Does your business have a clear BRAND? If you are thinking that brands are only for big business, think again.

What exactly is a brand, anyway? Think of it this way: a brand is a perceived expectation by a prospect or client, multiplied by the emotional impact of that expectation. What that means, is... a brand evokes an anticipated emotional response from your prospects and clients. How does a brand do that? Through the colors, images, words, and the direct or implied messages you use in your marketing. As your business grows, your reputation also becomes part of your brand.

Your prospects and clients have an expectation from your company based on the messages you send via your marketing? Do your messages engage their emotions? (In the way you intend?)

I'd like to dispel some misconceptions. A logo is not a brand. A name is not a brand. Neither is a tagline, a USP, or any one single element for that matter. There are several elements that make a brand. You need to know what they are, and how to define yours.

Why would you need to know? Because when you have a definite brand, your marketing messages are clear.  The prospects and clients that you are meant to serve, will sense the value of your company through every point of contact you make with them.

The first step in developing your brand is to KNOW yourself. Yes, your SELF.

When you are certain and confident about what you bring to the table, developing a brand for your business is easy. Having a brand allows your business to have a stronger impact, confidence and certainty. With that, competition simply becomes irrelevant.

This week, start thinking about what your brand is saying about you, at every point of contact you make with your clients and prospects. Notice any areas where your message is not in harmony with the brand you want to project. Write them down, and make a decision to change them. For instance, your logo may not represent your company the way you want it to. Or, your voicemail greeting may not be expressing your image well.

I'd love to help you refine your brand, and have some very exciting events coming up this year. I'll keep you posted.

 (c) Copyright 2009 Cheryl Craig

 

        

It's Halloween again, and I'm reminded of the Trick or Treat your clients can "play" on you.

Has this ever happened to you?

Everything has been going along beautifully with your design/decorating project. Your client tells you how lovely everything looks, and you keep on delivering. You are excited to see everything finally coming together.

Or, maybe it's been stressful waiting for your orders and making sure everything is just right. But you are feeling a sense of relief now, as everything looks like it's going to be delivered and installed on time for your client's big event he has been talking about.

You have been so busy chasing orders and picking up items that "didn't make it on the truck".  You've been calling vendors, installers, and contractors. You feel like you are doing flips to make this project complete on time.

BUT, you have not taken the time to supply an invoice for payment as items were delivered or installed.

Or, maybe you did; but every time you tried to meet with your client to get paid, he wasn't available. His bookkeeper was away. His checkbook was at the office. You let it slide. After all, you've been working with him for a year now.

The deadline approaches for the debut of your client's beautiful home. He is hosting a huge gala event, and your work will be the talk of the town. You want to get everything just right, as your reputation is on the line.

And then....

All of a sudden, you can't reach your client. He doesn't return your calls. He's never home anymore. His housekeeper doesn't know when he will be back.

What happened??

Trick or Treat.

How do you protect yourself from these "monsters"?

You need to have systems and policies in place for everyone. Monsters usually don't manifest if all your systems and policies are in place. I'm not saying they never show up, but they are less likely to make their ugly appearances.

•  Stay in close communication with your client.

•  Make separate contracts/proposals/workorders for different items.

• Get signatures for EVERYTHING.
  

• Don't place any orders until you have a signature and a deposit for it.
  

•  Don't group unrelated items together on proposals or workorders, forcing them to be contingent upon each other.

•  Supply an invoice each time you deliver products. Collect the balance owed to you before you deliver anything else.
  

• Don't keep delivering things until you are paid for what has been delivered. 
  

• If you work on retainer, never let the balance owed for items delivered exceed the retainer.

I am not a legal adviser, and I do highly recommend you consult with an attorney to create the proper contracts and procedures for your business.

        

In my new eBook, Creative Marketing for Interior Design Professionals, one of my tips is to love your clients. What do I mean by that? Here are some tips on how you can love your clients.

