Marketing and Sales Support

When you communicate, how do others evaluate what you say? Effectively transmitting ideas is vital in business. Executives with important initiatives need to get buy-in from colleagues, superiors and agents. Marketers need to get the company’s message across to insureds and prospects. 

Whether good or bad, rumors can have a big effect on an organization. Stories about a company’s positive results can send its stock price soaring. Negative gossip about a firm can seriously hurt sales. 

Rumors don’t have to be true to have impact.  In the 1980s the “Leaflet of Villejuif” began circulating in France. This plain typewritten pamphlet exhorted parents to boycott popular soft drink brands like Coca-Cola, Schweppes and Canada Dry, charging they contained dangerous chemicals that could harm children. 

The power of rumor and innuendo

A survey of 150 French housewives found that 19% had stopped buying the brands mentioned. Another 69% said they intended to support the boycott.  Elementary school teachers and physicians were surveyed; half of the doctors and nearly all the teachers agreed with the leaflet’s statements. Fewer than 10% of these educated professionals bothered to check the truthfulness of its claims. That’s sad, because virtually all of them were false. Eminent social psychologist Elliot Aronson, PhD and colleague Anthony Pratkanis, PhD state in their account that E330, the food additive claimed to be highly carcinogenic, was actually the European Union’s code for harmless citric acid, found in oranges and grapefruit.

Mark Twain wrote, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.” It can do a great deal of damage in its travels. Because we hear rumors from people we know, or we learn about them through trusted media sources, we often don’t bother to check their validity. But they can have a big impact on both reputations and sales.

One study asked participants to rate political candidates after reading fabricated headlines.  Some contained a direct accusation (“Bob Talbert Linked with Mafia”), a damning question (“Is Karen Downing Associated with a Fraudulent Charity?”), a denial of impropriety (“Andrew Winters Not Connected to Bank Embezzlement”) or a completely neutral statement (“George Armstrong Arrives in City”).  Aronson and Pratkanis relate:

The results showed, not surprisingly, that candidates linked with a directly incriminating headline were perceived more negatively.  Strikingly, however, merely questioning whether a candidate had performed an undesirable behavior also resulted in negative perceptions of the candidate – just slightly more positive than those evoked by a direct incrimination…The source of the innuendo made little difference. The candidates were still rated negatively even if the source of the headline was a newspaper lacking in credibility (the National Enquirer or the Midnight Globe as opposed to the New York Times or the Washington Post).

What can you do about it?

According to marketing professor Allan Kimmel, one key to rumor control is: “Talk!...For the most part, a refusal to talk, whether it be to journalists, customers…or other concerned parties conveys the message that the company has something to hide and adds to uncertainty, or sometimes merely serves to confirm the fears underlying the requests for information.”

But, “In order to stand a chance of succeeding," say Aronson and Pratkanis, “such refutations should not overstate the case, should embed the rumor in a negative context (or damn it, refute it, then damn it again and replace it), and should not repeat verbatim particularly memorable rumors.” Quick action by high-ranking officials can limit the damage false "factoids" may cause. Organizations who have established a record of integrity will find it easier to protect and restore their reputations.

The Allied Group is a marketing communications company offering full service fulfillment programs ,innovative marketing communications strategies and marketing support services to insurance and financial services companies.

It's true. I do not tell a lie...but you must be ready for some work! Increasing your search traffic can be done successfully and it can be done organically it just involves a bit more work than paid search. If it's free then why not try right? Here's just a couple tips to get you started...

First things first
Make sure that you are writing about (blogging and producing content) that people are actually searching for. You want to make sure that your efforts are being seen by the people that are searching for them so make sure that you are producing content that is relevant. You can use a keyword grader to make sure that your efforts are worth the trouble...use Google's grader. And you want to make sure that the content you are producing is in line with the keywords that you are targeting. It's just one of the many important marketing communication strategies that you should be using. 

Another great way to increase search traffic
Link building. Promote promote promote. If you have great relationships with your partners ask them to promote your online content or blog posts. Share on LinkedIn and have your employees share as well. The more your content is shared organically the more traffic you will see. Also, when you are hyperlinking make sure your links are specific and not generic. So use 'Increase Web Traffic' as opposed to 'Read More'...this is a great tip from MarketingProfs (thanks). 

Allied is an integral part of our clients' marketing and sales support initiatives and if you have any questions please Contact Us here especially if you would like to discuss your integrated marketing communications campaign plans...we can help. 

