X-CUBE
011601 v.2.i.1
X-CUBE is a free E-zine, produced by Out of the Box Marketing Strategies,
Inc., to provide small, minority and women-owned firms in the A/E/C industry
with helpful marketing and business information.
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Sponsors:
Graceworks Inc. – Graceworks Inc., the Human Connection, offers
Presentation / Communication Training and Project Specific Coaching. At
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presenter – because the whole point of a live presentation is for you to
connect with your audience. You’ll learn to trust yourself and deliver
your message with vitality and self-confidence. www.graceworksinc.com
SpecSimple.com – SpecSimple.com is the Web’s most comprehensive
resource of interior design and architectural information. We link design
professionals to the products and manufacturers they need. Our online
directories provide quick access to comprehensive info for over 9,000
industry sources. Visit us at http://www.specsimple.com. SpecSimple.com.
Where the world of design connects.
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This issue includes:
Marketing Know-how: Don’t sneer: What a postcard can do!
Out and About – What’s Buzzing with A/E/C
Diversity News
Cyber scene: Events and Factoids for the Digitally Inclined
Industry Events
Non-Industry Events
Marketing Article: Setting up a program and testing your marketing savvy
Marketing Know-How: Don’t sneer: What a postcard can do!
We’re always pitching the quarterly postcard mailing campaign to our
clients. They nod, distracted, dreaming about playing golf with Lou Gerstner
and other business development ploys. But we have found postcard mailings to
be very useful business development tools. At an NYC School Construction
Authority networking forum last month, the Director of Capital Improvement
Programs, Steven Grant said to a room full of Black architects: «While
you must fill out the consultant prequalification forms to do work with the
SCA, you must also market yourself to the Project Managers here. Send us a
POSTCARD of your recent work, stop by and meet with us face to face, and
help us get to know your firm.» When the client is asking you for a
postcard, you know what you have to do. To have them printed is an
inexpensive ($150 for 1000 cards), fairly quick process. Here are some ways
to use postcards to keep those who count aware of your firm.
1.
Send them often and consistently – You want your existing and
potential clients to start expecting to see your latest postcard. Every
three months is standard but feel free to send them out every two months or
every four months.
2.
Postcards as Branding Tools – By sending them out consistently, you
start to create a brand awareness. Maintain a consistent format so that the
presentation of the images and graphics become recognizable at a glance.
3.
Occasions for sending them – Send out postcards when… you’ve
launched or updated your website, you’ve completed a project, you’ve won an
award, you’ve moved, or you will be sponsoring an event.
4.
Other uses for postcards – Print extra and include them in your
marketing materials. Their bright color, and tactile quality as something
easy to handle, pass around and pin up adds a nice touch to your marketing
package. Or use them as note cards to send informal communication to people,
as when forwarding on an article or issuing a brief «thank you»
note.
5.
Measuring the investment – Track comments about the cards from
clients. Just one commission that was generated due to a spark of interest
created by a post card received by the right person, justifies the whole
effort. Use returned cards to update your database. Evaluate if your mailing
campaigns are working. Are people talking about the cards? Are people
pinning them up on their walls? Are you getting any response?
6.
Who to send them to – Clients, potential clients, fellow board
members, your college alumni associates, the media, leaders of cultural
institutions (like the Storefront or the Van Alen), political figures, etc.
7.
Printer resources- ModernPostcard.com, 1-800-Postcards, or The Fifth
Color- 212.594.9750
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Out and About – What’s Buzzing with A/E/C
The architectural community has spawned yet another new magazine.
