“If a Tree Falls in the Forest and No One Hears it, Does it Make a Sound?”

Getting the Word Out
By Janice B. Gonzalez © 2008

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” Perhaps the most important topic this riddle offers is can something exist without being perceived? - e.g.” Sound is only sound if a person hears it". For the sake of argument, and this article, let’s just say that the answer to the riddle is, “no”.

In order for an organization, company or individual to “exist” in the eyes of others, they have to make a sound – i.e. they need to get the word out about who they are, what they are doing, what their benefit is, and where they can be found. Otherwise, no one will hear them.

You may have the best deal in town, or be an expert in a particular field, or offer a superb service, but if you don’t publicize it, then how will others know about it?

The first thing that comes to mind to most is to advertise, but that may not be appropriate for your line of business, or may be cost prohibitive to effectively carry out. So, how do you make a sound? The old fashioned way – walk, talk, and announce.

Here are 10 things you can do to let people know about your “product” – i.e. organization, company or profession:

1. Create an identifiable logo and/or stationery.

2. Create a simple web site that provides information about your company, your qualifications and areas of expertise.

3. Position yourself as an expert in your area of business by seeking speaking engagements through business/civic/trade associations and organizations that may be interested in what you have to say.

4. Write articles that are related to your line of business and submit them for publication or post them on your web or blog.

5. Become involved in various business & civic organizations and get on at least one committee. Get to know the people in the organization.

6. Publicize all of your accomplishments including speaking engagements, appointments, awards & honors, new product & services, etc.

7. Start an e-newsletter and send it to clients & prospects on a regular basis. Provide them with useful tips and updates on your business.

8. Let people know what you do and “Talk Shop” with anyone willing to listen. Make sure that you always have a business card handy.

9. Network, network, network. Every person you meet – whether it is at a business or social event – is a potential client. Your business can’t grow if you don’t network.

10. Follow up with an email or handwritten note to those you network with.

Though each item may seem obvious, it is the synergy and consistency of these actions that will ensure that there are others around when you make your “sound”. Do these 10 things on a regular basis and you will ensure a steady flow of business.

Who Are You?

“Who Are You?”
Identifying Your Brand
By Janice B. Gonzalez


If I said, “Hand me a Kleenex™” you would know that I meant “a tissue”. If I told you to “Google™” someone, you would know that I meant’ “search for them online”. The reason is because Kleenex and Google have effectively branded themselves. Branding is when you associate a name with a product. That “product” can be a consumer good, a company or a person. Often people confuse “branding” with logo identity and dismiss the thought of having to create a brand. This is a pitfall, especially for professionals, because they are overlooking a basic staple of marketing. The basics of marketing are to identify your product, find the target market that is in need of your product, create awareness of your product to that market, then brand the heck out of it so that your product is perceived as “good” and it comes to mind when they are in need of it.

Branding yourself is the key to business development. You are a product. So let’s brand it. Begin by identifying your product (You). What are your personal professional strengths? What are your current self-image and public image vs. your desired self-image and public image? Does it need to be improved? In other words, what do you want your peers to think about you professionally? Once you’ve answered that question, then you can start moving in a direction that will help you form that brand.

Let’s say, for example, that you (the product) are a financial advisor. Your strengths are that you are knowledgeable in your field, have a proven successful track record, worked at a very reputable firm and now have opened your own firm. Your self image is that you are good at what you do and are generally well respected by your peers, but you would like to be seen as the “go to” advisor for high net worth individuals and would like to be viewed as an expert when it comes to financial advisement.

As an individual, I want you to think in terms of sales or selling. You’ve got something that you are selling and that you want others to buy. Be specific and identify:

1) What you are selling
2) Why you are selling it
3) Who you are selling it to and
4) Why they should buy it from you

Financial Advisor Example:

1) “What am I selling?” I am selling my expertise in stocks, bonds and various funds. Specifically, I specialize in diversification of investments for high net worth individuals who are seeking long term investments that will yield enough interest to maintain their life style after they retire.

