Be Smart - 11 Steps To Being Amazing

Are You A Smarty Pants?

"Be Smart"

Years ago I started telling our kids those two words when they left for school every morning. I didn't plan it -- the words just came out. Years and many mornings have gone by and I still punctuate each day with the idea.

It was bedtime last week when Andrew, 11 years old and front-loaded with energy and attitude, cornered me. "Dad, what do you mean by ‘be smart’?" If you've ever been around kids, then you know how they can blind-side you. So I did my best to dodge the question as I switched off the light and ducked for the door.

Being Smart

Later I wondered: What DID I mean? What do you do to "Be Smart?" I wish I could brag that the answer came in a flash of creative inspiration but it didn't. I had to think about it for hours. About midnight I started writing things down, and I put a list on the refrigerator door the next morning. Andrew read them and walked off with, "I get it. Thanks, Dad." From our herd that's a supreme compliment.

11 Steps To "Be Smart"

I came up with 11 steps – because even numbers are boring. Think them over and see if you have anything to add. How can YOU "Be Smart?"

1. Pay attention to the people and things around you.

2. Ask questions and then listen more than you talk.

3. Make sure you understand the instructions before you start.

4. Do your homework -- do the hard things first.

5. Find the fun in everything.

6. Respect everyone.

7. Don't fall in love with your own ideas. If you do a good job, people will notice.

8. Hang around with smart people. There is always someone smarter than you are.

9. Average is never amazing -- discover your difference and then be different.

10. Never feel too satisfied by success. Constantly ask, "How can we make it better?"

11. Use the talents and intelligence you have well. They are a gift, so don't waste them.

You Are As Smart As You Want To Be

NOTE TO MYSELF -- Never get so old and think you are so wise that you forget to view the world through the eyes of a child. Things are simple, obvious and fun if we allow them to be.

Okay, have a great day and Be Smart.

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Become Unforgettable - Marketing Tips From the Twilight Zone

An ice-bound airport in pre-dawn Ithaca, New York. Two travelers sit, cold and waiting. In moments one would learn an unexpected lesson that would last a lifetime. Their plane was bound for Philadelphia but made an unscheduled stop in the Twilight Zone.

The Wondrous Dimension Of Imagination

Rod Serling was chain-smoking and wrestling a stack of papers. I was sitting a few seats away locked in a silent debate over whether to bother him. I won and lost at the same time. I introduced myself and muttered a cliché he'd heard thousands of times before, "I really appreciate your work."

By 1973 Serling was a world-famous author, screenwriter, television producer and winner of multiple Emmy, Golden Globe and Peabody awards. And he was the man who created and hosted the Twilight Zone. This was the show that made me want to write. Rod Serling was teaching at Ithaca College at the time and maybe that gave him a little extra patience with bumbling young people. He muttered a thank you, paused to look at me and asked, "What do you like about my work?"

I thought for a second, "I like the characters. The stories are wonderful but I like the endings the best. The endings make them special … something I remember."

What Makes You Memorable

Serling stubbed out his Viceroy cigarette, dumped the papers on the floor and started talking. "That's the fillip … a little unexpected something that suddenly changes how you see things. It's that twist that makes something memorable. It doesn't matter if it's a television show, a play, a book or a commercial … if it's not memorable it's mediocre."

--- Fillip ---

That was the hallmark of the Twilight Zone. The plot took you to the brink of a comfortable conclusion, then, at the last possible minute, he'd throw in a plot twist that would change everything. Think of the fillip as a reset button. All of a sudden you are paying 100% attention and rethinking everything.

Where is the fillip in your marketing? Where is the surprise twist in your brand? Where is the unexpected "something" that makes doing business with you memorable?

That's A Signpost Up Ahead: Your Next Stop: The Twilight Zone!

The majority of communication is ignored. Emails are instantly dumped. 85% of marketing is never really noticed. Remember awareness is not an objective. The customer or buyer sees the message but the value never registers and there's no motivation to do something - right now.

Let's try a quick experiment. Find some marketing, advertising or communication from your major competition. Substitute your name, the name of your product or the main topic of your meeting or program. Now read it. Can you tell any difference? If you can't your customers, clients or employees can't either. It's time for a fillip. You can't afford to be forgettable. If you're forgettable you might as well be invisible.

If You're Forgettable You Might As Well Be Invisible

• Irrelevant is invisible
• Predictable is invisible
• Formula is invisible
• Boring is invisible
• Unfocused is invisible
• Bad timing is invisible
• Useless energy is invisible
• Anything that's just like the competition is invisible

Submitted For Your Consideration

Rod Serling talked for about 15 minutes as we sat in the airport. He spoke about characters, the curse of predictability and looking for the unforgettable. I've tried to sum up some of what he said. Consider these marketing tips from the Twilight Zone.

