Opportunities Bring Cash   Water Quality Products August 2003   Wendi Hope King
As many of us wonder when the economy will make its massive turn around, others of us feel that maybe this will be as favorable as it gets for a long time. We must make the best of it. To assist you, we offer our Annual Buyer's Guide complete with supplier and product listings, a product/service guide and an index of associations and government entities that may help advance you even further down the road to prosperity.
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Lead Generation   Water Quality Products August 2003   Carl Davidson, Sales & Management Solutions
Having enough leads allows you to attract and keep great salespeople. Nothing increases recruiting results like being able to say, "We provide the leads and appointments." It also increases production. Dealers who provide leads average twice the sales per salesperson as those who do not. The best thing you can do for your company is to lock yourself in a private room for a few hours and plan your marketing plan for the next 12 months. If you decide to do this exercise, here are a few areas you might consider.
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Customer Success Stories Make Companies Shine by Illuminating Business Strengths   Water Quality Products July 2003   Walt Denny
Many companies overlook the fact that they are sitting atop an untapped PR gold mine--their own customer base. Through the use of customer success stories many companies can highlight their business strengths and open the lines of communication with their sales reps and customers.
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Using Test Strips to Make the Sale   Water Quality Products June 2003   John Gary, Industrial Test Systems, Inc.
Water testing doesn't have to be complicated. Test kits are a quick, easy-to-use solution that even customers can perform themselves.
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Corporate Identity   Water Quality Products May 2003   Walt Denny
Every company--both large and small--needs to create a strong corporate identity that synthesizes the right visual elements and words to make a lasting impression and build brand recognition over time. Most importantly, the corporate logo and tagline must be thoughtfully crafted to convey the company's positioning, desired image and central values, while utilizing a very limited amount of space and words
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Direct-Mail Money Makers   Water Quality Products May 2003   G.A. "Andy" Marken
Do not think direct mail is beneath you and the crass discussion of doing mailings profitably is not something you have to worry about. Whether you want to admit it or not, you do mailings--"snail" mail releases, e-mail releases, product catalogs, special promotions, product roll-out editorial/analyst packages, event media announcements/invitations, employee/legislative educational/ informational packages--and management expects you to deliver a return on investment on those mailings.
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Junk or Gems?   Water Quality Products April 2003   Brad Linden, Xpedite
Marketers and sales professionals need to learn how to make their point quickly and effectively, without alienating their recipients. Following are some quick tips to ensure that your mass e-mail communications will be received well.
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Enhancing Your Leadership Skills   Water Quality Products April 2003   G.A. "Andy" Marken
In these days of consolidation, downsizing and mergers and acquisitions, you need to be viewed as a person whose leadership qualities transcend your present firm and gives you value in the marketplace.
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Effective Internal Communications Ensure Company Vitality   Water Quality Products March 2003   Walt Denny
While an internal PR program is about sustaining a productive dialog with employees using a proven set of communications tools and activities including memos, newsletters and special events, it also requires a great deal of creativity, consistency and follow-through. But the rewards can be enormous.
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Public Relations   Water Quality Products March 2003   G.A. "Andy" Marken
Public relations people should take their job seriously but not take themselves seriously. The job comes first. It starts with the basics. If these are carried out in a professional manner the marketplace will do the positioning for you.
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Tradeshow Advertising for Exhibitors   Water Quality Products February 2003   G.A. "Andy" Marken
An August cover story in BusinessWeek points out that people who starve their brands now will be paying for it in the future. At the same time both allbusiness.com and about.com, two business information sites, point out that going to a trade show without preshow promotion is a waste of time ... and money.
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If Times Are Good ... Promote; If Times Are Bad ... Promote Harder   Water Quality Products January 2003   G.A. "Andy" Marken
Today, there is a volume of data which indicates that during recessions or other "difficult" times, the firms that trim their advertising budgets suffer--and suffer hardest.
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Launching a New Product   Water Quality Products December 2002   Walt Denny
Bottled water is second only to soft drinks in volume sold. In a market that appears saturated with so many bottled water brands all promising similar benefits, how do companies keep making a splash with new products? It isn't rocket science, but how and when you launch a new product is key. It's one of the most effective ways of capturing the media's Attention--and if done right, it can be a company's ticket to success.
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Bottled Water Partnerships Are Abundant   Water Quality Products December 2002
Opportunities are everywhere for bottled water companies keeping an eye open. Although many large beverage companies are getting the "big" deals, smaller and mid-size companies should take note. Smaller companies can learn lessons from these beverage giants and find opportunity where others may not see it.
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CEO Still Determines Communications   Water Quality Products September 2002   G.A. "Andy" Marken
Public relations and communications practitioners can't supplant the CEO's fundamental ethical standards. But they will have to assume added responsibility of building and managing the company's and management's credibility and reputation by ensuring clear communications internally as well as externally to customers, partners and shareholders.
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Direct Mail Delivers   Water Quality Products September 2002   Walt Denny
Dollar for dollar, few advertising methods deliver as effectively as direct mail. With a direct mail campaign, you enjoy targetability, creativity and measurability--all at optimal cost.
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Keeping It On Track   Water Quality Products July 2002   Walt Denny, Walt Denny, Inc.
What has become all too apparent in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is that a crisis management plan is integral to survival, regardless of company size or type. A plan should concisely outline corporate procedures for taking control of a wide range of potential crises.
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Advertising Boosts the Visibility, Appeal and Profit Potential of Companies, Products and Services   Water Quality Products May 2002   Walt Denny, Walt Denny, Inc.

