Justin Mullens Joins Hasseman Marketing

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justin mullens joins hasseman marketing

(Coshocton, OH)—Coshocton based marketing firm and promotional products distributor Hasseman Marketing & Communications is growing again.  Hasseman Marketing is excited to welcome Justin Mullens to their team.  Mullens joins Hasseman Marketing after working for the last ten years at Spectrum Cable and will take over a new position called Digital Brand Manager.

“We are so excited to welcome Justin to the team,” says owner Kirby Hasseman.  “He has a great personality and I am excited to have him start working with our clients to help them grow their brand.”

The Digital Brand manager is a new position for Hasseman Marketing.  In his duties here, Mullens will work with clients that utilize marketing services and social media management from Hasseman Marketing.  He will manage social media accounts, create video content and work to “story tell” online.

Justin has been a resident of Coshocton County his entire life.  Justin Mullens has completed his third studying Digital Marketing and is starting his senior year at Full Sail University. Fueled by his outstanding work ethic and desire to learn more, he enrolled into an accelerated bachelor’s degree program.  Throughout his high school learning, Justin worked at the local bowling center developing the communication and personable skills required to work with the public. From there, he became a technician with Spectrum Cable and has obtained superior communications, leadership and problem-solving skills in high pressure situations.

“It is an honor to be joining Hasseman Marketing, and I am excited to work with such a wonderful team. The “Marketing Joy” Kirby and team delivers is second to none, and I am excited to surround myself with that energy. As a team, great things happen, and great things are ahead at Hasseman Marketing!”

Hasseman Marketing headquarters is located at 432 Main Street in Coshocton, Ohio.  They can be found online at www.HassemanMarketing.com.  In addition, you can follow them on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/hassemanmarketing.  

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Giving First with Promotional Products!

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“For it is in giving that we receive.” ―St. Francis of Assisi

We are in a “Give First Economy.” 

I believe this in my bones.  We even talk about this here…and some ways to succeed in this space.  But how can we talk about Succeeding in the Gift First Economy without talking about creating “marketing joy” with Promotional Products?  You can’t.  So let’s dig into how to “give first” with Promo.

Created in back in the late 1800’s, Promotional Products are often an overlooked part of the marketing tool box.  There are even some college professors that refuse to talk about Promo when it comes to marketing classes.  This is short sighted, small-minded and frankly irresponsible.

Why?  Because Promotional Products Work…and it’s not just my opinion.  Study after study is proving it to be true.  So much so, that I wrote an entire book (Delivering Marketing Joy) on the subject.  I don’t want to “re-litigate” the entire argument here.  But I will include this one sections from the book here.

I am sure every form of advertising is accused of “not working.”  As I heard once, “Just because you can’t put the ball in the basket, doesn’t mean there’s a problem with basketball.  Maybe you’re just not good at it.”

Promotional Products do work. 

Many of us have known this for years.  But more studies are coming out all of the time that proves it.  That’s the best thing about marketers getting more interested in measuring ROI.  We are getting facts to back up the theory.  Here are just a few from a study released in 2010:

*Of 1000 people surveyed that had received a promotional product, 89% could recall the advertiser.  Say that out loud people.  The name of the game in advertising is to create customer recall.  Nearly 90% is a number that you might want to know when you are figuring your budget.

*14.7% of participants reported contacting the advertiser after receiving the promotional product.  That is nearly 3 times greater than other media.

When done right, promotional products are incredibly effective.  The more the facts stack up, it’s just hard to argue.

Work Too Well?

The great irony is the other side of the coin is it can be argued these products work too well.  Don’t believe me?  Well look no further than the laws written to limit the amount of promotional materials that can be given in the healthcare industry to Doctors.  These laws were put in place because Big Pharmaceutical companies were creating “undue influence” over these Physicians.  Now some will argue that these laws were put in place because of free trips, game tickets, and extravagant dinners.

Maybe so.

But then why legislate the kinds of products that can be given to doctors’ offices?  To put it simply, these laws were created because promotional products were having a huge influence on healthcare decisions.

The goal of any marketing campaign is to affect behavior change.  When you can implement a campaign so effective that it needs to be legislated…you may want to consider that strategy to promote your organization!

