IN THIS ISSUE

• Getting Past the Pit Bull
• The Art of the Letter
• DM & Websites
• Time-Saving Strategies
• Press Box
• Our Favorite Charities
• How Are We Doing?
• Hold That Thought

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HOLD THAT THOUGHT...

“Cheating is cheating…If they move the ball in golf, they’ll probably move the ball in business.”

Anonymous

Selected by Long Island Business News readers as..

Getting Past the Gatekeeper: Not Always Easy, But Not Impossible

Called many things, including “White Fang” or “The Pit Bull,” executive assistants are charged with protecting their C-Level bosses — and opening every piece of mail before it crosses the inner sanctum’s threshold. So, if you want your mail to get to a high-ranking executive, you must first get past the infamous “Gatekeeper.” Here’s how:

• Send a peer-to-peer, personalized letter, stressing commonalities and shared challenges, and indicating, specifically, how you could be of assistance.
  
  
• Use dimensional mail — anything packaged in a unique, but sophisticated, way.
  
  
• Use a professional, sophisticated-looking envelope. In this case, outside teaser copy, such as “Free Gift” or “Special Offer,” can be a drawback.
  
  
• Provide useful information, such as a white paper or survey focusing on their industry.

For more marketing tips click here

The Art of the Letter

A letter can be the most powerful part of your direct mail package. Recipients look at the brochure, but they read the letter, which can be effective even if sent without collateral material. Here are some ways to create a letter that will make you stand out:

• Make the first line short and compelling. It must get the recipient to keep reading.
  
  
• Limit paragraph length to seven lines.
  
  
• Underline or boldface important words, but don’t go overboard.
  
  
• Use bullets to catch, focus and hold attention.
  
  
• Use a different typeface for an important paragraph and to add visual interest.
  
  
• Use white space to make the copy more inviting. If it looks like it’s going to take long to read, it can quickly get tossed in the “pile,” rarely to see the light of day.

For more marketing tips click here

Use Direct Marketing Methods To Improve Your Website

Like direct marketing, websites focused on visitors needs and goals have a better chance of getting more positive results.

• Design the site so it’s user-friendly. Keep it simple. Don’t get cutesy and avoid distracting ads.
  
  
• Use readable typefaces.
  
  
• Provide an overview of what you do on your home page.
  
  
• Establish confidence and credibility by providing complete contact information, giving visitors choices for getting in touch with you, rather than relying solely on electronic communication. Include your mailing address (don’t use a PO Box), phone number, fax number and email address.
  
  
• Inform visitors of your business hours so they know when they can reach you to talk to a human being.
  
  
• Offer a secure website, stressing that you don’t rent or resell customer information to other marketers.
  
  
• Offer a guarantee.
  
  
• Provide testimonials of satisfied customers.

For more marketing tips click here

Use Time-Saving Strategies for Time-Consuming Problems

The busiest and most efficient people are experts at managing their time. Here are some tips:

• Delegate or outsource wisely.
  
  
• Prioritize ruthlessly.
  
  
• Establish routines and follow them.
  
  
• Set time limits for tasks.
  
  
• Use time-management tools to schedule and remind you of meetings, events, deadlines, etc.
  
  
• Move up every deadline to one week before the actual due date. You’ll eliminate last minute panic if something goes wrong.
  
  
• Leave phone messages that tell people why you called. It eliminates many calls to solve simple problems.
  
  
• Organize before beginning a project.Taking the time to look at the big picture can keep you from making countless, wrong and costly turns as a project develops.

For more smart marketing information click here

Greg Demetriou at Linkedin.com

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