tips

1.    KISS
Keep it short and simple! This is what KISS means. It is a very basic rule in communication. Consumers do not like to read long texts. They must understand your message in 5 seconds.

2.    Do not sell the product, sell its benefits
Most ads are simply descriptive, they explain what the product or service is about.
Example: If you drink this water you won’t be thirsty any more. This is not very unique, because water can always satisfy your thirst. A benefit could be, if you drink this water your digestion will work better or you will feel fit.

3.    Communicate to peoples basic needs
Nowadays a lot of advertisers count on the famous slogan “sex sells”. Here you’ll find Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs and see why this is:

a) Physiological Needs
Food, water, air, shelter, sex

b) Safety and Security Needs
Protection, order, stability

c) social needs
affection, friendships, belonging

d) ego needs
prestige, status, self-esteem

e) self-actualization
self-fulfillment

“Work-life balance, says Nigel Marsh, is too important to be left in the hands of your employer. At TEDxSydney, Marsh lays out an ideal day balanced between family time, personal time and productivity — and offers some stirring encouragement to make it happen.”

Nigel Marsh is a renowned performance coach who has worked with a great variety of businesses during his career, including some of the world’s top companies. In this TED talk, Nigel speaks from direct personal experience, giving his views on how to get the best out of business, life and those around you.

Enjoy

You have one minute to explain yourself, your business, your goals, and your passions. Your audience knows none of these. Are you prepared? Can you present your vision smoothly, enticing them to want to know more?

An elevator pitch is a short summary used to quickly and simply define an idea, a product, service, or organization and its value proposition. The name “elevator pitch” reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver the summary in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately thirty seconds to two minutes.

Start crafting yours @ the Harvard Business School Elevator Pitch Builder

Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks give companies various opportunities. But the marketing with social media platforms also bears some risks. As internetworld.de reports, the study “Next Corporate Communication” from the University of St. Gallen put out some concerns of businesses in using social media. To prove this, more than hundred interviews with company representatives, service providers and researchers were conducted.

Based on that result the three greatest sins in using social networks has been analyzed:

1. Feedback stays unused
The information from social media applications are not processed adequately. That’s because marketing departments are not manned sufficient. Thus the work of the employees is for nothing.

2. Distorted public image
Only through social media guidelines employees know what information they should spread to the outside world. Otherwise there could be a scenario in which the statements of the employees contradict the ones of the corporate communication – and that leads to counterproductive effects.

3. Losing control
Social Media is subject to certain momentum. Therefore, companies are concerned that communication content can hardly be controlled. So information can spread quickly and damage the image of the company. Companies should therefore install control mechanisms.

Dropbox is a Web-based file hosting service operated by Dropbox, Inc. that uses cloud computing to enable users to store and share files and folders online using file synchronization. The tool has great potential: No more fumbling for lost or damaged storage devices and always up to date with the latest file versions. Alternatives: Zumo or SugarSync.

“…your files follow you to whichever device you happen to be working on.”

Maintaining and growing a steady stream of clients and job leads is without a doubt the most important aspect of an online worker’s career. Andrew Neitlich, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing for a Bulletproof Career, shares his tips on growing your stream of clients and jobs.

“One of the most important ways to succeed as a freelancer is to understand and get into the opportunity flow…”

Business cards should have a special character, to be effective. If you don’t have any idea, how to design your business cards, here are some highly creative examples:

found on: http://www.designzzz.com/

Portfolios trump resumes, more workers telecommute, social media continues its spread, and mobile marches over desktop: Online magazine CIO provides technology and business leaders with insight and analysis on information technology developments and gives an interesting forecast of some of the key trends for the next year.

According to CIO, the workplace has evolved in new and exciting ways and has become even more centered on the Web. In 2010, mobile applications gained on desktop apps as many companies focused on facilitating smartphones and tablet PCs. Traditional marketing techniques were edged out by web-based marketing via search engines and social media. However, one of the most important trends is the continuous growth of online work. According to the CEO of one of the leading marketplaces for online talent: “It’s a digital world, and the smart companies will hire more flexibly and get more work done online in 2011″. Read the full post on CIO.com.

Technology-centered work trends for 2011:

• Digital portfolios replacing resumes
• Mobile is the new desktop
• Online work: Hiring in the could
• The HTML5/Flash War: Programmers needed
• Businesses will get even more social
• The decline of traditional marketing

With a strong focus on technology the IT consultancies are often wrong at projects. The consequences: organizational chaos, employee frustration, or system failures.

The obituary published by the Burton Group analyst Anne Thomas Manes in 2009, is more relevant than ever. “Service-oriented architecture (SOA)” is an important aspect.

SOA appeared in many presentations as a slogan in previous years. The old, static IT landscape should be replaced by a modular architecture. However, the plan did not always work. The costs did explode and some failed completely.

The SOA approach also means that the users have adapt to extreme differences.
Many IT-consultants just realized these difficulties in the middle of the projects.

Also, security problems are threatening. However on the pro side a higher speed, cost savings or productivity gains are tempting. But if there are failures, it will become expensive right away.

Does the industry systematically underestimate the consequences of new technology? Jens-Uwe Holz, managing partner of the IT service Itellium Services thinks that ongoing consulting becomes more and more important.

At customer groups, the consultants find the right tone with that. One would like to see “responsive and sophisticated innovations that bring a real added value, above all” (DSAG)

Leaving the solely technical view will also help in business-talks where representatives of other departments are present. Especially for the reason that it is non-IT departments who are deciding on the budget.

What is your opinion? Do you also think, that ongoing consulting and being a team player is that important?

Found at: Pressebild

During the advent season, a lot of phone calls stay unanswered. The same is happening at a lot of freelancer offices every year. However, customer inquiries do not wait until Christmas is over and want to be answered at that particular moment.

Under special circumstances business relationships could suffer. Then, a postcard or an e-mail greeting with Christmas wishes will not make it up. Sure you can put on an answering machine or a voice mail to answer your calls. However, is this really a good way to deal with customers? But what other possibilities do I have?

Those who do not have a chance to recruit a personal assistant could engage a telephone secretary e.g. at emilie.biz. You can forward your calls to emilie as required and your customers will receive personal attention there. No matter when, even in the weeks before Christmas or the week between the 24^th and the 31^st of December, emilie is answering your phone calls. (More information on www.emilie.biz)

This is one way to go through the holidays without having a bad conscience. Like this, you can relax some days without thinking of phone calls. This service is not only interesting for those who are looking for free time but also for those who are under special stress during the advent season and must complete important things until the 31.12.  So another way to use emilie.biz could be to allow you to use the time to work without being disturbed.

Tell us what other options you know and how you solve this problem! We are looking forward to receiving exciting tips.

projektwerk wishes you a beautiful advent season!