What's in a Style Sheet

When we start with a new client the first thing we do before we start writing anything is to create a list of words, acronyms, and style use that will help us be consistent in all documents and with all authors. It also helps us create a working standard for our clients when they take over the documents. Here is a list of items we put into an Excel spreadsheet.

Alphabetized Spelling and Word Use Tab
For Example:
We had a client that insisted on having the 'TM' symbol on every instance of their product name. So in this list under C for the product name we listed...

• Product Name^TM
  

This told the writer how this word would be used. We also listed industry words (after we have confirmed spelling with industry associations or resources)...

• electrocardiography
  

and writing standards for words...

• double-click
  
• log in (adj or n.)
• login (verb)
  

Acronym Tab
We list all the industry and proprietary acronyms with their full spelling

• ECG - electrocardiogram

Styles, Standards, and Marketing Tab
On a third tab we record all the clients current:

• font styles (Body text - Arial 10pt, left align)
  
• branded colours (RGB and HEX)
  
• unit short forms (e.g. msec (millisecond)
  
• Computer usage terms (describes how to write the name of application parts e.g. button names - bold)
• Numbered standards (describes how to write words with numbers like package size e.g. 50-Pack)
• Numbers (0.2V or I, II, V or 8^th)
• Writing standards (e.g. use serial commas)

"I don't know what I want to do when I grow up"

Have you ever had a friend say this to you? I have a couple, and I confess I have said this myself. This statement is not spoken because of a lack of ability, work, or passion it comes about because of other aspects of life. This morning I had an insight I am going to share:

This morning I was tweeting about a conference "call-for-speakers" in the information management side of what I do. I thought to myself - I don't have any clarity about the focus of my profile on Twitter. Am I an information management specialist, am I a business owner, am I an investor, or a mom and mentor, etc.? After deliberating for a bit I thought to myself, I am a CEO. I am the person that understands and oversees all the other aspects. I am the visionary that leads the way to the information and directs the purpose. This is what I am going to focus on.

When I sat back and looked at this statement I realized that when I put all my skills and interests under this one umbrella, clarity came to my 'understanding of me'. I finally know what I want to be when I grow up, it is an Entrepreneurial CEO and luckily I am already there.

This does not reduce the amount of work I have, but it does help me say 'Yes' or 'No' to certain activities when they do not meet this focus.

I share this for the benefit of all my friends and others that have a CEO mindset. Thinking like the person at the top makes focusing on one type of skill set quite difficult. You need to look higher up the chain to meet your abilities and to ensure you are using the gifts you have to their fullest.

Weird that Twitter helped add clarity to my 'understanding of me'.

Customer Loyalty Programs

As business owners we all struggle with ways to reward our best clients for their business. We all know that it is easier to get business from a returning client than it is to get a new client.

There are all types of customer loyalty programs, depending on the type of business or service being offered and the level of investment the client puts into the business. For instance, if you have ever spent time at a casino you may know that big spenders at the casino get all types of compensation, from dinners to accommodations and travel depending on how much they spend. When I shop at Zehrs using my Presidents Choice banking card I get free groceries. When I renew my mortgage with my bank, I get a better rate than I could at other banks. For my clients, I have offered loyalty discounts on projects and rewards for referrals.

The longer our clients have known our business, the easier it should be to deal with us. We do not want our clients to jump through hoops to renew our relationship every year yet that is what one of my service providers has just done. Let's look at this from both the business side and from the customer side.

First, I will not name this business because I have had a successful relationship with them for 15 years. This is not a letter of complaint (I did that through their corporate channels) this is an article about the perception of a reward from both the business and the customer's point of view. For the sake of clarity I will refer to the business as Smith's, which is not their real name.

The business view
Smith's is a successful Canadian company, with a long history of service. They started offering their products and services for the consumer market and diversified into several products, including Internet, Cable, and Wireless. They have implemented many promotions and discounts for their customers, giving them hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars of discounted products and services.

On top of these promotions and discounts Smith's started offering a bundle package, as many companies have done, to entice their current clients to purchase more from them. This offered their clients greater discounts for being loyal repeat customer, with more than one product. For each additional product purchased the client would receive a greater discount.

As a business marketing initiative, this is brilliant. In general I expect that most business owners would rather make 15% less on their products and services to get their best clients to purchase more and stay as a loyal customer. This makes sense. The "fear of loss" also sets in with this program because once signed up, removing any one product from their purchase would reduces their overall savings from 15% to 10% to 5%. This helps to ensure a commitment from their clients as their relationship matures.

