Allsbury Advertising Strategies

“10 Things to Avoid When Writing Ads”

2011-05-05T08:51:00.002-05:00

This post is a complement to another called "Ad Speak is Invisible".

I have always been a believe that “Facts Tell and Stories Sell”. I believe people make almost decisions emotionally. You can make a pretty good argument about two doctors making a life or death decision over the “facts” presented to them in a diagnosis. At the end of the day, they/you are forced to trust “facts”. You have to have faith in the facts, making it an emotional decision.

My job is to sell stuff for people using media. To do it well, I have to tell stories. I decided to become a better story teller, by studying the best in the country. I bought the book STORY, by Robert McKee. He is the number one go to guy regarding movie screenplays in the country. I found a YouTube video of Mr. McKee called 10 Problems To Avoid With Dialogue In Screenplays. Wow, these are pretty much the same things I try to avoid when writing commercials that don’t sound like commercials!

I am calling this “10 Things to Avoid When Writing Ads”

1. Repetitiousness

a. Make sure you don’t say the same thing over and over and over using the same words.

2. Trightness

a. Dialog filled with clichés

3. Character Neutral Language

a. Using “all-purpose” lines that anyone could say in the same situation. Almost a cliché, but more of a “Duhhh, that is obvious!”

4. Ostentation

a. The writer using “flowery” with very artistic words to show their artsyness.

5. Arid Speech

a. Dry, “Ivy-League” and Pretentious wording, trying to sound like an intellectual.

6. Over-Statement

a. “Brawny” words with puny motivation. Often profanity is used when there is no substance.

7. Talking Wallpaper

a. The humdrum chit-chat of “Hi, how are you? I am fine. The weather is fine.” Writers add this stuff to sound natural, but no one really speaks this way.

8. Forced Exposition

a. One character telling another character what they both already know, in order for the reader or audience to learn important facts of the story.

9. Malformation

a. Scenes that are badly shaped. The audience or reader becomes distracted when their brain is screaming: “This is not a plausible situation.”

10. Writing Dialog “On the Nose”

a. Writing or saying exactly what the character is thinking and feeling without any sub-text. This is treating the audience or reader like they are stupid and insulting their intelligence with too many words.

If you fancy yourself a story-teller, a preacher, teacher or public speaker, you might consider avoiding these as well.

My Principles in Advertising

2011-05-01T06:44:00.000-05:00

"Methods are many, principles are few. Methods always change, principles never do!"

1. People don't hate advertising, they hate stupid commercials that don't involve them.

2. If a commercial sounds or looks like a commercial, it's a bad commercial.

3. Speak to individuals, in the language of individuals, about what matters to individuals.

4. Always do long-term campaigns with a series of ads that are like chapters of a book. The book is your story and that of the reader or listener.

5. Rely on consistent, frequent INTRUSIVE media. TV, radio and billboards are INTRUSIVE. The other side of that coin is PASSIVE media. PASSIVE media requires action on the part of the consumer. INTRUSIVE media only requires them to be present to hear or easily read.

6. YES YOU CAN AFFORD TV, RADIO OR BILLBOARDS!!! You just can't afford to reach your entire city. One client built her law firm with two billboards that cost $250.00 a month each. She has gone from renting a little office for $500.00 a month to owning her own law office building over the past few years. (She had a message that mattered!)

7. You have to be competent, friendly and real for people to like you. "All things being equal, people want to do business with people they like. All things not being equal, people still want to do business with people they like!"

8. Raise your value, don't lower your price. What is value? It is the difference between the anticipated cost of the consumer and the actual cost when they get the bill. If you have a junky-cheap looking place of business, people will assume your prices are low. If you have a very nice, high-end place of business, people will assume your prices are high. VALUE IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ANTICIPATED COST AND THE ACTUAL COST. (If your actual cost is lower.)

9. Expensive rent is cheap advertising. Generally, it costs more to be where people are. Generally, it costs less to be in a warehouse district on the edge of town.

10. Know the Marketing Boat. Make sure your business boat doesn't have holes in it! See illustration by clicking here.

11. Be where people are and have a big sign that says what you do! You would be amazed how many business owners have a great location and a sign that says "Johnson Enterprises" out front. What the heck is "Johnson Enterprises"?

12. "We judge others by their actions. We judge ourselves by our intentions." You are inside your bottle and can't read your own label. Ask someone outside of your bottle to help you see yourself as your customers actually see you.

Number 12 is the best thing I can give my clients. The ability to see you like the world sees you. Many times what is most obvious to the rest of the world is resting quietly in the blind spot of the business owner.

It takes courage to face the truth. It takes humility to allow someone else to point out your blind spots.

ADVERTISING STRATEGERY FOR BUSINESS OWNERS WHO HAVE THEIR NAME ON THE SIGN...

2011-04-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

Are you really good at your business or practice, but have no idea when it comes to advertising? Do you have a parade of newspaper, internet, phone book and media reps demanding to speak with you about the amazing audience you can reach if you "sign up today"?

What's good for the goose could KILL the gander!

What's good for big business in America is not necessarily so for small business America. Most small businesses advertising in America follow the lead of Nike, Coca-Cola and the biggest furniture store in their hometown. They set aside some advertising money and then they divide it up between yellow pages, a website, the local newspaper, some seasonal radio ads and a three week TV campaign right before Christmas, not to mention the big sign at the right field fence at the high school baseball field.

You can't beat Goliath using his weapons. Little David went to the brook and picked up five stones. He focused all of his energy and resources in one direction with one stone. David didn't get a bag of rocks and throw them in all directions hoping one would land in the right place. He had a specific message aimed at a specific target. I believe David would have directed the next four stones at the exact same spot on the giants forehead.

The weapon of big business is a huge advertising budget. They can afford to dominate every media outlet in your city. They don't have to have a strategy or compelling ads. The only thing they need for "gray-matter-real-estate" in the head over every person is a bunch of money. When you don't have a lot of money, you must have a better message and arrow shaped strategy.

Put all of your eggs in the SAME basket! Do not diversify your ad budget. Find an audience you can afford to reach every week, 52 weeks a year. Build a relationship with the people of this audience. Allow them to get to know you and get to like you. (People do business with people they like.) Allow them to learn your story, your strengths, your weaknesses and your business or practice. If your are a dentist, you can't predict when they will have a tooth ache, but you can be the one they think of first and feel best about, when they have one.

"Methods are many. Principles are few. Methods always change. Principles never do." Right next to the standard method of advertising are what you might think are brand new ones. FaceBook, Twitter, E-mail marketing... Yes, it is a new method. The good news is that people and principles don't change. We still want to do business with people we like, we still hate unsolicited sales call and we hate junk male. (Unless we are in the market actively looking, that very second for whatever is being pitched our direction.) The best thing to do with internet tools is to develop a tribe of people who would like to follow you by consistently giving them what they are looking for and giving them a community to belong to. IS THAT A NEW METHOD? No, we used to do it "in person" with real people in a real community. The solution is to apply principles that work in real life to cyber-life. Are you ready for the principle? "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" Be full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, fairness, gentleness, openness and be understanding. Do you like it when people contact you through FaceBook about something they are selling or a new "business opportunity"?

Just a thought...

The Marketing Boat

2011-04-28T10:13:00.003-05:00

I know this looks cheezy, but it has proven to be a great way for me to help my clients understand the aspects of of the Marketing Bridge. The Marketing Bridge is a series of steps between you and your potential customer. Some things need to be built up and some need to be torn down in order for people to become your customer.

One day in a dialog with a client, I said your business is like a boat that you can row by yourself or your can strap the engine of advertising to it and make sales happen faster. In fact that is what advertising does. It speeds up what is going to happen anyway. If you are good at what you do, you will go up faster. If you are bad at what you do, you will go down faster. That evening I went home a ended up with the illustration below...

Dentist Office Marketing Seminar

2011-04-19T11:36:00.002-05:00

Certain businesses are looked at as a necessary evil in life.
Dentistry is one of them…

Because people are already “walking on eggshells” when they arrive…
• More sensitive to messes
• More sensitive to teasing or jokes
• More sensitive to your inter-office talk
• More sensitive to inter-office gossip
• More sensitive to comments about the Doctor
• If the lab is open for people to see things. There are tools you see every day and are used to seeing. Your guests are not.

People who are “control freaks” tend to be more anxious and more sensitive to all of the above

New technology
• Use email/texting communication systems.
• Churches, Businesses and other Organizations are now able to grow bigger, due to people feeling a part of “the tribe” through consistent communication.
• More opportunities to build relationship…

Business Runs on Relationships and Relationships Take Time...
• The more time people spend with you, the more money they will spend with you.
• They spend time with your through…
– Consistent Advertising
– Reading emails/texts
– Waiting in the lobby
– In “The Chair”
– Paying their bill
– Any more opportunities to build relationship?

Real displays of "Other Parts" of the Doctors Life and Story...
• One dentist client has the biggest Indian Arrow Head collection in the USA. We display a few for people to see his other interests.
• Allow people to discover other parts of the Docs personality and life.
• Learning of another dimension to of Dr. Cox life makes him more of a real person.
• We have relationships with real people.
• This goes toward trust, not hanging out together…

Slip Google reviews into conversation…

• Encourage your top patients to visit Google, Yelp.com or any local online review and talk about their experience with Dr. Cox’s Office.
• Google knows where reviews are coming from, don’t try to write them yourself.
• Don’t sweat negative reviews, just post a response of how you fixed the situation.

Advertising…
• The secret to the effectiveness of ads is...
---Being consistent with the same audience.
---Speaking directly to people's felt needs.
---Being specific and offering specific solutions.
---Write general situations with specific details.
---"FACTS TELL, BUT STORIES SELL!"

Beginning again...

2011-03-23T08:59:00.001-05:00

Over the next few weeks I want to talk to you about non-traditional game plans to marketing and advertising.

I will start with this and every week address each point.

Belief Marketing Disciplines:

1. Customer Intimate. “We know more about our clients than anyone else.” “We help our clients achieve their dreams.”
2. We establish authority by teaching.
3. We don’t believe in pursuit/sales, because barriers are erected.
4. We want to be about persuasion through teaching.
5. With teaching there is much less resistance.
6. Anxious to close is anxious to screw up!
7. To arrive at the best possible message we must be as ignorant as the average customer.
8. Key to writing: How to end. Where to begin. What to leave out.
9. If you do not measure it, recognize it and reward it, you can’t grow it!
10. Align your brand and all of your actions with your core values.

Bite-Sized Steps to Writing Your Book

2010-06-13T10:38:00.001-05:00

Writing your non-fiction book...

1. Who is your audience? Who would be the perfect reader and the perfect individual? Think of one real person. (You will write a better, more compelling book if you write it to one specific person, instead of a vague generality. Pretend they are across the desk from you and you are speaking to them.)

2. Write a short 2-3 sentence paragraph that is your thesis statement, or the main point you are going to drive home with every chapter, story and illustration.

3. Write a short paragraph about how the book will begin. (Do you need to introduce yourself?)

4. Write a short paragraph about how the book will end. (Will you have a call to action?)

5. Be aware of what you can leave out as you move forward. (Great writers know where to begin, where to end and what to leave out.)

6. Have a brainstorming session by yourself or with your inner circle of people. Brainstorm 100 - 150 possible chapter titles.

7. Choose the top 12 chapter titles that make the most chronological sense, speak the best to your individual audience and are all directly connected to your main thesis.

8. Create 3 sub-chapter titles under each chapter title. You will find most of them in your 100+ chapter title list.

9. Write 2-3 sub-sub-chapter titles for each sub chapter.

10. You now have an in-depth outline for your book.

11. Write "Introduction" and each of 12 chapter titles on a note card. Laminate if you can. Keep note card with you at all times and read over it several times a day.

12. Create a file folder for "introduction" and each chapter. As you do life… stories, illustrations, articles and facts will come to you. File these in the relevant folders as the come.

13. Fill folders over weeks or months.

14. Write each chapter, sub-chapter and sub-sub-chapter using material from your folders.

15. When finished, have it edited by a pro.

16. Cover design by a pro.

17. Publish it yourself, pay to have it published or maybe you are answering a question people are asking and the book will be published and sold for you.

18. You have a book.

Learned from J. Keith Miller, Ray Bard and Dr. Jim Talley

2010 Social Media Sucess Summit - Top Ten Takeaways

2010-06-01T18:17:00.001-05:00

by Kelsey Humphreys on Jun 01, 2010

On March 12th, Insight Creative Group had its first Social Media Bootcamp, presented by yours truly. After discussing the necessary questions for a successful social media plan with our fearless leaders, I educated our team about the importance of social media. We talked about sites, tactics, and tools that were relevant to our company goals. Since that time, we’ve seen a 152% increase in our Facebook fanbase, an over 200% increase in fan engagement, we’ve more than doubled our twitter followers, and we’ve got a nice following started on this brand new blog you’re reading. This proves that when you get your team educated and involved in ditigal communications, it definitely makes a difference.

So, I taught my little bootcamp and was feeling pretty fly, but then I was able to attend the 2010 Social Media Success Summit, and, well, sister got schooled. 18 sessions later, I feel like it’s time for bootcamp numero dos. I also feel so prepared and pumped up for our upcoming digital media plans with our advertising clients!

There’s no way I could sum the summit up in one post, I couldn’t even fit one session into one post, but I will leave you with my Top Ten Takeaways from the summit regarding your overall media plan:

1. No matter what business you’re in, you’re now in the Content Business. Across all platforms, you need to provide relevant content!

2. Don’t be afraid to repost links & retweet – CNN runs their stories multiple times, so should you, people probably won’t catch it the first time.

3. Post different content on different networks or your Facebook users won’t want to follow you on Twitter and vice versa because they will have seen it all, and remember to post varying types of media; links, photos, videos – text-only posts get boring fast in today’s media stream.

4. Make your media plan human, with a face or multiple faces of the company, if you are an owner/principal, consider using your personal social profiles for business as well, accepting all requests and then using friend lists and privacy settings to control who sees what.

5. Choose one goal for your media plan: Awareness? Sales? Loyalty? and measure your success against that ONE goal!

6. Pick a home base for your operation, your blog, your YouTube Channel, etc and direct all other social outposts back there.

7. The tools are always changing – in ‘99, Yahoo had 97 percent of all search share – be aware and involved or you’ll fall behind fast!

8. Make a Welcome tab on your Facebook page (you can see ours on the Insight Facebook Page) and use a video or images to prompt viewers to click the Like button.

9. Don’t forget about YouTube, it’s still the #2 search engine and people consume online video more than any other online media. Optimize your videos so they can be found! Youtube has its own algorithm – not the same as google!

10. Don’t forget about LinkedIn either– which is probably the number one tool in terms of growing business & leads – plus it is an untapped market where the average household income is $109,000! Create LinkedIn groups, a great tool where you can send messages to group members and link the group back to your website and your profile.

This doesn’t even get into all of the tools they showed us, social media contests, and even more. With all of this new knowledge under my belt, I feel ready to grab my ice pick and get after that Iceberg!

Ad Speak is Invisible

2010-05-28T11:31:00.002-05:00

For a while I have been telling you, "If it sounds like a commercial, it's not a good commercial."

Why? Because we live in an over-communicated world.
People ignore, and are tired of "Ad Speak".

George Carlin has a bit called "Advertising Lullaby". It is the best list of Ad-Speak ever created.

GEORGE CARLIN AD SPEAK

Quality, value, style, service, selection, convenience
Economy, savings, performance, experience, hospitality
Low rates, friendly service, name brands, easy terms
Affordable prices, money-back guarantee.

Free installation, free admission, free appraisal, free alterations,
Free delivery, free estimates, free home trial, and free parking.

No cash?No problem!No kidding!No fuss, no muss,
No risk, no obligation, no red tape, no down payment,
No entry fee, no hidden charges, no purchase necessary,
No one will call on you, no payments or interest till September.

Limited time only, though, so act now, order today, send no money,
Offer good while supplies last, two to a customer, each item sold separately,
Batteries not included, mileage may vary, all sales are final,
Allow six weeks for delivery, some items not available,
Some assembly required, some restrictions may apply.

So come on in for a free demonstration and a free consultation
with our friendly, professional staff. Our experienced and
knowledgeable sales representatives

will help you make a
selection that's just right for you and just right for your budget.

And say, don't forget to pick up your free gift: a classic deluxe
custom designer luxury prestige high-quality premium select
gourmet pocket pencil sharpener.Yours for the asking,
no purchase necessary.It's our way of saying thank you.

And if you act now, we'll include an extra added free complimentary
bonus gift at no cost to you: a classic deluxe custom designer
luxury prestige high-quality premium select gourmet combination
key ring, magnifying glass, and garden hose, in a genuine
imitation leather-style carrying case with authentic vinyl trim.
Yours for the asking, no purchase necessary.

It's our way of
saying thank you.

The more ad-speak you cram in your commercials, the more invisible they become. They are nothing but cliche's. Cliche's are over-used phrases no one believes.

Methods are many, principles are few...

2010-05-07T09:04:00.003-05:00

Methods are many, principles are few, methods always change, principles never do.

(These are my thoughts and notes after hearing a lecture of Roy.)

