Travel Websites

This topic was brought up recently on watchdog; but while doing some research into travel websites today I felt it best to flag up again.

Travelsupermarket.com was advertising a trip to Egypt all inclusive for £287 for 7 nights.

Sounds great, not bad value at all to travel thousands of miles for sun, sand and sea.

However on going a bit deeper into the site, the cost is not actually £287 (which is only really there to entice you in); but jumps up to around £700! Which is quite a bit more

This is then factoring in, airport transfers, insurance and luggage costs.  These come to around £50 as an extra, however the site does not explain how the price jumped up from £287 up to £700?

Travel and holidays is something that many people now see as the norm; something that we all do and you just have to hunt around for the best deal.  However on the above example, the way that the marketing of such holidays is carried out seems confusing and frustrating.

You look in the shop window of a travel agent, and generally the price you see advertised is the price that you pay.

However with price comparison sites, this does not appear to be the case.  the price you first see (as the above example from today shows) will change in just one click of a button.

Advice - keep hunting!

Retail Marketing - Sales Down

The UK economy is still in a slump as retail sales are down; so what is the answer?

The government believe that by changing Vat prices (again) this will kick start the economy. 

However the problem goes much deeper than just the retail sector and high street shops; looking at the wider market sectors are facing very real problems.

As manufacturing has gone offshore, construction has slowed and car sales have gone down many sectors are wondering how to tackle a future that looks uncertain.

If any town is like Basingstoke; they will see that many high street shops are closing (due to high rent prices) and many are offering reduced prices on goods.  Fathers day sales, summer sales, anything just to shift stock and get people spending.

The problem then comes around again, people spending money that they do not have raises the average families debt and the ones that actually benefit from the cycle are the credit card companies (or banks).
Shops are aggressive in their marketing, competing with each other to stand out with bold signs, loud music, comfy chairs and attractive sales staff (in some cases) to try and get custom.  However will this solve the problem?

The chances of there being yet another Vat change is highly likely, but the chances that we will see retail sales increase and restored to their former glory is unlikely.

Future posts on retail sales will tell the story - wait and see.

Nike - Sports Marketing

I bought a paid of Nike sports shorts at the weekend and noticed that they were made in Bangladesh; and wondered about the brand.  I have always thought that Nike were a US company and just assumed that everything about them was American.  They they are based in the US (although they have offices around the world), they manufacture in the US, they bank in the US and were US.

This could be a conception due to the way the marketing is done and how they position themselves globally.

Here are a few facts about Nike:

• Nike were started in 1964 and are based in Washington County, Oregon, United States.  They have 46 offices dotted around the world and employ over 34,000 staff.  
• Their manufacture in Indonesia, China, Taiwan, India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Madagascar.    
• Nike use offshore banking to reduce their tax bill as opposed to banking within the US.

The brand is well known and trusted; I have used Nike products for many years and doubt I would shift my loyalties despite their tax evasion and foreign manufacture (again to reduce their costs).

The way the marketing has been positioned, is that Nike is a US company (with their head offices in the US) that serves all ages from children  and collages to middle aged people and the old aged.  Nike is truly a brand that caters for all ages and serves all demographics.

7 Tips On Choosing A Website Designer

There are thousands of website designers in the UK; how do you choose the right one?

Before you start thinking about this particular hurdle, you need to think about a few other things first.

1/ What Do You Need?

There is a difference between what you want and what you need.  You may see a website that you like the look of (amazon for example) and think 'I want one' - however without spending hundreds of thousands of pounds, you need to be realistic. 

Decide on the kind of 'features' that you want (the basic pages, some graphics, a web tutorial etc.)

If you have limited funds, then consider the basics - you can always build on them.

2/ Consider Your Budget

Websites can range in cost from a couple of hundred pounds up to millions; so you need to have a good idea of what kind of site you are looking for.  Considering that a designer may charge £40 per hour to work, if you have a budget of £1000 this is about a week for the designer to plan, prototype and get your site set up.

There are cheap websites and websites that can be designed for free - deciding what you want is important before talking to a designer.

3/ What Do You Want

There are lots of different sorts of styles of websites, so do a little research.  See what you like the look of and make a note of them.  This will help the website designer to put together a site that is going to be in line with your expectations.

4/ Know Your Competition

If you know who your competitors are, you can see what sort of websites they have, what works and what does not.  Again, this will help the designer in putting together a website for you that looks right, but also stands out in the crowd.

5/ Know Your Audience

If you are targeting young people, having an interactive slant is good, as is the modern fee.  If you are targeting older people, making the site clean and no frills is a good move (maybe with a feature to change the text size).  Know your audience - and plan the website for the kind of visitors you are targeting.

6/ What About SEO

SEO means search engine optimisation; what this means is how visible your website is on the internet.  Once a website is designed and live, it can get lost in the millions of other sites.  SEO brings it up in searches.  So if you are a legal company in Bradford, then you would target legal phrases based around the place name of Bradford.  This is done by an SEO expert as opposed to a designer.

7/ Compare Prices

Website designers all charge differently; there is no standard when it comes to website design.  By comparing website design prices you can get a feel for different designers ideas and angles, and choose the best one (based on the design ideas, prices etc.).

Getting Marketing Right

When marketing goes wrong, it does not just go a little bit wrong, but a lot wrong - certainly if you are a large business or global leader.

Small companies, if they do not communicate their marketing message properly, only really loose out a little.  Maybe they will experience a dip in sales equating to a few hundred or few thousand pounds - nothing life threatening but just irritating.

However if you are a large business, and your marketing/PR is angled wrong, then there are very serious problems.  Customer confidence can go, you may loose your market share footing - or the brand could be shot down.

A recent article on the BBC website looks at some of the leading brands in the washing powder industry and how their marketing/PR is positioned.

Finding the right marketing agency is important really for any business of any size - however the higher you are up the ladder (in business terms) the further there is for you to fall should things go wrong.

Marketing The Monarchy

Today has been a fantastic day for England and the British people.

Kate looked stunning in her wedding dress and Prince William looked equally handsome in his military uniform.

The world was looking at the couple, at the Queen, at the British people celebrating with their Monarchy and sharing in  undoubtedly the most important date for the British 2011 calendar.

Many countries look up to the British nation and today it was clear to see why; anyone who is British will feel the pride and love of the nation, of the Monarch and of the royal family.  To see the union jacks flying, the people crowded expressing kindness and happyness and seeing the royal troops dressed so smartly sends a shiver down the spine and makes us all prowd to be part of the British empire.

As the BBC said, the tradition has been replayed for over 350 years and that makes the British stand out as unique.

The way the Monarch has been preserved and presented to the world is such a powerful marketing message to the world.  All other nations look up to the British people for what we all shared in today.

Many would say that the times of having Kings and Queens has gone, that the Monarch is a drain on the countries resources and expensive.  However considering the business that the Royal Wedding has brought to the nation, the many small companies that have had that much needed boost in business it certainly is welcome.

