Blind Date

We’ve all done it.  We like something and we pass the opinion along.  It could be something as simple as recommending the strawberries in the produce department.  We all have favorite movies or restaurants and we freely share that information with people who have similar taste.  If it turns out your tastes don’t agree, the consequences are small.

Sometimes, we are so pleased with someone who provides a personal service; we are comfortable in letting others know.  We like our hair stylist, our plumber and our veterinarian.  If we recommend our hair stylist to a friend and they have a negative experience, our friend becomes one unhappy camper.  No one wants a bad hair day, let alone a bad hairstyle or cut.

Personal recommendations are taken to a whole new level when we suggest a blind date.  We all know someone with a blind date horror story.  This may be one of the worst.  

Larry got off the elevator on the 40th floor and nervously knocked on his blind date’s door. Susan opened it and to his amazement and joy, she was as lovely and sweet as his friend Dave had promised.

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” she said. “Why don’t you play with Snuggles while you’re waiting?

She does wonderful tricks. She’ll roll over, shake hands, sit up and if you make a hoop with your arms, like this, she’ll jump through.”

The dog followed Larry out onto the balcony and started rolling over.

Larry made a hoop with his arms and sure enough, Snuggles jumped right through – and then over the balcony railing just before Larry’s date walked out to the balcony!

“Isn’t little Snuggles the cutest, happiest dog you’ve ever seen?”

“To tell the truth,” he replied, “she seemed a little depressed to me.”

No matter how nice a guy Larry is and no matter how well intentioned Dave was, this is a blind date Susan will never forget.  

Blind dates can also go extremely well as was the case with General Colin and Alma Powell who are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year.  They met on a blind date that both of them dreaded.  

An Army buddy of Powell's talked him into taking out his girlfriend's roommate. Powell was wary of the fix-up, but his anxiety was mild compared with Alma's.

"I definitely don't go on blind dates with soldiers," said Alma Johnson, then working as an audiologist for the Boston Guild for the Hard of Hearing.

When he arrived at her Boston apartment, however, dread gave way to delight. "He was simply the nicest person I had ever met," she says.  

After eight months of steady dating they were wed in the Congregational Church in Alma’s hometown of Birmingham, Alabama.  

Powell said, “Alma must have loved me because I was not a romantic suitor.”

This story is from “My American Journey” by Colin Powell

So, why do we offer recommendations?  Some have small consequences and others could be life changing.  We do it to be helpful, to be thoughtful and also out of concern.  We want our family and friends to be happy, so we are well meaning when we share our opinions.  

When we are concerned about a loved one, there is usually a good reason.  At that time we may think about suggesting a doctor, lawyer or financial advisor, depending on the circumstances.  Loved ones can be in situations that require a professional.  You don’t want to send them on a medical, legal or financial blind date.  

Sometimes, on advice radio talk shows, you’ll hear people call in for an opinion on an extremely important matter.  It could leave you wondering about the quality of their confidants.  Who you choose to trust can directly affect your future.  The same is true of your family and friends.  

When you make those significant referrals, you want to be confident in the professionals you recommend.  A top notch doctor, lawyer or financial advisor can be a real game changer.  Events that require a doctor or a lawyer often are things that cannot be foreseen. 

On the other hand, the wise input of an experienced financial professional can help anticipate and plan for your financial future.  Why not recommend a professional you trust?  Complicated situations are best untangled by someone who has all the right tools.

Google Tools for Non Profits

Colby Chilcote is an Adwords representative for Google’s Ann Arbor office.  One of her passions is helping nonprofits with their marketing.  Google’s policy of allowing employees to pursue other interests during work time has made it possible for Chilcote to work with nonprofits and spread the word about Google tools available to nonprofits. 

During her talk at LA2M on March 22 Chilcote detailed tools for nonprofits available through Google that generally fall into 2 categories.  Google Adwords marketing is offered free of charge to those nonprofits given a Google Grant.  Most Google apps are free of charge to organizations of 10 and under.  Google apps include YouTube, Google Earth, Google Voice and Google office programs like calendar, word processing and Gmail.

