Brand investment and protection from distractions (Squirrel!)

The month of October is especially exciting for me. There are a couple of reasons: 1) As a Las Vegan I love fall. It allows me to resurface from my rock, which shades me from our scorching hot summer weather, and 2) this month is an annual reminder of why people with my personality type (ENTJ – a Myers-Briggs type) and career go hand-in-hand.

I was reminded of these reasons over the last three weeks while volunteering my time to help induct a new class into Leadership Henderson, a program near and dear to my heart, and by my 2011 planning efforts for our firm’s clientele as they’re preparing to take one giant leap forward come this January, just as we all hope to do.

More specifically, all of this is a strong reminder of just how powerful repetitive marketing is to any organization. We preach repetition daily here at Imagine Marketing, but it always seems to be one of the most difficult marketing lessons for our clients to understand and take hold of.

The reason? It’s easy to get distracted. (Squirrel!)

While it’s necessary large and small organizations have the ability to be nimble and responsive to customer needs, it’s often difficult for those same organizations to identify what areas of their marketing and sales program must be nimble while maintaining and building a consistent brand. That’s where I come in. (Did I mention my personality type?)

Over the last 10 years, more times than I can possibly count, I’ve heard business people say they attended an event once and nothing came from it (distraction) or seen them change the name of their company after investing in their brand for two years because their 12-year-old daughter didn’t like it (distraction). The funny thing? I typically only hear from these people once because they’re not around long enough to develop their business.

The successful folks are the people who believe in implementing a repetitive marketing program because they understand that marketing is a process, not an event. Despite the distractions that will (and they always do) arise, they remain committed and invested in their brand and do their best to implement a sound marketing plan ahead of time to help them remain repetitive in their efforts while providing them a reason NOT to be distracted from items that pop up.

Rarely do people enjoy planning for their business, but it’s necessary. (I head up planning efforts at our place. Teamers say I’m great at it. I think I was voted “off the island” while I was out at a meeting one day.) Regardless of your like or dislike of developing a marketing plan, it serves as a vital component to your business operations and, just as in others facets of your company, repetition is a key element to success.

Repetition in marketing, which often comes from having a master marketing plan in place, will allow your organization to gain greater brand momentum, helping you to move from “it didn’t work the one time I attended” to having multiple people tell you, “I’ve seen your company everywhere.”

So, I encourage you to evaluate your current marketing program for inconsistencies to see where improvements can be made. If you are attending events, are you ensuring you are connecting with your leads or attending events in a repetitive fashion? If you are distributing e-newsletters, are they uniform in brand appearance and caliber of messaging? If you are seeking media opportunities, are you sending newsworthy information their way and consistently reaching out to your contacts?

The opportunities are there so long as you are willing to make the investment in a consistent (repetitive) brand and follow your overall vision, which is easier to stick to when you have a plan in place.

*Blog originally posted at: Imagine Marketing: Creative Solutions for the New Economy.

Five easy-to-use tips to help you keep clients

I know a thing or two about marketing and sales, despite how entertainment media may portray marketing professionals, especially females. My career is a bit more complex than an event planner screaming at subordinates, as E!’s “The Spin Crowd” and the character Shauna Roberts from “Entourage” love to do. It’s scripted for television and the more tension the more it sells.

In the real world, I approach marketing in a holistic way, with attention to detail. My clients expect it as do I. In fact, I consider it my duty to ensure I constantly provide them with big picture marketing insight and action while never forgetting about the details that matter.

Speaking of details, below are a handful of tactics business owners/executives can easily use to enhance their current client relationships while staying sensitive to our current economic budget crunch. And, as we all know, it takes less energy and money to keep and grow a client than it does to find new ones.

Thank your clients for their business – Mail a simple letter to your clients to thank them for their continued business at least once per year. Meanwhile, make certain you periodically thank them via email if you correspond regularly. For instance, write your email as you normally would and simply add: “Thank you for your business.” It’s easy. It’s simple. It makes an impact on your clients. Every time I send letters to clients, they make it a point to tell me how nice it was to receive it and that they’re happy with my services.

Introduce your clients to your contacts – If you’re in the professional services sector, this can be especially helpful to you. One great big happy family is the idea on this one. Clients appreciate feeling valuable, want to meet other people who are valuable and will see you (and your ability to serve as the “go to” connection guy/gal) in an entirely new light. Clients can seek the services you offer elsewhere, but they cannot replace the relationships you help them build with others.

Deliver your clients a treat – A fruit bouquet, a dozen doughnuts, two movie tickets …all are affordable options that will help remind your clients that you are thinking about them and appreciate their business. (I’ve even gifted boxes of Cheez-Its crackers, cupcakes to flower adorned children’s hair clips to clients – whom I consider more as friends over the years.) It doesn’t matter the price tag associated with the gift. Instead, think of it like a typical dating ritual… it’s the thought that counts.