The customer view
From the customer's prospective this is a great reward. If you are a customer of a company that has provided great a product or service in the past and they were to be offered additional discounts on your current product/service as well as other products or services with discounts you may feel privileged. At the very least you would feel you got more than you paid for as we all appreciate getting a reward for our loyalty. Customers are very savvy these days, and they are not blind to the marketing plan that is behind this type of offer. I would say that customers have come to expect some type of reward for exclusively patronizing a company. There are so many choices in today's market that customers expect extras if they are to remain loyal.

The balance
So the balance between the business and the customer is that the business needs the ongoing customer loyalty and client 'buy-in' for more of their products and services while the customer needs to be shown they are worth keeping because of their loyalty.

Very 'Marketing 101' you might note, as you read this, to which I would answer, "Yes!"

The imbalance
We always want our client's feedback. It is important to a company to know what we are and are not doing correctly. Often we set up programs so we can 'touch' our customers regularly to ensure they are getting what they need. What we do not want to do is ask our clients to work at being our customer. When we ask clients to review their relationship with us on a reoccurring term we ask them to also review their options. For instance, when my mortgage or insurance come to the end of the term I consider whether or not I will continue with my current provide. For the insurance, since I have to do nothing to continue on with my current provide, I may only look at whether or not I am satisfied with the service I have received in the past. I am likely to renew because I do nothing to continue with my current service and costs. Since I have to do more to renew my mortgage, including make decisions about what type of mortgage I want, signing visits, and the terms that I will need, I spend more time thinking about what is the most value for me (time, cost, commitment, etc.) I refer to this type of interaction a 'customer relationship renewal'. As a customer I have to renew my commitment to my relationship with my bank.

"So what does this have to do with Smith's", you might be asking. Well, their customer rewards like their bundles are now consider promotions that expire. If the customer does not take the time to call and review their products and services the loyalty discounts will be removed, even though they still may have the multiple products. For customers that do call they are expected to commit to a minimum 12 months and then they are considered a loyal customer, even if they have been with Smith's for 15 years.

Perspective
This is not wrong in a business sense but it is not perceived as a reward. Smith's clients must now remember to update their relations with the company each term. During that time they may take note of other companies that offer the same services for less work. Any time you give your clients the opportunity to compare your offering you had better be sure you have the best offering on the market or you will be losing clients.

If your client has to evaluate your product or service, costs, and their commitment to you, they will also evaluate others. The upside for Smith's is they now get to hear from their clients at the end of their commitment term and during that commitment term Smith's get regular, expected sales. The serious side affect of this program is they no longer actually have loyal clients. They only have term-to-term customers. Loyalty is now purchased for 12 months and this does not necessary get them referrals. Every customer is a returning client in 12 months. So it may be easier to get business from a returning clients but not as easy as keeping a current client.

I do know that Smith's is a very large corporation with hundreds of highly educated and knowledgeable people working on their marketing programs. I'm sure that my simplistic view does not address all the challenges and values that these promotions have been designed to deliver. As a long time customer, that had no intention on looking for another service provider, I will spend the next 12 months reviewing my exclusive relations with Smith's and all the alternatives. Who knows, I might sign up to be a loyal customer for another year.

Books - The Catalyst of Passion and Change

I have read several books on wealth, self improvement, business development, and sales as well as industry specific books on technical writing and content management. Recently I have found that I am not interested in being entertained by fiction when I read so I read business and industry magazines to relax. Honestly, I'm surprised I sleep as well as I do considering how much information is swirling through my thoughts at all times, but this is what keeps me sane I believe.

Anyway, a concept I find that shows up in many books is the idea of diversification. We know it is possible to start a business with one product, but we also know if you are not growing your business and moving forward, you are dwindling and moving backwards. It is important that the growth of the business is based on implementing complementary products or services that help increase the offering or reach a different market. To diversify a product offering can help support the growth of a company.

On investments, wealth experts all talk about diversification. My grandmother had lived through the depression in the 30's. One thing she had learned and lived was that it is important that your money would not all be invested in the same place. When she passed away my mother had to close out several bank accounts as well as find all the stashes she had around her residence. This may not be the best way to become wealthy but we can probably say that it is a good way to insure you don't loose everything you have earned when a bank closes down because of sub-prime mortgages crash.

So here I am at the beginning of my diversification into investment. I am approaching this change like I do every other, I learn. For business I had attended many training classes, programs, online seminars, conferences, and I continue to read books, often several at a time. I have mentors, advisors, have received coaching, and I participate in a mastermind group to ensure I have support and feedback for all my questions. For my new life addition I have invested in education to help myself understand real estate the way an expert would, through The Trump Institute. I am attending investment groups, networking with experts and surrounding myself with like minded people.

I was enticed in this direction through the ideas I have learned in the books I have read over the years. And this is my beginning. Books are often the catalysts passions. I would like to share three of my favourite books on wealth.
.....

Books Worth Reading

• The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton - This book gives you the basics of the concept that anyone can be a millionaire if you are wise with your money. Found at Chapters and Amazon.
  
• Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker - If you read this book you need to go to the Millionaire's Mind Intensive Seminar. Buy the book and register for the weekend at this link. Use registration number 286519 so my friend Jackie, who gave me the opportunity to change my "wealth blueprint" can be rewarded.
  
• The One Minute Millionaire: the Enlightening Way to Wealth by Mark Victor Hansen - I've listened to this book several times. I like the idea that there is more than one way to make money, which helped change my mindset and start me on my path to diversification. Also found at Chapters and Amazon.
  

I hope you enjoy these books and your own transformation.

Twitter DDoS Attack Still Affecting Some

Yesterday Twitter was down for a couple of hours due to a malicious cyber attack.
Video: Cyber attack takes Twitter offline ITN NEWS

But for some there may still be issues. I found yesterday that even after the attack had been thwarted I was still having intermittent troubles with accessing twitter. This is understandable since this is not a single computer issue, so I opted not to tweet for the day. This morning I found I have had no access at all from either of my two computers on my home network. The last posting to the Twitter status page states that " some people may be unable to post or follow from the website".
http://status.twitter.com/

There is no new status posting today to state how long they feel some people will have issues so I don't know how long this will affect me, but if this is affecting you as well then at least you now know you are not alone.

Follow me on Twitter at barbstuhlemmer (as soon as I can tweet again).

Exploring a Business Idea (helping during transition)

This last month I have been filling in for a friend to deliver a day long program to executives forced into transition due to the tough economic times. I started with her presentation and customized it to cover some of the items I am passionate about in business. I also made changes after each delivery to include information and suggestions offered by the participants.

The program is part of the outplacement program offered by Right Management (www.right.com) to employees being laid off. Right Management offers a variety of programs, support, and seminars to help these people transition into a new career as well as gives them this opportunity to look at self employment, which is valuable since close to 85% of all businesses in Canada are small businesses.

At the beginning of the day we have a room full of people with a variety of reasons for attending the seminar from "I had free time" to "I've been working on a business for years on the side". Many have no idea if this is even possible for them and can't even fathom how they would start. By the end of the day everyone is able to imagine what type of business they would start (sole proprietorship, partnership, or incorporation) and how they might start a business, whether they start from scratch, buy a franchise, work as a consultant, etc.

The people that fill this room are extremely experienced in their past positions often in global corporate leading businesses. The interaction from the questions and ideas with these people always gives me something to think about and is filled with stimulating thought and innovation. It is exciting to be a part of the beginning of the entrepreneurial process.

I get to see and help with the process through networking with BNI. I am an assistant director with the Ontario Central North region of BNI Canada and I love the opportunity to help people generate more business through targeted word-of-mouth networking and relationship building.

The commonalities these two support systems have is they allow people to become better, independent business owners, even if they stay or return to employment in someone else's company.

Reading

• For those just in transition I like the quick read of Who Moved My Cheese, by Spencer Johnson.
• For those ready to make a change there is Jack Canfield's The Success Principles: How to get from where you are to where you want to be.
  
• For people that want to own their own business I usually recommend starting with Michael Gerber's The E-Myth Revisited.
• And, for those already in business I like Masters of Sales by Misner and Morgan as well as every other book that will support the growth of your business and you as a business owner.
  

Do you love hand bells

I want to use this blog post to honour one my living relatives, whom I love and cherish, by praising the release of her choir's new album Bellissima Ringers "Decade". The music is wonderful and soulful, but I am not an expert so listen to what Dave Harris, the director of Raleigh Ringers, arguably one of the best bell choirs in the WORLD, had to say...

"I find the dynamic contrast on the CD to be outstanding. Clearly, you have paid very close attention..."

"the energy isn't lost when you play soft, which is very, very important. I especially liked the rise and fall of your phrases in the Moonlight Sonata.

"An excellent mix of several very serious classical pieces, hymn tunes, holiday selections and original works. And THANK YOU for filling the CD! 74 minutes! unheard of!"

If you are moved by hand bells then you will want to own this CD by The Bellissima Ringers and you can order it online at:

www.bellissimaringers.ca

Fabulous work Aunt Cathie, I was moved to tears at the beauty of the sounds.

Why Did I Start Tweeting - A Business Argument

I was talking with a friend and fellow entrepreneur yesterday and when I mentioned I had decided to start using Twitter a few weeks ago she said, "Oh please tell me I don't have to start using that!" Today in a meeting with two investors we got speaking about different ways to market yourself and I got quit a bit of push back on the cost (in time) to learn and keep a twitter, LinkedIn, or other social networking account fresh enough to give it a reasonable ROI. Here is what I told them about why I believe it is important to start now and why they won't regret the small amount of time it takes to keep it fresh.

1. Twitter was one of the easiest social network profiles I have set up. As well, it is so very easy to use both from my browser and my phone. Really, this was the "no brainer" profile I was looking for. I hate spending hours or days to collect information or navigate complicated profile applications.
2. Twitter is a great way to follow some of the people I respect and look up to. The first thing I did was start following all my favourite authors. Then I added some mentors and business associates I have met over the years that I respect. What I found is that many of these people would follow me in return. Also, people that followed them would now follow me. Some were interesting and some were not. If they were interesting then I followed them. My point being it became easy to get a list of very interesting people to follow.
   

   Note - I could not necessarily find all the people I was interested in following and in some circumstances I could find too many with the same name. You have to add a picture or a very good profile detail so people can tell you from the others with the same name.



3. Tweeting was not like blogging, writing an article, or creating an RFP, it was simply a line of thought or an update. I gave an example that I could tweet right now that I was sitting with two investors, both with international investment portfolios, and if they had a Twitter account I could link to them, pushing their information out to the people that were listening to me.
4. I described the Twitter browser interface (technical description from my Tech-writing days) aka "the web screen" and how simple it was to update and receive tweets. You don't have to do anything to see the tweets from those following you and you don't have to read all the tweets that come to you. If you inadvertently follow someone that turns out to be too verbose (re"twitter"ative) then you can simply stop following them. I was following someone that tweeted 20 - 30 times a day (or more). I had to flip back pages past all her redundant updates just to see my favourites, so I stopped following her. Problem solved.
5. You get to find out about seminars, webinars, and calls which are often free events. I love being able to get a chance to hear about how others do business so I can make mine better. When I have time to listen I make time to learn and Twitter just gives me a new way to be 'in the know'.
6. You can create credibility and presence by tweeting, which you can turn into business. There are many businesses on the web that focus on helping companies do this. Two of them that I follow are @GinaBell and @ChristianMasson. I have met and trust Gina's husband @Coach_Bell and Christian at a conference in Montreal last April and have had the privalege of hearing Gina speak on two occasions. Now my tweet about this blog has just created credibility for all three of these people.

Firsthand example ROI

I got a tweet to download a recorded call from Jill Konrath (@jillkonrath ). I've heard her speak before and knew there would be value in listening to the interview. The interview was with David Wolf of Smallbiz America (@smallbizamerica ). After listening I found the radio link and listened for a while. I found the information so compelling that I decided that others needed to know about it so I put there syndicated radio link and logo on my website. No cost to them. The more syndicated buttons, the more listeners - The more listeners, the more advertisers. You've got to like a business model that gets your clients to push your business at no cost to you.

After I described this to my colleagues and then showed them some of the tweets I was following, they all said "This is now on my 'To Do' list." As it should be. I think business is hard enough. We have to take advantage of the small, easy things when we get an opportunity.

Note - "re"twitter"ative" means someone that twitters the same message in a different manner so often that it becomes irritating to their followers. I made that up :)

What do a Fisheries Biologist and medical device manufacturers have in common?

A Fisheries Biologist working with a government agency in Seattle contacted me a few days ago. She recognized that she is not in the medical device industry but felt that there must be some similarities in the way all industries handled large amounts of information and asked if I could give her some advice on a book that might get her started. After spending some time to compile some information and links I decided that this information may be valuable to many.

If after reading this you have additional information that could help others looking for advice on content management and version control then please feel free to leave a comment.

My Response
Managing large amounts of content has many of the same issues in every industry. There are not a lot of books written about this to date. Anne Rockley is considered the “Guru of Content Management”. Her book “Managing Enterprise Content” is the industry standard. You can get this at Amazon. She has a great blog and online webinars with lots of information. She has also just published a DITA book “DITA 101” found at www.lulu.com. JoAnn Hackos is another “Content Guru”. She has published several books and she delivers workshops and hosts conferences attended and presented by some of the world leaders in content management.

You may want to attend a conference like the Document and Training West (next year), Gilbane Boston or Intelligent Content. There are often very knowledgeable speakers at these events as well as the industry leaders as key note speakers. These are great people to get connected to when you have a large project in the works.

You may want to consider joining CM Pros (Content Management Professionals). Their membership is filled with amazing, knowledgeable people. They also have a conference (The Summit) that is worth attending to get a chance to meet these people.

Another place to go for training may be through AIIM. They are connected to the industry and I’ve heard them speak on webinars in affiliation with a lot of other leaders and speakers.

One Other Thing
One thing I did not mention was that some of the best resources are the vendors. CMS vendors have a lot of information on the reasons for implementation and often host webinars and seminars in affiliation with industry experts. Get on their mailing lists to stay on top of the industry trends.

Too Much and Not Enough

Wow it has been a long time since I have written anything for this blog. Like many people, I have good intentions and lots to say, but the drive to be consistent with the posts has been taken over by the ‘doing’ of my business. So what have I been ‘doing’ for the past year? Too much and not enough.

I had reasonable goals to meet in 2008. I did get asked to speak at two conferences and did make one of them. I did get to write articles that other people paid me to create. I did get clients through BNI that were my target clients. I also added strategic volunteer time that I have truly enjoyed being a part of and have added to my businesses credibility. But what I didn't do was meet my financial goals. So, was I working too hard at things that did not get me what I need for my business or was I not working hard enough at the things that were required? Neither!

"How can it be neither", you might be asking. Because after a three month respite from doing sales for ClearComm I have come to realize that I was working hard at planting the seeds to grow my business with the right people but targeting the wrong businesses. It is always easier to know your clients buying habits after you know your client. What I found was that what I wanted to do for my clients was not what they wanted to purchase. I have products and services for larger companies that require a lot more control over their information and need to produce for a very global offering.

So what did I do at the end of 2008 when I realized I was not meeting my target financial? I began to diversify my income. I know ClearComm, myself and the people that work with me have a great deal to offer our clients so I am not willing to just walk away, but, I also cannot expect my family to continue to shoulder the financial burden of a company. ClearComm does require more investment to market to the right client. With this realization I embarked on some very different ways to make money so that I could meet my personal requirements and continue to work with ClearComm.

Through The Trump Institute I have received training and mentoring to help kick-start my real estate investment portfolio. With a great investment team at my side I am well on my way to my first office building purchase using other people’s money [OPM]. This will give me a regular cash flow to help with my personal financials.

Unfortunately I had to withdrawal from BNI since I was not looking at doing any sales with my business, but to compensate for the lost networking I became a Director with BNI Canada to help other businesses make their goals. This also offers some compensation as well as keeping me connected to the business community.

I have created a team to take one of my ideas to patent and hopefully to market. This product may be the start of a manufacturing business for me and a client for ClearComm. With the completion of the draft design overview, we are now just waiting to find out if there is any room in the Patent IP for this product.

I have also spent time writing a strategic plan for a youth venture program a local charity wants to start. Connecting them with the information they needed to be able to make clear decisions was a wonderful challenge. This project also paid.

Because of my volunteer time on the advisory board of the International Business Program with Georgian College and the leadership team with the Business Retention and Expansion program through the City of Barrie I have come to the conclusion that I would like to be a part of the city's governing body. Starting in November of this year I will find ways to raise money for a campaign to run as City Councillor in November 2010.

Some people watch what I'm doing and say, "you are doing too much" and others look at the financial results and say, "maybe you are not doing enough", but I think I have found a great balance that will bring me to the place where I can create a business that will give people the position they want and the income we all need in a great place to work.