You’ve done it! It is perfect! The design is unique, sure to pull the reader in. Your message is clear with a great hook line. Everyone on the team agrees this piece is sure to get a great response rate. All that is left is the envelope. Oh yeah… The envelope…

If a direct mail envelope had a title, it would be Director of First Impressions, yet too often it is an afterthought in planning a campaign. It doesn’t matter how effective the materials inside are; if the envelope exudes ’same old stuff’ it is doomed to the recycle bin unopened. It’s estimated that this is the fate of nearly half of the mailings sent. The question is how to pique the curiosity of your target market and make sure that your message (and all your hard work) is not for naught.

When designing a mailing, it is useful to think of the envelope as the store window of the direct mail world. There are plenty of ways to draw people in. You just need to decide what way will work best and most contribute to your campaign.

Custom printing is a great way to pull your market in. With words or images you can convey a clear message of what to expect within.  Tag lines and teasers can hint at what is to come if they’ll just break the seal and look inside. Envelope design should be used to enhance your piece as a whole, to reinforce your message, not just as a tool for luring the consumer in.

Consider the paper your envelope is made of. Envelopes are tactile as well as visual. Do you want the envelope to feel sleek in their hands, conveying a hint of glamour? Try a smooth coated sheet. If you are marketing high-end quality products, think of stationary envelopes made of uncoated paper with a textured finish. A watermark and diagonal seam construction are also subtle marks of investment.  If you seek to convey a message of environmental stewardship, consider using an envelope made of recycled or alternate fiber. Don’t forget to incorporate eco logos into your design too.

Envelopes of varied shapes and sizes attract attention. Consumers associate different sized envelopes with their content. Baronial and A-Style (also called announcement style) envelopes suggest an invitation. Catalog envelopes, which are larger with a center seam construction, suggest official documents are enclosed. Unusual or custom shapes and sizes may work to your advantage by removing preconceived association and eliciting curiosity.

With all of these options, be sure to keep a few logistical factors in mind. Custom sized envelopes take time to manufacture and can be cost prohibitive. If your piece is being prepared for mailing on automated inserting equipment, know the equipment capabilities. Likewise, to take advantage of USPS bulk mailing rates you should be sure your piece meets their standards.

Keep these things in mind, take your time on the envelope design, and your piece is sure to get a great response rate!

A lack of self-confidence can be detrimental to your success as a salesperson. Learning to have more confidence in yourself as a salesperson is not something that magically happens overnight. It can happen though, with a little more belief in your own abilities.

While cold calling prospects is enough to send shivers up anyone’s spine, when you are excessively shy, or have little confidence in your own abilities it can make it torture. Some people just generally go with the flow. If the customer tells you he isn’t interested, you say ok, and hang up. To make the sale, you have to realize that sometimes the customer doesn’t know what they need. It is up to you to prove to them that they need your service or product. Learning to do this is not always easy. You have to learn to be more assertive, and convincing. This can only happen through confidence in yourself, and what you want to accomplish as a business owner.

In networking, you may feel like you wish you could dissolve into the floor. You are not the only one. Almost everyone feels shy and apprehensive at social gatherings sometimes. It takes time and practice to get to where you feel comfortable talking to others, and convincing them that you can provide them with a needed service unlike anyone else. Practice is the key word in learning to get rid of your shyness.

To build up your confidence level, practice selling to friends and family. They will be able to tell you if your strategy is working or not. Have faith in your services and abilities, and it will show in everything that you do. Your potential customers will know right away that you are a professional on a mission to get the job done for them.

When you call a potential customer, make them believe in you too. Let them know why you can do a better job, and that your skills are unique. Selling yourself can be hard, but it is crucial to having a profitable business. Open up to customers and make them see you for who you really are. Let them see the hard working, caring side that wants to please their customers. By putting yourself into positions where you must interact with others, you can effectively begin to get over your confidence issues, and become a much better salesperson.

When you lack confidence, it makes selling anything to people a difficult ordeal. With practice, and belief in your own abilities, you can become the salesperson you always wanted to be.

The postcard. It’s a common enough piece of paper. Most people are familiar with it and it’s been in circulation for decades. But believe it or not, there are still things you can do with postcards that sell your business or promote yourself in a whole new way. I know! I was just as surprised as you are. But I’ve come across a few tips that should revamp your outlook on postcards. What follows are three ideas to keep your marketing fresh and, as an added bonus, best utilize any leftover card stock you may have.

