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Hub You - Service Marketers; How's Your Packaging?
I once had a boss who informed me there was no such thing as company politics. At the time, I decided that depended on whether you were the person wielding power or influenced by it. In my career experience, I’d categorize self-serving antics, sabotaging behaviors, information hoarding and artful manipulation under the heading of company politics. I’d throw in veiled threats, perpetuated mistruths, finger-pointing and coercion. There’s a long list of behaviors I’ve personally experienced or witnessed in the workplace under the politics label. And I’m sure you can add your own.These negative work cultures are fra
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes, your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is Reduce Expense With Modular Office
It is a known fact that people need money, at least in the present times, and the need for money increases as the years go by. Most people try to increase their income by looking for more ventures for business but in order to really get more money, you would have to also lower your costs. If you are still starting up an office, or trying to expand an existing one, a good way to cut costs is by constructing a modular office.What is a Modular Office?A modular building or office is a structure that is manufactured inside a factory and then shipped, part-by-part to the office location to be assembled. There a
Yet instead of a folded carton with colorful graphics, you are the packaging for your service business. Intangible points of contact, including your clothes, your briefcase, maybe even your breath, all burn a lasting image in your buyer’s mind.
Here are some of the more common packaging elements all service marketers should pay attention to:
Your clothes
All your technical expertise won’t mean diddly if you wear a tie dye t-shirt and striped bell bottoms to your first client meeting. “Always dress better than you need to,” says Sue Morem, author of How to Gain the Professional Edge; Achieve the Personal and Professional Image You Want. “Even when dealing with a casual company, remember you are not a part of that company; you’re an outsider.” If you’re not sure what to wear, find a personal shopping consultant.
Briefcase
I’ve seen people use briefcases that looked like they carried the first batch of Pony Express mail. Resist the temptation to use that briefcase Uncle Joe bought you at Wal-Mart and instead invest good money in one at a reputable luggage store.
Briefcases are one of the few personal effects almost every business person carries into a meeting and this simple item speaks volumes about your image.
Your notebook
When you pull out some paper to take notes, do you pull out a sturdy, professional looking notebook or just a pad of paper? This item, which sits on the table throughout the meeting, may go unnoticed by many of your buyers. But then again, it may not.
Etiquette
Saying please and thank you. A firm handshake. Looking someone in the eye when talking to them. “Etiquette is the equivalent of the ribbon and bow on a package,” says Morem. “Good etiquette lets others know you are in control and finishes off your image.” For a good primer on professional etiquette, consult her book.
Proposal covers
Up until five years ago, I routinely faxed my proposals to prospects. Then, one of these prospects said to me “Jay, I have two proposals here. One is handsomely bound and the other is faxed. Which do you think I should go with?” Point taken. When final packaging your proposals, estimates or RFP’s, use the highest quality binding system you can afford.
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes, your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is The Five Key Steps to Naming an Internet Business
Naming an Internet based business or start-up can be a daunting task. Do you follow the zany likes of Google and Yahoo, or do you go the more literal route of Hotels.com and Cars.com? Do you need to have the exact matching domain name as your brick-and-mortar business? And just how important is the .com vs. the .net? With so many choices to make and directions to go, let's start with the basics.1. Decide if you are building a business or a brand.I mention this since many online entrepreneurs are focused on short-term goals. They want to get their site up fast, get ranked high and start making money. This expertise won’t mean diddly if you wear a tie dye t-shirt and striped bell bottoms to your first client meeting. “Always dress better than you need to,” says Sue Morem, author of How to Gain the Professional Edge; Achieve the Personal and Professional Image You Want. “Even when dealing with a casual company, remember you are not a part of that company; you’re an outsider.” If you’re not sure what to wear, find a personal shopping consultant.
Briefcase
I’ve seen people use briefcases that looked like they carried the first batch of Pony Express mail. Resist the temptation to use that briefcase Uncle Joe bought you at Wal-Mart and instead invest good money in one at a reputable luggage store.
Briefcases are one of the few personal effects almost every business person carries into a meeting and this simple item speaks volumes about your image.
Your notebook
When you pull out some paper to take notes, do you pull out a sturdy, professional looking notebook or just a pad of paper? This item, which sits on the table throughout the meeting, may go unnoticed by many of your buyers. But then again, it may not.
Etiquette
Saying please and thank you. A firm handshake. Looking someone in the eye when talking to them. “Etiquette is the equivalent of the ribbon and bow on a package,” says Morem. “Good etiquette lets others know you are in control and finishes off your image.” For a good primer on professional etiquette, consult her book.
Proposal covers
Up until five years ago, I routinely faxed my proposals to prospects. Then, one of these prospects said to me “Jay, I have two proposals here. One is handsomely bound and the other is faxed. Which do you think I should go with?” Point taken. When final packaging your proposals, estimates or RFP’s, use the highest quality binding system you can afford.
