Phoenix Rising

My Personal Trust Initiative

This week I've been waxing on about trust. Or rather, the lack of trust. Without trust - we run the risk of losing -  a lot.

We can each rekindle the trust.

If we take a step toward trust, others will follow our example. The world won't change overnight, but we can change it over time. Hopefully before we have to sign a waiver to have a meal at a restaurant. So I'm starting my own little trust initiative. Who knows, maybe it will rub off!

My Personal Trust Initiative

I'm going to step up myself and do the following five exercises to rekindle my own trust, and hopefully stimulate some trust in those around me.

1) Shake hands on the deal. I'm beginning a small project in my home. I've been waiting for a detailed estimate, but  that's changing. I'm going to shake hands on the deal and let the work begin. I'm going to show my contractor that I trust him to do a great job and charge me a fair rate. 

2) Get a haircut.  I'm not going to tell my stylist what I want. He's probably going to faint - but I'm going to keep my mouth shut. He knows me, he does a great job. So instead of warning him about trimming too much and checking each snip of the scissors, or asking him for the 50th time if the color is the right blend - I'm going to walk in and trust him.

3) Trust a friend. I have someone in my life that I adore as a brother, but he's not exactly the most responsible person you'll ever meet. He lives in my guest cottage and helps me with my property. I tend to prod and remind him of chores and deadlines. He resents it and we snipe sometimes. Well, no more. I'm going to get over myself and change my attitude. I'm going to back off and let him see that I'm trusting him to do the right things.

4) Have a trust meeting with my associates.  I'm going to put all the cards on the table and ask my associates if they have reasons to not trust me or my approaches. I'm going to listen to the feedback, and take actions to fill any holes in their trust.

5) Get back to trusting myself. I was a pretty fair pianist in my youth. Then I quit playing, for too many reasons to explain. I've tried to start playing again many times. I can't play like I did once. I can't even begin to read the music I played at the ripe old age of thirteen. Each time I start to play again - I stop.  I don't trust myself to learn to read music, to start over. So I don't play. That's going to change. I'm going to play and trust myself to learn - again!

So there's my own personal plan to add a bit of trust back into my world. I just realized something pretty interesting. By sharing my five steps to trust, I took a sixth step.

I trusted all of you.

It wasn't really that hard, after all. 

Is Trust Broken?

I was looking at a contract with my publishing house last week. It got me thinking about trust. This contract was lengthy and detailed. Fair, but very detailed. Yet there were still a few things I had to take on trust. I did it. But how many others would?

My how times have changed.

When I started consulting, I took client work on a handshake. That's all I needed. You see, I don't want to work with anyone who I can't trust. Today, everyone wants a contract. Mostly to protect themselves in case of litigation.

What a way to start a relationship.

 

If we live in mistrust today - where will we be tomorrow?

Lost trust impacts all of us. Here's an example.  My horse trainer's insurance company refused to allow dogs on her property because they were afraid of lawsuits. Mind you, 70 or so horses live on this property  24 x 7. Up to 6 of them run free during the day at one time - along the road and in front of people's homes. It's horsey heaven! And FYI, my trainer has allowed dogs for twenty years now - without one single problem.

Anyway - the insurance thing sounds like no big deal. Right? 

Not to my pup Diego.  The ranch is his favorite place to go. I pick up my boots and he begins his doggie dance. Barking and running in circles - joy oozing out of every hair.  Now that favorite place is gone. How do I explain to his pure trusting doggie self that because of human mistrust - he loses?

Without trust, we will lose more than our freedom. 

The weight of mistrust is heavy on our businesses and our economy. Legal costs are skyrocketing, progress is slowing. Soon we won't be able to do anything without a legal release. Imagine - signing a release to eat at a restaurant, enter a mall, pump our own gas.

A friend called me last night to vent about a legal hassle with marketing materials. Hey company is  taking every single marketing piece - from outbound emails to landing pages to spec sheets, through a legal process. The results are a disaster for the business.  Every compelling, though factual, word and statement is gone. There's nothing left but pablum now that the legal beagles are done. It's a waste of money and time to use the poor content that's being 'allowed' by the legal teams. It's ridiculous - and such a sad statement of our culture today.

