Wake-Up Call Draws an Eclectic Audience

With the first round of educational breakfast meetings nearly completed and the second in its formative stages, Grace DePaola, chair, has deemed the return of the popular series a success.

Up next on January 21 at Borders Books, Music and Café in Livingston from 8 to 9 am is “How Public Relations Can Increase Sales” with Michael Cherenson of The Cherenson Group. (register online today!)

The two past sessions included a talk by Barry Farber, a highly successful entrepreneur, writer, sales trainer and talk show guest, and a discussion by David Bowen and Cathie McCloskey of Verizon Wireless on how the company branded the new equally flourishing cell-phone network.

Perched on a tall stool in the intimate Borders’ setting last September 24, Farber flung nuggets of wisdom to a captive audience that could and should help them in reaching potential clients, convincing them to buy a service or a product, and keeping them satisfied.

Barry Farber
Build a rapport with the client; research the client, be nice, send thank-you notes, connect with someone in the office (a person he called the golden gate keeper); be creative. The tried and true adage of “keep it simple, stupid,” works for Farber; therefore it should work for everyone.

Be tenacious, but not aggressive; be assertive, but not obnoxious. He revealed how, if nothing else works, a way to crack the solid, but inevitable screen. “Tell Michael,” Farber coos to the golden gatekeeper, “every night before I go to sleep I speak to God. Why can’t I talk to Michael?” The message relayed, 15 minutes later, Michael (or whoever), calls Farber back.

Be enthusiastic. Send articles of interest to the prospect, but don’t forward the same item to everyone. Follow up. Stay motivated.
Build an attitude, he says, and have goals. Success is the best revenge in the world. Don’t give up. That Farber follows his own rules is evident in his successes. He’s written a number of books, the most recent Diamond in the Rough. He’s been interviewed on the major networks and featured in USA Today, Success and Glamour, among others.

Verizon Wireless’S ad people speak out
David Bowen, Director of Corporate Advertising at Verizon Wireless, and Cathie McCloskey, Associate Director, revealed to another mesmerized audience on November 19 that Verizon Wireless has 14 million more customers than any of its competitors.

And that the new company, which was created from a variety of wireless companies, Bell Atlantic Mobile among them, has the lowest turn rate (people leaving the system) than any other network as well.

Creating a new brand out of a blend of different companies was not easy, Bowen admitted. “It required a lot of research and focus on the truth.” The result is a national brand backed by loyal customers. “But what is loyalty?” he asked. “It’s only as good as you are at that moment.” And so the branding campaign continues with the recognizable slogans of “Can you hear me now?” and “We’re always working for you — to make it better.” There is, Bowen and McCloskey both agreed, a constant dialogue with the consumer to develop and build the brand.
The pair also revealed that when the name Verizon was first introduced, the national mobile company was launched before the smaller land-line firm, and that the mobile company is 55% owned by Verizon with the other 45% held by Vodaphone.

With the marketing focus on younger generations, the voice of Bell Atlantic Mobile’s James Earl Jones is sadly gone, Bowen admitted, adding though that the famous actor with the deep-throated sound is still selling Business to Business services.

With branding still a hot maneuver, the success of Verizon Wireless must
be based on a triumphant campaign.

The proof is in the company’s position today — “on the top, with the campaign already a pop icon, a part of people’s lives.”

The second series of morning Wake-Up Calls is expected to cover such topics as business etiquette, time management, influential skills, sales and the ability to influence, creativity and the Internet.

Sponsor of the past two and the next four sessions is The Harold L. Harrison Education Fund.
For further information, email info@njadclub.org or call at 201.998.5133.