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The Cyber Future

If you’re at any number of public places in Pennsylvania during the school year, perhaps you’ll witness what Joe Lyons describes as “The Sea of Orange” – dozens or even hundreds of school children clad in orange shirts imprinted with a white bell. You might guess it’s a field trip, but it’s not the school you’d expect. The kids, after all, attend virtual school. “We’re very dedicated to the social development of our students. It’s part of our mission,” explains Lyons, executive director of communications for the Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School (PAVCS).

The sea of orange reveals just one major way the face of education is changing.  Online K-12 learning is a $300 million market representing over 1 million students and growing, at an annual rate of about 30%. The PAVCS alone enrolls 3,800 and holds events across the state, including a “Discovery Days” event that functions both as a year-end celebration and the school’s open house/enrollment kick-off. During those events, the school hands out a variety of logoed merchandise, including imprinted apparel, journals and visors. In addition, the school advertises in print, radio, television and Internet media.

“Charter-school laws in Pennsylvania require that you install open enrollment,” says Lyons, “which means that you have to be open to everyone. The way they ensure that is that we are all required to do marketing.”

Virtual charter schools may represent the wave of the future, but it’s quickly becoming the reality of the present. Students across the country and world now enroll full-time or can supplement their normal classes by taking additional ones online.

For Mike Connor, president of school consultancy Connor Associates Strategic Services, online learning has arrived. “In terms of mastering educational content, it’s going to be more cheaply delivered and delivered toward the way a kid learns through online learning,” he says. “I think that’s going to change the whole ball game.”

Technology Strikes

Schools were always believed to be beyond the effect of recessions, and colleges flourished in the past decade, increasing enrollment of 18- to 24-year-olds in the U.S. by 4% from 2000 to 2008. But both public and private schools have begun to flinch. “Education used to be recession-proof, at least until the last economic downtown,” says Fritz McDonald, vice president of creative strategy for Stamats Inc., a leading higher-education marketing firm. “But in this particular recession, endowments took a huge hit, and obviously state budgets have taken a huge hit, and those two events are having a huge impact on the college and university world.”

One study by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (an association of private colleges) "predicts that by 2025, half of all the private colleges or universities in this country are going to have to close, merge or change their missions if they're going to survive,” says Mike Connor, president of Connor Associates Strategic Services, a school marketing and planning consultancy. “That's a pretty sobering fact because we're only 15 years out from that."

As a result, schools must visibly change the ways they market themselves. McDonald points out that colleges have become conservative with their marketing plans, yet they’re adopting social media at a faster rate than Fortune 500 companies. “They’ve been in the old recruiting model for a long time, and what they’re going through is a kind of sea change because of digital technology,” he says. “They’re confronting the fact that, for example, the Web is becoming the hub of their marketing and recruiting.”

Yet, it’s still proven that promotional products have a lower cost-per-impression than even prime-time television, with just 0.5 cents per impression as compared to TV’s 1.8 cents. When social media is paired with promotional products as a marketing strategy, several audiences can be conquered at once.

Connor sees value as becoming even more important for schools to justify, starting with what he terms “internal marketing” (word of mouth among a school’s current students and parents) and coinciding with regarding the entire school as a marketing organization. “They just can't claim it,” he says about schools’ demonstrating their value. “They can't just say, 'We're the best.' They got to be able to prove it."

The task for schools is going to be incredibly difficult as they grapple with what exactly constitutes a 21st-century curriculum. The standard brick-and-mortar school is no longer the only game in town. Home schooling is increasing by 15% per year. Charter schools now enroll over 1.5 million students in more than 5,000 schools. Independent study, online education, specialty schools and more all threaten the current order of education. “Education is going to be available anywhere, and from a variety of different sources,” proclaims Connor.

Learning to Grow

Even in the big-time world of college athletics, the new Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center made a monumental splash. With a price tag of $19 million, the Syracuse University practice center garnered national attention – not only for its fancy accoutrements, but for the $3 million individual donation that came from the school’s national-championship-winning alumnus and the facility’s namesake.

The dedication for the building was packed, featuring the men’s and women’s coaches, current players, Anthony himself and 250 donors and invited guests. To commemorate the event, which took place in September 2009, Syracuse put out a call to several promotional product distributors to solicit ideas. Creativity ultimately won the day when one distributor presented his idea: a navy mug with a picture of the building and the university’s trademark “S” logo. The kicker: special ink that caused the image to change when the mug is filled with liquid.

The Melo Center dedication showcases all the best qualities of a successful promotion in the education marketplace. The never-ending slate of events. The multitude of departments and student groups. The constant emphasis on marketing and recruitment. And lastly, a reward for strategies that go beyond just the cheapest price.

