According to a survey conducted by Salary.com, 64% of respondents reported wasting one hour or less each day, 22% waste approximately two hours daily, and 14% waste three or more hours each workday.

What are these employees wasting time on? Well based on the survey, the most time was spent on internet use, socializing with co-workers and conducting personal business.

One interesting thing to note from the survey is that three out of four people feel that office related activities cut into their own productivity time on the job. Office related activities include fixing someone else’s work, dealing with office politics, waiting for co-workers to finish something you need, attending work-related meetings or events and administrative work.

A common issue that a lot of employers face is making sure they are getting the highest level of productivity out of their employees as possible. It is important to remember that a $50,000 salary costs the employer a lot more than $50,000 because of benefits, sick days, wasting time online etc. Plus you have the cost of an office space, utilities, bonuses and technology.

What might be a good solution to this issue that so many business owners are facing?
With budget cuts and lower revenue, it would appear that hiring a full-time employee is not a smart business decision in all situations. Why don’t employers consider outsourcing some areas of their business? An outsourced employee is considerably cheaper because there is no need to pay for benefits, training, sick days, etc. Not only does it cost less money, but it is less of a risk than hiring a full-time salaried employee. Outsourcing areas of your business means you are allowing industry experts to take ownership in their personal area of expertise.

At Three Hats Marketing, we offer outsourced marketing employees to companies. Imagine getting a very experienced marketing director or marketing manager for a fraction of the cost of an in-house marketing employee.

Give us a call to learn more about our outsourced marketing services.

First let’s take a look at who the Gen-Y-ers are.

• Generation Y is generally considered, those born in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Gen Y is the largest generation in U. S. history. You thought Boomers were a big generation? Check out their kids. Generation Y is estimated at 77 million people—several million more than the Boomer generation.
• Gen Y has the highest consumer confidence. Gen Y lost the most in the recent recession, with lower wages and the largest number of job losses. Despite the recession, Gen Y maintained spending habits rather than saving. This generation is likely to keep spending at the same rates in the years to come, regardless of the economy.
• The new mommy bloggers are from Gen Y. Every PR and interactive agency wants to reach those mommy bloggers. According to The Parents Network, 68 percent of all births are to Generation Y moms (not Generation X). This up and coming group of moms has been shaped by a different upbringing and different world events than the one before it, and companies should approach them differently.
• Gen Y sets the trends. Baby Boomers emulate their Gen Y children, creating a “trickle-up” effect. Also, Media Post reports “67 percent of Gen X women identified Gen Y [women] as trend leaders” (hat tip to Rebecca Thorman). Generation Y influences the likes and dislikes of not just each other, but older generations too.

As you can see, this generation breaks the mold we’ve become accustom to. Their sheer size and buying propensity should make you pause and ask, are they my target audience and am I marketing to them properly? Don’t lose focus though, if these twenty-somethings and younger aren’t your buying or influencing audience fight the temptation and stay focused on your true target audience.

However, if Gen Y is your target audience you may need to change your game plan as they prefer to be communicated to, much differently than previous generations. Here are a few ways to reach this Gen Y through the Internet:

1. Target the influencers. In digital, the most influential people are bloggers, and you can find all Gen Y bloggers on two networks: Brazen Careerist and 20Something Bloggers. Target specific groups by interest on each site, write a piece for the main newsletter, and start networking with over 10,000 Gen Y bloggers. Get this group excited about what you are doing, and they will tell their vast networks of friends online.
2. Infiltrate the inner circle. A small start-up called CaptainU targets high school athletes with their college recruiting software. The company spent a year trying to market their company on Facebook with no success. Then, they offered internships to a small group of high school students, who started sharing the company’s fan page updates with friends. The CaptainU Facebook fan page went from 100 fans to nearly 2,000 fans within a month, all because they found a way to infiltrate the inner circle of teens they were targeting.
3. Build a “street team”. Generation Y gets most of their information from trusted resources—their friends. Most companies are wary of letting non-employees represent them, but Generation Y is collaborative, technologically savvy, and well-networked. Gen Y wants to build a brand with you, so let them. Provide them with exclusive information, pictures, and video, give them sneak peeks at new products, and hook them up with goods they can talk about and share with their friends.
4. Support a cause Gen Y is known to be passionate about causes—world issues, politics, and the environment. According to Diversity Inc, Gen Y is “undeniably a big reason that America elected its first black president in U.S. history.” Companies like Tom’s Shoes are popular with Gen Y because they can easily give back as they consume.
5. Advertise on mobile. Gen Y never leaves home without their cell phones. According to Ad Age, “one-quarter of Facebook’s 400 million users access the site through mobile devices; this set is twice as active as non-mobile users.” As geo-gaming applications like Foursquare and Gowalla take off, expect to see more opportunities to advertise to Gen Y on the go.
6. Keep up with the trends. Because Gen Y relies so heavily on technology for communication, the tools and tactics are always changing. If there is one blog you read about youth marketing, make it YPulse. They cover marketing trends for tweens, teens, college students, and young professionals in the workplace.

So if Generation Y is your target audience, make sure your communication plan is appropriate – what worked before, may not work now!

Some data provide by Monica O’Brien.
Monica O’Brien is the director of digital at Fizz and author of Social Pollination: Escape the Hype of Social Media and Join the Companies Winning At It. You can read her blog, Social Pollination, and follow her on Twitter at @monicaobrien.

Since there are many highly intelligent experts that have spent a lot of time figuring out what subject line formats work best, let’s learn from them! Emarketer.com recently posted an article on email marketing subject lines and below are their findings.

Personalization continues to be more and more important in all areas of marketing and email marketing is no different. The words “you” and “your” top the list for most used terms in subject lines. Below is the full list but first a quick word of caution – some of these words can be flags for spam so be cautious how you use them.

Review the information below and consider how it could have a positive impact on your email marketing.

Top E-Mail Subject Lines Focus on ‘You’

Marketers try for personal connection with recipients

Polls show that marketers are aiming for personalization to make their e-mails stand out in recipients’ inboxes, and the rise of social media has made many consumers expect a more personal relationship with brands. And a look at e-mail subject lines suggests marketers are following that lead.

While in November 2008, subjects with “you” and “your” barely beat out “free” offers, usage of “you” to address recipients directly rose by 2009 to appear in more than one-fifth of e-mail subjects. On the flip side, terms such as “free” and “ship” decreased in importance.

Top 10 Subject Line Terms Used by US E-Mail Marketers, November 2008 & November 2009 (% of total)

Experian’s “2010 Digital Marketer” report said this reflected the growing savvy of marketing e-mail recipients. Consumers now expect free shipping offers, which makes them less of a selling point in e-mail subject lines.

Offers of savings in general, however, remained important, and with good reason. More than one-half of adults said they were likely to open an e-mail containing promotions or coupons, and 30% said they would forward such an e-mail to others, up from 28% in 2008.

Among multichannel retailers, for example, “save,” “off” and “% off” each appeared in about 12% of subject lines. Shopping and classifieds sites saw the highest share of traffic coming from e-mail clicks, compared with other industries, at 9%.

Top 10 E-Mail Marketing Subject Line Terms Used by US Multichannel Retailers, November 2009 (% of total)

Experian also found that e-mails encouraging visits to stores increased by 50% compared with 2008. And the use of “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” more than doubled, as Web marketers included more Black Friday offers and consumers became more familiar with the latter term.

Keep up on the latest digital trends. Learn more about an eMarketer Total Access subscription today.

Check out today’s other article, “Social Sites Lure Users Around the Clock.”

Does that seem right? Does that mean we should be a fourth of the way toward our yearly goals? Does that mean we should have a fourth of our new clients, a fourth of our revenue, and a fourth of our leads?

