Ter Scott IS Marketing

Never mind rocket science, just ask questions

2012-02-10T06:44:00.000-08:00

I keep stating to my clients that marketing is not "rocket science" and more "horse sense". OK, maybe rocket science isn't really rocket science, and I've never owned a horse. But I do know a bit about marketing and human nature.

When you want to know something, ask. It was the kid in class who wasn't afraid of appearing stupid who today is succeeding because of the answers found. To know if and which elements of your marketing is working, ask.

For instance, wouldn't it be nice to know how your cusomter found you, your store or website? You can. Here are just 3 short questions that when asked, won't sound like the fifth (or is it the first) degree:

How did you find “Us”? Just ask 3 Things.

It’s important to know how your visitor (who hopefully becomes your customer or already is your customer) “happened” upon your store (or virtual store/website). Knowing this, you can increase your marketing dollars in that direction and perhaps even “tweak” or “test” the advertising vehicle(s) that was responsible. In the physical world, someone may have seen your billboard that stated “turn here”; in the virtual, online world it may have been a banner ad that stated: “click here”.

Here are three things you can ask the next person who walks in your store or is using your shopping cart at your website:

1. How did you find us? I remember when a restaurant owner asked a patron “How did you find your steak?” The reply was, “I merely looked under my baked potato and there it was!” Hopefully that won't be the response you get.

2. What do you think of our store (or website)? This is a great open ended question which can elicit many responses; that’s good.
3. Did you see any reviews? This can mean “anything” from any word of mouth marketing to an online review.
Do these three things every time a customer visits and you’ll know more about your customers, and you too can be a marketing "guru".

Get Paid to Read Ter Scott’s NEW KINDLE BOOK: Personal PR, Getting What You Want through Better Personal Relations!

2011-05-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

Yep, you read this right. I will pay you to read this short book on human relations. The great part is that by reading this book, it will pay you, as many books will, many times over as you use the simple straight forward techniques.

Getting paid to read my PERSONAL PR kindle book, is part of a marketing campaign I’m currently doing. To get all the details, visit: http://www.terscott.com/ . It’s right on the first page of my site in the blue box. You will also see a place to click to hear an abbreviated version of when I presented it to Toastmasters International some time back; it’s a 5 -7 minute presentation I customize and use when I speak at meetings and conventions. The book is based on this award winning speech.

So, visit http://www.terscott.com/ right now while the marketing campaign is running and tell your friends too.

Make it a great day!

Ter Scott!

Bricks to Clicks Marketing Consultant

Ter Scott offers Marketing Ideas to Credit Unions

2011-05-05T05:59:00.000-07:00

Recently I opened an account with a local credit union. Following are a few suggestions for marketing opportunities missed with my otherwise very positive customer service experience. Whether you have a credit union, or other business, consider using these suggestions. You may contact me for further assistance at http://www.terscott.com//, http://www.myimprintrep.com//, or by email: terscottpromotes@yahoo.com .

Here is a draft of the letter with my suggestions as I offered them.

I want to thank you for a very pleasant customer service experience when I came to your main Cloquet location. I stopped by to open an account because I recently purchased a car loan from your firm.

My first contact was Mary who was not only pleasant and “knew her stuff”, but she is a “get it done now” person. She got right on the phone to my insurance company to get the needed information so I wouldn’t have to deal with it later.

My next contact point was with Becky who is efficient but not “stuffy”. She too was pleasant and could multitask doing the necessary things and still banter back and forth with my dry sense of humor. What I really appreciated about her and her work is that she walked me through everything so I could approve what the imprint of my checks will be and she answered all my questions.

As a marketing professional and one who teaches Customer Service both to businesses and at Duluth Business University, I like to honor those who offer great customer service experiences. It is clear that this is a planned part of your organization’s culture; good job!

If I may, I’d like to suggest a few things, marketing wise. You have a wonderful “portfolio” of your services in the seating area and also at Becky’s desk, which I understand Becky had a hand in creating. This is great! That is an awesome marketing piece. My suggestion would be to have a smaller version created to use as a take along brochure for new clients. I asked Becky if she would copy a few pages for me and she did.

