Marketing Plan "Planning Workshop" at the University of Texas!

I met yesterday with the Informal Classes program at The University of Texas about teaching my marketing plan "planning workshop" for their Informal Classes Fall Program.

I'm very excited about the possibility of teaching this important information to small business owners throughout Austin. I have such a passion for this city, such a love of the University, and such a desire to help entrepreneurs that I feel very blessed and grateful to be considered for such an honor.

If it comes to fruition, I will certainly let you know the date, time and location of the workshop. In the meantime, I'll be blogging about the "Building Blocks for Marketing Success"... this is the information technology upon which the Workshop was built.

When people ask me what the "Building Blocks for Marketing Success" are all about, I tell them that they are a proven process for gaining clarity around your marketing priorities. I've used this process—or system—for the past 10 years to help my clients grow their businesses and elevate their level of marketing success. The Marketing Plan "Planning Workshop" guides you through this process, step by step, and then helps you write your marketing plan for the next 1-3 years right there on the spot!

If I teach this class at The University of Texas next fall, I will cap the class at 20 participants. This will ensure we have the time and ability to dive deep into each participant's marketing goals, marketing challenges and business objectives. My desire is to ensure each participant walks away with a clear plan for marketing their business...

I taught this workshop to the ATX Mastermind Group here in Austin on Friday, April 25th at La Madeline in the Arboretum. We had just under 20 people in the room and it was an awesome experience! Unfortunately we didn't have comfy chairs and powerpoint presentations, but the quality of the participants in the group made it a valuable experience for all. If you'd like to read what people said about the workshop, visit http://www.meetup.com/atxmastermind/.

This group is run by my friend and strategic partner, Ben Littlefield. I cannot say enough great things about Ben. If you're in the corporate world ~ working for the man ~ and considering taking the leap into the world of entrepreneurship, you must talk to Ben! He will give you the information and inspiration you need to take the leap and move powerfully toward achieving your dreams of being your own boss.

If you'd like to meet Ben, please join us for our next Mastermind on Friday, May 29th at La Madeline South. He'll be speaking on a hot topic near and dear to entrepreneurs's hearts right now ~ new media. Hope to see you there!

The Power of a Brand

I recently returned from a trip to Spain. I spent 5 days in Madrid and 2 days in Toledo. Although it was a trip of a lifetime and I feel so blessed to have had the chance to see our world from another perspective, I was so happy to get home to American soil!

Unless you're in a tourist district, you'll have a hard time finding someone who speaks English fluently in Spain. Although I know some Spanish, it was very hard for me to understand what people were saying around me. I learned very quickly how frustrating and isolating it feels to be unable to communicate with those around you.

The biggest thing that hit me square between the eyeballs while I was in Spain was my lack of a relationship with the brands there. Other than seeing the infamous "golden arches" here and there, I had no association to their brands. It really made me realize again how important a brand is.

Our brand is our promise to our customer about what they can expect from us. It is our promise of consistent quality, consistent product performance and consistent service that helps a customer trust that they will always get a consistent experience with our brand.

While in Spain, it was hard for me to have any preferences for retail stores, entertainment venues or restaurants because the logos/brand names had no meaning for me. I ask you to consider, what does your brand mean to your customer? What can they count on your brand to deliver consistently over time... time and time again? If you don't know, then figure it out. Then deliver it... consistently. Then promote your promise to deliver it, consistently. And then keep delivering and promoting it, consistently.

I think sometimes we forget that our brand is like a person! It has a personality and embodies who we are—along with a reputation that proceeds us.

Everything our brand says and does affects our brand. Everything others say about our brand affects our brand. If you're not proactively controlling your brand—and the meaning it has for your customers—then you are leaving your brand at risk.

Brands help people gain preference for your product or service before they've even had a personal experience with it. Do not take the responsibility of managing your brand lightly.

Last Friday, I taught a workshop entitled "The Building Blocks for Marketing Success" to 16 local Austin-area entrepreneurs. The Building Blocks help C-level executives understand how to prioritize their marketing efforts and write an effective, real-world marketing plan for their business. The workshop was based on the premise that they already had an effective and powerful brand for their business, then we build the marketing plan on top of that brand. What I found in the feedback was that several people in the room would also be interested in attending a workshop just on branding.

My friend and strategic partner, Ben Littlefield, and I are currently putting together a high-level branding and strategic marketing workshop for entrepreneurs and small businesses. If this is something that you'd be interested in attending, please let me know! Since we're still in development, this is you chance to weigh in on the process to ensure it's customized to meet your needs.

In the meantime, I'll be blogging about "The Building Blocks for Marketing Success" so check back regularly! I got fabulous feedback from my workshop participants about the high value of this event so if you're interested in attending, please let me know and I'll be sure you get an invitation to the next workshop!