Recently in Communication Category

I don't know what a petaflop is, but I do know it's bigger than a teraflop.

How did I arrive at this limited amount of geeky wisdom?

Well, it's not because I'm smart. It's because I gleaned that factoid from a back-wall graphic among aisles and aisles of less-than-successful signage at a recent trade show for companies in the supercomputer industry. (In case you're interested, flop stands for "floating-point operations per second," so now we can all act smart.)

The show would make a great location for filming the sitcom "The Big Bang Theory." Attendees here were the kind of folks who send spaceships to Mars. Just about every booth in the place featured signage practically screaming at attendees about some technical aspect of the computing doohickey on display.

There were myriad oscilloscopes measuring electronic thingies, and signs pointing out the tech specs on the kinds of electronic gadgets I would be afraid to touch.

So, it's a good guess that many attendees not named "Bob Milam" actually understood what was going on with the oscilloscopes and the flop war being waged on back-wall graphics.

But before you assume those tech-spec key messages on back walls and banner stands were successful, consider this: The kinds of companies that buy supercomputers -- NASA, Oak Ridge National Laboratories, etc. -- usually don't just send the professor out to pick up whatever flop-crunching machine won't clash with his lab coat.

When spending that kind of money, decisions are generally made by a purchasing team: a user, an influencer, a finance guy, and maybe an executive. And I'm guessing not everyone on that list can operate an oscilloscope.

The same can be said in many industries. The guy or gal who buys a dump truck, for example, isn't necessarily the guy or gal who's going to drive it. And not every influencer at a food-industry show knows the difference between good and bad blowback on the breadcrumbs that coat chicken nuggets.

When deciding what information to put proudly on display in your exhibit, you need to determine who is going to read your message, what details they care about when making purchasing decisions, and -- based on those answers -- what messages you want those people to take away. Then, you need your key messages to be written in a manner that communicates something to the attendees you are targeting, no matter what their educational background.

Truth be told, the sins committed on booth graphics are many, from insider jargon to worthless slogans.

Here are a few examples of things you need to avoid if you want your exhibit and its graphics to be effective at your next show.

1. Our Ideas Are So Bright, We Shine Like Joules

Avoid words and phrases that are Greek to attendees who don't have a doctorate in physics. Sure, the guy in the lab coat understands what you're trying to say. But no matter the techie credentials of the show, there are probably people -- who are likely involved in purchasing decisions -- walking that show floor who won't. Save the confusing statistics and jargon for a product-info sheet that can be handed out (or e-mailed) and digested later with some help from a friendly computer nerd.

Determine who your market is, and explain in smart-but-understandable terms the benefit your product provides. Instead of spitting out petaflop rates on oversized, bold graphics, use more general terms peppered with some creativity. For example, if your key message is that your computers are faster than your competitors' offerings, create a NASCAR theme and boldly proclaim that in the race to crunch numbers, your computer always captures the checkered flag. That's a message even a pre-school kid could understand and retain.

Finally, let someone proof your graphics text to be sure it makes sense. If you're a techie person, let a layman read it. If you're a layman, call your IT guy and ask him to take a look and give you his feedback. Missing the mark on your messaging is an all-too-common mistake, so litmus test it before the show to avoid a crucial misstep.

2. Our Product is the Best Ever

The problem with this kind of statement is that it sounds like something the marketing department wrote. You almost expect to walk over to the competition and see its graphics read, "Nuh-Uh, Ours Is."

Everyone believes in the product they're selling, and that's great. But if you truly believe in your product, don't just say it's the best -- explain why it is the best. What specifically does it do that solves a problem for your clients? And why is your solution better than everyone else's?

At a food-industry trade show a few years ago, I saw the perfect example of this. A company selling plastic conveyor belts to the tortilla industry had a sign that read, "Eliminate Production Delays with the Power of Plastic."

Once in the booth, the staffer talked about how metal conveyor belts tend to stick to tortillas, causing the production line to be shut down. But the company's plastic belts did not stick to the tortillas, meaning the line kept going. Of course, the graphic explained it all, which is what a good graphic should do.

strong>3. Acme Widget -- Making a Difference

In the world of lukewarm, this might be the most tepid statement ever. I'm sure the folks at Acme Widget (or the people at the real company I won't name that actually had this graphic as the centerpiece of their booth) really are making a difference, somewhere. But it's not in the world of trade show marketing. Statements that don't actually say anything basically tell attendees that you don't have anything to say.

If your company is actually "making a difference," let attendees know how. Are you Greening the environment or donating money or goods to a philanthropic cause? Explain to attendees that you're "Cutting Carbon Emissions and Building Stronger Widgets." Then tell them why this is important to your company -- or better yet, why it is important to them: "Because You'll Breathe Easier With Acme's Stronger Widgets."

No matter what industry you are in, or what you want to say, make sure your graphics tell your story clearly, in words that can be understood and appreciated by any attendee walking past your booth. If you do that, your message will be heard loud and clear, like a 100-decibel note with no clipping of the waveform. (Just check your oscilloscope.)

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Personally, I have a big aversion to recommending most celebrity speakers for any franchise convention.

I think that there are very few 'celebrity status' presenters out there who get that they are being paid to actually connect with and serve their audiences. Too many times the strutting, peacockish, ego-serving celebrity will create a miserable experience for the planner, the hotel staff, the franchisor team and completely fail to genuinely and authentically connect with your franchise audience.

In fact, this kind of behavior is what inspired us to create our "No Diva" policy at Franchise Speakers.

Whenever we get a request from a client for a particular celebrity speaker, the first thing we find out is why is the client looking at this person and what do they hope that a keynote presentation by this celebrity will accomplish for their franchisees. That after all is the reason for the investment, isn't it?

The horror stories are prolific when you are in the inside of the speaking world. In fact, be on the lookout for our eBook - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Stories of how professional speakers can make or break your event.

Here's one that recently came to our attention - a $40,000 speaker who all in one engagement publically berated a waitress in front of a restaurant full of franchisees, was physically inappropriate and crass with the production staff, sold continuously and obnoxiously from the platform throughout his session and when told not to do it, proceeded to do it again the very next day! Wow! Yes, he had a well known name but at the end of it all, that's about all he brought to the engagement other than headaches and disspointment.

As a franchisee, I cared more about what I was going to actually learn that was going to help me run my business better than hearing someone talk about themselves.

So when a franchisor calls us and expresses interest in a celebrity speaker, I will find a gentle way to suggest we look at how we could maximize those investment dollars to create a more powerful and broad-based curriculum for the conference overall.

Using the same dollars to engage a fantastic, content-rich, keynote speaker, a selection of terrific, tactical, breakout trainers, a professional facilitator/moderator to create a positive, productive open forum or Panel of the Pro's session, a corporate comedian to enliven and create a 'WOW' awards event and some kind of experiential exercise like a Board Break Experience

We can stretch the franchisor or franchise associations dollars to create a memorable, fun and engaging learning experience for attendees.

Okay - at the end of the day, you still want that celebrity speaker?

Do yourself a huge favor and have someone who knows the speaking world talk directly to the speaker and check their references (recent and at least 3!) to get a feel for:


1. Were they more concerned about themselves than connecting to the group?
2. How were they to work with leading up to the event?
3. Were they prepared and on time?
4. Did they do their homework and put the effort into really understanding the business and the culture?
5. Did they spend more time promoting themselves and their products and services than they did connecting to the audience?

And if you still want to hire them, at least you will know in advance that you'll have your hands full through the process and can hopefully avoid some costly mistakes by including specific clauses in your contract that outline your significant do's and don't's before they take the platform.

Let me know if you'd like to discuss further. We are here to help! 720-304-3710.

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How do you know the right questions to ask to screen prospective speakers? Since you are essentially trusting your credibility with the speaker you put in front of your franchisees, pre-qualifying prospective speakers is imperative.

To help you make sure you are selecting the right match, use these three questions:

1. What's your experience working with franchise groups?

It's important that your speakers understand the delicate dance of the franchisee/franchisor relationship. Ask questions that really demonstrate that this speaker will not treat your franchisees as if they are employees. Keep your goal of having this person educate, inspire and connect with your franchisees top of mind and make sure that this person is not going to alienate them.

Be careful to phrase this question in a way that isn't leading. You want to know what they know, not what you hope they know!

2. Who have you spoken for recently that we can speak with?


Get three references from clients who the speaker has worked with in the last 6 months. When checking a speaker's references include questions such as:

  • How easy were they to work with?
  • Did you feel like they came from a position of service and supporting you or did you feel that the speaker was more focused on their own ego?
  • Do you feel like they over- or under- delivered on what they promised?
  • Did they do their homework and customize the content to genuinely connect with your franchisees?


3. What video clips do you have that we can circulate to our decision team?


Be cautious of speakers who have not invested in providing a variety of clips demonstrating their ability in front of a variety of audiences. Multiple clips will help you get a feel for the speaker's ability to consistently engage their audiences.

This has been a guest post by Katrina Mitchell, CEO and Chief Match Maker of SPEAK!

Give her a call if you'd like to brainstorm some creative conference topics and innovative ways to make your 2012 franchise convention the most memorable and effective yet! [email protected] or 720-304-3710.

We know the franchise world - it's all we do and we'd love to help

If you are a speaker looking for representation, please look at Speak!'s roster criteria.

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As a frequent speaker at events of all sizes, I've had a chance to observe some of the best practices conference organizers used to promote their events through social media. In most cases, these efforts cost little or nothing more than your time.

Here are some suggestions for leveraging social channels for event promotion. I'm sure I haven't covered all the possibilities, so please contribute your ideas as comments. We'll look first at tactics the can work for any event, then I'll propose a few ideas for large conferences covering multiple days and many speakers.

Events of all sizes

  • Set up a unique landing page for each event. You need a single Web address that people can refer to in their social channels. Use this page to describe and "sell" the event, not to gather registrations. Send visitors to a different landing page to register. If there are several events in the series, create a unique landing page for each.
  • EventBrite is a great service, but I recommend against using it as your event landing page. Use a page under your own domain and use EventBrite (or similar services) for registrations.
  • Publish an announcement on Yahoo's Upcoming or Eventful. They help you publicize to a local community. Also consider professional associations, which may give you a calendar entry for free.
  • Regardless of the size of the event, set up a Facebook page or create a dedicated event sub-page under your Facebook page. It costs nothing and gives you access to the extended social networks of registrants and potential registrants. When people "like" your page, that action is shared with everyone in their network. The average Facebook member has 130 Facebook friends. That amplifies your message pretty quickly.
  • Create a Twitter hashtag and promote it to your colleagues and registrants. Ideally, the hashtag should be unique to the event (#AcmeForum11), but it's OK to use your organization's hashtag if your main goal is to build your brand.(#AcmeForums). Use the hashtag in all your communications and always link to the event landing page.
  • Schedule Twitter promotions to go out at different times of the day, including on weekends. Free clients like Tweetdeck, Seesmic and HootSuite make this easy. If you're trying to attract an international audience, don't forget to schedule some promos to go out during the local work day in those areas. If you can customize to the local language, that's even better.
  • Ask registrants for a Twitter address and then follow them on Twitter. Retweet their messages from time to time. They'll notice you and are more likely to follow you and retweet your event-related messages.
  • Use a unique tracking code with each promotion and make sure to use a different code for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and e-mail. You want to know which sources are sending traffic to your landing page so you can better focus your resources.
  • Link to the event page from your e-mail signature line. Make sure others on your team do this, too.
  • Create short-code URLs using a service like Bit.ly. Many services let you customize the short code to something that's easy to remember, like your event name or hashtag (for example, bit.ly/AcmeForum). Do that.
  • Your speakers and fellow organizers are your best sources of social media promotion. Make it easy: Create suggested messages for them to use in each medium (For example, "Come see the latest in Acme widgets. Special discount if you use this URL http://bit.ly/AcmeForum"). It's better that they use your message than create their own. Create a couple of short messages for Twitter and a longer one for a blog or Facebook. Limit Twitter messages to 120 characters to allow for retweeting.
  • Provide a suggested tag for attendees to use when posting photos or videos from the event. This enables you to assemble photo galleries by stitching together tagged content from a variety of sources.
  • Create an event badge (right) that speakers can embed in their blog sidebars or on their websites. Link to your landing page using a custom URL. Don't send speakers an image, but post the image on your site and send them an embed code. This enables you to tell who's sending you traffic. It's a good idea to offer speakers a special discount code they can share with their friends and followers.
  • Something that's rarely done but worth trying is to customize discount codes and offer a rebate to attendees who successfully recruit other registrants. All you have to do is give each badge-holder a unique registration code to promote, and then track who sends you customers. Then refund promoters a percentage or fixed amount.
  • Create SlideShare and YouTube channels for your event. Post all appropriate pre- and post-conference materials there. SlideShare is a particularly good place to post speaker presentations as a way of raising awareness about follow-on events. Be sure to point to your event site from the SlideShare and YouTube profile pages. Embed media from your SlideShare and YouTube channels on your event website.
  • Content from past events is your best promotion for future events. Record as many presentations as possible and post them as podcasts or video podcasts. Be sure to provide an RSS feed so that potential attendees can subscribe to new content as it's posted. If you can't record the sessions, set up brief interviews with selected speakers and post them as podcasts.

