Passion Archives - Page 4 of 25 - McLellan Marketing Group

5 reasons why other people will spread your personal brand

December 5, 2009

I was part of a panel (with Claire Celsi, Nathan T. Wright & Dr. David Bulla) talking to journalists about personal branding this morning.

Part of my message was that it's fine and dandy to have a personal brand…but one of the keys to its success is in how you share your brand with the world. I used the analogy of a dandelion.

Once you figure out what your personal brand is all about….you hold it out to the world, like a dandelion.

Sure…the wind will gently blow some of the seeds along, letting them land somewhere and take root. But…if you really want your personal brand to be spread far and near…you need other people.

When someone holds a dandelion close to their mouth and gives a big blow….those seeds go everywhere. What would make someone want to use some of their power and influence to help spread your personal brand?

Here are five reasons why someone else might make the effort to spread your personal brand:

Are you a go-giver? Do you share what you know and have?

People tend to want to help those people who help others. If people know that you're not a taker, they're going to be more inclined to serve you up to their friends and colleagues.

Are you a credible resource?

Do you actually have something to say that is real, relevant and of value? In today's world, one of the currencies that is most valued is relevance. You need to be someone who walks their talk to earn that credibility.

Are you consistent and reliable?

People only have so much "connection currency." So they don't want to waste it by introducing the world (or their contacts) to someone who is wishy washy or doesn't honor their promises. If I help set up a meeting between two people and one of them cancels at the last minute or is a no show…some of that bad karma rubs off on me.

Are you real?

If your personal brand is something you put on and take off like a hat — why would someone run the risk of exposing you to their network? There are many posers (as Steve Farber calls them) out there. Don't be one of them.

Are you grateful?

When someone goes out of their way to feature you on their blog or use one of their connections to help you — do you say thank you? Do you look for ways you can return the favor? Do you make them look good by treating that gesture as a gift rather than an obligation or entitlement?

There you have it. If you want others to help introduce you and your personal brand to the world…be the kind of person who makes that easy and enjoyable!

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Is a chilly reception part of your brand?

October 12, 2009

This weekend, my daughter and I embarked on the first of what no doubt will be many college visits. We headed up to MN to visit my mom and check out one of the schools on her short list, St. Olaf.

We got there early, which was fortuitous because of three colliding factors.

It had unexpectedly snowed the night before
We had only packed clothes with short sleeves
The walking tour of the campus was scheduled for an hour

So while she got us checked in, I ran over to the campus bookstore. I got there around 9:40 and according to the signage, it opened at 10. The exact time the admissions presentation was starting. There were two middle-aged women inside the store, bustling about, putting cash drawers in the registers, etc.

Meanwhile, I am lurking at the door.

They straightened the t-shirt table. They re-arranged a pumpkin display.

Meanwhile, I am pacing outside the door.

Did I mention the incredible lengths they went to, just to avoid making eye contact? You see, the store walls were floor to ceiling glass, so they couldn't really miss me.

At exactly 10 am on the dot, they meandered over to the door and unlocked it. I scooted past them with a hurried hello and rushed to the St. Olaf logo-wear, which of course, I had been eying for the past 20 minutes.

I grabbed the heaviest sweatshirts I could find and literally 4 minutes after walking in the door, I was at the register, ready to check out. My guess is…this is not how their average customer behaves.

The clerk rang me up and while she was keying in the amounts, I asked her if she might have a scissors I could borrow to cut off the tags. She looked at me and asked, "oh, are you going to wear these now?"

I laughed and pointed to my short sleeved shirt. I told her I was there with my daughter, on a campus tour and we hadn't packed for the weather. She looked at me like I was a moron and handed me the scissors.

No, "welcome to St. Olaf" or "you're going to love the XYZ" or "be sure to check out the ABC."

From the get -go of ignoring me outside the doors to the final kiss off, these two women could not have been less welcoming.

From what I've seen so far, St. Olaf has a pretty aggressive recruitment strategy. Plenty of expensive, four-color mailings, lots of personal attention, etc.

All with the solitary goal of making students and their parents feel like St. Olaf might be home for the next four years. Guess which employees left the most lasting impression on me, the guy who will be footing the bill?

I think this happens every day in companies across the globe. Marketing and other C-level people invest hours and dollars exploring and defining their brand. Only to have it completely violated by one of their own teammates.

How do you know that everyone in your organization not only understands your brand…but is motivated to deliver it? Are you sure?