Well, if you are like us and asking yourself these questions (and quite possibly more), then here is some advice: if you are NOT on track, it’s NOT to late. Here is some practical thoughts that may help you make the turn.

Do what YOU do best

With that, I don’t mean your company, I mean YOU. Do what YOU do best. If you are like most business people I know, you are all trying to be everything to everyone and do everything yourself. But that is exactly how we get off course from our goals. Stop and assess what you should be doing for your company – quite possibly they are things only you can do for the company. Focus on those things and find others to do the rest.

Oh wait, that reminds me about my next point….

Find other resources / partners to help take the load off you

Can’t afford it? I know, we say that here all the time as well. But the fact of the matter is you CAN’T afford not to. If your business model is truly as strong as you believe it is, then you have to let go of some of the things that are holding you back from reaching your goals. You have to let others do the things they can do to help your company succeed and allow you to focus on the things only you can.

Now this doesn’t necessarily mean hiring. It could mean outsourcing some work to a virtual employee or company (I know a good one when it comes to marketing), or it may mean partnering with some companies to trade services or resources. Be creative and make every dollar you spend count toward reaching your goal.

Break the goals up in manageable pieces

We see many companies only make yearly goals and the numbers they stare at each day are so large they become paralyzed. Break them up. What do you want to accomplish by this time next quarter – or maybe next time this month? Keep your eye focused on a goal that is reachable (with a stretch) within a shorter period of time.

I hope these thoughts help trigger your mind to think of other things you need to consider as well. If you have other ideas to share, add them to the post by using the comment box below.

If you are struggling with your goals, your message, or your plan. Give us a call and let’s see what we can do to help you now.

Well, I have news for him and anyone else who thinks this way. You will be quite surprised how far you and your business will be behind when you pull your head out of the sand. Here are some things I hope you can understand and consider about today’s small and medium-sized business landscape.

Your business will never be the same as it was before the economic downturn – period.

Those who think that, once this economic crunch is over, they will go straight back to offering the same business model as before our financial crisis will have a huge wake up call coming. The businesses that are working to reinvent themselves are already leaps and bounds ahead of you. Why is this important? See the next point…

Your customer’s needs (and maybe wants) are different now.

With money being tight for everyone, your product or service is more scrutinized than ever before. Therefore, the value you bring your customer must be like never before. It’s a buyer’s market in most industries, so your product or service must stand out above the rest and solve an important need of your target audience.

There are many things I have noticed businesses doing to make forward strides in spite of the dip in the economy. Here are some of the trends I see that you can implement:

Allow employees to telecommute

Save cost for the employee and the business by allowing employees to work from home several days a week. This can cut down on office costs and offers employees flexibilities in trade for other “perks” you may not be able to afford in today’s market. Work is still getting done but for less cost.

Reduce print marketing / increase internet marketing

Print marketing can be an effective means to communicate to your clients and prospects, but it is also one of the most expensive means to do so. Cut marketing costs by going electronic. Email marketing, website improvements, and social media efforts are typically dollar for dollar better spent money than print anyways.

Hire virtual employees

Companies are starting to recognize that they do not have to invest in employees the same way they used to. The objective is to get the job done right – most efficiently and effectively – as a result businesses are turning to virtual employees. Websites like elance.com and Odesk.com make finding these resources much easier. If you have needs that are consistent and easily replicated you might consider even an international virtual employee through sites like virtualemployee.com and remoteworkmate.com. These sites can help you find cost-effective resources to help through the peaks and keep you from having to hire in-house employees to get the work done.

One of the service offerings we have at Three Hats Marketing is virtual marketing employees. If you have recently downsized your marketing staff or are considering hiring to meet current needs – give us a call. Our approach will definitely save you money and offer you better results.

And although our monthly email newsletter is titled “Hat Trick” it is more of a play on the hockey phrase as it relates to our name than it is a “tip of the hat” to the game. To be perfectly honest, that is probably all I know about the game – except for one other thing.

