AMiable Solution #169: More Than a Feeling

Showing your appreciation for co-workers, clients, members, donors, partners, etc., improves your relationship with those individuals, but the benefits don’t stop there.  Incorporating a regular ritual of gratitude in your life benefits your life, too.

UMass Dartmouth’s Counseling Center, in its online article, “The Importance of Gratitude,” reports that people who practice gratitude are more likely to experience better physical and mental health than people who think negatively.  In fact, the article says that people who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis tend to exercise more regularly, exhibit fewer physical symptoms, and feel better about their lives in general. 

Furthermore, the article claims, people who talk about the things they’re grateful for on a daily basis are more alert, more enthusiastic, more determined, and more attentive than those who don’t.  They’re also more energetic and sleep not only longer and but also better.

What do you have to do to get the goods for feeling good?  You could follow the advice of Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, and the founding editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology.  Emmons recommends keeping a “gratitude journal.”  Doing so forces you to focus on the positive by identifying and listing the things going on in your life that you’re thankful for.

But you don’t have to physically write anything down to reap the benefits of grateful thinking.  Even just taking a few minutes a day to mentally acknowledge the good things in your day can create a change in attitude and a change in outlook.

With that in mind, we’d like to put you at the top of our gratitude list.  Thank you for your partnership, your business, and your friendship.  We are a better organization because of you.  Happy holidays, and happy new year.

AMiable Solution #168: Good Giving

If you find yourself struggling to feel good about the holidays, or if you simply want to support a charity but don’t know the best way you or your organization can do it, you might want to consider one of the following.

1. Order your last-minute gifts through www.goodsearch.com.  This site enables you or your organization to shop online with more than 2,800 stores.  Every time you make a purchase, the participating store donates a percent of your purchase price to the cause of your choice.
2. Want to get your non-profit additional exposure and open up a new donation avenue by becoming a GoodSearch charity?  Visit http://www.goodsearch.com/causes/new to submit an application and be considered for inclusion.
3.  Carry the spirit of giving into the new year by creating your own charitable fundraiser.  Start by selecting a local organization or cause that’s meaningful to you or your group.  Then, establish the way in which your clients, customers, or members can contribute to the cause.  Whether you donate a set dollar amount or percentage of each purchase made from your company or you simply provide free marketing and easy instructions for making a donation, your efforts could make a difference for the foreseeable future.
4.  Collect coupons for local non-profits.  Do you have a coupon-clipper in your house, your department, or your organization?  Unused or unneeded coupons can be donated to any charity, offsetting their costs and providing much-needed supplies to men, women, and children in need.

AMiable Solution #167: Everyone’s a Manager

If you had to change one thing about your work habits, what would it be?  If you said to improve your multitasking skills, you may want to reconsider. 

According to author Garth Sundem in his February 24, 2012, Psychology Today article, “This Is Your Brain on Multitasking,” not many people are good at working on two things at once.  In fact, Sundem reports that only 2% of people can perform more than one task at a time effectively.  Those among the other 98% who try to work two tasks simultaneously don’t do either one well.

So where does that leave the majority of us?  With an opportunity to become better time managers.  We may not be able to do many things well at once, but we can learn to be more efficient at the one thing we’re working on. 

You can find all sorts of strategies and tips regarding time management in books and online, but we like this one from Meghan Keaney Anderson, VP of Marketing at HubSpot, best.  In her April 10, 2013, blog, Anderson recommends giving yourself a block of time to work on or complete a task.  Do nothing else, she says, despite how tempting it may be to check email, take a snack break, make a quick phone call, etc.  Then, when time is up, stop.  Sticking to a schedule will not only motivate you to get each job done, but it will also assure you that you made the most of your time, even if it takes you multiple time blocks to finish.


Even one little change can make a difference in your day and your productivity.  Why not give it a try?

AMiable Solution #166: Practicing Patience

Patience can be hard to come by when we’re dealing with setbacks, trying to do too many things at one time, approaching deadlines, lacking motivation, having trouble getting ideas, etc.  It can be easy to give in to negative thoughts, bad attitudes, sloppy work, and inattention to detail. 

But when we get bogged down and stressed, patience can make our work its best.  Patience can see us through the slow sales or response rates and into success.  It can help us avoid errors and hard feelings.  Patience can help us get the work done better, not just sooner.  We just have to learn how to exercise it.

