Archive for the ‘ business ’ tag

Sweet Success!

A couple months ago I wrote of a project I was taking on outside of work, a bit creative, a bit of project management and a possibly big challenge for a “capable baker”, but no Betty Crocker or Martha Stewart here. I had decided with some pro-active planning and attention to detail, that I just might be able to produce from scratch, not only a birthday cake (for a 4-yr old), but a Treasure Chest Birthday Cake that came not only with a recipe but a video!

It was served up last weekend . . . and people actually recognized it! It indeed was a Treasure Chest with jewels, gold coins, gold nuggets and a whole bunch of loot. The birthday boy stuck his finger in it (conservative approach) while the little brother stuck his whole face in it to get at the jewels (adventurous approach). I guess that spells success. Have to thank my wonderful job for allowing me to keep my saw sharpened and skills of planning, attention to detail and project management well-honed, they come in very handy in my personal life as well.

Posted: November 10th, 2011
at 1:31pm by Sharon Lynch

Tagged with , , , ,


Categories: Uncategorized

Comments: No comments


When the DIY model does not work

I’ve always been proud to say I’ve started something. In my first career as the editor of a trade publication, I was most proud of the fact that I started a successful conference. In the last six years of many successes at The Arland Group, I am most proud of the fact that we took the chance in the first place. We started something. And we did it in a Do It Yourself (DIY) fashion.

The DIY model has paid huge dividends for our creative firm throughout its existence. In the beginning, doing it ourselves allowed us to streamline costs and develop our own models and processes for running an agency that were based on logic, not what other agencies were doing or alleged “best practices.”

Today, the DIY model brings us closer to clients. Despite our growth, we still insist on eliminating the gap between our creative team and our customers. How? By foregoing the traditional account executive model and insisting that all TAG Teamers are creative and versed in account management and sales. Taking this approach, we have built a great team of all-arounders in a DIY model.

But the DIY model is not always the best approach. We recently opened an office in St. Louis on Washington Ave. (recently named one of the top 10 streets in America!), and instead of moving into a space that was move-in ready, we leased a space that we could make our own. But instead of hiring professionals to transform the space into what we wanted, we decided to follow the DIY model.

Terrible decision. Balancing the daily workload of running a successful, growing agency is difficult enough, but combined with painting walls, installing new floors and buying furniture, it’s a burden I wish upon no one.

In the end, our office will be outstanding and it will be something I’m very proud of. But right now, as we slowly make our sparse accommodations a home away from home, I wish this once, I would have taken a different approach than the DIY model.

We’ll continue to post pics as the office becomes more complete and stay tuned for more info on our Open House!

Posted: October 13th, 2011
at 12:56pm by Keith Seiz

Tagged with , , , , ,


Categories: Office

Comments: No comments


Use Your Gut to Make the Best Decision

We have all experienced running into an image, concept, person, etc. and it seems to reoccur to the point where we ask ourselves, “what is this and why does it keep coming up in my life?” That has recently happened to me with the concept of intuition.  Intuition is defined as the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes. In recent months, I have read a series of articles in various magazines, caught a speech by Steve Jobs and had conversations where intuition ends up being the center of attention. So I finally stopped and told myself that maybe it’s time I examine my intuition—and not so much in terms of what it will mean but what it has meant in my life so far. In doing so I came to the realization that I have made by best decisions when I’ve gone with “my gut” or intuition.  When my head has gotten involved too much I mess it up.

Here’s an example of time when my head got in the way: When it was time to pick a college, my gut told me to go to the one close by my house that was affordable and good enough. But my head told me to go to an expensive and prestigious university. Almost 15 years and countless student loan payments later, I wish I had trusted my intuition. I’ve since learned that what you mean to your clients in business is less about who you are and more about what you’ve made them mean to you. If you can adopt their business as your own and cherish it the way they do, you’re golden. Where you went to school isn’t even a moments’ thought.

One of my best business decisions was made almost completely on my intuition. When Keith Seiz called me to meet with him and Jason Wood for dinner to discuss the possibility of joining their new company—TAG—my head told me to wait. Coming from a big corporation to a new small business was just too risky for my brain to accept. But my intuition told me to take the leap of faith without the slightest moments pause. That coupled with an already well-earned trust I had in Keith, I allowed myself to take that leap and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I now work everyday with a group that is not based on ego or title but more based on building solid client relationships and we all win in that. I don’t even dread going to work Sunday evening. Actually, with a mischievous toddler in the house I often look forward to it.

My intuition has been right on many other occasions from deciding what house to buy, to when it was time to have a baby and then another baby, calling my dad the night before going away for a couple days just to say “hi” and when I had come back he had passed away, right down to stopping into a small grocery store nearby to check their prices and now it’s my main grocery store and I’m saving $300 a month. I’m finding that I’m forcing myself to stop thinking too much about a decision and allow my gut to guide me once in awhile. On those occasions, my answer is usually resolute and always the best choice.

Maybe this will be your second or third time of running into the concept of intuition in recent days or maybe it’s the first. If nothing else, maybe you can look back and examine when you went with your gut and what the outcome was. I hope it at least gives you the pause to “think” differently if only for a moment and ask your gut a question or two.

