I recently wrote about motivating your internal customers. In that blog I failed to mention the importance of keeping them informed. How does your company communicate with each other internally? If yours is like most companies, it happens in a haphazard manner. Some individuals will receive e-mails about what new things are happening, or they will hear about it in a meeting. Others will learn of it ‘through the grapevine’. However, often times the message gets ‘muddied’ along its route and the true facts get skewed. This can cause morale issues unnecessarily.
In response to this dilemma is the ‘company newsletter’. An internal newsletter that is written by one individual (given the authority by management) can deliver all the current news, resolving the communication problem. It can be sent via e-mail and/or printed and distributed. It does not have to be issued every week, or even every month, but it should come out on a regular basis so that employees will know when to expect it.
Along with all the news of what is happening within the company, it can be used to congratulate company anniversaries, birthdays, graduations, offer space for employees to list items they have for sale, and list local upcoming community events. Once started, it becomes an important tool for everyone to be up to date on the latest company news, getting accurate information instead of depending on inconsistent and possibly incorrect rumors. Your employees will enjoy it and look forward to the next installment.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Free Advertising – It Works
It never ceases to amaze me how many companies don’t take advantage of free advertising. I have met owners of small ‘Mom & Pop’ type businesses that are struggling to increase sales and awareness of their product. I always ask them how often they send out Press Releases. In 9 out of 10 cases, they tell me they never have sent any out. They don’t know or realize the value of this free marketing tool.
I’ve always had extremely positive experiences with using Press Releases as part of my marketing plans. One small company I worked for was just starting a marketing department. They had previously been paying a lot of money to an advertising agency that was putting expensive ads in the Wall Street Journal that were not bringing in new business. We did some research and made up a list of all the magazines and periodicals that pertained to that business. We got fax numbers for every one of them and sent out a Press Release announcing the latest developments of the company. Within a month of the faxes, we started receiving phone calls from potential customers who saw our information in a magazine. We took note of what magazine they had viewed and determined that there was one in particular that was bringing in the most calls. Now we knew where to place our paid advertising that it would get the most exposure to our potential customers. This was before the internet and all it took was a trip to the library to research periodicals. A small investment in time produced a huge result.
Press Releases continue to assist all businesses in promoting their company and products. Don’t forget to make them part of your overall marketing strategy.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
I’ve always had extremely positive experiences with using Press Releases as part of my marketing plans. One small company I worked for was just starting a marketing department. They had previously been paying a lot of money to an advertising agency that was putting expensive ads in the Wall Street Journal that were not bringing in new business. We did some research and made up a list of all the magazines and periodicals that pertained to that business. We got fax numbers for every one of them and sent out a Press Release announcing the latest developments of the company. Within a month of the faxes, we started receiving phone calls from potential customers who saw our information in a magazine. We took note of what magazine they had viewed and determined that there was one in particular that was bringing in the most calls. Now we knew where to place our paid advertising that it would get the most exposure to our potential customers. This was before the internet and all it took was a trip to the library to research periodicals. A small investment in time produced a huge result.
Press Releases continue to assist all businesses in promoting their company and products. Don’t forget to make them part of your overall marketing strategy.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Take The Best and Make It Better
New England Machinery (NEM) has recently accomplished just that. They have improved on their already great bottle capping machines. I don’t was to sound like an ad, but the recent changes they have made are really exciting.
The new modular bottle capper design enhancements include a compact frame with easy to change stations and stylish, frameless guarding. The changes allow for a smaller footprint, increased throughput, and electronic programmability for easier setup and changeover. Similar machines can offer interchangeable change parts allowing the versatility of running the same product on multiple machines. Changeover is a simple, tool-free process that is quick and easy for operators to perform. The new design includes a high efficiency main drive motor to save on energy, a re-designed lift drive, an option for corrosive products and an FDA lube option.
Continual improvement is how NEM stays on top of the industry.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
The new modular bottle capper design enhancements include a compact frame with easy to change stations and stylish, frameless guarding. The changes allow for a smaller footprint, increased throughput, and electronic programmability for easier setup and changeover. Similar machines can offer interchangeable change parts allowing the versatility of running the same product on multiple machines. Changeover is a simple, tool-free process that is quick and easy for operators to perform. The new design includes a high efficiency main drive motor to save on energy, a re-designed lift drive, an option for corrosive products and an FDA lube option.
Continual improvement is how NEM stays on top of the industry.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Do You Fail To Plan?
It is easy to get so wrapped up in the day to day tasks involved in conducting our business that we fail to take the time to properly plan for the future. If this is the case, you must force yourself to carve out some time for future planning. No company has ever succeeded accidentally. It occurred through planning and execution of the plan(s). That’s not to say that the plans may not have changed direction a time or two, but the framework was conceived and laid out in the beginning and reviewed and altered as required.
So you’ve set aside the time to plan. Now what? Now you create the framework for the plan. You identify the products you wish to sell and the markets in which you wish to sell them. Your plan needs to be specific.
