You decide to spend on a Pay Per Click campaign. Key phrases well chosen, ads artfully written for that small space. Best time of day to have the ads show up selected. You monitor, nurture and tweak as you watch the reports. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Toronto’
What Comes After The Click?
Thursday, July 7th, 2011Building Rapport Through Excellent Account Management
Thursday, April 21st, 2011Client service excellence isn’t about doing what no one else can do; it’s about doing what anyone can do, but doesn’t. – Leo Bottary, Vice President, Public Affairs at Vistage International
This statement is a good summation of the attitude I have carried with me throughout my 30+ years working as a client service/account manager in print, design firm and marketing agency scenarios.
Marketing: How Many Vendors Do You Really Need?
Saturday, March 26th, 2011It’s not uncommon to go to different partners for different marketing needs. What’s the harm in that? Well… depending on the circumstances the harm can be wasted time, wasted money, wasted impact and lost opportunities. All the things a successful business does NOT want.
Brand for Success: Using Personal Brand To Land That Great Job
Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010
First published by torontojobs.ca
The power of a brand to make the right connection with customers—lead to sales—is well documented. In fact, many successful job seekers have adopted brand principles when looking for the right job, then built on their brand to launch a successful career.
You don’t need as powerful a presence as, for example, Peter Aceto, Canada’s ING spokesperson for straightforward, easy banking; Jeanne Becker, iconic host of fashion television; or down-to-earth homeowner who loves to cook affordable gourmet, Galen Weston Jr. Other personal brands include Bonnie Brooks (The Bay), Mitch Joel (Twist Image), Arlene Dickinson (Venture Communications) and Toronto’s own Faith Seekings (Rapport Communications & Design). Each built their business on top of their personal brand. Their success demonstrates how a company can enhance customer connection by wrapping its brand around a personality then making everything they do an extension of that brand.
When looking for a job, you’re wise to look at what makes an effective brand strategy then apply these basics to how you “sell” yourself in writing and in person.
Define your brand
Authenticity builds trust and people hire and do business with, those they trust. So take some time to define who you are and the strengths you offer that are uniquely “you”. Ask some close associates: “What do I do best? What do others say about me?” Now communicate these strengths consistently, from the resume you create, the clothes you wear, the topics you talk about, the interests you pursue. With a clearly defined brand, you’ll come across in an interview, and on paper, as someone who is sincere and can be trusted. And you’ll continue to build your brand around what you do best.
Stay consistent
Consistency builds a brand—lose your focus and you’ll lack differentiation. Some people looking for a job put forth so many skills that they come across as someone who’ll “do anything for a buck”. The potential employer is left confused, wondering who you are and what you’re really able to offer. After you’ve landed a job, continue to be clear about what interests you most, and where you want to build your skills.
Remember, once you’ve defined your brand, keep it front and centre and you’ll continue to stand out in the crowd. Jeanne Becker was recently asked to be face and spokesperson behind the new fashion label “EDIT”. Why? The stylish, simple yet chic fashions that will last over several seasons fit Jeanne’s consistently fashionable-without-flashy style. Rapport Communications & Design, which built it’s “rapport building” brand, makes relationships the focus of it’s every activity.
Tell your story
Behind every great brand there is a great story—perhaps someone’s struggle to entertain affordably, another being frustrated by design firms that don’t listen. Don’t be shy. Understand your own story, and make that story part of your brand. As long as your story connects to your strengths, the story behind why you’ve come to define who you are is usually more compelling than a resume. I knew a woman who sold critical life insurance. After various marketing attempts she finally began to tell the story about how being left a widow inspired her to this new career path. Her story, and her ability to empathize, became part of her brand—her sales increased within the year.
Connect on an emotional level
Selling yourself doesn’t mean getting emotional, but use emotions to connect with the person you want to “sell” to. This means talking about the reasons why working with you meets a company’s needs beyond just doing the job. When preparing your resume or getting ready for an interview, think about what you—your brand—offers beyond just being qualified on paper. Use “I’ll make you feel statements”. For example, if you’re applying for an accounting position, “I’ll make you feel more organized.”; “I’ll make you more confident in the numbers.” If you want to get a job as a waitress, “I’ll make your customers feel welcome and relaxed.”
