Posts filed under ‘Project Management’
Collaborate, Communicate, and Share the Wealth
I would like to give my Graphic Designer some credit for the process map created that clearly outlines the purpose of a Data Diplomat. There is obviously a lot more to the process when you get into the nuts and bolt and this give you the view from 10,000 feet. This is a very important view when you are trying to sell and you have the 1/20th of a second (right Dr. Slammy) to catch some attention. You do not have much more time than that once you get the attention if you unable to quickly get your point across. There are a number of factors that go into a good sales process, which include…
- Good ideas that have a purpose
- Good communication skills
- Good communication tools
- Good networking skills
- Good service and I have said it before but it makes me laugh…
Rinse and Repeat
It should be everybody’s long-term goal to retain clients and bring in new business. There is a line and you need to be scalable, which is the reason for collaboration. This is the key to success and something that should be in the 101 rules of every business. I am not a graphic designer and have dabbled in it a bit with frustration and a half professional product in the end. Kym Bixler (click her name for her portfolio) however is an artist and graphic design is one of her specialties. The product you see above is my idea with Kym’s artistic flair. I like this better than the drawing I made and I have never discussed this in-depth with Kym, I just assume she is not a data junkie.
Closing Remarks…
If you need some good graphic design I can hook you up. If you need some good writing, I can hook you up. If you need some data diplomacy, I can hook you up. The goal is to thrive in your business so don’t waste time doing what others do better, work together and create a successful group!
How Do You Like to See Your Data? – Parking Lot Chat


Are you a spreadsheeter, mapper, or grapher?
These days it doesn’t really matter, if you know what you are looking for. When data is in a good clean consistent format there are numberous possibilites of what you can learn. I just finished putting together some fairly simple analytics based on basic information that hopefully wows the audience. Unfortunately for the client, they would have to decode the data and possibly misunderstand how the data translates into information because they are not database marketers, they are the client that sells things or provides or services something etc.
I Like Spreadsheets…
And other visual formats but the spreadsheet is my friend. If the data is in Excel or a csv, ansi, or txt format, I can manipulate it while verifying that nothing is out of the quality control world. I have mentioned Pivot Tables and vLookups and other various Excel functions. Even when working with sophisticated programs like Salesforce, Excel is a big part of the reporting and both are useful and perform different tasks. Since Excel is able to read straight data, it is up to the user to make the magic and depending on the user, the magic is very cool.
On the Job
I worked for a database marketing agency for a few years and learned a great deal of valuable tricks, tactics, and shortcuts that create a more efficient use of time. The company has mail processors and they do a great job and it is important to verify, reverify, and confirm, when it comes to data, and even then there are errors that fall within a small margin that just have to be accepted. My point is that the processors never use Excel and don’t care to. I really do not want to process files and the nice thing is I like to audit them and find that issues.
Bringing it Back Home
Whether it is in graph, spreadsheet, map, video, or pictures, you know when something looks incorrect. If you look at data the way you look at or learn something that is more interesting to you it will increase your ability to work more effectively. I took data from a third party vendor and provided it to my contact with straight numbers, spreadsheets, and maps. I will follow up with what they like best.
I Tried What the Video Suggested, And Did A Little Branding
As always, the weekend was full of fun and excitement. I did most of this things in that video from a few weeks back.
Here this one:
I did two and a half, I think. Maybe two with one and two halves, if that is possible. You tell me…
I went to see a show with my lovely wife Shari for her birthday. We have been Ben Folds fans for years and I was driving the other day and heard a commercial for Ben Folds with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. I am slightly cultured, my parents tried and most of it stuck; I just don’t get to the Symphony enough. Well this was a great opportunity so I bought some tickets and we went last night, and it was great. Ben played music from every album and after the Symphony went home, he stayed to play about six or seven more songs. Not to mention that he played the musicians off the stage with an improvisational piece.

Ben teaching the audience to harmonize

The guy in front of me has a nice head of hair

The Symphony has a curfew so ben played a while after then left
Mr. Folds is a bit of a story-teller and I learned last night that some of the stories are so random it makes me think of some others I know, and maybe you know, but no one writing this blog post. He told a story about writing songs for each of his kids and that they are twins. I knew he has two kids but did not know they are twins. Here is the kicker… they were born four hours apart on different days and have different astrological signs. Just seems strange.
