17. May 2012 by Frank Goad.

I like my clients a lot. I really do, and there’s something that happens over and over, and that’s constant tweaking on projects. Folks should get what they want, to be sure, but there’s a point where changes are “gilding the lily,” as they say. Just like eating, there comes a point where you have to push away from the table. 

Logos are particularly touchy because folks have an idea of what they want in their head, but they often fail to realize that to get it juuuuuust right takes time. The more changes you make the more billable minutes tick away and often the changes wind up being useless. When the person you hire says, “That’ll take me about thirty minutes to fix,” think to yourself, “I just asked him/her to make my bill larger.” We’re not trying to run up the bill, just make you happy; by the same token, don’t go cheap as that’s worse. It comes down to being reasonable about what you want want us to do and the cost to do it.

We have to eat, too, and our time is valuable. By saying we’re charging too much, you are saying that our work is worth less than the results we give you, or that you think we should be better at our jobs, meaning faster. It takes what it takes just as your job does.

Let’s say you’ve recently gotten an update on the costs you’ve incurred. Even if we give you the current total, one afternoon’s work can push that number a couple hundred dollars higher. I’ve warned clients, “This is going to take (an hour, a few hours, etc.),” and they still act aghast when they get the bill.

To give you an example, I was working with a client last summer who was constantly tweaking the project. Despite keeping her abreast of totals, when told that we were over budget and by how much she got pretty upset and demanded an accounting of the time. When she saw that she was responsible for the overage, that it could have been avoided and was advised all along (phone calls, emails, etc.), she acted offended despite earlier saying it was “brilliant” work.

What got to me was that earlier in the summer, she’d bragged about a set of golf clubs she’d bought that cost almost twice what we charged. That was a little hard to swallow to think that sporting goods were more valuable to her than our services.

I’m always committed to getting clients what they want and, despite my best efforts, they often seem shocked when they see how much time it takes to do these things. Even though I use a computer to do most of my work, I’m still sitting there building and writing and tweaking and smoothing and aligning and so on. We want the best for you, so please remember that this is an investment.

If you hire a graphic artist or web designer or writer or any other creative person, help them help you to not freak out when you get your bill: Be decisive. If you do make a lot of little changes - and even tiny changes can take an hour or two sometimes - don’t freak out at the bill because we’re only doing what you ask us to do.

Please remember, we’re helping you make your image and “pitch” more persuasive and memorable. We’re offering you experience and expertise that others don’t have and that make a difference in your success. We’re on your side, really.

Posted in Customers, Sales, creativity, building business, relationships, business relationships, business | Print | No Comments »

14. May 2012 by Frank Goad.

I stumbled across a video showing 20,000 bottle rockets being launched. You light one and it catches the next one, then another three light, then ten and, soon, it’s a blazing platform with the rockets going everywhere. Pretty impressive, really, but there’s one problem: After the fiery crescendo, it dies quickly.

So, when you’re doing marketing, do you go for the big launch only to see your budget flame out? Your sales probably do, too. The key to advertising and marketing is consistency - go for the long haul, not the short, bright flame. When you do social media for your business, have a long-term strategy with definite goals and outcomes. Blogging for your business? Do it every week.

I’ve said this to a hundred people: If marketing and advertising isn’t a firm, not-to-be-touched line item in your budget, you’re cheating yourself and possibly sending yourself down the drain.  To make my point very clear, here’s that bottle rocket video. Like most things, it starts slowly, but things light up fast once it gets going.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank, Advertising, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

1. May 2012 by Frank Goad.

A good video is captivating; a bad one is repellant. If you take no other advice, do these five things:

1. Have good audio: Good means clear, crisp and not like your on-camera talent is in a barrel or fifty feet away. If your camera can’t use an external microphone, then be no more than eight feet from the talent. If you have to use the camera’s mic, try to do it in a room with lots of cloth-covered or really irregular surfaces to deaden the echo. A good, wired lavalier mic goes for as little as $25 – well worth the investment. People will suffer through bad picture quality, but they cannot abide bad audio.

2. Don’t shoot with a light behind the subject that’s brighter than what’s in front. It will look like one of those videos where the subject is in the dark to conceal their identity. When the background is too light, the camera’s iris closes down and you or your subject will be dark – another thing that drives viewers away.

3. Spontaneous videos are good, but often lack professionalism. Plan what you’re doing shot by shot. A script isn’t always necessary, but a thorough outline is. It helps you get to the core more quickly and keeps the audience more engaged.

4. Unless you’re a pro with many hours in front of a camera, rehearse what you’re going to do and say. Too many folks think they’re one-take wonders. Tape yourself, and then listen to it. Listen first with your eyes closed – how do you sound? Do you articulate well, or ramble? Are you using good diction, or are you mumbling? Next, use eyes and ears and see if your posture is good, what the lighting looks like, and so on. Once you’ve examined it, make mental notes and try again (there is always something that can be improved).

