Spring Cleaning Your Customer Marketing List

Warm weather means more than just a clean house, it also means spring cleaning for your business. And one item on your checklist should be cleaning your marketing list. 

As important as it is to have a customer marketing list (or prospect list), it is just as critical to

make sure that you have a clean one. This means removing people who do not read, or are no longer interested, in getting your emails or advertisements. You should clean your customer list at least twice a year.




This includes removing 

• Duplicates
• Inactive customers. Take off customers who are no longer active customers. Save that list separately for any future win-backs programs.
• Unsubscribes. Most email marketing providers will automatically remove people who have unsubscribed from your marketing list, however, it’s also important to update any internal databases and/or lists you may have.
  
  

A clean list means

• Fewer (spam) complaints. 
• Better return on your marketing dollar and efforts – many email service providers charge you based on the size of your customer list. 
• Higher engagement. People who get your emails and advertisements actual want to hear from you. 
• Better brand image.

Happy cleaning!

Answering the Need for Short Duration & Dialer Termination

Outbound call centers, specifically those using IVRs, predictive dialers, auto dialers, voice broadcasting, or robocalls require a long distance service provider that not only provides quality and low cost voice service, but without short duration penalties. These types of call centers can average thousands, if not millions, of minutes in traffic each month. Choosing the wrong long distance service provider can cost you THOUSANDS of dollars each month.

If you are a business customer, such as a credit card company, pharmacy or political  organization, that  automates their calls, you require a service provider that can answer the need for short duration and dialer termination.

At TouchTone, we understand that not every customer is created equal. That is why our call center services are customized to fit each individual customer's needs. Choose your platform, carrier, or connect directly to TouchTone's switch. You can count on TouchTone to deliver consistent, quality voice termination for your demanding call center needs.

Call Center/Short Duration Voice Termination
   
• Flat rate or NPA/NXX billing available
• No short duration penalties or surcharges for incomplete calls
• Tier 1/multi-carrier network options  
• High ASR
• High CPS capability
• 6/6 second billing
• No volume commitments 
• POI billing available
• 24/7 in-house NOC support
• International dialer termination
• Toll-free numbers available

Call center rates and more information

History of the @ sign

It was once considered a letter in the English language. The Chinese call it a little mouse, Danes & Swedes call it 'elephant's trunk', Germans a spider monkey, and Italians a snail. Israelis pronounce it 'strudels' and the Czechs say 'rollmops’. What is it? 

The @ sign!

While in the English language, @ is now referred to as the "at sign," other countries have different names for the symbol (commonly associated with either food or animals – see list below for more names for the @ sign).

But by modern standards, the @ symbol is now commonly used and accepted around the world in e-mail transmissions/emails and Twitter handles. But today’s definition of @ wasn’t recognized until 1972, when Ray Tomlinson sent the first electronic message (e-mail) using the @ symbol to denote sending message from one location (computer) to another location (computer) -- user-name@name-of-the-computer.

But before the @ sign became what we know it today, the sign has a long and ambiguous history.

One theory states that medieval monks looking for shortcuts while copying manuscripts changed the Latin word for “toward” (ad) to “a” with the back part of the “d” as a tail to shorten the amount of pen strokes (resulting in the @ sign).

Other linguists will argue that the @ symbol is a more recent development, appearing sometime in the 18th century as a symbol used in commerce to indicate price per unit, signifying “at the rate of.” For example, 10 pigs @ $1.

In 2000, documents were discovered from the 14th century that showed the @ sign to indicate a measure of quantity.

Its true origin is still up for debate. Today, the @ sign has been inducted into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, which said its modern use as an example of “elegance, economy, intellectual transparency, and a sense of the possible future directions that are embedded in the arts of our time.”

William F. Allman (September 2012). The Accidental History of the @ Symbol. Retrieved from
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-accidental-history-of-the-symbol-18054936/#b3Eg3aO0SIi7RXtx.99. 

