ProBlogger Training Day – Top tips to improve the performance of your blog
October 27, 2011
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Last Friday, Australian Businesswomen’s Network members and bloggers Yvette Vignando, Vivienne Kane, Alycia Edgar and Johanna Baker-Dowdell and I (along with over 300 others) attend the ProBlogger Training Day in Melbourne. The one-day event was been created for bloggers of all levels to come together to learn and network – with the goal of building better blogs.
We decided to put together our top take-aways from the day – ideas that resonated with us and that we think you will find valuable.
“Create a profile of who your ideal readers would be.”
Attending blogging conferences is always enriching for me especially because of the variety of people I meet there with interesting niches and fascinating blogs. But the ProBlogger conference had an extra edge for me because some of the speakers were also at the top of their game when it comes to blogging and monetisation of a blog.
Reflecting on the messages and information that would be especially relevant to the general blogging community, these are the ones that stood out for me:
- Be careful to value your blog and its niche when dealing with requests for PR. Phoebe Montague (aka Lady Melbourne) stressed that it is not usually a good idea to use your blog to work for free or very little. So for example, instead of reviewing a product worth $50 in return for keeping the product, consider charging a fee (perhaps double that) for the review – the income pays you for your work.
- It’s not always possible to write with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in mind, but make sure you write on your main topics regularly to keep your Blog optimised. (And by the way, although we don’t use WordPress for the happychild.com.au blog, we were told that there is an Editorial Calendar plugin for WordPress that could be useful.
- Create a profile of who your ideal readers would be and then use it to create posts that are relevant to them.
- “Branding is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” Try to understand what your blog’s brand is and make sure that this clarity is reflected in what you write.
— Yvette Vignando, happychild.com.au
“Motivate your readers to come back.”
The most important points for me from the morning sessions were:
- Don’t assume your reader is you – it’s probably a much broader audience than that.
- When you write, write as though you are speaking to one person – make it personal.
- Your “voice” and content should differentiate you – be authentic.
- Motivate your readers to come back – ask questions and be a problem solver.
— Vivienne Kane, Minuteman Press Prahran
“Nothing is more important then being yourself”
When trying to attract readers, nothing is more important then being yourself, including sharing personal insights, anecdotes and your own photos. Productivity can be an issue if you’re blogging as well as working, so write posts in batches and use comments and questions to help source new topics.
When putting together a strategy for blog content, brainstorm ideas and then ask readers which topics appeal to them.
— Johanna Baker-Dowdell, Strawberry Communications
“There is a fine line between giving away too much and devaluing your paid products and services.”
A comment by special guest Tim Ferriss, author of The Four Hour Work Week: “a lot of teaching fails from too much information, not too little,” rounded up my learnings at the ProBlogger event.
Sonia Simone of Copyblogger, in an earlier session, had spoken extensively about tribes and the know, like and trust factor with some great information, but the message I truly received from this uber-intelligent person was this:
If you start to develop a tribe, people will pay to be a member, for access (without trolls). People will also pay for exclusive access to you, advanced training and Q&A sessions are like gold.
In other words, while freemium is a great model from a marketing perspective, there is a fine line between giving away too much and devaluing your paid products and services.
Sonia summed it up beautifully (IMHO) — “How can you become their latte so they can’t live without it?”
Put the really juicy stuff behind the paid wall, value those that are paying money for access, but still provide great free content as a marketing tool.
— Alycia Edgar, Coastal Accounting Services
And me…
“Always make it clear what you want people to do.”
- Put more YOU on your blog and in your posts.
- To create trust – show up, pay attention, don’t lie.
- Don’t dilute the sales funnel with distractions. Focus the message.
- Sometimes selling does not involve money – often you’re selling a concept.
- Your readers cannot find your old content – so repackage content to make it more readily available.
- Always make it clear what you want people to do.
— Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
I really enjoyed the day.
The speakers were first class (I’d recommend you put the next one in your schedule if you want to be a better blogger or just create better content for your social media and your website).
