Debbie Laskey's Blog

Find Your Focus - It’s Easier Than You Think

2012-01-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

Strategic advisor, management consultant, and blogger Peter Bregman has written a book that will clearly resonate with everyone who wishes that there were more than 24 hours in a day. He blogs regularly for Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Forbes magazines and also provides commentary for CNN and public radio – so he understands this wish in today’s era of instant communication and too many priorities. In his words, “To get the right things done, choosing what to ignore is as important as choosing where to focus.”

Bregman’s book, 18 Minutes: Finding Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, should be required reading for all new hires and also provided to longer-term employees on their anniversary dates. Imagine a typical day at the office. After arrival and start-up of the computer or laptop, you open your email only to find 200 emails in your inbox. Then, the phone rings, and your boss wants you to completely change your projects for the day. Then, the network crashes. Well, you get it – just like the tagline for Calgon beauty products that has become a cult phrase, “Take me away.”

The book provides secrets to cut through the clutter and distractions so that you can focus and accomplish your objectives. Here are some:

Regular rest stops are useful interruptions.
Don’t settle for being less than you are. It won’t serve others and it won’t serve you.
Know what outcome you seek.
Recover your passion – think about what you love doing.
Failure is inevitable, useful, and educational. Just don’t give up.
The time to judge your failures and successes is never.
Plan your day ahead so you can fly through it, successfully maneuvering and moving toward your intended destination.
Reduce your overwhelm by putting your tasks in an organized list.
If you really want to get something done, decide when and where you are going to do it.
Never leave things on your to-do list for more than three days. They’ll just get in the way of what you really need to get done.
The right kind of interruption can help you master your time and yourself. Keep yourself focused and steady by interrupting yourself hourly.
Spend a few minutes at the end of each day thinking about what you learned and with whom you should connect. These minutes are the key to making tomorrow even better than today.
The world doesn’t reward perfection. It rewards productivity.

And now, here’s a breakdown of Peter’s 18 Minutes:

Step 1 – 5 Minutes: Your morning minutes – plan ahead.
Step 2 – 1 Minute Every Hour (8 Minutes): Refocus – manage your day hour by hour. Don’t let the hours manage you.
Step 3 – 5 Minutes: Your evening minutes – review how the day went.

According to Peter, the key is to add this 18 minute review to your routine EVERYDAY. “This particular ritual may not help you swim the English Channel while towing a cruise ship with your hands tied together. But it may just help you leave the office feeling productive and successful.” Now, who wouldn’t want that?

For more information, visit: http://peterbregman.com

Follow Peter on Twitter: https://twitter.com/peterbregman

Like Peter on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PeterBregmanAdvisor

Connect on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/peterbregman18

Aspiring Leaders: Define Your Purpose and Build A Strong Personal Brand

2012-01-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Selena Rezvani wrote an interesting book entitled, The Next Generation of Women Leaders, What You Need to Lead but Won’t Learn in Business School. While the book targets women, there are some important lessons within the book that resonate with all aspiring leaders, male or female.

While it's important to discover and define one’s purpose, an aspiring leader must hold onto his or her core beliefs and spirit. A successful example is Maxine Clark, the CEO (or Chief Executive Bear in company-speak) of Build-A-Bear (follow on Twitter). Clark saw an opportunity in 1997 and founded the company. Today, there are more than 400 stores worldwide as a result of her idea of building personalized stuffed animals.

In order to define one’s purpose, Rezvani suggested that the following questions will help:

If you had unlimited power, how would you use it?
What did you love doing as a child?
What do you love doing in your spare time?
When do people ask you for help?
What is the single biggest barrier preventing you from leading?
How would your professional biography read if you had the perfect career?
When you get compliments at work, which ones are the most satisfying?
Is there a job you love so much that you would do it for free?
What work activities have you engaged in where time seems to fly?
If you were on the cover of TIME magazine, what would the cover caption say?

According to Rezvani, building a personal brand is also critical for all leaders. As a brand marketing professional, I totally agree and assist others to promote their strengths and build their personal brands. In the words of Tom Peters, “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in…our most important job is to be the head marketer for the brand called You.”

If you want to be inspired and gain some useful leadership tips, check out Rezvani’s book on her website and follow on Twitter.

Click here to read a previous blog post entitled, “Who do you represent: your company or your individual brand?

Click here to read Tom Peters’ article in Fast Company that, while written in 1997, is just as timely today entitled, “The Brand Called You.”

The Progression of Social Media from Real-Time Conversations to Mobile Devices

2012-01-19T12:41:00.000-08:00

Please welcome Jamie Turner to my blog. Jamie is the Chief Content Officer for the 60 Second Marketer, an online magazine that provides tools, tips, and tutorials on the newest trends in marketing. Over the past 20 years, Jamie has helped a myriad of companies including AT&T, Cartoon Network, CNN, Motorola, and The Coca-Cola Company to grow their sales and revenues through persuasive marketing. Check out his website, follow on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook. Recently, I discussed the impact of social media on marketing with Jamie and would like to share the highlights.

How has social media changed marketing?

JAMIE TURNER: There are two primary ways that social media has changed marketing. The first is that the consumer now expects the brand to have a dialogue with them. In the past, brands had a monologue with consumers, but today, consumers expect brands to respond to their questions, comments, and complaints via social media. The second way that things have changed is that brands are expected to be completely transparent with their actions and behaviors. In the old days, brands could get away with questionable behavior. But today, consumers watch their every move, and as a result, are quick to Tweet, blog, or post an update to Facebook.

What three questions should a business ask before jumping into social media?

JAMIE TURNER: There are three simple questions to ask before you dive in:

[1] Is social media right for our business? Surprisingly, the answer is sometimes “no.”

[2] Can we devote appropriate resources to this campaign?

[3] Are we going to track and measure our campaign?

If the answer to all three is “yes,” then you’re good-to-go.

How do you measure the effectiveness of a social media campaign?

JAMIE TURNER: One, track and measure your traffic via social media, which is relatively simple in the digital world. And two, understand the concept of Customer Lifetime Value, which is the amount of revenue the average customer generates for your business during the average time that he/she buys your brand. If you understand Customer Lifetime Value, then you can calculate how much money you have spent using social media to acquire a new customer. By using these calculations, you can easily measure the effectiveness of your social media campaign. You can download my presentation on this topic at http://www.slideshare.net/JamieTurner1313/social-media-roi-how-to-calculate-your-success.

What are your favorite websites that focus on social media?

JAMIE TURNER: I’m a big fan of Google’s YouTube channel because the videos are extremely well-produced and provide great value to the viewer. I’m also a fan of Social Media Examiner.

How will the social media landscape change over the next 12 months?

JAMIE TURNER: The big change will be that more people will access their social media campaigns via mobile devices. I talk about this in great detail in my new book, Go Mobile. Mobile is going to transform the way we do business – it has already started, and believe it or not, mobile is not that hard for marketers to manage.

Leadership in the Most Unsuspected Places

2012-01-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

With author Lee Goldberg at book signing.

Some people don’t understand the value of reading fiction. They say that we should only read non-fiction. They think that undisputed facts from history and science are the only things we should spend our leisure time absorbing. But if you adhere to that line of reasoning, you are missing out. The truth is, we all need time to get to know our creative sides, where we can just relax and allow ideas to develop.

As a long-time fan of the Monk television show and fictional series by Lee Goldberg, I just finished the thirteenth book in the series, Mr. Monk on Patrol. Don’t worry, I will not share too much of the plot and will definitely not spoil the ending. But, as a marketing and management professional, I was pleasantly surprised by the underlying leadership theme throughout the story.

Fans of the series will be thrilled to see Randy Disher, formerly an important member of the San Francisco Police Department, return as an important character in the story. But the big surprise for me was the type of leader that Disher had become. He moved from San Francisco to a small town in New Jersey and became both the new police chief and also the acting mayor. For most people (real and fictional), this quick ascension of power could be overwhelming.

But, for Randy Disher, he took the responsibilities in stride. He knew what he was capable of achieving, and he was also aware of his limitations. So, as any good leader would do – or should do – he called in reinforcements, in this case, Adrian Monk and his overly competent assistant, Natalie Teeger, and assigned them specific duties.

Consider how these actions appeared to residents of the small town, other members of the police force, and the people to whom Randy reported. But Randy was more concerned about the reasons why he needed assistance and the strengths that Monk and Natalie would be able to provide – than he was about appearances. He needed to look past appearances and focus on desired results.

In the real world of business, how often do leaders ignore their pride – even if they appear to be less than perfect – in order to solve problems, improve products or services, or just do the right thing? Maybe, we really can learn a lot by reading fiction.

How Social Media Impacts Real Life

2012-01-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

For several years, social media has been the marketing buzz term of choice. Everyone ranging from CEOs to marketing experts to members of the mainstream media has an opinion about social media and its impact on products, services, and brands. While there is no denying that social media has also made an impact on job-searching and professional networking, let’s not lose sight of the core component of social media: the little word “social.” In the words of Vala Afshar, “Don’t do social. Be social.”

Starting with the early versions of Facebook and Twitter, the social connection was front and center. Ask yourself how you feel when you receive a Facebook invitation from an old pal from high school, or a name from the past surfaces and it’s someone you knew back in elementary school. Yes, the ability to connect online is an amazing feat – but the truth is, we all enjoy re-connecting with old friends, family that may live far away, and also making new friends. And social media is the modern way to do this.

My digital footprint resembles most of yours: I have a presence on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, YouTube, Flickr, Quora, Focus, SlideShare, and a Blog. As a brand marketing professional, I use social media to share marketing insights, contribute to conversations, learn about future trends, and network.

But, I have also experienced some exciting opportunities as a result of my social media participation that goes above and beyond my professional connections. I was invited to be a guest on two radio shows. One aired earlier this week, and I discussed the privacy implications of social media. The second will be broadcast at the end of January 2012, and I will discuss the alignment of marketing and leadership. I was also asked to write a foreword for a book about career development – and the book will be published in February 2012. I was invited to write guest posts for 12 different blogs on topics ranging from marketing and branding to management and leadership – and am now a regular contributor to two of the blogs. I met the co-founder of a unique website that customizes the Twitter experience for better SEO performance and based on my enthusiasm for the site, worked in a consulting capacity to promote the site to colleagues who use Twitter.

Last but not least, I have met hundreds and hundreds of incredibly talented people from around the world – from Africa to Australia to Asia to Europe to South America to Canada and all across the USA – who I would never have had the chance to meet without social media. I have collaborated with many and, without a doubt, learned something from all.

What about you? What have you gained from your participation in social media? Is there one site that outshines all the rest? Please chime in and share.

Top 10 Marketing Highlights of 2011

2011-12-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

As 2011 draws to a close, it’s time for my top 10 marketing highlights list. What campaigns were great, and which were duds? What do YOU remember from the 2011 marketing reel? With a quick thanks to David Letterman, here’s my list:

Number 10:

After 25 years, Oprah Winfrey gave up her microphone as a talk show host and started her own television channel, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

Number 9:

A new voice for the Aflac Duck was discovered, just a normal guy – after the celebrity who had previously been the voice of the famous duck made an inappropriate comment on Twitter and was fired.

Number 8:

Chrysler unveiled a memorable tagline, “Imported from Detroit,” during the 2011 Super Bowl TV broadcast.

Number 7:

Google launched its version of a social networking site, Google+, to compete with Facebook.

Number 6:

As a result of the Royal Wedding in London, interest surged in all products “endorsed” by the British monarchy.

Number 5:

Starbucks launched its new logo without the words “Starbucks” and “coffee” at the beginning of 2011, but nearly a year later, the change still baffles the marketing world with its lack of direction.

Number 4:

Security breaches became much too common. Some of the companies who informed their customers about security breaches included Epsilon, Sony PlayStation, Lastpass.com, Northrop Grumman, and Dean Witter.

Number 3:

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, retired as CEO and passed away shortly thereafter. His legacy to the technology and marketing industries will be felt for many years to come.

Number 2:

When the Flip video camera appeared in 2007, it immediately gained a loyal following. It was a consumer-friendly mini camcorder that was easy to use and made everyone an instant videographer. But its adopted parent, Cisco, killed off the Flip due to the advances in smartphone video capabilities.

And, Number 1 on the 2011 Marketing Highlights List:

Coca-Cola changed the color of its classic red cans to white for the 2011 holiday season to focus attention on the plight of polar bears. But due to the huge uproar from customers, the company changed the cans back to red within a month.

Here’s to 2012 and another year of marketing highlights. Happy New Year!

Time Magazine's 2011 Person of the Year: Good Choice or Bad Choice?

2011-12-22T20:14:00.000-08:00

In the words of Time Magazine, the "Person of the Year" is bestowed by the editors on the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year."

Some years, U.S. Presidents have been chosen. Other years, celebrities were chosen. Other years, political activists were chosen. Some of the more unusual honorees include: The American Soldier, U.S. Scientists, Women of the U.S., The Endangered Earth, The Computer, Young People, and The Middle Class. Bill and Melinda Gates have been featured as well as leaders of corporate America.

Due to the number and intensity of protests seen around the world from the Middle East to Europe to the United States this past year, Time's editors chose to recognize 2011's Person or Persons of the Year as "The Protester." Was that the best choice they could have made? I don't think so. Time Magazine should have chosen Steve Jobs, who passed away during 2011.

The impact that Steve Jobs made on all of our lives is immeasurable - and it will continue to be felt for many years. He changed technology and how we interact. From the iPod to the iPhone to the iPad, we listen to music differently, use smartphones differently, and use tablets differently than we could ever have imagined. Jobs envisioned products before the public knew why we might have wanted them - and then he created them. Apple, Jobs' legacy, is driving the industry, setting trends, and helping people connect. Isn't that what affecting the news and our lives is all about?

As Steve Jobs said, "Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them." Thanks for the tools, Steve.

Are there advantages in being #2 rather than being an industry leader?

2011-12-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

Many corporate leaders aspire for their companies to become industry leaders. But there can only be one leader for each industry – or in marketing terms, there can only be one product, brand, or business that controls a category. Sure, there are exceptions, but more often than not, there is a big company setting the standard – and others follow.

