involved and become a leader. You’ll make great contacts that can lead to future business. Also, thank new members who join your organization by offering them a coupon or sending them a postcard for a discount or something free.
3) Reward Repeat Customers. Offer a frequent-purchase card to track their spending.
4) Use Coupons to enhance your sales. Give them a reason to TRY your business.
5) Follow the Rule of Three:
*Forget cold calls. Make three warm calls a day to prospects whom others have referred to you.
*Collect at least three business cards a day.
*Send at least three notes each day to people thanking them for their business or something they did to help your business grow.
6) Encourage Word of Mouth from Your Family, Friends and Associates. Your best advocates will be those who already know you and like you. Encourage them to tell others about your products and services. Sometimes they just need the nudge to get started. And then reward them for doing so.
7) Send press releases prior to having an event or a contest or write articles for publications in your industry.
8) Create and send a newsletter or e-zine (newsletter sent via e-mail) to your customers to keep your business at the top of their minds. Include tips on flower care, positive news events, specials, discounts and coupons.
9) Give Stellar Service with a 100-percent, no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee. It will give your customers a sense of ease in doing business with you and build their trust.
10) Partner with Other Companies to promote your business. Find companies with similar customer demographics that are not in competition with your business and create ways to joint venture with them either on a one-time, long-term or event-by-event basis.
For more tips like these check out Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget: How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards Mooney
July 27th, 2009
Set your sales on fire without extravagant spending by following these red-hot marketing tips
“In all things, success depends upon previous preparation. And without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
Confucius could have had a flourishing business by following his own advice. Not only can preparation lead to success, but it also can help you do so without spending a lot of money. After all, with careful planning, you can achieve sizzling sales without the need for expensive advertising or marketing promotions.
Be smarter than the competition
In today’s ever-changing business climate, just keeping up with the competition isn’t enough. You have to outthink, outsmart and outdo them. How? By getting to know what they do and how they do it.
Find out your competition’s strengths and weaknesses and what products and services they offer. If the shop down the road sells gift baskets, offer more choices than they do—or better products. If the competition opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m., consider opening earlier or closing later.
Look for ways to make it easier for customers to do business with you. The slightest increase in customer convenience will yield larger and even more frequent purchases. Plus, providing the products and services they want will keep them coming back.
Reward repeat customers
Design a customer-appreciation program to recognize customers who repeatedly purchase from you or who refer others to your business. Send them thank-you notes or small bouquets. Thank them in your company newsletter. Pick up the phone to thank them, then offer a special discount for their loyalty during your conversation.
One day a long-time customer came into my shop, Eden Florist & Gift Baskets, to purchase flowers. When I thanked him for doing business with us, he said, “I buy so many flowers here, I should get frequent-flower miles.” He was right! In fact, soon after his visit, we began creating a computer-generated Frequent flower petals card for that very purpose. The card rewarded customers with a free bouquet after they purchased 12 $25-minimum-price floral arrangements.
To more easily track customer purchases, our computer records each transaction. Thus, if a customer orders by phone, we still can track the number of purchases. When that person reaches 12, the employee taking the order asks the customer to whom they’d like to send their “free” bouquet. It’s not unusual for customers to send the arrangement to themselves.
If they choose this option, don’t forget to enclose a card thanking them for their business. Customers who appreciate your gesture are likely to recommend your business to family, friends and business associates.
Practice ‘rainmaking’
Rainmakers are people who connect other people through referrals, whether it is friend-to-friend or business-to-business. Referrals are the easiest and least expensive way to make your business grow. Start by instilling a referral mindset into your friends and customers. People don’t necessarily know you want more business unless you tell them. And even though your friends may buy from you, they may not think to tell their friends and family.
Though one of my greatest sources of referrals today is my friends, that wasn’t always the case. In the past, I had one or two friends who constantly sent business my way. However, the majority of my close acquaintances did not. One day, I mentioned this to a friend. Her reply, “I didn’t know you wanted more business.” She is now one of my best references.
