Coupons are a great small business promotional tool for many reasons.  First, coupons are ideally suited for both existing and prospective customers.  Some potential objectives may be to increase awareness of your business, generate traffic to your store or website, increase sales, especially during a slow season, or stimulate trial of a new product / service.  Second, unless you’re printing thousands, coupons are fairly inexpensive to print as they can be created in-house with desktop publishing software.   

Third, as the printer, you not only control the value of the coupon but also its lifespan.  You get to choose whether the coupon is offering a free product, a percentage discount, a volume discount, or the bearer will be given a gift with his/her purchase.  Fourth, while you can freely give them away or pay to have them distributed, there are endless ways to dispense.  Coupons can be directly mailed in various forms such as postcards or coupon books / decks, or within invoices.  Other options include distributing them within newspapers and magazines or from your website.  Or one may leave them on windshields, front doors, or counters. Lastly, you may attach them to a product of a current sale, i.e. Pizza Hut boxes, or include them within gift bags. 

The fifth reason is that coupons give your business an opportunity to establish alliances with other establishments within your shopping center or with a related product or service provider.  If you’re in the carpet cleaning business, perhaps a window cleaning operation could give away your coupons.  Or, if you’re in the dry cleaning industry, perhaps a shoe repair or small boutique might want to align with you.  And finally, your coupon can be made to look like a miniature version of your print advertisement.  By increasing exposure, prospects and customers are more likely to remember your business as you build familiarity. Plus, according to Jay Conrad Levinson, coupons can make an advertisement up to 26 percent more effective. 

In 2006, $331 billion worth of coupons were distributed and $2.6 billion were redeemed. 

• Overall, in-store coupons garnered the highest redemption rate at 34 percent. 
• Eighty-nine percent of 2006 coupons were distributed through newspapers in some form of an insert, and almost 93 percent of all 2006 coupons were sent directly to the home.
• Two recent trends are shorter expiration dates and lower face value. 
• Source: Donna L. Montaldo on About.com and CMS.com

I want to close this brief article by sharing three useful tips. 

1. First make sure your coupon clearly states all your important contact information such as address, phone number, website, etc.  What good is the coupon if they don’t know where you’re located, can’t call you to find out your hours, or gather information about your specific product lines, service policies or warranty programs?
2. Second, make sure your coupon is coded so you’ll know how and when it was distributed.  This information will be helping in determining the effectiveness of your attempt through tracking.  One coding method is to use a letter for the type of distribution, such as N for newspaper, R for other retailer, and M for mail.  By using numbers, you can track in what month they were distributed.
3. Third, find out if your competitors are using coupons.  You’ll want to know how they distribute their coupons, what discount they’re offering, and how often are they distributed. 

If you would like to learn more about other low cost marketing efforts, please call Kate at 817-488-2761.  Our first hour long consultation is always free. 

Marketing experts continually remind us that our customers are always asking this question.  In The Little Blue Book of Advertising by Steve Lance and Jeff Woll, the authors reiterate the essential need for businesses of any size to identify and understand the differences in the features, advantages and benefits of their product or service. 

Thus from this comparative analysis, you’ll want to develop marketing messages that incorporate those items that personally mean the most to your customers and prospects.  Remember that your customers are bombarded with hundreds, if not thousands of marketing messages each day.  By applying this strategy, your message is more likely to reach them and/or tug at them in an emotional manner. 

So to get started, let’s examine features, advantages and benefits.  A feature is a statement of fact about some aspect, element, or prominent part or characteristic of a product or service.  Features can often be the technical jargon your industry uses on a daily basis, but the end user may not understand or relate to such terms as GHz or network interface card. 

An advantage helps the customer or user in a specific manner, i.e., something the feature provides or delivers to the user.  An advantage can also describe how the product or service is better than an alternative feature, and/or a feature offered by the competition.   

A benefit is what the consumer or user gains from the feature and/or your product.  For many products, start by thinking of the problem or problems your product or service solves.  The benefit is what you want to offer and sell to your customers and prospects.  As stated above, customers are primarily concerned about themselves and want to know how a product benefits them.  In an on-line article by Laura Clampitt Douglas, the author recommends thinking of benefits as the end “result” for the customer.  So if you prefer, interchange the terms benefits and results. 