1. No one ever changes their mind! People simply make new decisions after receiving new information.

2. Selling is simply a transfer of confidence. You cannot transfer, what you do not have.

3. How deep is your confidence in what you offer? The only reason anyone ever says no to an
offer, is “Lack of Confidence”. They are not confident...
• that today is the right day
• that yours is the right solution
• that you are asking the right price
• that you are the person to trust
• and it's going to work.

4. When they have confidence that today is the right day, you are offering the right solution, you
are the person to trust, and the know it's going to work, THEY SAY YES. Every time.

5. Keep this in mind as we move froward talking about advertising, marketing and persuasion.

6. True selling is not about closing techniques or new ways of over coming the objection.

7. There can be legitimate reasons to not purchase today, or purchase from you, or to accept the
solution you are offering. ARE YOU PREPARED TO ACCEPT THAT?

8. If you sell when you shouldn't have, you may win the debate and even win the sale, but you
could or will lose the customer and the customers that customer can bring you. Even more
important, you could lose something even more important. SELF-CONFIDENCE.

9. WHEN YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT TODAY IS THE RIGHT DAY, THIS IS THE
RIGHT PRICE, AND NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY... AND YOU ARE ABLE TO TRANSFER YOUR CONFIDENCE TO THE OTHER PERSON, YOU WILL SEE THEIR MONEY HAPPILY DELIVERED into your pocket.

10. Transferring confidence is about knowing your are telling the truth! If you really believe what you are doing is best for your customer, there is a sixth sense in humans and they feel and know the truth, there is a certain ring of the truth. Nothing is quite as believable as the truth. NEVER COMPROMISE THAT FOR A BOWL OF Porridge (A Short-Term Sale).

11. It's about being willing to give up short-term approval for long-term respect.

The best marketing and advertising solutions are about transferring confidence from you to them over time.

Taking people through the FIVE LEVELS OF COMMUNICATION takes time, focus and discipline.
1. Un-Awareness
2. Awareness
3. Comprehension
4. Conviction
5. Action

Do you have THE TIME, THE FOCUS AND THE DISCIPLINE?

Randy Allsbury
Belief Marketing
Allsbury.com

I Must Now Apologize…

2010-03-12T13:18:00.003-06:00

“Words are electric; they should be chosen for the emotional voltage they carry. Weak and predictable words cause grand ideas to appear so dull that they fade into the darkness of oblivion. But powerful words in unusual combinations brightly illuminate the mind.

Yes, words are electric. If a sentence does not shock a little, it carries no emotional voltage. When the hearer is not jolted, you can be sure he is not moved. Remember the words of Napoleon: ‘Small plans do not inflame the hearts of men.’

Words start wars and end them, create love and choke it, bring us to laughter and to joy and tears. Words cause men and women willingly to risk their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor. Our world, as we know it, revolves on the power of words.” ---Roy H. Williams

This past week I read one of Roy’s memos. Toward the end of the page, four words flew of the screen and hit me upside the head like a steroid enhanced major leaguer crushing a fastball. Here they are…

“Unsolicited advice is abuse.”

I am in the advice business.

I like to make a difference in the lives and businesses of people more than anything else. On many occasions over the years, I have un-knowingly abused many, many people. The entire time I thought I was being helpful. A handful of times people have taken my intrusive advice. If you are one, I apologize.

Unsolicited advice is abuse, because it is almost always a criticism of past events and actions. The words “Constructive Criticism” were coined by an abusive advisor. (My opinion.)

Some of the worst offenders I have ever met are well-meaning church people. I like this Francis of Assisi quote: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

“When you focus on walking the walk, people will ask you to talk about your walk.” (---Me)

We may have to start a new 12 step program called Unsolicited Advice Anonymous.

How are you measuring progress?

2010-03-01T08:11:00.003-06:00

Bad advertising strategies come from bad assumptions. If you look for it, you will see patterns in advertising. Patterns of one industry or business copying another. The assumption is “If that ad campaign worked for them, it will work for us”. That’s like a bald man saying, “Since his hair looks good on him, it will look good on me.” Have you ever seen a man with the “wrong” hair piece? Some would say some hair is better than no hair. I don’t agree. Not, because I am a bald guy, but because we can tell it’s fake and this generation does not appreciate FAKE, they appreciate AUTHENTICITY. We would rather know you are not perfect and real, than you being a POSER.

Another type of assumption:

“Violent crime in America declined each year from 1993 to 2004. Then just about the time the iPod became popular in 2005, violent crime began trending upward.

CONCLUSION: iPods cause violent crime. Or at least that was the conclusion of a 2007 report published by The Urban Institute, a research organization based in Washington. (I swear I’m not making this up.)

Bad advertising strategies stem from just such logic: “Since one event precedes another, the first event must be the cause of the second.” This fallacy of logic is so common it has a Latin name: Post hoc, ergo, propter hoc, "after this, therefore, because of this," referring to the mistaken belief that temporal succession implies a causal relation.

Most business owners look around, observe their circumstances and then try to make sense of it all. Their thoughts and plans are guided by what they see. But any scientist will tell you correlation and causation are not the same thing.

Don’t tell me what you see. Tell me what you want to see. “What are you trying to make happen? And how will you measure progress?” When I ask these questions, most business owners stammer, stutter and hedge, then change the subject by asking a question of their own.

I usually ignore that question and ask, “How am I supposed to help you make something happen when you can’t tell me what it is?”

Sigh.

“When you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.”
- Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

How many of your actions are actually reactions triggered by circumstances? (Please know that I am as guilty of this as the rest of you.) Are we allowing the merely urgent to set aside the truly important?

Do you know what you’re trying to make happen? Can you tell me exactly how you plan to measure progress? The shortest distance from Point A to Point B is always a straight line. The best marketing strategies begin by drawing a straight line from Where We Are Today to Where We’d Like To Be Tomorrow.

You can’t navigate a ship by studying the wind and waves. Fix your gaze on your goal, a non-negotiable, fixed position that can never change. Let that be your lighthouse, your reference point, your North Star.

No stack of dollars can be your lighthouse. Dollars are merely a byproduct. Money fails as a compass because it can be found in every direction. Guiding directives and unifying principles are never merely financial.

Where do you want to be tomorrow?

Now point to your North Star so that I can see it, too.”

---Roy H. Williams, The Wizard of Ads

Soooo….

If dollars are a mere byproduct of you reaching your goals, what are your goals?

The Business of Relationships PART 3 of 3

2010-02-20T08:18:00.001-06:00

The Business of Relationships PART 2 of 3

2010-02-19T09:42:00.000-06:00

The Business of Relationships

2010-02-18T19:39:00.002-06:00

My wife gets the monthly newsletter from Robin Sharma. I am going to share this with you over the next three days.

Robin Sharma… helping people in organizations lead without a title.

The Business of Relationships 9 things to have winning relationships art work.

Hi Sherri,

Included in the Top 10 Best Companies to Work For (Fortune Magazine), not surprising we see Google, Edward Jones and Dreamworks. When employees were asked why they love (yes love) working for the top contenders, they didn't mention the pay, the expense accounts or advancing to the top title in the Googleplex. They spoke first of the kindness of relationships. These passionate workers described their work culture as an extension of home, or like being with family. They spoke enthusiastically of their colleagues as being fun and supportive. Managers of the Best Companies are characterized as genuinely caring; every single employee truly matters. Work for these fortunate employees is like a favorite gathering place - a place to play at their top level with like minded talent.

These testimonials reveal that business is nothing more than a human venture built on high caliber relationships. Without deep relationships, leadership doesn't work. The old model of leadership - which puts profit above people - is dead.

9 Things You Must Absolutely Do To Having Winning Relationships At Work:

1. Act Like a Human

Organizations run by a closed group of executives hovering above in the "C - suite" are falling. Leading Without A Title, where everyone is a key player is the new way to win in business. This fresh method of leading means that leaders not only master the essential skills but also understand how to act human. You can't treat human beings like capital - you will lose your greatest talent.

Acting human engages people - human engagement facilitates others towards their brilliance. A refreshing burst of humanity at the office outlasts and outshines the paycheck, the office with the view, or driving the company car. As the lights go out on the stage of old-school leadership, acting human is your game-changing solution.

2. Be One of the Few Who Perfect the Endangered Craft

It's an amazing time to be alive. Revolutionary technological innovation to enhance our lives, freedom of choice to create the life you love, and the daily opportunity to choose from an endless list of beautiful rewards. Yet an insatiable hunger still lingers inside each one of us - the hunger to be heard. I'm talking about the transformative experience that happens when someone truly listens and totally gets where you are at. I'm talking about listening at the level you feel like the listener is hanging onto each one of your words like they are the most important words in the world.

The new leadership is all about relationships with people. And you can't relate without listening. It's impossible. Yet engaged listening is a craft rarely mastered by leaders. You can have the most competent leader in the world, but if he doesn't listen his leadership potential will go unrealized.

Feeding the hunger to be heard brings out the best in people. People will trust you, respect you and shatter their limitations for you when you give them the gift of listening.

3. Be Scarce

We tend to value that which is scarce. We put a premium on objects and experiences we believe will run out: a Limited edition Gucci Ronson sneaker, a two week showing of Michael Jackson's This Is It. Reserve wine. We are impacted and motivated most by that which we don't come across everyday or that which comes in a limited supply. If you are seeking to create long term loyalty in your business relationships, ask yourself what is noticeably scarce? Is it generosity? Authenticity? Encouragement? Spot the scarcity and rock it.

Are you only doing what's expected?

2010-02-04T10:25:00.002-06:00

What's expected vs. what's amazing

SETH GODIN:

“I visited a favorite restaurant last week, a place that, alas, I hadn't been to in months. The waiter remembered that I don't like cilantro. Unasked, she brought it up. Incredible. This was uncalled for, unnecessary and totally delightful.”

“Dolores, a clerk with kidney problems at a 7 Eleven, broke all sorts of coffee sales records because she remembered the name of every customer who came in every morning. Unexpected and amazing.”

VS.

“Hotels used to get a lot of mileage out of remembering what you liked, but it was merely a database trick, not emotional labor on the part of the staff.”

“Today, if you go to an important meeting and the other people haven't bothered to Google you and your company, it's practically an offense. We're about to spend an hour together and you couldn't be bothered to look me up? It's expected, no longer amazing.”

You can raise the bar or you can wait for others to raise it, but it's getting raised regardless.

How can you raise the “What’s Amazing” bar with your customers?

Daily Consistency is Better than Occasional Brilliance!

2010-01-25T10:57:00.009-06:00

Twenty years ago I started listening to John Maxwell leadership tapes. I got a new one every month in the mail for bucks. It came on a cassette tape with a printed outline. In one of his lessons, he talked about taking baby steps toward personal growth. Maxwell said only 10% of people who are over 25 years old will read a book. Less than that will make an effort to continue growing intellectually and spiritually. The main point he was making, is if you continue to make even baby steps in your growth, you will quickly pass most people around you.

I went to work for Steve Laswell, the sales manager at News Radio 1000 KTOK in Oklahoma City back in 2000. I would sometimes get discouraged and his advice was good. He’d say, “Just make sure you are moving the needle in the right direction every day. Do the right thing, for the right reasons, expecting the right result, and it will come.”

Today is a reminder that greatness in your world is a process of doing the daily drudgery with consistency and excellence.

Oseola McCarty was born March 7, 1908. She lived her entire life in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. For the first 87 years, she never married and never learned to drive. She walked nearly a mile pushing a shopping cart to get groceries she rode with friends every week to Friendship Baptist Church. She was a washer woman. She washed other people’s dirty clothes to earn a living. She did walk one other place, to the bank. When she was young, she opened a savings account and began making daily deposits of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters.

When she was 87 years old (in 1995), she stopped by her bank and a bank manager wanted to talk with her. She sat at his desk, and he said, “Oseola, do you have any idea how much money your daily deposits have added up to over the years?” He went on to tell her she has accumulated one quarter of a million dollars. He asked her what she wanted to do with her money. Oseola had no idea and wasn’t sure where to start. The young banker placed 10 dimes on his desk. He told her they represent her money and asked her how she would like it divided up. As a committed Christian woman, she pointed to the first dime and said she wants it to go to her church. She then pointed at three other dimes and said she wanted to leave them to her nephews and nieces. Then she said, “With the rest of the money, I would like to set up a scholarship fund at the local university for deserving black students who are not afraid to dream big.

One week later, the University of Southern Mississippi received a check from her for $150,000 to set up such a trust.

In 1998, she was awarded an honorary degree from USM, the first such degree awarded by the university. She received scores of awards and other honors recognizing her unselfish spirit, and President Bill Clinton presented her with a Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second highest civilian award, during a special White House Ceremony. She also won the United Nations' coveted Avicenna Medal for educational commitment. In June 1996, Harvard University awarded McCarty an honorary doctorate.

I tell you this today, because it is likely you are not noticing the daily deposits you are making in your work and in other people. The daily words you deposit in the ears of people you encounter most, like your spouse, your children, your employees and whoever else you are influencing!

The Book I am Currently Consuming

2010-01-22T12:39:00.004-06:00

It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For is an inside look at the secret ingredient of high-performing organizations: Purpose.

Companies that have a purpose beyond making money are the companies with the best products, most loyal customers and employees and consistent success in a continually evolving marketplace. It’s Not What You Sell, It’s What You Stand For will guide leaders and marketers through their own journey of understanding how their company makes a difference and how to harness that purpose for greater success.

Through firsthand experience working with some of America’s most successful companies—Southwest Airlines, Wal-Mart, Whole Foods Market, John Deere and BMW—readers will learn how to discover their purpose and bring it to life in everything they do. With a purpose in place, employee engagement is higher, competition is less threatening, customers are more loyal and innovation flows. It’s the secret to developing a more fulfilling work life as well as a healthier bottom line.

Learning from Comics

2010-01-20T19:18:00.007-06:00

I have had advertising clients in the past that I could not help. I tried, I really tried, but at the end of the day, I had to admit to them and to myself that the PEF cancelled out the advertising.

PEF stands for Personal Experience Factor.

People heard the ads and many were persuaded to sample my client’s product or service. Then, tragecally, the PEF was not what I promised in the ad. My goal is to make people like and feel good about my client before people need them. When they need them they will think of them first and call them. Think about this and then read Seth’s latest blog post…

In between frames

Scott McCloud's classic book on comics explains a lot more than comics.

A key part of his thesis is that comic books work because the action takes place between the frames. Our imagination fills in the gaps between what happened in that frame and this frame, which means that we're as much involved as the illustrator and author are in telling the story.

Marketing, it turns out, works precisely the same way.

Marketing is what happens in between the overt acts of the marketer. Yes you made a package and yes you designed a uniform and yes you ran an ad... but the consumer's take on what you did is driven by what happened out of the corner of her eye, in the dead spaces, in the moments when you let your guard down.

Marketing is what happens when you're not trying, when you're being transparent and when there's no script in place.

It's not marketing when everything goes right on the flight to Chicago. It's marketing when your people don't respond after losing the guitar that got checked.

It's not marketing when I use your product as intended. It's marketing when my friend and I are talking about how the thing we bought from you changed us.

It's not marketing when the smiling waitress appears with the soup. It's marketing when we hear two waiters muttering to each other behind the serving station.

Consumers are too smart for the frames. It's the in-between frame stuff that matters. And yet marketers spend 103% of our time on the frames.

---Seth Godin

For Precision Tune Auto Care, good marketing is what happens when the unexpected happens. People expect to be “talked down to”, they expect they will be sold something they didn’t really need and they expect they will be waiting longer that they were told they would have to wait.

What are your customers experiencing between the frames?

Guest Writer: Greg Grimaud "Do you know where your breakeven is?"

2010-01-20T07:14:00.004-06:00

In our monthly franchisee meetings we always cover the breakeven graph and discuss it’s truth’s. Point “B” on the graph is the place where all your dreams start to become possible. You’ve paid off your fixed expenses for the month such as that annoying rent payment, factored in your parts cost and other variables, and now you are poised to take home some cash for every dollar above point “B” that you bring in.

Only one problem, you have no idea what that dollar amount is. Not knowing what this number is, is the equivalent of going duck hunting blindfolded and expecting a bird to fall out of the sky. Like Jim Carrey said in the movie “Dumb and Dumber” when he asked the girl, “what are my chances of going out with you?” Her response was, “not good… …one in a million.” His response, “so you’re saying there’s a chance!”

This is not the kind of chance that you want to risk your entire business on. You can greatly improve your odds of success by not guessing on issues like not knowing your breakeven.
Knowing where your breakeven is, is knowing when you’re making money or losing money. It’s the day in the week when momentum changes. Because my partner and I know where our breakeven is, we know at which point we begin making money. I’ll talk about this more next week, but in the meantime, take a look at the graph below. — Greg Grimaud

Start Acting Like a Four Year Old.

2010-01-16T09:35:00.000-06:00

Interestingly enough, children are often the best teachers. Jesus encourages us to be more like children in our relationship with Him.

My son AJ is four years old. He is a pre-k student at Northern Hills Elementary. As I was picking him up yesterday, one of the assistant teachers said. All of this other kids really like AJ. She went on to say he makes new friends everyday with kids that are in kindergarten and first grade. (Remember, he is in pre-kindergarten.) I also noticed him hug several boys and girls as he was leaving his group to get in our mini-van.

