by Kirby Hasseman
It turns out my first sales manager was half right. When I first got in sales, I was told “When in doubt, go and see the people.” It was an over-simplification, of course. On the other hand, it’s always seemed to work for me. When I was waiting for the phone to ring or waiting for the sales to come in, I hear that voice. “Go and see the people.”
In Jonah Berger’s book “Invisible Influence” I am starting to learn why this works. In multiple studies, Berger explains that familiarity and having the “people see you” works. In one study, pictures of female students were judged on their level of attractiveness. (Cringe all you want, it was the study). It turns out that if the female students were seen in the class, they were judged to be more attractive. Other studies showed that “being seen” more often could make your more likable and trustworthy.
From my perspective this brings powerful insights into the world of sales, brand building and more! So here are a few takeaways…
See the People
Though the script has flipped a bit, the adage still holds water. When you are feeling reactive in your business, get out of your office and go “let the people see you.” And if you can add value in some way (or just to say thanks like this post suggests), even better.
Social Media
This is one of the reason great social media works. We are giving people a chance to “see us” on a regular basis. Some people would say this can be overdone. Maybe. But the science from this book suggests otherwise.
Consistency is Key
This is also a bit of science to back up my belief in consistency. Whether we are talking about social media, content marketing or sales, you need to be consistent in your efforts. We all have that voice in our heads that tells us we need to stop...it’s too much. But we need to push through that and continue to “show up” with your prospects and clients. Let them “see you” over and over again. Make sure never miss the opportunity to “see us!”
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by Kirby Hasseman
What do these three have in common?
Each of them are leading voices in their respective spaces and professions. Here is a super quick background on each.
Gary Vaynerchuk grew his family’s wine business from $3 Million to $60 Million before leaving to start Vaynermedia, a leading digital agency in the world. He is a best selling author and sought after speaker. Gary began his journey by creating a wine show on YouTube and created over 1000 episodes of Wine Library TV. Now he has a team of people that follow him around and create the “Daily Vee.”
Casey Neistat is a filmmaker and world-class vlogger. Casey has pioneered how many view vlogging and has over 9 million YouTube subscribers. (That’s about the same as Jimmy Fallon if you were counting). Casey grew this amazing following by creating a daily, high quality vlog series that highlighted his adventures and his life.
Seth Godin is one of the pioneers of modern marketing. He is a best selling author many times over and is one of the minds that introduced us to “permission marketing.” Seth grew an amazing audience by writing a blog each and every day…for years. Each and every day, Seth “shows up” to share his thoughts on marketing, business and more.
These three are people I admire in business today.
They are the top of their game. And each of them, in their own way, push me to work harder and do more. Each of them is totally unreasonable…and that is why they have succeeded. Every time I start to create a goal to raise the exposure of my personal brand or my business, I start with a big idea. I think of a goal that gets me excited or fired up. I think “why not?” That could be me! And I even start to think of the possibility of what might happen if I head down the path. And then I think, “ Maybe I should be more reasonable.” I start to create the internal debate that goes like this… “You have a lot going on. You have a family and you want to have some time off! You know you need to think about your quality of life. You need to be more reasonable.”
And that, my friends, is where exceptional goes to die. It’s the reason I am excited about creating content every day. It’s exciting. It’s scary. It’s even kind of fun. But it’s not reasonable! If you want to be exceptional, you need to be unreasonable.
If you want to make sure you never miss an update, make sure to sign up for the Hasseman Marketing VIP newsletter! You can do that here. It’s not unreasonable. 🙂
by Kirby Hasseman
Just about every good mother and father teach their children two phrases just as soon as they can talk. Say them with me… “Please and thank you.”
Awesome. That means this blog is read by wonderful parents (or soon to be parents). But here’s the thing. As nearly any parent will tell you, we get tired of hearing “please.” “Please can I go to friend’s house?” “Can I stay up later, please?” “Please can I have just one more?” On the other hand, we never get tired of hearing “thank you.” That simple sign of appreciation is much more rare. And even if it’s not, it’s never annoying.
We appreciate the appreciation.
Our clients and prospects and employees feel the same way. As business owners, sales people, and leaders, we spend a lot of time asking people for something. We ask employees for their effort. We ask customers for their money. We ask both of them for their time. We ask…a lot. But how often do you really spend time saying “thank you?” Not just the basic “hey thanks” you say in passing or the automatic email that says “thanks for your purchase.” Those are fine…I guess. But they don’t take effort and are not really sincere.
How often do you stop by a customer’s office just to thank them for their business? How often do you pick up the phone to do the same? How often do you schedule a meeting with a person in your organization just to take the time to applaud their efforts? If you are like most of us (me included), the answer is probably “not enough.” So here are 3 ways to fix the “appreciation gap” in your business.
Just “Thanks:”
Go to your clients or your employees with a simple “thanks meeting.” If it’s a client, let them know you are only there to say “thank you for their business.” If it’s an employee schedule a quick meeting. Both will probably give you quizzical looks because they are not used to this sort of meeting. But both will appreciate it.
Send a Card
Yes…we are going old school. Take the time and send out a simple greeting card showing your appreciation. The fact is, most of the mail we get these days is a bill. This will stand out!
Appreciation Program
This is for your best clients. Most businesses have a rule that 80% of the revenue comes from 20% of the clients. This is for that 20%. Create a quarterly program where you get a simple gift for your best clients…just to say “thanks.” It’s simple and it’s easy.
