The Lasting Power of Your Personal Brand
The Lasting Power of Your Personal Brand I have written and shared many articles about the importance of your personal brand. That brand is made up of not only the work you deliver, but also the way you dress, speak, and interact with others. The power of a strong personal brand is not only that people can remember you and the work that you do, but also that you are remembered when your product or service is mentioned. I recently received an email that made me feel like some of my own efforts in this area have been successful. Hello Mr. Turner, My name is Gram Smith. You may or may not remember me because I was so little but you used to perform magic at Norcross Station Cafe in downtown Norcross, Georgia. My dad’s name is Bruce and my mom’s name is Carolee, and my sisters are Callie and Parker. My siblings and I are redheads. I just wanted to reach out and say thank you for being such a kind and friendly person to my sisters and me while we were growing up. It made our Friday nights so fun at dinner because we would always ask, “Where is Mr. Joe?” or “I hope Mr. Joe comes.” I am starting a new chapter in my life. I am now a freshman in college at Middle Tennessee State University and studying aerospace to hopefully in the future fly for Delta Air Lines. My family and I still live in Norcross. But I was just thinking about stuff I did when I was younger and I thought of going to Norcross Station for dinner and remembering you sometimes being there performing. I was watching really funny comedy and magicians earlier and remembered you. I hope all is well and may God bless you and your family. Sincerely, Gram Smith Let’s take a look at a couple of important points. 1. A good brand creates experiences that endure. It has been at least ten years since I stopped performing at the restaurant in question. So the memory of our time together has proven to be lasting for this family, both adults and children. 2. A strong brand owns the mental real estate that a customer has set aside for that industry. Did you notice what happened at the end of the young man’s note? He was reminded of me and his experiences with my magic by watching other performers. Essentially, their work made him think of my brand. That is a principle that can apply to any business, any product, any service… any brand. Consistently deliver a quality experience and your brand will not only endure, but it will benefit from the work that others do in your space. Photo Credit: These photos are used with the permission of Malika Bowling of Roamalicious.com.
Saturn, a Garage-Sale Telescope, and Your Brand
Saturn, a Garage-Sale Telescope, and Your Brand Earlier this month I was in a discussion about branding and customer experience with a group of my peers. I thought of this story from my 2012 book. I shared it and was told afterward that it made a real impact on several people in the room and how they thought about the way they deliver value to their customers. Maybe you’ll find it helpful, too. I’ll never forget the moment I first saw Saturn in a telescope. It was a 3-inch refractor that I had gotten for my tenth birthday. As I sat in the front yard I thought, “This must surely be as good as the telescope Galileo had, and he saw Saturn’s rings. I wonder…” When I saw it, I was amazed. Awestruck. I could barely believe it was real. That little dot in the sky really had a ring around it. It looked like a tiny little sculpture floating in my eyepiece. The pictures that had come back from Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were enormous investments. The mission, the probes, the experiments, and those photos were built on the educations of hundreds of people and procured at great expense by the American taxpayer. Yet for all their costs, they had suddenly become secondary to my own personal experience through a beat-up garage sale telescope with a busted tripod leg and no finder scope. No matter how sophisticated your audience’s expectations based on other people’s reports, they will ultimately become secondary to the actual experience you deliver. It doesn’t matter how simple the delivery, as long as the experience is amazing. The photo of Saturn above can be seen in Sky & Telescope Magazine’s online gallery here. The story above is excerpted from my 2012 book High JOEltage: 101 JOElts for Becoming Amazingly Effective. The book is available on Amazon.
