What does it mean to be a business pioneer?

Does the word pioneer conjure up images of covered wagons, funny bonnets, and the "old west"? Well, circle your wagons and don't get your pinafore in a twist, but all of us in UB are pioneers RIGHT NOW in 2007!

For many of us in The Hive, this is our first venture into direct sales. For others of us, we come to the table with direct sales experience. But for most of us, this is our very first time pioneering a product and concept that is totally new to the market.

I personally have worked with several start-up businesses. During the dot-com heyday of the mid-to-late nineties, I gained a TON of experience with start-ups. And so did many of my friends. And we all shared stories and learned valuable lessons.

Bringing a new product to the market is a thrilling experience for some. It can be absolutely terrifying for others. For most people, the comfort level falls somewhere in the middle. I would venture to guess that for most of us involved in UB, we have an above average tolerance for risk. We also are quick to understand innovations and recognize a hot trend before most people.

Otherwise you probably would not have taken the plunge and become a Fragrance Designer. Right? (take a moment to pat yourself on the back, you hip trendspotter!)

The ride with a new company can be somewhat of a rollercoaster. As Shawna has said, it isn't a sprint but it is more of a marathon. I think it is really helpful to understand the mentality of our customers. Not from a customer service or demographic standpoint, but to understand how people tend to react to "new" ideas.

There are several theories out there but one I have seen used in several disciplines (from eLearning, to healthcare) is the Theory of Innovation Diffusion that Everett Rogers published in 1962. I grabbed a concise snippet of what it is from Wikipedia.

I personally haven't read his book, I've just been exposed to it by several presentations I've attended over the years. I do, however, highly recommend The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a great mix of culture and statistics about how trends really take hold in society.

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From Wikipedia:
Theories of Innovation Diffusion

French sociologist Gabriel Tarde originally claimed that sociology was based on small psychological interactions among individuals, especially imitation and innovation.

Diffusion of innovations theory was formalized by Everett Rogers in a 1962 book called Diffusion of Innovations. Rogers stated that adopters of any new innovation or idea could be categorized as innovators (2.5%), early adopters (13.5%), early majority (34%), late majority (34%) and laggards (16%), based on a bell curve. Each adopter's willingness and ability to adopt an innovation would depend on their awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.

Some of the characteristics of each category of adopter include:

1. innovators:venturesome, educated, multiple info sources, greater propensity to take ris
2. early adopters:social leaders, popular, educated
3. early majority: deliberate, many informal social contacts
4. late majority: skeptical, traditional, lower socio-economic status
5. laggards: neighbours and friends are main info sources, fear of debt

Rogers also proposed a five stage model for the diffusion of innovation:

1. Knowledge - learning about the existence and function of the innovation


2. Persuasion - becoming convinced of the value of the innovation


3. Decision - committing to the adoption of the innovation


4. Implementation - putting it to use


5. Confirmation - the ultimate acceptance (or rejection) of the innovation

The S-Curve and technology adoption


The adoption curve becomes a s-curve when cumulative adoption is used.Rogers theorized that innovations would spread through society in an S curve, as the early adopters select the technology first, followed by the majority, until a technology or innovation is common.

The speed of technology adoption is determined by two characteristics p, which is the speed at which adoption takes off, and q, the speed at which later growth occurs. A cheaper technology might have a higher p, for example, taking off more quickly, while a technology that has network effects (like a fax machine, where the value of the item increases as others get it) may have a higher q.

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So what does all of this mean? It means that it might take a little longer to see a boom in party bookings or new recruits. It means that for almost everyone you tell about UB, they might need to hear about it several times (and in different ways) because they have never heard of it before.

Try to think about those people you know who "know" everyone and know every trend (they are the innovators and early adopters). Seek them out. They will help you tremendously in getting the word out.

We are the ones spreading the word about this amazing company. And it will likely take longer for us to see definite results in our businesses (than it would if we were in a more established company with major brand awareness). But for those of us who stick with it, the rewards will no doubt be absolutely worth it!

Hopefully you all find this information useful!

You Just Never Know

I posted a week or so ago about word of mouth advertising. And I have an amazing story to share that proves you just never know how it might work.

Just last weekend I did an Urban Botanic birthday party for an extremely delightful 12 year old and her group of friends. There were also two adult women who took part in the fragrance making, too. Well, it turns out one of the women works for my city's parks and recreation department.

At the end of the party, she asked for some of my cards and said she thought this would be a great workshop to offer through the city center (year-round they offer classes for people of all ages on a variety of topics). Needless to say, I gave her a stack of cards and told her how interested I would be in doing that.

This week I got a call from the program coordinator who asked if I would be interested in running UB workshops in their fall series.

My jaw hit the floor.

YES! YES! I absolutely want to be included in the fall series!! He emailed me the paperwork and I am sending it back to him Monday. The workshops will be listed in a magazine that goes out to nearly 100,000 households in my area!!

