15 Things You Didn't Know About Design

Ross Johnson of 3.7 Designs filled in at the last minute at LA2M on 11-2-11, but you would not have been able to tell based on his polished and informative presentation. Johnson is a Michigan entrepreneur, author and a website design and strategy talent. Based on his training and experience, Johnson used his presentation to give useful ideas and tips on graphic and web design.

Johnson began his talk entitled “15 Things You Didn’t Know About Design,” by explaining that design plays an important role in many aspects of our lives. He noted that there are important characteristics of design that can make or break its value to a business. A poorly designed website, for example, is considerably less useful to a business than one that is appealing and functions well. He said that it’s commonly believed that design is art. But from the perspective of a trained designer, design is more of a science, because it is based on predictable results from a target audience.

With that target audience in mind, his first of 15 points was that design is subjective. The designer and business need to focus on who the design is trying to attract not their personal preference. This point also ties in with the second of 15 which is that biologically we all see colors differently. Each brain works differently and so each person has a unique way of seeing things.

Johnson explained that human brains are wired to recognize faces. So point number three is that using faces in design is powerful. People will focus on faces and are drawn to eye contact and smiles. He said that a smiling face can create a connection with the viewer. Point number four is that people will follow a gaze in design. This can be a useful tool or it can create unintentional results, like directing the viewer’s focus off the page.

Johnson’s point number five was that design influences our senses and perceptions. It can affect taste and preference. He talked about a product taste test that involved varying containers and how that influenced participant’s preferences.

Points six and seven go hand in glove. Johnson noted that our initial reactions are subconscious or visceral. Our body reacts to images which we then mentally justify. Johnson’s point seven was that when we mentally justify our subconscious reaction, we can even reconstruct our memories. He said that memories are rarely accurate.

In explaining point eight, Johnson emphasized that everything in design should be intentional, because people look for meaning in everything. If there isn’t a reason behind something in design, viewers will create a reason.

In covering point nine, Johnson noted that all decisions are emotional and that without emotion people can’t make decisions. He cited a study of people with emotion specific brain injury that caused them to have great difficulty making decisions. He said that emotions need to be taken into account if taking action is the desired result of viewing a designed product or website.

Point number ten was an explanation of Hick’s Law which Johnson described as the more options there are, the harder it is to make a decision. He cited a product display study which offered as few as 6 and as many as 24 choices. The study found that with 24 choices only 3% purchased. But with 6 choices, 30% purchased. He said that this demonstrates how important it is to not overwhelm the viewer with too many choices.

With point number eleven Johnson used business cards and business forms as examples. He said that people assume that things and information placed in close proximity are related. So with a business card, it makes sense to put a person’s title by their name and the phone number near other contact information.

Johnson pointed out that we are programmed to notice things that are different. Point twelve, he explained, is that if you want people to notice something it must stand out from what surrounds it. Humans don’t like to have things catch their attention in a jarring way, but different is more effective. This ties in with point thirteen which Johnson said is we instinctively ignore what’s not immediately relevant. We don’t see street signs unless we need them and we don’t see banner ads if they look the same and are placed in the same position repeatedly. Humans notice change and differences.

In point fourteen, Johnson explained that humans understand information in “bite sizes” more easily. Applying this to web design might mean showing brief snippets with an option to click to learn more. He cited Twitter as an example.

Johnson pointed out that an esthetically pleasing design can be perceived as easier to use when it’s not. He used differences in ATMs and website designs to describe point fifteen. He said that esthetically pleasing design helps us relax, think better and solve problems more easily. He explained that a website or product that is beautiful is automatically perceived to be better and easier to use.

With all of these important points taken together, it’s clear that design needs to be planned and conscious. You can view Johnson’s entire presentation by checking the LA2M archive.

Trends in Social Media for Business

Summarizing the recent presentation at LA2M of Dave Linabury is very much like capturing lightening in a bottle.  Audience members were struggled to take notes fast enough.  This recap isn’t comprehensive because Linabury’s talk was so rapid and so wide ranging it would be difficult to cover everything. 

Linabury is Director of Interactive for Campbell-Ewald, one of the country’s leading advertising agencies.  He is considered one of the top minds in social media in the US.  His expertise was on full display as he galloped through over twenty topics.  Using the format “What’s Hot and What’s Not”, he covered everything from social music to games to blogging to streaming video.  While the title of the talk noted a focus on business, there were many topics of interest for the consumer as well.

He began his talk by addressing interactive music.  In the social music category he compared Pandora.com with Grooveshark.com.  Linabury said that the more mature Pandora is showing its age and the Groove Shark offers a better interface for the consumer and the musician, as well as an excellent music archive.  In music sharing, Linabury noted the virtual demise of Myspace.com and explained the advantages of Soundcloud.com.  For musicians, there are far more interactive possibilities with Sound Cloud.  As Linabury pointed out, MySpace isn’t viewed as relevant.  In the buying music category Linabury picked Spotify.com over Apple.com/itunes.  He explained that itunes has too many rules and that Spotify offers a broad range of convenient and useful functions without the rules.

When discussing shopping Linabury favored Heartsy.me over Etsy.com.  Both offer unique, artistic hand made goods, but Heartsy offers products at a discount.  In social gaming he suggested trying Cityville the urban version of Facebook’s Farmville.  He also liked Angry Birds Seasons over Angry Birds saying, “It’s just cooler”. 