Large events

  • Set up a branded Twitter account specifically for the event. This enables registrants to follow you to learn about developments in the program and it also creates a channel for post-event follow-up.
  • Use the Twitter account to promote announcements such as new speakers, sessions, sponsors and parties. Ask staff and speakers to retweet these messages in order to gain followers. Don't forget to include the Twitter hashtag!
  • Create an event blog. Ask speakers to contribute posts of 300-500 words. Space out entries so that there's a constant stream of new content. Focus speakers on writing about the topic of their presentations, not promoting their businesses. Promote each new entry on Twitter and your Facebook page. Post a description and link in relevant groups on LinkedIn.
  • Create an e-mail newsletter with frequency of at least every other week. Make it easy for website visitors to sign up for the newsletter, even if they don't register for the event. Promote a newsletter sign-up page on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Be sure to post the content of each newsletter on a page on the conference website so that people can link to it.
  • Create a series of pre-event audio and/or video podcast interviews with speakers. You can use VOIP services like Skype and inexpensive recording software likePamela to capture this audio. Post the podcasts on the conference blog and on a dedicated multimedia page on the conference website.
  • Create a page to aggregate news media coverage of the event and/or topic of your event. An easy way to do this is to use Delicious link rolls. Embed a small piece of Javascript code on your Web page and whenever you bookmark an article on Delicious with the designated tag, the headline and link post automatically to your page.
  • Create a "buzz page" that monitors mentions of your hash tag and automatically posts them to a comment stream. Here's an example.

Post-Event

  • Send a summary e-mail to all attendees with referrals to conference materials on SlideShare and YouTube. Send people to a page on your event website that hosts that embedded content. The landing page should include calls to action to register for future events. A "repeat attendee" discount is a good idea.
  • Set up a survey form to capture evaluations from attendees. Google Documents supports simple forms at no charge. Publish the best comments as validation of the quality of your content. Here's a simple form I use to gather feedback on my presentations. It took 10 minutes to set up.
  • Continue to use the Twitter account to update attendees and provide fodder for future promotion.

What did I miss? Tell me what works for you and for conferences you've attended.

(Paul Gillin is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is a popular speaker who is known for his ability to simplify complex concepts using plain talk, anecdotes and humor. This article originally appeared at his site. Paul graciously gave his permission to reprint it to help franchisee associations use social media tools to plan their conventions.)

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Attorneys and consultants who work with associations see their share of troubled boards of directors. In fact, I believe that troubled boards outnumber focused efficient boards by a substantial margin. Notwithstanding their problems, most boards seem to get by, although they could be better.

However, when a board of directors has more than its share of troubles and struggles, it can become dysfunctional.

This article will point out ten key indicators of a dysfunctional board. While every association has a different way of working, the presence of more than a few of these signs is cause for concern.

Key indicators are:

1. Power Struggles - power struggles shift the board's focus from the business of the board to individuals or sub-groups gaining/maintaining "control." A board that is controlled by an individual or sub-group is inherently dysfunctional. So, whether right or wrong about the issues, controlling the board is harmful, while use of vision, influence, knowledge and ideas
is completely appropriate and desirable.

2. Vote-Counting Prior to Meeting - counting and collecting vote commitments prior to a meeting is always inappropriate. It generally results in conflict, distrust, and weak decisions, because decisions are made prior to full discussion and analysis.

3. Lack of Civility and Respect - a board that tolerates hostility, aggressiveness, or disrespect among board members, weakens itself and wastes time and leadership input. A weak board finds it difficult to stop abuse, personal agendas, and other disruptive acts. It may have difficulty recruiting quality members.

4. Board Micro-management - whether you are micro-managed or not, you already know what I mean.

5. Preoccupation with Bylaws and Parliamentary Procedure - while bylaws must be adhered to, and on occasion may require clarification or interpretation, disputes about bylaws or parliamentary procedures usually indicates more serious problems beneath the surface. See "Power Struggles" above.

6. Focus of Negative Attention on the Executive - when one or a minority of directors is openly critical of an executive, a great deal of resources tend to be devoted to that issue. Distrust and struggles are likely to occur, along with frequently unfounded accusations against the executive. Many times, if not most, the problem is with the board itself, not just the executive.

7. Last Minute Proposals - if important or controversial items of business are handled via lastminute (read: sneaky) proposals when there is no true emergency, the board is probably being manipulated. Likewise, a board that is swayed by last minute proposals, and shallow or slick presentations without full analysis and discussion, is not doing its job.

8. Overly Powerful Executive - sometimes executives amass so much "control" over the association that board members feel no need to do their job, or are reluctant or too intimidated to openly question what is happening.

9. Directors as "Representatives" - when directors act as representatives of their constituents rather than in the best interests of the whole, difficulties will abound. Some directors go so far as to criticize the decisions of the board to their constituents -- a particularly disloyal and disruptive act.

10. Rump Sessions - while discussing problems and ideas outside of a meeting is fine, unofficial group discussions outside of official meetings nearly always exclude at least some key stakeholders, and therefore undermine communication and trust.

These are the ten warning signs that I have observed in my practice. Are there others that you could share? Please let me know.

Copyright 2002-12, Mark D. Alcorn, J.D., M.B.A. All rights reserved.

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I can't count the number of times I've walked the aisles at trade shows, only to happen upon companies that have brought seemingly every item in their inventory to display in their exhibits. They've pinned products on walls, scattered them atop tables, or otherwise displayed them in their booths based on the myth that attendees will be unfulfilled if they're shown the X-1000 widget in beige when they were really hoping to see the taupe version.

Every time I see these flea-market-like exhibits, I shake my head. A booth merchandised like a Spencer's Gifts store sends a certain message, showcasing a company's goods rather than any message about the company's key differentiators or dedication to its customers. This strategy might be great if you're running a truck-stop gift shop, where the emphasis is on showing off the goods. But it misses the mark in the trade show industry, where success often comes from making a memorable first impression that helps your brand stand out on the show floor.

A Star-Spangled Mess

One of the best before-and-after examples in the category of cluttered exhibits is the Valley Forge Flag Co. At a recent expo, Valley Forge Flag set up a 10-by-20-foot exhibit and filled it wall to wall with Old Glory. It had big flags, medium flags, flags that fit on your desk, fringed flags, all-weather flags, and pretty much every size of the Stars and Stripes available.

Attendees at the show included retailers looking for products to stock in their stores. At the Valley Forge Flag booth, those retailers found products alright, but nothing in the booth positioned Valley Forge's flags as better or more desirable than any other flag on the market. After all, it's presumable that every company in the flag-making business offers up an equally rich product catalogue. And Old Glory is what it is: 13 stripes alternating red then white from top to bottom and a blue field filled with 50 white stars arranged in rows of six and five. Even the length-to-width ratio is set. So, frankly, any two American flags, whether they are made by Valley Forge Flag or sewn by the living descendants of Betsy Ross, are almost exactly the same.

The worst part about Valley Forge's display was that the exhibit failed to tell attendees what is so great about the company's flags, as opposed to every other American-flag-making company. And, at least in this company's case, that story can make all the difference.

What you wouldn't have known by walking past the Valley Forge booth is that all the American flags on the moon are Valley Forge flags. Every flag on a military coffin is made by Valley Forge Flag. And the flag on President Kennedy's coffin, guess who made it? Valley Forge Flag, of course. And while other flag makers can use the same materials and follow the same dimensional instructions set out by Congress for making American flags, only Valley Forge Flag has been a part of these iconic moments in American history.

Now, wouldn't that be a great story to tell attendees? Wouldn't the story of Valley Forge Flag's place in history tell attendees that this company is about more than just making standard flags in all sizes? For a company like Valley Forge Flag, the difference between trotting out the inventory and telling its unique and compelling story would be the difference between trying to make a simple sale and trying to differentiate itself on a level that no other flag manufacturer can compete.

I Can't Believe It's Not Cluttered

There is nothing inherently wrong with displaying oodles of offerings. But if your exhibit focuses too much on merchandising and not enough on communicating with buyers and driving home your differentiators, you should ask yourself the following questions and think about the message that you are sending with all that clutter.

1. Is my exhibit cluttered? No matter how neat and clean your display might be, if you're showcasing more than a few versions of what is essentially the same item, there is probably more product in your booth than anyone beyond the most dedicated attendee will take the time to see.

If you're unsure whether you've got too many products on display, pay attention to how often each one is referenced at your next show. If it's not attracting attention, it's probably not essential.

2. What message am I sending? Stand back and examine your booth. What message does it communicate to passersby? If the bulk of doodads is overshadowing your company's key messages, or detracting from your differentiators, it's time to clean house. While you might think having the beige and taupe widgets on hand makes you look prepared, in reality, having too much product in the booth looks unorganized.

If you need to showcase widgets, doodads, and thingies, then bring one of each and let attendees know they all come in eight different colors. Or bring your product line on USB thumb drives and hand them out, letting attendees peruse all the features of each model of your products. Unless you're the only company to offer that widget in eight different colors, displaying all eight is unlikely to help you differentiate yourself from your competitors.

3. What should my message be? Whether you've filled your booth with American flags or an array of widgets, you've essentially told attendees to focus on the variety of your product line. OK, that's not horrible, but in doing so, you've also taken the focus off your story. Why are your widgets -- in all their colors and with all their features -- better than similar products? Are your widgets cheaper? Are they higher quality? Are they used by large, recognizable clients?

Chances are, no matter what industry you're in, you have a competitor that makes a product similar to your own. If you're going to win the sales battle against that competitor, I guarantee it won't be because you have eight colors of widgets or 50-plus versions of the American flag. You need to find the story -- the compelling reason why your company should be trusted to deliver this product -- and let that take center stage instead.

Thankfully, Valley Forge Flag has learned its lesson and designed a new booth that tells its unique story through iconic back-wall graphics. But when I think back to the company's old exhibit, I'm awestruck by the fact that I wouldn't have ever known its story had I not badgered the booth staffer with questions.

To this day, every time I see an American flag, I am reminded of Valley Forge.

But I bet that to most of the attendees who visited the company's old booth, a flag is a flag -- and Valley Forge, much like its competitors, has them in every size imaginable.

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Six weeks, five countries, four conferences and a pile of travel expense receipts that desperately needs to be sorted.

In the middle of the activity, I received a call from a conference organizer seeking my participation in an upcoming big event.

As many of these conversations go, I initially felt complimented when hearing "You've been identified as a thought leader and someone we'd like to have as a key part of our event".

But as the dialogue wore on, I realized that I was being pitched sponsorship rather than be recognized for thought leadership.

The questions I was asked were intended to help me rationalize writing that big check for sponsorship and included:


1. Why do you attend conferences?
2. What's the value of the exposure if you present, exhibit, or sponsor?
3. What is the value of just one project that results from contacts made at the event?

You can see where it was all headed.

Yes, we attend industry events to learn, but probably the networking is most valued. I fully understand the model and realize that sponsorship dollars fund the event as well as generate a bottom line for organizers.

My revelation was that the conference business is increasingly becoming a game of haves and have-nots.

Sponsoring organizations shell out significant dollars to sponsor events and key speaking slots on the agenda are allocated to them as part of the package. That is reasonable considering the investment made.

Suppliers, agencies, and consultants are another matter.

I am fascinated by the message that suppliers or vendors are "bad" and can't be trusted to present without pitching their wares. Some ground rules are clear, that no presentation should be a sales pitch, veiled or otherwise. Adhering to this rule improves the content of the conference material and raises overall value for delegates. Anyone crossing the line too much or too often should not be invited back as there's plenty of time for selling during the networking and break times.

On the other hand, there are some highly informed people working in the supplier community that can be of great interest to a delegate group. For example, find the people who are talking about subjects on gamification, location based marketing, mobile payments and NFC, social media measurement, or coalition loyalty. Through their focus and passion for their areas of speciality, they can bring great value to an event.

There are some things in life you can complain about and then there are the ones that we can actually hope to change. I am hoping that the conference business will shift ever so slightly. For example, I would like to see that at least one speaking spot in a morning and afternoon of a typical conference event be allocated based on merit, not money. That means that out of approximately 16 speakers, 4 would be invited based on their material, not just the size of their supporting organization.

This 25% concession would probably not impact the overall sponsorship fees received by organizers. They might even be able to increase revenues through higher registrations or a higher price point.

There's a very good chance that the model will not change, mostly because it does not have to. Only a Wall Street style boycott would bring that level of change and, since most of us go to conferences for the networking, I don't expect we'll see much of an uprising.

At the same time, conference organizers should be on alert. Some brands are shifting attention to proprietary events, where stakeholders are brought together in high quality environments and an open exchange of valuable information takes place. As dollars in travel and marketing budgets stay tight, watch for these high quality privately organized events to become even more attractive.

Maybe that will create the impetus for the general conference industry to alter their approach to the business. We'll see.

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If I had a dollar for every time I heard or read the phrase "nothing will replace face-to-face meetings," I would be rich (er).

The sad truth is that in some cases they've already been replaced.