5 Ways to Love Your Clients


Tip #1. Shine the spotlight on your client ~ stop talking about yourself, and make it a priority to put the focus on her. When she calls or stops by your studio, greet her warmly and give her acknowledgment.


Tip #2.  Ask meaningful questions regarding her preferences and needs ~ what is her desired outcome? Don’t jump to conclusions by envisioning  the perfect interior until you’ve asked relevant questions. Remember...form follows function.


Tip #3. Stay in touch ~ let your client know that you haven't forgotten her, and that you are there every step of the way for current and future projects. Send her a note, give her a call, or have your assistant or virtual assistant do it for you. And always let her know if there is going to be a delay.


Tip #4. Create an agenda to meet your client’s needs ~ don’t try to talk your client into something just because it moves your inventory, or gives the project status.


Tip #5. Under-promise and over deliver ~ set clear boundaries so you can meet your obligations, then you will have time and resources to go the extra mile when you’re done


Bonus Tip: Delight your client with a special bonus, as a gesture of appreciation for their business, and a way to keep her feeling so glad she chose to work with you.


To grab your copy of the eBook now, go to:
http://cherylcraig.net/index_creativemarketing.htm

        

You are your signature product. There is no other professional like you. Now, I know you already know this, but if I were to ask you: “What makes you different, what makes you stand out?” What would you tell me? ...It’s not that easy, is it'?

• Do you feel compelled to tell me of your work experience?
  
• Or how long you've been in business?
  
• Are you going to tell me that you have high quality products/services and that you are the best?
• Or, maybe you really wanted to tell me your story?
  

Yes,your story is part of who you are, but it’s your unique assets that set you apart in the marketplace.

How do you define your unique assets? Well, your story does have a role here. Because of what you have experienced and learned in your life, you've gained certain strengths and capabilities. You may inventory them like you would on a resume. Why don’t you write them down right now? Take a moment, and jot down some things that you have experienced in your life that add to your marketability. Include your education, practical work experience, any adversities you've overcome, etc.

OK, now let's dig a little deeper and have a little morefun. What are the things that draw your attention in life? What are the things you enjoy doing so much that you completely lose track of time? Have you noticed that when you are doing those things, you really seem to shine? People even notice that you have a knack for the things you seem to enjoy the most. Or how about the things you like to read about? What section of the book store always attracts you? Take a moment and write those things down.

Now, let’s go even deeper. I recommend you order

Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. The book includes a code at the back for you to log on to an in depth online assessment. By taking the assessment, designed by Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., you will learn what your top 5 natural strengths are. These are your inborn strengths. Things that you can’t help but be good at. You will be pleasantly affirmed after getting your results! The book will then serve as a tool to guide you in the ways to use your natural strengths and help you excel in your endeavors.
There are even some avant-garde ways to discover some fascinating things about yourself that you may or may not be aware of. Things like non-predictive Hand Analysis and the meaning of your name (both traditional and that of the Kabalarian philosophy), can be fun and enlightening ways of recognizing or discovering things about yourself.

Ok, so you know where you’ve been, what you’ve done, what you enjoy, and now, even what you are naturally good at. All of these components are like the tiles of a mosaic. The art of who you are. Now, you can arrange each tiny tile into a piece of artwork that is your Signature Self.This is your uniqueness. The DNA of your Brand.

Can you feel the competition just slipping into thebackground? Who cares what they are doing? Let’s focus on what you are doing! Or should I say, who you are being!

(c) copyright 2008 Cheryl Craig

        

I was attending my daughter's Sixth grade graduation a few days ago. The children walked down a long aisle centered between a sea of people. As I watched these beautiful children walking down that aisle, I witnessed a remarkable thing.

Many walked with their eyes cast down to the floor, hoping to go unnoticed. Some walked with their head hung low as if they were embarrassed. There were others who walked so fast, it was obvious they just wanted to get through their discomfort as quickly as possible. Out of the entire graduating class of 103, only a handful of  students walked comfortably with smiles, making eye contact and enjoying the moment as they walked down that long aisle.

