Why Promotional Products?

Stephen Lalla

It is believed that the very first promotional product was an imprinted book bag in the 1880's. From there, during World War II General Douglas MacArthur distributed through occupied territories imprinted pencils with "I Shall Return." In 1945, with the invention of the ballpoint pen, that soon became the biggest selling promotional product and writing instruments are still in second place with any logo'd apparel being in the number one slot. So back to the original question, why promotional products?

We all have business cards and probably a rack card or brochure with our contact info and a product or list of services. These are necessary tools in order to do business coupled with an online  presence. The last time you attended a networking event or a trade show, what did you do with that business card or rack card? If you're like most people you either scanned it into your database or entered the info manually and then disposed of the paper. I know it hurts to think that's what people do with your beautiful collateral. And it gets worse.

If they need your product or service you really hope that somehow you magically made a lasting impression so they can find your info in the hundreds or even thousands of other names listed in their CRM. But the chances are less you'll be remembered unless they have an immediate need. And that brings us not only to the why but to the power of promotional products.

Baylor University conducted a study several years ago regarding promotional products and discovered that when used they increased the response rate of a direct mail piece by 75%. And if you've ever done direct mail the normal response rate is quite low so anything that will significantly increase it's effectiveness is worth considering. Other studies were also done on the effectiveness of promotional products and results were similar in so far as people remembered the name or logo on one item that was still in their possession. And hence they have great hang time.

Take a quick moment right now and look for at any promotional products that are within your reach. Most people will have several and you'll find that depending on the item itself, the majority of people can remember when and even where they picked it up. So now let's answer the question why promotional products?

Promotional products can serve as memory aids. Being a physical tangible item that is normally going to be highly visible, it's hard to forget or not have that message in front of you especially if that item is highly functional. And since there are so many promotional products, roughly 750,000 according to industry estimates, it's always best to work with an experienced dealer to make sure you're using the right product to accomplish your goals. Promotional products, like any other forms of advertising, should be a part of your overall strategic marketing mix and not simply use alone.

Stephen Lalla is with Dynamic Image Marketing Systems, Inc., a promotional products resource company. Putting your brand in the hands of potential clients is what it's all about and mothing helps them remember you better than promotional products. Visit Stephen's website at www.dynamicimage.biz.

5 Basic Ways to Build Loyal Customer Relationships

You can bring in all the new customers you want, but if you aren't working to build those relationships, you will soon lose those customers. Loyalty isn't something you can expect new customers to give freely. You've got to earn their trust and loyalty. The only way this can be accomplished is by developing relationships. Your customers should know you care about them. Here are five straightforward ways to build those relationships.

1. Be an active listener.
2. Show genuine interest in your customer and his or her needs.
3. Become a problem-solver (even if it means sending them to your competitor).
4. Be attentive to providing exceptional customer service.
5. Admit mistakes and make efforts to correct problems immediately.

Is your business marketing with the latest technology?

When you go out today, take time to look at the people around you. How many of them are using their smart phone or tablet to access their social media sites and the internet? As smart phone and tablet usage continues to rise, many social media sites and application developers are jumping on the band wagon to help businesses market to their prospective customers. Take a look at the latest stats from the Pew Internet Project's research -- Pew Internet: Mobile.

When it comes to on-line marketing, it's all about "Engagement." How do you engage your prospects so they stick around and want to frequent your website or your brick and mortar business. Apps are one of the latest ways to keep prospects and customers engaged in your brand's experience.

Timberland and Kenneth Cole are using apps that are tracking in-store interests. In fact, users who downloaded the Swirl app and allowed it to track their location can take advantage of discount offers at the Kenneth Cole store in Grand Central. The app uses a countdown feature that lets the user know they have a certain amount of time once they've accepted a deal to take advantage of it. Read more by clicking -- Timberland, Kenneth Cole Track Shoppers Who Opt_In for Deals.

Can small businesses take advantage of these types of apps? Absolutely! A search on the internet shows a number of companies, like Perka and LoyalBlocks provide simple solutions to creating a mobile loyalty program. We are resellers of the Perka program so if you have any questions, please email us.

