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Over the years, I noticed that many of the people I respect most maintain the habit of journaling. Some of them capture their thoughts in prayer journals while others use it as a diary of sorts. Personally, I started journaling about five years ago. I fill mine mostly with observations about life, work and politics along with a healthy dose of my favorite quotes.
Last year, I gave my oldest child a blank notebook. On the outside cover I wrote, “Idea Journal”. I wanted her to have a place to capture her creative ideas which, at that point, ranged from a new tee-shirt design for her school, an advertising idea for a local soccer club and a drink cart at the beach. My assumption is that, if she continues to journal for a period of years, at some point, one of her ideas will pay for my nursing home bill.
On a serious note, I believe all of us are gifted with some level of creativity, however, I also believe that the majority of people squander this gift. The simple habit of jotting down your thoughts and ideas over time can end up being a treasure-trove of future wisdom. If it never serves you, perhaps the next generation will be the beneficiary.
Regardless of your station in life: student, employee, entrepreneur, stay-at-home-parent, dreamer, I encourage you to develop the habit of capturing your observations and ideas in a journal of some sort (regardless how insignificant they seem to be). Commit to reviewing your writings periodically as that process will encourage your mind to build on your old ideas and help you identify new opportunities in the marketplace.
www.Clarity-Coaching.biz | www.TheTermiteEffect.com
In a recent devotional, Kay Warren author of Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough, shared an interesting personality test that I would like to share with you. She calls it the Winnie the Pooh School of Personalities.
Which one sounds like you?
Tiggers:
Tiggers are bouncy, flouncy, trouncy, pouncy, fun, fun, fun, fun, fun! They bounce through life with a spring in their step. They laugh loudly at parties (I’ve decided they do everything loudly), they tell jokes, and they think everyone is their best friend. Even if they can’t remember your name, you’re their best friend. Of course, joy comes easily to them — right?
Winnie the Poohs:
These gentle folks never get too excited about anything, but they usually have a pleasant look on their faces. They tend to have a hard time making up their minds about anything. They are usually happy to let someone else make the decisions. You ask them about going to lunch, and they respond with, “Oh, you decide.”
Rabbits:
Rabbits are the task-masters of this world. Get it done, get it done right, and get it done now! Rabbits have a to-do list the size of Montana, and they don’t let much get in their way. They’re usually not the people you want to talk to if you’re having a rough day. They’re likely to tell you to “just deal with it.” Not so sure that rabbits experience much joy. If they do, it’s usually related to the completion of a task!
Eeyores:
This is my favorite personality type. Eeyores are intense, serious people. They have their own personal, little rain cloud over their heads all the time. They feel things deeply and express things deeply. They get quite annoyed at all those stupid Tiggers who won’t stop smiling! Joy seems pretty elusive for the Eeyores of this world.
www.TheTermiteEffect.com | www.Clarity-Coaching.biz
Recently I was in the market for a new laptop computer. I found what I was looking for on BestBuy.com. Everything was going swimmingly until I hit the button to choose the store location from which I would pick up my new purchase.
I choose the location nearest my home and found out that they did not have the item. Neither did the next five locations. Only one location, 20 miles away, had my laptop. I called customer service and explained my dilemma and asked them to transfer the laptop to the store closest to me. I was told, “We do not do intra-store transfers”. I asked, “Why not?” The service rep’s response was, “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
What can you learn from my encounter with this behemoth’s ambivalence (besides how to be a smart aleck)?
I believe the lesson is to always be on the lookout for opportunities in every customer interaction. If you listen, your customers will tell you what they want. Oftentimes we find ourselves too busy running our businesses to see these opportunities as they stare us right in the face. In this case, Best Buy could consider an intra-store transfer program. If CarMax can transfer cars, do you think Best Buy can figure out a way to transfer a computer?
Note: Looking back I realize that, with this one exception, all of my previous encounters with Best Buy have been positive. I also realize that all of my previous contacts have been in the store. Whether they have a cultural problem with customer service and their phone reps, I don’t know. I will assume the person I spoke to was having a bad day.
www.Clarity-Coaching.biz | www.TheTermiteEffect.com
During a recent visit to a local Toastmaster meeting, I met a member who is being treated for Alzheimers. He was a bit forgetful during the Table Topics portion of the meeting but he got through it.
