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On that particular day, this gentleman was lamenting that his advertising just wasn’t generating the kind of response he wanted. So I asked him a probing question: “Why would a property manager or condo association hire your company instead of one of your competitors?” His reply was “We’re totally committed to customer satisfaction. If our customer isn’t happy, we’ll turn the truck around, bring the whole team back, and re-do anything they want.”

“Brilliant!” I said. “There’s your marketing message.” Let’s do a direct mail campaign and make that the first thing people see on your web site. The approach will be: “If you’re not thrilled with our work, call within 48 hours. We’ll return and make it right – no charge.”

“Are you crazy?” the prospective client replied. “People will take advantage of us. Our scheduling will be all out of whack. Our dispatchers and our guys won’t know how to prioritize. We can’t do that.”

That incident, and a few others like it that I’ve had in my career, point out one reason why some promotional efforts just don’t work.

Sure, companies can play safe in their marketing. They can use slogans and headlines like “Quality. Integrity. Service.” But mediocre messaging typically returns mediocre results. People just don’t remember plain vanilla advertising. And only if all the factors align just perfectly are they likely to call.

When FedEx promised that they’d take care of my package when it “Absolutely, positively has to be there overnight,” it got my attention. The contractor that says “We’ll be there within a one-hour window or you don’t pay” makes me say “Wow.” Are there risks involved with such claims? You bet.

Effective marketing takes guts. It also requires commitment from every department in the company – not just the ad people. The upside far outweighs the downside, however. So be bold, prepare properly throughout the organization, and then get ready to answer the phone.

Expecting great things,

Steve Fales

AdServices Inc.

www.adservices.net

My Personal Facebook: www.stevefales.com/facebook

My Personal Twitter: www.twitter.com/stevefales

AdServices’ Facebook: www.adservices.net/facebook

Anyway, I love jogging.  Let me rephrase that… I hate jogging.  But I love how it makes me feel.

One of my problems with this sport was what to do with my brain while I run.  Social media provided the solution.  I think of Tweets and Facebook posts that pertain to jogging, but have a much broader application.  I rephrase them in my mind until they fit within the 140 character Twitter limit.  For example:

·         What I learned jogging – The pain of the effort is forgotten when the euphoria of accomplishing the goal kicks in.

·         What I learned jogging – If you just keep taking steps, you’ll get to your destination and your past gets further behind you.

·         What I learned jogging – It’s a lot easier when you’re with somebody than when you’re alone.  Isn’t all of life that way?

·         What I learned jogging – Sometimes 3 miles seems easy and sometimes it seems hard… but it’s always 3 miles.

·         Ran only two miles this morning.  Lesson = One year’s “impossible” can be the next year’s “only”… (with a little work.)

·         What I learned jogging — The first 2 minutes are the hardest.

·         I jog slowly and just want to cross the finish line. Lesson = Realistic expectations & accomplishing the goal. That’s what it’s all about.

·         What I learned jogging — Dreading the thought of how hard it’s going to be is much worse than actually getting up and doing it.

·         Today I jogged like I want to live — Stronger on my last lap than on all those before it.

If you feel that these tidbits might benefit your life, become a Fan of the AdServices Facebook page, a Friend of my personal Facebook Page, or follow my personal account on Twitter.  They all show up at each of those places eventually, along with other inspirational thoughts, marketing tips and more.

I can’t wait until the next time I get to rise before dawn, drag myself outside and sweat my way through the neighborhood.  Let me rephrase that… I hope I’ll at least learn something.

Expecting great things,

Steve Fales

AdServices Inc.

www.adservices.net

My Personal Facebook: www.stevefales.com/facebook

My Personal Twitter: www.twitter.com/stevefales

AdServices’ Facebook: www.adservices.net/facebook

Pain relief is big business. And that’s true of consumers and companies as well as backs and foreheads. Find out how to relieve your customer’s pains. You’ll be successful in any economy.

There’s an absolutely brilliant (in my estimation) billboard that I pass on my way to the office. It’s for a hospital Emergency Room. The board contains a digital display labeled “Current Wait Time,” that shows a number of minutes. I’ve seen it read from 1 to 24. Here’s a marketer that understands people’s pain - the perception that when we go to the ER, we have to wait for hours - and has addressed it.

