Old Fashioned P.R.

Some people are still confused as to what P.R. stands for.

The P.R. I'm talking about is Public Relations. Some think that the P.R. of Public Relations is all about another P.R. Press Release.

Not anymore. These are the same people who send things via Fax Machine.

Action speaks louder than words and Action creates Public Relations like this example from Home Depot:

Home Depot Steers Money To Help Veterans

The Home Depot Foundation is refocusing its giving on veterans' organizations and rehabilitating houses, a change for the philanthropic arm of the home improvement retailer.

In the past, the foundation had primarily donated for new construction -- pledging in 2007 to build 100,000 new homes, for example -- and to that end, given to a variety of nonprofits.

On Thursday, the foundation announced a three-year, $30 million commitment to address issues in veterans' housing. Home Depot Foundation president Kelly Caffarelli said the organization is ending relationships with some organizations, like The Arbor Day Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council, to redirect money to its new cause.

"We're shifting as much as we can," she said. "It's a longstanding commitment the company's had. We just haven't talked about it."

In 2010, the foundation donated $36 million to a variety of causes and Caffarelli said she expects that figure to be similar in 2011. The group also gave $43 million in in-kind donations in 2010.

Caffarelli said Home Depot volunteers will make the cash donations stretch further, providing labor for organizations that are receiving the rehabilitation funds.

Community giving will continue, she said, but will often have a focus on veterans' issues.

(Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 04/14/11)

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Give First

I write, edit and publish on 4 separate ScLoHo websites every week.

Two are dedicated to Advertising, Marketing, Media and Sales. This one, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom is updated 3 to 4 times a day.

The Collective Wisdom title is because we can learn from the Wisdom of others and I collect it and publish it here.

The other site I update weekly, Tuesday Mornings at 7am.

If I were to write a book on the subjects I cover here, these would be the chapters. It's called the Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo.

Here's last weeks chapter:


Last month I was invited to lunch for some marketing brainstorming.

I find brainstorming fun. It is one of the favorite parts of my day, because I get to play detective.

I ask, observe, listen, watch, suggest, and repeat.

This particular brainstorming session was with a hotel manager who is looking grow. His property is not the most expensive, nor is it at the bottom of the heap.

It is mid-market, without anything special or unique. He has spent the past 22 months cleaning the place up, making improvements, and "setting the stage" for more customers. He has improved the appearance and improved customer service.

Several ideas were discussed but the one that I remember the most is an idea that I use in my business. It is a question I like to ask, and in a moment I'll tell you the 5 magic words.

I discovered that he can devote 15 to 18 hours a week getting out in the community. My advice was for him to go door to door to door to door to every single business within a 3 mile radius of his hotel and offer to help each of these businesses.

See, he estimates that in a year he will have between 10 and 20 thousand guests staying at his hotel. Most of these guests will be from out of town.

These out of town guests will have various needs while they are visiting. Sure there is the obvious like a place to eat, or a drug store. But what about a car wash? A cell phone store? A Chiropractor? A ____________?

As he goes door to door and starts a relationship with his business neighbors, he is offering to give recommendations to his thousands of guests to these businesses. He will collect names, literature, business cards from these businesses and give them his information too.

But he will also use the 5 magic words:

"How Can I Help You?"

These words are the beginning of the Big Give. When you ask that question, you are not asking for yourself, you are asking to help others. You are opening the door to starting a relationship.

"How Can I Help You?" is not used in the same way the guy at Burger Barn speaks when he wants to take your order. It is used sincerely without expectation of immediate financial reward in return.

Most business people won't have an immediate answer, and not every business will be a good fit, but he is doing something none of the other hotel operators are doing.

Can you apply the Big Give to your business?

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Creatures of Habit

from Drew:

Marketing tip # 32: People are like sheep

Posted: 08 Jan 2011 10:48 AM PST

My agency, McLellan Marketing Group's, bank has a branch near our house, so I am usually the official "deposit the checks" guy at our company.

Like most bank drive throughs, they have a commercial lane on the far left and then several "everybody and anybody" lanes to the right of that. The branch I go to is no exception. Except that their drive through isn't straight -- it's curved to the right.

So already my car needs to be at an angle to reach the commercial window. Add to that, they've installed a big pole so drivers don't get too close to the building and damage their cars or the building.

The net result of this is... their commercial window is a pain. I can never get quite close enough to the drawer (even when it's fully extended) to comfortably put something in it or take out my receipt. More than once on a windy day, the receipt has fluttered off and I have had to chase it through their parking lot.

We have banked at this particular institution for several years and I have probably been in that drive through a few hundred times. Every time, I grumble to myself about how much I hate the drive through experience. But, I endure it.

I take pride in the fact that I'm a bit rebellious. That I don't always follow the path well taken. That my 7th grade teacher told me I was incorrigible, even though looking back I am pretty sure she didn't mean it as a compliment. My point being -- I don't think of myself as someone who is afraid to question or disregard rules on occasion.

Which is why this story is embarrassing to tell.

The other day, as I yet again approached the drive through, FOR THE FIRST TIME, it occurred to me that I didn't need to use the commercial lane. I could use any of the drive through lanes...and the rest of them are straight and utilize the tube/chute thing rather than a drawer with a paperweight in it.

I pulled into one of the "everybody and anybody" lanes and had a lovely drive through experience. Duh!

For years, years mind you, I have been gritting my teeth and enduring the frustrating lane. All because it had a sign over it that said "commercial" and we're a commercial customer.

My point in telling you this story?

Human beings, even incorrigible ones, typically do as they're told. We are all, even me, rule followers by nature. We want to get it right.

From a marketing perspective -- this is wonderful news. Couldn't you use this truth in selling and improving the customer experience? For example:

~ On your website, use this truth to control how people navigate through. Use prescriptive commands on buttons to guide them exactly where you want them to go so they don't have to click around looking for something.

~In your bricks and mortar establishment -- use signage and other prompts (Disney uses different colored walkways and other tricks) to drive traffic in the right direction and to show a customer when they've strayed off path.

~ In a B2B environment, using checklists and other guides to prompt clients to advance through a project faster and more accurately (good for you and for them).

Bottom line -- while it may not be the most flattering of human truths, the fact that people are a bit sheep-like can actually help you create a better (and maybe even WOM buzz worthy) experience for your customers.

But, as in the case of our bank -- you can also inadvertently create a bad experience too. So...be mindful of the prompts you've already created. Do some of them need tweaking?

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Should You Handle Your Own P.R.?

Maybe.

If you're willing to do the work.

Today the work involves using social media in the way that social is the most effective, as a communication tool. And by communication, I mean two-way communication.

It's what I do and it has lead to all kinds of good things which I'll go into more detail one day.

