Customer Engagement | Choosing the Truth

Guy Kawasaki’s “Enchantment” – The Guidebook for a New Kind of Leadership

Written on March 8, 2011 by Jerry in customer engagement, entrepreneur, great books, passion, raving fans, Small Business Success, transparency

When I first got my preview copy of Guy Kawasaki’s “Enchantment” (yes, I got a free copy, and yes, that’s an affiliate link), I wasn’t sure what to expect. I don’t really know that much about Guy, and I haven’t read any of his other books (sorry Guy). I knew he was something of a big deal on Twitter and that he was the guy (no pun intended) behind Alltop.com, but that was about it.

In other words, I started “Enchantment” with zero expectations. I only tell you that so you’ll understand that what I’m about to say isn’t colored by my being a long-time Guy Kawasaki fanboy.

Now that we understand each other, let me just say this: whatever you’re doing, stop now for as long as it takes to jump over to Amazon and buy this book. Yes, it’s that good.

Guy has distilled the art of getting people to support your cause down to simple, manageable steps. Whether it’s a business, a charity, a product or an idea, enchantment is the art of rallying not just support but commitment from those you lead or those in the trenches with you. In Guy’s own words, “if you need to enchant people, you’re doing something meaningful. If you’re doing something meaningful, you need enchantment.”

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CES Business Lesson #2: What Does Your Tag Line Say About You?

Written on January 18, 2011 by Jerry in customer engagement, sales, sales process, Small Business Success, transparency

While I was wandering around the show floor and in the mixers and meetups at CES, I noticed an interesting trend. When I would ask people, “So, what do you do?” most would regurgitate their company name and tag line, followed immediately by the phrase “And what that means is…”

I began to wonder: if your tag line requires a follow up explanation, is it the right tag line? Wouldn’t it be better to work a little harder and devise a tag line that clearly communicates what you do, no explanation required?

I know we all like to think up these clever, cute phrases that force people to ask “Oh? What does that mean?”. Here’s the problem, though: most people don’t ask. Instead, they smile, nod politely, and go find someone else to talk to, all the while at a loss for what it is that you actually do.

If you find yourself saying “And what that means is…” after your company tag line, try simplifying. Just say what you do, no bells, no whistles, no mysteries wrapped in enigmas. You’ll probably be surprised at how refreshing the people you talk to find your transparency.

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CES Business Lesson #1: Let’s Talk TP

Written on January 13, 2011 by Jerry in customer engagement, customer service, passion, raving fans, Small Business Success

OK: let me start by saying that my decision to wait until Wednesday morning (the morning I left for CES 2011 in Las Vegas) to book my hotel room for CES was probably, in hindsight, a huge mistake.

Rooms on the Strip that would normally go for $60-$70 a night were suddenly in the $300-$400 range. Unreal. So I ended up staying at the Siena Suites in Henderson. It was a nice enough place, kind of an extended stay type of hotel with a kitchen, living room and bedroom. It was clean, quiet, and the bed was reasonably comfortable; everything I look for in a hotel.

Except for the toilet paper. I’m not sure what S & M torture shop the management bought it in, but I’d have to guess that it was one that leaned a little more heavily toward the S. Stiff and rough, while great qualities in a scotch on the rocks, are not what you want in toilet paper. At least, they’re not what I want.

A quick review of the prices on ToiletPaperWorld.com (no, I didn’t make that up…click the link if you don’t believe me) shows that prices range from about $.50 per roll on the low end to a high of about $1.25 for the premium grade stuff.

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Want to Make Your New Product Stick? Tell Me a Story!

Written on December 28, 2010 by Jerry in customer engagement, Getting to "Yes", mindset, sales, sales process, Small Business Success

This article will appear in my “Selling Points” column in the February 2011 issue of TLT Magazine. You get a preview; after all, membership has it’s privileges!

With the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) a little over a week away, I’m being bombarded with email requests from companies and publicity firms asking me to “stop by our booth” to see the latest blah, blah, blah…

I’ve got all the emails flagged for follow-up; I know I need to get back to all of them and make the appointments and yet I can’t quite bring myself to do it, mostly because I just don’t care. Don’t get me wrong: I’m really looking forward to the show and getting the chance to see, touch and play with all the new toys that will soon hit the shelves of your local Best Buy. And I’m really looking forward to four days in Las Vegas. What I don’t care about is the hype.

I have some bad news for you: nobody, and I do mean NOBODY, cares about your new products nearly as much as you do. I know that probably comes as a bit of a shock; after all, your company may have dumped hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions of dollars into researching, developing and testing that new product. You may be prepared to spend millions more on marketing it to the public. It’s sad, I know, but it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t care.

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5 Mistakes That Are Killing Your Marketing – Part 4

Written on September 29, 2010 by Jerry in 5 Deadly Marketing Mistakes, customer engagement, sales process, Small Business Success

I hope you’re enjoying this series about the five marketing mistakes everyone makes (and how to avoid them). By way of a recap, so far we’ve talked about how to determine who, specifically, you’re talking to, how to determine what action you want them to take next, and how to go about asking them to do it. If you’ve come this far, then you definitely don’t want to fall victim to…

Mistake #4 – You Don’t Give Them a Compelling Reason To DO IT NOW!

Sometimes, just asking your prospect to take some specific action isn’t enough; you have to give them a reason to take the next step, and to take it immediately. Why the hurry?

