Last post, I discussed the problem with the “fake it ’til you make it” approach to business, namely the difficulty it creates for building open, honest, transparent relationships with your clients.  I promised to follow with a post discussing the benefits of transparency in your business, so here goes.

#1 – Transparency Builds Trust

When I read a post by Johnny B. Truant that detailed a financial difficulty he had in the past and how he dealt with it, I felt an instant affinity for him.  I could tell as I was reading the post that this was a guy who really got it, a guy who could relate to the struggles I was going through and, as a result, I trusted him immediately.

Funny how that works, isn’t it.  I mean, I’ve never met Johnny; for all I know, he could be a guy who beats up Boy Scouts and steals money from nuns to support his toad-licking habit.  Whatever he is, though, I trust him because he had the guts to tell the world that his life isn’t always sunshine and roses, and that occasionally he gets kicked in the crotch, too.

When you’re that honest with people, you can’t lose.  Oh sure, some people would refuse to do business with you if they found out you were late on your car payment, but I’ll let you in on a little secret: they’re probably not any fun to do business with anyways.  Let them go, and spend your time and energy getting to know the people who get you.  Which brings us to…

#2 – Transparency Helps Your Choir Find You

I’ve been talking a lot lately about the idea of finding and preaching to your choir; in other words, spending all of your effort and energy marketing to that portion of the population that’s just like you.  Being transparent is the only way for them to find you.  If you’re spending your time “faking it”, hiding behind the illusion you think the world wants to see, they’ll never have a chance to connect with you.

Your choir is looking for a leader who’s not afraid to say the things they’re feeling.  That’s you.  If you step into the light and share your thoughts, your fears, your frustrations, they’ll love you for it.  And because they love you, they’ll buy your stuff, whether it’s an information product, a training program, or a more traditional product or service.  They won’t stop there, though: they’ll also tell their friends to buy from you.  Because you get it and you’re not afraid to say it.  Doesn’t that sound like fun?  Which reminds me…

#3 – Transparency Is Fun

Honestly.  I wouldn’t lie about a thing like that.  Seriously, once you get over your initial fear of being found out and exposed, telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth is exhilarating.  You’re no longer saddled with the fear of getting caught; you’re free to let it all hang out, and that kind of liberation from the psychological bondage of your past is, well…liberating.

So isn’t it time you let your light shine?

If you need some help figuring out how to do it, I’d love to help.  Post a comment or send me an email, and let’s figure out how to get you over what’s holding you back.  And for those of you who are ready to go “all out”, check out my new Blog Whisperer program, a 90-day course that will guide you through the process of getting your ideas out of your head and onto the screen so that your choir can find you.

Thanks for reading!

pos·tur·ing

1 : to assume a posture; especially : to strike a pose for effect
2 : to assume an artificial or pretended attitude

This post has been stewing in my brain for days, and I think it’s about time I get it out.  If it seems a little disjointed, well, consider the source.

I’m calling out the “fake it ’til you make it crowd”; I think it’s time to put that idea to rest.  While the philosophy seemed like a good one at first blush, I’m beginning to understand that “faking it” is just another way of hiding from the fear of being open, honest and transparent.

The thought is that by pretending you’ve already arrived at the destination, somehow the journey will be less arduous and time-consuming.  If you’ll just act like a successful business person (i.e. “fake it”), so the theory goes, people will assume that you are a successful businessperson and will want to do business with you (i.e. you’ll “make it”).  Sounds good, right?  You can move to the front of the class without doing any homework or passing any tests; who wouldn’t want to do that?  Where do I sign up?

Here’s the problem, though: if you’re not a successful business person, pretending to be one is at least a little dishonest.  What happens if that new client, trusting in the posture you’ve assumed, hands over a project you’re not prepared to deal with and you continue to fake it?  What could your posturing cost you (not to mention your client) in the long run?

