by Miriam Hara | Jul 13, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Social Media
In an airport, recently, I came upon an out of home billboard with a prominent headline: The future of sales will be social. I was taken aback by the statement. Hasn’t sales always been social? The very essence of sales is about the building of relationships. Any B2B sales executive will tell you this. So will any entrepreneur. A retail consultant will tell you the same thing.
Sales is about connections; connections between seller and buyer, but more importantly, between these two individuals.
I get that the ad was suggesting that social media is a viable place and space for sales. I understand that what has changed is the way in which those ‘sales’ relationships start, develop and flourish. I also get that the social media platform has provided many of us with the ability to cast a wider net, geographically.
Based on my experience with LinkedIn and guest blogging, potential clients have been referred to me from individuals that I have never actually met. Some haven’t even conversed with me, but have been privy to my blogs or have shared comments on the LinkedIn Groups that we have in common. In a previous post I wrote about business networking and getting ‘found.’ Sales, at its root, is all about networking. And networking is all about being social!
The future of sales is social … in many ways. Once the connect or contact is made, it is still up to you to make that connection count. Okay, so maybe it’s through FaceTime, Skype, web conferencing or webinars… [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#SocialSales”]Suffice to say that the physicality of sales has changed[/inlinetweet], but the socialness (yes, I made up that word!) of sales has always been there.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#SocialSales”]What are your thoughts on using the social media channel as a sales “networking” tool?[/inlinetweet] If you’ve already been using the social media channel in that way, please share your success stories with us?
by Miriam Hara | Jul 10, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Latest, Marketing, Uncategorized
Earlier this week, I focused on you being the multi-tasking maestro as the business or team leader. It’s equally important to encourage your team members to multi-task.
I’ll repeat my definition of multi-tasking. I’m not talking about one person being asked to wear too many hats and spread themselves thin. That leads to resentment and overtired team members who lose motivation. I’m talking about encouraging people to step out of their defined roles, even momentarily, to try on a new hat, or a few new hats. I’m talking about team building.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]Getting people involved in tasks they don’t own can lead to shared ownership[/inlinetweet], bigger ideas, better ideas and a richer outcome. It benefits people on a personal level. They’re learning new skills, they feel involved, they feel appreciated. A richer outcome is also better for clients.
I remember when secretaries went the way of the dodo bird and many professionals exclaimed: “I don’t know how to type a letter or make a presentation!” Now, almost everyone in business creates their own PowerPoint presentations. We learned to multi-task. The world changes; today more than every before, it changes quickly. If we’re smart, we change with it. If we want to survive and thrive in business, it’s not an option. And we need to encourage our teams to change too.
Speaking from an advertising perspective, back in the ‘50s on Madison Avenue, Bill Bernbach, of Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) put together the first creative team: an art director (artist) and copywriter. He chose the teams with complementary personalities in mind. Fundamentally, this was an exercise in multi-tasking; putting together people with different skill sets — art and copy — but with similar mindsets. Mindsets that understood the advertising world and conceptualized visually and verbally. Getting them to work off each other, getting the writer to think visually and the designer to think verbally, built confidence, trust and ultimately the clients benefited from the results. It was brilliant. It worked and it works still. Today, the scope is even larger.
Agencies haven’t been just about print for years, they’re constantly evolving: digital/internet, mobile, guerilla, broadcast, outdoor, public service, to name a few. A lot more people are involved in the marketing strategy and the advertising that results. Everyone’s talents can be tapped, everywhere. Who says only a copywriter can write a good headline? Experience tells me the IT people often read the advertising copy and have ideas. Project managers work with clients all day long. Who better to be included in brainstorming than the people who know your clients best? Admin personnel? Absolutely. After all, if you’re admin in an ad agency, your creative side asserts itself sooner or later. It can’t not. Everybody has a creative side. (If you think you don’t have one, you just haven’t had a chance to explore it.) I’m not saying when you’re stuck for a headline call the IT guy — he’d probably look at you like you’d lost your mind. I’m saying be open to the idea that everyone has more to contribute than you, or they, might think.
Social Media is an ideal example. It’s a prime area for promoting multi-tasking. I’ve said this in other posts: Social Media is its best when all departments are involved. Everyone in an organization has something to say, saying it just needs to be encouraged. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]The more employees know about how an organization operates, the more involved they can be;[/inlinetweet] the more they assume a personal stake in the business’ success and feel free to contribute, the more successful the organization will be. When someone in Admin or HR writes a Social Media post, that’s multi-tasking. You’re asking them to step out of their assigned role and try something new. You’re building a stronger team.
As I’ve also said before: [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]To be in marketing and not be a multi-tasker is dangerous. It’s also not as much fun.[/inlinetweet] If you approach it the right way, give expanded opportunities to learn and contribute, I’m sure your team will agree. At 3H, it works well.
