Get Clients Now! Week 1 report

Get Clients Now! 

Week 1

My name is Tyler Dockery, and I am the lead creative with Dockery Design. I run a small print, presentation, and web design firm. And, I am looking for new clients.

Specifically, I  am writing about my first week in the 28 day Get Clients Now! program for professionals, consultants, and coaches by C. J. Hayden.

I will usually find something interesting for 2 weeks or so— and then see my interest start to wane— so my hope is that by posting this material to my website, I will be forced to be accountable. In times of famine, I usually begin my marketing effort, and then let it lapse in time of feasting. 

The book sets out a great quotation:

"Make marketing your first priority instead of the last thing you do"

In short, market even when business is as full as it can be, and you will prosper. It is difficult to consider putting that first, even in front of the work, but I am willing to try.

PRIMARY FOCUS:

The primary focus of the GCN (get clients now!) program this month will be filling the pipeline. Filling the pipeline is usually the first step in the universal marketing cycle.

THE ACTION WORKSHEET:

Get the marketing plan worksheets from the GET CLIENTS NOW! web site < http://www.getclientsnow.com/worksheets.htm >.

My program goals and planned ingredients and actions for the next 28 days.

Start Date:  

May 18, 2009

What Strategies will you use: 

Direct Contact and Follow-up, Networking and Referral Building, Writing and Publicity

Where are you stuck or what needs the most work: 

Filling the pipeline

How much business do you really want:

I'd like to double my monthly income 

What would that get you: 

Reduction of business and personal debt

What is your program goal:

10 new prospects / 2 new clients

What is your reward: 

Get the house professionally cleaned

Success Ingredients

1) Descriptions of services: These are mostly complete, but a full list with rates doesn't exist, and pictures would also be nice

by June 1, 2009

 

2) Blog Fulfillment: The blog has topics out the wazzoo, and whitepapers on deck. I need to fulfill the blog and bring it up a notch. Starting with 2 posts a week is a great choice. Quality ideas make quality resources. that means traffic, leads, and jobs.

by June 8

3) Creation of an Email Newsletter

Quarterly / Monthly topics can be achieved if I have 4 in the can. The design look needs to be innovative or at least attractive. Main sources will revolve around blogs, whitepapers, clients, and interviews with BNI members and leads group citizens.

by June 15 for 18th delivery

DAILY & WEEKLY ACTIONS

1. Spend 1/2 hour each day on my Success Ingredient Projects
   
2. Visualize success daily
   
3. Post 1 blog / forum comment per day (LinkedIN, StartupPRO, etc.)
   
4. Post 2 blog entries per week
   
5. Send 5 emails or letters to businesses per day
   
6. Warm Call 2 prospects per day
   
7. Have a 1-on-1 with a BNI colleague every week
   
8. Attend 1 Networking function per week outside of BNI
   
9. Make 1 new resource and add to the web each week
   
10. Make 1 new Community Contact per week
    

SPECIAL PERMISSION

30 minutes on leisure each day, as time allows.

Can't wait to see how things go, I'll keep things posted.

Dockery Design, Raleigh Web Design

www.dockerydesigns.com to go live at 11:59pm 3-21-09

FOR GENERAL RELEASE:

Tyler Dockery, Raleigh Print and Web Designer will be unveiling his new website: http://www.dockerydesign.com March 21, 2009.

As a North Carolina native, Tyler Dockery has been working for years with prestigous raleigh design firms like Generate Design and Knotts & Associates. Following a greater push into web design and email blast materials in 2008, Tyler Dockery hopes that his Raleigh business will really begin to grow once dockerydesign.com goes live.

"The Dockerydesign website will not only be a portfolio site, but we will also be giving free resources in the form of whitepapers, How-to articles, and compiled Mini-Manuals."

A twitter stream has been opened by Tyler to outline the activities undertaken in the lead up to the launch.

"My twitter stream has been giving a steady stream of reaction and questions about the upkeep on some of my projects. I was unaware so many people gravitated towards the daily workings of a designer's life."

The twitter feed can be viewed or followed at: http://twitter.com/tyler_dockery

The Dockery Design team of designers are also discussing a giveaway offer on the new website.