Chilcote described Google.com/nonprofits as the main hub for tools and information for nonprofits.  On the website, nonprofit groups will find case studies, information about available tools and an application for Google Grants.

Chilcote explained Google Adwords marketing.  She said it is based on businesses and organizations bidding on keywords related to their products and services.  When some searches for a topic in Google, the organic results are shown in the middle of the page and are derived from a search algorithm.  Search results listed on the right hand side of the page are advertisers and those listings are based on keyword bids.  The highest bidder is listed first and the advertiser is charged if the viewer clicks on their ad.

When choosing keywords for Google Adwords, it’s important to be specific, Chilcote said.  The more highly specific you are in choosing words that relate to your organization’s products and services the lower the cost for the Adwords bid and the greater the likelihood your organization will be listed near the top.  Adwords can be focused on key geographic areas also.

A Google Grant allows nonprofits to use Adwords free, explained Chilcote.  The organization must be a 501c3 with no commercial interests.  Organizations can apply for a Google Grant on the Google.com/nonprofits page. 

Nonprofits create their own Adwords ads.  The program is self managed by the nonprofit.  Organizations can have ads specific to certain key word searches.  Adwords marketing can be used to meet common nonprofit goals like increasing awareness, soliciting donations, promoting events and increasing membership.

Chilcote pointed out that Google Apps are available for laptops, netbooks and mobile.  Applications like calendar, documents, Gmail, chat, talk and more allow for extensive collaboration but can be structured by privacy settings.  Since the content and programs are stored in the cloud access is available from anywhere and storage isn’t an issue.  Nonprofits in the Google Grants program have access to the business version of Google Apps, Chilcote said.  Google also has a library of document templates for newsletters, mailing lists, invitations and more.

Interested nonprofits should visit Google.com/nonprofits or sign up for an appointment on the calendar for Google’s Ann Arbor location at this site https://sites.google.com/site/googa2officehours.  Businesses interested in Adwords can call 1.866.2.Google.      

Stop Hating Your Customers: Defining & Attracting Your Ideal Client

Marisa Smith began her talk at LA2M on March 14 by asking the audience if they sometimes want to avoid phone calls when their caller ID tells them which of their clients is calling.  Dodging phone calls and not following up on emails with the same clients over and over may be a sign that your business and that client aren’t a good fit. 

Smith pointed out that not all clients are the right match for your business.  She said it was that realization that caused her company, The Whole Brain Group, to evaluate their customer base and product line up.

Smith detailed some characteristics that can make a client a “Bad Fit” for your business.  How different clients match with your business depends on what works best for your company and team. 

Speed or turn-around time can be frustrating with a large client compared with a smaller business, Smith explained.  Culture and style can also be a stumbling block.  If your business is innovative, then a client that doesn’t want change wouldn’t harmonize well. 

Some clients may also expect to talk with the business owner all the time when your company works in a team atmosphere.  Smith said budget is another area of differences.  Some clients want or expect fillet mignon on a Big Mac budget.  She said, “Everything is a major ordeal,” when a business and its clients don’t mesh.

The first step toward attracting your ideal customer is to define the characteristics of the right client, Smith said.  She suggested starting by writing down client attributes that you like and “what drives you crazy about some customers.”  Smith asked the audience to share client characteristics they like and dislike.  Comments ranges from “goal oriented” to “indecisive”, as well as “value your opinion” to “don’t know how their own company works”.

Once a business has a defined profile of their ideal client, it’s time to examine services offered to see what can be improved, eliminated or added, Smith explained.  “It’s important to know who you are and what you do and what you like to do.  Then you can look for the customers who are looking for that.  Don’t try to be something you’re not and don’t try to make them be something they are not,” Smith said.  Smith pointed out that a written “value proposition” defines what makes you different and identifies your key messages.

