July 2010

 

In this issue

• What’s NEW at E.T.C.

• E.T.C. Calendar at a Glance

• Greetings from Brenda

• Feature Article: “My Top 5 Moneymaking Tips” by Brenda Kinsel, AICI CIP

• Your mail

 

 

 

What’s NEW at E.T.C.

Hot off the email! From Style Recipe to Closet Magic just got approved by AICI for 1.0 CEU's! We're jumping up and down. Someone just called this class Part Two of "You Had Me at the First Appointment." That's a great way to think about it.

Last month’s Special Subject topic was great! So come on back and join me for July’s subject 5 Secrets to Winning New Clients. Several people emailed me to tell me what relief they received from that class. Yippee! I love hearing that! The Special Subject Series teleclass is held on the 4th Monday of the month. It’s a quick and inexpensive way to stay focused and inspired. Learn more about this month’s topic here.

 

 

Greetings from Brenda

Hi Everyone,
I just came across this quote in my weekend reading:

“To do work you love and feel that it matters; how could anything be more fun?”
                                                                                                             - Katherine Graham


I’m sure lots of people feel this way about their professions, but I can’t help but think newspaper publisher, Katherine Graham, could have been reading the minds of image consultants everywhere when she said that. We get paid for making people happy! How fun is that! We’re not delivering bad news (“your stocks took a deep tumble this month”) unless the bad news we deliver is “This bottom really doesn’t flatter you any longer; how about we retire it and look for something more flattering?” When we walk away, they look and feel twenty times better than before we arrived to the appointment.

“Can I show you how much better you can look in pants that fit you properly?”

Well, even professions that are this fun need to bring in revenue. That’s something E.T.C. is devoted to helping you with. For instance, this month’s Special Subject Series online class is devoted to helping you make the most of your marketing efforts. And this month’s feature article is inspired by the simple question someone asked me recently about things that have made the most difference in my 25-year career. I hope there’s something in 5 Secrets to Winning New Clients that you can take to heart and work into your successful business.

I’ve answered the request from my Australia and New Zealand colleagues and I am offering “You Had Me at the First Appointment” at an hour of the day when you’re very possibly awake! And for people in the states, it’s a night class, which may work with your schedule as well. This class is approved by AICI for .7 CEU units. I keep the classes small so we have lots of opportunity to practice the principles so do sign up early. This is the class that teaches you exactly what I do with first-time clients—creating a personalized style recipe that we use throughout our future work together. But more importantly, you learn how to create a relationship with your client that can turn into a lifetime of knowing and serving her.

The class that comes right after that, From Style Recipe to Closet Magic, starts July 29th. All of you who have taken “You Had Me” can advance to the next step and learn how to satisfy your client’s need, dressing her from the inside out utilizing what’s in her closet while making her happy, happy, happy!

 

Discover how to make a client ecstatic in this economy
when you learn how to shop for outfits in her closet in
“From Style Recipe to Closet Magic”

 

 

Feature article: “My Top 5 Moneymaking Tips” by Brenda Kinsel, AICI CIP

If money were of no importance, we’d probably do what we do even if we didn’t get paid for it. Wouldn’t you agree? But getting paid for our services creates more value for the client. She’s proud of her investment and we feel pride in our work when someone hands over cash, a check or a credit card and rewards us for the results we just created. There’s a win/win!

So let me share with you five of my strongest beliefs about how to make money with clients you already have and ones who are just waiting in the wings ready to meet you and work with you.

1. You’ve got a great client, you enjoy working with her, and you just had a wonderful successful appointment. Don’t say goodbye until you’ve both had a look at your calendars and come up with the next date to work together—even if it’s six months out. Walk away from every face-to-face (or Skype-to-Skype) appointment being able to say to yourself, “I let her know what’s possible.” She doesn’t know about all the ways you could help her with her wardrobe, but you do. Don’t be shy about informing her. You’re not being pushy. You’re just watching out for your client and giving her the best service you can. My clients appreciate that I care enough to be sure they will fit into my schedule.

2. Don’t expect yourself to accomplish everything in any one closet or shopping appointment. It’s impossible! And if you try, you may never hear from the client again because she’s just too overwhelmed. Small things, accomplished well, in bite-sized appointments, are plenty! Wardrobing is a project that goes on for as long as we’re alive. Pace yourself. Be willing to solve the next layer of problems next time. It took me awhile to trust this, but it totally works!

