Is CRM Right For You? A 15-Minute Quiz

Do you believe in magic?

Marketers tend to. They are suckers for miracle cures - and here's why.

We all know our customers are lazy. That's why the words "quick" and "easy" always increase readership of any headline.

Show them how they can do something - lose weight, learn a language - with less effort, and you probably have a winning proposition.

You must package it well, though - preferably with an impressive name.

So it's not listening to and repeating words and phrases; it's "programmed learning". That makes you feel you're doing something important, doesn't it?

And guess what? Marketers are just as lazy as customers - hardly surprising, as they are customers every day. Most (as I learned from asking them to define it in many countries) are is too lazy to even learn what marketing is - let alone what "direct marketing" means.

Anyhow, that word "direct" ... doesn't it sound distressingly close to direct mail? And we all know what that means, don't we? Junk. Ugh. That certainly doesn't sound very flattering, does it?

CRM sounds much better. People love it. Though I cannot for the life of me see how it differs from what I've always done.

Mind you, it took me about nine years to get any good at what I do, whereas a few years ago Oracle's ads said: "Start today and have global customer relationship management in 19 days."

Sounds a lot better than hard work, doesn't it? Mr. Super CRM would whiz into their office and take care of everything for them! No wonder it took off.

Many firms started CRM divisions before even knowing what the heck it really was - or meant to their business.

No wonder that a few years after it first came into fashion, the US magazine Advertising Age reported that over 70% of firms who tried it said it didn't work.

I shall discuss why in a moment, with some good, practical advice you can act on from somebody who has specialised in this field.

In the meantime, here's a little reminder that miracles only happen in the movies.



The word 'loyalty' is often used about CRM. But as a former chairman of Marks & Spencer observed, "Customers are not loyal nor should they be. We have to earn their loyalty every day".

His firm forgot that and it nearly ruined them.

Sober people know the obvious: nobody sane wants a relationship with their bank or supermarket. They have enough trouble getting on with their families. And a "programme" won't cure any dodgy relationship.

But the intelligent use of data does pay. Here is a good example. Ocado sent my partner Marta this, based on things she had bought before.



CRM schemes fail above all because your business lives or dies on its attitude to customers. And a quick fix doesn't change attitudes.

So here is check list for you. It was put together by my associate Peter Hardingham, who has worked with me on and off for 20 years, and revised by me because I interfere with everything that leaves this office.

Is CRM right for you? A 15-minute quiz

Step 1

Unless you have answered these four questions, there is absolutely NO point in boarding the good ship CRM.

• Do you really know what your customers want?


• Do you know what they think you promise them? Are they the same things?


• Can you clearly identify these desires and beliefs, before and after they have become customers?


• How will you find out? Do so before anything else!

Step 2

Set realistic expectations, and deliver what you promise or you can end up worse off than if you never started.

• Can you deliver what your customers want - and, just as important, what they think you promise?


• If not, what can you deliver now, and in the future?


• If it is in the future, how quickly? And how will you keep them happy in the interim?

Step 3

A customer in the dark is an angry customer. A customer in the know can end up buying more.

• At what points in the purchase process will you tell your customers what they want to know


• About their order?


• To reassure them?

Step 4

• Can you identify the points from step 3 in every customer transaction?


• Are you sure your IT team can deliver?


• If you have retail outlets, can the staff get this information - quickly and easily?

Step 5

Many firms still have separate databases for customer and transactional information If your marketing database can't access both, you're in trouble.

• Can you record what happens at all every point in the transaction?


• On a database all those who may need to know can access?

The moment of truth.

Did you answer the first 5 steps mostly 'yes'? If so, you stand a chance of CRM working for you. If you said mostly 'no', stop right now and get it right.

If you're talking to CRM consultants politely ask them to leave. Their time is expensive, and you'll lose your shirt.

Step 6 - start the ball rolling

• Tell your customers what you plan to do


• Manage their expectations


• Involve, motivate and train all your


• Make sure everyone - particularly retail staff - gets the same respect

Step 7 - attend to detail

Remind yourself what you've promised, and deliver it. Often, essential processes are not part of firms' structures. They don't appreciate what skills and structures you need.

