Words That Work

David Petraeus on Optimism

"A pessimist sees a challenge in every opportunity; an optimist sees an opportunity with every challenge."  This is one of General David Petraeus' favorite Churchill quotes.

Petraeus has an indefatigably positive attitude, and he lives this admonition to others: give energy – don’t be an "oxygen thief" – doing so through praise and encouragement, mentoring and example, all the while ensuring that he conveys forthright assessments and reports to those above and below.

The mantras he uses in his counterinsurgency guidance are also useful: live our values; be the first with the truth; in the absence of guidance, figure out what it should have been and execute aggressively.

These are values-oriented leadership principles for CEOs, line workers and even parents dealing with their own insurgents (toddlers) at home says Paula Broadwell, author of All In: The Education of General David Petraeus, The New York Times bestselling biography about one of the most transformational military leaders of the past 20 years.

 

Quoted from Womenetics, February 16, 2012   http://www.womenetics.com/

10 Lessons From Inside Apple : Innovation

8. Own your message

Remember the phrase “1,000 songs in your pocket”? Of course you do. It’s because when Apple launched the iPod, the executives who were authorized to speak to the news media repeated the phrase over and over again.

It’s classic Apple: Craft, control and repeat the message.

My favorite of 10 insights from Adam Lashinsky in an interview by Guy Kawasaki

via www.openforum.com 

How Ideo Revamped The Common Mattress For Sealy, And Made It Stand Out

An article in Fast Company revealed how Sealy revamped its business by changing old perceptions about its mattresses.  The challenges of this established brand are surprisingly similar to yours, and who knew the mattress factory could be a source for so many good ideas.

If you’ve ever walked into a mattress showrom, you know that the only way to buy a mattress is to lie down on it. For the most part, they all look the same--like flattened marshmallows.

That’s also your challenge, right?  How do you convince a customer to pay for a service before they see the difference you can make in their organization?  How do you differentiate your services from other firms like yours so you don't look like just another flattened marshmallow?  A client in a firm with very specialized insurance brought up the issue just this morning.  The word insurance is barely out of her mouth when she can see the listener start to glaze over, because they assume they know what she does. Bombarded as we all are with opportunities, we have to shut out as many as we can quickly, or be totally overwhelmed.  Sharpening your message is the key to cutting through those assumptions, to let people know what is different about what you offer and how it will solve a problem or a need they actually do have.  That message needs to build from a simple, clear beginning, with dime, not dollar words -- becoming more detailed and complex only when the listener signals what interests them.

The iconic design firm Ideo did a successful refresh of Sealy’s mattress collection. “Like a lot of solid, long-term brands, they eventually lost their drawing power,” says Michael Hendrix, an associate partner at Ideo’s Boston office.

Even great brands eventually lose momentum if they don't change to improve performance.  More importantly you have to consistently communicate what's new in a way that maintains a positive perception about what you do.  Having descriptions on your Website is not enough, even if they are well-worded. 

[Ideo added] extra features like a wraparound handle for easy lifting and a rubber surface on the bottom of the top mattress to grip sheets and keep them from creeping up over your feet. To further differentiate Posturepedic from the sea of mattresses in Sleepy’s, Ideo used color, a light blue for the foundation and white for the top comfort layer -- inspired by the classic light-blue men’s shirt, and white was chosen to evoke fluffy, fresh clouds.

Often we make the mistake of making big changes to stir things up, and don't put enough focus on the communication about them, and it needs to be the opposite.  If you can step back and look objectively at your self, your company, your services and products, the way Ideo did for Sealey, and make small refreshes that actually fill a need for customers, then doubly focus on the messaging, you'll have more visibility for less effort -- just what we all need for our non-stop working lives!!

In the end, a lot of the design work came down to figuring out ways to make the benefits visible to the consumer. “A mattress is kind of ironic: It’s a black box...” Hendrix says. “The key is to bring features into a bed that a customer can see to understand the value.”

Prospects see value through a lens of what they need.  They have their own problems to solve, and if your messaging speaks to their needs, and shows how you can provide a solution, suddenly you are no longer perceived as a flattened marshmallow, but a fluffy source of comfort -- and who doesn't love that? 

