Monday, November 29, 2010
Mirroring People
This requires a basic understanding of the DiSC personality profile. It is a 2x2 matrix; one axis is people vs. task, and the other is assertive vs. reserved. Those 4 quadrants represent the Dominant, Influence, Steady and Conscientious personalities. (I'm a photographer, love working with information and have my degree in psychology, so as a typical High C my tendency is to stay quiet and observe while collecting more data.)
After a few years of using and loving this tool, what I really liked was their recent quick identification trick. Instead of observing people over time, listening for who vs. what questions & comments, there was a way to figure out in under a minute which quadrant they likely fit in. Step 1) Watch for their smile. Individuals who smile tend to be people oriented. They understand the value and effect that smiles can have. It opens doors, breaks down walls and will get you farther than words alone. Now you know whether they're I/S if they smile, or D/C if their smiles are few & far between. Step 2) Listen to see whether they interrupt you or leave a pause when you're done speaking. Interruptors are assertive and will be D or I personalities. The C/S types will be carefully planning a response.
Once you learn the trick of identifying, the next step is to start copying them. Smile more or less, interrupt or count to 3 before responding. It may be difficult to "act rude" from your perspective, but a High D will appreciate that you're moving the conversation along more quickly and that you've wiped that silly smile off your face. Conversely, a High S will be glad that you allowed them time to finish their sentence while you smiled and listened patiently.
The ultimate goal is to become well rounded. Adopt any of the traits necessary to be seen as an excellent conversationalist. Hopefully this is helpful for you. Good luck and let me know if you found the information useful.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Future of Marketing micro conference notes
Following are my notes from the conference today. I appreciated the density of having 60 speakers who each had 60 seconds to share what they thought the future of marketing was. There will be an MP3 and a PDF from ThoughtLead later, but I felt like posting what I learned from this.
@ScottMonty - Scott Monty (Ford)
use paid & earned media
each channel has its own power - use them together for combined power
@MarketingStefan - Stefan Tornquist econsultancy
pass the obsession
think beyond the channel
universal solutions
experience as a whole
optimize for reality
as many channels as it takes
@Unica - Paul McNulty
engage with each prospect in a relevant manner
channels - outbound & inbound
data & execution silo
real time across all channels
@AnneHolland55 - Anne Holland
20-25% improvement running A/B tests
whichtestwon.com - online library
@ChuckMartin1 - Chuck Martin
Mobile is a game changer
5 billion, 90%, nearly 1/2 smartphones
deals, unique services
at the moment desires
@LeeOdden - Lee Odden
Facebook tops Google in weekly traffic
search is beyond Google - internal Facebook, mobile
social commerce is next area of focus
make commerce part of the social experience
@Mike_Stelzner - Michael Stelzner
people don't trust you
walk along side of them
produce engaging content
showcase the success of others
provide extensive how-to articles
interview the experts
recognize those who helped you
@MarketingProfs - Ann Handley
produce great content as the cornerstone to marketing
remarkable content?