«Loud Paper» is an internet zine and is quenching the thirst of
contemporary design writers to focus on design vs. pop culture (think Wall
Paper). http://www.binginit.com/loudpaper/index.html
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Diversity News:
Political Involvement for Minority Architects – Last November, the
National Organization of Minority Architects was able to book the Mayor of
New Orleans to speak at their convention awards banquet. The Mayor was very
eloquent about issues facing minority architects and he urged the audience
to reach out to politicians as a constituency and lobby for contract
opportunities. It sounds good on a dais but the concept was put to practice
here in New York City in December. An informal group called the
«African-American Architects & Engineers» met with politician
Al Vann, the Chairman of the NY State Legislative Committee for
Corporations, Authorities & Commissions. The A/E group wanted to inform
Mr. Vann about barriers for minority architects in getting projects with the
NYC School Construction Authority. The day after the meeting, Assemblyman
Vann made a speech at an SCA event, asking SCA President Milo Riverso to
make sure that SCA consultants include a more inclusive cross-section of New
York’s population.
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Minority firms are turning to January to have their holiday parties –
it is less expensive, less hectic and suffers less competition from other
events. So far, Domingo Gonzalez Lighting Designers and Lakhani & Jordan
Consulting Engineers have held «New Year» celebrations, rather
than pre-Christmas parties. But don’t be fooled by good times! The
networking is fierce! Lakhani’s annual bash at a midtown Indian restaurant
has drawn top design agency officers, principals from the largest
engineering firms in town and representatives from the City’s finest
cultural institutions. Gonzalez’s parties always provide a provocative mix
of industry folk. In a corner of a crowed room, one might find themselves
among a group containing a design college dean, a Port Authority project
manager, an art curator, a technology consultant, a landscape architect, a
web designer, a magazine publisher and a senior architect from a large firm.
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Cyber scene: Events and Factoids for the Digitally Inclined…
A.
«Dot-Coms are Dead! What a
Great Time to Start a Dot-Com!»
Think the Dot-Com Era is over? Andy Sernovitz, visiting scholar at the
Wharton School of Business and CEO of GasPedal Ventures, argues the
opportunities for Internet startups have never been better. Come hear
Sernovitz’s rousing presentation at The Elevator Soiree, co-sponsored by
TheElevator.com and Silicon Alley Entrepreneurs’ Club. Event is next
Tuesday, January 16th, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at The Gamut, 102 East 25th
Street, just off Park Avenue South. Dress is casual, no RSVP required. Free
hors d’oeuvres, cash bar. $5 admission for the benefit of the Governors
Island Digital Research Center. GasPedal.net is a Manhattan Internet
accelerator that has just opened new headquarters in North
Chelsea. Sernovitz, named one of the country’s «top ten
speakers» by Internet World, has testified before Congress and briefed
White House staff. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to hear about the
next wave of Internet ventures!
B.
Internet World Wireless 2001 Expo
Free admission to the exhibits and
general session for the Internet World Wireless 2001 Expo at the Javits
Center on Feb 21-23 can be had by registering at http://www.pentonevents.com/registerwireless
Use priority code: C04
C.
NYNMA’s «State of New York New Media 2001» Panel
Jan. 30, 2001, Cooper Union, 7 E. 7th St, NYC. Reg: 5:30pm.
Panel: 6:30pm. Last year’s panel predicted the
collapse of the dotcom boom 3 months before the market
correction. This year’s can’t-miss event will explore the outlook for
Silicon Alley in 2001.
Which businesses can we salvage, and how?
What new businesses can and should we build from last year’s failures?
How will the Alley’s mainstays meet the new challenges of slowing
markets?
Is Wireless web the next big thing? All-star panelists!
Pre-register online until Jan 26th. For more info & registration:
www.nynma.org
D.
BITS, BYTES & BAR
Sponsored By Delta Air Lines, The Official Airline of the Downtown
Alliance: Serving the Wall Street Community @ 14 Wall Street Restaurant 14
Wall Street, 31st Floor. Monday, January 22, 2001, 6:00pm – 8:00pm, Open Bar
and Hors Dąoeuvres. RSVP BY EMAIL ONLY! Email: bitsbytesbar@downtownny.com
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Industry Events
The Society of Marketing Professional Services will hold a morning
seminar on developments in New York City on January 25th. Panelists include:
H. Claude Shostal, President of the Regional Plan Association, Colleen
Sheridan, EVP, Commercial Developments; Joseph Rose, Chairman, New York City
Planning Commission; and Ralph Esposito, Director of Business Development
for Bovis Lend Leasing. For more information visit www.smpsny.org
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Blacklines Magazine – The Networking Circle is hosting a panel
discussion on ASSOCIATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS. Date: Thursday, January 18,
2001, Time: 6:30pm; Location: Consulting for Architects, 236 Fifth Avenue,
Ninth Floor, New York, NY (Near 28th Street) Trains N and R to 28th Street.