Linabury also made recommendation for visual media.  He recommended Instagr.am over Flickr.com.  He explained that Instagram made it easy to share photos from almost any phone to any site.  He noted that Instagram offers a variety of photo filters that can be applied before publishing.  Linabury picked Boxee.tv over Netflix.com.  Boxee offers equipment for sale or it can be set up on any computer.  It offers streaming video from internet sources, an apps library, a social function and interactivity with your personal media library.  In social video, Linabury liked Spreecast.com better than Skype.com.  Spreecast is a social video platform that allows people to broadcast together.  He also suggested the video platform associated with Plus.google.com (Google+).

If you need a question answered, Linabury recommends you try Quora.com over Answers.yahoo.com.  Quora is a collaboration of experts, sort of a cache of research on a wide range of topics.  Yahoo Answers is more of a message board for public opinions on questions asked.  If you blog, Linabury suggested the micro blogging site Tumblr.com.  He said that it appears that Google is tiring of Blogger.com and isn’t putting much effort into updating the look or interface.  Tumblr allows for posting text, photos, quotes, links, music and videos.  Reposting is easy.  It’s like Twitter.com for bloggers: pithy, compact and lively.

For social group sites, Linabury picked Google+ over Facebook.com.  He liked Google+ for the ability to direct content to specific groups.  He noted that Facebook was forced to make changes with the introduction of Google+.  He also mentioned that Google+ isn’t available for businesses yet.  In the meantime, he believes that Facebook is one of the most effective social media marketing tools that businesses can use.

Linabury covered more topics than are included here.  For more on this fascinating presentation, view the video in the LA2M.org archive.  For more information on Dave Linabury, check out @davezilla, Davezilla.com, Davelinabury.com, Socialthreat.com, Linkedin.com/in/davezilla and Facebook.com/dave.linabury.     

Relationship Marketing: Owning Spot 1 in Their Mental Rolodex

Terry Bean is beyond a doubt one of the most high profile speakers LA2M has hosted.  He was graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a BS and MA.  He has been a business networking professional for over 15 years and is founder of Networked Inc.  He also started and is the driving force behind MotorCityConnect.com, an important Detroit area networking group.  He sits on the advisory boards of Operation Kid Equip and Empowermind.  Bean is also the recipient of the 2009 Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President Obama.  He is a recently published author of a book on networking entitled “The Universal Guide to Business Networking”.  Bean is also an accomplished and well know public speaker.  His website TryBean.com offers more information on his background, activities, skills and services.

Bean’s message to the LA2M audience was simple: ask better questions in business and relationships and take time to listen to the answers.  He said that listening is a very underrated skill.  Quoting Stephen Covey is stated “Seek first to understand, then be understood.”  He noted that the better you listen and understand another business person, the more they will value that business relation.  It also offers an opportunity to learn if the other business person is a good referral contact.  Do they know someone who you would benefit from meeting?

Bean encouraged the audience members to plan their networking before attending an event.  He said to think in terms of what type of contact or referral would be helpful to your business and company goals.  Another thing he recommended was planning and practicing your “ask” before a networking event.  Business people need to be able to say how they can be helped.  He explained that people are programmed and want to help others.

Bean emphasized that the “ask” needs to be concise, simple, crisp and no more than 13 seconds like the Pledge of Allegiance.  He noted that Twitter has helped with focused communications.  He explained that it’s important to know your audience, rehearse your message and make it compelling, confident and fluid.  He said to specifically describe your ideal client in your “ask”.  Bean said “You don’t get 100% of whatever you don’t ask for.” 

Bean also said that your “ask” needs frequency through networking events, social media and SEO.  Other frequency tools are email, direct mail and phone calls.  Bean explained that an important result of networking is referral introductions.  He encouraged audience members to use relationships to leverage them for introductions and to share referrals as well.  He said to follow up to get closer to the new contact through a phone call or setting an introductory meeting.

In conclusion, Bean illustrated the changes in what businesses look for in a service provider.  1.0 We used to get paid for what we knew and could do.  2.0 Then it was not what you knew but who you knew.  2.5 After that it was who knew you.  3.0 now, it is how you are known.  He said always DWYSYWD (do what you said you would do) and always give back to your community. 

Fishing in Your Market

Daniel Walker of River’s End Consulting used his experience as an automotive R&D engineer and fishing analogies to explain and illustrate the types and benefits of market research at LA2M on 10-12-11.  He emphasized that good market research involves “asking the right person, the right question in the right way.  


When he consults with businesses, he asks why businesses do what they do and what problems they are trying to solve.  He said he uses an “open minded 4 year old mentality” to listen to companies and their customers.  The 3 types of market research he focused on were number gauge surveys, focus groups and individual interviews. 

He likened gauge surveys to fishing with dynamite.  He explained that the results are often too generic to be helpful.  He noted that gauge surveys can offer large volumes of data, but there are too many opportunities for error or misinterpretation.  


Walker compared focus groups to a small fish taking a worm off a hook but not taking the hook.  He said that focus groups can be hard to facilitate because some participants can dominate the discussion.  Walker said the benefit of using focus groups is that the process can yield good date because it is detailed.  


Walker views fly fishing and individual surveys as having some similarities.  With fly fishing, the person fishing focuses on one fish at a time.  With interviews, the data gathering is one customer at a time.  He noted that the questions should be specific but open ended to yet the most information.

He emphasized that no matter which process a company decides to use, the research must be carefully planned, with questions based on what the company needs to know.  The company doing the research needs to understand each methodology to get applicable and useful results.  He recommended that company research teams be made up of no more than 6 and include both internal and external individuals.  The research team members must be open minded and willing to learn. 

Walker stated that the customer is the best source of information for problem definition.  When companies know and understand customer problems, the solutions become obvious.  Obvious solutions lead to great products.  Great products sell better.  There is less stress, money and time in the development process and fewer failed projects.  He explained that the customer is the expert in the problem and the business can the expert in the solution. 