If your prospect doesn’t take the desired action right away, what do you think are the odds he or she will remember to do it later, especially when no longer under the spell of your alluring marketing piece? I’ll tell you: the odds are non-existent. If your prospect doesn’t take the action you want her to NOW, you’ve likely lost your only shot. That said, how do you get them to do something immediately?

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5 Mistakes That Are Killing Your Marketing – Part 1

Written on September 8, 2010 by Jerry in 5 Deadly Marketing Mistakes, customer engagement, passion, Small Business Success

Last week, Karl Palachuk and I did an episode of his Cloud Services Roundtable Podcast. We talked about the 5 mistakes that kill most marketing campaigns, and how they can be avoided. The podcast went really well, so I thought I’d share what we talked about and see what you all had to add. This will be a five-parter, so stay tuned for more.

Mistake #1: You Don’t Know Who You’re Talking To

Of all the mistakes you could make when starting a new marketing campaign, this is the biggest. Having a clear idea of who you’re talking to is critical to the success of your campaign; after all, if you don’t know who you’re talking to, how will you know what to say?

Think about it: do you use the same words, tone, and inflection when you’re trying to communicate with a 22-year-old girl as you do when addressing a 55-year-old man? Of course not. How about when talking to a devoutly religious person versus a skeptical agnostic, even if they both happen to be the same age, sex and race? Again, the answer is no. Instead, you tailor your message for the individual you’re speaking to. Why would your marketing messages be any different?

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Speaking of Transparency

Written on August 24, 2010 by Jerry in customer engagement, passion, transparency

Since I’ve been advocating the spirit of transparency, I have a confession to make: I have absolutely no idea how to launch a product. And before you start sending me tips for doing it right, I should also add that I’m not sure I want to know.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been working on a project for a new program I’m going to offer starting in September. The site for the program is MyBlogWhisperer.com, and it’s designed to help bloggers get out of their own way and start writing or recoding and sharing what’s in their heart. I’m really excited about the program, and I can’t wait to take my first registration.

Here’s the thing, though: I feel weird promoting my own stuff. I know I’ve got something valuable to share, but I don’t feel inclined to make a huge deal out of it. And I definitely don’t want to be a cheeseball internet marketer pitching the product of the week. I just want folks to know what I’m up to and, if they like the sound of it, to join me in the class.

So, wise readers, how do I do it? How do I balance the desire to build some positive buzz and get the signups coming in without resorting to “yellow highlighter” tactics? What do you all think of the page and the program? Please let me know your thoughts, and thanks for reading!

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Are You Still Branding? – Guest Post by Todd Pillars

Written on August 17, 2010 by Todd Pillars in customer engagement, entrepreneur, passion, social media

I’m part of a discussion over at LinkedIn Groups (I didn’t link to it to protect my their identity) about branding and whether or not it’s still relevant. They’re tossing around terms like media channels and marketing equations. They are confusing brand equity with market share. The marketing insiders just don’t get it. Granted they are talking to other marketing professionals. However, if they are true to their own brand then it is bound to leak through – ask any I.T. marketer about verticals, optimization, and integration.

I’m of the belief that, while the spirit of branding is still applicable (only it’s called promotion), the term branding is WAY over used. And because of the communication platform of the Internet (I tried really, really hard not say Social Media) branding has given way, thankfully, to “having a conversation”.

I used this example:

You have a company of 500 people. 400 people manufacture, package, and ship your super-duper baby spit-up remover. 50 of them are out there selling it. 10 are marketing folks. 40 provide support services and management. What’s the chance of all 500 employees living the brand? A snowball’s survival comes to mind.

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Are You Acting Like a Scared 9-Year-Old? – Guest Post by Todd Pillars

Written on July 27, 2010 by Todd Pillars in beliefs, customer engagement, entrepreneur, Small Business Success

You’re standing on the playground and it’s the first day of school. You know exactly two people – your little brother and the lady that says she’s your new teacher – neither beneficial to making new friends. You’re scared stiff and you’re at a crossroads… Do I act like them? Or, do I be myself? What’s the best way to get them all to like me?

Wisdom tells us you can’t please everyone. However, it can be tough to call some entrepreneurs wise. It’s been my experience working with first time business owners and salespeople that it’s instinctual to group “everyone” into the “user of my product/service” category. We want everyone to fall in love with our wares. It’s also been my first-hand experience that no, not everyone is your ideal prospect (or client, partner, etc). Some customers can actually cost you money! How, you ask?

By being so different from you, and most importantly your core values and beliefs, that you are forced to repeatedly convince them why they need you. Then you have the added burden of selling them your product or service. Then you have to constantly reinforce their decisions just to retain them. Have you recognized your worst clients yet?

So what’s to do about it? Repeat after me: “Just like them”.

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Preaching to Your Choir

Written on July 21, 2010 by Jerry in beliefs, customer engagement, passion, Small Business Success

“If you talk about what you believe, you will attract those who believe what you believe.” – Simon Sinek

“The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.” – Derek Sivers

I have a confession: I’m pretty much addicted to TED Talks. I find them inspiring…mostly because I respect the level of insight, information and intelligence the presenters share in their allotted 18 minutes. Here’s what usually happens, though: I never can watch just one. I can never resist the temptation to watch another…and another…and sometimes, another.

The problem is that, like YouTube, TED.com always has a suggestion for what to watch next based on what you’re watching now. That’s how I ended up seeing the two geniuses above speak, one after the other, and where I garnered the two quotes above.

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Category Archives: customer engagement

Mistake #4 – You Don’t Give Them a Compelling Reason To DO IT NOW!

Mistake #1: You Don’t Know Who You’re Talking To