Keep it human - businesses and corporations have no feelings or motivations. Put every benefit in "people" terms.

Express things in unexpected ways - but make it realistic and not exaggerated.

Be emotional to connect - not everything has to be "new & exciting!" Every emotion carries a message.

Toss out old, tired approaches - assume they've heard it all before. Eject the old promises and come up with some new ones.

Look for one unique, memorable twist - something unforgettable that you can claim for your own.

Time Enough At Last

As I hope you can tell this was a major experience for me. After far too little time the plane boarded and that was it. Still 30 minutes with Rod Serling kicked me further down the road to where I wanted to go in life. How do you use this story? All that matters is what people notice, remember and do. So make a personal pledge to balance the familiar with the intriguing and add a memorable twist to solving a problem or providing a reason to buy - now. Add your own fillip and make your messages unforgettable.

"This is the stuff of fantasy, the thread of imagination, the ingredients of the Twilight Zone."

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Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Million Dollar Answers - They're So Easy It's Stupid

Corporate objectives - Tell me like I'm stupid.

Marketing goals - Tell me like I'm stupid.

Custom content needs - Tell me like I'm stupid.

RFP details - Tell me like I'm stupid.

Project specifications - Tell me like I'm stupid.

Meeting and event plans - Tell me like I'm stupid.

I've made the same request of U.S. Senators, CEOs, Chairmen of the Board, Corporate Presidents and a host of directors, managers, clients, ministers and folks at the Genius Bar at the Apple Store. No one was ever offended.

How Much Are The Right Answers Worth To Your Business?

The quality of the information you learn is directly dependent on the questions you ask and how well you understand the answers. People who either don't ask questions or who are embarrassed to admit they don't understand constantly amaze me. Years ago I started asking people to make things very simple for me … I mean basic and rudimentary. Since then I get more, better information and have a better idea what to do with it.

Socrates The Sneaky

Socrates was the most famous of the Greek philosophers. Without dipping more than a toe into the pond of history, Socrates seemed to be a former soldier who somehow managed to avoid work and spend his time discussing philosophy and asking questions. His technique has been called the Socratic Method or in Latin "lascivio stolidus." That means playing dumb. Socrates would ask extremely simple questions and pretend to not understand so his students kept simplifying and simplifying. It worked really well for Socrates until he screwed up a very important question: "Which cup has the hemlock in it?" Since hemlock is a deadly poison, it wasn't so smart to play dumb.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

There is a big difference between playing dumb and asking people to explain things in the simplest way. That's what I'm suggesting. So here's how to ask better questions and get more value from the answers. Before you ask the first question, you need to do two critical things. Skip these steps and your chances of success are pretty slim.

#1 - Decide what you need to know. Few people have the time or patience for an aimless fishing expedition. Do some homework, have a clear objective in mind and ask questions to meet it.

#2 - Decide why they should tell you. Why should that person take the time to answer your questions? Make sure you can provide a compelling motivation. This is the single reason most people don't walk away with the high-quality information they need. The other person has no reason to give it to them.

Make It Easy To Tell You

It isn't about you it's about them and what they know. Unless it's an investigative report for 60 Minutes you don't want confrontation. You want cooperation and to make sure they don't feel like you've wasted their time.

The Super Secret Inside Story On Asking Questions

It is basic human nature. People want to please you. Subconsciously they want to know that they gave you the answer you want and need. So make it easy. When I ask them to tell me like I'm stupid I explain that I will ask some very simple, basic questions. I'm not really dumb but simple questions make it easier for them to explain in a way that makes sure I understand what they're telling me.

99% of the time this is met by a laugh, a smile and a sign of relief. Suddenly we're partners in the questions and the answers. I even ask if there's a better way to word the question. Now let's get down to business.

If you want a specific answer ask a specific question - No trick or vague questions. Don't expect the other person to guess what you mean, tell them.

Start with something very simple - Listen carefully and follow up on anything that might need additional explanation. Then go on to the next logical question, again very, very simple.

Let their answer lead you to your next question - Don't walk in with 20 prepared questions and go through them one-by-one regardless of what the person says.

It doesn't matter what you know so don't pretend to be smart - It's best that it look like you don't know anything. "How" and "Why" are often the most revealing but the questions few people really ask.

It's okay to admit you don't understand - If you don't know what something means you are wasting everyone's time by not asking for a better explanation. If you don't it will only get worse. Have you ever spent an hour in a meeting where the client keeps talking about their "DGP process" and, after the meeting, you ask everyone what the "DGP Process" is and no one knows? Now the client expects you to understand because no one asked.