The best wishes to the happy couple; God save the Queen.

Royal Wedding

The royal wedding is getting closer and closer and it certainly going to be the most watched event ever.
The number of companies that are involved with the festivities is countless, from company's in central London right down to hog roast companies in Leeds everyone is jumping on the band wagon.

The UK is definitely split between royalists and parliamentarians.  People that support the royal wedding and will watch it, and people that do not care at all and just see the event as an excuse for a holiday.  Some people are going on pub crawls; some will be working in the garden and some just going on holiday to get away from the festivities.  Even three and half centuries after the English civil war, the UK is still divided in its support of the monarchy.

Ever since the royal engagement was announced (or since William and Kate were dating) companies have been marketing around the couple and using the subject as a way of selling.  Today there are thousands of companies selling plates, cups and all forms of memorabilia around the royal event.

Indeed the royal wedding will be immortalised by the media and something that millions around the world will be watching and supporting.

All the best to the happy couple, to the future King and Queen; God bless them both!

London Marathon

Excellent marathon yesterday - well done to all the runners that took part.

The weather was fantastic however the downside of this was that there were many cases of heat exhaustion and runners collapsing.

One thing that did stand out, was the number and diversity of charities that stood out.  Numerous as the runners there were so many charities from YMCA, McMillan, Naomi House and 100's of others.

All charities use marketing in order to promote themselves ranging from websites (which are consistently updated) promotional literature, banners (as there were at the London Marathon) and PR.


PR for charities is a big area of marketing as they need to generate exposure and awareness for their cause.  Also, to make themselves heard above the other 200.000 charities in the UK

Giving money to charities is great, it gives you a feel good factor which all humans crave (as the bible says it is better to give than receive (Acts 20:35)).

The problem is that charities spend so much money on marketing, the thought of your donation going to a website designer or advertising agency does not sound right.

Also, the larger the charity (Oxfam for example) the higher their fixed costs (cars, office rental, staff costs, expenses, marketing, TV campaigns) therefore for every £1 donated a large promotion goes to the running costs of the charity machine.

What is the answer - well there is really no simple answer, charities need marketing, marketing costs money and that money comes from only one place - you, me and other generous donors.

Petrol Prices

We have seen petrol prices reach a record high this year, with a liter of diesel costing £1.40.

I remember when it used to be 70p a liter - that is now double.

The costs are split (roughly) into the following:

• Tax - 40%
• Petrol - 30%
• Vat - 20%
• Retailer/Deliverer - 10%

The majority of the cost of fuel is tax (roughly 40%) - so the area that the government can help is by reducing the tax.  However the government needs the tax in order to reduce the countries crippling debt - so it is a viscous circle.  The government needs people to spend money in order to collect tax and reduce the national debt.

Who are impacted by this - well, it is mainly companies such as bus companies, haulage companies, taxi companies as opposed to general road users (that are maybe only paying an extra £10 a month overall).

Oil companies are the ones that are benefiting in this process, making billions of pounds in profit; but is this playing it's part.  Are oil companies using offshore accounts in order to reduce their tax bill (and thus saving millions of pounds of tax) and are the government comfortable with this?

Oil companies do a lot of marketing via sponsorships (Formula 1 for example) billboard and other forms of outdoor advertising.  They mainly use the forms of marketing that would involve brand exposure (such as PR, social media advertising). 

The amusing thing, is back in that 2000 when petrol prices reached £1,00 a liter, there were blockades and uproar.  Now we are paying 40% more but there are no blockades and we all seem to be fine with it.

Card Companies

Have you ever wondered why it is that there is such a buzz about occasions such as Mothers Day, Christmas, Valentines Day?

I remember my dad telling me years ago about these sort of holidays and the fact that they are an excuse for card companies to sell cards.

How much does a card cost?

OK, lets look at how much it costs to make.  In bulk once printed and shipped to the shop you mush be talking less than 50p each.  How much are they sold for, maybe £3.50.

That is a big mark up, and considering the millions that cards that shops do sell for seasons such as the religious festivals (Christmas, Easter) but the other made up ones (Mothers day, Fathers day, Valentines day, Halloween) they have the market cornered.

I am not a big fan of cards myself - however girls seem to love them!

But the whole of our society today seems to be worked around these sort of events, Christmas would work just fine without all the marketing of spending money.  Many people go into debt around Christmas, just because of the pressure to give.

Giving is good (don't get me wrong) however it needs to be within reason.

The world does seem to have gone down a road whereby it is led by the marketing based around spending money and buying cards - not a good thing.

Using Promotional Gifts To Boost Business.

It has been said over and over again, if you give you will receive.

Although this needs to be read in context, giving out promotional gifts can really help in boosting your brand's viability.

You may not see a direct result on the sales, however promotional gifts are a great way to remind people who you are and what your company offers.

The normal use of promotional items is at events and exhibitions along with product launches; however you can do them as part of a mailing.  There is nothing wrong with just sending a quick message to your clients/prospects asking how things are and if you can help with anything (with a nice gift included).

Chocolates

A great idea is sending promotional chocolate to people.  It is inexpensive and has a high impact (as long as you have a branded packaging design around the chocolate.

One thing to avoid however is sending chocolates in the summer (as they may well melt en-route; which could have a negative effect.

To give you an idea, a box of around 3,000 promotional chocolates can cost around £100 - so factoring in the mailing, postage you could be looking at 3,000 of your prospects seeing your name and smiling for around £500.  Do this as a regular mailing once a month, and you have quite a powerful way of reinforcing your brand.

Be Creative

Every company receives the normal promotional gifts through the post (post it's, pens etc.) from recruitment companies which normally get filled under 'B.I.N' - so try to be inventive in the gifts that are selected. 

It is good to try and select a gift that has some relevance to your business/product - as this will carry more weight.

Send Gifts To Named Contacts

If you can, find out who the point of contact will be at the company you are going to be mailing; otherwise the chocolate/gift will be swallowed up by reception.  Even if the prospect passes it to reception after it was received - the job has been done and they have seen your brand/company name.

If needs be, use a telemarketing company to do a quick call around of prospects to get some names to get names - which will increase the hit rate of your responses.

marketing companies: Digital Advertising Billboards

marketing companies: Digital Advertising Billboards: "We have all seen the normal billboard adverts in airports, by roads (on the side of someones house) and in the London Underground. However ..."

Digital Advertising Billboards

We have all seen the normal billboard adverts in airports, by roads (on the side of someones house) and in the London Underground.

However advertising has taken a step forward with digital advertising.

This can be used for outdoor advertising or indoor, the advantage being that they can fit in more adverts without changing them one by one.

I have noticed these starting to occur more and more in the London underground - as you are going up the escalators they occur every couple of meters and are also at the main stations such as Waterloo and Leicester Square.

Advantages?

Cost - They are cheap to update with new adverts in a rotation (as they are all done via computer rather than some poor chap changing each unit.

