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Get More tips at http://www.mklink.com/getstarted I was recently
interviewed by Thomson Local about some marketing I'd run on a mailshot. I
was impressed with Jo who works there & their outfit in general. Here's a copy of the July 2010 interview, taken from their website. Marketing Tips from MKLINK Q: Thank you very much for talking to us
today about your direct marketing plans. Can you tell us why you decided
to choose Thomson Local data? Q: Why is it so important to choose
accurate business data for your marketing campaigns? Secondly is client perception. How often have you received communication where your name is spelled incorrectly or other key contact details are wrong? It looks really unprofessional and instantly alienates your recipient." Q: What tips do you have for increasing
success with telemarketing to businesses? Wherever possible, ask for your target prospect by name. Asking for the "person in charge of marketing" or the "person in charge of purchasing" is hugely inefficient, embarrassing for the telemarketing operative and again instantly alienates the recipient of the call - whether it's the prospect themselves or a gatekeeper. I always earn the right to have the call. If I have sent some information to Mr. Smith, Purchasing Manager of ABC Company then I have showed courtesy by introducing myself and my reason for business. Thereafter, my whole tone is more empowered because I have a legitimate right and reason to call back. Were I to do this for the first time without sending information beforehand (which I think is more professional personally), then again I would ask that I can send some information that I hope may be of benefit to them. I NEVER would expect to sell instantly. There's simply no relationship yet and no respect. This way, every time you call you are gathering more information and increasing either their commitment or building up your relationship with them. I would rather speak with less people but with a much higher conversion rate because I believe it is more efficient to qualify appropriate prospects and then give each one more time and more of a chance to respond positively. Of course, it IS a numbers game but you can still stack the numbers in your favour by getting as much information about each contact as possible and using it next time you call. It's easy because most people don't bother so you will stand out! So, if you asked for Mr Smith and last time he was away on a business trip to Kenya - you can ask if he has returned safely from Kenya. Simple. The fact you remembered - or bothered to make a note of it really stands out. If nothing else, it reminds the recipient of the calls that you have called before and are following up and that you are not simply another first time caller. Persistence pays - as long as you make each call count and always get more information each time. You've made the call so you might as well get as much background information as you can each time." Q: If you were conducting an email
marketing campaign, how would you ensure you generate a good response? People have information overload so the PRIMARY thing the email needs to do initially is S-T-A-N-D O-U-T to get read. Remember that they HAVE to read the top of an email because it is the bit that is displayed. Same as a webpage - you can't help but see the top - because it is how the page is rendered. But whilst 100% of the visitors to a web page see the top, maybe only 5% ever reach the bottom. Ditto emails. Therefore, keep the headline punchy and compelling enough to cause the recipient to read further - or at least open the email. I'm in favour of quite short emails. If you have a lot to say, then link to the rest of the information on a web page somewhere. This also means that you can track how many people click on the links and can build up a profile of how engaging the emails are. Avoid using certain words that will trigger spam filters - marketing emails often unwittingly fall foul of this. There are loads of online tools available that will give your copy a spam score before you send it out. Also make the emails easy to read. Both in terms of language and font - not everyone has perfect eyesight. If you have the time - split test your emails to see which get read more. Up to 80% of the response can be from the headline alone. The hardest thing I am up against is getting business people to send emails as if they're from a real live person, rather than containing a load of corporate jargon. People buy from people so make your marketing less corporate and more approachable. It works for people like Google!" For more marketing help contact Mike at MKLINK." Well, I hope you got something
useful from that interview. http://www.mklink.com/getstarted |