I’m going to be totally honest with you guys. I love anyone who follows the Edward Tufte school of thought that PowerPoint is dumbing us down. Peggy Klaus didn’t reveal her allegiances until the very last chapter, but I’ll forgive her, since I enjoyed the rest of her book so much.

Peggy’s book, Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn Without Blowing It, should be required reading for designers, even though it’s not specifically targeted at us. Designers are notorious for despising self-promotion – I can list on one hand the designers I know who actually enjoy it. But here’s the thing: If we don’t promote ourselves, who’s going to do it? Peggy points out the obvious but increasingly important point that the workplace is no longer “safe.” Loyalty to a company in exchange for job security is going the way of the dinosaur. (Some would argue that it already has gone.) So we can’t just assume that the work we do is going to be enough to keep us employed or help us find our next job (or client).

The book is divided into sections: bragging myths; the “Take 12” self-evaluation; business bragging (including the infamous elevator speech and handling performance reviews); “techno-bragging”; converting job interviews into job offers; leveraging networking when you don’t have a “real” job; using your personal history to give yourself and your company credibility; “brag nags” (key communication techniques); and “12 Tooting Tips”.

One of the first things Peggy teaches her readers to do is to create “brag bites.” These are little snippets about you that stick – they are “authentic, compelling, and delivered in a conversational way.” For example, one of mine might be a favorite story that my mother likes to tell.

One Saturday morning when I was about 10, I took a card table, a piece of posterboard, and my little brother out to the front of our house, and sat down on our front steps. We were out there for a few hours, so finally, my mom came out to find out what we were doing (and why my brother was running after the occasional car that came down our street). She thought we were selling lemonade, but discovered that I was actually selling my handmade jewelry.

This little story is memorable, short, and shows off some great personality traits (creativity, determination, and enterprising spirit). But if I were to tell you that story in the context of conversation, say, over dinner, it’s unlikely you’d sit there and think, “Wow, this Erin chick is really full of herself!” And therein lies the secret. It’s all about presenting yourself in a way that lets people draw those great conclusions about you on their own, rather than you having to shout it from the rooftops yourself. (Because, really, that’s just annoying for everyone.)

Some of the most useful chapters in the book cover what Peggy calls “techno-bragging” and the workplace. With more and more people working off-site, or simply dealing with the deluge of emails and voicemails they get buried under every day, it can be hard to stay on your boss’s radar. Just “making the numbers” isn’t good enough. I found this one particularly relevant as a designer, because I think we often believe that the quality of our work shows off exactly how awesome we are. But the truth is, it doesn’t. We’re not always in jobs (or working with clients) where we get to do our most creative work. And even when we are, it is still sometimes a struggle to explain how our excellent design work brings value to our company (or client). So we have to make sure people know who we are, what we’re doing, and why it’s important to them. There are some great examples of how people have used technology to their advantage, keeping them on the radar of bosses and higher-ups (including one story about a guy who needed to not only make himself visible, but had to figure out how to deal with an attention-hogging coworker), as well as how to ace a performance review.

By far, my favorite thing comes at the very end of the book. Peggy tells the story of going to a conference she was invited to speak at, and receiving a nametag that listed her as “Peggy Klaus, Communications Expert.” She panicked at the sight of “expert” attached to her name, saying she felt like she couldn’t possibly be an expert, despite the fact that she was invited to speak at this conference! (She actually tried to scrape the word “expert” off her nametag with a butter knife. She only got as far as the T.) On some level, we all suffer from the Imposter Complex, regardless of how much we actually do know and have accomplished.

So go forth, BoDo readers, and find a copy of this book. (And read it. Don’t go using it to prop up your coffee table or filling in your bookshelf.)

Erin Harris | Visual Communication Designer
erinmharris.com | BoDo Author | Erin Reviews

If you’ve followed the news, you know the economy here in the US is slowing down. The housing market is tanked, foreclosures are skyrocketing and the credit belt is tightening. As a matter of fact, I just read that foreclosures were up a whopping 79% in 2007 over 2006. Yikes! Plus this is an election year and that usually means companies cut back on marketing until they see who will be hanging out in the Oval Office for the next four years.