Dale Jr., Me, and the Power of Flexibility
Dale Jr., Me, and the Power of Flexibility Back in May, I received a Facebook message from an acquaintance I’ve known for a little over ten years. He works in the advertising and marketing industry, and he contacted me to see if I’d be interested in doing some sleight-of-hand on camera for a television commercial. Over the years I’ve done televised magic in many genres, both as a guest performer and as “magic hands.” This would be along the lines of the latter, with the camera focusing on my hands. My friend explained that the production company wanted me to send some video of my hands folding a piece of paper and magically transforming it into their product. I set up my phone and did some rough shots, and the feedback was instantly very positive. I developed a number of solutions to use magic for the spot. Then the project seemed to go radio silent. I wondered if I had done something wrong. I reached out to my contact at the production company and finally learned that there had been a change of plans and that they didn’t want to use sleight-of-hand magic to accomplish the effect in the storyboard. Naturally, I was disappointed. Then, however, I got one of the weirdest comments I’ve ever received: “The client loved your hands. Would you still be interested in being the hand model? You’d be doubling for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s hands in the commercial.” I’ve done a lot of things, but hand modeling is a new one. I figured it would be a fun adventure, so I agreed! I was asked for my ring size, shirt size, and instructed to get a professional manicure. I was told where the shoot was and where my hotel would be. Everything was scheduled to the minute. On the first day of my two-day shoot, I drove up to Charlotte. I arrived for what I was told to expect might be a 6-hour afternoon of costume fitting. I was done in less than fifteen minutes and told that they didn’t need me again until the next afternoon. The folks at Hammerhead Entertainment are extremely efficient! The next morning I took my time getting ready. I was contacted about 4 hours ahead of my original call time and asked if I could come early as they were moving faster than expected. I went in, got dressed, and pretty soon I was in front of the camera. After a few takes, though, the director stopped. The fine hair on my wrists, usually invisible, was indeed showing due to the intensely bright lights. That’s when I got the weird request that topped the earlier one: “Do you mind if we shave your wrists?” I don’t know what you do for a living, but that’s not something I hear everyday. Of course I said, “Sure, let’s do it!” I wasn’t going to get off this ride for the sake of some wispy hair on the back of my wrist! The wardrobe and make-up folks took a buzzer to my wrists and sent me back to the cameras. About an hour later I was done with the shoot, released for the day, and all set for a fantastic barbecue dinner while watching the College World Series. What did I learn from this experience? I took away a few things. First, it was fun. Realistically, hand modeling is not exactly on brand for my business. But an interesting opportunity that is one step off-brand was definitely worth the effort to be flexible. Second, I got to meet people a new and interesting company, visit another city, and build contacts that could be mutually beneficial later. Third, I got a cool story for my blog and that may also provide flavor for future speeches or scripts. Fourth, I had an amazing meal, which is a benefit that should never be ignored! Lesson Learned: Sometimes the business — and the brand — is strengthened by an event or opportunity that doesn’t seem like a perfect fit at first glance. Be flexible.
Two Post-Oscar Olympic Observations
Two Post-Oscar Olympic Observations The 2018 Winter Olympics concluded just as my wife and I were leaving for an overseas trip. Thanks to YouTube TV, we have a recording of the closing ceremonies that we can enjoy when we get home. When the Winter Olympics were finished the media buzz immediately went on to the Oscars, but I continued to think about two moments that I thought were noteworthy. Today I’m on a cruise ship in Fiji, but here are a couple of lessons we can take away from PyeongChang. Few things are as genuinely endearing as sincere humility, or as inspiring as good sportsmanship. The unexpected win by Czech skier Ester Ledecka in the Super-G was a shock not only to her, but also to the woman she beat out for the gold medal, Austria’s Anna Veith. The presumptive winner was already practically celebrating, being congratulated by friends, and simply waiting for what everyone knew was a fait accompli. Except that it wasn’t. Ledecka had never finished higher than 19th in a World Cup race in this sport, but she had the race of her life to win Olympic gold. She couldn’t even believe it herself when she learned the result. She was there to do her best, without an expectation of a medal at all. And her reaction touched everyone. Watch the exciting race here: https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/watch-stunned-commentators-call-ester-ledeckas-shocking-victory Now silver medalist Veith was obviously surprised and disappointed, but still congratulated her fellow