I am also figuring out how to thank my word-of-mouth angel. The fact that she enjoyed herself and saw value in the process enough to refer me to her co-worker just blows me away. Thank you doesn't begin to describe how grateful I am.

So, it just goes to show that you never know who might be in attendance at a party and how powerful word of mouth can be!

For Laughs

I got this in an email the other day and I laughed so hard I nearly cried.
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Here are the winners of the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational, which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.
The 2006 winners are:

1. Cashtration: (n.) The act of buying (or building) a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an *sshole.

3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize that it was your money to start with.

4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

5. Bozone: (n.) The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

12. Karmageddon: It's when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, and then the Earth explodes and it's a serious bummer.

13. Decafalon: (n.) The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

14. Glibido: All talk and no action.

15. Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

16. Arachnoleptic Fit: (n.) The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

17. Beelzebug: (n.) Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

18. Caterpallor: (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in the fruit you're eating.

The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its yearly contest in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings for common words.
And the winners are:

1. Coffee, (n.) the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted, (adj.) appalled by discovering how much weight one has gained.

3. Abdicate, (v.) to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade, (v.) to attempt an explanation while drunk.

6. Negligent, (adj.) absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a nightgown.

7. Lymph, (v.) to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle, (n.) olive-flavored mouthwash.

9. Flatulence, (n.) emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash, (n.) a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Oyster, (n.) a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

12. Frisbeetarianism, (n.) the belief that, after death, the soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

13. Pokemon, (n.) a Rastafarian proctologist.

Approaching the Media for your Urban Botanic Business

I had the opportunity to attend a great workshop on Monday that featured three Seattle-based journalists. Let me tell you they had a lot to say about what to do (and what NOT to do) when approaching the media (aka pitching a story) for publicity for your business.

First, let me explain a big concept in marketing - earned media. Earned media is basically anything that appears in the media that you didn't pay for. An advertisement is media space you buy (i.e. paid media). Earned media is when a journalist for a newspaper (or magazine, website, etc.) writes about your business, product, or cause in an article or story. You didn't pay for it, hence the term "earned."

Many people consider earned media to be more credible because it came from an unbiased source (vs. an ad where the company can tell you anything they want). The product or company does not get to approve what is written so the journalist is trusted with giving a fair assessment (good or bad).

Honestly, being a graphic designer I was only aware of paid media for the first 7+ years of my career. It wasn't until a few years ago when I was simultaneously finishing up my degree in business and working in a corporate communications department that I understood the concept. The PR Director was all about generating earned media whereas I was primarily concerned with paying for media (designing and placing ads).

Okay, now, I will share with you about how to pitch to journalists (aka "the media") to generate press (aka earned media) for your business.

Email is the preferred mode of contact. Phone calls can be intrusive. Snail mail still works but depending on the person, may or may not be timely. Most publications will have links to email addresses on their websites. If you aren't sure who to contact, it is totally fine to call the main phone line and ask the receptionist who you should contact.

Brevity is your friend when contacting a journalist. Don't wax poetic on all of the virtues of the product. Briefly tell them who you are, why they should be interested, how to contact you, and give them a link to your URL. These people receive A LOT of pitches and simply don't have the time to wade through all of your descriptive adjectives. As one writer on the panel said, "Don't bury the lead."

Be authentic. There is no need to act more formal or "business-y" when talking to a journalist. Be articulate. Use spell check. Be friendly. And act "normal" as one writer said.

Be persistant. If you don't hear back after one pitch, it is acceptable to ping someone again. Make sure to reference who you are, even just resend the exact same email. If you don't hear back after that, there may just not be any interest.

Do your homework. Be prepared to explain why your business is ideal for their readership. Read back issues and know what other products and companies have been featured over the last year or so (at a minimum). It is also smart to understand the demographic of their target audience. You can usually find this info on a publication's website where their advertising information is (i.e. "Advertise With Us").

Understand their timelines. Magazine articles are generally 3+ months out. Blogs and online media are one-two weeks out. Newspapers generally are one-two+ weeks out for features (longer if it's a weekly or monthly paper), unless of course, there is major breaking news.

If someone else has covered it, another publication likely won't. Journalists (whether online or in print) like to be the ones to break a story or be the first to report it. No one likes to play second fiddle or run secondhand news. Trust that the writer you pitch KNOWS what other publications have already featured. Unless there is a unique angle or new development, once you've been featured in one genre of media (i.e. wedding-related, or kid-related), that literally could be "all she wrote" for the time-being.

Do not send a "mass" pitch (with the exception of a press release, which is entirely different). Along with knowing what their colleagues have already featured, these people network with each other and have close relationships behind the scenes, across publications and websites. They share with each other (especially in the blogosphere) and can sniff out a "canned" email a mile away. Tailor your approach by following the steps I've outlined here and you should be just fine.

