As a Chartered Marketer, you have to prove at least 35 hours of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) every year.  I’ve always achieved more than double that amount in terms of personal development and learning and also giving back to the local community by way of our free marketing seminars and mentoring for Cumbria Community Foundation and Lancaster University.

I had everything crossed when I applied to become a Fellow earlier this month and I found out today that my application has been accepted.  To put the accolade into context…there are just 2000 Fellows of the CIM across the whole world and only 300 of those are female.  So I’m incredibly proud of this achievement and what it represents for our company.

As a result, I’m off to open a bottle of bubbly and will be back tomorrow with some more tips for you… x

The shop is a lingerie shop called Turnbulls in Carlisle (http://www.turnbullslingerie.co.uk/index.php?dept=1).  I’ve shopped in other lingerie shops; many more local to my home, but I keep going back up the M6 to Turnbulls – and more importantly, I look forward to my visits.  So what makes them so special?

• They offer a great product – The best customer service in the world cannot mask a shoddy product, so your product has to be right to begin with.
• The staff remember me – I was greeted on Friday by a lady called Alison who has worked there for at least the ten years I’ve been a customer.
• They smile – every single member of staff is always wearing a smile, which makes it a very welcoming place to be.
• You receive personal service – the lingerie you buy is personally fitted, so it matches your shape.  (For any confused men reading this, two bras are rarely the same fitting – even in the same size.)
• You have a conversation – personal service allows conversation.  From a sales point of view, that opens many opportunities and from a customer point of view, it shows you think they’re the most important person in the world – at that moment.  And that’s important.
• There is no pushy up-sell – but you are up-sold.  The matching items are all available – should you want to purchase them.
• They invest in staff training.  The new lady I saw on Friday had been working in the shop for four months and was still undergoing training in fittings and service.  As a professional marketer, that’s a great thing to see.

The great thing about all of these seven points is that they cost nothing to implement.  They’re some of the first things we put into place when we work with a new customer, because they can alter your net profits with no investment at all.

What makes me giggle is that I first went to Turnbulls for my wedding lingerie.  I was terrified and you can’t simply walk in and buy a bra off the shelf.  Since then, I’ve been back many times and I never walk out with the product I went in for – but I always walk out a happy customer.  The key is, they know what I want better than I do…they’re the experts.

Both Next and John Lewis posted great results a couple of months ago but, more recently, Poundland has also returned an increase in their annual profits.  Whilst this paints a confused picture, it seems there may be some patterns:

• Consumers are looking for value, but they only want to buy once.  So, they’re turning to brands such as Next and John Lewis and buying fewer, quality items that they know will last.
• For everyday staple items, such as cleaning products and toiletries, they are seeking out value.  Interestingly, the spokesman for Poundland said they’d seen the largest increase in sales of branded items – so people are still looking for the brands they trust – just at the best prices.
• Whilst people are spending less on meals out, the cinemas have been thriving.  The supermarkets have also been able to adapt to this trend with their ‘Eat in for £10′ offers and sales of the ‘Finest’ ranges within the larger food retailers have been strong.  It seems people are happy to spend a little more and treat themselves at home if they aren’t going out as often.
• There’s also an argument that customers feel slightly guilty for spending money when they perhaps should be saving, or for buying something frivolous when others are struggling.  As a result, it’s expected that promotions may shift to emphasising the ‘deserved treats’.

The key thing to remember is that customers are buying.  Many are better off as a result of the drop in interest rates, so they are spending – it’s just a case of where they’re spending.  And, if they’re not spending with you, perhaps now’s the time to look for some marketing advice.

The feedback from our network and trainers is that Twitter is also where the real business connections are being made.  Facebook seems to be used for personal connections and friends, but business is happening through Twitter and people met through that social media tool.

So…isn’t it time you got started?

You simply need to visit www.twitter.com and sign up for an account and then there’s no stopping you.  But please beware… you need to treat Twitter as you would a networking event.  If you overtly sell to people without building a relationship first, your followers will decline.  And there’s little point tweeting if no-one’s listening to you.

Good luck and please share your experiences with us.