From MarketingProfs:

How to Become a Newsmaker

When you're ready to position yourself as a media resource, says blogger Nettie Hartsock, you can hire publicists who pitch your expertise to journalists—or you can start making news at your blog. "The media is constantly sourcing blogs and the experts who write them to feature in both online and offline news stories," she writes. "Almost every single cable news show incorporates experts who are identified only by their blog or website." Further, she notes, the AP has announced it will now credit bloggers in news stories.

According to Hartsock, media outlets and bloggers enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship. "Offline and online publications will assume that if you're quoted in a story, you will also link to that story on your blog, Twitter, Facebook etc. and that will help drive more readers to the media publication itself," she notes. "It's a win-win."

So how do you become a newsmaker? Hartsock has this advice:

• "Be ahead of the stories of the day and offer your expert opinion via your blog before you're asked to," she suggests. Make an interesting argument, offer an unusual angle and demonstrate your expertise. Don't forget to write clean, quotable copy that's snark-free.
• Give your posts titles with a newsy hook. "Look at the headlines on major media sites," she says, "and use the same form for some of your blog posts." A title should communicate the post's basic premise and whet a reader's appetite for what she will find once she clicks on the link.

The Po!nt: You've been pitching the media all this time—now let the media come to you.

Source: Nettie Hartsock's blog. Click here for the full post.

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Automatic Success?

There really is no key it an instant, or automatic success.

In the 1967 movie, "The Graduate" Dustin Hoffman was told that the business to go into was Plastics. But not all companies in the plastics industry were successful.



If the movie was remade around the turn of the century, Dustin would have been told to go into the Tech business, after we survived the Y2K scare.

Again, it takes more than the right industry to be successful as this article from SatelliteDish.org explains:

Over the last 30 years there have been several satellite companies that have had their share of struggles as they tried to be the first to master this technology and monetize it by bringing key home services to market (satellite TV, radio, and Internet specifically). Some companies made it through their turbulent times like Sirius XM and others just died a silent death like Primestar (absorbed into an industry giant). We thought it would be interesting to take a look at 10 satellite companies that failed miserably. If you think we need to add more to the list, place a comment and let us read your arguments.

1. Sirius XM – Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio merged in 2007 to become Sirius XM. When they combined they had over 18.5 million subscribers and growing. They seemed to be the invincible king of satellite radio until they issued a warning for the company to prepare for Bankruptcy in February of 2009. Eventually this led to them being owned by Liberty Media (which owns 49% of DIRECTV). All of the Sirius XM broadcasting was cancelled and replaced with offering from SonicTap.
2. Iridium, LLC – This is a satellite phone company that was originally founded in November of 1998 and the first Iridium call made was by then-Vice President of the U.S., Al Gore. They launched their satellite (and some spares) and it was a rocky start by 1999 they were in chapter 11 bankruptcy. Today they are doing better with quite a few subscribers (over 320,000) and are bouncing back. So this one is definitely not a complete failure, it just failed at least once out of the gate.
3. Primestar – This was a really good satellite TV service that failed and eventually sold its assets in 1999 to Hughes Network Systems which later evolved into DIRECTV. They originally broadcasted in analog but converted over to digital technology before eventually losing the battle for subscribers to DIRECTV and Dish Network. I actually was a Primestar customer and really resented being forced to move to DIRECTV.
4. ASkyB – American Sky Broadcasting was a joint venture of NewsCorp and MCI Worldcom. They were at one point being courted by Primestar and would have possibly kept Primestar alive. There is nothing specific about ASkyB that makes it a failure aside from the opportunity to keep a third viable satellite television provider alive. The assets were purchased late in 1998 by Echostar (Dish Network).
5. AlphaStar – This was a direct-to-home satellite TV service for the U.S. developed by a Canadian company called Tee-Comm Electronics. It started in July 1996 and got up to about 40,000 subscribers before finally succumbing to bankruptcy in September 1997. It had a short life and you can read more about it here.
6. St.GIGA – in 1990 they became the first satellite radio company in the World and regular broadcasting really commenced in 1991. This was partially supported by Nintendo and they broadcast only in Japan. Unfortunately despite even venturing into gaming, they just couldn’t make a go of it and eventually its satellite broadcast certificate was revoked.
7. Globalstar went through a chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2003 but was originally launched in 1997 as a joint venture between Loral Corporation and Qualcomm. After the restructuring and emergence of a new primary owner in Thermo Capital Partners, LLC though Globalstar, Inc. was born and remains a fully functional organization with over 300,000 subscribers. It mainly focuses on satellite phone and some data usages.
8. VOOM – What is really interesting about VOOM is the fact that it was actually launched by Cablevision (yes the cable TV giant). There was apparently a big dispute in 2005 between Charles Dolan (the founder of Cablevision) and a few board members who wanted to shutdown VOOM. It resulted in the servicing being shutdown later that year and the assets being sold to EchoStar (Dish Network).
9. United States Satellite Broadcasting (USSB) – This was founded by Hubbard Broadcasting in 1981 (specifically by Stanley S. Hubbard). This was one of the first satellite television companies and considered by most to be the pioneer in the industry. They broadcast most of the major American premium channels and really made a name for themselves. It never really failed but eventually was absorbed into DIRECTV. So the only real failure is not getting credit for what they accomplished and then later being dissolved into another system.
10. Protostar went bankrupt in June of 2009 (filed for chapter 11 protection). The largest customer of this satellite company is Dish TV India Limited, the largest television operator in India. Eventually it went up on the auction block later in the year (October 2009) and was purchased by Intelsat Corp. for $210 million. It obviously had valuable assets but couldn’t capitalize on those assets.

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Your Spokesperson

Sometimes we think it is the President, C.E.O., or P.R. Department that speaks for your company.

But what if every employee were also a spokesperson?

From MarketingProfs.com:

If We Do Say so Ourselves

"You might have noticed a trend in more and more marketing," writes Rohit Bhargava at the Influential Marketing Blog, "where large brands are featuring real people and actual employees in their ads." Heavy hitters like Intel, Best Buy, Dominos, IBM and GE have all used real team members to tell a compelling story—and here's how you can get in on the action:

Identify your company's in-house cheerleaders. "Many times," notes Bhargava, "you can find the most vocal of your employees already online talking about what they do and what your company does." Also look for those who consistently earn high marks in customer surveys and close the most deals—they're likely to be your best ambassadors.

Aggregate their voices for the greatest impact. "If some of your employees are on Twitter," he suggests, "consider asking them to use the same naming convention for their accounts (such as @bobatyourcompany)."

Establish clear guidelines. Let employees know what flies—and what doesn't—when discussing your company in online forums. For instance, they should always disclose their professional affiliation and should never share the company's trade secrets or financial data.

Make social-media efforts part of their job description. "Having passionate employees who want to share online is great," he says, "but to sustain it you need to try and make sure that they are not overloaded with other facets of their 'real job.'" Bhargava recommends treating it as any other job component—with performance reviews, incentives and rewards.

The Po!nt: Make the most of employee-evangelists by giving them the tools and encouragement to tell your company's story.

