Only 1 in 2 people check their junk mail folder.

Scary news this... I was reading yesterday a recent report that shows only 51% of people check the junk mail folder in their email program. And that is only "once in a while". The rest either rarely or never check!

This is scary because the same report quotes 71% of people using some sort of email filters.

From a marketing perspective this highlights the importance of being "accepted" by your recipients email program. This is a major issue for service business who are using an email newsletter - or any regular email communication - as part of their marketing schedule.

There are a few things you can do to minimise the likelihood of your messages ending up in the email junk folder black hole.

1. Ask, and ask again, for recipients to place your "From" address into their address book, whitelist, or safe senders list.
2. Prompt recipients to actually unsubscribe if they no longer want to be on your list. This is because many people simply hit the "this is spam" button in their email program to send unwanted emails to the junk bin.
3. Make sure you are using good practises when composing your emails. Like not having too much HTML vs text in your message code.
4. Use a reputable ESP (email service provider) that monitors their users and has the respect of major ISP's. This will help your message get through to your recipients.

Looking after your sales team is smart business

Recently I was engaged in a discussion with a business executive about a familiar topic - the performance of their sales team. Even if your sales team is only one person, it makes very good business sense to look after them. And look out for them.

Let me explain.

Your sales people are often out on their own. Trying to secure customers and revenue for your business. But they don't always get the support they need.

• - They can miss out on current information.
• - They can be kept in the dark on new projects that are released to customers and the public.
• - They can be unsure of how they are being measured (what are their key KPI's?).
• - They can feel as though their customer relationships are being undermined by other communications from the office.

Most of these problems can be effectively addressed by improving communication. But it requires commitment from management to do so.

'Looking out' for your sales people means being aware of what they are doing in the field.

• - How well do they represent your services and products?
• - Do they talk about 'benefits' for the customer, or do they get bogged down in the technical details (i.e. the features of your service or product)?
• - Do they fully and enthusiastically support company initiatives?

As a manager or business owner - in a Sales Management capacity - you must be on the lookout for behaviours or skill-sets that need improving. Your sales team spends a great deal of their time away from your office, or in 'private' conversations with clients. Make sure you regularly assess how well they are doing.

Remember, your sales team needs your support and direction to produce the best results. It can be dangerous for them and for your business to leave them on their own to 'get on with it'.

No-one wants you to call them

Last week I reported the launch of Australia's 'Do Not Call' register. Wow! Has it been a success. More than 530,000 people have pre-registered for the list and as many as 400 people a minute were signing up during peak times. And I was one of them!

Just goes to show that consumers want to protect themselves from pesky telemarketing calls that infringe upon their personal time. And it also shows that those telemarketing calls have created an unsavoury image - as people never want the calls.

When you are planning your marketing tactics make sure you aren't using stale tactics that turn people off - like boring mass telemarketing phone calls.

'Conversational' sales skills Sydney May 29 + 30

This is an announcement about my upcoming sales training program in Sydney on May 29 and 30. Over 2 days at Selling With Confidence you will learn how to manage your sales encounters so you get a productive outcome every time. You will learn the essential skills to build trust and gain commitment from clients - without being pushy, insincere, or manipulative.

This proven interactive program has been designed for service professionals, business owners, consultants, advisors, or anyone selling a complex product or service.

Bookings are already strong so if you are interested in gaining life-long communication and sales skills do not delay in registering for this course.

Find all the details on the Marketing Nous website.

'Do Not Call' Register Launched in Australia - know what it means for you!

Australians can now add their name to a national Do Not Call list to prevent telemarketers calling. The website is www.DoNotCall.gov.au and is now open to receive registrations.

However, don't think that by being listed in this Register everyone will stop calling you at dinner time. There are exceptions for organisations such as registered charities, market reserachers, and political groups.

And you may still be contacted by businesses you have dealt with before. Especially if they can reasonably infer from previous business or the relationship that you have consented to the call - such as if you are an account holder at a bank.

The important aspect for marketers, and companies calling households is that your list must be checked against this register before you make the calls.

The legislation does not apply to business phone numbers.

Dangers in where you host your website.

For a long time now I've been advising clients to make sure their website is hosted within the same country where their target audience is. Does this sound a bit irrelevant? Or too detailed to worry about? Not any more. A recent article on the Clickz network supports my recommendations.

The article explains in a bit of technical detail that search engines (especially Google, the leading search engine) filter websites appearing in search results based on two main factors:

• Which country they are hosted in;
• What top-level domain name they use - especially a country-level URL, such as .com.au, or .co.uk

For example, the search engine assumes a website hosted in the USA with a .com domain name, is meant for an American audience.

So... if you have an Australian business (with a focus on Australian customers), are using a .com website name, and have your website hosted at a relatively 'cheap' hosting facility in the USA... you will find it very hard to get your website showing in Australian search results for your key search terms.

For the reasons mentioned above the search engine often wont recognise your website as being Australian, or most relevant for the Australian market.

If you are serious about increasing the ranking of your site within search results pages this is a critical criteria to manage.

I've used this same strategy in reverse to create a website for the American market, using a .com domain name, and hosted at an American provider. The results... nearly all subscribers to that website are from the USA - the target audience.