A business study conducted in fall 2009 found that nearly half of educational institutions expected to spend more on marketing in the second half of 2009 than the previous year. (The next-closest industry was only 27%). Nearly two-thirds (64%) of schools increased or maintained their promotional product spending in 2009. And out of all the industries surveyed, the education market had the highest number of respondents who believed promotional products deliver a positive return on investment.

Promotional marketing in the education sector is typically steady, because the market is believed to be a recession-proof one. “I don’t think it’s as adversely tuned into the peaks and valleys of the economy,” says one promotional products distributor. “I think it is more stable. Yes, during down times they may have fewer students. But they don’t eliminate departments, and their budgets may be reduced, but they’re not eliminated.”     

Not only is the face of school marketing changing in the digital revolution, but the very idea of what constitutes a school is being radically transformed. The result is great challenges for those who fall behind the curve – and tremendous opportunity for those who can forecast the future of education.

Schools’ schedules are jam-packed with events. “There’s always something on a college campus that they want to commemorate,” says an account executive for an ad specialties company that works with schools like Texas Tech, Loyola-New Orleans, Auburn and many more.

A huge variety of items cater to educational institutions, thanks to the number of people involved and the wide range of individual preferences. When it comes to alumni groups and administrators, “They’re very concerned about how their logo looks, and they’re looking for classics,” says a rep for a custom-apparel company. “They’re looking for mugs, stainless-steel thermoses, things they know will last five or 10 years and alumni will look at and say, ‘Yeah, that’s something I want.’ ”

In comparison, the rep adds, “The students are looking for what’s hot now.” In translation, that means fashion that’s in tune with the times and tech toys that appeal to students’ electronic interests.

Stanley Launches Apparel Line

Consumers can now proudly swear fealty with more than just the brand’s drinkware.

The Stanley Quencher gained unprecedented consumer loyalty throughout the past year, solidifying its status as the top-selling drinking vessel in the market.

Now, the company has launched an apparel line.

On offer for Stanley fans who want to “Wear the Bear” (the tagline for the collection, in a nod to the brand’s logo) are basics like T-shirts, caps, hoodies, sweatshirts and socks.

This crewneck sweatshirt features two embroidered Quencher tumblers on the left chest. Colors include black, rose quartz, cream and even Stanley green – in homage to the Hammertone green that Stanley, a brand that’s more than 100 years old, made popular with its classic vacuum bottle for many decades.

The Classic Patch corduroy cap in ginger has an embroidered patch.

Stanley also has T-shirt options for kids, with screen-printing in bright, eye-catching colors.

The Kids Roar Tee in cream has a playful imprint.

Stanley isn’t the first retail drinkware line to expand into clothing. Competitor YETI also has an apparel line with T-shirts, caps and beanies.

In recent weeks, shoppers stormed Target locations to snag a special-edition “Galentine’s Day” Stanley Quencher. Stanley also responded to consumer concerns about lead in the vessels, saying they’re “making progress on innovative, alternative materials for use in the sealing process.” Vacuum-insulated tumblers like the Quencher are often constructed with a small lead pellet in the bottom to seal the insulation. It’s encased in glass and therefore inaccessible by users unless the drinkware is badly damaged.

8 Ways To Deal With Rejection in Sales

Hearing “no” comes with the territory, but it doesn’t have to impact success. Check out these eight ways to contend with rejection constructively and move more sales to the close.

Rejection is never easy – particularly in sales, where a person’s response is directly tied to your livelihood. It can be tempting to let “no” poke holes in your confidence, which can lead to call reluctance. However, preparation and persistence are often rewarded. According to data collated by Peak Sales Recruiting, more than 40% of sales reps give up on a lead after one follow-up call, but six in 10 customers will say “no” four times before saying “yes.”

So, when rejection threatens to throw you off your game, remember these eight tips:

1. Expect rejection.

Being told “no thanks” is part of being a sales rep. Expecting it will mean you’re less surprised and caught off guard when you do hear it, and you’ll be less likely to take it personally. A “no” also gives you an opportunity to create responses to common objections. If that doesn’t work, practice picking yourself up, dusting yourself off and moving on to the next call.

2. Know your strengths.

Do you offer unparalleled customer service? Soup-to-nuts creative services? Always-met deadlines? Remind yourself consistently of the value you offer and the things that define you in an environment of uncertainty, which will help you psychologically withstand rejection.

3. Shift your mindset.

Look at every call or email as a learning opportunity: Track what works and what doesn’t, and make tweaks as you go. After each conversation, whether you get a “yes,” “no” or “maybe,” ask yourself what skills you used on the call and adjustments you could make.

