Looking at tv stations – communicating to local audiences

Posted on June 5, 2014 by RFM

Our cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are now offering 2 new tv stations. The news tell us that licences have been awarded for local advertising in Glasgow and Edinburgh and there is also a new tourism related tv medium coming on stream. This is an opportunity to look at more effective media buying for mass communication.

As always, understanding your target market and what they read, how they consume information is crucial as of course is identifying the audience and readership of any particular medium, whether on line or offline However, if you are looking for more new customers, or needing to build your brand quickly, this type of communication can be used in conjunction with online and social media in a concerted campaign should deliver exposure, awareness and footfall.

Typically when a new medium is opening up, there are good introductory rates available combined with a good new inquisitive audience so this strategy should be considered and in many cases is recommended. For more information on this topic please and how to make sure your spend and effort deliver the right results, contact russ@rfm.co.uk

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Initiating Key Contacts Round the Globe

Posted on June 4, 2014 by RFM

For the last year we have been working with a client who is targeting key individuals in OEMs across the world. the opportunity to present and ‘get in the door’ occurs very infrequently but we have discovered a low cost technique to achieve this. Due to sustainable and timely contact, we have now provided 3 major opportunities in a year to 15 months for this client company, who has a great product but sometimes just not enough time to keep his finger on the ‘sales generation’ and lead pulse.

Interesting also that personnel in these multi nationals have changed in these target companies – new people in department create different opportunities and the ones we thought there was ‘no chance’ with are suddenly coming good.

The secret is to have the time to think through the strategy and be prepared to have a long term approach. It is working and the time spent on sales intelligence, direct contact and interesting direct contact campaigns are certainly paying dividends in the way that no social media campaign would.

For information on this service which really is working a new way, download our International business contacts factsheet.

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Commenting on the value of international exhibitions

Posted on May 16, 2014 by RFM

We have often said that the value of international exhibitions allows you to meet customers you might never have otherwise spoken with, – on an equal footing. The short space of time you have at a show has to be managed well. RFMs Sales ladder helps to keep you on track.

A comment from one company said:
“Since we started exhibiting at large food exhibitions, our export sales have increased from around 5% of turnover to about 40% of turnover. A large part of this is due to the exposure, meeting opportunities, and leads generated by exhibiting at the shows.”

There is no doubt at all that when trading both at home and internationally, one of the ways to build awareness of your products and your brand is at these larger shows. You have 1/10th of a second to attract someone to your stand. Your team’s soft selling skills have to be on top form as working shows is completely different from other forms of selling.

For more information on rfm’s exhibitions knowledge and assistance, contact russ@rfm.co.uk There is also a downloadable exhibitions factsheet.

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Business Networking for Business – Hone those Meet the Buyer Skills

Posted on May 9, 2014 by RFM

Many businesses will be networking for new business over the next few months as business and consumer visitors arrive in Scotland for the Comonwealth Games and Ryder Cup. In addition to watching all the sporting prowess, some agencies will be organising ‘Meet the Buyer’ face to face events which will allow Scottish companies to introduce their products and start the business development and sales process. What everyone needs to know is –

  • How to create a great impression in the first few moments
  • What to say, what not to say
  • How to gain commitment to the next stage

Whether in a networking situation or a more formal networking for business presentation setting, working on these skills will put you a step ahead of the competition.  It takes only a day with a couple of follow ups to make great presentations to feel, look and sound more confident as well as delivering key messages that illustrate the real edge you have as a company.  Who would have thought that 20 minutes or so that you have to ‘wow’ the buyer would have such a strategic effect on your business and sales development.

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Customer Handling Creating Competitive Edge

Posted on May 4, 2014 by RFM

What a fickle bunch we are. In a service based economy or in any really competitive sector, often it is customer service that creates that competitive edge to get the first order, customer service which keeps the existing customer happy and customer service that gets you a referral elsewhere. Just look at the power of Trip Advisor in the tourism and leisure industry.

In a business to business situation, the same principles apply. We have a number of clients who, when we undertake customer perception studies, the areas of concern and frustration are all down to communication and customer contact. To instil this in the minds and processes of your organisation, there are skills funding sources available. Flexible Learning Opportunities from Skills Development Scotland offer assistance across a multitude of topics including customer service, sales and marketing.