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.com

Lessons in Extreme Leadership — up close and personal

October 6, 2009

A couple weeks ago, I had the amazing good fortune of getting to spend a few days with Steve Farber, author of Radical Leap, Radical Edge and Greater than Yourself.

I won’t blather like a school girl about how cool it was to hang out with a guy whose work I have identified with, woven into my company’s culture and believe with my whole heart and soul.

But I gotta say, it was way beyond cool.

(The photo to the right is Tim Johnson, Steve and myself. Mike Sansone was the 4th in the party, snapping photos.)

Anyway…as you might imagine, spending all that time with Steve, observing him interact with others, watching him give several presentations and listening to his stories, I had some takeaways I wanted to share with you:

Extreme leadership is risky business. You have to be willing to be the first one to admit you’re scared, be willing to put a spotlight on your own failings and mistakes, to have those terrifying moments as you stand at the edge of a cliff and decide to leap and not only love your people…but show & tell them.

You’re never done: No matter how good of a leader you think you are…there’s plenty of room for better. Probably way more than you think, by the way.

Extreme leadership is an action verb, not a label. It’s about doing, not talking. Lots of posers out there, wearing the leadership label. The real leaders are just getting it done.

You can’t lead if you can’t be audacious enough to think you can change the world. It’s not about your ego, it’s about having a passion and commitment deep enough that you just can’t stop trying. No matter how big the obstacles.

There’s nothing magical about leadership. It’s all in the heart. Anyone can do it, if they care enough. It has to start with heart. You can’t fake it. You can’t buy it. All you can do it be willing to

The legacy of a leader is more leaders. The ultimate of leading is to identify those people who you can help and actually lift up so they can be greater than you.

Whew…that’s a lot to aspire to, isn’t it? I’m up for the challenge — how about you?

Fight! Fight!

August 24, 2009

How many movies have you seen where a pivotal scene is played out on the playground. The protagonist and the antagonist square off, ready to duke it out. They are surrounded by other kids, shouting “fight, fight!” with great enthusiasm.

I’m not so sure we outgrow that instinct as we become adults. There is something very primal and very intoxicating about a good fight. But as adults, rather than gather on the playground, we gather in courtrooms, legislative bodies, corporate America and the media.

And in marketing.

Whether you are old enough to remember the battles between Burger King and McDonald's played out in their TV spots or enjoy the current bickering between Apple and Microsoft (or as it plays out…Macs versus PCs)… there are lessons to be learned from these skirmishes. It’s good to know the rules before you roll up your sleeves.

Picking (or getting called out) a public fight is a little like spinning top. Once you release it, it goes where it wants to go.
Just because you’re ready to be done, doesn’t mean the media or your opponent will be.
You will be fighting for the opinions of the neutral group. Those who loved you before the fight will keep on loving you and those who didn’t aren’t likely to change their take either.
If the spectators have a stake in the fight, they’ll care about the details. Otherwise, you’re just a sideshow. It’s pretty tough not to make a spectacle of yourself if you’re being viewed as free entertainment.
The bigger and more public the fight, the harder it is to make up and resolve it. That sort of public lashing leaves scars and animosity that’s tough to heal.

Sometimes the fight is worth it. Sometimes the fight is unavoidable. But don’t lose sight of the risks as you decide whether or not to wage battle.

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Tired of hearing about Zappos? Too bad.

July 9, 2009

As long as they keep surprising and delighting us….and becoming the poster child for exceptional customer service…you're going to keep hearing about them.

Take a minute to read about my marketing cohort Jay Heyman's experience with Zappos and learn. (e-mail subscribers…click on Jay's name.)

What's so memorable and talk-worthy about Jay's story is that one employee, not a corporate policy or CEO but one customer service rep who had clearly drank the brand's kool-aid took an extra five minutes and did something remarkable.

I think it's noteworthy that Eric's (the customer service rep) gesture was remarkable because it was personal.

After reading Jay's post, as a business owner, I found myself wondering these three questions. I'm thinking you should be asking them too.

Would every one of my employees recognize an opportunity to deliver a remarkable and personal moment?

Would every one of my employees choose to seize that opportunity?

If I can't answer yes to the first two questions…what am I doing wrong…or do I have the wrong employee?

They were so close!

June 19, 2009

I believe that most businesses have absolutely no desire to be ordinary. They want to be…and probably many believe that they are….extraordinary.

And for many of them….they are so close. But somewhere along the line, they missed it. Maybe by just a sliver. One question unasked. One pillow unplumped.

Let me give you a few examples that I've stumbled on over the past couple weeks.

