Monthly Archives: November 2015

Professional Development , , Leave a comment

A Fail-Safe Christmas Party Strategy

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Christmas party season is here, bringing Freelancers and business owners opportunities to become their own Santa Claus and put some new clients under the tree.  Christmas is the time to pick up the thread with clients past,  nurture relationships with clients of the present and meet clients you’d like to add to your roster in the near future. To make that happen,  you know that you’ll need a game plan.

First,  go to your parties alone.  Under no circumstances do you need to drag someone along with you, unless that person is required to get you into a party where you can expect to meet prospective clients,  or that person promises to introduce you to a good prospect while there.  Even that arrangement can be risky— a few years ago I was invited to what should have been a networking bonanza for me,  except that my friend wound up getting very drunk and even worse,  he reneged on bringing me into a post-party meeting with someone who could have been very helpful to me.

Second,  confirm the dress code.  A weekend party held after 6:00 PM will imply fancier dress and maybe even black-tie optional.  If you are the  +1 (guest),  ask your contact to send you the invitation.  If s/he does not do so,  then call the party organizer and inquire.  You do not want to show up improperly dressed,  even if your contact claims not to care about such things.

Men should wear a jacket,  even if a suit is not required.  Women should avoid too-short or too-tight clothing and revealing necklines.  Jeans or leather pants are out of the question for either sex,  unless your host is in the arts or tech.

Third,  ask who is on the guest list,  if you can do so casually and diplomatically.  Present your request as a way to find out if you’ll know others in the room.

Fourth,  polish up your short-form elevator pitch and think about how you might approach guests that you’d like to meet or reconnect with.  You may want to Google a name and find out what that person has been doing,  so you’ll know what to “spontaneously” bring up.

However,  be mindful that pushing business topics will be a turn-off,  unless the other person raises an issue.  Focus instead on scheduling post-party follow-up with selected people who would like to know more about your products and services.

While at the party,  greet and thank your hosts straight away,  before you visit the bar or buffet.  After that relax,  mix and mingle.  Brainstorm some friendly ice-breakers that will open the door to conversation (“How do you know [the hosts]?”)  Eating and drinking are party highlights,  but take it easy with the drinking.  I recommend that you have not more than one drink and then switch to a non-alcoholic beverage.  You must be sober to successfully work your networking agenda.

Moreover,  you’ll also need to master the drink and hors d’oeuvres plate juggle.  Hold your drink in your left hand,  so that you can shake hands easily and not give a cold,  damp greeting.  Likewise,  eat your hors d’oeuvres with the left hand,  so you don’t offer a sticky handshake.

Finally,  pay attention to the ebb and flow of guests.  Unless you’re in a serious conversation  when their number begins to fade,  find your hosts,  thank them for the invitation and take your leave.  There is an optimum time to arrive  at and leave a party.  Arriving 15- 20 minutes after the start time is usually good.  The next day,  send a quick email to thank the host once more.  After all,  a good party is a wonderful thing and you want to get invited back next year!

Thanks for reading,

Kim

 

Administrative , , , , Leave a comment

2015 Year-End Tax Planning Thoughts

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It’s mid-November and time for Freelancers to think about how much money we will hand over to the tax man this year. Tax planning is usually at top of mind as the year ends, but be advised that obsessing over taxes is not always useful. New York City CPA and small business tax specialist Michael Hanley recommends that you take a breath and consider the impact that aggressive tax strategies would have on your financial circumstances.

Hanley cautions small business owners and Freelancers against inflated spending on business expenses just to give themselves a lower tax bill, because tax deductions are not a dollar-for-dollar benefit. Every dollar written off as a deduction yields on average only 30 cents in tax savings (depending on your tax bracket and legal structure of the business). If you have a big-ticket item to buy and you anticipate that this year’s income and next year’s will be about the same, then buy when you can get the best price on the item, be it in this year or next. Your savings could be worth more than the tax deduction.

Hanley also addresses the apparently common tactic of zeroing out one’s business bank account by December 31. Paying for business expenses, adding to your retirement account, or purchasing business equipment or supplies will likely make the zero balance bank account tactic work. Paying yourself a bonus, taking a shareholder distribution if your business is a corporate entity, paying down your credit line at the bank, or paying off business credit cards will not give you legitimate tax deductions.

Professional development education is tax-deductible, so if you’re holding money and there is a potentially useful workshop or symposium offered late in the year, do register and attend. You might also consider throwing a Christmas party for clients, prospective clients, referral sources and selected business colleagues (meaning, no one who might steal a client!). Your Christmas party could turn out to be a networking bonanza that creates billable hours for you in the coming year (and beyond).

Clients and referral sources could come away with more business as well and that will make their relationship with you more valuable to them. If you can grab a big table or a private room in a restaurant that needn’t be fancy, but has a good reputation, then plan your party with Evite, even if a Monday night is all you can reserve.  Allow 7-14 days for the RSVP—last minute invitations can be just fine. Spontaneity has its charms, especially at this time of year.

