Have you ever felt whenever you were in a place of business that the employees really didn’t care whether you were there or not? I have even felt that I was being regarded as existing strictly for their benefit. Far too many times I have encountered service personnel that made no attempt to hide their annoyance at my questions and comments. More often than not, whenever I’ve provided feedback that was intended to be helpful and constructive it has been met with joking, excuse-making, patronization or obvious, even if polite, disregard. It’s as if companies are in business to be served by their customers.

What can be done to make the experiences we have with businesses more enjoyable, satisfying and fun? The answer is to be found in the implementation of the seven “Fs” of making customers’ experience with your organization outstanding and memorable. Taken together these components become a dynamic strategy for consistently providing service that meets specific needs and results in maximum benefit and enjoyment for customers. Dramatic improvements in customer satisfaction will result when these “Fs” are faithfully followed.

Precisely how to thoroughly implement this approach will be something that each organization will have to determine for itself. Of course, I have my own ideas on this but I don’t have enough space to discuss them in this article. There is only one simple guideline that needs to be observed as you develop your implementation plan. As Davy Crockett, the celebrated hero of the Alamo and backwoods statesman, was once quoted as saying, “Be sure you’re right, then go ahead.” How do you know when you’re right? You’ll know only after you’ve obtained the input from everyone who has anything at all to do with your organization. When I say everyone I mean everyone: ownership, management, employees, vendors and a composite of customers from all demographic categories.

“Input = Buy In.” This is a formula I use all the time when addressing organizational development issues. When you get input from everyone who is or will be even remotely involved in the issue or process in question, you also get their buy in to helping implement the necessary changes in behaviors that will result in an improved work environment and increased innovation, enthusiasm and productivity. Then you’ll see your people serving customers like they’ve never done before. They’ll creatively serve because they want to. They’ll willingly serve because they’re now stakeholders in the outcomes of all interactions with customers. They’ll eagerly serve because they will have learned how to effectively manage their own natural desire as human beings to want to be served.

Being served is one of life’s most gratifying experiences. It’s this experience that your employees will seek to provide for every customer. In effect, they will be fleshing out the Golden Rule: they will serve their customers as they would like to be served. This is a daily choice that isn’t always easy to make. The “Fs” can help you more readily and willingly make the choice to serve rather than be served in your relationships with your customers.

Here are the seven “Fs” that create the kind of customer service that is completely satisfying to every customer every time:

• Focus on others not on yourself

• Feelings of others are more important than your own feelings at the time

• Following the customer first by listening and understanding, then leading them to the best product/service for them

• Fun! Making the experience memorable by making it entertaining and interactive

• Forwarding information received about customers to other departments/branches/people so they can serve these customers better; one of my mottos for customer service is, “None of us know as much as all of us know about the customer”

• Funnel the customer’s attention and interest into broader possibilities and opportunities for their particular situation and needs

• Future state of the organization is linked to the way we treat customers today and how we address their respective needs, answer their questions and solve their problems; as we help them benefit and improve their situations, we’re also doing the same for our organization

Once the “7 F Strategy” is implemented, you can expect customers to be served in a fashion that causes them to become loyal fans and advocates for your company. Customers will appreciate being creatively and enthusiastically served by your organization - and it’ll show because your customers will keep showing up for more!

Do looks matter to you? If you’re like most people — including your customers and prospects — the answer is “Yes.” Particularly in sales, appearance is important. For example, in a competitive situation, all else being equal, the appearance of the salesperson may well be the deciding factor in who gets the business.

Appearance is also an important factor in the success of your sales letter. Case in point: The marketer with a highly targeted mailing list, a compelling offer, effective copy — and who pays careful attention to how his letter looks — will enjoy better results than the person who focuses solely on content, with no regard to how it’s presented. Because when your prospects glance down at your letter, if it “catches their eye,” chances are they’ll give it a longer look. And this longer look can mean a stronger response and more profitable results.

So today I offer you 5 tips for making your sales letter more attractive. Put them to work and you’ll have a better looking letter. One that’s more likely to catch the eye of your reader, get the once over, and earn your marketing effort a positive response.

Tip Number 1: Always use a reader-friendly font. Almost all newspapers and news magazines such as Time and NewsWeek use mostly serifed fonts for their editorial content. (Serifs are the little knobs you see on the ascenders and descenders of individual letters.) That’s because studies have shown that for printed text, serifed fonts (Times Roman, Courier, Century) are more readable than sans-serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica).

Tip Number 2: Make your first sentence a short sentence and your first paragraph a short paragraph. If your letter doesn’t have a headline your opening line is the first verbiage your reader is going to look at (after their name). So don’t blow your chances for success by opening with a 20 - 30 word sentence. For instance, here are a few openers from my own files: “I know you’re busy so I’ll get right to the point.” “Has this ever happened to you?” “You hate it don’t you?”

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You’ll also want to keep your opening paragraph to between one and three lines. By starting off with a short, bite-size chunk of copy you’re much more likely to get your prospect to start reading.

