THIS ISSUE INCLUDES: •  What's New? •  Going, Going … Gone! •  Resource Referral •  Lessons Learned •  Tips & Tricks •  Community Leaders •  Member Spotlight •  Community Stats •  Your Account Summary •  Special Thanks •  Last Laugh

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WHAT'S NEW?

Dear Askers & Answerers,

It's hard for me to believe there are people out there who find it entertaining to write code to bring down other people's computers. But there are, and it appears we're not immune.

Thanks to SRyan for sounding the alarm. She posted a discussion this morning explaining that she's been receiving emails with virus attachments that appear to be coming from other members of KHE. (The emails are made to look that way, but the KHE member didn't send them.) Please post a comment if you've experienced the same thing. This will help us formulate a response strategy.

It looks like some email addresses may have been harvested from the forum. Allen (publisher), Aaron (programmer) and I are discussing options. We'll implement one or more changes right away. We are focusing on protecting the addresses on your profile pages. Remember, email addresses should NOT be posted in forum responses. (See our Community Guidelines.) Posting them there is risky. And I delete them when I see them, anyway.

In the meantime, what can you do? Here are a few ideas:

• Have a software and/or hardware firewall running whenever you're online
• Be sure to update your virus software frequently
• NEVER open an email attachment you're not expecting to receive (especially if it has a suspicous file extension)
• Scan your computer regularly. If you find a virus, read news about the latest threats on Avast.com or Symantec.com. (But don't read too much, or you'll become paranoid!)
• Switch off your email address on your profile page, if you want to be extra careful
• Be proactive. Read info about reducing risks from sources like TrendMicro.

I'm sorry, everyone, for the nuisance! When you're online, you're vulnerable. But it's the same when you're driving a car. We'll put up some guardrails. You wear your seatbelt. And let's enjoy the ride.

Happy exchanging,

Val Frazee
Moderator, Know-How Exchange
MarketingProfs.com

GOING, GOING, GONE!

Here are KHE's 10 oldest questions. They're likely to close soon. Have an idea to offer? Better do it now!

1. Strategic Sales Training
2. Marketing an Architectural Business
3. Integrated Marketing Communications
4. How to Increase Usability of Siebel Marketing Tool
5. Value Proposition Documents on Healthcare
6. What is the Texas Rangers' Product?
7. Tools to Measure an Advertising Campaign?
8. What is a Business Model?
9. Nokia SWOT
10. Food Donations for Charity

RESOURCE REFERRAL: THE WAYBACK MACHINE

Have you ever wanted to see how a company's Web site has changed over time? Maybe even your own? KHE member Charles Smith (csmith) recommends this handy tool called the Wayback Machine. This free service archives Web sites over time.

So, if you need to find an older version of a Web site, it may be stored here. For example, here is the first version of MarketingProfs it has archived. (MP sure has changed since then!)

Resource: The Wayback Machine

I'm always looking for resources to share with our readers. If you know of one, send me a blurb. I'll send you 250 Question Points.

LESSONS LEARNED: PRINT VS. PDF

A few days ago, new member Hollykm was looking for evidence to support her point that printed collateral is important to the sales process. Here are some excerpts from the discussion. If you're interested in this topic, be sure to click over to read the full text.

• W.M.M.A.: I've had that argument several times in my business life. ... What I have done to solve this issue is I have created interactive CD's that look like business cards, but are electronic brochures. ... The client/prospect will carry it with them and put it into their computer when they are ready to do so. This CD guides them through the plethora of information, and then (click here) they will go to the exact point on the Web site that has the information that your division head wants them to read.


• km2000: Our security customers love the fact that the newsletter is available online and that they receive an email when the new edition is available. It feels "technological" to them & they equate that feeling with a higher level of service & capabilites from our company. On the other hand, our telco customers want a printed newletter. Anything less feels "cold" to them. They equate printed pieces with stability & caring, electronic with "too much like big phone companies" that don't care enough about their customers. So, it is possible that both you & the division head are both right.


• et3dotcom: Crunch the numbers – he may be correct! Is he getting better bottom line results than those divisions who use printed material? Depending on your industry and the connectedness of your customers – he may have a good point. Make HIM prove it to you by duplicating his results at one of your other divisions that is willing to try his method.


