Above the Noise

by Karen D. Swim

Are you struggling to be heard in a noisy market place? Do you feel like even if you yelled at the top of your lungs no one would notice or care? It may be time to sing at night.

In 2007 a report found that birds in noisy urban areas began singing at night in order for their melodies to be heard above the clamor of city life. Researchers at Sheffield University studied robins in and around Sheffield and discovered that the robins adapted the time of day they sang in order to be heard. The report joins a growing body of evidence that birds are changing their behavior to adjust to modern life.

Our world is noisy. In every industry there are a multitude of choices and it seems everyone is delivering their message and attempting to be heard. Whether you have a blog, book, product, service or are in the job market it seems that millions of people are already out there singing at the top of your lungs.

The robins are not singing to attract or please people. Robins sing to attract other robins and to ward off rivals. In the bird world they are among the earliest to join the chorus at dawn and the last to fall silent at dusk.

"Be like the bird that, pausing in her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings."--Victor Hugo

It can be downright discouraging believing that you cannot possibly be heard above the noise. Rather than give up, consider the robins. You don’t have to sing your song at the same time of day or even in the same pitch as your competitors. Adapt to modern life just like the birds by finding and singing your own tune at your own time.

Photo credit: Flickr.com | Kerri 2008

Truth in Advertising

by Karen D. Swim

Frank Martin wrote a post yesterday on product packaging. A German company did a study comparing product packaging to the actual contents and the results were eye opening. If you have ever purchased something that did not quite look like the pretty picture on the box, this study shows that all too often what you see is not what you get.

Product packaging can be seen as truth (or not) in advertising. It applies to both products and services. It is possible to deceive the consumer with flashy glossy packaging that hides the poor quality behind the slick marketing.

"As scarce as truth is, the supply has always been in excess of the demand." --Josh Billings

Have you ever read a well written compelling ad that inspired you to buy a course, an ebook, or some other gidget, widget or expertise? The marketing message spoke to your head and heart and you couldn’t whip out that credit card fast enough. Then you tore off the shiny package and you were disappointed by the contents. Yep, been there too.

Great advertising and lousy services can get you lots of one time sales, but they won’t build a long tern following of customers who trust you. Be true to yourself and your customers and the rewards will be undisputable.

Photo Credit: TW Collins, Flickr

Numbers Don't Lie?

By Karen D. Swim

I have a strange relationship with numbers. I love the logic of numbers and can get infinitely lost in statistics and measurements. I also have an obsessive streak so numbers that tell an unflattering story can send me into a tailspin.

When you do business on the internet numbers play an important role in your business - page rankings, visitor stats, product sales, number of subscribers, traffic, conversions, etc. You can become lost tracking and measuring those numbers to unravel the answer to the question of “How am I doing?”

However, an over reliance on numbers can harm the way you do business and may even hinder your growth.
I used to weigh myself every day. The numbers were either a comfort or a curse, but they were black and white and required no interpretation. I became fixated on my daily obsession, the numbers the measurement of my ongoing efforts to remain fit and healthy.

As I progressed on my fitness journey, I decided to run a marathon. I had never been a runner and was not sure I even knew how, nevertheless I had made my decision. Numbers played a new role, pacing per mile, negative splits, mileage, finish times and more. I kept track of all my new numbers with charts, graphs, running logs and a runner’s watch.

Numbers also played heavily in my work life. I worked in sales and numbers meant everything. Quotas, profitability, rankings, and commissions were all part of the numbers game. I ran so many excel spreadsheets that I soon began to dream in grids and equations.

In every area of my life, I could measure my efforts by the numbers. Had I worked hard enough? Was I making smart choices? The numbers would tell me, or so I thought.
I have learned that the numbers provide data but the data is only one part of the story. Your finish time in a race is a snapshot of the ending but does not represent the journey that got you there, nor the next phase that lies ahead. I am learning to relax and trust my instincts sometimes in defiance of the number.

As a blogger I could drive myself insane with statistics. Who’s reading, how many are reading, who dropped off and why? Yet, if I am driven by numbers will I miss the opportunity to take risks and in doing so grow as a writer? Will I be so concerned with “image” that I will not allow my true voice to be heard?

