The Marketing Mix | official blog of the Marketing Mentor community

Why trading services can bite the big one (and how to protect yourself if you decide to do it anyway) – Part 1

At first, bartering sounds like a terrific way to do business... I need dental work done, and my dentist offers to trade his services in exchange for a website.

The medical industry is not one of my target markets, but after all, we're both service-based businesses, we each need something the other offers, and we both stand to benefit from the trade. Not only that, but the thought of letting go of the money to pay for a root canal is just, well, TOO PAINFUL.

So, I bite. And thus begins the saga...

January, 2009
The root canal and fitting for the crown takes all of 30 minutes and I'm outta there. Mission accomplished! Oh wait... now I need to do the site. No problemo... business is slow right now. Let's get hopping!

April, 2009
The doc has agreed on a design, but I'm still trying to get content from him. He has not made his site a priority, and I have. My schedule is filling up and I need to get this off the table. He's busy, so he's not budging.

July, 2009
Starting to feel a little resentful. This agreement is starting to hang over my head. I hate having unfinished projects! With no response from him, I am basically forced to put his site on the back burner.

August through December, 2009
I have made various attempts at getting him to send me SOME kind of copy or information about his business. At this point, I'm willing to write it myself and eat the extra time, just to get it done. He keeps promising to send something, but....

January, 2010
It's now one year later and I have all but given up. Finally, he emails me, ready to get moving on the site again, PRONTO. Problem is, I've got a really full schedule now and he's going to have to wait quite a while - after all, I have paying clients to tend to, and at this point, after all the time I have put into contacting him and worrying about this, I'm basically working for free. Pretty soon I'm looking for a new dentist and he's spreading nasty rumors about me.

This sort of scenario happens to designers all the time. The problem is, even though we are both well-meaning professionals, there is no way to compare apples to apples. In his eyes (because he knows nothing about what actually goes into creating a website), he's doing me a favor! After all, it's creative work and I get to have a lot of fun while I'm doing it, AND get a root canal (or massage therapy, or clean swimming pool, or...well, you get the idea). The bottom line is that we both had unrealistic expectations of the other from the get-go because there was no formal agreement drawn up outlining who was responsible for what, for how long a period of time.

So, you say there is someone you really do want to trade services with and you feel good about it? (It can happen).

Stay tuned ‘til tomorrow when I give some tips on how to protect yourself, and keep your relationship from falling apart at the seams if you do decide to barter.

PAMELA SAXON helps those in arts and entertainment visually express themselves through integrated marketing, as well as helping them to get organized in their social media efforts. You can find her on Twitter, and on Facebook, or sign up for her newsletter here: www.saxondesign.com.

 

How I get (positive) feedback from my clients

After you’ve completed a project, clients usually have great things to say. As small business owners, it’s important that we capture that feedback while it’s vibrant.

This feedback allows us to know what’s working, and what needs improvement in our businesses. It can also provide testimonials, an excellent tool to get new clients.

But clients are busy. It can be a challenge to get them to share their feedback.

So, how do you get them to respond? I do it by providing great service, and making it EASY for them to respond. This is the process that I use:

I provide superior service

It is my job as a designer to effectively communicate the client’s message to their target audience in a visual manner. Not only do I strive to provide the highest quality design work, I am truly passionate about providing great customer service, which is a result of communication, building trust and knowing the expectations of a client -- then exceeding them.

I send a “thank you” box

When I finish a project, I mail my client a “thank you” box. Inside the box contains:

1. A handwritten thank you note. Something along the lines of: Dear (name), I enjoyed working with you on the (project) for (company name). It’s exciting to be part of the success of a new business. Clients like you make my job truly rewarding. I look forward to working with you again. 

2. A little gift. Everyone likes food. And it’s fun to get something in the mail, other than a bill. I originally wanted to send cookies, but it’s 100 degrees here in Georgia, so they’d end up as a puddle in the box. So, I send a jar of southern hospitality: homemade strawberry fig preserves.

