What does rice have to do with the social web? When you look at rice, there are many different types of rice and different ways to cook it, all yielding varied results. There’s rice for a quick meal, rice for sushi, rice for risotto, rice for healthier conscious (brown rice). You can have rice as a side dish or you can have rice as the main course, you can even have rice as a dessert. So how does this compare to the social web?

Too often we become consumed with one platform or medium that best suits ourselves. We begin to gravitate towards what’s easiest and where our friends are. This makes us feel most comfortable. But remember, there are friends and then they are clients. (It’s not every day that they can be both. Thankfully, one of the best aspects of the social web is uniting friends and clients as one. This type of unification is great but often comes with its own complications.)

With rice before we start cooking we decide whether it will be a side dish, main course, or dessert. Then we decide how much time we want to invest, the time invested will often be weighed against who we will be entertaining that evening. If they are important to us then we might invest more time for a more impressive, tasty rice dish or course. However, if it’s just the family, the standard quick rice will do, satisfying the need without too much time invest. We know these things instinctively, without training, without cooking prowess, we know and understand what we can do and what we will need to make it happen.

Why then do we ignore this type of innate knowledge and processing skills when it comes to the social web? We will waste time, energy, and money into fruitless social endeavors that will not yield the desired results while conversely we will hardly attempt other platforms or networks because we don’t think we need to impress anyone over there.

If we take our rice skills and apply them to the social web we might be able to make better business decisions about our time and money spent. How much should we invest to impress a potential client? How will we fill the needs of current clients without abandoning them for new clients? How can we make long-term clients feel special and exclusive on the social web? All of these are important questions that should be asked every day of ourselves and our marketing messages as we communicate through the social web.

How are you cooking your marketing messages? Which one is right? What do you think?

Photo Credit: Abstract Gourmet

I was reading Thinkertoys by Michael Michalko and there is an exercise about finding inspiration. He says that everyone should have a personal Hall of Fame that exhibits people who inspire you in. Just like any good Hall of Fame it should be well-rounded, remember, inspiration isn’t just needed in one aspect of your work. So I’ve been compiling a list of people that inspire me in multiple areas. While compiling this list you should note that you should have something from those people that you can read or watch that will inspire you. This is the important part, if you write, read what others wrote, if you film, watch what others filmed. Having a go-to list of inspiration before you are needing it is being properly prepared.

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” – Louis Pasteur, 1854

Who is in your Hall of Fame?

This was originally posted at Coffee House Ideas where I write about this stuff but I know you guys would appreciate me sharing something since it’s been so long. Enjoy.

With the mass of social networking tools and marketing gimmicks it’s no wonder that people continue to tune out marketers messages.

It seems that everyday that spammers, scammers, and low-lifes are vying for you attention, your misdirection, and naivety. These marketers are always attempting to trick you into clicking and buying their piles of worthless subscriptions or product. However, it’s not just the slimy marketers that are attempting to maneuver you into their sales funnel. Many, many upstanding companies use these marketing techniques to ruse you and many other companies into buying their product or service. It’s amazing that no matter how many times you are presented with these tricks of the trade we all say, “Who would do that, don’t they know it rarely works?” However, marketing tactics, strategies, and campaigns wouldn’t continue on with shadiness if they didn’t work. But just because they work doesn’t mean it’s right or truly effective in the long run. Just because you gain customers due to a campaign that tricks people doesn’t mean that they are happy or that they will continue to be a customer. With this type of marketing you’ll find that your attrition rate will always continue to rise no matter how many people are schemed into buying your crap.

Too many times people want to categorize what is shady, what is slimy, what is ineffective; they list rules, guidelines, manifestos and claim this will fix the problem. The problem isn’t that we all ignore the rules, it’s that we aren’t relating enough, we aren’t reaching out with genuine concern for our potential clients. It’s seems all too easy for this to be the fix, for this to be the answer to this epic problem of people increasingly ignoring the messages of marketers. I’m not saying that knowing this and practicing this is simple or easy to scale but it is a much better approach that helps customers become loyal fans not because they just buy the product or service but because they love the people behind it and that’s why they stay and hand over their money.

Often, marketers feel that it’s all about giving away free samples or some type of value based freebie which lures them in. How many times has that ever worked out for both parities in the long run? Most of the time the potential customer takes the free product, not because they necessarily saw value or quality, they saw free and that’s what drew them. I’m in no way worthy to speak on the subject of business and the basics of how businesses work and succeed but I’m pretty sure that at some point in a businesses life it must actually sell something to make money. I’ve always thought that how the economy of business works, you have a product or service and you want to sell it to me who obviously needs it and in turn I give you money. But with so many online properties (businesses) giving away free crap they begin to cheapen the customers that they might have had if they had only taken the time to relate and reach out to them rather than con them into using their free sample. Now I’m not saying that giving away free samples is wrong or incorrect but you know what I’m talking about. Those gimmicks that say you can win money if you tell the company how much you love them or tell five other people and you’ll get free product. Those gimmicks and the like are the ones that bring down the entire industry of marketing.

