The www.Marketing-Mentor.com Podcast
By Ilise Benun & Peleg Top
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Podcast Description
The Marketing Mentor podcast provides tips, ideas, and motivation to help the creatively self-employed keep their piplelines full and stay on track with their marketing. Featuring Ilise Benun and Peleg Top, Co-Founders of Marketing-Mentor.com, with posts by Colleen Wainwright, aka The Communicatrix.
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CleanJeff Tara - Interview 3 | Jeff Tara, from Brand Vue Design, is back with his upbeat attitude. Jeff has been in business only 4 months so far, but he's already accomplished so much. Listen to the latest in this interview... | 5/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Luke Mysse Interview | In this 11-minute interview, Luke Mysse previews his upcoming CFC session, Options for Growth. Join us at the Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston. Details here. | 4/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: David Baker Interview | For today’s podcast interview with a speaker, we have David Baker from ReCourses (www.recourses.com) giving us a preview of his session, “Positioning yourself as if you were outside looking in.” Join us at the Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston. Details here. | 4/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanInterview with Bryn Mooth - April 2012 | How is newbie freelancer, Bryn Mooth, progressing? Listen to April's interview with wellness and creativity journalist and copywriter, Bryn Mooth. Join us at the Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston. Details here. | 4/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanNewly-minted freelancer, Kelsey Grafton, is going to CFC... | Newly-minted freelancer, Kelsey Grafton, of Lewiston, Idaho, knows she has a lot to learn about running her new business, BlueSkyMondays. She said it wasn't hard to convince her new boss (herself!) to invest in sending her to the Creative Freelancer Conference as her first big step in that process. | 4/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanRevised Proposal = 67% Win Rate | Listen to this 15-minute interview, where Allison Manley, from Rogue Element, answers these questions: How much time it takes to do the proposals and how they decide which ones to do. What to do if the prospect isn’t responsive during the proposal process. What if you don’t have access to the people involved in the actual project, as happens a lot with higher ed and government agencies? Why they present the pricing in 2 pages (overview and detail) in the proposal and how much detail is necessary. How much self promotion they include and the thinking behind it. How and when they decide how to include terms and conditions (T&C) in the proposal or the contract. (See what a good T&C that’s been vetted by a lawyer looks like.) Want 11 sample proposals to use as examples? Buy the Designer’s Proposal Bundle. | 4/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Missing the confidence to set the right tone? | The 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston (early bird deadline is April 30!), is rapidly approaching. For today’s podcast interview, we have Marcia Hoeck, giving us a preview of her session, Skillful Communication with Clients. Q: What’s the biggest mistake creatives make when communicating with clients? Marcia: The biggest mistake is not setting the right tone and maybe taking things personally. We’re in a business where it’s our art, it’s our creativity, so we tend to take things more personally. We have to step back and realize this is a business relationship. We have to set the right tone. The client has to place his trust in you in order to feel confident that you can do the work. The biggest miscommunication mistake is that we don’t establish ourselves right out of the bag as a partner, as a resource, so that the client can relax. When we feel boxed in by client demands, it’s when our role hasn’t been positioned correctly in the beginning, and that’s our job. If the client knows that you have strategic ideas that will help him, as well as the implementation skills, that client can relax … It gives you equal footing and leverage in the relationship. Most powerful people … they’re really not looking for “yes” men. That’s the biggest mistake that I see is when we’re making that assumption that they are, and we’re taking things personally as a creative person. Q: Do you think these problems are rooted in the creative professional’s lack of confidence? Marcia: I’m really glad you brought up confidence. That isn’t talked about enough in business. People don’t teach it. It isn’t something that comes naturally to creative people. But in creative work especially, where we highly value our work, and we are passionate about our work … we often undervalue our own role in what we do. There’s kind of a disconnect. We have great confidence in our work, and we know the value of our work, and we have great confidence in our ability to do the work, but we often can’t show that confidence when communicating our role in the process. We don’t come off as confident in selling situations, or when defending our pricing … What that comes off as to prospective clients is lack of competence. They think we can’t do the work because we can’t defend it, because we can’t talk about ourselves… Listen to our 11-minute interview to hear more. Use your Big Ticket pass to catch this CFC session – or sign up for CFC on its own. If you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before April 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” And listen to the rest of the podcast interview series with our speakers, including Dyana Valentine, Mark O’Brien, Shane Pearlman, Jonathan Cleveland, Ed Gandia, Sarah Duham and Allen Murabayashi. | 4/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanEmails and letters are working for Jeff | Last time we talked, Jeff Tara from Brand Vue Design had gotten a client by sending an email (in which he shared his honest opinion about his favorite wine company’s new label). Recently laid off, this happened one week after Jeff officially went freelance. With such a productive first week, I couldn’t wait to speak to him again and find out what’s happened over the past month. In our 10-minute interview, Jeff brings me up to date with recent developments: After reading a “doom and gloom” article about the demise of Kodak (which ultimately caused Jeff’s layoff), Jeff decided, “It’s not all doom and gloom—I have a chance now to chase my dreams.” He wrote a letter to the newspaper, and it resulted in a front page article in his local newspaper. A connection in the healthcare industry saw the article about Jeff, and now they’re discussing upcoming projects over golf. The wine company who Jeff redesigned a label for—is now having him redesign all of their labels. Building on that wine experience, Jeff is reaching out to other wineries. He sent a personalized letter to one, called to follow up on Monday, and by Wednesday, he was inside talking to the owners of the winery for two hours. Listen to our interview here. If Jeff keeps sending emails and letters, who knows what will happen next… I’ll keep you updated. | 4/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Don’t drive yourself crazy with quantity | One of the most popular speakers from last year's Creative Freelancer Conference, Allen Murabayashi, CEO of PhotoShelter, will be back this year (June 21-22 in Boston -- early bird deadline is this Friday, March 30!). Allen joined me for a podcast interview to preview his session, Building Your Prospect List: Quality vs. Quantity. In our interview, we talked about the importance of qualifying prospects. Allen said: You’re going to drive yourself crazy if all you’re trying to do it gets tons of people through the door. You have to simultaneously qualify your audience. For example, if you’re Prada, and you’re selling shoes for $500, you’re not going to go to a suburban mall where nobody has discretionary income—and the most popular place there is Walmart. You have to be very strategic in the way you spend your time. I was talking to a wedding photographer, and on their contact form, they say, “How excited are you to work with us on a scale of 1-10?” They told me they didn’t respond to anything where it’s less than an 8—as a pre-qualification mechanism. Listen to our 8-minute interview to hear more. Use your Big Ticket pass to catch this CFC session – or sign up for CFC on its own. If you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 3/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: How to handle pricing for nonprofits | The 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston (early bird deadline is this Friday, March 30!), is rapidly approaching and for today’s podcast interview, we have Sarah Durham, Founder of Big Duck. Sarah’s session will be The Nuts and Bolts of Pricing and Negotiating. At Big Duck, they design exclusively with nonprofit organizations. In fact, they haven’t worked with a for-profit organization in over a dozen years. With such specific experience, I asked Sarah to share some insight into pricing for nonprofits. Q: How do you handle pricing for nonprofits? Should you offer discounts? Sarah: “I think with nonprofits…this idea that they don’t have any money for communications is both true and false. It’s true in that most nonprofits, and particularly very small nonprofits, haven’t budgeted for communications. They aren’t thinking the way a tech startup would think … making sure that they have a marketing person and a budget…Communications tends to be overlooked and under-budgeted. With that said, they have missions that require them to communicate … when they understand the importance of the work we do for them, they put together budgets.” Listen to our 14-minute interview to hear more on pricing and non profits. Use your Big Ticket pass to catch this CFC session – or register for CFC on its own. Sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 3/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Should freelancers price differently than large firms? | The 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston (early bird deadline is this Friday, March 30!), is rapidly approaching and for today’s podcast interview, we have Cameron Foote, Editor of Creative Business, who will be taking part in the Perspectives on Pricing Panel at this year’s conference. In this 14-minute interview, I asked Cam how freelancers can compete with bigger firms. Q: Should freelancers be pricing any differently than larger firms or entities? Cam: Yes and no. I don’t think a person’s talent should be worth any less depending on whether they work for themselves or whether they work for an organization. On one level, your talent is worth what it’s worth, period.However, the realistic part of this is that when you talk about pricing to clients … they’re looking at you and trying to decide whether you’re worth the money or not. Pricing has to do with perception. So if you’re working from the kitchen table, you haven’t been in business very long, you don’t have a good portfolio and so forth, it would be unrealistic to assume that you could charge what a business that’s been around a while could charge. Your talent is worth what it’s worth, but you have to be realistic. Q: How can freelancers use marketing to build up the perception of their value? Cam: You are what clients perceive you to be. If you market extensively … particularly using the editorial “we,” and you’re sending out material regularly, they’re going to see a company. A company is worth more, in most cases, than an individual. Listen to our 14-minute interview to hear more of Cameron’s thoughts on pricing, including his take on hourly rates vs. project pricing. And if you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” And listen to the rest of the podcast interview series with our speakers, including Dyana Valentine, Mark O’Brien, Shane Pearlman, Jonathan Cleveland and Ed Gandia. | 3/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Can you be a wealthy freelancer? | As we get ready for the 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston (early bird deadline is March 30!), we’re doing a podcast interview series with our speakers! Recently, we featured Dyana Valentine, Mark O’Brien, Shane Pearlman and Jonathan Cleveland. Today, we have Ed Gandia, freelancer copywriter, speaker, coach, and co-author of “The Wealthy Freelancer.” He joined me to discuss his upcoming CFC session, “How to Create and Execute your Marketing Plan.” People considering freelancing always ask me, “What does it take to be a freelancer? Can I even make this work?” so in our 12-minute interview, I asked Ed that same question and here’s what he said: “It’s definitely possible … The idea that the economy is hurting all businesses is really a misguided assumption. In my own business, for the students I coach, and for most of the freelancers I come in contact with …. things are actually even better for them right now. So many companies are outsourcing work. They’re working with leaner staff, but the projects still need to get done … and they don’t want to hire full time employees.” When we talked about wealth, Ed said his definition isn’t just about “material wealth.” To Ed, a “wealthy freelancer” is someone who can consistently generate the clients, the projects, the income and the quality of life they want. I asked, “What does it take to be a wealthy freelancer?” Ed said: “You have to have an entrepreneurial mindset, be self-motivated, be a go-getter, and you have to realize you’re running a business. Also, you have to become really good at marketing your services. If you want to be truly successful, you should be just as good at marketing your services as you are in your own craft. I think I’m a good writer, but it’s really marketing and selling that have gotten me to where I am today.” Listen to our 12-minute interview to hear more of Ed’s ideas, whether you'll be at CFC or not! And if you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 3/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC: Are you getting nickel-and-dimed? | As we get ready for the 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston, we’re doing a podcast interview series with our speakers! Recently, we featured Dyana Valentine, Mark O’Brien and Shane Pearlman. Today, we have Jonathan Cleveland, Principal of Boston-based Cleveland Design. With a staff of five, his firm fills an important need for large corporate clients who, interestingly enough, also have in-house agencies AND ad agencies. (Does this make you less timid about approaching prospects who already have an in-house team?”) In our 13-minute interview, Jonathan (who will be participating in the upcoming CFC panel discussion, “Perspectives on Money and Pricing”) talked about a recent pricing issue he encountered: The situation: A client hired them to do a corporate video project which had a generous budget, then wanted a companion print brochure, but started to nickel and dime them on price. Then before the print brochure was resolved, the client came back and was ready to put a larger budget toward more videos. The disconnect: Why there is such a big difference in perceived value of print design and digital design? Jonathan says: “In today’s day and age, with computers and personal layout programs, the more unsophisticated marketing client thinks they can layout a brochure or flyer themselves … There is a perceived notion that ‘I can do something, throw it together and print it out.’ They sent us a PDF of a very nice brochure and said ‘Just copy this.’ We couldn’t get through to them on the value of the brochure, but when it came to the video, they were more than willing to open up and say ‘Let’s just do this video’—budget wasn’t an issue. The print brochure seemed to be all about budget.” Listen to find out Jonathan’s strategy for dealing with clients like this… And if you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 3/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Planning for the First Year of Freelance? | As we get ready for the 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston, we’re doing a podcast interview series with our speakers! Recently, we featured Dyana Valentine and Mark O’Brien. Today, we have Shane Pearlman, describing his upcoming session, “Planning for the First Year of Freelance.” Read an excerpt below and listen to the 10-minute interview, in which Shane talks about the biggest mistakes he sees freelancers make, and more. When it comes to being a successful freelancer, there are three areas that stick in Shane’s head: how to make the money (sales, marketing, contacts) how to keep the money you made (track time, manage contacts, bookkeeping) how to be happy and balance it all In his session, he’ll describe how to succeed in each of these areas. In addition to the road to success, we also talked about common mistakes that freelancers make. Shane said, “Another mistake I see all the time—this is probably the most common—is waiting to sell until they need it. So, you get really busy, and you think, ‘I’m so busy, I can’t think about sales, I’m busy!’ Then by the time you get to the point when you think, ‘I wish I had something to do, I should start selling’–well, that’s three months too late.” Listen to the rest here. And if you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 3/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanBryn’s approach to LinkedIn: narrow, participate, reach out. | Bryn Mooth is an independent journalist and copywriter focused on food, wellness and creativity—she blogs at www.writes4food.com -- and I’ve been following her marketing journey since she became self-employed less than a year ago. Lately, we’ve been talking about the merits of LinkedIn, and Bryn has dedicated time, twice a week, to gain visibility and find prospects using it. This past week, she turned a LinkedIn connection into a client! How? (If you want to learn by doing, join the next Basic Marketing Group that starts Wed. March 14). In our latest interview, Bryn describes what she did: She narrowed: To be with her ideal prospects, she joined a group on LinkedIn called “Food Industry Marketing and Communications Professionals” – looking to find people at food brands or in food marketing – rather than the broader “food industry.” She participated: This is an active group with 6500+ members, with people posting links to articles and questions. Bryn participates by commenting on articles others have posted, responding to questions and initiating her own discussions. She reached out directly: Bryn also scans the group members and reaches out to connect directly if it looks like a good fit. Recently, she connected with one member in Texas, the principal of marketing group in the food industry, and now that’s turned into a small project for her company – but there’s larger potential, if it goes well, for this agency to hire Bryn for their client projects, making her an excellent referral source and collaborator. What did Bryn say to connect with this prospect? Listen here to find out. | 3/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCFC 2012: Is content strategy missing from your web site? | As we get ready for the 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston, we’re doing a podcast interview series with our speakers! Last week we featured Dyana Valentine whose topic is “Pitch Perfect.” Today, we have Mark O’Brien, President of Newfangled, describing his upcoming session, “Is Your Website Generating Business?” Read an excerpt below and listen to the 10-minute interview here, in which Mark talks about content strategy—and how it’s missing from most of the freelancer website he sees. “There’s nothing to attract, inform and engage –nothing for Google to read on the site—that Google would then use to refer prospects to that freelancer’s site. There might be a portfolio, and that’s it. If prospects do get to the site, they can see the work, but they can’t read about the expertise behind the work… If your site is not independently attracting people who do not yet know about you, but need you, and then guiding them through your site as if they’re taking a tour of your firm with you on the phone, and then bringing them into engagement with you through calls to action (signing up for newsletters, blogs)… If you’re site’s not doing that, it’s not going to generate any sort of business for you. It’s serving the group of people who already know about you, and doing nothing to expose you too all the new prospects who are out there looking for you…” Listen to the rest here. And if you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 3/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: What if you don’t want to choose a target market? | Amy Graver’s design firm, Elements, positions themselves as a “virtual marketing department.” It’s a strong positioning for them—but the only challenge is, with such a potentially broad audience (Who doesn’t need a virtual marketing department?), where do you go to find those prospects? How do you efficiently locate those people? When it comes to Amy, I have a sense there is also something else involved in their success, so in our recent interview, I asked her: “There is something in you, in the way you talk about what your firm can do, that I feel almost balances the need for a target market. I imagine you can sell anything to anyone… You can talk to anyone anywhere, and maybe as a result, you don’t have to say, ‘Alright, I’m doing healthcare… Alright, I’m doing financial services....’ What do you say to that?” Amy responded: “I never saw myself as a salesperson, but my father used to say I could talk the paint off a barn … I feel very comfortable talking to anybody and finding something in common. I also think it’s my passion for what I do. I really believe in us, I believe in my team. I’ve made very careful hires … Every time we have a new hire, I want to know what they bring that’s unique, because I’m going to go out and talk to the clients about it. It adds to the depths of who we are as an agency… The creativity, passion and love of what we do comes across … We’re doing great things for our clients. We’re a thinking, strategic, creative agency. Our clients seem to agree. One of our best resources is all the referrals we get from our clients…” I also asked Amy, “What suggestion do you have for someone who is resisting the idea of targeting a market and wants to apply their services to many different industries?” For this answer, and more, listen to this 19-minute interview. Want to choose your market, use content marketing to your advantage, or finally start email marketing? New groups are starting this month. | 3/7/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: What It Takes for an Email Newsletter to Get the Phone Ringing | Stephanie Helline, Owner of Strategic Design Studio, had a very surprising response to her latest email newsletter. The topic was, “Is the Business Card DEAD?” and she didn’t think much of it when she scheduled it to go out Friday morning. She didn’t even like the topic much, but she was committed to staying in touch monthly with her list of 150+ so she wrote it, scheduled it to send and forgot about it. “A little after 10, the phone rang,” she says. “A client mentioned my newsletter; we talked about a small job, we talked about a larger job. The phone rang again. I looked and noticed there were voicemails. As I was on the phone, emails were popping into my inbox. I wouldn’t want to say this went viral, but viral for me, definitely.” Stephanie had originally thought this topic would be a non-event. She thought everyone knew that business cards weren’t dead. When the calls started coming in, she had an ah-ha moment. “Even though I’m constantly looking at marketing techniques, maybe not all my clients aren’t looking at them in the same way,” she said. “When I first started writing about the business card, I thought I need to add something more… So I took it one step further and talked about adding a QR code, and remembering to add your social media contacts. I mentioned that some people now scan cards so it’s important to present simply so scanners will work. I talked about digital printing for business cards.” (Read Stephanie’s newsletter here.) Listen to this 13-minute interview, in which she shares: How she decides what to write about How long does it takes What her process is? Whether it’s worth it? She also shares four excellent tips for anyone who might be struggling to get their newsletter out consistently. Listen here. And if you need help creating your own email newsletter, check out this Marketing Mentor group that starts the week of March 19. BTW: If you’re trying to decide with email marketing service to use, check out Myemma.com, a Marketing Mentor partner. You’ll get 20% off when you sign up. | 2/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMeet CFC speaker, Dyana Valentine | Dyana Valentine is one of our favorite Creative Freelancer Conference speakers; we bring her back every year! This year at CFC (June 21-22nd in Boston) she is going to be talking about Pitch Perfect—and I interviewed Dyana to get a preview. Listen to find out more about Dyana, hear her “working pitch,” and learn: The difference between a tagline and a pitch How to craft your pitch and tagline based on the “defining features” of your ideal client Why pitches are constantly evolving, and how often Dyana updates hers Plus, get a little preview of what CFC attendees can expect to learn in her session, Pitch Perfect. Find out: How your pitch will evolve in the session What will make Dyana feel like a million bucks How Dyana helps shy people What Dyana is looking forward to most at CFC this year Check out the full list of speakers and sessions. If you aren’t yet registered, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12” | 2/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: Jeff got 2 jobs in a week since website launch | “I've already landed 2 freelance jobs since I launched my website this week! Without your materials, I don’t think I would have been as prepared as I am now.” This is what Jeff Tara emailed me after launching his website for Brand Vue Design with the help of the Freelancers Essentials Collection. I had to know more, so I interviewed him—and I was delighted to discover his passionate approach to his new business. Jeff reminded me that enthusiasm and fearlessness go a long way—sometimes even further than a plump portfolio (especially when you don’t have one). Jeff told me about how, after being laid off a month ago, he dived right into his own business thanks to the preparation he’d done over the past year. In one instance, simply by sharing his honest opinion about his favorite wine company’s new label, he gained a client. He had a fearless, nothing-to-lose approach, and the “roadblocks” didn’t stop him: • Obviously they already had a designer—but that didn’t stop him. • The only email address he could find was an “info” address—but that didn’t stop him. • He had no samples to show in this particular industry—but that didn’t stop him. See the email that got him in the door and listen to our interview here. And if you have a feeling you might be on your own soon or already are and need help getting your own marketing plan in place, take advantage of the free mentoring session to hash it out. | 2/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanBryn says, “This marketing stuff isn’t hard, except…” | Last time I talked to independent journalist and copywriter, Bryn Mooth, from Writes4Food, she confessed to slowing down in December and paying the price in January. When I asked her, “What could you have done differently to avoid this slowdown?” Bryn said, “I should have put more effort into marketing in October and November.” Bryn realized, “This marketing stuff isn’t hard, except if you wait until you’re really slow and you’re desperate and have to do it all at once.” By plugging marketing into her calendar, and doing marketing steadily, she says, “It’s not hard, it’s not time consuming, it’s not overwhelming.” In this 19-minute interview, we talk about the actions Bryn has been taking to ramp up her marketing machine, with a special focus on how she’s using LinkedIn to: • Decide which groups to join • Ask and answer questions • Get introductions from her connections • Turn connections into phone calls See how her marketing efforts have paid off in just one month. Listen here… | 2/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWhat kind of copywriter can you be? | In this world where “content is king,” more and more of marketing is “content marketing.” With the need for content so vast—you can be a writer who specializes in exactly what a prospect needs, such as a web writer, content strategist, direct response writer or technical writer. Stacey King Gordon, from Suite Seven, started as just a plain “writer” in 1998, and now she’s a “content strategist.” An evolution happened during that time, in which she realized what type of writer she wanted to be—for herself and for her clients. In my first interview with Stacey, we talked about the process of renaming her business. In this interview, I wanted to delve deeper with Stacey to determine how the shift from “writer” to “content strategist” happened. She answers these questions: ● Was there a gradual shift in perception or positioning? ● Where did the process begin? ● How did confidence play a role? ● How long did it take? ● What marketing outlets did you change first? ● How is she gaining recognition in the content strategy community? Stacey also talks about her new elevator pitch, why she was choosy about which portfolio items to show, and more… Listen here. | 2/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: Bryn’s tax surprise | When it comes to taxes, are you deducting everything you can? Bryn wasn’t. Bryn Mooth is an independent journalist and copywriter at Writes4Food. We’ve been following Bryn’s journey, and recently, we talked about taxes. In the first meeting with her accountant, Bryn had a big surprise: She had a percentage in mind for Uncle Sam, but says, “It was significantly higher than I expected… I knew that I needed to account for self-employment tax and social security; what I didn’t realize is that, as an independent contractor … I need to pay my income tax quarterly… When I was employed by someone else, it was sort