Learning To Be Your Own Customer : 5 Tips For Putting You First
Take a look in the mirror. . . Guess what? You’re looking at your #1 customer. When was the last time you thought of yourself or treated yourself as one of your own clients?
I don’t know about you, but I had this question pop into my head recently. . . funny how some of the greatest conversations and lessons happen at events. My most recent lesson came from a conversation I had after the presentation by Julia Rosien of Social North – “The Digitally Savvy Retailer – Using Emerging Technologies to Engage Shoppers (and sell more stuff!)”.
I was speaking to Denise Osborne of Accessory Design Services and we were chatting about how, as a designer, it was difficult to be your own client. I believe that it’s the same regardless of what industry you’re in.
When the day is done, the last thing you want to think about is more work . . . you need rest so you can stay focused for your own clients. This mindset leaves little room for keeping your environment, online or off, where you need it to support you and offer what you need to succeed.
Here are 5 Tips For Putting You First
- Set quarterly goals both personally and professionally. You can’t accomplish much if you don’t know where you are going.
- Schedule weekly “meetings” with yourself to focus on tasks that will help you reach your quarterly goals.
- Reward yourself. You heard me. Whether it’s a nice dinner out, a new suit or a weekend off. When you accomplish milestones – DO IT! Small rewards will keep you motivated and on task.
- Spend time alone. For many that is a challenge due to the fast paced demands we all face on a daily basis. Regardless of your circumstances, find time to do something that you love, even if it’s only 15 minutes at a time.
- Read more. In today’s tech heavy life it’s important to develop a habit of making time to read. Books, Blogs, news and articles – be sure to keep up to date on the latest information related to your industry both locally and nationally.
What are some ways you have successfully made you your best client?
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[This post originally written for Linking Triad]
Climbing Out of Chaos : 15 Ways to Claim Success
Let’s face it – life can get pretty chaotic.
Every day there is a new call, text, task, meeting, play date, family emergency or event to add to the chaos of modern living. We schedule, plan and make long ‘todo’ lists – but we can only fit so much into 24 hours.
Here are 15 ways to calm the chaos and claim your success!
- Access Your Responsibilities. Make 3 separate columns on a sheet of paper (family, work, community) and be honest with where you are spending your time. Look at what you can start saying no to, delegate or eliminate completely from this list.
- Schedule Private Time. If you want to claim your success, you need quiet time to rest your mind and reflect on what you have, need to and hope to accomplish. Treat this alone time with as much respect as you give a client meeting.
- List Your Goals. Write your top 5 immediate goals on a piece of paper and keep it with you. Goals are beacons in the chaos. Personal Goal Setting serves to remind us of what is truly important and helps guide our decisions in our day to day life. At lunch, in between meetings, while waiting in line at the grocery store – as often as you can – LOOK AT THIS LIST. When you complete a goal, replace it with another one from your master goal list.
- Chuck Your Stuff. Schedule time each month to get rid of clutter. . . at your office, home and your car. Have 4 boxes handy (donate, give, put away, throw away) to make this process more organized. A favorite book is Lose 200 Lbs This Weekend: It’s Time to Declutter Your Life by Don Aslett and Carol Cartaino.
- Learn to Say NO. For many of us – saying no is difficult. This article by Zen Habits is a great place to start learning how. 7 Simple Ways to Say “NO”
- Create a Board of Advisers. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a young adult, having a trusted and varied group of people who you can turn to for advice and guidance is priceless. This post from Inc. Magazine is perfect to get you started : How to Assemble a Board of Advisers
- Study the Masters. Regardless of your profession or trade there is, inevitably, someone (or many) whom you admire. Learning from Leaders by reading their blogs, following them on twitter, reading their books and when the opportunity arises – engage with them. Focus on a more respectful studying of what has made this person a success . . . that includes their failures.
- Create a Vision Board. What The Heck’s A Vision Board—and How Can It Change Your Life? Cut out images from magazines or use your own images, sketches and pictures to create a living life plan of what you want. You can easily create or purchase a cork board to hang in a private room to create your masterpiece. When you achieve a goal on your board – take a photo, then replace that accomplishment with the next goal.
- Read More. There is a wealth on knowledge on the internet that comes at you at break neck speed. Taking time to read and learn things that will help you reach your goals will give you much needed rest while you still fill your head with valuable knowledge. Success Books is a great blog that has reviews of Success Books, Blogs, Podcasts, Websites and other tools that will help you claim your success.
