Lessons I learned from my Summer Interns

It has been several years since we last hired marketing interns.  This year we had two outstanding marketing students from Northern Arizona University, both with dual majors - Victor Martinez, marketing and management, and KaitlynMcNalley, marketing and finance.  They have worked on a variety of projects during their summer internship at Stowebridge and have added a lot to the various projects they have been involved in.

I trust this was a valuable experience for them, but I also benefited greatly from working with them.    While I understand my business inside and out – they made it clear to me that there are some simple basics I have not taken time to articulate.  There is always room for more clarity.

Here are some of the lessons I learned from them:

Be inspired by all the world has to offer

Don’t be afraid to ask questions

Be open to trying something you have never tried before

Be open to trying ideas you tried in the past but find ways to make it work better.  (Don’t be quick to explain why something has already been done and why it won’t work.)

Make new friends

Embrace and integrate new technology

Communicate in new ways – to reach more of your audience – Facebook, Blogging

Dig deeply – the answers are out there 

Live in awe of people and things that may have become mundane

Be grateful for every opportunity

Be generous to others – if you saw Kate's picture when she started you will see her new shorter bobbed hair cut – the result of donating her hair to help others.

These are fantastic lessons for all of us.  We get out of college and sometimes lose sight of these.  I am thankful to Victor and Kate for opening my eyes. 

(We are pleased to report that Victor will continue as a sales person while he finishes his last semester at NAU.)

Note: We have two outstanding interns working on websites for us – Edward Hietter and Aaron Harrington, both from the University of New Mexico.  I don’t think I could begin to articulate how amazed I am at all they do and know.  I will never, ever know all that they know – I am just thankful they are on my team! 

Where do you call home?

Nearly every Friday I eat dinner at the same restaurant.  It’s part of my ritual and a comforting way to end the week – whether it was successful, stressful or quiet.  I always know I will be greeted with a smile and hug followed by a glass of my favorite craft beer by the tall, lanky manager, Eli.  Sometimes, like last Friday night, he sees me walking across the parking lot and greets me at the door, beer in hand.  Truth be told, I am much more of a wine drinker but their limited wine menu does not stack up against their broad selection of craft beers.  There are plenty of other nights to drink fine wine.

It’s not a fancy place with its metal tables and plastic table covers but it is as comforting as coming home.  Some of my friends might not even feel comfortable in such modest surrounds.  The menu features all the regular items you would expect at a grill but all the bread is homemade, they make the most amazing Caesar salad dressing I have ever tasted and they serve specials that rival any gourmet restaurants I have visited – all served in a plastic basket. 

The restaurant feels like home because of the people who work there.  Eli remembers my beer choice without even asking but also brings me samples of new ones he thinks I will like.  His weekly answer to “How are you” is always “Living the Dream.”   And he remembers the menu choices I like the most.  While I would like to think I am truly special, I see Eli and the rest of the staff work the same magic with everyone who walks in the door.  In our fast food, overworked, “press 1 for English”, world that we live in, we all want to be remembered and welcomed home, wherever home is. 

When I reflect on our business, Stowebridge Promotion Group, this is how we want our customers to feel.  We treat people as people.  We want them to feel at home with us – whether it is in our showroom or across country.  We work hard to have a welcoming atmosphere and a welcoming way with our customers.  We don’t believe in pushy sales, sales quotas or making the numbers for a certain supplier.  We believe in finding just the right item in our customer’s budget that we know will arrive just the way the want it, on time and on budget. 

Many of our customers are old friends and many of those who were not have become friends.   We want to know more about our customers than just their business, we want to celebrate their life events from weddings and graduations to their children’s success.  Knowing our customers and offering outstanding customer support is a hallmark of our success and part of our culture.  Our customers are people we sincerely enjoy working with and that makes it a pleasure to come to work every day.  Our team pulls together to make things happen, sometimes even the impossible. We enjoy helping our customers grow and are excited by their success.  We love to help our friends promote their business, thank their customers, motivate employees, and to help them become memorable.  

How will you thank your employees?

This morning I surprised my employees by donning my red apron bright and early and making banana split pancakes for everyone as they arrived.  Whole wheat pancakes adorned with sliced bananas, coconut/pineapple and peach frozen yogurt and topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries.  There is just something special about starting a summer day with ice cream (or a healthy alternative to ice cream).  It was a hit and everyone was thrilled.  We love to surprise our employees – sometimes it’s gifts, sometimes it’s food, sometimes it’s a new shirt to celebrate a great win or a new season.

Showing appreciation to employees leads to higher employee engagement:

Employee engagement is the emotional commitment an employee has to the organization and its goals, resulting in the use of discretionary effort. - Kevin Kruse, Contributor, Forbes

Employees with high engagement levels care more, are more productive, give better service, and even stay in their jobs longer. All of that leads to happier customers, who want to work with your company and also refer your company to others more often.  It is something that we strive to achieve with every employee.

Labor Day is just around the corner on September 1^st.  What a great time to recognize and thank your employees!  And it is even better when they least expect it. We have so many great ways to thank your employees – great coolers, awesome drinkware they will use every day, lunch boxes, ideas that makes their job easier and apparel that build pride.  Employees are proud of where they work and love to show off their logo’ed attire.  Food is great and employees do love it, but it’s also great when you can pair it with something they use everyday.  Your gift will be a constant reminder that they are appreciated and recognized for their hard work.  It builds pride, teamwork

and a sense of belonging.

We would love to help you put together a great plan to appreciate your employees!  Let us know how we can help.