What’s your take on multi-tasking, at least my meaning of it? Are there ways you’re using it in your business to build teams? Let me know.
by Miriam Hara | Jul 8, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Management
The decisions we make today for the brands we manage, the businesses we start, or the professional industry bodies we are responsible for are important. Whether you’re a brand, business or industry association,[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#BusinessLegacy”] professional legacy is important.[/inlinetweet] How would you like to be remembered? Or rather, do you want to be remembered? Those of us who nurture brands, businesses and industry associations know the value and the necessity of keeping an eye on the big picture in promoting legacy.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#BusinessLegacy”]Professional legacy is what people will remember about your brand, business or profession.[/inlinetweet] To obtain it is not as easy as you might think. I’ve said this before in some of my brand posts: [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#Branding”]Consumers determine if your product or business is a brand[/inlinetweet]. It is for them to see it as a brand. Professional legacy goes a step further. The outcomes of all your communications: advertising, PR, even one-on-one interactions (especially so!), ultimately affect people’s perception of your brand.[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#BusinessLegacy”]Professional legacy is about keeping your eye on the big picture.[/inlinetweet]
Professional legacy is about walking the talk and it’s about contributing to the brand, business or association. The question for most of us is: is it really worth worrying about? It depends:
If you are an entrepreneur …
Many entrepreneurs are in the ‘not really worrying about it’ camp. But legacy is important, especially if you’re an entrepreneur. If there is no legacy, your exit strategy is pretty straight-forward. When you’re done, you shut things down. End of story. How sad is that … or maybe for you it’s not?
If you are a brand …
Can you say Coke? Apple? Now compare your reactions to the mention of those brands to that of Blackberry. See the difference? Apple and Coke have always had an emotive connection to their audience. They’re consistent. They’re looked at with love. In fact, they’re legacy brands! Blackberry, at one time at least in Canada, was the country’s sweetheart. Unfortunately, Blackberry made decisions that affected its professional legacy … and its survival. To have been such a star and then not, well, decisions were poorly taken, and the focus wasn’t consistent.
If you are an association …
In Canada there are many associations that take their legacy seriously. Canadian Blood Services, Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) that have really raised the bar in maintaining and continuing their legacy, not letting go of their position, ensuring it evolved. Defining and evolving in a continually fragmented and over populated marketplace is key to the ongoing survival and success of these associations.
How much thought have you given to your professional legacy? Does it play a role in your decision making process? I’d like to hear your take on this.
by Miriam Hara | Jul 6, 2015 | Advertising, Agency, Business Success, Latest
At least in the creative world and in the advertising business, multitasking is key, especially for small businesses. Multitasking breeds an inclusive culture and by extension, it builds a team. Multitasking demands sharing information, a crucial aspect in any business. The silo mentality — departments holding back, not wanting to share knowledge or information with other departments — kills success. It’s a problem in big companies, but it exists in small businesses too. Multitasking prevents that mentality taking hold. It also stamps out the ‘blame’ culture. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”null” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]When a team multitasks, it works together, everyone shares knowledge, info and responsibility[/inlinetweet]. The business, the team and your clients can only benefit from this kind of culture. As team leader, you have to take the lead in encouraging multitasking. But first …
Are YOU a multitasking maestro?
I think of marketing, particularly those of us in marketing handling brands, as orchestrators or maestros. For those who run agencies, like me, the same moniker applies. In marketing, brand people are bombarded with priorities and deadlines. (You can thank technology for that!). To NOT be a multitasker, to not be able to juggle all the balls, is dangerous.
I’ll define multitasking as I mean it. I’m not talking about wearing too many hats and spread thin to the point of burnout. I’m talking about being able to move fast and easily from one thing to another, throughout the day. Nothing piles up, okay, almost nothing, nobody’s perfect.
[inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]As the main lead in a business, multitasking is a skill you have to have.[/inlinetweet] If not, you’ll drop a few balls, miss a few deadlines. Issues around projects arise regularly, you need to deal with them as they arise, rather than waiting until they get overblown. You need to think big, but still get the small things nailed down. Sure, you have your own particular projects on a given day, but you need to be right there for your people too. They need you. So do your clients. You’re there for everybody. Remember! You’re the maestro.
Client expectations about what agencies need to deliver has evolved. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]Clients demand their agency people walk the line and maintain the pace. They demand multitasking. [/inlinetweet]Technology demands it too. If you aren’t a multitasker, you’re hurting your team: Forcing them to work longer hours, i.e. numerous redos, and work under undue pressure. Sometimes pressure is good for creativity, undue pressure is not. Demands come from clients fast and furious and if you plod, you frustrate the team, your clients and eventually you lose business. [inlinetweet prefix=”” tweeter=”” suffix=”#TeamBuilding”]The success of an agency depends on being nimble, being a partner, working the way the client works.[/inlinetweet]
To be in marketing and NOT a multitasker is dangerous. For someone like me, who thrives on the business and excitement of the industry, I admit, it’s also more fun.
There’s lots to say about multitasking, so I’ll follow this blog with another that deals with encouraging everyone on the team to be a multitasker. How it builds a team. Why clients benefit? And, why Social Media is a perfect tool for encouraging multi-tasking?