You can read more about the Problogger Training Day here.
And I also recommend you subscribe to Darren Rowse’s Problogger blog here.
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PayPal releases news of online purchasing trends
October 19, 2011
By Suzi Dafnis, Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Buying online is not only on the increase, the way we buy is also changing. At a 700-strong breakfast yesterday morning, PayPal released the results of a recent study on the monumental changes seen in online commerce in Australia, where merchants and consumers are harnessing new technologies to connect in new ways.
Buying incidence and frequency
The report, “Secure Insight: Changing the Way We Pay” was developed in conjunction with Forrester Research, Nielsen and the Australian Centre for Retail Studies and explores the factors influencing Australia’s boom in online commerce.
Powering the growth in online commerce is the increasing prevalence of smartphones, with ownership of Internet-enabled phones currently at 65 per cent of the total handset market in Australia. Now accounting for two out of every three phones sold in Australia, smartphones are disrupting both the traditional and online retail environments. Australians are heavy users of mobile phones to transact, with PayPal Australia seeing mobile payments on a steep trajectory of 430 per cent year on year. (I got my iPhone 4S yesterday and am thrilled with it, by the way.)
As transactions begin to take place in new environments, PayPal’s report reveals a changing attitude amongst consumers when it comes to making payments. According to the research, consumers feel the choice of payment method is not theirs to make, with retailers restricting choices. Regularly having to switch between payment methods depending on the product they are purchasing, 40 per cent of consumers desire a simpler payment solution.
Interesting Insights
Here are some of the insights and comments (from the many presenters and the panel) that I found interesting:
- QR codes make non-traditional venues (e.g., a bus shelter) places where you can now transact (just scan the code and go!)
- New platforms, e.g., daily deals sites, bring new opportunities to transact (both from a computer and via mobile).
- Generally, there are now MORE ways that people can buy – but merchants aren’t necessarily accommodating this change.
- A customer today is more aware of your product or service when they come to you than ever before. Generally, they have researched you, compared you to your competition and are ready to transact – if you make it easy for them,
- More than 10% of Paypal’s transactions are via mobile.
- The average expected growth rate, as reported by Aussie online retailers, is 30% in the next year (How fabulous!)
- Coupon businesses reduce the risk of purchase with low prices and money-back guarantees.
- Cudo CEO says coupon businesses address two needs: 1. Unsold capacity and 2. Customers want to try new things.
- Multi channels are used to research and decide on a purchase (We also post the process to social networks as we go.)
- When it comes to social media, larger companies are more likely to stick to traditional media, whereas (because of the low cost of entry), smaller businesses are more likely to use social to market.
Meandering path to an online purchase
Understanding the barriers that customers need to overcome to transact can give you an advantage over competitors.
- 39% of consumers using their phones for product or services research.
- Cash is still king for most smaller purchases. New landscape sees people prefer fewer, more consolidated online payment options (for ease) – men mainly
- How are consumers deciding WHICH payment method to use? 1. Security 2. Price. Mobile payments PERCEIVED to be less secure by some.
- A hungry lean self-starter online retailer is probably doing better than high street retailers (due to being flexible and nimble).
The best question posed:
Are you making it easier for customers to do business with you? Or are consumers using tech to make it easier for themselves?
Also, “People on social media are a community of interest. Be relevant.”
— Colin McLeod, Australian Centre for Retail Studies (ACRS)
What I took away:
Merchants: It’s time to recognise consumer needs have changed and to adapt accordingly.
Here is a copy of the full report.
What happens when you grow too fast?
September 15, 2011
By Amanda Falconer, Sydney Small Business Centre
While a growing business may seem like a nice class of problem to have, it’s not all plain sailing.
“One of the biggest traps a small business can fall into is becoming a victim of its own success. The business grows faster than it plans to and, for many entrepreneurs, the idea of saying no to work is just foreign to them,” says Michael Fingland, managing director of business turnaround specialist Vantage Performance.