Dr. Judith Orloff, an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCLA, suggests getting in long, slow lines--at the DMV even, if you’re brave--to practice patience.  In her September 18, 2012, Psychology Today article, “The Power of Patience,” Orloff says, “Practicing patience will help you dissipate stress and give you a choice about how you respond to disappointment and frustration. When you can stay calm, centered and not act rashly out of frustration, all areas of your life will improve.”


We don’t think any of us are willing to stand in a DMV line to learn patience, but if we make a little effort--a deep breath here and there--we’ll not only cultivate a skill that enables us to take control in out-of-control situations, but we’ll also develop a resource that will benefit us in all areas of our lives for as long as we live them.

AMiable Solution #165: The Stress Less Strategy, Part 3

Now that we’re nearly through November, stress levels are rising higher.  Although we can’t take the stress triggers out of your life, we know something you can add into your life to make things a little better.

Exercise.

We know, we know.  Exercise takes time, and who has time to exercise?  Actually, you do.

According to the Mayo Clinic, just about any type of exercise can induce stress relief, and you don’t have to exercise in 30- or 60-minute stints to reap the benefits.  Even taking a ten-minute walk during your lunch break can help increase the production of your “feel-good” neurotransmitters and make your general perspective better.

Can’t spare the time at work?  Walk around the block when you get home, or get up just a little earlier and bust a move (bonus: you might beat a little traffic!). 

Whenever you do it, making the decision to add a little or a little more exercise to your week will make the coming months easier to handle.

AMiable Solution #164: The Stress Less Strategy, Part 2

It’s pretty easy to feel overwhelmed at any time, but we’re particularly susceptible to such feelings at year-end, when inventory, budgetary, or holiday activities seem to reach a peak.  How can you survive the stress? 

To steal a page from psychologist Karl Weick’s playbook, look for a small win.  Instead of focusing on the exhausting task of compiling year-end reports, focus on one aspect of the report.  Instead of looking at that dreadfully long list of to-do items, select the easiest or quickest task, complete it, and check it off the list.  Once you accomplish one small goal or one small part of a larger goal, the whole task seems a little less insurmountable and more feasible. 

In their May 13, 2011, Harvard Business Review article, “Small Wins and Feeling Good,” Teresa Amabile and Steve Kramer echoed this sentiment, saying, “Because setbacks are so common in truly important problems, people become disheartened unless they can point to some meaningful advance most days, even if that advance is seemingly minor, and even if it involves nothing more than extracting insights from the day’s failures. This strategy propels long-term goal achievement.”

So go on.  Take on your “opponent” one play at a time, one small victory at a time.  You can win the game: you just have to get the ball moving. 

AMiable Solution #163: The Stress Less Strategy, Part 1

It’s happening already.  Holiday commercials.  Holiday countdowns.  Holiday displays in stores.

Although the end of the year does bring enjoyment for most people, it also causes stress, both at work and at home.   Pressure to get things done.  Pressure to make things perfect.

The holidays don’t have to cast a shadow of despair or distraction on our days.  We can help our co-workers, our market, and ourselves remain productive at work and peaceful at heart with just a few little stress-relieving ideas.

Start by sharing your lesser-known expertise.  Sure, your customers know you for your charitable work, your prompt and excellent service, or your can’t-live-without-them products.  But you can offer them other helpful tools, as well. 

Think about the things your company or organization does well on a daily basis and share your tips or insight.  For example, does your company run a cafeteria for your employees?  Holiday celebrations mean party planning at work and bigger-than-usual meal planning at home.  Help take some of the stress out of this holiday activity for your clients and customers by tucking food prep tips and large-gathering recipes in your monthly newsletter or on your website. 

Is your organization or business good at running well on a tight budget?  Offer tips to your clients and customers, as businesses and as regular consumers, on how to maintain control of spending through the holidays or how to spend wisely.

Sharing practical advice for the business and personal aspects of your market’s life won’t necessarily send your returns through the roof, but reaching out to others and helping them get through the next two months might just make life a little more pleasant and manageable for everyone.

AMiable Solution #162: The Joy of Fear

Some people choose fear.  They choose to give themselves a good scare, whether it’s from watching a horror movie, reading a suspense novel, or strapping themselves into a thrill ride.

But not many, if any, people make that decision when they read their mail, scan emails, or skim any other marketing materials that cross their paths.  And yet, marketers use fear-based marketing all the time. 

