Norman Davies' Blog

Innovation

Innovation  

 

When I think of innovation I think of leaders who have changed the business landscape forever.
 
Henry Ford envisioned and created the modern assembly line, which drove the cost of an automobile down to the point where almost every family in America could afford one.  
 
Actually, he invented the assembly line because he concluded that he could sell a lot of cars at a price point of $500. Mass production was the result,
not the cause, of his low prices.
 
Ford emphasized this point repeatedly, but a nation of product-oriented business managers refuses to hear the great lesson he taught.
 
Ford said, "Our policy is to reduce the price, extend the operations, and improve the article. You will notice that the reduction of price comes first. We have never considered any costs as fixed. Therefore we first reduce the price to the point where we believe more sales will result.  Then we go ahead and try to make the prices. We do not bother about the costs. The new price forces the costs down.  The more usual way is to take the costs and then determine the price; and although that method may be scientific in the narrow sense, it is not scientific in the broad sense, because what earthly use is it to know the cost if it tells you that you cannot manufacture at a price at which the article can be sold? But more to the point is the fact, that although one may calculate what a cost is, and of course all of our costs are carefully calculated, no one knows what a cost ought to be.  One of the ways of discovering...is to name a price so low as to force everybody in the place to the highest point of efficiency. The low price makes everybody dig for profits.  We make more discoveries concerning manufacturing and selling under this forced method than by any other method of leisurely investigation."
 
As Ford stated sometimes we don't know what we are capable of until we force ourselves to try.
 
For you and your business, it may not necessarily be about price.  Perhaps it is about service. Decide to stretch your business goals and make a commitment to get there.
 
Be better at something than anyone else. Deliver faster! Make it cheaper!  Improve quality! Devise new features!
 
Force your business to be better!

How to sell when nobody is buying?

How to sell when nobody is buying?

 

 

The fact is that sometimes sales are just very slow. 

 

My experience is that this is often the case when change happens.  Elections, bad economic news, natural or man-made disasters, large sporting events or anything that generally distracts people.
 
Eventually everything returns to normal but in the meanwhile selling can be tough.
 
So what to do?
 
Work harder!
 
Pull out all of the stops and put as much energy as possible into your sales effort.
 
Think differently!
 
Think outside of the box and look at every aspect of what you offer. Can you offer free delivery? More frequent delivery? Longer hours? Faster turn-around times? Better payment terms? Do you accept every possible credit card?  On-line sales? Warehouse sales? Drop your minimum order? Host a BBQ? Open House? Paint the front of your building
bright red?
 
There are probably one hundred things you can do quickly.  Do every single one
of them!
 
Think creatively and you will shake people loose from where their minds are at and back to the normal business of living!

What business are you really in?

What business

are you really in?

 

 

Chances are you are wrong! 

 

I recently needed to get my windshield replaced on my vehicle. While I was driving, I noticed a large chip and crack and thought I should get it checked out. I saw a sign for Anvil Glass and noticed that they were an ICBC Express shop and thought they could probably do a good job.  Dave the manager seemed pleasant enough.  He took my information and I booked an appointment. When I brought my car in on the appointed day Dave was not there.  Dave was on holidays and one of the installers was there in his place. I was not impressed with this person but left my car anyway.  

 

When I picked up my car later in the day I was not pleased.  The new windshield had been installed but the installers had damaged the trim around the window, the window did not sit flush and the window had a strange haze all over the glass. In addition, the car was dirty - they had not felt the need to clean up the mess they had made.

 

When I complained the installer denied causing the damage and told me that their job was only to install the glass, which they had done. They were extremely rude and when I further complained they told me to leave.

 

Of course I spoke to management who said they would correct the problem.  They also suggested that they had never received a complaint before and so they did not feel they had a problem with service. Ha!

 

The problem with Anvil Glass is that they believe that they are in the glass replacement business.  They are not!  They are in the customer service business.  I did not go to Anvil Glass to get my glass replaced.  I went to Anvil glass to feel better about my car. Unfortunately, Anvil's approach to business did not make me feel better about my car - their approach made me feel significantly worse!