Be relevant and flexible
Good brands are well managed. That means being willing to make adjustments when needed. The same applies to your personal brand. We’re all allowed to change, especially if your situation changes. For example, you may be interviewing for a job that’s going to push you a bit out of your comfort zone. But if you believe it’s the job for you, you need to demonstrate that you can adapt while still retaining your authenticity. This might be a simple as wearing a suit, with your own flare, or offering to take some additional training if you’re lacking in a specific skill area.
You also want to show your potential employer, as well as your current employer, that you can be flexible when change is needed. This means letting them know that you’re anxious to grow, develop your potential, and learn new skills.
Cultivate your network
Brand communities help companies stay in touch with their customers and continue to create loyalty. As individuals, we also need to network in communities where we feel valued and understood. In business, such communities are critical. They keep our personal brand fresh and our ideas relevant. When we’re looking for a job, they connect us with the right resources because often it’s these people who know better than anyone else, our strengths and weaknesses. When we have a job, such communities keep us aware of what is happening in the world outside our workplace, new trends, ideas, even new opportunities, so when it’s time for a new job, we’re ready to move.
Practice brand strategy thinking (even after getting the job)
Brand strategy continually makes a company ask, “Where do we want to be in the future, what are our choices, what are the possibilities beyond today?”
Although individuals tend not to think of brand strategy, it’s probably the most important part of building and growing your personal brand. What you’re doing today may be great, but each year you need to review your goals and ask yourself, “Where do I want to be in 3 years? What is standing in my way, and what resources and strengths can help me get there?”
Being able to answer these questions and practice your own personal brand strategy will get you more than a good job—this kind of brand thinking can lead to a stellar career!
Creating a small town buzz in the Big City
Monday, December 20th, 2010by Maja Rehou, commissioned by Just Business People Magazine (British Columbia)
It’s easy to connect with others in a close knit community like the Sunshine Coast where everybody knows each other and small businesses thrive on word of mouth referrals. However, building rapport in a big cosmopolitan city is a much harder task. But that is exactly what a young graphic designer named Faith Seekings did. President and Creative Director of Rapport Communications & Design Inc., a boutique graphic design and communication firm in the heart of Toronto’s historic district, Seekings has created a buzz in the entrepreneurial community.
A graduate from George Brown College in 1997, Seekings first began her career as a graphic designer working for Market Partners. After a couple years Seekings’ boss discovered that her black Lab Spaniel cross was left at home while she was at work and said “why don’t you just bring him in.” Seekings loved the idea and Buddy soon became a regular fixture in the office. Buddy passed away in 2004 but Faith continued the tradition with her new canine companion Candy who is often seen in the reception area of the firm on her back waiting for a tummy rub.
After outgrowing Market Partners, Seekings moved to a small start-up but was soon laid off. At the time she says, “I was totally devastated. All I knew was that I needed a full time gig. When people suggested I try freelancing I thought they were nuts.” But she persevered and eventually met a fellow graphic designer named Neil. He needed someone to pick up his extra design work and in exchange would share his office space and equipment. From taking on freelance work Seekings eventually took over the whole space when Neil left. This is where Seekings says “I was eased into running my own business.”
Watching Neil try to make it on his own, Seekings learned what worked and what didn’t when it came to running a business. She says “I was very lucky to have Neil’s advice and guidance early on.” The biggest thing she learned she says, “was that I couldn’t just sit and wait for work to come to me. I had to go out there and find it myself.” Realizing that no one was going to find her hiding in her office, she looked for places to meet prospects. She discovered networking and joined CAWEE (The Canadian Association for Women Executives and Entrepreneurs). Seekings loves meeting people. “Networking and relationship-building are a natural for me,” she says.
Seekings says “running a business was an awakening for me. I discovered a whole other side to myself. It also made me realize I was completely addicted to being independent and in control.”
After being on her own and liking it, ambitious, Seekings wanted to grow her business. Her client list was getting bigger and her clients were looking for more than just graphic design services. Seekings understood that to grow, “Faith Seekings” could no longer be the brand because she says “it gave people the impression that I was small or on my own as a freelancer.” The uniqueness of her name was also an obstacle because as Seekings jokes “prospects thought they were being recruited into some kind of cult”. So in 2007 she decided to rebrand her firm to a name that could be easily marketed by other members of her team. But finding the perfect name that truly represented her firm was difficult. Seekings reminisces about how during a collaborative session her photographer Mondo “just threw the word rapport out there.” “It stuck,” she says and in 2007 Rapport Communications & Design Inc. was born.