It’s amazing how many marketers are solely interested in moving the needle purely based on the now, how well the trick worked, basically. They aren’t measuring the customer sentiment from beginning to post-purchase. And if they are, it seems only to validate that the scheme worked today and it was successful and that they should dump more money into that avenue. At some point though for marketers, there has to be a line drawn in the sand with those who give a shit about their customers and those who don’t. If we lead with how our customers feel about us when we do this, then I think we can eliminate many foils that might reach our brain as an amazing trick that will convert millions of dumb, sheep-like people into purchasing machines.

So I know that right now you’re asking who are you to tell me how to market and how not to market. And I know you’re totally asking yourself who they hell is the design company think they are by telling marketers how to “truly” do it right. First, by no means are we saying our methodology or approach is the only one or that it will make millions with the click of a button. Second, we aren’t marketers, we are designers who understand people and since we get projects from a lot of marketers. We have designed a lot of stuff that has worked well, and we have had a lot more that have not. Now one might suggest that it isn’t the message but it is the designer, sure, you might be right on a few projects. But we have found that when we have suggested new options to our clients and they embrace them and worked together to make it hit the right corporate marks, that’s when we found that there was something more than a witty, flashy, exhilarating design or well-planned marketing trick. That’s when we knew there was more to this marketing arena than just stupid advertising banners, websites, giveaways, and email newsletter asylum.

There is a better way to communicate with customers and it has nothing to do with what platform you use, what cool presentation or call to action you show them.

It’s called being human.

[The following is a journal entry of mine but felt it was worth typing up and sharing. Enjoy!]

Life is always spinning, flipping, changing, and reinventing itself. To wake up and say my life is the same as yesterday is futile. Lately my seemingly repetitive life has been constantly challenging me, pushing me further into a place of change. Just when I think I have my grasp on what life should be, how it should be lived, I find myself reconsidering my very worth.

Somehow life is always cared for, not to say it’s not difficult but in the midst of my darkest day there is always light leading me down a path. A path that is so unfamiliar and unwieldy but in some strange way comforting.

Of all the ridiculous things that have crowded my mental landscape, the only thing that continually brings things into focus is love. The love of your other half, the love of your friends, the love of your family. All of them make the trail of life less taxing. One thing that I have learned is a simple yet powerful aspect of business that many overlook: speaking with their customers. Lately, we’ve engaged in conversations about our clients’ products, the struggle of cancer, the times we laugh at ourselves, the times we’re happy children are in our lives, and the times when someone passes on. This path and experience has been fruitful and worthy of my time.

The one and only trick to marketing that I know is to be human. Laugh. Cry. Shout. Whisper. Agree. Argue. It is the compassion from our loved ones that help us remember how to be human. Don’t miss these aspects of life. It’s what defines us! The moment we lose our human aspect or stop feeling is the moment we lose our humanity.

We all desire to communicated to in truth, loyalty, compassion, and friendship.

When we reach out, it is incredibly vulnerable, scary, and sometimes risky, but when someone reaches back to you, that is when it becomes worth every moment of vulnerability. Dare to human, dare to be transparent, dare to embrace your customers. You might find yourself surprised by the results.

Part 1 of a 4 part series in building a Network Powerhouse

Parts and Pieces

You’re building your network; it’s growing but now what? How do you manage it? Is your network balanced enough? I’ll tell you I’ve always had a problem maintaining an acceptable balance in my network. Mainly because I see my network in three categories: Information, Support, and Referral. It’s tough work maintaining all three categories at the same time but it is worth it.

Most people think that having a network is only gaining referrals however it is not the only network to work on. Obviously, the goal is to have a powerhouse referral network but that doesn’t happen without cultivating your other networks. To break it down quickly, there is a reason why you should categorize your network. First, it makes it easier to manage your network, if you need help on a project you immediately know who to access in your Information Network. Second, it provides balance to your professional life, giving you options when you need help from growing as a professional or getting a reference for a new vendor. Third, allows you to save time, you won’t have to search and call a bunch of people when you need something, you already know what everyone does and to what extent. Fourth, it allows you to assess strengths and weaknesses, enabling you to put people into situations that they will succeed in.  Fifth, it helps you remember everyone in your network, as you’ll constantly be referring to your network.

Definitions

So now you know why you should categorize your network, here are the definitions for each category. Information Network: your source of expertise and experience. Support Network: your source of help and encouragement. Referral Network: your source of business opportunities.