Research indicates the following are some of the primary benefits sought by a purchaser.

1. Improve quality of life / save time / life made easier / high reliability
2. Save money
3. Save lives / safety concerns
4. Improve health and well being
5. Improve one’s status – wealth / appearance

After you develop your message, always remember to test it.  Ask non-vested people or some of your customers for their feedback.  And don’t be surprised if women have a longer list of benefits since they tend to seek a solution to a greater number of needs and wants.   

I thought it would be helpful to provide some examples to start your creative process.  Codes are “F” for feature, “A” for advantage and “B” for benefit/result. 

F: four wheel anti-lock brakes

• A: help the car stop faster
• A: safer than the competition’s car
• B: save the consumer’s life 

F: non-stop airline service

• A: gets the passenger to his/her destination faster (compared to a one or two stop itinerary)
• B: save the consumer’s time 

F: wireless mouse

• A: less wiring and fewer cords on top of desk so it’s clearer
• B: customer can be more organized and effective 

F: clothes soap with more cleaning power

• A: clothes get cleaner
• A: improve your appearance
• B: customer may feel and look better 

F: over-the-counter cold medication

• A: purchase without a prescription
• A: stop a runny nose
• A: relieve congestion
• B: improve customer’s health and/or she/he feels better faster 

F: accepting credit cards

• A: no need to have cash at time of purchase
• B: customer convenience 

F: feature, advantage, benefit analysis

• A: makes one sit down and truly think of the benefits from the customer’s perspective
• A: develop more effective marketing messages
• B: improve the return on your advertising    

If you would like more information about this strategy, contact Kate at 817-488-2761 or kate1.kgbmarketing@verizon.net 

Since women are involved with the purchasing decisions of over eighty percent of all consumer goods in the United States, more businesses are focusing on marketing to women.   Thus I thought it would be helpful to present brief information about the following active women’s groups found in the greater Southlake, Texas area.  Remember, involvement with these groups can be a great way to make our communities a better place in which to live, grow and work along with growing your business.

 Greater Keller Women’s Club

• founded 1989
• primary goals are community service and fund raising
• hosts annual Fashion Show and a variety of on-going social/networking activities for members
• www.gkwc.org 

Colleyville Woman’s Club

• founded 1981
• holds annual Fashion Show and Holiday Homes tour for their fundraisers
• has monthly meetings September through May
•  www.c-w-c.org 

Grapevine Chamber Women’s Division

• hosts numerous special projects and activities that benefit the community and beyond
• active for at least 33 years!
• www.grapevinechamber-womensdiv.com

 Greater Grapevine Newcomers Club

• primarily a social group
• Contact 817-488-8949

 Greater Southlake Women’s Society

• founded 1997
• supports numerous local philanthropic causes and events throughout the area
• holds annual art auction and annual blood drive
• www.southlake-gsws.org 

Southlake Newcomers Club

• sponsors annual Holiday Home Tour and Auction
• www.southlakenewcomers.com

 Southlake Women’s Club

• founded 1985
• sponsors two major fundraising events, Art In The Square and the annual School Supply sale
• hosts annual Valentine Luncheon for local senior citizens
• www.southlakewomensclub.org

 Trophy Club Women’s Club

• founded 1981
• sponsors annual garage sale, golf tournament and progressive dinner
• www.tcwc.info

 If you would like more specific information about marketing to women, please contact Kate at 817-488-2761 or kate1.kgbmarketing@verizon.net  I would love to meet with you!

Women in the U.S. influence or are responsible for making the purchasing decisions on eighty percent of all consumer goods in the average household. 

Martha Barletta, author of Marketing to Women, does an excellent job in describing the differences between male and female consumers. The following summary highlights three main points made in her book, and will likely make many women smile! 

 If women frequently shop in your store, use your services, or buy your products on-line, why should you consider taking a different approach when marketing to women? 