ROI - As the adverts rotate every 3 seconds or so, the advertising company can charge more per campaign as they have more advertisers during each day/advertising period rather than just one static advert banner.

Disadvantages?

Well there are not really all that many to be honest, apart from the setup cost and monitoring, but surely this is cheaper than getting posters printed and paying someone to update each unit whenever a marketing campaign changes.

These units are all very strategically placed, getting millions of views each day per unit even though the views will look and forget, it is about branding and brand exposure.  A difficult thing to track branding and brand advertising is all about getting your name and brand 'out there' so that people come to recognise you

What Is Marketing About

Many people say that marketing is misleading.

This is sort of true, but needs to put into context.  Most of us (in the UK) do not need 10 pairs of shoes, new clothes each week, upgrading our car every few years - but advertising does say otherwise.  It has to, if the economy is going to come out of recession, the government needs people to spend spend spend.

Without this, businesses will not sell their products, tax will not be collected and the government will loose income.

Is Marketing Misleading? 

Lets consider a few different examples that will use marketing to sell their product.

Supermarkets

Supermarkets always have offers on, 2 for 1, buy 1 get 1 free etc..  Often the prices are manipulated so that sometimes you are spending more but thinking you are getting a good deal.

Marketing is all about packaging; making something seem attractive and appealing.

British Armed Forces

The armed forces are doing a lot of advertising on TV to bring in new recruits.

The army do not advise that you are in a job role that will very likely require you to put your life on the line for king and country - and you may well get killed.

This is the nature of the role, a soldiers job is to follow orders and either kill or be killed.

However the army kind of miss this point, focusing on the chance to travel, to be part of a team, learn skills and to have a prosperous career.

Bank Loans

Banks love people that get into debt - as they will pay money in interest.  They market loan deals that may require you to pay back twice the amount you borrow.

This of course has been in the spotlight in recent months - but the fact remains that banks need money to exist, and they way they get money is from lending money.

Junk Food

We all know that junk food is bad for us; however the way the marketing is done, a different picture is painted.

McDonald's had a recent advert that had a great scene of families laughing in their restaurants, eating salads and drinking juice.  The main products of McDonald's are burgers - which we all know are low in nutrition and high in salt.

This is not clear in the advert or in their marketing, it is focusing on health and happiness painting a picture that we all will like.

Marketing is about giving a message, whether this is 100% true or 100% accurate sometimes questions do need to be asked (for any marketing message) by the consumers.

Following Up Sales Leads

Marketing people tend to not be very good at following up sales leads - which is ironic as they should know how to do this (due to being involved in marketing).

The problem is, that marketing companies tend to deal with 'briefs' - which are outlines of projects that are definitely going ahead.

The thing is, not all 'sales leads' are certain projects; some are considering, some are comparing prices, others are still in the planning stage.

Sales leads tend to vary in status (from cold, warm, luke warm, hot etc.) so care does need to be given as to how leads are approached.

If a client is considering options (say for example they have used a designer for the last few years but are thinking about changing due to increased prices) and put feelers out - how would they feel if they got a chief designer phone them up and starting a pushy sale (with the attitude that they are going to place the work).  Then how would the client feel if the designer then got grumpy and called them a time waster when they did not agree to a meeting the next day?

Some clients are busy, and expressly ask for contact via e-mail (due to being in the early stages of the sales process, or just busy) then 2 or 3 marketing companies call them up asking for a meeting or a detailed discussion 'to discuss their brief'.

This does happen, and many good sales leads are ruined from the wrong approach.

Getting your sales approach when following up leads is key, otherwise you can ruin perfectly good leads for yourself and anyone else following them up by irritating a potentially interested client.

For help and advice on follow up sales leads, telemarketing companies are well positioned to be able to help - as they are following up leads every day and are well positioned to be able to gauge approach techniques.

Indian SEO Companies

Over the last 6 months, more and more Indian SEO companies are 'spamming' the UK with link building programs, SEO support services and technical support to help any UK company.

Why is it that there has been a boom over the last 6 months of Indian SEO companies?

I get roughly 1 e-mail each day (which gets marked as 'spam') from Indian SEO companies and it is very irritating.

No doubt there are some good companies, however it is always good to meet with an SEO company - so I can get a better idea of their company and services; but also to ensure that they fully understand our company, our goals, objectives and industry.

There is no way an Indian SEO company will travel all the way to the UK to meet up and have a face to face meeting - and it is not practical to fly out there.

So what is the point?

Has there just been a boom in Indian SEO companies setting up, or have they all managed to obtain UK e-mail addresses and start spamming us?  They are automated e-mails (not personal or sent one at a time) therefore are spammy.

Cheap Website Or Free Website

Startup companies are in a bit of a dilemma; startup meaning no funds whatsoever and building the business from personal savings.

As a new company do you get a free website designed yourself (there are a few resources on the internet where very basic websites can be built) or do you invest in the future and go to a designer?

A website designer will charge for a basic website - this could be £100 or could be £1000 depending on the designer.  Different budget web designers offer 'startup packages' that are low priced - but how do you select a web designer?

Lets look at the options available:

• Free Website Design

Obviously it is free, and using a free website program you have nothing to loose.  As a brand new company all you really need is a presence on the internet, not a all singing and dancing website (yet); but as things grow and your business develops - then you can build up.

The downsides - OK, for something free you are taking the risk that the 'look' is not professional and your brand is starting off 'cheap'.

Balance this up with needs and means - all design agencies will encourage you to 'invest' in a website (of course because they want your money) but like building a house, you do need to do it one step at a time, overspend on the foundations and you cannot complete the house.

• Chargeable website from designer

The positives are that you are getting a more professional looking website (hopefully) and a second set of eyes to guide you.

The downside - well, website are expensive and £1000 (even though it is a lot of money for a company that has nothing) is not a lot for a designer - so will not get you very far in real terms.  Also, there are designers and designers - choose the wrong one and you may as well wave farewell to £1000.

What is the best solution?

On reflection, advice would be to use a free resource to get something set up to start with - as and when funds are available you can then build things up from the bottom up.  If a website is not your main business tool (like an on-line shop) then a presence is just fine (if you are an accountant for example).

Some surface website design advice is available if you need help and guidance - but really it is a personal choice - do not be led by designers as they have their own interests at heart.

2011 Census

The UK government has released it's 2011 census that has to be completed by the residents of the UK.

Failure to do this results in a fine of £5000,00.

This seems a little extreme just for the government to collect intrusive information about us.  The information is about who we are, our religion, how many people are in our houses, what we work as, where we work.  Not life pressing information but all the same intrusive and nothing other than them being able to keep stats on us.

To have a massive fine for not submitting such information - seems very controlling.

Looking at the census form, it is very will put together and simple to follow.  This would have required a very intensive marketing campaign in ensuring that such an 'important' document is able to be completed by all UK residents regardless of age, colour or creed.

Considering the cost of putting together such an intrusive document about who lives where and what religion they have; plus having someone read through millions of results and putting them onto a computer - a wise spending of tax payers money?