Meanings Around the World for @

• Afrikaans - In South Africa, it is called aapstert, meaning "moneky's tail"
• The Arabic word for @ is fi, the Arabic translation of atBosnian, Croatian and Serbian - In these countries, it is referred to as the "Crazy I" 
• Cantonese - In Hong Kong it is generally referred to as "the at sign," just as in England and America
• Catalan - In Catalonia, it is called arrova, a unit of weight
• Czech - In the Czech Republic, it is called zavinac, meaning "rollmop," or "pickled herring"
• Danish - It is called alfa-tegn, meaning "alpha-sign" or snabel-a, meaning "elephant's trunk" or grisehale, meaning "pig's tail"
• Dutch - Since English is prominent in the Netherlands, the English "at" is commonly used. However, the Dutch also call it apestaart, meaning monkey's tail," apestaartje, meaning "little monkey's tail" or slingeraap, meaning "swinging monkey"
• French - In France, it is called arobase the name of the symbol. It is also referred to as un a commercial, meaning "business a", a enroule, meaning "coiled a", and sometimes escargot, meaning "snail" or petit escargot, meaning "little snail"
• German - In Germany, it is called Affenschwanz, meaning "monkey's tail" or Klammeraffe, meaning "hanging monkey"
• Greek - In Greece, it is called papaki, meaning "little duck"
• Hebrew - It is shablul or shablool, meaning "snail" or a shtrudl, meaning "strudel"
• Hungarian - In Hungary, it is called a kukac, meaning "worm" or "maggot"
• Italian - In Italy it is called chiocciola, meaning "snail" and a commerciale, meaning "business a"
• Japanese - In Japan, it is called atto maaku, meaning "at mark"
• Mandarin Chinese - In Taiwan it is called xiao lao-shu, meaning "little mouse," lao shu-hao, meaning "mouse sign," at-hao, meaning "at sign" or lao shu-hao, meaning "mouse sign"
• Norwegian - In Norway, it is called either grisehale, meaning "pig's tail" or kro/llalfa, meaning "curly alpha." In academia, the English term "at" is widely used
• Polish - In Poland, it is called malpa, meaning "monkey." It is also called kotek, meaning "little cat" and ucho s'wini, meaning "pig's ear"
• Portuguese - In Portugal it is called arroba, a unit of weight
• Romanian - In Romania, it is called la, a direct translation of English "at"
• Russian - Russians officially call it a kommercheskoe, meaning "commercial a", but it is usually called sobachka, meaning "little dog"
• Spanish -- Like in Portugal, in Spain it is called arroba, a unit of weight
• Swedish - The official term in Sweden is snabel-a, meaning "trunk-a," or "a with an elephant's trunk"
• Thai - There is no official word for it in Thai, but it is often called ai tua yiukyiu, meaning "the wiggling worm-like character" 
• Turkish - In Turkey, most e-mailers call it kulak, meaning "ear"

The History of the @ Sign (June 24, 2010). Retrieved from http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Internet/HistoryofAtSign.asp.

Zig Ziglar: Memorable Quotes to Live By

Attitude Makes a Difference

Your attitude, particularly in business, makes a difference. Life is not perfect and every now and then we all get throw a curve ball or two. How you deal with these situations can make or break the success of your business. Successful business owners do not focus on the negative, but instead channel their energy on what they can do to move their business forward. 

(Photo courtesy of
http://winthecustomer.com/customer-service-attitude)

Having a positive attitude and staying motivated takes patience and practice. The father of motivational speaking, Zig Ziglar said it best, 

“Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on a regular basis.”
 
A World War II veteran, Ziglar became the top sales person in several organizations before going out on his own as a motivational speaker and author. Ziglar wrote over two dozen books and enchanted millions with his lessons in positivity and leading a balanced life. Passing away at 86, Ziglar will be remembered as a man who inspired millions of people to believe in themselves and their dreams.

So the next time you need a little positive push, think of some of these memorable and reassuring Zig Ziglar quotes.

• “If you can dream it, you can achieve it.”
• “Remember that failure is an event, not a person."
• “Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”
• “Attitude, not Aptitude, determines Altitude.”
• “Of course motivation is not permanent. But then, neither is bathing; but it is something you should do on regular basis.”
• “Among the things you can give and still keep are your word, a smile, and a grateful heart.”
• “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”
• “There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.”
•  “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.”
• “A goal properly set is halfway reached.”
• “If you go looking for a friend, you’re going to find they’re scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere."

Increase Sales Without Spending a Lot of Money

One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to increase sales is to keep your current customers happy. Sounds pretty obvious, right? However, as simple as it seems you'd be surprised by just how many companies don’t  execute a retention strategy.  If you haven't already implemented a retention plan or are looking to improve the one you already have, we've included a few simple and effective tactics.

3 Reasons Why to Implement a Retention Strategy Today

• It is 6-7 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer.  (White House Office of Consumer Affairs).
•  A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%. (Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murph).
•  Depending on your industry, reducing your customer defection rate by 5% can increase your profitability by 25-125%. (Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murph)

