Category: Promotion

Famous Failures – Post-It Notes

Posted on by Chris Mahan

Did you know you probably have one of the world’s greatest failures as a product sitting on your desk right now?

The Post-It Note was an accident that never should have happened. The original creator of this innovation, Spencer Silver, was trying to find an adhesive to use in the construction of airplanes. Looking at the strength of the glue on a Post-It Note, it’s easy to see he missed the mark by quite a bit. There’s absolutely nothing strong or even permanent about a Post-It Note.

On the other hand, what he did create was an adhesive able to be used to hold one thing to another, which could be easily peeled off and used again…all without leaving any kind of sticky residue.

Now, most creators would look at a failure as just that, one more failure. If they were smart, they might examine the mistake to see what they did wrong in order to improve their next attempt. Here’s where Silver deviated from that response. He realized his mistake was interesting. And while it didn’t solve the original problem, he couldn’t help but think it might solve someone else’s. He started talking to people at his company, 3M, to see if anyone could come up with some kind of use for what he’d inadvertently discovered.

It took time and a lot of brainstorming. While his adhesive was impressive, no one had a practical application for it and told him to scrap the idea. Only one person, Geoff Nicholson, saw this product to be as interesting as Silver did and worked with him to come up with an idea for how to use it.

Initially, they found the wrong solution: put it on a bulletin board and you could stick papers to it without thumbtacks, then peel them away without leaving a residue on them. But the application seemed limited. It was a man named Arthur Fry who rounded out the team by suggesting putting the glue on the paper itself. This was the tweak that led to the overwhelming success of the product.

Here was the turning point for the Post-It Note. They figured out how to apply the glue to paper, but even then, 3M had a hard time getting on board. The initial marketing on the product resulted in no sales. It wasn’t until someone else developed an alternative marketing strategy that the world discovered just how unique and useful this product was. The marketing strategy? Provide free samples to consumers so they could gain an appreciation for the value of the product.

The story of the Post-It note is all about failures and what we do when things don’t go exactly as planned. It’s about being able to look outside the box and to find a use for something when the original intent doesn’t work out. More than that, it’s about perseverance and not giving up when you know you’ve got something good but the rest of the world just doesn’t realize it yet.

How to Get Powerful Testimonies for Your Business

Posted on by Chris Mahan

The words of happy customers can have a significant impact on both your lead generation and conversion rates. One of the simplest ways to gain testimonies?  ASK!

Here’s how you can start to gather credible testimonials for your marketing strategy:

1. Create a system for requesting, collecting and organizing testimonials.

Once you begin your testimonial acquisition program, you’re going to need a place to organize and store testimonials. You will want to track the customers you’ve asked and those who have responded.

I recommend you begin by creating a list of all of your customers in an editable spreadsheet. Place four columns beside each name and label them: (1) Will ask, (2) Have asked, (3) Have received and (4) Refused. Mark each name appropriately and update as needed.

Then, create an electronic filing system or binder for organizing and managing testimonials. You can sort them by date, customer last name, or category (customer service, product, etc). Just be sure it is easy for you to find them when you need to. This is going to be an going part of your marketing campaign, so prepare for a large quantity of testimonials when you’re setting up your system.

2. Read incoming mail and email for unsolicited testimonials.

Create a folder or system for keeping testimonials that come in on their own – unsolicited ones. Any kind of customer feedback or thank you could be a great testimonial to use, so include them in your organization system. It is best to get the customer’s permission to use their testimonial and you may want to protect their identity by only publishing first name and the initial of their last.

You may need to go back through your old files, or your inbox, to locate feedback and testimonials you received in the past but haven’t used. Any testimonial – old and new – is potentially a good one.

3. Start by asking your best customers for testimonials.

While you may see a nice number of testimonials float in through the mail and email, you will have to work for the majority of your testimonials. You will have to ask for them.

Start with the list of your customers you created and organize them by sales volume and frequency. Choose the top 10 – 20%. These are your best customers and should be the first from whom you request a testimonial.