The recession, green movement, costs to exhibit, travel hassles, generation Y's social networking predilections (pick one) have opened the door to virtual events with good reason--they save money and environmental resources while attracting a new audience of exhibitors and attendees. Rather than run towards the exits with brains on fire fearing the cannibalization or elimination of live events by virtual platforms, it's time to take stock of the real opportunities that virtual event platforms offer to stimulate live attendance and grow face-to-face events.

The bad news

At the same time virtual events are on the rise, face-to-face trade show producers are experiencing their share of challenges. Many organizers are struggling to get a handle on how to grow their events in the face of increased competition from new media channels, continued economic volatility, and rising costs. Exhibitors remain irritated by labor practices and the ever-increasing costs to exhibit. The recent uptick in attendance numbers at some shows doesn't change the general lack of industry growth overall.

The good news

When done well, virtual experiences stimulate immersion, flow, and presence--the primary reasons why virtual games like World of Warcraft (WOW) are so addictive. To a lesser extent, virtual trade shows and conferences perform in the same way. Like every great concert, sporting event, or cocktail party next door, watching and listening to the action from a distance only makes you crave being there when the opportunity comes along. Incidently, BLIZZCON, the live conference for WOW gamers, sells out almost immediately after the dates are announced every year!

The plan

To prevent the further shrinkage of live events, producers must develop a strategy that allows each of the two mediums--face-to-face and virtual events--do what they uniquely do best and treats virtual platforms like any other content strategy that adapts to address the various stages of the sales funnel:

Stage I: Webinars. Bring in live subject matter experts to deliver regularly scheduled, FREE, and interactive presentations to an audience that is both familiar with the live event (jazzed from attending the year before) and entirely new. Content delivered virtually at this stage should create brand awareness, pique the interest of newcomers and reinforce the loyalty of your customer base.

Stage II: The Virtual Preview. Use your live event speakers and keynote presenters to offer a glimpse of what's in store at the face-to-face event. However, lest you think you can get away with something brief, commercial-like, and only at 50% power, think again. This is the point at which you MUST go after potential live attendees with both barrels, offering original content for FREE with the understanding that the virtual attendees are in a buying mode.

Stage III: The Hybrid Event. Stream content live from the physical trade show and conference to the virtual audience. This is an opportunity to appeal to serious potential participants--remote attendees, exhibitors, and even sponsors--who want to learn about the event with the intention of participating the following year. This is your opportunity to showcase your product in a three-dimensional way. The best way to do that is to not treat the virtual audience as voyeurs or second-class citizens. You have to engage them, give them a voice, allow them to participate, and frustrate them (in a good way) so that they regret not having attended the live event.

Stage IV: The Live Trade Show and Conference. Reward loyalists who have made the shift from virtual attendee to live attendee with an experience that emulates the online environment but cannot be duplicated online--rich human interaction, unlimited opportunities to engage in small groups and intimate settings, information on demand, and plenty of tactile experiences. The content and engagement delivered by the live event must be so compelling and actionable that it pushes live attendees back into the post-event virtual stream to form the live event's virtual community.

The Takeaway: This virtual rescue plan forces live events to differentiate themselves from virtual platforms by offering a level of engagement that virtual events cannot deliver. The richness of the live experience drives attendance.

The online content (unique information delivered by live speakers, not archived presentations) recognizes where virtual attendees are in the buying (attending) cycle and delivers content commensurate with that stage of the sales funnel. It allows potential participants--attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors--to jump into and out of the content stream all year long. Yes, this is a long-term approach.

Yes, it requires deviation from conventional growth strategies and a level of investment on the part of the event organizer. But, some would argue, the only way forward for the live event industry is not to look back.

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The Las Vegas "What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas" meme has become well known and is used to attract visitors and curiosity seekers.

It may work for the Las Vegas CVB, but just the opposite is true of Franchisee Conventions!

One of the most important lessons we've learned from producing Conventions for a wide variety of Franchise companies is what happens at the convention should be shared and utilized after the convention is over.

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The reason is because it can be invaluable as a learning and motivational tool.

Here are 4 points to consider:

1. Video

Film your convention. By having a good clear video of the major presentations you now have the opportunity to ensure that the messages can be seen and heard by those franchises who did not attend the convention while also providing the attendees with a great tool for holding staff meetings back at the office to brief their team on what direction the company is heading and what goals are being set for the local Franchise.

Highlight videos showing both the business and social activities are valuable tools to convince non-attendees to sign up for the next convention. Show them the fun and excitement they are missing. They are also perfect for showing at Discovery Days to give prospective Franchisees a great look at your Franchise culture.

Awards Presentation videos are a great way to further recognize the best of the best and motivate others to strive to be the best.

Another great way to use convention videos is to post links to them on your website - password protected of course - so all Franchisees have access to seeing them at their convenience.

Some tips: 2 cameras are better than 1 because it allows for more editing opportunities that will make the video more visually interesting and engaging. Also, editing in some PowerPoint slides that illustrate key points in the presentation will help drive home the message.

2. Networking

One of our mentors, the late Tony Martino, used to say, the real convention happens by the pool and in the bar. What he meant was franchisees need time to mingle and connect so they can share their stories, successes, problems and concerns. Friendships are forged and a network of support is created that will last for years to come. Camaraderie is critical to a successful convention.

Teambuilding events are another great way to create camaraderie at conventions. They have the added benefit of getting franchisees to meet other Zees from around the country and work together on a fun event.

3. Ride the Theme

A good convention theme should not be retired at the end of the convention. Use it throughout the year in updates on your digital media - emails, podcasts, digital newsletters and web-site portals. Post updates on progress, success stories and testimonials. If you promised something from the podium - products, programs, people etc, film and show a video when it is accomplished and frame it within the theme established at the convention.

4. Enthusiasm is Contagious

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, share your enthusiasm. You want your attendees to leave the convention proud of the Franchise and their decision to buy a franchise and pumped up about the prospect for the year ahead. Make sure that they are told to share that pride and excitement with their employees. Enthusiasm is contagious and enthusiasm leads to better performance and greater achievements.

So what happens at your convention is a mother lode of information and inspiration.

Don't leave it at the hotel or resort when you head home.

Use it - your convention is a great asset that will pay big dividends on your convention investment.

What are your franchisees saying about your convention after it's over?

Are they filled with renewed energy? Are they excited by new information and new programs?

Are they motivated to achieve greater results? Or...do they say it was irrelevant and a waste of time?

The key to ensuring the positive results and avoiding the negative results is careful upfront planning. I'm not talking about all of the logistics and details that go into a smooth running event which are critical to success but a factual evaluation of what needs to be addressed and achieved at the convention. Laying a solid foundation is the most important first step and at Aranco Productions we call this process The C.I.G.A.R. Audit:

Culture...Issues...Goals...Actionability...Results

Understanding the Culture of a Franchise company is important in creating a convention that hits all the right notes in messaging while avoiding the missteps that can create dissonance with the franchisees. Is your company's Culture family orientated? Is it a very structured hands-on Culture or is it a more relaxed environment that encourages individuality? Is it bottom line driven or focused on growth? Some companies have a strong faith based Culture and some are committed to serving their local communities. All these factors need to be understood in developing theme, content and programming that is in tune with the Cultural mindset.

Issues can be a more delicate topic to discuss but they have to be faced and addressed. Usually, the key Issues are obvious to the management team - lack of uniformity in the chain, poor customer service ratings, use of advertising funds, inadequate training etc. However, some issues are not as obvious and careful dialog with regional managers and zees who are peer leaders can expose some erupting or festering Issues that should be dealt with prior to or at the convention.

Setting Goals is essential for creating a convention that is on target in its messaging. All content components from PowerPoint, Videos, live presenters, skits and even planned supporting events such as teambuilding should be focused on the delivering or enhancing the communication Goals

To get the most out of your convention, you should list the specific Actions that you want to see the attendees execute after they return home. Whether it's a different approach to customer interaction, new use of social media, executing a price increase or implementing a new merchandising system, they should be well equipped and enthusiastic to get started when they get back to work. Be sure to follow up to make sure these Actions are carried out.

The last checkpoint is to list the desired Results. Be realistic in setting goals and benchmarks that you want your franchisees to achieve. Is it sales growth vs previous year, Increased lead generation, gain in market share or improved customer satisfaction score? Whatever Results you are targeting, be sure they are fair and measurable.

Our experience is that once a C.I.G.A.R. Audit is completed, a clear framework is in place to focus the creative elements that go into a successful meeting production.

It acts as a guideline for ideas and techniques that bring the Wow Factor to the convention.

It also creates a solid relationship between the production company and the Franchise company which keeps all parties focused on making the convention productive, memorable and the best one ever.

Are you ready to light one up?

Contact us at www.arancoproductions.com for help in planning your next franchisee convention.

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If you've ever been to a Cold Stone Creamery, you know that eating plain vanilla can be a bit boring. After all, when you order your frozen treat, the first thing the person with the scoop will ask is, "What else do you want with it?" You can add another ice-cream flavor or indulge in anything from candy to fresh fruit.

Setting objectives for your trade show or event should include the same "What else do you want?" discussion. Sure, you want to collect sales leads (that's the vanilla), but if there is a chance to add another layer of ROI, why not make the most of the marketing opportunity and toss in a few mix-ins?

Now don't get me wrong, collecting sales leads is a valuable goal. (And according to EXHIBITOR's 2010 Sales Lead Survey, 98 percent of exhibitors do it.) However, building awareness, conducting market research, educating attendees, and finding partnership opportunities can affect profitability just as much as collecting leads. Adding the right goals at the right shows can increase the value of your program and help you defend your spend.

1. Educate Attendees - Measure Before and After the Show

A couple of years ago at EXHIBITOR Show, I attended a session where the presenter talked about the importance of measurement. Suddenly, one of the attendees raised his hand and said, "I don't know how this applies to me."

His problem: He worked for Florida Power and Light, and his goal at shows wasn't to sell electricity, but to get customers to conserve energy.

How, he asked the class, could he measure his exhibits' ability to help attendees understand the need for, or methods of, energy conservation?

What the session leader and I pointed out was that his goals revolved around educating attendees on conservation. With that in mind, he needed to build his exhibiting strategy around education and assess his success just like a teacher would with his or her students.

Rather than just swiping badges and reporting lead counts, he needed attendees to listen to his message. He then needed to test their retention of that message with an in-booth (or post-show) survey/quiz. High scores would indicate that attendees retained his key messages, while low scores would mean he had to craft a better lesson plan. Furthermore, those quiz scores would become an important part of his metrics for each show.

If education is an important goal, consider pre- and post-show surveys to gauge attendees' knowledge of your subject before and after they visit your booth.

By measuring what info attendees retained after the show, you can demonstrate how effective your educational efforts were in the booth.

2. Build Brand Awareness- within your demographic

At the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, the U.S. Army exhibit was swarming with attendees.

Now, before you ask why the Army was so busy at the show, you have to wonder, what was the Army doing at an auto show to begin with?

The answer is simple. Auto shows are filled with consumers who love cars, including a large number of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 25. These are the same folks the Army would like to recruit into its ranks.

Of course, there was no actual recruiting going on at the auto show. And while the Army scanned badges of anyone interested in receiving more information, the real goal for the show was for the Army to show off military life and build brand awareness.

Brand awareness is a goal that works well if you have a way for attendees to interact with your company through its products or services.

The Army did this by getting attendees involved in various challenges. The booth's hands-on attitude kept attendees engaged with Army-related activities throughout their visit.

Like education, brand awareness is also measurable via pre- and post-show surveys.

By demonstrating that 20 percent more attendees know about your company or your products -- or have a more favorable impressionof your brand -- after the show, you've proven that your exhibit helped build awareness and improve perceptions.

3. Search for Strategic Partners at the Trade Show

At a construction show a few years ago, one small booth caught my eye. The exhibit displayed a new process for making windows.

The system,the company claimed, could be applied to any window manufacturer's assembly line, making it faster and more efficient.

The guy in the booth told me his goal was to demonstrate his method for making windows quickly so a larger company would buy his patented process.

What made his booth different from any other on the show floor was his messaging. The exhibit, with graphics claiming a faster manufacturing process, was not geared at all toward the construction crowd that only cared about the finished product.

Instead, the messaging was meant specifically for window manufacturers that might be in the market for a better process.

Like the window guy, if you're looking for a partner at a show, you need to focus your messaging for those folks, who may or may not be the show's attendees.

In addition to targeting the show's attendees, contact exhibitors that might make good partners and set up meetings where you can demo what you bring to the table. Attracting even a small handful of potential partners can make the show a success regardless of how many sales leads and badge scans you bring back to the office.

4. Conduct Marketing Research

When I worked for Kerry Americas, a food-ingredients company, we attended several large franchisee trade shows every year.

While the franchisees were not our customers at the show, they were the end-sellers of our products. Collecting leads from among the franchisees may not have been a priority, but getting their feedback on our products was vital to helping us better serve our customers, the suppliers who sold food items to attendees.

So we asked those franchisees which products didn't perform as well as they'd hoped. If something was not working, or there was a need for a new product, those folks were happy to tell us, but only if we asked. Gathering feedback adds one more deliverable to your exhibit-marketing objectives, and helps diversify the value your program brings to the table.

