Feelings First, Facts Second

Feelings First, Facts Second

by | Jun 9, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

No matter what your personality make-up consists of, there’s a universal truth that you have to know:

Feelings First, Facts Second

This is how humans work.  Even those analytical engineering types, believe it or not.

Those engineers and scientists that rely only on facts… they use those facts to confirm how they feel about something, or if their research contradicts what they feel, then their feelings about the evidence will also change.  You just can’t completely separate facts and feelings if you are human.

How does this apply to the business world or the advertising and marketing world?  I’ll tell you a story about a client of mine who is fantastic at what he does and is also very analytical.  He tries to track all his marketing efforts and respond accordingly.

His ad campaign started in December and continued through May.  During the month of May, he was trying to decide if he should continue for another 6 months.  I am actually writing this on Friday morning May 29th which is the absolute deadline for making changes in his advertising starting Monday June 1st.

The facts alone point to a net loss on his advertising investment in dollars spent compared to income received that he has tracked.  If he was a robot, or some form of non-human, the data or facts would tell him to stop now and cut his losses.

But why has he struggled to say yes or no?

Simple answer.

He’s human and his feelings are overriding the simple facts of Return On Investment in his spreadsheet.

By the time this article and podcast goes live, he will have made a decision, based on his Feelings First and Facts Second.

His feelings are telling him that perhaps he is climbing a hill with his advertising investment and perhaps he is almost at the top.  If he stops now, then he rolls backwards and never seems a return on the 6 months of investment.

Or perhaps he is almost at the top of that hill and in a few more weeks he will starting seeing the payoff if he keeps moving forward.

On a side note, we did not remain stagnant during these last 6 months and we have fresh ideas for his summer campaign that he is contemplating.

Feelings First, Facts Second also applies to the way our businesses are coming back to life as I shared in a recent Sound ADvice newsletter. (You can get your own copy free in your inbox nearly every Wednesday by subscribing in the box below.)

Happy, Healthy, Wealthy & Wise…and Safe

Benjamin Franklin is most often credited with the quote, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”. One would assume that if you are healthy, wealthy, and wise, you would also be happy, right? But what about being safe?

When good ole Ben fashioned this statement in his Poor Richards Almanack in the mid-1700s, safety at work was not much of an issue.  Fast forward 270 years, add in a pandemic called COVID-19, and suddenly safety and health have become even greater factors in determining whether your employees are happy, which in turn is important in determining the wealth of your company.

Study after study has determined that employees who are motivated regularly are 43% more productive. A study conducted by Lockheed Martin concluded that developing a “safety culture” increased employee productivity by 24% and decreased factory costs by 20%.

As businesses begin to reopen and your employees return to work, how they “feel” will determine their level of productivity.  Taking for granted that everything will return to normal once you flip on the ‘We’re Open” sign will be a mistake.

The one common magnet that draws people to a business is not the product or service, but how the business made them FEEL!  Your employees will ultimately determine your customer satisfaction, but for them to make your customers feel good, they first must feel good.

Motivated employees that feel safe and valued can and will move mountains for a business.

In the 9 Rules to a Happy and Healthy Reopening, Rule #9 is “Be a Leader”. Leaders lead! There are few times in life when true leaders must stand up and lead. This is one of these moments.  Whether in war or business, nearly every soldier and employee want to be led by someone they respect and trust. By implementing the eight other rules to a Happy and Healthy Reopening, you will then confirm that you are the leader of your organization!

If you would like to see all 9 Rules to a Happy and Healthy Reopening, click here .

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Consumers Crave Open & Honest Relationships

Consumers Crave Open & Honest Relationships

by | May 19, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, ScLoHo's Collective Wisdom, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Last month I was cleaning out my email inbox and found an article from 2018 from Mediapost that I had been saving for the future.

Today is the future.

As much as things have changed this year, I’m sure you’ll agree that somethings have changed very little.

The Mediapost story is titled Boomers Crave Open, Honest Marketing and when I first read the story, I thought, not just Baby Boomers, but everyone craves honesty in the advertising and marketing they are exposed to.

First, let me share some quotes from this 2018 article:

Target. Equifax. Cambridge Analytica. Our system of voting.
It seems every day a new report comes out explaining how a major company has failed to protect our personal data or attempted to monetize it in an exploitative way.

While senior users make up only a fraction of all internet traffic, they are very concerned about their privacy. A 2017 poll by AARP found that 78% cite privacy as a major concern, while 84% fear having their personal information hacked or stolen. The boomer market is fearful about information security.

In recent weeks, the concerns about internet security have hit people of all ages.  The video conferencing company Zoom was discovered to have lax security measures and yes there have been multiple more companies that have had data breaches over the past couple of years.