The UK economy is crippled going further and further into debt but in the last week we started a war with Libya and are spending millions on a census.

Knowledge Is Power

It has been said a few times 'knowledge is power' but is this the case with marketing?

Ask yourself a question:

If you are a medical company - would you be better off working with a marketing company that has experience in the medical sector, or one that has knowledge of the hospitality sector?

Of course - working with an experienced marketing company is always better.

Why?

Simple, the marketing company will have a knowledge and understanding of your industry and market place.  Not just that, but they will know about your competitors, how they are marketing and how they are positioning themselves in the industry.  They will have a good grasp on the way the industry is going (is it in recession, is it growing, where is it moving, who is spending money etc.) and be able to structure your marketing around these factors.

If you work with an inexperienced agency - then you are risking their naivety and blind approach will be lucky.  Many would say that fresh eyes do add flavour - which is true, however it is risky if you are investing so much money and effort in a gample.

Many companies have jumped in with a zany approach - which is quite different to inexperience.  Zany marketing campaigns do work, but this is normally founded on research, planning and good creative marketing.

Commission Only Telemarketing

Many businesses (typically startups or companies that have financial issues) do ask about commission only telemarketing.

Popular comments would be:

'If they are as good as they say they are, then surely they would be willing to put their money where their mouth is'

'If they are confident in their ability to sell, then why not take a risk; they could make more money'.

There are hundreds of telemarketing companies in the UK, however none do commission only selling as a business model - for a reason.

The role of telemarketing is to generate meetings/market for information/generate sales enquiries not to produce guaranteed results.

Marketing is not cut and dry, it is not predictable, it is subject to variables that constantly shift.

The role of the telemarketing company is to generate enquireis and information; the client is the responsible for the 'selling'; small companies do not want the risk and look for others to share it, when it is not really their responsibility.

Indeed there is an itch - people are looking for guarantees with their marketing, however it is not being scratched (marketing companies do not want to have this risk element).

There is also the perspective that if there are companies in the UK that are willing to pay money for telemarketing without a commission element - then this is more attractive and they work together.  Unless the whole UK stopped and said 'we will not pay day rates or monthly rates - only on commission' would things need to change, but since there are people willing to pay the asking price, things will not change.

Meeting Your Marketing Company

Why is it important to meet with your marketing company?

We live in an age of technology, are meetings really necessary? Surely the phone and e-mail is good enough to communicate the ideas, and objectives of a marketing campaign?

Not really; 7% of communication is verbal - so if you are talking on the phone to your marketing company (or e-mail) then they are missing 93% of the message.

Based on this - it is kind of a good idea to have a meeting.

Follow up meetings are also really helpful - if not essential.

Why - simple, to get value for money.

Marketing takes time; and so often now, marketing companies will hide behind e-mails and being out of the office to not give you up to date feedback - dragging out responses so that your expectations reduce.

• From your perspective, you want results and you want them now; you are paying a lot of money and need up to date information about how things are going.
• From a marketing companies point of view they want lots of paying clients that are no trouble with all the time in the world.

These two are incompatible - as the customer is always right, you need to set measures in place - so here are a few.

• Have an initial meeting to get to know the marketing agency, but also your key contact
• Talk to your contact once a week
• Ask for reports monthly on progress
• Have a monthly face to face meeting to look at the reports.

This will make you quite an unpopular client as you are high maintenance - however marketing companies do try to take on too many clients and not provide as high service as necessary.  The reason is £; the more clients they have the more money they get.  If they have a few clients are are delivering 100% satisfaction, their profits will not be as high, but they will have more successful clients.

Outsourcing marketing is always a tricky thing as you are taking a step into the unknown - however if you meet with the agency and push for a close working relationship with them - you will push them into delivering a better service.

No marketing company will want to meet with you if they have not got results to show you at a face to face meeting - so they will have results otherwise they will look silly and be forced to explain themselves.

The Importance Of Questioning

You or I would consider questioning to be, well, just questioning.  However with telemarketing is the life and sole of their roll.

Without good questioning skills; a telemarketeer will be nothing.  Their calls will not be successful and they will get demotivated.

It is therefore very important for telemarketing companies to train their staff in the importance of having up to scratch questioning skills.

Questions are used throughout a conversation from a caller - to fact find, objection close and generally lead the call in the desired direction.

If a telemarketing does not teach good questioning; the calling will not be efficient.  The wrong sort of questions will be asked and the wrong question types used (it is not what you say it is how you say it) causing calls to be closed without success.

Sales training companies offer courses on questioning, how to use questions, what sort of questioning to use and how to use questioning in closing business.  If (as a telemarketing company) you have not put your staff through rigorous training for questioning - then you are really letting your telemarketing team down and really should organise one.

Is The Telephone Becoming Obsolete?

As technology moves on, so to does the way we communicate in marketing.

Telemarketing does get some bad press for being intrusive; someone calling you up to interrupt your day and try to 'sell' you something (that you probably do not need in the first place.

As marketing has moved more social, so to has communicating a marketing message.

Instead of 'I will give you a call' it has moved from 'I will send you a text' to 'I will drop you a facebook message'.

More and more companies are taking stronger views of telemarketing and going onto no call lists, TPS (telephone preference service) and instructing secretaries to say 'no' - making it harder for telemarketers to get through.

There is also the time element to be considered also, one can have several conversations an once 'electronically' but when talking on the phone you are more or less tied into that conversation for the duration of the call.

Where is telemarketing going - is it fading out or will it keep going for another 20 years?

Telemarketing for Solar PV

There has been an increase in enquiries for telemarketing into Solar PV recently as the solar energy industry has grown and competition has become more fierce.


Solar PV stands for Solar photovoltaics and is the technical name for the solar panels that we know from the calculators we used in school (if we had calculators in school) and the panels that are starting to make more of an occurrence on peoples house roofs.


More and more supply companies have been looking for lead generation support into this growing industry to sell domestic solar PV panels into homes.


This is a hard task, as it would involve cold calling residential houses and asking a couple of simple questions:

1. Do you currently have a Solar PV system
2. Would you be interested in the costs of a Solar PV system
3. Can we come and give you a free demonstration of Solar PV

Hard work, as B2C telemarketing is generally more difficult than calling businesses.

3 Reasons Businesses Outsource Telemarketing

Many companies will outsource their telemarketing to an external telemarketing company; however why would they do this - surely keeping things in house is better?

There are a number of advantages that businesses outsource telemarketing to professional telemarketing companies, here are 3 top reasons why:

• Staff Costs

It costs a lot of money to recruit for new staff, train new staff and retain them.  Consider a business that needs 100 good enthusiastic motivated staff working on the phone 8 hours a day and the recruitment and training costs spiral upwards.  This is not including a HR department to look after all the staff, payroll sickness, holidays.

• Office Space And Calling Facilities

A large amount of hardware resource goes into telemarketing.  Desks, chairs, computer systems, integrated e-mail, network support, computer support, antivirus, computer licences, IT team.  Space needs to be given as well as green space, kitchen and bathroom facilities.  The more staff that are needed, the more office space, recreation space, IT resources and HR resources are needed.