athlete with a smile and a hug. Contrast this with other personalities at the Olympics whose moments of disappointment included one athlete removing a silver medal from around her own neck, or another tweeting thinly-veiled race-baiting following an impartial tie-breaking process he was fine with until he lost. Which actions demonstrate maturity, sportsmanship, and championship character in the face of crisis and disappointment? Which do you want for yourself and your brand? Ingenuity, determination, and persistence can overcome systemic obstacles or expectations. Elizabeth Swaney may not go down in sports history as a champion skier but she accomplished something that many dream of but never do anything about: she became an Olympic athlete. The halfpipe skier made it to the Olympics by analyzing the qualification rules. She trained to ski a basic, non-trick routine well enough to do it consistently without falling and took that fundamental routine to enough qualifying events to meet the point and placement requirements. Without tricks, her skills would always land her in last place. On occasion, others would fall and she would finish a couple of spots above last place. In all cases, she always finished in the required placement, often because there were not enough participants. She then found a country where she had a legitimate claim for being considered for the team and who had no athletes vying for the spot. She found that match in Hungary, her grandparents’ home and a nation with no female halfpipe skiers. Result? She is now and forever an Olympian. Watch the whole story here: https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/how-freeskier-elizabeth-swaney-made-it-olympics-simple-halfpipe-run Many criticized Swaney online, saying that she “scammed” the system or was an “imposter.” I take a more positive view. This woman saw an opportunity, found a way to follow the rules, and lived out an amazing dream. Her run on the halfpipe was simple in comparison to the trick-filled routines of the others, but I suspect few average Twitter haters could remain standing throughout even her basic run. She treated the process and the sport with respect, trained, dedicated personal time and resources to qualifying,did her best in the contests she entered, and found a way to fulfill a dream that millions of others have stood by and talked about but never bothered to pursue. The expectations of others didn’t stop her. Assumptions about what it takes to go to the Olympics didn’t stop her. The qualifying rules, which would look intimidating to any person simply reading them for the first time, didn’t stop her from doing the research to see that there was an opening. She developed basic skills and applied ingenuity and intelligence to make the most out of what she had. I could certainly benefit from applying similar virtues of creativity, ingenuity, and unconventional thinking to my own business.
Small Action, Big Impact
Small Action, Big Impact Have you ever considered the impact that a small action or decision can have on your audience? Something you consider minor can have an enormous impact on a customer, client, or anyone else who is paying attention to your brand. Here’s a real-world experience that may give you something to think about. So What Actually Happened? Last year I was invited to perform for a corporate client’s holiday party at a beautiful venue in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite unprecedented amounts of ice, snow, and multiple transportation obstacles between my home in Atlanta and the venue in Nashville, I still made it and let me tell you — I have never been so happy to get to work! (The story of overcoming those obstacles is a story worthy of an entire post of its own. Stay tuned!) For this corporate event I provided background piano music, strolling close-up magic, and an after-dinner cabaret magic and mentalism show. That stand-up magic show included a number of pieces that required help from the audience. Choosing assistants from an audience is part art and part science. As the performer, you are observing and evaluating countless characteristics. Is this person smiling and open? Refusing eye-contact? Have they enjoyed the show so far, or have you sensed some kind of tension? Are they obviously having a bad day? Are they wearing glasses? Do they need a cane? Does their behavior seem predictable or erratic? Will the stress of being onstage with you excite or terrify them? Will their participation give the audience more enjoyment, or will it create tension? You may not always be able to know the precise answer to all of these questions, but over time you develop a gut instinct for what makes a good fit in each “guest star” role of your show. I was looking for an audience assistant for a part of my show near the end, and as I scanned the audience I caught the eye of a young girl. She was anxious to help, and might have been a good fit if I were doing a show that was designed for young assistants… but in this case, she wasn’t quite what I needed. I smiled, said as politely as I could that I was going to need someone else, and moved on in my search. I was packing up after the show when she and her dad came by to speak. They were super polite and he simply said that she wanted to talk with me. It