To make sure that the social swirl and networking will be effective, invite 30 and expect 12 to show. Set out five or six finger foods and arrange for a signature cocktail. If someone asks for beer or wine, let them have it. Your party can run 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM. Most people will have two drinks, the restaurant will tell you how much food to set out. You will probably spend $60/pp, meaning that a table of 12 will cost less than $750.

You might also consider inviting your Linked-In connections to a party. It would be a wonderful way to introduce your colleagues to one another and billable hours could be created as a result. You may want to make this a pizza, salad, beer and wine affair, but so what? It’s a great idea, regardless. If you have 100 connections, plan on 25 showing up.

If it’s too late to host a party this year, the cards and stamps used for the December greetings that you’ll send to clients and referral sources are tax-deductible. If you act now,  there will be time to order specially printed cards for your business (you will still add a personal message).

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Sales , , , Leave a comment

So Why Should They Hire You?

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Congratulations! A client with a big budget and a need for your kind of services has called you back for a second talk. You’re excited and a little nervous, too. There’s a lot riding on this interview—maybe this is a prestige client who will help you attract still more prestige clients? Maybe you have bills to pay and this assignment is your ticket to solvency?

Whatever your motive, acing the interview and signing the contract are paramount. Then the client throws this last-ditch, totally common and yet potentially flummoxing question at you–“Why should I hire you for this project?”

Most of us will flap our jaws aimlessly, talking about the value-added we bring, our work ethic, excellent customer service or deep expertise. All of these benefits are positive but in today’s hyper-competitive economy, a Freelancer must make a stronger case. We need to make the client salivate to have us on board.

As luck would have it, there are some good stock answers available and they will make you shine. These templates give the prospect the confidence to open the door and bring you onto the team. You maximize the impact by replying in a relaxed tone, keeping your answer clear and simple and avoiding the use of jargon.

Interview coach and author of Convince Them in 90 Seconds (2010) Nicholas Boothman suggests that you try something like this… “You know how an outside specialist has to be flexible and ready for the unpredictable? Well, I know how to adapt to changes, I have initiative and I can cover a lot of bases, so your team members will be able to concentrate on what they do best and I can take care of the other stuff that needs to get done.”

You might also try something suggested by business journalist Geoffrey James, author of Business Without the Bull (2014)…. ” You know how sometimes you can’t find top talent to bring on when you need them most? Well, I have ( x amount of) years experience in (whatever field) that will let me solve your (problem or need) and get the right solution up and running in a short time frame. When you hire my organization, you won’t have to spin your wheels searching for talent and you’ll avoid the risk of hiring the wrong person.”

Here’s a cool little retort for the Freelancer who has not seen age 35 in a few decades and it works whether one is speaking to a Baby Boomer, Gen X, or Millennial…”You know how sometimes people can get into emotional battles over how to approach a problem? One of the most important things I’ve learned over the years is how to bring these kind of conflicts to a quick resolution. If I’m on your team, you’ll not only get an experienced (name the specialty), but also someone with perspective, who can guide a team away from butting heads and toward getting the work done.”

Note that your answer positions you as the solution to the client’s problem or need and that is precisely how you want to be perceived, for that is why you will get hired. You may devise other answers that more closely reflect the circumstances of your field. Anticipate the question in advance of your next client meeting and think of scenarios that will help you answer the “Why should I hire you” question in a way that focuses on the client and how you can make his/her life easier.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

Business Strategy , , , Leave a comment

Step It Up: Taking Your Business Venture To the Next Level

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You might be doing fine and dandy with your business revenues and profits, or you might feel the need to generate more of both. Regardless of your particular circumstances, it is a well-known business axiom that like a shark, organizations (for-profit or not-for-profit) must continually move forward. Growth = Survival.

Growth in any aspect of life requires well-considered and attainable goals, objectives, strategies and an action plan. Be mindful that what you set out to do, while perhaps far-reaching, has the best chance of success if things are kept quite simple and not complex at all. Here are some strategies that may help you to achieve your goals, whatever they are.

Save time

Productivity is a key component of success in life and business. Whether you prefer to view productivity as working hard or working smart (I say a bit of both!), nothing happens unless what must be done is actually done.  Plans must be conceived, discussed and implemented and then measured for efficacy and impact.

Assess your technological capabilities and make sure that you are using devices and protocols that are time-saving.  Examine also the way you deliver your products and services. Operational efficiencies save time and money and allow you to direct your creative energies toward  money-generating activities, such as performing market research and competitive analyses, or just plain old resting and refreshing your energy stores.

Making it possible to bring in as many customers as possible as your organization quickly and inexpensively provides their products and services is the ultimate goal of productivity. How can you do what you do faster and Continue reading →