• Training

All staff need training whether it is for basic call handling, or lead generation, appointment making or fault finding.  Many companies (especially the larger ones) will have rigid training programs, so may require staff to go through weeks or months of training before doing live calling (depending on the technicality involved with the product or service.

If your business are considering outsourcing telemarketing then one thing to bear in mind above all else is the pick up period.  If you outsource work to a telemarketing company that is already set up and ready to go, they can hit the ground running (as opposed to you going through the process of recruiting staff, training staff etc.

Inbound Telemarketing - What Is It?

Many businesses around the UK will make use of telemarketing companies to handle their incoming calls, from retail companies, service companies, insurance or car dealership.

Think of any large company that you may use:

• Utilities
• Car Insurance
• Computer Supplier
• Retail Companies

All of these businesses will be using inbound telemarketing call centers to handle calls from their customers.  Any time you would call an 0800 number, or an 0845 number, chances are it would go to a call center that is handling the call on behalf of a client.

I used to work for a business in Leeds many years ago, and one of their contracts was from Celnet (now O2 the mobile phone handler); they were contracted with handling customer support calls, technical support and billing queries.  Cellnet did not handle the incoming calls themselves, they outsourced them to a telemarketing company to handle them for them.

Of course you will not know this when calling up, as the phone is answered in the clients name, the operater has access to all of your accounts and information as it you were talking direct.

Many government departments will outsource their calling work to specialist telemarketing companies due to having thousands of members of the public calling up to query tax codes, VAT etc.

It is far cheaper for companies (and they do tend to be the larger companies such as O2, Next Plc, HMRC and any larger company you could think of that you would need to call up for support, help or billing) to outsource inbound telemarketing to a telemarketing company rather than handle staffing, setup, training etc.

Does Lead Generation Work?

As the world moves faster, and more adverts get sent through the waves, is lead generation dying?

For years now, telemarketing companies have been churning out calls to businesses across the UK - however are we getting used to it.  Everyone is now used to the call out of the blue from the recruitment company, or someone asking about office insurance, SEO companies or really anything whether it is related to our business or not.

Does it work though?

Have we just become so used to the 'cold calls' that they are shrugged off and told to go away.  Some businesses are plagued by cold calling from telemarketing agencies and keen businesses.

One could argue that if it is still going on, then it must work.  There are hundreds of telemarketing agencies around the UK ranging from small telemarketing companies up to large call centers.  Telemarketing and telesales are now accepted as being viable forms of lead generation.

Different lead generation companies are using more and more creative ways to get past the out defences of companies and get through to MD's, directors and senior managers ranging from 'urgent calls', cost savings and good timing.

There are however, very different forms of lead generation around, so it would be a case of appointing the right agency for the task.

Generally the most important thing is experience - if the lead generation company has a knowledge of your market place and the way your competitors function - this will give them a better chance of securing results for you.

Sexist Advertising - Are we to accept it?

We have all seen the Yorkie adverts now (as they have been around since 2002) and they appear to have been accepted as a funny joke.  The adverts have been on all Yorkie lorries driving around our roads so most of us know the advert 'Not For Girls'.

Not For Girls - intending for a 'men only' confectionery that is so rough and tough that girls should not get involved.

However is sexism really a viable form of advertising in today's society; bearing in mind all of the pain and arguments of the last 100 years related to equality?

Dell was accused of a sexist marketing campaign back in 2009 relating to it's Netbook page aimed to offer condescending and patronising advice to women.

Zapos (the on-line US clothing company) were accused of doing either a 'sexist marketing ploy' or 'a brilliant piece of viral humour' in relation to 'a rare collectors item' (a $50,000 t-shirt).

Advertising is all about shock and awe - getting people to stand back and question, or smile is the basis of a good marketing campaign - however is sexism pushing things just a little too far?

marketing companies: Social Media - does it work for all companies?

marketing companies: Social Media - does it work for all companies?: "Social media is the latest marketing buzz. Twitter, Facebook are the main ones that everyone things of, however there are lots of others th..."

Social Media - does it work for all companies?

Social media is the latest marketing buzz.

Twitter, Facebook are the main ones that everyone things of, however there are lots of others that are not quite as high profile.

When I think of Facebook - I think of my friends, family, people I know from the gym, ex girlfriends etc. all posting updates about what they had for dinner, that they are looking forward to a holiday, the like comic relief and there are always the attention seekers that update every few hours.

When I think of Twitter, I think of something very similar, businesses getting doughnuts in this morning, James making the tea, the traffic being bad in London etc.

Not terribly business related - however the advertising potential is huge.

Millions of people are using Facebook (mainly people from 8 up to 35) so if you are looking to target these users - then Facebook is a great site to target.

Millions of people are using Twitter (mainly people aged 30 - 50) so if you are looking to target these users - Twitter is a good site to target.

However does social media actually work?

Well, it is all about marketing as opposed to sales.  If you are looking to use social media for actually selling stuff and using it as a quantifiable way to produce revenue - then it is going to fail.  If you are looking to reinforce your brand (say if you are BP, Nike, HSBC - all advertisers on Facebook) then this is perfect.  People will see your adverts and even though they are not really looking at them, they are seeing the brand, the logo, the colours and subcontiously taking it in.

I have never (as far as I am aware) clicked on an advert on Facebook on purpose.  I have by accident, or to see what happened - but not on purpose due to being compelled to buy/show interest.

Mobile phones - these are a bit of a problem for social media sites, as most people using social media, use iPhones/Blackberry's to access them 'on the move' and with the limited screen size, adverts do not show as much - however as advertising is pay per click - it is not really too much of an issue other than not getting as much coverage as desired.

So, does social media work for all companies (getting back to the subject) - No.

If you are looking to generate sales - then it is not really the best marketing 'vehicle' for you; if you are looking to reinforce your brand then it is perfect.

If you are considering doing a social media campaign - then it is advised to talk to a marketing agency about targeting the campaign and getting it set up - otherwise you could spend a lot of money needlessly.

Does SEO work?

This is a question that gets asked by so many companies - 'Does SEO work?'

The answer is....Yes; however you need to remember that every other business, blogger, freelancer is doing exactly the same.

SEO is an arms race, google regularly changes the position of websites it indexes as one week the company above you drops down a notch, then next week you gazump them.

SEO does take time, effort, work and money - however if you want to be at the top of the pile, it is a race that you need to get involved in.

Many businesses have decided that it is just something that will take up too much time and effort, consistently updating their websites, writing articles, submitting links, keeping their blog going - all very time consuming. 

Many have opted for other forms of marketing instead (pay per click advertising, networking, telemarketing) that may get results quicker.

However, if you want to be efficient, then you will do all of the above.

