Logo tips

http://www.youtube.com/v/5aMVrveZ-T0?version=3&autohide=1&showinfo=1&autohide=1&autoplay=1&feature=share&attribution_tag=HP3Nd7L5TDJet8um1xFmRw

Modern Conveniences in a Marathon

Not much has changed in the sport of running except all of the gear.  Over the weekend I ran a half marathon and thought it would be a good idea to blog about the differences between the past and the present.  This year I decided to run with minimal gear but still all new products that would make for a good example.
Think about how these products have changed this sport and how they have changed yours.  I started thinking about what gear I would carry.  I narrowed it down to 4 GU and Clif shots, Clif margarita blocks, runners towel, runners belt, 8 oz water bottle with electrolytes, id card, $10, windproof earmuffs, runners gloves, iPhone, wireless headphones, sunglasses, and a knee strap.  Can any of this stuff make me run faster? Well, yes.  My runners application tells me my current pace and where I need to be to achieve my time.  The energy shots give me the much needed energy boost that my body craves during the race.  The water with the electrolytes do the same thing.  Everything else is cosmetic besides the knee strap.
Think about the difference between the shoes I wear and the shoes from the past.  My shoes are Reebok Real-flex's.  73 individual impact ready cushions that help propel me forward with every step I take. No, not your typical Chuck Taylor's. These shoes are far more advanced and have the greatest scientific minds trying to improve them daily.  Hard and steep competition for anyone looking to design  a new shoe.

Have we advanced as a runners? Well, yes, absolutely.  We are faster than ever, and turning in better times than ever in all types of races.  Gone are the days of the traditional marathons.  Now, individuals aim for larger achievements such as ultras and 50K's.  Running and races are more popular than ever.  A night run in my state sold out at something like 8000 participants that actually ran to an open bar party that was a few miles away.
The popularity of running will not end soon.  The trend is strong and more and more people are joining the ranks of the runner. Some really cool races are Tough Mudder, Spartan, Zombie Run, and Electric Run.  These runs sell out quick and have huge lines of customers trying to get in and race.  They have themed races all over the country.  Just do a quick Google search and see what's in your area.

Smart Products- Packaging Smart

   This week I have been traveling and have seen some really incredible products that I think deserve some blog time.  While in the Wynn Casino I had a tea in their famous coffee shop.  The tea comes in a distinctive triangle box and the bag inside is in the same shape.  The product has a wooden holder that the clerk reaches under the counter and displays for you to select your flavor.  The box is of high quality and gives the consumer a feeling of quality right when they open it up.  When you look into the box you know immediately this is not your ordinary tea.  The bag design that holds the tea is ergonomic in the sense that when you move it around in your cup, the water moves evenly around the bag.  Much more water seems to flow through this design than the traditional bag. This gives the user a great interactive experience with this design.

 The leaf at the top of the bag is really unique.  This allows the consumer to hold it there at that spot and steep the tea until ready. Even the mesh that is used feels of a higher quality and doesn't fold up when you dunk the tea in your cup.  Truly offers a different kind of experience for the user.
 The name of the tea is Tea Forté. I tried several but recommend the citrus mint.  You can tell by the photo on the left that they have several different flavors to choose from. This is certainly not your run of the mill tea.  The mesh around the tea in this shape makes this a superior product alone!  The taste just tops it off.  I would suggest trying it to get the experience that I had.  Nice product and hats off to products that make life easier.

Selling without Packaging

   Okay, so this is how they sell meat in the market in Jinotega Nicaragua.  I have had this meat grilled and it's really good.  Could it use some nice packaging with a weight and price, sure.  Think about how different our purchase of meat is compared to other parts of the world.  Meat is still meat.  People purchase this all around the world in many different forms and packaging daily.  It's all just meat however.  All countries have different packaging requirements and some are much more strict than others. If you are considering taking your product overseas, you should really look at the current products on the market and see what needs to be done to your packaging.

Here people are buying meat in Moscow's Dorogomilovsky Market in the open.  You can see they do not package their meat for sale in the markets either.  Customers want to have the ability to look at the meat unobstructed from a material. Keep in mind that the cost of packaging will hinder many to use the benefits of it where it is not required.  This is not the only option you should think about however, if you package these in the wrong type of vessel, many people will not purchase them.  This will be a big step for cultures to buy meat that is perfectly packaged after laws being non-existent.

