Great Example of Web 2.0 - Domino’s Pizza

You may have heard the term Web 2.0 and thought about it without really knowing what it refers to. From Wikipedia comes this definition:

“Web 2.0 is a trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to facilitate creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of a second generation of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blogs, and folksonomies.”

I think Domino’s Pizza has done a brilliant job of taking their web site to the next level by making ordering a pizza simple and fun.

Firstly, they have the ability to order by cell phone.

Then they have added Hot Email Offers which you can subscribe to:

And they even have online order tracking:

Does your website reflect the nature of your customers and prospects? Does it communicate at their level and does it allow them to complete their business on your web site easily and without becoming frustrated?

If the answers are no then maybe it is time to upgrade your web site and incorporate some of the new features that web users are starting to expect.

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Business Card Stuff

There is no shortage of advice on business cards on the internet, but I thought you might enjoy a refresher.

1. Don’t pass out cards during a meal. Leave your cards at home during social (as opposed to business networking) functions.

2. Always have business cards that are clean, neat and accurate. If you have more than one business, have more than one card and have them filed separately so you can easily find the one you need. Old, dog-eared business cards with information crossed out or corrected by hand do not portray a professional impression.

3. Always handle cards you receive with the respect. That’s their career your holding. Most people, when they are handed a business card simply slip it into their pocket or folder without looking at it. When handed a business card, take the time to read it. Say the name of the person out loud to check that you have the correct pronunciation. If you are uncertain of the pronunciation ask them to pronounce it for you.

4. Study foreign usage, conventions, and customs. For example in Japan business cards are exchanged with great ceremony. In India always use the right hand to give and receive business cards.

5. Consider printing a two-sided card. On one side, print your contact information in English, and on the other, print it in the primary language of the other country. A photo is also a good idea since gender-specific first names are often not recognized in other countries. If you do not need a second language think of adding lines to write on or a calendar.

6. Be creative when handing out your card. Offering your card with both hands, for example, creates an enormous psychological impact. Introduce yourself with your card. Use the back of your card to write notes. Sign your name (or a brief message) on the front of the card. Present your business card face up and turned so that the person you are giving it to can read it.

7. Be selective in distributing business cards, don’t hand them out as if you were dealing out a pack of cards. Give them to people who express an interest in yours or who offer you theirs. If someone offers you their card don’t turn it down. If you don’t want it you can always dispose of it later. If you ask for someone’s card and they don’t want to provide one to you, if you sincerely have a reason for wanting one explain your purpose or let the matter drop.

I design and print a lot of business cards and think that your business card is one of the most important marketing tools you have available to you. Handing out a business card that makes you feel proud is the first step to a prosperous relationship.

It took me a long time to settle on the design of my card as I was concerned everyone would judge my creativity by my own card.

Here is the front and back of my business card. I don;t think I have ever handed it out with someone commenting on whether the glass is half full or half empty. By the way I don’t work with the latter.:

If you are interested in designing and/or printing business cards give Mike Blaney a call at 800-568-8338. My specialty is silk finish business cards printed in Korea that make people love the feel of. They are waterproof and rip resistant and always make people stop and comment on the feel. Best of all they probably cost less than what you are paying now.
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Discover and Unleash the Branding Power of Food

Okay this headline might be a bit over the top, but think about it for a minute…

When you are sitting in a meeting and someone brings in donuts, snacks, a pizza or even bagels to munch on what is the first thing that comes to your mind? “Boy could I ever use a bite right now” or “What a great idea?” or “I wish I thought of that.”

Everybody loves getting fresh donuts in the morning and delivering them in your custom donut box is a great way to capture new clients and solidify existing relationships.

Sales reps are already taking in food on their sales calls. Does it make sense for them to drop off donuts in a box that says “Joe’s Donut Shop” or a custom made branding tool designed specifically for their company?

It’s kinda obvious isn’t it?

