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Tuesday
January 24, 2012

Tip of the Day - Combatting Price-Cutters

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Price CuttersI’ve been one of the engineers of the ASI Radio Show for almost three years now and one of the most common questions we get during our call-in segment from our listeners is how to combat price-cutters.

A common problem for many, price-cutters can have an immediate effect on your margins, but, according to Marily Landis, CEO of Basic Business Concepts Inc., it’s important not to push the panic button.

This month’s Counselor Blueprint section is all about combatting price-cutters and how you can beat those competitors that are too willing to cut prices. Chock full of tips and advice — including 4 steps to successfully combatting price-cutters — it’s definitely worth a few mintutes of your time, so check it out here. And in the meantime, here are the 4 steps to pique your interest!

  1. Step 1 - Scout The Competition
  2. Step 2 - Have Honest Conversations With Clients
  3. Step 3 - Analyze The Impact
  4. Step 4 - Negotiate Terms
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Friday
January 6, 2012

Tip of the Day - Six Steps to Blogging Success

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6 steps to blogging successBelieve it or not, this year marks my tenth year as a blogger. (10?! OMG, where does the time go!) From breaking news and high school sports updates as a professional journalist, to penning reviews of records for independent artists, I’m pretty familiar with the whole blogosphere and have a pretty good idea what makes a blog successful.

But this month’s “Technology Today” article for Supplier Global Resource by Unmana Datta really nails home the steps you need to take to create a very effective blog. It’s a quick read and very insightful, so check it out here. And in the meantime, here are the basic six steps to whet your appetite - enjoy!

  1. Get the Right Blogger - (”The person you want managing your blog is someone who is passionate about both business and blogging …”)
  2. Get Started - (”Ideally, you want a custom domain - blog.yourcompany.com or yourcompany.com/blog - rather than a generic domain …”)
  3. Blog Regularly - (”It’s no use having your blog featured prominently on your website if the last post is from August 2010 …”)
  4. Be Relevant - (”By now you might be asking what to write about every week …”)
  5. Use Different Media - (”Use interesting images to break the monotony of text and to reinforce your point …”)
  6. Pay Attention to SEO & Sharing - (”With all the effort you’re putting into your blog, you want it to be read by more people than your boss and your mother …”)

BloggDogg

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Wednesday
December 28, 2011

6 Tips to Succeed with LinkedIn

Filed under: Tip of the Day

LinkedInI gotta admit, of all the social networks that I’m part of, LinkedIn is the one I engage in the least. Sure, I check it from time to time, have over 100 connections (most of whom I’m not even sure how I know), but I’ve never really scratched the surface of this social network.

And according to Counselor’s January edition of “Tech Tactics,” that’s a huge missed opportunity.

Because not only is LinkedIn a powerful resource for connecting and networking with peers, but it’s also apparently a vast repository for sales leads. So don’t miss next month’s “Tech Tactics” on Counselormag.com, and in the meantime, here are six expert-recommended steps to maximizing the networking and selling power of LinkedIn.

  • Step #1 - Complete & Optimize Your Profile
  • Step #2 - Get Recommendations
  • Step #3 - Search & Connect
  • Step #4 - Create & Join Groups
  • Step #5 - Explore Applications
  • Step #6 - Upgrade Your Account

Now, excuse me while I go re-familiarize myself with my own LinkedIn account.

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Monday
December 12, 2011

5 Trends for 2012

Filed under: Tip of the Day

What to Watch ForPhew, where did 2011 go? It seems just like yesterday that I was making (and breaking) my new year’s resolution!

Anyway, 2012 is right around the corner and we’re gearing up for a great year. This month’s Counselor magazine has a great article by Betsy Cummings titled “What To Watch For” where she breaks out her crystal ball and predicts the five trends that will impact our industry the most. Check out the article now, and here are the 5 trends:

  • Elections Are Local
  • Changing Buying Habits
  • All About The Brand
  • Competition And Pricing Are Fierce
  • Customer Service Is King
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Tuesday
December 6, 2011

10 QR Code Tips

Filed under: Tip of the Day

Mobile MarketingIf the social media marketing pundits are correct and the wave of the future really is mobile — listen to what former Facebook employee Randi Zuckerberg had to say to ASI Radio about the future of social media — then it’s time to get up to speed with your smartphone.