Some people are hesitant to ask friends for referrals. Why? If you believe in your product and have a passion for your business, it’s a simple request. After all, friends want friends to succeed. And, if they know they have contributed to your success, it makes them feel good about themselves.
If you feel uncomfortable about tooting your own horn, consider the idea from the perspective of finding a great restaurant. After having a wonderful meal, most people are eager to share the experience by telling their family and friends about it. Flowers and food are both emotional purchases—purchases generally made with the heart, not the brain. When you want to eat out, you go to one of your favorite spots, or you try a new place that offers your favorite dish. The same applies to flowers. People go where they know they can find the products they want or people who understand their needs.
Based on emotion alone, referring your business will be easy for your friends and family. And, when the referrals come in, don’t forget to thank the friends and family who made the suggestions. Send them notes and a product sample. Make sure your thank-yous reflect your appreciation for the extra business. An added bonus to this technique is that you’ll surprise people when you thank them, putting you at the top of their minds when the opportunity to make a referral happens again.
Follow-up and follow-through
One of the surest ways to keep customers is to follow up after a purchase. Follow-up accomplishes two important things: It helps you find out whether the customer was satisfied, and it gives you the opportunity to build a positive relationship with that person.
Happy customers may tell as many as three people about their positive experience at your business. This may not seem like it can have much of an impact. But when you compare it to the number of people who will hear about a customer’s unhappy experience—typically estimated as eight to 10—then the number of those passing on their positive experience becomes that much more important.
Besides, if you don’t follow up with a customer, you may never even know he or she had a negative experience. Those people will simply take their business elsewhere. Taking the time to inquire about a purchase after the fact shows your customers you care about their business. It also helps build a lasting relationship with your customers. Not only that, but when you resolve a complaint favorably, you’re likely to increase the chance that the customer will refer you to others.
If your shop is too busy to follow up with every customer after the sale—then at least do some random sampling of your customers. Although a random sample may be less accurate, it will nevertheless provide you with an idea of how a portion of your customers views your business.
To make the task easier, call two or three customers/recipients each day. You’ll impress the recipients, who will want to do business with you, and both the sender and the recipient will know you care. In fact, on more than one occasion when an employee at Eden Florist has called a sender or recipient, that person has ordered an arrangement during the thank-you phone call. So your efforts can certainly pay off.
And don’t forget to follow through on anything you promise you’ll do for a customer. Make it a habit to deliver. When you do, your customers will trust and respect you. And your sales will sizzle!
For more tips like these check out Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget: How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune by Heidi Richards Mooney
July 25th, 2009
… and get your audience to buy more of what you have to sell
Any good copywriter will tell you words sell products (and services). Many times people will look at a picture and have the desire to achieve an outcome or be like the photo portrays but it’s the words that get most people to hand over money for your product or service. Words tell the story behind the picture. Words will make your copy stand out, get noticed and more importantly get results! Before you publish a single word, here are four tips to get you started.
1. Take a look at your product or service from the customer’s perspective. Make a list of all the benefits (what the customer will gain from using your product) and features (the reasons or justification for buying the product). Prioritize your lists in order of importance.
2. Now look at what makes your product different or superior to your competitor’s products. What do you offer that your competition does not? This is called positioning. Positioning will help you develop the right strategy to sell.
“Customers don’t want to be befuddled by specialized language any more than you want to be hit with all medical lingo when you go to the doctor. So, speak, write, and present in a language and manner the audience will understand.” Dave Green
3. Who is your target audience? What are their needs, wants and motivations to buy? Are they rich, poor, educated, young, older, professionals, blue collar workers, etc.?
4. Create your plan. What do you need to say to get your point across and how many words or “copy” will you need to make your point. While it is not always the case, a general rule of thumb is that the greater the investment in a product or service, the more copy you will need to convey the message. Keep in mind, there are exceptions to this rule. Simple products/services with well-known (evident) benefits will require less explaining than those that are more complicated.
