Has Your Fire Fizzled?

February 15, 2010

Remember that book you read that was “life changing?”

How about that great idea that you had while driving home that day? Yea, that one, the one that had you hyped up all week certain it would change your future.

What about that speaker who had you on the edge of your seat ?

And let’s not forget those new year resolutions, how are those working out for you?

Getting fired up is easy.  Moving from fired up to action takes work. That book or blog post may have laid out the entire plan but you have to actually implement it. Unfortunately, it is the transition from fired up to sustained motivation to act where we fall off track.

The farther out you get from that original spark the easier it is to justify why it won’t work. Pretty soon, you reason that it wasn’t such a great idea/plan/goal and you move on until the next spark.

Why not change that pattern? When you read, see, or hear that thing that gets you going, act on it. Put the information to work one step at a time. Don’t just take notes and tuck it away, do it. Or you could do nothing and continue to get the same results you have today.

Inaction extinguishes the flame. Commitment keeps it burning. What will you choose this week?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

Is Listening Part of Your Branding Strategy?

February 10, 2010

I had an experience with a big brand recently that sharply brought into focus the issues that commonly occur in large corporations. I have no desire to publicly bash the brand (even though they would never notice) so let’s call them Brand X.

Brand X offers an online learning series that features business experts. It is free to consumers and truly a great business resource, particularly for start-ups and small business owners. I saw the series and after reviewing past speakers, knew that I had a client that would be a great fit as a speaker. I searched the website for contact information but came up empty.

I turned next to Google to uncover social media pages. However, instead of Brand X on Facebook or Twitter, I  came up with a writer (that I know) that did a subcontract job for Brand X. Keep in mind, this company is a household name, yet an indie writer’s site with one mention of them in her portfolio was above the fold on page one of their search results. I did find one or two Facebook pages that were not connected and of course, none mentioned the service, which was the subject of my search. Think there’s a problem here?

Finally, I called the retail customer service line to see if I could locate help. They had never heard of the service and transferred me to the corporate headquarters. Surely, the corporate office would know what department or person handles a program that is offered to the public through their website, right?

The receptionist searched her database and found nothing. This wonderful woman really tried to help; she put me on hold and kept coming back to update me as she tried different people. Twenty minutes later, she deduced that maybe the business services department could be of help. Eureka! We had a starting point. Four calls and four people later, I had my answer. The program was “the baby” of an EVP, who not only birthed the idea but runs the program.

At every step of the process, people were kind, but clueless about this service – a service that is the brainchild of one of their executives; a service that their big box stores could leverage to create deeper relationships with their customers

At the beginning of my search, I believed the company needed a cohesive social media strategy but by the end, I knew without doubt that their problems were much deeper. It is impossible to engage a community when you have not been able to engage your own people. This company is like many others, with layers of bureaucracy and one-way communication channels.

In companies like Brand X, information is directed down the corporate ladder and by the time it reaches the bottom rung, no one cares. The workers who touch your customers have dismissed your corporate communications as worthless dribble. Their primary source of information about the company is from other employees. You would know that if you listened.

This brand is not ready for social media. Their current scattered disjointed presence mirrors their internal communication style. Your employees are your customers too. Learn to listen, engage them and create community internally and your external social media efforts will come far easier.

Brand X may have wonderful, smart people working in their company but as a whole they exhibit an arrogance that undermines corporations. When you dominate your space, there’s a tendency to focus on profits rather than people. Why emulate the behaviors of the small and nimble when you are king of the hill?

It’s a mistake that many other industries have learned the hard way. No one is too big to fail or fall. I’m rooting for Brand X. I hope that they can transform their internal culture and create two-way communication channels. I would send them a memo, but experience tells me it would not get read.

How about you, is listening part of your strategy? What tools and techniques do you use to make sure communication is two-way?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

Is Your Business Puzzle Missing a Piece?

February 8, 2010

I need a press release

I was told I need to be on Facebook

We need someone  to create tweets for us

and so it goes…

One piece of a much larger puzzle, offered as the answer by a well meaning advisor, expert or friend, or taken out of context from a book, presentation or speech. Tactics offered up without an accompanying strategy served up like a gourmet meal that has only appetizers and no main course.

The problem with pieces is that you need all of them to get a full picture.

We have become spoiled. Information is widely accessible and often free. As a result we have been lulled into a false sense of confidence that specialized expertise no longer matters. We have the pieces of the puzzle, and we can put them together on our own. Who needs a PR professional when you can write or buy a press release? Hire a web designer- pshaw! We’ve got Wordpress! Pay fair value for writers ? Of course not, we have article directories and PLR content.

