Defining Personal Branding

Personal branding is a hot Internet buzz word. It has been for the last couple of years. To some personal branding means choosing one's own cereal. To others it means applying a hot iron to your favorite head of cattle. And to others it has something to do with marketing one's self...or something like that.

If you were in the personal branding business, do you think that a single, accessible definition of personal branding might be helpful to potential clients? Sure you would! A group of folks in that business thought it might also, so they got together and created this definition:

Personal branding describes the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility, advance their careers, and build self-confidence.

The method in which our group of personal branding experts defined personal branding is fascinating. You're probably familiar with it. They used a Wiki. You've no doubt used a Wiki yourself... as in Wikipedia.org?

Did you ever want to work on a project with people who are scattered about the country, the world? Maybe you're in a business mix group and you'd like to put your collective brains together and come up with a social media policy for your coworkers. Create and use a Wiki. The cool thing about using one is it could be accessible to more folks at your company. This way they can interact with the workers at the other companies and get stuff done.

Here is the Wiki that our experts are using (it can be an ongoing process) to define personal branding.

Interested in starting your own Wiki? Go here.

Photo credit, Yodel Anecdotal

Thriving in Today's Workplace

Kirsten Olson wrote an article last year titled New Learners for the New Economy. She tells college students and those who recently graduated, what habits and attitudes are crucial for thriving in the workplace.

Kirsten's essay is so relevant, that not only does it pertain to students, it pertains to business owners, managers and coworkers. And, if you substitute a few nouns, it pertains to Australian aborigines. Really. It's that relevant.

Kirsten asks her readers, "What learning attributes do employers seek in the flatter, fragmented, and constantly changing workplace?"

Most of us employers are so busy trying to run our businesses, we don't give much thought to what sort of learning attributes we should be seeking in prospective coworkers. Fortunately for us Kirsten did. She calls them habitudes (habits plus attitudes). Check them out:

New learners for the new economy...

1. Are highly adaptive.
2. Ask great questions.
3. Are curious about everything.
4. Have a broad knowledge base that they are always expanding.
5. Are good at seeing patterns.
6. Are team players who share what they know willingly and generously.
7. Are a glass-half-full resource managers.
8. Understand that every contact matters.
9. Know that hierarchy doesn't matter.
10. Are choiceful about how they socialize.
11. Own mistakes and are error alchemists.
12. See learning as a pleasure.

Kirsten expands on these habitudes in her article.
Kirsten Olson bio.
Wounded by School, Kirsten's book.

Wounded by School is an eye-opening journey into the world of the American school system today. A system that is inept in producing the attributes critical for today's business community and one that was around when Abraham Lincoln presided over our country. The book also offers ways to combat the wounds inflicted by school.

The Technician

Chances are you are a service contractor owner or employee. It could be an electrical contractor or solar energy or plumbing or HVAC. It doesn't matter. You or your people enter a home or place of business and repair, replace, maintain or install whatever it is that's your specialty. You try to make a difference for your customer.

Keep that thought in mind as you watch this short film. Notice how technician Simon Oliver Fecteau tries to make a difference for his customer. Maybe it's just me, but I do believe Simon is raising the bar for us all...

Keeping Cool Under the Heat

My latest article on CB Hotmail...

The series of heat waves sweeping across the country this summer have been a welcome source of business activity for HVAC contractors reeling from successive regulatory blows, mild summers, and the nation’s economic malaise. Yet, the heat not only stresses compressors, it stresses customers, employees, and company owners. Losing your cool under the summer’s stress rarely works well for anyone but is especially detrimental if you’re the boss (i.e., the role model in your company). Here’s 11 ways to keep cool under the heat.

Read more at Contracting Business.

Why Executives HATE Social Media (from DemingHill)

Note:  This excellent white paper on executive resistance to social media and why executives should reconsider is getting a lot of play online.  While it was written for large company executives, it is equally applicable to small business owners.  If you're unsure about social media and consider it a waste of time, it might be worth a small investment of time to read this white paper.

Source:  http://www.deminghill.com/blog

Reprinted With Permission

I’m an executive and I HATE social media.  There, I said it.  It’s finally “out there.”  But before you Twitter a flaming flash mob link to assemble pitchfork-wielding Second Life villagers outside my door, I urge you to take a deep breath, put down your double frappuccino, remove your earpiece, step away from your iPad, and set your iPhasers to stun, for I come in peace.  If you’ve ever wondered why your CEO ALSO hates social media, social networking and, well, socializing in general, I urge you to continue reading.  Just as Fox TV’s Masked Magician series demystified the tricks of the world’s most famous illusionists, I offer the following as both a behind-the-scenes peak and a confessional of sorts, into the mind of the executive.  For to truly understand the conflicting yet predictable stonewalling in this domain, one must search deep below the surface, plumbing the depths of the executive psyche, motivations, and worldviews, for only then will you be able to “crack the code,” engage us in our native tongue and communicate in a vocabulary and language to which we will respond.  Consider this your own personal backstage pass to the inner sanctum of the Executive Suite.

Executive: More Perception Than Position

For starters, the term “executive” isn’t a title as much as it is a mindset or a set of attributes – often leading to career success and the achievement of such rank – but what might surprise most is that this ambition and executive mentality often begins to manifest itself early in life.  For example, while most were partying and hanging out in high school, we were already taking college-level classes while holding down several part time jobs.  And when most were “finding themselves” in college and still deciding on a major after three years, we were serving in student leadership, doing internships, or doubling up on classes to finish college a semester early.  And when most were finally in the workforce, instead of clubbing and playing in multiple softball leagues, we were completing an advanced degree in night school, pursuing professional certifications, and framing out retirement plans.