Promotional products have been around since the late 1800’s and I think sometimes this is part of the reason the results are discounted.  Everyone wants to know the newest, hottest ways to reach customers.  You should!

But don’t sleep on the power of promotional products.  Now more than ever, you need to include them in your marketing mix.

If Promotional Products work so well…how can you use them to help you grow in the Give First Economy?  Let’s dig into that.

Marketing They Say “Thank You” For

As we like to say in the promotional world, when you create a Promotional campaign that works, your customers and prospects will thank you for your advertising!  No disrespect to radio, or TV, or newspaper, or social media…but no one thanks you for advertising there!

So how do you create a Promo Campaign that works and resonates in the Give First Economy?  Here are just four things to consider to make sure you hit the mark.

Don’t Just Go Cheap

Probably the biggest mistake I see businesses of all shapes and sizes making is considering your promo ONLY on price.  Of course, your budget has to be a part of the discussion!  It should be.  But just like in EVERY other area of your life, price should not be the only piece of information you consider.

If you are shopping for a car, most people do not just look at price. You consider the features you are interested in.  You think about the reputation of the dealership.  You consider whether you want to drive lots of miles (so gas mileage might factor in) or if you will be going off road or driving in the snow.  If you only consider price, you will likely get a vehicle you are unhappy with.  You want a vehicle that is a good value.  It should meet your needs AND fit in your budget.

When you are considering a promotional piece, think about that item being a very real and tangible representative of your brand…because it is.

Consider Where It Will Be Used

Now that you have decided to create a promotional piece that is not just a cheap piece of junk (we all thank you), you should consider how and where the item will be used.  Do you want your prospects or customers to have your branding around their office?  Is that where these decisions are made?  What about the kitchen?  You would be surprised how many decisions are made there.  Regardless, you need to consider your customer and where you can bring them value.  When you spend just a little time to do that, you can come up with a promotional piece that is used, appreciated and valued for years to come!

Consider Advertising Versus Branding

Next, consider what you are trying to accomplish with the promotional piece.  Sometimes, you want to provide your customers and prospects information where they can reach you.  Maybe (and I am just spit-balling here) you are a pizza place and you create a dry erase board for your best clients.  You want them to place this on the fridge and have your phone number, website, etc. in front of them all the time.  Great.  This is more of an advertising or direct marketing approach.

But sometimes you just want to create more brand affinity…and there is a ton of power in that.  You might want to create a super soft, comfy and cool t-shirt.  This warm piece reminds your customers of their feelings for your brand every time they put it on.  You aren’t going to plaster your phone number all over the t-shirt (seriously, please don’t).  With a piece like this, you create more brand recognition.  Done right, they will remember you.

By the way, neither of these is wrong.  But it’s important to understand what you are trying to accomplish when you begin.

Make It A Thank You Gift

One of my rules in sales is to (occasionally) go to your clients and prospects when you are NOT asking them for money!  As entrepreneurs, salespeople and marketers, we are often guilty of following the rule of Glengarry Glen Ross.  Remember that scene from the movie when Alec Baldwin declares “Coffee is for Closers!”

Baldwin stands at the chalkboard and yells at his underperforming sales team and shows them the ABC’s of Selling.

A:  Always

B:  Be

C:  Closing.

I disagree.

Promotional Products can be the perfect way to go to a client with a marketing gift just to say “thank you.”  Going to your client, on a regular basis, with a simple “thank you” and a small token of your appreciation for their support, will go a long way toward creating a long and profitable relationship.

Simply put, giving first is all about creating value for your customers and prospects.  The best promotional campaigns are designed to do just that.

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The New Website Is Here

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We are so excited to welcome you to our new and improved website!  At Hasseman Marketing, we work hard to provide our customers and prospects value, and we hope our new site is better designed to do just that.  On the other hand, we wanted to keep some of the personality that made our old site fun!  So let’s talk a bit about what you are going to find today…and moving forward!

We Are A Media Company:  I talk all of the time with our clients that “everyone is a media company” today.  I wrote this post last year and talked about my commitment to that.  But the fact is, though we create more content than most companies, we had it all over the place on the web.  This new and improved site has nearly all of our content in one place.  We have our blog on the site, which we have always had.  But you can also find Delivering Marketing Joy, my Day in the Life VLOG, and several podcasts…all right here!  My goal is to have a new piece of content on this page nearly every day!