Walker recommended that businesses find a market research method that is perfect for their needs and then listen to the customer.  He explained that companied don’t exist, people do.  “We take care of human beings.  The more we know the better we serve them.” 

Mobile in the B2B World

David Proegler of Latitude Consulting Group illustrated the explosion in mobile web traffic and explained the current and future impact of mobile on B2B.  Proegler pointed to the I Phone as the device that changed everything for mobile.  


By making the user experience accessible for the average consumer, the I Phone drove the mobile smart device flood and the ensuing tidal wave of mobile web traffic.  According to Proegler, the I Phone created the expectation that access to information should be instant. 

Proegler noted that mobile devices in B2B are pervasive.  Based on research, he stated that over 50% of internet requests are from mobile smart devices.  Proegler used the example of traffic to www.mooreheadstate.edu as an example of the flood of mobile device internet usage.  


In a single year, mobile device traffic to that website increased 4000% and the number of OS increased from 3 to 15.  He explained that it’s not just students that expect full mobile access to information.  In the business setting, employees expect it as well.

Using the automotive sales context as an example Proegler called mobile device use “a new way to engage” for the sales person to be better able to meet the needs of the customer.  With instant access to model stats and inventory, the sales person would be more efficient in delivering information and sales.  He stated that all aspects of a car sales and service operation could benefit from mobile information access.

Proegler explained that there are generally four types of websites when analyzed in regard to mobile interface.  Those are: Mobile Failure, Mobile Focus, Mobile Friendly and Mobile First.  Mobile Failure is too complex for mobile device access.  Mobile Focus supports popular devices in the commonly used areas of a website but not when diving deeper in the site.  Mobile Friendly offers a site wide mobile experience which is optimized as well as concise.  Mobile First is a website designed from the outset with the mobile user in mind.

Proegler suggested that for businesses to migrate their website to a mobile friendly format they need to take some time and analyze their B2B site usage and user base.  A business should also review its application portfolio, work with maturing their site framework and plan their strategic direction for mobile.  He stated that mobile can change the way that business is done both with customers and within a business.

Interrupt The Pattern

Joe Marr of Sandler Training has seen his share of challenges in business over the last decade.  He opened his doors on September 10, 2001 and, as we all have, has seen 10 years of rocky economy ever since.  In his recent LA2M presentation “The Economy is Not for Wimps” Marr gave a snapshot of better thinking and techniques for making sales happen in tough times.

Marr pointed out that most people in sales got there by accident and that regardless of our job, we are all selling.  He described sales as fundamentally a one on one interaction between the sales person and the buyer.  It’s an interaction that few institutions of higher learning include in their curriculum.  It’s also a profession that has a pretty shady image. 

According to Marr, sales people deal with the “battle between their ears”.  That includes the negativity about that line of work and using the economy as an excuse for a lack of sales.  Marr noted that about 77% of human behavior is “programmed” and we are culturally programmed to avoid and distrust sales people.  Marr stated that it’s not that no one is buying, it’s that we need to adapt to get more of the pie.

Marr explained that buyers can prevent sales people from providing important and relevant information by being wary, not explaining their needs and avoiding follow up conversations with sales people.  In turn, sales people under serve themselves and their clients by offering general, unsuitable or incomplete quotes based on a lack of information.  This “free consulting” is one path from the fork Marr describes as “Wimp Junction”.

For sales people to be “good stewards” of their own and the buyer’s business interests, sales people need to utilize a new, consultative system.  According to Marr, sales people need to “interrupt the pattern” with new ground rules.  When the sales person lets the buyer know that it’s “OK to says no” for either party if products and needs don’t match, the client is better able to relax and share pertinent information.

The sales person needs to determine if his products offer the client a compelling reason to change and if the client is willing to make the time and money investment needed to utilize the sales person’s products.  Only if the products meet the buyer’s criteria should a sales person offer a proposal.  The sales person needs to understand what a buyer needs, why they need it and what the consequences of a successful transaction are for client.

In conclusion Marr asked “Are you sucking up with happy ears, hearing only what you want to hear or are you creating mutually healthy relationships” with your clients?  “Interrupt the pattern,” he advised.

Search Engine & Social Media Marketing for Publications

If an author or publisher were looking for an expert in Search Engine & Social Media Marketing for Publications, Kai Blum would be at the top of their list.  With over 10 years experience in search marketing and management, his clients have included some highly recognizable corporate names.  He also has over 5 years experience in search and social based book marketing.  He is a published author of 3 successful books as well.

All of his expertise was apparent in his thorough step by step presentation to LA2M on September 14^th.  He pointed out that online marketing and publishing levels the playing field for new and niche authors in competition with large scale publishers.  


Blum encouraged authors to treat their book project as a business.  According to Blum, authors need to know if there is a demand for their prospective topic, who will want to read the book, if the book will be part of a series and what their marketing budget and strategies will be.

He recommended using the keyword tool in Google AdWords to research interest in the planned book topic.  Blum also suggested looking on Amazon for existing books on that topic.  To improve search position, it’s also important to include keywords in book titles and subtitles.

Blum believes that book marketing is the job of the author and not the publisher.  Publishers tend to focus on their latest publication.  To keep interest going, authors need to take and active hand in promoting their book.  Blum recommends authors begin marketing for their book about a year before publication. 

Some successful strategies he suggested are blogging or creating website content on the book topic, participating in message boards on the topic, creating a Facebook page about the author which deals with the topic.  Blum noted that these should be ways to promote the author’s expertise and not the book.  He explained that people can be turned off by blatant advertising in social media.  

