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An Oyster card wallet assists numerous substantial intentions. It is one of the most functional, special and a perfect item of usefulness and the one that exists really long, thus providing you to build a strong reputation for your business organisation. It acts as the most efficient ways to spread your company content across a healthy sphere to mark your audience, thus facilitating you to succeed in a hostile international market. Oyster wallets offer up more flexibleness for campaigning, and is less time occupying than umpteen of its other counterparts. It represents a important role in getting your company name out there and provides a plenty of opportunities for campaigning your brand. It makes an ideal merchandising tool for any metropolitan area and is always appreciated by many people because of its usefulness and lastingness.
1) An Oyster card holder is attractively hand made in the most functional PVC plastic. You can add initials of each recipient, or like an expert emboss your society logo on the top. It is created by applying high quality photographic prints and makes a great corporate gift that exists forever. It is perfect for your exemption pass, rail tickets, or Driving Licence. This Oyster wallet offers plenty space for your unique purpose or company logotype.
2) Oyster card holders are made from long-term PVC plastic and holding it in your paws will keep you fresh throughout the wintertime. This item is very well suited for the masters and business administrators. You can hand it out to your business organisation clients, unique guests, employees or deputes, who will constantly appreciate and remember your society for years.
3) They create an ambient medium to carry your advertising messages, efficaciously. Oyster card wallets can be produced with your trade name and easily produce popularity for your company or organisation. They can be adorned and printed with your company or logo and create an premium present for your customers or beloved ones.
4) An Oyster card wallet is made from a functional PVC coating on one side of the Oyster holder and on the other it has 2 wallets to hold charge cards or oyster cards. They can also be given in a lovely present box and is the right product, to service your clients.
5) They are graceful and cost effective items, and are obtainable in a great range of colours and sizings. Their vibrant colours will make it favorable for you to find them in your purse or breif-case. They also have a logotype inflamed on the face. They are one of the most popular promotional products and permit a outstanding way of maximising your merchandising budget.
Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things
even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing
which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more
unclear.
While out speaking on branding, the question that I hear most is “How do I know if
my business or service is brand material?” With businesses opening left and right,
and more and more closing each year, I’m glad there are smart business owners
open to understanding the issue.
If you’ve found yourself asking the same thing, don’t worry you’re not alone.
Perhaps, this can shed some light.
At a recent luncheon, the same question came up again in a different way. I was
seated next to an attorney whose sole practice focuses on elder abuse cases, he
asked me in rapid succession (a manner that showed me he’d be great in court):
“Isn’t branding for businesses that make a lot of stuff?”
“Doesn’t branding apply only if you want to sell a lot of stuff?”
“Isn’t branding pointless for my kind of business?”
Smiling, I fired back, “yes, yes, and… no”.
Yes, branding is most often associated with businesses that make a lot of stuff. Yes,
branding is advantageous if you want to sell a lot of stuff. No, branding is not
pointless because every business makes something (or offers a service) and wants
to sell it. Branding is about making your product or service known to as many
potential customers as possible, consistently, with the most effective use of your
time and money. Branding is about repeat business. Branding is about effortless
referrals. Wouldn’t that be a benefit to ANY business, especially yours?
To help you gain more brand-worthy clarity, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I really passionate about what I am doing with my business, service or
product? And I mean REALLY! If not, is there something more you can be doing in it
to turn your passion switch on? It takes an amazing amount of energy and
persistence to make a business take hold in the customer’s mind. With more and
more businesses competing for headspace, it’s imperative that you set yourself
apart. If you are not cooking with the fuel that passion gives you, you’re missing out
on a very crucial element that could mean the difference between thriving and
closing.
2. Do I have a big vision of my business, service or product? Do you dream of
reaching lots of customers in different ways with your product or service? Do you
see a way to deliver your product or service to an increasing amount of people with
less and less effort? Did you create a mindset or special approach in your field that
can be delivered in a variety of mediums, i.e.- speaking, books, audio CDs,
consulting, etc. Do you envision moving beyond an hour-for-hour way of providing
your service? All of these support a big vision. , Not only do we begin from the
inside out, when approaching your brand, we create from where you will be in five
years as if it is now. Small vision does just that, keeps you small. The choice is
always yours.