And the essence of marketing still lingers on when you visit your local market…

• Product – you receive instant feedback as to whether your product is in demand.  The way you display your products is important and you’ll sell more if it’s appealing.
• Price – instant feedback again – are people buying or not?  If not, you can change your price instantly.  The fruit and veg sellers are fantastic at this and will alter their price throughout the day; knowing they have to move as much stock as possible whilst it’s at its freshest and can demand a higher price.
• Place – Some positions on the markets are hotly contested…it’s all about location, location, location.  Where is the highest footfall and which streets attract more of your ‘target audience’?
• Promotion – I love the bustle of a marketplace.  Sellers promoting their wares and trying to catch your attention with shouts of ’10 for £1′.  As the promotion is verbal, it can be changed many times throughout the day and the regular traders will know which ‘promotions’ or headlines work best

I usually visit the local market wherever we travel in the world and have been impressed by the presentation of products in Spain and France, but the noise and bustle of the marketplace is more exciting in the markets of England and Africa.

This really is marketing back to it’s roots and its worthwhile revisiting what you do in your business – and whether things have become unnecessarily overcomplicated.

How times have changed. And for me, they’ve changed for the better.  Customers now have an endless source of information about products they might like to buy.  They can review them on forums and ask their friends about which they’d recommend.  They can ‘Google’ the brand and test how socially aware a company is.  And, ultimately, they have the power to decide who they buy from.

Convenience is king – and the internet has brought that in spades.  It’s changed the way our high streets look and created a whole new raft of brands unheard of 10 years ago.  Most companies now have a large number of competitors; some online and some offline and, unless you’re doing something unusual, it’s very difficult to stand out from the crowd.

Generalist services and companies have given way to niche products and services.  Customers like to know you understand their particular wants and needs and can offer them better customer service.  The plus side is that they’ll then share you with their friends online – provided you make it easy for them to do so.

Kevin Roberts, worldwide CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi said in a recent interview “We’ve moved from an attention economy – where marketing was about interrupting people – to a participation economy, where people want to pass on things they like to a friend”.

What exciting times we live in…We hope you’re taking advantage of those changes in your business.

The secrets to the success include creating likeable characters, entertaining adverts and the designers have also managed to cleverly repeat the brand name several times – without being annoying.  What’s even better is the follow-up to the campaign – it’s not just a TV advert; the meerkats have their own web page and Aleksandr has his own Facebook profile.

Whilst the campaign’s a huge amount of fun, you know I’m always focused on the profits from marketing – so what about the results?  According to a recent edition of ‘The Marketer’, the results speak for themselves:

• From January – August 2009, there was an 83% increase in traffic to comparethemarket.com’s website
• Direct traffic rose from 30-50%
• Aleksandr Orlov’s own Facebook page has 600,000 fans

If only all advertising could be so effective – and so entertaining!

PR coverage can be priceless and, in the first example, we read about a man from Barrow in June’s edition of ‘The Director’; the magazine for members of the Institute of Directors.  Maurice Flitcroft is from Barrow in Furness and a book has just been released telling his story.  ‘The Phantom of the Open’ is about Maurice; a 46-year old crane driver from Barrow who, having never played a round of golf before, wangled his way into the 1976 Open championship.  He was banned for life, but that didn’t stop him continuing to enter championships under pseudonyms and using disguises.  Now that is a great story.  And one you want to tell again.

Celebrity is always popular; especially in rural areas. And a couple of weeks ago, we were lucky enough to have Nigel Botterill visit the area and speak.  (He came to Barrow in fact, so maybe Maurice was in the audience.)  His tips made a great business story, as you’ll see if you follow this link to the story in the Evening Mail…http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/one-in-a-million-1.732971?referrerPath=home The interviews with local business owners, added by their own reporter,  really brought it to life too.

The other example I wanted to share is a real ‘picture story’.  You need the images to make it come alive.  This is the story of a local photographer who was asked to recreate a portrait that was 145 years old.  It was an image of the original Chairman of James Cropper Plc retiring.  His great, great grandson is now retiring after 39 years with the company and they wanted a matching image to hang in their Head Office. What do you think..?

James Cropper photographed by Graham Edwards

• Are you missing any telephone calls?  Perhaps when you’re in meetings, or on another line, or away from your desk?
• If so – do you have an answering machine?
• Do you divert your calls to a mobile?
• Do you have two (or more) lines, if you receive a lot of calls?