Instead of an expensive client gala, organize small meet-and-greets – Don’t get me wrong. High-end galas have their place with some folks in the B2B industry, but for most, small meet-and-greets can accomplish just as much with less money and time. I have a small group I organize every other month and a 20-person private wine making group I’m a part of that meets six times per year as well. Six months ago my “A-team” coffee group were all strangers, now we invite one another to birthday parties, holiday BBQs and more. Did I mention they all do business together now too?

Share a cause with your clients – Invite your clients to participate in a walk-a-thon or another cause you believe in. I have a coworker that shaves his head every year to raise money in the name of childhood cancer research. (Clients LOVE it.) People naturally want to help and want to be involved – so long as it does not cut into their family and “down” time. Involving them in this way allows them to see a personal side of you, your business and gives them an easy way to participate and build a relationship with you.

No matter your business, we’re all in the business of sales

I don’t know about you, but I have a love-hate relationship with professionals whose sole purpose is to sell me something – television, print and radio advertising representatives, online digital video sales people, photographers telling me I need to use their services, trade organizations saying I need to “belong.”

No matter the source, we’re all selling one another something. I spend a great deal of my time wading through sales opportunities as the “gatekeeper” for my clients. It’s an undertaking all its own, but it’s a responsibility I don’t take lightly and the due diligence my clients expect of me and our firm.

Have you ever noticed that good sales people often aren’t thought of as sales people at all? Instead, they’re “friends.” Being a trusted “friend” can be key in successful sales. And, in today’s tough environment, more sales people should become “friends” with prospective clients.

More often than not, I come into contact with some of the most unlikeable sales characters. What makes them un-“friendly” sales people? I’ll let you be the judge.

(All actual incidents took place just this last month.)

Placing an initial sales call on any given Friday afternoon. Unless it’s necessary, I do my best NOT to contact clients on Fridays. No matter how nice of a person I think I may be, I’m likely the last person (i.e. their vendor) my clients want to speak with as they’re wrapping up their week and business at hand.

Placing a sales call to their cell phone, when they’re not immediately available on their office line. I realize our world is more mobile than ever before. However, there is still a professional code of conduct that exists; you must respect the privacy of someone’s cell phone number until you get the “okay” to regularly call it.

Not doing ANY homework. I always try to do homework so I can better recommend to my clients why they should do “this” or “that.” Just like my clients, I’m not receptive to people who call and ask me for money without telling me, specifically, how I (or my clients) may stand to benefit from the investment.

Tardiness. I don’t mind waiting an extra 10-15 minutes for a phone call or for a sales person to arrive at my office – if I know you. It’s an entirely different situation if you called me and are soliciting me for thousands of dollars, and then either no call, no show or stop by 30 minutes later than our scheduled meeting time.

Randomly showing up at the office – and staying for 30 minutes. I get it. Face time is good. I periodically stop by our clients’ offices as well, but a good sales person knows how to strike that delicate balance between quality “face time” and interfering with day-to-day business operations.

Responding to specific questions with rhetoric. All businesses have a specific, strategic message – key phrases and statistics – they want to communicate with clients, vendors and the community. As a marketing professional, I understand that. But if I ask you a specific question about your product or service, please answer it directly. My day-to-day business endeavors are based largely on trust, and if I don’t feel you’re going to give it to me straight, I’ll look for someone who will.

Regardless of my rant, there are still a number of sales “rock stars” out there. People I have thoroughly enjoyed doing business with for more than a decade, although I don’t think of them as sales people at all. Instead, they’re my “friends.” They’re there to lend a helping hand, provide insight when sought after, and keep me in the loop when it concerns their business and industry.

They’re resources I use time and again, and as a result, do business with. They’re “friends” – the best kind of business people who also happen to be great sales people.

*Blog originally posted at: Imagine Marketing: Creative Solutions for the New Economy.

Eliciting response

My entire profession revolves around one goal: eliciting a response from people. If I do it correctly, and that’s what I’m paid to do, the response I receive is the one I wanted – whether it’s the public responding to an advertising message or a news article, or two of my contacts responding well to meeting one another and discovering how they can create a new and fruitful professional relationship together.

Any way you have it, my job requires me to be an expert in ensuring people, many times perfect strangers, answer my calls or make time to meet with me so I can get my message across on behalf of my clients. And you know, after 10 years, I do pretty well at it. Or, at least other people think I do, which is why I’m writing this blog. (Really, someone asked me to write this blog.)

There’s no “trade secret” to how I get things done, but there are a few rules I employ each and every day when it comes to doing business. Perhaps these tips will help you as well.

