How to Be Unforgettable

Anyone who has ever done business with Jim Cissell never forgets him...he won’t let you. Cissell is a voice-over and on-camera talent out of Seattle who does business all over the world. You hear his voice on Discovery Channel and scores of other documentaries; Air Touch voice mail prompts; and hundreds of radio and television commercials. When you become one of his clients or prospects, Jim Cissell stays in touch with you like no one else. He sends you e-mails about where he’s going to be and how to get in touch with him if you need a voice-over. He sends you continuous demo tapes and CD’s. He mails you specialty advertising items like stop watches with his logo. Jim Cissell is unforgettable. And his business is soaring!

The biggest business challenge you face today is becoming, and continuing to be unforgettable to your particular target markets. In this fast, high-tech, over-communicated world getting noticed is challenging enough. Becoming unforgettable takes a real effort.

Larry Coffman, publisher of MARKETING, advises every business to have a simple sales formula that becomes second nature, “like brushing, flossing and combing.” The first element of the “formula” is The List. The Prospect List. New business is the lifeblood of business. So, it’s vital to have an on-going, flexible list of potential customers. Coffman says “In the majority of cases, The List should number 75 to 100 - Max.”

The List needs to be worked, updated and nurtured on a constant basis - “like brushing, flossing and combing.” Arrange your List in order, with hot prospects at the top and less hot ones in descending order. Once you have your List in good working order, you can begin the process of becoming unforgettable. Here are some things you can do to make your business
unforgettable to your target market:

1. Advertise. Get noticed. You don’t need a big ad budget. All you need is consistency.
   
   If you have an on-going media campaign, make sure that your advertising has an “unforgettability” factor. Something memorable that sets you apart from everyone else trying to be unforgettable. Advertising doesn’t have to be a media campaign. The word “advertise” comes from the Latin root “turn towards,” so anything you do to draw a prospect’s attention to your business is advertising. A series of direct mailings or sales letters qualifies as advertising, even if you only send out a few every week to highly-selected prospects. The point is, actively advertise to your prospects regularly.
   
   
2. Send appropriate e-mails to your prospects. They can be sales-oriented or informational in nature, or, simply a “keep in touch” contact. Don’t go overboard and drive your prospects nuts. Too much e-mail contact can turn people off. A good guide is to ask yourself, “would I appreciate receiving this?” Of course, always give the receiver the option of removing their address. That also will help you qualify your prospects. Don’t waste your efforts on prospects that don’t want to hear from you.
   
   
3. Specialty advertising items are good for making impressions on prospects, but try to choose a relevant premium. Jim Cissell sends out stopwatches because most of his prospects are ad writers who need to know exactly how long 30 seconds is.
   
   Please don’t send coffee cups unless you’re in the coffee business...then include some coffee! The business world is inundated with logo coffee cups and yours will end up as part of the crowd. Look for something more unique so your business will stand out.
   
   
4. Offer a unique promotion. Give your prospects another reason to do business with you. Dave Nail at Instant Sign Factory is offering his prospects a free Hoopfest game ball for sign orders over a certain amount. Tying in with a popular community event is a great idea, but get their permission first. Hoopfest and Bloomsday are registered trade marks.
   
   
5. Newsletters can also be effective, but they, too, should be relevant. Plus they should be easy (and fun) to read. Hamilton Photography and Film Company sends out quarterly newsletters to a large list of prospects. Don Hamilton says that they provide a dual purpose...first they profile recent projects. Clients always like to see their names in print. Again, get their permission first. The newsletters also profile the company’s special capabilities and equipment They’re enjoyable to read because they often poke fun at the zany genius of Don Hamilton.
   
   
6. Selected sponsorships can also build strong awareness of your business. Good corporate citizenship and charitable giving is often rewarded with a listing as a sponsor of certain organizations. When Spokane Symphony patrons, for example, read your name on the list of donors printed in the program, they get a heightened positive awareness of your business.
   
   
7. Please pass the rubber chicken. Going on a local speaking tour is also an excellent way to build “unforgettability.” You can’t actually go speak to Rotary, Kiwanis or Lions clubs and blatantly pitch your business. But, you can put together an “industry” speech and take it on the road. Penn Fix of Dodson’s Jewelers recently presented a speech and slide show about South African diamond mines to several business and women’s’ audiences. It helped build Dodson’s already strong image among their target market.

You may think you have all the business you want and need right now. But, business conditions can change rapidly. You need to continue prospecting and promoting on a regular basis just to replace business from regular attrition. And remember, people like to do business with people they know. The more you keep in touch with your target prospects, the more they will know you. Be unforgettable, and your business will soar, too.