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Another issue of Paving News has just printed. It's the third and final issue of 2011.

Paving News is a truly global magazine. It prints in eight languages, with more regularly added, and is distributed in North and South America, Australia, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Putting the magazine together is a logistical challenge, to be sure, and we’ve learned some lessons along the way. But now we’re going into year three of the global content approach and the lessons don’t come quite as frequently.

We take pride in developing content for a worldwide audience. It’s impressive when all the magazines are lined up, next to each other in all the different languages.

On the Job is out the door

2011-11-08T08:10:00.000-06:00

The Caterpillar BCP/CCE dealer magazine, On the Job, has more small business tips in the winter issue, which just mailed.

The magazine is more about business success stories than providing testimonials for Cat machines. Yes, those featured use Cat equipment. But we’re more interested in their road to success—and how they continued to flourish even when the recession hit.

There are some success stories out there, to be sure, and we’re more than glad to find and share them with others. Contractors, meanwhile, appreciate the effort Cat Dealers make to pass along the stories and peer advice that can make a difference.

Intelligent Power in the mail

2011-11-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

By Barry Gantenbein

Truckers know their business like no one else. That’s why we interview successful trucking firms and owner/operators to provide you with the information that you need to take your rigs to the million-mile mark and beyond in each issue of Intelligent Power.

The Winter issue contains hard-earned lessons from truckers who are profitable in today’s competitive marketplace. Truck lovers will also enjoy a photo spread highlighting the chrome-plated beauty of a fully restored 2000 Peterbilt 379 long nose powered by a 550-hp Cat® C-15 diesel.

A big thanks to our Friends at Dean Machinery

2011-10-25T12:02:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
I just wanted to thank our friends at Dean Machinery in Kansas City for all their help setting up customer stories for RunReady and On The Job magazines. Much appreciated!
The next issue of On the Job, the business-related magazine for those in the building trades, is due out in the next few weeks. The winter issue of RunReady--a publication for facility managers and others interested in electric power generation--will come out in December.

Steve Jobs and the importance of design

2011-10-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

The death of Steve Jobs has unleashed a torrent of words about his genius. Here's a look at his impact on design.

The power of Social Media

2011-10-07T07:47:00.001-05:00

By Jack Burke
Tweet and they will hear. We bought a front door from a big box store (think opposite of High's). The store provided a subcontractor to do the install. Long story short, there were some problems. The big box store pointed to the contractor; the contractor wouldn't respond to calls. After several unhelpful phone conversations, my wife Tweeted her displeasure. Now, it should be pointed out that my wife doesn't Tweet. I believe that Tweet was her first in 2011.
Within 24 hours, she was contacted by the big box store's corporate headquarters. Within another day, the local store called us. Within a week, the contractor was back out to our home. We will be getting a new door to replace the problematic one.
The moral of the story? Social media gives you options once the "regular" channels seem closed. And don't make my wife mad.

Fascinating fact from Coke's CEO

2011-10-05T13:46:00.001-05:00

By Jack Burke
Five years ago, Coca-Cola spent 3 percent of its marketing budget on Social Media. Today, it's 20 percent and growing, according to CEO Muhart Kent. More here about Coke's plan to double sales by 2020.

When is losing a customer better than keeping one?

2011-10-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

It may seem counter-intuitive—or plain crazy—in these economic times, but sometimes it makes more sense to drop a customer who creates headaches than to try to match ever-increasing demands.

Do you have customers who are always behind on bills? How about customers who keep hitting you up for discounts? There’s no harm in asking for a deal, but you have to make money, too.

The bottom-line: if you need to “fire” a customer, do it professionally and courteously.

And remember, every hour you spend worrying about/fighting with a bad client is an hour you’re not spending with a good one. It’s hard to put a price tag on that.

Marketing tips for tough times

2011-10-03T13:54:00.000-05:00

Historically, many businesses reduce advertising and promotional expenditures rather than slash fixed costs during hard times. However, studies have shown that those maintaining or increasing marketing during slowdowns wind up outselling rivals who cut back.

Savvy marketers can boost sales and market share, even in a slump, by focusing on short-term tactical techniques such as sales and price promotions and tailoring advertising in response to the shaky economic climate.

Here are key ideas to keep in mind, courtesy of the U.S. Small Business Administration:

Monitor your competitors’ marketing. If they’re cutting down, seriously consider increasing your ad budget and hitting harder. This will provide a great opportunity to capture—and retain—a larger share of the market.
Avoid gimmicky and clever advertising. Center your message on the benefits and advantages of your product or service.
Stress quality and durability. Consumers are looking for as much value as possible in a weak economy.
Keep in mind that perceptions play a major role in a weak economy. If people believe money is going to be tight, they will behave as if it is—even if they have money to spend. Your marketing has to convince prospective clients.
Promote your business every chance you get with signs on your vehicle and at the jobsite.
Start a website. More and more people are gathering information from the Internet. You should be there.
Contact the local Chamber of Commerce to see if your business information can be included in a welcome packet for new residents.
Become known by establishing a presence in the community. Don’t be afraid to use your company to support parades, community festivals, golf outings and other events.

Life, liberty and the pursuit of Internet access

2011-09-27T07:40:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
Think about the things you need to get through the day. Shelter. Food. Clothing. The Internet?
A new study by Cisco finds that more than 50 percent of college students say they could not live without the Internet and say it is "integral" to their lives. Some say it's more important than owning a car, dating or going to parties.
It's amazing to realize how important the Internet has become in our lives--and what that means for the marketing and communications.

An ugly chapter in the Netflix story

2011-09-21T05:50:00.000-05:00

Forbes has a really good article on the debacle called Netflix. There are brand lessons all around in this piece—and some entertainment for those who enjoying watching a good train wreck.

The latest issue of RunReady is out

2011-09-19T07:28:00.000-05:00

In the fall issue of RunReady magazine, we feature Waste Industries USA, which provides waste collection, transfer, disposal, and recycling services in an eco-friendly manner. So when the company sought to enhance its environmental footprint, it looked at ways to better use the methane produced at landfills. The result? Waste Industries’ first landfill gas-to-energy project, a $13.5 million investment anchored by four Cat G3520C LFG engines.

We also highlight the Kuwahee Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is near Tennessee River. Protecting that waterway is a key mission of the Knoxville-based utility. As part of a multi-year, multi-million dollar upgrade, Cat emergency gensets and switchgear were installed to help ensure the waterway is safe. But design demands meant certain system components needed special modifications completed on a tight timeline.

Other features in this issue include a look at the importance of load bank testing, keys to remote radiators for gensets and the tradeoffs between single and parallel gensets. The goal of RunReady is to provide practical and helpful information in every edition—the ideas and tips that can help you, our customers, address the challenges of your business.

The power of Social Media

2011-09-16T06:33:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
Just had a personal experience with the power of Social Media. My wife and I had a door installed by a big box retailer. They hired a local contractor to do the work--not well, in our estimation. We weren't getting anywhere with the big box folks (he's not our employee, he's the one you have to talk to) and the contractor is nowhere to be found--of course.
So my wife tweeted her frustration. In less than 24 hours, she had a response from corporate. I'll update you on whether our problem gets solved.

Sweat the small stuff? You betcha!

2011-09-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

By KrisMatz

When it comes to customer service, the small stuff IS important. Today, as I frequently do, I went to McDonald’s at lunch for my afternoon dose of caffeine – a medium, iced mocha, nonfat with light whipped cream and a little chocolate drizzle. I pulled up to the window to pay, and the lady (in a manager’s shirt) simply says “three-fourteen.” No “hello”, no “please.” I hand her $4 and she hands me $.86 in change. No “have a nice day,” no “thank you.”

Even though my order was delivered properly, I drove away wishing for an alternate and convenient coffee resource. So…if you’re a customer-facing employee—don’t forget the small stuff, like simply being polite and friendly.

Lessons from 17A

2011-08-26T07:43:00.000-05:00

Flying is bad enough these days, sitting in the middle seat even worse.

But, hey, I was on my way home, the flight was short, and I had something decent to read. Could be worse.

I had barely settled in when the guy in 17A started bending my ear. “Have you seen one of these before?” he asked. He held a Kindle, and yes, I had seen one of those before.

My response made no difference; 17A wanted to show me his new toy, and he immediately began putting the Kindle through the paces. I’m not complaining. He turned out to be a pretty nice guy, and it’s hard to find fault with someone so enthusiastic.

You know what else? Somewhere along the way, 17A taught me a few lessons—and reminded me of a few others, too. By the time we walked off that plane, I felt darn good about my future—not because of the Kindle that was in 17A’s hand, but because of what was on the Kindle in his hand.

My livelihood is writing and editing, and 17A drove home the point that there will always be a place for good content, no matter how it’s delivered.

So what, specifically, are these lessons?

1. Good content gets people excited.

My newly found friend told me he rarely read books before his Kindle. He explained why: the cost, finding the time to get to a bookstore, some sort of aversion to the public library. Yet now he could barely contain his excitement at the prospects. “Do you realize how many good books are out there?” he asked me.

2. Bad content, delivered via a slick new approach, is still bad content.

This lesson was driven home during 17A’s unsolicited “downloading from a magazine” tutorial.

First, he went online and demanded I select a magazine. “Go ahead, pick any one,” he ordered. He then downloaded a story and proudly showed it off.