For better or worse, advertising is an integral part of global cultures. You can find it everywhere—in print and broadcast media, airport terminals and city buses, sporting events, clothing and every aisle of every retail store. It also is becoming ubiquitous on the Internet, with advertisers scrambling to secure real-estate for banner ads on popular websites. Regardless of where you find it, advertising is a provocative medium with the power to make a product, service or company highly visible and appealing to consumers and businesses in today’s competitive commercial landscape.
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Promoting Your Company Through Local Media and the Community   Water Quality Products April 2002   Wendi Hope King, WQP Staff
Advertising in national publications and television stations is the standard route taken by businesses, even small ones. Promotions and advertising are key to any good business. However, it is small businesses that reach out directly to their communities that gain marketshare and a solid customer base.
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The Need For Marketing   Water Quality Products March 2002    Walt Denny
Starting and running a business without a marketing plan can be like trying to fly an airplane without radar—you might know what your destination is, but you haven’t a “road map” to get you there. Every company, whether it is established or still in the idea phase, needs a marketing plan that serves as an integral part of its overall business plan for company operations. A good marketing plan supports a company’s broader business goals by formulating a sound marketing strategy and an action plan (i.e., specific marketing activities such as web promotions, direct mail, etc.) that can carve a direct path to bolstered product sales, market share and long-term profitability and success.