 Many of us have been there. You tweet (or re-tweet) something maybe you shouldn't have or maybe you even went as far as created a Twitter campaign that ended up backfiring - seriously backfiring. 

In a recent campaign by McDonald's to draw attention to their commitment to freshness a request for feed back backfired when customers started tweeting very negative and unfortunate experiences with McDonald's. Their marketing communication strategies seemed to be not well thought out in this instance. 

The moral of my story here is that you have to be careful with your social media strategies and with marketing as a whole. If you are in the type of business that deals with the consumer like McDonald's or something to that effect then you definitely want to think about the effects of any social strategy. 

The right integrated marketing communications campaign can really take your reach to the next level but of course as seen with McDonald's, the wrong strategy can wreak havoc. 

For more information on marketing and sales support and how Allied can help with your marketing and fulfillment needs, contact us. 







For some interesting facts on Facebook & Social Networking download a copy of "20 Facebook and Social Networking Facts You Might Not (but need to) Know"






Source: Business Insider
 

Well, I'm sure by now you have probably realized from my last post and now this one... I love starting my day with a nice cup of coffee.

So, I thought I would share an experience I had the other day. I pulled up to my local Starbucks drive through for the first time in months and the barista, Starbucks employee, who took my order sounded hurried. I thought it was a little odd given Starbucks has a brand identity of being laid back and focused on making good coffee and not necessarily of being in a hurry. Since there was no one behind me, I shrugged it off as they must have a big line inside.

Then as I was patiently waiting to pull up to the window the barista chatted it up with the car in front of me. I thought it was nice that she spent the time being personable with probably one of her regulars. When I did eventually pull up to the window, only 5 minutes later, I was greeted with a big smile and asked how I was doing. Then I was handed a free drink card for the next time I visited a Starbucks. Score! I'm definitely going to come here more often!

The next day I came across an article that highlighted how Starbucks had strayed away from their typical ambient setting and was focusing on how to serve people faster. In doing this, they alienated some of their regular customers. Realizing their misstep of straying too far away from their brands core values, they asked their customers for help with the launch of a website, mystarbucksidea.com.

In launching this as part of an integrated marketing communications program, they gave their community a place to give the brand some feedback on what they are doing right & wrong, what coffee flavors they want them to bring back & different promotions they think Starbucks should offer, such as free coffee on election day and mini Starbucks cards.

Obviously - the barista who gave me the free coffee card has achieved the perfect balance the launch of the website was striving for. She realized she had rushed me and in doing so, had strayed away from their brand identity. To make up for it, she offered me a free drink. Starbucks found what their customers were looking for by using a personalized virtual place for people to give feedback and then strategized and implemented plans to keep their customers happy.

We can all take this into consideration when it comes to our daily interactions as marketing and sales support professionals. We don't need to be the one to provide the fastest or the cheapest quote. It is more important to have personal relationships with our clients by focusing on the one to one communication, finding out what's important to them and offering them a personalized experience with their marketing communications company that they don't receive anywhere else. 

Stick to your core brand values.  That's what keeps the regulars coming back.

Being that I am in technology I have been asked many times "What exactly is cloud computing?" Basically it's the delivery of an application over a network like the Internet. Ever heard of SAAS (software as a service)? Well many software companies are moving over to the cloud and just because we are a top direct marketing agency and not a software company doesn't mean we don't talk about cloud computing.

It affects us all and it really is an amazing concept. Marketing and sales support teams can now manage the deployment of new software without getting their IT involved (or involved minimally). I found a great video on the web of what cloud computing is all about. Check it out.

As today’s slow economic recovery continues, insurers look for ways to increase sales. New technologies can be applied in creative ways to do just that.

Location-Based Marketing

One example can be found in location-based marketing. This type of campaign allow companies to present information that a consumer needs in just the right place, at just the right time. The growing number of those who have just purchased homes, for instance, will need to insure them. What better time could there be to offer new homebuyers a homeowners policy than when they’ve just made their purchase? Some insurers may have arranged compensation programs for real estate agents who refer business to them.

The problem has always been, once the new homeowner leaves the realtor’s presence, applying for a homeowners policy goes onto their mental “to do” list. When they finally get around to it, your company’s offer may have gone from option #1 to option #4. That could mean never even getting an opportunity, let alone the business.