• SRyan: Holly, you're both right. You need info that people can access from anywhere, like a PDF on a Web site. ... And you MUST have some shiny, robust brochure-like pieces of info to hand to people you've met to cement the impression, or to send to people you want to meet to start creating an impression. If all you can do is say, "please download it from FlyByNight.com," then you will leave many people unimpressed.


• jillc: We've also had this debate at my office many times, and have chosen to print a few key literature pieces for sales' use. There is a perceived value in receiving a printed item that simply can't be duplicated online. (Although, we're all making valiant efforts in this arena!) While most of our literature is available online, some of it has been printed so that we can be sure to have valuable items left behind at prospect sites and for use in tradeshow booths, etc.


• tjh: 1) Having the brochure in both PDF and print is vital. 2) An emailed or downloaded PDF nearly always gets printed out. And usually on a bad printer at that. Need to control the quality. 3) Like it or not, people like physical things, big things. (Print a large brochure.) 4) They keep interesting brochures in physical files, travel with them to read them later, etc. My experience with electronic documents is that people habitually scan them, not read them.


• telemoxie: A key issue will be where you are in the sales cycle. Once someone is interested in a product, they are more than happy to receive an emailed PDF, or download one from the site. But, when you are trying to create that initial interest, you often need something you can send in the mail. ... Another question you might ask is, "What do your competitors do?" And, "What are your target prospects used to?" If you are calling on companies who use beautiful professionally printed brochures in their own marketing efforts, they may look down on your PDFs. If they use PDFs themselves, it's not as big of a deal.


• mbarber: Your target audience will determine how acceptable it is for a digital-only option. ... Is your target audience one that has grown up with an equal or more access to electronic delivery versus printed? If so, stick with the electronic version. Is your audience one that probably still buys a daily or weekly paper or has grown up with brochures as a means of collecting information to help them make a buying decision? If so then to fail to provide one will cost your company dearly because people will opt-out of engaging with your online brochure.


• mgoodman: A printed piece lends credibility that you can't get with a PDF for many audiences. Even if the printed piece is just a knock-off of the PDF (content-wise), it says that your company is "real" and prepared to make its promises and commitments "tangible" (i.e., in print). Everyone knows you can change a PDF in a few seconds. Given the relatively small cost of a good-looking brochure, it would seem to be a foolish risk to not have the printed version. The bigger your average sale, the more obviously true that is. ... My own experience is that people don't value electronic stuff the way they do hardcopy. Even if they print out the PDF, the likelihood of it being tossed is a lot greater than the likelihood the printed hard copy will be tossed.

The Question: Why Do We Need Printed Pieces?

TIPS & TRICKS: HOW TO APPEAR ON THE MP HOMEPAGE

Some of you have figured this out already, but here's a quick hint to those who haven't. If you're interested in your "15 minutes of fame" on the MarketingProfs homepage, the thing to do is send me a Resource Referral. Take a quick look at the Community Forum secion of the homepage, and you'll see what I mean:

MarketingProfs Homepage

MarketingProfs has more than 120,000 subscribers with a few hundred new folks joining us every day. So far, KHE is promoting one Resource a week, but I expect we'll move to daily updates in the near future. Either way, it's a great way to get a little visibility in the wider MP community - as well as earn 250 Question Points, if I feature it in this newsletter.

To see some samples from the past, scan some of our back issues in the Newsletter Archives.

Have a question? Ask the experts.

Post a brief synopsis below, and invite other members to offer their feedback.

My Question Title

COMMUNITY LEADERS

As of this week, these are our superstars! The Most Inquisitive are those who have asked the most questions. (Where there's a tie, we broke it based on number of points they offered for their questions.) The Most Expert are those with the highest number of Cumulative Points (given to them by question authors for offering helpful answers).

NOTE: These are our top members as of midday October 9, 2004

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: MEET MANU RAJAN

We spin the globe again, from last week's member in the UK to this week's in India. Meet Manu Rajan, the Director of Brand Communications for the fourth largest ad agency in India.

Where are you based?
I am based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in India.

What do you do in real-life?
I work for the Indian partner of DDB Needham. The company name is Mudra Communications, and I work as Director of Brand Communications.

