Learn Exhibition Skills – Technology sector

 

Another chance to ensure you get more orders at shows in both UK and overseas  The Glasgow course this week was full and the delegates can now look forward to increased opportunities at the shows they are attending through 2012, 2013 and beyond.

For Scottish Enterprise, we are running another “Effective Exhibiting” workshop from 9:30am-4:30pm on:

5th July – Edinburgh at:

Scottish Enterprise

99 Haymarket Terrace

Edinburgh,

EH12 5HD

 

The workshops are free of charge and include lunch. To book contact jen@rfm.co.uk

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Something to think about – Focus your mind on marketing

Had 2 situations recently where a 1-2 hour conversation on marketing really focussed SME organisations on their markets, their opportunities and most of all – how to achieve them. Most of us are too close to our businesses to see the big picture. An experienced Chartered Marketer can focus on the key topics for consideration, your markets and how to engage with them. He can often identify quick wins and simple activities that will move the business onward at little or no cost.

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Quick question – your ambassadors

Do you make the most of your business ambassadors? All those teams who may be out and about in customers premises, interfacing directly with customers and in the case of many technical organisations, reaching far further into business than the sales team ever will.

This is a huge resource that most companies are paying for anyway. So the key can be to change their attitude and get them focussed on customer and opportunity spotting.

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World class technology – on our doorstep!

Visited the Scottish Technology Showcase at SECC this week. What a wealth of clever people we have in this country, creating innovative products and services that are truly world class.

We really do need to communicate this, increase visibility, shout across the globe and sell!

In a lot of our media, we have a never ending ‘doom and gloom’ stories focussed internally.

How about reporting a celebration of our skills, our clever world beating products and aim to be properly positioned on an international stage.

One such example, is Aberdeen based technology company Beamshare who have recently launched video sharing software.

Check out this new technology. It allows you to send video on a protected basis to recipients knowing that your information is not on public networks and it is guaranteed to run on your computer. Ideal for sending materials in a business to business scenario on a one to one and private basis.

 

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Innovative Research – Online tools and trends features added to Google

Google recently entered the world of market research with the launch of their own consumer survey tool, currently only available to US users. This is an interesting move by one of the internet’s fastest ever growing businesses.

A recent article in Research-live magazine suggests the automated tool is bit of a shot in the dark, reinforcing the importance good quantitative, qualitative research techniques to gain better understand of target markets.

In an age of digital marketing, when new market research techniques are being explored, it will be interesting to monitor how widespread this survey tool becomes. Google have a lot more irons in the fire and this project isn’t a win at all costs venture.

Seth Godin reminds us, Google are remarkable because they have positioned their service so well, with the much coined phrase “Google It” and trusted logo. Automating consumer surveys perhaps lacks the human input required to provide invaluable marketing commentary.

 

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Social media success story – It started with a tweet

Every day we hear of the importance of using social media to broadcast your business message, and rarely do find a story close to home that gets heard through the noise.

A recent example of a small company illustrates social media at its most effective!

The Wee Fudge Company based in Glasgow sent a tweet to Theo Paphitis of Dragon’s Den as part of a weekly competition for small businesses to be chosen for a retweet. The company were chosen and the retweet by Theo was potentially viewed by 249,000 followers.

One Tweet sent raised brand awareness and provided a number of leads the company can now follow up without having to spend time researching and making initial contact.

Twitter is a valuable tool for companies but it requires making the effort and taking the time to consider what you want to achieve from your engagement, who you want to target, who you follow and articulate this across in your message etc.

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Shows and exhibitions

Still one of the most effective ways of creating awareness, showing your product range, speaking to people you may not otherwise have the chance to speak with and of course, selling and taking orders.  Highly cost effective too as part of the marketing and sales mix — if it is executed properly.

At international shows, many companies (especially from the UK) seem to think it is acceptable just to turn up and expect customers to make a bee line for the stand!!  Many economic development agencies throughout the world promote and fund group stands, providing huge opportunities for their businesses to go to new markets.

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Watch out for Animee – the new beer targeted directly at women

Marketing – spot a gap – research it, – develop it, – test it- communicate it – launch it.

Those clever marketers at Molson Coors identified from desk research that only 17% of women in the UK drink beer. It is clear there is a market gap.

They also undertook primary research using a blend of focus group techniques, sampling etc. This identified the issues around beer drinking, its connotation in UK, traditional images of brand and very important, what women want.

Developed, tested and designed to the needs of the market, – this new beer ‘Animee’ has 3 flavours and is less gassy.

Targeted communication – Don’t just go for a format because it is cheap, find out and think about where and how to target the audience.  Part of the promotion includes in store tastings, point of sale promotion in store and sample product in Toni and Guy hair salons.

Launch it – This product is a question mark product so it will take time for the product to come to market. Watch this space, – new market, new product, so it will not be without its challenges and like any question mark product, will require substantial promotion to get started. However, the risk has been lessened with a lot of research

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Increasing revenues through customer service

 

Ask managers in most organisations if they would like to increase their revenues by 10% or more and we reckon most people would ‘bite your hand off’ or at least say ‘show me’.

There is a direct correlation between service excellence delivered by personnel and repeat business.  There is a direct correlation between customer being offered more at a time when they want to buy and increased sales.  Often the teams delivering product or delivering service recoil at the thought of having to offer anything more!.  In their mind that could be selling. Yet that is not the way the customer sees it.

So the answer lies in changing perceptions of staff and to understand their role better as well as soft techniques that encourage the customer to consume order or buy more —at a time when they are susceptible. The alternative is not to sell anything to anyone !!! – hardly a sustainable strategy in business today.

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Telephone sales – Turning order takers into order makers!

Have just spent a couple of days working through telephone sales activity, scripts and sales pipeline structure etc. for a food company who need to have consistent orders and increase the range of products purchased from their customers.

The programme built the confidence of the telephone team whose skills are recognised as essential for increasing the level of sales (upselling, range selling) to existing customers on a regular basis.

This honourable task is something that does not cost much money. There are many grants for up skilling personnel in sales techniques to ensure a more resilient and strong business.

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