Pot Noodles and Bottles of Wine

stridingout — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:46:38 +0000

I love a good stunt. That’s why I’m awarding a MediaMaster trophy to Harrods, for a brilliant bit of PR. They are selling the staple food of students everywhere – pot noodles – for thirty pounds a portion. The luxury versions of the budget snack will be a limited-edition to raise cash for charity. Only 100 of the Poulet et Champignon (chicken and mushroom) flavour are being created. Customers also get a free fork and table linen with the green and gold jar – the colours of the livery of the store in Knightsbridge, London. Even if no-one buys a single pot, the media coverage has been worth a fortune. Nice one, Mr Al-Fayed. The dour police officers of Central Scotland receive the MediaMug gong this week. They intervened during the celebrations at East Fife, when the local football club had just won the Scottish Third Division Championship. The players had been enjoying their moment with champagne on the terraces and sprayed bubbly on the jubilant fans on the pitch below. But the police stepped in, and told the players to put the champagne away. A Central Scotland Police spokesman told reporters “Officers became aware of the presence of glass bottles containing alcohol within the main stand. They spoke to members of the East Fife party and made them aware that the presence of alcohol and controlled containers within a designated sporting ground was contrary to the Criminal Law (Consolidation) Act 1995.” Only a police spokesman could speak like that. By Alan Stevens, Media Coach www.mediacoach.co.uk

Telemarketing

stridingout — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 15:40:53 +0000

Marketing by its very nature is a volatile beast at the best of times and with the maze of marketing activities on offer, it can be difficult to determine the most effective route to pursue.A successful marketing campaign takes planning enterprise, and smart use of a company’s resources, whether they are in-house or outsourced. Michael Jackson of EB Marketing suggests that Telemarketing is one of the most successful forms of marketing available and in fact gives one of the best returns on investment.Whilst on the outside the telemarketing approach may look like a simple and easy way to generate new business is not as straightforward as it first may seem. To the contrary, it requires good communications between the telemarketing company and the client through both the good times and the bad. It also requires a new vibrant way of approaching telemarketing to be a success and with cost effectiveness at the forefront of any campaign; it must ultimately demonstrate measurable results.It is common practice for many telemarketing agencies to offer either appointment setting or lead generation, so why do they not offer both? And why not at no extra cost?Enter Pipeline ManagementPipeline management is simply the process of arranging appointments where the potential client is ready to discuss requirements of whom has a budget, and who plans to make the changes now.Generating leads for those who show similar interest but suffer from budget issues or for those who are awaiting budget, requires more work and effort, but results in a bigger pipeline for the client.Naturally budget is an important factor in any marketing activity, and clearly the Pipeline Management approach is a double winner: the client gets more for their money, and the telemarketing company is able to build a long-term relationship as a result of the size of the pipeline they have built over time.But offering Pipeline Management alone will not guarantee a long and happy client relationship – they must be offered more.Lead QualificationIt’s one thing for someone to be interested in meeting; it’s another to know why. Qualifying appointments and leads is paramount.Clients must ask themselves:• What issues are you currently facing?
• Who is this a problem for?
• Who will make the final decision?
• When will the final decision be made?
• Has budget been allocated to this project?The object of this exercise is simple – to provide a leading edge against the competition, and most importantly when walking through a prospects door you are armed with the relevant information to wow them and close the deal.The real value of telemarketingThe biggest problem many face is the decision on whether telemarketing is the right choice and generally it is an activity that suits everyone. However it is important to take into account the cost of the campaign against the cost of the service or product being sold.The ideal length of an initial campaign can and does vary, but generally clients should look at no less than 10 days and the average is nearer to 20 days.Because a campaign never finishes in the same way it started due to changes and improvements, a small pilot campaign is always sensible. Many companies agree to 3-month contracts without any prior experience of a telemarketing company, so it is vital to make sure their ability is tested before signing on the dotted line for longer-term campaigns.It is advisable never to buy data through a telemarketing company as companies like Corpdata provide similar information directly, and the data will belong to the client rather than the telemarketing company.If carried out appropriately, telemarketing is one of the best ways to generate new business, but it is not a simple, quick fix approach and requires a dedicated telemarketing team who understand the needs of the business. Do not see them as outsiders to the business but as an integral part of the sales force and as such, they require the same input and communication as internal sales and marketing departments.Ultimately the success of the campaign should never be based on the number of appointments; but on the quality of those appointments.
About the Author Mike Jackson is director of telemarketing company Ebony-Bailey Marketing. This article is provided for general consideration only and the information contained herein is not to be acted upon without professional independent advice.

The Art of Conversation

stridingout — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:19:01 +0000

Conversation underpins networking….When you say networking, people cringe as it’s a term that people immediately associate with having to approach people and sell their business, and ironically this is where it all goes wrong….

Imagine you are at an event, someone approaches you and immediately launches into promoting their service or product. They then give you their card and waltz off to find someone else and you are left wondering who they are.

Exactly, it doesn’t work does it, so you shouldn’t do it either. Networking isn’t purely about selling your business, it’s about conversation.