was clear that she was disappointed, but she mainly just wanted to interact with me. I thanked her for her willingness to to help and got an address. Later on, I sent her a pack of my personal playing cards as a souvenir. She sent back the thank-you card pictured in this article. Three Decisions and Their Aftermath Let’s look at some decisions that were made and what impact they had. First, no matter how politely I moved on from that moment, I consciously chose not to use this child in my program. In my work I either choose or don’t choose hundreds of people in every show. To me, the moment I decide to move on is a drop of water in an ever-flowing river, and I have very good reasons for those decisions. But to a person in my audience, they might never have been at a show with a performer who was using audience participants. They might catch my eye only one time during the show, and if I don’t choose them… that feels very different. If they have invested emotionally in the moment, it can be truly disappointing. Even adults know how disappointing it is to feel that we’ve been “passed over” for an award, or a promotion, or even a sale. We may have more maturity and more emotional tools for dealing with that and building on it, but it’s still a downer. My small action, no matter how necessary it was, nor how unintended any offense, had a disproportionately negative impact on that young lady. Fortunately, they told me about it rather than keeping it secret! Next, after finding out that the young lady was disappointed, I took action. I chose to send a gift and a short note of encouragement. This was another minor decision, as I have decks of cards on hand and it cost me next to nothing to put together a little gift. But the act of doing so was about more than my own reputation management – it was also intended to help a real person feel real joy. It is almost trivial to take a moment to attempt to bring genuine joy to someone who you know needs it. (Psssst — everyone needs it!) Finally, the young lady responded to what I thought was a trivial gift with a thank you note that she made herself! Clearly, my small actions had a big impact, but her thank you note also did – it was the impetus for this article, and a great illustration of core customer service and branding principles that everyone can learn from. What Can We Learn About Customer Service and Keeping Our Brand Promises? Here are some questions to consider: – Do your business processes have built-in decision points that can generate genuine disappointment for some people? (Pssst – the answer to this question is always “Yes.”) – Do you have channels open to find out about those situations? – Are you willing to evaluate those concerns, prioritize them, and address them? – Are you celebrating the successes of doing so, so that others in your audience can see your brand honestly trying to live up to its promises? In any business, you will sometimes have to make decisions that mean some people don’t get exactly what they wanted. However, with thought and effort, you can take some disappointing outcomes and still frame them in ways that emphasize your organization’s commitment to
Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 2
Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 2 As I stated last time, I recently had the occasion to attend two conventions in two different cities and had a remarkably negative experience with a hotel. However, I had a tremendously positive experience the following week which illustrates how magical it is when a company really gets it right. In this case, it was with an airline. (No, I’m not kidding!) Brand Two: Delta Air Lines Full disclosure: I’m not an unbiased reporter when it comes to Delta. I’ve been flying them almost exclusively for a long time, even before I moved to Atlanta over two decades ago. That said, I never had particularly high status within their SkyMiles program. I’m not a Diamond Medallion or a Million-Miler. I made Platinum Medallion last year due to a number of overseas trips I took while president of an international association. At the end of the article I address the August 8 system outage, but this article was written a week ago. Headed to Indy A few weeks ago I was headed to Indianapolis for a conference. As is my habit, I try to stop by the Delta Sky Club for breakfast if I have time prior to a flight. In this case I was there later in the morning, so they were transitioning from breakfast to lunch as I was getting ready to go to my gate. The typical lunch spread includes cookies, so I decided to pick up a peanut butter or chocolate chip cookie on the way to the gate. I found no peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies. Instead, I found new lemon cookies. They were light, sweet, and delicious. As I got to the gate, I decided to let Delta know that I enjoyed them. This is my tweet and Delta’s typically quick response: Holy smokes! The new lemon cookies in the @Delta Sky Club are amazing! — Joe M. Turner (@turnermagic) July 12, 2016 Joe, enjoy the Sky Club and the amazing lemon cookies. *HW — Delta (@Delta) July 12, 2016 I joked that they should put some in first class on my flight to Indianapolis. They suggested that I take some Biscoff cookies, and I responded that those cookies were now in second