marketing on a shoestring lern annual conference 2009 presented by kassia dellabough, senior...
TRANSCRIPT
Marketing on a Shoestring
LERN Annual Conference 2009Presented by
Kassia Dellabough, Senior [email protected]
MARKETINGWhat is it?
What is Marketing?
• Everything you do every day in your programs
• Every interaction with customers & prospects
• All the ways you portray your program
Everyone is on the Marketing Team!
Four No Cost Image Makers
•Logo
•Slogan"Information That Works!”
•Your Program Name•Testimonials
The Five W’s
• WHO: All your staff and teachers • WHEN: Every customer interaction • WHERE: At every customer contact
point • WHAT: Every communication
opportunity • WHY: Because image is long-term
Ways You Portray Your Program
• The place you hold your courses/events• Your stationery• The way you reject potential teachers• How you say “hello”• Your hold button
– How long is someone on hold?– Is there music? What kind?
• Your course/event selection• Your phone numberAnd when it is YOU = ALL STAFF…..What do YOU get excited about???
KEY CONCEPTS• You can’t be everything to everybody• Numbers are your friends - make data-
driven decisions• Shift from product management to
customer management• Segment your market & target
promotion efforts• Think generations• Be unique, not a copy-cat
Tip #1 Define Your Product
• Describe your product or service in a way that is meaningful to others (both inside and outside) your organization (Benefits, benefits, benefits)
• Tell people what you do for them• Communicate what you do best
Tip #2Develop Your Image
• Fun• Friendly• Efficient• Innovative• Comprehensive• Low Cost
• Product Leader (Nike)
• Product Specialist (Providing certain types of classes better than anyone)
• Market Specialist (Providing classes for a specific segment)
Your Image
Beliefs
Attitudes
PerceptionsImpressions
The Power of Your Image
Understanding Your USP
• Unique Selling Proposition: – The image you want to project – TO the target audiences you want
to reach– Your uniqueness – An important benefit you render to
your participants
• A good USP addresses a void, fills a gap or another specific need and does so in the minds of the prospective participants.
• You must zealously tell your participants how you are different and what void or gap you have filled.
No Trespassing
• Sends a strong message to others about your strengths
• Makes it clear what piece of the market you own
Keep Out
Mental Real Estate
• Establishes your territory
• Lets people know what belongs to you
Finding Out Your USP• Staff Brainstorm
• Lunch with Your Best Participants
• Survey Your Most Active participants
IDEA: ask for feedback
Tip #3Support Front Line
Staff• Current information• Empowered decision-making• Respect - solicit ideas
Everything We Do is
Marketing
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Tip #4Host Focus Groups for Bridging Generations
• Get feedback from representative• Be clear who you are targeting• Host focus groups for feedback
Tip #5Hire an Intern
• Invite Gen X and millennial to design your materials
IDEA: hire design internsfrom local schools
Work by Matt Delbridge
IDEA: talk to your printer about cost-saving production ideas
• Paper options• Layout for efficient printing• Distribution/mailing option
Tip #6Talk to Your Printer
Tip #7Use The Internet
IDEA : rubber stamp cost $7.95
Tip #8Collaborate
IDEA : small start-up company donated vinyl sign
IDEA : HAVE FUN!
Tip #9Share Your Enthusiasm
10 TIPS from LERN Members
• Distribute your brochures to local hair salons, says Brian Burke of Blinn College. He distributes 2,000 brochures to local hair salons, and says each one gets read ten times before being thrown out.
TIPS from LERN Members
• Take care of your best customers, says Lynn Wright of Portage Lakes Career Center. She says it works out financially for her program. She send her best customers a coupon for a free course. It’s a great way for them to bring a friend or attend themselves free of charge.
TIPS from LERN Members & attendees
• There’s nothing better to motivate your existing participants than to display business cards of past participants says Modjeh…….
It’s great marketing, great motivation for existing participants, and a good way to show off your program’s success.
TIPS from LERN Members & attendees
• Up sell on the phoneWhen someone signs up on the
phone, ask them, “Oh, have you heard about…..(another related class)?” The technique works for Lauren of Danville Parks and Recreation.
TIPS from LERN Members & attendees
• Give a few free tickets, and sell out! A couple of free tickets can generate lots
of sales, says Nicole Blazin of San Ramon, California.
“We do a kids acting class and we give a couple of tickets to each family. And then we sell extra tickets to the families, and sell out the event,” she says.
TIPS from LERN Members & attendees
• Professional managers provide in-class testimonials
• In his “Integrated Marketing Communications” classes, Raymond Rocha of Gateway Community College has professional managers come into classes and say why they prefer grads from his institution. It’s a great no-cost internal marketing technique that promotes great word-of-mouth publicity from current participants.
TIPS from LERN Members & attendees
• Great source for marketing tag linesIn creating a marketing tag line for your
target audience, find their source of inspiration, says Jeffrey Spencer, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, NY. He surveys magazines his audience reads, looking for advertising themes. It gives his program a starting point that they know is already successful with their market.
Your Tips?
TOP IDEAS
• Change Your Marketing Behaviors• Collaborate with printers, students,
new businesses, media, teachers, staff. . .
• “spread the word” to the influentials• Promote your success• Listen, listen, listen