First, answer the “what’s in it for them” question before you contact a person you plan to ask a favor or make a request from. Nearly everyone you know, or don’t know, will respond more favorably to your requests if you start by telling them why they should care about your needs. It doesn’t need to be a hard sell – just a note to start your conversation.

Second, be clear and brief when making your request. This one’s important to me. Let’s talk e-mail first. Whatever the matter is, make it a self imposed rule that you do not make others dig through 5-6 “pages” of e-mails to figure out what it is you’re asking them for. Why? Recipients don’t enjoy reading them and, to be perfectly blunt, they often figure that if you, the sender, are too “lazy” to craft a brief message that gets right to the point that it’s also highly likely you won’t respect their time responding to your request. Essentially, don’t be a pain in the you-know-what if you’re asking someone else to give you a helping hand.

My No. 1 pet peeve is professionals who send “see below” e-mails asking me to sift through 20 back-and-forth e-mail conversations just to learn a simple fact that could have been stated quickly to get things moving ahead.

Now, imagine the recipient’s reaction when he/she is faced with having to sort through loads of e-mails to respond to a simple request … or a favor? (Not good.) This is a small (yet very large) issue many professionals can improve upon in order to elicit more favorable and quicker responses and, as a result, improve their results. Additionally, many professionals read e-mails from their smart phones, which often do not easily display long e-mails. This means an even longer wait time on your end if you’re seeking a response from a contact.

Part two: phone calls. No matter how passionate you are about your own needs and how much of a priority they are to you, do not leave convoluted voice messages that last more than 30 seconds or earmark them as a “high priority” or an “emergency” unless they are. (Same goes for e-mails.) Be concise, state your case, always leave your name, the time and date you called and repeat your phone number – slowly – two times at the end of the message. Respect their time by leaving a short message and don’t give your contacts an excuse for not responding to your call.

Third, say “please,” “thank you” and while you do it, briefly remind people again why they are responding to your need. These little words work like magic. Also, reminding people about how and why they’re responding to you maintains focus on your specific needs and shows them that action and results are being accomplished, thereby eliciting a stronger response and helping you to develop a better working relationship with new contacts.

These are a few basic, easy-to-use tactics that have aided me in moving efforts along in a quick and straightforward manner over the years. I hope you find these few tips to be as helpful as I have.

I invite you to share your own tips with us.

*Blog originally posted at: Imagine Marketing: Creative Solutions for the New Economy

Selling yourself through other people’s products

I recently purchased a swimsuit from a Florida-based retailer. I realize we’re nearly halfway through summer already, but it’s Vegas. I figure I still have a good three to four months of use I can get out of my new suit this year.

To my delight, I received my swimsuit by mail earlier this week. Better yet, as a marketer, I was even more delighted to see promotional flyers included in my package all of which were from outside companies who sold moisturizers, jewelry and ceramic figurines. I tried to resist browsing through the flyers, but to no avail. All flyers were read thoroughly – except for the figurine piece. (Ceramics aren’t my thing.)

The swimwear company, and its partner advertisers, snagged me. They successfully targeted their demographic of 30-something women who somewhat take an interest in their appearance. Therefore, I browsed.

There’s a good lesson to reiterate from my experience, one that is often overlooked by businesses, and that is the importance of knowing your audience and finding partnership opportunities that provide you access to your audience. The opportunities are always there if you look hard enough.

In my case, they got me and got me good. (I expect to receive my moisturizers via mail next week.)

The Reality of Working Women: How do you compare?

Advertising Age often publishes white papers that discuss growing trends, issues etc. in my field. Most are interesting, others not so much. However, this one caught my attention: “The Reality of Working Women.”

Besides the fact that women are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to marketing and advertising dollars (i.e. we make the decisions), I was fascinated reading what the “average” women is like. (Note to self: Be more like the "average" women. It sounds relaxing.)

Excerpt: So, who is the working woman today? Perhaps it is best to start with what her average day is like. Based on our survey data, she works 4.9 days per week on average, starting at around 9 a.m. each day and wrapping up by 3:50 p.m. She prepares dinner 3.5 nights a week—as opposed to her significant other or spouse, who does so only 1.5 times a week. She goes out to dinner 1.2 times and brings a prepared meal home 1.3 times each week. If she gets vacation time from work, she takes 2.5 weeks off each year, and if she’s taken a vacation in the last two years, she’s most likely (by a wide margin) to have visited family and friends, and is more likely to have gone camping than to have visited a resort. She watches TV an average of 2 hours and 12 minutes per day, and spends 24 minutes reading a newspaper. She spends 2 hours a day on the internet, 84 minutes on the phone (both mobile and land line), 48 minutes reading a book, 48 minutes exercising and 42 minutes shopping. Yes, the working woman is one busy person.

Happy reading.

What are friends for?

Two hours isn’t nearly enough time to catch up with a friend you haven’t seen in four years, but I guess that’s what you get when she’s in town for only a few days. (I suppose I’ll “share” her with her family.)