For the record, I want to be perfectly clear that “acting as if” and visualizing your success, both on your own and with your team, is one of the best ways to stay optimistic and to keep moving forward.  What I’m concerned about, though, is the growing number of people I meet who are taking these exercises out into the world with them, pretending to know things they don’t know, taking on work that they don’t know how to do and have no intention of learning how to do, and causing harm to others in the process.

And why are they doing it?  Because they’re living in fear of being “found out”.  They fear if their clients find out that they’re struggling, the clients will go away.  They fear admitting they’re having a tough time because they think it diminishes their value in the marketplace.  They fear having their failures exposed.  And so they “assume an artificial or pretended attitude”; they posture, hoping that no one will see the panic behind their plastic smiles.

It’s time to stop the madness.  It’s time we all stopped posing and started being.  It’s time to be OK with what IS, to accept it, to embrace it, to be grateful for it, to appreciate it, to revel in its perfection.

Struggling to pay your bills?  Welcome to the club…we’re accepting new members daily.  Wondering how you’re going to make payroll this month?  Know that you’re not alone.  Recovering from a failed business, a failed relationship, or a failed everything?  Me too.  And that’s OK.  You know why?

Because life, in its infinite perfection, is teaching us the lessons we need to learn to prepare us for the greatness we were born for.

It’s a fine balance to maintain, and difficult at times, to live in that space where you’re simultaneously visualizing a better future and accepting the “IS”-ness of the present moment; if you’ll be patient with it, though, it will get easier.  Deciding on the policy of transparency is a tough row to hoe, but the rewards outweigh the risks ten-fold.  Stay tuned for a discussion of the benefits in a future post; in the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

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.

Now, you could run a print ad in Parenting Magazine (which I’m actually reading right now ) that reaches 2.1 million (per Wikipedia) and control what your potential customers READ about you. But that brand equity gets used up fast if you publish an inappropriate photo in your online-newsletter (Google Parenting, Fox, Boston).  And look what home equity loans did the the real estate market.

My solution: have a conversation. Start at the largest forum for your industry – it’s not hard to find and Google is your friend. Ask questions to find out what the end-user of your product or service finds attractive about it. Listen to their answers and provide feedback they can understand.

Why do you think the “Old Spice Guy” is so successful? IMB has an idea (BEWARE there are tons of buzzwords) that I think is spot on. They are creating a conversation, in real time no less, that answers questions from their customers. Ding, Ding, Ding. We have a winner!

So what conversations are you starting with your customers today?

Oh, if you think I’m way off base, let’s have a conversation about it

____________________________________________________________

In addition to his regular contributions on The Motivation 101 Blog, guest author Todd Pillars spends his days teaching entrepreneurs how to appreciate their customers.  Check out his “Just Like Them” blog, but beware: if you give him a reason, he’ll send you a card!

Carl Taylor, Entrepreneur and Author

There are a lot of websites and speakers that are trying to motivate you. They motivate you to take action, to get off your ass and achieve more. But if you’re an idiot and someone motivates you, you are now just a motivated idiot, and you are going to do idiotic things faster.

Motivated idiots are those people who go to their first property seminar, hear a sales pitch disguised as education that says you must invest right now in this off the plan unit block, immediately sign on the dotted line and a few years later wonder why they don’t have the returns they expected.

I’m not meaning to have a go at seminar selling, or even property seminars; they are viable business methods and have their place.  What you should be focusing on is “their first” as in it was their first seminar. The presenter did a great job and got them motivated, but at this stage they were just a motivated idiot and they made an idiotic decision because they didn’t know what questions to ask.

No need to be alarmed as there is a cure… a 3 step process that you can use to avoid being a Motivated Idiot.

Step 1. Get Educated

Step 2. GET Educated

Step 3. GET EDUCATED

Education is the key…and I’m not talking typical education that you go to school or university for years and years to get. I’m talking about practical how-to steps and specific experiences – the kind of knowledge that you get from having been there and done that, from mentors and friends, the kind of knowledge that is shared in non-fiction books and videos and at educational seminars.