of off my radar…” Having to pay a much bigger percentage than she expected was a “rude awakening” for Bryn. Fortunately, she had built up a financial cushion before becoming self-employed. This cushion was a huge relief. Now, Bryn has a different mindset. Going forward: She realizes that she can expense a lot more than she thought. All of a sudden, knife sharpening, food for recipe development, and props become expenses. Every time a paycheck comes in, half goes into a tax account (just to be safe). Bryn is now very careful about keeping receipts and updating her spreadsheet on “Finance Friday.” This way, when she files next, her estimate will be more manageable and realistic. Listen to this 10-minute interview here. Have you experienced any tax surprises? For guidance when it comes to taxes, we adore June Walker, tax advisor for the self-employed. Read her guest posts on the Creative Freelancer Blog and check out her books, Self-employed Tax Solutions + Five Easy Steps, and her free resources. | 1/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: Are you paying the price for a checked-out December? | Bryn Mooth is an independent journalist and copywriter at Writes4Food.com. I’ve been checking-in with Bryn for the past 8 months (since she went freelance) to follow her journey, and last week, we did our first calls of 2012. How did she do? Overall, 2011 “exceeded” her expectations. Bryn was pleased with the income she earned and the work she did. But… January is slow. Why? Bryn says she “checked out” in December. She put off doing things like following up on completed projects, “slacked off” on networking and contacting, and now, she’s “paying the price.” What’s her plan of attack? She says, “I’m starting from scratch, a little bit.” Bryn has identified the kind of projects that really appeal to her, and in 2012 is going to actively pursue that kind of work. She spent the last week on LinkedIn building a list of prospects. Then, she’s seeing who in her network can make an introduction. What she’s learning about the marketing process: Like most freelancers, I’m not really good at it. Early in this freelance career… some things were landing in my lap… I was doing some networking and yielding some good projects. But I wasn’t doing as much of that as I need to be. I got busy. I kept thinking, I need to allocate some time to think about who my ideal prospects are and get that planning going, and I didn’t. So, that’s what I’m doing now. In this 11-minute interview, I suggested for Bryn a three tool combination to turn these prospects into clients: 1. Use LinkedIn to connect. 2. Use email to follow up. 3. Use the phone to make it real. Bryn is going to do this—and we’re going to talk to her next month to see how she did. How long does it take to take to turn cold (or warm) prospects that you find on LinkedIn, and turn them into actual clients? Stay tuned to find out… | 1/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: What do art buyers really care about? | Recently I interviewed Scott Hull (www.scotthull.com), an agent for illustrators who, when you ask what he does, says he, “links creativity to the corporate world.” We talked a lot about how illustration has changed and who the new “art buyers” are. He shared some interesting information for creatives and illustrators—especially when it comes to selling themselves to art buyers and agencies. Scott believes that we’ve fallen short in marketing creative services and that what the new art buyers care about is: What value are you going to bring to me? How are you going to make my life easier? So how can a creative sell themselves? Scott says: An illustrator can talk about the value they bring and the potential return on investment over stock illustration or photography. He also suggests emphasizing turnaround time.”The illustrator has the training and sense to convert concepts into a visual translation in 3-4 weeks. This is probably one of the biggest sales tools I have found.” In this interview, Scott also shares his thoughts on: Students coming out of art school, what should they do? Can an illustrator directly approach an art buyer? Can an illustrator learn enough about ROI to persuade corporate decision-makers? Listen to this 14-minute interview on the Marketing Mentor podcast. | 1/13/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow to position your firm in 6 months (podcast) | Sometimes, all you need is a kickstart. That’s all it took for Julia Nable, co-founder (with her partner) of SandorMax, to decide how to position their small Connecticut-based firm after 6+ years in business. I met with Julia and Zoltan for a 2 hour consultation in June 2011 (almost exactly 6 months ago). Then, in early December, Julia wrote to tell me they’d made great strides with their positioning and their target market, healthcare and bioscience companies – and that they were accepted as speakers at a prestigious industry conference later this year. I was like a proud parent! Here’s how it happened. First, like everyone else, they were generalists, until they came to the realization that this approach just wasn’t working. She said, “We were so broad that we were taking any work that came our way. We were too many things to too many people.” They knew things had to change. That’s when they called me and we spent 2 hours hashing out potential positioning statements and possible markets to focus on. “At the beginning, our big fear was: How do we turn away business? I think that’s what everyone wonders at the beginning. What if someone calls and they have nothing to do with healthcare, do we turn them away?” Julia likens their new approach to having a tiny herb garden instead of a huge farm. “Before, we had a gigantic farm. The manpower required to go after business was impossible. Now, with the small garden we’re nurturing, we can become experts in this area and create a prospect list we can actually go after. It’s contained enough that we can get a name in this area, and get high-level referrals through the community we’ve created with our clients. It’s something we can perfect.” I asked Julia to share their positioning process so others who are struggling can see the small steps it takes. In this interview, Julia defined the process and the benefits so clearly. She also talked about: How, exactly, they chose their new market. The extensive research and competitive analysis they did How they retooled their website, and how they handled the projects that no longer fit their positioning How she found the industry-focused speaking engagement on LinkedIn. Listen to this (14-minute long) interview and you will learn. And if you need a plan to follow, check out the just-released 2012 Marketing Plan Bundle. | 12/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanCrowdsourcing Podcast with Laurel Black | We’ve been talking about crowdsourcing a lot on the Creative Freelancer Blog, and designer, Laurel Black, is central to every discussion. So, I decided to do an interview with Laurel on some basics of crowdsourcing (from her perspective) for those who haven't been following all the comments. We started with a few basic questions: What is crowdsourcing? Who is upset about it and why? How has it affected (is affecting) your business? How are you dealing with it? What advice do you have for others concerned about it? Listen to Laurel’s take on crowdsourcing here. | 11/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: How to craft winning proposals | Should you be putting samples inside your proposals? Should higher fees equal longer proposals? What are the 5 basic elements every proposal should have? Find out answers to these questions, and many more, in my recent interview for the International Freelancers Academy with Ed Gandia. In this hour-long interview, we cover the real information you need to craft winning proposals. Topics also discussed include: The most common types of proposals - 4 types Hybrid all-in-one proposals Optional elements (marketing, testimonials, usage rights, client responsibility, results ) Do you need an attorney involved for legal language? Should you place an expiration date on your price? How to submit your proposal How and when to follow up Should you ask for the business? How to discuss next steps… Handling price objections If you want to increase your chances of winning projects – The Proposal Bundle (we have versions for Designers and Copywriters) will give you 25 resources, plus 11 actual sample proposals to use as models. | 11/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanPodcast: What’s in copywriter Bob Bly’s proposal/agreement? | Bob Bly, who has been a freelance copywriter since 1982 (and made millions doing it) generously shared his one-page agreement in the new Proposal Bundle for Copywriters (Today only: Get $10 off with promo code: BUNDLE10). I interviewed Bob on the Marketing Mentor Podcast to find out more about his agreement. Here’s an excerpt… Is it safe to skip the agreements—and get right to work for existing clients? Bob says: You always need to have, for every job, even if it’s an old familiar client, a written agreement which the client approves. My philosophy is to keep it as short and simple as possible while covering all the salient points. We email it to the client. All they have to do is email back that they approve. New clients pay half the fee up-front. When it comes to rush jobs, Bob says: Since we have a standard agreement, it takes less than three minutes to put in the particulars of the job. Time is no excuse. Just because it’s a rush job doesn’t mean I can’t send out the agreement. What about the excuse, they “won’t be able to cut the check in time”? Bob makes it easy by accepting Paypal, credit card and wire transfers. Find out more about the specifics inside Bob’s agreement. Listen to the full 15-minute interview here. | 11/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanInterview: What is a Request for Proposal (RFP)? | Do you know how to respond to a Request for Proposal? Recently, I joined Jim Blasingame to discuss: How to prepare for a request for proposal (RFP) How to know when to not respond How your proposal can have a long shelf-life Listen to this interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast. If you're working on a proposal now, and you'd like 11 actual proposals to use as models (+more) check out The Proposal Bundle: 25 Resources for Project-Winning Proposals. | 11/2/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow to find a market (without starting from scratch) | If you know you need a target market—but don’t know where to start, this interview will help. Often, your market is right there in front of you, where you can see a need. Usually, it comes from your past experience. This is where I found my target market (creative professionals) in 1988. Last week, I shared the story of how I got started with Anderson Smith, who interviewed me on his radio show, 1 Hour Photo, on ArmadaFM. Listen in if you want to hear: Questions to ask yourself to find your market without starting from scratch How I found my market under a pile of paper How the changing economy affected the “need” for marketing How I help clients break old habits and build new ones The steps I take clients through in the 6-month marketing group (http://www.marketing-mentor.com/html/beginnermarketinggroup.html) process Listen to this 11-minute interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast. | 10/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanInterview with the illustration “king” of self-promotion, Daniel Pelavin | Daniel Pelavin is entering his 5th decade as a typographic designer and illustrator. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Graphic Artists Guild’s Reboot (http://newyork.gag.org/RRR_Conference/schedule.html) conference. He was pointed out as being “the king of self-promotion,” and of course, I had to find out more. Daniel agreed to an interview so I asked him to elaborate on his reference to Copernicus and self-promotion, which I’d never heard in the same sentence before. Daniel said that through self promotion, you discover that you are not the center of the universe. And when you begin to look at things in terms of your clients and their needs, you gain a lot of power over how you can affect your experience with them. He also talks about: • The importance of being memorable—and how he does this himself • Why illustrators need clients who are “willing to take a chance.” • Why new illustrators should consider selling carpets, first. Listen to this 13-minute interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast. | 10/19/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow should your proposal be delivered? | Recently, I talked with Jim Blasingame, of Small Business Advocate, about proposals. Though we have a slightly different approach (he says don’t miss an opportunity, I say deliver only when you have a real chance of getting the job) we can both agree on this: Whenever possible, present the proposal personally. This is, hands down, the best way to ensure that you have a chance to negotiate and continue the conversation, rather than never hearing from your prospect again. In this interview, Jim and I discuss the effectiveness of presenting proposals face-to-face or with web conferencing tools vs. sending them via email. How have you presented proposals—and which method has been most effective? P.S. If you want to enhance your proposals, and your chances of winning the work, we will be focusing on this in the Advanced Marketing Group. A new group starts October 17th, and there is one spot left! Sign up here. Want 11 actual proposals to use as samples (plus a lot more!)