Tag Archives: benefits

Five Lessons from Katie – Ithaca College Class of 2010!

by Jamie Gorman on April 30, 2010
Marketing Insight from Ithaca's Katie Venetsky

Katie after a windy tour.

This is Katie Venetsky.  Katie graduates in 23 days with a degree in Sociology from Ithaca College in New York – Congratulations Katie! 

Katie is one of the students at Ithaca that leads tours around campus for prospective students, and we met this week during the college road trip I took with my daughter Alyssa.  The design of the tour and Katie’s great delivery provided some useful insight for all.

Listen First.  Introductions were the first part of the tour, and each prospective student, not parents, gave their name, where they were from and their planned major.  I know she actually listened too, because she used that information throughout the tour.  Sigma College classes on networking and social networking place high emphasis on listening – and taking a genuine interest, when you meet anyone.

Connect With Your Audience.  From the introductions it was clear the tour was for the students.  It wasn’t rude or dismissive in any way, but it said “prospective student, “you are the customer here.  I respect you as a decision making individual, not a kid, and your interests are what matter to me”.  Although subtle, it stood out to me because it’s not something our teens hear very often.  When you and your people (especially technical people) talk to prospective customers, do they meet them at their level with respect and understanding.  Listen to those conversations from the customer’s perspective and watch their body language closely for a good indication.

Make It Personal.  In our little group that morning we had interests in physical therapy, photography, football, ladies basketball and an undecided major.  On our tour Katie was sure to talk about sports medicine internships, student photographs in the school paper, the “Exploratory” program for the undecided and the proximity of dormitories to the specific colleges that were mentioned in the group.  Most impressively, as we were walking past a group of students, she stopped and introduced the prospective football player to a friend of hers that is on the football team.  I know that wasn’t part of the tour script!  Make sure that your are presenting your product with the focus on your customer’s interests and needs, demonstrating that you listened, care and have a path to meet their needs.

Any Questions?  Katie mentioned that she holds the tour guide record for most times asking “are there any questions” in a tour.  Keep asking questions.  You never know what additional opportunity you will uncover and giving answers builds trust and credibility.

Prepare Your Team to Sell.  Ithaca College Office of Admissions did a great job with the whole tour program.  They picked the right people, designed a good process and then trained Katie with the information and skills she would need to provide a top notch tour.  How is your process for marketing and sales?  Do your people have the tools, materials and skills they need to deliver a great tour?  More importantly – are they the right people?

Thanks Katie and Ithaca College for the wonderful tour and for the insight we can all apply to our marketing and sales.  Congratulations and best of luck!

Posted in Blog, Marketing and Sales | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Create Your Online Marketing Video – INTRO|vid!!!

by Jamie Gorman on April 23, 2010

Since 2008 I have been trying to figure out how my small business customers can more easily create and use online video as a marketing tool.  However, the ability for novices to develop good videos for business and the cost for a professional have been obstacles. 

The Wait is Over!

 Over the last couple weeks I’ve spent some time with Abe Erickson at Ugly Chair Productions, learning from an expert about what’s really happening with online video.  Last week he explained how video content is going to have a huge impact on search engine indexing (see “What I Learned 4/17“), and told me about his newest product, INTRO|vid.

This week Abe was gracious enough to let me be a part of the new product launch and get my own INTRO|vid, which you can check out.  For less than $300 you can have a 2-3 minute introduction video filmed in a professional studio and produced by an expert staff.

My Experience

I went over to the Ugly Chair Production Studio in Manassas, VA on Wednesday morning.  The only preparation was to pick something to wear that wasn’t green, well within my onscreen talent.  They set me up in the studio and asked a series of great questions to get me talking naturally about Sigma College of Small Business while the camera rolled.  The questions they asked generated all the key points that I would have scripted.  The whole video shoot took less than 30 minutes and they posted my INTRO|vid within 48 hours.  AND, DID I MENTION THEY DO THIS STARTING AT LESS THAN $300 DOLLARS!

Wows

You can see for yourself – that’s what is great about video

  • Quality of the video, especially considering my lack of talent
  • Ability to nail the key points about my business
  • The price and more importantly the short time to shoot and produce

Pows

  • The only thing I would improve in this is me.  As they move forward, I’m sure Abe will do a little coaching to us amateurs about being on camera.

Let me or Abe know your thoughts by commenting here or on the Ugly Chair Productions Blog.

