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  • So What is Message Mapping ?
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Soulati-'TUDE!

Should You Hire A Summer Intern?

05/28/2015 By Jayme Soulati

ALT="Claire Freier, Summer Intern"

Claire Freier

A summer intern is a keen idea out of the gate, and your business needs to be completely certain the newest hire is not relegated to fetching coffee and filing papers. College students hired on as an intern can be actively involved in a business and contribute a productivity boost. If you start an internship with that foundation and concept, it’s a win-win.

What’s critical for mutual benefit is a well-designed and structured position. An internship based on real experience and tangible projects helps the intern learn and grow. Over time, the intern should be able to positively affect deliverables and results. Ultimately, a student gets experience in a field, and the company benefits from a low- cost and fresh-minded employee.
So, how specifically does a company benefit from hiring a summer intern?
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Heart Of Marketing Podcast, Public Relations Tagged With: marketing, pay it forward, small business, summer intern, summer internships

50 Small Business Blogs To Watch: Infusionsoft Infographic

07/31/2013 By Jayme Soulati

Soulati-Media-logo.jpgThis is the coolest thing since sliced bread! An accolade that needs sharing.

Soulati-‘TUDE! is included as a 50 Small Business  Blogs to Watch! 

Scroll on down this so very well-done infographic from Infusionsoft, and you will find a PR section with mention of this blog in esteemed company with Spin Sucks!

THANK YOU, INFUSIONSOFT!!

50 Small Business Blogs Inforaphic Infusionsoft 570px 50 Small Business Blogs to Watch [INFOGRAPHIC]
50 Small Business Blogs to Watch by Infusionsoft

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Filed Under: Blogging 101 Tagged With: Business, Goldman Sachs, Infusionsoft, marketing, Public Relations, Scroll, small business, Spin (magazine)

Title Du Jour: Freelancer or Consultant?

06/03/2013 By Jayme Soulati

Networking Freelancers

Networking Freelancers (Photo credit: solobasssteve)

Heard on the street at the New South Digital Marketing Conference in Myrtle Beach, a few colleagues were engaged in conversation that made me realize being in business is a challenge for many.

 A woman shared she changed her title from consultant and owner of an army of one to “freelancer.” 

 She did that so businesses would think she cost less, that her hourly rate was more reasonable, and that they were getting something cheaper for less. 

 What she did was alter her professional identity to continue to earn a living by being someone she really wasn’t — just a freelancer.

 But, let’s define freelancer next to consultant, shall we?

Defining Consultant

When I think of consultant, I think of the Accentures and pwc. They lure in the big clients with boatloads of money and have massively global teams operating in all corners of the world with big budgets.

 A consultant in marketing is considered to be a senior professional with years under their belt who commands high hourly rates and takes on projects with higher budgets. 

 In general, my view of consultants is oriented to trained professionals who know their stuff, who are experts in their respective fields. They take on strategic assignments often with longer-term work bumping shoulders with drivers of companies.

 Does that fit with your definition?

 

Defining Freelancer

The freelancer is someone not inclined to open his or her own business, firm, agency, or other.  They will typically not incorporate a company under S-Corp or LLC status. They will work under their personal social security number and pay 16 percent self-employment tax.

 The freelancer is usually available at a lower hourly rate and is considered to be more tactically inclined. They seek project and take direction from other supervisors. Their interest is less in running a business and more in the freedom of choice to pick up interesting gigs that pay the bills with a level of mobility. 

 Do you agree with those definitions?

 At the end of the day, you deliver high-quality work that demands equal compensation. When clients and prospects refuse to honor your expertise, then do you attempt to downplay your competency to continue to make a living?

 It’s an interesting dilemma…what would you do?

 

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Filed Under: Public Relations Tagged With: consulting, Freelancer, Marketing and Advertising, Self-employment, small business

When A Black Cloud Hits Your Business Psyche

11/30/2012 By Jayme Soulati

English: Managing emotions - Identifying feelings

English: Managing emotions - Identifying feelings (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ever look at the sky and see the black clouds roiling and churning up dismal and bleak sense of unbalance? Mother Nature has a way making that happen, and unfortunately, it happens to business owners, too.

When a black cloud of obstructionary (yep, coining) thoughts hits your business psyche, then everything is off balance until it’s not. This week, I’ve experienced that sense of forboding. Maybe it’s the time of year when there’s pressure to spend more money than you want on personal things and holidays. Perhaps it’s that constant feeling of playing catch up because there is never enough time to be the best social media buddy any more AND bring in the client work AND service it.

Perhaps it’s the fact that life happens and emotions get the best of us turning what was a solid pathway into a twisted, pot holed crevasse.

When all this kind of life happens and your business psyche are put at risk (because we all know a healthy mind, body and spirit make for an even healthier business), what are the things you do to take a turn for the better?

Here are 11 ways I try to deal with all things black cloud:

1. Cocoon and let the darkness slide in and around until it passes and the light comes on again. Don’t reach out to anyone unless it’s short conversations.

2. Stay away from topics on blogs that push buttons and don’t comment unless it’s neutral and positive.

3. Focus outward on others who need attention.

4. Belly laugh because it relieves stress immensely.

5. Eat comfort food like what I did for supper tonight — grilled cheese and tomato soup.

6. Hit the tennis court after working out the kinks on the treadmill and stretching to open the chakras.

7. Breathe in the nose deeply and slowly and breathe out the nose.

8. Watch mindless TV or read mindless books with no business connection.

9. Write a blog post to clear the head because bloggers are full of ideas and the mind becomes cluttered with topical tension.

10. Ask for a hug.

11. Call a friend and shed a few tears to detox.

Do you have certain things you do to ease tension and get your business back on track? When humans run businesses, it’s expected that human emotion can sometimes get in the way. It’s up to we as business owners to recognize the signs that emotion overdrive is hitting and put remedies in place to manage it.

 

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Filed Under: Public Relations Tagged With: Black Cloud, Blog, Business, business owner, positive energy, small business, SMB

When Social Media Collides With Plumbers’ Customer Service

02/22/2012 By Jayme Soulati

From Media Vine Marketing

There are still so many companies that allowed the social media revolution to pass them by. I am having regular conversations with a variety of business owners from solo lawyers and insurance brokers to start-ups, mid-sized companies and larger corporations.

For all intents and purposes, we are in the post social media era. Social media marketing is now part of the larger marketing mix, and it’s here to stay.  What that means is that companies must engage all customer-facing services and orient employees to what social media is all about. I’m talking about impression here; what first impression is your company sending to prospects who engage your company verbally?

  • How is your company projecting its brand via good old website marketing, search engine marketing and social media marketing?
  • Does your company website have good navigation and information about the products you’re offering for sale?
  • Is your site optimized so search engines can crawl your information and inform potential customers about your products?
  • Do you have the necessary social media icons on your site so people can connect with you on social media channels (or the interwebz, as they’re now known)?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes? Awesome.

Here’s the kicker…think about your frontline customer service team and those who answer phones. Are you extremely satisfied with your representatives tasked with selling to social media savvy consumers? If you’re still confused about what I’m getting at, let me tell you a story about what happens when customer service collides with, in this case, plumbers’ customer service.

My hot water heater is 10-years-old, and rather than wait for an emergency, I decided to be smart and buy one before a crisis. Knowing nothing, I began web research for local plumbers from which I could buy and install.

I learned a little and selected a plumbing company that had a decent website with Facebook icons, testimonials and simple navigation. Armed with my information gleaned from a Google search on “how to buy a hot water heater,” I dialed.

To my chagrin, the man who answered the phone was chewing cud, he had a sleepy drawl that was anything but professional. He said, “huh? huh?” every time I spoke. After repeating myself a number of times, I asked my final question, “Do you carry XX brand of water heater because your website says you do?” And, the coup de grace…”nope, but we can order it.”

I went to Lowe’s.

This is the absolute missing link. Companies are doing a great job impressing upon consumers that they are social media savvy. What’s wrong? The disconnect arises when consumers engage with companies and the customer service teams fail to live up to basic marketing standards. When the website and social media channels indicate a company is savvy, there is an expectation that customer service should meet or exceed that standard.

Here are a few pointers to consider if your company is falling into a collision trap:

  • Encourage (read require) all employees to read, learn, and recall the company’s website when a customer is on the phone.
  •  Messaging is critical for anyone on the frontlines, and this platform needs to be shared with those in social media as well as in customer service.
  •  Train company employees, especially those responsible for customer service, to be knowledgeable about social media and what happens. Teach them how new leads come in!
  •  Get back to the basics with phone etiquette and customer service. That plumbing company lost my business forever (the man on the phone told me $1000 to buy and install a hot water heater; that price wasn’t even close to what I paid.)
  •  Consumers now have an expectation; they want high-end customer service to MATCH the impression a company gives on its website, SEO and social media channels. When that fails, prepare your customer service teams to know more than a customer about your company’s products.

I know there are many companies doing this well; got any stories to share?

 

 

Filed Under: Business, Social Media Tagged With: customer service, plumber, small business

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