 

Many companies miss this important point and it can hold them back or even put them out of business over time.  

 

Does it matter to Anvil's business whether I am happy or not?  It depends on whether I represent its core target market.  If its core market is fleet managers then how they deal with the occasional retail customer may not matter too much.  If, however, Anvil depends on keeping the retail customer happy then they are in serious trouble.

 

The problem with many businesses is that they focus on the function not on the result.  The classic joke about the doctor who said, "The operation was a great success, but unfortunately the patient died" illustrates this point perfectly.  

 

Let's imagine we are printers.  If we print something perfectly but there is a BIG spelling mistake in the middle (that was not our responsibility) is that our fault?  Well, technically, no but I can guarantee the customer will not be happy if they are forced to pay the full cost.  We might get paid for that job but not focusing on what is important to the customer (a perfectly printed job) will hurt our business.  

 

Starbuck's understood this concept. People didn't want better coffee; they wanted a better coffee experience.  Starbuck's sells coffee but they are in the experience business.   

 

A wholesale distribution business inventories and ships product.  What people buy is convenience, service, and often, most importantly, credit. Retailers will often deal with unreliable distributors because of generous credit terms. The average retail shop may have $100,000 or more of inventory, at cost, which suppliers have given them thirty to ninety days in which to pay. Many distributors are really providing a banking service by financing clients’ inventories.

 
What business are you in?

 

You are in the business of providing your customers with the feelings they are seeking from their purchase decision. When I purchased a new windshield for my car I was not buying a new windshield. I was buying a continued and renewed good feeling about my car - I was buying pride. Anvil Glass doesn't understand this important difference.  Why would someone spend more on a vehicle than is required for basic transportation? Pride of ownership!

What are your customers looking for?  Identify that and you will understand how to sell and more importantly how to please your customers.
 
Back to the example of running a successful print shop, perhaps you could employ the services of a professional proofreader to check all of your clients' jobs - at your expense?

 

Don't supply a product or service - answer
the real need and you will thrive!
 
Understanding your own business will also allow you to grow through any change because you will not be focused on producing a specific product or service but on keeping a group of customers satisfied. 
 
Wrigley's started offering chewing gum as a free incentive to entice customers to purchase their brand of soap. The gum provided was more popular than the soap and so they decided to move into the chewing gum business!  Wrigley's focused on satisfying customers and, as a result, built a dynasty!

Think about it!

It's all about you!

It's all about you!

 

Or? 

 

 

Years ago when I had just finished university, I attended a Theatre Under The Stars production in Stanley Park.  I was with my friend and we were enjoying the great summer evening and looking forward to watching some fun theatre.  While waiting for the show to begin I caught the eye of a beautiful young woman sitting a few rows in front of me.  She was sitting with an older woman who I later learned was her grandmother. The young woman was simply incredible and during the break, I made my way toward her and introduced myself and asked if maybe we could go out sometime.  She gave me her phone number and the very next day I gave her a call. She was still in university and working downtown for the summer and we arranged to meet for lunch. The day we met was a wonderful warm day and we got some take-away and sat in a downtown park to eat and get to know each other. 

I was so nervous and so intent on impressing her I pulled out all the stops. I wore my best suit and spent the entire hour telling her about all of my accomplishments and achievements and basically outlining what a great person I was!

 

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I did'nt get a second date. I made the first one about me! Not really a fun experience for her, I'm sure.

 

The strange part is that in my mind it was not all about me. I wasn't talking about me because I was so into myself or because I was so conceited but rather because I was really into her. 

 

If she had known how much I liked her, I am positive we would have had a second date and we would be living in Kerrisdale with three children today! Well, maybe not.

 

The amazing thing is that this is the same mistake that many salespeople and businesses make everyday.

