Speaker - March 2011

and my envelopes. This commitment to
my style sheet gives me a marketing hedge
called a Referral Activator. For example, if
I’ve done a program for you and you get
an email from someone using a green font,
you’ll think of me automatically. I received
a message this morning from someone I
haven’t worked with in several years: “Hi,
Wendy. I’ve been thinking of you.”
Glenda doesn’t know why she’s been
thinking of me, but I do. My style sheet
attracts repeat business.

Get in Shape

My message is referrals. My shape is the triangle. If it’s a triangle, it’s for me. I found green triangle paper clips at a museum, and my style sheet authorizes me to purchase them.

My style sheet also states that when I use the triangle as a gesture, it begins to the viewer’s left (my right), and it goes across, then down and then up. It’s easy for me to finger draw a triangle and talk at the same time—no thinking required.

Make Words Proprietary Property

My style sheet contains these words:
• GateOpener: Always two capital words,
no space in between them.

• Referral Activator: Always capitalized, never lower case.

• Referral Trigger: Always capitalized, never lower case.

• Referral: Not capitalized in general use.

Every person in the office proofreads every product before it goes to print. If someone asks about a word that isn’t about the style sheet, whether it’s an office person or a designer, it gets added to the style sheet. The style sheet is everyone’s responsibility.

Files: The Name Game I send files to busy people. I want them to be able to find and identify my documents easily, because being easy to work with is a benefit for me. I have devised the following system for naming files:

My Name, space-hyphen-space, Item
Type, space-hyphen-space, Program
Name, space-hyphen-space, Event Date.
Here are some examples:
• Wendy Kinney – AV Requirements – It’s
Raining Referrals – 13 April 2011.doc
• Wendy Kinney – Content Sheet – It’s
Raining Referrals – 13 April 2011.doc
• Wendy Kinney – Contract – It’s Raining
Referrals – 13 April 2011.doc
• Wendy Kinney – Headshot, left facing –
It’s Raining Referrals – 13 April 2011.doc
• Wendy Kinney – Room Layout – It’s
Raining Referrals – 13 April 2011.doc
• Wendy Kinney – Program Bio – It’s
Raining Referrals – 13 April 2011.doc

Photo Fix

You might be thinking, “I don’t email files. My website has everything my clients need. They just download it when they want it.” Been there—done that. I’ve tasted the frustration of not being able to find a downloaded file because the name doesn’t tell me what it is. Result? I have to open everything, or download it again.

I should direct the frustration at myself because I should have renamed it and filed it where I could find it. I’m still peeved at the person who renamed her headshot IMG_34219.

Nothing is uploaded to my website
or Facebook until it is named accord-
ing to my style sheet rules. My headshots,
for example, start with my name, space-
hyphen-space, and a description:
• Wendy Kinney – left facing.jpg
• Wendy Kinney – left facing, eyes right –
Red.jpg (shown)

• Wendy Kinney – arms open.jpg
• Wendy Kinney – big toothy grin.jpg
Candid photos are not about me;
they’re about the client, the event, or
the other person. So, I name my candid
photos accordingly: Smith and Howard
– 2010 Awards Banquet – Richard
Smith. The pictures are easily identi-
fied and will be used in newsletters and
event recaps. The style sheet under-
scores my value to my clients.

Start a Style Sheet

• Open a document, name it, and save it with your business collateral items.

• Next, insert a table with two columns and 10 rows.

• Type areas in the left column, as shown below:

Logo Fonts Colors Shapes Words File names Headshots

Now, split the right cells to add details, for example:

Serif: Raleigh
Body copy, 12 pt. or smaller
San Serif: Fruitger
Titles: 18 pt., subheads 14 pt.
Cursive: Pristina
Breakout boxes only. Never italic

Create your style sheet now. It will be used and changed as often as you create a new product, confirm a new project, or plan another dimension. And it will be used to your be benefit each time.

Wendy Kinney starting prepping for business as a child by practicing on her grandfather’s adding machine, filling out discarded checks, and daydreaming about running an office. Today, referral marketing is her niche. Contact her at (404) 784-0699 or visit www. ReadySetGoMakeMoney.com.