Marketing Buzz 10/01
Making the most of industry awards and tightening the restrictions on cold calling
"And I'd Like to
Thank..."
While some folks use industry awards as nothing more than
doorstops, Michael Macken, 45, found that honors from the National
Barbecue Association fired up promotional efforts for his
new-to-market grill gadgets.
When Macken, president of Sure Broil Products in Port Richey, Florida,
learned his products had received recognition, he added the news to
his Web site and sales literature. The honors generated media
coverage and got the attention of wholesalers, distributors and
retailers. "Anytime you win [an award], it gets people's
ears to perk up, and they want more information," Macken
explains.
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Third-party endorsements are important, says Rick Zullo. His ad
agency, Zullo Associates in Princeton, New Jersey, helps clients
apply for and win industry awards. To find out about awards, he
recommends contacting business associations and publications.
"Awards have a lot of marketing mileage," Zullo says.
"They can generate publicity. They can help in recruiting and
retaining employees. They add credibility to your sales materials
and can make getting through a new customer's door a bit
easier."
Wrong Number?
Two federal laws and an onslaught of state legislation have
created tougher restrictions on cold calling. Fourteen states have
already implemented "Do Not Call" lists of residents
asking not to be called by telemarketers. Call these folks by
accident, and you could face fines of up to $25,000 at the state
level in addition to $11,000 at the federal level. Further fines
ensue if your business lacks a "Do Not Call" policy or if
you call someone after they've asked you not to.
To avoid fines, check with the attorney general in each state
you call to see whether they have a "Do Not Call" list.
Cross-check your list and remove matches. Also, make sure to
establish a written policy, or enlist the services of a company
such as Gryphon Networks in Norwood, Massachusetts, which
blocks telemarketers from "Do Not Call" numbers and lets
telemarketers instantly add new "Do Not Call" requests to
their own lists at the touch of #0.
Gwen Moran is
president of BoostYourBiz.com and Moran Marketing Associates in
Ocean, New Jersey.
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