Simple & Effective Customer Retention Strategies

• Start a VIP Program. VIP programs make people feel special and give them a sense of status. Identify top customers and offer them specialized services, special promotions, incentives, or exclusive access to new products and services. 
• Exceptional Customer Service. Fact: 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service. (RightNow Customer Experience Impact Report). Besides having representatives that are knowledgeable and courteous, it is also important that your customers can reach you when they need to. Advancements in technology offer businesses of any size (big or small) the ability to look bigger and sound more professional overnight. If you don’t already have a business VoIP solution installed in your office/business, it’s time you looked at some of the benefits it can bring – such as cost savings and Fortune 500 calling features such as Virtual Receptionist, Voicemail to Email and Find Me Follow Me (which allows your customers  to reach you anytime, anywhere and from any device).
• Implement customer feedback surveys. Price is not the main reason for customer churn, it is actually due to the overall poor quality of customer service. (Accenture global customer satisfaction report 2008). Surveys can help you find out what your customers’ expectations are, what you are doing well, 
• Start a blog. A blog can be a great place to not only keep your current customers happy, but also attract new ones. Everyday people search the Web for answers – become an expert in your field. Cover topics that your audience would find of value and become the 'go-to-guy' in your industry. 
• Build relationships through social media. These days, people are glued to their computer screens and smartphones. You can use this opportunity to connect with your customers through social media venues like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can post things such as company news and pictures, promotions, tips, and contests.
• Referral programs. Start a program that rewards both your customers as well as their referrals. Show your customers that you not only appreciate their business, but that their referrals make a big difference in your business as well. 

Why SMBs are making the switch to Business VoIP

Many SMBs and home offices are walking away from their traditional phone service (AKA POTS) and embracing VoIP for its functionality and ability support their growing (and demanding) business needs.

Traditional phones systems can be complex and expensive. VoIP technology allows companies to cut costs, make offices and employees more efficient, and simplify IT management. Business VoIP delivers a complete office phone system including voice, dozens of Fortune 500 features, and IP phones for one low price (depending on your needs, many providers offer both an unlimited calling and metered/pay per minute plans).

How Business VoIP Works

Business VoIP is a hosted PBX solution that uses the Internet to transit calls. VoIP technology converts voice into little packets of data so that it can be sent over the Internet using high-speed or fiber connection.

Why Businesses are Choosing to Make the Switch

Saves money!
Saving money does not only mean getting great deals and discounts. It also means making smart business decisions that can save you more (both money and headaches!) in the long run.
 

• Lines and Service Fees - Business VoIP uses the Internet to transmit calls, which is significantly cheaper than standard phone lines (which average $50/per line per month). This doesn’t include any hardware or maintenance fees. With a business VoIP solution you’ll typically pay $24.99 per extension per month for an unlimited calling plan (and as low as $12.99/month for a metered plan), and $34.99 for unlimited calling and rental of an IP phone. 
• Hardware - Voice is provided over an IP backbone ("the cloud"). Since both the service and PBX are fully managed (“hosted”) off-site, companies don't have to install and manage complicated and costly equipment.
• Support and maintenance fees – Since the PBX does not reside at the customer’s location, any upgrades and updates are automatically provided by the service provider in the background so there aren't any costs to you.

Scalability
VoIP grows as your business grows.  Unlike traditional phone service, VoIP allows you to quickly (and inexpensively) add or remove users (lines), and enable and disable features as needed. While cost savings is a motivating factor for making the switch, business VoIP also allows businesses to connect remote employees and multiple locations under one calling group.

Features
Business VoIP delivers big business presence on a small business budget. You don’t have to break the bank to receive dozens of Fortune 500 features like Find Me Follow Me, Auto Attendant, Hunt Groups, Conference Calling, Hold Music, Time of Day Routing and much more. Even the smallest companies can look bigger and sound more professional overnight.

Conclusion
Many companies have already adopted VoIP technology to lower their overall office expenses, for its ability set up quickly and easily, and for its flexible configuration. We understand though that it can be difficult to make the switch to something unfamiliar. If you have any questions about business VoIP, one of our VoIP Specialists will be happy to assist you. To speak with a VoIP Specialist call 1-800-900-5474, or e-mail business.support@touchtone.net. 

Christmas Fun Facts!

• Norwegian scientists have hypothesized that Rudolph’s red nose is probably the result of a parasitic infection of his respiratory system.
• The world’s largest Christmas present was the Statue of Liberty. The French gave it to the US in 1886. It is 46.5 meters high and weighs 225 tons. Talk about a big gift!
• The Germans made the first artificial Christmas trees out of dyed goose feathers.
• The name Santa Claus was created by the Dutch who settled in the New York region of America, the term Sinterklaas, the Dutch name for St. Nicholas, was Americanized to produce the name Santa Claus.
• Over 45,000 multi-colored LED lights adorn the 76 foot tall Norway Spruce in Rockefeller Center. Interestingly, the very first tree at Rockefeller Center was unadorned. Construction workers placed a bare tree there at the center of a construction site in 1931.
• Approximately 30-35 million living Christmas trees are sold each year in the U.S.  And on that note, Teddy Roosevelt banned the Christmas tree from the White House for environmental reasons.
• Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.
• According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington.
• Christmas wasn’t declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26, 1870. Alabama was the first state to declare Christmas a legal holiday in 1836, and Oklahoma was the last to declare it in 1907.