The challenges she faces running a business Faith says, “are dealing with things outside my area of expertise such as cash flow and growth.” As more clients came on board she started hiring staff to take on the extra workload but she says she was “just winging it.” She says “it was all suddenly more complicated and I needed to learn how to make it all work.” She was referred to Judi and Nick Hughes founders of Your Planning Partners, a firm that provides workshops, tools and strategies to help small enterprises grow their businesses. It was through them that she was introduced to Bill Tibbles, the owner of a well established graphic design firm. Bill was succession planning and looking for a way to retire. Seekings was looking for a way to grow – a perfect match. Faith soon bought his business and with Bill on board for five years, they operate like partners.
Why has Seekings’ business done so well in an extremely competitive marketplace? Seekings says “my clients trust me and really appreciate the intuitive sense I have of their businesses.” They also like being greeted by a wag of the tail in a quaint little 175 year old building in the heart of the St. Lawrence Market. It’s like being a part of a small community. “Clients aren’t just numbers on invoices they are people I genuinely want to help succeed,” Seekings says.
Seekings not only has rapport with her clients, she also has a strong relationship with her staff. Every Friday they get together for drinks at a local pub to unwind. During the summer months they have also been known to set sail on the harbour on one of her client’s sailboats.
Seekings now has a staff of nine. When asked if she wants her business to continue growing she says “If I got too much bigger I would no longer be as close to my clients and staff. I would inevitably lose rapport.”
What Does My Brochure Have to do With My Website?
Sunday, November 21st, 2010Many B2B companies don’t do much ongoing marketing, beyond the start-up package, making individual pieces often done separately. We often have clients approach us initially for a branding package or website, then a year later they decide to participate in a tradeshow and call us for a booth and something to hand out.
For some items done separately means time and different suppliers. The risk may very well be marketing tools that are inconsistent and/or function in isolation from each other. What’s the danger of this? Ineffective marketing that isn’t worth the money invested in it, that may also devalue all other existing pieces.
The first challenge: seeing each as part of a whole
Understanding that all your marketing tools (every point of contact) work together to pull your prospects deeper into your sales funnel and ultimately lead them to a sale, is half the battle. It takes multiple points of contact to make a sale. They include human contact, business cards, referrals, advertising, email campaigns, your LinkedIn profile, etc., etc. Many people rely on the website to make the sale, to entice that call to book an appointment, but how do they get there in the first place? What other pieces of your marketing have they come in contact with on the way? When B2Bs examine their Google Analytics, they’ll see the most traffic is direct or searches for their name, as opposed to a random Google search for your services. This means they must have heard about you another way.
Think of your points of contact as a path
As a prospect works their way through all your points of contact, think of it as a path. All main points are connected, any major changes need to be sign-posted and it should lead to a destination.
Think of their experience when going from one point to the next on this path. The first thing they saw or heard will establish an expectation, a relation to your brand. When they move on to the next thing, is it consistent? Does it carry on the same colours and design elements, the same message? Breaks in consistency can range from merely less effective results to confusing enough to halt prospects in their tracks.
Are they compelled to move forward on to the next thing? Do they have more than one option? For example, they go to your website but aren’t ready to buy, can they sign up for a newsletter?
Are you wasting money on marketing?
There are two sides to this – you could literally waste money on an ineffective campaign, or just not get as good an ROI as you would like. If you consider each item as part of a whole when doing all at once, but especially if there have been time lapses, you can make small adjustments or enhancements that make not only that piece work better and increase it’s ROI, but also the thing it connects to, and what that connects to as well. Swag (like pens and mugs with your logo) are much more useful with a URL on it. If you do some sort of promotion to drive people to your website, do they see something related to that promotion when they get there?
Top five ways to ensure your tools are working optimally:
- Draw them up as a map with your goal (i.e. call for meeting) at the centre so you can visualize going from one to the next through the prospects’ eyes.
- Establish basic strategy, like target audience and what you stand for up front, it will really help guide you when adding pieces down the road.
- Every time you add a piece check that it’s consistent brand-wise with other marketing tools. Think design – colours, fonts and basic grid layout. Also think messaging, the way you talk about the company and it’s value proposition.