                If you would like to read the article in Fast Company you can find it here:   www.fastcodesign.com

 

About the Author:

If you are ready to take your business vision to the next level, let Maggie Anderson Words That Work help you look at all the new media marketing solutions for small business today and become more visible and credible as a leader in your industry.   Maggie Anderson  is a communications coach and marketing expert and provides simple, step-by-step programs for small business executives and professionals, coaches and consultants.  She helps you find effective communication strategies to develop your personal or company brand, stand out and attract more opportunities using social media, blogs, Web content, speechwriting and presentations, white papers and other effective communication tools.

Or Do It Yourself with her Marketing Kit for Experts that shows you how:

 

 

 

NAWBO President Praises Elevation of SBA Administrator to Cabinet Level Position

NAWBO President Praises Elevation of SBA Administrator to Cabinet Level Position

WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwire - Jan 13, 2012) - The President & CEO of the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO®), Diane Tomb, released the following statement today following President Barack Obama's announced decision to elevate the U.S. Small Business Administrator to a cabinet-level position.

"Given our contribution to the economy and job creation, small business owners, millions of which are owned and run by women, have earned a seat in the President's cabinet. It is important for the White House to understand the impact its policy decisions and regulations have on the millions of small business owners across the nation, especially as we continue to work to get the economy turned around and often look to small businesses to grow and create jobs. Therefore, today's announcement is welcome news for small business owners in general and particularly women business owners in that we will now have a representative at the table who is focused on our issues and who can serve as a voice for our concerns."

About NAWBO®
Founded in 1975, the National Association of Women Business Owners® (NAWBO®) is the unified voice of America's more than 10 million women-owned businesses representing the fastest growing segment of the economy. Learn more at www.nawbo.org.

via www.marketwire.com

I couldn't agree more!

Turning Marketing Strategy Into Action

To me getting clear about strategy is the most important challenge business owners face ... John Jantsch said this in a recent post.  His Duct Tape Marketing blog is very practical, and so useful for Small Busines Marketing.  I say this in my blog and my programs, but John says it so well!  I’m going to challenge them first to look inward. I’m going to ask them to choose a marketing strategy that is infused with who they are, why they do what they do and how to use that story to attract opportunities and clients.

While every industry has a unique set of clients, a unique language, maybe even an unusual distribution model, the way that customers come to know, like and trust them is fundamentally the same.

John goes on to outline a core set of practices that every business can use to communicate their simple, clear, marketing strategy.

Build and tell stories –

Sell by teaching –

Become a platform –

Reverse the experience – this one is especially interesting to me.  It's worth looking at the whole article for this and other genuinely useful marketing ideas for small business.

To borrow from a well-worn bit of wisdom, if you want to deliver an exceptional experience you must start with the end in mind. You must begin the entire process by considering what you will do 90 or 180 days after you make a sale and then work backwards to the point where you first meet.

via www.ducttapemarketing.com

Enough is Enough! Get Control of Your Stuff

I hope your productivity is peaking as you start 2012 and this will be a great year for you!  If you could use a little help with organization, my colleague and friend, Wendy Ellin is offering at 4 pm Eastern TODAY, Tuesday 1/10/2012 a live (and free) tele-call: ‘Enough is Enough, Get Control of Your Stuff!’

Wendy told me today there are a ton of people registered, and I wanted to give you the opportunity to register and join in today at 4:00 pm ET (1:00 pm PT). You can get more details, plus check out a short video from:

http://wendyellin.com/enough-is-enough-call/

On this 60-minute tele-call, you’ll learn everything you need to take the productivity level in your business up several notches! It’s time you (and even your staff) get the life you want by focusing on the energy, the attitude and the efficiencies in your business.

Remember, Getting Organized is the #3 New Year’s Resolution behind #1 Losing Weight and #2 Quitting Smoking.   Don’t put it off -- take out 60 minutes to get started on getting organized now!

Best...  Maggie

P.S. Be sure to use Code: [MA1958] when you register, and if you know other friends, clients or colleagues who are looking to dramatically increase their productivity in 2012, feel free to forward to them or share with your network on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter. They’ll be glad you did!

Wabi Sabi Small Business Marketing Ideas

What's holding your business back?  Some days its cranky prospects and customers; occasionally it's employee, supply chain, or financing issues that get out of control -- but some days it's just YOU.  Successful executives, it is sometimes said, are motivated by a grandiose belief in their own abilities;  successful entrepreneurs, by a desire to prove their abilities to themselves and the world. 