Casey and I have known each other since we were in the first grade. We befriended each other more than 25 years ago and although our lives have taken entirely different directions than we could have ever imagined, when it comes to who we are as people, not too much has changed. She continues to be the most intelligent, classy, engaging and cheerful person I know. (It must be the dimples.) She is a person I’ve always admired. She’s a person who embodies many things I could only dream of being and doing.

There isn’t one phase in my life that doesn’t include Casey in some way - elementary school, high school dances, out-of-town trips etc. Heck, we even managed to be sorority sisters in college. An accomplished professional, mother and wife living in Alaska, we’re far apart in distance but not in the heart. Closeness, no matter the distance, that’s the good thing about friends.

Friends … what are they for? For me, well, they keep me grounded. I need that. We all need it. Sometimes connecting and disconnecting at different points throughout our lives, I’ve still managed to keep a close knit group of trusted “life” advisors around me. They know me … the real me. There’s no agenda - personal or professional. There’s no need to try and impress one another, no spouse to try and work things out with, no boss to worry about, no family relationship to stress over. Instead, it’s a simple, unspoken promise between two people … a willingness to be a part of each others lives - just because.

My friends know my failings and greatest fears (all of them) and then forgive and love me despite them - even if some of my failings impacted them personally. They are the people who give us all strength and encouragement when we don’t believe in ourselves. They are our outside conscience when our murky minds stand in their own way of progress.

What a blessing it is to have a “home” to be free in and welcomed with open arms.

Friendships happen in the most unexpected ways, but keeping them is an active decision we all make.

Who would have thought that the same little girl who gave me a balloon and asked to be friends at the playground would continue to be such an important part of my life 25 years later?

"Take it to another level. No passengers on my plane."

My husband and I engage with our son all hours of the day – play cards, color, go to the park, cook etc. – but there are times when even the best of us are ready to blow a gasket the next time our two-year-old asks us “why.” That’s why I love YouTube.

The other night just before bedtime was one of those nights. I gave in, pulled-up a chair and the next thing I know my son and I are watching a video of little Arianna dancing to Beyonce’s “Diva.” (Watch the video. It’s adorable, I assure you.)

While my toddler sat quietly (for once) and completely enthralled in the video, I started to think about the women I know who are powerful, successful yet always exhibit grace – a “diva” (for the sake of this blog) in their own right.

All my ladies get it up
I see you, I do the same
Take it to another level
No passengers on my plane
~ Lyrics from Beyonce’s “Diva”

I have a tremendous amount of respect for women professionals, especially women professionals who are also mothers. They’re driven, problem solvers, focused, adaptable, respectful to others and are the ultimate multi-taskers. They’ve got it all and manage to always have a positive outlook on life to match their high levels of energy. More importantly, they can be the most valuable business-friends to have. (When you’re busy like they are, which is busier than most professionals, there’s no time to mess around which means earning their nod of approval is in your best business interest.)

I have a handful of women professionals who top my personal “diva” list. Some I have closer relationships with than others. With their consent: Susan Chandler, Brooke Borg, Veronica Mabe, Rebecca Fay and Christina Primack.

They are all professionals who make things happen in our valley. They make decisions that impact you and me (and most people often don’t even know it). They are the gatekeepers to the information and contacts we need. They are true business and community collaborators. They are the one’s who always find and develop opportunities, both in business and at home, when none are plainly in sight. They are “divas” in my book. Women who, as Beyonce says, “take it to another level” and do it with style and grace.

Honor the “divas” you know in your life. Take the time to crack the hard outer shell that they have set up to ensure their success in their personal and business lives. Once you have earned their trust and respect, you will benefit greatly from their level of enthusiasm and loyalty as they help you take a professional step ahead.

Dumpster diving for inspiration

When I was a kid, anything was possible. I made art by melting crayon shavings with a magnifying glass. When I was seven years old, I planned on being an astronaut when I grew up. I discovered diamonds in rocks and built “mansions” out of sticks while camping with family.

Inspiration and creativity were possible at all times and came from everything around me - be it rocks, sticks or dumpster cans as pictured right. (That’s me pictured far left with my little sister, Laura, and two cousins, April and Christopher.)

I have no idea where this photo was taken, but whoever labeled the dumpster “inspiration” is brilliant. Why? Well, inspiration can come from anything (literally as you can see) and when we least expect it. However, for most us inspiration and creativity (which go hand-in-hand) come to us in irregular spurts, or at least that’s what we believe.

Not to fear, there is a solution.

The solution is to allow yourself to be inspired and give yourself the emotional freedom and time to be creative and explore new experiences – just like when you were a kid. What’s even better? Everyone can be creative.

