Month: August 2004

Because our company was creating proposals in Word back in the 90s, transitioning to email was pretty easy. Now it is much less likely that a prospect will get (or get in time) a copy of our glossy catalog, as email plus a website is seen as sufficient by our salespeople for most situations.

While our proposal has been tuned to provide the most pertinent details on our equipment in a brief, bullet-driven format, it doesn’t do much to engage or ‘sell’ the prospect. Spartan, you might call it, although a jpg of the quoted product does jazz it up a bit.

I’ve wanted to create a sales-tool to accompany emailed proposals, and was tempted to create a PDF file on each product which would be a distillation of the quote, web, and catalog information. The PDF could be used on the website for people to print-out, too. But such documents still don’t seem to hit hard enough to engage and sell.

Instead, I’ve thought that a ‘top ten list’ of reasons to select our chamber would be a digestible and engaging way to present the benefits of our equipment. The most logical format would be a PowerPoint, which would integrate images and text effectively, allowing one full page per benefit. This would allow us to put a more competitive pitch than we would want to publish on the web, too.

(As I have the standard-issue PC here with XP Office Small Business, sans PowerPoint, I started development of the ppt file on a portable. Just recently I downloaded OpenOffice and installed their presentation program, rather than spend $200 on a copy of Microsoft’s. It’s got less bells and whistles, but seems more usable. I was concerned after editing my ppt file and OpenOffice offered to save in its ‘own’ format, as some of my changes weren’t compatible with PowerPoint.)

The cool thing with electronic collateral, like the web, is that you can tune it as you go. Today I feel ready to start testing it. While I am excited about the format and the message, I’m a little less sure about the file type to send out. While it’s obvious that I should make sure the file is PowerPoint compatible, and not in OpenOffice’s own format, perhaps I should just use a PDF file instead.

The PowerPoint is more engaging, I think, requiring a simple tap of the keyboard to change slides, but is less likely to be installed on the recipient’s PC. I could make sure a link to Microsoft’s free viewer software was available, but would prospects bother? On the other hand, a PDF file implies boilerplate copy that requires being in ‘reading’ mode, which may be more likely to be ignored by prospects. Like the new website, changethis, the format becomes as much an issue as the content. So which do I go with– PDF or PPT?

Excuse me…they are ThomasNet now, abbreviated TNI. They have used the old adage about the more failures, the more likely a success. They’ve improved a lot, but some core issues still hobble their service. See their press release about why this site is so great (it reads like a VerticalNet promo from 1999).

ThomasNet.com emulates Yahoo in that there is a search block, but also categories. At their seminar, it was explained that the categories are there to help people who aren’t sure what to call what they are searching for. Also ala Yahoo, their is an animated ad overlay for a Orange County Choppers giveaway.

The giveaway is an interesting idea in that you need to roll over six hot-spots and read about the motorcycle and how it metaphorically relates to ThomasNet. The hot-spots include a link to a demo page to show how that feature works. An interesting idea in getting a visitor to learn how to use their site.

The site’s search is supposed to integrate both their Register and Regional databases, although it isn’t apparent to the user. You do get a list of states and the number of suppliers along the left side of your SERP (search engine results page). You can use this list to drill down, as well as categories like: manufacturer, distributor, or service companies.

Lets cut to the chase–how are the search results? Mediocre. Why? For all the work on the website, they haven’t invested time in improving their database. Problems include:

• Rankings are driven by money paid, lowering accuracy of the results.
• Results to your search are different than using their categories.
• You have to spend more time reading descriptions of companies as submitted to TNI, rather than edited results from their website like real search engines.
  
• There are too many similar categories and not enough of the right ones to drill-down.

(Another symptom is that their contact info for my company listed our address from about three years ago.)

At the top of the page, just before the results, is a list of ‘related directory categories’. I clicked on these to try to get better results, which was somewhat effective. Compare a search for temperature controller versus a category result for controls: temperature. Just for fun, try the same search on Google.

Google gives the best information scent, and that’s why ThomasNet is not going to win on specialized search with this iteration of their website. My prediction is that engineers will continue to rely on Google. Anyone feel differently?

We’ve all seen the Nigerian 419 scams by now, right? Someone needs to secure a large amount of money outside their country, etc. Apparently they are trying to be more creative.

This weekend I found two requests from our website from Nigeria. Both are just disjointed enough to be obvious that they are phishing for suckers.

Hello dear,

May i know if you ship internationaly? And if you accept credit card?

If you do, i want you to give me the price of this product (TESTING EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENT)including the shiping price via UPS to LAGOS NIGERIA I will be waiting for your reply ASAP. Thank

Second request:

My name is paul daveis the manager of kayroid shopping mall. in my store here we sell different kinds of products ranging from gift items,apparael,electronics and other accessories as long as it moves in the market and is appreciated by our customers.

and do you ship to nigeria.

Will these scams never end? This ‘complaint‘ details the process of how such a directory scam works. What it doesn’t say is exactly what actions are being made to shut them down, as they are in Canada and the complaint is from the FTC here in the states.

And the Commutel directory scam continues to go on, as I see people finding this blog searching on that name (I originally posted the spelling Comutel). One reader who they got ‘authorization’ from, says that they shipped via UPS using their account #, with a return address of a Mailboxes Etc. in Midland, MI, a couple-hour drive for a Canadian.

