Down Und-ha Marketing

Today’s post is being written sometime in the future, 37K feet above the earth over the international waters of the Pacific – alright, the time difference accounts for the “future” crack, I’m obviously in a plane and Tokyo is somewhere below… Sundeep and I are embarking on the second leg of our trip, a 29-hour trek from Bangkok to Columbia, SC.

We are finishing speaking engagements at two Teradata Universe events – Melbourne, Australia and Bangkok, Thailand – where we’ve met tons of great people, seen foreign lands and probably spent more time on a plane than is good for one’s sanity. While abroad we’ve seen a few unique marketing opportunities – the one featured in today’s post is from Optus, a mobile phone provider in Australia. Part of our international routine is to buy a pre-paid SIM card and insert into an unlocked cell, it typically costs a few dollars and completely pays for itself inside of a couple calls. Thankfully, the international cell market is less restrictive than the US, so the Australian number ported over while in Bangkok and the whole while, the folks at Optus were marketing via text message.

After activating the card and receiving a number, the first text message arrived thanking us for the transaction. When switching on in Thailand, there was another message acknowledging the activity and naming their partner (the mobile network provider.) There were text messages when the balance got low, alerts on how to add more funds to the pre-paid card and then another thank you for adding – I even won a free ring tone for the renewal transaction. They delivered a targeted message stream, balancing the medium, action and timing for a customer that they knew very little about (all I needed to activate was a credit card number).

Think about what you can do to balance your marketing mix, odds are you have infinite more data than the guys from Optus have on me. Be sure to check out some of our photos from the trip around the world.

Don’t Give Up

Let me tell you a little about my friends…
Daryl tracks the opens on his emails – he knows what subject line intrigues the recipient. For the recipients who didn't open, he tries to coax them into his online store with a different invitation. He keeps tab of their interests, gradually trying to convert browsers into repeat browsers and ultimately into buyers.

Michelle sells a consumer product – she sends a nice email to those who have abandoned their shopping cart offering them an incentive to complete the checkout. Not everyone bites but her diligence helps increase the bond with the customer. Those who expressed interest in her product but didn't purchase are put into a special category for additional follow up.

Jeff markets various financial services to his customers – businesses and individuals – offering car loans, college loans, small business loans, home loans and financial planning. It takes a lot of trial and error to learn what his customers want, but Jeff knows that if he’s patient and clearly makes his offer the customers will eventually come around.

Mark invites future brides and grooms into stores to help them build their wedding registry, these soon-to-be couples create wish lists of preferences. Typically, couples receive about half of their wish list; so Mark invites them back to complete their purchases through a special incentive. Not everyone buys everything, but Mark keeps tabs and ensures that his future marketing (across channels) is based on the captured preferences.

Take a lesson from my friends, sometimes marketing is a waiting game and your best luck can turn up by remaining persistent.

Achieving Channel Nirvana

Those who know me, know I’m a bit of a shopaolic… even window shopping brightens my mood. As a card-carrying addict, I’ve run into a few situations where I’ve needed to return things; this past December I was looking for a New Year’s Eve outfit and ended up buying something online from a multi-channel company. Unfortunately, it looked nothing like what was portrayed online so I went to the store hoping to swap it out that day. Unfortunately I was turned away, saying that the top belonged to the website and couldn’t be exchanged in the store.

All companies have the challenge of connecting with consumers; turning someone away (as in this example) does more to hurt the relationship you’re attempting to build. The consumer, whether they are window shopping or purchasing doesn't care about the channel that they bought from – if the labels are the same, why does the channel matter?

Today’s consumer has seven possible channels – store/ branch, internet, call center, print/ catalog, kiosks/ ATMs and email which may include mobile devices – if not in tandem, these channels can leveraged by the consumer to secure the best deal. Allow your channels work in harmony, focus on the customer and close your loopholes – achieving Channel Nirvana isn’t an easy task, but it can be attained by thinking as a customer:
1) How would you like to be identified?
2) What information are you willing to offer, what do you expect in return?
3) What information do you need to be kept in the loop?

Focus on the customer, focus on the basics and your path to enlightenment will follow.