Information Network

What does your Information Network comprise of? Being a business samurai requires you to know certain important pieces of information. Whether it’s trends, issues, every changing technological and economic conditions; it keeps you on the cutting edge enabling you to always stay competitive. For instance, I am in the technology and design industry; I have contacts that specialize in technology and design, we share information helping each other when needed. I also have contacts that are not in my related field such as fashion who I speak with often to find inspiration and diversification. Having people at this high level of contrast enables you to refine who you are, where you are going, and how you can help your clients. Fortunately for me, my lack of knowledge is always one of my contacts specialties. It is one thing to have a large network; it is an entirely different thing to know whom your network is and how to tap into each other’s resources.

Support Network

What does your Support Network comprise of? In business we learn to rely on certain people, some who build us up and others who bring us down. Knowing the difference is an example of your business maturity. This part of your network should consist of people who respect, love, and think highly of you. These people like you for who you are not what value you bring them. Most often these people are not your ideal prospects nor are they your information powerhouse. They offer you emotional, practical, business, and/or financial support. They extend what many cannot and will not do for you; they give you their time. These people are the ones you’ll call on when you’re in need. They can also be your crutch when business is crushing you. It is important to remember that these people give a lot to you, never take it for granted, ensure they know how much you appreciate their time and advice.

Referral Network

What does your Referral Network comprise of? Sustaining a business through referrals is ideal but often never achieved because of the time and dedication required. A sale in referral marketing/networking is slightly more complicated as the prospect always comes from someone who tells them about you. That sale will depend on many variables; the quality of the referrer/prospect relationship, previous purchasing history, economic conditions, ease to purchase, and so on. Your Referral Network is the most profitable aspect of your network as a whole. It is important to know who your largest referral sources are, treat that relationship appropriately; don’t be a taker!

What To Do?

Remember to give back to your sources cultivating your network; don’t hunt it. Know that you may not fall into the same category that your source does. Such as you may be in an Information Network to one of your sources that is in your Referral Network. This path doesn’t create a large network quick but it does build a strong influential network that yields real results.

So what’s my call to action? Get off your ass, stop whining about the economy and cultivate the land you have and yield your own amazing results. You get what you put into it, everyone knows someone who can help somebody else.

Flashback

I’m sure everyone has been in customer service at one point in there life and I’m sure you have a small disregard for customers relating to those cherished moments.

Coming Back To Reality

For a software company, one of my clients, they despise the ringing of the phone. They think their customers are completely and utterly mentally deficit of creating educated, technically sound decisions. And after speaking with a few of them I would agree to an extent. However, their contempt seemed a little unfounded.

They spoke of how their customers called in aflame with rage that their humble software was not working as promised, hoped for, expected, or acceptable to general technological standards every other software company holds true to. I felt like I was put into quite the predicament, on one hand I was there to perform a specific service for my client, and on the other hand their customer service people were being relentless by only providing the bare minimum and urging customers to call back another day so that they would not have to deal with that exploding problem today.

My Rebuttal

So I questioned a few people asking them if they had ever purchased software that was critical to their business or existence. They quipped quickly absolutely not. I then explained, feeling like the wise sage who has overstayed their welcome that if you ever pay for something that is completely intangible that it is expected that it will work as promised. I further interpreted that when I was with another company and paid $125,000 for a custom made piece of software it was EXPECTED that it would work as promised. They of course clamored with shocked saying it was different. But they relinquished their spasmodic response with a simple, short-lived empathetic moment. They thought I was accusing them of being horrible people, I told them that they are reacting normal for people who get badgered for eight hours a day.

Focusing

I clarified my reasoning; I was not saying that it is the customers’ fault, nor their fault, nor the programmers’ fault. The fact was is that there were many issues that needed to be addressed. First, the software, it needs run stable, really stable. Second, the sales staff needed to address the customers’ expectation level; the sales staff was overselling what the capabilities were. Third, their knowledge base lacked the immediate defense materials to diffuse irate customers who meddled with their software inappropriately. Fourth, their customer service needed to put themselves in their customers’ position and realize that these people paid for the software they are complaining about. Fifth, the customer service staff needed to maintain the knowledge base as they would deal with the same problem for days before someone would write up a document to email to customers.

The Fix

These suggestions are not the only things they need to do but they were the most obvious that could be fixed relatively quickly. The lesson to learn here is that sometimes we get so wrapped up in going through the motions that sometimes the answer is right in front of us. For my client they continued to handle tech support calls and had considered adding more people to help with the volume of calls. The answer for them was to address the levels of connection they had with their customers and fix problems at each stage, which in whole fixed a much larger problem.

Big Idiots

The larger problem wasn’t that their customers were idiots; it was that they began to treat their customers like a number, a cash register who shouldn’t call when they have problems. It’s easy to get there because when you get in the rhythm of business sometimes you disconnect purely from the rhythm. I suggested that they stop for a moment and genuinely ask their customer how they are doing and shut up and listen. If we listen, we’ll most likely find the root to the problem their having. And yes, sometimes it’s because the customer is dumb but that doesn’t make their concerns invalid. It means we haven’t thought through our processes enough to make it error-free. It’s a learning process and one that never ends because as old users phase out, we are welcomed with new ones. It’s the right time to be human.