Panelists: Sally Hadley, Society of Marketing Professionals; Cheryl Green,
National Organization of Minority Architects; Everado Jefferson, American
Institute of Architects; Keir Worthy, Organization of Black Designers;
Moderator: Atim Annette Oton, Blacklines Magazine; RSVP: At 718-703-8000.
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AIA NY Chapter – Is There a Governors Island in Your Future?
Wednesday, 01/17/2001, 6:00-8:00 PM Location: P.S 20, 166 Essex Street
(between East Houston and Stanton Streets)
Description: Five years ago, President Clinton offered Governors
Island to New York. He could still fulfill part of his pledge by designating
the two forts on Governors Island a National Monument before he leaves
office. Join us to discuss efforts to persuade President Clinton to act now.
Speakers: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney & Congressman Jerry Nadler;
Sheldon Silver Minority Leader Martin Connor; Borough President C. Virginia
Fields; Council Member Kathryn E. Freed; Claude Shostal, Regional Plan
Association; Peg Breen, New York Landmarks Conservancy; Craig Whitaker, City
Club; Nancy Owens, Community Board I. Reg. Tel: (212) 860-0606/(212)
367-7350
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AREW NETWORKING COCKTAIL RECEPTION – Monday, January 29th 6:30pm –
8:30pm, BAYARD’S AT ONE HANOVER SQUARE, Marine Room/India House. Paid AREW
Members: $75, Nonmembers: $100, Reservations must be received by January
22nd. Send business card and check payable to AREW to: AREW c/o Amy
Applebaum, NYC Economic Development Corp., 110 William Street, NY NY 10038
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City Club of New York hosts lunch on NYCDOT Commissioner Iris Weinshall.
JANUARY 19. 12 noon to 2:00 PM, National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South.
Fee: $25 member , $35 nonmember .212-227-0129.
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Lois Swirnoff’s The Color of Cities, Book Signing. Thursday,
01/18/2001, 7:30 to 8:30 pm. Location: Barnes and Noble, 4 Astor Place ,
FREE! Sponsored by: Barnes and Noble + The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Description: Lois’ book, The Color of Cities, is the first to explore the
complex interaction between color and the perception of an urban
environment. It documents the use of color in urban areas around the world,
showing how it contributes to a city’s unique character and appearance.
Speakers: Lois Swirnoff
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Non-Industry Events:
The New York Library’s Science, Industry & Business Library is
holding a workshop on “How to Write an Effective Business Plan and Raise
Capital.” The workshop will be held on Tuesday, January 30, from 5:30
p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Science, Industry and Business Library. The address
is 188 Madison Avenue (between 34th & 35th Streets) in Manhattan.
Admission is free and pre-registration is required. For more information,
call (212) 592-7000.
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Find out all about why Upper Manhattan is the place to be from Terry C.
Lane, President of the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. Continental
Breakfast, networking and a walk around 125th St to see the new business
growth.…Member Discount Price: $15.00 (Advance) / $20.00 (Door) General
Price: $20.00 (Advanced) / $25.00 (Door) Date: Wednesday,
February 7, 2001, Time: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM , Event Site: Upper
Manhattan Empowerment Zone, 290 Lenox Ave., UMEZ Board room/3rd floor,
Manhattan, NY, Contact: Nancy Ploeger, Phone: 212-479-7772, Fax:
212-831-4244 Email: np@manhattancc.org
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BLACKLINES HISTORICAL BUS AND WALKING TOUR – In Celebration of Black
History month 2001, Blacklines Magazine is hosting a tour that will explore
the rich heritage of Brooklyn’s African American community. The tour will
end with lunch at the Akwaaba Café. Date: Saturday, February 24th, 2001,
Time: 10:00 am, Cost: $50.00 for bus and walking tour, including lunch.
