Free Book July 30 and 31, 2013 "Folly of Marketing Plan in Your Head"

Get Your Complementary Copy of TechnoGranny, Joanne Quinn-Smith's First Book, "Folly of Marketing Plan in Your Head, 101 Compelling Reasons to Write One." 

 Today, Tuesday, July 30 and Tomorrow, Wednesday, July 31, 2013 you can get your copy without paying. You can get a Kindle version at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DHKVJOG

Not to worry if you do not have an Amazon Kindle, you can download Amazon Kindle for your PC first, also no charge and then order your free copy.

Here is synopsis of the book:

"Folly of the Marketing Plan in Your Head” truly will give you a 101 Reasons to Write One. And the K.I.S.S. List will make it simple for you. There are even downloadable templates to help you keep track of your information. You will learn where to start with goals and self evaluation. Both very important tools because if you don't know where you are going, you will never figure out how to get there.

There are important lessons about
• defining your product
• whose needs it will satisfy
• how to get your message out to them.

In simple laymen's terms you will also learn
• how to determine your best customer
• your target market
• and your pricing strategy--the lost component of marketing.

In addition included are lessons on
• super data and how it can help you to segment your market,
• how to utilize long term evaluations of your sales results progress
• and ways to eliminate your customers’ obstacles in doing business with you.

This book covers everything from social media, customer appreciation and of course the personal touch. Come away with multiple ways to "touch" your clients so that you are "first on their mind" and their money is "in your bank account."

Important Take Away from this book:
• Why you need a written marketing plan
• What you will learn about your business in the process of writing your marketing plan
• How writing and then implementing your plan will increase your bottom line sales and profit
• How to use your market data to keep your business fresh, growing and sustainable
• Resources that will help you with your marketing plan and in your business

Author of” Windshift” and “Username” and publisher, Joyce Faulkner says, "It's a quick read but you will go back many times to read again and garner more in depth information."

This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information:

© Joanne Quinn-Smith 2013, Monday Morning Marketeer™ 412-628-5048

Listen at:  http://tinyurl.com/MondayMorningMarketeer

Blog:  www.mondaymorningmarketeer.com

Or on its unique radio channel at:

www.positivelypittsburghlivemgazine.com

Joanne Quinn-Smith is the Creative Energy Officer of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and an expert on Web 2.0 Branding.

Joanne has also been designated by the 2009 U.S. Small Business Administration as the National Small Business Journalist of the Year for her work with information relevant to and advocacy of small businesses. Joanne is the host of MondayMorningMarketeer Talkcast, 15 minute Talkcast seminars on Gorilla Marketing that you can do yourself for free or under $100.00  She is the author of “Folly of Marketing Plan in Your Head, 101 Compelling Reasons to Write One”  available at:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DHKVJOG

Follow at:  https://twitter.com/monmornmarketer

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/mondaymorningmarketeer

Phone:  412-444-5197

It's Finally Here, First in a Series of Books

by 

MondayMorningMarketeer, Joanne Quinn-Smith

Available for Kindle on Amazon

"Folly of the Marketing Plan in Your Head” truly will give you a 101 Reasons to Write One. And the K.I.S.S. List will make it simple for you. There are even downloadable templates to help you keep track of your information. You will learn where to start with goals and self evaluation. Both very important tools because if you don't know where you are going, you will never figure out how to get there.

There are important lessons about
• defining your product
• whose needs it will satisfy
• how to get your message out to them.

In simple laymen's terms you will also learn
• how to determine your best customer
• your target market
• and your pricing strategy--the lost component of marketing.

In addition included are lessons on
• super data and how it can help you to segment your market,
• how to utilize long term evaluations of your sales results progress
• and ways to eliminate your customers’ obstacles in doing business with you.

This book covers everything from social media, customer appreciation and of course the personal touch. Come away with multiple ways to "touch" your clients so that you are "first on their mind" and their money is "in your bank account."

Important Take Away from this book:
• Why you need a written marketing plan
• What you will learn about your business in the process of writing your marketing plan
• How writing and then implementing your plan will increase your bottom line sales and profit
• How to use your market data to keep your business fresh, growing and sustainable
• Resources that will help you with your marketing plan and in your business

Author of” Windshift” and “Username” and publisher, Joyce Faulkner says, "It's a quick read but you will go back many times to read again and garner more in depth information."