place. Later, when I posted a photo showing that I had arrived in Indy, the team responded and was glad that I had a great flight, and thanked me for the photo. I responded that I just wished I had some of those cookies! All in all, this was just a charming exchange that shows Delta to be an interested, fun, and social brand. Special Delivery That night I was in the opening session of the conference when my phone vibrated – it was an Indianapolis phone number. I stepped outside to answer it. I was told, “Mr. Turner, this is Christa Khalileh, the station manager of the Indianapolis Delta Sky Club. I am in your hotel lobby with a special delivery.” I suspected what had happened, and couldn’t believe it. “I’ll be right down.” I found Ms. Khalileh standing in the lobby with a platter of approximately three dozen lemon cookies and a thank you card. She said they had seen my Tweets and thought it would be fun to make it happen. I told her I couldn’t believe that they had done this and that I was certainly surprised and grateful. I asked her if she had tried one of the cookies yet and she had not. She explained that they had not gotten those cookies in Indianapolis yet; they had actually flown them up from Atlanta especially for me! This was a spectacular experience and a great illustration of how a brand can use social media effectively, translate it into a magical real-life experience, and reap lasting goodwill from people beyond their normal audience. What are they doing right? Delta has a social media team that pays attention. In the past when I have had complaints or even just gripes about the usual traveling woes, they have responded quickly and professionally, usually with a helpful tip or at least genuine empathy. I have tagged them in positive posts, too, and they usually respond with a “Thanks!” or “Yay!” or other good-natured comments. They are quick to respond, and come across as polite and appropriately happy or unhappy when doing it. They nearly instantly validate whatever emotion I am feeling at the time of my Tweet. Another thing they are doing right has to do with honesty about their promises. They recently combined their sales and customer service back into a single point of contact. While many companies shy away from having potential customers (sales) see the potential complaints (customer service), Delta is transparent. They actually deliver negative feedback to people who can change policy. How many times have you wondered whether your complaint was really “shared with the management” when a customer service representative said they would do so? I have often wondered whether it happens. But on the same day as the cookie delivery, Delta announced that – due to feedback from their customers – they were adjusting an upgrade policy that had been changed. They don’t shy away from admitting that changes might be necessary, and they credit the customer when making the correction. Perhaps most importantly, they understood the value of translating virtual activity into a real-world experience. What did the cookie experience cost Delta? The cookies themselves – maybe a couple of dollars. A platter and some plastic wrap. A gift card. A flight attendant went above and beyond her normal responsibilities to pick up some cookies at an Atlanta Sky Club and drop them off at the Indianapolis Sky Club. The plane was going to fly anyway, so putting the cookies aboard was not an extra expense. Ms. Khalileh invested a little time and an out-of-the-way drive to drop them off at the hotel. In all likelihood, she personally incurred the highest
Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 1
Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 1 I recently had the occasion to attend two conventions in two different cities. One trip brought a memorable but non-magical experience with a brand that I’m sure the company wishes they could erase. The other trip brought a fantastic brand experience that illustrates how magical it is when a company really gets it right. Brand One: The Hotel I thought about whether to write about this as I’m not interested in sharing “just another customer service war story.” We’ve all had them. After reflection I decided to describe the experience without naming the brand. About two months ago I determined that I would need to ship some items ahead to my first convention, mainly as a traveling convenience. I called the hotel in advance to find out the process for shipping items so I could claim them at the front desk when I arrived. I was told to ship the package to the regular address and it would be waiting. I had another package drop-shipped from a vendor using the same process. The day before my flight I called to verify that the packages had arrived. I was told that I would have to be transferred to a retail shipping company with an office inside the hotel. This was new information, as was the discovery that my packages had arrived but there would be a fee for picking them up. My request to speak to a manager was delayed since it was after 5:00 PM locally. I posted a query on the brand’s Facebook page asking whether the fee ought to be waived since I was not informed of it in advance. I said I would post a follow-up there after getting to talk with someone. There was no response. The next day I