Is Your Business Fun?

Do you have an ELF business or a HALF business?

No, it's not a trick question, it's a hard hitting one when you know what the letters stand for:

E = EASY

L = LUCRATIVE

F = FUN

Now, believe me, or believe me not, all businesses ( including double glazing ) should be an ELF business. Think I'm mad? Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. I would put money on you having a HALF business:-

H = HARD

A = ANNOYING

L = LAME

F = FRUSTRATING

The difference between the two is Marketing. If you get the marketing right, everything else will fall into place, but here's your industry's problem, you follow the way it's always been. The ELF way is often a new concept for people, they think in order to be highly successful in business, through marketing that it's got to be hard. Not true!

If there are people in your industry who are getting richer, why aren't you? These people have taken the time to learn how to market effectively.

Just remember that marketing done right is the quickest path to the sale!

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal!

The Glazing Guru

The Glazing Guru

Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

It's The Tesco Effect

Wow! I hit a nerve last week! Lots of emails and a mini rush on the manual and I'm glad to see some of you are fighting back.

You see in a downturn economy the biggest are equipped to ride out the market, and so are the smallest ( usually, I know there are exceptions to the rule in both cases. )

Ultimately you have no idea how strong you can be against the giants if you know how to use their weaknesses as your strengths. The consumer of today almost never shops on price, yet you will tell me otherwise ( as many other small businesses tell me through my consulting on a weekly basis ( heavy sigh ).

Before the housing market slides further, before the credit crunch hits home improvement borrowing, before the credit cards run dry you must make sure you secure your business by creating your USP. ( Unique selling proposition )

Ask yourself , ask your staff, ask your installers one question thsi week : WHERE ARE DIFFERENT?

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal!

The Glazing Guru

The Glazing Guru

Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

Anglian Windows Did £5,000,000 Last WEEK how are you doing?

My mole in the Glazing Industry told me that Anglian Windows did over £5,000,000 worth of sales last week!

How does that compare to your business?

Here's the problem for you, they are a well oiled machine, they have strengths at all levels because week after week they train the salesforce they demand high standards from the surveyors, they send their foot soldiers out to canvass, they attack the telephone to get appointments and the results my friends speak for themselves.

How does this affect you? If you do not have an organised approach to this every decreasing marketplace in 2008 you might aswell start looking for a white flag to start waving. The big businesses are built on systems and systems work when you follow a marketing plan.

Got your copy yet?

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal!

The Glazing Guru

The Glazing Guru

Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

New Printed Manual Now Available!

Date: Saturday April 5th 2008

I hope you are doing great in 2008! I have spent the last week refreshing the website at www.glazingguru.co.uk

And I have added all the recent weekly Ezines to the Blogspot at www.glazingguru.blogspot.com so if you are new to the Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry then you can check out some back issues for extra information.

I've been asked for a printed manual version so it's available now at a special introductory price but only for the next few weeks!

This week, still on section one, Lead Generation : SIGNAGE

Are you visible or invisible? if you are visible from the road side then signage can be vital in getting people to drop in rather than drive past. Use benefit orientated signs that say something like " FREE something with every "X" this month only"

1. Make it colourful

2. If Possible make the sign visible from whichever way the traffic is facing.

3. Write it so it sells, include your best headline.

4. Focus on benefits not features.

Don't forget to check out the blogspot for lots more like this!

THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal!

The Glazing Guru

The Glazing Guru

Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

HALF PRICE MANUAL OFFER ENDS IN JUST 6 DAYS!

Date: Tuesday March 25th 2008

Question for you? How much does it cost you to get one customer?

Before you look at me with those " But the Budget is Already Running Dry & It's only March" eyes, let me unfold a different way of looking at the vital art of getting A customer.

In business most people think you just invest in the stock & products you sell, however the same is true of customers.

In fact from a marketing point of view, the ONLY thing you have got to buy is new customers. The big question is how much are you paying for them?

Say you have put £1000 into advertising in the 3 months and you have received 100 enquiries. Of those hundred enquiries ( or prospects ) 1 in 5 have become customers. Therefore you have paid £50 for each sale.

Question for you? How much does it cost you to get one customer?

Before you look at me with those " But the Budget is Already Running Dry & It's only March" eyes, let me unfold a different way of looking at the vital art of getting A customer.

In business most people think you just invest in the stock & products you sell, however the same is true of customers. In fact from a marketing point of view, the ONLY thing you have got to buy is new customers. The big question is how much are you paying for them?

Say you have put £1000 into advertising in the 3 months and you have received 100 enquiries. Of those hundred enquiries ( or prospects ) 1 in 5 have become customers. Therefore you have paid £50 for each sale.

THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

HALF PRICE MANUAL OFFER ENDS IN JUST 13 DAYS!

