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We hope you find this arcthve useful. A subscription to The Small Business Advisor Newsletter is free. Subscribe now - it's easy! The Small Business Advisor Newsletter for August, 2001 ======================== ======================== Dealing with
employees (contracted or yours) is always challenging and will tax
your best management and leadership skills. The following listing,
based on a good deal of experience, are items to consider that will
help keep you out of trouble when dealing with your employees: ======================== Take a good look at your business card. Is it white, with black block type? Conventional to the point of a yawn... or is it a real talking point? When you think about it, your business card is far more than just a card with your name and phone number on it. It is a mini advertisement. It is your "shop front". With imagination, you can make it actively SELL you and your product. Cards can "carry" the product to the recipient. Like the one I've had for a year in my drawer for a plastic laminating firm. For some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to throw it out, because it was itself, superbly laminated. And the other day, someone asked did I know of a good laminating firm! I've heard of someone who has a quarter laminated into his card. Expensive? Maybe, but when you measure the "life" of that card in the drawer of the recipient, and the business it generates, it's just a good investment. How about a card that gets the recipient to DO something... We designed a card recently for a client who wanted to meet his competitors HEAD ON. To get at their "Achilles heel". He supplies a *natural* ceiling insulation material called INSUL-SAFE. It's big claim is that is contains no fiberglass, asbestos or plastics. So we designed their business card to actually carry a sample of INSUL-SAFE, glued inside, and seen through a die cut in the shape of a ceiling in the front fold. The card front commands... TOUCH IT!!! FEEL IT!!! Something incidentally, his competitors would be unlikely to contemplate copying. So what can you look at when redesigning your cards? The texture and color are vitally important. Select card stock that "says" something about you. if you think it's not that important, watch the next time you give a card to someone. They almost always "feel" the card as they talk. Give them something nice to feel. They may keep it! The next thing they do is turn the card over. Has YOUR card got white space on the back? You are wasting a valuable selling opportunity if it has. Just as copywriters will tell you "the more you tell, the more you sell" in your ads, the same applies to your business card. Remember, while YOU know what your company does, and the full range of products and services you provide, the prospect may not. Print useful information there. Even ONE more sale may pay for that card a thousand times over. [Advisor comment: We put a cover graphic and ordering information for one of our books on the rear of our cards] Can you make your card USEFUL? I have a card here that provides useful service from a national tire chain. Apart from having a lot of useful information on them, their cards have a "tread gauge" die cut into one edge. Chances are you'll keep that ... just to check your tread one day. So who comes to mind when you want tires? Cards with a color photo? Yes, they keep you in the mind of the prospect. but, if you can, take it a step further. Picture yourself doing whatever you do... at a computer if you are a programmer, beside your Rolls fleet if you're in the limo business... Have you won any awards for excellence in your field? Don't keep it to yourself... put them on your business card. it is a testimonial in miniature . Finally, as much as I respect, and work closely with printers, please don't "save" money by getting your printer to come up with a design for your business cards. or for that matter, your letterhead. Go to a good graphic artist. They may charge you what seems like a fortune... but it is a good investment. If you make do with a poorly designed card, you'll pay more for it in the long run... in lost sales and image. [Advisor comment: Don't forget to include your e-mail and WWW site address on your business card and letterhead] ======================== Some time ago I placed an advertisement in a periodical with national circulation. It cost a few hundred dollars for a "1-column inch" display. I'm sure you have seen these type of advertisements many times. We sent our artwork, paid the bill, and got ready to fill the hundreds of orders we expected. We were advertising a business book. We received three orders!! A few months later I had an article published in the same periodical that resulted in hundreds of sales. Why? When you consider it, the answer is obvious. How do you react when reading an advertisement versus an article? You are suspicious of the advertisement but reading about the same product or service in the body of an article gives it instant credibility. Clearly the author is an "expert." Furthermore, it appears that the publication itself is actually endorsing the product. Publications want your articles and will generally include a short byline (your advertisement!) at the end of the article. I get the impression that many people are as fearful of writing as they are of speaking in front of a group. Don't be - the process is easy and painless. Getting "published" is easy. Remember that virtually every magazine editor is always looking for content - especially quality content that is free. This is win-win. The magazine gets an article that may attract readership and you get free advertising. Let's write an article - by the numbers: 1. Identify magazines and other periodicals that relate to your product or service and would be interested in related subject matter. Do this by visiting your local library and asking at the reference desk for a copy of "Standard Periodical Directory" by Oxbridge Communications. This fantastic reference lists every periodical currently being published. There is a handy index that lists periodicals by subject type. Copy the pertinent information including name of editor, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address. While you're at it, check out the listings of Associations that might be interested in your material. I guarantee that whatever your product or service, you will find dozens of applicable listings. Visit a local large bookstore with a good selection of periodicals (I like Barnes and Noble) and quickly review any of the periodicals you previously identified. 2. While reviewing the articles, note the writing "style." Is it humorous? Academic? For periodicals you cannot find, call the magazine and ask for a sample issue and a copy of their writing guidelines. Call (or e-mail) the remaining magazines on your list and ask for their writing guidelines. 3. Reviewing the content of the various publications will give you many ideas for topics and possible articles. 4. It's time to write! Get over any "fear" you have of writing. The process is easy and rewarding. Begin writing your article for the most likely candidate from your list of periodicals and attempt to follow their style of writing. Keep these writing guidelines in mind: * Pick a subject
and organize your thoughts on paper. 5. Think carefully about your "byline" -the information that you want included at the end of your article. This byline should be a sneaky "sales message" and give some indication of your expertise. As an example, here is a byline I frequently use: "Robert Sullivan is the author of "The Small Business Start-Up Guide" and "United States Government - New Customer! Either may be ordered toll-free by calling (800) 375 8439. Also, check the Small Business Advisor at http://www.isquare.com" Even a short byline can contain a lot of information. Mine includes my name, the fact that I am an author (an "expert"), lists a couple of my books, provides an 800 order number for these books and references my website. 6. Give your article an effective title (use a subtitle if it makes sense). Print your article using 1.5 or double spacing with large (at least 1-inch) margins (or refer to the magazines guidelines, if any). Include your byline at the end of the article. If submitting by e-mail, use single spacing. 7. Submit your article to EVERY periodical you have found (even though you have written your article in the "style" of one of the selected periodicals). Your package should include the following: * A copy of
the article 8. Follow-up each submittal. E-mail is always best, if available. 9. Don't get discouraged. Keep writing and submitting. Incidentally, you can maximize results by having an 800 order line and the ability to accept payment via credit cards. In our case, 95% of our orders are via credit card. The more you publish, the easier it gets. Writing can be fun and, as we have noted, it is absolutely the best form of "advertising." Give it a try. If you write an article that relates to small business, send it to us for possible use in this monthly newsletter or our Internet website. We have only one guideline - submittal via e-mail only. Return to top of page - Back to Home Page - Back to Archive Index |