It's So Easy It's Stupid

Tell me like I'm stupid simplifies everything. Instead of trying to decide if you should be asking a probing, leading, funnel, rhetorical, open or closed question you can focus on understanding the answer. It's like a trip on the interstate. The direct route is the most efficient but it can be more interesting to take a few side roads. You get to the same destination.

Now you may have a better approach that works for you and I'd like to know it. But, please, tell me like I'm stupid.

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Sharpen Your Personal Edge - You Gotta Play The Part

Take 60 seconds and read this. It's worth it.

"Think outside the box. That's where all the warning labels are."

A Wise Man

Who Do You Need To Be Today?

Think about it for a moment. You are facing different challenges, demands and expectations each day. Who do you need to be to satisfy them? What character will you play? Yeah, you are playing roles and being different versions of "you." Once you realize that work is theater and the experience is the play the more successful you'll be and the more satisfied your customers, co-workers and company will become. Oh, and you'll find your career improving.

Have you ever been in a meeting and at the end looked at some of the other people and wondered why they were there? They didn't provide anything, contribute anything or create any value at all. Woody Allen once said that, "80 percent of success is just showing up. Well it isn't if you end up being the wrong person.

To have a personal edge, play the role of the right person.

Why Are You There?

Figuring out who you need to be isn't that complicated. Just answer a few questions based on what you see for a single day.

• What talents are they paying you for?
• What are you expected to do?
• How do you fit in to the rest of the team or situation?
• What can you do that will be of the most value?
• Who do I need to be to accomplish my personal goals?

Okay at this point you may have realized that you are going to play a number of different roles each day. That's the big idea that gives you a personal edge. If all you ever show is one set of abilities and one attitude you'll be forever typecast.

Once you answer these questions play that role. Be the person you need to be. That's how you establish your value. You can be a member of the cast but you'll have your own distinctive script. Remember it's not really about who you are. It's the experience of dealing with who you are.

I've Got To Be Me

Don't you just hate those positive, energetic, ready-for-anything people? Those people who don't seem to complain and seldom gripe about the work, management or clients? Hey, you are just a productive even though you slump over your computer and growl like Cujo at people as they walk past.

Be yourself, but remember Sloppy Joe is a sandwich and not a job description. Change your act and show them someone new. If you need your leadership, manager, team, clients and customers to view you in new ways, then change whom they see.

Get Into Character

You are meeting with a client at 10:00, what's your character? Are you there to fit in or stand out? Do they expect you to listen and understand? Do they expect you to bring information and ideas? Are you a "leader" or a "doer"? From here it's a combination of making sure you are prepared with the right skills and attitude.

I admit it. I actually write little notes or reminders at the top of my yellow legal pad to help me remember my role. Don't talk. Listen. Understand. Solutions. Support. Be invisible. It's just a way of keeping on track and making sure I act my part. It's 50% acting the part and 50% getting in costume.

Looking The Part

Back in the late 1970's and early 1980's corporate life was transformed. It wasn't a management philosophy or marketing strategy - it was power dressing. In "Dress For Success" John T. Molloy conducted extensive research on the psychological reaction to how people dress. He showed the effect of clothing on a person's success in business. Bottom line was to select your clothes to meet your goals and to fit the role you need to play. Subconsciously we act like we dress. Want to become a manager then dress like one. Want to become the head of the department then dress like one. For customers to have confidence in your company, they need to have confidence in you.

If you're frustrated because people only think you can do one thing - then change your character. Show them someone new. It all comes down to how you present yourself. Your dress and attitude communicate the impact you're working to create.

To Thine Own Self Be True

That Shakespeare guy is certainly quotable. Of course you shouldn't deceive people or yourself. But realize that thine own self should learn, change and grow. Of course it helps if thine own self is practical, realistic and has a regular paycheck.

Work Is Theater And The Experience Is The Play

Today the key focus is on the "experience." Everything revolves around it. It's up to you to write the script about the experience of working with you. So decide how you can be most valuable and play your part. Look for opportunities to show new sides of you. Be who you want to become. Dress the part and become the part. You create your own personal edge by letting people see all the roles you can play.

"When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?' I say, 'Your salary."

Alfred Hitchcock

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

7 Critical Things You Can't Afford To Forget - Lessons From Pop's Basement

"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday."

John Wayne

It’s funny how things that happened years before become valuable later, but that is how I learned so many corporate lessons - in Pop's basement. The steps to the basement were steep, narrow and lined with an odd assortment of coats, baskets and shotguns. The smell was a heady mixture of coal and cigar smoke.

Pop was my grandfather and a world-class tinkerer and storyteller. Have you ever heard the expression "catching lightning in a bottle"? That was Pop - smart, patient, funny and bestowed with a gentle wisdom.

