Maybe I’m just telling my age. Times are changing.

Perhaps you can say, “remember when there was no microwave oven?” or “I can remember when we didn’t have ipods”.

The one thing that’s consistent in life is change. It seems that change is happening more rapidly!

Websites certainly have changed. Since the internet was launched in the early 1990’s, websites have gone from simply text; to graphics and text; to graphics, videos and text.

People thought that they could save money if they simply transposed their cool looking copy-heavy brochures over to websites. Creating clickable areas and pages (as menus). But times have changed.

We go to websites for one reason. Content.

And he who has the best content wins. Not nice graphics (although that helps to communicate the content), not bells and whistles (rarely ever). You need great content!

So how do you create dynamic content that get’s noticed? Here’s 3 ways to develop great content:

1. Put yourself in your audience shoes. Imagine who you want reading your content. Get into their head-space. Imagine where they’ll be. What they’ll be doing. Why they would come to your website. Then become them (as much as possible). Or hire someone who knows and loves your audience; and can write with amazing skill (it’s always worth the cost)!
2. Benefits. Benefits. Benefits. Imagine what their problems are. What they’re lacking. Why they need you. If you only had a few seconds to give them a reason to meet you; what would it be? The best way to get people’s attention is to give them clear benefits for each of their major issues.
3. Be concise. The average person spends about 10-20 seconds per page. No one has time any more; considering that Google (Bing, Yahoo, etc) gives thousands of websites to look at for answers. People make up their decision to stay or leave your site in about 30 seconds or three clicks. You have to be concise: use bullet points or eye interruptions to give your main points. Keep your pages short and your menus even shorter.

When I was a kid, I had only one “5 and Dime” to go to. I used to enter with my pocket change, knowing of its limitations. I would spend minutes looking over all the stuff near my eye-level before making a decision. I wanted the best for money.

People still want the best, except they have hundreds of choices on the internet. They have economic limitations still, and they will spend a bit of time once they find the right content. Have the right, informative, entertaining, engaging content and they’ll stay with you for years as a loyal customer.

Just keep the content current! Stay tuned to next time for ways to do that.

If you’re anything like me, it’s rare to find someone who wants to listen. Often when I spend time with someone, I enjoy asking them questions and sharing about what they find interesting. I really like people!

But it’s rarely reciprocated. I’ve spent hours with friends and find that the art of a dialog is sadly lacking. Dialog is a conversation back and forth between two people who are interested with each other.

The same can be said about people in business. And when there’s a need; there’s an opportunity. There is a huge difference from talking to an “order taker” or consultant; and someone who truly cares and listens about your issues. I think we can all think about suppliers we deal with regularly.

Want to become a good entrepreneur?

I think “good listeners” make great business people. And there are 3 critical steps to listening well:

1. Listen. You have 2 ears, and only one mouth. Listen twice as much as you talk.
2. Process. Every entrepreneur wants to solve the issues. But resist coming up with the solution quickly. Instead, ask clarification questions. Then, if needed, request time for processing all the information and facts.
3. Care. Put yourself in the shoes of your clients. Treat them as you want to be treated. Really care about them. This is often the missing part. It’s the difference between a good and great relationship.

When someone runs a business, it’s to offer a valuable service to a targeted audience. If you aren’t willing to listen to them (really listen!) then you aren’t worthy of a successful business.

Just like friends aren’t worthy of a good relationship if they don’t follow these steps with their friends.

Practice your listening skills, you’ll be surprised what you’ll learn that will convert to great business practices. Your friendship will deepen and in the long run, you’ll see the benefits of getting close to your audience.

I’m not sure what that means to you — but I’m blessed to have the privilege of working in the United States (as a Canadian) where I can worship freely, talk freely, and operate a business freely.

I realize that each year those freedoms are under attack. Foreign and Domestically. We need to be Thankful for what we have.

• We need to Defend the freedoms we have. This requires us to have knowledge of how and why we have the freedom we do.
• We need to Explain what our freedoms mean to our kids. Each generation seems to be slipping from the initial historic values of the fore fathers.
• Most of all, we need to Thank God for allowing us to live in this great nation. And not take anything for granted. It’s a privilege.

Have a great 4th! Be thankful! Have a burger and hot dog with your family!