Doesn’t Add Up

A couple of weeks ago I was booked a flight to New York on my “favorite” airline – it was an early morning direct, departing the same evening so I could continue onto another city. The day before, I got a call saying that the meeting may be rescheduled – so to plan ahead, I called the airline to make back up reservations into my second stop.

After speaking with a couple CSRs, I learned that my changing my original ticket would cost me $660 plus the $100 change fee (the original multi-stop ticket was $355 round-trip.) The worst part was that I had just received a promotional email to my second stop for $200 round trip! I asked about the deal, the rep couldn’t find and said it must be a web-only special. After a lot of pleading, I was eventually transferred to their web desk; they couldn't apply the advertised fare to an existing reservation, but eventually gave me a $100 credit on the original fare. I took it and hoped that my plans wouldn’t have to change.

Having coordinated channels would help immensely – front-line agents should also have access to web specials and be aware of the email program. This communication mishap encourages travelers to test channels to get the best deal; this example is proof of the airline’s inefficiencies and devalues their email program.



And the rest of the story…
The day of my meeting, I’m sitting at the airport and get a call to reschedule the meeting in New York. Knowing the possibility of the high fare, I got in line to see if I could rearrange my itinerary – as luck would have it, my flight to New York was cancelled due to a mechanical issue… they booked me on the higher price flight that I originally wanted.

How To Launch an Email Program

Let's say you're a small business (or even a larger business for that matter), and you've been collecting emails for sometime now, but you've done nothing with them. Now you have a sizable database of email addresses, and you're ready to start sending. How should you proceed?

First of all, you need to consider where and how you collected these email addresses. You need to make sure that you're compliant with the current CAN-SPAM regulations. Were they all truly opt-in? Are these addresses based on some transactional relationship you have with the customer? You need to be sure that you're following the legal regulations in contacting these customers via email.

Once you've cleared that, you'll need to consider how long you've had these addresses. Are these people who signed up months or even years ago, but have not received one email contact from you since signing up? Will they remember that they signed up, or will they view this message as unwanted and unnecessary? If this is the case, you need to make sure that you re-engage the customer effectively.

A great example of this was a recent email I received from my car dealership. This is the first email I've ever received from them; and honestly, I can't tell you when I signed up. However, the introductory email read as follows:

Dear Philip,
Thank you for being our customer and for taking a moment to read this promotional email. We value your time and truly respect your online privacy. Therefore, we would like your permission to communicate with you by email.

We are introducing our eVIP Program.

We would like to invite you to become an eVIP so you will receive special service, parts and accessory discounts only offered to our eVIP's. Should your vehicle be under a safety recall we could notify you via email very quickly.

Every email we send will allow you to opt-out and stop all future emails from coming to you from our dealership. We are confident you will enjoy the savings and special offers we will be making only to our eVIP's.

If you prefer not to receive any email from us, please click below to be removed.

We appreciate your time and again, thank you for your business!

James Engel
General Manager
Saturn of Columbia - SC
736 Saturn Parkway
Columbia, SC 29212
803-732-6500

This message did a good job addressing my concerns for privacy and that this was not spam, telling me I could opt out of this or any future emails. Even better, the mail showed me the value of being part of the email program, outlining what types of messages and communications I can look forward to as well as my "eVIP" status. This laid an excellent groundwork for future communications.

The last step is the hardest - once you've started, you can't stop. You're setting your customer's expectations that they will receive communications from you, so make sure to stay in touch on a regular basis. If you allow significant time to lapse before communicating with them again via email, then you next "email launch" will not be successful. Much like the boy who cried wolf, people won't pay attention to what you have to say.

M2.0: Blogs

I finish my Teradata User Group presentation with a “How To” application – specifically highlighting the use of blogs into your marketing mix. My belief is that a blog is the easiest way to enter into the M2.0 realm – it’s an extension of your website and can be home for your YouTube video links, links to Social Networking sites and/ or your Twitter block.

For this section, I highlight 1154 LILL Studio – because I’m a bag-a-holic and because I have killer props. I also get to highlight their recent contest, Where has your LILL bag been? a contest that I served as model.

For those of you familiar will 1154 LILL, you know they offer custom handbags through their website, four boutiques and LILL-on-Location reps. I highlight their blog, because I think they’ve done a great job translating their in store experience in an online channel. They feature team members, fashion trends, refreshment recipes for LILL-on-Location parties and even contests – hopefully, I get extra props for touring my bag around Melbourne this week.

