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When we work together it works!

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August 2  |  Advertising, Business, Customer Relations, Marketing, News, Partnerships, Recession, Uncategorized  |   JDostal
What we love about helping businesses is when they will work with us and really let us help them. A client in Halifax wanted to get on the radio up there. We got him going. He next wanted to use a local friend to create a better website. Here is part of what he wrote to his website guy: 

“Due to the high response we are getting on our radio ads we have decided to start the process earlier than we originally told you.”

Would you like your marketing and advertising to work better than you expected? Give us a call.

 

Are You Neglecting The Right Kind of Marketing?

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July 5  |  Advertising, Business, Customer Relations, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News, Uncategorized  |   JDostal

Success Is Easy, But So Is Neglect by Jim Rohn

People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to do. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to do. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn’t matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I’m a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.

In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.

It is not the lack of money—banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity—America, and much of the Free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books—libraries are full of books and they are free! It is not the schools—the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.

Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.

Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.

Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more… and on and on it goes.

So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of “easy to” and “easy not to” that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, “easy,” but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.

The Other Side of the Yellow Page Story

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June 3  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Media, News, Uncategorized  |   JDostal

The Other Side of The Yellow Page Story

Jeff Dostal * President * Marketing Firepower

 

We have been working with business owners like you to provide marketing solutions that work.  In the process, we always ask, “What are your major marketing and advertising concerns?” The number-one response we hear is; “The rising cost of Yellow Pages, the multiple phone books, and the decrease in consumer usage of them.”

Allow me to introduce you to “The Other Side of the Yellow Page Story.” This is the side the Yellow Page sales reps don’t want you to know. There are some important aspects regarding the Yellow Pages that you need to know as a business owner:

  1. Your Yellow Page ad can be redesigned to be more effective and less costly.
  2. Your Yellow Page agreement has an “automatic renewal” clause. Chances are you were not aware of this. This clause allows the phone book company to place your current ad in the upcoming phone book at the updated rates and you have to pay the bill, even if the ad is wrong! It’s their way of dealing with the businesses who simply refuse to talk or meet with the Yellow Page reps.
  3. You can and should be able to receive your discounts – even if your new ad is smaller. Too often business owners are told if they reduce the size of their ad they will lose their discount and it will end up costing the same. They are told they might as well keep the bigger ad or increase it. This just isn’t the case.

Before deciding what to spend in the Yellow Pages, it is important to know how consumers use the Yellow Pages.

There are six ways consumers use the Yellow Pages, other than PRICE SHOPPERS who call everybody. Do you really want the price shopper?

  1. 1. Repeat Business. (These consumers know who they are going to call and find the number “by the name of the business”)
  1. 2. Referrals. (These consumers know who they are going to call and find the number “by the name of the business”)
  1. 3. Those influenced by Creative Advertising.  (These consumers know who they are going to call and find the number “by the name of the business”)
  1. 4. Those who need a product or service by the Brand Name.  (These consumers  know who they are going to call and do so “by the Brand Name of the product or service.”)
  1. 5. A New-comer to the neighborhood.  (These consumers normally look for a telephone prefix like their own so they will be comfortable that it is a local business.  They will also normally become like caller number two and ask for a referral.)
  1. 6. The Panic Buyer. (These consumers will call everyone from the display ads and in-column listings.  Price is no object.  They want service.)

The first four categories of Yellow Page users are locked in “by the name of the business”. They will find that business in the in-column alphabetical listings.  The new-comer will look at the in-column listings for a local telephone number prefix or become a referral “by name” caller.  The sixth type of user will use the in-columns, alphabetical listings and the display ads.  They just want to reach someone.

So you should ask yourself these questions:

  • What percentage of my business is repeat business?
  • What percentage of my business comes from referrals?
  • Should I be using creative media to generate more of caller numbers three and four and not stand in line in hopes of getting a call from the panic or price shopper?

The Yellow Pages were created to be a directory. It was designed to be a list of names and numbers and addresses.  As a business owner you will be wise to use the Yellow Pages as a directory and not as an advertising medium.

If you would like to find out how much less costly your Yellow Page ad can be, it won’t cost you anything to find out. We will review your current Yellow Page ad and tell you what your redesigned ad will cost. If you like what you hear, we will:

1. Contact your Yellow Page provider.

2. Redesign your ad to make it less costly and more effective.

3. Cancel your automatic renewal clause and re-negotiate your agreement.

We will do all the work for you so you don’t have to bother with it.