3. Take a look at your current client list. Is there something coming up for each of them that you could help them with? Maybe they like shopping the pre-fall sales, need a new bathing suit, or need to upgrade their workout clothes. If you’ve been listening to their needs and have those needs in your notes, just review your notes and pick up the phone. Be specific. When you introduce your ideas, can they picture what you’re talking about in their mind? “How would you like me to come and make you 10 new outfits for work?” “Are you ready to get into that new bathing suit? Don’t worry, we’ll put the whole ensemble together so you won’t even notice you’re in a bathing suit!” “You were interested in getting new glasses. I have an open afternoon next Thursday. Would that work for you?”

4. We’re happy when our clients get amazing results. We want our potential clients to get these results as well. It’s great to have key stories ready to share about things that happened when we were in the dressing room or in the closet with one of our clients. We don’t share the names, but we can share the successes. Everyone wants great results. It’s up to us to share those possibilities in our verbal or written conversations online and offline.

5. Be sure everyone knows you’re in business! If you want more business, put it out there – in your newsletter copy, to your existing clients, and add it to your email tag line. Tell your client, “I’d love to have more clients just like you. Do you know anyone who might be interested in my services?” Talk about yourself at cocktail parties. Hand your business cards out everywhere. And when you do get names and addresses. Ask them if it’s okay to follow up with a Tip Sheet, a Trend Report, or your E-Zine. Make those connections stick by giving them ways to remember you.

To a client who is a scarf lover, tell her what happened when you organized another client’s scarves into bins—she wore them and enjoyed them so much more.

 

Your mail!

I love hearing from you! Last month I talked about “My 5 Thoughts on How to Treat a Client” and Michele Benza from San Francisco sent me a letter sharing an ah-ha moment she had with a client. She gave me permission to reprint her letter. Here you are:

Bonjour Brenda,

It is always with great pleasure and interest that I read your E-zines. I especially liked your feature article: "My 5 Thoughts on How to Treat a Client".

I so agree with your philosophy to be a good listener. Recently I had lunch with Diane, a long-time client. During our meal she confessed to me that our first session was torture for her and she hated it. I was shocked. What had I done? She explained that she hated to be under the spotlight and hated having to watch herself in a mirror. She also stated that she understood the reasons why I worked that way.

This was a very important piece of information for me. I learned my lesson and now always tell a new client that s/he will be under the spotlight and that our assessment session is all about her/him. Diane gave me a great gift by telling me about her first experience with me. Thank you, Brenda.

Best,
Michele 

No, Michele, thank you! It’s always so great to remember what it feels like to be a client for the first time so we can be compassionate. Thanks for this humbling reminder, Michele!

Now, is there a way you could experience being in the client’s shoes this month? Could you invite an image consultant friend to go shopping with you? Or hire someone to come and work in your closet? Or maybe you can go have your makeup professionally done.

I think it’s always important to be able to say, “I use image consultants too! I get updates too!” We’re people who need image consultants as well. Everyone has a hard time seeing herself objectively. Let’s practice what we preach.

 

Have a great month!

Remember, together we can help each other. Together we can make the world a better place, one happy client at a time.

Until next time,

 

Image Matters is a Brenda Kinsel ETC produced newsletter for image professionals and anyone exploring this field as a second or dream career. We may have met at an AICI conference or you might have been a student in one of my classes. Maybe you’re a fan of the Brenda Books. However we know each other, I hope that Image Matters and Brenda Kinsel ETC will be a resource for you, providing you with inspiration, new ideas for ways to meet your client’s needs, and strategies to keep your business fresh, alive and vibrant.

About Brenda Brenda Kinsel, AICI CIP is an IMMIE award winning image consultant and author of 5 books on fashion and style. She’s appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show as well as numerous radio, TV and newspaper sources globally. She shares her passion and talent for satisfying clients with certified training programs and marketing support for image professionals so they too can enjoy wonderful careers in the image business. Check out her teaching schedule and her Monthly Marketing Bundle program, and sign up for her FREE Image Matters eZine at www.brendakinseletc.com.