3 tips for those who want to simplify their business and marketing

 E-Commerce shopping cart abandonment rates remain shockingly high with 62% of all potential purchasers abandoning their shopping carts. What’s behind the continued high attrition? Most experts agree that it’s customer confusion and lack of information exacerbated by poor online customer service options. The same is true of web site visitors who give up looking through sites. This is a particular issue for those in our industry who have complex product and service offerings. Making things simple and engaging is the challenge.


Simple does not just happen. With so many options in front of us, everything we do on the web potentially grows more and more complex. That's what makes simple stand out. 


But even being simple is not enough. To be EFFECTIVE and simple requires a lot of thought, a lot of looking and talking and learning. If you want to introduce simplicity into your marketing and business, here's some advice.....

• Understand that simplicity is hard. It takes time to develop and discipline to keep in place. 
• Understand that just simple is not enough. You must be simple and effective. You have to know what is important and what isn't. 
• If you have been doing things for a long time in the same way, you may need someone new, either on your staff, or as a consultant, to help you see things with a new eye. Otherwise, you probably won't make it. 

Simplicity pays off in this complex world. Ask Apple. Ask Google. 


Tom

Logos as Symbols

Fuel Your Creativity is one of the best blogs on design that I read and I read it regularly. It's written by a team of designers and inevitably, the thoughts are clear, well thought out, and simple to grasp and put to work.

They recently did a post on logos as symbols. I find that most clients don't spend much time thinking about logos, but they have the potential to be a powerful tool, a real symbol that evokes your brand value every time they are recognized. This article makes that case graphically, and well.

Tom

Life Lesson #1: Beliefs

Visitors to our Facebook page know that I have been re-reading many of the books that have influenced me over the past couple of decades, books that weren't just interesting, but actually caused a change in the way I see the world and the way I live in it.


I was telling a friend about my re-reading project, and some of the lessons they have in common and some of the things that were unique to each book and he asked me a valuable question: "What," he asked "do you think the first thing we need to learn to become who we want to be?"

The first thing. That's important. Because like anything, if the foundation is tended to, then you can build on it. But if the foundation is missing, eventually everything you build on it washes away.

I thought a minute, over the books I had re-read up to that point. Then I realized what the real basis is, what the one thing that all the self help books I have ever read had in common. "Our belief controls who we are." "I said. "And we can change that belief."

Belief is any habit or thought that controls or influences our actions. They start piling up in our heads and hearts when we are kids and they control who we are and what we do until we are old. Belief has the power to propel us to amazing things, or hold us back from them.

For many of us, perhaps all of us, belief is intially instilled in us by someone on the outside - family, friends, schools, co-workers. They all see things, decide things about us that may or may not be true, and convince us that they ARE true.

At times their convincing of us may have good motives, at times they may have self serving motives, and at times they may be thoughtlessly done. The truth is, however, that they are borrowed beliefs, but with time and repetition, the habit of thought makes them become ours. And then our own minds take over and we repeat the belief over and over and over again until it becomes, in our own minds, THE TRUTH. It's not the truth of course. It's just a belief. A habit of thinking.

And habits can be changed. Any habit.

And that is the first and most fundamental life lesson, that belief controls our actions, and we can control our beliefs.

I am not kidding myself and I would never try to kid you, that it is easy.  But, if we really want change in our lives, to become more  (You fill in what you want to become more of.), or to become less (Fill this one in for yourself too.), then the very first thing we must realize is that we can do it. It's not some mysterious process. It's not some Goliath. It's a habit.

And how long does it take habits to change? 21 days, the experts tell us. Three weeks.

My suspicion, both from my own life and from listening to many, many others, is that many people who profess to want change and growth don't really believe that they can do it. They would like to believe. They know it's worked for others, But somehow, we think that our case is different.

Nope. It's not. Sure, your case is unique. The beliefs you need to change are different than the ones I need to change. But the fundamental concept, that we CAN change a belief, does not vary from person to person. So, life lesson number 1: Beliefs guide who we are and what be become, and we can control those beliefs.

Scary huh? The gig's up. It's up to us.

Tom

The surprising truth about what motivates us

Photography for marketing

I often liken what we do in the systems integration business to what architects do. We take ideas, mix them with off the shelf items, and create amazing, working facilities that combine technology, workflow, ergonomics, and aesthetics into systems that often make visitors stop and say “Wow!”.  From broadcasters to Universities, from Fortune 500 companies to Government Agencies, the systems we build are often stunning visually, and often end up part of the company “tours”. They are showcases.

Architects understand this. They employ architectural photographers to shoot their projects and it shows on their web sites, brochures, case studies and magazine articles. These architectural photographers have spent years learning to capture the drama and “wow” factor of a space.

We’re in the business, but…

We are in the image business.  Whether you are a manufacturer or a systems integrator, we’re all about images, creating them, displaying them, transcoding them, moving them. Yet one of the most underutilized tools in our selling arsenal are the pictures we take.  We’ll shoot a few snapshots and then wonder why they don’t look as good at the shots we see in architectural journals.