M2.0: Twitter

Philip has previously posted articles on how to use Twitter; my Teradata User Group presentation includes a slightly different spin.

Surprisingly, there were very few attendees who knew about the service, so I’m going to start with the official definition – Twitter is a micro-blogging site, allowing updates with a 140 character maximum updates. People can “follow” or subscribe to your offers that are deployed through the Twitter site, text message or website/ blog integration.

The applications that I show are from Dell and Obama. Dell uses Twitter to offer refurbished printers, limited quantity/ discontinuing monitors and special promotions. To date they have over 900 followers, a decent audience for items that are your star offers.

Barack Obama is using Twitter a little differently, offering updates to his campaign progress and giving a little additional insight to his personality – sorry Dell, Barack has more followers… but you’re still beating us on the follower count.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more in the series.

M2.0: Social Networking

Social Networking sites are getting a ton of press lately. I usually share a couple MySpace examples in my Teradata User Group presentation, one from the Colonial Center and another from Nordstrom.

The Colonial Center is Columbia’s largest indoor venue, the home to a number of concerts, Gamecock Basketball and others events. Their page boasts over 11K friends, a network in tune with upcoming events and an opportunity for follow-up – for instance, photos from the recent Kenny Chesney concert.

Nordstrom also uses MySpace for their BP division, offering photos, fashion trends and ties of the retailer to various artists.

Fun Facts
MySpace is the third most popular site in the US, Facebook is the seventh (according to Alexa Internet). LinkedIn is also gaining popularity, garnering over 20 million registered users and now allowing company profiles.

There are even software applications that allow you to create your own social networking site – like Dog Community, Dog.com’s user group that was highlighted in one of our past Service In Action calls – find out more by listening to the January SIA Podcast.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more in the series.

M2.0: YouTube

Our friends at Teradata gave me the incredible opportunity to present as part of their User Group sessions. In nine cities, across the US and Canada, I spoke about email marketing best practices and the ways businesses were applying M2.0 to their marketing mix. Many of the email-specific points shared are included in this blog, so I wanted to highlight the M2.0 techniques in a series of posts, hope you enjoy.

YouTube
One of the examples in my presentation is from Blendtec, you’ve probably seen their products in your neighborhood Starbucks or Jamba Juice – they make the blenders in the little plastic houses. A couple years ago, they launched a B2C expansion, partially through YouTube.

Their channel has garnered over 68K subscribers to date, includes 70 videos and links to 17 other friends who have submitted their own renditions of blend-able items. He even takes requests, like blending a Chuck Norris action figure following Chuck’s endorsement of one-time presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee. All in all, the iPod video is the most successful, with over 5.2 million views, but my favorite is still the glow sticks video.

Another YouTube example shared is from Dunkin Donuts – many know of my love of the pink and orange, even before I could use them for PowerPoints. They used their YouTube channel to accept customer videos in their How do you keep America Running? contest. Entrants submitted their videos for the chance to win a year’s supply of coffee. In total they list 42 winners and a special Top Ten list – all still getting air time.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for more in the series.

Email has Arrived

A good friend of mine runs marketing for a travel company, marketing to consumers via direct mail and email. A numbers person, Ann knows all the email metrics but was unsure of how many people saw the direct mail piece – only those who redeemed the coupon codes included with the direct mail.

Two months ago, she took a bold step, ceasing print pieces to a particular region and only sending email campaigns. Surprisingly, her sales went up, cost went down and she has started adjusting her marketing campaigns to rely more on email and less on print.

She’s not alone, recent events will definitely impact marketers across the country:
- On May 12, the United States Postal Service increased postage rates, coupled with the rising cost of gas; direct mail is going to continue to rise.

- Also on May 12, changes were proposed to existing CAN-SPAM legislation; placing additional importance on the recipient.

- Factor in the environmentally conscious, email is the most relevant, cost effective and can coordinate the needed immediacy we all crave.

The remainder of this week will focus on leveraging M2.0 tactics into your marketing mix – while you’re reading these posts, Reagan and I will be sharing the tactics at the Teradata Universe user groups in Australia and Thailand. Keep in mind that each of these M2.0 tactics rely heavily on email.

