Marketing and (dating) Relationships

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I’m privileged to have a very bright Marketing Manager at one of my companies that is both ambitious & talented, great qualities for any team member regardless of position!

While skilled she is young and recently started a relationship with a fine young man, whom we all approve of. (not that we had much say in the matter)

So while providing unsolicited, free counsel to her prior to their first date I realized Marketing and Dating have many similarities when performed correctly!

Among these similarities are:

-Know Your Target Audience. Things get embarrassing real quick when you realize your pedaling your goods in the wrong neighborhood.

-Be Proactive. Simply sitting there hoping to attract attention may work for a time, but in these competitive times it’s simply not enough.

-Communicate Well. You’re always communicating something, even while not saying a word. Always be aware of what exactly you’re putting out there and how it will be perceived in the marketplace.

-Establish Your Brand. Begin with the end in mind. What is it about you that’s interesting, different, exciting? What are you aspiring to be? All roads lead to Rome, be sure Rome is what you want it to be.

-Try It. Reality check, you don’t always know what’s going to work and what the results will be until you try it. Get in the game, put some stuff out there. #fail? Try something different.

-Test It. If Real Estate is all about location, location, location then Relationships (and Marketing!) is all about measure, measure, measure. You gotta track this stuff. Without knowing what’s working and what’s not you’re simply guessing, and that’s never a great long-term plan. *See ‘Try It’ for what you’re supposed to be tracking.

-Keep What Works. Let’s face it, we really do thrive on 10% of our ideas while surviving the other 90%. Sometimes you’ll need to eat some Humble Pie and move on. But when you get results, aka ‘Hits’, work that. Develop that.

-Call To Action. There needs to be a clear course of action suggested with each correspondence. While subtle, misting a little Estee’ Lauder on your letter is definitely prompting a response, great thinking!

-Perfect Takes Too Long. If you wait to go live until your hair, product or campaign is perfect you’re missing tremendous opportunity. Don’t ship something that’s broken but most things can be perfected over time.

So are we agreed, Marketing and Dating are eerily similar? Maybe it’s because Dating is mostly Marketing and Marketing is mostly Dating…

Think about it.

Interview with Ben Lapp, Branch Manager NY

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Here is an interview with Ben Lapp, Branch Manager for Wood-Tex Products in NY.

After spending a couple years in the wilderness helping troubled teens I figured he may have some helpful insight into working people that are less than perfect, not that we ever deal with less-than-perfect people in real life…ok maybe we do.

Here goes:

1. After living in the woods for 2 years in a canvas tent are there any household items or amenities you had to learn to do without and don’t plan to use again?

I dont know if i could pin down one thing that really stands out as an unnecessary household amenity. I have however, come to learn that life can be just fine with far, far less than what we usually live with! Life can be just as filled with joy even living with no electricity in a canvas tent! For me the level of satisfaction I feel in life is in direct correlation to the level of input I give or am given relationally, so it’s far more than material objects that make or break a day!

2. What is it about the wilderness that seems conducive for breaking bad habits and lifestyles and starting over?

Simply put the wilderness tends to strip you of what you thought mattered, and helps reframe what really is important in life!
One of the greatest hindrances to our growth is that we fear losing everything and going to “bare bones.” We naturally have “crutches” and comfort zones we carry with us everywhere. Things like excessive video games, being the bully at school, being the clown at school, whatever it may be it is something that often becomes what we resort to when all else fails. But at Camp all of that gets stripped away. You come face to face with yourself in a far greater way you ever thought possible. The very basic lifestyle and the intensity of the close relationship with the group and counselors, creates an atmosphere for a guy to then become accepted at a deeper level than he ever imagined!

3. You Co-Chiefed your group of boys, so you were working with another Chief in leadership. How hard was it to see eye to the all the time and how important is it to present a unified front to the group?