Clients have used Thanks A Dozen® custom donut boxes for sales visits, golf outings, fund raisers, trade shows and more. Our custom donut boxes are also great for “Lunch and Learn” Programs which give sales reps a captive audience without the typical distractions in a restaurant or food service setting.

The success of any business depends upon developing and nurturing relationships…using Thanks A Dozen® products takes care of it one bite at a time.

And now the good news. If you place an order for custom designed, candy, cookie, donut, bagel, pizza or tissue boxes before April 15, 2008 we have lowered our minimum order from 250 pieces to only 50 pieces. For example you can order 50 custom designed, 4 color donut boxes for only $ 3.49 per box.*

Call Mike Blaney at 800-568-8338 to Discover and Unleash the Branding Power of Food

* A one-time set-up fee of $ 75.00 is required and shipping is extra.

New Diamond Shreddies - A New “Spin”

I think this is an absolutely brilliant re-branding of a mature product. It not only made me laugh, but made want to buy a box of Shreddies.

How did I hear about this?

My 25 year old son called me from the car and asked if I had seen the new Shreddies billboard. That may seem odd, but he knows I like Shreddies and he knows I love a good laugh, but I was skeptical whether he could relate over the phone what was on the billboard and have me see the humor.

Well it worked. He said, “Dad there is a picture of a square Shreddie with the caption old,boring and beside it is a Shreddie rotated 45 degrees with the caption “New Diamond Shreddies”. I laughed out loud and I had not even seen the billboard.

Here is what the billboard looks like.

Here is what the new cereal box packaging looks like.

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Low Tech Business Card Holder

A subscriber to this blog mentioned a cool, new, low-tech idea for displaying your business cards that I think is worth a mention. The company is called CardCues and they have come up with a great new idea that makes you think “Why didn’t I think of this?”.

Quite simply CardCues make your business cards stand out! It is perfect for bulletin boards, trade shows, open houses, direct marketing events and more!

Each holder can display 40 business cards and either pins to a bulletin board or stands up-right on a desk.

You can order a retail pack which includes two sets of five eye-catching pre-printed designs. (10 holders total)

CardCues fold together in seconds and display easily on bulletin boards or any flat surface. Each holder displays over 40 cards. The cost is only $6.99 + $3.95 shipping.

If you are interested, but in a hurry give me a call at 800-568-8338 and I can get the ball rolling for you.
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E-Book Review: The Edge of Success by Clate Mask - Infusion Software

I recently started evaluating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software solutions on behalf of a client and I was fortunate to come across the web site for Infusion Software who advertise themselves as “Your Marketing Autopilot”; a claim they take seriously.

In their words “Infusion CRM is a comprehensive, active CRM built specifically for marketers, entrepreneurs and successful small businesses that recognize marketing and automation are necessary to growing quickly and profitably. “

“Infusion Software liberates and empowers small businesses by putting their marketing, sales, and customer service on auto-pilot. Our web-based software, called Infusion CRM, centralizes, organizes and automates lead generation, lead conversion and client fulfillment for small businesses who are tired of dealing with a hodge-podge of incompatible software programs and manual grunt labor. “

Without question this is one of the best CRM solutions I have come across and I plan to explore it further, but what I found most interesting was a free e-book written by InfusionSoft’s CEO, Clate Mask entitled “The Edge of Success - 9 Building Blocks to Double Your Sales”.

The basic premise of the book is that the strategies for success are not unique to one industry, company, or business owner. Success is determined by the use of predictable, repeatable, simple actions. But, not just any actions–the right actions.

This book is for those small business owners that have been working to grow their companies and feel as if they are sitting on the edge of success. This book is going to give you the strategies you need to double your sales.

Click here to gain instant access to The Edge: 9 Building Blocks to Double Your Sales.