While collecting leads may be the most common goal at trade shows, remember that shows are filled with a variety of attendees, some of whom can help you achieve other objectives. Look for ways to squeeze some value out of your next show by educating attendees, conducting market research, finding strategic partnerships, and building brand awareness. The added results will be the cherry atop your exhibit-marketing sundae.

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A few months ago, I was a guest speaker for ABWA. My presentation was Speak Powerfully Sell More: Speak Your Way to More Business.

One woman in the audience asked a question about how to handle a celebrity who is hired to speak and doesn't deliver. This woman went on a rant about how many of these celebrities are not good speakers and yet meeting planners continue to hire them. I explained that the reason for that was event planners want to sell tickets. An event will sell out when the keynote speaker is a celebrity.

This made me reflect on my own experience at conferences and I had to agree. I recall one convention where I signed up for the lunch event for an additional charge. The guest speaker was a well known television personality. And he was late! We had already been served the main course before he cavalierly sauntered on stage in his jeans and pec-enhanced tee shirt. I enjoyed his stories but I couldn't get past his lateness. He never made mention of it. The woman sitting next to me had booked celebrity speakers in a past job and told me that they don't care if they're late. They expect everybody to wait for them.

It seems that some celebrities don't prepare or don't know the audience. One woman media personality gave a presentation about herself and her career path. Who cares? Can you spell BORING? Some celebrity speakers trade on their name and expect to be paid just for showing up.

A number of years ago, I was hired by the National Basketball Association when they launched the NBDL (minor league team). My job was to media train the team presidents and media relations people of these newly formed teams. The media training was well-received. One woman thanked me and said that she had recently been part of the Olympic committee.

The committee brought in the "big gun" media trainers who were television anchors. She confided to me that these anchors "Just showed us videos and told us stories. But you showed us how to do it."

Once again, it's all about perceived value. I'm sure I made a fraction of what they paid these anchors. But because of their celebrity status, they were considered excellent media trainers.

So what is the solution? How can meeting planners and speakers bureaus ensure that the celebrity speakers can deliver? They can't. Some guest speakers have a good reputation for consistently delivering a great keynote speech. Hire them. But let's say you want a particular celebrity for your meeting because you'll sell out your event, but you know the speaker doesn't have very good platform skills?

Don't give the celebrity the keynote speech. Instead, feature them as the main event for an interview on stage. Conduct the interview "Charlie Rose" style. Then hire a professional speaker who can wow the crowd or has strong content. The audience will get exposure to the celebrity or guest, the celebrity's ego will be intact as the main act, and you won't lose your reputation as an event planner.

When it comes to meetings and events, public speaking skills matter. The event is only as good as the speakers. The audience will pay to hear a celebrity, but if he doesn't deliver, they may not come back the next time.

If you book celebrity speakers, I'd love to hear how you ensure that they will deliver on the platform. And what do you do when they disappoint the audience? Would you hire a celebrity speaker the next time? Or would you try a less known presenter or entertainer?

You have a contact - first/last name & email.  

You would like to know more about this contact & whether you can do business with them.

And, you have searched LinkedIn and failed to the find the contact.

So, now you need to invite the person to join LinkedIn.

But, be careful and use these exact steps.  Otherwise, you will end up being labelled a "spammer" by LinkedIn.

 

Step 1.  Sign into LinkedIn  & Locate "Network" on Black Tool Bar

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Step 2.  Hit "Network" to get a drop down and then hit "Add connections".

You should see this screen - be very careful here and don't hit anything but the "Any Email" button on the far right.

Don't touch any other buttons - very bad Karma.

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Step 3. LinkedIn will continue to try trick you, but don't fall for it.  They only want your email addresses.

You should see this screen.  

Don't touch anything except the small triangle "invite by individual mail".

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Hit it once. It should turn and point down.

 

Step 4.  Copy and Paste the one email address.

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Step 5.  Email your contact & explain why you invited him/her to LinkedIn: what is in it for them.

 


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Storytelling is an integral part of the marketing process. Without a good story to tell, how are people supposed to care about your product or company or take the time to realize your true value in market place?

Given three competing companies, each with similar product lines and comparable pricing structures, what sets one off from the others? It is how it relates its value to its potential customers. Through the development of consistent marketing tactics that transcend mediums, people begin to recognize the value of one company over the other, because they create the perception through marketing that they are different.

It is not enough to be different from your competition; you need to be perceived as different by those you wish to influence.

This does not come by accident. Strategy is a huge part of the equation. Taking the time to understand who you are as a company, the value you bring to the table, understanding who the audience that you wish to influence is and developing calls to action that resonate with those audiences takes time, budget and effort.

Here is a great article that I found in Entrepreneur magazine that speaks to this point.

The cow for sale may be a simplified example of how marketing works, but it demonstrates that you need to understand your audience and how to market your product in an effective manner.

The post So, How Well Can You Tell a Story? appeared first on CMYK Solutions Inc..

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There are two basic Trade Show strategies: gather or filter.

If your primary objective is increasing brand recognition, getting the word out about a new product, or attracting the majority of the show's attendees, you probably want to gather.

If your objective is to attract top prospects, increase face time with highly qualified buyers, or search for those hard-to-find A-level leads, you probably want to filter (a technique that places quantity on the back burner, opting instead for fewer, but more qualified, leads).

The following tactics will help you implement the approach you choose, and ultimately land you the quantity and quality of leads you're looking for.

Option 1: Gather

If you're looking to create a rush to your booth, you'll want to let everyone know what you've got planned. Pre-show e-mail campaigns are designed to do just that: reach as many people as possible for as little as possible. Send e-mails introducing your company and letting attendees know where your booth is located and why they should add it to their must-see lists.

To gather attendees at your booth, you need to create a reason for them to come. Build traffic by distributing promotional items, hosting an in-booth contest, activity, or presentation -- anything that will pique attendees' curiosity and get them into your exhibit.

The layout of your booth should be open and inviting: no walls that block attendees, no imposing barriers such as counters or tables. Signage should be bold and eye catching. If there's not a line or crowd in your booth at all times, you're doing something wrong.

Your booth staff should be trained to collect leads efficiently. Now is not the time for long sales pitches; you're focusing on the sound-bite speech. And, with so many attendees expected to pass through your exhibit, a quick, reliable lead-capture system is vital.

Option 2: Filter

The first step when filtering attendees is to determine whether there are enough valuable leads attending the show to make it worth your while to exhibit. If there are, then you'll need to find out who those leads are, design a marketing strategy to reach those individuals, and get enough of them to visit your booth -- and ultimately purchase your product or service -- to pay for your presence at the trade show.

At the least, you must identify and contact the attendees you'd like to see and let them know you'll be at the show. At best, you can set up appointments ahead of time with key prospects and VIP clients.

If you're not sure who your top prospects are, devise a plan to cull those few qualified attendees from the herd. E-mail all attendees a link to a Web site where you pre-qualify leads via an online survey. Then target the most promising respondents.

While no one wants to be seen as unfriendly on the trade show floor, your booth should not go out of its way to attract everyone. Here, barriers to entry are not only acceptable, they might even be preferable. Meeting rooms are probably necessary. Signage should allow attendees to self qualify rather than attracting every Tom, Dick, and Harry.

Consider a high-priced or high-quality promotional giveaway, something of greater value than the branded pens or T-shirts you might use if you were gathering. Remember, since you're exclusively focusing on a handful of attendees, you can afford to spend more per attendee than if you were targeting the show's entire pre-registration list.

This has been a guest post by Bob Milam. Bob has just unveiled a brand new service for 2011. It's specifically designed for exhibit and trade show managers and it's called "Ask Trade Show Bob."

"Ask Trade Show Bob" is a simple dial-up service that allows anyone to call me, any time, whenever a little exhibit expertise is needed. Whether you're having trouble planning your exhibit, measuring its effectiveness -- heck, if you just need to know who to call to get your exhibit electric turned on call him.

(You'll get 30 minutes of on-the-fly strategic and/or tactical trade show advice for just $69.00 per 30-minute session. Bob is available any time, day or night, before, during or after your show. )

What's on your iPod? What's in your Netflix cue? What shows do you Tivo?

In this age of social networking, we like to turn to others to help guide our choices. Simple technologies allow us to more easily find, connect with, and tap into the brain trust of a much larger group of individuals than before.

Except at most meetings. Yes, we are getting better at more strategically incorporating shared interest groups and other communities of like-minded individuals into conference schedules. But when we talk about tapping into the interests of the community, we have a lot of unfulfilled opportunities.

While I'm a heavy user of sophisticated electronic community-building software whenever it is part of a conference, here are a few easier-to-implement tactics:

1. In meeting registration materials spotlight a half-dozen or so actual attendees and the mix of activities they plan on attending during your conference ala "What's on your meeting schedule?"

2. In addition to the traditional speaker bio have each presenter share one book and one blog related to their presentation that they consider "must read" and one relevant resources to follow on Twitter, Pinterest, or another similar site.

3. Add a field to your registration database asking participants to identify a question or topic they would most like to engage with others around during your meeting. Print it on nametags and in your participant directory.

4. In a general session, create some optional "reserved" seating areas for people with common job functions. Then allow time at the close of the session for people to share with each other how they plan on applying the speaker's ideas.

5. Organize your registration area not alphabetically, but by local affiliates, states, or some other demographic that makes standing in line a potential networking opportunity.

6. Do a "stand up or raise your hand if this statement describes you" exercise at the start of a session. Read a variety of demographic statements of characteristics and ask people to stand if the statement applies to them. It provides a quick visual of who's in the room and can facilitate some fast connections among kindred spirits.

Birds of a feather do indeed flock together, and the smart meeting planner helps facilitate those connections being made quickly and frequently throughout a conference.

How else have you seen a meeting or conference help people connect or spotlight individuals as curators for others?

This has been a guest post by Jeffrey Cufaude. Jeffrey Cufaude is an architect of ideas, working to build communities of ideas and idealists through his writing, facilitation, consulting, and speaking. Very active professionally, Cufaude has twice served on the Indiana Society of Association Executives Board of Directors (ISAE), and has been honored as the ISAE Meeting Planner of the Year. He also contributes in a variety of capacities to ASAE (American Society of Association Executives), currently serving as a member of its Innovation Task Force. He designed and facilitated ASAE's Future Leaders Conference, one of their flagship initiatives from 1998-2007.

When you go to your next trade convention show, you will want to network with as many people as you can - which means you have to leave many conversations. How do you do this gracefully?

Here is an example of an awkward exit, and some tips on how it could have been handled better. The other night at a networking event I ran into someone I had met at another event. We were chatting, but during a somewhat awkward pause he looked at his plate and said "these stuffed mushrooms are really good. I'm going to get some more." He simply walked away, went to the buffet and started filling up his plate. I stood there for a minute wondering if I should follow him, stay where I was and wait for him to return or find another person to talk to.

After standing there for a few more moments, feeling rather stupid, I realized he was not coming back. I wondered if I had said something wrong or maybe, horrors, I had halitosis. I felt foolish for standing there thinking he would return.

What went wrong here? As I reflected on this, I realized this man, I'll call him Chris, was finished talking to me but had no idea how to gracefully end the conversation. He attempted by giving a plausible excuse, but he did not make it clear the conversation was over.

The most important rule when ending a conversation with someone, whether at a networking event, party or out and about, is to be gracious and kind to your conversation partner. Even if the person was the biggest bore or had the worse halitosis it's important to not communicate displeasure with them. And, you must clearly end the conversation so you're partner isn't wondering if you're coming back.

What could Chris have done differently? At the very least he should have said to me, "wow, these stuffed mushrooms are really good. I'm going to get some more. It was great seeing you again. Enjoy the event."

Or "I'm going to freshen my drink. I enjoyed our conversation. May I have your business card? I'd love to stay in touch."

Or, "It's been really nice talking to you. I don't want to keep you from mingling with others. Enjoy the event."

Or, "Arden, have you met Mary? She is also into biking. I bet you two have a lot in common."Then make the introduction and exit the conversation.

All of these options are kind and clearly convey the conversation is finished. I would have known immediately Chris did not want me to follow him, nor wait for him to return after chowing down.

We really shouldn't expect to talk to someone for more than five minutes at a networking event. That's usually about how long we can sustain small talk with a stranger. So, expect to enter and exit several conversations at an event. Just be sure to exit conversations graciously, so that the person saves face and doesn't wonder if they said or did something wrong.

A few other tips. When you're talking to someone, give them your full attention and never scan the room looking for your next conversation partner. Even if the person you're talking to isn't a potential client or doesn't offer what you're looking for don't just give up on the conversation. You never know who they know or if there might be partnership opportunities in the future.

If you're walking into a networking event or party and you don't know anyone, look for groups of three or more, because they tend to be more casual groups open to newcomers. Or introduce yourself to someone standing alone. Most likely this person doesn't know anyone either and will be grateful you reached out.

Make networking about others not you. Be gracious and kind, and you will have much more success.

This has been a guest post by Arden Clise, President of Clise Etiquette. Ms. Clise is a business etiquette consultant, trainer and coach. She is also the Etiquette columnist for the Puget Sound Business Journal. Arden has a great newsletter on Business Etiquette tips, click here to sign up.


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If you've ever manned a trade show booth, you're familiar with that sense of urgency to bring back home a stack of qualified leads. And, with so many other exhibitors vying for the same prize, you may find yourself behaving a bit like a carnival barker in your efforts to lure visitors into your booth.