This is not to put down the shots are installers and sales guys shoot. It’s just a reality that their main job is not to learn how to make a space photograph well, and most of them have not spent years honing that photographic eye or learning the particulars of how to shoot technical spaces (which have their own quirks that make them difficult to capture.).

 Some of us in the business (and I have done this when I did marketing for integrators) will piggyback on the consulting architect’s photographer.  In most cases though, those photographers shoot general spaces well, but don’t really understand what OUR customers want to see. And too, they are expensive. Prices of $500-$1,000 per image, plus expenses are not uncommon.  That adds up fast.

Some suggestions

So then, how do we get good pictures to help us sell, and how do we make them more cost effective for us all, manufacturers and systems integrators alike?  I have some suggestions.

• First, find a photographer that specializes in technical systems like the facilities we build. There are unique challenges to shooting these spaces and if you are going to spend money, you want someone who knows how to deal with those challenges. Those of us who have been around long enough to remember AF Associates, probably remember their gorgeous ads in the trade magazines. Good pictures sell.
• Second, make sure of what you are getting when you talk to a potential photographer. Many professional photographers sell you limited rights to the photographs. In other words you can use them for say, an ad campaign and your brochure, but unless you have full rights, you may not be able to use them for, say , a magazine article. So you or the magazine would have to buy additional rights (yep, more cash outlay) to use the same shots.
• Third, think multipurpose. Have your photographer shoot a LOT of pictures, with slightly different angles. If you are an SI and there are feature manufacturers in the project, get some good closeups of their gear, so you can offer them shots (manufacturers love this.), or if you are a manufacturer, get some good wide shots and offer them to your SI’s (who will love you for it.). Think about what a magazine would like to see, and shoot those too. Look for that signature shot that you can frame and give to your client, or hang on your wall.
• Think co-operatively. Manufacturers, SI’s, architects, builders, the press and even customers have a vested interest in having professional quality shots. Think about who you might partner with to pay for a photographer, and bring the cost down for all of you.  Some manufacturers may let you use co-op funds to get good shots to market them and your system.
• Leverage photographs to get magazine articles – Here’s what I have learned as both a writer and a photographer. if you have good images, the odds that a magazine will use your project in an article vs the guy who has a great system but so-so (or no) pictures, goes up amazingly.
• Leverage geography – If you are bringing in a photographer to shoot one location, you are already paying for his travel and hotel room for a day. So why not get the most for your photography dollar. What other customer systems are nearby that you can use him to get good shots for? Fill his days and get the most for your money.  

 Keep these things in mind as you think about your marketing efforts. And keep Quarry House in mind as you think about photographers. We’ve spent a decade learning how to shoot Broadcast and AV projects, and our pictures have appeared in ads, magazine articles, brochures and web sites. You can see some of our images here.We are less expensive than architectural photographers, and we know how to capture that "wow" factor. 

Tom

PS - Yes, I took that picture of The Speed Channel. You can double click on it for a larger version.

Random Thoughts

NAB is coming.  This will be my 31st NAB, the major trade show for the Broadcast industry. Some of that those I have worked as a manufacturer and other years as a systems integrator and a couple as a end user. I've learned a lot in that time, and one of the most important things is to start early. I am already beginning to do work for some of my clients to get ready, writing materials for them, doing photography of showcase facilities for displays, logistics for the show, lining up demo artists. Doing things now make it all go smoother. Waiting too late stresses your marketing staff, and may mean that the free lancers (like me) that you want to use are booked. So it's time to dive in and lock in your help, for your own peace of mind, and the quality work you want. 

 
Speaking of NAB, have you ever wondered whether those little trinkets you give out at the show pay off? If so, you might want to read this article by Highbeam Research that addresses that very subject. 

 
Social media.  I am getting more and more people asking me about using social media in their marketing. The question they generally ask is this: "Should I be using social media to market?" The answer is probably yes. The bigger question is how to do it in an effective way. The answer is not easy, and depends a great deal on the span of your products, services and customers. I have developed a one day seminar on using social media. This is not a nuts and bolts step by step seminar that only a geek's geek can understand, but rather an overview of considerations and techniques that will help you make good decisions on how to approach it, what works for what mix of products. I do this one day seminar at your location, with the key people you think should be involved. If you are interested, contact me so we can schedule it for you. 

The New Challenge of marketing. When I began marketing in our industry, I used to believe that the purpose of marketing was to just get the information out there. Good clear information, plus putting that information where people got it, plus repetition equaled success. That's the classic formula. But a lifetime working both in marketing and sales has taught me how that is just part of the equation. People buy somewhat on information, but more than we would like to admit (particularly in a technology field, where we think facts and information matter), people buy on emotion, on relationships, on belief. So the real challenge we have is not just to tell our stories, but to find those connection points and tell our stories passionately, in a way that connects. In our industry, we forget that sometimes, but it's at the heart of the social media explosion and even we B2B marketers had best pay attention. 