good content shares or solves, doesn't show/shill
vendor agnostic information
@CC_Chapman - CC Chapman
content rules - break through the clutter
long term strategy - lay it out, then figure out how to tell it
passion is contagious
get your customers passionate about you - then you'll win
@BoughB - Bonin Bough - PepsiCo
cross-function
Gatorade mission control room
figure out how to participate in this transformative world
put digital at the core
@AmberMac - Amber Mac
Power Friending
pay attention to what is happening in the SM world
social search
recommendations from friends - what to buy, where to eat/stay
@SteveRubel - Steve Rubel
Time & Space - relationship to each
digital media relativity
attention spans are shrinking
hard to break through the noise
surface area - increase - relevant placement
4 areas: paid, owned, earned & social
Leveraging networks -
Laurel Touby
email marketing is spray & pray
Super Nodes - leverage them & their network
flowtimes??? to identify
@BenHuh - Ben Huh
connect people to the things they are interested in
matchmaking
technology & playgrounds
we're willing to advertise a product/person for free
marketers are giving some of their power to users
@ChrisAbraham - Chris Abraham
find everyone who is a viable candidate in their writing/leadership
engage them in what they're talking about
@ChipConley - Chip Conley
We're all human - Maslow's Hierarchy of needs
understand ourselves as humans
successful companies approach desires
Apple does this with unrecognized desires & transformative needs
@JeanneBliss - Jeanne Bliss
Chief Unifier of organization
Brand:
Clarity of purpose
Employees are the brand
Be Human & Real
Become a talkable brand - deliver a reliable service
nurture your humility muscle
@SugarRae - Rae Hoffman
Keep it real - show the real face of your company
celebrate success
sorrow/empathize with failures
Honesty gains clients
be who you actually are
@BrianSolis - Brian Solis
complete socialization of business
lead the individuals you are trying to connect with
inspire them to become advocates
service > adaptation
era of leadership
worth sharing
@CharleneLi - Charlene Li
how to create a social strategy
technology is fantastic at creating relationships
can't control them
give & take
have conversations
define what you will & won't do
@LizzStrauss - Liz Strauss
pay attention to 8-12 of your key people
core of your community
they'll bring you friends and bring your community for you
@JayBaer - Jay Baer - convinceandconvert.com
too much hype around social media
business because of social media
retain customers
increase your conversion rate
social FAQ - top 10 questions customers have - answer them across channels
@60SecondTweets - Jaimie Turner
can you afford...or can you afford not to be in SM
all roads should lead to ROI
not done to be social
5 purposes:
Branding
ecommerce
lead generation
cust retention
research
Attraction vs. Distraction
grow or don't grow?
@ChrisBrogan - Chris Brogan
Use your ears
understand customers in a 360 degree way
not just what they've purchased
what are they talking about when they're not talking about you?
@JohnBattelle - John Battelle
5 horsemen of the Internet, AOL, Google, msn,
independent web - people create their own
dependent web - the portal
message to the web
@SoniaSimone - Sonia Simone
reputations are fragile
supply chain, CEO over drinks, customer service
@Ekaterina- Ekaterina Walter
focus less on b2b marketing
focus more on b2b conversation
you sell to people, not businesses
new marketing - the new norm
not a standalone effort
start participating today
@RandFish - Rand Fishkin - SEOmoz
real time search, social search
3 quick fire tips
register with Google, bing, webmaster tools
use bitly - track twitter - click-through rate
create content that people want to share
@MayaREguru - Maya Pavesa
QR Codes - more real estate agents are using
get the detailed info without/before contacting the Realtor
@PRNewsWire - Victoria Harres
Future of marketing is not selfish, it's to serve people, not sell to them
analytical tools - Facebook, Google, - drill down and find that audience who didn't know they're waiting for your message
not to convince - facilitate that audience member's existing need
@DMScott - David Meerman Scott
Oakley donated sunglasses to Chilean miners
Wynn hotel banned Paris Hilton
companies are planning on a campaign mentality - too far into the future.
Focus on the present. What can you do right now?
Real time is a mindset. SM is tools
@MatthewMay - Matthew May
limiting information - create curiosity, intrigue
iPhone announcement - show, then silent for 6 months
Coke's happiness machine - 3MM views
limiting info seduces people
@Note_to_CMO - Steven Denny
future of marketing is not about tools (SM) it's about the discipline to use them right
remember to sell something!
positive ROI because you mentioned it
test on real consumers, not just fans on Facebook
don't get lazy no matter how sweet the tools are
Simon Salt
Do it Today!
Outshining your competitors
4square, goala, yelp
yelp.com - search for your brand - what are people already writing about you brand/service
engage with those people - say thank you/sorry and then do something about it
@SteveGarfield - Steve Garfield
tell your story with video
quickest easiest way to get info online - pocket HD video camera, webcam or cell camera
easy to assemble video
copy & paste clips together
do it live - push the button live to stream - ustream, etc.
