Marketing Buzz 10/01 Making the most of industry awards and tightening the restrictions on cold calling
By Gwen Moran Edited by Frances Dodds
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
"And I'd Like toThank..."
While some folks use industry awards as nothing more thandoorstops, Michael Macken, 45, found that honors from the NationalBarbecue Association fired up promotional efforts for hisnew-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 tohis Web site and sales literature. The honors generated mediacoverage and got the attention of wholesalers, distributors andretailers. "Anytime you win [an award], it gets people'sears to perk up, and they want more information," Mackenexplains.
Third-party endorsements are important, says Rick Zullo. His adagency, Zullo Associates in Princeton, New Jersey, helps clientsapply for and win industry awards. To find out about awards, herecommends contacting business associations and publications.
"Awards have a lot of marketing mileage," Zullo says."They can generate publicity. They can help in recruiting andretaining employees. They add credibility to your sales materialsand can make getting through a new customer's door a biteasier."
Wrong Number?
Two federal laws and an onslaught of state legislation havecreated tougher restrictions on cold calling. Fourteen states havealready implemented "Do Not Call" lists of residentsasking not to be called by telemarketers. Call these folks byaccident, and you could face fines of up to $25,000 at the statelevel in addition to $11,000 at the federal level. Further finesensue if your business lacks a "Do Not Call" policy or ifyou call someone after they've asked you not to.
To avoid fines, check with the attorney general in each stateyou call to see whether they have a "Do Not Call" list.Cross-check your list and remove matches. Also, make sure toestablish a written policy, or enlist the services of a companysuch as Gryphon Networks in Norwood, Massachusetts, whichblocks telemarketers from "Do Not Call" numbers and letstelemarketers instantly add new "Do Not Call" requests totheir own lists at the touch of #0.
Gwen Moran ispresident of BoostYourBiz.com and Moran Marketing Associates inOcean, New Jersey.
Contact Source
- Zullo Associates
(609) 683-1800, rick@zulloassociates.com.