The great Wayne Gretzky once said something that has become one of my favorite quotes. He said, “Don’t skate to where the puck is…skate to where the puck will be.”

I love that quote because it says so much in so little. It speaks to me personally in how I try to live my life, but also how I hope we continue to run our business. It puts a focus where it should be. It is the definition of wisdom exemplified: knowing the outcome before it will happen.

So how can we get into this mindset with our business? How can we continue to operate as we need to today, but watch and know where our “puck” will be in the future? Well, would you believe our marketing efforts can help? Here are some thoughts on how.

Plan your marketing for where you want to go, not for where you are today.

It’s hard, I know, when you are muddling in the day-to-day issues of a business to stop and plan, but that is exactly what makes the difference between a long-term, successful business and one that’s short-lived. Market to the type of client you think will help your business long-term. You can certainly “sell” to those you do business with now (and do whatever a client may ask of you), but marketing is a proactive effort – so spend your effort (and your money) on where you see your business going, not on where it is today.

Budget for where you want to go, not for where you are today.

Now this one is easier said than done, but if you have planned correctly as we stated above, then you should have the confidence to spend the money you need to to move the ball forward. I don’t mean spending large sums of money as if you are where you expect to be 10 years from now, but spend to get yourself further down the path. Times are tough, I know first hand, but now is when you can “out-skate” your competition if you know (and are confident) which direction to go.

Speak to where you want to go, not to where you are today.

In your language (both written and verbal) speak like you want your business to be – not necessarily like it is today. Start setting the groundwork now. You will find that people will instinctively pick up on what you are say about yourself – and sharing the message of where you are going will allow those around you to help get you there faster.

Much like hockey, being good at business is about thinking two steps ahead and being at the right place at the right time. Allow your marketing efforts to help you get there. And much like hockey, everyone needs a coach (even the great Wayne Gretzky), so if we can help you in any way – just give us a ring.

But as a business owner or executive, you probably are starting to see more and more business opportunities present themselves every month – and being “lean and mean” is hurting you. It’s common in today’s economy that businesses don’t have the resources in-house to respond as quickly and effectively as they need to.

So what are your options? Do you always have to hire extra employees to be ready to respond? How do you know what abilities do you need?

One of the services Three Hats Marketing offers is virtual marketing employees. Simply put, what this can bring your business is the flexibility, resources, and the experience your business needs, when you need them. It alleviates the need to hire full time, in-house personnel and incur the on-going expense. It is the smart answer to the peaks and valleys all our businesses have.

To learn more about how a Three Hats Marketing virtual marketing employee can help your business, give us a call.

Often times we take our existing relationships for granted and as a result we unintentionally neglect them – clients and/or influencers. Many of you have probably experienced this issue in some form as it commonly happens to marketing and sales people. I guess it’s because we are always asked to “get more”. Get more traffic, get more leads, get more conversions, get more sales….get more! And if we are honest with ourselves, we’re all motivated by the chase of the new. This issue can probably be chalked up to “the pursuit of something new” syndrome (yes, I just made that up but I stake claim to it – please send all royalty payments in cash).

The irony is that many times, “the pursuit of something new” actually prevents us from getting more business, and takes longer or costs us significantly more to do so. Identifying those you suspect would be good customers, targeting prospective customers and building a relationship with a new customer is many times a long and expensive journey. On average, the cost of acquiring new customers can cost 5x more than retaining current customers.

Don’t get me wrong, your sales efforts need to be balanced based on your situation – and for many that is a balance between reoccurring sales, add-on sales and new sales. However, if you only have a dollar to spend on marketing – that dollar is best spent on communicating to your existing clients. Here are a few tips on marketing to existing customers to drive sales:

1. Stay in touch
We prefer email marketing or personalized notes. Keep in touch periodically and especially on special occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, etc).

2. Show your appreciation
Demonstrate your appreciation for their relationship by sending things like a gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop or restaurant.

