Michael Ference Fluid Power Marketing

One of our customers, CEJN Industrial Corp. exhibited at the 2015 ICUEE Show to make connections with new customers and prospects.  CEJN is a provider of quick connect couplings.  The Fluid Power world staff was able to spend a few minutes with Ryan Kay of CEJN so that we can share this video with you Video is a great way to tell your story.

Fluid Power World and WTWH Media were there to capture the fluid power exhibits at the 2015 ICUEE Show in Louisville.  I will be sharing some coverage here on my blog starting with this one from DEL Hydraulics. Video is a great way for fluid power component companies to tell their story.  Our short video sessions explain something about the products as well as how they are applied on machinery. Please take a look and go to the DEL website for more information.  For more videos, visit Fluid Power World.

As we approach 2016, many fluid power companies are putting together their marketing plans for success in the new year.  One of the key factors in any plan is communicating your company's competitive advantages. A few years ago, I attended a seminar given by author and sales expert Jaynie Smith who made it very clear that an advantage must be relevant in order for it to truly be a competitive advantage in any market.   So as fluid power companies communicate those advantages, it is necessary that a clear understating exists regarding the perceived needed of your customers. When asked what their advantages are, most companies will give answers that are common to a list of about 10 characteristics that include things like price and service. However, as Smith points out, if these advantages are not relevant to the customers, then they really are not differentiators. Then pricing becomes the main characteristic. I recommend that you take a look at both of Jaynie Smiths two b...

That is what we do @FluidPowerWorld http://www.fluidpowerworld.com.  Join us as an advertiser, join us as a reader, sign up for our e-newsletters, and visit our websites. If your company would like to promote your new products, sent them to me at  mference@wtwhmedia.com  and we will help your marketing efforts right away!

It is one thing to have success at something once, twice, or even over a short period of time. It is all together something else to experience success at something over a long period of time. It takes repeated work and constant determination, patience, and persistency. It is also important to know what and when to change your process or product to succeed. These are generalities but I am also speaking of specifics for being able to repeat a successful process. Specifically, if you are selling shoes, for example. Perhaps your store asks you to be polite, helpful, and follow a specific process for EVERY customer. So, day after day, night after night, you as the salesperson must follow all of the steps. Further, for your store to be successful, every salesperson must follow every step. Every manager must enforce every step every day. This takes a lot of effort. But, if your process is successful, not only do you need to repeat it, you need to monitor the process and know when and what...

Fluid Power World has gained a lot of traction in the fluid power industry in 2015.  Our unique package of media options offers all fluid power component manufacturers and distributors an opportunity to gain a sales advantage in the upcoming year. If you would like to learn more about how we can help your company to increase brand awareness and generate sales leads in 2016, please contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com .  I will work with you to put together a program that will give your company a unique advantage in the marketplace.

Think of all the people that you come into contact with every day. Do they greet you with enthusiasm? Are they interested in what you have to say to them? How many people do the things they do every day with enthusiasm? I don't necessarily mean outward obvious signs of enthusiasm but sincere eagerness to be open and sharing with others. It is so gratifying when you know that a person you speak with is really interested in you and what you have to say. As we go through our day, whether it be at work, at play or at home, things would go so much better if we were enthusiastic about what we are doing. The golden rule does apply here, show the kind of enthusiasm that you would like to receive. Give it some consideration. On the business side, enthusiasm goes a long way toward helping individuals and companies with success.  As I attend trade shows, I can see the difference that genuine enthusiasm makes in connecting with prospective new customers at the show.  The same is tru...

There could be some negative connotation associated with the term e-blast.  It sounds like telemarketing of information that is pushed or blasted out to a large audience whether they want it or not.  But that is not true.   The word blast just means that an important marketing message is deployed to many opt-in recipients who could benefit from the information. Our e-blasts done by Fluid Power World   and WTWH Media LLC are serving many of our advertising customers like the one above.  In fact, if you click on the above photo of an e-blast sample, you will be taken to some very useful information about pressure gauges. 2015 has been a great year for e-blasts for our customers.  Let us put together an e-blast for your company.  Contact me at mference@wtwhmedia.com

While many companies are currently planning their 2016 marketing programs now, keep in mind that we still have most of the fourth quarter of 2015 left yet.  With that being said, I invite all advertisers to consider joining us in our December issue of Fluid Power World .  We will cover several important fluid power topics. As we move into 2016, it is important for companies to maintain their progress this year.  While it has been a disappointing year, the downturn is only temporary.  2016 and 2017 should be better. But, let's not get ahead of ourselves, we still have a 2015 to work on and and our December issue will help with that.  We also offer many digital opportunities to reach your prospective customers with your sales message. Content marketing works all year long and Q4 would be a good opportunity to give it a try.  Do you have a white paper that we can promote?  How about a lengthy tutorial on your area of expertise that we can turn into ...