Source: Influential Marketing Blog. Click here for the full post.

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Facing the Media (Part 1)

from Drew:

Media training tips - tip #1

Posted: 14 May 2010 08:44 AM PDT

So...you're going to be interviewed on your local TV noon news segment. Or you have reporters calling because your company is in the middle of a controversial issue. Or it might be that a blogger wants to do a digital interview using web cams.

No matter how friendly, how laid back or how intense a media interview might be -- there are some basic rules you should remember to take full advantage of the opportunity (or to mitigate the damage if that's the scenario.)

I'm going to share a series of tips that will help you make the most of your 15 minutes of fame! Today, let's talk preparation.

Prep: Your interview is actually won or sunk in the prep or lack thereof. You want to be very mindful of the message you want to convey. Yes...THE message. A single message.

Ask yourself this question: What's the one thing I want people to know and remember at the conclusion of this interview. Whatever it is.... you insert that answer into the first real question you get asked. (after the niceties about having you on the show etc.)

Let me give you an example. Our Adopt a Charity, Amanda the Panda really wants people to understand the work that they do and who they serve. So...if they were doing a noon show interview about their upcoming ThrowBack Golf event (dress like an old time golfer, etc.) here's how that first question might play out.

Reporter: Thanks for coming on the show. Tell us a little about your upcoming golf tournament.

Executive Director: Thanks for having us on, Brian. As you know, Amanda the Panda works with kids from six to seventeen who are hurting because someone they love has died. We offer all of those services for free. Which is why we're holding this fantastic golfing event where everyone is going to dress like turn of the century golfers and help us raise money.

Did she answer the reporter's question? You bet. But first...she delivered her main point. Rarely is a reporter going to say: anything else you want our viewers to know? So don't wait for the perfect opportunity. Make the perfect opportunity -- with the first question.

In getting ready for your interview....use these questions to get clear on the key points you want to drive home:

• What is the one thing you want the audience to remember? (This is the point I was talking about above)
• What are the three key facts you’d like to mention?
• What is the phrase you want to repeat at least twice?
• When people hear the name of your organization, we want them to think (phrase) in their head:

I know it sounds incredibly simplistic, but trust me, even this much prep will put you far ahead of most people who step in front of a reporter's microphone. Stay tuned for tip #2.

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How to Handle Bad PR

First, you have to know about it.

With the internet, nearly everyone has a voice, so the rules from 20 years ago don't apply.

Read more from Drew, and at 2pm today, I'll have thoughts from Laura Ries on this subject.

6 steps to take if your company is criticized in a blog post

Posted: 22 Apr 2010 10:43 PM PDT

My last blog post recounted a less than desirable experience a colleague and I had at a New York Dunkin' Donuts store. The manager was an amazing example of what not to do.

When I write about specific brands or experiences I've had, I try very hard to be respectful of the brand and to only call someone out when there's a lesson to be learned. I never do it out of spite or to cause anyone any trouble.

If the specific name of the company isn't relevant -- I might not even mention it. But when a donut shop that tops the 2010 Customer Loyalty Index delivers abismal service, I'm going to talk about it.

Within 24 hours of my blog post going live, I had a voice mail message from the Director of Customer Relations, Kathy Murphy. Naturally, I called her back. We had a very pleasant conversation and I was suitably impressed.

Let's look at all the things Kathy did right...on behalf of her brand.

She was monitoring: There's no way she could have found out about my blog post without some sort of monitoring tool, like Google Alerts.

She talked to me like a human being, not a corporate drone: There was no jargon or convoluted language. She wasn't reading from a script. She was just very human.

She apologized. Several times: She wasn't at the store, so it wasn't her fault. And I wasn't mad. To me it was a marketing lesson. But to her it was a customer who had been exposed to lousy service. And she genuinely felt badly about that. If I had been mad, it would have been completely disarming.

She told me what she was going to do with the information: She made it clear that she was going to share the story with the franchise owner, so he could explore additional training for his manager.

She never chastised me for writing about Dunkin' Donuts or asked me to alter or remove the blog post: Let's be honest here -- no one wants their company to appear in a blog post that calls them out for bad service. And my blog post really called them out. So I'm sure it was tempting to ask me to take down the post...or amend it in some way. But she never even hinted at it.

She dealt with the issue completely, before offering the goodwill gesture: Kathy made sure we'd covered it all and that I was content that she'd followed up before she offered to send me some free coffee to apologize. (There are no Dunkin' Donuts in Iowa, so she couldn't send a gift card). I didn't need the coffee to feel better about the experience. Kathy had already accomplished that. But I am sure that the MMG crew will enjoy the gesture!

The only additional step I would have added is -- I would have suggested to Kathy that she jump into the comments on the original post. She could have started the conversation with me there so the other commenters would have seen it as well. After all, if I hadn't written this post -- you wouldn't have known she had reached out.

But overall, there you have it...an almost picture perfect example of how to respond if your company gets sideways with a blogger, reporter, customer or critic. Kathy handled the situation with sincerity, a desire to learn from the experience and incredible grace. Bookmark this post -- so you can follow her model if you find yourself in the same boat!

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How to Beat a Giant

Valuable lessons to learn from the story from the Times:

A Local Dry Cleaner Tries to Compete Against P.&G.

By PAMELA RYCKMAN

FOUNDED in 2004, Hangers Cleaners of Kansas City, Mo., was started as an environmentally safe dry cleaner. It uses colorless, odorless liquid carbon dioxide instead of the aggressive chemicals applied at traditional dry cleaners. It has 35 employees and 2009 revenue of $1.6 million.

THE CHALLENGE To survive the arrival of a huge new competitor, Procter & Gamble, which began testing a Tide dry-cleaning service in Kansas City in 2008.

THE BACKGROUND When Joe Runyan started Hangers, he was hoping to bring a fresh approach to what he considered a stagnant industry. A first-time entrepreneur who had left a marketing career at Sprint, he had been dissatisfied with the local dry cleaners, finding dirty facilities and rude workers to be the norm.

Then, while researching the business, he discovered that the chemicals used by most cleaners were prohibiting new entrants. Building owners refused to lease space to cleaners using perchloroethylene, or “perc,” which is now heavily regulated. “By no means was I a tree hugger,” Mr. Runyan said. “But from a business perspective, it was clear this industry had to change.”

He found that liquid carbon dioxide was acceptable to landlords and as effective as perc in cleaning. Mr. Runyan decided to employ the new process.

While his business plan had called for 12 to 14 storefronts and drive-through counters throughout the city, pick-up-and-delivery vans emerged as Hangers’ most effective sales channel. At a storefront, customers might forget to retrieve garments, and Mr. Runyan might never get paid. His six vans, however, picked up and delivered clothes in waterproof bags from patrons’ porches or garages twice a week. Upon delivery, Mr. Runyan immediately charged his customers’ credit cards. He didn’t charge extra for the service, but he said, “It’s so much less expensive to roll a van.”

