Automate Your Marketing

AHAA Marketing

What if there was something you could do to make marketing for your business easier? Marketing planning and implementation doesn’t have to be a cumbersome process. There are ways to make it easy, through planning, organization, reporting and partnerships with marketing professionals. Just as there are different professionals who work on homes – contractors, electricians, plumbers, painters, etc. – there is a diverse group of marketers available to help consult on and implement your overall strategy. Choosing experts to handle each task can help you maximize your return and stay committed to your overall strategy. So who are some of the potential partners who can assist you with marketing planning and implementation?

• Strategists: Help you develop a budget, plan and calendar by incorporating initiatives with goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.
• Designers: graphic artists who develop the creative and bring your marketing ideas to…

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I wanted to share an amazing customer service experience my sister had over the weekend.  She recently got engaged and we headed to NYC on Sunday to visit Kleinfeld bridal, made famous by TLC’s ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ program.  We had scheduled an appointment in early October via the website – which had great FAQs and information, plus was easy to navigate – and received a confirmation email the day before from the owners which included date/time, a recap of what to bring, the address for their parking garage [where we got super discounted parking!], etc. 

 Upon arrival at the salon, we checked in with the receptionist and she was amazingly friendly and directed us where to wait.  Our consultant came out and greeted our entire party and then took us back to a room to find out what my sister was looking for in a dress.  She then took us both to the stock room with her to pull samples – something they don’t usually even do on the show!  The sales person wasn’t pushy; she was genuine and did give her expert opinion – I think she knew which dress was my sister’s before she did.  And…my sister actually found her dress! After purchasing her gown, the next level of customer experience kicked in.

After leaving the salon, and before we were even home, my sister received two emails from the owners – one asking how her experience was with an email address and cell phone number and the other congratulating her on her purchase and letting her know that “Until you say “I Do”, if, for any reason, you would like to speak to us when Kleinfeld is closed, please feel free to contact us at our home in the evening until midnight” – and it listed a cell phone number.

My sister was so impressed with her experience and the consultant that she emailed back.  Not two minutes after she hit send, her cell phone rang and it was the owner.  He congratulated her on her purchase and upcoming nuptials, let her know that she had one of the best consultants on the floor and that when her dress comes in, he wants her to call him on his cell phone and he’ll personally schedule her fittings with their top seamstress.  He also asked for a photo of her and her fiancee.

My sister’s dress did not cost $10,000 – it didn’t even cost the minimum that they say dresses start at on their website.  However, the owners seem to truly appreciate each and every purchase.  There were 102 appointments at Kleinfeld the day we were there [I asked the consultant!].  If even half of them purchased a dress, that’s a tall customer service order, but they seem to know ‘why’ they are in business and strive to make every bride feel special.

Want to improve your business? Read.

AHAA Marketing

Because you are reading this, it’s indicative of your passion for information and “knowledge is power” mindset.  It also shows that you understand your competitive advantage!

Many people view themselves as overly busy, stretched-too-thin business owners and leaders, who often don’t allow themselves the luxury of reading for business, pleasure, or at all.  Wouldn’t your time be better spent selling or finalizing payroll?  Not necessarily.

Deep, broad reading habits define great leaders.

Deep, broad reading habits define great leaders and can spark insight, innovation, empathy and personal success.  This translates into better business ideas, effective leadership and stronger organizations. But “Reading has declined among every group of adult Americans,” according to The National Endowment for the Arts – and this includes business people. 

I know what you’re thinking, “You’re telling me to read more?  Is that really the answer?  It seems too simple.”  Well, maybe everything you needed…

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Social Media: 3 Pitfalls [and How to Avoid Them]

AHAA Marketing

The trend towards integrating digital media into one’s marketing plan is definitely on the uptick in the Audiology world and curiosity is piquing regarding social media forums.  As I speak with Associates daily, it’s inevitable that questions arise on social media, which is a wonderful!  Last year at this time, I was begging business owners to talk about their digital marketing strategies.  The tide is changing – and quickly – but do practice owners really know the best ways to leverage social media to grow their business?

Keep in mind that “less is more” and “everything in moderation is best.”  Even though today’s technology is constantly evolving, underlying marketing principles still apply in the digital sphere.  There are easy pitfalls when diving into social media.  We’ll review three and how to avoid falling into a black hole.

