What Is The Value Of Free?

What Is The Value Of Free?

by | Mar 10, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

One Small but Powerful Word

…but wait, if you call now, you’ll receive a second set of (fill in the blank)  absolutely FREE!  Buy two – Get one FREE!  Free Delivery – Free Interest. Free this – Free that!

There’s a reason some of the top advertising copywriters in the world lean on the word FREE… It Works!

One of the “prime” reasons Amazon and all online shopping has become so popular so quickly is in large part due to two words, “FREE DELIVERY”.  But the appeal of “free” extends far beyond online marketing.  Free is a powerful and compelling purchase motivator in virtually every business category.

In his book, Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely tested the word “free” with candy, specifically, Lindt’s Truffle and Hersey’s Kiss.  When the Lindt Truffle was priced at 15 cents and the Hersey’s Kiss priced at 1 cent, 73% of participants choose the Lindt Truffle. When a different group was offered the same products each for a penny less, Lindt at 14 cents and Hersey’s for free, 69% chose the Hersey’s Kiss.

But using the word FREE comes with caution; using it too much or without a compelling offer can lead to the risk of customers being suspicious.

In my 23 Free Strategies to Increase Sales, one of the strategies is to offer a free “buyer’s guide” online or at your location. Consumers today are hungry for knowledge and want to reassure themselves they’ve made the best possible buying decision based upon that knowledge. This tactic can attract new prospects and guide them to prefer the features of the products you sell.

Have you considered what free strategies you might employ to increase your sales?

One of my advertising partners, Anthony Realtors offers a Free 151 step buying guide. When I first saw this offer on their web page, I thought it was a typo, but it wasn’t.  I never realized that there are so many steps to successfully marketing a home.  This buying guide also acted as a measuring stick, a point of comparison because most realtors don’t do most of the 151 items on this list.

To receive a FREE copy of the 23 Free Strategies you can use to increase your sales at little or no cost to you, click here! 

I also have another free offer for you.  Nearly every week, I have an email newsletter with tips like what you just read that is delivered to your inbox Wednesday mornings.  You can add yourself to the mailing list by filling out the form below, for Sound ADvice.

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Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Business Success

Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Business Success

by | Mar 3, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Big Returns on Little Things

In today’s business economy you need referrals and repeat business more than ever! Nothing impacts the way your customers feel about your business more than the way you and your people treat them.

Ensuring that your people create a positive customer experience every time is no easy matter, and often it’s the “little things” that delight or annoy your customers.

 Google the name Bruce Barton, and you’ll find he was an author, congressman, and founder of Betty Crocker, and he is credited with saying, “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.”

It’s oftentimes the little things that proved the biggest rewards!

People, not businesses, nor products, create the customer experience, and it’s that experience that will dictate your referral and repeat rates.

Little Thing #10 from our 10 Little Things for Big Paybacks is, Everything Rolls Downhill. The way you treat your staff is the way they will treat their jobs and your customers! Respecting your staff also reduces absenteeism and internal theft rates. To create a culture where your employees are more apt to do the little things makes the job fun. Celebrate successes, have staff-only events and offer employee pricing to them and their families.

Our company recently partnered with our outside consultant on a program to Up Our Culture.  What do you and your company do to create a positive environment for both your team and your customers?

If you need some ideas take a look at this list of 10 Little Things For Big Paybacks, click here.

And if you would like more Sound ADvice for your business like this, fill out the form below.

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Make It Personal

Make It Personal

by | Feb 18, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

“To Know You Is To…”

Most people can finish this statement, “To know you is to… LOVE You”!

In life, that statement may or may not always be true. However, in business, it is a prerequisite when trying to attract new customers, especially in today’s new media world. Subconsciously, people tend to do business with people they know.  It’s difficult for humans to buy from a stranger.  Not impossible, but more difficult.  Of course, this depends upon what type of product or service you are selling.

Ask yourself, would you rather purchase a vehicle from someone you are familiar with or a stranger?  Would you prefer to retain the services of an attorney with a well-known reputation or one you have never heard of?  Lastly, would you be more comfortable inviting a plumber into your home that you know, or have a stranger come to your home to repair your plumbing?

The truth is, most consumers need to understand who you are, what you stand for, and what your company’s reputation is before they’ll even CONSIDER doing business with you. This is even true when simply doing research or shopping online. In fact, research shows that people are far more apt to click on a business name they are familiar with. (Search Engine Journal; Nearly 70% of U.S. consumers said they look for a “known retailer” when deciding what search results to click on.)