• If this is an incentivised scheme, how will points, miles or other benefits be allocated, captured, and communicated to the customer?


• How will redemptions be handled?

Step 8

Most customers won't tell you they are unhappy. They tell their friends - and walk away.

• Set up a monitoring process in your company


• Make sure you identify any weak links that appear in the chain

Step 9

• Ask your customers how they think you're doing


• Loyalty can improve just by making it easy for them to tell you what they think


• Allow your customers to suggest improvements. It's the best research you'll ever get

Step 10 - it doesn't stop

Don't imagine this is something you just "put in place".

• Keep listening to your customers


• Keep learning from your customers


• Keep refining your system


• Keep training and re-training your people

When should you refer to these questions?

When your IT director says, "We've got this wonderful CRM software..."

When the board says, "That's a brave move you're making there, this CRM stuff..."

Just take out this quiz, and re-read it. You'll know more than many CRM consultants. You might even keep your job.

If that interested you, you might find half an hour with Peter worth your while. I sent him along to three clients a while ago, and all wanted to know more. One - a travel destination - had him on a plane within a week.

Best,
Drayton
www.directmarketingcourse.com
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com

Here's Where I Stole Lots Of "My" Ideas From ... Now It's Your Turn

If you read these serpentine ramblings you know I greatly admire the Venerable Denny Hatch.

Denny, with almost demented dedication, has over the last 26 years created the world's largest organised direct mail library - over 200,000 samples.

But what is more important, he knows what worked - and what didn't, and can tell you why, because he knows more than anyone about the subject.

18 years ago I rang his wife, Peggy (who is as able as he is!) to ask how many mailings he read a month.

"Between one and two thousand," she replied. "Mind you, he doesn't read all of them all through."

"I should bloody well hope not," I thought. "The poor man would end up in a loony bin if he did."

Anyhow, since that time, Denny's mammoth compendium of the best mailings ever - Million $$$ Mailings, created with Axel Andersson - has been my secret weapon.

I use it to cheat.

I thumb through it for inspiration - and for ideas to steal, adapt and use in seminars. It contains 71 of the most successful mailings ever written. Only last month I wrote something that pulled like an express train based on one line I spotted and “improved”.

I refer to it more than Caples, more than Hopkins, more than Ogilvy.

The only problem is, it is a WHACKING GREAT TOME, 477 pages long - I yearn to beat up recalcitrant clients with it. I can't find the ideas I want quickly. And it is 18 years old, so some important new stuff is not in it.

Now, praise the Lord, Denny has come up with something that's bang up-to-date, and a lot shorter. So I can find tested ideas to steal in minutes.

It’s a report called The Secrets of Emotional Hot-ButtonCopywriting. You can get it at http://hotbuttoncopywriting.com/.

But to call it a report does it too little justice. It is atreasure trove. I flipped it open just now and immediately saw an extraordinary opening line "I'm sitting in my wheelchair today, mad as hell" ... imagine what that could do for your e-mail opening rates!

(Do not think for a second that what applies in direct mail does not apply online. It is pretty much all relevant - and the examples you see are from the best of the best in a business that has been around for centuries, not decades).

As the title says, the report is based on the turbulent, gnawing human emotions - the hot buttons - that make your customers buy. And it features the best mailings of the last 20 years. Only Denny could have put it together, because only Denny has this astonishing archive of material.

And Denny does something so many fail to do: he tells you WHY things work. You will never get this from some of the hyped-up piffle that sails into your inbox every day.

A friend just forwarded me (as a joke) one of those emails that say “all you need is this set of DVDs and booklets and your copy will “write itself” automatically.

What drivel!

Here, for $89, you can get what you really need – theCopy Thieves’ Almanac. I may use one of the mailings in a speech I make in a week's time. I will certainly adapt another for some work I have to do for an investment client.

Here again is where to order: http://hotbuttoncopywriting.com/.