Why?

Considered to be one of the more powerful emotions, fear can motivate consumers to make a donation, join a cause, order a service, or buy a product in an attempt to avoid an undesirable situation.

Can you make fear-based marketing work for you?  Absolutely, as long as you observe a few guidelines:                                                                             

•  Have a legitimate purpose, a real problem you can solve: don’t use scare tactics simply for the sake of a sale.
• Understand your market.  Know what motivates them.
• Make the solution easy to achieve or implement. 
• Provide a specific action your audience can take to prevent the feared action from occurring.
• Communicate realistic, not exaggerated, consequences for not taking appropriate action.

Like the adrenaline-seeker at the end of a thrill ride, your market should feel like they’ve accomplished something with their decision to respond to your offer.  They should feel good about evading an unpleasant situation. 

Now that’s something worth getting worked up for.

AMiable Solution #161: Practicing Patience

When we were kids, my siblings and I begged our mom every October to roast the seeds we pulled from the guts of our pumpkins.  Every year she burned them beyond consumption.  They looked bad.  They smelled bad.  And they usually went into the garbage can as soon as they were cool enough. 

Several years ago, I started thinking about those pumpkin seeds and tried roasting them myself.  I learned, thanks to a quick recipe search on the internet, that the key to successfully roasting pumpkin seeds is to go low and slow.  Seeds scorch and burn at high temperatures, but when you roast them at 250 degrees for two hours…mmmmmmm.

Sometimes we get so focused on getting results that we forget to be patient and wait.  We call a campaign or a channel or a technology or a visit a failure when we don’t see immediate results.  But that’s not always the case. 

The next time you find yourself turning up the temperature in an attempt to hasten results, stop.  Mistakes, miscommunication, and misdirection occur when fear and eagerness replace strategy and patience.   Instead, wait.  Wait for the direct mail piece to drop.  Wait for your market to review, process, and respond to your campaign.  Wait for a new procedure or system to take hold and become routine.  Wait to overcome a learning curve.  Just wait.

Once you’ve done that, if a marketing effort has still fallen short of expectations, go back and analyze everything.  Analyze all aspects of the campaign and its delivery to see if there’s a problem that can be corrected, timing that should be tweaked, content that needs reworked, or more contact/repeated exposure that should be scheduled.

Good things develop when you give good planning and effort a chance.

AMiable Solution #160: What’s Your Candy?

Halloween.  For kids everywhere, that single word conjures up images of fun-sized and, if you’re lucky, full-sized bags of chocolatey and sugary goodness.

Unfortunately, not all distributed candy sends little hearts a-racing.  Some candy is better left at the store.  The same is true for marketing giveaways.  Just because you’re giving it away for free doesn’t mean that your recipients will be thrilled to get it.  Here are two key tips to creating handouts that clients and prospects will rejoice about.

Tip #1: It’s not the thought but the end result that counts.

Ask any group of adolescent trick-or treaters if all candy is created equal, and they’ll show you the duds that they’ll eat only after everything else is gone.  Kids love candy, but not all candy has equal appeal. 

The same is true with giveaways.  Just because you’re giving something to someone for free doesn’t guarantee he/she will use it.  If you’re going to go through the effort and expense of creating a giveaway, make it something that people actually want, use, and will keep for years to come, not something they’ll look at once and throw away.  After all, the point of a giveaway is to create a connection with someone and inspire future communication, where it’s for a sale, service call, donation, or membership.  Handing someone a cheaply made or unattractive “gift” will not only land your freebie in the trash, but it might land your market’s opinion of your organization there, too.

Tip #2: If it doesn’t fit, you must quit.

Giveaways, by their nature, are sales tools.  Handy little gadgets that help your clients or prospects while reminding them of your existence and your services.  If your freebie doesn’t promote not only your organization’s name and contact information but also your main message and image, then you’re missing the point of a giveaway as well as numerous opportunities to create or reinforce brand awareness. 

Unlike the lowly hard candies that are left in the bottom of the trick-or-treat bag for weeks or the king-sized peanut butter cup that’s joyously but all-too-quickly devoured , successful marketing giveaways provide joy and satisfaction both now and in the future.  By planning ahead and designing well, you’ll not only create a legitimate freebie that people will want and use, but you’ll also create an appetite for learning more about your organization, and there’s nothing distasteful about that.

