MAKING THE CUSTOMER SATISFIED

Stephen Leavitt runs a personalized business called WebAds. His Profile on Jobshuk is simple but straight to the point. "Provides Targeted and Optimized Advertising," it reads. Nothing more, nothing less. No flowery language, no fancy promises. So, when Stephen recently received the following letter from a satisfied customer, his judgment of under-statement seemed vindicated. After all, precious things come in small parcels. Here’s what the customer had to say:

"On behalf of the 2500 Warm The Needy families, I thank you for your generous and invaluable support. As you may know, this winter has been the coldest Israel has seen in thirty years. Twice, Jerusalem was blanketed with snow. A record number of cold-related deaths were reported. This made our efforts ever so important.

Thanks in significant part to you, Warm The Needy was able to distribute over six hundred heaters this winter as well as assist over 1500 families with their electric bills.

We could not have possibly done so without your help.

As a grassroots organization, we do everything we can to ensure that 100% of every dollar is spent solely on actual aid work. There are no paid employees, but a team of dedicated volunteers who work day and night for the cause.

In partnership with the Israel Electric Corp., we have developed and maintain a sophisticated system spanning the entire country. We continue to work hand in hand with several major aid organizations across Israel battling the severe poverty now affecting 1,678,000 Israelis classified as living below the poverty line. Our activists are spread throughout the country and ensure every family is dealt with professionally and in a self-respecting manner.

With the winter coming to a close we look back at what we have achieved. Simply stated, through your assistance, we did a tremendous amount.

I wanted to personally thank you all for your contributions, for your assistance, for your connections, for your kind remarks and even for just taking an interest.

Best wishes for a healthy and warm winter.

Hershel Puretz. Founder, Warm The Needy. www.warmtheneedy.org

This letter is an excellent reference for Stephen Leavitt. Nothing counts more than a testimonial from an obviously highly satisfied customer. Good advertising is far more than well-chosen words. It’s all about delivering exactly what a customer wants, needs and expects.

Stephen can be reached on www.PoweredbyWebAds.com

E-mail st***@*******co.il

 

ISRAELI SILVERWARE SOARS INTO SPACE

Laura Cowan began her career in London after graduating in Silversmithing and Jewellery at London Guildhall University. She now brings her unique collection of Judaica working from her studio in Tel Aviv.

"I was inspired by the Sixties mission to land a man on the moon," says Laura. In her own words she described that the Sixties brought a fascination of hype and excitement to the world. "I also loved the irony of a futuristic design based what is now history," added Laura.

Laura Cowan’s individual and fresh ideas bring a new wave of exciting Judaica designs, shaking up the traditional market and generating worldwide interest.

Her work is exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the world – America, Canada, Israel, England, Italy, Sweden and Australia.

This month Laura is sending two of her rocket design mezuzot into space courtesy of NASA astronaut Greg Chamitoff, who is currently assigned ISS Flight Engineer and Science Officer on Expedition 17. He will spend six months on board the rocket.

Laura Cowan’s stylish website reflects her sophisticated and modern approach to handcrafting Judaica. Check the details on www.lauracowan.com

 

 

Selliing Online. The Way to Go Forward.

Amy Gilron is a master at her craft. Born in America, now a resident of Beersheva, she trained as a professional cabinet maker. Amy currently operates from her studio in Beersheva where she creates original designs of Judaica using woods from all over the world, sometimes with accents of glass and metalwork.

 A full description of her business named ETZ-RON, together with all her products is featured on the website www.etz-ron.com

Amy has seen good days and not-so-good days in Etz-Ron. Formerly, she sold to shops and other retail outlets in Israel, but a few years ago she decided to go online with her selling. That decision proved to be very wise and her business has grown steadily since marketing her products factory-direct.

The bulk of Etz-Ron customers live overseas, mainly in the United States. She is also cultivating some new marketing concepts which will ensure that customers pay the same price for her products wherever they buy them; online or through retail outlets. When completed, this venture will open up markets for Etz-Ron throughout the world, including Israel.

Online marketing is growing at an alarmingly fast rate. Customers recognize the convenience of shopping on their computer and paying factory-direct prices. For Amy Gilron, a seasoned artisan, this form of selling has enabled her to build a thriving business. 

This feature was compiled and written by Lloyd Masel. Other businesses are invited to submit details for this blog. There is no cost involved. If it helps to sell more Israeli made goods and services, the exercise is beneficial to us all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anybody for a Free lunch?

I’d like to write a blog. Regularly, not just on odd occasions. Furthermore, I’d like to write about small business here in Israel. To put into my own words what makes your business tick and what brings results. As they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you mail me with your address, I’ll send you a list of brief questions and then put together an article. You can use it however you choose. Again, there’s no cost. Thanks in advance. Lloyd Masel fa******@*******et.il

The Art of Chazanut

Once a week I find myself teaching chazanut in Har Nof which is a long way from Kfar Saba, where I live. It’s a most enjoyable experience. My students there are not professional singers, but they all daven in their respective communities and want to learn more about the art of singing more effectively.

