The Wonderful World of Analytics

Synergy Vx gives you personalized data from each prospect allowing you to custom tailor their experience to your business.

Find Your Best Markets!
See where your campaign is having success and where it is not
saving you resources, so you can concentrate on your "Hot Spots". 

Pick up new leads!
People will be able to share your offer with their friends through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. 

Watch in real time!
As people navigate through your site. You'll get their inquiry instantly, so you can respond quickly and knowledgably. 

Get higher conversion rate and increased ROI! 



An understanding of how your customers and prospects respond to your marketing is critical to improving your business. At Synergy Direct Response, we offer a wide range of data services to help you get the most out of your direct marketing campaign. To track your direct marketing campaign we offer Vx software.

With Synergy Vx you track your campaign in real time and get feedback direct from your prospects! Once your prospects fill out your offer, Vx organizes it into one neat package for you! 

People will appreciate your fast turn around time and well-informed sales team and you'll see the results in your conversion rates!

Design your campaign around specific qualifiers for your business as well! Add rules so that you send timely reminders or a personalized note for a geographical region or specific salesperson.

Vx also lets you track who landed on the PURL, but did not complete your offer. This way you can send them a follow up reminding them of your opporunity and remain engaged with your prospects.

 

Vx analytics gives you all the information you need, from the source of the lead to conversion rates and everything in between. All neatly organized and in terms you don't need to be a data expert to understand.

With Vx you can track anything and get the information and results you are looking for from your marketing campaign!

By: Will Pearlman

Back to School Means
Back to Business!

As the days begin to get shorter again and with the school year right around the corner, it's time to get back to the regular flow of business. As people return from the various summer activities re-energized, what are you doing to capture that energy to help your business grow? 

Here are a few tips from Synergy to help your business blossom as we head into the autumn months . . . 

1. Focus on 1 Product, Offer, or Service - Whatever your marketing and whatever your strategy, don't confuse your customers and prospects by sending them multiple promotional opportunities. 

Focus your campaign on one product or service
to avoid creating a nebulous haze for your prospects.

Your advertising is merely getting the conversation going, then when they contact your business, either online, via phone, or in-person, they will be exposed to your wide range of products. But keep it simple in your advertising otherwise you will lose their attention and lose a customer.

2. Track Your Campaign - With programs like Vx from Synergy, and countless other tools available, its easy to track your marketing campaign and gather information about your prospects, so make sure you do it. The more you know about your marketing the more successful you'll be, so don't be lazy about it, it'll pay off for you in the end!

You'll save money by only sending your advertising to people its relevant to and you'll get a high response rate because you can make a more specific appeal. 

3. Target Your Campaign - The old saying goes, "when your marketing to everyone, you market to no one." No campaign can appeal to every person, so find the niche that is best for your company and design your marketing around their needs. 

Building Customer Loyalty, The Easy Way!

Your customers and their needs
should always be at the center of
everything you do

What's better than earning someone's business? Why earning someone's loyalty of course! The ultimate sign that your business or product is successful is having lots of repeat business and word of mouth advertising from your customers. So how do you go from wanting it to having it?

Be the Best

Don't just say your the best, actually do it!

The first step is an easy one. Make your product or service the best it can be. Regardless  of price, if people don't like what your selling, it'll be hard to convince them to buy it again. Obviously do this within a workable model, (don't make toothpaste that costs $100 a tube, Duh!) but, whatever you can do to make your product the best do it. Don't cut corners!

Focus on the Customer & Hire Personality

Make it your number one priority to be the leader in customer service and not just when problems arise. Make your mark from the moment a potential customer contacts your business; whether online, over the phone, or in person, ensure they feel valued and express a willingness to met all their requests while creating a positive environment. 

The Old Saying, "Happy Employees, Make Happy Customers"
 or something like that

Be caring and willing to go the extra mile. It might sound  cliche, but we all know MOST businesses do NOT do this anymore. We all experience it everyday. So make your business stands out by setting the standard. With that said, hire your employees carefully. According to Jane Judd, Senior Manager of Customer Loyalty at Zappos.com, "You can train someone to answer calls, but you can’t train someone to be positive and happy. Hire the right people and the rest should fall into place."

