Archive for November, 2008

16 business lessons for freelancers

Posted by ArcherTC on November 28, 2008  |   No Comments »

The vast majority of freelance designers and developers have chosen to embark upon a career as a freelancer because of their interests and abilities that are related to the work that they’re doing. Running a business is just a necessary evil for most of us, rather than being the ultimate focus of an occupational decision. In many cases, the most dreaded duties for a freelancer are those that only deal with the business aspects, such as invoicing, tracking finances and working on taxes.

Regardless of how much we like or dislike the requirements of the business side of our work, running an efficient and legitimate business is essential… read more at 16 Business Lessons for Freelancers – DesignM.ag (http://designm NULL.ag/freelance/business-lessons/).

Flick photo credit: la sabrita (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/la_sabrita/546530726/)

Selling tips for the timid

Posted by ArcherTC on November 24, 2008  |   No Comments »

While some of us relish every facet of the sales process, most people would rather get a tooth pulled without anesthetic then attempt to sell anything. Thousands of women are mustering up the courage to start their own companies every day, but all too many shy away from actually selling their products or services.

For everyone who has dreaded asking for business, here are some tips that will help you overcome your fears and get comfortable selling on your own terms… read more at Selling Tips for the Timid – WomenEntrepreneur.com (http://www NULL.womenentrepreneur NULL.com/2008/11/selling-tips-for-the-timid NULL.html).

Flickr photo credit: huntz (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/huntz/175681303/)

Not your father’s marketing campaign

Posted by ArcherTC on November 17, 2008  |   No Comments »

Press releases can be targeted directly to consumers, without the media filter. Here are 4 new ways to use press releases to win sales.

n a tough economy, with businesses and consumers cutting back on spending, even the best advertising may not be enough to sway shoppers. Right now, PR is an indispensable part of a campaign thanks to its influence over consumers’ buying decisions. When asked to rank the factors that sway them to buy a product or service, many Americans cite reading about it or seeing a recommendation. And though PR tactics that earn news coverage are still standard practice, these new PR tactics can help you gain credibility and grab the attention of customers.

It all starts with a press release. But it’s what you do with your release these days that counts. Here are four ways to use PR as a conduit to sales. …more at Not Your Father’s Marketing Campaign – Public relation tactics – Entrepreneur.com (http://www NULL.entrepreneur NULL.com/marketing/marketingcolumnistkimtgordon/article198624 NULL.html).

Flickr photo credit: *hiro008 (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/deepblue66/132439533/)

Net Gen transforms marketing

Posted by ArcherTC on November 17, 2008  |   No Comments »

The author of Grown Up Digital explains how Web savvy among the Net Generation (the boomers’ kids) will change how goods are bought and sold

When Alison Fetherstonhaugh was 15, her father, Brian, who is chairman and chief executive of OgilvyOne Worldwide, asked her to keep a diary of her media activities. What she recorded back in 2005 was startling—at least, for anyone in the traditional advertising business. Half of the TV she was watching wasn’t live. She zipped through TV ads. She didn’t read newspapers. After hearing the same story from Alison’s friends, Fetherstonhaugh realized that the advertising industry had underestimated the impact of the Internet.

Figures showing the percentage of disposable income spent online did not tell the full story. …more at Net Gen Transforms Marketing – BusinessWeek (http://www NULL.businessweek NULL.com/technology/content/nov2008/tc20081114_882532 NULL.htm).

Flickr photo credit: Pascale Pirate Chickan (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/piratechickan/2965571299/)

Turning value into customer requirements

Posted by ArcherTC on November 7, 2008  |   No Comments »

Although armed with a carefully crafted list of 10 “unique” benefits to customers, a supplier of sophisticated network security systems learned they had lost a million dollar contract to a competitor with almost exactly the same list of benefits, but a 10 percent lower price.