We cannot move forward without trust.

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Tomorrow - Some thoughts on how to find trust again.

The Power of Trust

 
Without trust, we limit ourselves, our businesses and our world.

 

So, how's this for ultimate trust?

I imagine a few cynics out there see a little dog with a death wish. Others may see proof that curiosity really will kill the cat, er pup.

I see the power of trust in action.The power to defy even the most basic of instincts - self preservation. The power to change the game.

When we trust in ourselves, we go bravely into new situations.

 

Self trust is the fuel that powers us to explore new worlds, test new theories, expand our horizons.  When we trust ourselves, we have the courage to move beyond the known and safe. We move beyond our past and reach for our full potential.

When we don't trust ourselves, we're tethered to a predictable, repeatable world.

When we trust others, we can do the unimaginable.

When we unite with others in total trust, focused on a common goal, there are no limits to what we can accomplish.  We can reach the stars, save our planet and maybe even balance a budget. Imagine the trust it takes to create this human chalice. Wow.

When we don't trust each other, we all lose.

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Check back tomorrow for the 2nd half of this post - Whatever Happened to Trust?

Use eMarketing to Change Your Marketing Game

eMarketing is a powerful revenue tool - for marketing and sales. 

Noone knows that better than Ardath Albee, author of eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale.

In her newly released book, Ardath gives every B2B marketer the tips, tricks and tools they need to create eMarketing approaches that power prospects from initial engagement til they cross the revenue line.

Today's B2B marketers have more opportunity to positively impact sales revenue than ever before. Thanks to Web 2.0 we can attract prospects, begin our customer relationship, inform and entice qualified buyers - without ever directly engaging more expensive sales resources to nurture buyers along the way.

What an opportunity to change the game!

eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale is just the book to help your marketing team produce the most qualified prospects ever - prospects that are engaged and ready to buy.  Albee helps your marketing teams create compelling content that informs prospects at each stage in the buying process – moving them forward through the buying funnel, quickly and effectively.

The goal?  Contagious content that sells for you.

I've worked with Ardath for almost a decade now. I have never met anyone who better understands the ins and outs of eMarketing. Thanks to Ardath's expertise, my clients have effectively used eMarketing tools to increase revenues, shorten sales cycles, enhance sales productivity and increase marketing Return on Investment.

Check out her book and follow her recommendations. Your marketing and sales teams will benefit,  just as my client have.

Are you Expanding or Contracting?

We're all trying to do more with less.

But what happens when we cut things a little too lean and the result just plain sucks? OOPS.

As the child of two depression kids, I was raised to be frugal, to 'save for a rainy day' - to be always ready for economic disaster. I stopped short of stuffing the mattress with cash. But for years I was afraid to spend money on the right things in my life. I was a hoarder and I admit it.

Contraction is not a path to success.

That's true in life and business.When we contract our beliefs, our actions, our spending - we're asking for contraction in the results.

A former client called me last week. I'd helped them define their go-to-market strategy and positioning. They'd decided to go with someone more 'cost effective' for the much larger execution project. I wasn't willing to drop my rates (which I'd already heavily discounted on the promise of the entire project) so they moved on.

My client told me that the results had been less than he'd hoped. They weren't awful, but they weren't what we'd expected. My response?

You get what you pay for!

I didn't say that to him directly - I'm not that obnoxious!  But I thought it. And I bet he did as well.

The strategy was compelling, powerful and high value. The execution required an investment that matched that power. Instead of entering the market with a bang, they'd entered with a whisper. 

I gave him a few thoughts on how to address the issues and salvage the opportunity. All of which involved spending more money than if he'd done things the right way in the first place.

Be thoughtful when cutting corners!

Contraction is great for silly dollars. We all know there are ways to save and reduce spending, in our business and in our lives. But we must be conscious and selective about where we cut - and where we invest.

If all we do is contract, then how will we ever expand?

I learned that lesson recently in my own life.  I had a choice. Go with a New York publisher for my book - change it, dilute it, make it conform to their (boring) norm. OR, invest in myself, breakout and take a new path. Publish it myself - my content, my way.