Making Something Out Of Nothing

"I'm glad you're here. What do you think of this?" That was the way most of my childhood afternoons with him began. On the workbench would be a broken "something" or the project de jour. Blessed with insatiable curiosity, Pop was always busy. Every project began with the same step: Thinking. One day, he pointed to a box filled with ancient broken boards. "It looks like junk to me," was my expert analysis. He picked up a battered leg and handed it to me. "That's what I thought until I looked it over. That's a new table … we just have to make it."

Now you have to admit that was more than enough to hook a 10-year old. Fifty years later I'm still using what he helped me learn. We spread the parts on the floor and pulled them together like a jigsaw puzzle with half the pieces missing. There were two legs, the front of a drawer, two parts of the frame and one small sections of what once was a round top. "How are we going to fix this?" I wondered. "Just put the pieces together in your mind and build what you see." That's when I learned about vision.

Seeing The Endings

In the corner of the workshop was a pile of scrap wood. Pop grabbed some odd boards and hammered together a big square. Using a thumbtack, string and the stub of a pencil, he drew a circle that matched the section of the old top. Five minutes on the band saw and it was done. He quickly cut other boards to match the broken frame sections and measured some 2x4s for the legs. Start to finish, we spent less than two hours on the table. It looked terrible!

"Pop, where are going to put that?" I asked. He smiled. "We're just going to look at it. It's a plan — sort of a test so we can decide what we like and don't like. Then we'll do the real one." That's when I learned about planning.

I whispered, "I don't like it at all." I didn't want to hurt my grandfather's feelings. Pop didn't answer. He was staring at the table while his cigar waved back and forth. When Pop was in the basement, he usually had a Hav-A-Tampa cigar in his mouth for company. When he was deep in thought, the cigar would … well, it would wiggle from side to side in a tiny arc.

Give Yourself Time To Think

"Are we going to fix it today?" I really didn’t want to. "No, Thursday will be fine. We're going fishing tomorrow." This was Monday and for the next couple of days we fished and I ran off to do things kids did during the summer. Still, from time to time, Pop would head back to the basement to contemplate the table. That's when I Iearned about thinking things through.

The telephone rang at 9:00 in the morning. "Send Andy over. I need his help." By 9:30 we were both sharing a group stare. The cigar was waving quickly in time to some silent tune. "I think it's too low," Pop began. "Do you like a round top or an oval one?" I tried to mimic his serious studying. "Oval would be good." He glanced down at me. "We'll have to make it smaller." That sounded important. "Is it okay to make it smaller?" Suddenly the cigar stopped with a decisive chomp. "Smaller will be fine, just fine."

Making A Plan Into Reality

In a matter of minutes the test table was disassembled. Along the way, measurements were adjusted. Pop used the pieces as templates to cut the oak boards. When it came time for the legs, Pop clamped one of the old, hand-carved legs into the lathe, grabbed a chisel and turned a new one. He meticulously followed the old one. "It took a lot of time to carve these legs by hand. We want to make sure we don't forget all that work."

It took a day to build the table and two days to finish it. Sandpaper smoothed the rough parts and steel wool polished it. There was no rushing the process. That’s when I learned about patience. "If you cheat now, you'll have to live with it from here on. All you'll see are the mistakes."

The Biggest Pay-Off

Late Sunday afternoon we invited my grandmother down into the basement to see the final results. Nana was careful with her praise and seldom dispensed it casually. She stood back, looked at our handiwork and ran her fingers across the top. Then she did something I'd never seen her do before — she gave Pop a hug! "Tommy Lester, it's beautiful. Thank you." She kneeled and planted a kiss on my cheek. "Your Pop made that old table when we were first married. We didn't have many tools on the farm so he whittled it out one winter. We ate on it every day for years. We left it with Aunt Alma when we moved to town."

Lessons Learned

There are things I learned making that table that I have drawn on countless times in business during the years that followed.

• Vision is seeing the ending as clearly as you see the beginning.

• Planning is the cheapest time you spend.

• Things are always easier if you have a blueprint or a template to go by.

• Take time to think things through.

• There is a natural direction to all things. Go with the grain and not against it.

• The same things that can smooth and polish your idea can also grind it down if you aren't careful and use too much pressure.

• For something to really matter, you have to put some of yourself into it.

So the next time you’re muddling over a project, think about it, envision it, plan it – then “go fishing” for a day. When you return, it will truly be time to clench that mental cigar in your teeth and go to work.

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Success Smack Down - Don't Manage Time, Manage Results

Productivity Grudge Match!