Tell us about your company.
Mudra Communications is the fourth largest advertising agency in India and is partnered with DDB worldwide. We offer integrated marketing communication services in brand communications, one-to-one, digital branding and out-of-home, to name a few.

How did you find KHE?
I had been a member of MarketingProfs.com and came to know about KHE when it was launched.

What kinds of KHE questions do you enjoy most?
Strategy and ROI. I am most comfortable with those. I wouldn't want to guess at my answers since that wouldn't help someone who is seeking an 'expert' comment on his/her problem.

Describe a specific KHE discussion you learned something from.
I enjoyed answering the question about how to increase membership for a church in India. I also enjoyed answering a question on ROI for loyalty programs.

What is your favorite marketing book?
"Being Direct" by Lester Wunderman. It's presented wonderfully. It is his autobiography, and at the same time it describes the evolution of Direct Marketing.

How did you get started in marketing?
I was recruited directly from school by the Indian subsidiary of J. Walter Thomson, and since then I have risen quite fast over the last 6 years.

Did you study marketing in college?
I did my MBA in Marketing.

Do you have a mentor? What has he taught you?
I do have. It's my manager, Mathew Anthony. His clarity of thought has always amazed me - as well as his ability to stay focused singlemindedly on an objective.

What is your next career objective?
I want to become the CEO by the time I turn 40. And I want to write my first book on marketing by 45.

What is the value KHE provides to you personally?
Most of the time I use KHE to validate my thinking. It gives me an opportunity to work on issues I might not face in my work life. I consider the questions to be issues I could face tomorrow, and I try to answer them. It helps to have "ready-made" solutions for lots of work-related challenges.

Do you have any advice for new members of KHE?
Be genuine in your answers.

Do you have a favorite quote you want to share?

• "You either find a way or you make one."
• "When you aim for the stars, you may not quite get one. But you wouldn't come up with a handful of mud either."

Is there anything else you would like to say to the community?
Keep up the good work, and count me in for any of your future initiatives.

COMMUNITY STATS

Active Unique Participants (to date): 2,838
Closed Questions (to date): 3,178
Currently Open Questions: 75
Total Responses (to date): 23,908
Subscribers to this newsletter: 9,952

YOUR ACCOUNT SUMMARY

These numbers come directly from YOUR profile. Question Points tells you how many points you have available for asking questions in the forum. Expert Points indicates your standing in the community based on answers you have posted. Visit this FAQ, if you want to know more.

Question Points: %%PointsBalance%%
Expert Points: %%PointsCum%%

Click here to buy more Question Points

SPECIAL THANKS

Thank you, csmith and Manu Rajan for providing content for this newsletter. And thanks to all the following community members who have emailed or posted suggestions, technical reports or questions in the last week. Your feedback and energy drives this community's development. We couldn't do it without you!

Sweetasman01, Pepper Blue, Peter (henna gaijin), tjh, Michele, mbarber, Vevolution, ASVP/ChrisB, W.M.M.A., mjklanac, calvinmicklefinger, Jett, steverhoades, Sarorn, ozdesign, ajevans, simy, K, jason.koulouras, fkurilla, jose04, dlwong98, johnserr, tschenk, regena, Deepali, shahyogi, lisa, rizsir, glossyp, jbaisch, daniela, Deremiah, *CPE, SRyan, Banker-LP

LAST LAUGH

I like to end with a smile. So this space is dedicated to something amusing I find posted in our forum.

I'm a bit sleep-deprived, so my sense of humor could be off (i.e. everything is funny). But I'm really enjoying the current discussion whitefeud has sparked about creating an ad character that's "lucky in life" vs. "unlucky in life." I love all the character references, but I must say, ASVP/ChrisB's link to the HomeHardware site really made me laugh. Have you visited that homepage? In addition to the talking dogs, you've gotta love the reference to "know how" - "Need some FREE Know How advice. Send an email with your query to Rusty's Mailbox!" Sounds like our sister site, eh?

Open Question: Animated Character

Forum Feedback: The Know-How Exchange is still young. So we're constantly refining how things work. We have a gigantic list of action items, and your feedback helps us prioritize it. So please feel free to reply to this email with any suggestions. Thanks, in advance, for your time!

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