3. Is my product or service a real benefit to lots of customers? It’s important that
you answer this one as honestly and openly as possible. I was very passionate and
had a huge vision for a career as a mime! (Yes, you read that correctly… a mime.)
However, no amount of passion and vision would make people buy it on a large
scale. Thanks to Marceau Marceau, the mime card had been played out. You may
find that by being truthful with your answers will lead to branding even better
products and services.
4. Am I prepared to surround myself with a team or the knowledge to accomplish
the business success that developing my business as a brand delivers? The plus side
of being an entrepreneur is that you may wear many hats in your business. The
negative side is that you feel like you have to! The truth is, you don’t! You’re an
expert in your field and you need to honor that expertise by supporting it with a
variety of other skill sets to make your indelible mark; logo design, copywriting,
website design, your marketing plan creation and execution, and others. The
important thing is that you realize…you’re in command…because it’s your ship! And
being a commander takes knowing where you want to go, gathering the maps to
make the journey, and the crew to make it happen.
If your answers to these questions are yes, then you have the makings to develop
your business as a brand. You just need the knowledge and practice to do so. If
you’re shaky on some of the questions, find out why. Even if you never develop your
business as a brand, solid yeses to these simple questions will only make your
business more successful and more enjoyable. After all, isn’t that we all want?
© Castle Montone, Limited All Rights Reserved.
Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!
To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://
www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/
“BrandU Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”
There are a lot of things that contribute towards the success of a business. Having a good quality product doesn’t necessarily assure the success of a business. To build a long term impression on your customers, it is vital that you have a proper marketing strategy and something unique about your company. Here comes in the importance for having a custom logo design.
I think it is absolutely important for all corporate bodies to realize the importance of having a custom designed logo. A professional logo design goes a long way to establish the identity and exude the attitude of the company. Now, when we say ‘professional logo design”, we must understand that it is not a child’s play, its a specialist job and better if it is assigned to a professional logo designer. The corporate bodies need to appoint the specialist in the field to get it done. I definitely do understand that its lot of fun to design your own logo; You play with colors, try out your drawing skills and spend some idle time to think what should be the design, at the end you land up with a very common concept of having the initials of your company in some twisted fashion or putting in a sleazy slogan to say your product is the best or some other things like that. However, that is not how your logo should be, it is not just a small graphics to appear in your business cards and letterheads. A logo, if done properly can leave a long and deep impression on your customers mind. They go a long way in depicting the image of your business. You can well understand, how powerful a logo can be if you think about the golden M of McDonaldsthe moment you see that, you know its’ them. Just think about the IBM logo or Swoosh of Nike, do you even take a moment to think, to whom does that logo belong? That shows how powerful impact a logo can create in the mind of your customers. Wouldn’t you like your company to have an equally powerful logo?
A professionally designed custom logo can be very powerful in representing the company profile, the nature of job they do and the attitude of the company. It helps to build the identity of the company and distinguishes your service from your competitors in the industry.
These days its really easy to find a professional logo designer and the best part is that they offer the service at real cheap rates which can be afforded by the smallest of business houses. There are so many logo design firm that offers excellent custom logo designs at unbelievable low rates. There are even companies that would happily do a quality logo for you for just $60-$80. Some companies would even allow you to quote “Your price” for “Your Logo” and they will do it at whatever price you quote. What can be more wonderful than this? Does it really make sense not to have a good logo even when you can have it so cheap?
The good news is, these days the corporate houses have started to realize the importance of establishing their brand and they are acknowledging the crucial role that a company logo plays in this process. The sooner the business houses realize the importance of professionally designed custom logo and stationery the better it will be for them and also for the graphic designing industry.
Ray Smith is a marketing Expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing.
Affordable Logo Design.
Sometimes the best inspiration comes from hearing about the deconstruction of other company’s names. For you, I am happy to share how I came up with”Slice A Day :: your slice on marketing”…
I like “slice” because you just get quick and small chunks to read… just enough to evoke a thought, to make you think, or to leave you wanting more.
