Turns out, a lot.
Rap music is not my genre, but I do have to admit to liking some of Eminem’s work. I always have felt he was a storyteller, even if it was a little extreme and overly dramatic. But then, maybe that's just part of the style, as well as a reflection of him and his life.
Frankly, I hadn’t given it much thought, until I read “The Eminem Guide to Becoming a Writing and Marketing Machine” on Copyblogger. Sean Platt makes some great points about writing and marketing, with credits to Eminem — who knew!
Here’s a quick summary:
What Eminem can teach you about writing:
1) Write and read all you can
2) Edit ruthlessly
3) Write what you know
4) Start strong and finish stronger
5) Be concise and use powerful sentences
What Eminem can teach you about marketing:
1) Put yourself out there
2) Be extreme
3) Tell a story
4) Experiment
5) Address objections
Read the whole brilliant piece at: http://www.copyblogger.com/eminem/
Monday, December 7, 2009
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Why I love my dry cleaner
In my previous life, when I worked at big company and wore “big lady” clothes to work, I was a frequent dry cleaning customer. Initially, I went to the neighbourhood dry cleaner because it was convenient, just a few steps from my office.
It didn’t hurt that it was owned by a young Italian guy, who also lived in the area. He was friendly and charming, and it was nice to walk in to the door and get a big hello.
But what I truly loved about the place — or Joe, to be specific — is that he knew who I was. Not just, “hey, how are you, I’ve seen you before” but he knew my name AND my phone number. That was pretty impressive when I was a fairly frequent customer.
These days, I work mostly from home, and don’t have much need for dry cleaning. But I do usually drop by about once a year with a few items that need cleaning. Joe still knows my name, and sometimes even gets my phone number right. I call that great service.
That’s why I still take my dry cleaning to Joe — at Peloso Cleaners — even when there are closer, less expensive cleaners. If you’re ever in Ottawa’s Little Italy, be sure to stop by.
It didn’t hurt that it was owned by a young Italian guy, who also lived in the area. He was friendly and charming, and it was nice to walk in to the door and get a big hello.
But what I truly loved about the place — or Joe, to be specific — is that he knew who I was. Not just, “hey, how are you, I’ve seen you before” but he knew my name AND my phone number. That was pretty impressive when I was a fairly frequent customer.
These days, I work mostly from home, and don’t have much need for dry cleaning. But I do usually drop by about once a year with a few items that need cleaning. Joe still knows my name, and sometimes even gets my phone number right. I call that great service.
That’s why I still take my dry cleaning to Joe — at Peloso Cleaners — even when there are closer, less expensive cleaners. If you’re ever in Ottawa’s Little Italy, be sure to stop by.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Simple survey
Last weekend, I was at a farmer’s market near my cottage. They have a good selection of produce, baked goods and other products such as honey, jams and coffee. It is quite popular and you need to be there early if you want to get your hands on some of the more coveted items – one bakery makes the most amazing sticky buns, which are usually sold out in the first hour.
On a previous visit, I was chatting with the bread baker. He mentioned that he had been coming to this market for more than 20 years. I was shocked to know that it had existed for that long. I guess they must be doing something right to have been successful for that long.
On this visit, they were doing a survey to see how they could improve things. Smart idea. It was their approach that I thought was quite unique, and so simple. They had a couple of poster boards up on easels. The sheets were divided into a couple of sections, each with its own question. Each section was then divided into quarters, each with an answer to the question. To respond to the survey, you were given a strip of stickers that you could use to indicate your answer.
The visual effect was great because it was so easy to see which answers were most common. No more counting ballots or using technology, you could simply see to results — immediately.
On a previous visit, I was chatting with the bread baker. He mentioned that he had been coming to this market for more than 20 years. I was shocked to know that it had existed for that long. I guess they must be doing something right to have been successful for that long.
On this visit, they were doing a survey to see how they could improve things. Smart idea. It was their approach that I thought was quite unique, and so simple. They had a couple of poster boards up on easels. The sheets were divided into a couple of sections, each with its own question. Each section was then divided into quarters, each with an answer to the question. To respond to the survey, you were given a strip of stickers that you could use to indicate your answer.