I missed them a lot. Each for various reasons.

I missed my wife, the conversations, the life-sharing. OK, I missed her organizational skills, the house management and how well she does dishes and laundry. There. I admitted it.

My two teens are so different from each other. I missed the older for his intellectual and political banter; and strangely, I missed his “nothing”; which is his standard answer to my, “What did you do today?”.

My younger son; I missed his technology discussions, our “everything Apple” back and forth, and his quick wit and joking. And I miss how beautifully they mow the lawn (especially since we’ve had a long run of 90 degree weather).

This experience reminds me of what we do for branding and marketing of a product or service.

It all starts with determining the head space of your audience. Take a moment, close your eyes and imagine your audience. Put yourself in their shoes.

1. What are they missing? Everyone can’t have everything. Therefore, your audience needs something. In order to determine what that is, think about the basic needs of a person: Basic Biological Needs, Safety, Belonging, Esteem, Self-Actualization, Transcendence. Where does your product/service fit?
2. How long have they missed your product/service? Do they realize it yet? This helps you understand whether you need to promote a new product/service… or educate. Critical to saving money!
3. Convert this need to a benefit you can offer. Not so easy; however, since you’re in their head space; ask yourself, “Why do I need this, how is it making me feel, how’s it benefiting me?” That’s the message you need to use.

I love having my family back. Plus, I love talking about the importance of determining the message of selling your product/service. It’s the start of great things ahead. If someone truly needs your product and you communicate the benefits of it properly — you’ll have success!

This past week, one of our clients, Sophia Media Group and the UN, were launching an educational initiative. We’ve been working with them on this project, so when they asked me to attend the press conference I said, “absolutely”!

Did I mention it was in the Turks and Caicos Islands? I’ve never been to the tiny Caribbean country, but I love Islands, and my client needed me. That’s the equation for my heartfelt reply.

They put me up in an amazing resort. Amanyara (peaceful place). It’s unique being on the northern side of Providentiales. In order to get there you have to take an unmarked, unpaved, 4-mile ride over mountain-side and natural terrain. All I can say is, from the moment I arrived on the Island, they impressed me. And it’s not the fact that the room cost $2010/night. Instead, it was the little things.

Here are 4 ways they demonstrated that to me:

1. First Impressions - When I arrived at their small international airport, I shuffled my way through immigration and then found the gentleman holding a sign for me. He carried my luggage over to his Land Rover and opened my door. His greeting simply was, “Welcome to Paradise”. It set my expectation a little higher.
2. Thank you gifts – Once I was in the car and on the way to the resort, he handed me an ice-cold bottle of water, a mint-scented icy facecloth and a menu. Yes, a menu! I thought “will he serve a meal in the car”? Instead as I opened it, he said in his island accent, “This is your music menu for the drive, what would you prefer to listen to”? What I didn’t know, was the same music I enjoyed on the ride, was also the music that greeted me in my room once I got to it. Nice.
3. Unexpected highlights - Upon arrival, I was greeted by the General Manager who knew my name, and a hostess handed me a non-alcoholic drink “that the chef prepared” especially for me. She told me to enjoy it while she told me a little about the resort and gave me a short tour. It was a pleasant soft-sell for what I would enjoy. Every person who served me or met me, knew my name and room number. I’m not sure how they did that! Plus, other little extras during my 4 day stay were notable. A fresh sprig off the bushes outside my door sat on my pillow or towel when they prepared my room. And my remote control was always on my bed when I returned to my room. When I walked onto the beach, the attendant would open up his cooler and bring me an ice water and a towel.
4. Last Impressions – My entire stay was incredible. People were nice, friendly and accommodating. When they picked up my luggage for my drive back to the airport, they had a personalized luggage tag attached to it when I arrived at the airport. The receipt for my stay was in a simple, yet elegant, heavy-weight folder which contained a flyer about the hotel. When I left the checkout desk, the hostess waved and said “May your next trip be here”. Wow.

I know what you’re thinking, they can afford to do all that! But take a look back and notice all these little things don’t cost very much. And most are free! That’s the power of the “little things”.

What are you doing for your clients and customers? Think of something you can do (for free) that will take a little effort, but pay off in a huge way! Your customers will appreciate it!