So, what does this mean to you and your business? It means a couple of things. First, if you haven’t been aggressively marketing your practice, you’re already behind the eight ball. Second, you’d better start educating your clients about what to do to help insure their success in a slow economy.

Research has shown, over and over, that the successful companies are the ones who maintain, or better increase, their marketing activities during slow times. Typically, one of the first things to be cut during a slump is marketing. So, while the competition is cutting back and losing market presence, the ones who step things up are the ones who increase their visibility. Plus, because of this increased visibility, they’re poised to be in a much better position when things start to recover. Often, they can overtake a top gun who cut their budget. This goes for both your clients and your practice.

But, for many indy designers, marketing dollars are already hard to come by. So, it’s time to used brains instead of bucks and savvy instead of spending.

Here’s a few ideas to help get you through the tough times.

1. Build your list
It’s always best to build your own list, rather than renting one. When you build your own, you do the research and learn a lot more about your prospects’ companies than just a name, addresses and maybe a phone number. When you know about your prospects, it’s easier to tailor your message to address common problems and challenges.

2. Use your list
This is a no-brainer, but if you don’t use your list, all that time building it was a waste. It’s always nice to mail out a snazzy 4-color piece or a slick promo package like the ones that grace the pages of HOW Magazine’s Self Promotion Annual. But, if times are slow, consider a well-written letter of introduction along with your business card. You can do the jazzy thing later when the wampum’s flowing in.

Be sure to follow up by phone. This is the critical area where lots of folks fail. Without follow up plan, even the cost of some paper and stamps are often squandered.

Another tactic is burning CDs with your promo instead of having it printed. It’s a bit more expensive than a simple letter, but, since you can create them on demand, it’s less than a printed piece.

3. Focus on industries less effected by a slow down
Think about what people are always going to need when things are slow. For instance, if you now focus on construction and housing, you might start promoting to the healthcare market. People are always going to need medical care.

4. Expand your horizons
If it’s looking like your local area may not be able to sustain you during a sluggish period, it’s time to start thinking about expanding regionally or even nationally.

Back in the day, I used to fly hither and yon for meetings, press checks and such. Now, via the Internet, I can work with remote client as easy as if they’re next door. Sometimes, it’s even easier.

5. Get some press
If you’re getting slow, consider using this time to put together your press kit. Send it out to your local media and also trade magazines within your niche.

Look for things that you can put a newsy spin on and write a release. Have you joined a committee for some community or nonprofit project? Offering any new services? Maybe you just completed a project that would make a good case study for an industry publication.

6. Get back in touch with former clients
Pick up the phone and renew some old connections. Maybe get together for lunch or just coffee. Learn what they’ve been up to. Find ways to keep in touch. How about an e-newsletter or occasionally emailing them some useful links to articles, sites and such? Become a resource.

7. Dialing for dollars
If you’re slow, you can do a few things – Play some mindless Solitaire, watch Oprah or pick up the phone. Cold/warm calling is a numbers game, but it’s still one of the quickest ways to nab some new business.

8. Get active
Join and get active in some community groups and/or business organizations. Get on a committee or two. Or, better yet, chair them. This will increase your visibility and get your name around. Working on committees also lets others see how you work.

9. Suggest project ideas to your clients
If you’re on top of your clients’ businesses, and you should be, find ideas that will help them out. Perhaps they have a new product or service that could use a brochure or news release. Maybe their site is stale and needs a lift.

10. Upsell at every opportunity
So, you’ve got a gig. Great. Maybe it’s a brochure for a new product. Could they also use an ad? Perhaps you’re doing a menu. Your client might also need table tents to feature the new entrees.

For instance, one of my clients called me in for some marketing consulting. We hashed some things around and I suggested news release about a particularly successful joint venture. I wrote the release. Upgrade number one. The release was picked up by a trade publication. It was my client’s first press mention. They were pleased as punch and it generated some inquiries from new prospects.

On the heels of that success, I suggested they do a press kit and shoot it off to their [small] media list. Upgrade number two. We sent out the kit to the six editors on their list. That resulted in two feature stories and one invitation for my client to submit a feature. Guess who writes that? Upgrade number three.