Fingland was speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald’s Alexandra Cain and told her that businesses in this situation often don’t have the appropriate systems and controls or the right staff to manage the growth, which can compromise ongoing success.
I’ve got to come clean and say that we’ve been having this problem ourselves. As the marketing strategy and execution services we provide for medium-sized enterprises (under our brand Talking Brand) has grown, I’ve seen how much it’s stretched our systems and made me question the real focus of the business.
It’s also forced me to realise one key thing: there’s only so much you can do. So recently, I decided to make some important changes like mothballing the Sydney Small Business Centre and the courses we offer to small business owners. We’re now only focusing on Talking Brand, instead of trying to run what are effectively two businesses, which leads me to something more universal: my top six business tips for surviving rapid business growth.
Top six tips for surviving rapid business growth
- Remember plans are fine – but when you get on the court, it’s OK to change the game. If you need to change tack because of what you now know, do it.
- Manage cash. Cash flow is everything, so keep debtors days down and a tight watch on overheads.
- Develop systems. As tempting as it is to say ‘yes’ to all that new business, sometimes you just need to say ‘yes, but not now’. And invest the time in people to develop the systems… as hard as that can be sometimes!
- Manage cost and profit. Is the growth you’re experiencing profitable? Make sure you’ve got the tools in place to manage margin and adjust pricing if you need to.
- Make sure you’re still working on the business, as well as in it. The reality is that if your business is still in its infancy, you’re unlikely to be able to just work on it. However, allocate your time so that you don’t just do all that work that’s coming in the door…
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY AMANDA FALCONER
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Amanda Falconer – Sydney Small Business CentreAmanda is passionate about SMEs and marketing. To her, marketing is a story. Your brand is an experience. Why not make it authentic, clear and consistent? Not to mention relevant and compelling to a targeted group of customers. The thing is, most people don’t really know what marketing is. And if they do, they’re not driving it. Having finally left corporate marketing Amanda is keen to share what she’s learned over the last 20 years – and that’s not just marketing theory but its application to real business situations. Amanda now runs the outsourced marketing management agency Talking Brand which provides marketing strategy and execution services to medium-sized enterprises.
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Business is changing… are you ready?
September 13, 2011
By Lisa Murray, Revive Business Coaching
The core issues for success in any business are developing and selling a product, service or idea that is valued by your customers; continually creating and generating new possibilities for growth; and ensuring your business is set up and structured for growth.
Have you noticed how implementation of these core issues is changing dynamically? The traditional answers and approaches are not working nearly as well as they used to! Our customers are losing patience with companies that are not transparent, that don’t listen, that are greedy, pushy and demanding.
There is a quiet and quickly growing consumer revolution going on which we, as business owners, must engage in and lead dynamically if our businesses are to prosper into the future. Let’s look at where value for the customer is actually created.
I have had a series of encounters with real estate agents lately that has left me wondering… The size of their egos were disproportionately huge compared to the level of value they were(n’t) offering!
We create genuine value by listening to what our clients truly desire from us and providing the value they are looking for, rather than the value we have come to conclude they need. Is there anything more frustrating than someone trying to sell you something you don’t desire, in a way that you find insulting to your intelligence? Instead of pushing harder when someone says ‘no thank you,’ why not take the time to find out what they would be willing to receive from you.
For the real estate agents (or any service provider!) who desire more clients:
I consider how you sell your services to me and ask if the person buying my house would actually like you and engage with you. If you spend all of your time telling me how important you are… if you over-charge me, if you are rude to me in your emails… if you fail to acknowledge my feedback and insist on bullying me into doing business with you… guess what? You’ll need to find your customers somewhere else. That approach is dead, gone, buried.
Those of us who are aware, conscious and desiring to be a joyful contribution to the planet are no longer choosing to do business with people who operate from a paradigm of competition, comparison, scarcity and lack. That’s the bad news (for some of you!) If you are receiving push-back, change the dynamics quickly by assuming your customer knows something you don’t and asking more questions – don’t talk AT your prospects and don’t assume you know more than they do! What could you learn from them that could triple your profits if you listen?
