Trottlebee makes brands better! | trottlebee@gmail.com

We’re tickled about seemingly archaic rules on manners and polite behavior, but good manners are timeless and give job seekers an edge in a tough market.

Over the past two months, I’ve received inquiries from young people about to graduate who are now seeking employment.  Trottlebee is a very small, start-up venture—a one-person shop for now—so I’m flattered that inquiries are coming in.  Sadly, however, I notice that most of the callers have abysmal phone etiquette.

Some tips:

• Don’t greet the potential employer with, “Hey.”  This is an informal greeting appropriate to use with friends (or your pet dog), but not when you are seeking employment.  Greet Mr. or Ms. Employer with “Good morning,” “Good afternoon,” or “Hello, Mr. or Ms. Lastname….”  Don’t use the potential employer’s first name until he/she says it’s okay to do so.  Always use Mr. Lastname or Ms. Lastname initially.
• Introduce yourself.  The “heys…” I’ve been getting are immediately followed by:  “…do you have any job openings?”  or “…I need a job.  Do you have any positions available?”  This is not only presumptive, but very abrupt, in terms of tone.  It’s no wonder the job search isn’t going so well. 

Instead, let the potential employer know who you are first:  “Good morning, my name is Firstname Lastname.  I am a graphic designer in the area, and I noticed your blog/Web site….”  This lets Mr. or Ms. Employer anticipate the nature of your call.  He/she shouldn’t have to ask for your name.  As the job-seeker, it’s your responsibility to make yourself known and memorable in the employer’s mind.

• Approach the nature of your call in an unassuming manner.  Frankly, it’s obnoxious to blurt out, “Hey, do you have any job openings?”  Instead, after you greet the potential employer warmly and introduce yourself briefly, share your need for both employment and a bit of networking:  “…if you have any job opportunities available, I would appreciate your consideration of my resume and portfolio.  Also, if you know of other firms who are seeking graphic designers, I would appreciate your sharing my resume with them.”

This lets Mr. or Ms. Employer know that you aren’t depending on only him/her for a job opportunity.  You are, in fact, ready to work hard to find that initial job.  Be realistic—most firms, regardless of size, are facing hard economic times themselves for now.  They are more likely to remember you favorably if you seem to have a grasp of their plight.

So leave the informality at home—lay a strong foundation for not only a first job, but a full-fledged career, by showing professionalism at all times.  Business courtesy goes a long way when you face stiff competition in recessionary times.

Don’t be a slob—GET that first job!

So give up some of those hats, already!  They’re not at all becoming…

Small to medium firms, both for-profit and non-profit, have a tendency to boast about getting a lot done with minimal resources.  Chest puffed out, the head of the firm takes pride in achieving his goals with a skeletal staff.  “My people get the job done, and they have the same work ethic that I do.  They’re not afraid of hard work, like most people are these days.”  After this hearty declaration, he goes into his office, closes the door tightly, and rambles around in his desk for a storehouse of painkillers.  “Where’s my valium?  I had it right here….”

Poor guy.  He’s usually someone who thinks no one can get any job done correctly other than himself.  So he takes every role on himself.  He’s the chief operating officer, the sales manager, a salesperson, an order-taker, an order fulfiller, a marketer, an accountant, a receptionist, a quality control expert … the list goes on.  Certain functions get neglected in a big, fat way with this micro-manager at the helm.

Sadly, the daily grind of day-to-day office operations (read sales, order-taking/fulfilling, and accounting) leads to neglect of marketing.  The profit centers within the firm get the primary attention and resources, while the cost centers play second fiddle.  But, oops—good marketing helps the firm sell its product/service. It also reinforces the message that the salesperson shares directly with potential customers.  Consider the multiple roles that salespeople typically play as part-time marketers.  Think how much more effective their sales efforts could be if they were backed by a consistent message and brand. 

It doesn’t hurt to contract the services of people who have expertise in cost center roles.  This way, you don’t have to pay an expensive benefits package in addition to the cost of basic services rendered.  Sometimes this is a marketing person, at other times it could be an IT person.  If an outsourced service can address your needs more effectively than you or your over-roled staff member, outsource away!

Trottlebee offers nifty service in the form of graphic design, branding and integrated marketing.  Call on us when you’re overwhelmed with duties that aren’t in your skills range.  Trottlebee can relieve you of the marketing duties and free you up to either 1) outsource other roles (recommended) or 2) perform the other 99 roles (yeesh!).

Remember, professional branders brand brands best.

Nat King Cole Trio – October 1945
(Oscar Moore on guitar, Johnny Miller on bass and Nat at the piano)

I don’t want French fried potatoes,
Red ripe tomatoes,
I’m never satisfied.
I want the frim-fram sauce with the ausen fay
With chafafah on the side.

I don’t want pork chops and bacon,
That won’t awaken
My appetite inside.
I want the frim-fram sauce with the ausen fay
With chafafah on the side.

Now a fella’s really got to eat
And a fella should eat right.
Five will get you ten
I’m gonna feed myself right tonight.

I don’t want fish cakes and rye bread,
You heard what I said.
Waiter, please serve mine fried
I want the frim-fram sauce with the ausen fay
With chafafah on the side.

~interlude~

A fella’s really got to eat
And a fella should eat right.
Five will get you ten
I’m gonna feed myself right tonight.

I don’t want fish cakes and rye bread,
You heard what I said.
Waiter, please serve mine fried
I want the frim-fram sauce with the ausen fay
With chafafah on the side.