 1. Women have a different purchasing process than men

· They consider more factors and generally do more research

2. Women have different attitudes,  priorities and (often) responsibilities than men

· They are more likely to bounce ideas off others, generally favor “we” over an “I” attitude, and want everyone to get ahead

3. Women have different responses to marketing messages than men

· They prefer realistic people in ads, respond to emotion and human situations, rely on word of mouth so if a product works for someone else, it’s likely to work for her situation 

You’ll find a variety of common marketing mistakes’ lists on the Internet.  But I thought it might be helpful to present these issues in reference to the stages of the sales cycle that I’m defining as: 

1. Prospecting, trying to build a list of contacts or “filling the pipeline.”  This phase includes networking and non-personal promotional activities such as advertising.
2. Following up with prospects / contacts.
3. Turning prospects / contacts into presentations.
4. Converting presentations into sales.

Additionally, I’ve also provided a few questions and suggestions to help address these common mistakes.   

First, not taking or making the time to clearly define and promote your benefits.  As an example, you may be talking about the features and advantages of your product, instead of focusing on what the purchaser needs and how your product or service will benefit them.   

Potential benefits may be saving time, saving money, increasing revenue, simplifying a process, or saving a life. This of course can also apply to staff at a retail store.  Are they trained to state benefits prior to features and advantages?  Do your advertisements promote benefits? 

Second, not focusing on the correct target market.  Have you taken the necessary steps to identify your target market to know who really needs your product at this point in time or in the near future?  Do you know where they live?  Do you know what they read, listen to or watch?   

What information do you have about existing customers that can be researched for answers?  If you’re starting a business, what industry information can you obtain about your competitors and their customers’ needs? 

Third, not being able to succinctly state what he or she does.  When you’re meeting new people, this core message is called an “elevator speech” or USP, unique selling proposition.   No matter what you call it, you want to tell people how you solve problems, such as helping small businesses fix their computer problems, or helping people maintain a healthy lifestyle.  This statement encourages them to ask for more information, instead of just stating “Oh that’s interesting” when you tell them you’re a computer repair specialist or a fitness instructor.   

Fourth, if you have a website, not providing enough information to generate leads.  Does it clearly state benefits and provide testimonials and examples?  Have a few non-vested people look at your website to obtain objective input about the design, content, colors, ease of using, etc.  Websites can be interactive to sell, handle customer service and/or accounting issues, or they can be just an informational site. 

Fifth, not using an effective contact database system.  Have you established a system to routinely update your database with new contact information?  Are you keeping track of enough information to ask additional qualifying questions?  

One expert recommends the use of index cards for maintaining contact information only if you have less than three hundred contacts.   Perhaps you might benefit from asking patrons to fill out a card when visiting your store or leave their business card. 

Sixth, not adequately listening. Remember, based on customer service research conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Institute, the number one thing people want from someone they do business with is to be listened to!   

Do you focus on what the prospects are telling you in terms of their needs?  Your business may not be able to help them solve a big problem, but you might know someone who can.  Personally, I think of this follow-up stage as the time to develop meaningful relationships.  

This also applies to retail staff.  Do they have adequate information about the various products sold in the store, where they are located, or how to obtain service and installation? 

Seventh, not following up with enough contacts.  What type of item or contact would be useful to your business and fit your style.  Should you write a monthly or quarterly newsletter?  Should you send out postcards with helpful information?  Are phone calls the best option for your industry? 

Eighth, not identifying meaningful solutions.  Have you clearly understood the need or the urgency of the prospect’s situation?  Are you adequately answering their questions, or are you providing a cookie cutter response?  Are you talking too much during the presentation?  Are you showing enough examples of your work, providing enough references or sharing enough testimonials?   

Ninth, not adequately preparing for presentations.  What type of feedback have you received about your written and verbal skills?  Are you comfortable with public speaking if that is an essential part of your presentation?  Should you consider taking some type of class or joining a group that provides public speaking opportunities?  Can you honestly say you know your material well enough that you’re flexible to address all of or the majority of issues that might surface during a presentation? 

This list does not address the importance of focusing on repeat customers and the six marketing fundamentals for all businesses posted under the Strategy category on April 16, 2007. 