We offer unique value by being a joyful contribution to our clients, rather than caring so little that they disappear on a never-ending journey of comparing our services and products with everyone else in sight.
We create value for them by adding caring and creativity because we can. By surprising and delighting them because it is fun for us. By creating happiness in their universe in unexpected ways. If you want to see delivery of true value in action, order the Zappos culture book – they’ll send it out free to you – a fascinating education on being valuable and creating culture where value is valued!
When we find the joy in our own work, this joy spreads to our customers. When we feel lack and desperation, our customers also feel that. So what are you going to change today that will bring more value and more ease into your customer relationships? The choices you offer prospective clients must be valuable to both your business and the client. In many industries, business is tough right now. In my business coaching, I am seeing approaches that offer integrity and value are core to kickstarting revenues and developing raving fans. What are you going to change that will bring your business into alignment with the New Energies of Business?
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY LISA MURRAY
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Rewards for Business How to reward customers, create a loyal fan base and transform your customers’ experience.Guest speakers: Debra Templar of The Templar Group, Clare Kinsey from American Express and Jenn Lim, CEO of Delivering Happiness (co-created with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos) |
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Lisa Murray – Revive Business Coaching/Bliss TribeLisa Murray is an experienced business mentor who brings bliss back into your business. Her holistic, unconventional and creative strategies help small business owners design authentic, ease-filled and profitable businesses. Through her BlissTribe community, Lisa is a catalyst for business owners to choose a phenomenal, rich and joyful life without compromise! The sky is not the limit… there are no limits… unless you choose them! Lisa connects the dots for you… she is an idea generator, a sounding board, a skilled facilitator, a strategist, a problem solver and a contribution to the authenticity and potency of you creating the business you truly desire and deserve. What else is possible? Ask and you will receive!!
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Why first impressions count – the power of the smile
September 2, 2011
By Vivienne Kane, Minuteman Press Prahran
In his book, Blink: the Power of Thinking without Thinking, Malcolm Gladwell suggests that people make up their minds about the people they meet almost instantaneously – within two seconds. Our initial impressions are processed incredibly quickly and rely on the smallest amount of experience.
Those snap judgments are very important for businesses that interact with customers face to face – or by phone.
Have you noticed the differences in attitude when you approach businesses? I certainly do when visiting our customers and prospects. The quality of approach of front line staff varies markedly (and probably should be of concern for some of those businesses!)
First the good – most of the people I meet in our local small businesses have all the right attributes:
- Warm, natural smile
- Good eye contact
- Friendly, enthusiastic tone
- Genuine interest and attention
They generate immediate rapport – which is where all good customer experiences start. When you smile at someone, the natural response is to smile back, which releases a flood of those feel good endorphins. As Max Eastman said: A smile is the universal welcome.
Then there are the exceptions – the people who are too busy to look up from their computer screen, the disinterested attitude, the unwillingness to assist with anything that isn’t their direct responsibility.
What sort of greeting can your customers expect when they visit or call? Have you discussed this with your front line staff? Have you used a mystery shopper to assess performance? Is this a performance area that you regularly supervise and review?
First impressions can be crucial in deciding whether or not you have a chance of making the first sale – or any sales after that.
Very simple – and very powerful.
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY VIVENNE KANE
- Are You Creating Cranky Customers?
- The Customer is Always Right – Even When They’re Wrong
- How to Teach your Customers to Come Back
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Vivienne Kane – Minuteman Press PrahranAs the owner and operations manager of Minuteman Press Prahran, a franchise print supplier, Vivienne works with small business customers every day. She runs the business, and their online specialty division CalendarPrint, with her husband Nicholas and their talented staff. With a customer base which often has little experience in buying print, Minuteman Prahran’s point of difference is making the process as painless as possible. Vivienne is a strong advocate of clear and reliable communication as a key tool in winning and keeping customers. She started her professional life as a Speech Pathologist, and enjoyed a variety of roles in administration and community groups before establishing Minuteman Press in 2000. She has three Gen-Y adult children, is an almost an empty nester, loves travel and is a member of two book clubs.