List Revival

Faced with lackluster sales, a multi-channel cataloger offered its catalogue file an incentive to shop. Buyers were offered a coupon for one level, non-buyers were offered a little more of an incentive – they made a huge splash promoting the offer, beginning with a direct mail piece including an access code and expiration date. Recipients went online, entered the code, filled out a couple questions and were emailed the coupon code.

After the coupon was redeemed, shoppers received a series of emails asking for additional preference information, feedback on the purchase channel and product feedback – the typical email included two or three questions.

Overall impact was phenomenal; before the list revival project, their email list was 20% of the catalogue file, they averaged less than 5% open rates and had dismal click-through. Following the project, the cataloger had more than doubled their email list, quadrupled their open rates and had click throughs that were through the roof. The data from the survey series resulted in better segmentation, targeted messaging and a boost in overall sales.

Following the email survey cycle, the cataloguer sent an additional, random survey to 1,000 new customers – findings showed that these new customers felt they were part of the club and received offers that were exactly what they wanted.

Maybe you’re not ready for a total revival, but you could easily begin to survey shoppers and create the necessary dialogue – remember our push for interactive conversations?

SIA: SEO Basics

One of the top questions we receive in the eComm Biz centers around SEO – and I’ll admit that despite researching myself, there are still items that give me pause.

Interest in the topic has inspired Friday’s Service In Action call; we’ve invited our friends from SearchPeers to provide an overview of keyword targeting, proper coding for your site and the mysterious world of metatags.

I’ve seen a sneak preview of the presentation and we’re covering Dos and Don’ts, tactics for reducing risk and the cost benefits of SEO versus affiliate marketing, adwords and other efforts. This is your chance to brush up on the fundamentals, so clear your calendar or sign up through the Service In Action site.

We look forward to 'hearing' you on the call!

New Rules for CAN-SPAM

This week, the Federal Trade Commission approved four new rule provisions under the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM). This special post is meant to update you on the changes. Interpretations are still being formed for how this impacts you as an e-mail marketer – we suggest reading the summary of the FTC posting (detailed version also available) and consulting your legal department for their recommendations. You may also visit this blog for additional information in the future.

The Provisions
The new rule provisions address four topics that may affect your eMarketing efforts:
1) An e-mail recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his/ her e-mail address and opt-out preferences, or take any steps other than sending a reply e-mail message or visiting a single Internet Web page to opt out of receiving future e-mail from a sender.

2) The definition of “sender” was modified to make it easier to determine which of multiple parties advertising in a single e-mail message is responsible for complying with the Act’s opt-out requirements.

3) A “sender” of commercial e-mail can include an accurately-registered post office box or private mailbox established under United States Postal Service regulations to satisfy the Act’s requirement that a commercial e-mail display a “valid physical postal address.”

4) A definition of the term “person” was added to clarify that CAN-SPAM’s obligations are not limited to natural persons.

In addition to the new provisions, the Commission provided a view on how CAN-SPAM applies to forward-to-a-"friend" marketing campaigns – where someone receives a commercial e-mail message and forwards it to another person or uses a web-based mechanism to forward a link/ copy of a webpage to another person. The SBP explains that, as a general matter, if the seller offers something of value in exchange for forwarding a commercial message, the seller must comply with the Act's requirements, such as honoring opt-out requests.

Items detailed in this update will be finalized and go into effect 60 days from the May 12, announcement date. The FTC's Statement of Basis and Purpose (SBP) will be published in the Federal Register on a date yet to be announced. In the SBP, the FTC will include their views on other CAN-SPAM rules, including forward to a friend email messages.

What a Deal

A small cataloger offered a great deal – a 30% off coupon with only 150 available. They casually mentioned the offer on their lifestyle blog and noted that the offer was going fast; they then emailed the offer to their prospect file, the first 150 people to call their call center with the special code got the discount, the rest were offered 15%.

The rules were simple – the program was first launched with great secrecy. It was to be an exclusive event for friends of friends only; the blog leaked the offer. To redeem, users were to fill out an online form with their preferences.

The impact of this offer on their list size was quite dramatic; they received over 2000 new names with targeted preferences. They also got a lot of inquiries from others asking about the program. Based on interest, they posted their next offer on their site – Some of you recently redeemed a coupon for substantial savings. We will be doing this more often, offering special discounts on specific items of interest to you. To take part, fill out your preferences and you’ll be the first to know.

