Are You Hot(mail) Or Not?

What’s your business email address?

I’m always surprised when I come across a business and see that they’re using a Hotmail, BTinternet or Aol address. Now for some small businesses and trades, like my local window cleaner or handyman, this may be fine but what sort of impression does it give to an apparently professional company if your main business address posted on your business cards and literature is a Hotmail or Btinternet email address?

I recently received a professional and impressive looking email promo in my inbox only to see that the business email address is on Aol. What’s more puzzling is that like many of these business, they have a website, so why couldn't they have a info@websitename.com email?

Now, I use several email addresses including Hotmail, Yahoo and Google as a way of organising and filtering my email. But my business cards, leaflets, newsletters, website etc. have an email address connected to my website name.

Perhaps you don’t have a website but it’s easy to register a domain name, set up an email address and then redirect that address to your preferred email account, without having to create and host a website. It doesn’t mean that you have to log in to multiple email accounts – just redirect them to one account.

If you’re in business take the time to create an email address that connects to your business. It gives a better, more professional impression.

Exhibiting At Your First Event

Last week I took part in our local Chamber’s first tradeshow or Showcase as they preferred to call it. A mix of thirty local businesses from Banking to Website Design, covering not just business but also the home.

Attending a trade fair or business event as an exhibitor can be a significant and costly decision. You need to have a balance between the cost and effort involved. It’s not just about the cost of the event itself but also the cost of the advertising, display materials, handouts, products, samples and your time in preparation and marketing for the event.

If you’ve taken the decision to book up your first event then here are a few tips, to make sure you get the most out of the event when you’re actually there.

1. What is your main objective for attending the event? Write it down.

2. Get rid of the chairs behind your stand. There’s nothing more off putting than someone sitting behind their stand, quite possible not even making eye contact with the people walking by. Stand up. Get onto the same eye-level as the people passing by.

3. Even if people aren’t going to buy, don’t let them just walk away or move straight on to the next stand. Entice them to try and buy. Have testers or samples available or something they can sign-up for, information they can take away.

4. Give something away in exchange for their contact details. Have a prize draw for some of your products or services.

5. Engage with your visitor. If someone takes the time to stop at your stand and shows an interest – start a conversation. You don’t need to launch into a sales pitch. Talk about your products – find out about them. Discuss the weather. Anything that will start a conversation.

6. Smile! There’s nothing worse than someone on a stand looking bored or fed-up and it can make a real difference to whether people stop and take a closer look or walk straight past.

7. Oh and if all else fails – have a bowl of sweets. It kept visitors and other exhibitors coming back. :)

Don’t forget to follow-up afterwards and also look at whether you achieved your objective (1), what worked and what didn't.

Meet Your Public

I had the opportunity to be on radio last week. That was certainly something new for me. Several brief interviews, which actually wasn’t that different from talking on the phone – headset on, voice on the end of a phone/microphone.

I spend most of my time working with clients over the phone, which works well but it can become very comfortable, working from home, networking online, writing emails and answering calls but I’ve recently rediscovered the benefits of meeting up with people face-to-face. Not only does it get me out and about – apart from my regular networking meetings but last year, I ran a couple of workshops locally and got a buzz from the synergy that gets created in a group. It’s no longer just about you, your knowledge and expertise, it’s about what else people bring to the group – challenges, ideas, inspiration.

While it’s a well-documented fact that most people don’t like public speaking, there’s no better way to get your message across than talking to people face to face, especially if your business is you and not a product. Whether it’s small or large groups – show your expertise. Talk to people you wouldn’t normally talk to – I’m not necessarily talking about total strangers but groups of people that you may not usually approach. You might find a whole new audience.

It doesn’t have to be that scary. Even the most accomplished speakers get nervous and had that sense of dread when they first started. Build up your confidence with a small group of people you know, practice, get feedback and then find other groups to talk to, who want to hear what you have to say.

Alternatively, if you normally do a lot of talking, try a different from of communication

Have A Gold Star

Do you remember when you got a gold star at school for doing a great piece of work? The sense of pride and achievement when you did something really well and the inspiration to do even better or get another gold start for your next piece of work.

When was the last time you gave yourself a gold star for doing something really well. You have your goals, your daily actions and you tick things off as you go but who gives you a pat on the back when you’ve completed a project or achieved everything you set out to on a particular day or on a week? Create some added focus and motivation by giving yourself a reward when you do something a little bit different. We spend so much time doing things day in day out that we rarely stop and give ourselves a reward even if it’s something as simple and as visual as a gold star.

What actions this week would result in a gold star? Achieving something that stretches you more than usual. Managing to tick off a new habit on seven consecutive days. Completing a task or project ahead of time.

How many gold stars can you get this month? Give me a call if you'd like a virtual pat on the back - I have several gold stars to share this week - would you like one? :)

Can Your Business Survive Without You?

I was talking to a client the other week about how they’ve been in a state of confusion since one of their staff went off sick. They’re a relatively new and growing business and are in the process of moving over to automated systems but at the moment a lot of the information is held in people’s heads or on scraps of paper. Little things get forgotten, the odd order gets missed. When a business is small, this isn’t too much of a problem as most things can be recovered or sorted out at the last minute but as a business grows it needs to be more organised.

If you or one of your key staff got hit by the proverbial bus – would your business continue without you/them? How much information is the sole domain of just one person?

While not everyone needs to know everyone else’s business – important information shouldn’t be in people’s heads or on scraps of paper. Have a way to keep track of what goes in and what goes out – whether it’s paper or computer based and can cope as the business grows or when you’re busy.

Having documentation or at least trackable systems and processes also makes it easier to delegate tasks and particularly at this time of year, might even mean you can allow yourself to go on holiday and relax.