This is Week 48 of a 52-week project/experiment in DIY marketing. Armed with nothing but a copy of the 2009 Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and my bare wits, I'm applying the skills you need to grow a business in real time, day by day, and reporting on them week by week. See the Project Companion Blog, A Virgo's Guide to Marketing, for in-depth posts, additional links and other marketing-related goodness.
Welcome to Week 47 of my adventure of following the Start Up Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and Week 10 as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.
It’s good to be thankful everyday – but Thanksgiving is a nice reminder to really think about the things we are grateful for. So that’s what I’m going to do! When it comes to my work – here is what I am thankful for:
I hope you have lots to be thankful for too. If you feel like sharing, please do!
Happy Thanksgiving!
In the last year, I’ve started appearing on video a lot more often…though not in the way you might think. I’m getting a growing number of requests from creative partners to replace phone conversations with videoconferences. I have several clients who regularly communicate this way, and have also used it to keep in touch with friends in Germany and Belgium.
Videoconference technology isn’t new, though until recently it’s mostly been seen in corporate boardrooms. In the last few years it’s become more common among creatives as video support has been added or improved in applications such as AIM, iChat, and Skype; and with the spread of inexpensive or built-in video cameras for computers. It’s free, doesn’t use minutes of my cell phone plan, and allows me to have a face-to-face confab with some of the folks I regularly interact with.
Yet at the same time, I’ve also noticed that it’s causing insidious changes in the way I work.
For example, even though I spend most of my on-the-job time in a home office, I’m finding that I’m less likely to skip shaving in the morning. I’ve become more careful about how I dress, how I arrange my office, and how often I clean my desk (or at least push clutter off-camera). Just this week I rearranged my desk so that my computer camera now faces a bookcase instead of a sunny window that I had to close whenever someone came calling on video.
I’ll be frank: as a recovering introvert, there are times when I resent people looking into my world this way. Didn’t I become a freelance creative so that I could have more control over my work environment? Yet I’m also finding that I enjoy the face time. I feel like I have a stronger working relationship with the folks who visit my computer screen. And while I’m not one of those people who goes bonkers from working alone all day, I’ve learned that the occasional video call can be very refreshing.
Though I’ve only been doing video for a few months, I’ve already realized that it requires a different approach than talking on the phone. Here’s a few tips:
• The other person can see you. This may sound like a no-brainer, but I’ve found that many people subconsciously treat video calls like regular phone calls. They’ll multitask, doodle, pick their noses (yes, I’ve seen someone do this), and do other things they would never think of doing if you were actually there. Be sure to interact with the other person as if they were sitting in the same room with you.
• Look at the camera regularly. Would you sit sideways and talk to a wall if a client was in your office? That’s what many people unconsciously do on video. This is often because their camera is next to the computer or on a nearby shelf. While they’re looking at you on the screen, they may not realize that from your perspective they’re staring off into space. You have a bit of an advantage if your computer has a built-in camera, since you can look at the person you’re talking to and be looking in the general direction of the camera at the same time. Even if I’m on a machine with a built-in camera, I make an effort to look directly at the lens every few seconds. This felt a bit strange at first, but I made myself develop the habit because it’s the only way I can give my caller the kind of eye contact they’d expect if we were face-to-face.
• Smile. Any professional telephone salesperson will tell you how important it is to smile when you talk on the phone. Guess what? Now that your callers can see you, it’s even more important.
• Talk into your microphone. Many computers and cameras have limited microphones that only pick up sound from one direction. Just as it’s important to look at the camera, you’ll probably get better audio quality if you directly face the microphone. You should also avoid covering your mouth with your hand or anything else when you speak.
• Be aware of what your clothing and your office say about you. What your callers see should reflect the image you want to project. One of my clients recently did a video call in a track suit because he had just returned from a morning hike. That’s fine with me, because we have a long-established working relationship, and it lets me know that I don’t have to stress about what I’m wearing if he pings me for an unscheduled video call. On the other hand, if I know a hot prospect will be calling on my screen, you can bet I’ll dress the same way I would for a face-to-face meeting. Think about what’s behind you too. Do you do posters for jazz bands? Hang a few of them on the wall the camera sees. You don’t have to make your workspace look like a newsroom, but try for something more interesting than a white wall.
