Making a Decision

You need a party dress for an upcoming work party. You go into Holts and come across three that you like.

Dress #1 - Plain black tank dress. It can easily be worn for work with a blazer or dressed up with lots of good jewellry. Can definitely get a lot of milage out of this one. $200.

Dress #2 - Trendy black dress. Can probably wear next year but it is an event-only dress. It cannot be dressed down. $150

Dress #3 - Super trendy dress + favourite designer. Definitely a fashion statement and fits like a glove. It is made by a designer you really love and follow. Don't think you can wear it after this season $350.

Other options:

Option #1 - Borrow a dress from a friend. Doesn't quite fit but will try to squeeze into it anyway.

Option #2 - Wear the same dress you wore last year and hope no one notices.

So, what do you do? Your decision will most likely be based on emotion and logic (I hope). I love Dress #3 but do I have the money to spend? I can go for Option #1 but I will be uncomfortable the whole night.

This happens everyday with business as well.

Do I go with a vendor who is very popular amongst my peers and within the industry (but I don't know if the company functions well)? Do I go with a supplier that someone else in the company uses, but not for what I want?

When making a decision, whether it is for that black dress or for work, it is key to analyze what is best for you or your project. What may be good enough for someone may not be good enough for you.

Study your predecessors

I have to admit, I really like reading Mark's Men's Health magazine. It is just like Cosmo..but for men. It is full of fashion, exercise tips and off course, the oh-too-funny relationship tips.

This month's issue has a great article on Paul Pierce on coaching yourself to a championship. The one thing that really stuck was how he studied his predecessors to "remind him that success isn't bestowed; it's chased and the hungriest catch it."

I like this statement and believe it can go from the hard court to the boardroom. The more you know about the company you are or want to work for, the better you will be at strategy and corporate culture.

Here are some quick ways to get to know more about your leaders and company.

1. Before you apply for a job and definitely before an interview, do some research to learn more about not only the company but who you will be reporting to. I am sure you will meet your boss during a job interview, but do a quick google search, check LinkedIn and, if you have friends at the company, ask them for information. This may helpyou decide (if you get an offer) if the job is right for you.
2. Once you are at the job, look on the corporate intranet to learn more about the goals of the overall company, its board and C-level executives. The faster you comprehend and know where the organization is trying to get to, the better you can align your work.
3. Talk with your collegues and don't be afraid to ask questions. When you get to a meeting with new team members or even your existing team, if you don't know, ask them what they do and what their goals are for that year and perhaps previous years. The more you know what other team members do, the better you will be at figuring out how things work and also, where to go for answers to questions outside of your team.

CASE: Beestung Lingerie

Beestung Lingerie has to be one of my favourite stores in the city. This intimate boutique offers the all the right ingredients to making a small business work.

So what makes this store extraordinary from the rest of the competition?

1. Bra Fitting. The owner or one of the other nice ladies will come right into the change room and make sure that bra you are trying on fits just right. If you have never had a fitting before, I bet you will be surprised at how long you have been wearing the wrong bra. I was for years! Also, they make sure those thin cotton tshirts you wear are available in the change room so you know exactly how the material falls with the bra you are trying on.
2. Personal Service. After a few stops into the store, the ladies knew my name and my size. Even after not stopping in for a few months, they still knew my name!
3. Connecting with other local businesses. While shopping at a local maternity store, Belly, I had asked them to recommend a nursing bra for me. Without the skip of a beat, the store keeper blurted our Beestung. She actually had such good things to say about the owner and store that I went there right after the purchase.
4. Products. There is a lot of competition for Beestung in the Y&E area. Two which are also small boutiques, another three which are major chains. By talking to customers and really nailing down what they like and don't - the consistently offer products that hit home with their clientele.
5. Being online. It is hard for many small business to manage the store, inventory, service and marketing...let alone online marketing. To make sure customers knew what was happening at the store, they started a monthly email and blog that is simple yet useful. It is a great way to stay in touch and announce any new labels they carry or seasonal merchandise.

