Embrace Rejection

The Hottest Marketing Trends for 2008

The Hottest Marketing Trends for 2008 Learn about the hottest new marketing trends plus the best ways to increase sales in 2008.

By Kim T. Gordon

Marketers nationwide are setting their plans in motion for 2008. Big-name brands will embrace new technologies and adjust their budgets in some surprising ways. And as an entrepreneur, you can use some of these tactics to reach your own audience in the coming year.

In 2008, you can expect major marketing trends to include:

A shift from traditional to "alternative" media

Advertising in newspapers and magazines, and on radio and TV will continue to be marketing staples, but spending in new media will show the biggest growth as advertisers move money into online, mobile and alternative out-of-home advertising. Many marketers are finding alternative media the best way to reach audiences effectively and to yield a measurable ROI. A communications industry forecast published by Veronis Suhler Stevenson predicts alternative advertising spending will increase more than 23 percent from 2006 to 2011, while traditional advertising will have a compound annual growth rate of just over 1 percent.

A growth spurt for interactive marketing

Interactive marketing spending will more than triple over the next five years, reaching $61 billion by 2012, according to Forrester Research. To put this into context, interactive marketing, which currently accounts for just 8 percent of all ad spending, will increase to 18 percent of marketers' total advertising budgets in five years.

Interactive encompasses new marketing channels such as e-mail and search marketing, online video ads and social media. Mobile marketing, also a form of interactive media, is getting hotter as consumers become increasingly comfortable using personal computing handsets. Other emerging channels, including game marketing, podcasts and RSS feeds, will claim increasingly larger shares of marketers' budgets.

More off-line support for online campaigns

Here's where the value of advertising synergy hits home. In 2008 and beyond, the trend toward using off-line media to drive customers to the web will continue and pick up speed. Traditional media are increasingly relied on to support new interactive campaigns. Display advertising, in particular, will be the workhorse that Forrester Research predicts will reach $14 billion by 2012.

TV is another traditional advertising medium that will increasingly be used to pique consumer interest and point prospects to a website where they can find more in-depth information. Once there, entertaining online video ads may be used to tell a longer, more involved story. Consumer adoption of online video is growing, and most age groups are expected to step up its use in 2008.

Taking Advantage of the Trends In 2008, the major marketers who set the trends will help consumers adopt new media consumption methods. And they'll pave the way for small business owners to follow suit without the risk or heavy financial outlay.

Here are four ways to increase sales and your advertising ROI by capitalizing on the hottest trends for 2008.

1. Engage the customer. The move toward alternative advertising versus some of the more traditional methods coincides with the emergence of technologies that enable a one-on-one dialogue with customers. For example, follow the trend of social media by posting your products on sites that encourage customer or peer reviews. Social media add an element of impartiality and are increasingly looked to as reliable sources of information.

2. Integrate your off-line and online campaigns. Look for ways to use off-line media to drive traffic to a website with specialized landing pages that tell a deeper story. Use print and TV ads to start the customer education process and direct potential buyers online to learn more and take the next steps in the purchase process. And direct an e-mail campaign to your current customer database to offset the cost of direct mail. Simply alternate e-mail and postal mail for a cost-effective one-two punch.

3. Move some off-line dollars online. Online advertising now offers a strong alternative to some traditional media, such as print yellow pages. Consider moving some of your traditional directory advertising dollars into online directories and search engines. The vast majority of Americans research their products online before making purchases, so a paid search campaign is an ideal way to make sure you turn up at the top of search results.

4. Follow your customer. Alternative out-of-home advertising opportunities let you place your message wherever your customers go. You can put your name and company logo on the umbrellas used by urban street vendors, or name hiking trails in wilderness areas. The key to using these new opportunities effectively is to place your message where it will appear in the proper context and reach your potential customers when they are in the right frame of mind.

The new year comes full of high-return marketing opportunities. By closely watching the hottest trends, you can make smart choices that let you step ahead of your slower-moving competitors.