The visual effect was great because it was so easy to see which answers were most common. No more counting ballots or using technology, you could simply see to results — immediately.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Free prize customer service
In a last ditch effort to get to Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer show, I recently spent most of my Saturday online trying to find an relatively inexpensive way to fly there. I had two key criteria — low cost and short travel time. With multiple web browsers open, I searched Aeroplan, Expedia and Travelocity for several hours before I was finally able to say: “Mission accomplished!”
The result was a flight on points to Chicago and then a low(ish)-priced flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City. The only hitch was a very tight connection in Chicago. Since I was exchanging an existing points flight, I made the arrangements over the phone with an Aeroplan agent. When speaking with the agent, I asked if I could select my seat — to try for a seat at the front on the plane. The agent told me I would have to call United directly. Okay, but wasn’t I booking my flight through Air Canada?
So I called United. After a few minutes of picking my way through a variety of prompts and selections, I was able to select my seats (in the back half of the plane). The process was completely automated — which was kind of cool – but I never had the opportunity to speak with a real person — to explain that I wanted to be as close to the front as possible. Hmmm, not very satisfying, but it would do for the time being — at least I had a seat. I figured I would try to change it later when I checked in.
Since I was traveling on two different tickets, I thought it would be a good idea to call Delta to see if I could ask them to put a note on my file to say I would be arriving on another flight, one not connected to my ticket I purchased through Expedia, with a tight connection.
When I called Delta, it rang a few times before it was answered — by a live person! I had expected to go through a number of prompts, then wait on hold — potentially for many minutes — before being able to speak with an agent. It was quite a shock to immediately reach a real person.
I explained my situation, but she was unable to make such a notation. But it didn’t really matter, I was still basking in the warmth of being able to quickly have a conversation with someone to get an answer to my question, even if it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. It gave me warm and fuzzy thoughts towards Delta.
Often, it’s the little things that make a big difference. This small experience with Delta customer service made a big impression on me. It was so completely different from the experience I was expecting. It’s also a good example of a concept discussed in “Free Prize Inside” by Seth Godin — that something remarkable and unexpected will get people talking about your business or product.
These days, telephone customer service continues to be one area where most companies could make serious improvements. Smart companies might consider following in Delta’s footsteps and start reducing the barriers to communicating directly with customers — barriers that were created in the name of cost-cutting or efficiency, but which have seriously impacted the quality of customer service.
The result was a flight on points to Chicago and then a low(ish)-priced flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City. The only hitch was a very tight connection in Chicago. Since I was exchanging an existing points flight, I made the arrangements over the phone with an Aeroplan agent. When speaking with the agent, I asked if I could select my seat — to try for a seat at the front on the plane. The agent told me I would have to call United directly. Okay, but wasn’t I booking my flight through Air Canada?
So I called United. After a few minutes of picking my way through a variety of prompts and selections, I was able to select my seats (in the back half of the plane). The process was completely automated — which was kind of cool – but I never had the opportunity to speak with a real person — to explain that I wanted to be as close to the front as possible. Hmmm, not very satisfying, but it would do for the time being — at least I had a seat. I figured I would try to change it later when I checked in.
Since I was traveling on two different tickets, I thought it would be a good idea to call Delta to see if I could ask them to put a note on my file to say I would be arriving on another flight, one not connected to my ticket I purchased through Expedia, with a tight connection.
When I called Delta, it rang a few times before it was answered — by a live person! I had expected to go through a number of prompts, then wait on hold — potentially for many minutes — before being able to speak with an agent. It was quite a shock to immediately reach a real person.
I explained my situation, but she was unable to make such a notation. But it didn’t really matter, I was still basking in the warmth of being able to quickly have a conversation with someone to get an answer to my question, even if it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. It gave me warm and fuzzy thoughts towards Delta.
Often, it’s the little things that make a big difference. This small experience with Delta customer service made a big impression on me. It was so completely different from the experience I was expecting. It’s also a good example of a concept discussed in “Free Prize Inside” by Seth Godin — that something remarkable and unexpected will get people talking about your business or product.
These days, telephone customer service continues to be one area where most companies could make serious improvements. Smart companies might consider following in Delta’s footsteps and start reducing the barriers to communicating directly with customers — barriers that were created in the name of cost-cutting or efficiency, but which have seriously impacted the quality of customer service.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The importance of keeping in touch
Last year, I was thinking about selling my house. To help with the decision, I wanted to get an idea of what the house was worth. The best approach seemed to be to contact one of the many real estate agents who were soliciting business in my neighborhood to get an appraisal. In a 3-month period, I had received a number of direct mail pieces from four different agents. After reviewing the materials I had received and doing a little research online, I chose to call two of them.