Luckily, there's a more dignified option: let your trade show booth do the work for you.

I interviewed industry expert Les LaMotte, founder and CEO of Xtra Lite Displays, to learn how marketers can attract a continous flow of traffic, using a few tips and tricks from the science of spatial dynamics.

According to Les, its preferable that your booth should be noticed from several distances, starting with something eye-grabbing that attendees can spot from about thirty feet away. Side wing displays that catch attention from several aisles are also a good option.

But let's say you weren't able to secure such a desirable spot, or for that matter, invest in a fancy exhibit booth. That's ok - attendees are still going to pass your booth at some point and you can still grab their interest with your exhibit spaces's three distinct Zones.

Starting at about fifteen feet from your booth, the attendee's Memory Zone kicks in, where their eyes naturally move to the top of your display, Les notes. This is where you want to put your take-home slogan, that power statement attendees will remember about your company.

For new or unknown companies, the Memory Zone is a particularly ideal place to put the major benefit of working with you.

But what if you're a big brand and everyone already knows who you are? Your Memory Zone statement should then reveal something new and of relevant interest to the trade show's audience.

Now that the Memory Zone has attracted several attendees to your booth, let's extend their visit into the Sensory Zone.

This is the middle zone where you want to appeal to the attendee's senses. You can stimulate them with compelling words and big visuals, or even give them something tactile to do, Les suggests. Learning is a key aspect of the Sensory Zone, so your demos or other interactions should happen here.

If you want to get really creative (and maybe split some costs), consider pairing up with one of your customers or partners to create a demo.

At an engineering design trade show, one of my clients, a 3D rendering company, teamed with an auto-manufacturer to display a memorable scene in the Sensory Zone. The auto manufacturer had a sleek sports car shipped in, which my client displayed next to a large graphic of its indistinguishable 3D prototype - generated by my client's rendering software.

Les points out that one of the biggest errors exhibitors make in the Sensory zone is putting up blocks of text from their brochure copy. This won't stick with attendees, as it simply won't make that immediate, big impact.

On to the Data Zone, the one most people get wrong by using weak messaging - or none at all.

At this point, the attendee is now looking down at the bottom of your display. And when people are looking down, they're contemplating, Les states. Essentially, what they're contemplating is if they should work with your company. How will you solve their problems, or make their job easier? The Data zone is where you want to give them the answers.

In other words, the Data zone is where you give attendees the major reasons to purchase your product or service, or a powerful call to action.

Les concludes with the following tip: Never block the entrance with a table, especially if your trade show staff is standing behind it observing everyone who comes in. It makes visitors feel self-conscious. Consider your trade show booth your company's living room where guests - potential customers - should feel at ease. Make it inviting.

Stephanie Janard is a freelance marketing copywriter and message development expert. Visit Stephanie's website at www.betterb2bcopy.wordpress.com or email [email protected].

Les LaMotte is founder and CEO of Xtra Lite Displays, supplier to customers such as Best Buy, Microsoft, Forbes, and Compassion International. Prior to founding Xtra Lite, Les was the chief designer for Skyline Displays. Visit www.xtralite.com for more information.

Many associations struggle to achieve significant growth. Often this is because they have already penetrated the majority of the available domestic market and have hit a plateau.

New, international markets, especially those that are not well served by a local or national association, can offer the best opportunity for growth. With a population of over 300 million, the United States still only represents only a fraction of the world population.

The European Union now represents a larger economy than the US with a very similar, and in many cases higher, standard of living. The economy of China is now the second largest on the planet. The emerging economies of the world now include over 2 billion citizens that are hungry for information, education, training, professional development and community to better their personal lives.

Does your association have a plan on how to tap into this vast market? World-wide economic swings, rapidly evolving social media and communications technologies, global supply-chains, a 24/7 business and news cycle, fluctuating currency rates and uncertain political developments are all shaping the environment in which associations operate faster than ever.

When the rate of change in the external environment exceeds the ability of an association to react to that change, a gap develops. This disconnect, between the rate of change in the environment and the capacity of the association to adapt poses a serious threat to the future of the organization.

Leading associations have recognized that international expansion represents one of the few real opportunities for significant growth. However, trying to grow your organization internationally is fraught with obstacles and questions:

· How do we measure the real market potential?

· Which countries, with which products or services should we focus on?

· How do we build our internal capacity to manage these new markets? · How do we identify and assess the competitive environment?

· How do we avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that other associations have fallen into when they went international? Associations need expert reference information on how to develop and implement a global growth strategy.

This requires a deep understanding of the underlying trends, a sharpened definition of your organization’s value proposition internationally, together with a process based approach to strategy development that will result in a sound business plan. GLOBALSTRAT has crafted this white paper for association leaders (volunteers and staff); - to better understand the issues involved; - to be able to ask themselves the right questions; - to gain a better understanding of how to approach the subject.

There is no one “best” approach to international strategy development. Your organization will be guided by the trends specific to your industry or profession. It will also depend greatly on your organizational culture, tolerance for risk, management team capabilities, resources and the direct competitive environment you are operating in.

This paper contains data, examples, diagrams and tables together with straight forward advice and explanations that are based on more than 20 years of hands-on international business and association management experience. The paper is designed to help you ask the right questions while providing you with the pro’s and con’s of available choices and options.

Yes, I would like to read GlobalStrat's Whitepaper.

This has been a guest article by Terrance Barkan CAE. Terrance Barkan has been involved in association management at a senior level since 1991. Early in his association management career, he served as Executive Director for international trade and professional societies.

As the founder and CEO of GLOBALSTRAT, Mr. Barkan acts as senior advisor and consultant on a global basis for trade and professional associations, international federations and foundations. As an association professional, Mr. Barkan has accumulated a significant body of specialized knowledge and experience in the not-for-profit sector.

He has supported the creation of new volunteer organizations, guided existing organizations, advised volunteer leadership on governance and strategy, and facilitated alliances and mergers, all of which brings a creative and pro-active approach to client mandates.

Towards the end of 2010 we wrote a blog speaking about the pending legislation in Canada for Consumer Product Safety.

Below please find an explanation of the ACT (as per a news release by ASI Central June 16 2011) and link to the document in it’s entirety.    Please note that all of our key suppliers are CPSIA compliant and we will work with them to make sure that they in full compliance with CCPSA.

"The Canadian Consumer Product Safety Act (CCPSA) will take effect Monday, June 20, meaning manufacturers, sellers and distributors of consumer products who do business in Canada will have to comply with a set of new rules.

The CCPSA mirrors the goals and provisions of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), but is different in a few key ways. For example, the Canadian definition of a consumer product is broader, saying an item is such a product if consumers are likely to obtain it. The U.S. definition states a good is a consumer product if the manufacturer or seller intended or caused to make the product available for use by consumers. The implication? In Canada, a product not intended for consumers that nonetheless finds its way into their hands could be subject to CCPSA guidelines.

The Canadian act specifically includes a number of regulations pertaining to toys and children’s jewelry, sleepwear and restraint and booster seats. For example, children’s jewelry is prohibited from containing more than 600 mg/kg of lead, not more than 90 mg/kg of which may be migratable lead. Additionally, tight-fitting sleepwear must be treated with a flame retardant that results in flame spread of greater than seven seconds. The list of regulations on toys is very detailed, touching on everything from dolls, steam engines, plant seeds, rattles, elastics, batteries, finger paints and more.

The requirements for reporting a potential safety issue are different in Canada, as well. Unlike the U.S. CPSIA, the Canadian act views a product recall by another country as a trigger for reporting in Canada, despite possible differences in the nations’ regulations. In the U.S., products that pose unreasonable risk of serious injury or death must be reported, while in Canada that directive is expanded to include products that could cause serious adverse health effects beyond immediate injury – say, chemical exposure that could lead to cancer.

Additionally, the timelines for reporting and the required content of reports differ in the U.S. and Canada. Depending, manufacturers and sellers essentially have five to 10 days to report an issue in the U.S. In Canada, they must report a problem within two days of learning of it. While the American rules require companies to “inform” authorities of a product hazard or defect, the Canadian act requires that all information the company has on product-related problems must be turned over, raising potential discovery and privilege concerns.

Given the complications, manufacturers, sellers and distributors of consumer products should ramp up efforts to construct a coordinated approach to complying with regulations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information on the Canadian product safety law taking effect next week click here to read the ACT in it’s entirety."

If you have any concerns on how this could affect future promotions, please contact us directly and we will work with you to make sure that you are successful in every way.

ADDENDUM JUNE 28 2011: Here is a link to a 2 page PDF document put together by Health Canada to better explain the CCPSA and how it affects retailers.

To sign up to be emailed regular updates to the ACT please click here.

 

CVENT is the largest event management software company in the US.    We have used their software countless times while attending and showing at conferences around North America.

They have just written this EBOOK on how to boost attendance through social media.

I hope that you find it as valuable as we have.

This is just another tool to help Get YOU Noticed!

Ben Baker, President

CMYK Solutions Inc.

 


“No company stays in business for long if a large chunk of its sales force consistently feels ignored and unrewarded” says Dave Kurlan of the Objective Management Group, a sales management consulting firm. Each sales force is a mixture of high-powered producers, average performers and a few laggards who perpetually bring up the rear. Every sales manager dreams of a sales force of stars, but rarely do the high producers make up more than 20% of even the best sales force. A sales incentive program cannot afford to ignore the middle to low producers who make up approximately 80% of the sales force. This group can post dramatic gains when properly motivated. In fact, an incentive program geared to the top producers can actually demotivate the middle level. Many experts say your incentive program should target the middle producers.

              Consider:



  • A well-crafted motivation program keeps incentive rewards within reach. Don’t spotlight rewards that are simply beyond the reach of the 80%. A $50 gift certificate will look pretty pale when compared to a new BMW.
     
  • Plan for regular communications, the value of an incentive program lies in its ability to focus attention and effort on reaching quota. This means constant communications to keep the rewards top of mind.
     
  •  Remember to have fun. The members of your sales force face the grim reality of a competitive market place. They should rejoice in the joy of meeting a challenging goal.

 

If we can help you develop a program that motivates your staff in the right way, please be in touch.

Regards;

Ben Baker, President

CMYK Solutions Inc. 

Getting YOU Noticed!

 

 

In today’s world we need to understand not only what to communicate to our potential clients, but  HOW.   We need to understand that decisions are made on the move and not always by people tied to their desks.   With that in mind, we are working more and more with our clients to design, develop and implement mobile marketing campaigns that allow them to capture their audiences attention where they are and when they are paying attention.

It is not enough though to develop an active campaign to draw them in.  You need to have a platform that speaks the language of mobile.   Websites are designed today to be viewed on 20″ monitors, 24″ to 36″ away.     That is no longer reality for people on the move.  Therefore we encourage people to develop simple, yet effective, MOBILE MICRO SITES that effectively tell a simplified story and move people effectively towards activation.

Here is the example of our website.  From any mobile device, type in our regular URL and it will direct you to the mobile site.


 

We wanted people to know:

  • who we are
  • what we do
  • who are clients are
  • how to contact us

Let us help you succeed by showing you how to simply and effectively

ENGAGE YOUR AUDIENCE

to Get YOU Noticed!

 

 

We just received this success story from one of our key suppliers and I thought it would be of value to this group.

This is an innovative way to drive traffic online, capture data and convert prospects to loyal clients.

I hope that you find this of  VALU E.

Looking forward to Getting YOU Noticed!

 

Customer Marketing Objective- Red Cross needed an incentive that would motivate people to register in the organization's online database.

Solution- A "Summer Scratch-Off Sweepstakes" digital download promotion.

Promotion Details- Red Cross distributed 200,000 scratch-off cards to people who visited Red Cross locations, each featuring a mystery code guaranteed to win a prize. Most codes contained music downloads for either one or five free songs.

But there were also three iPods, 2 DVD players and a 40-inch flat screen TV up for grabs, along with coupons good for discounts at Red Cross stores.

To find out what their mystery code was worth, scratch-off card recipients were first required to log on to a Red Cross web page and complete a registration form.

Upon completion, they could enter their code and instantly find out what they had won. CFS facilitated the promotion from start to finish - including music codes, printing, and prize fulfillment. CFS also handled the registration page and data capture functions, providing Red Cross with a data file on a weekly basis.

Results- The program was a huge hit - so much so that Red Cross distributed an additional 70,000 scratch-off cards. The end result, the Red Cross increased its database by 105,000 people, a 39 percent conversion rate.

 

red cross may 2011.png

 

This is the fifth and final article that comprise a White Paper titled The Internet and the Franchise Industry - How an industry misused the Internet.  This paper describes the history of Internet communications in the Franchise Industry and suggests ways to improve the current situation.

 

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - Internet Communications in our Society

Part 3 - Understanding Institutions that Support the Franchise Industry

Part 4 - Impact of the Internet on the Franchise Industry

Part 5 - What can be done in the Current Reality and Conclusion

 

------------------------------------

 

The problems outlined in this paper have been twenty years in the making.  They are the result of decisions made by tens of thousands of individual business owners.  As a group, these business owners have not fully understood the implications of their decisions to utilize Internet communications in the way that they have chosen.  It is now up to this same group to move forward in a more effective way.  While some may find it convenient to blame current problems on unscrupulous franchisors, the franchisors should not be faulted for continuing to do business while franchisees have changed the way in which they operate.  It is the franchisee institutions that have degraded and need to be rebuilt. 