I spoke to him briefly after the meeting and walked away inspired. Think about it: after death, public speaking is consistently scored the second greatest fear most people have and, in an effort to challenge himself and live life to its fullest, this man purposely exposes himself to this stressful environment while fighting a devastating illness.
I ask you to think of my new friend the next time you consider backing off an important decision out of fear or you find yourself making excuses for your (or others’) behavior.
I am a former client of The Strategic Coach Program where I was enrolled for two years. The most significant thing I learned while attending the program was not to accept the status quo. They pounded in our head to think bigger and do more!
All of that training came back to me in a flurry after reading this week’s edition of Sales Caffeine (Jeffrey Gitomer’s weekly newsletter available here), where he wrote glowingly about his childhood athletic hero, Wilt Chamberlain. As Jeffrey put it, “he did not just set records, he set standards”. He was so good that, “he changed the rules of the game” as the foul lanes were widened to limit his total domination. He was not just a game changer (see NBA record books for validation); he was a rule changer.
We can all be game changers, rule changers and standard setters regardless of what type of business we run.
- If you sell insurance, don’t just “sell insurance”, bring peace of mind to as many people as you can.
- If you run a CPA firm, use your expertise to help your customers navigate the ever-growing, intimidating IRS tax codes.
- If you are a real estate attorney, don’t just review the documents at the closing table, teach your clients what they are signing and why each document is necessary.
- If you run a dentist office, make your patients’ office visits memorable by offering an unprecedented level of service and attention.
- If you are a general contractor, bring complete transparency to your business practices; so much so that your clients would never even consider hiring someone else.
- If you have a retail store find ways to “wow!” your customers. Segment your customers in small groups based on their preferences and constantly deliver targeted value.
Always be on the look-out for ways to raise the bar, change the rules, fill-in-the-blank of your favorite metaphor. Apathy, complacency and the status quo are the enemy! Be the Wilt Chamberlain of your industry.
Last year I wrote a blog post for my book, The Termite Effect, called “Never Stop Marketing“. I believe the message is worth dusting off for you today.
In the post, I referenced an analogy that I heard:
Marketing is like popping popcorn.
When you cook popcorn in the microwave, nothing happens at first. If you get frustrated and stop (turn off the microwave / stop marketing) then you are guaranteed one thing – terrible results!
However, if you are patient, persistent and persevere (keep the microwave on / continue your marketing activities) eventually you will begin to hear the beautiful popping sound (your phone starts ringing).
As the cooking (marketing efforts) continue, the activity accelerates (more corn popping / more inquiries and/or requests to meet with you).
One of the exercises I take my clients through in The Clarity Coaching Marketing Strategy Intensive, is a review of their current, past and future marketing activities. We look at:
- What is working
- What worked in the past but is no longer employed as a strategy
- What did not work in the past
- What marketing activities they would employ if time and money were no object
While all four of these questions are important, the one that relates best to the popping popcorn analogy is #3. I often find that marketing strategies are prematurely abandoned a short time after their deployment. They are not given a chance to work.
The morale of the story is: Never stop marketing! Craft a well-thought-out Marketing Plan and execute the plan over the long-term.
www.Clarity-Coaching.biz | www.TheTermiteEffect.com
One of the golden rules of differentiating yourself from your competition is to purposefully address (in your marketing efforts) stereotypical objections people have to doing business with your industry.
For example:
- Have you noticed the recent trend in residential real estate where the listing agent offers to buy your home if it does not sell in a pre-determined period of time? That removes the fear of the house never selling.
- Online retailers offer free shipping to alleviate the concern that some consumers have over the inability to touch and feel the product.
- Infomercials are famous for their money-back guarantees. Why? Because they must get consumers over their “It’s-too-good-to-be-true” skepticism.
I recently worked with a general contractor whose entire business model is based on purposefully addressing the stereotypes of his industry. Below are a few examples how he accomplishes this:
|
Industry Stereotype
|
Overcome Stereotype
|
| Mark-up material costs |
No mark-ups |
| Lack of transparency on cost to build |
Upfront cost estimate. No deviations once contract is signed |
| Lack of transparency of payments |
Weekly payments by customer to insure accountability of GC |
| Poor subcontractors |
Long-serving, well-regarded subcontractors |
| Cost overruns and change orders |
None allowed unless agreed to in writing by both parties |
| Lack of communication after contract is signed |
All calls, emails and text messages are returned immediately |
| Contractor does not deliver what is promised |
Customer may dismiss or fire this GC for any reason they wish |
| Lack of engagement from owner after contract is signed |
The company owner is the superintendent on the job |
| No contact after project completion |
Life-long customers |
Take some time this week and jot down the objections people have to buying from your industry in general. Then determine how you can alleviate those objections in your marketing message and business practices.
www.Clarity-Coaching.biz | www.TheTermiteEffect.com
Have you ever wondered what happens when you put a customer on hold?
