Bill Walton, the legendary NBA star, was quoted “Never mistake activity for achievement." (Somehow I feel that he may not have been the first one to say it…) With the incredible communication tools available through “the internets” I sometimes feel that I might be trapped in that conundrum.
Seth Godin wrote in his blog the other day that “the stuff you do online doesn't cost money. In the old days, money added friction. Money made you choosy. Money ensured that you valued your marketing efforts appropriately, because if they didn't work, they cost you money.”
How true. Reading and posting and linking and networking and connecting and commenting and podcasting and link-blurbling and tweeting and Plaxoing online all feel like essential marketing tasks. They certainly keep you busy enough to eat up an entire day if you let it.
But are these activities getting in the way of “revenue-producing” action?
Oh, I can rationalize pretty well that the online work I'm doing is actually leading me where I want to go: making contacts, expanding my network, and giving me a “presence” in my prospective clients’ minds. But is it working? Is the balance between networking and prospecting being addressed?
For small organizations like mine, the internet represents the opportunity for a HUGE increase in leverage. One person with a blog or a lot of followers or friends can reach more people, more quickly, than ever before. For free (or close to it). Big brands or giant organizations that have always used their clout to SHOUT their message are LOSING leverage as the internet splinters the shouting, niches the message, and creates side roads that are a much more direct route to the buyers interests.
So am I doing the right thing? I return to Seth Godin: “Getting your ducks in a row is not nearly as powerful as actually doing something with your duck.”
“This is no time to hide in the bunker. Be visible, upbeat, and energetic."
- Stefan Stern, Financial Times columnist
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
Keeping your focus --- especially when all those around you have lost theirs --- takes, well, focus! Here are nine steps I saw that might help you maintain yours:
1. Say no.
2. Delegate more effectively.
3. Communicate better.
4. Set well-defined boundaries.
5. Let go.
6. Think more about targets than goals.
7. Plan and prioritize each week.
8. Reflect on the big picture at least one hour each week.
9. Celebrate your victories.
Originally, I was going to discuss each one and provide an example, but upon reading them again, they seem so obvious that I think it will be a good exercise to ask each of YOU to finish each point, and come up with a PERSONAL example. If you get stuck and want my help, just ask.
The key would seem to be to try to implement a few of these immediately and see where that goes. Where are you weakest? How is your delegation? Do you have trouble letting go? Regardless, pick and practice. Then go to #9.
“I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, ‘where's the self-help section?’ She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.” --- Stephen Wright
I just finished reading Seth Godin’s new book TRIBES. I highly recommend it. One of his key points is the concept of a figurative posture of “leaning in.”
“A marketer can offer a product, take orders, and move on. Or he can use interactions with prospects to create something more, to surprise and delight and generate far more…”
So that’s what it’s called. I have always tried to establish more than just an order when I work with a customer or client. Friends have sometimes even mocked me for “working too hard” and “going further than expected” and “wasting my time” with the lagniappes (Cajun for “a little extra”) I heap on my clients. Even though it WOULD sometimes seem like I was wasting my time or working too hard, it’s nice to know that there is a name for what I have done for my whole career. And that it might not have been so crazy.
Pay it forward…it feels pretty good.
“If you can connect to people in such a way that they will miss you if you’re gone and in a way that they will feel missed if they are gone, then you have created a tribe, and tribes are always more powerful than the alternative, which is yelling at the masses…”
--- Seth Godin, author, marketing maven
One of my favorite blogs is “Never Eat Alone” by noted networker KeithFerrazzi. A few weeks ago he posted a conversation with Marc Matheiu, former CMO of Coca-Cola. They discussed the concept of selling your brand with a “story”.
Since that post, the concept has been fermenting in that dark, moist place that is my brain. With generous helpings of horrendous economic news, and global poverty and conflict, it finally rose to the top this morning: so THAT’S how they sell Coke…with a compelling story that defines the brand!
Seriously, if you are not already associating your brand with a non-product message that resonates with your customers, you will find it harder to differentiate your brand from competitors. If it’s merely a product-centric message about your performance, a competitor can duplicate that advantage with some effort. But if your brand’s concept is baked in its DNA, duplication by your competitors is not an option.
Mr. Matheiu outlined some tips to find your “story”…
Look for truth in origins:
Often the most obvious story is the historic one. Many companies have a founder’s story that can be developed into your brand’s identity. What is its “truth”? These truths have evolved or may have a different reality in today’s known context. So it’s that opposition between the original DNA and the current context of the world that can be interesting and relevant.