Here is the latest issue of Fluid Power World, our October 2015 issue.  It looks great, is full of useful and current fluid power information, and is circulated to qualified audience of readers.  This is all true because of the staff at WTWH Media LLC and I am very proud to be associated with them and proud of the work they have done with this issue. Click on the above photo  and you will be taken to the digital edition.  I invite you to subscribe if you like what you see.  If you buy and specify fluid power components or are a supply chain professional, you will like it. The great work by the WTWH staff as witnessed in this issue, carries over to our digital network of websites and e-newsletters.  We take great care to produce excellent results for our customers.  Join us in December and in 2016 mference@wtwhmedia.com

The next issue of Fluid Power World will be published in December with an advertising closing date of November 16th.  Here is the editorial lineup of feature articles: Mobile Hydraulics in Agricultural Applications Farmers are tasked with feeding the world basically. Agricultural machinery manufacturers are tasked with giving farmers the very best technology available to produce a maximum yield in terms of acreage, time, and overall investment. That is where fluid power enters the picture and we will continue the conversation on how. Pneumatics in Packaging Applications Sometimes the packaging can be as important as the product to consumers and marketers. Pneumatic components and systems are very important contributors to making the most productive packaging machinery possible. This feature will review some examples of pneumatics in packaging. E ffi ciency in Industrial Hydraulics One of the key objectives o...

Productive paranoia is what Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen refer to in their book Great By Choice referring to being very vigilant in taking care of all the details in business. Making all the preparations and having redundant plans for success make sense when managaing your business. Maintaining your process with careful attention and being prepaed for any and all problems allow a business to survive and perhaps thrive in difficult times. It is safe to say that all businesses can expect difficult times to come their way. Being "extra" prepared allows them to manage these challenges. As for repetition, it also makes sense for a business to figure out what works and being able to replicate it again and again over a long period of time. When a process works, there is less need for change. This is also very true in the field of sales. Repeated service, needs analysis, gathering and using important intelligence all help a sales rep to serve customers. This principle holds...

I have been involved with business for over three decades and directly in sales for most of the time. I have visited many companies and have reviewed their businesses and have studied books on selling. One observation that I can easily make is in line with the old saying that "nothing happens until somebody sells something." For fluid power manufacturers, this is true whether it is direct to OEM sales of distribution.  New machinery and aftermarket are all important sales channels. There are many essential parts to a business. Accounting and Finance are necessary for the function of a business. But, without sales, there will be nothing to account for. Designing and producing products that are innovative, useful, and available is what makes a business what it is. However, no matter how good your product is or how fast it is made, without sales they are useless. Human Resources, Payroll, Maintenance, and Management are all important. Without sales, there will ...

The 2015 ICUEE show in Louisville is now over, but the images of the event will live on at Fluid Power World .  We had our really excellent team of John Hansel, videographer and editor Mike Santora, interviewer on site to capture the action at the show. We will be sharing the videos taken at this year's ICUEE on our Fluid Power World website  in the coming weeks.  For any of our audience members who were unable to attend the show but would like to know more about the fluid power products on display, please cheek out or website in the coming weeks.

In business and in your personal life, you gain specific wisdom. In business, after applying certain principles and strategies to your business, you learn what works and what doesn't. It is similar to the bullets then cannonballs theory explained in Great By Choice by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen. You use intelligence from experience to apply best practices to your business. That is using specific wisdom in business. In your personal life, of course, you gain some wisdom and intel every single day. Again, applying what works to make your life more successful is an application of specific wisdom. It makes sense to keep and use knowledge to make all future decisions rather than guessing all of the time on the right decision. The many media opportunities offered to companies today provide bullet moments.  An e-newsletter ad or an e-blast to test the market for interest in a specific product is a bullet.  At Fluid Power World   we offer such opportunities ...