Executives are high achievers – that’s just how we’re wired.  Give me a mountain and I’ll climb it.  And if you don’t have a mountain, I’ll find my own mountain and I’ll climb it.  And if I can’t find a mountain, I’ll build one – just so I can climb it. But here’s what most people don’t get about executives. Once a CEO climbs a mountain, he doesn’t feel the need to Tweet to the world that he did it.  He doesn’t have the natural desire to blog, “Look what a great climber I am” and include multiple pictures with links to his Facebook and LinkedIn account.  He did it because it’s in his DNA.  He doesn’t require the attention, approval, or applause of others, and therein lies the fundamental source of the problem – executives are non-narcissistic in a YouTube world.  We’re outliers.  In a society that brags, blogs, and Tweets about the tiniest personal minutia, we could care less because, frankly, we expect success, it’s normal to us.  It’s like Vince Lombardi’s admonition to his running back after an overly exuberant display, “Next time you make a touchdown, act like you’ve been there before.”

Eagles Don’t Flock

Executives are “eagles,” and unlike seagulls, eagles don’t flock. We’re not joiners and we’re not groupies, which is why we overwhelmingly prefer challenging single-person sports like running, cycling, weightlifting, and our one concession to “group sports” – golf (which is still technically a single-person sport, but more fun in groups).  Lance Armstrong didn’t win his titles without leaving the peloton, and ditto for greats like Sampras, Tiger, and Arnold.  They had to go above and beyond the group to achieve greatness, and for this reason it truly IS lonely at the top (not that we mind).

Social Networking: The Problem is “Networking”

The reason we hate social networking is the same reason we hate REGULAR networking.  Exchanging small talk for 2 hours in a room full of strangers, with a drink in one hand and a business card in the other, and a “Hi, I’m Doug” nametag peeling off my lapel, and standing – my goodness the standing – and looking unsuccessfully for ANY food with some protein in it, and wondering if this guy with the too-firm handshake is going to see if we can “LinkIn” after sharing an elevator ride, before glancing at my watch and counting the minutes until I can leave and get back to work.  It’s a nightmare.  Why?  Because – surprise, surprise – most executives are actually introverts, who value their time and their privacy and are constantly evaluating the ROI tradeoffs of every hour of every day.  (Quiz:  How many times have you heard a CEO describe himself as a “People Person”?)

To say that we are ANTI-social would be a huge misrepresentation, but when you combine the word “social” with “networking” – let’s just say it sends shivers up my spine.  Do I like the company of others?  Sure I do – but I want the time to be well spent.  Instead of random, shallow, unfocused SMALL talk, CEO’s would much rather sit around with a small group of peers for 2 hours and discuss BIG specific challenges – and their solutions.  In fact, the reason so much business gets done on the golf course is because it’s one of the few places leaders actually congregate and feel relaxed enough to discuss what’s really on their minds.

Social Networking: The Problem is “Social”

The next hurdle for executives with social networking are the implications of the root word “Social”, and, by its very spelling, its association to Socialism. Socialism is defined as, “Any system of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively,” and further, “An economic and political theory based on public ownership or common ownership and cooperative management of the means of production and allocation of resources.”  (At least that’s what someone wrote on Wikipedia). The premise and value of the “social media” movement is the power of the collective in the production, distribution, and ownership of goods, and the reason executives resist this model is that it flies in the face of their existing worldview which, quite frankly, has been pretty successful to date.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? Most of us have a pretty big chip on our shoulders, attributing our career success to the years of diligence, education, ambition, delayed gratification and sacrifices we’ve made to reach the leadership levels we’ve achieved.  Therefore, the anti-capitalistic notion that my work and contributions would be homogenized with the uninspired masses, and that ultimately my value would be determined by the randomness of the collective is a jarring and unpalatable departure.  I want to control my company!  I want to control my brand! I want to determine my destiny!  It’s too important to leave it to chance (or simply be outvoted by the uninformed bourgeois)!  Unfortunately and tragically for us executives, the beauty and power of social media is only fully unleashed when we LET IT GO, and that, my friends, is the hardest thing for us to do (…and also explains why we hate checking luggage at the airport).

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts

Okay, I promised that this would be a confessional, so here’s a shocker.  Over time, there is a tendency for CEO’s to get inflated EGO’s.  Now granted, a healthy ego can serve as a necessary defense mechanism to provide protection from the relentless attacks from subordinates, peers, and the media, but too much amounts to just plain pride.  We like to think of ourselves as a pretty smart bunch, and our position is such that even if we don’t completely understand something, we often project to our colleagues that we do.  A classic example of this phenomenon transpired during the Enron debacle, where ranks of senior executives refused to admit that they couldn’t comprehend the mechanics of this powerful conglomerate, until it was too late.  It’s the same with new advances in technology, which has accelerated during our careers from “hit or miss” to “mission critical,” going from bricks to clicks and from mortar to mindshare, while serving as a platform for everything from infrastructure, billing, and product development, to security, scheduling, and sales.  The rapid rate of change in digital innovation has caused CEO’s to feel EXTREMELY vulnerable around technology because it is something on which we have become VERY reliant, but which we understand and “control” so little, and this vulnerability leads to fear, and this fear to irrational decisions and suboptimal outcomes.  When CEO’s don’t have the confidence in their staff to delegate, or lack the humility to admit their ignorance regarding technology advances, they get defensive and act out in fear – or fail to act altogether.

Social Media: Justified Fear?