Better yet, he found that if customers never put clothes in their own cars, they were less tempted by competitor sales. “Our bricks-and-mortar storefronts provide credibility,” he said, “but we encourage our employees to convert customers to the vans. Our stickiness is so much higher. It’s one more errand people don’t have to run.”

And then, in 2008, Procter & Gamble opened an eco-friendly dry cleaner about 1.5 miles from Hangers’ headquarters. Using Kansas City as a test market for a new line of franchised Tide Dry Cleaners, P.&G. offered drive-through service, 24-hour lockers, an on-site tailor and traditional “wet” cleaning, as well.

“I think there’s enough business in town for both, especially if they focus on storefronts, but they’re spending tons of money marketing and undercutting price,” Mr. Runyan said. “How do we overcome the gorilla down the road?”

THE OPTIONS One way to differentiate Hangers from a global brand, Mr. Runyan hoped, would be to increase the quirky messaging he believed his patrons enjoyed. Hangers gave away T-shirts that say “Sniff me” and sent promotional e-mail messages with riffs on the latest “American Idol” episode. It returned garments on hangers with slogans like “In the closet and proud” and “You’re the 23rd person I’ve seen naked. Please recycle hangers.” These efforts had brought positive feedback in person and through Mr. Runyan’s social networking on Facebook and Twitter.

Another option was to cast the company as an integral member of the community. For example, Mr. Runyan could try to partner with local businesses and charities, picking up from and delivering to their offices. A single point of contact might introduce Hangers’ services to thousands of employees, bypassing the cost of traditional media.

Third, Mr. Runyan could re-evaluate his storefront strategy, promoting the best ones but placing an even bigger bet on the vans.

Finally, he contemplated offering “wash ’n fold” laundry, too. “How can we leverage the trust we’ve built, the payment mechanism, and the vans to capture a larger share of wallet?” he asked. “What else can we sell?”

THE DECISION Mr. Runyan decided to pursue a combination of these options:

Hangers continued to cultivate its offbeat image. “We have a personality in a business devoid of it,” Mr. Runyan said. “We can’t out-price or out-spend our big competitor, but we can be genuine, funny and edgy.”

He worked to create a tight-knit culture of service and accountability. If a garment was damaged, a store representative would call the customer immediately and offer to replace it. He held a St. Patrick’s Day tailgate party for 60 people in a Hangers parking lot and financed a float in the local parade. “Maybe it’s goofy and old-fashioned,” he said, “but it seems to be resonating with the folks in K.C. Who would expect people to party with their dry cleaner?”

He initiated partnerships with corporations, nonprofit organizations and community groups, and he can quantify the patrons gained from each. He also contacted schools and donates 10 percent of the proceeds from parents’ dry cleaning back to each school.

In 2009, Hangers closed an underperforming storefront. And he concentrated Hangers’ van service on affluent, densely populated neighborhoods, hiring an additional sales representative to explain and expand the service in these areas. “We were already focused on the vans,” he said, “but P.&G.’s arrival made us work even harder.” (So far, Procter & Gamble has not offered van service.)

Additionally, Hangers began offering laundry service at $1.55 a pound (Tide cleans primarily pressed shirts and charges per article of clothing).

THE RESULTS While other local dry cleaners have told him that their year-over-year revenue is flat or down as much as 25 percent, Mr. Runyan said his revenue grew 2 to 3 percent in 2009 and his profits quadrupled, largely as a result of closing the unprofitable location. The laundry service proved a hard sell to suburbanites with their own washers and dryers, but young professionals and dual-income families responded; it now accounts for 2 percent of Hangers’ revenue.

Procter & Gamble now has three locations in Kansas City, and according to Lisa Popyk, a communications representative, they have been “a big win.” The company is advertising franchise opportunities in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton, Ohio, and in Lexington, Ky.

Mr. Runyan noted, however, that several of his customers had tried Tide’s service and returned to Hangers; he can tell, he said, because of the bar codes “the gorilla” leaves on each garment.

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Values Beat Mission Statements

Today I took the day off from my day job as an advertising account executive and manager at a group of radio stations and wore jeans all day.

And I worked, too, including a meeting with a radio client of mine who wanted to hand me a check for a couple thousand dollars. As a matter of fact, that meeting is occurring right now as this post hits the net. We are meeting at a locally owned and operated coffee shop.

I support several of them and with my laptop and their free wifi, it is a good trade off. The two coffee shop owners that I know the best have a values driven system of running their businesses. They are loyal to the city we live in and give in many unmeasureable ways.

Their business plans were never to dominate the world and wipe out all other coffee shops.

Earlier today, I was writing this while sitting in the other coffee shop I am talking about and came across the following story from Inc.

My question to you is what type of business are you running? Has it changed over the years? Do you want it to change now? All is possible if you want it.

How to Build a Values-Driven Business

More start-up founders are identifying themselves as social entrepreneurs--that is, people who build organizations with an eye towards having a positive effect on the world.

By Tamara Schweitzer | Mar 31, 2010

With so much talk these days about corporate social responsibility, many companies are feeling compelled to jump on the values bandwagon. Because of their agility, small businesses in particular are at the forefront of what is becoming a responsibility revolution. But, what does it really mean to be a mission-driven business? Simply selling green products does not classify a company as values-led, according to Jeffrey Hollender, co-founder of the consumer products company Seventh Generation. So, whether you are thinking about starting a social enterprise, or want to incorporate a social mission into an existing company, here are some tips for succeeding as a social entrepreneur.

Building a Values-Driven Business: Think About What You Can Provide

Being passionate about protecting the environment or providing clean water to kids in Africa is all well and good, but in order to be a social enterprise you also need to have a product or service that provides value to others. Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation recommends going through the following exercise to determine what kind of value proposition your business will have. Hollender says that every entrepreneur should start by trying to answer the following question: What does the world most need that we as a company are uniquely able to provide?

The key point for any social entrepreneur to understand is, "your core values and passion have to align with some demand in the marketplace," says Hollender. In other words, a values-driven business isn't going to succeed if it relies on the owner's passion alone. Deborah Nelson, director of San Francisco-based Social Venture Network, a non-profit organization that supports social entrepreneurs, says there's more than one meaning to "value" when it comes to running a social enterprise – there's your market value and also your defining values (or beliefs). She reminds budding social entrepreneurs that it's important when building your company to "lead with your value, and follow with your values."

Dig Deeper: How to Create a Company Philosophy

Building a Values-Driven Business: Hone Your Mission Statement

Having a visible and known mission statement is crucial to building a values-driven business. It's not uncommon for businesses in general to form without a mission statement, but if you haven't spent a significant amount of time thinking about the goals of your social enterprise, make sure you work on that core building block before going any further. "It's always a good idea to go online and read the mission statements of the 10 companies that you most admire," says Hollender. You'll find that it helps to see the operating principles and values-oriented statements put out by established companies, and then use those as model for your own, he says.

