8 Tips for Remembering People’s Names

You’re meeting someone for the first time. She extends her hand, tells you her name, and then you do the same. Caught up in thinking about what to say next, you don’t register what she said her name is. Was it Allie? Or Ellie? Or something totally different? You leave the conversation with absolutely no idea of what your new acquaintance’s name is. But what’s in a name? In business, a lot. Names are deeply personal and inextricably linked to a person’s identity. If you can’t remember someone’s, it conveys that you don’t care about your relationship with him or her. That being said, forgetting names is an incredibly common problem. Keep these things in mind the next time you’re introduced to someone: - Repeat, repeat, repeat. When someone first tells you their name, try to repeat it to yourself silently while they speak. Then find natural ways to repeat it aloud throughout the conversation. For example: “So what role do you have at your company, Allie?” But don’t go overboard. If you’re constantly repeating their name, things can get very creepy very quickly. - Make associations. Always find something else to connect their name to. If they have a distinctive feature of some kind, try to remember them as “Trevor with the wide smile” or “Lauren with the pixie cut.” If you’re really feeling creative, try to come up with ridiculous and vivid mental impressions that incorporate other details. For example, if you meet Bob Green, picturing him bobbing for green apples. If Lana Potter lived in France for a few years, picture her making pottery at the top of the Eiffel Tower. - Ask for tricky pronunciations and spellings. If someone’s name is particularly difficult to pronounce or sounds like it might be challenging to spell, don’t be afraid to ask them to repeat the pronunciation or write it down for you. This shows that you care enough to get their name right, and it also gives you a chance to see/hear the name again if you’ve forgotten it already. - Don’t shorten names without being told to. If someone tells you his name is William, his name is William, not Will or Bill. If someone tells you her name is Catherine, her name is Catherine, not Cat or Cate. And NEVER come up with a nickname for someone you’ve just met. Your new acquaintance probably doesn’t want to be called L-Dawg or Chubs by a virtual stranger. - Never misspell a name. In a world with Google, Facebook and LinkedIn, there’s no excuse for misspelling someone’s name. - When in doubt, don’t guess. It’s better to be generic than to call Jessica “Jennifer.” - Learn additional names of important people. Once you’ve become a name-memorizing expert, take the time to learn the names of people who are close to your new friend or coworker. “How are Dylan and Gabe?” shows a lot more thoughtfulness than “How are your kids?” - Go in focused. The key to remembering someone’s name is staying focused on getting it correct right away and caring enough to memorize it. Instead of worrying what you’ll say during your introduction, make getting to know the other person the primary goal of the conversation. And once you’re done speaking with them, make a note or new contact in your phone with their name and whatever details you gathered and associations you developed.

What’s In Your Mailing List?

A mailing list is much more than a simple collection of names and addresses. It’s a goldmine of valuable information about your contacts. You can use that information to better understand your customers and market to increase response rates, sell more, receive more donations, acquiring new customers…whatever the goal of your communication may be. What kind of information can you find? Following are some of the types of information you can extract from your mailing list(s). As you read these, consider how you might use this the information to provide more value to customers, donors, etc. Geographical demographics - Addresses can tell you with certainty details such as school, voting, fire and tax districts, cable, water, sewer and utility companies, etc. Addresses can also give you a reasonable idea about minimum annual income, minimum education level, home value, lifestyle, etc. Use this information to refine your messages to different audiences. Residence type – In general, people living in apartments tend to be different from those living in single-family homes. Apartment dwellers are more likely to be unmarried, to be younger, to have no pets and to not own a lawn mower. If you sell lawn mowers you might eliminate those addresses that include likely apartment addresses such as “Apt.”, “Bldg.”, “Unit”, etc. Prefixes - These can tell you a lot about marital status, gender and occupation. “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, “Miss” and “Ms.” are dead giveaways for gender. Some other informative prefixes include “Rev”, “Fr” (Father), “Dr”, “Atty”, “Prof”, Hon (Honorable) and the whole gamut of military ranks. Suffixes – These are sometimes called post nominal letters meaning “letters after the name”. They can look like alphabet soup, but they can also tell you a lot about the recipient. Some common suffixes include “J.D.” and “Esq. (lawyers), “MD”, “OD”, “DO” and “DMD” (doctors), “CPA”, “CMA” and “ABA” (accountants)…oh, this seems endless! You get the idea. A single, female lawyer living in an apartment in an upscale area often has many differing interests and needs compared to a married woman living in a rural single-family home. If you have different products or a different messages for these two types of women, then you should be taking a closer look at your mailing list. We can help do this. More importantly, we can show you how to use this information to make your communications more efficient and effective.

What Twitter’s New Mute Feature Means For Marketers

We all have that one friend. They’re opinionated, often uninformed and have no filter whatsoever. And for some reason, we follow them on Twitter. If you’ve ever wished that you could find a switch to turn off their half-baked tweets for a few days (or months, or years…), now you can. Twitter recently unveiled a new “mute” feature that allows you to remove a user’s tweets and retweets from your timeline and block their push or SMS notifications. The silenced user will not be notified of their “muted” status, as they can still send you direct messages and favorite, reply to and retweet your tweets. This means that you’re only one click away from silencing someone you follow in a way that leaves them blissfully unaware. While this might be great news for personal users, this is somewhat terrifying for marketers. Though someone who is truly annoyed with a company’s Twitter activity is more likely to unfollow than mute, they still have the option to shut off your tweets during particularly tweet-heavy days, like when you’re conducting a Twitter-based live interview or real-time tweeting a major event. For the first time since Twitter’s launch, there’s no guarantee that all of your followers are seeing your tweets in their timeline. What you tweet has always been important, but now it could be what keeps you from (or causes you to be) muted. Here are some crucial things to keep in mind: Give the people what they want. 94% of Twitter users want discounts and promotions from the brands they follow, and 87% are hoping to be entertained. Deliver on these desires and keep your tweets both fun and valuable. Always ask yourself what your tweet is offering to your followers. Whether it’s an interesting image or a chance for a giveaway, give something that separates your tweets from the unnecessary noise. Tread lightly. This should go without saying, but unfortunately several major brands have broken this rule: NEVER appropriate a well known tragedy, disaster, or conflict for your branding. The only way to comment on such events is with seriousness, respect and absolutely no mention of your company. The attention you might receive for incorporating a catastrophic happening into your marketing is not worth the inevitability of offending your followers. It’s a dialogue, not a monologue. Twitter should be used as a tool that facilitates conversations between businesses and consumers. Reply to mentions, both positive and negative, and remember to keep a conversational tone. You’ll increase your company’s approachability and appeal by making sure your tweets don’t sound too formal.