If people can’t get hold of you, that usually stops them buying – even if you’re an online business.

You have to make it easy for people to buy – otherwise, they’ll go somewhere else.  To help your customers, do you:

1. Make it clear exactly what you do?
2. Have your phone number visible on all your marketing materials (including your website)?
3. Answer the phone in a timely and professional manner (ideally with a pre-written script)?
4. Have an efficient message-taking service (i.e. not your 3-year old)
5. Have a sales system that makes it easy to sign up – and pay?
6. Use contracts, to protect you and your customers?
7. Offer a guarantee, to shift the risk from your customer back to your business?
8. Follow-up customers and prospects in a timely manner?
9. Call customers to ask if they’d like to go ahead / renew / buy from you again?
10. Give great customer service and keep in touch?

Let me give you an example I experienced yesterday that sums all of these things up:

About two weeks ago, we received a letter about the renewal of our motorcycle insurance policy.  I knew I had to deal with it, but hadn’t got around to it.  Yesterday, we received a call from Yamaha Insurance Services asking us about the renewal and following up the letter.  They ran through the quotation with me and managed to save me a little more money on the premium.  (This meant I decided not to shop around and instead decided to renew with them.)  When I didn’t have my debit card handy, they waived the credit card fee, to ensure I’d renew that day.  Very smart marketing – and they made it so easy, it was brilliant.  They saved me time, effort and the documents arrived by email the very same day.  Very simple and very brilliant. Excellent customer service – well done Yamaha.

Could you replicate that model in your business?  Most of us could – but we don’t.  We think we’re too busy doing other things – but sales are the lifeblood of your business.  This is where you absolutely should be spending your time.  It’s the very first thing we look at when working with a marketing consultancy client – there is no point chasing new customers and new leads if you aren’t looking after those you already have!

Opportunities are out there for companies offering high quality products and services, but they might be slightly harder to reach – and you might have to be patient.  Donald Trump warns of the dangers of losing momentum, so what can you do to keep busy and ensure the income keeps flowing?

Our top ten sales & marketing tips are:

1. Spend your time on income-generating activities – sales / marketing / chasing bad debts etc. are all examples of jobs that bring in money.
2. Boost your sales and marketing activity. Now is the time to invest – especially if you’re still busy.  Autumn and winter will be upon us soon, so ensure you have sales and marketing programmed into your schedule, every day.
3. Put a system in place to chase bad debts.  Sending statements and calling people may mean you’re paid before others.  If it gets beyond that, we know a solicitor who’ll send a letter of claim for just £5 – this can be a very cost-effective way of ensuring you recover any outstanding debts.
4. Get busy.  If you’re quiet – but you’re still working 9-5, you need to work a bit harder.  Get out of your office and speak to people. Visit networking events and meet new contacts.  You can visit many of them for free – and you’ll be surprised who you may meet – and how willing people are to help.
5. Call old and nearly customers.  People who haven’t bought for a while can be a valuable source of sales.  How long is it since you spoke to your old customers?
6. Beware cutting your prices – this doesn’t usually work and just serves to cut your profits.  This means you have to sell many more products to just stand still and you probably won’t be able to increase your prices again for years.  It also devalues your whole industry, so do this only as a last resort.  (If you want to learn ways to maintain your prices, come along to one of our free marketing seminars.)
7. Offer good customer service.  This is often overlooked, but it’s incredibly important to your customers.  How could you add a ‘wow’ factor to your service and give people a reason to buy from you again?
8. Ensure you have an answerphone – with a great message.  You can’t afford to be missing any calls, at any time.  You’d be surprised how many businesses we speak to who want more customers but never answer their telephone.
9. Get back to people quickly.  If someone calls, makes and enquiry, requests a quote… you need to respond faster than your competitors.  If people want something, they generally want it yesterday, so keep on top of your paperwork.
10. Say thank you.  If someone gives you a piece of business, or recommends you, or does a great job for you, say ‘thank you’.  They’re two very tiny words, but they’re probably the most powerful two words in the English language.

Good Luck.  Work Hard.  And shout if you need any specific advice to generate more customers for your company.