The first agent I spoke with was friendly and personable. We made an appointment for him to come by and look at the house, after which we agreed to meet again in a week or so to go over his research and findings. In our conversations, he revealed a good understanding of the area and a recognition that my house was somewhat unique as it is more in the style of the adjoining neighborhood, a factor that would have an impact on how it was marketed. We also discussed any repairs or improvements that should be done before the house went on the market. During the several weeks that we spoke and met, I was impressed by him and felt confident that I would be satisfied with him should I decided to put my house up for sale.
Then, I never heard from him again. I realize that I was not sure that I even wanted to sell my house but I thought it was strange that he never even followed up to see what my plans were.
On the other hand, my experience with the other agent was quite different. By the time we spoke, I had already gotten the ball rolling with the first agent. I didn’t want to lead this guy on, so I told him I was still thinking about what I wanted to do. He asked if he could follow up in a couple of months, to which I replied: “no problem”.
Follow up he did. He called every few months to see what I was up to — I was still undecided. And I got on his mailing list, receiving branded notepads and a calendar at various intervals — useful items that put his name in front of me on a regular basis.
Recently, the moving bug was in my head again. So who did I call? Not the first agent, with whom I was initially so enamored. Rather, I called the second agent who had been persistent in keeping in touch with me.
Although I still haven’t decided yet whether I will sell my house, I have changed my opinion on who I will chose to represent me should I decide to move forward.
This is just an example of why it is so important to continue to communicate with your customers and your prospects. Just because someone is not ready to buy, it doesn’t mean you should write them off. Rather, it is just as important to continue a dialogue with them so that you gain a deeper understanding of what they are looking for and what their barriers may be.
The approach, of course, will differ depending on your product, but simply keeping your name in front of the prospect will go a long way in making you the first person they think of when it comes time to commit to a purchase.
The first agent I spoke with was friendly and personable. We made an appointment for him to come by and look at the house, after which we agreed to meet again in a week or so to go over his research and findings. In our conversations, he revealed a good understanding of the area and a recognition that my house was somewhat unique as it is more in the style of the adjoining neighborhood, a factor that would have an impact on how it was marketed. We also discussed any repairs or improvements that should be done before the house went on the market. During the several weeks that we spoke and met, I was impressed by him and felt confident that I would be satisfied with him should I decided to put my house up for sale.
Then, I never heard from him again. I realize that I was not sure that I even wanted to sell my house but I thought it was strange that he never even followed up to see what my plans were.
On the other hand, my experience with the other agent was quite different. By the time we spoke, I had already gotten the ball rolling with the first agent. I didn’t want to lead this guy on, so I told him I was still thinking about what I wanted to do. He asked if he could follow up in a couple of months, to which I replied: “no problem”.
Follow up he did. He called every few months to see what I was up to — I was still undecided. And I got on his mailing list, receiving branded notepads and a calendar at various intervals — useful items that put his name in front of me on a regular basis.
Recently, the moving bug was in my head again. So who did I call? Not the first agent, with whom I was initially so enamored. Rather, I called the second agent who had been persistent in keeping in touch with me.
Although I still haven’t decided yet whether I will sell my house, I have changed my opinion on who I will chose to represent me should I decide to move forward.
This is just an example of why it is so important to continue to communicate with your customers and your prospects. Just because someone is not ready to buy, it doesn’t mean you should write them off. Rather, it is just as important to continue a dialogue with them so that you gain a deeper understanding of what they are looking for and what their barriers may be.
The approach, of course, will differ depending on your product, but simply keeping your name in front of the prospect will go a long way in making you the first person they think of when it comes time to commit to a purchase.
Monday, June 29, 2009
New perspectives to drive your business
I enjoy talking to people — particularly smart, interesting people. There is always something to learn or a new perspective to see. It is easy to be focused on your own thoughts and talking to other people helps to get a different view of the world.
This week, I met with the founder of a local outdoor store to get his perspective on the local outdoor industry. I am in the process of outlining a research project on the subject, so I thought it would be useful to get his thoughts on what has changed over the past 30+ years that he has been in business.
