Designing Woman

Remember when you were a kid that feeling on Christmas Day after unwrapping the gift you’d been really, really wishing for? Even when your mom said it was time to put your toys away, you would sneak in to take a quick peek, basking in your good luck, and maybe even take that toy off the shelf for just a quick second before rushing back to cleaning your room?

That’s the exact feeling I have with this wonderful new design you are checking out at the top of my blog! My super-fabulous designer Bonnie Collins of Bonnie Collins Design whipped this together and sent it to me late Friday. I couldn’t even wait to get back in the office to post it – it was up before I went to bed on Friday (never mind that I had 10 kids under the age of 7 at my house for my daughter’s birthday slumber party!)

Since then I’ve been sneaking away from my regular things-to-do list to admire how cute the slippers are on the “Amy Mac” you see at the top of the page, or playing around with a new font color, or adding links just to see how they look.

My advice to clients is always to invest in a top-notch designer like Bonnie to sharpen your marketing materials – it is always worth the investment, if for no other reason than you are more likely to hand out your card, mail your sales kit, or promote your blog if you are really excited about its aesthetic appeal.

If you are in the market for a good designer (and you should be if you don’t have one!), get in touch with Bonnie today. As you can see from her other work in this blog post, she has an amazing portfolio with a long list of high-profile of clients.

Here’s to following my own advice – and I hope, like me, you’ll find yourself peeking at this blog again and again! Let me know what you think.

"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see."Henry David Thoreau

Beware the Black Beer

A few days ago I was conducting a little internet reconnaissance for an upcoming fall family trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. One particular site enticed me with the promise of frequent sightings of “white-tailed deer and black beers.” Rewind: what? Black beers? This was turning into an entirely different vacation.

I sent the link to my sister, an elementary school teacher, and my university-attending niece for their reading pleasure. My sister noticed that, according to the site, the views were “wondrous,” and my niece raised concerns about the “full-moon bike rides.” Entirely different vacation!

This is a cautionary tale about carefully proofreading everything you write – from a letter to your child’s teacher to an elaborately designed web site. The fact is when your communications are riddled with typos (even ones that don’t have dual meaning), you lose the respect of your audience and might eventually lose their business. Why? They assume that if you can’t take the time to deliver well-written correspondence and marketing pieces that you lack the professionalism to deliver the service they need to their satisfaction.

Will I be cancelling our fall trip to take in the foliage and wildlife? Of course not. Will I be looking over my shoulder for a dark beer in a frosty mug making its way through the dense forest? It would certainly make the day even more interesting. But I promise I will not participate in any full-moon bike rides.

Cheers!

Coach: Can I draw you a beer, Norm? Norm: No, I know what they look like. Just pour me one―Cheers

Blondes, Business and Bartering

A week doesn’t pass where I’m not asked to donate or barter for my public relations counsel, copywriting or just plain ‘ole project management time. Frankly, I am all about a good barter –I’ve bartered for services at my hair salon (although, for the record I’d like to state this color is natural – ahem), for my kid’s dance lessons, and for a gorgeous oil painting of the girls.

These requests have convinced me to be particular about how and where I donate my time and services and the importance of a contract ―or at least getting the agreement in writing.

Why, you ask, is getting the terms of a one-time discounted job, barter or pro-bono project imperative? I’ve discovered over the years that assuming you and your friend or colleague are going to remember the conversation in the exact same way are slim. Not that anyone is trying to pull a fast one on the other (I will say that I’ve never –knock wood – had someone intentionally or maliciously not live up to their end of the bargain), but getting crystal clear on expectations, then following up with a written confirmation takes the guess work out of the situation. Plus it makes sure at the end of a project, all parties leave happy and still want to be friends, work together and give delightful referrals at every opportunity.

I recently received this contract from a company with which I barter my services. Their expectations were clearly outlined, along with a discounted price associated with these expectations. I communicated my expectations, signed the document, and frankly – breathed a sigh of relief. I am happy for them because they have many people with whom they barter their services and this document insures they are getting a bang for their buck. I am happy for me because it has established clear parameters around what I am (and am not) doing to fulfill my obligation to this business.

