MELLOW YELLOW

In 1966 Donovan had a hit song called "Mellow Yellow". I remember hearing it on the old AM Rock radio station, WLCY in Largo, Florida. Now 43 years later that title pops into my head but not as a song but as a nick name for AT&T ADVERTISING SOLUTIONS, the esteemed publisher of the very established, "Real Yellow Pages". A great product from a great company but nobody hears about them anymore. When is the last time you saw a TV commercial reminding you that "when you need to find a product or service, look in The Real Yellow Pages". How about a radio commercial? Maybe a bill board? No. In the spirit of austerity, somebody at the top decided to cut the advertising budget to save money. Wow! As a 28 year veteran of the industry, I can tell you that a strong diverse ad campaign did wonders for the telephone directory. Remember, "Let your fingers do the walking?" Of course you do! Imagine having your product in every home and business 365 days a year, seven days a week for the last century. It is part of Americana and everybody know how to use it. Talk about a competitive advantage! AT&T is a still a giant advertiser. Absolutely! Everywhere you turn AT&T is reminding you of one of their many wonderful products except The Real Yellow Pages. This is an effective product when executed properly. Thus, I call my former company, Mellow Yellow. they have become a timid giant at least as far as their marketing is concerned. Can you imagine Coca Cola or McDonalds not advertising? Absurd! I hope they wake up and throw a few coins in the direction of advertising the Original Search Engine. A great product from a great company.

DON'T ADVERTISE!

It never ceases to amaze me how some entrepreneurs think. Business is slow. Aha! I will cut back my advertising or better yet cancel all my advertising and put the money I save in my pocket. Yes sir, that's the cure for my slow business. The Ten Commandments Of Soon To Fail Businesses.

1. DON'T ADVERTISE. Just pretend everybody knows what you have to offer.

2. DON'T ADVERTISE. Tell yourself you just don't have time to think about promoting your business.

3. DON'T ADVERTISE. Just assume everyone knows what you sell.

4. DON'T ADVERTISE. Convince yourself that you've been in business so long, customers will automatically come to you.

5. DON'T ADVERTISE. Forget that there are new potential customers who would do business with you if they knew who and where you are.

6. DON'T ADVERTISE. Forget that you have competition that is trying to attract your customers away from you.

7. DON'T ADVERTISE. Tell yourself that it costs too much to advertise and that you don't get enough out of it.

8. DON'T ADVERTISE. Overlook the fact that advertising is an investment in your business, not an expense.

9. DON'T ADVERTISE. Be sure not to provide an adequate advertising budget for your business.

10. DON'T ADVERTISE. Forget that you have to keep reminding your established customers that you appreciate their business.

WISDOM FROM ROCKY BALBOA...........

Here I am in Marietta, Georgia sitting in my recliner watching TV. It has been a long day for NIARCHOS MEDIA SOLUTIONS helping clients increase their R.O.I. I was trying to zone out when all of a sudden, as I sailed through my 150 channels, I stumbled on the movie Rocky Balboa; the last chapter of the Rocky movie saga. All red blooded American guys are suckers for a good Rocky movie, even if we have seen it 20 times. There was a great scene in the middle of the flick where Rocky is talking to his grown son, on the street, outside Rocky's restaurant. His son is pleading with Rocky not to fight in an exhibition with the young, current world boxing champion. The son whines unmercifully about how tough it has been to be in his famous dad's shadow. The son blames his loving father for him not getting any further in the world. Finally Rocky could not stand to listen to his son's weakness any longer and lays down some harsh reality to the young buck. He informs the kid about how tough and cold the world can be. He enlightens the lad about how only cowards point the finger at something or someone else to blame for their own shortcomings. He then gives his son the most succinct chunk of wisdom, that in my humble opinion, sums it all up. The legendary champ emphatically tells his son, "It's not how hard you can hit that counts; life can hit you harder than anybody!" "It's how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward!" Wow!!! Is that not what separates the winners from the losers? What divides the people with character from the bums? You bet it is! I have spent over 28 years in the world of advertising and have had the privilege of working with countless entrepreneurs in almost every area of business. Without exception, the folks that had tenacity and intestinal fortitude always came out on top; good economy or bad economy. Never, never, never quit! It is easier said than done when life's circumstances have knocked the air out of you. Don't let the S.O.B.'s get you down. Most businesses are going to pull in their horns and withdraw their little heads inside their turtle shells. They stop believing, they stop selling, they stop advertising. When "I wore the clothes of a younger man", as Billy Joel once sang, I would hear all the proud stories of the ancient Greeks. My ancestors came from an area called the Mani Peninsula and are decedents of the ancient Spartans. In the golden age of the Spartan city state, the Spartan mothers would tell their sons just before they went off to war, "Come back wearing your shield or come back on it!" In those days the shields were as tall as the warriors because while under attack, they could actually crouch behind it for protection. Another use for these large shields was to carry the dead on it like a stretcher. Thus you see now the cold, determination of those Spartan mothers. They in no uncertain terms, made their sons understand that they should come back victorious or come back dead, rather than defeated. Gee, I bet that motivated junior! Never the less, the Spartans were undefeated in war for centuries and even dominated the ancient Olympic games for 300 years! Obviously, they never quit. NIARCHOS MEDIA SOLUTIONS comes in contact every day with modern day "Spartan like' entrepreneurs. They are out there leading the way. They won't quit and neither should you. Always remember what the "Italian Stallion" said, "It's not how hard you can hit but how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward".

TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS EXPECTED...

"To Whom Much Is Given, Much Is Expected." -LUKE 12:48
Thank God for those rare individuals who assume the responsibility for making our communities a better place. They inspire everyone they come in contact with. Sometimes wealthy and/or famous but not always. People that are givers and never takers. Ironically, the more they give back the more God blesses them. I could name many but Truett Cathy comes to mind as well as Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffet, Bernie Marcus and countless others. I have never had the pleasure of knowing any of these well known philanthropists but I have had the honor of knowing a great community citizen. A man making your life better, making Georgia a better place. He sponsors public service announcements to promote safety and has raised over 2 million dollars for charities like Shepherd's Spinal Center, St. Jude Children's Hospital, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Campaign. The man gives away thousands of bicycle helmets to promote safety, gives away many college scholarships to deserving students and sponsors numerous sports teams. It's not over yet...he is the founder of KEEP GEORGIA SAFE, a 501(C) (3) non-profit organization with the mission to provide safety information and crime prevention training in Georgia. This Family Foundation operates the only network that sends the GBI issued alerts for missing or dangerous persons to subscribers' cell phones. You probably are thinking this is an elderly gentleman who has already made his fortune, raised his family and retired. He does all this to keep busy right? Not a chance. This is a man in the prime of his life with a lovely wife and three young daughters. A man who came from a humble background but has built one of the most successful law firms in Georgia. I won't keep you guessing any longer. This outstanding individual who I personally have labeled "The Iron Man" because of his boundless energy and strong will to get things done is none other than Mr. Gary Martin Hays. Gary is the principal partner of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C. in Duluth, Georgia. I am thankful for people like Gary and feel blessed to know him personally. I know each of you reading this have a "Gary" in your community. I implore you to do everything you can to encourage these leaders and assist them in any way possible. I wish I could clone Gary but every time I talk about it he runs away from me. Seriously, I hope this blog gets the point across to everyone how important it is to give back to the communities we live in. If you have not understood any of this you are probably a "MOOCH"!

SMOKE AND MIRRORS......