• You don’t have to go on camera all the time. Last week I was recovering from a bout of bronchitis when I got pinged for a video call. I sent a quick instant message to the caller, telling him that I was getting better but had a face made for radio, and asked if we could stick to audio. We had a good laugh about it and just did an audio chat that morning. If you’re working in your pajamas, get a call when you’re not fully dressed, or are just having a bad hair day, don’t be afraid to tell your caller that you can’t do video right now…it’s your decision.
Is video calling becoming a bigger part of your business? Let us know how and if it’s affecting the way you work.
Tom N. Tumbusch writes copy for green businesses and the creative agencies that serve them. Learn more about him at www.wordstreamcopy.com. You can chat with him by video once he knows you a little better.
This is Week 47 of a 52-week project/experiment in DIY marketing. Armed with nothing but a copy of the 2009 Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and my bare wits, I'm applying the skills you need to grow a business in real time, day by day, and reporting on them week by week. See the Project Companion Blog, A Virgo's Guide to Marketing, for in-depth posts, additional links and other marketing-related goodness.
Week 47 found me continuing my two-week tour of the Pacific Northwest, combining (marketing) work with pleasure in a way that had me questioning what's really work, and what's really marketing.
Read the full story, along with this week's round-up of tasks completed, at the Virgo Guide.
Welcome to Week 46 of my adventure of following the Start Up Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and Week 9 as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.
If you need to get your booty movin’ on your marketing, the Marketing Plan Group will get you there. Since I launched my new business, Connect with Copy, I’ve had something on my marketing to-do list, and I’ve been moving it – from week to week to week.
This item was: Update social networking profiles
Fortunately for me, Lesson 4 in the Marketing Plan Group is all about creating effective social networking profiles – and that’s all it took to get me going. Not only is the guidance super-useful, it’s also really great to get feedback from the group and know you’re on the right track, instead of waffling around on your own. (If you don't want to waffle anymore, there will be a group starting the week of Dec 7 for those who have some down time over the holidays to focus on their business for 2010.)
Here are my updated profiles. I took the approach of here's the problem, and here's how I can help. (Feedback and new connections are very welcome!)
On today’s group phone call, we discussed how our fellow group members use LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Biznik for business. This conversation was really useful because by hearing the experiences of others, it helped us to get a better idea of how social networking can fit into our businesses. We discussed things like how often we Tweet, how we manage our time, and what kind of results we've gotten.
Do you have a social networking strategy? Do you spend a specific amount of time per day? What kind of results have you seen?
Several years back, when I knew that if I wanted to grow my business, I would need help, I hired a local singer/songwriter to help me with odds and ends. She was smart and quick and better than me at research, especially.
Then she moved to Boston, and because it wasn't so easy to work virtually at the time, we went our separate ways.
Hers was to continue focusing on her folk music and she has since won several awards for it.
And now she has been nominated in the "Folk Act of the Year" category of the Boston Music Awards and I just voted for her.
Will you too?
Vote for Amy Fairchild here (under "Folk Act of the Year) -- deadline is Nov 30:
http://www.thebostonmusicawards.com/contests/bma09/vote/
Become a fan (and listen to her music) on her Facebook page here:
http://www.facebook.com/amyfairchildmusic
A few years ago I found myself in a professional conundrum. The head of a nonprofit agency approached me to lead a workshop - his organization provides services to small business owners, and he wanted me to conduct a talk about branding. Of course! I said, thinking what a great opportunity this was, plus I was flattered to be recognized for my experience in the industry.
Talking in public is a great tool to include in one’s marketing toolbox:
• it positions you as a expert in your field
• audience members sometimes turn into leads
• promotion of the event gets your name out there
But soon I became aware of a big problem. As the time drew nearer to give the workshop, I lay awake each night in a panic at the thought of standing up in front of a room full of people. I tried to dismiss this anxiety, but it became worse, so much so until it became an actual terror. Eventually I was forced to tell my contact that I was unable to follow through with my commitment (although not before I was able to find him a highly-regarded replacement speaker).