You'll want your mission statement to embody both what you're passionate about and how your business will help you fulfill it. "Your mission statement should be strong enough that it continually drives you to keep focused on your values, and gives insight into your value proposition as a business," says Hollender. Once you've spent some time refining your mission statement, don't just ignore it. Use it as your compass for making decisions, and put it out there whenever you're presenting your company to others.

Dig Deeper: How to Write a Mission Statement

Building a Values-Driven Business: Focus Your Efforts

Focus can be a big challenge for social entrepreneurs, says Ganesh Rengaswamy, a vice president at Unitus, an international non-profit that promotes the growth of microfinance. Most do-gooders have started a social enterprise because they are very passionate about a particular social issue or problem. However, Rengaswamy, who has trained entrepreneurs worldwide on the topic of leadership and social enterprise, says it's common to get distracted by the broader social problems while building a company, and feel compelled to want to "fix it all." In his experience, Rengaswamy has found the entrepreneurs who become most successful are those who stay focused on their founding mission and don't try to do too much at once.

One way Hollender recommends staying focused is to start small. For example, if your mission is to stop hunger, it's better to refine that by being specific about what you can do on a local or more concentrated scale to achieve that mission. You will always be able to expand on that vision later, once you've established yourself as a business. Another danger of trying to do it all is that it often creates confusion for employees, and then they don't know what aspect of your vision they are expected to deliver on, says Hollender. "If your employees or people connected to your company can't tell you how the given mission of your company would affect a decision they have to make, then you are probably not staying focused enough," he says.

Dig Deeper: The Power of Focus

Building a Values-Driven Business: Practice Transparency

Along with the task of staying focused comes the importance of being transparent in the way that you run your business. The easiest way to build trust with consumers and employees is to be clear about what you are and aren't doing, says Hollender. A good way to create that transparency is by putting together a corporate responsibility report. The report doesn't have to be long but it should discuss how exactly you are being socially responsible in your process and methods, says Hollender. It's important to point out the areas where you are striving to do this as well, but may not have the capacity to do so at the time. It's helpful to post the report on your Website for your customers to see, as well as share it with your staff. The more open you are about your process, the easier it will be for your employees to deliver on your mission, says Rengaswamy, and the more invested they will feel in the success of the company.

Dig Deeper: How Transparent is Your Company?

Building a Values-Driven Business: Treat Your Workers Well

While outwardly your business is driven by your social mission, what happens inside your company is an expression of that mission as well. That means also focusing your passionate energy inward to create a fair and beneficial work environment for your employees. In his new book, The Responsibility Revolution, Hollender describes this principle as striving to be authentically good, by building the mission into every part of your business. "Your employees are one of the key stakeholders at a social enterprise, so make sure that your values are reflected internally as well," says Hollender. It's easy to get carried away with developing your product and everything that you have to do to keep consumers happy. But, if the health of the company is suffering internally, the rest doesn't really matter.

Dig Deeper: How to Build a Culture of Employee Appreciation

Building a Values-Driven Business: Build Your Team

According to Rengaswamy, one of the most important aspects of running a social enterprise is the people you hire to work at your company. While smart hiring is crucial to the success of any small business, there are certain things to look for when hiring for a social enterprise, says Rengaswany. It can often be more challenging for social entrepreneurs to attract high-quality people, because you aren't just looking for someone who can do their job well. You also want to bring the people on board who really understand the mission of your company and believe in it. Those who are eager to build upon your vision are the kind of employees that won't just help your company grow, but the ones who will grow with you. Your challenge as their boss is to make sure they remain motivated and excited about the mission.

Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS Shoes, estimates that he spends about 30 percent of his time on hiring, which has been a crucial role for him especially during the past couple years as the company has experienced rapid growth. The dedication to finding the right people has paid off for Mycoskie. Many of the original interns he hired when he started TOMS four years ago, are still with him to this day, and are now moving into key strategic roles. They have also helped shaped the culture and keep it intact as new people come onboard, Mycoskie says.

Dig Deeper: How to Improve Your Hiring Practices

Building a Values-Driven Business: Educate Yourself

The more involved you are with a community of like-minded social enterprises, the more knowledge you will gain about decisions crucial to your own company. Deborah Nelson of the Social Venture Network recommends finding a group of trusted advisors who can take part in your company in a mentoring capacity. Finding advisors that you admire often comes from joining community networks, especially ones that are geared towards social responsibility in business. You don't necessarily have to find an organization based in your city or state, says Hollender, because many of them, like Vermont Business for Social Responsibility, Social Venture Network, and Social Enterprise Alliance have a wealth of resources on their Websites. It's a good idea to sign up for newsletters from these organizations and keep watch for upcoming networking events. Additionally, Hollender helped start Sustainability Institute, a training portal for social entrepreneurs, which offers a variety of paid online courses geared towards individuals and emerging companies that are getting started with a social enterprise.

Dig Deeper: The Education of an Educated CEO

Building a Values-Driven Business: Market Yourself

This may seem like an obvious piece of advice, but according to Nelson, it's common for social entrepreneurs to get so passionate about their mission that they forget that they also have to be incredibly creative about promoting their products and their business. "You can't rely on social mission to sell your product," she says. "You can have a great product and great business practices, but if you don't promote it, you won't sell anything." If you don't have a dedicated marketing person on your team, there are firms that specialize in doing creative for social enterprises. Some well-known firms to check out are: Metropolitan Group, Free Range Studios, Mission Minded, and BBMG.

Dig Deeper: 30 Memorable Marketing Campaigns

Building a Values-Driven Business: Remember Your Cash Flow

Just as marketing should be integral to your business, turning a profit is just as essential. In order to make a difference through social enterprise, your business has to be financially healthy. According to Nelson, there's a saying in the social entrepreneurship community: "No margin, no mission," and Hollender at Seventh Generation was a case in point. He says the biggest mistake he made when he was first starting out was he focused too much on his mission at the exclusion of profits and, as a result, the company functioned largely as a non-profit for the first 13 years in business. During that time, Hollender was forced to constantly raise additional capital until he was able to balance out the business side with his passion. Keeping your expenses lean and bootstrapping as much as possible at the beginning will help you achieve that crucial balance. You can't afford to be naïve about your numbers, either. Nelson advises entrepreneurs who may not have a knack for the financials to get help from someone who can pay attention to key indicators and report on the trajectory of your profit margins.

Dig Deeper: How to Manage Cash Flow

Building a Values-Driven Business: Consider Becoming a B Corp.

As a social enterprise, you will discover that you are often held to a higher standard by customers, and even by potential investors. "The stakes are much higher now for businesses that are attempting to do good by doing well," says Nelson, so be prepared for your every move and decision to be scrutinized, with your missteps potentially becoming public crises. However, many successful companies – think The Body Shop, Odwalla, Ben & Jerry's – have walked this path before and come out on top. As a result, they have paved the way for a new business classification called the B Corporation, which serves as a distinction for a company's sustainability standards, in addition to its traditional founding legal structure of S Corp, C Corp, or LLC.