What is your current market share for each of these products? Does your share deviate in different geographic locations? Where do you see the opportunity for greatest growth? What market share do you want to accomplish achieving in this market? Set both short term goals (1 year from now) and long term goals (5 years from now). Add industry research and analysis to your plan to help define the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your target markets. List your top competitors and their market share. How will you increase your market share, through market growth, or taking away from your competitors? Is there a potential for government regulations to affect your markets? If so, how? What can you do to minimize any adverse effects and maximize the advantages?
When you have completed the plan, share it with others to get their input. Tweak it where necessary to make it the best plan with the greatest chance to succeed. When you have a ‘final’- communicate it with others so that they are on board with making it a reality. Finally, don’t just file it away and forget about it. Pull it out at least once every three months, or even every month to see if you are staying on course. If necessary, make changes to allow your company to reach the ultimate goals.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
So you’ve set aside the time to plan. Now what? Now you create the framework for the plan. You identify the products you wish to sell and the markets in which you wish to sell them. Your plan needs to be specific.
What is your current market share for each of these products? Does your share deviate in different geographic locations? Where do you see the opportunity for greatest growth? What market share do you want to accomplish achieving in this market? Set both short term goals (1 year from now) and long term goals (5 years from now). Add industry research and analysis to your plan to help define the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your target markets. List your top competitors and their market share. How will you increase your market share, through market growth, or taking away from your competitors? Is there a potential for government regulations to affect your markets? If so, how? What can you do to minimize any adverse effects and maximize the advantages?
When you have completed the plan, share it with others to get their input. Tweak it where necessary to make it the best plan with the greatest chance to succeed. When you have a ‘final’- communicate it with others so that they are on board with making it a reality. Finally, don’t just file it away and forget about it. Pull it out at least once every three months, or even every month to see if you are staying on course. If necessary, make changes to allow your company to reach the ultimate goals.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Your Internal Customers
What does your company do to motivate your internal customers? Our company is currently in the process of implementing a company-wide new software system that will allow the entire company to be electronically fully integrated. It’s an exciting time, but as with all software implementations, it will bring with it some new challenges. We tried to come up with some ideas to get our ‘internal customers’ excited about the upcoming changes. We’ve had meetings and training on the new software and they’ve all had a chance to see for themselves the great improvements it will make, but they also are ‘comfortable’ with the system they are now using.
So we started a ‘sign’ campaign to help ‘sell’ the idea. We have made up funny (but positive) signs by the dozen about the software and hung them up throughout the company. We change them regularly and everyone seems to enjoy them. They look forward to seeing the new signs go up to see what they say and have offered suggestions for new sign ‘sayings’. It’s not expensive, we print them in-house on 11” x 17” paper, but it really helps to bolster the idea that this new software is a positive experience for all.
When implementing changes in your company, don’t forget to ‘sell’ your internal customers. If they buy into the changes, the implementation will be smoother, quicker, more effective, and an overall better experience for everyone.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
So we started a ‘sign’ campaign to help ‘sell’ the idea. We have made up funny (but positive) signs by the dozen about the software and hung them up throughout the company. We change them regularly and everyone seems to enjoy them. They look forward to seeing the new signs go up to see what they say and have offered suggestions for new sign ‘sayings’. It’s not expensive, we print them in-house on 11” x 17” paper, but it really helps to bolster the idea that this new software is a positive experience for all.
When implementing changes in your company, don’t forget to ‘sell’ your internal customers. If they buy into the changes, the implementation will be smoother, quicker, more effective, and an overall better experience for everyone.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Export Resources
I recently wrote a blog on why we should export. In researching exporting I’ve come across some excellent resources. Following is a list of websites that are helpful to those who are new to exporting as well as those who have done it for a long time:
http://www.census.gov/
http://www.export.gov/
www.sba.gov/tools
http://www.stat-usa.gov/
http://www.usatradeonline.gov/
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
http://www.imf.org/
www.usaid.gov/ipc/www/idb
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/
http://www.fas.usda.gov/
These resources contain great research data on various countries throughout the world and can assist you in learning what you need to know before you export.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
http://www.census.gov/
http://www.export.gov/
www.sba.gov/tools
http://www.stat-usa.gov/
http://www.usatradeonline.gov/
www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook
http://www.imf.org/
www.usaid.gov/ipc/www/idb
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/
http://www.fas.usda.gov/
These resources contain great research data on various countries throughout the world and can assist you in learning what you need to know before you export.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Monday, August 9, 2010
To Export or Not To Export
Why should a small US manufacturer make the effort to export their products if they are successful in selling them locally? The best answer to that question lies with statistics. 95% of the world’s consumers live outside of the US. In 2007 the US exported $1.16 trillion in goods. $38.3 billion of that was industrial machinery (including packaging machinery). America’s number one trading partner was Canada. They imported $248.4 billion of U.S. goods that year, which made up 21.4% of all US exports. Mexico came in second place importing $130.5 billion from the US, adding another 11.7%. Therefore, over one-third of US exports never moved farther than North America.
If you are not currently exporting and are afraid to ‘take the plunge’, consider the opportunity you may be missing. If you don’t have the resources to research and set up marketing channels to other countries, think about just adding one new country. Canada is the easiest and best choice. They predominately speak English, are a part of the North America Free Trade Agreement, and offer a great potential for sales growth. Also, Canada’s culture is probably the most similar to the US.