       
Эта фотография Дорогомиловский рынок является собственностью сайта TripAdvisor


This is how they sell fish in parts of Russia.  The fish looks delicious and I am sure it is.  The smell in this room must be something that you get used to?  All countries have different packaging and label laws. Some are very strict and some are loose.  The more important aspect is what are the people going to relate to more closely? What type of packaging are you going to use for your overseas ventures?  Can you use the same packaging that you use here in the states? How about label layout and design?  All of these are things that you must consider when looking to take your product overseas.

New Packaging In Nicaragua

This packaging is a much better option for manufacturers. This allows them to fit more per pallet and ship for much cheaper prices without the glass or plastic containers that weigh much more. As I continued through the store, more products in the same packaging are apparent. 

What would be strange for you in the bag? Mustard, Mayo, or salad dressing? Love the idea of getting away from containers in certain markets. This allows all companies to get their products into these emerging markets cheaper. 

That's how they move prisoners in Nicaragua. All seemed nice. If you copy this photo please insert credit and a link back to my blog. I asked the police if I could get this photo before taking it. He was like, "absolutely!"

Drying the Coffee Beans

This gentleman moves this coffee rake through the beans in order to get them to dry evenly.  This process takes around four days and the beans are placed upon slabs of concrete in the sun.  The concrete looks like housing foundations that we would normally see in the states.  This particular one is located in Matagalpa Nicaragua.  Beans need to go through this process before heading inside to be divided by screen size.  When it rains he simply flips the tarp closed and waits for the rain to finish then he unrolls the tarps again exposing the beans.  This is an old school process which is critical to drying the beans correctly.

Coffee Labels and Recognition

While in Central America I was able to see several different coffee bags from many different exporters. Many were colorful and came in a various number of sizes. They all measured 1 pound of coffee but the diversity was amazing.  Many companies go for the organic look, while others have a bright and sometimes political message on the bag.  I got a chance to sit down with the directors and talk about which bags were winners and which were losers.
When you are selecting a label for your own bags, make sure that the font is legible and the consumer can easily recognize it.  Keep in mind that you will want to catch the attention of the older customers as well as the younger.  Pick a middle ground that both demographics and easily recognize.  This will prove to be an important aspect.

Coffee Bag discussion on best marketing aspects 

Color plays a huge role in this selection process as well. The brighter the colors, the more the bag jumps out at you and the less the colors, the more organic and natural it looks.  Bags can be a bit taller and seem to draw more attention to themselves as well.
We certainly picked our favorites out and not surprisingly they were the best sellers as well.   Many bags called out for you to pick them up and inspect them for yourself.  Some just sat there and looked very uninviting.  It was a great tool to see so many next to each other and critique them in that way.
In this photo we are discussing the successful ones and also the ones that have failed from poor design.

Where should I sell my product?

Lets talk location of your product.  Where are you going to sell it? Here, in the saturated United States? I would much rather try my hand in another market that has a little smaller barriers to entry and less competition.  That's not to say you can't make it work.  Many people have great success with this and their products are well deserved on the market.  I like all markets and feel that if you can design a product that sells across multiple markets you will be much better off.   Look at Red Bull again.  That market was wide open when they came along.  The first questions you should be thinking about is what market and which location.  You need to have a good strategic outlook.  Companies have bad habits of conquering  local markets and then limping along to expand into others.  The idea of expansion can easily blind you. With extra income and revenue from sales you tend to lose sight of the real strategy.  How many products failed last year and the companies never thought about expansion distribution, metrics in shipping, pallet math, fuel, hedging, and a simple marketing budget?This is hard to do with great success.  In fact, most companies never really concentrate on a good expansion strategy.  They will concur a local market and then try to expand into others that do not make good business sense strategically.

Your first priority in the product game should be to locate a market that fits your demographic category as best as you can.  There are many tools out there that can help you do this rather than just google earth.  There are several marketing demo tools that companies use for this selection.  http://zipwho.com is one that can help. At the bottom of their site they list a few other tools such as highest income or top 10% or similar features. Your research will need to be much more scientific and statistical but its a great start and will get you moving in the right direction.  Leave a comment if you like.

Private label manufacturing, sales, and distribution

A welcome video to my private label blog that will help you increase sales and begin to think outside the box to increase sales. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. If you need help with product or are looking for help to launch, contact me and I can help.

Sell more by better packaging, dynamic products

Private label foods, branding, and manufacturing. If you are just getting started in branding or labeling, or even if you are a seasoned veteran, this video series will help you sell more of your product. Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and checkout my blog.