Kim T. Gordon is the "Marketing" coach at Entrepreneur.com and a multifaceted marketing expert, speaker, author and media spokesperson. Over the past 26 years, she's helped millions of small-business owners increase their success through her company, National Marketing Federation Inc. Her latest book ,Maximum Marketing, Minimum Dollars, is now available.

8 Powerful B2B Sales Lead Generation Techniques To Help You Reach Your Sales Prospects

By M. H. "Mac" McIntosh, President, Mac McIntosh Incorporated

Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. Sat Feb 3, 2007

Most of the fastest growing B2B companies do not rely solely on just one sales lead generation method. They have a complete arsenal of sales lead generation tools at their fingertips, that they can use at any given time.Here are my eight proven B2B sales leads generation techniques gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their sales prospects:

1. Sales lead generation using relationship marketing

Relationship Marketing is the approach underlying all of the "sales-lead-generation-success" methods. Relationship marketing simply refers to cultivating a personal, sales-winning relationship with your prospects. It’s about developing longer-term relationships with customers rather than individual transactions. During my 20+ years of experience in B2B sales lead generation, I've discovered the key to picking up sales others leave on the table is to keep in touch with your prospects via a series of ongoing communications and offers throughout your prospective customers' consideration processes.

2. Sales lead generation through complementary partner referrals

By joining forces with complementary partners, you can instantly multiply your sales lead generation pool and make it easier for companies to engage in doing business with you. Out of all the sales lead generation programs available to you, complementary partner referral programs can generate the highest qualified B2B sales leads.

3. Sales lead generation using search engine optimization and Internet marketing strategies

Business buyers are more sophisticated and getting harder to reach than ever. Studies show that about 90% of business buyers start with research on the Internet, therefore it’s critical to have a well-tuned sales lead generation program that includes search engine optimization (SEO)/Internet marketing strategies to attract prospects at the beginning of their buying cycle.

4. Sales lead generation via telemarketing

Even though many people despise the thought of telemarketing, when executed properly it is a very effective sales lead generation tool. Telemarketing is a personal marketing and sales lead generation technique that offers a cost-effective, efficient alternative to field selling. However, it can be significantly more expensive than direct mail or email. By including telemarketing in your B2B sales lead generation marketing plan, you can reach up to thirty decision-makers a day at a cost of $15 to $20 per contact. In contrast, with field sales you can reach only four or five decision-makers a day at an average cost of $392 or more per contact. Direct mail may cost as little as a dollar, and email is often much less. However, if you consistently prospect and nurture leads via phone, you will consistently generate qualified sales leads.

5. Sales lead generation with email publications

By creating your own email newsletter, you could send out industry news and tips to suspects in your market. Since you will be on your prospects’ minds more often than your competition, eventually, your sales leads will turn into actual sales. If you subscribe to my e-newsletter, Sales Lead Report, you will see an example of an email publication that keeps my name and business in front of over 8,000 people every month.

6. Sales Lead Generation With Direct Mail

There is an entire industry of people like Dan Kennedy, Bob Bly, and Bill Glazer who are dedicated to business-to-business selling through direct marketing. Sales letters can be an excellent sales lead generation method. But, most sales and business professionals do not know how to use this lead generation technique effectively and efficiently.The complaint is a common one among B2B companies that depend on direct mail and direct response marketing as their only sales lead generation program: "I'm sick of spending a fortune to send out thousands of full-color catalogs and direct-mail pieces only to get a measly 1% response rate. How can I cut costs and find a more practical way to get my target market to respond to my direct mail or catalogs?"My clients have found that the best place to start revamping their direct response marketing is by determining who their best customers are, then trying to target their database marketing efforts at companies and individuals who are similar in nature.

7. Sales Lead Generation Using Print Advertising

When done correctly, print advertising can be a highly effective sales lead generation activity. When using print advertising as your B2B sales leads generation method, you must remember to focus your advertising's message on the benefits and applications of your products or services. Then let the layout and design of your ads enhance your company's image. And, don’t forget to only use publications that deliver messages directly to your targeted audience.

