ARTICLES & PAPERS


ARTICLE SUMMARIES:

Marketing Metrics - More Than Just ROI
(Sbusiness Journal-Spring 2008)

The most common misconception of marketing metrics is that it should be stated as an individual correlation between the entire marketing investment and the ultimate sales performance in an attempt to determine the return on the marketing investment (ROI). This approach provides only a lagging indicator of performance that could have been impacted by an almost infinite number of potential variables.

Instead, think of Marketing Metrics as tools to improve your performance, not just a report card on past success or failure.

Read the full online article at the AdHub.com website

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Long Warranties Are For Losers
(Cover Story, May/June 2007, Sbusiness Journal)
Do you want to be a leader or a loser in your marketplace? This article offers observations on new product warranty practices and provides key considerations, techniques and tools that can help improve the development of effective new product warranty strategies.

As companies have rationalized that the service sector can bring great revenue potential, services executives have worked hard to improve customer value and control costs while developing more effective marketing and sales teams. However, many companies have not fully understood that their warranty offerings are one of the most critical elements of their strategy development. Warranty offerings can have immediate and also long-term impact on hardware and services sales revenue potential in addition to customer loyalty. (Get your t-shirts)

Download the entire article.

Free Download Services/Hardware Revenue Forecasting Tool

Download the example of the revenue forecasting tool that was used in the May/June 2007 AFSMI Sbusiness “Long Warranties Are for Losers” article.

You will be able to change the following parameters using the tool:

• Hardware product price
• First year product sales
• Annual increase in product sales
• Annual maintenance agreement pricing
• Service Initial attachment rates
• Service renewal rates
• Annual service agreement price increase
• Warranty Length in years

Download the Forcasting Tool.

Outfit your team with “Long Warranties Are For Losers” t-shirts.

• Make a statement at your next product commercialization meeting
• Create a theme for your services strategy development
• Show your company how important warranty decisions are to product and services business success
• Become a strategic leader (not a loser)

Order Now “Long Warranties Are For Losers” T-Shirts
As low as $14.95 each plus S&H. Normal delivery in 1-2 weeks
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• A free copy of Jim Payne’s “Selling Service Through the Channel” white paper, a $49.95 value
• Or, ½ Hour of telephone consulting with Jim Payne

Increasing Services Prices Can Grow Sales!
(Sbusiness Journal-Feature Story-March/April 2007)

By nature, increasing prices to grow sales of services or products sounds fundamentally wrong. It is certainly normal to assume that your prices are too high in reaction to inadequate or slumping sales. Marketers responsible for pricing of tangible or intangible products inherently think that they have hit the proverbial price elasticity curve and that their customers/clients are trying to tell them that they must cut prices to increase or maintain sales levels.

When marketers succumb to price reduction as an immediate fix for sales performance problems, they are often surprised that it had little or no impact. To make matters worse, they have sacrificed a significant portion of their revenue and cut profits in the process...

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Winning Internal Customers
(Sbusiness Journal-Cover Story-Nov./Dec. 2005)
Rated 5 Stars by readers!

In considering the title of this article, the obvious questions that come to mind are: Who are my internal customers, and why must I win them over? Aren't we all on the same team if we work for the same company? Certainly everyone is aware of the needs and methods for marketing to external customers, but few specifically identify and implement effective marketing to their internal customers. However, the best external marketing programs may never get off the ground without strong internal support from the top down and out to the field. Download the entire article.

Download: Winning Internal Customers Workshop at your location

Read the Online article at the AFSMI website

Selling Services Through the Channel,
Not a Rut for Manufacturers
(Sbusiness Journal-Cover Story-July/August 2005)
Selected as All Time Article of Excellence by AFSMI

As technology advances for hardware and software products, manufacturers’ sales models increasingly have migrated toward selling exclusively or partially through channels. However, on the services side of the business, marketing and selling services through the channel certainly can be more challenging than our tangible counterpart’s experience.

Download the entire Sbusiness article.

Purchase the extended White Paper version for $49.95

Special Free Offer
Get a free 1/2-hour phone consultation with the author Jim Payne when you order Selling Services Through the Channel. Simply purchase the paper and we will contact you to schedule a time to start improving your business.

What Happened to Premium Pricing of Services?
(SSPA News-March 2006)
Selected as Article of the Month

What happened to the high margin premium pricing of services? Why are they eroding and what made the marketplace change? Why do I have to discount more each year when the services haven’t changed?