The article addressed the pros and cons of municipal bond investments. I quickly learned that 17A was not interested in the topic. “If I had the magazine, I’d let you compare this version with the print,” he said. “But there is no chance I’d be carrying around a magazine with that story in it.” (I could only hope the guy in 17C wasn’t a bond saleseman.)

Then 17A showed me another Kindle feature. “Here’s how you delete,” he said.

3. New delivery methods alone can help you gain an audience.

This certainly proved to be the case with 17A. He never would have read his newly found authors had he not been intrigued by his Kindle. Some people like gadgets. Find a way to put your content on the newest, latest, coolest device, and you’ll reach those people.

4. Don’t confuse your content with the mechanism that delivers it.

There’s a place for Point 3 above, but don’t carry it too far. The Kindle is being challenged left and right for market share, and something we don’t even know about is under development. If your message can only be delivered one way, you’ll be sunk when that mechanism goes out of style—and it will.

5. Mix the old with the new.

My buddy in 17A has no interest in the bookstore. On the other hand, plenty of other readers are still using print. It’s likely the same with your customers. You probably don’t have the luxury of reaching only those who are technologically advanced—or, conversely, those who aren’t. Deliver your content through websites, blog posts, e-blasts, e-pubs and, yes, print. Make sure your content is good, and then make sure everyone sees it in the format they prefer.

6. If you create good content, and offer it in enough formats, your audience will find it.

My new flying buddy was reading a bestseller that had been recommended by a friend—a friend who had read a hard copy of the book. The friend’s praise of the book sent 17A to find it via his Kindle.

Your customers and prospects will do the same. Send them an e-newsletter with quality content, and they’ll recommend it to friends and colleagues. Maybe they’ll forward it, or send their friends a link to a story or video on your website.

If it’s good, they’ll find it—and share it.

7. Content can be so valuable that someone will give up something to get it.

For example, 17A surrendered money for a book. The content was so alluring that he actually paid to look at it.

Is your content so compelling that customers and prospects would pay to see it? What if you saved them money, or helped them learn a valuable trick of the trade? Would they be willing to “pay” in the form of an e-mail address that would allow you to deliver future content (along with key promotional messages) to them?

Make your content so good that they ask to receive more.

Sure, it sounds like a tall order. But wouldn’t your customers and prospects be on board if you offered information that helped their businesses succeed, or a promotional offer that saved them money?

Not that developing good content is easy. It requires effort, commitment, attention to detail, and lots of time. Sometimes you need to stand in the rain. You might have to travel (and sit in the middle seat).

To develop really good content, you’ll have to put up with these inconveniences—or pay someone else to.

Yet the benefits more than pay off. You’ll see more web hits, more e-mail captures, more opt-ins to e-communications.

Some benefits are harder to see. Maybe that pre-conditioned prospect won’t be such a tough sell. Maybe those new customers would have looked elsewhere if your content (and message) hadn’t connected with them.

The pieces will fall into place if you offer content so compelling that 17A loves it—whether he is looking at it on his Kindle, or on the wall of a cave.

Trying to sell a story to the media? Answer these questions

2011-08-24T08:41:00.000-05:00

If you think your business has a great story to tell, one that would make every media outlet knock down your door to get to, ask yourself a couple of key questions:

1. Is it really that unique? You may think X is the greatest thing to ever happen, but maybe X is happening everyday to someone else.

2. What’s in it for the media? Just like most other businesses, media outlets have cut back and slimmed down. They need to make hard decisions on how to use their resources. Covering your event or story might not be a priority.

3. Is this just about you? Media outlets need to tell stories that affect or enlighten their overall audience. Can your story help them do that?

4. Why do you want coverage? Your ego isn’t a good answer. Neither is “building business.” Media outlets do something else besides cover events and do stories. They sell ads.

What's it mean to be part of a real team?

2011-08-23T11:45:00.001-05:00

By Kris Matz

Today’s Harvard Business Review Management Tip of the Day is a really good one! The Three Characteristics of a Real Team makes an excellent point, and I think the words ‘real team’ are the key to understanding that point. Teams are common in today’s business environment and the synergy that teams are supposed to produce can have great value. The most effective teams are more than just a group of individuals working together with complementary skills to complete a task. The members should support each other, inspire each other and as HBR points out they hold each other accountable. What’s your team experience, and what could you do to make your next team experience better?

Interested in this topic? I also recommend the book The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. It’s written in story format with some very interesting characters that I think most people can relate to – maybe even see ourselves as. Certainly provides some food for thought!

Show your customers you're proud of them

2011-08-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

We're always searching for customers in the governmental, rental, paving, EPG, trucking and BCP/CCE industries for our magazines. Does your Cat Dealership have a customer you would like featured? It's a great way to highlight their achievements. Please contact me with information and we'll do our best to include them in a future magazine.

New issue of Intelligent Power is out

2011-08-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke

The latest issue of Intelligent Power magazine shares stories about how truck engine owners are working to maintain and extend the service life of their Cat truck engines.

In this issue, learn:

• How Adams Motor Express achieved 80 percent savings by rebuilding five engines for the cost of a new rig

• Ten tips to extend your tire life

• Why Michael Bennett Trucking finds overhauls a huge cost savings for his fleet

• How rebuilt engines enable Loncala Inc. to increase fleet life

• Some eye-opening statistics about the dangers of cell phones and texting

Content is King--Still

2011-08-15T09:13:00.002-05:00

By Jack Burke

Marketing communications is obviously in a time of transition and we thought there were some interesting statistics we came across on content marketing. (Defined as the creation and sharing of content for the purpose of promoting a product or service.)

Among the numbers that caught our eyes: Some of the most popular ways it's being used by B2B businesses is: non- blogging social media (79%), article posting (78%), in-person events (62%), e-newsletters (61%), case studies (55%), blogs (51%), white papers (43%) and webinars/webcasts (42%).

Budgets are growing, too, with 51% increasing spending over the next 12 months, 45% maintaining their current level of spending, and only 2% planning to decreasing content marketing spending.

Key to content marketing is content. Please let us know if we can help develop it for you.

Still need your customer’s email addresses? You’re not alone!

2011-08-12T11:04:00.000-05:00

By Kris Matz
There is one complaint that I’ve heard numerous times when talking with customers about using digital versions of HVC publications instead of paper versions--they simply don’t have a good enough email database. They’re working on it, but many aren’t there yet. It’s reported to be a fairly high priority item on the to-do-list.
Microsoft Business posted this article with seven tips to help collect customer’s email addresses. When I read through this article as well as several others, one thing really stood out to me. This isn’t a surprise, but it’s important to remember: It’s imperative that you offer your clients and prospects a really good reason to give you their email addresses and not opt-out. Relevance connections are important. Make sure that any sign-up incentives are relevant to your target customer so that you’re not collecting names and email addresses from people that will never buy anything from you. Then consistently offer them great content on a regular basis and incentives they’re likely to actually use so that they look forward to your next message!
Here are four successful strategies that HVC customers have shared…
1. Make the email address a required field on credit applications. BONUS: the people filling out credit apps frequently have some decision-making authority - these addresses are likely to have high value.
2. Use direct mail (or your insert in a publication!) to drive clients / prospects to your website for event registrations – collect email addresses as a required field for registration confirmation.
3. Get email addresses (and mobile phone #’s) to notify clients of the progress and/or completion of service work. Then you can email (or text) updates.
4. Incentivize the sales force to share the information!

Five ways to increase your business

2011-08-10T09:20:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
Here are five tips you can use right now that will help you increase your business:

Make use of technology: Use technology to keep in touch with customers and co-workers. Look for ways new technologies can improve your business—mobile devices in the field, automated bidding and billing, mass marketing. Technology puts all these tools at your fingertips. Use them.

Re-evaluate your market: Are you targeting high-end customers who pay for premium craftsmanship and service, or are your clients more enticed by substantial savings? Make sure you know what your customers want and give it to them. Or maybe it’s time to expand and start going after customers you wouldn’t normally target.

Diversify: If your niche is drying up, it’s time to expand your services. Not a lot of roofing work? Branch out into tiling. Home building not paying the bills anymore? Start a remodeling division. Learn new skills. Offer more services. The end result is more clients.

Remember customer service: Follow up after jobs. Make sure the customer is satisfied because great service equals loyal customers.

Set a schedule: Set aside a certain time to follow up with old customers, and stick to it. Pick a day every week to focus on new leads. Start an email campaign. Learn a new skill.

Little things make a difference

2011-08-10T06:25:00.001-05:00

Recently a friend of mine received a birthday card from his boss. He’s worked for this company for over 25 years. It’s a good place to work with a decent reputation and they’re working hard to improve their corporate culture. The card was hand addressed and signed – sent through the mail to his home with an actual stamp – not using the company postal meter. He was impressed enough by this gesture to make a point of telling me and several other people about it. What a great, simple and inexpensive way to make someone feel valued!

Send the right message the right way

2011-08-09T06:05:00.001-05:00

By Warren Eulgen

B-to-B marketers are increasingly nervous about languishing on the social media sidelines. Sometimes, however, it makes sense to wait and see. Amazon.com’s success leveraging first-mover advantage into e-tailer dominance is a notable exception. Remember, however, that being first isn’t necessarily forever as AltaVista, InfoSeek and all the other search engines that preceded Google have so painfully learned.

Clients frequently say they want to do the social media thing. HVC can set them up on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or whatever they want. What HVC and clients have come to realize is that social media isn’t worth doing unless you have something of value to say that helps you actually connect with your customers and prospects.