8. Sales Lead generation via Event Marketing

Whether you do it live, through the telephone (teleseminars) or via the Web (webinars), seminars and workshops are a great sales lead generation tool. People who attend your seminar have an interest in the information you are presenting and a need for your product or service. The goal: Connect with customers in a meaningful wayBy using these eight proven B2B sales leads generation methods gleaned from helping over 170 B2B companies reach their prospects, you will capture more sales-ready opportunities for your salespeople to turn into new business, meaning greater sales revenue and profits for your company.

_________________________________________________________

M. H. "Mac" McIntosh is described by many as America's leading authority on inquiry handling and sales lead management. He is president of Mac McIntosh Incorporated, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in helping companies get more high-quality sales leads and turn them into sales. To request a free subscription to his newsletter, Sales Lead Report, contact him at: Mac McIntosh, Inc., 601 Pendar Rd. North Kingstown, RI 0-2852-6620

Phone: 800-944-5553 or 401-294-7730. Fax: 800-944-5513.

Email: mcintosh@salesleadexperts.com Web: http://www.salesleadexperts.com/

Attributes of Top Telemarketers

There are specific attributes the top telemarketing sales appointment setter’s posses. Without these traits, they fall into the “also ran” pack of telephone callers who will help your business to the extent a blind squirrel finds an acorn.

Using a phone to convey value and set an appointment with a qualified decision maker is a skill that is inherent. Learning it is hard, at best. That’s why enlightened sales management separates appointment setting from selling. The skill sets are very different.

Whether you run an in-house call center or outsource appointment setting here are the traits your telemarketer must have:

1. Intelligent. Not MENSA Society smarts, but knowing the regional difference between Kankakee and Poughkeepsie is nice.

2. Conversationalist. The ability to engage in intelligent discourse about the prospects’ business, hobbies, family or pets.

3. Quick thinker. Must be able to react quickly to the hundreds of verbal curve balls that are pitched every day. The answers are not on the script.

4. Driven. The desire to dial and dial again when most prospects tell you no. Substitute the description Fearless in this category.

5. Meticulous. A carefully constructed note about conversations and follow-up activities is the difference between success and abject failure.

6. Punctual. Time waits for no man. Calls to prospects are carefully planned and coordinated and must be made during assigned periods.

7. Proud. The deep-seated conviction that an entire deal is built on the foundation of the first telemarketing call.

8. Competitive. An innate need to win—to set more appointments and make more money for the company.

Finding top sales appointment setters isn’t easy work. They come in many shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. Use the list above to qualify and put the right telemarketers to work for you. It’ll mean the difference between beating sales projections and struggling to make budget.

Your Customers Are Afraid

6 Ways You Can Use Telemarketing as Part of Your Business Growth Strategy

By Keith Longmire

Mention telemarketing to many small business owners and managers and you are likely to see uncertainty, doubt and confusion. Many of them confuse telemarketing with telesales. The latter is tainted by the cold-calling, pressure tactics used by some companies to sell everything from timeshare holidays to kitchens and garden furniture. The only similarity between telemarketing and telesales is that they both use the telephone as a communication medium.

Here are 6 reasons why you should be using telemarketing in your small business marketing mix:
Appointment setting - the overriding role of marketing is to gain opportunities for your sales people. The best opportunities stem from face to face meetings. Telemarketing is proven to deliver high quality appointments with specifically targeted, pre-qualified decision makers. In preparing your appointments a good telemarketer will have had numerous contacts with your prospects’ decision makers. They will have built up a rapport and set expectations so that your appointments are geared for maximum results before you get to meet the client.

Lead generation - telemarketing for lead generation is a less in-depth process than appointment setting. The objective is normally to contact a prospect, gauge potential level of interest and to provide you with a profiled database of leads. You may follow up the contacts yourself or you may choose to commission a telemarketer to set appointments with the best prospects.

Database building and cleansing - most companies acquire extensive lists of contacts and prospects. Telemarketing is an excellent way of reviewing, updating and building your contact database.

Follow up - if I had to pick one key to successful small business marketing it would have to be a comprehensive, robust follow-up process. In the normal course of business just about every one of your staff will make contacts and maybe receive enquiries about your company. In a marketing sense, every such contact is manna from heaven. Following up every contact has been shown to improve sales in company after company. Telemarketers can provide a truly professional service in contact follow-up further multiplying the benefits of following up.