.AMiable Solution #158: The Stuff of Stamps, Part 4

Pop culture pays.

Some stamp collectors argue that featuring cultural icons, not historically significant Americans or American subjects, on stamps is a slap in the face of stamp collecting.  Others, however, concede that such stamps offer more than financial value.  They offer sentimental value.  They reignite old memories.  They stir emotions.  They bring a different kind of joy to collectors.

That emotional connection is exactly why incorporating references to popular characters, shows, movies, etc., can increase the response to your marketing campaigns.  But only if you do it right.

What’s the right way to use popular culture in your marketing?

First, there has to be a real relevance between the cultural icon and your product or service.  It can be heartfelt.  It can be humorous.  It can be ironic.  But it must be relevant.  Consumers know when a popular figure or reference is used just for the sake of getting their attention, and they’ll respond unfavorably if they feel duped.  You must tie the pop culture item back to your product or service.

Second, you need to understand the interests of your audience and use the right references.  In his article, “Beyond Newsjacking: Pop Culture in Content Marketing with Movies, TV and Memes,” TopRank Online Marketing blog contributor Nick Ehrenberg cautions marketers against referencing just any cultural icon.  “Determine how far you can stray from the ‘character’ of your branded content ,” Ehrenberg says, “– if the radius is short, think twice before potentially alienating a large segment of your audience.”

AMiable Solution #159: Apples to Apples

If you’re lucky enough to live close to a farm, you could head there this weekend and pick your own apples.  And depending on the farm, you could get to choose from a number of different varieties: Fuji, Cameo, Empire, Jonagold, Red Delicious, etc.  The kind you pick depends on what you like and what you plan to do with them.

Identifying the right competitors to monitor also depends on making appropriate choices.  Are you monitoring the right companies?  Are you comparing your marketing to the marketing of organizations with similar products, goals, markets, and budgets?  In other words, are you comparing apples to apples?

Many of us dream of being in the same league as those companies and organizations robust enough to buy Super Bowl ads, but most of us just don’t have those juicy budgets.  So, we have to keep our comparisons realistic.  We have to identify the companies that are most like our own.

Before you can pick out your true competitors, you have to identify your main products or services, the primary sources of the competition.  Then, you search for companies or organizations that offer similar products or services.  You can do that by performing web searches, checking out social media, looking in the phone book, and talking to consumers.

Be sure to search locally, regionally, and nationally.

Once you can name five to ten competitors, sign up for their mailings and other marketing communications.  Review them when you receive them, and keep regular tabs on their websites. 

It’s important to know the similarities and differences between your products and theirs.  It’s also important to know what advantages they have over your company, including any offers or specials they promote, and the companies’ values and styles.  If your company can’t identify with the strategy of a competitor--for example, if the main selling feature of a competitor’s service isn’t a priority for your customers--it may not be a true competitor.

New competition springs up often, so be sure to not only regularly review what other companies are doing, but also survey the field for new competition.  Doing so will help your organization stay fresh.

AMiable Solution #157: The Stuff of Stamps, Part 3

We’ve mentioned it before, but it’s worth repeating: anyone can collect stamps.  You don’t have to buy them.  You can start a stamp collection with what you have and what you receive in the mail from others.  It’s that easy.  And that user friendly.  In fact, it’s another lesson marketers can learn from the act of stamp collecting:

Encourage accessibility.

We’re not suggesting you give anything away, although freebies usually score big in any market.  We are suggesting being easy to reach and easy to approach.  Providing information that is easy to obtain.

You can do that by offering options.  Not everyone likes to communicate in the same way.  Some people like automated phone menus; others prefer speaking to a real person.  Some people like making online transactions; others would rather send a check or credit card information through the mail. Some people like to receive information digitally; others prefer traditional paper.  Provide your clients, members, or donors with multiple options for communication on every campaign.  Then, follow through. 

We know it’s not always easy to respond to all inquiries and requests promptly.  Sometimes staff, resource, or schedule limitations slow things down.  Sometimes you need to get a little creative to give your customers the attention they need without sacrificing time devoted to the products or services you provide them with.

One company we’ve worked with decided to empower more employees with phone duty.  The company had a solid customer service department, but it was small and the number of calls coming in at one time often outnumbered the number of reps.  The company’s solution?  Anyone could--and was expected to--answer a call that Customer Service could not.  All employees were trained in answering the phone and taking orders, and when Customer Service’s lines were all busy, incoming customer calls were rerouted and accessible from all office phones.  Customer calls never went to voice mail.

