Well, now we have a face

I wrote in the previous post about the challenges of defining what a consulting firm does for its customers.  Having solved that problem, I moved onto another.  How to represent myself?  Post a picture to the site or not?  Finally, I decided that since my business is very personal – and we pride ourselves on that connection with our customers, I should have a picture posted.  So, here is my first professional headshot.

Daria Mark, Principal, Brown Couch Consulting
Daria Mark, Principal, Brown Couch Consulting

This photo was taken by Gretje Ferguson (who is also a client of Brown Couch).  Gretje partners with a makeup artist to offer a business headshot special for $300.  Check Gretje’s blog for more info.

To most people, the idea of getting your picture taken can be daunting.  Especially if this image is to serve as your business profile.  I have to give Gretje a lot of credit.  Not only did she make me feel comfortable during the whole process, but she also captured the image that best represents how I view myself.  And for that,  I am very grateful.

What is it that you actually do?

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One of the hardest things when starting a consulting business is explaining to other people what you do.  I suppose some entrepreneurs don’t go through this bump, but we did (and some would say, still are). 

I’ve been asked numerous times what I do at Brown Couch.  For a while I was answering that I help small business owners take care of their customers, but that sounds like I am a temp who comes to your store to help you gift wrap sales during peak times.  So, that didn’t quite work. 

In truth, I help small business owners organize their webspace and email marketing.  I say organize, rather than create, because most businesses already have something setup up.  Usually, it the site they started with 5 years ago, when they launched their business and by now, it’s been corroded by the tide of constant updates and piecemeal changes.

What’s my approach?  First and foremost, I try to understand the business goals behind the website.  For most small business owners, the site isn’t a store, it just a means of marketing themselves and showing themselves as a legitimate business.  Then I find a solution that is the most cost effective for that business.  Sometimes, it’s  complete redesign of the site, other times, I take the pieces and make them whole again. 

So, that’s what I do.  I pick up the separate pieces of your business website and make them consistent with your business image.  I also help your business setup an email marketing or newsletter services, to ensure that it’s also consistent with your business.

It’s all about who you know!

I finally decided to take a morning to attend a seminar on Social Networking organized by NEWBO and presented by Susan LaPlante-Dube from Precision Marketing Group. 

Here is what I’ve learned: being successful is in part about making connections and knowing the right people.  Perhaps the guy who sat next to you in high school algebra is now a VP at a firm you’ve been trying to recruit.  Facebook and LinkedIn may be able to help you reconnect with him and close that business. 

I am not writing this to give you a course on Social Networking – you’ll have to contact Susan for that.  I am writing this to bring the point home that small business owners get too wrapped up in their business needs and forget to seek out and attend seminars and workshops that can help them expand their knowledge base.   My recommendation would be 1 workshop or seminar per week.  If you feel that your business can’t afford that expense, consider having your own staff do a seminar (I would do it off-site to give everyone a break from the office).

So, what have you done?

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All too often that question comes up in a perspective customer’s mind when you are trying to sell them your services. The best way we’ve learned to tackle this concern is by creating a Portfolio or Case Study page.  Talk to your customers about your skills and have a few past projects in mind that really show off your services.   Then direct them to your portfolio or case study page so that they can see if for themselves.

Brown Couch Consulting has created ours: BCC Portfolio and we would love to hear what you think about it. Let us know through this blog or by email.

A picture is worth 1,000 words

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Well, that’s right folks.  We’ve added some images to our website.  Why?, you might ask. Well, honestly, the site felt bare and our consultant has been strongly recommending some visual help to our otherwise, dry and wordy site.  So, we splurged on some stock photography and we’re in business.  Check out the site and let us know what you think of all the pictures. 

Back on the soap box of hiring people with the right expertise to solve your pressing needs, I will need to get a professional photographer to do my headshot.  A real headshot. So, stay tuned.