3. A feedback form (super short questionnaire with space to write comments) ALONG with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Note: I know a lot of businesses do this by email, but to me they get lost in the sea of so many other e-mails.

If you’re building relationships, exceeding your clients expectations’ and making it easy for them to give you feedback, why wouldn’t they respond?

Do something different and STAND OUT.

Kara was kind enough to share her feedback form with us. If you would like a copy, email us at toolbox@marketing-mentor.com and we’ll send it right over.

Special thanks to Kara Smith, who offers fresh and affordable visual solutions for small businesses and entrepreneurs so that they STAND OUT against competitors. Sign up for her newsletter here: www.karasmithdesign.com.

So many cards. So little time.

Ever return from a conference with a million business cards and no plan of attack?

On the Creative Freelancer Conference Linked In group, I started a discussion about how the heck to organize your follow up when you come back to a trade show or conference. Here are some highlights:

Luke Mysse said:

The first thing I did this time is write notes on people’s business cards as I met them. I've heard of people doing this and it works like a charm. No way would I remember every conversation from this weekend but those little notes jogged my memory when I set out to connect with people later. I'll be using this for other networking events from now on. So simple but it works...

Second I sent emails to people saying thanks and asking them to connect with me on my other social spaces such as Linkedin and Twitter. I love that most of them responded with the same info so we can keep this community alive.

Third is that I'm only going to add the people to my address book that I do make real connections with. I don't want to build a giant list, I would much rather have a smaller more concentrated list of contacts...but that's just me.

Mark Duebner said:

I went through all my cards and searched everyone on LinkedIn and Facebook, and sent out invites/friend requests.

Each night I also sent a daily wrap up to all my Tribe members from CFC#1 who could not make it to Denver. It was a way to make them still feel connected to the energy of the Conference and also make them a little sad and jealous that they were not here! These reports were a big push to get them to commit to Chicago in 2011, especially since that is where it all started.

Lisa Youngdahl said:

I've entered all the cards into Batchbook, and in most cases, was able to connect on Twitter and/or LinkedIn. I made it a priority to do it this week while I could still remember which face went with what name.

Do you have tips and tricks? Contribute yours here or on the LinkedIn Group.

And save the date for the next Creative Freelancer Conference! It’s June 23-24th in Chicago.

World’s Best Subject Line

If you're like me, you probably strain over what to put in the subject line of your e-blasts. You ask yourself:

"What will compel people to open it and not delete it?"

"How do I make sure my email passes safely through spam filters?"

"Is there anything I can do to make sure people know it's from me and not some freak in a dingy back room in Karachi?"

Your subject line, and your attribution line—you know, the "from" of your email—are worth straining over. Because if that adage "if they don't read your headline, they won't read your ad" is true for print (and it is) it is 100 times truer with subject lines.

In the case of subject lines, the listless, the over-hyped, or too-familiar end up being trashed before they even have a chance to become an email—or worse yet, they spur people to opt out or tag everything from you as junk.

Let's not let that happen. Here are some tips I've learned from writing emails for the likes of Audible.com, CENTURY21, and last week's Thinking Creatively Conference.

• Keep it to 69 characters (including spaces)
• If you have to go over in characters (long subject lines display, but not as well) put the important stuff first.
• Don't be redundant; put your company name in the "from" line and don't repeat it in the subject line.
• Try packing a benefit to your recipient in the subject line
• Action verbs are best, e.g., learn, see or start.

Rather than writing a general line about all the great stuff inside the email, highlight one exciting detail.

For more tips like this, sign up to receive Conrad’s newsletter “a little something from backpocket copywriter” at www.backpocketcopywriter.com/tips.htm

 

Do your promo materials get attention?

Do you have cool marketing materials that get your prospects’ attention? If so, will you send me pictures of them? I need images of printed promotional tools – brochures, interesting business cards, direct mail pieces, packages -- anything tangible that you send to people to get their attention.

Why?

Because I’m gearing up for the second installment in the Creative Freelancer Marketing Bootcamp Live DesignCast Series.

