image via Nerd Living

Pinterest is on FIRE! and I’m loving it. You could even say I am starting to get obsessed. OK officially obsessed..

More importantly, Pinterest is a match made in heaven for interior designers. It satisfies our burning desire to discover, be creative and collect. (Who knew I was a closet scrapbooker!) and because we know that designers are all about the visual- it’s perfect!  Plus, it’s a great way to organize and categorize our inspiration; show off our talents and share color palettes, stylings and vignettes that could reach potential clients. Long term it’s a great marketing tool to help define your brand and hone in on the “ideal” customers.

Creative pinnings help you to enhance customer service experiences and give clients a sneak peek of our style aesthetic before they decide to work with you. It’s like speed dating for design relationships- a one stop shop to tantalize customers with colors, ideas and products that hopefully they can’t live without and will turn into paying projects.

Besides being a great, quick way to keep in touch and engage customers- you can see what she likes and she can see your suggestions and design recommendations; it can help them visual a concept.

If you’re selling design products, strategically pinning your products and linking directly back to your site- whether it’s your Etsy or e commerce store can drives sales. Pinners love to shop; especially if it’s design driven!

UPDATE: Here’s a great video from Entrepreneur .com with marketing guru Chris Brogan discussing Pinterest and your business.

Are you pinning? Let me know so I can follow you. If you’re not; Pinterest is in the invitation stage. If you would like to be invited please leave me your email in the comments box below and I’ll invite you.

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2012 can bring new opportunities to engage your customers. By looking ahead, you’ll be well-positioned to integrate marketing strategies and take advantage of technology to deliver your brand message. No matter how fashion forward your message is, how on target your products and services are; if you can’t reach the right client it doesn’t matter. Here’s a look at three marketing trends for 2012 to put on your radar screen.

 #1 Social Studies: Learning to be everywhere your customers and prospects are.

 When, where and how we communicate has changed dramatically in the last five years. Here are some stats I find incredible.  Five years ago, Facebook had 12 million users, Twitter was in its infancy and the first iPhone had yet to be unveiled. Today, there are 800 million Facebook users, nearly 200 million Twitter accounts and more than 10 billion Apple apps downloaded, and more  coming everyday. Mobile devices, new social networks, and check-in sites and location-based services are adding new wrinkles to the marketing communication mix. Silverpop refers to this convergence of mobile, social, local and email as “mocial.”  In a world gone mocial, we will change the way we interact with customers. To get your mocial mojo working in 2012.

• Grow your database through social and mobile. For example, you could add an email opt-in or lead-gen form on your company’s Facebook page, capture emails via SMS or app downloads, and/or use tablets to gather info.

• Design campaigns around the concept of sharing, delivering your strongest call to action at a time that makes sense rather than asking people to share something before they consume it. For example, instead of just including social-sharing icons in an email with a link to a white  also insert sharing links within the white paper  itself and send an automated follow-up email inviting downloaders to Tweet the best idea they got from your paper.

 #2 Actions Speak Loudest: Unlocking the power of behavior.

In the new era of marketing, companies must listen to, learn from and speak to customers and prospects on a one-to-one, personal basis. The focus will shift to widening the scope of information being collected to gain a better understanding of who the key influencers are.

• Sync up your platforms so you can pass data back and forth in both directions more efficiently, better optimize content, and improve communication between sales and marketing.

• Create scoring systems that take your customer and prospect behaviors into account—including social actions such as “liking” you on Facebook, sharing your content to a social network and commenting on Blogs.

#3 Personality Plus: Marketing content becomes more human.

Not so long ago, marketing was all about selling your products and services. Regardless of whether you were selling caviar or consultations; delivering your message in an impersonal voice was just fine. While delivering product news, sales and discounts is still important; expectations have  shifted.  These days, customers and prospects move  effortlessly between your company’s social presence and photos of their best friend’s recent vacation, so stiff corporate messaging that sounds like it was crafted  in legalese creates a disconnect. In 2012 the focus will change to delivering helpful, educational content with verve and personality: “Yes, we’ve got sizzling steaks, but here are our staff’s favorite wine pairings for that steak, our guest chef’s video tips for grilling it, and customer recommendations for the most mouth-watering sides to enjoy with it.” It’s time to get real, get human and add value.