Nicaragua Business Welcome Blog

Do business in Nicaragua. I have done business in Nicaragua and started a blog on all types of useful hints and tips for working there. My blog can help any entrepreneur looking to get started there in the exporting arena. There are several different businesses a person can open there and feel free to browse my blog for everything that I have written on it.

The Power of Social Media on Private Labels

The is a video from my blog that explains where social media is heading for all of us and how it will have an impact on our businesses. Social media is here to stay and will greatly change the way we do business in the future. In the past we would say "why do I need a Facebook account, those are for kids." Now we all have them along with Blogger,Twitter,Yelp,Foursquare, and Google+. These social media platforms are here to stay and will redefine the way we do business in todays ever changing global economy.

Product Placement Strategies

Learn how to sell more of your products by where you physically place them in stores. Many businesses think that if they can just get into the store the customers will rush in to buy their product. This is not true at all and companies need to have a great strategy in place that will assist them in the long term planning and growth of the product. Simply tasting great or being in interesting packaging will no longer do it.

Food and Beverage product placement

Hello all, this video will help you with where to put your products in the grocery store. I talk about supermarket areas of purchase and consumer psychology. If you are interested in starting your own product line, or expanding your existing one, please take a look at my blog and video series here on youtube. These can greatly assist you in your product startups. I have consulted with many companies on startups and teach a class on it as well.

Selling in a grocery store

How to sell your product in a grocery store. If you are considering selling your product in a grocery store, this video can help. You can watch my series of videos for all types of help with product placement, labeling, product makeovers, and distribution.

Increase business with community

 This video will teach you about the importance of community on your product or business. The importance of community and business is invaluable and needs to be thought of when building your brand. Never discount the importance of using local members of the community to help promote and brand your business or product.

 Bartering with your product or service to gain more consumers you would have otherwise missed. This is a great business technique that you gain profits from and capitalize on. This will introduce several new customers to your product or service that would have passed you without notice!

Doing business in Nicaragua 2

Doing business in Nicaragua. Check out my blog on Nicaragua Business opportunities! http://investnicaragua.blogspot.com/

Plan for the future of your business

Most business owners don't think far enough into the future of their business. This video talks about the importance of planning out your strategic strategy map. Regardless if you are expanding or selling, make sure you have a strategy in place.

Companies marketing for the senses and sensory marketing

Marketing techniques that different companies use that excite the senses. These marketing techniques have really caught on lately and many companies are starting to do this now. Smell, sight, sound, and environment play a large roll in making their customers feel at home. Many companies control even the smell in every aspect of their business.

Target demographics and consumers for your business

 This video covers your target demographic and asks the specific question of "who" are you targeting. Filled with quick facts and tips on the most important customer of all. Using consumer research to help guide you in your targeting decisions. Companies often miss the target by not concentrating of who their customers are specifically and trying to sell to too many different targets.

Vender Más

Es el producto de la venta en toda América? ¿Alguna vez ha querido vender más a los americanos? Hola soy Jeffrey Bernhard y yo soy un consultor de productos en la ciudad de Nueva York. Puedo ayudarle a vender sus productos a millones de estadounidenses. Yo no aprendi de un libro, he vendido millones de mis propios productos y puede ayudar a su empresa a hacer lo mismo. Estoy familiarizado con el envasado, la distribución, las ventas por Internet, y los residuos. Tengo experiencia en, psicología del consumidor, la colocación de productos y la distribución al por menor. Puedo ayudar a usted o su empresa explorar diferentes oportunidades aquí en Estados Unidos o puedo ayudarle a exportar su producto de allá para acá. Si usted está buscando expandir sus operaciones y la necesidad de un consultor Acuérdese de mí. Vendí más de 20 millones de dólares en mis productos y que pueden hacer lo mismo. Ahora sé que debes estar pensando que mi español no es perfecto, pero sé que practico todos los días y español es el segundo idioma para mí. ¿Cómo está tu Inglés? Mucho mejor que mi español estoy asumiendo. Si quieres mi ayuda con tu producto, apenas me envía un mensaje. Espero con interés escuchar de usted! gracias por su tiempo y tener un gran día.

