Passion Archives - Page 13 of 25 - McLellan Marketing Group

Harry Beckwith’s genius x 40 (part 1)

September 11, 2007

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know I believe Harry Beckwith to be a modern day prophet. Or at the very least, quite brilliant.

Beckwith has mastered what I stumble with every day. He tells stories that illuminate.

He does it in plain language that everyone can grasp and apply to their business.

In his most recent newsletter, Harry Beckwith's Invisible Ink (subscribe here) Harry talks about his fascination with what motivates people.

He goes on to say that he's come to 40 conclusions surround this question. I thought I'd share some of them with you. And maybe if you like them, I'll share a few more tomorrow.

Your biggest competitor is not a competitor; it's your prospect's indifference.
Your second-biggest competitor is not a competitor; it's your prospect's distrust.
Your biggest obstacle is whatever stereotype your prospect has formed about you and your industry.
Prospects decide in the first five seconds.
Prospects don't try to make the best choice. They try to make the most comfortable choice.
At heart, every prospect is risk-averse, and risks are always more vivid than rewards.
Beware of what you think you know or have experienced; memories fail people constantly.
For the same reason, beware of what others say they know or have experienced.

So what do you think? Ring true for you? Had you forgotten some of these truths?

Who is in my conga line? CK Kerley

September 11, 2007

As we dance our way to my first blogiversary (Saturday the 15th) I want to spend this week honoring some people who have been in front of the line, leading the dance and keeping us on beat. Because I sure didn't get here alone!

Without a doubt, one of the most passionate dancers in my conga line is CK (Christina Kerley).

My blog was about 60 days old when my family headed out for our annual pilgrimage to Disney World. I decided to blog about it and created the Marketing Lessons from Walt series. CK saw the series and did what she did best — celebrated another blogger. In this case, the lucky blogger was me.

In her post, CK suggested I re-package the series as a downloadable PDF and if I did that, she'd don mouse ears to help me promote the PDF. And true to her word, she did. So many new eyes on the blog, so many doors opened. CK sets the example I try to live. Give just because you can.

I have felt her support and encouragement from our very first e-mail exchange. She is the real deal and she has played a huge role in my first year of blogging.

From that lucky introduction, an amazing friendship has grown. We've broken bread together, spent lots of time on the phone, celebrated her momma's life…and now are proud to be co-creators of the Bloggers-Social '08!

If you've joined in the conga line and notice that we move at a lively clip…you can credit that passionate pace to a woman whose heart is always focused on others first.

My way of thanking CK? I do my best to mirror the love and encouragement she shines onto others and hope she knows she inspires all of us to reach in and give a little more.

Who is in my conga line?

Mike Sansone
CK (Christina Kerley)
Gavin Heaton
The smiling faces
My other blog homes
YOU!

Who is in my conga line? Mike Sansone

September 10, 2007

Without a doubt, the man in the front of my conga line is Mike Sansone.

My blog wouldn’t exist let alone enjoy even a modicum of success without Mike teaching me the dance steps.

A year ago, I barely knew what a blog was. I had no idea about the technology, the culture or the heart of it all. I’m a decent writer…but I was not a blogger.

I devoured Mike’s wisdom at Converstations and soaked up his how to’s and beware of posts. But even that didn’t make me a good blogger.

Then, my blogging ~~coach~~ Buddha (aka Mike) very slowly and patiently introduced me to the power of the connections, of sharing what I know and of building a community.

When I had no readers…he was there, cheering. When I got giddy over my first few comments, he was there, cheering. And today, as I round the bases and head for home, I know he is there, cheering.

He may not wear a funny hat with bananas on it (more of a do-rag sort of guy) but I know I always want him in front of the line, showing me new dance steps, introducing me to good music and encouraging me to find ways to get all of you to join in the dance.

The only way I can thank him is to do as he teaches and hope that my efforts honor him along the way.

Who is in my conga line?

Mike Sansone
CK (Christina Kerley)
Gavin Heaton
The smiling faces
My other blog homes
YOU!

How much do you believe in your ideas?