spoke to the retail shipping store manager and the hotel sales manager, neither of whom were willing to budge. I asked whether their failure to disclose a fee was something I should have to pay for. I asked whether they would pay an undisclosed fee for handling my credit card. Finally, the hotel manager told me, after we had both achieved an unpleasant state of mind, that she would cover the fee. This courtesy was appreciated but not extended to anyone else in my group. With no response on the Facebook page, I posted a follow-up explaining my displeasure, including my experiences in dealing with the retail shop and the manager. No response was forthcoming. I finally looked up the corporate Twitter account and received nearly instant feedback. I was told that my frustration and surprise were valid. I was told that they would look into the situation. I was told that it was not wrong of me to feel disappointed and even angry about being hit with an unexpected fee. This was a pleasant change of pace. After I arrived at the hotel and got my packages, I learned that the manager was not pleased that I had named her in my Facebook post. I could not help but shake my head, as there would have been nothing to write about in the first place if the experience had been handled differently. The correct answer at the outset would have been, “You’re absolutely right, Mr. Turner, we’ll be happy to waive the fee as it was our error not to inform you.” I was not opposed to the fact that there might be a fee. I was opposed to the fact that I had not been given the opportunity to either accept it or make other arrangements. I might have chosen to take the fee for convenience. I might have shipped it elsewhere. I might have packed another suitcase and made my own travel more burdensome. Whatever the case, I should have had the right to make an informed decision. Where the Magic was Lost This experience was memorable, but it wasn’t magical. The corporate brand handled their Twitter well, but the local hotel handled their Facebook and telephone interactions poorly. They only commented on my Facebook post on their page after I had gone to the corporate Twitter account. They grudgingly agreed to do the right thing only after passing me back and forth and passing the buck along with me. The retail store and the hotel both used each other as a shield for not taking ownership of resolving the problem. When faced with a customer willing to implement the same business practice they were using, the hotel resented it and found it disrespectful. To put a bow on this, I did take a few minutes to buy the hotel manager a small gift and write a thank-you card while I was at the convention. Even though it took a lot of prodding, she ultimately did go above and beyond to solve my problem and rectify the situation, and I thought it appropriate to be gracious. That is also part of why I am not naming the hotel here. That said, I have no interest in being part of anything at that hotel again in the future, nor am I particularly motivated to give that brand another try when booking another convention site. Rather than take an opportunity to create a magical experience, I was made to feel like their failure to inform me when I asked for details was somehow my own fault. Their processes were used like shields and weapons to protect anyone from taking the initiative to try to solve the problem. I’ve written before that the experience with a brand stops being magical when the processes stop being invisible. It’s even less so when the processes are openly used against you. Next time – Magical Brand Experiences: A Tale of Two Twitters, Part 2
Sales: The Point Where the Salesman Lost Me
Sales: The Point Where the Salesman Lost Me (or “Stopping When the Sale Is Made”) The Set-Up One of the most important things for a salesperson to learn is how to stop selling when the sale is made. Today I had an experience that reinforced that concept for me. I thought we all might benefit by breaking it down. I pulled into a local supermarket chain to buy gasoline. I’m rather brand loyal to this chain because of my discount points, so I made a special trip to get to this particular location for the discount. While I was pumping gas, a gentleman in a pink traffic vest walked up and commented on the sports logo on the back of my vehicle. He misidentified my team, but it was a fair mistake. He introduced himself, and then Jonathan and I talked about football for a moment. He transitioned smoothly into explaining why he was there. Jonathan was polite, respectful, and had a great personality. He introduced the product, a cleaning wax for cars, and deftly but politely convinced me to let him demonstrate it. After all, my car wasn’t going anywhere until the tank was filled, so this was a pretty smart place for their company to set up a sales promotion. They had the approval of the supermarket, which was making a donation to breast cancer research for every purchase. The product worked great. Every benefit he described got me thinking about how great it would be for our three vehicles, even though I’m not really the type to go out and wash and wax our cars. The idea of helping to facilitate a research contribution was nice, as was the idea of the bonus discount points I’d get for buying the product. I