The idea for creating a set of sustainability metrics and performance standards by which social enterprises can be recognized and held accountable came out of B Labs, a non-profit formed in 2006 by three friends passionate about the do-good business model. There are currently about 280 companies representing over 60 industries that have been certified as B Corps since mid-2007, according to B Labs co-founder Jay Coen Gilbert. While B Corp is not yet legally recognized as a standalone business classification, companies that have received the distinction are part of a significant group of social enterprises (including Seventh Generation, Method, and White Dog Café) that have chosen to operate according to a higher set of standards.

Any company can become a B Corp through a simple process set forth on the B Labs Website. Businesses must first take a survey that assesses the company's score in relation to their sustainability performance. If they receive a score of at least 80 (out of a possible 200), businesses may then go on to amend their founding documents to provide for stakeholder interests. "Once you have been approved in the assessment, we provide you with the exact wording to incorporate into your governing documents," says Coen Gilbert. "One of the major purposes of the B Corp model is to make it easier for entrepreneurs to change the DNA of their business so they are legally protected when it comes to their mission, but are also required to consider the impact of their decisions on other interested parties," says Coen Gilbert. He describes the B Corp classification as an overlay to the existing corporate structure at a company, which further helps bake their values into the way the business functions. B Labs is currently working towards getting legislation passed in several states that would formally recognize the B Corporation as a distinct legal entity. So far, legislation has already been introduced in Vermont, with Maryland, New York, and Pennsylvania poised to follow.

While there are unique challenges facing social entrepreneurs in the quest to lead successful values-driven businesses, Hollender believes it will get increasingly easy for companies to take on social responsibility. In part, this is due to organizations like B Labs and the American Sustainable Business Council that are helping to mobilize social enterprises to influence policy change. "The good news is that this couldn't be a better time to start a values-oriented business," says Hollender. "There is a greater demand and consumer receptivity to these types of businesses than ever before."

Dig Deeper: The Thinking Behind B Corporations

Building a Values-Driven Business: Additional Resources

Visit these organizations' Websites to find a wealth of information on socially responsible businesses.

Social Venture Network's Tools & Best Practices
SVN.org

B Labs – B Corporation
Bcorporation.net/

American Sustainable Business Council
Ssbcouncil.org/

Business for Social Responsibility
Bsr.org/

BALLE – Business Alliance for Local Living Economies
Livingeconomies.org/

Social Enterprise Alliance
SE-Alliance.org/

Copyright © 2010 Mansueto Ventures LLC. All rights reserved.
Inc.com, 7 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007-2195.

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Tiger is no Jordan

Michael Jordan, the flying, tongue wagging basketball superstar was a failure.

For some reason, he thought he could translate his basketball skills to the baseball diamond.

Didn't work. But he redeemed himself by continuing playing basketball.

Oh, and I understand he also could hit a golf ball.

There were some questions about his personal life, but he is not damaged goods.

Tiger Woods can also hit a golf ball, with the same success that MJ had on the basketball court.

However right now, he is also damaged goods. Skip from Maple Creative has some advice for Tiger along with you and me:

Tips for Tiger: Handling a Media Mess

Unless you've been living under a rock (or you were "hiking the Appalachian Trail" over the weekend), you know that Tiger Woods is in a tight spot. Figuratively, his ball is in a deep fairway bunker, and he's lying 3 on a tough par-5 ... 255 yards out, with a tree blocking his line to the green.

Yes, something happened at 2:00 in the morning on Friday. We may never know what. Details are sketchy and the story keeps shifting. Today, Tiger released a public statement:

As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore. This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false. This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.

There are a couple key things to note here:

1- The statement above rings hollow. It lacks contrition. Tiger is not the victim here. He's a public figure; he relinquished his privacy a long time ago. I'm not saying that's fair. It just is. Tiger is also a role model to many, especially many kids. An act like this one equates to him letting down (i.e., disappointing) his fans. He never said, "I am sorry."

2- We haven't seen him. The public cannot judge his non-verbals. We need to see video in order to be able to assess his remorse and his sincerity. Better still, we need to see Tiger with Elin at his side ... happy couple together, working through this together.

With the clear understanding that (1) rehabilitating a reputation takes time and that (2) actions speak louder than words, let's shift the focus toward the public relations strategy. What are the right tactics to use in a situation where a person has made a career-threatening mistake? I would advise my clients and anyone else to adhere to the following ABC principles:

A - Apologize
Admit your mistake and ask for forgiveness. Demonstrate that you have a contrite heart. This is done by speaking in a humble manner and expressing remorse.

B - Be genuine
Show some emotion. No one will forgive an over-rehearsed, stiff emotionless robot. Speak from the heart and use natural, appropriate hand gestures and other non-verbals. Obviously, we don't want to see a blubbering basket case, but genuineness and emotion can be very helpful. This is where television could help.

C - Compassion
Show compassion. The root of the word "passion" is "suffer." To show compassion is to demonstrate that you are suffering with the person (or parties) who were affected. The audience will identify with compassion and respond favorably to it. Perhaps no one understood this better than Bill Clinton who repeatedly emphasized: "I feel your pain." Tiger's last sentence of his statement, calling for some privacy "no matter how intrusive some people can be" simply kills any hint of compassion (for Elin or for his fans).

All in all, the majority of the positive impact, or image rehabilitation, will come in the weeks and months that follow the initial episode. Sorry ... there simply is no quick fix. If Tiger was our client, we would work with him to establish an ambitious, pro-active outreach plan to lead them through this subsequent phase. Ultimately, the key to successfully rehabilitating a reputation is consistently repeating good deeds, rightful and helpful acts, over an extended period, in a manner that reestablishes trust. Hunkering down and remaining invisible will not help to make this go away. The media is not going to let go of this story. Details will continue to emerge, and Tiger (in his defensive posture) will be plagued by such episodes as the story plays out.

ABC Tiger ... ABC!

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The 2010 Predictions

Tomorrow marks the first day of the last month of 2009 and then with the rush of the holidays and short work weeks, it will be 2010.