He suggested following and commenting on Facebook pages and blogs on the same topic to build an online relationship.  He also recommended reading reviews of similar books and contacting reviewers directly to offer free copies of the new book for review.  


The same can be done with message board contacts, Facebook fans, blog followers and fellow bloggers.  The cost to the authors is a few books and a time commitment.  An option for paid marketing he suggested was bidding on keyword phrases with Google AdWords.

Blum’s presentation was interesting and comprehensive.  If you missed it and would like to learn more about the wealth of information provided, check out the LA2M Events archive to view the video.

Gossip Marketing

Gossip and marketing don’t seem to be two words that an average business person would put together.  Six time Emmy winner, Shawne Duperon, dispelled that line of thinking with her thought provoking, fun and highly interactive presentation to LA2M on September 7^th.  Based on research, Ms. Duperon explained that only a small portion of gossip in malicious, the rest is free marketing. 

According to Ms. Duperon, business people need to first understand the “message they are giving off” and how people are talking about them to improve and amplify that message.  The more customers appreciate a business person they work with, the more they talk about them.  


Business people need to have a good handle on their strengths and what sets them apart to create their own “celebrity status” and word of mouth.  When communicating with customers it’s important to use high energy words that lend momentum to the gossip. 

The better customers understand the value of the business person and that the business person values the customer, the better the relationship will be.  Ms. Duperon explained this by saying that business relationships are a balance of love and fear.  In her illustration love includes excitement, joy, passion, compassion and kindness.  Fear is everything else.  


She said, “Increase knowledge, lower fear”.  She compared fear to walking through a fart at a shopping mall, “uncomfortable, but you get through it”. 

The second part of the presentation was like quirky networking on steroids.  At Ms. Duperon’s direction, LA2Mers in attendance circulated, presented their own bragging points and listened to others tell theirs.  That was followed by the listeners then relaying the bragging points to others in glowing terms.  The process involved moving around the room multiple times and engaging several people in the exchange of compliments.  


The intent of the exercise was to help participants break down fear barriers and to understand the process of the “cycle of reciprocity” where as each person learned the positive points of the other participants, those were then communicated back and on to others. 

The process was interspersed with Ms. Duperon directing participants to say to each other things like “I like your charisma”, “Give it to me baby” and “I like bossy women”.  If this is hard to imagine, well you just had to be there.  It was a first rate presentation that communicated a clear message on many levels.  It was described by one LA2mer as a “MUST-ATTEND” and it certainly was.

Equations

If Health = Well Being

and Insurance = Financial Protection

then Health Insurance = Well Being + Financial Protection

It all seems so simple, but when it comes to choosing a health insurance plan for you and your family, it can get very complicated.

Here’s another equation for you Economic Downturn = Fewer Employees With Company Supplied Health Plans.  If you are among the many that have lost company supplied health insurance, you probably have a lot questions about coverage for you and your family. 

Let’s look at some basic variables in any health insurance plan.  There are four things that create expense for the insured.  Co-pay + Deductible + Co-Insurance + Premium = Annual Out of Pocket Health Insurance Cost. 

Most health insurance plans include a co-pay, which is the share you pay per designated service.  The deductible is your out of pocket expense for health care services over and above your co-pay up to a specified dollar amount.  So for example, a plan may have a $30 co-pay for a doctor’s office visit, but until your $1,500 deductible is met, you will pay the full cost for any lab work or other services that don’t specifically have a designated co-pay.  Most insurance plans have a maximum designated out of pocket over and above your co-pay and deductible.  This is your co-insurance. 

Generally speaking Higher Deductible + Higher Co-Pay + Higher Co-Insurance = Lower Premium.  The more expense you are willing to cover for your health care, the less the insurance company will likely charge for the premium.  Your premium may also be effected by your over all health status.

If you are considering a high deductible plan, you may want to look at a plan that works with a Health Savings Account.  You deposit HSA money into your designated account before taxes and it can only be used for approved health care costs.  The advantages are that you aren’t liable for taxes on the money you save in your HSA account in a given tax year, you have back up funds for medical expenses and generally speaking your premium will be less.  The money can be held over from year to year.

If you are starting a new health insurance plan, you will need to learn the waiting period for treating preexisting conditions.  Most plans won’t pay for treatment of a preexisting condition for up to one year.  The preexisting waiting period may be waived under certain circumstances if you are transitioning from a group plan.  It’s also important to read your plan exclusions.  If you or a family member has a preexisting condition, you will need to know if the insurance plan will pay for treatment of that condition at any time.  Some conditions are excluded from treatment. 

The initial implementation of the Affordable Care Act has meant that children up to age 26 can be covered under their parent’s health insurance plan and that there is no charge for doctor visits for preventive health care.  More changes are on the way. 

There are several health insurance companies that offer individual and family policies.  Each one has its own characteristics.  With so many things to consider please allow us to assist you in selecting an appropriate plan for you and your family.  

Call 517-423-3400                 

What's In a Name?

We've all heard of a few name changes that make you wonder what they were thinking. Puff Daddy to P'Diddy to who knows what. The logic just doesn't seem clear. We like to think of our name shift as more memorable and descriptive. Here are some examples of famous name transitions that accomplished similar goals.

Back in 1893 a pharmacist named Caleb Bradham invented the original soft drink formula for a product that would become a world wide house hold name. He named it "Brad's Drink" in 1898, but soon it was renamed "Pepsi Cola". It's catchy and tells you exactly what to expect when you crack open an icy cold bottle. Good move Caleb.

