Why you need an elevator pitch

Feel free to insert "story" in the place of "elevator pitch."

From the book "Platform" by Michael Hyatt, here are his reasons:

1. It forces you to achieve clarity yourself
2. It helps you understand your customer's perspective
3. It provides a tool for enrolling strategic partners

Here's my take. Whether you are a product or a person, you need an elevator pitch. 

His first point suggests that if clarity of mission is lacking, why should others be interested? Please refer to "Start with Why" for ideas on communicating a clear mission. 

His second point should be slightly modified for career managers by changing "customer's" to "hiring manager's." Does your story resonate with the person you are trying to engage? The best way to find out? Ask them. 

His last point speaks to the importance of having advocates for your cause. Promoting a product or person requires others to speak positively about your offerings. Lack of mission or lack of advocates will leave you stranded in neutral. 

The term elevator pitch is a bit outdated due to the platforms Michael Hyatt discusses in his book. Social media provides the ultimate platform for carrying out your mission of demonstrating uniqueness in a noisy world. 

Simplicity in a brilliant marketing message

"Less cancer, more birthdays."

If we were playing Jeopardy it would be the answer to: Why does the American Cancer Society exist?

ACS understands the importance of communicating their "why." They place a positive face on a challenging health issue. Their "why" inspires those who want to volunteer and raise money. The result of these efforts allows more people living with the disease the chance to experience the mission of the organization.

Resist the temptation to use boring, generic terms when defining why you exist. This example is the ultimate proof!

3 cheers for a special group of entrepreneurs

The Connecticut Community Investment Corp. (CTCIC) was kind enough to invite me to speak to an audience of entrepreneurs about the subject of social media Monday evening.

It was a pleasure and a privilege.

Here's what I learned. Being an entrepreneur is a day-to-day struggle. There's the shaky economy, fierce competition, ability to sustain positive cash flow and the never ending challenge of finding more customers. Such is life when you are in their shoes.

There's another side that is worth noting. The group was energetic, curious, engaging and committed to maintain the title of entrepreneur. Some had come from the other side of the tracks (corporate world) and you could tell there wasn't a desire to go back. Most of them shared a story about a specific challenge, while being determined to somehow, someway make it happen.

The part of the meeting I enjoyed most was when I challenged them to tell me why they do what they do.  Not surprisingly there were very different reasons for their motivations. All were fascinating and highlighted their uniqueness and authenticity. Their biggest challenge is not losing sight of why they started their endeavor in the first place.

The entrepreneurial spirit needs to be elevated in this country, even if you have no interest in owning a business. Entrepreneurial people behave differently, tell different stories and approach each new day with a cause and purpose in their lives. Can you say the same thing?

I celebrate the small business owner and wish them the best as they lead us out of our tough economic times!

Marketing advice that will sustain and inspire

If you care about marketing you should do yourself two favors.

1. Absorb everything Seth Godin says. 
2. Absorb everything Simon Sinek says. 

One man's opinion. 

I'm attracted to great leaders. As Sinek describes in "Start With Why" great leaders communicate differently than the rest of us. Read it and you will likely embrace what he calls the Golden Circle, which stresses the importance of telling us why you do what you do.

Godin tells us to tell stories, not recite slogans. Stories will spread...the "facts" won't. He emphasizes humility, generosity and clarity as ingredients in great stories. 

Sinek and Godin arrive at similar conclusions from different perspectives. Their ideas are inspiring, refreshing and seemingly within reach because they are rooted in disciplined, clear thinking. 

Marketing can be a struggle. It helps to have a baseline of beliefs that can be a safe place to begin the process of reassessing your strategy. 

Take advantage of the teachings of these great leaders. I have learned more from them than any text book or manager I have worked for in the past. 

Do you want a millionaire's lifestyle without first having $1M?

Can I see a show of hands from all who are interested?

When I read Tim Ferriss' "The 4-Hour Workweek" a few years back I wasn't thinking about why he wrote it. I was fascinated by his formula for how he created this lifestyle. Enlightened by the teachings of Simon Sinek in "Start With Why" I have gone back and reviewed many of the books I have read to find the "why."

Ferriss' why is in the title of this particular blog. He found a way to create happiness and wealth in a manner that challenged conventional wisdom. He inspires you to believe that anything is possible and that your life can be set up any way you design it. His book is worth reading, even if you approach it with skepticism.

Ferriss proves that people hold powerful beliefs and a sense of purpose in how you can live your life. Most of us don't think consciously about our beliefs, never mind sharing them with others. If you are interested in being inspired by stories that act as case studies from his book, I recommend that you follow his blog. You may read something that will change your life.