How can insurers avoid this situation and “strike while the iron is hot?” By equipping cooperating real estate agents with printed insurance brochures containing a QR Code. If homebuyers use any one of the many free apps available for smartphones, they can just take a picture of the code with their phone and the app will automatically bring them to the appropriate website. That website can promote the carrier, take their application and prepare them for a call and quote from the company call center or a local agent. Research shows that the act of entering their information into a website can predispose prospects to buy.

NFC

Apple, Google and others are actively pursuing an even more exciting technology – Near Field Communication (NFC). This will allow consumers to buy goods or even make a payment just by tapping their smartphone onto a section of a “smart poster” with an NFC tag. NFC tags can communicate with any properly equipped device that comes within two to four inches of them. This technology is widely used in Europe. 

With NFC, those who buy a car can apply for auto coverage at the dealership when they sign the purchase agreement and, when approved, make their first payment with their smartphone when they take delivery. This would also work for those who purchase motorcycles or boats.

Can consumers freely access this technology?

iStockAnalyst reports, “According to Fitch Ratings' latest telecomm special report released today, postpaid smartphone penetration increased to 46.8% in third-quarter 2011.” It could hit 50% by the end of this month.  Soon the majority of consumers will be able to use QR Codes to access carrier’s microsites when they need to buy insurance. Widespread NFC adoption won’t lag far behind.

Other key applications not mentioned here could increase insurance sales and retention. Could this technology impact your company’s top and bottom lines in the future?

The Allied Group is a marketing communications company offering Location-Based Marketing and other marketing and sales support programs along with full service fulfillment to the insurance, financial services and benefits administration companies.

The Bermuda Triangle conjures up images of mystery, danger and disaster. All too often, marketing gives the same feelings to those who don’t understand it or have failed at it.

Just as three points always make up a triangle, these 3 marketing and sales support mistakes create an area where profits and progress can be swallowed in a “perfect storm” of sales prevention.

1. We know who our customers are. Living in deeply parochial New England, we all too often hear something along the lines of the familiar refrain, “But we’ve always done it that way”. This promotion of the ostrich method of marketing (and/or management by sticking your head in the sand) when it comes to progress and the acknowledgment of changes in technology, styles or buying behavior is extremely dangerous. Or the conversely but equally effective business killer, “everyone is our customer”. Though I’ve seen some Mercedes and BMW’s on my trips to the local Wal-Mart, I’m pretty sure that even they do not expect to have everyone as their customer. In an era of ever-increasing specialization, the need to define your target audience is no longer a nice-to-have but an absolutely need-to-have requirement.

2. We don’t need (or can’t afford) marketing. No less an authority than the late business guru Peter Drucker said that all businesses had only two priorities, innovation and marketing.  He also commented “the goal of marketing was to know and understand the customer so well as to make selling superfluous.” Sounds not only important but mission critical to me. Yet the corporate marketing services budget is often the first thing to be cut (if it exists at all) in a down turn or when companies feel the need to reduce costs. How dumb is that?

3. Engaging in “pixie dust” marketing. The other reaction in a downturn is to say something like, “quick, let’s do some marketing to get sales up”. The recent commercials advocating that Yellow Book advertising is the “cure all” to a bad sales month or quarter only serves to reinforce this type of thinking. But rarely if ever does a one-hit marketing effort drive results and even if it does in the short term, it’s highly unlikely to do so over the long run. Marketing is not an event. 

Three points can make a triangle. Three points can also make a line that becomes a trend. No matter which configuration you put these three points into, “knowing” the customers you really don’t know, not “needing” the marketing you desperately need and engaging in silver bullet thinking will only lead to one place. But unlike many of the “unexplained” disappearances of the Bermuda Triangle, if you employ this kind of business development strategy, the disappearance of your business will not be hard to figure out.

In the opening sequence of the classic television show, The Beverly Hillbillies, the character of Uncle Jed (played by the actor Buddy Epsen) is chasing a rabbit and fires his rifle - missing the rabbit and only ends up taking a big chunk of dirt out of the ground. But, miraculously, “up from the ground comes the bubblin’ crude”. He and his family had struck it rich with a single random shot from the old trusty family hunting rifle.

In our “hunt” for anew business leads to help create sales however, it’s likely going to take considerably more effort than one or even a few random shots to create a steady stream of prospects. Only with both sustained and intentional effort can we generate the ability to acquire the correct prospecting targets initially and, the right customers eventually.