Another well known name alteration is that of William Frederick Cody to Buffalo Bill. William Frederick Cody is a distinguished name suitable for a frontier attorney, mayor or newspaper publisher. But Buffalo Bill was none of these. Born in Iowa Territory in 1846, he became a US Army scout, bison hunter and international showman. William Frederick Cody just doesn't have the same ring or stir the imagination the way the name Buffalo Bill does. It's a name people remembered and they knew what it meant to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

Well, we're not going to quench your thirst or entertain you with an amazing show.  What we have to offer is what our name says.  We are local to Tecumseh and Michigan. We are an agency with ties to many types and brands of insurance. We will help you with all your life, health, disability, annuity and long term care insurance needs. Our financial planning services will still be handled under the name Boulevard Financial.  Our insurance services will be offered through Boulevard Insurance Agency of Tecumseh.  We look forward to assisting you with your insurance and financial planning needs.

Aspirations and Assurance

In the last blog post we looked at the need for advanced education in today’s society.  It’s a goal that many parents and grandparents have for the young people in their lives.  Savings plans can help make that goal a reality, but what if you’re not in the picture to save and help toward current and future financial goals and obligations?  Life insurance can ease your concerns and help you and your family face the future with more confidence.

So Who Needs Life Insurance and Why?

 

If you are married, even if you have no children, it’s wise to evaluate your current financial obligations.  Would your spouse be left with a problem if you were to pass away tomorrow?  Think about all of your debts compared to your spouse’s income.  Would there be enough to cover every obligation?  If you are planning on having children, you will want to buy life insurance soon.  Some companies won’t issue policies on an expecting mom.  The younger either husband or wife is when applying for a life policy, very likely, the lower the insurance premiums.

If you are married and have children and you die suddenly, could your family continue their current standard of living on a single income?  Most families rely on two incomes to cover current and future financial obligations and goals.  Life insurance can help make sure that your plans for the future won’t die with you.  Your goal of college for your children could still become a reality.  If you are a single parent, your children rely on you even more to safeguard their financial future.

If you are a stay at home parent, you provide your family with valuable services.  Those services would carry a hefty replacement value.  Some surveys have estimated that the value of stay at home parent’s activities could be as high as $40,000 per year.  Could your spouse afford to pay someone for childcare, transportation, cleaning, cooking and more? 

If you have grown children or are retired you will want to look at the income provided through Social Security and any retirement savings or plans.  If you died today, would your financial plan, without life insurance enable your spouse to maintain the lifestyle you envision?  If you’re retired and you pass away, estate taxes could eat up as much as 45% of your estate.  Life insurance proceeds are payable right away and are generally tax free if properly structured.  The proceeds could help heirs cover estate taxes and final expenses without having to hastily sell off assets. 

Life insurance for children can help defray final expenses, but it can also be a way for children to qualify for permanent insurance as an adult without proving insurability.  One insurance plan in this category is the “Just for Kids” plan from Gleaner Life Insurance Society.  The $10,000 policy is available for children ages 1 month through age 17 for a single premium of $125.  It remains in force until age 25 with several opportunities along the way to convert to up to $50,000 in permanent insurance without proof on insurability.

The future holds a great deal of uncertainty.  We plan and hope and dream.  We look for ways to weave security into this insecure life we live.  Life insurance can be a helpful tool to provide greater confidence in the reliability of our aspirations.

Life Insurance Calculations

Life insurance is a helpful tool to protect families, spouses, finances and estates.  It works best when the life insurance is the right type of policy, for the appropriate length of time and the correct amount.  There are several factors that go into determining which choice is best.  Each situation is different.  For more information or to learn about life insurance options for you and your loved ones, please contact Mary Lou at boulevardfinancial@comcast.net.   

Dream Until Your Dreams Come True

There is nothing like a dream to create the future.

-Victor Hugo

A goal is dream with a deadline.

-Napolean Hill

 

How do you know when you're dreaming?  One kind of dream is the type that comes when you're sleeping.  Most of the time sleeping dreams are unrealistic fantasies.  At other times, nighttime dreams can be so real you would swear that it was an actual experience.

 

So what about waking dreams?  We all daydream.  Sometimes it's simply wishful thinking, other times it's about things we would sincerely like to see happen.  Part of being a parent or a grandparent is imaging a wonderful future for the youngster or youngsters in your life.  We hope for them to have a happy family, a healthy life and a successful career.  We can guide them in ways to have positive relationships and a healthy lifestyle.  We can also make a big impact on their future by planning for their post high school education.

 

Somewhere along the way, our society has become so complex that having an associates or college degree can have a major effect on one's earning power.  Based on 2010 census information, workers with a bachelors degree makes roughly 2 times what a high school graduate makes.  Workers with an associate degree make about 50% more than a high school graduate. 

In today's economy, the lower the education level, the more likely the worker is to be unemployed.  The current US work force is made up of 77% professional and administrative jobs and 23% blue collar jobs.  That's a dynamic change from year's past.

We hope for and dream about a successful future for our children and grand children, but there is more we can do.  After all, a dream is a goal without legs.  So how do we make a dream a goal?  How do we give it legs?  Consider starting a college savings plan for the children in your life.  With the cost of college today, any help received would be appreciated.

There are some options available for college savings.  Some people look at a 529 plan, others consider CDs, fixed annuities or investments.  With a 529 plan, the funds are locked into educational use.

The important thing to keep in mind is to go ahead and give your dreams legs; make it a goal.  If you would like more information about college savings options, please contact us at Boulevard Financial.  We'll help you realize your goals.

