Barbara Walters Price

Career Building Tip

The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability;
he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
                                    Confucius

Stop worrying about what others think.  Start today to do those things that will advance your career.  Read the books you need to read, listen to the learning tapes you need to listen to, attend the classes that are required to move you forward.  Don't wait for your company to pay for it and don't whine if they don't pay for it.  Get the training you need. 

It's your career and no one is responsible for it but you.
                                    Barbara Walters Price

Business Development Tip

He or she who visits clients and/or referral sources comes back with work.

adapted from 365 Marketing Meditations

The Future is Business Development

Kim Tasso, founder and principal consultant of Practical Marketing Consultancy, who has over 20 years’ marketing experience, says that marketing is dead.

In a recent article in the Summer 2005 issue of pm magazine, the worldwide journal for marketing professional services from the PM Forum, Ms. Tasso asserts that professional service firm marketers should be ready for the new era of business development.

She warns:

... dear Marketers, wake up and smell the coffee - you had your chance and failed and your days are now numbered. Partners are demanding faster and more obvious results.

Put Marketing Activities on Your Calendar

The phone doesn't just ring with new business.  You have to make the phone ring and that, in my humble opinion, is the sole purpose of marketing.  But how do you make the phone ring?  By scheduling time every day for marketing activities. 

Tom Kane of the Legal Marketing Blog links to a recent post by John Jantsch who suggests that you should make a daily marketing appointment with yourself.

During your daily marketing appointment, Tom suggests the following:

• Call two or three contacts (clients, friends, referral sources, etc.)
• Find out about the next seminar or conference sponsored by a client’s trade association
• Contact trade groups or local business organizations looking for opportunities to speak
• Schedule a visit to a client or two over the next few weeks
• Call a reporter for lunch
• Start an outline for an article

I would add:

What Is Your "Job"?

It's my "job" to make the phone ring. 

Many years ago I stopped concentrating on the various tasks and responsibilities of my position when attempting to communicate what my role was.  I figured out that it all boiled down to focusing like a laser on those activities that make the phone ring.  If I'm spending time on things that don't make the phone ring, then I'm wasting my time.  Once I had this epiphany, I began to wake up in the morning with a purpose - to do or invent those things that will make the phone ring.

What is your "job"? 

If you can't state it clearly and succinctly, you don't know, which means you are probably wasting time and not adding real value - value that is prized and compensated.

Food for Thought

If it is not helping you sell, why are you doing it?

Eight Mistakes Made When Presenting with Powerpoint and How to Correct Them

It is vital to continue to learn and when seeking tips on speaking, why not turn to the professionals?  As such, I receive an e-mail newsletter from professional speaker, Patricia Fripp.  I found the following article in the most recent e-newsletter and want to share it with you.  There are a few good tips.  I reproduce the information in its entirety because it does not appear to be on Patricia's website.  Contact information for the author is found at the end of the article.  I have taken the liberty of commenting occasionally and when I do, those comments appear in brackets and in blue.

Eight Mistakes Made When Presenting with Powerpoint and How to Correct Them by Jim Prost, Fripp & Associates

How would you answer this multiple-choice question?

Which of the following statements best describes your view about presenting using Power Point(R)?
1.  My PowerPoint(R) presentations use every sound, clip art, and animation available.
2.  My PowerPoint(R) presentation IS the presentation.
3.  My PowerPoint(R) presentation enhances my points; is clear, clean, and concise; and my audiences walk away with a clarified message.

      From the audience's perspective, answer 3 is the better choice.

Let's take a look at some common mistakes made when presenting using PowerPoint(R) and how to correct them.

Public Speaking Tip: Creativity and Humility

The next time you are asked to submit a short bio for a speaking engagement, remember Robin Getman's:

"Robin has not written best-selling books, nor appeared on Oprah, nor presented to five thousand audiences on six continents. What Robin has done is help front-line service teams and managers create impact and influence with service that sells, communication that connects and humor that helps. Robin created and coaches a three-point hospitality challenge that takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master: Laugh from your toes... lead from your soul... serve from your heart."

A little creativity mixed with a dose of humility goes a long way to set you apart. 

Kudos to Dan Janal at PR Leads for originally posting this. Link: publicrelations: A little humility goes a long way.

Top Ten Ways to Waste Money on Business Cards

Found two links on Matthew Homann's blog, Non-Billable Hour (which is a fun read and full of interesting ideas even for those of us not in the legal community). Link: the [non]billable hour: Another Great Business Card Idea.  These links contain ideas for "more effective" uses of your business card (you be the judge).

These ideas prompted my thinking about business cards and how we sometimes become enamored by the newest design schemes and forget the core function of the business card - which is to convey basic information about your firm (name/logo/tagline) and you (title and contact information). 

Your business card should enhance your brand and be welcomed by your target market which is easy to accomplish.  However, people often miss the mark. Remember that business cards are but a tool in your marketing arsenal.  Many people needlessly waste money on business cards - money that could be put to better use in other areas of your marketing and business development.  As such, here is my list of "Top Ten Ways to Waste Money on Business Cards".  See if you recognize yourself or your firm:

Public Speaking Tip: Take a Peek

Tom Antion is a great resource for information re public speaking.  His blog states: "I'm really passionate about two things. 1.) Helping people become professional level speakers and 2.) Teaching them to sell on the Internet." 

I have seen him speak and he is a wonderful and fun presenter.  As such, I have Tom's blog, "Great Public Speaking" in my news aggregator and you should too.  I liked his July 7th post: "Take a Peek."  Check it out.  (Link: Great Public Speaking: Public Speaking Tip: Take a Peek.)