My favorite used car guy sold his business. Actually shut it down and sold his lot.  I used to tell others about Dale and how my wife and I bought at least 6 cars from him.  We trusted him. One day, I asked Dale, “what car do you drive?” and a few days later I bought his personal car.  SInce he’s no longer in business, I’ve had to use a different method of buying cars and it still involves trust.  The last two cars and my next one are from dealerships I trust.  I actually have walked away from certain cars that cost less because I was weary of the dealership. This trust factor works with individual business people and with bigger businesses.  These dealerships are ones that put themselves out in the public eye with advertising and community involvement.

The trick is, how do you get people to know you before they need you?

More often than not, a series of consistent “soft steps” make that final hard step much easier. The familiarity and comfort you can build by being heard through a number of soft steps can dramatically improve your advertising results and closing ratios.

Tip #1 is… Stand for Something.  Knowing who you are is absolutely important, but it’s not enough.  Knowing what you stand for and what sets you apart from your competitors can and often times is the tiebreaker.

To see all Twelve Soft Tips to A Hard Sell, click here and contact me to see about how I can help set you apart and help make people understand that “To Know You Is to Love You!”

If you would like more Media and Marketing tips like this, Subscribe to my free Sound ADvice email newsletter that will land in you inbox most Wednesday mornings.  Just fill out the info in the box below.

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Do They Love You?

Do They Love You?

by | Feb 11, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

We all want to be loved and this Valentines Day week, I am sharing some info on how you and your brand or business can be loved.

It starts with trust.

Last month, MarketingCharts.com shared a report on The Building Blocks of Consumer Trust in Brands and there are a few take-aways that you can apply to your business.

According to this survey from December,  two thirds of American consumers rank the following as very important when dealing with or selecting a company or product to spend money with:

  • Make Products That Work As Advertised
  • Make Products That Are Safe
  • Consistently Deliver What They Promise
  • Provide Refunds If Products Don’t Work
  • Treat Customers Well
  • Provide Good Customer Service

Over half those surveyed also want you to:

  • Make High Quality Products
  • Treat Employees Well
  • Do Not Hide Important Information In The Fine Print
  • Pay The Taxes You Owe

By the way, the top item on the survey that American consumers want from companies is something that 10 years ago wasn’t on anyone’s list.

Do you know what it is?

71% of us want a company to Protect Our Personal Data in order for us to trust them.  I think this has become important due to the frequent and ongoing data breeches that are regularly reported in the news.  Unfortunately, there is not much we can do about that one.

But the rest of the items on the list, you do have the power to control.  It’s the golden rule concept of treating others the way you would want to be treated.

Most of us don’t need a survey or study to know this, but it is important to remember this is important for you and your company or brand.  Notice that we don’t expect perfection, but when a mistake is made, we expect it to be fixed.

What I found missing from that list was low prices or fast service.  Those items are not as important to business success as being honest.

We Americans want to spend out money with people and products we trust and now you know what you can do to build that trust.

Nearly every week, I have a Sound ADvice email newsletter that you can receive Wednesday mornings by filling out the form below for more business tips.

Questions, Answers, thoughts of any kind are welcome, just contact me.

 

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Brand Health Check-Up

Brand Health Check-Up

by | Jan 7, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Brand Health Check-Up

When you own and operate a business and you live and breath it, often, it’s difficult to see when things change.  As they say, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees.

When is the last time you had a Brand Health Check-Up?

Only politicians can succeed without delivering on their promises, and only weather forecasters can make mistakes every day and still keep their jobs.

Unfortunately, you are neither, so you have to build your business and your brand by delivering on every promise and accurately forecasting how your customers prefer to be served and sold.

Some business owners mistakenly think that a brand is built simply around their business name, location, industry, employees and their paid marketing. But your brand is the sum of everything your customers and prospects hear, see, feel, and experience when they do business with you.

Your brand is who you are, what you do, and how you do it!  Reputation management is an on-going, continual task, and regular check-ups are necessary.

Brands are the sum of the impressions you create at every customer touchpoint; from your advertising to the way you answer your phone, the cleanliness of your buildings, vehicles, and bathrooms, your warranty and return policies, to the way you empower your staff to resolve customer conflicts.

Does your business need a health check? Do you have a clearly defined mission and is it evident at every customer touchpoint?

Click here for a free Brand Health Check to ensure that you are walking the talk. And reach out to me to set up a time for a more in-depth evaluation.  We’ll go through the checklist as a starter and dig deeper into the specifics that pertain to your business operation.  It’s one of my favorite things to do to help people and their businesses become more successful. 

Send me an email to Scott@WOWO.com and you can also subscribe to my weekly Sound ADvice Marketing Tips newsletter that is free to you and will arrive in your email inbox every Wednesday morning.  Just fill out the box below.

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