As I mentioned earlier, I had a quick in/out trip to DC a few weeks ago. So I called the vet to make boarding reservations for Maggie, the mostly lab.

The tech who answered the phone asked all the usual questions.

Did I want her to have a bath (Good god, yes!)
Did I want her to have a fecal check (Sounds ugly, but what the heck. This is how a dog owner exacts revenge for the chewed shoe.)
Did I want her to have the luxury boarding package (For $2 more, she gets extra walks, extra treats, extra love….why not?)

I hung up, feeling good about the care she was going to get.

So when I got to the vet's office with Maggie, guess what. A different tech asked me all the same questions.

Now, I am not feeling so good. They missed their extraordinary moment. Imagine if I'd walked in and she'd said…"great, Maggie is all set for the luxury package and a bath. And don't worry, we'll have the fecal check results for you when you pick her up."

What would it have taken? A sticky note on her chart? A new process/procedure that makes sure that information gets passed along? The tech taking 3 seconds to check the file when we first walked in?

It wouldn't have cost them a dime. And it's probably not a big enough deal to ever cost them a customer. But it does cost them having to settle for being ordinary.

Let me give you another example.

I almost always fly United. For lots of reasons but one of the biggies for me is that they have Red Carpet Clubs at most of the airports where I have layovers. (And O'Hare has 3 or 4) I can go into a Red Carpet Club, grab a drink and a desk…and get lots of work done. I hop on their free wi-fi, snack on their complimentary fruit and I am a happy camper for a couple hours.

Overall, Red Carpet Clubs get s big thumbs up from me. Except for their desk chairs.

Picture this. In most of the clubs, they have rows of desks, two by two. So if you are sitting at a desk, you have your back to someone else's back…as they are also sitting at a desk. The desks are usually fixed so there's no moving them around.

The chairs are very nice and very comfortable. But…they do not (with the arm rests) fit under the desks. So if you want to get up, you almost always have to ask the other person to also get up, because your chairs bang into each other. They missed their extraordinary moment. All it would have taken was someone to either measure the desks or test drive the chairs.

It wouldn't have cost them a dime. And it's probably not a big enough deal to ever cost them a customer. But it does cost them having to settle for being ordinary.

Here's my question to you. What is happening or not happening at your place of business that isn't costing or making you a dime and probably won't ever cost you a customer….but it is making you ordinary?

Stories stick and sell

April 26, 2009

Stories are a part of our lives from the time we're babies.

Dad read stories to us at bed time.
Mom tells us the story of the little boy who bumped his head because he didn't put on his seat belt.
Grannie's stories about growing up and getting her first TV set teaches us about innovation.
Papa regals us with his tale of how his stage kiss brought down the house in high school connects our generational passion for theater.

Then, we get to school. In just about every class we are taught via stories. Whether it's a history lesson wrapped up in the Gold Rush, a humanities study woven into haunting Holocaust stories, or a sociology primer on how people around the globe practice their religion — school is filled with stories.

When we date…what do we do to learn about the other person? Exactly….we tell stories. Whether they're sad, funny, heartwarming or ego-boosting — human beings teach and learn via stories.

Recognizing all of that, doesn't it make sense that we would use stories in our marketing? The truth is…the tactic is already all around us. Jared is thin, thanks to Subway. eHarmony couples want you to be as happy as they are,and average Joe John Erlendson wants you to know that Lipitor is keeping his heart healthy.

Dandy…you're sold. You now believe that stories can help you strengthen your brand, sell more and reinforce your customers' buying decision.

Now what?

Creating stories to use in your marketing, especially if you are going to use real customers, is no small task. Fortunately, there's a book out to help. Casey Hibbard has written Stories that Sell, which is literally a step-by-step playbook of how to create incredibly powerful marketing tools from customer stories.

In the book, Hibbard covers everything from planning the campaign, to finding the best stories (even stories you didn't know about), getting your customers to say yes to letting you tell their story, and how to create compelling stories that really stick. There are 9 steps in all and she explains each one in detail so you can't possibly go astray.

This is a very practical and yet inspiring book. You'll read it and know with confidence that you can hunt down the right stories and create amazing marketing materials from them.

Want even better news? I have three signed copies to give away. Just leave a comment and we'll randomly select three lucky winners!

In the meantime…how are you using stories today in your marketing? Or, how would you like to?

Now is the perfect time to try some crazy marketing idea

April 22, 2009

Why not? Everyone's in a tailspin about the economy and you have some down time. Why not try something bold? Dare I say… get a little crazy.