Social Media and Business

 People are involved in social communities not just members. They click and share at a rapid pace. They upload to YouTube at an alarming rate. People upload 35 hours of video every minute that's about 200,000 full-length movies a week. In 30 days on YouTube, more video is broadcast than the last 60 years on CBS, NBC, and ABC networks combined. But wait, there's more. You see, It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners. TV took 13 years to reach 50 million users, The internet to 4 years to reach 50 million users, in less than 9 months Facebook added 100 million users. Wow! And your business or product still doesn't have a Facebook page? About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States. Social media has overtaken porn as the number 1 online activity. 1 out of 8 couples married last year as a result of meeting on a social dating site. 80% of companies use LinkedIn as their company-recruiting tool. More than 1.5 billion pieces of content are shared on Facebook daily. 80% of Twitter usage comes from mobile devices and a large percentage of these have admitted to doing this while on the toilet. This is part of a culture of participation that I was talking about in an earlier video of mine. Now I know what you're thinking, but Jeffrey, can the numbers keep growing? Yes and they will continue to become more and more unbelievable. Get on social media if you are not here yet. This archaic thinking that this is just for kids is old and stale. You or your product will become old and stale if you're not here and advertising on here as well. Don't think this is going away overnight. This is here to stay. This is user-generated content. It's everyday people voicing their opinions about products, brands, and services. Never in the history of advertising have we seen something like this. This is going to revolutionize products. Think of Mentos and Diet Coke on YouTube and how many users were uploading videos when they found out what mixing these two products together produced. Welcome to the Web 2.0 revolution. This is only going to grow, this is just the beginning still.

Brand Identity part 3 of 3

 Do you still need some help with your branding objectives? Are you still fishing around on how to brand yourself or product? If you missed my other videos on branding, you can find them down below and just click on my channel and it will take you there so you can see them. In the last video I was talking about brand equity, identity, and personality. Lets talk about these again so that you get the idea of what they are and what you're trying to achieve. Do you want to be a soft product like Dove soap or a strong one like Brawny paper towels? On the label of Brawny towels, they have a burly lumberjack that has a great moustache that is essentially unachievable for the common man but looks great on him. He's carrying an axe and wearing a flannel shirt and looks like a cross between a male model and Chuck Norris. Never the less, he looks strong and this is the message that the picture conveys to the consumer. He looks brawny; he is the cover person for the product and a heartthrob looking man to evoke a helpful feeling when you browse the aisles of the supermarket. This is a very smart marketing stance and says a plethora about their branding campaign. Instead of you scrubbing the mess up by yourself, he's there to assist you. This gives you a feeling of comfort and makes you want to purchase it over the competition. And this is all because they put a fake picture on the label but it sends a powerful message. This man has changed over the years but essentially looks the same. If you want to have some fun, Google it. Now for brand equity, think about a long lasting car, do you have one in your mind? Mercedes Benz is the first one right? If not the first its certainly in the top three. Why you might ask, branding or more specifically brand equity. When you think of Mercedes you think of quality and it's a car that will last you longer than any other car on the road. Regardless if its true or not, that's the brands image and it very effective. Are you trying to do the same type of thing with your brand but not sure where to start? Think about starting on the local level. When I say local level I just mean on a small scale and keep your budget reasonable. This won't happen overnight so plan for the long run and not a month or two. This is a lifestyle and not a race. Focus your attention on rewarding the type of actions you want to be recognized for. Is it strength, knowledge, or intelligence? Sponsor something in the area that your brand can best identify with. I just used these as examples; you can insert your words the best way that describes your brand. Remember, if you want any help; send me a message on LinkedIn or on one of my blogs. I would love to help you with one of your products. As always take care, and have a great day!

