Amidst an unusually hectic week I'd come in late to hear strange noises from my old faithful fridge. oh oh! And was that the beginnings of a puddle at its base? But then, it was still cold on the inside and I was soooooo tired! So off to bed it was.
But oh oh again, when I opened it the next morning, overnight the temperature had warmed. Sigh. No option but to pay attention and replace the fridge which had served me well and was now at the end of its abilities. I dashed off to get that sorted before the day's appointments and by evening, ta da! a new fridge was cooling my food and drinks.
Oh how interesting! The fruit felt so fresh and crisp against my tongue! Luscious! And the drinks were more smackingly refreshing now! Hmmmm. How did I miss the gradual loss of efficiency in the old one?
You know, this happens in marketing strategies too? Oh Yes! A few years ago I had experienced an organization's recruitment strategy that aroused great excitement among its staff and their customers. Oh my, were they all raring to go! But over time, their method seemed to become routine and wear thin - both efforts and results were less than robust. BUT their bosses kept churning it out, to everyone's weariness.
Are you too wondering why something that used be explosively vibrant for you just isn't cutting it anymore? What CAN business owners do to keep their Brands from going stale? Change agents will advise you to do the same things differently e.g. change seating, times, sequence etc and sure, that'll work. And yes, I can suggest some fun changes you could make to some tried-and-tested same-old same-olds.
But even more powerful is to regularly take the temperature of how your Brand is performing and then plan to please your markets in the ways they want. The Digital Age has sharpened and accelerated how to please customers and I'd be glad to share some ideas with you for getting feedback and responding in new ways! Call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net?
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Personal Branding: its role in any Company's image
The mid-career lady turned, looked at me wide-eyed and asked "WHO is this fellow? Is he really their employee or senior officer?" Ouch & SO UGLY!!!
You know, I really love the part of what I do where I groom ppl who are new in their positions, because of the joy it brings when they become successful from applying their new knowledge. So, I had partnered with a newbie to show her the ropes. We had paid to attend a formal training session and while the substance was excellent, the delivery was quite remarkably shocking!
The trainer knew the subject matter well but was sooooooo unprofessional in his awkward attempts to bond with the participatns - using foul language, crude phrases, boasting, talking down etc. to project himself as a 'regular' guy. Sadly, he forgot his role and context. Yes, I've seen this before: there was this other trainer who insisted that her classes call her 'sister', and had to endure her singing to them as well. SIGH. Neither of hese trainers put their professions first and (knowingly or not) were plain ego-tripping. :(. Both had been hired by very prominent companies to groom their ppl and OMG! had become confused about their WHY and HOW.
Hmmmmm. Guess what folks? That is one of many key differences between subject matter experts and Certified Professional Trainers (CPT's). CPT's know that our roles are to be warm, friendly, and nurturing, but never personal. No inappropriate words, gestures, or behaviors represent any company to its best advantage.
A company's points of engagement with customers is critical to how that company is perceived. Sales may still take place,, but profitability becomes compromised when representatives are unable to see themselves as projecting a brand. This is true (and even more critical) for sole proprietors who have a Brand Essence to capitalize on.
Here's where personal branding becomes an essential part of sustainable profitability - it is even more reliable than an image or credentials. Personal branding is about what ppl experience over time and includes a multitude of areas. It is a very satisfying area for me to coach ppl in and be a witness to the transformation they achieve for themselves!
Do you know someone who'd benefit from coaching in personal branding to achieve their business goals? Please have them call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.
BRING ME THE BRAND & I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
You know, I really love the part of what I do where I groom ppl who are new in their positions, because of the joy it brings when they become successful from applying their new knowledge. So, I had partnered with a newbie to show her the ropes. We had paid to attend a formal training session and while the substance was excellent, the delivery was quite remarkably shocking!
The trainer knew the subject matter well but was sooooooo unprofessional in his awkward attempts to bond with the participatns - using foul language, crude phrases, boasting, talking down etc. to project himself as a 'regular' guy. Sadly, he forgot his role and context. Yes, I've seen this before: there was this other trainer who insisted that her classes call her 'sister', and had to endure her singing to them as well. SIGH. Neither of hese trainers put their professions first and (knowingly or not) were plain ego-tripping. :(. Both had been hired by very prominent companies to groom their ppl and OMG! had become confused about their WHY and HOW.
Hmmmmm. Guess what folks? That is one of many key differences between subject matter experts and Certified Professional Trainers (CPT's). CPT's know that our roles are to be warm, friendly, and nurturing, but never personal. No inappropriate words, gestures, or behaviors represent any company to its best advantage.
A company's points of engagement with customers is critical to how that company is perceived. Sales may still take place,, but profitability becomes compromised when representatives are unable to see themselves as projecting a brand. This is true (and even more critical) for sole proprietors who have a Brand Essence to capitalize on.
