The Flip Side

Want to give your prospects and customers a reason to keep your contact information within reach?

Business cards are one of the most widely used marketing materials. Think of the endless uses to the rarely used, back of business cards! Utilizing this space in a creative, useful way is just one more way to separate yourself from your competition and make sure your customer holds on to your card!

Some examples:

• Put a map and directions of your location on the back;

• A list of the products or services you provide

• Certain industries have symbols, marks or measurements;

• Print quotes or sayings or even jokes;

• A music teacher can put a sample chord;

• A bar or restaurant can print a special drink or recipe.

Client of the month: Gomes Cleaning

Ivete Gomes has been a professional cleaner for over six years. Early on she earned the classification of Senior cleaner and has a long and successful track record of employee development. Ivete Gomes of Gomes Cleaning works in conjunction with Jerry Kovach of Return on Investment Consulting. I've used their cleaning services personally and am always amazed at the job they do. Special attention is paid to logistics, route organization and, above all, detailed and organized execution of customer requests and expectations.

For more information, contact Gomes Cleaning at: gomescleaning.servicemagicpro.com or 404.401.4069

Spring Clean your Marketing Plan

Spring is just around the corner...a great time to freshen up your marketing plan.

Mom always said, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression." As always, mom is right, especially when it comes to marketing your business. As consumers and clients become more sophisticated, they are demanding more and tolerating less.

Consider your website, the single most effective marketing and advertising there is...exposing you to potential clients around the world. Often times prospects will go to your website to check you out before even picking up the phone. A national survey of web users found that over 70% of prospects will not do business with a company if their website is not user friendly. Other peeves include: dead links, confusing navigation, slow-loading pages, ineffective site-search tools, moving text and poor appearance.

This also holds true to your printed marketing materials and advertisements. Make sure that your brand is clearly and consistently communicated without over explaining yourself.

Want to put together a spring cleaning marketing plan for your company? Contact Koru to see how we can help!

What does Koru mean anyway?

Koru is the Maori name given to the newborn, unfurling fern frond. It symbolizes growth, strength and new beginnings. The Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Another fact for you trival buffs, in their language, "maori" means normal or ordinary, distinguishing mortals and gods.

Resolve to Evolve

We've all heard about the power of antioxidants, but have you heard about Acai? It's pronounced AH-SIGH-EE and is quickly becoming known for it's powerful health benefits.

Acai is a fruit from the rainforests of Brazil and has 10 times the antioxidants found in red wine and over 3 times that found in blueberries! This mega berry also contains amino acids and essential omega fatty acids.

We are fans of Sambazon's Acai products. Not only are they great tasting and will make a notable difference in the way you feel, but Sambazon is dedicated to helping preserve the fragile environment of the Amazon. It's good stuff all the way around.

Networking: Not Just for Computers!

Looking for a way to boost your sales without cold calling? According to Keith Ferrazzi, author of Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time believes that it's the magic of the number 250. Ferrazzi theorizes that most people have enough time to stay really close to 250 people and recommends that business professionals break down the group in the following way:

The Core 50: Keep these 50 people on speed dial. They make up your core customers. Ideally, you would communicate with people in this group once a month. By staying in contact with the core 50, a company can avoid problems and continue to grow the relationship.

The Next 100: This group should hear from you several times a year, especially for birthdays or events. Remember, most of us are thrilled to hear from someone who cares enough to remember our birthday.

The Outer 100: The final group of 100 includes people who Ferrazzi recommends you contact once a year. Decide on a time of year that makes the most sense for you and your business. An accountant, for example, might want to make his or her yearly contact earlier in the fall to remind clients about year end tax-planning initiatives.

Keep in mind that Ferrazzi does not contact the people on his lists to sell anything, at least not outright. His goal is to "stimulate their thinking and move them to higher levels of success in their personal and professional lives." Perhaps teach them something new...and from that, the sales will follow.

Full Circle: A Final Note

Marketing is everywhere. Every thing you do for your business develops its brand, from the way the receptionist answers the phone, to the way your website looks and operates and everything in between.

With today's competitive business environment, making your company stands out against your competition is not only the key to attracting new customers, but the foundation to keeping the ones that you already have. Some experts believe that the difference between businesses that prosper and those that fail is the focus placed on the growth and marketing of their business, and a focus on making sure their campaigns don't lose their luster. Keeping one step ahead of what your competition is doing and making sure your marketing programs evolve with the ever changing business environment.

I hope these articles provided you with some new ideas that you can implement into your own marketing plan. For more information, please contact us or check out Koru's website.