- Sleep. All too often we make poor judgement calls when we have not had enough rest. From bad driving, short temper, dozing off in a meeting – none of these will help you reach your goals. Learn more about how much sleep you need from the National Sleep Foundation.
- Learn How to Manage Your Time. At the end of your day write the top 6 priorities for the next day. Number them from 1 to 6 in order of importance – tackle each task until close of business. What ever you did not finish gets bumped to the top of your list for the next day. This advice comes from Ivy Lee, known as the “founder of public relations” and the man who gave this same advice to Charles Schwab back in the 1920′s.
- Turn Your Phone Off. When you are faced with a task or meeting that needs your undivided attention – turn your phone off. . . or for those of you who are parents – at least put it on vibrate. Giving the task and the people in front of you your undivided attention will go a long way in helping you reach your goals. Remember to Turn Off That Cell Phone! Business Etiquette Still Counts.
- Follow Up. Whether by phone, email or handwritten note – make time each week to touch those that have made your week great. Keep a list of those that you want to stay in contact with and schedule alerts that remind you to reach out. Here is an oldie but goodie post on The 10 Best Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Tools.
- Organize. When you are organized both in the physical and virtual worlds your everyday tasks take less time. Think of how much time you waste searching for files, tools, clothes or that thingy that you need to finish that home project. Woman’s Day has a fantastic list of 100 Ways to Get Organized.
- Ask for Feedback. It’s a good rule of thumb to always ask for feed back. Whether it’s for your new recipe, your recent blog post or that project you just completed. Not everyone will respond and you may not always like what you hear – but those willing to offer constructive ways that you can improve what you are doing . . . they will be the hands that guide you and helps you climb out of chaos. Learn How to Offer Constructive Feedback.
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What tips would you offer to conquer the chaos and claim success?
[This post originally written for Linking Triad]
Are you an Adopter?
Qwikster is well positioned to help jump-start streaming media adoption by Netflix subscribers. Qwikster isn’t as appealing as the Netflix brand. It’s new, unknown, it’s a risk. Netflix is a trusted brand, a brand with a lot of appeal.
The end game is for Netflix to dump the DVD rental service because it’s a hell of a lot more expensive to maintain than streaming. The logistics of moving physical discs can be a gamble. It’s costly in part because of the inventory that must be maintained. Distributed across the whole network of subscribers, DVDs strategically placed according to anticipated subscriber viewing habits. We’re talking about a huge inventory and a lot of chance to mistake.
Steaming costs are mostly determined by the price of the licensing. Each title is separately licensed or as part of a library, licensed for viewing on the streaming network. Starz provides a huge library, and Starz is leaving Netflix. After Starz has left they can renegotiate the terms of their licensing. Placing their price higher because the demand is there. Obviously people want streaming.
Why keep up with DVDs when you can watch the same movie on your phone, your computer, your XBox…? It’s a lot more convenient to watch the movie wherever you are. No worries about scratching the DVD, or losing it. You pay for the licensing. Not the physical disc.
So Qwikster is setup for the fallguy. It’ll be the company that captures the late adopters (and the no-adopters). There will always be a place for the physical rentals. Some people need to touch that DVD. Some don’t have internet. Some just won’t frackin change.
Now enter the tiered bandwidth pricing proposed by Time Warner, Comcast, AT&T… You pay based on how much you download. Now think about watching all those great movies on Netflix. Each movie paid for with two subscriptions: one to your internet service provider, the other to Netflix. That’s the hidden cost of this new system of streaming media.
Am I happy about Qwikster? NO! I don’t like change either and yeah, I’ll probably subscribe to both of the blood sucking ass monkey service providers: both Netflix and Qwikster. I’ll even pay for my high speed internet too… I’m an adopter.
Thumbing Smartphones in Public
Smart phone use shows no social, economic, or cultural biases. I see people of all types texting and thumbing their phones in public. Yesterday I saw a middle aged couple walking the Greensboro Greenway while the man was thumbing away on his phone.
It will be interesting to see what sociologists make of this behavior shift in another 10 to 15 years. I assume we’ll snicker at the bulky public display of smart phone use like we do looking back at the shoebox sized phones of the 80′s.
It’s becoming common to see signs at retail establishments, banks, and service providers stating “No Cell Phone Use While Checking Out”. The use of smartphones in public has become all pervasive. Even in restrooms where I’ve heard the man in the next stall having an animated conversation on his cell… Yes even there.
Recently the Bay Area Rapid Transit agency (aka BART) shut down cell phone use in the train station to discourage public protests. The public, according to polling by KPIX-TV CBS 5 released Monday night support this decision. So no thumbing at the train station!
