by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 34 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 political season that is upon us. We are in the primary season but this whole year will be filled with this. Can we maintain a level of civility? If so, it’s up to us. Listen to Kirby and Amy’s take!
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Kirby talks about an uptick in video activity and the idea of working through a short week. Amy talks about being the “Diva of Drywall” and progress at the 539 Property!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk the challenge of accepting compliments. We often talk about the idea of giving praise and compliments, but it’s important to accept them gracefully as well. Why is that so hard?
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Amy leads the charge on complimenting everyone that is “all in” on a week of kindness. Listen in to hear more!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 33 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!
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s hard to believe now, but there was a time not that long ago, when people questioned the power of social media when building a brand or an organization. Most of us now understand and acknowledge, that when done right, social media can be an extremely valuable tool in marketing and sales. There are just too many success stories to argue. But some companies still struggle to get their arms around how to make it work for them. So while they see that Social Media can be powerful, they have not learned to harness it for themselves.
Sometimes it’s not just about what to do…it’s about what NOT to do. So here are 3 mistakes I see organizations make on social media.
Always Be Closing
In this iconic clip from the movie Glengary Glenn Ross, Alec Baldwin gives a struggling sales team a speech that is for the ages. He says that those of us in sales (and we are all in sales) should “Always Be Closing.” While I think the cast is incredible and the scene is powerful, I don’t think that’s a great way to build a brand…especially on social media. So many organizations treat their social media platforms as another place to put up commercials. It’s not. You can’t always be selling or your prospects and customers will turn you off. They have that power now. If you want to create real business relationships, you need to provide value before you sell. You need to “give first.” Don’t “always be closing.” Always be giving value…or you won’t get the chance to sell.
I Wanna Talk About Me
Sure, it’s hard to get this Toby Keith song out of your head. But when it comes to social media (and marketing in general) when all you do is “talk about me” it can be a turn off for prospects and customers. Sure, you need to tell your story. But how you tell it matters. It’s important to consider why this matters to your customer. How does this help them? When you create social media and content marketing, make sure you do so with your customers in mind.
Ghosting
If you have not heard of it, one of the ways to define “ghosting” is to just leave a gathering or party without any communication. Sometimes that’s a great way to get through a business trip without a hangover. But it’s not a great way to treat your “audience” on social media. We have all seen that business that decided they were going to “be great at social media” and then go hog wild posting to Facebook. Then after a few weeks, the whirlwind gets in the way, and they “ghost.” No announcement. No explanation. They just stop posting anything for months. As you might expect, this is not a great way to build an audience or add value. Consistency is a powerful tool. Organizations that create a consistent plan, and execute on it, have the best results.
In many ways, it’s about treating your audience like you would want to be treated. You don’t want to be sold to all of the time. Most of us don’t want someone to only talk about them. And we certainly don’t like it when we are ignored. So consider that, as you look at your social strategy moving forward!
Thanks for reading! Want more content like this? Check out our blog page here. And if you just can’t wait another day without checking out my new book, you can find that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
My social media feed is probably a lot like yours. There are people that I really like. They are my true friends. I love keeping up with them. There are also people that I enjoy “following.” They might be funny, or interesting, or kind or a train-wreck. Either way, they are there for my entertainment. Unfortunately, there are others. These are the folks that are “friends” with me on social, but I don’t really care for. Most of the things they post make me roll my eyes or get annoyed. As a matter of fact, some days, this final group is all I seem to see!
The other day I was mindlessly scrolling on Facebook when one of the people from the final group had a post. They were complaining about something (as this group seems to do incessantly) and they had a suggestion to fix it. As usual, it was a totally absurd suggestion and I began my eye roll sequence. And then I paused and had a thought.
What if the answer was “yes?”
Stay with me on this. So many times, when we hear ideas or suggestions from people we don’t love or respect, our automatic response is to discredit it. We assume that whatever they are going to suggest is destined to be stupid, expensive, short sighted, or worse yet, evil. We don’t agree on most things, so how could they possibly have an idea that is good? Often we discredit the idea because of the person bringing it to the table.
But what if we looked at ideas (for real problems) with an “attitude of yes” regardless of where they came from?
The thought process would be a different one. Our brains would automatically start to think through the logistics of how it COULD work, instead of how it was dumb. For me, as I worked through the logistics of this Facebook idea, I found that it was not as “eye rolling” as I first believed. There is a pathway that might make it work. Maybe.