Wasted Time, Money and Energy   Water Quality Products February 2002   G.A. “Andy” Marken, Marken Communications, Inc.
It’s too bad that so many water management and manufacturing firms waste so much money on public relations (PR) activities that have little or no impact on the press or, more importantly, on their prospective customers.
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Creating a Positive Image   Water Quality Products January 2002   Walt Denny, Walt Denny, Inc.
Whether you?re marketing commodity products or highly specialized services, your success rides heavily on your ability to project the right company image?to create and sustain a positive "buzz" among consumers and business and trade press about who you are and what you have to offer. A strong PR program can provide the visibility and credibility needed to put you on the radar screens of the right people, while instilling a sense of confidence and goodwill in their minds about your company, products and services.
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Thinking Outside the Box   Water Quality Products December 2001   Carl Davidson
This article is a salute to those who think outside the box and an invitation to us all to try the unusual and unique to see if it helps us differentiate our company in the marketplace.
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Can Technology Help You Sell More?   Water Quality Products October 2001   Carl Davidson
Many of us went into sales because we were good with people and bad with paper work. As a result, many of us have shied away from changing technology during the last few decades.
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Facts Get in the Way of Winning Customers, Marketshare   Water Quality Products September 2001   G.A. "Andy" Marken, Marken Communications, Inc.
Despite leading market research firms that show solid marketing has a cumulative effect, management often views the marketing budget as an expense rather than an investment. It?s time for managers to nail down marketing plans.
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Free! Water Test   Water Quality Products September 2001   Carl Davidson, Sales & Management Solutions
If you don?t believe in testing water, you?ll never make what you should be making in our industry. Despite this fact, many salespeople feel, deep down inside, that it?s just a gimmick to sell our product ... that asking to do the test is just a come on.
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Packing and Positioning   Water Quality Products June 2001   Carl Davidson
There are two pillars to success in our industry that some salespeople overlook. They make a big difference to sales and profits and deserve some study. They are what separates the big earners from the not-so-big earners.
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Duty Calls For Local Awareness   Water Quality Products May 2001   Wendi Hope King
Editorial: May 6—12 is National Drinking Water Week (NDWW). It is our duty and opportunity as water professionals to make this week work for us by incorporating local companies, expertise and even the Water Quality Association (WQA) into NDWW.
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Top 12 Things We All Do That Kill the Close   Water Quality Products April 2001   Carl Davidson
Sometimes we are so close to the sale we can taste it until we do something that kills it in its tracks. To prevent us all from doing this, here are the top 12 things we all do sometimes to kill the sale.
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POU/POE Forecast   Water Quality Products March 2001   Dan Noble, Resource Trends, Inc.
My belief is that distributed water treatment is a trend, that is, only if a few other factors converge.
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I've Never Met a Rich Sharecropper   Water Quality Products March 2001   Carl Davidson
Sharecroppers are poor tenant farmers. They farm the land for the owner in exchange for a share of or percentage of the crops they produce for the owner. They do what they are told and have no land to farm themselves.
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We Ought to Be Committed   Water Quality Products February 2001   Carl Davidson
We ought to be committed. No, that isn’t a comment on our mental stability but rather a comment addressing the fact that we ought to be totally committed to success if we intend to achieve it.
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Web Page Design   Water Quality Products February 2001   Arthur von Wiesenberger, The Bottled Water Web
With the right website, you, too, can join the exploding world of e-commerce, building a powerful Web presence and communicating effectively with consumers.

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?   Water Quality Products January 2001   Carl Davidson
As the beginning of a new year rolls around, I think "Who wants to be a millionaire?" is an appropriate question to ask.
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But How Much Is It?   Water Quality Products January 2001   Carl Davidson
Could we get more of those people to allow us into their home for a demonstration? Here are a few tips from veterans of the phone wars.
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1st Choice   Water Quality Products December 2000   G.A. Marken
Press releases are an important means of communication with a firm's many publics doesn't get the care and attention it deserves. In addition, poor, incomplete news releases and publicity practices insult a good editor's intelligence as well as do the firm more harm than good.

Oh Yeah? Well, I Quit!   Water Quality Products December 2000   Carl Davidson
I was giving a seminar last week when one of the managers attending said, "You can’t tell people to work hard in this job market or they just quit." The other managers agreed.

Who Are You Most Like?   Water Quality Products November 2000   Carl Davidson
We have observed that great salespeople spend a lot of time examining their attitudes and habits and selling themselves everyday on the ones that lead to success. Success requires recharging and selling yourself everyday. Look at the chart and see which column best describes you.

The Drink of Choice   Water Quality Products October 2000   Wendi Hope King
With the industry seizing great opportunities, is there any doubt that bottled water won’t continue to be a huge business in upcoming years?

Promoting Company Image   Water Quality Products October 2000   Chantal Liu
With an ever increasingly competitive market, many water treatment industry suppliers and dealers are investing more into promoting their names and seeking the trust of the community and customers. What are some of the ways companies are doing this today?

The One Sales Secret I Hate to Reveal   Water Quality Products October 2000   Carl Davidson
As someone who makes a living teaching people to sell, there is one sales secret I hate to reveal.

Cooking at the Boiling Point   Water Quality Products September 2000   Carl Davidson
If you go for the close before or after the boiling point, you are much less likely to get a sale.

Dreaming the Dream, Selling the Show   Water Quality Products July 2000   Carl Davidson
Last month, we discussed feeling customers' pain, which builds desire for change, but change to what? This month, we will discuss dreaming the dream, making the customer visualize enjoying the benefits of your products and services.