When evaluating your options and preparing your 2012 budget, you may also be well advised to keep some social media don’ts in mind. Don’t tweet or blog if you don’t have anything to tweet or blog about. Don’t invite customers and prospects into your social media mix if you don’t have the resources to continue stirring it. Don’t do social media poorly just to be able to say you’re doing social media. Whether new media or old, bad messaging always sends a bad message.

In fact, now might be an excellent time to invest in traditional media. Many are saying, “Follow us on Twitter, visit us on Facebook, come to our YouTube channel. If you’re the one B-to-B marketer that produces a slick magazine that addresses customer needs, problems, concerns; and utilizes attention-grabbing photography, videos linked by QR codes, and solid customer value messaging, you’re going to stand out from your competitors.”

The message your customers need to hear

2011-08-05T09:22:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
To reach a customer, your message must answer that customer’s core fear. Your potential customers don’t care how great you are or how cool your company is or how many jobs you did last year. They want to know if:
• You can do the job that needs to be done
• You can deliver the quality you promise
• You can do the job on time and at a good price
That’s it. If your message doesn’t tie in to their needs, they will tune you out.
Granted, a catchy slogan and cool copy will catch people’s attention, but those won’t open a customer’s wallet in the end. You’ll get the sale if what you offer is what the customer needs.

Thanks to our friends at Peterson Cat!

2011-08-05T08:25:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
Tim O'Brien and I just spent a day with our good friends at Peterson Caterpillar in San Leandro, Cal. Tom Bagwell and his folks are doing some great stuff on their social media sites. Both Tim and I are glad they let us take a peak at what they're doing and offer our input. Way to go Tom!

Are constant interruptions a problem?

2011-08-05T08:17:00.000-05:00

By Kris Matz

Many people complain that they can’t get work done (at least not efficiently) because they are constantly interrupted. Stopping and starting wastes time and in complex situations can lead to increased probability of errors.

My husband is a project manager for an engineering company and was complaining to me about this last weekend. Normally he has an open door policy, but he says he just gets into something and focused – then someone appears at his office door with a question or problem. After he resolves that, he has to regain his train of thought and refocus on the project he was working on. He feels he wastes a lot of time with all of the stopping and starting. Sound familiar?

We discussed this for quite a while as we sat in the canoe and drifted across the lake – without interruptions. We came up with a plan…

• Next time he needs to really concentrate he’s going to schedule some closed-door time.

• First he’ll notify the people he manages that he’s set aside this time to work on project X, and that he needs uninterrupted time to work on it.

• He’ll ask the designers and machine-builders to anticipate their needs and ask questions before he closes his door to work on the project.

• He’ll be unavailable for routine questions – but available for urgent issues.

With some luck, he’ll be able to get some serious work done in a shorter amount of time. It may also help other people manage their time better as they learn to look ahead and anticipate their own needs.

He’s going to keep me posted – I’ll let you know if it works!

A Personal Strategic Plan

2011-07-29T10:23:00.000-05:00

I’ve been listening to Thomas Friedman’s The World is Flat 3.0 on CD. The work is about globalization . Many of you reading this probably are thinking ‘boring!’ but it’s a really interesting book. (Although it is long – there are 21 discs in the box.)

This morning while I was driving to work he presented an interesting idea in a section titled The Untouchables – being an expert on three things. In an interview with Marcia Loughry, she related a story to Friedman stating that a previous superior suggested to her that she should always strive to be an expert in three things 1) her current core ‘bread and butter’, 2) something closely related, and 3) what she’s going to do next. This concept has helped her stay ahead of others, increasing her value. Friedman warns that a person’s areas of expertise are going to have to shift and change as the environment around them changes and they grow – as would be expected.

Think of the personal value that can be created with this idea! Most business plan strategically – but most people don’t do this for themselves. I think I could benefit from this idea personally and professionally….could you?

Outstanding customer service…nature or nurture?

2011-07-28T07:07:00.000-05:00

Selecting the right people for direct-interaction service positions is essential. Of course it is critical to train service personnel in the products and services that they are supporting (nurture). This leads to ability and confidence to solve problems and answer questions.

But have you ever walked away from a service situation feeling the representative was stiff, scripted or insincere? That’s where nature comes into play! Some people are simply better at the interpersonal interaction required for outstanding customer service.

When selecting service representatives:
Consider the tone of all interactions leading up to hiring (phone, email and in-person). Look for a good balance of friendliness and professionalism.
Look for people that are patient enough to listen actively and consider their responses.
Ask behavioral-based interview questions about positive and negative customer service experiences to gage attitudes.

Most people can spot insincerity or forced friendliness – this isn’t an impression you want to leave your customers with!

Are you reactive or proactive?

2011-07-27T08:40:00.000-05:00

Most companies compete for their customers’ business based on service. If one of your customers has a need, it’s likely that others do as well. Reacting takes valuable time. One way to stand out as a value-provider is to be proactive. Work to be ahead of the curve and recognize your customers’ needs before they do – and have a solution ready!

Take the time to….

Be friendly and accommodating – the customer is likely to share their pain points with you if they feel comfortable talking with you. This is a great way to source ideas.
Study the industry and market segments. What are the changes, trends and patterns?
Put yourself in the customers’ position. What products or services would you want? What have other similar customers asked for?
Look for ideas outside of your specific industry – often best practices work across boundaries with a little creative thinking. If you see a great service idea, consider how you can apply it to better serve your own customers.

Newest On The Job is off the press

2011-07-22T06:54:00.001-05:00

The latest issue of “On the Job” is out, and it’s a good one. (Yes, we would probably say that anyway. But in this case we can praise the magazine and still sleep at night.) You can see it here.

What makes it so good? Contractors once again offer great insight into running a business.

In particular, there is a contractor who has thrived by adjusting during the recession. He once dug a few pools to help out valuable customers, and now that’s the core of what he does.

Another contractor talked about the challenges of starting a business at such a young age. (He was 22.) Many interesting comments from him.

Last but not least, a larger developer talked about the challenges and changes his firm had to make in response to the recession. The story involves a bigger company, but there are some universal lessons in there.

Also included is a story about a company who lets members of the public operate Cat equipment for a fee. A business expert, with a construction background, offers some darn interesting advice as well.

Embrace digital content delivery

2011-07-22T06:14:00.001-05:00

By Warren Eulgen

During the past decade, the world of marketing communications in support of business-to-business selling has changed dramatically. Not that long ago, “phone power” was the primary appointment generator. Websites and digital content delivery were new phenomena. Social media, smart phones and other digital delivery devices weren’t even on the radar screen. Now, they’re off the charts.

The Tables Have Turned

In the new world of B2B selling, it has become more common for buyers to find sellers. Many marketers and sellers have missed this paradigm shift. Unfortunately, today’s reality is that 40-60 percent of sales reps are not making their quotas. If their companies’ marketing and sales initiatives have not kept pace with the rapidly changing digital environment, these shortfalls are certainly understandable.

Four critical steps are required to improve customer and prospect connections, thereby maximizing the return on your marketing and sales investments:

1. Identify, define and prioritize the target market segments that offer the best top line sales and bottom line profit opportunities for your business.

2. Build segmented databases that focus on digital content delivery. Smart phone numbers and e-mail addresses have replaced mailing addresses and office phone numbers at the top of the customer / prospect database.

3. Focus on Customer Value Messaging in your digital content delivery via blogs, tweets, e-news, e-pubs and links to your website. Provide information that helps your customers be more successful, while weaving in your subtle selling messages that motivate responses.

4. Execute relentlessly in a variety of ways. People consume content differently. For some, simple awareness is the key. Whether delivering a tweet or a case study, always keep your communications short and to the point.

These four steps form the cornerstone of digital content delivery. The challenges are still finding the audience, connecting with them and motivating the desired responses. While your marketing metrics have changed, your funnel metrics still emphasize sales results. In this still-evolving era of customer and prospect connectivity, embracing digital content delivery is critical to achieving B2B marketing and sales success.

Video – improve your customer service options and reduced costs!

2011-07-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

Do your customers have a lot of questions? Do your customer service reps get the same questions over and over again? Consider answering the most frequently asked questions with video!

The value…

Visual learners will benefit if a demonstration or graphics can be included.
Available 24 x 7 x 365 on your website – it’s convenient for the customer.
The customer can return to the video to watch again if more questions come up.
Drives traffic to your website for customers to see other products and services.
Video frees up customer service reps to answer more complicated or unresolved questions – thereby cutting costs.

This article on CustomerServiceManager.com shares the values and some examples.

Don’t lose track of the goal…measure for success

2011-07-13T12:38:00.000-05:00

By Kris Matz
In one of my previous postings, I discussed the use of SMART goals. SMART stands for: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. This principle can be applied to both short- and long-term goals. However, I think that the ‘M’ takes on more importance with long-haul projects when it’s designed into the process to enhance motivation. As technology pushes the world to a faster pace, we’re all getting used to fast (if not instant) results. When responses and results come more slowly, as they often do with projects that span a long time-frame, it can be quite frustrating. Building in logical measurement points to highlight progress can be very motivational and keep people interested in the project. (Of course, it also helps to correct issues early if the project starts heading down the wrong path.)

Can your good mood be contagious?