Customer Information- most small business owners that think of telemarketing tend to think of it as a tool for accessing new customers. However, just about any marketing book you read will tell you it is between 6 and 12 times easier/cheaper/more profitable to sell to existing customers than it is to gain a new one. Telemarketing to your existing customer base is an excellent way to inform them of all your products and services.

Customer reactivation - do you know why old customers have stopped buying from you? You should. Often it is simply because they have not had any contact with you for some extended period. Sometimes it is because they didn’t know that you supplied the particular service they needed. So they look elsewhere. And eventually stop buying from you altogether. Telemarketing is a superb way to make contact with customers as soon as they stop being customers. Sometimes that is all that is required to bring them back into the fold. At the very least you owe it to yourself to know why your customers are leaving. It is the first stage of making sure they don’t leave you at all.

Six ways you can use telemarketing to boost your business. And don’t let anyone persuade you it is expensive. Telemarketing is the ultimate modern cottage industry. All you need is some training, the right attitude and a telephone. You can instantly set up as a telemarketer. And if you are any good you can quickly use telemarketing to sell your own services. Not surprisingly then, there are thousands of small telemarketing businesses many of them absolutely excellent. There are, of course, others that are not so good. With that much competition you can get some outstanding telemarketing services for a very reasonable price. Your challenge is to find the ones that are right for you. Practically any small business is capable of outstanding growth. Breakthrough Business Growth is dedicated to making proven small business growth solutions accessible to all business owners.

http://www.jkl-small-business-marketing-solutions.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Longmire

Bragging on the Blog

Brian Grinonneau
Partner
MaSM LLC

Brian

I just received an email from the international adjudication board of the
www.top10salesarticles.com informing me that your article published in the
www.BestManagementArticles.com has been selected as two of the top 10 sales
articles of the week, namely:

" The Top 10 Reasons To Outsource Sales Appointment Setting" by Brian Grinonneau

Have no doubt about it, this is a prestigious distinction as the choices were done by an international panel of judges from among the thousands of sales-related articles published in the following major article directories:

-BestManagementArticles.com
-ezinearticles.com
-buzzle.com
-ideamarketers.com
-buildyourownbusiness.com
-eyesonsales.com
-ideamarketers.com
-salesopedia.com
-salestrainingcamp.com
-thesalescommunity.com
-thesideroad.com

Further, your having been chosen as a nominee in this prestigious search has reinforced our decision to give you the honor, "Distinguished Author of BestManagementArticles.com".

All the best,

Ismael Tabije
Publisher
www.BestManagementArticles.com

The Fear of Sales Failure

Find Your Motivation

Telemarketing Will Ignite Direct Mail Campaigns

Funny isn’t it? Two marketing forms, direct mail and telemarketing, that fell out of favor with ad gurus years ago, is back on top. Everything old is new again. And while the debate rages on between brand builders and direct marketers, the DM practitioners seem to cut a much wider swath through the commercial clutter.

Now, telemarketing appointment setting firms are joining forces with their direct mail brethren and the result is enough to make you take notice.

A daily newspaper in the Midwest published a special section recently showcasing businesses in the community. These special sections are a fine way of pumping up a sagging bottom line in the newspaper business not to mention building reader interest. A multi-channel ad campaign was launched and a telesales firm was hired to schedule qualified sales appointments for the paper’s ad reps.

Before the first phase of the sales appointment setting calls, the newspaper sales department sent direct mail pieces to a select number of prospects. Calls were placed and the telemarketing firm hit a home run. Those prospects that received the direct mail piece knew about the special section and were receptive to scheduling an appointment with an account executive. It was the closest thing to sales heaven some of these veterans had seen.

The second and third phases of the calling campaign had no direct mail component and the appointments were tougher to schedule. The awareness factor was missing. More education was needed.

When the numbers were tallied and crunched, appointments were set at a better than 2 to 1 margin with those prospects who got a direct mail ad first.

