MY BLOG HAS MOVED

Please note my blog has moved. More posts, better layout, and lots to share. Check it out!

I host my blog at: www.eoecho.com/gregmagnus

The Global Salesblood Drive - a good idea

This post is for everyone in sales and marketing. It's just flat out a good idea. The brian child of:
MaxPitch Media, Inc., out of Richmond, Virginia.

What began as a blog post about a positive “customer” experience giving blood for the first time in 20 years, grew quickly into a corporate charitable cause.

With your help and the help of others, November 28 – December 2, 2005 will serve as the week of the world’s first Global Sales Blood Drive.

Here’s how you can help; goto: www.salesblood.org

Got marketing savvy and tech skills? We need your help...

A client has asked me to provide them several business analysts on a project basis. We're looking for talent completely knowledgeable in marketing campaigns, marketing surveys, marketing strategies, but also technology.

It is challenging to come up with the technology people that have the marketing savvy. It occurred to me that someone visiting my blog (someone like you?) might be skilled at developing business requirements for marketing systems. I would greatly appreciate any referrals or leads you can provide.

Unfortunately, you'll be spending the cold, cold winter in the sunny and fabulous city of Phoenix, AZ. Yeah, the SPA capital of the world will be your backyard this winter!

Branding at it's best - WSJ article you've got to read

A friend of mine told me about this article recently published in the Wall Street Journal. The link to the story is provided below.

My friend works for a company that provides promotional materials for businesses (big businesses, large quantities, not the little stuff). If you have an online store and need promotional product ideas for your business or products manufactured, let me know and I'll have her contact you.

You'll get a chuckle - and sound branding advice - from this article:

A Lesson About Branding
From Mr. Happy Crack

By GWENDOLYN BOUNDS
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal Online

Dean Becker lives in Florida where, as he puts it, "there are no basements." But when his two children, ages 20 and 23, head for the beach to surf, they are often sporting boxers and T-shirts brandishing the logo of a St. Louis-based firm whose business is repairing cracks in basement foundations. That's right, foundations.

"All the kids are wearing the clothing," says Mr. Becker, of the Palm Beach office of Chicago-based merchant bank Ocean Tomo. "It's wild. We'd probably never need their services, but we're just glad they sell the apparel."

[Here's the link to the full WSJ article: Mr. Happy Crack ]

What is strategic marketing verses just marketing?

Last week while attending a business luncheon I was asked, "What's the difference between strategic marketing and just marketing?" The question was asked in a manner that suggested there's no difference. Well, here's a sample of marketing:

Within the past few days, I have been contacted by several small business owners on my Internet business networking site. They requested that I network with them through the online system. To do so you must provide a business email address. A few of the email addresses started with "info@" and "mail@" instead of a specific individuals name. Now, using "info@yourwebsite" is marketing.

Strategic marketing is using a specific person's name whether that person actually works for you or not. You want to start building relationships with your customers and potential customers from the very first contact; especially if they don't know you yet.

Recommendation: Use "Ira" or "Ike" or "Irene" instead of "info" (or another name starting with "I" - goto www.babynames.com if you need a few suggestions). You'll always know the email is related to "info" and your email will have a personal touch that everyone prefers.

Never use what I call "black hole" names. When you send an email to "info@..." do you really get a warm and fuzzy feeling that someone at that company is going to actually get back to you? Generic names (info, mail, etc.) should be reserved for gaint corporations that you know already provide terrible customer service. Not your company that provides excellent customer service!

PS: If someone calls your company and asks for "Ira" (or whatever names you use) just say, "Ira isn't available, but I'm Ira's boss. How can I help you?" You immediately edified yourself and your caller already feels he or she is speaking with someone more important then Ira. Again, that's a simple strategy, but it is a better strategy.

Please add your comments and ideas for others - you must give before you get.

"Strategic mind with knowledge, will travel."
eoecho.com

That's a basic example of "strategic marketing" and we'll discuss higher level examples so check back on a regular basis.