You can spend all your time making money

You can spend all your love making time

EAGLES

If you're looking for time management tips this isn't it. We're talking about how to get the results you need and get job done. Not enough time to do it? The challenge isn't time management it's managing ourselves.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics we work 8.3 hours per day. Wow, we are slamming! But other research shows that we waste about 2 hours of that long day because of distractions and starting over on tasks. Stephen Covey points out that we can't manage time no matter how hard we try. We can use it or waste it but we can't save it. So let's use it well, reduce the stress, increase the productivity and get things done.

Let's Get Real

The vast majority of time management systems, plans and software programs are just excuses for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Spending hours of each day organizing, listing, prioritizing and formatting the things you need to do is, I know you see this coming - wasting your time. Don't confuse activity with productivity.

Manage Results

The goal is to get things done in ways that generate the results you need. It isn't to see who can work the longest and transform a week into a living hell. So let's make it simple and not complicated. The big idea is to be driven by results and not effort.

1. Decide what has to get done - Make it a simple, short list of results you need to generate and when. These are tasks and not steps. A detailed list can bite you in the butt because it can make things look overwhelming. Don't make things harder in the name of organization and management. Not everything needs to be managed it just needs to get done.

2. Focus on results - Decide what you must accomplish every day, break large tasks into small one or two-hour chunks and assign each piece a deadline. It doesn't matter when the "official" deadline is these are your deadlines. These aren't jobs or projects - they are results.

3. Go to work - The best time to start something is "right now." The key, boys and girls, is focus. Get organized, get it done and then move on to the next thing. Don't go back.

• Do the hardest things first.
• Do the things that take the longest time first.
• Do the things you can control first.
• Meet the deadlines and generate the results.
• Relax!

4. Don't multitask - Gasp, doesn't he know this is the computer-driven 21st century? Hey, you may be doing five things at once and you feel like a Project God. What you are really doing is constantly starting over on five things. Every time you shift from one dangling job to the next you waste time. You've lost focus, let deadlines slide and drifted farther away from accomplishing your results for the day. Stay focused on priorities.

Avoiding Distractions

Dang, there's someone - on the phone, at the door, requesting a meeting - and you don't want to be distracted. I know that there are loads of suggestions but here are some that work for me.

Take the name sign off your door. If they can't find you they can't bother you.

Wear a Hazmat suit. This and a "Quarantine" sign are really effective.

Find an empty cubical or office and "squat" there for a day - then move. You can't hit a moving target.

Just in case those don't work for you here are the real ones.

Suggestion #1 - "I'm sorry I'm slamming on a deadline for (add name of clients or top executive). I can't talk right now." This stops most interruptions. If the person tries anyway follow-up with, "I have to get this done right now. Let's talk tomorrow."

Suggestion #2 - When they come into your office or cubical, stand up and hold the conversation next to the door. This gives it a feeling of immediacy. They are just one step away from "good-bye."

Suggestion #3 - When you answer the phone cut to the chase. After you say "hello" ask “What can I do for you?” Now the focus is on the need. If there isn't one see suggestion #1.

That's Why They Call It A Job

As I've said before there is a difference between who you are and what you do. Remember those stats from the Bureau of Labor Statistics? We work 8.3 hours per day. We also spend 5.8 hours kicking back. What would happen if you shifted more time from column A into column B? That leisure time is who you are.

The honest purpose of time management is not to enable you to get 3 days of work accomplished in one day. It's to get the work that's necessary accomplished very, very well so you can go home and have a life. So count results and not hours. H. Jackson Brown said it this way;

"Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein."

Okay, you've wasted enough time. Go make something happen.

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Are You What You Do? - What's The Balance In Your Self-Worth Account?

What Are You Worth?

Hey, don't take it personally its only business. No … it's personal. It's always been personal.

When jobs go well it's an accomplishment. It is a matter or pride, honor and professionalism to please the client. Living the rule of "the customer is always right" requires sacrifice, especially when you know that the customer is wrong. Professionalism requires that you put other peoples wants and needs ahead of your own. So, how do you become a success in business without sacrificing your own values and self-worth? It all begins by realizing that there is a big difference between your business worth and your self-worth.

You Are Not What You Do

I know it's good to say that you are delivering value but remember we don't determine value. The customer or client does. Be realistic with yourself. You are putting a price on your talent, experience and ability. If it sounds like selling yourself - you are. In the most basic terms you are exchanging hours and days of your life for a certain amount of money. That is the worth of the particular service or product you provide. This is not your worth as a person. Don't let what you do define who you are.

Understand What You're Selling

Your worth is determined by your customer's budget, other suppliers providing comparable products and services and how urgently the customer needs you. It's what they are willing to pay based on their expectations.

My Dad was a mechanical engineer and owned the company. He designed massive, complex projects for carpet mills and changed accordingly. However there were many weekends when he would grab his tools to go fix someone's toilet because his plumbers were busy. He billed $15.00 per hour - the same rate as any of his crews. The customer wasn't buying an engineer, just someone to unplug the toilet.

