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By Sandra Holtzman, May 18, 2013 9:58 am

Market research – I’m referring to primary market research — takes time and energy and sometimes money.  But the results are amazing and don’t cost nearly as much as the time, energy and money you will waste by NOT doing it.  When you ask open-ended questions to your customers, the responses you get will help you cut through the clutter and develop a communication that speaks directly to the audience you want to sell to  (or whatever your goal is with that audience).

And this is where you, as a small business, have it over the big guys. Large companies are so invested in a point-of-view (usually management’s point-of-view, not that of their customers) that they can’t make an adjustment to respond to the information in front of them. Imagine being at the helm of a huge cargo ship and having to make a u-turn in a space as wide as 42nd St.  Not only is it not easy, it’s almost not do-able.  So when situations come up that require a quick response to get to the market, the big firms are basically out of luck. Which leaves lots of room for you … if you’ve done your research properly.

Check out Isaiah Adams’ post and how research can help you … and hurt you if you’re not listening to your audience.

http://blog.optimizationgroup.com/bid/281279/

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By Sandra Holtzman, May 11, 2013 9:36 am

This is the title of an article just published in The New York Law Journal (I’m one of the authors).  It’s a cautionary tale about fundraising.  It gives relevant details about the JOBS act and how that applies to fundraising – and it’s not the panacea many are mistakenly making it out to be.

It’s also about losing focus on the prize – moving your business forward – while distracted by the dazzle – the allure or promise of raising capital any way you can.  The article details what’s legal and not legal in the world of raising money for your company.  I hope you use it as a guide to do your fundraising the correct way so you can avoid the fate and outcomes (jail time?) of this unfortunate company.

http://holtzmancom.com/teamwork_latest_news.php

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By Sandra Holtzman, April 6, 2013 9:05 am

Recently, as an entrepreneur panel and pitching event was winding down (http://www.levin.suny.edu/innovateny/), I found myself chatting with some entrepreneurs who were anxiously discussing a big pitch they had the next morning. One woman asked if the clothes she was wearing would be okay for the pitch. She was surrounded by a small group of business experts. Everyone offered her advice…change your blouse…the skirt works…maybe you should wear a suit and not be so casual even if you’re pitching the entertainment industry…etc. I finally leaned in and said quietly, “wear what you feel comfortable in…you don’t want to worry about your clothing when you’re doing a presentation.” A look of relief washed over the entrepreneur’s face.

There was more of an exchange on multiple topics and again near the end I made a suggestion…” remember, if the audience interrupts you with questions go with the flow and answer them. Don’t worry if you don’t get back to your presentation. This is more important.” So many presenters answer a question (some don’t even do that) and instead of going back and giving the audience (in the case of investors, they are usually the ones directing the conversation) your canned presentation, let them lead you to where their interests lie. First, it shows you are flexible and connected to the conversation. Second, is says that you are not rigid and insisting on the presentation. The purpose of being prepared is so when this sort of thing happens, which is virtually all the time, you can go with the flow.

More useful tips are offered by David Holloway, management consultant http://sangira.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/WPPDF-Entrepreneur-Pitching.pdf and by Entrepreneur with some serious tough love advice http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/201826

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By Peggy & Arthur Winters, March 28, 2013 11:05 am

Fashion advertising has always been more visual than verbal, which may play into its favor in the current, highly visCOMual marketing environment. We are seeing a trend in this mega-media environment for marketers to be involved in a heightened sense and use of visual literacy, visual thinking, visual perception and visual communications.

It has been our practice in our teaching and in our marketing and brand consulting to stimulate thinking by refashioning some of the terminology. It is our way of encouraging our own team and other participants to stop, think and apply the concept being presented through a new and different term such as visCOMual.

As in this case with visCOMual, we have noticed the need for more arresting visual communications in our digital, instant messaging world. To emphasize the importance of applying this to our clients’ branding messages, we created our own word for these innovative communications. Stop, think and recognize what is going on around you – what are you noticing about the visual communications you are encountering in your life? Even though the visualization of fashion has long left still-form, “proper” posing, as in the Levi’s ads of the 1950’s (seen here), to keep up with our own human evolution, there is certainly a need for the creation of effective matrices for this newly defined visCOMual process.