In the United Kingdom, the London riots were encouraged along, at least in part, by social media, specifically Facebook. Two young men received 4 year sentences for inciting riots via Facebook posts. In this case they were sitting at home typing on their personal computers. But it could just as easily have been done with thumbing smartphones while walking around a supermarket.
There are very real world ramifications for smartphone use. Societal influence via social networking (Facebooking and Tweeting, etc.) starts in many cases with the internet in their pockets: the smartphone.
Smartphones being so inexpensive now show no class distinctions. Even Cricket offers smartphones. (Cricket is an inexpensive cell phone provider that has no contracts.) There’s also TracFones (those pay as you go phones you can pick up in a convenience store).
Smartphones are a game changer, just as the personal computer was a game changer. And by extension, the PC connected to the internet changed the world.
So what’s next? Smart glasses? Surgical implants that place video monitors in your cornea? Cloning was once sci-fi… so don’t scoff at cyborg models just yet – we will likely see them in our lifetime. Scientific American posted an article in February, 2011 that shows a promising step towards bionic eyes.
The future is coming. Thumbing is just the beginning.
Domain Registry of America sent me a letter…
I’ve been registering domain names for more than 10 years now. And I know who I registered those domains with. So when something comes in the mail alerting me of a domain name that I registered with GoDaddy telling me to renew, but it isn’t from GoDaddy, I know something is up. (Yes I know, I still have domains registered with the elephant killers and I am sorry.)
Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t know where their domain names are registered. And they can be easily confused, especially if the document has an official feel to it.
Domain Registry of America likes to send invitations to “renew” (i.e. transfer) domains to them when the domain in question is up for renewal. The document threw me off the first time I saw it (and I know what I’m doing – at least theoretically 
).
Don’t be fooled into thinking you owe them any money, however, this company is only asking you to Transfer your domain name, not renew it. (Unless of course you are registered with them!)
I’ve been getting these letters for years and never paid Domain Registry of America a dime.
When you elect to transfer a domain name there is a certain lead time before renewal that you must observe (at least with certain companies). This is usually about two or three months before the domain name expires. Domain Registry of America times their mailings to fall well before this cut off point.
So be aware. Just because it’s in print doesn’t make it true. And when in doubt, ask your web developer, or just check your records. Likely you don’t need to do anything…
Here’s a great post on Domain Registry of America:
The Domain Registry of America Scam
Keeper of the Brand
‘Keeper of the Brand’ is a mantra we learned while working with Allen Broach of Broach and Company on a project with one of his clients. To this day, my partner and I consider ourselves the ‘Keeper of the Brand’ for our clients.
Okay – so you’re asking . . . what exactly does ‘Keeper of the Brand’ mean?
Let me give you an example. . .
Client XYZ has an event that is, in part, hosted by Acme Company. Acme Company offers to pay for the printing and in house design of handouts of the event. “Great” Client XYZ exclaims! Thinking that this will save printing costs. . . but when the event rolls around and the flyers are ready to be handed out . . . Client XYZ‘s logo and website are no where to be found. In fact, there is nothing on the flyer to say exactly who is hosting the event.
Enter ‘Keeper of the Brand’ . . . We ask the questions that often offend folks like Acme Company but they have to be asked to protect Client XYZ’s brand equity.
It would go something like this : “Yes, you received free printing – but does the material have your logo? Does it reflect your print ads, web design and social media presence?”
The answer? “No, but it was free.”
Too often, business owners loose sight that each interaction that a customer has with their product/service should be remarkable. The customer should know that they are engaging with your brand and have a consistent experience across all media. This means the look and feel of your presence any where your Brand is, whether in print or on the web, should be easily recognizable.
Your brand is more than just your logo. It’s the experience people have with your company/product.
*Remember that any printed material you have produced for your business will get shared with other people – at the office, with family . . . be sure that each piece is representative of the whole of your brand and that your logo and/or website is prominent.
If you don’t already – think about creating branding guidelines for your company.
Here are a few great examples from the Big Boys of Business :
Android.com | Brand Guidelines
Netflix API – Branding Requirements
The Honeywell Brand Guidelines
Ubuntu Brand Guidelines « Canonical Design
Swag Bags : The Art of a Brand Experience
Let’s face it . . . when we go to some large events, the swag bags that we are given usually are filled with t-shirts, stickers and various non-essential branded debris that usually end up going to Goodwill or worse . . . the trash.
