For Direct Marketers, Personality Is Everything

I’m sure you’ll find this interesting. While recently wrapping up a CEO search for a leading consumer catalog and web company, nearly all the candidates who made our client’s short list had the same personality. Interesting, yes! But not peculiar.

The finalist candidates—four men and a woman—a talented mix of seasoned dm execs from across the country, were representing career backgrounds in a variety of product categories and company size.

In fact, after 12 years of assessment testing hundreds of men and women—senior-level direct marketing candidates for positions as CEO, President—for leadership roles in Finance, Marketing, Merchandising, IT, Operations, I’ve noticed the same thing. Over 75% of these individuals have the same personality and temperament type. So for me, testing this most recent group came as no surprise.

Why Can't We All Just Get Along?

The direct marketing executive personality type I’m referring to—and the one you may not be aware of—is shared by only 12% to 15% of the American population, according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). This is the standard-bearer of all personality assessments. In fact, it identifies sixteen distinctly different, universal personality types.

According to its publishers, Myers-Briggs is used by roughly nine out of 10 Fortune 100 companies and is administered to more than 2.5 million employees a year. The MBTI was developed 60 years ago based on the theories of psychoanalyst Carl Jung. It endures, because it does a great job of improving team relations by pointing out differences between how personality "types" perceive and process information.

The Right Fit

A Harvard University study found that for every dismissal based on failure to perform, there are two dismissals due to personality and communication problems. With the high costs of employee turnover, it's no surprise more and more direct marketing organizations are turning to personality and behavioral assessments to help evaluate job candidates, build teams and resolve workplace conflicts.

Think about it. You’re already testing offers, testing copy, testing merchandise, and testing catalogs. So why not your people?

If your business is not doing so, you ought to consider using testing (and there are numerous pre-hire assessment options to choose from) to fine-tune your hiring process and bring in top talent. It may help you get a handle on which candidates are most likely to succeed—evaluating candidates before they are hired. And give you some kind of idea of what makes them tick.

This raises the question: Are certain people genetically bred to go into direct marketing? Or does the very nature of the business effect personality and temperament? Take your pick. In my judgment, it’s a bit of both. "We want to learn more about candidates as individuals," says Andy Katz, President & CEO of pet supplies direct marketer, PetEdge. "Once a candidate is hired, this same information helps us understand and maximize their talents specific to the role they have," Katz adds. "And we continue to work on developing employees' self-awareness throughout their careers to help create an environment that ensures success."

You Can’t Study For It

In taking a personality assessment, experts advise candidates to answer the questions truthfully, not the way they think the company wants them to respond. There is often a validity factor built in where many questions are asked solely to determine whether the subject is answering truthfully and consistently.

Even if the candidate does fool the test, he or she will only wind up in a job or assignment that doesn't fit or will make you—and those around you—miserable. According to Bonnie Bass, a vice president of a professional dynametric programs testing organization, "When people feel the need to act unnaturally, they waste energy, experience stress and become unhappy and less productive. People are at their best when they're doing work that draws on their natural strengths and allows them to be themselves."

Free Offer: What’s Your Direct Marketing Personality?

I will give a free, confidential personality and assessment test to the first 10 senior-level direct marketing executives who respond by email. Discover your four-letter Myers-Briggs type. Learn how type affects your career, relationships, and personal growth, management style, teamwork, leadership, communication, and personal growth and development. And, I’ll announce the results: how many share the same personality and what that type is—in next month’s newsletter.

Preparation of the Marketing Campaign: Advertising

Advertising: Of all the promotional mix elements, advertising is the one with the greatest similarities worldwide. The reason is that most advertising everywhere is based on American practices. The trend towards global marketing and economies of scale have prompted many firms to stress the standardization of advertising procedures.

The factors that influence advertising are: the type of product, availability of media and the foreign environmental forces.

1) Type of product: buyers of industrial goods and luxury products act on the same way worldwide, thus the standardization approach may be applied in these cases. This enables manufacturers of capital goods to market these goods worldwide with very little modification in the various markets. Firms such as Coca-Cola, Avon, and Levi Strauss use this international approach successfully.

2) Availability of media: Even when the campaign message is standardized, advertisers may find they cannot use the same media mix in all countries.

3) Foreign environmental forces: Like variations in the media availability, the foreign environmental forces act as deterrents to international standardization. Amongst the most influential of these forces are the socio-cultural forces. A basic cultural decision for the marketer is whether to position the product as foreign or local, and which way to go depends on the country, the type of product, and the targeted market. Close to these forces are the legal constraints applied in the local country. There are laws affecting media availability and also limitations on the type of products that can be advertised. For example some countries apply a special tax on advertising on certain media.

