Standing out

As the carousel revolved, I had a moment of panic, watching all the black suitcases going round and round.

I realized that because I was only in Ottawa for an overnight stay, I’d brought a different suitcase, one that was not labelled nor had any sign on it that would indicate its ownership.

Terrified that I would not identify my suitcase, I watched them all very closely.

Don’t worry, my case and I were happily reunited.  Part of my nervousness was that my “dress-up” clothes were in the suitcase and I had visions of myself talking at House of Commons in my jeans!

But there are some business lessons from this little story. 

1.     You have to stand out.  In a sea of black suitcases, mine looked just like everyone else’s.

Just like my luggage, if you don’t do something different to stand out, you run the risk of fading into the background.

2.     Let people know how to contact you.  If my luggage had gone missing or home with someone else, there was nothing on the suitcase to let the person know how to contact me. 

With your marketing materials, make sure it is clear how potential customers can connect with you.

3.     Protect your assets.  I quite easily could have had to make my presentation not dressed for the part. 

Don’t leave it to chance that a key element could go missing.  Have a plan B, so you are ready to face any eventuality.

What did I do?  I went off and purchased a luggage tag, tied a sock to the handle and so the journey home was less stressful.

Take the stress out of your business – plan ahead and make sure your unique offerings are evident to all.

When using your connections works a charm

This week one of our speakers cancelled just before an event.  What to do? What was our Plan B?

We had a good crowd coming, so cancelling was not an option.  Instead when we checked to see who was registered, we found that we had two marketing experts coming.  

While not like the marketing generalist we’d 

booked, each knew her stuff about her aspect of marketing – social media and video – so we asked them to quickly prepare a short presentation.

And they did.  Not only was it good to involve the women in the group but also to showcase the expertise we already had in the room.

Yes they were a bit nervous.  It’s hard to strut your stuff in front of your peers, fearing they will judge you, but you know what,  I bet they both went up a notch in people’s perception of them because they came to our rescue and because they knew what they were talking about.

All of this to say that sometimes plan B works out better than your original plan. 

I remember going to the theatre once and being disappointed that we had the understudy, but she was amazing and it proved to me that sometimes it is better to leave your expectations at the door. I could have so easily let that disappointment colour my view of the results, but I didn’t.  I decided to be open to what unfolded and it worked well.

Just like it did the other night. It is always good to have a Plan B in your back pocket and often when things don’t work out the way you wanted, it makes you more creative and you come up with a great solution.  In our case, we tapped into our connections.

Maybe Plan B stands for Better.

Are you paying attention?

I was watching our cows the other day.  I’d just come outside and they were in the field closest to the farmhouse.  Scattered across the field, all of them were aware that I was there and they stood still, their eyes following my every move, from wherever they were standing.

It struck me that this is what we want in our business – to get the attention of our audience, no matter where they are.  So how do we do that?

First I think you have to be clear on who your target audience is.  That sounds obvious but you would be surprised at how often business owners don’t dig deep enough to get a picture in their mind of who they want to reach.

Second, like the cows, you want to grab their attention from wherever they gather which means that you need a consistent message that is delivered in different ways so you reach all of them.

Third, you may also have several audiences, so the one size fits all approach isn’t going to work. You may have to tweak and tailor your message to suit a specific target group.

After a while, the cows lost interest.  But I am sure when I go out again, they will be back watching me, which leads me to my fourth suggestion that you need to stay on  your customers’ radar on a regular basis, so you stay front of mind with them.

Now when our dog comes out, the cows really pay attention, especially when he feels it is duty to “round them up. ” And an element of surprise can work in the business world too.  Often the surprise these days can be going that extra mile in customer service, as that is sadly a rare occurrence.

Bottom line – don’t take your customers for granted.  You have to work to get them, and keep them.  Make sure you grab their attention.   After all, you don’t want them to graze elsewhere.  You don’t want to be put out to pasture.

The business of books

Writing a book is a complex project.  You start with an idea and a few key messages and then spend months writing and rewriting what you want to say. 

Sometimes you do some research to make sure what’s being written is valid and is providing practical, helpful information. 

Sometimes you have to take a break as the words are just not flowing and you are not in the “zone.”

But then there comes the time to stop, look at what you’ve written and determine if you have indeed got a book, that you have accomplished what you set out to do.

This summer I have been working on two books – One Red Lipstick - which is about how as women, no matter what is going on in our lives, we put on our lipstick and get on with it.  The book shares stories of women entrepreneurs who have, in some cases, overcome the odds to succeed.  

The Good Enough? book on the other hand is looking at how women so often don’t feel good enough, and how can we change that pattern for ourselves.  Amy Hunter and I have been working on this book for some time now and have connected with over 350 women to hear their stories and concerns. 

So two books which focus on women but from different angles.  We are turning the corner on both of them and are on the last lap.  At this time of reflection I am realizing that the rules that apply in business, also apply in book writing too.

It’s all about the customer/reader

For example,  all along the stories/chapters have been compiled in a certain order – logical from my perspective, each building on the next – but not, in hindsight, perhaps the most appealing to the reader.   

