by Kirby Hasseman
I got a frantic text from one of my best clients just the other day.
“Can you meet me today or tomorrow?” she asked. “One of our events got cancelled and we need to do something quickly.”
To most of us, this is an all too familiar story. With the Coronavirus scare, conferences, meetings, festivals, sporting events and even small gatherings are being cancelled left and right. It is most likely the right thing to do for public safety, but it is wreaking havoc with businesses.
For businesses, these events and conferences are a chance to create relationships, form bonds, network, educate and, ultimately, sell. We host and attend these events because they give us something that emails, phone calls and even social media can’t. They represent true connection. These events can help to create brand affinity and growth.
During this time, when events are being cancelled at record rates, branded merchandise can help fill this gap.
“We had an event scheduled to welcome students who had committed to come to our university. We need a Brand Box, like you sent us,” she told me. “Cancelling the event is a bummer, but we are excited about this!”
As it turns out, Hasseman Marketing recently decided to send some of our top clients what we called a “Brand Box.” This box of Marketing Joy consisted of a very nice t-shirt, vacuum water bottle, a charging lanyard, lip balm, a pen and more. The items had the message “Be Kind. Give First. Work Hard. Repeat.” We curated the products with the idea of spreading some joy and to say “thank you” to our clients and prospects. It definitely helped us do that. And, as some of our clients have realized, this use of branded merchandise has created a brand affinity for Hasseman Marketing that they want to create with their clients and prospects.
My guess is, your company or organization has already been affected by the cancellation of events. If you haven’t, you will be. So what do you do? Instead of lamenting on social media and complaining to family and friends, I suggest you take a pro-active approach and take the #marketingjoy to your customers.
What will taking an approach like this do for you or your brand?
Surprise and Delight
Done right, a marketing box of joy like this will surprise and delight your customers or prospects. We don’t get a lot of mail these days that delight. This has a chance to turn the relationship upside down…in a good way! And because most of your competitors are not going to want to invest in this way, it will surely separate you and your brand.
Creates Brand Affinity
When you surprise and delight, you bring joy. And when you bring joy to your customers, especially in times of stress and need, you vault yourself to the top of their list. They don’t HAVE to do business with you…they want to!
Creates Long Term Value
Finally, if you select quality branded merchandise that will be used for a long time, you create marketing that works to further your story each and every day. Though everyone has to be conscious of budget, this is not the time to hand out new items that will end up in a landfill. Select items that create long term value to the customer, and you will create long term value to your brand.
I think we all would agree that we hope the Coronavirus quickly becomes a thing of the past. But in the meantime, officials are being rightly cautious. So while event after event continues to be cancelled, we can still create marketing and relationships that matter. Promotional products and branded merchandise continues to be the only marketing you you create where your customers will thank you. This is the time to leverage that tool to go on offense during these strange times.
For more information on how to create a Brand Box like ours, please contact us. You can reach out and email us at [email protected]…or you can head to our Promo page and find out more.
by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of the team that helps us “Deliver Marketing Joy” each and every day. So we wanted to introduce you to some of our peeps with our series we call “Brand-ecdotes.” Today we get to meet Kelly Bowe!
What is something fun that not everyone knows about you?
Hmmm…something fun that not everyone knows about me? I am a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant and Phlebotomist.
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
I think my favorite product would be the Viking Tumbler from Crown. I use this every day. It has the same high quality as a Yeti tumbler at a small fraction of the cost.
What is the current product you use all the time?
Silicone Square Spoon from Bay State. I did a self-promo of these and my clients keep asking for more. I use mine every day while cooking and baking. This is a high quality item that will last for years.
What is a company or brand that you admire and why?
Showdown Displays. This supplier goes over and above to help our clients and are always doing top quality work. Javier is wonderful to work with every time. My clients will comment that their product is even better than they imagined.
What is your favorite part of “Delivering Marketing Joy?”
I have met so many wonderful people through my work and have acquired many true friends. I will carry these friendships on throughout my life.
Thanks so much to Kelly Bowe for taking part in Brand-ecdotes. At Hasseman Marketing, we love our team. Want to learn more about us? Head to our About Us page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
At Hasseman Marketing, we are proud of the team that helps us “Deliver Marketing Joy” each and every day. So we wanted to introduce you to some of our peeps with our series we call “Brand-ecdotes.” Today we get to meet Bree McAndrews!