This advertising garnered over 6,000 new names along with a massive drive to collect customer preferences. The results continue today, they now enjoy a list that is focused, significant word of mouth and a marketing team that has polished their process of delivering offers for their file.

The Huh Factor

Ever receive an offer for something you already have – maybe a mortgage, credit card or savings program from your bank. You’d think they know you, but for some reason they’re still selling you products you already have… even after you log in or refused the offer previously.

The same rings true with emails, you click on an item but are taken to a general portion of the company site. Wouldn’t you have preferred a landing page with additional information?

Both of these examples give you that Huh Factor. As marketers, it’s imperative to listen to our customers and prospects. Clicking on an item implies interest, so lead them to the next logical page in the marketing sequence – it could be the fastest, least expensive way to improve sales.

This growing discipline has shown impressive results, an overseas bank has achieved close to 30% higher return by optimizing the landing pages, and there are even courses on how to make the most of this approach. So start giving your recipients what they want!

A Bird in Hand

I had recently had meetings with three organizations; the first was an online retailer that told me that they have very little repeat business despite their selection. Another merchant (catalog, web and B2B store presence) told me that half their hits on search come from existing customers. The third was a bank that gives away $50 to open new accounts, yet only one in 20 of the people opening these accounts actually establish more than one other relationship with the bank. These numbers are disappointing, but not atypical.

We spend so much money on acquiring new customers, but very little is done to take care of the existing – our focus should start from within, by nurturing existing relationships. Start with a thank you email that is personal; follow up with a call (even a voicemail will do). The goal is to establish a dialogue to thank the new customer and solicit feedback to improve your process.

After the initial email (and/ or discussion) put the customer on a recurring campaign to introduce them to your brand; highlight certain parts of your business and make sure that your dialogue is educational. Regularly solicit their feedback on your campaigns.

It might seem like too much work, but keep in mind that if you compare this with the cost of new customer acquisition – it is only a part of the overall cost.

To the first company, I suggest creating an email help desk to call customers, thank them and solicit direct feedback about their experience. Follow this up with two to three campaigns that inquire, educate and introduce recipients to other parts of the business.

To the second company, put the customer on a recurring stream of communiqués – part of your bonding program. Send them a sample, solicit their feedback and keep in touch.

Finally, to the bank, make the recipient tell you more about themselves in exchange for the $50. Then assign a rep to this newly acquired customer – make it their responsibility to stay in touch with them over the first four weeks. The goal should be to make them aware of the services your bank has and see if you can help the new account holder meet their personal goals.

The Birthday Email

My kids get cards and phone calls from the dentist on their birthday. It is the one place they really don't like to go, yet this call is something that they have begun to look forward to. Usually, this call is preceded by a birthday card, and includes a coupon to a treat at a local fast food place. Not a voice recording but a real person calling to speak to the kids. Very thoughtful of the dentist's office, and something we all appreciate.

I have two main financial institutions - one which serves as a conduit for my paychecks, the latter is where I save for the future. Both of them know my birthday date, in fact they both know a whole lot more, yet it is a credit union where I have less than $250 that doesn't forget to send me an email and a real card each birthday. The card is personally signed by the branch manager.

A major apparel retailer asks those who sign up for their birthday date. This information is then used to target the recipient with a special promotion during their birthday month. While this is good, it is interesting to note that the open rate on these emails goes from an average of 20% to approximately 60%. The next three emails from this retailer to the 'birthday recipient' leads to open rates of between 35 - 50%. Twenty percent of those who open the special promotion actually redeem it. This makes this particular promotion quite special for the retailer. Now you do have a few people that abuse this by creating a birthday to get a discount, but the retailer counters this by trying to get the recipient to provide some preference information.

A jewelry company asks you for your birth month so they can wish you and also talk to you about your special stone. Remarkably, this has done very well for this company. People are intrigued by their stone and what it all means. They read, they click, and they eventually buy.

A men's clothing company used to give out $10 gift cards on people's birthdays. This is a practice that has since been abandoned, as after much testing we realized that most of the recipients were redeeming up to $10 (only). Also, in split tests we found that it didn't boost overall response. This company has since switched to simply wishing the recipient on their special day. The results are almost the same. Now, if you are a higher tier buyer, you get a real birthday card from this company. This is appreciated and acknowledged in subsequent purchases by the customer.

