How to Increase Your Sales in the New Year

Be Dressed for the Party: Learn how to effectively communicate in your business

Have you ever worn the wrong thing to a party...shown up in cut-off shorts to a business casual party or decided to make a "fashion statement" to a black-tie formal red carpet affair. The cut-off shorts maybe comfortable but are inappropriate at a business casual party and there is a time and place to make "fashion statement" but are you communicating the right message to others.

"Business messages have 'clothes' too, and the clothing has to suit the occasion or the message is ineffective."  There are three forms of communication: oral, written and non-verbal. As small business owners online we communicate with our clients orally and/or in written form, but how do we know if we are communicating effectively to our clients. Here is a quick guide to determine whether you should communicate orally or in written form:


AN ORAL MESSAGE IS APPROPRIATE WHEN...


You want immediate feedback from the audience.


Your message is relatively simple and easy to accept.


You need a permanent record.


You can assemble the audience conveniently and economically.


You want encourage interaction to solve a problem or reach a decision.




A WRITTEN MESSAGE IS APPROPRIATE WHEN...


You do not need immediate feedback.


You have a detailed and complex message that requires careful planning.


You need a permanent, verifiable record.


You are trying to reach an audience that is large and geo-graphically dispersed.


You want to minimize the chances for distortion that occur when a message is passed orally from person to person.


From: " Business Communication Today" by Courtland L. Bovee & John V. Thill

See other related articles:
http://uniquicnetworking.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-customer-service-for-2012.html
http://uniquicnetworking.blogspot.com/2010/10/7-tips-to-great-profile-picture-your.html

How to Design A Website that brings Traffic

Developing a branded logo                   
From: WebMarketing All-In-One for Dummies

Perhaps one of the most overlooked elements of doing business in general-let alone online-is the importance of having a meaningful logo.  Many Internet marketing gurus will tell you not to waste you time or money producing a logo.  But, If you are promoting a real company on the Web, a good logo is a vital ingredient:  It helps you communicate a lot about your business to a Website visitor in a fraction of a second.  When people see your logo (or lack of one), they can immediately rate various elements of your business in their minds, this act of evaluation might even occur in their subconscious.  Some of these include your

*Level of professionalism
*Ability to create or innovate
*Enthusiasm for you product
*Level of traditionalism
*Attention to detail

Visitors will associate words to your business based on the appearance of your logo, such as funny, silly, exciting, desperate, growing, content, or curious.  So, be careful what you ask your designer to create for you.  When it comes to your website, it's more important than ever to at least have a logo to identify your business, if not a logo for each of your products too!  The following list invites you to take a look at some good logos that are memorable but also define the business and even the personality of the business.

*www.TheAccidentalLawyer.com-The Accidental Lawyer logo features a somewhat common approach to a law firm logo in that it has the roman pillar theme in the background.  What's not so common is the linking between that traditional image and the The Accidental Lawyer name with the hat on top of the letter A. This tells me, maybe only on a subconscious level, that this is a law firm that links tradition with business sense and just the right amount of personality and charisma.

*www.ContractorAccess.com- I chose to feature this logo because I didn't know that the company did until I saw their logo.  Now I understand that they offer the high-rise equipment you see window washers standing on, among other things.  So, a logo alone can sometimes bring it all together to tell a visitor what your business does.

*www.monkeybizness.com-On the other end of the spectrum, there is Monkey Bizness, with the tag line "where kids monkey around."  Everything about this logo is playful and not too serious, from the font type used to the coloring and the slight animation of the monkey jumping up and down.

The point of mentioning these three logos is that each paints a memorable picture in your mind.  And, that's what branding is all about creating something that remains in people's minds for days, weeks, or months to come.

