Successful Blog

Words matter

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Boilerplate kills kittens.

Early in my career, I worked as a technical writer for a large government contractor. The GPO Manual was our ultimate arbiter of word choice, I learned to spell “judgment” without a second “e,” and we relied heavily on giant chunks of pre-written text.

I was a “writer,” but one who was having her soul slowly crushed under the weight of government regulations.

orwell movie

Those formative experiences gave me an intense interest in how words are applied. How just the right word can make or break a relationship, a transaction, a pitch.

Leaders use powerful words. Entrepreneurs must have an arsenal of persuasive words in their stockpiles. Business builders need to project clarity (so let’s ditch the jargon).

When you answer the same questions over and over again, it can be tempting to fall back on key phrases. Same thing when you assume the “corporate” mantle in an email or a phone call.

“We deeply regret the inconvenience.”

See that? A kitten just keeled over.

Would the customer feel better if you simply said, “I’m so sorry”? Yes.

My challenge to you today is to catch yourself using these worn out words. Give a fresh eye to the way you talk to your customers, partners, and colleagues.

On your website, do you ask your customers to “submit a ticket” when they have a problem? Could you change that to “ask for help”?

Do you constantly use the Royal “we” when you’re talking to customers? Stop doing that. You’re not the Queen of England.

Sprinkle some surprise into your conversation, whether it’s online or in person. Humans love surprises.

Communication shouldn’t be complicated. It should just be genuine and simple, with the humility and understanding that we’re all multi-dimensional humans, everyone of which has spent time in both the dark and delightful parts of life. -Bryan Kramer, author of “Human to Human“

We can’t let ourselves be subsumed by our robot overlords yet. Their faux-human handwriting is getting better and better, but they’re not quite there yet.

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work for on the Internet . Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Photo Credit: David Blackwell. via Compfight cc

It’s a Brand New, Brand YOU, Visual World

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By Paul Biedermann, re:DESIGN

It’s a visual world and images touch us in a direct, visceral way unlike text can alone. They make us happy, they make us laugh, they make us inspired — they can also make us deeply sad — all in just a fleeting glance.

one red strawberry

Recent neurological studies prove through brain imaging how we respond to visuals unlike any other media: we pay attention to them, we believe them, and we remember them. Powerful stuff!

Now, take a look at today’s media landscape and the busy, distracted, hyperactive world we find ourselves in.

What are the three things you — as a company, businessperson, or job seeker — need to do most? Get noticed, communicate your value and make a positive impression that is remembered, right?

Visuals to the rescue. And they show up great on our smartphones too, where so many of us now spend our time online.

Use the power of the visual

A strong visual presence that clearly demonstrates who you are and what you want puts you head and shoulders above the rest — you know, all those websites and social media profiles you click through, not to mention the mountains of faceless resumés that recruiters know so well. But take note of the word “strong” — a weak visual image won’t cut it. There is lots of amateurish visual noise vying for attention too, so the key is rising above that. Joining the tide of mediocrity won’t cut it.

Now is the time to use the power of the visual — and not just to be seen, but understood and remembered too. There’s no doubt that a smart visual strategy will help give you the competitive advantage you seek.

A well-designed visual presentation brings clarity to who you are and what you do. This is so important in a time when you are fortunate if someone takes even a few seconds to decide yay or nay, assuming you have attracted their attention in the first place.

Sharpen your visual strategy

Once you have defined the core essence of your business and message, you should then tailor your communications and online presence in a simple, visually unique way for maximum impact. No matter how qualified you might be otherwise, creating the right visual appeal will not only help you land new business or that new job, but land the right kind of business and the right job for which you are best suited and that brings you the most personal satisfaction.

Companies and marketers have long known that brands with the sharpest sales pitches and the most dynamic visual presentations differentiate themselves from the competition and sell the most product (all else being equal, of course). Similarly, solopreneurs and job seekers who brand and market themselves — defining their own unique “story” and then pairing that with a smart visual strategy — win the day.
 
