Saying the Same Thing Differently

I received an email from my colleague, Peter Donnelly at Mustang Leadership. He sends a Thought for Friday (on a Friday obviously!). I loved it, especially as a copywriter, it is all about emotional direct response. But I also loved it for the story that it is.

Take two mins and have a read:

Saying the Same Thing Differently

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.”

There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.

Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning?” and continued, “What did you write?’

The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.”

What he had written was: “Today is a beautiful day and I cannot see it.”

Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.

Is your staff helping or hindering your brand?

Just a quick note to tell you about my recent trip to one of the more elite jewellers in Dublin which reminded me that your company’s representatives have a huge amount to do with your company brand.

Background: My sister bought me a lovely bracelet on my wedding day. She wanted to give me something from that traditional wedding mantra - something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Long story short, it was a bit big, kept dropping off me so I wanted to get a security chain on it so it would stop falling off me.

I went into the store and to put it simply, one of the store representatives looked at me, ignored me and proceeded to make a call.

Then when I finally got speaking with another member of staff, he interrupted us.

I took off my invisible coat and told the lady that was dealing with me about the store assistant that ignored me. She apologised and decisively said that she would give me the security chain with no charge.

Instead of walking out of the store, swearing I’d never use it again, I left thinking what a good representative she was.

Ask yourself honestly:

• Are your staff (whether retail or service based) promoting your business?
• Is their behaviour helping or hindering your business?

You spend a lot of time networking and marketing your business. You might as well burn the cash if your staff aren’t there backing up your brand and being consistent with your image.

To know for sure that your staff is helping your brand, revisit the following five tips:

1. Don’t make assumptions based on your customers appearance

2. Understand that every person that walks through your door is a lead

3. Reward your staff who recognise that every person who walks through the door is a lead

4. Be consistent with your image through regular customer training/support/mentoring

5. Give your staff the authority to make a decision to keep a customer happy.

What do you do to keep your staff promoting your brand?

I’ve got a goal: 100 articles in 100 days

I signed up for the ‘100 articles in 100 days’ (#HAHD) last year but through one thing and another, I didn’t complete it. This year, I’ve decided that I’m going to complete it.

I want to get:

1. Downloadable #HAHD Certificate of Achievement (frame not included)
2. Original Limited-edition EzineArticles #HAHD Trophy Mug
3. Limited-Edition EzineArticles #HAHD Mouse Pad
4. Limited-Edition EzineArticles #HAHD Canvas Tote Bag
5. Limited-Edition EzineArticles Motivational Wall Clock

It’s not the goodie bag that I want but the sense of achievement and accomplishment.

So please - can I ask for encouragement from my friends and readers?

And give me your ideas as well!

What is your biggest marketing challenge at the moment?

I’ve been very quiet for a while and you know what? I think It’s time to get back to solving marketing issues for small businesses.

But instead of me assuming what your issues are, I thought why not ask you what your issues are.

You only need to turn on the radio or open up the newspaper to be (constantly) reminded that things have changed.

So I want to know:

• What is your biggest marketing challenge or issue at the moment?
• What are you struggling with?
• What would you like to do better?
• What would you like to know more about?

There are a myriad of issues in marketing, such as:

• Getting the strategy right
• Competitive analysis
• Market research
• Pricing
• Promotion
• Customer value
• Customer retention
• Promotion
• Direct marketing/selling
• PR
• Social media
• Writing of brochures/case-studies/leaflets/etc
• Printing of brochures/etc
• Website marketing

I could go on for days - but these are just a few ideas for you to think about.

So go on - take five minutes and tell me what your biggest marketing challenge is.

I love Shoes, therefore I am in love with Shoeisms

Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to hear Veronica Canning speak at a networking event and you know what, everytime I hear her, I learn something different.

She is engaging, entertaining and enthralling. I could listen to her all day, every day. On this speaking occasion, she shared with us her Personal Brand Success Programme which is a five step model.

Shoeism - Personal Brand Success Programme

This five step model makes sense - yet many of us don’t follow it as unfortunately common sense is not so common! The five points are Veronica’s five points - the sub-information is my personal take on Veronica’s words of wisdom.

1. Act Strategically

I’m a marketing consultant so I always tell my clients to think strategically. My constant advice is that marketing should not be done on an ad-hoc basis but should always be part of an overall plan.

Veronica applies this same logic to your brand - you as your brand should act strategically. Ask yourself before you do or say anything - “Does this help my personal brand?” If not…don’t do it!

2. Make your Message Match the Messenger

Be consistent with your brand. If you are a fun, quirky person, then don’t have a corporate banal brand. You are not representing yourself in the correct way.

3. Get Out of your Own Way

This was one of my favourite points. How many times do we get in our own way? Have you ever used phrases such as:

• “I’ll do it tomorrow”
• “I’m afraid people will laugh”
• “What will people think?”
• “It’s just not right”
• “I just don’t have time”

Go on - be honest. If you say any of these (and more!), then you are in your own way. Veronica is a big believer in this. We are our own worst enemy and as successful women (and men) that has to change to move forward.

4. Benchmark against the Best

Look at who is the best in your industry and benchmark yourself against them. Ask yourself what skills or talents do they have that you don’t? What can you learn from them?

If you benchmark yourself against the best, then you will find ways in which to improve yourself. And self improvement is a constant in today’s environment.

5. Fake It until you Make It

If you don’t have an office in  Dublin 2 or 4, then meet in a Dublin 2 or 4 hotel. If you’re travelling somewhere, hire a porsche or jaguar. There are ways where you can fake it without breaking you or your bank. Once you have self-belief and the right skills, then fake things before you make it. Take control of your own destiny.