was waiting for the price. Jonathan followed his script smoothly and without seeming like a robot. He introduced it at a high price point, then led into why there was a discount during this promotion. And of course, this promotional price would cover two cans, not just one! They were set up to manage all the purchases through the supermarket’s own purchasing system, so there was no concern about fraud or identity theft. I had every reason to believe this was on the up-and-up. After I filled up my tank, he motioned me to a parking space because the gas pumps needed to stay open. Fine. Where do I sign? The Breakdown I walked to the table where the promotion was set up. I was reaching for my wallet when Jonathan said, “There’s just one more thing I need to show you – they ask us to make sure you know about this.” I saw four cans shrinkwrapped together. I thought it was an upsell to 4 cans. I listened. Instead, Jonathan showed me a 4-can collection including this stuff I liked, plus 3 other products, all packaged together. For twice the original price, he explained that I could get all of this stuff – usually sold at twice the new price! – and the two cans I was interested in would be included as a bonus. This was the point where the salesman lost me. The sale was all but concluded, and then I got three other things to consider, a new price point to weigh, and worst of all, an opportunity to make a comparison between what I was ready to buy and something I really didn’t want but was part of a package deal. First, I had already expressed a reservation about my natural tendency not to put extra effort into washing my car. A wash at an automated car wash is fine, and the occasional detailing is a bonus. I am just not the type to go out in my driveway and wash the cars. Watching Jonathan show me the product in person got me to at least consider that I might be able to muster the wherewithal to use his product. But when three new products were introduced, all with their own specific uses, I was certainly not interested in the amount of work that all of those different cans represented. Second, the new price point was twice what I was thinking about when I moved to buy. That gave me pause. Yes, it was for a 4-pack PLUS the original products, but it was still double what I had expressed interest in spending. Finally, the new bonus pack gave me a new value comparison. Suddenly, the original price for the first two cans didn’t seem like such a great deal if they were just going to be thrown in for free with the double-priced bundle. Why pay 50% of that for just the two cans? Yes, the bargain on 6 cans was supposed to be an incentive, but if I only wanted the two cans of the original product, now it felt more like an unnecessarily expensive proposition rather than a discounted promotional price. I told Jonathan the truth. I had only come to the store for bread and laundry detergent. I was buying gas and he got my attention, but we passed my buying point when the new products were introduced. I said I’d think about it but the moment had passed. It wasn’t entirely Jonathan’s fault. He is a talented salesperson, but the process he was required to follow pushed him into introducing the upsell before my debit card was ready to run. I chose to save 100% on the purchase by skipping the initial offer when it stopped feeling like a real discount. Questions to Consider Are you rushing to your upsell? Jonathan didn’t exactly rush, but he didn’t close the initial sale before the upsell pitch. Is your upsell priced so as to make the initial offer seem significantly less valuable? Jonathan didn’t control the pricing, but the way the package was presented made what I was about to spend on just two cans seem wasteful or even insulting, since they were going
Whether in Magic or Branding, the Tools Are Not the Art
Whether in Magic or Branding, the Tools Are Not the Art What do arcane arguments over magic tricks or other performing arts have to do with your brand and your branding? Read on! In the field of sleight-of-hand magic, seemingly innocuous conversations can sometimes bubble over into a rage over the most unlikely topics. Inexperienced performers will flock to social media wondering what trick they should try to learn, and then become irate when a hundred answers are given. Intermediate performers and even some experienced pros will rant about “the best” move to use to accomplish a given task, sometimes becoming adamant that no other version is even worth knowing. I once actually received a phone call asking why I reviewed a product for magicians in a magazine and thought slightly better of it than another reviewer with another set of criteria in another magazine. (How could it be that two people have non-identical points of view on a product? He was legitimately mystified that reviewers could have a range of opinion.) There seems to be something about magicians that presupposes the existence of an ultimate answer to a question of “What’s the best?” What is the trick to replace all tricks? What is the move to replace all moves? What is the prop to replace all props? Basically, what is the one ring to rule them all… and make me a star in the process? Similar arguments rage elsewhere. What’s the best monologue, or audition etude, or ballet slipper? It’s