Your solution doesn’t have to be as involved as reworking your phone system, but it should be as customer-focused.  The easier you, as a company, are to approach and communicate with, the more responsive your market will be.

AMiable Solution #156: The Stuff of Stamps, Part 2

One of the biggest appeals of stamp collecting is its accessibility.  You could start and maintain a stamp collection without every spending a cent: you simply collect stamps off the mail you receive.

Some people are content to collect what everyone else has access to.  But some people are not.  Some people want the thrill of knowing they possess something unique, something rare.  They enjoy the feelings of exclusivity, which brings us to our second lesson from stamp collecting…

Rare is rewarding. 

Just as stamp collectors enjoy owning something that not many other people can, customers, donors, and members enjoy getting offers that are limited to a select group of people.

Referred to as “exclusivity” marketing, this strategy targets a specific segment of a market and offers recipients exclusive savings, limited-time offers, or limited-availability perks.

Why does this work?  Exclusivity marketing increases the value of your offer.  It makes your audience feel valued and appreciated and inspires customers to order, members to renew, and donors to donate.  Exclusivity marketing creates urgency and loyalty.

How can you create an inspiring and successful exclusive offer?  First, make sure you identify who qualifies for the special.  You don’t have to limit your special offer to one group.  You can target specific customers or specific areas of interest.  You must, however, make it clear why the recipient received this offer: customers with most frequency, biggest donors, “loyal” customers with the most years of business, etc.

Second, you need to make sure the carrot on the stick is real.  It must have real value, and it must be satisfying.  If it doesn’t, your customers will not only resent being tricked, but they’ll also reconsider any interest or sense of loyalty they had to your organization.

Unlike some of the rarest stamps, your offers don’t have to stick around for hundreds of years.  They just have to send the right message.

AMiable Solution #155: The Stuff of Stamps, Part 1

Stamp collectors have existed almost as long as stamps have.  How long?  According to The American Philatelic Society, more than 175 years: ever since Britain issued the first postage stamp, the “Penny Black,” on May 6, 1840.

What makes stamps so attractive to collectors?  How did stamps and stamp collecting become such a success?  This month, we’ll look at four lessons marketers can learn from the history and art of stamp collecting, starting with…

Make more than a product. 

Occasionally, the U.S. Postal Service creates what it calls a “semipostal” stamp.  These slightly more expensive “fundraising stamps,” as they’re also known, provide customers with something they need--a stamp--and something more universal and impactful--a donation to a good cause.

The Breast Cancer Research stamp was the first such stamp.  Issued on July 29, 1998, the stamp’s sales help fund both the National Institutes of Health and the Medical Research Program at the Department of Defense.  As of December 2014, the stamp has raised more than $80 million for breast cancer research.

The Postal Service’s other currently available semipostal stamp, the Save Vanishing Species stamp, was issued on September 30, 2011.  The USPS’s fourth semipostal stamp, it has raised more than $2.6 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the Multinational Species Conservation Funds.

The lesson?  Think outside of your box: beyond your office, your building, your industrial park.  Creating a campaign, product, service, or offer that promotes awareness and support of a particular cause not only makes you feel good, but it also makes your customers feel good.  It creates hope for those affected by your chosen issue and better relationships between you and your market. 

Now that’s something worth collecting.

AMiable Solution #154: Big Pictures, New Doors

When you’re feeling unmotivated to give your job your all or to even show up, remember the big picture: you are employed. 

And it can’t all be that bad, right?  Think about your accomplishments.  Think about the skills you’re learning or the accolades you or your company has achieved.  About your co-workers and the positive relationships you’ve developed.  Think about your benefits:  your flexible work schedule, easy commute, opportunities for professional growth or promotion, challenge and range of job duties, etc.

Still not enough to get your butt in gear and your mind in motion?  You may need to consider another position within your organization or one somewhere else entirely.  How do you know when it’s time to go? 

Inc. magazine author Peter Economy offers some insight in his article, “10 Warning Signs That It’s Time to Look for a New Job.”  While we agree with all of his choices, which include hating your job, witnessing illegal activity, and not working well with the new boss or new co-workers, we think it’s safe to say that anything that negatively affects your health, mental and/or physical, is worth re-evaluating.