This is great news for professionals working in a creative field, which most of us do whether we realize it or not, because being creative is good for business. It allows your mind to be flexible and adept in recognizing challenges and opportunities as well as how to make the most of those opportunities.

Creativity is crucial to success so long as you zero-in on how your creative ideas can be transitioned into savvy business maneuvers.

So, how should some of us more pragmatic thinkers approach inspiration and creativity?

1. First, understand that the process is not a mystical one. It’s simply the process of allowing yourself the opportunity to hone-in on what you already know, or don't know, and connect the dots.
2. Second, you’ve got to allow yourself the time to be inspired and creative. Think of it like regular physical exercise for your mind.
3. Third, surround yourself with other inspiration people. These types of personalities always find a way to make things happen – always. Keep them in your corner.

For us practical thinkers, me included, I recommend reading a blog a colleague wrote called “Creative brainstorming best when efficient.” It’s an excellent piece on how to overcome common hurdles in the inspiration and creative process. For those who are not convinced on how valuable creativity is in not only the success of business, but the critical need for it in America (period), I highly recommend reading “The Heart of Business” blog. This blog is written by a design professional named Craig Galati and he’s someone I enjoy keeping in my professional “creative corner.”

It's easy to be re-inspired and reclaim your creativity, and it can be done one day at a time. For you critical thinkers out there just remember this: a creative thinker sees achievable opportunities everywhere, it's just a matter of how they approach it.

If you still can't find your way back to the inspired version of you in your yester-years, try thinking back on your childhood and the exploratory process you took in learning about the world in exciting new ways - like making art from wax shavings and the sun versus a traditional paint and brush.

Mom always said: “Don’t half a** it.”

I’ve been hearing the phrase “better late than never” a lot lately.

Perhaps the idea of doing something after the fact works in some instances, but not in business. Sending a belated birthday card receives a partial nod of approval in my book. Contacting or sending a client or vendor information after a deadline or agreed upon date, on the other hand, doesn’t fly with me at all.

I have to say, professionals who can’t deliver and make excuses for themselves are one of my biggest pet peeves in business.

From time to time, I catch flack for being difficult to work with. My personal belief is that most professionals, men and women alike, are still (even today) adjusting to aggressive and opinionated business women in the workplace, but I digress. Often, it’s because I encourage and press the team of people I’m working with, which includes pushing myself, to make deadlines and get results because being “better late than never” equates to either not doing what you are supposed to be doing or over promising and under delivering on your efforts. And that’s not good for business – ever.

Why is having a self imposed “never say ‘better late than never’” policy important? Not doing what you promise to do means you’ll, ultimately, loose clients and credibility you and your brand have in your market. Trust and credibility is something that is built over time and can easily be shattered by a “better late than never” incident.

Maybe professionals who are like me are “difficult to work with” to people that continually underperform. But the professionals that, like my mom always said: “Don’t half a** it,” will always see long-term professional success and will more than likely pick up a few of the clients from the “better late than never” firm along the way.

- - - - -
I'm curious to know your thoughts on this issue. Let's share stories.

Practical answers for start-up bloggers

It’s been nearly a year since our firm launched its blog site. We love it. (Of course we’d say that, right?)

What started as a creative outlet for our team has turned into one of our firm’s most recognizable and respected attributes. Our blog has allowed us to extend our brand, provide real marketing solutions to businesses in need of our support during this New Economy, and continues to keep our current clients engaged with our team, and more importantly, engaged and aware of all the services we provide to them.

Why? Perhaps it’s that our team provides practical solutions to common marketing challenges and showcases integrity and passion for our industry in every blog that is posted.

Speaking of practicality, people frequently ask me to provide them basic suggestions so they can start, host and maintain their own company blog site:

Plot - Identify your blog’s plot and write pieces relating to that matter. Will your blog focus on your specialized area of expertise? Will it provide practical information or serve as a motivational site to readers? More importantly, identify what you are passionate about because in order to successfully maintain your blog site, you’ll need to regularly write blogs relating to your identified plot (i.e. focus area).

Content – It’s absolutely critical to post information that’s relevant and of interest to your readers. Remember that your blog site is competing with the endless amount of information that the Internet already provides users. This means writing pieces that include references to current events or emerging markets and putting your own personal “flair” to them. Be relevant or your blog will surely die.

Blog Promotion – Managing a blog site alone will do nothing to help you. Promote your site as a resource or point of interest via other communication channels you have available to you. For instance, post your blog to 10-15 top social bookmarking sites and refer and link to it within your email signatures and e-newsletters. Notify your customers of your blog through a letter campaign, include paper inserts within your month-end invoices to customers. Include key industry phrases and words within your blog posts. This will allow search engines the ability to find your blog site as a result of the end-user’s keyword search entry. To capture different audiences, set-up a Facebook, Twitter and MySpace account that can automate your blog postings as well. Or, automate it all on social networking maintenance platforms such as Hootsuite.