? Check out The Proposal Bundle: 25 Resources for Project-Winning Proposals. | 10/12/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanA new freelancer struggles with pricing | Just 5 months into her new career as a freelance food writer, Bryn Mooth is already getting a lot of publicity and great projects. (Follow her journey here.) But as a lot of new freelancers do—Bryn is finding pricing to be a challenge. Why? She’s calculated an hourly rate, refined an estimating sheet, and learned to price by the project—but the problem is—she’s really fast. With 20 years of experience, she finds that using hours to calculate project costs is leaving her with a price that doesn’t equal the project’s value. Her clients often share a budget, but when she calculates her project cost—it’s way too low. With her current approach, there’s an apparent disconnect between what the project costs—and what it’s worth. Listen to this interview to find out where the discrepancy is—and how she can solve it. Should she double her hourly rate? Make room for higher profit? Find out here. Bryn also shares how she’s: • Dealing with pricing • Determining her minimum project rate • Using an estimating worksheet to figure out hours for each project • Starting to track her hours/rates over time She also shares why pricing should be “uncomfortable.” Listen here. Have any advice for Bryn? Please share. | 10/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanScared of embracing a target market? | If you’re hesitant to focus on a target market, listen to this interview with Jennifer Neal, Owner of K9 Design Co. – I bet it will change your mind. In a nutshell: in 2008, K9 was a busy family-owned design business that was almost completely referral-based. They need more control over the flow of work, so they decided to commit to and invest in their marketing—and before long, they started to grow, so much so that 2010 – a recession year for many – was K9 Design Co’s best year ever, with a 30% increase over 2009. The first step was to embrace the idea of a target market and the fact they had a “portfolio full of publication work.” Jennifer says, “As scary as it was at the time for me to decide to market to publishers and the publishing industry, it was at that point that everything shifted. It was the toughest decision we ever made, but also the best move we ever made.” In the latest Marketing Mentor podcast Jennifer also shares: • Why even a specific target market will have enough work to keep you growing. • Why not to waste your time on perfection. • Why their business name doesn’t matter anymore. • And more… Listen to the whole interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast—and let me know… Did it change your mind about target markets? | 9/28/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanThinking about renaming your business? | I recently interviewed Stacey King Gordon about her transition from being a freelancer known as “Night Writer Communications” to running her newly named content strategy firm, “Suite Seven,” which has 2 employees and more coming soon. In a nutshell: Stacey always had “stars in her eyes” about owning her own business and started as a moonlighter in 1998. After 10 years, in 2008, she leapt to full-time freelance, and kept the name because it had some brand equity and she was sentimentally attached to it. By the end of 2010, it was clear she needed to shed the image that Night Writer implied (that it was just her, working part-time at night) and start thinking about herself as a “company.” In this interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Stacey takes us through the process of refocusing her business, and her business name, to reflect her new direction as a content strategist. She describes how she got through the painstaking mental process of change, found the confidence, pinpointed her new direction, tested the waters, and more... Listen here. | 9/21/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWhen your biggest client disappears | Neil Brown of Brown Advertising (http://www.brownadvertising.com/) in Winston-Salem North Carolina recently faced a bit of a business crisis. His biggest client restructured and disappeared. One month later I called to see how things were going. To my delight (and a bit of surprise), Neil said, “Business has been really good.” When I asked him what he was doing, he said one word: Networking. That’s when I asked if he would share his story in a podcast interview and here it is. The short version: When Neil started noticing the instability and personnel changes happening with his biggest client, he started to prepare by joining one of the Marketing Mentor Marketing Groups (next ones start next week!) and getting his marketing machine in gear. Soon after, his suspicions came true and the client terminated their contract. Despite this, Neil says, “Because of the marketing, I haven’t really missed the client.” In this interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Neil shares what’s making up his marketing machine, and how it’s working. One big component is local networking, to which Neil used to have an aversion. He says that since he’s a bit of an introvert, he always found it intimidating. But once he got involved, he now says, “I actually love networking” because it’s “simply talking with other likeminded business people.” Listen in to find out which networking groups he’s involved in, who he’s meeting, and the response he’s getting from this—and his other—marketing efforts. Has this ever happened to you? What have you done to prepare? Or what did you do when you were caught off guard? | 9/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanTalking budget with your clients | I grabbed a few minutes with PhotoShelter's Vice President of Marketing, Andrew Fingerman, to talk about a particularly sticky issue - when and how to directly ask your clients about their budget while pitching for new business. Here's an excerpt: Are we a good fit? The primary reason to bring up the budget issue is to identify early on if the pitch is even worth making. Many photographers waste a lot of time talking to prospects who can't afford them. You'll find out sooner or later if the client can afford your services, so being straightforward and talking budget can help save both parties some time. But how early is too early? Ilise suggests if you suspect the prospect likely can't afford you, broach the budget question sooner. If you think they likely can afford you, it is ok to wait until later on in your pitch. Recognize the conversation itself won't be a dealbreaker Avoid building up assumptions in your head that can make having the conversation more uncomfortable than it needs to be. Often, photographers will be afraid to start talking money because it may lead to losing the project. Talking about money isn't going to prevent you from getting the job - the client not being able to afford to pay you fairly will. (But, we're assuming that's a job you don't want anyway.) See the entire blog post here: http://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/08/talking-budget-with-your-clients.html And listen to the interview here. | 8/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDealing with a case of the “I don’t wannas”? | It’s 3 months into Bryn Mooth’s career as a freelance food writer, and I’ve been interviewing her along the way. (See our previous interviews: Asking Questions = Looking Stupid and The First Week as a Freelancer.) In today’s interview, we talked about the importance of tuning into what’s around you. Bryn says, “Once you start thinking about something that’s next, or something that’s possible, then you tune in somehow to those opportunities you would have missed otherwise.” We also discuss some issues related to the “lazy” days of summer and the mindset of self-employment, such as: - Is it okay to have an “off” day and cut yourself some slack? - The right approach to a non-productive day… - Is the glow still going, or has it faded? - Do you start believing the things you tell yourself when you’re in the non-productive mood? Does that spiral into non-productivity? - How to deal with not knowing where the next project will come from… - Learning to be patient… - How to interpret really enthusiastic prospects - And more… If you have a case of the summertime “I don’t wannas,” get back on track by listening to this interview. Listen here. | 8/8/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanFollow up: How much is too much? | Not following up with a contact you meet—is like not watering a seed that would otherwise sprout into an apple tree. Whether you’re back from CFC and still haven’t gotten to that stack of cards (you know who you are), or you network often but follow up spottily, these interviews are for you. I joined Jim Blasingame to discuss follow up. The interviews are available on his site, Small Business Advocate, and here on the Marketing Mentor Podcast: How much is too much? Listen here to find out best practices for follow up, and learn how much is too much. Has follow up helped you grow apples? P.S. See how CFC attendee, Deidre, is following up with her new acquaintances. | 7/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanFollow up: How to do it | Not following up with a contact you meet—is like not watering a seed that would otherwise sprout into an apple tree. Whether you’re back from CFC and still haven’t gotten to that stack of cards (you know who you are), or you network often but follow up spottily, these interviews are for you. I joined Jim Blasingame to discuss follow up. The interviews are available on his site, Small Business Advocate, and here on the Marketing Mentor Podcast: How to follow up Listen here for motivation and tips to make sure you follow up with new contacts. Has follow up helped you grow apples? P.S. See how CFC attendee, Deidre, is following up with her new acquaintances. | 7/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanThought leadership: Find their common problem | Ann Siegle, President of Tria Marketing (http://www.triadesignfirm.com/) in Lansing, MI. has recently separated from her partners to embark on her own. She’s enjoying the transition, and in this interview, she shares with us the new vision she has for her business—and how she’s using marketing to make it a reality. With a target market of entrepreneurs and associations, Ann began focusing on thought leadership capabilities. As a direct result, she has gained visibility in the right places, and is getting proposals and projects. Her speaking topic is 5-minute marketing. I found it interesting because it isn’t necessarily about design or web development. I asked her how that broad-ranging topic works to her advantage. She said: I think that entrepreneurs are looking for bigger picture. When they look to us for our credibility, they don’t think, “I need a graphic designer,” they think, “I need help with marketing.” Stepping outside and taking a look at a very common problem, and directing something to that problem gets your foot in the door. Then you can sit down and have a conversation with them. Their needs are going to be unique … one client might need a revamp of the stationary system and collateral materials, another might need a digital strategy, another might need a social media management strategy. The nice thing about the speaking engagement is that is speaks to them at a very broad level about something they all have in common. Ann also shares how Google AdWords and SEO are working for her website—and exactly how she’s making her website more search engine friendly. Listen here. What is your thought leadership topic? | 6/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAsking questions = looking stupid? | If you’ve been following along with our story about Bryn Mooth, who left her 20-year publishing career to pursue a career as a freelance writer, you’ll remember our interview a month ago when she was in the glow of Week 1 of self-employment. I interviewed her again in Week 5 to see how she’s coming along. One especially interesting topic that came up in our conversation was how asking the right questions of clients and prospects will make you look smart, not stupid. Bryn says, “People are afraid to ask questions because they think, if I do… it might dampen the impression I’m making with this prospect. But I think asking questions is a sign that you’re interested in their business… and really helps you deliver what they’re looking for instead of taking a wild shot in the dark… Take the time up front to ask a couple of smart questions so you’re not flailing when it’s time to deliver a solution.” I couldn’t agree more. In fact, there’s whole chapter about this in my new book, The Creative Professional’s Guide to Money. In the chapter on positioning your price, there are 8 pages on asking questions, plus 20 questions to ask before you do a proposal. In this interview, Bryn also shares how she’s: Discovering what she doesn’t know Getting better at managing her time, and making time for marketing activities Trying to build a reputation in food/healthy living Using online and social media activities, finding places to participate Using her previous career as an editor to help her get ahead Recently back from vacation, Bryn also describes how her vacation as a freelancer was different from when she was a full-timer. What are some of the questions you ask, that get you the information you need? | 6/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMonthly billing: yes or no? | Vivienne Scholl, from San Francisco-based Avenue 4 Design, commented recently on a Marketing Mix post about progress payments. She said: We've started doing monthly billing with our clients. Billing is now tied to a date, not a milestone. It's so much better for cash flow. Anyone else doing this? Since getting paid is always an issue, I asked Vivienne if she would share her process. Here’s what she told me in this interview/podcast: Why she started doing monthly billing How she brings it up with clients How it’s especially beneficial if a project drags on Why it keeps things “fair” with clients And please comment on this billing practice. Vivienne wants to make sure this type of billing isn’t doing a disservice to the rest of the industry. What do you think about monthly billing? Does monthly billing do a disservice to the industry? | 5/31/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanThe first week as a freelancer | Bryn Mooth recently left 20-year career in publishing, and she’s embarking on her own as a freelance writer. Her blog at Writes4Food.com started as a way to spark her own creativity, and has turned into a business where she writes on food, cooking, nutrition, and healthy living topics. In the beginning of Bryn’s 2nd week as a self-employed person, I interviewed her to see what the first week was like. She shares insight on: • What’s been most energizing and gratifying during this transition • Getting her head into self-employed mode • When she realized she wanted to leave her job • How she prepared for self-employment • What it feels like to be “ready” to make the leap • Building a viable business that creates income to exceed that of a full-timer • How she knew food was a good market to focus on • How to balance her own marketing with paid work • Using the cushion of her network during the transition • & more… Any advice for Bryn? If you’re considering leaving your full-time job and going out on your own, check out the Marketing Group for moonlighters. It will help you get clients in your pipeline—before you make the jump. | 5/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDon't know how to raise your prices? | I’ve been talking to clients lately to get a view inside the evolution of their business. A big signpost in the evolution journey is raising rates, but often, the creatives I work with are afraid their clients will disappear if they do it. In a recent interview with Megan Coleman, freelance web designer, she says, “I charged less in the beginning because I didn’t know how much to charge. The more projects I took on, the more I realized how much things should really cost to make the money I needed to live.” In this interview, Megan also answers these questions: How did she know it was time to quit her full-time job? What did she do to prepare for freelancing? Did she use up all the money she saved? How she got her first few clients. Why she recommends doing some freelance work on the side first. Find out where Megan is now, and why this two-time CFC attendee is coming back this year. Meet Megan at the Creative Freelancer Conference in Chicago. The early-bird deadline ends may 1st. Use in conjunction with the Marketing Mentor $50 discount (Use code: CMM11) to save a total of $80 – the best admission price available. | 4/26/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanIf you’re doing too many “one-off” projects… | "A lot of the jobs I was doing were one-off jobs,” said Stephen Hadley, owner of Houston-based Inkwell Media, a creative firm that produces employee newsletters and magazines for the oil and gas industry. In business over 5 years, Stephen recently completed the Beginner Marketing Group, which he joined because, in his words, “I didn’t have enough of a focus.” The group helped him to define his focus, and in this interview with Ilise, he talks about: How he got to such a targeted marketHow his business has evolved from one off projects to clients. What marketing tools he’s usingIdentifying the right companies to targetIf research calling really works How he gets regular, ongoing work The best thing he got out of attending CFC Listen to the interview here. Stephen said, “I always had a haphazard approach to marketing. [The group] has definitely forced me to finish all the pieces. It has been awesome because now I have everything done. Now when I talk to someone, or meet with someone, I have a way to follow up and a place to send them. I’m not ashamed now! I wasn’t doing any marketing, and now I am. It feels really good." Do you need to get focused like Stephen did? A new Beginner Marketing Group starts next week – Thursday, April 21 – and there are 2 spots open. Fill out this form if you’re interested…. | 4/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWhere is Lauren now? | At last year’s Creative Freelancer Conference, there was an attendee named Lauren Hybinette. She was employed by a company at the time, but she had an epiphany that made her decide, then and there, that she wanted to be self-employed. Where is Lauren one year later? Find out. Read this blog post from Bryn Mooth on the HOW Design Blog: http://blog.howdesign.com/how-conference/catching-up-with-a-creative-freelancer/listen to the interview I did with her where she talks about: learning the discipline to work from home fighting the loneliness of being a solopreneur setting boundaries and staying connected Do you need the inspiration and know-how to finally turn freelancing into a full time career? Join us at CFC—June 23-24 in Chicago. Don’t miss the early bird discount. It ends April 1st! | 3/29/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDesigner Finds Goldmine of Prospects | Designer (and Creative Freelancer Conference veteran), Charlene Tiedemann, was getting bits and pieces of work, but struggling with how to get more clients and how to become the boss. She didn’t know who the clients were, where they were, or how to get to them. Six months later, she said, “Meeting people and having a strategy to meet people were my biggest challenges. I had no idea how to get clients. They’re just people, and they’re all out there, and they need me, but I had no idea how to find them. Now I’m calling people and I’m finding more people… It’s like a gold mine. I keep digging and digging and finding more people.” During those 6 months, she did the Marketing Mentor Beginner Marketing Group and not only found her prospects but also found her positioning as The Loop Design Studio and revamped her web site (see it here: www.theloopdesignstudio.com). Charlene’s challenge is a very common one, so I interviewed her for the podcast, in which she shares: What she learned Who she’s targeting and what she’s finding Why networking events are working for her How having two selves makes you stronger (business self, and self-self) How she keeps the momentum going Plus, she has a bit of advice to any creative freelancer just starting out, or anyone who needs more work and don’t know what to do. If you need to figure all this out for yourself, the Beginner Marketing Group might be right for you. Next group begins the week of April 18. | 3/22/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanResults from one week’s worth of direct outreach | Direct outreach works. Here’s proof. Eric Koby from fatrabbit CREATIVE talked about his direct outreach efforts (on his Advanced Marketing Group phone call), and he's given us permission to share it. Listen here... | 3/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow excited should you be about your market? | Now that most of my clients have chosen target markets, things are starting to happen. Some of them are thrilled to have finally found a market that is responding positively. Others are still struggling, especially because they just aren’t “excited” about their target market. What to do? I spoke last week with Dianne Rohkohl, a freelance designer in Arizona, who is struggling with her focus on the healthcare market. She allowed me to record our discussion and share it with you. Listen here (14 minutes). The interview addresses these questions: What if you’d rather eat paste than read the blogs within your target market? If you’re not that excited about your current market, is that a reason to change? Should you be passionate about everything you do? How can you fully use your creativity and talents in a market that isn’t exciting? | 2/22/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Clean{MONEY GUIDE} Talking price without alienating customers | Ilise recently did an interview with QRCA, Qualitative Research Consultants Association, about talking price without alienating customers. Listen in... | 2/14/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow one creative made the transition to full time freelancing | Heather Parlato from Parlato Design talks about how she made the transition from a full-time job to full-time freelancing. In the interview, she addresses: Shifting from the employee mindset Flat rates vs. hourly rates How to treat your clients, and how much authority to give them Her qualifying process Saying no, red flags, and finding the right fit in potential clients Plus, she answers the question, “How will I know when it’s the right time to switch to full-time freelancing?” Listen here… | 2/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHealthcare Target Market Starts to Pay Off | Lisa Smith Youngdahl joined the Beginner Marketing Group in September 2009. In the past year and a half, she has made great strides in her business. Learn the tools she uses, how she uses them, and the results she's achieved within her target market: healthcare. Listen in... | 1/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanOne design firm's whirlwind year | In this interview, Jennifer Neal from K9 Design describes how her company has increased their presence as experts in the publishing industry, and due to specific marketing efforts had a 30% increase in their business in 2010. | 1/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDo you need to be reminded about marketing? | Do you need to be reminded about marketing? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to launch a new tool, the Marketing Mentor eCalendar, that will help you keep marketing top-of-mind as you go about running your small business. | 1/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAre you reaching your marketing potential? | Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame with marketing tips, including defining your profile customers and marketing to them strategically with the help of organizing tools for marketing tasks. | 1/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWould organizing tools help you become a better marketer? | Would organizing tools help you become a better marketer? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss how getting organized with technology tools that sync with each other can help you become a more successful marketer. Listen in... | 1/11/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanOne creative firm’s success with retainers & more | In my recent interview with Janet Mobley from Fat Cat Strategies, she talks about: Why 2010 came in like a lamb and went out like a lion How they talk about the services they offer, especially retainer services The “dark side” of retainers Properly outlining retainer relationships Mini-retainers Why she prefers “unofficial” networking events Listen in… | 1/3/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow one illustrator is getting business on LinkedIn | In this interview, Ilise talks with talented illustrator, Tim Read, about the marketing tools that are working for his business. He shares: · Exactly how he uses social media · How he’s getting business from LinkedIn · How to self-promote without doing a blatant sales pitch · What works in a social media profile Tim also talks about his mindset towards research calling and outlines his ideal cold calling schedule – which includes just 5 calls per week. Listen in... | 12/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanIs marketing changing in the 21st century? | How is marketing changing in the 21st century? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to discuss marketing in the new economy, the importance of relationships with customers and vendors, plus tips on developing and maintaining these relationships. Listen in... | 12/6/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanOne creative firm's best year yet - find out why | Cleveland Design is a firm that has been in business for nearly 20 years, and in this interview, Jonathan Cleveland, Principal, shares why this has been one of their best years yet. Find out which tools they're using, and how they make sure clients know "everything" they are capable of. Listen in... | 11/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow one creative firm found its positioning | Here's a recent interview Ilise did with Beth Brodovsky from Iris Creative. http://www.iriscreative.com/ There are two big questions that Ilise asks Beth in this interview: How did you come to pinpoint your target market? Beth talks about how she (and her staff) worked together to find their target market, membership organizations, after being generalists for many years. Which tools do you use to promote your services? Beth describes how they geographically narrowed their search, paid extra attention to job titles, use postcards productively, use speaking programs to get new prospects (even if they don’t attend!) and more… Listen in... | 11/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAre you really trying to get prospects? | It sounds obvious, but when you go out looking for clients -- really looking -- you find them. Ilise saw this last week in Martha Retallick's Prospecting Hour interview, and it is once again the simple lesson from Pam Saxon of Saxon Design in Nashville TN. Pam (who finished Ilise's Beginner Marketing Group last month) called to tell Ilise her business was up 240% going into 4th quarter. Listen in to find out why... | 11/1/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanThe prospecting hour | Martha Retallick, of Western Sky Communications, told Ilise recently about her daily "Prospecting Hour." I don't know about the rest of this planet, but here in my studio, taking whatever comes along is a recipe for failure. I can't depend on business coming to me. I have to be a go-getter and go get it. That's why the first hour of every workday is The Prospecting Hour. That's when I make calls and send e-mails to cold and warm leads. I've been in the design business for 15 years, and I've never had the luxury of depending on word of mouth. Instead, I've had to pick up the phone and ask strangers for their business. And, in my case, cold calling has led to the most lucrative clients I've ever had. When she spoke to Ilise in August, Martha had made an amazing 3081 phone calls, 80% of which went to voice mail. Of those, 99 prospects had expressed some level of interest (approximately 3% positive response). In their 20-minute interview, Martha describes her target market and her simple process to find and reach them. She explains how she tracks her calls and actually recites her no-BS phone script. Listen in... | 10/19/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanHow can you connect with your ideal prospects? | How do you identify and connect with your ideal prospect? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to talk about the perfect prospect for your small business, how to identify them and why this activity is so valuable. Listen in... | 9/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMom's advice - Part 2 | Remember all that advice Mom gave you when you were growing up? What if it’s hindering your success as a creative freelancer? Listen in as I look closely at Mom's pearls of wisdom to see how applicable they are today -- some still are, I admit -- for freelancers and the creatively self-employed. | 8/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanMom's advice - Part 1 | Did your mom tell you not to brag? We bet she didn’t know that one day you’d be creatively self-employed and have to promote yourself. In her new article for the HOW Magazine Freelance Column, Ilise takes a look at Mom’s pearls of wisdom to find out what is still relevant, and what tidbits need to be replaced with new rules. Listen in. | 8/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanThe benefits of multi-faceted marketing | Check out Ilise's latest interview with Jim Blasingame of Small Buiness Advocate. In this interview, she and Jim talk about why you should incorporate an online marketing strategy with your traditional marketing activity. | 7/20/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanIs your website marketing-smart? | Does your website really resonate with your target audience? Ilise shares some checkpoints to help you ensure that your website is “marketing-smart.” If you’re not sure if your site is “hitting home” with your prospects and being as effective as possible as a marketing tool, listen in. | 6/29/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAre you a business? | Are you coming to the Creative Freelancer Conference in Denver this weekend? We hope so! But if you can't, here is the preview for Ilise's opening keynote, "You Are A Business." Listen in... | 6/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanAre you the needle or the haystack? | Last week, Ilise had the pleasure of joining Andrew Fingerman, VP of Marketing at PhotoShelter, to talk about how photographers can effectively market themselves. (The concepts carry over to all creative pros.) Listen in... | 5/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanThe Lazy Creative's Guide to Marketing | Why waste time when you can devote your energy to what works for your business? Listen here as Ilise describes The Lazy Creative's Guide to Marketing. | 4/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDo you have what it takes? Preparation & 5 Freedoms. | Do you have what it takes? Preparation & 5 Freedoms. From HOW Conference 2009's session: Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Successful Freelancer? | 4/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDo you have what it takes? Skills & Personality Traits. | Do you have what it takes? Skills & Personality Traits. From HOW Conference 2009's session: Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Successful Freelancer? | 4/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanDo you have what it takes? Myths & realities about