Customer Touch Points

By Roger Buck Marketing for return on investment (ROI) means companies should utilize every opportunity to promote their products, service and brand. Direct mail, TV, radio, email and many other forms of marketing exist and may already be in your budget. However these can be expensive, so as part of your marketing plan development, it’s a good idea to look at your opportunities in customer touch points. A touch point is any communication opportunity that normally takes place with between your company and your current customers on a day to day or month to month basis. Here are a few key benefits of utilizing the marketing tactic. • Lower cost factor to implement • Works as a customer retention program • Drives account penetration • Provides opportunity for new customer acquisition • Many can be tracked to gauge response rate So how do you uncover these hidden marketing opportunities? First consider bringing together members of your company for a brain storming session. Involve accounting, sales, customer service and delivery staff. Even if you are a very small company you may have many touch points to consider. Let’s briefly look at two examples: a small retail store and a large manufacturer. Retail store If you have a “brick and mortar” location your customers and prospect may see many messages before getting to your door. Consider your store front. Does it have curb appeal? Is there ample parking? Is the parking area painted and free of trash? Do you utilize window graphics and, if so, do you change those often using high impact color graphics to pull the attention of clients and prospects? You will see quickly that your customers may receive several messages from you before even getting in the door. What message they are receiving is very important. When a client or prospect comes in how are they greeted? Here’s a very critical point. Remember, you only have one time to make a first impression. A pet peeve of mine is to walk in a store and have a sales clerk or service person ask “How are you?” I’m pretty sure they are not really interested in my health. I’d like to hope they are interested in why I’m at their store, so why not ask me “How can we help you today?” A great marketing plan can only provide an environment for a sale to occur, i.e., marketing can get the buyer in the door; however, a sales process still normally has to take place. The buying experience has many touch points that brand and sell your company. How your associates dress, speak and handle the interaction can send valuable messages to your customers that you appreciate and value their business. Likewise, prompt and accurate check out sends a message of professionalism and the common courtesy of a thank you presented in a sincere manner can have lasting impact. As you consider staff also consider you delivery team and vehicles. Company vans or trucks are rolling billboards of not just of your company name but also you image. Dented, faded paint and rust send a message to clients and drivers who may see it on the road. Do your drivers dress in company labeled apparel? Have you explained to them the sales value they can have on a delivery to a customer? From a drive by view of your store to a client leaving the parking lot there are multiple opportunity to send messages that should be explored, graded and exploited. Manufacturer If you produce goods then ship, transport or otherwise deliver goods you also have multiple customer touch points. These may start with you customer service team or website. Before your client ever see’s your product they interact with some segment of your company. If they are put on hold do they listen to loud rock and roll or a static filled talk show? Why not use that hold time to present a pre-recorded message? When they receive your goods how are they labeled and packed? Could you utilize the shipping box for additional marketing? Could you include a flyer on a new product or a personally written “thank you” from the shipping department? After the sale you have more opportunities for additional marketing in the statement or invoices sent to your customers. Could you include advertising on the statement form? Could you utilize statement stuffers to promote new products? Have you consider including referral cards to drive new business? It’s been reported that the average person receives approximately 5000 marketing messages each day! Utilizing your customer touch points in a creative and impactful manner can help your brand stand out from all the others. In most cases, customer touch points are your most economical means of promoting, branding and marketing your company. Roger Buck is the Direct of Marketing at The Flesh Company, a large printing firm, based in St. Louis, MO and a 40 year veteran of the print industry who is a frequent contributor to various publications.

3 Marketing Lessons We Learned From Our Moms

Sunday was Mother’s Day, and it got us thinking about all of the amazing things that our moms do for us. They’re also very skilled in the art of persuasion (you still eat your broccoli, don’t you?) Check out these great marketing lessons that we learned from our moms, and give your mom a hug while you’re at it: 1. Always make your message clear. Moms know to never leave anything open to interpretation. You should communicate with your customers in direct, easy to understand ways, telling them exactly what you want them to do and how to do it. And of course, just like Mom, do it with love. 2. Sometimes a whisper is more effective than a shout. You know those moments when your mom suddenly got very quiet and very intense? That was a sure sign that it was time to listen. You can capture your audience’s attention the same way. Instead of always trying to be the loudest and flashiest company, learn to convey powerful messages in simpler ways. 3. Don’t be afraid to have fun. Some of the best memories with our moms are the ones where we played hookie, built blanket forts, or ate large quantities of ice cream. It’s good to get down to business with your marketing, but always remember to have some fun with it. Your customers will appreciate and remember you for it.

