Glide Design

Do you have “passion” for your Clients?

Travis McAshan — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:14:50 +0000

In a nutshell… I received this from Tammy Gentry. She’s a Certified Business Coach with ActionCOACH Team Legacy.

Remember to build a Relationship beyond the invoice. In times like today, and going forward, Client Retention should be part of every Marketing budget.

As the football season starts, one of the key characteristics that GREAT Players in any sport brings to the game, is the Passion for the game and the competition. Watching your kids compete can bring the same unbridled energy and focus.

Bringing Passion to your Clients builds your Relationship into a Friendship. Clients may terminate vendor relationships. Friends don’t fire Friends.

Elevate your commitment to your Clients!

When you hear the saying, “it’s not personal, it’s only business” … they are missing the potential of Making IT Personal!!

Passion IS a differentiator in today’s changing market!

We all know that sales are really all about “Closing The Sale”. There is not a salesperson alive who does not use a variety of techniques to help them be successful with customers. However, I believe passion is the most underrated and underutilized sales tool in our arsenal because it is too hard to measure and no one has found an effective way to teach it.

Passion is an effective sales tool because it isn’t artificial and can’t be faked for a long period of time. It is displayed in people who genuinely care and are willing to take the time to serve their clients in whatever manner is necessary.

Passion in sales is evident when the salesperson takes the time to listen to their prospect and attempts to really understand what it is they are looking for. It is displayed not only in the questions that are asked, but also in the tone of voice and body language that is used and the follow-up that is demonstrated after the sales call. Sale professionals who have passion are able to create long-term profitable relationships with their customers. They also routinely benefit from referrals by their existing clients and, on many occasions, these prospects come to them ready to buy.

Before you rush out to practice your body language and tone of voice in an attempt to find passion, let me add the secret ingredient: heart. Passion comes from a genuine belief of wanting to help the client in both good times and bad.

Passion can actually be measured in a couple of ways. Begin by asking yourself this simple question: “When the day is over and my clients are reflecting back on the people they’ve interacted with and the activities they’ve done, do they think of me in a positive light that contributed to them having a good day?” It is important to consider whether your clients truly believe you are helping improve their day and their business. Another assessment tool is found in analyzing the number of referrals you get. Referrals are an accurate measurement of how your clients view you. If they honestly believe in you, they recommend you to others.

Passion in sales is underrated. Therefore, your ability to genuinely care about your clients, to show an interest in them, and to serve them will determine your long-term business success.

Are you Passionate about Your Customers?
Source: Vic Ciuffetelli, ActionCOACH, Asia Pacific

Profiles of Success: Faradays Kitchen Store

Travis McAshan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 14:56:36 +0000

In a nutshell… we spent some time with owner, Tony Curtis-Wellings of Faradays Kitchen Store to learn more about his business, beliefs, and ongoing path towards success.

Q: What inspired you to begin this business?

After working in corporate America for 15 years, I was tired of it, and I wanted to start my own business. I moved from Colorado to Texas, looking for a business to buy. I was inspired by the shops by the Arboretum in 2005, especially William Sonoma and Sur le Table. After doing some research and speaking with people in the food/retail industry, I wrote a business plan and got approved for a loan. In March of 2005, I had the funding to open my own store, and I signed the first lease on March 18. I spent the next three months buying products, researching vendors and working with an industry consultant. On July 1, we began moving into the new building, but it took about four weeks to set up the store. Our grand opening was at the end of July 2005.

Q: How has your business evolved into what it is today?

It was very important to me from the beginning to lay out a clean, clear plan and stick with it, which we have; but we have definitely matured. Experience, buying ability, better product assortment and customer satisfaction has changed, but our plan has stayed the same for the last five years. Small businesses can be profitable if they are nimble and able to give customers what they want. Our mission statement is lived and breathed, but we adapt to our customers.

Q: What is the most interesting/fun aspect of running Faradays?

