“Not My Job” – The Natural Antagonism between Marketing and Technology
Good design is more than just visuals. Design includes information design – putting some thought into how a customer first encounters your company and what information is delivered in what order and what format. It also includes sales choreography – the steps you take to move a client from first contact to transaction. And of course it includes the technology design of your website.
The Almost Creepy Power of Data Analysis
In Forbes magazine on February 17, you may have read about how Target determined that a girl was pregnant and sent coupons to her home, surprising her family.
While some find the story creepy, and others alarming, the larger question for people involved in sales and marketing is this:
What are you going to do about it?
Episode 7 – Showing Some Personality and Treating Customers Like Insiders – Interview with Bob Jones of ATP
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Everyone enjoys working with people they feel they know. Bob Jones makes ATP customers feel like “insiders” by letting them in on some of the personality and internal fun at […]
Packaging Basics for the Aviation Industry
Perhaps these are the reasons that people marketing and selling aviation products and services tend to overlook the basic marketing principles of merchandising and packaging products and services.
In this case, what happens in Vegas won’t stay in Vegas.
The Aviation Sales and Marketing Coaching Program goes mobile.
Take yours home with you!
Coming March 7-9 at the Cygnus Aviation Expo, Booth 1436!
We’ll be showcasing the mobile nature of our coaching program and
Do-It-Yourself Marketing Tool Kits in booth #1436.
In-House, Outsource or Both?
Starting a business from scratch involves doing a lot of work yourself. Some of our clients are in start up/shoestring mode, which we understand very well since we’ve been involved in several startups ourselves. This involves late nights, wearing multiple hats, and doing everything yourself. There are advantages to doing everything yourself: You control every […]
Sales and Customer Service – Style, Substance, or Both?
Sales, marketing and customer service people are trained to respond with a smile and to be pleasant, but not many are comfortable explaining to a customer what’s NOT possible, or why what they’re asking for may not be the best option for their needs.
Setting Realistic Expectations with Customers
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] In yesterdays Coaching Program Webinar, Ryan Keough of Cutter Aviation was our guest instructor. We were talking about the difference between people that write the textbooks on customer service and people […]
Customer service begins with sales integrity
In last month’s coaching session on sales, Mark Leeper spoke about integrity as a key component of sales. Having credibility with a client or potential client is absolutely key. Discounting or throwing in extras to get the business undermines your credibility. Although it may get you the sale in the short run, it makes things […]
If the competition is killing you, don’t reduce price, add value.
I often advise clients not to reduce their prices. That usually gets a response like this one. “But you don’t understand. There’s no WAY I can keep my prices the same when the guy down the street has reduced his prices. No customer is crazy enough to pay more for the same product.” When you […]
Autopilot versus CoPilot – The Human Factor
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] There are many “labor saving” devices for pilots. We really like them a lot. The trim tab lets you stabilize the attitude of an aircraft so you’re not fighting the yoke […]
Nothing Happens Till Somebody Sells Something!
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] We’ve seen the necessity of good marketing and good salesmanship first hand in the last couple of years. When the economy is good, a company can do well with the following: […]
Can you attract customers for aviation-related products on the web? Not without SEO!
Prospective clients often express a lot of frustration. “We have a beautiful web site. We spent a lot of money on it. But we aren’t getting many customers who say they find us on the web.” If you have a beautiful web site that you’re very proud of, you should make sure it’s being […]
How to Fail in Marketing
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] I was shredding old papers from last year, and had a revelation. We have an extensive questionnaire that prospective clients complete as part of our Marketing Flight Plan Service, in which […]
Does Your Marketing Have a Multiple Personality Disorder?
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Many of the companies we consult with have split personalities. Here are some of the ways multiple personalities can manifest within organizations. The salespeople are enthusiastic, helpful and responsive. Their customer […]
Sales Presentations – The Live Coaching Session
We had our first live coaching session today, and in spite of a thousand things that could have gone wrong, I’m always amazed at how things have a way of working out for the best. We had a three hour power outage the morning of the session and I thought we’d be on a noisy […]
Marketing Emergencies – Ever had a site hacked?
If you’ve ever had a look at your website and seen a “cute” (or not so cute) message that you didn’t put there, you understand the sinking feeling of having your carefully crafted marketing image suddenly turned into something that you don’t want anybody to see.
In most businesses, sadly, sales is an act, not a process.
In most businesses, sadly, sales is an act, not a process.
-Dan Kennedy
In aviation in particular, we’ve found that companies fail in sales for one of two reasons
They consider sales as an afterthought, thinking that the “product will sell itself,” or
They consider each sale as an improvisational act, impulsively cold-calling leads, offering ad-hoc discounts, or otherwise “trying things” in an attempt to make a sale.
My New Year’s Resolution – To Avoid New Year’s Resolutions!
New Year’s Resolutions are popular, but also popularly discarded before January is over. It’s usually not for lack of willpower – it’s because there are a number of problems with them –
How were your sales numbers this year?
As you’re closing out the books on 2011, here’s a question: How were your sales numbers for this year? If you’re like most companies, they’re down quite a bit from three years ago. There are anecdotes of companies that are doing well – but it’s certainly not as easy as it used to be. In […]