A Full Pencil Cup and Nothing to Write With

Is it just me, or does everyone else experience this phenomenon? I have two pencil cups at my desk, a “junk drawer” in the kitchen, and other random writing utensil stashing places and while there is always a plethora of items to choose from there is nothing to write with. The pencils aren’t sharpened, the markers are dry, the pens have lost their spring, and who writes with a colored pencil?

Do you experience this same phenomenon in your business? Are your marketing materials and/or website full of services and offerings that are only muddying the waters to the useful services? Take a look…it might be time to clean out the pencil cup!

Remember to always lead with the most complex and compelling services you provide. Once you engage your client you can then educate them on the wider variety. Sell the services that sell you.

The Holidays are Right Around the Corner

While I was cursing the grocery stores for putting out the mums before Labor Day and can’t fathom that Halloween is right around the corner (I better get started on Zain’s robot costume) I have to remind you that the corporate gift giving holidays will be here sooner than you think! In a perfect world you would have budgeted for the holidays last January and have a strategic thought in mind as to what you would like to do this year, but when have we ever experienced a “perfect world”?!!?

Last year, I waited to the last minute—yes, I know better—and selected a very “green” gift of ginkgo tree kits from a wonderful garden company in the Pacific Northwest (http://www.pottingshedcreations.com/). They were packaged beautifully, and the trees are beautiful (in about 35 years), but it wasn’t until I sent them all out that I opened the package and started the kit myself, that I found out that the planting of the ginkgo tree is an arduous one with so many steps that I’m sure no one actually did it. So take it from me—do your research now!

So with that said, take 15 minutes right now to really think about your corporate gift strategy for this year. What have you done in the past? Was it well received? Was it expensive and/or time consuming? Have you always done the same thing and worry about it getting old or have your clients grown so accustomed to it that they look forward to it?

Make a quick list of your clients past and present. Now put a star next to the ones that are currently generating the most income or have the most potential—this is your “A-list”. Next, put a dot next to all that you are currently working with that you want to make sure you recognize, but not at the same level as the stars—this is your “B-list”. The remaining clients and a list of colleagues/vendors go onto your “C-list” or “card list”.

Determine your total budget for gifts, which should include shipping/postage if appropriate. Then play with that number as it relates to the number of clients/colleagues on each list to determine the budget for each tier gift. Equipped with that number, begin to research potential gifts for the A’s and B’s and cards for the C’s that fit within your company brand or message. Also remember that you need not select the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas as the gift giving holiday. Surprise your clients with a pre-Thanksgiving or Halloween package or Chinese New Year or Valentine’s Day.

The days of elaborate and over the top gifts have passed (at least for most companies) and now it is more important to recognize those that have helped you build your business through work, referrals and/or assistance without breaking the bank. A personal note should always be included and I would avoid individual “promotional” products. I would chose instead to include a “branded” corkscrew or wine topper with your favorite wine, versus just sending the branded item.

Ideas to get you started:

From the Kitchen: I’m a true believer in the concept of winning someone over (even a client) through their stomach, so more times than not I do home baked gift baskets (and occasionally outsource) of all of my favorite goodies that I hand deliver throughout the holiday season.

The Experience: Give the gift of an experience that the client/colleague can share with their family like tickets to a local museum or exhibition, your favorite game or movie. Often times you can buy bulk tickets from museums at a discount.

The Donation: I am a huge proponent of non-profit support, but am not a big fan of the “in lieu of a holiday gift we have made a donation in your name to XYZ organization”. As an alternative, you could facilitate a “drive” or “project” with your favorite nonprofit and involve your clients as participants, or show your clients the work you and your staff did on their behalf.

The Network: Instead of sending out individual gifts, you can host your clients for a lunch, breakfast, or cocktail event where you can thank them personally for their business and support and provides them the ability to network with others that utilize your services. I would steer clear of the busy holiday season to schedule this, perhaps mid November or early January.

