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>> BiZ TipZ & TriX

Here's a collection of business tips, tricks and success secrets that have appeared in our newsletters.  Do YOU have a tip to share?
... CLICK HERE to mail us your "TipZ

>> TOPICS: <<
Successful Business = 3 Legged Stool
Strategic Marketing Partners
Effortless Sales Increases
Filtering Out Success
"Gift Marketing" - New Customers Guaranteed

Filtering Out Success
....Is your Spam FILTER Costing You
Money and Clients?

More and more companies and individuals are adding mail filters... victims of the software companies that convince them that filtering out spam is more important than customer or business info (did you ever notice that "spam filters" are promoted/marketed with spam?).

Most of these filters are SO sensitive that an e-Zine, or Newsletter, can't get though (such as Earthlink when set to higher settings). 

According to a recent study by Lyris... over 10% of opt-in mail is blocked... meaning one in 10 of the email's you WANT to get... you don't.

One in 10 may not sound bad until you consider that the emails you missed could have valuable business information... information you need to make money.

Some filters are even programmed so that if one piece of mail from an address is designated as "spam" ...then no other/future eMails from that eMail address will get through either, meaning that the sender can't even contact the person with a personal note to inform them of the situation.  The City of Casselberry, for instance, blocks all mail I send to their employees that are our Connections members.... their filter thinks our newsletter is "spam" now and won't allow any mail from my eMail address through their mail server.  This is despite the fact they want us to promote the cities events!  If I have a question about an event they have submitted to me... I can't find out by eMailing the person who sent it. Because I don't have time to make phone calls to verify info... this means that some of the cities events never make it to the web site.  They lose the opportunity for publicity and waste the time of the person who submitted the event.

How can your spam or mail filter cost YOU money?

According to a recent study... businesses LOSE 30% of their potential NEW business because they simply don't respond quickly enough, or are too hard to reach.  Reasons cited included email filters, voice mail systems and other technology layers that made it hard for a potential customer to contact a business.

Information is crucial in the business world.  I heard from one of our Real Estate Agent members that they are involved in a legal situation right now because their RE company's spam filter was blocking info from their vendors (such as the mortgage company they worked with).  They missed a vital piece of information and it cost their customer a higher interest rate and more points because they didn't get this info in time and should have.  Now that agent is being asked to pay the buyer more than their commission... to make up for the mistake. Whether they have to pay it or not remains to be seen but, at the least, the filter cost them the good will and referrals they would have had from this client, made them look unprofessional and gave their company a "black eye." 

Another member works in the event business.  When she is looking for a vendor... someone to buy or rent products or services from, she often sends a group eMail requesting bids to the vendors on her email list.  How many of those vendors are losing the opportunity to get her jobs because of their mail filters?

It makes you wonder how many other situations exist where important info doesn't get through... an opportunity that would have led to a sale or new customer, etc. ...all because someone wants to save the 60 seconds, or so, it takes to hand filter out their real spam.

>> How much opportunity could be lost every day?
>> Who knows?  ...You can't count what you don't have. 

Is "spam" REALLY such a big problem?

I do NOT use any kind of mail filter.  None.

I send out the Connections newsletter to over 12,000 people (plus my eMail is all over this web site) ... and I STILL don't have a big spam problem. I used to change my eMail address once a year... (and use a separate one for online purchases and interactions), but lately, because of the *"can spam" laws I have found that I've been able to use the same eMail address for 3 years... and it still never takes me more than a minute or two to filter out my real spam by hand.

Unless you have access to a filter that you can "custom program".... think whether using a spam filter AT ALL is worth the  risk of missing a new client opportunity, alienating another business professional by bouncing their mail OR losing the ability to stay in touch with your fellow business folk. 

Another thought on the matter... I just saved over $150 on a purchase I had to make... thanks to "spam."   It just goes to show... one man's spam is another's filet mignon!

Do you ever wonder if we, as consumers, really question the need for the products we buy... and whether the benefits they provide really outweigh their "cost."   Or do most of us "buy" the point of view of whatever the marketing companies throw at us?

...Sue Copening, Exec Director
The Connections Groups
sc@connectionsgroups.com

*"can spam" laws - New laws require companies to put a "unsubscribe" options in all bulk emails... and to remove someone within 10 days who request it.  There is a hefty fine for non-compliance.  Since the law has gone into effect there has been a drastic reduction in spam from most countries... especially US companies.  Recent research shows a reduction in spam of over 80% in the last few years.  Do you hear that from the companies that sell "spam filters" though?  Of course not!  Though I did see an ad from one recently that used that statistic as part of their marketing.  They quoted this statistic... but in such a way that they made it sound like the reduction was because of their filter.  They actually took credit for eliminating over 80% of spam.... basically pretending they had blocked all this spam ...spam that wasn't even being sent!

>>   CLICK HERE to mail us your "TipZ"
 

Strategic Marketing Partners...

HUH?  What's that?  An SMP is a business that shares the same demographic customer base as you, but does not compete.  Ideally you should have 2-5 strategic marketing partners that you organize marketing activities with, share costs, programs, etc. 

For instance...

> A clothing store may partner with a shoe store, salon, lingerie store, etc.
> A realtor may partner with an interior designer, landscape architect, remodeling contractor, etc.

Marketing ideas: Regular advertising is less expensive when ads are larger.  The group would save by purchasing a full page ad and splitting it up.  Do mailings to customer bases together... meaning the same cost for a mailing of 1000 might then reach 4-5000 instead... each business gaining exposure to each others customers.  They might throw events, open houses or parties together... especially during the holiday seasons.  The marketing ideas are almost endless... and the other advantage of SMP's....

3-5 heads are better than one!

>>   CLICK HERE to mail us your "TipZ"

Effortless Sales INCREASES...

Studies show that businesses lose 30% of their potential new business because they are too hard to reach, or don't respond quickly enough. Additionally, the average business spends $10 in marketing/time to get a potential customer to make contact.  You could increase your business with these simple tips...

1) Check eMail several times a day.
2) Answer your phone personally as often as possible.  Every call where they didn't leave a message could have been a missed opportunity.
3) Return emails and calls promptly.
4) Avoid spam filters that require people to jump through hoops to "validate" their email.  A potential new client may simply contact your competitor instead. Instead of using filters, consider simply changing your email every 2 years, use "mail rules" to custom filter mail, and use a Yahoo type account when you shop online. To "encode" your email on your web site: http://www.proles.net/emailencoder
5) Do not use "useless" autoresponders ...instead make yours an "ad" for your business...  use it to answer your 10 most frequently asked questions. (FAQ's), or direct people to your web site.  By saying something important with your auto-responder... you aren't wasting folks time and you may "make a sale!" 

>>   CLICK HERE to mail us your "TipZ"

Copyright 2005 / The Connections Groups
12940 Downstream Circle, Orlando, FL 32828
407-275-2956 / sc@connectionsgroups.com