It’s A Numbers Game
All that you need to effectively manage your clients is Numbers or other spreadsheet program. Numbers is the spreadsheet program that comes bundled with iWork ’08 and ’09 and costs $79 for a single license and $99 for a family pack. It’s quick, easy to use, and won’t set you back a fortune.

Here is an example of the CRM that I use:

I will address each of the fields starting from the top:

1. Individual or Business Name: Your name or your business name.
2. Item: The individual, sequential item number starting from 1, used for easy reference when discussing among individuals in your business.
3. Client: The name of your client organization.
4. Point of Contact: Individual point of contact within the client organization. It’s important to note that this should be an individual, the person with whom you have a business relationship within your client organization.
5. Address: Client physical address.
6. Phone: Client phone number for your point of contact.
7. E-mail: Client e-mail address for your point of contact.
8. Notes: Relevant notes to your client interaction. For example, I document my first interaction with a client (or potential client) and subsequent interactions. Relevant details about your client should also be noted here to include their likes and dislikes.
9. Follow-Up: The date and manner in which you are to follow-up with the client. Did they ask you to call them later? Meet at a certain location? Maybe request an e-mail? This is the place to put it.

There’s another item worth mentioning. Note the order in which the client contact information columns are listed – address, phone, and e-mail. This is purposeful. I have found that working with clients, or even contacting potential future clients that physically stopping by their location is the most powerful and personal method – this is the most risky and takes a good deal of courage – and this is why it can payoff.  If you are unable to physically meet with a client or potential client then a phone call is the next most personal approach. E-mail is the last method for obvious reasons.

Some may argue with the effectiveness of the prioritization of contacting, I would have at one point. However, it has been my experience that this works if done in a tactful way. It is also important to note that because everyone is different that individuals (clients) may prefer various different forms of communication. Some like physically meeting with you while others may be offended. Some prefer phone, while others e-mail. Some may not even know how to use e-mail (I know this may be tough to believe but it is true). This is the sort of information that may be best documented in the “Notes” section of your CRM spreadsheet.
The CRM spreadsheet is a great way to keep track of your client interactions without spending a lot of time and money. It provides a quick look and is easy to update once you get started.

Good CRM need not be expensive nor time-consuming!
-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

Are you remarkable? I was forced to ponder this question while reading Seth Godin’s Purple Cow. Purple Cow is a classic marketing book which made the term purple cow synonymous with being remarkable. It is an equally classic tale – the author and his family are driving through the European countryside and are at first amazed by the sight of cows grazing the pastures. However, over time the appearance of the cows became commonplace – a commodity really. And the inevitable question arose – wouldn’t it be remarkable to see a purple cow? That would be something to talk about!

Being Remarkable
When running your business or living your life you should consider the concept of the purple cow. In society there is sometimes a tendency to not want to be talked about. People talk, so it reasons that you should not give them anything to talk about. Stay within the lines and it will give them less to talk about. This is the safe path and will likely keep you away from trouble or even failure.

In avoiding failure you will also avoid phenomenal success. Average is a commodity, a purple cow is remarkable. The commodity does things the way they have always been done mainly because they have always been done that way – it’s the safe path, or so it seems. The purple cow challenges convention and strives to be different and therefore is worthy of remark. The purple cow flies in the face of this always.

Practicing What You Preach
One of the many aspects that I admire about Seth Godin is that he leads by example. Business and marketing books are supposed to be dry and serious – not Seth Godin – his work is colorful and witty! Nearly all books come in the same shape and size. His books are smaller, shorter, and interestingly enough – packed with more value. Purple Cow even came packaged in a milk carton. Talk about a purple cow!

Purple Cow is congruent in that it instructs on how to be remarkable and at the same time is remarkable in and of itself.

A Time For Introspection
Look deep within yourself and consider the following questions:

1. Are you remarkable?
2. Are people talking about you? If not, why not?
3. How can you as an individual or business become a purple cow, and therefore worthy of discussion?