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Build your Business: Steve Jobs Style
August 17, 2011
By Julie Wise, The Silver Owl
Steve Jobs is surely one of the world’s most respected business leaders. He has built an iconic brand in an industry most of us affectionately call ‘geeky’ gathering millions of loyal ‘paying’ customers in the process.
While Steve himself is elusive and rarely gives interviews, there is a lot written about his leadership style, his business acumen and key points of difference.
So what are the key differences in Steve Jobs’ story that a small business owner can learn from and adopt into their business?
Change your marketplace!
© All About Steve Jobs.com
Instead of trying to keep up with the Jones’, Steve has used a very deliberate strategy to make market leading products – before the market knew they needed them.
All IT companies produce products that do technology well – some will argue better than Apple does. However, Apple deliberately disrupts the market by making product design the main focus and their point of difference in a crowded marketplace.
This obsession, many authors note, of doing ‘what everyone else is doing’ is how businesses begin to lose whatever creative edge we might have had when our business plan was fresh and new.
Lesson then is to (re)imagine what the possibilities could be in whatever industry we are. OR are there things that could be removed. A great question that I always ask (mainly because I have no creative skills)…” What’s happens if we stop doing this?” You’ll be surprised at where this can lead.
BE DARING!
Don’t do what everyone else does.
Of course, this is the companion to the previous point – not doing what everyone else is doing! Steve Jobs keeps his focus intact by not being where everyone else is.
For example, Apple never attends the Consumer Electronics Show preferring to host their own (virtually overshadowing the CES). This maintains an allure of mystery and curiosity about Apple. It also reduces their costs by not attending flashy trade shows – not a bad all round outcome is it?
While we may not be able to garner as much attention hosting our own shows, we can still ask ourselves if there are there conventions and trade shows we attend that aren’t really rewarding? Are there ones where there are synergies with your business – even a thin thread of synergy – that your competitors don’t go to?
Core competency.
This is where Steve really separates himself from the rest of the pack. He focuses on only the core products his company deems worthy of producing.
Companies add product after product to their shelf. Businesses often believe that because they have one great product, any product they release after that is destined to have just as much success. Sadly, more often, the reality is that these extra products only steal focus from their core competency.
Are there products or services in your business that really aren’t your core competency? What would happen if you dropped them out of your catalogue?
Simplicity KISS – Keep it simple, silly!
How many times do we buy the top line model because, well because…? Yet, the features we use on an everyday basis are the ones that are basic and easy to operate. Steve Jobs’ philosophy has always been “…Something even a child can operate…”
This simple strategy works perfectly for Apple. Look at Apple’s current keyboard. It is simple, functional, has fewer features than other keyboards and with less, less can go wrong with it. At a premium price with reduced repairs, it is saving the company a lot of money. Genius!
Have you added unnecessary bells and whistles to your products or services? Can you streamline your products features? Can you change the way you retail your services to your customers?
While the IT industry has enormous reach and there are factors that are unique to that industry, we can learn from Steve Jobs’ story. The unwavering conviction in his business plan. This in turn allows Steve to be much more informed about the calculated risks he needs to take… and haven’t the outcomes rewarded this self-belief in stunning fashion!
A true life…build it and they’ll will come anyway!
MORE GREAT POSTS BY JULIE WISE
- Mobile Devices : Is your slip still showing?
- Carbon Pricing – Australia’s Future. The impact on you and your business.
- Build your Business: Oprah Winfrey Style
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Julie Wise – The SilverOwlJulie has over 25 years in business operations, strategy and performance improvements. She is an accredited Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an alumnus of the Institute of Executive Coaching. She established The SilverOwl specifically to help businesses with their strategies and operational efficiencies. With Julie’s wealth of experience, and network of associates, The SilverOwl provides access to a vast range of business performance solutions and experienced professionals. Julie is on the Australian Business Women’s Network Advisory Board and the NSW Committee for the Australian Women’s Archive Project. In Jan 2010, she joined the Fred Hollows Foundation.