The ABC's of VDP

The availability of digital technology for gathering, analyzing and storing information, combined with the efficiency of digital printing, has greatly expanded the ability of businesses and organizations of any size to reach out to customers and prospects with a customized message. This ability, called one-to-one marketing, is very different from the one-to-many marketing messages of traditional media. In one-to-many marketing, the same content is sent to the entire audience, who are assumed to share an interest in the content being sent. In contrast, one-to-one marketing sends a custom message to each individual in the audience, often producing a response of “How did they know I was interested in that?!” The process for conducting one-to-one marketing is called variable data printing (VDP). VDP can range from a simple mail merge (such as including a person’s name in the inside address of a letter) to a highly sophisticated change of text, photographs and graphic images (such as preparation of a booklet defining insurance benefits, deductibles and premium payments for a single individual). VDP is enabled by linking a static page layout with a database of information and a file of photographs and graphic images, then applying a set of rules that tells how to select elements from the database and image files and where to place them in the page layout. Since digital print creates each copy on-the-fly from a raster image file, it is easy to make every copy unique. VDP pairs offset quality with digital customization The early forms of VDP had several tell-tale limitations: the custom information almost always appeared in black ink, and sometimes the font didn’t match the rest of the type or the margins weren’t even. When overprint, versioning and mail merge came into wider use, these limitations became recognizable and compromised the effectiveness of the customization. Today’s VDP is markedly different. Using color digital technology, the entire piece can be printed in full color, the custom information can be placed almost anywhere, and custom graphic images like charts and graphs can be created on-the-fly as the document is printing. (Utility bills and credit card statements – known as transactional printing – are two examples this type of VDP.) When VDP is used for marketing material, each copy is unique, customized and printed for the individual recipient. Even without extensive customization, VDP is an ideal choice for direct mail, promotional flyers and event promotion: • Print only as many as you need. Limit the number of copies to the number in your database. • Test market a direct mail piece. Adjust the content of a direct mail piece for A/B testing, then use the version with the best response rate for the main mailing. • Print addresses directly on the mail piece as the piece is being printed. Eliminate labels and hand-addressing. VDP use is growing The Who’s Mailing What! Archive is the world’s largest library of direct mail information. Sponsored by the North American Publishing Company, the archive has been collecting information for 20 years in the form of 4000 to 5000 pieces of direct mail received monthly. Analyzed and stored as an online database, the archive is based on information from more than 240,000 direct mail packages. An analysis of 40 months of data from the archive (January 2009 to October 2011) shows the growth of VDP for direct marketing pieces: • In 2009, 28% of direct mail pieces were personalized. • In 2010, the number of personalized mail pieces increased to 34% (a 21% increase). • In the first ten months of 2011, the use of personalized mail pieces increased 21% of 2010, which is a 46% increase from 2009. The increased use of VDP for marketing is due to improving cost-benefit ratios (though a personalized direct mail piece costs more than a static piece, companies print only the number they need) and better response rates. MindFire, Inc., a company that provides VDP software, has studied 1856 cross-media marketing campaigns in 30 vertical industries. MindFire reports that in 2010, the response rate across all industries averaged 4.5%. Compare this with an average response rate from static direct mail of between 0.5% and 2%. Use VDP for your customers first Earlier we mentioned that VDP combines a static page layout with a database of information. The more information in the database, the more custom and personalized the VDP mail becomes. Because you know more about your customers than your prospects, and because it is easier to sell to existing customers than prospects, it makes sense to use VDP on customers first. We recommend that you start with a relatively simple project, one that takes advantage of the information you already have collected about your customers. That could include a reminder about the last item they purchased or the last donation they made, coupled with an offer specifically related to that transaction. If desired, make it a cross media campaign by including a personalized URL (uniform resource locator – a web address) on the mail piece. We’ll help you design the mail piece and check your database to be sure it has all the needed information for customization. Contact Kimberly or Dan at 303.320.4855 for more information and assistance in putting VDP to work for your company or organization.

How to Be a (Professional) People Person

Being approachable is key for a manager, but unfortunately not everyone is naturally warm and friendly. Having a slightly cold demeanor can sometimes lead to misunderstandings and even create unnecessary tension. The good news is that with a few simple tips, you can seem far more approachable and open. Here are some things to keep in mind: Nonverbal cues. Some people’s resting faces are naturally unhappy-looking. This combined with bad body language habits like crossing your arms can make you seem incredibly intimidating. By paying attention to what you’re doing with your face and body, you can convey how friendly you truly are. This doesn’t mean that you need to be grinning widely and ready to embrace someone at any moment, but having a pleasant expression and posture that isn’t closed off will go a long way. Empathy. It can be difficult to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, particularly when you adamantly disagree with what they have to say. But if you can manage to understand where they’re coming from, and show that you do, they will appreciate your empathy. The simple phrases “I understand” and “that must be difficult” demonstrate that you have given thought to a different perspective. Genuine interest. While it’s important to have a distinction between professional and personal lives (though that line is different for every person and employer), it’s also important to cultivate a genuine interest in your employees. Ask them how their kid’s piano recital was, or if they found a contractor to fix the hole in their roof. Also be willing to reciprocate and share details about yourself and your life. This helps to build relationships and establishes trust. Recognition. It’s easy to get caught up in goals and everything you and your team need to do to accomplish them. However, it’s important to take a step back and recognize the people who are going above and beyond. This too shows that you pay attention and care about the great things that they’re doing.

How to Write a (Fundraising) Thank-You Note

I recently came across an article that talked about how to write a (fundraising) thank you note. This instantly struck me as something our clients would take interest in. This article was posted on a blog written by Willis Turner, here is what he had to say about the key factors in writing an effective fundraising thank you note. At the Fundraising Success Engage conference week before last, several fundraisers got into a discussion about acknowledgement letters. Everyone agreed they were vitally important, but when we got down in the weeds of exactly how they should be constructed and what they should say, there was a lot of uncertainty. So, let me share one formula that has been a proven winner for many of our clients. It's not rocket science, but it does need to be written correctly, and mailed immediately. The longer the delay, the lower the impact. Here's what we do: 1. Personalize. The letter must be personalized, even if the gift came in from a "Dear Friend" letter. 2. Print it on a single 8.5 x 11" sheet with a perforated 3.5 x 8.5" reply at the bottom. No letter copy on the back (putting credit card info on the back of the reply is fine), so the letter will need to be short and sweet. 3. Acknowledge the gift and date received: "Thank you so much for your kind gift of $XX, which we received on DATE." (The phrase "kind gift" phrase led to another discussion about whether to say, "Thank you for your generous gift." Some people don't like to use the word generous because, they ask, what if the donor only sent a small amount - just $5 or $10? Wouldn't calling them generous make them think they were getting a form letter, or that you were being disingenuous? My feeling is that a gift of any amount is generous, since the donor didn't have to give anything at all. More than 90 percent of the people you asked didn't. Besides, who wouldn't like to be thought of as generous? But it's a judgment call. It's up to you.) 4. Refer to the appeal the donor supported. "Your support of our Annual Fund couldn't have come at a better time ..." 5. Tell her how her gift is being used. "I want you to know that your donation is already helping people like Sarah (the story from the appeal) ..." 6. Soft ask (part 1): Another hot topic was whether the TY should include an ask for a second gift. Based on long experience with a lot of different clients, I think a soft ask is a good thing. The reason your donor sent you a gift in the first place is that she believes in you and wants to help. The TY letter should give her another opportunity to experience the good feeling she got from helping you the first time. But the key word is soft. Say something like, "The continuing support of friends like you is what makes our work possible ..." 7. Thank her again. "Again, please accept my sincere thanks ..." 8. Add a P.S., just as you would to any letter. It can expand the reference you made to the appeal, remind the donor of your larger mission, or add anything else that's relevant. Just remember most readers read the P.S. before the body of the letter, so make sure it's relevant and urgent. 9. Soft ask (part 2). Include a reply device. Do not include an ask string. The copy should be mission-focused, and positioned from the donor's perspective. "Yes, Bob. I want to continue helping ... etc. I'm enclosing an additional, special gift of $____..." 10. Include a reply envelope (RE). Some organizations use a Business Reply Envelope (BRE), with prepaid postage, so the donor doesn’t have to use her own stamp. We've tested this a number of times and in most cases the slight increase in response is not enough to overcome the extra cost of the BRE. But it's something you might want to test for yourself. By the way, lest we confuse strategy with courtesy, let's not forget that the real reason we write thank-you notes to donors is that it's the right thing to do. They gave us a gift and it's only proper that we thank them for it. But when they are written in a way that reminds her of her value, thank-you letters build loyalty, increase retention, and strengthen the emotional bond between you and your donor. And while acknowledgement letters aren't designed to make money, if you use the format above, they'll often pay for themselves, and sometimes even bring in a little extra revenue. And that's never a bad thing.

