It's Harder Than It Looks Many small business owners/managers view the creative development of marketing materials as a burden to be avoided at all costs. Conversely, others look upon the task as a source of excitement and amusement. After all, everyone is constantly exposed to marketing materials on a daily basis. Since you know all about your business, how difficult can it be to make a brochure? Add Comment Technology Is A Friend To Marketing Voice-Activated Technology, Smartphones, Tablets, Touchscreens, VOIP, Video Conference, Projectors, etc.; technology has infiltrated all aspects of our lives so why not use it to make your marketing efforts easier. 5 Tips For Purchasing Contact Management Software 1. Feature Rich. Contact management software offers much more than just a database. It serves as a computerized address book, provides fax and e-mail integration, keeps free-form notes by customer, autodial, provides a mail-merge function for customized letters. Process letters and proposals quickly through the use of templates, and keep track and remind you of appointments and tasks. Look for these features and communicate more effectively. 4 Tips For Using Contact Management Software Some of the actions that Adams Jewellers took to combat large competitors by emphasizing customer service included the following: 1. Product-Specific Mailing Lists. Adams developed promotions that were easily adapted and customized to each group of customers. For example, gold bracelet buyers received the same catalogue or email that was sent out to other customers. However, they also received a special discount on bracelets. You Need To Manage Your Contacts Success can be dramatically affected by the amount of importance you place on keeping in touch with customers. There are many ways to keep in touch: advising customers of new offerings, gathering information, tracking sales, and analyzing customers’ needs. Sophisticated, more formal contact management systems are usually not used by small businesses. Manage Your Contacts For Success For the past twenty-eight years, Adams Jewellers has been a successful store located on the main street of a growing community outside of a large city. Recently, malls have been popping up in smaller markets around the store and in a short, convenient drive a customer could go to a number of competitors to satisfy his or her jewellery needs. 5 Frequently Asked Questions About Voice Mail 1. What do I do when I reach a voice mail message? The secret is to prepare yourself, before making the call. There is no need to be stumped by an electronic message. You should have a plan of action and a specific message already in place in case the person is not available. 2. Should I bother to leave a message? To not take advantage of the capabilities of modern technology is a waste. If you had a legitimate reason to make the call, then you owe it to the recipient and to yourself to leave a message. The Good Old Voice Mail Most companies and many consumers have the ability to receive voice mail messages through an answering machine or an invisible machine from a telephone service provider. Some small businesses consider voice mail an obstacle to reaching their prospect or customer. Instead, consider voice mail to be a great aid in contacting people. If you learn to use voice mail to your advantage, it could become a wonderful addition to your collection of marketing tools. 18 Tips For Warming Up Cold Situations 1. Know your products and services better than anyone else. 2. Anticipate questions from your prospective customer and answer them thoughtfully. 3. Qualify the prospect and his or her needs within the first few questions to make sure you are not wasting each other’s time. Is he or she gathering information or making decisions? Do you normally supply this kind of product or service? The Dreaded Cold Call Cold calls or cold visits can be an intrusive, interrupting, ineffective, and expensive method for contacting new business prospects. With the exception of a retail environment, this approach is not usually effective. However, in circumstances where you have no choice, there are several things you can do to increase your chances for success. |   Eric Gilboord is the Founder and CEO of Warren Business Development Center Inc. We
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