Departure: Rear of Brooklyn Marriott Hotel located on Jay Street, Brooklyn.
For more information please contact: Kathleen Ettienne, Blacklines Magazine,
718-703-8000, email: ketti83934@aol.com
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Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Partnership of Women Entrepreneurs, SWAN,
NAFE, Women’s Projects & Productions, WorkingWoman.com hosts seminar on
taxation and legal Issues in starting a new business. JANUARY 25. 6:00
PM to 8:00 PM, Support Center for Nonprofit Management, 305 7th Ave, NYC.
Fee: free member , $15 nonmember .845-353-1250.
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Professional Women of Color hosts seminar on lessons on turning tragedies
into triumphs. JANUARY 27. 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Justin’s Restaurant, 31
W. 21st Street . Fee: $35 before 12/29/00, $50 before 1/16/01 and $55 at the
door. (212) 714-7190.
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Marketing Article: Set Up Your Marketing Program
Q: As a one-person enterprise, what would you say would be the best
way to attract clients?
A: The key is to set up an annual marketing program you can manage
along with the daily operations of your growing business. You should expect
to spend about 40 percent of your time every week on marketing and sales-and
more if you’re just starting your business. All businesses have three
kinds of prospects-cold, warm and hot-and it will take multiple contacts
with most prospects to move them through your sales cycle from cold to hot.
To create an effective annual program, plan activities that reach out to all
three types of prospects on an ongoing basis. Here are some tips:
Cold prospects may be qualified, but they know little or nothing
about your company. Warm them up with well-targeted direct-mail marketing,
advertising or public relations placements in their favorite form of media,
and by having a marketing program that drives qualified prospects to your
Web site.
Warm prospects are midway through your sales cycle. To motivate
them, add more personalized marketing tools such as electronic newsletters
and presentation tools, and continue with your advertising, PR or
direct-mail campaigns.
Your hottest prospects are those you’ve moved through the
sales cycle from cold to warm, then hot, and businesses that come to you as
referrals. For service firms, personal selling is usually necessary to add
the final heat to close a sale. So when you meet with your hottest
prospects, be sure you’re ready to close with a great PowerPoint
presentation, brochure or other marketing tools that are up to the
challenge.
By Kim T. Gordon <http://www.entrepreneur.com/Community/CO_ExpertsInfo/1,1581,260062—–,00.html>
Marketing Midterm – Test your sales quotient
As a new business owner, you have important questions about your
company’s sales and marketing programs. How will you create a professional
image and win customers? Where will you run ads and how often? How can you
use public relations and special events to get noticed? How much should you
invest in direct-mail marketing? Take this quick quiz to test your sales and
marketing know-how; then read the expert tips to put your marketing program
on the fast track.
Answer True or False
1. A new business should produce a quick, temporary brochure at first,
then invest in a higher-quality piece when the business becomes successful.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. You never get a second chance to make a first
impression. Carefully craft your company’s image from the start, or you risk
creating a poor impression that will be difficult to correct. You may also
miss out on sales that could be your initial springboard to success.
2. When it comes to sales and marketing, stick with what you do best,
such as networking or direct-mail marketing.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. For most businesses, the sales cycle can be fairly
long, requiring eight or 10 contacts with a prospect before a sale is
closed. You need a wide range of sales and marketing tactics to motivate
prospects throughout the cycle.
3. It’s normal for a company’s marketing activities to increase or
decrease based on work flow, with reduced marketing during busy times and
peak marketing during slow periods.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. Entrepreneurs who market only in the slow times
experience corresponding highs and lows in their cash flow and risk plunging
into a valley so deep they can’t market their way out.
