“Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant advantage over the competition, with many benefits and cost savings.”  ~ Heidi Richards Mooney

More and more competition in the marketplace is making it necessary for companies to find creative ways to connect with customers and prospects, to enhance brand identity and attract top-notch employees.  In order to enhance competitiveness in today’s marketplace, more and more companies are forming strategic alliances. Strategic alliances can maximize your position in the marketplace.  When you learn how to leverage partnerships you increase your market share.  It is also a very smart way to grow a small business.  Cross promoting with other businesses can give you a significant advantage over the competition with many benefits and cost savings.
 
A strategic alliance is based on an arrangement between two companies to combine resource that will help both gain a greater share of the market.  They are often formed when one business alone is unable to fill the gap in serving the needs of the marketplace.  Forming strategic alliances can save time and boost productivity.  It enables companies to be more efficient and concentrate on the core strengths in developing their products and services.  These alliances can be formal (partnership agreement is put in writing) or informal (a handshake is all that is necessary to “seal the deal”). 

There are several ways you can collaborate with another business or individual to increase revenue, traffic, and even expertise to your business which ultimately will increase the value to the end-user (customer). 

Find the Right Partners

Collaborate with a well-known company - Most small businesses benefit from partnerships that add value, prestige and greater credibility to their own endeavors.  Associating with a well-known business can give your company instant credibility and exposure.  It’s not always about the bottom line.

Collaborate with Your Best Customers – Look at the company or companies who do the most business with yours.  Work with them to solidify the relationship by offering them more than just good products and service.  Make it nearly impossible for them to consider going anywhere else.  Continually asking them why they do business with you and why they stay are the best ways to keep them. 

Collaborate with the Nonprofit Community – Joining forces with nonprofits can increase your circle of influence and your visibility in the community.  For more ideas on cause-related marketing, send a message to Heidi@self-marketingnews.com with “cause-related marketing in the subject line.

Collaborate with a Former Employer – You offer a product or service the former employer needs and provide it to them.  You become a subcontractor or vendor to them.  One of my dear friends worked for a fast-food company as their corporate trainer.  When she decided to go into business for herself, they hired her to continue to provide training to their employees for several years.  As her first major contract, the collaboration they created started her company on the road to success, and she still travels and does work for them.

Collaborate with a Competitor – Believe it or not, competitors can be very good partners.  For instance, they may offer a service or product you don’t or don’t wish to and vice-versa.  They may also have the ability to handle a larger “job” than your company.  Joining forces with another business on a project makes you look good to the customer.  You become the hero.  In 1999, I had the opportunity to provide all the decorations for a HUGE Floral Fair in Miami, Florida.  I knew my small company alone could not handle all the business.  So I called several other florists in the community whom I admired and who did similar work.  I subcontracted them to do portions of the project and get a piece of the action.  Because these were floral importers we were serving, the other florists had the opportunity to network with and find new suppliers of product.  It was easy to convince them to participate.  It was such a success, that it has been an ongoing project for several of the shops over the years. 

Think about the many businesses that are natural partners.  In the real estate field, realtors partner with one another when selling a house.  Florists partner with caterers, photographers and others in the event industry. Automobile insurance companies often partner with auto repair companies to insure their customers get the best service at a fair price.

In an issue of Entrepreneur Magazine, I read about a coffee company in New Jersey who became the ultimate collaborator.  The coffeehouse carries works from a local art gallery, has a reciprocal agreement with a local community theatre to offer significant discounts to their patrons, cross promotes with a local music store, book store, cigar shop, as well as many local nonprofits.

My flower shop has partnered with masseuses, welcome-to-the-neighborhood companies, travel agents, professional organizers, beauty salons, and realtors, and several nonprofits, to name a few.  We have collaborated on networking events such as business after hours and open houses.  We have promoted one another through door hanger campaigns.  We have given each other our coupons to distribute to other companies.  We have carried one another’s business cards and brochures to distribute to our respective clients and customers.  We have given away one another’s products to our customers.  We offer hyperlinks on one another’s websites to further promote each other.  The possibilities are endless.  Look for opportunities in your community that would be mutually beneficial to your partnership.