August 16, 2007

Here in the United States, we gather every November to give thanks. Each year we sit at a table filled with turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie and of course, some post dinner football. Why?

Behold the power of persistence.

We all know the story of the pilgrims of 1621. But many don't know that while there was an occasional day of thanks after 1621, it typically happened in June and then would go many years before the next celebration. President Jefferson actually scoffed at the idea of a day of thanks.

We would be at work on that 4th Thursday in November and cranberry jelly free, if it were not for Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor who wrote editorials, and letters to governors and presidents. Hale felt so strongly that our country should observe a day of thanks that she maintained her campaign for 40 years until in 1863 President Lincoln finally declared the last Thursday in November a national day of thanks.

Imagine if she had written just one editorial or letter and then given up.

And yet that's what marketers do every day. They try something once or twice and then throw in the towel. If you know you have a good idea – don't let fear, time or pressure wear you down. If you truly believe you are the right fit for a potential client…don't accept no.

Keep lobbying for a chance to tell the story. Even if it takes 40 years.

Related posts:

Keep banging into those walls

Be a Drip

Plug into a wealth of networking advice

August 15, 2007

Have you ever wondered how Seth Godin or Guy Kawasaki build their networks? Or Joe Vitale or Scott Ginsberg? Me too.

Good news for us, so did Josh Hinds. He went one step beyond wondering. He asked. His blog, Business Networking Advice.com is a treasure trove of brief interviews with a who's who of the business world. Each interview explores the person's viewpoint on networking, asks for some pointers and success stories.

None of them are a long read, but they are all good reads. Josh kindly decided to include me in his series. You can read more about my take on networking, if you'd like.

I decided to turn the tables on Josh and posed a few questions of my own.

Q. When did you start your interview series and what prompted it?

Josh Hinds: One of the topics that I speak to groups and companies on is networking –creating win, win relationships — both personally and professionally. Initially I was going to use the site to feature mostly my own articles on the topic, but then the idea struck me that it would be a whole lot more interesting to reach out to others who were getting the whole "effective networking" thing right — so I decided that in addition to my own articles on the topic I'd feature the short interviews. I actually started BusinessNetworkingAdvice.com in August of 2006. When it comes to personal development I've always held to the belief that you have to really stay plugged in and learning on going — doing the interviews have helped me a great deal and of course I always learn something useful with each one as well — even if it's just another take, or validation for something that I already believed to be true.

Q. Are there any themes you see among the answers that really resonate with you?

Josh Hinds: That's a great question. Within about the first several interviews I'd done a pattern began to show up and continues — that is givers gain — but you can't go into a situation where you just met someone and expect to get something from that person right off the bat. It's all about building rapport with the other person. Creating value in their eyes first, then as time goes by there's a better than average chance that you'll be in a position where that person will help you if they are able to. Again, the key is that you don't come from a point of what can I get from this other person — but rather, what can I do to serve this person I've just met (or the people who are in my "network").

Q. Who is the one person you'd like to interview but haven't snagged yet?

Josh Hinds: I'm not sure I have enough space to list everyone I'd love to interview 🙂 Two that come to mind though would be Zig Ziglar and Jack Welch (former CEO of GE). Zig Ziglar has a quote which I absolutely adore and try to live my life around — it goes like this: You can have everything in life you want, if you'll only help enough other people get what they want" — talk about a philosophy that would serve anyone well. I think it would be particularly fascinating to get Jack Welch's take on networking — to have risen to the level he did as CEO of GE I suspect he could teach us all quite a bit about networking and building professional connections.

Thanks to Josh for being the interviewee for a change and for inviting me to be a part of his stellar series.

Listen up (why your customers’ native tongue matters)

August 10, 2007

Have you ever been out in a public place, maybe enjoying coffee with a friend when all of a sudden, your ears perk up? You hear a familiar voice and you can't help but listen for it? Or you hear a phrase or word that trips off your own tongue on a regular basis?

It's human nature to be drawn to voices that feel familiar. Steve Lovelace from Build a Better Box has a great post about a study from the National Academy of Sciences about how infants respond to people speaking in different languages. The study suggests that even as young as five months, the infants recognize the tones and patterns of their native language and respond accordingly.