The feature stories resulted in several new inquires and customers. The new customers included companies in Asia – an entirely new market for them.

When you’re upselling, though, it’s important to keep in mind sound ethics. Don’t try to sell them something that they don’t need and won’t help them. You might get the gig but lose the client when it fails.

So, at the end of the day, or better, at the beginning, think of ways to maximize your marketing efforts without breaking the bank. Zig when your competition zags. Get visible. When the economic turnaround happens, you’ll be positioned to reel in the big fish.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

Confession: I didn’t start networking because I’d heard it was the newest fad in self-promotion, or because I was looking to increase my business. Nope. I started networking because I’d just had a baby, and those once-a-week networking lunches gave me an excuse to get out of the house, and get some much-needed adult conversation.

So…once a week, I’d get dressed up nice in my post-maternity outfit (which, by the way, looked an awful lot like my actual maternity outfits!), and go spend 90 minutes eating good food and talking about grown-up stuff…with a little business talk thrown in for good measure.

See, because my main priority was something other than business, I didn’t have to wear my salesperson hat. Instead, I focused on learning about the members of the group, and building relationships with them. And wouldn’t ya know it? Over time, as the people in the group got to know me, I began getting business. It was then that I realized the remarkable power behind building a professional network, and that to make networking WORK, I had to build relationships!

Since that first networking experience way back when, I’ve gone from a reluctant networker to an avid networker, and now I even run my own monthly networking group. For me, networking is not – and has never been – about selling…otherwise it would be called “net-selling” or “sell-working” (both of which evoke images of over-aggressive used-car salesmen types.) Maybe a more apt term would be “relationship working,” or better yet, “relationship building,” because ultimately that’s what successful networkers are doing: building a network of professionals with whom they have a relationship or connection with.

So the next time someone mentions networking, or invites you to an event, leave your salesperson hat at home. Go meet some people, be yourself and have fun! Eventually, what you do for a living will come up…but by that time, they’ll already love you, and will be more than happy to start sending business your way!

Join me next time, as I continue my journey Out of the Bedroom,
Tamar Wallace | Principal, TAMAR Graphics

So maybe you’re not quite ready to jump in and whip up a full blown article to submit to a publication. Perhaps it’s been a bit dry on the news front and there’s nothing to write for a release. Fear not! You still may be able to get your moniker in print.

How? Maybe you’re not a writer yet, but you can read and that’s a good start. Swing over to your favorite magazine seller and pick up some trade press that your clients and prospects are likely perusing. Read any articles in those that yanks your chains? Read something you wholeheartedly agree with? How about something you disagree with or maybe something that’s just plain dead wrong. Fire up that word processor and make your opinion known with a handy dandy Letter to the Editor.

The Letters to the Editor section of many publications has a high readership rate. They’re typically short, sweet and to the point, so you don’t need to worry about laboring over a hot keyboard writing one. Also, you’ve got a ready made topic to tout about.

The trick with Letters to the Editor (and there’s always a trick) is to have a valid point and introduce things with a line about your qualifications to comment. For instance, let’s say you’re writing a letter about an article you just read about low ball logo design (always a hot topic). You might write something like:

As a graphic designer with over 30 years experience in the field, I found your article, “Get a logo for a buck and a quarter” offensive, to say the the least.

Yada, yada, yada. You get the idea. Sign off with your name, company name, title and location. Some pubs will print it all. Others may only print your name and location. But hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Before you start banging things out on the ‘ole keyboard, give your position some quality thought. Be sure what you write is clear, factual and makes sense.

