AMiable Solution #221: Increasing Trust in 2017: Insight from Social Media

Okay, we realize it seems a little sketchy to say we can learn any valuable marketing lessons from social media.  After all, people communicate differently from the comfort and seclusion of their electronic devices than they would face-to-face (have you seen the post-election ugliness going on?).

Regardless, the general appeal of social media lies in its ability to connect people.  In fact, according to the Statistic Brain Research Institute’s last count (September 2016), the ability to connect with family, friends, and old acquaintances is the main reason why millions of people (more than 1.3 million on Facebook alone) create and use profiles on social media sites.

So what can marketers learn from this?  People trust people like them.

And it’s not just a social lesson, either.  MarketingCharts.com reported this week that “60% (of consumers) would consider information they heard from a person like themselves to be very or extremely credible, on par with the proportion who would consider information from technical and academic experts to be credible.”

Why?  It’s a matter of trust.  According to MarketingCharts.com’s article, “The 10 Most Important Ways to Build Trust in Companies (According to Consumers),” a mere 37% of the world’s general population believe CEOs are credible, an all-time low.

How can CEOs and companies alike regain consumers’ trust?  Consider the following survey results:

• 62% of general population respondents would be more likely to believe a company’s social media posts than its advertising
• 54% deem blunt and outspoken styles more believable than diplomatic and polite ones
• 51% trust personal experience over data

Consumers do want the things you’d expect them to want: high-quality products or services, good customer service, and fair treatment of its employees.  But they also want your organization to be relatable.  Honest.  Accessible.  Able to communicate professionally but in their style and language. 

The growth and longevity of any relationship depends on a trust that is demonstrated and sustained.  How does your organization rate?

AMiable Solution #220: Growth from Within

If you want to improve your professional skills this year but don’t have the time or resources to travel or attend costly conferences or workshops, you can achieve your goals without ever leaving the office.

How?  Think about the skills you’d like to improve.  Maybe you’d like to be a better time manager.  Maybe you’d like to develop better analytical thinking.  Maybe you wish you had a fresh outlook on old subjects. 

Now look around your office.  Which of your colleagues excel in the area where you’d like to improve?  Pick one (or two, if they’re willing) and get learning.  You can’t expect anyone to drop everything to help you, but you can talk to a colleague or supervisor about your interest in improving your own skills based on theirs and suggest one or more of the following:

1.      Have a lunch meeting.  While you’re not going to make any massive, life-altering changes in just an hour or two, you can start to get a feel for the information you’re looking for--without taking up too much of your colleague’s time--over lunch.  Ask questions.  Get advice.  Learn about his/her process for achieving certain tasks.  You may find that one lunch leads to two, two leads to three, etc.

2.      Request collaboration on a project.  Seeing your mentor in action will help you better hone the skill you’re trying to improve.  It will also give your mentor insight into your approaches and habits, making it easier for him or her to offer suggestions and guidance.

3.      If appropriate and possible, review his/her past projects, reports, etc.  Study them.  Learn from them.  See how they differ from your own.

4.      Be a shadow.  See if you can follow your mentor around for a day or two.  Study how the individual manages his/her time, prioritizes tasks, handles complications, interacts with others, etc.

Even if your colleagues/mentors of choice can’t help you right now, don’t give up.  Most likely they’ll be flattered that you’ve taken interest in their strengths and want to help you in one way or another when they can.  Be patient.  Be observant.  And most of all, be grateful.

AMiable Solution #219: Time Cheats

Trying to fit 10 hours of work into eight?  These 12 time-saving shortcuts will help you get through your day and on your way home:

·        Recycle.  Reuse text, headlines, formats, layouts, even graphics from older, successful campaigns and promotions.

·        “To-do” tonight.  Don’t wait until morning to make your to-do list.  Create your list at the end of each day so that you’re ready to start tackling your tasks as soon as arrive the next morning.

·        Say no.  Helping a colleague is great, especially since you’ve likely asked for help once or twice before, but don’t fall into the habit of doing others’ work.  Make sure you and your colleagues know that you have responsibilities and priorities that come first.

·        Go team!  You may be able to delegate a task or two of your own, but you can’t expect to be able to dump all of your work on someone else’s lap, so why not find a co-worker or two to work with?   As CIPHR, a U.K.-based provider of software and services for people and data management said in its February 13, 2014, blog, by working as a team you’ll be able to complete tasks efficiently and in less time than an individual might.  “Not all tasks are suited for a team to work on,” CIPHR warns, “but if you require assistance and the use of a colleague’s particular skills, then ask them if they can book some time to assist.”

·        Do the dreaded tasks first.  Jonathan Long, Founder of Market Domination Media®, says in his August 11, 2014, Entrepreneur.com article that unattractive tasks will “consume your thoughts until they are completed.” He suggests doing them first so that you “have a clear head to plow through the rest of your tasks.”

·        Address problems right away.  Again, putting off problems not only complicates them, but it also distracts you from other tasks you’re working on.