I don't remember how I felt on my own sixth grade graduation. So, I tried to put myself in the minds of these children. How would I have to feel in order to walk with my eyes looking at the floor or my head hung low? I would have to feel ashamed, unworthy, unsure, shy, embarrassed...
All these feelings can be expressed 3 words: I'm not enough.

A feeling of maternal love washed over me as each child walked past me. And I thought "to each one":
"You are enough"
"You are precious."
"You are unlimited potential that is yet to unfold."
"You are a beautiful child, created by God."
"You are worthy of love and everything you yearn for."
"You are more than enough."

After that, two things occurred to me:

1. It is up to us, the adults in our children's lives to keep feeding them with praise, love, and encouragement; so as to give them a solid foundation of self worth. Because somewhere between birth and sixth grade graduation, self doubt is born and sometimes sets up shop for good.

So, consistently tell your children or somebody else's how wonderful they are. How special and innately talented, how beautiful, how loved they are. Let them know that they can truly be whoever or whatever they want to be when they grow up.

2. If self doubt sets up shop for good, it takes a long, long time to rid ourselves of it as adults. Some people never do . You are that same beautiful child you were at sixth grade graduation. The only difference is, now you are in a bigger, older body.

I'm here to remind you:
"You are enough"
"You are precious."
"You are unlimited potential that is yet to unfold"
"You are a beautiful child, God's creation."
"You are worthy of love and everything you yearn for."
"You are more than enough."

Now go to the mirror and speak those words to the child inside you and the adult before you. It's time to remember who you are.

        

David Neagle is the author of such esteemed works as: "Just Believe", "The Power of Belief", "Experience the Reality of Success", "The Art of Success" and "Breaking the Debt Barrier", sharing his message in more than seven countries.

David Neagle founded Life is Now Inc., which is dedicated to helping people fulfill their goals and their dreams through spiritually based success principles. He shares his experience and expertise with thousands of people globally, helping them achieve great wealth, happiness and freedom.

He has been a partner with Bob Proctor, who you may know of from the movie “The Secret” David is a master teacher of the Science of Getting Rich by Wallace Wattles and the Science of Getting Rich by Napoleon Hill. He has trained sales and marketing teams and has personally mentored some of this country’s Multi Millionaire Entrepreneurs.

David’s clients reside in countries all over the world including Australia, Singapore, Canada, the United States, Israel and the United Kingdom. International clients are supported and coached through tele-seminars, the internet, live speaking engagements and live seminars.

Listen to the call with Cheryl Craig and Nika Stewart talking with David Neagle  (click below)

Download | Duration: 00:00:00

        

How many times have you gotten advice from someone who doesn't walk their own talk? I heard Randy Gage say: "Stop taking financial advice from broke people". I love that. I also saw a cool quote on a website yesterday: "Image isn't everything.... It's just the first thing."

So.... may I boldly suggest to you, my beloved designers, that you surround yourself with the same degree of beauty you purvey to your clients? How many of you are working in an office that is less than inspiring? Hey, you deserve a beautiful space just as much as your clients do! And for those of you who have a studio or showroom for your clients to visit... What do you think runs through their minds as they enter your 3-Dimensional Portfolio? Yes, you can be sure they are keeping a score card about your ability and talents based on what they see, even before you show them samples of your work or your actual portfolio.

If your office, studio, or showroom is not a reflection of your design expertise, you will have to overcome your own negative energy about it; and convince your clients that what you see is not what you get.

Let's learn from some major marketers- the department stores or high end boutiques. The message is: what you see is what you want! But not always what you get; at least until you can afford to have it all.

So, I am here to light a fire under your butt. Make an appointment with yourself. Design your dream office or studio. Give your space the makeover it needs. Let your professional space sell for you, not against you. You'll get more energy and inspiration from it. You deserve it, and your prospects and clients expect it.

