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Kick start your business this year by improving your sales skills – Ten tips to kick start your Sales Skills

December 30, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

Kick start your sales this year

Great little article about selling in Entrepreneur Online

It’s funny that some people have an aversion to sales, yet they do it every day if they are advancing in their business or in their careers. As small business owners, this is one area that you can always improve on and which will have a direct effect on your business’ growth and stability.

This is the link to the article in Entrepreneur Online. They always have great articles with links throughout that you can click for additional reading. Ten minutes from now, you will have a better understanding of the importance of sales to your business and several ways that you can grow and improve sales for your company (whether you are an employee or the owner)

Click on this LINK: Ten Tips to Kick Start Your Sales Skills

All the SEO in the world, all the advertising and marketing that you could ever do, all the networking and socializing to put yourself out there and make your phone ring will have little real value to your business if you don’t learn how to sell yourself, your product and your services to those who call.

As a REACH Magazine advertising sales executive with over 20 years experience my sales consultation delves into more than the cost of my advertising program and where to target your advertising dollars. Many times I work with businesses to help them fine tune other aspects of their business. Whether it is sales, how the phones are answered, or other day-to-day concerns, we will sometimes cover them in discussions to improve their business and help their business grow. If I get the phone to ring and it falls apart from there, I lose my client. As an experienced marketing and advertising executive I know that customer service in my business does not stop with the sale of an ad.

If you would like to learn more about REACH Magazine, or have a discussion about your consumer oriented product or service business and how it can grow and become strong, please give me a call any time.

Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine and Housetrends Magazine in Dayton • pdemott@REACHusa.com • 937-478-6222

Filed Under Business Inspiration / Information, Customer engagement, Customer Service, more customers, More profits Tagged With Business growth, Reaching consumers, Tools for business

TWO simple things you can do to make a significant difference in your business this year

December 29, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

I have worked with hundreds of businesses over the years and one thing is evident, those that have a plan, a calendar, and goals do better than those who don’t.

Are you drifting and directed by the tyranny of the urgent?

What happens when a business does not plan is that important opportunities are missed. Let me give you an example. If your business has a significant increase of activity in spring, that may be an important time to advertise for you. But, if you are distracted and have no plan you may miss important deadlines for this critical time in your business. For example if you wanted to advertise in REACH Magazine or Housetrends Magazine in April and you only just thought of it around the second week of March, guess what, you missed all the deadlines and the magazines are out being printed so they will arrive in homes as scheduled. Your competitors will have the advantage of reaping the rewards of timely advertising.

If you have no calendar so that you can look ahead, you will constantly feel like you are playing catch up. You will feel that many urgent matters are dominating your choices, but that the important things that can make your company grow (these things may be less urgent, but more important) get ignored or missed.

Here are the two things that I recommend

NUMBER ONE: Get a nice notebook and whenever you think of something that is a goal, WRITE IT DOWN.

NUMBER TWO: Get a blank calendar and transfer the first step for each goal onto the calendar well in advance of the target date.

These two things can have a significant impact on your business in 2012. When you write down your goals, your subconscious mind starts working on them. You will soon be putting an “x” by completed goals that you have had for years, but which in the past, you never wrote down. By having a calendar, you can add in things like publication deadlines and target advertising times for your business. As you look ahead you will find time to work on the important things for your business and you will be less stressed because you know what’s coming. You can keep urgent matters from completely pulling you away from the important matters and you will feel less stressed and more in control.

Getting closer to those you love

Here is another powerful idea. Every now and then when you go out to dinner with your wife, pull out your goals book and tell her some of the goals you have for your business this year. But, don’t stop there, ask her what goals she has and write them into your book as well. I do this with my wife and since we have two different careers, it really helps us to stay on the same page with each other. It can lead to some intimate and personal discussions about the future and where you are going together as a couple. Things like discussions about remodeling the kitchen or financing college for the kids or a vacation to a particular place can be written into your goals book to discuss further. Now from time to time, we are putting an “x” by completed goals that we both have shared together. Being a business owner does not mean that you need to grow apart from the important people in your life.