Javier Cristobal

CEO

IOL Enterprises Inc.

http://www.iolenterprises.com

Who Controls The Sale: The Buyer Or The Seller?

How do you prefer to sell: through email & the web, by phone, or face-to-face?

How do your prospects like to buy?

What happens when these preferences conflict?

Famed management guru and my professor, Peter F. Drucker, was fond of pointing out that there are at least three kinds of customers:

(1) Readers
(2) Listeners, and
(3) Writers.
To his list, we can also probably add
(4) Talkers and
(5) Viewers.

These are the main modalities through which people like to get their information.

The general idea is we should respect customer preferences, communicating through media that are appropriate to each individual.

But is this the way we should sell? Should we defer to apparent customer preferences, or assert our own?

For instance, let’s say you receive an inquiry through your web site’s email, requesting additional information about your products or services. It’s easy to reply by scribbling something, or by attaching documents, and then by clicking the mouse.

This, it would seem, is what the inquirer is requesting, right?

But let’s say, at the end of the email, the person has “signed it” with his name and phone number. Should we take that as an invitation, or at least permission to respond by phone?

While I’m a writer, and I’m comfortable crafting responsive emails, I prefer to sell prospects in real-time, face to face, or by phone. I believe calling an inquirer quickly, not only shows I’m interested in earning his business. It gives me a chance to learn more about his project, his needs, budget, and I get to assess his sense of urgency and seriousness from his voice.

I can find out about his authority to buy, where he is in the process of evaluating sources of supply, and if he’s operating under a deadline. Also, how did he hear about me—from a referral, a search engine, one of my books?

I just can’t surmise this detail from an initial email, so there are solid selling reasons to get back with him by phone.

But there are risks, as well.

He may think it’s too aggressive, or premature, preferring to keep potential sources at arms length, for the time being. He may be a reader, preferring to sift through documentation, comparing sources, and planning his second dispatch.

But if I call, I can always follow that chat with literature, if that’s his wish.

I prefer to play to my strengths, rather than deferring to a prospect’s. So, I’ll make an effort to discover a person’s phone number, even if they haven’t provided one in their email inquiry.

When I call, I say that I wanted to make sure I sent the right information, and to do that it’s best to get acquainted a little with their specific needs.

What if they reply, “All I wanted was some basic information.”

This suggests they aren’t serious prospects, or that they’re simply going through the motions of shopping so they can seem that they’ve “objectively” settled on using someone else, a source they already decided to work with.

Or, they could be calling as shills for my competitors, to learn more about what I’m up to, for intelligence.

In any case, I can disqualify them from receiving further attention or more detailed information.

Ultimately, the question is who will control the buying process: him or me?

I’m comfortable taking control, as a principle of economy, not power, or personality.

The goal here is not developing an ideal relationship, it’s doing profitable business. That doesn’t always happen in an egalitarian context, or necessarily by putting the customer, first!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

How to Get B2B Clients: A Primer for Copywriters

n more than 20 years of copywriting for both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) clients, I have found mid-size and large B2B clients to be generally easier to work with, and more professional than B2C. (I do not recommend working for small business in either B2B or B2C.)

In my experience, B2B companies tend be more “corporate” and less entrepreneurial in their thinking and procedures than B2C companies. For instance, B2B clients are more likely to use creative briefs, meet deadlines, and pay on time.

The marketing departments of B2B clients also tend to be more sophisticated in their approach to marketing; this is nice for the copywriter who wants to have more say in testing, offers, and other elements of a response campaign.

The more process-driven a marketing department is, the easier it is to get winning promotions, as well as information on the results of promotions, work samples, and other data that helps a copywriter build his business.

Winning a B2B Client

Because B2B clients are by nature more oriented to “professional” processes and thinking, the copywriter who wants to win their business must also appear professional. Here’s what you’ll need in order to successfully approach a mid-size, large, or enterprise-level B2B client:

• Professional-quality letterhead, envelopes, and business cards are a must. You don’t have to be exotic or fancy; graphic designers need flash and dazzle but copywriters don’t. Don’t fret about design…but do make sure your most basic business tools look professional. If you can’t afford a designer’s help, opt for simple and straightforward.

• Know what you stand for. It pays to create your own unique selling proposition (USP). These days both B2C and B2B clients want to know why you are the best copywriter for them. Once you determine what sets you apart, you should create a tag line that appears on your business cards and letterhead.