I love people, so I definitely enjoy interaction with customers and fellow workers. I’m very involved with my company, so I love going out and hearing feedback directly from our customers. I enjoy reading registration/feedback cards. And because I am in the store most of the time, I feel like I can get to know my customers well.

Q: What has been your biggest challenge in your business so far?

Branding! There are two parts to marketing- branding and a call to action. I am definitely more of a sales guy, not a marketing guy, so it is a big challenge.

Q: How have you handled the shift in the economy?

When I saw that competitors’ sales were down, Faradays felt the effects. Because we have a “good, better, best” value and pricing structure, customers are able to have products based on their individual price-preference level. Sales in higher end products dropped with the economy, as customers bought middle to low end products. We feel fortunate that we can offer such options. We also impose a minimal advertising price strategy; when vendors say we can’t sell products for less than X, we sell them at the lowest price possible. Having a business plan and finances set for the next several years has helped. And we only buy products we need at the time; when the economy changed quickly, we did not lose much money in product or overhead.

Q: Where do you anticipate your business will head in the next year? Five years?

I’d like to see one of three things: Coming out of the recession; expanding the current store or growing with two or three locations; or operating as a franchise.

Q: How do you stand out from your competition or other people in your field?

We set our standards very high in customer relations and service. Our products may change out, but our structure has stayed the same. We pride ourselves in customer adaptability and the ability to bring in those products our customers want. We have also documented everything very well for future stores.

Q: As a business owner, what drives you or helps keep you motivated?

I get my motivation from raised revenue, spreadsheets, daily and monthly objectives and beating my own goals. I keep my employees motivated by awarding money or prizes when goals are exceeded.

Q: How has Glide assisted you in accomplishing your business goals?

KISS! (Keep It Simple Stupid!) Glide and Faradays worked as a partnership, as we were both trying to expand our businesses. We had the same belief that net worth depends on net WORK; and as our network grew, our net worth grew. We knew the environments of our businesses, were on the same level business-wise, had quality products and services and wanted to reach more customers. Glide’s team is responsive and gives high customer service. They are quality workers, good listeners and excellent plan executors. Glide wants to know what their customers want and how they can give it to them.

Q: How do you market your business?

Of course we have our website, but we also put out a bi-yearly, 40-page coffee table catalog, with 600 pictures. We try to keep a constant presence in the public eye by appearing in newspapers, online and Austin monthly. We occasionally do radio ads. We also have 20-25 marketing partnerships, using maybe 1 or 2 at a time.

Q: Do you implement any GREEN tactics/techniques/methods into your daily business routine?

We don’t use a lot of paper, as I prefer to do things electronically, and we always reuse cardboard boxes and packaging. I don’t like waste. Our employees are aware of what they use and how. We also make lists before buying products so we don’t duplicate products.

Q: Name something you miss about being a kid?

Lack of routine. Carefree. Spontaneity. Naivety.

Q: Do you have any hidden talents?

I can play percussion instruments.

Q: Do you collect anything?

I collect stamps and I love photography.

The Four P’s of Great Copy

Travis McAshan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:14:48 +0000

In a nutshell, there are quite a few rules to writing great content but these basics will help you along the way.

Pleasure & Pain:

Good copy creates anticipation for the satisfaction of a desire (pleasure) or the relief from pain. This is your lure for attracting the reader’s interest toward your product or service. Check out these past articles…

Promise:

Whether it’s an offer or a benefit, your copy always implies a promise to the reader: When you buy this service or respond to this page, you’ll get something of value in return.

Proof:

No one will simply take you at your word for anything. You make your case by proving it, by submitting evidence, testimonials, statistics, facts, and reasons why you can fulfill the promise you’ve made. Check out these past articles…

Purchase:

The cha-ching moment. Through the influence of your persuasive power (and a bit of luck), the prospect will follow your call to action and become a customer. Check out these past articles…

Easy to Read + Your Site = More Sales

Travis McAshan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:59:11 +0000

In a nutshell, making your site easier to read is surprisingly easier than you think. In fact with a little effort your content will be more friendly, scannable, and attractive to your readers.