———————————————–
Maya Sunpongco
Slice-A-Day.com
your slice on marketing
Branding is a one hot topic, although it is wildly misunderstood. To make things
even more confusing, branding is often tossed in the same basket as marketing
which makes its application to an entrepreneur or sole-practioner even more
unclear.
While out speaking on branding, the question that I hear most is “How do I know if
my business or service is brand material?” With businesses opening left and right,
and more and more closing each year, I’m glad there are smart business owners
open to understanding the issue.
If you’ve found yourself asking the same thing, don’t worry you’re not alone.
Perhaps, this can shed some light.
At a recent luncheon, the same question came up again in a different way. I was
seated next to an attorney whose sole practice focuses on elder abuse cases, he
asked me in rapid succession (a manner that showed me he’d be great in court):
“Isn’t branding for businesses that make a lot of stuff?”
“Doesn’t branding apply only if you want to sell a lot of stuff?”
“Isn’t branding pointless for my kind of business?”
Smiling, I fired back, “yes, yes, and… no”.
Yes, branding is most often associated with businesses that make a lot of stuff. Yes,
branding is advantageous if you want to sell a lot of stuff. No, branding is not
pointless because every business makes something (or offers a service) and wants
to sell it. Branding is about making your product or service known to as many
potential customers as possible, consistently, with the most effective use of your
time and money. Branding is about repeat business. Branding is about effortless
referrals. Wouldn’t that be a benefit to ANY business, especially yours?
To help you gain more brand-worthy clarity, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Am I really passionate about what I am doing with my business, service or
product? And I mean REALLY! If not, is there something more you can be doing in it
to turn your passion switch on? It takes an amazing amount of energy and
persistence to make a business take hold in the customer’s mind. With more and
more businesses competing for headspace, it’s imperative that you set yourself
apart. If you are not cooking with the fuel that passion gives you, you’re missing out
on a very crucial element that could mean the difference between thriving and
closing.
2. Do I have a big vision of my business, service or product? Do you dream of
reaching lots of customers in different ways with your product or service? Do you
see a way to deliver your product or service to an increasing amount of people with
less and less effort? Did you create a mindset or special approach in your field that
can be delivered in a variety of mediums, i.e.- speaking, books, audio CDs,
consulting, etc. Do you envision moving beyond an hour-for-hour way of providing
your service? All of these support a big vision. , Not only do we begin from the
inside out, when approaching your brand, we create from where you will be in five
years as if it is now. Small vision does just that, keeps you small. The choice is
always yours.
3. Is my product or service a real benefit to lots of customers? It’s important that
you answer this one as honestly and openly as possible. I was very passionate and
had a huge vision for a career as a mime! (Yes, you read that correctly… a mime.)
However, no amount of passion and vision would make people buy it on a large
scale. Thanks to Marceau Marceau, the mime card had been played out. You may
find that by being truthful with your answers will lead to branding even better
products and services.
4. Am I prepared to surround myself with a team or the knowledge to accomplish
the business success that developing my business as a brand delivers? The plus side
of being an entrepreneur is that you may wear many hats in your business. The
negative side is that you feel like you have to! The truth is, you don’t! You’re an
expert in your field and you need to honor that expertise by supporting it with a
variety of other skill sets to make your indelible mark; logo design, copywriting,
website design, your marketing plan creation and execution, and others. The
important thing is that you realize…you’re in command…because it’s your ship! And
being a commander takes knowing where you want to go, gathering the maps to
make the journey, and the crew to make it happen.
If your answers to these questions are yes, then you have the makings to develop
your business as a brand. You just need the knowledge and practice to do so. If
you’re shaky on some of the questions, find out why. Even if you never develop your
business as a brand, solid yeses to these simple questions will only make your
business more successful and more enjoyable. After all, isn’t that we all want?
© Castle Montone, Limited All Rights Reserved.
Written by Kim Castle, the Co-founder of BrandU the home of only step-by-
step process for developing your business as a brand from the inside out!
To get information on upcoming BrandU one-day workshops: http://
www.whybrandu.com/Public/events/workshop/index.cfm?semID=13
Get your Why You?!(sm) monthly ezine for easy-to-read tips and informative
insights on branding. To subscribe: http://www.whybrandu.com/
“BrandU Big Business Success No Matter Your Size”
Every small business needs it, but not many have it. I am not talking
about cash flow, clients or even your product or services to sell. Yes, all
of these things are absolutely necessary. But, what I am talking about is
something most small business owners overlook. It is the need to hire
an expert graphic designer.