That’s a journey! It is deffinitely not a marriage, but the level you need to understand each other on and the level it gets conveyed to the boys is very much like a marriage. You don’t have the option of choosing who you are with either, which is really good for the development of both of you! Seeing eye to eye takes work! Having an attitude of humility is essential to allow your co-chief to correct you, and also being able to have the balance to speak “frankly” to him if you see something he needs to improve on! Again, giving all you can and living with the mindset of making your co-chief the best chief out there is essential to get past your inherent selfishness that continually tries to dictate the way things are done!
Being on the same page is absolutely vital to the health of the group. Everything that is taught is first of all lived. Words mean nothing if there is nothing to back them up with. If the group of boys needs to learn unity then it is imperative that it is shown from the two Chiefs! Trust is demolished every time that there is a discrepancy between what the two Chiefs lead! If you want your child to be a solid adult someday it must start with solid teaching, not confusion!

4. You’re not a parent, but having spent 2 years in the woods with a group of boys that are there for bad behavior, what is one parenting tip you could give us?

Make your word mean something. Period. Just because you said it means nothing. If you have relationship and say it, then that means everything! I see it far more now after being through this journey but the Mom with the two-year old in Wal-Mart threatening him because he is not behaving has nothing more than a big stick as a disciplinary tool. She doesn’t believe in what she is even teaching him, so what is the kid supposed to think? He thinks her word is a joke because of how she lives! And he is right! If your child sees the life you live and is proud of you and sees you as “legit,” then he or she will follow even if there is minor disagreements!

5. What are some ways you have learned to de-escalate a situation involving people that are ready to eat each other?

First of all you need to firmly believe that the two people at conflict inherently can become good people. They might not be saying it or living it, but that is the truth. Make all further comments reflecting that truth, and do everything to attempt to understand why each person is saying or feeling what they are. They have a life-story too!! Maybe if you knew it then it would become clear why there is conflict! So look beyond the intensity of the moment to the person inside, and then speak to that “inner man” in each person!

6. What was the hardest adjustment you had to make to lead your group effectively?

That I am far more selfish than I ever realized! I might have an idea on a way something can be done, or that a problem can be solved, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way! Just being willing to humble yourself and to get the input from those around you is huge in leading the group! To lead the group with their best interest in mind all the time is the absolute goal! It’s one of those things you don’t realize about yourself but are so thankful later that it became exposed for what it really is! I’m still learning this every day!

7. What are some ways you promoted buy-in when deciding what actions you were going to take as a group?

Planning is problem prevention. Let me explain it now. If we would just put on plans to cut firewood every day we would have really struggled to get any of it done! You want to lead their hearts, not just lead them. So, you need to be wise in how you talk it and get their input as well because you can have the best spirit splitting wood if you can have their commitment and effort to get it done! What we would do as a group is plan to have a work schedule, like splitting wood, and then do something fun that all the guys were interested in doing after that so that we can help them have commitment while working! Another huge factor in the “buy-in” thing is that if you want your boys to believe in the project, then it is imperative that you believe in it first!! You cannot lead others where you are not first willing to go!

8. What is one of the most misunderstood realities of troubled teens?

They really want to be good people, they just don’t know how! Either they have been wounded from people around them, or they feel left alone. But bottom line is that they dream of becoming good people!

9. If you had your last 2 years back, would you do this again?

ABSOLUTELY! I would give it all I have and more! I look at the impact it’s had on my view of life and even if I had not impacted any boys I would say it was worth it just for issues in my own life it brought out that I needed to get through! If anyone is thinking about going, i’d say “GO!”

Having Fun with Life

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I am writing this post so I can edit, save, post, sleep on it, and read myself tomorrow with a cup of joe in hand. Everybody’s in a better frame of mind with some java handy.

Why do I plan on reading this post tomorrow? Because I need to learn to have a little more fun with life. Life though, not work, church or vacations. Oh wait, those things are life. So I have to have more fun with those things too? Ah ha moment!

Who would ever need to be told to have more fun on a vacation?? Guilty.

Is it true there’s only two types of people; those that have fun and then those that get things done?

Are those really our only two options?

I hope not!!

