Why Move Your Company or Relocate to the Harrisburg Capital Region?

Reasons abound as to why the Susquehanna Valley is the ideal place to open your company’s doors or move your family. As seen on Smith Land & Improvement Corporation’s Web site, here are 10 of our favorites.

1.    Voted fifth in “America’s Most Livable Cities” by Forbes and one of RelocateAmerica’s Top 100 Places to Live in 2010, the Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle area boasts a cadre of knowledge workers along with high income growth and low cost of living, short commute times, low overall crime rates, and artistic and cultural opportunities.

2.    Harrisburg International Airport was the first facility built with post-9/11 security measures. Serving business and pleasure travel needs, HIA is just minutes away. Experience 24/7 communication and flight schedules via Twitter @HIAairport.

3.    Easy-to-access, leading-edge infrastructure provides a transportation nexus that includes I-81, I-83, Route 15, and the PA Turnpike. Combined with nearby Amtrak and freight rail services, one can reach 50 percent of the U.S. population within 10 hours.

4.    Well-situated on the West Shore of the Susquehanna River, this exclusive acreage is flanked by Blue Mountain and offers ideal “placemaking” opportunities. Premier housing developments and Class A educational opportunities, including two Blue Ribbon Schools and nationally ranked school districts, are enviable neighborhood advantages.

5.    Entrepreneur claimed the area as a premier location for new businesses. Positioned in the heart of the “Smart Market,” a dynamic and cooperative economic development arena, the region has repeatedly been touted as an award-winning business location. In 2010, Site Selection magazine ranked Pennsylvania among the top five states with the most new and expanded corporate facilities.

6.    Central Pennsylvania actually has two capital cities—the state capital of Harrisburg and neighboring Hershey, the Chocolate Capital of the United States. An international tourist destination, Hersheypark is home to more than 65 rides and attractions, including 11 roller coasters.

7.    Eight state parks, more than 94,000 acres of state game land, waterways including the Susquehanna River and the Yellow Breeches Creek, and the Appalachian Trail lend untamed splendor to the Capital Region. Boating, kayaking, angling, hunting, and hiking opportunities provide recreation and adventure.

8.    The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, led by Tony Award–winning conductor Stuart Malina, will celebrate 80 years in 2011. Packed with avenues of cultural enrichment and entertainment, the area boasts theatres, museums, three professional sports teams, and music halls. Recently, the region was selected to host the 2011-2013 Keystone State Summer Games.

9.    The Capital Region’s nine private colleges and universities, as well as a world-renowned state system, US Army War College, and Penn State University are robust fuel for the area’s “brain gain” and serve the continuing education and training needs of a knowledge economy. This year, nationally lauded Messiah College is celebrating its centennial.

10.    Harrisburg is home to the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest agricultural exhibition of its kind in the nation. Farmers from all over Pennsylvania showcase their animals and participate in competitions. Favored annual events and sights like the 1,000-pound butter sculpture and Sheep to Shawl delight residents and visitors year after year.

Tags: Central PA, CRE, ICSC, Pennsylvania, Rick Jordan, Smith Land
Posted in Articles | No Comments »

Where Are the Harrisburg Area’s Female Leaders?

The following article quote appeared in the March 14 edition of The Sunday Patriot-News.

Gallaher agreed, saying, “I am not about quotas. I don’t want you to hire me because I am a woman. I want you to hire me because I can move the bottom line.”

Read the full article here: http://bit.ly/aKAmnv

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

Advice for Marketing in a Challenging Economy

What’s the first thing businesses can do to strengthen their marketing message? We need positivity. There is a dearth of positivity in the business community. The good news is that stories of business success and game changers will rise to the top like cream.

One client shared a cartoon with me that depicts sheep heading off a cliff. One sheep is going in the opposite direction and saying, "Excusé moi. Excusé moi. Excusé moi." We need articles that tell the stories of businesses going against the tide. My clients are the countertrends to today’s business headlines.

More good news is that you can and must continue marketing in a challenging economy, and here are 12 How-To strategies:

Our diverse client base runs strong, successful businesses. None has reduced their marketing budgets in response to this economic dislocation. They are willing to mix up their marketing plan, and we are nimble enough and creative enough to lead them. 