In a highly competitive marketplace, hiring an expert graphic designer
can mean the difference in whether your product or service stands out
and gets noticed or in having it lost in the fanfare generated by your
business rivals.
Now, more than ever, hiring an expert to create your marketing and
communication materials (also called collateral materials) is one of the
most vital ingredients in the success of your small business.
Hiring the right graphic designer — a true expert — is a bit more involved
than just randomly choosing someone from the Yellow Pages or hiring
your third cousin because he is creative and owns a new computer.
If you are not careful, you may find yourself hiring the wrong person for
the wrong reasons, which may cause more harm than good to your
small business.
This is a big deal. After all, this person will be creating the look and
identity of your small business seen by all of your prospects and
customers. It is essential that you don’t just hire anyone.
Here are five things you need to do in hiring the RIGHT graphic
designer for your small business.
Number 1: Understand that graphic design is an investment, not an
expense. This investment will pay huge dividends for the image of your
business and in determining its future success. You need to be willing to
invest in hiring a qualified, experienced professional, rather than hiring
the cheapest person you can find. The old adage that…you get what you
pay for…is genuinely true.
Naturally, your budget is an important issue in choosing a designer. I am
not saying you need to fork over thousands upon thousands of dollars to
the person you hire. But, if you hire the cheapest you can find and shop
on price alone, I promise, you will get exactly what you pay for.
Number 2: Not all graphic designers are created equal. Just because
someone says that he/she is a graphic designer doesn’t mean that the
person is necessarily worth his/her salt. The key here is to examine that
person’s portfolio of work.
Graphic design is more than pretty pictures or cool graphics. It is a visual
means of solving complex business problems by communicating the
essence of your business message and personality. Therefore, when
you are looking at the designer’s portfolio don’t just take a quick look.
Dig in and ask many questions about the work.
What was the design problem? How was it solved? What was the
concept behind the design solution? Why were the colors chosen? Why
was the format chosen? What were the results? Was the client satisfied?
If the designer can’t answer these questions or answers with “I did it this
way because it looks cool…” or “I used yellow because it is my favorite
color…” move on.
Number 3: Hire a designer with experience. Someone fresh out of
design school may be enthusiastic about working for you, but may not
be the best investment you can make.
You should hire a designer who has, at the very least, three or more
years of real world experience under his/her belt.
The more experience a designer offers, the better he/she will be able to
steer you away from potential headaches and pitfalls. An experienced
designer can suggest ways to handle your project that you may never
have thought of before.
A seasoned designer will also have a good idea of what works and what
doesn’t work, such as the best way to format a direct mail piece or which
colors and fonts work best in conveying the message and feeling you
are trying to communicate.
Experience relates back to the first point I made. Hiring an experienced
designer is a better investment of your marketing dollars.
You probably wouldn’t feel comfortable hiring someone with little
experience in medicine to perform surgery on you…the same can be
said for hiring a designer. Essentially a designer is performing surgery
on your business by constructing the look and feel of your design
project.
Bottom line: real world experience is priceless.
Number 4: Check references. If the designer you are considering has
done a stellar job for previous and/or current clients, that professional
should not hesitate in giving you names of people that attest to that fact.
No references should be taken as a big red flag.
When contacting references, which you should, ask questions about the
overall experience with the designer.
Is the designer a professional? Would you use the designer again? Do
you feel you got your money’s worth? Did he/she deliver the project
within the timeframe and the budget upon which was originally agreed?
Does the finished piece solve your problem? Ask, as many questions as
you think will apply to your particular situation.
Number 5: Honestly discuss your budget. Budget is usually the
proverbial 800-lb gorilla in the middle of the room. Most everyone has a
budget in mind, but not many want to discuss it.
If you have done steps one through four, you will be close to hiring
someone that is not a trained sales killer and is not just interested in
taking all of your money, so you can be open and honest with them.