Remember high school, when your teacher would assign reading for homework. Those endless pages of text that you were forced to read through. Well, your customers are not being forced to read your text so it’s time to make your text look like a well-formatted easy to read website and NOT the old science book anyone would hate to read.

Write short sentences and short paragraphs.

Try to keep your sentences nice and simple. And, with some exceptions limit your paragraphs to just 3-4 sentences.

Allow lots of white space.

No crowding. Separate your paragraphs with a clean, clear line of empty space. This helps for “scan-ability” and increases usability.

Write meaningful subheads.

Break up the content with the mini-headlines, in bold print, that helps tell your story and interrupts the monotony of long strings of text.

Use bulleted lists to summarize content.

Use bulleted lists instead of paragraphs to make your content more “scan-able” for your readers. Many times a paragraph is much easier to read as a list instead of 2-3 sentences.

Bring attention to key phrases.

You can add special formatting, such as boldface, italics, or different colors text, to help highlight the most important phrases or information.

Use inverse pyramid style of writing.

Present key ideas, points, and conclusions first, followed by less important information and background materials.

Present one idea per paragraph.

When creating your content break apart you ideas into the essential points for your readers then give them small “bites” to choose from.

5 Ways to Be Specific in Advertising

Travis McAshan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:04:02 +0000

In a nutshell, all advertising is making a claim and backing it with proof. Make sure your proof is specific and believable and you will convince the reader…

Use hard numbers.

Putting hard numbers on your statements lends an aura of objective scientific fact to your arguments. “Save $50″ beats “Save Money.” In addition, the more precise the number – saying “51.7%” rather than “more than 50%” – the more credible your statistic.

Use testimonials and stories.

People believe people who are like themselves. In this case, that refers to other prospects who became customers. Direct quotes from your customers that illustrate real-world success go a long way toward establishing trust.

Use reasons why.

You want to distinguish your claims from those made by your competitors. Give your reader reasons why your product and service can really deliver on your promises. Unique features, experience, research, and special strategies can be among the reasons why your offer deserves immediate attention.

Use relevant statistics.

One way to proof specifics in your industry and to express your expertise is through statistics that you have created or gathered. The great benefit of statistics is the amount of information they convey. Always back them with reputable sources and you’ll be educating your prospects into paying customers.

Use numbered lists of information.

People appreciate numbered lists of information because they do two important things. They tell the user exactly what to expect from the content, for example “5 Essential Tips on Selecting a Landscaper”. Secondly, they typically filter large amounts of information, giving the reader the most essential nuggets to scan, pick, and eventually read.

5 Tips to Writing Customer Centered Content

Travis McAshan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:54:00 +0000

In a nutshell, the most important thing you can do with your content is write with the READER in mind. Do this and get ready to start getting more calls…

Not only does a customer-centered site do a better job of selling, but customer-centered content can make or break your site’s ability to create quality conversions. You should be doing more than just defining your services and puffing yourself up. You should be reaching out to the customer like you were standing right in front of them.

1. You can use “you”.

When you write, pretend that you’re speaking confidently to someone you know, like, and trust. You’re never lecturing. You’re engaging in a helpful conversation in which the other person’s voice isn’t heard but is anticipated and valued.

2. Write in a conversational style.

Strive to write in a conversational style. Just remember, the more friendly and approachable, the better. Also, use contractions, it’s intimate, and it increases readership. Lastly, use common words not business jargon, you’ll appear more familiar, more friendly, and draw the reader closer.

3. Tell the readers what’s in it for them.

Speak to the significant benefits for readers. You’re NOT important; the readers are. They want to know, “what’s in it for me?” Of course, you have an agenda but you can’t connect to your readers unless you write to their self-interests, not your own.

4. Speak in the reader’s language.

This isn’t time to show off your vocabulary. Your style and your choice of words should match your reader’s style. A letter to information to IT professionals should speak their language, a letter baseball fans should have the slang and punch of a sports column.