Changing the current status quo can only take place with a concerted effort by franchisees, and this change will take time.  It took more than twenty years of steady decline to reach this point.  It may take another decade before significant changes in the other direction are evident.

Here are three steps that franchisees can take to help restore balance in the franchisee/franchisor relationship.

1.  Encourage and Support Independent Franchisee Associations

Where a franchise has an existing Independent Franchisee Association, support it as a paying member.  Consider the association to be a long term investment to protect your interests when major changes to your franchise are being considered.  Allow the association to serve as the voice of franchisees for all franchisee initiatives.  Do not assume that a Franchisee Association financially supported by the franchisor will be looking out for your interests.

Where an Independent Franchisee Association does not exist, work to create one for your franchise.  You can contact the International Association for Franchisees & Dealers (IAFD - www.Franchise-Info.ca) for information on how to begin the process.

When evaluating the value of an Independent Franchisee Association, do not be focused on short term considerations.  Its true value is not in providing new vendors, creating new products/services or distributing a monthly newsletter.  It is essential when a franchise is considering changes to a franchise agreement, new pricing models, technology initiatives and other long term determinations.  These situations do not come up frequently.  When they do come up, it is essential that your Independent Franchisee Association is fully funded and operational so that it can quickly marshal the expertise and resources necessary to evaluate, and then respond to, these opportunities or threats on your behalf. 

2.  Educate Yourself

Do not rely on information provided by a franchisor and do not assume that someone else is looking out for your welfare.  Develop a broader perspective on your industry and the franchise industry in general. 

Blue MauMau (www.BlueMauMau.org)  is a great site for franchise industry news and information.  Read their articles, participate on the discussion boards and share your knowledge with the community.

FranchiseFacts (www.FranchiseFactsUSA.com) runs a National Franchisee Survey each year and publishes an Annual Report.  Participate in the survey, review the Annual Report.

These businesses are providing services that used to be provided by Franchisee Associations in the past.  They are evolving as they determine the best way to support the Franchise Industry as it adapts to the technological changes outlined in this paper.  With your support, these newer institutions will continue to develop.

3.  Be Professional in all your Public Communications

Any group is only as strong as its weakest link.  Unfortunately, too many weak links present themselves on the Internet.  Individuals who would never write a proper letter will draft a short message in support of or opposed to something that has been published on a web site.  For whatever reason, online posters seem comfortable with making statements they would never make to someone in person.  Many of these messages are not grammatically correct, contain numerous spelling and/or factual errors, make slanderous accusations and include all types of outlandish comments.  The vast majority of these individuals choose to remain anonymous.  Some feel that they are doing a service to others by stating what they feel has been left unsaid.  What many of these posters fail to recognize is that the content, presentation and tone of their message discredits the vast majority of franchisees in the eyes of those reading such a message.  It is entirely likely that franchisors monitor many of the public discussion boards as one method of determining the pulse of their own franchisees.  These poorly considered messages are unlikely to sway a franchisor nor are they likely to be considered reliable by other readers.

Three Suggestions to Improve your Online Posts

Identify Yourself - If you are uncomfortable with disclosing your identity, perhaps what you are saying needs to be reconsidered or presented differently.  Don't use anonymity in place of preparing a more thoughtful and considered message.  Anonymous posts are not and should not be considered to be credible.  Instead of serving to advance dialog, anonymous posts more often result in a less than professional discussion of the topic at hand.  Traditional print media learned long ago that the best way to promote thoughtful comment is to only publish those letters from an identifiable individual.  In the online world, this lesson has yet to be enforced.

Read your message three times before posting - Is your message grammatically correct?  Is the spelling correct?  Have you completed your thoughts?  Can portions of your message be interpreted differently due to lack of clarity?  Does your message add to the discussion or are you simply repeating something that has already been said?  You only have one opportunity to present your message before it is seen by the world.  Be sure to give the right impression. 

Do not criticize or complain without offering an alternative - It is much too easy to criticize or complain than to provide a more considered option.  Yet it is quite common for online posters to make a complex topic appear much simpler by ignoring facts that may be inconvenient for them.  In this way, the Internet has become the chosen venue for those opposed to virtually anything.  Anonymity, false claims and repeat postings by individuals, or one individual pretending to be many, seek to misrepresent a reality that some prefer to ignore.  Requiring individuals to follow some basic rules in order to have their opinion heard is not an unreasonable stipulation to facilitate discussion.

Demanding the same discipline for online postings as required for publication in traditional media would be an admirable goal.  At the very least, these standards would lead to a more supportive environment where thought leaders are more likely to participate and, possibly, thrive.  The net effect would be to present the franchisee community as a more professional, knowledgeable and authoritative group.

Conclusion

Franchisees, like most small business owners, are an independent lot.  Many have succeeded where larger corporations have failed.  They do so by understanding their own businesses to the minutest detail, by doing much on their own, making most decisions independently and having confidence in their own abilities.

Admirable as these traits are, however, there are limits to one's knowledge and capabilities.  There is an old adage - a person who represents himself has a fool for a client.  This was meant to describe someone choosing not to employ separate legal counsel at a criminal trial.  Perhaps the same can be said about someone who thinks they can successfully oppose a large corporation without a comparable organization.  Many in franchising have tried.  Few have succeeded.

Unfortunately, the Internet has become a tool for the handyman lacking proper expertise.  They have all this information available to them yet lack the ability to distinguish among good and bad information, and have even less ability to effectively use this information.  It wasn't always this way and there is no need for the current situation to continue.

Franchisees need to acknowledge their individual limitations, recognize and support the development of institutions that compensate for these limitations, and allow these institutions to represent them in their dealings with franchisors.

 ------------

About the Author

Perry Shoom is the founder of FranchiseFacts, a company that provides research services for the Franchise Industry.  The company also publishes an Annual Report of the results from its National Franchisee Survey.  The 2010 Annual Report, and the 2011 Franchisee Survey that is currently in progress, can both be found at www.FranchiseFactsUSA.com. The survey is open to all franchise owners and store managers.  FranchiseFacts does not disclose identifying information that may be provided by survey respondents.

 

 

This is the fourth of five articles that comprise a White Paper titled The Internet and the Franchise Industry - How an industry misused the Internet.  This paper describes the history of Internet communications in the Franchise Industry and suggests ways to improve the current situation.

 

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - Internet Communications in our Society

Part 3 - Understanding Institutions that Support the Franchise Industry

Part 4 - Impact of the Internet on the Franchise Industry

Part 5 - What can be done in the Current Reality and Conclusion

------------------------------

The Internet has had a significant impact on the Franchise Industry as a whole.  There are many ways in which the Internet has facilitated communications within the industry, increased sales, improved customer service and even resulted in new products/services.  Nevertheless, this industry has had to adapt as it has lost many of its institutions while those that remain are less effective.  This has negatively affected both franchisor and franchisee in ways that are not often considered.

Individual franchisees have become more empowered.  They have greater access to more information, vendors and services.  Many no longer rely on their associations (institutions) for direction, services or support.  There is, however, a negative aspect to these changes that is not often considered.  While not entirely comprehensive, here are some of the ways in which the Franchise Industry has been negatively impacted by the growth of the Internet.

 

  • Franchisees are now better able to obtain information on their own through the Internet but are often incapable of distinguishing good information from bad.  In the past, this was a role served by Franchisee Associations.  Today, franchisees lack access to those better able to critically review and comment on a wide array of topics from proposed changes in a Franchise Agreement to new legal documents they may be required to sign, new product or service offerings that are mandated by a franchisor or a new pricing structure.  More often than not, I think that the main source of comment on these types of issues now comes from the franchisor.  Franchisees lack the expertise to critically evaluate the impact of proposed changes that may have been drafted by attorneys or business professionals.  They also lack their own research in support or opposition to changes that are being considered.  Finally, franchisees lack the financial resources to obtain representation or guidance from professionals better versed in these matters.  The lack of an effective Franchisee Association results in a reduced ability to make positive recommendations to a franchisor, and to oppose changes or an approach that may not be in the best interest of franchisees.

 

  • Franchisees are most often small business owners who lack the skills, time and desire to analyze the impact of macro events on their local business operation.  Their focus tends to be on the day to day issues surrounding the survival of their business and overall profitability.  Franchisees often make a determination that supporting a Franchisee Association is of no benefit to them because there appears to be no short term return on their investment.  The problem with this approach occurs in the future when franchisees find their livelihood is threatened.  Perhaps the franchisee has signed an amendment to their Franchise Agreement that they did not fully understand and which may have relinquished control over pricing or product offerings.  The amendment may involve higher payments to the franchisor for infrastructure (such as a new store signage, a menu board or technology support) or services newly deemed necessary by the franchisor.  By the time franchisees fully understand the implications of what they have signed, the damage is done.  The time to enact change is prior to signing such an agreement.  At these times it is essential that the infrastructure of a Franchisee Association exist and be fully operational in order to combat these threats at the time that they are presented.

 

  • Ongoing research is often deemed an unnecessary expenditure.  I would argue that the lack of ongoing research is exactly the reason why franchisees often complain about their franchisor.  While there is often anecdotal evidence within a large franchise, solid information on any one area of the business (or of the franchise network) is often lacking.  While a franchisor may undertake their own research regarding initiatives that are of interest to them, franchisees lack the information to support their own interests.  Franchisees often have little knowledge of thoughts and opinions of other franchisees, their financial situation or other information that may be needed to support any particular business perspective.  Yet that is exactly what is needed when confronted with an urgent business threat or opportunity.  Lacking this information, franchisees have no alternative but to rely on research that may have been provided by their franchisor, and any interpretation of this information that may have been provided.  There are times when this information may be incomplete or designed to improve corporate revenues at the expense of franchisees.  While some argue that it is the franchisor's role to look out for their franchisees, the reality is that a franchisor has to strike a balance between the needs of multiple interest groups.  Without a Franchisee Association taking on this research role, essential decision making resources are  unavailable to the franchisee community when they are needed.

 

Both franchisee and franchisor suffer from the changes identified here.  As the weaker party in the business relationship, franchisees must work together to if they desire to have an impact on the decisions made by their franchisor.  And without a Franchisee Association to represent them, franchisees are normally unable to present a united front to combat business threats or to exploit business opportunities.  The loss of a single voice and combined resources of an organized group, once provided through the Franchisee Association, also makes it more difficult for a franchisor to engage in dialog with franchisees.  Decisions must still be made but with less effective input from franchisees.  As a result, more of these decisions are likely to benefit the franchisor simply because franchisees do not see the value of supporting their own institutions.

 -------

About the Author

Perry Shoom is the founder of FranchiseFacts, a company that provides research services for the Franchise Industry.  The company also publishes an Annual Report of the results from its National Franchisee Survey.  The 2010 Annual Report, and the 2011 Franchisee Survey that is currently in progress, can both be found at www.FranchiseFactsUSA.com. The survey is open to all franchise owners and store managers.  FranchiseFacts does not disclose identifying information that may be provided by survey respondents. 

 

What was the outcome of your last direct mail campaign? Why settle for a 3 to 5% response rate when you could be pulling in 10 % to 50% more?
 
Here are some suggestions:

The First step in launching a successful direct mail campaign is identifying your target audience. “You must know the demographics and psychographics,” says Cliff Quicksell, Jr., MAS. “What is the predominant sex, average age, education, and income level? What are the emotional triggers that entice people to make a decision to purchase?”

When designing your direct mail promotion, try to involve as many of the senses as possible. Many companies use scented envelopes, greeting cards that play songs, flashlights, stress balls, and gourmet candy and food. The more recipients interact with your offering, the more likely they will respond.


Lastly, according to a recent study by the U.S. Postal Service, only 44% of direct mail is ever read. Since most of us already receive enormous amounts of unsolicited mail, it’s imperative that your packaging stands out. It’s your “in box” contains a stack of envelopes and a big purple box, which gets opened first? Unusual packaging, such as bright colors, tubes, oversized envelopes, or teaser copy will attract attention and curiosity. Remember, it’s not the quantity of the mailing, but the quality.


 

We look forward to help Get YOU Noticed! In 2011.

 

I was part of an interesting online discussion this morning with some of the top minds of the promotional marketing industry.  We were discussing technology as it relates to the Royal Wedding and Promotional Marketing.

A comment was made:

“They said within an hour after the couple kisses there will be mugs on the street with the photo of the big kiss. They went on to say the same will happen with tee shirts."

My question is how in the world can they do that?”

The answer is simple.  . . advances in digital technology.    High resolution digital cameras take the shot, it is instantly emailed to a secret location where it is cleaned up, a official within the Royal Family approves the image and moments later, production begins.

This could never have happened in the days of Charles and Diana.   Not that promotional marketing was not prevalent, it was.   My mother still has the dual pack of playing cards, one with Charles on it, the other with Diana.