Brand Identity part 2 of 3

 Have you given more thought to your brand and who your trying to reach? Great question right? Hi I'm Jeffrey Bernhard Many companies spend all their time perfecting the product and not the image. Some would argue that perfecting your brand is just as important. Most companies however, wait until the product launches and then they try and figure out what the brand is. Big mistake. Branding is much more intricate than you might think. For example, you have Brand advocates, brand communities, brand equity, brand name imprinting, and brand personality to just name a few. Let's talk about all of these briefly. So first lets talk about brand advocates. Brand advocates are probably exactly what you think they are. These are people who write about your brand online. They click and share just exactly how they use your product, what they like and dislike about it as well. These consumers work for and against you but are extremely valuable to your brand. Brand Communities is next and I like to describe this community by using Jeep as an example. You see, Jeep consumers are hardcore advocates for anything Jeep. You have Jeep clothing, Jeep accessories, Jeep everything really. They are selling a lifestyle, not a product. In fact, Jeep communities get together on the weekends and go off-roading and camping and people get married as a result of driving Jeeps. Crazy you might think, but hardly. Strong branding is the name of the game at Jeep. Every company could take a page out of the branding book at Jeep. Next is brand equity, now brand equity is the positive associations the customers feels as a result of the brand and loyalty that's associated with it. For example, when you think of a motorcycle what comes to mind? Harley Davidson should be the first brand you think of. The customers that ride Harleys buy the Harley jacket, boots, gloves, bumper sticker, t-shirts and it doesn't end there. This has one of the strongest brand equities in possibly the entire world. Very loyal customers, that is unmatched in every other brand of motorcycle. Imagine being at a Christmas party and the guy next to you says he rides and you ask what kind of bike and he says Harley and asks what you ride and you say Suzuki? Suzuki's are great but you get the point. Next is brand name imprinting which is simply linking a brand to a category in memory? For example, Tabasco to hot sauce, or Tropicana to orange juice. Now many scientist argue over the best method for brand imprinting whether it be saying the name several times before they show you the product or afterwards. Brand personality is next and it's a set of traits that people link to a product as if it were a person. A great example would be Apple computer products. Of 20,000 people surveyed they said that Apple users were more likely to be power hungry elitist, well-educated, interested in finance and banking. Wow. I have seen plenty who are just the opposite who use Apple products. I have much more to cover on this topic and it only gets more intriguing as we go along. If you have any questions feel free to leave them on my blog or send them to me on LinkedIn. I would be happy to help, if you need me to help you with your product, reach out to me, I look forward to hearing from you, as always, have a great day!.

Brand Identity

 What is your brand identity? Can people identify your brand? Hi there, I'm Jeffrey Bernhard and welcome back. I wanted to make this quick video and talk about your brand identity and how you can improve it. We all have different thoughts and ideas about who we are or what are products represent. Think about it this way. If I were to ask you "who are you" as opposed to your wife, husband, kids, john q public, I am certain we would have much different answers. Are you still thinking about who you are or what your product represents? Yes, no? It's not important right this minute but its essential that you figure this out before you spend another penny advertising or trying to get the word out about your product. You see, many people or companies feel that if the product is good, people will just come and buy it, and maybe they will. They wont however return to purchase it unless they feel that it has benefited them on several different levels. Think about starting a new power bar line. Would you just buy a power bar because you need energy or because it tastes good? Maybe, but you would still continue to search until you found one that fit everything you were looking for. Think about what Clif Bar is doing right now. They are a lifestyle food. They are not looking for people to casually purchase these and put them in briefcases and lunchboxes. They want you to make them part of your life. When I say part of your life, I mean that on every level of the word. They don't want to be some treat you reach for when you have hunger, they want to be the food that inspires you to do great things. They want to participate in your greatness as a person. They want to be part of your inspirational story. Step by step and bite by bite they want to be there with you every step and shortfall of the way. They want to earn the glory and the fame with you and that's why they are on fire. So I know your thinking, wow, Jeffrey that's a lot for a energy bar company and that commands an incredible budget right? Wrong! They have had this stance since the beginning and you're the one who is just now becoming hip to it. There target has been pretty tight and now they are executing it perfectly. Now that I have given you a great example, I'll ask you again. Who are you? Who is your product? Does it just taste good? If so, you need serious help in this area if you plan on competing on this level. Now I only used Clif as an example, there are a million others like Disney, Campbell's Soup, Oreo cookies, Oakley sunglasses, Starbucks coffee, Apple Computer, Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream, Butterfinger, Ramen Noodles, even Duracell has a great brand identity! Now think about your brand identity. Where do you fit in amongst the competition? Do you need help with your brand or identity? If so I will leave some helpful links down below. As always if you have any questions feel free to leave them on one of my blogs. If you would like my help, send me a message on LinkedIn. As always, take care and have a great day!