Next, you may consider creating an imprinted folder to hold all of these important papers I received, or at least, an imprinted paperclip (these are unique, and many people don’t know they exist!) and they add a very nice professional touch.

Finally, but not least in importance, is the writing instrument. All the while your client is signing things (however with today’s technology we write on an electronic signature pad), he or she can be using a pen with your imprint (preferably emblazed with your mission statement as this is the initial contact with your business) and send the pen home with the new client!

Attached is the latest Navigator; a quarterly “idea piece” offering savings on imprinted promotional items I offer through my company AD KING LLC partnered with Newton Manufacturing. If I may be of service in any way with the marketing suggestions above, please contact me.

I would also like to offer a free or reduced priced entry to one of my future marketing seminars to one or two marketing people in your firm at your request. I am also expressing my gratitude for your fine customer service in my blogs on the Internet and will comment on many of the online “yellow page” type listings on the Internet as my way of “thanks” for a job well done; bravo!

Please extend my thanks to both Mary and Becky for making this first experience both positive and enjoyable!

Terry (Ter) Scott
Bricks to Clicks Consultant
AD KING LLC

Would you like to experience the same great customer service? Members Cooperative Credit Union has several locations however, you'll find both Mary and Becky at the main branch: 101 14th Street, Cloquet, MN 55720 (218) 625-8500

Tough Economy Calls for Tougher Creativity With Marketing

2009-08-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

You may know that I sell imprinted promotional calendars to businesses all around the USA. I understand calendar advertising more than the average bear. Lately I've had a few clients stop using calendar advertising in their marketing efforts. I wrote the following not necessarily for them, but for people who still want to be "wise when they advertise" TM.

Tough Economy Calls for Tougher Creativity With Marketing
Imprinted Calendars Still the Answer says Scott

Few companies have chosen not to advertise with imprinted calendars this year. I know that with the economy, many marketing managers are cutting back on advertising, but at the same time, many are increasing their calendar orders! Actually, this year in the promotional industry as a whole, calendar sales are up. My personal calendar sales are up. Why? Perhaps some business people know the saying still holds true: “A business with no sign is a sign of no business”, and they know the value of having their sign in a customer’s office or home!

While less people are now reading newspapers, and watching TV (because of the Internet, and a few other reasons), and many of us have palm pilots, iphones, and blackberries, etc. people still like to write notes and record special events on the pages of a monthly calendar, enjoy the beautiful pictures, or jog a quick note in a pocket calendar.

It seems calendars are here to stay- probably because imprinted calendars are the only advertising media that is appreciated and actually asked for by the recipient every year. No one ever says: “Thanks for your TV ad, I’ll be sure to place it in my office where I’ll see your advertising message every day so I’ll have your phone number and website address handy when I’m considering your product or service”.

When clients tell me they have calendars left over that are not distributed at the end of the season, there are two things that come to mind. First, this is probably the fault of the promotional products counselor (me, in the case of my personal clients). I’ve not given any distribution ideas. Simply placing calendars on the counter and having customers take them cheapens the value of the calendar as a “gift”. Ask your promotional consultant why you have calendars left over, and get some good distribution ideas, or get another promotional counselor. Secondly, marketing managers buy airtime on radio and TV, resulting in unwanted overage;people that see and/or hear them that aren’t in the market for your product or service, that’s paid for is very common. So, why should we think there would not be a few calendars left over as well?

Calendars have come down greatly in cost these days. Because of advances in technology a calendar that today costs about a dollar, cost about five dollars just 10 years ago. What a deal! Can any other media boast that? Truly, calendars could cost twice the amount that a business pays and they would still be a much better buy over most other media. Where else can a business invest a measly $500 and reach 500 people directly? 500 people who the business knows have received the company message. So that’s 1 dollar per person, for 365 days. Dividing a dollar by 365 days states that your advertising cost is only: .002 per day. This is definitely, a “no-brainer” in marketing. Today’s creative marketing manager is not aborting their calendar advertising; they are being more creative. They are increasing quantities, changing up styles, trying different ways of distribution, and finding different areas in which to display their calendar: in the home, office, car, computer, etc.