The better educated you are on a subject, the better the questions you can ask, which in turn will help you make better decisions.

So get out there and educate yourself, pick a topic and start absorbing information through books, mentors, seminars and so forth…then you will know that you are not a motivated idiot.

Here’s to YOUR Success.

Carl Taylor is the author of Red Means Go! - Secrets to Achieving a Happy, Effective and Successful Life with You in the Driver’s Seat, which is now available on iTunes!  Get TWO free chapters from www.carltaylor.com.au

Just when you thought you had it all figured out...

So there I was, minding my own business, traveling down the highway, when I noticed that all the cars taking my exit were slowing down pretty drastically.  Naturally I slowed down too and, being the defensive driver that I am, I also checked my rear view mirror to make sure the driver behind me was following suit.  Strangely enough, he wasn’t.

I did my best to get out of his way, but there simply wasn’t enough time.  By the time he realized what was happening and hit his brakes, it was too late.  SMACK!  Bumper met bumper, a lot of glass and plastic was shattered, and two days immediately changed direction.  Just like that: no warning, no preparation, no planning, just change.

Life is full of little surprises like that, some good, some not so good, and each contains a lesson…if you look for it.  I know it will come as a surprise to everyone reading this, but I’ve decided to look for the lesson in my little melodrama.

Risk Is A Part of Life, Especially Business Life

First, let’s talk about risk.  Every time I climb behind the wheel of my 5,000 pound vehicle, I know there’s a degree of risk involved.  I do my best to minimize the risk: I always wear my seat belt, always drive defensively, always pay attention to the cars around me, that sort of thing, but I can never eliminate the risk entirely.  No matter what I do, there are other people on the road and I have no control over their actions.

The same is true of your business.  No matter what plans you make or how many precautions you take, there’s risk: risk of financial loss, risk of looking foolish, risk of failure.  If you want to avoid risk, don’t go into business for yourself.  Of course, working in someone else’s business comes with its own set of risks.  Risk is unavoidable; it’s an integral part of human existence.

The good news is that where there’s risk, there’s also reward, and often (but not always) the greater the risk, the greater the reward.  So what’s holding you back from taking a few risks?

When It Comes to Reactions, the Choice Is Yours

I’ve been in accidents before.  They suck, no doubt about it.  This one was a little different, though; instead of freaking out and getting upset, I was totally relaxed.  The other driver was obviously embarrassed and very sorry, and it just seemed to me that pitching a fit would be counter-productive.  So I chose to stay cool, calm, relaxed.  In the grand scheme, what happened was no big deal.  Yes, I’m sore and will probably have to spend some time recovering, but no one died.  The car’s can be repaired or, worst case scenario, replaced.

The lesson?  Always remember that we choose our reactions to our circumstances; whether we make the choice consciously or not is up to us, but either way, our reaction is our domain.  Not life’s, not God’s, not the other guy’s: ours.  Owning that choice is the difference between living life or letting life live you.

So the next time something you weren’t prepared for happens in your business, stop for a moment and decide how you’re going to react to the situation.  It could be one of the most important decisions of your life.

When Things Go To Hell, Keep Your Wits About You

My wife has been drilling into me for years the importance of getting as much information as you can out of the other driver including, if at all possible, a written statement.  The reason, she says, is that the moments immediately after an accident are when you are most likely to get a truthful answer, before the other driver has a chance to start crafting a different version of what happened.  You’d be surprised how many contrite accident-causers cry foul after chatting with their friends.

Partly because of those reminders and partly, I believe, because I chose to stay calm, I remembered to ask for the written statement.  The other driver was so shaken, he actually wrote a full confession, even writing that he had been distracted by a passing truck-full of cucumbers and hadn’t had time to react to me stopping.  Amazing!

This is a great endorsement for two of the most important words in your business: Don’t Panic!  Panic is distracting and it leads to making bad decisions.  If you panic, you’re not thinking clearly.  Instead of panicking, stop for a moment, take a few deep breaths, and think about your next step.  Chances are pretty good that you know what to do; you just need to quiet your mind down enough to be able to hear the answer.