Why not make it the next thing you do? Just one idea could double the response from your next effort. I have seen it happen. I know.

Best,
Drayton
http://directmarketingcourse.com/
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com

How Powerful Are Surveys For Increasing Response?

When I last ran a one day seminar in London, I used a simple weapon to get attendees. It was not direct mail. Not advertising. Not PR. Not a clever promotion.

It was an e-mailed survey, it got 16% response, and I made a few thousand quid.

That was partly because of the list and partly because of the person who signed it (not me). So this video is all about why surveys are such a deceptively powerful weapon. See what you think.



Would you like an example of how I use surveys?

I have a client who is setting up a business overseas. I suggested his launch could be based on a survey. So now he is writing some copy which I will edit/revise/trample all over.

We will get the survey results published in a newspaper (they're always gagging for stuff to run). That will establish his name and give him credibility among his prospects. And that will lead to a series of other things I won't bore you with.

The best survey format is anonymous, so people are happier to respond. I hope that is true of you, because I have stuck a survey in here – and I'd really appreciate your reply.

Two weeks ago so many of you said you'd like a writing webinar that I wondered what else would interest you.

So in the survey I’ve listed some - but not all - the topics I have bored the opants off people about in sundry places from Dubai to Sydney. Let me know which interest you and I will try to set something up. It takes no time at all to complete.

Oh, and I've also asked about something entirely different that I am running. It has limited numbers, so I want to know what the likely take up is.

I will tell you what results the survey comes up with, so you will know what interests other people

Best,
Drayton
www.eadim.com
www.commonsensedirectmarketing.com


P. S. The writing webinars will will start in about a week. The delay is because we have spent a ludicrous amount of time looking at the various options. None is perfect, but I think we have arrived at the best.

Also how we take your money is a pain to arrange. Don’t worry. I have a deal for you!

Actually I have two deals for you - but that's for another day.

But first, please fill in the survey, which takes about 30 seconds. Only you can tell me what you want. I do appreciate it!

The best survey format is anonymous, so people are happier to respond. I hope that is true of you, because I have stuck a survey in here – and I'd really appreciate your reply.

Two weeks ago so many of you said you'd like a writing webinar that I wondered what else would interest you.

So in the survey I’ve listed some - but not all - the topics I have bored the opants off people about in sundry places from Dubai to Sydney. Let me know which interest you and I will try to set something up. It takes no time at all to complete.

Oh, and I've also asked about something entirely different that I am running. It has limited numbers, so I want to know what the likely take up is.

I will tell you what results the survey comes up with, so you will know what interests other people

P. S. The writing webinars will will start in about a week. The delay is because we have spent a ludicrous amount of time looking at the various options. None is perfect, but I think we have arrived at the best.

Also how we take your money is a pain to arrange. Don’t worry. I have a deal for you!

Actually I have

two deals for you - but that's for another day.

But first, please fill in the survey, which takes about 30 seconds. Only you can tell me what you want. I do appreciate it!

Best,
Drayton
www.eadim.com
www.draytonbirdcommonsense.com

Watch Your Tone!

Do you suffer from a crippling condition called deadline panic?

I do - and it attacked me with some ferocity recently when after a few glasses of cheering sangria I looked at my schedule for the week.

I was immediately reminded of a maxim by one of my old bosses: "Whatever you're doing, you should have started sooner" - Bill Phillips.

Bill Phillips ran Ogilvy & Mather when I sold my old agency to them, and we both like quotations.

(One of his I particularly appreciate is "A neat stall is the sign of a dead horse" - and if you saw my desk, you'd know why)

Anyhow, I realised with some alarm that I was going to Bucharest and Kiev that week to do 4 seminars, one of which I hadn't written yet.

Since it takes a couple of days' work to put together a good talk, this was quite a worry, so I started going through possible material.

And by chance I found one or two good quotations. Here is the man who wrote the first:



Did you recognise him? It is Evelyn Waugh, one of the great comic writers of the 20th century, and a wonderful stylist.

During the Second World War he and his wife used to write to each other and on one occasion he wrote complaining about how dull her letters were.