 

They want business, but instead of listening to the prospect, they talk and talk and talk about themselves. In the end, the prospect feels that they are not understood and that their business is not important.

 

The answer?

 

Make it all about them!

 

It does not matter whether you are talking to your customers, your employees, your children or any group or individual. If you make it about them, your success

rate with rise.

 

I don't mean by this that you should talk about them but rather that you should focus on them. 

 

Everyone feels better when

they've got attention.

 

I worked with a man named Dave Hewitt for many years at Crayola.  Staff, customers and suppliers all admired Dave. The reason was not that he was a softie, but rather because he gave everyone one hundred percent of his attention. 

 

I remember one particular

meeting with Dave that exemplified this. I wanted an hour or so of his time to propose a detailed plan of mine and hoped to get his approval on it.

 

Instead I got five minutes

and a no!

 

How did I feel?

 

I felt great!

 

Dave gave me five minutes of his time in which he listened to me attentively - more attentively than anyone else ever has - and he confirmed that he understood my situation.  He then went on to explain why the answer would

be no.  

 

He then left me, with the entire conversation taking no longer

than five minutes. Instead of

being upset I felt better about myself, the organization and the relationship that my company had with Crayola.  

 

Dave made it completely about me!

 

Do this with your employees, your suppliers and your customers and your business will go more smoothly.

 

People will like you more and will want to spend more time around you.  Employees and customers will become more loyal and suppliers will give you priority.

 

How to achieve this skill?

 

It requires focus.  Dave Hewitt had been a US Navy Seal and I am sure that was the source of his focus. The most important thing is to realize that others are equally as important as you and their concerns deserve our focus and attention.

 

Focus on others and you will bring the spotlight onto yourself!

 

Sales tricks

Sales Tricks

 

 

I have a friend who could always amaze people with his math.  You could give him any two numbers (of any size) and ask him to multiply them in his head and he would provide the answer in seconds - and always the correct answer! 

 

Everyone thought him a genius but he confided in me that it was just a math trick, like the 11 Times Trick.

We all know the trick when multiplying by ten - add 0 to the end of the number, but did you know there is an equally easy trick for multiplying a two digit number by 11? This is it:

Take the original number and imagine a space between the two digits (in this example we will use 52:

5_2

Now add the two numbers together and put them in the middle:

5_(5+2)_2

That is it - you have the answer: 572.

If the numbers in the middle add up to a 2 digit number, just insert the second number and add 1 to the first:

9_(9+9)_9

(9+1)_8_9

10_8_9

1089 - It works every time.

Every skill and every industry has its tricks.

 

Think about your successes and you will learn to understand what your tricks are.  Consider the little things that make a big difference.

 

Watch others and study their success to garner their tricks - the things that they do differently to others.

 

With a little bit of effort you can put together an entire tool chest of little tricks that make a difference.

 

I knew a salesperson from Australia who always started a sales call the same way.  He would pull out a hardcover notebook and would ask the buyer:

 

"I want to make certain that I get every detail of our conversation today correct, I don't want to miss anything that is important to you and so I am just going to take some notes as we speak, is that okay?"

 

This was one of his routines and it gave the buyer assurance that he was focused, interested and that the time together was important.  Now there is a trick.

 

I have learned that hand written thank-you notes grab the attention of buyers and so often send them a note following a meeting.

 

I carefully hand write the note and the envelope and use a special addition collector's postage stamp, not just a generic business stamp.  It gets noticed and I get remembered.

 

I send a lot of Christmas cards and most years I arrange to have them

mailed from somewhere different in the world.  An unusual postage stamp from China, Korea or Russia gets noticed and my card gets

me remembered.

 

These are just a couple of sales tricks.  There are hundreds.  Use these tricks to be remembered and to get better results and like my friend with the math tricks, people may call you a

sales genius.

 

The customer service dilemma

The customer service dilemma  

 

 

 

I think we would all agree that customer service is important to the support of a winning sales program. After all, happy customers are likely to feel better about our company and are more likely to continue to do business with us and recommend us to friends and associates. Superior customer service is the backbone to a solid referral program.

