A Chicago-area teenager became a local hero after saving a boy from drowning on Monday in Wisconsin. His reward for this self-less act? A $2000 hospital bill.
The boy, who is uninsured due to a recent move, and his story made Chicago news on Tuesday, with his family reportedly expressing their incredulity that his good deed has left them with a huge medical bill. (No good deed goes unpunished, indeed.) By Thursday, the hospital announced that it had decided to waive the $2000 bill.
Now, there is no doubt in my mind that the hospital did the right thing. Stories without happy endings are like empty milk cartons in the frig - frustrating to experience; and never more so than in a tale of kindness and selflessness such as this. However watching the news unfold, (with my business and marketing hat on) left me with questions.
If the media had not been made aware of the story, would it have played out differently? Did the fact that it was highly-publicized "force" the hospital into a business decision it would have rather not made? Or would the hospital have taken the details of the situation into account and waived the bill anyway?
It made me stop and think of businesses in general. Do we do the right thing just because it's the right thing - or do we do the right thing only when it threatens our job in some way? Or both at times?
I'd love to hear your comments. Do you think the hospital would have waived the bill after considering the family's situation even without all the attention drawn to it? Have you ever "bent the rules" for a client or co-worker because it was the right thing to do? On the flip side, have you ever held-firm to your policy only to have it hurt your job or business in some way?
A popular trending topic on Twitter recently - #therewasatimewhen - had us pausing to think of a past that was quite different from today. While we could go on and on listing our own personal reflections of say, 80's fashion horrors (think: leg warmers, neon colors, and MC Hammer pants), we've elected to note the advances we've seen in business and technology over time. Following we present, our collection of #therewasatimewhen's...
Tina's List:
#therewasatimewhen - Sales people had to find a pay phone to make their calls throughout the day (like in the rain, snow, hail - waiting in a possible line - with pocket change).
#therewasatimewhen - Contact information was stored on an index card in something called a rolodex (what? Thank you ACT! by Sage for making our life easier).
#therewasatimewhen - The web was something you cleared from your screaming child's bedroom ceiling, along with the creature that lived on it.
#therewasatimewhen - A laptop for college course note-taking? Try a pen and paper, and white-out.
Dani's List:
#therewasatimewhen - Files were kept in cabinets (not drives) and the contents of the files were created on typewriters.
#therewasatimewhen - The word “bookkeeping” was a literal term.
#therewasatimewhen - When you left work, work didn’t hitch a ride on mobile devices and follow you home.
We know there are a lot more business advances to be discussed. Let's keep the memories rolling. We want to read your thoughts on #therewasatimewhen - so please comment below!
Photo credit: ajmexico
This blog was originally published by Business Development Gurus, KSC's sister company.
Yes, a brand-new, even better version of ACT! is about to be released. With end-user feedback and improvement suggestions in hand, the folks at Sage are committed to creating and re-creating an ACT! system that will work harder and better for you.
So whether you have recently upgraded or are still happily using ACT! 2005 , you'll want to take a look at our top 10 list to see which features you could be enjoying in your daily work life.
Drum roll please...
In no particular order, the top 10 reasons you should upgrade to ACT! 2011 (and why should you care) are:
10) Advanced security that prevents sensitive email history from attaching to ACT! user records. Some things are meant for your eyes only.
9) A redesigned welcome page with ACT! feature videos. Can't figure out how a new feature works, or simply need a refresher on an ACT! tool - watch a video right from your ACT! welcome screen.
8) Are you wanting to buy a new computer, or maybe you just did? ACT! 2011 is fully compatible with your new Windows 7 OS. Whew, one less thing to worry about as you set it all up..
7) Did that fast-running, new computer come with 32-bit Office 2010? You guessed it, it's completely compatible with ACT! 2011. It's looking better and better, isn't it?!
6) You can now set up a two-way sync between your ACT! database and your Outlook calendar and contacts. That's right - not just your calendar, but your contacts too!
