A New Breed of Communications Company

“You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression.” —Unknown

Take pride in all aspects of your business, whether you have a retail space or lobby or virtual office. Your phone etiquette, emails, and level of engagement during meetings—all of these factors can make or break a sales or business relationship.

Take a LOOK at YOURSELF

93%• 93% of how you are judged is based on NON-VERBAL data: your appearance and body language. Only 7% is based on the WORDS you speak.

• People notice your HAIR and FACE first. Then, move to your feet. So shoes do matter!

Are you having a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE impact on customers?

• Everyone that comes in contact with your business is a potential customer or can refer your business.

• You can create a POSITIVE or NEGATIVE impact and be in direct control of that contact outcome success.

ASSESS your SPACE

Whether you have a retail store, reception area, corporate or home-based office—make sure:

• Your space matches the professional core messages you want to send to clients

• Employees uphold those same standards you want reflected to customers or clients

Is this the image you want to portray to customers? Can you be productive in a space like this?

Your staff also shapes the company’s image and represents you in your absence.

VALUE your CUSTOMERS

Consider the negative customer-service experiences you’ve had.

What impressions have they left on those businesses?

Treat your customers as precious JEWELS. Especially in this economy, take extra measures to show you care about their needs and appreciate their business.

When you meet a client, express some form of thank you. Clients appreciate YOU when you appreciate THEM.

Stimulate Your DIGITAL IMAGE

The good and bad news about technology is that we have greater access to everything.

=1. KEEP IT SHORT. If your email goes beyond the length of what

can be seen on the screen of a tablet, smart phone, or laptop, you WILL lose your reader.

2. BE COURTEOUS.

3. INCLUDE A CALL-TO-ACTION UPFRONT. What is your goal? What do you need from the recipient?

4. KEEP THE SUBJECT LINE CURRENT. We’ve all tried to track down emails that had a totally irrelevant heading.

5. WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE. Keep it professional.

6. CHECK CC’s AND TRAIL WHEN FORWARDING. It can be embarrassing and regrettable otherwise.

Be Courteous of Your Client’s TIME.

7. EDIT YOUR EMAIL. Don’t hit ‘send’ until you’ve re-read what you’ve written—and cut wherever possible.

8. AVOIDE TEXT SPEAK. Email is a form of business communication. No short cuts.

9. FLAG AND SEPARATE. Include sub-heads, bullets, and numbered lists. Bold words to draw attention to key points. Flag when you’ve changed topics by highlighting or underlining.

10. DON’T SEND LARGE ATTACHMENTS. Huge files slow down servers. Resize photos and limit legalese or long signatures at the bottom of emails.

Ten Simple Rules for EMAIL—For First and Ongoing Positive Impressions:

A few points on SOCIAL MEDIA: Embrace It! Build your social media presence ONLY IF you are going to be active on it.

• Use good judgment. Separate business and personal Facebook pages.

• Corporate recruiters routinely request social audits of prospective employees, so post carefully online.

• Social media profiles are the new resume. Be creative with them.

EVALUATE your BUSINESS TOOLS

Look at the signals your professional materials are sending.

Before After

Never leave your office without your business cards. How does it make you feel when someone you are meeting with doesn’t have a card? That this person isn’t prepared or doesn’t think very highly of you? It leaves a first impression, and so does their card.

Before After

• The American Advertising Federation recently polled members and found websites ranked first as the most valued self-promotion

tool. Networking events ranked second; social media profiles ranked third.

• Your site must portray your company’s mission and core values; be timely and current; be easy to navigate; less is more.

• If your site hasn’t been updated in a few years, it’s time for a redesign since technology and styles are constantly changing.

• Research shows that a webpage has at most 7 SECONDS to engage the visitor.

What does the Apple brand say to you? (emotions, lifestyle, community, passion, imagination, design, simplicity, customer service)

• Over 1 million 3G iPhones were sold in just three days.

• Brand loyalty is highest among any product; anticipation explodes over the hint of a new product launch.

• Steve Jobs’ death has been compared to the loss of inventors such as daVinci and Edison.

Your brand is reflected in all forms of communication.

• Top businesses use their brands effectively and include a brand strategy in business and marketing plans.

• There is absolutely an emotional attachment associated with a brand. This is how brand loyalty is developed. It becomes as important as the product or service itself.

• It all begins with the messages you create about your company.

Avoid the BAND AID approach to BRANDING.

• If you can’t afford to rebrand all of your communication tools at once, we recommend a phased approach over a specific timeline.

• One thing that is worse than an outdated brand you’re not proud of is INCONSISTENCY.

• The key is to have a set timeframe to implement the changes cohesively. Otherwise, the message to customers is confusing.

?What does your brand say about you? Take a minute to think about your various messages and materials and how that reflects who you are as a business.

Before After

Think of a brand as a THREAD that is woven throughout your communications. The next few slides show some examples of the branding thread for some of our clients.

A life sciences/biotech company in Research Triangle Park, NC needed to generate new investor interest quickly.

• We first consulted with them to adapt new messages to their business plan.

• We then did an interim single-page website focusing on new products and updated content to attract their core audiences.

“HATCH was able to turn around a temporary website design in less than three weeks. We are already seeing increased inquiries and web traffic.”

—Mike Galiger, Director,

Product Development, Entegrion

Entegrion wins Navy contract extension

Navy Awards Entegrion $9.84 Million to Investigate

Life-Saving Resuscitation Therapies

Navy to study Entegrion’s blood technologyas a life-saving fluid

NC biotech Entegrion’s gets $9.84M contract extension from Navy

Before After

Here is an example of a Chapel Hill, NC nonprofit: The PTA Thrift Shop.

• We first redesigned their basic brochure and then their building campaign materials. Did you know they are celebrating their 60th anniversary in 2012?

“WE HAVE FOUND our relationship with Hatch to be valuable both professionally and personally. We appreciate their professionalism and their enthusiasm and are privileged to have them in our ‘arsenal.’ ”

—Barbara Jessie-Black, Executive Director,

PTA Thrift Shop

• The PTA Thrift Shop has given over $5M to local schools over the past 15 years.

• They turn trash into cash through recycling programs and keep over 300 tons out of landfills each year.

• Once their new facility opens, schools can expect a 20% increase in donations, so continue to donate and pledge your support!

• Do you see the branding consistent ‘thread’ in the materials?

PTA Thrift Shop Launches Campaign to Build New Carrboro Facilities

PTA Thrift Shop to Build $5.1 M Plaza in Carrboro

Carrboro Thrift Shop Has $5 M Plan

PTA Thrift Shop Expands

We branded this client from inception. They provide consulting services to government and private firms in the very competitive 9-1-1 emergency response industry.

We also branded this client from inception. It is a nonprofit in DC that specializes in advocacy evaluation for nonprofits across the country.

Your company is a REFLECTION of WHO YOU ARE.

All of your marketing and communication materials, across all platforms should be cohesive.

Hatch guides clients through the process through messaging, branding, design and public relations.

Tamara BakerMessage Maestrotbaker@hatch-consulting.com919.933.7650 O919.951.9282 C

Lynne SmyersDesign Divalsmyers@hatch-consulting.com919.968.7713 O202.329.7038 C

A New Breed of Communications Company

www.hatch-consulting.com