Again, this is my take on Veronica’s five step model. If you want help with your personal brand, contact Veronica directly - she will do an audit of your brand and work with you on a one to one basis.

The Shoeism Book

Veronica has recently written a book called Shoeisms: Working Woman’s Guide to Take Control and Be the Sassy, Successful Woman You Know You Can Be. The world has changed and finding your role in the world as a powerful woman just got more difficult. Shoeisms will enable you to think independently and to carve out your own destiny.

I hope to bring you a review of the book later in the month but all you sassy ladies are recommended to check it out - www.shoeisms.ie

Forget The Apprentice. Apply for the Bord Bia Fellowship.

If I didn’t have my Masters of Business Studies (MBS) in International Marketing from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, I would be filling in my application form for the Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship instead of writing this blog.

I heard about it on the radio and just had to check it out. What a great opportunity for 25 people who want to embark on or further progress a marketing and business career. It’s an  intensive 12-month action learning programme which gives successful candidates the combined opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with some of Ireland’s most respected food companies and to also gain a postgraduate qualification.

Not only do you get experience and a MSc in Marketing Practice, but you’ll get to work abroad aswell. The student’s time will be spent here in Ireland and in a foreign location.

All this and it’s a fully funded programme, which means that you don’t even have to pay for it. AND you get a bursary of over just over €22,000.

To apply, you need to be a graduate with a minimum of two years work experience. Some placements will require fluency in a second language (German, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian or Chinese). As a graduate of Smufit School and the marketing department specifically, I can highly recommend working with the school.

Closing date is the 23rd April which two weeks on Friday. Tell your friends, family members, your neighbours. If you or they fit the criteria, this is a programme not to be missed.

For further information and to apply please visit www.smurfitschool.ie/bordbia

John Noonan is Ireland’s top marketer

A big congratulations to John Noonan, Sales & Marketing Director of Flahavans who won Marketer of the Year last week. He’s the man behind the resurrection of one of Ireland’s most well known brands.

It is great to see that it was his marketing strategy creation and implementation that won over the judges. They said that they were particularly impressed by Mr Noonan’s strong focus on research and insight to identify customer trends and frame a very successful product development strategy to grow the business.

As a marketer, he clearly led and implemented his strategy successfully with the support of management and demonstrated that in this difficult economic climate (and against aggressive competitive challenges), marketing and effective leadership will achieve success.

I’ve always said that marketing is more than promotion and Mr Noonan certainly is one to share that view. Operating in a highly competitive  market where Flahavans competes successfully against international food giants Kelloggs, Nestle and Weetabix, he was responsible for crafting a finely tuned re-positioning of Flahavans which has resulted in market share growing to 65.3pc in the year to August 2009.

The brands profits increased by over 15pc and with a fourfold increase in turnover.

Well done to John and his team with congratulations to the other finalists.

What’s the difference between Marketing & Advertising?

While networking earlier in the week, I got the age-old comment “So you’re in marketing. I tried advertising but it didn’t work.”

I spent the next 30 minutes explaining the difference between marketing and advertising and then asking what why his advertising didn’t work.

It’s a comment that I get frequently. So I’m throwing it out there -

What do you think is the difference between marketing and advertising?

This is my understanding:

Marketing takes in the whole process of getting and keeping customers. It is at the core of every business success. It takes in promotion but also covers understanding the environment in which a company operates, the effect of competitors, pricing, product choice, consumer behaviour, political changes and the list goes on.

Advertising is just one way to promote a business to a mass audience and it’s generally paid for.

What is your understanding of it?

How do you protect your most valuable asset?

Most people, in business terms, profess their customers and staff as their most asset. While these are incredibly important to a business, another one is the information that the business holds - finances, info on customers, personnel records, emails received and sent, legal correspondence, bank details etc - the list is endless.

Yet so many people don’t think about their information as an asset.

When was the last time you backed up your data?

Well - that’s exactly what Host-it want to know. They would like to get five minutes of your time to get a more exact picture of how Irish companies - small and large alike - protect their most valuable asset by backing up their data.

Click Here to take survey

The survey is just 6 short questions and please be as honest as you can. The survey is anonymous.

However, if you’d like to win a years access to Host-it Back up Vault, then include your email address so you can be entered into a free draw. You’ll also get a copy of the results.

Go on - it’s less than 5 minutes. In fact, it will take longer to boil the kettle!

Word of the Week: Consumer

For some reason, whatever I read this week, the word ‘Consumer’ keeps popping up, generally in the context of a customer. It makes it an ideal candidate for an Achieve Marketing Word of the Week.

Meaning of the word Consumer:

Dictionary.com defines it as

• a person or thing that consumes

• Economics: a person or organisation that uses a commodity or service

• Ecology: an organism, usually an animal that feeds on plants or other animals.

According to the Collins Dictionary, it’s a noun and is defined as

• a person who buys goods or uses services

It’s origin dates back to 1375-1425 for earlier sense ‘Squanderer’.

In Marketing terms…

In marketing terms, a consumer is often used inter-changeably with the word customer.

In this context, a consumer is an individual who buys a product or service for personal consumption or use. They make the buying decision and can be influenced by advertisements and marketing.

Once they make a decision as a consumer, they become a customer.

So I guess strictly speaking, a customer is not the same as a consumer - for example, a child would be a consumer of Haribo jellys but the parent is the customer.

But not all things in marketing are so clear cut, as the parent could be influenced by the child (Pleeaase Mum!) and make the buying decision as a consumer.

As long as consumer is consuming a service rather than another human being, (in the ecology term), I think consumer and customer can be used interchangeably.

***Ends***