It’s almost like looking through a fog when I look back over the years and see what my wife, Tammy, and I have done together. 3 Apartments, 4 Houses, 3 Cities, 2 Countries, 5 Jobs for me, 3 jobs for her, 2 children, 4 Church homes — and the lists go on and on.

I couldn’t have done what I’ve done without Tammy. She’s my friend, my lover, my helper, my encourager and my sounding board. And fortunately, she’s the honest voice of wisdom when I’m headed in the wrong direction. That’s the sign of a true friend. I love her unconditionally — and fortunately, she loves me the same way.

We’re not big “anniversary” type people — we occasionally get cards for each other, or go out for a special dinner, but rarely do we get gifts. Instead, we find ourselves reminiscing on those “special” days about what we remember, and where God has brought us.

Everyone has anniversaries. People, businesses, organizations, etc. So how should you “honor” those days?

Here are 3 things you should do on an anniversary to make it special:

1. Celebrate – Tammy and I are going out to a special restaurant and spending some alone time. We don’t get to do this often (since we had the kids). We’re paying a little more than we normally do for the meal — but it’s well worth it. We’ll slow down, eat an amazing meal and be pampered by an extraordinary wait crew. We’re celebrating another year! And you should too. Make sure you honor your day and add value to it. You’ve made it this far!
2. Reflect – During our meal, we’ll think back over the years and talk about key things we remember, but we’ll concentrate on this last year and compare it to the other 19 years. Are we headed in the right direction? Did we learn from our mistakes? What about the failures? Successes? It’s always wise to see how you’ve done (in comparison). And to ask others for their perspective too.
3. Envision – The fun part! I’m looking forward to a future with Tammy. The kids have a few years left with us before they go independent. Short term goals and long term goals are essential — or you are destined to “just ride” the future and have no controls.

Before I know it, we’ll be married 25 years — and hopefully our kids will be able to throw a huge party for us — and we’ll be able to share these 3 points with our friends. In the meantime, marriage is hard work, self-denial and… well… a lot of fun. Thanks to Tammy!

It’s always tells volumes about the company when you read the tiny print somewhere obscured in the advertisement. Sometimes it’s serious while others have a tongue-in-cheek comment. I first try to get an idea about the overall ad appeal, then I scour the page/screen for the fine print.

Today, I picked up Parade magazine in our Sunday newspaper and there was this full page ad:

I’m not sure if you can read it in the picture, but here’s a summary of the Ad:

Product: Zegerid OTC
Benefit: It treats Frequent Heartburn
Added Benefit: It’s been studied and proven in Clinical Studies
Advertising Promises: New! Greater and Faster Acid control.

It’s obviously competing against Prevacid, so the fact that they named the product so it sounds similar is good. And the Greater and Faster Acid control is obviously aimed at their competition. Right?

Well, introduce the fine print: *On Day 7. (Now get this…) Greater and Faster acid control does not imply greater and faster symptom relief. Not for immediate relief.

HUH?!?!

I’m not sure how they get away with their ad then! And what does Greater and Faster Acid Control mean then? It casts doubt on the product. It appears the one promise of their ad (greater and faster acid control) is explained away in the fine print.

Here’s 3 things I recommend for formulating fine print.

1. Don’t let the fine print break the promise of your company. A brand is based on a promise. Your positioning or tagline should state this succinctly. Don’t let the fine print cast doubt on this promise (like Zegerid does!).
2. Make sure it adds to the understanding of the product. Don’t let it raise more questions than answer.
3. Be short. If you have to write a book to qualify your headline or subhead, it’s the wrong creative.

So fine print isn’t always bad, but sometimes I dislike it strongly. Ok, even hate. What about you?

Today’s Mother’s Day and each year I think about her and how she helped direct who I am. I’ve never written about her, so today I want to honor her. She passed a lot of her personality traits on to me; her love for music, her attention to detail, her heart of a teacher. I miss her.

On the business side, she taught me 3 important lessons.