There are countless reasons why companies would want to be known as industry leaders. Reasons range from setting industry prices to determining product specifications to clarifying standards for customer service. But in many industries, a large and powerful force has emerged as the #2 player who often keeps the industry leader on its toes in terms of new product development, pricing, and customer service – all in an attempt to chip away at the industry leader’s percentage of market share.

Here are some famous industry leaders followed by the #2 players in their industries:

Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi (soft drinks)
Hertz vs. Avis (rental car agencies)
iOS vs. Android (operating systems)
Google vs. Bing (search engines)
Ford vs. Chevy (trucks)
McDonald’s vs. Burger King (fast food hamburgers)
Duracell vs. Energizer (batteries)
Home Depot vs. Lowe’s (home improvement warehouses)
Ritz-Carlton vs. Fairmont (five-star hotels)
Mozilla Firefox vs. Microsoft Internet Explorer (web browsers)

However, something interesting has happened with many #2 companies. Many #2 companies have used their #2 status as a selling point and competitive advantage. The fact that they are #2 or the little guy (think, David vs. Goliath) resonates with consumers, customers, and prospective customers. Consider Avis and its tagline: “We're #2 – We Try Harder.” Avis may not be the biggest car rental agency, but its ads and theme stick out. Consider the Energizer Bunny – who doesn’t think of the pink bunny when a wireless mouse or keyboard needs new batteries? And while the golden arches of McDonald’s appear on almost every corner around the world, Burger King’s constant advertising and emphasis on bigger and cheaper hamburgers have developed a large following.

So the next time your leadership team asks, “Why can’t we be number one?” Explain that there are advantages to being #2. One advantage to being #2 is the ability to create unique product specifications and/or packaging since no one expects you to be different. Consider the recent uproar when Coke launched its main product in white cans versus classic red cans – there was such an outrage that the white cans were removed from store shelves within a month of their launch. Other advantages include the ability to tweak pricing, the ability to align or partner with totally unconventional companies or brands, and the ability to change packaging or advertising just to see how consumers react.

Without the responsibility of being the industry leader, you have more leeway to appeal to new customers. Depending on how creative your marketing initiatives are and how well they are implemented, you may develop a more brand loyal following than the leader in your industry.

Check out these great quotes about COMPETITION:

In the words of Sir Richard Branson, “We know that people in Australia love the idea of both Impulse and Virgin Blue getting up and adding a bit of competition, and it’s fun to be able to deliver it.”

In the words of Linus Torvalds, “I don’t try to be a threat to Microsoft, mainly because I don’t really see MS as competition. Especially not Windows – the goals of Linux and Windows are simply so different.”

In the words of Henry Ford, “Competition, whose motive is merely to compete, to drive some other fellow out, never carries very far...But when a business ceases to be creative, when it believes it has reached perfection and needs to do nothing but produce – no improvement, no development – it is done.”

In the words of Jacob Kindleberger, “Don't knock your competitors. By boosting others, you will boost yourself.”

In the words of H. Gordon Selfridge, “Get the confidence of the public and you will have no difficulty in getting their patronage. Treat them as guests when they come and when they go, whether or not they buy.”

Has your logo gone square?

2011-12-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

There has been an unintended consequence of social media that has flown under the radar. With all the social media and networking sites popping up, companies and individuals have the option to add logos or photos to their profiles, also known as avatars. However, the only option for the large majority of sites is a small square.

But there is a problem. Most logos don't easily fit into a square. Can you imagine the Coca-Cola swirl inside of a square? And what about the entire word Google spelled out? These wouldn't fit into a square very easily without negatively impacting the core brand identity.

To solve this problem, some companies have created a square logo from the first initial of their name. Others have gone so far as to create a new logo that they launched as part of their overall social media initiatives. Others have tweaked their logos so that they fit into a square shape, but they may not be very easy to read. At the end of the day, you may ask, is all of this additional work worth the effort? The answer is a resounding YES.

With so much attention paid to social media (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Flickr, and countless peripheral and industry-specific sites), whatever appears in those little square logo boxes reinforces a company's or individual's brand. No one wants to see an egg profile in Twitter or a blank blue head shot profile in Facebook - these mean that someone just doesn't understand the world of social media.

So what did you consider when making your logo go square?

How to Create a Customized Twitter Experience

2011-11-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

So many folks talk about Facebook and Google+ that it's easy to lose sight of the other key social media site. I'm not talking about YouTube, LinkedIn, or Flickr. I'm talking about Twitter.

You may wonder why this distant social media cousin only gets media attention when a company's spokesperson posts something inappropriate (think back to the Aflac duck, Chrysler, and most recently, Ashton Kutcher). But for the millions of us who tweet on a daily basis, Twitter is a marketing vehicle that adds value.

If you want to improve your Twitter effectiveness, meet Twylah and some exciting things it can do:

Your Tweets are presented in a more user-friendly manner – and you can pin your preferred top categories.
Your Tweets have a longer lifespan than when just posted to the Twitter stream because they live on through SEO.
You own your traffic and content and can monetize that traffic – while this is still in the beta phase, see Bon Jovi’s page for a sneak peak.

Here are some Twylah pages for you to check out:

Bon Jovi: http://tweets.bonjovi.com
UC-Berkeley: http://www.twylah.com/cal
Whole Foods Market: http://www.twylah.com/wholerecipes
Baskin-Robbins: http://www.twylah.com/BaskinRobbins
And here’s mine: http://www.twylah.com/DebbieLaskeyMBA

If you would like to sign up for Twylah, visit the site at http://www.twylah.com and click on “request invite.” You will hear back from Twylah shortly. When you do, please respond to the welcome email with questions or comments.

If attitude isn’t the key to quality customer service, what is?

2011-10-07T21:27:00.000-07:00

Many companies train their employees to treat customers as important individuals or groups to be valued and respected. However, some companies don’t train their employees at all, and as a result, lose more customers than they gain. So what’s the secret? According to customer service expert Richard S. Gallagher, “Think far beyond attitude and treat customer service for what it is: a profession. One that has its own unique set of skills…It is a profession that puts us on the cutting edge of behavioral psychology in how to interact with other people.”

In his book, “Great Customer Connections: Simple Psychological Techniques That Guarantee Exceptional Service,” Gallagher shares his insights for creating successful customer experiences and completed transactions:

[1] Focus on the customer’s expectations (for example: “I certainly understand. Normally we can straighten this out right here on the phone.”)

[2] Give the customer options worded in his or her benefit (for example: “If you can send the request from our website, we can process it as soon as our computers are up. Would you like to do that, or would it be easier to call us back later?”)

[3] Anticipate the customer’s reaction (for example: “I wish there was a way that we could do this because I hate to see you have to call back again.”)

[4] Speak from the customer’s voice (for example: “It’s really frustrating when we can’t help people in a situation like this.”)

[5] The customer needs to feel as if the clerk is taking an interest in him and his needs

[6] A level of trust needs to be established between the clerk and the customer

[7] Ask for the customer’s name and welcome him warmly – and use the name often

[8] Lead with a benefit to the customer (for example, begin the interaction with “How can we help you today?”)

[9] Use a light touch (for example, if the person is a first-time customer, add a dose of humor and say, “I have just a few nosey questions to ask and then we’ll be glad to put you in touch with the right person.”)

[10] Keep focusing on benefits – before asking questions, explain, “We just need to gather some information from you to update our records, so that we can track your issue and make sure you are getting the assistance you need.”

Prior to becoming an author and speaker, Rich had a long tenure as a customer support executive. As director of customer support for a West Coast software startup, he helped lead its growth to become a major NASDAQ firm and later led another 24/7 call center operation to near-perfect customer satisfaction and near-zero turnover. He started his own training and development firm in the mid-1990s and has been featured in media outlets worldwide. Rich has personally trained over 15,000 people in a variety of industries – but with a common denominator, attention to customer service.

Does your company address customer service in a unique way? Chime in with your comments.

Visit Rich’s site: http://pointofcontactgroup.com

Connect on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gallagherPOC

Read Rich’s Blog: http://point-of-contact.blogspot.com

Publications: http://www.pointofcontactgroup.com/index_files/pubs.htm

Watch Rich on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RichGallagherPOC

How do you MOTIVATE your employees?

2011-10-02T12:09:00.000-07:00

Consider this statement made by Lee Iacocca, the American businessman who is best known for reviving Ford and re-inventing Chrysler, “When I must criticize somebody, I do it orally; when I praise somebody, I put it in writing.”

Now ask yourself, when was the last time you recognized an employee for doing great work – not at a scheduled review – and put your comments in writing? You probably can’t remember the last time. Instead, supervisors spend a great deal of time criticizing employees for missing deadlines, making mistakes, or not performing according to undefined standards. But the problem is, most supervisors don’t take the time to train their employees to meet their expectations.

The secret to solving this conflict is training. Sharlyn J. Lauby wrote a primer for Motivating Employees, published by Infoline/ASTD Press. Sharlyn is president of ITM Group, Inc., and has held senior-level HR positions in the hospitality, transportation, entertainment, and business services industries. She has designed and implemented successful employee retention programs and was named one of the “2004 Heavy Hitters in Human Resources” by the South Florida Business Journal.

According to Sharlyn, “If you aren’t getting the motivational mileage that you should as a manager, you may be making one of the five management mistakes.” These mistakes are:

Misplacing ownership: motivation doesn’t belong to the HR Department – employees find that informal recognition from their managers for a job well done means more to them than a formal company program.
Misaligning incentives: don’t give all employees the same incentives – since each employee is unique, determine the unique motivators for each employee.
Saving recognition: Since it’s inappropriate to save recognition for special occasions, recognize employee success when it happens.
Playing favorites: Managers lose credibility when they play favorites or give recognition when it isn’t warranted.
Misspeaking praise: The words “good job” are insufficient – always be specific so that employees know exactly what they did to earn recognition and praise.

There are numerous ways to show employees that they are appreciated and valued. Here are a few ideas to motivate your employees:

Provide time off for attendance at professional industry conferences or seminars.
Provide one-on-one time with company leader.
Provide time off for family events during the holiday season.
Give a subscription to an industry publication.
Provide a starring role – or leading role – in an important project.

For more inspiring ideas to motivate your employees:

Visit Sharlyn’s website: http://www.itmgroupinc.com
Connect on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sharlyn_lauby and http://twitter.com/#!/HRBartender
Follow on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/hrbartender
Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ITMGroup

Color's Role in Brand Marketing

2011-09-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

When creating a marketing plan for a product or service, there are key priorities to consider ranging from competitive strengths, positioning statement, tagline, logo, and comparison with the competition. So, even though research has shown that color increases memory, how high is color on the list?

While color allows for a product’s or service’s brand to stand out from the competition, how do you decide what color is the best choice? Sure, you may prefer blue or red, but if the product is orange juice, clearly orange, yellow, or green might be a better choice. You need to decide which color best expresses the attributes of the brand as well as which color best reflects your brand’s message.

BLUE
The color of blue relays integrity, responsibility, intelligence, reliability, truth, and honesty. Light hues of blue convey peace, softness, and healing. Dark hues of blue convey stability, security, and expertise. Blue often communicates feelings of respect, honesty, and confidence. Some well-known logos featuring blue include: IBM, Ford, Citibank, VISA, Tiffany, Skype, General Motors, jetBlue, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Walmart, Nokia, Facebook, Twitter, and BlueCross/BlueShield.

GREEN
The color of green brings to mind environment, growth, re-birth, spring, and luck. Green often communicates feelings of relaxation, renewal, revival, freshness, and optimism. Some well-known logos featuring green include: Garnier Fructis hair care products, American Express, Starbucks, Green Giant vegetables, Whole Foods Market, Subway, Aer Lingus, L.L. Bean, Tropicana Orange Juice, and National Car Rental.

RED
The color of red brings to mind love, action, courage, determination and can also represent danger. Red often communicates feelings of boldness, passion, energy – and grabs attention. Some well-known logos featuring red include: Coca-Cola, Red Cross, Bank of America, Target, Verizon, Toyota, YouTube, McAfee, Marriott Hotels, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Lego, and Levi’s.

PURPLE

The color of purple brings to mind royalty, luxury, magic, mysticism, and inspiration. Purple often communicates feelings of luxury, spirituality, and authority. Some well-known logos featuring purple include: Yahoo!, FedEx, FedEx Ground, Los Angeles Lakers, WeddingChannel.com, Cadbury Chocolates, and Hawaiian Airlines.

PINK
The color of pink brings to mind youthful exuberance, fun, excitement. Pink often communicates feelings of vibrancy and friendship. Some well-known logos featuring pink include: Victoria’s Secret, Flirt dresses by Maggie Sottero, Pepto-Bismol, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, and Mary Kay Cosmetics.

ORANGE
The color of orange brings to mind heat, competition, and productivity. Orange often communicates feelings of strength, determination, vitality, and energy. Some well-known logos featuring orange include: Simply Orange Juice Company, Nickelodeon, Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Mozilla Firefox Internet browser, Amazon.com, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Tide laundry detergent, and The Home Depot.

YELLOW
The color of yellow brings to mind energy, sunshine, warmth, light, happiness, creativity, vision, and warning. Yellow often communicates feelings of creativity, optimism, warmth, vision, and happiness. Some well-known logos featuring yellow include: Hertz, Goodyear tires, Pennzoil, National Geographic, Ikea, Best Buy, Ferrari, Shell Oil, Yellow Pages, McDonald’s, Subway, Denny’s Restaurants, and In-N-Out Burger – as well as thousands of taxi cabs on streets throughout New York City. Since the eye sees yellow before any other color, there is no question why those cabs are yellow.

BROWN
The color of brown brings to mind rustic, earthy, and warm. Brown often communicates feelings of romanticism and durability. Some well-known logos featuring brown include: UPS, Gloria Jean’s Coffees, and Louis Vuitton handbags/attire/jewelry.

BLACK
Black brings to mind expensive products and has been known as “the absence of color” or “all colors.” It communicates feelings of power, drama, and sophistication.

WHITE
White brings to mind simplicity, cleanliness, and purity – and often catches the eye when it is used to highlight words or image outlines. It is used in hospitals and for health-related items and also for bridal gowns.

Research conducted by Xerox Corporation and International Communications Research from February to March 2003, found:

92% = Believe color presents an image of impressive quality.
90% = Believe color can assist in attracting new customers.
90% = Believe customers remember ads better when color is used.
81% = Believe color gives them a competitive edge.