In the time of the great depression, business calendars were sometimes the only form of advertising that kept the stores in the minds of customers until the economy got better. And when the economy got better, whom do you think the customer did business with? The obvious answer is the company that remembered their customer with an inexpensive calendar that had high-perceived value. In today’s tough economic times, “When the going gets tough, the tough still advertise with imprinted calendars”

There’s only one final thought to consider, how tough is your competition? My advice is: don’t walk, run to your nearest promotional products counselor and order you calendars.

Article By Ter Scott. Ter Scott is a marketing consultant in Wisconsin with clients around the USA. One of his marketing services includes promotional products. He offers tips for using imprinted calendars and other promotional products and can be contacted at: www.terscott.com and www.myimprintrep.com

EVERYTHING IS MARKETING...

2009-07-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

If you read and follow the two tenets (any opinion, principle, doctrine, dogma, etc., esp. one held as true by members of a profession, group, or movement as per: www.dictionary.com ) in this paragraph, you will be totally successful in marketing any business. It may take you a lifetime of lifetimes to do this but of course as they say “success is a journey”. The two biggest “rules” to marketing I can give you is: first, “Everything is marketing” and secondly: “Always consider your audience”.

Everything indeed is marketing, just as everything is sales, and everything is business. One can not get out of bed in the morning and not be at least on the receiving end of marketing. We hear ads on the radio or see a logo on the cereal box and then the toothpaste tube. But you too are marketing yourself as a good person to your family (or goldfish, dog or cat if you live alone), then as a member of society, and when you finally arrive at work, a good employee. Bad marketing would be to get up, kick the dog, and cut somebody off while driving to work to a place you only work hard enough not to get fired.

My experiences have not only been in marketing, but also include sales, customer service, and public speaking. It should be obvious in the area of public speaking that speakers need to consider their audience, but my second tenet to being successful in life (marketing) holds just as true for sales, and business, which again I say is marketing.

Since everything is marketing, wouldn’t you agree that in all of the situations above, it would be best if we considered the audience? If we knew how the dog felt (would respond) when we kicked it, (hopefully you wouldn’t do that), knew how the person felt when we cut them off in traffic, or how our employer had to cope with less production, we would “market” ourselves differently. When we know how others will respond, we can have them respond positively and purchase our ideas, products, and services. That’s our marketing strategy.
From this point on, design your life as being customer oriented. Live as if everything you do is marketing and always consider the audience. Doing so can only make you successful in any and every endeavor. This week notice what you are doing to market yourself. Any business or endeavor is simply an extension of one’s passions and desires. And you must love your audience. People like to do business with those they like and those that like them!

FFUSA Helps People Make Money!!!

2008-10-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

OK, in this time of financial "crisis" in which people are losing jobs, being turned down in interviews because you're too young, too old, can't work 24 hours a day, don't have the skills, talent, (whatever, whatever, whatever); finally here is an opportunity you can do around your schedule and it doesn't matter who you are, etc.

FFUSA is a credit card processing company that pays you very well when you set up a merchant to use FFUSA as their processor for cards ONCE, and you'll get paid over and over and over! This makes it a great option for moms, single parents, even for those who want to do this on their lunch hour on a consistent basis to help them get out of the "ratrace".

Don't wait until you need the water to build the well. Build this business slow or fast, but build it on the side so you'll be protected when your boss says "sorry, we can't use you, or we're going out of business, etc. etc.

Click here to see a video about FFUSA and how you can make money!
Click here to see a video about FFUSA; especially if you are a mom with a busy schedule.
After seeing the videos, visit my page at: www.terscott.com/cc

Be "Wiser" When You Advertise

2008-10-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Now, more than ever, every business needs to “be wise when they advertise” ™
You can hear me present my article: “ “ by clicking here. www.terscott.com/adsmart

I like what this blogger has to
“Al, sometimes you can’t over analyze marketing, you have to get the word out and you have spend the money even when times are tough - especially when the times are tough,” said Dad. “What do you mean?” said I, most likely while rolling my eyes in an all-knowing collegiate way. Dad then said, “have I ever told you the one about the farmer and the billboard?” “No, I can’t say you have,” I said, settling in for what I assumed would be another pointless and very long story.
Dad went on to tell me about a farmer who ran a popular fruit and produce stand …Read more:

Imprinted promotional products are great advertising vehicles and retail items as well!