So there you have it: three business lessons from a fender-bender.  What lessons do you see in it?  Leave a comment to let me know!

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”.

Be yourself. Be genuine, heartfelt, grateful. Be true to your beliefs. Be nice. And be visible in the marketplace doing all those things. Show people how much they will benefit by you being in their lives. Show them how they’ll be treated as part of your group. Show them how you value the same things they do and believe in the same things they do. They’ll be much more open-minded to hearing about how your product or service can help them. You’ll be surrounded by people that are just like you. And they’ll bring people just like them to hear your message. And they’ll bring more just like them…

Oh, and be polite.  Say “Thank You!”

Thank You for Being You!

Todd Pillars

So, I had this crazy idea on Wednesday: why not spend this weekend doing a Blog Building Marathon?  After all, I love blogging, I love the setup process, I know people who want to start blogging but don’t know how, and, best of all, it beats doing yard-work.  Never one to think small, I immediately set a BHAG I could be proud of: I set the intention to create 20 new blogs between Friday evening and Monday morning.  I know, crazy, right?

I told a few friends what I was planning and asked them to spread the word to anyone they knew who wanted to start blogging but needed a little help to get going.  There were questions, of course.  I also posted my plans on Facebook, which generated a few more questions.  I got my first two new bloggers lined up, and they had even more questions.  So I thought, why not write a blog post to let everyone know why I’m doing this and to answer some of those questions publicly.  Here goes:

Why are you doing this? First and foremost, I’m doing this because I love blogging. I think blogging is a great way to connect with other people who share your passions.  I believe that blogging is a fantastic tool for attracting new clients to your business (or new fans for your music, or new readers for your books…you get the point).  I’m also doing this because I’m getting tired of hearing stories from people who’ve paid big money to blogging “experts”, waited for months to see their sites, and still been disappointed with the results.  I figured that if I could knock out 20 blogs in a weekend for a minimal cost, maybe more people would realize that it’s not as complicated as the “experts” make it sound.

What are you offering? Basically, what you’re going to get is a WordPress blog configured with what I consider to be the essential plugins (if you don’t know what plugins are, don’t worry…I’ll send instructions for using them), including a domain name of your choice and hosting for 12 months.  The blog will be built on one of the thousands of available free WordPress themes, with a little bit of customization to make it uniquely your own.  Nothing fancy, unless you really want it, in which case we’ll need to work out some details.  The blog will also be integrated with your accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn so that when you write a new post, your followers on those sites will know about it automatically.

Is there a cost?  If so, how much? Yes, there is a cost.  Basically, I’m looking to cover the cost of hosting, domain name, and my caffeine and food for the weekend, plus a little something for my time and effort.  Oh, and to hire someone to do the yard-work I’m neglecting.  I’m asking $149, but honestly (and I really do mean this), if that’s not in your budget right now, tell me what is, tell me a good story, and I’ll probably do it anyways.  At the very least, I can give you some pointers on doing it yourself.  Which brings us to the next question…

Can’t I just do this myself?  Or hire the kid down the street to do it? Absolutely you can!  Here’s a little secret the “experts” are going to be mad at me for telling you: WordPress has made it super-easy for people with a limited knowledge of computers to set up a blog and/or website that perfectly suits their needs.  I’m just here to help those who don’t want to do it themselves and would like to just show up on Monday morning and start blogging without worrying about all the set up.  If you want some pointers on doing it yourself, send me an email (jerry@jerrykennedy.com) and I’ll be glad to help.

Why not use a free service like Blogger or WordPress.com? Excellent question!  For the definitive answer, have a look at this article from Hubspot.  It basically boils down to this: if you ever plan to use your blog for business or to attract traffic to your own website, you’re better off having your own site with your own domain name.  It’s much more flexible and better suited for helping you stand out from the crowd.  That said, if you really want to use one of the free services, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with doing so.  I have a friend with a very popular blog that’s hosted on the free Blogger platform, and he used it to make $100,000 last year.  No shame in that!