How to Surf the Changing Tides of Social Media

It is a confusing time for social media. It seems like every day, new and conflicting reports come out about the future of different platforms. Is Facebook a sinking ship? Or is it simply being used by a new demographic? Is Instagram the new thing? Or should you be using Snapchat? In addition to all of the ever-changing buzz, Facebook has recently switched up their algorithms. If you’ve been watching your business’s page, you’ve probably noticed a big decline in the number of people your posts are reaching. So how do you navigate the tricky waters of social media marketing? These three rules will help you stay afloat: 1. No matter where you’re posting, make sure what you’re posting is worthwhile. The changed Facebook algorithm punishes posts that simply recirculate content or ask for likes. On all platforms, think about what would be valuable to your customer and consistent with your brand. Try to create interesting and original content whenever possible. 2. Pay attention to numbers and followers. The number of “likes” or followers you have isn’t the end all be all, but you should know who you’re reaching and how often. Analyze the success (or failure) of each post and tweak accordingly. This will also help you be more responsive to user engagement. 3. Diversify. Rather than abandoning Facebook for Instagram or devoting all of your time to Vine, try to build community on multiple platforms in a way that makes sense for your brand. This requires you to really get to know each platform, its capabilities, and who it reaches. If you don’t put all of your eggs in the Facebook basket, your marketing won’t die if the platform suddenly goes the way of MySpace

5 Ways to Make Your Business Greener

Happy Earth Day!It’s the perfect occasion to take a step back and see how you can make your business more environmentally-friendly. It might not seem like going green should be a big priority for a small business, but there are actually several benefits. Demonstrating a commitment to your community and environment shows that you care about more than making a profit, and it will make you competitive with other companies that are going green. If that doesn’t have you sold, reducing wasteful practices will also save you a ton of money. Here are some ways that you can start greening up your company: Reduce energy consumption. We all know that unplugging things when they aren’t in use is a good way to conserve energy, but this can be a big hassle when you have countless electronics and appliances plugged in at one time. Invest in some smart power strips that sense when energy isn’t being used and shut it off until it’s needed again. You’ll be amazed at how much energy (and money) you save. Go green with your printing. It’s great to go paperless when you can, but don’t feel like you have to go print-free to be green. Talk to your local printer to see what environmentally-friendly methods they offer. There are countless kinds of recycled papers, efficient inks, and energy-conserving printing processes available. Bring lunch. It might not seem like a big deal to drive 10 minutes to your favorite fast food place every day, but when you add it up over a period of time (and factor in how many of your coworkers are doing it too) it can seem like a big waste of time and energy. Start bringing your lunch or create a lunch program for your employees so they don’t have to worry about leaving the office at noon. Give employees water bottles. Bottled water is an incredibly harmful environmental product. Americans throw out nearly 40 million plastic bottles each year, and it requires millions of gallons of oil to produce all of the bottles that are bought in the first place. Consider giving your employees personalized water bottles. They’ll be grateful for the thoughtful gift, and you’ll rest easy knowing that you’re reducing unnecessary plastic bottle usage. Reward employees for using alternative methods of transportation. Encourage your coworkers to ditch their cars by rewarding those who carpool, take public transportation, walk or ride their bikes to work every day. The reward can be as simple as a shout out during a staff meeting or as elaborate as being entered into a drawing for a fabulous vacation package. No matter what you do, recognizing people who are going green will boost company morale and reduce your carbon footprint.

How to Use Micro-Nostalgia in Your Marketing

“Nostalgia...it’s delicate, but potent.” If you’re a Mad Men fan, you’re likely familiar with this quote from Don Draper’s poignant speech about the power of nostalgia in marketing. Brands using a nostalgic approach have found great success (Volkswagen’s famous “The Force” commercial is just one example), and the tactic is an excellent way to establish brand loyalty with Millennials. A quick scan of BuzzFeed’s articles demonstrates this age demographic’s love of reminiscing with articles like “12 Toys All 90’s Kids Loved” and “The Best Snacks From Your Childhood.” But infusing your marketing with nostalgia doesn’t necessarily mean that you should be looking back several decades. With social media has come the rise of micro-nostalgia. The faster pace of the social media world has expedited the development of fondness for past events. Facebook and Twitter have both recently tried to capitalize on this, with Facebook’s “look back” videos and Twitter’s recent stunt that allowed users to find the first tweets from any Twitter handle. So why is micro-nostalgia so successful? Its real strength lies in personalization. In a selfie-filled culture, being able to review recent personal achievements, important moments and even clever musings is valuable. Online personas are carefully cultivated, so seeing the highlights from an already polished version of your life is rewarding in a self-involved way. Though this idea fits well with social media’s purpose, it can easily be translated to businesses in two steps: 1. Keep track of your customers. What item or service did they purchase the last time they interacted with your business? Were they seeking out your business because of a special event? Track as many details as possible (without being creepy) so that you have good information to draw from. 2. Take the time to personalize your marketing. Did someone rent party supplies from you a year ago on their birthday? Wish them an early happy birthday and offer your services again. Did you create invitations for someone’s wedding? Send them a card with a high-quality photo of their invitations the week after they’re married. The occasions can be big or small, but if you can find a way to connect your business to micro-nostalgia, you’ll create effective marketing.

