MarketingMel

Editor’s note: Throughout the month of February I’ll be concentrating on a theme of Relationship Building here on the MarketingMel blog. 

A client of mine recently shared an excellent book on customer service with me. The book is called “Surviving the Middle Miles: 26.2 Ways to Cross the Finish Line with Your Customers”  by Darryl Rosen. The author, a one-time marathon runner, draws an analogy between business and running. Just like in a long distance race, the shiny newness wears off after you’re underway for a few miles but inside you know it’s still a long ways until the finish line!  As runner I loved the book’s name and related to its running/business theme. Rosen, who operated a very successful wine business, shares ways to provide the best for our customers. I’ll share some of my favorites here with you.

In his chapter titled “Appreciate Your Customers and Show it”  Rosen offers the following tips:

1- Say thank you- Now that may not seem like such a clever concept but you would be surprised how people, starting at a very young age, are not being taught those simple words. Rosen likes to send off hand written notes to customers. He even suggests making up reasons to say thank you!

2- It’s never too late- This example happened to me once. I was a recipient of a *long* overdue thank you from someone and guess what?  It felt great to be remembered. I really appreciated the gesture even if it was late, and it helped to cement a good working relationship between us. Even if you think the time has passed  to to say thank you, say it anyway!

The last chapter of the book is called, “Cheering for Others.” If you have competed in a running race or other athletic competition you know how much it means to have “cheerleaders” standing along the sidelines, particularly as you’re heading toward the home stretch. I’ve always loved it when my family makes it out to one of my running races and I see them cheering wildly at the end.  Rosen has that uplifting feeling in mind with the following common-sense tips.

3. Be flexible- Go with the flow and embrace change

4. Be likeable- Rosen says likeability is actually good for your health! It increases our self esteem which in turn lowers our stress levels!

5. Be real- Be honest and ethical and show credibility

6. Be a good communicator- Show humility

7. Be interested in others-Remember to turn the conversation back to your customer and CHEER!

This book is a quick read and I highly recommend it for anyone in the service business. Let me know which one of these tips resonates with you as you appreciate your customers.

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Have you ever felt completely validated by something? When Gary Vaynerchuck posted this video last weekit was just like he and I were stepping to the same drummer. (Nice to be validated by one of the biggest social media marketing gurus in the world!)

Wow. So personal brands have become so powerful, especially in the tech sector that big “brands” are leaving their companies and launching out on their own. Seth Godin has been hammering on this purple cow effect for years.  Tom Peters pioneered the concept of the Brand Called You long before the current social networking channels existed.

Tim Tebow in action

Today I’ll be hosting product managers from across the globe in a conversation on personal branding on Global Product Management Talk on twitter and on blog radio. We’ll be talking about the power of some of our most famous personal celebrity brands like Denver Broncos’ quarterback Tim Tebow, now ranked the most popular athlete. Tebow is controversial but he also set records not only for his game winning pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers but for the tweets per minute that followed. We’ll also mention the Dolly Parton brand as I discussed here last week. Her staying power has crossed generations and multiple communications channels. And, talk about topical. She rolls out a new movie with Queen Latifah and then Dolly announces plans for a new Nashville based snow and water park! Now that’s one sharp and busy businesswoman.

So how does a product manager or a person reading this blog begin to see him/herself in the way that the celebrities already know is powerful? First, determine your niche. There is bound to be some area of expertise that you know more about than does anyone else. That’s what social media affords us today that we didn’t have in the past.  Today we all have opportunities to be our own publishers and media outlets. Here is a good quick tips video from the AMA featuring tips from Sherri Thomas. Good luck and as we’re heading toward Super Bowl Sunday remember: once you get that ball run with it!

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Editor’s note: While on the subject of personal branding this month I thought I would re-purpose one of my all-time most searched for blog posts that first ran in April 2009. Guess it showed me how much people love Dolly Parton! I’ll be hosting a talk on personal branding on Product Management Talk blog radio and #http://www.twitter.com/prodmgmttalk on twitter Monday, January 23 at 8 PM Eastern.

All professional marketers can learn a lot from Dolly Parton. The rags to riches singer  is an icon. Her personal marketing and branding skills should be required study for those of us in the marketing business. Why? Let’s just look at the past 24 hours.

While my husband and I were watching the basketball tourney on CBS Saturday we saw an ad for Dolly’s interview with 60 Minutes on Sunday night.  Earlier on Saturday we bumped into some family friends. Where were they heading for Easter break?  Dollywood. Then Sunday morning my husband began channel surfing only to land on an Arts and Entertainment special on Dolly.

Later, after church we stopped by Cracker Barrel for lunch. Who was on the sign out front smiling at me as I entered the restaurant?   And whose music was playing in the background as we shopped and played checkers while waiting for our table? And who could be heard advertising her special music offer  just for Cracker Barrels?  One word answers all these questions: Dolly. No doubt the publicity blitz is a tie-in to the opening of her new Broadway musical 9 to 5 based on the  movie of the same name in which she starred some 30 years ago.

I admire Dolly Parton for many reasons. She single handedly formed and funded the Imagination Library program which provides free monthly books to all Tennessee children ages 5 and under. Mostly though I love and admire her marketing genius when it comes to personal branding.

“Here you come again” Dolly.

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Photo: BryceCanyon.com

Sunday our minister referenced that breathtaking financial company ad where the woman climbs a summit and a gigantic panorama unfolds in front of her. His sermon analogy was that the year 2012 lies before each of us as a panaroma right now.