2008-08-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

Ter Scott’s Imprinted Promotional Item CASE HISTORIES (AKA: SUCCESS STORIES)

The marketing objective was to create an effective fundraising and recognition event. Our client was in the entertainment industry.

There was a dual purpose to the promotional mailing. First the team wished to recognize their loyal, and most supportive fan base and secondly, the team will soon launch a campaign to sell personal seat licenses to assist in the financing of a new baseball only stadium.

It was decided that the C-handle 11 oz. Mugs would be used as a gift to the top 5,000 season ticket holders of a major league baseball team. The mugs were imprinted with the team logo and the verbiage "VIP Season Ticket Holder" and filled with "red hots" candies.

Additionally, the team now sells the mugs in their retail merchandising. Imprinted promotional products are great advertising vehicles and retail items as well!

Would you like more ideas on how we can serve you? Call us at our 24/7 national message hotline at: 800-211-1202 extension 18348 to see what we can do for you. You may email us at terscottpromotes@yahoo.com displaying, “I need: (and state what type of item you are looking for) in the subject line so we don’t miss it. And, don’t forget you can also visit: www.myimprintrep.com. May we be your imprint rep?

A nice pen brings in $500,000 in donations!

2008-08-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Ter Scott’s Imprinted Promotional Item CASE HISTORIES (AKA: SUCCESS STORIES)

Our marketing objective was to increase donations and raise funds for a private university that wanted to increase fund raising by targeting their alumni. In an effort to spark private donations, the university put together a program featuring a high-end pen with high-perceived value. The university wanted to send out a pen that had brand name recognition and great quality at a reasonable price. Initially, the program targeted 300 alumni to measure the response rate. The university had 300 very nice Scheaffer pens laser engraved with the former student’s name and mailed them with a letter requesting donations.

Wow, what an idea; using a nice pen that was truly appropriate to the target audience. And, what a tremendous response! The mailing was sent and the result was a 70% response rate, largely due to the free pen enclosed in the mailing. The amount raised was $500,000, which was considered a very profitable return. The university is planning a second phase of the fundraiser that will once again include a Sheaffer Writing Instrument.

Would you like more ideas on how we can serve you? Call us at our 24/7 national message hotline at: 800-211-1202 extension 18348 to see what we can do for you. You may email us at terscottpromotes@yahoo.com displaying, “I need: (and state what type of item you are looking for) in the subject line so we don’t miss it. And, don’t forget you can also visit: www.myimprintrep.com. May we be your imprint rep?

How would you like to know how to send tons of free traffic to your web site? Click Here http://www.terscott.com/traffic
Need a website? We’ve created thousands of great money making sites for small to medium sized businesses since 1998, inquire.

2008-08-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

Ter Scott’s Imprinted Promotional Item CASE HISTORIES (AKA: SUCCESS STORIES)

Our marketing objective was to increase awareness of a travel agency’s abilities and increase bookings of a 5-day cruise ship package. After brainstorming, the agency decided the best way to advertise was to hand out inexpensive giveaways to their booking customers, and to their mall location customers. The inexpensive item was an imprinted pen but here’s where the uniqueness of this campaign begins:

The agency printed 5 versions of the pen, each version for each day of the trip. They imprinted the day on the clip, which aroused the curiousity of those who saw it in someone’s pocket, and the message on the barrel revealed the exciting happenings of that specific day on board.

Here’s how they distributed the pens. A bulk grouping of the pens was packed in a 5-pen pack to display each day of the week. These packs were distributed to customers purchasing the Cruise package. The bulk remaining individual products were passed out at the local mall. Wow, just another use for a pen in a promotion that worked well in an advertising mix. Creativity plus an imprinted product equals an inexpensive yet highly effective promotional campaign.