Essentially there are 9 building blocks to success:

1. Supercharge Your Website
2. Fill Your Funnel
3. Convert Your Funnel
4. Win Lifelong Customers
5. Sell Stuff Online
6. Flip Your Funnel
7. Collect the Cash
8. Grow Through Partners
9. Measure and Tweak

One of my favorite sections of the book is a section entitled “You Must Become the Master of the Moment”

This is something I really needed to take to heart in my own business. “People buy when THEY are ready to buy, not when you are ready to sell. No matter how great your product or service is, some people are simply not ready for it.

Even if they’ve purchased from you before, they may not be ready to do so again. They might not be in a financial position to buy. Perhaps they don’t realize how wonderful your product or service is. Or, maybe they have too many other things on their mind to pay attention to you. Whatever the reason, a large portion of your target market isn’t going to purchase from you right now. That doesn’t mean, however, that they won’t buy (or buy again) eventually. Most of them will. And, your job, as the “master of the moment” is to be standing there when they do!” Click here to gain instant access to The Edge: 9 Building Blocks to Double Your Sales.

I also enjoyed the chapter entitled “Fill the Funnel” which is what you do with your leads once you have them. “Fill your Funnel” is about gathering, sorting, and using lead information to begin creating moments of interaction with your prospects.

The book recommends you assign ALL your leads the value they deserve.

Treat each prospect as if they were already your customer, and remember that a vast number of them will be. There is no way of gauging right now what a lead will be worth in the future. Why take risks with potential dollars?

For small businesses to reach those daunting financial goals, they must generate and “keep” their lead information. Leads are only worth the sales that come from them. But, you never know when the sale will occur. Remember, consumers are working on their schedule, not yours.

Throughout the book the message is easy to understand.

It’s the Simple Things that Make a Difference

Lifelong customers come from following a few basic ideas: keep a database, make your customer feel special, understand the value of your customers, and deliver your product or service as promised. By following these simple tips, you’ll minimize customer dissatisfaction and build wealth through a large customer loyalty base.

Clate puys it simply when he points out “But, by treating your customers the way they deserve, they will be creating customers for life. And, a lifelong customer adds all kinds of revenue to your bottom line. “

At the conclusion of the book the author sums it up by stationg “What I want to hear, following the reading of this book, is small business owners saying, “I did it. I finally made it out of my office. I doubled my sales. I found the passion I once had for my ompany. And, I gained the success that was so elusive for so long.”

While reading a book will not change your company for you I think there are more good ideas in these 57 pages than in almost any other book you are going to read.

If you are like me “Good ideas are a dime a dozen, but implementation is priceless” so if you can only change a single aspect of your company, do it. If you can change more then continue to do it.

Click here to gain instant access to The Edge: 9 Building Blocks to Double Your Sales.

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Promotional Pen - With a Billboard!

I am always on the lookout for promotional items and think this latest find is a winner. It is a pen with a 2.5″ x 7″ banner rolled up inside of it that can be easily pulled out and viewed by the user.

It is not only a novelty that will get people showing and telling, but a great way to communicate information about your product or service. Think about what information you would like to have in front of your customers every day.

• Mortgage rate calculator
• Metric conversions
• Map to your business
• Calendar
• Price List
• Contact Information
• Sizes and dimensions

The good news is you can order as few as 500 and the cost will be under $ 1.00 per pen. In quantities of 1,000 the price will drop to about $ 0.60 and at 3,000 pens the price can be as low as $ 0.40 per pen. Call me at 800-568-8338 (Mike Blaney) for more information or email me at marketingguy@shaw.ca.

The sample below shows a calendar on one side of the banner and promotional information on the other.

Following is my crude attempt at amateur photography, but it gives you the idea of what the pen looks like.

If you are interested in ordering pens you can provide the design or alternatively we supply a complete design service so all you need is to provide your logo and the information you would like displayed.

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10 Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business

There is a very popular list of 10 Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business that was written by Joanna L. Krotz who is the co-author of the “Microsoft Small Business Kit” and and runs Muse2Muse Productions. It is available all across the internet.