It’s Not Easy Being Green: Giving “green” gifts at the beginning of the winter isn’t always practical—as my past experience has proven. But there are great organizations out there that give you the opportunity to “purchase” a tree to be planted in the name of an individual and they get a certificate, etc. (http://www.savebiogems.org/costarica/ or http://www.jnf.org/support/tree-planting-center/) You can also provide the individual with a seedling, as long as they have a way to plant it indoors until spring. I read where a law firm calculated the number of reams of paper they used in a year and calculated that value in trees, and then replanted that many trees—that’s a great message! Another great “green” gift is bulbs that can be forced in the holidays such as Amaryllis or Paper Whites.

A Brand Runs Deep

Someone recently said to me, “If I decide to brand myself, I’ll give you a call” and it got me thinking. A “brand” is so much more than a logo that finds itself on your letterhead, business cards and envelopes or the name of your business. If you are operating a business currently you have a brand, even if you are without a logo. It really is every aspect of your business. For examples:

When your clients contact you for the first time, what do they experience?
• A receptionist, you personally, music on hold voice mail, a scratchy answering machine
• A website that is clean and orderly, an “under construction” page, pages put together by your 7th grader
• A reception area that reflects the energy level of your business or a “time out” chair in the corner

When your clients are given information regarding your business what do they look like?
• Professionally printed, printed on your office printer, or 4th generation photo copies
What impression are you and/or your employees giving to your clients?
• Professionally dressed, uniforms, or “Saturday morning right out of bed” casual

What is your response time for client requests and are they articulated?

When you provide a product or project deliverable how is it presented, or packaged?

Do you invoice on a timely basis and are the invoices clear?

Do you send thank yous to your clients for work completed, finished, or “just because”?

Do you send your clients articles of interest or keep them abreast of new and timely information that would be of interest to them?

Do you remember your client’s birthdays, anniversaries; know how many children they have, etc.?

Do you have a formalized process for finishing a project with a client and staying in touch with them in the future?

Do you ask for referrals and/or testimonials?

Every action you take towards your employees, clients, vendors and colleagues is part of your “brand” regardless if you are conscious of it or not. Actions speak louder than words. As we approach the “back to school” season, it’s a great time to “renew” our businesses and fine tune areas that have been neglected.

What are your answers to these questions? Is it time to retool your “brand”?

Clear the Clutter

This weekend as I was doing our weekly (yeah right!) house cleaning I found myself picking up a lot of items to dust around that I really don’t like, but had almost forgot were there. I then went into each room and really looked at what was stored and on display and gave each a litmus test, “Do I love this?” and/or “Do I need this here?” If the answers were no, I collected them from their dust gathering spot and got rid of them.

This got me to thinking—are there things within my business that are collecting dust or are causing me to work around them. I don’t mean physical things that are on my desk (that goes without saying), but services that I continue to promote, but don’t love doing, clients that are sucking the life out of me, or processes that no longer work.

By looking at your clients, service offerings, standards and practices, employees, etc. with a new light and a few analyzing questions, you can see areas that just aren’t working or are getting in your way. I challenge you to do some “decluttering”.

Pick Your Own

One of the “summer favorites” in New England is the ongoing “Pick Your Own” season at the local “farms”, which are a far cry from any farm I grew up near! But in any case, families come out in droves to pick their own strawberries, raspberries (my husband’s favorite), peaches (my favorite), apples, etc. A few weeks ago we headed out for strawberry picking and trekked out to the field, which was like a million miles from our car, to pick two quarts of strawberries for a rate two times that of what we could have bought them in the store. While we bent over in the heat (the one warm day that we had in June) and picked our strawberries, we got our great family photos for our “memories” and gladly paid the outrageous cost—because we do it for the experience.

It got me thinking—how can I retool my service offerings to provide a more enriching “client experience” that gets the clients more involved, lessening my workload and allowing me to charge more for the said services? I’ve always been a proponent of getting my clients involved in the planning of their events and promotions—as involved as they want to be, so that the day of the event, or when the promotion goes out they can take all of the credit and feel like they accomplished something great, but I’ve never charged more for this.

I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I would be curious to know if you have been able to achieve this “Pick Your Own” model within your own company, or have seen it used in others.

Life Beyond the Pen

Look in your pen cup sitting on your desk or in your kitchen junk drawer (I know you have one!) and what do you find? If it’s anything like mine, it’s a random menagerie of pens from your bank, accountant, local pizza place, etc. It is a functional promotional item and we are less likely to throw it away—we can always use another pen right? But when you are using it, or storing it away in your junk drawer is it calling out to you to make a call to that vendor? Does is scream “creative”? Probably not. So why do so many companies opt for this type of promotional item? It’s easy and cost effective, but so are so many other items!