But just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Having the pieces is only one part of the equation. A puzzle master will have a strategy for how they all fit together. He or she will assemble the right pieces, faster and better than you can do on your own.  Specialized expertise is not a waste, it is actually a more cost efficient method of achieving your goals.

Being an expert in your own business will require you to strategically choose how you spend your time. If you are bootstrapping a new business you will need to get creative and do some things on your own. However, you cannot remain a bootstrapper for the lifecycle of your business. At some point, to grow and take your business to the next level you will need to hire skills that you do not possess.

In the short term, you may save money by figuring things out on your own but what will you have sacrificed in the process?

Specialists invest in their ongoing education. They hang out with other specialists to learn and grow. They have inside knowledge and competitive information. When you hire a specialist you are paying not only for skill but their contacts, database of knowledge, hard won lessons, shortcuts, tips and more.

I realize that we are living in leaner times. You cannot hire a specialist for every business process but you should consider it for mission critical tasks. Weigh your upfront investment against the return and you may also conclude that it’s cheaper to hire someone who can take the right pieces and make a whole picture that is just right for your business.

Do you hire specialized expertise or have you gone the do-it-yourself route? Why or why not?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

Smacking Down Resistance to Embrace Opportunity

February 1, 2010

You come to the blank page with a plan and determination to see it through. Yet, every word seems jumbled and unclear. You do more deleting than writing and then sit back in frustration. The words that you do not want, the story you do not want to tell grabs at you forcing to pay attention. You resist, angrily plunging ahead with the plan but the story refuses to let go. Fragments and snippets force itself onto the page, it beckons you in the dead of night from peaceful slumber. It is persistent, and innocuous to your rejection. It beckons you, weaving its magical spell of words around you. It stalks you with haughtiness knowing that your resistance is wearing down. You swat it away with your arsenal of weaponry – no time, no fun, I can’t write/do/be that! – until the day exhausted from the battle you can no longer turn away. You exhale deeply and give in to the cacophony of words begging to be assembled into a harmonious sound. It is time to come to the page and tell the story, the one you’re really supposed to tell.

And so it was for me. The story I did not want to tell stubbornly refused to budge, immune to my resistance. It invaded my space and spoke to me from the voice of others like a post from Joanna Young  that urged me to “ Make time for the story you really need to tell and talk of ” lizard brains” and resistance from Seth Godin.

There was nothing left to do but oppose the resistance. So with a weary sigh I have given in and have started writing the words that tell that story.

You do not have to be a writer to understand resistance. Your blank page could be a job or life event. “Lizard brain” is common to us all. Resistance and it’s cousin Fear try to keep you in the brown box that fits exactly right on the conveyor belt that leads to new day, same thing.

However, when we look resistance squarely in the eye and do the opposite we find ourselves exactly where we should be, and that is pretty awesome.

How do you handle resistance?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

The Marketing of Human Suffering

January 18, 2010

Across the globe, people have generously opened their hearts to help the people of Haiti in their hour of need. The images, stories, and personal accounts of tragedy have moved us to act and to give to the relief efforts.

Haiti, slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Maryland is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The low literacy rate, health problems and poverty are unimaginable to those in wealthier countries. Mission groups, aid workers and those who serve the needy have long known of the needs and put forth efforts to raise awareness and resources to make  a difference.

Yet, even the best marketing efforts could not ignite the outpouring of compassion that has resulted from this horrible earthquake that has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives.

The Haitian tragedy illuminates the difficulty faced by charities and non profits on a daily basis. How do you “market” the cause of daily human suffering so that people feel connected, and moved to act and to act not once but over a period of time? How do you hold the interest when so many other things fight for our attention?

In the wake of tragedy, there is a collective consciousness of need helped greatly by media attention. Yet, we know from past tragedies that the cameras will soon turn their attention to other stories, the telethons will end and we will resume business as usual. Much like consoling a friend after the death of a loved one, soon we move on even as the person experiencing the loss continues to grieve.

When Haiti is no longer a top trending topic, its people will still need our help. I challenge us all to to keep Haiti on our radar even as it fades from national attention. Let us not tune out the marketing of human suffering but open our eyes, ears and hearts with ongoing love, prayers and support.

How to Help

12for12k  Hope for Haiti

Electronic Village: Haiti Earthquake: How Can You Help?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

What You Can Learn from the Leno Shuffle

January 11, 2010

Jay Leno hosted daily nighttime talk show, The Tonight Show for 17 years. Like previous hosts before him, he retired and passed the torch on to a successor, Conan O’Brien. There was however, a twist. Leno was not going to retire to a life of leisure and golf but to a nightly hour long variety show that would air 1 1/2 hours before his “old show.”  NBC thought that Leno’s new show was a bold move that would change the 10 pm viewing hour instead a mere 4 months into the new show, it is being pulled.