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Tip Number 3: Limit the length of all paragraphs to between 5 and 7 lines. You want your letter to have an inviting, easy-to-read look. And the last thing your prospect wants to see are fat, 9 - 11-sentence paragraphs. Because there are probably at least 12 things she has to do that are more important than reading your letter. And long paragraphs look time-consuming.

Even though your copy may be very well written and full of specific and relevant benefits, the way it looks will be a turn-off. I usually never go over 6 lines in any paragraph and I try to keep most to between 1 and 5 lines.

Tip Number 4: Vary the length of your paragraphs. You don’t want the layout of your letter to have a boring sameness about it. That’s why I encourage you to often use the “print preview” mode on your word processor with an eye toward the overall look of your letter.

Think in terms of visual variety. You don’t want every paragraph to have 5 sentences. Neither do you want your sales letter to consist of predominantly 3-sentence paragraphs. Mix it up. Write a two-sentence paragraph followed by one with four sentences followed by a one sentence paragraph. This will make your letter more interesting to look at and your prospect more interested in reading it. (Assuming you have something interesting to say.)

Hot Tip! Rather than marketing to everyone, we gain permission to concentrate our marketing on the people who are most likely to buy – those who need our product. It is more effective to break the sales process down into two distinct steps, lead generation and lead conversion.

Tip Number 5: Set the body copy of your letter in 11-12 point type and use sub-heads, bullets and other call-out devices. Keep in mind the audience you are writing to. If you’re writing for the 20-something crowd you can probably even use 10-point type. On the other hand if you’re targeting the “mature” market you may want to consider using a 14-point type.

Remember also that many people will scan your letter. That’s why centered, bold-faced sub-heads and other call-out devices can increase readership. Here are a couple of sub-head examples from a client letter I recently completed:

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Customer service so good you’ll have to pinch yourself to be sure you’re not dreaming.

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On another note, if you have the budget for a second color, consider using one for your headline and sub-heads. The extra response it can generate will often more than compensate for the additional investment.

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Sub-heads, bulleted lists, underlining and other devices will give your letter added eye appeal and increase response. But take care to use these devices sparingly. Overuse of them can negate their overall effectiveness.

Looks are important — for the salesperson, and the salesperson on paper. Using these 5 tips will help you make your salesperson on paper more attractive. As a result, you’ll turn more heads, get longer looks, generate more leads and, ultimately, close more sales.

About the author Ernest Nicastro, a direct marketing consultant, copywriter and lead-generation specialist, heads up Positive Response, an award-winning marketing firm specializing in B-to-B marketing and lead-generation. For your FREE copy of the Positive Response Special Report, 77 Sure-Fire Marketing Tips Guaranteed To Boost Results, email Ernest (subject line Tips) at ENicastro@positiveresponse.com. Or, contact him by phone at 614.747.2256. For more information visit http://www.positiveresponse.com.

© 2006 Ernest Nicastro

You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

Do you own a small business? Do you wish to increase sales? Do you wish to draw more customers into your store or find more customers for your service business? You can do this for a relatively low cost by building as small sales team of high-energy people. Direct Sales marketing will help increase your business, future referrals and image in the community. Letting potential clients know you want their business is the best way to attract new customers to your business. To do this correctly you will need a small budget set aside for a one week Bonzai Marketing Program;

BONZAI MARKETING BREAKDOWN

Scouts $ 500.00

Hotels (Rooms) 500.00

Students (Labor) 1,024.00

Contractor 400.00

Computer Person 200.00

Sub Total $2,624.00

You will also need a few other things to assist you in your efforts and it maybe a good idea to coincide this effort with a grand re-opening with a business groups such as the local chamber of commerce. Add to this cost:

Supplies $ 100.00

Food 200.00

Chamber of Commerce Membership 250.00

Inserts 600.00

Flyers 1,600.00

TOTAL MARKETING COSTS $5,374.00

Next you will need a small group of preferably College Age young men and women with great personalities. Explain the ins and outs of your business to them and let them talk with your customers about what they like about your business so they get enthusiastic and comfortable talking about all your business has to offer. After this map your town into grids and assign each person a partner and one grid at a time to meet with everyone in that area and discuss your business. This is similar to precinct walking during elections, if you have never done this, volunteer to do this for a candidate in the next election so you understand how to plan your Bonzai Marketing Plan for your own business.

Continued success with all your new customers; Think on this.

Lance Winslow

In B2B direct mail lead generation, as your volume of leads goes up, your quality goes down, and vice versa.

The people in marketing prefer volume. They want the most leads for their dollar.

The people in sales—the folks who must follow up on the leads that marketing supplies—want quality. They have no time to waste this quarter chasing down tire kickers and brochure collectors.

One way to keep sales and marketing happy is to write lead generation packages that improve the quality of leads generated. Packages that attract the hottest prospects. Here are some ways to do that with your next campaign.

