One Naughty List To Really Avoid

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to all!

Referring to the latter, one of the many end-of-year reports and predictions in the news caught my eye this morning. You can click HERE to see the whole story about one online expert's predictions of ten brands that will not survive 2014. Remember: it's not scientific and it's only one opinion but it is interesting.

In summary, the list includes:

a. Two automakers

b. Two magazines

c. One sports league

d. A camera maker

e. Three companies that I will group as "technology" (the list doesn't discriminate; even tech can fail today)

The big surprise...at least I am surprised...is the number one on the list: retail giant J.C. Penney. I know what you're thinking, that this prediction shouldn't be a surprise given the well-documented story of Penney's decline. The shock I see in this is the huge impact that effectively one marketing direction decision had on a company that has stood and prospered for many years. Things weren't great when Ron Johnson, one of the brains behind Apple's retail success, came in to get JCP back on track. That was 2012. A year and a half later, though, Johnson is gone along with any hope for the company's survival. He made marketing decisions that quickly spelled disaster. "This is not a turn-around situation," George Bradt, managing director of executive consulting firm PrimeGenesis told Business Insider recently about JCP. "This is a 'turn off the lights' situation."

Let this be a valuable lesson to advertising salespeople, ad buyers and retailers everywhere, especially small retailers who don't have big cash reserves. STOP the next time you as an ad rep or you as an SMB retailer buying ads find yourself in this conversation: "Yeah, I'm busy -- just keep running that same ad and we'll catch up soon" or "I threw this together. I'm not sure it will work but let's try it and see how it goes." No, don't do it.

Every marketing and advertising decision you do or don't make is going to impact your business, and could be the one that takes you down the dead end if you're not careful. Think, take time to review your options and plan out campaigns that make sense for you. Advertising is your business oxygen; it helps bring in fresh dollars to keep you breathing. Monitor results and don't stick with a plan that isn't working just because it's your plan.

All of us at FCPNY are here to support our member sales staffs with training and sales tools to help you help your clients. And if you are a retailer or business looking for help, we can connect you to local experts who can assist you. In short, we are here to try to make 2014 the year that your business grows and prospers. Contact us at 877-275-2726 or email me at tcuskey@fcpny.com. Best wishes for a great New Year!

Driving change -- a holiday story.

Growing up in Auburn, NY, my dad worked primarily in auto sales for most of his life. The holiday season was not a time he looked forward to as auto prospects were typically very hard to come by back in the day. In a time when most people holiday shopped local stores or did some catalog shopping -- and prepaid for most of their purchases -- disposable income was devoted primarily to gifts, festive meals and not much else. Consequently, dealers pulled in their advertising reins as the year wound down. My father never gave me much advice but always proclaimed that "the best time to buy a car was in December, right before Christmas, in the middle of a snowstorm!" The salesman and the dealer were pretty hard up in that situation and would make incredible deals according to the old man.

Fast forward 50 or so years, arguably 50 years that have seen more changes than in any other period in our history. Including (maybe especially) car sales. As I sat with my coffee watching the morning news today, in a 15-minute span there were four major auto manufacturer ads on the tube extolling the pleasures of holiday car shopping. And three of the four were high-end wheels: Mercedes Benz, Infiniti and Cadillac (Ford rounded out the group). Apparently what was once a barren time for auto retailers is now among the most prolific, based on the quality and frequency of the ads they are running. And TV time at the holidays typically commands the highest rates as avails shrink. 

What changed? A better question might be "what hasn't changed?" Rebates, cheap leases, 0% financing and mega dealerships have reshaped auto sales, not to mention the huge impact that online inventories and information have had on the industry. Plus, there are more brands and models available today than ever before. But when you cut through all that, it still comes down to a salesperson, a customer and the perception of value. With some adaptation and education my father would still fit right in.

Media sales (especially print media) have changed dramatically, too. We still have our seasonal challenges plus more brands and models of competition -- and an educated buyer who is looking for the one thing everyone wants: value. It's the perceived package they get after factoring price, quality, service, function and return on investment. That never changes. 

Lessons we can learn from our automotive mentors:

1. Create excitement that turns slow times around with promotions that offer emotional appeal and logical value to buyers.

2. Diversify and expand your product offerings. Something for everyone.

3. Make it easy to buy: you can't lease advertising but are there ways to make it easier on the budget that you haven't considered?

4. Remember that in the end, it's one-on-one: a customer and a salesperson. Train, train, train and always be sure that support ("Let me talk to my manager!") is always available.

5. Ask for the business! ("What do I have to do to put you in a car today?")

FCPNY is here to help our members with training and ideas to help. Call us at 877-275-2726 or email me at tcuskey@fcpny.com. Enjoy the holidays!

Tell yourself all the things you need to hear, and do it out loud!

Here are the two greatest inventions of the last 100 (or so) years:

1. The thermos bottle. First mass-produced in 1904, it keeps hot things hot and cold things cold, all without batteries or computer chips. How does it know? Amazing, isn't it?

2. Bluetooth technology. It's great not because it makes you hands free but rather it allows you to talk to yourself in your car as much as you want without drawing unnecessary attention to yourself during rush hour.

You see, I talk to myself. I do it a lot. My kids have always laughed at me because of it. My mother used to say that talking to yourself was a sign that you have a lot of money in the bank but I am living proof that it's not true. I do most of my talking in the car, in the morning, on the way to work. Before Bluetooth, I would glance over while stopped at a traffic light to see the person in the next car looking at me like I was nuts. Now, no one pays attention at all. It is great. If you don't talk to yourself, you should start right away.