Waterfalls of ideas for your business growth and achievement~
Cheryl Shelley Craig -Sales & Marketing Muse for Interior Design Professionals
copyright (c) 2008 by Cheryl Shelley Craig
visit her website at cherylcraig.net

        

How could it be April 15th again already? Do you file a Schedule C or Schedule SE?
A lot of us creative thinkers loathe the parts of our business that involve math or accounting. Some of us even stick our heads in the sand, and just hand off our boxes of receipts, statements, and papers to someone else to figure out. We just say "Here's my stuff, just give me the bill when you're done."

Well, did you know that we self employed pay taxes on our health insurance premiums? We are the only segment of people in business who do.There is a movement to get legislation passed to make a change for this. You can visit the website of the National Association for the Self Employed aka NASE to view an article about it. http://news.nase.org/nase_about/PressRelease.asp?PRID=223

I'm not talking about individual income tax, I'm talking about self employment tax. Self Employment taxes are actually the Social Security and Medicare contributions. We self employed pay 15% of our self employment income. Unlike certain corporations, we are disallowed the deduction of Health Insurance premiums as a business expense. Employees who receive health benefits do not pay taxes on health insurance premiums either.

The self employed do have a place on form 1040 to make a deduction for their health insurance premiums on line 29, however that is after self employment taxes have been calculated on Schedule SE. If you live in a state like NJ, your self employment taxes on health insurance premiums alone could total around $2500.00 - $3000.00 in taxes! Here is another interesting article: http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2007/10/15/story18.html.

If you want to learn more, just click around and Google for other articles regarding this subject.

Disclaimer- I am not a tax expert, so be sure to consult your tax professional regarding any information you read from me or any other non-tax professional. To my knowledge, as of tax year ending 2007, this information is correct.

        

You are the product that you are selling. You, your style, knowledge, expertise, and ability to create inspiring spaces, constitute your “package”. So, wrap your package in a marketable way. As interior designers and decorators, you are in a “style” industry. So, let me ask you-  when is the last time you did a survey of your own image? By image, I’m talking about your:

 

• Business wardrobe
• Handshake
• Company name and logo
• Business cards, letterheads, and other documents
• Briefcase
• Organizational system for client data management
• Office
• Showroom
• Displays
• Marketing materials including website, portfolio, brochures, ads

 

All of these things represent you, your talent, your expertise, etc. Are you projecting the image you want? Your clients respond to the message they get from all these things. Just like you do a survey and analysis for your clients, do one for yourself.

 

Imagine that each element mentioned above is an individual “representative” of your business.

• Does each one send the right message about you?
• Are you consistent with your business identity?
• Are you using multiple or outdated logos?
• Do you shake hands like you are in business, or do you shake hands like you are meeting your neighbor’s great grandmother?
• Does your showroom showoff your creative talents or does it need an update?
• Do you have a website or are you still getting used to using your fax machine?

 

If you only want to dabble, you don’t have to worry about your professional image. If you are serious about your business, you have to treat your business seriously. That means investing in all of the packaging and wrapping of what you offer. Get clear on what message you want to project. Invest in your image. You can’t realistically expect your clients to invest in their furnishings, décor, construction, etc., if you don’t invest in your business. Keep up with the times and play full out for a bigger payoff. If you want to be in business, then be in business. Don’t complain about the market unless you make every effort to stay on top of your game. If a self assessment and plan seems daunting, ask for help. After all, that’s what your clients do.

Cheryl Shelley Craig –   Maximizer - Optimizer - Marketing Muse
Waterfalls of ideas for growing your business and achieving more.
Visit her Web site at:www.cherylcraig.net
Copyright © 2008 by Cheryl Shelley Craig

        

Several years ago, I read a book called “The Trick to Money is Having Some” by Stuart Wilde.  At first, I thought the title was saying something like: “It takes money to make money”. But that’s not what the author meant at all. What he meant was this: the acknowledgment that you have money attracts more money to you. It means be grateful for what you have, and feel the “wealth” of it; really know the wealth of it; accept the wealth of it. The power of that “knowing” allows more wealth to flow in. Even the pennies on the ground are symbols of money flowing into your life! Think about it; you’ve heard it said “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”. Why? Because each is in a state of “accepting” the belief of their status.

