Issue 5 - April 26, 2003

Editor: Lynne Bullen
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

Publisher: Associated Secretarial
Copyright © 2003 Associated Secretarial

In this issue:

1. Editorial

3. Resources

5. Article: Always Ask About Competitors [Copyright © 2003 Linda Richardson]

6. Sponsors

7. Feedback

8. Subscribe/Unsubscribe

1. Editorial

Hello again - good to see you back! Hope you're well rested after the Easter break.

If you're new to Wedge's Newsletter, welcome aboard. We're glad you found us. To see previous issues just visit the archives.

If you'd like the low-down on our wonderful Wedge, click here.

The Easter break was really good for some of us. We relished the opportunity to down tools for a few extra days and catch up on all the other important stuff in our lives. Others of us worked our little butts off because, believe it or not, there are clients who seem to think that just because they're on holidays, it doesn't necessarily mean that we're on holidays. Think I've covered everyone!

In OZ, it was another "short" working week hot on the heels of the Easter long weekend, as we celebrated Anzac Day on 25 April. If you're interested in learning about the landing at Gallipoli in Turkey, and the history of the celebration of the fallen who fought for our freedom, visit this very informative website:
http://www.anzacsite.gov.au/

So now, down to work. Last time we discussed those two fabulous rainbows, The Art of Networking and The Art of Give and Take. These are the rainbows with the pots of gold at the end of them ... the rewards you will discover when you master these Arts. Two other equally important tools are Marketing and Advertising, which we'll explore now.

Oh, I hear you ... "Hold on! I haven't started yet". Well, there's no need to wait until you're in business to find out about these things. You can start your research today!

Lynne
lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au

2. Article: So, You Want To Be In Business? Part 5: Starting Out - the Basics

Marketing and Advertising are tools you'll need if you're about to take off. You will also need to keep working on them to maintain a successful business.

So what's the difference between Marketing and Advertising?

Branding, or packaging, is how you Market your product or service.

Advertising is how you get information about your product or service to the general public to bring you customers.

...We'll start with Marketing.

Marketing is the design and process by which your goods or services are "put out there" into the marketplace. Branding is a very large part of the marketing exercise. Branding, or packaging, is how you Market your product or service.

Many of the big multi-nationals are known by their logos, colours, packaging, catch phrases and tags. To give you an idea, the manufacturers of Holden, Ford, Mitsubishi and other motor vehicles all have a distinct logo. This logo appears wherever their name appears. If they advertise in Newspapers, on Television, or via huge Billboards there it is, and it goes right through from company stationery, business cards, brochures, etc., to the badge on the car. The Toyota motor vehicle manufacturer has the catch phrase "Oh, What a Feeling".

Some banks have catch phrases such as "Which bank?". Do you know which one it is? Fast food chains all have their outlets wearing the same logo, colours, and even dress their staff in uniforms that reflect the "brand". Just about everyone is familiar with KFC ... The logo includes a likeness of Colonel Sanders ... the packages are red and white...Get the idea?

Branding, or packaging, is how you Market your product or service. It needs to be recognised amongst all the other similar products or services. It should stand out.

Yes, I can hear you saying "Hey, I'm not a multi-national with squillions of dollars to spend on marketing!" But you do have a few dollars to spare ... so you need to use them wisely. An investment in branding your product or service is well worth the wallet becoming a little thinner.

Even a small business enterprise can create "branding" by carrying through with chosen colours, logos, etc., like the corporate imaging the larger companies do. It's a matter of carefully chosen words, and the look of your "package", whether you're selling a service or a tangible product. We touched on this briefly in Part 3 when we talked about your Business Stationery. You can create your own "image" or "brand" without having to spend a lot of money.

So now that you know what "branding" is and how it works, what are the other components of successfully marketing your service or product? Market research is vital. You need to find out who your competitors are. You need to know what your customers want. How are you going to win your share of the market?

For instance, ask your customers/clients what their perceptions of your business enterprise are. What would you like them to say? If you've not yet opened your doors, you can ask them what they would expect. When you know the needs of your customers (potential or existing) you can tailor your strategy to suit them.

Developing that strategy means that you will work on:

Eliminating the negative factors you can control by correcting or removing them
Minimising the negative factors you cannot control by reducing their effects
Capitalising on the positive factors you can not control by taking advantage of the fact that they are working in your favour
Leveraging the positive factors you can control by using them to exert more influence than the situation might normally allow.

