The Right Tools & Mindset For Success
[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/andytraub/22ReasonsNotToShip.mp3]
Listen to my 22 lousy reasons…
1. I really need a new computer
2. I need a new logo
3. I need better pens
4. I need a better office
5. I need some business cards
6. I need a better microphone
7. I need more Twitter followers
8. I need more of a track record
9. I need more experience with clients that are that big
10. I need a better desk
11. I need a stronger voice
12. I need more blog posts [Read more…]
Today I had the honor of spending some time with Jeff Hayzlett and Jeff Pulver. Since they both have their own Wikipedia pages they’re famous enough that you might know who they are. Hayzlett has worked at Kodak for many years and now has a book out and a television deal. He has his own consulting company now and he’s a local boy (we both live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and despite the media’s misinformation he doesn’t live on a ranch). Jeff Pulver has a fascinating history with technology, from working with ham radios at age 9, making VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) the technology it is today, investing in Twitter to founding and running the movement that is the 140 Conferences.
We had a small a great Tweetup organized by Hugh Weber who is as close as you come to a social media guru (and a genuinely nice guy as well). I put together a video from the notes I took at the event because frankly it felt like it was too important not to document. Here’s a preview of the video…it’s not about the technology, it’s about people’s lives changing through connectivity. If you attended the Tweetup I’d appreciate you sharing what you took away from the event. I know we all learned something significant.
Audio version of this post:[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/andytraub/humanvsbusiness.mp3]
If your business isn’t thriving it might be because you’re too professional. Yeah, you can be too professional and not human enough. Listen to the post below and you’ll hear what I mean.
1. Humans use names, businesses don’t.
2. Humans can be trusted, businesses are too large to be trusted.
3. Humans can make mistakes and people will forgive, when you’re a business people want their money back.
4. Humans build long term relationships that aren’t based on price alone.
5. Humans connect on an emotional level, businesses don’t have emotions.
Do you agree with my five reasons to be human? Do you have any examples of this being true in your experience in business? Tell me in the comments section below so I know if I’m crazy or right.
Audio version of this post:[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/andytraub/whatisyourbusinessbestat.mp3]
Last night my wife and I spent some time talking with some friends who are raising support so they can be full-time missionaries. We really do want to support these friends but as they finished their presentation I was left asking myself and eventually them, this question. What are you best at?
When I go to a store or a buy the services of a business I want their best. There is a sandwich shop in town called the Pickle Barrel that I believe has the best sandwiches in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I’ve never heard them specifically say they were the best but they do say that they’re very good and they’re right. They don’t try to sell pizza and they don’t try to market how cheap their sodas are. They don’t even talk about the free pickle you get with every sandwich (and you get to grab it out of a pickle barrel, which is kinda cool). They know what they’re best and that’s what they talk about in their ads and on their Twitter and Facebook pages.
My encouragement to you is to stop talking about things that everyone else is equally good at and focus on what you’re best at. If its fries then talk about your fries. If it’s roofs then talk about your roofing. Customers support businesses who say they’re the best and then deliver on that claim.
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Audio version of this post:[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/andytraub/5tipstoberemarkable.mp3]
This picture took 34 months to make. It’s not a serious of pictures though. It’s one picture. You’re actually seeing the destruction and construction of a building as taken by Michael Wesely in 2001. A snapshot is forgettable. An image taken over three years is memorable and remarkable. So here’s the question, “Is your marketing plan forgettable or remarkable?”
Old Spice had a marketing campaign a few weeks ago and the critics are already saying that it wasn’t a success because Old Spice hasn’t seen an immediate jump in sales. Were they really expecting people to run to the drug store and buy Old Spice? I think they’re trying to build something remarkable and they’re off to a great start (see the videos here). Instead of looking at your social media plan or your web traffic as a 3 month or one year campaign why not look at it from a different perspective. Will is be perceived as remarkable?
Remarkable is hard work and most people actually think social media marketing is less work than traditional marketing. In fact social media marketing is more difficult because it requires transparency in a way that traditional ads do not. No one ever expected the Ronald McDonald to create personal videos for kids and post them on the internet. It’s easier to just create a packaged message and let it run. Old Spice created something remarkable b/c they took part in conversations with real people. [Read more…]