Healthcare providers and financial corporations are moving away from person-centered customer interactions, automating as much as possible to save money.  In reaction to this trend, we find many boomers and seniors attempting to eschew digital interactions because it makes them feel safer. With the news blaring the pitfalls of Facebook, online credit scams, and major privacy concerns, it’s no wonder that this is a trend. But the modern world makes it hard for boomers to escape the clutches of marketers.

Nearly every boomer and senior has adopted the ubiquitous “membership card” for local grocers and other stores. Maybe they’ve even signed up for emails about upcoming deals. After all, who doesn’t love a sale?

Yet each of these contacts provides a way for a retailer to collect data about consumer preferences and interactions. Even the simple act of having a Facebook account causes this to happen.

The Covid-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders really made it impossible for everyone to avoid the web.  So what is the solution to give all consumers, not just Baby Boomers and Seniors, what they really want, which is open and honest relationships with the companies they do business with?

In a word, Transparency.

Here’s my challenge to you.

What can you do to over communicate the stuff that your customers might feel uneasy about?

If you are a service business, how about upfront price guarantees?

If you sell online, how about a big bold message that states how you will use or not use your customers information?

If you say, you do this stuff already, is it buried in a bunch of fine print or legal terms and conditions that no one reads anyway?

Change it.

We want to trust you.  Give us open and honest communication and transparency and in return we’ll give you our money.

Signed, the consumers of the world.

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Forget Plan B, It’s Time for Plan C

Forget Plan B, It’s Time for Plan C

by | Apr 14, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

An Opportunity to Evolve…Create a Category

“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

Right now, lemons are definitely being thrown at many businesses.  Are you open to making a different kind of lemonade?

Just a few short months ago, at the beginning of December 2019, I wrote and published an article and podcast with the title, What’s Your Plan B?

Not that I was foreseeing the future, I just knew that the spiraling success of economic growth and consumer confidence would one day have a flip-side and you better start getting prepared.

If you created a Plan B for your business operations, congratulations.

However now it’s time for Plan C. Yes, you may be working thru a Plan Coronavirus or Plan Covid-19 or whatever nickname you want to use for the here and now.  Also the Plan C I’m talking about has nothing to do with Medicare supplements or abortion pills.

But this Plan C is taking the past Plan A when everything was great, mixing in your Plan B which was designed for an economic slowdown, adding in the things we are learning each day in the middle of this pandemic and how we are adapting and creating a new recipe for success that we’ll call Plan C.  If you pretend we can just go back to Plan A when the stay at home restrictions are lifted, you are wrong.

If you simply put your Plan B into action, you are missing out on some of the great things that we are learning in the middle of this history lesson.  Here’s more timeless tips from my most recent Sound ADvice newsletter:

For many business owners, this is a perfect time to re-evaluate their business and potentially re-position their company.  What is it that you’re currently “known for”?  Are you known for having the lowest prices, best selection, highest quality, the fastest service? Or, are you not really known for anything specific.  Is there something different that you would like to be “known for”?

If you are looking to re-position your business, NOW is a perfect time to start planning and potentially implementing your NEW position. Many brands have been born during or immediately following a major crisis!

Do we really believe that a business can consistently offer the highest quality and the lowest price?

Many marketers make the mistake of trying to be all things to all people. Consumers’ minds won’t allow a business to own both the quality position and the discount position.

Very often the position you own is not that of a particular product or service, but rather it is an experience or demographic.

For example, Michelin doesn’t own the tire category, they own safety, while Pirelli owns the performance experience. Both come with a higher price tag and both have plenty of consumers who value their product.

GEICO doesn’t own the insurance category, they own “saving you time and money”.  They never speak to how well they pay claims.  On the other hand, if you want an insurance company that you are confident will pay your claims, even the crazy ones, you’re more inclined to lean toward Farmers Insurance. “They know a thing or two because they’ve seen a thing or two”.

In their groundbreaking book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Al Reis and Jack Trout state law #2 as: “If you can’t be first in a category, create a category you can be first in”.

Through marketing and advertising, a business can create its own niche or demographic category.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending upon whether you want lemons or lemonade, now is a good time for many of us to re-evaluate the position your business holds in the minds of your customers, potential customers, and your community.

Former Chicago Mayor, Rahm Emanuel, said this about a crisis, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.”

Being known for something specific is far more profitable than trying to be all things to all people!

If you’re looking to create a category you can own, click here to see The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing.  If you’d like to further discuss creating a category for your business to own, contact me.  Also subscribe to my weekly Sound ADvice business tips and marketing email newsletter by filling out the form below.

Stay Safe – Stay Healthy – Stay Strong!

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Work From Home Tips

Work From Home Tips

by | Mar 31, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo, WOWO Fort Wayne Radio Advertising with Scott Howard

Preparing for WFH

If you google search “WFH”, you will learn that there are approximately 16 different acronyms for WFH. But due to our recent events, the two most recognizable are “Work from Home” or “Working from Home”. 