Executives justify their fear of social media by pointing back to a historic drumbeat of disappointment and unfulfilled promises.  They recall with vivid detail the never-ending parade of new online engagement vehicles and “paradigms” introduced over the past 15 years by turtleneck-wearing gurus with names like Kip or Seth, which were then propagated by self-proclaimed “New Economy” experts sporting titles like “Chief Innovation Officer” and “Director of Chaos,” and then championed by sideburn-wearing hipster foot soldiers who never metafilter they didn’t like.  In the 90’s, we were promised that customers would beat a path to our door if we created something called a “web page” and then “posted” it on this thing called the Internet or World Wide Web or something.  Then they convinced us to buy electronic lists and send out “Email Blasts” to our target markets, and next it was a website redesign, push technology, pull technology, exchanged links, partner intranets, eBusiness, eCommerce, blogging, webinars, podcasts, search engine optimization, YouTube videos, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, yada, yada, yada.  Each time they promised that THIS TIME it would be different, and that this new product/protocol/portal/potion would somehow (magically??) drive revenue, increase efficiency, and optimize utilization (or some other buzz word or invented metric).  You told me to blog, so I blogged.  You told me to Twitter, so I Tweeted.  What’s it going to be tomorrow – scan my body into a mashup simulator to create a hologram so I can telepresence myself into sales calls in Madrid via FourSquare using Flickr?  All I know is that I’ve spent a LOT of time and money on a series of disjointed initiatives and campaigns and so far NONE have performed as advertised.

Don’t Feed Me Another Fad

Look, executives aren’t that complicated.  While I can handle the many nuanced “grey areas” of business leadership, I prefer to see things in black and white; victories and defeats; profits and losses.   I don’t mind making significant, strategic multi-year investments and committing to enterprise-wide initiatives which will improve the future performance of my company – in fact, I ENJOY it – what do you think got me to the Executive Suite in the first place?  Just don’t insult me.  I don’t want to waste any more time or money on the hype of  “the next big thing” or the newest tool or toy, only to be disappointed when the latest flash-in-the-pan fad fades and goes the way of Harvard Graphics.  It’s not that I have a fear of commitment – frankly, it’s just the OPPOSITE!  I have a healthy fear and distaste for doing things randomly just to be doing something; or because someone saw an article in USA Today, or CNBC did a story on it, or out of fear that I’ll be the last one in my circle to “get on board.”  (Believe me, the things that keep me up at night can’t be solved in 140 characters or less).  The truth is, I would LOVE to commit to social media in a significant way, but so far nobody in my organization has stepped forward with a cerebral, strategic, multi-generational, integrated, systematic, and sustainable methodology and roadmap for synergistically capitalizing on this medium over the long haul.

Your Network is Your Net Worth

Executives are uniquely conflicted because we know better than anyone the power of relationships, and the truth of the old axiom, “Your network is your net worth,” yet we are inherently introverts, and gravitate towards solitude versus socializing.  We understand on an intellectual level that none of us individually are “too big to fail,” and that even the Lone Ranger had Tonto and Batman had Robin, yet we find initiating conversations and exchanges with others to be draining, distracting, and exhausting rather than invigorating and inspiring.  Hence we yearn; as a group we pine; for deep within our heart of hearts burns a great bright hope that somehow and in some way this social media movement or platform or culture or whatever could be harnessed and leveraged to cross that chasm and create valuable, authentic exchanges and relevant, real-time dialogue with stakeholders of all persuasions. If we could just develop an all-encompassing framework for how this would integrate into our enterprise-wide strategy, and manage it like a mission-critical project (complete with milestones, deliverables and accountability instead of fuzzy metrics like “buzz”), I am supremely confident that we could achieve escape velocity and – for the first time – truly establish and be able to articulate a synergistic, sustainable, and quantifiable strategy for leveraging “Best-In-Class” social media options to achieve desired corporate outcomes and maximize financial returns.

A Gift From Media To You

You know, it’s interesting.  Somewhere in the convoluted catharsis of composing this confessional, I came to a surprising realization.  Maybe I don’t HATE social media after all.  Maybe I just hate the Quixotic context in which most social media conversations exist, featuring a perpetually moving target, combined with an obsessive, cult-like worship of the default worldview, “If Something is New = It Must Be Good”, and where subjective criteria like “mindshare” and “impressions” are considered quantifiable deliverables and irrefutable barometers of success.

Come to think of it, maybe it’s high time that a C-level individual engaged this topic, and – once and for all –created a high-level overview and synopsis, crystallizing all of the strategic benefits and critical value streams, and distilling them into a language that speaks to executives everywhere in our native tongue – bottom line stakeholder value.  So here you go.  I’ve done the work for you.  What follows is an “Executive Summary” of my findings.

Social Media Value #1:  Unfiltered Feedback

As you already know, some of the scarcest (rarest) yet most valuable information a CEO can obtain is honest, unfiltered feedback.  Think about it.  You interact all day with managers, employees, and handlers working to keep the boss happy and therefore keep their job.  Sure, being surrounded by “Yes men” can be more comfortable, but it can also insulate you from the stark realities of your business.  If done correctly, social media enables CEO’s to hear raw, candid feedback from real people – people who aren’t afraid of being fired because they CAN’T be fired.  The truth is, leaders with their ego in check are already fully aware that they work for the customer – the customer is his boss – so if the customer doesn’t like dropped calls on their iPhone or the sauce on their Domino’s pizza, it’s their job to make it better.  Now, every customer is not always right (or wrong), but if 850 out of 1000 user comments say that the new Sketcher’s Sport shoe caused them to sprain their ankle, then something needs to be fixed – and FAST!  CoolCleveland’s Founder Thomas Mulready is a perfect example of a CEO with this customer orientation.  After emailing out his weekly eMagazine for 7 years, he decided that it needed to be updated, and set about introducing a new format with much fanfare.  In doing so, he also did something revolutionary – he asked all 90,000 of his readers for feedback on what they thought of the new style – and boy did they reply with scores of comments submitted over the span of a few days. But then he did something else revolutionary – he actually listened, modifying and improving the new site to reflect reader tastes and preferences.  Yes, it takes humility (“Who are these people to give ME feedback?  I invented this product! Don’t they know they can just click the links?) but the end result is an engaged audience who now feel genuinely empowered to provide even MORE feedback, emboldened by the knowledge that their  comments actually impact (and can improve) the end product.