I chose the latter - after a lot of gnashing of teeth and other body parts.Talk about mom and dad's voices in my head! But it's the right thing to do.

With the help of a great friend and mentor, I found the perfect publisher!  I met them last week and I love them!

Still, for my little depression-trained self - it's scary. But I know that contracting myself and my ideas is not the best path. So I'm practicing what I preach. I'm expanding and investing in myself. I've never been more assured that I was on the right path. It feels great.

Expansion breeds growth.

When we expect to expand, we open ourselves to the possibility of positive outcomes. We invest in those outcomes. When we contract our thinking -  we plan for the potential negative and it comes right to us.

So the next time you're trying to find a way to cut corners on that important project, think again.

Are you being smart, or simply contracting out of habit?

Be the Pig!

Changing the Game can save our butts.

This little pig Changed  the Game on the Queen of the jungle.  The result was, well - see for yourself.

How often do you change the game?

The world changes all around us, every day. Sometimes opportunities to change our business game come with new and shiny products, markets, customers and a happy fanfare.

Sometimes we are forced to change our game as part of a crisis or upheaval.

Changing the Game empowers us to grow and improve.

When we embrace change, look for a new way to play our 'game' we ditch the status quo and seek new ways of doing and being and thinking.

Changing the game can take a market by surprise, propelling us to leadership. Changing the game can leave a competitor wondering what hit them.Changing the Game can be the difference between winning and losing - for ourselves, our businesses and our dreams.

Think what we can do when we change the game!

So let's all get out there and Be the Pig!

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Wanna learn how to Change Your Positioning Game?

Join me for a for a FREE Webinar

Tuesday, October 27th, 1:00 pm EDT

If you’d like to learn more about my approach to Positioning That Works, 
please join me for this FREE Webinar. We’ll discuss:

• Why evidence is the critical part of our stories.

• The best questions to ask our customers to create compelling messages.

• How to create a Positioning Matrix from the 3 Pivot Points of Positioning.

• How to use this Matrix to dynamically spin story threads for each situation. 

• How to leverage 3rd parties to share your truth.

Click here  to register. 

Sponsored by Treehouse Interactive

Buzzwords are BS!

I’m not talking about technology or industry specific buzzwords. I’m talking about marketing buzzwords – that cross every industry and market.  Words like biggest, fastest, cheapest, newest, most reliable, most secure, most efficient, market leading, world-class, new and improved, leading edge. OMG.

Three adjectives and a noun are not a value proposition.

I used a Random Positioning Generator with my clients for years.  As a joke. It contained four columns of words. The first three included ’chest thumping’ marketing buzzwords The fourth included relevant nouns. My schtick was to select a word from each column and create a positioning claim.  I’d have a competitor’s claim that matched that statement in my back pocket. (Yes, I planned them ahead of time.)

My client’s yukked it up as we played.  Until their value statement popped up among the combos. They’d laugh, but they got the point.

Buzzwords make it harder to create distinction.

When we sound just like everyone else – we’re creating noise – not value. By the way - that noise is annoying to our audience.  When they see the same claims yet again – they get annoyed, click and move on.  Another business opportunity lost in the BS. How deep does it have to get before we learn?

We can communicate our value without the BS.

Here are some simple ideas on how to create compelling value propositions.

Use words that matter to our customers. The more precise and specific the better. Listen closely to the words and phrases customers use to describe the benefits that our product brings to them. Capture those words -- and use 'em!

Keep It Simple. Yes, the KISS principle applies. Simple statements don’t have to be fluff – they can be quite powerful. Simplicity brings clarity – and clear messages are the Holy Grail of positioning.

Apply our value. Asking our audiences to extract the value from generic, buzzword-ridden claims is risky at best.  Real positioning power comes when we apply a clear and concise value claim to a real-world scenario that our audience ‘gets’.  

Powerful value statements are clear, concise and relevant to our audience.

So unless you’re selling to full blown BS artists – stop with the buzzwords.

Get specific, get compelling and get the business.