Goals can change

Goals in your notebook are written in stone. If you need to change them you can do that. Most goals have to be adjusted from time to time. I hear way too many people who say they can never write down their goals because they are afraid they may fail. What I have found is that some goals change because your direction has changed, others you realize are too lofty and you have to change them in some respects to make them achievable. There is nothing wrong with having lofty goals. The difference between a goal and a dream is the reality of writing down your goals makes them change, whereas a dream that never makes it on to paper is just a dream. It will pop up now and then as a dream, but it will slip away as you forget to work on it because you never wrote it down.

goals notebook

Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine in Dayton, Ohio • pdemott@REACHusa.com • 937-478-6222

Filed Under Business Inspiration / Information Tagged With Advertising Calendar, Business growth, Gaol setting, Grow your business, Tools for business

Not all direct mail coupon magazines are the same, look for the US postal indicia

December 29, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

What is the difference?

What difference does it make if your coupon magazine is addressed to an individual home with the official US Postal indicia, or if it arrives in your mailbox wrapped in the REDPLUM packet of materials that arrive on Tuesdays.

If you look at the pile of grocery flyers and wraps you will see that none of them have an address on them. There is usually only one piece that has the postal indicia and address on it. I haven’t looked at mine for some time because most of the stuff ends up in the trash. It used to be a card that had the address and indicia, but just the fact that I don’t know shows you the impression it leaves with consumers.

Many years ago REACH Magazine tested this delivery method in several of our markets with very poor results. What I mean is that the redemptions for our clients declined significantly. We immediately went back to paying for our own postage, having a postal indicia and address on each magazine, and having our magazine stand alone by itself rather than being stuffed inside various other wraps and grocery flyers.

Why would a coupon magazine want to do this? 

REDPLUM has worked it out so that they can charge the magazines that want to be wrapped up in the Redplum group of materials will end up paying significantly less for delivery than those that are delivered individually (having their own address and indicia). But, we’ve known for many years that this will not serve our customers (businesses advertising within REACH Magazine) well. It is better for them to spend a little more with us and have better results. That’s all there is to it.

This change has been made with one of our competitors, but they have not announced the change with their clients and I do not think it is appropriate for me to name names here.

How can you find out as a business owner?

There are a couple of things you can do. First you can ask your advertising sales rep for various magazines about their delivery methods. You have to ask them and look for a US postal indicia on the cover of the publication where the address box should be. If there is not one there, then that magazine is using REDPLUM or some other delivery method other than individually addressed and delivered by the US Post Office.

Side note from conversations I have had with postman

Another thing you might do is ask your postman what the post office looks like on Tuesday afternoons. You see, since all the items in these wraps and grocery flyers are not the same size, many times there are various sized items strewn on the floor throughout the branch post offices where they sort their mail and get ready for their deliveries. Once an oddly sized piece is separated from the wrap, there is really no way for them to figure out where it belongs. With hundreds of packets of materials with no address except the one item in the pile, there is just nothing they can do but get out the broom at the end of the day. So, not only do consumers not like receiving this pile each Tuesday in their mailboxes, but it can also be less than efficient in terms of delivery.

Here are a couple of examples. The first one is an address label glued on with computer coding for fast and easy delivery and sorting. This is from a magazine I receive personally. In this case, the label is glued to the magazine, but with REACH we have the postal indicia and the address and coding is ink jetted directly onto the blank area provided for the address. If there is no postal indicia or auto sort coded label, the item in your mailbox came as a group of items packaged together loosely. What’s the difference for your as a business owner, better results for your ad within the magazine come from individually addressed pieces. We’ve tested it and we know and we choose to do what is right for our clients even if it cost more.

Addressed magazine- some are glued on, REACH is ink jetted directly on magazine  

To learn more about REACH Magazine, Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine, just email me or give me a call any time.

Peter DeMott • REACH Magazine in Dayton, Ohio • pdemott@reachusa.com • 937-478-6222

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton, Customer Perception, REACH Magazine, The power of the mailbox

Wedding Planning Guide inside REACH Magazine arrives the first week of 2012

December 29, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

If you cannot wait that long, you can go to this link and see more about the prizes and register to win.

