Summer with its delicious distractions tempts you to decide that nothing is going to happen in your business so why not just enjoy the season.

If you decide to make that choice you will be joining much of your competition in thinking summer time is play time.

With the competition out of the game, now is the time to get out and get serious about your business as they lie on the beach.

Give yourself a break from the everyday pressure of marketing and sales by working on future business NOW!

Going into the fall with business on the books before you start the season is not only a great feeling; it changes your perspective when a prospect that may not be a good fit comes along.

Having core business gives you time to explore and investigate other opportunities that come along. Those other opportunities sometimes form the basis for innovation in how you do business, the way you market and what the primary focus of your business is.

Put the power and control of your future back in your own hands.

Implement these summer marketing tips starting today:

   • Summer is a slower time of year for some media which means you can negotiate a better deal
     and extend the buy into the higher priced fall by planning and booking now.

   • Send a Press Release while media staff is reduced by the holiday season and pressure to
     produce is on fewer numbers of media writers with less time to look for stories.

   • Do take some additional time to read some new marketing books, write some new articles and
     learn a new marketing skill i.e. blogging or social marketing

   • Hold an annual or semi-annual sale with clear parameters of what, when, and how to ensure it
     doesn’t creep into the busy fall.

   • Offer a free seminar, put on a picnic, sponsor a high profile summer time event, and/or hire a
     student to distribute a coupon. Do something different to capitalize on the opportunity created by
     large gatherings at special events and more people out on the street in the summer.

   • Make a special offer to your current customers to introduce them to another product or service
     they haven’t yet bought.

If you need to see the possibilities before you put an effort into summer marketing try the following exercise:

   • Draw a circle on a piece of paper representing the market size of your industry. Mark your pie
     shaped share of the market, no matter how small.

   • Draw a larger circle around the same central point and extend the sides of your piece of the pie
     to the new perimeter.

   • See what happens to your piece of the pie when people return to their fall routines and the
     prospects you spoke to and those who decided to do business with you told their friends?

That increase is your customer base growing exponentially from the marketing work you did while others were relaxing in the sun.

“Some people forget to plant in the spring, idle away the summer hours and then expect to reap in the fall.”
Grant M. Bright

There is still time to give attention to your summer marketing and reap the benefits this fall and into 2011.

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The economy is sour, consumers aren’t buying, and the competitive landscape is mutating. From marketers everywhere we hear a collective “where to even begin?”

“Start with a company-wide deep breath, since it’s so hard to panic during a deep breath, and it’s conducive to thinking and creativity, too,” suggests Tim Berry, president of Eugene, OR-based Palo Alto Software.

He and a few other industry pundits—including Seth Godin, David Meerman Scott, Bryan Eisenberg, and Jonathan Salem Baskin—recently lent their advice for marketing smarter, and for less, in the down economy.

You’ll find their comments and more here in our quick list of the steps that marketers can immediately start taking to hone their programs and cut back on expenses.

Step 1: Get back to basics

When the going gets tough, the tough get down to business and figure out exactly where they are, how they got there, what it was that originally led them to their heyday, and how they might evolve those strategies to function through the current economy.

“These downturns are good for spurring us to step back away from the business and take that fresh look; it’s like an artist squinting to see the landscape differently,” said Berry.

His recommendations include setting aside time to do a thorough SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis and answering vital questions, such as these:

• What makes your company unique? What advantages do you have to leverage? Which challenges can be transitioned into opportunities? And is the company prepared to take on those challenges?
• Where do you make the most profit? And where are your resources being spent? To what extent do those connect?
• Are your products and promotions aligned with current market needs and expectations? What is the overall perception of your company and product in the marketplace? What are your customers saying?
• What are your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses? How do competitor products and promotions compare with—and impact—your products and promotions?
• Which is your most profitable customer segment? And which customers are you most likely to retain if the economy worsens? Are there alternate market segments that might now be better positioned for your products and services?
• What are the current and foreseeable trends in your industry? Are there any emerging trends on which you may be able to capitalize? How might your value proposition be altered to reflect new trends and new consumer expectations?
• How up-to-date is your marketing plan? How valid is the rationale behind your current marketing programs and promotions? Is your marketing accountable for results?