2011-07-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

Recently I’ve been doing a lot of reading about business management topics for an upcoming class. One book I read is Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman (2002). The book points out that the moods and attitudes of management set the tone for the workplace – which can help or hinder productivity and retention. After all, who wants to work for a grouch? So…as a manager, what can you do to make the work environment a better place for everyone? Maybe take a look at Goleman’s ideas and give it a try.

The basics hold true, especially in the downturn

2011-07-11T07:21:00.001-05:00

By Jack Burke
As I've been traveling around the country for our magazines, I've noticed businesses that have had success during the downturn have a few things in common:
1. They're open-minded. The business owners I've talked to (mostly construction contractors) have been willing to try new niches to increase business. For example, one plumbing firm expanded into providing in-ground pools. Now it's a big--and growing--part of his business.
2. They love their work. Perhaps not surprising, the business owners I've met all love getting their hands dirty and take satisfaction in seeing things to completion. Their jobs are who they are, not what they do.
3. This one's probably the most important reason for their continued success. They built relationships--and reputations--when times were good. Call it the Golden Rule, call it karma, call it good business. But the guys who treated customers, suppliers and staff with honesty and fairness when the economy was stronger are the ones who are better off today.

Sometimes, "no" is the right answer

2011-07-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

By Kris Matz
It’s really hard to say ‘no thanks’ to new growth opportunities, but sometimes it might be the right answer. This post on the HBR Blog Network has some interesting data about strategic focus and revenue growth. Interesting stuff…

B2B marketers need to think like magazine editors

2011-06-24T09:25:00.001-05:00

By Jack Burke

Archives are a wonderful thing. I ran across a story on how B2B marketers are changing the way they see their jobs in BtoB magazine. And those changes are driving organizational reboots. Most marketers see that they need more content on more platforms to reach customers and potential customers. Does this jibe with your marketing experience?

Contact, and lots of it

2011-06-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

Came across some interesting thoughts on B2B engagement on a blog on emarketer.com. To put it very simply, the theory is that B2B marketers need to find ways to frequently stay in touch with customers and prospects.

One section of the piece states:

The complexity of the B2B buying process, compared to that for B2C, often demands more of marketers. Because of the longer B2B sales cycle, marketers must diligently fill the sales pipeline and continuously support sales by keeping prospects engaged with the brand during the sales cycle through the use of multiple touchpoints, like email or campaign nurture programs.

Is the cost of borrowing too low?

2011-06-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

by Jack Burke
Is the cost of borrowing too low? That's what a couple of business people I recently visited think. It seems counter-intuitive--low interest rates should spur more business activity not less--but the businessmen I talked to say banks just won't take risks with so little in return.

Study: Flexibility, oversight keys to successful social media

2011-06-07T08:46:00.000-05:00

By Jack Burke
A new study sponsored by SAS has interesting things to say about how businesses should look at social media. The gist is that, while many businesses have launched social media strategies with some success, they’re not taking full advantage. Two points from the report stood out for me:

1. Senior executives should holistically integrate customer engagement across their company’s departments to capitalize on new insights into customer valuation: this requires organizational flexibility and the relinquishing of some measure of control. To achieve this, social media need to be understood and employed as tools in the service of wider business aims, not siloed as a discrete functional area.

2. Organizations must tread carefully, however, when extracting value from social media engagement, to avoid appearing intrusive or inappropriate to the very customers and social networks with which they are trying to interact. Moreover, a widespread inadequacy of formal governance policies exposes many firms to significant risks as they seek to derive value from social media – not only reputation hazards but legal compliance issues and the protection of their intellectual property.

Not even a 1-2-3-4 password?

2011-06-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

I spent yesterday helping my 11-year-old son get his new iPod Touch up and running. It was a big day—the culmination of years of saving and birthday money.

Part of the process includes password setup. There is a password at seemingly every juncture. I found it a bit ridiculous.

While the 11-year-old has his iPod protected, the same can’t be said for a laptop loaded with legal information about the mortgage meltdown.

According to reports, including one on MSNBC.com, a laptop that has sensitive e-mail communications about a Goldman Sachs trader at the apex of the mortgage securities meltdown was found in the garbage.

Files intact. No passwords.

New York Times reporters eventually came across the laptop. It apparently has provided them with great background as they write stories about the case.

They’ll get nothing when the iPod Touch eventually makes its way into the trash.

Even in Social Media, there’s a place for print

2011-05-26T07:47:00.000-05:00

by Jack Burke

Found this news release interesting: Washington, DC-based technology group, The Cool Blue Company LLC announces world’s first printed magazine dedicated to the exploration of the social media evolution at the BlogWorld & New Media Expo 2011 in New York City.

The Social Media Monthly is the world’s first printed magazine to focus exclusively on the evolving technology area of social media.

It seems to show that, even as more and more content goes online-only, there’s still room for a print product. Even if it’s all about Social Media!

An ‘A’ for achievement

2011-05-25T06:42:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting conversation with a building contractor earlier this month.

He was explaining some keys to his success as part of a story for “On the Job” magazine. He mentioned the importance of education—certainly nothing unusual there. Neither were the books or videos he sometimes relies on.

But he went to explain that he learns the most from “achievers.” This contractor makes it his business to surround himself with successful, positive thinking people—“People who find a way to get it done.”

Not only do they achieve their goals, but they do so with a great deal of integrity. “Making an effort to surround myself with those types of people has given me a great education,” he said.

A longer, more detailed version of his success story will run in the next issue of the magazine.

Moving on up

2011-05-19T11:33:00.001-05:00

Wednesday was moving day here at High Velocity Communications. We left our old office—with the help of a Cat Telehandler from FABCO RENTS—for 1121 Marlin Court in Waukesha.

So while we’ve moved, our home—actually, we prefer to call it our world headquarters—is still in Waukesha, Wis.

The move went well. Everything seems to have arrived intact, and we’re up and running.

The highlight of the move: Tim O’Brien, our company president, impressed all onlookers with his smooth operation of the telehandler. Tim’s street cred is at an all-time high.

A working vacation?

2011-05-11T14:09:00.000-05:00

While doing research for our next issue of “On the Job” magazine, I came across a company that provides Cat equipment for those who have always wanted to operate the machines. It calls itself “Americas first and only heavy equipment playground.”

Think of it as Six Flags, except instead of a roller coaster, there are “huge Caterpillar bulldozers and excavators.”

We’ll write more about the business, called “Dig This,” in the next of issue of “On the Job.”

A good way to tell your (and your customer's) story

2011-05-11T08:30:00.000-05:00

by Jack Burke
One of our clients, Hawthorne Cat in California, is using Social Media to spread the word about the latest issue of our On the Job magazine that features one of their customers. Here's a link to the story on their website.

We're moving!

2011-05-04T09:10:00.000-05:00

by Jack Burke
Busy time here at HVC. We're in the middle of our production cycle for several of our magazines AND we're preparing to move to a new office. On Wednesday, May 18th, we're closing the doors here and moving to 1121 Marlin Court, Suite A, Waukesha, Wis., 53186. Our phone numbers, e-mail addresses and website address (www.HighVelocityCommunications.com) will stay the same. But the new place gives us room to grow and has some nice features, including video conferencing and enhanced Internet communications.
Let's hope the move goes smoothly.

Welcome, Michele!

2011-04-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

by Jack Burke

High Velocity Communications would like to welcome Michele Miller to our staff. She'll be adding her skills to our staff as an art director.

Miller has more than 15 years’ experience in designing and executing marketing communications programs for various clients. Prior to joining High Velocity Communications, Miller served as Creative Director for JM Family Enterprises, a $10 billion diversified automotive company in Deerfield Beach, Fla. In that position, Miller oversaw creative direction of the company’s marketing programs and managed a nine-person design team.

Welcome, Michele!

Working with the media beast

2011-04-19T06:30:00.000-05:00

If you think your business has a great story to tell, one that would make every media outlet knock down your door to get to, ask yourself a couple of key questions:

1. Is it really that unique? You may think X is the greatest thing to ever happen, but maybe X is happening everyday to someone else.

3. Is this just about you? Media outlets need to tell stories that affect or enlighten their overall audience. Can your story help them do that?

4. Why do you want coverage? Your ego isn’t a good answer. Neither is “building business.” Media outlets do something else besides cover events and do stories. They sell ads.

A horrible first impression

2011-04-14T11:58:00.001-05:00

by Pete Kennedy

Every day I receive a dozen or so photography e-newsletters. They’re more or less spam, but I usually don’t mind. Sometimes we use freelancers, so it’s good to see what’s out there. If the photography is interesting, and the e-mail arrives at the right time, I might take a look—though I usually hit “delete.”

As of today I plan to more aggressively unsubscribe. A photographer’s e-blast arrived this morning. Before I could delete it (or even look at it) I saw a dozen responses. All said something to the effect of “unsubscribe.” Some were much nastier than others.

Apparently, the guy blasted samples of his work without isolating the recipients from one another. The result: Not only did I get his unwanted solicitation, but I also received replies from those who were unhappy to have been contacted. Their irritation grew as they realized they would be getting e-mails throughout the day from those on the e-blast list.

Not exactly the best way to get new business. And not the best way to prevent recipients from selecting “unsubscribe.”

The Flip: From must-have to all-gone

2011-04-13T07:23:00.000-05:00

Oh, how quickly time flies when it comes to technology. The Flip video camera went on sale in 2007 and quickly dominated the camcorder market.

Two million of the pocket-size, easy-to-use cameras were sold in the first two years, according to this New York Times story. Then, in 2009, the founders cashed out and sold to Cisco Systems, the computer networking giant, for $590 million.