Product Launch Pitching

Lets talk for a minute about product launching. What type of product are you considering? Have you thought about what's actually easier to build? Liquid, solid, or service?  The point is this, maybe your product is more cost effective by using a dry form instead of a liquid form.  I like to use this as an easy example so that you can begin to think about what the difference in shipping weight would be.
A better example would be a dry soup next to a jar of soup.  We know that the dry soup is so much cheaper to deal with but the wet soup might be an easier sell.
Consider the ease to startup. Is your product easy to pitch? Can the people understand your business model? These are all good questions that you should think about.  If you have the cure for a disease but can't sell it, what good is it?  Think about how you are going to focus your pitch.  We are always selling so keep this in mind.  You need to organize your main key points and focus on 3 major points.
1.  What is my product?
2. What problem will it solve?
3. What is my value proposition?
4. What do I need at this time?
Okay so that's 4. The fourth one is really important though.  Think about asking the people watching for what you need the most. Whether its money, technology, or social media marketing.  Ask for some help.  This will open doors for you.
Selecting a product or type of product is a very difficult process.  You will experience several pitfalls and will need to keep moving forward.  Don't fall short!

Branding and product image

Sensory Marketing

Sensory Marketing

Have you ever noticed the smell of lemongrass at your favorite hotel chain? Or do you remember hearing chimes when you were on hold? Yes, no? Hi I’m Jeffrey Bernhard and welcome back.  I want to talk to you today about sensory marketing and how companies use your senses to sell.  This is part of my consumer behavior research and there are several books on this topic and like anyone else, I have my favorites that I read on the subject.  So let’s jump right into it.

As incomes rise, people want their experiences to rise with it. A great example is a young entrepreneurial team that created a product called Method cleaning products.  Now what made Method different? They marketed cleaning solutions in exotic scents such as cucumber, lavender, and clementine.   Then Target picked them up to sell on the shelves.  The rest is history.

Omni Hotels did a similar thing in sensory marketing.  If you go to their website to reserve a room, they play soft wind chimes in the background to put you at ease and make you feel relaxed, the smell of lemongrass and green tea is pumped throughout the lobby.  In the room you will find eucalyptus bath salts and sensation bars, the minibars have mojito flavored jellybeans, and miniature Zen gardens. 

I know what your thinking, wow Jeffrey that’s pretty amazing stuff.  I know, but it doesn’t stop there, people will also pay extra for sleek styling such as Apple products.  Apple taps into your visual channel through color, size, and styling. 

Now I know that colors can influence your emotions and thought processes.  I covered that in an earlier blog about a week ago or so.  Did you know that men rate women more attractive when they wear red as opposed to blue? Same woman.  Just a higher rating because of the color.  I know it sounds crazy, but it’s the truth.

Now odors and scents are becoming more mainstream. The country of Lithuania has started a new fragrance called what else “Lithuania.”  They are pumping this smell in government buildings and hotels around the country. Students are smelling this scent in their dorms and libraries this is to convey the countries image.  Folgers found that for many people, the smell of coffee brings back memories of childhood and capitalized on this by featuring a son returning from the military and as he arrives home early one morning, he turns on the coffee machine.  The mother who is upstairs in bed smells this aroma and simply says “he’s home!”  Do you remember this commercial? I can provide a link to it down below.  It’s great stuff to consider if you have a product out there or looking to launch a product soon. 

If you want these tips or facts to come right to you, subscribe and I can send them to you as I put them up on my blog or channel.  If you would like to send me a question, just leave it on my blog or connect with me on LinkedIn.  I look forward to talking with you soon. As always, take care and have a great day!

Bartering with your product or service

Bartering with your product or service allows you to open up the doors to many customers or consumers that you have would have passed on you otherwise. Now I don't want to just state the obvious where they tell others that bring in more customers. This is not the only benefit. You see, most of these people had zero intention of purchasing your product or service in the first place. You could possibly have a homerun of a customer that never knew your product or service was out there. Once they find you, they could turn into a regular customer who requires all types of services. The customers that you gain from bartering can really boost your sales if you can turn them into longterm customers. The difference between a customer and a client is that the customer comes in once and the client comes all the time. They use your services different. The more customers that you turn into clients means more money in your pocket. The more money in your pocket means that you can concentrate your efforts into making more money somewhere else yourself. Okay so what are some good examples of where should I barter? If you sell a product think about door prizes. If you can get into a gift basket thats a door prize at a function, this will help you tremendously. If you provide a service, such as a carpet cleaning business, give a free one away to someone who has contact with several people. This can help you tremendously in the long run. I am sure he can distribute your business card especially if you help him or her out. The can pay off several times over. I did this constantly as you can tell by the video. Just watch the video to hear of a couple examples of how I did just this in the past.

Branding and Co-branding your product

Video on co-branding

Your brand and community involvement

Is the community involved in your brand? Do you have other people in the community that are helping you spread the word?  Hi I’m Jeffrey Bernhard and welcome back! I wanted to share a 3-minute video with you about your brand and ask if you have the backing of your community?  This is a very important question that will most certainly affect your success. 