Do remember, if you ask for a birthday date - please be sure you are going to protect the information. Also, if you ask people for the exact date, please use it as you have created an expectation.

I would like to borrow an approach from a Florida newspaper. They put in your luck for the year as part of their message. I know many people who used to cut that out and keep it in their wallet or purse (for the entire year).

From an email marketers perspective, why not ask for the birthday date - include a little snippet about their annual forecast, thank them for their past business, wish them the best, and introduce them to a special landing page where they can find great deals. Transactional email gives you the opportunity to make things conversational - you ought to leverage it.

So if today is your birthday - here is a little note - There’s plenty of activity this year, traveling near and far. You’ll get lots of practice scheduling and setting priorities. Don’t bet the ranch, you won’t be that lucky, but you should do quite well. Once you learn the game you can achieve your objective. Celebrity birthdays today - Billy Joel, Candice Bergen, & Reagan Taylor.

If nothing else, just wish the recipient - Happy Birthday! It goes a long way in building a relationship.

Put on Notice

Notifications allow you to remind your banking clients of regulatory issues, like Reg D, privacy reminders, loan rate updates or balance information – some of these may have even been elected by the user.

Experience shows that the end-user becomes accustomed to these messages in a couple of weeks and often grows to expect and rely on them. These messages present an excellent way to stay top of mind, reinforce your brand and possibly make additional sales. Adding a simple teaser line like, This and Other Services are delivered to you by Acme Bank – could be your opportunity to advertise additional offerings or present a more robust message.

Use the real estate you have, just make sure it’s subtle… you don’t want to violate the guidelines of transactional messaging dos and don’ts. Using this space to inform of new, relevant products can help drive towards closing something new. Be sure to refer to the emails in print pieces and vice versa, this strengthens your bond and also helps condition the user.

Analyze This

We’ve met a number of email marketers who are true devotees to the science of analytics – dissecting the opens, clicks, conversions and even abandoned transactions to learn more about their readers, customers and prospects. They segment recipient lists, version content, alter creative and test everything from timing to offers.

This science is more specific to the individual marketer rather than the program or industry… so, unfortunately, there’s no golden ticket in this month’s newsletter – however, we have a couple suggested items to get you into the right mindset:

• Heat Maps – Are you analyzing your content to see where people are clicking – main logo, primary offer or other things? Experiment with the layout to see how it affects their click behavior, simple changes like adding product category navigation can help boost click rates. If they're clicking on the View email online link, consider revising (creating) a multi-part email.
  
• Simple Subject – Test which subject line elements stimulate more opens, for instance, try words relating to:
• Urgency – Hurry, Ends Soon, Only X days left
• Discount – Dollars or percentage off versus no discount message
• Exclusivity – Just for You, Exclusive, Sneak Peek, Pre-Sale or Be the First

Start experimenting (safely); simply looking at the results strengthens your segmentation, message content etc. It also enhances your bond with your recipients and helps broaden your talents as a marketer.

Subscribe to our Newsletter by visiting the Service In Action, Panel of Peers or NCR eCommerce sites.

A lot of Bank for my Bucks

I visited Mumbai on business two weeks ago – a dream come true as I spent a substantial part of my life in Mumbai. The city has changed quite a bit, growing to be an even bigger metropolis with a population of over 30 million people.

My last visit was four years ago, during that trip I deposited some money in a bank – a struggle as all of my questions received few answers and there was little interest. Last week, I deposited a fraction of what I did before, but this time it was very different. There was so much hustle to earn my business; I was fascinated by the approach the bankers used to get me to invest, starting with a warm introduction, offering samosas and tea and telling me about projected yield over the next ten years.

As I completed my transaction, the banker guided me to his manager’s office. The manager was very nice; he offered me more tea and thanking me for the money that I deposited. He told me about his branch and how they have grown and then explained additional financial options, telling me that my yield could be delivered to me in the US or anywhere else in the world.