Value Is As Value Does

People don't automatically recognize the value we can provide or agree with our price for it. That's reality. Remember value has to be recognized, proved and appreciated. It's up to you to prove your value. Now one will take your word for it.

Trust Your Gut

There's this little voice in the back of my head that whispers to me. Sometimes it screams. Without fail ever time I've ignored it I've been screwed. If you pay attention, ask questions, really listen and use your common sense then you'll know which jobs will be a good experience and which ones will be a royal pain. Few customers or clients will actually treat you better as the work progresses. If there is friction, misunderstanding and a lack of mutual respect at the beginning it won't get better. Listen to your gut and know what the rules are.

You Knew The Job Was Dangerous When You Took It

Super Chicken was a crazy cartoon character from the 1970's and that was his slogan. Few of us have so much work that we can afford to turn projects down. In close to 30 years I've turned down less than a dozen. There were lots that I should have turned down but life doesn't always give you that luxury. If you understand that the job, project or the client is going to be exceptionally difficult and uncomfortable and you take the job ... then you can't really complain.

Remember Why You Do What You Do

Back in the beginning there was a reason why you set off on this adventure. The path may have meandered and you might be somewhere you never anticipated. No matter where you are the path that led you had to have been rewarding or you would have never made the trip. Remember the rewards. Savor the feelings and satisfaction. Smile as you recall the people you've met and the achievements you've shared. Money pays the bills but it's a rotten companion. Your secret of contentment isn't the pay, that's only how you keep score.

Never Lose The Joy

Take confidence in the realization that you have never been more prepared and experienced. Everything you've ever done is training for the next thing you do.

My Personal Secret

Still, let's be practical. There are some projects and people that stretch the best attitude and philosophy to the breaking point. That's when I step back, take a deep breath and whisper, "A few days from now you'll just be nothing but an invoice."

You'll be amazed how well that works!

If you liked this article then check out:

Strategic Planning For The Hopelessly Disorganized

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Brain Freeze - Can You Handle The Pain Of Choice Overload?

Welcome Key Word Academy! Please read this article before you leave.

Don't Give Customers Too Many Choices

The biggest challenge is not knowing when to shut up - it's knowing HOW to shut up.

You're shoveling ice cream in as fast as you can and it zaps you - brain freeze. Technically it's called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, which is enough to paralyze your brain all on its own. It seems that shoving too many choices down the throats of customers and clients can have the same brain-numbing effect.

Let's face it, we like the idea of choices. Give me options and I'll take the responsibility of pleasing myself. As businesses and marketers we like to think that our customers will appreciate us if we give them more options. So we end up with 25-page restaurant menus, 1200 shades of house paint and over a dozen variations of blue jeans.

You Can't Handle Options

We like the idea of lots of choices … but hate lots of options. Human beings are creatures of habit. We don't use the vast majority of choices we have. According to Nielsen Research the average U.S. home gets about 118 TV channels. How many do we actually watch? Survey says - 15! We don't even check out more than 5 other channels if we explore at all, which is bad news for the 24-hour chicken wrestling channel.

Too Many Choices

The whole choice question started in 1995 with research by Sheena Lyengar, a psychologist at Columbia University. She set up a display of jams in a gourmet food shop. On the first day she offered samples of six flavors. The next day she offered samples of 30 different flavors. Her findings rattled lots of corporate cages. On each day the majority of customers tasted just two flavors, that's all. And even though more people were attracted by the big assortment of jams - only 3 percent bought one. More people bought from the smaller display!

Here's something that's even more revealing. Of the people who made a purchase the ones who only had six choices actually felt more satisfied with their selections. Over the past 15 years more psychologists and economists studied the issue and came to the same conclusion - an overload of options may actually paralyze decision-making. When faced with too many choices we will actually make bad decisions just to get it over.

If you have ever stood behind someone at McDonalds whose life had come to a grinding halt when faced with the decision between a Big Mac and Quarter Pounder then you know what this means. It shouldn't take five minutes to answer the question, "Do you want fries with that?"

Latest News On Choice Overload

There is breaking news in decision-making. Sheena Lyengar has completed new research into "choice overload." She concludes that the problem isn't too many choices it's not enough relevant choices.

So our goal isn't to just simplify the selling process it's to make our products and services easier to buy. Making a decision isn't the objective. Helping customers make a comfortable, satisfying decision is the #1 goal.

Creating Relevant Choices

Learn before they chose - Let customers and clients focus on what they want and need first. Why attempt to give people a choice before they have any way to understand what value you offer?

Customize choices - If you have lots of options give your customers or clients a way to eliminate the non-relevant ones. We love to have things our way.