Click on this graphic LINK: Win-a-wedding-package

Twenty five thousand dollar prize

Dayton January REACH cover 2012 with your chance to win a wedding package

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton, Customer engagement Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Business growth, Dayton, Direct mail, Direct mail advertising, REACH Magazine, Reaching consumers, Target marketing, Wedding Planning Guide, wedding vendors

Dayton’s REACH Magazine cover features photography by Mark Garber along with a wedding planning guide

December 20, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

Do you know someone who is getting married in 2012?

For all the new brides to be created over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, there is a special surprise on the cover and inside the January edition of REACH Magazine. Along with all the great coupons from restaurants and merchants and services throughout the Greater Dayton area, there is an opportunity to win a spectacular package of wedding services and gifts from local wedding vendors valued up to $25,000.00. The cover photograph is from prize-winning photographer Mark Garber. Mark is the most awarded photographer in the region and I think you can see why based one this cover.

Dayton January REACH cover 2012 with your chance to win a wedding package

Look for the Wedding Planning Guide inside your January REACH Magazine

The January REACH Magazine (Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine) has a wedding planning guide at the center staples of the magazine. You will also find out how you can enter to win the spectacular Wedding Package Give-away there. And if you are planning to get married some time in 2012, you will find various vendors that you may want to check out there as well.

“Hey Dad, I’m planning a $25,000.00 wedding, how do you feel about that?”

What a fun way to start out your wedding planning! If you win the package, walk up to dad and say, “Hey dad, I’m planning a wedding that will cost about $25,000.00, is that okay with you?”  Imagine the expression on his face when you tell him, “And you only have to pay for a new dress for mom, I won the rest!”

Don’t let anyone miss their chance for the wedding of their dreams

If you know someone who got engaged over the holidays or perhaps has been planning for some time and wants to win the wedding of their dreams, make sure that you send them a link to this post so that they can be on the lookout for the arrival of their January REACH magazine 2012.

REACH Magazine Engages with Consumers

We are always looking for ways to engage with consumers in the Greater Dayton market with our covers and contests. We had lots of fun putting this issue together and hope that everyone who knows anyone who is getting married in 2012 will be excited to look through this issue.

Click this link to register to win:

Twenty five thousand dollar prize

Find out more about REACH Magazine, make informed choices about your advertising in 2012

If you would like to advertise in Dayton’s favorite coupon magazine or just find out more about it, feel free to call me, Peter DeMott at 937-478-6222 or email me at pdemott@reachusa.com or peter@photosbypdemott.com.

Filed Under Customer engagement, more customers, More profits Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Business growth, Centerville, Dayton, Dayton's favorite coupon magazine, Direct mail, Direct mail advertising, Grow your business, Kettering, Oakwood, REACH Magazine, Reaching consumers, Springboro, Target marketing, Wedding Planning Guide, wedding vendors

$25,000.00 Wedding Package Give-Away in the January Dayton REACH magazine

December 8, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

I think brides are going to notice!

We have a romantic front cover with a bride and groom from one of the most awarded wedding photographers in the nation. Mark Garber Wedding photography. The cover will mention the opportunity for a bride to win which is inside the magazine in our first REACH Wedding Planning Guide.

Not $2,000, Not $5,000, Not even $10,000, but potentially $25,000 in services & products

When we first put this on the table and started working on it we were talking about a $2,000 prize, then a $5,000 prize, well now the estimated value of the Wedding Package Give-Away inside the January edition of REACH Magazine is $25,000.00. (I say estimated because if some vendors cannot render their services because of prior commitments, then those services or products will not be part of the package) Look for the Wedding Planning Guide inside the January edition of REACH Magazine which tells how you can register to win the $25,000.00 Wedding Package Give-Away. The magazine will be arriving in homes the first week of January, 2012.

Hey Dad, I’m planning a $25,000 wedding…is that okay with you?

I hope all the Dayton brides sign up for their chance to win. There will be an online registration form and there is no purchase required to participate (also void where prohibited and all that other stuff it has to say. Need not be present to win). Wouldn’t it be fun to tell dad you planned a $25,000.00 wedding involving 34 wedding vendors and by the way, dad, you don’t have to pay for it.

