Make Sure You’re Holding The Right CardsWritten by Debbie Allen
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to: info@DebbieAllen.comMake Sure You’re Holding The Right Cards Does your business card reflect a positive image for your business? Does it clearly define what your business is all about at a glance? If not, you may be making some big mistakes in your marketing and need to take another look at message you are putting out there. Why? Because if a prospective customer views your business image as unprofessional or confusing, they will simply do business with someone else. You can’t afford to let that happen to you. Are you holding right cards? While presenting marketing seminars to thousands of business owners and entrepreneurs, Debbie Allen (sales and marketing expert) discovered a shocking reality. Many of business cards presented a poor and unprofessional image of business at first glance. Very few business cards or marketing materials had an effective message that described business clearly. Most lacked a strong visual logo that defined business and had no branded image or catch praise that set them apart from their competition. With this newfound discovery, Debbie began to ask members of audience to stay after her presentation to receive a free business card evaluation. This intrigued attendees, and many waited for up to an hour to have a chance to talk with her in person and to get feedback on how to improve their marketing message. Another discovery! Many owners and managers are so close to their businesses that they don't see most obvious mistakes. The reason for this is that they don't look at their business through their customers' eyes. They view it from a very narrow focus, their own eyesight. This can be disastrous for a company's professional image. Just as people judge individuals at first glance, so they judge a business image same way. If prospective customers view business image as unprofessional or confusing, they will simply walk away. Prospective customers will be lost to competitors who do a better job at marketing their company's image, brand and uniqueness.
| | Guidelines for Corporate Gift GivingWritten by Diana Barnum
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated - send to: diana@ohiohelp.netGuidelines for Corporate Gift Giving Keeping clients and company workers, subcontractors, vendors and other helpers happy is a crucial element in you business. Because no matter what kind of business you are in, without support of your team and involvement of your clients, you will not be in business for very long. Corporate gift giving is an easy way to let your team know how much you appreciate their hard work and clients know how much your appreciate their business. And corporate gift giving is less expensive than you might think. For example, with planning ahead, you can order promotional items in bulk to reduce overall price. Rules-Of-Thumb Corporate gift giving should be done in a professional manner. Keep in mind that when your company makes decision to incorporate a corporate gift giving policy, there are some things to keep in mind: - If you are giving a corporate gift to a client or potential client always check with their company to ensure that they allow corporate gift giving. - Corporate gift giving should never be used to compensate clients or employees for less than expected wages or services. - Corporate gift giving should not be a personal gift, as this tends to offend some clients or employees. - Corporate gift giving should comply with your company's budget. Do not go overboard and buy gifts that you cannot afford or try and save money by purchasing gifts that are "cheap" like ink pens or toys that last about one hour.
|