"A good letter is like a conversation," he wrote.

This reminded me of a meeting I had with the managing director of Mercedes Passenger Cars about 17 years ago when we started doing their direct marketing.

He was concerned about the tone of their copy - and in fact that is why we got the business.

We talked about this for a while, then I said,

"Have you ever actually sold cars?"

"Yes" he said.

Then I asked: "Did you talk to your customers the way you've been talking to me?"

"Yes."

"Well," I replied. "That is the kind of tone your direct mail should have."

The difference between good copy and so-so copy is largely about tone. Of course, few writers even understand the basics, but even if they do most write with a sort of half-witted enthusiasm, where everything is "fabulous" and "exciting". So the copy lacks credibility. Readers say, "Oh, come on."

The really good copy is conversational in tone, and is adapted to suit the context

Read your copy out loud. Does it sound like someone talking? It should.

And does it sound like typical "sales" copy any one of your competitors could run. It shouldn't.

The other thing to watch out for is that the language must be appropriate to the writer - and the recipient.

If you're supposed to be the chairman, write like a wise and friendly adviser. If you're writing to another chairman, write as an equal. If you're supposed to be someone who handles complaints, adapt accordingly. And so on.

It's deceptively simple - but not that easy to do. You just have to work at it.

Best,
Drayton

P.S.  This is number 25 of Drayton Bird’s 101 free helpful marketing ideas.  You can sign up on the link below for the rest.

—————————————–

www.draytonbirdcommonsense.com / www.eadim.com

Rich Schefren Interviews Clayton Makepeace On Copywriting And Direct Mail

As the title says, Rich Schefren interviews Clayton Makepeace.

Clayton discusses all aspects of copywriting and direct mail.

Best Advice I Ever Got

A dear friend of my family, Andonis Getsos, was a
huge influence in my life.

Mr. Getsos gave me some invaluable advice.

I'll share it with you in a moment. Allow me to tell
you a brief story.

I was a teenager when I became very close with
Andonis Getsos.

A good friend of my parents, for some reason he
took a great interest in me. We spent quite a lot of
time together. He asked me to call him Uncle Tony.

He was an outstanding amateur wrestler in his
youth. I also love wrestling. He used to enjoy
wrestling on the beach with me.

We talked a lot. Uncle Tony was easy for me to
communicate with. I felt he understood me better
than anyone. He was a terrific active listener. A
quality all too rare in most people.

Uncle Tony was a multi-millionaire in the fur
business in New York City.

But before he achieved his remarkable success, he
had many setbacks, as do most entrepreneurs. But
unlike others who give up, he kept trying after he
experienced three business failures.

One day, Uncle Tony asked me what exactly I
wanted to do with my life. I was 16 years old. I
answered this way.

"I want to start and build my own successful
business. But I know there are no guarantees. I
may or may not be successful as you first time
around. So, it's very important for me to possess
fantastic survival skills. Then I'll be able to start
over if I have to.

"Of course, I also know my father is not in any
position to help me start over if I were to
experience a business failure. Nor do I want to
expect anyone else to help me.

"In fact, Uncle Tony, I want to be so good at
something that even if I were to wash up on Miami
Beach naked without contacts and without a penny
to my name, I'd still become a millionaire like you
in 5 years or less. To become expert in the most
important wealth-building skill would make me feel
financially secure.

"I'm willing to apply myself and learn whatever it
takes. What's best for me? Accounting? Manage-
ment? Law? Sales? Finance? What? I really could
use some guidance.

"Is this an impossible dream? What is your advice
for me?"

Uncle Tony smiled and said, "Ted, it's not
impossible at all. The solution is quite simple.
There is just one skill you need to develop to
accomplish your goals. All the other areas you
mentioned are costs to any business. And you can
easily hire talented people for these functions.

"You must become really good at what few ever
master--sales and marketing! It's the only business
skill that brings in cash flow and funds all other
departments and talents the business may require.
That's why it's appropriately the highest paid
skill.

"But there is one big catch. You must learn to
ignore the many critics you will inevitably come
across. You need to learn how to think and act
independently.