Social Media Value #2:  Authenticity

Hand-in-hand with the unfiltered feedback above is the ability to leverage social media to authentically communicate with your employees, partners, customers (and non-customers), investors, and media, directly engaging ALL of your brand ambassadors efficiently and economically.  Rather than layers of staff, spokespeople, and sterile press releases, social media now offers an elegant and effective medium for disseminating information either “straight from the heart” or “straight from the horses’ mouth” depending on your preferred idiom. Dan Gilbert’s recent LeBron James “rant” would qualify as both, capturing the owners’ anger, frustration, and competitive resolve just moments after James’ announced his departure.  As you’ve probably noticed, NOBODY can tell the company story and embody the company brand like the CEO (think Steve Jobs) and by offering the ability to immediately and directly engage stakeholders – whether on a typical day, during a product launch, and/or especially during a time of crisis – social media provides an invaluable medium for maximizing brand value and minimizing potential brand degradation.  Social media helps firms “Keep it real” but couches it in a positive brand-reinforcing context.

Social Media Value #3: Six Sigma (Low Cost)

In case you were wondering, executives LOVE things like Six Sigma because, 1. It reminds us of our Greek fraternity days in college, 2.  The other soccer Dad’s don’t understand Value Stream Mapping, and 3. Six Sigma and lean processes are all about SPEED and COST SAVINGS, two of our favorite topics.  By its very architecture, social media is positioned to leverage firms’ Six Sigma orientation by expediting interactions, exchanges, customer service, feedback loops, product launches, marketing, and advertising, AND enabling it at a fraction of the cost of traditional media, to a much more targeted audience, and in a far more nuanced and contextual value exchange.  Social media options allow your message distribution format to evolve from shotgun to sniper, from billboard to message board, and from broadcast to narrowcast.  PLUS, it takes your marketing posture from a one-way, blanketing, bullhorn approach to a more intimate, just-in-time interaction; offering the opportunity for a more detailed, valuable and more PROFITABLE conversation and connection with your audience (and you don’t need a Black Belt to do it).

Social Media Value #4:  Balancing Transparency AND Privacy

The only thing worse than NOT using social media tools is using them in the WRONG way.  Your firm could very easily invest time and money on social media, and then end up spending even MORE time and money doing damage control because you did it wrong the first time – talk about a lose-lose situation.  With social media, there’s a “right way” and a “wrong way” to do things – so if you’re GOING to do it, do it RIGHT.  Remember, anywhere-anytime-anyone social media channels must be handled as the “nuclear options” that they are, with the capability to destroy your brand value in a single Twitter, email, or YouTube video that goes viral.

With great power comes great responsibility, and a healthy respect for the global reach and impact of social media must emanate directly from the CEO, who knows better than anyone that the same programs allowing firms to connect and influence the marketplace can also be turned against you to alienate them.  And just as social media can provide the market with a transparent window into the soul of your company, it can also showcase you at your worst, doing more harm than good.  Let’s face it, your firm is ALREADY dabbling in social media as it is – so you might as well manage your risk and liability by codifying corporate expectations, establishing specific ground rules, and educating your stakeholders regarding proper use of these seemingly innocent yet powerful tools.

Social Media Value #5: Supporting Statistics

Executives rely on market research to support and substantiate any designated course of action, and devour facts, stats, and data-points like shrimp at a wedding reception.  Summarized below are a few statistics buttressing the explosion of this social media trend, and detailing how Corporate America is leveraging it to realize significant revenue and market share growth going forward.

• In the last 7 years, Internet usage has increased 70% PER YEAR. Spending for digital advertising this year will be more than $25 billion and surpass print advertising spending (forever)

• Lenovo has experienced a 20% reduction in activity to their call center since they launched their community website for customers

• Blendtec quintupled sales with its “Will it Blend” series on YouTube

• Only 18% of traditional TV campaigns generate a positive ROI

• Naked Pizza set a one-day sales record using social media: 68% of their sales came via twitter and 85% of their new customers

• Software company Genius.com reports 24% of social media leads convert to sales opportunities

• Dell has already made over $7 million in sales via Twitter

• 37% of Generation Y heard about the Ford Fiesta via social media BEFORE its launch in the US and currently 25% of Ford’s marketing budget is spent on digital/social media

• 71% of companies plan to increase investments in social media by an average of 40%

• A recent Wetpaint/Altimeter Group study found companies that widely engage in social media surpass their peers in both revenue and profit

(Sources for Statistics: meyersreport.com lenovosocial.com George Wright Blendtec Mashable.com econsultancy.com businessweek.com )




Getting Your Board On Board


Lest we forget, even the Boss has a Boss – they’re called the Board of Directors – and these are the people that recruit and hire CEO’s for the purpose of serving as a charismatic and visionary leader of their organization.  And so I urge you, don’t disappoint them when it comes to leveraging social media within your organization.  The “Bang for the Buck” value proposition is too compelling to ignore, and the fact is – your competitors are already entering this arena and establishing new service baseline norms and minimum threshold expectations – so standing still amounts to losing ground and therefore is not an option.  What you need is a plan.