A division dedicated to marketing auto repair shops is in the works!

A large percentage of our customer-base is made up of independent auto repair shops and we tend to specialize a lot of our marketing programs toward new business in this area. Because we've worked with a number of shops over the years, we understand the industry and their needs when it comes to marketing. As a result, we will be expanding our business by creating a separate division of our company dedicated to providing marketing services to this industry. All the details will be rolled out over the next few weeks and we anticipate starting our marketing campaign mid-September. We look forward to bringing those details to you in the very near future.

Our Commitment to Quality

Creating unstoppable brand images and dynamic leadership training programs takes well-trained professionals who are committed to providing exceptional customer service. With each project, we implement our Quality Improvement Process so we can be sure of your satisfaction. We also appreciate that being willing to constantly look at how well we are doing business allows us to continually improve upon the quality of service we provide to our clients. Click here to read the entire article.

Need a Public Speaker for Your Business Event?

When you need a dynamic and information-packed session for your next business meeting, consider the proven marketing professional and founder of Eagle Soars Consulting, Anne Lazo.

Anne is a sought-out resource when it comes to marketing small businesses. She is often called upon to speak at business events, trade shows, and seminars. Additionally, various publications and business professionals frequently reach out to Anne for her unique insight on traditional and new media marketing strategies. Click here to read the entire article.

How to Obtain and Use Customer Testimonials

When it comes to growing a business, the only way to overcome a prospect's natural skepticism is to develop a relationship based on trust. A company's marketing message and every contact with a prospect should be one that builds on that trust factor. One of the most powerful tools you can use to build trust is with customer testimonials. Click here to read the entire article.

Turning a Customer into a Profitable Business Partner

As a business owner, often times you will find the majority of your sales is generated from repeat customers and referrals from those customers. Word-of-mouth advertising is very powerful, so when you find your new business is coming from your customers and their family, friends and associates, you know you are doing something right (although there is always room for improvement). Simply stated, your customers have come to know and trust you, and they like doing business with your company. All the more reason we, as business owners, should be working to improve the relationships we have with our customers.

Click here to read the entire article.

Knowing What Your Customers Want

Whether you are just starting out in business or you have been operating for many years, it is always important to periodically ask yourself, "What do my customers want?" Here is why. Click here to read the entire article.

Seven Ways to Build Customer Relationships

The success of every business is dependent on developing good customer relationships. The two key ingredients in nurturing customer relationships are time and trust. When you've worked hard at getting to know your customers and their needs, you can create products and services that exceed their expectations. If you do that consistently, in time, you'll gain their trust and loyalty.

Click here to read the entire article.

The Power of a Hand-Written Thank You in Business

When was the last time you received a hand-written thank you note? More importantly, when did you last write to someone to express your gratitude? With the fast pace of life and the ease of technology, we've fallen into the trap of communication devoid of any real personal touch.

Click here to read the entire article.

A Guide to Evaluating Marketing ROI

As a business owner, you've no doubt heard the saying, "You've got to spend money to make money." This is true, especially when it comes to marketing a business. Unless you invest in marketing, no one will hear about or know your business exists. Agreed?

Click here to read the entire article.

Are You Asking for Customer Referrals?

One of the best sources for new business is from your existing customers. If you've provided them with a top-notch product or service, your customers will be happy to give you repeat business. But there's also another way customers can help you grow your business, and that's by referring you to their family, friends and business associates.

Click here to read the entire article.

Make Email Marketing Work for Your Business with These 7 Tips

Email is a low-cost and effective way to market your business' products and services. Here are some quick tips to help make email campaigns work for your business:

1. Utilize an on-line service (like Constant Contact, iContact, or VerticalResponse, to name a few) to manage your email campaigns. These services are designed to easily manage subscribers and have templates that make it simple to design a nice-looking email campaign.
2. To read the other 6 tips, click here. 

In business, there is always room for improvement.

FACT: As business owners, whether it is the manner in which we serve our customers or the methods we use to tell our marketing message, there is always room for improvement.