Showcasing Our Services: Believe it or not, our old site did not have all of the things that we offered on it!  We want to fix that.  Now each of the areas where we can serve your business, has a dedicated page on the site.  Want to learn about our in house print offerings?  You can learn about that here.  Want to know how we can help you with video?  You can find that here.  And new to our services, we are now offering Web Development Services too!  We are excited to have Eric Dingler help us with this new service.  If you want to learn about this, you can find more information here.

As a side note, each of these services needs more detail…but that will be coming soon!

Contacting Our Team:  We always have fun with our About Us page, and this one is no different.  We included some testimonials from some great clients AND we have information about each of our great team members…and how to contact them!  You can find that page here.

So that’s what I think!  What do YOU think?  Let me know.  We are excited to continue to evolve and grow to serve you better!

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You Probably Won’t Read This Blog

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read this blog

Okay, so maybe that was a bit of reverse psychology.  If you are reading this, though, it must have worked.   But I promise there is a point to this exercise. Many of you know that we have been creating content for quite some time now.  I have created hundreds of podcasts, probably over 300 videos, and well over 500 blog posts.

I have committed to the idea of creating value through content, because it’s the right thing to do.  (And it’s working).   But one thing I have yet to REALLY learn is what will work.  I talk about this a bit here.

What I mean by this is that sometimes I write a blog that I think is really good.  I am excited about the topic and I think it will add value to a lot of people.  I am fired up to push publish…and…nothing.  Often, those sure-fire hit blog posts don’t seem to resonate.   Then, especially as I was committed to writing a blog every day, I might crank out a quick one with very little thought and BOOM, that article takes off.

When I blogged about this in the link above I got quite a bit of feedback that I needed to see what my audience was passionate about, and stick with that.   So I tried.   I noticed that sometimes I wrote specifically about a marketing topic, and that did well.  For example, this blog about how to deal with Haters online was read quite a bit.  So I decided to write another article like that.  Here is a one that discusses treating social media like a cocktail party.

The results?  Meh.

Okay…maybe it’s about “real” stories and authenticity.  This is a word everyone throws around a ton, so that must be true!  I wrote this article saying “I am NOT for everyone” and it was one of the most read blogs of 2018.  It was written out of a moment of frustration.

So what if I shared those moments more?  I wrote this blog about being overwhelmed and…well…the results were okay.   I have had the same results with video.  I am excited about my Day in the Life videos.  For example, this one where we lost our Drone got over 500 views pretty quickly.  But we have others in this series that (it feels like) no one watches.

Just currently, I am excited about this video we created that’s a little more inspirational.  It’s gotten some great feedback, so I am thinking of creating more things like that. The point of all of this exercise is that it’s a work in process.  Even the best content creators have pieces of content that flop.

It happens in Hollywood all of the time!  The best studios, producers and actors team up on a project…and no one cares.   So if it happens to the best, don’t worry when it happens to you.  It’s important, I think, to just keep showing up.  Keep pushing out your message and your value into the world.  You probably won’t know when something will flop.

But you also might be delighted when something really takes off and makes a difference. Oh…and the same is true for sales too.  You never know if THIS will be the sales call that helps you break through.   Go get it.

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3 Simple Steps To Dealing with Haters Online

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dealing with haters online

Let’s address a “hypothetical situation” that happens all of the time.

You have taken the time to create a social media presence.  Your Facebook page is solid and you post valuable content regularly.  You are providing good information and engaging with the growing audience.  You are killing it with your social media marketing.

Then one day, you get a negative comment.   A customer came to your location and had a bad experience.  They might have had an actual bad experience…or maybe they are just a difficult person.  Their coffee was cold.  Or their server was slow.  Or their customer service representative was rude.  Whatever the reason, they have decided to let the entire world know via social media!

What do you do now?

If this does not sound familiar yet, it will.  The reality is, with the internet, everyone has a voice.  And when people feel they have been wronged, they want to share that experience.  The thing is, this is not a new thing.  People have always shared their negative opinions.  Now, everyone just has a larger audience.  So what do you, as an organization, do when you get one of these negative comments online?