 

So why are customer service surveys increasingly showing a general decline in customer satisfaction?

 

We all experience this in our own lives.  We see an advertisement or a television commercial that highlights that a particular company as being 'customer-centered', only to find that once we begin the business relationship and have a problem, the company doesn't seem to care less.

 

In some cases this is the result of cultural issues with the company - the external message has no connection with the reality. Often, however, it is more a problem of management developing a positioning statement - high-level customer service - but not providing their staff with the training or resources to support the position.

 

It is a strange reality that everyone sells on price but in fact almost nobody buys on price.

 

Sure, there are cases when we hold our noses to deal with a vendor we dislike to get a great deal but that is the exception.

 

The city of Vancouver is filled with thriving retailers and businesses that do not sell on price.

 

Holt Renfrew

 

Meinhardts

 

Urban Fair

 

Pottery Barn

 

Restoration Hardware

 

The list goes on and on! Discount is not what drives success, it's service! When we feel a company understand our needs, we become loyal to it.

 

Businesses that don't understand customer service must constantly be fighting to gain new customers to replace the stream of dissatisfied customers that leave everyday - and that's hard work!

 

 

 

Quality customer service is not an easy thing to achieve. It is a process that takes an enormous amount of work to instill and constant investment to maintain.

 

Customer service is not easy and those doing the work need to be trained to provide the correct level of customer service.

 

For most customers, there is a level of service that is expected from your business. In today's competitive market place, businesses that exceed the expected level of service build a roster of loyal customers. Market research has proven that loyal customers or repeat customers represent 80% of our business. Put another way, loyalty equals growth and profitability for your business. Also, customers whose problems are resolved to their satisfaction are significantly more loyal than those never experiencing a problem in the first place.

 

Many businesses work towards reducing or eliminating customer service complaints. As a growing and prosperous business, you should welcome this kind of information! It is from such feedback that you can focus your time and resources on rebuilding the customer relationship.

 

Why don't more dissatisfied customers complain?

Firstly, it is psychologically hard to complain. Secondly, customers often don't know how to complain or can't find a venue to give feedback. Most businesses do not proactively encourage complaining and actually conspire to make it difficult to complain.

It is important for complaining customers to talk to the business owner, not others. Talking gives the business owner the chance to return the customer to a state of satisfaction so they will be more likely to visit the business again and make important purchases.

Businesses that offer a rational explanation and demonstrate sensitivity and concern, will find the complaining customer responds accordingly.

How can complaints/feedback be encouraged?
 
Promote organizational "caring and empathy".

 

Let the customer know you want to hear from them, make it clear that you want honest feedback, and show them you can deal with feedback.
 
Access is always an important component of quality service. The customer must perceive easy and welcome access.
 
Provide and market alternative complaint channels, for example, comment cards, e-mail, and telephone.

Help managers and staff encourage complaints. This includes providing them education on observation, active listening and problem solving.
 
Enable and encourage front line staff to solve problems. They are there to protect the business from angry customers.

 

Make it worth the customer's time to complain - resolve the complaint and notify the customer of the action taken.

Eighty-two to ninety-five percent of customers will come back if their complaint is resolved satisfactorily, and they will tell on average five other people. This is an important factor when you consider that it costs five times as much to get a new customer than maintain an existing customer. Welcoming and addressing complaints, therefore, represent another common sense approach to building your customer base and loyalty. 

Customer loyalty is all about relationship building. Your business cannot be all things to all people, so focus on a niche of people that you know will consistently come to you with their needs. 

A good relationship with your loyal customers involves knowing as much as you can about them. Businesses should never make assumptions regarding customer needs and expectations. Delivering exceptional customer service is an evolving process, a journey that involves re-inventing your product or service on a continual basis in order to continually 'wow' your customers.