The difference today is, as marketers, we better understand that you are not trying to sell everyone the same product or service.  However, those you do sell, are loyal buyers.  Therefore, developing niche marketing tactics that satisfies their needs not only makes sense, but can be done cost effectively.   Sell to a loyal niche and develop communication that speaks directly to them.

Think about it.  Because the Royal Wedding items are produced digitally, you could even create a limited edition pieces that is numbered and therefore increase the value per piece and margins substantially.

If they produce 10000 mugs at $15.00 each of the first kiss, there is a gross profit of $15000.00.   A nice sum of money for a few days work. . . .

However, if they produce 10 different limited edition numbered mugs at 1000 mugs per set at $25.00 per piece there is another $10000.00 in gross profit.

This might incur an extra $1000.00 total cost to set this up, but you can increase your profit by $9000.00 with really no more effort.

We did this years ago with variable couponing.

We had a database of 50,000 people for a grocery store chain.

We knew what they bought and when based upon the data on their preferred shoppers card.

We produced 50,000 shells and then variably imprinted different no-name coupons based upon individual household buying habits and mailed them directly to them.

Previous coupon redemption rate was in the 3-5%.

We were getting consistently 3 to 4 times that based upon using variable data marketing to a niche market.

In a business that runs in the 10% margin rate, this is huge increase in business.

So figure out who your niche market is and what they want, the experts and the technology are available to help you gain market share without giving up margin.

 

We look forward to help Get YOU Noticed! In 2011.

CMYK Solutions Inc.
Ben Baker
CEL: 604-512-7174
FX:   604-648-9201
[email protected]
www.cmyksolutions.ca

http://www.linkedin.com/in/cmyksolutions

www.twitter.com/cmyksolutions

www.youtube.com/cmyksolutions

 

 

Email signatures (a.k.a. sig lines) are powerful, low-cost, high-return marketing tools (a virtual business card or ad) for your foundation or organization. What’s interesting is how seldom sig lines are used.

Consider this: If your organization has 30 employees, each of whom sends 15 emails daily outside the organization, then (assuming 250 business days) that’s 112,500 business cards or ads distributed annually, at no cost. If you have 100 employees, that’s 375,000 cards or ads annually.

What Is an Email Signature?

In general, your email signature is information automatically added as the last few lines of your outgoing email to let people know who/where/what you are. Consider your sig line as your online business card with “callback” abilities.

Here are a few examples:

Alison N. Smith
InsideNGO
Operational Excellence for Global Impact
19 South Compo Road
Westport, CT 06880
203-226-3650
www.InsideNGO.org

Julie Stofer
Nonprofit Marketing Manager
www.networkforgood.org
http://twitter.com/network4good
240.482.3313
202.270.1339 (cell)
AIM: jestofer

Nancy E. Schwartz
Helping Nonprofits Succeed through Effective Marketing
(973) 762-0079
Nancy Schwartz & Company www.NancySchwartz.com
Getting Attention Blog & E-News www.GettingAttention.org

Holly Ross, Executive Director
NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network
www.nten.org | [email protected]
p) 415.397.9000 f) 415.814.4056
twitter: http://twitter.com/ntenhross

What a Strong Email Signature Does for Your Organization

Making the most of your sig lines, for yourself and every colleague in your organization, is analogous to leaving your business cards — but even more powerful.

Most importantly, in this age when we’re all inundated with too many emails, your email signature is a clear signal to your recipient that the message is from you and provides the context (e.g., job title, organization name, and web site) that reminds that person who you are and enriches their understanding of your message. That’s a lot more than can quickly be deciphered from your email address in the “from” field.

Beyond this most basic benefit, your email signature is a business card or ad that alerts the recipient to special news and enables them to have direct access to your web site or send email back to you with the swift click of a mouse.

How a Consistent Email Signature Style Benefits Your Organization

What’s critical is that everyone in your organization uses the same sig line format. Specifics such as name, title, email, and direct phone line obviously will change. However, certain elements (organization name, web site address, tagline) and the order of elements should be standard for all staff sig lines.

Sig line consistency benefits your organization in the following ways:

  • Builds a brand or recognizable identity for your organization. The sig line becomes a key element of overall branding.
  • Serves as a cognitive flag, enabling email recipients to make connections among emails received from various members of your organization.

Case Study

Here is an example of a good email sig and a recommendation to make it even stronger. To protect the innocent, I’ll use a generic version of the sample I was analyzing for this example.

Example (9 lines):

Name
Title
Organization Name
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code

Phone
Fax
Email

I recommend cutting the street address (2 lines), line space, fax number, and email address and adding the organization’s web address.

Recommendation (6 lines):

Name
Title
Organization Name
Phone
Organization Web Address (URL)
Twitter, Facebook and/or IM here (optional)

How to Create an Effective Email Sig Line

First of all, keep it brief. A general rule of thumb is that a good sig line is four-six lines in length. Eight lines is the maximum length, but that is pushing it. Remember, those to whom you email frequently see your email signature line again and again.

  • Musts include:
    • Name
    • Title
    • Organization name
    • Phone number
    • Web address
  • Optional elements include:
    • Tagline (organizational or specific event, campaign, etc.
    • Social media contacts (Twitter, Facebook) and/or IM
    • Graphical elements such as a horizontal line to distinguish your sig line from the rest of the email.

Inclusion of your email address is not recommended, since it’s in the “from” field of the email and gets forwarded with an email that’s passed on. Best to drive audiences to your web site for more contact information details such as your mailing address and fax number.

More Creative Uses for Your Sig Line

A signature line can be used much like a classified ad if you’re trying to motivate clients to use your services or register for your workshop. Add one line and/or a link. Examples include:

  • A quotation to share your organization’s point of view.
  • A call to contribute to a capital campaign or other fundraising focus.
  • An issue-oriented tagline to promote an advocacy campaign.
  • An announcement of a new program, service, or publication.
  • An invitation to a special event, conference, or to subscribe to your organization’s email newsletter.

Just make sure to keep sig lines up to date.

Adding Your Sig Line to Your Emails

Once you’ve decided on sig line content and format, you’ll need to add it to your email program. Remember to train all staff members in creating their sig line as per organizational style and in adding it to the email program.

Check your email program’s HELP menu and search for signatures. You should be able to find some information there about how to set one up on your program.

 


© 2002 - 2011 Nancy E. Schwartz. All rights reserved.

For more articles and case studies, subscribe now to the Getting Attention e-update.

About the Author

Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. As President of Nancy Schwartz & Company, Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to organizations as varied as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, and Wake County (NC) Health Services. Subscribe to her free Getting Attention e-update and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves.

This is the second of five articles that comprise a White Paper titled The Internet and the Franchise Industry - How an industry misused the Internet.  This paper describes the history of Internet communications in the Franchise Industry and suggests ways to improve the current situation.

 

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - Internet Communications in our Society

Part 3 - Understanding Institutions that Support the Franchise Industry

Part 4 - Impact of the Internet on the Franchise Industry

Part 5 - What can be done in the Current Reality and Conclusion

 ---------------------------------

 

For over a century we have relied on print media to provide us with in depth and unbiased information about our society.  The Internet is viewed as an improvement on our ability to communicate with each other and to access information.

 

Media has now moved to the online world.  Magazines and newspapers have lost their traditional customer base - both advertisers and those who purchase the product.  Media is challenged by convincing consumers to purchase their product(s) when they also distribute the same information for free on the Internet.  And in today's society, people are too busy to read in depth articles on a particular subject.  Most individuals prefer to listen to brief sound bytes or read short articles that summarize the information for us.  In this environment, the market for print media is declining at a rapid pace.

 

The consequences of this are significant.  We continue to lose the gatekeepers who were most capable of providing relevant information to us.  The print media that remains today is much smaller and less capable of providing the quality information of the past.  What remains is shorter in length, less effectively researched and more dependent on biased sources of information that is easily reproduced.  Former reporters of the news were the first to migrate to the online world in order to replace the incomes they lost as their jobs disappeared.  Through this transition, it was hoped that the tradition of effective and relevant print media would migrate to the Internet.  It has not worked out this way.  Most former print media writers found that they could no longer earn a living in a world where few would pay enough for their expertise.  Yet this was only the beginning of the decline in media.

 

The online world quickly became overpopulated with individuals reporting or redistributing information.  Individuals began to build their own personal online presence for many reasons - far too many to describe here.  They often did so because there was no longer a significant cost to online communications.  Simply start a inexpensive web site, blog or just reply to existing articles.  Most felt they could earn a living by selling advertising yet very few have proven capable of doing so.  There are now far too many information sites seeking advertising dollars in a world where few are willing to pay for content.

 

There is now an unrealistic consumer expectation that information should be available at no cost to the reader.  I would argue that the fault for this lies entirely with the newspaper industry.  They made a decision to put their content online for free despite the high cost of gathering this content.  This has destroyed the perceived value of their product and had many unintended repercussions.  Reporting news is costly.  Without revenues to cover these costs, many jobs have been lost.  Publications became smaller and less frequent.  Many have disappeared.  The information we now see in these publications is usually less effectively researched and dependent on less credible but easily available sources of information.  The ripple effect of these events, however, is what this paper is attempting to address.  Many necessary institutions that also depended on placing a value on information (and intellectual expertise) have been negatively affected by these events.

 

In place of these failing institutions we now have too many news websites, online newsletters, web sites and blogs.  The belief that everyone could sustain their new businesses with advertising revenue was and remains impractical.  To feed this growing expanse of sites that provide free distribution of information, we have seen an increase in communications directed to these sites - press releases, company announcements, government initiatives and privately contracted (or internally generated) surveys to support specific products/views.  And the reporters of this information no longer have the desire or ability to focus on unbiased and relevant information while ignoring biased sources of information.  In short, we have sacrificed quality of information for an increasing quantity of irrelevant or unreliable information.  It is now up to the reader to decide what information is relevant and accurate, while also identifying what information may be false, incorrect, misrepresented or simply fabricated.  And it is increasingly evident to me that most individuals are not up to this task.

 

None of these drawbacks to Internet communications are recent.  As early as 1998, an article in a Chinese publication used the term "Internet junk" to describe "use of the Internet to disseminate ... product catalogues and advertisements."  This article talks about the spread of a massive amount of "junk" at extremely low cost.  This was combined with a "lack of regulations and standards ..... to produce any type of information - real and fake information, correct and wrong information, good and bad information - thus creating a flood of information online.  The result is to make it easier to mislead people .... while increasing the difficulty and cost of searching and using valuable information, thus wasting considerable Internet resources and time."  (Source: The Negative Impact of the Internet and Its Solutions by Ru Guangrong, The Chinese Defense Science and Technology Information Monthly, Issue 121, 1998)

 

Further adding to the destruction of informed reporting of information is a more recent phenomenon of allowing readers to comment on a particular article or posting.  It is ironic that individuals who could not be bothered to write a letter on a topic think nothing of drafting a poorly thought out, nasty or otherwise inappropriate e-mail to anyone of their choosing.  Unlike Letters to the Editor which are selected for publication based on content and awareness of the author, these online comments are often not controlled in any way.  Posters can and often do hide their identity and choose not to disclose their reason(s) for posting.  This anonymity and lack of disclosure often results in a less than professional discussion of the topic.  Individuals who can contribute useful information on a subject are often less likely to participate in a public discussion that very often degenerates into a mean spirited distortion of the topic at hand.

 

About the Author

Perry Shoom is the founder of FranchiseFacts, a company that provides research services for the Franchise Industry.  The company also publishes an Annual Report of the results from its National Franchisee Survey.  The 2010 Annual Report, and the 2011 Franchisee Survey that is currently in progress, can both be found at www.FranchiseFactsUSA.com. The survey is open to all franchise owners and store managers.  FranchiseFacts does not disclose identifying information that may be provided by survey respondents. 

Franchise owners are, by definition, local business people. They pride themselves on having a local presence, on being locally owned and operated. But when it comes to appearing to be local, well, that’s a different story.

Even though we know that local marketing, local listings and social media play a huge role in bringing in franchisee business, corporate marketing departments are often slow to adopt social media programs. There seem to be so many barriers for them, like who will run it, who will “approve” the content, do we have enough staff to take this on, what guidelines need to be put in place in terms of content, what about legal issues, and so on. And so on.

There has long been an argument about who owns the brand and who is responsible for social and digital communications. Is it the franchisor or the franchisee? Should franchisors have full autonomy over messaging? Or should individual franchises be in charge of their communication as it relates to the communities they serve? This is a heated ongoing discussion, and it appears there isn’t a clear cut answer. One thing is for sure, though. When corporate marketing stops caring about what their franchisees have to say about their local markets, franchisees stop caring about compliance.

One way to keep both happy is to communicate a central brand message through multiple digital media, while allowing individual franchisees the latitude to build their own social networks. Through templates for local websites, facebook pages, blogs, twitter and other vehicles, zees can engage their customers on a local level, and truly appear local instead of corporate.

Of course, both corporate and system want these outlets to appear professional – that’s why it’s good to invest in some upfront training. Seminars or webinars on how best to use social media, what works best in the digitial marketplace and how to keep a handle on it. If done well, these training sessions provide a great way to increase visibility and connect with customers.

 

As 2011 unfolds, we continue to witness a growing consumption of mobile videos. The number of U.S. mobile users watching video on their mobile devices was nearly 25 million people by the end of 2010 ( source: Nielsen new mobile video report. And, the newest trends revealed in Cisco’s Global Mobile Data Reportpromises us a bright future.

