Take calculated risks. That is quite different from being rash. ~ George S. Patton (1885 - 1945)

Now that 2007 is here it is time to take a look back on and evaluate our businesses. As you begin this process you will want to consider all of your marketing plans and gauge their success or failure. Of course you already know that failures are just growing experiences and not something to dwell on.

Once you have established what worked and what didn’t, you will want to repeat the successful marketing techniques and look to new trends and techniques to replace the others. I would like to offer some suggestions on what is hot for the year that is now unfolding.

If you are looking to market to college grads online media is the way to go. Nearly 80% of this group are online purchasers. Yes, purchasers! Not just shoppers! Podcasting has taken a position in this market with on demand programming that you can easily obtain advertising from both the website and the program. Twelve percent of Web users surveyed in August said they have downloaded a podcast--up from 7% who said the same in a survey conducted between February and April as reported by media measurement company Nielsen/NetRatings.

Another group that is turning to the net is the affluent working woman. This is a growing group of entrepreneurial minded women that access the web in higher numbers on a daily basis.

Think laser quick solutions, mach 1 communications, space ships, and tele-porting customers to your very door; no more man hours knocking on doors or calling folks up. Marketing in 2007 will be lightning quick, completely automated, recorded with push button ease, and with a minimal amount of human work hours, right? Um, wrong.

We might think that technology can replace the personal touch, but to cut to the very core, it simply doesn't. People want to be cared for. Humans want to know they are more than a number on a computer screen. Relationship marketing might take a bit longer, but it is a must for real business growth.

The trend in marketing for 2007 is the return to the old fashioned handshake and personal contact. Smart marketers have begun to sit up and take notice that the hard sell, technical savvy, power marketing approach just isn’t cutting it.

Speak with anyone who has received a robotic telephone campaign call. In most cases, the voice isn’t human, and even if it is, it leaves you feeling invaded and unappreciated, as if you aren't even important enough for a real phone call.

When was the last time you picked up the phone and The human touch still wins hands down when building repeat customers and referrals. Once again, people are turning to the small retail outlets where they know they will be treated fairly and properly cared for. Relationship marketing might take longer, but it is a must for real business growth.

If you stop and think about it for a minute you will realize that the most successful companies have continued to make their customers feel appreciated and special. They go all out for their big accounts. They call them regularly and when the do they are on a first name basis with them. They send chocolates for special occasions and notes of appreciation for what seems to the customer “no reason at all”.

When was the last time you picked up the phone and called your customers to find out how things are going? Not a sales call, just a phone call to ask how the kids are doing or how Aunt Mable is after surgery? Or do you even know about Aunt Mable? If you don't, perhaps your goals in 2007 could include learning about your customers and clients and what is important to them. Then follow up with a heart felt phone call or greeting card. How about a thank you card or small gift?

Marketing is more than sales; it's showing your concern, giving your best, and building a relationship.

Subject: {first name} Can I count on you?

Dear {first name},

You recently ordered {technique/product/service} and I hope you're finding {it, the information, etc} {interesting, helpful, useful and extremely profitable for your business}.

Now, I'd like to ask a favor of you.

If you have found {product/service} as valuable as I know it is I am sure that you will want your friends and family members to benefit from {product/service} as well. If you will take just a minute to hit the reply button and jot down just five names and their {phone/email/address} I will contact them and tell them for you all the benefits that you have personally been experiencing and how they too can experience the same {satisfaction/relief}.

If you'll be kind enough to help me out, I'll be pleased to return the favor by sending you {freebee}. I know this is something that will {free up additional time/ease your workload/help you to ?} and that you will be overjoyed that you took those few minutes to share your {satisfaction/relief} with your family and friends.

Be sure to add any comments on what you like about the {technique/product/service}, but I also welcome your suggestions or criticisms, too.

Thanks so much for your time.

Warmest regards,
{your name}
{your title}
{your contact information}

PS. Don't miss out on your gift of {freebee}. I know you will find it a {valuable resource/stress reliever} and I promise you is totally FREE!

This is just one idea for an actual email campaign that we welcome you to personalize and utilize. If you need a complete email campaign or phone script specific to your industry or service please contact us at info@nibrocmarketing.com and we will be happy to assist you.

As each year comes to a close, it's always helpful to take some time to slow down, look back, and evaluate. This month's article will help you do a year- end evaluation of your email marketing efforts and uncover ways you can improve upon them in the coming year.

To get started, take a moment to review the results of your email campaigns from the past 12 months (this is where the reporting features of an email marketing service really come in handy). Now, ask yourself the following questions:

1. What was I trying to accomplish with email marketing this year, and did I do it?

This month our feature subscriber is Kathy Brown. Kat as she prefers to be called is the proud owner of Kats Designs a Credit Repair Company. She is a retired loan officer currently employed as an assistant at a prestigious mortgage company in her local area. After successfully assisting loan applicants to repair their credit and obtain the necessary financing to allow them to purchase their home they decided to team up to offer all of their customers the instruction and assistance they needed to do the same. This allows their clients a better opportunity to successfully obtain the loan they seek. As word continued to spread throughout the community, and other loan officers that she had previously worked with became aware of her additional knowledge and success in this area, they started calling Kat to do credit repairs for their clients. Not long after that **Kats Designs Credit Repairs** was born.

How Kat helps depends on the client. Usually, she goes in and has all the misinformation removed, paid debts brought to a zero balance, and arranges settlement and payment agreements for her clients. This allows them to eliminate or structure repayment of their remaining debt. After that is done and their debt is brought to a zero balance they then re-pull their credit and help them secure their home loan!! Kat states, “This entire credit repair process can take from 30 days to 4 months to complete. Each case is unique to the needs of the client and depends on what we have to accomplish.”

If you have a poor credit history and need advice or assistance contact Kathy Brown at kat@katsdesigns.biz
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Kat offers this question that may be on your mind as well.

Can you refresh my memory as to why I am paying you a subscription payment of $10.00 It came out on the 4th from my paypal acct but I can't remember what I subscribed to??????It is an ezine and for the life of me, I am lost....LOL Help Me!!!!!! LOL I am sure I did that isn't the issue, I just can't remember.

Answer:
Yes, it is for the Nibroc Marketing ezine. I hope you have been using the information provided. The free email campaign this month is one you definitely should employ. That piece in and of itself is valued at well over $10 and that is why the subscription is what it is. As well we will be providing, at no additional cost to subscribers a jam packed printed ezine twice each year. This bonus ezine will begin arriving sometime in February. As you know printing and mailing is not free either but for our digital subscribers we are willing to eat the cost because Kim and my hearts are warm to helping the small business owner to gain access to marketing information that only the millionaire marketers sell at thousands of dollars.

Hope that clarifies your question and that you continue this valuable service. If you need help putting any of the marketing tips in place Kim and I are both here to assist you. Just let us know and we will be happy to help you grow your business.

To this end I will not be at the Ryze 101 meeting today. Instead I am going to a local chapter meeting of the Dan Kennedy No BS Marketing Group. I hope to come away with some very valuable information to share in the January ezine. If you don’t know who Dan Kennedy is I welcome you to do a Google or Yahoo search and check him out. He is a millionaire marketing guru that the successful business owners who are in his power group pay thousands each year to be tutored by.

Thanks for asking. Feedback is always a GOOD thing!

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