@DannySullivan - Danny Sullivan
use twitter to reach out to people who don't know your brand already
monitor the mention of "Pizza" instead of "Dominoes"
search for "anyone know" +generic product
then reach out to help
@RohitBhargava - Rohit Bhargava
shifting paradigms
we're bad at selling- terms don't mean anything
we become faceless
have a personality - become more authentic
read your about us page out loud
talk in a human language
why you exist
what you are passionate about
personality matters because people matter
@FrankGruber - Frank Gruber - Tech Cocktail
take advantage of opportunities
curiosities
watch things you normally wouldn't
try new things, gadget, apps
innovate by diverting from normal
@UnMarketing - Scott Stratten
listen to passive conversation
set up Google news alert on any subject - entire research of conversations online
once a day to keep up to date
stop listening and you'll stop learning
@PorterGale - Porter Gale
importance of innovation
@MitchJoel - Mitch Joel
some want anonymous searches
ability to do so without being outed
value of anonymous content
@GuyKawasaki - Guy Kawasaki - Enchantment book
new product - should you build a website with custom domain, site from scratch...or build Facebook fan page?
Facebook is what he decided - 350MM users - community shares & spreads
The Strategic View
@KevinCE - Kevin Clark
DIY idea, small team idea
set that idea in motion
???
@JBernof - Josh Bernoff
treat your customer as a marketing channel
once you turn someone into a customer, you're not done
proceed with that idea
identify ???
develop groundswell
empower ability
amplify fan activity
@AaronKahlow - Aaron Kahlow
Marketing automation
C-suite attention
from a social standpoint - what do they want
what you're doing that's not automated - can it be automated?
more value - marketing automation - not just marketing income
@MktgWithMeaning - Bob Gilbreath
marketing with meaning
not just buying impressions
create something they remember and lean toward
improve peoples lives
Charmin - find bathroom near them
@GetStoried - Michael Margolis
everybody is a story teller
this applies to business
people don't buy your product/solution/idea
they buy the idea attached to it
what the brand means to them
give them something to believe in
invite people to find the deeper meaning
tell a story people identify as their own
need to persuade/convince or sell them on anything - that disappears
@SandersSays - Tim Sanders
give them a sense of purpose - this will get them to purchase
make a difference in the world we live in
the new buy one get one free
feel more benefit from doing business with that company
@Bogusky - Alex Bogusky
the new consumer revolution
all consumers are now transformed to advocates
from sellers to buyers
becoming transparent is not a choice
do you do it, or do you have it done to you
don't be a "little" transparent
don't forget to ask your customers for help along the way
@Sandy_Carter - Sandy Carter
marketing in the future will be more automated, more science, less art
CMO - tactical, others more strategic
user generated content from virtual communities
entertainment culture will be the only way to break through the noise - gaming
@NickBilton - Nick Bilton
Rise of high personalization of everything
allow Google access to your social network, they'll modify your search results to include this
hyper-personalized
more curated & personalized content
@RobbinPhillips - Robbin Phillips
future is not about shiny new SM tool - it's about people
dreams, passion, desire to connect with others
SM will enable connection
future is bright & shiny because we get to write the next chapter with our customers
@Zappos - Tony Hsieh
culture - deliver great customer service
word of mouth from customers
keep customers happy by making employees happy
@TDefren - Todd Defren
Content specific approach
put relationships (instead of creative) in front of everything
that makes you a friend who talks to them daily
not the "promotion of the week"
@DWeinberger - David Weinberger
what holds together the network are shared interests
don't pursue you own interests
more impactful approach
@Jimmy_Wales - Jimmy Wales
power of word of mouth
trend towards more influence of WOM marketing
if only one major competitor, easy for a third to sneak up
@BarrySch - Barry Schwartz
more choices...better off?
