Monday, May 12, 2008

Have you goofed up today?



This past weekend I was speaking to a group of over 100 people. I had the whole deal; a stage, a microphone, a powerpoint presentation, a video. It was slick. And I had a technical glitch that created a bit of a problem. Actually, at the moment, I thought it was a complete disaster. I "covered" it best I could, but I was SURE I had hosed my credibility with these folks from the get-go.



But I kept diggin'...

The day went on & our guests had a great time. Lunch came & I had to make another short talk from the stage...no problems, they're smiling. By the end of the day, any issue that happened in the morning was long forgotten, replaced by memories of the fun & knowledge they gained over the hours. In fact, I was invited to dinner with them AND asked to speak to them about teamwork & motivation.

Wow! And I thought I had screwed the proverbial pooch!

Here's the lesson; be great at what you do. We'll all make mistakes, we're human. However, its HOW we deal with them that leaves the lasting impressions with our clients, friends and families.

Need a hand learning how to cover the occasional slip? Drop me a line & I'll show you that you can do it when you Say Something Important.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Politico And Go!


With the political season in full swing, it's fun to watch the amount of marketing that goes into the campaigns. Actually, the whole process is marketing. Let's be honest for a moment; what is an election? Answer: a big honkin' popularity contest! What do we REALLY know about Barack Obama? Or Hillary. Or John McCain. Or, God bless him, Ron Paul (who's great comedy, if nothing else!).

We know what their people have TOLD us about them, not necessarily what they really are. THAT, my friends, is great marketing.

For the first twenty some-odd years of his life, Obama called himself "Barry." Marketing tells him Barack has more impact.

Hillary, well, she's flipped on issues like a porpoise at Sea World. Because she's cow-towing to polls.

McCain? Dare I say, his strategy of just "being him" may be the most truthful.

My point here isn't Democrat or Republican, rather, it's about telling your potential customers who you are & what you're about. Our businesses are also popularity contests. WHY should a Starbucks customer go to the Human Bean? It's about how you FEEL about that company. Say the right things & your business will grow.

Here's the kicker though: if you don't back up the good PR with REAL results, you'll have a short spike in popularity (sales) then crash n' burn like so many political campaigns of the past.

Vote & vote often. Just make sure your customers are voting for you for the right reasons!

:)
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