Have you ever been in a situation where you meet someone new, they ask you what you do for a living and you know you only have a very short period of time in which to explain it?

Did you panic, freeze up, and then blurt out something like “I print stuff” “I sell houses” or “I take pictures”?

Or, maybe even worse, did you start in with a long-winded explanation which was abruptly cut off before you even really got to tell them what it is you do?

The ability to introduce yourself, provide a succinct summary of what it is that you do and let the person you’re speaking with know how to learn more about you and your product or service is a vital key to success. It is literally a situation in which the first impression is absolutely everything.

Think of it this way – you attend a live event at a hotel or convention center and get on the elevator to head down 15 or so stories. There is another person on the elevator who introduces themself. The two of you shake hands and the person asks what type of business you are in…

Of course it’s easy to blurt out Real Estate, Printing, Photography, etc. But that will all too often be forgotten the minute the two of you leave that elevator and the boring basic business card (contact us to spice yours up) you handed them will be lost in a stack of dozens of cards they leave the event with.

A great first impression means everything in situations like this and having a short pitch about your business ready to go at any given moment can be a life saver. Instead of saying, “I own a printing company.” – I say something like, “I help small to medium size businesses create amazing marketing materials that will get their company seen, recognized and remembered. I believe that first impressions are extremely important for any business and want to help as many as I can to expand their reach and increase their profits.” 

I then hand them a business card and ask if they have a Facebook Page, Twitter handle or LinkedIn account where I can connect with them in case I come across someone who needs their services. This makes that pitch all about them and not about me. I will not be connecting with them to sell my services but to help them.

Now which comment do you think gets more attention?

In this world of fast-paced technology and busy lifestyles, attention spans have dwindled to practically nothing. You must be able to distinguish yourself from the rest and ensure you make a strong impact on the people you meet.

So, go ahead. Create your elevator pitch now and use me as your guinea pig. Share it in the comments below so I can get to know you better. And don’t forget to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter and/or LinkedIn!

LinkedIn is not like the other social networks. As a matter of fact, in many circles the preferred term for LinkedIn is “Professional Network” rather than social network.

What sets LinkedIn apart is the fact that it caters to professionals and organizations with a focus on connecting business people for networking, job searches, answers to business questions, and more. This means that you don’t usually have to sort through posts or messages about someone’s dinner or children or hobbies or pets. You get straight to the heart of the matter – the thing you really went looking for – business growth.

That is my favorite thing about the platform. I love that I can go there to find connections for my business where I am looking for potential clients, new hires or businesses whose services I might need.

The VSP Printing team has been lucky to have connected with dozens of amazing people and businesses through LinkedIn. Some of which have led to increased sales and exposure for one or both of us.

Here are some important things you need to know about LinkedIn:

• It is the world’s largest professional network with more than 200 million members in over 200 countries and territories
• Currently, LinkedIn averages two new professional members per second (that’s 172,800 per day!)
• Every single company listed in 2012’s Fortune 500 list has at least one executive who is a member on LinkedIn
• Almost 3 Million companies have a LinkedIn Company Page (Here’s Ours!)
• In 2012, more than 5.7 Billion professionally-oriented searches were done on LinkedIn

Those are some truly amazing statistics!

I know that all of social media is a hot area right now and they all boast really big numbers. And, I completely agree that other platforms should be utilized to expand your reach and create relationships.

However, the professional aspect of LinkedIn makes it a true game changer for any company. Think about all the time and money you spend trying to connect with one specific person at a company. By creating a wide network through LinkedIn and searching for them there, you can find legitimate ways to connect. Who do you know that they know? Maybe they can introduce you or just the mention of a mutual acquaintance can often get your foot in the door (But, don’t ever exaggerate or fib about your connections. That will always come back to haunt you!).

And LinkedIn is also great for more than just connecting with potential clients or other businesses. It is quite often used as a hiring solution and is a wonderful way to increase exposure for your company.

Are you on LinkedIn? Please share a link to your company page or personal profile below so we can all connect. And don’t forget to connect with us through our page, just click here!

We Want to Connect With You!

Offer good for 15% off any purchase when you connect with VSP Printing on LinkedIn!