Say Thanks

Everyone likes to feel appreciated!

Sending thank you cards is an important part of keeping your customers loyal. Depending on the type of business, a simple thanks for your order email might suffice. For some business, you might want to send a gift bag and a handwritten note. Figure out what is right for your business and also what is financially feasible. 

Create a Customer Loyalty Program

No matter what industry your in, loyalty programs work.
If for no other reason than it makes your customers FEEL valued

People like to feel like a part of something. So make a loyal customer rewards program, these work in many more settings than just your local sandwich shop. Offer your customers 10% off their next order just for being a loyal customer. If your a lawyer, maybe for new cases from old clients, you waive certain fees. Get creative if your in a service industry. In the long run, these little discounts shouldn't hurt your bottom line and they make your customers feel appreciated and part of the "in" crowd. People really do appreciate a simple gesture of gratitude. So give them one, it's easy!

Remember Important Dates

Ok, so your clients won't be as mad
as your wife for forgetting, but it is important
to extend a professional relationship
beyond business meetings

Ok, so its not realistic for most businesses to send every customer or client a birthday card. But the clients who have been with you the longest, or the largest accounts, do just a little more for you. So, make them feel special because, well, they are! The large accounts help you keep your doors open and clients who have been with you for a long time are usually your best recruiters! They obviously like you and your service so they are likely to send their friends your way! Send a holiday car
.d out to as many clients as you can, but remember personal events (birthdays, anniversaries, birth of children, etc . . .) help you stand alone at the top. 

Don't Hide Your Customer Service

Don't hide from customer interaction,
Embrace it in all its forms!

Nowadays, the business world has a generally poor reputation for customer service. On most websites the customer support line is hidden in the corner of a 'contact us' page that you can only get to via small print at the bottom of the site. Sure the sales number is in bold letters, but nothing about help and service. Don't hide your service! Make it a proud selling point. People like to know there is someone they can talk to about their problems who is knowledgable, but with that said, make sure your customer service staff is trained and selected to deliver!

Regardless of your product, service, industry, or business size, creating a loyal customer base is the foundation for the growth of your business, so take these steps to make your customers keep coming back to you!

Interested in more information on Synergy and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here

By: Will Pearlman

Thank Your Customers, and They'll Thank You With Their Business!

Synergy Says: 
July 2012
________________________________________________________

Thank Your Customers, and They'll Thank You With Their Business!

Nowadays, people underestimate the value of a good thank you. Many of us might even be thrown off guard when someone does say thanks. However, no where is expressing appreciation more important than in business.

Saying Thanks is Important,
No Matter How Big or Small!

When someone elects to use your business, it is their way of saying thanks for being exactly what I am looking for. So don't shy away from thanking them in return.

If you accept the general principal that roughly 80% of yours business comes from 20% of your customers, then you know who you should be thanking. The large accounts help you keep your doors open and clients who have been with you for a long time are usually your best recruiters! They obviously like you and your service so they are likely to send their friends your way!

People Remember that You Remembered,
So Try to Remember!

Send a holiday card out to as many clients as you can, but remember that personal events (birthdays, anniversaries, birth of children, etc . . .) help you stand alone at the top. Of course every customer is valuable and deserves to be shown gratitude, but financially, it doesn't make sense to send personalized gifts to everyone. A simple thank you card will suffice for most clients. But, for bigger clients, try to get something they would enjoy; tickets to a sporting event, a gift bag, anything. If your unsure, don't worry, people always like free stuff.  

By expressing your appreciation to your customers, you will remain on their minds and they will continue to expand their business with you and share your company with their friends. Thanking your customers helps increase your word of mouth advertising, and even in todays digital age, word of mouth advertising still cannot be beat. 

Synergy can help you thank your clients with personalized thank you cards and interactive solutions for all your marketing needs! Get a FREE Quote or Call Us Today at 714-824-3780!

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By: Will Pearlman

Niche Branding: Becoming a 'Household Brand' Regardless of Your Industry or Size

You Want to Stand Out Among the Competition!