If you write something perspicacious (and don’t use words like that), in favor or against, odds are it will be picked up. Even better than immortalizing your name in print, some prospects might just Google up your site and contact you for more info about how you do that thing you do.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

In my last Marketing Minute, I wrote about tactics that involve an investment of time, talent and brains, rather than cash. Here’s the flip side. Maybe you hit the lottery or had a great night at the casino. Perhaps dear, old and obscenely rich, Uncle Waldo kicked off and left you a tidy sum. Either way, you’ve found some marketing moolah. Now you’re wondering where to drop that marketing dough before it burns a hole in your pocket. You’re in luck. Here’s a list of marketing activities that small businesses see as being the bee’s knees:

• Community relations – 55%
• Website – 47%
• PR/Media coverage – 31%
• Direct mail – 26%
• Yellow pages – 23%
• E-mail marketing – 21%
• Newspaper ads – 21%
• Search engine keywords – 18%
• Telephone marketing – 10%
• Outdoor advertising – 10%
• Print coupons – 6%
• Magazine advertising – 6%
• Radio advertising – 6%
• Web banner advertising – 5%

Source: Entrepreneur Magazine, August, 2005 / Interland

From this research, it appears that developing a program centered around community and public relations, reinforced with a solid website, is just the ticket.

So, get yourself a site, if you don’t already have one. Build it so it’s informative and useful to your audience. Consider adding some helpful tips, how-tos, articles, white papers and such. Think about what kind of information would be of aid to your audience. Put them first and the rest will follow.

Next, get involved in your community. Join a group or two that does good things for your hamlet or metropolis. Fork out some cash and join a business club or two. But, don’t simply join and just sit there … or worse, don’t show up at all. Yup, I’ve seen it happen all too often. People join a club with the best of intentions and they get busy, or are so slow they can’t afford the price of lunch, or they get just plain ‘ole lazy and stop going to meetings and events. The trick with a business club is to get involved and do stuff. Getting active in organizations helps to get you on the radar screen and you’ll have those nice warm fuzzy feelings from being such a nice person. Also, you might consider donating some design time to a worthy cause that’s close to your heart.

Plus, joining a group or two or doing a pro bono gig can give you some ammo for your public relations efforts. For instance, if you chair a committee, write a press release about it. Maybe you did a nifty poster or other piece for a nonprofit. Fire up your word processor du jour and get the news out.

Speaking of your public relations efforts, consider creating a press kit and shooting it out to your media list. To build your list, look through a copy of the Standard Rate & Data (SRDS). You can find one at your local library. The SRDS is the hefty book media buyers use to do their buying thing. It lists loads of information about consumer and trade publications and there’s also a version that covers newspapers. The Web is another source. Don’t forget trade organizations. They often produce newsletters or magazines and also post newsy stuff on their sites. After you have your press kit, keep up the good work by writing a steady stream of news releases and articles. Your first few attempts may not be published, but once an editor sees that you’re a consistent and a reliable source, they’ll start to print your nouns, verbs and even the occasional adjective.

Weighing in at 26%, direct mail’s another good tactic to round out your marketing efforts. Consider creating a postcard, letter of introduction or other mailer as one more touch point. If you choose to do a mailing, don’t forget to follow up by phone. That’s important. You might have a great mailer, but without a follow up strategy, you won’t pull as much as you could. Folks get busy and forget about you and your meritorious mail. What works for me is mailing in small groups of 20 - 25 or so and then making calls about a week after I’ve mailed the pieces. It doesn’t take too much time and it’s manageable. The following week, I repeat the process. Lately, I’ve been mailing out a brief, somewhat humorous, letter of introduction with a fax back form where folks can indicate their level of interest. It’s simply another point of contact and I still do the follow up calls.

Check around with other [noncompetitive] designers, photographers and writers to see how Yellow Page listings and ads work for them. I used to run a Yellow Pages ad, but never picked up a client as a result. I did, however, get loads and loads of calls from people looking for a job or selling aluminum siding. That said, I do know several creatives who get a fair amount of inquiries and work from them.

Ironically, even though designers often create print ads, they aren’t usually a good option to generate prospects. Print ads (newspaper, magazine, etc.) are a good vehicle for products or services that have a solid offer, such as discounts. But for designers, they’re costly and don’t provide a decent pay back in most cases. However, if you have a good niche industry that you serve, it might be worth it to pop an ad into a trade association newsletter or magazine, as a test, for name recognition. You might consider an offer of a complementary design review or a free white paper or report. If it works for you, great, but, odds are a well-placed news release or article will be better to help to position you as an expert.

At the end of the day, be frugal and smart. Spent your money on sensible vehicles that will give you the biggest bang for your hard-earned buck.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt