Friday, March 30, 2012

Techs Lag On Last Day Of Quarter

Stocks are mixed in morning trade, with defensive sectors like consumer staples and healthcare holding up, but growth stocks like tech lagging.

Overnight Asian markets were mostly lower, but Europe is higher this morning. Eurozone members recently said that the rescue fund for the region has been expanded to 800 billion euros.

The dollar is a bit lower this morning, which is lending a bid to commodities. Oil prices are up a bit to $103.15 and natural gas prices are bouncing also. Gold prices are higher near $1665 and silver prices are higher as well.

In economic news, the final reading for Univ of Mich. consumer sentiment in March improved to 76.2 from an earlier reading of 74.3. Also, the Chicago PMI slipped to 62.2 in March from 64.0 in February.

The 10-year yield is flat near 2.16%, and the VIX is up 2% to 15.80 after a big reversal lower yesterday.

Trading comment: While today could go either way, the S&P 500 is on pace to finish the quarter with a gain of roughly 11%. I haven't checked, but have heard that that would be the best Q1 since 1998. For those who don't remember, 1998 was a tremendously volatile year. That was the year of the famous LTCM debacle that nearly toppled the market and caused a mini crash in October before the Fed stepped in with a surprise inter-meeting rate cut and the market vaulted higher into year-end. The market was also in the midst of the Internet bubble back then, and I believe the famous "Amazon $1000 price target" call was made in 1998. I'm not saying 2012 will mirror 1998, but don't be surprised to see some volatility before all is said and done. There are a lot of cross currents with Euro sovereign debt, China slowdown, US monetary policy, and of course the election this fall. Just don't forget to protect your profits and enjoy the ride.

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Creative Marketing and Promotional Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day Marketing Ideas for Small Business


Last year consumers spent an average of $140 each on Mother’s Day gifts for their moms, wives, daughters, aunts and other special women in their lives. That was up more than 10% from the previous year, and there is reason to believe that this could be another great year for retailers when it comes to the sale of gifts and gift cards for Mother’s Day.

If you sell items that would make great Mother’s Day gifts, or you can transform your goods and services into gift baskets or even non-traditional, creative Mother’s Day gifts, it’s time for you to go into full on Mother’s Day marketing mode!

To that end, here are some Mother’s Day marketing ideas to help you court Mother’s Day shoppers in 2012:

  • Make sure you know what women want. More specifically, find out what the women among your clientele, your target markets, or the wives and mothers of your customers actually want.
    • Survey your customers as to what they want to receive for Mother’s Day, what their favorite Mother’s Day gift was in the past, or what they plan to purchase for their own mom for Mother’s Day this year. Use your social media platforms to survey your readers using the same questions.
    • Use a poll not only to solicit customer and reader feedback as to what women want for Mother’s Day this year, but to make specific Mother’s Day gift suggestions by listing great Mother’s Day gift ideas as the choices for your poll question.
  • Make it easy. Make it very, very easy. Make it easier for people to buy Mother's Day gifts than you ever have before, and easier to buy their Mother's Day gifts from you than from anyone else! 
    • Use your email newsletter to make specific Mother’s Day gift suggestions to your subscribers with ‘one-click’ ordering, order ahead for store pickup or that even include wrapping, gift card and delivery service.
    • Make specific suggestions that would be most appropriate for the different women in their lives (moms, daughters, aunts, etc.)
    • Place signage throughout your business pointing out great Mother's Day gifts. 
    • Put a sign or set up a display at your point of sale stating that Sunday, May 13, 2012 is Mother's Day and reminding them of the great Mother's Day gift options you offer.
    • Include gift wrapping and gift cards along with Mother's Day gifts or gift baskets.
    • Provide (and promote) last minute creative Mother’s Day gift options.
    • Prepackage gift baskets for Mother’s Day with themed items; such as a bundled package for outdoor lovers, exercise lovers, food lovers, movie lovers, makeup or pampering products, etc.
    • Create a cross marketing opportunity and create Mother’s Day gift offers which include something from your business along with something from a partnering business and promote this special Mother’s Day gift package to customers and contact lists of both businesses (or all participating businesses).
  • Make it a lather, rinse, repeat experience.  Create Mother's Day gifts that come along with a good reason for mom (or the gift purchaser) to come back to your business again, soon. 
    • Ideally, a Mother’s Day gift won’t just represent the sale of products for your business one time, but would result in a new customer coming to your business, repeat visits and the opportunity to turn a new customer into a regular, loyal customer. If you offer services (such as a salon or spa), be sure that your Mother’s Day gifts are bundled along with a gift card that mom (wife, daughter, or aunt, etc.) will come to your business to redeem it and experience what your business has to offer.
    • Don’t forget the bounce back! Create a special offer to include with the sale of Mother’s Day gift items in the form of a bounce back offer either for the recipient or the individual purchasing the gift (or ideally, include one for each!)
  • Take advantage of the opportunity. The sale of Mother’s Day gifts might mean that people who are not normally your patrons come to your business or visit your website to buy something special for their mom, wife or daughter for Mother’s Day.
    • Include a bounce back offer, bag stuffer or special offer along with the customer’s receipt designed to bring them back in for Father’s Day or another future sale or event.
    • Ask them to subscribe to your email newsletter or to follow you on social media, or to be added to your direct mail mailing list to receive future offers from and news about your business.
    • Set up an online customer survey form and invite them to rate their experience with your business. As follow up, extend a special offer via landing page on your website or email thanking them for their participation.
  • Get your Mother's Day gift ideas and offers into the places where Mother’s Day gift givers are. Many Mother’s Day gifts are given by men to their moms, wives and daughters. But if your business caters mostly to women (or women are the ones most frequently shopping your establishment) then you face the challenge of getting the word out about the Mother’s Day gifts you want to sell.
    • Create strategic partnerships with businesses whose patrons are comprised of the male audience you want to reach, such as mens clubs at golf courses, recreational or outdoor sports facilities.
    • Partner with businesses that serve mainly male shoppers or clients in a Mother’s Day / Father’s Day gift promotion combination or swap (you advertise their Father’s Day gifts to your customers, they advertise your Mother’s Day gifts to theirs).
    • Partner with businesses whose patrons (and email subscribers or direct mail contact lists) have a large male composition for cooperative email marketing or direct mail marketing.
    • Partner with restaurants, bars or clubs that have a high percentage of male patrons and place table tent cards at their establishments advertising your Mother’s Day offer (and making it easy for them to obtain it! Wouldn’t it be great for a guy to be able to buy a salon gift basket with gift card for mom while out with the guys on a Saturday night? Or how about a last minute bouquet of roses? Scentsy burner and scent wax? Gift card for Sunday brunch to take the family out for Mother’s Day? Make up and skin care gift set? Beautiful tote or purse? The possibilities are endless! With a little creative and cooperative effort, cooperative marketing can become a big source of referrals and cross sales for both businesses. 
***

Elizabeth Kraus is the author of 365 Days of Marketing.
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in print or digital format. It contains marketing how-to, inspiration and content for every day of the year -- including Mother's Day and Father's Day to help you build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients, 365 days a year!