So when selecting your brand’s color or colors, ask these key questions:

What color truly represents your brand’s personality?
What color suits the characteristics of your product or service?
What colors do your competitors use?

How Social Media Has Changed the Hiring Process & Other Timeless Hiring Tips

2011-09-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Alison Green to my Blog. Allison Green is the talented voice behind the popular “Ask a Manager” Blog, where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management issues. Also, she writes a weekly column on career and management issues for U.S. News & World Report’s website and is the co-author of “Managing to Change the World: The Nonprofit Leader’s Guide to Getting Results” (second edition to be published by Jossey Bass in the spring of 2012). Alison’s career advice has been featured in The Washington Post, The Wall St. Journal, ABCnews.com, Fox Business News, Men’s Health, and on NPR’s Marketplace Money. Check out her Blog, follow on Twitter, and become a fan on Facebook. I had the honor of interviewing Alison recently, and I would like to share the highlights.

How has social media impacted hiring – the good ways and the bad ways?

ALISON GREEN: On the candidate side, due to sites like LinkedIn, it’s easier than ever to figure out who in your network might be connected to an employer or field that you’re interested in – which is a huge benefit that I suspect most people aren’t taking enough advantage of. Twitter and other forms of social media make it really easy to build relationships with people you might want in your network – what used to require going to tons of networking events and conferences (which was sometimes impossible) can now be done from your home office or living room couch. On the employer side, social media has made it easier to get a more complete picture of a candidate: if he/she has a digital footprint/an online presence, what he/she is writing about, how he/she portrays himself/herself online, what is the person interested in, etc. Of course, this can be both good and bad. Employers can now find out less-than-flattering things about candidates that they previously would not have uncovered (and which, frankly, might not actually have any bearing on a person’s ability to do the job).

What are the most important questions an EMPLOYER should ask a candidate during an interview?

ALISON GREEN: Really dig into past experiences. Too many interviewers ask surface-level questions about past jobs and then move right on to the next question on their list. It’s far more useful to focus on a few key pieces from the candidate’s past and really spend quality time probing to get beneath the surface. So instead of just asking about a particular project and then moving on, the interviewer should follow up and follow up and then follow up some more. For example, “What was the biggest challenge there? How did you approach that? What happened? How did you deal with that? Then what happened?” You can learn a great deal of valuable information about how the candidate really operates, and it can separate a good on-paper candidate from a great in-practice candidate. I’m also a huge fan of asking what kind of feedback candidates have received from their previous managers. This can tell a lot in terms of the substance of the response itself and also how candid candidates are when answering. If people have been lucky and received constructive feedback about things they could have done differently, how have they processed the feedback and what improvements/changes did they make?

What are the most important questions a CANDIDATE should ask an employer during an interview?

ALISON GREEN: Ask about what’s going to be most important to achieve in the role during the first year and how the new employee’s performance will be measured. This provides a good picture of what the new employee will be expected to do and what success will look like, but it also shows how clear the employer is on what he/she is looking for. Another great question is, “What obstacles do you think the person in this position will face?” You might hear about the impossible coworker, the difficult bureaucracy, or the uncooperative vendor. Even better, you may hear about an aspect of the position that you might not have otherwise heard about. And conveniently, while these questions are about learning things that will help decide if this is the right fit, they also happen to be great questions that will impress a hiring manager, because they make it clear that you're thinking rigorously about the role.

Since employers are not hiring candidates for their weaknesses, and candidates may not always be honest about this question, what is the value of asking "What are your weaknesses?"

ALISON GREEN: The question itself has become so cliché – as have candidates’ answers to it – that it’s basically useless now. That said, as a hiring manager, I AM interested in figuring out what the candidate’s weaker points are, because I want to make sure that those weaknesses aren’t going to be fatal for this particular position. And I want as full a picture as possible about the person I'm hiring. But, often, you can get to that information by conducting a rigorous interview and a thorough reference check. However, there are creative ways of talking about weaker spots during an interview. For example, the question I mentioned earlier about feedback from previous managers can address this issue, and it’s interesting to see how insightful people are about their own weak spots – as well as how open they are about talking about them. In fact, I’ve always found that the stronger the candidate, the more able he/she is to provide a thoughtful and accurate perspective on his/her own weaker points.

How do you differentiate managers and leaders?

ALISON GREEN: When I was telling someone recently that I consult on management but not leadership, I defined the difference as “I don’t teach anyone how to inspire anyone.” I was half joking, but that’s pretty much it. I think of management as setting goals, monitoring progress against those goals and holding people accountable to them, building a strong team (which means hiring as well as being willing to fire when necessary), building a culture around high performance, etc. It’s the day-to-day business of getting things done. But I think of leadership as creating a vision and motivating other people to work toward that vision.

Since HR and Marketing Departments share a common goal of having successful employees who also need to be brand advocates, how can the two departments work together harmoniously?

ALISON GREEN: Marketing can teach HR a lot about remembering who their audience is. HR sometimes gets so caught up in internal processes that they forget to assess what they're putting out with the eye of an outsider. So then you get deadly dull job postings that are full of jargon and bureaucratic references, instead of really describing the work and what should attract the ideal candidate to the role. A little bit of marketing’s focus on the audience and the fundamental goal wouldn't hurt!

Image Credit: Thanks to Scott Hampson for use of his comic with this post. Check out his work at http://www.agent-x.com.au/comic/your-true-profile/.

The Secrets of Employee Engagement

2011-09-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Doug Brown to my Blog. Doug Brown is President of Engaged2Perform in Ontario, Canada. For the past 30 years, Doug has served in roles covering the gamut from supervisor to president and has overseen production, quality control, sales and marketing, administration, and distribution and fulfillment. Engaged2Perform is an employee engagement firm that helps growing companies to increase productivity, reduce absenteeism, and motivate employees to achieve corporate goals. It is a network of affiliated partners in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Strategic Planning, Leadership Coaching and Training, Communications, Business Consulting, and Health and Wellness. Engaged2Perform has improved overall efficiency of its clients' employees by an average of 30% by providing strategic tools and services to engage people, so it is no surprise that the company's tagline is “People, Passion, and Profit.”

I recently had the opportunity to interview Doug about employee engagement and would like to share the highlights.

Business jargon is full of long words with lots of syllables. Some are easy to understand, while others seem to be out of Mary Poppins. How would you best explain “employee engagement?”

DOUG BROWN: I would explain it as a strong emotional connection between the employee and the organization that fuels employee motivation, pride, enthusiasm, passion, and commitment to supporting an employee’s company. This translates into meaningful action items that drive performance and productivity and contribute to the success of the company. The “meaningful action” I refer to includes advocating for the company; willingness to grow, improve, interact, communicate, and connect with peers and colleagues; and become involved with ideas and suggestions to find new efficiencies to improve the company.

Why are there so many titles for HR members of the C-suite: Chief Potential Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Happy Officer, and Chief Engagement Officer?

DOUG BROWN: I suspect this is due to an organization’s trying to put a new spin and focus on the same issues and problems. This may be done to help change the mindset of people and avoid some of the rhetoric (such as, “our people are our greatest strength and asset”), but this is lost down the levels of the workforce. But, in a competitive market where success is defined by small margins, leaders are beginning to understand motivation and engagement and the fact that people may be the key to their business’ success. Programs centered on basic people principles are the key: principles that for several reasons have been lost or strained over time – due to downsizing, restructuring, advances in communication, etc. These basic principles are treating people with respect and courtesy, valuing their ideas and contributions, supporting them in their roles and responsibilities, and finding ways to inspire and reward them.

What are the five best strategies for effective new employee onboarding?

DOUG BROWN: Here are my best strategies:

Recognition: Show appreciation of employee effort and accomplishment.
Communication: Help them understand their role and responsibilities clearly.
Listen: Allow them to ask questions and provide their thoughts and ideas on how aspects of the job could be improved.
Treat Employees as People: Understand what makes them tick in a personal and individual way; what interests them, motivates them, and inspires them beyond the paycheck and their desire to be with the company.
Help Employees Fit In: Employees need to feel that they belong, that their contributions are valued by the leadership team, and that they have become assimilated into the company’s culture.

What are the five best ways to create a successful corporate culture?

DOUG BROWN: Here are my best ways:

Understand the issues that employees deal with and are concerned about.
Strategize on how you can provide an environment that is meaningful for employees and will enable them to accomplish their best work. Leadership teams need to ask: What do the employees need to optimize their performance? Some programs can be applied across the workforce, while others need an individual focus.
Train managers on how to interact, communicate, and connect with employees in ways that will help them engage. This is a critical link.
Implement the proper tools and services that support the process.
Take time to read and understand the research surrounding engagement, what the benefits are, what the key drivers are – this must be done from the top leadership down.

Some final comments from Doug: “Every company has several groups that they need to keep happy. This includes shareholders, employees, management, customers, suppliers, etc. Employee engagement has important implications for all of these groups as well as on a company’s brand. To ensure that you meet the commitments and expectations of all groups, you must have employees who are engaged and enthusiastic about their work, have the right training, the right tools and information, and the authority to take action. Don’t forget: Gallup research has shown that engaged employees are more productive and profitable, create stronger customer relationships, and remain with their companies longer than less engaged employees.”

What kind of employees would you like for your company?

Learn more: http://www.engaged2perform.ca

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dougkbrown1

Connect on LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/dougkeithbrown

Become a Fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/dougkbrown

Read “The Impact of Engaged Employees” by Doug Brown: http://bit.ly/pjVDmd

Do You Know How to Complain Effectively?

2011-09-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

As consumers, we have one thing in common: we all complain. We complain about minor skirmishes and also major upsets – ranging from the weather’s too cold or too hot, the movie was terrible, that driver just cut me off, and the item that just arrived in the mail was defective. Some of us become animated when complaining, while others remain calm. At one time or another though, most of us have spoken a bit too loudly while on a phone call with a customer service agent. However, according to Guy Winch, Ph.D., author of The Squeaky Wheel, Complaining the Right Way to Get Results, Improve Your Relationships, and Enhance Self-Esteem, there’s a correct way to complain.

“We have a complaining psychology,” Winch explained. “We believe that to complain to a company will take so much time and effort that it won’t be worth it. So 95% of us actually won’t complain at all when we have a problem. We’ll just go to the competition. Also, we’re afraid of the confrontation. We think it’s going to be nasty and time-consuming. [But] our complaints can be practical, emotional, and psychological tools that we use to better our lives. They can help us gain resolutions to meaningful problems. They can improve our moods, our self-esteem, and our general outlook on life. They can better and deepen our relationships. However, as many sharp tools do, complaints can cut both ways when used incorrectly. When we complain excessively or, in some cases, too little, we can end up getting more cuts, nicks, and scratches than we do benefits.”

As a result of Winch’s psychology background, he provided insight into the dynamics of complaining on a personal level, couples level, professional level, and consumer level. He shared numerous anecdotes to demonstrate good and bad methods for complaining. My favorites were Winch’s personal story about how he successfully dealt with loud noise in New York City, and how one customer disputed unfair pricing at the retail giant Marks & Spencer in England.

Winch explained the history of the toll-free 1-800 number and the reason that so many call centers don’t function in a productive manner. If more of us understood that most call center employees burn out and leave their jobs in less than two years, we might be friendlier when we call to complain.

Winch introduced the ingredients for a delicious squeak, or in other words, the complaint sandwich:

Top slice of bread is the ear-opener: this statement (or paragraph if a written letter or email) should mention something positive about the situation.
Middle section of the sandwich is the meat section: this is the actual request for action – the tone should sound more like a request for a favor instead of a complaint or demand.
Final slice of bread is the digestive: the final statements or paragraph should make it more difficult for the recipient to dismiss the complaint immediately and also increases the reader’s motivation to help – the wording could be “I would appreciate…I would be happy…I hope to hear from you soon for any assistance you can offer.”

Above all, complaints are a gift for a business. They serve as free feedback, an opportunity to take action and make improvements. If the complaining consumer’s issue is resolved to his or her satisfaction – or if the expectations are exceeded, then he or she will become a lifetime customer and will tell friends and family how well the issue was resolved. And the story will be repeated again and again. Smart businesses know that customers who have a negative experience that is fixed become more loyal customers than if they’d been satisfied with their experience in the first place.

“Each time we visit a store, have a meal in a restaurant, take a bus or taxicab, or interact with a service provider, we have the option of letting them know what we thought about their product or service. Of course, most of our daily experiences are not worthy of comment as they fall somewhere in the “adequate” range. But when we encounter extremes in either direction, we have the perfect opportunity to take a quick dip in the waters of community activism.”

So how does your business deal with complaints? Is there a complaint resolution department? How quickly do you respond? And for those of you who represent the 5% who complain, how often do you get the results you desire? Please chime in.

For more information: http://www.guywinch.com

Follow Guy on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/guywinch

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thesqueakywheel

Watch Guy talk about the book on YouTube: http://youtu.be/2TgoDCX0uLs

Check out The Squeaky Wheel Blog on Psychology Today:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-squeaky-wheel

Who determines the culture and voice of your blog?

2011-08-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

These days, companies and individuals include blogs as part of their marketing arsenal and social media outreach to promote their product or service and/or to build buzz about a corporate, non-profit, or personal brand. While some blogs have several writers or bloggers, others feature only one. So who determines the culture and voice of a blog?

If you are promoting a product or service in the B2B (business-to-business) arena, you probably use industry-specific lingo that your target audience understands and often uses. But if you are promoting something in the B2C (business-to-consumer) arena, you probably use informal language, brief sentences, and one-topic paragraphs in order to capture and keep readers’ interest.

Your blogger or bloggers most often determine the voice of your blog, so would a company president be the main writer? Or would the marketing or public relations departments take responsibility for writing the posts? Or would the IT or HR departments chime in with ideas?

Once your company or non-profit determines who will write the posts, here are some things to keep in mind for successful blogging:

Create a schedule that includes topics and timing for posting (daily vs. weekly).
Monitor word count so that you avoid discrepancies between a 250-word post and a 2,000-word post.
Choose graphics that align with the subject matter of each post.
Ask readers for opinions.
Proofread the posts several times before you publish.