Sorry for the wedding vendors that are not participating because I think a lot of brides will notice this big time. Don’t YOU?

$25,000.00 Wedding Package Give-away inside January Dayton REACH magazine

 What is included in the Bridal Package Give-Away?

• Event Rental Package – Prime Time Party Rental

• D.J. & Lighting Package – Party Pleasers Services

• Wedding Photography Package – C.Marie’s Photography

• Backdrop Decor Package – Entertainment Unlimited Events

• “Day-of” Coordination Package – Pink With Envy Event Planning Services

• Photo Booth Package – Say Cheese Photo Booths

• Casino Entertainment Package – Black Diamond Casino Events

• 250 Personalized Candy Bars – Esther Price Candies

• Tuxedo Package – Grissom’s Bridal & Tuxedo

• Honeymoon Suite & Guest Accommodations – Homewood Suites, Dayton South

• Chocolate Fountain – A Chocolate Celebration

• 150 Chair Covers – Impressive Occasions

• Ceremony Videotaping Package – Finest View Videography

• Wedding Ceremony Venue Package – The Event Connections

• Bridal Beauty Basket & Two Customized Medi-Facials – Marta Rey European & Clinical Skin Care Center

• “Bride’s Choice” Floral Package – The Flowerman

• Wedding Gown – The Connection Bridal Gallery

• Wedding Gown Alteration – It’s Sew Amazing

• Honeymoon Gift Certificate – UniglobeVIP Travel

• Ceremony Music Package – Viva la Strings

• Wedding “Brainstorming” Package and masterweddingplanner.com Planner- Your Dream Day

• Wedding Cake – Frosted

• Horse Drawn Carriage Package – Willow Wind Carriage and Limousine Service

• “Love Story” Video Engagement Session – Butterfly Productions

• Wedding Invitations – Bridal Divas Ink

• Ice Sculpture – Arctic Diamond

• Dance Lessons Package – Arthur Murray Dance Studio

• Limousine Package – A Savannah Nite Limousine Service

• Wedding Reception Caricature Artist – Dan’s Portraits and Caricatures

• Salon Services Package – The Connection Salon

• Spray Tanning Package – Key West Tanning

• Wedding Ceremony & Consultation – Jeffrey D. Freeman, Wedding Officiant

• One Month Bridal Boot camp Package – 360 Bridal Makeover

• Monogram for Aisle Runner or Reception Floor – Uppercase Living Anne Marie

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton Tagged With Grow your business, Wedding Planning Guide, wedding vendors

You are a fool if you think you can pull images from Google to use for your business

December 7, 2011 By Peter DeMott 3 Comments

There is DANGER in a lack of knowledge about image usage to promote your business

There are many misunderstandings regarding copyrights and model releases of images used in business. There is a large body of people who mistakenly believe that they can do a Google search – images, and since those images are on the internet, they are free to use in the promotion of their business. There are media reps that might misinform you about images that they found using Google.

 

Google indexes all images on the internet. That means photos of people’s personal family blogs, other business web sites, and anywhere they are posted on the internet can be listed in a search of images on Google. The fact that they are indexed by Google does not change the fact that someone took the picture and owns the copyrights to that image. It also does not relieve a business of getting permission in the form of a model release from the individuals in the photo so that they can use it in the promotion of their business.

Businesses beware

There are media reps who have no clue about these potential liabilities. I am currently in a discussion on Facebook with a women whose family pictures of them at a Christmas Tree lot picking up their tree was swiped from their family blog by a media sales rep. The media rep has admitted that she found it using a Google Image search. She explained that since Google has it, it is in the “public domain” which is entirely untrue, uninformed and wrong. The image in question has now been used by a business in another state in the promotion of their business without a model release from the family or any written use agreement from the creator of the image. It was pulled from “Google Images” by the media rep and used by the business on their website and in print advertising now for two years.

We live in a small world now

The woman whose family is depicted is exceedingly upset about this. Because of Facebook and the internet, the world is much smaller. One of her friends from this other state saw the ad and advised her that her family was being used to promote a business. This Facebook discussion is long with many people suggesting that she sue the business and the media outlets that are using the image. She may do that and the business, the media rep, and the media vendors may all be on the hook for the foolish actions of an uniformed sales person.