There are a couple steps to take (and they are outlined in detail in the GREAT book by Jay Baer “Hug Your Haters.“) But before we get to the simple steps, let’s reframe the discussion.  We need to look a bit differently about the feedback.  As I mentioned above, these conversations have always happened.  But now you get to be a part of them!  You get to address (the sometimes) very real issues with your service so that future customers don’t have the same experience.  This is incredible intel to make your organization better!  You need to start by looking at it that way.  Don’t get defensive…get pro-active to fix the issue.

Now onto the simple steps.

When you receive a negative comment about your company, product or service, I recommend you respond to the comment by doing three things.  Apologize.  Empathize.  Take it offline.

Apologize

Regardless of the issue, you don’t want your customer or prospects to have a bad experience, right? So apologize for it.  “I am so sorry you had this experience.”

Empathize

This is when many of us feel the need to “give a reason” why this happened.  This “reason” often comes off as an “excuse.”  No one wants an excuse.  They want to know they are valued.

Take if offline

I recommend you give them a number (to a real person) to call to discuss their issue.  First, this shows you really want to handle it.  Second, it keeps you from getting into an argument online…NEVER a good idea. This can be an incredibly effective technique.  Often, you won’t ever get the call from the person.  They just wanted to vent.  But by responding, you not only responded to that customer, but everyone who knows them SEES that you responded.  It shows you care enough to try and fix the issue.

And as customers, we know that caring can go a long way.

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3 Reasons To Focus on Long Term Sales Success

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So there I am.  It’s early in the morning and I am having my first cup of coffee.  I am using my time to go through social media accounts to check for people that I need to respond to, or to connect with.  I go through and comment on a few posts and congratulate connections on birthdays or work accomplishments.

My mouse hovers to Linkedin and I check to see if there are notifications there.  I love Linkedin and I enjoy the engagement there.  In addition, I do want to grow my network there!  So when I notice there are notifications in the “My Network” tab I quickly go to check them out.  Who might be reaching out to connect? If I know them, the decision is simple.  Click a button and expand my network.  Done.

But what if I don’t know them?  Do I so quickly connect?  Wait…let me see what other mutual connections we have.  Hmmm…just a few.  Do I accept?  Do I move on? What am I afraid of?  The goal is to grow my network, right?  We never know what person might be THE person that helps to grow my business!

So I click “Accept.”

Then…ding!  A message instantly comes through Linkedin!  Damnit.  THAT was what I was afraid of!  The instant sales message.  I don’t even have to look to know it.  This is the person who assumes that since you have accepted their connection, it’s time to put on the full court press.  It doesn’t matter that they don’t know if you need it.  It doesn’t matter that they don’t know what other solutions you have.  They have a quota and a goal and they are coming for you!

This, my friends, is the problem with a short term sales vision.

It’s the reason why it matters that you have a “long term” focus in sales.  As I say all of the time “I am looking for 20 year customers.”   When you are in sales, it’s hard to focus on the long term.  The fact is, you need to sell something in order to make ends meet.  That’s not only your goal, it’s your mission.  I have been there.  But having made some of those short term mistakes, I want to challenge you to think bigger.

Here are a few reasons that focusing on long term success helps you in sales and entrepreneurship.

You Look Less Desperate:  What short term salespeople don’t understand is, they will sell less for less money.  As consumers, we can smell it.  We know when someone is just pushing for the short term sale.  They don’t take the time to develop a relationship.  They don’t take the time to really explain.  They are too busy trying to sell me now.  Oh, and if you are in that big a hurry, usually the only thing you have to sell is price.  As Seth Godin says, that’s a race to bottom…and that’s a race you don’t want to win.

You Have Time to Push Out Good:  People who are focused on long term success understand that a good marketplace leads to good sales.  If your customers and community are doing well, you will do well.  So it allows you to take the time to help.  It will come back.

You Get To Say No:  When you are not focused ONLY on this next sale, you get to decide if the prospect or customer can help you create a long term business.  When the service or product or values don’t line up, you can politely move on.  There is a true power in that.

The reality is, focusing on long term success is how you build relationships and a business that lasts.  It’s harder.  Sometimes it takes longer.  But what are you trying to create?  It’s up to you to decide.

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