Marketing on a Shoestring

LERN Annual Conference 2009Presented by

Kassia Dellabough, Senior ConsultantDellabough@lern.org

MARKETINGWhat is it?

What is Marketing?

• Everything you do every day in your programs

• Every interaction with customers & prospects

• All the ways you portray your program

Everyone is on the Marketing Team!

Four No Cost Image Makers

•Logo

•Slogan"Information That Works!”

•Your Program Name•Testimonials

The Five W’s

• WHO: All your staff and teachers • WHEN: Every customer interaction • WHERE: At every customer contact

point • WHAT: Every communication

opportunity • WHY: Because image is long-term

Ways You Portray Your Program

• The place you hold your courses/events• Your stationery• The way you reject potential teachers• How you say “hello”• Your hold button

– How long is someone on hold?– Is there music? What kind?

• Your course/event selection• Your phone numberAnd when it is YOU = ALL STAFF…..What do YOU get excited about???

KEY CONCEPTS• You can’t be everything to everybody• Numbers are your friends - make data-

driven decisions• Shift from product management to

customer management• Segment your market & target

promotion efforts• Think generations• Be unique, not a copy-cat

Tip #1 Define Your Product

• Describe your product or service in a way that is meaningful to others (both inside and outside) your organization (Benefits, benefits, benefits)

• Tell people what you do for them• Communicate what you do best

Tip #2Develop Your Image

• Fun• Friendly• Efficient• Innovative• Comprehensive• Low Cost

• Product Leader (Nike)

• Product Specialist (Providing certain types of classes better than anyone)

• Market Specialist (Providing classes for a specific segment)

Your Image

Beliefs

Attitudes

PerceptionsImpressions

The Power of Your Image

Understanding Your USP

• Unique Selling Proposition: – The image you want to project – TO the target audiences you want

to reach– Your uniqueness – An important benefit you render to

your participants

• A good USP addresses a void, fills a gap or another specific need and does so in the minds of the prospective participants.

• You must zealously tell your participants how you are different and what void or gap you have filled.

No Trespassing

• Sends a strong message to others about your strengths

• Makes it clear what piece of the market you own

Keep Out

Mental Real Estate

• Establishes your territory

• Lets people know what belongs to you

Finding Out Your USP• Staff Brainstorm

• Lunch with Your Best Participants

• Survey Your Most Active participants

IDEA: ask for feedback

Tip #3Support Front Line

Staff• Current information• Empowered decision-making• Respect - solicit ideas

Everything We Do is

Marketing

19

Tip #4Host Focus Groups for Bridging Generations

• Get feedback from representative• Be clear who you are targeting• Host focus groups for feedback

Tip #5Hire an Intern

• Invite Gen X and millennial to design your materials

IDEA: hire design internsfrom local schools

Work by Matt Delbridge

IDEA: talk to your printer about cost-saving production ideas

• Paper options• Layout for efficient printing• Distribution/mailing option

Tip #6Talk to Your Printer

Tip #7Use The Internet

IDEA : rubber stamp cost $7.95

Tip #8Collaborate

IDEA : small start-up company donated vinyl sign

IDEA : HAVE FUN!

Tip #9Share Your Enthusiasm

10 TIPS from LERN Members

• Distribute your brochures to local hair salons, says Brian Burke of Blinn College. He distributes 2,000 brochures to local hair salons, and says each one gets read ten times before being thrown out.

TIPS from LERN Members

• Take care of your best customers, says Lynn Wright of Portage Lakes Career Center. She says it works out financially for her program. She send her best customers a coupon for a free course. It’s a great way for them to bring a friend or attend themselves free of charge.

TIPS from LERN Members & attendees

• There’s nothing better to motivate your existing participants than to display business cards of past participants says Modjeh…….

It’s great marketing, great motivation for existing participants, and a good way to show off your program’s success.

TIPS from LERN Members & attendees

• Up sell on the phoneWhen someone signs up on the

phone, ask them, “Oh, have you heard about…..(another related class)?” The technique works for Lauren of Danville Parks and Recreation.

TIPS from LERN Members & attendees

• Give a few free tickets, and sell out! A couple of free tickets can generate lots

of sales, says Nicole Blazin of San Ramon, California.

“We do a kids acting class and we give a couple of tickets to each family. And then we sell extra tickets to the families, and sell out the event,” she says.

TIPS from LERN Members & attendees

• Professional managers provide in-class testimonials

• In his “Integrated Marketing Communications” classes, Raymond Rocha of Gateway Community College has professional managers come into classes and say why they prefer grads from his institution. It’s a great no-cost internal marketing technique that promotes great word-of-mouth publicity from current participants.

TIPS from LERN Members & attendees

• Great source for marketing tag linesIn creating a marketing tag line for your

target audience, find their source of inspiration, says Jeffrey Spencer, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, NY. He surveys magazines his audience reads, looking for advertising themes. It gives his program a starting point that they know is already successful with their market.

Your Tips?

TOP IDEAS

• Change Your Marketing Behaviors• Collaborate with printers, students,

new businesses, media, teachers, staff. . .

• “spread the word” to the influentials• Promote your success• Listen, listen, listen

THANKS!

Dellabough@lern.org