Too frequently we get caught up in our perspective instead of thinking about the reader. We focus on what we want to say, rather than what the reader may need to learn or find interesting.

In business I am always talking about listening to your customer and offering what they want rather than what you want to offer.  Clearly I need to listen to my own advice when it comes to writing books.

I am convinced that when you put the reader first and foremost, you are more likely to capture their attention and bottom line… sell more books.   

Understand your target audience

Just as knowing your target audience is important in running a successful business, so too is understanding who you want to reach with your book and what they will find inspiring, reassuring or whatever the goal is for your book.

You can’t share everything you know

Often we write a book to use as platform to position ourselves as an expert, and that is all good and fine, but in preparing your material, it all gets back to the reader – if you include too much information or use jargon, you will lose them.  As Sam Horn shared in her presentation with us – our attention span is limited.

Far better to stick to the crucial information rather than drown your readers in a sea of words.  Plus then you’ve got enough material for a sequel.

Thank goodness for computers as we move things around and get more into the flow of the books.  I’ve got three books already under my belt, but each time it’s like giving birth and there are times when you just want to go into premature labour.  But it’s always best to stick with it for the long haul and deliver your new bundle when it’s ready to be shared with the world.

Timing is Everything

I heard a funny story the other day from an acquaintance.  I’ll call her Mary in order to protect the guilty.

She was sharing that she strategically chooses the best time to slip expensive purchases past her husband.  She knows that as a principal he is really busy just before March Break and before school starts in the fall, and so that is when she zeros in to make her major purchases. 

This year she bought a brand, spanking new, stainless steel fridge.  “It was weeks before he noticed” she observed and her children joined in the fun, wondering just how long it would take for Dad to catch on that they had a new fridge.

It made me chuckle, but there is also some business truth in this too.  Timing is key when you are launching a new program or product.  Choose the wrong time and you’ve missed the boat, especially with products for the holiday season.  People start shopping earlier and earlier, and in the magazine business, think six months ahead.

It is not just the timing that you have to know, it’s your customer too.  This woman knew her husband so well that she knew when he would be distracted.  How well do you know your prospective customers?  Do you have the breakdown of when and where they are likely to purchase what you have to offer.  It would be good information to have in your back pocket. 

Of course the other trick, especially with husbands, is to make them think it was their idea in the first place.

TEN TIPS ON MARKETING YOUR BUSINESS

Last week I was invited to serve on a panel to discuss marketing. At first I thought… what do I know on this topic? But as I started to reflect on the growth of Company of Women over the past eight years, I thought maybe I do know a thing or two. Here’s a summary of the information I shared.


1. Know and understand your target audience
A common mistake I find with those in start-up mode is that they don’t drill down enough to determine who is their target audience and as a result, they miss the sale. So often there is an attitude of “if I build it, they will come” well not necessarily.

Even when you have mastered who your ideal client is and how to reach them, it is not a time to get complacent. Marketing is ongoing and you have to be constantly checking in, changing things up to make sure you stay current.

2. Create a buzz.
Every time we start in a new community, we work hard to create a buzz and rely heavily on word of mouth referrals which is still the way we attract new women to the group. Like attracts like and women are especially good at spreading the word on a service or program they’ve found and like. Plus the price is right.

3. Have a website and keep it current. It has to be easy to navigate and written in simple language.

4. Use social media
Get involved with social media – it doesn’t take as much time as you think. If you are reading this, you will know that I have a blog. Company of Women is also on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. If you want to reach younger people – this is the way to go.

5. Provide useful information – it’s not all about you
On our website we have over 300 articles on business and our magazine is a strong marketing tool. It gives credibility to our group and reflects the professional approach we take to working with women.

6. Stay in touch
Keep yourself front and centre with your customers. We send out a monthly e-zine which has useful information as well as a list of our events. Flyers are also sent out on a regular basis, but it is a fine line and bombarding people is one way to lose them fast. Using a program like Constant Contact helps.

7. Give back/volunteer
As the leader of your own company, you have an opportunity to lead by example. When you give back or volunteer in the community, you just never know what the ripple effect will be. For example, through one volunteer activity for example, I ended up receiving an award, which in turn led to paid speaking engagement in Turkey. It was not why I volunteered, but sure was a nice payback.

8. Be good at what you do – go the extra mile
When you act professionally, share your expertise and help someone else, again it can be paid forward. When one of our members was asked by a reporter who had helped her the most, she said Company of Women which led to a full-page coverage in the Toronto Star, coverage that we could never have afforded.

9. Build relationships
Keep in touch with key clients or influencers, not just to discuss business but to offer congratulations for example on a special award or the birth of a grandchild. Those personal touches keep you front and centre in their mind.

10. Ask for referrals
This may seem obvious, but our existing clients are our best sales force. Ask them to write a testimonial or referral you to a friend or colleague.

It is not recommended that you use one approach to market your business, your strategy has to be multi-faceted. Review and track the results so you can measure what is working best for you. Ask people how they found out about you, you might be surprised, and remember to thank the person who has referred you.