Marketing Communications Blog

Communication through your website

Am working with a few clients on their websites. It is amazing how many of them think that they can build a website that looks like Intel's, or Microsoft's, or Nike's. They all have a limited budget and an extremely short amount of time to get up and running.

A couple of things to remember when you are planning a new website or changing your website:

1) People read your website like a book, top to bottom, left to right. If your most important link is in the lower right hand corner, very few people will make it there.

2) People will spend no more then 10 seconds on your site looking for the information that they need/want. Follow step one above and put that information in the upper left.

3) KISS. Keep It Short & Simple OR Keep It Simple Stupid OR Keep It Simple & Stupid. Either one of these sum up what and how you should be building your website - especially your home page. Make it easy to find the information and the links to further discover what they want. My site? Yes, very KISS. But, that is also my business model. I don't need video's and advertisements and stuff to get my message out.

4) Watch your content. Video's are great, but, when they automatically start, they no only scare people, but, they take up bandwidth - which is no big deal to some, but, if it takes longer then six seconds to get the page to become interactive, you probably have already lost them.

5) LAY OUT your website as a flow chart - on paper. First. Diagram where links will go and what information is at the end of that link.

6) Make it INTUITIVE!!! Have your friends, co-workers, others go through the website and see if they follow the "flow" of the site.

Lastly, CHECK YOUR ENGLISH!!! Nothing better to lose a prospective client then to have typo's and grammar mistakes on your pages. I wouldn't expect clients to hire me if I have mistakes throughout the site.

Good luck - if you follow these steps, your website will, at the very least, meet the norm of website currently on the net.

Posted by blaine at 09:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Standing out or just being status quo

Over the past month, I have had the opportunity to see a museum choose to be status quo (continue to do everything the same), a wedding planning company double their prices, and a hi-tech company choose to sponsor a trade show.

In today's economy, where money is a bit tighter then it was last year, which one do you think was the better choice? The museum continuing to spend the same amount of money on marketing? The wedding company doubling their prices? Or was it sponsoring a trade show?

They way I would rank it, since I was involved in the process, but, obviously not the final decision, would be the wedding company, then the hi-tech company, and then the museum.

If your business can be unique and stand out from the crowd, then, why not double your prices?

If you want to make an impact, then, sponsoring an event may help.

And of course, battening down the hatches and continuing to do the same thing hoping that everything will pass is the last choice that I would ever recommend.

Some people say the economy is back on track, others say it will take another year and still others say it will take years.

Who knows. You can sit and worry about the economy or you can study it, look at the new buying habits that are emerging from companies, and change your business to meet what the new buying habits are.

I recommended that the wedding planning company double their prices - there were over 100 companies charging the same or less, there was one company charging 10 times as much, the market was wide open to a medium range for wedding planning costs.

I recommended that the hi-tech company sponsor an event, but, also do the appropriate advertising and public relations activities to capitalize on the sponsor investment. They did not and they will be disappointed.

I recommended to the museum that they double their efforts and costs in marketing. Yes they are a non-profit, but, they do have the money. They chose to remain the same and even cut back in some area's.

I don't need to remind all of you what I wrote on this blog over two years ago - when everyone else is cutting back on marketing, it is time to double yours. Read the blog entry if you want to learn more on why I say this.

And that is the point of this posting - now is the time to increase your marketing costs!!!

Posted by blaine at 07:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

One soldier, alone, won't win the war

Have a few clients now, and also have worked at some companies, where the expectations for a single individual are impossible to meet.

It reminds me of General Patton and this: If General Patton decided to attack a front, he did not do it alone, he gathered his troops, told them the objective, and set them loose. If Patton went on his own, defined his own objective, and then attacked, by himself, he would have been quickly killed.

The same goes for marketing activities. The general can certainly lead, if there are troops around him. But, if by himself, he will quickly be killed.

Some clients of mine expect me to be able to attack, by myself, and win the battle. What this means is: no budget (money), no support (staff or agencies), and no recognizence of what is happening in the market. No, not research, but, actually knowing the pitfalls and issues that may be faced.

I have asked many times for more money so that I can devote more time - no. To be able to hire an agency that can devote the time and effort needed - no. To be able to have a staff person be able to answer the calls or make calls - no.

Expectations have to managed, of course. What this means is that the client must know that for you to succeed and with no support, you probably won't succeed, but, you will certainly throw yourself at the brick wall, over and over, until you die.

Remember that success depends on a cohesive front, on one that is supported by all, and that support is given when and if needed. To launch a product on a worldwide basis, by a single individual, is entirely doable, but, luck plays as much a role as does strategy.

A general never won a war by fighting by himself, it takes an army. Don't ever let your clients forget that or YOURSELF - you must have the support you need to make a success. Be it family, money, staff, or whatever.

Posted by blaine at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What to do with a NEW partner.

Have been working with a new client, as well as an older client that has been going through the same issues and didn't think it was worth it to write about it here, but, I have to.

What do you do with a new partner (or founder) that wants to be (and you want them to be) a part of your new company? Do you immediately make them a partner and give them 50% of the company? (or if there are two of you, you split again and give them 33%?)

If the person is experienced and definitely feels an immediate need (like bringing in funding or having the knowledge to build the product) then, by all means, split and get them on board.

But, this is more about bringing someone on that may not bring in immediate funding or bringing on partners or, as one of my clients experienced, is holding the company ransom since all their money is locked up with this one outside vendor and if you don't bring them on board, the whole company will go under.

Let's take the last scenerio first - let the company fold. It is not worth it to bring on a partner/co-owner who will own the majority of the business because they have the money. Shut the company down, reform it, and learn from your lesson and find funding from numerous people (instead of 100% in one person, get 20% from five different people). You will end up the loser and it is better to end up the loser by shutting down the company then by losing control of the company, your patents, your payroll, your employee's, etc. because someone is holding you hostage.

But, if you are a young company and you want to bring on new clients who will start the revenue flow  and an individual is telling you that they will bring on new clients only if they are made a partner, then, by all means, bring them on. BUT, and this is a big but, HIRE A LAWYER who will write a contract that will protect you and your business until that person proves themselves in what they promised.

For example, two founders of a company have a product, but, they have no idea how to sell it (they know where to sell it, but, are engineers and don't trust themselves to sell it).  An outside individual comes to them and says "I can bring on a client that will buy your product, bring in millions of revenue, but, I want 33% of the company". What do you do?

My suggestion would be (as I suggested to my current client), bring them on under contract with these stipulations. Give them 5% initially, that expires after one year if they don't bring on a client. Give them another 5% for every client they bring on, up to 33%. It guarantee's that you will have six/seven clients, it guarantee's that the individual will continue to work (and not sit back and just keep taking 5% of the profits), and it shows that you are committed to them, if they are committed to you.

Pretty easy, huh? Make it a win/win for everyone involved. The founders can't be unhappy if their new partner brings in six new clients and starts the company going in the direction that they want it to be. And the new partner can't be unhappy because they are rewarded for their work and gain what they are looking for, a percentage of the company.

Think things through before giving up a percentage of your company - a lawyer or business mentor will give you helpful advice; all you need to do is listen to it.

Good luck.

Posted by blaine at 08:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Fired or laying off, its still devestating

Have to share this. Friend of mine called me and told me that he had been fired. On Saturday. At 10:00pm at night. By a company that he worked for for 9 years. Not by his boss, but by his bosses assistant. And then was told that he needed to call some of his staff and fire them.

Yes, true. Yes, sad. No, not in America, in Israel (which makes it very believable).

The world economy is in a panic (no thanks to America). Everyone is cutting employee's, not only for salary but also the benefits and additional costs that can be saved. They need money in the bank to weather this storm. Instead of dropping/stopping bad products or getting out of bad business', employee's are the first to go. It has happend before and will happen again.

But, I don't want to talk about the economy. I want to talk about letting people go. If you are in a socialist state, then, you don't need to read anymore. But, if you are in a capitalist state, then, continue to read.

First, read all the information on the web, in books, etc. about how to help a future employee transistion out of their job (lol - isn't that a good way to say "your fired"). Next, don't call them and lay them off, do it in person. If you can't do it in person, then, you, yes YOU, shouldn't be in the position that you are currently in.

Second, put yourself in their position. Yes, you may be laying this person off to protect your own job, but, still, take the moment and put yourself in their shoes and make it as comfortable as possible for them.

And third, remember, they believed in you, as their boss, that YOU knew what you were doing and that you were going to help them become rich/make money/etc. You were their mentor, or, at least, their boss, and they looked up to you for direction and leadership. Even in this moment, when you are laying them off, you are a leader - act like one.

So many generals in history kept their honor and respect when they surrendered or lost a battle. Because they did it with class and with their soldiers in mind. Business is war, don't ever forget it.

Be a leader and think before you talk.

Posted by blaine at 06:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT!!!

Was talking with a good friend the other day and she was asking me how she could get her "boss" to approve a direction, any direction.

It is an easy answer, and I am always surprised how many times I have given thsi advise to others.

Write down the options that you have. Present them.

That's it. Write down the options, breifly, on a single page. One, two, three or however many options you have (better not be more then three though). Under each one, list the pro's and con's, or consequences by doing it with positives and negatives, and so on.

PRESENT IT. Leave it behind. Let them make a decision. They can't come to you and say "now which one gives me this?" or whatever else. Of course, if you would like, tell them which one YOU think they should do, but, leave it in their hands.

I have never had a boss or client come back to me, after I have done this, and ask questions about the options. It's in front of them. Easy to decide.

By the way, don't think that you can do this verbally, because your client or boss will NOT remember. WRITE IT DOWN!!!

Good luck.

Posted by blaine at 02:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Consulting Threat - is it or not?

Sorry that I have not written in a while, been a bit busy - and I know how you guys all look forward to my next posting.

Let's get to it - you are a manager, and your boss says "let's get another set of eyes on this, let's bring in a consultant, okay?", and what happens? Your heart skips a beat, your mind starts running with the thoughts of "am I not good enough?", or "oh man, they're going to replace me!".

Well, if you have been following my exploits over the years, you know me - don't fear the unknown, there is nothing that you can do about it. If your boss wants to replace you and doesn't have the guts to tell you and this is how he (or she) is going to do it, then, so be it. Move on.

But, most likely, your boss (as I have done many times and currently get hired to do) just wants to get another set of "eyes" on the project or product or presentation or brand or brochure or website or whatever. Come on - be realistic, how many times have you looked at something that someone else did and you said "I would have done it this way" or "why put the logo there, no one notices it?".

A consultant does (or should) do the same thing. Having a fresh set of eyes on anything could bring an epiphany or a breakthrough, or, in my case when I consult, a complete rethinking on what is trying to be accomplished (again, if you know me, I make people look at the whole picture).

Welcome the consultant with open arms (not a cold shoulder).

Give them everything they can use/have that will let them understand what you are trying to do.

Allow them to give all the feedback they want - don't limit them (no matter what, they are getting paid, so, get your moneys worth).

And lastly, make them your friend (if they are good, lol).

Don't fear a consultant, they aren't a threat unless you a) make them a threat or b) aren't good at your job.

Posted by blaine at 09:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Break Preconceptions, work with what you have

I really like that saying.

How many times have you "planned" on getting that budget, or "knew" that you would get the approval?

You know what, so many times in my life, both personal and professional, I had a preconceived desire for something to happen, and it never did. So, I could either be negative and fail, or do with what I had.

It works with my other maxim - "Do the best you can in the time you have".

I guess it goes back to the old maxim of "Play the cards you are dealt".

So, next time you go into a meeting, break something, a pencil, rip a piece of paper in half, something - and remember, BREAK PRECONCEPTIONS, because not only will you be ready for the unexpected, you will be surprised at how adaptable you will become. 

Posted by blaine at 04:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Evangelism and Marketing

No, not the religious kind of evangelism, but, the marketing kind!!!