Having a candid discussion with the designer about what you can
practically afford is vital, because:
First: It lets both of you know, right off the bat, whether you can work
together. You won’t waste time wondering…how much is this going to
cost me or do I have the money to hire this person?
Second: It will allow for a discussion of what you can expect in
exchange for the money you will spend.
Obviously, the key is to hire a designer that can work within your budget.
To do that, you MUST have an honest and open discussion about
money. No one wants a last minute surprise about what it will cost to
work together.
One last thing…
You should view the graphic designer you hire as your strategic
business partner and an invaluable member of your team. Sure, you can
hire a pro just once to create only one specific design solution, but hiring
a graphic designer with a rich breadth of capabilities and experience
that you can tap into repeatedly is a much wiser investment.
As a small business owner, you have a vision, opportunity and direction
for your business. The designer’s job is to come along side you and
develop the best visual solution to fulfill that vision, opportunity and
direction.
It is your brand. It is your image. It is your business message that the
designer will be communicating visually. Make sure whomever you hire
aligns with these key points discussed.
Hiring the RIGHT graphic designer really is THAT important.
Jeanna Pool is President of CATALYST creative, inc., located in Denver,
Colorado. She helps small business owners who are really good at
what they do, but struggle to market their services effectively to attract
more clients on a consistent basis. She can be contacted at
http://www.catalystcreativeinc.com or call
303.380.9100.
Yes!
It’s a proven thousands of times every day. A well-defined
business image will increase sales by making your company
more “credible”. The return on investment for using business
Here’s why.
According to Bill Gluth, Creative Strategist with Develop
Your Vision, The 3 main aspects that need to be established
for customers to buy from you are:
* Interest: They are interested in you,
your product or service and recognize a need.
* Trust: They trust you to deliver a
realistic return on investment (ROI)
* Credibility: You have established a
realistic ability to deliver on your promises.
Hiring a business image consultant to establish a consistent,
credible “brand” image will significantly increase your
business’ credibility with prospects.
Coke knows this, Gap Clothes does too, and so does Microsoft
and Apple Computers - they all invest a great deal of
time and resources into creating a recognizable, consistent
and credible brand image.
Credibility leads to trust, in fact, without credibility
trust cannot exist. Once you establish trust and credibility
you 2/3rds of the way home to a sale.
And finally, there’s interest. Can well-executed promotional
materials spark interest in prospects? History has proven
this to be a fact. In fact, every day, well-executed promotional
material creates additional revenues for companies worldwide.
Long after you have left the prospect or even if you’ve
never met the prospect at all your business image is hard
at work.
What this all means is that well designed promotional
materials increases sales. Your image will separate you
from the competition and “position” you as the only logical
company to choose.
Smart business owners will only trust their precious “Brand”
to savvy image and marketing firms; leading to a significant
ROI.
Jeremy Tuber runs the only business savvy graphic design firm who helps companies build more confidence and credibility into their business identities. “I help you take your business’ vision and shape it into a company identity that will make you look better, feel better and have more confidence about your business.”
Like the article?
Email Jeremy today at comments@candographics.com for your choice of a free insider’s bulletin: “How to Choose the Right Marketing/Design Firm for You” or “Top Ten Questions Designers Don’t Want You to Ask Them”. You’ll also want to check out the “Can-Do Confidence Builder”. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your marketing/design investments and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition. Remember to include in your email your name, which Insider Bulletin you would like to receive and any additional feedback.
Learn more about Jeremy and how you can gain a competitive advantage with a better brand by visiting http://www.candographics.com.
Last issue, I talked about increasing your Brand Love– meaning to increase the affection that prospects and customers feel toward your business.
Why?
Because increasing “affection” will build relationships. Those relationships, if made strong enough by increased Brand Love, build a bridge for prospects to become customers. To some, that bridge might be made of rope, swaying in the breeze, complete with wooden planks. To others, it will be a mighty stone structure. It all depends on how well you connect with each prospect.
It also means putting more cement on the bond with the customers you already have. Locking customers in, tighter and tighter with every brand experience is a critical aspect to profitability and growth. The reason here is twofold: It costs less to maintain current customers than to gain new ones, and the best advertising is word of mouth. Sounds like a cliché (’cause they are), but… it’s true, folks.
