I was at a wonderful Thanksgiving party at my Aunt and Uncle’s home when my cousin pulled out old video tapes of the family over the years. It was very touching that he took the time to do that for our enjoyment. There was one caveat. He noted at the beginning that it might be a little embarassing to me.

Do you remember that silly, awkward stage at around 9-11 years old where the hair cut isn’t quite right, the teeth might be a little crooked or have braces, you might have glasses and your hormones are causing you to do quite strange things? Well here I was with my family singing up a storm in CANDY CANE STRIPED PAJAMAS – with a drop bottom. I could have been the largest ornament on a Christmas tree! This wouldn’t have been so bad except I was the ONLY ONE in pajamas. The rest of my cousins were wearing NORMAL clothes.

After I got over the embarassment, I got to thinking. This was one time in my life and one place I felt completely comfortable to be who I was. I might have looked disheveled. I may have been awkward. I may not have said the “right” things, but it didn’t matter. I wore what I wanted and sang my heart out in that living room at the top of my lungs – and gosh darnit! My family still loved me.

I still have my version of candy cane pajamas. When I work from home, I am in comfortable clothes in my environment. I am most creative when I am not concerned about what I look like.

It’s rather ironic that when we are the most comfortable – in our clothes and in our skin – that we are wearing the “red dress” of authenticity, pure creativity and standing out.

So I ask you – where are your candy cane pajamas and where do you wear them? You don’t have to stand out in a bad way. Just show up as who you are, regardless of the situation – and don’t be afraid to sing at the top of your lungs. We’ll still love you.

Awhile back, I asked my mail list to ask any burning questions they might have regarding their marketing materials. Because this was anonymous, I do not know who asked the questions and cannot get very specific, but I am happy to share my advice.

Question #1: What type of marketing materials, business card etc. can I have for my business to make the client be “COMPELLED” to call me and want to know more????

This is a great question and it completely depends on the person and the business model. The first step is always to get very CLEAR on your marketing message and style before you delve into which tool to use. My friend and business coach, Wendi Liechty of the Casual Entrepreneur has developed a very unique process for determining your style and the best ways for you to market yourself. She offers a free initial consultation so I would recommend talking with her if you’re interested.

From my experience, people are most “compelled” to action by several factors. The first is obvious. If they’ve had an enjoyable personal encounter with you and have determined they know, like and trust you, they are more likely to purchase something from you in the future.

The second reason people are “compelled” to action if they haven’t met you personally is an “irrisistable special offer.” For example, a coupon, discount, or freebie is always a great way to generate traffic from your marketing materials. Keep in mind what your ideal client is most likely going to be interested in. An online freebie such as a special report or other specialized information is probably my favorite as once you create it, it is done and you can give it away freely. Click here for an example of a “Special Report.” This one happens to be on how to create your own “Catchy Tagline.”

A third reason people might be “compelled” to action by your marketing materials is by positioning yourself as a problem solver for their specific problem. For example, I just finished up a business card for Lisa Guzzo or Working Space Unlimited. On the back, she asked several compelling questions that connect with her general target market. She asked:

• Do you feel overwhelmed?
• Are you ready to eliminate the clutter in your life?
• Are you frustrated by not being able to find things when you need them?
• Do you feel stuck and don’t know where to start.
• Are you living in chaos?

Let us help you create an organized life.

Anyone who connects with these questions will be more compelled to call Lisa about her organizing services.

Once you get clear on your message etc., the very basic materials I would say you need for your business are a logo, business card, a basic website and some type of brochure. I happen to be partial to “Exploded Business Cards®” as they are the “Swiss Army Knife” of marketing materials with many uses, but a traditional tri-fold would work too.

Use the resources mentioned above to figure out your special offer or freebie, the compelling questions of your audience and colors (email me and I’ll send you my special color report to get you started). Start with your logo and business cards and go from there. I am more than happy to give you my two cents.

Did you find this helpful? Please comment on this post.

So I thought long and hard about this one. As you know, the “ideal” situation in a business relationship is “win-win” and I think I’ve come up with the perfect solution for my clients. I call it “Club Reprint” and basically, it’s just like it sounds. As a client, you can join the club for a nominal annual fee and receive ongoing discounts on your printing as well as other great offers from Fruition. This model is the reverse of the traditional printer’s model where they generally make their money on the printing and charge a nominal fee for design

As a designer for a print franchise at the corporate headquarters for two years, I learned a few things about the in-house designers of many printers. As Forrest says “It’s like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna’ get.” Sometimes, the in-house designer is experienced and very good at what they do. But often times, you get a “production designer” who is great preparing files for print, but not so great at creating original design work.

As a designer, I’d rather make more of my profit on quality design work and provide the printing as a convenience to you at a discount. My print pricing is competitive – and in many cases, less expensive, than your local printer.

In the end, you know you’re getting the high-quality design work of a design firm and competitive pricing for your printing with the convenience of a one-stop shop. And I have the opportunity to reach out and provide you with more value throughout the year. I think you’ll find it a “win-win!”

Email me for details and pricing: tspruill@fruitiondesign.NET

I recently published an article in my NEWSLETTER letting people know I am changing a few things in my business. You can hear about the changes HERE.

You may wonder why should you care? I’m hoping that my journey can help you too. In the article, I mentioned a fun way you can capture the “feeling” of your ideal clients. I didn’t exactly TELL you what it was. I wanted to SHOW you instead.

So this is a Vision Board of my ideal clients. Every time I start to write something or create a product or service, I can pull this out to see if my messaging “speaks” to these people. (Men, don’t be turned off if you don’t see yourself represented. This represents how I “feel” about these people and not necessarily the actual people.)

Here are the words I’ve used to describe these ideal clients:

Hope this gives you some ideas to start speaking the language of your ideal clients.

What does it mean to be you? I don’t mean the “mommy you,”
or the “wife you,” or even the “girlfriend you.”

I mean the “you” that is cherished beyond mere words
and worth more than you can imagine.

The “you” that is innocent and wise at the same time
knowing all about the world, yet not jaded by its barbs.

The “you” that secretly still likes strawberry lip gloss and
would love to play dress-up in the middle of the afternoon.

The “you” that sings at the top of your lungs when your
favorite song comes on the radio – hairbrush microphone and all.

The “you” that wants to break out into a full-on Super Bowl Touchdown dance
when something exciting happens in your world.

The “you” that deeply believes that chocolate is one of the four food groups
and should be eaten just as frequently as green vegetables.

The “you” that cries (even if just inside) when your favorite chick-flick heroine
loses her love – because we can all relate to that.

The “you” that wants to fully embrace the world – to be in it, to love it
and to be loved by it for who you truly are.

For this is what it means to be “you” – loved, lovable, lover, friend.
Embrace “you” and be “you.”

Now go rock the world!

I’m introducing a brand new concept titled “Red Dress Marketing.” In a nutshell, it’s about showing up as your authentic self and “wowing” those you come in contact with. Stay tuned as we delve into this topic further…