Word of Mouth Costs A Lot!

I'm sure you have heard at one point or another that word of mouth marketing (WOMM) is the best form of marketing cause it is FREE! Well, not exactly. There is a cost to WOMM and that cost is often time, and you don't have to be a business owner for long to know that your time equals money; time spent on providing superior customer service, time spent on product development and enhancement, time spent following up with clients, time spent on understanding your position in the marketplace, time spent training your staff... Do you get where I'm going? Some of you aren't spending enough time in these areas, or you may be spending too much of your resources in one area when you should be devoting more to another...

So when was the last time you evaluated your efforts to enhance word of mouth? Don't wait too long. You may be making a costly mistake.

Keep it High Touch!

-Ernie DiMalanta

Too Busy to Keep Yourself Busy?

If your like me, your day shifts to fifth gear the moment you walk out of your house. Your ever growing action item list swirls around in your head, while your phone continually rings your favorite ringtone as you're stuck in traffic on your way to the office. Like most business owners, the thought of marketing is way at the bottom of the list until urgency sets in. How are you supposed to execute marketing tactics when you already wear several different hats in your business?

1. Decide whether or not marketing is a priority to you and your organization. Is it? You better answer yes! Every company has to transform their thinking and believe that it's a marketing company that happens to sell product "X" or service "Y."

2. Assign or hire a marketing champion in your company. If that person is you, then you will have to carve out some time each day to stay on top of your strategies and tactics. Start with smaller increments of time then, as you get into the habit, you can begin increasing your commitment level. Use outside marketing coaches to keep you accountable and provide direction. Sometimes you just need someone to instruct you from the sidelines.

3. Prepare a marketing calendar that is visual to all who is involved in the sales process. If you don't have a marketing plan to work off of, then you will have to take time to develop one. If you feel that you are inadequate to develop a plan, then you probably are. Reach out for help.

Often marketing is known for it's creative side. Remember, don't overlook the organizational aspect of marketing. That's what differentiates an active marketing plan, from the one that is collecting dust on your shelf.

Keep it High Touch!

-Ernie DiMalanta

Kind of a Big Deal!

As of yesterday, CluelessMarketing.com has been officially confirmed by Alltop.com as a blog providing the best of the best Alltop stories! Alltop.com is an online magazine rack that features ALL the TOP stories in all the topics that interest you. Now you don't have to be clueless about anything!

So if you want to read what's happening in marketing, you can follow me there alongside other leading marketing experts!

With that said allow me to ask you a challenging question... What will you do today to further your credibility in the marketing place?

Keep It High Touch!

-Ernie DiMalanta

10 Steps to a Successful CRM Implementation

A CRM solution can have an enormously positive effect on your business's bottom line, but a lot can go wrong during a rollout if you haven't planned properly.

This White Paper addresses topics such as:
Budgeting realistically
Training employees
Managing the implementation

Follow these 10 steps to help ensure that your CRM implementation is a success, from the planning stages to post-deployment improvements.

Keep It High Touch!

-Ernie DiMalanta

Love is in the Air

OK Guys (and gals)... if you're over spent, over worked, over committed, and you simply forgot about Valentine's day, then here's your reminder, "Tomorrow is Valentines day!". According to the National Retail Federation Valentine's Day spending is expected to be about $14.7 billion. All of this spent to communicate love and commitment.

I've read that in Warren County Ohio the average length, in years, of first marriages that end in divorce is eight. While that number may not be good regarding marriage, how many of you would love if the average length of time you kept a client for repeat business was eight years? Many of us would be ecstatic!

When was the last time you communicated appreciation to your clients? My challenge for you is that you do this next week. You don't have to over analyze it or break the bank over it, just execute this simple tactic. If it helps solidify the relationship and keep them on for another year, then just do the math and you'll realize that it's worth it.

Keep It High Touch!

-Ernie DiMalanta