Don't be worried if you are not perfect

Perfection either takes a long long time or in most instances is unreachable. Something I may see flaws in, may be perfect to someone else.

Perfection, or the goal for what someone deems for perfect can be destructive and negatively effect business. It could mean delaying a service or product that was asked for or providing a flawed service or product in the meantime. It could also mean competition beating you to providing the service or product.

So how do you deal with business partners that insist on perfection?

- Outline the pros and cons of what you want to deliver. The pros have to definitely out weigh the cons. Use stats and do a risk analysis.
- Compare what you want to deliver to the services/products you currently provide. Will you be providing a worse or better experience?
- Set a schedule or phase approach to reaching what your business partner deems 'perfection.' So long as you show that you are on the road to providing or fixing the problem, that may be enough (but make sure you follow through).
- Release a BETA version. This not allows you to sort through any last minute kinks, but also let's you get customer feedback and grab attention before your competitors.

When nobody knows your name

In the last few month's I have seen two Ranger pubs close down in the Y&E/Davisville 'hoods - Mad Monty's and Bow & Arrow. Also gone in the area are restaurants Cyprus (Greek), Vittorio's (Italian) and Chakra (Indian). I have also noticed that the local cheese shop - Alex on Cheese - who is known for carrying not only a great selection of fromage but also great local bread like Rahier, is moving...

There are many more I can list, but it is depressing me.

One similarity to all these stores and other local stores was that they offered great customer service. They know your name, sometimes your children's names, your likes, dislikes etc.

So where does one go to shop/hang locally? The Keg and Loblaws just don't cut it. They just don't offer that one-on-one personal neighbourhood feeling...or can they?

More than ever, companies, particularily the large ones, are taking a cue from what many small businesses are know for - focusing on customer service / customer experience. As most marketers know, it is more expensive to aquire a new customer than to keep an existing one. Strategies around retention and loyalty are more important than ever. Strategies and tactics that bring big brands down to the local, individual level.

This is no easy feat. Big companies, particularily retail, are know for high turnover and large workforces. How can a big company (and small ones too) provide service where...you truly know your customer?

1. Collect information. Whether it is online or at the check out desk - take notes and keep track of what they are buying. This helps any new sales force sell more or just refer goods that the customer is more likely to purchase.
2. Try to get your workforce to work the same days of the week and the same hours if possible. Many people remember the day and time they went into a store and got service. If they know "Jim" could help, they are more likely to come back when they know he is around.
3. Focus on listening. The more you listen and talk with a customer to get to know their needs, you can make a better decision on what product to refer. Heck, there is nothing worse than going into a clothing store looking for an evening dress and all the store does it try to sell you jeans.

CASE: BabyCenter - Branded Content for Preggers

From the time I learned I was pregnant my focus has been on the birth and development of the baby. I read countless articles, books, 2 weekend workshops and plenty of conversations all around this new experience.

But like most busy parents-to-be's...I would get home and want to turn on the television instead of read a book. Or, I would lose track of how much time has passed and realize that I have lots of reading and questions still unanswered.

To date, there has been one great online program that I would highly recommend - BabyCenter - that has kept me on track.

What makes this one-stop shop so good?
1. Branded content. Articles, forums, pictures and video that are helpful for all parents.
2. Push messaging. By signing up and filling in a quick survey (due date), you get weekly messaging of how your baby is developing.
3. Interactivity. Calculators to track everything from growth to costs all in one area.

The key lesson to take away. RELEVANCY.

The content on the site is extremely relevant to new parents that it becomes a place to come back to for answers and hopefully, to provide answers as well.

PS. Check out Johnson's Baby - another great website for the world after labour.

Project Synergy

On my way to get a hot chocolate this morning (I have to walk through Chapters), I came across this Stephen Covey quote:

"Many people have not really experienced even a moderate degree of synergy in their family life or in other interactions. They've been trained and scripted into defensive and protective communications or into believing that life and other people can't be trusted. This represents one of the great tragedies and wastes in life, because so much potential remains untapped - completely undeveloped and unused, Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives."