What about SEO?  Do you do anything for SEO?  Because all the “experts” say that SEO is SO important! Glad you asked.  I do recommend you use the “All In One SEO Pack” plugin, which is included in your installation, and I’ll send you some instructions on how to use it.  Here’s the thing about SEO, though: it matters, but not as much as everyone pretends it does.  What really counts with the search engines is whether or not your content is relevant to the person who is searching for answers! Write good content, stuff that your target audience would enjoy reading, and the search engines will love you for it.  Sure, there are ways that you can game the system so that you can “drive traffic” to your pointless, irrelevant website.  Trust me, though; you won’t like what happens when Google catches on to your game, I promise.  Write for people, not for search engines, and the people who align with your values will find you.

Won’t this project just add more crap to the blogosphere? Possibly, but I’m one of those radicals who thinks that everyone should have a voice, if they want one.  After all, one man’s crap is another man’s I Can Haz Cheezburger.

Here’s the bottom line for this project: blogging is one of the most democratic things to come along in decades.  It provides an opportunity for people to share their thoughts, beliefs, feelings, pictures, videos, music, drawings, artwork…whatever…with the world.  It’s my personal belief that there should be no barriers to entry; everyone (even the ones I don’t agree with or who I think are morons) should be able to participate.

And for those who want to use blogs to market their products or attract new clients to their businesses, I say “Good for you!”  I also say you don’t have to invest a ton of money and wait for weeks or months to get started.  I’m a big advocate of “completion over perfection”, and I’d like to help you get started down the road to using a blog as a way to build your business.

So if you or anyone you know would like to have a blog of your very own by Monday morning, send me an email.  The address again is jerry@jerrykennedy.com.  Or just leave a comment with your contact info and I’ll get in touch with you.  And I’m totally serious about the money part.  If $149 isn’t going to work for you, talk to me.

Let’s get you that blog you want!

I love the moxie of a small company in a small town in Northern California who looks at a giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and says “Yeah…we can fix that.”

That’s exactly what Mobius Technologies, of Lincoln, CA, has done, and they didn’t stop there.  When Mobius realized that it was going to take too long to get through the bureaucracy and red tape required to get their product approved for use in the cleanup, they set about using social media tools like YouTube and Facebook to recruit a volunteer army and encouraged them to spread the message.

And while I think the powers that be at Mobius Technologies are making a huge mistake by not engaging with bloggers to help them spread their message (it seems they don’t consider bloggers to be “true” media outlets), I can’t argue with the results they’re getting.  Have a look at this video from the local ABC affiliate in Sacramento.

Mobius is starting to get some traction, and I applaud the work they’re doing.  More than that, though, I applaud the way they’re going about it.  Here are some valuable lessons other small business owners and entrepreneurs can learn from the example of Mobius Technologies:

The kind of ingenuity and innovation Mobius Technologies is demonstrating is impressive.  They’re a great example of how vision and determination can lead a small business to the forefront of an effort to solve a global problem.

It’s examples like this that make me believe the future is bright for small businesses, especially the ones who can bring an “A game” like the one Mobius Technologies is playing.  Congratulations, guys!

I wanted to share something I came across last week that I believe demonstrates a lot of the principles that this blog is all about.  Have a look at this video, but don’t form an opinion just yet: 

The reason I asked you not to form an opinion just yet is that I’d like for you to get a little more information before you get too excited and start demanding that this product be used in the Gulf oil spill.  I don’t want you guys and gals to start acting like a “herd”!  I do, however, want for this product and Mobius’ claims to get some media attention so that the product can be vetted for use in the cleanup efforts.

So why am I sharing the video, then?