In the words of Brian Clark, CEO of Copyblogger Media and founder of Copyblogger.com, “Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.”

Who do you represent: your company or your individual brand?

2011-08-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

When we go to work everyday, we don certain attire to achieve a certain look as we become representatives of our company. Some companies have actual uniforms: McDonald’s, service departments within car dealerships, the US Post Office, and many, many more. Professional service firms, such as, accounting firms, law firms, and even banks, have an “unwritten” uniform that features a suit and tie for men and dresses or suits for women. However, do we represent our employer or our own unique brand?

Consider Zappos and the culture that Tony Hsieh has created: all employees strive to create an exceptional experience for customers. Zappos employees will even go above and beyond for potential customers even if the company doesn’t sell a desired product. Consider Southwest Airlines: while it is known as a low cost, no frills airline, the company’s employees understand that they are in “the customer service business and just happen to provide airline transportation,” and most customers encounter a positive experience in their interactions with Southwest.

Southwest Airlines President Emeritus Colleen Barrett explained, “Employees feel like owners because they are owners…How can you expect people to have passion and excitement for what they do if they’re not owners? We give employees the opportunity to criticize and question us. Southwest doesn't often need to conduct surveys or hire consultants to determine what we are doing wrong or well. The employees tell us face-to-face year-round. We're transparent and we're all-inclusive in telling employees what’s happening. Another thing that’s unique about Southwest is its sense of humor. We use words that corporate America doesn’t. Our stock exchange symbol is LUV. We give employees a lot of freedom. We don’t want them to be cookie-cutter copies of each other. When most people go to work, they take off their personal demeanor. Then they go home and act like themselves again. We hire people for their individuality, and we want to share that with the passengers. We test for a sense of humor. We want them to laugh. We watch their interactions with others outside of the formal interview. You can train anyone to move a bag from one place to another. A team mentality is what we're looking for.”

It’s clear that Southwest and Zappos employees represent their brands while on the clock – and it’s easy to see why. But while many of us are representations of our companies and extensions of our brands during business hours, what happens at the close of business? At that point, you represent yourself – your unique strengths, expertise, education, and experience. Your unique brand must be maintained so that you can give 110% each and every day.

Remember, it is due to your having your unique brand that you were hired in the first place, so here are five tips to nurture your individual brand:

[1] Write a mission statement and action plan to clarify your professional goals and list your key strengths

[2] Keep your digital footprint current – create a detailed profile on LinkedIn and update it regularly with project highlights, create a blog, participate in conversations on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+

[3] Attend continuing education courses in your specialty area, either from experts within your business or elsewhere

[4] Request to participate in cross-departmental meetings at your business in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how all departments work together – and as a result, volunteer for new projects outside of your comfort zone

[5] Share your expertise with others by speaking to chambers of commerce, panel discussions, local businesses, friends’ companies, etc. – and also join professional organizations

In the words of Tom Peters, “Big companies understand the importance of brands. Today, in the Age of the Individual, you have to be your own brand. [You have] to be the CEO of Me Inc. You’re every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop. To start thinking like your own favorite brand manager, ask yourself the same question the brand managers at Nike, Coke, Pepsi, or the Body Shop ask themselves: What is it that my product or service does that makes it different? Give yourself the traditional 15-words-or-less contest challenge. Take the time to write down your answer. And then take the time to read it. Several times. Start by identifying the qualities or characteristics that make you distinctive from your competitors – or your colleagues. What have you done lately – this week – to make yourself stand out?”

To read more, check out Tom Peters’ article, “The Brand Called You,” in Fast Company (http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html). While the article was written in 1997, it is just as current as if it were written today.

So remember, while you represent your company during business hours, you ALWAYS represent your individual brand!

140 Characters CAN Impact Your Business!

2011-08-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Those of us who spend a great amount of our day tangled in the social web sometimes forget what makes each site unique. So it’s a good idea to revisit the attributes of each site on a regular basis to remind ourselves how each can provide the best value for our time and business. Mark W. Schaefer does a great job of reminding us how Twitter can make an impact in 140 characters in his book, The Tao of Twitter. While it may have been written as an introduction to Twitter, it is a good read for those who have been in the Twitterverse for awhile – because we can see our own experiences in Mark’s stories.

Twitter, a micro-blogging site whereby users comment in 140 characters or less, has been in the news since it launched in 2006, but it really made its presence known in the mainstream media when the site experienced significant outages during August 2009 – and NBC news anchor Brian Williams discussed the outage on his Nightly News television broadcast.

As Mark writes, “There is a Tao to Twitter, a majestic random synergy that holds the potential to impact your life daily…if you know what you’re doing. [But] most people don’t know what they’re doing. They don’t grasp the Tao: a way or path or principle.”

Mark shares a myriad of memorable examples that prove how, without a doubt, Twitter can help your business to:

[1] Attract new audiences and potential customers, partners, and suppliers

[2] Follow news on your industry, market, competitors, and customers

[3] Stay on top of the latest research, opinions, insights, and competitive intelligence

[4] Strengthen new and existing customer relationships

[5] Open up low-cost marketing opportunities

Here are Mark’s questions and suggestions to make Twitter part of your marketing strategy and a competitive advantage for your business:

[1] Who are my target customers?

[2] Do they fall into distinct segments with different needs or interests?

[3] What are their goals as they relate to my business?

[4] What kind of information are my customers generally interested in?

[5] Who on Twitter regularly tweets this kind of information? Competitors? No one?

[6] What Twitter resources can be valuable to this (or each) customer segment?

[7] Use Twitter’s search function to perform real-time searches about your industry

[8] Offer helpful links and headlines that drive traffic to your main website

[9] Improve customer service by participating in conversations about your product/service

[10] Offer special deals, contests, and promotions on Twitter

[11] Showcase testimonial tweets as “favorites”

[12] Participate in or sponsor a chat or tweet-up based on your industry or niche

[13] Reinforce your brand with consistency (tagline, description, Twitter background, “voice” of your tweets, etc.)

As for the amount of time you should spend on Twitter, there is no easy answer. Only you can determine what works for your business. For newbies, try to spend 20 minutes a day – read, share, and learn from others. For those who have been part of the Twitterverse for a long time, Mark proposes that we take the Twitter 20-minute challenge – I had to laugh with his statement that “it’s easy to go down the rabbit hole” and read link after link. How many times have we all lost track of time?

Since Twitter’s “gold” can be described as “content,” Mark eloquently explains, “Content is the currency of the social web and sharing that content is the catalyst to new relationships and business benefits.” Twitter users fall into these categories: lead generator, customer satisfier, product development engine, problem-solver, lead for joint brainstorming session, storyteller, teacher – and you can probably think of many more.

For those who require visual explanations, Mark offers this description, “Think of the social web as a dinner party. If somebody only talks about themselves, their business and how great they are, you’re going to get away fast! But if a person shows genuine interest in you, and offers help without regard for their own personal benefit, you will like that person and connect with them.”

In a 2009 Time magazine essay, technology author Steven Johnson described the basic mechanics of Twitter, “As a social network, Twitter revolves around the principle of followers. When you choose to follow another Twitter user, that user’s tweets appear on your main Twitter page. If you follow 20 people, you’ll see a mix of tweets scrolling down the page: interesting new links, music recommendations, even musings on the future of education.”

When Johnson attended an event, he noticed that attendees in the same room were tweeting, but within 30 minutes, members of the Twitterverse who were not in attendance had joined the stream. “Injecting Twitter into that conversation fundamentally changed the rules of engagement. It added a second layer of discussion and brought a wider audience into what would have been a private exchange. And it gave the event an afterlife on the web. Yes, it was built entirely out of 140-character messages, but the sum total of those tweets added up to something truly substantive, like a suspension bridge made of pebbles.”

Over the last two-plus years, I have watched the pebbles of the Twitter suspension bridge and benefitted from Twitter: I have received invitations to write guest blog posts and to appear on radio shows. I have set up prospective business meetings that resulted in new business and also made new friends and business connections from all around the world – people I would never have had the opportunity to meet without Twitter – and all this resulting from 140 character messages. And, I admit, also by enduring the fail whale every now and then.

More about the book: http://www.thetaooftwitter.com

Follow Mark on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/markwschaefer

Read Mark’s Blog: http://www.businessesgrow.com/blog

Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markwschaefer

Connect on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/MWSchaefer

Connect on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mark.schaefer3

Do you know how to stand out from the crowd?

2011-08-01T11:48:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Walethia Aquil to my Blog. Walethia Aquil, coach, author, speaker, and entrepreneur, is the founder of Grace and Charm, a consulting company that features 30 unique training programs to improve organizational and personal behavior, business and social graces, and effective team building. Grace and Charm’s mission is to help “entrepreneurs move from invisible to impeccable,” and the company provides executives, entrepreneurs, public figures, and individuals with the skills, training, and resources to ensure that their image does not distract from their productiveness. Walethia worked at General Motors prior to starting her own company, is an inspiration to countless non-profits, and also hosts the “Success with Grace and Charm” radio show on BlogTalkRadio every Tuesday at 2pm EST.

Question: What is the history behind your company?

WALETHIA AQUIL: When I was growing up, my family did not have a lot of resources, and I was terribly shy and insecure as a child and as a young adult. Late in life, I realized that my shyness and insecurities were hampering my professional and social development. In my youth, after my first school dance, I walked into a restaurant and sat down at a table with silverware and china, and I knew I was out of my element. I made a decision then and there that I would never feel embarrassed again. If I struggled with social skills and self-esteem, I knew others did as well. Today, because the market is overcrowded and highly competitive, no one will tell you why you didn’t get a promotion, why you were unable to close a deal, or why you’re not invited to social events. This is how Grace and Charm started, as a result of my own experiences.

Question: What does your tagline mean to you: “Become More Charming, Persuasive and Memorable?”

WALETHIA AQUIL: In today’s competitive market, it is very important to stand out. Your image, your etiquette, your communication and interpersonal skills play a major role in the amount of money you earn, who comprises your circle of influence, the quality of your relationships, and the opportunities that are open to you. Also, your ability to get along with others is just as important as having technical and professional skills because 85% of success in business and social relationships is based on your “people skills.” So, having a polished image is vital to your success. A potential customer or client will, within seconds, determine if you are trustworthy. So, when you look polished and professional from head to toe, your credibility is undeniable and trust in you increases.

Question: What are the results of developing one's social skills?

WALETHIA AQUIL: Developing your social skills will increase your earning potential by opening doors of opportunity, enhancing your relationships, attracting better and higher paying customers or clients, increasing your self-esteem, and positioning you to attain power and influence. It is more important than ever before to build relationships, and the quickest and most effective way is to create what I call, “Relationship Currency.” To explain it simply, relationship currency is a resource – giving to others. Relationship currency can catapult your business or career to the next level because others will see you as approachable. The result will yield a more extensive network. The development of one’s social skills will change a person’s mindset from “what’s in it for me” to “how can I serve others and add value.”

Question: Some men may disagree with your business model, so how do you convince men (as well as some women) about the value of what you teach?

WALETHIA AQUIL: This is a very good question. Success in any industry relies on relationships, whether with co-workers, clients, suppliers, or investors. When you’re well-mannered and courteous in dealing with others, you create engaging, productive, and long-term business relationships. As such, it is important to learn not just the technical side of a business, but how to conduct oneself in the company of others. It has been my experience that the men and women who seek my services understand the benefits of having superior social skills and a polished image.

Question: What is the best way to overcome anxiety created by giving presentations?

WALETHIA AQUIL: Well, I always have butterflies when I’m preparing to speak. But as Mark Twain said, “There are two types of speakers: those that are nervous and those that are liars.” So, my secrets would have to be preparation, preparation, and more preparation. Acknowledge fear because it is normal. Dress comfortably – but I suggest dressing a level above the audience because you are the authority, the star, the speaker. Arrive early so that you can become familiar with the environment and any technical equipment that will be part of the presentation. Know your audience: who are they, what is their knowledge of your topic, how many will be in attendance, etc. If it is appropriate, greet members of the audience and introduce yourself as they enter the room. During your presentation, make eye contact with your new friends – this will ease the butterflies. Most importantly, smile and have fun.

Question: What is the best preparation for a networking event, and how do you recommend someone should “work the room?”

WALETHIA AQUIL: The best advice I can offer is to move outside your comfort zone. The best network and the most effective network is one that is diverse. Here are three tips that will help a person gain control of a room and command the attention of others:

[1] Smile and make eye contact – successful and confident people make direct eye contact, and a smile breaks down barriers.

[2] Have an attitude of gratefulness – when you are grateful, you radiate positive energy, and people are drawn to those who are positive.

[3] Abide by the three-second rule – acknowledge someone you don’t know, and within three seconds walk over and introduce yourself.

Learn more: http://graceandcharmblog.com

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Did Google+ Click the Over-Saturation Social Media Button?

2011-07-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

By now, everyone has heard the buzz about Google's entry into social media. Known as Google+ or Google Plus, this new social media platform has been available by invitation only (or in tech-speak, to those who have access to go behind the "digital velvet rope") but has attracted widespread attention from the mainstream media as well as by technophiles. As one reporter wrote, Google+ is like arriving at a party hours before it is scheduled to start but no one else has arrived. Thanks to Google, have we reached the over-saturation point in social media, or do Facebook and Twitter need to be worried?

Here are the features of Google+:

Groups named as "circles" can be created consisting of specific people so that you can share content only with family or only with school pals or only with co-workers because in the words of Google CEO Larry Page, "in real life, we share different things with different people"
On the main page named the "stream," posts can be viewed by everyone or only by members of the circles that have been created
Places where groups of ten or less people meet to chat are called "hangouts"
News can be found based on any number of topics – in what Google+ refers to as "sparks"
Video and voice chats can be held with specific people in circles – some have said that this capability is even better than Skype
The sites that you indicate you like (+1) can also be included as part of the Google+ profile – these are the sites that, according to Google, "you like, agree with, or want to recommend to others"
Privacy settings are more user-friendly than other sites, for instance, anything on the profile can be set for public viewing or private viewing (e.g., who appears in circles, posts, about, photos, videos, +1’s)

There may be some very unique uses for Google+ that are not appropriate for Twitter or Facebook. For instance, tech super stores (Best Buy, Apple, Dell, etc.) could use hangouts or circles to address customer service issues. Businesses with a large number of telecommuters or international teams could use circles for brainstorming in more than 140 characters. While there are some things that can be stated easily in less than 140 characters, it’s sometimes necessary for making a long story even longer, and Twitter is not the place. College courses may use circles or hangouts for course discussion or exam preparation.