"We need to find out the kind of thing that will be helpful to freelancers and other designers. Something that can be easily useful."

InDesign Tip: Save All Open InDesign Documents at one time!

Blogger Question: I keep 3 windows open in InDesign CS3 at a time when working catalog files. Is there a way I can save them all at once?



If you're a designer like me, you will often have 3-4 InDesign documents open on your desk at one time (Let's not even get started on how many documents I have on my desktop... Its a running joke!). Old documents that you'll need to grab elements from, template pieces, and image grabs... Or just so much work that you have to keep everything open in order to stay on task. But, what do you do if you need to close out prior to a storm, or a quick dash out for an appointment?

CMD + Option + Shift + S

When pressed together, this function will save all of your documents back in their places without forcing you to adjust dialog boxes or InDesign settings.

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Why would you need to "save" an InDesign document? First and foremost, probably just for peace of mind issues.

Most designers feel that they cannot always trust the temporary file. While the temporary file reloads automatically on indesign start, it doesn't always work. If an error exists, the temporary file will load, and recrash InDesign.

Plus, its always a safe bet to save your work. If possible, every 15 minutes. Best practices and all that.

Thanks! And, if there are more questions you'd like to know, I'll do my best to answer them.

Tyler Dockery
Senior Partner, Knotts & Associates

J.K. Rowling's Next Book

With the Harry Potter books coming to an epic close, do we really think that JK Rowling will hang up her writing for good? Highly unlikely. One doesn't have to be psychic, bookaholic, or award-winning web designer to know that she certainly won't stop while she has gathered a head of steam.

Children? Certainly. Wizards? Unlikely.

So what does that leave us with? What manner of creature or magical race has she been subtly edging toward through several books? She's highlighted a special teacher. She's mentioned several potential villains. She's also outlined a few major characters and children who could be involved... Guessed it yet?

Werewolves. In the inclusion of Lupin early on in the series, we see how Rowling allows us to see their human side, to pity them and their terrible condition- how they constantly live in fear and control. We see how they are looked down upon by others in
the wizarding world, and we see the dark side of the werewolves being unable to control themselves when transformed.

In later books, Fenrir Greyback is introduced as a horrible creature- the evil from within that mankind comes to accept and revel in. Greyback is evil (Eveel, as in the Fru-its of the Dev-eel). Enjoying the blood. Enjoying the mayhem. Attacking even when not transformed. The curse travels so heavily through him, that he relishes the attacking of children (aha! you say) in an effort to increase the numbers of werewolves so that they must be noticed, integrated, and respected. Fenrir's curse travels to the point that even when not transformed, some of the wolfish attributes are transferred to his victims.

Bill Weasley gets attacked by Fenrir in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and survives. Although attacked, and hideously scarred for life, we are given the understandng that not all those who become werewolves are deserving of scorn, and that even innocents face the brunt. Bill has a love for his wife (fiancee at the time), and with the exception of a penchant for Bloody rare steak (exactly the way Tyler Dockery of Dockery Design web design likes his), he remains pure and lives to fight alongside (ahem) the good guys in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Lupin and Tonks had been on a crash course for love since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. In the Deathly Hallows

**** Spoiler ****

They announce the birth of their child. Although no information is given about the final fate of the child, we know that the death of the parents leaves him disconnected and somewhat alone- exactly as Harry himself was found to be at the beginning of his story.

In the Half-Blood Prince and the Deathly Hallows, time is allotted to werewolves, how they are part of the society, and how they want to be integrated. Greyback fights through Hogwarts again with the forces of death eaters and voldemort, and it is mentioned that he was attacking. In one part of the melee, it is even noted that he ran up and bit one of the wounded Hogwarts children.

Do you remember which one? Was it a Lavender or a Patil? HAHAHA! Post your reply and let us know.

Children set apart from the norm, a series of puzzles to overcome within themselves and within society... I believe I smell a new series bubbling in Rowling's cauldron...


Tyler Dockery
Dockery Design
www.dockerydesign.com

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Make sure to keep you eye out for the new Knotts & Associates Website, coming in September / October! at www.chrisknotts.com

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