The Dating Game

IN THIS ISSUE

1.   The Dating Game
2.   Spring Subscriber Contest
3.   Mailbag Ideas
4.   Brainy Challenge
5.   Quote of the Week
6.   Marketing & Networking Opportunities
7.   Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
8.   A Little Fun
9 . Smell the Coffee

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1.   The Dating Game

When you're at a party, did you ever notice that a crowd gathers around Georgio, the guy who can really tell a great story? And you gravitate over there, too, don't you? Sure, you're like a moth to a flame. He speaks. Everyone laughs. And you fly right over there.

Georgio's charming, witty, funny. He smiles and jokes. You might even date him for awhile, but pretty soon you realize that nobody else gets to talk. So you begin to look around. One night while Georgio is entertaining the masses, you notice a guy sitting by himself on the couch and you wander over to see what he's like.

You introduce yourself and he tells you his name is Don. Pretty soon you discover this guy is amazing. He can hold up his part of the conversation without monopolizing the discussion. It's loads of fun talking with him. He gets under your skin.

So you dump Georgio and invite Don out for a cup of coffee. You find you have tons of things in common and can really help each other succeed. And very early in the relationship you begin to think, "I'm keeping this guy!"

That's when the process of winning him over really begins.

You send him a sweet card, invite him to dinner, and take him to an art show. You do a little research and find out he really likes the Green Bay Packers so you use your network to get tickets to a game and you invite him to join you. You wear your prettiest dress when he takes you to the play. You kiss him a little and then a lot.

And you can see it's working. So you start to relax...why work so hard when he's already interested? No more cards or love letters. "Let's just go to dinner and a movie" becomes your standard response.

And then one Saturday night, he has other plans. You didn't see it coming, but he's gone...never to return.

I'd venture to say that everyone who has ever dated anyone for a lengthy period of time has been through this scenario at least once. You probably learned something the first time it happened when you were dating, but can you use this experience to help you in business?

Of course. Sales and customer service are a lot like dating. When you're looking for the new client, it's good to be choosy. That is, you find a target niche and research it. If it's the right one, you pursue it. If not, you do more research and investigate.

Then you try to get your prospect's attention and make the sale. You might send him an email or a short note, forward an article he'll find interesting, call him on the telephone to get a face-to-face appointment.

Did you know it now generally takes nine contacts with someone to make an impression? So, don't be discouraged. Just treat your prospect like a date. Keep finding ways to interest him.

And once you are hired by your new client, be sure to not only provide excellent products and service, but continue to keep in touch. Keep those ideas flowing. Make sure your client is happy and satisfied with your work and products. How do you find this out?

Ask him! Just like I ask my husband, Don, who I dated for seven years before I married him almost two years ago. (That's right. I didn't really lose him. He saw the light and stuck it out.) "How are things going for you? Are you happy with this relationship? What can we do to improve it?"


If you could use 52 ways to win at the game of sales, start with lesson number one in 52 READY-TO-GO SALES MEETINGS, by Jim Wilson and me. You can read more about it or download it and be reading it in just minutes by clicking on the link.


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2. BRAINY Contest: Springtime Subscriber

You only have a little over a week to win our Springtime Subscriber Contest. Read more about it here.


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3. Mailbag Ideas

I received both positive and negative comments from readers regarding last week's change in format. And then there were a few who didn't notice the change, even when I pointed it out to them and they looked for it. ;-)

Thank you to everyone who sent me ideas. Here are some:

Vicky Lekovish said, "I like the new format better."

Meredith Hamilton of Expert Communications was very helpful. She let me know that many of my links initially weren't working. Meredith also said that she preferred the old format because she could print out the entire newsletter and read it in bed at night.

(Hmmm. I was hoping my words of wisdom would be a little more stimulating! But I do understand because I do the same thing with newsletters I receive.)

Joan Stewart at The Publicity Hound thought the typeface on the website was too large.

Here's what Dick Cook at Norfolk Wholesale Floral said: "The newsletter is very long. The narrow columns are a pain. You provide so much information in the header and footer and along the way, extending the stuff that has to be dug thru. So many subjects wears down a reader quickly. But, hey, that's just me. I prefer direct and to the point. This is email, not The Wall Street Journal."

As a result of this feedback, I've decided to offer the newsletter as a complete text newsletter as well as an online version.

For those of you who like to read it online in color with a bit of formatting and the opportunity to immediately click from the table of contents to any of the articles you find interesting, you'll find the link to the online version right at the top of each issue. Others who like to read the entire issue in email or who like to print it out and read it later can read it their way, too.

I've also cut out some of the stuff at the beginning and end. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to figure out how to send it without formatting, so that one may have to wait. See what y'all think.

Let me know how you like it this week, okay?


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4. Brainy Challenge

As Shel Horowitz of Frugal Fun pointed out a couple of issues ago, companies like restaurants that haven't traditionally used websites to sell directly are finding new ways to use websites to improve sales. Shel suggested online reservations, take-out ordering, express service, merchandise sales, partnering with other businesses, maintaining customer profiles, advertising special offers and using coupons and loyalty discounts.

Surprisingly, no one responded. Either Shel's ideas were so complete you had nothing to add or you were too busy to answer, so here are my ideas:

• Develop an online and email newsletter to send to an opt-in list of customers. The newsletter can include special offers only good for current customers, recipes that call for using the restaurant's special sauces and products, new offerings, profiles of customers and employees, testimonials from customers, and much more. Subscription management would be handled through the website.
  