• Spend less time talking at your customers and more time paying attention to their behaviors and listening to them via social networks, community forums and surveys. Talk to them the way you would talk to another human being, employing a voice that’s distinctive, engaging and yours.

• Include messages designed simply to inform, entertain, surprise and provide value rather than sell. For example, a packaged goods company might offer favorite recipes from the staff, a technology company could author a how-to white paper that doesn’t hype its own product, and a cruise operator can recommend travel, packing and on-shore dining tips.

• Introduce your self through words and pictures, including stories and anecdotes. Put simply, people like to do business with people.

via Silverpop

Marketing Profs

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Just in time for market here’s a  wonderful video produced by Surya Rugs that documents the rug making process. A great tool to show your clients to help them understand the process, price and provenance.

Do you have a video documenting your design process? If so, please share!

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Wednesday April 27, 2011

3:45 – 5:45       Vickie Ayres   QuickBooks Deep Dive

3:45 – 5:15       Vita  Vygovska   Love Your Business Twice as Much—And Get More Done in Half the Time!

 3:45 – 5:45       Melissa Galt    From a Whisper to a Shout: Social Marketing Secrets for Designers

 3:45 – 5:15       DBRX Workshop Consults

QuickBooks Deep Dive – Advanced Tips & Techniques for QuickBooks

Vickie Ayres

Investigate dozens of ideas that will immediately improve your profitability and your financial peace of mind with QuickBooks guru Vickie Ayres. Using a sample company file, follow along as Vickie performs a deep dive into the information stored in QuickBooks that can help you make better decisions for your business, improve revenues and make the “un-fun” aspect of running a business simpler and less stressful. 

This hands- on session will cover:

• Troubleshooting the three most common errors Vickie encounters in her consults
• The top 10 best practices for working in QuickBooks.
• Vickie’s five favorite new features from QuickBooks 2011 that will save you time and make managing your business and finances a breeze.

This session is incredibly useful and profitable for anyone using QuickBooks Pro or Premier, 2008-2011.You’ll leave confident in your QuickBooks acumen—it will be like you’ve just hired on your own CFO!( Those of you who have taken Vickie’s QuickBooks Coaching already know what a difference she can make!) Start compiling your list of questions for this custom session as Vickie will incorporate as many as possible into the class. 

 The Fine Print: Price: $125. This session is 2 hours long .  Maximum 10 per session. Session offered Wednesday April 27, 2011 3:45pm – 5:45 pm. If you are considering an upgrade this is a great opportunity to see the 2011 edition in action.

You’re welcome to bring your laptop with QuickBooks installed and follow along as Vickie demonstrates advanced and complex QuickBooks features, or, if you don’t have a laptop, all the ideas and techniques will be included on a detailed handout complete with screenshots.

Love Your Business Twice as Much—And Get More Done in Half the Time!

Vita Vygovska

 Do you:

•           Wish there were more hours in the day?

•           Need to know how to do MORE with LESS?

•           Wind up frustrated there isn’t enough time to do what you really love?

 In this highly interactive workshop Vita discusses concepts and ideas to help you build a business that will support your creative expression, feed your energy, and grow your bottom line. If you have ever wished you could squeeze more out of every hour, while doing most of what you love and none of what you don’t, then you’ll want to be part of this session! At this workshop, you will discover:

• Easy and effective techniques to see exactly where your time is spent (and wasted).  You’ll walk away with a visual tool Vita uses in her own business to identify and eliminate time-sucks forever.
• The one single, simple improvement you can implement immediately that will double your productivity.
• Powerful time-saving tips you can put into practice right away and use daily, so that you can concentrate on your “genius work”.
• Clever short-cuts and compelling strategies to fend off “bright shiny objects”, master emerging marketing opportunities, and focus on the joys of your craft, creativity, and client interaction.