Amazed, I asked him how his people were so “up” on the offers. He showed me their weekly memo; it summarizes rates, their current and long-term goals and which products and services should be pushed. They listed approaches, tips to overcome objections, follow-ups and role playing exercises. There was even a test, which had to be passed before the representative could speak to customers.

Reading this, you may think I plucked down a lot of money – but don’t be fooled, it was just enough to cover us during our upcoming vacation to Mumbai. Yet the service I received and the associated up-sell was incredible.

This model is how many WISH their organizations operate – you want your front-line to know about the outgoing offers (email, printed etc.), the associated up-sells and next steps. Many marketers focus on the outside before they look inward, the most successful email programs I’ve encountered are those where the organization first focuses on communicating with their employees, who then take the information to their family and friends and finally customers.

Why Sign Up?

One of the exercises Sundeep and I have incorporated into our regional Panel of Peers workshops is the Why Sign Up? Q&A, we ask attendees to submit good reasons why someone should sign up for email campaigns. Here are some of the top submissions; feel free to borrow – but make sure you personalize and involve your team, it’s the only way to give the reasons life:

From two B2B Suppliers:
– Learn about useful products relative to your industry
– Learn how our products can save time and money
– New product announcements
– Industry news and events
– Keep current on upcoming events

From an Apparel Company:
– Exclusive promotions
– Sneak previews to collections
– Fashion advice

From a Specialty Foods Company:
– Our emails include offers and useful content – all towards feeding your passion
– Tested, proven recipes to add to your collection
– Quick links to new products, ideas and articles

From a Software Company:
– Industry news, updates and regulations
– Case studies and whitepapers
– Product updates and new services value

From a B2C Cataloger:
– Be the first to see new products before they appear in the catalog
– Read the stories behind our products and artisans and to see the economical impact on the regions we buy from

The financial intuitions took a slightly different approach; here are suggestions from three different groups:
– Go Green, Get Green – sign up for our emails and eNewsletters to get your information faster, save the environment and earn cash incentives.
– Tips and tricks to stretch your money
– Secure messaging in the privacy of your home
– Personalized to your preferences

Again, feel free to use these for your sign-up process; just consider a couple additional points:
1) Validate the reasons every quarter – clarify and to adapt to changing market requirements
2) Use the points to educate your teams – front-line employees for certain
3) Tailor to you, after all the reasons are as unique to you as your program

Just a Sandwich

I had a long layover at the Cincinnati airport earlier this week, so with close to three hours for lunch I opted for an established restaurant rather than the fast food. After a decent wait for a table, I had decided exactly what I wanted and ordered as the server showed me my table. Unfortunately, they were out of the soup I chose, so she had to return – I ultimately gave her my order three times… but it was still wrong.

As I ate my food, I observed others walking into the restaurant – all waited to be noticed before they were seated. Many waited over five minutes and some had to wave to the bartender to get noticed. I was amazed; it would seem that there would be a greater since of urgency since the patrons had a limited amount of time before their flights.

This repeated “disconnect” reminded me of emails received from certain companies – as you all know, I receive a ton of emails and constantly sign-up for new lists. Seems like one in ten of emails go nowhere, I’ll click on a particular item and be taken to the company’s homepage or the process will time out. In theory, the offer should lead you to details about the offer… the wait staff should acknowledge their patrons, get the orders right etc.

Pay attention to the segment you are targeting, make sure your emails work. If necessary, send to fewer people or trickle distribution to avoid your servers being overwhelmed. It seems pretty basic, but it fails so often. So keep the basics together… and don't get your heart set on the potato soup.

Bag-a-holics Anonymous

I’m a self-professed bag-a-holic; thankfully, there’s no need for a support group or twelve-step program. Due to my condition, I was thrilled when Piperlime started The Bag a Day Game, unfortunately I didn’t win but I was a regular player in the contest.

They gave away some 24 bags using an electronic memory-ish game. The initial invitation asked you to provide your info and following the form, a grid of all the bags appeared, they were covered up one-by-one until only one was left. If the remaining bag matched The Bag of the Day, you won. At the end of each opportunity, you were asked to select the bags that interested you most. It was a way to sign-up for reminders specific to your preferred bags.

Maybe you don’t sell purses or want to run a contest – but think about including the preference center in your program. You could collect preferences during sign up, a specialty or suggest tailored emails based on their click throughs… just think of how effective that campaign would be.