Customer Touch Points

By Roger Buck Marketing for return on investment (ROI) means companies should utilize every opportunity to promote their products, service and brand. Direct mail, TV, radio, email and many other forms of marketing exist and may already be in your budget. However these can be expensive, so as part of your marketing plan development, it’s a good idea to look at your opportunities in customer touch points. A touch point is any communication opportunity that normally takes place with between your company and your current customers on a day to day or month to month basis. Here are a few key benefits of utilizing the marketing tactic. • Lower cost factor to implement • Works as a customer retention program • Drives account penetration • Provides opportunity for new customer acquisition • Many can be tracked to gauge response rate So how do you uncover these hidden marketing opportunities? First consider bringing together members of your company for a brain storming session. Involve accounting, sales, customer service and delivery staff. Even if you are a very small company you may have many touch points to consider. Let’s briefly look at two examples: a small retail store and a large manufacturer. Retail store If you have a “brick and mortar” location your customers and prospect may see many messages before getting to your door. Consider your store front. Does it have curb appeal? Is there ample parking? Is the parking area painted and free of trash? Do you utilize window graphics and, if so, do you change those often using high impact color graphics to pull the attention of clients and prospects? You will see quickly that your customers may receive several messages from you before even getting in the door. What message they are receiving is very important. When a client or prospect comes in how are they greeted? Here’s a very critical point. Remember, you only have one time to make a first impression. A pet peeve of mine is to walk in a store and have a sales clerk or service person ask “How are you?” I’m pretty sure they are not really interested in my health. I’d like to hope they are interested in why I’m at their store, so why not ask me “How can we help you today?” A great marketing plan can only provide an environment for a sale to occur, i.e., marketing can get the buyer in the door; however, a sales process still normally has to take place. The buying experience has many touch points that brand and sell your company. How your associates dress, speak and handle the interaction can send valuable messages to your customers that you appreciate and value their business. Likewise, prompt and accurate check out sends a message of professionalism and the common courtesy of a thank you presented in a sincere manner can have lasting impact. As you consider staff also consider you delivery team and vehicles. Company vans or trucks are rolling billboards of not just of your company name but also you image. Dented, faded paint and rust send a message to clients and drivers who may see it on the road. Do your drivers dress in company labeled apparel? Have you explained to them the sales value they can have on a delivery to a customer? From a drive by view of your store to a client leaving the parking lot there are multiple opportunity to send messages that should be explored, graded and exploited. Manufacturer If you produce goods then ship, transport or otherwise deliver goods you also have multiple customer touch points. These may start with you customer service team or website. Before your client ever see’s your product they interact with some segment of your company. If they are put on hold do they listen to loud rock and roll or a static filled talk show? Why not use that hold time to present a pre-recorded message? When they receive your goods how are they labeled and packed? Could you utilize the shipping box for additional marketing? Could you include a flyer on a new product or a personally written “thank you” from the shipping department? After the sale you have more opportunities for additional marketing in the statement or invoices sent to your customers. Could you include advertising on the statement form? Could you utilize statement stuffers to promote new products? Have you consider including referral cards to drive new business? It’s been reported that the average person receives approximately 5000 marketing messages each day! Utilizing your customer touch points in a creative and impactful manner can help your brand stand out from all the others. In most cases, customer touch points are your most economical means of promoting, branding and marketing your company. Roger Buck is the Direct of Marketing at The Flesh Company, a large printing firm, based in St. Louis, MO and a 40 year veteran of the print industry who is a frequent contributor to various publications.

3 Marketing Lessons We Learned From Our Moms

Sunday was Mother’s Day, and it got us thinking about all of the amazing things that our moms do for us. They’re also very skilled in the art of persuasion (you still eat your broccoli, don’t you?) Check out these great marketing lessons that we learned from our moms, and give your mom a hug while you’re at it: 1. Always make your message clear. Moms know to never leave anything open to interpretation. You should communicate with your customers in direct, easy to understand ways, telling them exactly what you want them to do and how to do it. And of course, just like Mom, do it with love. 2. Sometimes a whisper is more effective than a shout. You know those moments when your mom suddenly got very quiet and very intense? That was a sure sign that it was time to listen. You can capture your audience’s attention the same way. Instead of always trying to be the loudest and flashiest company, learn to convey powerful messages in simpler ways. 3. Don’t be afraid to have fun. Some of the best memories with our moms are the ones where we played hookie, built blanket forts, or ate large quantities of ice cream. It’s good to get down to business with your marketing, but always remember to have some fun with it. Your customers will appreciate and remember you for it.

