Yesterday I met with a group of financial planners. About half are in their first job after college, others in various growth stages of their careers. Our discussion was about building a marketing strategy for each person that echoes the company goals. One of the questions was “How important is networking for my career.” Important, nah. It’s imperative.

My advise to all was to get involved in something you really care about, get out there and meet people. Community service groups are begging for volunteers. If you have kids in school, join the PTO. If you belong to a church, volunteer to lead a committee. Cities and towns have service days or can link you to a local group that needs help. There’s Rotary, Kiwanis, Girl Scouts, alumni associations and thousands of charities that need help.

Get outside your own world…meet new people. Joining isn’t the goal, involvement is the goal. The rewards are amazing: a sense of accomplishment, a broader view of your community, an enhanced understanding of your fellow citizen. And a more expansive network of people who know you, like you and may want to do business with you.

Now some people may say this is really a sales tip or even a customer service tip. As a marketing professional who also directs business development (aka sales) and  client services (aka customer service) I can tell you this: it’s all marketing!

Call back when you say you’ll call. Reply to emails on a time everytime. Provide additional information when you’ve promised it. Ask how you can offer even more than you already have, and then do it. Every contact point is an opportunity to market your products and services. Every contact point is a new chance to solidify the relationship.
Differentiate yourself from all those other companies who are begging for  your customer’s business. Give more every time.

Do it with a smile on your face and in your voice.

We are all very aware of our current economic trials and tribulations. To survive – maybe even prosper –businesses need to take advantage of every opportunity to stay connected with customers and clients. We know that there is a cost inherent in many marketing and advertising approaches; heck, that’s why we are in business! So what can you get for nothin’? There really are many marketing tactics that are no cost/low cost and readily available. So in the spirit of let’s all prosper, here is the first T&C Free Marketing Tip.

Marketing Tip #1: Phone Manners Count
Many customer relationships begin with a phone call. Unfortunately, many end there, too. A big part of your company image is created by whoever is answering the phone. Take a few minutes and hover around your staff as they answer the phone and you may learn that what seems incredibly simple has become, for many, a burden.

Recently we spoke with a client who tried the hover technique. They were shocked at the inability of their staff to connect with customers. Basic rules of engagement were totally missing: lack of interest in the customers needs, missed opportunities to offer additional services and absolutely no enthusiasm for the business itself.

It may seem simplistic but remind everyone, including yourself, that when the phone rings it isn’t an interruption to your business, it is an opportunity for doing more business. Before answering the phone, follow these three steps:

• Stop whatever you’re doing. Give the caller your undivided attention.
• Smile. It helps brighten your voice and forces you to think before you answer.
• Be nice.

Customers will be thrilled to hear a friendly, knowledgeable and caring voice on the other end of the phone.

Oh, and if you use an IVR system, call your office and see for yourself how user friendly your system is. Never lose a customer because of a bad phone connection. Every phone call is a sales call.

Consumer confidence seems to drop every day and the economic outlook is not too bright. It is difficult for many businesses to make last year numbers, let alone beat them. To remain competitive, this may be the right time to be more aggressive with your marketing. That may sound crazy but hear me out.

When the economy is strong, money flows freely and customers seem to drop out of nowhere. Advertising and marketing make a good thing even better. Even if you make a few mistakes, no big deal, business is great.

Not so in tougher times. During a tight business climate, a typical reaction is to pull back on marketing, staffing, maybe housekeeping and other support functions. When you are not able to easily measure results, it seems logical to eliminate the expense. But that may create further erosion of revenue or sales, certainly not your objective. Holding all expenses, including marketing, to a higher standard make much more sense. Spend wisely to retain market share.

Depending on your product or service, you’ll want to build campaigns around value versus price, quality, customer service, payment terms or warranty. If you offer online purchasing, let people know you provide a gasoline-free option, maybe even sweeten the deal with free shipping. Offer features and benefits that make sense to weary consumers. Add some fun, make ‘em smile, differentiate yourself from your competitors.

One of my first bosses told me that no matter the size of our customers’ spending pie, my job was to be sure we always got our fair share, our piece of the pie. Necessities are taking a larger piece out of every customer’s budget, that’s a fact. To succeed you need to stay in touch with customers, give them a reason to choose you when they do make a purchase. Don’t let the other guy get your share of the pie!

