(Tricia, Industry Involvement) Permanent link
“They call me Stacey. They call me her. They call me Jane. That's not my name. That’s not my name.” – The Ting Tings
I hate when someone gets my name wrong. Or worse, when I can’t remember someone else’s name. I find this to be a particularly frustrating problem at networking events, where I meet several people in a short timeframe.
Here are a few tips for keeping names firmly planted in your mind, instead of in one ear and out the other.
Repetition – When first introduced to someone use his or her name immediately. “Nice to meet you Joe. I’m Tricia.” Try to use his or her name several more times during the conversation. This will help the name firmly take root in your memory.
Word Association – Think of someone with the same name or an object that sounds similar to your new contact’s full name. For example, if I meet someone named Erin, I may associate her with my colleague, Erin Gregory. Or if I meet someone named Tim Khann I could associate him with a tin can.
Visualization – Picture the person’s name on their forehead, nametag or written on your hand. Visualization is another great trick.
Most importantly, experts say the key is to PAY ATTENTION. It is so easy to only half-listen, think about your next networking encounter, or ruminate on what’s going on at the office. Resist the urge. Be present in your conversations. It will pay off in the end. Resources Ezinearticles CNN
(Matt D., Integrated Marketing (IMC)) Permanent link Usually, my job requires me to work with words. Press releases, pitches, bylines-all are projects I have and continue to work on for my clients. Recently, however, I found myself supervising both a photo shoot and a commercial shoot for a client. Let me tell you what I learned.
First, a bit of background. Mid America Coach recently relocated to a lovely building off 350 Highway in Raytown, Mo. Now, I haven’t seen their old location, but it has been described to me as a Quonset hut in a cornfield. Certainly not ideal for a business that sells mobility vans and shuttle buses. As part of the grand opening event we put together for them, we hired a wonderful architectural photographer named Michael Spillers to come out and take some shots of the building. As part of our strategy to refresh Mid America Coach’s brand, we wanted to get some nice images of the new location to use on the company’s website, in sales collateral, and of course in material promoting the grand opening. I had the opportunity to attend the shoot and make sure the camera saw the best side Mid America Coach had to offer. The grand opening was a success as well. A few weeks later, we had the opportunity to work with KSHB-TV to shoot a commercial at the new location. I again went out and helped Kirt, Rick and Steve set up shots and make sure the new Mid America Coach brand was communicated effectively. You can check out the final product here.
These two situations were quite the learning experience for something accustomed to working with words. Here’s a couple quick learnings I gained from the process:
• Lighting is CRUCIAL – During Michael’s photo shoot, we spent an hour laying out the shots we wanted to do, and then another hour waiting for the right light. He even brought out sun charts when planning the shots to make sure the sun would be at the correct angle. The man knows his stuff.
• You can’t control the weather – One of the major factors in having the right light is having the right weather. We were constantly checking weather reports and rescheduling both shoots due to cloudy and/or stormy conditions.
• Experience is key – Michael and the KSHB crew are seasoned vets in their respective mediums. We relied on them and their expertise to create the best product possible. Another example of how experience is a key factor in success.
(Eric, Community Leadership, Executive Insights) Permanent link
 I recently participated in a very special “hardhat” tour of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. According to the construction experts, it’s 55% complete and is scheduled to be open for the 2010-2011 performance season.
This dual theater complex promises to be one of the finest venues ever built to experience live performances. The center will include a 1,600-seat concert hall and a 1,800-seat proscenium theatre, and will be the performance home for the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and the Kansas City Ballet, as well as a multitude of special events.
You can read about something and visit the website, but it’s never as good as actually experiencing it. Now that I’ve “kicked the tires,” I can’t wait to return and enjoy live performances.
The attention to detail is amazing, and the commitment to excellence is inspirational. A few examples… the acoustics will be state-of-the art, right down to innovative air handling systems to eliminate noise and vibration. The catwalks are ADA accessible. The lobby will be encased in a glass wall providing incredible vistas of our city. The seats will have screens allowing each patron to control the language and imagery to enhance the live performance. And on and on…
Fundraising continues during this very challenging economic time, including a very clever Seat Naming Campaign. I know we will finish this wonderful new facility, and successfully add another crown jewel to our community. Contact Joan Israelite to learn more at 816-994-7200 or jisraelite@kauffmancenter.org.
With much appreciation to Jane Chu, President and Chief Executive Officer, and civic leader Julia Irene Kauffman and her mom, Muriel McBrien Kauffman. Along with hundreds of others, their vision will help propel Kansas City into the forefront of live performance venues.
Kudos to all!
 
(Erin, Integrated Marketing (IMC), Creativity) Permanent link This week one of our clients asked me what I thought about updating their PowerPoint template. At first I thought, well, I’m really more of a wordsmith than a design guru.