If you can get your ahead around this, you will put yourself in a space where it feels more natural. In an art form…

It’s about asking someone what they do and what brought them to the event, in return they should ask about you and your business (.. if they don’t converse with you, then move on to the next!)….if the conversation flows you can exchange knowledge, ideas, contacts and explore ways to work together.

Networking is a valuable way to build relationships with people through conversation. It shouldn’t be a purpose driven with specific objectives to hand out as many business cards as possible; in fact it’s the opposite. Your purpose should be focussed on talking to a fewer number of people in more depth, establishing rapport and building good relationships; the outcomes will be much greater.

Of course, it is likely that you will go to events with an intention to meet individuals working in certain areas, e.g. you may need a book keeper, or you might want to partner with some on running events? To ensure you meet the right people make sure you approach the network leaders and tell them who you’d like to meet. This way they can introduce you to the right people, which will add significant value to your networking experience.

Through Striding Out we regularly connect and introduce people at networking events and we have seen business relationships and partnerships form as a result.

Best Wishes

Heather

Business Coach and Founder of www.stridingout.co.uk

NUMBER ONE IN GOOGLE? WHY?

stridingout — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:29:58 +0000

There’s a large number of companies that provide ways for your website to rank highly in search results. As I’ve mentioned before, many of them are run by dedicated, highly experienced technicians who deliver what they promise, albeit at a price. There are also snake-oil salesmen who will deliver a high ranking for search terms that are only typed in once every few days (usually by you, to check if your site is still number one). What if you didn’t need to be “number one in Google”? What if your customers all came to your site in another way? Could it be possible? Well, of course it is. Why not liberate yourself from the “Search Engine Optimisation Industry”? Here are some ways to do just that –

You’re reading this, aren’t you? If you have a regular, useful ezine, people will use the links to visit your website from time to time.
Have a feature on your site that asks visitors to register what they need, and alert them when you can supply it
Make sure you mention your website at every opportunity
Encourage other website owners to link to you (but no tacky “link farming”,please)
Set up an affiliate programme

You can think of more. Drop me a line if you have any that you’d like to share. Join the revolution! Liberate your site from the search engines

By Alan Stevens, Founder of www.mediacoach.co.uk

Reinforcing Online Connections

stridingout — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:12:30 +0000

When you say online connections, immediately you think of myspace, facebook, bebo etc, but this time I’m not talking about social media, I’m talking about websites….it’s back to basics.

With every client you work with, partnership you create, stakeholders you engage with, you should look to create a relationship which can be turned into a future business opportunity. All you need to do is ask if you can exchange links and a paragraph of text to represent your business on each others website. This exchange could be purely on a voluntary basis or if you want to take it a step further you could use an affiliate programme, where you give the referrer a % of income created.

The paragraph about your business needs to be short and sweet, capturing people’s attention so they want to find out more. The paragraph could be in the form of a testimonial or a description of services, followed by your weblink. This exchange will not only be a great promotional opportunity for both of you, but it also boost your reputation in terms of who you work with, and it will also boost your rankings on search engines such as google. Overall it will have a positive impact on your marketing and PR strategy.
Measuring the impact of your website referrals is easy; you just need to use online measuring tools such as Google analytics.
One great example of this relationship is where www.stridingout.co.uk has worked with www.beunpackaged.com. Unpackaged was one of Striding Out’s participants on Big Leap Competition, and our recent promotion of the competition led to a press feature on the www.treehugger.com website. The feature directed people to Cath’s website, which in turn referred people to our site from a weblink on the Be Unpackaged website.

So every month reflect on who you’ve worked with and see how you can reinforce your online connection with them. The positive impact will not only strengthen your existing business relationships but also your new ones, as referrals from trusted sources are always best.

Best Wishes

Heather

Founder and Business Coach www.stridingout.co.uk

Running a Business In Second Life

stridingout — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 22:14:06 +0000

Striding Out Member, Simon Stevens, shares his 10 Tips to running a business in Secondlife.

Secondlife is a popular and ever-growing virtual world where real businesses are beginning to explore it as a real potential for promotion and income generation. But running a business in Second Life is not as straight forward as its looks. I run my own nightclub for many months and here are my top ten tips….

Always remember Secondlife is not a game and take it as serious as any other business venture.
Do not assume your real life business venture will automatically work in Secondlife.
Spend time in secondlife understanding the culture and norms before starting a business.
Network and add as many friends as you can, you must get known.
If you do not know how to do something, ask, it is a friendly space.
If you can’t do it yourself, pay someone else to do it.
Remember everything costs a fraction of what it is in the real world.
Expect to be having business meetings in the middle of the night!.
Don’t assume you are the “first ……” because you are probably not!.
Always expect the unexpected including having a business meeting with a fox, dragon or octopus!.