I did go for a drive if you consider any time I was driving this weekend so nothing too exciting there.
The Bit of Branding
I made a logo for the new division, or more like service offering of JWconsulting. This one is the new thing and it seems to be a good idea. Businesses have a lot of data and most of the time the issue is that no one has the time or patience to get it all straight. Enter the Data Diplomat, a step further than the Translator. Well the step further is in the simple and maybe not even mathematically correct equation below:
X + Y = ?
- X = Customer/Client
- Y = Vendor/Salesman/Association Member
- ? = I have no idea without good data
X + Y3 = Warm Lead or Connection
- X = Customer/Client
- Y = Vendor/Salesman/Association Member
- 1 = Name – always nice to know a real name
- 2 = Interest or Shared information – also nice to know when forming a relationship
- 3 = Communication – collecting information that allows for communication is imperative
The way I see it, you are already collecting a lot of information in various ways, or the hypothetical you is anyway. If you are not collecting it there are certainly things to talk about there too. The point is that we need consistency and we need a robust database with multiple sources. In order to accomplish that you need to dedicate time and resources and if you build it right and understand the data, you are going to be up to your ears in good information.
Here is the logo:
Hanging out in the yard…
I was there, not really hanging out, just doing a bit of yard work. It is funny that this could have been the last weekend of this year for yard work. That would be cool but I will miss vacuuming the lawn. (I know it’s mowing) I am just new to it since my parents always had lawn people when I was growing up and this is the first house I have had with a lawn. I think it has come a long way this year. Colorado lawns are apparently hard to keep up and I can chime in a little.
- Grew grass where a neighbor said it couldn’t be done
- Figured out my sprinkler system
- Had a huge tree trimmed
- If it rains, the ivy is crazy and the weeds grow like weeds
- Crab apples smell like a dumpster if they get smooshed and you leave them.
All and all, this summer has been a good lawn summer. Oh, the front wheel drive on my mower went out a few months ago. Does craftsman have a lifetime warranty, I think they do. I am on the internet so I should check. I hope everyone has a nice week and thank you for reading. Keep your eyes peeled for news about Data Diplomat, the name servers and doing something and I am working on the website. Hopefully we launching this week.
Thanks,
Jon
Of Course Jon Has Something to Say – List Vendors and Managers
Don’t get me wrong, it is not like Pigpen from Peanuts, more like an unshowered homeowners after lawn work. They won’t throw you out of most places but people might have something to say about the dirt and possible smell.
List 101 Part 2 – Controlled Circulation and Response Data
The second installment of the List 101 series looks at some of the best data available on the market, Controlled Circulation and Response Lists. These are two different list types and both have proven to work well since the data consists of people with proven interests or behavior.
Doctors read doctor magazines and finance people read finance people magazines. Stamp collectors often read about stamp collecting and along the same lines, orchestra members usually have an interest in reading about music. I have also found that people that like cars go to car shows and people that play golf attend events, read up on the sport, and even purchase from catalogs.
Almost everything that people do is written about and there are conferences, shows, and other events that bring people together to share their love of what they enjoy or do for a living. There is data for almost anything and when you are able to match interests with offers, your marketing campaigns will be more successful.
Definitions:
The web is an interesting place to gather information and I have found definitions that match well with how I define Controlled Circulation and Direct Response Lists.
Definition of Controlled Circulation – BusinessDictionary.com
Controlled Circulation – Distribution method in which only qualified subscribers (such as architects, engineers, or doctors) receive a publication, usually for free. Also called qualified circulation.
Definition of Response List – Answers.com (the link is for Mailing Lists in general and there is a lot of information to read – enjoy)
RESPONSE LISTS. Response lists consist of names and addresses of individuals at home or in the workplace who have responded to an offer of some kind (by mail, telephone, billing inserts, etc.). Because these people are known responders, their names are generally priced higher than those in lists compiled by other means. However, individuals on response lists may have responded to a media other than direct mail (e.g., telephone solicitation) and may not even open their “junk mail.” Thus it is important for the small business owner to know what percentage of a list was direct-mail compiled. And always, the business owner’s most valuable response list is the “house list” of current and past customers.