Doing SEO as well as targeted PPC, targeted telemarketing, networking etc. will (should) get you the best results and yes will take time, effort and money - however no one said being at the top was easy.  Everyone is gunning for your position and wanted to knock you off - so SEO is a continual ongoing process that needs to be part of your ongoing marketing strategy.

SEO companies are used to working on time consuming campaings - doing little and often tends to be the general advice from most experts (as opposed to doing SEO in bursts that could raise red flags to google).

Consider if you are looking for something on the web, what would you do...

Personally (in my humble opinion) I would look at the top few results on the main search screen.  I would normally skip the top company (unless the title was very relevant) and normally miss the adverts at the side (as they are trying to advertise to me).  So if you can get to position 2-5 then this would be (probably) the best place to sit.

Do direct mail leaflet drops work?

We are all used to coming home in the evening to find out door mats littered with leaflets, flyers and envelopes that have not name/address on them  but are marked 'urgent' or 'important information enclosed'.

9 out of 10 times we then collect all the information, sift through picking out the bills and reminders dumping the rest straight into the recycling (normally without even looking at them).

However - sometimes we do glance at the local pizza offers, flyer for 35 free iTunes downloads, half price wine from Virgin Wine - and think 'this may be worth reading'.

But, there is always a catch, always - and for a good reason; no company is going to give something away for nothing - after all there is no such thing as a free lunch is there?

The marketing departments within companies doing mailings are very clever, sculpting great offers around such specific T's & C's that they draw you in.  That is good marketing and it works!

If you need help in getting a direct mail campaign put together - it would be good to talk to the marketing gurus that the above companies use - as they are good.
 
The pizza offer is restricted to certain days (Tuesday for example) and the half price pizza is only available up to 4pm on Tuesday - who is going to order a pizza at 4pm?

The iTunes voucher is subject to you subscribing to their monthly tariff of £9.99 per month - which you can cancel before the 30 day expiration date.  However most of us forget and then get charged (as they have our credit card information (which we had to give in order to get the 35 free tracks.

Virgin wine indeed are offering half price cases of wine (which sounds great) - however you have to sign up to their 'wine club' in order to qualify.  This is not stated on the flyer that got sent to you, but is in very small print on their website.

The thing is, there is always a catch - businesses craft

6 Great TV Adverts

Now that I have had my bit about the awful TV adverts that we are all forced to watch before we can reach the controller to change channel (to any channel), I thought it good to balance things out and mention a few recent adverts that (in my humble opinion) are really good ones:

1. Boursin (du pain, du vin, du Boursin)
2. Diet Coke (time for a diet Coke break)
3. Rennault Advert (Nicholle...Papa)
4. Linx Effect
5. Fosters
6. Celebrity adverts (M&S, Sanisbury's etc.).

Interesting that all the above are for products and not one of these is a service advert (for car insurance, or legal services).

It can therefore be said that having an annoying advert, although it does cause you to remember the service - does not really help your brand.  However if you have a good TV advert - then people will remember you and smile.

Advice, do not put an annoying advert on TV, opt for a good one that will make people smile and want to watch it.  Some of the great adverts from years gone by are always remembered (Boddingtons, Milk Tray, PG Tips) as they are good - and most of us (that do turn over when the adverts come on) will watch them and smile.

6 Most Annoying TV Adverts

We all have to endure adverts on TV, even if we channel hop throughout the evening, you do trip over the adverts that we just cannot stand.

In my humble opinion these are the five most annoying adverts on TV in the first quarter of 2011:

1. Go Compare
2. Compare The Meerkat
3. BT 118 118
4. Injury Lawyers 4 U
5. Churchill
6. All Government Adverts (from the angle that our money is being spent on huge advertising costs)

With the exception of number 6, these have to be the most annoying TV adverts that are being screened.  However, being annoying, they do stick in your mind (like that silly red phone on wheels we have all come to know) so therefore they do what they are supposed to do (no, not to annoy and irritate you putting you in a bad mood for the rest of the evening) but make the service stick in your mind.

It is interesting, that all of the above TV adverts are for services (as opposed to products) and tend to be on throughout the day (not just in the evening).

Choosing A Graphic Designer

OK, you need some graphic design work done - you are faced with a small problem...

There are thousands and thousands of graphic designers in the UK - who do you use, how do you find a good one, do you use a local one, one that knows your industry, someone cheap, a recommendation?

Price comparison is common place these days, with sites for insurance, books, clothes, food, utilities, holidays, DVD's and many more products on-line that you can very quickly compare prices with.  The same can be done with graphic designers to help you find the right designer at the right price.

Some thoughts to bear in mind:

Local Graphic Designers

In working with a local graphic designer you can do a couple of things.  Supporting a local company (which is always good) but also, this gives you the facility to be able to meet with them regularly, look over designs together and have that personal contact that tends to get lost in the internet age.

Experienced Graphic Designers

To give you the best chance of getting the best finished solution it is advised to work with a graphic designer that has a knowledge and understanding of your industry.  They will have a clearer understanding of your product, your market and also of your competitors.  This all helps in getting the right product for you (whether it be a brochure, packaging or any other area of graphic design).

Reasonable Priced Graphic Designers

There is no set price for design work, all graphic designers charge their own prices, so it is always good to compare prices in order to get the best deal.  Indeed quality does come at a price, however there are lots of designers that do over charge (as they have cars, holidays etc. that they need to pay for) which you do not want to be caught out for.

The best advice is to compare graphic design prices and get a few designers (that meet the above criteria) to submit ideas and costs - allowing you to choose the best one at the best price.

UK Website Design

If you are a UK business, then there will be the angle of 'keeping work in Britain' - as we are all aware the UK industry is moving overseas.

The automotive industry is almost completely gone from the UK now, Mercades is German, Toyota is Japanese, Hyundai is Korian, Ford is American.

Most food and beverage (vegetables, chocolate, alcohol) are imported.  Many restaurants are looking at using local suppliers (which is used as a PR spin) but massive amounts of our foods are imported.

The clothing industry is almost all imported (Made in Taiwan is a popular phrase on our clothes) from the USA, Italy, Japan and China.

Many companies are outsourcing their website design overseas due to price, quality and support services.

Even the royal wedding website of Prince William and Kate Middleton (www.officialroyalwedding2011.org) was developed by an American company (Accenture).

Many top UK firms do use overseas companies to maintain their websites, provide tech support and SEO services; when there is a wealth of resource in the UK market.  Why - it is normally down to money.

Compare Website Design Prices

How much does a website cost - this is something that gets asked over and over again.

The old saying 'how long is a piece of string' springs to mind, as websites can vary from being free of charge, to costing well over £1,000,000.

So it comes down to a few factors:

1. What sort of website do you want
2. How many pages do you want
3. What sort of features do you want (movies, blog, photos etc.)
4. Do you need on-going maintenance or SEO (or just the design)
5. What sort of web designer you choose

These are the elements that would determine the cost of a website.

