Successful Blog

Yes, Please! — Thank You! — You’re Welcome!

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I've been thinking . . .

I’ve been thinking about a post called Dante would be proud, at the Church of the Customer for two weeks now. The post is only 7 lines long, but points to a Wall Street Journal article about a law firm that is teaching it’s partners to have manners.

It sounds like they’re learning via PowerPoint. Ouch!

I can understand the position they’re in. I lost my manners once. I’m not sure when or where they went. Maybe they left when we changed to a casual dress code at work, or maybe they flew the coop when parents let their kids call adults by first names. I don’t know

I just know that mine were restored by a lovely 8-year-old Australian girl.

We were at a gathering at a home where I was staying while working on a publishing project. The young lady’s mother was an author on the project and is a friend. This young lady herself is a fabulous conversation partner. While we were talking, I volunteered to help her fill her plate from the massive buffet that was being offered. My arms were longer.

Each time I asked, Would you like this?

My sweet new acquaintance answered with, Yes, please. Thank you! or No, thank you.

How could I NOT say You’re welcome to a smiling face saying that? How could I not MEAN You’re welcome? It felt good to help her choose what she liked.

Several Yes, pleases in a row took me back to second grade, hearing my teacher say, We’re polite to show other people we care and to give them our respect.

I’ve been saying, Yes, please. No, thank you. and You’re Welcome. ever since. In a way, saying, Yes please, makes me feel brand new — like a kid again.

Yes please is so much more fun to say than just saying Yes.

This weekend I’m going to be saying Yes, please! Thank you! You’re Welcome! whenever I can

Thank you for reading this. . . . Thank you again. 🙂

Liz's Signature

Two Important Ideas in a Brand Identity and Why We Have to Live Our Brand

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Two Important Ideas

Personal Branding logo

A brand identity defines our unique value — what we bring that no one else can — by naming the one thing we do far better than anyone else. Uniqueness and specificity are the two messages in one Big IDEA.

If we name the one thing that we want to be known for, and we live it 24/7, customers notice that. By choosing only one thing our message is clean, clear, and focused. Choosing one thing doesn’t limit. As Seth would say, “Small is the new big.” Highlighting only one thing gives focus. Folks extrapolate from that.

That’s the key to successful branding, unique value, specificity, and living it 24/7. Of course, the last part can be a problem.

Honey, Don’t Make Me Live My Brand

When I tell a story, I like to elaborate. It’s a writer’s thing, at least I think it is. My husband prefers to deal in basics. It’s an engineer’s thing, at least he says it is. So when I begin to relate an event, it doesn’t surprise me when I hear, “Honey, don’t make me live it.”

That request works for my husband and my stories — not for a brand.

Much as we’d like to, we don’t get to pick what we’re known for. We only get to suggest our finer traits. But if we live what we’re suggesting other folks are more likely to agree with us. Other folks and brands can’t be separated. The minute we leave other folks out of the picture, we stop living our brand.

People have a way of letting us know we forgot to consider them. They do that by redefining what they think of us and telling each other the new definition. Here are some ways I have forgotten to live my brand in the past.

  1. I fell in love with the details. I thought every detail of what I did was important to everybody. That breaks the “one thing well rule.”
  2. I thought my history was important. Most folks weren’t alive for my history. Folks care about what I deliver now. My “unique value” is based in current time not history.
  3. I tried to be something I’m not. No unique value there. That’s just a bad facsimile.
  4. I tried to be all things to all readers. No specificity there. That’s a sitcom done badly.
  5. I didn’t define what the one thing is that I do well. I was confused and so were my readers. Moving targets only stay interesting for a short while. Then our eyes get tired.
  6. I thought that my brand was obvious. If I don’t say what I’m about why should anyone know?
  7. I made all of my decisions to serve ME.

I can count the holes in my foot the times I’ve shot myself there.

Customers decide our brands, we don’t.

If we choose a brand that fully expresses who we are, living it 24/7 is nothing more than being ourselves and sharing that one unique, outstanding quality that defines us. People will notice. People will talk about it.

That’s the cool thing about being you. You have a corner on how to do it better than anyone else.

What one thing do you feature as the one thing that you do well? Come on out with it. Write it down for everyone to see.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
To have Liz help get your brand just right, click on the Work with Liz!! page in the sidebar.

Related
Branding: A Tagline Is Not A Brand — How to Build a Positive Brand in 3 Steps
Branding, Self-Promotion, Selling: Are You OverDoing?

Meet the Relationship Geek — Phil Gerbyshak

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Everyone Knows Phil

We had met at the first email and by the last, we had decided that we would be attending Phil’s speaking event in Chicago together — two weeks later. Somewhere around emails three and four he said “I’m not a stalker.” and I laughed, thinking I’m the one who usually writes that. Not bad for an email conversation that only lasted only 42 minutes.

