|
 |
Customer Manufacturing Update |  |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dear Mitchell, Here is your September Customer Manufacturing Update. Most companies are looking to increase sales even in a down economy. The recurring question is how to optimize marketing and sales investments in any economy. How do you improve the probability that your investments move from "gamble" to "payback." This month's white paper looks at proven methods to help you do just that.
If you have friends or colleagues who would
appreciate receiving this Update, feel free to
forward
a copy to them using the "Forward e-mail" link at the
bottom of the page.
Tired of spending on marketing and sales? Ready to actually invest? The difference between the two is determined by the results you achieve. So how do you move from spending to investing? How do you "know" rather than just "intuit" where to place your marketing/sales dollars (euros, yen or pounds for that matter)? This month's white paper, How To Maximize Your Marketing/Sales Investments, examines the issue.
While we often make fun of the airlines (see the next
article), this is an example of really good marketing. It
has to do with
Southwest Airlines. If you do not fly them often or at all
you probably think they still have the "cattle call"
boarding process that rewards people who arrive at
the airport hours early with the best seats on the
plane. Boarding on Southwest is by boarding number, the lower the number, the earlier you board. And, now they have you line up by exact number so there is no need to stand in line at all until boarding starts. They actually now have the easiest boarding process in the industry. And it's still fast. (But we digress.) So, how else can you get a low number: Two ways. One is to fly them a lot. If you do, they reward you with a low number (usually below A-30) no matter when you get your boarding pass. The second way is to pay a Business Select fare. Usually about $15 more than full-fare and potentially a lot more than the lowest fare. The reward is a boarding number usually between A1-A15. Again, no matter when you get your boarding pass. So what's the cool marketing idea. Well it is actually the whole way in which you board and get your low number, but they have added a really good promotional idea recently. Now, when they announce boarding they call the "Business Select customers A1-Ax." That way everyone knows that if you buy a Business Select fare you can be an early boarder. Free promotion every time they board a flight. We like it a lot.
You know how we love to make examples out of the airlines, even though it is not much of a challenge. We are, of course, not alone. Kim Komando posted two YouTube videos on her blog that are quite funny and enlightening at the same time. The first one, a skit from the Carol Burnett Show in the 1970s is surprisingly prescient about how things turned out 30 years later. The second, a MadTV skit from last year, could be just as prescient. We'll see.
We appreciate any feedback you can provide to help us make sure these Updates give you value each month. Feel free to respond to this e-mail with any comments or suggestions for future topics or ways we can make these Customer Manufacturing Updates more valuable to you.
Thank you for your interest, and if we can provide
any
additional assistance in sales, marketing, strategy, or
innovation to help you increase your sales,
let us know.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