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FREE WEBINAR – Positioning That Works

Tuesday, October 27th, 1:00 pm EDT

If you’d like to learn more about my approach to Positioning That Works, 
please join me for this FREE Webinar. We’ll discuss:

• Why evidence is the critical part of our stories.

• The best questions to ask our customers to create compelling messages.

• How to create a Positioning Matrix from the 3 Pivot Points of Positioning.

• How to use this Matrix to dynamically spin story threads for each situation. 

• How to leverage 3rd parties to share your truth.

Click here  to register. 

Sponsored by Treehouse Interactive

Mine’s Bigger than Yours!

Is anyone else tired of all the hype marketing?

I don’t mean all marketing. I’m talking about the hand-waving promises that are so unrealistic as to be laughable. Perfect teeth in 4 days, hair re-growth in a few applications or a perfect body in only 2 weeks thanks to some revolutionary rubber band. Stretch it 3 times a day and look like a fashion model in no time. Wow.

Do buyers really fall for that stuff?

I guess they do, or we wouldn’t have those ads all over the place, now would we?    Still, I don’t think it works for the majority of cases in the B2C world. Certainly not for B2B type audiences.

Yet we see similar claims from B2B vendors. Promises to reduce cost, eliminate debt, increase revenues - make you profitable or bring 100,000 users to your door TOMORROW. All with not a lot of proof to go along, just fantastic claims. I call it chest thumping. I also call it the Dinosaur Way of Marketing.

Those approached don’t work anymore folks.

Our audiences are too smart.

They can find out every 'truth' they want to know about us. Give them a search engine and they are off and running on a fact finding frenzy.  They roll their eyes when we start to claim leadership and do the chest thumping sell. They politely wait for us to finish – sometimes - and then take a dive deep into our real-world experience at the first opportunity.

Think about the way you use the web for your own buying decisions. 

Do you read the vendor website - or do you go to the reviews, the ePinions, Consumer Reports?  Odds are you look for others like you that have reviewed your products.  You don't go drink marketing Kool-Aid for your new refrigerator from the guys who built it, now do you?

Why should our B2B audience be any different?

They aren’t.  They want to know why they should trust us, why they should partner with us. Customers and prospects want to see our expertise in action. They want to know that we understand their business, that we've helped others like them to do cool things for their business. They want the evidence, not the claims.

B2B customers don't want positioning claims and Me, Me, Me Marketing.

They want the truth, and the evidence to support it.

Just like each of us when we begin a purchase a decision for a new car, television, appliance or home. We don’t want to hear the hype, we want just the facts. So why should we expect our own customers to want hype from us?

When creating a marketing story, it’s time we start thinking like a customer. Better yet, it’s time we let our customers and their successes speak for our abilities. Instead of thumping our own chests, we can let others speak our praises, demonstrate our value, prove our success.

It’s called ‘telling the truth’ and ‘being humble’.

Wow, what a concept.

________________________________
FREE WEBINAR – Positioning That Works

Tuesday, October 27th, 1:00 pm EDT

If you’d like to learn more about my approach to Positioning That Works, please join me for this FREE Webinar. We’ll discuss:

• Why evidence is the critical part of our stories
• The best questions to ask our customers to create compelling messages.
• How to create a Positioning Matrix from the 3 Pivot Points of Positioning.
• How to use this Matrix to dynamically spin story threads for each situation.
• How to leverage 3rd parties to share your truth.

Click here  to register.  

Sponsored by Treehouse Interactive.

The Tower of Babble

Communication is such a funny thing.

It's one of the most important things we do. After all, pretty much everything, in business and in life, is based on communicating.

Since we have the same vocabulary, same language (country to country) and are taught the same grammar - we'd think communication would be the easiest thing in the world.

So why do we have so much trouble getting on the same page sometimes?

Every communication is unique, based on our own experience.

What one person takes one way, another may take in a different way. What one expert assumes is a known fact, some may not know at all. Some may have a different perspective on that same fact.  If we base communication on that 'known' - well, we are in trouble.

Yet we do just that every day.