difficult to imagine, but yes, there are even arguments over “the best” song to sing. Some songs, monologues, slippers, or sleight-of-hand moves may be more appropriate, more efficient, more realistic, or better constructed, but the answer of what’s “the best” is usually a distraction from harder questions: Who is in my audience? What do I want them to think about this experience? How do I want them to feel? What action do I want them to take as a result? How will I use this song, monologue, ballet slipper, or magic trick to have the greatest possible impact on my audience given my current skills? But What About Branding? Many entrepreneurs and small businesses get caught up in the same kinds of details. How many Twitter followers do I have? How many people like my Facebook page? What is “the best” subject line for an email? What is “the best” time to post on social media? What is “the best” format for a direct mail piece? It can be tempting to focus on these kinds of questions because these variables can be measured, changed, argued about, and give one a sense that “I’m doing something.” But one thing I’ve learned as I’ve bounced up, down, and sideways through the mistakes I’ve made in my own business is that no amount of “doing something” is a substitute for doing what needs to be done. Looking for “the best” solution is only meaningful once you understand who you are, who your audience is, and what you want to accomplish in your relationship with them. The questions artists must ask apply to you, too! Who is in my audience? What do I want them to think about this experience? How do I want them to feel? What action do I want them to take as a result? How will I use this [web site, social media account, mail campaign, advertisement, marketing event] to have the greatest possible impact on my audience given my current skills? Once you have those questions in mind, you can evaluate what is “best” in advancing toward that goal in the same way that great performers choose their repertoire: they know what fits them, their character, and their message.
Branding, Engagement, and the Limits of Applause
Branding, Engagement, and the Limits of Applause There is nothing quite like the sound of applause, but strong brands and strong leaders remember that applause is temporary. To build a lasting relationship and have a lasting impact requires more than the fleeting expression of momentary approval. Those more significant outcomes require brand engagement. “What is it that we’re living for? Applause, applause!” Applause (1970) by Lee Adams & Charles Strouse “There must be more to life than this.” Freddie Mercury, 1982 Brand Engagement Brand engagement is the ongoing process of building a connection between a person and a brand. In theatrical terms, it is the unfolding of a story that involves both characters – both listen, both take action, both respond to what happens, and both are involved in the scenes. Engagement can be built in different ways. It can start with that applause, or approval, when the awareness of your brand creates an initial positive response. It can grow when a conversation takes place between the brand leader and the consumer, or the artist and the audience. It can deepen when you provide multiple opportunities for your audience to participate in branded experiences, relating to your brand and talking about it with others. All of these elements must be consistent with the overall story that your brand is telling, and the promise that your brand is making to everyone who encounters it. Pursuing brand engagement can feel like a neverending quest for Twitter followers, Facebook likes, or blog comments. All of these can be useful metrics in certain circumstances, but as Robert Passikoff explained in Forbes, it’s important to realize that engagement with your communication tools or methods is not quite the same thing as engaging with your brand. After all, some people love to go to the theatre even when they don’t care for the play. Interacting with the Brand It is easy for a brand to become a permanent monologue. We have hundreds or thousands of things we want our audiences to understand about our product, whether it’s a retail product or something else, like our art, or our leadership vision, or any other idea we wish to share. And sometimes a monologue can be a strong dramatic experience, so it has a place in the overall texture of the play. But don’t leave the other characters out of the scene too long – they may find another theatre where they can get some stage time, too! Most of my brand’s interaction happens on the Facebook and Twitter pages, and in person at events. I can tell that my brand has engaged with a large part of my audience because they think of my brand when they encounter other providers in my sector. When people in my audience watch television, go to a movie, or see something floating around online – if it involves magic, I will frequently get dozens of emails or shares asking me if I’ve seen it. Those interactions come via Facebook, Twitter, or email, but in all cases they indicate that I have ownership of the “magic” brand for them. What are you experiencing in your own business that lets you know that your brand has traction and engagement? What are you going to do now to increase that engagement?
