Toronto-area independents, join the Halton-Peel Communications Association next week for a peek under the blog hood!

HPCA’s social media expert Rob Clark will discuss web analytics, and his colleague Kyle McKeown will talk about inbound marketing and search engine optimization. A couple of HPCA guinea pigs (including me) have offered their web sites for closer inspection.

The event takes place Wednesday, May 26 at the Halton Region Museum, 5181 Kelso Road in Milton, ON (at the Kelso Conservation Area, between Appleby Line and Tremaine Road just south of the 401). Networking starts at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation runs from 7 to 9 p.m.

The event is free to HPCA members and only $20 for guests. Guests, please book your spot online.

See you there?

Are you always the same person, or do you act one way with friends and family, and a different way with clients and colleagues?

This is fresh in my mind because I while on vacation last week, I was chatting (over a few margaritas) with a few ladies I had just met, and one of the women spoke warmly of her son. Although she seemed to be a loving and caring mother, I later found out from her friend that she did not come across that way to the son at all, and had not given him so much as a card for the birthday he’d had a few weeks earlier.

How much harder is it to be one way to one group of people and (perhaps after a few margaritas) be completely different to another group than it is to just be yourself all the time?

At a recent meeting of IABC’s Professional Independent Communicators, personal brand strategist Paul Copcutt talked about personal branding and what sets us apart. Exercises where we discussed words that would immediately identify specific coffee shops without naming them showed clearly that when we make a purchase, it’s not just about the product or service. If each one will sell us a coffee, how do we choose between Tim Hortons and Starbucks?

Paul explained that rational attributes are the basic foot in the door; like every coffee shop selling coffee, you must have these to be considered. The emotional attributes are the unique aspects that set you apart and actually get you the job or the sale.

For example, you’d expect and want an accountant to be analytical and good with numbers, and a communicator to be creative and good with words. What sets otherwise equally qualified people apart might be their flair for fun, their responsive customer service or their vision.

Paul recommended identifying your strengths and focusing on them; “you’ll never get any better than mediocre at your weaknesses.” One way to discover your strengths is to use a tool called a 360 Reach assessment, which offers a 15-day free trial that invites your contacts to choose among various attributes the ones that best describe you. You then work the terms that best capture your strengths into your value proposition, your “elevator speech” or the one-liner that sums up what you do.

In general, Paul said, both family and work colleagues will likely describe you the same way; you’ll show similar characteristics whether at home or at work. But he did describe someone who had suppressed one aspect of his personality at work. With Paul’s encouragement, he eventually allowed this hidden side to come out. This turned out to be welcome in the workplace and actually strengthened the fellow’s performance. Plus he could just be himself, all the time.

No margaritas required.

Sometimes being a writer in a home office means writing, writing, writing. Interviews often take place by telephone, and files go back and forth by e-mail. If it weren’t for the fact that I have a dog, I might not even get outside, especially in winter! But by joining different networking groups, I make sure to get out and meet new people or reconnect with colleagues.

Looks like February is following the frantic pace of January when it comes to networking. Tonight I’m out with a communicator I am mentoring, plus another IABC colleague. Tomorrow and Monday, I’m having lunch with friends. And I am signed up for these events:

February 10, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
HPCA presents: Encore Improv
Peel Village golf course, 29A Hartford Trail, Brampton, ON
Whether you are negotiating, meeting with a client for the first time or fielding questions, being quick on your feet is an essential business skill for independent communicators. Learn from the Second City style of improv comedy how to respond in the moment, spark your creativity and sharpen your listening skills. Free to Halton-Peel Communications Association members; $20 for non-members. Sign up at www.hpcaonline.com. (Note: If there is still small print that says the event is closed, ignore it; it’s not. Register with Mary Harvey.)

Feb. 11, 6-8:30 p.m
IABC/AIP presents: Show Your Love for the Planet
Haworth Toronto Showroom, 55 University Avenue, Toronto, ON
IABC and its Alliance of Independent Practitioners offer a “sustainable” munch & mingle. Learn about sustainable approaches to communications while you network. Participate in a “green footprint” icebreaker and have a chance to win eco-friendly door prizes. IABC members pay $30, non-members $40. Register online.

Feb. 23, 6:30-8 p.m.
IABC/Toronto Westend networking event
Wendel Clark’s Classic Grill & Sports Lounge, Oakville, ON
Strictly networking fun for $25. Register by e-mail.