When you are selecting a promotional product to promote your company start with your goals:
· What am I promoting? A new product or service, tagline, the company as a whole, etc.
· What is my message or hook?
· How do I want to distribute? Something handy to give out as you go, accompany a direct mail piece, give away at an upcoming tradeshow, etc.

And what is your budget:
· How much do I have to spend?
· How many do I need?
· What is my cost per piece?

Based on these criteria, go to your favorite promotional products website or call your favorite vendor. Two of my favorites are Evie Whitten of Promocentric and Joanne Crispin of Geiger Products. Brainstorm potential ideas and have fun with it.

Some examples
One client was attending a large industry wide awards event and had purchased several tables. As a “table favor” for all of their attendees they wanted to provide a favor that was in keeping with the event theme, “A View of Things to Come” so we did custom silver kaleidoscopes that were neatly wrapped and placed at their place setting.

This same client had fun with that theme, so at another industry event that was honoring their Chairman they wanted another favor for “A View to the Future”, so we did custom view finders (like the ones you had as a kid) with a custom reel of their current project shots and fun facts.

Two holiday seasons ago, Celebrate sent out holiday cards with a “snow angel” impression on the front with the inscription, “You Have Left an Impression on Us This Year” and we accompanied it with individualized name stamps and blank stationary for them to make their own personalized stationary.

We did a large event for a client’s 100th anniversary and did a “Casino Royale” theme and did custom dice as the favor/promotion.

Regardless of what you decide to do the goal is to have it remain at the recipients’ desks—something fun and interesting that not only will be seen by them on a daily basis and bring a smile to their faces, but will also be seen by their clients and colleagues—a viral marketing campaign of sight!

What Does Your Brand Say About You?

One of our many great clients is Maugel Architects Inc. which is located in Harvard, MA and specializes in corporate architecture and interior design from retrofits to out of the ground construction. When we met Maugel just over a year ago, they had just celebrated their 19th year in business and had an established brand identity that was developed over time. In preparation for their 20th year celebration and in response to a renewed marketing effort, they wanted to update their existing brand, which is a challenge that we love to take on! Their existing brand incorporated a rectangular box with a positive and negative “MA” and their tagline was “Service + Commitment + Communication + Design Excellence”. They used both very consistently and had very professional marketing materials, but neither gave you the essence of who they were or gave you a compelling reason to inquire further.

We spent several brainstorming sessions—or as the client called them “couch sessions” to get to the root of who they were as a company and establish their differentiator (listening and project approach), their mission (to design for a better world), values, etc. With this information, we were able to design a brand that not only refreshed the look and feel and paid tribute to their existing brand, but related to who they were. We established their tagline as “listening is our leverage” and recreated their logo with an abstract fulcrum to represent that “leverage”.

What story is your brand telling about you and your company? Is it aligned with what you do and how you want to be perceived?

There is No Room for Perfection in Marketing…or Anywhere for that Matter!

When I first started my business I was co-authoring cookbooks with my mother, teaching cooking classes, baking up a storm, facilitating craft parties, and helping families host great home parties. In other words, I was a Martha Stewart want to be! So when it was time to create my first website I was paralyzed. Martha and the likes had beautiful sites that had so many features and great ideas, and with my resources, I didn’t even know where to begin—so I didn’t. I kept drafting designs with the help of my “people”, but they were never perfect, so I kept pushing it aside. My company was evolving through the process and so it never seemed like the “perfect time” to implement it—what if I needed to change it? My husband (the web developer) was my scapegoat. I told everyone that he just hadn’t made the time to work on it, when in reality; even if he had I had nothing for him to do! This went on for YEARS and it’s amazing that I have as many great clients as I do in spite of only recently launching a website—one that is just right!