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Will Global Growth Concerns Derail Rally?

The market is lower again in early trading. Today is day 3 of the current pullback, and since this uptrend began several months ago few pullbacks have lasted longer than 3 days. Thus, either we will see the market regain its footing soon or we will have to acknowledge there has been a change in character.

In economic news, final Q4 GDP was unchanged at +3.0%. But Q1 is already expected to show a slowdown from that rate.

In corporate news, earnings results from Best Buy (BBY) and Mosaic (MOS) resulted in selloffs in those stocks while Red Hat (RHT) raised guidance and its stock is spiking higher.

Asian markets were lower overnight on global growth concerns, and Europe is lower this morning. The European Commission reported a decline in economic sentiment, and there has been strikes in Spain as citizens lash out agains austerity measures.

Commodity prices are mixed, as the dollar is firm today. Oil prices are lower near $104.14, while gold prices are holding steady around $1658.

The 10-year yield continues to ease back, now at 2.16%. And the VIX is up 10% to 17.06 and very near testing its overhead 50-day resistance.

Trading comment: Something to keep on the radar is the economic slowdowns in both China and Europe. Further slowdowns in China could weigh on the entire emerging market picture, while another flare up in Europe could hurt investor sentiment again. The news out of Spain is fairly similar to the events in Greece, and Spain is a much bigger economy. A debt crunch there would not be good for the markets and it is hard to tell if our markets will continue to look past the situation. It makes sense to keep these things on the radar. Even if 2012 turns out to be a good year, there will be corrections along the way. And considering we haven't had a real correction in roughly four months, this spring and summer could keep investors on their toes.

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Romney's in a Sweet Spot if . . .


If the Supreme Court overthrows the individual mandate, doesn’t Mitt Romney say “I told you so” and emerge as the big political winner?

All along he’s been arguing that only states have mandate power, and that the federal government under the commerce clause, or any other law, is guilty of massive regulatory overreach with Obamacare.

While fending off criticism from Rick Santorum and others about the Massachusetts mandate, Romney has always said it was a state issue, not a federal one. And if the Supreme Court agrees, it would have to give the former governor a leg up in credibility with Republicans and the general public.

President Obama, meanwhile, would emerge as a big political loser. Obamacare was the central signature domestic economic plan for his administration. What else does he have to show for nearly three and a half years in office? An $800 billion stimulus plan that didn’t work? A tax on rich people? An assault on oil and gas companies?

Besides Obamacare, what can the president really point to as an accomplishment?

The other big winners in the event the mandate is overturned are business and the economy. Talk to almost any CEO and they’ll tell you that the tax-, regulatory-, and insurance-cost threats from Obamacare have stopped them from hiring. Or, if they have made new hires recently, they’ve gone a lot slower than would have been the case without Obamacare. Remember how many companies asked for Obamacare waivers this past year. That shows their distaste for the legislation.

Of course, there’s still the huge tax cliff coming early next year, when virtually the entire tax code is upended. But Obamacare, with all its tentacles, has been a huge growth impediment. The Supreme Court could remove that jobs barrier, not to speak of the potential fiscal bankruptcy suffered from the gigantic costs of new Obamacare entitlements.

Mitt Romney’s job in a post-Obamacare world is to show voters what his alternative would be. In a recent op-ed in USA Today, he begins to set this out: tax benefits for individuals purchasing insurance outside their workplace; more competition and consumer choice for insurance plans; medical-malpractice reform; interstate insurance options; and state-determined insurance protection for those with preexisting illnesses. All this is a good start. Rather than a government-run health-care reform, Romney is pushing a market-run reform, which has long been a Republican idea.

So we’ll see in a couple of months how the Supremes decide the Obamacare case. But Romney, the likely GOP nominee, is well positioned to take advantage of a scenario where the Obamacare federal takeover is rejected.

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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

The Personalization Paradox: To get more personal, B2B marketers need to think in terms of accounts

Personalization is fast becoming a de facto customer expectation. In the old days of B2B marketing (i.e. today) people go to your web home page, scan for links, click around and hopefully find their way to the most relevant information. That model is quickly being replaced by the social-mobile model in which information finds you based on your interests. Not only should it be delivered to you, but wherever you go on the Internet content should be designed around you. In effect, digital engagement is transitioning to a Google Adwords model where everything is specifically targeted and customized for every single visitor.

This is a very challenging transition for B2B marketers. It means you have to identify as much as you can about a web visitor and serve content to them dynamically in the amount of time it takes for your web page to load in their browser. The implications for web infrastructure, content development and management, and data structures are significant.

A key to making visitor data more useful to the marketing and sales process is the ability to instantly identify visitors and associate them with specific accounts. Many B2B companies construct their go to market models around industries, segments, and increasingly, named accounts. This is also how they set up their CRM systems and revenue reporting. However, most marketing automation systems work at the contact level and use emails as unique record locators, neither of which are ideal for an account based model. Marketing needs to embed the account perspective into everything they do. Fortunately it is as relevant to the personalization process as it is to the alignment issue.
Key account level questions for personalization:
  • Is this an existing customer?
  • Is this person's company in the same corporate family as an existing customer?
  • Is this a targeted segment, vertical, or named account?
  • Who are their direct competitors?
  • What role are they likely to play in the education, evaluation, and purchase processes?
Understanding someone's professional profile opens the door to the real power in B2B marketing - being able to connect the relationships of contacts within accounts and the relationships between accounts (who owns who). The result is more targeted engagement, faster lead identification and qualification, higher conversion rates, and a customer experience that is really designed around the customer.

IDC recommends:
Focus on specific targets to facilitate the process of content development and provisioning. Prioritize by segment, vertical, or named accounts and work through the content development punch list.
  • Deploy an IP identification capability that can be easily integrated with your customer databases, web, marketing and CRM systems.
  • Adopt an account level attribution model so contacts can be readily assigned to accounts in the CRM, and marketing influence can be tracked through the sales pipeline.
  • Push the engagement envelop as far as possible because the more immediate it is the more influential, e.g. integrate chat with key targets and offer them chat sessions with subject matter experts not just sales people.
  • Connect contacts within accounts carefully. Regional proximity, departmental similarities, and what search terms/links they used to reach your site should be factored in to increase the likelihood of finding familiar people or priorities.
IDC believes that personalization is a critical function for all digital marketing infrastructures. Reaching your audience sooner and grooming them through a completely personalized experience will be key to gaining market share. This is no small task and those that get started early will find market advantages that late comers will be hard pressed to displace.

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Slowdown Concerns Weigh On Commodities

The market is lower in morning trade, after late day weakness erased yesterday's early gains and left stocks slightly in the red at the close.