It’s a grand thing when the event sponsors and hosts go out of their way to make sure each attendee has a swag bag full of items that are useful, not only for the event itself, but for long after. Having a swag bag that creates a great brand experience for all sponsors and hosts is something attendees will not soon forget.
My favorite swag bag to date? The one I brought home from #brimfield. (My husband and I provided photography and video coverage of the inaugural event.) We had such a great time meeting new tweeps and seeing old friends and clients.
Leave it to the interior design community to really step up the game when it comes to tweetup swag! Every single item was thoughtfully chosen to prepare each attendee for the pilgrimage of visiting nearly 6000 vendors . . .
Let’s take a look at what went into the #brimfield swag bag:
- The Daily Basics and Gretchen Aubuchon Design not only organized the event but provided each attendee with a lanyard and a USB drive with all the info for the event. The bag itself is phenomenal! It’s embroidered with the #Brimfield hashtag that sparked many a conversation with other tweeps . . . and besides who doesn’t love a heavy duty shopping bag!
- Benjamin Moore really come through with the latest color decks (check out their new color lock Aura paint!) as well as an additional bag for those little last minute finds.
- Aubuchon Hardware is my hero with the large tape measure that is absolutely invaluable when shopping for that perfect piece! (I have to admit that this is my favorite goodie and has come in handy in my latest furniture designs.) They also included some seeds to plant in the garden as well as phoncho, just in case it rained! How thoughtful is that?!
- Better Homes and Gardens offered a sweet treat as well as a little ditty bag with Kleenex, Carmex and Lifesavers. Loved this practical but VERY useful addition.
Interested in attending the next #brimfield tweetup? Sign up for the September Brimfield Tweetup event here and prepare to be amazed by the sponsors and hosts.
For those of you who are DIYers out there . . . there is a special treat at the September event! Lucianna Samu author of Paint Saves the Day will be there working her magic on more Brimfield Finds!
For those of you who aren’t familiar, here is a little history of Brimfield and why this is the mecca for all things antique!
Learn how you can help the residents of Brimfield who were effected by the tornado of June 1, 2011.
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What was the best swag bag you received?
What items do you think are essential in a swag bag?
When planning your event, what items are a must for your swag bags and do you request specific items from your sponsors?
Finding Your Digital Voice: How Your Passion Drives Your Online Success
*tink *tink *tink . . . is this thing on?
*cough, Great. I was a little worried that you might not be able to hear me over all the noise.
With so many people sharing, tweeting and +ing their latest blog post – it’s a hit or miss on whether or not you will even know who the hell I am, or care about what I have to say . . . that is, unless you feel a connection. (and whether or not my blog title catches your attention – but that’s another post.)
I’ve come to the conclusion that the most successful bloggers are the ones who are passionate. I’m talking about those people who could have you interested in learning how to build a bridge with toothpicks simply because they were passionate about it.
Our digital voice travels farther than ever. And with each keystroke we have the opportunity to share our passion and if not change lives, change minds.
What was the last blog post that you commented on? What compelled you to share your thoughts, thanks or opinion?
My guess was the writer was passionate about the subject and you could tell.
When we are passionate about a subject and share our perspective or insight, it resonates with readers on a deeper level. . . and that connection cannot be faked or forced.
Here are a few suggestions on how your passion can drive your online success ::
- Know your goals – when sitting down to write, be sure your content is in line with your goals. You don’t want to post ‘How to Crochet a Necktie’ on your roller derby blog.
- Make a list of your passions – by choosing topics you are most passionate about you can connect with others who share the same interest, experts or with those who are curious and want to learn more.
- Be a resource – share your knowledge with your online community. Think of your blog as an interactive library where you can learn from your readers and add new content based on their suggestions.
- Connect – Often we get discouraged when no one leaves a comment on our well thought out and carefully written blog post . . . here’s some advice – don’t give up, connect. When you read blog posts that truly inspire you – leave a thoughtful comment. By connecting with and learning from other bloggers you admire, not only will your writing improve but so will your readership.
- Discover your digital voice – Being inspired by others is great, but remember to be true to yourself. Your online presence should be an extension of who you are offline and give people a taste of what to expect when they meet you in person.
Here are a few of my favorite passionate people to read ::
@RedheadWriting tells it like it is. . . and I love her for it. Whether it’s the latest Bitch Slap, or her redheaded fury this woman is 110% passion. I can always count on her *in your face* honesty regardless of what she is writing.
@MichaelHyatt is another favorite of mine. He is focused on “intentional leadership” and sharing what he learns along the way. The post that introduced me to Michael and kept me coming back was Creating a Life Plan.
