I just received a résumé from a client who asked if I have experience in brand management. It seems like my life is about brand management, as should your life be. After all, branding is essentially your reputation, and whether you are a business owner, professional, or job seeker, you should have your reputation at the front of your mind.

If you’re as old as I am, you likely remember the Clairol commercial about one woman telling two friends, she tells two friends, and so on, and so on. Although great news can spread fast, negative news will spread like wildfire. At a BNI meeting this week, the educational coordinators were relaying a story about how a man refunded a client’s full price paid on an automotive repair because he’d rather lose a few hundreds of dollars immediately than the potential thousands he could lose on the bad publicity for years to come.

You don’t need to be McDonald’s or Pepsi to be a “brand.” Susan Smith or ABC Marketing are just as powerful brands to the people you’re trying to cultivate and influence. So how are you managing your brand? Are you seeing what people are saying about you on Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter? Are you conscientious about the things you share in person and through social media? In the digital age, everything about you can be shared – quickly. Everyone is a member of the paparazzi, it seems, and YouTube submission is just a click away.

I encourage you to consider what your brand is, no matter if you’re looking to land a client, a job, or a date, and start to create a strategy around managing it. Unless you hire a PR firm, no one else is going to do it for you.

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Phoenix, AZ — In a down economy, unemployment may lead many former employees to become their own boss. According to an article in The New York Times, “necessity” entrepreneurship is increasing while “opportunity” entrepreneurship is decreasing. Add that to the fact that Phoenix is ranked among one of the best American cities in which to start a new business (according to CNNMoney.com), and the need for training for new business owners skyrockets.

One local business owner understands this need – and is making an effort to help new entrepreneurs in the community get started on the right foot. Amanda Collins started in The Grammar Doctors, a boutique firm designing and implementing communications strategies for businesses and individuals, in 2005 when it was still an option to put up one’s own shingle. Since then, she has learned through trial and error and now wants to share her acquired knowledge with those new to the thought of having to rely on themselves for a paycheck.

“I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning, and I think people can learn from how I’ve turned potential roadblocks into wins,” says Ms. Collins. To get those tidbits of advice to the public, Ms. Collins is starting a series of informational seminars each month. Topics will be presented not only by Collins: “I have a lot of information to share, but I certainly can’t be the expert in everything. My goal is to bring in local business experts to cover topics related to business development.” Scheduled seminars will cover a wide variety of topics including communications strategies, blogging, social media, and networking.

The first in the brown bag series for entrepreneurs will take place Tuesday, December 15, 12 pm – 1 pm, at the Corporate Office Centers, 7047 E Greenway Pkwy, Scottsdale, Ariz. The topic will cover how to turn leads into clients and referral partners using a communications strategy. Guests are invited to bring a lunch and learn something to grow their businesses. The presentations will be free of charge, and attendees will have the opportunity to win a door prize at each session.

To register or learn more, please contact Amanda Collins with The Grammar Doctors: amanda@grammardocs.com or 602-482-3495.

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I’m going to go out on a thin branch of a limb here and assume that you know the value inherent in blogging for your business. It should be an integral component of your networking / business-building strategy. If it’s not, you might have bigger fish to fry!

Unfortunately – but not surprisingly – too many business owners are intimidated at the prospect of blogging for their business. “I’m not a good writer,” they say. Or, worse, “I’m not sure what to write.” Since blogs are a bit more informal, it’s okay to not be an excellent writer. Instead, a blog is a way to share information and tell a little bit about you; although, as The Grammar Doctor, I want your writing to be good, it doesn’t have to be “A” caliber; “C” works just as well in this arena.

For those who aren’t sure on what to write, I suggest grabbing your calendar. Okay, now that you’re looking at a few months in advance … well, breathe first … it’s not that bad! I promise, this strategy will give you some great tools to get blogging! First, think about your business. I’m guessing you can break it down into four distinct components. Perhaps you’re an image consultant. Your four components might be clothes, shoes, coloring, and accessories. A network marketer for a skincare line might use skincare, makeup, household items, and a new product. As luck would have it, there are four weeks in most months! Like magic, you now have a category to write about each week.

Now, drill down deeper. If you’re thinking about clothes, shoes, coloring, and accessories, what can you talk about each month? Perhaps there’s a new style or cut that’s hitting the runways, a color palette creeping up for the next season, or a controversy about real gold vs. plated. Whatever those things are, jot down about three ideas for each initial category. Okay, look at your paper. You’ve just noted the subject of your weekly blogs for the next three months!!

Okay, so that was easy, but what about actually writing the blogs? This is almost as easy, believe me! Write from your heart. Write what you know. Share parts of yourself. A decent blog only needs to be about three paragraphs, so there’s not a lot to write. In fact, most readers will veer away if they’re not engaged pretty much immediately – and no one wants to read pages of text. So get to the point. And, remember, NEVER blatantly sell. People like information, but no one wants to be sold. Remember that as you write your blog. Share information, anecdotes, links, and how to reach you; don’t sell your product.

