====================================================== "The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report" February, 20003 ====================================================== Published by Renae Gregoire Freelance Commercial Writer The Write Idea Target Your Market with Laser Precision. Visit me at http://www.ineedcopy.com ------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe and un-subscribe information at the bottom! ----------------------------------------------------- Table of contents: 1. Message from the Editor 2. Take My Money, Please! 3. The Marketer's Bookshelf 4. How to Create Effective Collateral 5. Tampa Bay Resources 6. Reciprocal Links 7. About The Write Idea ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Readers, Thanks for inviting me to your e-mail box - I hope enjoy this issue of "The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report". Please contact me with any questions or comments. I'm here to help. Hope to be of service to you! Cordially yours, Renae Gregoire service@ineedcopy.com ------------------------------------------------------- ---> Take My Money, Please! by Renae E.Gregoire ------------------------------------------------------- Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to work to get business? If customers called or emailed us and literally said, "I need what you're selling. Take my money, please?" Business doesn't always happen that way, but it does happen periodically. The question is: How do you respond when a potential customer comes-a- calling, literally waving dollars in front of your face? Think it doesn't happen? Think it's not possible? Every time a potential customer gets in touch with you about your products or services, they're literally waving their dollars at you, saying, "I need help." No Takers For My Dollars I'm one such customer, both for business and consumer products and services, and I'm telling you, the economy must not be as bad as "they" say. I'm absolutely baffled and dumfounded, because I can't get people to help me…to take my money…and with it the possibility of a future relationship…and who knows how many future referrals. For example, I decided to "get professional," and have my business cards, letterhead, stationery and brochures professionally printed. But when it came time to get quotes, I couldn't find a printer to give me the time of day. I searched online at www.anywho.com for printers in my area. I emailed a few of them and received no reply. Why bother putting your email address out there if you're not going to respond? Even if you're busy, take the time to send a quick note that says, "I'd love to help you, but I'm overbooked as it is." Trying another tactic, I filled out an online form that was supposedly submitted to several printers in the Tampa Bay area. Again, no reply. Wait a minute…I did get a reply from a firm in Minnesota, but I was looking for someone local to handle not only my collateral, but also, my clients' collateral as well. My husband heard a printer advertising on his favorite radio station, and since he knew I was struggling to find someone…anyone…to take my money, he passed along their business name. I went through the trouble of looking them up in the phone book, and I called to get a quote. The gal who answered the phone was nice enough, and promised me a quote within 24 hours. Well 48 hours went by, and I called to see when I could expect my quote. The gal who answered the phone said, "They're in a meeting," and she took my message. No one called back. I called again the next day, and again, "They're in a meeting." I told her I left a message yesterday, and she promised to pass today's message along. Do you know it was a week later when they faxed me a quote…unannounced? I didn't even know it was there until three days after they sent it, because I wasn't expecting a reply. "Unbelievable!" you say? My experience tells me that shoddy customer service is in vogue today. Right now, my husband and I are ready to have extensive work done on the front of our house to add "curb appeal." We've got calls in to at least eight different vendors…and as of today, I've had only one reply. ONE reply. Have you ever tried to communicate in vain with a business by email? I emailed my local chamber of commerce three times asking about becoming a member, and never once received a reply. I finally decided to call since I got the hint that they don't answer their emails, and successfully joined by phone. But when I emailed my representative about a certain issue, she never bothered to reply. Now in all fairness, I did receive what I had asked for by mail a few days later, but it still would have been nice to get a reply to my email. And I just read another sad tale by Al Nucifora in the Tampa Bay Business Journal, where he's trying to buy new cars, and can't get a dealer to give him the time of day. Read for yourself: "My wife and I each buy or lease a car every three to five years. Always the same make. In fact, we both drive similar makes and models and our last four have come from the same manufacturer (a Japanese import). It's time to buy two new cars. I've tried to do it by phone but can't get the time of day from the two dealers that I've called. Obviously, I'm looking for a deal. I am, after all, a committed and loyal buyer of the brand. But, in neither case can I get the dealership to answer my inquiry promptly (I had to call them back), nor can I get them to treat me seriously as a committed buyer who is seeking a win-win transaction, coupled with a modicum of recognition for my past loyalty. I've always considered automotive retailing to be marketing's bottom feeder, the dregs of civilized commerce, so to speak. This recent round of dealer behavior confirmed the belief." What's wrong with these businesses? Are they so busy that they're not looking for customers? Or are they ignorant of how many customers they're annoying, or losing? As a business owner myself, I make it a point to answer EVERY email or call that comes my way. And I do so promptly. So I suppose I expect the same in return. And when someone needs my help, and I'm too busy, I still reply and say so in hopes that they'll remember my kind replies and come back to me should they need work in the future. Even better would be to have an overflow referral service, but I have yet to find another writer who meets my exacting standards. I've tried subcontracting work out to others, but I've always been disappointed with the results, and have to spend more time fixing than I would have spent creating from scratch. So until I find another writer I trust, I'll continue to turn down work when I'm too busy. The point? Every time a potential customer calls or emails you, they're literally waving their dollars at you and asking for help. Respond to them promptly. Get up 30 minutes earlier each morning to answer your emails or phone calls. Or, close up 30 minutes later each evening. If you say you're going to get someone a quote with 24 hours, do it. Or if you can't, let the customer know that you've been delayed. If you post an email on your website or other collateral, check it everyday to see if a potential customer has written. Respond promptly to people who need you…people who need your help…people who want to pay you to solve their problems. Customers like to be treated with dignity and respect. They like to feel that their problems and concerns