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Are You Creating Cranky Customers?
August 5, 2011
By Vivienne Kane, Minuteman Press Prahran
Last week, I awoke to an unsurprising but fairly depressing article in The Age (also in Sydney Morning Herald) about cranky Australian consumers. It detailed the results of an American Express survey, which rated Australian consumers’ dissatisfaction with customer service standards as second only to Italians’.
One third of Australian consumers thought businesses were paying less attention to customer service in the current economic climate – and almost half (46%) thought there was no extra effort made to retain their business. Coupled with the inexorable migration of consumers to online purchasing, it doesn’t paint a rosy picture for Australian businesses, particularly retailers.
The survey unearthed a predictable list of complaints, including:
- Poorly trained staff with little or no product knowledge
- Staff who weren’t available to help when customers were ready to spend
Clearly, when faced with difficult trading conditions, many businesses have sacrificed one of their key potential competitive advantages in the interests of protecting their bottom line.
But does it? The survey also found 75% of consumers had spent more money with companies which provided good customer service. Rather than driving customers to the cut price and/or off shore competition with indifferent service, perhaps we should be aiming to increase our sales by giving an exceptional customer experience. It seems if we target the right consumers – the ones who do value great service – they are willing to spend.
At Minuteman Press, we’ve certainly felt the cold winds of cut price online competition (hello Vistaprint). But we’ve also gained many ex-online buyers who have been dissatisfied with the product quality and service of a faceless cyberspace supplier, and who now choose our bricks and mortar, real person alternative.
It’s tough, but it’s a choice. The customer service bar is being raised ever higher – will you be a spectator, or are you going to jump?
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY VIVENNE KANE
- The Customer is Always Right – Even When They’re Wrong
- How to Teach your Customers to Come Back
- Consistency is King in Customer Experience
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Vivienne Kane – Minuteman Press PrahranAs the owner and operations manager of Minuteman Press Prahran, a franchise print supplier, Vivienne works with small business customers every day. She runs the business, and their online specialty division CalendarPrint, with her husband Nicholas and their talented staff. With a customer base which often has little experience in buying print, Minuteman Prahran’s point of difference is making the process as painless as possible. Vivienne is a strong advocate of clear and reliable communication as a key tool in winning and keeping customers. She started her professional life as a Speech Pathologist, and enjoyed a variety of roles in administration and community groups before establishing Minuteman Press in 2000. She has three Gen-Y adult children, is an almost an empty nester, loves travel and is a member of two book clubs.
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How to Dress to Communicate Skill and Success in Business
July 25, 2011
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
Andy Warhol changed overnight. One day he was just like any other 1950s man — white business shirt, high-waisted pants and too much Brylcreem in his hair — and the next he was dressed in a black leather jacket, a “French” striped t-shirt and a wig that looked like straw.
Photo Credit: Justin Wasserman
What does Warhol have to do with small business? Plenty.
As a freelance illustrator in the 1950s, running his own business as the equivalent of a sole trader, he earned up to $700,000 a year in today’s money. Even when he became one of the most famous artists to ever live, he understood that he was primarily a businessman and worked hard to craft a professional image that matched his product.
Talking about physical appearance is extremely controversial, especially when most of my readers are women, so let me stress that I’m not telling you to be fake or to drastically change your spots. What I am saying, however, is that 55% of first impressions are based on non-verbal communication and we have the power to control how others perceive our skills and success as businesswomen.
Refine your look
In business, looking good has nothing to do with beauty… instead, it’s a simple matter of being neat and tidy. By this, I mean:
- Wear clothes that are not too tight nor baggy
- Maintain clean, regularly cut hair… go easy on the product and keep the roots retouched
- Polish and reheel your shoes
- Manicure your fingernails (and toenails if you wear sandals or peep toes)… pay attention to the cuticles, and avoid talons, chipped polish and chewing (ugh… think of all the muck you’re eating!)