A Coupon Built In

One way to use postcards is to make the entire thing a coupon. Sure, there should be your company logo and a few words about your company on it. Address, location and other contact information are a must as well. But instead of investing hours of time in designing a compelling graphic, instead print a coupon on the card.

Not only will this move inform potential customers about your business, but it will also give them a reason to stop by your website or physical store. And that’s half the battle right there. Plus, a coupon offering makes it much more likely recipients will actually make a purchase.

Announce a Special Prize

Business postcards are an excellent way to get people into your store, but sometimes, you have to give something away to get business. Instead of making your postcards the standard advertisement, let your potential customers know that if they come to your store-or visit your website-they will receive a free gift.

It’s really as simple as that. Half the battle is getting people into your store, so by offering up a free gift of some sort-it doesn’t have to be expensive-you can eliminate some of that hard work. People are attracted by their very nature to the word “free” so by indulging your audience, you make customers happy and boost your chances of doing business.

Get With the Season

Being timely is a great way to appeal to potential customers. That means advertising for the major holidays and seasons of the year. You can include just about anything you want in these seasonal postcards, just make sure the content and imagery is relevant and enticing.

The whole point of this sort of seasonal postcard is to help your customers or potential customers remember you. You might feel uncomfortable about sending out a postcard every few months to people in your target market, but you shouldn’t. Consumers are flooded with information from advertisers on a daily basis, so you have to work your hardest to stand out. A postcard that arrives a few weeks before Christmas, let’s say, should show an image that is reflective of the season (a snowman, a fireplace or perhaps, stockings?) but even more importantly feature an offer or ad that entices people to come into your store or visit your website.

So far, the articles presented on this website have focused on how to make money using Twitter. Suppose that you operate a non profit organization. Can you benefit from using Twitter? Yes you can.

Non profit groups often provide their members with business cards. Each of those cards could have a Twitter account printed on it. The non profit group issuing those cards could then use its Twitter account to expand the size of its membership.

Suppose you run an organization that seeks to improve the environment. By demonstrating your group’s concern for the environment, you could attract other “nature lovers.” You need to make use of a Twitter account.

Your organization should put out information about new laws and regulations that relate to the environment. By having a Twitter account, your organization should find it easy to share updates on new laws and regulations. By having its Twitter account on a business card, your organization could encourage potential members to check out the information that your organization has sought to make public.

Suppose that you run an organization that seeks to help patients who suffer from a particular health condition. In that case, you might want to send out a notice on Twitter each time that researchers announce a finding that relates to the condition in which your organization wants to demonstrate a special interest. Your organization might also want to announce via Twitter the release of new drugs or health aids, whenever those items can benefit the group that your organization wants to help.

A brand is a terrible thing to waste. In fact, strong brands are the foundation of many successful businesses, and it’s one of your most important assets as you establish and grow your customer base.

A brand involves blending the image, purpose, and focus of your business with your core marketing message. It is who you are and what you do, packaged neatly, clearly, and memorably. Many consumers will buy a product, even at a higher price, simply because of the brand.  For example, you might go to a Starbuck’s Coffee Shop instead of a local vendor because of Starbuck’s strong brand name.

Here are three steps to take as you create your brand…

Name and Slogan

Memorable brands have short, easy to remember and easy to spell names. Think of your favorite companies or products…most of them are probably one word and/or no more than three syllables. Brands like “Lowe’s,” “BMW,” and “Nordstrom” all follow this general rule of thumb.

Slogans are an important part of a company’s brand, but have less permanence than the company name.  A good working slogan is a statement that gives a quick snapshot of what you do, gives a key benefit of using you over your competitors, is credible and easy to understand, and is memorable.

Logo

Your logo is a visual image of what your company stands for. Think of McDonald’s golden arches or the Nike swoosh – these two logos embody these companies well. Try these tips from entrepreneur.com:

• Look at the logos of other businesses in your industry. Do your competitors use solid, conservative images, or flashy graphics and type? Think about how you want to differentiate your logo from those of your competition.
• Focus on your message. Decide what you want to communicate about your company. Does it have a distinct personality-serious or lighthearted? What makes it unique in relation to your competition? What’s the nature of your current target audience?
• Don’t use clip art. Not only will original art make a more impressive statement about your company, but it’ll set your business apart from others.

Stand Out!

Set yourself apart from the competition. Do something memorable that will really stick with the customers even after they’re gone. You could always use red bags for your merchandise, give away free tee-shirts that have your logo, or post signs or advertisements about your business.