Depending on when the fiscal year starts and ends for your business, you are either coming to the half-way point or just finishing up for the year. How well is your business performing? To run a successful business planning and evaluation should be part of your modus operandi. Click here to read some of the things you can do moving forward.

Revisiting the Mission & Vision of the Company was the topic for radio interview on 95.7 The Choice

This past Saturday, Bradley Waldrop from Chrysalis Consulting interviewed Eagle Soars Consulting's founder, Anne Lazo, on the Holy Profits Radio show that airs on Asheville's 95.7 The Choice Saturday mornings at 10am.  Taking a biblical perspective on business, the topic of conversation was on Revisiting the Mission & Vision of the Company. Waldrop and Lazo had an informative discussion on the topic that can be viewed here:

Anne Lazo will be speaking about Revisiting the Mission and Vision of the Company on upcoming radio show

Anne Lazo will be a guest speaker on Holy Profits Radio on 95.7 The Choice, Saturday morning, May 25th at 10am EDT. The topic for discussion during the show will be "Revisiting the Mission & Vision of the Company." Interested listeners can tune in to listen live on Ustream by visiting the Live Streaming page on www.HolyProfitsRadio.com.

"I am quite honored to be a guest on this show with Bradley Waldrop, owner of Chrysalis Consulting and host of Holy Profits Radio," states Anne Lazo, owner of Eagle Soars Consulting. Lazo adds, "Bradley and I have talked about our business philosophies on on a number of occasions and it is quite refreshing to see we have similar business leadership principles." Lazo comes to the table looking at businesses through the lens of marketing while Waldrop views business from the operations side.

Congratulations to Eagle Soars Consulting Essay Contest Winners!

Eagle Soars Consulting, an Elite Sponsor of GOTR of WNC, gave current Girls on the Run participants an opportunity to compete in an Essay Contest. The purpose of the contest was to write an essay about who they chose as a Running Buddy for the GOTR 5K on May 18th at Fletcher Park.

Click here to see all the names of the contest winners and read the winning essay. We promise the essay is well worth taking the time to read.

Supporting Awareness for Multiple Sclerosis

Do you know anyone whose life has been impacted by Multiple Sclerosis? If you do, you are aware of how debilitating this and other auto-immune diseases can be. As a reseller of the AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® program, we fully support Jody DeVere in her campaign for "Moms Opposing Multiple Sclerosis." We hope you will, too.

Click here to learn more.

How do you challenge yourself?

This past weekend, I finished one of the hardest things I've done in a very long time. I ran the hilly Nashville Country Music Marathon in the pouring rain with winds that were so hard at times, the rain actually stung when it hit my face. As I went through the course, I experienced some highs and some lows...each one challenging me to go on and finish the race.

Despite the rain, cooler temps and gusty winds, it wasn't all bad.  I learned a few things about myself. I also strengthened my resolve and found out that determination and preparation is a great driving force.  Had I not spent the many months training (at times in inclement weather), I would not have been able to finish. If I listened to the voice in my head that was telling me to quit, I would not have achieved a Personal Best that day.

When I started out, I felt great. During the first 10 miles, I had energy like never before. Perhaps the bands playing music along the course energized me. Maybe it was the excitement of the other runners (over 30,000 that day) that spurred me on. The spectators were also great, cheering and high-fiving along the way. I thought, "Wow! I can do this and I may even run fast enough to qualify for Boston!"

Once the half-marathoners left the course, at about mile 11 or so, the story changed. The rains began to come down harder and the winds picked up. Some of the puddles were so deep, they covered my running shoes. There wasn't a part of me that wasn't wet or cold. The crowds weren't as plentiful and runners seemed far and few between.  I was left to the thoughts in my head that were screaming at me. My left knee was hurting and I was beginning to feel disoriented as the rain pelted non-stop.

Between mile 17 and 18, I saw my sweetheart standing there waiting to cheer me on. I ran over to the side and asked him to pray for me as my legs were hurting quite badly. He very kindly said, "Honey, you don't have to go on, you know." With that I responded, "I'm doing this! I'm not going to let this race defeat me!" From there I went on to finish the race. Weatherbeaten and tired, I crossed that finish line. No, it wasn't a Boston qualifier, but I achieved something that day...I learned that I can accomplish even the most difficult of tasks, as long as I set my mind on the goal.