The list looks like this:

1. Take steps to make customers feel special.
2. Create business cards that prospects keep
3. Stop servicing break-even customers.
4. Develop an electronic mailing list and send old-fashioned letters.
5. Boost your profile at trade shows and conferences.
6. Combine business with pleasure — and charity.
7. Create a destination.
8. Become an online expert.
9. Court local media.
10. Finally, don’t let customers simply slip away.

I think these ideas apply to almost any business, but they are quite general and not as is easy to implement for the average person. So thought I would expand on this list and create a more specific list that you can start using tomorrow. I have also provided a few practical tactics you can use to get going.

Mike’s List of 10 Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business

1. Consolidate Your Database - It does not make sense to go after new business when you have raving fans eager to do business with you already. That’s right. Your client and prospect list is a goldmine, but to be effective you need to consolidate all of the contacts into one place. I don’t care whether you use Act, Goldmine, Maximizer, Salesforce, Top Producer, Outlook, an Excel spreadsheet or an index card file. Just compile all of the names of your customers, people who have expressed an interest in your product or service and any other people you can think of that might be prospects.

2. Categorize Your Database - It doesn’t matter if you choose A,B,C or Platinum, Gold and Silver or Hot, Warm and Cold, but categorize them.

3. Focus on Your Raving Fans - Finding new clients is the most expensive and time-consuming use of your marketing resources. Instead identify the people most likely to do business with you and focus your marketing efforts on them. Now this varies from business to business and service to service, but I have never met a business owner who did not admit that anywhere from 50 -80% of their business comes from repeat customers (or at least referrals from good customers which we will discuss later). After you have ensured that the most important customers have received the majority of your attention you can start prospecting for new customers. And the good news is you will have the cash flow to do so.

4. Determine the Value of Each Customer and Turn Off the Life Support for the Bottom 20% - Depending on your business you are probably spending 80% of your time on customers and prospects that provide 20% of your revenue. (Although this might not be the case if you start doing everything else right). Starting tomorrow, reverse the trend. Spend 80% of your time on the top 20% of your customers. Phone them. Write them. Email them. Offer special sales. Send free samples. Give them a gift. Make them feel like they are important.

5. Look Professional and You Will Act Professional - Take a look at all of the points of contact with customers. Does everything your customers see reflect the image you want to convey? Be honest with yourself and audit all of the internal and external points of contact. Are you cutting corners? What doesn’t seem to fit with everything else? It is no secret that I own one of the leading email stationery companies called inboxfx, so I may be biased, but as an illustration of where companies fall flat, why do you send plain text email like everybody else when you can send branded emails with links to your web site for $ 150.00 a year?

6. Practice the 4 R’s - Repeat business. Referral business. Reactivation of clients. Retention of clients. The only way to ensure a long term relationship and a steady, predictable stream of business from your customers is to focus on the 4 R’s.

Repeat business - Send special offers to clients showing them their special.

Referral business - Remind your customers that you require their referrals to grow your business and more importantly earn their trust so they refer their colleagues to you. None of your customers are walking around wondering how they can help your business or even know you need business unless you tell them.

Reactivation of clients - If they have not done business with you in a while send them something to rekindle the romance or remind them you value their business.

Retention of clients - Keep in touch with your clients and remind them you would like their business.

7. Do the Obvious - Because Nobody Else Is - By this point you are bored out of your mind and wondering if the advice will ever end, but this one could be the most important. Do all of the obvious marketing things you have read about or heard about and you will stand out from the crowd. I would venture that 90% of us know what we should do and only a small percentage of us are actually doing it. So if you do it you will stand out.

A good example is when I receive an online inquiry about email stationery complete with the prospect’s phone number. I send an email right away and tell them I will call at the time they specified. When I do call them, almost without fail they are shocked that someone actually called. I feel the same way when I sign up for something and a person actually calls me to confirm I am satisfied with the whatever. The pharmacy called me the other day to ensure my prescription was working out okay and I had never done business with this pharmacy before. Wow.