Create a simple “Testimonial Request” letter or email that you can use over and over again. Be sincere, and encourage the customer to write their own letter instead of you drafting it for them.

Feel free to make general suggestions about what you would like them to write about, but try not to control the process. If you’re comfortable doing so, when you see what they have written make some suggestions or request certain sections be strengthened or more specific.

4. Make requesting testimonials a part of your sales process.

Once you’ve “caught up” on your testimonial requests, and asked your top customers for a few thoughts and opinions, you can create a system for ongoing testimonial collecting. These testimonials will be “solicited” as opposed to “unsolicited.”

The most important point here is to ask for a testimonial as soon as possible after the sale. The longer you wait, the less inclined the customer will be to put the effort in to writing their thoughts down. Besides, most customers are happiest and most willing to help immediate after the sale.

·         Ask for the testimonial. If a customer is glowing and gushing with praise, ask them to put it in writing, on letterhead if they have it. Tell them that it would really help you (your customers will love to help!) and that you value their feedback. If they’re not gushing, but you know they’re happy, be bold and ask them if they would write about their experience with your business. Stay on top of your testimonial gathering and ask as soon as possible.

·         Get all their contact details. Get all your customer’s contact details so you can follow up with them once they have agreed to submit a testimonial. The act of giving you their contact information will also establish a sense of commitment on their part, and it will be more likely they’ll follow through.

·         Tell them when you’re going to follow up. You don’t want to be a pest, but if you don’t follow up you may never get that testimonial. Tell them when you’re going to be in contact to retrieve their letter. If you’re going to email them in a week, or call them in a few days, let them know what your plan.

·         Offer to write the first draft. This is a last resort strategy for customers who are either too busy or too lazy to write their own. Remember the testimonials written by real customers are the most believable, so try not to offer this up front. If your customer suggests this, try to encourage them to write their own brief notes. If that doesn’t work, brainstorm some of their ideas, and then write it yourself. Make sure you have it printed on their letterhead and signed.

5. Always ask your customers for permission to use their name and words in your marketing materials, and don’t forget to say thank you.

Once you receive their testimonial, reach out via email or phone and thank your customer. Use that opportunity to gain their permission to use their name and words in your marketing materials – including your website, brochure, ads, and in-store displays. You may want to provide a small token of your appreciation – a percentage off a purchase, a small gift, even some candy – the next time they visit your place of business.

Be sincere in your thanks, and if appropriate send a full letter or email. Thank them for their time and their kind words, and anything else you may notice about their efforts.

You will need to gain permission from customers who send you solicited and unsolicited testimonials. The easiest way to do this is to send a “blanket release” that allows you to use their comments – in part or in whole – in all current and future materials. This way you won’t have to ask each time you want to run an ad or send a direct mail campaign.

What Would You Give to Have More Time in Your Day?

Posted on by Chris Mahan

I can’t give you more than the 604,800 seconds that everyone has in their week, but I can show you a simple way to be more productive with those allotted seconds.

Our modern world recognizes being busy as being important. It seems the more running around you do, the more urgent tasks you have, the more respected you are. Think about it – have you ever talked about how busy you are when someone asked you how you were? Probably. We all do it.

But being busy doesn’t mean we are being effective at making the changes we want in our lives. In fact, it may mean the opposite – that we are wasting time on tasks that really aren’t that important. That leaves us drained of energy and wondering what it’s all for.

The Pareto Principle, maybe better known as the 80/20 principle, is a way to use your time effectively so you get more done and are working on the right activities. In a nutshell, the principle says that approximately 20% of your effort yields 80% of your results. Likewise, the reverse is also true. There are tasks that take 80% effort, yet only yield 20% of your results. The goal, obviously, is to determine which tasks are which.

The easiest and fastest way to achieve your outcomes and reach your potential is to streamline your action items. Some tasks that don’t make the cut (don’t yield 80%) can be ignored as unimportant, while others may still need doing, but not necessarily by you. Those 20% yield tasks that still need to be completed can be outsourced so you are free to complete the creative tasks you are best at.