In today’s competitive environment, it’s all about brand “you.” Sounds a little strange, I know. But much like your favorite brands that you reach for every day, now is the time to package yourself so you leap right off those shelves of relative sameness — you now have your own shoppers to entice!

Applying traditional branding principles to ourselves is a relatively new concept, but it does not mean being disingenuous in any way — far from it. It is about taking all you are and polishing that so you present the best version of yourself, and making sure the focus is where it belongs. Merging your core message with the right visual strategy does nothing to change the essence of who you are, it simply improves the odds that people will get to know the real you and take the action you seek.

As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression — so creating the right visual impression speaks volumes. Just as we know quality when we see it, people recognize that you are a quality business or person if that is the impression you give them and you have the goods to back it up. Much like putting on your best suit for an interview, smart communications and a good looking visual image work the same way, especially when you can’t be there yourself.

Be consistent

One final, critical ingredient — be consistent. In order to make an impression that is noticed and remembered, that same message needs to be continually driven home, clearly and succinctly. This means tying both your online and offline communications together so you present one unified image, no matter where they may be seen. Mismatched communications that don’t hang together create a confused, disorganized, unprofessional message. Mixed signals fracture your image rather than enhancing and reinforcing it.

A laser-sharp, visually-powerful brand is the single most important step you can take to reach, excite and inspire people to take action — and hire brand “you.”

Author’s Bio: Paul Biedermann is the Creative Director/Owner of re:DESIGN, a small design agency specializing in Strategic Design, Brand Identity, and Visual Content Marketing — intersecting smart design with business strategies that reach, engage, and inspire people to action. Blending traditional and leading-edge media tactics. Paul consistently delivers integrated, award-winning results for his clients. Connect with him on Google+ or Twitter.

Photo credit: MorgueFile

Whole health series for business owners: reading The Difference Maker, by John C. Maxwell

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By Teresa Morrow

In his book, The Difference Maker, John C. Maxwell offers tips and tools for not only living differently but questioning our attitude toward life.

He challenges the reader to discover a new way to define ourselves in this world. He shares that “much of what we do every day comes from habitual behaviors. Over the course of time, we have developed a way of approaching life”. This book is described as “one-on-one coaching” from one of the nation’s top leadership experts, John C. Maxwell.
 
Here are just a few segments in the book that struck me (there are many):
 

Your Attitude is Your Responsibility

Maxwell is talking about taking responsibility for your attitude. He shares a story from the singer Roberta Flack and how her parents didn’t make it far in school. She continues to say that despite this, each of them was literate, spoke well, and their values were high. She says, “they drummed into our heads that the situation you live in doesn’t have to live in you.”

Teresa’s Tip: Don’t allow what happened to you in your past define who you are today. Those things in our past can be like a weight dragging us down; however, we have a CHOICE to let go of the weight.

Negative Breeds Negative and Positive Fuels Positive

Maxwell offers a simple but poignant idea. Negative thoughts leads to negative action. He says, “…negative thoughts lead to negative beliefs. Those beliefs become the basis of wrong decisions, which lead to wrong actions.” He goes on to state that it can be a vicious cycle. However, we can break the cycle by forming better thoughts and positive habits.

Teresa’s Tip: This is the basis of law of attraction– what you put out, you get back to you. It doesn’t mean you will never have a bad thought or not do something wrong. However, this can help you understand that you can change your thoughts and not allow them to linger on. You can turn around a bad thought or belief and make it a positive one.

Change; it’s a Part of Life

Maxwell shares tons of great information in this section on change. He offers this quote from Andy Warhol, “they always say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Warhol
 
Maxwell adds five reasons people resist change: 1) People resist change because of personal loss 2) people resist change because of fear of the unknown 3) people resist change because the timing could be wrong 4) people resist change because is feels awkward 5) people resist change because of tradition.

Teresa’s Tip: He’s right about change—we don’t enjoy it. But what if we (and I include myself in here) don’t fear it but embrace it more. Let’s try and see change as an adventure to new possibilities. I’ve embraced change in my life (when I met the love of my life) and it was a great experience (we have been married for 10 years!) But I’ve also been resistant to change (recently my mom passed away and it is hard to live without her physically in my life). But one thing is true about change—it is going to be a part of our life whether we like it or not. It’s better to find a way to work with it instead of pushing against it.