Common Principles in Delivering Exceptional Customer Service:

Build a customer focused business and sales will follow.

Understand customer needs and exceed their expectations.

Build a loyal customer base - a wise business investment.

Welcome customer complaints and resolve them with integrity and efficiency.

Consistently study your customer and evaluate your service.

 

What does your price mean?

What does your price mean? 

 

 

The high cost of low prices.

Low prices can kill businesses! But everyday companies use price slashing as their first defense to capture or maintain business.

 

The reality of business is that discounters do not survive! Wal-Mart has been a huge success but the low price strategy almost always fails.

 

If your customer comes for price, they will leave for price and that is the customer that you do not want.

 

There are tremendous costs associated with gaining new business and the relationships must last in order for that business to be profitable.

 

For household supplies such as toilet paper and laundry detergent, I shop at three stores local to me - IGA, London Drugs and Shoppers Drug Mart. When Shoppers has Tide on sale I buy it there.  When IGA has Charmin toilet paper on sale for half price I buy it there.  For these items I have zero loyalty.  Now, the businesses may consider these items to be lost leaders to get me in the store, but that does not really work because all three stores are within four blocks of my home and I shop at all three regularly for the items at the lowest price.

 

Price does not buy loyalty.

 

Now Fletcher's Dry Cleaners, which is also within the same four block radius of my home is probably the most expensive dry cleaner in the city.  Fletcher's is also the best dry cleaner in the city. Because I buy quality clothing that lasts I see the value in taking care of those clothes and would not look to go cheap on cleaning them I have loyally used Fletcher's for more than twenty-years.

 

I see the value in dry cleaning!

 

If you are chasing customers who do not see the value in your business but only buy from the lowest priced supplier then that is not a good long-term client. 

 

Unless you have a particular price advantage that your competitor does not have, price should not be part of the selling strategy you use.

 

Use a formula to determine pricing that covers all of your costs of doing business and provides a reasonable return to the business owner. That is where your pricing should be. It is every businesses' responsibility to maximize profit. Price should be the last thing to move.

 

Of course it is also every businesses responsibility to become as efficient as possible and make every effort to lower the costs of providing the products and services at a level which, is acceptable to its clients and will maintain the company's position in the marketplace. It is not, however, the responsibility of business to pass on savings. In the case of public companies, it is the legal responsibility of the management to maximize the return on investment to the shareholders. Many business owners in smaller companies forget this, often paying employees better than themselves and cutting pricing when it's not necessary.

 

The goal of business should not be to be the biggest, but rather to be the most profitable.  Often ego gets in the way of prudence in this area.

 

Pricing is a delicate balance and must be looked at very carefully.  Once prices are dropped, it is very difficult to get them back up. Lower price strategies do work in the short term but in the long term these strategies weaken a business.

 

The better approach is to find and target customers who like you and value what your business has to offer. These customers are not as price sensitive and these relationships will provide you the margin to deepen service levels and improve the quality of your products and services.  These are actions that build long-term value in a business and in a brand.

 

The first step is to understand what your products and services are truly worth and then to take steps to communicate that value first to your sales team and then to your customers.

 

There is a businessman with whom I have traveled with on a number of occasions. During overseas trips we were both in a position to choose where we stayed, where we ate and how we traveled.  I preferred to fly business class and stay in four-star hotels and eat in modest restaurants. He liked to stay in the cheapest hotel he could find, travel economy, walk ten miles instead of pay for a taxi but could easily drop five hundred dollars on a dinner for two. 

We all choose how we spend our money and for each of us, different things matter.

The key is to realize that not every prospect should be your customer but rather that you should seek out the customers whose values match those of your business.  This is a recipe for happy customers and a profitable business. 

Build it and they will come!

Build it and they will come! 

 

 

These immortal words are from the movie Field of Dreams where novice farmer Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Cosner)  becomes convinced by a mysterious voice that he is supposed to construct a baseball diamond in his corn field. The film's underlying themes are the fulfillment of dreams, and how people can overcome any regrets they may have about the life choices they make.  A great movie!

