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PIC Newsletter - July/August 2014
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Hope you enjoy the latest edition of The Buzz!
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A message from the PIC chair, Sharon Aschaiek
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August is always a bit of a bittersweet month for me. We still have a full month of summer to enjoy, but it's the last one before life begins to gain speed again. In my case, it's partly the bustle of back-to-school time for my eight-year-old son as we try to get back into the routine of homework and extracurricular classes. At the same time, my clients are starting to pick up the pace as they prepare for new fall projects.
For me, returning to the busier work days of fall also means a return to professional development events, and to networking. I'm always looking for reminders on networking best practices, or insights on how to be a more effective networker. Here are some useful tips I picked up recently from three sources:
Be extra giving: We're all familiar with the concept of "Give and you shall receive." I think it's an excellent mantra for life in general, but it works especially well in networking. A recent Globe and Mail article on networking reports that "people who give more than they take go further and experience more success," and explains the value of the motto "Give, give, get." Being generous with your contacts, time, expertise, etc. helps with building stronger connections with others, and they will be more inclined to help you in return.
Be engaged: We come to networking events to make new contacts, but with so many people having so many different conversations, it's easy to get distracted and start looking around for the next person you want to meet. But as Sandra Hart, executive director of BNI Ireland - South and West explains in a recent video on the Irish Independent newspaper website, networking is like a first date. It's important to give all your attention to the person with whom you are talking to make a quality connection.
Be open minded: We tend to network with people who are like us -- other communicators. This can be great for staying current on trends in the field, and making contacts who might send work leads our way or with whom we might partner on projects. But if that's the only kind of networking we do, it can result in a very narrow scope of opportunities. One of my business goals is to expand my networking activities to interact with professionals of different stripes. As the Five Myths of Networking article says in the business management magazine Education Executive, "Networking involves talking to everyone. You never know who they know."
Maybe you'll find these tips useful if you join us at our first evening seminar of the 2014-15 season on Sept. 3 (more details below). You'll have half an hour before the session starts to test them out!
You'll also have a chance to meet and welcome our two new executive members for 2014-15, Sohini Bhattacharya, Director of Membership & Events, and Andrew Wright, Director of Social Media. I'd also like to offer a heartfelt thank you to Amy Sept and Elizabeth Trew, who previously held these respective roles, for their energy, ideas and dedication over PIC's 2013-14 season and earlier.
Continued success,
Sharon
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Newsletter archives
| Find back issues of The Buzz here.
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We want your talents!
| Interested in writing, editing or contributing ideas for PIC's The Buzz or IABC/Toronto's Communicator? We'd love your help. Let us know!
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| Tidbits of knowledge | Visit the Professional Independent Communicators - Toronto blog for tips on such topics as pricing and running your business, as well as pre-event podcasts and post-event reports.
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PIC 2014-2015 Executive
| Contact any of us with questions, comments and ideas for speakers or topics!
Chair: Sharon AschaiekCommunications: Sue Horner
Membership & Events:
Sohini Bhattacharya
Programming: Jane Langille
Social Media: Andrew Wright |
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Next meeting September 3: How to market yourself with social content
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Metro Hall, 3rd floor, 55 John St., TorontoWednesday, September 3, 2014, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Whether or not you are familiar with social media, chances are you could use help making the most of your time in this space. Knowing how to tweet or post to Facebook isn't enough. To achieve success, you need a vibrant personal brand, a marketing strategy and a process for producing and sharing great content. In the first PIC session of the new IABC year, speaker and PIC member Donna Papacosta of Trafalgar Communications will cover: - Thinking like a publisher and developing a strategy
- Why you need to blog
- Finding and sharing great content
- Helpful tools, including Delicious, Buffer, TweetDeck, Slideshare and Paper.li
- Streamlining your workflow so you don't spend all day on social media
- Measuring success
- And more!
