October 2016 - Adventures in Marketing

Creepy Crawlers on Your Website or Your Next Sale?

The scary sales call is not just for Halloween..

Let’s face it, technology from George Orwell’s 1984 is alive and well on Halloween 2016. We’re a mobile society; we buy stuff with one click from Amazon and react when online retailers offer other products to go with the one we just purchased. So, why would we not want the technology to help business to business manufacturers? Yes, the “sale” is different and the cycle may be dramatically longer; but, the relationship needs to start somewhere.

When we see visitors to our website it’s now more data than the anonymous IP address traffic of the past. We see what pages they visited, what content they downloaded and just as important, who they are and the company they represent.

So, is it creepy to call immediately or really good proactive sales? If I was lost on a city block and someone offered to direct me, I would be grateful. The same goes in searching for a solution for your business or a new product. People want information and to come up with a solution as soon as possible. This is why you should call your possible prospect while they are actively searching for answers. Manufacturers work hard to attract visitors and hopefully future customers to their website. We use many tools, from search engine optimization and keywords to public relations and email marketing to attract qualified traffic. When they arrive, they should get a warm greeting.

Are you concerned your prospect will find your call creepy or be amazed at your use of technology? When making the call, we find it easy to quickly dispel this concern and address it head on.

If communicated with humor, an introduction like this example quickly melts the ice.

“Hello Mary, I hope this isn’t too creepy — I saw that you were visiting our website and thought I would give you a call to address any questions you might have. What were you looking for help with?”

Our experience is your prospect will laugh, but then quickly discuss what they were looking for when they found your website. Take the leap, call your prospect and do it today – within minutes of their visit.

Have fun selling!

It’s October, which means it is the season for fall colors, clambakes and football. Additionally, it is Manufacturing Month, kicked off by Manufacturing Day on October 7, 2016. Founded in 2012, Manufacturing Day is an annual national event that “has been designed to expand knowledge about, and improve public perceptions of manufacturing careers and manufacturing’s value to the U.S. economy.”

Participants of Manufacturing Day use the hashtags #MFGday16 and #MfgDay to join the movement and support US manufacturing as a whole, with people and businesses around the country.

Admittedly, I am the last person you want building anything. I am a firefighter part-time; I know how to break stuff with fancy tools. But fix or manufacture something….not even.

Manufacturing Day Ohio and preparing for Crain’s M Power #MFGday16

So, why am I writing about manufacturing? Our region, our country for that matter, was founded by builders, makers, and innovators. While many of the old-school steel mills and factories that we grew up with are gone, many have been replaced by a new-age of manufacturers that are creating parts and products with cutting-edge technology and 3D printing.

Manufacturing and all those that support the process are what Manufacturing Month is all about. Manufacturing goes beyond the young engineers and safety personnel at a factory. There are so many companies (like our agency), that are also employed because something needs to be built.

Sales people who start the process are an integral part of the manufacturing process. I often say, nothing happens until someone sells something. Let’s not forget about the financial folks who are instrumental in finding the fuel to acquire the machinery and raw materials. Website designers and writers, journalists and hotel operators. And the list goes on and on. We are all impacted by the manufacturing sector.

Our mission at Felber PR & Marketing is directly supported by all those who manufacture. We’ve been here too for 23 years – rolling up our sleeves, donning safety glasses and doing our part to promote manufacturers in all sectors, from roofing to flooring, fasteners to 3D printing. That’s why we say We Get Manufacturing. Later this month we will sponsor, for the third year in a row, Crain’s [M] Manufacturing Assembly, on October 19^th, 2016. Want a chance to attend for free? We’re giving away tickets to the event.

Please join me in supporting manufacturers. Northeast Ohio is home to some of the most incredible manufacturers work hard. Tag us, @FelberPR and we’ll share your manufacturing month posts and amplify your message with our network. Last year our campaign went national! Want to see how we have celebrated in the past?

However you support the manufacturing process, we salute you.

Top Tips for Cold-Calling Prospects on Your Website

I Don’t Work In Manufacturing So Manufacturing Day Doesn’t Matter

Archive for month: October, 2016