Tips for rolling out a promotion that not only excites participants, but also delivers a good ROI

The process of creating and implementing a customer or salesperson incentive program can seem overwhelming a times. With limited resources, short time lines and high expectations for ROI, we can understand why companies continue to offer the same promotion over and over.

By breaking the process into three distinct parts, you and your administrative team might find that the idea of creating a new promotion is more manageable then it first looks.

Program Development:

v Determine what your objectives are – Why have you decided to do a promotion? What are you hoping to accomplish from it? What are the measurable results you are looking to achieve from your promotion?

v Determine an appropriate reward that will spark the participant’s interest while supporting the program’s objectives.

v Develop rules and guidelines for participants – Ensure that you are very clear about what a participant needs to do to receive the reward.

v Establish a clear communication plan for spreading the word about your promotion – will you post details on your website, through direct mail, point of purchase displays?

Program Operation:

v Launch program enrollment (if necessary for promotion) via secure website or submitted enrollment form.

v Administration of claims processing – review supporting documents and claim forms submitted by participants to determine eligibility. What other data will need to be reviewed?

v Fulfillment of incentives – Create a process for incentive fulfillment. Will payment be made directly to customers via check or debit card, credit to dealer parts/co-op accounts, etc. How often will payments be made – weekly, monthly? Don’t forget about 1099 processing if you mail a check directly to your customers.

v Ensure that you have a way for participants to contact your team with questions regarding the status of their claim – dedicated phone line, an email address or website.

Back-end Reporting:

v Determine the success of the promotion by tracking response rates by location and/or product purchased, % of increase in sales based on offer, etc.

v Ensure that your reporting helps measure the goals and objectives you to set during the program development phase.

v Determine who internally need access to reports – will they be available via on a company intranet or provided at weekly staff meetings.

v Reporting should be done through out a promotion to gauge how well it is going or to determine if extra action needs to be taken to increase the response rates or participation.

With successful preplanning, your team will be able to reap the rewards of a new and exciting promotion that promotes interest in your company/product as well as increases your bottom line.

SECRETS of Social Media Marketing and Data Analysis

The age of social media is upon us! In case you haven’t noticed, consumers are becoming more and more powerful and it’s all thanks to social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp! and many, many more. Never has it been more crucial to know who your target audience is and to understand them. LUR’em Marketing and MacKenzie Corporation are bringing you a comprehensive workshop demonstrating how to use social media to grow your business, know your customers, and measure and interpret your efforts.

You are invited to our LUNCH, LEARN & NETWORKING event on March 11th, 2010 12PM-3PM.

HOSTED by: Mackenzie Corporation & LUR’em Marketing

Date: Thursday, March 11, 2010
Time: 12:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Bluewater Grill
Street: 2409 Park Ave
City/Town: Tustin, CA

Web site: http://www.luremmarketing.com/ & http://www.mackenziecorp.com/

If you happen to be in the area, feel free to stop by and join us! Hope to see you there!

Tips for Sticking with your New Year's Goals

The thing that I love about the New Year is it gives you an opportunity to refocus on your business and come up with clear goals for the year. Setting goals is just the first step though. The second step of following through with these goals is what causes many companies to fail. Just think of all those New Year’s Resolutions that don’t make it into February.

One tip that we can provide is to look at your desired end result and work backwards to see what smaller steps will get you there. This makes the process a bit more manageable and gives you a road map to accomplish your goals.

One of the top priorities for many businesses is to increase sales thus increasing revenues which will ultimately make businesses more stable. Below is a quick example of working backwards to make this goal a reality:

Increase Sales
Increase customer loyalty and referrals from customers
When customers are happy they continue to purchase from you and they are often more then happy to tell a friend – or their Facebook community – about your great company. This ultimately spreads the word about your product and/or service which will lead to increased sales.
Uncover areas of concern for customers in order to fix them
Remember it’s not about the fact that you ask customers about their experience, it about what you do with their feedback. Use this valuable information to enhance your customers’ experience with your brand.
Establish an Easy to use Customer Feedback program
A CSI program will help you understand, from a customer’s point of view how their purchasing experience was. You need to ensure that you ask questions that are actionable and relevant to the buying process. Let your customers help you increase your sales – they are your most valuable asset.


This is just one example and avenue for increasing sales. Why not use the same goal of increasing sales, but start off with a first step of increasing exposure. What smaller steps can you come up with to accomplish this?

Remember with each strategic goal you have set for this year to not get discouraged because it seems so hard to achieve. As with many things in business, there are smaller steps that you can more easily accomplish that done together will help you ultimately reach your end goal.

2010 Census - And Why It Should Matter to You?

The 2010 census is about to kick off – so what does that mean for you and your business?

First off, there are going to be major changes in this year’s census. The U.S. Census Bureau is going with the less is more approach these days. The form will include 10 simple questions, making is even easier for every resident to complete the form and mail in.

