Are You Making This Costly Marketing Mistake?
Are You Making This Costly Marketing Mistake?
The other day, I was getting ready to try this little Thai restaurant in my neighborhood. I’d picked up a copy of their to-go menu a few weeks ago, and finally decided to give them a shot.
I fished their menu out of my junk drawer, picked out some tasty-sounding dishes and grabbed the phone. It was quite a bit later than I normally eat dinner, so I was practically drooling as I thought about the saucy noodle dishes and spicy curries.
Then it happened.
I could not find their phone number.
I looked all over the menu. Twice. I even began to get a little bit frantic and twitchy thanks to the combination of hunger and frustration.
But there simply was no phone number anywhere. Just their address tucked way down at the bottom of back panel.
There I was, standing credit card in hand. I was ready to buy, but it was not going to happen. Why? Because I could not find their phone number!
I was more than a bit bummed, because I really had wanted to try this restaurant. But at this point I just wanted to eat as soon as possible.
So rather than calling information or getting on the Internet, I just reached back into the junk drawer and grabbed the menu for another local restaurant instead.
Fast. Easy. Done.
Now I have to admit that this may sound like a pretty rare example. But I bet you’d be surprised how often I see marketing materials with important contact info missing.
Thankfully, most folks do manage to at least get their phone number on their marketing material somewhere. But a lot of the time it’s buried in some out of the way spot—and that can be just as bad as not having it there at all.
The day after my dinner ordering incident I was reading an email advertisement one of my clients had written.
Now I’d been working with this client for a couple years consulting, editing and helping her develop her own copywriting skills. And from enticing headlines to juicy benefits and solid calls to action, her writing skills had undergone a miraculous change.
In fact, her copywriting had gotten so good I often opened her emails and got sucked right in without realizing who it was from. Then suddenly it’d dawn on me, “Hey wait a minute, I recognize this…” :-)
So there I was reading my client’s latest email, and the event sounded so interesting I was tempted to sign up. I quickly scanned through the rest of the details until I hit the call to action, “Call today to register!”
“Okay,” I thought. “I will”.
But guess what? Yep. No phone number.
I couldn’t believe this was happening twice in two days!
So I scrolled down to see if the number was at the bottom. No luck.
Then I scrolled up thinking, “Maybe it was right at the beginning.” Nope, not there either.
Finally I realized it was buried in the long list of details, all in the same black font, above the call to action.
Whew! I was glad she hadn’t missed the boat entirely.
But how many potential customers did she lose because her phone number wasn’t front and center? Probably quite a few.
And the sale—one that was already in the bag—has suddenly been lost.
The moral of the story? If you are going to ask people to take action (whether it is call you, visit your Website, buy something, or send an email) don’t make them look for the information they need to do it.
Even if you think it is already in an obvious spot, always give them the phone number, URL or email address they need to take action right then and there. Your customers will thank you, and your business will be better off for it.
Are You Making This Costly Marketing Mistake - To learn more about this author, visit Stacy Karacostas's Website.
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It happened again…
The other day, I was getting ready to try this little Thai restaurant in my neighborhood. I’d picked up a copy of their to-go menu a few weeks ago, and finally decided to give them a shot.
I fished their menu out of my junk drawer, picked out some tasty-sounding dishes and grabbed the phone. It was quite a bit later than I normally eat dinner, so I was practically drooling as I thought about the saucy noodle dishes and spicy curries.
Then it happened.
I could not find their phone number.
I looked all over the menu. Twice. I even began to get a little bit frantic and twitchy thanks to the combination of hunger and frustration.
But there simply was no phone number anywhere. Just their address tucked way down at the bottom of back panel.
There I was, standing credit card in hand. I was ready to buy, but it was not going to happen. Why? Because I could not find their phone number!
I was more than a bit bummed, because I really had wanted to try this restaurant. But at this point I just wanted to eat as soon as possible.
So rather than calling information or getting on the Internet, I just reached back into the junk drawer and grabbed the menu for another local restaurant instead.
Fast. Easy. Done.
Now I have to admit that this may sound like a pretty rare example. But I bet you’d be surprised how often I see marketing materials with important contact info missing.
Thankfully, most folks do manage to at least get their phone number on their marketing material somewhere. But a lot of the time it’s buried in some out of the way spot—and that can be just as bad as not having it there at all.
The day after my dinner ordering incident I was reading an email advertisement one of my clients had written.
Now I’d been working with this client for a couple years consulting, editing and helping her develop her own copywriting skills. And from enticing headlines to juicy benefits and solid calls to action, her writing skills had undergone a miraculous change.
In fact, her copywriting had gotten so good I often opened her emails and got sucked right in without realizing who it was from. Then suddenly it’d dawn on me, “Hey wait a minute, I recognize this…” :-)
So there I was reading my client’s latest email, and the event sounded so interesting I was tempted to sign up. I quickly scanned through the rest of the details until I hit the call to action, “Call today to register!”
“Okay,” I thought. “I will”.
But guess what? Yep. No phone number.
I couldn’t believe this was happening twice in two days!
So I scrolled down to see if the number was at the bottom. No luck.
Then I scrolled up thinking, “Maybe it was right at the beginning.” Nope, not there either.
Finally I realized it was buried in the long list of details, all in the same black font, above the call to action.
Whew! I was glad she hadn’t missed the boat entirely.
But how many potential customers did she lose because her phone number wasn’t front and center? Probably quite a few.
And the sale—one that was already in the bag—has suddenly been lost.
The moral of the story? If you are going to ask people to take action (whether it is call you, visit your Website, buy something, or send an email) don’t make them look for the information they need to do it.
Even if you think it is already in an obvious spot, always give them the phone number, URL or email address they need to take action right then and there. Your customers will thank you, and your business will be better off for it.
Are You Making This Costly Marketing Mistake - To learn more about this author, visit Stacy Karacostas's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. We specialize in internet consulting & internet marketing. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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