The Tea Master: Positive Leadership Skills.

Teamwork, communication, and respect are some important factors in creating a positive and productive ambiance in the workplace.

For example, yesterday, me and my sister (Emma) visited Master of Tea Makers, Harney & Sons (http://www.harney.com/) and was greeted by the Tea Master, John Harney, who kindly agreed to escort us around his factory. After getting acquainted and putting on our hairnets, he pulled back the doors to his magical tea factory.

While taking in the divine fused aromas of hibiscus, ginger, peach, jasmine…(just to name a few), towering crates, and machinery, I couldn’t help but notice Mr. Harney’s gleeful and warm character. For instance, he asked us questions, told us of his many adventures overseas, as well as his love for meeting people and learning about new cultures. Also, as we strolled through each work section, he would make it a point to stop and chat with his team members.

Even though he had to stay and work, his teashop, located a couple of blocks away, had a similar, welcoming, environment. For instance, when entering the café, off to the left, there are two walls stacked with hundreds of teas. This is where we chatted with Hellal, who is currently studying Psychology and interested in cultural studies. Off to the right, is a gift shop that leads to a quaint café that serves tea, scones, salads, mixed nuts, and sandwiches. Sam, who took our order, noted that she was off to roam California with her boyfriend, but noted how she would miss working for Harney & Sons.

In retrospect, this fantastical experience and Mr. Harney’s warm vigor, reinforced one of Ashworth Creative’s core goals, which is to create a respectful, positive, warm environment in order to meet the needs of our clientele.

Special thanks to Mr. Harney for demonstrating positive leadership skills and creating a welcoming atmosphere to his community.

Portrayal in the Pitch

Listening and understanding are two of the major core values Ashworth Creative strives for. We do so, not only to meet the needs of our current and prospective clients, but also to connect and create lasting relations.

With a new year comes new perspective. I know we’re pitching all year long, but after reading an article about how to pitch to investors (http://www.garage.com/ resources/perfectingpitch. shtml), we noticed many parallels that are also applicable to potential clients. So, we thought it would be nifty to share these savvy pitch tips.

“Wow, these guys are good”

• -Include company name, logo, location, tag-line, and the presenter’s name and title on the cover slide so people know what is going on before the presentation begins
• -Tell an exciting but quick story
• -Introduce the team at the beginning of the presentation, so the audience can relate on a personal level
• -Quickly present core values and company history while name dropping past and current clients along the way
• -Qave problems? We have solutions
• -Articulate ability to problem solve and understand the current creative or marketing dynamics. In addition, demonstrate how your company fits perfectly with the client needs

“The grass isn’t always greener on the other side”

• -Be the last company to pitch and get information on competition
• -The more you know, the more you illustrate a competent and confidence in your field of expertise
• -Illustrate key benefits of your company and express their value in terms of direct benefits to the client
• -Articulate how your work is original and how other companies can not duplicate your intellectual and creative property
• -Have a list of competitors strengths and weaknesses. This requires some in depth research, but hey, it’s important!

“At least they’re honest”

• -Explain your pricing, materials, deliverance, and realistic goals in an honest and clear fashion
• -Demonstrate flexibility and be reasonable about deadlines (consider potential milestones that may arise in the project)
• -Always be prepared and open for any questions or concerns of the client
• -Explain what happens if the project takes longer than estimated
• -Notify the client if the budget is subject to change

“Let’s get started”

• -Be confident, always bring that contract!
• -If all goes as planned, the prospect will want to begin right away

Additional Tips

• -Have very little text on your PowerPoint
• -If possible, visualize! Meaning, use charts and images
• -Keep the client engaged by asking them questions
• -Be realistic and never make unrealistic promises
• -Make the client feel comfortable and engaged in your presentation
• -Be personal! the most important word in the world is a person’s name. Also, never underestimate the power of (friendly) eye contact.
• -Change the presentation to fit personality. So, know your audience
• -Do not leave lengthy brochures behind for the client to read
• -Be creative and call them to action!

Soaring above the flock of freelancers

This post is part of the Guest Blog Grand Tour over at Life Without Pants – an epic two-month journey of over 50 guest posts. Want to learn more about Matt Cheuvront and see how far the rabbit hole goes? Subscribe to the Life Without Pants RSS feed and keep in touch!

The past 12 months have been a period of self-realization for yours truly. In a very short period of time, I’ve started a blog, built a pretty amazing community, and have started turning the wheels in motion to propel my own freelance career – having a steady flow of design and consulting clients over the past several months.

Nowadays everyone and their mother is claiming to be a “consultant” – people left and right are dabbling in web design. So how do you stand out? How have I managed a steady flow of excellent clients? Here are four takeaways that you can start putting into action TODAY.