Eco-friendly everything is an important marketing hot button. Without getting too geo-political, if your business uses green technology or has developed planet friendly habits, you should share that with your clients, customers and employees. People like to buy goods and services from companies they respect, so let them know you are making a green difference.

Recycling, safer chemicals, reduced emissions, less fuel, carbon foot-printing…you may be participating in all those and more. If you print brochures on recycled paper or sell products produced from recycled waste, let people know. When you use biodegradable products, say so. And if you are a green enthusiast, definitely share your knowledge and your business’ participation in good environmental stewardship. You not only get credit for being a green citizen, you spread the word.

Going green can help grow your business!

Most business leaders and entrepreneurs want immediate results from their marketing: quick response and instant solutions. So do we. Problem is that planning, research and strategic execution take a bit of time. Based on our experience, here are a few of the things that can help you make sound decisions about your marketing.

• Know your company goals and objectives
• Understand your brand
• Research your customers’ wants, needs and trigger points
• Budget marketing dollars and know your anticipated ROI
• Create a marketing strategy to reach you customers, project your brand and reach your goals
• Build a tactical, multi-channel marketing plan
• Design compelling creative
• Develop methods for evaluating results
• Review results against your business goals
• Course correct and repeat

That’s it! May sound overwhelming but it really isn’t. Stay focused on what you do best, let others do the same and never lose site of your customer. Now that’s a winning plan.

Does your business have a website? Bet you use email to communicate with clients and customers. Maybe you’re delivering, or at least considering, an eletter. Driving any sales through ecommerce? Congratulations, you are part of the amazing world of interactive marketing. Here’s the question you need to ask yourself: Am I using interactive marketing to the fullest? When reviewing a client’s emarketing we evaluate effectiveness based on several criteria.

Website
More than just an online brochure, your website needs to connect with viewers by offering viewers what they want, when they want it…and maybe a little something special. That doesn’t mean lots of flash animation or irritating noises. It does mean offering viewers the information, content and resources that help them connect to your business and the services or products you provide.

Search Marketing
There is lots of interest in SEO and how to improve search placement for your site. Paid search is great if you need a broader web presence and if you have a 4 digit monthly budget for search. For smaller businesses that need more local search results, there are cost effective alternatives. Web rich content, metatags and newness on your site are important; placement on other sites can work, too, as long as the reciprocal site generates activity. Increasing the opportunity for customers to find you online can be done without paid search. All it takes is time, effort and planning.

Emarketing
A huge and virtually untapped opportunity for most small and mid-size businesses, emarketing can be an effective communication and sales tool. A valid permission based eletter can connect with subscribers, offer great information, improve client retention and loyalty, drive business results and entertain, all at the same time! Email marketing growth is expected to triple in the next five years.

Email
If you haven’t setup a personalized signature file for all you business emails, do it now. It’s free, included with every email provider, and takes just a few minutes to setup. Every email you send will carry with it your name, company, phone numbers, addresses and whatever tagline or slogan that supports your brand.

According to a recent survey conducted by comScore, we love to read reviews, and not just for movies or books or theater. What other folks say about service providers via online reviews submitted by patrons, not professionals, impacts our buying behavior, too. I admit that I have been known to read those comments and reviews but I didn’t realize how significant they are in the decision process.

At the high end, 87% of those surveyed said they use online reviews when selecting a hotel and 79% read restaurant reviews from patrons before trying a new place. The categories for service providers include travel, automotive, medical and legal, all with above 75% consumers saying they read and were influenced by online review. In fact, 41% of those surveyed said they would spend 20% more to go to an Excellent or 5-star rated restaurant rather than one with an Average or even Good rating. We all share information with friends and peers about what to try, where to go, who has the best prices…in our business it’s called Word of Mouth marketing. Online reviewing of service providers sends WOM into another realm: I don’t need friends when I have an online community in every city that can tell me what’s hot and what’s not.

Go to any search engine and type in the subject and a city, like “hair salon reviews columbus ohio” and you’ll get several sites that offer the opportunity to rate and review businesses. If you are a service provider, you might want to spend a little time checking out your own reputation. Maybe even encourage satisfied customers to rate your service. There is no editing on these sites so you do run the risk of nasty reviews being posted but it’s the balance you’re looking for. Dissatisfied customers will always find a way to vent; you want to be sure your very satisfied customers take advantage of the same opportunity.