Happy New Year from Spoke!

Our next #SpokeFriday is this coming Friday 1/8/2010 at 4pm at our office. As always, drinks and apps are free and everyone is welcome. This month a special treat as the event is hosted by Designing Chefs.
Hope we see you there. Help us spread the word:

• Click here to download the PDF
• Click here to share on Twitter.
• Click here to RSVP on Facebook

There’s a handyman at my house today.

I’m not exactly sure what the problem is, but something is leaking somewhere. Honestly, I didn’t even try to figure out what the problem was before I left the house. All I know is – there is water where it shouldn’t be, and somebody needs to set my pipes straight.

I had just the man for the job (and it wasn’t me). For the record, I’m not the least bit handy. If you give me a screwdriver, I hope it has a swizzle stick in it (and perhaps a nice orange wedge garnish).

That said, I could try to fix it myself, it doesn’t seem entirely impossible. With a few hours work, I could probably dig around in the house, look up things on the Internet, and even ask the folks at the hardware store…heck…

I might even fix the problem.

But. I could also:

• waste valuable time, and not fix the problem

• do more harm than good

In this case, outsourcing was my best solution. In the time my handyman fixes the leak, I will have written (and edited) this post, written copy for one client, sketched out ideas for a new campaign for another, and outlined two statements of work for new business.

By outsourcing to a trusted expert, I was able to do what I do best, and empower somebody else to do what they do best.

Anything else seems like flushing common sense down the drain.

This coming Friday (November 13th) is our next SpokeFriday, it’s also our official anniversary party.

If you are coming, click here to tweet about it, view event and RSVP on facebook, or click on the image below to download the PDF to share with friends.

This Friday is our next #SpokeFriday starting at 4pm at our office.  We hope to see you here!

UPDATE:

Exciting news: Just got word from noodles & company that they will be there and serving their delicious noodles.

Noodles & Company is a family oriented quick causal restaurant with dishes from across the globe.  We have Asian, Mediterranean and American menus and serve more than just noodle dishes.  We also have excellent soups and salads.  There is something on our menu to fit every mood and taste that you may have.

At #SpokeFriday, Noodles & Company will be serving samples of their Japanese Pan Noodles from their Asian menu and their Penne Rosa from their Mediterranean menu.  Enjoy!

As a marketing professional, I get a kick out of the cavalcade of corporate holiday cards that arrive in the mail each year.

For most companies, this is the only time of the year that they send their clients anything besides a product or an invoice. And for many of them, it pops up on the radar around November.

I can almost hear the internal conversations:
- let’s be religious…
- let’s be secular…
- let’s be funny…
and of course…
- let’s include a team photo

All of these are great topics to discuss, but there are two major problems with this scenario:
- it’s a month away
- they are discussing a ‘one-off’ marketing piece

Your clients are the lifeblood of your business, and even the very best Holiday card in the whole-wide-world can’t do it all. “Dear client, your business means a lot to us…and here is a bunch of other stuff you should buy…”

If you think you might fall into this category, here’s a suggestion; before the new year, make a resolution to create a marketing plan.

• Who were your best clients this year? How can I get more like them?
• How did you get their business? How do I repeat this?
• Consider industry events and seasonality when you plot the frequency and timing of your messaging.
• Make a budget.

It doesn’t have to be perfect (because it will most-likely change), but it does need to help you consistently deliver your message throughout the year.

Think about how you use email and networking. Write articles in industry publications, speak at events, try new tactics…but most importantly have a plan!

Then, next November…instead of panicking about a Holiday card, you’ll be improving your plan for 2011.