Here's where personal branding becomes an essential part of sustainable profitability - it is even more reliable than an image or credentials. Personal branding is about what ppl experience over time and includes a multitude of areas. It is a very satisfying area for me to coach ppl in and be a witness to the transformation they achieve for themselves!
Do you know someone who'd benefit from coaching in personal branding to achieve their business goals? Please have them call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net.
BRING ME THE BRAND & I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Interpersonal skills impact Brand Delivery
Shhhh! I think I'm going to resign too, you know. OH NO!
Sigh, she is SUCH a nice person who goes out of her way to please, BUT her complaints were only echoes of what others had said :( Can you believe that until a year ago the staff had been one big happy family, joking and sharing their comments about music, clubs etc. with customers? And then POW! They began resigning one by one. Some left quietly; others became sullen before leaving, yet another - bless her heart - wrote on my bill that it had been paid when I don't remember having done so. Ooops! And now this disappointing whisper in my ear.
So what's the AXE factor? Yes, you guessed it - a new manager. Now, I can tell you that he says and does the right things but, not pleasantly. He doesn't connect with the customers and he irritates the hell out of the staff - hence the series of resignations. WHY does the owner keep him? No prizes for guessing: he can push products - it's all about the immediate $$$$$$ and not about customer loyalty or recommendations. Owner hasn't got it that it is more expensive to acquire customers than to retain them. (The upside to this is they treat me like platinum because I'm one of the few regulars. It's an ill wind that blows no good eh?) Owner's latest tactic is to install elegant coffee machines on the premises to keep us happy. Fancy that!
Definitely a Branding problem wouldn't you say? Owner himself is warm and chatty (great that he loves watching my tv show) but doesn't get that his manager needs to be the same to maintain consistency. But WHO is going to bell the cat and sound the alarm?
Well Owner has asked me to train his staff (it's the tv shows that sold him) so there's an opportunity there to improve his Brand. What will it take? It involves a subtle feedback system for Manager to discover that he needs to improve his relationship skills to deliver the Brand in an appealing way.
Do you have a valuable staffer who needs some gently but constructive feedback? Delivering the essence of your Brand WILL increase its @ value. I'd be glad to help: call me at +6032169774 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net?
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sigh, she is SUCH a nice person who goes out of her way to please, BUT her complaints were only echoes of what others had said :( Can you believe that until a year ago the staff had been one big happy family, joking and sharing their comments about music, clubs etc. with customers? And then POW! They began resigning one by one. Some left quietly; others became sullen before leaving, yet another - bless her heart - wrote on my bill that it had been paid when I don't remember having done so. Ooops! And now this disappointing whisper in my ear.
So what's the AXE factor? Yes, you guessed it - a new manager. Now, I can tell you that he says and does the right things but, not pleasantly. He doesn't connect with the customers and he irritates the hell out of the staff - hence the series of resignations. WHY does the owner keep him? No prizes for guessing: he can push products - it's all about the immediate $$$$$$ and not about customer loyalty or recommendations. Owner hasn't got it that it is more expensive to acquire customers than to retain them. (The upside to this is they treat me like platinum because I'm one of the few regulars. It's an ill wind that blows no good eh?) Owner's latest tactic is to install elegant coffee machines on the premises to keep us happy. Fancy that!
Definitely a Branding problem wouldn't you say? Owner himself is warm and chatty (great that he loves watching my tv show) but doesn't get that his manager needs to be the same to maintain consistency. But WHO is going to bell the cat and sound the alarm?
Well Owner has asked me to train his staff (it's the tv shows that sold him) so there's an opportunity there to improve his Brand. What will it take? It involves a subtle feedback system for Manager to discover that he needs to improve his relationship skills to deliver the Brand in an appealing way.
Do you have a valuable staffer who needs some gently but constructive feedback? Delivering the essence of your Brand WILL increase its @ value. I'd be glad to help: call me at +6032169774 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net?
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Brand Credibility meets Delusion :(
The report sheet shouted at me and my heart froze in disbelief! This was like the Emperor strutting around to show off his 'regal' attire while onlookers could see that he had no covering at all! Stark naked!!!
What am I on about, you ask?
You see, there was this seasoned Group Leader who presented an image of being experienced and accomplished, and there was no reason to doubt his credentials. But lo and behold: it was a time of corporate disclosure and everyone's track record was being shared while doing a whole group assessment. And, his statistics showed that he was consistently doing worse than anyone else, would you believe? So much for his having years of experience and panache eh? His credibility of ably promoting the Brand was now damaged for lack of concrete evidence although we had previously given him the benefit of the doubt.