AJ may be a little more social than other children. He is our number five child and has had a lot of opportunity to interact with his siblings. The truth is, children can teach us tons about developing new relationships. You can bring almost any child to a playground and in ten minutes they can and will introduce you to four new friends.

I was stuck on a elevator one time for about fifteen minutes with six other people. Even though we experienced something a bit scary and closter-phobic together, I didn’t learn any of their names or anything about them that day. For some reason, we adults are guarded and don’t build relationships as easy as children. I am sure there are a thousand psychological reasons for this. The main reason is fear. We are afraid of the unknown and new people are unknowns.

I heard a great quote yesterday. “Right in the middle of your fears is where your greatest future growth lies.”

I encourage you to become more childlike with your customers this year. Dive into hundreds of new friendships in 2010. Get to know them by spending time asking them questions about their world. You’ve heard it a thousand times… “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Business runs on relationships, relationships take time.

If you are in the OKC area, join us for one of our Christmas services this year at LifeChurch.tv Edmond!

2009-12-10T13:35:00.002-06:00

The first transaction

2009-12-06T08:16:00.003-06:00

by Seth Godin

Do you really expect that the first time we transact, it will involve me giving you money in exchange for a product or service?

Perhaps this is a good strategy for a pretzel vendor on the street, but is that the best you can hope for?

Digital transactions are essentially free for you to provide. I can give you permission to teach me something. I can watch a video. I can engage in a conversation. We can connect, transfer knowledge, engage in a way that builds trust... all of these things make it more likely that I'll trust you enough to send you some money one day. I can contribute to a project you're building, ask you a difficult question, discover what others have already learned.

But send you money on the first date? No way.

The question then, is how much time and effort does your non-profit/consulting firm/widget factory spend on pre-purchase transactions and how much do you spend on trying to simply close the sale?

Be More Interested than Interesting

2009-11-11T09:33:00.002-06:00

How to move from a transaction to relational conversation.

By Mark Goulston

If you love networking and can’t wait for your next networking event, read no further. This article is not for you.

However, if you view networking as a necessary chore in order to develop new business, this one’s for you.

By nature I am shy, and on more occasions than I care to think about, painfully so. It’s no wonder networking did not come naturally or easily to me. But one evening that all changed

Ten years ago, roughly five years after I’d ventured out of my consultation room as a clinical psychiatrist, I entered the business world. Though I had spent many hours working through difficult situations with people, meeting strangers at networking events was a stretch.

But one day I changed my attitude. When I attended a networking event, I determined to meet three new people and follow up with them after the event. I exceed my goal. By the end of the event, I met five—who warmly accepted me and hoped for a follow-up meeting.

I credit my success to a shift in attitude: I focused on being more interested than being interesting. I asked people what they did for who, when they did it, and how they did it. I asked them how they got into doing what they do. And then I asked them why they did what they did.

In each case those last two questions caused a remarkable transformation. The person with whom I spoke paused and looked upward, as if searching into their mind’s eye for meaningful answers. Our conversation was no longer transactional; it was relational. And it was better.

When I asked, “Who is someone that helped you in your career, and what did they do?” one person teared up as he described a critical point in his career where a manager went to bat for him. Giving busy people the opportunity to relate a story about someone they feel grateful to is one of the best ways to get through to someone; it’s a gift.

Show You Care with Questions

A few years later in 2002 I was a keynote speaker at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG) in Los Angeles. The night before the event the main speakers were invited to a cocktail reception at the Beverly Hills Hotel. One of the main attractions was another keynote speaker, Mike Heisley: CEO of Heico Companies, owner of the Memphis Grizzlies, and frequently listed as one of America’s 400 Richest People. Everyone wanted time with Mike. When it was my turn to greet him, something possessed me to ask, "What did you learn about success from your father?"

Momentarily taken aback by this question, he pointed to a couple of chairs at a nearby table and said, "C'mon, let's sit down." Though others were waiting, I wasn't about to refuse such an invitation.

We sat down and Mike shared the following: "Some of the best advice I ever received came from my dad. There was the time when I told him about a business I was about to buy that was clearly a win for me and a loss for everyone else who had any connection with the company. He looked at me and asked, 'Why would you do a deal that helped you and hurt everyone else?’

"It was as if he were saying, 'Mike, because you know how to take advantage of opportunities, you don't have to take advantage of people.' What I didn't realize at the time was that my father had so much confidence in my ability to be successful by knowing and doing the right thing that I didn't want to dishonor his belief in me by being any less than he thought I could be. And I didn't. Like Jack Nicholson's famous line from the movie As Good As It Gets, my dad made me want to be a better man. And I like to think I have."

When you attend networking events, take my simple advice: Be more interested in others than interesting. See how it makes you a better networker. Showing such generosity of spirit will make you a better person—and others will want to get to know. Who knows, you might even have a few warmly take your hand and tell you how much they enjoyed meeting you and would like to follow up with you.

Mark Goulston, M.D. is the author of “Just Listen” (AMACOM, $24.95). He believes the secret to getting through to absolutely anyone is not what you tell them but what you cause them to tell you that is truly important to them and then “just listen.”
Visit his website: markgoulston.com/resources. Contact him at: info@markgoulston.com.

A Quick Video on Selling---by Austin Allsbury

2009-11-06T15:18:00.003-06:00

This is a clip from the hit NBC series The Office.

It is a perfect example of how always being in the mind set of, "sell! sell! sell! close! close! close!", may work for transactional customer who is always looking for the best deal, BUT, it will never get somebody to have confidence in who you are as a business owner.

For the most part people nowadays have a BS meter that surpasses there intellect and

if you don't care about the person's well being, they will know it.

Notice how, in the show, Michael isn't constantly about the business.

He is about taking care of his client so his client will be able to take care of him.

---Austin Allsbury

*****************************************

Austin is my 20 year old sociology major.

He is a great leader and influence on other people!

Twitter and Facebook, a good explanation!

2009-10-22T12:36:00.003-05:00

I heard a good explanation of blogs this week as they relate to social media:

"Twitter and Facebook and all the other social media are like a party. You don't go to a party to sell things. You go to a party to initiate relationships. Sometimes you meet people at a party and later invite them over to your house where they can see what you're all about. Your blog is your house."

Joe and Gladys Radio Interview

2009-09-15T13:25:00.003-05:00

One of my clients is Chapin Furniture right outside of Columbia, South Carolina.

Three years ago we started a radio advertising campaign that has made Chapin Furniture and the owners a household name.

Click HERE to hear a short radio interview with Joe and Gladys.

Do you have a great story to tell? Do your customers?

Relationship Marketing Skills

2009-09-11T13:35:00.002-05:00

Business Runs On Relationships. Relationships Take Time.---The truth is, everything runs on relationships. The best salespeople in the world know the most important part of sales is developing a strong relationship, before they ask for a sale. They also protect the relationship. "All things being equal, people do business with people they like. All things not being equal, people do business with people they like."

What's a friend?---A friend is a person you choose to be around, because you like them, because they add value to your life, because you want to. We place no demands on friends, there are no expectations put on friends. Friends never feel trapped, are quick to appologize when they make a mistake and they value your relationship.The level and depth of a friendship/relationship can be measured by the depth of the communication. The more intimate the conversation, the stronger the relationship and visa versa. Helpful, Never Condescending

Partnership---As a business owner, you will do well to look at customers as partners instead of adversaries and then teach your staff to do the same.

Teaching Your Staff---Hiring the right people is most important. They need to be people who like people. It's not a matter of intorvert or extrovert, it's simply people who like people. Since extroverts get their batteries charged by being interacting with people, they generally do better. It's usually a matter of teachability.

Immediate eye contact and personal greeting---Sometimes when you are very busy, you can get overwhelmed by a crowd coming in at once. Make eye contact, smile and acknowledge people as soon as possible. You buy yourself time with communication. You also let them know you care.

Uniform and Name Tag---You and your staff communicate to your customers by your appearance. The name tag says you want them to know you and your name. Many times the staff is expected to wear a uniform and a name tag and the owner wears everyday clothes.

Listen, Then Speak and Never Angry---Make eye contact and place your full attention on your customer. Listen to what they say and repeat back what they said. Make sure they know you care and are listening. When you speak, be clear and never defensive. When people are upset, they are not upset at you, but at the situation they are in. If you did do something, apologize and fix it. It's about the customer and meeting their needs, not you. There is no reason for you to be upset, too. It's your job to carry a bucket of water, not gasoline, when a spark sets off a fire!

Owner Available---Everyone knows that the owner has ultimate authority and responsibility. Restaurant founder and business professor Vince Orza always wants to deal with all complaints personally. He knows that customers know, no one can fix this like the owner.

Build Relationships---If you are with me on business running on relationships, you would have to agree becoming an expert on relationships would be important. The stronger your relationship with your people, the more influence you will have with them and the better you can lead them. John Maxwell teaches that leadership is influence. You influence people through the depth of your relationship with them. You communicate with and influence your customer base, through your relationship with them!

Fix Problems---You need to decide ahead of time how much a customer is worth. You may dedide a customer is worth $200. That means if you have a dispute with a customer, you are willing to NOT haggle with them if the bill is under $200. You consider the long term relationship with the customer as more important than that single transaction.

On the Web---We need a reminder here, that business runs on relationships and relationships take time. The more time you spend with people exchanging dreams and ideas, the tighter the relationship. Your goal is for people to spend time with you on your website.

Allow them to develop a relationship with a real person!--A mistake I see many small companies make is in making their website look like that of a huge company. Some business owners think if their website makes them look like a huge corperation, the more serious they will be taken, In the process their site become void of humanity. People prefer to have relationships with real people, not companies. I am not saying people can't have a relationship with a company, I am saying people would rather get to know a person, an indevidual they can learn to trust. How many times do you hear about a person leaving company "A" and all of their clients follow them over to company "B".

Easy interaction from your web site---Allow people to get to know you on through open transparent writings, audio clips and videos. Then make it very easy for people to make contact with you. Make your personal e-mail address available and your phone number.

Allow them to meet people they will be doing business with---In most cases the owner is not the only person in the company who interacts with the public. Everyone who talks to people at your physical location should also be introduced to the public on your website. A short video clip or a picture and bio is nice.

Small Business Marketing

2009-08-16T17:00:00.002-05:00

When you are an owner operator, you always start out rowing "The Boat" yourself. In this case I am talking about the marketing boat. Marketing is every bridge you build to make a connection with potential customers and every wall you tear down to give them a better shot at finding you and seeing you as real.

I have divided this "Marketing Boat" into nine sections. There may be more, but for now, nine.

Why am I choosing a boat?

If a boat has a few small holes in it, you can still make progress on the waters of business. If it has very many, or one or two big ones, you are going down.

At the back of the boat is a motor called advertising you can crank it up if you have the money. You can however row a respectable boat without a motor and in some cases business owners never do have to start it up. That's not true for most, because advertising can reach people your location and paddling can't get you.

More to come...

Consistency and Frequency

2009-07-18T07:08:00.003-05:00

In advertising, I often tell people it is better to real 10,000 people 10 times than 100,000 people 1 time. The cost is about the same. Most ad agencies buy media as though they are equal?!?

Seth Godin shares a great illustration of this...

The law of the little shovel by Seth Godin

If you want to dig a big hole, you need to stay in one place.
If you walk around town with a little shovel, you'll just end up digging thousands of little holes, not one big one.
Call on one person ten times and you might make the sale. Call on ten people once each and you will likely get ten rejections.
The important thing to remember is that separate events are often separate. If you use the same ineffective approach on one thousand people, it's not going to start working better just because you use it more often.
Connected events, on the other hand, often benefit from frequency and trust.

Which leads to two viable strategies:

1. If you can stay still, stay still. Earn the trust, earn the sale by repeatedly demonstrating value and authority.
2. If you can't stay still, get a bigger shovel. Your marketing and your sales pitch has to be so refined and focused that it works the first time, because you don't get a second time.

More Stan Toler on Public Speaking…

2009-06-20T10:34:00.001-05:00

“The best speakers are borderline neurotic in their preparation, even if their demeanor suggests otherwise…”

An acquaintance of mine named Allison was an intern on The Late Show with David Letterman. When you watch the show it feels relaxed, like Letterman is just going with the flow. Allison said the truth is, he is a tyrannical detail freak. Nothing, nothing happens unless the host wants it to happen.

Toler shares the following about preparation for your next speaking gig:

ANSWER THE QUESTION “SO WHAT?”

S.O. W.H.A.T.

Start with a THEME

ORGANIZE your speech

Watch your WORDS

Have FUN with the AUDIENCE

Allow enough TIME

Tell it with ENTHUSIASM

It’s all about the audience; give them top priority in preparation and delivery. When possible, get to know your audience before you start. Arrive early and actually get to know people and begin building relationship, before you start. Learn everything you can about your audience before you show up and definitely before you begin speaking. Make a personal connection with as many as possible. YOU WILL BE A STEP AHEAD. People don’t care what you know; they want to know you care!

What brings us together today?
What do we have in common?
What are the demographics of your audience?
How can I touch their heart today? (Touch the heart, and the mind will follow.)
Know the purpose of your presentation for THEM.
Be clear and concise and stay in bounds. (Like Volley Ball, if you don’t stay in bounds, you lose your change to serve!)

WHAT ARE THE BOUNDRIES?

---TIME
---SUBJECT
---PHYSICAL (the room)

Know the needs of your audience and speak to THEIR PERCEIVED NEEDS.

AND REMEMBER: Facts Tell, but Stories Sell!

I am studying Public Speaking from Stan Toler's new book. I'll share...

2009-06-16T07:51:00.004-05:00

Teacher's learn more than students, so I will begin teaching what I am learning.

Stan Toler's new book is called "The Inspirational Speaker's Resource, Tools for Reaching Your Audience Every Time"

Toler is a pastor in Oklahoma City. He grew up with John Maxwell and has led several of Maxwell's organizations.

"Homework is 80% of the speaking assignment!"

Check you motives!
1. Who are you going to promote? Is this an act of selfishness or are you serving others?
2. Are you there to serve or be served?
3. "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Matt. 12:34

"BE MORE CONCERNED WITH YOUR CHARACTER THAN YOUR YOUR REPUTATION." ---DALE CARNEGIE

By the time you are finished with your speech, they will know your heart, they will know your motives!

Business Runs on Relationships. Relationships Take Time.

We sell Furniture. Just curious... What kind of advertising does target specific groups?

2009-05-02T16:30:00.003-05:00

Even if you are able to target a specific gender and age group, you have no
idea when they will need what you have.

I would say less than one percent of the population need furniture... now.
Lets say you use direct mail to target
20,000 ladies age 25-52. One percent of them is 200. Of that 200 how many of
them read the mail piece, and how many threw it away?
If they did read it, what did it say? How do you know what to say? How do
you know exactly what they are looking for?
And on top of that, no long term branding takes place for the money that was
spent. You are not remembered for the money spent.

I would rather reach people intrusively through radio. They don't have to
read anything. People who have their radio tuned to your stations
don't have a choice, it goes in. If we stay away from commercial cliche's
and predictable words, they will listen and remember every word.
Even it they don't like ads, they remember them. Most people who complain
don't really hate the ads, they hate the fact that they remember them and
they didn't plan to. All of this is due to the fact people are predictable.
There is this thing called "Listener-Pattern-Predictability". Because people
listen to the radio in predictable ways, we are able to reach the same listeners over and over.
That's why we are able to tell 26 micro-chapters a years. The average
listener hears each ad 5-7 times. None of them intended on remembering so much, it's
how the brain works. "Broca's" area of the brain is the gatekeeper of
new information. As long as you are delivering new, unpredictable
information, people can't help but listen and learn. Predictable ads with
cliched verbiage go into short-term memory and are flushed with one night's
sleep. That's why most advertising is such a waste of money. Car dealers are
most predictable and most forgettable.

I have been silent for a while. This video gave me joy.

2009-04-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Paul Harvey Died Today

2009-02-28T21:23:00.001-06:00

KRMG News Talk 1170 in Tulsa OK is reporting that the legendary Tulsa Broadcaster known as Paul Harvey died today.

We will dearly miss him. Our love and prayers are with his family. We look forward to one day rejoining him in heaven, and hearing “The rest of the story.”

KRMG News Talk 740 KRMG invites you to read more, and post your condolences HERE.

A Wise Panhandler? You Gotta Read This!

2009-02-28T15:11:00.002-06:00

The panhandler's secret---from Seth Godin

When there were old-school parking meters in New York, quarters were precious.

One day, I'm walking down the street and a guy comes up to me and says, "Do you have a dollar for four quarters?" He held out his hand with four quarters in it.

Curious, I engaged with him. I took out a dollar bill and took the four quarters.

Then he turned to me and said, "can you spare a quarter?"

What a fascinating interaction.

First, he engaged me. A fair trade, one that perhaps even benefited me, not him.

Now, we have a relationship. Now, he knows I have a quarter (in my hand, even). So his next request is much more difficult to turn down. If he had just walked up to me and said, "can you spare a quarter," he would have been invisible.

Too often, we close the sale before we even open it.

Interact first, sell second.