  

Image courtesy of Mediawiki Commons 

Knowing The Answers

Some questions are easy to answer.  What is your favorite color?  When is your birthday?  Do you care about the people you love?  Would you do anything you could to help them?  Now here is a harder question.  Have you helped out your loved ones by planning for final arrangements and final expenses?

Most people would rather avoid thinking about their end.  Because of that, many of us haven’t addressed the issues of final arrangements and final expenses.  If you contact us, we can offer you a booklet that will help with planning for final arrangements.  We can also talk with you about want can be done to plan for final expenses.

Some people have set aside savings to cover final expenses.  That is one way of handling it.  There are other options that have some benefits you may not have considered.  Life insurance can provide for final expenses without a tax burden attached.  Whole life insurance premiums will never increase.  The value of the benefit may be much greater than the value of the premiums.  The benefit may be used for funeral expenses, hospital bills and other debts to avoid undue cost and sacrifice to your loved ones.

Planning ahead can offer you the comfort of knowing that you have taken care of your final arrangements and final expenses so those you care about won’t have to.  Final expense life insurance can help minimize the emotional and financial weight of a loss.  It can also help in funding your final wishes.  Contact us to learn more about final expense life insurance.

Too Much Fun?

Humans in Spring are an enthusiastic group.  We approach seasonal activities with vigor.  We talk about “hitting the links” when we plan to golf or “tackling yard work” when we weed or mow.  We pursue outdoor activities with all the giddy abandon of a 2 year old picking his or her first dandelion.

 

For many of us, all this bending, pushing and swinging follows a winter of virtual inactivity.  It’s no wonder that there are a few strains and sprains along the way.  If an injury is significant enough, it may even keep you away from work.  In fact, statistics show that an average worker has nearly a 40% chance of suffering a disabling injury or illness some time during their income earning years.  Long term disabilities of 90 days or more may also be the result of a serious accident or illness.

If you are taken away from work by a disabling injury or illness, what happens to your income?  Take a moment and think about the expenses and bills that need to be covered in an average month.  Now take that cost times 3 months or 6 months.  The dollars really start to add up.  If you are like most people, that money probably isn’t sitting in the bank.  Even if it is, most people don’t want to take a big bite out of their savings, if they can prevent it.

So what is the answer?  You may have heard of Income replacement insurance also known as disability insurance.  Disability insurance can be set up in a variety of ways, including short term or as long as to age 65 and it may replace up to 66% of your income.  The premium is based on occupation, benefit amount and length.  For farmers, the premium can be calculated based on farm or herd size.  We work with both group and individual disability policies.  Some very high risk occupations aren’t covered.

Being kept away from work by a disabling illness or injury is a very real concern for the average working person.  Thinking about the months of expenses and bills piling up would give most people something to ponder.  Taking one small step could save a great deal of fretting.  Contact us to learn more about disability insurance.  It may be the most worthwhile call you’ll make all day.

Still More Marketing Tips You Can Implement Today

These tips are published here with the consent of Debra Power of Get Power Marketing.  Her recent presentation through the LEDC regarding creating a marketing plan was very helpful and highly informative.  If you would like to contact Debra, her website is http://www.getmarketingpower.com/ and her phone number is 734-741-1134.

Encourage repeat business right from the start.  This can be done by in-store, email or Facebook only offers.  In services businesses, it's important to get to know your customers and help them to be familiar with all the ways you may be of service to them.

Train your staff to answer the phone with a friendly, marketing-specific message.  Be sure all of the people in the business who may answer the phone are informed and on board.

Remember: your best customers are your existing customers.  It takes six times the marketing dollars to convert a prospect to a customer compared with an exisitng customers.  If some one is already doing business with you, then it's probably safe to say that they like you and would probably buy from you again.  Make sure you do whatever you can to keep it that way.  Keep them happy.

Present demonstrations, workshops and consultations whenever possible.  People like to do business with people they view as knowledgible and experts at what they do.  Workshops can be an interactive way for your customers to become involved with your products or services.

Choose a charity and become an advocate.  This is good for the charity, good for your community, good for your personal well being and can be a PR asset.  The PR is in last place though, because the other benefits are so much more important.

Review you hours of operation and see if new hours might be more appealing to your prospects/customers.  Ask your customers for input.  Post the question on your Facebook page.  Depending on the type of business, after hours appointments may be appropriate.

In addition to today's marketing tips, I also wanted to mention the wealth of marketing information shared at today's Adrian in the AM.  The presenters from various marketing related businesses offered professional marketing insight.  The program concluded with a marketing tips lighting round among the morning's speakers.  Thanks for all the information and thanks Ann for the great Adrian in the AM topic. 

Among the upcoming announcements in the Adrian Area Chamber email newsletter you will find information on the next Marketing SIG Lunch and Learn.  It will be held on Friday April 22nd and promises to be another great marketing session.  Another thanks is due to Ann for giving me the opportunity to share some marketing thoughts and ideas with the Chamber Conversations blog readers.  Stay tuned to this blog for more useful and interesting marketing information.

Strategies for Email Marketing

People are so inundated with information everyday, it's hard to get their attention.  Consider how many emails you receive that you don't read.  These strategies will help prevent your email marketing from falling victim to the delete key.

At the top of the list is having permission to send email marketing to a recipient.  There are a variety of ways to build an email list.  In the email marketing we do for our business, the email service offers tips on growing your email list.  One idea is at your store, or when you meet people you would like to add to your list, simply ask them if it's okay to send them your email marketing.

Be familiar with the people on your list.  This gives you the opportunity to segment your list by interest or provide information that you know will be of interest to everyone on your list.  Requesting replies to your email also helps gauge what gets the attention of your recipients.  Monitor your in box for feed back and reply to comments and questions. 

