by Kirby Hasseman
Like many Americans, I am struggling right now. I don’t know what to say. The words don’t seem to match my feelings. I am frustrated, and scared, and sickened. And when these feelings bubble up, my initial reaction is to find someone to blame. That might be natural, but I don’t know that I can sit here and tell anyone else what they should do, say or feel. So I will focus on me. Let me start with an acknowledgement.
I am a part of the problem.
Like nearly every person, I have my own biases. I have opinions about people based on my past experiences. I judge people based on their appearances. I make snap judgements based on my feelings rather than logic. My decisions are often motivated by my own insecurities, fears and ignorance. I want to be better than that. But I am human.
I am a part of the problem…but acknowledging it is the first step.
The video of the George Floyd incident is one of the more disturbing things I have seen in quite some time. It sickened my soul. And while every person I know said it was terrible, I struggled with the idea of commenting on it. My silence was certainly not intended to condone anything. I was just hesitant of what I could possibly say to add to the discussion in a meaningful way. Let’s face it, as a white male in a predominantly white region, how could I possibly understand?
I can’t.. But I can understand right and wrong. And if that happened to a person I cared about, I too would be hungry for justice.
As I mentioned, I have my own personal biases. To be candid, I think we all do. These biases are natural. But they do not help with the current dialogue if they are left alone. If left unchecked and unchallenged, these biases become stronger.
I can certainly tell you I am not a racist. But I don’t know anyone that would say they are (at least out loud) so what good does that do?
What I do think is important for me to do is to take out these biases and talk about them. I need to inspect them. By authentically, honestly and openly discussing these opinions and fears (and make no mistake, many of them are based in fear) we take away some of their power. In between sensational video clips of riots, we are seeing some of that dialogue now, and it provides me hope.
So what can I do? I think acknowledging my bias is an important first step. Then I need to enter the conversation with an open mind and an open heart.
How can we make this better? I am not sure…but I want to help find an answer because I think our children (and their children) deserve better than this.
I am a part of the problem…but I am committed to making it better.
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by Kirby Hasseman
As we enter into a new world, businesses are exploring new ways to do business successfully and safely. Most of us want to get back to some sense of normalcy, but we want to do it in a smart way. That is why Hasseman Marketing is announcing a new education series called Hasseman U.
The idea is simple. We want to bring as much education and value to our customers as possible, in a safe way. So each Thursday at 11am , starting June 4th, we will feature a different speaker in order to provide ideas and inspiration on how to succeed in the new normal. Each Hasseman U session is schedule to last only 30 minutes. There is no cost to participate and there is absolutely no obligation to buy. It’s just about providing value to our customers and prospects in a new way for a new time.
The schedule for Hasseman U (so far)
June 4 at 11am: Javier LaFontaine from Showdown Displays will be joining us to explain how powerful and important proper signage can be in order to re-open and keep employees and customers safe. You can register for this first session here.
June 11 at 11am: Doug Oslance with Starline is going to talk about reconnecting with customers in a meaningful way…and how to save some money while doing it! Sign up for this class here.
June 18 at 11am: Matt Eysoldt is the Master of Branded Masks…and more. Matt is joining us to tell us the trending products that will help you stand out in a nation trying to safely open back up! Click here to get registered for this one!
We have plans for more Hasseman U sessions, so please be on the lookout. Follow us on Facebook to make sure you never miss an update.
The goal is to provide value and the tools to succeed in this new world. With that in mind, now is a great time to sign up for the FREE 5 Day Marketing Course. Each morning a new lesson gets delivered to your mailbox in order to help you market better. And did I mention is was free? Sign up for that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Have you ever noticed that most organizations really struggle to market themselves effectively? They seem to throw random marketing ideas against the wall and hope something sticks! The interesting (and frustrating) thing is, for most companies, some of the marketing does work…but they are not sure which of their efforts is bringing the results. So they continue to try and little bit here and there in hopes that some day they will strike “marketing gold.” Most of the time they don’t…because they have not found their perfect customer.
Maybe this describes your company. We need to fix that.
If so, it’s time to dig in and find your perfect customer. This is the ideal customer for your product or service. This person loves what you have to offer, believes it is a great value and is happy to pay for it. This person even is an evangelist for your brand. Oh, and not coincidentally, you love dealing with them. By locating and marketing to your perfect customer, you can not only make your marketing more effective, you can make your business one that you enjoy working in more!
Stop Marketing To Everyone
You might be wondering if this “perfect customer” exists. Maybe. Maybe not. But one this is for sure, in order to find them, you have to stop trying to find every customer. As the old saying goes, “if everyone is your customer, no one is your customer.” It is not cost effective to try and get everyone…no one I know has the budget! So by narrowing your market down, you have a chance to tell your story directly to more people that will appreciate it.
10 Questions To Help Find Your Perfect Customer
In order to narrow your search down, it’s time to dig into some basic questions. You need to create a real picture of who this customer is. The more real this person is in your mind, the more specific you can be when creating messaging just for them. This person might be a customer that already exists for you, or it might (initially) be an avatar you create. But it’s important to ask some questions to find them…so you can market to them where they are. Here are a few questions that will get you started.