Your SWOT analysis won’t necessarily paint a pretty picture, but if you go about it honestly you’ll gain a much clearer view on where you should be focusing your efforts.

Step 2: Let the data be your light

As businesses realize that this economic downturn is not some minor blip that will soon correct itself, marketers must reconcile with the fact that things have changed for the long term, and so must they.

And as we begin the process of determining what to keep and what to cut from the old “game plan,” it is important to realize that this is not the time for guessing or playing favorites with campaigns of sentimental value. It’s time to put our trust in cold, hard data—for real this time.

“The days of propagating brand image into the cosmos are long gone…. Marketers need to find ways to map behaviors against desired outcomes, [and figure out] what actions will lead targets to buying things,” offered Jonathan Salem Baskin, marketing strategist and author of Branding Only Works on Cattle. “Think about shortening, or making more direct, the connection between marketing expenditure (or tactic) and some demonstrable behavior evidenced by the target customer or consumer.”

Bryan Eisenberg, analytical-marketing consultant and author of Teaching Your Cat to Bark, said one of the biggest mistakes companies make is collecting the data but not analyzing it or leveraging it to make improvements.

“Companies need to understand not only how to get the data but also what to do with it, and that takes work,” he explained. “It’s a four-letter dirty word, but ultimately it is the key to being successful.”

For example, women’s clothing retailer Intermix (the subject of this week’s premium case study), was able to increase multichannel revenue 9% from June 2008 to January 2009 by doing just that—repeatedly digging into the numbers to identify unique customer segments and the specific offers that appealed to each group individually.

“Execution is not a one-time event,” Eisenberg advised. “Execution is something you have to do on a regular basis. There’s always something that can be improved, and it’s about finding the biggest hole, patching it, and doing that relentlessly.”

In addition to demonstrating the overall advantage of ongoing testing and refinement, the Intermix campaign illustrates the need to look at not just how one marketing tactic compares with another but also how distinct customer segments respond differently to the same campaigns.

Eisenberg recommends taking the time to dissect any non-campaign components that may influence the customer experience (the company Web site, for example), and making incremental improvements that help increase conversion on a more permanent level.

Step 3: Take the high road

Consumers are skeptical—and who can blame them, considering the number of financial scandals that have recently come to light. But that’s why now, perhaps more than ever, it is essential for companies to appear very upfront and honest, smart, and innovative—as leaders that consumers can, and want, to trust.

It’s time to think best-practices, not gimmicks.

“I think the down economy is no real barrier to marketing remarkable products in a human way,” offered bestselling author Seth Godin, who offered incisive wisdom: “Instead of yelling, connect. Instead of pushing, lead.”

Hyundai Motor America, the pioneer of “America’s Best Warranty,” recently launched an industry-altering campaign when it announced its new Hyundai Assurance Program, which promises consumers the option to return their newly leased or financed Hyundai vehicles and “walk away” from any loan obligations should they lose their incomes within the coming year. “We’re all in this together, and we’ll all get through it together,” its ads tell consumers.

The Associated Press reports that the program has already had an impact on Hyundai sales performance, assisting a 14.3% growth in sales in a time when most of the company’s competitors are struggling with losses.

The program has “struck a chord with American consumers during these uncertain times,” Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America vice-president of national sales, said in a statement.

Tim Calkins, clinical professor of marketing at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, agrees that the Hyundai campaign is a commendable approach in today’s economy. “Advertising has to connect with folks,” he explained in a recent NPR interview about recession marketing. “You don’t want to talk about price and being cheap… you have to talk about value, or you’ve gotta really talk about what makes you unique.”