Just breaking some of these down a little, should give you an idea as to the costs of website design:

1/ There are 3 types of website: template sites, CMS sites, e-commerce sites

The three sorts of sites would be suited to different purposes.  If you want a basic website designed, then a template site would be most appropriate - as they are free/cheap and quick to set up.  Ideal for a small/startup company with limited funds; or a company that just wants a presence on the internet.  If you are a medium sized company then a CMS sites would be more suited (standing for Custom Managed Site) as you can update it yourself (without going back to a designer).  Even if you are a large company, a CMS site would still be suited to what you need.  If you are taking payments on-line or are a shop - then an e commerce website would be the ticket.

2/ Generally the more pages there are in a site, the more the site will cost (as there will be more work involved in getting them set up etc.

3/ Generally, if you have lots of pictures on your website, movie files, a blog, down loadable files or PDF's then this also pushes the cost up.

4/ If you just want a website designed and that is it -then it will be a one off cost to the design agency.  If you need someone to maintain your website (which most sites do need) or SEO work (search engine optimisation) then this will also push the cost up.  SEO is an on-going process so this would need to be considered carefully.

5/ All website designers are different, different sizes, different levels of experience, and differently priced.  There is no standard rate that design agencies charge - they set their own rates (which could be per project, per day etc.

This all considered, the cost of a website will vary so it is advised to compare website design prices to get the best designer at the best price.

The truth about telemarketing prices

Telemarketing is as old as the introduction of the first phones.  Started up in the USA around 1950 based around advertising in magazines and publications it has quickly spread to all areas of business.

The concept of telemarketing is 'to market a product/service over the phone'. 

The image many of us have of a telemarketing person, is a young person (student or senior school person) cold calling houses in the evening or selling double glazing.

Despite this being partly true, it is the tip of the iceberg.

People of all ages do telemarketing, both in making 'cold calls' but also in handling calls.

If you call up your bank for some help, or call up your utilities provider, chances are this would be handled by a telemarketing company.  Telemarketing is a big part of our lives these days, from helplines, banking, retail, mobile phones and really any larger company that has a freephone/0845 number.

The truth is that telemarketing does cost.  Telemarketing companies need to employ staff, need to train then, need to incentivise them, give them holiday, sick leave and promotions.  As such, the cost filters back to the customer.  As with any product or service (hotels, trains, cars) the main cost is the cost of the staff/business which does need to be appreciated.

Different telemarketing companies charge differently, and it is always advised to shop around and compare telemarketing prices in order to get the best deal.

Prices typically are based on a day rate which can fluctuate from around £150 to up to £600.  This would be based on a few factors:

• The seniority of the person doing the calling

Generally the more senior a person is, the more they will cost.  If you want an ex sales manager or highly experienced telemarketeer then this will cost more, as opposed to a young person or newish person doing your calling.  It depends on what you are looking for, if your campaign is quite simple - then a junior caller could do it.  If your campaign is high level or you are targeting senior level people - then having a more experienced telemarketeer is advisable.

• The size of the telemarketing agency

The larger the telemarketing company, the more they will charge (generally) as they have more of an infrastructure, more managers, more directors, more company cars, more holidays to pay for etc. Again, if you are looking for volume calling, then a larger telemarketing company is more suited, if you just want 1 person to do calling 1 day per week, then a smaller telemarketing agency is suited.

It is good to shop around and compare telemarketing prices - they do vary and to avoid getting stung, comparing is a good thing (we do it for car insurance, clothes, food, so why not telemarketing).

Choose a local marketing company

The importance of local is so often overlooked in today's global fast tracked society. 

However many companies are using 'local' as a selling point, keeping the local greengrocer in trade is important, or the local dairy, or the local builder.

UK Society in 2011

The UK has become a very busy place, with a mixture of cultures, religions and people.  People that are coming and going, and generally more busy than the people of 50 years ago - always in a rush, always traveling here and there.

Supporting the local economy has become something of a bygone era in many ways.

Local Marketing

There are many advantages to working with a local marketing company, not just because you are supporting the local economy, but you are also bringing direct benefits to your business by working with a local marketing agency.

UK Marketing companies are spread far and wide, and now it is popular to look overseas for marketing support.

In working with a local marketing company you can get a personalised service that you just cannot get with working with a marketing company from the other side of the country.  Yes we all know that traveling from London to Leeds only takes 2 1/2 hrs - however it is still a trek and when you factor in the trip back, plus the time at the meeting it is a day out of your life (just for an hours meeting).

With a local marketing company you can a loyalty and dedication that you could not get from a cyber relationship.

The truth is, that so many marketing companies want to work via e-mail as a preference to meeting - as they can squeeze in more customers.  Without having meetings, they are removed from the emotion of having to look into your eyes and explain what your hard earned money has bought you.  Especially if the marketing is not going according to plan there is the personal factor of explaining that marketing does take time and sometimes do not go according to plan.

As such - pushing for a meeting regularly (even if it is just to catch up and have a cup of tea with the boss) is going to be in your favor.  It may not make you the most popular client and you may be an irritation in taking up their time - however if they have to meet with you and explain themselves - they will push to get you the results you need.

Getting past a gatekeeper.

For a caller, getting past the secretary is one of the hardest things.

If you are doing a cold call and do not know who to talk to, there is the danger that you will get the classic 'if you send something through in the post, I will ensure if get to him/her'.

If the secretary knows you maybe they will block you from getting through (either by lying (yes this does happen) or by just not helping).

Secretaries are gatekeepers, they are the ones that stand between you and getting to your prospect - so they need to be handled in the right way.

Authority

Secretaries are used to authority so there is the concept that if you speak with authority and confidence, then they will snap into a submissive role and do your bidding.

This can sometimes work, but is a dangerous approach - if they call your bluff you could kill your chances of getting through.

Be Polite

9 out of 10 seasoned telemarketing companies will advise to always be polite to the gatekeepers.  Winning them over by flattery, compliments will work wonders.  You can hear when someone smiles on the phone, so if you do get them to smile or chuckle - then your chances are massively improved.

Using their name

This is kind of linked to the authority angle, if you have their name and use it- there is the illusion of a relationship and they will respond (hopefully in a positive way).  Some telemarketing gurus say that using a first name is intrusive and unprofessional - however if you want them to be your friend, you use their first name.

The nature of a gatekeeper

There is the myth that secretaries are standing in between you and your prospect, guarding them like a pit bull.  This is not the case and is indeed a myth.

Secretaries have two roles:

1/ To be helpful and offer advice

The secretaries role is to help, that is why they are there, to help their employer to manage calls, get stuff done and to put callers through.  Getting a secretary into 'helpful' mode is an art.  If you approach a secretary with 'I wonder if you can help me' or 'I was told that blah blah blah - what do you think' they will put their 'helpful hat' on and point you in the right direction

2/ To prevent unwanted time wasters

This is the pit bull angle - they are there to protect and prevent time wasting sales people using up important time.  To get a secretary on their guard is a highway to disaster - so opting for the helpful approach is always advised.