 1.   Measure your marketing investments. The Web makes this very easy, but if businesses don’t know what works, they are cash with no ROI. If you are heavy into print advertising, you need to know if it’s effective. If you’re heavy into PR, you need to know if you’re meeting your objectives—is the business more widely recognized, are you positioned better as the experts, are you receiving more business because of increased credibility and visibility?

2.   When other businesses are slashing marketing budgets and conserving cash, use this opportunity to tell your story. The market needs business leaders and restored confidence.

3.    Make sure your marketing firm understands your business fully and invests your resources as if it were spending their own dollars. It can be easy to spend other people’s money, but as a business owner myself, I am extremely sensitive to what I advise clients to do. I understand advertising and marketing costs. Most important, I don’t ask my clients to do anything I wouldn’t be willing to do for my own company. Make sure your firm is continuously bringing you ideas and new directions to market in. If you, as the client, are driving the marketing bus, consider switching firms. You should be executing your business and the marketing firm should be bringing well-researched suggestions and opportunities to the marketing table.

4.   The easiest way to discover what’s working is to ask your customers—how did you hear about us? What do you read? What do you listen to? What do you want from us that we are currently not providing? What do you need from us? If you know your customer base, and you have a great product that they need and want, the creative part of marketing is fun!

5.   Use your marketing plan as a working document, not a straightjacket. No one could predict the fiscal rollercoaster we are riding on. Businesses need to be flexible and willing to shift resources into new media markets when necessary.

6.   Now is the time to create new opportunities—don’t wait for them to appear. Shift some resources into public relations where you can position yourself as an expert and a leader in your market. To seize market share you must first seize attention. An op-ed of 800 words is a golden opportunity to tell your business story with a community-focused angle and public interest.

7.   Two of the most critical elements of your marketing plan are right in front of you—your employees and your satisfied customers. They are your frontline of defense in marketing. Successful businesses know it is truly all about the people. What differentiates you from your competition is your ability to attract best-in-class employees and clients. It’s not the processes or the products, it’s the people and their tacit knowledge—their ability to energize and humanize the company.  These skills are not codified; they are not learned from textbooks. They are part of your business intelligence. Make sure your team understands why you’re the best and tells your story everywhere they go. Make sure they know that you feel they’re the best team in the world. Make sure your customers are well-served and well-pleased with your product or service. One satisfied customer will influence the purchases of her circle of friends and colleagues. One dissatisfied customer can sink a business.

8.   Meet the challenge head-on—turn this slump around by using the opportunity to negotiate. Publications and media need your ads; be creative.

9.   Embrace new ideas. It is said that money is the great inhibitor of innovation. When businesses are flush with cash, they often aren’t as focused on operational expenses as they should be. When businesses are in a cash crunch, however; they realize that to forge ahead they need to do more with less. I have a Cedar Cliff High School intern this semester. For Business Women’s Forum we are pursuing a marketing effort to high school and college students. She formed a high school focus group using a list of questions I gave her and put the information on Facebook. Her peers answered and gave us valuable, generational information to pitch our new sessions to that target audience.

10.   Consider trades of service or partner with firms to pitch new lines of business.

11.   Be prepared. LB Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury has been through 68 years of cycles and this is one of them. They have been through WW II, the Vietnam War, the civil unrest of the 60s, the oil crisis of the 70s, and the 18-19% interest rates of the 80s. We are cycling through a downturn. The good news is that there will be pent-up demand when the tide changes and LB Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury will be prepared to meet their customers’ demands. Will you?

12.   Keep your base happy and play to your strengths. If you have a loyal customer base, keep them happy, and let them know that you are doing business as usual. Keep them confident in your products and leadership.

 One client recently presented an energy forum for their customers as a value-added service, and the information the clients received provided cost-saving and measurable results. Another client, Centric Bank, just opened a new corporate headquarters and has consistently announced that it has money to lend. Another client doubled its footprint by merging. LB Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury is expanding its dealership. The employees and service technicians have not focused on the national headlines because they are busy servicing and selling vehicles. PCCi, an IT installation firm who recently won the Harrisburg Regional Chamber’s 2008 Business of the Year Award, has been hiring Baby Boomers to increase their workforce to meet demands—they have great work ethic and are excited to learn new skills.

