So what exactly is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Well, a feature is something tangible, factual, and verifiable. They’re the boring statistics and bullet points that most companies put front and center on their marketing materials. Here’s a list of possible features for a lawn care business:

Weekly service

Licensed and insured

20 years of experience

Hundreds of satisfied clients

A benefit is the intangible results of your features. These are the ‘warm fuzzies’ that come as a result of the tangible aspects of your business. The benefits are what really sell your service because of the images and feelings they evoke in your prospects. These are the things you want to talk about in 99% of any marketing message.

Here’s a list of possible benefits that would result from the features listed above:

A yard that always looks top notch

How to Respond to Customer Complaints
If you are in business, you will eventually offend a customer, or at least fail to meet the customer's expectations. Now that the damage is done, what is the most effective way to deal with the complaint and keep the customer?Step 1. Identify with the customer. Never take a customer complaint lightly. Rather, do your homework and make sure that the customer understands that you genuinely care and that you want to do the right thing. Doing the right thing, however, doesn't always mean giving customers what they want; it means making sure you do your best to get both sides of the story and respond appropriately.One of the best ways to identify with a customer is to ask yourself, "If this had happened to me, how would I feel? What would I think the right thing to do would be?" If you're truthful with your answers, and you respond accordingly, the odds improve that your customer will also.Step 2: Acknowledge the customer's point of view. Never tell a customer that he or she is wrong, but always respond in such a way that the customer knows that you understand where he or she is coming from. This is best achieved by listening to what the customer has to say and asking

As you take a look around, there would appear to be an unlimited number of ways a small business can spread the word about their specific product or service. While these methods range from traditional to the unprecedented, one method that has been around longer than most yet has proven to be very effective is direct mail.

Now, even though most small businesses are aware of this method and many have used it as part of their marketing efforts, the sad reality is that the majority don’t know how to make the most of this powerful marketing method. Because of this, the results experienced by most are less than stellar and usually lead to the false assumption that “direct mail doesn’t work”.

While it can be one of the most powerful tools in your marketing arsenal, there are several key steps that must be followed in order to maximize the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns. Without these, a majority of campaigns are destined to mediocre results at best and complete failure at worst.

Here are 5 keys that when followed will help you create super-successful direct mail campaigns that produce results.

1. The right message to the right market.

First and foremost you must create a powerful marketing message that seizes your prospect’s attention, tells them why you’re uniquely qualified to solve their problem or satisfy their need and what exactly they can expect as a result of using your service. Your goal with this message should be to stand out from the crowd.

Once you have this powerful message, you need to make sure it gets delivered to those prospects most qualified to receive it. So often, businesses are guilty of using ‘throw mud against the wall marketing,’ which means they run around randomly throwing their message about just hoping it hits the right person. In most cases, it doesn’t even come close.

To ensure maximum results from your carefully crafted marketing message, you want to meticulously select the market your message will be delivered to.

You can do this by either analyzing your current customer base (if you’re happy with the type of customer you currently have) or by making a profile of your ideal customer. What common characteristics do they have? Are they all in a certain income bracket? Do they live in a specific type of neighborhood? Are they at a particular stage in life?

Once you’ve identified the ‘right’ market, you can deliver your powerful message with the assurance that the majority of people that receive it will be receptive to your service.

2. Get your message read.

One of the biggest challenges with marketing in general is the fact that your message is competing against dozens, better yet hundreds of other businesses all trying to capture the attention of your prospects. Each day, people are flooded with competing sales messages and a vitally important ingredient of any successful direct mail campaign is actually getting your message read.

Unfortunately for most businesses, their carefully crafted sales message never even gets read. In order to ensure your message stands out from the crowd and gets read, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

First of all, don’t make it look like a sales letter. If you’re sending a letter, you might consider handwriting the address to make it look like a personal letter. You might also consider sending the letter without a return address. Another possibility would be to put your name on the return address instead of your company’s name.

Another way to make your letter stand out from the crowd is to create curiosity on the envelope. Putting an attention grabbing benefit statement front and center will go a long way towards getting your letter at least opened.

Once you’ve figured out how to get your prospect to open your letter, your job isn’t over. The next task is to get them to actually read your sales message. You can do this by starting off your letter with another powerful, attention grabbing, benefit laden headline. Right off the bat, paint a picture of the benefits they’ll receive by reading the rest of your letter.

This takes us to the next key ingredient to successful direct mail campaigns.

3. Stress benefits, benefits, benefits, not features.

The one mistake I see more often than any other when it comes to marketing is talking about features instead of benefits. This mistake alone is enough to sabotage even the best of marketing campaigns.