On Tuesday, Cisco announced it was shutting down its Flip video camera division. A lifespan of less than four years, from top of the market to gone completely. In an industry segment where a 10-year-old product (think iPod) is a wizened veteran, a four-year lifespan isn’t surprising. But it’s sobering to think about the devices we use today and wonder which will be obsolete in a few years.

QR code puts builders on the spot

2011-04-11T07:05:00.000-05:00

New Yorkers now have construction site information—including where to file complaints—at their fingertips.

During February, the city started placing QR codes on all construction permits. The codes, similar to barcodes, enable smart phones to instantly access information. A passerby can see the permit, access an app that reads the code, and find information including the architect, contractor, scope of the project and how to file a complaint.

“New Yorkers expect to be able to gather information instantly, and the use of QR codes will allow them to get all information about construction work while standing on the sidewalk,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who visited a construction site to launch the campaign.

The latest RunReady magazine is out

2011-04-07T13:45:00.001-05:00

The latest issue of RunReady magazine, a publication for the electric power generation market sponsored by Cat dealers, is available.

In this issue, we take a look at the amazing growth of i/o Data Centers, which delivers digital energy technology for the world's largest enterprises, governments, and service providers.

Another story outlines some of the aftermarket options available to meet current and future Tier 4 requirements. We also look at some of the differences between double conversion and flywheel UPS systems.

RunReady is supported by Caterpillar Dealers throughout North America. To get your copy, talk to your Cat Dealer.

Is a housing shortage on the way?

2011-04-06T12:03:00.001-05:00

by Pete Kennedy

There is some good news on the homebuilding front. Shawn Tully, a senior editor for Fortune magazine, believes housing has recovered. And Tully has a good track record: A few years ago he was one of the first to say the housing boom was over. (It was.)

In the most recent issue of Fortune, Tully sings a different tune. “So let's state it simply and forcibly: Housing is back,” he writes. He points to the cost of owning vs. renting, and the demand for housing that will be caused by the dearth of new construction.

A housing shortage—yes, shortage—is heading our way, Tully reports. And he offers up an expert who has inventory numbers to prove the point.

Must be nice not to need new business

2011-04-05T06:35:00.000-05:00

Exactly one month ago, I went to a trade show. All the people showing their wares were happy to see me, told me all about their great products and got my contact information. So far, so good.

In the month since, I’ve received exactly three follow ups. Three. That’s out of at least 30 vendors who received information.

It could be that business is so good for these vendors can’t handle any new customers. If so, good for them.

If not, why take the time, effort and money to go to a trade show just to ignore potential customers?

"On the Job" offers contractors insights, ideas

2011-03-18T07:50:00.001-05:00

Contractors share great advice and observations with their peers in the just-released issue of “On the Job.”

Business owner Juan Agatep discusses “the new reality.” Tough economic times mean more outside bidders on jobs that once had little or no competition. It appears those bidders are here to stay.

Landscape professional Dan Fuquay explains how higher salaries help him retain the best employees. Those employees, in turn, give his business a competitive edge.

The owners of Roxbury, Conn.-based Moonlight Excavating formed a partnership to build their business. They offer some interesting insight into why the partnership approach works for them.

And, last but not least, Florida contractor Ray Smith offers some words of wisdom on how to land good subcontracting work with larger contractors.

“On the Job” features stories on those customers, plus valuable tips on running and marketing a construction-related business.

Have a happy customer? Get them on video

2011-03-07T13:40:00.001-06:00

Who's your best customer? The person who thinks you are the best thing since sliced bread? Get that person on video. It doesn't have to be a high-concept multimedia piece, it just has to be authentic. We've helped numerous businesses get those testimonials online. Here's an example:

If you have any questions about how we can help you with your social media program, just click on my name above.

Social Media begins with listening

2011-03-07T07:42:00.000-06:00

Social Media scare a lot of businesspeople because they worry about bad reviews or nasty comments finding their way onto Facebook or Twitter.

We can’t put our brand out there and let it get ripped up, goes the argument.

But that misses two big points:

1. People will rip your brand whether you’re part of the conversation or not.

2. Sometimes, that ripping serves a purpose.

Take what happened to Domino’s Pizza. The chain decided to start overhauling its recipes after mounting criticism from focus groups and on social media sites.

Domino’s basically said, “you’re right. Our pizza does taste like cardboard with ketchup. We’ll fix it.”

Company officials cite its advertising campaign—which pretty much admitted the old recipe was lousy—for bringing out curious customers and helping the bottom line.

So don’t fear complaints. They make you think. And perhaps get better.

Tech tools for small businesses can help efficiency, productivity

2011-03-04T07:47:00.000-06:00

by Jack Burke
Oh, the tools at your disposal--if only you knew about them. This newspaper article highlights several tech services that help small businesses look like big businesses to potential clients. I'm particularly interested in Google Voice, which automatically translates a voice mail into an e-mail. Batchbook, which helps businesses automatically follow up on leads they've generated, also looks helpful.

The death of blogs?

2011-02-21T07:14:00.000-06:00

This New York Times article suggests that blogs—once seen as an essential part of any Social Media program—are on the decline. Seems that many people see a bigger response from posting their thoughts and such on Facebook and Twitter.

Money quote from the article: No longer did Internet users need a blog to connect with the world. They could instead post quick updates to complain about the weather, link to articles that infuriated them, comment on news events, share photos or promote some cause—all the things a blog was intended to do.

What do you think? Are blogs on the way out?

Tougher economy knocks health concerns off workers' radar

2011-02-17T08:53:00.000-06:00

by Jack Burke

A new study from consulting firm Towers Watson finds that workers’ worries about their jobs has meant less concern about their health. According to a New York Times story, the study found that only 59 percent of 3,000 respondents said managing their health was a top priority, compared with 69 percent in 2008.

Is SEO a thing of the past?

2011-02-11T07:34:00.000-06:00

by Jack Burke
The New York Times has a good article about how important social media is in gaining website traffic. Some Web publishers say that these days, the most effective way to build that following is to find readers on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, an approach known as social media optimization. That could improve the quality of articles, they say, because the best way to get links on Twitter is to write a story people want to share with friends.

Getting the buzz going about your business

2011-02-08T07:51:00.002-06:00

Any marketing is good marketing. Celebrities are some of the best marketers in the business. A red carpet event, an ad campaign, a movie role, a charity sponsorship or a talk show appearance all market that celebrity.

You could learn from this. Get the marketplace buzzing about your new capabilities, a newly completed project or a sales promotion you are offering. When it comes to finding out about your company, make sure your website is current and easy to navigate. Create awareness of your company by driving people to your website anyway you can—through direct mail, Facebook, email marketing, large decals on your company vehicles or on invoices or other documents. People go to the web, primarily, to research a company prior to that first contact. So make sure your phone number is clearly displayed as well as your current offers.

Participating in community events is another great technique for marketing your business. Your community probably has a number of programs that could use the support of a local business. Contact your local city hall or parks commission to find out. Offer to help plant new trees, donate to restore the old post office or even contribute to a local charity.

Lastly, word-of-mouth marketing is still a huge way to gain new business. Completing a project under budget, suggesting a cost-saving idea or just doing a great job can all be great ways to earn plus business for you. Make sure you leave your customers with a couple business cards so they have a way to recommend you to other friends and family members needing your services.

Five B2B Trends in Content, Social Media in 2011

2011-02-07T10:40:00.001-06:00

by Jack Burke

I found this article on the importance of the right kind of content for social media to be very informative. Strategy - Five B2B Trends in Content, Social Media in 2011 : MarketingProfs Article

Improve your photography by emulating others

2011-02-07T07:36:00.000-06:00

One of the best ways to become a better photographer is by seeing what other photographers are doing. Read magazines, follow photography websites, or tag along with other shooters to learn new techniques. There is a ton of photo eye candy on the web if you just want to look at great photos. At your local bookstore, you will find hundreds of publications featuring new products, award-winning photos and general inspiration.

Most experienced shooters are more than willing to help a newbie or even give pointers on how to shoot that speed boat in the busy marina. This is a great way to learn and also to meet fellow shooters that could be of help on future shoots.

When it comes to locations, I have found that the best are ones that I was willing to explore or scout in advance. The location for a shoot is probably one of the most important elements to the shoot itself. The colors, textures, space, materials and the positioning of the light in relation to the angle you are shooting all play an important role in that great location. A location isn’t going to work out for you if you aren’t sure what angle to shoot from or where to place your subject in relation to the surroundings.

Now that you have mastered basic techniques and have earned your black belt in photographic Jiu Jitsu, you are ready to show off your work. I suggest using an online photo forum to post some of your best images and welcome critiques. This will help you learn what others see when viewing your work and providing their comments. I have found that having your work critiqued by your peers will hone your skills and creativity even further. If you ask an online forum for their opinion, you will get it. But be specific.

Ask if you captured the image in the best way to achieve visual impact. Was the way the image was shot of the crying baby most effective? Could the lighting have been better? What about the cropping or composition? Did your photo execute the shot you had in your head…your style?

Proceed with your photography with an open mind. Not every photograph will be a killer shot. But you do want to strive for fewer and fewer “throw away” images. If you follow some of the basic tips outlined here, you too can shoot great photographs. And you don’t need that mega-pricey camera to do it. A killer photo is more about vision, thought and passion than the techo-gizmos. A dusty camera is a useless camera. Get out and shoot captivating creative photos.