For instance, the tagline I helped one of my coaching students create is “Helping your build and maintain profitable long-term customers.”

• Go to a niche market. Related to the advice above, you will do well to go to a niche market for which you have a connection…a point of differentiation that sets you apart. Many experts will tell you that you can find your point of differentiation in your work history. But this is only partly true.

With my coaching students I regularly help them discover what makes them unique and special not only in their work history, but in their passions, and their talents.

For instance, one of my students wanted to use her literary talent to sell her copywriting; so we carved out a unique copywriting market that would appreciate — and benefit from — the power of her written talent for story telling.

• You must have a Web site. And it had better be professional. A professional Web site for the corporate market must exhibit obvious elements of good lead-generation.

The elements of a good lead-generating Web site are many; however, for the purposes of this primer, I will touch on the most important four elements:

1. Your Web site must have “you” orientation. It’s not about you, it’s about them. Your Home Page headline must acknowledge a pain of your audience, and offer a solution. One example from one of my coaching students: “Are you a software marketer looking for a steadier stream of qualified software leads?”

Contrast this with this “me oriented” Home Page headline of another copywriter: “Bill S., Freelance Advertising Copywriter.” Even the lead-in sentence was me oriented: “I’m an advertising copywriter, which is why my website utterly lacks graphics.”

2. Your Web site must have an offer. Direct marketing without an offer is not direct marketing. If you are a copywriter who wants to make a great income, then you must let your potential clients know that you will bring in more than you cost.

You offer should in some way convey that. In lead-generation, which is what your freelance business depends on, one of the best offers you can advance is free information in the form of a report, or other valuable information product.

3. Your Web site must have either a very clean, orderly, and simple but sophisticated design…or it must be designed by a graphic designer.

If designed by a direct response designer, your Web site will exhibit signs of high level branding and direct response design “magic”…all of which will impress a B2B audience.

An aside: In my experience, Webmasters are excellent at what they do, but they do not have direct marketing graphic design skills — even though they usually think they do!

If you’re going to build your Web site yourself, take the time to learn about direct response design; otherwise, invest a small sum in having a direct response designer create a design template that you can follow…or have her design the full site herself.

4. Post samples. Samples are the equivalent of showing a portfolio. For new copywriters, this is a tough one. But there are lots of ways to work this to your advantage.

First, understand that no potential client wants to see more than three samples; then understand that you can post a “spec” sample that never mailed; and third, know that you can even post a sample that was never entirely finished…

If, for instance, you did a critique of a potential client’s campaign, you can post that critique on your Web site — as long as you gained permission to do so.

A note on testimonials:

Yes, they’re important. But I was lazy in this department. Instead, I concentrated on getting response rates and writing case studies of my winners. Not having testimonials on my Web site never hurt me. However, one day I wanted to diversify into coaching and other copywriting related pursuits…and then I became concerned.

So my advice to you is to be vigilant about collecting testimonials. The moment your client says something positive about your work is the moment to say “can I quote that?”

• You must have business processes. Once again, because of their professional nature, B2B companies work best with copywriters who use fee agreements, creative briefs, meet deadlines, and nail down exactly what it is they’re expected to do (right down to the size and fold of the brochure), put it in writing, and then do it.

Many copywriters work without fee agreements, “set in stone” timelines, and like the “handshake” approach to doing business.

But not only is this a sure path to disappointment, it’s also a red flag to corporate clients that the copywriter is insecure, a poor business person, or both. Having a clear process for how you do business will not only make your business more profitable, but it will make the B2B client more confident in your abilities.

• Be a salesman. Whether their marketing is lead-generating or order-generating, B2B clients are very efficient at salesmanship and closing. Don’t shy away from mailing sales letters to them and then following up. They do it, and understand that it’s “just business” to be on the receiving end.

In fact, I’ve found it much easier to market to B2B companies than B2C. If you’ve done a good job of targeting — you’ve created a niche or USP that matches you with your target — then you should enjoy at least a 1% conversion rate to your marketing efforts. B2B companies are generally accepting and interested in your call, as long as you’ve done your homework to determine why you’re the best copywriter for them.