Customers are really just big babies. No, I don't mean fussy. I mean, just like the 5 month olds, they respond to their native tongue. But all too often — we don't write that way.

Look through your own communications pieces and see if you can spot one or more of the following:

Sales speak: "You can drive it home today!" Okay, yours probably aren't that blatant. But if it sounds like a slick salesman, it isn't going to fly.

Insider jargon: Do your materials look like an eye chart with all their acronyms? Are you sure your audience uses those same shortcuts?

Vague buzzwords: You know the words I'm talking about. Empower. Paradigm. Value add. It's not that those concepts are bad or irrelevant to your customers. But the words are so over-used that we assign very little meaning to them any more. Don't talk in generalities — be concrete.

Listen to your customers for awhile. Then, read your materials out loud. If they don't sound like your customers talk — re-write them. It really is that simple. Be sure you're speaking in their native tongue.

Barry Bonds: Villain or Victim?

August 8, 2007

First some salient facts.

I have been a Dodgers fan since I was a kid. I bleed Dodger blue.
I have a real reverence for the game of baseball.
I believe that Barry Bonds used/uses steroids.
I'm disappointed that he's tainting the game.
I'd never been to Dodgers Stadium before.

So last Thursday night was a big deal for me. My first Dodgers home game. Accidentally, it was a big deal for baseball too. Barry Bonds going for the home run that would tie Hank Aaron's record. The game was sold out.

Before the game, I was adamant. My biggest hope was that Bonds did not hit his home run during MY Dodgers game. I didn't want it to taint the experience.

We had amazing seats. One row off the field, half-way between left field and third base. You couldn't ask for better. It started the top of the 1st inning. When Bonds came up to bat — the crowd booed and hissed. Not very sportsmanlike, but I understood their sentiment.

Bottom of the first, Bonds trots out to left field and the taunting got even worse. It was relentless and stupid. And with every inning (and no doubt, with every beer) it got louder and more obnoxious. Every time he made a catch, they screamed. When he waited for the batter to swing, they jeered. When he warmed up, they chanted obscenities.

And a very strange thing happened. I started to feel sorry for Barry Bonds. Did he bring it on himself? Yes. Do I think he cheated? Yes. Did I wish he wasn't breaking the record? Yes.

But, did he deserve to be screamed at while he tried to do his job? No. Did he deserve the racial slurs? No. Were the guys shouting at him insulting the game too? Yes.

There's an important lesson in this for all of us. It's easy to portray the competition as the villain. But that's a very fine line to walk. Comparisons are fine. But taking a shot that really hits below the belt can quickly transform your competition from villain to victim. Which turns you from hero to bully. Bashing the competition is never going to serve you, long-term.

All of a sudden you can shift the balance and once you don the black hat, it's pretty tough to take it off.

A side note: Barry Bonds broke the record tonight. While I have more empathy for the situation he behaved himself into, I can't say I cheered as he waved to the crowd. But I didn't boo either.

Do your words caress your wares?

July 21, 2007

It's human nature. When someone loves something, we are drawn to it as well. Maybe it's a borrowed esteem thing. But, when someone is that gaga over something, you just know there has to be something to it.

And that love cannot be faked. It's in their eyes. And in their words. They don't just describe the object of their affection; their words actually caress it. Let me give you an example.

The J. Peterman Company catalog is a copywriting lesson in and of itself. Each item is artfully displayed but it's the description that enraptures the would-be shopper.

Listen to how they describe an item called Floral Silk Dress.

Just a few hundred intimate friends on hand for a good cause, canapés among the rosebushes.

Castor Swilling and Mia Culp have flown in from the coast.

All the power couples have showed up – the Bagbalms, the de Kays, the Thralls, the fun-loving Audibles. There's the cream of the Beltway too, from Justice Hardly and Secretary Spinner to the indefatigable Snapper Balding.

But it's you, my dear, who carries the day….the first woman to sell one million dollars worth of raffle tickets.