Posted: September 22nd, 2011
at 10:27am by Erin Canetta

Tagged with , , , ,


Categories: Uncategorized

Comments: No comments


Strategizing Makes Success a Piece of Cake

Here at The Arland Group, we pride ourselves on applying successes from one area to another, sharing ideas from consumer marketing to recruitment marketing, vice versa, and on over to business-to-business. Similarly, I like to borrow work strategies that can extend to my personal life. For one, pro-active planning, creativity, detailed project management and research are just some of the things we do here to ensure success and I’m hoping to carry that forward to a large undertaking at home . . . I am already thinking ahead to my son’s 4-yr birthday party and it’s 2 months away – I just can’t help it. I enjoy planning and love being pro-active, so that makes for a great fit when planning client strategies . . . I am hoping this will also help me make a Treasure Chest Birthday Cake – not your average 3-step box cake or store-bought cake (one step: pickup). It has so many steps it needs a VIDEO to go with the recipe! http://familyfun.go.com/parties/parties-by-theme/pirate-parties/treasure-chest-cake-686531/ Yikes!

So as a first step to my “planning and strategy” while I’m considering this I decide to draw on my business world acumen. Network. Use social media. I post the idea on Facebook only to get an immediate reply from someone who actually already made the cake! (How’s that for personal research?) And she got huge applause for it. Well then, I guess I’m “in”: decision made. And I will use my business strategies: project management, pro-active planning, and prioritizing to get this done. I will enjoy every step of it as I do working with my customers and just as I experience the success of a Target Mail with a very creative message and high open rate, I will love to see the happy face of my 4-yr-old and his friends.

Posted: September 15th, 2011
at 9:02am by Sharon Lynch

Tagged with , , , , ,


Categories: Uncategorized

Comments: No comments


Business Tips from the Dogs

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that outside of my husband and kids, my dogs are the loves of my life.  I didn’t have a dog until I was an adult so I had to be taught how to interact with them.   In thinking about my relationship with my pooches, I realize that so much of what I do with them can be applied to my everyday dealings at Arland.  So, here are my top business tips as learned from my Malte-poo, Rocco, and my Shi-a-poo, Arnie.

Start with a firm handshake. If you are meeting a new dog for the first time, carefully let him sniff you first then gently but firmly shake his paw.  This same rule applies in the business world (minus the sniffing part.)  For maximum impact, look your prospect squarely in the eyes and give him a nice and tightly gripped shake.  Please remember that no one, and I mean no one,  enjoys  a sticky or sweaty palm or worse yet,  a limp-wristed hand shake, so keep your hands clean & dry and practice your grasp with your spouse or friend.

Treats are a great reward. My dogs Rocco and Arnie are incredibly affectionate and I used to believe this was because they adored me and I was the center of their universe.  Now I know that their devotion is really based upon their love of cheese and chicken treats.  My dogs learned quickly that good behavior = yummy treats.    I think the same thinking applies to rewarding your customer’s behavior.  If you have a customer who has given you repeat business, referred you to a colleague or endorsed your work, return the favor!  It’s also nice to send a thank you card, take them to lunch or dinner occasionally or buy them some treats when visiting (cupcakes are always a hit!)  Everyone loves to feel special!

Walk your dog. Dogs are very much like children in that they crave routine.  They feel secure and loved and behave best when they are routinely walked, groomed, fed, etc.  Customers are looking for their partners to consistently take care of them.  It needs to be habitual that you regularly check in on your contacts preferably by person or by phone.  Make sure that you are proactively delivering reports or any other assets promptly.

Clean up messes ASAP! I am sure you have seen the clever but crude bumper sticker proclaiming that “Sh*t Happens!”  What I have learned is that when a puppy goes, you need to be on the scene immediately to do damage control, especially if it was on your neighbor’s front yard or driveway.  As long as you are timely and do a good job, your neighbor will be pleased but, whatever you do, don’t pretend like your doggie didn’t do the duty.  Own up to the poopie!  So many customers have told me that it’s not the flub-up that turned them off from a prior vendor; it was clearly the lack of skills or desire to clean up the disaster.

Guide your dog.  Okay, ever see an out of control dog, pulling his bewildered pet owner in one direction while the owner strained in the opposite direction on the leash?  Sometimes, as vendors, we think that our ideas are the only ideas, getting hung up on who is in charge.  When helping clients make choices, leave the choker chain at home.  Strangling them into a choice is hardly the way to build your partnership.  Further, if you are constantly trying to be the “alpha” dog, you are going to turn off your clients.  Customers want someone to take care of them who is confident, knowledgeable & able to make solid recommendations without being overbearing.

Don’t take in more dogs than you can handle. I have a friend who is constantly rescuing dogs that have not gotten the care they deserve.  Unfortunately, if she takes in too many dogs, her home becomes a disaster area and no dog gets the attention they need.  In the business world, you should strive to provide world class service.  This means monitoring your work load and being wise enough to know when to add head count to provide additional support.  Everyone should work hard, but not kill themselves on a daily basis to meet objectives.

Dogs need affection. If I ignore my pups, they quickly become despondent and then begin to seek out affection elsewhere, mainly from my husband or kids.  In the business world, when you don’t cuddle your clients, guess what happens?  They lose interest and can easily be wooed away by your competition.   Love your customers all the time and they will pay you back ten-fold.  Go the extra mile without being asked, be a good listener and give your customers the attention they deserve.

So, there you have it! Words to live by in our dog- eat- dog world!

Posted: March 3rd, 2011
at 8:12am by Deb Andrychuk

Tagged with , , , , ,


Categories: Uncategorized

Comments: No comments


     Newer Entries »