Present a path - If you know your customers then you know what they want to happen. Give them a clear, easy-to-follow path to a comfortable, satisfying decision.

Make it easy to buy - Group relevant choices together. This is how customers make decisions. This isn't price or how we want to sell it's reducing the noise and distractions. Too many meaningless choices are distracting.

Value-Based Options

I'm a big believer in the Power of Three. Remember the Sears Strategy? In the old Sears catalog they offered three choices: “Good,” “Better” and “Best.” Each choice was simple, related and relevant. The difference was based on price and benefits. They knew that if you give most people a choice of three price/benefit options approximately two-thirds would choose the middle one. The key was all three were good, meaningful choices. Quality was never an issue.

Mom's Cure For The Brain Freeze

My Mom had a sure-fire remedy for a brain freeze - eat smaller bites. She told us to slow down and not go so fast. "Give yourself time to taste the ice cream." Well it seems that when it comes to choices Sheena Lyengar agrees, "More is less. That is, more choice leads to less satisfaction or fulfillment or happiness.”

If you liked this article then check out:

The Gutsiest Business Strategy - Scratching The Value Itch

Scroll down - there's much more!

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Body Surfing, Beach Towels & Play-It-Safe Marketing - What I Learned On My Summer Vacation

It all started with a crazy man on the beach. Here's a true summer story.

Surf's Up!

The kids fearlessly attached the waves and the Atlantic Ocean seemed to cringe a little. It was the first day of our vacation and ten-year old triplets and a six year old were ready to ride the wild surf with foam boards and no fear. I'll be the first to admit that the surf on the coast of Georgia doesn't rival the Banzai Pipeline or Waimea Bay but a 3-foot wave looks pretty big when you're only 4 feet tall.

I was on "Daddy Duty" and spent my time attempting to herd the brood into a small enough clump so I could keep an eye on everyone. Periodically I would yell and point to where I wanted them to go. At first the kids would listen but after a time I'd have to bellow and wave to get their attention. Soon I was screaming and doing my imitation of a windmill to earn some reluctant action. I wasn't alone. There were 4-5 other sets of parents joining the chorus of frustration.

Out of desperation I started waving a bright orange and yellow beach towel - one in a bloated floral pattern you only see in coastal fashions and in motel drapes. The kids stopped, actually paid attention and moved. It was a short-lived revelation because soon it was off the radar.

Total Insanity

I don't know if it was the sun or the SPF 100 I was wearing but I started waving more energetically. No, that's not right, I started cavorting with the beach towel. I spun it, twirled it and tossed it in the air. As I did … I sang. Let me help you picture the scene. Imagine the salt & pepper sophistication of George Clooney and the ripped body of Brad Pitt. Lock that image in your mind. Got it? Well I don't look anything like that.

The other parents slowly moved their chairs down the beach to put a little extra space between them and the wild middle-age man with the total lack of restraint. Every time my kids looked over there was a new act. Sponge Bob, surf music, a killer Beatles medley, free-style ballet and some dance moves I hadn't attempted since college for obvious reasons.

Now here's the cool part. It wasn't long before they'd follow me just to see what I was going to do next. As I said the other adults kept a close eye on me as they kept yelling for attention. They were considering calling 911 until they noticed that their kids were following my antics too. Instead of being scattered up and down the beach they were all watching "that crazy old man."

A Quick Detour

Later I realized that what happened has a lot to do with our marketing. It's called play-it-safe marketing and everyone has done it. Identify a need, match it with a product or service and then market it to a specific group of customers. Play-It-Safe strategy works - once. You are unique to that target audience the first time. If you keep marketing the same need satisfaction message you aren't unique anymore. Your customers just tune you out and this is the greatest danger of playing it safe.

We play-it-safe because it's predictable. Do the same things in the same ways all in the name of consistency and building recall. There's a difference between repetition and lack of variety. If you want mega results that can transform a year you can't Play-It-Safe. Your marketing must go beyond the safe, standard and tried-and-tested.

Features, advantages and benefits aren't automatically interesting even if they're logical. To market with imagination you have to market to imagination - to the emotions and lifestyles of your customers. Reach them in ways that go beyond facts, logic and benefits. Be consistently conspicuous, distinctive, remarkable, noticeable, striking and disruptive. Wave a gaudy beach towel and dance in the sand but make them pay attention. They'll follow.

Back At The Beach

After a while I came to my senses and looked around to see if anyone was ready to exchange my beach towel for a straight jacket. Guess what, the other parents had left their inhibitions behind and were doing their own improvisational dances in the sand. Their kids weren't watching me any more; they were locked on their Moms and Dads.