Concerns about demand are weighing on commodity prices. There are reports out of China about slowdowns in demand, especially among materials producers. And a report out of the UK showed that its economy contracted by -0.3% in Q4.

Oil prices are down near $105, and natural gas prices are also weak. Gold prices are pulling back to $1671, with silver and copper prices down as well.

Energy stocks are the weakest group in early trading, while financials are bucking the weakness for the most part.

In economic news, durable goods increased 2.2% in February, which is below expectations but still above the prior month's reading of -3.6%.

The 10-year yield is roughly flat around 2.18%. And the VIX is bouncing another +3% so far to 16.12. It is still a ways off from its overhead 50-day which lies near 17.65.

Trading comment: We often see a big down day as we near quarter end, at least in recent quarters. Today is day 2 of another pullback sequence, following last weeks 3-day pullback that was punctuated by a big rally on Monday. It will be interesting to see if things are being propped up into quarter end and if we will see a bigger pullback once Q2 starts. I wouldn't be surprised by this action, and it could be a good setup as we approach Q2 earnings season to have a pullback ahead of it and then another market rally if earnings come in as strong as expected.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

China Continues To Lag

The markets are relatively flat this morning following yesterday's outsized rally. I think yesterday was another day that caught many investors off guard as folks continue to wait for a bigger correction in the market to get in, but the market continues its stair-step higher pattern.

Asian markets took their cue from U.S. markets overnight and rallied strong. Japan gained +2.4%, Hong Kong +1.8%, but China actually closed lower. It isn't getting a ton of play, but China's markets continue to lag not just that of the U.S. but also other emerging markets.

A look at the China etf (FXI) is pretty telling. While our markets are breaking out to new highs, the FXI is struggling to break out of a downtrend that started early this month. It is also trading well below its 50-day average, which itself is starting to flatten out and roll over. Technically, this is bearish action and could make for stiff resistance when and if the FXI does rally back to its key moving average.

In economic news, the Consumer Confidence Index declined to 70.2 in March from 71.6 the prior month. Outside of that there hasn't been too much in the way of market moving news. We also haven't seen very many earnings warnings as we head into quarter end. Let's hope that's a good sign for another strong earnings season.

Commodity prices are flattish. Oil is up slightly near $107.25. Gold prices are also up a touch to $1686, as are silver prices.

The 10-year yield is easing back again to 2.21%. And the VIX is up almost 5% near the 15.0 level, still a low level on an absolute basis. We sold are VXX hedge at a loss.

Trading comment: The market continues its recent pattern of climbing the wall of worry in a stair-step fashion without more than a brief 3-day pullback to refresh. I have been saying not to wait for the "big" correction, and to take your cues from individual stock performance. I continue to think this is the best course of action, knowing that a larger correction could come at any time. But if you have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for it, you have missed some great action in stocks and plenty of gains. We recently added back to some of our energy names, i.e- KMP, PER, and recently CLR.

KAM Advisors has long positions in CLR, KMP, PER

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Monday, March 26, 2012

4 Divine Secrets for Happier Customers and Employees


Driving my girls to school this morning I heard a snippet on the news about a Gallup-Healthways survey of more than 300,000 people which revealed that regular church goers are happier each and every day compared to irregular church attendees or non-church goers. As if that weren’t interesting enough, the report also said that for regular church goers, this “high point” of happiness occurs on Sundays (while those who only occasionally or never attend religious services peak on Saturdays).

Absent an analysis of survey details, as someone who has been a regular attendee of churches for the better part of the last 33 years, I thought that I’d offer up a few reasons why people who regularly attend a church, mosque or synagogue might be happier than those who don’t. To that end, here are four divine secrets for businesses who want their own ‘congregations’ filled with happy customers and employees.

Divine Secret of Happier Customers and Employees #1:

A belief that they are part of something bigger than themselves.

Churches, mosques and synagogues from fundamental to new age, traditional to modern, and all stages in between still provide this one commonality for their members: The opportunity to be part of something bigger than themselves as individuals. Their members are fully “bought in” to the vision (what can be accomplished) and so are willing to do what is needed to help fulfill the mission (the means by which they will bring the vision to pass).

Most churches have the ability to carry out their mission and vision not due to paid clergy but in large part due to volunteer efforts. Contrast that with the dilemma some business owners have getting even their paid employees to show up and do a full day’s work, or give 100%. Why? Church members believe in the mission of the organization.

And it's not just being part of something, but the feeling that they know the purpose of life.  The question asked in all generations:  "Why are we here?" is answered for those who regularly attend church, synagogue or mosque.  Who wouldn't be "bought in" if they felt they had a truly worthwhile life's purpose? 

If you want your employees and customers to be happier, you need to get buy in to a vision of what can be that is meaningful to them, that is worthwhile (beyond monetary compensation), that provides emotional and intellectual payoffs and one in which they see themselves as valued contributors. To do that, you must first actually have a clear vision statement (the good that your business can ultimately provide to the world) and a clear mission statement (the means by which you will achieve your vision).

Secondly, you have to ensure that your mission and vision statements are more than just inspiring words. If no one buys in to your mission and vision statement, they are unlikely to come to pass. And if the only time that your employees hear your vision and mission statements are the day they’re hired or at annual meetings, they are not likely to be part of your employee culture; they aren’t likely to influence your operations, day in and day out. And if your mission and vision aren’t central to your day to day operations, you’ll never achieve them!

Divine Secret of Happier Customers and Employees #2:

A belief that other members truly care about them and act on their behalf.

Man oh man, if you want to hear some great gossip, attend a church prayer meeting. You’ll find out who is sick and what they have, who is struggling financially and who is living in sin. Why? Because of the trust that members have in one another. They trust one another with incredibly personal information because they believe that other members have their best interests at heart, that they would not act on the information inappropriately or share it indiscriminately and that they will pray on their behalf and do whatever they can to meet the needs of one another.

That’s not usually what happens at the office, though, is it?

When we hear tidbits of gossip at work, we are more likely to share it with people whose business it isn’t and either to be happy that it isn’t us or even gleeful that someone is getting “what’s coming to them” karma wise.

But when it comes to your employees and customers, your business should be as safe as a church. Not only should your customers have absolute faith that any information you have about them remains confidential (and that goes for contact information, email addresses and financial information as well as any information actually obtained as a result of providing services for customers), but your employees should, too.

Gossip should be called out and eliminated, whether the secrets being told are those of customers or employees. And your employees should view your business as a safe place to share their problems and troubles – the employee culture should be one of mutual encouragement and be characterized by people who are willing to help one another out, whether on the job, or off.

Divine Secret of Happier Customers and Employees #3:

A belief that they should focus less on their own problems and well-being and more on that of their fellow man.

It’s easy to focus on ourselves, it’s human nature. And the more we focus on ourselves, the more we tend to worry about our own problems, indulge in self-pity or experience jealousy at the success of others. It’s more difficult to put the well-being and happiness of others ahead of our own, but that is one of the guiding principles of conduct in churches, synagogues and mosques, where members not only preach but regularly practice putting the needs of their fellow man in the forefront.