For many years now, the funnel has been used as a diagram in countless sales and prospecting discussions. Sales training has often focused on bringing prospects through the “sales funnel”.  But that is absolutely the wrong picture to have in our heads. In building a sales (marketing and sales support) list of qualified prospects, the proper image should be one of a pipeline. Something that has a continuous flow of prospects, not a voluminous, unqualified top end.

Your revenue pipeline is likely going to take more time, energy, and resources than you may hope for or be comfortable with. But there are rarely any shortcuts to building a process that will deliver a steady stream of prospects in the long run. Though the tactics will change depending on your business, industry and circumstances, consider implementing the following 3 concepts when building your pipeline.

Identify. For each of your particular products or services – find those customers most likely to buy. Spend some effort profiling your existing best customers. What are the common characteristics? In all probability, similar people or businesses exist who share the same needs and values and would make ideal prospects. And therefore, are more likely buyers of your services.

Communicate. Very hard to get people excited if you told them you winked at them and the room was dark. After you have targeted people who may want what you offer – let them know who you are and what you do. Multi-channel communication tactics in the current day present an almost limitless number of options that include; print, mail, web, mobile and social. Effective communications help establish and control the perceptions of your intended audience as well as offering them the timing and methods they prefer. 

Evaluate. Some things will work. Some things will not. One of the demonstrations I usually give in my speaking engagements is to offer a member of the audience a high quality pair of athletic shoes that will “guarantee” the recipient to run faster and jump higher. After picking one of the many eager participants I hand them a pair of size 17 sneakers.  Again, after the usual laughter I ask the moral of the lesson. It is, obviously, one size doesn’t fit all. What worked at one time may not (and probably will not) work forever. Marketing, by its’ very nature, is experimental.  To be successful in the 21st century and a hyper-competitive marketplace, your marketing program must become sophisticated and constantly measure what works and, what doesn’t.

Maybe you’ve been like Uncle Jed and from time to time hit the one lucky shot that led to some prospects and some customers. But in the long run, leaving the success of your organization to a few lucky shots is unwise. Hope is not a strategy. Instead use identifying, communicating and evaluating to build a pipeline that will bring you a steady flow of business for as far into the future as you can see. It may take more time, effort and resources but it is the only way to enjoy sustained success in the long run.

There is a time for every season and every purpose under the sun I’ve heard it was written.  Well, fall is no exception. It is here. And for me, it brings with it some interesting sales (marketing and sales support) and business lessons. 

1. Look for low hanging fruit. On our recent trip to the apple orchard, I spent a good bit of time maneuvering the ‘picker’ to reach high up into the trees to grab the apples at the top. But as we went along, I also grabbed some of the apples on the lower branches, and, even some on the ground. If you’re looking to make some deals this fall, grab some of the ones on top but don’t overlook the easy ones.

2. Embrace change. Change is in the air. The temperature. The amount of daylight. The color of the leaves. If you’re like one of the now 7 billion people living on the planet, I’m guessing that you’re experiencing some kind of change right now. Maybe it’s because of; technology, the economy, trends, styles etc. or whatever. Don’t fight it. Embrace it.  Figure out how to profit, be more healthy and productive because of it.

3. Look for extra time. We’re about to turn back the clocks. In this upcoming weekend that means we get one extra hour of time. In your busy schedule, look for some things you can drop (turn back) so that you can pick up a little extra time for the priorities in life.
 
4. Ask for the order. My kids didn’t walk up to the doors on Halloween night, ring the bell and say, “would you like to think it over about giving me some candy”? They rang or knocked on the door, it opened and they said, “Trick or Treat”? And they came home with hundreds of orders…ah, I mean pieces of candy.

5. Be prepared for surprises. The freak snow storm that hit Saturday night caught many people buy surprise. Hadn’t bought the new ice scraper, couldn’t find the snow shovel in the shed. Be a boy scout. Be prepared. Go into the day, the rest of this year and, next year, with a plan that includes being ready for the unexpected. 

Insurance companies who must fight for market share with giants got some good news from a study published this spring. The report, from business researcher Global Reviews, highlights the critical roles IT and marketing professionals play in winning sales when prospects are searching online.