The real key to success in cross-promotion, is to collaborate with non-competing businesses that are going after the same client or customer base.  Choose businesses and people you trust.  The promotion should make sense to both partners.  It should be a true win-win for everyone involved. Plan the promotion and evaluate the Alliance on a regular basis.  Look for ways to expand your reach without increasing your overhead or debt.

©Heidi Richards Mooney - is a Professional Speaker, Business Coach and the Author of 7 books including: “Rose Marketing on a Daisy Budget ~ How to Grow Your Business Without Spending a Fortune.”  She is also the Publisher of WE Magazine for Women. Stop by http://www.speakingwithspirit.com to get a FREE copy of YOUR Marketing Calendar today!

Do you want to become a better communicator? Did you know that public speaking can be good for business? In fact, a few local groups have asked you to do a presentation. .. and you’re scarred to death! Your not alone. You have what is referred to as presentation anxiety. Larina Kase, PsyD, MBA, psychologist and business coach specializing in anxiety, says “I’ve learned (and research has shown) that people tend to overcompensate for anxiety which leads to more problems.” And we don’t need more problems, we need more business and our customers and clients need solutions. So how can you overcome presentation anxiety?

The number one thing you can do for yourself and for your audience is to be prepared! If you are prepared, you will have confidence knowing that you have done all you can to be successful in your presentation.

Here are some suggestions for being prepared:

#1 Join Toastmasters! In 1992 I was elected to become president of our local chamber of commerce. I have to tell you, I was terrified. Not of being president, of residing over the general monthly meetings. Up to that point I had chaired several committees and was quite comfortable leading small groups of 10 or less people, but 200! No way… my dear friend and mentor suggested I check out Toastmasters. So I decided to start a TM Club … and it was life altering. If there is a club in your area, run don’t walk to it and check it out. Nothing will help you gain more confidence than learning all the skills required to give a good speech, one you can be proud of.

Have something important to say. Something that will interest the audience and you are passionate about. When you speak you leave a piece of yourself within the hearts and minds of others - make it a piece worth keeping.

Practice, practice practice. I suggest you start practicing in front of a mirror. Watch yourself, the way you move, how you carry yourself. If you can video tape yourself, that is even better. Once you see the little habits you have, you can work to correct them.

After the mirror, I started with my dogs - dogs are great as they are not critical and they love everything we do. They make us realize it really is only a speech.

Give your speech in front of 1 or 2 friends or a family member. Set criteria. Tell them you only want them to listen and not critique. If you can take critique then ask them each for one suggestion for improvement and then work on that.

A speech coach can help you discover your style and then offer some specific advice on how to address the crowd, what your particular problems might be, and more.

Now comes “The BIG DAY.” Here are some suggestions for making your speech:

Don’t talk too fast. I find that newer speakers tend to talk fast … to get it over with. Practice speaking at a moderate pace.

Make eye contact with a few friendly faces in the crowd and talk directly to them.

Remember to pause. The pause is one of the most powerful parts of a speech. It makes people think you are thinking. Whenever I begin a speech, I look around at the entire crowd before I begin talking. This helps to find the friendly faces and it helps the audience connect with me.

Other tips to help you prepare.

Drink lots of water – dehydration will make you week at the knees, lightheaded and other physical challenges could result. Be careful not to drink too much not right before the program. You don’t want to have to deal with . another type of anxiety during your presentation
Get a good night’s sleep.
If you are speaking at a conference, or where other speakers are present, hang out with them and ask their advice and questions.

Some people find it helpful to eat a good meal at least one hour before your speech. For others an empty stomach works best.

Remember to breathe. I once gave a speech before a group of Trainers at the National Leadership Conference in Washington DC. I was so worried about doing well (after all these were people who always spoke in public) I forgot to breathe. After that speech I almost fainted from lack of oxygen. I had to lay down on a couch with a cold compress for more than an hour.

