Month: July 2011

Business Marketing advice from Harry Potter

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Albus Dumbledore

Image via Wikipedia

I just got home from seeing the final chapter of Harry Potter.  It is ok, I will not be sharing the all important movie parts if you have not seen the movie, Just one line.

So how does Harry Potter and Business marketing relate accept for the fact their franchise is the one of the richest success stories in Hollywood history?  Let me not hold you in suspense…..

In the final Chapter Harry and Dumbledore do have one more conversation together and Dumbledore corrects an earlier line from the second film “The Chamber of Secrets“that really hit me as a great point in marketing. Do you remember the line “There will always be help at Hogwarts when you ask for it?” In this film he corrects himself and says that help will always be there for those who deserve it?  Quite a difference in those lines in life and in business.

Your business was built with your own sweet and dreams, and you probably have worked harder than anyone will ever know to get it growing. My Question is have you earned your customers and do you deserve their loyalty?

In today’s fast paced Social Driven Marketing world there is advice and tips every where on how to gain thousands of fans, followers and connections. It seems that many of the tips follow the same path as Dumbledore in the Chamber of Secrets – all you need to do is asked for friends, followers and connections and your Social Media and Marketing troubles are rescued and your will be victorious.  But how true is the corrected statement, help is for those who deserve it?  There are thousands of business people who have started gung-ho on social media adventures, gaining handful of fans, connections or followers as they added content and conversation online, only to find their fans did not share, their cash registers did not ring and they felt hey were wasting their time on meaningless conversation.

Why then are so many teaching that social media is the perfect marketing tool? That this single marketing tool can change the landscape of your business? Because it can and has for those who have earned it! The  individuals which stayed connected and invested their time, thoughts and expertise not to just enrich their pockets but to help others enrich theirs.  They gave first and continued to give of their knowledge until they had earned the right to ask for help, then their followers, connections and friends sprang to action and helped them succeed in their plans and business success.

If you are starting a social media campaign or have lost hope in your campaign take these tips seriously.  Victory in social media marketing is not for the ones who just show up and ask for help, you must earn the right to receive the help.

5 – Tips to get you started:

  1. Share you knowledge – you have a knowledge base, you might not think it is much but you do have a knowledge base share it freely. Yes if you have the secret recipe you don’t have to share it, but you can share tips and knowledge that will help others create their own secret recipe
  2. Share your answers –  invest time on the social media front helping others get the answers they need to be successful or find enjoyment.
  3. Share your advice – Who, what, when, why?  Pretend you’re a newspaper reporter and you have to interview yourself for an article. Remember the 4 W’s and start writing.
  4. Share your encouragement – People love to help people that make them feel good about themselves. Make someone else feel special
  5. Share your visions and dreams – What do you want the world to look like. Tell us. Yes you might get ridiculed from some but mostly you will help the best of us believe in you. And until we believe in you we will never promote or stand up for you.
So there you have it, Social Marketing tips from Harry Potter.  The movie is worth the price of admission.

 

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Copy Machine Humor

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A small, much used Xerox photocopier in the li...

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For years I worked for companies that continually battled the wasted paper at the copy machine. You know what I am speaking of, That box of wasted copies that have been duplicated or left behind for weeks when someone printed a project and then printed it again because the machine was going too slow.

Well I just have to share the new joy in my life. My newest employer continues to show their brilliance in employee motivation and management. You see if you print anything at our office and don’t happen to make it to the copy machine before the boss then your project or printed material becomes the newest office ticker parade. That is right 2 page or 60 pages she just takes true pleasure in just throwing them in the air over her head and smiling the entire time like she was in a parade of tick tape.  Occasionally she will then jump on them and rub them into the carpet.

I know some of you old blood manager are saying What a waste of money and time. But I assure you I try to never print an item that I am not going to use or that I am not willing to get up and go retrieve right now. Instead I watch with much satisfaction and laughter as the next set of papers goes for a fling.

The entire staff is into it now, occasionally someone else will do it, and the smile they get on their face is priceless. The culprit is not always happy but they seem to understand and often will walk down and pick up their wrinkled paper from the floor just so everyone would know it was them.

So what is the moral of this post, I don’t know, maybe it is that life is too short to be made at the wasted expense of paper at the machine, turn it into the office humor and liven up the place. Sure seems to add to the productivity and fun of our company.

Change

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What a complicated word! Change!
The master of action words, change is undeniable.

It has been a while since my last blog, but this simple action item is to blame. Not only have I changed, my daily routine, financial situation, and time with my business, but I went to work for a company that spends 365 days a year working on Change as a core product that they develop, package and support.

Let me introduce to you The Change Companies. A 20 year old family owned business which publishes Evidence-based materials to help people that are in trouble, addicted, socially challenged, or convicted of such crimes as DUI make positive lasting life changes.

But this post is not about The Change Companies or a commercial, we don’t sell to the open public. However I must tell you about the culture of Change Companies.

The Change Companies has completely changed my view of the business world. As a manager of people I always thought that I was good with most people. I held high expectations for those around me but in turn I gave them extraordinary freedom in their work day. What my style created was a group that loved me and a group that took advantage of me and that would eventually did not like me because I just could not stand being taken advantage of after giving so much freedom. So what makes the Change Companies Different.

B.O.P.E Time! A Brief Opportunity for Performance Excellence!

This is something that is encouraged at the Change Companies every hour – hour and a half. An opportunity to get up from your work, mingle together as a group and do a little exercise. Yes that is right, you will find Hula Hoops, Weights, push up contests, head stands and a walk around the building with a teammate.
Now B>O>P>E> Time may sound a little silly but it is a foundation of the culture I now work in and wish to share. Imagine an employer which has fairly strict guidelines on how business is done, but then during the day you see them doing jumping jacks, throwing paper in the air because someone left it on the copy machine too long, and playing with the office cat. This is the same employer which brings fresh cut flowers in everyday that we hit our daily goal the day before. Not just for the building but for every single desk. They reward their team when the the company is doing well not by small insignificant prizes but with substantial rewards for a select few that are sure to make a difference in their lives.
More than these small things the thing that is catching my attention is that they truly believe in Change, They believe Change is not only possible, but that we control a great portion of it! All Change is Self Change!

My career is changing and I am proud to cal the Change Companies my partner in Change.