A delightfully absurd take on everything from superheroes to office humor, twisted relationships, huggable animals, and more.
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An adroit mixture of everyday settings and extraordinary events.
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A compendium of strange-but-true recent events as reported in the legitimate press.
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The world of business and finance gets skewered, as Bottom Liners tackles subjects such as foreign takeovers, office policies, getting a raise, and the fast-paced world of Wall Street.
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A wry look at the absurdities of every day life.
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With a daily readership of more than 95 million, Dear Abby is the symbol of a caring heart for millions of people around the world.
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Tale of the Tape
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The Voice of Authority
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A High-Tech Piece of Paper?
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Get a Boost on Returns!
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A Message From Plum Grove Printers, Inc. |
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I've been doing Direct Mail for more than 20 years, and have learned
that 40% of the results you get from direct mail is from the call to
action, 40% is related to the audience you reach, and 20% is the look and style of the piece. We will explore each of
these areas in upcoming newsletters.
This week: Call to Action
Your marketing must clearly explain what you want your customers to
do! You can't assume your customers know why, when, or how to act in
response to your message. You want your customer's Action: your call
to action message ties the goal of your message to customer action.
What is your marketing goal?
If you want people to purchase your product, your call to action can
be as simple as "Order Today!" A coupon can get people to try a new
service or product: "Redeem this coupon and receive the first month
FREE." If your goal is to sign people up for your mailing list, tell
them to do it and give them an incentive: "Sign up for our mailing
list and receive a free gift now!"
The call to action tells your
custom what they should do after reading your advertisement.
Call to Action needs to be compelling!
Kohl's does great coupons -- 20% off any one item in the store. This appeals
to any one looking for one expensive item at Kohl's. And then the shopper
buys other items while in the store.
If it was 5% or 10% -- would anybody come?
If Kohl's said "Get 30% off Men's Dress Slacks" -- well this eliminates
women and teen shoppers, and men who don't wear dress slacks and men who
don't need them now. That is a bad call to action.
Garden Centers get amazing response rates with $5 off any purchase over $5,
in flower planting season. Yes, a few people buy a $5 item, but most buy
much much more.
Call to Action needs to be compelling! Needs to be attention worthy. Needs
to appeal to most recipients. They need to allow enough time to get a
response (and for the post office to deliver the piece) but must expire, or
at least say, "Limited Time Offer." And there is nothing wrong with multiple
calls to action.
Stop by PetersPostcards.com or call us at 1-866-PETER-02 and we'll
help you build the perfect Direct Mail to grow your business.
Best,
Check out these other online Custom Printing Services!
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Idea of the Week |
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Create the Need
John Patterson, known as the father of American salesmanship, is responsible for many of the modern sales practices used today. His work with the National Cash Register Company (NCR) changed the way salespeople think about marketing and selling their products.  In his book entitled The Patterson Principles of Selling, modern sales expert Jeffrey Gitomer unpacks some of Patterson’s most powerful tactics.
Patterson’s greatest sales accomplishment didn’t lie in selling cash registers, but in creating a demand for his product. He knew that sparking a desire would increase demand, and he focused his sales and marketing efforts on convincing consumers of the importance of obtaining a sales receipt. When consumers began to ask for a receipt from store clerks, the store managers felt obligated to purchase a cash register that would produce such receipts, and Patterson was poised to sell them one of his machines.
The same can be done in your business. Gitomer says in his book, “You must create a balance between the emotion to trigger the sale, and the logic to justify the purchase.” What is one thing your company could do to create a demand for your products or services?
See more great ideas like this!
Click here to visit the Plum Grove Printers, Inc. Ideas Collection.
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Marketing Tips |
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Vocal Tips for Better Public Speaking
Public speaking is a great way to build awareness for your company and the services you provide. Whether speaking to a civic group, a Toastmasters club, or at a Chamber event, a well-presented speech can help enhance your image as an expert and leader in your field. While content is of vital importance to successful speaking, so too is your vocal impression. Here are five tips to keep in mind as you prepare to speak:
Speak slowly. Many people have a tendency to rush their speaking when they are nervous or unsure. Make a conscious effort to slow things down and enunciate clearly, so everyone can understand what you have to say.
Open your throat. A closed throat is a natural reaction to fear. Unfortunately, it is also makes it harder to project your voice and enunciate properly. If you're nervous about speaking (and who isn't), you'll need to fight this tendency. Make a conscious effort to open up your throat and breathe deeply from your diaphragm.
Keep yourself hydrated. Sipping cool water before and during your speech will help to open your throat and keep it well-hydrated. Avoid water that is overly cold, however, as it may actually have the opposite effect. Carbonated beverages and those with caffeine may also lead to throat constriction and difficulty with your speech.
Try tongue-twisters. Stage actors and others who speak regularly in front of crowds use tongue-twisters to train their voices and build their enunciation skills. Practicing tongue-twisters will force you to focus on each individual sound and avoid the urge to run words together. These skills should then carry over to your speech as well.
Practice, practice, practice. Then practice some more. The more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be. Record yourself giving your speech, then listen to the recording. Look for areas where improvements are warranted, and focus on improving those portions of the speech.
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Tech Tips |
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PocketMod: A Personal Organizer for the Rest of Us?
Want to keep your life organized, without the expense of a PDA? PocketMod might be your answer. It's lightweight, paper-thin... and distinctly low-tech. Of course, there's a reason PocketMod is paper-thin: It's made from paper. And while it may not be nearly as robust in features as its digital counterparts, it's a clever idea that is far more useful than it first appears.
PocketMod is a web-based tool that allows you to create a small, eight-page, pocket-sized notebook of information to carry around in your pocket. It's a decidedly low-tech alternative to high-tech PDAs. All you need is a printer, a sheet of paper, and a pair of scissors. The site even includes a folding guide to make things easier.
PocketMod's creators tout their product as “the free, recyclable personal organizer.” The site includes a number of pre-built templates you can drag and drop into place on a simple web-based form. These mods include calendar pages, customizable lists, weather information, RSS feeds, conversion tables, SuDoku puzzles, and more. Additional “modules” are available across the web. One site — WeDoThat.com — contains nearly two dozen mods, covering everything from movie listings, mazes, and Jumbles, to calendars, lists, and cartoons.
PocketMods are great for organizing your day's events. They're also handy for a number of other situations. For example, when planning a trip, you might want to build a PocketMod with pages containing flight information, itineraries, important phone numbers, hotel directions, and games. They're also ideal for workout planning, with pages set aside for your workout schedule, target heart rate chart, workout log, and exercise charts. Additional uses include diet/meal planning, car mileage/maintenance schedules... the list goes on.
Free, PDF to PocketMod converter software (PC only) is available for download directly from the PocketMod website. Mac users should check out CreativeTechs.com, where Mac-ready PDF templates are available.
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