Step 4: Go social

Following Godin’s and Calkins’ advice for connecting with consumers has recently become easier—and much more cost effective—with the dawn of new online media.

“We’re living in a time when we can reach the world directly, without having to spend enormous amounts of money on advertising and without investing in huge public relations efforts to convince the media to write (or broadcast) about our products and services,” explained David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and author of the bestseller The New Rules of Marketing & PR.

Organizations such as performance company Cirque du Soleil and online invoicing service Freshbooks have been working to establish themselves on social-networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, where they can make personal connections with customers through one-to-one interactions.

“We have found [Twitter] to be one of our most successful tools from a listening and engagement perspective,” a Freshbooks representative said.

Other companies are using low-cost online media to directly grow their businesses—with fantastic results.

For example, as consumers cut back on major purchases throughout most of 2008, used-car retailer Auction Direct USA realized an annual sales increase of 40%. IT/Web director Eric Miltsch attributes a strong majority of that growth to the company’s low-cost online-marketing efforts, which include social-networking sites, mobile web sites, and a company blog.

In another example, Paris, IL-based pet food retailer K9 Cuisine has grown its business from the ground up — achieving $2.5 million in sales in less than two years—without spending a dime on traditional advertising. Instead, the company engages in online forum conversations, has a company blog, and connects with customers on Facebook and Twitter. In all cases, K9 Cuisine is careful to offer content of value, which is helping the company establish trust, along with a very loyal customer base.

“There is a tremendous opportunity right now to reach buyers in a better way: by publishing great content online, content people want to consume and that they are eager to share with their friends, family, and colleagues,” Meerman Scott said.

“Instead of investing tons of money in expensive agencies and big-bucks advertising, create something valuable and publish it on the Web for free.”

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Revisit your cell phone plan
You’ll get a personalized list of what other cell phone plans or credit cards would fit your needs – and an estimate of how much you would save annually by switching.

If you’re in the market for a new cell phone, don’t spring for the insurance. You’ll likely spend more for the policy than you’ll ever get back if you lose or damage your phone according to Consumer Reports.

Cut your auto insurance
If you’re still driving around in a rust bucket, you may want to consider dropping collision or comprehensive coverage. According to the Insurance Information Institute, claims occur on average only once every 11 or 12 years.

You may also want to consider raising your deductibles. This will lower your costs substantially. Going to a $1,000 deductible can save you 40% or more. And what you do for a living can help you shave some dollars off your insurance. Some insurance companies give discounts for people in certain low-risk professions in a few states. If you’re an economist, an accountant or a teacher you may be able to reduce your bill.

Lower your prescription drug costs
Health care can be a huge drain on your wallet. But you can save money by knowing where to go.

Some big box stores like Kmart, Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s have discount pharmacy services. Membership is not required to use the pharmacy services.

If you are uninsured or have no drug coverage, make sure to tell your doctor. You may be able to get a healthy dose of sample medication.

And think about pharmacy assistance programs. You may qualify for free or low-cost medicines. These are run mostly by drug companies. Keep in mind that you many have stringent income cut-offs at around $20,000 for a family.

For more information, check out RxAssist.com, Partnership for Prescription Assistance at pparx.org and needymeds.org.

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If you’d asked Bekki Scotto a few years back about her interest in attending a high school reunion, she would have rolled her eyes and laughed in your face.

Uprooted from Northern California as a 12-year-old after her parents divorced, she landed in Bismarck, North Dakota, where she was a stranger in a strange land.

“I was a weirdo, and I always was until I left,” said Scotto, 40, who loaded up her Volkswagen bus right after graduation and high-tailed it back to the West coast. “I hated high school. My memories are mostly of tortured poetry and plans for escape.”

But a funny thing happened in recent years: She discovered Facebook. And the social networking tool stirred up an interest in old classmates that she didn’t know was there.