Click Here to Get it for free, 

all day July 30 & 31, 2013.  

After that pay only $9.99

Merchandise Only or Store Credit for Returns, the Folly

For those of you would prefer to listen rather than read, this show was originally broadcast on June 8, 2009 and you can listen to archived version at:

http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960

MERCHANDISE ONLY OR STORE CREDIT FOR RETURNS, THE FOLLY!

Let’s talkfirstabout the difference between advertising, promotion, publicity, public relations and marketing.

There is a famous saying that illustrates these differences:
If the circus comes to town and you paint a sign that says- “Circus Coming to Fairground Saturday,” that’s advertising.
If you put a sign on the back of an elephant and walk him into town, that’s promotion.
If the elephant walks through the majors flowerbed, that’s publicity.
If you can get the major to laugh about it, that’s public relations.
And if you planned the elephants walk, that’s marketing.”
If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot of money at the circus. THAT’S SALES!!!!!



I was inspired to do this particular show and interrupt my series on twitter because of an incident in a local store that happened to me this past week. Two weeks ago while walking in the Southside of Pittsburgh after dinner I found a delightful little store and was intrigued by the name. My female business associate and I decided to go in and check it out. On first glance it was a delightful store but for small women, actually perky teens and the adorable young women who stroll the club scenes at night in the Southside. Nothing in the store would fit us, but the costume jewelry was quirky, inexpensive and delightful. The shoes were a bit too high of a heel for us but the accessories were conversation pieces. The sales clerks were probably wondering what two senior citizens of such size and stature (to coin a phrase) were doing in their store.

I happen to love big, gaudy, unique, conversation starting jewelry and I have four nieces of the size that this store offers to buy for. So despite not fitting the profile for their perfect customer, I would have been a great one, but not now. Why you are asking if the store was so delightful?

Well let’s talk about the famous quote that I started out with, that’s advertising. The only advertisement that I have seen for this store is its unique name which caused us to go into the store in the first place, it’s location, which is simply real estate on the Main St of Southside, and its delightful contents once you get in the door. It’s great prices and unique contents contribute I am sure to word of mouth advertising. Remember, word of mouth advertising is great as long as it’s good. One satisfied customer will tell one, possibly two people but a dissatisfied customer will tell ten or more, statistical studies have proved this time and again.

Did I mention that I brought a delightfully gaudy pair of huge sunglasses that not only keep the sun out of my eyes but are great attention grabbers? I probably did not and perhaps will not because of my bad experience from the second purchase that I made that day. I found a wonderfully designed bracelet that I thought would be great for my son’s girlfriend’s birthday. It was a unique, eye catching piece of jewelry and I was delighted with my firnds. Sunglasses for me and a birthday gift for son’s gal. I was definitely coming back as these two delightful finds cost me less than $20.00. I am sure the owner was happy also because I paid in CASH. Now if the story had ended here that would be a great example of PROMOTION.

However, the story does not end here. I wore the sunglasse and everyone thought they were delightful but I only wore them once so far because they are hot pink and I don’t wear hot pink every day besides I have a great collection of sunglasses. But the bracelet did not suit my son’s girl because it was too large and it fell off her arm. So I tried it on, it fell off mine. Then we thought it might be an upper arm bracelet and had several people try it on, to no avail. This gorgeously designed bracelet had a design flaw.

So I took the bracelet, with the wonderful little jewelry tag on fine white string still attached and the receipt to the store and the bracelet was in the original bag. I had in mind to buy a great pair of bright yellow and rhinestone earrings that reminded me of the fifties, retro jewelry and I am sure I would have found several other gaudy pieces of “must have” jewelery. I was not prepared for the “PUBLIC RELATIONS ” fiasco that ensued. The beautiful young, size two sales clerk told me she would be glad to exchange the bracelet for store merchandise or store credit but that I could not get my money back. Now mind you, when I went into the store I did not ask for my money back, but she pointed to a sign 5 by 8 in a picture frame beside where she was standing on the counter and obscured by the same kind of delightfully gaudy flowers reminiscent of the delightfully gaudy jewelry, in good taste, considering the contents of the store. But nevertheless the sign was very small and not in plain view.