"Most people never begin to understand or relate
to what it takes to become wealthy.

"What you need to discover is how to successfully
market your product or service. You can become
fabulously rich, have a lot of fun, and have a great
life along the way."

This was the best advice I ever got.

Uncle Tony went on to say, "But I must warn you.
Don't be surprised by lots of negative comments
and unsolicited advice.

"Many people, including your friends and family,
will try to discourage you from becoming a great
salesman and marketer. So will your teachers and
professors. Foolishly, most view sales and
marketing as a low-class career.

"They will instead encourage you to get a 'good
education' and later a 'good job.'

"But while a paycheck-to-paycheck existence, even
as an executive or professional, may suit some
people, it doesn't sound like what's best for you.
And, in my opinion, is not nearly as satisfying as
having your own successful business either.

"And what would surprise the average Joe, it's not
tougher to be a successful entrepreneur. In fact, you
will not have to be politically correct with so many
people, including incompetent bosses. And,
contrary to commonly held views, entrepreneurship
may be an even easier route than what a successful
executive or professional must take.

"Even books, movies, and plays are extremely
unflattering to sales people and business owners.
For example, the famous 'Death of a Salesman'
written by Arthur Miller. The lead role is depicted
as an unhappy, money grubbing, dishonest person
without morals. Such a view of nearly all
salespeople and entrepreneurs is completely
erroneous.

"While there are some crooks in the business
world, they are the exception.

"You can't succeed in a business in a big way for
long unless you are persuading many people to
voluntarily trade with you.

"Listen to those who criticize. Understand their
views, but pay them no heed.

"While they may or may not mean well, here is the
point. Their advice is meaningless. Don't be
influenced by anyone else except highly successful
entrepreneurs.

"Instead of being a villain, the entrepreneur is
really the unsung hero of any society. For it is the
entrepreneur owners of small businesses, not big
business, who create over 75% of all new jobs.
And, of course, the majority of the wealth.

"In fact, 99% of all the world's self-made
millionaires and billionaires are entrepreneurs.
And they all started with a small business."

Uncle Tony was a very wise man. By age 18, I
became an independent salesman with Kirby
Vacuum Cleaner Company. I was fortunate to be
trained by an outstanding sales manager.

Within a few weeks, as a young kid I was earning
more in a week than most top executives earn in a
month. (The best sales and marketing training in
the world may well be door-to-door sales.)

At age 21, I began a business of my own -
Peterson's House of Fudge. I was a millionaire at
age 23. The business grew to 31 successful stores
of my own in six U.S. states.

Later I wrote my first book and began my
information publishing empire including books,
home study courses, and seminars, etc.

I won't go into all the details here as I've
written about it elsewhere.

This early sales and marketing training was a
great foundation for my direct marketing
activities. It enabled me to eventually
successfully market all of my own products and
those of clients around the world. I've achieved
sales exceeding 4.9 billion dollars in 49
industries. And the revenues continue to increase
each day.

I became what I advise anyone who seeks to
become a wealthy and successful entrepreneur -
an effective salesman and communicator. The key
skill is to be able to position products effectively.
Then to express persuasive ideas either personally,
one on one, or in writing, online and offline. And
also from the public speaking platform.

Uncle Tony's recommendation given me as a young
teenager was by far the best advice I ever got from
anyone. Because it's a universal truth in this
changing world, it's just as valid today as it was
then. And you can rest assured it will continue to
be 50 or 100 years from now.

Professional sales and later direct marketing
taught me the fundamentals. I continue to employ
and refine these skills today.

Your correspondent,
Ted Nicholas

—————

“This article appears courtesy of THE SUCCESS
MARGIN, the Internet’s most valuable success and
marketing e-zine. For a complimentary
subscription, visit http://www.tednicholas.com/

Why Bother to Learn Copywriting?

Why should you bother to spend your valuable
time learning the fine art of copywriting?

Here's why.

Entrepreneurs can multiply their income by 10, 15,
or even 100 times when they can write sales copy.