What keeps your prospects awake nights? Why might they typically dread doing business with your industry? When they do contact you or a competitor, what was the driver that got them to take action? Figure out the answers to these questions; make yourself or your company the pain reliever; get the word out; and listen to the phone ring.

When I need to spend money, I’m going to select a company that understands my hurts and how to relieve them. And if I should break my arm one day (heaven forbid), I’m not sure which of the many pain relievers I’ll take, but I do know where I’ll go to the ER. Why waste time, even with a broken arm?

Expecting great things,

Steve Fales
AdServices Inc.
www.adservices.net

The buzz words in the current marketing world are “social media” and “social networking.” Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and the like are performing blitzkrieg on the ad world. I’m on the bandwagon, but there’s a fundamental problem there if we’re not careful. The focus is all wrong. It’s far too inward.

Check out the social networking sites and you’ll see what I mean. Facebook wants to know “What’s on your mind?” Twitter asks “What are you doing?” And MySpace… well, it’s MY space. It’s all about me. But good marketers know that the key to making a connection, and a sale, is to make it all about the other person.

Should we avoid social networking? No way! On the contrary, AdServices is committed to social for our own company and our clients. We have a Facebook Page, we Tweet, we have a blog, and the YouTube video is in production. The solution is not to avoid it, but to use it properly – as additional ways to show people we sincerely care about them, and we want to understand their pain points in order to provide solutions. (See earlier posts on www.adservices.net/blog.)

Like vinyl albums, some retro networking methods still sound great. There are times when a customer, client, donor, or investor deserves a phone call or lunch, rather than a text message. I even received an actual letter a few months ago… the kind that come in an envelope with a stamp. It was quite meaningful. So, once our social networking starts the conversation, (they’re powerful tools for that), it’s sometimes good to revert to old fashioned ways of moving things along.

One of my favorite authors has over 220,000 people following his Twitter page. He follows only 34. Social networking, you see, could make it easy for this man to put himself at the center of the universe. He’s not there. The people who buy his books are, and if he forgets that he’s in trouble from a marketing perspective.

Social media is amazing, fun, and very effective. If you’re not using it, we’d love to help you start. The approach we take, however, might be different from some folks, because we think it has to be just one more way to make the other person supremely important.

(P.S. – There’s a mathematical and musical reason that analog vinyl albums sound better than digital CDs. Send me an e-mail, or post on our Facebook Page, or Tweet me, or text me, and I’ll call you back to explain.)

Expect great things,

Steve Fales

AdServices Inc.

www.adservices.net

steve@adservices.net

Facebook: www.adservices.net/facebook

Twitter: @SteveFales www.twitter.com/SteveFales

Twitter: @AdServicesInc www.twitter.com/AdServicesInc

Sometimes it’s harder than other times to make a sale.  I won’t deny that.  But there’s one product that’s always in demand.  I’m talking about “solutions.”  Solutions never go out of style.  People and companies are always willing to pay for them.  And they can generate fair profits and enormous amounts of good will.

Think about your customers and prospects.  Research their lifestyles, their companies and their industries.  What problems are they facing? 

Or better still, ask them what their problems are. Then listen deeply and intentionally – without interrupting or turning the conversation back to yourself as the focus. Ask questions and get as far beneath the surface as possible. G. K. Chesterton said “A problem well defined is a problem half solved.” So listen until you truly understand and can define the problem.

Once you know what’s troubling your prospects, you’re in a great position to do business. A lot of companies drop the ball here, however, because they don’t understand that people have little interest in “stuff.” People want solutions.

For example, if my air conditioner stops working, that’s a problem. The company that says I need a new fan motor is simply bringing me another problem. But the company that assures me they can have my home cool and comfortable again by this afternoon will have me gladly writing a check. (“And oh, by the way Mr. Fales, we’ll be replacing the fan motor.”) I’m not at all glad that my A/C broke, but I’m thrilled that the technician has a solution.

As long as human civilization has existed, there have been problems… at least since that little incident with the apple in the Garden of Eden. Most people are willing to pay a fair price to make their problems go away. If your company and mine can offer solutions, we’ll be successful in any economy.

Think about how this applies to your business, or give me a call and we’ll brainstorm together.

Expect great things,

Steve Fales

AdServices Inc.

www.adservices.net