So what exactly is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Well, a feature is something tangible, factual, and verifiable. They’re the boring statistics and bullet points that most companies put front and center on their marketing materials. Here’s a list of possible features for a lawn care business:

Weekly service

Licensed and insured

20 years of experience

Hundreds of satisfied clients

A benefit is the intangible results of your features. These are the ‘warm fuzzies’ that come as a result of the tangible aspects of your business. The benefits are what really sell your service because of the images and feelings they evoke in your prospects. These are the things you want to talk about in 99% of any marketing message.

Here’s a list of possible benefits that would result from the features listed above:

A yard that always looks top notch

How To Know When To Quit Your Job
When you started your job you may have felt excited and motivated to do your best and have a long successful career. However, things may have begun to turn sour over the years. Instead of waking up every morning happy to go to work, you get a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach and stepping into the building puts you in a bad mood. You may have ridiculous deadlines, a pushy boss, and equally frustrated co-workers. The work environment is no longer fun. If you experience any of these feelings, it may be a sign that it is time to quit your job.Quitting your job may be a scary thought but it doesn’t have to be if you plan ahead. After all, it is better to be happy in your job because it is where you spend a majority of your life. There are some options you can consider before you make the leap.Discover Your PassionThink of a job that you would love to do that you would even do it for free. Maybe you have a hobby that you could turn into a home business. Start off part-time while you still hold on to your full-time job. In time, you may find that you can quit your job and work full-time on your home business. Passion can equal profits!Develop New S

mpaigns that produce results.

1. The right message to the right market.

First and foremost you must create a powerful marketing message that seizes your prospect’s attention, tells them why you’re uniquely qualified to solve their problem or satisfy their need and what exactly they can expect as a result of using your service. Your goal with this message should be to stand out from the crowd.

Once you have this powerful message, you need to make sure it gets delivered to those prospects most qualified to receive it. So often, businesses are guilty of using ‘throw mud against the wall marketing,’ which means they run around randomly throwing their message about just hoping it hits the right person. In most cases, it doesn’t even come close.

To ensure maximum results from your carefully crafted marketing message, you want to meticulously select the market your message will be delivered to.

You can do this by either analyzing your current customer base (if you’re happy with the type of customer you currently have) or by making a profile of your ideal customer. What common characteristics do they have? Are they all in a certain income bracket? Do they live in a specific type of neighborhood? Are they at a particular stage in life?

Once you’ve identified the ‘right’ market, you can deliver your powerful message with the assurance that the majority of people that receive it will be receptive to your service.

2. Get your message read.

One of the biggest challenges with marketing in general is the fact that your message is competing against dozens, better yet hundreds of other businesses all trying to capture the attention of your prospects. Each day, people are flooded with competing sales messages and a vitally important ingredient of any successful direct mail campaign is actually getting your message read.

Unfortunately for most businesses, their carefully crafted sales message never even gets read. In order to ensure your message stands out from the crowd and gets read, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

First of all, don’t make it look like a sales letter. If you’re sending a letter, you might consider handwriting the address to make it look like a personal letter. You might also consider sending the letter without a return address. Another possibility would be to put your name on the return address instead of your company’s name.

Another way to make your letter stand out from the crowd is to create curiosity on the envelope. Putting an attention grabbing benefit statement front and center will go a long way towards getting your letter at least opened.

Once you’ve figured out how to get your prospect to open your letter, your job isn’t over. The next task is to get them to actually read your sales message. You can do this by starting off your letter with another powerful, attention grabbing, benefit laden headline. Right off the bat, paint a picture of the benefits they’ll receive by reading the rest of your letter.

This takes us to the next key ingredient to successful direct mail campaigns.

3. Stress benefits, benefits, benefits, not features.

The one mistake I see more often than any other when it comes to marketing is talking about features instead of benefits. This mistake alone is enough to sabotage even the best of marketing campaigns.

So what exactly is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Well, a feature is something tangible, factual, and verifiable. They’re the boring statistics and bullet points that most companies put front and center on their marketing materials. Here’s a list of possible features for a lawn care business:

Weekly service

Licensed and insured

20 years of experience

Hundreds of satisfied clients

A benefit is the intangible results of your features. These are the ‘warm fuzzies’ that come as a result of the tangible aspects of your business. The benefits are what really sell your service because of the images and feelings they evoke in your prospects. These are the things you want to talk about in 99% of any marketing message.

Here’s a list of possible benefits that would result from the features listed above:

A yard that always looks top notch

TQM Implementation Project Part 5a - The Improve Phase, How To Do It
This TQM article is a continuation of the Part 4a article, the IMPROVE PHASE. In this issue, I will share with you how to use Control Lot and Testing and Pilot the Action / Solution in carry out this TQM project using the D.A.I.C. Methodology as described in my previous article.Just to recap, tools used in the IMPROVE Phase are listed below. I will deal with tools that are in bold:Brainstorming of action / solution | Selection Grid | Benchmarking | Cost-Benefit Analysis | Control lot and testing | Pilot the action / solution | Force-Field Analysis | Prevention PlannerHow to use Control Lot and Testing This tool is particularly useful to verify if the corrective action / solution is able to meet the team's objective. It is also used to confirm certain control parameter of changes in process. If the control lot is to verify process capability, then the parameter of this control lot must meet the desire process capability as well.Let’s see how to do it. In a coating line, the team has decided to change the belt speed of a conveyor line but not sure what level of speed is most optimized to obtain the best

tomer. What common characteristics do they have? Are they all in a certain income bracket? Do they live in a specific type of neighborhood? Are they at a particular stage in life?