5. Be a mirror.

Ultimately, the best content (and in fact, all the best marketing materials) aren’t really about you, your business, or even it’s products and services – they’re about your customers. Your content should be a mirror. When prospects read it, let them see themselves: their hopes and fears, their values and dreams, and their best idea of who they are or would like to be.

What have we learned?

Overall, your website content is either helping you or it’s hurting you, there is no area in between. Make sure you content speaks to your customers by following the helpful list above!

Get found in social media… (25 easy ideas)

Travis McAshan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:14:29 +0000

What is Social Media?

We have all heard about “it”, and we all know we need to be doing “it”. The only problem is most people don’t even know what it (social media) IS! Consider this your 5 minute primer. To get started let’s take the Internet definition from Wikipedia, which defines social media as, “Internet-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings.” I find that definition a little dry and prefer to think social media is simply about people connecting, interacting, and sharing online.

Why should I care about Social Media?

The answer is basically the same as why you should care about Google – social media is a great way to reach and engage potential customers. It’s a way to reach past the traditional forms of marketing and advertising and touch customers directly where they are, on their terms. If done right, can you can foster deep and loyal connections with your target audience. At the end of the day, don’t you want to be “hanging out” where your customers are?

The Big Kahunas of Social Media

While there are hundreds, if not thousands of options available in the social media universe, there are a select few that will give you the most “bang for your buck”. Starting with these important social media hubs is a sure way to find your customers where they spend time online. Here’s a brief list of the most important sites:

Facebook.com – the largest and most active social network in the world
LinkedIn.com – the business professional’s social network of the web
Twitter.com – fast growing micro-blogging platform
Youtube.com – the largest and most visited social video site online
StumbleUpon.com – the social discovery site for finding and sharing great sites
Digg.com – online user-edited news aggregation
And many others…

25 Easy Ideas to Get Started Today:

Create a Facebook.com personal profile… just GO DO IT
Create a Facebook business page (known as a fan page)
Create an easy to remember URL for your fan page
On your next event use Facebook events to invite people and get RSVP’s
Look for your existing business contacts and invite them on Facebook
Connect your blog to your Facebook business page (easy way to update)
Create a LinkedIn user account and profile
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is 100% complete
Link your LinkedIn profile to your business site and your blog
Use the group search feature and join the biggest groups in your industry
If you can’t find a group, create your own group
Find most relevant LinkedIn Answers categories and subscribe
Reserve your company name on twitter as your user-name
Create a complete profile including bio on Twitter
Find the twitter experts for your industry and follow them
Connect Twitter to your facebook so you don’t need to update often
Create an account for yourself on Digg (don’t use business name)
Subscribe to the most relevant category to your business on Digg
Befriend people who post relevant and interesting articles
Start submitting articles you think are exceptional
Create a StumbleUpon user account and download the toolbar
Select the categories most relevant to your business
Start “stumbling” and voting on sites you like and dislike
When you find interesting sites give them a thumbs up
Build your friend list with people who submit relevant sites

5 Reasons to Start a Business Blog

Travis McAshan — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 03:21:32 +0000

In a nutshell, having a business blog is an investment in time, energy, and money. However, many times the rewards can far outweigh the costs…

This is especially true in specific situations where having a blog can have a tremendously positive benefit for your company. This article series will focus on why a blog may fit your needs, how to write great blog posts/articles, and how to organize your own blog for both your employees and customers.

Blogging, the easiest way to become an “author.”

The root of “authority” is “author,” and few things give you or your organization as much credibility as being the author of books or articles in your business area. The problem is writing a book can be a huge investment in time you don’t have. The good news is with a website, a blog, a few free hours a month, you are well on your way to being both an author and an expert to your customers. Trust me when I say, “this is a good thing!”

Is it time to get your blog on?