Make your Advertising Count!

 When you buy advertising do you ask “What’s your cheapest ad?”

“Give me the cheapest Billboard” 

“What time slots offer the cheapest radio/TV spots?

Of course not – you want your advertising to be seen, to be heard, to be remembered.

And yet I still have people ask me – 

“What is the cheapest thing I can give away at a trade show?” 

 “I want to give away pens but I don’t want to pay more than $.25 per pen.”

“Which T-shirt is the cheapest?”

Is that what you really want for your brand?  Do you want a pen that doesn’t write well and gets thrown away?  Or a chip clip that breaks the first time the customer uses it; Or a T-shirt that never sees the light of day or worse yet, becomes a rag for washing the car?

We help customers choose wisely.  There are many great inexpensive items that actually work for you – calendar strips that stay in front of your customer all year, items that change color for that great wow effect, an array of useful kitchen gadgets and inexpensive pens that also incorporate a stylus.  Spending a few dollars more can get you a t-shirt that customers will love and wear often.  And with a great design from our art department, it can become their favorite – advertising for your every time that shirt is worn.  Let us help you choose promotional products that customers want and will use, and these items will go to work for you to remind your customers every day of your great products and services.

Do you own real estate on your customer's desk?

Your customer has a desk that they sit at every day – if they are like many, they probably spend more of their waking time there than anywhere else.  Do you own any of their mind share while they are working?  It’s so easy and they will actually thank you for it.

Promotional products are not just products - they are investments in a relationship with your customers or your employees.  Useful promotional products such as attractive coffee mugs, cool water bottles, as well as staplers, pens, calendars, tech items and fun toys can help you own real estate on your customer’s desk.  Your customer will thank you for your gift.  Choose wisely and they will love it.  And then, they will use them every day.  And when they use them, your company is prominently displayed and they will remember you, and think fondly of you, especially if you chose a great item.  This is not a time for "cheap junk".  This is not about which coffee mug is the least expensive.  This is about buying the best real estate you can and making a great impression.

Promotional products will provide you with all day advertising that your customers won’t forget.  They won’t remember the billboards on the way to work, or the ads they heard on the radio.  But they will remember your kindness and the great and useful gift you gave them – that buys you real estate on their desk – or in their kitchen – or in their car.

How can we help you buy real estate?

What I have learned in 20 years

Twenty years is a long time and yet it goes by so fast when you are busy building a business.  Stowebridge was started by Ron Thomas twenty years ago in the basement of our home.  He is the visionary behind Stowebridge and its success, while I run the day to day operations so he can focus on our customers and future growth.    

Entrepreneurship is exciting and scary and challenging every day.  I grew up in a very entrepreneurial family.  Good news is you get to guide the company to success.  That is also scary and challenging, especially in difficult economic times and especially when you are responsible for other employees and their livelihood.

Entrepreneurship is hard work but rewarding.  Good news – no one tells you what to do.  Bad news – no one tells you what to do.  So given all that, here is a list of what I have learned:

Take care of customers – make sure you exceed their expectations every day.

Remember customers are people and people choose to do business with people, so be the best person you can be.

A customer is more than just a single transaction – don’t let a customer be disappointed and lose a customer for life over one mistake – make it right for the customer.

Employees are your best asset.  They are the people with whom you spend your day; they are the people who help you take care of customers.  Value them and build a team of the best individuals you can find.

Great culture in a company is everything.  It comes from the top and the bottom.  It needs to be lived by every individual in the organization.

Hire smart people.  Fire people who don’t live the culture.

Understand that employees are people too.  They have lives that are filled with ups and downs.  Coach them, be understanding that they have challenges outside the workplace.

Keep learning.  Build a network of smart people who inspire you and challenge you.

Give back to the community – volunteer, share your skills and gifts with others.  Use what you do in your business to make the world a better place.

Take time for yourself.  Make time for friends.  Recharge, Refresh your soul, Breathe some fresh air. 

I don't need business cards

Yesterday we signed up our employees for life insurance as an added company benefit. We had an insurance sales person help with the process as the forms were rather confusing. I asked for her business card in case we had questions later. She handed me the bottom of a torn piece of company stationery. She said she was out of business cards but didn't really need them anyway.

I asked her what she does when she meets someone new who might be a prospective client. She said she just gets their name and phone number and adds them to her Blackberry to follow up.

Not only are business cards essential - new printing technology makes it easier than ever to make them into a true marketing tool. Its a small piece of paper that does so much. Two sided full color printing is now included in our cards so you can have your contact information on one side and an overview of your business offering, your unique selling proposition, why you are better, why you are different. A quick survey of the vast number of business cards in my drawer have nothing on back - a wasted opportunity. A business card should be able to remind them of what you do long after they may even have forgotten your face.

And now a business card can be even more with QR codes. A QR code on your business card can take a customer right to your website or a unique web page designed to further communicate what you do for your clients.

And now with the affordability of full color printing even in small quantities, you can have business cards that speak to different types of clients. It doesn't need to be a one size fits all.

Business cards can be fun and colorful or serious and provide an aura of confidence. When we design business cards - we have lots of questions. Who will you give it to? What do you want them to know and remember? Do you want people to be able to write on your card (so we recommend the right paper surface)? We try to make each card memorable.

Beyond the fun of business cards - don't forget to make sure they are useful. Watch your point size and font. Make sure people will be able to read it. While black gloss on a black card is so elegant and memorable, if you can't quite make out what it says - its not working as hard for you as it could.