2) “ Why am I selling it?” After several years in the field, I went out on my own for various reasons. A.) I wanted to have independence and financial freedom. B) I saw an opportunity to provide services to certain individuals that others were not able to compete with. C.) I can provide extremely sophisticated one-on-one service and charge less than my competitors. D.) I believe that the services I provide are extremely unique and beneficial to people and I enjoy my profession.

3) “Who am I selling to?” I am selling to professionals that have a net worth of $1 Million or higher or have clients with a net worth of $1 Million or higher that want to build a financial portfolio that is managed by someone they can trust. My services are perfect for anyone that wants to have their portfolio managed by a seasoned advisor that also puts an emphasis in providing excellent service.

4) “Why should they buy from me?” People should hire me if they are seeking a “true” financial analyst with years of experience who has experienced the ebbs and flows of the financial market. They should hire me if they want someone who will personally take their calls and answer all of their questions in a timely manner. They should hire me if they want someone who is honest, knowledgeable, thorough, and reliable and does what they do because they love it. They should hire me if they are looking for someone with a proven track record, who aims to get results, and is confident in their ability and expertise.

As the financial advisor in this example, we've determined that we want our name to be "top-of-mind" when people of high net worth are looking for a financial advisor that is reliable, personable and results oriented. And now that we have determined that, we can then begin to take the necessary steps - like networking, writing articles, and public relations - toward having people associate our name with the type of service that we provide. In other words, we can now begin building that brand. It may seem like a narcissistic exercise at first, but really - if you can not pinpoint with accuracy what it is that you do and why you do it, you will not be able to convey it to others and will not stand out as a brand. So, who are you?

"Holding on to What You've Got"

Tips on Client Retention
By Janice B. Gonzalez

Finding clients isn't easy. It takes a lot of effort and money, which is why keeping your clients satisfied is as essential as finding them. It costs much less to keep existing clients than it does to constantly compete for new clients. So it makes good business sense to include methods for client retention in your marketing plan. "Clients" refers to people who provide you with business - and this can mean referral sources as well.

One way to keep your clients happy is by staying in touch with them at least quarterly. By communicating with your clients on a regular basis, you will be letting them know that you value their business and you will also ensure that they don't forget you. Thanks to modern day technology, the electronic newsletter is one way that you can keep your clients informed, even if your budget is limited.

"And how do I do that?" you may ask! There are various templates and services available online. Visit www.microsoft.com and search for an e-mail newsletter template. Once you've found one that you like, change the graphics and fonts to your liking and include your information. Other sources include various online services that allow you to create and distribute electronic newsletters using a variety of templates. Make sure that you check with your profession's regulatory agency's advertising rules to ensure compliance. Some State Bars, for example, consider newsletters a form of lawyer advertising, and are subject to meet certain guidelines and approval if distributed to the general public.

Keep your newsletter short and simple, and think service, not sales. Include information about you, recent cases or case law, new services, announcements, related news items, tips on how to do things as it relates to your profession, or any other information that you feel will be of service to your clients. Also include information about your company, employee or personal accomplishments. Let your clients know that you are involved in the community and other areas. Add graphics or pictures with captions to help break up the text and create some visual interest. Make sure that it is relevant to the information and that it is tasteful. Never include pictures of others without their expressed consent, and make sure that you have the rights to any graphics that you choose to include.

Make sure you proofread before you send it out. Nothing says "unprofessional" more than a misspelled item. Using your spell check isn't sufficient. Many words may be spelled correctly, but the context or grammar may be wrong. Ask someone else to look it over before you send it out.

Lastly, include contact information throughout the newsletter. Include it at the top, in the margins and again at the bottom. Be sure to include links to your website as well as an e-mail address. Online newsletter services make it easy for you to track who has read your newsletter and they also ensure compliance of anti-spam rules. If you opt to send out your e-newsletter via regular email, then consider acquiring an e-mail address that will be used only for the e-newsletter to help you keep track of who is reading your newsletter and also make sure that you provide your recipients with an option to unsubscribe.