4. Review your strategy.

If you’re hearing more “nos” than normal, analyze your strategy. Are you calling on the right people? Could the time of day be impacting their response? Are you communicating clearly what you offer and how it can help them? Take a good look at your process, and also ask for honest feedback from current clients, colleagues and your manager.

60%: The percentage of customers who say “no” at least four times before saying “yes”. (Peak Sales Recruiting)



5. Be persistent.

A lead or prospect may have said “no” last quarter, but try calling on them again. Data shows that it takes several “nos” before a “yes.” Maybe in the past three months, their circumstances have changed. You won’t know if you don’t ask, and they may have more of a listening ear the second time around.

6. Measure progress.

Track your “yeses,” “nos” and “maybes” – you might be hearing fewer straight-up rejections than you think. Monitoring responses will also help you gauge how tweaks to your strategy are impacting your success.

7. Listen to understand.

If the person you call on says “no,” ask questions to figure out why. It’s most likely a concern in one of four areas: time, money, authority or effort. See if you can find out where their concern lies, then fall back on the value you offer to counter that objection. A hard “no” could potentially turn into, “I’d like to know more.”

8. Shadow other sales reps.

Ask successful colleagues if you can sit in on their sales calls. Take note of the words they use, the questions they ask, their tone and how they respond to objections. Even if you’re a veteran, it’s a good idea to take some time for a fresh look on the process and dive into another rep’s strategy to find what works.

Your Path to Increased Profit: Take Care of Yourself First

Business owners who underpay themselves year after year are costing themselves in the long run.

Lots of business owners underpay or altogether forgo paying themselves in the interest of “investing” in their business and its needs. In the initial stages of a start-up or in tough times, one might have to make sacrifices, but doing so year after year points to a much bigger problem. To promote profitability, it may seem to make sense to habitually pay yourself less. In the long run, however, it will cost you and your business more than you might anticipate.

As the business takes off, it’s essential to start taking a decent salary for yourself and your partners. Whatever you pay yourself, it should be enough for you to live comfortably and allow you to save and invest for your future. Let the power of compounding work for you. If you own the building, make sure to charge the business a fair rent. You aren’t doing anybody any favors by hiding the actual expenses and giving yourself a false sense of profitability.

One of my consulting clients, let’s call him Steve, was in his 15th year in business but was paying himself barely enough to meet his household expenses. His wife also worked in his business. They hardly took any vacations or saved for their kids’ education or their own retirement. After I had a few meetings with him, he finally understood and realized the importance of taking care of themselves first. He gave his wife and himself a decent raise. They went on a family vacation that they thoroughly enjoyed, and came back rejuvenated with a new vigor. The following year, their business experienced a 10% growth in revenues and a 5% growth in profits.

Steve realized that he hadn’t performed at his best for several years. With the excessive number of hours he was putting into his business and the small return he was getting, he had lost the needed energy and motivation to think creatively and focus on profits. With the rotten mood he brough home at the end of the work day, his relationship with his family had also taken a hit. As a result of increased compensation, things were looking up. Not only could he pay for his immediate needs, but he could also sock away enough and invest for a comfortable life in his golden years.

How much should you pay? This question comes up all the time, and there is no one formula that fits all. It depends on variables such as type of business, legal structure, profitability percentage, tax bracket and others. Some possible solutions are:

  1. At least the pay needed to hire a manager to replace you in case you can’t work anymore
  2. Anywhere from 3% to 6% of your revenue
  3. A certain percentage of profits, leaving enough for reinvestment into the business, ensuring its continuous growth
  4. Enough to cover your necessary expenses plus maintain a rainy-day fund, among others

Family business dynamics. I have seen situations where the father, who has owned the business for years, hires children to management roles and pays them more than his own salary in order to “keep them motivated.” I find two issues with this situation. One, the children must earn their way up to management by proving their worth. Two, paying more than your own salary sends the wrong message of you being of less worth – it undermines your credibility as the leader.

Greed can kill the business. I have also seen the opposite happen. I knew an owner of a printing business who treated it as her ATM machine. She kept taking money out of her business to splurge on her luxurious lifestyle, including building a second house and taking multiple vacations a year. The number of employees went from seven to two. Sales kept shrinking. She lost most of her customers. The only reason she’s still in business is because of a contractual agreement with one large client.

You’re the one taking all the financial risks, having sleepless nights and making sacrifices; there’s nothing wrong with reaping the rewards. If you have managed your business with a focus on profits, you should not have to worry about finances after your exit – which, by the way, you get to decide, not your age, personal situation or circumstances.

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