The Timesaver

 

Women from around the world will meet online at our
Virtual Podcasting Expo site to: 

• Learn about podcasting
• Attend woman-focused seminars
• Network
• Podcast
• SHOP!

All you need is:

1. an internet connection to attend,
2. speakers to listen in, and
3. a microphone to participate verbally.
4. You also have the option to text chat!

Take a 6-minute video tour of the Expo here…

Anyone in the world can browse the booths, participate in live recordings, chat with people from all over the world, and see unique products and gifts for women.

Each Exhibitor Booth includes a 10-person audio conference room, with recording capabilities and the ability to show everyone the same screen at the same time. This makes it easy to talk to attendees in real time, and give them web tours and do presentations. Our Lobby, Podcasting Booth and Main Seminars are held in identical, but larger audio conference rooms. Best of all, Exhibitors get to keep a 3-person audio conference room for 3 months after the Expo ends!

An Admission Ticket is only required for Seminars and Networking Events, but one ticket gives you unlimited access not only to ALL Seminar and Networking Events, but ALSO to ALL recordings! There will be two Main Seminar Tracks: Podcasting Seminars and Women’s Seminars.

The Podcasting Seminars are intended for beginners, as well as more advanced podcasters. Topics will range from “What Is A Podcast?” and “How Do I Create A Podcast?” to “How Do I Attract More Listeners” and “Advanced Editing Tricks.”

The Women’s Seminars will cover various topics of interest to women, from “Mind, Body & Spirit” to “Business,” “Home and Family,” “Entertainment, Training and Coaching,” and much more.

Admission Tickets also come with:

• A Free Multi-Media Podcasting Handbook
• A Free Recording and Editing Program
• An Opportunity to win door prizes and giveaways
• And we record each Seminar, so even if you miss one, you can download the audio/video recording later.

Find out more about becoming a sponsor, exhibitor or attending…

I just attended my first Team 100 event the other day hosted by the International Virtual Womens Chamber of Commerce (IVWCC). The event is hosted on a private list serve so you can participate no matter where you are as long as you have a computer.

The event runs for 24 hours (although it usually goes longer). The moderator posts a dozen topics to allow you to inform others about your business, and you can respond to the topics at your convenience during the event. There is a list of 100 business categories and each category can only be represented once. You educate others about your business, and they educate you on theirs. No pressure, no begging, no sales pitches…all in a safe networking environment.

The Team 100 concept works like a dance card. You select 100 other professionals you want on your “team.” The benefits of this concept are:

* Your clients have access to a strong network
* You can tap into expertise quickly
* Most problems/needs can be solved
* Referrals flow among team members

The IVWCC will be holding two more Team 100 events in July. If you’re interested in participating, contact Jerrilynn Thomas for more information.

I met some wonderful contacts during the event that I probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. If you’d like to connect or be on my Team 100 list, just write a comment to this post.

Virtually,
Glenda Hinz

Copyright © 2006 elf design, All Rights Reserved
Erin Ferree, Elf Design

A business card is one of the most important marketing pieces that you’ll develop for your company, since it is typically the first piece of your marketing materials that a new client will see.

One of the most debated points in business card design is whether to print information on just one side of the card or to use both sides. There are many views on this controversy, and here are some that we frequently hear.

The arguments for keeping the back of the card blank are that printing on both sides has the following disadvantages:

1. Not having a space to take notes while networking: Many business people use a system of writing notes on the backs of the business cards they receive while networking. They do this to remind themselves of the commitments they made or to later jog their memories about the conversation. Too much printing on the back can make this difficult or impossible. Glossy coatings on the backs of cards can also prevent note writing.

2. Rolodexes, business card filing systems, and card scanners: These are widely used in business today, and many models don’t allow for the back of the card to be viewed. For this reason, you should not put vital information on the back, so that the card can still be functional when only one side is visible. Also, if your prospect uses a business card scanner to store business cards, they might not scan both sides.

3. Greater printing expense: Printers charge more to print a two-sided card, because of the additional work and ink involved.

4. Ink smearing: Some inks are more likely to smear or rub off on neighboring sheets of paper than others; for example, blue Pantone inks are especially prone to this effect. If you do choose a two-sided card with a field of color on the back, then it is best to also varnish or clear-coat the back of the card in order to seal the color in and prevent this. The varnish also adds drying time and expense to the project.

