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April 2010
A safe but sometimes chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer.
If you are searching for anything in particular you don't find it,
but something falls out at the back that is often more interesting. — James Matthew Barrie
Sponsored Link:
Spring has arrived at Isthmus
You know how we know? It's time to kick our Isthmus Annual Manual sales into high gear.
Isthmus Annual Manual is our guide to Madison.
If you want to get a feel for the "flavor of Madison," Isthmus Annual Manual is the place to find it.
What is Isthmus Annual Manual?
— It's a comprehensive guide to the city, listing restaurants, government officials and agencies, recreation, community services, health care, nonprofit organizations, and arts & entertainment resources.
— It's where you find the results of the "Madison's Favorites" poll of Isthmus readers.
— It's a wellspring of interesting information about our city that you won't find anywhere else.
The Editorial Department is working on a clever lead story, and the Sales Staff is ready with ideas to help your advertising generate the response you need. Now is the perfect time to meet with your sales rep and plan your Isthmus Annual Manual advertising.
Email me, Colin Murray, or call 608.251.5627 ext. 186, to set up a meeting.
Show your green stuff — live
It is Isthmus Green Day all day long, Saturday, April 17 at Monona Terrace. Still interested in setting up shop there? We have very limited space available: Don't delay. Email me, Colin Murray, or call 608.251.5627 ext. 186. This year will be bigger than ever, with an actual green wedding, and lots of great speakers, including author Bill McKibben and Top Chef Master Rick Bayless. .
Upcoming Special Sections
Health*Beauty*Fitness: Publishes April 23. Reserve space by April 16.
Kids & Parents: Publishes May 7. Reserve space by April 30.
Isthmus Summertimes: Publishes May 28. Reserve space by May 12.
Kids & Parents: Publishes June 4. Reserve space by May 27.
Kids & Parents: Publishes July 2. Reserve space by June 25.
Get Smarter: Publishes July 30. Reserve space by July 23.
Kids & Parents: Publishes August 6. Reserve space by July 30.
Health*Beauty*Fitness: Publishes August 20. Reserve space by August 13.
Isthmus Annual Manual: Publishes August 27. Reserve space by July 7.
Jacqui’s Sales Tip of the Month
Anyone who has trained with me or who regularly reads articles I have written will know I constantly remind sales professionals "Customers don't buy what we sell, they buy the outcome." The difference our product or service will make in their business or their lives has to matter so much, they will spend money to pursue that difference.
 Watch an infomercial and see how products and services are sold. Typically, the hosts find an outcome that's really important to a large number of people, and they focus their entire message on it.
I recently caught the end of an infomercial for a weight-loss system. Many of us want to be thinner, but often we confuse thinness with healthiness. Too many of us don't want to make the lifestyle changes necessary to become truly slim and healthy. We may dream of having beautiful bodies, and looking as good out of our clothes as we do in, but we love our food and lifestyles too much to sacrifice for that ideal.
The message of this infomercial was that with their system, you could eat all the foods you love and lose all the weight you want just by eating differently, giving you the beautiful body of which you've always dreamed. Now I don't know exactly how their product works, but I do know the only way to a beautiful body is through a regimen of healthy eating and exercise. Here's the truth: Folks are taken in by the message that they can eat what they want because they want to believe it. They may know deep inside it cannot be possible to be healthy and beautiful while eating the wrong stuff, but they so want the outcome offered, they buy it anyway.
Not for a moment would I ever suggest that you increase your sales by taking advantage of aspirations of your prospects by misleading them about what your products or services can do, but I would urge you to watch the occasional infomercial and observe how the sales messages are focused on product outcome, rather than strictly about what the advertised item does or doesn't do.
Jacqui Sakowski a Madison sales coach, trainer and president of Sakowski Consulting, LLC. She brings more than 25 years of international sales and sales management guidance to companies across the United States. Jacqui also writes a monthly column in Capitol Region Business Journal. If you have a question you’re burning for an answer to, send it to Jacqui at Jacqui@sakowskiconsulting.com, 608.218.9003.
Get to know the staff at Isthmus: Matt Rice
 Matt Rice is one of the most recent additions to our expanding staff of Isthmus sales representatives. He's enjoying his new position very much. Matt has embraced the casual work atmosphere at Isthmus, and finds purpose in crafting responsible solutions for the advertising needs of his clients.
Prior to joining the Isthmus crowd, the UW-Eau Claire graduate worked as a route technician at Dealer Specialties of North America, and spent several years in the construction trade. He can tile your bathroom and sell you an ad campaign.