If you want happier customers and employees, this must be central to the culture of your business, too.
  • When was the last time you caught an employee doing something that was someone else’s job, just because it needed doing? 
  • When was the last time you had managers who worked to forward the initiatives of other departments, rather than fight for their own initiatives or “turf?” 
  • When was the last time you caught an employee going out of their own way for a customer?  
  • When was the last time that you did it, yourself?


Divine Secret of Happier Customers and Employees #4:

A belief that they have an oasis for encouragement, learning, personal growth and self-renewal.

When church goers walk through the doors of worship, they not only find a community of people they believe truly care about them and who would go out of their way to help them, but when they walk through those doors, they are entering a place where they can leave the cares of the world behind and find sanctuary; an oasis where they can renew their inner spirit and mind and prepare to face the week ahead.They expect to be uplifted. They expect to learn and grow. They expect to leave feeling filled up, rather than drained out.

What happens when your employees or customers walk through your doors? Is anything about your customer experience meant to renew or refresh their spirit in some way – by showing that you truly value them, by demonstrating that you view them as people (rather than tools or wallets), by stimulating their senses or providing them with information and education to engage, enlighten and intrigue them? When was the last time that you put any effort into ensuring that employees break and lunch rooms were hospitable for rest and refreshment? Would your employees or your customers say that their renewal, refreshment and interest was important to you or your business?

And that brings me to one final observation. Regular church goers aren’t just happier in general than non church going counterparts; they’re happier every day of the week, and especially on Sundays. Are your customers and employees happier on the days when they interact with your business than on any other days? If you take inspiration from the divine secrets of customer and employee happiness, they could be!

***



Elizabeth Kraus is the author of 365 Days of Marketing.
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in print or digital format. It contains marketing how-to, inspiration and content for every day of the year that can help you cultivate buy-in and loyalty from among your employees as well as your customers, and give you the tools you need to hone your leadership and management skills. 

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Monday Morning Musings

The market is getting a nice pop in morning trade as investors return from the weekend in a buying mood. Last week I surmised that we might see the same pattern develop of a brief 3-day pullback in the market. So far, that looks exactly like what happened.

Last week the market pulled back for 3 days before bouncing on Friday. Today it is extending that bounce with the S&P 500 right back at its highs for the year. This week marks the last week of Q1 and portfolio managers who have been underinvested likely used the brief pullback as an opportunity to put more cash to work.

There isn't a lot of market moving news this morning. Fed Chairman Bernanke made some comments that job market conditions remain slack, which lends itself to the notion that the Fed will remain accomodative. This echoes comments made by other Fed officials last week.

Pending home sales for February fell -0.5% vs. a gain that was expected. But that has done little to stall this mornings rally.

Asian markets were relatively flat overnight, and Europe is higher this morning except for Spain which is selling off on budgetary concerns. If Spain flares up the way Greece did, it would likely be problematic for the markets.

The euro is also getting a bounce, and the weaker dollar is helping boost commodities. Oil prices are higher near $107, and natural gas prices are higher also. Gold prices are also bouncing to $1685, and silver and copper prices are up as well.

The 10-year yield is higher at 2.28%. Interestingly, the VIX isn't lower on today's rally and is holding in at 14.95. Recent VIX action has been somewhat perplexing and our higher volatility trade hasn't worked out.

Trading comment: Buyers are back in control today. I usually don't like to see a market that is up strong at the open. I prefer to see the market build its strength later in the day and close at its highs. These up opens leave to much time for sellers to step in knock the market back down, but we will have to see if buyers stay in there right into the close. Leading growth stocks continue to pace the market, and even though AAPL has taken a bit of a rest, PCLN remains on fire, as do ALXN, RAX, SWI, CHKP, the cloud stocks and a host of other.

KAM Advisors has long positions in AAPL, ALXN, CHKP, PCLN, and RAX

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Friday, March 23, 2012

Nazz Looks To Keep Its Streak Alive

The markets are slightly lower in morning trade. For the week, the SPX is on pace for a decline of less than 1%. This would mark the first weekly loss in six weeks, and only the 2nd weekly decline in the last 12. As for the Nasdaq 100, it is on pace for its 12th consecutive weekly gain. That is quite a feat. I know than AAPL has had a lot to do with it, but it also shows how well large-cap growth stocks have bounced back so far this year after being out of favor in 2011.

There were a handful of earnings reports last night and this morning. Accenture (ACN) is seeing a positive reaction, but the others (KB Homes, Micron, Darden Restaurants, and Nike (NKE)) are all trading lower in reaction to earnings.

Asian markets were lower across the board last night, with widespread selloffs of 1% of greater. The dollar is selling off today, and that is helping commodities bounce.

Oil prices are higher at $107, and natural gas prices are bouncing from record low levels. Gold prices have also bounced to $1662, and silver and copper prices are higher as well.

The 10-year yield is fading a bit more, to 2.23%. And the VIX has really not had much of a bounce, even with yesterday's selloff. The VIX is down another 1% this morning back to 15.30.

Trading comment: Large-cap leading growth stocks have really led this rally lately. I know that most people thinks its all Apple all the time, but look at a stock like Priceline (PCLN), which has also been a monster. Look at the recent rebound in Google (GOOG), the cloud stocks like FFIV, CRM, and VMW; look at the old generals like MSFT, QCOM, and INTC. Look at new growth stocks like MNST, SCSS, ALXN, and ULTA. Predicting the remainder of any year from the early action is fraught with risk, but I tend to think that this strong action is a prelude to the rest of the year and that even though there will be corrections along the way I think growth stocks are going to continue to lead rallies.

KAM Advisors has long positions in ALXN, AAPL, GOOG, MNST, PCLN, SCSS, and ULTA

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Will The 3-day Selloff Pattern Hold?

I am out of the office today, so my comments are going to be brief. Today is day 3 of the current selloff in equities. For the last several months, the third day of a pullback has market the low and offered a good entry point for dip buyers.

It remains to be seen if the pattern will hold or not. The indexes remain extended relative to their underlying moving averages. For the S&P 500, the first moving average that comes into play is the 20-day which is sitting near the 1380 level. The SPX is currently trading at 1390.

Asian markets were mostly higher overnight, but Europe is lower today on disappointing PMI data. The euro is also lower while the dollar is firm.

Commodities are weak across the board, with oil prices down to $104.60, natural gas prices down 3%, gold prices lower to $1635, and silver and copper prices down as well.

In corporate news, Fedex (FDX) and Lululemon (LULU) both beat earnings estimates but gave soft guidance and their stocks are lower. Dollar General (DG) topped estimates and raised guidance and its stock is higher.

The 10-year yield is easing back to 2.27%; and the volatility index is spiking +7% so far to 16.25.