When the clerk told me this I became a little less of my normally diplomatic self as she was telling me that she had tried the bracelet on with the same challenge but unfortunately the store policy was, Merchandise Ony or Store Credi for Returns and it was prominently printed on the sales receipt. Excuse me, correct me if I am wrong but doesn’t the customer get the sales receipt after the shop owner has already received your hard earned money? Some really bad PUBLICITY now began.

I asked the young size two sales clerk to call the owner, told her I was unhappy and that I had a several radio shows and that I would love to talk about what a wonderful store this was. She called the owner the first time in front of me and neglected to say anything about the radio show. Mind you the store had several customers now because it was a peak time of day. So I had a “spritied” second discussion with the size two sales clerk and asked her to call the owner again. This time she went to the back room to avoid the eyes and ears of the customers in the store. I am sure she left out the part about the radio shows and told the owner this “fat woman” who would probably never buy again in the store was causing a scene in this quaint, small little shop.

She came back with the great news that the owner said that the store policy stands and another admonition that she would be glad to exchange the defective bracelet for something else or store credit. Well by now I was definitely tired of being pushed around by this young lady who was only do ing her job and left the store with the knowledge that this was some pretty bad “MARKETING” on the part of the stores owner.

Now mind you, how many people would come into the store at all if there were a prominent sign on the wall that said Merchanside Only or Store Credit for Returns?
Not too many, but how many more people would be turned on by 100% Satisfaction Guarnteed or Your Money Back.

Now I do understand the reasoning behind this policy because of the area and its demographics of young, hip chics with champagne tastes and beer pocket books, however, there are also people like me who would spend and some 250,000.00 condo owners who would spend also.

This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information:
© Joanne Quinn-Smith 2009, Monday Morning Marketeer™ 412-628-5048
Listen at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960
Blog: http://www.marketingmondaymorning.blogspot.com
Or on its unique radio channel at:
http:www.positivelypittsburghlivemgazine.com
Joanne Quinn-Smith is the Creative Energy Officer of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and an expert on Web 2.0 Branding.
Joanne has also been designated by the 2009 U.S. Small Business Administration as the Small Business Journalist of the Year for her work with information relevant to small business.
Follow at: https://twitter.com/monmornmarketer

Episode 38 Monday Morning Marketeer, Creating Customer Loyalty--Suspects on the Web

There are about six recognized stages to creating Customer loyalty.
These are: Suspect, prospect, first-time customer, repeat customer, client and advocate.
Today I am only talking about two: creating suspects and prospects.

Here is one major way to create suspects: Give them information, after all this is the information age. You can do this with Talkcasts or Podcasts, or Free Webinars, done properly they are all really the same thing.
This is how I use them to educate my suspects, fans, listeners, followers, whatever you want to call them. They are people just like you and they are important to me. Do they make me money? No not directly, but what they, you do is increase my credibility in my field and you, they who are not reading this, spread the information I provide by word of mouth, which, “hello” is hard to get but “FREE.”

So on my Techno Granny Show, I operate as a Talkcast similar to a Talk Show and I find someone who uses the technology that I want people to be more conversant with. My guest gets to advertise their business at the end of the show by giving out their contact information. Here are two people who have used helpful information to get the word out about their business—Techno Granny, me and also my guest for the day.

Now the second type of show or training is a webinar, which is also a community call. That’s what Monday Morning Marketeer is. I talk for fifteen minutes about inexpensive ways to market your business, I try to keep the tips either free to implement or under $100.00. Now when I advertise, “Big Business Marketing for Small Businesses.” Do you think people listen? Of course, by showing that I care about the little things that you can do to market your business all by yourself, I have increased my visibility and created a platform for selling marketing that costs a little more than a hundred dollars. I have given away marketing tips but I have gained two things: visibility and an on-line audio portfolio. If you want to know what I know or think about a particular topic, it is probably on my Monday Morning Marketeer, hosed at www.Talk Shoe.com.

By the way, did I mention that you can do this to, and to record, advertise and host your webinar or talkcast at www.talkshoe.com , it is free, but hurry because I fear that someday soon, it will become so popular that they might start to charge. I have increased my listeners to my shows to 1,000 per week in live and downloaded format because all of my shows are archived at www.talkshoe.com and you can listen to them—whenever, possibly forever, at least as long as the internet lasts.

