LA2M 07.22.09

A Really, Really Old-School Marketing Method That Works

Really, Really Well

Presented by:

Chris Kochmanski

DesignHub, Inc.

First…

We’re not that old-school.

The Seven Words You Can’t Say at LA2M

Referrals

Trade Shows

Prospecting

Direct Mail

Brochures

Tchotchkes

Telemarketing

What Bill James, the baseball statistics guru, can teach us about marketing

Traditional sportswriters and sports commentators start with a POSITION

“Sabermetricians” start with the QUESTION

POSITION: “Willie Mays was better than Mickey Mantle.”

QUESTION: “Who was better – Mays or Mantle?”

Where the answer stands right now

Peak value: Mantle

Career value: Mays

However…

POSITIONS

“We need a search-optimized website.”

“We need to invest in a Google AdWords program.”

“We need to go to trade shows.”

“We need to advertise in trade publications.”

“We need to get into social media.”

“We need a stronger brand identity.”

“We need to build a database for direct marketing.”

“We need an e-newsletter.”

“We need videos and podcasts on our website.”

QUESTION

“What will work most effectively and efficiently to help you find, win, and grow profitable customer relationships?”

WHO can tell you HOW

WHY can surprise

WHAT prevents sales?

“Ninety percent of success is SHOWING UP.”

“Markets are CONVERSATIONS.”

Highly Targeted, High-Impact DIRECT MARKETING

CASE STUDIES

Phenomenal results!

Results right out of Plan 9 from Outer Space (“Can you prove it didn’t happen?”)

Disappointing, but still useful results

Ideation’s Objective

Find 50 qualified prospects

What Ideation Assumed

Our market is: 55,000 to 60,000 gift retailers (Or is it?)

Our message is: “Increase sales by 10% to 40%” (Or is it?)

What We Learned

Prime target: 700 core prospects

Prime message: “Better Products + Better Image + Peer Group”

What Ideation Did

SELECT the 700 core prospects to whom Ideation would...

SEND a “Gift Marketing Success Guide” and a cover letter promising a follow-up...

CALL, in which the Ideation salesperson would use a “Solution Selling”-style call guide to help…

QUALIFY the prospect, and arrange a…

VISIT with the prospect, in which the Ideation salesperson would then proceed with the company’s usual relationship-building process.

Ideation’s Results

700 follow-up phone calls in 3 days

64 qualified prospects

Tom Ungrodt’s verdict:

“Phenomenal!”

Bank of Washtenaw

250 targeted prospects

Deliver a cake – as inspired by BoW’s “Hometown Favorites” ad campaign… and my dentist’s office

30 cakes delivered

And the results were…

Bank of Washtenaw

30 customer visits

The bank’s biggest commercial loan

WebIDS

Target: 750 hospital pharmacies

Mail an executive white paper,

with a promise to call

Only eight contracts signed, but…

WHO can tell you HOW

WHY can surprise

WHAT prevents sales?

Critical Success Factors for Direct Marketing

LIST – 40%

OFFER – 40%

EXECUTION – 20%

Ask your customers or clients…

Why did you hire us in the first place?

What do we do that others don’t?

What’s missing from our industry?

What could we do that would thrill you?

What do you find yourself simply putting up with in this industry?

What would you do if you owned a business like ours?

What prevents sales?

AWARENESS

USAGE

FREQUENCY

“Ninety percent of success in life is SHOWING UP.”

“Markets are CONVERSATIONS.”

“Solution Selling” Call Guide

“Hi, this is Scott McCreadie from McCreadie Group. We haven’t spoken before, but our company has been working with hospital pharmacies to help them manage their investigational drug services more efficiently and accurately…

“One of the chief concerns we’re hearing from directors at hospital pharmacies is their frustration with the great amount of staff time and effort it takes to manage IDS protocols using manual processes. We’ve been able to help our customers streamline IDS operations and get their IDS professionals more focused on research. I’d like to share with you how we do this. Would that be OK?”

Questions?