Having a job almost always outranks having no job, but if your motivational problems extend beyond the end of summer, it may be time to move on.

AMiable Solution #153: Aiming Just Above Center

We like to achieve.  We like to succeed.  And we live in a country where competition not only creates new and better businesses, but it also creates more stressed individuals. 

Truth is, sometimes we set the bar too high and suffer because of it.

How can we continue to improve ourselves and our organizations without shaving years off our lives?  Simply put: be realistic. 

We all have to-do lists a mile long.  Expecting to complete every task quickly just isn’t realistic.  Whether it’s something seemingly as simple as writing a product description or decidedly more involved like planning next year’s budget, everything always takes longer than you anticipate it will.  Making your plans and setting your goals more realistically will increase your job satisfaction and morale now, and it will make you a more accurate and efficient planner in the future. 

Try this: keep track of your time.  Literally.  Starting tomorrow, record the time when you start and when you stop working on a project.  At the end of the day, tally your results and identify how far into the project you got and how much more work you have to go.  Do this every day for one week and then evaluate your results. 

See any surprises?  You may find out where all your time goes, or you may discover just how much more time some tasks take than you realized.  In any case, you should have a better handle on your time management strengths and weaknesses, and you should be able to use the findings to set more realistic schedules and timelines. 

Just be sure to add a few days to all of your estimates: new tasks and new priorities constantly interrupt your day and wreak havoc on your plans.  Anticipating the inevitable and planning ahead for delays will help take some of the stress out of your week, and that’s the whole point.

AMiable Solution #152: Take the Day Off

Summer isn’t quite over yet, and although you (hopefully) took a great vacation and spent some extra time with your friends and family, you’re already looking ahead to your next vacation, right?  Kind of like the first day of school, when you started counting the days until Thanksgiving break.

The problem is, you’re not a kid.  You’re an adult.  With a job.  And responsibilities.  You can’t just take a vacation any time you want, right?  Well, according to clinical psychologist Francine Lederer, you should. 

In an August 12, 2011, “Inside Science” article written by Patricia Quigley, Lederer emphasized the importance of taking the time to take a vacation.  According to Lederer, "Most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation, even if it is a 24-hour time-out."

Just one day off a month could be enough to keep you going.

And although the vacation itself provides its own benefits, the anticipation alone can help you perform better.  Popular website WebMD offers this: “People who take vacations have lower stress, less risk of heart disease, a better outlook on life, and more motivation to achieve goals…Even better, the biggest boost in happiness comes from planning the vacation. You can feel the effects up to 8 weeks before your trip.”

So what are you waiting for?  Get planning!

AMiable Solution #151: The “Big” Reward

Who said reward systems are for children only?  If you’re having trouble staying focused and preparing for the end of summer and the resumption of “normal” life, try treating yourself for staying on track.

We’re not suggesting whipping out a sheet of poster board and laying out a work chore grid (unless you think it would help!).  We are suggesting writing down your top weekly goals on Monday morning and evaluating your progress on Friday afternoon. 

Be realistic.  We know your list is long, but pick only the top, most pressing projects.  Then, get to work.

The payoff for achieving your goals?  Make it little, but make it satisfying.  Maybe you allow yourself one treat out of the forbidden snack machine.  Or an extra cup of your favorite, foamy beverage.  Maybe you allow yourself to start your weekend on time, for a change, or avoid checking work email all weekend long.  Whatever it is, make sure it’s something you wouldn’t normally do without at least a little guilt.

Giving yourself a little something to look forward to, no matter how big or small, will not only give you feel good, but accomplishing those goals and measuring your results will help you look good, too.

AMiable Solution #150: In Mail We Trust

Last week, I stood in line behind a teenager at the post office.  He had no idea how to mail a letter.  Despite the clerk repeatedly telling him he needed only one stamp to mail his envelope to College Park, he questioned her again and again.  When he finally bought his solitary stamp, he didn’t know which corner to put it in.

Did this young man really not know how to mail a letter, or was he just nervous because the contents of the envelope--a college application, perhaps--were of upmost importance?  Should we panic?  After all, Millennials have a reputation for being technically savvy, not traditionally minded.

Although the Millennial generation seems to be glued to cell phones and addicted to social media, when it comes to marketing, research shows that these young folks actually respond better to good old direct mail than marketing’s electronic counterparts.