  

• Start a Dining Club to pair up people who traditionally eat alone but who would love to meet and dine with some of the other customers.
  
  

• Offer the opportunity to reserve and plan special parties (holidays, bridal showers, business meetings, etc.) through the website, saving face-to-face meeting time. Offer "Cooking Lessons with the Chef" several times a year, for a fee. Customers would sign up on the website.
  
  

• Give virtual tours of the restaurant, complete with audio and video, mentioning the history, famous visitors, special techniques and offerings. Anyone who takes the virtual tour would be sent a free coffee mug and a coupon for 10 percent off their next online purchase or restaurant meal.
  
  

• Create a calendar of events for the restaurant and add it to the website. It could include entertainment offered, special tours, discounts available for certain days, special parties, menus, and so on. It could also include local happenings outside of the restaurant as a special service to customers, making this calendar the listing for fun activities in the community.
  
  

• And of course, employment opportunities with the restaurant could be added to a special section of the website so that potential employees could submit their application online.
  
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  5. Quote of the Week
  
  "I know I am successful by how much time I spend with my daughter - guilt free!"
  
  Debra Dowdell
  Power Your Practice
  
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  AND NOW, A MESSAGE FROM OUR SPONSORS...
  
  
  What's your definition of success? Email your comments to me.
  
  
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  6. Marketing & Networking Opportunities

• May 21-23, Small Biz Marketing Summit, Costa Mesa, CA
  
  In a first-ever, 3-day, content-packed marketing seminar created just for service professionals, 9 experts, including Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound, and Alexandria Brown, the Ezine Queen, will expose real-life strategies to build a client attraction system that causes prospects to seek you out. If you own a small business and need more clients, sign up now for this action-packed seminar: Small Biz Marketing Summit. Sign up for the seminar on or before May 3 and save $200. Read more about it and sign up here.
  
  

• June 20, NEXPO, Washington, DC
  
  Are you an "Ad Agency Innovator"? Two speakers are needed to participate on a panel on Sunday, June 20, at NEXPO in Washington, DC. If you are an online ad buyer who is very innovative and savvy about the technology of the Web and/or email, this publishing technology show may be for you. More info on NEXPO is available here or contact Melinda Gipson.
  
  

• June 21, NAA Retail Advertising Forum, Washington, DC
  
  "Building Better Partnerships For Profit and Long Term Success" seminar. Panel speakers are needed for the retail panel on interactive advertising. If you are a retailer, or perhaps represent a company that integrates your products with retail sales channels online; if you've done something great that you're willing to share or even if you have a solid strategy you'd like to discuss and have ideas for how online publishers could help, contact Melinda Gipson at mailto:gipsm@naa.org . Learn more here.
  
  
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7. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers

Thanks to Alice Marshall for this info:

Do you want to know if an organization has been listed as a spammer? Anti-Spam organizations maintain such lists and Internet service providers subscribe to them. You can check here:

http://www.spamhaus.org/sbl/
http://www.spamhaus.org/rokso/

Thanks to Don Crawford at Shickel Corp. for this resource:

Looking for articles on Internet marketing? Wilson Web offers lots of resources.

Are you wondering what your keyword density is on your webpage? Check it out with the Keyword Counter.

Thanks to Marcia Yudkin for this resource.

Here's an extensive list of computer and Internet magazines that you may want to add to your PR distribution list.

Do you like these resources? There are plenty more like these in my ebook, BUSINESS SUCCESS SECRETS: HARD-WORKING TACTICS & RESOURCES. Read more about it or order it here.

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8. A Little Fun - Best Headlines of 2003

Thanks to Joan Stewart at The Publicity Hound for these funny, but REAL headlines:

• Astronauts’ wives thrilled with re-entry

• GOP freshmen turn on Gingrich

• Marshals seize breast implants

• Marijuana issue sent to a joint committee

• Outdoorsman caught in trap while urinating

• Chicago checking on elderly in heat

• Parking lot floods when man bursts
  

Help keep the smiles coming...please send me your marketing, PR or sales jokes. I'll be happy to give you credit and list your website! Email me.


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9. Smell the Coffee...

My niece Roni got her driver's permit yesterday. She's ecstatic. We're apprehensive. Luckily, in Virginia besides taking behind-the-wheel training at school, the young driver has to complete 40 hours of certified driving practice with a parent over the course of not less than nine months before they can take their driver's test. That means that she will turn 16 in September, but she can't take her test until at least January 19th. And after she passes the road test, she and I have to go to court to have the judge issue the license. It's a very solemn occasion.

Wish us all safe driving!


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MORE PRODUCTS

I encourage you to look around our Marketing Idea Shop website for lots more information. Plus, you'll find a lovely picture of me on the home page! There are free articles, past copies of Brainy Tidbits, resources, ebooks and special reports. Remember, we are constantly adding brainy ideas and information to the site for you.


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THE FINE PRINT

© 2004 Marketing Idea Shop. All rights reserved.
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ISSN 1545-035X


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Reprinted from "MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY Tidbits," a FREE ezine from Marketing Idea Shop and Lois Carter Fay featuring brainy ideas and resources for marketers and small businesses. Subscribe today at http://www.marketingideashop.com and receive FREE by email "67 Ways to Promote Your Business."


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Published by:
Lois Carter Fay, APR
Marketing Strategist, Marketing Idea Shop
411 Rainier Road, Massanutten, VA USA 22840
Voice 540.289.3840 or 800.203.8660
lcf@marketingideashop.com
http://www.marketingideashop.com

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