If only life was Hollywood!

It amazes me that many businesses act just as if life were Hollywood.  New businesses open after making huge investments in building and equipment, but budget nothing for marketing.  Weeks after opening, managers struggle with the lack of business and try to find a few dollars for marketing.  The lack of an initial marketing budget can handicap a business for years.

 

Most businesses give little attention or funding to ongoing marketing efforts.  They attend a trade show here, they print a brochure there or they invest in a website that is tied to nothing else in the business.

 

Sales and marketing needs to be treated like any other other part of your business. It needs a fixed budget (percentage of sales) and it needs constant attention to be sure that the profile of your business is constantly being managed. 

 

Sales and marketing efforts take time to materialize and money and effort spent is not usually rewarded immediately.  

 

It takes time and it needs a plan. 

 

Without a plan it is unlikely that you will organize your efforts in a way that they can be leveraged against each other to gain the greatest results. 

 

A well thought out marketing plan takes a lot of time and work to prepare and should encompass all aspects of your business.  It should review and evaluate all potential sales and marketing strategies and should layout action plans for the best possible strategies. The plans needs to have a budget, forecasts and need to be measured and reviewed.

 

Without time, you may waste your money. Many business take the build it and they will come approach.  They put together their business and simply plan a grand opening event and wait for business to walk in the door. Even if your business is located in a high traffic shopping mall you will need to do more than this.

 

A sales and marketing plan should not be started when your business is ready to open. The planning should run concurrent with the planning for the rest of the business.  The first questions you should be asking is who will want what we will sell and how will we reach those prospects?  These questions and more need to be asked at the same time that you are that you are looking at building space, equipment and inventory.

 

Imagine deciding to get married.  You pick the girl, the church, the reception location, the honeymoon and book and pay for everything and then go ask the girl (who doesn't know you from Adam) to marry you? Of course you wouldn't do this.  You wouldn't because that would be absurd!  Right?

 

Then why do business people do exactly the same thing everyday?  They take the bride for granted - of course she will want me! Well, maybe the bride has different plans.  Maybe your prospects have different plans!

 

Have you ever walked into a new business in your neighbourhood and asked how long ago they opened only to be told 'ten years ago'?  Getting the attention of buyers takes time and it takes consistent effort. People do not pay attention to everything put in front of them and even if they notice you and are interested in doing business with you they may not be in a position to do business with you for months or even years. The sooner you start the process the better chance you have of succeeding.

 

We all tend to remember things that happened a few minutes ago but longer term memory is generally reserved for important matters. We need to be regularly and consistently in front of our prospects.

 

Marketing must start early and it must be consistent.  We need to be aware of buying cycles and realize that often our sales efforts will not pay off for three to six months later.  How many new businesses can wait that long?  We also need to be continually feeding the cycle. If you stop the sales and marketing activity for one month then you are likely to feel the pain with a very quiet month down the road.

 

Never take business for granted especially in the modern world with so many distractions and so many players chasing every available dollar.

 

More then one hundred years ago Kellogg's built a dynasty by outspending all of its competition to get the attention of the buyer.  It used innovative techniques and continued to spend aggressively, even now.

 

In the early part of the last century Kellogg's invented Corn Flakes but the market was quickly swamped by competitors. It survived and prospered by overwhelming its competitors with advertising and promotion. In 1912 the company spent one millions dollars on advertising and in some years spent as much as fifty-percent of its' revenue from sales on advertising and marketing.

 

Imagine what would happen to your business if you were to spend fifty percent of your revenue on marketing?

 

You don't need to spend a ton of money to get results but you do have to invest the time necessary to get noticed and stay remembered.  The process can never start too early! 

Your Brand Be Remembered!

Your brand

Be Remembered! 

 

 

Heinz Ketchup

Considered by many to be the best condiment to ever grace a simple food with its sweet, tangy, and ever so tomato-y flavour. It has historically been America's most used condiment and is estimated to be found in 97% of all American kitchens, a status equalled only by Salt, Pepper and Sugar!