At the end of the session, you’ll be armed with your own productivity tool-kit (including lists, forms, check-lists, and charts)

Preparation: To ensure your best results and personalized approach, you will be asked to fill out a questionnaire before the session. This will be a true workshop where you will have an opportunity to craft your own action plan, participate in hot-seats, and ask questions. 

Added Bonus: After the session, when you’ve had some time to ‘test-drive’ your new productivity tool kit, take advantage of a 20-minute personal coaching session with Vita (within 30 days of the workshop) where you can ask additional questions and trouble-shoot challenges.

The Fine Print: Price: $125. This session is 1-1/2 hour long .  Maximum 10 per session. Session offered Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 3:45pm – 5:15pm

From a Whisper to a Shout: Social Marketing Secrets for Designers

©Melissa Galt

Do you:

Struggle to find time for social media?

Think it is just about wasting time and discussing what you had for lunch?

Love connecting with friends and family online, but can’t imagine how it can help your business.

 Social media is powerful and cost effective for building lasting profitable relationships.  Discover the ins and outs of finding your target market and bringing them from a shout online to a paying client. Stop the overwhelm and get a clear understanding of the profit potential you command when you pick and choose which tools to use to creatively trounce your competition.

v  Boost YOUR Online (and Offline) Visibility

v  Get Timesaver Shortcuts to Maximize YOUR Social Media Efforts

v  Establish YOUR Unique Voice and Enhance YOUR Credibility

v  Learn Five Social Media Strategies to Build YOUR Presence

v  Capture Leads Straight from YOUR Competition

You’ll walk away with:

The Fine Print: Price: $150. This session is 2 hours long .  Maximum 12 per session. Session offered Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 3:45 pm – 5:45 pm.

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Tuesday April 26, 2011                                   

            1:00 – 3:00       Melissa Galt    How to Ignite Demand in YOUR Client Base

            1:00- 2:30        Susan Schultz Fame 101

            3:45 – 5:15       Deb Barrett     Power of Packaging: Bundle Your Services and Build Sales

            3:15 – 5:15       Melissa Galt    Five Marketing Mindsets to Make YOUR Design Business Profitable

            3:45 – 5:15       Vita  Vygovska She Told Two Friends: Developing a Powerful Client Referral Systems

Workshop Descriptions and Details

How to Ignite Demand in YOUR Client Base

©Melissa Galt

Learn the essentials of a strong client relationship that will put you squarely in the driver seat of every project, allowing your talent to shine and your bank account to grow. Explore the keys to taking a budget project and turning it into an investment your clients are thrilled with— and brag to their friends about. (Can you say referral?) Discover how you, your projects and your income can grow by keeping your clients interested, engaged and buying.

v  Dive deep into their lifestyles to uncover not just their needs but their wants.

v  Take every project from a budget to an investment with a return on it.

v  Master the art of reading between the lines and know who the real decision maker is.

v  Get your clients to do homework before you even meet.                                                       

 The Fine Print: Price: $150. This session is 2 hours long .  Maximum 12 per session. Session offered Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 1:00pm– 3:00pm

FAME 101

Susan Schultz

Every industry, in fact, every market, has its own superstars—the broker everyone wants to work with, the chef with the TV show and the book deal, the designer who always has high-value clients waiting. Their professional fame automatically sets them apart from their competition; their name a meaningful brand and their value, implicit. It’s a great position to be—and it can be yours!

We’ll cover:

• Five sure-fire strategies for ramping up your visibility
• The keys to building a compelling image for you and your business
• Transforming hard work into success
• Becoming the “go-to” expert
• Publicity: It’s not a dirty word

By the end of the session you’ll have a your own personal “fame roadmap” laid out—a personal brand to build on, a publicity strategy to implement, elements of new press kit, and tips for avoiding self-imposed momentum-killers.