Keep your email marketing personal by using the recipients' names.  It makes bulk email seem more personal.  The email marketing service we use does this for us.

Email marketing may not be as effective during holiday seasons.  People are distracted with other activities.  If you have a retail business and your recipients have opted to receive your emails, then shopping seasons are prime emailing marketing times for you.  Business to business service organizations may want to think about sending their email marketing early in the week for at work consumption.  Business to consumer business may want to email market closer to the weekend when more people have free time to take advantage of email offers.

Email subject lines should state an immediate benefit to the recipient.  Mention a discount or ask an interesting question.  It's a good idea to avoid $ and ! and "free" as these may trigger spam filters.  Our email subject line is the title of our newsletter, which includes our business name.

If you include a call to action, make it clear and easy to follow through.  If you want recipients to print a coupon, test it to make sure it works.  If you want them to click through to your website, make sure the link works.  If you want them to do something specific when they land on your website, make it easy to find and complete.

The email service we use provides us with a variety of statistics regarding our email newsletter.  We can learn who opened the newsletter and how many times.  Who opted in or out, who clicked through and more.  This is usefull information for the purpose of personal follow up and other business purposes.

Email marketing is inexpensive but has significant impact.  Our average open rate has been around 30%.  If you compare that with direct mail, which is ususally around 2% to 5% and much more expensive, you can see why we find email marketing appealing.  The Chamber has a very nice email newsletter and is a good example of how email marketing can be done well.  If you would like to see our Boulevard Financial newsletter, please send me an email at boulevardfinancial@comcast.net.

Presentable Presentations

While not all businesses employ presentations as part of their marketing.  For those that do, presentations may be very important to the business - prospect relationship.  Presentations, in that context are intended to inform in an interesting way and move the audience from prospect to client. 

To have an effective presentation it's important to be well informed about the audience.  What do they already know about the topic?  Why would the topic be of interest or of value?  What do you want them to do as a result of the presentation?  Why would they not want to do that?  The audience, for the presentation to be effective,  needs to know why they should think you are credible and qualified.  To augment the connection, building a rapport through common interests is a real asset.

The job of the presentation is to take the audience through the process of seeing the current situation and then understanding what could be.  Even if the audience has the information they need to make a decision and it's presented in an interesting, credible and persuasive way, without a call to action, the audience may not understand what the next step should be.  Some call to action tools, may be spelling out a time line for the next step.  Having appropriate paper work on hand and asking for the desired action is another way to go.  People with a sales background reading this will recognize this step.

Some nuts and bolts things to keep in mind include making sure that there isn't too much detail on one page.  The audience won't be able to take it in.  If possible, use photos or images to illustrate your message.  If you use a template or a logo on each page, observe that this takes up a large part of area that could be used for clean simple lettering and images.  The audience will comprehend the message better with less information per page and one clean sharp font used in a limited number of sizes. 

Before your presentation, go through it with someone you trust to give you an honest opinion.  Walk through it in your mind until you are comfortable with the flow and how it relates to the audience.  Hopefully these tips will help you create and deliver more effective presentations.

More Marketing Tips You Can Implement Today

These Marketing Tips You Can Implement Today are published here with the permission of Debra Power of Get Marketing Power.  Her resent presentation at LEDC was highly informative and very helpful.  You can learn more about Debra by going to her website GetMarketingPower.com or call 734-741-1134.  These are some of Debra's useful and clever tips.

Host a contest for something related to your business.  Keep in mind the expense of the prize and any collateral expenses versus the benefit.

Make your telephone on-hold message a marketing tool.  Keeping this fresh is a great idea.

Start a blog.  If you have email addresses for your customers, contact them and invite them to follow you.  Be sure to put your blog address in other promotional materials, including your business cards.

Review your pricing strategy and see if there are opportunities to improve.  It's not a bad idea to know what your competition is charging for the same or similar items.  Is it possible for you to afford a loss leader for a period of time to bring new people into the store?  If you offer a loss leader, it's important to advertise.  Your pricing may also need revising if there is something you offer that just isn't selling.  Remember that your customers may also have some insight for you on this topic. 

Keep quality a priority.  Customers are disappointed with shoddy merchandise.  If you have a service business, make sure that your entire team is on the quality band wagon.  Customers remember and share a good experiences with a business.  Customers remember and share not so good ones too.  For which would you prefer to be remembered?

All About Women

If your business could benefit from meeting your customers face to face, then "All About Women" could be just the event for you.  "All About Women" Women's Health Fair and EXPO is being held Saturday, April 16th at The Centre.  This event allows businesses to sell, show & demonstrate their products and services to a mostly female audience attending the event.  The cost to be a vendor is reasonable and an 8 foot skirted table is provided in each of the 10' X 7' display spaces. 

For most businesses, women are a highly desirable audience.  They tend to lead the way or have a lot of input on many decisions in their home.  Women also make up a large share of business owners.  Some vendors at the show may find women an attractive audience because their products are appealing to women. 

Women attend the EXPO because the price of admission includes health screenings, pampering services, workshops and more.  The featured speaker this year is America's Nutritionist, Zonya Foco.  If participating as a vendor isn't in your plans for one reason or another, coming out to attend promises to be loads of fun.  For more information on being a vendor or attending, contact the Chamber 265-2320.