Call us at our 24/7 national message hotline at: 800-211-1202 extension 18348 to see what we can do for you. You may email us at terscottpromotes@yahoo.com displaying, “I need: (and state what type of item you are looking for) in the subject line so we don’t miss it. And, don’t forget you can also visit: www.myimprintrep.com. May we be your imprint rep?

create awareness of a new product

2008-08-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Ter Scott’s Imprinted Promotional Item CASE HISTORIES (AKA: SUCCESS STORIES)

The Marketing Objective was to create awareness of a new product for the pharmaceutical & chemical company. We chose a writing instrument, a Solis brand pen, for the advertising vehicle. Here’s how it worked:

A manufacturer of fitness supplements and sports drinks was launching a new assortment of Protein drink mix flavors that featured an innovative protein supplement which was both economical and of high biological absorption.
The Manufacturer was seeking exposure for the new flavors and tell of the advantageous nutritional content and low fat formula that was cutting edge to the industry. On the back of each box of 20 protein packs was a monthly chart where customers could chart their daily, weekly and monthly caloric intake. Now here’s where the creativity in using an imprinted item comes in. Enclosed in each box with the protein packs was the Solis brand pen, which in this case could have been any nice pen, displaying the companies new supplement’s logo on the barrel. Also in the information printed on the back of the product package gave instructions for using the pen in conjunction with the chart to chronicle one’s dietary success.

Wow, success! Acceptance of this new product garnered wide acceptance which resulted in the successful launch of a new product line for that Manufacturer and one more happy customer.
Call us at our 24/7 national message hotline at: 800-211-1202 extension 18348 to see what we can do for you. You may email us at terscottpromotes@yahoo.com displaying, “I need: (and state what type of item you are looking for) in the subject line so we don’t miss it. And, don’t forget you can also visit: www.myimprintrep.com. May we be your imprint rep?

Marketing Diagnostician offers FREE CONTACT POINTS REPORT and 12 months of Marketing Newsetter FREE.

2007-03-01T15:44:00.000-08:00

From the desk
of Ter Scott-

Dear Businessperson:

Has your business had a “Business Visibility Physical Exam” lately?

Is your business bringing in all the profit you want, allowing you every dream you wanted to achieve when you first started your business? Does your business bring in more than enough profit so you feel comfortable and secure to take several vacations per year, knowing you can be absent and still achieve your profit goals? If not, I have one question for you and one question only, “Are your business contact points ™ clean?”

As a business marketing coach, I’ve realized that over the past 25 years of assisting business owners from all sized businesses, when studying and consulting on various aspects of their businesses, that there usually is a core issue that stops profit right in its tracks… and it’s the contact points! Just as with a well-tuned automobile, your business too has to have everything making a “clean contact” with everyone you make contact. Perhaps your business is new and the contacts are “OK” or your business has been around for years and the contacts are just a little rusty? I’m a “marketing diagnostician” and when you read the end of this communication, you’ll see how my incredible offer for a marketing “physical exam” can double, even triple your business profits within 12 months, many time much sooner!

For reading this far, I want to give you this FREE REPORT #1: Cleaning Your Contact Points. It’s a smart report defining what contact points are and how to improve them. This is the first step to having me help you but it offers ways that you can improve in these areas yourself. Are you aware of every “point of contact” you have with your customer? In this free report, you’ll find your obvious points of contact, but will alos search and find others that you may not be thinking of, so you can exploit the full potential of each. Clue, are you using your fax cover sheet to its fullest potential? Read below how to claim your FREE REPORT #1: Cleaning Your Contact Points.

Ter Scott is a High Viz Marketing Biz ® marketing veteran having worked with small to large businesses such as Maritz Research, U.S. Postal Service, UPS, Hardees, Toastmasters International, Ace Hardware, American Cancer Society, just to name a few. His experience in mystery shopping, sales, customer service, design fundamentals, graphic design, handwriting analysis, public relations, copywriting, Internet marketing, promotional products, make him a sought after expert as a marketing coach because he brings a unique and fresh perspective to bringing high visibility to your business! He can “read” your clients minds and can tell you what they are thinking when they see your logo, read your ad copy, see the colors of your store front, interior or your website! Are they getting the message you want them to get or are they getting an entirely different message causing you to lose business?

Congratulations. If you’ve read this far, you are serious about improving your bottom line by cleaning those “contact points”. I have an insatiable desire to see business succed here in the great USA. It sometimes seems that I want business to succeed, more than most business owners do. Business people are the greatest people in the world and they are the backbone of our country. I’ve succeeded to the extent that I now want to give back. So I want you to have this FREE GIFT: a one year subscription to Ter Scott IS Marketing Newsletter sent via email. The information you’ll get is worth far more than the $95 I normally charge for 12 issues. Imagine, leaving your competition in the dust with my little known strategies to boost your business’ visibility, arriving in your email box, totally free!

