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PIC Newsletter - September/October 2012
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Newsletter Title
Newsletter Subtitle
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Marketing is number 1 priority for PIC members
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Our members keep telling us they want to learn how to improve their marketing. That's why most of the speakers we're booking focus on this topic.
Whether it's by networking, email or through social media, PIC members should have several tools in their marketing toolbox. We should work in some marketing every day and not wait until we've finished our projects.
At our September meeting, Steve Slaunwhite told us how to prospect by email. See the September program report for more information.
I find it's much more effective for a speaker to explain one marketing tool - by providing the who, what, where, when, why and how - rather than by providing a dozen tools without telling us how to use them properly.
Ilise Benun, founder of the Marketing Mentor, will join us on November 7. Ilise is coming to Toronto from the U.S. to speak to another group (with a budget!). We're fortunate she's going to be in town on the day of our meeting and so we were able to book her for our event.
To kick-start the holiday season, we'll have an informal networking event similar to last year's event in December.
Let us know if you've heard a good speaker who can provide practical helpful advice for indies by contacting Pat Davies at patriciadavies@rogers.com.
Elizabeth Trew
Director, Communications
elizabethtrewcommunications@bell.net
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Tips from a Marketing Mentor
Want to bring your business to the next level? Then come to PIC's next presentation by Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor founder. Ilise is an author, consultant and much sought after speaker. She works with solopreneurs and creative professionals to grow their businesses by helping with issues ranging from pricing and marketing to business management. She is the co-author of Public Relations for Dummies and The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing: how to win clients and how to charge them. For a preview of this event, listen to a podcast by PIC Chair Donna Papacosta interviewing Ilise Benun. Date & Time: Wednesday, November 7 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Place: Room 314, Metro Hall (55 John Street) Cost: $22.00 for members ($24.86 with HST) $32.00 for non-members ($34.16 with HST) (includes wraps, juice, coffee, tea and cookies) Register now! |
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Writers needed
| | We'd love to hear from you if you're interested in becoming a volunteer writer for PIC or IABC/Toronto's Communicator. |
| Tidbits of knowledge | IABC/Toronto members and non-members can visit the Professional Independent Communicators - Toronto blog and check out the content by your peers and event podcasts.
Upcoming events
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PIC's Mission and the buzz
| PIC's mission is to support independent IABC/Toronto communicators through professional development, networking and marketing.
The buzz is PIC's e-newsletter, intended to inform independent communicators about our activities, share professional development tips from past meetings and keep us aware of what's going on. |
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September program report
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Practically painless prospecting
By Elizabeth Trew
When he started his business, marketing coach and consultant Steve Slaunwhite made hundreds of cold calls hoping to land new clients. He wasn't comfortable with this hard-sell approach as he felt like a sales person. There had to be a better way!
At the September 12 PIC event, Steve shared one of his tried-and-true ways - email prospecting - to win new clients by developing relationships.
Steve's six guidelines for painless prospecting:
continued...
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What did you do when...?
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Dreaded scope creep
Every other month, starting in October, PIC members will have an opportunity to gather and chat informally about the issues we all face every day. We'd like to build on that concept in the newsletter. Not only will it provide an opportunity for more voices to be heard, it will also allow those who may not be able to attend sessions (formal and informal) to learn from their fellow independents.
So, how will it work?
In each issue of the newsletter, we'll announce the topic of discussion that will be covered in the following issue. We're asking you to share your experience in managing various situations in 300-400 words.
The first topic: Scope creep
Wikipedia definition: In project management refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This phenomenon can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled.
Have you ever worked on a project where you started to experience scope creep and the work or changes being requested extended beyond the quote you'd originally provided? We'd like to hear how you managed the situation.
Your submission should answer the following questions:
- What was the situation?
- What steps did you take to remedy the problem?
- What was the outcome?
- Did your relationship with your client survive?
- What advice would you pass on to anyone else facing a similar situation?
We'll try to include as many submissions as we can so that you hear a variety of perspectives; however, we may not be able to include all if too many are received. We'll post additional noteworthy stories that we cannot include in the newsletter on our PIC Exchange forum.
We're excited about this new opportunity to share with one another and hope that you are too.
Please send submissions, along with your phone number in case there are any questions, to elizabethtrewcommunications@bell.net.
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What's up?
|  PIC's newsletter editor Heather West recently left her position at Workplace Safety and Prevention Services to freelance.
Heather's approach is to help leaders build trust-based relationships through effective communication. She helps her clients develop communication plans and tactics that will help them achieve the results they're looking for.
Her specialties include:
- Strategic communication
- Change management communication
- Content planning
- Writing and editing
- Issues management
- Project management
Heather can be reached at 416-884-5741 or at hwest@freshcomms.ca
Please send your What's Up! news to Elizabeth Trew at elizabethtrewcommunications@bell.net. Keep your blurb to 60 words or fewer! If you wish, you can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile, website or blog (only one link, please). |
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PIC is a special interest group of IABC Toronto. As the largest chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, IABC Toronto provides access to products, services, activities and networking opportunities in Toronto and around the world. IABC helps people and organizations achieve excellence in corporate communications, public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, public affairs and other forms of communication. For more information, visit the IABC website.
Don't forget to connect with us on the web: pictoronto.com
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Elizabeth Trew Heather West
Director, Communications Copy editor
PIC
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