Marketing’s crucial role in creating demand

Marketing's role is especially important with the growing cadre of new customers who search the web. Internet marketing expert Dave Chaffey reports that research conducted on 10,000 households found that for some products, like airline tickets, the average prospect visited no more than two websites before making a purchase. This may be due, in part, to their preference for well-known brands. Global Reviews’ study on insurance buyers found that 36% already had a company in mind when they began their search.

This seems to give an advantage to well-known companies like Allstate, Aflac, State Farm, Prudential, Aetna, GEICO and Progressive. Worthy but less advertised carriers could win a place on insureds’ short lists by stepping up their integrated marketing communications programs. Studies have shown that pleasant familiarity alone can make a person or organization more attractive to consumers. Without the skilled efforts of insurance marketers using an array of media including broadcast, direct mail and the Internet, high quality companies or their agents may never get a chance to make their case. Effective Internet advertising can be crucial in attracting the 64% of insurance buyers in the study who began their web search without a particular company in mind.

IT’s work stimulates conversion

Global Review’s research showed the important part IT plays in actually converting the leads that good marketing drives to the company website. Their investigation revealed that even when prospects already had a company in mind, only 65% bought insurance from a firm on their short list. That means a full 35% got their coverage from a company from whom they hadn't planned to buy when they started. Some websites apparently did a poor job in conversion. According to CEO Greg Muller, their investigation showed that once prospects arrive at your site, “a better customer experience from a lesser known brand can often win out.” Well-designed sites can create that experience if they:

• provide easy access to information that insurance buyers want (in logical sequence)
• feature engaging graphics
• include high quality content
• encourage interaction
• entice visitors into making commitments, large or small

The first four points may seem obvious. The last is taken from years of research in social psychology. A multitude of studies reveals the power of the “foot-in-the-door technique,” under the right conditions, to turn small commitments into substantial agreements. The Allied Group, a marketing communications company that offers marketing, marketing support and full-service fulfillment programs to the insurance industry (and others) has achieved excellent conversion rates using this technique. How? Look for more in my next post.

The ultimate goal of marketing is to Attract customers by making yourself attractive to them. It is the concept of pulling ‘em in rather than pushing information out – thereby – pushing them away. 

Marketing is everything you do to promote your business; from the second you dream about it through the time you actually have customers buy your products and services. It encompasses all aspects from naming and branding your company through the ways you present your value proposition to your target audience. Peter Drucker, the acknowledged leading management authority of the 20th century, said that marketing and innovation were the 1st concern of all businesses, more important then anything else including finances.

Good marketing and sales support is not an expense but rather an indispensable investment. Most successful companies, even ones that had a unique market position at the start, eventually have to differentiate themselves from the competition. The only way to do this in both the short and long run is marketing.

Today marketing consists of the original big four of price, product, place and promotion, but now also includes people, productivity, process and physical evidence. Solid marketing communication strategies and consistent tactical execution are the only way to guarantee that you stay top-of-mind with both your prospects and customers.

Done correctly, effective marketing will:

• Achieve all growth and revenue goals
• Communicate a consistent message about your company
• Influence customers and potential customers to buy
• Focus on customer needs
• Control the perceptions of the marketplace toward your company, product and service
• Convey the desired value proposition of your offering
• Allow for “top of mind consciousness” of your target audience
• Educate your customers and prospects as to solutions to their problems
• Communicate your expertise in a specific area
• Speak to customers “pain” and your solution

If you are not “making the numbers”, chances are you may not have a sales problem but rather a marketing one.  Effective marketing is the only real catalyst for continuous customer acquisition. For more information on marketing consultancy services, contact us.

It's not really a question anymore (or at least I don't think it should be) that social media is here to stay. Businesses are getting their names out there with the ability to 'touch' millions of people for free through the use of social media - well you have the ability to anyways.
 
A great way to bring more people to your social networks and increase your marketing and sales support is to add some social media call to actions in your email campaigns. You want people to follow you and like your page it really can increase sales in the long run.
 
Something to remember is that the nature of a traditional email campaign and a social media campaign are going to be different. Ideally prospects are going to want a more conversational tone in the emails they receive and less stuff being pushed out to them.

Consider:

• What are some hot topics that are important to our prospects right now?
• What social media forums are best for the message in my email? Facebook or Twitter? Both?
• What tone should I be using with our prospects?

Don't be afraid to keep it light. Times are changing and it's OK to have personality in your emails to prospects. Keep it neutral but don't be afraid of some wit and even some humor.