You know what the most horrifying thing is though? This state of delusional grandeur could hit any one of us! Yes, it could, if we start believing our own fanfares without being willing to be vulnerable to our peers. They are the ones who promote the same Brand (perhaps differently) and understand its attributes and customers well enough to provide informed feedback. Hmmmmmm - all well and good if we are willing to hear them out, and allow ourselves to be critiqued in order to excel.
But HOW can we get such feedback while protecting our egos and saving our reputations too? The key really is firstly to admit to ourselves that no matter how good we are, market environments are dynamic and what works in one place or time may not work in another - no blame necessary. Second step is to genuinely encourage credible people to give their opinions, and thirdly to get another set of people to evaluate those opinions. Voila! Peeps, when it comes to our own performance, we are not the best judge of it because our emotions are too involved. Seriously!
It's not difficult to set up a feedback system (formal or informal) that will enable you to stay popular with your customer - I'd be glad to provide an objective view. Just call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and we'll get started.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
What am I on about, you ask?
You see, there was this seasoned Group Leader who presented an image of being experienced and accomplished, and there was no reason to doubt his credentials. But lo and behold: it was a time of corporate disclosure and everyone's track record was being shared while doing a whole group assessment. And, his statistics showed that he was consistently doing worse than anyone else, would you believe? So much for his having years of experience and panache eh? His credibility of ably promoting the Brand was now damaged for lack of concrete evidence although we had previously given him the benefit of the doubt.
You know what the most horrifying thing is though? This state of delusional grandeur could hit any one of us! Yes, it could, if we start believing our own fanfares without being willing to be vulnerable to our peers. They are the ones who promote the same Brand (perhaps differently) and understand its attributes and customers well enough to provide informed feedback. Hmmmmmm - all well and good if we are willing to hear them out, and allow ourselves to be critiqued in order to excel.
But HOW can we get such feedback while protecting our egos and saving our reputations too? The key really is firstly to admit to ourselves that no matter how good we are, market environments are dynamic and what works in one place or time may not work in another - no blame necessary. Second step is to genuinely encourage credible people to give their opinions, and thirdly to get another set of people to evaluate those opinions. Voila! Peeps, when it comes to our own performance, we are not the best judge of it because our emotions are too involved. Seriously!
It's not difficult to set up a feedback system (formal or informal) that will enable you to stay popular with your customer - I'd be glad to provide an objective view. Just call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and we'll get started.
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Brand Credibility aka 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating of it'
Bing-bing! Bing-bing! went my phone, rudely demanding my attention when I was busy. I glanced at the screen and didn't even recognize the sender. And the message? WOW! WHO was this????? I just had to find out.
Ha ha ha! I was delighted to find that it was someone whom I had not met for several months and we happily caught up with each others' news. She had seen a recent photo of me and reacted: "What have you been doing or taking? You are really looking good and I want to know your secret!!!! I have desperately been trying ALL sorts and NOTHING is working :( Aha! Now THAT is Brand Credibility at its best, and I was really pleased to be able to share my not-so 'secrets' with her :)
And you know what? Just last week when I stopped off at a regular supplier, she had asked a similar question and then too I was able to tell her how she too could benefit from that brand too! Have you noticed that people don't want to be sold to, but prefer to buy ie make their own choice of which brand to spend their money on?
There are ever so many good products available, with great credentials too, so competition is very keen. But NOTHING beats a personal brand that is a walking testimonial!!! Wouldn't you just looooove having your own Brand Ambassadors? woo hoo!
How can YOU have your brand promoted by walking testimonials to those who want to find out more, and get them literally panting to buy from you? Call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and tell me what you represent and we'll work out a marketing strategy for YOUR brand!
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Ha ha ha! I was delighted to find that it was someone whom I had not met for several months and we happily caught up with each others' news. She had seen a recent photo of me and reacted: "What have you been doing or taking? You are really looking good and I want to know your secret!!!! I have desperately been trying ALL sorts and NOTHING is working :( Aha! Now THAT is Brand Credibility at its best, and I was really pleased to be able to share my not-so 'secrets' with her :)
And you know what? Just last week when I stopped off at a regular supplier, she had asked a similar question and then too I was able to tell her how she too could benefit from that brand too! Have you noticed that people don't want to be sold to, but prefer to buy ie make their own choice of which brand to spend their money on?
There are ever so many good products available, with great credentials too, so competition is very keen. But NOTHING beats a personal brand that is a walking testimonial!!! Wouldn't you just looooove having your own Brand Ambassadors? woo hoo!
How can YOU have your brand promoted by walking testimonials to those who want to find out more, and get them literally panting to buy from you? Call me at +603-21697704 or email evelyn@atheneumgroup.net and tell me what you represent and we'll work out a marketing strategy for YOUR brand!
BRING ME THE BRAND AND I'LL INCREASE ITS PROFITS!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)