The latest news is that Leno’s show will be revamped as a half hour show that will air at 11:35 pm, and The Tonight Show will move to 12:05.  I have a feeling that someone at NBC will be in the job market very soon.

The Leno/Tonight Show saga is not unlike what happens in corporations. Fresh talent and new leadership is brought in but the old regime does not step aside to let them build their audience. NBC falsely assumed that the popular Leno could usher in a new format in the final primetime hour. The network would have a much cheaper show to produce and would leverage Leno’s brand to win viewers. Poor Conan O’Brien never had the opportunity to rise or fall on his own merits. He was given the spotlight and then left to meander in the shadow of the former host.

Passing the torch cannot be a half-hearted move. You must make the change and stand by it allowing the new team  to make the “show” their own. They may fail as they find their way but you guarantee their failure when you hamstring them from having their moment to try.

When it’s time to step aside, pass the torch graciously and then get out of the way. The new team will not do things in the same way or make the same decisions, but isn’t that the point? A great leader not only knows when to step up but when to step down.

Have you ever had to pass the torch? Was it difficult to hand over the reins?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

Why You Should Learn to Fight Fair

December 21, 2009

Counselors often guide people in how to fight fair. It’s an important skill to learn. The rules of the game include not hitting below the belt, which is akin to throwing a deadly dagger of words that sucks the wind out of the other person. Counselors also teach you to move from judging, accusatory statements to “I feel.”

In life and business we often throw out relationship rules particularly when debates get heated. We like to believe that we are making rational arguments with no basis in emotion, but that’s a lie. Like it or not emotion very often plays a large role in our reactions.

For the past couple of weeks I  have followed lively discussions around heated issues such as infidelity, policy debate, gender inequality, and revelations of long held secrets. Discussions started out civil but quickly turned passionate and heated. The tipping point was always emotion. When you dismiss what someone “feels” as irrational or unintelligent, the gloves come off and a nice debate becomes a bare knuckles smack down.

Nowhere is this more evident than in matters of ideology. Attacking a belief system is a surefire way to get personal very fast.

The funny thing is people have feelings about everything. Tropicana changed its packaging and ignited an uprising. Change, controversy or negative events, for this reason should be handled with care.

Whether a solo professional or big brand, don’t meet your customers’ emotions with rational arguments that seem to call them stupid. Sometimes, people need to work through what they’re feeling and the hurt, angry and betrayed could soon become your biggest supporters.

Learn to fight fair at home and in life, and you will not have to overcome opposition with force.

Have you ever had a disagreement in business or in your personal life spiral out of control because of emotion? Were you able to rectify it or did itforever change the relationship?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

The 5 Things I Hate About Social Media | Search Engine People Blog

December 14, 2009

Posted via web from Marketing, Musings and More from Karen Swim

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

Adrenalin, Pie and the Holiday Season

November 30, 2009

It’s the last day of November and round the world we have officially entered the holiday season. If you’re a US resident you survived the Thanksgiving weekend – congratulations! Your wonderful holiday may have included:

• Breaking bread with people you barely know
• A long road trip with your entire family crammed into a vehicle that felt like a shoebox as the miles added up
• Slogging through airport check-ins to spend time with relatives
• Dodging questions from your bubbe, nana or dear Aunt Betty that range from your marital and childbearing status to your weight and the job they don’t quite get
• Trying to politely decline food you no longer eat without going into a long explanation of your dietary choice and uh desire to live past the age of 40.

Ah , fa la la la la la la la.

On Thanksgiving Day, I ran into my local store to grab some forgotten item. I had just finished a run and the happy hormones were rushing through my system. The store had already abandoned the Thanksgiving decorations and red bows and green lights had taken their place. It’s a one stop store where you can buy your groceries, office supplies, lawn ornaments and power tools all in one place (don’t ask, I still don’t quite get it either). I was immediately hit with the delightful smell of fresh baked goods. Yet, among the twinkling lights and joy to the world, there was one thing missing – happiness.

The workers looked battle worn and fatigued. The shoppers were buying holiday trimmings and gifts but none were smiling. I received mumbled hello’s and barely perceptible nods to my cheery greetings (I was happy, I had a good run and I was going to eat pie!). Wasn’t this a season of grateful reflection and joy?

Finally at the checkout, I found it, a happy couple. They smiled even before I let them cut in front of me. They were in their late 70s and made quite a striking pair. They had bought several cans of some type of fruit, and the wife explained they had gone to three stores to find it. She chatted cheerily while directing her husband. He smiled as he followed his wife’s lead, clearly masterful at a lifetime of “yes dears.” They had gone to three stores and they were neither harried, grumpy or seemingly tired.