According to the US Census Bureau (http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php) we each gain so much by completing this simple survey: “When you do the math, it's easy to see what an accurate count of residents can do for your community. Better infrastructure. More services. A brighter tomorrow for everyone. In fact, the information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like:

Hospitals

Job training centers

Schools

Senior centers

Bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects

Emergency services"

Over the next year there will be a lot of emphasis on the 2010 census and the importance of gaining responses from across the entire US. What we can't loose site of as businesses is that accurate census data impacts not only individuals in the U.S. but us as well. This data enables us to:

Better understand the customers of today

Ensure proper messaging is being used to reach your customers

Gauge the competition, track market share and ultimately achieve a competitive advantage

Make better business decisions in terms of site selection, location of vendors as well as defining markets

Compare locations and industries for potential investment opportunities
Define sales territories

Even though the results will not be released until Spring of 2011, you should already be thinking about how you can benefit from this updated consumer information. The fact is that Census data affects our every day lives by creating stronger communities for us as both individuals as well as business people.

Understanding Your Customer Experience Might be the Most Important Thing You Do This Year!

As we move into 2010 there does not seem to be any signs of slow down with the amount of Customer Information available. If you have not already, now is the time to step back and evaluate all the information available on your customers and more importantly what you are doing with it.

Types of Information:

• Purchase history
• Call Center Information
• Survey Results
• Customer Generated Content (blogs, reviews, etc.)

The struggle for many companies these days is to channel all this valuable information so that it can be put into a usable format. This year, we challenge you to take the time to better understand your customers. Give us a call if you are looking for a place to start.

Out with the Old, In with the New

Last year, we ran the article below in the Irvine Chambers Business Connections and felt that the message was relevant enough to share again. ...............................................................................

Nine important “Old” things to remember when communicating with your customers in the “New” year

We live in a “been there, done that” era; a time when everything has already been done (again and again) and new ideas are difficult to generate especially when it comes to following up with your customers.

Here’s a new idea: why not perfect the old by reinstating the fundamentals that we already know so well yet often forget?

1. Customers want to feel appreciated – A simple Thank You goes a long way.

2. We all need a little reminder now and again – Reminding your customers about their next service needs or their next appointment with you lets them know that you have their best interests in mind.

3. It’s easier to justify money spent when you can use a coupon - Extra money for luxuries is hard to come by these days. Make it easier for your customers to splurge on themselves and they will remember you when their accounts get bigger.

4. A sense of community makes you feel you belong – Help customers feel more connected to your store/product by creating an environment where they feel they belong to a whole community of people who enjoy the same products. Host open houses to encourage customers to stop by share stories of how they use your products.

5. Customers want to be heard – By giving your customers an opportunity to share their experience with you shows them that you value them and that your organization will do what it takes to enhance their experience next time.

6. Who doesn’t like to be remembered on their big day – Saying Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary or Congratulations is a simple yet highly effective way to let customers know that your organization pays attention to the details and that each and every customer is important.

7. People want to be the first to know - “Sneak Peeks” on new products, accessory catalogues and updates on new services are all important ways to keep your brand in front of customers’ mind.

8. People hate junk mail – Customers are quick to toss things in the “round file.” Make sure that you clearly understand who your customer is, what messaging works best for them and create your marketing pieces to stand out so your message gets read.

9. Customers want to feel appreciated (it’s so important that it’s worth repeating) – Thank you, Merci, Arigato, Gracias – No matter how you say, just make sure you do and often.

As we move into 2009 remember to perfect the old before you begin your quest for the new; your customers will appreciate it more than you think.

Satisfaction Surveys - A Way to Connect with your Customers

As a business owner, your number one goal should be to open the lines of communication with your customers. By doing this, you not only show your customers that you value them, but you also gain vital feedback necessary to improve your business. Make it your mission to know whether or not your customers are happy and are planning to come back to purchase from you again.

Open communication is a two part process: Ask First, Act Second.

Ask First: Through satisfaction surveys, you are able to ask your customers to identify key purchase drivers, what they liked and/or disliked about their experience with your business and the ever telling question of “Would you recommend?” Questions like these will help to clarify areas of improvement and identify loyalty customer profiles.

Things to consider before you ask:
o Know what your goals and desired outcome are before designing your survey, and then design a survey that achieves these goals with as few questions as possible.
o People’s time is valuable – Provide an explanation to your customers on why you are surveying them (to gauge their purchase/service experience, for input for future product development, etc). Make sure that your survey is easy to follow and easy to respond to (internet options or by return envelope).

Act Second: Turn the results/comments/feedback provided by your most valuable critics (your customers) into action. Create action plans and implement internal improvement procedures that your whole company can follow.

Things to consider before you act:
o Have a plan in place to analyze the results for benchmarking and trend analysis. Create a system for quick reporting that can be used immediately to make better business decisions and drive more sales.
o Putting results into a simple Importance versus Satisfaction chart can go a long way toward keeping an entire team focused on what matters most to your customers.
o Make use of Back End Analysis/Reporting: Create various tiers of reporting geared toward the corporate, departmental, and salesperson levels. Produce customized reports to monitor trends in the results, identify areas of concern and “alerts” when customers are at risk of leaving.
o When a problem area is identified, provide your team with opportunities for improvement - link your results to training opportunities.

Whether you decide to handle your surveys in-house or hire a consulting firm to assist, remember to keep these simple ideas in mind as you work to better understand your customers’ experience. Continued open communication with customers will help keep your company healthy and successful.