Scotto, a textile artist in Eureka, California, signed up for the social networking site not knowing that “it was HS reunion central … or I might not have joined,” she wrote in an e-mail. And suddenly she was reconnecting with people from the Bismarck-area’s Mandan High School and revisiting stories she’d long forgotten.

“Surprisingly enough I DID have friends. We did do fun things, and I actually have a few fond memories,” she said in the e-mail. “That was a revelation that never would have happened without Facebook… I know a bit about everyone and am remembering friends I’d actually like to see.”

Facebook may bring people like Scotto (who missed her 20th, which came before she’d signed up for the site) to reunions that never would have come otherwise.

But the site might also have an adverse effect on the face of school reunions. If you can learn what’s become of your old pals or your secret crush from the comfort of your couch, do you lose the incentive to actually go? Once you discover your prom date is now a married, balding insurance executive in Poughkeepsie, is the curiosity factor gone?

Julian “Lynn” Bell, of Eagan, Minnesota, doesn’t think so.Bell created the Facebook page for all graduates of Mandan High to help them plan reunions — big and small — and find each other. He believes the page’s influence is already being felt, as turnout for school gatherings is on the rise.

“You get a lot of fun laughs, and you’re able to reconnect with people you might not have time to connect with at the reunion,” said Bell, also 40.
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An added plus, said Mandan grad Jami Bjorndahl, 32, is that Facebook helps cut through the initial nerves of first contact.

“It does take away that awkwardness of wondering what people will think of how you’ve changed,” said Bjorndahl, who now lives outside of Washington. “All those silly things high school kids do to one another have been forgotten. That person who ‘wronged’ you has forgotten all about it, while you may have been holding onto it for the last 20 years.”

By revisiting high school relationships years later, there may be this renewed level of acceptance of one another, said Florence Kaslow, a life coach and south Florida psychologist of more than 30 years who’s studied reunions of all sorts.

Facebook also lets people reinvent their former teen-age selves by creating online the image of the adults they’ve become.

But beware the traps of “virtual friendships” or “pseudo-intimacy” that sites like Facebook or MySpace can manufacture, Kaslow warned. When former classmates who are “friends” on Facebook see each other face-to-face, “It can be disappointing … They may not be like anything they’ve written.”

One of the pros of Facebook is that the site has allowed former classmates, even entire communities, to bond for missions beyond socializing.

In advance of his late May reunion in Stroud, Oklahoma, avid cyclist Jeff Burton signed up for Facebook and launched a page entitled, “I’m Riding My Bicycle On Route 66 to Attend My 50th High School Reunion.”

He then spent most of May riding from Santa Monica, California, to his old hometown and writing about it along the way. Classmates helped turn his journey into a fundraising campaign for Stroud High School and built a separate website for the cause.

“I became friends with anyone who had connections with Stroud, Oklahoma,” said Burton, 67, who lives in Santa Rosa, California. He estimates that they raised about $10,000 for the school. “I didn’t want it to be about me,” he said. “I was just willing to be the poster child.”

For those who cannot make it to their high school or college reunions, Facebook helps lessen the disappointment.

“Of course I’d love to go and see people face-to-face and run into people who aren’t on Facebook,” said Nancy Corradini, who’s missing her 40th Alhambra High School reunion in Southern California this September because she has a wedding to attend.

But it “sure has made it easier to miss the reunion as I have already caught up with everyone,” she said.

Her classmate, Karen Spencer, however is definitely on board. She missed her 30th, but this one — not a chance. Spencer has no excuse this time — she created the Facebook page for her class and in the process began reaching out to find classmates.

“I probably reconnected with 80 people, and these are people I probably know better now than I did in high school,” said Spencer, a policy consultant who lives outside Sacramento, California. She believes reconnecting on Facebook will allow her and her classmates to skip much of the awkward small talk that occurs at reunions.

“We don’t have to say, ‘How many kids do you have?’ We’ve already covered that,” she said. “We’re going to feel like old friends.”