What is something fun that not everyone knows about you?
There are quite a few things! I am a proud mom of two beautiful spunky (and strong-willed!) girls 😊 I love to bake and create new recipes for friends and family. And…I have jumped out of an airplane more than half a dozen times!
What is your all-time favorite Promotional Product and why?
Favorite promotional product(s): I love to travel and wish I could more. These are some of my favorite pieces I have come across to date that allow me to stay connected, safe and fashionable in my travels.
-hand sanitizer
-camera blocker
-blue light glasses
-rfid card for wallet
-3 in 1 luggage strap with scale and tsa lock
What is the current product you use all the time?
RFID Card is always in my wallet! I also have so many clients who choose these as giveaways at their trade shows, career fairs, general advertising!
What is a company or brand that you admire and why?
This is difficult! I have a few I really like. One being Intuit and former CEO Brad Smith personally calling me regarding a handwritten letter I sent him discussing an awesome article he wrote that really hit home to me. Also – Moosejaw has to have some of the best/funniest marketing strategies. Recently I was driving and one of their trucks pulled up behind me. I looked in my rearview mirror and their front bumper sticker says “You have a flat tire – JK” Also a few holidays ago they were doing a national white elephant gift exchange for any gifts you received that you didn’t want you could ship to their HQ and they would take another gift they received from someone and send it to you along with a coupon. I wish I participated to see what random thing I would have received.
What is your favorite part of “Delivering Marketing Joy?”
I have the best most creative team! I learn so much from every team member. I work remotely and I still feel very much a part of the team! AWESOME people!
At Hasseman Marketing, we love our team. Want to learn more about us? Head to our About Us page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time not that long ago, when people questioned the power of social media when building a brand or an organization. Most of us now understand and acknowledge, that when done right, social media can be an extremely valuable tool in marketing and sales. There are just too many success stories to argue. But some companies still struggle to get their arms around how to make it work for them. So while they see that Social Media can be powerful, they have not learned to harness it for themselves.
Sometimes it’s not just about what to do…it’s about what NOT to do. So here are 3 mistakes I see organizations make on social media.
Always Be Closing
In this iconic clip from the movie Glengary Glenn Ross, Alec Baldwin gives a struggling sales team a speech that is for the ages. He says that those of us in sales (and we are all in sales) should “Always Be Closing.” While I think the cast is incredible and the scene is powerful, I don’t think that’s a great way to build a brand…especially on social media. So many organizations treat their social media platforms as another place to put up commercials. It’s not. You can’t always be selling or your prospects and customers will turn you off. They have that power now. If you want to create real business relationships, you need to provide value before you sell. You need to “give first.” Don’t “always be closing.” Always be giving value…or you won’t get the chance to sell.
I Wanna Talk About Me
Sure, it’s hard to get this Toby Keith song out of your head. But when it comes to social media (and marketing in general) when all you do is “talk about me” it can be a turn off for prospects and customers. Sure, you need to tell your story. But how you tell it matters. It’s important to consider why this matters to your customer. How does this help them? When you create social media and content marketing, make sure you do so with your customers in mind.
Ghosting
If you have not heard of it, one of the ways to define “ghosting” is to just leave a gathering or party without any communication. Sometimes that’s a great way to get through a business trip without a hangover. But it’s not a great way to treat your “audience” on social media. We have all seen that business that decided they were going to “be great at social media” and then go hog wild posting to Facebook. Then after a few weeks, the whirlwind gets in the way, and they “ghost.” No announcement. No explanation. They just stop posting anything for months. As you might expect, this is not a great way to build an audience or add value. Consistency is a powerful tool. Organizations that create a consistent plan, and execute on it, have the best results.
In many ways, it’s about treating your audience like you would want to be treated. You don’t want to be sold to all of the time. Most of us don’t want someone to only talk about them. And we certainly don’t like it when we are ignored. So consider that, as you look at your social strategy moving forward!
Thanks for reading! Want more content like this? Check out our blog page here. And if you just can’t wait another day without checking out my new book, you can find that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
In a world of overnight delivery and immediate gratification, starting a real business can seem painfully slow. We have more tools than ever before to build awareness, and that is a wonderful thing. But I have been reminded lately that a “share” on social media is not the same as a “sale.” When you are working to build a real, long term business, there are not as many shortcuts as we would like to believe. Real brand building takes time. So while you should use all of the new tools in the toolbox, there are 5 timeless rules of selling that still apply.
