by Kirby Hasseman
I hear the world “authenticity” thrown around a lot today. Heck, I even find myself using it a lot. It’s almost become one of those business cliche’s that pops up in every meeting. These are the words that lose their meaning, because they are used so much. (As a side note, friends and I would play Buzz Word Bingo at an old job. We would keep track of all of the cliche terms, and when we heard them all, we could yell “Bingo!” It was really funny…once.). There is a problem with authenticity though. It’s a term we like when it serves our needs. We don’t ALWAYS like authenticity. There is an asterisk beside the term. *We like authenticity in specific circumstances. *We like it for ourselves: We love the idea of authenticity when we are talking about ourselves! Yes…people will love the real me! “If I am genuine and honest and transparent (another new buzz word), the world will flock to love me.” But are we as excited and enthusiastic when other people are THAT genuine? *We like it when we agree: We love the idea of someone who is authentic and is saying what we believe. We can’t get behind that enough. We might (as a culture) even label them as brave for doing it. Good stuff. But what about those people who authentically disagree with us? Do we label them as “brave” or as “evil and misguided?” *We like it when we understand: This is a close relative to above, but it’s not exactly the same. We might not TOTALLY agree, but we have friends that do. We at least understand the plight. So you we can gladly laud them for speaking up! But what about the causes or efforts we don’t understand.? You get the point (I hope). We can’t just love and admire the authenticity of a few. And in the interest of transparency, I preach being authentic. I think, to find your voice, it’s incredibly important. But if it’s a characteristic that is to be admired and cultivated, we need to open our minds…authentically. We have a new piece of content every day. Want to keep up? Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. Our goal is to provide you value, so make sure you never miss a post.
by Kirby Hasseman
We all have routines. We all have habits. Good or bad, we all have habits that are wired into our brain. These habits kick in when we do something over and over and it shuts off our brain…and takes us down a familiar path. The subconscious brain essentially “takes over” and frees up our conscious brain for other work. Think of that time you were driving home from work and consciously “woke up” and realized you did not really remember driving the last stretch of land. It’s happened to me…and it’s a bit freaky. There is good news and bad news about habits. When managed, they can free you up. They can help release your conscious brain to work on harder and more important problems. There is a very real thing called “decision fatigue.” At the end of a stressful day, your brain is tired. So you are more likely to make poor decisions. Smart habits and routines can free you up from silly decisions that will (eventually) wear you out. The bad news is simple. When you don’t manage your habits, they can quickly manage you. We hear a familiar phrase. We sit in our spot. We go to a place…and our subconscious brain just takes over and we are on auto-pilot. We start to act in a familiar way and we don’t really even know we are doing it. Part of breaking the habit of smoking is not just the addiction to nicotine. It’s the habit of what you do when you wake up, after you eat, etc. Charles Duhigg talks about it extensively here in the Power of Habit. The lesson is simple (but not easy). Create routines in your life that help you create positive habits. That way you start to do the things you KNOW you need to do, but you don’t need willpower or thought to do it. That is how you create long term (and positive) change that will move you toward your goals. Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here. We know you are busy! So once a week, we send you a list of all of the content we create directly to your email. Easy. And it’s a habit you will be glad you started. Sign up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I was making “sales calls” with Robbie Kehl from Hasseman Brewing yesterday. I use the quotation marks, because these were less about sales and more about checking in. We were popping in to places that are already offering our beer, just to see how it’s going. Obviously, if they are out of beer (or if they want other kinds) we can sell more. But these are hardly the kind of cold calls that we all know and love! As we walked into a place that just recently got our offerings, I got “the vibe” from the owner. It’s the feeling most of us in sales know. It’s the one that says “Oh…these guys again? Weren’t they just here? What do they want?” If you are in sales…you know the feeling. So I took a moment to flip the script. After a few seconds of chit chat, I told him I was here to help him. (Scary words from a salesperson, right?). I told him I wanted to take . his picture (holding our beer of course) and promote his establishment through our social media presence. We wanted to use our influence to send business to him. As you might expect, the tone of the conversation changed. We walked out of the establishment (without asking to sell anything by the way), having created value for a customer. We decided to Give First. I have talked about this concept in detail here. But this is a very real world example of how this can work. And the reality is, you can do this in your business too. The rule is…Sometimes you need to go to your customer when you are NOT asking for money. It’s not about making a sale today. It’s about creating a relationship. This is a tactic and philosophy that creates “20 year customers.” And that, my friends, is how 20 year companies are built. How can we give to you today? Make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for our VIP newsletter today here. We send out a weekly email where you can catch up on all the content we create each week!
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s almost time! In a month, we will be hosting the annual Hasseman Marketing Trade Show in Coshocton County and we are very excited! Since we are throwing this “party” we want as many of our customers and prospects to come as possible. If you are still on the fence, here are 4 Reasons you and your team members should come! For the rest of you (who are already signed up and on board) we want to make sure you get as much value as possible from the event! So here are a few things we would like for you to bring with you to the “Great Outdoors!” Ideas for Projects: We have the event in October for a very specific reason. It’s a great time for our customers to look for year end gifts. We will have the newest and coolest ideas showcased so you can make sure your customers and employees know they are appreciated. You want to Fix the Appreciation Gap. (We talk about that here). But don’t forget about 2019! The show is also perfectly placed to consider projects and promotions for the coming year. Come with both of those in mind! Bring Your Appetite: It almost goes without saying…but we will say it anyway! Make sure to come hungry. We have great food and drinks. Hey…you have to eat anyway right? Come and feed your mind too! Open Mind: Every year we hear people say “Oh…I had not even thought of that!” We love that. It’s the point of this exercise. There is no way we can get all of these products, suppliers and ideas into our vehicle for a visit with you. It’s a wonderful tool for you…we want you to use it! Bring a Friend: We are not just talking about any person off the street of course! But if you have someone in your office (or another organization) that would benefit from the ideas, the event, and our help, then bring them along! We would love to see them! So that’s a quick list! We are looking forward to another fun event at Lake Park in Coshocton. Please let us know if you have any questions. See you soon! Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here! Oh…and if you want to get a jump start on shopping for great Promo items, you can click here to get started!
by Kirby Hasseman
I was struggling.
We all have days like that. We have those days that make us wonder why we do what we do. Does it really matter? Does anyone really care? I don’t think it’s just me. So that day I was having “one of those days.” And then I got this message posted on my Facebook wall.
“Like a lot of people, I’m sure, I listen to podcasts while I’m driving. Yours is one that I listen to. Bailey (my 6 year old) generally hates when I “just listen to people talk”, but, the last few times she’s gotten in the car she’s asked if we can listen to Kirby. When I told her you are a friend of mine that I’ve known for a long time, she instantly declared “I want to be friends with him too”. I’m not sure that 6 year olds are the audience you are aiming for, but we are all fans of yours. ?” Sarah
I can’t tell you how much this brightened my day! But it’s not about me…it’s about you.
Though Sara and her 6 year old Bailey boosted my day, that’s not the point. The point is, we all have the ability to spread that piece of joy.
My rule is simple. If I catch myself saying something nice about someone behind their back…I tell them.
That’s an easy rule that we can all take a moment to follow. So give some thought to that person that helped you this week (or this month).
Make a list. Then take a minute to reach out to them on Facebook, or via text or pick up the phone. It’s very likely that you will lift someone’s day (like Sarah and Bailey did for me). And what’s even cooler is that you will likely lift your own spirits as well!
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