freelancing. | Do you have what it takes? What's happening now in freelancing & and myths and realities about freelancing. From HOW Conference 2009's session: Do You Have What It Takes to Be A Successful Freelancer? | 4/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWord of mouth ain't all that | If you ask a creative how they get their clients, they often say, "through word of mouth." But is this the best way to get new clients? Probably not. Ilise takes a look at why Word of Mouth Ain't All That. Listen in. | 3/31/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanFreelancers are small business owners too | Here is an interview Ilise did with Jim Blasingame from the Small Business Advocate called: Freelancers are Small Business Owners too. | 3/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 52, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Year in review) | She made it! Listen in to find out if Colleen's year-long commitment to marketing worked... | 12/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 51, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (The pain of not scheduling) | It's the second-to-last week in Colleen's year-long marketing adventure, but never too late (or too painful) to learn a really valuable lesson. Curious? Listen in... | 12/29/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 50, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Where opportunity hangs out) | At Week 50, a few events occurred that had Colleen taking a long look back at where they came from. The answers speak strongly to the benefits of social media. Listen in for more... | 12/26/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 49, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Growing pains) | Week 49 brought some serious and unexpected lessons for Colleen: one bitter, one very, very sweet. Listen in... | 12/8/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 48, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Thankful) | For Colleeen, Week 48 was a rare week off—from marketing, anyway. Listen to the story on when and why that can be a good idea (and what makes it possible, at least in part). | 12/8/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 47, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Marketing is talking to people) | Week 47 found Colleen continuing her two-week tour of the Pacific Northwest, combining (marketing) work with pleasure in a way that had her questioning what's really work, and what's really marketing. | 12/3/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 46, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Chill marketing) | 46 weeks into this venture, Colleen can say with surety that the best kind of marketing doesn't feel like marketing at all. Listen in. | 11/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 45, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Getting here from there) | A busy week of no real marketing-marketing turned out to be the perfect opportunity for Colleen to review the role that her marketing machine had on bringing the events that made the week so busy to fruition. Listen here. | 11/8/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 44: Prospecting | Here is an interview that Ilise did with Kim Duke, the Sales Diva, for Prosperity Cafe. It's all about finding prospects. Listen in... | 11/4/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 44, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Cumulative marketing) | This week, the issue of "regular" marketing is suddenly reframed for Colleen: not only is it a marathon, not a sprint (and cumulative, in a most excellent way), it allows for all kinds of adaptive implementation. Listen in to find out why... | 11/2/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 43, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Odds & ends) | Welcome to Week 43. This week, Colleen has realized that marketing is becoming as much a part of her routine as brushing her teeth. Listen in... | 10/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 42, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Lessons learned) | Ever feel like you wish you could turn back time and "unpublish" something really stupid that you did? This week was like that for Colleen. Check out all the gory details on How She Screwed Up (so hopefully, you don't have to). | 10/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 41, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (No more!) | Colleen is continuing to streamline at a steady pace since her freakout of a few weeks back. She's moving toward her stated goals of clearing backlog and implementing systems that support her work. Listen in for more... | 10/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 40, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Regrouping) | With just 12 weeks left in the year, Colleen is taking a look backward at what's been not-so-hot and what's been fun, valuable and energizing. And she's come up with a list of tactics. Check them out. | 10/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 39, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Planning to fail) | Colleen attended two events this week that have already changed her life—marketing and otherwise—significantly. Listen in to find out more. | 9/25/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 38, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Short 'n' sweet) | This was one of those weeks where Colleen had to push a little extra hard because so many opportunities came up. Listen in... | 9/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 38: Now is the Perfect Time for Marketing | Welcome to Week 38! Did you know that NOW is the perfect time for marketing? Listen in to find out why... | 9/14/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 37, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Shutting up) | One great thing about practicing your marketing everyday (other than, we hope, getting better at it) is that after a while, you have lessons thrown at you so many times, they become useful practice in your everyday, working life. Take shutting up, for example. This week, Colleen looks into the benefits of the fine art of shutting up. Listen in... | 9/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 36, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Looking back to move forward) | It's not everyday that you get interviewed...by yourself. But to commemorate having 2/3rds of a Marketing Mentor calendar under her belt, that's just what Colleen did. Listen to her burning questions (to herself) on how the calendar has worked and what her plans are for moving forward. | 9/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 35, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (The art of the conference) | Ready to learn the right way to prep for a conference? Colleen shares the mistakes she's made prepping (or not) for conferences and gigs in the past -- and demonstrates how to improve. | 9/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 34, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (It's all in the "ask") | What do you do if you're not good at asking for stuff? You look at why. You look at when you have asked, and when you haven't, and what's different. You look at what it could do for your business or you or even the world if your "ask" got an answer. Basically, you look. That's what Colleen did this week, and here's what she found... | 8/26/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 33, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Chunking time) | Have you found a schedule that works for you? This week, Colleen looks into the topic of scheduling and how finding one that's right for you is so important for your marketing efforts. | 8/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 33: Curiosity, Patience and Self Confidence | This week, Ilise is busy getting ready for the Creative Freelancer Conference in San Diego (it starts in 9 days but it's not too late to register). Here is a short (12 minute) excerpt from the session she gave at the HOW Conference in June. In this one, Ilise covers the 10+ skills and personality traits she thinks you need if you are going to run a successful business, whether you're a freelancer or a small business owner. | 8/17/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 32, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Bandwidth and reach) | This past week, Colleen sent out her 28th email newsletter. She says things are starting to happen as she tightens her focus and feels it makes for enough of a milestone to reflect on where she's been and what I might need to do in the coming months. Listen in... | 8/11/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 31, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Eating elephants) | Colleen says that getting your marketing machine up and running is a big endeavor that takes time, patience and a big appetite, much like eating the proverbial elephant. This week, Colleen reflects on some of the help she's enlisted in the eating of her elephant, both the paid and the free (well, paid in time) kinds. | 8/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 31: Your July goals (and mine) | This week, Ilise tells how she met her July goals, and shares some useful resources to help you meet yours too. | 8/3/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 30, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Marketing on the road) | This week, Colleen takes to the road! She learns how she's grown, and also where there's still room to do so. She calls the week of traveling "wildly illuminating." Listen to find out why... | 7/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 30: Why I don't like "word of mouth" | This week's sound advice is the first 10 minutes of the workshop Ilise gave for creative freelancers at the recent HOW Conference in Austin. It starts with her perspective on what's happening now in the economy (and why it's the best time for freelancers to build a business), followed by the myths and realities of being a successful freelancer, including why getting word of mouth isn't such a good thing... Listen in! | 7/28/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 29, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Systems and being systematic) | Colleen makes personal marketing history this week! She calls week 29 the week when everything finally came together. She's really beginning to notice that doing her marketing consistently could make a real difference both in how she felt and how things actually worked. Listen for more... | 7/24/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 27, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Accountability, flexibility and room) | Type-A personality? This week Colleen offers a new perspective on business, and demonstrates how she's growing and changing. | 7/10/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 27: Is it spec work? | Welcome to week 27! This week, Ilise talks to Jonathan Cleveland of Cleveland Design. He recently got a project from a travel company with no travel experience by submitting a few designs! But is it spec work? Listen in for Ilise's interview with Jonathan. | 7/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 26, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (The view from halfway) | At the halfway point in the year, Colleen takes a moment to reflect. She shares what she's learned about marketing by doing it every day for the past 6 months. Listen in... | 7/2/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 26: We're half way there! | Today is the first day of 3rd quarter. We are half way through the year, the perfect time to look back and look forward to realistically assess what we've done and what we need to be improve. Listen in for Ilise's second quarter results. | 7/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 25, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Marketing as behavior) | This week was all about support for Colleen, both learning the difference it made for her personally, and realizing what a difference it would make if she applied some of the lessons to her own business and her marketing in particular. Listen in! | 6/26/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 25: How to approach a new market | When Ilise was in Boston last week, she had dinner with longtime client Jonathan Cleveland. He told her a great story about how he got a project for a travel company without any history of travel related work. Check it out here! | 6/23/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 24, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (This one goes to eleven) | Watch out for Colleen, she's really building stamina now. In addition to its cumulative positive effect on your business and cashflow, this week, Colleen benefits from the stamina of doing her marketing chores regularly. | 6/17/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 24: One way to set yourself apart | How can you really set yourself apart from the competition? In this week's sound advice tip, Ilise will share what is making people stand out and getting them jobs. | 6/16/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 23: Here's my cold calling strategy | Ilise has been on a cold calling roll this week. Listen in to hear her strategy. | 6/11/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 23, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (What does the marketing add up to?) | Now that we're about halfway through the year, Colleen takes a look at the question of how to measure all this marketing and networking. How is it converting into dollars? How do you decide how much time to put in, and when (and how) do you decide whether it's working or not? Let's take a look... | 6/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 22, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Me-time in a crowded week) | This week, Colleen shares her renewed appreciation of the Grow Your Business Marketing Plan & Calendar, and the art of planning in general. Here's why... | 6/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 22: Where the work is, right now | Everyone's asking: what markets are growing (or declining the least)? An article in the New York Times gives some insight to one market that might still be going strong, and could be relevant for your business. Check it out. | 6/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 21, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Reasons this week worked) | As Colleen got back in the saddle, she had a great, productive, FUN week of work and marketing. To discover the "why" behind it, she takes some time to reflect. Listen in! | 5/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 21: This week's marketing tasks | Hope you had a good Memorial Day weekend-- and now it's back to work! Listen in to get some inspriration from Ilise. | 5/26/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 20, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Unsticking yourself) | Blind spots and struggles. We all have them. And this week, Colleen realizes that by sharing openly with people, you can get some great help seeing where