As a business owner, beware

If an image is being used by your business in the promotion of your business it should be from a stock agency where model releases are required. If it is an image you have taken, that is not enough. You should have people within your images sign a model release for your protection before you use the image for promotion of your business. Another source of images for your business is of course a local photographer making custom images just for your business, but remember it is the responsibility of the person publishing the image to make sure that model releases are on file for your protection.

And, if one media outlet has purchased a usage license for images from a stock agency for your ad in their publication for the promotion of your business this does not mean that you can allow another media outlet to use those same images. For example if REACH magazine purchases a usage license for an image and creates an ad that you just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE,  If the license is limited to one vendor, it is not transferable. The stock agency can sue you for using images with a use license if you should take the ad an publish it with a different vendor.

As I look at this discussion on Facebook, about every 3rd or 4th comment by her “friends” tell her she should sue everyone involved. There are easily 150 comments at this time. This discussion will get back to the business owner soon and I don’t know if legal action will take place. But I do know that he was unaware that the media rep had used an image without regard to the people in the picture. This media rep (not from this area) is either ignorant of the law, ill-informed, or figured she could get away with it because the original image was posted many states away from the business location… no one will ever notice….. WRONG.

As a business owner know these rules for your protection

RULE ONE:

All images are copyrighted to the creator of the image unless otherwise noted.

RULE TWO:

Get written permission to use the images and likenesses of people in the promotion of your business. This should be in the form of a blanket “model release” signed by the person in the photograph, or by the parents if it is a minor. Don’t assume participation equals permission with no written document to prove it in court. Ideally, the document should describe how you intend to use the image as well as possible uses with the person’s signature and date. If you would like wording for a simple model release just send me an email and I will send you one that I have used (peter@photosbypdemott.com) You never know when someone is going to become not pleased with your business and change their minds. Having a written, signed model release shows due diligence for your business and protects you from being sued.

 

Filed Under Business Inspiration / Information Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Copyrights, DIY Marketing ideas, images for business, Model Release

Daily deals with a couple good twists for Dayton Ohio

December 5, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

With a plurality of daily deals popping up at every corner, which one does a business choose in Dayton, Ohio?

There are the national companies like Living social and Groupon. Then there are all kinds of spin off versions of the exact same thing.

yodeal.com, local deals, local causes is coming to Dayton.

I will be posting more about this as I become more informed, but here are a couple advantages of yodeal. First off the business can get closer to 65% of every deal sold rather than the 50/50 split that most of the others offer. But, the big difference is that your yodeal is linked to a local cause or charity of your choosing and a percentage of every sales is donated to that local charity on behalf of you business. Not only does this do your soul some good, but the local charity can send the rally cry to make sure everyone notices your daily deal and takes advantage of it.

There is more to come, but for now I would encourage you to go ahead and log-on the yodeal with your name and email address. I will add more posts here as I learn more about the ins and outs of yodeal in Dayton. If you are a business wanting to do something a little different and possibly be featured in ads in REACH magazine, give me a call now. Peter DeMott 937-478-6222.

http://www.yodeal.com/dayton

Until I have some more information for you, here are some sample deals that have run in Cincinnati and some of the Charities that have benefitted.

YoDeal Local Charities benefit

If you would like to learn more about Yodeal in Dayton, please give me a call.

REACH Magazine • Peter DeMott • 937-478-6222 • pdemott@reachusa.com

Filed Under Advertising in Dayton, Customer Perception, Giving Back to the Community, Growing your business, more customers, yodeal Tagged With Advertising in Dayton, Business growth, Dayton's favorite coupon magazine, Direct mail advertising, Grow your business, Incentive marketing, Internet marketing, REACH Magazine, Reaching consumers, restaurant advertising, Social Media, Social Networking for Business, Tools for business

linkedin boot-camp by infographic

December 4, 2011 By Peter DeMott Leave a Comment

With so many people frustrated with making LinkedIn work for them, I thought this article would be a good read for many:

LinkedIn Boot-Camp by Infographics

Filed Under Social Media for Business