QR codes and custom pubs: The time has come?

2011-02-04T07:09:00.000-06:00

QR (quick response) codes are paper-based hyperlinks that consumers can access by taking photos of the codes with smart phones. They're popular in Asia and Europe and are now starting to catch on in the U.S. I've been reading up on the topic and found this blog post very informative.

Lighting, focus keys to better photography

2011-02-04T06:21:00.000-06:00

To become a better photographer, you need to learn how to use lighting, both indoors and outside. You may have been taught to shoot a photo with the light at your back but what happens if it’s behind the subject instead of you? This might create interesting shadows or flares from the sun entering the lens. All cool effects that might make for that killer shot. Another good thing to consider is the time of day. Early morning and late afternoon will provide warmer lighting. Mid-day will be more harsh and cooler light.

Don’t be afraid to use a flash to highlight your subject too. Be careful, though, because the on-camera flash has a tendency to look “punchy”—meaning it beams a spotlight directly at your image to create an unflattering look. But some fill flash might still be better than “raccoon eyes” because your subject is standing in a shadow. External flashes can also be used on digital SLR cameras and work great for bouncing light off a ceiling or wall.

Another key: Shoot sharp! A sharp photo has punch. Soft focus images tend to look weak and uninteresting. Make sure you have the focus set to your subject. So many times, I have seen a potentially great photo ruined by not having the subject in focus. Anytime you can shoot with a tripod, do. I like to not only use the tripod but also the timer on the camera to avoid camera shake. This is especially important later in the day as the sun starts to dip behind the trees or the horizon or early in the morning. Don’t be afraid to play around with where your subject is in the frame. You can then isolate your sharp portion of the photo from the background or some other busy element to create that visual impact again.

Another tip worth mentioning is find an interesting portion of your subject matter and photograph that instead of the big picture. An interesting emblem on a fender, a neat old window on a farmhouse or just a single flower in a garden make for interesting photographs. Sometimes it takes shooting the same element several times to get just the right look you are after. If you look on Flickr or any other photography website, you will find lots of professionals shooting like this. The key here is find the most interesting portion of your subject and fire off a few shutter clicks. You just might get a one-in-a-million shot.

Tips for the next snow-magedon

2011-02-03T10:11:00.000-06:00

by Jason France

A good portion of the county was pummeled yesterday with heavy snowfall. If we had a plan, then things might go a bit more smoothly. Here are few helpful tips to help you all better prepare for that next blizzard:

Do watch the snowfall. It’s quite pretty.

Don’t get too attached to the prettiness. Mother nature will work you to the bone cleaning up all that snow. Refrain from using profanity if possible. Profanity doesn’t clean up snow.

Do plan to spend your entire day outdoors. A proper hat, gloves, boots, jacket, snow pants are requirements.

Don’t worry about how you look. Nobody cares if your North Face jacket matches your $20 Target snow pants. Sweatpants, Zubaz pants, ugly hats are all acceptable.

Do have food in your house PRIOR to the snowstorm. Venturing out in a blizzard is just dumb, plain and simple.

Don’t plan to drive through 3 feet of snow. This goes for everyone. You aren’t going to make it through that drift, Mr. Volkswagen Jetta or Dodge Caliber.

Do plan to un-bury your car if you park on the street during a snowstorm.

Don’t make plow-drivers mad in your neighborhood. Smile and waive as they drive by. A baked good or a cappuccino makes a good peace offering.

Do have your snowblower, shovels and gas cans ready PRIOR to the snowstorm.

Don’t disassemble your broken snowblower in the snow. You WILL lose the bolts. Ask me how I know.

Do help your neighbors get cleaned up too. It’s the nice thing to do. They may not return the favor but you made the first move.

Don’t blow your snow onto their roof, garage, car or driveway. That’s not nice even though it might be fun.

Do enjoy cold alcoholic refreshments after completion of your hard work.

Don’t run out of alcoholic refreshments. Profanity doesn’t produce more cold beer.

Better photography starts with experimentation

2011-02-03T08:32:00.001-06:00

If you want to shoot better photos, the first thing you need to do is experiment. Try lying on the ground to shoot instead of standing. That will give you a view unlike what you might normally see. This will create impact and present the subject at a more interesting angle. Try incorporating a slight tilt to the camera. This can create more interest in your photo. Don’t overdue it, though. Less is more here but go ahead and experiment. If you have an interchangeable lens camera (SLR), try shooting the same subject at different distances. You might find an image looks better if shot with a wide-angle lens, for instance.

The world’s best photographers are risk takers. They climb a tree to achieve a higher vantage point, they stand closer to the coping to get that aerial skateboard trick and they wade out into the water to capture that surfer catching the big wave. You aren’t going to have much visual impact from the back of the crowd or the beach, unless you have a mega-expensive telephoto lens, but lets pretend you don’t.

Shoot with style. Try to visualize the best composition before you click the shutter button. Does the image you captured look the way it did in your head? If not, try it again. In time, you will start to see your style forming by doing this pre-shot routine. Style is important as a shooter. It identifies you as a photographer and will hopefully be your signature that others will start to recognize. The best shooters develop a style, even if they don’t know it.

What do your customers need?

2011-02-02T09:56:00.000-06:00

Most businesses define themselves by the product or service that they provide; an inward-focused perspective. Frequently this viewpoint limits us and leads to lack of vision and inflexibility in meeting the needs of the client. In today’s business environment, a paradigm shift is needed to remain competitive. We should look at things from a totally different perspective. Instead of focusing on what we do best, we should ask our customers what they need most; an outward-focused viewpoint. Then adjust – keep your customers – and gain some new ones.

Get the lighting right for great photos

2011-01-25T10:33:00.001-06:00

When photographing something indoors, it’s important to focus on the lighting to create visual impact. Shooting motorcycles, vehicles, construction equipment or other large, shiny objects can be a challenge if you aren’t prepared. With a little experimentation and some time, you can get great results.

I was asked recently to photograph a Chevrolet Camaro for some promotional pieces for a client. The client wanted a warehouse-type shot with dramatic lighting. This worked great since shooting a modern muscle car outdoors in Wisconsin in January just isn’t ideal. The lighting set-up for this shoot consisted of five lights as shown in the diagram below. The car was positioned about 50 feet from the back wall of the building to create attractive bokeh (soft focus). The camera was a tripod-mounted Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 80-200mm F2.8 shot at 200mm with the aperture wide open (F2.8). Once the white balance and exposure were dialed in, I started shooting. You can see the result at right.

Reflective surfaces can pose a challenge once you introduce bright lights. So creative light placement is necessary to minimize hot spots and glare. Be creative! Experiment! With digital cameras, feel free to fire off 100 shots to get one “keeper.” With a little practice, you can get great indoor shots too.

Better photographs? Shoot, it’s easy

2011-01-24T07:21:00.000-06:00

With any given subject, a photographer could capture an image of it literally a million different ways. And chances are pretty good that no two photographers would capture the exact same image. Photography is an art form and should be treated as such. It’s OK to improvise. It’s OK to try new shooting techniques. To me there is no right or wrong when it comes to shooting an image. But capturing an image is only part of the equation.

What makes a truly interesting photograph? Subject matter, lighting, visual impact, technical execution, composition, crop, and angle can all help create a stunning image. But what really separates a good image from a great image? Why does an award-winning photo…umm...win awards? Can a novice create a “great” image?

Today’s high-tech, digital equipment makes everyone a better photographer. But it takes more than a good camera to shoot a great image. Think of your camera as a tool. Can you replace a shock absorber on your car with a crowbar? Maybe. But without the right tools, the job is more difficult. Sure, a 24 megapixel Canon professional digital camera can capture a great image. But I have also seen great photographs taken with camera phones, $90 point-and-shoot digitals and Holga plastic film cameras. So it’s not solely the camera.

The thing to remember here is that as long as you have a camera (the tool), you can capture a great image with a little thought and practice. And don’t be afraid to use it! Memory cards are cheap, so fire away. But in order to see progress with your photography skills, you have to take the time to learn your particular camera’s settings. Having a $5,000 camera does you no good if you don’t know how to change the white balance setting or the ISO. Make sure you shoot on your camera’s highest quality setting also. You can always shrink a photo in Photoshop or iPhoto but you can’t go the other way.

Don’t rule out the little guy

2011-01-21T07:02:00.000-06:00

It’s often assumed that large corporations rely on lots and lots of outside help for marketing. That’s why many marketing firms tend to go after those big fish. But often overlooked are those smaller companies that really need marketing help.

Think about it: large companies usually have established branding guidelines, a website, a product catalog, accompanying photography, etc. An outside marketing vendor will likely be left picking up the leftovers. A small company probably needs lots of expertise to help them establish their brand, create marketing objectives, shoot product photos, design and execute a website, write press releases and many other tasks.

Here is a perfect example: A friend of mine needed help marketing new capabilities after the company he owns purchased $50,000 in new equipment. He sees tremendous value in marketing this new capability to the public and needs photography, a brochure, website updates and maintenance, a press release and help planning an open house for his clients to unveil this new machinery. I was able to put together a plan for him and some deadlines on how we will execute these items.

So, just like that, I have my hands full working on all these pieces for his business. A small client, like my friend, needs your help. They might not even know where to begin to advertise a new capability or have the means to photograph a new product. Smaller clients will usually value your professional opinion, so make sure you outline the best way to promote their business with a written plan. If you are willing to help the smaller guy out, I think you may find future business with them or other smaller businesses as well!