With that in mind, this is the year to create or work on your personal brand. Tom Peters pioneered the concept with “The Brand Called You”. The points he makes in the article still ring some 15 years later (only the brand names have changed!)  As we move into another New Year let’s each take a quick assessment of our own personal brand and what we can do to better ourselves in 2012. Here are some tips I’ve provided to my clients in customized one-on-one sessions and am glad to share here with you.

1. Google yourself- What do you find? Is it fresh? Is it negative? Does it need a PR boost?
2. Does your image/Web site transfer to mobile? The growth of smart phones and other mobile devices will continue to explode in 2012.
3. Who is your target audience? What communications channels are they using? Be sure you are present on them. Example: My clients are business professionals. Most all of them are on LinkedIn and there is an excellent LinkedIn Personal Branding group.
4. Do you have an elevator speech? The next time you bump into Future Big Client X do you have a quick description ready for the business you have and the products and services your provide?
5. How do you plan to promote your brand in 2012? How are you using your social media channels? Do they show you constantly complaining about life’s mundane things? Remember, it’s your image that’s coming through (as if you were broadcasting!) Do you have guest media appearances and public speaking engagements planned? Do you have a blog? (It’s one of the best ways to kick start your web site’s SEO!) How about podcasts? Your e-mail signature? Videos?
6. Do you have an editorial calendar planned for 2012? Remember, you are a publisher. Now is the time to think seasonal and timely in your future writing and publishing.
7. Are you building your brand on twitter? I’ve formed so many great relationships thanks to the magic of twitter. It’s hard for me to believe that some people still think twitter is just about celebrities and what you had for lunch. If you haven’t done so already, try a twitter chat (look for the hashtags) for a field of your interest. Neal Schaeffer provides this excellent tutorial on twitter chats. Your positive contributions on tweetchats will help build your brand in your industry group or field of interest.
8. Dive in! Experiment with some new social media channel and meet some new friends along the way! In 2011 it was Google+ and Pinterest for me. What were some of your favorite new social media channels?

With an 8.6 percent nationwide unemployment rate more people than ever need to be sure they are building their personal brand both at in-person networking events and online.  The business atmosphere is in a state of constant change (just look at what’s happened to some of the stalwart brands.) These tips will help you be in control of the message broadcast by your personal brand, no matter what hand economic conditions may deal to you. All the best of luck to you in 2012 and remember, your personal brand is always with you!

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Editor’s note: For the first blog of the New Year I reviewed the posts of the past year. The following is a guest blog written by the award winning  motivational speaker, trainer and diversity consultant, Dr. Brenda White Wright.  It was first published in February 2011 however I felt the material is timeless and a great way to launch a New Year! 

Step One – Have quiet time everyday. Psalm 46:10 – “Be still and know that I am God.”   Everyone needs and deserves some “personal” time each day.  Retreat from the daily demands of others to replenish your mind and spirit.  We may need to get up earlier or stay up later but we need that personal quiet time to meditate, pray, think, dream, or read; to consider new possibilities for our lives.

Step Two – Develop and commit to a personal plan of action for your life. Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”  Vision clarifies our purpose in life and gives us direction.   Dr. Robert Schular wrote, “When you get where you’re going, where will you be?”

Step Three – Exercise everyday – physically, mentally, & spiritually.  In order to live a balanced life, each of us needs to exercise everyday – physically, mentally, and spiritually.  We can walk or jog, read, study, read, take up a new hobby, go back to school, worship, pray, and/or meditate according to our spiritual beliefs and values.

Step Four – Quit giving excuses. Insanity has been defined as, “doing the same thing over and over, but expecting a different result.  “Keep doing what you’ve been doing and you will keep getting what you’ve been getting.”  If you like where you are – great!  If not, then “do” something about it.  Nothing takes care of itself.  Make a decision and then ask God to help you stick to it.

Step Five – Have an attitude of gratitude. Be more thankful!  It is impossible to be thankful and negative at the same time.   Most of us have the gifts of speech and hearing, sight, and mobility.  Most of us are blessed with families and friends who love us and care about us.  Most of us are not homeless, helpless, or hopeless.  The more thankful you are for what you have today, the more you’ll have tomorrow to be thankful for.

Step Six– Become more respectful of differences. God is no respecter of persons.  Learn to respect diversity.  Being disrespectful of differences is often the cause for confrontations and conflicts of all kinds – from disputes in our homes, to physical abuses, to war in the world because of racial, ethnic, and religious differences.  Being accepting is not the same thing as agreement.  It’s about acceptance and respect.

Step Seven– Learn to Listen and Listen to Learn.Listen more than you speak.Hearing is a gift, but listening is a skill that needs to be developed.  Listen requires humility.  It’s one of the greatest gifts that we can give to someone and as we give, I believe that we receive in kind.

Step Eight – Be a Servant Leader. Help others grow and get where you are.  Don’t put them down.  Instead, teach what was taught to you.  Do for someone else what was done for you.  None of us got here alone.   As we give, we receive.  The more we give, the better we live.

Step Nine – Laugh more often! Lighten up!  A sense of humor is one of the inherent abilities that God has given us to cope with stress.  Humor is one of the most inexpensive and readily available nonprescription medications to reduce stress, stimulate creativity and improve performance.  The Scriptures say, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.”

Step Ten – Love what you do, do what you love, and if you love someone, tell them.

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