Have a point of view:
“Very often brands stop at the level of a product’s attributes. Or maybe they go to a product’s benefit. But very rarely do they elevate us to that common ground of a real point of view: something about the state of the world, something that connects back to an ultimate human truth. Let me give an example. If you were to talk about men and women, you could say they are walking intelligent apes. Or you could say they are social, emotional, mammals. Or you could say they are driven by progress or by doing good. One is about attributes, one is about benefits, one is about real point of view. Very few companies go to level three. Very few have a point of view that elevates the human race.”
Don’t focus too much on the end goal:
“If you want to tell stories, tell stories. Very often people go through the process of writing a sales story, but they don’t really tell one – instead they tell a strategy. You should just tell the story. If you try too hard, you end up focusing too much on form and not enough on substance. When you tell a story, what do you do? Combine words and images; write chapters… think about the essence of storytelling. Going back to the DNA, add your point of view, and then tell it like it is. You CAN be too strategy driven.”
Recognize that the best storytelling is collaborative:
“Bring people along. The best stories are those that go on and on and are modified and changed by people as they take ownership of those stories and bring them to life. Let people into your stories instead of dictating your stories to them.”
SO…how should this concept affect our brand building efforts in foodservice? Our “stories” are often dictated by the fragmented distribution channel in which we participate. But these filters should NOT prevent us from creating a story we can use in our product literature; our websites; and most importantly, with our salespeople and agency reps.
Go beyond your product, and create “your story”. That story can, over time, develop a social network with your customers that your competitors will have great difficulty penetrating effectively…if at all.
Think about it.
“Brands offer us mental shortcuts, helping us cut through the clutter of everything we buy and enabling us to communicate certain concepts quickly and easily."--- Lucas Conley, author of "OBD: Obsessive Branding Disorder"
It seems to me that life is a lot like a high school cafeteria…you always wonder what its like to sit at the “cool table”; but when you do, you find out that it’s not only not so cool, but that the people sitting at it are assholes.
“There’s much to be said about not saying much.” --- Frank Tyger
Seth Godin is the definition of a true marketing maven. His commentary on business and life often create “AHA!” moments…and sometimes they create “HUH?” moments. His blog this morning is the former. Below is my take on his commentary… (A link to the entire blog entry at the end of the post).
He addresses the issue of the “High Cost of Now.” Being first always carries a premium. And sometimes that premium is not worth the cost.
The closer you get to the source and moment of information, the more it costs. Apropos of the current financial crisis, if you want to know how the stock market did in 2006, you can spend ten seconds and find it in Wikipedia. If you want to know about today, you'll need to invest a few clicks and you'll get the delayed results. Or you could pay a lot of money for a stock market terminal and get the current prices. Or you could even risk prison and get some inside information about what's going to happen before it happens. Which cost is right for your needs?
You can check your email twice a day pretty easily. Once every fifteen minutes has a disruption cost. Accessing it with your SmartPhone in real time is an extremely expensive lifestyle --- and productivity --- choice. Which cost is right for you?
Sure, go ahead, stay hyper-current, but realize it's not free...
Here are a couple of interesting things to ask yourself:
- Are you getting what you're paying for in your quest for now?
- Is it worth it?
Sometimes, in our quest for the new, we overpay. Most of the time, moving down the curve will decrease your costs dramatically, without hurting your ability to make smart decisions.
Alternatively, when you choose to spend the time or the money, you need to be sure to leverage it like crazy.
I bet you are overspending on “now” right now. Not everywhere, just in some of the wrong areas.
Probably worth a personal audit…
“I believe our inefficiencies will now become our greatest opportunities."
--- Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry
It was another of those “perfect storms.” In the space of three days, I saw articles/columns in the NY Times, LA Times, and even our local ATL AJC encouraging people to get out to their local restaurants. A plot by the National Restaurant Association? Probably not. I suspect it’s a reaction by editors to find a “feel good human interest story” to place alongside the stories about the stock market tanking, pirates in the Mediterranean, and Detroit going down for the third time.
Its true…the restaurant industry IS suffering along with the rest of us, only more-so. A recent Gallup Survey found 81 percent say they are eating out less often. And two-thirds of U.S. restaurants report declining sales, says the NRA.
And restaurants are the consummate “small business” with a small localized line of credit and owners who work in the kitchen or at the front desk. When business is slow, they have to lay off a busser or cook, and servers leave if they can’t make enough money. Banks shut down their working capital loans when their bosses tighten requirements. Distributors put them on COD if they don’t pay in 15 days. And so it goes. A microcosm of the American economy.
But unlike Wall Street or Detroit, there IS something YOU can do. Go forth and support your local restaurants. I don’t know about you, but since we have cut back on our own “restaurant habit”, my family is quickly getting cabin fever. How many ways can you cook chicken, anyway?