Feb. 25, 6-8 p.m.
IABC presents: Successful Communications in a 2.0 World with Steve Crescenzo
Sutton Place Hotel, 955 Bay Street, Toronto, ON
Steve Crescenzo is one of the U.S.’s leading experts in employee communications. He comes equipped with dozens of case studies and best practices in Creative Communications from both small and large organizations in Canada and the U.S. He’ll show you how to use multimedia tools such as podcasts and video without blowing the budget, and five things you can do to turn intranets and websites from electronic wastelands to powerhouse communication tools.  IABC members $45, non-members $65. Register online.

How is your networking going so far this year? Are you getting out there?

I’ve talked before about how referrals magically help you diversify your business, and how networking can lead to the connections, the trust and the work that leads to referrals. December is a busy month, but I’m more likely to be meeting with friends and family than building my business network. January is a different story, and I’m gearing up for three networking and professional development events in the next two weeks:

Wednesday, January 20, 6:30-9 p.m.
Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA)
“What’s your behaviour style?”
Location: Glen Abbey Library, 1415 Third Line, Oakville, ON
Paula Hope of the Referral Institute will walk you through how to evaluate your network and relationships, create messages to build on those relationships for business, and understand behaviour styles so you know how to get your message across. In short, WHO are you talking to, WHAT are you saying, and HOW are you going to say it? (Note: If there is still small print that says the event is closed, ignore it; it’s not. If the button does not work, register with Marnie Hughes.)

Thursday, January 21, 6-8:15 p.m.
International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
“The secret to engaging employees: How to bridge the great divide and get your employees’ buy-in”
Location: Sutton Place Hotel, 955 Bay Street, Toronto, ON
Never before has there been such a diverse workforce driving business. Each generation is hearing your message through their own generational filter. Each generation has different issues that are important and wants to hear the message in their own way — text, video, email, phone call or face-to-face. Now add in weak management practices and the reluctance of the C-suite to be more forthcoming, and you have difficulties that intensify during times of change and turmoil. The panel includes:
*  Laurie Smith, who will discuss how to prepare your leadership team and communicate during times of challenge and change.
*  Leah Reynolds, who will present the business rationale for adapting communication practices to be in line with changing generational perspectives, and discuss the steps that communicators need to take to stay in step with these changing times.
*  Donna Papacosta, who will take you on a quick tour of the ways in which Web 2.0 is transforming employee communications.
(Note the IABC member/earlybird fee of $45 ends Jan. 14.)

Wednesday, January 27, 6-8:55 p.m.
IABC/Toronto’s Alliance of Independent Practitioners (AIP)
“Successful independent practitioners 101: How they got where they are now”
Location: The Assembly Hall, 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive (Kipling/Lakeshore), Toronto, ON
This panel discussion will cover how to market yourself to attract the clients you want, how to grow your business to achieve your financial goals and how to avoid pitfalls standing in the way of your success. Learn insights and tips from these entrepreneurs:
*  Paul Lima, freelance writer and author of Six-Figure Freelancer: How to Find, Price and Manage Corporate Writing Assignments
*  Diana Degan Robinson, president of Diana Robinson & Associates and winner of IABC/Toronto’s 2009 Award of Distinction for Independent and Small Agency of the Year
*  Ken Cherney, ABC, APR, MC, award-winning senior communications practitioner at Ken Cherney and Associates Inc.
*  Annette Martel, ABC, MC, award-winning independent consulting associate, TWI Surveys Inc. and frequent guest speaker at IABC world conferences.

Have you started up your networking engine yet in 2010? Will I see you at one of these events?

At two recent networking events, someone commented that I am always well-dressed. A translator I once worked with was surprised to find, when we finally met in person, that I wasn’t the scruffy, unwashed writer he had expected.

People imagine that independents sit around in our bathrobes and fuzzy slippers, and therefore we don’t know how to clean up real nice.

First of all, I do not work in my bathrobe. I shower, put on makeup, get dressed (usually in jeans and a t-shirt or sweatshirt) and am at my desk by 9 a.m. Freelance writers may have freedom, but they must also be disciplined and professional.

Second, I usually work with and for corporate communications people. They are a well-dressed crowd. I am part of that crowd, even though my office is at home. So when I leave my office to meet other people, I like to look the part, and that means a jacket over a skirt or pants, if not a suit. Even if the event involves other independents, not corporate communicators, I like to look professional. If I know the group, I might wear jeans (dark wash or black), but I’ll still have a jacket on top.

In fact, a nice jacket — like the red one that gives my blog its name — is pretty much the independent gal’s secret weapon. Throw a jacket on, with perhaps a striking necklace and lipstick, and people will always think you are well-dressed.

