In case you need a refresher, an elevator speech is a 15-30 second sound bite (or business pitch in the B2B world) that succinctly, and hopefully memorably, introduces yourself, your product and what you do. Essentially, thirty seconds is about how long an elevator ride is, sometimes longer.  So, depending on how fast you talk, you don’t have a lot of time to capture someone’s interest. Tradeshows are the perfect example.

Someone walks up to your booth – you have their attention – but what do you say to keep them intrigued enough to stay and hear more, or do business with you? Those 30 seconds (or longer) start to get a little nerve-racking.

No need to panic! You’re an expert at your product, so spend time now to perfecting your elevator speech.

image credit: ryanrenfrew.blogspot.com

Before you get on the floor this fall, think through these to rejuvenate your elevator speech:

• What’s in it for your audience? How can you tie in what’s in it for them in your mini-spiel? Will they ultimately save money? Will their life be less stressful? Always be thinking about the WIFFY and how you can tie it into your message!
• Come prepared, but don’t make it appear as though you’re reading from an index card. Be able to act “on the fly” depending on the situation and your audience!
• Find a balance with what you want to say. Your elevator speech has to be informative and compelling, not one or the other.
• Be unique. Again, understand the WIFFY and see how you can say something so relevant to them but exciting at the same time that you stand out quickly. What’s your #1 differentiator that they need to know?
• Practice. As a past Toastmaster, I know how important it is to practice. Before the show starts, make sure you’ve tested it out with a colleague.

Want more? Before we get out this fall, I’m going to be checking out the following book from the library: Small Message, Big Message, by Terri Sjoidin.

What are some of your elevator speech successes and disasters?

1. Important
2. Starred
3. Everything else

This is a fabulous feature that allows you to skip the unwanted e-newsletters and go straight to the e-mails that matter to you. It’s great for users, but can it present new challenges for e-mail marketers?

Based on Google’s description, Priority Inbox studies a user’s behavior such as how frequently they open and/or respond to messages from a given sender, how often they read messages that contain a certain keyword, if a message comes from a person they chat with and whether or not the message is addressed solely to the user or if looks like it was sent to a mass mailing list.

The idea is simple. If your intended recipient is not opening and reading your e-mails, you won’t be prioritized. Since it is very likely that other e-mail programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, will soon adopt this feature, it is important for B2B marketers to create e-mail campaigns with relevant content that will make readers want to open their e-mails and interact with them.

Do you think Priority Inbox will have an impact on e-mails used as lead generation tools?

Oh, I know, how about talk to someone! Meet a friend for coffee. Try visiting a neighbor you’ve been meaning to meet. What about an act of kindness like taking some homemade cookies to a local fire station or maybe even plan some quality time with your family. Or even better, put down that phone, refrain from texting, tweeting or even chatting on Facebook and intentionally connect face-to-face with someone.

Impossible you say? Not according to Facebook. Wednesday, August 25 is the National Facebook Fast. Facebook is encouraging everyone to do just that—connect face-to-face.

What does this have to do with B2B communications? It’s a new idea called ‘Personal Touch.’ Okay, so the idea might not be new, but when was the last time you took the time to reach out and connect with your clients in a new and personal way?

Not sure what you can do. Be creative and have fun with it. Still not sure? Then call Canyon, we’ve got plenty of great ideas for you to reach out to your current clients and prospects you’ve been trying to reach.

So don’t forget, no Facebook on August 25, 2010—call a friend or Canyon instead…480-775-8880. We would even love to meet for lunch.

The funny part about this is that you use Facebook to invite people to this. I guess we can’t live without it after all.

Being the phone junkie that I am, I love to know what’s new and exciting in mobile technology. Normally I feel fairly ahead of the curve on mobile phone-related news, so imagine my surprise when I experienced my very own mobile phone first—an advertisement delivered via text to my phone.

Text- or SMS-based marketing campaigns are something our industry has been implementing for awhile. But, I’ve never been on the receiving end of an ad via SMS before. I have to tell you—I was super annoyed. It felt intrusive to me. It also made me wonder if SMS marketing campaigns will ever truly take off in B2B, or even B2C space.

However, there have been some successful national text-based ad campaigns and, I did some research and found that many mobile marketing companies make this point:

97% of recipients who receive an ad via text are going to view it within twenty minutes.

Can any other marketing vehicle do that? Certainly not print. Maybe e-mail marketing…but 97% within 20 minutes? That is quite a stat.

I’m sure there is a right fit for an SMS-based marketing campaign, but I haven’t experienced it yet. What do you think of this marketing tactic? Have you ever experienced a SMS ad?

