3 seconds. Go! Stop! We’ve made up our mind and we’re sticking to it. Do you leave a great first impression? Suggestions: Be on time. Turn off your cell phone. Present yourself in appropriate attire for setting and audience. Prepare a little small talk to break the ice. Make eye contact and listen. Keep posture in mind. Smile naturally. Be at ease with yourself. Be optimistic regardless of your not so great day. Now take a deep breath and be yourself. You’ll be great.

We’d like to share a tool we use with wardrobe consulting clients - Polyvore. Remember playing paper dolls? This site allows user to create ‘fashion sets’ of apparel and accessories from live online retailers. After creating set we email it to client. It’s link-friendly ie. shows where each piece came from and the price. Based on client’s lifestyle, shape, colors and budget we create looks to fill Closet Therapy shopping lists. Can’t beat that! Check Clare’s profile out and let us know your thoughts. [Be forewarned it's a time vortex.] 

Find me on Polyvore 

Do you have a desire to lead? Being an effective leader takes motivation and ongoing hard work to keep skill set sharp. These skills are easily taught but more importantly, is it your desire?  Curious if you have leader DNA in you? Take this assessment and share your thoughts. Click here.

“One of the sexiest things a woman can do is to clean out her closet.” ~ Oprah Winfrey. Are women neglecting themselves to become superwomen? After catching an Oprah episode dedicated to renewing women’s sensuality through makeovers, I came away smiling. Paralleling Callosum’s consumer Closet Therapy service,ladies countrywide are being brought back to life by the simple task of cleaning out a closet. Free the memories, live today and love the skin you’re in! 

Your delivery of your speech or presentation will make or break it. Regardless of content and preparation it’s YOU that makes it memorable. Looking to make it stick? 1) Use examples to bring your points to life 2) Body language should be active [step away from the podium] 3) Speak slowly and concisely with pauses to allow audience to digest. 4) Use a variety of tones of voice 5) Use visual aids.

Brand jargon can be endless. Focusing it down, the musts are: 1) Clarify your position. Define the single thing your company stands for [to your customers] that the competition lacks. Single is the operative word here. 2) Tell your story. Give your position an external expression by telling your best client story. [i.e. a case study.] 3) Bring it to life. Make sure when your company [any outward-facing resources of it – staff, marketing materials, reception area] hits the outside world it LOOKS and FEELS authentic.

In group settings it’s often difficult for newcomers to break into the group with ease. Utilize your personal signature as an invitation to chat. Wearing an accessory or unique piece of clothing provides an entry point for conversation. Bonus: it makes you memorable!

Do you mind your manners? Taste a few tips:  1) Who calls back when disconnected on the telephone? When there is a poor phone connection or when you are disconnected, the individual who initiated the call is responsible for calling back the other party. 2) What is the proper time to arrive for an appointment? Always arrive on time for an appointment – never late. Arrive no more than 5 minutes early. 3) Can I exchange business cards while dining? Cards should never be exchanges while dining. Exchange when meal is complete and parties have stood to depart. For more tips go here. ps visit Manners International.

Who are you? When addressing a client or audience, how do you appear? Confident. Sincere. Nervous. Uncertain. Professional. Sloppy. Knowledgeable. Unsure. To get an outside view in, consider videotaping yourself and tune in. Watch your gestures, ticks, infection, posture… Are you coming across the way you’d like to? I’d love to help polish your presence. Let me know how I may.

Mixing prints can be intimidating, but done right is chic while stretching your wardrobe. Following the menswear trend, begin with a wide-leg tweed or plaid trouser. In the same color family, add feminity with a rich floral print blouse. Give patterns “air” by adding a belt or camisole.  Chilly? Layer a cardigan – loose, buttoned or belted. Feeling brave? Add a complimentary bright-hued accessory for pop. Are you a mix master?

Mixing prints can be intimidating and sometimes tricky, but done right it can be sophisticated and chic – while stretching your wardrobe. Following the menswear trend, begin with a wide-leg tweed or plaid trouser. Staying in the same color family [Brown, orange, cream], add feminity with a rich-hued floral print blouse. To give the patterns breathing room, add a belt or camisole for color break.  Chilly? Add a soft-hued cardigan – loose or buttoned and belted. If you’re feeling brave, pull a complimentary color from clothing to add a single statement-making bright-hued. What do you think?

When working with clients on creating a wardrobe, I often find a closet overflowing yet with “nothing to wear”. For most efficient shopping, keep in mind ratios. You should have, tops to bottoms, a 3 to 1 ratio. Although I personally love a killer pair of slacks, rarely are they remembered. With this in mind, slacks/skirts are a great place to invest in a class, well-fitting piece. Leave less expensive novelties and trends to tops.

This month I have three close friends getting married. Talk about branding… A wedding is the ultimate outward expression of a couple. Envision a glass-ceiling gallery on the Cape, a French Bistro in an urban neighborhood, and sunset in the botanical gardens. What defines where to begin planning? It’s the energy. It’s the experience you want your guests to walk away with. To begin brand development, journal the experience first; then move onto the details. Happy honeymooning! 