Times to talk to gatekeepers

At the end of the day gatekeepers are still people and no one likes calls first thing in the morning bang on 9am (or worse still, on a Monday morning at 9am).  Also, last thing in the evening just as they are packing up and thinking about dinner, what the kids are doing - to have a cold call from an upbeat sales person trying to get through to their boss.

Getting some telemarketing tips is always a good thing - as once you understand the basics of how to approach telemarketing, how to deal with unhelpful secretaries, how to structure your day - telemarketing is just about numbers and that is it.

Why is telemarketing expensive?

Telemarketing has long been known to be an effective marketing tool.

If you engage a telemarketing company, you can have a very targeted marketing campaign focusing on clients in a specific geographical area, a specific industry sector, or any other variable you can think of.

The problem is, telemarketing is not cheap.

Why is this, why is it that telemarketing is expensive?

Simple, there are a few reasons if you care to read on just a little further:

• Telemarketing takes time

Even if you have a list of (say 3,000) prospects, it will take time to contact each one, find the right person to talk to, pin them down in-between meetings  or being out of the office and then do a phone demonstration (or chat to them) and get a yes or no.

Sometimes it can take 7-8 attempts to reach a prospect (which for most people that are not used to telemarketing means frustration and time) which may just result in a 'no'.  Even more frustration as that is a lot of time - wasted.

• Finding the right person to do the telemarketing

If you are a telemarketing company, and you have a member of staff, you will have needed to find them.  Finding someone that will sit at a computer, making call after call after call to get results (for a customer) is not easy.  Most people (normal people) would get board and throw the towel in.  Many people do telemarketing as a stop gap or single parents as a bit of part time work.

Finding the right person to do telemarketing is not easy- so after a telemarketing company has spent time interviewing, trialling, firing - they then get someone good. 

They need to pay them, incentivise them and keep them motivated all the time.

If you consider the staff salary, plus bonuses, plus the cost of the telemarketing company - this is why they charge what they charge.

As with any form of marketing - if you want results, you do need to spend the money first.  You need to consider tasking the company, getting them to contact the prospects, chase them and collect results.

Results for telemarketing?

Bearing in mind the sales pipeline:

• Prospecting
• Initial contact
• Follow up
• Discussion
• Close

Results will take a minimum of 3 months to show (based on 1-2 days telemarketing per week) as you need to allow the telemarketing company to work their way through the sales pipeline above.

Many people expect that telemarketing company will work on a commission only basis however working on the concept above (finding staff, having the staff crunch the data) telemarketing companies need to charge.

Telemarketing prices do vary from telemarketing agency to telemarketing agency so it is always advised to look around and compare prices.

There are lots and lots of telemarketing companies in the UK (well over 600 actually) so there are lots to choose from.

Do you want a telemarketing company that knows you r industry?
Do you want a small bespoke telemarketing company?
Do you want a large call center?
Do you want inbound or outbound telemarketing?
Do you want a senior level telemarketer?

These are all questions that you need to have in mind before getting quotes and finding the right telemarketing company - that is not too expensive.

Does the UK weather effect marketing?

This is something that many have pondered - does the weather effect marketing?

In the UK we are blessed with the weather changing throughout the day more or less every day.  However during the seasons of extreme weather - this can effect marketing, and here are a couple of examples:

December 2010 - Snow Hits UK

During the beginning of December 2010, the UK was hit by a very cold spell, causing massive amounts of snow and freezing temperatures (going down to -21.6C in Altnaharra (which is on par with the South Pole)).

This had the effect, that many people could not go into work, as a result less marketing was going on, enquiry numbers dropped and generally the whole UK ground to a halt.

Even many air flights were canceled from taking off and landing - resulting in food shortages in supermarkets across the UK.

Summer in the UK

Summer does not really happen in the UK as it used to (back in the day) but looking at the end of May/beginning of June this is normally a period where temperatures go up to 30C+.  As a result, more people take days off for holiday,gardening sick leave etc.  As a result, marketing activity slows down and some companies (particularly in manufacturing) go on a shut down.

For many companies, this is very bad news, if your business is reliant on marketing enquiries coming through then to have seasonal periods of famine can cause problems.  On the other hand, forward planning marketing activity around these seasonal deserts can also work either by having a marketing campaign ready to run, or to have a shut down yourselves.

The main thing that businesses need to recognise, is that marketing is effected by seasonal trends, whether the sun during the spring time (which lets face it, is what May is) or the snow in December - it is going to have an effect on sales and marketing as a whole.

If you are struggling with getting consistency of new business enquiries, it may be best to talk to a marketing company about how to forward plan for the quiet periods and ensure that your business does not suffer the shock waves the British weather can bring.

Are Exhibitions In Decline?

With the development of the internet and the impact of the world economy, are exhibitions going into decline?

We have seen two big players in the exhibition industry www.exhibitions.co.uk join forces with www.tsnn.co.uk to create a central partnership; however is this to try and dominate the declining exhibition industry here in the UK?

We have seen two shows canceled this year (Interbuild 2011 and SED 2011) which is down to the UK recession. 

This arguably has more to do with the construction sector declining as opposed to the exhibition industry as a whole, however many shows spanning a range of industry sectors have seen visitor number drop in recent years (manufacturing (sub con), M&E (Mac) as companies opt for keeping staff at their desks.

It is expensive sending staff out for a days 'jolly' to network, chat to friends and accumulate expenses and as such many businesses have decided not to visit shows as much now that more can be done via the web and on e-mail.

For exhibitors, with falling foot flow, they find it hard to justify the expense of renting the floor space, paying for a stand to be designed, paying for models, food, hotels, drinks, transport and all the other costs surrounding events and exhibitions.

While exhibitions are a valuable place for companies to meet, sell and promote themselves, they are still very expensive compared with other marketing service options which can be a lot more cost effective.

In these difficult economic times, it is good to compare marketing prices and weigh up if exhibitions really are the best marketing option or whether there are more cost effective options available.

Marketing Companies in the UK

Around the UK, there are thousands of marketing companies of varying sizes.

There are actually over 25,000 marketing companies covering the following disciplines::

• Website Design
• Graphic Design
• Branding
• Telemarketing
• Corporate Events
• Sales Training
• Exhibition Stand Design
• Promotional Gifts
• Market Research
• Direct Mail
• Data (business and consumer data) providers
• SEO (search engine optimisation
• Public Relations
• Copywriting

Many businesses these days do not like spending copious amounts of time getting quotes.  Considering in the old days with car insurance, ringing around to get quotes - getting marketing quotes is a similar thing.  Still time consuming, however you cannot really choose a marketing agency based on just price.  There are other factors to consider:

• Experience of work (design/telemarketing etc.)
• Experience of your industry (do they know your market)
• Resource available (if they are small they may have to outsource work)
• Location (if the agency if far away, can they really support you)
• Cost (at the end of the day, we all worry about cost)

By  comparing marketing prices - you can get quotes from relevant marketing companies thus saving valuable time and hassle in chasing people for feedback, quotes and advice.