The strength of your branding will determine the success of your company. Regardless of your industry or market, becoming a household staple should be the goal of your company, even if you are small. Don't think you need to be Tide or Coca-Cola to be a household brand. Just be the brand in everyone's house for your niche! Whether you are a local pizza place or a regional law firm, branding your business will highlight what distinguishes your company above your competitors. In order to brand yourself, you must engage your target demographic across multiple platforms, and become integrated in their daily lives.

What Exactly is "Branding"?

Branding is taking your business from just a general company to having a well-founded reputation -most reputations are created before they are earned in modern business times. For some businesses, this involves creating uniform company logos and fancy product titles, for others it is about a new message. Branding is essentially: becoming an icon in your industry. Now, most people think of "name" brands because they have such a heavy impact on our daily lives. However, there are local and region businesses that have the same impact, as Kleenex and Colgate do on the national level, in their communities. And that is what every small business should strive to be, the 'name' brand for their niche/community!

Habituation: Getting Used to It

People Have a Tough Time Making Decisions,
so When We Find Something  We Are Comfortable With,
 We Stick With It!

As people get used to something (it could be an idea, a product, a climate, etc), they develop a level of comfort via their learned management of expectations for that something. This is called habituation in psychological circles. In advertising circles, some would call this brand loyalty. Once people are comfortable with a product; purchasing it, operating it, and the results it produces, they tend to continue to use it, out of comfort. People are hesitant to stray from a product they are comfortable with for something else, unless the risk is deemed worth it. 

Now obviously people are more willing to take a risk on a new restaurant than they are a new lawyer, but merely establishing a presence as a brand instead of just another business will generate additional comfort and habituate new customers to your business. So now, how do you go from just another business to a brand?

Build a Focused Campaign Across all Channels

Send a Message That Represents Your Business
and How It Meets the Concerns of Your  Potential Customers

Spot your key demographic. (For More Info: Check Out Targeting Your Best Customers to Find Your Best Prospects) Then, design a message for your brand. Find the primary aspect of your company you want to push. This is where advertising becomes difficult for most business owners because they cannot be objective. When you put your life into building a business, you want it to be perceived through your eyes, however that might not be what is best for the business. Think about the best demographic for your business and what is most important TO THEM, then build your campaign around that message. Whatever angle you decide to push, make sure your message is catchy, clear, and concise.

Once you have your niche demographic and what you want to say to them, you need to determine how to spread your message. There is no single miracle in advertising; some things work well, some don't, some work well once and not again, others don't work at first and then work incredibly well. For this reason, in addition to creating a presence and habituating your demographic to your brand (as discussed previously), you must have a multichannel presence. 

A Uniform Message

The various mediums through which you advertise need to send the same brand message. Many businesses make the mistake of trying to say too much about themselves. So they send a mailer about one thing and have a billboard about another. A scattered approach can work mildly to generate some interest in a business. But your looking to be more than a business, your looking to be a brand - an established and widely utilized resource in your market's community. 

Build Your Brand!

Send one strong message about your company and make it interactive and use multiple channels. Use mailers with personalized websites where people can redeem offers, make interactive websites, do anything to familiarize people with your message in various settings and stimulating various senses. Let your message become an indelible trademark of your brand. Once people have built this association, they will habituate to your role in their lives and you will have become integrated in their household, i.e. a household brand. 

Interested in More Information on Synergy Vx and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions.

Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here

By: Will Pearlman

Focus Your Marketing Campaign to Increase Your ROI!

Synergy Says: Focus Your Marketing Campaign

and Increase Your ROI!

Nowadays, everyone from your dentist to your favorite pizza place has a facebook page and markets through some combination of advertising platforms. But, if everyone is talking at you from a different angle, sometimes its hard to sort through the clutter. That is why one cogent advertising campaign executed across multiple channels is the best way to engage your customers!