You need to look at these factors on a regular basis, as things change.

Developing a good rapport with your clients/customers is paramount. Make contact often, but don't become a pest. Make sure you not only keep up with changes in your business, but also your customers' changing needs. This practice should be carried into the Advertising phase of your business.

So, let's move on to Advertising

Advertising: Let me count the ways! The accepted definition of Advertising is to give information that is designed to attract public attention, to bring you customers. It should be specifically designed to attract your targets, to let them know that your product or service is available.

There are so many ways you can promote or advertise your business. Newspapers, magazines, newsletters, notice boards, letter drops, delivery of flyers to local business. The list is almost endless.
What suits one business may not necessarily work for another. You have to find out what's right for you. That means doing a little sleuthing!

Need some ideas? Talk to the people you see on a regular basis (your local grocer, hairdresser, motor shop or service station, supermarket check-out girls and fellas). Engage them in conversation and find out what's happening in your area. Talk to your family members, friends, and work colleagues from the present
and the past.

Don't get up or change channels on your TV when the commercials come on. Sit and watch them. Take note of words and phrases used. Listen to the radio when you're out and about in your car. Do the commercials paint a picture in your mind?

Read newspapers at breakfast. Read magazines whilst you're in the doctor's waiting room. Check out the billboards as you go about your daily business. Look carefully at the advertisements. Think about how they're structured. What is it that catches your eye, why you want to find out more?

If you were looking for a particular service or product, would those advertisements entice you? Why? Why not? Start to think like your customer/client would. The key here is research.

Your current clients are a valuable resource. Word-of-mouth is still the best form of advertising. If you treat your clients well, produce their work on time, give them value for money and build a good rapport with them, they're sure to tell a colleague or a friend.

If you're not yet up and running, there's no reason why you couldn't adopt these ideas now. What's to stop you? Nothing like being a step or two ahead, is there?

A way to begin Advertising without any cost (except for your time) is to find out who in your area produces a regular Newsletter. It could be your child's school. Maybe it's a local sporting club. You may have a Neighbourhood Watch in your area.

Talk to the editor and offer to put together items he has collected from members and put the information together for their newsletter. Format it and have it ready for printing. Don't charge for this service. Do it as a voluntary, community service activity.

Your assistance would certainly benefit them. Most of the schools, kindergartens, little league other sporting clubs are strapped for cash and you may just fill a vital need. You will also benefit. How? You can create awareness about your business in these newsletters simply by adding a line to the last page which states "The typesetting of this newsletter has been kindly donated by JP Smith, PO Box 0, Suburbia. Phone email."

After you've done a few, talk to the editor of the newsletter and ask if you can put an advertisement in some issues, in return for your services. Most of them will be willing to say yes, as you are saving them time and money by allowing them to get on with their own business. No cost to you or to them. Well, I hope that's the way it will work for you. It has for me.

There is a way to combine your marketing and advertising, and that's to have a working website.

Websites. I do believe that a GREAT website is a must, but not everyone (yet) makes use of the Internet to contact people like us. Keep the faith ... that will change in the not too distant future.

One thing you must keep foremost in your mind is this. You can have the greatest website ever designed, but if people don't know about it, how can they visit? If they do find it, what's going to keep them coming back?

Your website is an extension of your business card, so make sure your website address (your URL) appears on your card and any other business stationery. When you're giving your card to someone, invite them to visit the website to find out more about you and your business. Don't forget that your website and any business stationery should reflect the same theme, colours, wording, etc ... all part of that most important thing called "Branding".

A great website needs to be attractive, inviting, easily navigated and most of all, give the visitor a reason to return, often. Changing and adding material on a regular and frequent basis will keep your visitors coming back. Make sure you continue to give them a reason to return, and if it's a good enough reason, the word will be passed around, creating more traffic, with the opportunity of bringing you more business.

I'd really like to give you some URLs to a few amazingly bad websites, to show you what not to do, but I'd probably end up being taken to court! Instead, I will direct you to one of the Founding Members of Associated Secretarial . Her name is Birgitt Thursby and her work is envied by many other website designers. Birgitt designed our website!