are important to you, and that you want to help them…even if you can't help them right now. And if you do that, you'll be ahead of most businesses out there--businesses that leave customer service on the back burner, and lose lots of business, and potential future referrals. ------------------------------------------------------- ----> The Marketer's Bookshelf ------------------------------------------------------- If there's a book on marketing out there, chances are, I've read it. In this column you'll find out which books to buy, and which to avoid. And if you know of a great book that's helped you get more customers for less money, by all means, let me know! FEBRUARY'S READING LIST MARKETING WITHOUT ADVERTISING Third Edition Michael Phillips & Salli Rasberry PUBLISHED BY NOLO 2001 From the front cover: "Inspire Customers to Rave About Your Business & Create Lasting Success. High-Impace, low-cost marketing strategies that will help you: * attract new customers * provide great service * "spread the word" * plan marketing events * use the web ethically and effectively" Written more for those with a retail or "client" space (versus those whose work does not require in-person client contact), Phillips and Rasberry's book is good reading. Talks about how to establish a winning physical business appearance, pricing, how to treat your stakeholders (employees, suppliers, etc.), how to educate potential customers, and much more. Highly recommended. COMPLETE GUIDE TO INTERNET PUBLICITY Steve O'Keefe PUBLISHED BY JOHN WILEY & SONS 2002 Really, really good. Tells you how to contact editors and reports online, and how to give them what they want. Also goes into detail about how to use the web for newsletters and direct marketing, chat tours, online seminars and workshops, contests, and more. I've learned more reading this book than any other book, and it's on my slate to read again soon! ------------------------------------------------------- --->New Series on Creating Effective Collateral-------- ------------------------------------------------------- Yes, I'm in business to earn a living doing what I love to do: helping businesses get their message across in a highly targeted and professionally persuasive way. I realize that many of my readers can't afford a professional writer, especially when you're just starting, even though it's critical to communicate what you do in a professional way. To that end, I've prepared a series of articles you might enjoy, which will help you create the most effective collateral possible. They're posted at my website, so you can either click on the links below to read them directly, or type the web address into your web browser. Choose the PDF versions below if you'd like to see graphics and color. If you'd like to see grahic-lite versions, read the Word document versions available on my website at: www.ineedcopy.com/articles.html ·6 Common Mistakes Businesses Make When Using Customer Newsletters as a Marketing Tool www.ineedcopy.com/documents/6SeriesNewsletter.pdf ·6 Fatal Mistakes Businesses Make When Preparing Brochures www.ineedcopy.com/documents/6SeriesBrochure.pdf ·6 Fatal Mistakes Businesses Make When Developing and Writing Web Content www.ineedcopy.com/documents/6SeriesWebContent.pdf ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> Tampa Bay Resources-------------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Ok, I told you my horror story about trying to find a printer, so I'll tell you that if you're looking for a printer, save yourself the hassle and avoid what I went through by trying Corwin Graphics and Design. Owner Casey Corwin answered my request for a quote promptly, she gave me a very competitive price, met my tight deadline, and produced business cards, letterhead and envelopes that I'm proud of! Visit Corwin Graphics and Design on the web at: www.corwindesign.com (By the way, this is not a paid ad. In fact, Casey doesn't even know I'm doing this! If you do decide to give her a call, tell her you learned about her from Renae at The Write Idea though!) ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> Want a Reciprocal Link? --------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Did you know search engines like Google not only rank your site based on keywords, but also based on how many external sites link to yours? With that in mind, I've developed a "links" page where I'll post a link to your professional web site in exchange for a similar link to my site on yours. If you're interested, visit my page at: www.ineedcopy.com/Links2.htm to see where you'll be listed, and then email me or give me a call to talk about exchanging links. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> About The Write Idea ------------------ ------------------------------------------------------- OK, SO WHAT IS THE WRITE IDEA? The Write Idea supports small to mid-sized business owners in their desire to look and sound professional and increase profits by means of well-written and persuasive promotional materials. WHO'S RENAE GREGOIRE? That's me. Owner and President of The Write Idea, a commercial freelance writing firm serving clients in the Tampa Bay area, and all around the world! I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS. HOW CAN I CONTACT YOU? Easy. Call me at (727) 302-0232. I'm available Monday through Friday, from around 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. (Well, I'm here later than that, but if you call then you might hear my kids in the background!) If you get my machine, that means I'm out with a client, or stretching my legs! Leave me a message and I'll call you back as soon as I can. Or, email me at service@ineedcopy.com. To find out more about how The Write Idea can enhance your image-- and your profits, check out my web site at http://www.ineedcopy.com. You can email me from there too. I look forward to hearing from you! ------------------------------------------------------- ------------->> Subscription Information -------------- ------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe to The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report. It's Free! You'll find lots of information on promoting your business in our area, including resources for actually doing it! The Tampa Bay Marketer's Report is issued bimonthly, and is free to business owners who request it. Unsubscribing is easy too. Just let me know and I'll promptly remove your name from the list. Subscribe by sending an email to tampamarketer@replypro.com Unsubscribe by sending an email to service@ineedcopy.com. Just say "unsubscribe," and you won't hear from me again :) And if you enjoyed this issue, please pass it along to a friend who might also like to learn more about marketing in the Tampa Bay area. ------------------------------------------------------- And that's all for this time. Thanks for reading. Wishing you all my best, Renae Gregoire, Freelance Commercial Writer service@ineedcopy.com Target Your Market With Laser Precision. The Write Idea (727) 302-0232 Visit me at http://www.ineedcopy.com ------------------------------------------------------- ---------Subscribe & Un-subscribe Instruction --------- ------------------------------------------------------- * To subscribe email tampamarketer@replypro,com. * To unsubscribe, send a message to: service@ineedcopy.com, and say "unsubscribe." ======================================================