Added Value

While I was shooting the video I learned that Abe and his lovely production assistant Anna both have a business education.  I’m convinced that is why they were able to come up with such great questions and then focus the video down to the best message for my business.  I think this is a big differentiator when you’re looking for professional video for your online marketing!

Note:  Sigma College of Small Business is teaming with Ugly Chair Productions to present a business class about using video in your online marketing plan.  More to come.  Follow us on Facebook or Join our email list to get the latest info on classes.

Posted in Blog, Marketing and Sales, Online Marketing, Product Review | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Nothing Says “Thank-you” Like a Refferal

by Jamie Gorman on April 7, 2010

I have a friend (no really, I do), who is great at sales.  When I first worked with him, the boss would tell him what a great job he was doing – his reply, “thanks, I hope my W-2 reflects your gratitude”.  Now he had a pretty good relationship with the boss and I wouldn’t suggest this direct approach in every situation, but it does help make my point today.

Nothing Says “Thank-you” Like a Referral

How often do people thank you for  the hard work you are doing or the great service you provided.  In teaching business classes I often get thanked for the topic, or great marks on my evaluations, and these are an encouragement that is appreciated.  Sometimes I’ll even get a nice card in the mail after meeting with someone or presenting a class that really hits home, and those are great.  But the true way to thank a small business owner is with a referral.

Actions Speak Louder than Words

This corollary sets up the list of actions that can be even more meaningful than that note of gratitude.  And in today’s viral world of social networking, referring someone can be quite easy.  Try these “Actions of Gratitude” in addition to your notes and words of gratitude.

1.  Forward email newsletters that you get from that person who deserves it to those in your network who may find it valuable.  To go the extra mile, include them on the email and make it a “warm” introduction.

2.  Subscribe, friend, fan and follow that contact so that you can share their content with your network when it is good and adds value.  This effort is a great way to show appreciation!

3.  Mention them in your blog or social media updates.  I like to let people know when I’ve mentioned them so that they can “release” the mention to their network.  Yeah, it helps me, but it also helps them build credibility and traffic - win, win with the people you like doing business with.

4.  The Old Fashioned Way – that’s right, it is still very desirable for you to pick up the phone and refer the person to one of your contacts that can use the same service.  If they really hit it out of the park for you, help arrange a meeting where you can make a warm introduction.

When you are working on building your business network, make sure you are using all the tools available.  The online environment provides a simple and effective way to help grow your network, but remeber the same rules apply.  Good referrals with follow-up build credibility and strengthen relationships.  Referrals that aren’t very well thought out can strain a relationship and reduce your credibility.

Posted in Blog, Business Networking, Marketing and Sales, Online Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are You a Good Boss?

by Jamie Gorman on March 1, 2010

As I prepare for an upcoming class on employee hiring and retention, (The Right Stuff! Hire and Retain the Best Employees) I came across one of the opening slides that shows the leading reasons for employees leaving a job.

  • Shift in company leadership
  • Conflict with immediate supervisor
  • Close friends leave
  • Unfavorable change in responsibilities

The thing that strikes me about the list is that 3 of the 4 are directly related to the leadership and management skills of the business owners and executives.  This begs the question – Are You a Good Boss?

Here are a couple manager check points that may be helpful reminders.

  • Communicate what is expected and Expect what is communicated – as an employee, nothing was more frustrating than being in the dark.  Employees don’t think like owners and managers, they can’t always see the big picture, so it has to be clear what is expected.  Once they know that, make sure you task and evaluate them on that position description.
  • Keeping it Fair! – When you have one or two employees, giving a spontaneous bonus or special recognition is not too complicated.  As your company grows, you have to be very careful to set criteria for special awards.  They are great for those who get them, but for those who don’t and don’t understand why, it can be frustrating and demoralizing.
  • Build paths for advancement -  Most employees would like to earn more money, some want additional responsibilities and a better title.  It is a good excerise to ask yourself what the next career step could be for each of your employees.  Knowing this now can help you get them trained and ready.  It can also be a great start to mapping out an organization structure and being ready the next time you need to fill a new position.
  • Don’t just retain employees, retain the best – John Stewart from Vantage Economics  routinely discusses the current labor market in The Vantage Weekly.  A down labor market is a great time to improve the quality of your team.  There is a lot of good talent available if you have areas that could use improvement. 

Obviously, we can’t cover the complete complexities of leadership and management in three bullets.  Improving yourself as a leader requires continuous learning and re-evaluation of your methods.

I’d love to hear comments on some creative ideas you have used to hire and retain the BEST work force.

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