Telemarketing and direct mail work well independently, but when you put them together you’ll really stoke your sales fire.

First We Disqualify

Disqualifying prospects appears to run counter to everything a sales organization is trying to do. Why would you shut the door and snuff out a possible sale? The short answer is to make a lot more money.

When a telemarketing sales appointment company works for you they must deliver the most qualified prospects for you to meet and sell. The wishy-washy, tire-kickers might help you hone your sales skill but won’t put any money in your pocket. They’ll string you along forever incapable of making a firm decision no matter what. Their name on today’s call calendar will still be there 3 months from now. You don’t have the time. You can’t afford the aggravation

A superior sales appointment setter will ask the right questions to get a firm yes or a firm no. Anything in the middle isn’t acceptable. A prospect, with the authority to buy from you, who gives an emphatic yes to an appointment has a high probability of becoming a customer. Those who say no have given you the second best answer. The prospects that aren’t sure and are very vague about everything may never do business with you, or if they do will cost you more than they are worth.

Prospects who have trouble seeing your value, will have even more trouble paying for it. If, after months of trying to convince them of your worth, they finally agree to give you a “try out”, it will always be for the lowest price and service level. Problem is they’ll want to turn the ignition key in a Cadillac while paying for a Chevrolet. It isn’t a damnation of the client, it’s a finger pointed at the sales organization that won’t decide up-front that this isn’t a business relationship to pursue.

An appointment setting firm’s suggestion to dismiss a prospect early in the process sounds harsh but business is made up of a lot of harsh realities and most of them involve cash flow and sales. Decide now that in your pursuit of new, profitable business, you will rely on a company that will disqualify weak prospects in favor of those that will form long term, profitable relationships.

The Reality of Telemarketing

Forget what you think telemarketing is and embrace the reality that it is used by the largest companies in the world to introduce new products, gauge customer satisfaction and schedule qualified sales appointments.

Today’s telemarketing is the purest form of direct marketing and direct marketing is the shortest distance between two points for business success. With the overload of messages crashing into consumers, a clear voice that rises above the din must be found. Telemarketing is that voice.

To be sure, there are a few firms that still practice boiler room telemarketing tactics of days gone by. The majority, however, are professional organizations committed to your complete success.

When hiring a telemarketing firm, look for very specific attributes:

• Knowledgeable, well-spoken company representatives

• Expertise in telling your story

• Excellence in building the right list of qualified prospects to call

• No long-term contract

• A non-disclosure, confidentiality agreement

• Clear and understandable campaign reporting

• Open, meaningful communication

• Establishment of goals and measurement tools

• Interaction between your sales and management team and the professional telemarketers

• Pricing that is clear and fair

• The ability to analyze, test and refocus campaigns for your maximum result

If you sell any product or service, and want to put it in the hands of your best prospects, you should use telemarketing professionals. If you have a customer base and want to build loyalty and repeat business you should use telemarketing professionals. The investment will pay for itself many times over and become the centerpiece of your direct marketing strategy.

Sales Appointment Setting: What You Should Expect

A sales appointment setting, telemarketing or telesales firm can bring you more business than you ever thought possible. The best campaigns include a great list of prospects to call, a trained, professional calling staff and strict procedures for following up on leads.

Appointment setters will:

· Make twice as many calls as your average sales rep
· Set an average of (1) qualified appointment per hour
· Disqualify those that will waste your time and effort
· Double the productivity of your sales staff
· Help build a prospect data base
· Provide valuable feedback about your position in the marketplace
· Bring you a strong ROI
· Obtain referrals
· Reduce sales management headaches
· Help you make more money

Appointment setters will not:

· Close the deal--They set the stage and let your pros shine
· Force sales reps to attend scheduled appointments
· Improve a salesperson's presentation skills
· Turn a poor prospect list into a good one
· Provide vast product or service detail--They spark interest

Your success depends on getting in front of the prospect that has the interest and authority to make a buying decision and for that reason you have to learn more about how a professional sales appointment setting firm can help. Those who do make more money quicker than they ever thought possible

Monday Inspiration

"You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing that we call “failure” is not the falling down, but the staying down." Mary Pickford

"A smart salesperson listens to emotions not facts." Author Unknown

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit." Aristotle

"Two sure ways to fail... Think and never do or do and never think" Zig Ziglar

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity."