Now let’s talk about blogs, let’s talk about you and me sharing information and getting reactions. How cool is this. Blog about what you know is of importance to your target audience, blog regularly and post your blog to sites like Technorati and Digg and other blogposting and hosting sites and guess what if you use E-Blogger, which is owned by Google, it really “Gets Your Google On!”
Post tips of the week, post other bloggers that blog on the same subject but please educate your suspects, prospects, friends, fans and followers with useful and entertaining information. Sometimes a little levity goes a long way.

One of my protégé’s on TalkShoe has a show called Gourmet Eater; his business is Smells Like French Fries. Gregg Matthis recycles restaurant cooking oil. His idea was to introduce Pittsburgh Restaurants to the public and he likes to eat. Each week he interviews one of his current customers or finds new restaurants to hi-light. Everyone wants extra exposure, especially on the internet where Talkcasts and podcast are hosted. Now which call as a busy restaurant owner would you rather get a call to be interviewed on the Gourmet Eater or a call to be prospected by Mr. Greg Matthis of Smells Like French Fries? And I know from his results that it is easier for him to get that appointment after he has interviewed them on his show.

Now let’s talk about You-Tube.

You-Tube

Remember that when you are attracting suspects, fans, friends and followers to drive ideas in this information highway world with a microwave mentality, to create “Buzz,” it must be simple, word of mouth friendly and supported by tools to facilitate customer conversation.
Well Talkcasts, Webinars, podcasts, blogs, they all do that easily and so does U-Tube.


This three-step success formula worked exceptionally well for Blendtec, a small, Utah-based maker of high-end home and commercial blenders.
The fledging company needed more business, so executives brainstormed: How do we earn more market awareness on a shoe-string budget? Their answer? Online videos with a simple, word-of-mouth friendly premise: CEO Tom Dickson, dressed in white lab coat and goggles, blending up a host of everyday objects (baseballs, a Tiki Torch, Transformers, an iPod, a video camera) in a light-hearted, don't-try-this-at home presentation schtick.
‘By Week 3, the company had dropped all other search engines from its budget.’
How did Blendtec facilitate online awareness and conversation? By posting the video on YouTube! Within a week, the Will It Blend? Videos became a YouTube hit. Uploads followed on such other sites as Revver.com and Digg.com. At the end of the first seven days, the Will It Blend? Video campaign had six million views. But that's not all. Other product makers, anxious to leverage the campaign's popularity, began paying Blendtec on average $5,000 to film promotions for their firms using the Will It Blend? format. Bottom line, the videos became a revenue producer in their own right. Awareness went way up, along with sales. Blendtec reported a 43 percent sales increase for 2006.

Listen to the archived version of Monday Morning Marketeer at:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960

Next week: Episode 39: 9 AM EST: EPISODE39 - How Important is Your Web Logo Style
Listen Live or listen Later.

This blog post can be reproduced in its entirety with the following information:
© Joanne Quinn-Smith, Monday Morning Marketeer 412-628-5048
Listen at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960
Blog: www.marketingmondaymorning.blogspot.com

Three Great Marketing Tips for Under $100.00

Three Great Marketing Tips for Under $100.00

One of the requests I hear from time to time goes something like this:
“Never mind the philosophy, never mind the talk about ‘branding, ‘centers of influence’ and ‘the buying experience,’ just give me a few, low-cost, anyone-can-do-it marketing tips for busy professionals.” Try these on for size.

Tip Number One:NOTE CARDS

Every Monday morning, have your assistant put a stack of 50 fold-over note cards on your desk. If you don’t have an assistant, pay one of your children to do it. It’s a great way to get them into the entrepreneurial experience. Childless? Do it yourself on Sunday night, put them in stacks of 10 with rubber bands around them and write the day of the week on them.
Your task is to write a quick, one- or two-sentence note on each card and then send out all 50 cards that week, 10 per day.
You should send the cards out to anyone and everyone. These include fellow professionals and referral sources, your clients, old clients who haven’t heard from you in years, prospective clients, and the person you saw in the elevator last week, your minister or priest, to anyone you’d like to meet and to anyone you recently met.

How many network events have you gone to this week that you may never call or even scan into your database or add to your e-mail list? This old fashioned way of correspondence is a great “new” way to communicate and get the word out, connect with people and “hello,”—form relationships. Personally I always open a hand written hand stamped envelope. Even if it’s one more invitation to a charity event! I always open that note card or invitation. From the time I was ten I have always loved to get mail.