So we took stock (no pun intended) and decided that it was important not only for our own sanity, but for the local businesses as well to go out a couple of times a week for dinner.
In addition to breaking out of our rut, there is another very good reason. We have our favorite places, and they won’t be around if we don’t help them survive this slow period. Here’s some other good reasons why…
Easier reservations
It’s ironic. Our favorite places sometimes wouldn’t get our business because they had become so popular that we weren’t willing to wait for a table. That’s certainly not the case anymore; reservations are easier to get, and drop-ins are welcomed.
In addition, you can now try some of those places that you may not have tried previously, because they are available, and are trying to get your business just as hard as your regular haunts. You might find a jewel in the rough. It could happen.
And don’t forget that the owner, who undoubtedly is now working the front of the house every night, will take notice that you are a regular. And that will come in quite handy when things heat up again. Quid pro quo, baby. You’ll be swept ahead of the unwashed like Brad and Angelina. And who doesn’t like that?
Less costly options
I think you'll find that restaurateurs share your pain and have added some less-pricey items, are running very cool specials, offering attractive coupons and more modestly priced prix-fixe meals. You certainly don't have to feel deprived. There are lots of ways to eat well without going crazy. Share an appetizer or a main course. Skip dessert. But do savor every bite. Tip generously and let the chef or restaurateur know how much you appreciate what they're doing.
And if you approach the extras with an open mind, you don’t have to go overboard to have a great meal and a nice time. Perhaps you decide to cut back on the pricey cocktails or the expensive bottle of wine. Ask your host for some modestly priced suggestions. They get to taste everything and will steer you the right way. And always order by the bottle and not by the glass: it’s a better value and often much fresher glass.
You cannot keep the entire restaurant scene alive by yourself, but you can support the restaurants that have meant something to you over the years. Show your face: Don't just disappear. It's better to come in more often for a bite at the bar than once in a blue moon for a big blowout dinner.
So don't entirely give up on going out to your favorite restaurants. They need your support. And now, more than ever, it's important to be a regular.
Jim Sullivan’s Law of Location:
It is more fun to eat at a bar than it is to drink in a restaurant.
During this Thanksgiving week, I thought I would pass along some “generosity tips” inspired by the writings of Keith Ferrazzi, noted networking specialist.
1. Feed people: There's no better way to be generous than by hosting a dinner party, and what do we have coming up but the ultimate dinner party? For most, Thanksgiving is a family event, but many --- for reasons of distance, or even family estrangement --- are alone on the holiday. Inviting a friend or colleague who has no one with which to share the holiday is a wonderful gesture. I have personally been on both sides (alone and as a host to others who are) and it truly imparts the holiday spirit.
2. Make introductions: I'm constantly introducing people from different parts of my life who might benefit from knowing each other on some level or another. It's a sort of ongoing puzzle, matching up the right people and the right opportunities. Don’t hoard your relationship equity.
3. Become a knowledge broker: Share information, by blog, by email, by mail, over lunch, or any way that you feel is appropriate. In particular, focus on sharing information that may help them solve problems, or deal with challenges they may have. Part of my day-to-day routine involves absorbing dozens of daily email feeds and reading online blogs, so when I discover something that I feel may be of help to others I do not hesitate to send it to them. It only takes a moment to do so via email, and may be the spark that ignites a solution to a current issue they may be struggling with. But keep it on a professional level…not many want to hear about your favorite chicken salad sandwich recipe (unless of course that is the primary connection between you!) And don’t overdo it…with all the internet babble out there, silence can sometimes be the most generous choice.
4. Tell a story: Sharing yourself thru your personal history is always a generous way to give something of yourself to a friend or colleague. Telling a real story about your past - with a beginning, middle, and end --- is even better. They'll be happy for the glimpse of what makes you tick (as long as its presented at the right time and place!).
5. Mentor and get mentored: When you can, look for opportunities to mentor others, sharing the benefit of your experience and sage advice. And don’t be hesitant to ask someone else to mentor you in an area you’d like to develop --- as long as you are ready to work your hardest to make them proud of their effort.
These are just a few of the things I have adopted to give the gift of generosity throughout the year. Consider adding a few to your own routine...
Bless you and yours during this holiday season.
Thanksgiving dinners take 18 hours to prepare. They are consumed in 12 minutes. Halftimes take 12 minutes. This is not coincidence." --- Erma Bombeck, columnist
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. --- John Fitzgerald Kennedy, American President
I recently stumbled onto an analysis published last summer, and I re-read it. Had I read it more closely at the time, I might have changed my stock portfolio, but apparently it didn’t resonate with me as significant at the time. It certainly does now, because it leaps directly from the business pages of our newspapers every morning.