The Whole Brain Group value proposition follows.

Our favorite clients view us as a partner in their growth, because they know we are passionate about taking an integrated approach to helping them achieve their business goals, and we strive to combine the logical & tactical (Left Brain) with the creative (Right Brain) to achieve Whole Brain Goodness! 

Smith said current clients are a good source of information on what your business does best and what you could do differently.  Self examination and change includes a hard look at marketing materials and message, Smith explained.  She said check for consistency in your on line presence including in all places where your business has a profile.  A revised marketing kit may be in needed, Smith said.

“We treated ourselves like we treat our clients,” Smith said.  She detailed looking at who her company wanted to target as new clients and what they were doing to reach them.  Whole Brain Group even reviewed where they were networking to meet new customers.  She said they use a combination of referrals, marketing and networking based on their ideal client profile to bring in new business. 

She said it’s important to quantify your progress to stay on track.  Smith said they have used a similar approach to assist their clients in defining their preferred customers; fine tuning their product line up, revising marketing to match and tracking their results.

Smith is a graduate of the University of Michigan.  She is President and Founder of the Whole Brain Group.  Smith is also the Social Media Co-Chair of the Communications Council and a member of the Executive Advisory Board for Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a national nonpartisan public policy organization that advocates for and on behalf of women and minorities in business. She also serves on the Boards of The Small Giants Community and the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber.

Your Customers Are Crazy: Why We Are All Irrational and How Design Can Help

Ross Johnson of 3.7 Designs gave an eye opening presentation about understanding human irrationality and its impact on marketing at LA2M on February 29, 2012.  He began by offering a list of seemingly related facts regarding the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy.  Logically speaking, the information didn’t really tie the two events together, but the human tendency to fabricate order where there is none, made it seem that there were apparent correlations. 

This was just one of many thought biases likely innate to the human mind that Ross shared.  Ross explained that being a better marketer means understanding your target market, in order to influence decisions and behavior.  He pointed out people assume they are being rational when making decisions, but decisions have nothing to do with logic.  Ross said humans vary by culture, but genetically our minds are similar.

Ross gave several examples of innate thought bias.  Hindsight bias convinces us that we already knew something because it seems based on common knowledge or common sense.  So even if two generally circulated sayings conflict, we may believe both simultaneously.  

Exposure bias causes us to believe that the more we are exposed to certain information, the more important it is.  So, for example, if there are many stories about natural disasters, we may come to believe that there are an unusual number of natural disasters.  Applying this to marketing is the frequency concept; what you say and how often you say it has an impact.

Ross used a YouTube video to demonstrate that the things we focus on shape our perception of reality.  This tendency to miss or over look things around us is often referred to as “banner blindness” or selective disregard.  Humans ignore what is normal and notice what is different.  With this in mind, marketers can benefit by stepping out of the box to attract attention to their marketing message.

Ross explained that confirmation bias causes us to buy books that agree with our opinion and ignore information that challenges those beliefs.  He pointed out that associations with images, words, context and items can have an impact on our perception without our even being aware of it.  He used the example of people in a warm room are more likely to believe in global warming or a resume presented on a heavy clip board may make that job applicant seem more qualified. 

Relative economics causes people to make decisions based on the best result for them in relative terms Ross points out.  The example he used was price comparison on a watch that resulted in a $15 savings of 50% or a 2.5% savings on an I Pad that also results in a $15 reduction.  He said people are more likely to go shop for the 50% off item than the 2.5% off item, even though the dollar amount reduction is the same.  This is something to keep in mind when marketers position a price or reduction.  Relative economics also causes humans to feel that something they own is more valuable because we develop emotional ties to objects and have possession loss aversion.

Anchoring may be an association with a number or an item said Ross.  This perception explains why Starbucks wisely renamed their coffee cup sizes to avoid comparison to less expensive options.  Ross also used the example of bidders attending an auction being asked to write down the last four digits of their Social Security number before bidding.  Those bidders with higher numbers tended to bid more on auction items than those with lower numbers.

