Newsletters > It's all about the Marketing

 

• What's in a logo?

• Marketing: what really works?

• Ad Specialties / Promotional Products

• Have you really monitored your instructors?

• Charge what you're worth

• Professional Appearance

• Making Phone Calls Works

• The 80/20 Rule

• Business Cards

 

What's in a logo?
 
Think about it. How many logos do we see in a day? Someone tried to find out, but found 30 logos in the first 30 minutes after they woke up! You can only imagine how many we're hit with in a day?!
 
What does your logo say about you? Is it designed well? And what do I mean by that? Some Do's and Don'ts of logo design:

 

  • Does the logo identify you?
  • Is it digital: meaning you can easily reproduce it: is it vector or raster?
  • Will it print well if it were just black and white? Remember, you might advertise in the local community bulletin, most of those are just copies.
  • Can it be enlarged to the size of a building and keep its quality or does it pixelate and look blurry? Okay, you might not enlarge it that big, but how about to fit on an 8x3 banner?
  • Does the color version work well? Do the colors reproduce okay?
  • Has the logo been 'jazzed' into a 3D version for a website, full color business cards and even for your email signature?
  • Will it reproduce well embroidered, screen printed or even hot stamped?


There's an art and science to good logos. The simpler the better for quick recognition. Colors should work well and not turn away customers. Fonts can be unique but not so out there that it's hard to read.

Check out some of these logos. Here, you'll see samples in B&W, color and jazzed 3D versions. If you have any questions about yours, give us a buzz!

 

^Back to top

Marketing: what really works?

 

When starting a new business or looking to revamp an old one, there are several marketing basics you need to consider. But where to start?

Here's a short list for your Marketing Plan ...you do have one, right? Remember, you don't have to do everything at once, but prioritize and budget:

  • Logo: Brand your business
  • Business Cards: A very inexpensive form of advertising
  • Slim Jims: Great as leave behinds and mailers
  • Brochures: Provides more information than Slim Jims
  • Pocket Folders: Don't forget to include 'stepped' inserts
  • Websites: Keep it professional
  • Search Engine Optimization: Stay on top of search engine results
  • Social Networking: There's more than just starting a FaceBook page
  • eNewsletters: An easy and inexpensive way to stay in front of your clients
  • Direct Mail: This still works
  • Media Advertising: Newspapers, newsletters, trade magazines, bulletins
  • Promotional Products: More than just pens, mugs, magnets and t-shirts
  • Cold Calls: Walk in where no one else has gone - grab new territory
  • Referrals: No better way to advertise than when a client recommends you


We'll go into detail on the above list in future emails. But remember, for now, take a look at what successful companies are doing in your area. It also doesn't hurt to find out what those failing are doing wrong!

 

^Back to top 

Ad Specialties / Promotional Products...they really do work!

 

What ever you call it, promotional products have been around for hundreds of years, including Pens, T-shirts, Mugs and Magnets. Ad specialties work because they carry your message to your client.

With over 800,000 items, you're sure to find what works and is within your budget. Here are some Do's and Don'ts to watch out for:

  • Cheap items: Don't just buy something for its price - ask for a sample and make sure it feels like quality. If you give a client a pen that stops writing in the first few days, they won't think much of your business.

 

  • Logos: Make sure your logo and contact information is on every item - the whole purpose is to have them remember you, refer you and bring you new business.

 

  • Color: Does the item match your logo/branding color scheme?

 

  • Price appropriate: Know your market. If it's an item for an expo/convention, keep the price low - people are just going table to table filling their goody bags. If you're giving the gift to a prospective client, you want to leave a bigger impression, so a higher-end product would be more appropriate.


If you're interested in any type of promotional product, please feel free to give our parent company - Peregrine Associates - a call at 215-343-2499.

 

^Back to top

Have you really monitored your instructors?

 

We recently learned of an incident where a lead instructor was 'given' assistants - they were assured these instructors knew their stuff!

Well, during the class, when the class was broken up into groups for the hands-on instruction, some of the groups took 3-4 times as long to get through each section. And, while listening in on one of these, the lead heard the assistant re-teaching the section - and it was wrong!

Each of your instructors represents you. How they look, dress, speak, instruct and the content of their course says everything about you and your training center.

Have your monitored every one of your instructors lately?

 

^Back to top

Charge what you're worth

 

In a prior life as a professional photographer, my dad asked what hourly rate I used when billing clients. He informed me it wasn't enough, explaining that if I didn't charge professional rates, businesses wouldn't consider hiring me.

That's a tough concept to grab in your early 20's. But 25+ years later, as a marketing professional, you learn that your clients will be willing to pay your rates. As a training center, offer a quality product and service by being on time, look the part and offer a high caliber of instructor. They'll think you're worth it!

 

^Back to top

Professional Appearance

 

When you have someone come to your office, whether it's a salesperson from Staples or the tech from Verizon, do they look professional?

 

  • Are they wearing a uniform?
  • Does their sport shirt bear the logo of the company they work for?
  • Is their shirt tucked in?
  • Are they wearing holey jeans or do they look smart in khakis?

 

It's not just about how you act, but how you appear to your clients. Put yourself in their shoes, would you want you as an instructor?

 

^Back to top

Phone Calls

Last month's tip reminds us that 80% of our business comes from 20% of our clients. Post Cards are perfect for this, but phone calls work too.

  • Offering classes for the new guidelines
  • Reminding clients of certs about to expire
  • Letting them know you also teach First Aid, Blood Borne Pathogens, etc.

It works! A client of ours has their online classes calendar filled! Here are a few tips:

 

  1. Smile before you pick up the phone: whether answering or making a call. That smile will translate into a friendlier voice in your conversation.
  2. Don't make a hard sales pitch. Ask for the contact you've talked to in the past. 
  3. Let them know it's a friendly reminder about certifications or even better, ask "if they heard about the new guidelines and did they have any questions".
  4. If they're not ready to set up a class, ask if you can send them a reminder or call them back in a couple of months.
  5. THEN FOLLOW THROUGH WITH WHAT YOU PROMISED!

The days of being able to sit back and wait for the phone to ring are over. Not only because of the economy, but there are other training centers that are hungrier than you and willing to service your old clients. Don't let that happen!

 

^Back to top

It's the 80/20 rule - so keep in touch.

The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients. It's also an accepted rule that it can cost up to 10 times more to bring in a new client than to keep an existing one. So what are you doing to keep them?

One simple strategy is to send out post cards to remind your clients their certifications are about to expire. Don't forget to use a 'call to action' such as 'Call Today!"

One of the easiest, non-technical solutions is to fill out these cards right away. Get a box with month/year dividers and place it in a section 3 months prior to the expiration. Then, at the beginning of each month, pull out that stack, stamp them and you're done!
 

We here at ECSI-Merchandise want to make this easy and inexpensive for you. So we've created four different layouts including front and back - and you can download press-quality (high resolution) PDFs directly from our website - FOR FREE!!!

 

There's no obligation. Just fill in your company name and contact information. The rest has been done for you! Check it out and let us know how they work for you!

 

^Back to top

Business Cards

 

Show your professionalism with Business Cards
 

What's one of the least expensive, but most used form of advertising? Business Cards.  


What's your card say about you? Is yours designed on a word processor and printed on those perforated sheets you buy at the stationery store? When someone hands you a home grown card, what do you think of their business and quality of service? Or, is yours professionally designed and printed on nice card stock so when you hand it out, someone knows you're a professional?

And that goes for invoices, contracts and every other business stationery that has your company name on it. The more professional it looks, the more confidence your students and contacts will have in you.

 

^Back to top