Many many years ago, I heard about a CEO position at Microsoft.  Thinking to myself "CEO? Bill Gates is the CEO - why are they advertising for a CEO position?" After looking into a bit, I found that the position was Chief Evangelist Officer - the person who goes out and convinces the world that "this" product is the best, will solve all your problems, etc.

At the time, I thought it was ingenious, that every company in the world should have a C"E"O. But, as years passed and I moved from company to company, I saw that this position didn't exist in any company (for that matter, I don't know if Microsoft has this position any more - probably too confusing for the investors).

Why didn't companies have an "evangelist" position? They had spokespeople, most of them being Product Managers and "C" level people, but, why not a full-time person that "evangelized their products. Their only job was to speak to others about what problem their product solves and why it is better then anything else out there.

A part of me always says that a spokesperson for a company does the same thing, but, not really.  Every spokesperson that I have ever met, also had another job, usually in marketing. They were responsible for advertising, or promotions, or event marketing, or whatever else. I have never met anyone that has the sole responsibility of speaking to the world.

First, what would be the benefit? Recently, I had the pleasure of being a spokesperson for a company. Only a spokesperson, or, in an ideal world, an evangelist.  I was hired for one year to only go out and speak about the benefits of the product and the company.  Which I did.  When I wasn't speaking about the product, I was doing research; on the competition, on "perimeter" products (ones that don't compete but definitely affect the market), on people who use the product and who don't (and why they don't), etc. Within six months, I new the complete market, from stem to stern. Yes, there are research analysts out there who study the market, but, they don't speak publicly about it. So, no benefit.

Second, why should a company want to do this? As mentioned above, you now had an expert on the product, that was trained in the complete market, and knew how to position the product in that market.  Of course they were media trained and could speak to the media and analysts, but, they could also speak in arena's that weren't specifically media related. They could speak at conventions and seminars about "where" the market is going, "how" the market will get there, etc.

As a side note, a previous company I worked for allowed me to start down this path, where I was speaking about the market, where the market was going, etc. After about a year, someone from the company actually decided to attend a conference and listen to one of my presentations. Sadly, they were very upset, because I was speaking about the market five years in advance, where the company only thought I was speaking about how their product would affect the market today. So, they stopped me from speaking about the future (which an evangelist should do!). (By the way, everything that I predicted for the market has come true - I get emails from people who remembered what I said and write "You were right! Why didn't we listen to you", or "You were right - hope you bought stock in our company when you gave that speech."

So, back to being an evangelist, or, more importantly, having an evangelist in your company.

Since I primarily deal with small companies and start-ups, you won't have an evangelist, you will have a spokesperson, that doubles as a product manager or whatever. But, when you get big enough, seriously think about bringing someone on that can be your evangelist. You don't have to be a multi-billion dollar company to have this - in fact, it should be done much sooner - because if you make that evangelist a part of your company, and that person stays around long enough to start and see their "preachings" come true, that company will only have a successful future.

Posted by blaine at 04:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Relax, it's just a job

Was speaking with an old employee the other day, someone that worked for me for four years and allowed me to mentor her, and the first thing I asked her (after talking about her family and personal life) was "are you breathing?"  She was an employee (like a few others I have had in my life) who wouldn't relax and enjoy her job and her life. She was so intent on "doing the right thing" and "pleasing her boss", she never stopped to look at what she was doing and how she could improve.

So many times in this blog I have talked about learning, growing, and trying to be aware of your surroundings.

This friend never ever slows down, never stops, for three minutes, and thinks about what she is doing and how she can improve it. She will think about it over the weekend, or while driving home (don't we all do this?), or the next morning.  You get the idea, she, like so many of us, doesn't slow down.

When I first started my career, I was very similar.  Then, I got into meditation and discovered that by taking five minutes to think, I could save hours later.  It did not happen overnight, but, over a few years.

One way that I remembered to do this, like I did with her, was I put a sticky on my monitor that said "breathe".  Everytime I looked at it, which was maybe twice a day, I would relax my shoulders, take in a deep breath, and think about what I was doing right then and how I could improve, or at least approach it without so much stress.

So, in closing, remember to breathe, because it does pay off in the long run.

Posted by blaine at 05:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)