It isn’t frivolous fashion. You are marketing yourself even before you open your mouth, and image and appearance matter if you want to be taken seriously.

Last night, the Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA) hosted a hands-on social media event for members and guests, and what fun it was.

I joined organizer and HPCA member Donna Papacosta and fellow members Rob Clark and Joan Vinall-Cox in talking about and demonstrating how to use LinkedIn (here’s Donna’s summary), blogs, audio and video on the web (and Joan’s), and Twitter. Guests had a chance to sit in at each table for a set amount of time, ask questions, discuss the uses and value of the tool and see it in action before moving to the next table. It seemed to go well, and I’m just sorry that as a presenter, I didn’t have a chance to visit all the tables, too!

I joked to Donna about the presenters that “one of these things is not like the other things, one of these things just doesn’t belong here” as the Sesame Street gang used to sing. But even though I am later joining Twitter than she and the others, I felt qualified to walk others through. Here’s what I talked about:

Why you should be on Twitter:

• To be part of the conversation.
• To find resources and get answers quickly.
• To meet others, build relationships, build your brand, earn referrals.
• To be visible, share resources, build a reputation, drive traffic to your blog or web site.

Where to start:

• Sign up at www.Twitter.com > “join the conversation.” Choose a variation of your name or one that ties in with your brand/company.
• Put relevant facts about you in your profile, to help people decide if you might have common interests. Upload a photo that is close enough to see your face. Include a link to your web page, if you have one.
• Write a couple of tweets before you start following others. Twitter notifies you by e-mail when someone follows you, and people typically check out the follower’s profile before deciding whether to follow back or not. (You don’t have to, but it’s polite.) So seeing what you’re talking about may help them learn something about you. More on what to tweet about below.
• Use “@” before a person’s name and “http://” before a URL to make these clickable links.
• You can tweet from Twitter.com (go to “home”) but it’s easier if you use a Twitter management system like TweetDeck, Twhirl or TweetGrid. They organize the tweets so it’s easier to see if someone mentions you and makes it easy to retweet (RT), or forward another person’s tweet that you think is useful or interesting.
• To RT, either write “RT @username” in the comment line and copy and paste the tweet, or use the TweetDeck or other system shortcut.

What to tweet about:

• Twitter asks you, “What are you doing?” but don’t answer this. Even your best friend probably doesn’t want to hear that you’re eating a sandwich or you’re in line at Starbucks. Try to add value. Talk about what’s got your attention. Share links to interesting content you’ve found, share your knowledge or advice on your area of specialty, promote an event, reply to comments.
• Once in a while, post a link to your own content, like a blog post of interest to others. But spend more time promoting others or engaging with others than you do promoting yourself. You don’t want to be like a pushy salesperson at a party.
• You have 140 characters, and Twitter counts down how many you have left as you write. If you hope someone will retweet it, make sure you keep to about 100-120 characters, to leave room for others to comment as they RT. Thank people for RTing.

Building Twitter followers:

• Follow people you already know personally or through their blogs.
• See who they follow and look for people who fit your interests.
• When someone follows you, check out their profile. If interesting and there’s a connection, follow them back.
• Watch out for the profiles that show a provocative photo, one tweet that contains a link, thousands of people followed and only a handful of followers; it’s spam. There’s a button where you can and should block and report the person as spam.

Several people who came to the Twitter table asked about time, and it’s true you can spend all kinds of time scrolling through all the tweets and following links. I think those who have iPhones and other mobile devices are better able to dip into the Twitter stream at odd moments, but you can do the same from your desk as long as you are disciplined. Set a timer if you have to!

Some people remained unconvinced that Twitter is as great as it’s made out to be, and as I said to the group, you can have that opinion. But as a communications person, you need to make sure it’s an informed opinion. Make your decision that it’s not for you after having tried it and spent some time using it. And even then, it may not be for you personally, but your client or your employer might have or need to be aware of some valid, useful, innovative ways of using Twitter.

Oh, I forgot: I’m @Sue_Horner.

Here are more Twitter resources:

Newbie’s guide to Twitter: http://news.cnet.com/newbies-guide-to-twitter/

Mashable’s Twitter guide book: http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

Blogging, Twitter, LinkedIn, audio and video on Web sites – what are they all about and why should you care? For starters, these tools can help you get noticed, get remembered and get business. Last spring, the Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA) sponsored a successful meeting about social media, with Dave Fleet as our guest speaker. Dave’s presentation sparked interest among many members who wanted to learn more about social media in a hands-on environment.