An excellent photographer here in Central Iowa sent this to me the other day. Is it risky? Sure. But did it get me thinking? You bet.

My guess is, he could fill some dead spots in his calendar with some pretty interesting projects.

He solidifies his relationship with existing clients. He creates new relationships with people who might not have given him a try.

But best of all, he reminds us that he's willing to be creative, flexible and work/think with his clients, not just for them. We're going to remember that long after the recession ends.

What crazy idea do you have buzzing around in your head? What could you do in your marketplace to cause a stir. Or even a disturbance? What could you do that sounds crazy….but maybe crazy like a fox?

Being an entrepreneur takes more than hanging out a shingle

March 14, 2009

One of the by-products of a struggling economy and wide spread layoffs is the inevitable birth of many new consultants and budding entrepreneurs. For some, it's a natural evolution and wise choice. For others, it's the lesser of the evils and usually ends when the new full time job is secured.

I think the key question that is often skipped in this evolution is "do I WANT to be an entrepreneur?" And of course the follow up questions — do I have what it takes? Will I be good at it? Will I like it? Do I have the stomach and risk tolerance for it?

Here's the truth about being an entrepreneur:

"Entrepreneurship is not a career. It is a way of life."

There are two books that have recently been published that will help anyone of the edge of this important decision.

The first book, aptly titled "So you want to be an entrepreneur?" is by Jon Gillespie-Brown. Jon's book is part mentoring lessons and part workbook, with lots of great exercises that will really help you examine and plan your life based on your passions, ambitions and ultimate visions.

By actively taking part in each of the exercises, you give yourself the best chance of succeeding as an entrepreneur, or the sufficient clarity to decide what other career options are best suited to you.

The book is uplifting and celebrates the truth about being an entrepreneur — the good, bad and the ugly.

All the proceeds of this book are being donated to the Grameen Foundation, which does some amazing work.

The second book you should spend some time with is Sramana Mitra's Entrepreneur Journeys. Mitra interviews a dozen innovative entrepreneurs and focuses the conversations on five core topics:

Bootstrapping
Taking on giants
Disrupting business models
Addressing unmet market needs
Tackling planet scale problems

The interviews are very intimate and frank. There's no sugar-coating or sidestepping the tough issues in this book. I was surprised at how open the entrepreneurs were and how freely their exposed their pain and failures, along with their successes.

The interviewees weren't the standard company or people we hear about everywhere else. So the stories and examples were not only relevant but also fresh.

Both books were enjoyable and fast reads. You'll want to read through Gillespie-Brown's once and then go back and work your way through the exercises. And you'll probably want to re-visit Mitra's if you decide to bite off entrepreneurship and find yourself taking on a giant or doing a little bootstrapping.

Even if you have no intention of hanging out your own shingle…the lessons in the books are good for anyone engaged in leading a business.

Best recession marketing tip — give it away!

March 10, 2009

Are you worried about sales? Have you had to lay off some staff? Are you scared about making it through the recession?

Give away your product or service.

I know it's counter-intuitive. There's nothing conservative about giving away your hard-earned wares. I'm not going to go all new age on you — but there's some magical that happens when you share what you have.

Here are some of the benefits:

You and your staff will be reminded how good you are. When sales are coming a bit more slowly or everyone is pushing you on price, it's easy to forget just how good you are at your craft. By giving it to someone who really needs it — they're bound to be effusive with their gratitude — and that feels good.

It's amazing word of mouth. In these days of doom and gloom media — who isn't going to love a story of genuine generosity? And what do you think the recipient is going to do once they enjoy your wares? Right — talk about it. To everyone and anyone.

It's a statement of faith and confidence. Think of it as a "screw you" to the recession. It's standing tall and saying…"we're not only going to get through this economic downturn….but we're going to do it by helping others. We're going to serve our employees, our clients and those who may not be able to afford what we sell — so we're going to give it away."

Want a concrete example? My agency, McLellan Marketing Group, just announced that we're taking applications for our 3rd annual Adopt a Charity program.

Here's how it works. Non-profits apply (they can download our application here) and we choose one in April. Then, for an entire year — we adopt them. Not only do we adopt them, but some of our business partners like Brackett Media and Event Services and Radio Garage also adopt them.

Over the course of the year, the charity will receive over $75,000 in free services.

Do you know a non-profit who could use a professional marketing squad for a year? Encourage them to download the application and get it in before the end of March.

More important — get out there and give the recession a raspberry. Give away a little of what you have. Share your expertise. You'll be amazed at how good it is for business. And your heart.

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