Visualize yourself doing well - and getting applause. The power of visualization is incredible. When asked, most athletes will tell you that when they achieve their goals, win the game, reach a milestone it is because they visualize themselves doing so.

Best of luck with your speech. You will be FANTASTIC!

Stay tuned for part two about Preparing your Presentation.

So I started doing reasearch around the idea of GETTING OUT OF THE DOGHOUSE. The first thing I did was look to see of there was already a similar holiday that would help us promote our retail florist. There didn’t seem to be anything closely resembling “Get Out of the Doghouse DAY.” So I decided to create the holiday.

My immediate goal was to raise awareness of this little known observance. To do that I had to think of a way to create a “buzz” among as many people as I could without costing tons of money in advertising.  It did that and so much more. Read on…
 
Around that same time I read an article while on a flight to Columbus, Ohio , entitled “Easy Criers.” It said that men who ride motorcycles are 5 times more likely to cry during a romantic movie than men who do not. That was according to Progressive Insurance who surveyed 1,000 men. I thought that if Progressive could survey 1,000 men then so could my staff and I! And we did! We interviewed more than 1000 people over the course of 3 months conducting about 85% of the surveys in person and 15% online.
 
The first two years of “National Get Out of the Doghouse Day®” we hosted contests to promote the holiday asking customers to send us their best dog tale. The contest was somewhat successful but didn’t create the “buzz” I was looking for. So in 2002, together with my team at Eden Florist & Gift Baskets, we created a survey. We quickly learned that surveys can be an excellent way to create buzz! We asked anyone and everyone to participate in answering the questions.
 
Most of the questions in the survey are of a demographic nature.  Except two. Have you ever been in the Doghouse and what do you do to get out of the doghouse?  That’s when the real FUN begins because some of the responses are hilarious. In fact, some people are shameless when answering, even providing “graphic” answers that would make a nun blush.
 
So, how DO you survey 1,000 people? Here’s what we did:

We interviewed  customers who ordered flowers, people who attended chamber meetings and trade shows, as well as business colleagues. I even interviewed people while standing in line at the grocery store, at restaurants, also in the waiting room of a hospital while visiting a family member (shameless, I know), and even on the airplane ride to and from Columbus, Ohio. Carrying and conducting this survey was a great conversation starter and succeeded in “creating the buzz” I was hoping for. We have made people laugh, reflect, and yes, even gotten some new customers which of course, was our original intent.

To see the results of the survey read our survey results at http://www.edenflorist.com/doghousesurveyresults.asp and the article I wrote based on the results: http://www.edenflorist.com/doghousearticle.asp

Here are TEN Tips to ensure a successful outcome for your survey:

1. Think about what it is you want to accomplish when composing the questions. As Stephen Coney says, “Begin with the end in mind.”

2. Make the questions easy to understand and brief. I re-worded the first survey after a customer didn’t understand one of the questions.

3. Keep it brief. I believe no more than 10 questions (multiple choice with one or two open-ended) will elicit the greatest response.

4. Ask demographic questions such as gender, age, and whatever else necessary to segment your market.

5. Catch their attention! Use something that stands out, such as colored paper when mailing the survey or handing it out. During the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, my team and I walked around eliciting respondents, carrying hot pink clipboards with smiley faces and daisies all over them!

6. Give them something (a reward) for participating. We gave a coupon for free flowers; a rose during the trade show and those who participated online had the choice of several special reports.

7. Follow up! Phone calls, waiting for the responses, interviewing respondents in person, all ensure greater participation.

8. Discard those surveys that are incomplete or appear greatly inflated as they may throw off the results.

9. Conduct the survey in person, via fax, on line, and in mailings to get the greatest response. I asked folks to ask their friends and business associates. In return, I gave them something extra for the trouble (even though most people were glad to do it). This really worked to create a buzz among many offices.

10. Make it FUN! Ask at least one interesting question, instead of the usual boring survey questions. The question, “What would you do to get out of the doghouse? prompted a lot of responses.” Even though this question was the whole purpose of the survey, most people still responded with a smile or a chuckle.