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Photo Credit - cambiodefractal

Why

The past few articles I’ve written I’ve talked about the importance of growing and maintaining your network. I also feel like I should tell you that knowing all of this is important but seriously sometimes you just need to be a fucking human to people. Too many people try to game the system, what system you ask, every fucking system they can get their hands on. It’s tempting to be that person because they talk to some of the best people and are seemingly on the top of the world with opportunities. But don’t do it, it’s wrong, cheap, fake and downright full of shit.

What I Think

We have this saying here at Coffee House Ideas, it’s real difficult, be human. This isn’t some anthem or some way we are trying to change the way everyone does business or marketing. It’s not a banner we are waving either. It’s just who you should be.

We all want someone to give a damn about us when we give them our money for a product or service. We don’t want to feel like we are just a number and should be forced in line with everybody else.

Example

I was talking with a potential client and they got excited with the possibilities of the reach and level of engagement that we could bring them. But then I saw it, the sinister, dark, lingering greed of owning. That’s what it is, they want to own, and they want to collect people like trophies of their product. I couldn’t believe what was transpiring before me, it was ridiculous, the smile on their face indicated that the gears inside their head were working overtime.

They didn’t get it, they thought that they could game people, trick them to come to their site that we would make look amazing. So I discussed with them that it wasn’t like that, it shouldn’t be like that, I told them that they should treat their customers with respect and attempt to engage them not game them. The advice fell on deaf ears; the only sound they were listening to was their own voices.

Seriously Think About It

At this point you either agree with me or think I’m an idiot who doesn’t understand Capitalism 101. First, gaming customers works effectively but never brings them back; attrition is extremely high making repeat sales very difficult, something that should be of high importance in any state of the economy. Second, capitalism is awesome; if you’ve talked to me at length at all you know I want to make money and lots of it for my clients and myself. I am always looking for new ways to make more money and convert existing customers into new product lines. Looking for new ways to bring new customers into the capitalism machine. This comes from being on the other side, gaming customers is rewarding but never satisfying. There came a point in my life where I decided that I would unwaveringly help people find solutions to their problems without being shady. Yeah, that’s what I call it! I love helping people find the right solution, especially for the right price, that makes me even happier. I believe if you’re good at something you should be paid fairly for it, ergo my thesis on capitalism. Don’t be a douche; be human. Truly help people.

Like A Fine Wine

When you mature your perspectives change, your physical appearances change, your taste in music changes, your style changes; in relationship marketing when your relationship matures it becomes profitable.

Worth Your Time

Profitability can be defined in multiple ways whether monetarily, mutually rewarding in referrals, or a place where both parties benefit from each other in some way. If a relationship does not profit you can guarantee that the relationship will not endure the test of time.

Proof In Numbers

What relationships do you have that are not profitable? How do you know? Are you measuring, using some form of metrics to help you make these decisions? Many people will immediately default to the de facto standard of profitability – money. That is not the only metric to use, I suggest keeping track of referrals received and given. Of those referrals what was the outcome of them. How hard did you have to work to convert those referrals to customers? Sometimes these are better metrics to help you decide whether a relationship is worth continuing to pour energy into. A relationship that is yielding poor profitability may not be due to the referrer but to you not effectively communicating to the referrer what your business capabilities are. This more often seems to be the problem rather than simply a relationship does not make enough money from the referrer.

See Clearly

Avoid being shortsighted during this evaluation period, it can seriously damage or hinder the development of the relationship. Consider all of the ancillary services or benefits a relationship offers you. I had a relationship that I once considered useless and was considering limiting my time spent on the development of that relationship. But one day I was speaking with a client of mine and found out that this other relationship I was considering limiting was actually one of the main sources of my income. At that point, I had to revise my standards for a profitable relationship. Profitability must be cultivated; it takes incredible amounts of patience and determination.

Many want to rush the process of profitability; I often get asked how quickly does it take for a relationship to reach the profitability stage. My answer is not a timeline but more of a gray area that is only understood when it feels right. It’s not entirely easy to determine when you’ve reached the profitability stage. Often times it depends on the frequency and quality of the contacts, and the desire of both parties to push the relationship forward. When the relationship feels comfortable, then and only then, can it transform into being a profitable one. If rushed, one party will feel awkward or weary of giving referrals to the other party; this can result in damaging the relationship.

The Bottom Line

Overall, this stage is vital to the success of relationship marketing but it is not the only piece of the puzzle to fit together. If anything, you should know and remember that all relationships must be cultivated in order to gain anything of value.

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Photo credit - Johnny Grim