Internal Blogging Policies (or perhaps better said as “etiquette”) – Have safeguards in place. Blogging is great to enhance your brand and position you as an expert, but there’s a reputation management side of it that’s often overlooked. (Not to mention the fact that you must always assume everyone will see your blog as it will be made public online.) In our case, our team understands the objective and structure of our blog and they have the freedom to contribute to it in their own personal way. But there are a few people who review all blogs for grammatical and spelling errors and appropriateness of content before posting online to ensure all blogs represent our organization the way we intend them to.

Reader Engagement – Allow readers to post comments to your blog…easily. While a blogger may think they’re simply taking precautions by formatting a site to not allow comments to be left, the reader will perceive you as defensive. A blog is a social discussion that exists online. Be social and allow others to participate. (This includes blogs that are imported to your social networking sites as well.) If you don’t, you’ll alienate readers, they won’t come back to the blog and they certainly won’t refer the blog or your site to others. You will need to regularly maintain your blog site and its feedback, but it’s worth it to you to make it easy for others to participate.

Converting Site Visitors into Leads/Sales – Provide a value-offering or include a call-to-action at the end of your blog. It can be simple, but worth the effort to the reader to pick-up a phone or send you an email. It can be something as simple as including a promotional code valid for a product discount, an invitation to attend an educational workshop, an encouraging note for readers to submit their email and name to you in order to receive a free packaged service item or product and so on.

To finish, blogging is an excellent way to drive traffic to your website (especially if it is hosted under your site domain), help position you as an expert, as well as educate and introduce your products and services to an audience of prospective buyers. However, they’re hardly an overnight success. It takes time, passion and diligence to build a regular, responsive reader base.

*Blog originally posted at: Imagine Marketing: Creative Solutions for the New Economy

E!’s take on the PR industry far from typical business reality

I admit it. I was tricked into watching the new reality show, “The Spindustry” on E! this last Sunday. If you read my company blog a while back, you’ll know I’m a bit of a reality TV show junkie. More importantly though, as a public relations and marketing professional, I was curious to see how professionals on the “sexier” side of the industry conduct business. Plus, the cheesy show name pulled me in – although I cringe inside every time I hear me and others in my professional referred to as “spin doctors.”

Although only one episode has aired since writing this blog, I’ll let you in on what the show has properly communicated to viewers:

Public relations works – Having other people – whether media, industry experts, current customers, etc. – tell your story carries a lot more weight than simply placing traditional advertising. Both work together, but PR is ideal to have incorporated into your overall marketing communication program.

Results matter – Staffers on the first episode were upset when an outsider came in and seemingly took over operations to roll-out a 24-hour turn-around publicity event. However, the outsider got the job done in just minutes compared to the handful of team members who spent hours trying to accomplish the same goal. Although the outsider didn’t fold into the new group smoothly, as no one coming into a team situation at literally the very last hour would, she made magic happen for the company and its client.

Here is what the show improperly communicated to viewers:

Tardiness is not an issue – Half of the office was not able to show-up to work, meetings or work-related events on-time. (Let me remind you, this is in just one episode.) Excessive tardiness is an issue and shows a complete lack of respect for the people you are scheduled to meet with. I cannot think of a rule breaker more damaging than to be continually late…to anything.

Treating employees like underlings – Screaming at staffers about your inaccurate sandwich orders and telling them ‘your job is to shut up and bring the suckers’ (while en rout to a celebrity candy endorsement meeting), in front of other employees and on nationwide cable television no less, doesn’t build a business. Instead, it builds bitterness, breaks down overall team morale and simply destroys the shred of respect employees have for a boss. And, now that publicity firm owner Jonathan Cheban has decided to publicly showcase his circus on-air, I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of celebrities would choose NOT be associated with a company that treats their team the way he does.

The list goes on, but I’m certain you get the point.

Hopefully the show’s PR firm can learn from its past and incorporate the proper business fundamentals needed to make their West Coast office a success. In the meantime, this reality TV show junkie is opting not to watch future episodes of “The Spindustry.”

Gain focus and clarity by making lists

My husband dislikes my lists – until just recently. The fact that I didn’t pick up lunch meat at the grocery store a while back, because it wasn’t “on the list,” may have been the deciding factor in him now supporting my list-making “dark side” as he calls it.

For many years, he poked fun at me and called me a control freak etc. What he didn’t realize until recently is how that little piece of paper others dislike so badly is often the only thing that keeps me functioning properly. Many times it’s the only thing that brings order to my otherwise crazy life as a professional, wife and mom. How else would I remember to schedule a kid’s doctor appointment, pick-up prescriptions, drop-off my pants to at the dry cleaners, get my oil changed and still remember to buy that nail polish remover I’ve been meaning to pick-up for the last month? Not to mention lists for my professional life.