An Offer You Can’t Refuse


My associates and I are going to go out on a limb and try something a little crazy, something we’ve never done before.  We are going to offer senior leaders an exclusive, live, invitation-only Executive Briefing entitled“Maximizing Your Social Media Strategy” and presented by the top brass at DemingHill.  This executive-to-executive webinar will feature a deep-dive into the ROI and business case for leveraging social media, and will allow participants to ask questions and interact real-time with the authors of this article. (Because there is no charge, we must limit this event to executives and/or members of their management teams. Held August 10 & 11th).


Do I STILL hate social media?  No, BUT I’m only going to embrace it on the “executive terms” that have served me so well to this point in my career and they are, “If you’re going to do something, go ALL IN and do it right.”  From now on, all social media, social marketing, and social networking will be discussed in the context – not of a CAMPAIGN (which starts and ends) – but as part of an ongoing, strategic, and systematic DIALOG with our stakeholders and marketplace.


Executives have the focus and vision to roadmap strategies playing out 3, 5, and 10 years into the future.  But, we’re also “plodders” and are comfortable with short, measured, consistent steps – day in and day out – as long as we know that they are aligned with reaching a desired goal.  When we discuss your social media strategy, the focus will be on consistency and sustainability over the long haul.  Remember, executives don’t have the ego needs, risk profiles, or the TIME to be on the bleeding edge, or even the cutting edge.  We just want it to work.


I can confidently predict that every month for the next 100 years there will be a new “Must Have” application, portal or community that one of your employees will discover, and then try to convince you that your company will implode if you don’t immediately join, link, or Retweet.  In five years, all but three of these ideas will probably be forgotten.  During our meeting, we will discuss how to frame out an enterprise-wide social media strategy, predicated on the foundation of proven tools and that have stood the test of time and offer “Best-In-Class” results, so that you will be empowered to handle these conversations proactively in the context of a larger roadmap, rather than reacting to these weekly ambushes in a dismissive defensive way.  Remember, our goal for social media is not a lark, but a LIFESTYLE, and work-shopping a strategy which builds on stable, scalable tools, yet also affords the flexibility to address unprecedented “Black Swan” technology developments, provides you with a welcome buffer from being whipsawed by a weekly website.  Between the two of us, we’ll finally take that reliable “80/20 Rule” and apply it to social media, and then spend time focusing on the 80% of stakeholder value that can be extracted with 20% of the effort (while knowingly and purposefully ignoring the remaining 20% of value which takes up 80% of the effort).




The Bottom Line


In the Forward of Geoffrey Moore’s bestseller “Crossing the Chasm” Regis McKenna writes:


“Fundamentally, marketing must refocus away from selling product and toward creating relationships. Customers don’t like to be ‘owned’ if that implies lack of choice or freedom. But they do like to be ‘owned’ if what that means is a vendor taking ongoing responsibility for the success of their joint ventures.  Ownership in this sense means an abiding commitment and a strong sense of mutuality in the development of the marketplace. When customers encounter this kind of ownership, they tend to become fanatically loyal to their supplier, which in turns builds a stable economic base for profitability and growth.”


While there will always be a “me” in media – social media, social marketing, and social networking tools were designed to work best as a conduit for enabling information exchange, establishing a dialog, and creating a two-way conversation with your audience.  At the end of the day, social media is simply about creating and maintaining relationships – and even and executive can do that.


Authors:

Douglas J. O’Bryon- MBA

Chief Marketing Officer VendorCert

Nathan Kievman- MBA

Chief Executive Officer DemingHill

Randy Schrum

Executive Vice President DemingHill

Guerrilla Marketing by Jay Conrad Levinson

This is an hour long presentation by Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the excellent Guerrilla Marketing books. Levinson is speaking live over a series of slides. If you're a little ADD, like I am, it's painful to watch this type of presentation. However, anything by Levinson is worth watching. So, you'll want to watch it while you're doing something else (in my case, I watched with signing all of the Roundtable Reward checks going out to Service Roundtable members - and yeah, it took just about an hour to sign them all).

The Raving Fish Got Cheesed And Didn't Get It

Are you a fan of business parable books? You know, the little books that spin a fictional tale with underlying meanings that pertain to business. Fish, Who Moved My Cheese and Raving Fans are just a few examples.

Perhaps this is a tale of my own ignorance, but I hated parable books with a passion. Once I reached the age of fifty however, I began to mature. Looking back it wasn't the books that cheesed me off, it was corporate America's mandate: "Here is a copy of Fish. Read it. Afterwards we'll have a meeting to discuss how your morale KPI charts. We're expecting a significant increase."

Other than Mark Matteson's work, parable books had been off my radar for a long time until recently reading, They Just Don't Get it! Leslie Yerkes' book is about those times when you're trying to tell someone something and they just don't get it and what you need to do to transform their resistance into understanding.

Holy light bulb Batman! You mean if I read Leslie's book I'll be able to transform my technicians into correct-paperwork-completing-machines? Maybe. Maybe not. I'll give you one hint but you really need to read the book. Transformation begins with that really good looking person in the mirror.

A super huge red flag moment for me came when I read what some others had to say about They Just Don't Get It! To sum up: "I could read five bullet points about the book, get it, and save fifteen bucks." At first I thought wow, they don't get it! Then I thought, no, their left brain gets it. If they could only step off the Hamster Express for just a few minutes and engage their right brain a whole new world of possibility will pop right before them. At this point their left brain will kick back in and say, "the return on this fifteen dollar investment will pay back in 1.15 days."

Next week I'll offer suggestions on how to read business parable books using the right side of your brain.

Photo credit, Jan Tik

Zag

Recently, I read the book, Zag. Zag is about branding and while I don't agree with everything in the book, I thought it was generally pretty much on the mark and recommend it. This presentation, based on the book is terrific. Take a few minutes and flip through it.

Famous Failures

It doesn't matter how many times life knocks you down. It only matters how many times you get up. If you doubt it, take 76 seconds to watch this video.