It's also prediction time of the year. Today we have a piece from my email from TrendWatching.com:

2010 is rapidly approaching; we hope the December edition of our Trend Briefing, detailing 10 trends for 2010, will assist you in getting things going (again). Go straight to the Briefing, or quickly scan the 10 trends below:

1. BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL | Forget the recession: the societal changes that will dominate 2010 were set in motion way before we temporarily stared into the abyss. More »

2. URBANY | Urban culture is the culture. Extreme urbanization, in 2010, 2011, 2012 and far beyond will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world. More »

3. REAL-TIME REVIEWS | Whatever it is you're selling or launching in 2010, it will be reviewed 'en masse', live, 24/7. More »

4. (F)LUXURY | Closely tied to what constitutes status, which itself is becoming more fragmented, luxury will be whatever consumers want it to be over the next 12 months. More »

5. MASS MINGLING | Online lifestyles are fueling 'real world' meet-ups like there's no tomorrow, shattering all predictions about a desk-bound, virtual, isolated future. More »

6. ECO-EASY | To really reach some meaningful sustainability goals in 2010, corporates and governments will have to forcefully make it 'easy' for consumers to be more green, by restricting the alternatives. More »

7. TRACKING & ALERTING | Tracking and alerting are the new search, and 2010 will see countless new INFOLUST services that will help consumers expand their web of control. More »

8. EMBEDDED GENEROSITY | Next year, generosity as a trend will adapt to the zeitgeist, leading to more pragmatic and collaborative donation services for consumers. More »

9. PROFILE MYNING | With hundreds of millions of consumers now nurturing some sort of online profile, 2010 will be a good year to help them make the most of it (financially), from intention-based models to digital afterlife services. More »

10. MATURIALISM | 2010 will be even more opinionated, risque, outspoken, if not 'raw' than 2009; you can thank the anything-goes online world for that. Will your brand be as daring? More »

We're confident that applying the above to your business will bring you at least one profitable, zeitgeist-compatible innovation in 2010!

Best regards,

Reinier Evers
founder, trendwatching.com
reinier@trendwatching.com

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Getting Booked

I have a new client that I'm handling a P.R. Campaign for and will use this list as one tool in my toolbox:

7 Steps to Becoming More Bookable TODAY

Wednesday, September 02, 2009 - posted by hellomynameisscott at 7:38 AM

“I need more bookings!”

Raise your hand if you’ve ever said that before.

My hand is up. Is yours?

Of course it is. Especially in 2009. Every salesperson, entrepreneur, small business owner or entertainer expresses that frustration at some point.

Unfortunately, many of us are too quick to blame this problem on some external force beyond our sphere of control. For example:

Bookings are down because the economy sucks.
Bookings are down because the industry is changing.
Bookings are down because budgets are cut and nobody’s hiring.
Bookings are down because everyone in the world is stupid except me.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever said one of THOSE before.

My hand is up again.

Well, here’s the good news (which, simultaneously, is also the bad news):

Part of the reason you’re not booked SOLID right now is because you’re not a bookable person.

Today I’m going to share seven steps to increasing your bookability:

1. Focus – don’t spray. Small Business Marketing Specialist, David Newman, regularly publishes and speaks about bookability. In fact, attending a seminar of his in 2009 sparked this very post. So, I asked him a few questions about the topic.

“First, it’s about specificity,” Newman said. “Someone is bookable if they solve specific problems for a specific audience around a specific issue.” Newman also explained, “Articulation and distinction is the secret. Someone is bookable if they've distilled down their marketing message with sharpness and clarity. It’s all about how they talk about (articulation) what they do differently (distinction) to improve the lives of the people who buy from them.”

MAKE BOOK: Have you stuck a stake in the ground and told the world about it in a meaningfully, concrete and immediate way?

2. Be easier and faster. In June 2008, a press release called “Improved Bookability,” was published by the international travel website, Eurostar. Their new initiative offered interactive seat requests, which gave customers the ability to request seats in real time and receive an instant acknowledgement and seat map from the website. Cool!

Lessons learned: Simplify your interface. Streamline the booking process. Provide reliable expectations. Offer peace of mind with automated confirmation, up-to date information and firm reservations.

MAKE BOOK: Are you bookable enough to publish a press release about it?

3. Your fanbase may help OR hinder. In December 2008, The Huffington Post ran a fascinating article called, “Bush’s Memoir: Publishers say no thanks.” On the comments section, a reader suggested, “Bull-horn carrying protesters will follow Bush around as he makes the conservative lecture circuit. This makes him an un-bookable speaker.” Wow.

Bookability isn’t so much about the company you keep; but rather the company you attract. This reminds me of the scene in Happy Gilmour when PGA executive, Doug Thompson decides to keep Adam Sandler on the tour – extreme antics notwithstanding. “That Happy Gilmore is a real crack-up! He's bringing in some big crowds and we’re attracting new, youthful sponsors. It’s great for the game of golf!”

So, becoming more bookable isn’t a function of beating people with nine irons, wrestling alligators and doing the bull dance across the tee box. Rather, it’s about considering what types of people are the natural byproducts of your presence.

MAKE BOOK: Once you get booked, whom will YOU attract?

4. Beware of the unbookable bug. When asked to riff about the dangers of being unbookable, the aforementioned David Newman shared three excellent reminders. “First, don’t make clients deal with your ego. They’ve got enough on their plates as it is.

Second, if you're not serious about what you're doing now - STOP - and go do something about it. Get serious, get help, or get out. As Yoda says, 'Do or do not. There is no try.'

And finally, remember that lack of integrity travels fast. You'll be out of friends so fast your head will spin. And no friends = No business = Game over.”

MAKE BOOK: Are you in danger of being unbookable?

5. Share your schedule online. Posting your client calendar, tour schedule or media appearances on your website WILL get you more bookings quickly. For five reasons:

First, it proves that you’re busy by offering tangible evidence of success. Social proof is a powerful force.

Second, it invites existing and potential clients/fans to come out and see you. That way they can plan their schedules around you.

Third, it demonstrates your reach. So, when someone comes to your website and sees all the different cities, organizations and media outlets you’re working with, they’ll be thinking two things: (1) This guy MUST be good, and (2) Well, if he’s good enough for THAT company, he’s good enough for MY company too!

Fourth, posting your schedule online motivates you to fill it up. When I first posted my speaking calendar in 2004, I only had ten bookings for the entire year. And because I didn’t want people to think I sucked, that became a great kick in the pants to fill the schedule up.

Fifth, when you post your schedule online, customers start to target YOU. That’s when it starts to get cool. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on the phone with a prospect who said, “Well Scott, I checked the schedule on your website and it looks like you have March 19th available to work with us. Is that OK with you?”

To which I always reply, “Um … Sure! … I guess I could fit you into my schedule…” (Even though I’m actually thinking to myself, “YES! Of course I’m available! Oh please book me! Pretty please with sugar on top!”)

MAKE BOOK: Are you the arrow or the bulls-eye?

6. Be one step ahead. On www.CatererSearch.com, I read an article titled, “Information centers get ‘bookability’ to win back customers.” The piece reported that six of England's Tourist Information Centers (TICs) were to be converted into Holiday Shops that offered a full booking service.

"Many information centers already offer comprehensive information on the availability of holidays and accommodation, so it’s the logical next step for them to provide a booking service as well,” said ETB head of marketing, Andrew Maxted. Your challenge is to think about what the obvious next step to your main product is – then decide if it’s worthwhile to start offering that as well.