Master copywriter and coach Chris Marlow publishes a free ezine for copywriters who want to quickly build a profitable business. Visit:http://www.FreelancersBusinessBulletin.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Marlow

Successful Call Centers Don't Need High Technology

walked into a call center the other day, a small one, and something amazing hit me.
There is absolutely no high technology present in the calling areas.
Sales reps use paper printouts of customer names, make chicken scratches to note who says yes, no, maybe, call back later, and not in.
No one is served by an auto-dialer.
This is a bare bones operation, and definitely a throwback to the 80’s, if not earlier.
Yet it is successful.
Let me repeat that.
It is successful, and instead of putting its extra cash flow into machinery, the company is investing in its people, in the form of training and coaching. The goal is to create better sellers, not faster typists or data entry clerks.
How refreshing. No computer screens, except in the managers’ offices.
I’ve wondered, of late, whether we’ve become a nation of nonstop screen watchers.
Tonight, at the mall, I picked up a pair of new sunglasses at one of those kiosks that’s smack in the middle of the walking area. An early 20s-ish fellow rang-up my order, and I noticed a flat screen with some show running on it. Very thin and about five inches long, it was bolted to his writing area, next to the charge card terminal.
Apparently, when he’s working, he’s watching TV or some video. People used to carry paperback books to fill the gaps when working at places like this.
Screens are now fixed in front of us at supermarket check out areas. Containing the worst programming known to humanity, watching these images and babbling heads will make you lose five or ten I.Q. points per shopping trip.
I don’t have to tell you about the convergence of TV and cell phones. More screens, more of the time.
Technology doesn’t do our selling for us. People do, yet we’re suckered into thinking that we need all of these high definition ditties.
Ask yourself if your screens are serving you, or are you serving them?
The answer may surprise you.
Dr. Gary S. Goodman, President of Customersatisfaction.com, is a popular keynote speaker, management consultant, and seminar leader and the best-selling author of 12 books, including Reach Out & Sell Someone® and Monitoring, Measuring & Managing Customer Service. He is a frequent guest on radio and television, worldwide. A Ph.D. from USC's Annenberg School, Gary offers programs through UCLA Extension and numerous universities, trade associations, and other organizations in the United States and abroad. He is headquartered in Glendale, California, and he can be reached at (818) 243-7338 or at: gary@customersatisfaction.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Gary_S._Goodman

Guide To Business And Data Trends

If one factor is to be named on which today’s business world stands it is undoubtedly the data management system of organization. The significance of data captures and interpretation is such that many make and break of most business organizations and big corporate houses depend on efficient data management. Collecting data known, as capturing data at the first place is indispensable for any business house. All type of trading needs data, to manage both the internal and eternal working of the company. Information about details of products dealt by organization, employees working for the growth of company and the marketing opportunities available each aspect need to be studied carefully and analyzed for business promotion, expansion and even day-to-day normal running of business.

Data manipulation and interpretation has been an integral part of enterprises since long only the methods of data entry, storage and retrieval keep on being upgraded to suit growing needs of business world. Older methods of huge paper work for data management requirements of a company have long given way to the computer age and an era of paperless offices is on its way to live for long. Computer handling of data is much more efficient, reliable and fast for all types of data needs in any business. Gathering huge amounts of data at one place and being able to manipulate it easily is one of the greatest advantage of digital data setups.

Computerized information’s can be stored on variety of media depending on the requirement, nature and volume of data. Very Large amounts of data that is necessary to be retrieved only when needed can be stored on secondary storage devices for permanent accumulation. Hard disks and CD-ROM’s have been popular in acting as data repositories. Data can be written to CD-ROM’s by way of burning them using CD-writers and information in hard-disk is stored with the help of any computer.

Even data sharing and transfer has become a matter of minutes by the invention of computerized data management. Information about anything in business can be easily accessed by anyone whoever has the powers to do so even of he is situated at remote distances. In special business organizations where data transfer and sharing is vital for its success emergence of computers has been a heavenly blessing and has given a huge boost to its economic status. Airline reservations, railway bookings, knowing the performance of business in different branches of the organization all has been made easy by introduction of digital computing systems.

These data spreading and keeping of backup copies, apart from serving good to the business has also created threat of data theft and data damages for business. Hackers from all over world and also social technical culprits impose high risk of accessing and misusing vital facts of business. Apart from natural damages like that of fire, flood, lightning or sudden accidents business data needs to be safeguarded from ill- intentions of some malicious human beings. All these necessities have given intense boost to data security software and other safety measures implied by companies. Even the extra costs incurred in beginning for implying protection against anticipated data loss are worth being considered for long term gains of business houses.

About the Author: Mansi aggarwal writes about. business and data trends Learn more at http://www.businessdatatrends.com

Source: www.isnare.com

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