Once you’ve identified the ‘right’ market, you can deliver your powerful message with the assurance that the majority of people that receive it will be receptive to your service.

2. Get your message read.

One of the biggest challenges with marketing in general is the fact that your message is competing against dozens, better yet hundreds of other businesses all trying to capture the attention of your prospects. Each day, people are flooded with competing sales messages and a vitally important ingredient of any successful direct mail campaign is actually getting your message read.

Unfortunately for most businesses, their carefully crafted sales message never even gets read. In order to ensure your message stands out from the crowd and gets read, it’s important to keep a few things in mind.

First of all, don’t make it look like a sales letter. If you’re sending a letter, you might consider handwriting the address to make it look like a personal letter. You might also consider sending the letter without a return address. Another possibility would be to put your name on the return address instead of your company’s name.

Another way to make your letter stand out from the crowd is to create curiosity on the envelope. Putting an attention grabbing benefit statement front and center will go a long way towards getting your letter at least opened.

Once you’ve figured out how to get your prospect to open your letter, your job isn’t over. The next task is to get them to actually read your sales message. You can do this by starting off your letter with another powerful, attention grabbing, benefit laden headline. Right off the bat, paint a picture of the benefits they’ll receive by reading the rest of your letter.

This takes us to the next key ingredient to successful direct mail campaigns.

3. Stress benefits, benefits, benefits, not features.

The one mistake I see more often than any other when it comes to marketing is talking about features instead of benefits. This mistake alone is enough to sabotage even the best of marketing campaigns.

So what exactly is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Well, a feature is something tangible, factual, and verifiable. They’re the boring statistics and bullet points that most companies put front and center on their marketing materials. Here’s a list of possible features for a lawn care business:

Weekly service

Licensed and insured

20 years of experience

Hundreds of satisfied clients

A benefit is the intangible results of your features. These are the ‘warm fuzzies’ that come as a result of the tangible aspects of your business. The benefits are what really sell your service because of the images and feelings they evoke in your prospects. These are the things you want to talk about in 99% of any marketing message.

Here’s a list of possible benefits that would result from the features listed above:

A yard that always looks top notch

Used Pallet Racks
Pallets are platforms that are used for transporting or storing things. They are used especially in industries like factories, warehouses, retail, food storage, grains, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. Pallet racks are the stands where pallets are stored. Each rack can effectively hold hundreds of pallets, depending on the size. Pallet racks are excellent for managing space within a warehouse or store.There are different kinds of pallet racks: pushback pallet racks, selective pallet racks, pallet flow racks, reel racks, double-deep selective, carpet racks, seismic racks, bolt connection racks, boat racks, empty pallet storage racks, mezzanine racks, custom/combination racks, die storage racks, structural racks, drive-in pallet racks, and drive-through pallet racks.Used pallet racks are also available from most suppliers. They can be found in all shapes, sizes, models, colors, and configurations. These racks are obtained from warehouses, are refurbished and repaired according to quality specifications, and are then resold.There are several advantages to buying a used pallet rack as opposed to buying a new one: the low cost, the tax advantages of buying used equipme

u might consider handwriting the address to make it look like a personal letter. You might also consider sending the letter without a return address. Another possibility would be to put your name on the return address instead of your company’s name.

Another way to make your letter stand out from the crowd is to create curiosity on the envelope. Putting an attention grabbing benefit statement front and center will go a long way towards getting your letter at least opened.

Once you’ve figured out how to get your prospect to open your letter, your job isn’t over. The next task is to get them to actually read your sales message. You can do this by starting off your letter with another powerful, attention grabbing, benefit laden headline. Right off the bat, paint a picture of the benefits they’ll receive by reading the rest of your letter.

This takes us to the next key ingredient to successful direct mail campaigns.

3. Stress benefits, benefits, benefits, not features.

The one mistake I see more often than any other when it comes to marketing is talking about features instead of benefits. This mistake alone is enough to sabotage even the best of marketing campaigns.

So what exactly is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Well, a feature is something tangible, factual, and verifiable. They’re the boring statistics and bullet points that most companies put front and center on their marketing materials. Here’s a list of possible features for a lawn care business:

Weekly service

Licensed and insured

20 years of experience

Hundreds of satisfied clients

A benefit is the intangible results of your features. These are the ‘warm fuzzies’ that come as a result of the tangible aspects of your business. The benefits are what really sell your service because of the images and feelings they evoke in your prospects. These are the things you want to talk about in 99% of any marketing message.