Ross said the “third person effect” partially prevents us from admitting we are influenced by thought bias, relative reasoning and emotional associations; because people tend to believe that it’s someone else who is affected.  He pointed out that most people think they are unique and avoid persuasion, but he said that’s not true of anyone.  Ross said humans base their reality on what they focus on, are influenced by what they pay attention to and by context and associations.

To view the video of the complete presentation, visit the LA2M archives.  You can follow Ross Johnson of 3.7 Designs at @3pointross.    

Why Wait? Creating Your Own Employment Opportunities

Lindsay Blackwell is a social media strategist based in Ann Arbor, MI.  She served as Marketing Manager of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and is the new Social Media Director of Ingenex Digital Marketing.  Blackwell has cultivated an online personal brand through a lifetime of experience and passion for social media.  You can find her on Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Tumblr and more.  She leveraged her online presence, combined with a one of a kind website and viral campaign to pursue her dream job with the University of Michigan.

Blackwell wanted to be hired as the Social Media Director for University of Michigan.  She realized that her youth and lack of paid experience could be viewed as short comings in a standard resume review process.  Blackwell decided to reach out the Lisa Rudgers, Vice President of Communications for U of M, with a website www.DearLisaRudgers.com.  Blackwell spent the weekend building the site, which included a Flash video and buttons leading to such topics as Why I Want This, Why You Want Me and What Is This.  Her objective was to show, not tell, her experience and qualifications. 

Blackwell knew the site had to connect with friends and colleagues in order for them to share and like it.  The site gained so much attention, she was contacted by Lisa Rudgers to schedule an interview within 12 hours of the site going live.  Blackwell also gained significant media attention and the campaign helped her build her web presence and personal brand exponentially.  She also established connections in the industry across the globe.  While the interview with Rudgers didn’t result in a job offer, the social media campaign drew the attention of Derek Mehraban, CEO of Ingenex Digital Marketing.  “We wanted to hire Lindsay Blackwell because we wanted someone who could bring that knowledge to create successful social media campaigns for our clients,” Mehraban said.

Blackwell concluded by saying in today’s job market it’s important to “be honest, be innovative, be human.”  She said a resume and cover letter aren’t unique.  “Do something creative to get noticed and demonstrate who you are,” she emphasized.  Blackwell  said “Operate in a listening framework, don’t just push content, create conversations,” by listening to what the employer wants, getting advice from people in the field to become a stronger candidate.  Blackwell can be contacted at lindsay.m.blackwell@gmail.com.

Customer Incentives: Tired Tactics or Strategic Tool

Anyone in business today, knows that the business climate has changed significantly over the last 5 years.  Everyone is looking for a deal, no one wants to pay full price.  Customers are looking for incentives to purchase products and spend on services.  Gary Yost spent 30 years is sales and marketing with consumer products companies Bristol-Myers, Reckitt Benckiser and media giant Valassis.  At Valassis, he served as VP, Marketing, CMO and General Manager of one to one products, and finally as President, International Media Properties.  His experience with those companies centered on motivating customers to make purchases and part with their money. 

Yost began by describing the current business climate as the “new frugality.”  He said, “Incentives are the way of the world.”  Yost explained that customers want and demand incentives.  Product based businesses grow through attracting new customers, current and new customer product usage and customers stocking up (pantry load).  He pointed out, that incentives attract new customers and encourage pantry load, but there is a cost to the producer through reduced selling price. 

Yost spelled out the four types of incentives, their advantages and disadvantages.  He first spoke about sale prices which he described as passive.  Sale prices attract some buyers, but not everyone that shops is aware of the pricing he explained.  Sales prices reward all customers with immediate gratification, but the potential liability is 100% or everyone who shops in the store. 