Take the time to think these things through and you will be on your way to a cohesive brand identity!

Despite their size, a person’s business card is one of the most powerful marketing tools you can use simply because it is a reflection of your personal branding process and is typically the first thing people see regarding you and your business.  Additionally, having business cards goes beyond identifying what you do for a living simply because it is an identification tool.  You always distribute these to people whether they ask for them or not.  Simply stated, they validate what you are all about and are fundamental to the survival of anyone’s business.

It is critical that your business cards have all of the proper contact information printed on them – i.e. your name, the name of your business, an e-mail address, and a website URL (if you own one).  Additional information would include your motto or slogan which separates you from anyone else engaged in your particular endeavor, a phone number, city, state, and zip code.  By listing all of this information, you are giving the potential client or customer, all the contact information they need in order to follow up with you.

Here’s a critical issue that most people don’t realize.  If you don’t have a domain name with your e-mail address attached to that domain then you really aren’t branding yourself.  Domains and domain names are available for around $10 annually and these are critical for keeping your business cards brand-focused.

Additionally, business people today brand themselves and their product on their business cards by including their company logo.  Another aspect involves “social networking“, a technique that individuals use as part of the branding process.  For instance, if you are a member of Facebook, Linkedin, or Twitter, you would want to include this information as well, especially if you are using these sites for business networking.

7 Critical Aspects to Consider

• Black and White may be the standard but it isn’t very exciting and doesn’t draw enough attention. Conversely, you don’t want to go overboard with color either.  A splash of red on a black-on-white business card draws a person’s attention.

• Too many graphics defeat the purpose. Not only that, they distract a person’s vision away from the two key elements – brand focus and contact information

• Keep the font at a readable size. Remember that the older we get, the worse our vision gets.  If you want people to contact you, the size of the font is critical and should look more important than just being put on the business card as an afterthought.  Granted, your logo is an important aspect, but they can’t contact you if that is all they see.

• If you use a personal photo on your business card, keep it up-to-date. If your hair is greying or thinning (oh, say it isn’t so), then why would you want a 10-year old photo on your business card that no longer looks like you?

• Business cards that are not the standard size (2″ x 3½”) attract more attention. Just remember how critical being able to read your contact information is when you experiment with odd shapes and sizes.

• Use the back as well as the front of your business card. Why leave the back blank when you can put that blank area to good work by printing a message that enables people to remember you and what you are all about? Remember, you are investing in yourself and your brand!

• Avoid using websites that advertise free business card stock. You’re better off spending a few extra dollars and having custom business cards printed, rather than running the risk of being at a networking event and seeing other people with business cards that look just like yours.  Besides that, these websites typically have their name somewhere on that business card to promote themselves as well.  That’s why they are free.

Breaking bad news to clients is never easy or fun, but with a few tips, you can hopefully avoid bloodshed.

• Try to give your customers some advance warning that your prices will be going up.  Explain to them as nicely and professionally as you can about how much, when, and why the price increase is going to occur. This will let them prepare for the inevitable. It will make the actual price increase easier for them to bear.

• If the price increase is a result of something you have done by mistake, letting your clients know that you take responsibility for your actions, can go a long way to showing your clients that you are a respectable person, who values your customers.

• When telling customers the bad news, keep your voice low and speak slowly. People tend to be too emotional when they have to tell bad news to people. By keeping your voice even and calm, it will assure your customers that what you are saying is reasonable.

• If you have to tell your customers that your prices are going up, make sure that you sound as if you feel bad about the whole thing. Bad that they are having to pay more, but good because you will be getting more money. You can leave out the part about feeling good for taking more of their money. They may not take kindly to your bliss.

• Try to make breaking the news sound as positive as possible. Our prices will be going up, but we have vastly improved our website, and have many new products to offer. This gives the customer something good to hang on to.

• Make sure that your customers know how important they are to you. For your most loyal customers, offer a discount on a product or service they use regularly. This will take the focus off the price increase, and make them think about their good discount they will be getting.

• Telling customers about prices increasing is hard when the economy is in good shape. When it is tough, like now, it is even harder to break the news to customers that are probably already stretched too thin to begin with. Try to be as understanding of their feelings as possible, and assure them that there is no other way for you to keep your business afloat.

Bad news about price increases is hard for everyone involved, but if you can explain to customers in a reasonable way, they will be more likely to take the news without too much problem, and continue as your customer.