There are some major players in the list world and they all have a process for managing data for clients. I have seen changes over the years that include takeovers, buy outs, shut downs, and movement of data from one vendor to the other. My point is that numbers don’t lie and people quickly find out if the data is valuables. If the numbers aren’t looking good the list owner needs to determine if the company managing and marketing the data is doing the best job possible. Sometimes it is the data and sometimes it is the vendor and I have seen some movement that lets me know who is doing it right.
Where does the strategy start?
A wise man I work with always asks me two questions every time I have an idea.
- Is anyone interesting in the Kool-aid you are selling?
- How do you plan to communicate with these people?
Both of the questions are vague so if there is no answer, you probably need to take another look at your idea. A few sub questions can come out of YES responses to the questions such as:
If the answer to question 1 is YES:
- Who are they?
- Is there data on them out in the market?
- Do you know the demographics and behavior of your audience?
- I can go on but that would take away a reason to call me and discuss
If the answer the question 2 is YES:
- Is the audience direct mail responsive?
- Are there specific magazines or associations they belong to?
- Have you thought of a multichannel approach and is data available to support one?
- Again, I stop at three… we can talk more if you have some questions
Once you have some information you can start with a strategic plan to reach your audience. Data is key and the direct marketing rule that seems timeless is 40-40-20
What is the 40-40-20 rule for direct marketing success?
Nat G. Bodian has the answers. In his book, Direct Marketing Rules of Thumb, Bodian states:
“The 40-40-20 rule was developed by direct marketing maven Ed Mayer many years ago. It divides direct marketing success into three segments as follows: 40 percent to using the right mailing list; 40 percent to who the mailer is and what he has to offer; 20 percent for everything else – postage rate, format, paper, stock, color, copy, graphics, etc.”
— Direct Marketing Rules of Thumb by Nat G. Bodian. Published by McGraw-Hill, Inc. Copyright
In order to follow the rule you must have great data, a great offer, and great creative and you should keep in mind that without the three you have lessened your chance of a good response. After answering the basic two questions of the Wise Man, you will know what path to go as far as data. You might not know where to find it or if it is available and that is where a good list broker come into the equation.
If you have questions regarding data and what is available or the best strategy for finding the data you need, please drop me a line at jon@jwconsultingco.com.
The next blog in the series will be on In House Lists.
10 questions to answer about your CRM or Database Solution
- How many users are entering data and do they do it consistently?
- Are you sure that users are adding complete information?
- How many good/bad addresses or contacts are in your database?
- How often is the data scrubbed?
- How many duplicate records are in your database?
- How many ways have you spelled the same name differently causing the record to appear as a duplicate when in reality it is not?
- How many records have a “state” field populated with something other than two capital letters such as NY, or CO as opposed to New York or Colorado or do you ever see items in the wrong field, city in the state field, zip code in the phone number field etc?
- Do your records meet mailing requirements for postal discounts, zip+4, and all standard fields?
- Are you sure that older records that haven’t been contacted in a while are still at the same address?
- Do you like to save time and work efficiently?
The Truth about Email Marketing, In-house Data and SPAM
As promised, the second half of “The Truth about Email Marketing”. Loyalty is not what it used to be due to endless changes in the market and how America does business. This is not in any way a political blog, more like a pro-successful business blog. It is important to make sure you have some sort of Loyalty program in your Marketing plan because your customers are easier to retain then going out and finding new ones. Using email marketing to keep in touch or build a relationship is a great idea.
I believe as stated in my last posting that anti-spam regulations popped up after certain businesses and individuals decided to work the system. Pharmaceutical ads and offers to sell replica watches, etc are the bigger offenders. Others SPAM and get away with it and some SPAM and are blatantly just sending out emails in bulk with no regard for the audience.
Here are the facts about the CAN-SPAM act enforced by the Federal Trade Commission. This is no joke… very serious and a good reason to stay compliant. Also, here is a link to an Anti-SPAM Executive Summary by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) that lists State guidelines as well.
The answer to the question about the act that pasted below is showstopper if violated; Up to $16,000 fine for each email in violation. The only way this could keep you from going out of business quickly is if you are very good at generating revenue in other ways to support their SPAM habit.