Many non perfectionists have the belief that perfectionists get everything done better and faster, which is an outright myth! As a recovering perfectionist I will attest to the fact that if I couldn’t get it done perfectly then it didn’t get done at all. One of the tools I used in my “recovery” (which is ongoing) was the FlyLady, which many might recognize as the guru of home organization and housecleaning, which is exactly what she is. But her philosophy that perfectionists can’t get out of their own way and get anything done, be it laundry or decluttering, holds true in the workplace as well. With her help I realized that getting it done is much more important than getting it done perfectly. I also am now hopelessly addicted to my timer, which is a topic for another day!

Is the need for perfection getting in your way of updating your Facebook status, coming up with witty exchanges on Twitter, launching a blog, or getting a direct mail campaign together? Take it from me—let it go! Be yourself and just do it…I promise you, it’s “just right”!

Everyday There is a Reason to Celebrate

With the weight of the recession bearing down on everyone, celebrating seems to fall by the wayside. Either people don’t think they have anything to celebrate, or they are concerned with the cost of doing so. I always think of the tooth fairy as a prime example of “anything can be celebrated”. Losing a tooth for a child is traumatic (at least for me it was!) and what a great way to get you through it then to celebrate it with a coin under your pillow and a story of a wonderful fairy delivering it.

The same goes for your business. Have you gotten new work from an existing client, finished a project initiative, get an article published, or get recognized by a peer? Items that in the fast and furious times we took for granted today should be celebrated. Not only should you stop and acknowledge it yourself, you should share it with your clients, colleagues and employees. Everyone needs a bright moment to hold onto and what a gift to deliver it.

This same concept goes for your clients—don’t they deserve a pat on the back? Everyone recognizes their clients at the holidays, but what about February, May, August, and October—aren’t there opportunities to celebrate and give back? Take an opportunity this summer to think of 5 existing/past clients that you would like to recognize. Did they just experience a “celebratory moment”, did they “loose a tooth”, or do you just want to say thank you for sticking with you? Then determine what you would like to do for them that is high impact and low cost. Examples:

• Ice cold lemonade and homemade cookies delivered during a heat wave.
• Ben and Jerry’s pint coupons hand delivered to each team member.
• Your favorite “beach read”.
• A bouquet of flowers from your garden.
• A kite or other fun summer toy—everyone likes to feel like a kid!
• Drop by on a Friday night with a “signature cocktail”.

The most successful acknowledgements are those that come from the heart and leverage your strengths—if you get excited about it, your clients will too!

And while we are on the topic of celebrating—Celebrate was listed for the fifth consecutive year on Boston Business Journal’s “Area’s Largest Meeting and Event Planners”. We moved up three spots this year to number 18!

Marketing--One Baby Step at a Time

I recently started training for a triathlon—I know I can’t believe it either. The entire concept of swimming a half mile, biking 18 miles and running just over three was so overwhelming that when I was first introduced to the idea I dismissed it without a second thought. But then my friend shared with me the 12 week training schedule that broke down each discipline into daily workouts that slowly builds up your endurance and stamina so that by the day of the race you “can do it” I realized that this might just be do-able.

I attended a New England Women Business Owners (NEWBO) program where Curtis Bingham of Predictive Consulting Group presented “Three Keys to Beat the Recession: Smart Strategies to Thrive Regardless of the Economy”. As a follow up to the program he distributed his “50 Ways to Make the Phones Ring”. I don’t know about you, but this definitely peaked my interest. As the weight of the economy continues to bear down on all of us—marketing becomes daunting. While business was booming we didn’t have time to market, now that we have the time, we don’t know where to start and/or we don’t have a lot of funds to invest. So I saw the list as a great guide to jumpstarting my own “recession” marketing efforts—but at first glance the list was very overwhelming. Or was it?

The same concept of breaking down the “training” for the triathlon can be applied to our marketing efforts. Decide what marketing goals you would like to achieve in the next 12 weeks. For example:
--Get one article published
--Get 3 testimonials from existing clients
--Create a Facebook page for my business
--Establish a Twitter account
--Update ¼ of my web pages
--Send out three electronic publications (email blasts and/or enewsletters)

Draw up a matrix showing each work day for the next 12 weeks and establish the amount of time that you can spend on marketing each day. Then populate the matrix with bite sized tasks that you can do each day and begin to build the momentum and increase your marketing stamina.

See how much you can get done in just one week without breaking a sweat—imagine what you can accomplish in twelve. Good luck!