Do you have any areas, business or otherwise, that could use a little clarification? Make time on your schedule to tie up those loose ends, and happy bartering … you never know what kind of cool stuff a barter will bring!

Order marches with weighty and measured strides. Disorder is always in a hurry. -Napoleon Bonaparte

How Pretty Equals Busy

It’s what we refer to as “The Season” around here, and by that I mean there are three birthdays in our family to be celebrated, an annual Halloween party, SEC football games at which to tailgate and (hopefully) celebrate wins, a couple of autumn road trips – all culminating with The Thanksgiving Meal for around 30 people at our home. Don’t even mention Christmas.

As “The Season” kicks in, my thoughts turn to creative packaging, and not just for birthday invitations like this sleeping bag invite I created for my seven-year-old’s sleepover party.

You might be surprised how much a tasteful, eye-catching and creative marketing piece – whether it’s a sales kit, direct mail postcard or business card – can open doors. You might also be surprised how quickly doors will shut if you present a less-than-professional calling card. Worse yet, that nobody may even notice you’re knocking.

My husband, a marketing director for one of the big consumer package goods companies, had this advice for one of my clients who was deciding whether to invest in a high-quality sales kit: “If you don’t have a sales kit that convinces us you will get the product done right and on time, you won’t even score a meeting.”

My advice to clients is to invest in high-quality marketing pieces designed by a professional graphic designer. It immediately sets the tone that you are professional, invested in the success of your business, and reliable. Of course, the substance behind your marketing pieces is what truly makes your business a success, but your return on investment for excellence in marketing collateral will be worth the upfront expense.

Let the games (and birthdays, and travels, and holidays) begin!

“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it.” - Lord Acton

Life Meets Work Meets Amy Mac

Occasionally opportunity comes knocking at my door, and I’m able to contribute advice or musings about the relevant topic of the day. This is the case with a recent article I wrote for Life Meets Work, a very cool web site dedicated to advancing flexible work options in America.

Their question: how to close the gap in your resume when you’ve not worked for a while – for whatever reason, be it staying home with kids, caring for elderly parents, or just making a jump from one career to another.

My answer was this article. Follow this link, and let me know what you think!

Proofread carefully to see if you any words out. ~Author Unknown

The Weather Girl and the Circular File

Next week is my first grade daughter’s week to be the weather girl for her class, which was communicated to me today amongst a little stack of papers that comes home daily from her classroom. Panic-stricken, she rushed into the kitchen and asked with concern “Mom, please tell me you didn’t throw away my weather sheet?!!?”

Ah, she knows me well. It’s a daily flood of papers, notes and messages in this house and in my office, as I am sure it is in yours. Anyone who knows me can confirm I am ruthless about throwing everything away – I’m a believer that if it’s important, I can get the information again if I really, really need it.

Between the glossy postcard in the mail about the wonders of the local real estate agent finally selling that overpriced house down the street, a brochure pleading the case for a environmentally friendly lawn treatment, an e-mail newsletter about the 50 percent off sale at the local boutique and a voice mail from a politician promising long-lasting change if she can just have my vote …. delete, delete, delete.

Harsh, perhaps, from someone who makes her living helping real estate agents set themselves apart in the marketplace, creating public relations campaigns for a landscaping firm and writing and distributing newsletters via email – but here’s the key differentiator: my job is to make sure their marketing matters. Set it apart so it doesn’t fall directly into the trash. Take it a step further so the receiver even looks forward to their lovely new brochure/email/advertisement.

I have lots of beautiful things on my bulletin board for inspiration when I’m pulling together marketing campaigns: advertisements in magazines I love, direct mail pieces that caught my attention, even a brochure about an upcoming seminar session that struck a chord (I may even attend).

Whether it’s culling your direct marketing list to just the hottest prospects or hiring a designer to upgrade your web site, do something today to make sure your marketing pieces are landing on someone’s bulletin board – not their circular file.

And cross your fingers for nice weather to report next week.

Weather forecast for tonight: dark. ~George Carlin