Virginia Franchise Forum Franchisee Roundtable Presented by Kate Dunn,Digital Innovations Group (DIG)

AgendaCurrent state of your marketing5 Step Plan to Improve Results and Position Your Company for GrowthExamplesQuestions

Moving From Survival To GrowthRecession ModeDownsizedReduced hoursReduced non critical expensesMarketingTreading water

Let’s Talk About MarketingOnly 15% of short term sales are the result of today’s marketingToday’s marketing initiatives drive 85% of long term salesSource: What Sticks: Why Most Advertising Fails and How to Guarantee Yours Succeeds, by Rex Briggs, Greg Stuart

But…Business to Business“We don’t have the budget.”Business to Consumer“We don’t have the money.”

Reverse LogicBusiness to Business“Wow, so you’re closing up shop? Who is going to provide cleaning services to your clients now?”Business to Consumer“Wow, so you’re moving in with friends or relatives?”

The Real MeaningFor both“You have not made what you are selling a priority for me.”

Really Good News“19% of advertising fails outright and 67% could achieve significant improvement that would require no additional spending.”Why Do We Miss the Mark? Aren’t talking to the right prospectsTargeting the wrong audienceDon’t understand the motivations of our prospectsIrrelevant messagingDon’t know how to reach our prospectsMarketing Mix – VeriSign found that 10% of spend drove 98% of actions they wantedDon’t know who is seriousQualification - 80% of all deals are lost due to a in adequate or non-existent qualification process.ES Research Group Study

Most Glaring MistakesWe aren’t remarkableIf we are we don’t tell anybodyAuthor: Seth Godin

Basic Principles of Purple CowBe RemarkableIf your not, get out"Quit or be exceptional. Average is for losers.” Seth Godin, The DIPPurple Cows will be talked aboutWOM advertising is cheap

5 Step Action Plan for GrowthStep 1: Answer these questions:What is your company the best at ________?Why is your company the best at it? Who needs what your are best at?How long will they need it?

Step 2:Start with what you think and then validate with your current customersCompetitive AdvantagesMust be uniqueMust be quantifiableMust be sustainableSo are they?By Jaynie L. Smith

Visiting Nurses Association of FloridaCompetitive AdvantagesManagement had the wrong understandingThey did not understand what customers thought was importantDeveloped a list of quantifiable thingsTold people what they were

Best Competitive Advantage EVER!VNA’s patients are re-hospitalized 23% less than the competitionPatients visited by VNA require emergency treatment 34% less often the those visited by competitorsVNA’s patients improve 34% faster than the national averageVNA’s incidence of unexpected death is 47% lower than the national average

Step 3: Accentuate the Positive How can I get my existing customers to talk about my company?Look for mavens and connectors to find your Tipping PointThe Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

How Do You Find Them?Ask happy customers when it is logical to askInvestigate who is talking now?BloggingOn Linked InTwitterFacebookEngage the happy ones first

Business to Consumer

Get People To Talk About YouThumbs UpHustling Outback KidArby’s Midlothian Turnpike, End on a High Note teenGloria at the Origins CounterThumbs Down“McDonalds Drive By People”Companies who don’t handle a negative

A Big MistakePay AttentionFixing a problem is better for you then not knowing there is a problem!

# 1 Prospecting Method is Referrals84% of internal referrals will result in appointments44% of external referrals will result in appointmentsNo More Cold Calling by Joanne Black

Step 4: Develop Your Own FollowingConsider positioning yourself as an expert in your fieldCreate own contentBlogSlideshareYou TubeComments on other blogs and communitiesIf you aren’t a writer, share content from others with your introductionGoogle Alert Yourself!

Google Alert – Free!

Social Media Success FactorsPosition yourself as a resourceShare your knowledge firstAvoid overt sellingRecognize that this tactic has a longer horizonBe consistent

# 5 Review Your Other TacticsYellow Page Ads/Radio AdsUse a unique URL or phone number to measure results from your tacticsDirect MailDifferentiate in compiled mailings or get outDirect Marketing Success40% from the list40% from the offer10% from the timing10% from CREATIVE!!!!

# 5 Review Your Other TacticsPrint AdvertisingWith longer sales cycles, use landing pages to learn from the interaction and nurture interestWith shorter sales cycles, provide ways for recipient to show they may have future interestTip Lists etc.PromotionsDon’t buy the business over and overMeasure lifetime value or share of customer

Blue Tape - San Antonio, TexasRecipient PersonalizationOffer – Everybody Wins!Versioned CopyContact PersonalizationPersonalized URLPODi Best Practice

Landing PageQualifying QuestionPODi Best Practice

Respondent Information PagePre-populated contact info. Additional info captured!Capture Email AddressPODi Best Practice

Page Two – Versions based Question One AnswerVersioned Pages Based on Answer to Question OnePODi Best Practice

Final Qualifying QuestionVersioned Copy Based on Answer to Question OneRespondent Requests Meeting

Versioned Thank You PagesEducation for NurturingData collectionData collectionRelationship Building

Results4.45% Response RateHit Landing Page3.34% Conversion RateCompleted URL Visit27% of respondents requested a meeting to discuss relevant marketingFirst tier prioritized prospects56% of respondent use direct mail nowSecond tier prioritized prospects29% of respondents were non customersDirect Market Association quotes response rates at 1.38% which is a 222% Improvement

Next Steps:Find a place to hide and answer questions 1 – 5Devote a 30 minutes to watching and learning from social media over the next two weeks so you can start to formulate a strategy for your companyRead or Listen to:Purple Cow, The DipCreating Competitive AdvantageThe E-Myth Re-visistedMake sure you tell prospects exactly why they should buy from you every time you talk to them

Lastly and Most ImportantlyGet help if you need it.If you aren’t out of business you are still spending money so spend it wisely and earn a better return.Look for continuous improvement not just homeruns.Waiting until the end of the recession may mean you don’t make it out of the recession.

Get help if you need it.

If you aren’t out of business you are still spending money so spend it wisely and earn a better return.

Look for continuous improvement not just homeruns.

Waiting until the end of the recession may mean you don’t make it out of the recession.