 

Since 1873 Heinz Ketchup has dominated. That domination has created a company that is now worth nineteen billion dollars!  

 

I cannot imagine buying any other brand of ketchup other than Heinz. I like the flavour, I trust the quality, I know exactly what to expect when I dip a French fry into it before devouring.  

 

I have similar feeling when I open a can of Coca-Cola, enjoy a Campari and Soda, walk into the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong or watch Oprah.  I know what to expect.  The quality and the experience is a given.  There is not risk in the purchase or the experience.

 

There is no fear!

  

That is the value of a brand!

 

That is the value of a brand and that is why every business and every individual needs to build their brand.

 

Build Your company's brand

 

Everyday I see businesses large and small that work hard to sell their products and services but do little to build their brand and their long term position in the marketplace.  All markets are competitive but what happens when companies put all of their energy into getting business today, this week, this month but do not work on their long term value? They commoditize themselves.

 

The worst thing that can happen for a company is to become a commodity.  Once a company is seen as a no-name brand amongst peers, the ability to choose its' own path is severely diminished.  Market forces take over and the buyers of your product will determine your price and your selling terms.  The value of your business becomes nothing.

 

Building a brand is done in a thousand different ways.  Investing in professional packaging, professional sales tools, relationships with consumers and resellers, a unique representation and a strong public statement are only a few of the steps to building a brand.

 

Every action that invests in your brand will make the sales process easier.  Strong brands have acceptance and power.  Can a major grocery chain dump Heinz Ketchup in favour of a house brand with stronger margins? Absolutely not!  Their customers would not permit that to happen!

 

That is the power of the brand and the same power is available to your business, probably to a lesser degree than Heinz, but efforts  put into building your brand will also strengthen your market position, your ability to sell, and your ability to keep your position when others chop prices.

 

Binney & Smith, the makers of Crayola were a client of mine for fourteen years. They are the highest cost manufacturer of Crayons in the world.  Every wax Crayon they produce is made in their factory in Easton, Pennsylvania. They have dominated their markets and fought off lower priced brands because of their brand position and their dedication to investing in that brand.

 

The tools do not have to cost a lot of money.  YouTube, news releases, Linkedin, facebook - have all been used to put Obama on the map - why not your brand too?

 

Build your personal brand 

 

Brands are not just for companies with products, brands are for people too!  Building your own brand means investing in yourself and investing the time and effort it takes to have a public reputation within your industry.

 

Is it worth while?  You bet it is!  Establishing your brand whether you are a one person accounting business or a salesperson or engineer working for a large company, can make a tremendous difference in your career.  Building your brand means that when the factory closes your phone rings.  People in your industry will be watching you and looking for an opportunity to offer you a role in their businesses. 

 

Is it easy?  No!  Does it happen overnight? No!  But it does happen!  A year or two of networking and promoting yourself and your expertise and you will start to see the difference in your career.  You will move from trying to get an appointment to being invited into the inner office.  Things will happen for you!

 

Again, it is not easy but start with joining Linkedin and connecting with everyone you know.  Join groups on linkedin and within your own industry. Volunteer for something, join Toastmasters and develop the skills to give a speech. Be passionate about what you do and people will be attracted to your energy and enthusiasm!

 

The building never ends! 

 

Crayola and Heinz have both been around for more than one hundred years, but they never stop building their brand. It is a constant daily effort that brings enormous long term rewards!

What is your story?

What is your story?

 

 

I was on a plane to Toronto some years ago ready to enjoy a book and get some of work done.  I was not a big one for chatting to strangers, as in my experience most airplane conversations have not been too interesting.  My experience on this flight was to change that perception forever.

 

The woman sitting next to me was a professional looking woman in her fifties and we exchanged pleasantries which, of course included our work. I soon learned that she had worked as a nurse on a cancer ward, going on to work for a cancer agency, and then began a great conversation. 