This dear couple had clearly lived through many holidays. As life goes, I guarantee that they were not all stress free. Yet, they seemed to have arrived at a place that allowed them to enjoy the simple things like finding a searched for food item three stores later.

Maybe it was my runner’s high or my delight about the pie, but I committed to hold on to my joy in the midst of this frenzied season. It’s so easy to be caught like a deer in Christmas lights at this time of year. Yet, the things that really matter have little to do with blinking lights and bright wrapping paper. I will not blame the retailers for ruining the holidays but will take responsibility for my own actions and attitude. I can choose to honor my own values and reasons for celebration this season or I can choose stress and frustration.  I can also choose to spread that joy to everyone around me, and that just happens to fit perfectly into my budget.

This week I’ll be sharing some of my personal stress busting strategies, and I would love to hear from you. How do you manage the demands of this time of year? Any must have rituals that keep you sane?

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

What Story are You Writing?

November 19, 2009

On Monday, I shared a peek into my wildly overactive imagination. My mind filled in the blanks with a story of my choosing in absence of facts and data. The truth was far simpler than what my mind contrived. In that instance, no harm was done, and the results were a hearty chuckle. Yet, Wendi Kelly knowingly commented:

“Karen that is great story. And also a great story about how we make rash judgments about people and situations before we don’t have all the facts. There is a great lesson in here!”

Wendi was right, there is a lesson to be learned from my wild tale. We tell ourselves stories every day, and they have a profound impact on our conduct and our relationships. In his book, Be the Hero, Noah Blumenthal notes that tell stories about: other people, our situation, ourselves. The way we tell these stories cast us as either victim or hero, but we are fully in control of our role. When we change our stories, we change our lives.

It is human nature as Wendi notes to fill in the gaps when we don’t have all the facts. We can make up a back story for a colleague who appears angry and uncooperative, which can validate what we choose to see rather than viewing it from a perspective of compassion. We tell stories about our spouses, friends, and children, and then we seek to fulfill them by continuing to validate our own beliefs.

Noah’s position is that we can literally change our lives by changing our stories. Imagine filling in the gaps in a way that allow you to be open and receptive to new ideas and change. How would your work environment change if everyone began communicating like a hero rather than a victim? Would it affect your relationship with that surly co-worker or the seemingly hard-nosed boss? Changing your people stories in a way that seeks to understand rather than blame will most certainly improve every relationship in your life.

Our situation stories provide another opportunity for us to choose hero or victim. You can choose to magnify the negative or you can choose to see and celebrate the best in your life. No matter how dark the days, or large the challenges there is always an opportunity to choose to look at what is right in your life, rather than what is wrong.

Finally, there are the self stories. Victims have things happen to them, while heroes make things happen. Are you telling yourself that you have the power to influence your choices or have you cast yourself as a helpless victim whom life rolls over?

We always have a choice. However, we also have a choice to embrace or reject that choice. Being the hero is not a Pollyanna view of life that denies that bad things happen. Life is complex, and messy. Even when you change your story your co-worker may remain surly and your boss may be a jerk. Being the does not require an adoring crowd or outside validation, but a quiet determination to choose to be the hero even when no one else is looking. If you are going to fill in the blanks why not fill them in with stories that build and nurture rather than destroy?

How about you? Have you ever cast yourself as the victim? How would a hero story have changed the situation?

Resources:

How to be Happy Now – Wendi Kelly’s beautiful post that challenges our notion that happy is elusive. She challenges us to courageously choose happiness even when life seems to be directing us otherwise.

Be the Hero - Noah’s book is not a sentimental view through rose colored glasses. The book delivers a powerful message through the use of a parable. We follow the stories of those who went from victim to hero and those stories really hit home.

Thank you so much for reading! Subscribe to keep up with the latest posts and feel free to spread the word!Get free updates via RSS or email.

Next Page »

• Connect on Social Media

  Follow me on Twitter
  Connect on LinkedIn
  Social Media Policy
  Facebook Fan Page

• Get free updates – RSS or Email

  

  

• Recent Comments

  • Debbie Yost on Is Listening Part of Your Branding Strategy?
  • Debbie Yost on Hard but Not Forever
  • Andrew Heaton on Hard but Not Forever
  • Your Social Media Neighbourhood: Are You Keeping Good Company? | Confident Writing on It’s All About You
  • Shari Smothers on Has Your Fire Fizzled?

• Badges & Buttons
• 
• 
• Blog Network:

  Name:
  Words For Hire

  Topics:
  Inspiration, Business, Marketing

  Join my network

  Blog Networks
•