But, the big question yet to be answered is, how will Facebook and Google+ co-exist? Since Google+ has not yet launched to the public or been opened to brands, there is no easy answer. Google+ may be intriguing for the points stated above, but there will always be a loyal Facebook following. And while many Facebook users may dislike lists, the constantly-changing interface, and lack of attention when it comes to privacy, there is still much that appeals to over 500 million active users.

One thing to note, if you already had a Google Profile in the pre-Google+ days, that page automatically appears as part of your Google+ page. Again, in the pre-Google+ environment, the key reason for having a Google Profile was to make sure that you appeared in Google searches for your name and also to create a page where you could control content about you – that Google found.

So, if you have not joined the Google+ party and are on the fence, answer these five questions. Your answers will make the decision for you. But, if you decide to join Google+, visit my page at www.gplus.to/dlmba:

Do you have time to allocate to another social media site?
What are your objectives as you build your presence on Google+?
How does Google+ fit into your annual marketing plan and overall social media strategy?
Are your customers and competitors already on Google+?
How will you measure your success on Google+?

Want to be nicknamed Strategy Guru?

2011-07-11T11:27:00.000-07:00

Do you know how strategy and tactics differ? How many times have you heard someone talk about strategy without providing any substance? According to business expert Erika Andersen, “When people say apple or sunlight, there’s generally a shared definition. But people have no common definition for strategy.” In her book, Being Strategic: Plan for Success, Out-Think Your Competitors, Stay Ahead of Change, Andersen explains the differences between discussing strategy, defining strategy, and actually being strategic – so your business benefits.

The core of strategy, according to Andersen, is a journey with four parts.

[1] What Is? – an exploration of the current situation and how it came to be

[2] What’s the Hope? – The hoped-for future: clearly defined, realistic, and aspirational

[3] What’s in the Way? – an understanding of what’s blocking movement from “what is” to “hoped-for future”

[4] What’s the Path? – the plan to overcome obstacles and achieve hoped-for future

Perhaps the reason that so many people don’t like discussing or working on strategies is because they don’t like to focus on what isn’t working. But isn’t success better than lack of success? By focusing on the four-part journey described by Andersen, the process for creating strategies and tactics is easy. At the end of every chapter, Andersen provides worksheets to analyze your individual business situations and put her theories into practice. But let’s never forget the importance of collaboration with other employees, alignment with other business units, and adherence to project budgets and timing.

Here’s a refresher for key business success terms:

* Mission: why we exist, our unique purpose as an organization

* Vision: what we would look like if we were more fully achieving that purpose: our hoped-for future as a company, fulfilling our mission

* Obstacles: what might make it difficult for us to be the company we envision, achieving our purpose

* Strategy: core directional choices toward becoming the company we envision

* Tactics: specific actions that will best implement those strategies

If you want to be nicknamed the “Strategy Guru” in your office, then learn these easy-to-follow steps for strategic planning and action:

[1] Be clear about the problem you’re trying to solve

[2] Figure out where you’re starting from

[3] Imagine your “castle on the hill” – your ultimate goal

[4] Identify the “trolls under the bridge” – the obstacles in your path

[5] Outline the path to the “castle” – your core strategies and the tactics for implementing the strategies

[6] Re-evaluate your strategy and tactics as conditions change

Visit Erika’s website: http://erikaandersen.com

Follow Erika on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/erikaandersen

Become a fan on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Erika-Andersen/148974045125729

Subscribe to Erika’s Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/erika1952

Visit Erika’s company, Proteus-International: http://www.proteus-international.com

Read This Carefully: Your Competitive Advantage Is What You Give Away Free

2011-06-29T19:35:00.000-07:00

Answer the question at the end of this post – and you could win a free copy of Launch!

In today’s highly competitive and technology-driven marketplace, leaders wonder how their businesses can stand out. On a daily basis, leaders ask their sales and marketing teams to sell and promote products and services, they ask their R&D teams to develop the latest and greatest products, they ask their finance teams to accomplish more with fewer employees and smaller budgets, and they ask their IT teams to develop systems and infrastructure to handle business objectives with smaller budgets. So, it’s not surprising that customer focus can, and does, easily get lost. But thanks to Mike Stelzner’s latest book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition, the secret for standing out is easy.

Mike’s book describes the secret as the “other people” component. What he means by this term is that other people who are experts bring their insights to YOUR audience. “It’s a great way to develop relationships with people, an outstanding way to provide really interesting insights for your audience, and it’s another form of content that is written with perspectives and opinions other than your own.”

What makes this content different than everything else on your corporate website is that it is “minus marketing messages.” According to Mike, most businesses surround the content on their websites with advertising – this can include testimonials, collateral, media news, etc. Instead, Mike suggests, provide “other people” content:

Comprehensive how-to articles.
Expert interviews.
Reviews of books, products, and websites.
Case studies.
News stories.
Contrarian stories.
Reports based on surveys – infrequently.
Top 10 contests – infrequently.
White papers – infrequently.
Micro events (webinars, social media events, video broadcasts) – infrequently.

When you focus your content on helping people to solve their problems, your company will experience growth. Visitors will check out your site even if they don’t want to purchase your product or service now, but they will remember you for the value you provide. Your company’s focus shifts from “What can we sell you?” to “How can we help you?” Soon, people think of your company and your website as THE PLACE to go for help. Who wouldn’t want an increase in web traffic?

Here are the reasons that “other people” content is so important:

People will become return visitors to your site to check out the latest content.
People will recommend your content to others.
People will reach out to you – unsolicited – to provide feedback and offer content.
You will be received as an authoritative source.
You will inspire deep loyalty.
Experts will want to work with you.
When you decide to decide to sell something, readers will buy – because you will have proven yourself as trustworthy and knowledgeable.

According to Mike, “The result: You no longer need to sell! Instead, you demonstrate your expertise by the content you produce, the ideas you showcase, the stories you share, and the people you attract…You can become the center of your industry, niche, or local market. And when that happens, you’re launched on an unstoppable trajectory that will take you places you never imagined possible…Everyone wants access to great insight and great people, before they want great products and services. When outstanding content is coupled with great people and decoupled from marketing messages, your business can quickly attract a larger base, more partnership opportunities, and significantly more sales.”

Want a free copy of the book, Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition? The person who submits the most creative response to the following question in 100 words or less will win a free copy: Mike talks about creating an “idea vault” for finding ideas for blog posts and interviews. Where do you find content for YOUR idea vault? Chime in below in the comments section with your response – and be sure to include your name and email address.

Visit this site for a free chapter of the book: www.elevationprinciple.com

Follow Mike on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Mike_Stelzner

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elevationprinciple

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at HR & Employee Motivation

2011-06-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Cyndy Trivella to my Blog. Cyndy is a human resources (HR) communications and employment branding specialist as well as a recruitment and retention strategist. With over 15 years of HR experience as a practitioner, media representative, and consultant, she has worked in the high-tech, engineering, retail, healthcare, pharmaceutical, transportation, hospitality, manufacturing, and financial industries. Since 2009, Cyndy has been a Committee Member of the Society for Human Resources Management’s (SHRM) HR Standards Workforce Planning Taskforce. Her employee and HR-related tweets can be found on Twitter.

According to Margo Rose, Founder & CEO of HireFriday, an online HR blog, “When it comes to using new media technology, few people rise to Cyndy’s level of expertise. She is moving our industry forward by leading the path to organization effectiveness methods, talent acquisition strategy and management, and human resource excellence.”

I had the honor of interviewing Cyndy recently, and I would like to share the highlights.

What is the secret in attracting the right talent for a position?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: First and foremost, companies need to explain why someone would want to work for their organization. This is best done through the creation and maintenance of a strong employer brand. The employer brand reveals what is key to the culture of the organization and establishes the messages and conversations about the organization from the perspective of the current employee base, customers, board of directors, vendors, and other stakeholders.

What are the five key items that job seekers must include in their resumes?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: There are five plus one:

[1] Contact information

[2] Details for being found on the social channels – if no links, create a digital footprint

[3] A well-defined and concise summary of experience

[4] How the job seeker best solves a company’s problem or problems

[5] Complete work history

[6] Also, a well-written cover letter should be included that ties up all loose ends (for example, employment gaps), clearly states why the job seeker wants the job, what value he/she will bring to the organization, and what problems he/she can solve

What are the three best ways to motivate employees?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: There are actually four:

[1] Challenging and gratifying work

[2] Opportunity to contribute and have an opinion

[3] Opportunity for learning and potential advancement

[4] Consistent and defined messaging from the leadership of the organization regarding the mission, vision, and values

What is the proper way to onboard a new employee?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: Onboarding starts with the job candidate experience. How did the job seeker find the position? Was the application process laborious and tedious, or was it easy and intuitive? What was communication like after the application process was completed? Later on in the process, was the representation by the company friendly and inviting, or was it intimidating and unproductive? Onboarding can also begin by having current employees speak favorably about their organization in non-work related situations. Employees should be trained to be brand ambassadors for their organizations – at all times. And lastly, the most productive and successful method for finding and hiring qualified candidates continues to be the employee referral process.

Other than quit, what can an employee do if he/she has a “jerk” boss?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: First, we need to determine if the boss is a tyrant by nature or if the exhibited behavior is unmanageable due to circumstances for which the employee is unaware – because there is a difference. Behaviors can be modified and temporary, but attitude usually has staying power. It’s like the saying “You can train skills, but you can’t train attitude.” As research has shown, people do not leave a company – they leave their immediate supervisor. Since most employees spend most of their waking hours at work or doing work (if a remote employee), a high degree of importance is placed on relationships. Some employees can move past all of this and remain focused on the job-at-hand while others seek options that result in leaving their present employer. This is where proper management training comes into play and can become an opportunity for organizations to take control of their cultures.

It seems that, everyday, we hear comments that HR isn’t respected or that there is no seat for the HR leader at the C-level table, so what can HR leaders do differently to earn the respect that they desire?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: Don’t fall into the “we’ve always done it that way” mindset. Sometimes it takes blowing something up and starting over again before seeing the true value in something that will manifest. Don’t be ignored and never accept being considered the complaint department. I think it’s also important to never forget the “human” in human resources. Most HR professionals I know are part of the HR equation because they can do something better than other people within an organization – they can balance business contributions with an understanding and respect for the capital investment of the employee population. Without the right employees in place, a company cannot function to its potential. HR is the department tasked with ensuring that the best people are in place – which means that HR is the department that can positively impact the overall performance of the organization.

Why is there tension between the HR and Marketing Departments?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: I have personally seen the tension that can exist between HR and Marketing, and I think this comes from years of HR’s not getting appropriate recognition for its contributions to the overall success of an organization. Also, since many organizations spend a great deal of time discussing which departments are profit centers and which are cost centers, HR can often get lost in the discussion. I also think that the economy has turned many companies upside down and forced organizations to reevaluate the functions and contributions made by each department.

It is true that HR as a department does not create a product, but the HR department does provide services that are necessary for the proper management of a company’s greatest asset, its employees. For years, business has forced people to become linear in skills and myopic in their job function (I am not referring to those professions which must be specialized like a doctor or dentist, for example.) With the economic downturn, companies have had to reevaluate everyone’s role within an organization, and as a result, many people have been called upon to wear multiple hats. In the case of Human Resources, many have turned to their internal Marketing departments to provide marketing services and direction. The one negative I have seen with this is that Marketing does not always understand the positioning of HR within the organization. When this lack of understanding exists, Marketing can attempt to brand and represent HR and its function in the same way they support a department like product development and research. I’ve seen this approach by Marketing create resentment and a breakdown of cross-departmental relationships with HR. This said, I have also seen HR and Marketing work harmoniously and in these instances, it had all the makings of a well-oiled machine where both departments were well represented and both department viewpoints were taken into consideration.

If a person wanted to enter the HR field, what would you recommend?

CYNDY TRIVELLA: Hone your craft! Earn your right to sit at the C-level table. Produce high-quality work and understand that HR is a business unit just like any other within the organization. Represent HR like it should be taken seriously and respected for the strong contributor that it is. Possess an ability to be strategic and high-thinking when necessary, and be able to be tactical when necessary. Also, since HR is the department that is expected to have exemplary communications skills, never take the ability to communicate for granted.

Are you nonverbally illiterate?

2011-06-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

Don’t laugh, you read the question correctly. Are your words in sync with your body language? Were you aware that a person’s true strengths and weaknesses can be revealed by their body language? Carol Kinsey Goman, executive coach and management consultant, shares extensive research in her book, The Silent Language of Leaders – How Body Language Can Help – or Hurt – How You Lead and proves conclusively that nonverbal signals can make or break a leader’s success.

As a leader, you are always “on stage.” Employees watch as you walk around the office, they watch you in the lunch room, they watch the speed of your gait as you enter offices and close doors, and they watch you standing casually near open doors chit-chatting and issuing orders. Are you aware that people scrutinize your every movement? Perhaps, in an effort to become more aware of your behaviors and interactions, you should pretend that you are a Hollywood celebrity and your employees are members of the paparazzi. This may force you to think twice before shouting at an employee in front of others, before you cross your arms as you look at a group of employees, or before you look all over and avoid eye contact with people.

According to Goman, there are five mistakes people make when reading body language:

[1] People don’t consider the context – depending on the context (time of day, location, relationships, past experiences, etc.), the same nonverbal signals can have totally different meanings.

[2] People find meaning in a single gesture – if one person leans against a podium when giving a presentation, he may be tired, whereas, another person may simply be bored.

[3] People don’t know your baseline – one person may avoid eye contact but still be paying attention.

[4] People evaluate through their filter of personal biases – if you meet someone who resembles a favorite relative, that person may immediately like you, or not.

[5] People evaluate through their filter of cultural biases – behaviors may not be right or wrong – just different than what we are accustomed to (for instance, women are not invited to shake hands in some cultures – and in the United States, that would not be acceptable).