·        Write it down.  If something crosses your mind that you want to remember to do or research, or someone you need to call or follow-up with, make yourself a note.  We’ve experienced the frustration of trying to remember what you needed to do and wasted precious time doing it.

·        Work from home.  If your office permits it, try to work from home once a week or pay period.  You’ll save time lost to commuting and to regular office distractions.

·        Go to work earlier.  We tend to have our most productive hours in the morning.  Take advantage of that energy and focus--and of fewer colleagues/distractions at that hour--and get more done while you can.

·        Eat lunch later.  Just like getting in to work earlier buys you some more quiet and alone time, eating later than most of your colleagues can have the same effect.  Plus, you’ll get more done before the post-lunch slump hits.

·        Focus, focus, focus.  Multi-tasking isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be.  Pick one task and focus on it only.  You’ll do a better job in less time.

·        Keep up with the Joneses.  Identify the achievers in your office and try to keep up.  No one said peer pressure is always bad.

AMiable Solution #218: Not Now

We hope you’re reading this because you find our blogs educational, inspiring, and valuable.

But if you’re reading it because you’re avoiding another task, we hope you’ll still find today’s issue to be educational, inspiring, and valuable.

If you’re not a procrastinator, surely you know someone who is.  Approximately 20% of us identify ourselves as chronic procrastinators.  That’s one out of every five people.  And whether you’re the procrastinator or your co-worker is, the tendency is likely to affect your work.

So, why do people procrastinate?  Why put off until tomorrow what should be done today?

Some people get overwhelmed by large or complex tasks.  Some don’t know how to get started.  Some aren’t in the mood.  Some think the task won’t take very long (but it always does, doesn’t it?). 

Others get distracted by other activities.  Others like the thrill of the last-minute rush.  And others, believe it or not, just live their lives that way.  For them, procrastination is a learned trait, a habit that affects their entire lifestyles, not just a project at work.

How can you get over being behind?  Kendra Cherry, a trained psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, science writer, and educational consultant, offers a few suggestions in her verywell.com article, “Tips for Overcoming Procrastination:”

1.      Make a list of tasks with estimated times and deadlines.  However long you think each task will take, double it.  Most people underestimate how long things take and then fall behind.

2.      Break each project down into more manageable segments.  Identifying smaller chunks makes the whole process less intimidating, helps organize your game plan, and gives you greater focus.

3.      Recognize the onset of procrastination.  When you start to feel your mind wander or your motivation hit the floor, force yourself to work on your project at least a few minutes more.  You may find that instead of giving up, you get more involved in your work.

4.      Eliminate distractions.  Put your phone away.  Turn your back on your flashing message light.  Don’t even think about opening email.  Even if you have to find an unused conference room, give yourself an environment that allows you to focus and get the job done.

5.      Reward yourself. Celebrate each milestone with a little break.  Go get your coffee.  Take a walk around the building.  Tell your cubical neighbor that joke you’ve been dying to share.  Let yourself have a little fun in exchange for sticking to the task.

Everyone drags their feet every now and then, but knowing how to maintain or regain your focus will not only improve your productivity, but it will also help with morale in your department.

Now get back to work.

AMiable Solution #217: Ready for Round 1?

Not all new year’s resolutions focus on improving financial or physical health.  In fact, we think maybe the more important ones focus on something greater and more influential: mental health. 

Although your professional success and failure certainly depends on pre-existing factors--your budget, your resources, and your marketing plans--it also depends your attitude.  You may not be satisfied with your 2016 marketing results.  You may not be satisfied with your work situation.  But you can improve your performance and your outlook with a few motivational tips from an unlikely place: the boxing community.

Peter Murphy, a peak performance expert, identified a dozen tools to help people become achievers in his Boxingscene.com article, “12 Powerful Motivational Tools That Guarantee Success.”  We think a few of them work well in the marketing world, too.

1.      Recognize obstacles and learn to remove them.  Getting tripped-up while you’re in the zone can not only kill your momentum, but it can also crush your motivation and drive, especially if it happens round after round.  If you’re stopped in your tracks by inefficient processes, slow responses from co-workers, or a lack of the proper tools, learn to build extra time into your schedule. Find ways to improve hang-ups.  Or figure out how to incorporate updated resources into your budget.  Don’t let obstacles through you for a loop.

2.      Finish what you start.  Sometimes you have to see a project through: you have a deadline, you have a schedule, you have responsibilities.  But sometimes you start down a road on your own.  Maybe you’re exploring a new idea.  Maybe you’re researching a new market that no one else has thought of.  Even if things don’t go well or you start to question your project’s viability, see it through.  Learn from it.  As Murphy says, “an unfinished project is of no value.”

3.      Change bad habits and focus on your specific goals.  What slows you down or distracts you from your tasks?  Would your work improve if cut out your morning chats in the break room?  Could you get more done if you arrived 10 minutes early or checked personal emails and messages on your phone only at lunch?  Think about the tasks you need to accomplish each day and eliminate the sidesteps and misdirections that keep you from achieving them.

Improving and maintaining your motivation takes regular exercise and focus.  But with a little commitment and dedication, you can make 2017 a knockout year.