Almost all businesses advertise across multiple channels. Modern small businesses, who can't afford a tv commercial or high profile campaign, still have a website, send a mailer, place a weekly ad in the paper and have a radio spot. Many people think by diversifying their marketing strategy they are expanding their customer base, but most of the time, they are just shrinking it. Imagine fishing with 10 lines and no bait, you won't catch much, but if you fish with 5 lines and bait the hooks well, you'll fill your boat quickly. Many marketing strategies are like fishing without bait. They are inefficient because they are SAYING the wrong things, even if they are in the right places.  There are many places to advertise, so make sure your saying the right things! Remember, engaging your customers across multiple platforms infuses your product into your potential customer's life on a regular basis. And, regularity leads to familiarity and therefore, comfort with a company, product, or idea. A comprehensive strategy with a clear purpose will do just that. Moreover, by using the same branding message across multiple channels, you can create a more interactive experience for the consumer. At Synergy, we can create a mail campaign for you that includes an interactive website, among other multichannel options, to engage your potential customers! Funnel everything you want to say about your company into one message directed at an appropriate demographic for your business Depending on your style of campaign, you might not have the diversity in customers you were going for originally with a campaign spread across multiple advertising mediums, but your ROI will be greater, and your business will grow more efficiently into additional markets. And after all, isn't growing your business what it is all about? Interested in More Marketing News and Advice? Check Out All the Latest from Synergy at our blog and don't forget to find us on Twitter @SynergyVx!

Let Us Help Your Business Grow,  Give Synergy a Call at 714-824-3780 Follow Us Online! Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here

Every Door Direct Mail

A great new service offered by the United States Postal Service is called Every Door Direct Mail. This service is a great and cost effective way to use direct mail to market your business. Here's the short explanation of how Every Door Direct Mail or EDDM works: Each zip code has a specific postal routes. With EDDM you pick which routes you would like your mail delivered to, and the post office delivers it to every door without exception. And, you can send up to 5,000 pieces a day without purchasing a postal permit. Saving you money!

This service is ideal for small and local businesses who know what neighborhoods to advertise in and probably do not have a large budget for direct marketing campaigns. It is more difficult to target specific customers with this service but it is extremely cost effective. No need to purchase expensive data lists and sort through endless qualifiers. The USPS has made it simple to pick your area and send a mailer. All you need to do is call a print shop, make a mailer, and send it! Here are some ideas for making a mailer.

If your interested in direct mailings, but need help with design, no problem. Synergy can help with that, get a free quote online or call us at 877-466-0635.

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By: Will Pearlman

The Benefits of Interactive Marketing from Synergy

Get Interactive Using a Vx Marketing Campaign From Synergy!   Connect with your customers, gather helpful consumer information, and grow your business, all with Vx from Synergy!    With a Synergy Vx marketing campaign, you can track your results in real time and acquire useful information from your current and potential customers. In addition, your customers have the option to share your offer with their friends online. It's possible you get more responses than you sent out! How Vx Works: First, we send a direct mail campaign for you and personalize it with a URL such as: http://www.yourcompanypromo.com/FirstNameLastName or http://www.synergyvxpromotions.com/JaneDoe to see our non personalized landing page, (for those who aren't directly on your list!) Once the mailers are received, recepients go to the Personalized URL (or PURL) to redeem the offer from your business. When they click the site, they fill out basic information and answer a few questions of your choosing, which are beneficial for your business to learn. Then, they can share your offer online on any or all of their favorite social media sites! It's that easy. Why Vx Works Synergy Vx campaigns have higher response rates and return on investment for several reasons: Personalization - People like to see their name on stuff, especially a website. They are also more likely to view your online offer and redeem it, if they see their name. Interaction - A Vx website is engaging, your offer stays with people longer and appears more attractive when it is stimulating senses. Analytics - Synergy Vx allows you to track the progress of your campaign in Real Time. See how many people land on your site and share your offer; while gathering useful data about each individual visitor! It's Social - People love to share things with their friends. So if they like your offer, chances are they know someone else who will too and share the good news. When they share, your business grows!   Interested in More Information on Synergy Vx and how we can help your business? Give us a call today at 714-824-3780 and speak with one of our friendly, knowledgable Sales Representatives who can answer all your questions. Interested in Reading More from Synergy? Sign Up For Our Newsletter By Clicking Here By: Will Pearlman

Converting Low Activity post Offices

Really Getting to Know Your Customers: Targeting Your Best Customers to Attract Your Best Prospects!