So, the big question is: How to do it and do it better than your competition.
Previously, I mentioned getting honest and forthright feedback from customers. Having one-on-one conversations can help. You will also get valued honesty from questionnaire cards that have a few quick answers AND some space to write in other thoughts. Actually, that could be the most important aspect of the card. Getting this kind of feedback can provide huge rewards.
First, this type of “silent” feedback lets the writer give a more honest opinion, rather than talking face-to-face. They don’t have to sign their name. Also, the feedback given can open up trains of thought that may not have occurred to you before. You may get insight into improving your core business. The insight may turn into a realization that leads to big discovery, such as a different product, service, or an entire market.
Another way to increase Brand Love is the proper training of your employees. Nothing is more of downer (except perhaps bad merchandise) to a customer than an incompetent employee. Service
should be a big part of your marketing plan, and that means involving time and expense to train your employees properly. We’ve all heard our economy is becoming more service-based, but we’ve all suffered from bad service- more often than not. Being on hold five minutes or more. Being ignored when you walk in the door. Given incorrect information, being overcharged, or having something delivered late. All bad news for customers.
I once called a local outlet of a national home center chain, and I was on hold for 30 minutes! I stayed on as long as I could, just to see actually how many minutes it took for someone to answer. It was so long, I could hum their jingle in my sleep! And they never answered. Now, I go strictly to their competition. Alarmingly, it’s to the point where mediocre service is so noticeably different, it gets applauded. Keeping your employees trained and caring starts at the top. So if this hasn’t been a priority for you, make it one, and you’ll see your referrals go up.
This leads into my next point - becoming the Preferred Employer. In the marketing triangle, there are three elements: Business, Customers, and Employees. With the Business at the apex of the triangle, it cannot exist without the other two. You’re not just marketing to customers. You are marketing to your employees too, because they are investing their time to work for you.
When you create an excellent work atmosphere and employees find working for you rewarding, you get great performance from them AND you attract top talent. Those are two things that are priceless and almost insure success. Conversely, when you don’t care about your employees, their training, or make work an unpleasant experience, count on poor to mediocre help without much care or effort. I cannot think of a faster way to drive good help and customers away.
Being the Preferred Employer doesn’t mean doesn’t mean there are no rules in place or you pay obscenely high wages for comparable work. It simply means your employees are respected, taught to do their job well, given proper feedback when needed, and are made to feel valued.
Take a good objective look around your business. Get honest feedback from your customers AND your employees. Great businesses become that way because they are constantly searching for ways to become better. Those two groups should be your most important and most depended-on allies in that never- ending search. ~
Republishing part of or entire article, in all forms, is welcomed, as long as author bio info is printed and proper authorship credit is given. As a courtesy, please send author a complimentary copy.
John is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He publishes a free monthly e-zine focusing on branding, advertising, and marketing from his web site http://www.brandedbetter.com. Speaking with both agency and in- house experience, he knows the most valuable asset of a business is its brand.
Here’s a little story about what not to do as you carve out a name for yourself in the world of internet business.
Don’t use a miscellaneous email account as your primary web contact address.
Some silly copywriter did this when she thought she was going to start working “freelance corporate” for staffing agencies.
This copywriter chose the name “seniorcopywriter” for her contact email because, in the corporate world, copywriters come in three sizes: Junior, Regular (actually referred to as just “Copywriter”), and Senior. (It’s sort of like the sizes of Starbucks coffee cups, but not.)
Since she had left her last corporate job wielding the lofty title of Senior Copywriter, I guess she thought that would be a fairly direct way of advertising her capabilities.
What she did not realize was that she was about to embark on a wild internet mega-marketing adventure, and that corporate had seen the last of her and her copywriting seniority.
So, now when people go to her website, they see the email contact address as “Seniorcopywriter” and probably wonder what kind of self-titling weirdo she is.
And when they come across her email address in some unexpected place, they make no connection between it and her website, which is called Wordfeeder.com.
If you haven’t caught my drift yet, I’m using this story to illustrate the point that highly effective branding is planned and purposeful. All of the elements of your business should “match.” Your website, company name, logo, tagline, email address, and basically everything you create thereafter, should be aimed directly at your target audience. Everthing should coordinate perfectly– like Jackie O’s wardrobe.