So why am I writing about this? To brag a little, yes. After all, I'm proud of myself for completing the challenge I set for myself. It's also to let you know that without challenges in business, we will never grow as leaders, our businesses will stagger, and we'll eventually give way to failure.

The most important part of the process of succeeding is in the planning and preparation. I trained for many months. I listened to my body and learned how to fuel properly. I built up my endurance so I could run the distance.

In business, we also need to plan and prepare for success. As we go through the day-to-day aspects of our business, we should be following that plan, but we should also be open to learning more about our customers, their needs, and how we can serve them well.

There is always a better way to do something, but we can't find that way if we're stuck on what we think we know.  We need to be willing to listen. Even more, we need to be receptive to constructive feedback so we can change things, always for the success of everyone involved.

Every day we should be asking whether or not we are being challenged by what we are doing. It's how we grow. It's how we succeed. If you feel like you're going through the motions of your day, ask yourself, "How can I challenge myself to be better than I was yesterday?" Then work to answer that question each and every day.

Our Environmentally-Friendly Business Practices

We believe in being good stewards of our environment. That is why we have adopted certain policies within our company to reduce the amount of paper we use and the waste we discard. In adopting these practices, we have found it has increased the efficiency of our business. Click here to read about our eco-friendly practices.

Eagle Soars Consulting Sponsors Essay Contest for Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina

We strongly believe in giving back to the community. It's also fun when you can help grow excitement and awareness for a cause that is close to your heart. That's why we're sponsoring an essay contest for Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina. Girls who are participating in the GOTR of WNC Spring 2013 season have been asked to write about the person they will be choosing as their Running Buddy for the 5K to be held in Fletcher Park on May 18th. The writer of the best essay from all the schools participating in each county will win one free runner's registration for their Running Buddy in this year’s 5K. For more information, visit our website.

Girls on the Run is an organization dedicated to growing strong, confident girls and we're proud to be able to support their efforts!

Eagle Soars Consulting's founder, Anne Lazo, featured in Mobile Marketing article in Ratchet+Wrench Magazine

Eagle Soars Consulting's founder, Anne Lazo, is no stranger to marketing automotive repair shops. She's been working with shops around the country for over 10 years, and has helped each one dramatically increase their car counts by implementing a strategic and consistent marketing plan. As a result, Lazo was recently quoted in a Ratchet+Wrench Magazine article on the importance of Mobile Marketing for automotive repair shops. The article, "Mobile Marketing" by Andrew Johnson, can be viewed by visiting www.ratchetandwrench.com/RatchetWrench/April-2013/Mobile-Marketing.

Overview of Our Training & Development Programs

Great companies are not developed overnight. It takes time. Everyone in your organization must understand the company's vision and be committed to its success. The manner in which you communicate that vision and foster an environment of learning and teamwork will make all the difference in how strongly the company is built.

For sustained success to occur, you must identify the skill sets your employees need to carry out the responsibilities of their jobs. Then, once hired and in those positions, you must create a learning environment where your employees are continually improving upon their skill sets and growing professionally.

There are a lot of training and development companies and programs that can help you in this regard. When selecting a firm, it is vitally important to work with one that has the same set of values and respects the contribution every employee lends to your organization's success. If one of your goals is to help your employees achieve their professional best, the Eagle Soars' Training and Development team are the experts for you.

Eagle Soars Consulting offers the following Training and Development services to organizations throughout the United States:

• Consulting - Assessment of Training Needs, Organizational Development & Human Resource Issues
• Design & Development - Custom-Designed Instructor-Led Training, Web-Based Training, Coaching Guides & Self-Directed Learning
• Training Course Facilitation - Off-the-shelf programs like The Ken Blanchard Company's Situational Leadership^® II (SLII^®), Achieve Global, and Development Dimensions, Inc.; Eagle Soars Consulting's Programs (Sales, Customer Service, Leadership, and Interpersonal Skills) & Your Company's Training Programs

Eagle Soars Consulting's Instructor-Led Training Programs

Our Instructor-Led training programs are dynamic and facilitate the learning process. Even more, every program designed by Eagle Soars Consulting includes a coaching component so your managers can reinforce and develop the learning after your employees have participated in a training module. This allows you to facilitate sustained learning to create a stronger and more cohesive work force and that makes your business operations run more profitably.