1. Discuss price. The best prospects are the ones who don’t faint when you talk price. They have the budget to buy what you’re selling. So attract them, and scare away the time-wasters, by mentioning your price.
2. Say “A salesman will call.” This should chop your response rate in half by my reckoning. But the prospects you’ll attract will be the hottest prospects, the ones who don’t mind talking to a salesperson, and actually want to (these people do actually exist!).
3. Ask their age. Just kidding. Maybe. Asking qualifying questions on your reply device or website landing page helps you weed out the people who are not ready to do business with you right now. This can involve asking them their age (if you’re selling life insurance, for example), but it normally involves soliciting the kind of information that tells you how serious a prospect you have.
   Think BANT: Budget, Authority, Need and Timeframe. Asking qualifying questions in your lead generation piece helps you attract prospects who can afford your offering, have the authority to buy, need what you are selling and are ready to act within your timeframe.
4. Charge for information. Putting a price, even a token amount, on an information booklet, white paper or demo will soon separate the cream from the milk.
5. Ask for a stamp. Don’t use a postage-paid business reply card or envelope. Make the prospect buy and affix the stamp. The replies you get will be qualified inquiries.

Putting these tactics to use should keep your sales force happy because the quality of the leads you give them will be the highest possible. And your friends in marketing should be happy, too, since sales people close more sales when calling on hot prospects than they do pursuing every business person who fogs a mirror.

© 2006 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the Author” message).

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About the author
Alan Sharpe is a business-to-business direct mail copywriter and lead generation specialist who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using business-to-business direct mail marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com.

© 2006 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

New to a sales career? Want to market yourself but don’t have the money to do so? Tired of cold calling and prospecting? Wish there were an easier way to get the word out about your services?

Does this sound like you? This was what I felt like when I got my first sales job selling copiers ten years ago. My sales manager back then was into the traditional methods of getting new business; that is, prospecting, cold calling, booking appointments, doing product demonstrations, and closing sales. The problem is, when you’re new to the sales field, this is time consuming. Cold calling is not only one of the most difficult things to do, it also takes too much of your time, time which can be better spent in front of prospects.

So what do you do? There is still a need for cold calling, but it should only be part of your overall prospecting equation. Until you make business contacts and connections and have a wide business network, try some free online resources which can help you. The following is my list of online marketing methods which you can try. None of these on its own will generate enough business for you, but taken together it could give you a good start. Best of all, all these suggestions are free. So take a half day and try these:

1. Post a free classifieds ad on craigslist.org. Craigslist is ranked the 41st biggest website in the world (by alexa.com). What this means is that millions of people visit the site every month; that is, millions of potential clients. So if you’re a lawyer, a financial consultant, an insurance broker, a real estate broker, a contractor, or you sell anything at all, there is category for you to post a free classifieds ad. Classifieds ads posted on craigslist.org stay there for 45 days, so you only need to post once every month and a half. But even better is that these classifieds ads find there way into Google search results. So, even people that are not specifically searching for your product or service on the actual Craigslist site may be coming across your ad through search engines.

2. Create a free profile on trade-pals.com. TradePals is a directory of business professionals, entrepreneurs, sales people, and trades people across the U.S. and Canada. It is categorized by city and business category. The website provides sales leads to its members. Basically, you create a profile and place it in the proper city and category. So let’s say that you are an engineering consultant in Miami. You create a profile and place it in the engineering category in that city. If someone from Miami is searching for an engineering consultant and sees your profile they can contact you by filling in a contact form and you will be notified by email that someone wants to do business with you. TradePals allows you to post a photo of yourself. Take advantage of this option as profiles with photos are viewed more often.

3. Create a free profile on MySpace.com and join in on the discussions in some of the business groups on that website. Myspace is populated mostly by teens and younger adults, so the audience may not be your target market, but there are some mature people using the site too so it’s worth a shot. The good thing is that this website is ranked #28 in the world (by alexa.com) so a lot of people find there way to this site.

4. Create a free profile on ziggs.com. Ziggs allows for a comprehensive profile and also places it into categories. But instead of a directory style approach, it uses a search option. For example, you can search a keyword “lawyer” in New York, and you’ll be shown all the results of lawyers in New York that have created a profile.

5. Create a profile in business discussion forums and join in on the discussions. By adding your 2 cents into these discussions people will see you as an expert in your given field. Include you business phone number in your profile so that people that want to contact you can easily do so. Two of the best online forums that I have found are small-business-forum.com and smallbizgeeks.com.

These five suggestions can get you started and get your name out there as a business professional. Together, these websites receive millions of visitors a day. Each of these visitors is a potential client. Building your own website costs money and advertising it will cost even more. Take advantage of websites that are already there for you to use. In addition to these, there are dozens of other websites that offer free advertising, from press release websites, like pr.com, to business networking websites, like linkedin.com. See what works best for you and use the services that they offer. So, while you are cold calling and prospecting in the traditional sense, these websites will be working for you and advertising your services 24 hours a day.

Tino Buntic’s B2B sales career ranges from selling copiers to selling insurance. Currently, he is running his newly launched website, http://www.trade-pals.com