The Kiss Business too (2)

Judging

'Tully' on LOGICal eMOTIONs likes to judge red-wine bottles on their labels, see his post:
Judging books by their covers

We all know we shouldn't, but we all do, don't we? Marketers and especially designers should be more aware of this instead of regarding it 'not-political-correct' and hidding behind: "you shouldn't judge...." when the design fails its purpose.

Thanks for the great way you put this into words 'Tully', learned - no, realised something new today.

When is enough enough?

A few days ago I had a discussion with my partner, he thinks I read too many business advice books and he feels I know enough already to make our business profitable. (He meant it as a big compliment on my address and I love him for that ;-))
But,
a – I’m an eternal student
b – I love reading
c – I feel every book has its own merits, its own little better idea (or how to combine ideas to make a better one)
d – like brainstorming with others about all the ideas I read

Is there a point in time when it’s really enough?
Or, as Seth points out: everything – marketing problems included – are like snowflakes: different in the eye of the beholder i.e. every business has its own kind of problems and hence needs a different solutions that no book on its own really covers, just helps to make your own unique solutions?

The Secret Weapon: Decision Cycle

Just started in “The Secrets of Word-of-Mouth Marketing”; (George Silverman) and the first chapter already blow me away.

“Shortening the decision cycle by making the decision easier for the prospect, by focussing on their particular decision roadblocks, bottlenecks, friction points and rough spots.
It’s one of those ideas that is simple, obvious, compelling and almost totally ignored, both in theory and practise”
George Silverman calls this a secret weapon.

To me it sounds like a combination between “The Goal” and “Unleashing the IdeaVirus” with a bit of “Permission Marketing” thrown in.

So far, so very interesting and I’m totally hooked, but at the same time I realise that intuitively our marketing strategy (and successes from it) is based (or partly) on this idea.

Of course, there’s always room for improvements ;-)

Online library for businesses

When is an accountant more than an accountant? When he adds more than just the numbers ;-)
(Always liked my accountant’s catch phrase; shows they have a sense of humour and that they are - much - more than just ‘number-crunchers')

I think I could write a book about mine, but for the moment I will just link to their re-vamped website and especially to the page where they update you almost daily with for businesses – small, medium and large – important articles.

Not really a blog, or a static website, something in between I think and IMO worthwhile to bookmark.

Combined Snippets 1

After I finished reading: First, break all the rules, I did a bit of contemplating on it – on everything I’d read so far.

One sentence in First (almost at the end) caused that contemplating and I’m sure I will have more of those moments when I read more. Sign that I’m learning or just combining? Hence the title of today: Combined Snippets.

The statement in First was the following, going on on what customers expect from a good – great company before they become advocates / ambassadors:

“Brand experience equals or excels brand promise.”
If you can realise that it will bring growth in the number of loyal customers and that will ultimately bring sustained growth.

But IMHO all starts (and/or ends) with having to integrate marketing into every nook and cranny of your business: from Janitor to CEO. Allow me to quote from my own novel “The Kiss Business” on this subject:

• “It’s my strong opinion that marketing should be imbedded in every business decision you make: how does this affect the perception the public has of my company or product ‘slash’ service. Always. From the design of your business card to the procedures on handling complaints; from the type of car ‘slash’ van you drive to the layout of your letterheads; from the way you greet people on the phone or in your showroom ‘slash’ office to the way your employees dress or act when in direct contact with customers and I mean every single employee, from the janitor to the CEO,” explains John further. “You shouldn’t have to create a separate marketing department or division or even hire a consultant for that. The problem is that advisers or consultants like to create their own importance, marketing their skills as an essential and indispensable asset for any business.”
  He’s smiling again and chuckling.
  “Marketing their marketing skills,” he repeats as if surprised by his own wit.
  “Decades ago a marketing department didn’t even exist, all was part of the normal day to day running of the company. Now every self-respecting company does seem to think they have to have at least one employee dedicated to this task, or if they are too small, to outsource it to a specialised marketing company. One thing in favour though, if things do go wrong, you can easily blame the marketing people, can’t you.”
  “You want a refill?” I ask him, intuitively knowing that we haven’t heard the last of this.
  “Oh, yes please.”
  After I return with two full cups John picks right up where he left.
  “Only, marketing apparently wasn’t enough for some. PR came into it because, as one lady explained it to me, it focused more on the press than on customers, so there had to be a very clear divide between marketing people focussing on getting the message across to customers and marketing people focusing on the press: presto – new name invented. What diversification always does. And now we have a third division: branding experts. I just don’t get it sometimes. What’s the definition of a brand: a trademark or distinctive name identifying a product or a manufacturer, you agree on that?”
  It sounds spot on to me, having read some articles about brand promotion over the years we have been in business.
  “Now, can you tell me why branding is any different than marketing?”
  “Because it’s more directed to recognising a company or product all over the world?” I try. “Like Nike and Adidas? Or Starbuck or McDonalds?”
  “Those companies were known all over the world before the term branding was even invented,” John argues. “In my eyes it’s just a new, other, more interesting sounding description of the same old marketing practise: making sure the public knows about you in the most positive way.”

And I’m still in full agreement with my ‘mentor’ Mr John Adams ;-)

Which brings me to a renewed order of reading the best books to become/help you become a great sustainable business (and I’m sure this is not the last time I will re-shuffle the suggested order in reading):

• Good to great – Jim Collins and Co – Why good isn’t good enough
• First, break all the rules – Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman – how to get and keep the best people on board in the right seats
• The Long Tail – Chris Anderson – Why mass-marketing is passé and the era of niche-markets has arrived
• Permission Marketing – Seth Godin – How to reach your niche-market customers in such a way they want to hear from you

Followed at your leisure by Unleashing the IdeaVirus (Seth Goding), The Tipping Point (Malcolm Gladwell), The Goal (Eliyahu Goldratt) and Kick Start Your Business (Robert Craven).

Happy reading and please let me know your own thoughts.

Related topic: Snippets 2

Book review: First, break all the rules – Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman

Subtitle: What the world’s Greatest Managers DO differently .
PS: 8

Over the Holiday season I’d chosen some other reading material than marketing and although I don’t manage employees it’s been a worthwhile book to read for various reasons. I will mention the two that struck me most:

Good management is about getting the best out of your people/employees/team for your company. Not by setting strict steps all must follow to the letter, but by setting the ‘outcome’ you expect from them.
IMHO this idea is a great help/tool for one or two-man-bands, like we are. Of course we don’t manage employees (yet) but we do have a ‘team’ we do have to manage. With team I mean our suppliers of products and all necessary services.

You can use exactly the same practise in selecting and managing this team as you would your team of employees:
Define the outcome – not the steps - you ask from your team based on

·    What’s right for my customers
·    What’s right for my company
·    What’s right for each team-member individually

You don’t dictate how your supplier (product or service) should work (i.e. which precise steps he should take) but if you inform him of the outcome you expect from this ‘team-member’ you’re becoming a better manager, he has more chance to become a valued team-member and therefore you can create a better company/organisation.

Teambuilding is trying to identify each member’s talent and to help cultivate those talents – by casting them in the right role, not by being pre-occupied on fixing weaknesses.

And that brings me to the second item that struck me.
I have been an employee for over 21 years after all – who hasn’t been in some time? – and this idea/practise made me realise why I wasn’t happy in certain departments under certain managers and vice-versa; why I was happy in certain departments under certain managers. It wasn’t the department – type of work, it was the certain - great - manager that made all the difference.
The best times I had when my strong points (talents) were fed and acknowledge, and best of all: challenged to become even better and to learn even more.
(Side-note: replace the words great manager with great mentor and the challange is still on - thank goodness)

Read and learn ;-)