Take for example my horse trainer Deb. When we first started working together, we had a really hard time getting into sync. After some struggles - we finally realized that Deb's knowledge was based on principles of natural horsemanship - and mine was based on the 'normal' approach I learned in my younger years. Deb's basis was totally different from mine - so we couldn't communicate efficiently. Once we backed up, reviewed some fundamental principles and got in sync - everything got better. 

Communication happens when we base our discussions on a common experience.

Everyone hears a bit differently - based on their experience, history, knowledge and perceptions. How many times have you been knee deep in a discussion, wondering why the other person isn't 'getting it' - only to find that they were on a different track than yours? 

When communicating - we have to take those differences into account. We have to plan for them.Yet everyone has a different experience, so how do we embrace all of those variations in our audiences?

We can't.

It's impossible. There are too many variations out there. As many as there are people. But don't despair. Since we can't cover all the perspectives, we simply bring the perspectives into alignment with our own.

How? 

By providing a common experiential framework for everyone. We can begin our communication by laying a common groundwork for all. We can set the stage, frame the contextual and situational aspects of our communication focus. 

We can share a common starting point with our audience.

It doesn't have to take a long time, be a deep discussion. We can frame our communication focus in a few select, high impact words. Authors do it all the time. They bring us into a book in one sentence or less.  My favorite example of building a great communication basis?

"It was a dark and stormy night."

The Power of a Brand

All I wanted was to buy and Apple iPhone. It became a rather frustrating journey. I was so disappointed. I have always been a huge Apple fan, and they'd let me down. I shared my story on this blog, hoping I'd been fair and balanced in the telling. The post attracted quite a few responses - both public comments and private emails.

Everyone found a way to support Apple.

I was puzzled. I reread my post, thinking I hadn't been clear describing the situation. In my reality, ATT was the hero and Apple was the dark knight.  It was clear to me. 

Then I saw more comments, each different in its 'excuse', yet every one supporting Apple. WOW. It was a trip.  Some were pro-Apple, some anti-ATT, some forgiving of Apple and not-so-much-so of ATT. Check out some of the common themes. I added my reality in italics just to make it more interesting.

• That's what happens when you have a high demand product and limited supply.  iPhone 3Gs' are readily available. Pretty much anywhere. ATT had 6 in the store of my model and color.

• ATT service sucks more than their network. ATT offered to 'waste a' $700 phone so I wouldn't be out of service for 4 days. I personally like their cellular service and have been with them for 10 years.

• That's ATT's system problem not Apple's. Not what the folks at both companies told me. But more importantly, not the point.  I paid Apple for a service (fast shipping) that I wasn't going to receive. They treated me poorly when I pointed that out. That's the crux of the matter.

Then there was my favorite.

"If you would have just been patient and accepted the shipping delay and lived with your Palm for the week it would have been pretty easily solved.  Your lack of patients and the whole immediate satisfaction thing is annoying and difficult to always cater to."

Say what?  I paid for fast shipping, and I did it for a reason. My Palm is rebooting faster than I can dial a number. Palm users know what that means.  Bye Bye phone. Plus, I paid for a service and Apple wasn't going to deliver it.

When you have a great brand, you can get by with a lot.

Apple proved that to me yet again yesterday.  When you have a strong brand, you can make mistakes and refuse to acknowledge them, you can inconvenience your customer and they will keep on coming back for more.  They’ll even make  up excuses for you –just to keep you on the pedestal – whether you deserve to be there or not.

Hat's off to Apple for that power.  I love it. Don't we all wish we had that brand power?  Yet, in reality I'm kinda glad we don't.

Think what it would mean to customer service standards:)

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On a personal note, my iPhone arrived today. Well, part of it did. I signed the FedEx release form, left it by the door. Apple shipped 2 packages, FedEx had one signed form. So they left one of the boxes and took the other, leaving me another form to sign.

This just gets better, doesn't it?  But - my iPhone was in the box, and I love it already! I set it up and played a bit. SO COOL. Then the big step – I synchronized with my Outlook Contacts.  Opened the phone window and there they were. SIX copies of each contact, without a phone number to be found.

Here we go again...