After reading one of my past blogs, a guy I know asked me "why I was against Search Engine Marketing". I was shocked because I believe the Internet is a critical part of any marketing plan. I just can't stand to see clients taken advantage of by unscrupulous scoundrels. They are masters of what I refer to as SMOKE & MIRRORS. They are fluent in that romantic language known as GEEK SPEAK. All other media is yesterday's news and all of a sudden is useless. TV, Radio, Outdoor, Yellow Pages, etc. is a waste of money....right??? Well, the economy is tough and a lot of people are looking for a Messiah to save the day. It is the "perfect storm" for the pay-per-click predators to rape and pillage. Unfortunately, many advertisers are not up to speed yet when it comes to Internet advertising. These charlatans come in and get them to commit to budgets that force the advertiser to forgo all of his/her other marketing. These well meaning, innocent entrepreneurs are thinking that most of the i.e $5,000 per mo. is all going to their Google account to purchase their clicks. Oh no, the shell game begins. Only half of the the $5,000 per mo. is going to buy clicks. The other half is going into the pockets of the Internet Posse. They get you up on Google with one or two key words/phrases (most business need many key words/phrases to effectively convert clicks to customers) and you get all excited. You think, "Hey these guys are really good". They show you a click report that convinces you that all these potential customers visited your web site. Then after a couple months you realize that you have not made any money. No worries; they have the answer! You need to increase your budget. Well of course you do. The more you increase your budget the more money they make. It still does not work because the truth is, in most cases your web site is terrible and needs a redesign. It is not converting the clicks to business. They are not interested in that (even though they knew it from the beginning) because that would take time, attention, hard work and delaying their residual income from pay-per-click. So now you have been taken to school by these impostors and you send them down the road. Unfortunately, by that time your business has suffered terrible loss of market share. Are you still with me Vern? I hope so because this is important. I know you are probably staring out in space, feeling like Goober from an old Andy Griffith Show rerun. All you can keep asking is "Say it again Ange". Okay, here are the basics: Interview several companies and ask for referrals. Verify how they are compensated. Never, never sign a contract that is not a set, reasonable monthly maintenance fee. In other words, if you spend $2,000 per month or $20,000 per mo. it is not related to their fee. Next, make sure the company you are dealing with is the company that will be managing your account. Most of these bogus experts vendor out the work. That is a big no-no! Last but not least, before you do anything, make sure your web site is up to par. A web site that is not optimized is useless. It will not convert period! It does not matter if you spend $50,000 per mo. on pay-per-click. There is much more to discuss on this whole issue but at least you have been warned and are a little smarter than before. Next time one of these slicksters approach you with their SMOKE & MIRRORS....tell them no thanks. You would rather go watch Chriss Angel on TV. At least he admits it's all SMOKE & MIRRORS.

SHUT UP AND GO SELL SOMETHING!!!

We are usually not that rude down here in Marietta, Georgia but I am tired of negative people. Pessimistic executives, managers and especially salespeople. Does anyone know how to produce today? Cut out this and cut back that. Scale down advertising, downsize people. You can only cut back so much before it blows up in your face. It also creates an extremely dismal environment in the workplace. Okay, okay I have pointed out the problem...duh?! What about the solution? Well, it's the same it has always been....shut up and go sell something!!! Business people are on their knees begging for somebody to walk through their doors with a fresh idea. Entrepreneurs are only human too. They need to be pumped up like anybody else. Nothing happens until something is sold. I know all of you have heard that for years. Hey, it's true! The sales force is the backbone of this economy. When they get down whoa Nelly, we are in trouble. Does it require you to think outside the box? Sure it does. So what. That is what we do as professional salespeople, find a way. Should you work harder? Maybe or should you work smarter? Definitely! I have been selling something since I was 18 and now I am almost...well...let's just say I have been selling a long, long time. I had the privilege of coming up around some of the best. I learned and benefited financially from it. You never, never, never give up. The next customer you talk to has nothing to do with the last one; so why lump everybody together? Stay positive, differentiate yourself from the other 50 salespeople walking through the door. Retain your confidence and conviction. Most salespeople will succumb to their surrounding environment. Become the exception to the rule. In closing, whenever a sales call is made somebody gets closed. Make sure it is not you. Hey! Shut up and go sell something!!!

DIVERSITY MARKETING

As I sit here in Marietta, Georgia blogging out of my East Cobb home, I fear how myopic many have become. I have had the privilege of knowing some great marketers over my 28 year career. However, the world has changed. The demographics of this great country have shifted and evolved to represent a plethora of nationalities, cultures, religions and political views. Has this affected the world of marketing? You bet it has. As Americans we can all be impacted at times by the same communication vehicles but that is rapidly becoming less effective. That is why NIARCHOS MEDIA SOLUTIONS is sounding a wake up call to the small businessperson. If your marketing mix does not include alternate mediums to speak intimately with these very lucrative minority markets, you are being naive and as I mentioned earlier, myopic. The African-American, Hispanic and Asian Communities to name just a few are waiting to be spoken to. Major corporations have already implemented these campaigns and profit from them accordingly. Most small to medium businesses are still too busy trying to" keep the wolf away from the door" to give much thought to DIVERSITY MARKETING. It is said,"That the sweetest sound to a person's ear is their own name". Then does it not make sense to call out to these unique markets? Do not be discouraged that you do not know where to start. Seek out a consultant that will integrate not dominate your marketing dollars. Open your eyes, your minds and your hearts. Is this a great country or what?