I continue to trumpet that business runs on relationships. This story is a good example of relationship building first, then selling.

How does this apply to your world?

A Tale of Two Restaurants

2009-02-25T21:57:00.006-06:00

I’d like to tell you about two different dining experiences. The first was lunch at a national chain steak house in Columbus, Mississippi. The second was at a place called the OK Café in Atlanta, Georgia. The first was lunch today, the other was dinner tonight.

Lunch was actually a late lunch, after the rush. We were thinking we could get in and out, and get back in the air. Our beverages came pretty quick. We were hungry, we ordered and one of the guys asked for bread right away. Ten or fifteen minutes passed and our salads showed up. Later, much later, the food and BREAD showed. The problem was it took so long to get to us that we filled up in peanuts and salad. The food was lukewarm and tasted---OK. There was not even a “We’re sorry it took so long…”.

After we settled into our rooms in Atlanta, we decided to honor our friend Brian King, by eating at his favorite Atlanta restaurant. Brian was killed in a plane crash on May 3rd, 2008. The establishment is called the OK Café. They serve excellent “comfort food” from the south. We were seated within five minutes. We were served our sweet tea and we ordered. We visited for a little while and our food arrived. As Sue, our waitress, put the food in front of us, she said, “We feel like it took too long for us to get your food to you, so this is all on the house.” We were stunned. The bill, before dessert, had to have been close to $70. She insisted we have some Pecan Pie and Bread Pudding as well.

We had a wonderful time honoring Brian King tonight. Brian’s favorite was OK Cafe's Three Cheese Macaroni. I have to admit, it’s the best I have ever tasted!

They Want to Connect With You

2009-02-24T07:02:00.002-06:00

You have a great opportunity as a business owner in your marketing and advertising, if you are willing and able to be authentic. The younger audience today has money to spend, and they have a built in authenticity-meter. The more open and honest you are, the more they will believe you and trust you. You don’t have to be perfect. As a matter of fact, they can’t stand posers.

If your marketing looks like a commercial and sounds like a commercial, you quickly become invisible to this generation. They want to connect with you. They want to know you care about them. They are starving for real relationships. If you give them one, they will quickly become your number one evangelist.

POSER---
“A poser is someone who tries to fit into a profile they aren't. People who try to give off the impression that they are one thing when they are really another. Also, a poser can be one who says they can do something that they can't. Or more commonly, a poser is someone who, when doing something successfully, takes more than enough credit for it.” ---The Urban Dictionary

Sometimes a video just has to be shared...

2009-02-17T14:06:00.001-06:00

Authenticity ---by Seth Godin

2009-02-17T11:10:00.002-06:00

This is a recent post from Seth Godin's Blog

If it acts like a duck (all the time), it's a duck. Doesn't matter if the duck thinks it's a dog, it's still a duck as far as the rest of us are concerned.

Authenticity, for me, is doing what you promise, not "being who you are".

That's because 'being' is too amorphous and we are notoriously bad at judging that. Internal vision is always blurry. Doing, on the other hand, is an act that can be seen by all.

As the Internet and a connected culture places a higher premium on authenticity (because if you're inconsistent, you're going to get caught) it's easy to confuse authentic behavior with an existential crisis. Are you really good enough, kind enough, generous enough and brave enough to be authentically a hero or leader?

Mother Theresa was filled with self doubt. But she was an authentic saint, because she always acted like one.

You could spend your time wondering if what you say you are is really you. Or you could just act like that all the time. That's good enough, thanks. Save the angst for later.

THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR REALITY AND PERCEPTUAL REALITY!

Is anyone listening to you when you lead?

2009-02-13T09:44:00.006-06:00

The degree to which people will listen to you is determined by the degree to which you have wise council for them. If you want people to listen to you, you yourself must be listening to the right advisor. When Samuel was a boy, he learned to hear the voice of God. (1 Samuel 3) He remained in relationship with God and was able to hear His voice and share what he heard with others.

You can hear His voice through His word. There is no wiser councilor on the earth. He knows your tomorrow and knows what you need in order to fit into it.

If you are in need of this type of council for business or family, do what I did almost nine years ago. Call Dr. Jim A. Talley at (405) 720-8300 or send him an e-mail – drtalley@drtalley.com . His wisdom and his source of wisdom rescued of my marriage and my family.

…and the birth of Alexander Joseph (Our son, our fifth child, would not exist, had my wife and I split up.)

"Oh give me Samuel's ear,
an open ear, oh Lord,
alive and quick to hear
each whisper of thy word.
Like him to answer to thy call
and to obey thee first of all." ---Bill Hybels

Reactive Language vs. Proactive Language

2009-02-11T23:45:00.001-06:00

Reactive

1. There’s nothing I can do…
2. That’s just the way I am…
3. He makes me so mad…
4. They won’t allow that…
5. I have to do that…
6. I can’t…
7. I must…
8. If only…

Proactive

1. Let’s look at our alternatives…
2. I can choose a different approach…
3. I control my feelings…
4. I can create an effective presentation…
5. I will choose an appropriate response…
6. I choose…
7. I prefer…
8. I will…

Thank you Stephen Covey

I Have Some Twitterific News for You...

2009-02-11T17:56:00.004-06:00

People started asking me about Twitter a few weeks ago.

People I respect Tweet every day. Many do it multiple times a day. I am even beginning to worry about Natalie's kids. Are you watching them at all?

Twitter is another unique social network. In Seth Godin's book "Tribes" he referres to a lady who has built a small real-estate empire using twitter. (Read Tribes... Please.)

Every now and then I stare at my computer screen and try to explain it to you.

Then I found this PDF from John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing. I am off the hook, he splain's stuff beddern' me anyways.

Do I have a word for you today…

2009-02-10T06:37:00.004-06:00

When you are leading a company or organization in a challenging economy, progress looks like this: “TWO STEPS FORWARD AND ONE STEP BACK”.

The one step back FEELS like it’s straight down. The truth is, it is not straight down. The enemy tries to influence our feelings and make us FEEL like things are worse than they really are. He tries to make us FEEL like we are not making any progress. Many times, the one step back is sideways. In some cases it’s actually forward, but smaller than your last step, so it FEELS backward.

If this resonates with you, please take courage and share a comment and encourage the discouraged!

It's Time To Narrow My Focus, Good-Bye to Some

2009-02-09T07:57:00.003-06:00

My desire is to help Kingdom Business Owners (Christ followers who own and/or operate businesses, organizations, churches...) expand their dominion for the cause of Christ.

I want to spend my time encouraging Kingdom Business Owners to allow the teachings of Jesus to not only permeate their lives on Sunday, but at home and in all areas of business as well.

I believe people are attracted to Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness, Faithfulness and Self Control.

Greg Grimaud is an example of a Kingdom Business Owner. Saturday afternoon he and his wife Suzanne spent close to four hours with a group of single moms. Greg owns auto repair centers called Precision Tune Auto Care. He taught a car car clinic for these ladies. They learned about basic maintenance and helped them feel empowered in an area they feel very vulnerable.

At the end he asked them all to be mystery shoppers for him by going in, getting a free oil change and then giving him an update on the experience. Getting feedback from the most vulnerable will help insure everyone is being treated well.

1 Thesselonians 5:16-19 MeVersion

2009-02-09T07:24:00.003-06:00

No matter what stupid, crazy thing is going on, be joyful or be asking for Joy from your heavenly Father. Stop asking for strength. "The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength"

You are either praying, or you are about to start another prayer.

Receive all God has for you every day with total thankfulness. Even if it appears ugly and painful. Since you belong to Jesus you will immediatly turn it over to Him anyway. Good or Bad and give Him praise!

Open up your heart and mind to the power and voice of the Holy Spirit. If you feel your concience speaking truth, swing that door open widely and let the light of Jesus either grow the truth or kill the desease.

Do not be critical of other bible preachers and teachers. Compare what they are saying to what the Bible says. Write down the good stuff and forget the rest.

Stay away from anything that night be evil or even appear to be evil. Satan knows your weaknesses and he will offer them to you when you least expect it.

Taking advantage of technology at hand...

2009-02-08T20:47:00.003-06:00

My friend Dennis is a painter.

Not a painter who paints portraits and landscapes,
he paints houses and businesses. Inside and out.

He is good. What does that mean? It means he's spent a lot of time learning the details of the trade. Whatever an executive chef is to cooking, Dennis is to painting.

I helped him with a job last year. I had no idea how much work went into---doing things the right way. I also had no idea how much life, energy, warmth and value great paint can add to your home.

Like many service businesses, the economy has had an effect. I got an e-mail from him today with a very impressive link added...

"How are you? I'm sending you this video and asking you to send it to your sphere of influence. I'm really slow with work right now and need a little help."

The following YouTube link was attached: CLICK HERE

Impressive.

What can you video and pass around to promote your organization, passion, service or product?

Thank you Gary Brown. God spoke through you today!

Get on the mobile train, it's leaving the station!

2009-02-06T08:05:00.003-06:00

Do you have a moble site for your website or blog? The problem is that most websites are not designed to be displayed on a phone and consequently people struggle to find basic information about your business or organization.

“And it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are simple, free tools like MoFuse.com that allow you to accomplish this without advanced expertise. Here are a couple of sites where you can read more about MoFuse.” Thank you Bobby Gruenewald!

See this: http://beliefmarketing.mofuse.mobi

If you already have a mobile version of your blog or website, can you share the URL with our readers? Just post a comment…

Which comes first, the product or the marketing? ---by Seth Godin

2009-02-04T20:23:00.001-06:00

Well, if you define marketing as advertising, then it's clear you need the product first (Captain Crunch being the only exception I can think of... they made the ads first.) This great clip from Mad Men brings the point home. If the Kodak guys hadn't invented the Carousel slide projector, Don Draper could never have pitched this ad.

But wait. Marketing is not the same as advertising. Advertising is a tiny slice of what marketing is today, and in fact, it's pretty clear that the marketing has to come before the product, not after. As Jon points out, the Prius was developed after the marketing thinking was done. Jones Soda, too. In fact, just about every successful product or service is the result of smart marketing thinking first, followed by a great product that makes the marketing story come true.

If someone comes to you with a 'great' product that just needs some marketing, the game is probably already over. ---Seth Godin

Treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your very best customers.

2009-02-03T10:11:00.000-06:00

“Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your very best customers.”

“You can buy a person’s hand, but you can’t buy her heart.” Her heart is the epicenter of enthusiasm and loyalty.
“You can buy his back, but you can’t buy his brain.” His brain is that safe place where he keeps his creativity, ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Great leaders treat their employees as volunteers, just as you treat customers as volunteers. Why? Because that’s what they are and what they do.
They are paid to give you their backs and hands. They volunteer their best parts, THEIR HEARTS AND MINDS.

You would probably not have any problem telling an employee to “Shape up or ship out!”

What if your best customer came to you with a stinky attitude, complaining about something?
Would you tell them the same?

2009-02-03T08:29:00.003-06:00

You, like me are hearing sad stories of the economy every day. Don't get sucked into thinking it's all doom and gloom. You might be looking at your current resources and game plan and see a black hole in your future.

Add CREATIVITY to your equation. Don't just think outside of your box, leave your box entirely and get in someone elses box who has the same challenges you face, but is in a different business product or service catagory. Look for someone who does not seem to be participating in a negative economy.

I was at a men's meeting last night. One man is barely able to say anything positive about his business, in fact he said he is doing his best to stay positve during this economy. Another man across the table said he has just finished the best January he's ever had. He was even excited as he told us he was going to be able to give a chunk of money to a hurting family.
BOTH MEN ARE IN THE SAME BUSINESS.

"Creativity changes the game, whatever game is being played. "We're going to run out of cash by the end of the year," is accurate unless you count creativity into the equation. Then the accurate statement is, "Under the current rules and assumptions, we're going to run out of cash..." Big difference." ---Seth Godin

It's time for us to get creative with Current Rules and Assumptions"!

Craig's Swerve post...

2009-02-02T13:36:00.004-06:00

I am passing on something our pastor Craig Groeschel passed on to us this morning...

"Kendra’s been on our Central LifeKids Team for over five years. She’s an incredible team player and loves Jesus more than anything. She writes…

The LORD answered me and said, “Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run. For the vision is yet for the appointed time; it hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.” Habakkuk 2:2-3 NASB

I keep this on my computer desktop. I need it written plainly on tablets. It means many different things to me, but recently it came up in a conversation about the role of our LifeChurch.tv Central Team.

A Campus teammate described that he understood Central’s role to be like the bumpers on bowling alleys at kids’ birthday parties. Campus Teams can run around inside that area freely, but the bumpers are there to keep them from bouncing out of control into something that is out of line with who we are.

To me, this verse paints a much better picture of our Campus/Central relationship. Central’s role is to inscribe a clear and compelling vision. Those who read it can then grab it and run.

No bouncing around aimlessly against bumpers. Just running full out, all of us in the same direction.

I know our version of multi-site is different. I know our size isn’t normal either. But I’m tempted to guess that all ministries need this same kind of clearly recorded, always visible vision. So that those who read it may run.

What about your vision needs to be more clearly inscribed on tablets?

Is your team slamming into bumpers or sprinting in the right direction?

Do you have as hard a time waiting for the “appointed time” as I do?"

I AM LIKING THIS DESCRIPTION OF A CLEAR VISION FOR YOUR TEAM. WOW!

Things are Changing, Can You Keep Up?

2009-01-31T07:29:00.002-06:00

In my opinion the main reason we are living in Obama nation is because the Democrats embraced and understand the contents of this video better than the republicans.

Are you a bully? Do you deal with one?

2009-01-28T08:31:00.002-06:00

Another 2009 decision of mine is to pass on great thoughts and ideas when I read them or hear them.

Today:

Take the ball and go home --- by Seth Godin

Bullies can't be bullies when they are alone.

If you work with a bully, this is all you need to know. They need you.

A bully is someone who uses physical or psychological force to demean and demoralize someone else. A bully isn't challenging your ideas, or working with you to find a better outcome. A bully is playing a game, one that he or she enjoys and needs. You're welcome to play this game if it makes you happy, but for most people, it will make you miserable. So don't.

The way to work with a bully is not to try to please her or to question the quality of your work or to appease her or to hide from her.

The way to work with a bully is to take the ball and go home. First time, every time.

When there's no ball, there's no game. Bullies hate that. So they'll either behave so they can play with you or they'll go bully someone else.

Call her on her behavior (not who she is, but what she does). "I'm sorry, but when you talk to me like that, I'm unable to do good work. I'll be in my office if you need me." Then walk out, not in a huff, but with a measure of respect for the person (not the behavior).

This is a shocking piece of advice. It might even get you fired. But it will probably save your job and your sanity. Most bullies are deeply unhappy and you might just save their skin. If you're good at what you do, you deserve better than a bully.

Again---Seth Godin

2009 is a time for stretching, growing and knowing ALL things are spiritual!

2009-01-25T17:14:00.002-06:00

I don't know if anyone will read this blog update. I am making some changes inside and out.

I am challenging myself to learn more about internet social networks.

I just finished reading the book Tribes by Seth Godin. It's leadership for this time if you are interested in leading. Their are many new methods to embrace or reject.

Communication for business leaders and church leaders is changing. If you are willing to do a little bit of research, you can easily master new tools.

I am talking to myself. I will embrace my blog, FaceBook and Twitter in 2009. I will lead someone or many by being self-disciplined, consistent and transparent. I will begin by leading myself. If you want to come along for the ride. You are welcome, the water is warm.

Ten Steps to Consulting

2008-08-24T10:14:00.000-05:00

“A picture is worth a thousand words”

2008-08-11T23:12:00.000-05:00

What picture? Any picture? The truth is, a picture is worth a picture. It may or may not have a deeper meaning. The meaning of a picture is in the eye of the be-looker.

Is a word worth a thousand pictures?

Which word? Any word? The truth is, a word is worth a mental image and some words are worth several mental images. That’s what words do, they unlock mental images. We don’t think in words or pictures, we think in mental images.

If I say the word “ZEBRA”, a mental image floods your brain. You picture a creature from the equestrian family with dark brown and white stripes.
If I add two words, “ZEBRA AT ZOO”, many new images are unlocked. These mental images are both created in your brain’s Dorsolateral-Prefrontal-Association Area (your imagination) and also come from your Visual Association Area (the place visual images are stored).

Many years ago the was a national competition among authors. The rules were to write a story using only six words.

The winner: Earnest Hemmingway

The SIX-WORD Story:

“BABY SHOES FOR SALE... …NEVER WORN.”

The power of words unlock mental images… …need I say more?

The Smith's Home Make-Over

2008-07-31T10:12:00.000-05:00

I was priveledged to be a part of a grace-filled work of God. Watch the video and you'll see.

"Elapsed" the short film. Watch it now.

2008-07-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

Pictures I Took on the Movie Set of "Elapsed"

2008-06-14T23:07:00.005-05:00

I didn't take the picture of me...

Writing Memorable Ads

2008-06-04T14:24:00.000-05:00

I was surfing around and came across these elements of a great speech. (Thank you Toast Masters of New Zealand) Interestingly enough, most of it is what I use to write radio commercials!