The arguments for putting information on both sides are that you can use the back to:

1. Add more information: If you have a lot of contact information, putting it all on to the front of the card will often make the font too small and the text too dense to read comfortably. Putting some of that information on the back will free up the front of the card and make it look better.

2. Make your business card more valuable: By including interesting information like a calendar of events, tip, or quote on the back, you can make your card more likely to be kept. Other things that you can put on the back include coupons, appointment information, or directions to your store or office.

3. Enhance your brand: The back of the card is often the perfect place for graphical treatments and pieces of your Visual Vocabulary.

4. Maximize your message: Use the back to add more information about your business. It might not be clear to everyone receiving your card what you offer, so you might try listing that on the back.

And it might not cost that much. Some printers will print a two-sided card for as little as $20 extra per 1000 cards. In that case, the low price for additional “real estate” really makes it worth the cost.

With all of these points in mind, the most effective card for small businesses is often a two-sided card. The next question to address is what to put on the back of the card. We recommend:

1. Not putting vital information on the back of the card: Since the back of the card might get hidden or ignored in a filing system, it’s best to put all of the most important information—like your name, logo, phone number, email, and website—on the front of the card. If you have a physical office, you should also make sure that your address is on the front of your card.

So what’s left to put on the back? You could put your tagline, a couple of lines that explain your offerings, a list of your services, or a short testimonial. Or try one of the suggestions from “Make your business card more valuable,” above.

2. Try graphics: You can print a field of color, small graphic, or a simple pattern on the back. A card with graphics on the back looks more sophisticated and high-end, and is more memorable as well. If you don’t print in a color that is too dark and you use a solid color field, people will still be able to take notes on the back of the card. Just don’t forget the varnish!

If you use these tips, you’ll be able to maximize the effectiveness of your business card. Your card will go from being just a thing to hand out when you meet someone to being a strong marketing tool.

———————————————————————
Erin Ferree is the owner and lead designer of elf design, a Brand Identity Design and management Company that specializes in helping small businesses and entrepreneurs create a powerful and unique brand identity that differentiates them from their competition and helps them to connect with their target market. Our work is bold, clean and effective, and our processes are proven to get your materials completed quickly, so you can use them to get new clients right away. We create designs that are effective and contribute to your business’s bottom line by getting you noticed, reflecting your values, increasing your credibility, and ultimately, helping you to make more sales. Learn more about business card design here.

By Kim Castle & W. Vito Montone, BrandU®

Have you ever walked into a bank and felt like a faceless “next” in line? Even if you’ve banked there for years?!

Have you found yourself trying to connect with your dry cleaner, sometimes through a language barrier, just to experience something beyond your clothes?

Have you found yourself on the Internet plodding through an endless maze of “opportunity” after “opportunity” only to find yourself confused or disillusioned?

You’re not alone!

Instances like these and thousands like them have left business owners, large and small, feeling disengaged and scrambling to find the next “new” way to do business -hungering for more but not really knowing what “more” looks like.

We’ve got a secret for you… that “new” way to do business is an old one and you don’t have to travel beyond your front door.

Follow us…

Recalling the TV shows we watched when we played “sick” from school, shows like Bonanza and The Lucy Show (when she worked at a bank with Mr. Moonie), there was something that stayed with us - a real relationship between the customer and the merchant. Whether is was the general store in Bonanza, or the local bank where Lucy worked, the merchants knew their customers personally.

Today, it’s not the same.

The “information age” has bought us “more” of everything. Whether through the computer software or the Internet itself, more things, more knowledge, more experiences and an endless capacity to reach people around the world is at our finger tips. However, with all this “more,” we’ve overlooked something that is critically… less.

It’s not your fault. It’s no one person’s fault really - it’s simply a by-product of a passing age. We lost focus and let it grow unattended.

We’ve let the integrity that comes from being personally connected to our customer slip away.

We’ve been blinded by the “perception” of connection rather the visceral “reality” of it.

Computers and the Internet have brought us amazing leveraged productivity and distribution. We can reach anyone at work, home on their phone - anywhere. We can deliver our products digitally and with less effort.

Does this mean we have a personal connection that enables a sense of integrity with every single person we reach? Sadly, no.