We talked about the shift in what people do with their leisure time; for example: young people are spending less time outdoors and older people are looking for adventures that are more comfortable. The activities people participate in has changed as well; running, trail running and hiking are increasing in popularity while traditional outdoor activities such as paddling, camping and skiing are becoming less popular.
Another interesting trend is that people are tending to dabble in multiple activities rather than become fully invested in one specific pursuit. I expect this applies mostly to activities that are less equipment-intensive or have low barriers to entry (such as availability, cost and required skill).
These trends coincide with recent research by the Outdoor Industry Association. The most alarming trend noted in their latest Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report (2009) is the decrease in participation by 18-24 year olds — in some cases significantly — in the majority of categories. Of the 28 activities surveyed, the key exception was increased participation by this age group in almost all water-based activities, including board sailing/windsurfing (+27%), sailing (+40%) and triathlon (+55%).
Overall, alpine skiing, snowboarding, canoeing, kayaking, camping and climbing experienced low or negative growth while the activities that had the greatest increase in participation include telemark skiing (+22%), snowshoeing (+22%) and backpacking (+19%).
Industry research, such as that generated by organizations like OIA, will help you gain insight into the trends within your industry. It is also important to have a good understanding of how external factors, such as politics and the economy, influence your industry and your business. Even a down economy will create business opportunities. However, it is rarely a good long-term strategy to jump on every trend.
One of the “keys to success” that Wally mentioned during our conversation was to stay true to your roots. Sometimes, this can be a challenge when you seen a great opportunity you think you should take advantage of. To make the decision — on where to expand or what opportunities to pursue — focus on those that are related to your organization’s core business; use your expertise and passion to build on the reputation you have already built.
This week, I met with the founder of a local outdoor store to get his perspective on the local outdoor industry. I am in the process of outlining a research project on the subject, so I thought it would be useful to get his thoughts on what has changed over the past 30+ years that he has been in business.
We talked about the shift in what people do with their leisure time; for example: young people are spending less time outdoors and older people are looking for adventures that are more comfortable. The activities people participate in has changed as well; running, trail running and hiking are increasing in popularity while traditional outdoor activities such as paddling, camping and skiing are becoming less popular.
Another interesting trend is that people are tending to dabble in multiple activities rather than become fully invested in one specific pursuit. I expect this applies mostly to activities that are less equipment-intensive or have low barriers to entry (such as availability, cost and required skill).
These trends coincide with recent research by the Outdoor Industry Association. The most alarming trend noted in their latest Outdoor Recreation Participation Topline Report (2009) is the decrease in participation by 18-24 year olds — in some cases significantly — in the majority of categories. Of the 28 activities surveyed, the key exception was increased participation by this age group in almost all water-based activities, including board sailing/windsurfing (+27%), sailing (+40%) and triathlon (+55%).
Overall, alpine skiing, snowboarding, canoeing, kayaking, camping and climbing experienced low or negative growth while the activities that had the greatest increase in participation include telemark skiing (+22%), snowshoeing (+22%) and backpacking (+19%).
Industry research, such as that generated by organizations like OIA, will help you gain insight into the trends within your industry. It is also important to have a good understanding of how external factors, such as politics and the economy, influence your industry and your business. Even a down economy will create business opportunities. However, it is rarely a good long-term strategy to jump on every trend.
One of the “keys to success” that Wally mentioned during our conversation was to stay true to your roots. Sometimes, this can be a challenge when you seen a great opportunity you think you should take advantage of. To make the decision — on where to expand or what opportunities to pursue — focus on those that are related to your organization’s core business; use your expertise and passion to build on the reputation you have already built.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Measuring performance — it’s really about you
This week, I saw a rerun of The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos. I’m a big fan of the show (and George) — always interesting people and great interviews. This particular show featured Gene Simmons. Now, I can’t say that I’ve ever been a big fan of KISS, but I must admit that Gene Simmons is an interesting character.
During the interview, Gene said something that I quite liked. It was: “There is no such thing as winning; there is only trying to be better than you were before.”