Q. What are the penalties for violating the CAN-SPAM Act?
A. Each separate email in violation of the law is subject to penalties of up to $16,000, and more than one person may be held responsible for violations. For example, both the company whose product is promoted in the message and the company that originated the message may be legally responsible. Email that makes misleading claims about products or services also may be subject to laws outlawing deceptive advertising, like Section 5 of the FTC Act. The CAN-SPAM Act has certain aggravated violations that may give rise to additional fines. The law provides for criminal penalties – including imprisonment – for:
- accessing someone else’s computer to send spam without permission,
- using false information to register for multiple email accounts or domain names,
- relaying or retransmitting multiple spam messages through a computer to mislead others about the origin of the message,
- harvesting email addresses or generating them through a dictionary attack (the practice of sending email to addresses made up of random letters and numbers in the hope of reaching valid ones), and
- taking advantage of open relays or open proxies without permission.
Here are the rules – What you need to do to keep from violating the act
- Don’t use false or misleading header information. Your “From,” “To,” “Reply-To,” and routing information – including the originating domain name and email address – must be accurate and identify the person or business who initiated the message.
- Don’t use deceptive subject lines. The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the message.
- Identify the message as an ad. The law gives you a lot of leeway in how to do this, but you must disclose clearly and conspicuously that your message is an advertisement.
- Tell recipients where you’re located. Your message must include your valid physical postal address. This can be your current street address, a post office box you’ve registered with the U.S. Postal Service, or a private mailbox you’ve registered with a commercial mail receiving agency established under Postal Service regulations.
- Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future email from you. Your message must include a clear and conspicuous explanation of how the recipient can opt out of getting email from you in the future. Craft the notice in a way that’s easy for an ordinary person to recognize, read, and understand. Creative use of type size, color, and location can improve clarity. Give a return email address or another easy Internet-based way to allow people to communicate their choice to you. You may create a menu to allow a recipient to opt out of certain types of messages, but you must include the option to stop all commercial messages from you. Make sure your spam filter doesn’t block these opt-out requests.
- Honor opt-out requests promptly. Any opt-out mechanism you offer must be able to process opt-out requests for at least 30 days after you send your message. You must honor a recipient’s opt-out request within 10 business days. You can’t charge a fee, require the recipient to give you any personally identifying information beyond an email address, or make the recipient take any step other than sending a reply email or visiting a single page on an Internet website as a condition for honoring an opt-out request. Once people have told you they don’t want to receive more messages from you, you can’t sell or transfer their email addresses, even in the form of a mailing list. The only exception is that you may transfer the addresses to a company you’ve hired to help you comply with the CAN-SPAM Act.
- Monitor what others are doing on your behalf. The law makes clear that even if you hire another company to handle your email marketing, you can’t contract away your legal responsibility to comply with the law. Both the company whose product is promoted in the message and the company that actually sends the message may be held legally responsible.
It isn’t that difficult to stay compliant
In my opinion, there are a few common sense rules to follow that should keep you out of trouble with the Federal Trade Commission and State Laws that prohibit SPAM. These are all for the purpose of Loyalty initiatives and if you want more insight in acquisition campaigns, read at the last post The Truth about email Marketing – Acquisition Campaigns.
- Have a relationship with the person you are contacting. If they are a customer and have indicated that they would like to hear from you, feel free to communicate with them
- If the recipient asked to be removed from the list – Remove them from the list! NOW!
- Make sure there is an opt out option on the email
- Identify an ad as an ad
- Be honest – sell what you say you are selling and make your content relevant to your subject. In other words, don’t try to sell pharmaceuticals with the subject line – Refinance Your Home with No Points
- Don’t over communicate! If you think you are sending too much email then you probably are. Think about how often you want to hear from someone trying to sell something to you. Ask your friends and colleagues and set up a frequency that makes sense. Some people report you as SPAM because you email them too often, even if they signed up to begin with
- Promote to people that fit the promotion, or at least seem to fit. Another reason to segment your database
There are plenty of reasons to second-guess how one will respond to an email communication. As stated in the previous blog, a solid database is the heart of marketing communication and email marketing needs extra attention. People are protective of their inbox and want to do their best to keep it from being filled with non-sense. Bad email procedures could turn a good customer into an upset email recipient. Know your data, segment and think about your audience,
Some businesses thrive using email marketing because they cooked up a recipe that is enticing, attractive and walks the fine line of good and bad communication. Ask yourself this, If you received a Birthday or New Year card, Anniversary (of your business relationship or certain transaction), or the occasional special offer relevant to your interests, would it be spam. Would you unsubscribe to those types of communications or would you just delete if not interested. I would gamble on the latter and of course that is my opinion but if a relationship is formed, getting an appropriate email is something you welcome.