Never underestimate the power of free

Full disclosure – I’ve done a considerable amount of Wordpress web design – and as of today, I’ve managed to do what I need to do with no overhead program costs. No Photoshop, no Dreamweaver, nada. With a quick Google search – you can find virtually everything you need (legally) at no cost. If money is what’s holding you back – think outside the box and get creative with your tools.

Don’t worry (too much) about your rates

I’ve spoken to many of my fellow freelancers about their going rates. The truth of the matter is it’s entirely subjective. You have to answer to yourself when you ask the question “what am I worth”? But don’t dwell TOO much on price. Be realistic, don’t sell yourself short, but make sure you have something to show for your value. If you’re asking for $100/hour and have no references and nothing in your portfolio, I’m going to question your price-gauging. Think about what you NEED and price accordingly. Your value will increase with time and experience.

Ask for feedback

I may not charge an overly high premium for my services – but I more than make up for it in positive word of mouth from the clients I work with. If there’s one thing you should never be afraid of, it’s asking for feedback from your customers. Give them an opportunity to write you a recommendation and encourage them to spread the word of your good work to people they know. MAKE IT SIMPLE – use LinkedIn to ask for recommendations, or send out a “feedback” document once the job is done for your client to complete.

Sell yourself with honesty

Above all. BE HONEST. Don’t overcharge because you can – don’t tell people you can do things you really can’t – it might work here and there, but it will catch up with you. When I sit down with a client and go over their needs – I’m honest about what I can and can’t do – I make sure that all expectations are laid out before any commitment is made. Even if you can’t accommodate everything, focus on what you CAN do and be honest about your skills.

The world of freelancing is a rollercoaster of ups and downs – don’t discriminate when it comes to the projects you take on. Big or small, there is something to be learned from every experience.

What advice do you have for aspiring freelancers?

Template websites or custom design? You choose

So, we are a creative company and design is in our blood. What can we possibly say about template websites? Well, there’s definitely pros and cons. A custom designed website is like a filet mignon at an expensive restaurant. Think of a template website as an average steak from Outback Steakhouse. Now, most of us can’t afford a fine steak right away, but we can probably splurge on an Outback steak. There are reasons for choosing template websites over professionally designed sites and vice versa.

Here’s a quick review of pros and cons of template websites. Think of these websites as infant food.

*Disclaimer: the below statements are about an average template website, not ALL fit this description.

PROS
cost effective
easy
achieves an online presence
spend less personal time making decisions
can be easy to develop and maintain

CONS
you are limited in terms of the layout
can’t apply custom images to represent your company brand and DNA
most are not search engine optimized
cost more in the long run because you lose potential business
no insight or guidance from design and web professionals
much harder to accommodate your users because not specifically built for your company
you look like everyone else

At some point a child outgrows the pea purees and needs some solid food. Template websites are a perfect example for this analogy. A small business usually starts off with something more affordable, such as a template website, but after the business grows it is time to graduate to a professionally designed website. Design is essential for building your brand. It is something that sets you a part from other competitors. There are of course ups and downs to both template websites and custom designed websites. It all comes down to your preference and taste.

Any thoughts about template websites?
Have you had any experience with template websites or custom designed sites?
Do you think one is more valuable than the other?

5 quick tips for new designers

Design tips for all of you who are new to the design world from yours truly Isaac Ashworth.

1. Never fear white space. Always remember to keep things organized and clean.
2. Never give a quote on the spot or even an estimate. Take the time to study the project and understand all it entails.
3. Know your CMYK from your RGB. Know what color protocols to use for your print and web jobs.
4. Believe in your work. Have the confidence to tell the client what you actually think to the work you have presented.
5. There is no such thing as creative block. When ideas don’t come easily then work, work, work until the answer comes along.

What would you recommend to a new designer?

Debate: should independent and private schools use social media?

Do your children use social media? Are you a parent interested in an independent school? Are you an independent school considering social media? Social media may just change your world.

Let us briefly examine private schools. Independent school representatives strive to make a name for their school. The goal is for a family or future students to recognize the school as the authority and the best of the best in its sector. Each school has a mission, a unique history and a differentiation factor. Something that sets them apart from thousands of other independent schools.

Social media. Everyone’s doing it. Why not independent and private schools?

Social media is a way for schools to build trust and relationships among current students and families. The conversations will eventually trickle down to alumni, donors and prospective families and students. It’s free, so why not give it a try? Free in monetary terms, but not free in terms of time. Social media is a time investment, because any relationship investment demands time and patience.

By utilizing Facebook and Twitter, schools can learn to listen to communities of interest and then begin conversations with them. Social media will allow the natural flow of conversation among students, parents, alumni, donors and potential families and students. The flow of conversation may not start right away, but listening, responding, reminding and encouraging will help respective communities.