In fact, Facebook has made Spencer feel so connected to former classmates that her friend pool is expanding in ways she never saw coming.

“Today, a really good friend of mine from high school wrote,” she said recently. “I’m now friends with his friggin’ dog.”

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1. Don’t rush for coverage. Monthly dental insurance premiums may be modest — averaging $97 for a family, per the National Association of Dental Plans — but that’s because benefits tend to cap out at around $1,000 a person.

So if you don’t already have coverage, you’ll want to review premiums and out-of-pocket costs in light of your past and potential future usage. (Search ehealthinsurance.com for plans.)

Unlike medical care, dental needs are often foreseeable, says Matthew Messina, a Cleveland dentist and adviser for the American Dental Association. He suggests asking your dentist what you might expect this year — from implants to replacement fillings — and look back on last year’s visits. If you typically get only cleanings, insurance probably won’t be cost-effective.

“But if you’ve had a lot of root canals and crowns, chances are you’ll need more,” says Iowa City dentist Patricia Meredith. In that case, insurance may be a good buy — as long as you get a plan in which your dentist is in-network.

2. Pay for prevention. Decided not to buy insurance? Don’t skimp on those regular checkups. They may cost a few hundred dollars a year, but “investing in maintaining your teeth can help you avoid more expensive procedures down the road,” says Meredith. A simple crack can be easily filled, for instance, but if it goes too long without care, it may require a more costly root canal.

3. Investigate discounts. Should you suddenly face a big-ticket procedure, consider enrolling in a dental discount program. Such plans entitle you to 10% to 60% off care within a few days of signing up. Prices run $80 to $160 a year for singles, $130 to $200 for families.

“Some are good deals, but you need to do your research,” says Meredith. To avoid fly-by-night operations, don’t buy based on an ad. Instead, call your dentist’s office to find out what plans are accepted, and which give the best benefit for the care you need. Then weigh the discount against the cost.

Alternatively, see whether your dentist will give you a break for paying cash upfront, says Messina; he says you might get up to 10% off.

4. Ask about stopgaps. If you do have insurance but have maxed out the benefit, ask if any temporary measures will get you through until next year, when your benefits re-up; for example, a filling may stand in for a crown.

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Jean Paul Getty, 12/15/1892 – 06/06/1976
US oil industrialist

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Clarity accounts for probably 80% of success and happiness. Lack of clarity is probably more responsible for frustration and underachievement than any other single factor. That’s why we say that “Success is goals, and all else is commentary.” People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine. This is true everywhere and under all circumstances.

The Three Keys to High Achievement
You could even say that the three keys to high achievement are, “Clarity, Clarity, Clarity,” with regard to your goals. Your success in life will be largely determined by how clear you are about what it is you really, really want.

Write and Rewrite Your Goals
The more you write and rewrite your goals and the more you think about them, the clearer you will become about them. The clearer you are about what you want, the more likely you are to do more and more of the things that are consistent with achieving them. Meanwhile, you will do fewer and fewer of the things that don’t help to get the things you really want.

The Seven Step Process for Achieving Goals Here, once more, is the simple, seven-step process that you can use to achieve your goals faster and easier than ever before.

First, decide exactly what you want in each area of your life. Be specific!

Second, write it down, clearly and in detail;

Third, set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order;

Fourth, make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new items, add them to your list;

Fifth, organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority;

Sixth, take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. This is very important!

Seventh, do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals. Maintain the momentum!

Join the Top 3%
Fewer than three percent of adults have written goals and plans that they work on every single day. When you sit down and write out your goals, you move yourself into the top 3% of people in our society. And you will soon start to get the same results that they do.

Review Your Goals Daily
Study and review your goals every day to be sure they are still your most important goals. You will find yourself adding goals to your list as time passes. You will also find yourself deleting goals that are no longer as important as you once thought. Whatever your goals are, plan them out thoroughly, on paper, and work on them every single day. This is the key to peak performance and maximum achievement.