Do You Hire People?

A world renowned career specialist lists the five worst ways to look for a job:

• Looking for employer's job postings on the Internet
• Mailing out resumes to employers at random
• Answering ads in professional or trade journals, relative to your field
• Answering local newspaper ads
• Going to private employment agencies or search firms for help

This same gentleman tells his readers there are five questions that people who have the power to hire want to know:

• Why are you here?
• What can you do for us?
• What kind of person are you?
• What distinguishes you from nineteen other people who can do the same tasks that you can?
• Can I afford you?

If you're in a position to hire people, you're probably saying, "This information is of little use to me."

Really? Think about it for a minute. Do you search for prospective employees using any of the methods described above? Are you quantifying exactly what you need from prospective employees during the interview process? How does your hiring and interviewing process correlate with the advice being given to people looking for jobs by a world renowned career expert?

Sometimes we need to view our problems through a different lens. Instead of using a resource designed for hiring managers, consider a resource designed for job seekers.

The author I refer to here is Richard Bolles. Richard began writing What Color Is Your Parachute? way back in 1970. With the exception of 1971, he has revised and republished it every year since. Translation: It contains a boat load of relevant wisdom and knowledge. This book is one of the best books that I've ever read. I highly recommend picking up a copy today!

To Win The War On Business: Advertise

This is my latest "Rant" in Contracting Business...

Private enterprise is under assault in America to a degree not seen since the Great Depression. While Hollywood and the media attack business with rhetoric, the government uses rhetoric, regulation, and taxes. It doesn't bode well for those struggling to find employment, though it might present an opportunity for your company.


Read more at Contracting Business (and be sure to add a comment in the new comment box at the bottom of the column).

How Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert Screwed Up In His Rant About LeBron James

Photo Credit:  Dave Hogg

I had little passing interest in basketball star LeBron James' move from Cleveland to Miami until the Cavs' majority owner, Dan Gilbert, launched an online tirade against James.  Gilbert considers himself betrayed by James' move.  Apparently a lot of Cavs fans feel the same.

Anyone who has ever taken a chance on a new hire and invested in the employee's development only to see the employee leave for a competitor knows how Gilbert feels.  It's natural to feel betrayed.  It's stupid to rant to the world about it.

By all accounts, LeBron James is about as clean-cut as a tattooed NBA superstar can get.  He worked hard. He fulfilled his contract.  He made a move for reasons known to him.  Maybe it's a better opportunity to earn more money over time.  Maybe it's a better opportunity to win a championship.  Maybe he's sick of snow.  Maybe it's a move designed to avoid paying taxes as the Wall Street Journal notes in LeBron's Tax Holiday.

James has every right to pursue his career the way he wants.  What loyalty?  Do you think Gilbert would be offering James a new contract if he had a career ending injury a few months ago?

Gilbert's problem is his rant poisoned the well against a potential return by James after he fulfills his contract with Miami.  Since you never know what the future holds, it's foolish to close doors.  Moreover, budding NBA stars might look at Gilbert's behavior and question whether they really want to work for such a lunatic.  Why not play for Sacramento where the weather's better to boot?

When good employees leave, resist the urge to lash out.  Wish the employee the best and extend to the employee the opportunity to return in the future.  You might get a good employee back when he discovers the grass really isn't greener on the other side of the fence (and what a powerful lesson that will be for anyone thinking about leaving!).  At the very least, the employee will be more inclined to say good things about you to his peers and on social media.

Treating departing employees poorly gains nothing and risks sullying your reputation.  Don't do it.

The Service Roundtable Business Alliance Will Support Solar Contractors

The Service Roundtable (www.ServiceRoundtable.com), an Internet based contractor business alliance is launching a dedicated business support program for solar contractors, company officials announced today.

The “Solar Roundtable” will be headed by Jim Hinshaw, one of the top sales trainers in the solar industry. Since 2007, Hinshaw has trained over 1,000 solar contractors on the sales and business side of contracting.

“Most solar contractors know the physics of solar,” noted Hinshaw, “But my experience is that many have questions concerning sales, marketing, advertising, that sort of thing. The Solar Roundtable can help solar contractors answer their questions and solve their problems on almost any topic: business, application, engineering, employees, compensation, advertising, marketing, and sales.”

Since 2002, for a $50 monthly subscription, the Service Roundtable has provided contractors with sales, marketing, and business management tools served over the Internet. Examples include direct mail letters and post cards, consumer newsletters, social media marketing pieces, service agreements, eBooks, training tools, business forms, operations and management tools like pricing calculators, recruiting ads, interview guides, policy guides, employment applications, and more.

The Service Roundtable also hosts moderated peer support groups where contractors post questions about their business and receive input, guidance, and support from other contractors and industry consultants.

In 2010, the company added a free buying group, called Roundtable Rewards. Members receive discounts and cash rebates based on purchases from a variety of vendors who use the program as a way to boost sales and reduce marketing costs.

In addition to solar, the Service Roundtable serves HVAC, plumbing, and electrical contractors. The company also operates Service Nation Press, the Retail Contractor Coalition product and company branding program, and Service Roundtable MoneyMail turnkey monthly email marketing program.

Service Roundtable contractors hail from all 50 U.S. states, most Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, and Oceana. For more information visit www.ServiceRoundtable.com or call 877.262.3341.

Solar Can Brighten Your Company’s Outlook

Are you tired of fighting economic headwinds?  Why not try a business opportunity with massive federal, state, and utility tailwinds?  Why not add solar to your business mix?

Solar is a natural add-on for HVAC contractors.  You’re already well positioned as home energy experts with consumers.  You already have relationships with your customers.  You know how to sell high ticket items.  You know how to use financing.  You know how to utilize government and utility incentives.  Plus, HVAC contractors tend to be the best marketers in the service trades.

