AMiable Solution #192: Sink or Swim

How did you learn to swim?  Did someone help you get comfortable in the water and provide instruction, or did you get thrown in the deep end, with little or no warning?

If you experienced the latter, you probably also experienced resentment and fear.  Sure, you survived, but there were better ways to prepare you for what you needed to do.

Unfortunately, some marketers find themselves in similar positions at work.  They’re suddenly thrown into unfamiliar territory with new responsibilities and little training to get them going.  If this has ever happened to you, then you know the stress this causes.  Fortunately, there are ways to survive in the depths of unfamiliar territory. 

If you’re a manager hiring new employees or moving current employees into new roles, you can help your staff navigate the waters with a training plan.  A good training plan not only acquaints your employees with your expectations and goals, but it also familiarizes them with the various departments and processes involved with the job. 

When that isn’t possible, however, you can put your workers in contact with the people most familiar with the duties, products, people, or services the new responsibilities deal with so your “swimmer” will have multiple sources to go to with questions.

If, on the other hand, you find yourself being thrown in the deep end--your organization restructured and redistributed responsibilities, the workforce was downsized, or you absorbed the job of someone who left and wasn’t replaced--don’t despair.  Although all of these scenarios create fear, stress, and insecurity, you can survive.

First, if management hasn’t provided you with any contacts for guidance, find them yourself.  Befriend a big enough support group to help you understand your new role and take on your new duties.

Second, commit yourself to the task.  Part of the challenge of taking on work stress is mental.  Remind yourself that you are fortunate to still have a job, and take that positive attitude to task.  That may mean you find yourself working longer hours to learn new moves, but once you do, you’ll have your head above water for good.

Finally, to avoid feeling completely overwhelmed, tackle one new aspect of your responsibilities at a time.  Sooner than later, you will be able to coordinate all of your efforts and feel comfortable you’re your new role.

Getting thrown into the deep end isn’t ideal for anyone, but with the right perspective, you can survive.

AMiable Solution #191: Summer School

If your organization doesn’t currently offer an internship program, this may be the summer you start one.

According to Interships.com, setting up an internship program helps you manage your workflow and get more done, and it helps you find new team members.  As Internships.com, “the world’s largest student-focused internship marketplace,” reports, 67.7% of 2007-08 interns were offered fulltime positions.  More than 80% of those offers were accepted, and 35.3% of employers' fulltime, entry-level college hires came from their internship programs.

Not sure how to get started?  Internships.com offers a free, 12-step guide to setting up a program.  The guide covers such topics as understanding what an internship is, identifying your organization’s needs and work opportunities, and understanding the legal aspects of offering an internship program.

Keep in mind, however, that internships are about more than you getting a little extra help for a good price.  Students who sign up for internship programs most likely want to learn more than how to file papers and stuff envelopes.  Decide what role your interns will play in the organization.  What contributions they can make.  Who will mentor them.  How they’ll benefit from their time with you.

Recruiting help now may be harder with schools are out or nearly out, but that’s no reason not to get the ball rolling.  Use this summer to organization your program so that you’re ready next year.  Better yet, recruit the students of your employees to help you test your system out.   Your employees may be grateful for the opportunity to show their kids what they do, and their kids just might surprise you with new career choices.

AMiable Solution #190: As Advertised?

The next time you see a mascara ad, look for the fine print.  At least two major mascara manufacturers regularly mislead consumers with images of women with full lashes.  The problem?  Their fine print says that the models used lash inserts (false lashes) in addition to the advertised product.

Misleading?  You bet.  A problem for marketers?  Absolutely.

If you’re relying on photos, images, and graphics to sell your product or service, but the product or service is significantly enhanced in your marketing, you’re not representing your item truthfully.  That leads to disappointed and angry customers.

In November 2013, New York Times reporter Andrew Adam Newman published an article about misleading mascara ads.  The article, “Mascara Ads: Thick Lashes, Fine Print,” examined the charges made against the offending mascara manufacturers and the manufacturers’ defense of their tactics.  One company, for example, claimed that their disclosure, stating that lash inserts were used, was enough to prevent any consumer confusion. 

But Andrea Levine, Director of the National Advertising Division, disagreed.  In Newman’s article, she said that photographs in mascara ads and in ads for other cosmetics that claim performance benefits function as product demonstrations.  Consumers expect that what they see is what they will get.  Companies marketing any tangible benefits have the responsibility to back up their claims in their photos.

Do your graphics support your claims straight up?  Details of a sale or offer--the start and end dates of the sale, for example--belong in the fine print.  But if you have to visually change your product to get the results you claim in your ad, you may need to change your marketing, your product, or both.

AMiable Solution #189: Get Beach-Ready in 3 Easy Steps

When people talk about being “beach-ready,” they’re thinking about the extra exposure summer brings to anyone who enjoys throwing on a swimsuit and spending time at the pool or on the beach.  They’re thinking about presenting their best selves to the world around them. 

When it comes to your summer marketing, you don’t have to feel vulnerable and exposed.  You can strengthen your assets and skills and get your department “beach ready” by following three simple steps:

1.      Keep a positive attitude.  Not only is it better for your mental health, but it’s also better for the productivity of your department.  In her January 2014 Training magazine article, “Stress Affects Nearly Half of All Employees’ Work Performance,” Marie Apke says, “No matter how small or large your company is, stress is the common denominator for poor work quality and lack of productivity among your employees. It only takes a few overly stressed employees to wreak havoc on a company’s overall workplace morale and bottom line.”  Bad attitudes spread, but so do positive ones.  Keep your chin up.

2.      Set realistic goals.  Depending on your industry, summer can be a challenging season.  Colleagues go on vacation.  Clients’ needs diminish.  Consider the resources you have and the market you serve when planning offers and launching campaigns.

3.      Train.  Exercising your skills and stretching yourself in new areas will help you create better marketing now and throughout the year.  Don’t be content to sit idly by.  Get active, and get learning!

Happy summer!