Marketing Tips You Can Implement Today

The tips in this post are shared with the permission of Debra Power of Get Power Marketing.  Recently I attended a workshop at LEDC presented by Debra.  She is an exceptional speaker and her presentation was both informative and useful.  If you have an opportunity to hear her speak in the future, I would recommend it.  Just for reference, her web address is http://www.getmarketingpower.com/ and her phone number is 734-741-1134.  The title of her presentation was Your Path to Marketing Success and the core topic was developing a marketing plan.  Since wiser minds than I have recently addressed that topic, I'm simply going to pull out a few key tips for simple marketing steps you can take today.  These are drawn from the workshop booklet I received at the meeting.

Survey your customers.  They are a treasure trove of valuable information.

Create a customer database and use it.  It requires 6 times the marketing expenditure to gain a new customer compared with getting an existing customer to do business with you again.

Follow up with your customers after the sale.  They will be impressed that you care.

Use coupons, offer free samples or a free hour of consultation.  Consider the impact on your bottom line before implementing this tip.

Hand out free promotional gifts.  See above.

Re-examine your signage.  Look at your business inside and out, like you have never seen it before.  This can be a real eye opener.

Your Customers Are Calling

There is a marketing tool in every business that can be put to better use today.  It's your telephone.  How you answer your phone may be a new undiscovered asset to your marketing. 

To begin with basics, all your staff should answer the phone the same way.  Think about first impressions.  How do you want your staff to sound and what do you want the caller to think about your business as a result of the phone being answered?  There is one business I have called a couple of times recently where the person who usually answers the phone sounds like they dislike talking to customers.  Not a good first impression.  Consider that on the other end of the phone line is a potential or existing customer and you have the opportunity to communicate something about your business.  What will it be?

If you are having a sale or a special event,  a very brief description of the promotion may be a good way to start.  If you are unique in the market place and have a slogan that reflects that, saying your slogan as a part of phone answering protocol may be a good choice.  Using the fast food drive thru approach may be something to consider.  If you have a new product, ask the caller if they would like information about it.  Even if they aren't interested at that moment, they know about something else you have to offer.  This can also be used for product lines that you already have, but would like to emphasize.  If you have a recorded message on hold, update it to include new information you would like to communicate about your business. 

Remember to get everyone in your business who may be answering the phone on board with the kind of first impression you would like to give callers.  The caller has already sought you out, you have the opportunity to give them another reason to do business with you.

Adrian Area Chamber Shared Interest Groups

The Adrian Area Chamber of Commerce offers members a valuable resource through Shared Interest Groups (SIG).  Currently, there are two, Technology and Marketing. 

Tomorrow the Technology group will meet at the Chamber office for a Lunch 'n' Learn regarding smart phones, Blackberries and Android phones.  Mike McLemore is facilitating this conversation so those attending can make better use of their phones for practical and business purposes.  There are some really smart people involved with the Chamber.

On March 25, the Marketing SIG will have a Lunch 'n' Learn covering location based apps.  Details to be announced.  The Marketing SIG has been especially helpful to me personally.  I represent my organization's products and I am also responsible for the marketing.  I have a marketing background, but I certainly don't know all of the answers. 

Recently, I signed up to participate in the "All About Women" expo.  While I've attended and represented a business at an expo before, I've never planned a booth, materials etc.  I mentioned this at a Marketing SIG meeting and within a few minutes had lots of new ideas offered by members of the group.  Like I said, there are some really smart people involved with the Chamber.

The Marketing Lunch 'n' Learn meeting in February covered creating and executing a marketing plan.  It was presented by Gaynor Meilke who is Director of Corporate Relations at Siena Heights University.  There was a lot a very good feed back.  And no wonder, many businesses can benefit from information on planning marketing.

Each week the Adrian Chamber sends an email with information on upcoming events as well as some additional reminders during the week.  If you haven't had time to look these over, take a moment to check out the emails.  You may be pleasantly surprised at the learning opportunities that are available through the Chamber.

The Generous Ant

It’s nearly Spring!  Sometimes it’s hard to tell which season it is based on Michigan weather.  Soon we'll see green leaves, flowers and the inevitable insect life that goes with warmer weather.  This post deals with two of our insect friends, The Ant and The Grasshopper. 
  
Almost everyone is familiar with the fable about The Ant and The Grasshopper.  The Ant works hard all summer, planning ahead for the coming winter, while The Grasshopper plays his fiddle, dances and lounges in the sun. 
  
In researching this story, one finds that there are three different endings to this tale.  In one ending The Ant turns The Grasshopper away when he asks for help once cold weather comes.  In another, The Grasshopper's lack of planning proves fatal.  In the third, and probably the best ending, The Ant shares what he can with The Grasshopper. 
  
In all likelihood, if the story had originated in the USA, the tale would have the ending mentioned last.  Statistics have shown that Americans are some of the most generous people on earth because they understand that people end up in a circumstance of need for all kinds of reasons. 
  
With generosity, the recipient benefits, but so does the giver.  Studies have shown that people just feel better when they extend a helping hand to someone in need.  In a word, it's heartwarming.  Another possible benefit is a tax deduction for charitable contributions.  Your tax adviser can give you more information on how to claim a tax deduction for your charitable gift. 
  
For many people there is one organization or cause that is near and dear to them.  Because of that, some people will make a contribution to benefit the same group over and over.  If this is something you do, or would like to do, there may be a better way to go about that than writing an annual check.  Charitable giving can be planned through life insurance and annuities.  For more information on which is the right approach for you and how to proceed, please contact me, as this can be complicated.  I am licensed in Michigan.

If you are involved with a charitable organization and would like us to talk to your donors about setting up a contribution plan, please let us know.  Long term planned giving can be a real asset for a non-profit organization.  Thinking about what The Ant would do, he was such a good planner, very likely he would have a contribution plan in place for his favorite non-profit groups.  He would be The Generous Ant!