Here’s a list of possible benefits that would result from the features listed above:

A yard that always looks top notch

When The Best Work-At-Home Job Is Not Enough
You have been looking for that job that will make the difference and help you quit your current job or earn an extra income stream from home, so you search everywhere and the information is there but you don't know what to choose, who do i trust? is this a scam? are they going to pay me?Those and more questions are what stop people from getting a work at home free job and get discouraged, so whats the solution?, how are people really making full time income online? lets take a look.People that are on a work at home free job online dedicate a few hours every day to their job, either part time or full time, it just depends on how much you can dedicate to your online job. Many people fail online because they get cough by the overwhelming information and advertising of easy business opportunities that don't require effort, that's a lie.Every work at home either job or business requires effort, there is no easy business online, you require knowledge of marketing, advertising, you require investment, time and patience. But most people do not have all those attributes at this moment.The way to get a real work at home free job is to look for something that you have

about features instead of benefits. This mistake alone is enough to sabotage even the best of marketing campaigns.

So what exactly is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

Well, a feature is something tangible, factual, and verifiable. They’re the boring statistics and bullet points that most companies put front and center on their marketing materials. Here’s a list of possible features for a lawn care business:

Weekly service

Licensed and insured

20 years of experience

Hundreds of satisfied clients

A benefit is the intangible results of your features. These are the ‘warm fuzzies’ that come as a result of the tangible aspects of your business. The benefits are what really sell your service because of the images and feelings they evoke in your prospects. These are the things you want to talk about in 99% of any marketing message.

Here’s a list of possible benefits that would result from the features listed above:

A yard that always looks top notch

Peace of mind knowing you’re dealing with a true professional

The assurance that any possible situation will be dealt with in the proper manner

Confidence that you will be completely satisfied with your lawn’s care

People want to know what they’ll receive as a result of selecting you and it’s the benefits that will sell your lawn care service, not the features.

4. Use multi-step marketing.

This one truly is a ‘secret ingredient’ of successful direct mail. Those businesses that understand this and use it properly, quite often go on to dominate their target markets in very short amounts of time.

So many times businesses try to move prospects from point A to point Z in one giant step. What they fail to realize is that it’s much easier to move a prospect from point A to point B, and then point B to point C, and so on until they FINALLY reach point Z.

The goal of each step in this multi-step process should only be to get the prospect to the very next step. As it relates to a lawn care campaign, the goal of any letter sent should NOT be to get a new customer. Yes, that’s the ultimate goal, but that would be the equivalent of point Z in the process. The goal of your direct mail campaign should be to get any interested prospects to identify themselves.

One way you could get them to identify themselves would be by responding to an offer for a free estimate. Now, because the goal of the letter is to give them a free estimate, keep your message consistent with this. Talk about all the benefits they would receive from your service, but don’t mention anything about weekly visits, yearly contracts, year end service, etc. Paint them a picture of what their yard will look like and then tell them they could explore the possibility of making it a reality by requesting a free estimate. Nothing more, nothing less.

Of course once they’ve called to request their free estimate (step A), the next message you deliver would have the goal of moving them one step closer to the end goal of making them a paying customer.

5. Don’t do ‘one-shot’ mailings.

This is another key ingredient that when used properly is guaranteed to skyrocket the results of your direct mail efforts into the stratosphere. You see, people go through cycles in their lives. One minute they’re busy, the next minute they’re not. One minute they’re thinking about one thing, the next it’s something completely different.

As it relates to marketing your services, just because someone’s not interested right now doesn’t mean they won’t be in another week or month. Or, just because they don’t respond initially, doesn’t mean they’re not at all interested.

To combat these cycles, the best thing you could ever do is to do sequential mailings. Instead of sending just one letter to your list of targeted prospects, send another follow-up letter a few weeks later and then a third a few weeks after the second.

Follow the same steps you’d follow in creating your initial sales letter, but on these follow up letters, reference the previous messages you’ve sent. You might even consider making a time-sensitive offer right from the very beginning and then referencing this impending deadline in the subsequent mailings.

What you’ll find is that you’ll capture the attention of your targeted prospects even more and you’ll double the effectiveness of your direct mail campaign. In fact, studies have shown that you’ll get half of your responses from letters 2 and beyond!

Direct mail can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal IF done properly.

Even though there are many marketing mediums available to today’s small business owner, direct mail has proven itself again and again to be a highly effective means for delivering your sales message to interested prospects. To ensure maximum effective from your direct mail campaigns, follow these simple guidelines and you’ll quickly see why direct mail has proven to be such a powerful tool.