My clients are doing business as usual and trusting in their marketing firm to lead them in new and profitable directions to seize market share. This is not a suggestion to ignore the current economic situation—we live in challenging times—but smart, creative marketing efforts can infuse your people with enthusiasm, your customers with confidence, and your bottom line with cash. Your company can surge to the forefront of the market, poised and prepared for the next economic upturn.

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

10 Actions to Shift into High Gear

1.   Build “up” your network. Assemble a personal board of directors to tap for business advice. Look for trusted, well-respected C-level leaders who will help you formulate a strategy of progression to the corner office. If you are the leader of your professional network and are the most knowledgeable and experienced in your group, it’s time to enlarge the circle of influence. “Your success, not only in climbing the ladder but in building a leading company, is as strong as the people you can call upon, because these are the people who will advise you, help you out, and whom you can appoint to key positions in your company in the future. As you start to get up higher in the pyramid, you realize that your networking ability, and your worth to the entire network, is what provides the keys to the kingdom,” says Bill Swanson, CEO of Raytheon (There’s No Elevator to the Top, Ramakrishnan, p. 87).

2.   Evolve from tactical manager to strategic leader. Arriving in the corner office demands the vision of a “big picture” person. This is difficult for entrepreneurs who are accustomed to doing every detail in the business. To grow, you will have to delegate and trust your employees to do what you’ve trained and empowered them to do. “Develop a broad systems perspective,” says Dr. Kim S. Phipps, president, Messiah College. Have a big picture for how your skills are developing. “Never chase a position, follow a development path,” says James D. Dymski, regional oncology account manager, Pfizer Inc.

3.   Be known for getting things done. Idea people and innovators are critical to the lifeblood of business, but the gifted strategist assembles the perfect team to make things happen. Be that person. “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

4.   Be a people broker. Whom do you know? More importantly, who knows you? Be sure the right people know you and know that you can be trusted and depended on in all situations. “I know how important people are to your business. Whether it’s on the golf course, at a sporting event, or on a board, I often refer skilled individuals to my colleagues and executive peers,” says Richard E. Jordan II, CEO and chairman of the board, Smith Land & Improvement Corporation and LB Smith Ford Lincoln Mercury Inc.

5.   Be an expert communicator. Can you communicate clearly and persuasively to people? A CEO cannot do everything herself; her communication skills and “emotional intelligence” will be invaluable to attract an impressive and committed group of foot soldiers.

6.   Cultivate a reputation for a strong value system and a strong work ethic—imperative qualities for the C-suite. “Work to the position above you. People will notice!” says Kelly S. Lieblein, vice president, Highmark Inc.

7.   Cultivate intellectual horsepower and emotional intelligence. Regardless of your academic pedigree—Ivy, state, technical, private, community—a diploma shows the working world that you can set goals and achieve them. What you do with that acquired knowledge is what really matters as you rise the ranks of leadership. Your ability to listen, persuade, negotiate, and respect others are core leadership capabilities.

8.   Gain a solid financial understanding. Understand the bottom line, and how to read balance sheets. Understand profitability and cash flow, and how to reach maximum productivity for your department or company.

9.   Make time for a robust life. “We expect our employees to live robust lives. We want to support them in their Ironman contests, their children’s sports achievements, through their Scout troops, and in their musical pursuits,” says Thomas F. (Chip) Brown, president, McClure Company. “If someone has to lose their marriage to be successful, then I don’t want to be a leader in that organization. And I don’t want to create a business environment that requires those sort of trade-offs,” says Walter Bettinger, CEO, The Charles Schwab Corporation, (There’s No Elevator to the Top, Ramakrishnan, p. 161).

10.   Accept responsibility and have a deeper concern for being respected than for being well liked. The best leaders engender significant respect and support from their employees, not by leading with consensus, but by leading with decision-making authority. “To me consensus seems to be: the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies in search of something in which no one believes, but to which no one objects; the process of avoiding the very issues that have to be solved, merely because you cannot get agreement on the way ahead. What great cause would have been fought and won under the banner ‘I stand for consensus’?” says Margaret Thatcher (The Downing Street Years, p. 167).

Start your high-gear strategy today by initiating a conversation with the most successful business leaders in your region. Begin here, with the extraordinary talent in this room. Do not underestimate the power of a personal introduction, a sincere handshake, and an opportune business relationship.