The results of the mass media distribution were unbelievable! Since the inception of “National Get Out of the Doghouse Day®” (and month) we have received attention from a variety of media across the nation. Among them are “The Intelligencer” (New Jersey), “The Herald” (Miami), “The Sun Sentinel” (Fort Lauderdale), every year I have been interviewed on several radio stations and most important – we have experienced a definite impact on our bottom line!

If you would like to participate in our survey or see a copy of it, visit our website http://www.edenflorist.com/doghousesurvey.asp.  The survey takes less than 5 minutes to complete.

This report includes the How to’s for constructing your media release, as well as how to stress the benefits. Is it easy to read? Does it answer the 5 “w’s” (and 1 “h”)? Does it have a release date and contact information? Do you know what constitutes the news or what to do when the media covers your story? This report tells you.

Also included in this report:

*Tips for dealing with the media
*Tips for sending e-mail to the media
*The Marketing & Public Relations checklist
*A Media Release template and
*10 Tips to Insure Your Media Release Makes the NEWS

If you want to become the expert in writing media releases that have a greater chance of getting read and published, get your free copy of this 17-page report today! 

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Get rid of dust!  The computer itself can gather dust over time, which will make it slow down and even break down  - and it usually happens at the worst possible time.  The fan (which keeps the computer from overheating) can be a dust magnet.  Time to get out the canned air - sut down your computer, open up the case, and blow the dust off.  BTW, there are vacuums made specifically for this task, but i have found the canned air works best.  Of course you could also hire someone to do this for you.

Delete unwanted files!  If you have not done so in a while it might be time to check your temporary folder for files.  If there are any, time to delete them.  At one time I had over 500 temp files on my PC. When I deleted them, my computer started running faster.  To delete temp files you go to your Desktop, and open My Computer, right-click your C: drive, select Properties and click the Disk Cleanup button.  Make sure you only check the box marked “Temporary Files” before deleting.

Empty your Recycle Bin!  Your computer may be set to empty the bin at certain intervals however, when you delete a file, it doesn’t disappear right away.  It goes to the Recycle Bin to be retrieved for whatever period of time you set it to.  Items stored in the bin can take up space until you are prompted by Windows to permanently delete thes files.  You can change the settings so the recycle bin takes up less space on your computer (the default is set at 10%) and you can also manueally empty the bin.

While you are at it, clean up Internet Explorer’s history and cache.  You can do this from the start Menu - go to Settings, Controls Panel, Internet Options, and delete those Temporary Internet Files and Clear History. 

Toss your cookies!  If you are frequent browser, you can eliminate unwanted cookies from your cookie folder on your hard drive by deleting the cookies from sites you don’t visit on a regular basis. Here are some tools you can use for Automatic Cleanups (in case you don’t want to do them manually). 

CleanIt version 2.0 from Skylark Industries is an easy-to-use utility that locates and deletes files in your temporary folder.  Here’s the link: 
http://www.skylarkutilities.com/clean-it/home.html.

CCleaner is a freeware system optimization and privacy tool.  It removes unused files from your system - allowing Windows to run faster and freeing up valuable hard disk space.  It also cleans traces of our online activities such as your Internet history.  But the best part is that it’s fast (normally taking less than a second to run) and contains NO Spyware or Adware! :)  Get it at: http://www.ccleaner.com/.

If you prefer a commercial product that does more than some of the shareware applications, I recommend Spring Cleaning for Windows.  From deleting duplicates to archiving programs, Spring Cleaning puts a suite of easy-to-use tools and one-click solutions at your fingertips.  With Spring Cleaning for Windows you can find and toss duplicates and other unneeded files, remove internet files that expose your online activities, Monitor program installatiohns automatically, transfer programs preferences, settings and all, to a new PC, Backup and Restore any program.  Check it out at: http://www.allume.com/win/springcleaning/.

And finally, if you don’t want to do all this yourself you can hire an expert to do this for you.  The main thing is to plan to D & C your PC and increase your productivity immediately.