Don’t let an opportunity to increase your sales pass you by. Your local office of the U.S. Department of Commerce offers numerous programs and assistance, either free or at a nominal cost. In this global economy no company can afford to ignore the sales potential offered through exporting.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
If you are not currently exporting and are afraid to ‘take the plunge’, consider the opportunity you may be missing. If you don’t have the resources to research and set up marketing channels to other countries, think about just adding one new country. Canada is the easiest and best choice. They predominately speak English, are a part of the North America Free Trade Agreement, and offer a great potential for sales growth. Also, Canada’s culture is probably the most similar to the US.
Don’t let an opportunity to increase your sales pass you by. Your local office of the U.S. Department of Commerce offers numerous programs and assistance, either free or at a nominal cost. In this global economy no company can afford to ignore the sales potential offered through exporting.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
What’s New In Marketing Technology?
When I started out in marketing almost 20 years ago, the big new technology was computers and the advent of the world wide web. Being ‘high tech’ was having a website, doing research on the internet and creating video tapes (yes, VHS tapes) of your company’s capabilities and products. Well, as the saying goes, ‘we’ve come a long way, baby’.
Today’s leading marketers are ‘hooked up’ to the social media explosion. They use twitter, blogs, facebook, linked-in, webinars, mobile marketing, social networks, podcasts, Flickr, YouTube, newsgroups and much more. The list is literally endless as new products, software and features are coming available on a daily basis.
So, how does a marketer possibly keep up? I met one marketer who worked for a large organization and had 8 employees in his marketing department. He tasked each one of them to become an ‘expert’ on one form of social media. After fully researching the technology, they would report back to him on their recommendations on how their organization could best utilize this form of media. Unfortunately, smaller companies may not have the resources to handle all the forms of media they want to. My best recommendation is to do the research on the 5 or 6 biggest venues. Determine which of these are most viable for your organization. Then put a plan together on how you can utilize these resources to maximize your company’s marketing initiatives.
Once you’ve implemented your plan, do not rest on your laurels. Continue to research the latest trends on at least a monthly basis. Plan on changing your social media mix from time to time, when you believe something new might work better. Track the success of the initiatives you use and if one is not doing much for your company, drop it and try something else.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Today’s leading marketers are ‘hooked up’ to the social media explosion. They use twitter, blogs, facebook, linked-in, webinars, mobile marketing, social networks, podcasts, Flickr, YouTube, newsgroups and much more. The list is literally endless as new products, software and features are coming available on a daily basis.
So, how does a marketer possibly keep up? I met one marketer who worked for a large organization and had 8 employees in his marketing department. He tasked each one of them to become an ‘expert’ on one form of social media. After fully researching the technology, they would report back to him on their recommendations on how their organization could best utilize this form of media. Unfortunately, smaller companies may not have the resources to handle all the forms of media they want to. My best recommendation is to do the research on the 5 or 6 biggest venues. Determine which of these are most viable for your organization. Then put a plan together on how you can utilize these resources to maximize your company’s marketing initiatives.
Once you’ve implemented your plan, do not rest on your laurels. Continue to research the latest trends on at least a monthly basis. Plan on changing your social media mix from time to time, when you believe something new might work better. Track the success of the initiatives you use and if one is not doing much for your company, drop it and try something else.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Summertime Slowdown?
If your company suffers from a bit of a summertime slowdown, don’t let this great opportunity pass you by. This is the perfect time to sign up for those continuing education classes you ‘never have time to take’. It’s a great time to organize your desk, office and filing system. Take advantage of a little quieter time to do some industry research to find out what trends are affecting your industry and what new products and packaging may change the course for machinery. Put together a list of projects you need to work on and prioritize them with dates for start and finish.
Look ahead to your fall show schedule and start working on items that can be handled in advance. Make up ‘To Do’ lists for the shows, so that all the organizing is laid out and can simply be followed step by step come show season. Get a jump start on your 2011 budget planning.
When the jam-packed fall days come rolling in you will be very grateful for any organizing and pre-planning you did in the summertime. Don’t let the ‘Dog Days of Summer’ get you down, use the time wisely and you’ll reap the rewards.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
Look ahead to your fall show schedule and start working on items that can be handled in advance. Make up ‘To Do’ lists for the shows, so that all the organizing is laid out and can simply be followed step by step come show season. Get a jump start on your 2011 budget planning.
When the jam-packed fall days come rolling in you will be very grateful for any organizing and pre-planning you did in the summertime. Don’t let the ‘Dog Days of Summer’ get you down, use the time wisely and you’ll reap the rewards.
The author, Marge Bonura, is the Director of Sales & Marketing for New England Machinery, Inc. (NEM). NEM is a leading manufacturer of bottle unscramblers, cappers, orienters, retorquers, lidders, pluggers, pump sorter/placers, scoop feeders, hopper elevators and much more. The company has been in business since 1974 selling to the food, beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, chemical, household products, automotive and other industries. For more information on NEM, visit their website at http://www.neminc.com/.
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