Sounds crazy? Have a look yourself!.

www.secondlife.com www.simonstevens.com www.enableenterprises.com

First Steps to Market Research

stridingout — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:26:06 +0000

Market Research is essential to any business during the start-up, development and growth cycle of the business. It is essential for answering key questions to inform your strategic vision and planning for the business:-

Identifing the market – Does a gap exist? Who are your competitors? What are they offering? How will your service / product be differentiated? Anticipating changing consumer trends that indicate opportunity?
Identify your position in the market- At what price? Delivered through which channel?
Research viability of internal process – Researching suppliers and their compatibility with your business.
To get under the skin of your customer – Align your product to the values, aspirations, expectations of your customers.

Write yourself a Research Brief

What – Are your objectives, what do you want to know? Who – Which specific people do we need to talk to? Where – In certain locations or more widespread? When – Can interviewing occur anytime or do we have to be specific? How – Is there a need for hard objective fact (quantitative) or are we exploring an issue at this stage (qualitative)?

Turning Research into Insight

Do – Be objective and critical – Present a balanced picture – Champion the consumer voice – Identify common themes from a wide range of sources – Ideally combine different techniques – Keep it simple – Tell a story – Bring the data to life

Don’t – Overclaim – Did a lot of people think this or just a minority? – Don’t try and make the research fit your hypotheses- If something is odd, its likely to be a problem with the process you used.

Defining your Niche

stridingout — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:18:23 +0000

Believe in Yourself and your idea, regardless of whether others share your passion. They will come back to you when your successful!
Think Big if you want to make an impact ! A brand is created by selling something with a unique twist, whether it is a story, concept, product.
Maximise the use of PR by creating and selling a story to the press. Word of mouth and editorial recommendations can be a much stronger communication channel than advertising.
Seek Expertise that you haven’t got, to make it happen! Complement your strengths with someone who can fulfil your weaknesses.
Protect your Intellectual Property rights to maintain your brand identity.
Continue to Innovate with the market, exploring new avenues and marketing channels, selling online or via retail outlets

Making Sales in the 21st Century

stridingout — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 22:16:34 +0000

Diagnosing the problem of a client is the root to making a sale. It is about tapping into what they need emotionally or technically to create a better situation and avoidance of loss.
Encouraging customer interaction is the art to generating a sale, so the customer creates ownership of the product or service. The customer is more likely to purchase a product or service if it is tailored to their specific requirements and desires.
Selling with integrity is essential to retain trust of the client. If you are unable to provide the desired service/product for the client let them know and refer them to an alternative provider.
Convey the possiblities to the customer. Present different options available and through these options help the customer to visual what the outcome would look like.

Fashion shows

stridingout — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 21:20:23 +0000

Top Ten Tips for using fashion shows as a marketing channel. Shows and exhibitions are the ideal platform to showcase products and services to all media.
Fashion shows in particular directly display your brand to your target audience. This is why it is vital to get the following areas right:

Consider your target audience. Devise a carefully constructed guest list to invite to your fashion show. This should consist of influential people in the fashion industries that have the power to offer you what you may need (from finance to press coverage). You should also invite potential stockists and customers, after all – sales keep you ticking! The media is a must – treat them as your VIP guests as they have the ability to expose your brand in television, radio and publications – resulting in a raised profile and increased trade. Ensure you get the right person from each company and media form – its little use inviting the wrong contact as a) they won’t be interested and b) you won’t get anything in return.
Choose the right models! As this is a literal show case of your brand, see the models as clothes pegs to demonstrate how well your clothing line hangs, for instance. The models should also suit your brand values. If you are funky and cutting edge, you should choose models that can carry this sort of look off. Again, consider your market – who are you appealing to? If you are a line for mature women, there’s little use using a model who looks 14!
Styling and choreography. Similarly, consider how you are going to dress your models to create the ideal overall look. Make-up, accessories, hair and choreography are all vitally important to get right. Ask yourself what kind of impression you want to give. If you are a designer of evening gowns, maybe you want to use a choreographer to create a scene of ballroom dancing halfway through the show? Anything to spice it up. Catwalks are often best kept simple, especially if it is your first attempt but to be inspired, turn to designers such as Alexander McQueen who is always setting trends on the runway!
Music and mood – Never neglect the music – this can really create the atmosphere you crave and even put people in the mood to buy! Some chain stores, that I won’t mention, tend to compose compilation albums including tracks that stimulate the mind, encourage self esteem and promote sales. It is possible! Think about the type of mood you want to create – relaxed and sophisticated? Cheeky and chirpy? The music should reflect this.
Venue – Before you begin any of the above you do need to, of course set a venue. Choosing the right venue is achieved by considering a number of areas: 1. Location – does the location give you the right image? Decide what that is and assess the venues image and reputation – it should match closely to yours. 2. Transport links – is it easy for people to get to? The media won’t travel too far, and often don’t have time to travel too far from their offices. Most magazine houses are based in central
London. 3. Amenities – does the venue provide you with canapés, drinks menus, parking, security, lighting, sound system, etc? Make a list of what you need and ensure they have it, or can get it!4. Budget – of course, you will need to work out a budget before you start and split it into areas such as marketing, design and print for invitations, venue hire, food and drink, etc. Many venues are willing to negotiate as long as you are fair.

By Bethanie Lunn, Director of Huge PR www.hugepromotions.co.uk