It’s called Beyond the Brochure: How to Create Effective Sales Materials—and it’s designed to teach you how to create smart, cost-effective marketing materials and demonstrate how to use these tools to hook a prospect once they've said, "Show me more."

Join me for this webcast on Tuesday, April 20, 2010, 4:00 PM EST. (Duration: 1 hour)

Register here: http://www.mydesignshop.com/product/beyond-the-brochure/DesignCasts

What's wrong with this email introduction?

I get variations on this message every day:

Hi. My name is Tom Smith. I am a graphic designer with a background in marketing.

I would like to offer you my services. I offer this, and I offer that.

You can see samples of my work here (website link). I look forward to working with you.

Sincerely, Tom Smith
 
Do you ever get messages like this? Do you write them yourself? What is it about the message that doesn't work? (Let us know what you think in the comments.)

More important, do you want to learn a more effective approach that will motivate your best prospects respond?  

You can, if you join my next Marketing Plan Group. It starts Tuesday, April 6th and there are only two spots left! Details here or fill out this form.

Starting a Successful Link Building Campaign

In my previous post, I discussed the basics of search engine optimization and went over some practical internal SEO. Now we will focus on external SEO, primarily building a variety of different links for your website.

What are aspects of a successful link building campaign?

Link building is the process of reaching out to other website owners and bloggers and securing links back to your site. This can be done by simply asking for a link, giving away free content, exchanging widgets, exchanging links, and a variety of other ways. Google and most search engines have taken a strong stance on purchasing links and spamming, however, and your site can be removed from listings if found in violation.

What kind of sites should I target when link building?

What's your ideal day?

Back in early December, when designer friend Dani Nordin from The Zen Kitchen was in Brooklyn, we sat down and thought about our marketing desires and goals for 2010. Our thoughts aligned also with trying to make our lives better in general and less stressed. From there we asked ourselves how we can organize our businesses and lives to be more symbiotic.

This hoity-toity coffee-shop introspection led to the following questions:

+ What would be my ideal day?

+ How much client work (with raised rates) do I have to do in order to fit in health balances?

+ How much marketing do I have to do support my business and where I want to be?

+ What would make me feel less stressed out and how can I build it into my day?

+ How do those goals line up with my natural body rhythm? 

After that, I thought about it and here’s my ideal day (for now)...

• 7am — Wake up, shower, breakfast
• 7:45-8:45am — Make a list of the day’s work, evaluate previous day, walk boyfriend to subway & take a walk around the neighbourhood
• 9am — Email
• 10-11:30am — Client work
• 11:30am-12pm — Reading articles, Web, social networking, etc.
• 12-12:30pm — Lunch
• 12:30-2pm — Biz Dev / Marketing / Housekeeping (I’m usually sleepy after lunch and can work on more automated tasks)
• 2-4pm — Client work
• 4-4:30pm — Email
• 4:30-5pm — Walk around/free thinking (my energy starts to flag then)
• 5-6:30pm — Client work and evaluating tomorrow

Since I’m starting classes for my MFA this month, this schedule will also morph for classes and doing school projects. It’s not perfect, but it’s good start on a larger goal of having a clearer path to less stress, more success.

All of this leads to the basic concept of "Billing Based on Your Ideal Day." Reviewing that schedule, it looks like roughly 5 hours a day, or 25 hours a week, is dedicated to client work besides email. How many clients do I or you need to bring in each month or each quarter to fit an ideal day? How much marketing do we have to do to attract those clients?

As it stands with my current need to meet $5,000 a month, I would need to bring in roughly 2 projects a month. I reduced my monthly income goal from $7,000-$8,000 when I took into account I will not be able to work as much with school. Hence, the need to raise my rates and attract clients who can pay them. 

To get those projects and clients, Dani and I calculated: 2 projects/month = 10 proposals/month = talking to 60 people/month. This means I have to speak to or follow up with 2 new people per day to reach my goal. Yes, talking to new people/cold calling is scary but this could take the form of networking events, blog posts, or just talking to someone at the bookstore with a common interest. Planning marketing and networking into your work day can help conquer excuses to escape your marketing because you’ve deliberately set aside time just for you and your business. The 1.5 hours currently in my schedule should be enough to converse or write my way to a new client. 