It was late when the fearless body surfers trudged their way toward the house. The other parents and kids were packing up too. As we walked past the adults smiled, waved and then did something that stunned me. They applauded my performance. They appreciated the show. The only time in my life I ever received an ovation was on a beach - for playing the fool. Hey, at least I didn't Play-It-Safe.

If you liked this article then check out:

The Gutsiest Business Strategy - Scratching The Value Itch

Scroll down - there's much more!

_________________________

Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.

Send Your Marketing To The Hot Tub Time Machine

Dumb'n Down Is Dumb

Dumb marketing attracts dumb customers. Are you sure you're not insulting your customers, clients and consumers?

Everyone In The Hot Tub!

In the movie, Hot Tub Time Machine four losers get blind drunk in a hot tub. When they regain consciousness they find they have gone back in time. Now they try to make better decisions and fix their mistakes. When they find themselves back in the future their lives are completely changed and better. It all seems like a testimony to the miraculous healing powers of alcohol and getting wasted.

Still there's a moral in there. We don't have to live with the decisions of the past - especially our marketing decisions. Dumbing down is dumb. It's time to check your marketing to make sure you're not insulting your customer's intelligence.

Doofus Marketing

You see it on television every day in shows and commercials. To create Doofus Marketing you sell:

• Dumb men to women
• Nude women to men
• Stupid, out of touch parents to kids
• Effortless weight loss to overweight people
• "Debt relief" to people who over-spend
• Instant results and gratification
• No experience or brains required

Why is there so much Doofus Marketing? Dumb is easier to write - it doesn't take much talent, just a formula.

This Dud's For You

Who seems to be the most comfortable with Doofus Marketing? You got it - beer brewers. Beer commercials have used dumb humor for decades to create the "image" of their consumers. Sophisticated and intelligent these are drinkers who fit into every social situation. They are the top of the heap, style-setters, leaders and innovators. The future is safe in their hands. Oh yeah!

I'm not sure what's worse, the men who stand around, totally lost and without a clue - living beer fantasies … or the idea that women are worked into a sexual frenzy by stupid guys with blank stares who haven't shaved or bathed - all because of the brand of brew the dude is holding. Unless you fit the profile, should you feel complimented?

Customers Aren't Buying Dumb

There is panic in the marketplace. Beer shipments are down 4% for the first half of 2010 and have been declining for close to a year. What has been the industry response? They've jumped back into Doofus Marketing after changing the focus to "drinkability." Let's say that if their perception of their consumers is accurate, then is it any surprise that campaigns based on the concept of "drinkability" failed? These are companies that privately refer to some of their own brands as "ghetto beer."

The problem is underestimating the intelligence of their customers. They've been marketing the same brands in the same ways for generations. But new generations of drinkers want brands that relate to their lifestyles. Like it or not Bud Lite is "Dad Beer."

Not Every Customer Is 50, 40 Or 30

There isn't one customer. It doesn't matter what we are in business to do, the challenge is to deliver brands, products and services that our customers can "own." We have to market in ways that relate to new generations without alienating our core customers. We start by answering a simple question.

"How smart do you have to be to buy your product or service?"

If you are too dumb to touch a beer to see if it's cold and need a bottle that turns blue then you may not be the best target customer. If you are a college-educated executive who makes decisions that impact the success of the group, division or corporation then let's talk to you that way.

Smarting Up Not Dumbing Down

Forget how you have been marketing. Who are the people you need to attract to accomplish your goals now? Where are they in their organizations? How did they get there? What is their education and experience level?

Now, create messages that explain the value you provide in the simplest terms that these prime-quality customers understand? Smart Up your marketing. Focus on the specific results that matter the most. You can write your marketing at an 8th-grade reading level without treating your customers like tweenagers. Focus on the specific core value and benefits.

Be clever not gimmicky

Be relevant not basic

Be efficient not repetitious

Be clear not vague

Tell them what any intelligent customer wants to know - the value, the price, the benefits and how to buy.

Back To The Future

Hop in the hot tub time machine, cut loose the past, focus on forward and get smart. Engage with some real creative ideas that impress customers. Compliment them by not insulting their intelligence. Who knows, you may end up toasting your mutual success with expensive champagne and not cheap beer.

In case you're looking for more, please check this out:

Is Your Marketing Like A Trip To Hell's Kitchen? Make It Hot & Tasty

Scroll down - there's much more!

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Please Subscribe! There's a new article every week and we are determined to give you valuable information you can use to be successful and make more money. So, go to the Be The First To Know box and just fill it in.

Andy Johnston is an multi-faceted communication professional with deep experience from strategic planning, to messaging, to marketing, to media, to events, to training, to creative direction … and there are several other ”to’s.” Andy is known for his energy, creativity and his unique ability to discover the key results that must be generated – and then to develop ingenious ways to engage and motivate audiences.