“Our doubts are traitors,
And make us lose the good we oft might win
By fearing to attempt.”

William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure,” Act 1 scene 4
Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 –1616)

Posted in Articles | 1 Comment »

Do You Know Who Your Key Influencers Are?

Finding the "Conversation Starters"
"One American in ten tells the other nine how to vote, where to eat, and what to buy. They are the Influentials," claim best-selling authors Ed Keller and Jon Berry in The Influentials.

Every successful business has them, but if your marketing efforts haven’t targeted these Influentials—the group of employees, customers, or clients who will create your business buzz—begin today to discover who they are and how to reach them.

Many of today’s 21 million Influentials are women, who make over 80 percent of all consumer purchasing decisions, according to Marti Barletta of The TrendSight Group. Are you reaching the women entrepreneurs who are starting two out of every three new businesses in the U.S.?

Do you know what community groups they’re active in and what restaurants they frequent? Do you know what they read and how they invest their money? You need to know them to reach them.

Perhaps you have a significant marketing and advertising budget, and your communications firm has pitched several story ideas to the media. These conventional efforts can be a valuable segment of your marketing plan, but every business should establish an intimate relationship with its Key Influencers—the Influentials.

Where can you find these word-of-mouth brand builders? They are the conversation starters in your neighborhood. They will be the officers in your PTO, organizers of symphony events, Scout leaders, and community and church leaders. They soak up information and share their findings with friends, family, and colleagues. People respect them and act on their advice.

Word of Mouth Is Still the Most Successful Marketing on the Planet
A perfect example of Influentials in action occurred with a purse boutique owner. Preparing to launch a brand-new, upscale purse store where none existed would be a challenge to the novice retail owner, but she put her marketing savvy to work and made the following two brilliant marketing investments:

1.  The store owner held an evening preview party for her close friends, the night before the advertised boutique opening, and gave them invitations to invite several of their friends. The women brought friends and husbands to leisurely enjoy fine wine, hors d’oeuvres, and luxe purses. Ample food, great conversation, and soft music provided the perfect backdrop for a memorable buying experience. The owner rang up a few thousand dollars in sales before her doors ever opened.

2.  Understanding the value of word-of-mouth buzz, the store owner gave one-of-a-kind purses to a few select women and sent them into the marketplace to do her advertising. "I have never had so many people comment on my beautiful, butterscotch leather purse," said one lucky recipient. "And I told everyone where they can find their own signature accessory." This Influential brought in more than ten customers because of her shopping recommendation to her sphere of influence. The ROI from that purse investment is incalculable.

If you need guidance in determining and reaching your business’s Influentials, call us to develop your Influential Strategy. We’ll make sure you reach the decision makers who are influencing the rest of the world.

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

Ninety Percent Failure Rate Isn't Good for Business

The December 2005 issue of the Harvard Business Review declares that 30,000 new consumer products are launched each year and more than 90 percent of them fail. That’s bad news for three groups: the advertising and marketing firms, the product developers, and the consumers. No one wins.

We know it’s easy to get bogged down in demographics and market studies. To pour over charts and figures to determine what the client or consumer really wants. But the demographics aren’t precise for every customer. On any given day a typical buyer may change his or her mind and decide today is the day to buy a luxury car or to invest in a designer purse–despite the statistics that contend people in a certain region won’t buy designer purses.

Market studies don’t tell the story of influencers and innovators. And marketers won’t know that story until they come out from under the charts and approach an unconventional but more precise form of market research. How do you make sure you don’t misjudge your market? "Turn off the computer, get out of the office, and observe," ("Marketing Malpractice," Harvard Business Review, December 2005, p. 78.)

When we talk to people we begin to understand what jobs they need done. From this information, the product or service developers can innovate and create exactly what the customer needs. "Making it easier and cheaper for customers to do things that they are not trying to do rarely leads to success," ("Marketing Malpractice, p. 76).

Take advantage of every opportunity to meet new people and ask about their work, lives, and daily needs. With this knowledge, companies can begin to differentiate and provide purposeful products and services. Their reward? A profitably growing business and a marketer’s job well done.