Top 10 Elements Of A Great Speech:

1. Speak to their hearts - a great speech should be personal, touching your listeners in their head, heart or their wallet
2. Make it real - your listeners feel like they are living the moment with you.
3. Make it memorable - your listeners will remember your main point far into the future, even if they forget your name or speech title.
4. Make it valuable - give your listeners some useful information they can take away with them.
5. Connect with your audience - make your speech relevant through use of humor, personal stories, or your body language.
6. Make it fun - if you're having a good time, so will your audience.
7. Make it visual - use quotes, stories, anecdotes, props and word pictures so your listeners can see it with their mind's eye as well as hear it.
8. Make it passionate - if you really care about your topic, so will your audience.
9. Be enthusiastic - your enthusiasm is infectious.
10. Be clear, concise and brief - keep your words simple and to the point.

Top 10 Elements in Writing a Great Commercial

1. Speak to their hearts - A great radio commercial should be personal. In most cases, people listen to the radio alone in their cars. There may be 12,700 people listening at one time to your station, but they are all an audience of one. Use the word "YOU" as much as possible. "You" makes the listener an active participant in the ad.
2. Be Real - Avoid reading directly from a script. Use bullet points whenever possible and don't worry about saying something stupid. Mistakes can be edited out later. If you do use a script, make sure you write it the way real people speak. Always use contractions. Don't use what I call, "Ad Speak". Ad Speak is the language you hear in commercials every day that no one actually uses in real life. MRS.JOHNSON: "Hey there Timmy, we are all out of bathroom tissue at our house. Do you think you could ask your mother is we could borrow some of yours?" TIMMY: "Hi Mrs. Johnson, I would really like to share our family's best kept secret with you. We use Charmin bathroom tissue. It's squeezably soft and it two-ply." That conversation never happened anywhere in real life. A real conversation would sound like this: MRS: JOHNSON: "Timmy, check with your mom and see if we can have a couple of rolls of toilet paper." TIMMY: "OK, I'll be right back!" Don't force a situation into a commercial that would not happen in real life, unless you are doing it to be funny!
3. Make it Memorable - In the context of your commercials add in things people have associative memories with. Tell a story they can relate to. A story linked to the core values of the listener. They won't forget it.
4. Educate - Teach the listener something they didn't know. Give them new information about something they do know about. Give them information they would love to share with other people.
5. Connect the Listeners - Don't take yourself too serious. Be humorous when it makes sense. Don't be afraid to tell personal stories, people relate to real personal stories. They have most likely been through similar issues, whether good or bad.
6. Be Fun - Smile and laugh while you are recording, people know when you are having a good time. Allow them to participate.
7. Make it Visual - Use rich words to paint vivid pictures and allow the listener to paint images on the canvas of his mind. These images will be remembered longer than the ones they see with their eyes.
8. Be Passionate - The reason I like to use the business owner as spokesperson most of the time is because they have the most skin in the game. They have the most to win and the most to lose. They are usually the company's best sales person, because they were the original and first salesperson that trained all of the other sales people in the very beginning. He or she is most passionate!
9. Be Clear and Brief - Great writers know where to begin, where to end and equally important, what to leave out.
10. Keeping in line with number 9, you can't share your entire message and story in one ad. You need to create a campaign of ads that dove-tail together unfolding your story a bit at a time. Over time the audience will get to know you and like you. "All things being equal, people do business with people they like. All things not being equal, people do business with people they like!"

Business Runs on Relationships, Relationships Take Time.

Sherri Allsbury on GetRealVideo.com

2008-05-29T20:34:00.001-05:00

Get Real Video I

Get Real Video II

Get Real Video III

BeaconFineHomes.com

2008-05-28T17:56:00.001-05:00

Here's another video from GetRealVideo.com. Our goal is to portray people as the really are in real life. You see the video on their website and get to know and like them, before you ever meet them.

New Testimonial Video

2008-05-28T17:49:00.001-05:00

Christian Companion Senior Care is very unique. They are legally able to hire only
Christians to work as care givers. Why? It's part of the job description.

We did this video last week for their website.

Farming 101---8 Steps for Tripling the Number of New Referrals to Your Law Firm in 90 Days

2008-05-26T09:48:00.003-05:00

You don't have to be an attorney to get business help from Mr. Fairley!

Posted on October 3, 2007 by Stephen Fairley on The Rainmaker Blog

In my last post, we discussed the 4 myths about referrals believed by legal professionals:

• Clients are the best source of new referrals. False!
• Most legal referrals come from other lawyers. False!
• Online legal directories can produce a lot of new clients fast. False!
• Formal Networking is a great way to find new clients. False!

If these are myths, then what is the best source of referrals? Strategic Referral Partners (SRPs) are the best source of new referrals. SRPs are people who already have a relationship with or already do business with the people you want to reach.

For example, if you target small business owners, a few potential SRPs are:
• Accountants & CPS
• Financial planners
• Insurance brokers
• Commercial real estate agents
• Community bankers
• Payroll processing agents
• Chambers of commerce
• Industry-specific trade associations
• Temporary staffing agencies
• Management consultants & business coaches
• Executive and Management Recruiters
• Angel investors and small private equity firms
• Commercial lenders
• CEO-only clubs (YEO, YPO or WPO groups)

By building a network of people who already have relationships with your ideal target market, you can reap the benefits of more referrals

There are 8 easy steps attorneys can use to create a network of Strategic Referral Partners:

1. Identify the best 2-3 professions or industries where you can find SRPs. You don’t need to focus on all the groups above, only the 2 or 3 which have the best connection with your ideal client.

2. Create a database of at least 200-300 people in these fields who work in your local area. This should include every person who has ever referred someone to you as well as every professional service provider your current & former clients have worked with. If you still need more names you can either purchase a list of names or go to http://www.superpages.com and search for the industry or profession, like “accountant” or “financial planner” and then enter in your zip code. This is a great little tool to quickly build a database.

3. Write up a letter of introduction to serve as a template. This letter introduces who you are, briefly describes your ideal target market, what's different about your law firm, and requests that they contact you if they are interested in getting together to determine if the possibility exists for cross-referrals.

4. Call several people in these fields to identify their challenges. Before you meet with a prospective SRP, be sure to contact some people you already know in these fields to discover common industry trends and challenges so you can talk intelligently about the field when you meet with the potential SRP.

5. Send out 10-20 letters per week. Do not send a bunch of letters at once, pace yourself. For each letter you send out, plan on having your assistant make 6-8 calls to try and reach the person you sent the letter to. So 10-20 letters can represent 60 to 100 calls over a month—that’s a lot of dialing. The purpose of your call is two-fold: to see if they are interested in getting together or not (about 30-50% will be based on our experience) and second, to set an appointment if they are.

6. Create a spreadsheet to track your efforts. Include information like: when you sent the letter out, date of first call, date of 2nd call, date when you actually spoke to them, whether they agreed to meet with you in person, when the meeting took place, if they agreed to be a referral source for you, date of first referral, etc.

7. Follow up on your letters with a call within 3-4 days to set up a face to face meeting. The goal is to set up 1 to 2 in-person meetings per week. The in- person meeting is critical because it allows you to start the process of building a relationship with the person and educating them about what kind of referrals you are looking for. During this meeting you should only talk about 25% of the time and listen/ask powerful questions 75% of the time. Be clear about your goal and ask them if they would be willing to be a referral partner for you. Be clear about what you can and cannot offer them in return.

8. Immediately follow up each meeting with a thank you letter or email. This will set you apart as someone who is professional and follows up. Create a plan to stay in touch with each person at least every 6-8 weeks via email, telephone, letter, or newsletter. In your follow up remind them of the exact kind of referral you are looking for and how you can help them in their business as well. For this system to work you must approach it as a ‘win-win’.

Skeptical? Of course you are, but we have taught this easy step-by-step system to hundreds of attorneys and they have used this exact process to quickly build networks of 50-60 new referral sources in 90 days.

What would happen to your law practice if you could have 20, 40, or even 60 new referral sources every single year who consistently send you new clients?

Loss Leader Losers!

2008-05-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

Loss leaders are goods or services offered at steep discounts (generally below cost) in order to attract new customers to a store. It is a time-honored practice that has been met with much success, especially by large discount retailers. The intent of this pricing strategy is to not only having the customer buy the (loss leader) sale item, but other products that are not discounted.

Precision Tune Auto Care's main loss leader is the oil change. In our city, you can get an oil change there for about twenty bucks. If you change your own oil, you'll pay between twelve and twenty dollars for five quarts of oil and an oil filter. As you can see, it's a loss leader.

For dentists the loss leader is usually a teeth cleaning or free x-rays or a combination of the two.

Your local grocery store usually publishes its loss leaders in the paper or in their circular ads. Popular loss leaders for them are products like Coke, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi or other beverages.

A loss leader for a bank is free checking and free checks. I recently got ad-letter from Chase Bank. They are willing to give me $50 if I open an account there.

A loss leader for your cell phone company is your cell phone. They will give phones away all day long in order to get people to sign up for two years.

If you decide to use a loss leader to get new business, be smart and never get sideways with a customer over the loss leader. Let me give you a real T-Mobile example. My wife and I have been using T-Mobile for our cell phone service for the past five years. It's been pretty good with fairly good service when I travel. A few weeks ago my wife broke her phone and needed a new one. I stopped in and picked one up on a Monday morning. It had a built in mp3 player and a few other bells and whistles she never touched. On Thursday of the same week it quit working. The battery cover wouldn't fit right and it kept shutting itself off. I got all of the wires and parts together and returned it to trade it for another. I spoke to a little phone-nerd named Pat. He said, "I'm sorry this phone got wet and we won't be able to help you with a new phone. You'll have to buy a new one." I smiled and kindly let him know the phone did not get wet and I would like to have a different one. Pat handed me a brochure from a local company that fixes phones that have been water damaged. I showed him the phone, how it doesn't close properly and asked again for another phone. Any phone, I need to talk to my wife, a lot. We have five kids and one of them is in need all of the time. Again, he said no and I'd have to buy a brand new phone and since I just got a new one, I couldn't get a discounted one. I smiled at him one more time and said, "If I walk out the door, I will be looking for the T-Mobile off-ramp and I will find it. Are you sure you want to lose thousands of my annual dollars over a fifty dollar phone?" Pat said he was sorry he couldn't help me and told me to go get my phone fixed. I got Sherri a new phone and am shopping for a new company to give thousands of dollars to.

If you get sideways with me over an oil change, you'll never get my brake and engine work.

If you get sideways with me over x-rays, you'll never do my root canal and crown.

If you get sideways with me over a bottle of $.99 Diet Dr. Pepper, I won't be buying your produce, dairy and meat.

Am I making you some cents?

The Definition of Value

2008-05-13T09:42:00.000-05:00

Scenario #1
Your spouse asks you to stop by Sam’s Wholesale Club to pick up disposable cups, plates and flatware for an event you are hosting. You like to look around Sam’s while you’re there. You stop by the apparel section and notice a sign that says genuine full-length fox fur. You mosey over to check out the prices. They have one hundred and thirty-five full length fur coats packed tightly around a circular stainless steel clothing rack. You grab one of the sleeves to check out the tag. It’s two-thousand-four-hundred and ninety-five dollars. You think to yourself, that’s a crazy high price for a coat!

Scenario #2
You are in Chicago visiting some friends. You are walking downtown. You walk past Sacs 5th Avenue, a landmark jewelry store and you step into an elegant little fur store. The showroom only has five on display at any one time. These are full length minks and grey fox coats. The kind you see on people who hang out with The Donald. Each coat is strategically merchandised and individually lit with five halogen bulbs. They are like diamonds glittering on black velvet. You step near a grey fox, stroke the back of your hand down the sleeve and gently flip over the tag and look at the price. It’s $2495.00. You think to yourself, “WOW! That’s a good deal for a coat like that!”

It’s the exact same coat. At one store you choke at the price and at the other you are pleasantly surprised.

I watched a Cosby Show episode a long time ago. It was the last season of the show. The second youngest daughter Vanessa came home from college winter break her freshman year, she brought her brand new husband home with her! She didn’t bother telling her family she got married. On top of that, she married the college janitor who was twelve years her senior. After the parent’s anger subsided, Heathcliff found out the new husband was a military veteran, who had a master’s degree and owned his house free and clear. I’ll never forget how the wise Cosby dad explained the situation. He said, “Vanessa my dear, you brought me a delicious steak dinner with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans with almonds. But, you served it to me on a dirty trashcan lid.”

Many times business owners have products and services other people need, but they are serving them up on dirty trashcan lids. Poor sales, marketing and merchandising lowers the anticipated cost. When people arrive and discover your price is higher. The “poor value” light starts flashing in their head.

Fortunately, the opposite is also true.

Awkward!

2008-05-12T12:50:00.000-05:00

No More Posers!

2008-05-07T16:03:00.001-05:00

The past three generations have grown up on TV and radio commercials. They are cliché, full of hype and B.S. (Barbara Streisand).

Today people have a built in BS-O-Meter, the younger you are, the more sensitive it is.

In my business I have come up with a way to help business owners, ministry leaders and politicians become more effective on their websites.

The answer is what we call a "Get Real" video. We spend 1-2 hours shooting the business owner or politician and then edit it down to a 2-4 minute video. We capture the moments when passion and reality rises to the surface.

A good example is www.PrecisionTuneOK.com .

Please check it out and if you have some people in your circle who are running for office and need a dose of passion and reality, please send them to www.GetRealVideo.com .

Our introductory offer is $600.00 for a 2-4 minute video profile and $600.00 for a 2-4 minute testimonial video with up to four different people giving testimonials. If we have to travel outside of our city limits, we will have to add mileage onto the cost. (You may have noticed the price of gas lately.)

We will do the primary business profile and three testimonials for $1000.00 if all participants will agree to show up at the set, at the same time.

We shoot with a professional Panasonic DVX camera and do our editing with the latest version of Final Cut Studio.

Industry standard for this type of production is around $1000.00 per produced minute. We are going to keep our price low until we have over 30 profiles and testimonials in our portfolio. To date we have a dozen.

We also have the ability to create 30 second TV and radio commercials from the footage we have taken.

Our video shooter and editor is Tony Silva. He also creates Christian movies and documentaries. You may have come across his most recent work on YouTube. Click Here.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Brian King 1966 - 2008

2008-05-06T04:46:00.003-05:00

"Men are in a restless pursuit after satisfaction in earthly things. They will exhaust themselves in the deceitful delights of sin, and, finding them all to be vanity and emptiness, they will become very perplexed and disappointed. But they will continue their fruitless search. Though wearied, they still stagger forward under the influence of spiritual madness, and though there is no result to be reached except that of everlasting disappointment, yet they press forward. They have no forethought for their eternal state; the present hour absorbs them. They turn to another and another of earth's broken cisterns, hoping to find water where not a drop was ever discovered yet." - Charles Spurgeon

Every Spring I take some time off from writing, I usually hold off until something significant kicks me back into writing gear. This time my kick off is due to the passing of a friend. The passing of a person I respect and admire. I thought of my friend Brian when I read that Spurgeon quote above. Why? Because he lived the opposite of that described in the quote. Brian pursued heavenly things, he did the best he could to stay away from sin, vanity and emptiness, he was focused on his eternal state. He was not absorbed by the present, but kept his focus on the future, making things better at home, at work and at church. He knew where to find the living water of Jesus Christ and he spend time drinking it in.

Robert Bryan (Brian) King, age 42, died in single engine plane crash this past Saturday evening around 7pm. He leaves behind his lovely wife Traci and three very sweet daughters.

Brian was a youth pastor for many years in the Church of Christ before entering the business world. He sold recreational boats for several years and then became a partner with Grimaud Enterprises as a Precision Tune Auto Care franchise developer in Alabama and Georgia.

You can take the man out of the church, but you can't take the pastor out of the man. (At least not this man.) I was hanging out with Brian for a few days last year, during the business day we stopped by a little house, picked up a young man and took him to a court hearing. He was one of Brian's employees who was in trouble with the law. Brian was very patient with, and encouraging to him.

At home Brian wasn't just a father, he was the caring daddy of three little girls. I witnessed him lead his family in love, laughter and all things spiritual.

Brian started flying airplanes when he was a teenager. Piloting his beautiful 1948 Beechcraft Bonanza was something he loved very much. He led a high stress life and flying helped him releave much of it. North May - PTAC

As sad as this event is, it is just an event. As sure as I am writing this on my balcony, overlooking the playground where my three year old son AJ is playing, Brian is being ushered into the thrown room of God. I know he is hearing the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

Brian King 1966-2008

Please pray for Traci and the girls.

Tracy Markum of LifeFusion.tv

2008-04-09T01:57:00.001-05:00

Tracy is a good friend and video business card client of ours.

http://www.livevideo.com

Avery Allsbury at Mitch Park in Edmond

2008-04-07T20:16:00.000-05:00

New Video Coming

2008-03-26T13:25:00.003-05:00

Tony Silva has been working on some new video stuff for me.

Coming soon...

Thoughts from a mentor and friend...