6-step Marketing Strategy for your success

I am not suggesting marketing your business...or you is easy. It helps to lay out the steps involved in order to stay loyal to a process. Marketing universally fails without a strategy and discipline to monitor the strategy. Here are my steps:

1. Start with Why. Why are you in business? Why should someone care? The work done at this stage will determine if you have an existence as a commodity (best price, quality and service), or one that attracts people who believe in what you believe. The latter will allow you to sustain. 
2. Who are the people who need to know you are in business? Another term for this is "perfect customer."
3. What is the message you want to communicate to your desired audience? Hint: It is often based on your answer to step #1. 
4. How should you communicate the message? You know your audience...and you know what you want to say to them. The answer here could range from press releases, social media, supermarket sampling, skywriting to network television advertising. Every business is different, one size does not fit all. 
5. Engage. It's the marketing buzz word of the day. You no longer talk "at" prospects, you have conversations. Conversations include hearing something you may not want to hear. 
6. Measure. A marketing strategy is useless without measurement. Some ideas and methods are brilliant, some are duds. A marketing strategy is a living, breathing concept. It needs to be tweaked consistently. There is no such thing as the perfect marketing strategy. 

Marketing is fun if you want it to be. It's from that mindset that you should build your strategy. 

Would you like to communicate better?

I know I would.

On Wednesday May 2nd @ 6:00P I will speak at the New Britain Public Library. I will share what I have learned from the book "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek.

This information will impact anyone who needs to communicate effectively in their job, or in their life in general. We will discuss how great communicators are able to inspire...and how you can do the same.

If you are interested in attending please go to www.meetup.com. Search for the Hartford area "Start With Why" group. Once there you can let us know if you will attend.

If you are interested in starting a business, turning an idea into a social movement, finding a job that is a better fit or learning how to inspire instead of manipulate...please join us.

Inspiration from a Major in the U.S. Air Force

Major Joel Bolina from the 375th Civil Engineer Squadron will tell you the importance of starting with why...

http://bit.ly/HQg25H

Champions of "why"...Sandler Training

David Sandler developed one of the most effective sales training systems used by professional salespeople throughout the world. In his book "You Can't Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike at a Seminar", Sandler explains his 7-step guide for successful selling. In my opinion it is a must read for salespeople and business owners.

If you want to know why Sandler Training exists, I suggest you look at what their customers say:

"Sandler makes our sales personnel look very different to prospects than our competition,
who are using a potpourri of classic sales pitches." - David Pendley, President, First Capital Corp. 

"The Sandler Selling System® methodology has made a very positive impact on changing the culture of my district sales force as well as our customers." - Mike Miles, District Manager, LENNOX Industries

Customer comments often have more "why" impact than the mission statement coming from the company's management and marketing teams. 

Why is this important? Sandler doesn't strive to be the lowest priced, shiniest, newest product on the shelf. They don't need to be. They help sales pros "be viewed differently than their competitors" and they "change the culture" which has a positive effect on customers. 

You will hire Sandler because you appreciate their "why". People don't buy what you do...they buy why you do it. Once again, thank you Simon! 

I laugh when I think of how I met Simon

I was involved in an email volley with my friend Chris Thompson back in January. The email topics ranged from taxes to wealth. Out of nowhere he sends a link to a YouTube video that he had recently seen at a seminar. He thought it was worth 18 minutes of my time.

He was right.

Life has defining moments of varying degrees. This was one of them. Simon Sinek was making a presentation in this video about the concept of "starting with Why". Since then I have looked at the world, and my life quite differently.

The hook in his presentation has to do with the manner in which some of us communicate versus others. He focused on Apple Inc., the Wright Brothers and Martin Luther King and their unique style of communication. He explained why they have been successful in their respective missions. If you watch the video you will agree that it makes sense. The part that intrigues me most is that so few people have the insight and discipline to communicate in this manner.

In the future this blog will delve into the deep mysteries of "why". I will share inspiring stories. Other posts will relate to business and personal successes tied to the why. Why do we choose the careers we are in? Why are our favorite hobbies what they are?

I'm convinced the world will be a better place if we care to understand this phenomenon. I hope that you agree.

Does your marketing inspire or manipulate?

This question has more to do with marketing strategy than social media marketing. Depending on how you answer this question will determine how you will use social media.

I owe this topic to Simon Sinek, author of Start With Why. His book looks at the tactics used in advertising to motivate consumers to buy.

During the holiday season a noted national retailer featured daily ads with offers such as: "Buy one suit and get 4 shirts absolutely free". The next day it was 4 shirts and 2 pair of pants. By now they must be paying customers to take their goods. The timing and offer manipulate you to act now...while getting used to receiving a lot of free stuff.

When I use the term manipulation I use it in a "nice" way. Manipulation on its face sounds evil. By no means does this advertiser, nor others using this strategy fit that label.

Let's consider a contrasting message. My favorite charity is the Wounded Warrior Project. Their ad, voiced by country star Trace Adkins features our veterans coming home from war with missing limbs and needing a wide range of services to allow them to transition back to society. WWP asks for a monthly donation to help their cause. If you have any appreciation for the military and the sacrifices they make, you may be inspired to help.

My sense is that marketing that inspires will generate more loyalty than marketing that manipulates. Watch this year's political ads and ask yourself...inspiring or manipulative?

What was the last thing you bought solely because you were inspired?