Have you ever forgotten to check about attire only to show up at an event completely overdressed? That extra step of preparation could have saved you time and maybe even the money you spent to get that new shirt. The same is true with preparing for a trade show. Here are five quick tips to plan for trade show success:

1. Decide what you want to get out of the trade show or conference. Announce a new product? Solicit new leads? Solidify existing relationships? Keep tabs on your competition?

2. Find shows that best fit your budget (including travel and accommodations!), your goals, and your audience. The ideal shows will be those where most of the attendees will be potential customers.

3. Consider if you should have an exhibit booth, host an event, make a presentation, or just register to attend the conference. If you’re convinced the audience is a good fit, compare costs of exhibiting with those of hosting an event. Being a conference speaker gives added exposure, and can drive people to your booth and/or event.

4. Set measurable goals such as a specific number of leads, meetings with some number of customers, or a targeted number of product demonstrations.

5. Prepare a written strategy and budget to meet your goals. Be sure to include every step that needs to be taken to implement the strategy and who will be doing the work.

Once you have your strategy, it’s time to market your participation. Next in the Series: Marketing Tactics for Trade Show Success.

Thought you may want to know a little more about who we are, what we do, and how we work together to serve our clients. You can find out more about any one of us here.

Thomas Duncan and Alison Duncan are our design champions. Both do wonderful logo and print work. Thomas also excels at creating beautiful and well functioning websites. (Plus they happen to be in-laws.) Alison and I have been working together since 2001. Thomas joined in the fun around 2005.

Deb Hepp is our project manager and assists me in creating strategic direction for Comma. She’s a perfect fit for what we do as her background is marketing and graphic design. She gets the internal workings of a firm and she knows the value of working well with clients. I think of her as my right hand.

Lyn Jackson is a pro at messaging, PR, media training, video development, and non-profit work. She brings her experience in television production and reporting as well as knowledge gained through serving on local, regional and national boards of directors.

Maria Mauriello is editor and writer par excellence. She’s fast and she’s thorough. She has great PR and development skills honed in both the non-profit and for– profit worlds. She’s passionate about public education and has been instrumental in keeping up the good fight for that in Wake County.

Lesley Lammers is a great blogger and is as passionate about CSR (corporate social responsibility) as I am. She’s part of Comma’s service expansion in this area. You can catch some of her work at the US Green Chamber of Commerce, Triple Pundit, and the Environmental Defense Fund.

So that leaves me, Libbie Hough. I am out there doing business development, leading on client strategy, and serving as primary point of contact with clients. I love engaging my team to come up with solutions to turn a business’ challenges into opportunities for growth.

]]> http://cmatters.org/whos-who-at-comma/feed/ 1 http://cmatters.org/green-homes-in-the-triangle/ http://cmatters.org/green-homes-in-the-triangle/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:13:19 +0000 admin http://cmatters.org/?p=874 Green Homes in the Triangle!

Betty Cross of Silverwood Inc. and a realtor with Keller-Williams in Chapel Hill, N.C. shares with Comma how the green home revolution has hit the Triangle and why sustainability means sticking to your message even when you think no one is listening…By Lesley Lammers

LL: Tell me a little bit about Silverwood and what sparked your interest to build a focus around high performing, energy efficient homes?

BC: Silverwood has been building homes for a long time. It started with small sunroom additions in the late 1970s. We built passive solar homes in the 1980s, and in the early 2000s began developing of green home communities. We knew homes could be better and wanted to bring high performing homes to the mainstream market. And with site-integrated design, material choices, and construction techniques any home can be energy efficient with healthy indoor air.

LL: How has being “green” helped you build your business?

BC: Consumers interested in reducing their carbon footprint or living in houses with healthy indoor air have sought us out to design and build homes for them. My husband Bob Hartford, has developed a series of green house plans available at Silverwood Design. He has four plans — one of them the featured home — in ePlans’ winter issue of Luxury Homes, the Sustainable Lifestyle Issue (available wherever home plan books are sold).

LL: What should buyers look for when shopping for a “green” home?

BC: There are many components to being “green” and depending on the customer some components may be more important than others. Here are some questions I would ask:

• Are there are renewable energy systems in the home, such as solar hot water?
• Do the windows and doors have high efficiency ratings?
• Is the crawlspace sealed?
• Were low VOC paints used?
• Are the faucets, toilets, and showerheads water saving fixtures?
• Does the home contain any reused materials such as flooring or interior doors?
• Does the landscaping require lots of water and fertilizer?