2008-03-22T11:41:00.010-05:00

Almost a decade ago, I was a radio advertising sales rep. One of the weakest areas radio stations have, is consistent sales training. (If any at all!) I was fortunate enough to work for a station that hired one of the best marketing minds and sales trainers in the country. His name: Chuck Mefford. His company: Lighthouse Communications. After my first day of his training, it became my goal to get to know him and pick his brain for every nugget possible. We eventually became friends and even worked together as partners in a nationally known marketing firm.

If you own a business or lead people in any arena, take his words to heart...
(Keep in mind he is speaking to radio station sales managers)

Top 10 Traits Of Winning Sales Managers

Integrity - Honesty and fairness in all situations, from account reassignments to office conflicts.

Leadership - People work for leaders, not managers. Lead by example.

Top-Notch Recruiting Skills - They are skills! Find the best players, have a "bench" ready.

Developing Your People - Training systems are mandatory!

Knowing How to Maximize the Franchise - You lose money every day that goes by if you haven't sold all the available inventory and nonspot revenue opportunities for the maximum value.

Keeping Troops in the Loop - The right hand must know what the left hand is doing. Effective communication systems maximize team synergy.

Motivation - "Cookie-cutter" management is dead. Know each person's hot button.

Visionary - You control the future by having a strategic plan.

Goal-Oriented - Besides budgets, winning managers have written goals for all aspects of their lives.

Understanding How to Brand the (Radio Station)Cluster - In the minds of your advertisers, position your identity as a "full-service" marketing organization.

Radio Ink Magazine
by Chuck Mefford

Freebies Aren't Free!

2008-03-10T11:09:00.001-05:00

How much advertising money should a company spend on promotional items like pens, golf balls, and magnetic business cards with thermometer strip and post-it notes with their logo on it?

In most cases I would say ZERO.

Your advertising budget is there to pay for advertising. My definition of advertising is: “Paying to reach people with your message that you are not reaching with your location and through customer referrals”.

I usually encourage people to pay for business trinkets out of the “office supplies” budget.
That’s where most of that stuff gets its biggest bang for the buck.

If however you have the ability to use the trinkets to make people think of you and feel best about you, then do it.

True story:

This past week I e-mailed a PDF file to my printer on Tuesday. I called on Wednesday to make sure it was received. I let them know on the phone and in the e-mail I would be picking it up at noon on Thursday. I arrived at the printer’s at 1pm and they had not done the printing. This was out of the norm for them, so I ran another errand, came back and it was ready. I was now running late and a bit irritated. The young lady behind the register gave me a sincere apology and then asked me what my favorite color was. I told her it was green and she bolted to the back room and returned with a nice (not great), but a nice green pen. She said. “I know this won’t make up for us not having your printing ready, but I want you to have this.”

I found myself happy and content, feeling good about my printer. Was it because of the free pen? No, it’s because she made the free pen about me. If she had placed the free pen in the bag with my papers, I would not have noticed it. I would have placed it in the pen holder in my car and not given it a thought. She asked me what MY favorite color was and then ran to her office and brought me a “custom” pen, made just for me, because I am special!

If you have little give-a-way items, how can you make receiving it “about the customer”?

One of my clients is a dentist. For years he has given away quality toothbrushes and floss to all of his patients. They receive it in a little baggy with their bill when they leave. What if, the very last thing the receptionist did was ask them two questions.
1. What’s your favorite color?
2. Do you like soft, medium or firm bristles on your toothbrush?

Then she steps around the corner and retrieves a “custom” toothbrush made just for you!

One more quick question, do you like mint flavored or plain dental floss?

Yes, it’s one more thing to think about, but it is a way to make every patient feel special that is both measurable and reward-able. As a business owner, you should be looking for ways to reward your staff for making your customers feel special.

At Precision Tune Auto Care, I encourage the owners to spend the money they used to spend on key chains and air fresheners on a little refrigerator and pop. While your oil is being changed, I ask our managers to offer you a refreshing soda or water and then serve it to you with a napkin or paper towel. Most people who have their car serviced don’t know if it was actually serviced or not. They don’t really know if they received good service or not.

They will however notice and take note that they were offered a free cold beverage on a hot day or a hot beverage on a cold day.

I don't know if this is real or not. It works in Randy world.

2008-02-28T09:01:00.003-06:00

YOU WILL FIND THE SECRET SERVICE VIEWS ON THE PERSONALITIES OF PAST
PRESIDENTS TO BE QUITE INTERESTING.

For those who don't know... Capt. Denny Keast flies for UAL and flew many
SAM's (Special Air Mission 's) for the White House.

********************************************************

I flew 4 Presidential support missions in the C-141 out of Dover AFB, DE..
Two for President Johnson and two for President Nixon.

Johnson was a first class jerk and on the two occasions I flew for him, if
the Secret Service and their Liaison in the Pentagon ha dn't intervened, we
would have had to stay on the airplane for hours while he ( Johnson) was off
somewhere. Nixon never required that and the four (4) stops we made with him
he was cordial to the Secret Service and to me and my crew.

We had a neighbor when I lived in DC who was part of the secret service
presidential detail for many years. His stories of Kennedy and Johnson were
the same as those I heard from the guys who flew the presidents' plane

Yes, Kennedy did have Marilyn Monroe flown in for secret "dates," and LBJ
was a typical Texas "good ole boy" womanizer. Nixon, Bush 41, and Carter
never cheated on the ir wives. Clinton cheated, but couldn't match Kennedy
or LBJ in style or variety.

The information below is accurate: The elder Bush and current president Bush
make it a point to thank and take care of the air crews who fly them around.
When the president flies, there are several planes that also go, one carries
the armored limo, another the security detail, plus usually a press
aircraft.

Both Bushes made it a point to stay home on holidays, so the Air Force and
security people could have a day with their families.

Hillary Clinton was arrogant and orally abusive to her security detail. She
forbade her daughter, Chelsea, from exchanging pleasantries with them.
Sometimes Chelsea , miffed at her mother's obvious conceit and mean
spiritedness, ignored her demands and exchanged pleasantries regardless, but
never in her mother's presence. Chelsea really was a nice, kindhearted, and
lovely young lady. The consensus opinion was that Chelsea loved her Mom but
did not like her. Hillary Clinton was continuously rude and abrasive to
those who were charged to protect her life. Her security detail dutifully
did their job, as professionals should, but they all loathed her and wanted
to be on a different detail.

Hillary Clinton was despised by the Secret S e rvice as a whole. Former
President Bill Clinton was much more amiable than his wife. Often the Secret
Service would cringe at the verbal attacks Hillary would use against her
husband. They were embarrassed for his sake by the manner and frequency in
which she verbally insulted him, sometimes in the presence of the Secret
Service, and sometimes behind closed doors. Even behind closed doors Hillary
Clinton would scream and holler so loudly that everyone could hear what she
was saying. Many felt sorry for President Clinton and most wondered why he
tolerated it instead of just divorcing his "attack dog" wife. It was crystal
clear that the Clinton 's neither liked nor respected each other and this was
true long before the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Theirs was genuinely a
"marriage of convenience."

Chelsea was much closer to her father than her mother, even after the
Lewinsky scandal, which hurt her gravely. Bill Clinton di d in fact have
charisma, and occasionally would smile at or shake hands with his security
detail. Still, he always displayed an obvious air of superiority towards
them. His security detail uniformly believed him to be disingenuous, false,
and that he did nothing without a motive that in some way would enhance his
image and political career. He was polite, but not kind. They did not
particularly like him and nobody trusted him.

Al Gore was the male version of Hillary Clinton. They were friendlier toward
each other than either of them were towards former President Clinton. They
were not intimate, so please don't read that in. They were very close in a
political way. Tipper Gore was generally nice and pleasant. She initially
liked Hillary but soon after the election she had her "pegged" and no longer
liked her or associated with her except for events that were politically
obligatory.

Al Gor e was far more left wing than Bill Clinton. Al Gore resented Bill
Clinton and thought he was too "centrist." He despised all Republicans. His
hatred was bitter and this was long before he announced for the Presidency.
This hatred was something that he and Hillary had in common They often said
as much, even in the presence of their security detail. Neither of them
trusted Bill Clinton and, the Secret Service opined, neither of them even
liked him. Bill Clinton did have some good qualities, whereas Al Gore and
Hillary had none, in the view of their security details.

Al Gore, like Hillary, was very rude and arrogant toward his security
detail. He was extremely unappreciative and would not hesitate to scold them
in the presence of their peers for minor details over which they had no
control. Al Gore also looked down on them, as they finally observed and
learned with certainty on one occasion. Al got angry at his offspring and pointed at his security detail and said, "Do you want to grow up and be like
them?" Word of this insult by the former Vice-President quickly spread and
he became as disliked by the Secret Service as Hillary. Most of them prayed
Al Gore would not be elected President, and they really did have private
celebrations in a few of their homes after President Bush won. This was not
necessarily to celebrate President Bush's election, but to celebrate Al
Gore's defeat.

Everyone in the Secret Service wants to be on First Lady Laura Bush's
detail. Without exception, they concede that she is perhaps the nicest and
most kind person they have ever had the privilege of serving. Where Hillary
patently refused to allow her picture to be taken with her security detail,
Laura Bush doesn't even have to be asked, she offers. She doesn't just shake
their hand and say, "Thank you." Very often, she will give members of her
detail a kindhearted hug to express her appreciation. There is nothing false
about her. This is her genuine nature. Her security detail considers her to
be a "breath o f fresh air." They joke that comparing Laura Bush with Hillary
Clinton is like comparing "Mother Teresa" with the "Wicked Witch of the
North."

Likewise, the Secret Service considers President Bush to be a gem of a man
to work for. He always treats them with genuine respect and he always trusts
and listens to their expert advice. They really like the Crawford, Texas
detail. Every time the president goes to Crawford he has a Bar-B-Q for his
security detail and he helps serve their meals. He sits with them, eats with
them, and talks with them.. He knows each of them by their first name, and
calls them by their first name as a show of affection. He always asks about
their family, the names of which he always remembers. They believe that he
is deeply and genuinely appreciative of their service. They could not like,
love, or respect anyone more than President Bush. Most of them did not know
they would feel this way, until they had an opportunity to work for him and
learn that his manner was genuine and consistent. It has never changed since
he began his Presidency. He always treats them with the utmost respect,
kindness, and compassion.

Please pass this on. It is important for Americans to have a true inside
understanding of their President. And also the woman who is currently a
candidate for president..

Viva Transparency!! by Michele Miller

2008-02-27T08:03:00.004-06:00

It seems that Dr. Jarvik of Lipitor commercial fame isn't all that people might think he's cracked up to be. Turns out that while he's a respected medical researcher and inventor, he's never actually had a license to practice medicine. Anyone who's watched those ads might find that to be a little surprising.

And those ads where he's rowing on peaceful body of water? Ain't him. And ain't never gonna be him, 'cuz Dr. Jarvik doesn't row... at all. The dude you see rowing is a body double.

What kills me is Pfizer's (and their ad agency's) inability to say, "Hey - we screwed up." Pressured by Congress, this is what the spokesperson for the company had to say about Pfizer's decision to pull the Jarvik campaign (on which they've already spent close to $140 million dollars):

"The way in which we presented Dr. Jarvik in these ads has, unfortunately, led to misimpression and distractions..."

Oh. So it was the customer's fault. Glad we cleared that up.

Look for increased pressure on companies to produce campaigns that are authentic and transparent, especially if the upcoming presidential election creates the shift in our society that many are predicting will happen. Holly and I sure see it - we've even devoted an entire chapter on the subject in our new book.

Michele Miller

Would You Like to Be a Commodity? Turtle Power 2

2008-02-18T12:16:00.001-06:00

There are two kinds of shoppers at any one time and we are both.

Sometimes we are in “commodity” mode, which means we are looking for what we consider to be "just a commodity" and our only concern is paying more than we absolutely had to pay. We consider ourselves to be enough of an expert, we can make a buying decision alone. Some might call this a transactional purchase. A good example is the difference between an oil change and actually having your car worked on. Most people know an oil change is a relativaly simple service and we are willing to let almost any car care shop change the oil. (Unless you drive an exotic car) Thus, an oil change has become a commodity and our only concern is paying more than we had to pay.

Then there are times when we are in “relational” shopping mode. If your car needs more than an oil change and you know nothing about cars, you begin to shift into relational mode. This is where you begin to ask neighbors and friends where they take their cars for bigger maintenance and repair issues. You are now officially looking for an expert you can trust.

An oil change is a one time commodity purchase from anyone. For bigger car maintenance and repair issues, we like to have a relationship with someone we can trust.

You might have noticed, most advertising out there today, is commodity or price driven. Most advertisers don’t understand we aren’t always looking for the lowest price. As business owners we need to understand the lowest price is NOT always the winner. The lowest price matters most to people who consider you a commodity.

Is that the kind of person you want to attract?

Is it your desire to be a commodity, or an expert people can trust?

I will not be offended if you unsubscribe!

2008-02-15T16:18:00.003-06:00

All change is difficult. Even good change. If you are receiving this BLOG newsletter and you do not wish to see or read the Belief Marketing Memo, please hit the unsubscribe button below.

If however you like, please let me know by yelling really loud so I can hear you.

By accident I copied and pasted a bunch of e-mail addresses that were not getting my memo.

Please don't put me in the catagory with replica watches, viagra and weird stock opportunities.

Randy Allsbury

Relational Ads vs. Commodity Ads

2008-02-10T14:28:00.003-06:00

There are two kinds of shoppers at any one time and we are both.

I'm reposting this...

Core Values in Marketing

2008-02-09T10:09:00.000-06:00

If you'd rather listen than read, click here.

In the early 1990’s I had an epiphany. I realized it is possible to have, or at least feel like you have a relationship with someone you have never met in person. They may not have one with you, but you can most assuredly have one with them.

I worked in a warehouse everyday and as long as I got my work done, I could listen to the radio or cassette tapes on my Sony Walkman. Do you remember cassette tapes? Every day I would listen to John Maxwell leadership tapes in the morning and after lunch I listened to the Rush Limbaugh talk radio show. It was a Friday afternoon, early in 1991. My wife, I and our friends Robert and Beth Tippett drove to Kansas City from Joplin, Missouri to see Rush Limbaugh in person at what was called “The Rush to Excellence Tour”. At the event, I purchased a black baseball cap that had Rush’s signature embroidered across the front of the hat. In those days I was even more naïve than I am today and had no idea Rush Limbaugh might be an irritation to some people. We got back to Joplin very late Friday night.

The next morning I had a mid-morning board meeting at church. Did I mention I was also on staff as the children’s minister at Fir Road Christian Church? I proudly wore my new head-gear to this meeting of elders, deacons and various church leaders. A lady named older, I’ll call Jane, whom I had known since kindergarten blind-sided me, berating and vilifying Mr. Limbaugh. She told me all kinds of evil things he stood for and how he is a hater of this and that. She went on and on. I immediately dug in my heals and began to defend Rush as though he were my own brother. I was visualizing myself physically hurting this woman for attacking my dear friend. The friend I had never met. The friend I had only seen in person one time from the nose-bleed section of a theater in Kansas City.

I got home later from the church meeting still wounded from the attack on my “friend”. I had to have a serious talk with myself. “Randy, you have known Jane for about 20 years personally and she is a good friend of your parents. You have listened to Rush on the radio for about a year. Why on earth did you take up such an offense today, for a man you have never met, nor will ever?”

My relationship with Jane was never the same and I never understood why until I spent some time a decade later with BJ Bueno. He is a marketing guy who specializes in the area of “Cult Brands”. His first book, (which I recommend) is called The Power of Cult Branding. I’m not talking about some kind of weird satan worship. There are brands in the marketplace considered to have a “cult” following of people. They may not be the biggest companies; they just have the most loyal, die-hard customers. Through meticulous research and scores of interviews, BJ and his buddy Matt Ragas uncovered the remarkable, untold stories behind nine very successful Cult Brands. The brands studied were Apple, Jimmy Buffett, Harley Davidson, Linux computer operating systems, Oprah Winfrey, Star Trek, Vans skateboarding shoes, VW beetle and (at the time) the World Wresting Federation.

Here’s basically what Mr. Bueno taught me. It’s not the product or service that pulls together this “cult” following of customer evangelists. It is their shared core values.

Your core values are as much a part of your being as your arm or your leg. As a matter of fact some people are willing to give up an arm or a leg for their values. We call these people the U.S. Military. These are people willing to give their lives for what they believe in, for their values.

In the same way, Harley riders around the country are a family. When they see each other on the road, they feel a kinship. They are seeing a member of their “tribe”.

I use a PC, but my daughter Ashley is a member of the Apple/Mac community. Mac users feel like they are part of a special computer movement. Most are even a bit smug about their Macishness. Even though Mac computer sales are a fraction of PC’s, they know they are in a special club. It’s like they have a secret, an inward confidence in their machine. The people at Apple have tapped into a special set of values Mac users have in common and they refuse sell out or violate the values.

Ok, back to my Jane and Rush story. My sticking up for Rush had nothing to do with real friendship, again, I have never met the man. When Jane attacked Rush, she attacked my core values. I have many of the same conservative social and fiscal political beliefs and values. She wasn’t just attacking Rush, she was attacking me, my father, my friend Robert, my wife and my version of “The Stars and Stripes”! “Randy-World” was under attack and I had to defend the borders.