The natural flow of conversation in its essence can lead to a success or a disaster story. Schools will face both positive and negative comments. The negative comments may lead potential families and students to choose a competitor. BUT the negative comments WILL build a school’s character. Negative conversations should drive schools to fix the problem and become even better than before. It is a way to learn from your mistakes so to speak. The more refined character of the school is bound to attract others.

As mentioned before, some of the benefits of social media for private schools include:

Prospective parents are more likely to trust online reviews from peers than school’s marketing efforts

Conversations spread quickly

Social tools make school advocates highly influential

Natural flow of conversation will lead to discussion and raise awareness

Build quality relationships at no monetary cost

Some of the downfalls of social media for private schools:

Time consuming efforts

Proper response and management of negative conversations

Fighting the temptation to spam potential families and students with information

Takes patience and perseverance to see results

Is it a wild idea for schools to get involved in social media? Do you have any success stories? How about disasters? Do you think social media will damage a school’s reputation more than help?

cPanel – Multiple Accounts Under Single Domain

In the process of launching a client’s website on bluehost.com this evening – things got complicated. It was a supposed-to-be-simple website deploy gone bad… SUBDOMAIN OWNERS AND USERS OF CPANEL BEWARE!

If you were granted control of a subdomain and are responsible for your own hosting, you have an extra consideration to make when choosing a hosting company than everyone else does.

Questions you need to ask:

• Does the hosting company I plan to go with use cPanel?
• If yes, does this hosting company already host a website with the same top domain name or a subdomain under the same top domain name as mine?

If you answer yes to both of those questions, as per BlueHost.com, it is time to find a different hosting company. As per BlueHost’s explanation, cPanel creates accounts based on only one level below the tld. For example, even if I only control thissubdomain.ny.us, cPanel will associate my account with ny.us and all subdomains – disabling any other subdomain or even the main domain, ny.us in this case, to use this hosting company / instance of cPanel. When you try to add an add-on domain in this situation, it will return an error:

The domain “thissubdomain.ny.us” is a subdomain of a domain on a different cpanel account and cannot be added to your account.

BlueHost is one of the largest, if not the largest according to the BlueHost’s Domain Manager, users of cPanel. BlueHost has also been our choice hosting company for basic website hosting and continues to be despite this problem.

So for all of those subdomain controllers in charge of your own hosting – good luck. Specifically, ny.us sub domain controllers, if you go to BlueHost.com, you are out of luck!

BlueHost’s Proposed Solutions:

1. Talk to the owner of the ny.us domain account – in this example’s case, the owner of ny.us – Problem: If you share the account, you have access to eachother’s domains and are at risk of their domain admin’s mistakes / vulnerabilities.
2. Register with another hosting company- Problem: I want to use the company I am used to working with! Also, in this case, I was trying to add the domain as an add-on domain, so if I took this route, I would have to pay for an additional hosting account.

As per BlueHost, cPanel believes it is too small an issue to worry about – supposedly, there is only a very small group of unhappy users like myself who can’t go with the hosting company they would like to. I would hope server admins using cPanel would not only demand this for users like me, but don’t you think cPanel should address this given that this can potentially turn away business!?

Ashworth blog fuel

We were recently provoked by Matt Cheuvront, from Life Without Pants to think about the reason why we started our blog here at Ashworth and what we want to accomplish. These are some of the words that came to our mind immediately: design. passion. creativity. genuine. teaching. relationships. learning. two way. These are some of the things we want to inspire in others. Of course, we want to learn and grow from our blogging journey as well. We aim to serve our customers better, refine our process and develop creative solutions for clients.

Design is truly at the heart of all we do at Ashwoth Creative. We want to build relationships to instill passion and design through those connections. Our goal is to ooze out creativity thus infecting everyone who approaches our blog and site.

“Creativity is an inborn capacity for thinking differently than most, seeing differently, and making connections and perceiving relationships others miss”

- Andy Rutledge,  “On Creativity”

Next step is to stay genuine and real through our blogging journey. We definitely think every blogger needs to build their blog on the cornerstone of honesty and authenticity. Would you take advice on how to prepare Mexican flautas from a grandma born and raised in Mexico or an American teenager? Chances are the grandma knows her stuff and makes authentic Mexican flautas. Staying genuine and authentic is bound to draw people in. This isn’t some formula for attracting readers, but we know that clients want to do business with genuine people. Same thing goes for blog followers and readers.

Relationships are all about being genuine, teaching and learning. This is another reason we started our blog. We desire to teach people and to learn from experts in the industry. It all comes down to the two-way communication. For us, a blog is a great way to reach out to people with the same passions and desires as Ashworth Creative.

So, now that you know what drives us to maintain a blog… What are some of the reasons you read blogs? What drives you to maintain a blog?

Do it yourself or trust professionals?