The ABC's of VDP

The availability of digital technology for gathering, analyzing and storing information, combined with the efficiency of digital printing, has greatly expanded the ability of businesses and organizations of any size to reach out to customers and prospects with a customized message. This ability, called one-to-one marketing, is very different from the one-to-many marketing messages of traditional media. In one-to-many marketing, the same content is sent to the entire audience, who are assumed to share an interest in the content being sent. In contrast, one-to-one marketing sends a custom message to each individual in the audience, often producing a response of “How did they know I was interested in that?!” The process for conducting one-to-one marketing is called variable data printing (VDP). VDP can range from a simple mail merge (such as including a person’s name in the inside address of a letter) to a highly sophisticated change of text, photographs and graphic images (such as preparation of a booklet defining insurance benefits, deductibles and premium payments for a single individual). VDP is enabled by linking a static page layout with a database of information and a file of photographs and graphic images, then applying a set of rules that tells how to select elements from the database and image files and where to place them in the page layout. Since digital print creates each copy on-the-fly from a raster image file, it is easy to make every copy unique. VDP pairs offset quality with digital customization The early forms of VDP had several tell-tale limitations: the custom information almost always appeared in black ink, and sometimes the font didn’t match the rest of the type or the margins weren’t even. When overprint, versioning and mail merge came into wider use, these limitations became recognizable and compromised the effectiveness of the customization. Today’s VDP is markedly different. Using color digital technology, the entire piece can be printed in full color, the custom information can be placed almost anywhere, and custom graphic images like charts and graphs can be created on-the-fly as the document is printing. (Utility bills and credit card statements – known as transactional printing – are two examples this type of VDP.) When VDP is used for marketing material, each copy is unique, customized and printed for the individual recipient. Even without extensive customization, VDP is an ideal choice for direct mail, promotional flyers and event promotion: • Print only as many as you need. Limit the number of copies to the number in your database. • Test market a direct mail piece. Adjust the content of a direct mail piece for A/B testing, then use the version with the best response rate for the main mailing. • Print addresses directly on the mail piece as the piece is being printed. Eliminate labels and hand-addressing. VDP use is growing The Who’s Mailing What! Archive is the world’s largest library of direct mail information. Sponsored by the North American Publishing Company, the archive has been collecting information for 20 years in the form of 4000 to 5000 pieces of direct mail received monthly. Analyzed and stored as an online database, the archive is based on information from more than 240,000 direct mail packages. An analysis of 40 months of data from the archive (January 2009 to October 2011) shows the growth of VDP for direct marketing pieces: • In 2009, 28% of direct mail pieces were personalized. • In 2010, the number of personalized mail pieces increased to 34% (a 21% increase). • In the first ten months of 2011, the use of personalized mail pieces increased 21% of 2010, which is a 46% increase from 2009. The increased use of VDP for marketing is due to improving cost-benefit ratios (though a personalized direct mail piece costs more than a static piece, companies print only the number they need) and better response rates. MindFire, Inc., a company that provides VDP software, has studied 1856 cross-media marketing campaigns in 30 vertical industries. MindFire reports that in 2010, the response rate across all industries averaged 4.5%. Compare this with an average response rate from static direct mail of between 0.5% and 2%. Use VDP for your customers first Earlier we mentioned that VDP combines a static page layout with a database of information. The more information in the database, the more custom and personalized the VDP mail becomes. Because you know more about your customers than your prospects, and because it is easier to sell to existing customers than prospects, it makes sense to use VDP on customers first. We recommend that you start with a relatively simple project, one that takes advantage of the information you already have collected about your customers. That could include a reminder about the last item they purchased or the last donation they made, coupled with an offer specifically related to that transaction. If desired, make it a cross media campaign by including a personalized URL (uniform resource locator – a web address) on the mail piece. We’ll help you design the mail piece and check your database to be sure it has all the needed information for customization. Contact Kimberly or Dan at 303.320.4855 for more information and assistance in putting VDP to work for your company or organization.