Before COVID-19, it was estimated that 8-million US employees worked from home regularly.  Today, that number has multiplied many times, and some say that it may be the “new normal”.

WFH sounds simple.  However, if it were, wouldn’t everyone be doing it? The fact is, it’s not simple. It’s not convenient. It’s not always feasible or the best situation, and by most standards, it’s not as productive as working in a normal office or work environment.  

Because of our current circumstances, today many business owners have either chosen to or have been forced to take the office home.  Whether you have already made the transition or are considering it, it’s imperative that you keep the days as normal and as productive as possible.

WFH comes with many distractions. Getting the most out of every hour and every day is critical, even if it’s a short-term situation.  To help you get the most out of your employees, I have a list of 8 rules for working at home.  Applying these rules in some shape and form will not only help you be fair to your employees but at the same time, keep them productive.

Rule #1 is Hold them Accountable.  While you don’t want them feeling untrusted, it’s only fair that you expect a good day’s work for a good day’s pay. 

Rule #2 is having them Set a Schedule.  WFH comes with many easy distractions. Having a set schedule will keep them on task and give them daily goals.  

Today’s technology (Google Hangout, Zoom, GoToMeeting, YouTube videos and many others), many of which are free, allows us to have face to face meetings and conversations.  Rule #6 is Start each Day Off with a Video Conference. Make this a positive experience. You might consider starting every morning with a short online meeting.  They can be brief with an agenda that looks something like this:  

1) Good Morning with a positive quote

2) Good news from yesterday (positive comments about customers or work situations, celebrate positive things that happened)

3) Challenges that they are facing by working at home or with customers, etc. 

4) Share positive ideas and comments (ways to improve – what they are thankful for)

5) Motivational or training videos

Everyone hopes that our current situation will be short-lived. In the meantime, if you would like to see all 8 Rules for Working From Home click here. We hope you find them helpful.

Stay Safe – Stay Healthy – Stay Strong!

What I just shared with you is from my weekly Sound ADvice email newsletter that is sent every Wednesday morning to people like you who request it.  Each week there are either some marketing tips, business tips or often some of both along with a link to get more details.

I lead a sales team for one of Federated Media’s radio stations in Fort Wayne Indiana.  Because we already had a hybrid Work From Home business model for our sales teams, some of what the WOWO Radio sales staff has been doing hasn’t changed.  However we are also tasked with having regular face to face in-person meetings with our advertising partners and prospective clients.  That has changed and we are working to adjust.  No, I’m not doing daily video sales meetings with our team because that would be too disruptive since we weren’t meeting daily in person previously.  Your business environment and set-up could be different. 

Behind the scenes, those of us in management are having twice weekly Zoom meetings to brainstorm with each other ideas and how to implement them.  We are living in the middle of history right now, like being in the middle of a movie and not knowing how it will end.

I do know this however:  The term Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Gain seems appropriate as we all make adjustments.   On the programming side of our radio operations, my afternoon talk show host, Pat Miller and our anchor of Fort Wayne’s Morning News, Kayla Blakeslee are both broadcasting from make-shift home studios.  We have limited staff coming to the radio station and we are closed to the public so prize winners are being mailed their winnings.

But life goes on.  We are launching new advertising campaigns for new advertising partners.  We are updating and adjusting the messages from our long time advertising partners and if you or your business wants to be on WOWO Radio, contact me.  Scott@WOWO.com is my email and we’ll get it done.

 

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Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Business Success

Little Things That Make a Big Difference in Your Business Success

by | Mar 3, 2020 | Marketing and Advertising Insights, Sound ADvice, The Not-So-Secret Writings of ScLoHo

Big Returns on Little Things

In today’s business economy you need referrals and repeat business more than ever! Nothing impacts the way your customers feel about your business more than the way you and your people treat them.

Ensuring that your people create a positive customer experience every time is no easy matter, and often it’s the “little things” that delight or annoy your customers.

 Google the name Bruce Barton, and you’ll find he was an author, congressman, and founder of Betty Crocker, and he is credited with saying, “Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think there are no little things.”

It’s oftentimes the little things that proved the biggest rewards!

People, not businesses, nor products, create the customer experience, and it’s that experience that will dictate your referral and repeat rates.

Little Thing #10 from our 10 Little Things for Big Paybacks is, Everything Rolls Downhill. The way you treat your staff is the way they will treat their jobs and your customers! Respecting your staff also reduces absenteeism and internal theft rates. To create a culture where your employees are more apt to do the little things makes the job fun. Celebrate successes, have staff-only events and offer employee pricing to them and their families.

Our company recently partnered with our outside consultant on a program to Up Our Culture.  What do you and your company do to create a positive environment for both your team and your customers?

If you need some ideas take a look at this list of 10 Little Things For Big Paybacks, click here.

And if you would like more Sound ADvice for your business like this, fill out the form below.

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