You can spin this comment a number of different ways, but I want to look at it from a business perspective. In some industries, there are benchmarks you can use to evaluate your products against those of other companies. A good example is the automotive industry, which uses such factors as gas mileage, acceleration rate, etc. to compare the performance of different cars. Financial benchmarks are a common way to compare the performance of different companies.
But what about marketing — how do you measure performance and how do you know that you are successful?
Certainly, there are established benchmarks for a variety of activities, such as email open rates, direct mail response rates, etc. When you first try a particular tactic, it may be unreasonable to expect that you will initially achieve that standard. Or if you are trying something completely different, there may not be an established benchmark.
To start, it is important to consider what you to measure — what metrics are important to you? What metrics will help you understand whether you are successful? What metrics can you measure?
Before you start making changes, you need to establish a baseline for the metrics you choose so that you can see the impact of your actions. Once you have a starting point, you will also have a better idea of what goals are appropriate.
Having metrics that are easy to capture is also important so that you can continuously take measurements without too much difficulty. For example, knowing the number of people who enter a store on a daily basis would a good metric for understanding variations in store traffic, but manually counting visitors might be impossible. Therefore, having a mechanical or automated means to capture this information would be necessary in order for the metric to provide valid data.
Measurement doesn’t have to be complicated — a few key metrics can provide useful data — but it does need to be consistent over a period of time. Measuring the same metric over multiple intervals will enable you to see how different actions have an effect.
After establishing a baseline and a few goals, you can test your marketing tactics or messages to see what works best with your audience. It is important not to try doing too many things at the same time, as it will be difficult to know what tactic contributed to any resulting variations. By testing one or two different approaches — such as different offers or call to actions in a direct mail piece — you may discover some valuable insight into what resonates with your customers.
It is also important not to give up too quickly. Keep testing — try different messages, different marketing tactics and different audiences — to see if you can discover the strategy that works best. Making wholesale changes won’t provide you with the answers you need and they could confuse your customer.
While it is good to know what the key benchmarks are, you may find that comparing your results to someone else’s may not provide the most useful information. Rather, having a solid understanding of your own results — and what drives them — may help you find the best way to grow your business.
During the interview, Gene said something that I quite liked. It was: “There is no such thing as winning; there is only trying to be better than you were before.”
You can spin this comment a number of different ways, but I want to look at it from a business perspective. In some industries, there are benchmarks you can use to evaluate your products against those of other companies. A good example is the automotive industry, which uses such factors as gas mileage, acceleration rate, etc. to compare the performance of different cars. Financial benchmarks are a common way to compare the performance of different companies.
But what about marketing — how do you measure performance and how do you know that you are successful?
Certainly, there are established benchmarks for a variety of activities, such as email open rates, direct mail response rates, etc. When you first try a particular tactic, it may be unreasonable to expect that you will initially achieve that standard. Or if you are trying something completely different, there may not be an established benchmark.
To start, it is important to consider what you to measure — what metrics are important to you? What metrics will help you understand whether you are successful? What metrics can you measure?
Before you start making changes, you need to establish a baseline for the metrics you choose so that you can see the impact of your actions. Once you have a starting point, you will also have a better idea of what goals are appropriate.
Having metrics that are easy to capture is also important so that you can continuously take measurements without too much difficulty. For example, knowing the number of people who enter a store on a daily basis would a good metric for understanding variations in store traffic, but manually counting visitors might be impossible. Therefore, having a mechanical or automated means to capture this information would be necessary in order for the metric to provide valid data.
Measurement doesn’t have to be complicated — a few key metrics can provide useful data — but it does need to be consistent over a period of time. Measuring the same metric over multiple intervals will enable you to see how different actions have an effect.
After establishing a baseline and a few goals, you can test your marketing tactics or messages to see what works best with your audience. It is important not to try doing too many things at the same time, as it will be difficult to know what tactic contributed to any resulting variations. By testing one or two different approaches — such as different offers or call to actions in a direct mail piece — you may discover some valuable insight into what resonates with your customers.
It is also important not to give up too quickly. Keep testing — try different messages, different marketing tactics and different audiences — to see if you can discover the strategy that works best. Making wholesale changes won’t provide you with the answers you need and they could confuse your customer.
While it is good to know what the key benchmarks are, you may find that comparing your results to someone else’s may not provide the most useful information. Rather, having a solid understanding of your own results — and what drives them — may help you find the best way to grow your business.
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