Not that long ago, your probably wouldn’t have thought about taking the time or investment in writing or publishing material about your industry. However, with the advent of blogs, businesses can benefit not only from the search engine “love” but also from the many customer centric benefits of a blog. Having a blog may be right for your business in the following situations:

#1. You’re in an industry from which people expect leadership.

Some industries have the honor (or responsibility) of demonstrating public or social commitments that go beyond the drive for profits. Perhaps your business is involved in the local community or you’re sponsoring a large charity event. When people turn to your business for guidance, a blog can be one way you assert leadership.

#2 You want to assert authority.

Many businesses sell ideas rather than products and services. Examples like business consulting groups, marketing researchers, executive development coaches, and more. A blog is a good way to establish and increase credibility as an authority in your field.

#3. You want to educate prospects.

In our current service economy, you may be obligated to sell items or services that can be fairly complex. In addition, many consumers are turning to google to find their answers. Your goal should be to become the de facto answer expert in your trade. A blog allows you to cast a larger “net” with which to reel in potential customers looking for answers.

#4. You sell expertise.

It’s one thing to ask people to shell out money for a product they can see, touch, and smell. But expertise, whether it’s in custom home building or flower arranging, remains intangible and therefore more difficult to establish in your prospects minds. A blog gives you the platform to “sell” your expertise through quality content about your industry from an editorial point of view.

#5. Your customers expect/require a blog.

As we progress into “Web 2.0″ (the read/write web), more and more customers are expecting fresh, relevant, and insightful information from the companies they buy from. If you’re in specific industries like real estate, home building, or any number of services like wedding planning, you’re customers are going to want to see fresh information. A blog is a great way to provide news, events, ideas, tips, in an easy to manage way.

What have we learned?

Overall, having a blog can be a tremendous value to your company and a great resource to your customers. While not all businesses need a blog, many find themselves in situations that are ideal for a blog to impact their bottom line.

Finally… Highrise Add-On for Gravity Forms

Travis McAshan — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:22:39 +0000

In a Nutshell…

GLIDE has released a FREE Highrise Add-On for Gravity Forms for WordPress. This add-on plays nicely with the default installation of Gravity Forms and functions in the same ways as their previously released add-ons for Freshbooks and Campaign Monitor.

Gravity Forms + Highrise = Happy Sales Team

I have been using the developers license of Gravity Forms on my websites for the last 6 months and I must admit it’s fantastic. In addition, I have been using it for my own website. However, I also happen to be an avid user of all things 37 Signals. We use their intranet product, Backpack, their CRM, Highrise, and of course Basecamp for project management. The one drawback was having to manually enter all the lead conversions from Gravity Forms into Highrise.

Taking the bull by the horns…

After contacting the wonderful folks from Gravity Forms they kindly noted they weren’t planning any involvement with Highrise in the foreseeable future. That’s when I decided to hire a local developer and friend, Nathan Biles, to help me create a workable solution. I also decided that although I paid for the development of this plug-in out of my own pocket I wanted to share the love with everyone. I hope it solves the missing link from Gravity Forms to Highrise for you like it did for me.

Get It Now:

Download Highrise Add-On for Gravity Forms Plugin

Update (July 27, 2010):

We took things to another level and created a strong validation to make sure that every part of the plugin is validated in backend before beginning. While testing Highrise URL and API Token we’re actually testing functions. By doing this we noticed the importance of having the right protocol and having no trailing slashes. The new version of the plugin includes new validations. We have also tested it over and over and over and everything seems to be running at a good speed. The highest amount of time on click of form submission has been 8 seconds at the maximum. If speed is still an issue please let us know and we’ll continue to investigate. After researching more with Highrise API we have learned that the only people complaining about speed are those using PHP and curl library for PHP.

Gallery of Screen Shots:

Is Your Website Design “CRAP”?

Travis McAshan — Wed, 19 May 2010 05:08:48 +0000

In a Nutshell…

Graphic design contains underlying principles that govern the most important aspects of great design. These principles create the acronym C.R.A.P. which stands for contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity. The well-balanced combination of these principles tends to create design which most people would consider visually pleasing.