too much is bad
paralysis, not liberation - choose none of the above
make bad decisions
dissatisfied - something else may have been better
sell more by determining sweet spot - something for everyone, but not too much
@TheCMOClub - Pete Krainik
focus specifically on the employees
get behind the brand
30 second spot
@JeffreyHayzlett - Jeff Hayzlett
convergence across channels
broadcast to narrowcast
how to be radically transparent
seen as genuine
engage, educate, excite, enthuse to make brand ambassadors
key to future success
@GaryVee - Gary Vaynerchuk
1:1 engagement is future of marketing
context & caring
feelings & intent of marketing
more content generated in 24 hours than beginning of time to 2003.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Bee all you can bee
Soldiers fight to protect their country and keep its residents safe. They don't want to die either, but will do what it takes to win the battle with the understanding of a collective benefit. Happy Veteran's day and thank you. I am grateful to those members of my family and friends who have served (and are still serving) to protect the freedom I enjoy daily.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Creative Pauses
I'm working on a photo a day project this year, and have noticed that on days where I take hundreds (or thousands) of photos, the following day I'm less inclined to pick up my camera. In most cases, I'm still trying to make time to review the previous images and learn from them. I believe I've only missed 3 days after 7 months, but I don't feel bad. It's a personal project, and although I'm short 3 images, I still have over 200 images in the collection.
Similar with this blog, I'm like many people who start a blog. We say what we have to say, then stop posting for a while. When I have something else to say, and time permits, I'll be back.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Creative Expression
I also admire other artists and creative talents. One of which is my wife. She has been creating art since before we met. Her talents have evolved and she also finds new ways of expressing them. Listing them would be very time consuming, and I'm sure I'd miss more than I'd remember. One of my recent images shows her art nicely. She has been making Easel-backed cards by stamping, drawing, painting, coloring, embossing, die-cutting, embellishing, and then layering them into this three-dimensional result:
There are plenty more examples, and will continue to be. I look forward to those we mentor, especially our children and what they do with inherited talents and new ones developed on their own. We can be inspired by creativity across genres, mediums, disciplines and cultures, as long as we remain open to all sources. What talents do you have, and how are you sharing them?
Friday, February 19, 2010
Color pigments of the past
From my experience, I began photographing as a pragmatist. It was far easier to take a picture and jot a couple notes about who, what & where, than it was to write a full page in my journal about that experience. Recalling the scene was definitely easier to see it in that instant, instead of taking the time to read a thousand words of inadequate notes. Growing beyond that, I wanted to share my vision with others, and not just save images for myself. I learned to better compose the picture, create visual interest and capture those moments.
My engineering brain had to understand how it all worked, and that was followed by the aesthetic beauty. When I began, digital imaging was not yet available to the public. In elementary school, the camera I used was the same camera my father used on his mission, and it took 126 cartridge film. In high school I used a point and shoot 35mm film camera. About 9 months into my mission, I bought an SLR and two lenses. When I returned, I spent my spare time between classes studying photography, reading more about equipment, analyzing other photgraphs, and understanding photographers. It was great to understand how daguerrotypes required a mercury vapor on the metal plate to work. I was amazed at how silver suspended in albumen and applied to glass plates was the way Ansel Adams and other nature photographers worked in the field. They would only take a couple dozen 16x20 panes, and if they didn't like the image, the glass got scraped clean and then re-exposed and processed in the field. Math was required to calculate exposure, depth of field, push-processing and other development for images.
I was very frugal in my film days too...every image cost money, so understanding the exposure was important for getting the shot. I took great notes, and when the film was processed, I checked to see whether I was successful or how to improve. Now, it's much easier because I can instantly review my shots digitally. The adjustments can be made and new images taken. In my opinion, beginners should take the time to understand the mechanics of a camera and the process of making an image. The appreciation gained will add respect to those who had to do it manually in the past.
I've worked in wet darkrooms (developing film and processing enlargements), as well as digital. I've used enlargers with black and white as well as color print films. I've also printed images which were born digital. Lately, I've even captured images at events, and immediately displayed them on screen, giving them a full digital life from the input to output stages.
Those hundreds of rolls of film each year were not a wasted expense. I have that experience and tens of thousands of images which refined my craft and are the foundation of the hundred thousand digital images which followed. My images are still carefully composed and exposed in the same mindset, giving me better results than someone who shoots everything, hoping to find a few gems during their lengthy post-processing step.
I am grateful for those who paved the way and became the giants whose shoulders I stand on today. Thank you as well to the modern masters who can and do share their knowledge with others.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
One Photo A Day
If you'd like to play along, be my guest! Share your images with me, and I'll keep updating mine here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2047211&id=1109361005&l=3971309d04