Tips for an Awesome Handshake

This is it. The big moment. The crucial first impression. The introduction that could close the deal. You extend your arm and suddenly feel very self-conscious about your handshake. Was it too hard? Too weak? Did you do that weird thing where you awkwardly grip fingers instead? Have you always done a three-pump shake? A confident and excellent handshake is something that every business person should have. The simple customary act instantly conveys a lot about your sincerity and competence. These tips will help you ace the handshake every time: Make eye contact and smile. If you’re looking around, you’ll seem distracted and aloof. If you’re staring at your hands, you’ll come off as insecure. Eye contact and a warm smile is exactly what you need. Get the positioning right. The lower joint of your thumb (the tissue between your thumb and forefinger) should be nestled into the lower joint of their thumb. Then make sure the rest of your hand is wrapped around theirs. An easy way to remember this is “bump and squeeze.” Bump the joints, squeeze the hand. Be the first to engage and disengage. You never know the style of your handshake partner until you’re actually shaking hands. Will they be aggressive or timid? Brief or lingering? You can eliminate the guessing by being the first to initiate and the first to release. Don’t go crazy with the shaking. One pump is plenty, and never exceed more than two. Everyone has had those handshakes that make you feel like your arm is experiencing an earthquake. They aren’t fun. Try not to get competitive. If you feel like you need to assert dominance or compensate for your status by crushing the other person’s hand, stop it. It doesn’t make you seem powerful. It makes you seem impolite. But whatever you do, don’t be a “dead fish.” This is the lowest of lows when it comes to handshakes. If you’ve dealt with a cringe-inducing limp handshake, you’ll understand why. If you need to, ask a friend or coworker to shake your hand and rate your level of firmness.

4 Key Questions to Ask Yourself When Developing a Logo

For logistically minded folks, a logo might not really seem all that important. You’ve got a great business plan and excellent customer service, so why worry about a silly little graphic, right? Wrong. Think of your logo as the first thing that greets a potential customer. It’s supposed to encompass your brand and plays a huge role in whether or not people feel an instant connection to your business. If your logo looks almost exactly the same as your competition’s, you’ve lost your first shot at standing out. Think about it. When most people (of the non-sommelier variety) are shopping for wine, what’s the deciding factor? The label. Your logo functions in the exact same way. It gives customers something to judge your company on before they really know what you’re capable of. If you have no idea where to start when it comes to designing a logo, ask yourself these key questions: Do you have a professional designer who can help you? Head to your local printer to find a designer who can develop a fantastic logo for you. They’ll work with you to develop something that represents your brand well, and their vast knowledge will ensure that the logo is ideal for different kinds of media. What do you want to customers to associate your business with? Are there certain values or feelings that are at the core of your company? Make them the central theme of your logo. What makes you different from the competition? This can be in terms of service or, more simply, design. If you offer something unique, try to figure out a way to incorporate it into the logo. And if everyone in your market is using the same items/colors/typefaces in their logos, make sure you do something totally different. Just because it’s used often doesn’t mean that it’s effective. What do you want customers to remember about your business? Logos are more likely to stick in people’s minds than a longform educational pamphlet on your services. If all they can remember about your brand is your logo, what does that visual need to convey?

A Guide to Last-Minute March Madness Marketing

The craziness of March Madness is already underway, and the buzz surrounding the event is in full force. March Madness is a marketer’s dream as it presents great opportunities for reaching a broad audience, and it’s not too late to hop on the marketing bandwagon. This is everything you need to know to make the most of the tournament’s marketing potential: Why does March Madness attract so much attention? Partially because the NCAA has a penchant for alliteration (March Madness, Sweet 16, Final Four) and partially because the event consistently draws a large and diverse crowd. Whether you live for these three weeks in March or have never watched the entirety of a basketball game in your life, chances are you’ll still get involved with March Madness in some way. The ritualistic filling-out of brackets allows people to interact with the event outside of watching the games and generates buzz in homes, offices, bars and on social media. As USA TODAY writer Bruce Horovitz explained it, “March Madness is a marketing mix that advertisers crave but can rarely find. It has wide appeal to a very young and desirable audience. It’s live sports -- one of the few things that’s TiVo proof. And March Madness is a social media gabfest.” How are big brands using March Madness in their marketing? Several brands are debuting new ads with celebrity spokespeople. Burger King’s TV spot features five-time NBA All-Star Chris Webber, Pizza Hut’s WingStreet ad stars ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt, and Audi’s new ad features comedian Ricky Gervais. Other brands are focusing on experiential marketing. Bud Light is setting up a temporary Bud Light Hotel in downtown Dallas, complete with Bud Light-branded signage, pillow cases, and key cards. The hotel will also host live concerts and celebrity players. Another major trend this year is ambush marketing. Brands are piggybacking on the event without dealing with the outrageous expense of having in-game advertising. Companies using this approach include Pizza Hut (giving away the chance to win free pizzas), Hooter’s (offering free fried pickles) and Spam (creating viral videos of a goofy character named “Sir Can A Lot”). How can you get in on the marketing action? • Send out email blasts with a special offer. • Create a display ad to run on social media platforms. • Incorporate March Madness into your daily conversation with social media followers. • Hold bracket contests. • Tie-in a local team to make the marketing specific to your community. • Host viewing parties for your customers at your store/office or another nearby venue.