Now it’s time for the follow-up hands-on meeting! At 7 p.m. next Wednesday, October 28, 2009, at the Monte Carlo Inn in Oakville, you can experience blogging, Twitter and LinkedIn, plus the use of audio and video on Web sites, in a relaxed, supportive environment. Your facilitators are:

·       Rob Clark – blogging
·       Sue Horner – Twitter
·       Donna Papacosta – LinkedIn
·       Joan Vinall-Cox – audio and video
Each will demonstrate the particular tool at a table. You will have a chance to visit each table, depending on your interest, ask question and walk through what you need to know. Please bring your own laptop computer, if you have one.

Because of the hands-on nature of this meeting, space is limited. Register today by emailing Donna Papacosta at Donna AT Trafcom DOT com. HPCA members can attend for free; guests pay $20.

Sandwiches and beverages will be served. See you there?

Les Potter, communications guru and visiting instructor at Towson University, blogged the other day about the loneliness of the solo communicator and the importance of regular social interaction with fellow professionals. He quotes a couple of songs (“One is the loneliest number”) and then after a few comments, both on the blog and off, posts his own hilarious “Sole proprieter blues.”

Woke up this morning
Lord I felt so bad
Another day alone
Done billed all the work I had…

(Enjoy the full verse in the comments on his original post.)

Les makes a good point. It can be lonely as an independent. You do need to work on developing ways to make up for the lack of on-site colleagues that come with working for a company. And you do need to be able to handle all that time working alone.

When I launched my solo business about 17 years ago, I deliberately looked for like-minded people in IABC and another association geographically close to me. I’ve been active with both, particularly in the area of member communications. These days, indies have targeted support with IABC/Toronto’s Alliance of Independent Practitioners. Those of us living and/or working west of Toronto can network closer to home with another sub-group, IABC/Toronto Westend. I highly recommend both!

The discussion Les and I had highlights another way today’s solo artists can overcome the feeling of loneliness: interacting with others on blogs, social networking sites, discussion boards and other online spots. So really, you have no excuse for feeling isolated and alone in a home office. Get out and network in person every chance you get, and network online in between. Go for it!

One of the things I encourage new freelancers to do is get out and network. Established freelancers, too! Working in a home office can be as lonely as it is liberating. Just as you should spend some time every week on marketing your business, even when you are already busy, you should spend time making contact with others.

This is easier than ever with all the social networks out there: MyRagan, Melcrum, IABC’s MemberSpeak and local discussion boards, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. (And how did I forget Twitter?) Then there are blogs to visit and comment on, e-mail messages to say “I’m thinking of you” or “I’m bouncing off the walls, want to meet for coffee?” and phone calls doing the same. And what good is being your own boss if you can’t get out and meet a friend, colleague or client for lunch once in a while?

This week I attended a networking session of my local IABC chapter’s Alliance of Independent Practitioners. This is a group of about 100 Toronto-area communicators, all with our own businesses. The group meets monthly, except for a summer break in July and August. AIP’s monthly meetings always address topics of interest to independents, but I would say that we all get just as much out of making a personal connection with other like-minded people.

The session this week was particularly effective. About 20 of us worked on our “elevator speeches,” those short and snappy summaries of what we do to have on hand when meeting someone new. Afterwards, we went to a nearby pub and continued the conversations. I met some terrific new people and connected with several others I already knew but haven’t seen for a while.

It was refreshing, and good practice for two weeks from now when I’ll be attending IABC’s annual international conference in New York. Who else is going? Will I see you there?

Networking gets a bad rap. Really, if you go about it the right way, you don’t have to break into a cold sweat. Forget the (bad) advice to go in and give out as many business cards as possible. Instead, look on each networking opportunity as a chance to make a connection with someone else.

Making those connections is one of the secrets to success promoted by Keith Ferrazzi in a book I just finished, Never Eat Alone And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time. He suggests going in with the idea of helping friends connect with other friends. The spirit of generosity recognizes that you may not get anything in return immediately, but you will build the relationships that encourage others to think warmly of you. Among his other suggestions:

Don’t keep score (just help someone if you can without expecting an immediate payback).

“Ping” constantly (keep in touch).

Never eat alone (he says “invisibility” is a fate worse than failure).

I agree with much of his advice, perhaps because I thrive on relationships myself. A great day recently featured three hugs — two from friends/colleagues I had met through a networking group but hadn’t seen in several months, and one from an IABC member I had just met for coffee, after sharing ideas on her new freelance business. A couple of long-time clients regularly greet me with a hug, too.

I wonder if some of this hugginess is due to being a “woman of a certain age” (in the polite sense of no longer young, but not yet old), with a a good sense of the importance of friendships/relationships?