Someday, this copywriter who shall remain nameless, will get around to changing her email address to something more appropriate. But since it’s seemed to bring her good luck, for now she superstitiously keeps it as is.
Copyright 2005 Dina Giolitto. All rights reserved.
Find out how crisp, targeted copywriting can make a world of difference for your business. Dina Giolitto is a Copywriting Consultant with ten years of experience. Visit http://Wordfeeder.com for free tips on branding, copywriting, marketing and more.
Do you want to completely eliminate every competitor you will ever face?
Do you want your clients and prospects to see you as a unique solution to a focused challenge they encounter?
Does feeling good about the start of every day excite you enough to take action that is different than what you have been doing?
If so, I would like to introduce you to the greatest single differentiator anyone can ever have; your authentic talent in business.
Talent is that secret that has been seen as the domain of people we call “talented.” Artists, writers, musicians, anyone involved in art.
But art is really life after all. Talent does not have to be limited to people engaged in artistic pursuits.
Art is the expression of a feeling. An emotion captured in a medium. Limiting the medium to paint, musical instruments or paper, really limits all that art is.
When you break it down, art is really just an expression of a feeling you have in your heart. It can be anything; a business, an idea, or simply personal inspiration.
The creative application of thoughts and feelings from the mind to the outer world is what we call talent.
And talent lives in the heart and mind of anyone who is willing to slow down long enough to understand and experience it.
One of the better examples I’ve seen recently is from the mortgage industry.
At the start of 2005, Eric was stuck. He was not reaching his full potential in the mortgage business, but knew he could.
Through questioning and evaluation we discovered that he truly cared about people. He was not just looking to get a deal done and move on. He actually took each loan personally, as if it were for a member of his own family.
He had a talent for understanding each client’s unique home buying needs and knew how to find great solutions that met them. Basically, he would dig when others in his industry would have given up.
Once he understood his “talent” he was able to articulate a message of “Taking your loan personally, treating every client like they were members of my family.”
Once that story got out, people were attracted and Eric doubled his business. Why? People understood the difference between Eric and everyone else in the same business.
They related to the authentic talent and passion that came from his heart. This developed interest and trust, because it was an authentic, heartfelt message.
Everyone else was selling low rates. Eric was selling care, understanding and focused solutions to specific challenges.
Authentic talent and passion lives in your feelings, your heart. It is the most powerful business building strategy you can ever use.
It’s all just a matter of slowing down the reactive, rational mind long enough to get in touch with the feelings you have about your business and life.
Then all you have to do is create a message that relates well to a specific group of people who have a reason to care and tell your story to them consistently.
Take this ACTION Step
How to create your talent in business story
1. Sit down in a quiet place with a pad of paper and complete this sentence “My authentic talent and passion in business is ___________.”
2. If you don’t know what to write, STOP. You are thinking instead of feeling.
3. Quiet the mind by not thinking of anything. Focus on your breathing. Allow the mind to be still. Anytime a thought comes up, imagine a blackboard and erase the thought. Then refocus on your breathing.
4. When your mind is quiet ask the question again.
5. Write down the very first feelings, thoughts and impressions that come to you as you sit in this quiet personal space. Take 10 to 15 minutes to complete this exercise.
6. Let your notes sit for a day. Then come back to them and evaluate what you wrote down. How does it feel? Is it authentically you?
7. Create a sentence that starts with I am a ________(your talents and passions) that ________ (results people gain from your talent)
For me it is I am a motivational trainer who inspires small business owners to use their authentic talent in business as their greatest competitive advantage.
Congratulations, you have taken step one with me in helping you Develop Your Vision
Bill Gluth is a Human Touch Marketing Expert, professional speaker, trainer and consultant. He is the first person to specialize in developing “talent” as a competitive business strategy.
Bill brings clear, simple and focused action steps to any business building program that spotlights controlling time, methods and mindset to stand out from the crowd. When in control of these 3 variables, business people can realize greater achievement and business growth in less time, with greater enjoyment and minimal stress.
Learn more about Bill Gluth and his Creative Business Strategy Training programs by visiting http://www.developyourvision.com.