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes, your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is Eight Powerful Strategies To Retain Clients, According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
Do you practice strategic thinking in your marketing efforts? Do you develop client-retention strategies, in addition to strategies to gain new clients? If you answered NO to these questions, you may want to rethink the way you are doing your marketing. My experience indicates that a strategic approach to client retention is underutilized and therefore a great deal of energy, time, talent and money is being wasted in marketing efforts seeking new clients and ignoring or giving “second rate” efforts to retaining existing clients.Let me share an example of the dramatic effects of a small improvement in client-ry Express mail. Resist the temptation to use that briefcase Uncle Joe bought you at Wal-Mart and instead invest good money in one at a reputable luggage store.
Briefcases are one of the few personal effects almost every business person carries into a meeting and this simple item speaks volumes about your image.
Your notebook
When you pull out some paper to take notes, do you pull out a sturdy, professional looking notebook or just a pad of paper? This item, which sits on the table throughout the meeting, may go unnoticed by many of your buyers. But then again, it may not.
Etiquette
Saying please and thank you. A firm handshake. Looking someone in the eye when talking to them. “Etiquette is the equivalent of the ribbon and bow on a package,” says Morem. “Good etiquette lets others know you are in control and finishes off your image.” For a good primer on professional etiquette, consult her book.
Proposal covers
Up until five years ago, I routinely faxed my proposals to prospects. Then, one of these prospects said to me “Jay, I have two proposals here. One is handsomely bound and the other is faxed. Which do you think I should go with?” Point taken. When final packaging your proposals, estimates or RFP’s, use the highest quality binding system you can afford.
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes, your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is Best Small Business Idea - Overwhelm - Get It Out of Your Head
If you are like most businesses owners, you’ve experienced overwhelm in your business at one time or another. Maybe you experience it regularly and for good reason. Hundreds of things are pulling at you at one time. You’ve got marketing going, production to oversee, calls to return, employees that need your advice. It’s never ending right? How do you possibly handle it all?Most of the small business owners that I talk to keep almost all of these things in their head. I ask them where their business plan is. It’s in their head. I ask where their employee training manual is. It’s in their head. About theof your buyers. But then again, it may not.
Etiquette
Saying please and thank you. A firm handshake. Looking someone in the eye when talking to them. “Etiquette is the equivalent of the ribbon and bow on a package,” says Morem. “Good etiquette lets others know you are in control and finishes off your image.” For a good primer on professional etiquette, consult her book.
Proposal covers
Up until five years ago, I routinely faxed my proposals to prospects. Then, one of these prospects said to me “Jay, I have two proposals here. One is handsomely bound and the other is faxed. Which do you think I should go with?” Point taken. When final packaging your proposals, estimates or RFP’s, use the highest quality binding system you can afford.
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes, your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is Poster Accessories Help To Make Your Posters More Interesting
Do you know what one of the most innovative ways of passing across your message on any issue to anyone? Well, one of the means is through using posters. Posters are the one means that has the capacity to attract and reach out to a wide variety of people. Poster accessories can in fact help you in putting up your poster nicely so that it appears to be more attractive to people whom you intent to get your message across. Accessories are in fact meant to enhance the looks of anything that you want to make more appealing and attractive.Posters can be used for different purposes and poster accessories can help you oue. One is handsomely bound and the other is faxed. Which do you think I should go with?” Point taken. When final packaging your proposals, estimates or RFP’s, use the highest quality binding system you can afford.
Envelopes
Do you still hand-address your envelopes? A lot of business people I know do and I sure wouldn’t penalize them for it. But if your competitors are ink jetting their envelopes, your image will suffer ever so slightly.
Email address
What image does your email convey? If your email address is studmuffin@yahoo.com or hottie@hotmail.com, you might take a step back and ask yourself, what image does this convey? If you’re after a professional image for your service business, and you have an email address that doesn’t synch up with this image, you might want to consider upgrading it.
Domain name
These days, with the costs of taking your business online dropping precipitously, your business really should have its own domain name. I’m not knocking AOL or Yahoo. But if you want to project the image of an established business that operates in a professional manner, having your own domain name is a giant leap. For more information about availability of certain domain names, visit InterNIC at www.internic.com.
Email fonts and colors
I’ve received some very professional looking emails. I’ve also received some emails that were laughably amateur. Increasingly these days, buyers and sellers make initial contact through email, and casual fonts or background colors that bury the body text penalize you right from the start. Consider your email address and template as “wrappers” for your business and treat them accordingly.
Voicemail greeting
Talk about a moment of truth for your business. The vast majority of business calls (including calls from your prospects) reach voicemail, thus underscoring the need for a professional, well-crafted greeting. Don’t have your daughter recite her new poem or feature a rap version of “Old Lang Syne”. Keep it simple…and professional.
Punctuality
At the root of being on time is respect; respect for someone else’s time. So, be on time for all appointments. If you do run late, call and let someone know. If you’re running a meeting, end on time or announce that the meeting may go longer and give anyone an opportunity to bow out.
If you think any of these packaging elements aren’t worth investing in, then you’ve missed my point. Each one of these is a defining contact point between your service business and your market, and forms an important element of your packaging. Pay attentio
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