Think FedEx Kinko’s. They sold printing for decades. Then, in 2004, they expanded their offering by providing their customers with the most obvious, logical follow-up service: Mailing the stuff they printed to someone across the country. Hallelujah!

MAKE BOOK: Are you one step ahead of the people booking you?

7. What would Oprah do? Susan Harrow is a media coach, writer and consultant with a unique specialty: Getting booked on Oprah. She’s produced dozens of resources, tools and manuals explaining her system for attracting media attention. Interestingly, when I googled the phrase “getting booked,” her famous article “How to Get Booked on Oprah” came up hundreds of times. So, let’s examine each of her points. And I’ve added a challenge question to each one so you to plug yourself into Susan’s equation, just in case getting booked on Oprah isn't your main goal:

a. Tape and watch Oprah for two weeks. Are you familiar with the content, format, rhythm and pace of the person/organization booking you?

b. Get to know Oprah's preferences. What biographical information do you need to know to press (or avoid) hot buttons of the person/organization booking you?

c. Pitch a hot topic. Does booking you solve a problem that is relevant, pervasive, serious and controversial?

d. Put together a winning press kit. How could you punch people in the face with your viability?

e. Create six dynamic sound bites. Can you spontaneously spit out the most important ideas, concepts, and points you want to make as they relate to the idea you’re pitching?

f. Be more blurbable. Will the people booking you be able to remember and repeat your ten-second pitch to the person who missed the pitch meeting?

g. Get booked on local shows first. How much time have you spent fine-tuning your sound bites so they’re delivered in a relaxed, competent way?

h. Build credentials through public speaking and teaching. How can you sharpen and quantify your expertise in a concrete way that resonates deeply with the person booking you?

i. Wow the producers with brevity. Have you rehearsed enough so that when you open your mouth and start auditioning, your selling points come off as succinct, natural and inviting?

Ultimately, whether you’re trying to get booked FOR an interview, BY a hot prospect or WITH a new organization, Susan’s nine essentials will help you become more bookable in any capacity.

MAKE BOOK: Did you pass the Oprah test?

REMEMBER: External forces notwithstanding, you can’t “make” people book you.

All you can do is increase the probability of getting booked by making yourself a more bookable person.

Now if you’ll excuse me, Oprah’s producer is on the other line and I need to go change my underwear.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How bookable are you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS...
For the list called, "34 Cultural Trends that (should) Change Your Business," send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
scott@hellomynameisscott.com

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Give to Get

From Mediapost yesterday:

Support The Lesser-Known Youth Causes

There is no doubt that today's brands need to think about giving back to the community, and there is no better way to do this than by aligning your brand and employees with a worthy cause. Research conducted by Youth Pulse Insights tells us that slightly more than two out of five (41%) college students think that brands "definitely should" support causes.

Brands looking to build a cause-marketing stance should proceed with caution, however. Tying yourself to a cause involves more than swinging a hammer for a week with Habitat for Humanity or echoing the words of Bono as he brings awareness to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. You have to look within your organization to find out what your people care about and which opportunities fit best in relation to your industry. After all, what good is your involvement unless you actually have the power to affect it in a meaningful way?

Though certainly not an exhaustive list, here are some organizations you may not have heard of that involve youth and Gen Y and are doing some very remarkable things that you could be supporting:

The Campus Kitchens Project This group partners with high schools, colleges, and universities to share on-campus kitchen space, recover food from cafeterias, and engage students as volunteers who prepare and deliver meals to the community to those who need it most. This charity's kitchens are in 20 schools around the country -- big schools and small schools, rural and urban, colleges and high schools. Its goal is to have many Campus Kitchens around the country feeding the hungry and the needy.

National Runaway Switchboard This organization says between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away per year. Many are running from abusive and destructive home environments. The mission of this group is to help keep America's runaway and at-risk youth safe and off the streets. The 1-800-RUNAWAY hotline handles an astounding 100,000 calls each year and provides solution-focused interventions, confidential and caring support, and 24-hour help for at-risk youth and their families.

National Students of AMF This organization supports students of deceased or "ailing mothers, fathers," or loved ones. This organization, with a network of 24 campus chapters, is the only one dedicated to supporting college students coping with the terminal illness or death of a loved one and empowering all college students to help each other deal with the grief and challenges associated with fighting a terminal illness.

National Student Partnerships (Now called LIFT) This organization is dedicated to combating poverty throughout U.S. communities by getting college students involved. Trained student advocates work side by side with low-income people in the community to address immediate daily needs unique to their situation and chart a sustainable path out of poverty. Check out the organization's website for a great video that explains who they are and where they are heading.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Did you know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students? AFSP is the leading national organization dedicated exclusively to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy. AFSP has developed a film called "The Truth about Suicide: Real Stories of Depression in College" as a commitment to support colleges and universities in implementing suicide prevention services on campus. The film aims to present a recognizable picture of depression and other problems associated with suicide among college students and other young adults.

UniversalGiving UniversalGiving helps college students travel over their spring break or summer vacation to more than 70 countries across the world to volunteer. Students and student groups can choose from 290 different customized opportunities for giving, such as Education & Literacy or Health & Human Services. This program puts resources in places where there is a tremendous need while providing college kids with valuable hands-on experience helping others, building self-confidence and increasing awareness of humanitarian needs across the globe.

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Best Buy Boo Boo

From the Church of the Customer Blog:

Turning bad buzz around for Best Buy

Posted: 13 Aug 2009 03:11 PM PDT

Best Buy was in the news the other day for an oops. It offered a 52-inch HDTV that normally sells for $1,600 on its web site for $9.99. Eager web surfers gleefully pulled out their credit cards and placed orders.

As word of the deal spread, Best Buy realized the mistake, quickly pulled the offer from the site and announced it would not honor the purchases. The company cited its web site terms and conditions, which reserve the right to "revoke offers or correct errors" even if a credit card has already been charged. Upset tweeters took over, and Best Buy came out with a black eye.

Few people would expect Best Buy to honor what surely seems like human error but the bigger idea here is that every misstep, even embarrassing public ones, are an opportunity to turn bad buzz into good. Years ago, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told a newspaper he wouldn't hire the chief referee of the NBA "to manage a Dairy Queen." Ouch. Within days, Cuban accepted an offer to manage a DQ store in Dallas. While TV cameras and reporters captured the scene, Cuban was behind the counter, in DQ garb, serving customers -- and that was BT: Before Twitter. DQ was happy, Cuban was happy, and the media were happy they had a happy ending to a story.

Turning bad buzz into good takes fast, creative thinking, a sense of humor, and a willingness to happily eat virtual crow. Best Buy could put everyone who ordered the TV into a drawing then give away 10 of them. Or 100. Then they could even deliver the sets, with TV cameras rolling, and have their Geek Squad members install them for free.

You can either point to the rules when you screw up, or you can go beyond the obvious and do something worth talking about.

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