Marketing Lessons From One of Ireland’s Most Iconic Brands

When people think about Ireland, the Guinness Storehouse is often the first thing that comes to mind. But that hasn’t always been the case. In fact, the Guinness Storehouse didn’t even exist 15 years ago. So how did Guinness develop the number one tourist attraction in Ireland and reinvigorate its brand? By carefully examining its marketing and crafting a well thought-out branded space. Grainne Wafer, one of the senior global marketers on the Guinness brand, explained, "The Storehouse is a fantastic way for people to experience and engage with the Guinness brand. But what we are really trying to do...is make it as rewarding, enjoyable, engaging and as participative as possible. That’s true with everything we try to do on the Guinness brand in terms of marketing.” So whether you’re a large organization with an interesting history or a small startup, these lessons from Guinness can apply to your marketing: Focus on interaction. The Guinness Storehouse is carefully designed to encourage interaction with the brand, but also between visitors. There are digital games, bars and even a class on pouring the perfect pint to get people talking. Wafer said, “It’s a place for interaction among tourists who are traveling around Ireland, for the people who live there and for the new Guinness employees who are undergoing training.” In addition, visitors can use the giant interactive wall (one of the largest in the world) to leave messages that connect to their social media. Tell a story. Visitors’ exploration of the Guinness Storehouse begins with a guide telling them the origins of the brand. Preserved in the floor of the entryway is the 9,000 year lease that Arthur Guinness signed in 1759. As visitors continue on their self-guided tours, they learn about and interact with more historical facts, the actual brewing process and the evolution of Guinness’s marketing. At every point, the Guinness Storehouse invites visitors to be a part of the brand’s fascinating story. Know your audience. Before the Guinness Storehouse was built, the company recognized that it needed to start thinking about how to bring in the next generation of Guinness drinkers. They understood that people typically start engaging with the brand in their mid-twenties, so the design of the Guinness Storehouse is meant to attract “guys and girls who are at their first job stage, who are progressing a bit more.” The advanced technology and the juxtaposition of the building’s old exterior and strikingly modern interior serve to accomplish this goal.

The Right Way To Do Real-Time Marketing

Since Oreo’s outrageously successful “You can still dunk in the dark” tweet during the Super Bowl XLVII power outage, several brands have attempted to adopt the quick-and-witty tactic of real-time marketing. Unfortunately, there are many more examples of RTM failures than successes. Take U.S. Cellular, for example. Following Adele’s big win for the “Skyfall” theme song in 2013, the company tweeted “What if her lyrics come true?” with a picture that said “The sky may fall, but we won’t drop your call. Punny? Yes. Funny? No. While RTM can make your brand look out of touch and desperate for social media engagement, it also has the potential to be incredibly beneficial. Here are some tips for doing RTM well: Don’t do it solely for the sake of doing it. You don’t have to tweet up a storm just because the Oscars are happening or there’s a big game on. If you don’t have anything good to say, it’s better not to say anything at all. Even Oreo opted out of RTM during the Super Bowl this year, tweeting “Hey guys...enjoy the game tonight. We’re going dark. #OreoOut” If you are going to do it, plan in advance. While RTM might seem like a spur-of-the-moment thing, the successful endeavors are ones that are well thought-out. Before the event begins, think about what you could post based on various outcomes. What if Team A loses? What if Movie C takes home the Oscar? Make it relevant. The best RTM tweets are those that relate directly to the timely event. For example, NASA used the movie Gravity’s big wins at the Oscars to share photos of Earth from space. Think outside the box to find connections to your own brand. Think small. There might not be a great way to promote your business by relating it to a national awards show, and that’s okay. Some of the best RTM is based around local events. By focusing on a smaller audience, you’ll be better able to target potential and existing customers. Integrate it into your everyday marketing. Why was Oreo able to remain quiet during this year’s Super Bowl? Because each day they generate timely content for their followers. RTM is the most effective when it is part of a conversation with your audience. Use it to show off your outstanding customer service and great sense of humor. If you notice that a follower is turning 50, tweet a special image wishing them a happy birthday. If one of your best customers tweets about their desperate need for coffee, send them a Starbucks eGift. These small acts of kindness show that you actually listen to what your followers have to say.

What to Do With Your Hands When Speaking Publicly

Even the most seasoned of public speakers has experienced Awkward Hand Syndrome. You confidently stride up to the podium, feeling like a person who has control of his limbs. But as soon as you open your mouth, you become painfully aware of the things at the end of your arms. Panicked thoughts run rampant in your mind: “What the heck do I do with my hands? Do I put them behind my back? Should I try to move them? Oh wow, I look like a freakish robot right now. Have I always clapped my hands together when I’m trying to make a point?” Etcetera, etcetera… Figuring out what to do with your hands is inarguably one of the worst parts of public speaking. However, there are a few handy (get it?) tricks that will make your gestures seem more normal. First of all, it’s important to understand what certain gestures convey: - Crossed arms: protective, closed off, disagreeing - Hands clasped in front of body: weak, timid, vulnerable - Hands in pockets: nervous or overly casual - Hands on hips: condescending, overbearing - Holding onto the podium: controlling, nervous, obviously self-conscious about gestures So as you can see, these panic-induced default gestures can definitely send the wrong message. The best hand gestures are the ones that appear natural. They show that you are confident and at ease while speaking. So how do you achieve naturalness when any hand movements make you feel like a bird flapping its wings? - Practice your speech with a friend. Simply sit down at a table and talk through your speech as though it were a casual conversation. It might take a few run-throughs before it feels less strange, but in time you will find yourself in a more relaxed state. Pay attention to your natural hand gestures, and only make conscious adjustments if one of your habitual movements conveys something negative (see list above). - Videotape yourself giving your speech standing up. What might feel like excessively theatrical gestures might actually look very normal and polished when you review the tape. - Practice, practice, practice. This is important for all aspects of public speaking, but particularly for hand gestures. The more you practice using them, the easier it will be to get on that stage and not become paralyzed by the fear of Awkward Hand Syndrome.

