November 2007 – client k

Talking About “Them”

I was recently in a meeting and
the discussion turned to temps.
The talk wasn’t positive.
I heard how they don’t know anyone or anything
(a temp spends her working days being “new”)
and that there were reasons why
some people were on contract.

No one in the group remembered
that I was a temp
(albeit a high level one)
but I certainly remembered who in the group
doesn’t like temps.

A friend was in a product development meeting.
The project leader talked disparagingly
about the target customer.
My friend IS the target customer.

Two great reminders that
when we talk about “them”,
we don’t know if we’re talking to “them.”

What Are You Marketing?

With the fancy tech tools available,
it is often easy to forget
what you’re truly marketing.

Authors spend time promoting their blogs
instead of their books.
They attend courses on video production
so they make a mini movie and
put it on YouTube.
All to promote their print book
to readers.

And authors aren’t the only ones to do this.
I’ve seen companies so swept into
a charitable giving program that
they promote the charity more than
they promote themselves.

So step back and ask yourself
“What am I marketing?”

That First Success

I was told that once
I signed that first publishing contract,
my view of writing would change.
I didn’t believe it.

But it did.

Without a success under my belt,
expectations were lower.
I was on my own schedule.
I could write what I wanted when I wanted.

Now, there’s a benchmark, a schedule.
Is book #2 as good as #1 (#2 is better)?
There can’t be a long wait between #1 and #2.
When will #2 be ready?

The same is true with projects and products.
As soon as the iPod was deemed a success,
analysts wanted to know about the next product.
Once the iPhone launched,
eyes were on the product after that.

Keep the momentum rolling and
the product development funnel full.

The Estate Sale

According to the September issue
of The Financial Post,
the most common misconception
at an estate sale is
“That the goods and the setting go together.
Often several people’s property
is sold at once,
in a house that’s rented for the occasion.”

That is deliberate.
A good setting increases pricing.
Pricing is also relative.
Surround a lower priced object with
higher valued goods and
it will sell for more.

Online Marketing Lead Times

A couple years ago,
I could contact a site owner and
have my banner ad up on their site
the next month.

No longer.
It is November and
I already have my spots reserved
for my May book launch.

Why?
Because space on the popular sites is in demand
and sells out quickly
(especially with eBook authors wanting
to advertise where their readers are… online).

So you may wish to re-look at
the online marketing lead times for
that new 2008 product launch and
adjust for the changes in the marketplace.

Short Term Goals Keep The Momentum Going

Clicking on my favorites,
I see that many of the promising new bloggers
I’ve been reading recently have disappeared.

I understand.

It is difficult in blogging, business, life
to keep the excitement level high.
The longer the project,
the bigger the goal,
the more difficult this is.

That’s why I break down my larger goals
into more achievable short term goals.
It gives me something to celebrate,
something to tell others about,
something to even send out press releases for.
Most of all, it keeps me moving forward.

Can’t Please Everyone

A company was undergoing an office redesign.
The manager in charge set up four test design sites
and then had employees vote on it.
When he announced the decision,
he received a wave of complaints.

He asked me why this process didn’t work.
My reply was “it did work.”

A tough part of being a decision maker is
that not everyone will be happy with the decision,
not matter how its made.
You can minimize the negativity but
not eliminate it completely.

Industry Specific

In the past year,
I’ve had contract gigs in
entertainment, restaurant, retail, service,
and, recently, a not for profit.

My recruiter buddy told me that
I’m “lucky” to be so flexible with industries.

That was not luck,
that was intentional.

In the short run,
industry hopping meant a decreased pay check.
In the long run, it has paid off.
Expanding industries,
as with expanding skill sets,
means more competition, more demand.
More demand translates to more dollars.

So think about your next job jump.
Can you hop to the next pond?

The Free Critique

I’m currently taking two on-line classes.

Class A started off with a bang.
Day One, the prof offered a free critique
of any taglines or back copy.
I sent mine in,
happy that I had already recouped
the cost of the course with
the value of that critique.
After that, any other information
(and there was a lot of it)
was bonus.

Class B was more traditional,
a lecture with questions asked
at the end of the course.
I had to wait for my information and
I’m still not sure if I got my money’s worth.

If you have a choice between
giving a freebie
at the beginning
or
the end of a relationship,
choose the beginning.
Add value right away.

Working With Personalities

An author friend of mine may be brilliant at writing
but when it comes to public speaking,
she’s a mess.
She’s shy and can’t think on her feet
and…

She gives her first workshop next year.

Why?
Because she was told that could be a great way
to build her readership.
Doesn’t make sense… for her.

There are plenty of different ways
to market any product.
Why use a route she hates?
Why associate that negativity
with her feel good novels?