- Ask yourself what you want prospects to do once they’ve seen the piece (i.e. call you, go to website, Tweet about you). Does it encourage them to do it? Can you make it more purposely drive prospects to the next part, or more parts of your funnel?
- One of the best ways to maintain a strong map is to have all pieces worked on by the same person or group. That means, find a marketing company to help that understands your business and goals, who you work well with and can do it all so you aren’t bouncing from supplier to supplier, or doing it yourself.
What Are Proprietary Websites?
Thursday, November 4th, 2010In it’s most basic form, it’s a website built with closed-source technology that the developer owns and 
controls. You essentially license it and often continually pay for access to it, and that access is very limited.
The more common ones were originally developed to answer a very real demand. A few years ago businesses began requesting the ability to update their websites themselves. This meant building a user-friendly interface for them to do it through. Because it was new, they had to be custom built, which was costly and buggy. A few savvy companies popped-up with content management systems and frameworks to build websites on.
Otherwise, there are companies who built frameworks and technology to make the websites they build better in some way or easier for them to build and manage internally. The client doesn’t necessarily benefit from it as a feature.
The Problem With Them?
- Can be more difficult to get changes made.
- You can’t take it with you if you decide to leave their service.
- Limitations on frameworks often don’t allow for custom design or much growth.
- Limited access makes support difficult for in-house IT.
- What if they get hit by a bus? If they go out of business, there is no support.
What’s Out There Now?
These days there are open-source solutions for content management out there supported by large communities that are very flexible. Examples are WordPress and Drupal, both of which also have many useful widgets and modules like e-commerce, client login areas, polls, event management, etc. The modules and widgets still need to be customized to your needs and design, but it’s much less expensive to add include in a web project.
Deciding on a Web Company
Know what you’re buying. Before committing to the project, make sure the coded site will belong to you once you’ve paid your bill. You should be able to take it elsewhere and not have to have them make changes if you wish. You don’t want to do all that work and then not have rights to it.
Also, make sure you have control of your domain and hosting account. It’s not uncommon for web companies to set these accounts up and manage them year after year, but make sure they do it in your name, you have all the access codes, and the whois lookup for your domain has your contact information.
Opportunities Tech Firms Are Missing in Their Marketing
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010Most tech firms put a lot of emphasis on their technology, and not enough or zero on the service that goes with it. Many treat service as an after-thought, as an unimportant bit of data. By doing this they’re missing out on a chance to differentiate themselves and including sales-talk that’s meaningful to the end-user. 
More than a list of features.
When shopping around for managed services or custom software, it’s easy to compare features lists, but what about the support service they’ll receive once they buy? We all know when mission-critical technology goes wrong, it’s the end of the world. If you’ve developed a great system for customer support, include that in your web copy, have something that stands out from the list of technical specs.
You love the geek talk, what does your client care about?
While the IT department loves technical specs, they won’t mean much to a non-techie decision maker. They want to know what it will do for them, how it will improve their experience and how it will save them money. For example, many companies spend/waste a lot of money on software and equipment that just doesn’t get adopted because it’s not properly integrated into their situation. If your post installation service will help ease the transition into the clients’ business systems, it will resonate big-time if expressed in the marketing message.
The new marketing…
They say customer service is the new marketing. FreshBooks has made it their very culture to bend over backwards to help clients in any way they can, making them loyal and fabulous cheerleaders.
How do you add the service part to the marketing message?
You’re probably already doing it. You have processes or services in place that you take for granted, thinking it’s just there to make your job easier. Meanwhile, your clients probably really appreciate it.
- Write out your process for delivery services and follow-up in detail – pretend you’re explaining it to a five year old.
- Ask existing clients what they like best about your company’s delivery, then more specific questions on the service and follow-up.
- Re-write all that in marketing-friendly, non-techie language and add it to your website.
The Best Advertising I have Seen in Years
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010Election day is coming in Ontario, which means there are candidates and confusion everywhere. In the midst of it all, I had the rare pleasure of witnessing some brilliant advertising.
The Context
In the summer of 2010, one of Toronto’s main north/south streets changed from a 5 lane street to 4 lanes. The 5-lane street was a thing of wonder. In the morning, 3 of the lanes were dedicated to getting cars downtown, and in the evening, the middle lane was switched from southbound to northbound, providing 3 lanes for people to get out of downtown. During the day, there was on street parking. It was possible for trucks to unload, and cabs to pick up people and drop them off without causing a major backup.