If you are tired of feeling like you are trapped into spending more than necessary to make your phone ring, let’s talk.  Call or email and we will help you be more effective in the Yellow Pages at a surprisingly smaller investment!

Jeff Dostal

President, Marketing Firepower

402-817-4864

jeff@marketingfirepower.info

www.MarketingFirepower.info

It Must Be True

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March 28  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, News  |   JDostal

While on a consulting call with a client today he shared with me how much he appreciated the time we spend on the phone. What was interesting to me is what we were talking about. He needed to put some content on his website. He had done a wonderful job in preparing it. He had done a wonderful job in organizing it. What he had not done a good job at was putting it online. He had everything he needed, except a nudge. So much of success is about action. If you feel like your marketing and advertising is not working right or is stagnant it’s most likely because there is no action. Norman Vincent Peale said, “I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to do nothing and succeed.” Take that first step and don’t be afraid…of success!

Is it an expense or investment for your company?

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March 22  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News  |   JDostal

Advertising done right will be a profitable part of your business. Advertising done wrong will be an expensive lesson that most companies don’t have the time or money to learn.  Advertising is designed to attract new prospects to your business. Is it? If it isn’t, let’s talk. You deserve more than what you are getting. Much more.

It’s OK to not do it all!

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March 18  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News, Partnerships  |   JDostal

Had a great conversation last night with a long time client. He went back to when we first started working together and told us that the best decision he made to grow his company was realizing he couldn’t do everything and he needed to find people he could trust to help him. He said that’s when he decided to partner with Marketing Firepower. Wow, that was awesome to hear!

Tracking your ROI (solution revealed!)

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March 16  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, News  |   JDostal

So how do you know if the money and time you are investing in your marketing and advertising is working? It’s quite simple when you understand the purpose of your efforts. Advertising has one job and that is to communicate your message. What that message communicates determines if someone will come to your business, visit your site or give you a call. At this point, you still have not made the sale but advertising has done it’s job. Now you have to do the rest. So how to you know if your advertising efforts are working, do more people come in to your store than before? Do more people call? Do more people visit your website? It really is that simple. The problem, most companies don’t know how many people are connecting with them today so they won’t be able to know if that number goes up or down. Know your baseline and you will know if your advertising is working.

Tracking Your ROI!

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March 8  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News  |   JDostal

There is not a business owner out there that does not want to know if the money they are investing in advertising is working or not. So what do they do to find out? Many will ask that infamous question, “How did you hear about us?”. I hate to break it to you but most of us don’t remember where we heard about a business. Aren’t you happy that we are simply there to buy something? The other common solution by small business is the infamous coupon. We rationalize that if the coupon comes back, our advertising is working. Really? All that worked was the offer. We just spent money to give someone a discount for our product or service. And let’s think like a consumer. Once we receive a product or service at a set price, have we not just created a value in our mind? Why would be come back at a later date and pay full price? You can judge if your advertising is working. You can create an ROI for your investment. Come back in a few days and I’ll share with you how. If you want to know right away, give me a call (402) 817-4864 or send me an email to jeff@marketingfirepower.info.

Do You Treat Them Right

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February 11  |  Advertising, Business, Customer Relations, Marketing, Marketing Bridge, News  |   JDostal

Over 65% of customers who leave a business say they do so because of a “perceived attitude of indifference”.  They don’t think the company cares. Do you. Do you show your customers you value their business. How many companies offer special deals and one time opportunities to “new customers” leaving loyal customers out in the cold? Too many. Your first priority should be your current customers. If you need help understanding how to do that, give me a call. We’ll visit about a lot of ways that are free or very inexpensive.

Don’t Fall Into the Yellow Page trap!

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February 9  |  Advertising, Business, Marketing, Media, News, Partnerships  |   JDostal

A client we partner with has gone from investing over $100,000 a year in the yellow pages to just a few years ago to only $11,000 this coming year. They have taken the difference and become much more intrusive and effective with their advertising. This is just one of the many benefits of a partnership with us here at Marketing Firepower. It just might be the best marketing decision you’ll make.