Pitfall #1: Creating Too Many Social Media Networks

There are so many…

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The Fear Factor

AHAA Marketing

“People who don’t take risks make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes per year.” – Peter Druker

On my way to Atlanta this week for business, I started thinking about fear.  For me, fear of flying is right up there at the top.  And for the masses, there are so many fears that there are even scientific names for them: arachnophobia (fear of spiders), coulrophobia (fear of clowns), acrophobia (fear of heights) and even panphobia (the fear of everything).  Luckily fear of marketing isn’t widespread enough to justify an official name!

But what about those business owners that are “afraid of marketing?”  I’ve seen it time and time again across different industries where decision makers are so consumed by fear of marketing that they don’t do anything; they let fear take over and paralyze their otherwise good…

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Direct Mail & Digital: Unlikely Allies

AHAA Marketing

In today’s marketing world, multi-media integration has the potential to be broader, deeper and more powerful than ever before.  Instead of looking for “the next shiny object,” or “the silver bullet” (which don’t exist, by the way), think about how you can build a strong marketing presence by leveraging several media outlets – that have been tested and proven – and making them work together.

The cheese does NOT stand alone

Direct mail and print are integral staples in our Associates’ marketing strategies (because they work!) and integrating

Although direct mail has dipped since 2008, it’s still relevant and it works! What to expect in today’s marketplace: a .25-1% response rate to a prospect list.

these and other initiatives will strengthen the reach and depth of your marketing strategy.  Different media have different strengths and weaknesses; woven together, they help one another succeed.  Consider the cumulative effect of marketing; instead…

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Don’t Forget Your Database.

AHAA Marketing

When marketing, we often focus on obtaining new customers, obsess about how much we are spending doing so and analyze the return on investment [ROI] with extreme scrutiny.  All of this is exactly what weshould be doing.  However, while we spend time and money on attracting new customers – which is important in order to have a constant pipeline of prospects to grow  businesses – we can’t forget about the goldmine we are sitting on: the current, loyal customer.

Your current patients – atop the marketing pyramid – are the least competitive & price sensitive.
Be sure to target this “low hanging fruit” frequently!

Your customer/patient database is your most qualified lead source and most cost-effective segment to market to.  Be sure to integrate monthly marketing initiatives to target this audience – upgrade or out of warranty correspondence, plus tested not sold messaging.  You can reach this target audience…

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A Marketing Wish List

AHAA Marketing

Since the holiday season is upon us, I began thinking that if I could give a marketing themed gift to all of our Associates, what would I choose? [Yes, these are the types of thoughts a marketing nerd has on a daily basis!]  One of the most important components to any marketing plan is the integration of call tracking and the ability to determine a return on investment [ROI] for all initiatives; much more powerful and business focused than drummers drumming, lords-a-leaping and partridges in pear trees.  If you are going to spend thousands [or tens of thousands] of dollars on marketing initiatives, you better know how much bang you are getting for your buck!

As our team helps Associates plan for 2013, we are analyzing ROI data on a daily basis, helping to determine the marketing initiatives that were most successful in 2012.  And success is measured…

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Marketing in 2013: Active vs. Passive Mediums

AHAA Marketing

Welcome to 2013, another year and 365 more opportunities to make marketing work for you.  There are many mediums that compete for your overall budget and with all of the options available from direct mail to print to digital, how do you know which marketing tactics are best for your practice?

We’ll explore the difference between ‘active’ and ‘passive’ mediums and reinforce the importance of planning. Let’s first indulge in an exercise to assess which category you fall into — from a planning perspective.

Have you:

1. Developed and stuck to a marketing plan in 2012 then reviewed tracking and ROI to put a plan in place to meet goals for 2013?
2. Gone without a plan in 2012 then subsequently develop one for 2013 – with a calendar in place along with tracking mechanisms to evaluate the response and ROI on all initiatives?
3. Found yourself panicking, “shooting from the hip,” trying…

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How Great is Your Practice? Let Customers be Your Biggest Fans!

AHAA Marketing

It’s a great feeling when you get positive feedback in life.  Whether it’s kudos on a job well done, a compliment on the way you look or a ‘thank you’ for a good deed accomplished.  The same feeling applies to your practice, except it doesn’t have to be a passing note of gratitude.  Testimonials are a great and [semi] permanent way to tell the rest of the world how much your practice is loved, what a wonderful job you do and how satisfied your customers are – and even better, it’s feedback coming right from the consumer for other consumers to see!

If a customer gives you a ‘thumbs up,’ let the world know!

Testimonials from customers can be used across various marketing mediums: in direct mailers, newspaper ads, on your website, in flyers [to physicians or the community] – the sky’s the limit!  The fist step is to ask for them.

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