Monthly Archives: February 2012

In Need Of Ideas For Software Analysis Video!!!

I’m having trouble coming up with ideas for a software analysis video that needs to be created for the launch in a 1.5 weeks. It doesn’t have to be fancy but clear, concise and targeted to an engineering type audience.Length: 3-5 minutes long. I have a PowerPoint that can be used to show certain things. The main aspect to be highlighted is that the software works in 4 steps (1-Collect Data, 2-Store Data, 3-Analyze Data, 4-Report on the Data). Budget is around $3-$5k. I was thinking a voice over with someone talking through imp parts of the PowerPoint. I can have a videographer take video of a Demo. But I need some solid ideas as I’ve never planned a small software video before.

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Jay’s Answer:   What’s the goal of your video – to answer questions from an interested audience or to attract a disinterested viewer?

Before scripting the video, start by interviewing your prospective clients (ideally, record the interview). Tell them in a sentence or two about what you’re selling, and let them ask a question. Answer it, and repeat. Do this enough, and you’ll know what points you need to touch on (and in what order).

Since this is a video – what visual impact do you hope to make? Why not simply a PDF or case study? How will the video improve your message?

Finally, 3-5 mins is a long time (these days) to have people watch something. Can you get your message across in 3 minutes?

Tagline For Utah Non-Profit

The Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and respect between the people of Utah and other nations. UCCD is guided by the principle of Citizen Diplomacy – the concept that the individual citizen has the right, even the responsibility, to help shape U.S. foreign relations “one handshake at at time.”

UCCD is a private sector partner with the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). Each year, UCCD welcomes over 450 emerging leaders from around the world to Utah for short-term professional and cultural exchanges. More than 326 IVLP alumni are current and former Chiefs of State and Heads of Government (= global impact).

UCCD is also the Utah chapter of the World Affairs Councils of America. Among other community programs, UCCD organizes a World Affairs Lecture Series that engages Utahns in key foreign policy and international business issues. We’re thinking of adopting the following tagline: “Local Engagement – Global Impact.”

Any other thoughts?

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Jay’s Answer:

Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy:
Connect Locally. Transform Globally.

Utah Council for Citizen Diplomacy:
Bringing The World To You

Name My Wedding Planner Business

I need a name 4 my wedding planner business.

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Jay’s Answer:   The process for naming your business should start with your marketing strategy.

Who are you targeting (other than “people who want to get married”)? Are these people located in a specific region? A certain age? Men and women? A certain income bracket? A certain religious background?
Why you’re different. Assuming that the people you’re targeting already know they want a wedding planner, how do THEY decide on who to hire. It’s not about (simply) price – it’s about the value, the skills, the contact, and the special knowledge the planner has. What do you offer than others don’t?

For example, you can call yourself “Chicago’s Wedding Planner” (which clearly says you specialize in wedding in Chicago) or “Pagan Wedded Bliss” (for specialty for a type of wedding). The narrower you define your target audience, the easier it will be for them to find you and for you to be seen as the specialist for them.

I Want To Start A New Business – But What?

I am looking for a business for myself.  I have been told to get into business for myself many years ago and always worked for someone else!  I have been unemployed now for 9 long months and need an income.  Sorry about being drawn out!  The things I like beauty, making people feel special, and travel. all combined into one!  I also love feet and had a great idea and found out that was already taken!

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Jay’s Answer:   You’re halfway there – identifying some things that you like to do. The next step is to figure out what people will pay you to do that involves your passions. Maybe you can be a tour guide to pampering locations, or teach people the tricks of looking good while traveling, or being an aesthetician. The trick is balancing your loves with other’s needs. Ideally, find a need that people are asking for but haven’t be able to find (look online at discussion groups to see what people are talking about).

Also, any of these ideas may be able to make you successful, the fact is you need to balance the dream with reality – needing an income today. So, perhaps by working for a tour operator, or in a spa, or for cruise line can both help to pay your bills TODAY and to learn more about the business and identify things that people would pay you for.

Slogan For A New Custom Designed Venue

Looking for a slogan for a new, custom designed portable event venue. Something really different and one in a range of such venues. This version is a combination of other types and should reference this. It is also faster to construct. This is a curved roof structure made of tensile steel with a PVC covering. It is fully configurable in shape by adding “bays” along the length to turn it from a circular venue to a cigar-shaped structure’
Clients in Africa for rental, clients worldwide for sale. This is a slick and stylish venue, very safe (compared to marquee), aircon, automatic doors etc, put it down anywhere you want to have the event, conference, awards ceremony, storage space, you name it. Pax up to 2000..high end product. Its a known product but this new combination version is smaller, faster and more affordable.

