(Shanny, Marketing, Messaging, Networking) Permanent link According to Michele Miller and Holly Buchanan, co-authors of "The Soccer Mom Myth: Today's Female Consumer: Who She Really Is, Why She Really Buys," seventy percent of all women say marketing doesn't speak to them. In a recent interview with the Church of the Customer Blog, Michele Miller shared some tips about one of the best ways to market to women - with word of mouth marketing. Women are gatekeepers of their trusted network and are wary of doing anything that will violate that trust. To get women talking about your product or service you need to make her a hero. Give her an opportunity to help her friends and family. Instead of saying "Sign up three friends and we'll give you a 15% discount," say "You and everyone of your friends who signs up gets a 15% discount." That way she can increase her value to her network.
(Clara, Business development, Networking, Professional development) Permanent link Throughout college I was told it's a good idea to learn to play golf. Business is done on the golf course.
This week, I played in my first golf tournament -- the Tivol Golf Classic -- hosting a foursome comprised of myself and three men: Ron Kane and Jeff Bruntzel of Trabon Solutions and Steve Davee, owner of Employment Strategies. Talk about intimidating! And I don't get intimidated easily. Not only was it my first time playing in a tournament, it also was my first time playing at The National (I'm not really on the country club scene), my first time wearing golf shoes (ratty tennis shoes suffice at Smiley's, where 20 bucks buys 18 holes) and my first time on the course this season. I offer tips so other young women can play in their first tournament sans anxiety: - Read up on golf etiquette. It's the most important part of golf. And, it's how your character will be judged -- especially if others are evaluating whether they want to do business with you.
- Consult a trusted mentor. Diane O'Byrne, assistant professor at KU's J-school and owner of her own sales training company, has always been a mentor of mine. She also knows how to play golf in a business setting. I wouldn't have found her tips on the Internet -- especially the ones about what to expect from men on the course. She also set me up with a golf lesson at Indian Hills. Which leads to my next tip...
- Take a golf lesson. It costs money, but it's totally worth the spend (or see if your mentor will treat you to a lesson). I had never been able to successfully chip a ball onto the green before Tony at Indian Hills helped me out.
- Go shopping! Just as it's important to dress for job interviews and client meetings, it's important you are dressed appropriately on the golf course. For women, this means knee-length (or slightly above the knee if long shorts are not flattering, as they are not on me) shorts or golf skirts. You also could wear capris or long pants, but you'll get hot if it's summertime. You'll also need a collared golf shirt, though women can sometimes get away with non-collared shirts if it's a golf fashion piece. I recommend the Nike DriFit shirts. They are fantastic. You also need golf shoes. If you're unsure of the dress code at a course, call the pro shop and ask.
- Know who you're golfing with. Since networking is an important aspect of the game (and the reason your employer is paying you to be there), familiarize yourself with the backgrounds of your teammates. Think about what they can offer you and vice versa. Treat it like networking at a happy hour.
- Practice at the driving range on tournament day. When you arrive at the tournament, don't just go in and register. Come back outside, grab a few clubs and head over to the range. This is where all the men will be. And, you'll get warmed up so you can be on top of your game from the start.
- Bring cash and buy mulligans. I did bring cash, but I didn't buy mulligans. Each player will typically buy mulligans to boost your team's score. Do your part by buying some. There also will be other shortcuts you can purchase on the course like having a pro get your ball on the green.
- Watch the alcohol. This one's a classic that applies to all business situations. A lot of golf tournaments include drinking, but it doesn't mean you have to. For one thing, it will mess with your ability to physically play the game. For another, you shouldn't be drunk in front of business contacts. Read the group you're playing with. If they're not drinking, don't drink. If they are drinking, limit yourself to an amount you can tolerate and still bring your A game.
- Leverage the advantage you bring at the ladies tees. When the tournament rule was announced that two drives had to be used from each player, I was nervous. What I didn't know was that I would out-drive the guys several times because I had the advantage of hitting from the ladies tees, which are closer to the hole. If you are a woman playing on a team of men, you are an asset.
- Follow up after the game. Just like any other business meeting, follow up with a thank you or other correspondence to keep building relationships.
At the end of the day, remember to have fun! My team and I did and we won third place in our flight -- go figure :) (Jessica G., Community Leadership) Permanent link
Right now, Eric is in Naples, Florida for the PRSA Counselor’s Academy Spring Conference. The annual event gathers together the best in the industry to share insights into communications, PR and managing an agency.
Many participants have been blogging live from the event. In fact, PR Buzzsaw posted today that they met our very own Eric and referred back to a previous post about Eric’s Think Excellence, Not Difference positioning strategy.