Sir Winston Churchill

Sales Tips: Questions

Questions are your best friend. You need them to gather information, establish trust and build a long, profitable relationship.

Here are some that should be in your information gathering “sales vocabulary”:

What made you want to explore these options now?
What do you expect to happen as you move forward?
What problems do you forsee?
What challenges have you faced in the past?
What successes have you had?
What is the most important outcome for you?
Can you help be better understand that?
What steps will you take next and how soon?
What does that mean?Is there anything else we should talk about?

Asking questions shows you are engaged in the project and tells you how interested in you your prospect is.

Call Centers: Inhouse or Outsource?

If you are running sales appointment setting and lead generation services in-house, you are leaving money on the table. That’s why some of the biggest companies in the world like Microsoft and Wal-Mart outsource some, or all of their call center functions to professional appointment setting firms like ours. We help you make more money.

Call center outsourcing vs. in-house call center activities:

• In-house call centers can’t afford to pay appointment setters enough and performance suffers because of that. We pay our professionals well.


• MaSM talks to the right people at the right time. It isn’t about more calls it’s about meaningful conversations that turn into sales.


• You need qualified sales appointments set for your staff—not an unlimited number but one that allows your reps to present, negotiate and close.


• Appointment setters function much better when working on your project 2-4 hours a day, not 8. It becomes a case of diminishing returns.


• Provides a significant return on investment that is trackable.


• MaSM professionals dial the phone three times more often than most in-house call centers scheduling many more qualified appointments.


• Focuses on disqualifying poor prospects to maximize your closing ratio.


• Allows you to do what you do best: close deals.


• Drives new revenue without having to expand or provide additional office space, computers, telephones or employees.


• Gives you the ability to have trained, skilled and experienced personnel to fulfill your call center needs with the ability to utilize appointment setting; phone sales; lead generation and lead qualifying; list and database scrubbing; database building; surveys; market research; seminar registration and fundraising.

If you have you’re an in-house telemarketing department, we ask that you run a test campaign with MaSM. We are confident that you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome—you’ll make more money in less time.

Sales Appointment Setting: It's Ugly Out There

Sales appointment setting is an ugly process. Picking up a phone and convincing someone you don’t know to spend time with you sends cold chills down your spine no matter the thickness of your skin. Is it really any wonder cold calling ranks number one with a bullet on the most hated list for salespeople?

Fear and loathing of prospecting and cold calling has killed a bright future for many a shining salesperson. A lack of prospecting leads to a lack of appointments and a lack of new sales. There is only so much you can do with referrals and the accounts divvied up when Joe in the corner office retired.

Weak sales managers, and there are a lot of them, stand over their minions forcing them to do what they hate, call and call more. The basic premise is right that more calls will ultimately lead to more sales, but the methodology is all wrong. It isn’t just quantity; it is quality that counts. Garbage in, garbage out.

Strong sales managers know account execs have to talk to prospects with a problem to solve—those who will invite you to meet them and help make their pain go away. They also know one of the best ways to get in front of these prospects is to use the services of a professional sales appointment setting firm. It makes sense on a whole lot of levels. These pros will dial the phone three times more often than your in-house reps, have more conversations and schedule dozens of high-quality appointments, fast. They use the right lists, use the right words and make your top sales reps twice as productive.

Those who don’t consider outsourcing appointment setting are leaving money on the table. They think that given time, sales reps will learn to make cold calls and set appointments with the accounts you want most. That same line of antiquated thinking would suggest you should always be working on your weaknesses.
Wrong! Work on your strength and find professionals to take care of the shortcomings.

Sales appointment setting firms will bring you a trackable, meaningful ROI. They bring waves of new revenue, build morale, reduce management oversight and let sales reps do what they do best, present, negotiate and close deals.

Outsource cold calling and appointment setting to those that do it best—the ones that don’t think the process is ugly or painful but rather enjoy setting the table for your sales team.