Listen to a sneak preview of the content in this conversation between Donna and PIC's Director of Programming, Jane Langille. Donna has been online since the mid 1990s and blogging since 2004. She has developed an expertise in social media, podcasting and content marketing, and helps people use these tools to communicate with clients, prospects and employees. Registration fees*: IABC members: $22 ($24.86 with HST) Non-members: $32 ($36.16 with HST) *Please register and pay for this event in advance. Sorry, we can't accept payment at the door. Wraps, juice, coffee, tea and cookies will be provided. Registration and informal networking take place from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Register now!
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Seen and heard at the PIC summer socials
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Two social events in July and August made the most of summer at the rooftop patio at Screen Lounge in Toronto. Here's what two PIC members had to say about the experience: 
Pamela Bailey: "Great to meet with such a friendly, welcoming and interesting group. Really enjoyed myself, and am now looking forward to the September event!"
Yvonne Catty: "I thought it was a nice event -- casual, easy, great location. I did meet a couple of new folks and will stay in touch. It was also nice to reconnect with a few people I already have met through PIC." While we've had success with the patio experience, we've also heard that once people sit down, they don't move and this makes it difficult for new people to feel welcome and included. We'll see what we can do next time to encourage easier mingling!
In the photo above, taken by Sharon Aschaiek, are Brant Males, Deana De Ciccio, Amy Sept, Pamela Bailey and Yvonne Catty. See more photos here. |
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Mark your calendars for November
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We've already booked space at Metro Hall for a session on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2014. We're planning a panel discussion called Collaborating to Succeed, about how independent communicators can reap business benefits by teaming up with colleagues. If you've joined with others who have similar or complementary skills to take on larger projects and would like to share your experience on the panel, email Jane Langille. Please mark your calendars and watch for more details soon.
PIC members, if you have an event you'd like to promote in The Buzz, let us know. |
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Pricing -- it's a 'three bears' situation
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by Sue Horner
Pricing is a "three bears" situation, isn't it? Most times, we're not really sure if the amount we're charging is too little, too much or just right. Although independents are encouraged to charge for value rather than time, if we don't know the value of a project, our proposals are often based on how much time we estimate it will require. And hiring companies want to know how much we charge per hour, inevitably leading them to compare hourly rates. The Wal-Mart effect encourages those who see dollars rather than value to go with cheaper options, even if someone who charges less per hour might end up taking more hours to do the job. When PIC asked about pricing earlier this year, some of you who responded (28.1%) had never raised your fees, even among those who had 15 or more years as indies. And two of you -- with an average 12 years in business -- had actually lowered your rates. Tell me what business you have been to lately that still charges you what they did several years ago, or less. A bank? A grocery store? An airline? Don't make me laugh. If you need some encouragement to raise your rates, here are some recent posts with advice related to pricing: - Seven reasons low fees hurt your business, including attracting problem clients who probably won't pay on time, either -- Ed Gandia and the International Freelancers Academy
- Recognize when you aren't charging enough. "If nearly every single client hires you based on your low price rather than on the quality of your work, you are definitely not charging enough for your service." -- Freelance writer Laura Spencer in a post on increasing your rate, doubling your income and saying 'no' to bad clients
- Don't aim to be the cheapest. "In the long run, to be the cheapest is a refuge for people who don't have the flair to design something worth paying for, who don't have the guts to point to their product or their service and say, 'this isn't the cheapest, but it's worth it.'" -- Seth Godin on the tyranny of the lowest price
- Raise your rates. "If no one has questioned your rates in a while, it's time to raise them." -- Copyblogger, in a post listing 53 freelancing mistakes
- Understand your value and say 'no' to outlandish requests for your time and effort. -- a Forbes piece called "Why you're not charging enough for your work, and how to change that"
- Learn from undercharging and ask more next time. -- Freelancers Union, in 5 reasons freelancers undercharge for their work
- What to say when a prospective client says your price is too high, including "What price did you have in mind?" -- writer Anne Wayman.
If you'd like an upcoming PIC session to focus on pricing and related issues, let your PIC executive know by contacting any of us or simply responding to this newsletter.