This month’s Advantages magazine has an entire section devoted mastering mobile marketing, including 10 tips on building your knowledge of QR codes. Check out this month’s Advantages University section, and in the meantime here are the 10 tips to whet your appetite!

  1. Creating a QR code doesn’t cost any money. There are several free sites – QR Stuff, Kaywa and Mobilefish, to name just a few – that will turn your URL into a QR code in a matter of seconds.
  2. No licenses are required to use QR codes.
  3. Currently, most smartphones can scan codes as small as .75 inches.
  4. While QR codes are usually printed in black and white, other color combinations can work as well.
  5. Roughly 62% of people have scanned a QR code two or more times.
  6. QR-code usage is highest among people between the ages of 25 and 54. Early data shows women scan more QR codes than men by a two-to-one margin.
  7. Phones developed by Apple currently scan the majority of QR codes (68%), followed by Android and then BlackBerry devices.
  8. Linking a QR code to a Flash site is something to avoid. Most smartphones can’t display Flash animations.
  9. If your goal is to link someone to a URL and you want to track the number of scans, using Web service bit.ly may be the best option. After someone scans a QR code, bit.ly can redirect a visitor to a target URL. The reporting tool offered by bit.ly then allows you to track visits via your QR code.
  10. Explain what the QR code is, how to read it and where it will take the user. Use a directive like, “Scan this QR code with your smartphone using a tag reader to be entered for a chance to win $500 in promotional merchandise.” If room allows, provide a backup URL in case the recipient has problems scanning.
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Thursday
December 1, 2011

Five Creative Ways to Celebrate the Holidays

Filed under: Tip of the Day

5 Creative Ways to Celebrate the HolidaysNow that it’s December and we’re finally experiencing seasonable temps here in the Northeast (I sure was getting tired of those beautiful, September-like 70-degree November days), I suppose it’s time to get that good ol’ “‘Tis the Season” feeling going and start thinking about the holidays.

This month’s issue of Supplier Global Resource has a great Sales & Marketing column by Kenneth Hein that takes a look five creative ways to celebrate the holidays. Want some ideas for motivating and building a foundation for a solid 2012? Then you should check out this column now! In the meantime, here are the five ideas:

  1. Celebrate Diversity
  2. Give the Gift of Time
  3. The Gift of Helping
  4. Remind Clients You Appreciate Them
  5. Give an Idea During the Holidays
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Thursday
November 10, 2011

Tip of the Day - How to Apologize for a Mistake

Filed under: Tip of the Day

MistakeWhoops. Uh-oh. Sorry. My bad.

Everyone makes mistakes, it’s part of who we are. But it’s how you deal with mistakes that can ultimately leave a lasting impression to a client. This month’s Counselor Blueprint newsletter not only has some great advice on how to ramp up repeat business, but some good tips on how to apologize for an error:

The key to keeping a customer happy and expanding a relationship can sometimes be determined by how your company acts when something goes wrong. Indeed, an apology can even be used as a way to grow your business with current clients.

So, when an error happens, the first thing you want to do is own up to the mistake. “You don’t want to place blame and try to immediately find the root of the problem,” says Kyle Traylor, principal with consulting firm Klay Consulting, in New York City. “Call the client, explain what happened and, most importantly, explain your plan to fix it.”

Traylor says too many distributors try to blame a supplier or the shipping company or the embroiderer, when really what they should be doing is figuring out a plan. “The time for blame is later,” he says. “All your client wants to hear is that the right items are going to arrive in time for their event. The key is to make that happen, and then you’ll look like a star.”

Clients end up remembering the vendors who always act on their behalf. If a mistake is made, it’s your time to show them the lengths you’ll go to make it right. “Once the error was made, you can’t go back and change it,” Traylor says. “What you can do is apologize and explain how the situation is going to be made right – immediately. Timeliness counts. A vendor needs to repair a bad situation very quickly or the client will only remember the error.”