Big companies have made headlines with their scandals - Adelphia, MCI and Enron were ALLOWED to happen due to the separation caused by a blind drive for revenue, scared company heads, and hungry stockholders. The customer becomes even further away through agencies and layers of distributors. “They” were all separate from their customer connection or its impact in the customer’s lives.

This leaves customers yearning for the days of yore… at least the deep personal connection that was present in every transaction.

As an entrepreneur YOU have the advantage. You have a shorter path to the customer and absolutely no excuse to not use the “information age” to its maximum potential.

The real secret to excelling in business today is how you create connection and maintain integrity with your customers.

Instead of holding on to the “old” model of pushing as many “things” to as many people as possible and hoping for the best… INSTEAD, use the Internet to connect to as many “people” as possible on a person-to-person basis and subsequently offer them what you offer.

This approach will bring us all back to the days of the general store when customers bought their soap from someone who cared about how the soap fit into their lives. And it will usher in a new model where a person purchases from a company they know through experience, embraces their uniqueness, and cares about the principles it reflects.

This is branding at its best. It’s what we call making business deeply personal ™.

These are the very qualities that should be coming through your brand loud and laser clear. It’s what will make someone choose your business over another.

And it’s so easy to do. If you know how.

The next time you’re in line at the bank, picking up your clothes, or even searching on the web, remember that the new face of business is really an old one. It comes down to the connection with each individual person. It always has been. It always will be. We just forgot.

Remembering this every day, whether you are a customer or a business owner will give you a leg up because EVERYONE wants to connect… with integrity.

© Castle Montone, Limited.

Author and Brand Visioneer, Kim Castle teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to tap into the full power of their business— the power behind their brand. If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank ™ go to www.whybrandu.com/15mistakes.

by Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen”

Did you know that marketing isn’t only about getting your clients or customers? It’s also about KEEPING them, and keeping them happy. That’s a big key to growing your business, because not only will those customers themselves keep coming back to you for more, but they’ll send their friends and colleagues as well.

Studies done by the American Management Association show that your average HAPPY customer will tell three people about her experience with you. But your average unhappy customer will spread the negative word about you to 11 other people!

I’m sure you’ve done this yourself. I sure have! In fact, I can name three companies right now that I will *never* do business with again, simply because of the way they handled my complaints. (Sometimes all I wanted was for someone to say, “I’m sorry this happened, Ms. Brown!”)

A System Is Your Solution

If there are any complaints you receive on a regular basis, you should be addressing them by putting systems into place to avoid those problems from happening in the first place. There’s no way your business can grow with those landmines in your path.

But even after you do, remember that you are human, and so are your customers, so things will go wrong from time to time. And customers will write or call you to complain. So let’s give you a system to handle these situations graciously, with integrity, and turn them around for the best!

After doing some research, I’ve found that most all the recommended protocols for taking care of complaining customers basically follow this 5-step process.

1. Validate the customer’s feelings. Simply acknowledge that she’s irritated. Example: “I can understand you are upset.”

2. Assure her you’ll take care of her. Let her know something will be done. Example: “I’m here to help you with this.”

3. Make a “sad-glad” statement. This helps the customer realize you care. Example: “I’m sorry you experienced a problem. And I’m glad you told me about it!”

4. Ask the customer what will make HER happy. Don’t let this scare you! Customer service experts say that most often the upset customer will ask for *less* than what you would have offered yourself. Example: “How can we make this better?” or “How can we make this up to you?”

5. Acknowledge that you’ll do what she wants, or make a counter offer. (But always try to just give her what she wants! In the end, it will save you time and headaches, and avoid any bad word spreading about you.) Example: “I want to keep you as a customer, and we’re going to honor your request.” Or, “We can’t do that per our agreement, but we can… [counter offer here].”

I’d also throw in a little something else for her trouble. For example, perhaps free shipping or a bonus gift.

Adjust to Fit, and Review With Your Team

Of course you should adjust this process to fit your particular business. I suggest you take a few minutes to write up a script based on these steps, and then review it with your assistant or anyone else in your business who is in contact with your clients and customers. Make any necessary changes, and then distribute it to your team and agree that everyone will follow it.

Have your team keep a log of each complaint that comes in, what it’s about, and how it’s handled. Then have a monthly meeting to review and suggest improvements.

© 2005-2006 Alexandria K. Brown

Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” publishes the award-winning ‘Straight Shooter Marketing’ weekly ezine with 19,000+ subscribers. If you’re ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com