Here’s how to see if an item is a 20% or an 80% job:

  • Keep a list of outcomes handy so you can review it throughout each day.
  • Write down each task that you need to complete for the day.
  • Now, go through each item and compare it to your outcomes. Does it align? From past experience, how much effort did the item take? And what was the benefit? Is it worth it?
  • If it is, but you don’t need to do it, hand it off to someone else.
  • If it’s not, mark a line through it and move on to the next item on the list.
  • Use a simple tracking system to measure the results vs. the effort on each task or technique you use. This will help you determine if something is a 20% or 80% undertaking later.

The point of this exercise is to keep firmly in your mind that not all activities yield the same benefits. And that it’s not necessary to implement every idea that you come across. Choose only those that align with your goals and will offer the most reward.

Of course, you can take a shortcut to increasing your revenue and profits by engaging in what I’ve determined to be 5 areas that comprise the 20% of efforts in your business that lead to 80% of your profit. Visit my website and scroll down to the section, “Free Training for Business Owners.” Watch the 25 minute training video for an overview of an approach that will give you insight as to how you can increase your revenue and profits in as little as 90 days. As an added bonus, I’ll also send you a short email training series to provide even more insight into the process.

Lessons I Learned from Paris Hilton

Posted on by Chris Mahan

Today we’ll talk about shameless self-promotion. That’s right, I said it! Shameless! After all, we are learning from Paris Hilton here.

It’s all about self-promotion! Self-promotion comes in many forms and you can use different tactics to get your name out there. Look at politicians! Talk about self-promotion and in some not so discreet ways, at that. But, seriously, consider some of the major superstars we all know. Madonna, Donald Trump, Howard Stern and Bill Clinton, just to name a few.

We all self promote. Did you raise your hand in class to show the teacher you knew the answer? Of course! That’s self-promotion. This is the kind of self-promotion we are talking about. With dignity, class and the knowledge to back it up. If you self-promote only to prove you don’t really know what you’re talking about, you’re going to lose business.

Natural self-promoters are the former and I want to tell you about the three major traits they have and use to build themselves and their businesses.

  1. The first is position. You need to position yourself around people who can make a difference in your life. You need to do this frequently. You need to wake up every morning and ask yourself “Who can I meet today who will make a difference in my success?” In fact, go a step further, write it in big, bold letters and tape it on your bathroom mirror.

Also consider:

Who can help me meet my goals?

Is it a prospective customer/client? A colleague with contacts? An association with key members who may become prospects?

Don’t settle into interacting with the people who are the easiest to access. You need to reach outside your comfort zone and there you will find a wealth of new connections that will bring you great success.

  1. Now, let’s talk about Style. No, this doesn’t mean you need an Armani suit to bring in more business (though, let’s be honest-it wouldn’t hurt) ☺ What this really means is how are you different from your competitors and others in your industry. What makes you memorable with customers?

If you are meeting a lot of people and they don’t remember you once you leave the room, you have a serious problem! This means you have an opportunity to present yourself in a more memorable way.

There are lots of little subtle changes you can make. Reassess your:

  • Business cards
  • Company message
  • Your picture
  • Your wording

Maybe even, your hairstyle (of course, now we’re back to the expensive suit, but it really works!)

You get the idea. There are lots of little ways you can work on making your image and business more successful. Also, consider how you sound on the phone and how you great people at meetings or other events. Think about your 30-sec elevator speech.

  1. The third trait of natural promoters is repetition. You can’t say it once and leave it at that. Successful self-promoters say it as many times as they need until they get a response. Would you remember a commercial for Coca-Cola if you only saw it once, no! You see it over and over and eventually you head out to the store.

You, also, have to make multiple impressions on those you are networking with in order to build brand awareness. Repetition is in direct connection with positioning. Once you find people to network with, reach out and find hundreds more who can help in your success as well.