Are you a current or past VSP Printing Customer or a non-profit organization? Do you have an event or program that you would like us to feature in our Client Spotlight? We would love to hear from you!

Our goal with this section of our newsletter each month is to highlight businesses and community events that are important to the Ottawa area. We love that we have this arena to give back to the community and can’t wait to feature your business or event. If you would like to be included in a future newsletter please email us at vsp.printing@vspprinting.com with the following:

1. Your business or organization name
2. The date and time of your event
3. A brief description of your event
4. Your website, Facebook, Twitter and email address
5. A contact within your organization to speak with about the event

Wow! Where did this year go?!?!

If you’re like me, you’re thinking a lot these days about how quickly the year passed and taking stock of everything you managed to get done while trying not to be too hard on yourself for those things that slipped through the cracks.

I always seem to start the year off with good intentions and lofty goals but unfortunately, life and business seem to get in the way before January is even over!

So, to help you (and me!). I have pulled together some of the things on my wishlist for 2013 and in the process realized we’ve shared a TON of info this year on our blog that can help anyone prepare for next year.  From networking to Direct Mail, we’ve covered all the bases and here’s a list (with links for more) on some of the hottest topics we covered in 2012:

1. Networking – Do you have a networking plan or is it just show up, shake some hands, hand out some cards and head home? These tips will make sure you’re remembered long after the meeting!

2. Trade Shows – Don’t get lost in the mass of little black booths. Stand out! Putting together a plan early and getting materials ready will ensure you leave a lasting impression and catch the eye of every person in attendance. This article will help you whip your booth into shape well before the next trade show season.

3. Social Media – We’re different from many printing companies these days in that we don’t see Social Media as a threat to our business but rather an asset. We LOVE Social Media and how it can work hand-in-hand with print to create the perfect storm of marketing for your business. Check out our 3 Quick Tips To Make Your Print More Social in this article!

4. Make a Live Event Impact – It’s scary enough to get up and speak in front of total strangers without having to worry about them remembering you and your business afterwards. Great materials that work with your presentation with ensure they remember you!

5. Back to Business Basics - Though we created this post to get you restocked and prepared for fall, it works just as well in getting you ready for the new year. Think of it as early spring cleaning and get a plan in place to resupply, organize, update, and more!

6. Direct Mail – While mailboxes do start to fill up in the late fall/early winter, we still need to focus on standing out and creating a Direct Marketing Campaign that will bring you more business. This article does just that with some great tips and info. Remember, the first of the year is always a big time for direct mail too so be sure you’re ready!

7. List Building – Nothing makes the New Year brighter than adding new people to your marketing list. In this article we shared some tips on how to get more people to sign up for your list AND how to keep them on there without resorting to shady tactics!

8. Time for a Checkup – Last month we shared some great info on the importance of surveys and how to use them. If you haven’t created yours yet, do it soon! It will give you great insight for preparing for 2013!

I hope you put all of these great ideas to use for your business and have a fantastic 2013. Happy Holidays and we’ll see you next year!

www.globalpetfoodscapital.ca

www.globalpetfoodscapital.ca/blog

(click on the images or link above for more information)

Connect with Global Pet Foods on Social Media:

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/GPFHintonburg (Hintonburg location)
http://www.facebook.com/GPFKanata (Kanata location)

Twitter: @globalpetottawa

I recently came across a fantastic article about Customer Service and how important it is to ask your customers how you’re doing (check it out here).

This got me thinking. We often take for granted that we’re doing a good job just because someone isn’t complaining. When, in reality, customers aren’t likely to complain to you unless it’s something really bad. Instead, they turn to Social Media and complain or simply spread the word about their experience.

So, we decided it was time for a Service Checkup. We have created a very short survey asking for feedback from our customers (click here to take the survey) and offering a chance to win free business cards. The sole purpose of this survey is to see how we’ve done over the past year and find out if there are things we could be doing better.

I must admit, I’m just a little nervous about this. We’ve never done this kind of open survey before and I’m both excited and anxious about the results. The great thing is, regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative, it gives us a chance to make sure we’re doing everything possible to provide our customers with a great experience!