Selling Happiness is Easy
When You Know All The Things
 That Make Your Customers Happy

The oldest idea in advertising is: When your trying to sell something, you aren't selling that product, you are selling the happiness that product engenders. 


For decades, marketers have used the RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis as the standard to determine their most valuable customers. However, many marketers fail to consider RFM in their prospecting campaigns. Sure, you don't have exact figures on specific people, but you do have information on your current clients. The best of which, are undoubtedly similar to the ones you want to attract. What makes the RFM data unique is the lack of speculation - there are no survey opinions or general sales ideologies. RFM data is based on actual transactions. Proof of who buys what, when, and how often. So if you know who your best customers are, find out who they REALLY are!

Go out of your way to learn how your best customers operate
in their daily lives, then you'll understand
how the customers you want to attract live as well

RFM is a great predictor of your customer retention and sales, but it doesn't tell you the key ingredient for bringing in new customers; the reason why these particular people are buying your product. Not YOUR reason for why, but THEIR reason. Even in modern times many marketers still forget to consider consumer psychology in their prospect marketing strategy. This is most surprising since we are ALL consumers everyday. Even if your job is to design advertisements, companies are still advertising to you!

We are all different and unique in subtle ways,
but overall, many of us are pretty similar!

Everyone makes purchases for different reasons. Figure out who your best customers are and why they buy your product. Once you determine who these current customers are, I'd bet you there are more people like them out there and they are either unaware of your product, or simply have not tried it yet. Expand your customer base within a demographic with which you are already having success and your R.O.I will jump with an influx of consistent, high density purchasers. 

Why would you pay $300,000 for this Aston Martin Virage
when many $40,000 cars have almost the same features?
Because driving a Virage isn't about function,
it's about lifestyle!

You know who your best customers are and what they buy. And if you don't, then you are in trouble! To maximize your marketing strategy you need the whole picture. Who are your best customers and what do they do, independent of whatever capacity they use your product or service? The value your customer receives from your product or service is the image you want to create. You must paint your product's valuable contribution to your customer's happiness on the canvass that is their lives. Then, sell your product's role in your current customer's lives to people with similar lifestyles. The more complete your understanding of your best customers, the more likely you are to attract people like them and increase the R.O.I for your advertising campaign.

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By: Will Pearlman

Buying the Right Prospecting Data

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The right data list makes all the difference in prospect marketing. In order to build your client base you need to figure out which clients are the best prospects for your business. So here are a few tips to make sure when you buy consumer data you get the most bang for your buck!

First, Know Your Prospect

Before purchasing any list, make sure you know what you want and why you want it. At Synergy, we can help you determine which potential clients are ideal for your business and budget. Nowadays, data lists can be sorted by countless qualifiers, so understanding to whom you are marketing is critical before you start contacting data companies. You have to know what your looking for since some companies specialize their services for specific industries.


Before you start looking, you need to know who you are looking for!

Consider your potential client's perspective, I.E. What makes your business a perfect fit for their needs - from the prospect's perspective? According to the Aberdeen study on the science of sales intelligence, 42% of companies have insufficient knowledge of the business needs of their prospects. So do the preparatory work before you start looking at data, it'll save you time and money in the long run.

Not All Data Lists Are Equal

Make sure you check out different companies and ask about different options. Find out how the data company generates their list so that you know its the right prospects for your business. Take advantage of the services data companies offer such as sorting and cleaning.

Remember, your not buying a list for one-time use, it's an investment in your company!

Use Multiple Sources

When buying a prospecting list, it should come from multiple data sources. Check with the data company to see where they get their information. Data lists complied from multiple sources tend to be:

• More accurate
• More detailed
• Unique (So your competition can't mail to the same list!)

Keep It Clean

Data lists are like gardens, if you don't tend to them, they will die. Buy a prospect list from a company that automatically updates the list for you on a regular basis. If that is not an option, we can manage your list for you!

According to the United States Postal Service, the quality of a data lists deteriorates by approximately 2% a month, so make regularly updating your list a habit so that you won't waste time and money advertising to a dead end. 

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By: Will Pearlman