Take this a step further. Go and buy a copy of your local newspaper. In the business section there is usually a page or so devoted to announcements–who has been appointed, who has been promoted, who received an award, who attended an event, etc. It may take a little doing but get their address and send them a congratulation note.

Send every one of these people a note. When you are finished with your ten notes a day, five days a week, you will have 2,600 personal touches back in the 1960s; a car salesman in Detroit was something of a legend in the world of automobile sales. One year, he made $200,000, at a time when the chairman of General Motors was earning a salary of $125,000. When interviewed about his outstanding success, very little about him seemed remarkable. One of his habits seemed strange, however. Every month he sent out 13,000 postcards.

Each one said the same thing: “I like you.” Asked why he did this, he replied, “I just want folks to know I like ‘em.” If you send out 50 cards a week, you will send out 2,600 cards each year. That’s 2,600 personal touches that will give someone an overwhelmingly positive impression of you. Here’s a great idea, also put your business card inside so that when they are thoroughly impressed, they can call you.
Many will mention it or show it to someone else. You do the math. Weekly cost: about $25 in cards and postage. If you send out 50 cards a week, you will send out 2,600 cards each year. If you are a three AM person like me and forget to mail your mail even the utility bills sometimes, then you can use a service like Send Out Cars, for under $1.00, including postage, you can personalize the card and Send Out Cards will send it for you.

Tip Two—A Welcome Sign

You heard me!
A warm welcome Have a welcome sign in your lobby. No matter what business you are in, you are in the relationship business. Your relationship with your clients and potential clients begins in earnest when they step through your door. A welcome sign demonstrates the importance you place on your relationship with that client or prospect, your attention to detail, and the courtesy each person can expect from your entire organization. Years ago, I remember a sign in someone’s office that said, “Through these doors pass the finest people in the world, our Customers.” You know thirty years later I am not sure I remember the name of that business, but I remember how the sign made me feel. Today, much older and wiser and more cogniscent of things like that, I would remember the business. A simple sign that can be purchased at most office-supply stores for less than $85 can make your prospects and clients feel special. Kinko’s or Staples or other stores will personalize it for you for that price.

How many times a year do you think people will echo my sentiments of telling you, “That sign makes me feel special.” For a few dollars and very little effort, you can demonstrate your commitment from the very first moment you meet with someone and for each visit thereafter.

Gift Certificates

For under a $100.00 you can print a special gift certificate. Make sure it’s graphically impressive. Many of my clients use one that looks like a dollar bill, but you can make it in any denomination you want. The gift certificate entitles the potential client to a one-hour planning session (or consultation, or evaluation). Whenever the opportunity presents itself–at a seminar or a networking event, or simply when you meet a prospect–give him a gift certificate. However, I suggest you write two things on the certificate: the person’s name (the certificate is nontransferable), and an expiration date (usually in three weeks). This is because you are giving a workshop next month and all your available free consultations soon will be taken. The gift certificate helps you overcome a number of challenges.

First, one of the biggest obstacles of marketing a professional service is that the service is invisible and intangible. The gift certificate gives form to something you do, something you offer. Another problem you usually face is procrastination on the part of the client. The gift certificate creates a perceived shortage (of your time) and a sense of urgency (he has to use it in the next three weeks). It capitalizes on those two great human motivators–fear (”I might lose out if I don’t make the appointment̶, this gift certificate expires in three weeks and greed (”I can get a $500 planning session for no cost.”).

Finally, the certificate helps you create an emotional bond that is far more important than any demonstration of expertise. People do not perceive the certificate as a sales effort; they see it as a gift. Cost: approximately $78.00 for 200, four-color gift certificates. Give yourself a break and have them printed up professionally.

Now go on, put at least one of these on your "to-do list." If you do not, an organizer friend of mind, Deirdra Gross of Makk Strategies says, “If you don’t schedule time on your to-do-list “to do-it,” it won’t get done.”

Any part of this blog may be reproduced with the following information:
© Joanne Quinn-Smith, Dreamweaver Marketing Associates, 412-628-5048
Host: Monday Morning Marketeer, listen 9 AM every Monday for fifteen minutes of free or low cost marketing tips for your business.
Listen at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/33960
Blog: www.marketingmondaymorning.blogspot.com