According to Goman, there are six body language guidelines for negotiators:

[1] Since people form an opinion of you within the first 7 seconds, be aware of this fact and use it to your advantage (i.e., smile, have a great attitude, and show interest).

[2] Initiate a great handshake (maintain eye contact and smile – useful tip for strong men: don’t, under any circumstance, use super-human strength to attempt to break the other person’s hand – most women find this painful, unnecessary, and immediately lose respect for men who do this).

[3] Continue to build rapport (maintain positive eye contact, lean forward, use head nods of encouragement, smile when appropriate, and mirror the other person’s body postures in a subtle manner).

[4] Display confidence and be positive.

[5] Defuse a strong argument with alignment – sitting or standing shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction.

[6] Make a positive final impression – stand tall and shake hands warmly.

With the increased dependence on technology, people use email, texting, webinars, and social media as opposed to in-person meetings. But with video conferencing and podcasting, people can still feel as if they are in the same room together. However, the conference call has not changed much over the years – it is still a tool that creates some confusion because people cannot see you.

Here are six tips for conference calls:

[1] Modulate your voice – avoid a monotone and enunciate clearly.

[2] Stay focused – don’t shuffle papers, send emails, or let your gaze wander aimlessly.

[3] Stand – if possible, it will give your voice more energy and conviction.

[4] Smile while you talk.

[5] Keep it short – keep statements short and ask for feedback.

[6] Follow an agenda.

The concept of MBWA was introduced, which translates to "management by walking around." Leaders: how often do you take time to walk around your office and talk to employees? Employees: how often do you encounter your president or other members of senior management walking around the office talking to people they pass in the hall? MBWA creates accessibility, which can be, and is, priceless to employees.

According to Goman, “When properly used, body language can be your key to greater success. It can help you develop positive business relationships, influence and motivate the people who report to you, improve productivity, bond with members of your team, present your ideas with more impact, work effectively in a multicultural world, and project your personal brand of charisma. It’s a ‘secret weapon’ that many great leaders have learned to use to their advantage. Now you can too!”

To learn more, visit Carol’s site: http://www.ckg.com

Follow Carol on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/CGoman

Become a fan on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carol-Kinsey-Goman-PhD/105398069543578?sk=wall

A Tale of Sandwiches and Customer Service

2011-06-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

While channel surfing one weekend evening a few weeks ago, I stopped on an episode of Undercover Boss. I had not watched the show before, so I thought, during summer reruns, I might as well give the show a chance. In this particular episode, a member of the leadership team of Subway (the 14 billion dollar sandwich empire with 33,000 restaurants in 93 countries) was going “undercover” at several locations around the country.

Don Fertman, the Chief Development Officer, worked hard to become a “sandwich artist” at a restaurant in Auburn (Alabama), the Science Center in Orlando (Florida), and a church in Buffalo (New York). While his attempts were often amusing, he was dedicated to learning "the Subway way" to bake cookies, make sandwiches, and welcome customers.

After the undercover assignments had been completed, Fertman shared his experiences with his leadership team back at the corporate headquarters. New ideas were proposed, and new programs were created. He then brought the people he had met while undercover to HQ. He gave some money for scholarships for some family members as well as some additional funding so that a restaurant could be started in a second church.

When Fertman was asked, “What is your biggest challenge,” he responded, “Making Subway a household word in every country where we’re located.” While that’s a laudable goal, there’s a problem.

After the show, I thought I would visit a Subway in Los Angeles to see if the same dedication was evident. I visited a restaurant at approximately 1pm in the afternoon on a weekday. From the moment I entered, I knew Don Fertman had never visited this location! Two employees behind the sandwich bar were talking to each other – totally ignoring customers. I had to request the specific items for my sandwich three times before the “sandwich artist” bothered to look at me, make eye contact, and pay attention. When I asked for cheese, he said there was no cheese, but I pointed to the three types of cheese - and finally, he was forced to agree that yes, Subway did, indeed, have cheese. When I got to the register, a third employee couldn’t understand why I didn’t want any drink or cookies. She asked me more than once to choose a drink and a cookie. After I paid for just my sandwich, I asked for a receipt. She did not have one, so she had to re-ring everything and print a duplicate - and lucky me, I was "fortunate" to experience her disgust and poor attitude for having to deal with my request. What if I had been traveling for business and needed a receipt? As the customer, I should not have to ask for a receipt.

Once I got home (after this experience, I was no longer in the mood for the sandwich), I visited the Subway website and completed the online feedback form. About two weeks later, I received a phone call from a man who identified himself as “the owner” of the Subway restaurant that I visited. He said that the corporate office had forwarded my feedback comments to him – and he wanted me to know that he had “spoken” to his employees.

Wait a minute! What happened with the corporate mantra about customer service? Where was the dedication to creating a positive customer experience that Don Fertman placed such a high value on? Sadly, it seems as if we are talking about two entirely different companies. The franchise concept is useless if franchises don’t abide by the guidelines and policies established by the corporate headquarters – but the corporate headquarters must also monitor the franchises very closely. I guess that the restaurant I visited should have been called Metro, not Subway. But on a more serious note, does Don Fertman care if Subway lost a customer after this TV show made Subway appear in such a positive light? It seems to me that Don Fertman needs to go back out on the road.

The Subway episode of Undercover Boss can be viewed here:

http://www.cbs.com/primetime/undercover_boss/video/?pid=qZCSCQxljkhIvxmWIaSzn5sS3ZXAKVWr

Tips to Engage Your Workforce

2011-06-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

With more than 30 years of experience as a human resources executive, manager, and management consultant in a variety of organizational settings ranging from entrepreneurial to Fortune 100, Mark Herbert regularly shares his expertise on his blog, Twitter, and Focus. Currently, he is a Principal for New Paradigms, LLC, a management consultancy that helps companies effectively and successfully embrace change to engage their workforces. But Mark’s best business advice can be found in his book, Managing Whole People, One Man’s Journey.

If you want to transform your employees from being simply involved to being totally committed, Mark’s workforce stimulus plan, “Managing Whole People – the Process” is the roadmap to engage your workforce:

[1] Become a great listener

[2] Make time for your key employees

[3] Communicate workplace changes efficiently

[4] Walk the talk – make your actions consistent with your values

[5] Provide regular feedback

[6] Don’t hide behind email or the telephone

[7] Get feedback on you, and act on it

A memorable example emphasized job dedication. When Mark asked a supervisor who was taking a six-month sabbatical if she were interested in the job on a long-term basis, she answered yes. So Mark suggested that she “embrace the job as if she owned it” rather than going through the motions as just the job’s caretaker. How many times have we, as employees, gone through the motions of a job – only to wonder at the time of the annual review: why didn’t we receive a raise or a bonus? Now ask yourself, do you act as if you own your job each and every day? The answer might surprise you – but you shouldn’t be surprised when your next review takes place because you can make changes now.

Another example emphasized corporate culture. A man went to a hospital in Texas because he wanted to meet a famous heart surgeon. As the man left the hospital one evening during his visit, he met an elderly man who was mopping the floor. The man asked, “What do you do here at the hospital?” The elderly man replied, “Dr. DeBakey and I save lives together.” The elderly man explained that Dr. DeBakey had told all staff members that hospital infections kill more patients than disease, so the elderly man was doing his part to keep the hospital clean. Have all the employees in your company jumped on the bandwagon to support each other and work toward the same goal?

What does workforce engagement mean to you and your company? More importantly, what steps do your leadership team, management team, and human resources team all take to make sure that the culture allows for respect, responsibility, rewards, information sharing and open communication, and loyalty? If you cannot answer these questions, then you need Mark Herbert’s roadmap.

To learn more: http://www.newparadigmsllc.com

Mark’s Blog: http://newparadigmsllc.com/wordpress

Follow Mark on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/NewParadigmer

Follow Mark on Focus: http://www.focus.com/profiles/mark-herbert/public

Mark on Best Thinking: http://www.bestthinking.com & http://bit.ly/m3mXfQ

Are you undermanaged? If the answer is yes, what can you do about it?

2011-05-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

Internationally-recognized management trainer and seminar speaker Bruce Tulgan brings the term “undermanaged” to life in his best-selling book, It’s Okay to Manage Your Boss, The Step-by-Step Program for Making the Best of Your Most Important Relationship at Work. He defines undermanagement as “a shocking and profound epidemic that has permeated the workplace. As the opposite of micromanagement, it occurs when the vast majority of supervisory relationships between employees and their bosses lack the day-to-day engagement necessary to consistently maintain the basics of management,” which can be described as stating clear expectations, providing necessary resources, developing a routine of performance tracking, and rewarding employees when results are achieved and exceeded.

You may wonder, what creates a workplace environment where undermanagement can grow and fester? Unfortunately, there are too many people in the workplace with the title of “manager” who lack the training, knowledge, or expertise to be effective managers. As a result, these individuals fail to spell out expectations to their employees – which leads to incomplete projects followed by increased frustration levels in employees who eventually mentally check out of their jobs or quit.

Tulgan believes that the “pendulum of management thinking” is wrong and can be blamed for creating today’s undermanaged workplace. Employers are getting more and more demanding while providing less and less guidance. While employers want employees to work on their own and make their own decisions, the truth is, someone has to be held accountable. But it just doesn’t make good business sense for employees to work in their own vacuums or silos. Instead, employees need to be held accountable, and this is where “the boss – at every level – is the most important person in the workplace today.”

Here are Tulgan’s seven steps to manage your boss:

[1] The first person you have to manage every day is yourself
[2] Get in the habit of managing your boss every day
[3] Take it one boss at a time, one day at a time
[4] Make sure you understand what is expected of you
[5] Assess and plan for the resources you need
[6] Track your performance in writing every step of the way
[7] To earn greater credit and rewards, go the extra mile

While you may not be able to completely wipe out undermanagement, you may be able to improve your situation by managing your boss, which will allow you to have a long and satisfying career in your current workplace!

To learn more, visit: http://www.rainmakerthinking.com

What are others saying about the book?

http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/book_manageyourboss_praise.php

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/brucetulgan

Become a fan on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/l41p1g

Connect on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/rainmakerthinking

Need some helpful management advice that you can apply immediately to your employees and your workplace? Check out these free management tips from Bruce:

http://www.rainmakerthinking.com/bonus_management_tips.php

What have we learned from Aflac?

2011-05-15T18:31:00.000-07:00

After thousands of people auditioned for the voice of the Aflac duck, Dan McKeague from Hugo, Minnesota, was chosen. Congratulations, Dan, and happy quacking. We have already heard his voice and seen one commercial, but what have we learned from Aflac’s marketing campaign?

First, social media and its incredible reach were at the core. Perhaps, no social media policy existed for Aflac employees, or the previous voice-over celebrity thought he didn’t have to abide by the policy. Also, who was Aflac’s social media watchdog, translation, who was tasked with the responsibility of monitoring comments shared on social media sites on behalf of Aflac or Aflac representatives? It is crucial to remember that, even if social media activities are outsourced, there must be a watchdog within a company to oversee all social media commentary.

Second, how did social media integrate with all other elements of Aflac’s marketing? Existing and prospective customers see ducks on the company’s collateral, as plush representative give-aways of the brand, and as part of television and print ads. But does the person behind the voice actually connect with these other elements? Perhaps, the new voice can be better integrated so that the quintessential quack becomes an embodiment of all marketing outreach.

And third, exposure is the name of the game, but only as long as it is handled well. This situation could easily have become the PR nightmare of the decade, but instead, it evolved into an activity featuring thousands of participants and enthusiastically watched by the insurance industry as well as the mainstream media – which generated a ton of publicity for Aflac. Of course, it didn’t hurt that the duck’s character is entertaining and charming.

So, what did you learn from this social media event, the ensuing campaign, and how Aflac handled the situation that you can apply to your business?

Click this link to watch the clever introduction of Aflac's new voice:

http://youtu.be/wYmhXns3lIs

How does your company think outside the box?

2011-05-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Does your company think outside the box? While I agree that the term “outside the box” is one of the most over-used expressions in the marketing world, there is much to gain by considering new ways to do business. How many of us would still depend on landlines if the technology world, and especially Steve Jobs, hadn’t thought outside the box to create the iPhone? There is no doubt that the smartphone industry would not be as evolved or competitive as it is today.

Consider how Kimberly-Clark thought outside the box (no pun intended). The Kleenex brand of tissues has become such a common household product that we have replaced it with the name of the brand. How many of us sneeze and just ask for a Kleenex?

Over the last couple of years, the Kleenex brand has made significant changes from the standard packaging that we associate with tissues and introduced seasonal products to their product line. During the spring, triangle-shaped boxes appeared in stores featuring oranges, limes, and watermelons – with the hope that these boxes would appear on picnic tables alongside real fruit. While the boxes were a different shape, they immediately appealed to female shoppers who appreciated the new approach to a typical everyday item.

Then, to celebrate the holiday season and family celebrations, four new boxes appeared in the same triangle shape and featured red velvet cake, chocolate cake, chocolate-covered strawberries, and cherry pie. As a result of the long hours that the designer spent baking, these boxes could have been placed on any dining room table alongside the most delicious of desserts.

While considered a novelty item with a slightly higher price and smaller quantity than most other tissue boxes, these unique boxes made a statement – and don’t all brands make statements? Why do people wear shirts with the Nike swoosh? Why do people drink Coca-Cola from that unique bottle? Why do people choose to fly a specific airline or drive a specific car?

So, how does your company think outside the box to improve your product or service and re-engage your customers?

To read more about these unique designs:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/09/business/media/09adco.html

http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2010/12/6/divine-desserts.html

The Importance of Customer Service

2011-05-07T13:46:00.000-07:00

Think about some famous brands. If a company is well-known, it is most likely known for a product or service AND excellent customer service. Some examples are Southwest Airlines and Zappos. If you think these companies sell air travel and shoes, you would be incorrect. These two companies provide customer service first and foremost – and just happen to be in the air travel and shoe industries.

From Southwest’s earliest days, it prided itself on providing a fun and festive atmosphere for customers – getting them from point A to point B at a low cost without any frills. And ever since Zappos began, its employees have thrived in a culture where they are determined to find a product for a customer – even if Zappos doesn't sell it – with the goal of creating a long-term relationship with a customer who will return to Zappos again and again. Think about your company, does it provide service that makes customers want to be repeat customers?

