Know-How Exchange : Strategy

Just to help me get the feel - how many in attendance - what time of the day - what' s the environment - are they having fun and enjoying themselves and mixing in golf, etc. Or is this a white tie and tails event? Big hall, small conference room, are you getting paid or are you expected to do this gratis? Are you a "break out" or are you a general session? Is this industry specific (toilet plunger salesmen? Rodeo Clowns?) or an amalgamation of different businesses represented (Chamber, business and industry group).

As you know, it's nice to have some more groundwork before we delve into the challenge.

Onward and upward!
CVN

How about selling in the R-word? Marginal employees and companies are already blaming their lack of activity on it. My customers are pretty much in two groups-- one convinced of the doom and gloom-- creating a self fulfulling prophacy-- and the 2nd, who just don't have time for it-- they're too busy out there selling something.

I'll email you privately my latest newsletter with that topic on the front page (its not on the web yet). Jay Levinson, the founder of Guerrilla Marketing is doing a coaching session on it too-- I can forward emails hyping the program. I think a lot of what his session is about isn't relevant for your group--but still some good content worth plagiarizing.

There are also a lot of articles on "going green"-- the ROI for a company. Vistage did a very good take on this in their March newsletter. I have read all of the books mentioned. Triple Bottom Line is one of the better ones. You can google it or I can forward that also

Carol
Sell Well and Prosper tm

Hi Randall,

Although not known for my creative writing, my suggestions are Marketing Myths Revealed or Marketing Myths - Fact or Fiction.

This would then let you tailor the myths that your audience may believe and you can then tell them the facts and highlight your company's expertise. You can also make it a bit humorous with some of the weird marketing myths that are around.

Susan
M4B

Catchy could also mean provocative, as in taking a strong contrary position. For example, "Why Marketing Doesn't Work", "Your Marketing Is Probably Wrong", "Marketing Without Hype", or even "I Also Hate Marketing".

The point of the title is to begin the dialog with the attendees before you even take the stage. You want people to anticipate you being full of "it", or being nuts, or being argumentative, etc. Instead, you're going to tell them why your approach to marketing is so much better than theirs, loaded with your years of expertise, that they'll go back to their team and realize that they have a lot to learn...from you.

I should have known you'd be experiencing steady growth-- with so much of the economy based on oil! Just as Wyoming -- a state so cash rich right now the state is funding their residents college education.

How about delving into the Strativity Survey about customer experience? https://www.strativitygroup.com/index.php?page=research2

As far as green-- if you did go there you would have to address the greenwash. Everything is LCA (life cycle analysis) to help sift thru it. I did my thesis on green marketing and greenwash-- and have a ton of book, web and article references-- and info on companies walking their talk.

If you want to take credit you got it. I wrote this one a while back to give my sales staff an idea of how to really get their audiences attention when presenting to brokers.

It was a time sensitive presentation so you'll need to just take ideas from it.

Today throughout time has been a historical goldmine…

June 7th 1905 The Norwegian parliament decides to separate from Sweden

June 7th 1942 the battle of Midway ends with a victory for the United States over the Japanese

On a lighter note: The first issue of the Superman comic was published that day.

June 7th 1966 California nominates former actor Ronald Reagan as their candidate for their governorship

June 7th 1967 during the six day war Israeli troops reached the banks of the Suez Canal

And on June 7th Both Anna Kournikova and Prince were born.

In honor of that I guess we should have someone sing purple rain for us while juggling tennis balls…. Do I have any volunteers?

Now seriously on June 7th 2007 the director of marketing at platinum mortgage will go down in history for telling you why using platinum mortgage can be detrimental to your current way of doing business. So throw you misconceptions out the door and get ready learn all of Platinum’s darkest secrets.

First … With our bond program’s rates are too low. Your clients will never believe you if you tell them that by going to Platinum they may qualify for 5.5% fixed financing. And, as we all know the most important part of sales is gaining your client’s trust.

Second … were too quick at closings loans. How horrible will it make you feel if you close that deal so quickly that your client never had a chance to get cold feet? So see our in-house underwriting, great relationship with AHFA, closing attendance, and underwriting as well as employee dedication to staying until the job is finished … not till five. Will mean absolutely nothing because even though your client has the house they want with a rate better than a dream – they will be overwhelmed and may demonstrate their emotions in a negative fashion. Sort of like that 5 year old boy who tells you he loves you by kicking.

Third … 103% financing on that amazing 5.5% rate. See that sounds like a good thing, but here’s the kicker. What if the word gets out that you assisted a client in getting that deal. People will be beating down your door to get the same deal, and I don’t think anyone in here has an office large enough to fit 50 clients in it at the same time.

In conclusion, for adequate office space, reasonably high rates, and average closing speed. Go elsewhere because Platinum’s rates are too low, they close loans too quickly, and their programs are too amazing.

So, now that you know why you shouldn’t use Platinum the only thing left to do is ask for your business to allow me provide … to you … all those amazing problems. I’m going to stick around until the end of your meeting where I would like to discuss your deals with you, and engage the first deal as the cornerstone of our successful, prosperous, and exciting new business relationship.

I'd go with something close to home. What's your company good at? What are the trends that you see for your customers in the next 4-5 years. So if you're in the financial industry, what are the markets likely to do, where are the next new products/ideas coming from. If you're in technology, how will technology transform something in the next 2-3 years. In manufacturing, then something on changes in manufacturing such as outsourcing, recycling, automation etc.

The closer to home it is the easier it is to be enthusiastic about the topic and appear knowledgeable and interested and to ad lib off the speech and answer questions afterwards. You aren't an actor (I assume), so the more of your ideas, interests and personality in the speech the better it will come across.

I keep finding myself going back to Branding - think about the Texas Longhorns (no pun intended) - have some fun with it - make them short horns or Guernseys - show how much branding has become a part of who they are. What if Mickey Mouse would have been a muskrat, or sloth or anteater. Look at Apple, McDonalds, Burger King, others. Think about brands that don't/didn't work. Every single ceo or upper management type hopefully is brand conscious. But that doesn't make them savvy (and it makes you look even more brilliant!).

Lots of other great ideas!

CVN