You know how to dress for these things. Floral Silk Dress (No. 1865). Sleeveless, mid-calf length confection of gossamer 10mm georgette lined in silk charmeuse (satin side against your body). High Empire waist with cummerbund pleats. Decorative self-covered buttons down the front. Eight godets for sweep and flutter.

Or…the Malaguena skirt.

The impulse to flirt is inborn, which is a good thing. Social life with flirtation would be a bowl of very dull porridge.

Unfortunately, political correctness et al. has created ambivalence about flirting. Clumsiness. Confusion.

People attend courses with titles like "Get What You Want Through Flirting." They text each other across a crowded room.

May I suggest a more organic approach?

Start by putting on this skirt. The gentle motion of the silk tiers draws attention, stirs imagination. Life warms up without bursting into flames. Lines of communication tend to open naturally.

True flirtation isn't a preliminary. It's a preliminary to a preliminary. Malaguena Skirt (No. 1586), four soft, flowing angled tiers of silk georgette. Ankle-length. Easy-fitting elastic waist. Georgette lining. Inspired by a flamenco dancer's dress at Rosa de Triana in Old San Juan, just up from the city gate.

That is pure decadence. Love shimmers off every word. You get a sense of affection and a dash of reverence.

In a world of USA Today bullet point or colorful graph ads….this is remarkable. You can't love something with bullet points or a bar chart. It's just too efficient. Love isn't efficient, it is effusive.

I liken this kind of writing to cotton candy. Do we technically need it? No. But its sticky sweetness melts in our mouth and creates an experience unto itself.

Do your words caress your wares? If you don't show the love, how can you expect your customers to?

The Age of Conversation is off and running!

July 17, 2007

103 authors from 10 different countries across the globe One theme. 103 different perspectives and insights. That's the Age of Conversation. And it's on sale right now.

Lots of smarts. And lots of heart. All the proceeds will be donated to Variety, The Children's Charity.

In 48 hours, we have sold 382 copies and made $3,071.91 for the charity. Now that's news worth spreading! Our goal for this project is $10,000.

In the coming weeks, I hope you're going to hear a lot more about this book and the insights contained between the covers. I also hope you'll be following along with your own copy of The Age of Conversation.

Read about the book's launch here and here and here….UPDATED!

AdAge
Social Computing
Media Post's Marketing Daily
Media Daily News
Marketing Profs Daily Fix
Fast Company
BusinessWeek
PSFK
Des Moines Register

Stay tuned for updates here!

7 lessons worth learning

July 7, 2007

Over at the Joyful Jubilant Learning blog, they have set a big, hairy, audacious goal. In honor of the day of luck (Saturday, 07/07/07) they are trying to accumulate 777 learning links.

It's simple.

Come up with 7 (or more) posts that inspired a learning moment and go over and post it in their comments section. I just posted mine and thought I'd share them with you here as well.

If you look at the posts I've chosen, you'll see that for me the posts worthy of this effort were not about "how to" but instead "why it matters" types of learning.

Hope Saved on a Laptop

This 9/11 story is a powerful reminder that waiting until tomorrow to chase our dreams may be too late. We owe it to ourselves to at least begin the journey today.

What Do You Believe In?

This grew out of a famous scene in the movie Bull Durham. The question…what do you believe in generated some remarkable answers throughout the blogosphere. The learning comes from asking yourself the question.

Want to feel good about our world?

I can't watch this YouTube video (and read the accompanying story) without tearing up. This is a story about a son's dream and a father's love which brought the dream to life.

Marketing Lessons from Walt Disney

A week's stay in Walt Disney World turns into a Master's Degree in marketing, thanks to the genius of Walt Disney.

I Wish I Had Written This
One of the finest examples of writing I have ever seen. It is absolutely brilliant and shoudl inspire every writer to reach a little deeper.

I Hail the First-Person Singular Pronoun

A very straightforward reminder of the power of word choice. And the power of the individual.

Helping College Grads Get a Job – FREE e-book

This collaboration became a stupendous e-book with professional and life lessons for recent college grads and even seasoned professionals.

You can also check out the compilation of the posts in a sorted order.

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