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The Buzz meets CASL requirements
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Marketers have been in a bit of a panic over the new Canadian Anti-Spam Law, frequently shortened to CASL. The new regulations went into effect on July 1 and apply to Canadian residents or anyone sending to Canadian residents. It covers commercial electronic messages, including email, instant messages and texts.
Three key requirements are that senders of such messages must:
- have consent, either express ("Yes, sign me up") or implied (for example, the recipient asked for information)
- provide an easy way to unsubscribe
- show full disclosure of the sender, complete with contact information.
As members of IABC and PIC, you are considered to have given implied consent to receive messages like The Buzz. And we comply with the other two requirements by including an easy way to unsubscribe and clear disclosure of the sender with each issue. Find full details on CASL here. |
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PIC Personalities
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Meet Deana De Ciccio
by Sue Horner
Deana De Ciccio is a freelance graphic designer and infographic specialist. She has a couple of decades in marketing and communications and is an expert at combining images, words and ideas. See examples of Deana's infographics at deanadeciccio.wordpress.com, follow her on Twitter at @deanadc or reach her at 416-407-6597 or deana.deciccio@gmail.com.
When and how did you launch your business?
I got downsized from a fabulous marketing communications job in 2008. I had been in the corporate world for 10 years and thought that's where I would remain. After the shock wore off, I took time to think about what I really liked to do. Although I loved my job, I spent more time on marketing communications and outsourced the design. I realized that what I really enjoyed doing was design, coming up with logos and graphics and beautiful publications.
Before going to the corporate world, I had founded a communications company that had since moved to Vancouver. It is now a group of independents who collaborate on websites, branding and other projects. We reconnected and I began working as an associate designer. We won some awards and I'm now working on multiple projects with others in the IABC communities in Toronto and Vancouver.
What do you enjoy most about being an independent?
The thing I love most is the flexibility, not being tied to a 9-to-5 schedule. I also enjoy working on a lot of different projects. In my corporate job, I ended up doing a lot of the same type of things. As an indie, every day, week and month always brings new projects. I really enjoy that part.
What don't you like about being an independent?
Well, it's hard not to miss a regular paycheque that comes in the exact same amount at the same time. But the other benefits far outweigh that part!
What advice would you give someone new to independent life?
Picking up on that paycheque thought, it's getting through those moments of sheer panic when you don't get work for a few days, or even weeks. But I've learned from other PIC people to ride it out. There's an ebb and flow, and next thing you know, you are hit with multiple deadlines.
I've also learned to always be networking. Go to PIC events, socials, meet-ups - any place where you'll meet people you'd like to work with. I've met some wonderful people at PIC events, people I wouldn't have met any other way. I enjoy connecting people and am thrilled when they end up doing work for a connection.
How long have you been a PIC member?
Ever since I joined IABC, which is about five years. I met someone who asked if I had been to a PIC event, so I went to one. Once I found other indies, I knew that was my tribe.
Has PIC helped you? How?
Work! By making connections with other PIC members, I've been brought in on jobs. I've also connected other PIC members with other people. It's one of those symbiotic relationships, giving us a wonderful opportunity to work with people we like.
We count more than 160 members in PIC, offering a range of talent from coaching and media relations to video production and writing. Do you know everyone? PIC Personalities introduces new members and randomly profiles existing members. Let Sue Horner know if you'd like to be profiled and she'll be in touch to set it up! You can find previous PIC Personalities posted online.
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Need help with some aspect of the independent life? Check out the PIC blog
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Check PIC's IABC eXchange site, listed upper right as "PIC Toronto blog," for the information you need to help you start, run and grow your business. You'll also find past PIC event reviews, promotional podcasts and previously featured PIC Personalities, and you can download the report on our recent fee survey.
If you find a dead link or inaccurate information on the site, please let us know. If you'd like to volunteer to update specific sections of the blog, tell us that, too!
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PIC is a special interest group of IABC/Toronto. 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. Connect with us on the web at pictoronto.com.
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.
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Director, Communications - PIC Copy editor
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