The Best Acronym Ever… C.R.A.P.

If you’re like the vast majority of people, you’ll immediately think an acronym like CRAP would be negative in connotation. However, to say a design is CRAP is quite the compliment (we suggest not trying this with your designer). The original term was coined by writer Robin Williams in his book “The Non-Designers Design Book” written in 1994. All in all, the principles involved are easy to understand and we’ll show some examples for each below.

#1. CONTRAST

Contrast is defined as “the difference in visual properties that makes an object distinguishable from other objects and the background” (source: wiki). We like to say it means to make some things stand out more than others. Just like a roller coaster needs some ups and downs, a website needs to have some variation and contrast.

In this example of www.sandysshoesaustin.com, you see the background has a subtle yet powerful image. However, the foreground or informational panels almost jump off the page and catch your attention. This is a great example of contrast.

Things to Consider:

Group things that are the same together
Make things that are different stand out
Don’t be “slightly different” (choose same or very different)
Strong contrast helps visually separate content
Good contrast makes a design more visually appealing
Contrast is great for “calls to action” and “next steps”

#2. REPETITION

Repetition is defined as to “repeat styles down the page for a cohesive feel” (source: thinkvitamin). We like to say that the more you use similar styles and elements the more comfortable the user feels understanding and interacting with your design. By using repeating styles you create usability, trust, and ultimately action.

In this example of www.yeticoolers.com, you see that the informational panels all have the same style. The typography (text), buttons, and side-view photo of the coolers all share a similar style. By repeating the panels a user can easily choose based on the content alone without distracting design differences between each product options. This is a great example of repetition.

Things to Consider:

Repeat design elements to create consistent “feel”
If specific elements contain a certain style – use it elsewhere
Repetition creates visual connections between content
Repeating styles make a website more user-friendly
Repeating styles reinforce their meaning to the user

#3. ALIGNMENT

Alignment is defined as “lining up the top, bottom, sides, or middle of text or graphic elements on a page” (source: about.com). We like to say it’s a “rhyme or reason” to things being where they are. This quality is the single most important principle in great design and typically is the difference between professional design, and how can we say this… “unprofessional design”.

In this example of www.manegain.com, you see how the various elements of the page, while appearing in the header, the body and in the bottom of the page all align in the same invisible grid. While most people will not realize this aspect of great design, it is quite literally CRITICAL in creating beautiful designs. The more you start looking you will see an underlying grid to nearly all great design.

Things to Consider:

Quality alignment is CRITICAL to great design
All page elements should be visually connected to something else
Alignment of important content items creates attractive design
Underlying grids help make a design flow more naturally to users
Choose left align, center align or right align (don’t mix)
Make sure to match spacing/padding when you align items

#4. PROXIMITY

Proximity is defined as “the property of being close together” (source: thefreedictionary.com). We like to say it’s grouping things that act, look, and feel alike, close together and separating different elements to create more user-friendly websites. Proximity is used to connect like items and separate site content into digestible chunks. By creating a less proximity (less closeness) you can “set apart” or highlight specific items in a design.

In this example of www.tbic.com, you see how there is a very large amount of “white space” (low proximity) around the major service offering, “A Texas based Workers Compensation Insurance Carrier.” While there is an image in the background, the lack of other visually complicated items has been purposely eliminated to create a strong compelling urge to read the sentence and act on the “Know More”. This is a great example of proximity (or lack thereof).

Things to Consider:

Proximity creates meaning
Elements that are alike should be grouped
Items that are different should be kept apart
The more spacing elements the clearer the difference
More spacing means LESS connection in elements
Clear separation makes navigating a website easier

What have we learned?

Creating a great design is more science that one might think. There are quite a few fundamental principles behind the scenes guiding and directing a designer to achieve great results. By simply following the four basic principles of CRAP (contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity) you’ll be well on your way to aesthetically pleasing design.