Professional designers are you best resource for creating a logo that matches how you want your business to be perceived.  Keep in mind that logos take time to conceptualize and create.  So, be prepared that by the time you approve a logo, you might see several iterations, costing several hundreds of dollars.  The best scenario from a time standpoint is when your Website designer is also the creator of your logo.  That way you don't have to worry about the logo designer getting the right formats to your Web designers and waiting for the communication to take place.  But, many Web designers do not work with logos and require a logo to be submitted before beginning work on your Web site.  In that case, here are two low-cost methods for getting a logo created

One shortcut to logo production is to hold a contest between many designers.  At 99designs (online), you can post your logo design request for a little as $39, plus whatever you're willing to pay to winner.  Usually, you need to offer enough-say $100 or so-to give incentive for designers to jump on your projects.  but, it's often just as professional a result (and faster) than using a traditional designer for logo creation. Here's how it works:

1. Visit http:99designs.com
2. Start a free account.
3. Click Launch a Contest and describe the project
4. Post your "brief" and set a price amount $39 is required to post your contest
5. Respond to designers as they post their logo concepts and ask for refinements
Within a few days, you'll have several logos to choose from produced by different graphics experts
6.Choose the winner
The payment in the form of credits is sent to the designer, and the designer then sends the completed logo files o you by e-mail.

7 Tips to a Great Profile Picture: "Your Brand"

What  is the first thing that people know about you before they know anything else (in most cases)? They know your face, the face is the first thing that people will see because when they meet you they look at your face. Some of us have a brand logo image, while the rest of us use our own image as our brand logo. So, it is important that you make a great first impression (not just good) because as the saying goes "first impressions are lasting impressions". Here are seven tips to having a great "profile picture"

1. Lighting is everything! Lighting is key! Did I mention that it is important because if I didn't it is VERY important. The right lighting can take you from "the Elephant Man" to Halle Berry (OK, I am joking but it is true).

2. What Not to Wear: If your skin tone is light, don't wear shades of "white". If it is medium stick with colors that don't contrast but compliment. If your skin tone is deep then don't wear shades of "black". Don't wear provocative clothing  or clothing that is too big. What to Wear: Wear professional attire, conservative clothing as if you are going on an interview. Casual professional attire, it shouldn't be something that "you just threw on", that you would wear to work-out, sleep-in and / or do "housework in". Also pick fashion jewelry that compliments your wardrobe.

3. Hair & Make-up: I won't say go get your hair and make-up professional done just for a profile picture but if you would like to then do so (this is "your brand", which means your money depends on your image). If you don't get it professional done then be sure to comb it, brush it, twist it, curl it, braid it, cut it...DO YOUR HAIR! As far as make-up, this is a secret I learned surprisingly from Tyra Banks "America's Next Top Model" apply twice as much make-up than usual. The reason being that the camera will allows de-emphasize your features so to appear to be wearing a natural amount you need more, trust me.

4. Poses: Please no "club" poses. You should pretend that your customer is looking at you and think about how you would want to present yourself in front of them.

5. Spouses, Children, Pets: Please do not put anyone from this category in your profile picture, as I stated before this is the first impression for your potential customers. They should see you in a professional light. If you want have pictures of your spouse, children and / or pets then that's fine create a separate online album for them. "Don't mix business with pleasure".

6. Cameras: Invest in a quality camera and / or web cam to take your picture. The quality of the camera will determine the overall outcome of your picture.

7. Crop, crop, crop: If you find that once you have taken your picture that there are objects in the background or somehow your child or spouse find their way into your picture (ie. bunny ears behind your head), then crop the photo to your best image.

(Horrible Profile Picture)

                                                              ( Great Profile Picture)
See other related articles:
http://uniquicnetworking.blogspot.com/2012/05/6-tips-for-wahms-to-spring-clean-their.html
http://uniquicnetworking.blogspot.com/2012/04/5-tips-for-resurrect-your-business.html
http://uniquicnetworking.blogspot.com/2011/01/10-tips-on-how-to-make-most-of-your.html
http://uniquicnetworking.blogspot.com/2010/10/7-tips-to-great-profile-picture-your.html