Perhaps I am a control freak to some, but for me, lists put me in control, period.

What others fail to see is that list making can be a simple, tactical way to clear your mind and give you the mental freedom you need to relax. More importantly, it gives you the focus and the ability to see all that needs to happen (from small to large tasks, to wish lists and life goals), it shows you how to prioritize your life and bring value to it by achieving your goals, tasks, “to-do’s” or however you’d like to refer to your own list. Lists are my personal way to see past procrastination and make my life happen.

I typically have four lists at any given time: 1) task list for the office, which includes long-term goals; 2) day-of task list for the office (the “needs to happen today” list so I don’t fall behind on the tasks at-hand); 3) personal shopping list that sits on my kitchen counter and is added to as the week proceeds (as a working mom, there’s simply no time to worry about picking up cookies for a child’s class and light bulbs for the porch all week long); and 4) a miscellaneous list that contains reminders for birthday cards, holiday event planning needs, etc.

Consider this blog my nod of approval to you, fellow list-crazed professional wives and moms who juggle a handful of full-time jobs 24-7. Regain clarity, relieve stress and feel good about regularly crossing off items on your list. It is, after all, an indication that you are achieving your goals.

If it’s “amazing,” prove it.

My son loves the park. (What kid doesn’t?) Lately, however, he really enjoys climbing a 3-story tower that overlooks a portion of the park.

This past weekend as we made our way to the top step of the tower my two-year-old told me how “amazing” the view was. In fact, he said it multiple times. So many times, I couldn’t help but question if the view really was amazing, or that he just learned the nifty saying earlier that day in school? (I decided on the later. If you're a parent to a two-year-old, you understand why.)

Fast forward two days and I’m on the phone with a local advertising representative who claims their product is “amazing.” So much so, she said it nearly 30 times during our five minute conversation. It was a bit overkill for me, but the thought of my son at the park jumped to my mind again and I thought to myself that simply saying how “amazing” something is, over and over, is not a solid sales strategy. Actually, it can carry long term negative repercussions as a result of it. (Trick me, and I’ll never come back as a customer again.)

Enthusiasm cannot completely replace the lack of a great product or service to back you up. Granted successful sales integrate the one-two punch, enthusiasm coupled with a great product or service. However, simply saying how “amazing” a service is, won’t gain you loyal customers for the long haul.

Proof is in the pudding. How you deliver, or "sell," is critical to closing a new customer, but equally as important is the delivery of products and services.

Don’t overlook easy-to-use relationship marketing tactics

The market has been hard on most of us. However, luckily for me, and my firm, now that the market has started to loosen-up so have sales/marketing service inquiries.

We’re the experts when it comes to integrating marketing and sales strategies, but what frequently surprises me is the lack of general knowledge many business professionals have when it comes to employing basic relationship marketing.

Granted, some marketing programs produce lackluster results, especially if they’re not properly planned for and implemented and don't have the sales support they need, but there are still tried-and-true essentials any professional can use, starting today, to enhance current client relationships as well as relationships with prospects and leads.

Simple tactics which I often see overlooked:

No in-house list – It can be a painstaking task to develop up-front, but kept up-to-date, your in-house list can be your greatest marketing and sales asset. I suggest collecting addresses and emails for your clients, contacts/referral sources/“champions,” vendors, leads/prospects. Your list can be used for just about anything you need to promote your business – from notifying people of new services/products, inviting them to open houses or free workshops, to wishing them a great holiday. It is the easiest, most cost-efficient way to connect with your contacts regularly, thereby helping you remain top-of-mind with clients.

Lack of follow-up – If someone is interested in using your services, follow-up with them within 24 hours of your discussion. If you do not hear back from your lead, follow-up with them again within the next 2-3 days. I recommend picking up an old-fashioned piece of hardware on our desk (telephone) to make the connection. I recommend that phone because too many people are resistant to using it these days, but that’s for another blog. Speaking by phone will build your relationship more quickly and will better relay to your new contact what type of personality you have, which allows them to build a more positive mental picture of you and how you can help their business. (i.e. the "I like you and trust you, so I'll do business with you" feeling.)

Not asking for referrals – This is a very small, yet effective way to remain in the forefront of your happy clientele’s mind when they're out and about. If your business relies on referrals, ask for them. It can be something as simple as speaking or writing to a client after they’ve told you how happy they are with your service, saying something such as: “You’re welcome. We’re happy you’ve been more than satisfied with our services. Please feel free to keep us in mind if you know other folks who could use a firm like ours. Have a great afternoon.”