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Monday
October 10, 2011

3 Tips to Managing Part-Timers

Filed under: Tip of the Day

Hiring Part-Time HelpFor some employers, just the thought of hiring part-time help can be cringeworthy. The perception that part-timers aren’t as committed and loyal as full-timers seems to be the popular concensus among employers, but why?

This month’s Wearables‘ Business Toolkit item titled “Manning the Clock” explains the stigma of part-time help, but also shows how it can be used strategically to reap benefits. So don’t miss this month’s edition, and in the meantime here are 3 great tips to managing part-timers:

Nancy Mobley, CEO of Dedham, MA-based Insight Performance Inc., an HR consulting firm, offers tips for managing part-timers: 

  1. Establish A Policy: “Your policy should address things like how you handle sick time, paid time off, jury leave and telecommuting for your part-timers,” says Mobley, noting this policy should comply with state laws, which vary. “It’s important to be consistent and treat all your part-timers the same.”
  2. Write A Job Description: This ADA-compliant job description should cover expected hours, number of days the employee will be in the office and position requirements/duties.  
  3. Be Inclusive: To keep part-timers feeling like a part of the team, include them in company-wide communications, have them attend company meetings and keep them informed of decisions that will affect them.
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Friday
October 7, 2011

Top 10 States for Nonprofit Organizations

Filed under: Tip of the Day

NonprofitsJust because “non-profit” organizations sound like they have no money, doesn’t mean it’s true.

This month’s Advantages magazine has a feature titled “Sweet Charity” that gives distributor sales reps the inside scoop on how to strike up profitable relationships with non-profit organizations. Full of tips and expert analysis from those who’ve had success in this market, this article is a must-read for distributors looking to branch out during tough times.

Check this article out now! And here’s a list of the top 10 states that feature the most registered nonprofit organizations (August 1995-July 2011):

  1. California (161,833 registered organizations as of July 2011)
  2. New York (103,654)
  3. Texas (99,192)
  4. Florida (77,288)
  5. Pennsylvania (72,847)
  6. Ohio (67,533)
  7. Illinois (66,192)
  8. Michigan (48,819)
  9. New Jersey (45,314)
  10. North Carolina (44,394)

Source: National Center for Charitable Statistics

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Thursday
September 29, 2011

Tip of the Day - 5 Popular Forms of Check Fraud

Filed under: Tip of the Day

Frank AbagnaleI remember when I first saw the movie Catch Me If You Can, the story about the world’s most prolific check forger Frank Abagnale, and thought that he was just a crook ahead of his time, taking advantage of a system that just wasn’t technologically capable of keeping up with him. Surely, I thought, things were different in the new millennium, right?

Then I read this month’s Counselor magazine article on check fraud.

Not only was I wrong, but it turns out that millions of Americans are victims of check fraud each year. Millions! But thanks to a new generation of pens — like Sanford’s uni-ball 107 — it’s becoming a lot easier to combat this nightmarish crime. If you have a few minutes, take the time to read this great article called “Fraud Fighters” - definitely worth the time to read. And in the meantime, here are 5 forms of check fraud:

  1. Check-Washing. Here, a legitimate check is altered, changing the name of the payee and often increasing the amount. Ink on checks is easily erased with common chemicals like acetone. However, some pens – which are available in the promotional market – can prevent this kind of fraud. 
  2. Forged Signatures. This is the easiest form of check fraud because banks don’t often verify signatures until a problem arises that requires them to assign liability.
  3. Forged Endorsements. This occurs when someone steals a check written to someone else.
  4. Counterfeit Checks. These can be created with a desktop scanner and printer, creating a way for a thief to pay himself.
  5. Check Kiting. This process usually involves two bank accounts. Money is transferred back and forth so the accounts can appear to contain a balance, which can then be withdrawn.

Source: Robert Siciliano, Identity Theft Expert

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