 

During our chat, we touched on the subject of euthanasia and she told me something amazing.  She said that when a cancer patient was near death, but the body was still clinging to life, occasionally the doctor would request a massage for the patient.  You see, an aggressive massage by two nurses would create enough stimulation that within an hour or so the patient would pass away.

 

What a story! I have remembered that story and that woman ever since. If she had not told me that story she would have passed in my memory.

 

What I also have learned over the years is that everyone and every organization have a story. I have a friend named Ross who is a quiet unassuming accountant. Some people might dismiss Ross, assuming he lives the life of a boring bean counter.  But Ross has a story - many actually. He is a true adventurer who has scaled ice cliffs in Antarctica and competed in the Paris-Brest-Paris cycling challenge an arduous 1200 km ride! And that is just the beginning of his amazing adventures!

 

Stories are a powerful method to connect with others. Many businesses use their web page to tell the history of their company but most just tell the cold facts. Facts are boring and easily forgotten but stories are remembered and, if well crafted, easily retold. 

 

From a sales perspective stories are positive and memorable and very difficult to sell against. I have made sales presentations where buyers have recounted my competitor's story, and there is little that I can say in response. Great stories become industry legends and go a long way to boosting a company or individual's profile and reputation.

 

Everyone has heard the story of how Post-It notes were invented.  The researcher was trying to make a permanent adhesive but failed and Post-it notes were born. That's memorable.

 

Stories are a hugely efficient way of constructing meaning, creating relationships and defining purpose. It is no coincidence that jokes, parables and fairy-tales tend to have the same deep structures and that these structures have a perennial power to fascinate. To get your ‘story’ across, there is no better way than by telling a story.

 

Any organization will be full of stories – some official, some unofficial, some positive and some negative. A company’s annual report is an attempt to tell the story of its financial year in a transparent and accountable manner. Its press releases, Intranet and notice boards and many other forms of communication all contribute to the corporate story. But the most important feature of a corporate story is that it is likely to be remembered – even long after the key names, facts and figures have been forgotten. The stories of an organization’s past successes and failures can continue for decades to shape its future.

 

What types of corporate stories exist? There are a number of broad categories of story, which are of special significance in a corporate context. These include:

 

Myths of origin – The stories about how an organization came into being, its founding fathers, its principles, its first struggles and triumphs. Many of the values of an organization will be derived – consciously or unconsciously – from these myths of origin.

 

Corporate prophecies – The predictions made about an organization’s future, which often reference stories from the past or stories about other organizations. 

 

War stories – The stories told about the heroes of an organization, past and present. These characteristically feature individuals confronting a dilemma. How they resolve that dilemma provides a pattern for the rest of the organization. War stories are frequently referenced during times of crisis to help people establish priorities and make decisions. They are also often used when inducting new recruits.

 

Amazing characters and events - The stories that tell of powerful or interesting individuals.  Stories of events, which highlight the staying power of the organizations through difficult times.

  

What was the dream the founder had? Who did he enlist to help the dream come true? How did he recruit the others? What did they do? What did they sacrifice to get where they ended up? What did they discover? What surprised them? What caused them to stumble, and what inspired them to try again? Were there any humorous or ironic moments? Did something serendipitous or unusual happen? Who else had tried something similar, and failed? Why did they fail? Why did the founders think they would succeed? Why is the company's product so important to customers? Which customers have had success with the product, and what are their interesting stories?

 

Memorable brands don't just happen. Someone does something to make them memorable. Someone gives the story life, and human interest.

  

The best stories contain little vignettes that give life to the facts, and paint a picture of human dedication, creativity, resourcefulness, bravery, and compassion.

 

Write your stories down and share them with your team. As a sales person, I have always looked for the stories that could help make my product more memorable. Stories are a powerful tool.

 

Breathe life into your story. The more life you give your story, the more your story will spread.

 

 

Think about it!