In 2011, marketingcharts.com revealed in its December 13 article, “Most Millennials’ Store Choices Influenced by Print Media,” that 92% of Millennials make purchasing decisions because of direct mail compared to the 78% who are influenced by email.

And it’s not just Millennials who appreciate direct mail.  MarketingCharts further reports that 59% of American consumers (almost 3 in 5 people) enjoy learning about new products through direct mail compared to 43% who enjoy getting similar information from emails.

The best news for all of us?  Anyone can receive direct mail.  No stamps required.

AMiable Solution #149: Freedom of Speech

We Americans take pride in our right to free speech and exercise that right without hesitation.  We praise people and causes we believe in and support.  We bad mouth companies that wrong us.  We share information that probably shouldn’t be shared.  We do these things, without a doubt, because we can.

How freely do your clients, customers, members, or donors speak with you?  Do you make it easy for them to communicate with you, regardless of if the subject is good, bad, or ugly?

Encouraging communication from your market doesn’t take a legally-binding national document.  It just takes effort.  Here are three ways to encourage your customers to speak freely:

1.      Initiate a conversation.  Whether you send an email, mail a direct mail package, or make a call, ask a specific question (did your last purchase meet your needs, would you recommend our service, which areas of our service need improvement, etc.) to prompt a response.  Some customers, particularly angry ones, will contact you on their own.  Others need a little nudge.

2.      Offer incentives to those who provide feedback.  If you’re looking to improve customer service and customer relations at the same time, provide an answer to the question, “what’s in it for me?”  Hold a contest and offer prizes or do monthly raffle drawings for anyone who contributes to your virtual or physical suggestion box.  Whatever you do, offer a reward for responding.

3.      Reply promptly--and publically, if appropriate--to all letters, calls, emails, etc., good or bad.  Being a good communicator yourself will let your customers know their voices are being heard and will encourage them, and others, to speak up often.

Freedom of speech is not just a right: it’s also a gift.  For that we say, “Thanks.”                 

AMiable Solution #148: Check Your Bill

These days, there’s much legal debate about the contents of the first 10 amendments of the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.  As adults, we take these rights, and what happens to them, very personally and passionately.

But there’s another bill of rights that also deserves our attention as marketers: the Consumer Bill of Rights. 

President John F. Kennedy started the conversation about consumers’ rights on March 15, 1962, when he spoke to Congress about his vision to protect the consumer interest.  It was the first time any politician had done so. 

At the time, President Kennedy said, “Marketing is increasingly impersonal. Consumer choice is influenced by mass advertising utilizing highly developed arts of persuasion. The consumer typically cannot know whether drug preparations meet minimum standards of safety, quality, and efficacy. He usually does not know how much he pays for consumer credit; whether one prepared food has more nutritional value than another; whether the performance of a product will in fact meet his needs; or whether the ‘large economy size’ is really a bargain.”

He envisioned a set of standards that addressed the way all Americans wanted and deserved to be treated:

“(1) The right to safety--to be protected against the marketing of goods which are hazardous to health or life.

(2) The right to be informed--to be protected against fraudulent, deceitful, or grossly misleading information, advertising, labeling, or other practices, and to be given the facts he needs to make an informed choice.

(3) The right to choose--to be assured, wherever possible, access to a variety of products and services at competitive prices; and in those industries in which competition is not workable and Government regulation is substituted, an assurance of satisfactory quality and service at fair prices.

(4) The right to be heard--to be assured that consumer interests will receive full and sympathetic consideration in the formulation of Government policy, and fair and expeditious treatment in its administrative tribunals.”

President Kennedy’s speech made its intended impact: today there are eight generally-accepted consumer rights recognized by organizations around the world.

Although these rights are now, more than 50 years later, almost taken for granted, the overall perception of marketing, although significantly more “personal,” hasn’t changed much.  People are still skeptical of “too good to be true” claims, privacy-threatening information gathering, and invasive communication strategies.  It’s up to all of us to make sure we approach our consumers with not only the highest regard for their rights, but also for their respect.

AMiable Solution #147: The Benefits of Siblings

Siblings are a marketer’s first real coworkers. 

Think about it.  Your first experiences in delegation probably came from a sibling.  Either you were the one passing off a chore or assignment from Mom, or you were the one getting bossed around by your big brother.  Either way, you learned that the quickest way to get a job done well was to enlist the help of someone faster and better than you.