5) Your new two-way ACT!-Outlook syncing feature is designed so you have complete control over which contacts sync. We all know how much you adore Aunt Millie, but your whole team doesn't need her contact info in their database. No offense, Aunt Millie!
4) Use Sage Business Services Info for ACT! to link your database to your Hoover's account and have access to 85 million executives and 65 million companies. Specify your ideal client criteria in Hoover's to narrow possible leads, then easily pull those contacts into your ACT! database. Think of how fast you can build a lead list with this great tool. And if you don't have a Hoover's account, you should think about getting one now!
3) Smart Tasks! Finally, there's a way to automate everyday, critical-to-success processes for yourself or your team. Set up Smart Tasks to automatically schedule a follow-up with that new lead you just met, or with a prospect who you haven't heard from in a while. Kick your customer service into high gear by having alerts that notify you of your clients' (or family) birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Aunt Millie will be so excited to get that on-time birthday card. Can't you just feel the warm fuzzies?
2) Create graphic-rich, professional marketing emails using Sage E-Marketing for ACT! tools. Then, have them send automatically with Smart Tasks. Talk about your nice marketing combo! Create it, activate it, and... nope, that's it, all done. How easy!
And the number 1 reason to inquire today about your ACT! 2011 upgrade...
1) Take advantage of the pre-sale discounted pricing! ACT! 2011 prices will never be lower than they are right now. Don't delay - ACT now (no pun intended)!
Contact us for more information on how ACT! 2011 can help your business run more smoothly and efficiently!
To compare your current version of ACT! to ACT! 2011, click here to review the ACT! version comparison chart.
Handheld Contact for ACT! has serviced Blackberries, Pocket PCs and other Smartphones for a while now but finally - iphone users in the US and Canada can also access their ACT! database anytime, anywhere!
We know so many (including yours truly) who have been eagerly awaiting its arrival; and just as you'd expect from HHC, it is fantastic. They did a remarkable job of streamlining the program while still maintaining its most important functions. Most importantly, it runs smoothly and accurately while being very user friendly. I have to say it was worth the wait.
When opening the HHC app, you have 4 viewing choices - contacts, tasks, sync status, and menu. There is not an option to view your calendar, which is a drawback but not necessarily a deal-breaker. All of your calendar activities are listed in the task list allowing you to view all meetings, calls, to-dos, etc. that you have scheduled (or uncleared).
Handheld Contact for ACT! on the iphone gives you the ability to:
Customize the standard ACT! Contact fields that sync.
Choose up to 50 custom ACT! Contact fields to sync.
Call or e-mail contacts directly from Handheld Contact. (And history items are
automatically created for you.)
Quickly add or edit history after you complete a call or e-mail.
View activities.
Add new and custom activities.
Clear activities for yourself and others.
Plus, Handheld Contact provides unlimited, secure syncing and unlimited support.
The HHC iPhone app is free. If you are an iPhone user and have an active Professional Edition HHC subscription, login to the app store and download it today.
Otherwise, contact us to try them both free for 14 days - or call us at (847) 520-0860. To continue using both HHC and the iPhone app at the end of your trial, you'll need a Professional Edition subscription. Basic Edition subscriptions are not compatible with the Apple iPhone - for some a potential drawback. However, at $239 per year for the Pro Edition subscription, you'll be paying less than $20 per month for the convenience of having your ACT! database with you at all times.
KSC had the fortunate opportunity to get a free, advanced copy of the soon-to-be-released book, The Referral Engine by John Jantsch. All I can say is, the 
Duct Tape Marketing master is sure to have another hit with his straight-forward approach to the often-overlooked but best marketing medium - referrals. (Subscribe to the right by April 30, 2010 for a chance to win your own copy!)