You may be thinking by now that I’m crazy. Why would I offer this FREE REPORT #1: Cleaning Your Contact Points and the $95 newsletter jammed with informative marketing strategies to boost your business into the stratosphere each month for absolutely nothing? Well, that’s one of my strategies you’ll learn; sampling. However, with my techniques you’ll take sampling much further than you can ever imagine while taking in piles of cash whether your business is a single proprietorship, partnership, corporation or whatever! Even if you are a sole proprietor, a salesperson, real estate sales rep, doctor, lawyer working for someone else- these ideas and tips will work, and work wonders for you. I will teach you how to prosper with these techniques and strategies. You can put some of them to work immediately (and implement others as you can) and start making money the same day you get my FREE REPORT #1: Cleaning Your Contact Points and the $95 newsletter: Ter Scott IS Marketing.

Maybe I am crazy. At least I’m not insane! The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Does that describe your business marketing? Just to prove I’m “a little off the wall”, here’s one more FREEBEE: Receive my CBAs Weekly Collection in your email box, just by requesting it. The CBAs is the title of my new book, which will be on the bookshelves of Barnes and Nobles and available at Amazon.com this fall. The premise is that everyone needs to look at what 95% of people do and then do the exact opposite. That’s where you’ll find success, waiting there for you. I can’t go into anymore details here about the CBAs philosophy but you’ll understand it more as you read related articles every week. Be sure to request it when you request your FREE REPORT #1: Cleaning Your Contact Points and the $95 newsletter Ter Scott is Marketing.

Now here is the bottom line. The reason I’m giving away all of these freebees is that today’s marketing is built on relationships. Have you heard the term “relationship marketing?” That’s what I’m doing here. You need to know me enough to trust me and hire my services and me. In addition, I need to know you enough to decide whether I want to have you as a client, OR NOT.

There is only 168 hours per week and I usually only work 10 days a month. With time to and from clients locations in several parts of the country, doing speaking engagements and communicating via phone and Internet, my time with clients is very limited. you may be able to take advantage of my offer: “Business Visibility Physical Exam” immediately, sometime in the future or not at all. That’s OK. You’ll still receive everything I’ve mentioned. Perhaps you’ll be able to refer me to another business (and receive a handsome finders fee!).

If you are serious about doubling your profits in the next 12 months, call my office at 715-392-1453 and request my one-day visit to your business location for a Business Visibility Physical Exam. I will first email you preparation instructions for my visit. Then when I’m at your location, I will examine your most vital business marketing contact points which includes just about everything visual, audio and kinesthetic. You’ll then receive a customized report for you and your business, usually within 30 days. My fee for this all day service (approximately 5 hours) is usually $2500. Because of a marketing campaign we’re presently doing, you’ll get the reduced rate of an even $1000! Then, depending on the information in your Examination Report, we can consider further High Viz Marketing Biz ® projects for your business.

See the attached “Response Sheet” to claim your FREE REPORT #1: Cleaning Your Contact Points, the $95 newsletter Ter Scott is Marketing and request your weekly CBAs article. I hope you’ll schedule a “Business Visibility Physical Exam” for your business within 15 days to take advantage of our present promotional campaign price of only $1000. If you are unable to at this time, please consider it in the future and perhaps refer someone to earn a substantial finders fee (read the attached for details).

Make it a great day!

Best of success!

Ter Scott!
Marketing Diagnostician
To receive your FREEBEES without obligation, go to www.terscott.com/exam

New Kid On The Blog!

2007-02-27T15:35:00.000-08:00

Marketing Expert to share his expertise on the web...

On this 27th day of February, 2007 I'm blogging my marketing and promotional tips to business and organization professionals who want to make a real impact with what they offer others. I will draw from my vast and varied experience in all areas of marketing offering creative ideas that really work! Visit often with your questions and comments and be prepared to be amazed and prosper!

For more information about Promotional & Identity Products, Graphic Design, Public Speaking, Consulting and Talent please visit www.terscott.com