See The People
Despite the the proliferation of social media, building your sales is not just about having a presence on Instagram. There is still very real value to to getting in front of someone and seeing them face to face when you can. You have the ability to just “be with them.” There is power in that kind of focus. And they get to do the same with you. At it’s very core, we humans trust things that we are more familiar with. So by letting your clients see you, you gain credibility with them. Whether that’s showing up in their office with great branded merchandise, or just being at the events that they frequent, it’s still VERY important to see the people…and let the people see you!
Simply Listen
If this seems cliche, it is. It’s cliche because it’s true. As salespeople and entrepreneurs, we get so excited about what we are selling we forget to learn what our customer needs. It’s so important to ask questions first, then tell our story. We can tell our story SO much better when we understand the audience. For me, listening starts with good questions. Here are some good ones to start with.
Provide Them Value
Once you have listened to the prospect or client, don’t JUST try to sell them something. Of course you want (and need) to make the sale. But it’s so important to make sure you present a solution that actually provides value. If you can’t, walk away. As we talk about at Hasseman Marketing, it’s not about making one sale. It’s about creating 25 year customers. You can’t create that kind of long term relationship if you take advantage of people.
Show Gratitude
If you are blessed enough to make a sale, it’s not time to move onto the next transaction (at least not yet). It’s time to (sincerely) say thank you. The danger of the quick sale mentality is that each sale can become very transactional. You can become so focused on the next customer that you forget to appreciate the one you already have. It’s simple to fix this. Take an extra minute and write a note of thanks. Want to be more “new school?” Record a personal note and thank them on video. Either way, make sure you take the time to bridge the appreciation gap in your business.
Be Consistent
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up every day. So many of us see inconsistency in our sales. It’s often because of inconsistency in our effort. We hustle hard and do the pro-active activities while we are slow (because we have time). This creates sales in our business, so we stop the pro-active hustle while we are tending to the business we created. Then we become slow again…and the cycle starts again. The key to consistent sales is keeping up the hustle while you are busy. It’s simple…just not easy.
These are 5 timeless rules of selling. This is NOT to say you should not embrace all of the new tools of brand building. You should. But don’t forget the foundation, or the whole operation will come tumbling down!
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share with anyone who is in sales or building a business. If you want to check out all of our content, head over to our blog page.
by Kirby Hasseman
With the launch of my new book “The Give First Economy,” I reached out to several of my friends and peers that do podcasting and content to see if they could help me out. It’s always a vulnerable email to send out that says “please help me.” So I was humbled and honored that several people were kind enough to take me up on the offer. What was really cool was that each of these conversations, while they covered similar topics, were very different in tone and content.
That’s what happens when you are interviewed by professionals. They all have their own view, tone and vision for interviewing. Here are a few podcasts that were kind enough to have me.
Skucast with Bobby Lehew
Bobby Lehew is one of the most cerebral people in the Promotional Industry. He is an extremely well-read and thoughtful interviewer. Bobby wanted to dig into part 2 of the book first, and then chat about “giving first.” He even shared his own experience with getting too caught up in the chaos and the need to incorporate some meditation as a practice in your life. Listen to that conversation here.
So You’re In Sales with Roger Burnett
Roger is a believer in the “give first” philosophy and has created a business model around it. Roger dug right in on the concept of the book and wanted to unpack the idea that we have an “Appreciation Gap” in most organizations. Listen in to Roger and I here.
Clone Yourself with Sam Kabert
Sam Kabert is another friend of mine in the Promo Industry and is known for his SWAG Sam personality. But Sam has also become an expert in getting more done through the use of Virtual Assistants and speaks about that all over (he has even written a book about it). Sam and I have a pretty soulful conversation about the ins and outs of getting more done…but being more fulfilled and happy. Sam wants to go deep in his interviews and he does a great job drawing that out. Listen to that conversation here.
There are some more great conversations coming up soon and I will share those as well. But the book has done well (so far), in no small part to these amazing and gracious people that have been willing to have me on their podcasts…and lead a conversation. I so appreciate them “giving first” in this way.
If you want to keep up with all of the content on our site, please check out our blog page. We keep nearly all of the content we create in that one place.