Due to popular demand, the Callosum blog is now accepting comments! May the flood gates open and my brain burst forth. I welcome your comments and questions in regards to branding of your company and yourself. Fondly, Clare J. Hefferren, President

Entrance fee required. Are you worth the ticket price? If you were to charge a fee for clients to experience YOU, what would you do differently? What would ensure they’d feel the price was worth every dime? 

There’s a sure way to make each email/newsletter is a memorable experience. Pretend that customers are paying to receive your messages. Strategies to help you create value: 1) Group important details, like an order confirmation, in the upper right corner. 2) Include complete contact information for your customer service department including hours. 3) Offer valuable—and unexpected—features. Ex. Discount on future orders. Email delivery confirmation. 

With budgets slim, how to stay on top of fashion trends without emptying your pocketbook? Take a stroll through your closet. With an objective view, you’ll be amazed at what you can stir up. Ladies, transition your summer wares by adding layers [tights, gloves, scarves]. Mix Summer sheers and silks with Fall tweeds and plaids. Pull out last year’s fur and shearling for accents. Live the super-hero trend by breaking out your slim-fitted leather jacket, fluted-collar coats and capes with long-gloves to command confidence.

How much have you invested in marketing collateral? Gazillions it seems. Unfortunately what is often overlooked is a focus on the people who carry your brand around every day. It’s the receptionist, the field sales reps, the account execs, the interns… Every word, outfit, manner, posture they “utter’ is part of your brand.  To grow your awareness, choose a few token employees and begin investing a portion of your marketing budget to your staff assets. You’ll quickly see - polish the staff and polish your brand bottom line.

Brands need a strong, memorable identity to stand out from the crowd, but to stay alive, must change with the times. Falling in or out on an almost daily basis, keeping brand identity relevant and desirable is major. It’s time to change when your identity has dated to an extent that it acts as a barrier rather than an enhancement to communication. Secrets to longevity? Framework – flexible elements allow emotional elements to evolve and create a credible personality. Continuity – organic, living entity expresses personality, growth and world interaction. 

It’s one thing to toot your own horn, it’s another to have your clients do it for you. Allow client testimonials speak volumes for your business [and literature and web site, speaker sheet, reference sheet]. It’s adds a personal touch. Hesitant to ask clients for a testimonial? Make it a part of your project follow-up. Include a brief satisfaction survey, reference and testimonial request. If a client has had a good experience, they’ll likely oblige. If not, perhaps time to get out the company mirror to see what image your company portrays. 

Studies show potential clients must emotionally connect to establish trust before they are willing to purchase services. It’s the human element of branding. Often this requires being personally seen and heard. Credentials aside, you must present well. Increase your odds of clients in the door by utilizing online media to reach your target market. Speaking engagements, presentations, interviews, media clips are great opportunities to get air time. Video, post and link to your site. Visit YouTube for details. This is your chance to be heard [and seen].

It’s been said the Web “Version 1.0” was about the static web site. We’ve entered into “Version 2.0” with the introduction of social networking. No longer is it enough to have a site, it must be interactive, value-based and connected to the social networks  [FaceBook, You Tube, LinkedIn, Spoke, MeetUp]. Commonly perceived as a tool for the millennial younger folks, don’t pass this target customer up lightly.  This generation is the future consumer and very tech savvy. Click into their world and see where your future clients or consumers are up to.

Today is an EXCITING day! As promised, we have unveiled our newly expanded & branded web site. We’re walking our talk and keeping ahead of The Jones. Be sure to stay plugged in as site content will update weekly [Friday blog post] and semi-annually [case studies]. To receive “Brain Food” quarterly for the latest branding tips, please register. Crack our head open to peek. We may have a few brain freezes to work out and welcome your comments. 

Marketers say “stay in touch with your customers, so you stay at the top of their mind when needs arise”. Many have chosen the digital newsletter route. Fantastic; however, do you want yet another newsletter? It’s equally important to provide VALUE to your customer. Tip: rename the e-marketing piece “Quarterly XYZ Tips”. Callosum has recently adjusted our newsletter to be called “Brain Food” - A quarterly piece giving informative branding information AND our own latest & greatest. Food for thought….

I received a boutique newsletter in the mail today. I know the shop well and LOVE IT! But, the pretty dress in the shop window sure didn’t feel the same as the crumpled, spring rain drenched, flimsy flier I received. Brand disjuncture. May I suggest jumping on the user-friendly bandwagon of emarketing. Check out some great user-friendly options: Vertical Response, Constant Contact. Track your results, grow your database. Questions? Ask the Callo Brain. Yes, we can design, produce and manage your e-newsletter should you prefer.

Pronounced: [kawr-puhs kuh-loh-suhm] n.   pl. corpora cal·lo·sa (kə-lō’sə).
According to the American Heritage Dictionary: the the arched bridge of the nervous tissue that connects the two cerebral hemispheres, allowing communication between the right and left sides of the brain.

For Callosum Creative staffers, this means we design with function and design in mind at all times. We bridge the analytical and creative sides of the brain to ensure your brand drives your sales.

Today, I had a client ask me why it’s important to use a standard color palette. What’s my answer? When you think of red - you think of Coca-Cola. When you think of Blue - you think of IBM. Reaching out to your customer through every sense is a way to cover your bases. Some folks are visual learners, audio learners. What color portrays your brand?