First, I’m intrigued by the claims made about the product.  Coming from a background in the petroleum industry, I’d say at first blush that this looks like a viable solution to the cleanup problem.  Since Mobius Technologies is local to where I live, I’m going to try to arrange an on-site demo and see for myself.  I’ll bring along a camera to record the demo, and I’ll share that video here once it’s done.

Second, I love the fact that this company is taking a proactive, no-holds-barred approach to getting the word out about their product.  I initially came across this video on a friend’s Facebook profile.  I shared it on my wall, and Mobius immediately engaged with me to find out whether I was willing to help them spread the word about MPU.  They’ve been hitting the social media networks hard (without being annoying or spammy), and their efforts are paying off with local press coverage.  If they keep up the effort, you’ll see this product getting national media attention in no time.

Third, I’m sharing this video with you because I think it’s an excellent demonstration of the power of small business to solve global problems.  How amazing would it be if it really turns out that a small company that recycles polyurethane foam (the stuff that’s in your seat cusions and sofas) can clean up one of the worst man-made disasters in history?  I’d say pretty amazing.  This is entrepreneurial ingenuity at it’s best.

So, what can you do to help?  Well, if you’re so inclined, you can click here to have a look at the “Champion Kit” that Mobius has put together to make it easy for you to share their story with your networks.  At the very least, you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter and check out their YouTube channel.  Learn as much as you can about the product, maybe request a sample and try it for yourself, then decide for yourself whether you’d like to help spread the story of how a small business is helping to solve a big problem.

I received an email today from a well-known information marketer (who I have the misfortune to share surnames with) inviting me to join him at a “Herd Building Day” at an upcoming seminar he’s putting on.  I’m sorry, but something about the title of that program just screamed “Come on out…you can learn to be a douchebag like me!” when I read it.

“Herd Building Day”?  Seriously?  I have a question: are they going to teach me how to build a “herd”, or am I going to become part of the “herd” that they’re building?  My guess is the latter.  But wait, there’s more: if I’m one of the first 800 to sign up, I get a super-razzoo discount AND they’ll let me to be part of the “herd” day for free!  Please.  Spare.  Me.

I’ve had my suspicions about this particular marketer before.  The worst was when I received a series of “invitations” to a previous event that became progressively more abusive the closer the event got, eventually culminating in an email that seemed to question my intelligence, pleading with me to pay up and attend the seminar so I could be smart like them.  I wish I would have saved that email, since it was about the closest thing to a perfect example of how to market like a jackass I’ve ever seen.  Instead, I let it get under my skin and deleted it.  Oh well…I’m sure there will be another.

So, back to “Herd Building Day”.  Can you think of a more insulting way to refer to your clients than calling them your “herd”?  I can’t, and I’ve been trying to think of something for the past 20 minutes.  Maybe your “mindless zombie pack”?  No: I think I’d actually rather be a zombie than part of your “herd”.  At least if I was a zombie, I could still come after you to eat your brain.

Let me be perfectly clear: I’m not one of those people who hates sales and marketing.  In fact, I’m a big fan of sales and marketing.  Ask anyone who knows me: sales and marketing is what I do, it’s what I live, eat, sleep and breathe.  I just like to see it done right.  When someone refers to “building a herd” of customers, it turns my stomach.  After all, what do you do with a “herd”?  You milk it for all it’s worth, right?  Does that sound like marketing done right to you?

You know the part of this invitation that bothers me most, though?  The fact that there’s a better than average chance that the seminar is gong to sell out.  Why?  Because there are plenty of people who would love nothing more than to build a herd that they can milk for everything it’s worth.  There are people who are more than happy to fall for the appeal of a shortcut to success.  They’ll line up, cash or credit card in hand, for the opportunity to learn how to make a quick buck off the gullibility of the “herd”.

What they don’t realize, though, is that they are the “herd”.

Do me a huge favor: don’t be like them.  Accept and commit to the fact that lasting success comes to those who follow a course of demonstrating, on a daily basis, that they have the best interest of their customers at heart.  Wouldn’t you rather do that than be part of the “herd”?