How to Be a (Professional) People Person

Being approachable is key for a manager, but unfortunately not everyone is naturally warm and friendly. Having a slightly cold demeanor can sometimes lead to misunderstandings and even create unnecessary tension. The good news is that with a few simple tips, you can seem far more approachable and open. Here are some things to keep in mind: Nonverbal cues. Some people’s resting faces are naturally unhappy-looking. This combined with bad body language habits like crossing your arms can make you seem incredibly intimidating. By paying attention to what you’re doing with your face and body, you can convey how friendly you truly are. This doesn’t mean that you need to be grinning widely and ready to embrace someone at any moment, but having a pleasant expression and posture that isn’t closed off will go a long way. Empathy. It can be difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, particularly when you adamantly disagree with what they have to say. But if you can manage to understand where they’re coming from, and show that you do, they will appreciate your empathy. The simple phrases “I understand” and “that must be difficult” demonstrate that you have given thought to a different perspective. Genuine interest. While it’s important to have a distinction between professional and personal lives (though that line is different for every person and employer), it’s also important to cultivate a genuine interest in your employees. Ask them how their kid’s piano recital was, or if they found a contractor to fix the hole in their roof. Also be willing to reciprocate and share details about yourself and your life. This helps to build relationships and establishes trust. Recognition. It’s easy to get caught up in goals and everything you and your team need to do to accomplish them. However, it’s important to take a step back and recognize the people who are going above and beyond. This too shows that you pay attention and care about the great things that they’re doing.

How to Write a (Fundraising) Thank-You Note

I recently came across an article that talked about how to write a (fundraising) thank you note. This instantly struck me as something our clients would take interest in. This article was posted on a blog written by Willis Turner, here is what he had to say about the key factors in writing an effective fundraising thank you note. At the Fundraising Success Engage conference week before last, several fundraisers got into a discussion about acknowledgement letters. Everyone agreed they were vitally important, but when we got down in the weeds of exactly how they should be constructed and what they should say, there was a lot of uncertainty. So, let me share one formula that has been a proven winner for many of our clients. It's not rocket science, but it does need to be written correctly, and mailed immediately. The longer the delay, the lower the impact. Here's what we do: 1. Personalize. The letter must be personalized, even if the gift came in from a "Dear Friend" letter. 2. Print it on a single 8.5 x 11" sheet with a perforated 3.5 x 8.5" reply at the bottom. No letter copy on the back (putting credit card info on the back of the reply is fine), so the letter will need to be short and sweet. 3. Acknowledge the gift and date received: "Thank you so much for your kind gift of $XX, which we received on DATE." (The phrase "kind gift" phrase led to another discussion about whether to say, "Thank you for your generous gift." Some people don't like to use the word generous because, they ask, what if the donor only sent a small amount - just $5 or $10? Wouldn't calling them generous make them think they were getting a form letter, or that you were being disingenuous? My feeling is that a gift of any amount is generous, since the donor didn't have to give anything at all. More than 90 percent of the people you asked didn't. Besides, who wouldn't like to be thought of as generous? But it's a judgment call. It's up to you.) 4. Refer to the appeal the donor supported. "Your support of our Annual Fund couldn't have come at a better time ..." 5. Tell her how her gift is being used. "I want you to know that your donation is already helping people like Sarah (the story from the appeal) ..." 6. Soft ask (part 1): Another hot topic was whether the TY should include an ask for a second gift. Based on long experience with a lot of different clients, I think a soft ask is a good thing. The reason your donor sent you a gift in the first place is that she believes in you and wants to help. The TY letter should give her another opportunity to experience the good feeling she got from helping you the first time. But the key word is soft. Say something like, "The continuing support of friends like you is what makes our work possible ..." 7. Thank her again. "Again, please accept my sincere thanks ..." 8. Add a P.S., just as you would to any letter. It can expand the reference you made to the appeal, remind the donor of your larger mission, or add anything else that's relevant. Just remember most readers read the P.S. before the body of the letter, so make sure it's relevant and urgent. 9. Soft ask (part 2). Include a reply device. Do not include an ask string. The copy should be mission-focused, and positioned from the donor's perspective. "Yes, Bob. I want to continue helping ... etc. I'm enclosing an additional, special gift of $____..." 10. Include a reply envelope (RE). Some organizations use a Business Reply Envelope (BRE), with prepaid postage, so the donor doesn’t have to use her own stamp. We've tested this a number of times and in most cases the slight increase in response is not enough to overcome the extra cost of the BRE. But it's something you might want to test for yourself. By the way, lest we confuse strategy with courtesy, let's not forget that the real reason we write thank-you notes to donors is that it's the right thing to do. They gave us a gift and it's only proper that we thank them for it. But when they are written in a way that reminds her of her value, thank-you letters build loyalty, increase retention, and strengthen the emotional bond between you and your donor. And while acknowledgement letters aren't designed to make money, if you use the format above, they'll often pay for themselves, and sometimes even bring in a little extra revenue. And that's never a bad thing.