Need help with your blogging strategy or editing what you write? The Grammar Doctors can help! Contact us to set up a FREE consultation.

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What are the components needed in a cover letter? Wait, before we get that far, do you even NEED a cover letter? So many people have heard that hiring authorities never even read the cover letter, so they think that they needn’t bother to spend the time to write one. I beg to differ. Would you just walk up to someone and start telling them about yourself without an introduction? If you think of your cover letter as a handshake, it may make more sense to always include one.

Granted, some HR people and recruiters admit they don’t read cover letters, but I’ve heard some who don’t read the resume and only look at the letter! Cover your bases by making sure your cover letter is a great complement to your resume and gets the reader poised to learn more. While your resume really can’t be generic, a “template” for your cover letter is pretty easy and can be updated as needed. All you have to do is write three paragraphs!

First Paragraph
Cut part of this from your resume summary, which should explain why you’re a compelling candidate for the position. If you are applying for a certain job, cite what it is and how you heard of it.

Second Paragraph
Copy or reword accomplishments from your resume. I usually take three that represent a cross-section of abilities. Another great way to highlight your qualifications in this paragraph is with a table: on one side put the required skills and on the other put your attributes as they relate to them. Of course, that requires you know what they are, so that will be later in the process.

Third Paragraph
This is your call to action and thank you for considering you for the position. Many people get weak here, but the key is to stay strong and powerful, maintaining the tone and focus of the first paragraph.

Be brief, succinct, and targeted to get across the message that you are the one for the position. Who knows? Your cover letter may be THE reason you get an interview!

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I’m currently reading Dan Kennedy’s book “No B.S. Sales Success.” I don’t read a lot, but it’s a great way to spend my time on the treadmill, elliptical machine, or other available cardio machine at the gym five days a week. Somehow reading keeps my mind off the not-so-exciting exercise – and engages it in other things while my body is working away. But I digress….

The section I read today was about really using testimonials in your business. I’ve been saying I should incorporate my LinkedIn testimonials into my Web site since they started accruing there, but saying and doing are two distinctly different things. However, after reading Kennedy’s advice, I got my act together. He suggests that, no matter what a business owner says about her business, a client’s word is worth significantly more. In effect, clients with great things to say act as walking advertisements, a true marketing and sales team that listens for people who need your service and consistently feeds referrals.

Of course, as a former BNI member and advocate of Givers’ Gain, I fully understand this principle, but it’s sometimes hard to do the things we know we need to do. In fact, Kennedy addresses that point in the book as well, saying that “trade secrets” of selling can be openly shared because 95% of people won’t bother to use them anyway. I guess what it comes down to is that I don’t now – nor did I ever – want to be a part of the majority. So, after I got off the treadmill and finished my work for the day, I sprinkled testimonials all over my Web site.

I’m thankful for my clients for allowing me the opportunity to continue to improve as a writer and a business owner, so it’s almost rude to not showcase their appreciation for me on my site and in my marketing collateral. Besides, as an entrepreneur on the verge of expansion, it’s always great to have a wonderful sales staff in place.

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I sometimes wonder if business owners are afraid to follow up with people they meet at networking events. It seems like so many are completely gung-ho at the event, passing out cards and saying hello to as many folks as possible, yet I only hear from about 1% of the people I meet while I’m out and about. Since I started my business three years ago, it has perplexed me how few people have the follow-through to send a short e-mail just saying, “Hi. It was a pleasure to meet you at the event. I look forward to seeing you at other events in the near future.” Do they not realize this is just another touch point? Think about how many people you meet when you’re at an event. Do you remember all of them the next day? Following up is a fantastic way to put your name in front of the people you met, as well as go into detail about what you offer and how you can help them.

So what constitutes a follow-up? Well, you can call, e-mail, or send a card. Do what feels comfortable to you, and judge by if you want to meet that person again. If you think you can do business together, a phone call can be a great way to schedule a meeting. An e-mail is pretty status quo, as well as giving you the opportunity to add links to your Web site, blog, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts. If you have Send Out Cards or another, similar system, a card can be a “step above” and really help you stand out.

No matter how you take the next step, remember to mention a few key points:
•    Where you met. Some business owners network a lot, and if you don’t specify and provide a frame of reference, they may have no clue.
•    If you remember something special about them, say it. “I enjoyed learning more about your son and his upcoming birthday plans.” Anything that says you listened goes a long way to building a relationship.
•    Recap what you do. DO NOT SELL! The point of the follow-up is to connect and explain how you might be able to help the person, but definitely steer clear of blatantly selling anything. In my follow-up, I give a brief “about us” on my company.
•    Add contact information. If you’re mailing, include a couple of business cards, via e-mail include links and phone numbers in your signature, and by phone make sure to restate your number.

Without follow-up, you’re missing a captive audience. They’ve already met you, so you know they’re open to hearing something more. And just think of how much you’ll stand out from the other 99% who didn’t follow up.

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