The change to a 4 lanes was put in place to accommodate a bike lane. The problem: 100,000 cars in gridlock versus some bikes does not make for an environmentally friendly situation. Leaving the politics aside, it has been day-long gridlock ever since the change.
The Event
This week, driving home in a rainstorm, the traffic was worse than usual. Sitting in my car, late for an evening meeting, I was fascinated to see a guy in a raincoat holding a big florescent cardboard sign that said “Simon Wookey”…I thought “Interesting, wonder what that’s about?” 20 feet up the street was another guy holding a similar sign that said, “will”. Ultimately a total of 5 signs that ended out reading:
“Simon Wookey…will…get your… middle lane… back”
B
rilliant. Talk about understanding people’s pain and offering a potential solution during their moment of pain.
Alongside of answering my unasked question regarding whether the lane could possibly be returned to its previous state, I now have heard of a candidate that I was unaware of, and it made me smile. In the middle of a traffic jam! Thanks Simon.
What to Expect: Turn-around on Website and Design Projects
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010The answer to ‘how long do they normally take’ can be as varied as the different types of projects and unique elements required – especially website design and development. Start by identifying key delivery dates, then build backwards to identify key milestones. Your full service design and marketing firm should know from experience how long projects typically take, and lead the way. The key is to discuss it all at the outset of a project, and make sure both sides agree to comfortable schedules.
In General…
We usually tell clients it will take 5-10 business days to see things like logo, ad or web design concepts once the creative brief is decided upon. We say 10–15 days for bigger projects (like large brochures that also require a lot of copywriting. Then, depending again on the size of the project and nature of revisions (we generally include three rounds) we say 2–5 business days.
Identify Major Deadlines
Some of the projects we take on have hard deadlines like a commitment, an upcoming event, or a due date at a publication. If this is true for you, the first question should be ‘can the firm meet it at all?’ If they can’t you should discuss why with them. There’s a difference between they can’t because of other work and commitments (in which case you could go elsewhere) and it’s just not feasible due to the laws of science (plan b?).
If you have no hard deadline to meet, I strongly recommend creating one. If you keep telling your firm ‘no rush’, they will naturally back-burner it for the hard deadlines that come through and so will you. Meanwhile, the project loses momentum, everyone forgets the creative brief and neither side gets what they need (for you the tools to market and build your business, for us a sense of accomplishment and something we can bill).
Creating a Critical Path
Once you determine the hard or soft due date for the project, it’s really helpful to work backwards and set all main milestones. How long does the prin
ter need to work comfortably? How many people need to test the website client-side and what’s a reasonable amount of time to give them to do that, provide feedback and have it implemented? I always try to give a little buffer. From there you can work backwards in terms of rounds of revisions and feedback, meeting on the other end how long the firm needs to generate creative concepts.
You Will Have Deadlines Too
Then there’s your side. The timeline also needs to include when the firm needs to hear back from you or receive needed materials in order to meet their deadlines. If you know when your attention will be needed, and how much of it, you can schedule it in. If you’ve never been through a website project for example, you may not realize how much time it takes to get information together early on, or test it thoroughly just before launch. Where picking an ad layout may seem simpler, if you need to get the input from hard-to-pin-down higher-ups or a committee, that needs to be worked in.
Ideally, the firm you work with has a process for keeping track of your timelines and holding you accountable, as opposed to just lobbing it into your court and forgetting about it. If not, things can fall through the cracks.
There’s Always a Workaround
Going back to the laws of time and space; occasionally timing just won’t allow for the ideal, but there’s always something that can be done. For example, instead of rushing through a branding process, we may print a very small run of temporary business cards for clients to take to an event. Can the website be up in a reduced form and called a ‘soft-launch’?
We work really hard to meet clients’ tighter deadlines and will not let them down by telling them we can do something we can’t and have pulled off some great creative under pressure. However, we do a much better job when not rushed, and build much better Rapport for them and for us.
Best Planning Practices
Sometimes unexpected opportunities pop up and your firm should do their best to help clients take advantage of them. But, if you involve your firm in everything related to your marketing efforts and discuss upcoming commitments, events, etc. in advance, they can help you not only plan better, but maybe recognize additional opportunities too. A one-year action plan can be a great tool for both sides.