Being a paid advertiser does not guarantee or even help in getting written about in a publication. The ad salespeople and the writers are usually completely separate and don't know what the other is doing. However, there are some publications that offer their advertisers "advertorials." I won't go into detail about it but here is a wiki that explains what an advertorial is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advertorial. But, still, an advertorial is paid media and still has less "cred" than pure editorial.

Samples: sometimes yes, sometimes no. Be aware that some publications have very strict rules about whether or not they can accept samples. A good rule of thumb is that the larger the publication, the less likely they can accept freebies. The best idea is to wait until you've conversed with an interested journalist and ask them the policy rather than just blindly sending someone a sample.

The bottom line: It's about relationships. That is the key point that the panel on Monday stressed over and over again. The media is approachable (even though the idea of pitching a story does seem really overwhelming). They are people just like you and me.

Word of Mouth Advertising for Your Urban Botanic Business

Do you know that for all of the new kinds of media out there (social networking, ezines, message boards, print magazines, email newsletters, online banner ads), that good old-fashioned word of mouth is still by far the most effective way to promote your business?

Think about it...word of mouth advertising automatically has a higher level of credibility because usually the source is a friend, family member, neighbor, or other acquaintance. This is where it can get tricky - a negative referral from a trusted source can do a lot of damage. But a positive recommendation can do wonders for your business!

Word of mouth is so low tech and so easily understood. But the difficulty that marketers face is how can you go about getting it? It's not as though you can just pay someone to go around raving about your business.

While you can't easily buy word of mouth, what you can do is treat every contact and social interaction with word of mouth in mind. Act as though you are a walking billboard for your Urban Botanic business. I don't mean you should literally slap the UB logo on all of your clothes, but carry yourself as an ambassador for your business. At all times (not just when you have your UB apron on in front of a party!). People like to do business with nice, friendly people. They want to do business with someone they actually like.

Another tactic you can use is to ask your happy customers to recommend you to their friends. Yes, it's just that simple. At the end of a party, ask them to let their other friends know how much they enjoyed Urban Botanic.

One very smart thing to do is determine who in your sphere of influence are the "connectors". You know, those people who seem to know everyone, have holiday card lists a mile long, and tend to be influencers when it comes to personal style. Offer to do a one-on-one consult with your connectors, since they tend to have very busy calendars and might not be able to make a party or open house. A connector is exactly the person you want evangelizing your UB business!

And, it goes without saying that outstanding customer service with a personal touch is absolutely key!

Here are some interesting statistics about word of mouth, or buzz, marketing.

When an interesting new product is discovered:

43% will try it with no recommendation

37% wait for a friend to endorse it

16% wait until it is on the market for a while

When a product or services impresses them:

55% percent will tell close friends and family

38% will tell anyone who will listen

2% keep it to them selves

According to research done by Osterman Research, some of the most important things about a brand or product that encourage word of mouth are:
satisfied customers (53%)
great products or services (27%)
an exciting brand (13%)

Interestingly, low prices ranked at 0%.

Your word of mouth buzz will work in conjunction with your other marketing efforts. Consider it one point of contact. Bolstering your small army of word-of-mouthers should be other marketing tactics - direct mail, email newsletters, social networking, print ads, and other efforts. All of these activities will build awareness about your business and bring in party bookings and new team members.

UB Heatin' Things Up!

I am in the middle of a virtual UB whirlwind and I LOVE IT!

Here is what I have on deck this week:

• high school fashion show fundraiser tonight
• tween birthday party Friday night
• youth birthday party Saturday afternoon
• grown-up UB birthday party Saturday night

Plus... I have new mailers coming to me from VistaPrint this week. I have 600+ local addresses of women between 25-48 who I will be sending those to.

Monday, May 14th Shawna has her Crave Shop '07 event that I'm going to help her with. I am so excited to see the reaction to the UB affiliate program she has designed for boutiques!

I have another party coming the first week in June. AND my mom is getting back in town and she will get her first taste of UB this week. I know she will likely do at least two parties for me and those parties will most definitely spawn more bookings.

Woohoo! It's gettin' hot in here!!

Mama-Do List

I am using my blog today to keep track of kettles in the fire. Somehow posting things publicly helps ensure I stay accountable! ;)

Also...the postal rate goes up on May 14th so there is no time like NOW to do my direct mail activities and use up cheaper stamps!

1. Send out 100 party lead postcards to my neighborhood.
2. Send out staff appreciation flyers to targeted businesses. I have pulled together a list of women-owned businesses that are likely to have a mostly female staff.
3. Follow up on my bridal mailing. I haven't received any bites yet so I think it's time to call the folks I mailed cards out to.
4. Begin building my boutique list. The new flyers Shawna posted to TeamBurst are great (kudos to Miss Lauri for designing them!).
5. Dedicate one uninterrupted hour to investigating the new networking site I joined called Ryze.
6. Follow up on three party leads! :)

Let's see how far I can get on these tasks by tomorrow evening...