your own blind spots are, and advice on how to get out of them. | 5/24/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 20: How are the calls going? | Welcome to Week 20! How is the marketing plan + calendar working for you? This week, Start Up Plan users should be cold calling, and Veterans should be crafting a newsletter (in addition to their continued calling). Listen in for more... | 5/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 19, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Lessons from maintenance mode) | Still recovering, Colleen talks about what she did accomplish this week (which would seem to be an impressive work load to anybody else!). She also talks about why she's grateful for her marketing machine. Do you have a marketing machine that has carried you through less productive times? | 5/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 18, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Full stop) | Even when she's sick in bed, Colleen still manages to see the bright side, providing 3 great tips to help anyone's self employment journey. Check them out. | 5/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 18: Did you Reach your April Goal? | Welcome to May! How was April for you... did you reach your April goal? This month, it's time for Veterans to work on their "un-newsletter" and Start Up's to begin their research calling. Listen in for details. | 5/4/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 17, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Failing to plan, and other lessons from the road) | In this week's episode, Colleen discusses the cold, harsh realities of what happens when things go haywire. The truth is, we learn some of our best marketing and planning lessons when the road gets rocky. With her humor always in tact, she refers to the Odd Couple episode where Felix shows the group what happens when you A-S-S-U-M-E... Tune in to find out what Colleen learned this week... | 4/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 17: Cold Calling Tidbit #3 | In the third audio cupcake, Ilise and Colleen talk about the realistic and unrealisitc expectations that go along with cold calling... none of which actually happen. Listen in to find out if prospects ever really hang up on you. | 4/28/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 16, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Marketing on the go) | A jam packed week of travel had Colleen thinking a lot about her marketing. Reinspired, she asks the question: Can marketing be a tool for changing the world? | 4/23/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 16, Day 1: Getting Publicity | Getting publicity can help you gain exposure to your prospects and it's a great way to enhance your other marketing efforts. Ilise gives some tips on getting publicity for your business in today's tip. | 4/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 16: Cold Calling Tidbit #2 | Today, Ilise and Coleen talk about a common roadblock to cold calling. The discuss the question: Do you need to have something ready to send before you start cold calling? Listen in to this short tip to find out. | 4/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 15, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Life happens) | Things went slightly awry for Colleen this week because of life's surprises, (but she still managed to attend two formal events, a breakfast meeting, and business related socializing.) She's paid attention to this week's lessons to move onward and upward. | 4/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 15, Day 1: Cold Calling Tidbit #1 | Today's cold calling tidbit answers the question: Should you leave a voice mail message? Listen in to find out... | 4/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 14, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Just go) | When it comes to taking the next step in marketing, Colleen realizes that a common pitfall is the idea that you'll never totally be ready. Accordingly, you might as well just get going! If you're never quite ready, then what does it matter? Marketing yourself is a work in progress. What's the next step that you're not quite "ready" for? Colleen says, just do it. Listen in for a few ideas on taking that next step. | 4/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 14, Day 1: Interview with Jennifer Neal, K9 Design | Today Ilise checks in with Jennifer Neal from K9 Design. Has Jennifer's marketing efforts gotten her results this quarter? Listen in to find out. | 4/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 13, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Star Wars Marketing) | Colleen is really moving now. And she's offering a different perspective on marketing this week-- Star Wars Marketing. With her unique ability to keep marketing interesting, Colleen has certainly launched her efforts into a new realm this week. | 3/31/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 13, Day 1: Get a little PR | Welcome to Week 13! Start Up followers will turn their newly launched website into promotional materials, Veteran's will use their newly re-launched website to inspire a press release. In this audio clip, Ilise talks about valuable resources that can help you get PR for business, whether you're a Start Up or a Veteran. Check it out... | 3/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 12, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Following up & keeping on) | Every small business owner gets their inspiration and support from somewhere, and in this week's post, Colleen shares where she gets hers from... The systems she has in place to keep herself productive and accountable... The people who keep her on track. Like she says, a good support system really keeps you moving in the right direction. | 3/25/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 12, Day 1: Why you should pick up the phone | Are you hiding behind email? Ilise talks about how picking up the phone this week has made a difference in her business, and how it can make a difference in yours. Listen in to see why... | 3/23/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 11, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Conferences are marketing, too) | Giving herself permission to put the Grow your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar on hold, Colleen immerses herself in the South by Southwest Conferences this week-- and realizes that conferences are marketing too. Here's what she found out. | 3/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 11, Day 1: I'm back...and a favor | This week, it's time to finish your marketing smart website. Also in today's podcast, Ilise answers a question from a client: "We are behind in our research calls because we have been making lots and lots of calls to past and present clients trying to drum up business that way, but so far they are all feeling too poor to invest at this time. How do you stay upbeat when faced with so much rejection?" Listen in for her insight. | 3/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 10, Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Why I Slipped and Why I Prep) | This week, Colleen struggles to keep up her lofty goals for 2009 and finds herself slipping. She realizes that the way things are going, it's impossible to maintain all of her committments. The good news is, she finds a solution... She finds ways to be more productive while spending less time doing work. Sounds good, right? Listen in to see how Colleen's insight can help you be more productive. | 3/11/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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CleanWeek 9, Day 4: Facebook for Feedback | How can you make sure your website is marketing smart? How can you be more like Google? And how can you use Facebook to better launch your website. Listen to today's audio clip to find out. Ilise has also come up with a Marketing Smart website checklist to help you. If you'd like a copy, email ilise@marketing-mentor.com with the subject "Marketing Smart Checklist." | 3/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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144 |
CleanWeek 9: Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (A website is a work in progress!) | This week, Colleen talks about the work in progress that is her website. She also discusses the difficulties of being the (self-proclaimed) world's worst self-promoter. She talks about testimonials-- Are they the plague of the earth, or a useful marketing tool? Listen to this entertaining episode to see how humor helps get her through, and allows her to make further progress in her marketing journey. | 3/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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145 |
CleanWeek 9, Day 1: March is here! How to Get Feedback | Welcome to March! We've been spending a lot of time on our web presence. Today, Ilise talks about how to get the most useful feedback on your site. Who should you ask? What should you ask? Listen in to find out... | 3/2/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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146 |
CleanFebruary Wrap Up | Goals, goals, goals! Ilise gets personal and talks about her goals and how she's doing with them. Listen in to find out. How far have you come towards your monthly goal for February? The good news is, March is just around the corner-- a new month, a new chance to pinpoint a goal and work towards it. | 2/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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147 |
CleanWeek 8: Veterans Calendar- communicatrix (Newsletters and other webalicious marketing) | She's a self-proclaimed militant fanatic-maniac when it comes to newsletters. This week, Colleen is rocking and rolling-- getting her newsletter archives in order and completing other web marketing tasks. How are you doing with your marketing efforts? | 2/24/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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148 |
CleanWeek 8, Day 1: Wrapping up your online presence | We're into week 8 and making some serious progress! Great job! This week, it's time to wrap up your online presence. Listen in for some guidance and inspiration. | 2/23/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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149 |
CleanWeek 7, Day 4: Blog or Newsletter? | Ah, the age old question... Blog or newsletter-- which one should you have for your business? Ilise discusses the pro's and con's, and helps you decide what's right for you. | 2/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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150 |
CleanWeek 7: Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (See my site, hire my brain) | Following the Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar has inspired Colleen to get some longstanding goals checked off her list. She's pulled together her "hire me" page, created a landing page for acting related sites, and created a contact form page! Looks like the marketing calendar sparked some excellent progress! | 2/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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151 |
CleanWeek 7, Day 1: Case Studies | Welcome to week 7! Do your clients ever ask for more information about exactly what you do? A case study is the perfect way to tell them. Here is the format that Bending Design uses for their case studies-Project, challenge, solution, results, testimonial from the client. Check it out! | 2/16/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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152 |
CleanWeek 6, Day 4: Excellent Examples of Links Pages | Want to see what a good links page looks like? Check them out here! Ilise talks about each page, and tells us why they're excellent. If you're working on a resource page-- these are sure to help. Karen Zapp, Fundraising Copywriter: www.pkscribe.com Joan Damico, Integrated Marcom Copywriter: www.jdamico.net Ann Gallops, Feng Shui Expert: www.theorganizedlife.net Bob Bly, B2B Copywriter: www.bly.com And of course, the Marketing Mentor Resources page. | 2/12/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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153 |
CleanWeek 6: Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Expressing your Expertise) | Want to demonstrate your expertise and help people at the same time? Then it's time to make a resource page on your website! This week, Colleen talks about sharing information wisely via her resource page, and rounding up her past newsletters into one place. | 2/12/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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154 |
CleanWeek 6, Day 1: Your links page | Do you have a website? If not, it's time to get started on making one. If you do, it's time to refresh your content and develop a resource or links page. This week, Ilise talks about how to develop a resource page or links page that supports your positioning. | 2/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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155 |
CleanWeek 5: Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Do your bios suck?) | Have you ever had trouble putting what you do into words? This week, Colleen shares a three-step tool that will help you write a powerful bios for your social networking profiles. It's a simple tool, but it will help with writing any bio you'll need in your marketing endeavors! | 2/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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156 |
CleanWeek 5: Who (and how) to endorse | One of the best ways to get new clients-- is to have them read (or hear) the wonderful things that other's have said about working with you. In this audio clip, Ilise talks about how to get (and give) endorsements or recommendations on LinkedIn. | 2/5/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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157 |
Clean2009: Week 5 (Day 21)- Your social networking profiles | Did you meet your goals for January? If not, take a few minutes today to create your goals for February. The focus for February is developing your online presence with social networking sites like Biznik.com, LinkedIn.com, Facebook.com, Twitter.com. These sites can be used very effectively for marketing, but remember to be professional. If you have profiles on other social networking sites, please send them to Ilise. Thanks! | 2/2/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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158 |
CleanWeek 4: Veterans Calendar- communicatrix- (Ramping it up YOUR way!) | This week, Colleen isn't sharing demos or how-tos, but a cautionary tale about what not to do. Remember, it's important to do one task at a time and not to get overwhelmed. Colleen stresses the importance of measuring success by small I did-its! She also talks about taking care of yourself, and adjusting the marketing plan so it becomes more personalized, and more realistic, for you. | 1/29/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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159 |
