As I mentioned earlier, names are important. Whether it is your company name or a product name, what you call it will create an impression on your customers. Having said that, it takes more than a name to create and build a business.
At least once a week, I pass by a retail store that sells bar stools, chair, area rugs and accessories. It’s called “The Stool House”. When I first spotted the store, I thought the name was a rather descriptive, if unimaginative. It was on my second trip past the store that I noticed the logo — an outhouse. Now that put a completely different spin on things. With the logo, the play on words makes the name more memorable, but it just doesn’t sit well with me.
Some good friends of mine own a similar specialty furniture business. The store started out selling dinette sets and recliners, and now includes bar stools, bisto tables and other casual furniture. The name — “Dine & Recline” — reflects their origins, but still fits their expanded product line.
While these names have their merits and faults, it would be inappropriate to predict success or failure based solely on the name. A good product mix and excellent customer service have created a solid reputation for both these companies. Both have been around for more than 25 years, so they must be doing something right!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
What are you trying to say?
My goal as a writer is to make the material easy to read and understand. When writing for marketing purposes, I focus on being clear, concise and compelling.
Here are a few things to consider as you communicate with your customers…
Spelling
Make sure the spelling is correct. This isn’t as simple as it sounds; you’d be surprised at how many spelling mistakes make it into print. It sets a bad example so be sure to review and review and review. English is an international language so there are many ways to spell some words depending on whether you are writing in American English, Canadian English and British English. There are also a number of “newer” words that have multiple correct spellings, such as website (or web site) and e-mail (or email). It is best if you make a choice and stick to it. Developing an informal style guide to record your choices will help you (and others in your company) be consistent.
Punctuation
Rules for punctuation vary widely; you can often find contradictory advice from more than one reliable source, so it can be difficult to know what to do. Personally, I’m a believer in less is more. I feel that punctuation — and commas in particular — should work for a living; that is to say that punctuation should help the reader understand the material better, but nothing more. Again, add punctuation rules to your style guide to ensure consistency.
Clarity
When you have finished writing, think about whether you have said what you want to say as clearly as possible. Will everyone understand it? Is it clear what you are asking them to do? Could you say it in less words or clearer language? You should make it as easy as possible for the reader to understand your point. If you want them to do something, it should be very clear what it is.
Whether you hire a professional writer or not, having another set of eyes review your content is so important. Regardless of how carefully you have reviewed the material, a fresh perspective will find what you have missed and will help ensure your message is clear.
Here are a few things to consider as you communicate with your customers…
Spelling
Make sure the spelling is correct. This isn’t as simple as it sounds; you’d be surprised at how many spelling mistakes make it into print. It sets a bad example so be sure to review and review and review. English is an international language so there are many ways to spell some words depending on whether you are writing in American English, Canadian English and British English. There are also a number of “newer” words that have multiple correct spellings, such as website (or web site) and e-mail (or email). It is best if you make a choice and stick to it. Developing an informal style guide to record your choices will help you (and others in your company) be consistent.
Punctuation
Rules for punctuation vary widely; you can often find contradictory advice from more than one reliable source, so it can be difficult to know what to do. Personally, I’m a believer in less is more. I feel that punctuation — and commas in particular — should work for a living; that is to say that punctuation should help the reader understand the material better, but nothing more. Again, add punctuation rules to your style guide to ensure consistency.
Clarity
When you have finished writing, think about whether you have said what you want to say as clearly as possible. Will everyone understand it? Is it clear what you are asking them to do? Could you say it in less words or clearer language? You should make it as easy as possible for the reader to understand your point. If you want them to do something, it should be very clear what it is.
Whether you hire a professional writer or not, having another set of eyes review your content is so important. Regardless of how carefully you have reviewed the material, a fresh perspective will find what you have missed and will help ensure your message is clear.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
What’s in a Name?
A company’s name is important. It should explain what the company does and set the tone for the type of company it is. The name will create an expectation in the customer, not only regarding what products or services it offers, but also the attitude or personality of the company and its employees. Your name is the first opportunity to connect with your customers; all other marketing builds on the name to create your brand.
A name, including how it is spelled, will transmit meaning to potential customers, regardless of your intentions. For example, a high-end jewelry store will need a very different name than a costume jewelry shop in the local mall. Consider the expectations “Carter’s Custom Collections” sets when compared with “Kandi’s Krazy Kreations”.
For companies that operate in international markets, a good understanding of the local language, customs and traditions is important to help you communicate what your company does through its name. Two classic examples, one successful and one not, illustrate the importance of this include Kodak and the Chevy Nova.
When choosing a name for his company, George Eastman settled on the name Kodak. It was a simple word, easy to remember and easy to pronounce in almost every language. Even before dominating the US market, Eastman had set his sights on going international.
The other classic example is the Chevy Nova. A big seller for Chevrolet in the 1970s, it was a failure when exported to Spanish speaking countries. Why? “No va” in Spanish means “no go”, not the impression you want to make when you are selling a car.
Another consideration when choosing a name for your business is to think about not only what you do now but what you hope to do in the future. Having the foresight to see how “Barker Dog Treats” might develop into “Pet Care Central” in the future will save you considerable time, effort and expense.
One last recommendation… regardless of what you choose to name your company, it is important to get another opinion. Don’t just ask your friends and family what they think; ask some perfect strangers — ideally ones that fit your target market — what the name means to them. Remember to listen to them; they could be potential customers.