Consumers should also look for Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) values that measure how efficiently the house will operate. All ENERGY STAR certified homes receive a HERS rating. Look for other certifications such as NAHB Green certified, LEED certified, etc.

LL: Would you say that the real estate industry in general is heading in a more sustainable direction?

BC: Building codes continue to evolve as new technology and research becomes available. No longer can you buy a toilet that uses seven gallons per flush. Insulation values are regulated. Light bulbs are more efficient. Government must lead the way with regulations; the market will follow.

LL: What about being sustainable appeals to you?

BC: I believe we can live rich, fulfilling, and comfortable lives while maintaining the Earth’s ability to sustain life of all kinds.

LL: If you had words of wisdom to share with folks considering a similar business path what would they be?
BC: Stick to your message even when it seems no one is listening.

Hillsborough, N.C. — January 9, 2012

Communication Matters, the Hillsborough-based marketing firm, announces it has a new name, new look, and new services. The company, now called Comma, has a new identity and refreshed website. Contractors specializing in media training and corporate social responsibility as well as a dedicated project management specialist have joined the Comma team. The new assets are built on the company’s commitment to excellent customer service and dedication to the triple-bottom line. To find out more about Comma, visit www.cmatters.org.

Throughout the move to a new name and identity, Hough reflected on comments she heard delivered by the keynote speaker at a public relations conference. “He said we must transition from strategic planning to strategic doing,” Hough shared. “Unanticipated events have a way of pushing you to ‘do.’ ”

Hough is referring to the day she discovered the Communication Matters logo was strikingly similar to that of another company’s in the area. She had already been aware others outside the area were using a similar, if not the same, name. She consulted with an intellectual property attorney, mentors, and colleagues before deciding to seize this as an opportunity to evolve and grow.

Repositioning a company is no small undertaking, even for a business that offers those services. Hough points to Comma’s core business values as a grounding force. “From the start, we have embraced our role as our clients’ marketing partner, viewed people, planet, and profit as interrelated business concepts, and fostered fun, creative dialogue with clients and colleagues,” Hough said. “That foundation pointed the way as we navigated new territory.”

Based in Hillsborough, N.C., Comma produces powerful marketing strategies for sustainable business growth. Libbie Hough launched the company in 2001 and uses a virtual business model to achieve her clients’ marketing needs. To take projects from concept to completion, Hough calls upon independent, award-winning marketing, design, and communication professionals from around N.C. and the United States. The company is a certified vendor with Green Plus, a sustainability certification and education program and has been awarded HUB status by the N.C. Department of Administration. For more information, visit www.cmatters.org.

# # #

Contact: Libbie Hough
libbiehough@cmatters.org
www.cmatters.org
ph: 919.967.8070

Embracing Change in the New Year!

Sometimes change is planned for and sometimes it just comes at you. No matter how it happens, it’s what you do with change that counts. Last year presented plenty of chances to throw in the towel on managing my own company.

The first bump was learning that my husband’s work could be greatly diminished. Second bump: discovering another company in the same market and industry had a logo like mine. Third bump: realizing I was exhausted from working on my business while working in it as well. In April, I found myself wondering: is it time to do something different?

After some soul searching, and talking with friends, members of my professional network, and relatives, I decided it was, indeed, time for something different.

Allow me to introduce you to Comma, our new company name complete with a new visual identity and a refreshed website that includes this blog. I’m also pleased to announce we’ve expanded services to work with companies around their corporate social responsibility efforts and leverage those efforts to build their brand. And to further improve service to clients, we now have a dedicated project manager.

Maybe it’s time for a change in how you do business as well. If so, give me a call or drop me an email. I welcome a chance to talk with you about how Comma can be of service as you transition to bigger and better things.

Libbie

Linda Foxworth
Executive Director
KidSCope

Mike Mathers
Executive Director
Chapel Hill Training Outreach Project

I enjoy working with these guys. Their service is quick, high quality and competitive. In business, and locally owned, since the 1950s, Glover Printing, Inc. has been certified by all three leading sustainable forest management organizations: Forest Stewardship Council, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification. In addition to printing services they offer packaging and data management services as well. Check them out. You’ll be glad you did.

I use 1&1 as my website hosting service. For more information about 1&1’s green efforts, click the logo.