To view our specific Instructor-Led training programs, please click on the following links:

• Leadership and Supervisory Skills
• Sales and Service Skills
• Professional Development Skills

9 Items to Consider When Planning a Seminar to Attract New Customers

Holding a seminar geared toward your target audience is an excellent way to grow your list of customers. Once you attract their attention and get them in the door to learn valuable information, you are well on your way to creating a lasting and loyal customer. You do not have to be in a highly technical or professional field to use seminars as an effective tool in your marketing plan. However, to do it the right way, you must plan. Here are some things to consider while planning your seminar:

Click here to read the entire article.

Direction

According to Ken Blanchard, author of the “One Minute Manager," he said all team members fit into one of four categories: directions, coaching, support and delegation.

People need direction. Young and inexperience personnel really do not know what to do with the training they receive. This responsibility should not be taken lightly. Once instructions are given, let them own it and do the job. Don’t feel like you have to micro-manage your personnel. Ken Blanchard has the mindset of coaching his staff to do something right and rewarding them with words like, “Job well done.” Warren Buffett said, “It's better to hang out with people better than you. Pick out associates whose behavior is better than yours and you'll drift in that direction.” Finding a mentor that will guide you in the right direction is a must.

Employees who can do the job on their own will become more independent, but they will need a coach for direction. When I think of great coaches, they focus on what their team does correctly and not so much on what they do wrong. Vince Lombardi said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” A coach sees the big picture. He or she has usually been in the same shoes of the person they are coaching and can give direction from experience.

They need our support. Most of the time, our team members are able to work without your direction and need encouragement. They will run in a ditch or hit a guardrail of life along the way and need someone to say, "I know you can do this." Terrell Owens a former NFL player said, “A lot of emotional stress that people go through, some people figure out a way to handle it. They have a strong enough support system to keep going and keep moving forward. Some people, they feel like they don't have that outlet.” Having that support system on and off the job is very important.

Delegation is thought of as passing down authority and responsibility to others under your leadership to carry out activities. When you delegate, you are releasing your authority to others to get the job done. If there is no delegation, you can only accomplish what you can do personally. That’s okay if you don’t have anyone to under your leadership. When you delegate, provide each person with vision on the front end and accountability on the back end, and they will multiply your efforts toward success. We all need accountability. We also need to know where we stand. When we’re given authority to do a job, we can go forward with the job at hand. This unknown author said, “Even 'Super-You' needs help and support. There is no shame in asking for assistance. Push aside the pride and show respect for the talent others can bring to the table. And, remember that there is no such thing as a single-handed success: When you include and acknowledge all those in your corner, you propel yourself, your teammates and your supporters to greater heights."

Wayne Bailey is a Distributor with SendOutCards. He has recognized tremendous growth in his personal and business relationships by implementing the strategies he talks about in his articles. You can email Wayne at wayne_bailey642@hotmail.com or visit: www.sendoutcards.com/waynebailey.   

Be the Exception and Be Exceptional

"They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Carol Buchner

In today's fast-paced world, most people are rushing around trying to get as many things done in a day as they possibly can. If you read that statement and found you relate to it, please answer this question - Is everything you are doing of exceptional quality or have you found you must cut corners to get to your end result? We do not believe there is a business owner alive today who sets out each morning to be so-so. We all want to be the best at what we are doing. Do we not?

Click HERE to read the entire article.

Some Resources for Your Business

When we have the opportunity, we like to share various resources with our readers. Here are just a few of the latest services and applications to help you be more productive:

• EchoSign - An electronic signature service that helps you manage contracts.
• FreeCRM - A free, web-based solution for customer relationship management.
• Freshbooks - A cloud solution for accounting.
• Outright - An on-line bookkeeping solution for small businesses.
• TimeTrade - A simple way to allow people to book appointments with you.
• Workface - This service provides enterprise-level, on-demand live text, audio and video chat that allows you to connect with your prospects and customers at a greater level.