“Mastering the Fine Art of Multi-Tasking” is a great short read from Psychology Today. If you can stop multitasking for a minute, you might enjoy it: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201110/mastering-the-fine-art-multi-tasking.
Recent scientific thought about multitasking? This one was interesting: “Forget Multitasking, Real Productivity Comes from Singletasking”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/247833
by Miriam Hara | Jun 22, 2015 | Business Success, Latest, Social Media
Social media is not a single act … or a monologue. In order to achieve greatness (isn’t that what we’re all after!), a social media marketing strategy must embrace an internal social media culture. The use of social media must, and I repeat, must, be holistic.[inlinetweet prefix=”null” tweeter=”null” suffix=”#SocialMediaCulture”] We live in an age of voyeurism. [/inlinetweet] People want to know the ins and outs of brands and companies. They want to see for themselves the truth in everything. A properly developed social media marketing strategy takes advantage of a social media platform to educate, inform and to showcase what companies’ philosophies are all about, what their culture is all about.
A social media marketing strategy that promotes one tone and culture for their external audience and another for their internal audience is destined to meet with confusion and failure. You’ll be outed sooner than soon.
Recently, I was asked to take a survey giving my opinion on embracing an internal social media platform that would be like a social media intranet … allowing company departments to communicate with one another. I admit, I was and still am a little confused about this concept. I’ll tell you why.
Social media is all about being social, inclusive and holistic with everyone. To ring true, it’s a conversation that must run internally and externally. Our company’s social media is, I believe, inclusive. In any successful corporate or branded social media initiative, the entire company is on board. Social Media isn’t just marketing, nor is it customer service, or sales. It’s all of these and more, all departments singing from the same song sheet … yes, that includes the accounting department! In other words,[inlinetweet prefix=”null” tweeter=”null” suffix=”#SocialMediaCulture”] a business’s social media marketing strategy must incorporate all departments [/inlinetweet] and must make each department accountable for contributing to the overall social media initiative. That could take the form of staff or team members simply ‘liking’ a post, retweeting a comment, sharing an article, a post, or ‘how to’ video. All of these actions help fuel the integration of the business culture and business philosophy, leading to the success of the business’s social media platform, internally and externally.
As far as my opinion and receptiveness to an internal social media intranet, the concept just doesn’t ring true or right. If you’re doing it properly, your[inlinetweet prefix=”null” tweeter=”null” suffix=”#SocialMediaCulture”] Social Media should be a dimensional blend [/inlinetweet]; whether a business or brand, speaking to staff, clients and potential clients. Using social media as a platform allows you to speak to all of these segments. The use of LinkedIn Company pages, as with Facebook Brand pages, allows for communications between teams and followers alike. The actual channels may be different, but your tone, style, what you say, how you say it, the ways you choose to communicate should [inlinetweet prefix=”null” tweeter=”null” suffix=”#SocialMediaCulture”]remain true to your business and brand core[/inlinetweet]. A social media marketing strategy must always keep in mind that in today’s landscape, and that includes the internal corporate culture, people really are looking for the truth in things. If you live it inside the company, then outside the company it’s believable too: in other words, what is true, ultimately rings true.
by Miriam Hara | Jun 18, 2015 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest, Marketing, Social Media
As a skill, business writing isn’t new. Written expression has always been valued as a means of communication between departments within organizations. Few businesses can do without a key business writer.
Many feel a new dawn has arrived for business writing, making it more highly valued and sought after. With the advent of content marketing, businesses and corporations see strategic business writing as a skill they require from their marketing department. The hair-trigger reaction is to find someone to fulfill this important new “role”. But is this the most logical way to venture forward? In the brave new world of content marketing, what kind of writer does your business need?
Does the skill of business writing equal the skill of content creation?
The writing skill of a business writer may equal the writing skill of a content creator, but the skill sets are different. At the risk of sounding patronizing, not all writing “types” are the same. A journalist doesn’t write the same way as a novelist, or an editorial writer, or an investigative reporter, or a copywriter. Hence a business writer may not have the writing style or skill set needed for content marketing. Content marketing requires content creation, which requires not only basic business writing skills, but strategic and creative thinking. Those are the skills needed to propel content creation to the next level – getting the consumer interested and then engaged. A solid understanding and healthy respect for content development and creation is key to achieving content that resonates, eliciting the desired action from the consumer
Perhaps then, a content creator must be three parts writer and one part marketer: The writer must be investigative, inventive and devoted to engagement and the marketer ensures things relate back to brand, but not in an obvious way. It irks me when content is created under the guise of information, when in fact, it’s purely promotional. Shame on brand! Shame on business. Consumers today are savvy and they expect more from brands and businesses. Fortunately, in this new era, a good content creator understands and respects the difference. Businesses should too!
What are your thoughts on writing and on the new dynamic in the marketing landscape: Content marketing?