Trading comment: It's too early to comment on the action, as we have to see if the bulls step up as usual and rally the market into the close. If they do, then I would stick to my comments that today (day 3) could market another short-term bottom in the pullback sequence. But if we close at the lows it is very possible the market still has some work to do on the downside before finding support. Big picture, I would expect some underinvested managers to use the opportunity to put more cash to work ahead of quarter end next week.

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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Tech Stocks Continue To Lead

The market is lower in early trading on the heels of a mild pullback in the indexes yesterday. Tech stocks are relative outperformers so far this morning with many of them trading higher so far. Energy stocks continue to lag in what looks like some sector rotation going on.

Helping tech sentiment was earnings out last night by Oracle (ORCL) which were better than expected and resulted in a nice pop for the stock.

Overnight, Asian markets were mixed. The dollar is higher today relative to the euro, with mixed effects on commodities. Oil prices are higher near $106.50, but nat gas is lower. Gold prices are also higher at $1650, but copper prices are down a bit.

In economic news, existing home sales for February came in at 4.59 million units, down slightly from last month's 4.63 million units but generally in-line with expectations.

Fed Chairman Bernanke and Treasury Sec. Geithner are testifying before Congress today about the European debt crisis. They keep harping on the risk to the taxpayer, but it is nearly impossible that the ECB wouldn't repay the loans and they also guarantee to adjust for any currency fluctuations. Pretty good credit if you ask me. Most of these Congressmen (and women) are basically clueless about modern day interbank finance, so it's painful to listen to them.

The 10-year yield is lower today to 2.31%. And the VIX is down -2.5% despite the selling in the market, down to 15.16.

Trading comment: Today is day 2 of the mild pullback, at least so far. This is kind of the pattern we have seen, and if the SPX continues to hold above 1400 I think it is likely that we will simply see another stair-step higher pattern into quarter end. Market leaders continue to hold up well despite the near-term handoff from energy stocks to the tech sector.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Ryan's Supply-Side 2012 Budget

There are a lot of really good things in Paul Ryan’s new budget, which is a stark contrast to the Obama budget. Ryan cuts spending by over $5 trillion, lowers the deficit by over $3 trillion, and brings the debt-to-GDP ratio down to 62 percent. All of these are ten-year totals.

Ryan also cuts back on small entitlements, block-granting them to the states. Then, of course, there’s the new and improved Medicare-reform plan.

But what I really like about this year’s Ryan budget is his singular emphasis on pro-growth, supply-side tax reform.

Working with Dave Camp, Ryan has laid out a great blueprint for Mitt Romney and the whole Republican party. In particular, while listening to the budget meister at a small luncheon for conservative journalists and think-tankers in Washington on Monday, what I heard again and again was an emphasis on economic growth.

This is not to say Ryan is not worried about spending, deficits, and debt, which of course he is. But his reform message to limit government really spends a lot of time on tax simplification, ending cronyist carve-outs and loopholes, and of course dropping the personal and corporate rates.

Growth solves a lot of problems. All those GDP ratios for spending, deficits, and debt look a lot better when the GDP denominator is rising rapidly. Not through inflation, but through new incentives to promote real growth.

Unfortunately, the first cut of the Ryan budget is based on CBO static estimates of growth and revenues. That is a budget-committee obligation. But I’m told that on Thursday we will get a different set of numbers based on dynamic scoring of lower tax-rate incentives. I’m guessing the growth difference is 3 percent static and 4 percent dynamic. Dropping tax rates as much as Ryan does, which reminds me of Reagan-era tax reform, could probably produce even more growth. Therefore, the budget could be balanced in a much shorter period of time with much lower debt ratios.

Let’s see what the second set of numbers brings.

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China Growth Conerns Resurface

The market is lower in early trading, which is something I haven't said very much in recent weeks. Profit taking after the big run we've had could always be viewed as a factor, but it is still early in the day so we will have to see how the market finishes and how volume comes in.

One of the good things about recent selloffs is that they have been accompanied by lower volume levels, so they did not look like big distribution days.

Asian markets were lower overnight and Europe is down this morning. There have been some concerns swirling about China's growth rate and how much it will cool. This has the emerging market ETFs trading lower this morning, as well as commodities.

The dollar has also been firm (safety trade), which is weighing on commodities. Oil prices are lower to $105.90 and natural gas prices are lower also. Gold prices have eased back below $1650, with silver and copper prices lower as well.

Financial stocks are bucking the early weakness and trading higher while all other sectors are negative. Energy stocks are down the most so far. Defensive consumer staples are down only slightly as a group.

In corporate news, Tiffany (TIF) raised guidance and its stock is spiking. But Adobe (ADBE) reported disappointing earnings and its stock is lower.

The 10-year yield is slightly lower after another big spike higher yesterday. It is currently at 2.35%. The volatility index (VIX) is only 2% higher so far to 15.35. I think I would have expected a bigger pop in the VIX considering the low levels we are at.

Trading comment: Since the market bottomed last winter, most pullbacks along the way have been brief 1-3 day affairs. And each time the market quickly recovered to go on to make higher highs. It will be interesting to see if the same pattern appears this time around. But considering investor sentiment has yet to reach bullish extremes that have preceded longer market tops in the past, I would remain in dip buying mode. I have mentioned focusing on individual stocks, and I would add sector rotation to the mix. For example, if energy stocks continue to pullback they will likely present a good buying opportunity.

KAM Advisors has long positions in VXX

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Monday, March 19, 2012

The Psychology and Use of Color in Branding and Marketing Design

Choosing colors in design is always a big part of the process when creating something new. Most people don't understand how subjective color is, though, so it can become a point of contention, as participants argue, hoping to convince others to see their point of view.

Why does this happen?  

People tend to think that their own preferences—whether in choice of color or in design elements—are "right" or somehow superior to those of others.But that's like saying that one person's favorite foods is superior to another's.

The truth is, many of the choices we make in designing our logos, choosing fonts, choosing caricatures or other logo images and other elements relative to brand identity (including the colors we choose for our logos and branding) are purely preferential.

As a graphic designer, it is very help to know this, because it's nearly impossible to keep our own preferences out of the design and branding mix. And sometimes what the client wants is far removed from our own design point of view. Once you understand which elements of the brand design process are subjective, based on personal preferences, it helps the designer to let go of control in some areas they might otherwise feel compelled to argue for, if they believe that their point of view is "right."

As a small business owner or client, it can be very helpful for you to keep this in mind as well. 

When you are choosing colors for a design project or within a branding process, if you can keep in mind that your preferences are just that, you can become open to a more objective, analytical brand analysis that should result in a better outcome for your business.

Understanding the psychology of color and the associations that people in western cultures have relative to certain colors is one way that you can take a more objective approach when it comes to designing crucial elements of your visual brand identity.

If you want to further your study of the meanings of color, especially as it relates to the branding your small business or marketing communications, you will love Pantone's Color: Message and Meanings A PANTONE Color Resource by Eiseman.