But, I wanted to see what some experts are saying about the latest trends in PowerPoint design. I took on the challenge, and was shocked when I realized how many people are talking about what makes a great PowerPoint presentation. While searching I found some outrageous suggestions, my favorite of which was to print out your PowerPoint presentation on poster-size paper, put it on a flip chart, and actually present it the old-school way…without the computer. I found great insight from several people who study instructional design. This isn’t a widely used term, but it should definitely be a widely used concept. Overall, it means creating a visually appealing presentation that follows proven teaching principles for how people prefer to learn information. As I dove further into the concept I was all of sudden bombarded with tons of new sites to look at regarding the Top 7 Modern Approaches to data visualization, and a Periodic Table of Visualization Methods. Now, I’m excited to go to our client and share what I’ve learned. There is a lot we can do with PowerPoint to help their prospects and customers learn more about the products and services they offer. There’s new ways to present evergreen data, better ways to explain technical specs, and more effective ways to present company background and steps of an implementation process. Here’s the bottom line – the template should be representative of the company look and feel, clean and easy to read, and conducive to text, tables, graphs and pictures. The use of bullet-points is still debatable, and complex, 3-D graphics that have no purpose other than to look pretty are out. In 2009, expect to see professional, straightforward, easy to comprehend presentations. (Eric, Executive Insights) Permanent link"Look in the carts—the carts really tell the story."
This quote is by Don Frieson, A Wal-Mart senior VP, in the May 18 Newsweek article entitled, “Watching Us Save, One Cart At A Time.” Love ‘em or hate ‘em, Wal-Mart has the pulse of the American consumer. They took $400+ billion of our dollars last year. The view from inside our shopping carts is fascinating. We’re buying much more “prepared foods” (like take-and-bake pizzas) instead of going out. We’re using shopping lists to control our impulse spending, and still, consumers are putting back products they selected and not buying them right at the register. We may think we need / want it, but at the moment of purchase, we vote no. I spend a lot of time talking with clients and other executives representing hundreds of businesses. That’s what comes with being CEO of a leading strategic integrated communications agency, and working on The Chamber’s board of directors, among many other connections. One truism in life is that in order to effectively move forward, we must accept “the truth” of the way things actually are. For example, if I look in the mirror and say to myself, “you know, I look good,” well, I probably won’t lose the weight I really need to. Today, I see such a wide mix of business results. Several clients are having a solid year of both growth and profit; others, not so much. Some are optimistic; some are not. Everyone pines to see the end of this economic downturn. But still, we must accept the truth. And the truth, according to Frieson’s beliefs, is that, “a rebound in sales of adult apparel and jewelry will signal that the economy is turning up.” So, keep an eye out for your friends in a new pair of jeans and some fresh bling. Until then, remember, this too shall pass. Onward and upward. (Eric, Jessica G., Community Leadership, Company Updates) Permanent link Congrats to Eric! The Kansas City chapter of International Association of Business Communicators (KC/IABC) hosted its annual Bronze Quill Awards Gala on Friday, May 8. Eric Morgenstern, was presented with the Arthur E. Lowell Award, which recognizes excellence, achievement and civic involvement of area business communicators. We secretly helped (along with Justin Goldsborough of Sprint) put together this video tribute to Eric. It explains why he's deserving of this high honor. Our team also took home a Bronze Quill Award for our work for Nonprofit Connect and an Award of Merit for our work for Arrow Truck Sales.
(Clara, Integrated Marketing (IMC), Social Media) Permanent link I took some vacation time last week to chill at home and not do anything -- a "staycation" as some would call it.
One of the key things I wanted to get a break from was the feeling of trying to drink from a fire hydrant that is the online world. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Blogs/RSS Feeds. Email. I know many in my generation and others view these tools as essential to their personal lives. But since I'm in marketing I think to a certain degree I will always view them as essential to my professional growth. And when you're on vacation, all things professional should be on hold.
So I tried to get away from Twitter. Nice try -- the television world was all a twitter last week (and probably this week too). Everyone on TV is twittering: the hosts of ABC's The View, the sportscasters for the Royals games, the Royals themselves, Oprah, Ashton Kutcher, the news. Need I continue?
On one hand, I should be happy that a tool with tons of potential to benefit businesses and marketers is becoming more mainstream. On the other hand, it was making me feel inadequate and I wondered "How could all of these new twitterers possibly be 1) adding value with their posts 2) having time to keep up with it 3) actually enjoying it as much as they say?" Am I the only one that finds it overwhelming? What's hype and what's reality?
I think I got an answer today when I came across an article saying 6 in 10 new Twitter users drop out in their first month. However, the article also makes a good point that the study may be grossly inaccurate because it did not track people using applications, such as TweetDeck.
I'm sure this is all just a natural process that happens when any new technology is being adopted. Right? There's people who get it, people who are trying, people who want to look like they're trying and people who don't get it at all.
We just have to stay along for the ride, keep a positive attitude and an open mind. (Eric, Integrated Marketing (IMC), Executive Insights) Permanent link
If I say Verizon Wireless, you can immediately state a few attributes of that well-known brand. If I say (insert your name) to people who know you, they can do the same.
That’s your personal brand. It's what people think of you, when they think of you.
The only thing you ever own is your reputation and your relationships…everything else is transitory. Your personal brand (essentially combining your reputation with everyone who matters to you), stays with you 24 x 7. The question isn’t, “do I have a personal brand?” The only real question is, “how am I managing my personal brand?”
I was honored to give a keynote recently to 250 people at the KU Edwards Campus entitled, “Me, Myself and I: Building your Personal Brand." (The podcast and slides are located here…please download if you’d like to hear the 45-minute presentation).
Effective personal brand management is the key to achieving your personal, professional and financial goals. All of us are much better – and frankly, more comfortable – managing other brands, than focusing on ourselves. But just remember what Hillel said thousands of years ago: “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?”
Everyone will benefit from applying proven marketing principles to the management of our personal brands.
Good luck; onward and upward.
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