- Pay attention to dental hygiene… make sure your teeth aren’t too yellow and keep mints handy on those days you desperately need to overload on coffee
- Throw out scruffy, stained or worn clothing — I will always remember the meeting I had with an events manager at an important government department who wore what looked like pilled track pants!
How to properly fit a suit
A flimsy and poorly fitted suit makes even the cleverest, most charming and capable person look like they’re working on a supermarket check-out for the summer!
And, unfortunately, look around and you’ll see most people are wearing the wrong one.
There are two ways to make sure a suit fits: one is to buy from a specialist shop with well-trained staff and the other is to watch Jamie Yasko-Mangum’s succinct tutorials on jackets, skirts and pants on eHow. You’ll also find these tips useful:
- Bring a pair of shoes and a shirt you’ll wear with your suit when shopping.
- Choose a fully lined jacket and skirt (pants rarely are).
- Chances are the pant and sleeve lengths will need to be adjusted. Specialist shops always provide this service… or visit an alterations shop.
- Don’t compromise your suit with shabby accessories — take care when choosing handbags, briefcases, jewellery and pens.
The best news is that a fabulous suit doesn’t need to be expensive — a friend recently attended an embassy function in a jacket, blouse and pants she picked up from a charity shop… and not a soul could have guessed!
Dress for your target audience
Of course, not everyone needs to wear a suit to work… there’s no point donning a Saville Row three-piece if you’re a fitness coach!
I personally don’t need a suit… but I do like to look smart, professional and creative, which is why I wear a beautifully tailored black leather jacket that I picked up in Florence (no, I’m not a fashion queen… I just had a wonderful visit with friends in Italy last year!)
You’ll also probably find that an elegant jacket of some kind in a neutral that flatters your colouring (black, chocolate, burgundy, grey or camel) is useful for everything from conferences and meetings to weddings and formal dinners.
Whatever you choose to wear, make sure it’s the right look for your industry and matches what customers or clients expect from someone in your position.
How to audit or revamp your appearance
Analyse your appearance by asking yourself:
- What would a skilled and successful woman in my industry wear? Apply this to various situations, such as meetings, conferences, day-to-day work or cocktail parties.
- If I was buying a product from or hiring the services of someone like me, how would I want them to look?
- What grabs my attention when I meet other businesswomen?
- Which five characteristics do I most want clients and associates to see in me? How well does my appearance communicate these? And what do I need to change?
- What do I, or could I, wear to create a signature look? For example, Katharine Hepburn always wore pants, Grace Kelly carried a Hermes bag and Jackie O donned those giant sunglasses.
Your second chance
When it comes to first impressions, contrary to popular opinion, you do get a second chance… even a third and a fourth, says Jerker Denrell, associate professor of organisational behaviour at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. While you may never see some people again, his research shows that you can definitely soften an initial bad impression with repeated contact and even reverse it for good.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- Business Insurance: How to Prepare for the “What Ifs”
- Your Business Plan: The Best Road to Success
- How to Be an Inspiring Speaker (and Promote Your Business for Free)
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Nerida Gill – Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
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Fantasy Companies vs. Dream Companies
July 16, 2011
Is your company based on a fantasy or a dream? The answer may be the key to your success . . . or failure.
Tammy Camp is the Managing Director at Camp International, a venture advisor and equity investor.
“What we do is bring capital from the Middle East to invest in extraordinary technology companies,” Tammy said.
When Tammy considers a new investment opportunity, she asks herself, “Is this a fantasy company or a dream company?”
“Over the past couple of years since I’ve been investing, I’ve been looking at all sorts of companies and trying to find that one differentiating factor for why some companies fail and others succeed, and I have a bit of a hypothesis,” she explained.