Failure is an Opportunity

Near the end of the book, Maxwell shares his thoughts on failure. He offers this, “most people don’t need to learn more about how to overcome their rivals. They need to learn how to get out of their own way.”
 
He goes on to talk about how to profit from failure. He talks about an earlier book he wrote, titled, Failing Forward. The focus of that book was “that the difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure.”
 

Teresa’s Tip: Hey, it’s going to happen–you and I are going to not succeed at something. But I like the last line of the above statement….”their perception of and response to failure.” Again you and I have a CHOICE in how we deal with what happens to us…including when we fail. We can have our time to react initially—be angry, be sad, be disappointed; however, we don’t have to dwell in the failure but use it to fuel us for the next stage of what is going on in our life.

 
In this book, The Difference Maker, the author John C. Maxwell challenges us with the question, “Is attitude everything or nothing?” What do you say?
 
To get your copy of The Difference Maker by John C Maxwell go to Amazon The Difference Maker: Making Your Attitude Your Greatest Asset (Affiliate link)
 

Author’s Bio: Teresa Morrow is an inspirational author, blogger, poet, and author of ‘Life Lessons from the Heart’ and ‘Healing from Broken Trust: A Journey of Transformation.’ Visit her website at http://TeresaMorrow.com.

6 Fun Ways to Start a Business and Save the Planet, Too

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By Diana Gomez

Saving the planet has to happen organically, one individual at a time. As an entrepreneur, you have the world at your fingertips to do as you please.

The decision to start your own online business is alone a huge step in the eco-friendly direction. Think of the good you’ll do by staying at home and off the road, for instance. Fewer overhead costs also means less energy used. You’re the boss, so you have the right to decide that you’ll recycle daily or send vendors paperless bills.

But beginning your own business means you can do more than using less paper — it means you can actually make your living with a green business idea. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few ideas to help get the creative juices flowing.

volunteers recycling

Recycled Clothing Shop

Why not start an online clothing store? With resources and platforms like Etsy available, it’s easy to do your part for the planet by selling used goods, turning your products into recycled ones. Whether it’s vintage clothes, designer labels, or regular modern wear, you have a market. And the best part? Besides an environmentally satisfying career, you get to shop for a living. And once you get started, you’ll find that friends and friends of friends will even give you their used stuff to sell — for free.

Upcycled Furniture

So maybe hoarding clothes isn’t your thing. Love to work with your hands? Try your hand(s) at taking old, thrifted or roadside furniture and turning it into a work of art. Take a look around and you’ll notice that more and more homes are full of furniture that’s used but endearingly rustic. Many stores are even filled with tables and chests that are brand new, but made to look shabby chic. How senseless is that when you can create the real deal? People will appreciate the heart you put into your work. And you’ll be saving a tree or two in the process.

Green Events

It doesn’t take a serious environmentalist to figure out how wasteful events can be. And whether it’s a business meeting, a wedding or a festival, bringing people together often brings up the problem of wasted materials, energy and water. By becoming a green event planner, you can use your eco-friendly know-how to make decisions that are not only mindful of the planet but also ones that clientele will be grateful for. It can be frustrating attending a concert that doesn’t recycle beer bottles or a nighttime event that’s unnecessarily lit up. By making sound decisions in your event planning, it can not only save you money, but the business image it generates can only be positive as a result.

Organic Foods

The yummiest thing you could do as a business owner is to grow your own vegetables and consider selling them at your local farmer’s market. The organic movement is in full force, and so it’s a great time to use that as a launching pad for your dream (green) business. If cooking’s more your thing, consider a baking venture. Yes, you can make it as an online baker! There are plenty of sellers on Etsy who make their living sending beautiful edible goods off to faraway places. There’s no reason you can’t get in on that, giving yourself an edge by making your products totally organic. When possible, use ingredients you can grow yourself or buy locally, like herbs and fruits.