Read More at Contracting Business

This Says It All About The Yellow Pages

If you're marketing to consumers over age 60, the yellow pages are still necessary.  If you're marketing to consumers under age 40, you probably don't need a presence at all.  If your target customers fall in between 40 and 60, a yellow page presence may be necessary, but not on the scale (and expense) of the past.

The death of the yellow pages makes marketing more complicated for service companies.  You can no longer take out a big yellow pages ad and simply wait for the phone to ring.  Today, you must use search engine local search, SEO, SEM, and increasingly, social media.  Are you?

For HVAC contractors attending HVAC Comfortech in Baltimore in September, I'm teaching a class on social media.  Be sure to attend.  I'm also starting on a book titled, "Social Media for the Service Contractor," that will be given away to anyone attending my class at Comfortech.  If there are any copies left, I'll make them available for sale.

Gentlemen, This is a Pipe Wrench

At the start of each season, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would call a team meeting, hold up a football and declare, "Gentlemen, this is a football." Lombardi focused on the fundamentals, on blocking and tackling. So should you.
Revisiting the fundamentals is a necessary part of any business. It seems especially necessary for plumbing contractors. Most plumbers advanced through their skill at turning a wrench. However, once they hang out their own shingle, they advance by their skill at turning a profit. The skill sets are different and many allow their companies to backslide into bad habits over time, thus, the need for blocking and tackling.
Here are 10 questions to ask yourself about your fundamentals:


Read more at Contractor Magazine.

Technology for the Aging

The following article by Matt Michel was published in Southern PHC Magazine...

The number of senior citizens will double over the next 25 years, which means opportunities for the contractors who cater to their needs. Here are ten products you should add to your portfolio.


1. Grab Bars

While it’s the lowest of technology, it’s an essential aid as people age. Every senior should have grab bars inside showers and on walls above tubs.


2. Bathtub Safety Handles

Safety handles fit over the side of a tub to provide something secure to grab when entering or leaving a tub. Typically, these are clamped to the tub wall and not permanently installed.


3. Walk-In Tubs

If the senior is unsure about stepping over the side of the tub, even with a safety handle, a walk-in tub may represent a good solution.


4. Mixing Valves

Seniors and small children are the most susceptible to scalding from hot water. Installing a mixing valve at the water heater is the optimum solution to reducing the risk of scalding by holding the temperature of hot water delivered to the taps at 120 degrees.


5. Hand-Held Shower Spray

Many seniors sit to shower, making hand-held shower sprays much better than standard showers.


6. Elevated Toilet Seats

Seniors can have a difficult time getting up from a toilet. Elevated seats are small risers that raise the sitting height. Many include arms for seniors to grab on to when standing from a sitting position. There are also platforms that can be placed under the toilet, raising it several inches. Some consider these unobtrusive platforms more aesthetically pleasing.


7. Toilet Hand Rails

If no problems are present with the seat height seniors may still need hand rails. These are typically attached under the toilet seat.


8. Large Screen, Simple Digital Thermostats

As people age, vision declines. Backlit digital thermostats with large readouts and simple operation are easier for seniors to operate.


9. Air Cleaners

Not only can seniors benefit from the better filtration of electronic air cleaners or pleated media filters, but the reduced frequency of cleaning and/or replacement give seniors one less thing to bother with. This is especially important for attic and crawlspace installations.


10. Carbon Monoxide Detectors

As with scalding, seniors are more sensitive to carbon monoxide than the general population. This makes the presence of carbon monoxide detectors critical.


Selling to Seniors

Most seniors will be reluctant to admit they might need the aid of disability products. Ironically, they will be quick to suggest these are the exact products needed by friends of theirs. Don’t even hint to a senior that he needs a grab bar even if it’s obvious he does. Instead, suggest that he might want one installed for his wife. Or say that while he might not need it yet, it would probably give his children peace of mind to know he’s taking precautions. Often, seniors take action out of concern for a spouse or children.


Marketing to Seniors

Put together one to two page flyers displaying the products (and remember, use large print). Mail these to seniors you’ve identified in your database and distribute them on service calls. Pass them out at home and garden shows. Talk about home safety at service clubs and networking groups. Mail the flyer to your entire database before the holidays, noting that these can be the perfect gifts for the parent who is impossible to buy for.

As people age, they begin to recognize everyday tasks are more difficult. Yet, they tend to be unaware of the many solutions available to help. Merely making them aware will result in more sales. Sometimes the simplest technology can be the most profitable.

Good News: We Won't Run Out of Oil

There's a lot of demogoging surrounding the great gulf oil leak.  Listening to some of the recent speeches, one might conclude that we're about to run out of oil.  Hardly.

In a year old article, Jim Ostroff with the Kiplinger Letter identified America's untapped oil bounty.  He wrote:

The U.S. is sitting on the world's largest, untapped oil reserves -- reservoirs which energy experts know exist, but which have not yet been tapped and may not be attainable with current technology. In fact, such untapped reserves are estimated at about 2.3 trillion barrels, nearly three times more than the reserves held by Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations and sufficient to meet 300 years of demand -- at today's levels -- for auto, truck, aircraft, heating and industrial fuel, without importing a single barrel of oil.

So why not "drill, baby, drill?"  Ostroff says, "Those untapped reserves are located in places that either Uncle Sam has put off-limits for environmental reasons or are too costly to get -- or a combination of both."

And since this article was written, we've made even more finds. 

Rather than flog the oil industry over an accident, we would be better served to promote oil extraction R&D and free up land and close-in coastal areas for safe extraction.  Economically, this could lead to a boom.  Our trade deficit would close.  We wouldn't need to sell debt to foreign powers who are hardly our friends.  The geopolitical importance of the Middle East would lessen.

