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Extend Your Network - Developing Relationships

There has been a lot of talk recently in client meetings regarding developing new business relationships. Being in business for several years, or knowing one or two key people just doesn't cut it any more! In a down economy, you need all the ammunition you can gather. Businesses need to dig deeper to build relationships with a broader network of influencers to cover all the bases.

Make a wish-list of the people or companies you would like to be connected with. Develop a plan for getting in front of your wish list through networking events, meetings, mutual acquantinces, or send a letter to introduce yourself. Make sure you are clear on why you want to meet the people on your list.

Be sure to think outside of traditional channels, and the obvious networking circles. Reach out of your comfort zone and reap rewards. Just remember to be prepared to reciprocate. No one wants a one-sided relationship, think about what you can offer in exchange for what you hope to gain from the relationship. People will remember those that have been most helpful to them.

Remember to be strategic about selecting your wish list. Making too broad a list will defeat the purpose when you become overwhelmed with where to start. If you have employees, be sure to share your new agenda for broadening your network. You never know who someone else might know!

Your Logo is Vital to Your Brand

When you are faced with too much information to fit into your selected message, it can be tempting to leave off your logo to include more pertinent information. Would Nike, GE, or Coca Cola ever forego including their logo? Of course not! Think of your logo as your business signature. Would you send out a letter or proposal without signing it?

When preparing an ad, the size may prohibit you from including product shots, or other graphics, but including your logo is essential. It is the foundation of your branding campaign, and needs to be repeated on every form of communication you send out to create top-of-mind awareness.

Todays' buyers are often cautious about an overly hard sell. Coupled with being busy and overwhelmed, they need to get your message quickly, and without a lot of fluff. This is best done by making your message the focal point, and placing your logo at either the top, or bottom of your message. Being the only graphic, you have a better chance of your logo, or identity being remembered.

All Graphics are Not Created Equal

Have you ever noticed an ad or a postcard that is blurry, and hard to read? You can barley make out what the ad is trying to sell, let alone who the advertiser is. Imagine the nightmare of spending hundreds of dollars on advertising or printing and mailing a collateral piece, and making a negative impression on your customers and prospects.

It is important to understand the basics for printing if you are creating your own marketing materials, or supplying your logo and other graphics to someone else to create the materials for you.When creating a piece that will be printed, graphics including your logo, or any images need to be a minimum of 300 dpi to print to size. If images have been downloaded from the Internet, normal screen resolution is just 72dpi. Therefore, if the image is 5 inches on your screen when viewing it online, it will print approximately 1 inch in size at 300dpi. If you try to scale the image to make it 5 inches for printing, the result will be less than desirable.

Also keep in mind that most images you find on the web are in RGB color mode, and must be converted to CMYK, spot, or grayscale for printing.

If you have created your brochure or ad and plan to supply a PDF for printing, make sure your distiller settings are optimized for printing.

A good rule of thumb is to check your files before going to print. It is easy to print on your own printer for a quick check, and it is a good idea to preflight your files with the printer you have selected to produce the job. A little extra time spent upfront on file preparation can save you a lot of headaches and the embarrassment of producing an unprofessional looking piece.