Nutritionist

If you’re laughing at the thought of growing foods or cooking them, but you’re still interested in the notion of being good to your body, why not start an online business as a green nutritionist? The number of people needing guidance away from processed, convenient foods toward whole, real food is a growing one. Why not elect yourself as their savior? You could go the extra mile and create (or hire someone to) an app to complement your efforts by providing clients with a place to track what goes in and helps people choose what to eat next. Forget counting calories and tracking how many steps you walk in a day. Get back to the basics and help people eat more like our grandparents and less like Homer Simpson.

Green Trade Sites

Why not take the idea of renting a movie by mail further and apply it to other types of used goods, which saves money on purchasing tons of new stuff? I read an article recently about a guy who’s applying the notion to renting used ties online. Never buy a new tie again! Why not rent out a hat by mail or a set of tea cups for a special party? The creative options are endless.

What kind of online green business have you been impressed with lately?

Author’s Bio: Diana Gomez is the Marketing Coordinator at Lyoness America, where she is instrumental in the implementation of marketing and social media strategies for USA and Canada. Lyoness, an international shopping community and loyalty rewards program, sponsors the Lyoness Greenfinity Foundation, a charitable organization actively involved in sustainably protecting the environment, realizing innovative climate protection projects worldwide, and promoting the use of renewable energies.

Your Business Story Can Change The World

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By Chris Craft

My story began on February 12, 1979.

The light bulb in my head for story’s business case in content marketing went off only about a year ago.

Yes, I was late to the party but hey … it’s my story. At Nao Media, we focus on story because we know story drives our clients’ connecting with their community.

Stories inform, instruct, inspire, entertain, and motivate. Everyone from parents to CEOs can use story to not only get results and gain awareness, but to change the world. I want your business to focus on telling its story so our global community can be empowered by your example.

beacon of light from mountaintop

Businesses really have a story?

Yup! A business’s story is usually best told by its founder(s). Your business’s story shouldn’t focus on what it does. Your story, for it to be compelling, should be centered on why the business was started and why it exists today.

Other questions to answer:

  • When: when did you know that your business had real potential?
  • Which: which decision did you make that made your business viable?
  • Who: who started the businesses and who and/or what kind of talent makes up your team?
  • How: how does your business impact its community?
  • Where: where does your business have the most impact? (consider thinking outside of revenue)

Changing the world is hyperbole though, right?

Nope. If your business doesn’t aim to have a positive effect on the world, then you should really think about your business model.

Your business won’t change the world by news-jacking on Twitter for the pure sake of attracting eyeballs.

It won’t change the world through direct mail coupons.

It won’t change the world by shilling your product or service without an interesting backstory.

Your customers want to know about you. They want to be intrigued by your beginning, middle, and end (which is usually the “reveal” or “present state” of your business). Your customers and the community you aim to impact want to know how they fit into your story. Some might even want to learn how your business contributes to the betterment of the world.

Businesses have a huge opportunity with story because of the resources they can put into production and distribution. If you have the resources for scaling the distribution of your positive story to the masses, do it! Especially if you know your story can change lives.

Knowing your story is not enough.

It must be told and shared. You can’t afford to ‘die’ with your story in you. And that goes for individuals and businesses. Though I’m a writer and lover of books and blogs, I must admit the best medium for telling your story is video.

Video simply appeals to more senses (if we take a reader’s imagination out of the equation). A high quality “About Us” video can cost $5000+ USD. If you’re not quite ready to invest in a video, call on a writer to get your story on paper. Your written story (or a portion of it) can be used for website copy, books, periodicals, and more.

Need help telling your story? Download Nao Media’s latest e-book, “The Nao Blueprint: How to Develop a Content Creation Machine.”

Author’s Bio: Chris Craft is a believer in the greatest story ever told. He’s also the Founder and Chief Visionary at Nao Media, an Atlanta-based content creation agency. Follow him on Twitter at @ChrisQueso.

