According to a survey conducted by eROI Inc, high-level
executives read most of their email messages on Mondays
and Tuesdays. And the best time to send messages on those days? During the lunch hour.
Source: What’s Working in Sales Management
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Just to let you know that I’ve now released the full set of downloadable transcripts of the ‘Better Business Success’ TeleMasterClass programme. Buy one, or buy all 10. But each one WILL take your business or idea to the next level.
Because I like to reward my subscribers and blog readers (geez, I’m a nice gal!) for, well, reading this blog! 
So I’m offering Are you ready to take your business to the next level?
I’m offering my newsletter and blog readers a Bank-Holiday special – grab one or more of these downloadable transcripts before 4pm (BST, 8am Pacific, 9am Mountain, 10am Central, 11am Eastern) on Tuesday 28 August 2007 for almost 2/3rds off the regular price.
All you have to do to take advantage of this time-sensitive 65% discount is email the following voucher code to me BEFORE 4pm on 28 August – “tc-aug-mmb” – along with your choice of transcripts from this URL:
http://www.mediaminister.co.uk/products.htm#CDs
~~Tracey
A great way to increase your visibility in the marketplace is to write articles related to your area of expertise. You can then offer them for publication in your local paper, in national magazines and papers, in email newsletters or on websites.
Best of all, over time you could get recognised as an expert. What’s more, if you include a link to your website in your articles, you’ll get lots of free traffic to your website to boot! Start today by picking a topic you know something about and writing a few paragraphs as the basis for your article.
Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include at the end of the article.
A new client recently asked whether I work with entrepreneurs in the United States of America. Of course! I replied. Geography knows no boundaries when it comes to the net, and the job of this UK copywriter.
While it’s true that some clients still prefer to meet and discuss copy face to face, more and more of my clients prefer to work with me remotely. Let’s face it, with the advancing technology we have these days, one really doesn’t ‘need’ to be face to face with anyone anymore in order to get the job done. Copywriting services, editing and proofreading services, marketing consultancy… These can all be provided with relative ease via technology.
I for one provide a much more enhanced service communicating primarily via email. Although I partake in telephone consultations, conference and progress updates, I do tend to keep both telephone and face-to-face communications to a minimum so that I can concentrate on current projects.
Email – or desktop – communication also allows me to work with clients as far afield as Australia. That said, I have travelled to meet clients in London as a freelance copywriter, especially when working in conjunction with a graphic designer, to meet and discuss copywriting services. After the initial meeting, though, the project can easily and does continue via email.
My ultimate dream? To be working in my bumble beachside abode in the West Country (UK), looking out to see my donkeys, dogs and horses frolicking in the fields. 
What about you? Do you find that technology enhances your productivity and working styles? Please share via the comments link (below right).
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Email marketing has overtaken print direct mail by volume for the first time, with the average number of emails sent up by 50 per cent in the last quarter, according to the latest Direct Marketing Association (DMA) Email Benchmarking report.
What’s more, it is predicted that digital direct marketing is set to grow by another third over the next quarter.
On the flip side, direct marketing – traditionally the golden ticket for advertisers and marketers alike – seems to be on the decline. That said, most pundits believe that a combination of offline and online media is the best approach to direct campaigns.
The growth in email marketing underlines its power as both a standalone medium and its role within integrated campaigns,” said Robert Keitch, director of media channel development, DMA.
What are your best practices for this convenient, direct and low-production marketing channel? Please share in the comments section below.
Source: Revolution UK, 13 August 2007
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The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) is providing grants of up to £2,500 to businesses affected by the floods. The initiative forms part of an initial package to help businesses to make as swift as possible a recovery from flooding.
More details at:
Meanwhile, the South West Regional Development Agency, in partnership with Gloucestershire First and Business Link, has provided up to £2m to assist the rapid recovery of businesses affected by the recent flooding, principally in Gloucestershire.
More details at:
http://www.southwestrda.org.uk/area-teams/gloucestershire/flood-information-1.shtm
Source: j4bgrants.co.uk
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Here’s a question to ponder, and one that I have put to internet marketer extraodinaire James Brausch: Have you personally had to change your (marketing) writing style to accommodate the shorter attention span of the new media generation?