If you would like to discuss solutions to these and other marketing problems that you may be encountering, please contact us at 817-488-2761 or kate1@kgbmarketing@verizon.net 

  This list includes the location and organizer 

April    

•    Southlake’s Art In The Square (Southlake Women’s Club)

May  

•   Grapevine’s Main Street Days (Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau)

June  

•   Keller’s Keller Fest (Keller Chamber of Commerce)

August   

•  Keller’s Keller Lions Club Fair (Keller Lions Club-generally limited to advertising & booth options)

September

•  Grapevine’s Grapefest (Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau)
•  Keller’s Wild Wild West Fest (City of Keller Parks & Recreation Dept.)

October

• Southlake’s Oktoberfest (Southlake Chamber of Commerce)
• Trophy Club’s Fall Festival (Trophy Club Parks &Recreation Dept.)

December

• Colleyville’s Celebrate Colleyville (City of Colleyville)
• Grapevine’s Christmas on Main Street (Grapevine Convention & Visitors Bureau)

 Sponsoring community events is one way to generate awareness of your small business. 

 According to Raleigh Pinskey, author of 101 Ways to Promote Yourself, just about any small business can find a way to contribute to “almost every event imaginable.”  In many instances, your participation may primarily be limited to time and/or services.   

Your business can benefit from this participation when

1.  event promoters publicize sponsors and volunteers
2. you and your employees network at the event and pre and post events
3. your business name appears in the event program.

 Other promotional objectives might include developing community goodwill, improving image or stimulating trial of your service or product.  Your employees may also enjoy an opportunity to volunteer, meet new people and provide service to the community.

If you would like to share some of your personal experiences, I would enjoy hearing about them.  Either phone me at 817-488-2761 or email me at kgbmarketing@hotmail.com.  Also, if you operate in the greater Southlake area, visit our DFW Marketing section to learn more about major local events in our market.

  A professional’s business card is one of the first impressions given of both yourself and your business.  Here are design related factors to consider.

1. The quality of the paper (how thick, heavy or sturdy) tends to indicate the seriousness of your company.
2. Glossy cards can be very hard to write on; thus the recipient may not be able to jot down important notes from your conversation. 
3. Primary contact information is essential.  Phone numbers should have a consistent format and include the area code and an extension, if applicable. A physical address may not be needed if you do business exclusively online or by mail.  Website addresses can be listed with or without the http:// preceding the URL.
4. One expert notes the use of too many colors may give the look of indecisiveness.  At times, elaborate print can be hard to read.
5. Taglines are useful if the business name is somewhat ambiguous or doesn’t clearly convey the purpose of the business.
6. A logo or picture can play a major role in creating a professional’s or company’s identity.

   This brief article appeared in the July 2007 newsletter published by KGB Strategic Marketing Solutions.  If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please email Kate at kgbmarketing@hotmail.com.  We will be more than happy to add you to our list!

The following is the second section of a three-part article focusing on ways a small business can personalize their marketing efforts.  As mentioned in the first post, I’m not referring to personalizing mass produced printed materials. 

Instead, I’m focusing on those little “human” touches that mean a lot to your best customers, prospects, industry allies and employees.  I refer to this group as your “focused contacts.”  The first part, posted on June 25, addressed handwritten messages.

The second way to personalize your marketing efforts is to demonstrate how much you appreciate your customers. 

First are on-going methods such as

1. acknowledging customers by name
2. offering a place for customers to display a stack of their business cards so others may take one
3. touching base with a prospect about some other need they mentioned during your presentation or discussion 
4. providing a simple way for contacts to opt out of receiving your company’s routinely distributed promotional materials
5. organizing free workshops in which you partner with related professionals to offer meaningful information   
6. sending a testimonial from an existing customer to a prospect
7. writing thank you notes and placing phone calls as previously discussed
8. establishing a client or customer board of the month featured at your office, retail store, newsletter or website.