Put another way, one of my favorite books Do You Matter places a simple test for determining this. If you or your company ceased to exist tomorrow would anyone care? If so, why? If not, why not? Really makes you think.

Are you remarkable?

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

Something interesting happened this past week which has further solidified my opinion on this matter. We had written in the past about how Amy had launched her wedding cake design business asa boston and has been working hard at building momentum. I have been working with Amy on this business, more as a business advisor (I am not one for baking or culinary design, although I appreciate both).

Now on to the interesting part. An acquaintance in our community mentioned that they had found a print advertisement for asa boston in The Knot Boston magazine. At first he did not realize that it was Amy’s ad. He had reviewed the ad and then went to the website and then it hit him – it was the same Amy that he knew from Cape Cod! Prior to seeing the ad and reviewing the website he and his wife did not realize Amy owned and operated the wedding cake design business.

Old or New?

So back to our original question – which is better – old or new marketing? Neither. You should use both – a combination of the two approaches. There are elements of both old and new which when combined can create an optimum marketing approach.

Elements of old and new marketing can effectively blend and correlate (in other words create meaningful associations) various aspects within the individual’s mind. Consider the opening example. The individual saw the ad in a magazine which prompted a visit to the website, which led to a conversation with his wife, which ultimately led to Amy being directly contacted. If either the outbound marketing (the print ad) or inbound (website) would have been missing the end result may not have occurred.

The Three Pronged Marketing Approach

This experience reminded me of the Cape Cod Branding Marketing Plan that I originally presented for my final project in business school. The basic approach is summarized in the diagram below.

As shown there are three sources of anticipated revenue from marketing – print media, electronic media, and word of mouth. Print media includes magazines and other print advertising relevant to your industry. Electronic media is meant to encompass electronic advertising accomplished on the Internet such as social media, search engines, and electronic marketplaces. Finally word of mouth reflects an individual who uses your product or service, had a great experience, and passes it along to their friends.

It is my opinion that word of mouth is the most powerful. Personally I hold recommendations from friends and other like-minded individuals in very high regard. This is one reason why I view electronic media as the second most powerful prong of this approach. In many instances, such as the use of social media, electronic media is a tool to pass along word of mouth but  at a much faster rate. Add to the fact that electronic media requires very little investment in terms of money or time (for either advertiser or potential buyer) when compared to print media and you have one powerful medium. The ever increasing use of electronic media is one reason why viral marketing is receiving increasing attention in recent years.

The value of print media is where my opinion drifts from others. I have been noticing an increasing trend of a general devaluing of print media, and some would argue that it no longer has value. I am not arguing that print media has not dropped in overall value, my opinion is that it has simply dropped due to the emerging popularity of electronic media. Print media is not being replaced by electronic media, it must now share the space with electronic media.

Marketing Harmony

With the Three Pronged Marketing approach each prong augments one another and provides a reinforced, complete picture through correlated information. Returning to the asa boston example, the individual randomly located Amy’s advertisement within The Knot, which prompted a visit to the website, which led to discussions with his wife and Amy being contacted.

If one of these elements were missing, the message may not have been correlated and therefore the end result may have been missed. Since each element was present, they all worked together to form a picture to the potential buyer. This is the main benefit of the Three Pronged Marketing approach.

In closing I will say that there is no single recipe for success here. The right amount of marketing in each instance will vary from individual to individual and from business to business. If money were no object I would attack all three (print, electronic, and word of mouth) at once, equally. This would provide for maximum exposure.

However, as is the case with many entrepreneurs and small business owners, money is an object, especially when first starting out. In this instance my recommendation is to focus on word of mouth, place products in the right individual’s hands and once they are satisfied customers, they will evangelize (advertise) for you. In parallel I recommend electronic media – you can begin here with no money whatsoever, and it can be an effective way to get the word out. Finally, as funding becomes available, allocate money to print advertising.

Old vs. new marketing is not an either/or question, but rather how to best combine elements of each based on your unique situation and needs!

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding