Archive for Amber Stidham

| April 19, 2011
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Farewell, “sweetheart”

In two short weeks, our own Amber Stidham will officially join a team of professionals to help launch one of the most highly anticipated, cutting-edge performing arts center in the United States, The Smith Center. As our team prepares to say good-bye to our resident “long timer,” I can’t help but take a few moments and share with you all my thoughts on her contributions to our organization over the last 10 years and her early days here at Imagine.

Amber and I share a close, professional relationship. The closeness naturally happens when you share a desk and phone while working your butt off to build a business. (Ahh … How I miss the simpler times. My cell phone today holds more memory then my computer did in those days. )

That relationship allowed us to build a growing organization and, more importantly, a meaningful friendship over the years. Although many things have changed during the last decade, what has never changed is Amber’s relentless spirit and professionalism.

As she too often likes to remind me, I told Amber once that she was the “heart” of Imagine, just not the “sweetheart.” (I’ve spent eight years trying to live that one down. Perhaps that will be the one thing I won’t miss about her leaving our group.) Of course, the statement was meant as a joke to tease her about her aggressive “do what you have to do to get it done” work style. It’s a style of work that requires a person to carry themselves with dignity and pride, like Amber does, a result of her high expectation of self. This style became a core element and how we still do business at Imagine today.

I am proud and excited to watch her career expand into new adventures. She will always be part of my life but I will miss the regularity of our discussions on business, parenting, creativity and life in general. That being said, I know I speak for everyone here at Imagine in saying with the fullest of heart that we wish all the success and good fortune in the world to the “sweetheart” of Imagine.

Amber, we love you and will miss you terribly. Now … GO GET ‘EM!

Alex Raffi is the creative director and a partner at Imagine Marketing.
Contact Alex at araffi@imnv.com

Category: Alex Raffi, Amber Stidham, imagine communications, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas Advertising, Las Vegas artists, The Smith Center |
| April 19, 2011
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Any Last Requests?

If you haven’t heard the news by now, here it is: April 26 will be my last day at Imagine.

If you know me, you know I’m not one to dwell on what could have been, but what could be. I’m a person who is focused on exploring new opportunities and once focused, I’m the person who nails down the strategy and attacks the situation from all angles. That’s me. The dreamer to many, the pain in the butt “doesn’t she ever let up?” professional to a few.

Regardless, the point is that the act of exploring life, in all ways, is the most important act we all engage in day-to-day. If it weren’t for the dreamers, the go-getters, the people willing to put it all on-the-line, dreams would never be achieved. We would never progress.

This blog, which I’ve specifically entitled “Any Last Requests,” is not about me and my new adventure. Instead, it’s about recognizing those little nuances in life that are important to ensuring we continue to embody that explorer within ourselves.

While I have a prime opportunity (and support of those at Imagine) to plug my new adventure, I wish to share with you a few of those nuances as to why Imagine is a place of exploration and an organization that captured my heart for nearly a decade. These are my “last requests” to the wonderful team at Imagine whom I care for very deeply.

I never intended to work at Imagine. In fact, my support was intended to be a temporary fix to fulfill the needs of a burgeoning new business ten years ago. Why did I stick around? The people. Surrounding yourself with dreamers, those who find a way to say “yes” to opportunities (which is more challenging than saying “no,” by far), professionals with ambition, energy and the willingness to be a real team moving forward is what attracted me. Alex Raffi (Imagine’s creative director and partner) and D.J. Allen (the firm’s founding partner) have an incredible appetite for creativity, new ideas and forging their own paths to get to their desired destinations. I love that. Being a part of such a team is addictive. You want to be around it 24/7. Even better, it’s healthy for you to do so.

My request – Never lose sight of that creativity; the courage to share it is at the root of why people want to be around you (work with you, do business with you and so on). Alex Raffi (my “bro”) embodies this spirit. He is an incredible wealth of knowledge, inspiration and creativity. Simply put: More people should strive to be like him.

Imagine is known as one of the most professional, honest, results-driven, and fair communications firms in the state. This is attractive to employees, prospective employees, clientele and community contacts. Focus on the people has always remained top priority at Imagine. Perhaps it has made our road throughout the years a bit more difficult. (Imagine is not the “hire and fire” communications firm our profession is wildly known for.) The firm strongly believes in investing in people, not projects. Imagine doesn’t take the easy road, but it’s the correct road nonetheless. I’ve spent a good deal of my time helping fellow professionals at Imagine grow over the years, while I grew as well. Helping each other grow requires patience, the ability to set your ego aside and moreover, give everything a shot with everything you’ve got.

My request – Caring is important. People are important. Invest in people and everything else in life gets easier. It doesn’t matter how tech-savvy we get, what new Internet sites are developed … at the end of the day, we’re all still working with people. Care first. I will very much miss the people at Imagine and my daily interactions with clientele – all of whom are the most wonderful people I’ve come to know throughout my career.

I know … every communications firm is “quirky” and “fun.” In Imagine’s case, it’s true. Some of it is spontaneous. Most of it is, as I call it, “planned spontaneity.” No matter. The most critical piece of Imagine’s success is its ability to create fun and engaging opportunities for staffers, clients and friends. The best part? Fun is productive. (Imagine is hosting a workshop on just this subject in June.) It doesn’t matter what your profession is. Inserting “fun” here and there is a critical part of ensuring you have a cohesive team, and people who do business with you simply because they enjoy being around you.

My request – MAKE time to have fun. When you think back on why you do what you do in life, it likely started because you thought “this could be a good way to have fun.” Make it a business ritual.

As an addendum to this blog, I’ve included a list of random thoughts and musings I will miss most at Imagine.

To my Imagine Family: I am forever grateful to all you have given to me and to my own family.

On to the next adventure!
-Amber
EMAIL

[Beginning May 2, Amber Stidham will be joining a team of professionals to help launch one of the most highly anticipated, cutting-edge performing arts centers in the Southwestern United States, The Smith Center.]

THE 10-YEAR HIGHLIGHT REEL
[For the “peeps”]

• We create.
• How do you feel about monkeys?
• Two hard hats, sticky darts and an incubator office with three people don’t mix.
• Remember: Always roll your windows up on rainy days.
• Card tables still make for a productive work space. Chair building competitions make for good times.
• First “holiday party” for Imagine – One booth at Carrabbas.
• Surprisingly, people really do love watching office dance videos. (I hope Imagine continues the tradition.)
• Where is the lawn gnome?
• Any day is a good day to pull an “emergency client needs” prank on a coworker. This reminds me that I still “owe” someone a prank.
• Carpeted hallways and Megan don’t get along well.
• Always offer to help one another … listen, be there, offer to do what you can.
• I still have my portable karaoke machine. I am a rock star (in my own mind). Thank you for entertaining me over the years – all of you.
• Inspiration comes to you at all hours of the day … in Alex’s case this is true on Friday afternoons and weekdays at 3 a.m.
• Club Saturn. Woot, woot.
• If you give someone the title of “Company Mom” – they will live up to it (like it or not). Sue, you’ll be greatly missed, but your grandchildren will be overjoyed to have you.
• Brian – I will always “have a minute.” P.S. You will love this – Hotkeys for Word. (My secret is out.)
• Alex – Please remember to …
• I still wonder what Jeff’s entire wardrobe looks like. 100% polos?
• Hand written “thank you” notes, phone calls and “face time” are still important in business.
• A link to the Rocky movie theme song just one last time.
• Always find time to help your community.
• Love not only your coworkers, but their families as well. Together, we are all one big family.

Category: Amber Stidham, Imagine Marketing |
| February 15, 2011
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Evaluating your marketing firm

As a marketing professional, I’m always under close scrutiny. Operating in a subjective and, many times, seemingly intangible industry, how can I not be? As someone who is on the “frontline” of working together with our firm’s clientele, I’m also the one who needs to showcase our team’s talent, ability and, more importantly, results. For marketing firms that are not as confident and results-driven as ours is, this can be difficult to do.

Most professionals know and value the power of marketing. However, valuing it alone is not enough. As a business person, you make an investment in your marketing firm partners in order to produce results. So what should you be asking yourself when it comes to your marketing firm?

Consider the following when evaluating the effectiveness of your marketing firm:

Did you and your marketing firm establish expectations and/or a baseline of desired results at the start of your working relationship?

  • Have those goals been met?
  • If not, what can be attributed to not reaching those goals?
  • Was it the lack of support from your marketing firm?
  • Did you change the focus of your business and, thereby, your marketing efforts to another area?

Has your marketing firm taken the time to really understand your business, your market, your products/services as well as your short-term and long-term business goals?

  • Do they ask you the tough questions and provide you with feedback on areas your business may need to develop?
  • Do you have access to more than one person at your firm to ensure you receive the highest quality of workmanship and responsiveness to your needs?
  • Trust your gut. Does your marketing firm feel like a business partner to you or an outside vendor?

You have short-term and long-term business goals in sight. Has your marketing firm provided you with a short-term and long-term marketing plan to correspond with your vision?

Marketing can help transform your company. But, beware of consultants and firms who misrepresent themselves as the experts. In an industry that has no barrier to entry, our world is littered with marketing pros who promise services but cannot deliver the goods.

Take caution in your selection and review process and take the time to align yourself, and your business, with the right marketing partner.

Amber Stidham serves as director of strategic planning for Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: Amber Stidham, how to evaluate your marketing firm, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas public relations firm |
| December 8, 2010
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Closing out 2010: 10 tips for the everyday business pro

Although my profession allows me to encounter the everyday occurrences to highly complex situations on a daily basis, I still see trends in the marketing-communications arena that my clients have challenges in dealing with.

Below is my 2010 list of the top 10 most frequently asked questions I receive or situations I see clients faced with from time-to-time. Simple, actionable steps you can take now to help your business in 2011.

1. Failure to leverage opportunities – Most businesses overlook the many opportunities they have in leveraging dynamic content/materials they have on hand (news releases, copy writing etc.) into other communication playing fields – websites, social networking sites, blogs and everyday sales materials. Get the most out of your money and leverage these materials to give you the biggest bang for your marketing buck.

2. The personal touch still matters – It will always be considered good form to say “please” and “thank you.” P.S. Handwritten letters will also always be considered good form and are an excellent way to deepen business relationships – always.

3. For the love of … Please manage your online brand! – Media consumption is almost always rooted from Internet stories, social networking, blogs, videos and more nowadays. Please, I encourage you to create a Google Alerts account to help manage your online brand and to keep track of what “other people” are saying about you. Visit Google Alerts, add your first and last name as well as your company name (with quotation marks around your name and company name) and take advantage of this free and easy-to-use alert system. It won’t catch it all, but it’s a start.
4. Plan, plan, plan – Create your 2011 marketing plan now. It will give you focus to accomplish goals, adhere to a timeline and your budget. Just be sure to build in a 20% “cushion” for any “what ifs” that occur along the way. (And they will happen.)
5. Content is still king – Concerned about Google, Bing or Yahoo! search result rankings? It’s likely that old web content is the problem. Marketing pros recommend social networking, blogging, news feeds and more for a reason – not just simply to convince you that you still need them around for advice and support. It’s because dynamic content (i.e. new/relevant information) is key in driving search results and traffic to your website.

6. Follow up - You’d still be surprised to find that 90% of sales people STILL do not consistently follow up on leads and opportunities. (Yes, even in this challenging economy.) Blame it on the economy and us all being busier than we have ever been before. It doesn’t matter. If you’re the one who is following up, when no one else does, guess who gets the work?
7. “The Ask” still works – Don’t think you’re too humble to ask for referrals. In the name of free commerce everywhere, please ask for those business referrals.
8. Keep up-to-date on emerging markets and trends – It’s exhausting and nearly impossible to master every single aspect of your industry in today’s Internet age where information doubles in a matter of hours, minutes … seconds. No matter, you’re still the expert to your clients. If you’re not the guru in digital marketing, or your area of law, banking or retail, you still need to know what’s happening. Keep yourself informed. Then, surround yourself with the people who are hungry for knowledge, who want to (and are willing) to discover these “new frontiers.”
9. Relationships still matter – Customers want the newest, best and fastest product that works and they want to know the person, specifically, that is providing it to them. If it’s not you, then it’s you that needs to introduce your customer to the right provider. Customers will stay with you because they value your relationships since you are the person who brings them business success. BE the resource.
10. Healthy outside starts from a healthy core – Strength in all things in life comes from a strong core (thanks Denise Austin)… including your business. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have twenty minutes … or 20 seconds to spare. It’s absolutely critical to your organization’s success that you find a way to make time for staff development and internal team activities.

Amber Stidham is the director of strategic planning for Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: 10 tips to better business, 2010 year in review, Amber Stidham, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas marketing firms, marketing challenges for 2010 |
| October 28, 2010
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Brand investment and protection from distractions (Squirrel!)

The month of October is especially exciting for me. There are a couple of reasons: 1) As a Las Vegan I love fall. It allows me to resurface from my rock, which shades me from our scorching hot summer weather, and 2) this month is an annual reminder of why people with my personality type (ENTJ – a Myers-Briggs type) and career go hand-in-hand.

I was reminded of these reasons over the last three weeks while volunteering my time to help induct a new class into Leadership Henderson, a program near and dear to my heart, and by my 2011 planning efforts for our firm’s clientele as they’re preparing to take one giant leap forward come this January, just as we all hope to do.

More specifically, all of this is a strong reminder of just how powerful repetitive marketing is to any organization. We preach repetition daily here at Imagine Marketing, but it always seems to be one of the most difficult marketing lessons for our clients to understand and take hold of.

The reason? It’s easy to get distracted. (Squirrel!)

While it’s necessary large and small organizations have the ability to be nimble and responsive to customer needs, it’s often difficult for those same organizations to identify what areas of their marketing and sales program must be nimble while maintaining and building a consistent brand. That’s where I come in. (Did I mention my personality type?)

Over the last 10 years, more times than I can possibly count, I’ve heard business people say they attended an event once and nothing came from it (distraction) or seen them change the name of their company after investing in their brand for two years because their 12-year-old daughter didn’t like it (distraction). The funny thing? I typically only hear from these people once because they’re not around long enough to develop their business.

The successful folks are the people who believe in implementing a repetitive marketing program because they understand that marketing is a process, not an event. Despite the distractions that will (and they always do) arise, they remain committed and invested in their brand and do their best to implement a sound marketing plan ahead of time to help them remain repetitive in their efforts while providing them a reason NOT to be distracted from items that pop up.

Rarely do people enjoy planning for their business, but it’s necessary. (I head up planning efforts at our place. Teamers say I’m great at it. I think I was voted “off the island” while I was out at a meeting one day.) Regardless of your like or dislike of developing a marketing plan, it serves as a vital component to your business operations and, just as in others facets of your company, repetition is a key element to success.

Repetition in marketing, which often comes from having a master marketing plan in place, will allow your organization to gain greater brand momentum, helping you to move from “it didn’t work the one time I attended” to having multiple people tell you, “I’ve seen your company everywhere.”

So, I encourage you to evaluate your current marketing program for inconsistencies to see where improvements can be made. If you are attending events, are you ensuring you are connecting with your leads or attending events in a repetitive fashion? If you are distributing e-newsletters, are they uniform in brand appearance and caliber of messaging? If you are seeking media opportunities, are you sending newsworthy information their way and consistently reaching out to your contacts?

The opportunities are there so long as you are willing to make the investment in a consistent (repetitive) brand and follow your overall vision, which is easier to stick to when you have a plan in place.

Amber Stidham serves as Director of Strategic Planning for Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: Amber Stidham, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas advertising firm, Las Vegas public relations firm, repetition in marketing, The Biz-E Gal |
| August 24, 2010
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Five easy-to-use tips to help you keep clients

I know a thing or two about marketing and sales, despite how entertainment media may portray marketing professionals, especially females. My career is a bit more complex than an event planner screaming at subordinates, as E!’s “The Spin Crowd” and the character Shauna Roberts from “Entourage” love to do. It’s scripted for television and the more tension the more it sells.

In the real world, I approach marketing in a holistic way, with attention to detail. My clients expect it as do I. In fact, I consider it my duty to ensure I constantly provide them with big picture marketing insight and action while never forgetting about the details that matter.

Speaking of details, below are a handful of tactics business owners/executives can easily use to enhance their current client relationships while staying sensitive to our current economic budget crunch. And, as we all know, it takes less energy and money to keep and grow a client than it does to find new ones.

Thank your clients for their business – Mail a simple letter to your clients to thank them for their continued business at least once per year. Meanwhile, make certain you periodically thank them via email if you correspond regularly. For instance, write your email as you normally would and simply add: “Thank you for your business.” It’s easy. It’s simple. It makes an impact on your clients. Every time I send letters to clients, they make it a point to tell me how nice it was to receive it and that they’re happy with my services.

Introduce your clients to your contacts – If you’re in the professional services sector, this can be especially helpful to you. One great big happy family is the idea on this one. Clients appreciate feeling valuable, want to meet other people who are valuable and will see you (and your ability to serve as the “go to” connection guy/gal) in an entirely new light. Clients can seek the services you offer elsewhere, but they cannot replace the relationships you help them build with others.

Deliver your clients a treat – A fruit bouquet, a dozen doughnuts, two movie tickets …all are affordable options that will help remind your clients that you are thinking about them and appreciate their business. (I’ve even gifted boxes of Cheez-Its crackers, cupcakes to flower adorned children’s hair clips to clients – whom I consider more as friends over the years.) It doesn’t matter the price tag associated with the gift. Instead, think of it like a typical dating ritual… it’s the thought that counts.

Instead of an expensive client gala, organize small meet-and-greets – Don’t get me wrong. High-end galas have their place with some folks in the B2B industry, but for most, small meet-and-greets can accomplish just as much with less money and time. I have a small group I organize every other month and a 20-person private wine making group I’m a part of that meets six times per year as well. Six months ago my “A-team” coffee group were all strangers, now we invite one another to birthday parties, holiday BBQs and more. Did I mention they all do business together now too?

Share a cause with your clients – Invite your clients to participate in a walk-a-thon or another cause you believe in. I have a coworker that shaves his head every year to raise money in the name of childhood cancer research. (Clients LOVE it.) People naturally want to help and want to be involved – so long as it does not cut into their family and “down” time. Involving them in this way allows them to see a personal side of you, your business and gives them an easy way to participate and build a relationship with you.

*Blog originally appeared at: The Biz-E Gal: Life as a Marketing Pro & Parent

Amber Stidham is the director of strategic planning at Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: Amber Stidham, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas public relations firm, marketing moms, sales is part of all business, simple sales tactics, TACTICS TO KEEP CLIENTS HAPPY, The Biz-E Gal |
| August 2, 2010
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No matter your business, we’re all in the business of sales.

I don’t know about you, but I have a love-hate relationship with professionals whose sole purpose is to sell me something – television, print and radio advertising representatives, online digital video sales people, photographers telling me I need to use their services, trade organizations saying I need to “belong.”

No matter the source, we’re all selling one another something. I spend a great deal of my time wading through sales opportunities as the “gatekeeper” for my clients. It’s an undertaking all its own, but it’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly and the due diligence my clients expect of me and our firm.

Have you ever noticed that good sales people often aren’t thought of as sales people at all? Instead, they’re “friends.” Being a trusted “friend” can be key in successful sales. And, in today’s tough environment, more sales people should become “friends” with prospective clients.

More often than not, I come into contact with some of the most unlikeable sales characters. What makes them un-“friendly” sales people? I’ll let you be the judge.

(All actual incidents took place just this last month.)

Placing an initial sales call on any given Friday afternoon. Unless it’s necessary, I do my best NOT to contact clients on Fridays. No matter how nice of a person I think I may be, I’m likely the last person (i.e. their vendor) my clients want to speak with as they’re wrapping up their week and business at hand.

Placing a sales call to their cell phone, when they’re not immediately available on their office line. I realize our world is more mobile than ever before. However, there is still a professional code of conduct that exists; you must respect the privacy of someone’s cell phone number until you get the “okay” to regularly call it.

Not doing ANY homework. I always try to do homework so I can better recommend to my clients why they should do “this” or “that.” Just like my clients, I’m not receptive to people who call and ask me for money without telling me, specifically, how I (or my clients) may stand to benefit from the investment.

Tardiness. I don’t mind waiting an extra 10-15 minutes for a phone call or for a sales person to arrive at my office – if I know you. It’s an entirely different situation if you called me and are soliciting me for thousands of dollars, and then either no call, no show or stop by 30 minutes later than our scheduled meeting time.

Randomly showing up at the office – and staying for 30 minutes. I get it. Face time is good. I periodically stop by our clients’ offices as well, but a good sales person knows how to strike that delicate balance between quality “face time” and interfering with day-to-day business operations.

Responding to specific questions with rhetoric. All businesses have a specific, strategic message – key phrases and statistics – they want to communicate with clients, vendors and the community. As a marketing professional, I understand that. But if I ask you a specific question about your product or service, please answer it directly. My day-to-day business endeavors are based largely on trust, and if I don’t feel you’re going to give it to me straight, I’ll look for someone who will.

Regardless of my rant, there are still a number of sales “rock stars” out there. People I have thoroughly enjoyed doing business with for more than a decade, although I don’t think of them as sales people at all. Instead, they’re my “friends.” They’re there to lend a helping hand, provide insight when sought after, and keep me in the loop when it concerns their business and industry.

They’re resources I use time and again, and as a result, do business with. They’re “friends” – the best kind of business people who also happen to be great sales people.

Amber Stidham is the director of strategic planning at Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: Amber Stidham, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas public relations firm, marketing moms, sales is part of all business, simple sales tactics, The Biz-E Gal |
| July 27, 2010
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Selling yourself through other people’s products

I recently purchased a swimsuit from a Florida-based retailer. I realize we’re nearly halfway through summer already, but it’s Vegas. I figure I still have a good three to four months of use I can get out of my new suit this year.

To my delight, I received my swimsuit by mail this week. Better yet, as a marketer, I was even more delighted to see promotional flyers included in my package, all of which were from outside companies who sold moisturizers, jewelry and ceramic figurines. I tried to resist browsing through the flyers, but to no avail. All flyers were read thoroughly – except for the figurine piece. (Ceramics aren’t my thing.)

The swimwear company, and its partner advertisers, snagged me. They successfully targeted their demographic of 30-something women who somewhat take an interest in their appearance. Therefore, I browsed.

There’s a good lesson to reiterate from my experience, one that is often overlooked by businesses, and that is the importance of knowing your audience and finding partnership opportunities that provide you access to your audience. The opportunities are always there if you look hard enough.

In my case, they got me and got me good. (I expect to receive my moisturizers via mail next week.)

*Blog originally appeared at: The Biz-E Gal: Life as a Marketing Pro & Parent

Amber Stidham is the director of strategic planning at Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: Amber Stidham, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas advertising firm, Life as a Marketing Pro Parent, partnership marketing opportunities, The Biz-E Gal |
| June 14, 2010
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Eliciting response

My entire profession revolves around one goal: eliciting a response from people. If I do it correctly, and that’s what I’m paid to do, the response I receive is the one I wanted – whether it’s the public responding to an advertising message or a news article, or two of my contacts responding well to meeting one another and discovering how they can create a new and fruitful professional relationship together.

Any way you have it, my job requires me to be an expert in ensuring people, many times perfect strangers, answer my calls or make time to meet with me so I can get my message across on behalf of my clients. And you know, after 10 years, I do pretty well at it. Or, at least other people think I do, which is why I’m writing this blog. (Really, someone asked me to write this blog.)

There’s no “trade secret” to how I get things done, but there are a few rules I employ each and every day when it comes to doing business. Perhaps these tips will help you as well.

First, answer the “what’s in it for them” question before you contact a person you plan to ask a favor or make a request from. Nearly everyone you know, or don’t know, will respond more favorably to your requests if you start by telling them why they should care about your needs. It doesn’t need to be a hard sell – just a note to start your conversation.

Second, be clear and brief when making your request. This one’s important to me. Let’s talk e-mail first. Whatever the matter is, make it a self imposed rule that you do not make others dig through 5-6 “pages” of e-mails to figure out what it is you’re asking them for. Why? Recipients don’t enjoy reading them and, to be perfectly blunt, they often figure that if you, the sender, are too “lazy” to craft a brief message that gets right to the point that it’s also highly likely you won’t respect their time responding to your request. Essentially, don’t be a pain in the you-know-what if you’re asking someone else to give you a helping hand.

My No. 1 pet peeve is professionals who send “see below” e-mails asking me to sift through 20 back-and-forth e-mail conversations just to learn a simple fact that could have been stated quickly to get things moving ahead.

Now, imagine the recipient’s reaction when he/she is faced with having to sort through loads of e-mails to respond to a simple request … or a favor? (Not good.) This is a small (yet very large) issue many professionals can improve upon in order to elicit more favorable and quicker responses and, as a result, improve their results. Additionally, many professionals read e-mails from their smart phones, which often do not easily display long e-mails. This means an even longer wait time on your end if you’re seeking a response from a contact.

Part two: phone calls. No matter how passionate you are about your own needs and how much of a priority they are to you, do not leave convoluted voice messages that last more than 30 seconds or earmark them as a “high priority” or an “emergency” unless they are. (Same goes for e-mails.) Be concise, state your case, always leave your name, the time and date you called and repeat your phone number – slowly – two times at the end of the message. Respect their time by leaving a short message and don’t give your contacts an excuse for not responding to your call.

Third, say “please,” “thank you” and while you do it, briefly remind people again why they are responding to your need. These little words work like magic. Also, reminding people about how and why they’re responding to you maintains focus on your specific needs and shows them that action and results are being accomplished, thereby eliciting a stronger response and helping you to develop a better working relationship with new contacts.

These are a few basic, easy-to-use tactics that have aided me in moving efforts along in a quick and straightforward manner over the years. I hope you find these few tips to be as helpful as I have.

I invite you to share your own tips with us.

Amber Stidham is the director of strategic planning at Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com

Category: Amber Stidham, Creative Solutions for the New Economy, eliciting response, Imagine Marketing, Las Vegas advertising firm, tips to maintaining good client relationships |
| May 5, 2010
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The Intangibles [10th Anniv. Special Edition]

I admit, I’m not a huge fan of comics. Perhaps it’s the realist in me that finds them unbelievable. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t like the idea of superheroes.

As a society, we need superheroes – people we can believe in and trust to do the right thing, who go above and beyond, who are proud to carry out acts of selflessness often without a passing nod of appreciation. If you ask my 2-and-a-half-year-old what he thinks, he’ll tell you superheroes exist and that they’re cool. I agree.

Doing business in marketing can be a tough gig. In an industry that is subject to constant criticism and one everyone seems to think they’re an expert at, due to its subjective and creative nature, the ability to accomplish an impactful marketing program can take a group of superheroes to carry out.

In light of Imagine Marketing’s 10th anniversary, I’d like to celebrate our team of superheroes. These are the people behind the scenes, all of whom have their own set of superhero powers, who have been helping our clients succeed in business over the last decade. We are: The Intangibles.

Iron Man Iron Man (a.k.a. D.J. Allen) – A self-made superhero who possesses superhuman capabilities in all ways imagineable.

Blade Blade (a.k.a. Brian Rouff) – He has superhuman reflexes and the ability to react faster than a normal human.

The Thing The Thing (a.k.a. Alex Raffi) – He stands out from a crowd, has a heart of gold and is the rock upon which Imagine Marketing stands.

Beast Beast (a.k.a. Josh Griffin) – His superhuman senses give him the ability to see, smell, taste, feel and/or hear more than a normal human.

Metamorpho Metamorpho (a.k.a. Jeff Jensen) – He can alter the elements around him by changing one substance into another by rearranging its structure.

Captain Comet Captain Comet (a.k.a. Ehsan Kaveh) – His chameleon-like ability gives him the power to adapt and evolve to environments many cannot.

Phoenix Phoenix (a.k.a. Megan Lane) – A central figure in our cast, she is caring and nurturing. But, don’t be fooled. She’s an omega-level mutant with cosmic forces.

Dawnstar Dawnstar (a.k.a. Sue Burkholder) – With a superhuman pathfinding ability, she can trace an individual or object through supernatural means.

Cyclops Cyclops (a.k.a. Wes Thurman) – He carries the ability to generate or transform various forms of ideas and energy into a solid or cohesive structure.

Storm Storm (a.k.a. Melissa Rothermel) – She possesses the empathy and skill needed to sense the overall well-being and conditions of someone’s immediate environment.

Flashback Flashback (a.k.a. Gail Orta) – A temporal duplication specialist, she can bring past and future versions of oneself back to the present.

Rogue Rogue (a.k.a. Morgan Doyle) – Just as in X-Men, don’t let her beauty fool you, as she possesses the ability to permanently absorb skills and powers from others.

Supergirl Supergirl (a.k.a. Amber Stidham) – She’s invulnerable and has the ability to be immune to many forms of damage, making her a frontline superhero fighter.

We’re the people behind the scenes, making others look great. A team of marketing experts that have extraordinary powers they use for the greater good. Now you know their true identities.

Congratulations Imagine Marketing. And thank you, for letting my inner “geek” shine through by posting this blog.

Amber Stidham is the director of strategic planning at Imagine Marketing.
Contact Amber at astidham@imnv.com.

Category: Alex Raffi, Amber Stidham, Brian Rouff, D.J. Allen, Imagine Marketing, Josh Griffin, Las Vegas advertising firm, team of marketing experts |
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