Regularly contact your clients – This is especially important if you live in the B2B world, where you need to maintain long-standing relationships in order to sustain regular business from a set group of clients. Find small ways to regularly be infront of your clients. Send articles that relate to their business (“I found this and thought you’d appreciate reading it as well.”). Invite them to networking events you plan to attend and help them develop new relationships. Send them personally written notes about how you appreciate their business. Don’t be an annoyance, be a value-added bonus of their relationship with you and a virtual part of their team.

Don’t take a backseat attitude when it comes to building and maintaining business relationships. Sit-and-wait strategies don’t work and these tactics can help push you in a positive direction.

Let the experts be the experts.

Last night on the drive home I did something I've never done before... I recorded myself singing in the car. Before pulling into the driveway, I replayed the recording. I thought to myself that surely I would sound as great as I've always thought I have, right? Nothing could be further from the truth. Suddenly I felt sorry for my husband, who has listened to me belt-out my favorite tunes over the years. I also realized that the portable karaoke gift I received six years ago by a colleague was likely a gag, rather than an actual gift. (I still love it nonetheless.)

I knew for certain right then and there, in a fraction of just a moment, that no matter how hard I try I do not possess natural talent for singing. (American Idol will have to wait - forever.)

It reminded me of a common challenge I see day-to-day in business: many of us push to be the expert in all things. In fact, many of us try so hard to be the expert, we push the people who have natural talent away, in turn, pushing away collaborative opportunities that can help you down the line.

We must let the experts be the experts. (I'll never be a Carrie Underwood.)

Of course, I don't recommend approaching others with a heightened level of naivety. That's just being an irresponsible consumer. Instead, we need to pull people, who have natural talent in areas we lack, into our inner circle. Once in the circle, there must be mutual respect, opportunities to challenge each other’s thinking as well as to support each other in our efforts. (A special "shout out" to my main man Brian for the inner circle concept.)

In a profession where there's no barrier to entry, I encounter this challenge daily. Everyone's a marketing pro and sales whiz - or so they think. And since I work with a number of organizations over the course of each day, I can tell you there is a clear distinction between the level of success or failure that can happen purely as a result of the relationship a client chooses to have with me, or any of their professionally outsourced partners for that matter.

For example, if a person seeks my advice, I invite them to question it, even challenge it. (Again, responsible consumerism.) However, if they seek my advice, but insist on always challenging the system to a point that they refuse to move ahead on my professional recommendations and therefore fail in their efforts, there's no other choice than to reevaluate the working relationship - from both ends. The result: time is wasted and results are not achieved.

I know where my natural talent lies as well as the people closest to me at the workplace and I collaborate with them accordingly. Do you?

“Clouding” creativity

When was the last time you stared into the sky and imagined the cloud as a dinosaur, marshmallow, or a snake carrying a lunch box? For my two-year-old, the answer is today, this morning… and five minutes ago. (Here he is pictured right in his newest invention: his tent.)

I’m envious of children. The world is so new. There are no worries, just now. Everything is exciting and could be something it may not. Children’s minds are always open to creative experiences.

Exercising your creative ability comes in all shapes and sizes. For children, it’s often through everyday events – sunsets, clouds, roly-poly’s in the backyard. For adults, it can be more difficult to see the creative opportunities that surround us each and every day as we whirl through the days.

Pausing life for just a moment to take in the world, even if for mere minutes, can serve as a reenergizing and creative outlet to you at the workplace. (A special thanks to a long-time friend and artist, Alex Raffi, who has helped me come to appreciate this creative process over the years.)

I challenge us all, including myself, to take two minutes (set a timer for yourself if needed) to look into the sky and imagine shapes in the clouds just once a day to reconnect with your inner creative person. Let the sky cloud-IN your creativity.

In fact, take a look outside now and take a moment for yourself. What do you see? Me? …a checkerboard.

Thou shalt blog.

I’m not a religious person. In fact, I always joke that when I die and I’m reborn to this earth I’ll be Jewish. Of course, if I’m reborn that’s because I had spent my current life studying reincarnation and hoping the Hindu community would accept me as one of their newcomers.

All joking aside, I had to post a note, blog …whatever you’d like to call it, about a KNPR program I was listening to last week on my way home. The program focused on how blogging and social networking sites help to expand your brand presence, message and therefore modify public behavior.

Although people pay me for my advice and much of that advice has included my suggesting businesses implement these same communication efforts for themselves over the years, sometimes the message just doesn’t stick… at least, not until Pope Benedict XVI proclaims it. (Apparently I don’t have the same pull that he does.)

That’s right. One of the world’s most traditional groups is now promoting social networking to spread its message.

So what does this mean for you, besides having the “will” of the church behind you as you move into the world of Internet, electronic and social networking? It means, in order to encourage behavioral change (regardless of your affiliation or message), you need to be where the people are. That is the goal of marketing my friends.

Check back soon. I’ll be posting another whatyoumacallit that will provide you with suggestions on how to enhance your blog site.