8. Pick Up The Phone - Have we forgotten how to phone our clients? While email is a quick way to communicate it is starting to be like people asking “How are you” and then not listening for your answer. Email, as much as I depend on it for a living, does not take the place of a phone call. It is impersonal, subject to misinterpretation and frankly a lazy way to communicate. Phone someone out of the blue tomorrow or call them and tell them their order is on the way and you will be surprised how a little human interaction can lead to more business.

9. Have a Business Card That Says WOW! - I know this is on Joanna’s list, but I could not agree more. If people aren’t stopping and commenting on your business card when you are handing it to them you are missing a golden opportunity to make an indelible impression on them. See my post on business cards for more information. A number of years ago I poked fun at myself by giving myself the title of “Big Kahuna” on my business card. Ten years later I have changed businesses completey, but I still have people from the past refer to me as the Big Kahuna.

10. Seek Guidance and Assistance - I would be a liar if I didn’t admit the whole purpose of this blog, other than to spend less time with my family (just kidding) is to generate business opportunities for myself. You are good at what you do, but marketing might not be one of your strengths. I am not good at what you do, but I think I am good at what I do. Call me at 800-568-8338 and ask a few questions.

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Client Appreciation Events - Getting Into The Swing

One of the key criteria for a client appreciation event is to provide an event that makes the participant feel like they are part of something special. Often it is not how much you spend on the event, but it is how you spend that will make the difference. Hiring the right entertainment is one way to make your event stand out.

Client appreciation events take many forms and many are centered around a golf course so here is a great idea for making your event more memorable. Brad Denton, based in Orlando, FL is a Golf Entertainer and he can deliver a show that will keep people talking about the event for a long time to come.

“Brad uses his fun-loving clean sense of humor, impersonations, quick wit and shot-making talents to entertain and teach groups of all ages and backgrounds.

His incredible trick shots demonstrate the fundamentals of the golf swing ‘with a twist’. Using a variety of not so ordinary clubs such as a 6 foot driver and a 10 foot driver hit on stilts, Brad helps golfers improve their swing mechanics as well as strengthening their stomach muscles through vigorous laughter.

When you book Brad, you also get Forrest Gump, Gomer Pyle, Jack Nicholson, Sean Connery, Jimmy Stewart, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elvis and a host of other characters. His dead on impersonations will leave your audience in stitches, while he performs an incredible, one of a kind golf clinic trick shot show that is guaranteed to knock your socks off. “

Why am I featuring Brad? Because he is an example of a good marketer. He was searching the internet for companies involved in Client Appreciation events and came across my blog. Instead of sending an email he picked up the phone, introduced himself and asked whether I felt there was a way we could work together and that is good enough in my books to get a free plug.

While I have not actually seen Brad perform live he has lots of videos on his web site so you can get an idea of what he bring to your event.

Brad can be reached at 407-625-9398 or by email at Brad@GolfEntertainer.com

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Google 411

Just when you thought you have seen everything along comes another innovation from Google. I don’t want this blog to turn into an ad for Google, but some of the things they are working on cannot be ignored by marketers.

I just ran across Google 411. Did you know you can send a text message containing your search query, such as [ cafe seattle wa ] or [wx 02139], to 466453 (GOOGLE on most phones) to get information such as local listings, weather, movie show times, sports scores and more.

I am not the most prolific text messager in the world, but I was able to type 466453 into the To: box and Weather vancouver bc into the Message box and in seconds a three day forecast for Vancouver was sent to me by text message.

I then got adventurous and typed Pizza Vancouver bc into the subject field and in seconds I had the phone numbers for three pizza places.

Ever the optimist I typed Marketing north vancouver bc… and my name was not displayed so that proves it is not perfect, but worth a try.

I cannot forecast how people will embrace this form of search, but now that I have tried it I will definitely us it again. I am going to look further into how a company can improve their ranking in the search results as this is potentially a new source of business for some companies.

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