Date: Monday March 18th 2008

Another week spent listening to the BMW's of this world. In case you don't know the terminology B stands for bitching, M stands for moaning & W stands for whingeing. Let's get one thing clear, there are Glazing Guru RULES and rule number one goes like this:- GLAZING GURU RULE #1 - BE RESPONSIBLE Every day you see another poor sole that the world has mistreated, pushed around and left for dead. You will simply NEVER survive or reinvent your business thinking like that - the world is not in charge of you - good news - YOU ARE IN CHARGE of the world. It still amazes me how many people live life from a victim's point of view. "It always happens to me" "I knew that would happen" "If it's going to go wrong - it'll be me" "The minute I do that - the world will stop buying it" They will blame EVERYONE and ANYONE for their lot in life. If there is no one to blame, they will usually come up with an excuse or deny anything's wrong. If this is you - you simply have to change, or you should quit and get a job. In the world of owning and running your own business, you know one thing for a fact - only YOU can change what is going on in your business. You cannot blame your staff, your competitors, the government, your family, or anyone else if you are going to point the finger at someone - try pointing it directly into a mirror. If you want to create truly amazing results in business you have to take total ownership, be held accountable by results, and be totally responsible for your actions. If you do not do get this part straight in your head - what is in this manual will simply not work for you. Half Price offer ends in 13 days THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

HALF PRICE MANUAL OFFER ENDS IN JUST 20 DAYS!

Date: Monday March 10th 2008

Ok guys & gals, it's been a tough mission last week, all that sun & sangria but I guess someone has to do it!

I'm in such a good mood after my week's rest I am going to give you some great advice for FREE!

Normally I'm going through section one of the manual bit by bit, but today because I'm in such a good mood I'm going to give you an outline of the plan behind the manual, because there are only 20 days left to get the manual at half price, so here's what you need to know to survive the 2008 gloom & doom predictions:-

LEADS X CONVERSION X NUMBER OF TRANSACTIONS X AVERAGE £1 SALE X PROFIT MARGIN = FINANCIAL PROFITS THAT WILL MAKE YOU GRIN SO MUCH, PASSPORT CONTROL WILL TURN YOU AWAY FOR NOT LOOKING LIKE YOUR PHOTO!

If the above looks like a tad hard work, or like it's written in Chinese then you may already be a lost cause.

The weather forecast this week will make the phone ring, leaks, howls, draughts and rattles - who is up for a wind of change?

THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

IT ALL STARTS & ENDS WITH LEAD GENERATION

Date: Tuesday 26th February 2008

It's week 9 of 2008 already, and some of you are finally starting to really DIG IN to understanding just how to ride out this potential looming recession. It all starts and ends with lead generation and that my friend goes to show how much harder you need to work at getting them through your door not your competitors. Here's another hint from PART 1 of The Best Double Glazing Manual Ever Written :- Magazine Advertising is a great way to attract leads of a certain demographic. It is usually fairly easy to judge the type of people who read a certain magazine by the type of adverts already in print and the type of advertisers who regularly advertise in it. People reading magazines will pay attention to the adverts - as they represent their own interest. The challenge will be that your competition will be there too. Check the cost effectiveness, as a few who spend a lot may well be worth the investment. 1. Get on an early right hand page 2. Make sure your ad fits the style of the magazine 3. Use a powerful photo of people using your products or services 4. Make an offer that people have to respond to. I think you are starting to see how much the vast majority of your industry are simply NOT doing. This year above any previous year, unless you start to build your business and it's reputation you will be facing a very bleak future. There are around 16,000 double glazing companies in the UK - where do you rate yours? Top 25 ? Top 100, Top 1000 or somewhere near 13,000th - stop me when you feel comfortable! THE Glazing Guru Manual - get yours today www.glazingguru.co.uk Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal! The Glazing Guru The Glazing Guru Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry

Marketing v Advertising

Date: Monday 18th February 2008

I get asked all the time, what IS the difference between marketing &

advertising, well here goes................

Marketing vs. Advertising: What's the Difference?

You will often find that many people confuse marketing with advertising or vice versa. While both components are important they are very different. Knowing the difference and doing your market research can put your company on the path to substantial growth.

Let's start off by reviewing the formal definitions of each and then I'll go into the explanation of how marketing and advertising differ from one another:

Advertising: The paid, public, non-personal announcement of a persuasive message by an identified sponsor; the non-personal presentation or promotion by a firm of its products to its existing and potential customers.

Marketing: The systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products.

After reading both of the definitions it is easy to understand how the difference can be confusing to the point that people think of them as one-in-the same, so lets break it down a bit.

Advertising is a single component of the marketing process.

It's the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product, or the services you are offering. It involves the process of developing strategies such as ad placement, frequency, etc. Advertising includes the placement of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course the Internet. Advertising is the largest expense of most marketing plans, with public relations following in a close second and market research not falling far behind.

The best way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to think of marketing as a jar, inside that jar you elements of advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, distribution, customer support, sales strategy, and public involvement. Advertising only equals one element of the jar in the overall strategy. All of these elements must not only work independently but they also must work together towards the bigger goal. Marketing is a process that takes time and can involve hours of research for a marketing plan to be effective. Think of marketing as everything that an organization does to facilitate an exchange between company and consumer.

With the RIGHT MARKETING even DOUBLE GLAZING can become fashionable again!

Glazing Guru Marketing manual - get yours todaywww.glazingguru.co.uk

Create or disintegrate .. your choice pal!

The Glazing Guru

The Glazing Guru

Marketing Strategies for the Double Glazing Industry