Most companies have great marketing plans, budgets, consumer research, social media, but they don’t consider community involvement until they have been established for some time.  By then, the community can only help in certain ways like social media and word of mouth.  When you involve the community from the start of your project, you open up a world of opportunities for all of those around you.  Think about hiring local people who can really help you not only in selling your new product, but getting the word out and about in their social areas.  I would hire local kids from the high school to come and work for me on various levels.  This did a number of things from getting them involved, to bringing in their parents.  This sends a great message to other parents and students.

If you are trying to push your new product in the community why not think about sponsoring the local boy scout troop, the towns 5 and 10k, or how about a local YMCA sports team?  These are all good ideas that have worked for several companies. Now if you’re thinking that this type of planning is too small for you, it worked for Red Bull.  This is how they broke in to the adventure sports arena.  They were sponsoring local adventure sports and venues and now they own them all!  They sold over 2 billion cans last year.  The playing field on the community level for them was wide open.  We know that communities love to support a local person.  Tap into this resource and see where it takes you.  Don’t forget the five most successful companies all started in garages.  Apple, Amazon, Disney, Google, and Mattel all started in a garage.  Now every person in this country has something in his or her garage from one of these companies. How ironic is that?  So the point is, never discount the importance of resources in your community. Tap into them and use them for your projects, they can help you on several different levels. 

We all know that communities stand together and help each other.  They can help you with sales, marketing,  and can bring a wonderful set of new avenues and ideas that you have never considered. The people can open up all types of new doors for your business and your products.  Remember that success is really never far from where you suspected it was.  It’s never exactly where you look, but when you find it, you were always close.  You just never thought about it in that way before.  This is one of the things that makes business so exciting.

If you would like to speak with me, reach out to me on LinkedIn or send me a message at the bottom of one of my blogs.  I would be happy to come out and take a look at your product and help you increase your sales, distribution channel, and give you an evaluation of what your product needs to make it.  I hope to speak to you soon.  As always, take care, and have a great day!

Customer Satisfaction and Social Media

      Hi there, I’m Jeffrey Bernhard and welcome back to my blog. Today I want to talk to you about customer satisfaction math and how important this is for you and your company.  Very few companies can afford to have customers upset, there are some exceptions such as the cable company, or the electric company, You really have no voice within these companies.  This means, no matter how much you scream about their product, you really cant go anywhere else to get it.   You can’t just provide yourself with electricity or a new cable provider; these companies have the market on lock.
     Like everything else in life, change is coming.  Social media is changing the way we talk about products.  For example, if you liked Tabasco sauce five years ago, you wouldn't pick up a phone and call your friend to tell them you like Tabasco sauce.  Today however, you would click the like button and share that on social media.  If you wouldn't do that, millions of others would and they do every single day.

     With your customers, you want to keep them as happy as you can.  This sounds simple and straightforward but it’s not.  You just can’t be there 24/7 to monitor your employees to make sure they are treating your customers the same way you would.  Most employees have very little training in this area and it is one of the most overlooked areas in business.  What type of businesses am I talking about?  Restaurants, retail, service shops, cell phone stores, banks, painters, carpet installers, and the list could go on forever. If you have a private label product though, this is for you.  Most of us have poured blood, sweat, and tears into our products and sometimes that doesn’t get conveyed very well by our employees. 

     We live in an ever-changing environment these days.  Meaning, when your customer leaves the store angry they not only won’t come back, but they will jump on social media and try to destroy your reputation.  If your customers have a bad experience they are more than twice as likely to right a bad review than a good review.  That means if your customers love you, they are probably not going to share that experience unless you have really wowed them.  This takes more than your product. This takes smaller global footprint, great charity support, and fabulous experiences on all levels, such as interactive website etc, and this list could go on as well.  However, 88% of all customers say they depend on customer reviews when purchasing a new product or trying a new place.  I bet you didn’t think the numbers were that high!