Clean2009: Week 3: Interview with Jennifer Neal of K9 Design | Today, Ilise interviews Jennifer Neal from K9 Design. Jennifer reveals the tools that make up her "Marketing Machine" and descibes exactly how she uses them and fits them into her weekly schedule. This will be a great help for anyone who is trying to work out the logistics of thier marketing efforts. Listen in, and find out how to make your own marketing machine work for you. | 1/22/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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160 |
CleanWeek 3: Veteran's Calendar- communicatrix- Cold Calls! | This week, Colleen tackles unchartered terrian with her very first cold call ever. Was it as bad as she'd imagined? Listen in to find out! You will also find some excellent tips on how to make cold calls a success. | 1/22/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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161 |
Clean2009: Week 3- Listen to this free consultation with designer Dennis G. | Check out this free consultation Ilise had with Dennis G. Dennis is a designer in Indiana who generously agreed to let Ilise tape the phone consultation they had last week. They talked a lot about how he can leverage what he does know as he enters new markets. Here's what else he wanted to know: -What if I have never focused on marketing? Can I start with nothing? -How do I brave a new industry (when I'm not experienced)? -How do I know if the market I've chosen is the "right" market? -Isn't it expensive to join lots of trade associations? -How do I navigate the ups & downs? If Dennis' questions sounds like questions you have, take a listen and see what you can learn. You can also take advantage of your own free half hour phone consultation with Ilise by clicking here. | 1/19/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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162 |
Clean2009: Week 2, Day 5- Is your target market mushy? | How are you doing at the end of two weeks? Is your target market clear, or mushy? Have you found a list you can work with, events you can attend, or places you can interact with your prospects? Listen in for some inspiration from Ilise. | 1/16/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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163 |
CleanWeek 2: Veteran's Calendar- communicatrix (Prepping for the Dreaded Cold Call) | Colleen, aka the communicatrix, will be straight with you- she hates cold calls. Here, she talks about how she's putting aside her hatred and getting ok with idea of calling someone. Keeping it low key, being prepared, and the hamburger theory, can help you get your head around the idea. Listen in, and follow along. Remember, you're not doing htis alone, you've got Colleen as your guide. | 1/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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164 |
Clean2009: Week 2, Day 4- Are you still listening? | Are you still listening? Good job! It's important that you don't give up. Just a few minutes each day can make a big difference in the long run. Listen in today for some more guidance and inspiration. | 1/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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165 |
Clean2009: Week 2, Day 3- Don't get overwhelmed | Marketing doesn't have to be overwhelming. Today, Ilise deals with not getting overwhelmed, and answers a few questions about trade associations. Thanks for following along, and keep up the good work! | 1/14/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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166 |
Clean2009: Week 2, Day 2- Lists of Actual Prospects | Things are really moving now-- it's time to get a list together of actual prospects! Listen in, and for your reference, here are the links Ilise talks about in this podcast. YPulse Mashup (conference for marketing to youth that provides a list of attendees)Massachusetts Surgical Centers (web site that provides all contact info) | 1/13/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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167 |
Clean2009: Week 2, Day 1: Trade Associations Galore | After a successful week 1, we're on to week 2! Today it's time to look more closely at the trade associations you've found. What kind of contact information can you find? P.S. We've compiled a list of all the trade associations you've sent in just in case you need help. | 1/12/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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168 |
CleanWeek 1: Veteran's Calendar- communicatrix (Wrangling your contacts) | Marketing Mentor's Colleen Wainwright, aka communicatrix, begins her 52-week marketing endeavor with the Grow Your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar (Veteran's version) as her guide. She talks about Week 1's challenge, wrangling your contacts into a database, and gives you all the specifics you'll need to do the same. If you're following the Veteran's calendar, or you're an experienced marketer setting out on your 2009 marketing plan, Colleen will get down to the nitty-gritty and give you the support you need. Join Colleen as she embarks on this marketing journey! | 1/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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169 |
Clean2009: Week 1, Day 5- What to Look for in a Market | You've found some trade associations for the markets you're interested in-- now what? Now it's time to find out which ones will make your marketing easiest. Listen in to find out how, and by the end of today you should be able to pinpoint your market! You're doing great-- and we look forward to continuing this journey next week. | 1/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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170 |
Clean2009: Week 1, Day 4- How to Choose a Viable Market | Today you will take your list of 3 possible markets and figure out which market will be the most viable for you. It's important that the market you choose needs you, realizes that they need you--and is willing to pay for your services. How can you tell which market is the most viable? Listen today. And don't forget to send your list of markets and trade associations to Ilise, at Ilise@marketing-mentor.com. | 1/8/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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171 |
Clean2009: Week 1, Day 3- Identify your Market | It's time to identify your market! Every successful business needs a well-oiled marketing machine to keep the prospects coming, and that marketing machine should focus on one market to start with! How do you choose your market? Listen to find out. | 1/7/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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172 |
Clean2009: Week 1, Day 2- Set your goals & how much marketing? | How much marketing should you do? Find out in today's tip. Also, today is the day to set some quantifiable goals for the year ahead. And don't forget to send them to Ilise at Ilise@marketing-mentor.com so she can keep track of them. Listen and follow along with today's tip- and your business will be growing in no time. | 1/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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173 |
Clean2009: Week 1, Day 1- Let's get started! | Week 1, Day 1- It's time to get revved up for a successful year of marketing! Which tools should you use? How can you make sure your pipeline is full this year? The answer is in your marketing plan. Without a plan, the feast or famine syndrome is right around the bend. What if you don't have a plan? We created one for you. It's called the 2009 Grow your Business Marketing Plan + Calendar (www.marketing-mentor-store.com), and following it will help you keep your pipeline full. By working with this plan you will gain new clients, business will grow, make more money, learn and refine tools and strategies to benefit your business for years to come. Join us for daily motivation to help your business grow, whether you're using the Marketing Mentor Plan + Calendar or your own. Here's to a successful 2009! | 1/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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174 |
CleanEpisode 13- Ch 12: How Should I Grow My Business? | What does it mean to grow your business? Everybody has a different definition. To some it means moving out of the spare bedroom, to others it means making more money. In Episode 13, we will help you take a detailed look at your business, decide what growth means to you, and determine how to achieve that growth. | 7/20/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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175 |
CleanEpisode 12- Ch 11: What Should Be in My Contract? | You got the job! But it's not time to celebrate just yet. Before you get to work on the project, there is some business to take care of. A contract! Episode 12 will talk you through contracts, why you need one, and what yours should include. | 7/13/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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176 |
CleanEpisode 11- Ch 10: What Should Be in My Proposal? | Proposals- documents that detail what you do for a client and under what terms- are essential to the selling process. In Episode 11, we discuss your proposal, and how to make it work as a marketing and sales tool. Join us! | 7/6/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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177 |
CleanEpisode 10- Ch 9: How Do I Talk About Money? | Here's the reality. You are in business, and you can't do business without dealing with money. In Episode 10, we deal with the ever important question, How Do I Talk About Money? You will learn that your prospects don't expect you to work for free and that talking about money is OK. Once you get comfortable with money matters, business success is at your fingertips! Join us... | 6/30/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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178 |
CleanEpisode 9- Ch 8: What Should I Charge? | The fact is, most designers are not charging enough. In this podcast, we cover the nuts and bolts of estimating a project and figuring out how much to charge. One of the most important parts of knowing what to charge is understanding what you're selling. Join us to answer the question, How Much Should I Charge? | 6/23/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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179 |
CleanEpisode 8- Ch 7: How Do I Manage My Money? | There are two aspects to the pricing side of your business: how you deal with your own issues about money, and how you deal with your clients. Episode 8 shows you how to deal with your own money issues. Until your own issues- such as payment terms and policies- are resolved, you can't begin to think about how those issues affect your clients. Remember, the goal of your business isn’t just fulfillment, it’s PROFIT! Join us... | 6/16/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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180 |
CleanEpidode 7- Ch 6: How Should I Follow Up? | It's important to be in front of your prospects. If you are, they will be more likely to think of you and send a project your way! In Episode 7, we will discuss the in's and out's of following up, why it's so important, and the benefits you will see when you do it properly and consistently. | 6/9/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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181 |
CleanEpisode 6- Ch 5: What Should I Say? | One of the biggest obstacles to marketing is not time or money. It's not knowing what to say. In Episode 5, you'll learn about what to say to prospects and clients in all sorts of situations: In person, on the phone, and online. | 6/2/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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182 |
CleanEpisode 5- Ch4: Which Marketing Tools Should I Use? | Podcast episode #5 talks about networking, e-mail marketing, online marketing, cold calling and promotional materials, and discusses which of these marketing tools you should use to get the most benefit to your business. | 5/26/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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183 |
CleanEpisode 4- Ch 3: How Should I Present Myself? | It's not just corporations that need to brand themselves. Individuals and small businesses need to stand out from the crowd too! Find out how in Chapter 3's podcast, How Do I Present Myself? This chapter deals with the "I" vs. "we" question, naming your business, finding your own personal brand, how to talk about your services, and so much more... Join us. | 5/18/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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184 |
CleanEpisode 3- Ch 2, Part 2: How Can I Find Clients and Prospects? | The second episode of Chapter 2, How Can I Find Clients and Prospects, deals specifically with small design businesses and how they can find profitable new clients and viable prospects. | 5/11/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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185 |
CleanEpisode 2- Ch 2, Part 1: How Can I Find Clients and Prospects? | Chapter 2, How Can I Find Clients and Prospects, is broken down into 2 episodes. The first episode shows solopreneurs how to find clients and prospects. It will deal specifically with those who work as a one person design business. Do you have a larger small business? Stay tuned for next weeks episode on how small businesses can find clients and prospects! | 5/5/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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186 |
CleanEpisode 1- Ch1: Who is My Market? | Chapter 1: This podcast answers the question, Who is My Market? Designers will pinpoint the best market for them, learn how to dominate that market, and understand why specialization is so important to the success and profitability of their business. | 4/22/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 186 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Great Book/ Podcast
This has been an eye opener for me.
Very helpful podcast for solo designers
I absolutely love this podcast and look forward to listening to them each week! The format and style is straight to the point and provides helpful, easy to follow strategies for getting more work as a solo-designer. I've also reading the book, The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing, so these podcasts help reinforce the book's concepts. Great job Ilise, Peleg, and Colleen!
Valuable Reminder
You guys have done a great job with the Marketing Mentor podcast! Even as a veteran, it's been truly valuable as a reminder of how we should run our business lives. Thanks so much for your efforts! KLarson, Larson Mirek Design BTW.... I can't find my Designers Guide to Marketing and Pricing (who knows what happened to it!), so I'm off to purchase my 2nd copy :-)
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