Impression Engineers

Targeting your customers through "market segmentation" or "selective marketing" is very effective, if done properly.  Unlike mass-market advertising, selective marketing copy is written directly to a specific audience. Recently, we were asked to write an ad. They sent us the one they had made themselves — it had not performed as expected. The minute we got it, we knew why it did not perform and we were not even part of the market the ad was aimed at. First rule of writing an ad is to make sure it is written to the target audience. What appeals to them? Humor? Details? ...

I admit it. I’m addicted. I first noticed how bad my addiction was in Missouri, two weeks ago. Then, last night… the urge was so strong, the guilt so painful that I realized I might need some good old-fashioned withdrawal therapy… I know I’m as guilty as most (if not more). I carry my Blackberry (and sometimes my laptop with my Blackberry) everywhere. I was even one of those "talking-heads" with the "borg-looking" headset (until my dog ate it).  I think he was trying to tell me something. Anyway, that should have been my first clue. The second clue...

Direct mail is in a revival these days. Even Microsoft recently sent out a direct mail campaign to market adCenter, their online paid ad service. Imagine that, direct mail ads to advertise an online ad service! Direct mail can be an effective way to target select markets, if done correctly. How do you make your mail stand out from the rest?  Start with a clear message and an easy-to-understand call to action. What you want them to do? Use only graphics that help tell your story. Don’t pack everything in your piece, give them a reason to contact you. Be generous with white space....

Clicked the red ruby shoes to bring you this week’s Best Impressions–I’m somewhere over the rainbow–Oz perhaps, as I’m writing today’s newsletter from a cave somewhere outside of Kansas City. I’m taking computer training on developing online learning courses at the International Academy of Science. I know that still doesn’t explain why I’m writing in a cave, well, the Academy is located in an old limestone quarry – underground, yes underground (if it looks like a cave and feels like a cave, it must be a cave….) Maybe,  I’ve...

Here’s a easy-to-use formula for a successful sale. Decide what you need / want. + [Determine what your customer wants + one] Results: Win/Win sales situation It may appear simple on the surface but sometimes just deciding… Decide what you want This can be a stumbling block for some people, but in order to get what you want or need from a sale you must first decide what you want. As you decide what you want, make sure it is measurable. Know your bottom-line of what you want–your bottom-line can even include whom you are willing to work with or for. Specifically, what do you...