Productivity Tips From President Obama

Happy Presidents Day! There’s always a lot of buzz about how to get more things done in your day, so today we’re looking at the productivity methods of one of the busiest guys in the world: President Obama. He’s spoken to Vanity Fair and several other publications about how he stays sane and on top of his tasks. These are some of his best tips: Strategize to avoid decision fatigue. Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to choose between catching up on GIRLS or Scandal at the end of a long day? It’s because the more decisions you make, the more your ability to make later decisions erodes. That means it’s crucial that you prioritize your decisions and try to minimize the unimportant ones. Obama explained this to Vanity Fair, saying, “You’ll see I wear only gray or blue suits. I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.” Start your day the night before. You’re the most productive when you can work without any distractions. For President Obama, this is at night after his family has gone to bed. He’ll often stay up until 1:00 am working on a big task that will carry into the next day. If you’re not a night owl, you can still adopt this method; simply figure out at what point in the day you feel most productive and use that time to get a jump start on tomorrow’s tasks. Shut out critics. For President Obama, that means sticking to watching ESPN and avoiding news channels when at all possible. He said, “One of the things you realize fairly quickly in this job is that there is a character people see out there called Barack Obama. That’s not you.” So if you’re obsessing over that one negative comment that someone left on your blog, take a step back and try to let it go. You’ll be more productive if you worry less about other people’s perceptions. Exercise. The leader of the United States carves out 45 minutes or more each day to do cardio or weight training. Obama said, “You have to exercise or at some point you’ll just break down.” It might seem like a good idea to skip your yoga class to work on that big project, but you’ll actually get more done if you make time to workout. Exercise reduces stress, boosts your mood and gives you the chance to clear your head. Remember that your personal time is sacred. For the President, this means setting aside three separate times in the day: his morning workout, dinner with his daughters and the nighttime after his family falls asleep. As his schedule shows, it’s important to diversify personal time. If you use all of it to accomplish the same goals, your life won’t feel very balanced. Set aside times to do something for your health, have some social interaction and catch up on whatever major things you didn’t get to during the day.

How to Woo your Customers this Valentine's Day

The week of Valentine’s Day is finally upon us. If you haven’t made your Valentine cards or decorated the walls with paper hearts, you’re more than a little behind the game. However, it’s not too late to take advantage of the holiday and do some themey marketing. What better day is there to show your customers some love? Take a look at these last-minute ideas for sweeping your customers off of their feet: Make the most of social media. Social media is the procrastinating marketer’s dream. There’s no printing or mailing involved, so you can reach out to customers instantaneously. - Consider holding a contest on Valentine’s Day. You could have people tweet or post about their love stories or worst date experiences. Whether you appeal to emotion or humor, a chance to share personal experiences will get people engaged. - Tweet at other businesses that you have good relationships with, saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day, @insertyourfavoritebusinesshere! We love what you do!” Chances are, they will reciprocate your affection. - Come up with a fun Valentine’s Day-themed game. For example, find or make cupids of some kind (they can even be printed out pictures) and place them throughout your neighborhood or city. Instagram, tweet and post pictures of them in their different locations. The first person to find each cupid can return it to you for a prize. - If you’ve hopped on the Snapchat bandwagon, take a quirky picture of the people in your office and adorn it with hand drawn hearts and typical Valentine’s Day sayings. Your customers will appreciate your playfulness. Harness the power of email. It’s another method of immediate communication and is perfect if you’re going for a slightly more professional tone. - Send messages to your best customers. Thank them specifically and tell them why you appreciate their business so much. If you want, include a gift of some kind. - Send a mass email to all of your customers. Whether you make it fun and flashy or sophisticated and romantic, they will appreciate that you took the time to design a special Valentine’s Day greeting for them. It’s also a great opportunity to announce any sales or promotions that you’re having.

Why You Should Mentor and How to be Awesome at It

If you consider yourself at all successful (which you definitely should), chances are you can look back and identify a person or people who invested time in you, shared their wisdom, and helped you get where you are today. Having a great mentor is one of the keys to success, and if you’ve benefitted by being a mentee, it’s time to start paying it forward by being on the other side. Here’s what you need to know before you become a fantastic mentor: The Benefits - You’ll be recognized as an expert in your field. You’ve invested a ton of time and energy into developing your skills, and your mentee will be incredibly thankful that you’re willing to share your expertise. - You’ll be exposed to fresh new ideas, perspectives and approaches. Mentors can learn a ton from their mentees, and the meeting of generations will spark some innovative concepts. - You’ll be able to recognize young talent when you’re recruiting in the future. Who knows? Maybe your mentee will be the next rockstar employee at your company. The Requirements - Mentoring is time consuming, so you have to truly make a commitment to meeting regularly. Don’t promise more time than you’re actually able to give. - You have to believe in your mentee. Trying to help someone whose interests and goals don’t have anything in common with yours is a waste of both the mentor and mentee’s time. How to Be Awesome - Be open-minded and compassionate. Your mentee should be able to ask the “dumb questions” without feeling intimidated or judged. - Be accessible outside of your typical meeting time. Your mentee should be able to call you when problems or questions arise. If you let a lot of time lapse between speaking with your mentee, you’re not actually building a relationship. - Be honest. Keep things positive, but don’t be afraid to give constructive criticism or talk about the challenges that are ahead. No one has ever grown by having someone sugar-coat everything for them. - Listen with intent. Listening can be every bit as powerful as speaking, but you have to do so in a way that allows your mentee to think critically. If your mentee tells you about a problem that he or she has encountered, ask more questions, draw parallels to your own experiences, and help generate ideas for solutions. - Always focus on the goals of your mentee. Get to know what he or she hopes to accomplish in the short-term, long-term, professionally and personally. While you may hope that your mentee will join your company, put his or her interests first and help your mentee get where they want to go.

Why You Need to Start Doodling at Work

We’ve all been there. You’re sitting at a long table in a meeting, and that giant cup of coffee you just chugged is doing nothing to help your focus. Your thoughts begin to wander as the speaker’s voice slowly fades into the background. Pen in hand, you start to doodle. By the end of the meeting, you have a full page of random sketches. There’s a rabbit jumping into a puddle, two bumper cars crashing into each other, and the word “engagement” written repeatedly in various sizes and fonts. So doodling is only a childish distraction for people with short attention spans, right? Wrong. Quality doodling isn’t about zoning out, but rather processing information and thinking visually. With a little strategy, doodling can be an amazing tool for boosting productivity and creativity in the workplace. This is why (and how): The Benefits - It promotes immersive learning. Everyone has a different learning style, but drawing (kinesthetic) while listening to information (auditory) leaves you with a graphic record (visual) of your thoughts, making it a tool that’s useful for all kinds of learners. - It helps focus and memory. A 2009 study from the University of Plymouth found that those who doodled during a phone call recalled 29% more information than those who didn’t. Because doodling allows you to process information on a deeper level, you’ll be able to remember things more clearly. - It makes brainstorming better. Seeing your ideas on paper allows you to see connections you hadn’t thought of and expand upon your thoughts. The free-flowing nature of doodling will help you think outside of the box. The Strategy - Learn (or create) a visual alphabet. Developing recognizable symbols will give you some consistency and enable you to doodle more quickly. - Use words as well as pictures. If you’re trying to identify demographics of a target audience, write down a few key words and see what drawings they inspire. - Don’t get caught up in how it looks. You don’t need to be Picasso to doodle. It is a way of thinking, not an artistic method, so don’t stress about your misshapen stick figure. - Collaborate! Doodling is incredibly useful in business settings because you can do it as a team. Your coworker’s sketch might just spark a new idea for you. - Make sure you have the right tools. To implement doodling in a business, provide large whiteboards in meeting rooms and small ones for each employee’s desk. Even a pad of paper and permission to sketch freely is enough to get your team excited about thinking in this creative way.