     Lets do a little consumer math.  I stayed at a hotel in South America a few years back and part of the deal included a complimentary breakfast.  Every morning they would make you a fresh plate of eggs, toast, and fresh fruit.  This came with fresh squeezed juice as well.  I stayed at this particular hotel for almost a month.  The last week I was in the hotel, the breakfast service stopped.  The owner had 3 hotels and became quite busy at another hotel in the city.  This put me in an awkward position.  Now I had to travel out of my comfort zone to get breakfast.  My wife and I would eat at different times putting more strain on when we left the hotel in the morning.  Now, if this was just me then it really wouldn’t be a big deal.  However, I travel down there with several other business people teaching seminars, the next time I went I switched hotels, and so did every one in my party.  This was around 14 people.  That many people staying in a hotel for an extended amount of time really adds up. 

    

     In the end the eggs, toast, fruit, and juice, which cost them about $5.00, ended up costing them around $30,000 in losses.  Why? Over breakfast. Don’t let this happen to you.  This is how something so simple can cost you serious money.  Remember 88% of people check recommendations before they buy.  This means that many more people will not shop or buy your brand if that one person complains. The losses will build exponentially.  These numbers really start to hurt you and your business regardless how great your product is.  

    Remember if you need help pushing your product or increasing your revenues, connect with me on LinkedIn below and I will be happy to come out and assist you.  I promise you, I can assist you in these areas.  Take care, and have a great day!  

 = -($30,000) 

The Power of Color on Product Sales

     I was just in Texas for the last few days and when I was waiting on my flight, I was watching a Ted Talk on colors and the way people see them.  I wanted to share my experience with them and an important aspect of advertising with you, the power of color. I used color psychology when I would sell my products in my retail locations and wanted to share some tricks that really helped me. I didn’t stumble onto the answers overnight. It took careful observation and serious trial and error. In my experience, I found that when using signage, red draws the persons eyes the quickest. Kids and adults alike are drawn to a red display rack or a red sign or object hanging at eye level. I would have my red displays turning from mounting a small actuating motor and hanging it by fishing line. This worked great with the kids and they would stand under it and look up at it. The mother would retrieve them and then take notice of my sale or my product that I would be selling under it or right there on the top of a display and always pick it up. This worked time and time again. I found out many years later while on a trip to Disney that this was one of their tricks as well. I didn’t know it at the time, but felt a little relieved when I saw it working at that high of a level. The ceilings in grocery stores are generally too tall for this type of display to be installed.

      Always avoid the color blue when associating it with food. They say if you want to lose weight, eat off of a blue plate. The only natural food that is blue is a blue berry. Most everything else is void of blue. When you put your food around the color blue it just doesn’t look natural and your instincts will say to stay away. Remember this as it can become quite costly if you try to package your product in blue. Lets talk about my favorite colors black and yellow.
     These colors are extremely interesting. Black and yellow are colors of caution and require you to yield. Think of animals that are black and yellow. Every type of stinging bee you can think of, from honeybees to yellow jackets, bumblebees, and many types of poisonous snakes. Your body is programed to use caution around these colors and if you set up a display that has these colors you will experience your customers moving past it at a slower pace. This is ingrained in us as human beings so try not to think it’s your brilliant packaging doing this. Now that you know this trick, you can use it to your advantage. I would use this color combination close to my exits so that I could slow down my customers from leaving the stores and maybe pick something out on the display as a last second impulse buy. Black and yellow is still the most powerful colors as an attention grabber that is used on products today. Think about how many companies use this color combination today.

      Lets talk briefly about lighting. The color of the lights that you use can greatly effect how your product sells. Most stores use a yellow type bulb and some stores use a more bluish tone. Both work well and the yellow is a warmer home type feeling and the blue is a much brighter cleaner feeling. These different types of lights can have a great impact on how you sell your product. Most companies never think much about this but it has a very important role. I would like to talk about elevation and lighting in a completely different blog post so that I can better explain this phenomenon. I found that if you play with lighting and elevation, you can seriously increase your sales.
     How can we tie all of this together? That is a great question. Are you thinking about selling your products in Whole Foods Markets or Kroger, because these stores use a warm yellow type lighting while Wal-Mart’s and Stop n Shops use a much bluer type light for efficiency. This will come in handy when also deciding where to try and place your product on the shelves. In Most stores the bottom and top of the shelves are open while the middle of the shelf is taken. This part is reserved for the much better selling products that can afford to move tons of product through that store and pay the high rates to be at eye level. If you have not thought about where to place your item on the shelf, you are at a serious disadvantage. Remember, if you have any questions be sure to add them in the comments or send them directly to me.
     If you would like me to fly out to your business to assist you with your product, just get in touch with me either by LinkedIn or just send me a message from one of the links down below. I look forward to speaking with you soon. Take care.