Auto repair shop increases new business by 300% within 2 years

The owner of this automotive repair shop, never imagined he would get such a great response from initiating a consistent marketing program so when the results showed a 300% increase in new business, he was amazed.  It all began in the summer of 2003, when this shop owner decided that operating on a dead end street required a little more savvy and stick-to-itiveness than just sending out mailings to his customers every once in a while.

Click here to read the entire article.

Marketing for the Smaller Law Firm

Law firms take marketing seriously. So much so that the larger firms typically have a person on-staff dedicated to marketing. As a smaller firm, your time should be spent on billing clients not marketing. That's where the specialists at Eagle Soars Consulting come into play. We have worked with many different types of law firms over the years and know what it takes to market a firm. Some of them include environmental attorneys, family law attorneys, sexual assault attorneys, and real estate attorneys to name a few.

Click here to read more...

Tough Competition for Landscape Design, Lawn Maintenance and Irrigation Businesses

As an owner of a landscape design, lawn maintenance or irrigation business, you are well aware of the competition you have for new customers. The fact that your business is seasonal also poses a number of challenges. So how do you make sure you are gaining the competitive edge?

As with any business, it starts with a professional image; one that lets your prospects and customers know you are serious about and take pride in your work. The quality of your company logo, marketing materials, website, vehicles, and proposals will tell a story about your business. Equally important is finding and hiring reliable and trustworthy workers who will help you provide the highest standards in customer care.

Click here to read more...

Automotive Repair Shops Succeed with Targeted Marketing

As a shop owner, the bottom-line profitability of your shop depends on keeping your bays filled. To accomplish this, you must hire trained technicians and provide excellent customer care. Equally important is how you tell your message to gain greater visibility and build trust with prospects and customers. That involves making a commitment to marketing.

Click here to read the entire article.

Confrontation

When was the last time you were confronted about a bad situation or you had to confront someone? The easy thing to do is avoid the confrontation, right? Wrong. Why do we want to avoid confrontation? There is a real fear that when your confront someone, you will not be liked and kicked out of the social circle. By avoiding confrontation, in most cases, it will make situation worse. If done properly, addressing the issue will help you grow as a person, and hopefully, the other person will grow, too.

When you confront someone, you should always do it with class and respect. You should never confront someone to make them look bad or make yourself look better. Below are some excerpts from the book “Developing the Leaders Around You:"

1. Confront ASAP. The old saying is, "Crow is easier to eat when it’s still warm."
2. Address the wrong action, not the person. Never ever make it personal.
3. Confront only what the person can change. They can only manage what they have control over.
4. Give the person the benefit of the doubt. If they said they messed up, believe them.
5. Be specific. This is so the act can be identified clearly.
6. Avoid sarcasm. Adding this to the mix, it becomes personal.
7. Avoid words like “always” and “never.” These words are absolute. Just think if they were coming back the other way.
8. If appropriate, tell the person how you feel about what was done wrong.
9. Give the person a game plan to fix the problem. If you’re their supervisor, this could be documented officially or non officially.
10. Affirm him or her as a person and a friend. Shake his or hand or give them a pat on the back and tell them you still appreciate them and their work.

In the end, you want to have the best interest in place for the person you’re confronting. There’s a good chance this person may grow from the conversation and learn from the experience.

Wayne Bailey is a Distributor with SendOutCards. He has recognized tremendous growth in his personal and business relationships by implementing the strategies he talks about in his articles. You can email Wayne at wayne_bailey642@hotmail.com or visit: www.sendoutcards.com/waynebailey.   

Give Yourself the Competitive Edge by Forgetting about the Competition

Business owners are always wondering and worrying about what the competition is doing. When they develop their marketing, they see what the competition is saying and then they say it differently or they position their company differently...based on the competition.

There's a problem with that mindset.

Click here to read the entire article.