Yes, the economy is putting a squeeze on everyone’s finances. Yes, cutbacks are necessary.  But, cutting back in the wrong places can end up hurting you rather than helping. Some things are more beneficial the “do it yourself” or DIY way and some things just aren’t. Like web development and design. The whole purpose of having a website is to market your company to potential clients and to eventually drop the “potential” from clients.  If your website isn’t constructed or designed properly, then neither of those two goals can be reached.

For example, when a search phrase relevant to your company is typed into a search engine, you want your site to be ranked among the top listings, also known as search engine optimization.  One of the best ways to accomplish this goal is through your web copy. A professional can write this copy for you in a way that incorporates the search phrases that will get you found while still appealing to the users who access your site all at the same time.

Web copy or web content also has the ability to convert users into customers.  The copy needs to explain what your company has to offer in a manner that intrigues the user and makes them want to know more. Another useful tip is to include “how to” lists on your website. Search engines like them, and so do your customers. If a company writes their own web copy, they have a biased view, where as a professional is an outside party and therefore has the ability to create something that accommodates both the customers and the company.

Photos are another feature that generate clientele.  Photos show the user what your company has to offer in a more tangible way than web content. With photos, users connect on a visual level, which for some is deeper than a cognitive level. This is because photos tend to take up more residency in ones brain when compared to language. Based on this information it is vital to have adequate photos on your site. A professional has the capability to select the photos that will most affect a consumer’s buying decision. When you choose your own photos you most likely choose ones you like the best, not the ones that will appeal to the consumers the most. If a company chooses to resort to DIY photos, they will most likely loose the interest of users rather than converting them to consumers.

Copy and photos tell a story about your company. This means web design is the climax of your story. Web design is the innate fusion of your company’s DNA with the copy and the photos. DIY way just doesn’t cut it when it comes to competitive web design. If you can build a website, it doesn’t mean you can DESIGN a website. Today, there’s a lot of web design out there, but creativity and good design is what will set you apart from the competition. Standing out among competition usually means winning over customer business and trust.

Good web design attracts potential clients and keeps them on your web site. Would you want to read about the services and products of a company with a neon green background, copy all over the place and poor image quality? We didn’t think so. Good web design gives you credibility. It shows visitors you actually care about your company’s image and try to accommodate the needs of visitors. In the long run, DIY web design will hurt your business. So, we suggest you start fresh and let professionals build the most enticing climax for your story.

What do you think? Do you think it’s ok to do somethings yourself and let professionals take care of the rest?
What specific things would you do yourself?
What are things you wouldn’t dare to do yourself?

client relationships = building. stewarding. harboring.

Relationships. What do relationships mean to clients today? What do relationships mean to businesses? Is it something that focuses on driving the most traffic to your web site and getting clients to buy products or services? Or is it having a large number of followers or fans on Twitter and Facebook?

Building real relationships with clients and followers means different things to different businesses. The focus of building relationships and relationship stewarding is shifting in many directions.  Some forget that there’s more to relationships than occasional Facebook and Twitter updates sent to fans and followers. Others rely too much on web presence and forget to exercise their people skills in person.

Dictionary.com puts it this way:
relationship (noun)
1. a connection, association, or involvement.
2. connection between persons by blood or marriage.
3. an emotional or other connection between people: the relationship between teachers and students.

Relationships are a unique connection between people. It is more than a monetary and business transaction.  A relationship sets humans apart from other earthly creatures. The same goes for a business that reaches out to consumers to sell services or products. It is almost impossible to avoid relationships, regardless of how they are manifested.

So, relationships are harbored in a number of ways: in person, through websites, social media, e-mails and lots more. Clients tend to speak out their opinions on web and traditional mediums. Our job is to listen, understand, explain or even change our approach.

Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are tools that help drive the communication. They help, NOT replace. It is by no means the only form of communication that yields lasting relationships. It is easy to get caught up in the sea of clients, followers, comments, complaints, suggestions but if we focus on building relationships and not tearing them down we can really hit a home run with our clients.

Here are some approaches to building and stewarding client relationships. Start as simple as listening. Listen. Don’t try to jump in the conversation forgetting your initial role. Continue with transparency- tell people what is actually going on, sugar coating might lead to more damage.  Add corporate social responsibility, which means caring about the community, the environment and employees by acting for the benefit and not harm of others through company services and products. Insist on actually caring about clients by inspiring two-way communication that educates, encourages and morphs into lasting relationships.

What do client relationships look like for you?

How do you continue stewarding relationships when your main desire is to make a profit?

Here are some extra resources:

http://www.conversationagent.com/2009/03/top-10-reasons-why-your-customers-are-being-difficult.html?cid=6a00d8341c03bb53ef011168c1f60a970c

http://blog.ogilvypr.com/2009/07/3-steps-to-building-a-successful-community/