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

10 Tips for Building a Career Your Way

 “According to government statistics, those who are self-employed have about five times as much accumulated net worth as those who work for others.” — Dr. Thomas J. Stanley, Millionaire Women Next Door

“Women now own some 10.6 million firms—nearly half of the privately held businesses in the country, according to the Center for Women’s Business Research. And women’s companies tend to be more profitable than those run by men. In many ways the playing field is beginning to level for women who want to take those small companies and turn them into giants,” according to Fortune Small Business, April 2006.

Perhaps you’re not concerned with becoming a business giant, but you do want to join the millions of savvy business women who are starting their own companies.

Regardless of gender, market studies, or venture capital, there are defining traits inherent in most entrepreneurs. Being your own boss and never punching a time clock sound like utopia, but the reality is entrepreneurship is hard work and not for everyone. These 10 Tips for Building a Career Your Way will help you determine if business ownership is your opportunity for success and wealth building.

1. Are you comfortable with risk-taking? After significant planning and research for your seminal business idea, brace yourself for reality. You may fail. You may go months without a paycheck. You may lose significant funds. You may feel discouraged and defeated and in over your head. If so, you’re in good company with people like Henry Ford, Madam C.J. Walker, Thomas Edison, and Mary Kay Ash, who started her “dream” company in 1963 with her life savings of $5,000.

To these doubts, the entrepreneur says “I’m going to make it happen.” As the engine of our American economy, small businesses succeed when innovators and doers take risks. “I kept telling myself, I can do this. I am confident and courageous. I will focus on what I know and get help for the things I don’t,” says Jackie Kimmel, owner of the Frampton Kimmel Group, a financial services firm in Harrisburg, Pa.

2. Brand yourself. Take time to create your message. Are you selling a product that is the best, the cheapest, or the fastest? Or, you may be selling your expertise and ability to market business services. Whatever it is, brand yourself and let that message permeate everything you do. All areas of your business—and that includes you as the business owner—should be professional, superior, and memorable in a positive way. Before any client can buy your service, she probably meets you or reads what you’ve written in your sales literature and Web copy. Is it well written and informative? Make sure it’s the image you want to send. “I contemplate our company message and commitment to our clients and use it as the basis for every business decision I make. You can never undo damage to your reputation,” says Debra Pierson, owner of Pierson Computing Connection Inc., in Mechanicsburg, Pa.

3. Invest wisely in your business. Don’t be lured by sleek, expensive facilities that drain your bottom line. Determine early on where your most prudent investments should be such as marketing materials, staff, product line. Hire the best attorney, the best accountant, and find a very good banker. There are so many details that need attention it’s much easier when you have professionals on your team. Don’t save money on cheaply designed business brochures or a poorly written advertisement hoping clients will understand that you’re just starting up. People are judged on a five-second subconscious evaluation—make all five seconds count. At a recent business appointment, the first person I saw was the receptionist who greeted me. She was well dressed and well spoken. A sign on her desk read, “Director of First Impressions.” This company had invested wisely in their image. As a business owner, everything you say, do, wear, and write is a first impression. It’s indelible. Spend money on your presentation and perception.

4. Surround yourself with mentors and advocates. These are people who believe in you and will be your champion. They don’t have to have titles, but they will sell you and broaden your sphere of influence. Seek out one or two business mentors who will help you navigate the business community. These professionals can save you years of headaches just by asking them to provide honest feedback and advice. My two older brothers are seasoned business owners in Philadelphia and never tire of my incessant questions. They continue to provide me with guidance and the benefit of their years of experience so my journey will be smoother than theirs.

5. Treat everyone well. Malcolm Forbes said, “There are no unimportant people.” The car salesman who just found your select edition vehicle may well be the person to recommend you to a bigger client. An acquaintance on the ski slope may turn into a client 20 years from now. Assume the globe is your target audience and never speak inappropriately or too personally in any situation. Good manners and a kind word are always fashionable and establish a well-respected reputation in the community. Be honorable to every person you meet, and check your ego at the office door.

6. You don’t have to be an expert. If you wait for the perfect time to start a business, the time when you feel you know everything, you’ll never begin. Cindy Rowe, owner of Cindy Rowe Auto Glass, left a successful nursing career to attend a weekend seminar on windshield repair. She didn’t have a degree in auto mechanics, but she did come home with some valuable information and a desire to find out who might need her services. She traveled from auto shop to auto shop with a black windshield repair bag in the back of her Chevy Vega. Expert? No, but she was never afraid to ask questions. Lisa Stokes, co-owner of BRP Entertainment, left a career in education to buy an entertainment company. She had no degree in entertainment, but she knows what’s expected of a good event entertainer. Don’t know where to find a market study or statistics on development in your community? Pick up the phone and call your chamber of commerce. If they don’t have the answer, they’ll certainly recommend someone who does. Or call a colleague who is more experienced. Tap into the experts, and then absorb their knowledge and share it with others.