1. You’re never too old to change. Mom dedicated her early married life to my Dad and raising her family. She worked some part-time jobs to help with the finances, but ultimately, she waited until we kids had gotten into Jr. High school and then she changed directions. Her lifelong dream was to go to college (the first in our family!) and become a teacher. So at the age of 40, Mom headed back to school and graduated top of her class 4 years later. It’s never too old to go for your dreams!
2. Practice will get you closer to Perfect. My mother played the piano. She studied in the Royal Conservatory of Music and completed their highest level. But she didn’t get there easily. I can still remember falling to sleep hearing her practicing arpeggios and scales. When she was to perform, we heard the song MANY times before she would perform it flawlessly. If you want to be (almost) perfect, you have to practice.
3. Commit to whatever you’re doing. Mom had lots of dreams and did lots with us. She was a Mom, a Wife, a Teacher. After teaching for a few years, my Dad asked if she’d work as his office coordinator in his bicycle repair and sales business. And she did. Whatever Mom did, she committed her best to it. And she always wanted it to be successful. Everything wasn’t always perfect for her, but she always gave her all, did it the best she could, and she stayed with it to the end.

Now I take the things she’s taught me and perfect them in my own life. We can all use these lessons to become better business leaders. What has your Mom taught you? Thank her if you can. Happy Mother’s Day!

BP (British Petroleum) had this unprecedented disaster/explosion on one of their oil rigs, and they are in trouble. President Obama finally viewed the potentially devastated area today and in his press conference he mentioned BP over and over again. He’s squarely pointing the blame on their shoulders. Ouch.

So, what happens if your business is involved in a bad news story? Such as layoffs or a product recall or worse. Or it could even be a good story for that matter! What should you do?

It’s important for you to take control of the media (and the story) as much as possible:

1. Be Prepared. You don’t want to wait for the disaster (or good news). You should know all the contacts for media in your area or region. Most time, that’s a business editor or a staff writer. Know their names and numbers or email address. Or at least know a PR agency that knows your industry. Usually a local firm is better — they know your area and the media.
2. Be Newsworthy. This is so critical. Often, if you’re in the middle of a disaster, they will contact you. If you want to control the process more, you should contact them first. Be sure you know all the facts, how they affect the general public or the larger impact of the smaller story. The faster you can produce this information (and photos), the better. Think about it, the media doesn’t want to help you sell something; instead you need to convince them that you’re part of a story that the public wants to know about. If you do that, you can control the message that the media will release it on your behalf.
3. Be Honest. Make sure you don’t exaggerate or mis-state information. Especially if it’s a huge story! If the media picks up on an error, you may be caught in a much bigger investigation. But for the most part, your story isn’t as large as the oil rig story, so make sure you don’t misdirect the public. Better to under promise, and over deliver.

PR is a very important part of business. It’s the best way to get a good story out — or control a bad story. And the impact is worth about 3 times what advertising does. Especially with a well coordinated campaign that works in conjunction with advertising.

OK, I’m old. I was only a few months old when that film was released. But like most classics, it reveals a lot of great truths.

And we have to start at the beginning (in business) to make sure we’ve got a good foundation. Here are the 3 Basics:

1. Vision. Every great entrepreneur has a vision. Either it’s a solution to a problem or it’s a path to helping people. But if you can’t clearly state your vision for your company, stop everything! Then work on a short (!) sentence that explains your reason for being. Perhaps you’ve lost your way in your business, and you need to align yourself with the original vision again.

2. Positioning. Every business/product/service needs a brand. And everyone’s product/service has competition. Of course, you think yours is the best. But how do you quickly let someone know THE thing that makes you the better choice? Start by listing your features, then convert them to benefits (in the minds of your potential customer). The hard part is next: choose the one benefit that is so compelling that your audience will convert to your product/service. It should then be edited down to 3-5 words and that becomes your positioning statement (or tagline). This is the fast way to your customers heart.

3. Consistent Brand. Then you need your logo. Simple, easy to draw, and most of all, easy to remember. It shouldn’t be an illustration, but rather a symbol that can easily be reproduced in black and white. But of course, you’ll want a color version too. And from those colors, you create a color palette that you use consistently along with the same fonts. Over and over until your customer feels comfortable with your brand. The design needs to be consistent so that the information is “larger” than your copy/text/words in it — but rather the feeling is professional and it “becomes” the look of your vision.

I can’t say it any more plain! And that’s what we do. We help you create the brand and then take it to print, social and web mediums. Consistently. Let us know if you need any help!