The Truth about Email Marketing – Acquisition Campaigns
| The Truth about Email Marketing – Acquisition Campaigns As an Independent Marketing Consultant, I pride myself on knowing and learning about industries I service and represent. I have been in the data business for close to 15 years and have seen a shift from traditional direct mail to eMarketing and Social Media advertising. A good database is always at the center of a successful direct marketing campaign, and that is even truer for an email campaign. As a marketer, I have always asked myself “if it is important or interesting to me, is it really spam?” The answer a lot of the time is ‘yes’ and oddly enough in the age of spam, I wouldn’t report or even unsubscribe some of the communications I receive. Spam regulations occurred for people who abuse the system, and email marketing, the right way, is more difficult because the email list used for a campaign is better qualified…
Here is email marketing the legitimate, non-Spam way, with a reputable data provider
After the vendor explains the process, they often hear: “Well that seems like a long process and we want to send out the email on our own. We can get 100,000 email addresses for $500 so we will buy the names and email ourselves.” The result: Some sort of black listing usually follows this up from your Internet service provider. You also find a lot of unhappy people, not to mention the huge number of bounces because the names are not what we call “legitimate” or deliverable. Of course the worst case scenario for this company is action by the Federal Trade Commission based on regulation defined in the CAN-SPAM act. The reasoning for the process outlined above It might seem excessive to go through the process outlined above and it is for a reason. Anyone can send an email and it is practically free. In order to keep companies from emailing everyone all the time for products and services they aren’t interested in, spam regulations were put into place. The benefit of working with a vendor is that they help pre-qualify the leads by priming them to receive your communication and for that nominal fee mentioned; they filter out those that don’t want to hear from you. If you look at the return on investment of a real eMarketing campaign vs. emailing names you buy from “some company” you will see why doing things the right way pays off. The example above is strictly for purchasing names you don’t already know. Email campaigns to existing customers that allow you to communicate with them via email are different. We can help with that process and I promise to give my opinion in a blog to come. |
Five things to watch out for that impact a campaign’s success
I have worked in a variety of industries on both the agency side and in-house marketing departments. In my role as an account manager, database marketing manager, sales representative, and list broker I have been involved in projects and programs that have achieved great results or floundered and one thing is a proven benefit no matter the result. Debriefing or a Post Mortem, for a less than eloquent term, gives the team a way to discover why something worked and what to replicate and what to change. I have found that there are key elements to campaigns from concept to execution that you should avoid.
Beware of the following:
- Working without a plan
- Urgency
- Short sight thinking
- Limited response mechanisms
- Lack of focus
Each point above, independently or combined, can inhibit the success of a program, campaign or overall business plan.
Working Without a Plan
Have you ever tried to go to the grocery store without a list? I guarantee that the person with a list will save money, time, and leave with everything they need, where the person without the list will do just the opposite. Planning is not just for the conservative thinker, it is for anyone who wants to stay within a budget, complete the tasks at hand, and track results. A campaign without a plan is a recipe for disaster so make sure you know and document all the steps in your process.
Urgency
Rushing to get a mailing out, a newsletter dispersed, a survey written, or a decision made causes more problems than it is worth. Urgency creates anxiety, which in turn eliminates our ability to make good decisions. Taking the time needed to do something correctly might cause a delay that then feels unacceptable but what’s the alternative. Have you ever had that sinking feeling of missing a typo or strange-looking line break? Does a short delay to get something done correctly compare to the impact of sending a 50,000 piece mailing with a typo?
Short Sight Thinking
Would you rather have $50 today or $500 in a month? I guess it depends on who you ask but for businesses, what is the point of making quick money if it takes away your ability to grow. I have worked in companies that are able to achieve incredible success and settled for limited success. I know an automobile salesperson that has been in the business for over 20 years and he is still working on new business day after day. His lack of dedication to creating a database of customers to keep in touch with inhibits his ability to form relationships that create repeat sales. Businesses that take the same approach sell themselves short since retaining a customer is easier than acquiring a new one and retaining customers enable a business the time to focus on acquisition programs. I know it is easier said than done but isn’t everything. I will post something soon to explain (in my opinion) the value in customer retention so stay-tuned for that blog entry.