“I think fantasies are selfish and dreams have purpose. For instance, take a company like Groupon. It’s the fastest-growing company in the world. It’s worth $25 billion. It’s grown from $0 to $25 billion in three years. It’s on the cover of Forbes magazine; it’s everywhere! You’ve basically been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of Groupon. However, I think it’s flawed because it promotes consumption, and it’s not a real innovation company. There’s nothing innovative about an email marketing company, and at its core, that’s what it is. So, ultimately, I think Groupon is a fantasy, and it will ultimately fail.
“If you look at Twitter, it’s about a $5 billion company, but look at all the disruption it has caused, in Iran, with the elections. A few years ago, that actually kept them in business. And now, with what’s happening in Libya and Syria, it’s a technology platform that has given the common man a voice. That is true democratisation of the Internet, and that’s a dream.
“It comes down to values. Is your company going to have a great impact on the world? You really need to think about this when you’re starting a business.”
Enjoy this interview with Tammy Camp at the Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network 2011 event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Tammy Camp – Camp InternationalTammy Camp, known as the “Lara Croft of the web” according to Forbes, is a venture investor, company advisor and adventure traveler living in San Francisco, CA. An entrepreneur since the age of 21, Tammy has taken part in numerous successful business endeavors, facilitating over $1 Billion+ in sales. Tammy has collaborated with organisations such as Lloyds TSB, Hotwire.com, Holiday Autos and eBay to scale their businesses on an international level. Tammy also arbitraged media buys resulting in a capital performance track record of 60% return on investment, outperforming the world’s top hedge funds 3 to 1. Tammy also serves as an advisor to numerous startups in the security, consumer Internet and executive research fields. Tammy has been featured in Forbes, USA Today, NPR and the International Business Times. She has also appeared at SXSW, BizTechDay, BlogWorld, New Media Expo and served as a host for the US Department of State’s “New Beginning: Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation” program, which hosted the top entrepreneurs from over 28 countries.
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Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network 2011
From June 5-7 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 120 female business leaders from around the world gathered with Dell to learn about technology, marketing, brand, social media and raising capital while building relationships and sharing insights. It was an impressive group of participants, including Moira Forbes, Arianna Huffington and Luiza Helena Trajano, the founder of the third largest retail chain in Brazil. Over the course of two days, the conference participants explored and learned that women entrepreneurs truly share a unique perspective and approach to business.
Building on Dell’s entrepreneurial heritage and recognising the unique challenges and rocky journeys entrepreneurs can face led to the inception of the Dell’s Women Powering Business Initiatives, including Dell’s Women Entrepreneurs’ Network (DWEN). DWEN strives to help women entrepreneurs expand their networks, innovate and grow their businesses. The DWEN event and LinkedIn community supply a social network to grow B2B and exchange ideas to help build confidence. Dell’s believes never in the history of the world has the entrepreneurial spirit been more alive or in a more favourable position to drive global growth.
Australian women business leaders are invited to join in the conversation and share who and what inspires and motivates them as entrepreneurs and leaders via the Women Powering Business Network group on LinkedIn.
Make Your Website Fit Your Marketing Strategy – Podcast Interview with Michelle Gamble
July 10, 2011
Michelle Gamble is the founder of Marketing Angels, a national marketing consultancy business that provides marketing advice and implementation via its talented team of marketing experts for small and growing businesses.
In this audio interview we explore:
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Email – is it still relevant and how to use it
- What role should social networks play?
- What content helps Google rank your website pages
- When is it important to have a blog?
- and lots more
Additional Resources
www.seekingmedia.com.au – Good resource for distribution of articles – they will submit any articles to Google News – which will really improve SEO
Directories list to help with Search Engine Optimisation:
www.hotfrog.com.au
www.dmoz.com.au
www.dlook.com.au
www.truelocal.com.au
mylocal.ninemsn.com.au
For a FREE easy to understand web site review on how optimised your site is for Search Engines go to website.grader.com. This will spit out a report giving your site a ranking out of 100 and will also give you tips to improve your SEO ranking.
And of course www.google.com/analytics.