Where do they live?
Are they a man or a woman?
Are they married? Do they have children or are they single?
Where do they hang out or gather?
What associations do they belong to?
What are their favorite hobbies?
Why do they love your product or service?
Where do they use your product or service?
Where are they when they realize they need your product or service?
Why do they choose your product or service over the competition?
This list is a great start, but keep it going! Dig as deep as you can to outline the description of your perfect customer. When you have that, you have a much more clear idea on what to do next! If you want to take the next step, you can certainly take our FREE 5 Day Marketing Course here. This is designed to help you define the customer, and then create marketing that reaches them right where they are. And if you want to chat with us, just click “Let’s Talk” anywhere on the site…and we can help!
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 39 of the He Said She Said Podcast with Hasseman Marketing! This podcast is designed to give an inside look at being married and being entrepreneurs and the projects we are working on and the challenges we are facing! We talk about business, family, community and more. So listen in and let us know what you think!
On this episode we talk about…
Trending Topic
This week Kirby and Amy talk about the idea of ending the quarantine. While we are very excited to get back to “normal,” we discuss some things about the process that are making us nervous. Are we headed back for more?
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind we get an opportunity to hear about big progress at the building on Main Street. Amy gives an update on flooring, painting, and using the time wisely during this shut down. You can even learn more and sign up for the waiting list here. Kirby talks about working hard on video projects…and a website redesign on the site. We would love to hear your thoughts on the new look! Here is the homepage for a shortcut!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk about thinking of others. This is something we should always do of course, but it might be more important than ever now. Are you considering how your actions affect others? Maybe we all should.
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week we talk about how educators and administrators worked hard to make this year special for graduating seniors. We have all heard about the challenges, but there were some cool projects that made this year cool too.
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 39 of the He Said She Said Podcast! Any feedback will be welcome as we try to provide you value! If you want to subscribe you can do that where you normally get podcasts…or you can head here to follow on Soundcloud.
Thanks so much for listening! If you have any topics you want Kirby and Amy to cover, please comment and let us know! Oh…and if you like this content, check out this page where you can find all of the content we create!
One final thing…we have created a 5 Day Marketing Course you can take for FREE. There is no catch. Learn more about it here.
by Kirby Hasseman
With some extra time on your hands during the pandemic, many people have decided to create content for their business and personal brand. I am excited to see the increase in activity in video, podcasts and blogs all over the business world. I think it’s a great use of time, and a great way to use this time to create long term business value. But as you start on your content journey (or if you are just considering it now), it’s important to not just “run and gun” your content. Here are a few questions to consider to make your content marketing pop.
Does This Answer a Question Or Concern of My Customers?
When I speak to business leaders, marketers and entrepreneurs about creating content, one of their concerns is where to start. What topic should I cover? What should I write about? The easiest place to start is to make a list of questions that your customers and prospects ask all of the time about your product or service. You probably already have the answers, because you handle them all of the time. If you can write a blog or create a video that answers that question you probably have a good piece of content.
But I think it’s important that this is not just a sales video. It’s not an ad. So many people create videos that say they are answering a question, but it’s really a full blown marketing pitch that only sells their own product. The idea is that you create value by answering a real question and add value to the customer. Once you have created value in the customer’s mind, and built trust, that is a great time to offer your product or service as a potential solution to the customer’s problem.
Does This Have a Point of View?
The famous Sports Talk Radio Host Jim Rome has a mantra he says to his callers. “Have a take…and don’t suck.” That might be good advice if you are calling a radio show, but these are great words of wisdom if you are creating content. Have an opinion. The idea of content marketing, in many ways, is to establish you or your brand as the expert. We go to experts for their opinion on matters. These experts have earned the right. That’s you. You have put in the work to be the expert in your area. So if you are going to take my time with a piece of content, have a point of view. Have a take. And don’t suck.
Is This Created With My Customers in Mind?
Many marketers and entrepreneurs have a “Toby Keith” problem with their marketing. They “wanna talk about me” all of the time. When we focus all of our marketing or our content on our own company, we lose sight of what is important…meeting the needs of our customer. The best content is created wit the customer in mind. It answers a question they need. It educates them to help them do their job better or make their lives easier.
Donald Miller talks about this in his great book Building Your StoryBrand. Many companies make themselves the hero of their story. It’s a mistake. As Miller says, in your marketing (and your content) you should position the customer as the hero of the story and your company should be the guide. So your customer is Luke Skywalker and your company is Obi Wan.
These are just a few questions to consider when creating a piece of content…and you want to make it pop. I think questions can be very powerful to lead us the right direction (I talk about more good questions here). If you have more questions about Content Marketing, check out Joe Pulizzi’s great book Content Inc on the subject here.
Thanks for reading! We will keep the content coming for you! If you want to catch up, you can head to our blog page here.
