S T R A T E G Y     S E R I E S
Toot Your Horn
But Make Sure to Tune it First

Elbert Hubbard, the great public relations wizard, once said, "Life is too short to hide yourself away mantled in your own modesty." And he wasn't talking about individuals, he was talking about companies! And he was right!

MODESTY WILL KILL YOU:
Sitting quietly behind your skills and relying on word-of-mouth promotion for growth is great if you want a lot of free time. But business is about "doing." It's about you as an individual and collectively as a business team. It's about who you are as a company, where you've been and where you aspire to be. And sitting quietly with your horn waiting to be called on stage is not part of the plan if you intend on being heard.

SO, get out your horns - It's time to tune up. Grab all of your current marketing items and put them on a table (or floor) - business cards, envelopes, stationery, brochures, memo pads and novelties like mugs, pens etc. Grab your advertisements and lay them side by side. Get your holiday cards and invitations. Print out some of your presentations and lay them out too. Make a mental note of your signs - both internal and external. Now look at it all! And really look at it. Does it all look like it comes from a professional, organized and experienced organization? Do you get a sense that this company "has it together?" Is your logo clear and consistently used. Does it state boldly, "This is Us and Nobody Else!" ?

Words + Message: The Currency of Business Success. Look at the items again. Now read your headlines. Are they compelling? Do they sound like everybody else? Do they differentiate your company? When you're done reading, are you confident that you've presented a vivid argument for why someone should do business with you. Are you concise? Do your photos and illustrations entice readers to get involved. Do they support the story or are they simply accent art to decorate the pages? Is your message reinforced across all of your marketing items or does it stray depending on who put the piece together? It's time to FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS! Tighten everything up and aim with confidence. Coordinate visuals. Make them interesting. Invest (YES, I Said, INVEST!) in some professional photography, illustration and copywriting. You'll reuse all of this so often that the cost will end up being pennies in the end.When your done, you will be saying, who you are, what you do, why you do it and where you are going. And you'll be saying with confidence!

INVEST in Design, Illustration, Photos & Copy
BusinessWeek said nearly five years ago that "Design" is the most important and valuable service a company outsources. More important than attorneys and financial consultants The argument was simple. Attorneys and financial consultants don't do a whole lot to generate new business - they are great at preserving and growing the capital of a business, but building that capital is the job of marketers, brand specialists, engineers and product developers, manufacturers etc. So make the investment and polish your message from business cards to advertising and everything in between.

Now Blow that horn! And don't stop!
Don't hyperventilate and the first few notes. Take your time and be consistent. The song never ends. Bring in extra players and coordinate your tune. Send your message everyday. Let your identity and logo be the heart of your marketing - greeting new customers, signing advertisements and making it known everyday that your company flag is flying high.

And be consistent and methodical. Marketing is not a magic pill, but its results can be magical - the transformation from poor design and advertising to great design and advertising will make a difference - a difference you will notice -- both inside and outside your company.