I know it’s a bit cheeky, but something else has been bugging me of late: Who out of all the ‘gurus’ out there and all the ‘next big things’ who and/or what would you pay attention to?
Feel free to post your comments here.
Following on from the ‘success challenge’ meme, I thought I’d share with you some more success secrets. They come courtesy of Investor’s Business Daily, which has spent years analysing leaders and successful people in all walks of life.
1. How you think is everything. Always be positive. Think success, not failure. Beware of a negative environment.
2. Decide upon your true dreams and goals. Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.
3. Take action. Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started now. Just do it.
4. Never stop learning. Go back to school or read books, get training and acquire skills.
5. Be persistent and work hard. Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.
6. Deal and communicate with people effectively. No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.
7. Don’t be afraid to innovate. be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
Source: Investor’s Business Daily, 24 July 2007, p8.
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QUESTION
CfS reader Colin Skilton of Future Credit asks, “[How do I get] it right in my field of Credit Management, as I feel currently all others have got it wrong?”
ANSWER
I don’t believe there is a definite ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do business in any given field. For me, it all boils down to one thing: who your potential customers or clients are, and how you can be of value to them or help them.
So the first thing I’d suggest you do at this stage is to find a link between what you sell and how it offers a solution to the needs of your target market.
Next, assess how you are currently positioning yourself. What does it say about you or what you offer to your prospects? What can you do to change the current perception to that which you desire?
For many, it begins with writing (or reworking) your positioning statement, USP or marketing message. I have covered this many times in my newsletter, Communiqué for Success, as well as in this blog, MarketingMoment, so you might want to look at a few past issues/blog posts.
In a nutshell, it is vital that you take the time to truly understand the mindset of your customers. Identify what they feel about what you’re selling, and how they tell the difference between your business and your closest competitors (ie, what ‘value’ statement, proposition or demonstration compels a buyer to purchase from you and not your competitors?), and then build your core marketing message accordingly.
Differentiation plays a key role here; so do try to unearth your main competitive advantage. What is the chief benefit of doing business with you, and only you?
Your point of differentiation – or ‘uniqueness’ – may well relate to the way your credit-management service is priced, presented or delivered. Perhaps you offer options that others don’t. Maybe it’s in the way you package your services. Credit management can be an overwhelming field, so what would happen if you presented solutions that appeared to be fun? And so on.
Whatever you decide on, make sure your create a clear, compelling positioning statement that quickly answers the most fundamental question of them all, “What’s in it for me?” By “me”, I mean your target market.
The more clearly you define and communicate the unique value of your credit-management services, the more distinct your marketing edge will be.
Want to use this in your ezine, blog or website? No problem! Just let me know. I’ll send you a short resource box/bio to include at the end of the article.
QUESTION
CfS reader Mike Boss of The Boss Corporation wonders, “How can you make finance interesting?!!!”
ANSWER
Simple! You make your words hit the emotional chords of your target audience.
Copywriting – and this applies to any advertising or marketing copy for your business – is not just about putting words on paper. Every single word you use absolutely must have a purpose. That can be to educate, to inspire, to inform, or to motivate.
As advertising legend David Ogilvy puts it: “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”
So one of the first things you should do is to put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Most if not all of your potential clients couldn’t care less about your business, or products, or services. Rather, they care about themselves. That is to say, they are concerned with their own goals, needs, desires, fears, and so on.
Your finance copy can be made much more interesting to your target market by putting your reader into the picture, and building a literal ‘bridge’ that relates to your overall marketing message.
Be sure to answer the WIIFM (“What’s in it for me?” – where the ‘me’ is your reader), early on in your sales message, preferably in the first few lines. Have interesting headlines, sub-heads and bullet points that focus on benefits and help break up the text. Use picture captions wisely; it’s best to try to sum up the main point of your message in a way that relates to what’s going on in the picture. Most readers will read the captions under photos before they read the rest of the text. And so on…
If you do this with all your sales copy, then your prospects are much more likely to read what you have to say. It’s when people think your message is unlikely to be of relevance to them, that they switch off.
I go into greater detail in my MasterClasses, including the following:
• Better Writing Skills 101 – Write Your Way to Blockbuster Results
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