People have a wonderful, seemingly innate desire to help others. If I asked you today to recommend a couple of restaurants near your office, what would you say? First, you'd think about the restaurants you've been to and the quality of each based on their menu, price, service, quality of food, etc. Then, you'd tell me your top 2 or 3 great restaurant options, right? Now think of how frequently we get recommendations we didn't ask for - someone tells us about a great sale, book, play, movie, gadget, electronic, etc. We are constantly (and usually subconsciously) announcing our favorite things to others. As a matter of fact, it's been common-place for so long that Julie Andrews devoted a whole song to telling us about "a few of her favorite things" in 1965 (scroll down to listen!).
On the flip side, if I asked for your help in choosing a local restaurant that means I trust your opinion on the subject and feel confident you will steer me in the right direction. People trust, and are more likely to follow, the guidance and recommendations of a friend, colleague, mentor, or even a stranger (ever been swayed by a product review?) over the boastings of an unfamiliar company.
In The Referral Engine, marketing expert John Jantsch addresses the power of referral marketing and how you can tap into your customers' innate desire to help others by recommending your product/service. Mr. Jantsch (whom I don't know well enough to call 'John' - and by well enough, I mean at all), once again, proves his marketing expertise by offering practical tips and techniques we can easily use to create loyal customers that will happily refer quality leads to our company.
As he states in The Referral Engine, "The secret to generating referrals lies in understanding the 'Customer Referral Cycle' - the way customers refer others to your company who, in turn, generate even more referrals. Businesses can ensure a healthy referral cycle by moving customers and prospects along the path of Know, Like, Trust, Try, Buy, Repeat, Refer."
P.S. Just so you know... at KSC, we appreciate referrals and have made it a goal to let our clients know it. If you have found value in working with us and/or enjoy our blogs, please let someone else know. Thank you!
You can join us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn too!
You have to admire Julie Andrews' passion...
If you've tuned into my recent webinars, you've heard my analogy of drip marketing being the best employee a company could have. Yes, it is a tongue-in-cheek statement. However, when I explain the analogy to new drip marketing clients, they begin to view the initial drip marketing efforts involved in a whole new light. Let me explain...
A drip marketing campaign is a highly-effective tool for automating your marketing messages - and for freeing up your time to pursue other business activities (attending baseball season-openers, for example). To create a successful drip campaign, there is some initial pre-planning and email template creation involved, and it does take considerable time to set-up. So people often ask me, "Well then, how does this actually save me time and money?"
And here is where my analogy comes into play. I simply ask you to consider Drip Marketing (DM) a new employee for just a moment and let's look at how it can successfully contribute to your business.
As you know, with any new hire, you need to invest some initial time training and over-seeing that person. He/she needs to become familiar with the basics, such as how to clock-in, where the office supplies are located, how to use the phone/computer/other systems; then, you move into the meatier elements that help them perform their core job responsibilities. When you think about it, a lot of initial effort goes into training that person to work independently. Then what happens? They quit a year later - and the process starts again. (Insert very large sigh.) With DM, you never have to worry about that! Hence, why I call it the best employee you'll ever have. Look at the other benefits:
- It's cost-effective: With a subscription rate as little as $30/month or at most $150/month, it will likely be the cheapest "salary" you pay. DM has no benefit requirements, it won't call in sick or take vacations - in fact, it works 24/7 and 365 days/year. It won't lie or steal your trademarked secrets or coveted office supplies. DM saves you money, while it makes you money!
- It's efficient: You spend some initial time developing a thorough, well thought-out campaign, and once it's launched, it will automatically send what you want, to who you want and when you want it sent. You can rest easy while on that much-needed tropical vacation knowing your customers are still receiving your important messages. In fact, unless you tell them, they'll never know you were gone. Can someone say, "Pass me my 9 iron, and another fruity umbrella drink, please?!"