Financially, you may

1. offer discounts if they bring in a postcard or mention your notice about customer appreciation day or week
2. hold a monthly drawing for FREE use of a chauffeur, prepared meals, financial check-up, golf packages, etc.   
3. donate to your focused contact’s favorite charity in his or her name
4. invite focused contacts to try a new product or service at no charge or at minimal cost, dependent upon the product or regulations  
5. establish a frequent purchase program (yes, this does require you to keep track of all customer purchases) to provide rewards.  Use this opportunity to have some fun and select meaningful items or services.
6. inform customers of special sales involving their frequently purchased items (here again, don’t forget the usefulness of a customer database), or if you have a top-selling item that your best customers frequently purchase
7. publish a picture in the local paper, perhaps quarterly, of an important customer, employee or ally
8. host an event where you don’t talk business such as a picnic, BBQ or softball tournament.

  The final part of this series will focus on personalizing customer service.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to publish a few brief articles on ways a small business can personalize their marketing efforts.  And just so you know, I’m not referring to personalizing mass produced brochures, newsletters, catalogs, and emails.  Instead, I’m encouraging you to focus on those little “human” touches that mean a lot to your best customers, prospects, industry allies and employees.  I’ll refer to this group as your “focused contacts”. 

In this process, I’m also advocating greater utilization of your contact and/or customer database.  I suggest either upgrading it to include contact specific information, or referring to it on a more regular basis.  Some examples of personal information include: how you met, where a person went to college, how many children they have, where he/she grew up, what are their favorite vacations, which competitors or suppliers they use, who they report to, etc.   

Beyond the basic contact information, customer specific information might be what are their preferred products and payment or delivery methods.  As an example, a pest control service could maintain information on whether or not residential customers have outside pets and thus always make phone contact prior to scheduling service.   

Before we get into methods, I’ll briefly list some of the potential goals of these personalization efforts: 

1. building loyalty so you and your business are more likely to be remembered
2. keeping your name in front of your customers in a non-sales, impromptu manner
3. building relationships and trust
4. making your focused contacts feel valued and appreciated.  Your note might motivate, encourage or uplift the receiver, either personally or professionally.

The three broad categories I’m going to discuss include

1. handwritten notes
2. customer appreciation
3. customer service.

As you read each idea, evaluate it to see if it’s something that fits your budget, your schedule and your personal style. 

One of the most personal methods is to send a handwritten note.  Stop and think about it: don’t you almost always open the personally addressed mail first?  So what are meaningful reasons for a personal note?

1. appreciation for being your customer, prompt payment or a referral
2. acknowledgement for special achievement
3. acknowledgement for a mistake made by you or your staff
4. expression of sympathy or concern
5. comments accompanying an article highlighting their business or industry
6. anniversary with your company
7. important contact met at a networking event
8. inquiry to simply find out how they’re doing, you’re thinking about them or to highlight an important personal matter
9. his or her birthday.  I’m going to add a word of caution as I feel this can be overdone as in the case of a P&C insurance agent sending birthday cards to the children of customers. 

Perhaps you want to acknowledge your focused contacts during small business week, save your vision week (optometrists and eyewear stores), national family week (if you business provides relevant products and services), or their alma mater scored a major academic or athletic victory.  For more fun ideas look under the Strategy category of this website for the article titled “Adding some clean fun to your promotional activities.” 

I recommend maintaining an ample supply of pre-printed stationery that fits your style, whether note paper, note cards or postcards.  The pre-printed information could include your name, title or business, phone and address.  You’ll note I’ve omitted fax number, email address and website, as this information may be crossing over the line into more of a sales message.  The rest of the card should have ample space for your short, brief message of three or four sentences.  Some people tend to find it easier to hand write something more personal then when emailing or typing a note.  Pre-printing your return address is a time saver!   

If you feel you’re better on the phone, make the effort to speak with your customers, prospects, allies and employees.  They will more than likely appreciate your personal touch! 

Two examples of professionals who have benefited from this approach are accountants and financial planners.  In the case of the financial planner, he practiced for fifteen years before adopting this tactic.  He stated that within six months, he gained extensive new referral business that significantly exceeded all other previous marketing efforts!

The next posted article will provide ideas for personalizing customer appreciation efforts.