Recharge and #Unplug

 

How can you #unplug with an iPhone and computer on the coffee table, Dish Network on the screen, stack of newspapers on the floor, and a few books and magazines strewn about?

Try turning them off. 

 

I’m not perfect, but for a week on the lake, I did my best to keep the technology turned off and only respond to the most important messages. Yeah, I did a few check-ins, posted the #100playgrounds on Instabook, and streamed NPR from time to time, but overall, I was able to unplug.

It was hard looking at my Lift App every few days and realize I wasn’t hitting my targets for writing, but I did save some ideas for future reference and took pages of notes in Evernote for GTD.

The recharge was good and made me realize that being focused on the meaningful things in life is most important. Perspective is two and a half years of work being whittled down to a small box of paper, while a week unplugged fills a lifetime of memories that no one can take away.

Now turn it off and focus on yourself, family, friends, and live your life to the fullest.

That Pesky Elevator Pitch

I have always made fun of elevator pitches and thought they were rather trite until I had a breakthrough with Jonathan Fitzgarrald at the Legal Marketing Association Conference in D.C. last year. (I’ll even allow that I entered the room well after the session started because I had it listed as a lower priority on the day.)

What is the pitch? Well, Jonathan knew his audience and delivered a session that told us what he was going to do for us, showed us how he was going to do it, then prepared us to fly before we left the room. In that short session, Jonathan demonstrated the tools that can “guarantee a lifetime of employability” in the words of Jack Welch.

1. Know your audience – what is the pitch and the available time? He gave the example of Bud the water filter salesman who had his audience and pitch down to the point where he finished his story, “if you don’t have a filter…” the audience would shout back, “you are the filter!” Bud had a product that was not differentiated, however, he was the point of differentiation.
2. Pull from personal experience and distinguish yourself.
3. Show specific examples and sell the sizzle of your qualifications.

The message components include:

1. Deliver the end result first
2. Demonstrate expertise through a hook and tell about the risk you took
3. Include a drama scenario of overcoming an obstacle to entertain your audience
4. What was your creative solution to the obstacle including details?
5. What was the “aha” moment where the benefit was delivered – that zinger moment?

Granted, this is only the framework, but Jonathan finally gave me a structure and story that I could believe in that could be edited for a 30-second taste or a three to five minute story.

What do you do when you are faced with the decision to make a change or lose your job?

I’ve always wanted to work at a bike shop and had the chance to be a mechanic at Iowa Bike and Fitness in Newton when in high school. I moved to Ames for college and wrenched at Michael’s Cyclery. After a few months, business started to slow down as the weather grew colder. My hours were getting reduced, so Iasked to join the sales staff. I watched, listened, studied, and learned from the managers and developed into the lead salesperson and eventually the manager over a few years. Through this experience, I was able to lead the sales team to deliver consistent customer service and probe for opportunity to grow our business with each time the door bell rang.

After graduation, I needed a new challenge and moved to Des Moines to work for The Des Moines Register. I didn’t start out as a suit and tie executive, but a jeans and t-shirt tele-sales rep selling $16.95 three-line auto ads for five days in the metro. However, if you got me on the line, your ads started at $75. I quickly progressed through the organization and was selling $2 million a year to local auto dealers and real estate firms.

But I was bored, so I took a new challenge and moved into marketing, pr, advertising, events, and development with Storey Kenworthy Office Furniture and Products. I helped develop their new brands, WorkSpace Inc., and Business Furniture Warehouse, and provide the resources to staff to show customers how they could “Get More” every day compared to the Big Boxes.

Which brings me to today where I’m Marketing Director at one of Iowa’s largest law firms. I’ve developed a strength in marketing, sales, development, training, and willing to take risksto move forward in my career and community. I’ve demonstrated moving from a shy wrench to a focused executive and I can do the same for you. I’m the Marketing Mechanic who can provide the tools you need to be successful in business and life.

So you wonder what happened to the wrenches? I put them away. I was always a horrible mechanic (who should have been fired) and now pay for my work to be done.

What is your story?

What Does Your Network Look Like?

What is your big goal for 2010? Do you have a bunch of tiny ones? Who are the people who can help you get to where you want to be? Take a hard look at your network and take inventory of the connections you have and note where you need to improve.

 

1. What do you want to learn about? I’ve recognized that I really like learning and the challenge of the graduate education solidified it for me. The MBA from Iowa State University opened my eyes and mind to new concepts, constructs, and a greater appreciation for businesses. I want to learn about how businesses consume professional services and how I can continually add value to the relationship. This will require regular contact with business leaders and asking them to think about their business, history, and goals.
2. Who can connect you to others? This is important as you need to get out of the vacuum and find those people Malcolm Gladwell describes in “The Tipping Point” as connectors who can align relationships. These relationships can be based on school, hobbies, interest, awards, charities, family, worship, or my favorite, exercise. Where else, but exercise, can you share an experience and spend quality time together? Just running for 55 minutes yesterday, I connected with four people that I’ve been planning on talking to about health and nutrition, goal setting, and marketing.
3. How can you make these connections? Here is the tough part. Provide value to make the connection and meeting. Never go into a meeting without a goal of what needs to be accomplished. This little act shows that you are aware that time is valuable and you intend on giving something back for the interaction.
4. What could you give away? This is my Steve Farber-esque “Greater Than Yourself” advice of the day. What is something you’ve learned along the way that could help the connection. Is it an idea, a connection, a referral, business, or advice? Think about it and be prepared to give. People will remember it and it will come back to you greater than you paid out in the first place.

Like Rome, networks aren’t built in a day. I’ve realized value of my networks many times over the years. It is a relationship that is built upon giving, rather than taking. Sharing ideas, contacts, experiences, and goals help create that tie that binds. My freebie for the day: ask someone who is important to you out to breakfast, coffee, lunch, or a drink, and be prepared to ask questions, listen, and learn. Make the engagement about them and see where the opportunities are for you to help. I’ve spent the better part of November doing this, and the value of the shared time, information, inspiration, and energy is fantastic.

Making Marketing Work in Your Organization

A great article in Ad Age about the Association of National Advertisers CMO roundtable with CMOs from Best Buy, Con Agra, Fidelity, and General Mills referenced transparency and chemistry as drivers for marketing.

First of all, Mr. Speros [Fidelity] said, you’ve got to realize that the clock is ticking. “Velocity is key, because you don’t have a lot of time to make a difference,” he said. “You have to get in very fast and make relationships with the right people, understand the hot-button issues.”

I love the word “velocity” in the relationship business. Also, consider that time is money. Set an agenda, stick to it, and stay cognizant of the time you’re using of your top execs. They’ll appreciate it and build the basis of a strong relationship (and maybe an advocate as well).

Of equal importance is to build a learning culture within the organization. Ms. Chow [Con Agra] developed a training system for social media with executives. I can’t think of a better way to develop ideas and partnerships at the same time.

So what does marketing look like in your organization?Are you working the floor, listening, sharing ideas and moving a thought to action? Think about your role in the context of these tweets from my buddy Josh Fleming @admavericks.

Everytime you’re w/a client, give them what they asked for, but always give them a new idea.

or

Tell them. Tell them again. Tell them what you told them.

By the way – kudos on the big win for best blog!