Not every blog post will be a masterpiece. In fact, most will be ho-hum, some will be absolute garbage and once in awhile I will pen the near perfect piece. I cannot however, get to the great piece without simply writing and giving myself permission to fail.

In writing, running and life I am learning to enjoy each step that I take. I still review numbers and I continue to challenge myself to beat them but I no longer allow those numbers to hold power over me. I am quite happy to take one step at a time and focus on giving that step all that I have in that moment.

What about you? What role do the numbers play in your life?

Photo Credit: Brave Heart at Flickr

Are you an Expert?

By Karen D. Swim

Last week I found myself thinking about expertise. My thoughts began with my frustration with self-proclaimed experts who are effective marketers that simply package old ideas with flashy packaging and high price tags. However, as often happens my internal questions often converge with the external world to provide me with not only answers but also more questions.

As I was grappling with the question of expertise, someone in my LinkedIn network posted a question asking, “How do you know when you are an expert?” It was a different perspective but one that aligned with my own thoughts during the week. I read the answers and while many were interesting and thought provoking, none seemed to satisfy by increasing need to know “Who is an Expert?”

The answer that brought the greatest amount of satisfaction appeared on, of all places, my daily Freakonomics calendar “When someone is very good at a given thing, what is it that actually makes him good? According to K. Anders Ericsson a psychology professor who studies expert performance, what we think of as ‘talent’ is vastly overrated. It is ‘deliberate practice,’ Ericsson argues, that is the real key.”

Ericsson’s book Toward A General Theory of Expertise: Prospects and Limits offers a fascinating insight into expertise. Ericsson writes, “Expert performance is primarily a reflection of acquired skill resulting from the accumulation of domain-specific knowledge and methods during many years of training and practice rather than special innate talent. Confronted with universal limits of human information processing concerning memory capacity and speed of processing, expert performers are found to be able to acquire similar types of skills to circumvent these limits.”

Experts are able to perform at higher levels. While that may have some element of innate talent, the deliberate practice is what elevates them from merely talented to expert. I would add that passion is likely the driving force that leads to deliberate practice.

In marketing, we may be quick to use the “expert” label. After all, billing someone as the “industry’s leading expert” sounds better than “cool guy or girl who knows a lot.” However, I would argue that you do not have to be an expert to be successful or even credible to your audience.

We have become enamored with expert status. The internet has certainly leveled the playing field by making information accessible to everyone. When you do a thing enough times in cyberspace you’re elevated to “expert.”

I would rather purchase services from someone who was passionately pursuing excellence in their profession than someone who simply labeled himself or herself an expert because it sounds good in marketing copy.

The passionate pursuit of excellence… hmm sounds suspiciously like the “deliberate practice” that Ericsson writes about in his discussion of expertise. My search was borne out of frustration but the journey to the truth was enlightening. From now on, I will measure an expert by their actions and not their words. What about you? Are you an expert in your niche? Do you desire to be? What is your standard for measuring expertise? I am interested in hearing your perspective.

Break from the Herd

I’ve been out sick and am now finally catching up. Before I post the low cost marketing tip, I have to share this great post that I read over on the Media Post blog (http://blogs.mediapost.com/spin/?p=1134#comments):

Tom Cunniff from Combe Incorporated says:
September 27th, 2007 at 7:59 am

“Businesspeople run in herds, for safety. Many of us run in the Formula Herd; our heads down, ritualistically reciting our formulas like a prayer. We desperately hope that we can get rich before our formula loses its mojo. Others of us run in the Silver Bullet Herd; eyes constantly scanning the horizon for Deus Ex Machina. We desperately hope that our Silver Bullet will make us rich before anyone realizes it’s really just a little man behind the curtain.

A few crazies split off from the herd and form their own small groups. We desperately hope that logic and reason will win the day, and that our superior survival skills will make us rich in spite of the insanity of business. Usually the most successful crazies can be found at conferences peddling Formulas and Silver Bullets to members of the other herds.