Of course not every day is the best day of your life, and not everything is to be made light of or laughed at. But my goodness, some of us are so dry if we’d smile no one would recognize us.

I’m curious what your poison might be, personally I get very focused on the destination and think the journey’s wasting my time. When I’m at work I’m there to get things done so please schedule an appointment or stay out of my way. Jim Collin’s says there is value in productive paranoia, I would border on unproductive paranoia. On it, on it, on it. And then I wonder why my teams not smiling? Funny thing though, I notice on the days where happiness is happening we all get just as much done. So it doesn’t have to be one or the other, you can accomplish your goals while enjoying the process, you can be super productive and still be an enjoyable person.

I think the whole idea of being ‘fun loving’ has a bad rap from the crazy crowd. Stick with me, some of us don’t want to be tagged as ‘fun loving’ because someone may come to mind that we think of as ‘fun loving’ and we desperately don’t want to become that person because they joke and never do much. But here’s the thing, that person may be just a bit lazy, different from fun loving. They may joke and never do because they’re afraid of being vulnerable and sticking their neck out further than their shell.

So let’s infect our workplace with happiness, joy and fun-ness while we’re outworking everyone on our team.

Question: Would more fun sprinkled throughout your day slow you down?

Disagree and Commit

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Have you ever heard of someone (because certainly you and I would never do this) who participates in a meeting where a particular decision is going to be made and during the discussion and opinion-sharing time they are not speaking up at all or voicing their differing views. However, when the meeting is adjourned and they find a willing ear they are more than happy to voice their disagreement and superior ideas. And 3 months later when it’s apparent the decision was not the best one possible they are the first to think, maybe even say, ‘I could have told you so’, belittling the entire process, organization and leadership.

Now I know this is strictly theoretical and would never happen.

…uh, not so much.

I know this happens from time to time because, unfortunately, I’ve done this. Shame on me. But these are not the habits you want to build into your culture.

What you do want to work towards is a culture where we are open to voicing our differences among ourselves, maybe even getting loud or in each other’s face. But when the final decision is made by the leader, board or committee we get behind that decision, own it, and commit to excellent execution of such. We disagree and commit.

Side note: Some decisions are excellent and unflawed, the very best possible, but fail from poor execution.

Read that again.

Jim Collins presents this concept in his latest book ‘Great by Choice’ and what he’s found is that in the Great companies, voicing your disagreement during meetings is not an option, it’s an obligation! This open, honest culture is what he’s found time and time again in the Great companies.

Think about the contrasting consequences here:

A. You keep your head down, do as your told and agree with the general consensus or leader’s opinions. You do not risk appearing like a radical or lunatic. You are saving face and protecting number one, occasionally bordering on kissing up and spinelessness. You come out of the meeting unscathed, appearing like a real team player, reputation and position intact. However, by not voicing your disagreement when the talks were happening and later undermining the leadership by ‘having known better all along’ you put the entire organization’s strength and depth at risk and in question. If enough people do this routinely you’re going to have a serious issue and a culture that could easily tailspin into irrelevance, filled only with members who become so political and self-centered it scares away any potential new talent.

B. You speak up. But you have a hard time communicating your point politely so you wind up getting red in the face, speaking loud and fast and slamming your notepad on the table numerous times. You may have stood up while trying to express your view of the facts but you sit back down and listen to the other’s present their case. You don’t run and you don’t become close-minded. You risk appearing like a radical and/or lunatic. You risk getting demoted or fired altogether. You believe your point is worth more than the risk of what other’s may think of you. But when the decision is made, even though you still disagree, you get behind that decision and the leadership 110% and do everything you can to execute with excellence. The decision may have been wrong and may later get undone but the strength of the organization, the culture that attracted talent like yourself to begin with, is still intact, vibrant and strong.

I can think of many meetings I’ve run personally where I have failed to develop this open and honest culture but I’ve been working hard at improving that. It’s harder than it seems and is certainly a work in progress.