In the same way Harley-Davidson riders aren’t standing up for a motorcycle, they are standing up for a lifestyle that represents a certain set of values.

Soooo… What does this have to do with Owner Branding and your business?

Allow me to give you an illustration in order to bring this closer to home.

You have recently moved to a new community. You are in need of a new family dentist. You are a card carrying member of Boxer Dog Rescue Society, which means you volunteer your time to help lost or abandoned Boxer dogs find good safe homes. You have been the foster home for a young male named “Dozer” for the past two weeks. Today you are delivering Dozer to his new home. You arrive at a beautiful home; a lovely, sweet lady answers the door with her two very well behaved elementary aged children who are very excited to have a playmate for their other Boxer. Her name is “Lady”. Within minutes, the dad comes in to visit with you and ask a few questions about Dozer. During the conversation you find out he and his wife have been a part of Boxer Rescue in the past. As you are leaving, you exchange contact information and discover he is a local family dentist.

When the time comes to set that first dental appointment, whose name will you Google first?

Why him? You have no idea if he is any good as a dentist.

Most of all, YOU LIKE HIM; you have a common bond very few people can understand or appreciate. To you and to the dentist there is something special and majestic about dogs and especially Boxers. You have a friend and the only way he will not be your dentist in the future, is if you can’t find him or if his staff offends you or he turns out to be a very, very bad dentist. I repeated “very” because dog-lover-values commonality will make you overlook many sins.

The money quote: "All things being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust. All things not being equal, people will do business with, and refer business to, those people they know, like and trust."
WHEN PEOPLE BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE SAME CORE VALUES, THEY FEEL THEY KNOW YOU, THEY LIKE YOU AND THEY TRUST YOU UNTIL YOU GIVE THEM A REASON NOT TO!

Cool Idea Video

2008-02-06T07:35:00.000-06:00

Jack-Rabbit UTOPIA

2008-02-04T00:17:00.000-06:00

If you didn't read last week's memo, please give it a scan before you read on today. Click here.

Today I would like to tell you a new Turtle and Rabbit story.

The Rabbit represents 97% of advertising going on in the world today. It is made up of a series of sprints no one remembers. I'm not saying they are not effective, I am saying they are not remembered over the long haul. Rabbit advertising reaches people who are in the market right now for your products and services. (Exactly, who are they and how do you find them?)

I've learned how to write sprint ads as well as anyone. I however choose to call them "Event Ads" and I rarely write them. One of my mentors, heroes and friends is Chuck Mefford. Almost a decade ago he taught me how to write a proper event commercial. For short he called it a U.T.O.P.I.A. ad.

I want to make something clear. Just because I know how to do something, does not necessarily make it the right thing to do. I don't even think Chuck still teaches this. It was helpful to me when I first got into advertising.

Urgency---You have to give the public a time limit or an impending event that gives the them a short window in which to participate in the opportunity you are offering. If the shopper does not make a move right now, they will miss out. They will lose something they need or want, forever.

Theme---What product or service is this?

Offer---Why do I (the customer) care?

Price---How much is this going to cost me? Can I (the customer) afford the total price, the payment or the interest?

Item---Specifically what am I getting and what am I not getting?

Action---A call to ACTION. Ask the customer to take some kind of step in your direction to find out more, where to go, what to ask in order for them to take advantage of this "once in a lifetime" chance.

Car dealers are the masters of Jack-Rabbit-UTOPIA. The ads are crammed full of hype, dates, prices and impending event closing lines. The goal of most car ads is to reach people who are in the market this very second for a new set of wheels.

Jack-Rabbit UTOPIA has two major challenges:

1. Only about 2% of the public is in the market for the average product or service at any one time. This may be less and may be more depending on the product or service and the publics buying cycle of it. Buying Cycle is how often the public needs or wants your service or how often the public needs or wants to buy your product again. If you own a Bar-B-Que restaurant, this might be once a month. If you own a car dealership it could be every 2-3 years. If you own a furniture store the buying cycle can be up to every 7-9 years!

2. The other main problem is these types of ads are erased from our brains as soon as the date passes. Sleep erases your short term electric memory of all things no longer relevant. Face it, your event or big blow out sale is no longer relevant one second after it ends. NO LONGTERM BRANDING TAKES PLACE! Ok, that's not completely true. If your advertising plan is an ongoing series of sales events, the public's long-term chemical memory will remember that you have sales on a consistent basis. You will train them to keep their eyes open for your next big sales event.

Ok, Randy, why on earth did you spend this much teaching me how to write a commercial having two such huge flaws?

Good question. The answer is this there are times in the advertising world when and where you need a big fat dose of Jack-Rabbit UTOPIA. Remember, I told you this is a great way to advertise AN EVENT. When you are advertising, you are either advertising an event or you branding your business long-term.

I think UTOPIA is wonderful for upcoming concerts, parades, fairs, church events, annual festivals and "real" going out of business sales.

Nest week we'll talk about TURTLE POWER.

Here are few thoughts:

"Consistency always out-performs occasional brilliance." ---Victoria Woods

"Diligent effort, consistently applied, in a specified direction, over a long period of time, will produce results, certain." ---Joe Grimaud's Law of Certainty

"The tortoise didn't win because he was slow, nor did the hare lose because he was fast. The hare lost because he made poor choices." ---Sid Allsbury (my Dad)

Business Runs on Relationships, Relationships Take Time.

---Randy

What is a BRAND and what is real BRANDING?

2008-02-03T23:22:00.000-06:00

Marketing Legend Jack Trout says a BRAND is a business “Meaningful Difference“.

What is your business’ “Meaningful Difference”?

Branding Legend Roy H. Williams (a.k.a The Wizard of Ads) says:
“Real BRANDING is making people think of your business and feel best about your business when they come in need of your product or service.”

How many people think of your business first and feel best about your business when they come in need of your products or services?

I like to call "Branding" PRE-DISPOSITIONAL advertising. When a person heads for the yellow-pages, they can stop at the business white pages and look for your name. When it's Google time, they Google your name and business product catagory.

Proper branding is someone being pre-disposed to choosing you, because they think of you first and feel best about you when "the time" comes.

Testing Feedblitz!

2008-01-30T08:11:00.000-06:00

Hello Again.

I am testing this new service one more time to make sure it really works before I drop hundreds of e-addresses in to the service.

Blessings,

Randy

The Marketing Bridge

2008-01-30T07:31:00.000-06:00

Business consultant Chuck Mefford of Lighthouse Communications teaches an excellent study on “the marketing bridge.” The marketing bridge includes everything that links the customer to the sale and everything that separates the customer from the sale. Mefford breaks down the marketing bridge into five basic areas.

First is your Competitiveness. How does your business compare with your competitors? Do your customers walk away satisfied? What competitive advantages is your business offering in the marketplace?

The second step of the bridge is merchandising. Do you have nice curb appeal? Would someone want to stop by simply by driving by? Is your location clean inside and out? Do you feel “invited in” when you walk across the threshold of the main entrance? How often are your displays rotated and do you have an annual floor game plan? Are your stores hours convenient to your customers or convenient to the storeowner? What about your signage? Can you spot your store sign easily from ¼ mile away? Does your sign reflect your image or the image of your sign maker? In a recent study, well lit merchandise sold 3-to-1 over poorly lit merchandise in the same store. How is your lighting? Your price tags must be easy to find and if you’re having a sale, even easier to find. Are your products season appropriate, can I buy swimming suits in the summer and snow blowers in the winter? Are your aisles wide enough to get through? Do you have a common-sense and relevant floor plan? Is the coffee next to the doughnuts at one end of the store and at the other end do you have the oil and the washer-fluid? Do you have a window presentation? Is it appealing?

The third step in the marketing bridge is Personal Selling Skills. Is there a relatively quick greeting? Is your staff cheerful and sincere? Is your staff trained to focus on solving customer needs? How is your staff’s appearance? Is there a consistency in their dress code? Is it obvious who is an employee and who is not? Does your sales staff use personal recommendations after using the products themselves? Are they able to paint a picture of how your product or service should be used for best results? Does your staff make accessory suggestions that actually make sense?

The fourth step in the marketing bridge is the Customer’s Perspective. Does your business represent quality product lines? Are you getting good word-of-mouth from your current customers? Do you give back to the community? Do you have a simple return policy? Do you always do what you say you will do? Do you take cash, checks, and the four main credit cards are there credit options and is there an ATM on site? Are your bathrooms as clean as they can possibly be? How many potential customers in your market have you on one of the top three rungs of the positioning ladder in their mind?

The fifth step of the marketing bridge is advertising. Are you branding or are you advertising an event? Is your message clear? Are you getting enough frequency? Are you advertising 52 weeks a year and getting enough consistency? Is your staff always aware of your promotions? Are you offering the public something only you can offer in your entire market?
If you consider your business a boat, you can row it yourself. If your boat has holes in it or if parts of your marketing bridge are missing, you are going to sink. If you strap on the motor of advertising without patching the holes, you’ll go down faster. Advertising only speeds up to what’s going to happen anyway. If you’re good at what you do, you will grow faster.

If you suck like a Hoover, you’ll crash and burn with amazing speed!

My favorite of Aesop's Fables

2008-01-30T00:39:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time there was a hare who, boasting how he could run faster than anyone else, was forever teasing tortoise for its slowness. Then one day, the irate tortoise answered back: "Who do you think you are? There's no denying you're swift, but even you can be beaten!" The hare squealed with laughter.

"Beaten in a race? By whom? Not you, surely! I bet there's nobody in the world that can win against me, I'm so speedy. Now, why don't you try?"

Annoyed by such bragging, the tortoise accepted the challenge. A course was planned, and the next day at dawn they stood at the starting line. The hare yawned sleepily as the meek tortoise trudged slowly off. When the hare saw how painfully slow his rival was, he decided, half asleep on his feet, to have a quick nap. "Take your time!" he said. "I'll have forty winks and catch up with you in a minute."

The hare woke with a start from a fitful sleep and gazed round, looking for the tortoise. But the creature was only a short distance away, having barely covered a third of the course. Breathing a sigh of relief, the hare decided he might as well have breakfast too, and off he went to munch some cabbages he had noticed in a nearby field. But the heavy meal and the hot sun made his eyelids droop. With a careless glance at the tortoise, now halfway along the course, he decided to have another snooze before flashing past the winning post. And smiling at the thought of the look on the tortoise's face when it saw the hare speed by, he fell fast asleep and was soon snoring happily. The sun started to sink, below the horizon, and the tortoise, who had been plodding towards the winning post since morning, was scarcely a yard from the finish. At that very point, the hare woke with a jolt. He could see the tortoise a speck in the distance and away he dashed. He leapt and bounded at a great rate, his tongue lolling, and gasping for breath. Just a little more and he'd be first at the finish. But the hare's last leap was just too late, for the tortoise had beaten him to the winning post. Poor hare! Tired and in disgrace, he slumped down beside the tortoise who was silently smiling at him. "Slow and steady does it every time!" he said.
This story has always given me hope. When my brother John was born, my mother told me he hit the ground running. After I was born, I think it was her hope I would be able jog a little.

This week I would like for you to read through this story a couple of times and think about the areas of life where "Consistency beats occasional brilliance".

Next week I'll show you how it applies to advertising.

Business Runs on Relationships, Relationships take Time!

"I am going to write a book someday, part 2"

2007-11-24T15:17:00.000-06:00

Before I tell you what I learned from Keith Miller about how to write a non-fiction book, I want to show you the home my parents are selling in the Ozarks. It's about 20 miles north of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. The nearest town is Cassville, Missouri.

All of the websites we do for our clients are designed and built by former Flaming Lips drummer Richard English. Yes, he went from Rock Star to family man and webmaster geek. I asked Richard if he would throw together a simple webpage to help my parents sell their house. He knocked the cover off of the ball.
Check out www.dogwood-hills.com

If your business or organization has an outdated website, please give me a call or e-mail me and I'll hook you up with Mr. English.

***************************************

The stuff I recall from J. Keith Miller.

1. Establish the WORKING TITLE.
In one sentence, write down what your book will be about. Set that aside and allow your brain to stew on your main title and a subtitle. Whenever you have a thought about the title, write it down on that document.

2. Brainstorm CHAPTER TITLES.
In 10 - 20 minutes write down every possible chapter title and subject heading that pops into your mind that has anything at all to do with your book. Try to come up with 30 to 50 possible chapter titles.

3. Choose the BEST TWELVE chapter titles that most directly connect to your working title.
As you pick out your top twelve, you will notice many from your original list will make excellent sub-chapters under your top twelve. Some will need to be scrapped all together, because they don't really support your working title.

4. Make TWELVE NEW FOLDERS, one for each chapter.
Label each folder with the name of each chapter.

5. Create THREE SUB-TITLES for each chapter and make a separate folder for each sub-title.
Make sure each sub-title is somewhat detailed so you will remember what you were going to write about.

6. Take a smaller piece of paper or NOTE CARD write every chapter title and abbreviated sub-titles.
Go to your local office supply store or wherever and laminate the note card. Keep the card with you at all times while you are writing your book. Read over your chapter titles several times a day. If you do this, you will train your brain to be on the look-out for great book material 24/7. (If I were you, I would laminate a dozen copies and give them to close friends and family members. Allow their brains to be on the watch as well.)

7. For the next several weeks or months BE READY for articles, news stories and illustrations to come your way.
The reticular activator in your brain will notice material for your book you would not have even seen if you weren't ready for it. As you come across the book material, place it in the appropriate file.

8. BEFORE you start collecting information write the introduction and conclusion to your book.
Great writers know were to start, where to end and what to leave out.

9. You will eventually reach a point you feel you have enough material. Before you begin putting it all together in one big manuscript, decide WHO YOUR AUDIENCE IS.
And by audience, I mean one person. Make a brief description of the one person you are writing this giant letter to. The more detailed you make the description of this person, the easier it will be for your to write. As you write, picture that person sitting across from you and communicate to them in their language about what would matter to them.

10. The only thing you will need from this point is TIME. You should have all of material you will need.
When you get it finished, you can publish it yourself or try to get someone else to publish it.

You, your friends and family may be the only ones to read your book. On the other hand, you may be answering a question thousands of people are asking.

When is the best time to begin writing your book?

When is the best time to plant a tree?

Answer: 20 years ago, or today.

"I am going to write a book someday."

2007-11-24T15:14:00.000-06:00

How many times have you heard yourself or someone close to you utter these words?

I believe there are several reasons we/they do not follow through on their epiphany.

They don't know where to start.
They don't know how to eat an elephant.
They feel they are not worthy.
They don't have the time.
They won't sell any copies.
They don't know who would care.
They don't think anyone would publish it.

A few years back I had the privilege of attending a prestigious one day seminar at Wizard Academy entitled "How to write a non-fiction book." There were no more that eighteen people in the room. The morning session was taught by Ray Bard, president and founder of Bard Press. The afternoon session was led by author J. Keith Miller.

I am now going to write (from memory) the main things I learned from these humble, yet mighty men.

From Ray Bard I learned:

---In order for your non-fiction book to be called a "best seller" you have to sell over 100,000 copies. (Most likely in a certain amount of time.)

---He talked about how book distribution works. I learned publisher, the distributor and the book store make 98% of the money.

---Ray also said there are basically four categories of books being published.

1. Pond Books: The interest in neither deep nor wide. A good example of a pond book might be a cookbook put together by your churches ladies group.

2. Swamp Books: A swamp book does not have deep interest, but does have a national audience. A good example might be coffee-table Marilyn Monroe. There might be two sold in every bookstore across the country.

3. Well Books: The audience is narrow, but very deep. The example Mr. Bard used that day was a best-seller he published called "The Care and Feeding of Quarter Horses". Obviously the audience is narrow, but apparently every quarter horse owner either purchased one or got one for Christmas.

4. Ocean Books: The audience is both deep and wide. The topics general appeal to people who have not yet assumed room temperature. They are generally about Money, Relationships, Food, Fun and Sex.

What category does your book fall under and why have you not started writing it. Keith Miller taught us how to actually eat this elephant.

Next week I'll tell you what I learned from Keith Miller.

Advice for a Consultant Wannabe Like Me!

2007-11-11T20:52:00.000-06:00

By Roy H. Williams

How to Succeed as a Consultant

Step 1: Become extremely good at something. Anything.“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” – from the book of Proverbs, chapter 22Step

2: Push beyond the boundaries of what’s known.Investigate the unknown. Speculate. Theorize. Experiment. Learn from your mistakes. If you can say only what you’ve read in books, you’re a parrot. Polly want a cracker?Step

3: Speak plainly. Use examples.Clients don’t want theories, they want pragmatic, tested, what-to-do-now advice. The business of a consultant isn’t merely to have opinions, but to sell them. Tell your client what you know and how you know it. Tell them what you’ve seen.

Step 4: Consult without pay until someone offers to pay.You’re going to need a day job until folks figure out how good you are. Experience – deep and wide – is essential. If you work really hard and are lucky it'll still be at least 2 years before you begin to gain some traction. Be committed. Don’t worry; just keep getting better. The kings will find you.

Step 5: Avoid Fools.Lazy people, dishonest people and impatient people will always find a path to catastrophe. Don’t let them take you down it. Some people are going to fail regardless of what you tell them. Learn to spot them early. Don’t take their money.