Synergy is the term used to describe a situation where different entities cooperate advantageously for a final outcome. Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The essence of synergy is to value differences.

If you are developing a strategy, before you finish, ask yourself "Does the right synergy exist between all partners involved?"

It only takes ones person to throw that synergy off balance.

How do you try to make sure synergy is consistent?

1. Kick-Off! Have a good team brief will all members involved with the project.
2. Listen - Ask team members to ask the hard questions, don't be afraid to voice concerns. When they are raised, deal with them effectively before the project starts. Nipping these in the bug early with help resolve any issues down the road.
3. Status - Keep team members aware of what is going on with the project at all times. There is nothing worse than feeling out-of-the-loop on a project you are involved in.
4. Kudos! Give credit where credit is due. Projects are a team effort. Synergy can easily be broken when you don't give acknowledgment.
5. Open Door Policy - Make sure team members can and feel welcome to always speak their mind openly or privately about the project. When team members have pent up feelings, they become uninterested and are not motivated to work to their best potential

Know Thy Audience

One of my responsibilities at work is to develop social media strategies.

After spending a week @SXSW - one would think this would be very easy. But it isn't. Even for someone who has done this before at previous jobs and has been using and participates in social sites for a few years now.

Why? Because not everyone understands or cares (nor should you expect them to). OR, business partners want to participate but not necessarily in places where their audience is. This is okay. There are ways to handle both.

Where do you start? Know your audience and your business partners' audience. To develop a strong and lasting strategy, you need to make sure that what you are proposing is relevant to who you are marketing to. Afterall, there is no point in being somewhere if your customers are not there. Or, if is really important to be somewhere, if that is where your customers are.

How do you gain a better understanding of your audience?
1. A good start is the Forrester Social Technographics profile tool. (NOTE: If you haven't already - read The Groundswell). It gives you a great starting point for how your audience likes to participate - whether it is simply just reading and watching to actively developing content online.
2. Use resources like eMarketer or other research that tells you by age, region etc. what your audience is doing online. Supporting research always helps sell your strategy.
3. Join and participate where you think or know your audience is. Get a feel for how they are communicating, the rules of the sites, how to be transparent and overall, how to participate by providing value back.

The more you know about your audience, the better targeting and participating you can do.

Your Online Resume

It is very rare that a day goes by and I don't hear about job cuts or losses. Yesterday, I caught a bit of a story on CNN regarding employment. They stated that it now takes approximately 20 weeks to get a new job, if you can find a new job that is.

More than ever, it is important to make sure you are found online. A future employer may google you to find out more about you. Or, a recruiter or HR representative may be looking for prospects online, through referrals or people they know also in the field (who may know you!)

I am not an employment expert, but here are some ways to go beyond the job fair or job board that has helped me in the past.

1. Make sure you are on LinkedIN. Like the old saying goes, "it's not what you know, it's who you know". This tool is a great way to showcase your work resume but also professional affiliations. It allows you to stay in touch with old colleagues without having to update your address book every time some moves or changes positions. Above all, it connects you to people who may be looking to fill a role in their company and reach out to those they know first. Afterall, people value their friends' opinions and are more likely to hire someone that a friend recommends.

2. Google yourself. Did you come up in the first page of results? If yes, was it your LinkedIN profile, blog or website? Or, was it content that you wouldn't want a future employer to see? Keep promoting your online profile. Try to get organic links pointing to your profile or do some self promotion via forums and comments.

3. Showcase your expertise. Create a personal profile page that displays what you have worked on and what you know by creating a blog or connecting with like minded people on twitter. If you are up for a job against someone else, and your prospective employer googles the both of you - he or she may feel more comfortable about choosing you if your online resume supports what he or she already knew or thought. It certainly doesn't hurt.