We at Associated Secretarial , are extremely pleased that we found Birgitt before someone else did! Birgitt's attention to the needs of her clients, being able to tactfully gleen information about her clients, their products or services, gain an understanding of what's required, and a natural ability to bring all of these things together, ensures not only a great looking website, but also a website that gives her clients the results they expect. A working website is the best website!

If you're seriously considering your own website, contact Birgitt by visiting her website and take a look at
her Portfolio.

There certainly is a lot to Marketing and Advertising, isn't there? You'd be amazed at the number of people who think Marketing and Advertising are the same thing. As you can see, they are quite their own entities, and each certainly has a very distinctive purpose. You need both of them for a successful business enterprise.

Here are some websites you might like to visit. They should spark an idea or two for you.

Entrepreneur Business Centre - http://www.ebc.com.au/artserver/as2.asp?inA=0&hx=1,2

Some daily marketing tips at these sites: http://www.isquare.com/mkttip.cfm and http://www.webadvantage.net/tip_archive.cfm

Whilst you're checking out these links, or those you've found yourself, you're sure to come across some rather extraordinary, inviting and attractive offers. Be very careful. Some of them may be scams. Check out this website: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/pyramid/index.html

To sum up on the Marketing and Advertising lessons; remember that you first need to create your image or package - "branding". Your product or service needs to have it's own identity so that it stands out from other similar products or services. Research your market. Define your targets. Create your package and then ...
advertise, advertise, advertise.

There's much more to these two tools and what to do with them that I could possibly cover, but I'm sure that I've put you on the right path ... the rest is really up to you. I hope I've helped, even in a small way.

Do you recall the saying, "From a little acorn, a mighty Oak does grow"? It's true, you know. The mighty Oak tree that dropped its little acorn, dropped in precisely the right spot. He made sure it had fertile soil, enough sun and just the right amount of water to promote and sustain growth.

You could think of your business idea as the little acorn. Your setting of a strong foundation could be the fertile soil. Your research and planning could be the sunlight. Your marketing and advertising could be the just the right amount of rain.

Your business, like the acorn, will grow steadily and strongly if you continue pay attention, make change when change is needed, and nurture it every step of the way.

In the next issue, Part 6 will give you information concerning your personal safety and security, cultivating relationships and looking after yourself and your health.

Until then, use your time wisely, stay healthy and smile ... You'll be pleasantly surprised at just how many smiles come back at you!

See you in two weeks!

Lynne

Lynne Bullen is a successful businesswoman whose talents include Public Relations; Editorial and Commercial Copywriting; Design and Facilitation of Seminars, Forums and Workshops, and helping small business to grow and prosper.Lynne Bullen Strategies was registered and commenced business in 1991 to offer VA services to the small business owner. She is also the Founder of Associated Secretarial ...the perfect solution. Lynne is happy to share her knowledge to help others achieve their goals. lynne@associatedsecretial.com.au

3. Resources

This one will spark some ideas - wander through the site, read a few articles of your choice and visit some of the links:
http://www.adlandpro.com/opt-in-list/archives/business/33.asp?ref=freebonanza

A good marketing resource:
http://www.onlineconsulting.com/tips.html

Good site for learning more about networking:
http://onlineconsulting.com/network_marketing/networker_main.html

4. Article: The Little Things You Need To Know If You're Self-Employed

When I started my first business I was pretty naive. I thought I could just let people know about me and honest, sincere, intelligent people would use my services. Okay, you can stop laughing now. There are a million little things that you will learn as you progress with your business, but let me bring you up to speed on a few important ones.

It's hard enough dealing with all the problems that will crop up, but you also need to be careful of scams. Many scam artists prey on businesses, both large and small. If you receive a bill in the mail, check to be sure you ordered, and received, the product before sending out a check. If you didn't order the product,
don't pay for it. Also, if someone calls about renewing something, like a yellow page ad, be sure this is the company you think it is, and that it's really time to renew. The scam artists may threaten you by saying that they have a recording of Mr. X (one of your employees) ordering the product and if you don't pay they
will take you to court. If this happens, keep a record of all the contacts they make with you, and file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau and contact your local police department.