- It will save you time long-term: It eliminates the time spent scrambling to send out another thrown-together marketing piece; the time spent before each email questioning who to send it to and when; the time on the tropical golf course talking your assistant through how to send that email blast you forgot needed to go out. Also, Swiftpage allows you to easily duplicate your campaigns and simply tweak the templates with new or updated info, eliminating future upfront time.
- You can easily view and analyze your campaign results: The Swiftpage reporting tools track the results of your email blasts and allow you to export the results into excel or, for ACT! users, you can upload that data directly into each contact's record. Then, upon your tanned and well-rested return from said tropical get-away, you can follow-up with them without missing a beat.
- It helps you to build better business relationships: By continually and consistently reaching out to your leads and clients, you are nurturing that relationship and building their trust and loyalty. People buy from people they know, like and trust. You want that to be you!
An automated marketing system, like DM, can not only help you save time and money, but best of all, it can lead to increased sales and referrals. And an "employee" doesn't get much better than that.
By the way, anyone seen my sand wedge??
Do you have a "when I remember to do it" marketing approach?
Do you market to "only some of your clients" and "only some of the time"?
Does your marketing tend to be a messy, thrown-together, if-I-have-time, last-minute effort?
Are you discouraged with your marketing results?
If so, you aren't alone; but I implore you to re-think your marketing initiatives. The truth is, messy marketing produces little to no results, which is discouraging... causing you to avoid it until the next marketing requirement rears its ugly head... at which time, you quickly produce a messy, thrown-together, last-minute piece... that yields little to no results... leading to increased discouragement and avoidance... Do you see where this is going?
It doesn't have to be this way! You can quickly send out professional marketing campaigns that yield successful results. And it can be done easily if you incorporate 5 key elements into your marketing. It's what I call Intelligent Marketing.
Intelligent Marketing is a well thought-out, multi-channel lead and client nurturing process. It is a process that relies on both traditional media and e-mail marketing to send messages that foster our credibility and trust. Intelligent Marketing is:
• Personalized - It's more nurturing and enticing when we receive a marketing piece that feels like it was written just for us. I LOVE my name - I love to see it, hear it, say it. And studies show (or at least I'm under the impression that they do) I'm not alone (because that would make me narcissistic). Most people love their names - so make sure to include a ‘Dear Tina' opening line. Also, sprinkle other known personal info into the body of the message - just remember to keep it professional, not creepy.
• Relevant - Our marketing pieces should contain information that relates to our customers' needs, wants and behaviors. The last thing we want to do is send discount offers on snow blowers to our Florida residents. Remember the target audience when sending marketing messages.
• Well-Timed - Be considerate of people's inbox. We don't want to lose business by over-loading our customers with emails, or by sending them too infrequently. Find the "just right" for your industry's customers. In regard to marketing follow-ups (or follow-throughs), research shows that our first contact attempt with new leads should come within 5 minutes of receiving their information, or they are likely to purchase elsewhere.
• Thorough - We always want to use a variety of media throughout our marketing campaigns to create a multi-channel approach. We want to include a mix of postcards, letters, emails and phone calls.
• Automated - Last, we want to deliver our intelligent marketing pieces consistently over a prolonged period of time. To do this efficiently, consider implementing an automated system, also known as a drip marketing system. Drip marketing is a system that automatically sends our marketing messages to our targeted contacts.
Implementing these 5 key elements into our marketing initiatives can, ultimately, save us time and money - and our precious sanity. With some initial efforts on our parts, we can transform our marketing efforts from messy to moneymaking!
Learn more about one of the industry's most powerful drip marketing and email marketing programs.
Let's face it, given today's economy, it's a buyers market - and us buyers know it. As a frequent buyer myself, I admit that I have gotten more selective about what I buy and who I buy from. I also unabashedly admit to having increased expectations about the products and services I am purchasing. To capture my loyalty, you must do more than send out the occasional, random sale offer, or on the opposite end, overload my mailbox with daily sales offers that don't really pertain to my buying needs or patterns. You must deliver consistent, long-term meaningful messages or offers that show you understand and value me (or my business, for all you BTB companies).