Now, develop the mindset that you don’t need money. You have money. Even if it seems like you don’t; you do. First, realize that you are your biggest asset. You have the ability to give value to the world in exchange for money. And you have a whole lot more than you probably think you do.

I’ll share something I learned about this very idea from my son when he was 10. He was asking me why some kids go to private schools. I explained to him that some go for religious reasons, some because the local public schools are not good, and some rich people send their kids to private school to be with other kids who are rich like they are. Then my son said to me: “Mom, we’re rich, why don’t we go to private school?” I was so amused by his perception of our financial status. I replied “We are not rich, we are just regular people!” (Instead of feeling happy that he thought we were rich, and enjoying the beauty in that, I was embarrassed that he thought we were rich. It felt like bragging- talk about subconscious beliefs… and at the time, my definition of rich certainly did not include us.) Then he said real low and deliberate: “Mom…. we are rich.” I continued to argue my point that we were not rich by any stretch of the imagination. He then informed me: “We have more than we need. We are rich.” How profound! I had a sudden “awakening” to the fact. Yes, we are rich, indeed. Immediately, I felt the abundance and wealth that was all around me.

How much more than you need, must you have –in order to feel rich? How much does the cup need to “runneth over” before you realize the cup is more than full? I immediately started to see and feel things in a whole new way. I am rich- and to think- all this time, I had been focusing on the lack! I’m not just talking about material possessions either. I am blessed with a loving and exciting husband, six beautiful children, loving and supportive family and friends, a beautiful home, wonderful clients; I could fill pages! Most of us are rich. We just don’t see it. As soon as you notice it, it just can’t be ignored, and all you have to do is feel gratitude for everything positive you have. Take notice of all the beauty, wealth, love, and inspiration in your life. Now revel in that thought. And then, more will flow in.

I want to give this concept some personal perspective. First, I want you to know that my husband and I share the same belief about our abundance. (Hey, that’s a blessing right there; no conflicting philosophies!)  By the time my son was 12, we found ourselves living in a new home, almost twice the size, on a street where all of our neighbors feel like family. Am I bragging? No, I’m sharing my experience to bear testimony to you that the law of attraction works. I am telling you, so you can use my experience to help you build your faith in yourself. Everyone deserves beauty and abundance. Everyone.

If you believe you deserve what you desire, it makes allowing it possible. You want a new car? Take it for a spin. Feel the feeling of being in the car; that it’s yours.  I did this very "exercise". I decided that I would not feel guilty driving a luxury car. Many of my clients have luxury cars. Many do not. For a bit, I worried that if I drove an expensive car, I’d turn off some clients. (There it is again- embarrassment, guilt; being self conscious about “having”) So, not long after I test drove my car of choice, (I had to do it a few times to feel “real” in the driver’s seat) I was signing papers. Then of course, my husband wanted to have a new luxury car for himself. We call his car the “James Bond” car. It even talks to you. Why the car example? Not to dwell on status; no. It’s just that it’s easy to see the results of your efforts this way. It’s measurable. You could do it with anything. A piece of artwork, jewelry, new bedcoverings, a handbag, a pool, a partner, a date, a housekeeper, whatever feels good to you.

Whenever my husband or I hear ourselves saying “I can’t afford that” or “Sorry kid, I’m broke”, we check ourselves and re-word our statements to be more like this: “ I’m not choosing to spend my money on this or that” or “Sorry kid, there are other things we are using our money for right now.” Remember every dollar you spend is a choice. And every dollar you don’t spend is a choice, whether you think you have it or not.

Cheryl Shelley Craig –   Maximizer - Optimizer - Marketing Muse
Waterfalls of ideas for growing your business and achieving more.
Visit her Web site at:www.cherylcraig.net
Copyright © 2008 by Cheryl Shelley Craig