This happened to my girlfriend, Linda-Ann. A company called and told her secretary that they were associated with AT&T, which they weren't, and wanted to know if she wanted to renew her Yellow Pages ad. The secretary knew that Linda-Ann had an ad in the Yellow Pages, so she said yes. However, when the bill arrived it was from a totally unknown phone book. Linda-Ann called and told them to cancel it, and the battle began. They said she had given them permission and they even had a tape recording of her secretary agreeing to it. Linda-Ann contacted the police and AT&T and found out that this company had been doing the same thing to many local companies, including the Chamber Of Commerce. She lodged a complaint with the police, the Better Business Bureau and even contacted the local newspaper, which did a story about her experiences. She then wrote this company and told them all that she had done. They eventually sent Linda-Ann an invoice canceling what they said she owed. She never heard from the company again.

Scam artists may also offer you a discount if you balk at paying for the product. They will also try to get you to pay for return shipping and a restocking fee. Just remember, if you're the victim of a scam, pay them nothing.

Also, be very careful about anything that requires you to buy a starter kit. This is often the mark of a scam.

Now that you're running your own business, take full advantage of the freedom this gives you. Create, or have created for you, stationary, envelopes and business cards that reflect your personality. Choose a paper that you like for these and design products that have a "look" so that clients will recognize your
stationary at a glance. I use the same font and gray paper for my letterhead, envelopes and business cards (on cover stock). This shows my clients that I care enough about my business to create a professional image, and it helps me to stand out from the crowd.

Invariably you well get some complaints, but remember complaints are good. Yes, we try to make all of our clients happy from the start, but if someone has a complaint, listen. Don't become defensive. A complaint can often point out a problem with your product or service that you were unaware of. While I don't look
forward to receiving complaints, I scrutinize them carefully, learning what I can and doing whatever's necessary to correct the problem. I also do what I can to make the client happy. When I was a freelance photographer there were a couple of times when I reshot an assignment for free to satisfy a client. Another time, when I was doing some computer work, I redesigned some graphs for a client. The graphs were exactly what they asked for, but when they saw them it wasn't what they had "envisioned." Even if they will never use me again, I don't want a client to be upset enough to tell everyone they know not to use me. Give them a refund, let them keep the product at no charge, send them a replacement, give them a free upgrade, whatever it takes. Then even if they do complain about you to others, they will often tell them what you did to correct the problem.

To really succeed you need to strive to exceed expectations. If you can make the client say, "Wow," then you will have a client for life.

Remember to always be honest. Never make false claims or stretch the truth. It will always come back to haunt you.

As things get busier remember to delegate work or get outside help. Need a part time secretary? Use a secretarial service. Are your promotional mailings getting to be too much for you? Outsource them to a fulfillment house or get family and friends to help. My girlfriend helps me attach address labels and stamps when I have a mailing going out. It never hurts to have others do these things so you can concentrate on running your business and finding new clients. Just be sure you can afford to do this so you don't go broke. You may be able to get free help by becoming a mentor for a local college. They send out students who work for free or very little in exchange for work experience. I also know a man who hires ex-convicts because he gets a tax break for doing this. Check with your tax preparer.

Every business needs to promote itself. You can do this with a lot of flash, or with simplicity. The secret is to try several promotional plans to see what works best. You could have theme parties, support a local little league team or charity, offer your services free to some local organizations or simply pass out pens with your company's name and phone number on them. If you do pass out pens or other types of products, be sure they are of excellent quality. A client will love your pen if it works, and hate it if it skips and clogs. Be creative and have fun with your promotions.

When I was a freelance photographer, I made monthly desktop calendars on my computer. It was printed on a piece of paper with a 3x5-inch photograph attached to one side. This was then mailed out to clients monthly with a promotional cover letter. The client would fold the calendar so they could see the photograph and month, then on the backside was a promotional statement about my company, so that anyone sitting across from my client would see an ad for my business.

Several years ago, I came across a wonderful promotional piece. While walking in a mall, I spotted a folded $50 bill lying on the ground. I couldn't believe my good fortune. I picked up the bill but when I unfolded it I found myself looking at a business card. It was a simple fold over card, but a section of a $50 bill had been printed on the back. I'm assuming that the business owner simply dropped a few on the ground wherever he went. Did he get any business from this? I have no idea, but I'll wager that people scrambled to pick up his cards.