7. Join networking organizations and serve on committees. Shortly after I had my business cards and stationery package printed, I drove to our chamber of commerce and asked for a membership application. To me it signified that I was now a part of the business community. As the business owner, you’ll soon realize that no one will knock at your door asking how to buy from you. Meeting people and sharing your business purpose is exciting and as you perfect your networking skills, you’ll be able to partner with other new business owners and help them become established.

8. Live within your means. It’s easy to begin calculating income and potential for growth, but reality says that for the first few years things will be lean and expenditures should be well thought out, not impulsive. Be a conscious spender. Before leasing high-profile, expensive office space and buying cutting-edge technology, consider beginning with a home office and use a PO Box so you don’t have to reprint your stationery package if you do move. Every added dollar spent on running the business is one dollar less for you.

9. Don’t underestimate your worth. This is especially true with service-based businesses and women who are On-Rampers—returning to the workforce after raising their children. As women, we need to say to the world: “This is what I’m good at. This is what I can do for you. This is what I’m worth…Within even the most insecure of us is the innate knowledge of our inherent value…Your job is to find it, fortify it, then let the world know how valuable you are and that you expect to be compensated accordingly.” (Secrets of Six-Figure Women)

10. Passion and enthusiasm are business attractors. No potential client has ever asked me what my GPA was, but once they believed that I could produce good marketing materials, they have chosen to work with me because of my enthusiasm for their business and my sincere belief that I can make a difference for them. “I’ve discovered that whatever business you’re in if you’re not passionate about it, you’ll fail. You can have the finest coffee or the ultimate banana nut muffin, but if your customers don’t sense that you enjoy serving them and being with them, you won’t be in business long,” says Susan Pera, owner of Cornerstone Coffeehouse.

Entrepreneurship is hard work, but extraordinarily rewarding. Regardless of business downturns or cycles, there is no finer time to start a business if you’re prepared and passionate about what you do.

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

Marketing to Women: It’s Not a Gender Issue, It’s a Business Advantage

If you have something to sell, chances are high that women are your largest purchasers. As the Chief Purchasing Officers in businesses and homes,women are buying cars, trucks, computers, medical services, financial services, home improvement supplies, and investments; and they’re quite possibly doing it for more than one generation. The business is there; where are you?  Don’t you want them to buy your brand?

Exactly how can you reach the women’s market? The following are 12 tips to get you tapped into an impressive cache of buying power:

1.  Get out from behind your computers. You can’t reach women if you don’t know where they are. Go to the grocery store and see what women are buying; go to sporting events and see what women drive and what they wear casually; go to bookstores and coffee shops to discover more preferences; go to the banks and discover the array of services offered to women.

2.  Attend and sponsor women’s and women in business events.

3.  Nominate someone for the YWCA’s Tribute to Women of Excellence or PA’s Best 50 Women in Business award. Check out the sponsors of these events and send congratulatory cards to the winners of these awards. A handwritten note will put you on their radar screen and it’s a good way to introduce them to your business.

4.  Ask. Women won’t expect you to know all their likes and dislikes, and they’ll feel privileged that you want their opinions and feedback. Expect honest answers.

5.  Listen. Women will tell you what brands and services they like. Invite them to lunch or coffee or organize a focus group. Don’t be daunted by formality. Mine the information, and use it to repackage, rewrite, or resell your products and marketing pieces.

6.  Focus on service and relationships. Women don’t want to be dismissed in the buying process; they want to be well-served. They value relationships and they are very loyal.

7.  Use women’s influential networks. Women talk and will be excellent word-of-mouth marketers once they’ve discovered a great product or service.Tap into their networks, and you’ll enjoy an increase in business.

8.  Tell your company’s story and include your philanthropic or environmental commitments. Women care about the companies they buy from, and they care about what their money supports. If your business invests volunteer time and money to domestic violence awareness (or any charity), make sure that message gets out.  Ask your customers for their input on where to invest your company’s charitable dollars.  Support the causes that your customers support.