3. Make connections
Make a referral and send your clients business whenever possible. Connecting clients with other business that may be a referral sources is often appreciated.

4. Spend time with them
While this may be more of a sales tactic, it doesn’t have to be a sales pitch. Make sure you spend time with you clients periodically – and don’t “sell” them unless they express interest. Think relationship building, not sales.

5. Manage your reputation
Good customer service keeps customers coming back but an unhappy customer can be costly. Make sure you listening for frustrations when you do interact with customers, but also listen on social media tools. Frustrated customers will share their frustration on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, SmallerIndiana and the like. By monitoring these tools you can response quickly an put out any fires. This is called reputation monitoring & management – if you are not doing this, contact Three Hats right away as it could be a costly mistake!

6. Share good news
When there is good news about your business or your clients business and industry, send them a quick note referencing the article.

7. Ask for feedback
Ask your customers how you are doing and if there are ways you can improve your service. This can be an informal call/email or a more formal survey.

But did you ever stop to think how in 28 minutes and 30 seconds they can take you from not knowing of their product to picking up the phone and placing an order? (That’s the part that is truly amazing.)

So how do they do it? How can I go from ShamWhat(?) to ShamWOW and actually be excited to buy one in such short time? It’s all about mastering the customer buying process – and there is no better example of it than an infomercial.

Here is the steps of the customer buying process and thus the steps an infomercial takes you through.

1. Create Awareness

First all infomercials must introduce you to their product. They make no assumption that you have ever heard of the product before. They outline all the features of the product in high detail showing you the in’s and out’s of everything about it.

2. Create Need

Next after you are aware of the features of their product, they walk you through all the benefits. How their product will save you time, or money, or hassle, or all three. Typically they solve a problem you didn’t realize you had until they point it out to you – and all that creates need.

3. Create Urgency

Next, infomercials are masters at creating urgency. Have you ever seen an infomercial that had a timer going in the corner of the screen? “Call in the next 30 minutes and pay just 3 payments instead of 4!” They force you to believe that now’s the time to act on this need.

4. Evaluate Choices

Once the viewer actually needs a product like this and is looking to buy one, they typically compare themselves to other options. Other products can’t possibly do it better, or faster than their product. Comparing other options that a buyer may be considering and showing what is better about their product removes these other options from consideration

5. Resolve Final Risk

Lastly, there is always no risk. “If you are not 100% satisfied, just return it for a full refund. What do you have to lose?” They know if you try it, there is little chance of you returning it, so “what do they have to lose” by making an offer like that?

So those are the steps of the buying process as it relates to an infomercial. Now, what can we learn from that and apply to our business?

You should communicate with your prospects in this order

This is a great model for us to consider when we are working with prospects. Model your marketing and sales presentations after the organizational structure of the infomercial, and you might be surprised at the success you find yourself having. If nothing else, you may learn where people are getting hung up in the process and where you might need to improve your tactics.

You can’t skip a step

This is something we try to do all the time. We present information to prospects when they are not ready to receive it. We share the price before they feel they need our product or service, so it goes on deaf ears, or the perceived value is lower than our price. Or sometimes we neglect to remove the final risk – thus putting their mind at ease with their decision and therefore never close the deal. Pay attention to the prospect’s questions and hear what they really need to know from you. Don’t move ahead in the process without making sure they’re along with you.

Only the buyer can move themselves to the next step

When does an infomercial not make you buy? When their tactics don’t move to the next step in the process. Maybe they didn’t create the need or the urgency for you or remove the risk for you. Regardless, you didn’t move yourself through the process – and therefore they didn’t get a sale. Now of course, they can’t stop a 30 minute program just for you – they have to keep going. But when you are working with your prospects, make sure they are moving along with you in the process. If not, go back to where you left them off.

Give these thoughts some consideration and if they make sense, apply them to your next presentation. If you need assistance in taking your presentations to the next level, give us a call. I promise it won’t be a waste of your time – you have our 100% money back guarantee.