Another company offering comprehensive Enterprise Resource Planning solutions emphasized their superior ability to promote operating efficiency. After losing a large sale, they were surprised to learn the customer wasn’t especially interested in efficiency. Instead, customer executives had bought into a competitor’s offer of flexible, modularized SAP solutions–a perfect fit for the firm’s strategy of growth by acquisition. By then, it was too late for the original vendor to explain that they could match and even exceed the competitor’s flexibility. …more at Turning Value into Customer Requirements – Inc.com (http://blog NULL.inc NULL.com/sales/2008/11/turning_value_into_customer_re NULL.html)

Flickr photo credit: MikeNeilson (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/mikeneilson/3195024675/)

5 steps to customer loyalty surveys that work

Posted by ArcherTC on November 4, 2008  |   No Comments »

It’s a great way to keep your business moving forward in any economy.

Let’s not sugar-coat it: It’s looking pretty darn ugly out there. I’m no economist, so I’m not about to predict the markets or the stability of the economy, but I am an internet marketer, and what I can say–with confidence–is that a downturn in the economy does not have to be a major roadblock for your internet business.

One key to surviving–even thriving–during this period of uncertainty is to know your customers… read more at 5 Steps to Customer Loyalty Surveys That Work – Creating an effective and informative survey – Entrepreneur.com (http://www NULL.entrepreneur NULL.com/ebusiness/ebusinesscolumnist/article198330 NULL.html).

Flickr photo credit: Wessex Archeology (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/wessexarchaeology/49632052/)

The truth about hosted software packages

Posted by ArcherTC on November 1, 2008  |   No Comments »

Should you consider hosted or Software As a Service software applications for your nonprofit? There are a lot of conflicting and often inaccurate messages out there: They’re not secure! Use them – they’ll replace your IT staff! Perhaps they’ll change your life… or perhaps they’re evil. What’s the truth? We investigate.

Once upon a time, you could pretty much assume that when you bought a software application, it would come in a box and you would install it onto your computer.

Times have changed. Now there are a huge number of options. Software packages might still be simply installed onto a single computer, but they might also be installed onto a server and multiple staff desktop computers so that a number of people can use the software. Or, the programs might even be installed on your own Web server to be accessed by your staff over the Internet.

And there’s a whole other possibility these days: hosted software packages. …more from Idealware (http://cli NULL.gs/4GEYP7). Flickr photo credit: Leo Reynolds (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/lwr/2202253598/).

Scratch and win customers

Posted by ArcherTC on November 1, 2008  |   No Comments »

Bankers constantly fret about how to get customers into the branches since face time with a teller or sales rep is the best way to sell products and services and deepen the customer relationship.

Senior leadership at Fifth Third Bank faced this quandary after opening a string of de novos and expanding through acquisitions. What they hit upon to grab the attention of the public is to give away money-a quarter-of-a-million dollars worth.

“This campaign is a little bit different than some of the things that we have tried in the past,” says the bank’s Chief Marketing Officer Larry Magnesen. “We’ve been fairly active in the last few years in opening de novo banking centers in some of our key markets such as Chicago, Orlando, Tampa Bay, Nashville, etc. We wanted to see if we could put in a new program to put that plan [of building branch traffic] into hyper drive. The idea was to use something that would appeal to anyone, in this case winning a quarter of a million dollars, to get people who didn’t even think they were in the market for a financial product to come in and see us.” …more from U.S. Banker (http://cli NULL.gs/MdXhQM). Flickr photo credit: Shoshanah (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/shoshanah/2157370956/)

A time to market

Posted by ArcherTC on November 1, 2008  |   No Comments »

A time to market your to-do list isn’t complete without this key practice–and neither is your business.

Marketing is such an important part of your business that it must be practiced daily, much like a habit, in order to really get the attention and momentum it deserves. That can be a tall order for a lot of startup entrepreneurs because so many other things call out for your attention.

The surest way to keep your focus on the important task of marketing is to schedule it as you would appointments with your best customers. When you have an appointment marked on your calendar, you’ll most likely keep it.

Making appointments for and creating a systematic approach to marketing is a great way to ensure you take a short- and long-term approach to building marketing momentum in your business. …more at Entrepreneur.com (http://cli NULL.gs/shq9QE). Flickr photo credit: bjmccray (http://www NULL.flickr NULL.com/photos/bjmccray/2902046724/).

  • The ArcherTC Blog aggregates resources, tips, and news for ArcherTC clients and interested others. We welcome the submissions of related articles and photography by professionals working with similar communities as well as feedback for improving this site as a resource.