How Much Is a Salesperson Worth?   Water Quality Products June 2000   Carl Davidson
Many companies want to have great salespeople but have trouble attracting and keeping them. How you value, attract and maintain your sales team is a harbinger of the health of your company.

Feeling Their Pain   Water Quality Products May 2000   Carl Davidson
Marketing tests have shown that people will do more to avoid pain than to achieve pleasure. Pain and fear of loss are powerful motivators, and they can be used to make the sale.

Road Map to the Sale   Water Quality Products April 2000   Carl Davidson
A top salesperson suggested trying a "road map" to close the sale by telling the customer what is going to happen at every stage and then lead them to the sale.

Reverses Make the Sale   Water Quality Products March 2000   Carl Davidson
List are some techniques that will help you develop solid plans for turning "No" into a sale.

Using Optimism to Make the Sale   Water Quality Products February 2000   Carl Davidson
Can optimism help you make an extra $10,000 to $20,000 a year? It can if professional optimism is practiced in all sales situations.

What Customer Service Means for You   Water Quality Products January 2000   Carl Davidson
Many of us talk about how we make customers our number-one priority. But surprisingly, this area is sometimes cast aside, lacking the necessary effort or without solid direction.

Marketing in the New Millennium   Water Quality Products January 2000   Ned Jones
How will we market our products in the future? Will it be via the Internet with the click of a mouse? Will magazines, televisions, radios and other media continue to dominate our marketing means?

Justifying the Value of an RO   Water Quality Products November 1999   Carl Davidson
There are solutions that work when a customer says "no" such as justifying the value and showing the customer he’ll be dollars ahead. What follows is a list of questions for the customer and then various scenerios that will refer you back to them.

An Interesting Twist on Sales Compensation   Water Quality Products October 1999   Carl Davidson
A few weeks ago, a client was interested in changing his company’s remuneration plan. We came up with a pay plan that could give a company important advantages.

Rentals vs. Sales: Who Decides?   Water Quality Products September 1999   Carl Davidson
If you want to get all the sales you can get, there is only one person who can decide if it should be a sales or a rental, and that person is the customer.

More Thoughts on Cashing Objections   Water Quality Products July 1999   Carl Davidson
Previously, we discussed the basics of overcoming objections. The techniques discussed included bypassing the objection, releasing the pressure and asking if there was anything else. If you can get that far, you are ready to actually solve the objection. This article will take a look at some common objections and ways to overcome them.

Yeah, But How Much Does it Cost ?   Water Quality Products May 1999   by Carl Davidson
This article will take a look at some of the thorny issues of price and some coping techniques.

Overseas Travel Tips to Make Your Business Trip Less Worrisome   Water Quality Products April 1999   Eric Aparnieks
International travel tips and ideas for less hassles and complications.

Inexpensive Leads: How & Where to Get Them   Water Quality Products March 1999   Carl Davidson
Ideas on how to generate inexpensive leads from people who have used these methods and succeeded.

Recruiting A Great Sales Team: The Manager's Most Important Function   Water Quality Products January 1999
Nothing makes more of a difference to a water equipment company's bottom line than the number and quality of the sales team.

Marketing to New Industries   Water Quality Products July 1998   Carl Davidson
Any company that uses water as part of their process can usually benefit from using purified water.

Instrumentation Manufacturer Applies Medical Know-How to Water Testing   Water Quality Products July 1998   Christopher Weed

Should You Provide the Leads for Your Sales Team?   Water Quality Products June 1998   Carl Davidson
Almost everyone in the industry asks themselves, at some time, whether they should provide leads or have their sales people find the prospects.

Achieving the Extraordinary in an Ordinary World   Water Quality Products December 1997   Danny Cox
Employees improve right after the manager gets his/her act together and becomes productive him/herself.

What Drives Your Company ?   Water Quality Products August 1997   by Mike Henning
Oftentimes business transition occurs simultaneously with individual transitions, and relationships are often strained during these periods in one's life. Armed with this information, what may seem like a unique situation to you, actually may be common among privately-owned businesses.

How to Win the Value Revolution   Water Quality Products February 1996   Robert Tucker
A seismic shakeup--a revolution--is altering the relationship between buyers and sellers. Many firms assume they must lower prices or perish. But do they?