Co-marketing

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I noticed a brilliant piece of co-promotion in one of my holiday gifts. I received a calendar with daily tips for women on housekeeping. Inside, very nonchalantly, there was a business card for a woman who is a certified Feng Shui consultant. I can’t imagine that there are many avenues for Feng Shui consultants to market their services, so I can see how this combo is a great for the consultant: she has targeted her demographic, women who are interested in keeping house.

Say it like it is

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I was astonished to notice a simple customer experience mistake in one of my favorite super-brand-creating self-loving enterprises – Starbucks.   The store has posted a small sign in a clear plastic holder that stated something along the lines of “if you don’t like your drink, please let us know and we’ll make you a new one”.  Except the sign was at least 4 paragraphs long and told the unsuspecting customer in excruciating detail how much they would love to keep their business and how much they would love to hear if the drink was not done to the customer’s liking.

There are several things wrong with this setup.  First of all, the sign was not done in Starbucks colors and looked out of place.  Second, it was too verbose.  And third, it appeared cheap and broke the image of a higher end coffee shop.  In fact, for a while I thought that it was done by one of the branch managers, until I saw an identical one in a Starbucks across town.

I see this problem very often with small business marketing emails.  Owners have so much to say that they wind up creating wordy emails that span what seems like pages.  A good rule of thumb is keep any promotional email to 1 printed page.   Anything longer is left unread and annoying to the recipient.

Brand Spanking New

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As you may have noticed, we have recreated our website.   Here is what we’ve learned:

  1. Hire good people.  We hired a great consultant to design us a new look.  Why not do it ourselves?  Well, it’s hard to be objective on the stuff you love.
  2. Get good tools.  We use Macromedia Dreamweaver for web development and even though we could write the code from scratch, their template system makes it easy to update and track the look and feel of all files at the same time.    We’re not recommending that you run out and start buying up software, but we do recommend that you find the right tools for your trade.  This is very important, because it will save you time, and as a result, it’ll save you money.
  3. Check and recheck.  It’s a good idea to get a couple of independent eyes to check your creations.  At best, it’s people familiar with the business who are unfamiliar with the project.  That way, their help can be useful and impartial.

Tell us what you think: info@browncouchconsulting.com.

I’ll take The Ballet for $200, Alex.

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I typically advise clients who serve patrons in an event-based venue to walk their customers’ footsteps.  All too often, event organisers get so wrapped up in logistical details that they forget all about the customer experience.  For example, what refreshments are serviced is just as important as them getting there on time. 

I recently visited the Boston Ballet’s performance of Cinderella.  The show could use some help, but what struck me the most is the mismatch between the performance and the food served at intermission.   I’m not sure if the Wang is restricted from serving anything but prepackaged food, but I want to believe that there are better alternatives than Thin Mints and pretzels.  The food and the event don’t match and the result is a cheapening of the experience.

Here is the logic behind serving more exquisite and elaborate food. 

  1. The atmosphere: going to the Ballet is an exciting experience.  We get dressed up, we go out to a nice dinner beforehand, ladies put on makeup, gentlemen shave.   Keeping the atmosphere consistent is key to making people look forward to the experience with anticipation. 
  2. For kids, an art performance is usually something that parents have to convince them to attend.  I remember when I was a little girl, the anticipation with which I would wait for the trip to a show not because I was craving culture, but because they served the tastiest chocolates. 
  3. More expensive food means more revenue.  Let’s face it, in this economy, cultural performances can use all the money they can get, and here is one simple way to do it.

So, the next time you attend a performance where the atmosphere doesn’t match the event, send us an email (info@browncouchconsulting.com) and we’ll do our best to work with them on it.

This blog is free

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A friend of mine and I were discussing a small craft business that was closing its doors this year.  Of course, we started speculating on the causes of their demise.  One issue that seemed prominent was that they were charging groups of knitters to meet at their location while other places, say the library or a local coffee house, held such gatherings for free.  I’m not sure that this was the only issue with their business plan, but free services are an important part of any business and should be well thought through.  Continue reading →