Our current energy and economic policies are the definition of insanity.

Click to read the Kiplinger article in full.

The Impact of Awareness

Source:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/gagilas/

It’s killing your sales. In fact it may be the single greatest barrier to the growth of your company. It’s prospect and customer ignorance about the products and services you offer.

Read more at Contracting Business.

Laurel & Hardy, Plumbers

We've got a slab leak in our house.  It's not the first time.  I wrote about the first slab leak, repaired under warranty in the PHC Profit Report and entered the article in a national contest by Terry Love about the worst consumer plumbing experience.  It won first place.  While I have much higher expectations from the Service Roundtable member (the staff rotates our plumbing calls among local plumbing members), when my wife texted me, "Giant hole in floor full of muddy water," I couldn't help but remember Laurel and Hardy.  It follows...

We had a slab leak in our house, while still under warranty. The builder sent technicians from the installing plumber to take care of the problem. The good news is that they seemed to be technically competent to handle the plumbing. As far as the rest…

The leak was located under the slab in the master bedroom closet. I pointed out the general area where I thought the leak was and not wanting to be a pest, I left them to do their job. I was reading in the living room when the first plumber (Call him Laurel) came out and asked, "How do you unlock the closet door?"

"Well," I said, "You don't because there's no lock on the door."

"Oh," said Laurel and disappeared.

I sat for a minute then decided I better check and see what was going on. I went to the master bath room and heard the other plumber (call him, Hardy) exclaim, "Ouch, that hurts" from behind the closet door.

"Watch it," said Laurel, "that's a sharp knife."

"I just figured that out," muttered Hardy.

I asked, "Is something the matter?"

"He's locked himself in," said Laurel.

"I can't see what I'm doing," said Hardy.

No light was coming from under the door, so I suggested, "Try the light switch. It's on the right, next to the door."

Light poured out of the bottom of the door. "Hey, that's a lot better."

"He's trying to take the door handle off," explained Laurel, "It's the only way he can get out."

Remembering the comment about the knife, I asked, "Do you want a screwdriver?"

Laurel just looked at me, like the concept of a screwdriver to remove a screw was foreign to him. Then again, maybe it was.

I went to get a screwdriver, but by the time I got back, Hardy managed to get the door handle off. He was standing there holding the knife in one hand and wiping blood on his shirt with the other. I left the room to keep from laughing.

A few minutes later, I revisited the scene. Laurel was busy trying to reassemble the door handle. He couldn't quite figure out how to do it, so he left it hanging halfway on the door (it only took me five minutes to fix it after they left).

Since Laurel couldn't get the door handle back on, he was afraid he or Hardy might lock themselves in again (even though the door doesn't lock, never had before, and never has since). Laurel decided to tape the door's bolt open (apparently it never occurred to them to simply leave the door open). All he must have had was some kind of super tacky black duct tape because he covered the door with it. Once applied, parts of it never came off. There are still black marks around the door handle that won't come off. Eventually, I'm going to have to repaint the door.

Laurel located the leak. Trying to be conscientious, he carefully moved the refrigerator back from the wall in the kitchen and took everything off the top. "These might come off when we jackhammer," he said.

I appreciated his thoroughness. However, the refrigerator was fifteen feet away from the leak. Laurel failed to move my wife's treasured breakables that were placed around the master bathtub, around five feet from the leak. Of course, once Laurel started jackhammering, the breakables broke.

Laurel finished the jackhammering and located the leak. He then declared he had to run to the supply house, but that Hardy was staying. A few minutes later Hardy came out and asked for a cup. I thought he was thirsty, so I have him one, filled with ice water. He looked at me like I was strange and disappeared back into the bedroom. I went back to my book in the living room.

A few minutes after that, Hardy came walking out the front door carrying a bucket. He repeated the process a few minutes later and again, a few minutes after that.

Curiosity got the better of me and I went to the closet. Hardy was on the floor over the slab leak using the cup I gave him to scoop water from the hole in the slab and fill the bucket. He was using one hand to scoop the water while he held the other, cut hand, in the air so that he didn't get it dirty (or dirtier). The water was gradually rising in the hole.

"Don't you have a pump?" I asked.

"Pump?" Hardy looked befuddled.

I had to leave to keep from laughing.

After a while (i.e., enough of Hardy's bucket trips that I lost count), Laurel returned. They eventually got the water under control, though the cup was ruined in the process.

Laurel came out to tell me someone from the shop was coming by to pick up Hardy for another job, since he wasn't needed to finish up. I decided to run some errands and told Laurel I was going to Lowe's.

"Could you pick up some rebar?" he asked, "I forgot it."

About the time I returned with Laurel's rebar, the mini-pickup from the shop showed up for Hardy. The truck had been hit somewhere down the line. One rear quarter panel was pushed in so far that the top of the tire was exposed. The bumper was bent straight up over the tailgate, then forward, then sideways, then down, in a pretzel configuration that looked more like a preformed radiator hose than something done to heavy gauge steel. By now, this was the type of vehicle I'd come to expect from these guys. My wife and I call their installation truck, the Exxon Valdez, since it's as big as a tanker and leaves an oil slick everywhere it goes.

Laurel eventually finished. He didn't clean up, though he did move the refrigerator back. He left to door handle hanging partially assembled, with back tape holding the bolt. He never offered to replace the cup or pay for the rebar (remember, this was warranty work). Fortunately, he did get the slab leak fixed.

While this sounds like a funny plumber story, it's really a scary one. Later, when the builder was asking about the repair, he mentioned that the plumbing contractor had sent their best crew to our house. Now that's scary.