My first impression of this critical circumstance that many are observing in their services pricing is a bit of a Déjà vu. The services marketplace is sounding very much like the commodization of hardware products that has taken place in many markets during the past ten years.

Download the entire article.
Visit the SSPA website to read article

Selling Services Through the Channel is "Simple"
(SSPA News first column in a series June 2006)
Selected as Article of the Month

This article is the first in a series exclusive to SSPA News that will concentrate on the strategies and tactics needed to be successful in selling services through channels. The articles will feature brief exerts from a book on channel marketing by Jim Payne that is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Easy vs. Simple?

The title of this article may seem contrary to anyone who has actually experienced the challenges of selling services through the channel. However, the idea is that selling services through the channel is not easy, but needs to be simple for the channel to be successful. Simplification needs to be the primary consideration of all channel strategies and the ensuing tactics. Download the entire article.

Ten Ways to Make Your Services Tangible
(Sbusiness Journal-first column in a series-May/June 2006)

In response reader requests more information on tactical marketing, this column will highlight a few key considerations and marketing materials that can be used to communicate to the services marketplace. In future columns, I will discuss in more detail the factors that need to be taken into account during development, application and implementation of marketing tactics for services businesses. Download the entire article.

Understanding Channel Segments: The Key Pieces to Your Channel Puzzle
By Jim Payne, President, S-Market Strategies

This article is the fourth in a series that will concentrate on the strategies and tactics needed to be successful in selling services through channels. Segmenting the channel based on their levels of understanding, commitment and dedication to selling services helps the producer develop more effective business model. The articles will feature brief exerts from a book on channel marketing by Jim Payne that is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 2006.

In recent years, I have spent a considerable amount of time working with thousands of resellers and distributors and talking with them about how they view services in their marketing and sales model. Based on this research, I have been able to develop and implement improved channel programs for manufacturers and independent services providers. Although resellers and distributors manage their businesses using many different strategies and methods, when you dig deeply enough, they all have certain things in common. They generally fall into a small number of segments that can be identified and considered in marketing strategy development for channel sales of services. Download the entire article.

We Are So Alike, Then Why Are We So Different?
Selling Services Through the Channel
(SSPA News-second column in a series-July 2006)
Selected as Article of the Week

This article is the second in a series that will concentrate on the strategies and tactics needed to be successful in selling services through channels. The articles will feature brief exerts from a book on channel marketing by Jim Payne that is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Strategic Flaws
One of the primary flaws that I have observed in companies trying to develop effective channel strategies is the assumption that the channel has the same logic and motivations as a manufacturer itself. The assumption is that “we are all in the same business” so we must think alike when it comes to selling our products and services. Then why are these companies finding that the channel has not been as effective at selling their products and services as they had imagined? Download the entire article.

Who’s On First, The Sales Channel Scorecard?
The Channel Players and How They Play Together

This article is the third in a series exclusive to SSPA News that will concentrate on the strategies and tactics needed to be successful in selling services through channels and offers a brief look at the sales channel players and their relative hierarchy. The articles will feature brief exerts from a book on channel marketing by Jim Payne that is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 2006

Why the Channel?
Although indirect sales channels may seem like a bit of a rut at first, the channel may be the best way for many manufacturers to reach a significantly broader base of customers with less cost than selling directly to each end user. My experience has shown that there are great opportunities in selling products and services through the indirect channel if it is executed properly. However, keep in mind that indirect channel sales require unique and deliberate strategies and tactics to market and sell products and services in this way. The investment in learning, researching and building solid strategies can increase your likelihood of success in an indirect channel model or mixed direct/indirect model. Download the entire article.

Who Should Sell Your Products or Services?
(Business Strategies Magazine-March 2006)

Although consideration for the process of selling your products is one of the primary elements in planning a business, too often businesses continually struggle with selling their products or services. Without full consideration for the options or adequate experience, many businesses take the most straightforward approach of selling directly to their perspective customer/client base. However, direct sales may not be the best path for many companies. Download the entire article.

Building Your Marketing Plan is No Vacation
(Rochester Professional Consultants Network-May 2005)

Lets face it—most consultants spend more time and effort planning their annual vacation than planning the marketing of their business. Download the entire article.

Upcoming Articles

Branding Your Services

Packaged Services (Services Inside a Box)