That’s how my relationship with Phil began. I suspect it’s that way for everyone.

Read the whole feature in today’s Blog Herald by clicking the logo.

The Blog Herald

It’s about blogging and real life.
–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related articles
Liz Strauss at The Blog Herald, The Blogging Times, and Who’s One in a Million?

$100 Million in Ideas . . .

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$100 Million Got Us Thinking

We came right out of the box talking about what we would do with a $100 million. Trisha first gave a nod to taxes and figured the $50 Million left would be enough to design and build a house, adopt a few kids, and start a non-profit.

Marti said she’d buy lots of land with starry skies.

Joe didn’t think he could dream quiet that high.
When he did he finally said he would buy a machine to count the money so he didn’t have to count it himself.
Then he would hire two lawyers to watch each other and a third to watch the accountant.
Then he would hire someone to fire the two lawyers and accountant and hire replacements

Andrew would get out of debt to law school, build a dream house, and give a chunk to charities and church.

Char would pay the taxes, give family gifts, knock down her house and build a new one, donate to her favorite causes, set up a non-profit for children, and continue to work.

Robert would build a planned community in a beautiful forested areas for missionaries when they’re home on leave.

Renée had conflicting thoughts about hiring an investment consultant.

Rick had obviously thought about it before.
1. Get a lawyer.
2. Get another lawyer.
3. Get a good accountant.
4. Set up a couple of corporations to work through.
5. Give Habitat for Humanity an anonymous donation.
6. Never tell anyone.
7. Keep working.
8. Pay any debts.
And go from there – but not in that order.
Oh, and never go to strip clubs with half a million in the back seat of my car.

Vincent would pay Sylvester Stallone not to make any more Rocky sequels; start a trust for respite care and education of kids with disabilities; make sure his familiy owned their homes and safe cars; and invest.

bj would put away a bit (not much, enough for a nice country cottage) and use the rest for a foundation that offers yearly prizes for the best manufacturable and marketable alternative energy gizmo, gadget or other tool.

Becky said community development would be her thing with a vineyard and winery as part of the plan for the “destination” store.

MamaDuck wants to set it up in investments so that she was living on the income from the invested money. She figured there would be enough of the interest to allow for charitable pursuits and such too. She’d leave the main balance (minus taxes) intact for her children…..

Two Knives would fulfill her fantasy of owning a trinket shop on the beach. She’d sell soft drinks and get to know the locals. Open late and close early. Since it’s so much money, she might even buy U.S.-made trinkets.

Francie would work and share. She’d give some to charity, some to family and friends first. She’d set up a non-profit for them. Then maybe she would fund some scholarships.

Meikah Delid thinks like Rick.
If I had $100M, I’d do the following:
1. pay off debts
2. give sums to those who badly need it, esp. ill people
3. trust fund for the kids
4. buy a rest house by the beach or lake
5. travel around the world
6. save the rest and live as if I don’t have lots of cash (is this possible?)

Ben would still work, but as an angel investor helping successful entrepreneurs get funding.

Tim Johnson is going for world peace, curing disease, feeding and sheltering homeless people, and a Harley.

Nnenka would start a school that offers a holistic education for children and parents.

GP would invest and buy land in her dear Montana to build an equestrian center, and expand that B&B with more room for us to visit.

Minic would pay off anyone who is feeling like an owner, keep a little and give the rest to us all.

David Leggett would donate the $100 Million to Compassion International, a foundation that needs support to care for children, and he might buy some photography equipment..

Here are the links we shared

Thanks to everyone for the cool links and for being part of the conversation. Bring more links next week and we’ll post them again.

Oh and me? If I had $100 Milion?

I’m on a cruise ship city where there are condos and stores and every morning I wask to a different city. I get off the ship to visit lands I’ve never seen and converse with the people who live there. Sometimes we dock in a port for a week or two. I can sleep in my own bed and still enjoy the native culture.

Sometimes we stay only for day trips.

I work via wi-fi as the ship travels.

You’re welcome to join me.

See you next Tuesday? We sure hope so.

–ME “Liz” Strauss and Sandy Renshaw
Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

Free FCC Ringtones: When Is a Monopoly Not a Monopoly?

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I’ve Got a Question

Isn’t a generally accepted principle here in the US that monopolies are pretty much bad things?

I mean it’s something that most folks here seem to agree on regardless of their political persuasion. Those who shade toward the conservative side see competition as beneficial for the economy. And folks with a more liberal outlook generally see behemoth corporations as undesirable.

One Way to CC It logo

And didn’t the US government spend something like 8 years in court to break up the monopoly that AT&T had over out nation’s communication system?

I’m sure they spent a ton of our tax dollars on that.

They Say That Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

Where I lived we weren’t too affected one way or the other by the break up. We happened to live in a very rural part of Upstate New York and our family somewhat affectionately called our local phone company, Taconic Telephone, Rinky-dink Tel. [Read more…]