Your first lessons in proper behavior also came from your siblings.  You don’t go around the office giving noogies to the accountants or wrestling your supervisor for the right to run a project.  Oh, you may have managed to pull off such shenanigans with your sibling a time or two when you were young, but Mom and Dad were quick to point out that such actions don’t produce the results you’re looking for.  And they get you grounded. 

No, having siblings shaped your communication skills.  Your siblings taught you how to negotiate.  How to cooperate and work together to achieve a goal, even if it was silencing the dog while you snuck out of the house.  Having siblings taught you how to be fair and kind and expect the same from others.  It taught you how to get along.

And for that, we’re all grateful.

 

AMiable Solution #146: Teachers’ Lasting Lessons

When you think back to your school days, you’re probably grateful to be past #2 pencils, homework assignments, pop quizzes, and seemingly impossible restrictions.  But hidden among the classroom rules for sitting still, keeping your hands to yourself, and raising your hand to speak were other rules that shaped the way you developed and presented your abilities both then and now. 

The next time you visit your hometown or attend a high school reunion, be sure to thank your teachers for these life-long lessons:

Always do your best work.  Sure, you could have gotten by submitting sub-par, late-night, last-minute projects, but your teachers were quick to let you know that you could do better.  They expected more from you, every day, with every assignment.  You do your best now for the same reasons you did then:  that sense of pride you get for giving a job your all and the appreciation you get from others for doing something well.

Write neatly!  Your teachers told you to take your time for a reason.  Mistakes can be avoided and so much miscommunication can be eliminated when you make the effort and write (or type or file or organize your work) neatly.

Show your work.  This was always particularly true for math teachers, who insisted on not just coming up with the right answer, but also for showing the steps you took to reach your conclusion.  Now that you’re a professional, it’s equally important to document your process and your work.  Colleagues, supervisors, and clients may have questions during and after a project, and having the paperwork to backup or justify your actions can help encourage support and cooperation or solve problems that inadvertently arise.

      Well done!

AMiable Solution #145: Dad’s Work Ethic

Mom knows best, but Dad’s no dummy, either. Last week we talked about Mom’s core values and how they taught us to be good people (and subsequently good business people), but now it’s time to give Dad his dues. After all, he taught us how to be good workers. Here’s what Dad showed us:


• Be present. Dad would have never let you get away with simply going to school. He wanted you to be involved. To engage. To invest yourself in your work. Dad did, and he was rewarded at the office because of it. You can’t feel pride or demonstrate your own value unless you actively participate in what you’re doing.



• Be responsible. If you make a mistake, own up to it. You had to do it when you were a kid, even when you knew the consequences could be painful. But Dad taught you the only way to learn from your mistakes was to admit you made them and then work to make them right.



• Respect authority. Dad didn’t always like his boss, but he didn’t let it show. He worked just as hard and gave his supervisor the respect due to the position. His efforts paid off: the supervisor moved on, and Dad didn’t burn any bridges or earn himself a negative reputation.

As kids, many of us feared that we would become our parents. Turns out, that’s not so bad. Thanks, Dad.

AMiable Solution #144: Mom’s Core Values

To have a successful career, business, or organization, we need training, focus, motivation, and strategy.

But if we really want to succeed, we also need to remember the lessons taught by mom.  The simple truths moms teach us create the foundations we use not only as people, but also as professionals:  

·        Honesty is the best policy.  Mom always stressed the importance of telling the truth!  She said lies hurt those who tell them as well as everyone else.  Always strive to meet customer commitments while keeping focused on reality.  Never promise what you know you can’t deliver. 

·        Use your manners.  Being polite and treating others the way you want to be treated makes working with people in any environment more pleasant and productive.  Try to answer or initiate any correspondence with a smile!  Whether it is via the phone, email, or in person, a warm smile always shines through.

·        Do your best.  The only shortcuts Mom allowed were ones that got you home on time.  Doing a good job means giving it your all.  That includes trying to see things from the other person’s point of view and striving to provide products and services that achieve you customer’s goals.

·        Show respect.  Mom always said, if you want to be respected, you must first respect others.  In the business world, that means approaching all solutions with pride and integrity.  If you do, you will gain the trust and respect of your customers.

·        Be thankful.  No matter what you want, always take time to be thankful for what you have.  The best gauge of your organization’s success is accomplishing the initiatives of those you serve.   Be grateful for those opportunities.

Thanks Mom!