Start with a simple e-newsletter the first month. Plan to write one quarterly until you feel that you have enough information to publish one monthly. Open a "newsletter file" and gather information as you come across it and save it if you think it will be good for your next newsletter. Then, when it's time for your upcoming newsletter you will have plenty of information right at your fingertips.

If starting a newsletter sounds too complicated, then stick to the basics. Call your clients, take them out to lunch, drop them a note on their birthday, remember them during the holidays, and treat each client as if they were the most important one. There is a saying, "in order to get what you want (business) you first have to give people what they want (service)." Not only will this simple rule help you retain clients, they will also become great referral sources.

Catch Any Fish Lately?

Creating a Marketing Strategy –
By Janice B. Gonzalez © 2008

As a strategist, I see marketing as a science. There is more to it than just creating pretty ads, or sending out press releases or even networking. Albeit, those are all essential components of a good plan, but unless they have a strategy behind it – you may end up with the impression that none of those methods are effective at developing business.

It’s sort of like deciding one day that you want to go fishing. You buy a rod and bait. You rent a boat and you set out to the nearby lake to catch a fish. You sit for what seems like hours in your boat waiting for your fish to bite. After partial dehydration and 3rd degree sunburns, you make your way back to shore empty handed with the foregone conclusion that the fish just weren’t biting. Being ever persistent and hopeful, you return the next day to see if your luck has changed. Alas – a tug on the line. You reel it in. It’s a fish alright, just not quite what you had hoped for. After repeated failed attempts, you conclude that you have “tried everything” and you know that fishing is a waste of time and money.

Unfortunately, that is the approach most people take toward their business. They decide to start a business. They buy stationery, rent office space, let all of their friends know they are open for business, they run an announcement ad and send out a press release. Then they sit back waiting for customers to “hit their line.” After repeated failed attempts to attract enough business through marketing, they too conclude that they have “tried everything” and think it’s a waste of time and money.

I agree. It is a total waste of time and money to set out to do something without an effective strategy. So, how do you build an effective strategy? Let’s go back to the fishing analogy and offer the fisherman some advice.

Here’s his first problem. He decided that he wanted to go fishing but his goal of catching a fish was too general. What kind of fish did he want to catch – Snapper? Mahi-Mahi? Sail Fish? Why did he want to catch it? What was he going to do with it once he caught it? Eat it? Mount it? Release it? The answers to these questions are what set the stage for the strategy he will use to catch his fish. Snapper are reef fish and feed at night and would require anchoring your boat. Mahi-Mahi are surface eaters and feed in the open ocean during the day and require trolling the Gulf Stream. Sail fish only feed during certain times of the year and require drifting in your boat with special “kite fishing” equipment. They’re also caught only for sport. If you don’t know what kind of fish you are hoping to catch, then how do you know if you are fishing with the right equipment, in the right waters, at the right time of day?

Alright, let’s move this analogy along and assume that our fisherman has set his goal – he’s decided he’s going for Mahi-Mahi and he’s decided he wants to catch it because he wants to eat fresh fish. He does a little research on what the best equipment is, what the best spot is, what the best bait is, what time of day Mahi-Mahi feed, and what methods others have used successfully to catch Mahi-Mahi. He sets his strategy accordingly. He now knows what he wants to do, why he wants to do it and how he’s going to do it and he is committed to it knowing that if he follows his plan, he will eventually have success.

This fish story analogy is a little corny – but I like it because fish represent your customers. You need to be able to identify who your customers are so that you can “reel them in”. Once you have identified your customer, you will know where to find them and will be able to set a strategy that will improve your chances for “catching them.” Then all you have to worry about is keeping them. That will be our next topic.

Happy fishing!!!