A friend of mine shared the following story about a recent shopping experience that may prompt you to think differently about putting customers on hold.
For many months, he had contemplated jumping back into a neglected hobby but he failed to clear the time on his calendar. Finally, he decided to make it a priority and found a workshop at a local hobby store in which to enroll. He called to make his reservation and was put on hold as the person was dealing with another customer in the store. In his words, “in the less than three minutes that I was on hold, I talked myself out of spending the $125 on the workshop and I hung up.”
How many sales have you lost due to carelessness, complacency or by accident? When you think about how hard you work to gain new clients or customers, the thought of losing one due to negligence or inattention should make you sick. Hopefully it will motivate you to practice diligence in your customer-facing activities – do not put people on hold, promptly answer voicemail and email messages, be deliberate in approaching contacts at networking events rather than hanging back in the shadows, etc.
Don’t give prospects (or current customers) any excuses to go elsewhere or talk themselves out of buying from you.
In addition to conveying an Overt Benefit and giving prospects a Real Reason to Believe, your marketing message must also be different from the competition – DRAMATICALLY different!
If your product or service is similar to your competitors, it is a commodity. Commodities are primarily purchased based on price.
If your product or service is different from your competitors, then the decision will come down to applicability to their situation and value. Therefore being DRAMATICALLY different usually means that you can charge more!
There are a number of methods to differentiate. Below are a few examples:
LEVEL OF SERVICE – Certain customer segments require different levels of service. Think about a CPA versus H&R Block.
TARGET MARKET SERVED – You can specialize based on age, gender, interests, income level, ethnicity, and religion – almost anything!
PRODUCT LINE OFFERED – Some businesses specialize on a narrow product offering while others huge product lines. Think about your neighborhood bicycle shop versus WalMart!
LOCATION – Your business may exclusively serve a particular region or neighborhood. Or think about the corner drugstore or gas station. Locations can make or break them.
PORTABILITY/EASE OF USE – If you can make it easier for your customer to use your product or service, there are endless opportunities to differentiate. Think about e-books versus regular books. Think about mobile devices and their apps. Think about delivery options.
PERSONAL ATTENTION – Some people want to be waited on extensively, while others just want it fast. Opportunities lie in both areas. Think fast food versus any sit-down restaurant. Think Nordstroms versus Target.
As you formulate your marketing message, remember to convey your OVERT BENEFIT, give your customers a REAL REASON TO BELIEVE that your message is true and articulate how your product or service is DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT from your competition.
Happy New Year and happy marketing!
If you are interested in Doug Hall’s book, Jumpstart Your Business Brain, click here for a link to Amazon.com.
www.TheTermiteEffect.com | www.Clarity-Coaching.biz
In my previous post, I discussed the first part of author Doug Hall’s three part formula for an effective marketing message – Overt Benefit. Today, I will review the second part – Real Reason to Believe (RRB).
Once you communicate the overt benefits of your product or service, the next step is to communicate why the prospect should believe your claims. In other words, you must demonstrate CREDIBILITY.
There are a number of ways to build up your credibility in the marketplace. Below are a few examples:
Your Pedigree – Company history. Longevity. “Locally-owned”. “Award winning”. Highlighting anniversaries. Trademarks, copyrights and patents. Become a published author.
Testimonials – Prior customer testimonials. From experts or celebrities. Media reports – press releases.
Personal Experience – Samples and demonstrations. Sensory feedback – the smell of a florist shop or a bakery, the feeling you get from great customer service.
Guarantees – Think about what people hate about buying from your industry and build a guarantee around it. You probably offer latent guarantees now without publicizing it (i.e. almost all restaurants will comp a meal from a dissatisfied customer).
Kitchen Table Logic –Explain your service in a plain-spoken, direct and common sense manner.
Expressing your Overt Benefit and giving your prospects a Real Reason to Believe are important, but the cherry on to explain why you are “Dramatically Different” from your competition, which will be addressed in my next post.
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