The most important part of this is the subject(s) you cover when you talk to yourself. First subject: is your thermos half empty or half full? Making that choice right up front in your monologue will dictate where the rest of it goes and will have a big impact on where the rest of your day goes. The world is full of crap; your mission is to avoid it. Talk to yourself with positive affirmations. It will be a good day. It will be a great day if you say it will. Role-play, out loud, discussions you will have with problem co-workers or direct reports. Make them positive. Practice presentations you will make to customers. Make them winners. Rehearse new opening lines you want to use to make more use of the phone and e-mail. Make them engaging. Tell yourself all the good things you know about yourself and don't let anyone tell you it's not so.

I actually have a Bluetooth car but the coolest part about this is that you don't even have to have Bluetooth to pretend you are using it. But don't pretend with yourself. Sometimes when you're out there on the road doing your sales thing you are the only friend you've got. Keep the relationship a positive, happy one.

If you are really having a challenging sales day and need someone positive to talk to, you can always call me: 315-472-6007 or my cell is 315-439-3485. Or drop us an email at tcuskey@fcpny.com. We can help with sales support, training, brainstorming and more. We are here for you, FCPNY members.

May your thermos always be full and the right temperature!

I assume you've heard this lesson before...

Tomorrow, October 11 is my 38th wedding anniversary. So today, October 10, I went card shopping. Hey, why wait 'til the last minute?

At the drugstore where I went to select the perfect greeting there were a few stacked boxes of cards in the aisle right in front of the "Wife Anniversary" selection. I was working around them, checking out cards when one of the store employees -- a not too happy gal about my age -- came up to me.

"Where's our girl?" she asked me.

"What girl is that?" I replied.

"The regular card girl," she exclaimed. "Doesn't matter, I 'll just have it out with you!"

Mistaking me for the "card guy", I guess, she proceeded to rip me a new one for the lack of effort and good service the greeting card vendors have apparently put forth recently. I waited for a break in her delivery before I uttered "Excuse me, but I am just buying a card."

"Oh," was her somewhat cool apologetic response. "Step up to register two when you're ready."

I'd have complained to the boss but I was too grateful for the great training material to turn her in. Put yourself in her shoes. I'm walking around these boxes, taking out cards, putting them back, not looking very romantic. I totally get it. I looked like a card guy. And I have no idea how rough of a day this gal may have had before she saw me. But it doesn't matter, none of it. She's in sales and customer service and you never assume anything. Anything.

Get flatly turned down by a prospect the last three or four times you approached them? Don't assume they hate you or that the door is closed forever. No matter how unwilling you may be for another letdown, don't assume that's the expected result. Go back in -- you never know when the decision maker, the mood or the need there may change.

Talking about your home improvement tab with a contractor who is driving a dirty old pickup?  Doesn't look like he's in a position to spend on anything but a new pair of jeans to replace the torn, ratty ones he's wearing? Don't assume he can't afford a half page ad on the front end of what should be an eight-week campaign if that's what he needs. Your competitor won’t.

To be successful you have to be a good detective, snooping out great leads and prospects. But the best detectives ask questions and dig for good, reliable information before they draw a conclusion, not an assumption. That is the exact approach to take in your daily sales adventures. Think back on your last 24 hours on the job? Have you driven past prospects that you don't think will invest in advertising? Have you not touched base with a great customer because you assume your relationship is airtight and a competitor will never steal it from you? We all make assumptions everyday; don't be embarrassed if you have made some. Just be sure to not make the mistake twice. Stop assuming, start selling.

You may also assume that you and your staff don't need a little tune-up or training, even if it's just a refresher on the basics. Stop assuming and call us here at 877-275-2726 or drop me an email at tcuskey@fcpny.com to arrange for your next on-site training session. Thank you!

Follow up on trust

A few weeks back I promised to come back with some ideas on building relationships -- building trust -- in a digital world where voice mail, email, caller ID and a host of other gates are keeping the salesperson at bay. Doing it better than any crotchety, old gatekeeper could have done, too (God bless her soul). Here's what I've come up with:

Nothing.

Well, at least nothing new. I have participated these past three weeks in a sales sharing program that FCPNY is sponsoring as a member benefit called the Training Table Forum. Each Friday morning, sales people from our member publications have been joining the call, sharing what is working and not working in the marketplace. And what is working are the basics, applied liberally in a professionally persistent manner. There is nothing new to building relationships and building trust. It takes the same levels of commitment to providing integrity, quality and value in our dealings with others. God bless our souls.

One thing we need to recognize and do more of today, though, is marketing before we try selling. And I'm not talking about huge ad and brand campaigns. Sales guru Jeffrey Gitomer (www.gitomer.com) says cold calls are not how we break through to new business today. You do it by treating existing customers right, by networking through them and groups like Chambers of Commerce and putting yourself out there as a market-giver, not a market-taker. (Yeah, I have a man-crush on Gitomer). In The Speed of Trust, author Stephen M. R. Covey writes about the "Principle of Contribution." It has to do with companies being good citizens and giving back to the markets they operate in with programs that fix social ills, address community needs and help others with nothing sought in return. Both make great points, and what Covey talks about in a corporate sense, you can do on a personal level. When you do what is right, when you give of your time and talents and are genuinely interested in what others do, people will find you and business will find you, too.

If you find yourself in need of help with sales, training or any other publishing business matter, give us a shout at FCPNY -- toll-free at 877-275-2726 or by email at tcuskey@fcpny.com.

Thanks...and may God bless your soul.