~Now if you don’t have it, just bring me a check for the water.~

n. \ măĺĭ gēn yə\ – a follow-up condition to rue-matism; such publications actually harm brand equity, rather than build it

Mal, tres mal!  These are the outside (above) and inside panels (below) of an actual nonprofit brochure (click on the images for a larger view).  What was the publisher of this brochure thinking?

Surely no one labors under the delusion that this brochure will raise funds or recruit volunteers for the cause advertised.  If the nonprofit had any existing brand equity, this brochure completely wrecked it.

Aside from lacking foundational brand elements like an organizational color palette, well-chosen fonts, deliberate/thoughtful photo usage, and a logo; the brochure says nothing.  Where is the messaging?  For that matter, what is the messaging?  In all fairness, it appears the author is trying to encourage readers to assist the nonprofit in motivating citizen-initiated legislation.  However, he uses error-filled language that is sometimes downright inflammatory (e.g., ‘These WSC members can deplete the ranks of crazed terrorists….’).  Nothing about the wording is persuasive.  Bad, very bad!

Folks, I’ve said this before—let me say it again.  Hire a professional to execute your essential pieces because professional branders brand brands best.  No savvy organization head should want a marketing piece like this brochure to promote his cause.  The talents of branding consultants, copy writers, and graphic designers (in that sequence) are prudent investments.  These professionals can help you define your mission, how your mission is best communicated, and how graphics, images and fonts can construct that mission visually to draw potential volunteers and donors.  If you’re lucky, you will find a marketer with all three talents—Trottlebee has you covered.

Don’t chance publishing a piece that deteriorates your brand—spray a little Trottlebee on your malagigna spots and call me quickly for a full treatment!

205-226-4902 | trottlebee@gmail.com

A common scenario?  A colleague is told to devise a way to effect increased participation in approaching project n, which is six months away.  In a vacuum, the colleague sloooowly mulls over what can be done to appeal to project n‘s target audiences.  The colleague comes up with pretty good ideas for the marketing approach.  But suddenly, project n is a mere month away.  Proper etiquette dictates that you inform project n‘s invitees a minimum of six weeks in advance…. 

The mad, mad, mad, mad marketing rush begins.  Mind you, I (the designer, and colleague who has to bring the “effective” piece to fruition) have not been made privy to the need for a marketing piece until the scant month prior to project n.  Much less have I been told about the goal of increasing participation by X percent.  The colleague calls and frantically spouts, “I need a marketing piece for this project, and I need it yesterday!  Can we meet about what we’re trying to achieve?”  Oy vey….

Timing can easily be our friend, but we tend to make it a foe.  Prudent use of our time makes the difference between optimal pieces that achieve marketing goals and rushed pieces that barely hit the mark.  Trust me, the time to try new marketing approaches lies at the front end of the process.  Give your designer a bit of time to think–about your target audience, about your competition for a given scenario, about clever approaches that garner attention, about a stunning execution that will knock the audience’s socks off and keep them participating, donating, and volunteering time and time again.

It is well worth your time to plan your marketing.  The investment will lead to a strong brand identity that your audiences won’t soon forget.

Call Trottlebee for a Visual Communications Audit, and together let’s strengthen your branding, graphic design, and integrated marketing.  Your time won’t be wasted….

205-226-4902 | trottlebee@gmail.com

Let me know whether or not you like the results – I’m building a portfolio site for Trottlebee over the next quarter-year, and I may base its ‘look’ on this background design!

Go Trottlebee and leave the branding to us! | trottleebee@gmail.com | 205.226-4902

Could your nonprofit’s website/graphic design use a makeover?  Give the Doc a call!

205-226-4902 | trottlebee@gmail.com

Essential pieces are marketing materials that each nonprofit should publish as soon as it is financially possible to do so. Such materials build the foundation for 1) increasing public awareness of/interest in the given cause, 2) recruiting volunteers for the cause, and 3) motivating donor gifts to the cause.  They include:

Stationery Suite – business card, letterhead, and envelope

Brochure – an overview of the nonprofit’s mission; includes contact persons/numbers/e-mail addresses for reader follow-up

Newsletter – published twice annually at minimum, this publication keeps donors up-to-date on how the nonprofit stewards their donations

Thank-You Notecards – these should be sent whenever donations are received; they build donor loyalty; no one likes an ingrate…. 

Applause Piece – sorely lacking among nonprofits, this piece lauds the nonprofit for its major successes (e.g., Dollars for Doggies wins Nonprofit of the Year from the National Association of Nonprofits)

Annual Report – when well done, this publication gives a stunning overview of the nonprofit’s accomplishments over the past year and shows a big picture of financial performance

Powerpoint Presentation(s) – an electronic version of the nonprofit’s brochure, with in-depth information added about program participation, volunteering, or donation needs, as appropriate for different audiences

Conference/Fair Trifold Display – a portable, large-scale version of your brochure. At minimum, each nonprofit should have the standard trifold display; if your nonprofit has the budget for a larger, more impressive display, invest in one.  You want your brand to stand out among several others at any given nonprofit conference/fair.

A well-done set of essential pieces calls for someone with an eye for integrated marketing, which aims to ensure consistency of message.  If your nonprofit has a staff person with this skill, capitalize on his/her expertise!  Your marketing (and its results) will greatly improve.

If you don’t have such a person, contact Trottlebee.  The Marketing Doc will consult with you and show you how your essential pieces can work to your cause’s benefit.  One of our initial steps will be a Visual Communications Audit, where we place all of your current publications on a table and view them as a group.  You will be surprised–perhaps aghast–at the overall impression your suite of materials gives.

Don’t let inconsistus afflict your brand!  It is the number one enemy of proper branding and next week’s featured malady….

trottlebee@gmail.com

trottlebee@gmail.com | 205.226.4902