These days, the only thing more unpredictable than the weather is the state of the economy. Banking, insurance, housing, airlines and travel, autos, and heavy manufacturing are all in deep trouble as capital markets crash, credit tightens and consumer spending plunges and unemployment rises. Even darlings of the internet like Yahoo are struggling for survival as challenges swirl.
And yet, yesterday HP announced a healthy profit, beating last year’s performance, and posted a positive outlook for next quarter. Both Southwest and Netflix also delivered performance that beat analyst’s estimates.
So what goes? How is it that some businesses manage to survive, while many of their competitors and peers struggle --- or even totter on the brink of disaster? Smarter minds attribute it to not only management, but a new logic of competition itself.
First, high-performing companies understand that it’s not enough to be “pretty good at everything” anymore. An enterprise must be the “most of something”: the most exclusive, the most affordable, the most responsive, the most friendly. When I was in business school in the late sixties, we were taught to be focused on positioning companies in the in the middle of the road—because that’s where all the customers were. But now, in an age of hyper-competition, micro-markets, and non-stop innovation, you’ll surely be run over if you are in the middle of the road. Just look at General Motors today, begging before congress for another chance to survive. With or without a bail out, I don’t know. They are firmly stuck in the middle of the road.
Second, high-performance companies understand that in an era of great turmoil, the best strategy is to stick with what you believe in…and are already good at. On the surface, this concept almost seems in conflict with the first point, because “business thinkers” love to criticize corporations for resisting change. Truth in fact, the problem with big companies is that all they do is change. They lurch from one “Blue Ocean” idea to the next, shoveling wheelbarrows of cash from one consulting firm to the next in an effort to “re-invent themselves” when in reality they need to focus on the basics and become better at what they do best already.
Legendary management guru Jim Collins puts it best: “The signature of mediocrity is not an unwillingness to change. The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”
There’s a third element that helps to explain extraordinary performance in these extraordinarily difficult times. Each of these companies connects with its customers based not just on price and features, but on identity and emotion. They have become virtually irreplaceable in the eyes of their customers. Can your customers live without you? Because if they can, they probably will.
The current business turbulence will undoubtedly cause most companies to seek a “correction” in their strategy. Make sure yours starts at the roots---with your customers---and not at the top with the latest “board initiative of the week.”
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it."
- Henry David Thoreau, author
I speak to groups from time to time, and am constantly striving to “dial in” improvements in my speaking style and execution. Recently, Harvard Business Review published a short piece called “How to Become an Authentic Speaker” by Nick Morgan. Some of his key ideas struck a chord with me. Let me share them with you.
Be Open to Your Audience: Practice your speech by envisioning what it would be like to give your presentation to someone you are completely comfortable with. The person could be your spouse, a close friend, or a business associate. Take note of what this feels like, and try to replicate that emotional state when you deliver the speech. (In a way, it’s similar to the old saying to “imagine you audience in their underwear.”) This posture leads to more natural body language, such as smiles and relaxed shoulders. And the behaviors in turn lead naturally toward more candid expression of your thoughts and feelings.
Connecting with Your Audience As you practice your speech, think about the concept of engaging directly with your listeners. Imagine that a young child you know well isn’t heeding your directions. You want to capture—and keep—his attention however you can. In such situations, you don’t strategize; you simply do what feels natural and appropriate. For example, you increase the intensity or volume of your voice or move closer to your listener. During your actual speech, these behaviors will happen naturally and with the right timing.
Being Passionate about Your Topic While rehearsing, ask yourself what in your topic you feel most deeply about. What is at stake in your topic? What results do you want your presentation to produce? Focus not on what you want to say but on why you’re giving the speech and how you feel about it. Let the underlying emotion come out in every word you deliver during rehearsal. You’ll infuse the actual speech with some of that passion and come across as more human and engaging.
Listening to Your Audience To practice this, think about what your listeners might likely be feeling when you step up to begin your presentation. Are they excited about the future? Worried about bad news? As you practice, imagine watching them closely, looking for physical signs of their response to you. During your presentation, then, you’ll be more prepared to identify the emotions your listeners are sending to you via nonverbal means. And you’ll be able to respond to them appropriately. Things such as picking up the pace, varying your language, asking an impromptu question, or even eliminating or changing parts of your talk.
Public speaking is never easy. But practice can make perfect; and there is no such thing as too much practice, so don’t short-change your preparation. And when possible, speak from an outline, not a script. Following these few tips will deliver noticeable results. Trust me.
Why doesn't the fellow who says, "I'm no speechmaker," let it go at that instead of giving a demonstration? ~Kin Hubbard