The magic behind this is we start to judge the idea independent of the person (or personality) behind it. When we do that, in business, politics, family and life, we get access to more perspectives, ideas and solutions. It’s easier said than done. But it’s powerful.
So the next time you see a crazy idea from “the other side” or a wild suggestion from that crazy Facebook friend, ask yourself a question.
What if I looked at this with “an attitude of yes?”
Thanks for reading! If you want to see all of our content, you can find most of it in one place here on our blog. In addition, you can check out my new book “The Give First Economy” on Amazon here.
by Kirby Hasseman
In a world of overnight delivery and immediate gratification, starting a real business can seem painfully slow. We have more tools than ever before to build awareness, and that is a wonderful thing. But I have been reminded lately that a “share” on social media is not the same as a “sale.” When you are working to build a real, long term business, there are not as many shortcuts as we would like to believe. Real brand building takes time. So while you should use all of the new tools in the toolbox, there are 5 timeless rules of selling that still apply.
See The People
Despite the the proliferation of social media, building your sales is not just about having a presence on Instagram. There is still very real value to to getting in front of someone and seeing them face to face when you can. You have the ability to just “be with them.” There is power in that kind of focus. And they get to do the same with you. At it’s very core, we humans trust things that we are more familiar with. So by letting your clients see you, you gain credibility with them. Whether that’s showing up in their office with great branded merchandise, or just being at the events that they frequent, it’s still VERY important to see the people…and let the people see you!
Simply Listen
If this seems cliche, it is. It’s cliche because it’s true. As salespeople and entrepreneurs, we get so excited about what we are selling we forget to learn what our customer needs. It’s so important to ask questions first, then tell our story. We can tell our story SO much better when we understand the audience. For me, listening starts with good questions. Here are some good ones to start with.
Provide Them Value
Once you have listened to the prospect or client, don’t JUST try to sell them something. Of course you want (and need) to make the sale. But it’s so important to make sure you present a solution that actually provides value. If you can’t, walk away. As we talk about at Hasseman Marketing, it’s not about making one sale. It’s about creating 25 year customers. You can’t create that kind of long term relationship if you take advantage of people.
Show Gratitude
If you are blessed enough to make a sale, it’s not time to move onto the next transaction (at least not yet). It’s time to (sincerely) say thank you. The danger of the quick sale mentality is that each sale can become very transactional. You can become so focused on the next customer that you forget to appreciate the one you already have. It’s simple to fix this. Take an extra minute and write a note of thanks. Want to be more “new school?” Record a personal note and thank them on video. Either way, make sure you take the time to bridge the appreciation gap in your business.
Be Consistent
It’s not just about showing up. It’s about showing up every day. So many of us see inconsistency in our sales. It’s often because of inconsistency in our effort. We hustle hard and do the pro-active activities while we are slow (because we have time). This creates sales in our business, so we stop the pro-active hustle while we are tending to the business we created. Then we become slow again…and the cycle starts again. The key to consistent sales is keeping up the hustle while you are busy. It’s simple…just not easy.
These are 5 timeless rules of selling. This is NOT to say you should not embrace all of the new tools of brand building. You should. But don’t forget the foundation, or the whole operation will come tumbling down!
Thanks for reading. Please feel free to share with anyone who is in sales or building a business. If you want to check out all of our content, head over to our blog page.
by Kirby Hasseman
It’s time for Episode 33 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 “new season” they are in. As they discuss, they went from full house to empty nest and back. How is that going? Listen in to find out!
Weekly Whirlwind
This week in the Weekly Whirlwind Amy talks about some progress at the building. She updates us on the good news she shared last week…and what that means now. Kirby talks about the work to catch up after time on the road while trying to be pro-active too. It’s a challenge right now!
Lesson In Life
This week in the “lesson in life” Kirby and Amy talk about the complaining and how it is taking over our culture. Kirby even “tells on himself” about a thing he was complaining about that he wasn’t even aware of…and how he has changed it!
Shout Outs
Each week we want to give a shout out to an organization or an individual doing good work. This week Kirby and Amy talk about the Coshocton County Transportation improvements that were recently announced in Coshocton. In addition, Kirby talks about Brad Fuller’s new podcast called “A Fuller Life.” You can find that here!
So that’s a wrap! Thanks for listening to Episode 33 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!