A name, including how it is spelled, will transmit meaning to potential customers, regardless of your intentions. For example, a high-end jewelry store will need a very different name than a costume jewelry shop in the local mall. Consider the expectations “Carter’s Custom Collections” sets when compared with “Kandi’s Krazy Kreations”.
For companies that operate in international markets, a good understanding of the local language, customs and traditions is important to help you communicate what your company does through its name. Two classic examples, one successful and one not, illustrate the importance of this include Kodak and the Chevy Nova.
When choosing a name for his company, George Eastman settled on the name Kodak. It was a simple word, easy to remember and easy to pronounce in almost every language. Even before dominating the US market, Eastman had set his sights on going international.
The other classic example is the Chevy Nova. A big seller for Chevrolet in the 1970s, it was a failure when exported to Spanish speaking countries. Why? “No va” in Spanish means “no go”, not the impression you want to make when you are selling a car.
Another consideration when choosing a name for your business is to think about not only what you do now but what you hope to do in the future. Having the foresight to see how “Barker Dog Treats” might develop into “Pet Care Central” in the future will save you considerable time, effort and expense.
One last recommendation… regardless of what you choose to name your company, it is important to get another opinion. Don’t just ask your friends and family what they think; ask some perfect strangers — ideally ones that fit your target market — what the name means to them. Remember to listen to them; they could be potential customers.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Don’t you want my business?
A couple of recent encounters make me think that some businesses don’t really want my business.
First example… Most Sunday mornings, I head to breakfast with a friend. Generally, we try out a new breakfast spot each week. I’ve always thought we should be doing restaurant reviews, but we are rarely that organized. Recently, we tried a little diner near one of the local universities. It’s the kind of place that offers a good deal on their breakfasts in addition to having cheap pitchers of beer at night. This particular morning, I had a hankering for French toast and eggs. They offered pancakes and eggs but when I asked if I could have French toast rather than pancakes, the waitress simply said “no substitutions”.
The restaurant wasn’t exactly busy (there were only one or two other tables) so it shouldn’t have been much trouble for the kitchen to make the substitution. Since I couldn’t have the French toast and eggs I was craving, for which I would have paid $7.99, I switched to the breakfast special at $4.99. Perhaps they had their rationale, but this was a sizable financial mistake on their part. The $3.00 difference is price is not a huge amount of money, but why not seize the opportunity to take more money rather than less? Most businesses, small or large, would jump at the opportunity to increase their revenue by 60%, especially when there is very little cost attached.
The second example relates to a landscaper I called for an estimate on fixing my lawn. I had received a flyer from the company, which was based in a small town outside the city were I live. Rather than look at my lawn to determine what needed to be done, he simply assumed that I had a problem with grubs which would require new sod, the cost of which was $3,000. As much as I would like to have a beautiful new lawn, a $3,000 investment was significantly more than I was willing to pay. Most other estimates were in the hundreds of dollars and all the other companies had came to take a look before committing their estimate to paper.
I wondered if his approach was simply to weed out the small jobs that were too far away. If that was the case though, why had he had spend good money to drop flyers in my neighborhood, and why did the flyers advertise low prices? It seemed like a waste of marketing funds or a lack of focus in their approach to building their business. Either way, this company lost the opportunity to earn my business.
One of the great beauties of a small business is that it can be more flexible than larger businesses, moving more quickly to meet customer needs. However, many small businesses simply do, without much thought about the bigger picture. A little strategic thinking about simple things — that serve the interests of the customers and place a minimum burden on the company — could help their business grow, both in the short and long term.
First example… Most Sunday mornings, I head to breakfast with a friend. Generally, we try out a new breakfast spot each week. I’ve always thought we should be doing restaurant reviews, but we are rarely that organized. Recently, we tried a little diner near one of the local universities. It’s the kind of place that offers a good deal on their breakfasts in addition to having cheap pitchers of beer at night. This particular morning, I had a hankering for French toast and eggs. They offered pancakes and eggs but when I asked if I could have French toast rather than pancakes, the waitress simply said “no substitutions”.
The restaurant wasn’t exactly busy (there were only one or two other tables) so it shouldn’t have been much trouble for the kitchen to make the substitution. Since I couldn’t have the French toast and eggs I was craving, for which I would have paid $7.99, I switched to the breakfast special at $4.99. Perhaps they had their rationale, but this was a sizable financial mistake on their part. The $3.00 difference is price is not a huge amount of money, but why not seize the opportunity to take more money rather than less? Most businesses, small or large, would jump at the opportunity to increase their revenue by 60%, especially when there is very little cost attached.
The second example relates to a landscaper I called for an estimate on fixing my lawn. I had received a flyer from the company, which was based in a small town outside the city were I live. Rather than look at my lawn to determine what needed to be done, he simply assumed that I had a problem with grubs which would require new sod, the cost of which was $3,000. As much as I would like to have a beautiful new lawn, a $3,000 investment was significantly more than I was willing to pay. Most other estimates were in the hundreds of dollars and all the other companies had came to take a look before committing their estimate to paper.
I wondered if his approach was simply to weed out the small jobs that were too far away. If that was the case though, why had he had spend good money to drop flyers in my neighborhood, and why did the flyers advertise low prices? It seemed like a waste of marketing funds or a lack of focus in their approach to building their business. Either way, this company lost the opportunity to earn my business.
One of the great beauties of a small business is that it can be more flexible than larger businesses, moving more quickly to meet customer needs. However, many small businesses simply do, without much thought about the bigger picture. A little strategic thinking about simple things — that serve the interests of the customers and place a minimum burden on the company — could help their business grow, both in the short and long term.
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