Cash back rebates work best for big ticket items said Yost.   Rebates require active participation by a customer and don’t offer an immediate reward he pointed out.  Yost said rebates are good tie breakers when making a large purchase, but don’t work well as a sole means of motivating buying behavior.  He described loyalty cards as both passive and active incentive tools.  Yost said loyalty cards are effective at re-enforcing a current customer base but involve a significant cost in data base maintenance. 

Yost regards cents off coupons as requiring very active participation on the part of the customer.  He said there is a high degree of involvement, it offers the customer immediate gratification and provides the store and producer good short term ROI.  He said couponing works well at attracting new customers.  Yost commented that contrary to common assumption, frequent cents off coupon users tend to be affluent households.  Redemption rates are now as high as 12% he remarked.  Yost said the ad component of coupons is effective at driving sales even without coupon redemption. 

Yost explained a coupon marketing campaign is most effective when it is founded in basic marketing principles.  Yost said an advertiser must consider objectives, target audience, geography, competition and customer media consumption.  Yost emphasized the importance of tracking results, considering the impact on margin and offering an effective value proposition.  He noted that clarity of design can impact redemption rates.  He suggested that incentive marketing could be effective in both B2C and B2B.  Yost can be contacted at gary.yost09@gmail.com.     

Navigating Business Reputation Management

Christi Rankin of Martopia and Martopia Public Relations Group has over 25 years of executive level business experience.  Her background has included tenures in marketing and sale with Fortune 200 companies and an array of other top management positions.  Based on her first hand experience, the LA2M audience gained greater insight into the key components of business reputation management.

Rankin began by asking those attending if it is possible for a company to influence how it is perceived.  She explained that many factors influence corporate reputation, so a company must decide to make their reputation management a priority.  Rankin said in the past the reputation model Good Work=Good Reputation was a reliable method for companies to build a positive perception.  She explained, “Reputation is built by character, character is formed by integrity and fair play,” unless other factors influence that perceived reputation.

Rankin emphasized today, business reputation is decided by diverse factors and many stake holders.  Most large companies have a defined group of stake holders where business reputation is influential, she explained.  For investors; ROI, confidence in leadership and corporate future are key issues influencing their perception.  How investors feel about a company can have on impact on their investing behavior.  Employees look for stability, opportunity and positive corporate behavior.  Employee perception can lead to continuity or an unstable work force.  Communities where companies are located are interested in company growth and environmental policies.  Customers look for fair pricing and good customer service.  Missteps in either of these areas can lead to lost business.

Rankin commented that companies navigate differing views from varying stake holders.  Company communication shouldn’t be just outbound, she explained.  Social media and surveys work well for two way communication with the public.  Internal training and encouraging feedback are good tools in getting employees on board with company culture and vision.  Companies need to be transparent and accessible to avoid a communication disconnect.

Rankin pointed out that how one feels about a company is emotional, “like a relationship,” based on personal experience, the media and colleagues. The highest indicator of reputation with an individual is personal experience, she explained.  But she warned that social media makes it possible to destroy reputations in minutes, giving individuals and small groups disproportionate impact.  Rankin used the example of Domino’s Pizza and the unappetizing YouTube video posted by a then employee.  Rankin praised the response by Domino’s but noted that the video initially cause a big hit to their sales. 

Rankin stated, “The handling of a crisis can build a reputation or destroy it.”  She said people will decide about your company integrity based on how and what you communicate.  Rankin pointed out that companies and organizations have “reputation equity” based on past positive experience.  Positive “reputation equity” is valuable in helping companies bounce back from a crisis, especially if it is handled with honesty and contrition.  Rankin spelled out the value of a positive business reputation.  She said 63% of a corporation’s value is attributable to its reputation.  She added companies with good reputations outperform the Standard & Poors 500 by around 6%.  She said a corporate crisis that effects a company’s reputation can have a long term impact since “people are remarkably swayed by negative information.”

Rankin concluded by explaining that business reputation management is complex and based on many factors.  She said it’s important for the company’s vision, mission and core values to be reflected in any business initiative.  Rankin can be contacted at rankin@martopia.com.