Many great entrepreneurs come out of dysfunctional families, UC Berkeley's Lean Launch Pad  professor Steve Blank points out.  Their chaotic childhoods help them learn a resilience that works well in the chaos of a start-up:

Founding a company is a sheer act of will and tenacity in the face of immense skepticism from everyone, Blank says —investors, customers, friends, family, and employees, to name a few. The founder takes his or her vision of the opportunity—one only he/she may see...to execute against all rational odds ... product development and customer input collide, the facts change, the business model changes, and stuff happens.

Anyone who can’t manage chaos and uncertainty, isn’t totally oriented for action, and has no sense of urgency, is in the wrong business.

via www.inc.comDysfunctional Family? You'd Make a Great Entrepreneur | Inc.com

There's a downside when things start going well, though.  If you are energized by crises and uncertainty, success can seem boring.  You may not even recognize it when you come up with new ideas, or disrupt the smooth flow of your business, because chaos is your comfort zone.  Currently I'm watching one entrepreneur whose genius I've admired completely dissassemble a successful brand and head in a new direction.  In his wake is a tribe of loyal, committed customers scratching their heads wondering what services the company offers now and where do I fit?  A woman who has been extremely successful brokering national media for her organization advertises new services so often it's hard to tell which is what -- creating a paralyzing confusion for prospects and leaving existing subscribers in the dust.  Both are brilliant entrepreneurs who seem to be getting in the way of their own success because they don't think they are good enough, or growing fast enough.  As marketing strategies for small business, they seem disruptive.  Hopefully their brands and messages will get clear before their customers wander off.

Want to look at your own company in this light? Here are some questions to get your thinking started:  Look back at interactions with your employees or contractors -- are you allowing them to do their jobs, or micro-managing and getting in their way?  Do you hire experts to coach or advise you in areas that are not your expertise, then ignore or argue with their advice?  When things are rolling along smoothly, do you tend to come up with a new idea or new direction before your customers, contractors or employees are ready?  You might need a good dose of Wabi Sabi.

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese notion that beauty is not perfect. It is seeing the beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete -- modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional... So what is Wabi Sabi for a small business?  Taking a deep breath, recognizing and accepting with humility your own imperfections and those of your team.  Seeing them as the right kind of imperfection, like asymmetry in a bowl that shows the handmade craftsmanship, instead of a perfect, but soul-less, machine-made bowl. Celebrating your successes with the team who helped you achieve them and dialing back on striving for the much more you think you "should" be achieving.  "Sabi" in Japanese, is the kind of beauty that can come only with age, such as the patina on an old bronze statue.  For you it means recognizing that building a business requires time -- 3-5 years say the retired C-level advisors at Score.  Discounting yourself, your support team and your business for not achieving great things within that first five years only drains away your momentum.  Whether you are a sole practitioner, leader of a large organization, or doing small home business marketing, Wabi Sabi is that balance point between keeping your operation energized and getting your anxieties and need to be seen as brilliant out of the way.

 

For more on Wabi Sabi look at:  Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, by Leonard Koren ISBN 1880656124

or http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WabiSabi

 

About the Author:

If you are ready to take your business vision to the next level, let Maggie Anderson Words That Work help you look at all the new media marketing solutions for small business today and become more visible and credible as a leader in your industry.   Maggie Anderson  is a communications coach and marketing expert and provides simple, step-by-step programs for small business executives and professionals, coaches and consultants.  She helps you find effective communication strategies to develop your personal or company brand, stand out and attract more opportunities using social media, blogs, Web content, speechwriting and presentations, white papers and other effective communication tools.

Or Do It Yourself with her Marketing Kit for Experts that shows you how:

 

 

 

Stillness: Source of New Ideas

The 17th century philosopher Blaise Pascal said:  all of man's problems come from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone.  And they didn't have internet, email or iPads back then!   Around this time of year there is usually a lot of energy around making lists and getting a fresh start and I wanted to make a different suggestion.  Schedule time to do nothing.  At Intel they scheduled engineers to have 4 hours of uninterrupted time every Tuesday morning just to hear themselves think -- and it was so unusual (apparently the usual is about 3 minutes of uninterrupted time) and had such an impact that at the end of the experiment the participants recommended extending it to everyone in the company.

I just returned from the longest getaway I've ever taken -- two weeks at a wonderfully quiet beach where there is almost nothing to do.  We had a partial excuse because we were having work done at our house, but I have to admit, I was lazy.  Having two weeks meant I didn't have to start right away "planning" how to enjoy my vacation.  I walked on the beach under brilliant blue skies -- only when I felt like it.  I listened to the waves, wrote, fell in love with the BBC series Doc Martin and read.  My family and I biked at a leisurely pace, played a lot of bananagrams and Settlers of Catan and tried out some interesting new recipes. 