Plus, you can make big money as a freelancer. The
business world desperately needs copywriters. And
that goes for all media, including magazines, news-
papers, direct mail and the Internet.

There are at least a dozen good reasons to learn the
secrets of writing great copy.

** What Learning How to Write Copy
Can Do For You **

1. Earn unlimited active and passive income from
upfront fees and royalties on sales. Many of my
readers and protégés routinely earn from $150,000
to over $500,000 per year. Some superstars earn
over $1,000,000 per year.

2. Become a far more successful executive or
entrepreneur. Your leadership skills will be much
stronger as you discover how to "walk in someone
else's shoes."

3. Become able to successfully market virtually
any product or service. You can market yourself
or your own business. Or service outside clients.
Or both.

4. Improve your ability to create a powerful
Unique Selling Proposition (U.S.P.) for any company
product or service. You'll discover how to
differentiate your company or yourself, which will
result in a higher level of success.

5. Discover no less than 7 psychological "hot
buttons" that cause people to buy. Most marketers
have no clue as to more than one or two of them.
You then will increase your success by becoming
better able to predict human behavior.

6. Live a lifestyle of which others only dream.
Enjoy more personal freedom to live and work
anywhere in the world. You can write successful
sales copy from a beautiful island, a great city, a
small town, or in any country in the world that
suits you best.

7. By becoming more articulate, you will
automatically improve your negotiating skills.
This enormously valuable trait will help you in
your business and your life.

8. Improved communication skills can result in
your being able to produce a wide variety of
income-producing products. These include
books, newsletters, e-zines, articles and special
reports. You'll find it's rewarding in many ways
to earn money while you sleep.

9. As you sharpen your communication skills,
you can become a far better public speaker, a
terrific asset in any job or business. And as a
highly paid consultant.

10. Become more appealing to others. As a
copywriter, by necessity you will discover that
rare quality of being able to change places with
others. This makes you a more sensitive, likable
person.

11. To succeed in business, you must learn to
sell effectively and without pressure. You will
master the dying art of effective salesmanship.
Successful copy is salesmanship in print.

12. You’ll become a far better judge of other
copywriters you may wish to hire or be
responsible to manage.

** Writers are made, not born **

Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to
be a born writer. I certainly was not.

Your correspondent,
Ted Nicholas

—————

“This article appears courtesy of THE SUCCESS
MARGIN, the Internet’s most valuable success and
marketing e-zine. For a complimentary
subscription, visit http://www.tednicholas.com/

What Do The Different Terms On The Web Mean?

Don't know your CPC from your CTR, or your SEO from your RSS?

Fear not; it's very likely you're not as alone as you may think.

Being a bit of dummy, I've decided to put together a list of terms even I can understand.

And if I can understand, I can almost assure you can, too.

Leaving out the absolute basic terms such as www, ISP and URL, I'll list the less basic terms here:

• Web 2.0 This the basically the name given to all the different technologies and trends being bandied about on the net.
• RSS Short for Really Simple Syndication, this is an internet technology which allows you to receive notification of updates to a site without having to constantly visit it.
• Blog Short for weblog, this is a personal online journal where you can put down your thoughts… like an online diary open to the world.
• Cookie A small text file sent to a user's computer by a website so the user can be used recognised if he visits that site again.
• Podcasting Simply put, this is series of audio or video files made available to users to view or listen to, particularly via mobile devices.
• Spam Commercial email sent out to users without them asking for it.
• Keyword A word users can type into a search engine to find certain products or services.
• SEO Search Engine Optimization is the process of making a site more visible on the internet, hence making it easier to find by user, such as by using relevant keywords.
• CPC Cost Per Click A way to pay for online advertising by being charged only when someone clicks on your advert.
• CTR Click Through Rate The number of people who click on a link when they see it.
• ROI Return On Investment How much profits are made or how much loss is avoided on a product or service.
• Social networking Various sites on the internet which allow people to get in touch, make friends and generally 'socialise' online.

Hopefully, this short list will make things a little easier on the web, but let me know if there's anything else you feel should be on there.