Reprinted from WORDS THAT SELL! Finding The RIGHT Words or “WRITE” Words To Get Your Point Across, Get Your Reader to Take Action and Get Your Info Products Noticed! And more importantly Sold! Including 229 Words & Phrases that PAY! This special report is available when you sign up for Cashing in on Info Products at www.cashinginoninfoproduct.com by Heidi Richards Mooney
In the next post I will share 5 more tips to jump-start your copywriting
April 8th, 2009
Amateur radio is a community of people that use radio transmitters and receivers to talk to each other. They are called ham radio operators, “hams” and even CB’rs. But, it’s more than just a high-tech hobby. Ham operators very often play a vital role in emergency communications. Ham radio has been used for years as a way to get messages out during national disasters such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and other life-threatening incidents that happen when normal means of communication are lost.
Ham radio operators use their amateur radio station to connect with individual hams as well as participating in round table discussion groups or “rag chew sessions” on the air. In fact, some participate in regularly scheduled on-air meetings with other ham radio operators. Interestingly these meetings are called “Nets” (short for Networks). These meetings are generally moderated by a station referred to as “Net Control”
Many people start their involvement in amateur radio by finding a local club. Clubs can provide information about licensing, local operating practices and technical advice as well as educational programs. New operators can study independently by purchasing books or other materials, sometimes with the help of a mentor, teacher or friend. In addition, many countries have national amateur radio groups or societies which encourage newcomers and work with government communications regulation authorities for the benefit of all radio amateurs.
The oldest of these societies is the Wireless Institute of Australia(formed in 1910). Other notable societies include Radio Society of Great Britain, the American Radio Relay League, Radio Amateurs of Canada, the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters and South African Radio League.
Some Ham Radio Lingo you should know:
“Copy” indicates how well communications are received. “I have a good copy on you” also used as a question, as in “did you copy?” (means to understand all)
“Come back” means to say again or your turn to talk.
Hamfest is a ham festival, a social and commercial event at which hams meet to buy, sell, and swap equipment.
“Roger” or “Roger that” means “I understand that.”
“Handle” is someone’s personal or ham radio name.
“Mama Bear” ~ female police officer.
“Smokey (Smokey Bear)” ~ State police officer who generally wears a Smokey the Bear style ranger hat.
“73” is Best regards
“88” means Love and kisses
“807” is the ham radio operator’s term for beer.
For more Ham Radio Jargon visit http://www.ac6v.com/jargon.htm#C
To learn how Ham Radio Works, check out www.howstuffworks.com/ham-radio.htm
Check out this guide to new ham radio operators www.eham.net/newham
For a great Q & A on Ham Radio, visit www.hello-radio.org/hello/whatis.html
Even with the advent of the internet, skype, Facebook and Twitter, there are still more than 6 million ham radio operators in the world. Tie in with or become a Ham Radio Operator and you have a whole new group of people to share your knowledge, expertise and resources with.
Makes you want to say… “Time for an 807”
“73” for now.
April 7th, 2009
“I had cornflakes for breakfast.”
“I just saw a bird fly by.”
“The garbage collector is driving down my street.”
So what do these three sentences have in common?
They are some of the comments you will find on Twitter.
Ho hum… it really wants to make you get involved with Twitter, doesn’t it?
But there’s more, much more, to Twitter than this. Read on…
Twitter is a social networking site, true, but it’s also an excellent vehicle for building your business. It’s not the only way mind you, but one of the ways for you to market yourself.
Build you brand.
Find clients.
Get outsourcing help.
Have joint venture opportunities fall into your lap.
Create joint ventures with others.
Build your list.
Bring in customers to your offline business.
Tiptoe past the gatekeepers.
Gather info for your next info product.
Sell your products.
Get asked to be a guest blogger, an interviewee, an interviewer, a speaker at a seminar, a participant in an ebook, and more.
I’m not making this stuff up… it happens on Twitter all the time!
Just ask these successful marketers – Willie Crawford, Jack Bastide, Bev Clement, Thom Scott, and Felicia Slattery. They, along with a few others (17 marketers in all) tell their stories in the Twitter Success Stories ebook. In fact, my story is in there! Whoohoo….
They tell you about their personal Twitter successes and what they’ve learned in using Twitter to grow their businesses. These marketers also give you TIPS to get you on the right track.