To that end, I want to share this infographic from TestKing.com as introductory to your study of color in branding. As your first exercise, after taking in the information contained here, you might spend a few minutes analyzing the landing page of your website, your logo or other elements of your visual brand identity or corporate communications and think about where you could better use color strategically, what may need to be revisited and what kinds of messages your visual color cues might be sending to your customers.


Infographic: The Psychology of Color
The Psychology of Color by Tech King

***


Elizabeth Kraus is the author of 365 Days of Marketing.
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in print or digital format. It contains marketing how-to, inspiration and content for every day of the year that can help you cultivate buy-in and loyalty from among your employees as well as your customers, and give you the tools you need to hone your leadership and management skills. 


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Can The Nazz Make It 12 In A Row?

The market put in another solid week last week, and is slightly higher again in early trading this morning. For its part, the Nasdaq has been up for 11 straight weeks. That's quite a streak and one that is likely to come to a halt soon.

Apple (AAPL) has certainly been doing its part to help buoy the index, and this morning AAPL investors got more good news in the form of a dividend and a share buyback. AAPL said it will institute a $2.65 quarterly dividend and commence a $10 billion share buyback. This will likely not put much of a dent in the growing cash hoard at Apple, but it is nice they are giving some back to shareholders.

The dividend is also likely to attract some value-type investors who have mandates that they can only hold dividend paying stocks. At $2.65 a quarter, the dividend yield would be about 1.8% at current levels.

Outside of that it is a lackluster Monday morning in terms of corporate newsflow.

Asian markets were mixed overnight, and Europe was a bit weak this morning. The dollar is up a little vs. the euro, and commodities are mixed as well. Oil prices are higher at $107.66 but natural gas prices are lower. Gold prices are higher to $1657 but silver prices are lower.

The 10-year yield is hanging on to last week's big spike higher and hovering around 2.31%. And the VIX is up 3% this morning to 14.95, still at 1-year lows.

Trading comment: Lots of fixed income vehicles, from ETFs to closed-end funds, saw sharp selloffs last week. This was likely a knee-jerk reaction to the spike higher in yields, but if this turns out similar to recent selloffs in fixed income funds it will just be another correction and nothing more. If these funds don't rally again and begin to show more long-term topping formations, that would be a stronger signal that the rotation out of the safety trade of bonds and into equities has some legs to it. Time will tell.

KAM Advisors has long positions in AAPL, VXX

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Friday, March 16, 2012

7 Leadership Takeaways from A Management Coup on NBCs ‘The Office’

Most of the executives in NBC’s comedy, The Office, exemplify the kind of leadership you should absolutely avoid. This fictitious sales-centric company has more than its share of exaggerated dysfunction in any given episode; nevertheless, every once in a while, one of these over-the-top personalities does something to be funny that deserves serious analysis. The March 15 episode of The Office held a real jewel of a leadership lesson, in my opinion.

In this episode, on a day when the office’s manager was out of town, a woman known to most of the employees of the office turns up from corporate headquarters and proceeds to plant her behind in the manager’s chair. The woman, Nellie, is not liked by the employees at all, and is coming off a huge failure at the corporate headquarters – both of which are good reasons that two of the main characters, Dwight and Jim, encourage their co-workers to reject her usurped leadership.

During the course of the day, brazen Nellie calls a group meeting for the stated purpose of “getting to know” the other employees, calling herself their manager. Having failed to establish her stolen authority with the group, she begins a masterful “divide and conquer” strategy, which, by the end of the day, has nearly all of the employees clapping, smiling, and saying, “I believe!”

I'm not suggesting you follow her example and steal someone else’s job or conduct any kind of office coup, though; what struck me about Nellie’s leadership was the use of uber-positive, one on one encouragement, feedback, incentives and customized perks, and her ability to believe in herself, even when no one else would.

  • Nellie publicly praises Dwight (who has a history of having the most sales in the office), calling him “Atlas,” saying that she recognizes that he carries the weight of the office on his shoulders. She tells him he is worth something, and in the process, she defines his worth by the one area in which he most desires to excel.
  • Phyllis, she flatters with compliments and admiration.
  • To Pam, mother of two including one still breast-feeding baby, she offers up a midday nap.
  • By the end, when there is just one hold out left, she uses group peer pressure to try to get him on board.
  • And everyone is to receive a pay increase, presumably even Jim, though he never bought in to her power play at all.

You probably can’t afford to give everyone in your office a raise, but you can still learn from Nellie’s example. Here are no less than seven leadership lessons that I suggest as worthwhile Office takeaways: 
1. Belief, confidence and passion are contagious. You can’t expect any of your staff to take risks in order to make your vision a reality unless you wholeheartedly believe in it yourself.

2. Expect opposition and don’t let it cause you to doubt yourself or the mission.

3. If your goal is important, don’t just have a plan, have a contingency plan, or plans.

4. You need employee buy in, especially to get employees to accept big changes. Seek out influencers and win them over privately in order to create thought leaders who can then encourage others to get on board.

5. Rethink the idea that everyone can be motivated by the same rewards. Personalized incentives that would make the professional or even the personal life of individual employees better could be more effective ways to create loyalty and employee buy in than one size fits all rewards.

6. Be generous with positive feedback and genuine compliments, including both personal and professional accolades, in private and in public. Acknowledge behavior that you want more of.

7. And finally, fake it ‘til you make it. If you are a new leader, you might not have a long track record of successful team leadership to inspire trust among your followers. In that case, the confidence you exude yourself will need to replace it!

More? Read  Creating Sustained Performance Through Thriving Workplaces (business2community.com)

From the article: "...A very practical article in the January-February issue of Harvard Business Review, “Creating Sustainable Performance” surveyed 1,200 white and blue-collar employees in several studies over seven years across a swath of industries.They concluded that a better word to describe happy or satisfied employees was “thriving.” The article provides the leadership lessons and suggestions from the research for both personal thriving and leading others to thrive.

***


Elizabeth Kraus is the author of 365 Days of Marketing.
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in print or digital format. It contains marketing how-to, inspiration and content for every day of the year that can help you cultivate buy-in and loyalty from among your employees as well as your customers, and give you the tools you need to hone your leadership and management skills. 
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How to Identify Potential Leaders by Mistake

Today I read an article titled, When Critiquing Others, Try Critiquing Yourself, Too by way of @Efficient CEO on Twitter where author Richard Walker shares a great leadership learning moment. While making some notes for suggestions that would help a colleague, he suddenly realized that the notes he was making applied to himself, too.

I love this story for two reasons. One, it’s relationship to (authentic, internal, personal) humility, which is critical to growth and personal development.

We all have co-workers (whether above or beneath us on the organizational chart) who feel that they have so honed their leadership, presentation, management and other work skills to the point that they don’t feel the need for change, regardless of any feedback they receive to the contrary. They become their own worst enemy when it comes to the future, and that includes how they will (or will not) benefit your business in the future.

