Janice Lawrence-Clarke – Bringing a New Product to the Right Clients, Summer Series Interview

Janice Lawrence-Clarke – Bringing a New Product to the Right Clients, Summer Series Interview

Once a week during July and August, I am featuring one of the interviews from my book,  Tales of People Who Get It, and post it on the blog so that you may learn from some of the interviewees, as well as introduce the interviewees to a new audience. This week, I feature Janice Lawrence-Clarke, who reminds us that our products and services must align to the right customers and clients. Learn how she successfully repositioned her services.

Related: 

Living an Authentic Life – Gabriel Draven, Summer Series Interviews
Leading Women toward Self-Sufficiency, Anthea Rossouw – Summer Interview Series
Pay Your Taxes – George Fraser, Summer Series Interviews
Building Relationships – Andrea Nierenberg, Summer Series Interviews
Samy Chong – Employees, Your Most Valuable Asset, Summer Series Interviews
Nanci Govinder – Downsizing Risks, Summer Series Interviews
Claire Hoy – Recovering from a Bankruptcy, Summer Series Interviews

In 2007, I published my book, Tales of People Who Get It, which is based on interviews with successful people. The Invisible Mentor blog was born of my book. Let’s take a step back in time to the fall of 2007, I had been thinking about ways to market Tales of People Who Get It and hoping for a burst of inspiration. While I was taking a walk in High Park in Toronto, it popped into my consciousness that Tales of People Who Get It was my Board of Invisible Mentors. What happened, without being aware of it, is that when I faced a problem, I would remember parts of interviews that I had conducted, and would know how to solve that problem. After conducting research, The Invisible Mentor blog was born, and five years later the concept of the invisible mentor has changed.

~Challenge~

I designed The Incubator 2005, a Sales and Marketing program for fashion and accessory designers who currently produce and sell to US stores and were ready to take the next step toward a larger presence in the market. Through a combination of fashion consulting, market development, advertising and sales representation, these designers would be able to present their merchandise at trade events before retail buyers with purchasing power. I calculated the costs and determined that with a minimum of five participants the program could be properly implemented while being affordable for each company. The designers loved the program, but were not financially prepared to take that step. I realized that I was speaking or selling my service to the wrong market segment, so I had to clearly identify my market and repackage the program.

~Resolution~

I reworked the entire program, creating three phases for a broader base appeal, thereby increasing the ability to address the designer/manufacturer at different levels in their businesses.

Specifically, I had to:

1. Determine services for those designers who were relatively new to the market:
   1. Focus on building their collection
   2. Source production facilities
   3. Source manufacturing facilities
   4. Act as a broker to find investors who had the facilities and sought fashion designers with a collection or line to produce
2. Provide public relations services for those designers who have been in business, but needed help in getting the word out about their company, or who may be wanting to present a line to the market
3. Secure showroom space to present collections to buyers during the selling season, I also developed strategic relationships with some specialty stores to test certain designers’ collections.

~Lessons Learned~

1. It is advantageous to line up the right product or service to the right market. Even though you may think that you have a brilliant idea or program, you need to do research to ensure that your product/idea is solid for the people to whom you’re selling
2. Be prepared to accept that people may not be as ready as you are to move forward or to take leaps of faith
3. You must be willing to start from scratch and be willing to take less of a fee when introducing a new concept
4. It helped me to zero in on what my services are, and who my target market is. My success depends on the success of others. I learned to zero in and treat myself as one of my clients. (Sounds like the Business Plan, doesn’t it?)

~How to Integrate Your Personal and Professional Life~

It’s all about proper time management. We have one life and things constantly overlap. I am a mother, very active in my church, and some church members are my clients. My daughter is a teenager, and she helps me in my business whenever it is necessary. Above all I rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, and have learned to say “No” when I have to do so. It’s important to know when to say “No.”

~Formula for Success~

It is best to be spirit-led. You find God’s will for your life, and you perform that will. You allow Him, to work through you, knowing that once you are in His will, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. Never give up, no matter what it looks like, nor what the nay saying well-wishers may say. According to my pastor, Creflo Dollar, “Passion is the fuel of success …,” that means to me, that I must be passionate about whatever I set about to do, do it as if I’m doing it for God and not for man, and I will succeed. And that message translates to any situation, whether it is self-employment or out in the work field or just being a friend… any and all areas of life. Above all, stay focused on God and do not listen to naysayers.

~Major Regret~

My major regret is allowing well-wishers to hold more sway over what I did and knew in my heart. Had I stuck to what I knew and believed, I would have been further ahead. Before these days, I did not have the wisdom or strength to realize that I was on my path and should have stayed focused.

~Favourite Quote~

I like “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13 because it is true! I’m a living witness. Now that I know this, there is nothing that anyone can tell me that I cannot do.

~Influential Book~

It has to be The Successful Family: Everything You Need to Know to Build a Stronger Family, by Dr. Creflo A. Dollar and Taffi L. Dollar. This book, together with The Holy Bible, has opened my eyes and showed me how to live as a true Christian woman, as well as how to raise my child. It outlines practical ways to live a happy, healthy and prosperous life while building great relationships. It has had, and continues to have a great impact on my life.

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Author Bio: Avil Beckford, an expert interviewer, entrepreneur and published author is passionate about books and professional development, and that's why she founded The Invisible Mentor and the Virtual Literary World Tour to give you your ideal mentors virtually in the palm of your hands by offering book reviews and book summaries, biographies of wise people and interviews of successful people. Connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

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