Part 1 of 2 Interview with Mitch Arnowitz of Tuvel Communications
November 10, 2008 :: Steve FisherMitch Arnowitz has been around the DC tech scene for more than 10 years. He has extensive experience in both traditional and online marketing, advertising and communications. Mitch was part of the founding team of the Morino Institute Netpreneur Program, and a key architect of its highly respected online communications strategy. He runs Tuvel Communications, an online communications firm located in Silver Spring, MD.
Tuvel has worked with organizations to identify and target potential customers through innovative communication campaigns that spread messages through the Internet’s most powerful channel: word-of-mouth. Some of the organizations and companies that Tuvel has worked with recently include Freedom Bank, Tech Council of Maryland, Apptix, British Midlands, Every Child Matters and Venture Philanthropy Partners.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Mitch and discuss the company’s background as serial entrepreneurs and what the future holds for Tuvel. Here is the transcript of Part 1 of 2 of that interview.
Steve: You have been building Tuvel for the better part of a decade. Since this was not your first startup, what are some lessons learned, good or bad, that you have applied to this venture?
Mitch: Tuvel Communications is an online communications firm focused on helping companies and organizations use new ways to get their messages out and find customers. We help customers find “hidden” customers and keep them coming back – again and again. Through this approach, companies and organizations have been able to increase sales efforts, build membership and subscribers, increase the size and quality of databases, get closer to their customers, and enhance the value of their reputations.
We’re pretty intense about staying focused. We don’t do what we don’t do! We typically refer opportunities not within our core competencies to business partners. We only take on assignments where we know we can do a great job! If we don’t think we can write a great case study, full of metrics, we pass. We try to predict, rather than follow, trends—this is easier said than done in the communications business. We always begin and end with the relationship. People do business with those they like and want to spend time with. Social media is all about engagement and this also holds true for the client relationship—we try to listen more than we talk.
Steve: Since you are a serial entrepreneur and have been through many business cycles, with the economy in a tough spot these days, do you feel it is a good time to start a business?
Mitch: It’s a good time to start a service business that can be grown organically. It’s (still) a good time to exploit a niche market. People continue to do it successfully every day on the Web.
Steve: One question I get from people thinking about starting a business is “do I need a marketing plan”? I tell them that, if they are a freelancer and selling their skills, they don’t, but… if they are planning to grow a business, that they can’t run without one. What is your philosophy on this type of thing?
Mitch: A marketing plan is an important part of anyone’s business plan. A freelancer’s needs might not be as extensive as a start-up, but they should still commit a marketing thought process to paper. Many of us lived through the days of made-up revenue projections. When looking at a business plan, I always wonder if there’s a market, but also try to figure out how the entrepreneur will sell and market the product or service. I would say that a marketing plan is important to anyone starting out.
Steve: Your firm has been really pioneering e-mail campaigns over the last few years. How has this particular technology evolved in the last few years? How do you feel it is used most effectively in a business environment?
Mitch: Outsourced e-mail solution providers make it easier than ever to create and send customized communications. Providers offer newsletter templates, distribution and reporting with easy-to-understand metrics. Deliverability and filtering are still big issues, though. One thing that hasn’t changed over the years is that it’s still about the people and not the technology. In other words, you still have to follow best practices in relationship-building.
A business should put together an ongoing communications plan that includes a long-term strategy and timetable. Too often, companies stop communicating once the event or launch has concluded. Don’t let the (e-mail) relationship languish. Continue to offer value to customers and prospects, even when you don’t have something to sell. It is most effective to build a house list of customers and prospects who want to get your stuff. Then, when using that list to contact people, over-deliver on value. That is, value to the customer or prospect—not the pitching company!
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