@ilainie inspires with each new adventure her and her son Miro share. To me she embodies what it means to be a global citizen and reminds me of the responsibility we all have to each other . . . the fact that she has taken her son on a global journey is simply awe inspiring.
Who is a passionate blogger you read regularly?
Meetings: Top 5 Tips on How to Accomplish More in Less Time
How many hours do you spend preparing for and in meetings during an average week? 2hours?. . . 5, 7 . . . more?
Now factor in the amount of travel time there and back.
Are you surprised at the amount of time you are spending per week?
Meetings are an important facet of your business, but the time you spend on task and focused is vital to your bottom line and improving the efficiency of your meetings is key to protecting it.
Here are the Top 5 Tips to accomplish more at your next meeting :
1 – Is a Face to Face Meeting is Necessary?
- if YES – send all attendees an agenda so that your meeting runs smoothly and stays on topic : Creating a Meeting Agenda – Helpful Tips
- if NO – send all attendees an agenda and schedule a virtual meeting : How to Conduct a Virtual Meeting
2 – Stay Focused on the Goal
- It’s easy to get caught up in small talk at meetings, but when it comes down to getting things done – it is vital to keep your team focused on the goal of the meeting. Be firm but polite as you bring everyone’s attention back on task.
- Ask all attending to turn off cell phones. It is distracting and disrespectful of everyone’s time when someone stops to take a call or is texting during a meeting. : Use Proper Cell Phone Etiquette at Work
- Keep notes on ideas that are off topic and follow up with an email after meeting has concluded.
3 – Cut Estimated Meeting Time in Half
- Be sure to value everyone’s time by cutting your one hour meeting to a half hour. You will be amazed how much more focused and efficient your meetings become! : 7 Tips for Cutting Your Meeting Time in Half
- Don’t go over your estimated meeting time and be respectful of all attending. Attendees have scheduled their day and next meeting based on the allotted meeting time agreed to.
4 – Invite Necessary Team Members
- Carefully consider who needs to be at the meeting and why. Often only the key decision makers and project leads needs to be present, everyone else on the team can be brought up to speed after. (keep in mind it is vital to ask for feed back from all team members and address any concerns, suggestions and helpful advice with respect and gratitude.)
5 – Follow up with a Recap of the Meeting
- It is vital that you follow up each meeting with a recap via email. It should cover what was accomplished, what is left to be accomplished and by whom with due dates, and of course to thank everyone for their time.
What are some of your tips for accomplishing more in less time when it comes to meetings?
Additional resources on how to get more from your meetings ::
The Seven Sins of Deadly Meetings
How to Cut Your Meetings in Half | Time Management Ninja
Guidelines for conducting Effective and Efficient Meetings
Conducting Effective Business Meetings – For Dummies
How to Run an Effective Meeting | BNET
Using a Blog Editorial Calendar
Okay, so you have a blog. Now what Waldo?
Well, first You Need a Blog Strategy. Thanks to a guest post on PRO Blogger by Josh Klein you will learn to blog more strategically and go from Waldo to David Lee Roth in no time. . . Okay, maybe not *that far but you will have Van Halen – Hot For Teacher stuck in your head all day. You’re welcome.
After you finish reliving the glory days when MTV actually played music videos – be sure to check out Josh’s article series on how to write a blog worth caring about. They are fantastic reads (one still to come!) that will get you going in the right direction.
Remember – Having a clear goal of what you want to accomplish with your blog and consistently offering valuable content is the only way to have measurable results.
And in case you haven’t guessed – having a blog should be part of your overall social media marketing strategy. Don’t have that either? Well – lucky you! Nick Shin from Social Media Examiner will show you How to Create a Social Media Strategy for Your Business.
Let’s face it. Having a Blog Editorial Calendar in addition to your Social Media Editorial Calendar is vital in keeping your sanity, organizing your thoughts and helping you build a successful following one blog post at a time.
Don’t know where to start with your first post or need a new direction? Chris Brogan has you covered with 100 Blog Topics I Hope YOU Write.
Be sure to download our FREE Blog Editorial Calendar template.
Blog Editorial Calendar (numbers)- zip file
Blog Editorial Calendar (excel)
So there! You have no excuse to get started.
Be sure to check out our growing list of social media resources.
And for heavens sake follow all the guys I mentioned in this post. Tell them @dhatfield says hi!
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Okay – spill it.
Who/What inspired you to start a blog?
What are your favorite blogs to read?
How often do you post to your blog?
Connect with Experience Farm
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