"Isthmus is the first place people turn"
Isthmus Testimonials
"Advertising with Isthmus has provided us direct contact with our key demographic. For arts & entertainment news in Madison, Isthmus is still the first place people turn. Additionally, the sales staff and design staff have always been incredibly responsive and helpful, making the process as smooth as possible." — Brian Hinrichs, Madison Opera
Isthmus Advertising contact information
Strategic Thinking from Kay Plantes: Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore.
I learned about a company that, to me, demonstrates the power of the Web 2.0 to both expand our markets and place each of our businesses into global competition. MOO is a London based commercial printer that makes the process of creating custom business cards and greeting cards fun, easy and very inexpensive relative to customized cards. Go to the Moo website and take a tour.
Here is what I found:
— You can create 10 different business cards for free and Moo will send them to you.
— Moo ships anywhere in the world and pays the shipping costs to boot.
— Users can be assured of quality on receipt of the cards before committing to purchase a final design.
Moo has created the basic equivalent of the APP store, in this case offering graphic designers an opportunity to sell their designs. Look, for example, at the business card options that designer Natasha Newton offers. Exquisite. Let Moo inspire you to rethink how you reach a larger audience. If you are in the business of printing or graphic arts, let Moo inspire you to identify your distinct value-add that makes you a better choice than Moo alone. And look to Moo to be a market for your very best designs. Welcome to the new economy.
To learn more about winning strategies, read Kay's business model innovation blog or her book Beyond Price: Differentiate Your Company in Ways that Really Matter (Greenleaf Book Group, 2009)
 Visit the weekly Business Model Innovation Blog, by Kay Plantes
It's getting much harder to manage daily business and focus on the longer term.
Kay's blog provides a short, vital time-out to think strategically and unearth previously hidden growth opportunities.
Bookmark it today!
Go greener: Paperless billing is available
When you advertise in any Isthmus product, we can bill you electronically.
Simply email Administrative Assistant Carla Dawkins or Office Manager Julie Butler, and let them know you'd like to switch. Your invoices will come by email instead of on paper. Ask Carla or Julie for more information.
Did you know? Each year, Isthmus readers spend more than $18 million
on alcoholic beverages when they dine out at restaurants in Madison.
The Media Audit : Madison WI : 2009
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Email marketing packs a punch
Isthmus email newsletters are reaching a wider audience every day. Have you signed up for more than one? Not only do we provide Isthmus Advertising News, specifically for our Isthmus|The Daily Page advertisers, but we currently publish two others weekly:
Isthmus On Tap: Every Thursday, Isthmus Promotions offers the latest event news, local happenings, ticket giveaways, and more, along with links to top Isthmus stories.
Isthmus Movie Times: From the multiplex to the obscure, get the comprehensive movie times for the Madison metro area, in your inbox every Friday.
Isthmus Marketplace: Sign up to get hot tips on super sales and specials from Madison-area retailers.
To sign up for the newsletters of your choice, CLICK HERE.
More special offers
Sponsored Links
Realtors! Sell your listings with free online classifieds at TheDailyPage.com. Click here to find out more. Plus, run your ad in print in Isthmus for just $10. That includes 20 words and one color photo. (Other options available.) Contact your Isthmus sales representative or me for more information. Email me, Colin Murray, or call 608.251.5627 ext. 186.
Isthmus Marketplace is online at TheDailyPage.com. CHECK IT OUT. Isthmus Marketplace is a searchable online list of businesses and organizations serving our community. There's more than 1,000 listed so far, and we're adding more every day! You can get YOUR business listed, for FREE! CLICK HERE to sign up your business today.
Run your classified ad on TheDailyPage.com for FREE! You don't have to turn to an out-of-town service to sell your goods and services, or find a new employee, or promote an upcoming event. You can do it locally at TheDailyPage.com. CLICK HERE to explore Isthmus Classifieds online.
Did you notice the ad at the top of this newsletter? You can get your message to more than 7,000 businesses monthly, just like that. Drop us a note and we will make it happen. Email me, Colin Murray, or call 608.251.5627 ext. 186, for more details.
Thanks for reading!
This newsletter is specifically devoted to Isthmus advertisers and supporters, designed to provide quick information about advertising opportunities available with Isthmus newsweekly, TheDailyPage.com and various other Isthmus products that are continually being developed.
If you would like someone else to receive this newsletter, please follow the link at the bottom of this email. If you are not interested in receiving this newsletter, you can change your subscription at any time by following the link at the bottom of this email.
Your comments are always encouraged. You can contact me directly by phone at 608.251.5627 ext. 186, or by email at cmurray@isthmus.com.
Colin Murray
Sales Manager, Isthmus
Email: cmurray@isthmus.com
608-251-5627 ext 186 (phone)
608-251-2165 (fax)
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