My company sits in the shadow of the market leader in the USA. We’ve been successful in beating other companies to where I think we are a strong second. But what does that mean to my marketing? How should we position ourselves?

Laura Ries answers the question “What should you do if you are #2?” in her blog. She makes it seem so obvious…”So, what when wrong at Burger King? They didn’t do what a #2 brand should do. A #2 brand should never try to emulate the leader…A strong #2 brand needs to position themselves as the opposite of the leader.”

Reminds me of the comparison between Hershey and Mars chocolate companies, in the book “The Emperors of Chocolate”. Everything seems to be opposite between these two companies. (See my post on the book.)

I thought I had settled my problems with proper display of this blog when I used a new template when Blogger had a major update. I found one minor problem with the template right away, but now a reader pointed out another, more significant problem. If I ever feel that CSS can be reliable, I will change my company’s website away from tables.

Minor problem: Upon applying a format change, such as a bullet list, the font size becomes larger, and remains large throughout the rest of the post. Scroll down to see a sample. Of course, Blogger’s demo of the template I am using, Thisaway, doesn’t have this problem.

Major problem: With IE6 browsers, the right hand ‘about me’ column gets pushed down to the bottom of the page. I don’t know when this happened, but assumed it was a recent change caused by the pictures I posted of my summer reading list. I deleted all pictures from my posts.

As an avid user of Firefox, I hadn’t seen this second problem (thanks Brian), but since a lot of my visitors from Google are IE6 users, I want to make sure I have a proper introduction.

Since the creator of the template doesn’t seem interested in answering questions, I thought I might ask my more geeky readers for advice.

Like a lot of industrial companies, we use independent manufacturer’s reps to aid in our sales efforts. They’ve made us more flexible and successful, while mitigating our risk (cost of direct people, limited coverage).

Recently, as we expand, we are excluding our reps from certain product lines. This is due to political and cost issues, as well as expanding outside their core expertise. Instead, we’ve instituted ‘finders fee’ payments for applications they may submit. We’ve also reduced commission for certain product lines that we think require less effort. Reaction to these steps is lukewarm, at best.

And it is bad when the client calls our rep to ask questions when he is supposed to be working direct with us. Also at play is the fact is that the web makes most new leads quote-requests, not literature requests.

All this wrangling leads me to ask the question “why are we paying reps commission, anyway?”

• To generate new leads?
• To maintain relationships with clients?
• To work on current opportunities and close sales?
• To close more small sales or to work on big projects?
  
• To be able to be onsite with the client frequently?
• To extract more value out of each relationship?
• To develop synergy between product lines?

And once this question is answered, the next question is “how much is this work worth?” The reality of the situation is that history and politics will win over any strategic answer to the above. But it sure wouldn’t hurt to create more specific expectations of reps, and accountability, even if we can’t change the pay structure.

Okay, I’ve slacked off on posts lately, and I haven’t got a good reason. Perhaps it is the sheer variety of things going on at work and home. So, to prove I’m still alive, I thought I would share a list of books I’ve read in the last year or so.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Actually I cheated by listening to this one on tape, with my family during our vacation trips…20 hours total!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban My wife made me read this before she would let me see the movie. Of course, then all I could see is the short-cuts they took in making the movie.

Free Prize Inside Read my review here, or my post on Edgecraft.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court I like Mark Twain, and there is some good stuff in here, but geez its a long book.

The New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure Down to about two weeks to find out how my numbers are doing!

First Lessons in Blues Harmonica Read my review here. For the less musically inclined (thats me), this is the book to learn to play blues.

Dilbert picks on sales people and marketers. Apparently we have a reputation for hype and lies. When going on sales calls or in meetings, it is Dilbert who heroically tells the credible truth.

Today’s Engineer has an article called Engineers as Credible Marketers that says articles written by your engineers become much more credible sources, according to customers.

The article suggests the use of a ghost author to make the creation of such an article easier on everybody, as well as more likely to be published. The article focuses on trade publications, but there is no reason you can’t create a white paper as sales collateral or published on a site like Vertilog.

I haven’t posted frequently in July due to vacation trips. Most recently, we visited St. Louis, MO as part of my wife’s online community get-together. We took a day-trip to Hannibal, MO, hometown of Mark Twain (I’m a big fan). Everything in this town seemed to be named after Twain or one of his favorite characters. My marketing radar was up as this small town had small-time marketing evident:

• Our lunch was pre-paid at The Jumping Frog Cafe. Good sandwich and Gooseberry pie, but they had other problems. The lemonade was horrible–too much concentrate, I think. And my son got potato salad instead of macaroni salad because they don’t label their opaque containers. Marketing lesson: test and plan for quality service (and don’t be afraid to copy the big resturants). I also thought it would be neat if they offered a free dessert for anybody who has a frog image with them (my son was wearing a frog shirt that day).
• Amongst the many antique shops there was a very cool glass studio/gallery with very affordable glass bowls and decorative plates. These would make a great gift in the future, but not anything I was going to buy that day. So I asked the artist if she had a website as I took a business card. No was the reply. You’d think that such a cool place, with unique items, amongst the mediocre in Hannibal would be on the web–at least for tourists like me who cannot make an immediate decision. Marketing lesson: consider the customer’s buying pattern and make it easy for them.
• And, finally, a more humorous lesson. I bought a T-shirt from the “Mark Twain Cave” that afterwards my wife noted reads “Created 120 million year’s ago.” Ughh! Marketing lesson: Don’t trust the designer to proofread.