You NEED to implement a comprehensive, automated marketing system to achieve maximum marketing success. You NEED to follow one of my favorite business mottos in 2010 to succeed - Go BIG or Go Home! With automated marketing, you can:
B... Build professional, long-term, targeted marketing campaigns designed to...
I... Increase brand awareness; Increase consistent client and prospect follow-ups;
Increase customer relationships and loyalties; Increase savings of time
and money; all so you can...
G... Grow your business!
Don't let your competitors beat you to it. Start automating your marketing initiatives. Go BIG - don't Go Home!
Feel free to attend our upcoming public webinar, Maximize Your Marketing with ACT!, during which we will demonstrate how to easily create and send automated marketing campaigns.
Another year comes to a close - and it continues to amaze me how fast the world changes. Technology is forever advancing at the speed of light. Admittedly, it is exciting to continually be offered new, innovative business tools, and to have a multitude of ways to "get connected" with people, but it can also be a bit daunting and over-whelming.
With the creation of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., our marketing efforts are being transformed. In this fast-paced, consumer-dominated world, you'll find your biggest marketing ROI comes from taking your messages to the places (or sites, in this case) your customers and prospects are most frequenting. Yes, if you haven't already, it is time to plug your nose and jump into the social media pool.
Scary - yes (esp. if you are over the age of 20 and just can't grasp 'tweeting' - 'twittering' - 'twitting' - whatever it's called); Impossible - no; Easy - it can be!
According to a recent survey by Strongmail, most businesses understand the importance of this growing trend and do have plans to increase their 2010 spending on e-marketing and social media. (So you best get started or you'll miss the boat!)
However, most businesses report that they aren't sure how or where to begin and more importantly, they don't know how to measure their results for optimal success. Thankfully, for us at KSC, the new social media tools in ACT! 2010 allow us to easily see which social media sites each client is involved with, enabling us to gain valuable insight. When combined with the powerful ACT! e-marketing tools, we can create targeted messages to any number of clients - and quickly track and analyze the results. ACT! has made it easy.
However, regardless of the tools you use to increase or enhance your e-marketing and social media initiatives, it is important that you simply get started. Launch your company's name and brand into the social media-obsessed world by creating a company Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Blog, etc. profile. Update it often. Connect with others who have the potential to become a customer or can help you find customers. Think of it as social media networking.
Embrace the current craze (or at least accept it), then plug your nose and jump into the 'Tweeting' (now you know) pool, the water's nice and the rewards are nicer.
In today's competitive business world, the key to business success revolves widely around the relationships you build with your customers. And it's more than simply providing fast, on-time deliveries of high-quality products and services; or follow-up satisfaction calls. Don't get me wrong, fulfilling these customer expectations are important. But let's face it, nowadays we all have competitors nipping at our heels that are offering the same things. So if we aren't careful, if we don't set ourselves apart from the competition, if we aren't diligent about building better business relationships with our customers, our competitors just might steal them away - shriek!!
To outshine your competition you need (and I stress, need) to take your customer relationships to the next level! They all have lives outside of the business world. Each contact has a favorite past-time, a birthday, life celebrations and upsets, etc. Wouldn't it be great if you knew?! Imagine the WOW factor your client would experience when you remember to ask how his kids, Tom, Sue and John, are doing; and how John did in his baseball game last Saturday. Imagine how impressed and surprised he would be when a gift basket arrives because baby Sally has finally arrived. It is the attention to details and the personal touch that is going to keep you clients coming back to you. They trust you and they like you; after all, you remember their birthday every year.
Are you aware that statistically, it costs 5 times more to attract a new customer than it does to satisfy and retain an existing one! Start using ACT! today to track all the important details in your customers' lives. Get organized, build strong business relationships and increase your sales success and profitability. WOW them and keep them coming back.