Action Exercises
Here is how you can apply this law immediately:

First, make a list of ten goals that you would like to achieve in the coming year. Write them down in the present tense, as though a year has passed and you have already accomplished them.

Second, from your list of ten goals, ask yourself, “What one goal, if I were to accomplish it, would have the greatest positive impact on my life?” Whatever it is, put a circle around this goal and move it to a separate sheet of paper.

Third, practice the seven-step method described above on this goal. Set a deadline, make a plan, and put it into action and work on it every day. Make this goal your major definite purpose for the weeks and months ahead.

Get ready for some amazing changes in your life.

Each person you send your email to is a potential customer. If you’re not collecting email addresses in every way possible, you are missing out on valuable sales opportunities. The bigger your list is, the more your mailings will impact the growth of your business.

With so many places and ways to acquire email addresses, there is really no reason why you can’t build your list quickly.

Here’s six easy ways to capture emails and grow your email list!

1. Your Website

   Your website is often the first place people go when they want to find out more about your company. This is the most convenient and affordable way to capture their email addresses. Below are just a few simple ways to get people to sign up for your email list.

   Place an obvious sign-up form on your home page. Make this form prominent, so there is no way to miss it. They are there to find out more about your business, don’t miss this chance to establish a connection with them.

   Create a sign-up opportunity by offering a newsletter, industry articles, blog or other interesting content on your site. At the end of your article, you can put a call to action, for example, “Enjoy this article? Enjoy a new one every month! Sign up for our monthly article updates!” Another way to build your list fast is by giving readers an option that says, “Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.”

   Ask them to sign up when you offer content to download. Can you provide a free, valuable guide, white paper, report or other type of download? If your visitors are getting something for free, why not ask for their email? It’s a standard procedure most people are used to and it gives you free contacts.

   Offer an incentive. Giveaways, sweepstakes and exclusive online specials are always fun ways to entice visitors to sign up using their email address. It’s a win-win, you get their email and they receive what they signed up for when you send them an email.

2. Printed Materials - Promote Online Sign-Ups

   Whether you’re sending a reminder card or a general business promotion, you can direct recipients to your website to sign up for your free newsletter. Most people will visit your website anyway and by giving them a place to start, you can capture their email - plus they learn more about your products or services. This is proven to generate a lot of response.

   You can add this one line call to action on almost all printed materials including:

   Direct Mail
   Letters/Stationery
   Postcards
   Brochures
   Business Cards
   

3. Emails

   You probably send personal emails every day! Add a line to your email signature and everyone you email will see that you have an e-newsletter. It could say something like, “Get new tips every month! Click here to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.” This is easy and it’s free.

4. In-Person Meet and Greet

   When you meet potential customers face-to-face at a tradeshow, networking event or business meeting, time may be limited to pitch your products or services. Even if you exchange business cards, a great way to educate them on what you can offer is to direct them to your website to sign up for a 30-day free trial, free e-newsletter or marketing article.

   This is also a great tool that your employees and sales associates can easily do over the phone as well.

5. Presentations and Seminars

   Do you ever give presentations or seminars? If so, we highly recommend dedicating your final presentation slide to your newsletter. Instead of listing only your name and company information, be sure to include your newsletter sign-up web address. Let them know they can find out more about what you offer by signing up for your free newsletter or 30-day free trial.

6. Work Together with Other Businesses and Organizations

   Find a few credible businesses in your field, who aren’t competitors, and partner to promote each other’s services in your email campaigns. Mention them in your newsletter with a link to their sign-up page and ask them to do the same in return.

To quickly increase your email contacts (and potential leads), implement as many of the above suggestions as you can. Continue to look for additional ways to build your list - there’s always room to grow!

No matter what type of business you have, there are always opportunities to find qualified contacts and turn them into happy customers.

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