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Online shops – opening the door to successful trading!

Posted on April 25, 2014 by RFM

Many small organisations will have an online shop. There are many packages out there and often the decision is taken to offer online sales. It is a great idea, – it can extend the reach of a company, provide an easy access into export and hopefully allow a little more margin to be kept.

However in the sme sector sometimes the following situation arises. The shop is open but no one is shopping there. It is not the low cost strategy that one had hoped for. For a successful online retail operation, you need to work at it, to keep your name at the top of the search engines, engage with the customers, keep them on pages and enthral them. This takes time but the costs and effect is probably a lot less than the costs of running a real shop!

For a fast look at your online shop effectiveness with some ‘quick wins’ to increase the number of shoppers, keeping them browsing round your store, building your search profile, get in touch today.

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Exhibitions and Meet the Buyer events – The Hours spent preparing matter

Posted on April 14, 2014 by RFM

Just like the athletes getting ready for the Commonwealth Games, winning the business contract takes time and practice and often quite a gestation period. The first point of contact is often face to face at trade shows and ‘ meet the buyer ‘ events, – a time to see the whites of the eyes of the customer and really demo your product or service well. Many ‘b to b’ sector organisations spend time and money at trade shows all over the world without the soft skill practise it takes to get it right.

Soft skills in sales is where it is at. Knowing the structure of how to persuade, make a credible case for your company and it’s products and move the discussion to a successful sales conclusion. Often you have one opportunity to get it right and if you don’t the opportunity fritters away.

For more information on how to max the chance of winning contact russ@rfm.co.uk

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Customer Service – WOWing the customers

Posted on April 12, 2014 by RFM

Giving the customer a ‘WOW’ experience costs you less than any advertising or communications. Treating the customer well and going the extra mile will reap huge rewards in retained and sustainable business.

The effort to gain new customers through the door of your premises – a real door and ecommerce door or a telephone door is a huge investment. So it follows that any of your team who answers a phone, or e mails or interfaces or delivers does not know how to handle customer well and better than the competition, you are missing a trick. WOW level excellence in customer service gets you better referral than almost any other element. It is an amazing tool to enhance, link sell, build repeat and referral business.

For more information on engaging and enthralling customer service in your organisation speak to us about previous programmes contact russ@rfm.co.uk

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Dont Worry, Be Appy!

Posted on April 11, 2014 by RFM

Just amazed at the number of life easing actions you can now do on your phone – sat nav, translation for overseas guests, pounce on a table at the last minute, gain product information etc. It is the way forward and every business looking to grow and to engage with both consumers and business to business customers, needs to be mindful of the way in which we consume information.

If it is not on your radar at the moment, it certainly has to be considered. If apps , mobile sites, phone and tablet ordering is the way your customers wish to trade, you have to be there. In business to business it also shows that you are ahead of the game, interested and aware of the new order.

Many years ago, companies used to prepare brochures and then often keep most of them in the cupboard, – not much use to anyone! A more modern version of the same issue arose recently.  A client in the textile trade had created an app – a fantastic piece of work, superbly crafted, well designed to appeal to many different types of user. In research, key customers were either unaware of or had not downloaded the app. When we change the way we communicate, we have to make it habit forming. Getting the app is the first thing, creating awareness and usage is the next.

For more information on the various types of marketing and business generation processes, contact russ@rfm.co.uk.

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Bakers Dozen – probably better than 10%

Posted on April 11, 2014 by RFM

Giving someone 10 % off just because they ask is just not good business. This happens repeatedly in consumer based companies, business to business operations etc. The fact is that the media tell us that everything is negotiable, of course, everyone asks and often gets!

The bakers dozen gives away additional product or service ( that costs you less) rather than denegrate your brand and even worse, give away 25 – 30% of your profit!! This is fact.

Some businesses of course have to increase their published prices in order to give away the 10%. For the SME, we often suggest they explore the bakers dozen as there is less opportunity to give away volume discounts.

For more information on this and a variety of other means of counteracting discount and negotiation, we have the expertise here at RFM. We often run skills development programmes on this on a one to one basis. This, when tailored to individual organisations, gives a real time example of how to cope with the issue and maintain the appropriate level of profit.

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