The impressions you make can have a lasting effect on your career as well as the success of your marketing campaigns. Make a poor internal impression and you may never have the resources to succeed at the external part. Here’s a list of things you can do to make the best internal and external impressions.

Internal

• Speak with true knowledge about your customers and markets.
• Demonstrate your ability to capitalize on customer data.
• Know your competitors intimately—strengths, vulnerabilities, etc.
• Cut programs that don’t work—show no favoritism beyond positive results.
• Reallocate money to the best performing channels.
• Be able to cost justify more expensive channels that perform.
• Make a solid case for automation and other investments that improve efficiencies.
• Set and communicate short-, mid- and long-term goals—there will be a tomorrow.
• Make your plans flexible—think best and worst case scenarios.
• Collaborate with the team (accounting & operations people, too)—you’re all in this together.
• Show a willingness to learn and adapt.
• Communicate your program successes.

External

• Show your customers that you identify with their situation.
• Be less promotional and more personal.
• Communicate how your products or services provide added value that will help them.
• Make customers feel comfortable, safe and secure about their buying decisions.
• Avoid price-cutting—it’s a losing strategy.
• Combine data mining with personalization techniques to customize offers.
• Pay attention to customer communication preferences—now is not the time to give anyone a reason to tune you out.
• Integrate channels that make sense for your customers and your message.
• Execute messages appropriately for each channel—integrated marketing isn’t one-size-fits all.
• Make sure your print materials are environmentally responsible—people still care.
• Invite customers to engage with you in more ways.
• Get more mileage from your campaigns by incorporating pass-along and other techniques that get your customers working for you.

Ink. Digits. Chalk? Thumbs up to the owners of Limestone Coffee & Tea (Batavia, IL) for their chalk promotion during the community’s recent Windmill Fest. Located in a high-traffic area, the retailer posted a chalk-written sidewalk promotion for a free coffee or tea with any drink purchase if you bring a friend. And an entry-way promotion offered 10% off any frozen drink during the festival. The promotion is fun, nostalgic and very cost-effective.

By Larry Bauer