You probably think I'm going to say something earth-shaking or deeply transforming happened.  It didn't.  I was finally able to help my husband start his blog, which has turned out to be even more amazing than I thought it would be.  I started two poems.  And he and I were able to reconnect in ways our crazy schedules don't usually allow.  What it did make me realize is that our usual pace is only possible in fast forward -- and that cuts way back on time for the human connections and the beautiful, satisfying and sustaining details of what we are experiencing.  Worst of all, it leaves no time for the solitary reflection that allows our imaginations to connect the dots of all those experiences and reframe them into the ideas & passions that keep us moving forward instead of running on our hamster wheels.  We tell ourselves you can do this, numb out everything so we can keep going, but get nowhere, then feel more pressure to do more to get ahead. Do you see how this can become a seriously vicious cycle?

Don't give in to the pressure that you "should" be making a new start this January.  If you believe there is something creative and valuable in you, find ways to be still this year and allow it to surface.

And if you think that sounds too airy-fairy for a serious, success-oriented business person, go ask Intel what were they thinking?

About the Author:

If you are ready to take your business vision to the next level, let Maggie Anderson Words That Work help you look at all the new media marketing solutions for small business today and become more visible and credible as a leader in your industry.   Maggie Anderson  is a communications coach and marketing expert and provides simple, step-by-step programs for small business executives and professionals, coaches and consultants.  She helps you find effective communication strategies to develop your personal or company brand, stand out and attract more opportunities using social media, blogs, Internet, speechwriting and presentations, white papers and other effective communication tools.

Or Do It Yourself with her Marketing Kit for Experts that shows you how:

 

 

 

 

 

5 Things You Should Never Say While Negotiating | Inc.com

5 Things You Should Never Say While Negotiating

If you're new to negotiating or find it difficult, here are some missteps to avoid.

By Mike Hofman |  @mikehofman   | Jan 31, 2011

 

2,456
inShare

via www.inc.com

Forget your professional expertise or years of experience in your field. Keeping a cool head in a negotiation is one of an entrepreneur's best tools -- and a difficult one if you are, like many entrepreneurs, passionate about what you do.

Enjoy Thanksgiving -- What You Do Matters

Thanksgiving

by Linda McCarriston

Every year we call it down upon ourselves,
the chaos of the day before the occasion,
the morning before the meal. Outdoors,
the men cut wood, fueling appetite
in the gray air, as Nana, Arlene, Mary,
Robin—whatever women we amount to—
turn loose from their wrappers the raw,
unmade ingredients. A flour sack leaks,
potatoes wobble down counter tops
tracking dirt like kids, blue hubbard erupts
into shards and sticky pulp when it's whacked
with the big knife, cranberries leap away
rather than be halved. And the bird, poor
blue thing—only we see it in its dead skin—
gives up for good the long, obscene neck, the gizzard,
the liver quivering in my hand, the heart.

So what? What of it? Besides the laughter,
I mean, or the steam that shades the windows
so that the youngest sons must come inside
to see how the smells look. Besides
the piled wood closing over the porch windows,
the pipes the men fill, the beers
they crack, waiting in front of the game.

Any deliberate leap into chaos, small or large,
with an intent to make order, matters. That's what.
A whole day has passed between the first apple
cored for pie, and the last glass polished
and set down. This is a feast we know how to make,
a Day of Feast, a day of thanksgiving
for all we have and all we are and whatever
we've learned to do with it: Dear God, we thank you
for your gifts in this kitchen, the fire,
the food, the wine. That we are together here.
Bless the world that swirls outside these windows—
a room full of gifts seeming raw and disordered,
a great room in which the stoves are cold,
the food scattered, the children locked forever
outside dark windows. Dear God, grant
to the makers and keepers power to save it all.

"Thanksgiving" by Linda McCarriston, from Talking Soft Dutch. © Texas Tech Press, 1984. Reprinted with permission. (buy now)

via writersalmanac.publicradio.org

Thought I'd share this poem. "Any deliberate leap into chaos, small or large, with an intent to make order, matters" she says. That means all you do, every other day, as an entrepreneur flying blind, to make your business make sense. Thanks for letting me be part of your "leap into chaos" :~) Maggie