Thanks to technology, getting feedback from customers is relatively easy these days. Here are a few ways to stay in the loop:

1. A survey like the one we’ve done through Survey Monkey is a great way to get a feel for how you’re doing.
2. You can also check out the feedback being shared around the web by setting up Google alerts (click here) with your company or employee names. These will email you when something new has been posted online about your company or employees so you always know what’s being said about you around the web or on Social Media, giving you a chance to comment and resolve any issues that arise immediately and publicly.
3. Reviews are often posted on sites like Google Places, Yelp, etc. Find the ones relevant to your industry and keep a check on your reviews and ratings. As with Social Media, reach out to those who give less than favorable reviews. It will make you look better to them and to anyone who reads the review.
4. Ask your Facebook fans for recommendations. A quick post every month or so asking those who have liked your page to provide a Facebook Recommendation on your page will open doors of communication. If they recommend you, you know you’re doing well. If they have had an issue and know you are asking for feedback, they may be more likely to reach out and talk to you about it.

In the printing industry, there are literally hundreds of things that can go wrong on a project and our goal is to make sure that ZERO of them do. However, we can only do this if we are asking the client for feedback and ensuring that we do all we can to keep that relationship in good standing. We’d love your feedback and comments on how we can do a better job of maintaining our customer relationships. Just leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Are you a current or past VSP Printing Customer or a non-profit organization? Do you have an event or program that you would like us to feature in our Client Spotlight? We would love to hear from you!

Our goal with this section of our newsletter each month is to highlight businesses and community events that are important to the Ottawa area. We love that we have this arena to give back to the community and can’t wait to feature your business or event. If you would like to be included in a future newsletter please email us at vsp.printing@vspprinting.com with the following:

1. Your business or organization name
2. The date and time of your event
3. A brief description of your event
4. Your website, Facebook, Twitter and email address
5. A contact within your organization to speak with about the event

It’s no secret, we all want our marketing list to grow. Yet we all hate getting spam in our inboxes or junk in our mailboxes.

So, how do you grow and maintain your list without being the bad guy?

First, you have to realize that list building isn’t just about adding people to your list. Good list building is about quality, not quantity. Adding email or physical addresses to your list that are purchased or obtained without that person’s permission or huge lists that haven’t been qualified is a waste of your time and money.

Next, you have to have patience. You can’t build a list overnight; it takes time. If you are truly interested in building a quality marketing list that will increase your reach and your bottom line, you have to provide a way for people to sign up and motivate them to do so!

Here are a few ways to build your list and still be one of the “good ones”:

• Have a signup box on your website – Give your site visitors an easy way to request more information and stay up to date by having a signup form on your site that is easy for them to find and doesn’t require them to give up too much information.
• Offer a free gift – Everyone likes free stuff and they’re more likely to sign up for your list if there’s something in it for them. It will also give them a small taste of what you have to offer so that they can make a better decision whether to do business with you or not.
• ASK – If you are a brick and mortar store or you do a lot of business by phone, ask people if you an add them to your list. Make sure they understand the importance of being on this list, ie: “by providing me with your email or mailing address I can make sure you are kept up-to-date on all of our special events or offers plus, as a VIP you’ll be eligible for special savings that aren’t provided to everyone.”
• Offer the opportunity to sign up from Social Media – Add a form to your Facebook page or post and Tweet about your special offers for your VIP peeps with a link for them to go to your signup page on your site.
• QR Codes – Yep, they’re still out there and people still use them! They’re inexpensive and easy to add to your marketing materials. Have the code go directly to a special signup page and give them something for signing up.
• Get info at live events – Have a booth or exhibit at a trade show or conference? Offer those who stop by a chance to win a prize simply for signing up for your mailing list.
• Protect Your List – This is a favorite of my good friend and mentor, Lisa Larter (Check out her List Building Tactics Here). When people opt-in to hear from you, they only want to hear from you and they want to know that you are respectful of their privacy. Never, ever share the names, emails or addresses of those on your list with anyone for any reason. I promise, they’ll love you for it.

Now that I’ve shared some of my List Building Secrets, I want to how you build your list. Share your tips and ideas in the comments!