Limited Response Mechanisms
I recently worked on a campaign where there was an equal number of responders that came in through an 800 number, email, and a direct connection to the Webinar. If you limit your response mechanisms, you limit your overall response. These days the more options you give the better your response rate. You can reach me by email that is available in at least three locations, Facebook, Linkedin, the blog site you are reading, phone, Skype, IM, and traditional mail. I have not adopted every form of communication but I am up there as far as connectivity. It is best to make sure that you give people options for contacting your business or responding to your campaigns because you never know what people prefer.
Lack of Focus
Speaking with someone without focus is difficult because they are hard to follow and leave you with a sense of confusion. There are ways to effectively communicate, sell services, and market products and without focus it is an uphill battle. If you have kids, which I do, then you learn fast that they know how to make you focus on them. Try doing anything with a child that knows you aren’t completely focused on them. It is not common for a business person to scream and cry for your attention, they take a path that isn’t as easy to recover from; they take their business elsewhere. If you are selling a service, make sure you keep your pitch relevant. When planning your next campaign, keep yourself in a frame of mind to focus on the goal because it is easy to stray.
By eliminating the five points above success is easier to carry out. I have worked hard throughout my career to be the best I can be, and eliminating negative elements of campaigns and programs helps greatly.
If you need help, we can fill in the gaps.
Procrastination or Lack of Time
We have all been told from an early age that procrastination is bad and it will have a big impact in the long run. Putting off your homework might have you scurrying to get it done on the school bus, putting off paying a bill will lead to late fees and possibly bad credit, and deciding to wait to get something done at work can cost you your job. All of the things mentioned above are decisions that people make every day, leaving us to make up for those poor decision. Now here is the kicker… what if the decision is not ours to put things off?
Time, where is it and why isn’t there enough?
If you put off responsibilities for one reason or another you might find yourself in a spot where if you knew yesterday an unfortunate situation could have been avoided. What if you can’t balance the books because you have 10 other things to do… where does that leave you? The domino effect is powerful; thinking something was deposited and writing checks causing payments to bounce and vendors or utility companies to get angry is not a good situation. If you could have balanced the books the situation could have been avoided but you didn’t because you had to keep projects on track, pay the bills, get payroll ready, and talk to upset clients, and so on and so on…
How do we find the time?
Everyone seems to work around the clock these days, burning the candle at both ends and still not getting the job done. We try to get everything accomplished, but at what cost. Those of us with families can’t afford to lose time with their spouse or children. I have two small children and explaining that you can’t read or play with them because there is work to do is depressing. If I could only get them to return calls, write creative briefs, go on press checks, or maybe some consulting, I’d be golden but what’s the chance of that.
The best situation I have come up with is to work faster and more efficiently, which helps as long as your work doesn’t depend on anyone else. Maybe the others have gotten their part done but there isn’t enough time to review or follow-up. We live in a society where balancing quantity and quality is difficult. It is never good to sacrifice quality but lack of time causes urgency and rushing, which in turn affects our quality of work and leads to loss of clients. The ability to increasing your productivity while producing quality work is crucial to the success of your business.
Fill the Gaps…
What you need is a strong bench where you can add players when needed, sort of like sports teams. Use a pinch hitter, but not really, an extra hitter. This is not easy since companies have budget constraints and are laying people off left and right. If there was a way to get all the tasks done and keep the ship on course, maybe some companies wouldn’t be in such a dire situation.
JWconsutling has a network of resources that can help fill in the gaps. We can manage projects, write copy, coordinate design work, and carry out many other tasks a company isn’t able to due to time constraints. Our goal is to make your company more successful by taking things off your plate and freeing up your time.
Contact us at 303-981-2494 or jon@jwconsultingco.com to discuss what you need to keep your business on course. Don’t let anything slip through the cracks; JWconsulting can fill the gaps and free up your time, allowing your business to thrive.
Visit our Website at www.jwconsultingco.com