Customer crusader and “customer experience expert” Jeanne Bliss began her career as a customer service pioneer at the direct mail innovator Lands’ End. She then served as chief customer executive for Coldwell Banker, Allstate, Microsoft, and Mazda. As a result of her experiences, she realized that satisfied customers can promote a company even better than the company can – all you, as a company, must do is create customers who love you. In her book, I Love You More Than My Dog – Five Decisions That Drive Extreme Customer Loyalty in Good Times and Bad, Bliss provides examples that showcase how very successful companies either teach their employees to provide service and/or provide their employees with the resources or authority to create happy, satisfied, and repeat customers. The result is admirable: these companies have customers who love them and tell everyone. In today’s social media era, every company should want this type of customer.

In Bliss’ book, she shared an incredible story about how Gary Comer, the founder of Lands’ End, thanked his employees. In 1989, he built a state-of-the-art gym for his employees and unveiled the building to the employees. Once all employees had assembled near the pool, he asked them to look at the tiled wall near the pool: the names of all employees had been added to the wall.

How many companies show their gratitude for their employees in such a visible manner? Moreover, how many companies truly realize that, in order to create satisfied customers, they must create satisfied employees first? In Jeanne’s words, “If you ask 10 people in your company what your purpose is, how many answers would you receive? [And] are you [hiring] employees who are capable of delivering on your purpose?”

Beloved companies share a set of five characteristics that determine how they operate:

They decide to believe.
They decide with clarity of purpose.
They decide to be there.
They decide to be real.
They decide to say sorry.

So, is your company beloved? Take Jeanne Bliss’ quiz. Your answers will determine the changes you need to make in order to “become a beloved and prosperous company.”

[1] Do your customers talk about your belief in them?

[2] Do your customers give you referrals?

[3] Do your customers want you in their lives?

[4] Do your customers grow your business for you?

[5] Do your customers say they love you?

[6] Do your employees feel treated like partners?

[7] Do your employees know you believe in them?

[8] Do your employees have a seat at the table?

[9] Do your employees become part of the story of your business?

[10] Do your employees have permission to impact customers’ lives?

If you create an environment where the people truly participate, you don’t need control. They know what needs to be done and they do it. And the more that people will devote themselves to your cause on a voluntary basis, a willing basis, the fewer hierarchies and control mechanisms you need. ~ Herb Kelleher, founder, Southwest Airlines

For more about Jeanne Bliss, visit: http://www.customerbliss.com

Follow Jeanne on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeannebliss

Follow Jeanne on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/customerbliss

Read Jeanne’s Blog: http://blog.customerbliss.com

The Next Generation of Sales and Marketing – Are You Ready?

2011-05-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

THE REBRANDING OF MARKETING

That’s right, you read the title correctly. There has been so much angst between sales and marketing departments in all industries for so long that something has to shake up the “us vs. them” mindset. Despite some different skill sets and perspectives of professionals who represent the sales and marketing function areas, their objectives are the same: increase revenues, satisfy customers, and attract new customers. Therefore, to create a more successful working relationship between sales and marketing professionals, let’s change the names to protect the guilty.

My idea to change the department names of sales and marketing is due to the surge in small business growth. With limited resources, people have to wear many hats, serve in many roles, and be total solutions providers – all as one person. Without a doubt, this aim becomes challenging, and the question becomes, is it really possible to be everyone to a customer or prospective customer?

Consider if marketing were known as the Amazement Department, the Engagement Department, the Customer Department, the Service Department, the Discussion Department, or the Exceeding Expectations Department. All of these words represent positive energy, which, at the end of the day, is an important objective of the marketing function.

You want your customers to think of your company first when they need or want your product or service – not your competition. You want to engage your customers – on the phone, on feedback cards, on your website, on social media sites, and at events. You want your customers to know you think of them first and foremost – and that you serve them. You also want your customers to know that you value your data and will protect it – but that customer discussions and interactions provide critical insights for the future growth of your business.

Lastly, since you aim to exceed your customers’ and prospective customers’ expectations all the time, it is important that they know their interests are critical to the way the company shapes policies, procedures, R&D, and strategic plans.

Now, what about sales? Let’s hear from Mike Kunkle from Dallas, Texas. Mike is a sales training and sales effectiveness executive with expertise in performance lever analysis and leading sales performance improvement projects. Through that work, and over the past 20+ years, Mike has delivered millions of dollars of ROI to employers, so he is just the person to chime in about re-naming the sales function.

THE REBRANDING OF SALES

Generally, I am much more focused on nuts and bolts success factors that drive organizational performance improvement, so when considering how I might rebrand the Sales function, it took awhile to get started.

At first, I asked myself, “What’s wrong with ‘Sales?’” Everybody knows what it means. It’s been around a long time. Then I considered “the brand.” What does “Sales” mean to most people?

Rut-roh. Well, at that point, the flood of stereotypes started. Hey, I know, they’re unfair and not widespread today, especially in our sophisticated and evolving world of B2B sales (and hopefully, steadily decreasing in our B2C world too). But they still exist, and monthly, I still get emails or calls from reps who have no business calling themselves “sales professionals.” For years, I have been a vocal advocate that we must elevate the sales profession through question-based, solution-oriented, consultative selling practices.

So, with that in mind, I jotted down:

Solution Catalyst Department
Situation Improvement Architects
Client Performance Partners

I felt like those got the point across, to some degree, but they still sounded like corporate-speak to me. So I mulled it over some more and wrote down:

Needs Fulfillment Team
Product & Service Education
Solution Orchestration

Still tripping over my tongue a bit, I kept going with:

Solution Provider Team

And then, perhaps my favorite combo:

Customer Solution Design (Marketing)
Customer Solution Development (Sales)
Customer Solution Delivery (for implementation teams or Customer Service)

…which were my favorites for fostering a sense of cooperation internally, so the functions can partner toward providing solutions to their joint external customers, while also sending the right message to customers.

What do you think? What are your favorites? Which make you laugh? What combos are best for Marketing and Sales, to send the right message?

We invite you to chime in and let us know what you think.

A FEW MORE WORDS ABOUT MIKE KUNKLE...

Serious about his career and life’s work, but little else, Mike describes himself with a grin as a “sales performance geek.” Pressed for more detail, he adds, “Put a middle-aged, balding guy with glasses and a goatee in a blender with 20+ years of training industry experience, add a healthy dose of sales effectiveness, leadership development, process improvement and performance consulting expertise, then sprinkle in 3 step kids, 2 cats, an unruly Dachshund, a patient wife, Internet research, social media, and a Venti Starbucks with room for cream, and you get me.”

Mike’s unique approach to aligning performance levers and implementing sales best practices has enabled him to deliver breakthrough sales performance and radically improve business results, whether in entrepreneurial start-ups, private mid-cap firms, or Fortune 25 corporations. He’s led sales training for organizations like Household Finance, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Alexander Hamilton Life, and NovaStar Financial, and also led his own consulting company. Today, Mike is the Director of Sales Effectiveness for Insphere Insurance Solutions.

Check out Mike's work: http://scr.bi/PerfLevers032011

Check out Mike's blog: http://neuronnexus.posterous.com

Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekunkle

Follow Mike on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Mike_Kunkle

Upset Customers Can Become Your BEST Customers – A Primer for Great Customer Service

2011-05-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Customer service experts Marilyn Suttle and Lori Jo Vest have written an excellent guidebook to improve your customer service. Well, maybe, “improve” is not the correct verb. Maybe, the visual should be “hit a home run” with your customer service. In Who’s Your Gladys, How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer Into Your Biggest Fan, ten companies are featured alongside numerous situations that present opportunities for better customer service.

Readers are presented with practical points, lessons learned, and recap questions and answers for each chapter – there are even empty spaces in the book for the reader to write his or her comments. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to hit a home run with his or her company’s customer service.

From the first two pages in the foreword by Stewart Emery, author of Success Built to Last, two points became clear. The first was a question that would remain throughout the book: “Do your customers care if you live or die? You definitely want that answer to be yes.” The second was the concept that tomorrow’s CEO may really be a Chief Experience Officer – and despite how technology evolves, people will still value the businesses that understand, value, and provide excellent customer service.

Each chapter presented a myriad of service lessons. How would your company’s marketing, sales, or customer service department answer my favorite questions?

How do you handle an abrasive customer who pushes all your buttons?
What is the best approach to dealing with unusual customer requests?
Why is it important to create experiences that delight and amaze customers?
Why is it important to be consistent in the way you present your services?
Why should you learn about your customers’ unique preferences?
What is the best way to communicate with customers during a crisis?
What’s the most important thing to remember about your loyal customers?
How do you motivate employees to provide service excellence?

An interesting aspect of the interview process for Singapore Airlines was shared in the chapter entitled, “The Tea Service Tells the Story.” A group of potential hires was led into a conference room and asked to wait – hiring managers watched from an adjoining room through one-way glass. In the conference room, chairs were placed against the walls, but there was a table in the middle of the room with a tea pot and cups. The hiring managers wanted to see who would start conversations and serve tea to others, because those were the people who demonstrated a commitment to service that Singapore Airlines expects of its employees.

There were extra resources at the end of the book, but the best was a complete list of Practical Points, also available at http://www.WhosYourGladys.com/PracticalPoints.

More about the Book:

http://www.whosyourgladys.com

Read the First Chapter:

http://www.whosyourgladys.com/signup.html

Become a Fan on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/whosyourgladys?

Check out the Blog:

http://whosyourgladys.com/blog

Follow Marilyn on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/MarilynSuttle

Follow Lori on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/LoriJoVest

A Tale of a Discontinued Product and Email Marketing

2011-04-26T08:40:00.000-07:00

By now, everyone has heard the news that the Flip video camera will be discontinued. Cisco, Flip’s owner of two short years, will exit the Flip business and “align operations in support of Cisco’s network-centric platform strategy” according to Cisco CEO John Chambers. While the announcement was made in the mainstream media on April 12, as a Flip customer, I received an email from Flip on April 22.

The consumer-friendly mini camcorder was a trendsetter when it first appeared in 2007. Heavy users included non-profits, educators, and public relations professionals. The Flip video camera became an essential tool for people to tell their stories with video. And the Flip was so easy to use that it made everyone an instant videographer – okay, maybe not comparable to James Cameron or Steven Spielberg. The Flip was relatively inexpensive, ranging from $100-$250 and its built-in memory stored up to 30-minutes or 60-minutes of video. Also, the integrated software easily uploaded video to both PCs and Macs. Above all, the key strength of the Flip was that it allowed people to share, publish, and get easy access to video.

Some tech pundits believe that newer products have made the Flip obsolete. Smartphones including the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry all have video capabilities, so the question remains, would consumers choose a “one-product-with-a-multitude-of-capabilities” over one product that does one thing, and one thing well? Unfortunately, we will never know.

Joshua Goldman, Senior Editor of Digital Imaging of CNET, wrote, “Flip's disappearance will leave a big hole in the category. Hopefully these manufacturers will continue to innovate these devices instead of letting them die. I asked Kodak reps for a comment on Flip and they said they were surprised by the move given how fast their pocket video camera business was growing. They added that there will always be a role in the market for single-purpose devices as long as camera manufacturers continue to innovate in ways that are meaningful to the consumer.”

I have to wonder, why would Flip send an email to customers 10 days after the public announcement was made? If I, as a marketing expert, had penned the email, I might have offered something special to customers, maybe, a special Flip case that read “Cisco appreciates your Flip support” or a 50% discount on a new Flip (while they are still available) – or a discount on another Cisco product. Cisco seems to have lost sight of the fact that Flip customers really, really like their Flips – and Cisco has done nothing to address customer disappointment. The email fell flat – was their marketing team asleep?

The bottom line is that the Flip was a good product and liked by many, and when good products bite the dust, it’s sad. At least, Cisco said it will provide technical support for Flip video cameras until December 31, 2013. So, fellow Flip users, take lots of video with your Flips!

Watch This Video on YouTube: Flip Camera, RIP: Cisco to Discontinue Popular Video Camera as Part of Reorganization:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q86qObIf4AQ

Flip Website: http://www.theflip.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/FlipVideoBrand

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/flipvideo

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/theflip

Cisco on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CiscoSystems

Is that the same radio show on two stations?

2011-04-24T15:13:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, I was driving in my car and listening to the radio. While I was in the process of changing stations, I thought I heard the same voices on two different stations. So, I toggled back and forth between the two stations a few times just to be sure - and lo and behold, my ears had not deceived me. I had definitely heard the same two voices: the same radio show host and her caller. There had been a two or three second delay in the conversation on the second station, but the topic of discussion was the same, which confirmed that I was listening to the same show. So, I wondered, why would the same program broadcast live on two different radio stations at the same time in the same market?

The radio program was a cooking show that is heard Saturday and Sunday mornings in Los Angeles, California. The odd thing is that, from 12 noon to 1pm on both days, the show is heard on two unaffiliated stations. In fact, the stations are competitors - they don't broadcast sports, rock, country, jazz, hip hop, easy listening, or religion. They both broadcast breaking news, traffic, weather, sports, and a recap of the news. But on weekends, when there is less interest in traffic jams and approaching weather systems, it would appear that there is an abundance of available listening time.

While I don’t spend much time listening to the radio except when in my car, I wonder what advertisers must think about this sticky situation. If I were an advertiser and allocated a chunk of my advertising budget to support the program on one station, would I be upset if listeners tuned into the show on the other station to avoid listening to my ads? Would I be annoyed if the pricing were less for advertisers on the other station? And lastly, would I be upset if famous radio personalities provided voiceovers to promote competitor products or services during the program on the other station?

Since I have never heard one program broadcast on two competing stations at the same time in the same city, as a marketing expert, this situation really struck me as odd. I can only hope that advertisers are offered an inexpensive ad rate or options to advertise on both stations. Otherwise, they should pull all of their ad dollars from this program - and not confuse listeners.

To quote the motto of a famous department store, "Be everywhere, do everything, and never fail to astonish the customer." As one listener of this radio show on two stations and a potential customer of all the advertisers, I was astonished but not in a good way. (P.S. Thanks, Macy's.)