But do chazanim really need lessons in pituach kol? It’s an old, old story. The chazan is not an opera singer; he’s not there to entertain, but to pray for forgiveness. His role is to plead with and praise the Almighty on behalf of his congregants.

There is no argument that a chazan does require a good voice and there is little debate that a powerful tenor is usually preferable to a good baritone in the synagogue, but the effectiveness of a good chazan is most certainly based on his vocal ability. Other attributes follow vocal prowess. 

Following this line of thought, it then stands to reason that a good chazan should learn how to use his voice correctly. How to project the sound without stress and strain and how to preserve the vocal chords for a long stint on the bimah.

Just for the record, I’m not Shomer Shabbat. Teaching pituach kol to chazanim is not a religious practice, but a worthwhile project to enhance the beauty and sincerity of a synagogue service.

 

REACHING THE TOP

Has anybody ever given serious thought why there have been so many world class Jewish violinists, pianists, woodwind players etc., yet relatively few great opera singers?

Granted, there were exceptions. Names such as Joseph Schmidt, Jan Peerce, Richard Tucker, Beverly Sills all reached great heights as international singers of renown, yet the numbers seem to pale into insignificance compared with the great instrumentalists.

Jewish singing is still, even in current times, closely related to chazanut. A few noteworthy exceptions like Dudu Fisher make it to the concert platform, but among the great names in opera today, there is a lack of Jewish artists.

Young Jewish singers are slowly starting to make their way into the world of opera, particularly in Israel. The Israel Tel-Aviv-Yaffo Opera is a relatively new institution opening in 1985, but it is interesting to note that opera was first staged in Israel as early as 1923, with a performance of La Traviata in Tel Aviv. The lack of a quality opera company in Israel for so many years did little in the quest for good singers.

One of the critical factors for the development of fine opera singing is the standard of training of young singers. Israel possesses two fine music colleges, one the Buchmann Mehta School of Music at the University of Tel Aviv, the other the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. There are other music schools in various locations, so the facilities for teaching are available.

However, entry into music schools in not all that straightforward. Students must be proficient in both vocal development and music theory to pass the entry auditions. The difficulty is often the cost of private tuition needed before a student can be brought to the required level to pass an audition for entry into a music college.

In conclusion, just a further complication for potential opera singers. Instrumentalists may start learning to play at a very tender age. Some, even before enrolling at primary school. Singers really cannot start to develop their voices until teenage, at the earliest. Making it big time on the opera stage is not something you can not expect before the age of 25 to 30 years.

You need a lot of training to make a successful career in the world of opera. In addition, a lot of patience. Far too many young singers ruin potentially fine careers by pushing their voices too hard while the vocal chords are still relatively tender. Others choose roles to sing that are just wrong for the voice.

It’s a tricky business reaching the top, but a thrilling ride to fame if you’re gifted.

 

Clever Copywriting? TRY SMART SELLING!

Companies who are looking to employ advertising agencies with expensive copywriters should follow a few simple rules before choosing them. Copywriting is not the art of using clever language, but of creating salesmanship in words.

And the very first thing about selling is to understand the customer. The selling message must clearly state the benefit to the purchaser, the appeal of the product and the possibility of retaining the customer for further business. That doesn’t require flowery or Shavian language, just sincerity and promise.

The problem with agency copywriters is often their lack of closeness to the product they are trying to sell. More often than not, locked away in their offices in some oversized building in the heart of a metropolis, they seldom come into contact with either the customer or the business they are representing. This remoteness makes them even more distant to the customer.

Nobody undertands a product better than the person who creates it. But not all creators of goods and servcies are skilled in the art of selling. That’s when a copywriter is needed.

Matching these elements together becomes a tricky process. If anybody reading this blog would like to discuss this matter further, please write me on fa******@*******et.il and I’ll do my best to assist. You’ll get a swift response with no charge and no obligation in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GETTING A GOOD JOB

A true story. A graduate from a prestigious Business College applied to the General Manager of a top manufacturer in London for a job. Full of himself after graduating with honours, the young man started to throw around his credentials to the savvy manager of the company.

"Do you want to start at the top and work your way to the bottom, or the other way round?" said the GM.

Reminds me of another true story. A not-too-shy teenager in Australia once pursued a visiting American millionaire businessman to tell him he had a wonderful idea for a new business.

"Can you please give me some money for a start-up?" asked the lad.

"How much?" replied the American.

"One million dollars."

The businessman reached into his pocket and found a pair of shoelaces. He gave them to the young man.

"Here’s the equivalent of $1 million. Sell them for a profit, then buy something with the money and continue to make profits each time you sell. Eventually, you’ll have enough money to start your business. Good luck."

A good lesson for anybody in small business. Never think of an inverted pyramid when building a business. Start with a small success, not a big failure. Don’t over-invest, avoid over-stocking and learn how to build a database of loyal customers.

This is my first post. If you’d like to know more about the way I think and perhaps how I can help you build your business read some of my posts on www.ezinearticles.com under the authorship of Lloyd Masel.