And you will be saying “thank you” instead of “please.” If you want to make sure you never miss an update, please sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
Or if you want to jump right to our site in order to find a great Promo item to show your clients appreciation, you can shop here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Whether you want to create a blog post or a company, a video or a presentation, we all have to overcome the same thing. “That voice.”
It’s the voice that is in each of our head that tells us that we are “not good enough,” or “not smart enough,” or that “no one will care.” We all have to hear that inner voice that asks “why would anyone care what you have to say?” Or even the one that tells us “this will make you look stupid.”
In addition, I think we look at people who regularly put out content, or start businesses, or speak in public and think “they must not have that voice.” They must be so confident. They are not insecure. It must be easy for them.
Here is a good news/bad news moment. They have that voice too. We all have that voice. (Actually here is an awesome podcast about Bill Petrie-amazing content creator-who says the same thing).
My hope is this is good news for you. If you are thinking of putting yourself out there, you are not alone. We all have that voice to overcome. Every time I post a blog, or a video, or get ready to make a sales call, I have the voice that tells me I am about to make a mistake. But here’s the thing…I do it anyway. And you can too.
Yes there are times that a blog post will have a typo (at least mine do). There will likely be a time that a sales prospect will be a jerk. And it’s certainly possible that you will try something and it will not work. But if you keep showing up, you can and will get better. But in order to get better…to overcome the voice…you have to act. You have to create.
I would love to tell you that if you continue to do this you will silence the voice. But you won’t. It will always be there. But you have a cool story to tell. You have something unique to give. No one else can give it for you. You just have to overcome the voice.
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by Kirby Hasseman
We have all been there. You have an event or promotion coming up, and someone in your organization runs up to you frantically and says “We need something to hand out!”
It’s the last minute! So you scramble to find the number of people that are going to attend (hopefully) and a budget and find things that fit in that box. You get “something” that fills the need, but frankly, does not delight. As Dr. Phil would say, “How’s that workin for ya?”
So how do you create a Promotional campaign that makes a real impact? How do you create the campaign that has your customers talking and keeps them coming back for more? The answer is “better questions.” When you are starting your discussions, you need to think deeper. Of course you want to know the budget. Yes you need to understand that number of prospects and customers you want to reach. And yes it would be super helpful to know the logo, the number of colors, and the messaging. These are all good…but they are basic.
Here are 5 questions to consider if you want to take your Promo to Pro Level.
How do you want your customers/prospects to feel?
I absolutely love this question. It really makes you consider the impact you are trying to make. Do you want customers to feel appreciated? Do you want them to be shocked? Do you want them to laugh? By getting introspective on this question you have a real opportunity to consider what premium will be the perfect item to get inside that emotion.
What action do you want your customers to take?
Studies will tell you that adding Promotional Premiums to a campaign increases the chances that a prospect or customer will take action. So what do you want them to do? Does this item or items increase the chance (in your mind) that it will happen?
What is the overall theme of the event?
This can be basic, but I am amazed at how many people ignore the theme of an event. It can give you a place to jump off from when it comes to creative. Or you can create a theme of your own! What do you want customers to remember?
Who EXACTLY are you trying to reach?
Dig in here and be specific. Maybe you don’t want to reach everyone at the event. If not, maybe you should create a VIP gift that you only give to legitimate prospects. Either way, do it on purpose.
Where do you envision your customers using the item?
I find this is a great way to narrow down what is a perfect item. If you want to reach an audience that sits at a desk all day, then picture what they see all day. What would make their life easier or more fulfilled. Do that. These are just a few important questions that you need to ask yourself before creating a campaign or purchasing any item. They don’t take long to consider and they will make a huge difference in your next event!
Want more content from us? Great! Make sure you head to our blog page. We have videos, podcasts and blogs all designed to educate and entertain.
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by Kirby Hasseman
Happy Thanksgiving! The holidays are officially upon us. And as the Black Friday Sales start (on Thursday, no less) it is extremely easy to get sucked into the stress of the holiday season. We can get too focused on the gifts and less on the meaning. We get focused on the tasks on the to-do list and less on the point of the exercise. I know I am guilty of it. So on this day of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take just a moment to outline a few of the things I am thankful for here at Hasseman Marketing.
The Team
I really am excited and thankful for the team I get to work with every day. From different backgrounds and different parts of the country, the inside employees and the outside sales team are what make us go. They are who “Deliver Marketing Joy.” Thanks to the Hasseman Marketing Team!
Our Customers
Nothing happens until there is a sale. That is true of any business, and certainly ours. We so appreciate the faith and trust our customers place in us every day. Thanks to each and every one of you!
Our Communities
Our Corporate headquarters is in Coshocton, Ohio and we love that area. We #ChooseCoshocton. We are proud of it. We want to have an impact. But with the nature of our business, we have team members in other communities too. Yes, we have people in Ohio. But we also represent communities in Virginia, North Carolina, and California as well. We are thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in each.
Our Suppliers and Partners
As with most any business, we are not in it alone. We have a host of fantastic suppliers and partners that help us do what we do. These suppliers are manufacturers, printers, designers and software developers…and more. We are thankful for the opportunity to work with each. So thank you! If you are reading this, you are likely in one of these camps.
All of us at Hasseman Marketing would like to take this chance to give Thanksgiving…for you!