Have you ever encountered either of these scenarios personally? If so what have you learned?

Not your average Leadership Blog Post

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This post is going to be chock-full of content, read only if you have 15 minutes or more.

Here we go…

“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself.
When you become a leader, success is all about growing other people.”

-Jack Welch

There is nothing more that needs, or can be, added to that.

Question: Is this as easy as it sounds? Leave your comments below!

Coffee in the Lobby

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Underpromise, Overdeliver.

There’s a lot of talk centering around customer service in any industry, and rightly so. And there have been countless words penned and ideas spawned from someone’s personal experience at a business, particulary storefronts where it seems the goods being sold are only as excellent as the experience & presentation. Think Restaurants, Coffee Shops, Hotels…

Hopefully in your business or department you’ve strived to achieve ways to serve your customer with excellence and maybe even over-serve them somehow in some way that fits with your people, processes and margins. Hopefully you’ve put some thought into how you can underpromise & overdeliver.

That’s all fine and dandy but check this out.

How about first ensuring that the expectactions of the customer are actually met. So when an unassuming client chooses to do business with you he gets what he expected to recieve when signing the contract or shaking your hand. Yes I know, you can think of several times where the customer’s expectations were unreasonable and you wonder where in the world they arrived at that assumption about your product or service. Not talking about that, unfortunately I believe there is going to be some level of this from time to time in any company, although your goal would be to minimize these occurances of course.

So here’s an example, I’m sitting in a Radisson Hotel, nice enough, no complaints. However, they do not have coffee in the lobby nor is there any restaurant open where I could buy a cup of coffee without leaving the building. Big deal? No. Am I unhappy with my stay because of this? No. But I kind of did expect I would be able to get my hands on a cup of Jo somewhere in the building, even if it wasn’t free.

So look at your process & your product, are you delivering what your customer is expecting? Do you have a system in place to ensure they are not feeling under-served but are too shy to call you and complain. Hard as this may be to believe there are lots of customers that will not complain to the company but will talk negatively about their experience with you to their friends that very weekend.

It doesn’t need to be much to miss the mark here, it doesn’t even need to be much to go the extra mile (suddenly I’m thinking of Marriott’s free cookies…and coffee!)

So step into your client’s shoes a bit and think through your process from their point of view. Is there somehting small that they’re expecting but you’re not delivering? Is there anything you could or should throw in with your product or service that would make them totally thrilled they did business with you?

Who knows, it may be something as easy as offering free coffee!

You are the Company

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Perception is Reality. How I perceive you, your company or organization is reality to me. You may work at the best and kindest organization but if you (you personally) treat me with disrespect or are rude to me I am going assume your entire company does business this way.

Here’s an example:

We recently had a salesperson call on our company. He’s selling a product that requires service from time to time. First time he comes in a car, pretty standard procedure wouldn’t you agree? The next time, and every time thereafter, he’s chosen to ride his motorcycle on his sales calls. Get this, I have no particular issue with motorcycles, but on a sales call? Pulling right up to my office on that chrome thing that’s louder than a Mississippi diesel pickup truck? You’ve got to be kidding me. Yeah, he’s got the jeans, brain bucket, head hankie, leather gloves, leather coat and boots. Please understand, this is good stuff if you’re riding in an Orange County Bike Rally but is it really the image you want to be projecting about yourself or your employer?

So my perception of his company (and it’s a national company) is that they all ride their bikes to work and mix partying and good-timing in with all their work. Is this actually the case? Probably not. But it’s my perception of their entire company and I developed that perception from exactly ONE of their hundreds of employees.

Important stuff. What we’re saying here is that how you act, what you choose to talk about, the level of your positivity when you rubbing shoulders with others, (whether you’re on the clock or not) plays a big part in your contact’s perception of your company.

This can work for you as much as against you. If you’re going to bring a great attitude, bearing and respectfulness with you, no matter where you are, you’re going to be leaving a great impression for yourself, your family and your organization.

Have you had an experience recently where one team player affected your perception of the entire team?