1950’s Levi’s version of visual communications is “proper posing”

The visual literacy process can present fashion modeling with language as unique as the product design. There are advertising/brand managers and catwalk directors who are working on nonverbal languages of their own. Their intent is to grab attention with this new imaging language and visual meaning newly applied to their brands. They may now create a mind’s eye matrix for visCOMual that correlates visually with elements that are: emotional, rational, imaging, associative, symbolic and/or cultural, as in the Levi’s ad of today. The goals are to engage the customer’s seeing eye, the cultural eye that perceives the inner-mind or “my-style” eye, and/or creates a video-eye that records in the must-have, shopping mind.

2013 Levi’s visCOMual – new-world posing and connecting with the Levi’s customer of today…

The positioning of visual communications for designers, brands and retailers is to encourage additional purposes for our ever growing and changing technologies. We are all working to create new areas of communication that can provide: product information—knowledge, self-design aspiration, increased meanings, and unique expression in our new visCOMual languages…

Drawing by Art Winters

What strikes your mind’s eye?

Arthur & Peggy Winters co-teach SXB 200 Brand Marketing Communications for Image & Meaning and SXR 050 Intro to Branding: The Art of Customer Bonding.

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By Sandra Holtzman, March 23, 2013 10:08 am

Everyone loves top 10 lists.

So now that we’re ending the first quarter of the year…here’s some helpful directions to focus on in your marketing and business (they are in no particular order of importance)

1.       Integrate your marketing
As much as everyone would really love “the answer” and that it be just one thing…social media is the “one” at the moment…that’s just not how marketing works. Marketing is an eco-system that includes social, PR, collateral, branding etc.

2.       Put in a call to action in every piece of marketing you do
This may sound self-serving but it actually helps direct the customer to the key next steps in order to buy your product or otherwise engage with you.

3.       Create content that is valuable to your customers
This includes helpful tips and case histories that will help move the prospective forward to become a customer.

4.       Communicate
Tweet, blog, get your voice out there and heard.  I posted a jobs graph from another source a while back and suddenly it’s been “Pinned” by dozens of people on Pinterest. Who knew?

5.       Do primary research with your customers
Ask them open-ended questions about what’s important to them about your product or service and what will drive them to buy it.

6.       Listen to your customers’ answers
The information may be different from what you expected. Welcome the face that you do not know it all and keep your ego out of it.

7.       Follow-up after the sale
Thank your customers. If they have feedback (which you should solicit) listen to it and if something is wrong, make changes or otherwise implement their feedback.
Follow-up again.

8.       Identify your influencers
Build a relationship with them either on-line or in person.

9.       Brand yourself, your product, your company
Remember, you are your brand.  Use experiences and stories to help with brand identification. Your customers will also help you create your brand.

10.     Write better subject lines
It’s a crowded, competitive world out there…make sure your communications are opened.

Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.
She is the author of Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing.

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By Sandra Holtzman, March 9, 2013 11:08 am

I’m looking forward to sharing a strategy that has worked for all my clients.  I talk about how you can get into the heads of people you want as clients and make the sale.

———

Client Acquisition Strategies for Startups
Educational Lecture Events – Thursday, 3/21/13

Sandra Holtzman, Serial Entrepreneur
David Schmidt, Strategic Advisory Services

When:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
5:30 PM to 8:15 PM

More info: http://www.angenadvisors.com/8.html

Sandra Holtzman teaches CEO 035: Licensing.
She is the author of Lies Startups Tell Themselves to Avoid Marketing.

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By Joan Volpe, February 25, 2013 11:09 am

Congratulations to our Retail Professional Development
Certificate student’s Grand Opening!

Who:
Kathy Sanchez

Certificate Program:
Retail Management Experience

What:
Curvaceous K

Where:
Curvaceous K
179 Stanton Street (between Clinton and Attorney Streets)
http://curvaceousk.com
http://curvaceousk.blogspot.com

Why:
I wanted to provide women my size with the opportunity to shop in a boutique especially for them as most boutiques really only cater to about size 10/12.