Step 6: Keep showing up.A consultant is supposed to be a problem solver. Seek out problems and stare into their eyes. Figure out how to defeat them. Be the soldier who runs toward the sound of the guns.

Step 7: Don’t become an insider.Only an outsider can be objective. Get too close and you’ll no longer see the big picture, only the details. You lose credibility the moment you begin to look, think and act like an employee.

Step 8: Give credit where it’s due.Your client will sometimes have a great idea. Affirm it quickly. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you always have to be the one with the plan.

Step 9: Maintain at least 12 clientsYour value as a consultant is that you see more successes and failures than your client. This is why you must consult a lot of different people. If one client ever represents more than 10 percent of your annual income, you no longer have a client, you’ve got a boss.

Step 10: Don’t let your alligator mouth overload your mockingbird butt.Clients will occasionally insist that you give them unreasonable assurances. “What can you promise will happen if I do as you say?” Or worse, they’ll frame a problem in such a way that it has no solution and demand that you provide one. These are the moments when you’ve got to speak the truth… and be glad you’ve still got all those other clients.

That's all you need to know. Now go do it, and prosper.

Roy H. Williams

Norman Ray Lambert's 13 Golden Rules

2007-11-05T08:25:00.000-06:00

1. As the Bible says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2. "Always offer our guest at least one service they can't receive anywhere else."
3. "You, our guest, are very important, you are the reason we are here! THANK YOU!"
4. "We need you, our guest, much more than we need ourselves."
5. "You, our guest, are always right."
6. "It's our job to take care of you, if we don't someone else will."
7. "If we make a mistake, we will correct it immediately!"
8. "Our simple but powerful rule: Always give you, our guest, more than you expect to get."
9. "You are our guest; guests in our home, not clients or customers, but guests."
10. "Good enough for some is not good enough for us."
11. "The difference between ordinary and extra-ordinary, is: give that little extra."
12. "Quality rather than quantity matters, we offer BOTH."
13. "We do simple things, but in exceptional ways!"

Best Meal of My Vacation

Hello, I just wanted to take a moment to tell you how much I enjoyed my visit today! We, my boyfriend and I were on our way home to Meridian, M.S. This was my first trip/vacation to the beach. I was so excited to get there and try all the different types of seafood and fish. So I did and I ate one meal after the other for three days. All were very good. I love seafood so I didn't even think of eating anything else while I was there.

Now my boyfriend and my mother had been telling all about this place you go eat and they throw your rolls to you. WHAT!?! They throw your food? I asked, I didn't know what to expect. So finally I caved in. I said ok we will go but on the way home. I didn't even know what kind of food to expect I guess I just figured "beach" food. When we pulled and I saw vegetables real big outside, a part of me sank. Only because I eat this kind of food all day every day at home. Well it wasn't long into my visit when I realized Lamberts was very special. And they made me feel special.

I can honestly say of all the meals I enjoyed on my vacation, Lamberts tops my list!!
The atmosphere was great, the food was great, our service was great! Amazing! I was stunned when I was packing up my pork chops to go and the staff was offering us more okra and potatoes.

I looked at my boyfriend and said they want us to take this "free" food home?! At that one second I realized your message. You believed in your name and you believed in your food. This is something I took home with me. Something I'm still thinking about. And we were there at 10.30! Ya'll did a great job!

Lamberts, the most memorable meal my whole trip!

Thanks a lot!!

Apryl A.

p.s. I've already called everyone I know.
p.s.s The tea pitcher trick.....hilarious!!!!!

Currently my clients and over 400 business leaders and friends read this memo.
The main reason I write it, is for my clients. If you are one, please pay close attention to this word of mouth business I have been harping on for the past few weeks.

Ask yourself what you are doing to make sure you are creating customer evangelists. What are the extra, different, special things you are doing that totally surprize them. What are you doing that is remarkable? (Worthy of making a remark about.)

The most powerful marketing tool you have is a personal recommendation.
Business Runs on Relationships, Relationships take Time!

Advice for Consultants

2007-10-30T06:13:00.000-05:00

This is directly from the Wizard of Ads himself. I Rarely copy and past other people's stuff, but there are nuggets here I don't want for you to miss out on!

************************************

How to Succeed as a Consultant
by Roy H. Williams III

Step 1: Become extremely good at something. Anything.
"Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men." -- from the book of Proverbs, chapter 22

Step 2: Push beyond the boundaries of what's known.Investigate the unknown. Speculate. Theorize. Experiment. Learn from your mistakes. If you can say only what you've read in books, you're a parrot. "Polly want a cracker?"

Step 3: Speak plainly. Use examples.Clients don't want theories, they want pragmatic, tested, what-to-do-now advice. The business of a consultant isn't merely to have opinions, but to sell them. Tell your client what you know and how you know it. Tell them what you've seen.

Step 4: Consult without pay until someone offers to pay. You're going to need a day job until folks figure out how good you are. Experience --deep and wide --is essential. If you work really hard and are lucky it'll still be at least 2 years before you begin to gain some traction. Be committed. Don't worry; just keep getting better. The kings will find you.

Step 5: Avoid Fools. Lazy people, dishonest people and impatient people will always find a path to catastrophe. Don't let them take you down it. Some people are going to fail regardless of what you tell them. Learn to spot them early. Don't take their money.

Step 6: Keep showing up. A consultant is supposed to be a problem solver. Seek out problems and stare into their eyes. Figure out how to defeat them. Be the soldier who runs toward the sound of the guns.

Step 7: Don't become an insider. Only an outsider can be objective. Get too close and you'll no longer see the big picture, only the details. You lose credibility the moment you begin to look, think and act like an employee.

Step 8: Give credit where it's due. Your client will sometimes have a great idea. Affirm it quickly. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you always have to be the one with the plan.

Step 9: Maintain at least 12 clients. Your value as a consultant is that you see more successes and failures than your client. This is why you must consult a lot of different people. If one client ever represents more than 10 percent of your annual income, you no longer have a client, you've got a boss.

Step 10: Don't let your alligator mouth overload your mockingbird butt.
Clients will occasionally insist that you give them unreasonable assurances. "What can you promise will happen if I do as you say?" Or worse, they'll frame a problem in such a way that it has no solution and demand that you provide one. These are the moments when you've got to speak the truth. . . and be glad you've still got all those other clients.

That's all you need to know. Now go do it, and prosper.
Roy H. Williams

Specifics Are More Believable Than Generalities

2007-10-27T15:58:00.000-05:00

It's 2:37 a.m., you finally left work after completing a presentation you will be giving at noon. You are still downtown and were pulled over by an officer of the law for driving the wrong way up a one-way street. The officer asks, "What are you up to? Do you know why I pulled you over?" You say, "I've had a long day, I'm heading home. No, was I speeding?"

This vague answer can mean a variety of things to the officer. Maybe you got off at five, you've been at a bar and you are now heading home?

What if your response were, "Good Morning officer, my name is James Allen Smith. My friends call me Jimmy. I am an architect apprentice at Levy Brothers Architectural Firm over on 15th and Main. I just completed my first project for Wilson Home Builders. I am very excited, because I will be presenting it to Matt Wilson over lunch at PF Changs today at 11:45. I live with my parents, William and Susie Smith. Our address is 1227 Old Valley Road. That's in the neighborhood right behind the Northpark Mall. At first I didn't know why I was pulled over, but I now see my car is going the wrong direction on this road. I thought I was turning on to 12th street, this must be 11th. Here is my driver's license and All State proof of insurance."

In most cases the police officer will help you get your car turned around and leave you with a warning.

For writers and story tellers details are important, because the audience can only attach their associative memories to your details. If I say, "My grandfather drove a Ford." No images pop into your mind form your past. If I say, "My Grandfather's drove a tan and chrome Sherman tank, a 1964 Ford Galaxy 500. You could seat seven third graders in the back seat; fishing poles, tackle boxes, a cooler and lawn chairs in the trunk with room to spare." Even if you don't know what a Ford Galaxy 500 is, you have your own experiences with big old cars and they cause images to flood your mind and bring up memories of the past.

If you allow the listener to have associative memories, you allow them to be more a part of your story. At the end of the day they care more about themselves than they do you.

WIIFM?

What's In It For Me? Is what we are all asking.

Telling Yourself Stories

2007-10-26T12:12:00.000-05:00

Great marketers tell stories that move products and services. They are not the only ones telling the customer a story. The customer is telling herself/himself a story about your product or service as well.

The most practical and logical vehicle for families to drive is the mini-van. Most seat up to seven people, are rated high in safety standards, they get pretty good gas mileage and basic maintenance is affordable. Why, then are there very few of them in our driveways compared to SUVs? Four wheel drives use more fuel, they are more dangerous to drive, tires are expensive, they don't seat as many, maintenance cost more and it's hard to find a parking place for many of them.

It has to do with the stories we tell ourselves and how they make us feel.

The story we tell ourselves about the mini-van is about a stay-at-home soccer mom who is spending her time driving kids she doesn't even know from one event to the other. Mental images of grocery bags and cleaning supplies enter our mind. These emotions are far more powerful than any logical reason you can come up with to buy the vehicle.

Here is a fact for you: "SUV's make people feel good about them selves and feel good about driving."

As marketers we tell people the story we want them to hear. They blend that tale with previous ones and make new ones. The stories customers tell them selves are a blend of your advertising, referrals, reputation and most important: personal experience.

What story are people telling themselves about you, your product, your service or your organization?

Your Mother is Liar!

2007-10-25T19:18:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up, I enjoyed watching movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and The Godfather. For some reason it was fun to cheer for the "bad guys". I enjoy seeing a menacing strategy unfold.

I also enjoy watching a marketing strategy unfold. Marketing is all about telling stories to people and hoping they will believe the story and they will tell others the same story.

ConAgra is the parent company of Banquet Frozen Entrees. They started repackaging some of their frozen foods, told a new story with it and sales are sky-rocketing.

As you know, most families are being led by very busy working parents. They feel guilty they do not have the time to cook dinner for their families. They were raised to believe a home-cooked meal = love = family = healthy, but in our modern, fast paced world they can't find the time or energy to pull it off. John Hanson of Banquet introduced Crock-Pot Classics, saying, "Banquet Crock-Pot Classics contain all of the high quality ingredients needed for a slow-cooked meal--- ---Banquet Crock-Pot Classics welcome home families with the inviting aroma of a slow-cooked meal."

We actually believe it's better to eat frozen entrees that have been slow-cooked, than it is to eat in a restaurant, just because of the way it makes us feel about ourselves. We have been telling ourselves for years it's better to eat at home than eat out. John Hanson is simply telling us a story we want to hear.

"It's the way the product makes her feel when she sees her family sit down and eat together." ---Seth Godin

The Brown Stamp Book

2007-10-25T18:41:00.000-05:00

In the 1970's, do you remember getting those rows of green stamps from the grocery store, and carefully sticking them into place in the special Green Stamps Book? When your booklet was full, you could cash it in for "big-ticket" items like toaster ovens and waffle irons. The Sperry and Hutchinson Co. began distributing its trading stamps in 1886. In 1951, S&H Green Stamps got their start at the Denver King Sooper store chain. In the '50's and '60's, some 200,000 retailers offered stamps that were redeemed for house wares products. S&H Green Stamps accounted for 35 to 40 percent of this market. The stamps eventually faded from the grocery scene when stores used lower prices to compete for shoppers.

My father retired from the ministry last year. He preached the Gospel in Germany as a missionary and as a pastor here in the states for over forty years.
Early in my marriage to Princess Sherri, I was whining to him about my new bride's nagging and complaining. His response surprised me. He said, "Praise the Lord. She is communicating with you about her hurts and needs." That's not the response I was looking for. He went on to tell me many women don't talk to their husbands about their issues. They simply put a stamp in "The Brown Stamp Book", every time the husband does something hurtful, whether on purpose or not, she places another "brown stamp" in the booklet. Eventually it's full; she cashes it in and kicks him out. The last stamp in the book is as dramatic as all power going out for a city block. From light and warm to dark and cold, like the flip of a switch. Most men are clueless when it happens. We leave our underwear on the bathroom floor. The last stamp goes in the book and suddenly we're sleeping on the sofa at a friend's house. "All I did was drop my boxers on the bathroom floor and she kicked me out! What the heck is her problem?"

To you ladies I say, "We are stupid. Give us grace."

To you men I say, "Women nag, because men neglect! Pay attention to her, spend time with her alone. Listen to her. Act on what you hear."

Is Life a Train or a Roller Coaster?

2007-10-24T14:49:00.000-05:00

Subject: Rick Warren Interview
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:57:46 EDT

"What is the purpose of life?"

"I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions years in eternity. This is the warm-up act -- the dress rehearsal that God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life, but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys -- you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.

No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good for which you can thank God.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is, "my problem, my issues, my pain. "But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.

It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life. Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to dealwith before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for yourown ego or for you to live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money,notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free. We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD."

Specifics Are More Believable Than Generalities

2007-10-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

Say "No" and Hear from God

2007-10-23T21:22:00.000-05:00

My friend Greg called me this morning. He has an interest in several businesses. He has a lovely wife and three charming kids. He is also involved in ministry. Because of his wisdom and influence he is continually asked to serve on various boards for charities and ministries. Like me, it's hard for him to say "No". I think of the song in the musical Oklahoma, "I Can't Say No". I was in the fifth grade, at a U. S. Army base in Germany base when I first enjoyed Rodgers and Hammerstein's production. I believe my friend Terri Casteel belted out that song.

The enemy wants you to feel guilty when you say "No" to anyone about anything. The truth is, the more you say "Yes" to people around you, the less productive you become. The key to success in life is focus; focusing your thoughts, words, actions and time on the right things.

My two year old son AJ loves balls. Footballs, baseballs, basketballs, soccerballs, rubberballs, beanbag-balls. For fun sometimes I will go in his play room and give him a rubber baseball. I'll hide all other balls. His entire focus and attention will be on that one ball and he will not let go of it. Then I'll pull out a yellow tennis ball. He wants it also. He now has a ball in each hand. I slowly pull out different balls. He wants to hold all of them and begins to get upset. He becomes frustrated with all of the choices and starts kicking them all around the room.

"No" is one of the most powerful words you posess. It allows you to choose "best" over "good". Do you feel like you are on life's treadmill with the speed set on nine and the incline set on seven? Start saying "No" and get some margin back in your life. Margin is that place where you hear God's voice and begin to really see the people around you.

People will get irritated at your "No's", so you may want to practice. Go ahead: NO. NO. NO. NO.

Who do you need to say "No" to today?

Adversarial vs. Relational Sales

2007-10-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

Too many sales people are forced to look at every new transaction as a battle to be won in the trenches. "It's us against them and we must trick them into giving us their money!" In a word, the transaction is "adversarial"

Are you focused on the customers needs or on their wallet?

ad•ver•sar•y (Noun) Dictionary.com
1. a person, group, or force that opposes or attacks; opponent; enemy; foe.
2. a person, group, etc., that is an opponent in a contest; contestant.
3. the Adversary, the devil; Satan.
4. of or pertaining to an adversary.
5. involving adversaries, as plaintiff and defendant in a legal proceeding: an adversary trial.

ad•ver•sar•i•al (Adjective) Relating to or characteristic of an adversary; involving antagonistic elements: “the chasm between management and labor in this country, an often needlessly adversarial . . . atmosphere”I find it very interesting that a dictionary would use management vs. labor to describe adversarial. It makes sense. Both parties have 100% of their focus on themselves. Management’s job is to make the company profitable. Labor’s job is to get the highest pay and benefits for their membership.

I don’t have a solution for them, but I would like to compare them to what is going on in most sales transactions out there in the business world. One of the reasons I had to get out of advertising sales years ago was the adversarial role I was forced into by management. There is a natural conflict between what management needs and what is best for the customer. Management needs sales today and the customer needs an advertising plan that will work and not waste their money. Middle management is always under pressure to increase sales. They are judged by gross sales and spot rate. Their focus is rarely on what is best for the customer. The attitude of management is, “We need to do whatever we can to get our fair share of all the advertising dollars being spent.” Commission-only sales people feel the adversarial pressure out of shear hunger to earn a living. Furniture, car, real estate, mortgages, insurance or door to door vacuums, we have all felt adversarial sales pressure. The desperation is almost palpable.

"Talking To" vs. "Talking At"

Criss Castle is a friend of mine who sells cars. She is without a doubt in my mind the best at what she does. Criss sells a ton of cars focusing on the needs of her customers and working very hard to deliver what they want. The last time I met a car seller like her was in 1998. His name was Gabe. My wife and I were looking for a new vehicle for her to drive to work. We sat down with Gabe at the dealership and he visited with us for almost and hour. He really took the time and got to know us and our situation. Instead of getting us in a car to test drive immediately, he sent us home and asked for 24-48 hours to find a fit for us. He called the next day with two or three options meeting our criteria. That evening he showed us three cars, all three in our price range. One was a Mazda with low miles and 25% below our maximum expenditure. We bought it and over the next two years Gabe was the car guy we told everyone about. He was a real guy who listened to us and didn’t use any sales tactics or manipulation to close the deal.

“Anxious to close is anxious to screw up!” ---Roy H. Williams