There are a million things you need to know to run a business, I just hope this article will save you some of the wasted time, money and frustration that I've encountered over the years.

Jeff Colburn is a freelance writer who specializes in business writing, articles and genre fiction and he can be reached at JeffColburn@CreativeCauldron.com. His books, "The Writer's Dictionary Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror and Mythology" and "The Youngest Ninja," can be purchased from his site, The Creative Cauldron at www.CreativeCauldron.com. The Creative Cauldron is a site filled with information for writers, photographers, artists and other creative people.

5. Article: Always Ask About Competitors

Sometimes you can get so caught up in learning about the client's needs and so excited by your own enthusiasm for your solution, that you can miss asking about the competition even if the client mentions "competitors." Although you can, you may not want to ask about the competitor the minute the client brings it up, but you must get back to it.

Whether or not the client raises the issue of competitors, it is VITAL that as the salesperson, you ask about competitors. Many salespeople are hesitant to ask. Some are concerned it is inappropriate. Others may not want to hear what could be bad news. But most, it seems, just are not disciplined to make it a
critical part of their sales dialogue. Of course, there is a small percentage of clients who will not disclose who the competitors are and, for those, a simple acknowledgement ("I can understand") and moving on works well. You often can try again to get competitive data by saying, "I know you don't want to share names, how does... (your idea) compare to what else you are hearing?"

Much of the time in most sectors, if you ask, clients will tell you about competitors in real depth. You will gain very important information that will let you plan a competitive strategy and best position your solution/ recommendation.

To learn about your competitors:

Time it

Don't ask too soon in the meeting. Identify client's objective, needs, current situation, etc., first.
Ask about the competitors before you position what you offer.
Preface your competitive question with a client benefit ("To help me understand the approaches you are considering, can you tell me who else you are talking to?").
After you ask about the client's criteria is often a good time to ask about the competitors.
When the client mentions the competitor, you have a perfect opportunity to probe the topic.

Probe it

Acknowledge what the client says.
Once you learn who the competitor is, ask for details ("What is their approach?" "What are they offering?" "How do you feel about it?" Most importantly after you position your ideas, ask, "How do you feel we compare?"). Drill down to gain specifics. Find out who the competition has met with, what the relationship is, and what they are offering.
As you ask questions you will gain very important competitive data for this and other sales.
Ask other contacts in the organization for their perspective on the competition to get multiple views. (Once a salesperson was told by one of her contacts that her experience with the company's top
competitor would be a detriment to her being selected. She learned, just in time, from two other decision makers that, in fact, her relationship with the prospect's competitor was a big advantage - one she used to win!)
Tread gently if the customer is reluctant.

Offset it

Know your competitors but never denigrate them. To point out competitive weaknesses, ask questions that strike at the competitor's weakness. For example, if you know the competitor has poor distribution capabilities, ask about that and then position your capabilities to highlight your advantage.
Sometimes you can raise a point that the customer has not previously considered about the competitor. Always ask your client for feedback on what you have positioned.

The most compelling reason to ask about the competition is to give you the information you need to create a competitive strategy to help you win deals. Asking about competitors also provides you with competitive data critical not only to your deal, but to your organization.

Remember, just knowing who the competitors are is not enough. As you debrief the call, ask yourself - Who are the competitors? How do my offerings stack up? How does the client feel about them?
How does the client feel about the competition compared to how they feel about my company? No matter who the competitor is, don't be crestfallen. Don't make the assumption that you can't compete. Don't underestimate yourself. Remain confident. Ask questions. Get specifics. Get the competitive information you need to differentiate your offering and win.

About the Author: Linda Richardson: President and CEO of Richardson, training consultants to corporations, banks, and investment banks globally. Richardson has 110 professionals, 15 regional offices in the United States, and presence in London, Australia, Singapore, Latin America, and Asia. Clients of Richardson include KPMG, Federal Express, General Mills, Tiffany & Co., Dell Computer, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Citibank, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, and Kinko's. Visit
http://www.Richardson.com.

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7. Feedback

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From the Eagle's Nest: Copyright © 2003 Lynne Bullen and Associated Secretarial (articles by other individuals copyrighted as indicated). Prior to using Lynne's articles please e-mail her at lynne@associatedsecretarial.com.au - she will provide her bio and a URL link. Thank you.

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