Preparation: To ensure your best results and personalized approach, you will be asked to fill out and return a questionnaire before the session. There may also be additional contact from Susan prior to the session.

The Fine Print: Price: $125. This session is 1-1/2 hour long .  Maximum 10 per session. Session offered Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 1:00pm– 2:30pm

The Power of Packaging:  Bundle Your Services & Build Your Sales

Deb Barrett

Whether you are a newbie or been in the business for years, how you price your services and charge your customers has changed dramatically with design democracy and the new consumer.

Packaging your products and services is a powerful marketing technique that increases sales, adds value and improves client satisfaction. Plus, if you plan on being in business 10 years from now; how you package your design services will be key to capturing the new markets you’ll need. Developing “design service packages” for your clients allows you to:

• upsell automatically without having to “sell” you clients into it
• provides a higher perceived value to your client
• clarifies and simplifies your marketing
• encourages joint venture opportunities, which benefits both you and your clients

Each attendee will leave with a customized packages suitable for your business plans and your clientele, complete with rough descriptions, pricing, titles and more.

Preparation: To make the most of the scheduled time in this workshop, attendees will be asked to provide in advance your current pricing information, general clientele description and/or preferred clientele description, a list of products and services and, if possible, the profit margins associated with your products and services.

The Fine Print:  Price: $125. This session is 1-1/2 hour long .  Maximum 10 per session. Session offered Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 3:45pm – 5:15pm

Five Marketing Mindsets to Make YOUR Design Business Profitable

©Melissa Galt

Often the greatest difference between a wildly successful designer and one who’s struggling isn’t just talent, or education or background. The difference is mindset and marketing skills. Melissa shares five simple habits that can be quickly and easily learned. When practiced regularly, (the definition of a habit!) these will rocket you to the top. If you want to become a magnetic marketer and THE irresistible design talent in your market, you must have the mindset to take you there.

v  Boost YOUR Confidence and YOUR Value so You Can Charge What You are Really Worth

v  Know How to Clearly and Easily Identify YOUR Preferred Target Market (where to find them)

v  Identify YOUR Key Benefits to Put You Head and Shoulders Above the Competition.

v  Leverage the ROI that YOUR Talent Produces for Each Project

v  Create Lifelong Demand with YOUR Clients 

The Fine Print:  Price: $150. This session is 2 hours long .  Maximum 12 per session. Session offered Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 3:15pm – 5:15pm

She Told Two Friends: Developing a Powerful Client Referral System

 Vita Vygovska

Create a winning referral program that brings new clients every time and is faster and cheaper than any other marketing strategy. Although designers list referrals as a favorite marketing effort, few run a truly successful, consistent, and fully integrated referral program that feeds the pipeline and keeps it full on a consistent basis.

Vita uses a proven referral system as one of the cornerstones of her success. From the moment her first project was underway, she established a system for developing, managing and using referrals that kept her business growing 40% year on year—A strategy that is powerful, cost-effective and extremely easy to implement and maintain. Don’t leave one of your business’ most important sources of new clients and new projects to chance!

In this session, you will learn:

* To ask for a referral even before your first client meeting and train your prospects to give you referrals

* How to easily integrate your referral system into your daily schedule, so that it runs on autopilot, and you’re freed for design and strategic work

* Tips that make asking for the referral easy and authentic, so that you never have to cringe or shy away from it

* Solutions to most common referral “hang-ups” that will increase your comfort level and boost your confidence

You will leave the session with a customized referral game plan that gives you a source of continuous, consistent and profitable revenue.

In the spirit of an interactive workshop, we will conduct role-playing sessions and individual hot-seats, where you can get personal coaching from Vita.  Rest assured, you will know exactly how to ask, cultivate, and nurture a culture of referrals, empowering your customers, prospects, and employees to “always be referring.”

The Fine Print: Price: $125. This session is 1-1/2 hour long .  Maximum 10 per session. Session offered Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 3:45pm – 5:15pm

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