So if you’re interested in growing your business and using Twitter as another marketing avenue, pick up a copy of Twitter Success Stories. I’m guessing you will come away with some great ideas you can apply to your business.
Heidi Richards Mooney
P.S. I pulled out a quote from the book for you that I liked:
“If you own a business of any size and you’re still not Twittering, you’re missing out on what amounts to a global virtual chamber of commerce networking event you can access anytime, day or night.” Heidi Richards Mooney
March 31st, 2009
Last week Heidi Caswell of Connect Simply, and yours truly Heidi Richards Mooney did a teleseminar on follow up strategies in business.
Remember when you were young and started making friends or dating, you knew instinctively that if someone didn’t “make a move” you’d probably loose the opportunity to get to know that person better. And yet, when it comes to business we may understand the importance of “making a move” (follow up) but many times we simply don’t do it. In this session we talked about that and more.
Here are jsut a few of the ideas Heidi and I shared:
Follow up strategies, what works and what doesn’t
Why “high touch” marketing is so important especially today
When you should follow up with someone
One great strategy that always works ~ that strategy is greeting cards and postcards (I’ll write more later about how I am using it to promote all 3 of my businesses)
Stories of business owners who used that one strategy to really grow their business
And other great tips.
In fact, we are sharing this audio with the readers of Redhead Marketing Blog. Go here and grab your copy: www.redheadmarketingblog.com/audio/FollowUpDivas.mp3.
You can contact Heidi Caswell at www.ConnectSimply.com. Feel free to drop me a line at heidi (at) redheadmarketing.com if you’d like us to give you a personal tour of our Greeting Cards System.
November 12th, 2008
Virtual events are a great way to build a reputation, increase credibility and increase your own “circle of influence” in the marketplace. And there are dozens of ways to do so with little or no investment.
Continue Reading November 10th, 2008
On Thursday Oct 30 12:00 Eastern Diane Walker, Senior Executive with SendOutCards will be hosting a webinar on how to use the SendOutCards system to create residual income as well as how stay in touch with clients and customers – high touch marketing in a high tech world.
In addition to this event, on Friday November 7th at 11 AM Eastern you are also invited to attend, ”How to Create a Follow-up System to Save You Time AND Grow Your Business” featuring Heidi Caswell and Heidi Richards Mooney (The Follow-Up Divas).
In this teleseminar, the Follow-Up Divas will talk about the importance of staying in touch with your clients, and how to effectively stay in touch with them without spending a lot of money. They will talk about a variety of stay in touch mechanisms such as email, telephone and greeting/postcard and other direct marketing ideas. You will learn new strategies for following up with leads that can save you time and money and create loyal customers and clients for life.
Note: everyone who attends both events will receive a special gift in the mail!
To RSVP, email heidi@successandthensome.com with SOC Webinar in the subject line to receive webinar links and info to attend the teleseminar.
October 28th, 2008
Welcome to REDHEAD MARKETING, INC. Professional Marketing and Public Relations firm for small business owners who promote their companies and organizations on the Internet.
Heidi Richards Mooney, President is a self-proclaimed “Social Net Expert” who specializes in blog creation and maintenance, virtual event planning, web-optimized press releases, website reviews, direct advertising/marketing campaigns, customized intellectual property design and more.
We have a menu of services and a price plan to fit a small to mid-sized business owner’s budget.
To read more about Heidi visit her About page.
To learn more about the services we provide, visit our Services page.
To stay up-to-date on the latest happenings on the net, sign up for Heidi’s Daily Tips and blog discussions.
To contact Heidi, visit our Contact page.
For a list of small business resources including ebooks, special reports, audio programs and internet tools, visit our Resources page.
To read what others are saying about our services, visit THE BUZZ pages.
You can also read more about Heidi, see articles she has written and find out about her other passion which is professional speaking and coaching at her main website – Speaking With Spirit.
To see other blogs Heidi has created visit our Blogroll on the right side of this page.
Please let us know how we can help your small business grow!
Thanks for stopping by!
July 11th, 2008
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