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Jay’s Answer:

  • Wherever Your Meeting – We’re There
  • Expecting 2000? We’re Ready.
  • Meet Anywhere For Less

 

Call To Action For Cabinets Mailer

I am doing a direct mail campaign for cabinets. I used a company to narrow my demographic to consumers with a net worth of 125K. My cabinets sell between $8,000 – $12,000. I don’t have any financing set up as of now, which is why I am targeting a high end customer. I am looking for a good message/catch to get the customer to call, email or come in. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

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Jay’s Answer:   Focus the message on why/when your prospective clients will want YOUR cabinets. Are they made of sustainable hardwoods? Do you reface the cabinets in a day? Do you specialize in exotic woods or design one-of-a-kind cabinets that fit unique spaces?

Instead of focusing your message on the consumers, why not make some direct connections with people likely to recommend your services – architects and high-end builders?

Name our university quiz competition

We are organizing a quiz competition in our university which would comprise of questions from electrical and electronics engineering. Please suggest a cool name for our event.

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Jay’s Answer:   A “cool name” should do 2 things: 1) convey who you’re addressing and 2) the benefit of competing. For example, you might be appealing to the students, the college faculty, the greater college community, your local community, or other universities (for intra-school competition). Also, what’s the goal of competing? Are you awarding bragging rights, a scholarship, a chance to compete nationally, a fundraising tie-in, etc.? To tie the name together, you need to speak the language of the people you’re “targeting” – where are they physically located? What economic bracket? Men and women? Age range?

As one idea to help promote the competition, why not have a school-wide competition to name the event? It’ll help to spread the word about the quiz earlier, get people thinking about it deeply, and have people who wouldn’t normally be involved in the quiz participate in a different way – to figure out ways to promote it.

My New Upholstery Shop Needs a Great Name

I have had a part time upholstery shop at home for 3 years. Now with company cut backs, I lost my full time job and I am wanting to open my upholstery shop up in town. My business name now is Chad’s Custom Upholstery. I know that it lets people know what I do, but I people don’t always put automotive upholstery with it. If I went with Chad’s Auto Upholstery, then people wouldn’t know that I did furniture and other upholstery as well. If I went with Chad’s Furniture and Auto Upholstery, I don’t know if some would think of it as a furniture store and vice versa if I switched them, then they would think auto sales. What do you think? Thank you.

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Jay’s Answer:   Who is likely to need you more often: people looking for furniture upholstery or people looking for auto upholstery? You could make that your core business name.

Or, you could use your tagline to clarify your expertise:

Chad’s Upholstery Shop: Specializing in Furniture & Automobiles

Or, create two separate business names (Chad’s Auto Upholstery and Chad’s Furniture Upholstery) to look like they are specialty businesses.

Or, as you suggested, create a single all-encompassing name (Chad’s Furniture and Auto Upholstery) – which looks & sounds like a mouthful and may cause you problems in the future if you want to focus on one or the other business or add a third major service.

Each of these approaches has pro’s and con’s in naming. But the bottom line is – if you do great work and treat your customers very well, then people will be spreading the word about your talent/shop no matter what your name is. And, if people are curious what you can do for them, your marketing materials (website, business card, flyers, etc.) should make it clear (both with text & graphic) that you do both furniture and automobile work.

Tagline For Promoting Print List Rentals

We are a list rental company and we are trying to promote our Direct Mail list of medical doctors who buy medical equipment from manufacturers. Its a slow list category and we want to create a cool marketing strategy to get manufacturers to create DM and purchase our list. Any suggestions on a catchy tagline?

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Jay’s Answer:   How about: “Our Lists Need No Doctoring…”

Apartment Staffing Agency Needs Tradeshow Ideas

We need ideas for a tradeshow for our local apartment association. The theme is The 60’s – A time for greatness in space and technology. So we have decided to go with the space theme. NASA – how can we incorporate that into what we do? We a local staffing agency that specializes in the apartment industry. We supply Manager’s, Leasing personnel, Maintenance, Groundskeepers and Housekeepers on a temporary basis and also do full-time placement.

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Jay’s Answer:
(Aside: Technology from the 60s is 40+ years old – which doesn’t connote anything cutting-edge nowadays)

Here’s an idea to play with: “We Put Men (and Women) Into Your Space(s)”