Why?

Because if you are not open to change and growth, and if you are not humble enough to realize that you don’t, in fact, have your act completely together, then you will miss opportunities for personal growth. If you have “arrived” to the point that you no longer need constructive criticism, then you’ve peaked, too (and you are probably somewhere high up on the “pain in the butt spectrum” for colleagues and subordinates).



Authentic humility (this has nothing to do with making self-deprecating statements, this is an internal trait) is critical to being open to change. (Duh.)

But the higher you rise, and the more successes you have on the job, the more tempting it is to believe that you’ve got it all mastered. The more likely you become to resist change, because you believe that what got you there will keep you there. That attitude only reveals that you don’t know what really “got you there” in the first place.

What likely “got you there” in terms of success wasn’t something inherently yours in terms of skills or style; rather, it was your ability to learn, identify opportunity, put in the work and be developed, personally, throughout the process.

And those abilities begin to disappear when you start to rest on your past accomplishments.

Great leaders remain humble and retain the internal traits relative to being authentically humble that enable them to continue to learn and grow and develop, personally and professionally. Great leaders don’t think that their style or performance is above reproach; instead, they listen to criticism intelligently, analyze it and then make changes based on the truths they gleaned during the process.


And that brings me to the second thing I love about this story. Strategically and systematically using institutional criticism could become a great tool for you as a CEO or manager.

If you want to identify the next great leader within your business, watch how they handle criticism. In fact, create opportunities for potential leaders within your business to be in a position to receive constructive criticism relative to presentations (which could even be staff meeting presentations) or performance on projects.

Create opportunities that include 360 degree feedback and see how these individuals analyze and incorporate findings based on feedback from co-workers and subordinates into their personal and professional work and style. See how they communicate with their subordinates about feedback received and changes they intend to make as a result.


And you can use criticism as a tool even before you decide to hire a new employee, too. 

If you have a multi-step hiring process, include an opportunity for candidates to receive constructive criticism relative to some aspect of their candidacy: a suggestion on how to improve their resume, how to improve their interviewing skills, how to present themselves in terms of dress or style, etc. And then see how they react to the criticism. This could be especially helpful in the hiring process when you are dealing with a “superstar” type of candidate, as it will reveal whether they are teachable and whether they possess the authentic humility needed to become a contributor as part of your team (rather than just individually).

And finally, as Walker himself did, take this story to heart as a leader, yourself. Authentic humility and transparency are traits which can create strong loyalty among your colleagues and subordinates who will discover that they can trust you. It will also create loyal followers who realize that, since you are open to learning and growth, the sky is the limit and the best is yet to come.

***

Elizabeth Kraus is the Author of 365 Days of Marketing, the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar and her newest book: Little White Marketing Lies.  

Little white marketing lies are common misconceptions that many well-meaning business owners claim to be true, but which usually aren't.

In fact, these little white marketing lies might even be standing between your business and success. 

The new book, Little White Marketing Lies will help you put these and other little white marketing lies to the test, enabling you to identify the true strengths and weaknesses of your business and put your business in the best position to succeed in the future.

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Will SPX 1400 Be A Ceiling?

The market is higher again in early trading. Yesterday the market sold off in the afternoon, but the damage to the market was minimal.

Economic data was solid this morning. Initial jobless claims were lower for the week, coming in at 351,000 and continuing claims were down also. The Philly Fed survey improved to 12.5 from 10.2 in February. And the Empire Manuf. index improved to 20.2 from 19.5 in February. So the economic data continues to show steady improvements in recent months.

Asian markets were up slightly overnight, while Europe is mixed this morning. Fitch Ratings lowered the outlook for the UK to 'negative' last night. But the euro is still getting a bounce relative to the dollar.

The lower dollar is helping commodities bounce a little. Gold prices are up a tad to $1651 and silver prices are higher as well. Oil prices are also up a little near $105.55.

The 10-year yield is holding on to yesterday's massive gains and sitting near 2.26%. And the VIX is roughly flat near 15.35.

Trading comment: The SPX is approaching that big round 1400 level. When the SPX got to 1300 it pretty much powered through it and then corrected to come back down and retest 1300 as support. But given how little correction we have had since SPX 1300 I don't anticipate the same action. More likely, the 1400 level will act as resistance the first time up and the market could pull back from current levels. Of course, I have been preaching not to let the action in the major indexes keep you out of making good investments.

KAM Advisors has long positions in VXX

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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Banks Stocks In Action

The market is up slightly in early trading, following its best rally of 2012 yesterday on the heels of the bank stress tests.

The latest bank stress tests showed that 15 of the 19 largest firms passed. Several of them announced dividend increase and share buybacks on the heels of the results. JPMorgan led the way by announcing a big divy hike and buyback before the Fed had even released the results from the tests. Banks stocks rallied strongly on the news with many of the big name stocks up 5-7% yesterday. Most of the banks are higher again today. But a few big banks that didn't pass include Citigroup, SunTrust (STI), and Metlife (MET).

Asian markets were mostly higher last night, except for Japan where investors were disappointed by the lack of increased monetary easing. Europe is also higher today, but the dollar is gaining relative to the euro.

The strong dollar is weighing on most commodities. Oil prices are flat near $106.75 but natural gas prices are lower. Gold prices are down further back to $1650, and silver and copper prices are lower as well. Gold prices are now back below their 200-day average, which is a negative technical development.

I have been harping on the 10-year yield lately and its inability to get above recent resistance around 2.10%. Today we are seeing a nice breakout above those levels with the 10-year yield reaching 2.23%. I view this as a positive development in that it both reflects an improving tone about the economy and hopefully some selling in bonds that could flow into the equity markets.

As for the VIX, it is up slightly after yesterday's big plunge lower and trading near 14.95. I have added some VXX positions for a trade and as a portfolio hedge as I think volatility levels have gotten quite low.

Trading comment: The S&P 500 almost touched 1400 this morning which is the highest level since June 2008. It is also the type of big round number where the market could pause to take a breather. Of course, AAPL continues to surge to new highs and with the banks back in favor we could see the market simply run right through SPX 1400. Sentiment indicators have yet to show excessive optimism but it will be interesting to see if this weeks action brings out more bulls.

KAM Advisors has long positions in AAPL, GLD

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

A Marketing Idea from Starbucks That Is Simply "Grande"

Without apology, I freely admit to a serious coffee addiction. Every morning I start my day with one or two venti non-fat lattes, this week alternating between Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Macchiato. While I would go broke if I did not have my own espresso machine at home, I still manage to pop in to Starbucks and other local coffee shops a few times every month when out and about.

The last time I did so I saw a sign on the counter announcing that every Saturday afternoon, they would be hosting “Coffee classes.” With my love of java and the fact that I make my own coffee drinks every day, I would love to brush up on my coffee knowledge.