Proper training of your staff helps keep customers happy

2011-01-21T06:13:00.008-06:00

Unfortunate but true; a dissatisfied customer is more likely to contact you than a satisfied customer. This contact provides you with an opportunity not just to solve a problem but also to gain the trust for standing behind your product or service. The key to success is a properly trained staff that will politely and effectively handle and resolve customer complaints. Here are a few ideas to help prepare employees to turn negatives into positives:

Have an established protocol for handling upset customers so employees know how to react and avoid escalating problems they cannot resolve. Role-playing and practicing can help to build confidence handling these kinds of calls.
2. Make sure that customer service personnel are informed about all identified quality problems as well as the company’s plan for resolution. Customers will be more trusting of well-informed and knowledgeable representatives. Chances for successful resolution at the first call will be increased.
Empower and authorize employees to take action.

Identify what a customer service representative can offer a customer without managerial approval. For example, a couple of years ago I ordered some clips from an online office supply store, they were supposed to hold 50 sheets of paper. When they arrived, it was obvious that 10-15 sheets would be the maximum. I called to complain that the product wasn’t what was advertised and to find out how to return the clips. The customer service rep immediately refunded my money, replaced the clips and asked me not to bother with returning the incorrect ones. I learned that she had the authority to take actions like this without managerial approval if the total value was $25 or less. I was impressed. The result: a satisfied customer that has remembered the experience several years later.

A manager needs to set expectations

2011-01-20T07:45:00.000-06:00

If you’re a supervisor, have you asked yourself: What exactly do I expect of your employees? If you can’t tell them, how would they know?

Start with a job analysis – identify the person you believe is your best performer. This should be a task-oriented analysis. Who does the job best?
After identifying your top performer, ask them questions and watch them do their job for a while. Expand your research to other employees if needed to make sure that you have an opportunity to see them work through the most common scenarios of their day-to-day work.
Develop a job description from what you’ve learned during your analysis. This description can include qualitative and quantitative elements.

Provide the document to your employees as a ‘living’ document. It should be revisited and changed regularly to best serve the current situation and capabilities. A well-written, accurate job description that includes clear standards and expectations provides guidance to the employee and a tool for consistent and fair measurement by the manager.

Identify and follow best practices. While growing up, most of us heard our parents say more than once—‘you need to learn from your mistakes’. Obviously we want to avoid repeating less-than-successful actions and decisions—and our customers want that too!

But we should actively strive to learn from our successes as well.

Ask: What did you do best today, this week, this year?

Then ask: Can I apply this to common standards and practices to help provide better service all the time? What other situations can I apply this success?

Ask: What problems have you solved for a customer – or what need did you fill for a customer?

Then ask: Do we have other customers who might benefit from this as well?

Best practices can also be identified from outside sources—even from companies outside your industry. Who do you think of when considering superior service? Maybe Disney, maybe the Ritz Carlton, maybe someone less well known that provided a great experience?

What matters most is identifying what makes the customer say “Wow!” and then making it happen repeatedly.

Listening is key to customer service

2011-01-18T09:54:00.000-06:00

Most customer service personnel are trained to discuss products or services and the company itself in order to answer customers’ questions. But they aren’t trained to listen to customers. I believe that listening is the most underutilized communication skill, and the most critical to providing great customer service. You can’t give your customers what they want if you don’t know what it is. Sometimes a simple question or statement is all it takes to get a customer to provide great information.

How is that A-4400 that you bought last month working?

Additionally, customers can provide great feedback about the product category and the market; after all they are the ones that are actually using what you’re selling! Given an opportunity, many customers will give great feedback. Possibilities include: improvements, new or modified uses, advance insight into upcoming opportunities, and information about competitive products.

It looks like you’ve been buying more lately; things must be going well for you!

I have read Disney teaches their employees that they have two ears, two eyes and one mouth— and they should use them in that ratio!

With an upgraded smartphone, I hardly touch my laptop

2011-01-17T12:06:00.000-06:00

by Jack Burke
Here's an interesting take on the power of smartphones--and how marketers might be missing a chance to make a pitch: MinnPost - With an upgraded smartphone, I hardly touch my laptop

Taking control of your own message

2011-01-17T08:21:00.000-06:00

by Jack Burke
This article underscores something we've all been seeing: Companies aren't relying on old-line publications to get their message out--they're doing it on their own.

Improving customer service starts with you

2011-01-17T06:29:00.000-06:00

We hear it over and over again:

A bad experience is retold many times over, but a good experience is retold only to a few.

The investment required to gain new customers by far exceeds the cost of keeping current customers happy.

Considering this, why do we continuously experience such poor customer service? What management techniques and considerations can enhance the performance of customer service?

Set the example for your employees to follow. Have you ever heard the idiom ‘The Apple Doesn’t Fall Far From the Tree’?

This is true beyond the usual association with the parent-child relationship. As a manager your job is to set the example for your employees in the work that they are doing for you, your company and your customers.

Treat your employees the way you want them to treat your customers. Don’t be shy; tell your employees what your strategy is. Your purposeful efforts to be patient and respectful will likely pay dividends with reciprocated actions, both to your customers and to you.

Recognize that every employee plays a role in providing value to the customer. Don’t be fooled into thinking that only employees with direct customer contact are important to your client’s satisfaction and perception of your business’ customer service. The person who packages an order, making sure that everything is correct and complete will probably never talk to the customer, but the customer will notice if the order is wrong or arrives in poor condition. This is also true of the people who update your website, run your accounting system, etc., they may not talk to the customer directly, but they play an important role in serving the customer by keeping your company running properly.

Many times employees who provide ‘background services’ don’t think about the importance of their roles in serving clients. As a manager, stressing the importance of the individual and collective efforts of your staff proper function and their significance in creating the overall perception of the team can be empowering and motivational.

Good content sells

2011-01-14T07:55:00.001-06:00

Let’s assume you’ve made the commitment to good content and taken the following steps:

You’ve sent out quality print materials that have been well received.
You’ve updated and improved the words and videos on your website. That’s led you to new prospects people you didn’t even know about it.
You’ve also positioned your sales and customer support team as experts to both those new prospects and your existing customers. (They have more faith in you than ever.)

The good content has engaged the customers, has connected with them. Now you need only put a specific sales call to action near that content.

In the case of a print publication, make an offer for a product or service. If your content is good the pages will be turned until that offer is encountered. Offer a deal available only through that publication and measure the response.

Metrics are even easier at your website.

First, surround your really good content with links to your products. For example, if you’re posting a video on “How to test a widget,” place a link to “Check out widget specs” or even “Buy a widget.” If you’re in a more complicated business that requires more sell, “Contact us to learn more about widgets.”

Placing purchase links near related content isn’t rocket science. Yet it does take work because the content has to provide valuable information. The visitor needs to spend time with it in order to spot your links. The call to action—typically a link—also has to be well thought out and written.

In addition, consider how the visitor might navigate the site. You have to be sure the appropriate product offerings match the content or you’ll be missing opportunities.

As for proving the impact on sales, you can trace the path of the purchaser. If someone bought a widget, you can backtrack to see where they clicked from, and how they entered your site. If you know the customer’s e-mail address, you can go way back. Did they originally register online after receiving a print publication, a tweet or visiting Facebook or Flickr?

The analytics obviously go into much greater detail. The point is that just a few basic measures can prove your point. If your content is good enough, the metrics will take care of themselves. That includes the most important metric of all: Sales.

Watch that number climb and the skeptics will become supporters.

Can we be of help? You can reach the author here, or call him at 262.544.6600.

Good content reduces your marketing costs

2011-01-13T07:45:00.003-06:00

by Pete Kennedy

Ah, costs. It almost always comes down to price, doesn’t it? But done right, spending on content can actually save you money on marketing costs.

The key is providing materials so compelling that a customer or prospect is willing to surrender something in return for viewing it. That something is information—including an e-mail address. And e-mails enable delivery of your message at a low cost.

You can capture e-mails by attracting customers to your site with good content. (That goes back to SEOs, and even having others send visitors your way.) Attract them with good content, and then ask for the e-mail during their visits.

Good content also helps you convert postal addresses to e-mail addresses. The most obvious e-mail conversion method is to develop a quality printed piece and offer an incentive for a customer to go online and register.

Key to the process is the print publication. It must be so compelling—the content must have such value—that customers turn the pages. Those pages contain your message, including that offer to receive the magazine electronically. Premium content itself can be the incentive for gladly supplying an address in anticipation of receiving future quality content.

Speaking of value, an e-version of that print publication also can be posted on your website. Customers can download it, which is, again, spreading your message. You also can offer a portion of the content to attract their attention, and then simply ask them for an e-mail address to provide the rest of the content.

In the end you’ll convert postal addresses, gather some entirely new e-mail addresses from prospects you weren’t aware were out there—and keep your costs in line.

Shooting photos in cold temperatures

2011-01-11T07:03:00.002-06:00

Shooting outdoors during the winter months can be a rewarding experience. Snow scenes, wildlife and winter getaways can all be great subjects. Besides bundling up to shoot in the cold, there are some things you need to consider before venturing out.

