Tag: financial crisis

Last week Aaron, Maggie and I attended the Ballypalooza Sales and Marketing Seminar and Exhibition at the Stafford Centre. The featured speaker was Jeffrey Gitomer the author of several books the most popular being the Little Red Book of Selling: 12.5 Principles of Sales Greatness

I think I’ve seen the book before at Barnes and Noble and pretty much overlooked it because it was a book about sales so it didn’t really apply to me. Going into the seminar by Gitomer I definitely was not very excited and had really low expectations. I’ve found that most speakers have decent but unoriginal speeches (except for Ed Schipul’s speeches-you never really know what he’s going to say!). The speaker will tell some cutesy anecdotes, then spout out some inspiring quotes from people like Winston Churchill , or Viktor Frankl . Of course I am inspired by those great men. While I love hearing stories I also love to hear speakers who truly make me laugh and think with their own original ideas.

I was pleasantly surprised when Gitomer told the hilarious story of how he cold-called Roger Staubach’s office and told Staubach to his face how much he hated the Dallas Cowboys. After that incident, Staubach now uses Gitomer’s sales seminars to teach over 3,000 of his sales employees. Now that’s cool!

After that story, I decided that Gitomer was worth listening to. During the presentation, I was thinking yeah this is great, but how does that apply to my clients who are marketing their businesses online and how can I help them use these very same principles that Gitomer is telling us?

It’s apparent that a lot of people are going to be tightening their financial belts after everything that is going on in the economy right now like the Bailout and Hurricane Ike recovery. So I came up with a few ideas and strategies on how to get the most out of your Internet Marketing campaign while our economy gets sorted out.

1. Stay in front of your audience with newsletters‘ Gitomer said if you aren’t sending out a newsletter once a week then you aren’t staying in front of your audience. Your newsletters should be filled with information that your audience can use. For example, if you are a home builder you can write in your newsletters weekly do-it-yourself tips. You know, stuff that is actually helpful! After all, it’s really all about what your customer wants anyway, right?

2. Connect with your customers using Social Media (Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube)‘ Just having a standard website can be pretty impersonal. So why not let your customers find out a little more about you and engage them on a personal level? I know that’s directly against what I just said about newsletters, but the truth is your audience does want to know what you can do for them. Next they want to know your expertise and if you actually know what you are doing.

• So blog about what you know
• Create or join Facebook groups that are related to your industry and interests
• Set up a micro-blog on Twitter and start connecting and updating your status
• Post pictures of your latest events on FlickR and link to them from your website
• Upload your videos on YouTube

Here’s what Gitomer suggested: Get some of your top clients and record them giving testimonials about your company.Let your clients speak for you. Gitomer said to make DVDs and slide them under doors. But my idea is better. Post your video on YouTube and put the video on your website. Not only are you letting your customers learn about your, but you’re also creating a stronger web presence by linking to other websites.Remember to keep it light and fun. Don’t be to promotional. Use these tools to meet and interact with people.

3. Update the content on your site ‘ If the content is the same as it was three months ago it’s time to refresh! Adding new content to your site keeps your site visitors interested so that they will come back for more. Stale content is the equivalent to turning off the open sign and the lights and locking the doors. People are going to think you’re out of business. Plus, fresh content will help you get found in the search engines. Gitomer said, “Get Googleable.”Gitomer said post white papers, articles you have written or that have been written about you, and let people know when you’ve won awards and achievements. I have nothing to add. He’s right. This guy knows what he’s doing. Type in Jeffrey Gitomer and he’s listed on the first 78 page results.

4. Keep statistics’ If you’re not using Google Analytics on your site, why not? Sign up now for Google Analytics and track the visitors on your site. This is where you actually get to see the real numbers and ROI.

The amazing thing about all these options is that, for the most part, they are free! All you’re really spending is your time and it could really payoff in the end. I don’t want to be a doomsday prophet, but the business that are able to keep their customers happy and loyal are the ones who are going to thrive.

So build your connections with your customers and stay in constant contact. Maybe you won’t see results right away but you will eventually. Gitomer told us, “Small errors in judgment can cost you your entire career.” As an example he used Peter Best, the original Beatle’s drummer who quit three months before the Beatles went on their first world tour. Gitomer estimates that that error in judgment cost Best $2 million dollars. Gitomer’s encouraging words were, “Be your Best, not Peter Best!”