So tell me, what about y’all? Please share your ideal days and any tips in the comments. We would love to see how other folks are incorporating two crucial components into their day: taking care of themselves and their businesses!

Tricia Okin runs papercut, a small design firm branding and designing for the mobile and food sectors while playing wingman to larger design firms.

Turn Your Intentions Into Projects

In my latest edition of Biz Bits, I talk about how to identify intentions and turn them into reality. Here's how:

Over the holiday season, I spent a few days in a hotel room while I was visiting family out of town.  While in the room I indulged in a little TV watching, something I don’t do at home since I gave up my cable subscription a few years ago.  The commercials, in particular, fascinated me.  And this being a few days before New Years almost every ad had to do with making resolutions.

Give up smoking.  Flatten your stomach.  Eat better food.  Make money from home.  In other words, a slow drip of self-inflected guilt with hopes to get it all fixed by simply dialing an 800 number.

We all know that it takes more than a phone call and three easy payments to change our lives.  Real change takes dedication, commitment and a process to keep us engaged.  Real change doesn’t start with a whim inspired by slick copy and a fast-talking pitchman; it starts with naming your intentions and shifting your mindset to what it is that you really want to change.  
 
But identifying your intentions is only the first step to see them become reality. If you want to see results, turn your intentions into projects. A project aligned with your intentions will give you the framework and structure to move things along. Your project will help you stay connected to your intentions throughout the year so when January 2011 arrives you have something big to celebrate.

In the same way that you approach a creative project and break it down into small manageable steps, apply the same creative principles to your intentions. Here is the simple 10-step process I created and follow:

1. Identify the area you want to change
2. Choose your intention in that area
3. Create a project you can work on addressing this intention
4. Give the project a timeline and a deadline
5. Plan the preparation work before getting started
6. Divide the project into milestone phases
7. Break down each phase into small manageable weekly tasks
8. Add the tasks to your calendar
9. Get an accountability buddy to keep you in check
10. Decide how to celebrate when you've reached each milestone

You can apply this process to any area in your life and business and start seeing movement and change almost immediately. Get out of the habit of setting goals and losing track of them a couple of weeks into the new year. If you're serious about changing something, it all starts with the intentions you set and the way you treat them.
 
To get more tips like this delivered to your inbox, sign up for Biz Bits today.
 
Peleg Top is the co-founder of Marketing Mentor and works with creative agency owners in helping them grow their business, become more profitable and live a balanced life. Biz Bits, his free monthly business tips, will add a dose of inspiration to your business growth efforts. Sign up to get Biz Bits delivered to your inbox today.

How are we doing?

This morning, Ilise and I were talking about today’s blog post. She brought up the topic of this being a good time of year to have a conversation with clients -- about how things have gone this year, what’s worked, and what could be improved.

So, I took the opportunity to ask Ilise, “How have things gone this year? What have you liked? What can we improve?” (I’m not only a website copywriter – Ilise also calls me her "right hand.")

We had a great chat about the work we’ve done this year… how we have worked together and how we could grow in 2010.

Fortunately, we try to discuss and improve upon any hiccups as they happen. But not all working relationships are this way. Are your clients forthright about issues? Or do they need to be asked?

How about you? Are you the kind of person who says, “This isn’t working for me”? Or do you keep it in and ultimately resent your client?

We think that communication is the key to having good working relationships. To quote Ilise, “Clear communication is the key to success.”

So, for the sake of a productive, fruitful 2010, talk to your clients today. Come up with one thing you like, and one thing you would like to improve in each working relationship. Then call the client and have the discussion.

You will definitely get feedback that will help you improve your relationship in the future – and you might even get some well-deserved praise and appreciation (and don't forget to ask if you can use it as a testimonial)!

Try it. And let us know what happens.