Your digital camera is an electronic device. Electronic devices need to be handled appropriately in cold weather. Keep the battery warm to maximize shooting time. Handle your camera with gloves or fingerless gloves. Avoid changing lenses in rain or snow. You don’t want precipitation to get onto the mirror inside your camera. When you are done shooting, place your camera inside your camera bag. Then when you bring your equipment indoors, allow the camera to remain inside the bag with it closed up and consider placing it in the basement or somewhere where it can have a chance to gradually warm up to the ambient temperature inside your home. You want to minimize excess moisture or condensation inside your camera as much as possible. A hot chocolate or latte helps YOU warm up.

If you follow these few pointers, shooting outdoors during the winter can be a lot of fun.

Failure isn’t an option—it’s predestined

2011-01-10T09:35:00.000-06:00

Businesses fail. That is a basic economic truth. Businesses tend to fail more frequently when the broader economy hits a slump. That, too, is basic. But not all small businesses fail, even in bad times. Somehow, some way, they keep the doors open when competitors are closing theirs.

What is the difference between the winners and the losers? This list highlights 10 reasons small businesses fail. The bottom line is that many small businesses are running to a great degree despite of themselves. Take a look at the list. If you see your company, you should be worried.

Too much to do? Not enough time to get it done?

2011-01-07T08:38:00.001-06:00

Take the time to create a realistic ‘to do list’ and prioritize it. This simple yet effective organizational technique can help you identify critical items and allow you to fit the less-than-critical items into your schedule as time permits.

Consider the list a roadmap to effective use of your time. If you follow it, you’re likely to reach your destination more quickly—it will also help you deal with the detours (to-do items that pop up suddenly) along the way.

Write down everything that you should accomplish.
I suggest entering this list into Excel so that you can automatically sort your list and easily add or delete items.
Once you have a list compiled, consider each item. Is this a ‘must-do’ or a ‘nice-to-do’ item? Does this item have an assigned deadline? Is someone else depending on you to get this done to be able to finish his or her own work?

Assign each item a priority level. I use the ABC method. Things that are ‘must-do’, have an imminent deadline, or that someone else is depending on me for have a higher priority level—these are mostly ‘A’ items. ‘B’ and ‘C’ items are things I’ve identified as ‘nice-to-do’ or have deadlines that are further away. Prioritization of the items can be tricky at first—wanting to make many things ‘A’ items makes the list seem overwhelming. It will get easier to divide the items into effective priority levels as you continue to use the technique.

Sort your Excel document by priority level. (See example below.) The ‘A’ items should move to the top. Now you know what needs to get done first—but you still have a list of the less critical items as well as a good reminder. You can fit those in around the higher priorities.

This can be a ‘living document’ for ongoing use.

Finish an item? Simply delete the row from your Excel list. If you want to keep a record of completed items you can also change the priority to ‘D’ (for done) and when you sort they’ll move to the bottom of your list.

Need to add more items? Add these items to the bottom of your Excel sheet and resort. Now they will fall into the proper place by the priority you assigned.

Also, don’t forget to ‘SAVE’!!!

A new year, new opportunities for business

2011-01-06T07:42:00.000-06:00

A new year often means new budget money for businesses. This is a great time to revisit clients who may have cut spending at the end of 2010.

Be proactive. A simple e-mail to customers and potential customers highlighting what your business is working on, outlining new capabilities or offers might spark interest—and give you a leg-up on competitors who are less vocal. Don’t forget to be creative in your message to them. You may only have one shot at that budget pie! Be catchy and crafty in marketing your business or services. You want to stand out, not be a “me too.”

Good content connects with existing customers

2011-01-05T06:39:00.001-06:00

You’d want your competitors’ customers to check out your site, wouldn’t you? But face facts: If your competitors’ customers are looking, it’s likely many of your loyal customers are checking up on your competitors.

Are they close to jumping ship? Only they know that. But why raise a doubt in their minds? Why settle for clearly inferior content?

This doesn’t only apply to a website. Print publications can be more active, can deliver your message without waiting for the prospect to come and find you. Reach out to your customers with quality content—with words that help them improve their businesses and ultimately make more money—and you’ll strengthen the bond.

Of course it’s not just about providing good content at the time of the sale. It’s about keeping in touch, about subtly reminding your customers that you’re there—that you have expertise, not just products. It’s about building a relationship.

What if you had a sales rep, who, after making a sale, never followed up? He never communicated with his customers, never told them that new products were available—and, specifically, how those products could help the customer’s business. He never stopped by to ask what the customer needed. Never communicated—period.

It’s the same with content. What if you never touch base with a print piece, or if you never connect with an existing customer on your website? How will you be greeted when you deliver a sales pitch? If you have questions about improving your content, whether online or in print, we’ll be happy to talk to you.

Strong content can help you find new prospects

2011-01-04T08:17:00.001-06:00

by Pete Kennedy

There are some prospects that you don’t know exist. Don’t feel bad; we’re all in the same situation.

Here are a few key ways these unknown prospects find your website:

• They are customers of your competition but want to see what you have to offer.

• They are doing organic searches, are Googling a few key words, and have found your site that way.

• Someone else sends them there.

Your competitors’ customers might visit your site because they’re frustrated with their present supplier. They’re fed up and checking out what you have to offer. (Are you ready to show them?)

The competitors’ customers also might be perfectly satisfied, but still covering their bases. They’re 99.9 percent sure they’ll go with the same supplier, but why not at least visit your site to see if there’s anything new there? (Is there?)

Whatever the reason, when they get to your site you’re making an impression. The visitors are watching video of your equipment working productively. They’re reading stories that apply to their businesses and they think, “These guys know what they’re doing.”

They’re taking a look, and you had no idea they were even out there.

Your electronic content also finds customers who don’t know about you. Of course we’re talking about SEOs, which is how a customer (hopefully) finds your site after conducting a search.

Optimizing these searches is itself a multi-million dollar industry; many businesses have been built, and books written, about how to get the name of your business higher up the list.

What any expert will tell you is good content plays an important role in SEOs.

• First, good content is fresh, and SEOs reward sites that are frequently updated.

• Having a robust site helps. You’ll move higher on the Google list by having content with key words that match a prospect’s needs. The more content on a key topic, the more searchable your site becomes.

• Outsiders link to good content, and those links are big SEO boosters. If you post a piece of content that an outsider finds compelling—and writes about and links to—you’re site will move up the list.

• Video helps with SEOs. Posting stories and videos to give your visitors the best information, and to meet their delivery preferences, has the side benefit of boosting SEOs.

Occasions when a customer is sent to you applies to both electronic and print. With the former, it’s a reference to check out a site, or even forwarding a link. With print, it’s about you creating such compelling magazine or brochure content that is so good the initial recipient passes it on. That publication includes not only your expertise, but your contact information.

Good content makes an impression

2011-01-03T07:25:00.000-06:00

Content is more than just words or a video. It tells your story, it represents you in public. In some ways content is like a sales rep greeting your customers and prospects.

What if that sales rep dresses, and acts, like a slob? Maybe he (for our purposes it’s a guy) shows up in a dirty shirt. He is on the stale side—doesn’t exactly smell the best. He yawns and looks away, disinterested, when the potential customer tries to engage him in conversation.

Your content can make the same impression. And here’s where it gets really scary: Your content isn’t representing you during only one call. It’s doing so in front of every single one of your potential customers.

Content says a lot about you—probably more than you think.

• Tightly written and edited content displays your professionalism. It also prevents distractions, and helps prospects find your message.

• Interesting content engages others, keeps them looking at your message and coming back to you.

• Fresh content shows a commitment. It’s evidence that you’re on top of what’s going on around you.

Let’s go back to the sales rep analogy for a minute. And let’s say that sales rep, while a slob, had a really good message.

Maybe he was selling a product the customer desperately needed—and at a ridiculously low price.

Even so, that product probably wouldn’t sell. The sales rep would be tossed out the door before he could even make an offer. You can have a great message, but if it’s sloppily presented you’ll still be out of luck.

Here’s one last thought: Your business already relies on content in one form or another. That isn’t a question. For example, you have sales collateral of some kind. You have a website.

Why not make it the best, why not go above and beyond? What is the cost of coming across as tired and uninspired?

‘I don’t know’ can be the right answer

2010-12-22T10:05:00.002-06:00

It is not a manager’s job to know everything—and this is one of the hardest things for many managers to admit. With technological advancements moving faster than ever before, there are many new opportunities and uncertainties. This article from the BizTimes points out how saying ‘I don’t know’ can stimulate creativity and innovation, engage staff….and possibly lead to some great opportunities!

Content matters—even with currency

2010-12-22T07:43:00.004-06:00

Graphic design is crucial to content. Messages often will go unviewed if not properly presented. Having said that, the content itself has to be good—it can’t be all style and no substance.

This truth recently was proved once again, and this time the content is a little out of the norm: It’s money.

Yes, money. The government of the Philippines found itself defending a new currency against critics who say maps on the bills are inaccurate, as is a rendering of a rare native bird.

The bills sure look nice, but eventually someone got around to looking beyond how the message was being presented. Instead, they looked at what was being presented. Would have been nice to do that earlier in the process.

Paths of communication continue to evolve

2010-12-21T07:53:00.000-06:00

Came across this interesting tidbit about how smartphones are changing the way people shop. Seems that, not surprisingly, people are using their smartphones to comparison shop in store. And the trend likely will only grow: According to Nielsen, 28 percent of U.S. consumers have smartphones, but the researcher projects that by the end of 2011, that number will hit 49 percent.

Has your website kept up with your business?

2010-12-17T10:34:00.003-06:00