- Global mobile data nearly tripled for the third year in a row.
Global mobile data traffic in 2010 was 237 petabytes per month, and 49.8 percent of this traffic was video usage.

- Mobile devices are becoming more compatible with video usage.
It is more convenient and engaging to watch videos nowadays. Mobile connection speeds doubled in 2010 and many mobile devices have more powerful processors and larger screens than ever before.

- Usage of smartphones is increasing.
Though smartphones represent only 13 percent of total global handsets in use today, they are responsible for over 78 percent of total global mobile devices traffic. In 2010, the typical smartphone racked up 24 times more mobile data traffic than the typical basic-feature cell phone. Furthermore, the average consumption of traffic more than doubled in the past year (from 35 MB per month in 2009 to 79 MB in 2010).

- Mobile videos are available beyond the power of electrical grids and geographical borders.
There are 48 million people in the world who have mobile phones even though they do not have electricity at home. One of my most astounding discoveries during my travel to Rwanda was that there were more people who owned mobile phones than people with access to electricity.

- The Vimeo iPhone App is now live.
With the newly released Vimeo application, users can now upload, edit, manage and watch more videos than before on the iPhone.

New technological advances in the space also increased opportunities for monetizing of mobile videos. Ad support became stronger. The arrival of HTML5 allows videos to run without the use of plug-ins such as Flash, opening up new opportunities for video advertisers.

As the year progresses, we’ll see a lot of new twists in the changing world of mobile videos. I am looking forward to new developments and will try to keep you up-to-date. And, the great news is that mobile devices are among the many places where your videos can be watched. So, let’s keep on producing great videos and increasing our visibility to the rest of the world.

This is the first of five articles that comprise a White Paper titled The Internet and the Franchise Industry - How an industry misused the Internet.  This paper describes the history of Internet communications in the Franchise Industry and suggests ways to improve the current situation. 

Part 1 - Introduction

Part 2 - Internet Communications in our Society

Part 3 - Understanding Institutions that Support the Franchise Industry

Part 4 - Impact of the Internet on the Franchise Industry

Part 5 - What can be done in the Current Reality and Conclusion

 -------------------


Part1of5.pngThe Internet is now an accepted part of the way in which we all communicate.  Low cost computers, cell phones and networks have allowed this technology to become ubiquitous.  We access more information than ever before at lower (or no) cost.  Industries and institutions have changed to embrace this technology.  Yet our ability to manage and understand this information has not improved.  In many ways, much of our society has lost the ability to critically evaluate information. 

It has been nearly fifteen years since I wrote about technology.  Back in the 1990s, I published approximately two dozen articles on how to best utilize technology for business and investing.  My focus was on the use of the Internet and information technologies.  I was also a public speaker on these same topics at technology conferences in Canada and the USA.  Since 1998, I have been part of the franchise industry.

Today, I look back on how the Internet has developed over the past twenty years with disappointment.  The Internet is, first and foremost, a mechanism for communication and the sharing of information.  So how is it, in the Franchise Industry that I have been part of for more than a decade, that during this same time franchisees seem to have lost ground during a period when the ability to communicate among themselves has improved so dramatically?  Why is it that franchisors are now perceived as being more ruthless in their dealings with franchisees than ever before?  Is this perception correct? This paper  documents the way in which I have come to understand what has happened these past twenty years.  Through this process I have come to three conclusions.

A.  Franchisors have not changed in the way they work with their franchisees.  Franchisors have adapted, out of necessity, to changes that have been forced upon them by the franchisee community. 

B.  Internet technology was never envisioned as a way to destroy institutions that have existed for decades.  Yet that is exactly what has and continues to occur in the Franchise Industry.  This situation has come about by decisions made by a very significant proportion of individuals (franchisees) to no longer support their own institutions.

C.  The necessary equilibrium in franchise relations has been disrupted.  Franchisors no longer have the opportunity to work with franchisees speaking with a single voice.  The organization tasked with this responsibility, when it exists, no longer has the financial resources and intellectual capital  needed to fulfill this role.

This paper provides an overview of how the Internet has affected overall communications and flow/quality of information.  It then addresses how these changes have become entrenched in the Franchise Industry.  Finally, recommendations are provided for improving the current situation.

 

 -----

About the Author

Perry Shoom is the founder of FranchiseFacts, a company that provides research services for the Franchise Industry.  The company also publishes an Annual Report of the results from its National Franchisee Survey.  The 2010 Annual Report, and the 2011 Franchisee Survey that is currently in progress, can both be found at www.FranchiseFactsUSA.com. The survey is open to all franchise owners and store managers.  FranchiseFacts does not disclose identifying information that may be provided by survey respondents.

Building Good Will

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Now that the economy is starting to revive, it's more important than ever to create goodwill with customers.

This will help you stand out from the competition and strengthen brand loyalty. Studies have shown that promotional products are a very effective way to increase customer goodwill.

Here are some ways you can use promotional products to build a more positive attitude about your company:

• As thanks for repeat business or referrals. A restaurant, for example, can make customers happy (and gain free brand exposure) by giving valued customers t-shirts, hoodies and hats.

A high-visibility item like a desk clock or calendar is a good way to say thanks for referrals.

• As a sales leave-behind.

After your meetings, leave an item related to the solution you offer. One company uses calculators to help add up the increased sales they can bring in; another provides memo boards to record the creative ideas they will provide.

• To show support for social causes. Many customers look for businesses that support local, social or environmental causes. If your company sponsors a team or a cause, promote it with silicone wristbands or lapel pins.

• In direct mail campaigns. Boost open rates by including an item like a highlighter set or ruler.

Increase response by offering a gift such as a wireless mouse or business card holder.

• To win back inactive customers. Get them thinking about you again with a gift such as a plant in a logo'd container or a box of chocolates.

Contact us for more ideas on building a positive image of your company!

 

 

New and Unique Products Tri-Pocket Sport Duffel Flexi Ruler Brite Liner® Great Returns.

Xerox has found that promotional products can increase response to its direct mail campaigns by 5% to 15%. So when the company wanted to highlight the high return on investment one of its products can provide, it included a boomerang in the mailing.

The boomerangs were personalized with stickers printed with the recipient's name, company and state, making them even more attention grabbing. Prospects who signed up for a sales meeting were entered into a drawing for a trip to Australia, further reinforcing the "return" theme of the boomerangs.

We can help you design an entertaining campaign that will keep your message top of mind with prospects. Just give us a call!

Gender Differences among Franchise Owners

(How a weak economy is having a greater impact on female franchisees)

 

A perusal of the data would suggest that women are less successful in franchising than their male counterparts.  A higher proportion of female franchise owners report having college or university degrees than their male counterparts.  Women are less likely to have upper or middle management experience, while a higher percentage of female respondents report having no business experience at the time they opened their franchise.

Page18_GenderDifferences.gif

When selecting a location for their business, women are more likely to locate in areas with a smaller population and less likely to locate in urban areas.

Once operating their business, female franchise owners are less likely to work the long hours needed to make their businesses successful.  18% of female respondents report working under 40 hours a week.  This compares with 8% for their male counterparts. 

In terms of success, women report taking much longer to achieve profitability in their business.  While 50% of male respondents report achieving profitability in under three years, only 9% of women report achieving profitability during the same time.  In total, 87% of female respondents report that their business is not yet profitable as compared with 37% of male respondents. 

A closer look at this data, however, suggests that these differences have nothing to do with gender.  Female respondents are much newer to franchising than their male counterparts.  61% of female respondents have owned their business for less than four years compared with 31% of male respondents.  Having opened their franchised businesses much later in the business cycle, female owned businesses appear to have been more susceptible to the downturn in the economy as evidenced by the higher percentage of unprofitable businesses and lower percentage of those meeting their own financial expectations (9% for females, 21% for males.)

In the long run, women may be better tuned to the realities of business than their male counterparts.  They seem to have more balance in that they are less likely to be working 50+ hours each week.  This may explain why female respondents are more likely to give their local competition credit for running a good operation.  While 55% of female respondents report that their operation is superior to the local competition, 78% of male respondents are of the same opinion.

 


This article is a reprint from FranchiseFacts' Franchisee Satisfaction Survey Annual Report 2010 - Survey Results and Analysis. Perry Shoom is the founder of FranchiseFacts.  The 2011 Franchisee Survey in progress at www.FranchiseFactsUSA.com. If you are a franchise owner or store manager, please participate.  Please note that FranchiseFacts does not disclose identifying information that may be provided by survey respondents.  Your participation in a FranchiseFacts survey means that you can honestly and openly communicate your responses without disclosing your identity to third parties.


From David Meerman Scott's blog, on The Business Value Behind Social Media, both good and bad.

Martin Giles, U.S. Technology Correspondent, The Economist who served as moderator. 

Chris Brogan, President of New Marketing Labs, popular blogger and co-author of Trust Agents and author of Social Media 101

Charlene Li, founder of Altimeter Group and co-author of two books: Groundswell and Open Leadership.

Interesting, at points, discussion about how some businesses are using social media correctly. For example, Rackspace who uses Twitter to replace its customer service, when your server is down, twit it to Rackspace who knows who you are and so can reboot your server.

What opportunities are there here for franchisees?

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After the Convention

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You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Consider this fluff story about social media and franchising, from Entrepreneur.

"In April 2009, after a buy-one, get-one-free e-mail promotion bumped up his business by 40 percent on a single Tuesday, Zpizza franchisee Michael Blank of Alexandria, Va., decided that he needed to do more digital marketing.

As he started to look into social media, he realized that using Facebook and Twitter would give him an opportunity to inform his customers about deals and specials and allow him to begin conversations with them.

He persuaded the company's headquarters to move forward with social networking, and now the Zpizza Facebook page has more than 1,700 fans while his region's Twitter presence has nearly 600 followers.

Although the return on tweeting coupon codes and sharing specials on Facebook hasn't reached the 40 percent mark he had experienced earlier, Blank is sure that it will as more people learn about Zpizza's presence.

To get there, he's working with local mothers to encourage them to blog information about and reviews of the restaurant. "It's an incredibly cheap way to brand and market yourself," he says, because most social networking sites and blogs are free."

The tools by which traditional one way media is made social can be cheap, moderate or expensive. 

But what this article failed to highlight is how much time Blank put in "working with local mothers" to gain their attention and the rate of return for his attention getting efforts.

Would this have been better spent on simply re-marketing to existing customers using an opt-in email newsletter, with coupons?

Most market professionals note the very low rate of conversion using Facebook, primarily because people using Facebook are looking for attention with their posts, and not looking to buy.  Search still dominates this channel.

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Bridging the Social Media Gap

Image by Intersection Consulting via Flickr

Here is a good observation from ASAE about marketing to members.


Members and prospects need to understand how your organization:

Makes them smarter

Saves them money

Makes their lives easier

Don't take it for granted that your existing communication materials already do this. 

Our discussions focused on how we often talk about what we do but not the personal benefit we provide to members.

Smarter, cheaper and easier.  That sounds like a good slogan for association communications.

The ASAE also has a two program for small associations, July 13th -14th.

With the rise of social media, mobile technology, and a very vocal blogosphere, it sometimes feels like your members never sleep. 

How can you engage them nonstop without sacrificing your own shut-eye? More importantly, how can you accomplish this with limited staff and resources?

If these issues are literally keeping you up at night, you cannot afford to miss ASAE & The Center's latest online conference:

 Creating the 24/7 Small-Staff Association. 

Learn the essentials that will help you manage an ever evolving landscape with this conference designed specifically for organizations with 10 or less staff members.



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images.jpegFranchisee associations have a positive obligation to communicate with their members, the franchisees, and to the franchisor.

"Members [franchisee] should communicate frequently with the [association] board," advises Barber.

This type of approach helped the Denny's Franchisee Association members work with the franchisor in adding a gift card program, including a program where gift cards are sold by third-party vendors.

"The negotiation of the legal documents, along with the financial settlement issues associated with the program, were worked through carefully and thoroughly before the franchisees were asked to participate," Barber says.

"The entire franchise community accepted the program and benefited from the hours and expertise of DFA board members who worked diligently for the good of the brand."

Communication with all franchisees, whether or not they are members of the association, is one of the four main functions of a modern franchisee association.

The other three functions are: education, providing member benefits, and advocacy.

But, as Craig Barber states, "Members should expect the association to focus on brand and franchise system matters," adds Craig Barber, Chair of the Denny's Franchisee Association.

"[They should] not expect the association to be the advocate for specific individual franchise issues with the franchisor."

Linked in is a very handy networking tool, and this is a good video which describes the proper use of Linked in.

It is about finding the right tools online to help you succeed with your projects.

A friend of mine and I were out last night at the Toronto Auto Show, a major disappointment, and we got to talking about how to keep up with what old
friends, employers, and the like were up to.

I mentioned that Linked in was very useful in helping you find a way to an expert, apart from simply cold calling or emailing the person.  Linked in helps you get an introduction to someone you think that you might need.

It isn't perfect, but for franchisee executives who want to talk with other association leaders or vendors it is a very good way to get that introduction which may make all the difference.