Use Pantone’s Color of the Year in Your Marketing

Pantone is a company best known for its Pantone Matching System, which allows for standardized color reproduction and easy color communication between printers, designers, retailers and consumers. But Pantone has increasingly become a trendy household name. People love buying Pantone’s home goods in specific shades, and magazines and news organizations feature articles on Pantone’s Color of the Year. For 2014, Pantone’s chosen color is Radiant Orchid, which the company describes as “an enchanting harmony of fuchsia, purple and pink undertones, Radiant Orchid inspires confidence and emanates great joy, love and health. It is a captivating purple, one that draws you in with its beguiling charm.” You may or may not think that a color picked out by a company has anything to do with your marketing, but incorporating Pantone’s Color of the Year shows that your brand is relevant (and has darn good style.) Here’s what you need to know about Radiant Orchid: How It Was Picked To pick the color, Pantone begins searching in the spring of the previous year. They look to high-end fashion brands, films that are in production, popular travel destinations, circulating art collections and other incredibly timely inspirations. The company said they chose 2014’s color because “Radiant Orchid encourages expanded creativity and originality, which is increasingly valued in today’s society.” What to Pair It With Believe it or not, Radiant Orchid is an incredibly versatile color. Pantone recommends pairing it with other vibrant colors, such as turquoise, teal, royal blue and light yellows. If these palettes are a little too outside of your comfort zone, consider tying it in with neutrals like gray, beige and taupe. Though a light pinkish purple color may seem inescapably girly, when used in small doses and paired with basic colors, it can have mass appeal. How to Use It You still might be thinking that Radiant Orchid has no place in your branding, but even the most masculine and minimalist of companies can find a tasteful way to use it. Try it out as a border on your next direct mail piece or promo poster. If you’re handing out promotional t-shirts, order some in the shade. Have you updated your social media profile photos lately? Play around with your logo to see if you can incorporate it in some small way. If you love to be up on the latest trends in design, you’ll probably enjoy figuring out how to use 2014’s favorite color. But if it’s not your cup of tea and seems a little unnecessary, remember that Pantone holds a lot of power, and one color can make your company seem modern and trendy.

Expect the Unexpected for Marketing in 2014

So what can you expect for the world of marketing in 2014? Unpredictability. There’s no such thing as a sure thing when it comes to business, so creating an accurate forecast of the next year is impossible. After all, who saw Snapchat’s crazy rise to success coming in 2013? There’s no way to determine what The Next Big Thing will be, but that doesn’t mean that you have to be anxious and unprepared. The only thing you can count on is yourself, so gearing up for the rest of the year will allow you to navigate the changes that lie ahead. Here are some ways to develop maximum marketing adaptability: Get your ducks in a row. You won’t be able to keep up with changing situations and trends if you don’t have a clear idea of what you’ve done in the past. What channels or campaigns have worked best? Do you have a system of tracking customer behavior? By organizing a history of your marketing efforts, you’ll be able to identify what will (and won’t) be effective in the future. Identify the story that you’re trying to tell with your brand. By now you might have an established narrative, but make sure that the storytelling concept is fully concrete. Outlining what your brand is and isn’t will allow you to make easy decisions when new trends and platforms emerge. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Perhaps in two months, an exciting new social media platform will become all the rage. Don’t hesitate to check out what the buzz is all about, but don’t feel like you have to invest all your time in energy in the latest social media fad. If its capabilities and reach align with your brand’s goals, then jump right in. But also know that there’s no point in letting something new (and not fully established) detract from your other marketing efforts. Have different team plans in place. As different options and campaigns come up, make sure you have different teams and team members who can handle various tasks. Marketing is reliant on timeliness, so you don’t want to waste any time trying to figure out who can do what. By appointing roles ahead of time (and knowing that flexibility will be required) you’ll be able to tackle issues and opportunities as soon as they arise.

Tell a Story With Your Marketing in 2014

“Tell me a story!” This typical refrain heard from children at bedtime also applies to your customers. When it comes to marketing, they don’t just want information. They want a story too. Scientific studies have shown that our brain activity increases and we become more engaged when there’s a narrative involved. As you go into 2014, be thinking of how you can make your business’s marketing all about storytelling. Here are a just a few ways to create an intriguing narrative for your customers. Infuse your personality. Personify your business to identify key personality traits. If your company were a person, what would they be like? How would they write? What values would be important to them? By fleshing out a unified set of characteristics, you’ll be able to create intriguing and cohesive marketing. Develop characters. This doesn’t mean you have to create a company mascot with a big backstory. It can be as simple as tying a loyal customer’s buying experience into your narrative. And don’t forget your employees. They are your best brand advocates. Make them a part of the story, giving customers a glimpse of the kind, interesting and passionate people who are the core of your company. Get visual. Images are always going to capture more attention than plain text, and recent updates from Facebook and Twitter make it even easier—and more important—for you to include them in your posts. Weave images into the overarching marketing narrative to enhance the storyline, or find visuals that tell a story on their own. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Create experiences. The best way to get customers talking about your business is to give them something to talk about. Create events that allow them to be part of your story. This doesn’t have to be on the scale of a YouTube-worthy flash mob, but think outside the box to interact with customers in unexpected places or bring them into your business. By doing something memorable and out of the ordinary, they’ll be excited to share their story (and yours) with friends and family.