Tactics for Welcoming New Employees, Increasing Productivity and Developing Effective Leaders

2011-04-21T12:44:00.000-07:00

Please welcome Ron Thomas to my blog. Ron is a Principal at StrategyFocusedHR, a strategic human resources consultancy based in New York City, and he previously served in senior-level HR roles with Martha Stewart Living and IBM. He was recently named to the “Top 25 HR Influencers for 2011” by HR Examiner, and his work has been featured in Inc. Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Workforce Management, Chief Learning Officer Magazine, and Crain's New York Business. He is also a contributing author for a new book entitled, Creative Onboarding Program by Doris Sims. Ron serves on the Expert Advisory Panel on Talent Management Strategy at the Human Capital Institute, is a member of McKinsey's Quarterly Online Executive Panel, and was named to the HR Hall of Fame by HR Network of New York. Ron and I recently discussed a variety of personnel and leadership topics, and I would like to share some of Ron’s insights. For more about Ron, visit his blog and follow him on Twitter.

What are the best onboarding (organizational socialization) strategies to welcome new employees?

RON THOMAS: Here are my strategies:

Make a connection from the first contact with the prospective employee – and maintain it throughout the entire recruiting process, and once the employee is hired, use the onboarding session to talk about your culture, standards, mission, and values.
Use the onboarding session as an opportunity to convey to the employee that he/she made the right decision in joining your company.
Train all hiring managers so that they pick up the baton following the orientation/onboarding session and welcome the new employee into their department.
Include employees who recently completed the onboarding process to stop by.
Schedule a special lunch for the new employee on his/her first day.
Make sure that everything is ready for the new employee including a desk, computer, phone, supplies, employee contact list, etc.
Provide an introduction to all team members.
Set up a mentor within the department to make the transition smooth.
Arrange a department lunch for sometime during the first week or two.
A timeline should be built into the first year of the employee’s tenure to periodically check the pulse of his/her work progress.
Describe the company’s outings and community involvement opportunities.
Describe the company’s corporate social responsibilities (CSR) initiatives.

Should management tailor its tactics to fit the personalities of its employees or the other way around?

RON THOMAS: Management should tailor its efforts around engaging the employee base. Managers should recognize that they are in the business of growing people toward their potential. If a leader truly believes that people are an organization’s greatest asset, then he/she is on the way toward creating an engaged workforce.

What are your five tips for increasing workplace productivity?

RON THOMAS: Here are my top five tips:

Develop good listening habits.
Create an open environment and connect with employees.
Develop a transparent approach to one’s leadership style and keep employees fully in the loop at all times.
Develop an atmosphere that is collaborative.
Create a “we are all in this together” atmosphere.

How have mobile tablets and smartphones changed the business landscape and helped or hampered productivity?

RON THOMAS: Mobile phones/tablets have changed the dynamic of certain functions within organizations. Doctors and medical personnel can use a tablet not only for demonstration, but patient history, prescriptions, and authorizations. Salespeople can flip through entire product catalogs and showcase demonstration videos at their fingertips. Training departments can become mobile with YouTube demonstrations and mobile webinars. Thanks to social media, those who cannot attend events (workshops, seminars, tradeshow keynote presentations) in person can “attend” on Twitter and watch the constant stream of Tweets – and also comment.

What are the five most important qualities of a good leader?

RON THOMAS: Here are my top five:

Be authentic.
Be self-aware.
Strive for transparency.
Be collaborative.
Believe that people are an asset to your organization – and demonstrate that belief by your actions.

The Importance of Corporate Culture, Brand Ambassadors, and Believing in Your Employees

2011-04-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

Please welcome William Powell to my blog. William is a candid, witty, and passionate professional who is known for his work over the last decade as an advisor for leadership development, organizational culture development, and employee engagement. He is known internationally by for-profits, non-profits, and individuals for his valuable insights not only in the area of self-leadership, but also as a valued consultant, dynamic speaker, and trusted coach. Bottom line, William Powell knows leadership and how to do it well. We recently discussed a variety of leadership topics, and I would like to share William’s compelling observations. For more about William, visit his blog and follow him on Twitter.

HOW CAN A LEADER (CEO, PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN, ETC.) CREATE A CORPORATE CULTURE?

WILLIAM POWELL: One of the most important things in creating a healthy culture is to start with the values that will support the culture you want. Culture is based on behavior, behavior is driven by decisions, and decisions are governed by values. You can't micro-manage a culture. It must be organic and natural.

Starting with values will easily provide clarity for vision and then mission. Most companies already have a vision and mission, but if a company doesn't create the desired culture, it’s pretty much pointless. It's a mixed message and not only will the culture not happen, but there will be even less employee engagement. Vision and culture must match, and if you begin with values, it minimizes the chance of having culture and vision fight against one another.

WHO DO YOU THINK ARE THE 5 STAND-OUT CEO’S IN CORPORATE AMERICA TODAY, AND WHY?

WILLIAM POWELL: Tony Hseih, CEO of Zappos: Tony has redefined business for the 21st century. He has set a precedent of customer service and employee engagement that has quickly become the new standard for market industry leaders. Through his workshops and training programs, Tony continues to support the development of other leaders.

Douglas Conant, CEO of Campbell Soup Company: Douglas and his executive team have decided to make their employee engagement efforts “world-class,” in his own words. He has seen the measurable difference in their bottom line by enabling leaders throughout the organization to improve the emotional commitment from their teams.

James Quigley, CEO of Deloitte: Jim is a passionate leader who models and advocates mutual trust between employees and leadership. He encourages members of the leadership team within his organization to respect their people, help employees find their authentic voice and leadership style, and to demonstrate a genuine advocacy for their professional development.

John Noseworthy M.D., CEO of The Mayo Clinic: John has found an amazing way to protect the confidentiality of patients while simultaneously embracing social media in the area of health care. Recently, The Mayo Clinic has begun allowing patients to post their stories on the clinic’s blog. This allows Mayo Clinic customers/patients to have a voice, evangelize the Mayo Clinic brand, and advertise simultaneously.

Brian Dunn, CEO of Best Buy: Brian is focused on creating a fun and inspiring workplace while still maintaining sustainable solutions. He doesn’t buy into the pressure of Wall Street because he has a different view of Wall Street’s purpose. In his words, “Wall Street doesn’t care what a company is doing unless it is a means to a better outcome. Best Buy believes that its sustainability strategy will lead to a better outcome.”

HOW CAN A LEADER ENCOURAGE HIS/HER EMPLOYEES TO BECOME BRAND AMBASSADORS, AND WHICH COMPANIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY ACCOMPLISHED THIS?

WILLIAM POWELL: In short, position your brand in a way that allows the employees to emotionally connect with it. What does the brand mean to the employee? Does that brand represent a place that is the bane of their existence that they tolerate in order to get a paycheck? Is it a place where they stay because it’s familiar even if they don’t feel very valued there? The lower the level of employee engagement, the lower the chance of an employee being a brand ambassador.

If your brand represents an organization that cares about people and values their voice and contributions, then people will be quick to share that brand with others. There’s a reason that the people at Zappos, who are incidentally being paid similar to other call centers, love their brand. Just look at Apple, Zappos, Southwest, and Google.

WHAT IS THE ONE MISTAKE YOU FIND LEADERS MAKE THE MOST?

WILLIAM POWELL: A too-common mistake made by leaders is viewing leadership as external to the “team.” One of the things I consistently see being done poorly is the erroneous perception that being the leader somehow excludes someone from the team. Being a leader is still being a member of the team – just with different responsibilities. When a leader begins to view him/her as external to the team or work group, his/her behavior changes and those who are “led” will pick up on it immediately. An atmosphere of distrust develops and slowly erodes productivity. Usually the problems remain hidden until they fester into a giant mess – and no one knows where to begin to fix the mess. It either devolves into a command and control leadership style or one with little-to-no accountability, because no one has the courage to point out the 300-pound gorilla in the room.

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE LEADERSHIP BUZZWORD?

WILLIAM POWELL: My least favorite leadership buzzword is “tolerance” because it implies judgment. There is this sense of “My opinion/way/idea is superior or better than yours, but since I am the leader and try to promote a good atmosphere, I will tolerate your inferior thoughts.” I believe the word “acceptance” is much more appropriate. I can disagree with the premise of what someone may say or do but still accept him/her and his/her actions. No judgment, just acknowledging the differences and choosing to accept things as they are. Some may scream semantics, but I think there’s more to it than that.

WHAT FIVE LEADERSHIP BOOKS DO YOU CONSIDER MUST-READS?

WILLIAM POWELL: What, I only get to pick 5? Well, if I must...

It’s so common for leaders to read only leadership books, but leadership requires so much more than just a focus on leadership. What I mean is that having influence with others is important, but so is creating an environment that allows others to flourish with their gifts and talents. I can influence people all day long and never give them the opportunity to be who they were created to be. That being said, here is my list...

1. The Orange Revolution, How One Great Team Can Transform An Entire Organization by Adrian Gostick & Chester Elton

2. As One, Individual Action Collective Power by Mehrad Baghai & James Quigley (CEO of Deloitte)

3. The Power Of Positive Deviance, How Unlikely Innovators Solve The World's Toughest Problems by Richard Pascale, Jerry Sternin & Monique Sternin

4. Start With Why, How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone To Take Action by Simon Sinek

5. Personal Ecology, Self Management and The Art Of Cultivating Healthy Relationships by William Powell

WHY ARE SO MANY CEO’S AFRAID OF SOCIAL MEDIA?

WILLIAM POWELL: Two easy answers: fear and ignorance. Nothing is more frightening than having the wrong news go out at the wrong time and then spending time and money cleaning up a PR nightmare. If you’re a CEO, you probably just got a cold chill down your back. Relax! We hear of a news story where an employee put the organization in a very compromising situation and we freak out. How often do we hear about those...once every 3 months? Once every two months? Once a month? You have a better chance at winning the lottery than having to deal with some rogue employee - who thinks he is acting on behalf of the company when he is most definitely not. But here’s the key: your organization hired employees – so start trusting them. If you don’t feel you can trust them, you may want to re-think your recruiting process!

Does drama impact your workplace?

2011-04-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

Some words can cause drama just by thinking about them or by speaking them out loud in a crowded conference room: change agent, transformation, workplace dynamics, boundaries, power struggles, and attitude. Motivational speaker and communications expert Marlene Chism turns these words inside out in her book, Stop Workplace Drama – Train Your Team to Have No Complaints, No Excuses, and No Regrets. Chism explains why drama is so pervasive in the workplace but also offers insights how to eliminate it.

After informing readers about the difference between two simple statements: “the drama is the situation” versus “your drama is how you react to it,” Chism empowers readers with an appropriate quote: “The one with clarity navigates the ship.” While you may not be able to change a fellow employee’s behavior or put an end to someone’s annoying complaints, you possess the power to change your reaction, your behavior, and how you move forward with your projects and, let’s face it, your life.

According to Chism, “all drama has one thing in common: a lack of clarity.” This lack of clarity can be found in the following situations:

Constantly changing directions
Conflicting desires that hamper productivity
Confusion
Not knowing who the boss is
Failing to enforce the rules
Instability
Insubordination
Incongruent behavior
Constant misunderstandings
Lack of boundaries
Resentment
People pleasing and manipulation
Analysis paralysis
Waiting for everyone to understand and agree

On the other hand, clarity can result in improved productivity, project completion, and motivated employees. So the question is, why waste so much time hiding the clarity and allowing workplace drama to fester?

To learn more, visit: www.MarleneChism.com & www.StopWorkplaceDrama.com

Read Marlene’s Blog: http://stopworkplacedrama.com/blog

Connect with Marlene on Twitter: http://twitter.com/stopyourdrama

Connect with Marlene on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/marlenechism

Connect with Marlene on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MarleneChism

When you’re on the road, do you notice RED CARS?

2011-04-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

Author, innovator, and workplace dynamics coach Laura Goodrich thinks everyone can be more successful in the workplace if they just focus on “seeing red cars.” Does this sound like weird advice? If you read her manifesto, “Seeing Red Cars – Think It, See It, Do It,” you will learn how to “drive yourself, your team, and your organization to a positive future.”

Consider this scenario: how many times have you been in a meeting with co-workers, supervisors, subordinates, members of other departments, and after someone assigned you a task, you thought: I can’t do that – how many times? You have an internal discussion with yourself and begin to list the reasons why you cannot accomplish the project: not if I have to work with the people on my team, not without more resources, not without a larger budget, not without a different deadline, etc. Based on Laura Goodrich’s vast research, a myriad of examples, and yes, even your (the reader’s) real-life examples, we tend to focus on “what we don’t want” which leads to unwanted results.

Now, instead of the first response, consider this alternative: If I focus on my strengths, I can accomplish the assigned task. With this mindset, you can build a positive future for your team and entire organization. Try the “Seeing Red Cars” mentality – if you think about red cars on the road, you immediately start seeing them all over: one parked by the mailbox, one making a left turn at the corner, one leaving the drive-thru at McDonalds. You begin to wonder, does everyone have a red car? The answer is no, but you are noticing red cars because you are focused on red cars. Now, imagine how different your workplace would be if all employees focused their energies in a positive manner. Results would dramatically change: product launches would happen quicker, deadlines would be met with less resistance, opposing departments would no longer complain about working together.

Which of the following two team members would you want to work with?

Choice 1: Does anyone really say this? Sadly, too many employees speak or behave like this uninspired example.

“What I want is to engage in a conversation and say something offensive so that the other person says something that is equally or even more offensive. I’ll then respond in kind and storm away from the conversation steaming mad.”

Choice 2: Here’s an example of the Seeing Red Cars mentality:

“I want to effectively manage conversations so that I bring out the best in others and create trusted and open conversation.”

As Laura Goodrich says, “In situations large and small, it comes down to intention and actions. It takes discipline, but it really works. It’s simple, but not easy.” So, try looking for red cars, and you just might witness impressive changes in your workplace.

For more about Seeing Red Cars:

www.seeingredcarsbook.com

Read some Seeing Red Cars hero stories:

http://www.onimpactproductions.com/hero_stories.html

Follow Seeing Red Cars on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/SeeingRedCars

Follow Laura on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/lauragoodrich

Follow Laura on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SeeingRedCars

Connect with Laura on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/LauraGoodrichOnImpact

Listen to Laura on BlogTalkRadio:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/laura-goodrich