‘I love my cell phone so much it was almost included in my Canyon bio picture.’

Canyon Communications recently implemented a creative way for prospects to access information. Have you heard of USB laser pens? They are a great way to get people to access information. Rather than skimming a sell sheet or folder with materials, a USB laser pen forces people to insert a thumb drive to access your files. And, it’s easily accessible. No more searching through paperwork and folders to find information.

A USB laser pen can be used as:

• A pen
• A thumb drive
• A laser pointer for presentations

Interestingly enough, after we used these USB pens for a client, I received information from a company marketing its services. I expected to receive a folder with a sell sheet, brochure or a CD, but instead, I received a USB laser pointer pen! The accompanying note instructed me to look at the ‘media pen’ for more information. On the pen, the company incorporated a flash presentation on its service offerings. They forced me to insert the thumb drive to access the information.

Did their strategy work? Yes, it did and I will remember this company because they got my attention.

Now, I wouldn’t recommend mailing it in an a window envelope the way I received it but, I was tickled when I opened the piece and out “popped” three more pieces. I admit, I was startled at first but then I realized how fun, creative and attention grabbing this direct mailer is. It’s definitely a great idea to keep something like this in mind if you’re struggling with the same lackluster mailers.

Have you received any creative or fun direct mailers lately?

Speaking of money…in 2010 marketers will be looking for more ROI than in years past and are shifting budget investments to more trackable online media and search marketing. According to a recent study by ExactTarget and Econsultancy, marketers plan to increase their online marketing budgets by an average of 17% this year. Therefore it’s more important now than ever to implement a SEO strategy and create effective online campaigns that will resonate with your target audience.

Are you planning to shift more of your marketing budget to online media this year? Do you have a favorite president or amount of currency?

To help avoid the ‘junk e-mail’ folder, resist the following:

• Spam-type words
  i.e. – free, #1, no cost, guarantee, marketing, credit card, etc. To see a whole list, visit this helpful site: Mannix Marketing, Inc.
• Red text
• All capital letters
• Incomplete information
• Excessive punctuation !!!, ???
• Excessive use of “click here” especially in all capital letters
• No “From:” address
• Misleading (or missing) subject line

At Canyon, we use Constant Contact to distribute and track e-mail marketing campaigns. This web-based e-mail marketing service allows marketers to easily and efficiently develop HTML/Text-based e-mail marketing campaigns at the touch of a button. Plus, it allows you to instantly upload distribution lists, track progress and view on-demand reports to help measure campaign success and track ROI.

Following these helpful guidelines and suggestions will help you avoid the junk mail folder and make it into your customers’ and prospects’ inboxes.

Do you have any tips to add to this list?

1. Introduction/Credibility Building. It’s critical to introduce yourself and build credibility right off the bat.
2. Problem Identification. No matter why you’re calling, it is critical to discover a problem that you can help solve. Do some probing on your prospect’s pain points (now say that tongue-twister three times fast!).
3. Present Solution. Explain to your prospect that you have a solution for their biggest challenges. You know, the ones that keep them up at night.
4. Offer. This vital step is often overlooked. You must have a compelling offer for your prospect. A ‘free infrastructure analysis’ or ‘complimentary ROI assessment’ should do.
5. Close: Typically, you’re trying to set an appointment or asking your prospect to take some sort of action, right? Now is the time.

That’s the top-line stuff, but be sure to include some objection responses, a way to verify contact information and gather opt-in e-mail address. Did I leave anything out? Do you have any horror stories about bad call guides?

We’ve all seen it. Trade publications are getting thinner and thinner; media outlets are shutting down every day; readership is down; there’s even a Twitter feed dedicated to documenting media layoffs and closures. So, how are B2B marketers supposed to reach their target audiences effectively? 

1. Leverage the media’s online presence. Since more and more business professionals are going to the web, blogs and online news sites for information, it is a good idea to shift ad dollars and PR efforts toward the online versions of trade publications.
2. Can you say value-add? Advertisers are in a great position to negotiate value-added extras that include e-mail distributions, banner ads, special insert sections and, best of all, magazine subscriber lists.
3. Do it yourself. B2B companies that offer multiple products and services can position themselves as thought leaders and subject matter experts by publishing their own media in the form of print and e-newsletters, online resource libraries, blogs and more. This is a great way to reach your customers directly and build an ongoing, one-to-one relationship.

Have you cut your advertising budget, or shifted your funds elsewhere? What do you think of the trade publications getting thinner and thinner? What strategies have you used to maximize your B2B marketing budget?