4. The advertising term «frequency» refers to the number of
times you run an ad. If you run an ad seven times, you have a frequency of
seven.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. Frequency is the number of times readers of a
specific publication are expected to see your ad. While actual percentages
vary among trade and consumer magazines and newspapers, for example, a
typical subscriber will not see every page of every issue. This is why ads
typically run many times in different issues of the same publication.
Choose the right answer for each of the following:
5. Each time a prospect is exposed to your message–in person, on the
phone, in an ad or when reading your brochure–which question is foremost in
his or her mind?
A. What will this cost?
B. How will this benefit me?
C. Who else is using this product/service?
D. What are the features?
Answer: B. How will this benefit me? Prospects make critical
decisions about your company based on the benefits you communicate. No ad,
brochure or face-to-face sales interaction can succeed unless it answers the
prospect’s primary question, «What’s in it for me?»
6. Case histories (descriptions of how you’ve solved problems for
customers) are most useful when:
A. Overcoming objections
B. Building credibility
C. Demonstrating customer loyalty
D. All of the above
Answer: D. All of the above. Prepare three or four good case
histories that demonstrate ways you’ve solved a variety of challenges for
customers.
7. Contact-management software is valuable for companies with:
A. Hundreds of prospects
B. Thousands of prospects
C. Any number of prospects
Answer: C. Any number of prospects. The smaller your company, the
better you must manage call-backs, letters and direct-mail contacts. Put the
right software in place now to prevent important contacts from falling
through the cracks.
8. Which of the three elements of an effective presentation can most
easily be upgraded using a videocassette recorder?
A. Content
B. Structure
C. Style
Answer: C. Style. Before your next presentation, videotape your
rehearsals to help eliminate any negative vocal or physical behaviors.
Answer True or False
9. A steady stream of press releases to a single source eventually gets
your business noticed.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. Journalists and news directors receive your information
with one question in mind: «Will this information interest my readers
or viewers?» Instead of a steady barrage of so-so information, fax or
e-mail only what is of special interest or newsworthy; follow up by phone.
10. The best way to contact a new business-to-business prospect is by
phone.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A. True. The traditional contact sequence in
business-to-business sales is: Call, mail, call. Those who mail first, then
call, are generally disappointed to learn the prospect can’t remember
receiving their materials.
11. A typical response rate for direct mail is 1 to 3 percent.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A. True. That’s why testing is so important. Mail 3,000 to
5,000 pieces first, and gauge results before mailing to the full list.
12. With all the information available on the Internet, you no longer
have to do your own primary research.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. The Web has reduced the amount of primary research
necessary to launch a business, but it can’t replace testing your product or
service with your real-life target audience, using tools such as surveys and
informal focus groups.
13. You should maximize a limited special events budget by taking a small
booth in as many community events as possible.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. A small booth in a fair with several hundred others
gets lost in the crowd. A bigger booth or sponsorship in one key event
allows your company to shine.
14. A one-on-one meeting is going well when your prospect is doing most
of the talking.
A. True
B. False
Answer: A. True. The two most important components of effective
interaction with a prospect are asking questions and listening to the
answers. If you’re doing most of the talking, chances are your meeting isn’t
going well.
15. It’s better to run an ad where there is less competition so it will
be noticed.
A. True
B. False
Answer: B. False. Media such as newspapers create what’s called a
«search corridor» by clustering competitive advertising in a
designated section or on a particular day. This is where prospects look when
they’re ready to buy. Running an ad elsewhere is like opening a store a mile
away from the mall–you get a lot less traffic and fewer sales.
How did you score?
Give yourself 10 points for each correct answer.
150 = A perfect score! You’re a marketing whiz.
120 to 140 = Very good, but you could benefit from brushing up on the
finer points of marketing.
70 to 110 = You’ve got some of the basics down, but need to learn more
about marketing.
60 or less = You’ve got a lot of work to do.
By Kim T. Gordon
Business Start-Ups magazine <http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/MA_IssueArchive/0,1400,117412,00.html>
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If you have any comments, suggestions, or if you have an event that you
would like us to include in X-CUBE, please email Elizabeth Geary-Archer at
ega@outoftheboxmarketing.net
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