And, there you have it ”

I seriously laughed out loud when I read this thoughtful, dead on comment. So kudos to Tom Cunniff! Tom’s comment is a perfect lead in to a discussion of business marketing. Too often people are joining the herd rather than being brave enough to be different and do what works for their business. I read today of an internet marketer who hired a copywriter to write optimized blog posts. Unfortunately the marketer was neither a blogger or SEO expert so had no idea how to evaluate the final product! I applauded the marketer’s honesty and felt bad for the situation. It’s likely that he/she got some advice from the gurus in the herd and eager to achieve success followed along.

Okay, enough of the soapbox. There are so many great low cost marketing ideas that have proven the test of time. Remember it’s critical to evaluate your own market and use only the ideas that align with your overall plan. So the first low cost tip, use your business cards. What? Yep, that little card is marketing gold. You can have really nice business cards printed and still not break the bank. Rather than stick them in your business card holder or wallet, use them. Resolve to pass out ten cards per day. Strike up conversations wherever you go and pass out that card. Drop a few in the thank you notes you send to clients (you are sending thank you notes, aren’t you?). We miss so many opportunities in our day to day life to talk about our business and how we can help people.

You will be surprised at the number of contacts and leads you can develop with that tiny little card. Happy Marketing!

Crystal Ball Marketing

In the past few months, I have watched several businesses open and close in my community. The latest to bite the dust was a New York style deli around the corner. Was it to be my fate to welcome a new place only to have it close it’s doors in a couple of months. In the span of a few months, a coffee shop, Mexican restaurant, grocery store and drycleaners had all shut down. Here in Michigan where unemployment is among the highest in the country, it would be easy to place the blame on the economy. While the economy certainly played a role these business failures can be traced to fundamental errors made by the owners.

Nosiness is a professional hazard, so I talk to everyone, and ask lots of questions. I had chatted with the owners of the businesses on many of my visits so in every case had gotten to know their story. Many of the businesses had opened and closed in less than 6 months. In every case the owners had been filled with enthusiasm and hope only to close up shop a few months later. So, what happened?

The economy does impact spending. But let’s be clear consumers do not stop spending money they simply become picky about where those dollars go. This means that businesses have to work a little harder to attract their customers. Each of these businesses had failed miserably at attracting customers. They opened their doors and hoped for the best. None had a solid marketing plan (I asked) and apparently all were severely under capitalized. The owners all mistakenly believed that they could not afford to market so their efforts were a couple of fliers and coupon offers in local papers. Yeah, that worked out real well.

It may surprise you but these owners are not unlike many business owners. So for all of you out there allow me to share this: Consumers do not have a crystal ball that will direct them to your business. You have to TELL them not only that you exist but WHY they need you. You have taken the time to develop a business idea, raise enough capital to get started so isn’t it worth it to close the deal. Without customers, you don’t have a business so shouldn’t the acquisition of customers play a central role in your planning? Consumers are not psychic and the mere presence of a building (or website) will not guarantee you business. In fact as a business owner, the majority of your time should be spent on acquiring business and creating systems to improve the customer experience. Again - no customers, no business.

Marketing does not require a million dollar budget. There are many creative, low cost ways to acquire customers. The key is to understand your target market and find the most cost efficient and effective way to reach them. Who is your market? (Here’s a clue, your answer should not be “everyone.”) How and where does your market make decisions? How does your product/service help them solve a pain point, or avoid pain? Here’s a great example. The Mexican Restaurant that was briefly open did a fair share of take-out business. They had a small dining area which was perfect for the lunch crowd but most of their business was take out. Yet they did nothing to market or cater to this business segment. What could they have done? Local delivery service could have helped to grow this market. Fax and express phone service are other low cost ideas that could have worked. Dominos Pizza built an empire by filling a customer need and marketing it to death. By the way, they were not the best tasting pizza but they certainly were savvy in their marketing.

Marketing is not a nice to do task, it is essential to the life of your business. You cared enough to start your business so share that passion with your target market by telling them what you can do for them! Stay with me in coming weeks as we look at low cost ideas and methods to get you the recognition you deserve.