Eric was inducted as a Counselor’s Academy S.A.G.E. (Strategic Advisors for Growth & Excellence) last year, as part of the inaugural class of 2007. We know Eric is enjoying networking with his industry peers, sharing best practices, and of course, enjoying the weather!
(Eric, Executive insights, Future visioning, Leadership) Permanent link
We recently facilitated a two-day strategic planning session with 24 board members and executives. Once again, we validated that old Chinese proverb, "None of us is as smart as all of us."
Our role was to lead the discussion, summarize and synthesize. We were not the smartest people in the room. (In fact, that rarely happens for me!)
Seriously, I find that the key to effectively facilitating a planning meeting is to manage the discussion and allow each person to participate, don't let any one person dominate, and ensure through effective sign-posting that consensus is being built.
They say that active listening is hard. I agree. And the harder everyone works, the smarter the group decisions are.
Onward and upward...
(Sheri, Best practices, Executive insights, Internal communications, Leadership) Permanent link I recently served as a panelist for a session on customer service at a conference for presidents and senior execs of small businesses. Interestingly, the group–made up primarily of baby boomers–progressed into a conversation about sustaining loyalty from Gen X and Gen Y customers. In particular, complaints surfaced about the tech-social, high-performance and high-maintenance Gen Y. Lots of questions arose about how to communicate with them, hold their interest, and keep them engaged, both as customers and in the workplace.
Actually, there’s a lot of information out there about the Millenials. If I can generalize…they hold high expectations of themselves and their employers, seek continuous learning, like responsibility, set goals, and have financial smarts, as this USA Today article points out. At the conference, the biggest frustration people expressed was how to communicate with this all-tech, all the time generation. But if older workers can embrace at least some of the communications tools used by Gen Y, it can make a big impact on assimilating different work styles, creating a better corporate culture, and as a by-product, driving business results. We find texting and IM are great when used to get a quick answer from a colleague without pulling them out of a meeting. That’s just one quick example. Telecommuting lets Gen Y, and those of us Xers and Boomers that can’t disconnect, work anytime and almost anywhere. And effectively using online tools and social networking sites gives employees in far-flung locations the ability to collaborate, fostering stronger teams, increasing efficiency and typically resulting in better solutions. It’s true Gen Y is forcing companies to change, to make work more flexible, meaningful and even fun. ( Time) They like feedback, ask questions, push the limits. And yet, businesses that can adjust their operations and gain the cooperation of older workers will reap the benefits of retaining this savvy, dedicated, and yes—demanding—generation. (Shanny, Best practices, Cause marketing and community relations, Corporate culture, Ethics, Executive insights, Leadership, ROI) Permanent link
CSR- Corporate Social Responsibility is an important trend in business today. For years companies have been giving money to worthy causes in the pursuit of being perceived as good corporate citizens. However this isn't true CSR, it's corporate philanthropy and it's not enough. In the ROI of CSR, Geoffrey Heal, Columbia Business School professor and author of When Principles Pay: Corporate Social Responsibility and the Bottom Line, states "CSR is a carefully thought-out response to minimize companies’ social and environmental impacts."
Companies are receiving pressure from two different directions now. The first is from consumers who need to know that the products they buy are in line with their values. The second is from socially responsible investing.
The good news is when companies truly are being socially responsible, it also boosts their bottom line.
(Lauren, Creativity, Ethics, Messaging, Online marketing, Web) Permanent link One of the design blogs I read every day had a recent post about Modernista’s new site. Take a second and click away to check out the site. Just be sure to come back here.
Was anyone else either fooled into thinking nothing happened or – worse – that some rogue agent had taken over your computer screen? I went for the Rogue Agent option. (For those of you who didn't actually click to Modernista, here's what you'll find. The new site is hardly a site - it's more a strange, red menu screen that pops up in front of a search engine results page for "Modernista." The company controls only the menu -- not any of the content the menu directs readers toward. Want news on Modernista? You're redirected to a Google News search for the term. An "About Modernista" page? A Wikipedia entry.)
I clicked around a bit and read some of the thoughts about this new approach. What was most interesting to me was how one blogger (I forgot who and, unfortunately, can’t link back there) summed up the strategy of the site. He asked readers whether this was really forward-thinking, or just inevitable – that we’d present ourselves based on what the world thinks of us. Modernista is embracing this, defining itself in terms of the Wikipedia entry, Flickr pages and other sites with content it doesn't necessarily control.
I think it’s a daring step. Relinquishing control of your brand to the unwashed masses always is. But it may be a smart one, too. It certainly caught lots of buzz on the blogs.
What do you think? Are we wise to advise clients to take this kind of (very) transparent approach in sharing their stories? Or does relinquishing all control of the message defeat the very purpose of strategic communications?
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