But besides thinking that this class was something I’d like to attend myself, I whipped out my pen and wrote a napkin note to myself, because this is a 'grande' marketing idea for almost any small business.

Classes like these would be a great way to draw already engaged customers even deeper into relationship with your business and it’s also a great way to introduce prospects or indifferent customers to new products or services.

So you don’t serve coffee? Good news: This isn’t about the coffee.

Free classes, seminars and demonstrations are a great way to educate interested prospects and customers about products and services they haven’t yet tried. The trick to attracting attendees is to do just what Starbucks did, educate people about your products and services in a very non-threatening, non-salesy, low to no pressure way.

Here’s what I mean:

They didn’t offer up a class on Starbucks coffee, they offered up a coffee class. They are giving people who love coffee a chance to learn more (presumably) about things like how coffee is grown, how blends and roasts are made, and what types of processes are needed to produce various coffee drinks. My guess is that attendees will also be treated to samples at the event. It would be equivalent to a winery offering wine tasting, growing or making education or a local bar with its own microbrewery offering some type of beer classes.

And you can apply the same principle and create classes for almost any type of business: 
  • Does your business provide financial services? You could hold estate planning, budgeting or retirement planning classes.
  • Do you offer salon or spa services? You could offer classes in current styles and trends for hair and makeup, celebrity look how-to or seasonal styles, hair and skin care.
  • Are you a realtor or mortgage professional? Hold classes to educate consumers about various lending programs, how to qualify for a mortgage, or how to best prepare a home for sale.
And so it goes. Almost no matter what type of business you have, you can think of topics that are related to your business but not only specifically about your products or services, and use them as a vehicle to expose individuals who represent your ideal client types and leads to your products and services.

You can use classes as a way to connect with people in your community who are at various stages of the buying process, so that you establish and build your reputation with them as an expert in your field.

You can use free classes and seminars to help you identify leads—individuals who may not be in the market for your products and services right now, but who may be in the future, or who may have friends or family to refer to your business.

If you like this idea but don’t feel that your business provides you with a topic for which to offer classes, you can also view this as a cooperative marketing opportunity and partner with other professionals or other businesses who serve the same types of clients that you do. In fact, a joint event offers several advantages. Not only do you share costs, but you also share contacts and have a greater reach for extending class invitations out into your respective constituencies.

Here are some more ideas when it comes to creating free classes to bring people in to your business and expose them to your products and services in non-threatening, non-sales-ey ways:
  • Establish a weekly or monthly time when you will offer free education or demonstrations to any interested customers or local community members.
  • Hold quarterly or semi-annual open house events featuring free mini-classes, demonstrations, refreshments and door prizes.
  • To make sure you don’t engage in “hit and miss marketing” when it comes to classes, which will  require the investment of your time and other resources, make sure that your topics are going to be interesting to your customers and prospects. Survey customers in-store and online to find out what types of topics they might want to know more about. Benchmark competitors. Use networking events to ask peers for advice and feedback.
  • Invite other professionals or business owners to participate and bring free education on a variety of topics to people at your place of business. Chances are these professionals will also be willing to invite their customers to attend as well; or you could even work with a local business owners group to set up a round robin of free classes at local businesses which will be promoted by all participating businesses.
  • Create webinars and post educational videos on YouTube. This is an especially great option as people can ‘attend’ them any time, from anywhere. And since they are virtual, there is little to no cost to you to present them. If you are not comfortable making educational videos, consider video-taping your live events and making them available to the public online.
  • Create branded PDF and web page “tip sheets” and short videos that give your customers and prospects “insider” education, seasonal or monthly ideas and tips relative to your industry, products or services to post on social media, your blog and website, YouTube, etc.
Investing in the education of customers and prospects could bring “grande” results not only in terms of sales but in managing and cultivating customer relationships and employee engagement. It could be the vehicle to help you reap new referrals not only from customers but from among your peers as a result of networking and cooperative marketing and event efforts. So take a lesson from Starbucks when it comes to marketing your business in a new, grande way!

***

Elizabeth Kraus is the author of 365 Days of Marketing.
365 Days of Marketing is available on amazon.com in print or digital format. It contains marketing how-to, inspiration and content (including more ideas for classes that can help you market your small business) for every day of the year -- literally. 
 

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Waiting On The Fed

The market is nicely higher in early trading. The S&P 500 has been able to surpass its previous highs above 1378 and is currently trading at its best levels since June 2008.

There is little in the way of market moving corporate news once again. In economic news, monthly retails sales came in better than expected at +1.1% for February.

The dollar is sporting gains again today, which is weighing on the commodity complex. Oil prices are flattish near $106.35; gold prices have dropped back below the $1700 level, and natural gas prices are down near $2.25; silver prices are lower as well.

Overnight action in Asian was positive, and Europe is showing gains this morning also.

The latest FOMC policy statement will be released later today at 2:15 EST. There is the usual chatter about whether Bernanke will mention more QE3. I doubt we will hear it, and more likely he will reiterate the slow pace of the recovery and that the Fed will remain accomodative.

The 10-year yield is getting a boost to 2.08%, a level that has acted as a ceiling for the last few months. And the VIX is down another -6% today to a 1-year low at 14.65. I think that the move lower in the VIX is getting long in the tooth, and I am now considering buying some volatility as a small hedge in portfolios.

Trading comment: The song remains the same. The market continues to ignore calls for a correction and today is making new recovery highs. We will have to see if the Fed announcement results in a sell the news type of reaction in the market. But judging by the VIX, fear continues to come out of this market. Despite the additions to equities, it is somewhat odd that we have not seen much in the way of outflows or selling of bonds. As such, I would view a breakout in the 10-year yield as a positive in that it could signal a move out of bonds by those who have been glued to the safety trade.

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Monday, March 12, 2012

Marketing Savvy | March 12.2012 | Marketing Strategies to Boost Your Bottom Line

Today's marketing savvy newsletter with marketing strategies to boost your bottom line and help you gain a competitive edge can be viewed here.

Introducing yourself (and your business) for impact—so that other people remember who you are and what you do— requires some serious editing and practice. 99% of you are losing the attention of your audience, before you're even half done. You're trying to tell them much too much, you're getting too specific and you're diluting your message. Find out how to get it right.

Here's what you will find in the March 12 edition of the Marketing Savvy newsletter:

- I'm sorry, I've already forgotten your name
- The power (and profit) in pro-social motivation
- How to get employees who will boost the bottom line
- How big is your back end?
- Eight ways to turn your marketing department into a profit center
- When it comes to leadership, are you clouds or sunshine?
- Consumers picking virtual gift cards over plastic

***


Elizabeth Kraus, author of 365 Days of Marketing and the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies.



Dispel all the little white marketing lies that might be holding your business back - check out the 2012 Small Business Marketing Calendar: Little White Marketing Lies on amazon.com.  With hundreds of marketing ideas laid out for 2012, you'll get into a marketing groove and build a bigger role for your business in the lives of your clients!
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