9.  Money matters. Women will live an average of 5.2 years longer than their spouses, which means they will inherit significant wealth.  They open 70% of all new checking accounts.  Share financial information and services to make their lives more fulfilling and more meaningful.

10.  Make women’s lives easier and more efficient, and your company will be highly valued. Don’t let any woman remark,“What were they thinking?” when your business name comes up in conversation. Streamline the purchase process of your products and enhance the buying experience.

11.  Don’t assume that women buy as a block or vote as a block. Not all women crave weekend shopping trips, and not all women spend hours at the spa. Offer to send female employees to professional development seminars and graduate courses. Knowledge is power.

12.  Information is king. The higher women rise on the business ladder the more they network where business information and contacts are shared. If you are hosting a business event, target women in business and provide great food, a timely message, influential contacts, and valuable information.  Time is a coveted commodity.  Make every business minute count.

Women in Business Stats

•   The Small Business Administration says businesses with 51% female ownership constitute 40% of all companies in this country.

•   Between 1997 and 2004,women-owned businesses grew at twice the rate of all firms (17% versus 9%) and added employees at twice the rate (24% versus 12 %).

•   Women-owned businesses employ 10% of all Americans (19.1 million) and generate $2.5 TRILLION in annual sales.

•   Women owners account for 70% of all new business startups in the last decade.

•   Marketing to women brings a higher return for your marketing dollar and delivers higher customer acquisition and greater customer retention. Women are influential and loyal.  (Taken from Marketing to Women, 2nd ed., Marti Barletta, p. 12.)

Posted in Articles | No Comments »

You Are the Message: How to Create Your Personal and Business Brand

Regardless of your industry or position, you have a brand. Each of us sells services, products, ideas, and opinions to colleagues, bosses, consumers, and clients.

There is no "get out of brand free" card, according to my friend Kae Groshong Wagner. Every business has one. If a colleague introduces you at a networking event, your brand is the last part of this sentence: "I’d like you to meet Anne Deeter Gallaher, she’s a ______." Recently, Sherry Christian, evening news anchor for WHP TV 21 in Harrisburg, introduced me as Anne Deeter Gallaher, marketing guru. That’s my brand.

The purpose of managing your brand is to fill in that blank before your colleagues–or your competition–define who you are. The following seven strategies are tools to help you define your brand and send the best message into the marketplace:

1. Take a close look at your presentation package.

2. Define your message and create your personal tag line.

3. Surround yourself with good company.

4. Know your target audience. To whom are you selling?

5. Distinguish yourself.

6. You are what you say.

7. Be friendly to everyone.

A company or personal brand is only as powerful as the purveyor. Start today to refine your brand and drive your message into the marketplace.

For the entire article on personal and business branding that appeared in paBanker Magazine and the Central Penn Business Journal (Oct. 19, 2007), send an email to adg@deetergallahergroup.com requesting a pdf.

Posted in Articles, Marketing & PR Tips | No Comments »

Attract the People Who Count

Marketing success begins with an intimate knowledge of your target audience—who they are, what they want, and what they buy. Luxury purse designer Goyard, established in 1853, is quietly stealing the attention of sophisticated women by providing exactly what this select group wants—a unique personalized service and a low-key approach to marketing. The fashion industry invests a dizzying amount of money on advertising; but not Goyard, who has seen sales increase 90 percent at its Paris boutique alone.

The secret to their success is to whisper their brand into the ears of the people who count. They have no ads, no fashion shows, and no celebrity designers. Their approach "increases the allure of the product among the most sophisticated customers because it maintains its insider status," says James Hurley, luxury consultant (Wall Street Journal, Dec. 21, 2006, B2). How many women are buying a $2,000 handbag? Enough to keep the 12 stores around the world very busy. Goyard knows its target audience and speaks directly to them by offering uncommon specialties such as monograms for $95 or colorful stripes for $155.

A select group of women love this sense of  "authorship" with their purse."The whole world is wearing Louis Vuitton," says Mindy Retblatt, an executive who spent $1,500 on two Goyard totes (WSJ, Dec. 21, B1). Goyard doesn’t need to attract the masses, just the people who count.

Posted in Articles | No Comments »