Photo Credit: 8#X via Compfight cc

Four loyalty programs worth following

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By Diana Gomez

Every day I read about how to grow your business and expand your clientele. And sure, getting new customers is an important factor in any marketing tactic, but what about the ones you already have?

Hand with loyalty cards

One look at how phone companies are rethinking their treatment of already-loyal customers is proof that those are the ones who need attention. Don’t just give new customers the chance to get a new phone at a good deal. Offer those perks to the people who you already have on board, and they’ll be spreading the good news rather than telling their friends to steer clear.

Don’t limit yourself. Stop thinking of ways to get newbies when the key lies in your current customers — that is, if they’re satisfied. And they will be with a simple thank you. Reward them with experiences worth bragging about. Points-based loyalty programs are fine if the reward is clear, but it’s the reward experiences that will help grow your business via good old word-of-mouth, from your currently thrilled customers.

Here are some examples of companies that apparently get it:

Starbucks

It didn’t take much convincing for me when a cashier first told me how much I could save with My Starbucks Rewards. The idea is to download the app, which keeps track of every purchase. With each purchase, you get a star, and on the 15th, you get a free drink. Keep collecting stars and you can get extras at no cost. You know all of those adjectives we use to order a coffee? They cost money, and it all adds up.

So rather than pay extra for soy milk and vanilla, I accrued 50 stars and got all of that stuff for free. And it genuinely feels like I’m doing a friend a favor by informing them that their latte could be cheaper. Everyone wants a cheaper Starbucks coffee, don’t they? But get this: not only do you get rewarded for purchases through the app, but you can also make purchases within it and avoid the queue. Quite the game changer when you need a quick coffee en route to the office at 8:45 in the morning.

Orange

One of the most successful, widely used loyalty programs is offered by Orange. Formerly known as Orange Wednesdays, two-for-one Wednesdays have staying power with the deal of a deal: two movies for the price of one. Not only do you have to tell a friend (because you have to bring a friend), but that person will be equally enthusiastic about the reward of a free night out.

Wednesday is now a crazily crowded night at the theatre, but Orange also offers discounts on other events. From theatre to comedy to music, users get a chance to have all kinds of cheap nights out. Again, the idea of offering an actual experience proves effective in gaining loyalty. How many people stick with Orange solely due to the two-for-one deal? A lot.

KLM, and Most Airlines

Although airline rewards programs have been popular for years, they’re worth mentioning because it’s a tried and true example of how customers will keep coming back again and again if there’s a reward worth getting. And cheaper tickets, upgrades, and VIP treatment in airport lounges are definitely perks people want.

Sure, I can find a lot of great deals from a competitor, but wasting miles on an airline that I haven’t done a lot of business with is a no-brainer: I’d rather stick with the program I’ve built the most miles with. When those points accrue and inevitably pay off, it’s entirely worth it to get an entire free flight one day rather than a few slightly cheaper ones along the way.

Costa Coffee

So many people love a tangible rewards card, and the Costa Coffee card is a pretty popular one. Simply registering for a card alone will earn your tenth coffee on the house, and that immediate gratification is just the hook that will leave a customer instantly…hooked.

Keep using the card, and every nine hits gets you a free coffee. Sometimes, a simple free coffee is worth shouting about on a Facebook status. Anyone can give away things people may not need, but there’s a guaranteed smile in store for anyone whose day is made brighter by a complimentary cup of something that is entirely necessary for the day’s survival.

So there you have it. Follow in the footsteps of programs like these that have earned their own following and kept it, and you could very well see the numbers rise without spending a second focused on anyone other than the customers you’ve already snagged. Offer incentives that are actual experiences worth shouting about, and they probably will. People appreciate a thank you now and then, and showing that your company is generous will speak to your customers the most. Ultimately, the benefits will boomerang right back at you.

What loyalty program do you use the most?

Author’s Bio: Diana Gomez is the Marketing Coordinator at Lyoness America, where she is instrumental in the implementation of marketing and social media strategies for USA and Canada. Lyoness is an international shopping community and loyalty rewards program, where businesses and consumers benefit with free membership and money back with every purchase. Check out Lyoness on Twitter.