This article about "the Power of You" really got me going on this topic, and got me thinking. How do we do this? How do we take our big industry of Broadcast, AV and Media Centric IT, and turn it into something that is not just classic marketing, but PERSONAL? We have sales reps, and that is one of their strengths, but how do we magnify what we already do in sales, combine it with what we do in marketing, and make it work for us? I have spent much of the past several months talking to companies and individuals who have done this well, and soon, probably next month, I will make some easy to implement suggestions that I am putting to work for a pair of clients already. Stay tuned!

Writing and Writing and More Writing - I have been doing a lot of writing for clients the past month or so. It began as case studies, but I began to look at how people used the time and work I put into case studies and realized we could leverage what I was writing for more impact. Now, when I do a story on a facility, we find we can turn it into a one page case study, (sometimes) a magazine article, a press release, web copy, social media copy, and (sometimes) a white paper. By adding just a little more work in revising the core writing for the different media, we get far more impact. It just takes thinking about it BEFORE you begin, and putting in place a methodology to make it work. If you're interested, give me a call and we can talk. 

Web Site updates - If you haven't visited the Quarry House site recently, you might want to. We're constantly updating it to make it easier to find what you want, know what we do. Now that the core site is in place, we'll be adding resources to help you market better in the Broadcast, AV and media centric IT world. 

Tom

The Three Prongs of Marketing

I have been a student of how manufacturers and integrators market since the 1990’s. I’ve watched my own companies, and a host of other manufacturers and integrators, rise and fall, and I’ve spent a lot of time analyzing the mix of culture, business dynamics and marketing that contributed to the rise of many companies in our field.

 

While the products, cultures and dynamics that led to strong growth is often dramatically different, one thing I have noticed: three prong marketing was a strong contributor to the success of many companies.

 

What we think marketing is...

 

Most of us think of marketing as something we put out there for customers, the end users who buy our products. We want to get their attention, lay out why we think our company has the best product or service, and thus make it easier for our sales force or channel to sell.

 

That is the first prong, and it’s important. It’s where most of us focus our time and budget.  And it should be. But there are two other prongs we often ignore, or do poorly, that can have a big impact for a realativly small investment.

 

But there is more.

 

The second prong is internal marketing. Most of us are simply not very good at letting the right hand know what the left hand is doing internally. It’s a standing joke in the industry that we are in the communication industry, yet we tend to communicate badly.  

 

The investment to do this is not huge: A bit of thought, some time, and someone to focus on how to let our people internally know about products, services, sales tools and success stories, and a strategy to get that information out to everyone in the company.

 

That’s right, everyone. Because nearly everyone in our companies has customer contact, and hears of opportunities for sales. Armed with good information, they are prepared to help you sell. Not armed with that information, they do their job and that’s it,  and the opportunity is lost.

 

I have one client that I talk to about every two weeks. I ask him what’s going on, get the core information of cool things going on, and from that, I generate an internal newsletter. It is NOT a big investment, but it gets the word out, every couple of weeks or so, and pays dividends in terms of sales, as well as growing a corporate culture that is positive and more and more, on the same page.

 

Sell to the Salesmen

 

The third prong, and this is more for manufacturers than integrators, is marketing for the sales channels.

 

Right now, as some of you are reading this, a few of you are saying “Wait a minute, we send out bulletings to our channel all the time!”  Yes, you do, and I get lots of them. For the most part, they are full of specials, new products, discontinued products, pricing – that sort of thing. Very useful, but not what your channel really needs to sell most effectively.

 

When I meet with a manufacturer’s rep, after they have done their presentation on a product, I almost always ask the same questions:

 

• What sets this product apart?
• Where have you found the most success with this?
• What’s the most effective way to sell it?
• What are the tools you have to help me sell it?
• Who has already bought it? (success stories)

 

In short, I want to know how to make this product pay off for me and my channel company.

 

The sales reps always have those answers at hand, but they are rarely part of the marketing bulletins that I get every day, most of which get filed away until I need them, instead of being read in the moment.

 

So my advice to manufacturers is to be proactive. A good marketing bulletin should always ask not just what information will the channel sales rep need, but what will INSPIRE the sales rep to choose you over someone else. Rethink your marketing bulletins. You can still have the pricing, etc go out, just put it at the bottom, after you’ve gotten the attention of the sales guys with information that helps them sell. (Sales guys after all, are the ultimate “what’s in it for me” types.).

 

It's not hard, or expensive.

 

None of the second and third prongs are hard. They are not terribly time consuming, particularly if they are part of a strategy, as opposed to separate functions. It may take some rethinking, but once in place, they can have a real impact on your sales.

 

Here at Quarry House, we help you market and sell. We can consult with you to help rethink your own strategy and we can do the practical work that goes along with it: set up processes that make three prong marketing easy, develop sales materials and tools, do copywriting for your own marketing, and more. Consider giving us a call if you need extra help. (or visit our web site to learn more.)