I did not feel good at all about my decision to cancel the talk. Not only had I reneged on my commitment, thereby letting someone down who respected my professional expertise (and who could possibly have turned into a prospect), I was well aware that my lifelong phobia of public speaking was having a negative affect on my career by preventing me from growing as a business person.
Apparently I am not alone: three out of every four individuals - 75 percent - suffer from speech anxiety. According to national surveys, fear of performing in public ranks among Americans' top dreads, surpassing fear of illness, flying, spiders, terrorism, and often the fear of death itself. So even though I found myself with lots of company, I knew I had to do something, and I chose to do what many thousands of people before me with similar dread have done: I joined Toastmasters. This organization, with local clubs around the world, helps people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience.
I found it to be a supportive, un-threatening environment in which to practice getting up and speaking in front of people. At first I was constantly terrified. I would regularly ask myself: Julia, why are you doing this to yourself – voluntarily? Every time I prepared a speech, it felt like I was doomed, like I was walking the plank with a gun held to my head. But somehow I would get through it and the butterflies in my stomach, at first banging around madly in my gut to the point of nausea, would dissipate. After weekly practice, I no longer lay awake at night dreading my pending performance. It really did get easier each time, aided in great part by the supportive evaluations I received from fellow club members, all of whom knew exactly how I was feeling.
I grew to enjoy the Toastmasters structure, which has members giving short speeches with specific objectives, at their own pace and on whatever topic they choose. Eventually I grew confident enough to deliver talks and workshops like the one I had passed up earlier. And most recently - fifteen months after joining the organization - I am proud to announce I recently completed my first paid public speaking gig.
Now here’s the bonus. While honing public speaking skills, the practice of physically writing speeches - a time-consuming process - has also contributed to my marketing efforts. How? As a small business owner, I am naturally interested in the topic of self-promotion, so many of my speech topics revolve around this theme. After a speech is written and delivered, I can re-purpose it – for example, as a blog post, email newsletter topic, or a conversation starter on LinkedIn.
How have you used public speaking as a marketing tool? Do you have any success stories you can share?
Julia is the Principal of Julia Reich Design, a small, award-winning creative brand strategy and graphic design firm. Julia and her creative team help clients— primarily nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and progressive businesses— with branding, print design, package design, and website design. She has a special passion for working with the food, wine, tourism, environmental and agriculture sectors
In addition to running her graphic design firm, Julia is involved in a leadership capacity for several organizations. She also conducts public speaking engagements on topics including self-promotion for small businesses, branding, and online social media. Connect with her and learn more at Twitter, and LinkedIn.
I heard a great tip last week from Monique Elwell, CEO of Conversify, a social media marketing start up.
Monique told me she got into the habit of buying a really expensive piece of jewelry right before going into a negotiation with a prospect or client. I asked her why and she said, "It made me ask for more, for what the work is actually worth, and prevented me from convincing myself that I shouldn't." Listen here.
Do you have any tricks like that?
This is Week 46 of a 52-week project/experiment in DIY marketing. Armed with nothing but a copy of the 2009 Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and my bare wits, I'm applying the skills you need to grow a business in real time, day by day, and reporting on them week by week. See the Project Companion Blog, A Virgo's Guide to Marketing, for in-depth posts, additional links and other marketing-related goodness.
Hop over to the Virgo Guide for the skinny on how vacations can be profitable, how work can feel more like vacation and how none of it ever has to feel like marketing.
Welcome to Week 45 of my adventure of following the Start Up Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar and Week 8 as a member of the Marketing Plan Group. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a website copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning from my group experience.
Now that I am self-employed, I get tremendous support from other self-employed people like me... which is one of the reasons I love being a part of the Marketing Plan Group.
Last week, on our group call, we worked on finalizing our 10-word blurbs, which I talked about a little bit in a recent post. I made progress on the blurb by talking to my buddy and doing my worksheet, and then, on the call, Ilise helped iron it out.
I'm proud to say, my new blurb is: I help small business owners turn their ideas into words that connect with their audience. I think this really works for me -- because I don't just write website copy, newsletters, and articles. I help small business owners get their ideas across, and I love that my new blurb expresses that.
This week's lesson and homework is about working on our online presence. More on that next week!