How to Surf the Changing Tides of Social Media

It is a confusing time for social media. It seems like every day, new and conflicting reports come out about the future of different platforms. Is Facebook a sinking ship? Or is it simply being used by a new demographic? Is Instagram the new thing? Or should you be using Snapchat? In addition to all of the ever-changing buzz, Facebook has recently switched up their algorithms. If you’ve been watching your business’s page, you’ve probably noticed a big decline in the number of people your posts are reaching. So how do you navigate the tricky waters of social media marketing? These three rules will help you stay afloat: 1. No matter where you’re posting, make sure what you’re posting is worthwhile. The changed Facebook algorithm punishes posts that simply recirculate content or ask for likes. On all platforms, think about what would be valuable to your customer and consistent with your brand. Try to create interesting and original content whenever possible. 2. Pay attention to numbers and followers. The number of “likes” or followers you have isn’t the end all be all, but you should know who you’re reaching and how often. Analyze the success (or failure) of each post and tweak accordingly. This will also help you be more responsive to user engagement. 3. Diversify. Rather than abandoning Facebook for Instagram or devoting all of your time to Vine, try to build community on multiple platforms in a way that makes sense for your brand. This requires you to really get to know each platform, its capabilities, and who it reaches. If you don’t put all of your eggs in the Facebook basket, your marketing won’t die if the platform suddenly goes the way of MySpace

5 Ways to Make Your Business Greener

Happy Earth Day!It’s the perfect occasion to take a step back and see how you can make your business more environmentally-friendly. It might not seem like going green should be a big priority for a small business, but there are actually several benefits. Demonstrating a commitment to your community and environment shows that you care about more than making a profit, and it will make you competitive with other companies that are going green. If that doesn’t have you sold, reducing wasteful practices will also save you a ton of money. Here are some ways that you can start greening up your company: Reduce energy consumption. We all know that unplugging things when they aren’t in use is a good way to conserve energy, but this can be a big hassle when you have countless electronics and appliances plugged in at one time. Invest in some smart power strips that sense when energy isn’t being used and shut it off until it’s needed again. You’ll be amazed at how much energy (and money) you save. Go green with your printing. It’s great to go paperless when you can, but don’t feel like you have to go print-free to be green. Talk to your local printer to see what environmentally-friendly methods they offer. There are countless kinds of recycled papers, efficient inks, and energy-conserving printing processes available. Bring lunch. It might not seem like a big deal to drive 10 minutes to your favorite fast food place every day, but when you add it up over a period of time (and factor in how many of your coworkers are doing it too) it can seem like a big waste of time and energy. Start bringing your lunch or create a lunch program for your employees so they don’t have to worry about leaving the office at noon. Give employees water bottles. Bottled water is an incredibly harmful environmental product. Americans throw out nearly 40 million plastic bottles each year, and it requires millions of gallons of oil to produce all of the bottles that are bought in the first place. Consider giving your employees personalized water bottles. They’ll be grateful for the thoughtful gift, and you’ll rest easy knowing that you’re reducing unnecessary plastic bottle usage. Reward employees for using alternative methods of transportation. Encourage your coworkers to ditch their cars by rewarding those who carpool, take public transportation, walk or ride their bikes to work every day. The reward can be as simple as a shout out during a staff meeting or as elaborate as being entered into a drawing for a fabulous vacation package. No matter what you do, recognizing people who are going green will boost company morale and reduce your carbon footprint.