5. Use a tripod wherever possible; if not that, use a monopod. Sure, you might look more cool using one hand while taping, but what you produce can be hard to watch if there’s too much vibration and useless motion, making you look very un-cool. If you must handhold the camera, always use two hands. I see folks one-handing it like they’re a pro filming a snowboarder doing moves. Wrong. The steadier the shot the easier for your audience to watch.

If you’re just getting started with video and would like some guidance, or need someone to work with you on a production, Frank Communications Lexington is certainly available. Drop us a line. Oh, and if you like this blog, subscribe, please!

Posted in Video | Print | No Comments »

4. February 2012 by Frank Goad.

A friend of mine is the manager of a local retail establishment. He’s a very smart man with a distinguished if not unusual career. He’s amazed me at times with words of wisdom that make any thought process stop dead in its tracks and listen He’s also very frustrated because the owners don’t seem very anxious to make the place a best in its class establishment. It’s sad because, if they would just step out of the way and give him the reins, they would make so much more money.

Most folks can run a retail business. It requires some attention to detail, some organizational skills and some ability to deal with the public. Notice that I used “some” a lot, and that’s because if you’re in a good location with reasonable traffic, you can keep the doors open and lights on without being a primo manager.

My wish for him is that a distant relative would die and leave him the money to buy the place. He’s got drive, intelligence and is champing at the bit to really turn a profit, make it a busy place and build a real brand. If he could buy it, there’s no doubt it would see 30% sales gains in the first six months. Yet, the owners treat it kind of like a hobby business. They’re not too particular about the little things and seem more determined to get pocket change from the place. They seem to have overlooked Frank’s Business Rule #1: When it comes to how the public views you, everything matters.

Posted in Frank Goad, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, blogs, blogging, delight, Branding, "The Frankifesto", Frank, business plan, business, building business, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

4. February 2012 by Frank Goad.

I’ve been working with a client on an Internet advertising proposal. They sent me a note and said, “We have a new client that works on websites and seo’s (sic). I am sure you understand.” I do, but not sure they do and I wonder, do you? Let me explain it a bit so that you can make more money from your site.

First let me say: SEO is NOT advertising - not even close. SEO, or search engine optimization, is important - no doubt about that. It’s function is to make your website attractive to the “crawlers” (also called “robots” or “spiders”) that the search engines like Google send out daily to examine every website they can find. Crawlers send bits of programming code back to the search engine that details the content of the sites they find, yours included.

If you sell blue handled shelf stretchers and someone enters “shelf stretchers” in a search box and hits Enter, the search engine’s servers kick into gear. They look through their lists of data to find every website with those two words in their keywords and page’s text. If they enter “red handled shelf stretcher,” you’re now pushed down the list because you sell blue ones. The more times they see those words in your web, the higher your “relevancy” ranking. This is where SEO comes in. By entering the right keywords, you get picked more in the lists of sites the search engines display.

If keywords were the only thing Google and others use to rank websites, then SEO might be enough. The fact is it’s only one small part of the relevancy formula. One big thing that makes a difference is … money. Despite how democratic the web might seem, filthy lucre is the biggest determining factor, and that’s where advertising comes in. Higher rankings mean you get closer to the Holy Grail of being first in non-paid advertising.

Postscript:  From when I first posted this, they are now out of business. Sometimes I hate it when I’m right. In the end, a balanced approach across all types of media (if they apply) still gives the best results; also, hire a pro (and, yes, I am a pro).

Posted in Google, Social Media, Yahoo, YouTube, blogging, blogs, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank, Advertising, The Long Tail, business, Frank Communications, building business, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

4. February 2012 by Frank Goad.

The previous installment covered content, scripting, talent (who’s on camera) and length. This time, it’s about one thing … well three things in one, actually: Content – what is important in your script? Sounds easy, but it’s far from it. Please read on.I’ve been in communications for over thirty years and, to me, it boils down to three things that your audience needs to accept your message and consider you as a good source for video. They are: Confidence, Trust and Engagement.

Do you think confidence and trust are the same. Sorry, but they’re not. Confidence is about them believing you know what you’re talking about. Can they believe what you say? Does it sound like bull or the real thing? To build confidence, humbly let them know what your background is. Notice I’ve already mentioned how long I’ve been doing this, and you probably thought – even if not consciously – “Well, if he’s done it that long, he’s got to know something.” (“I do,” he said blushingly.) Notice that I didn’t say, “I’m an expert with … ,” because words like expert, guru, master, etc., are titles that others give you. I routinely go through my social media accounts and delete anyone who says they are a “guru” or “master” because they never are. Let your experience do the talking.

What can you say to prove you know what you’re talking about? Can people see other things you’ve done? Do you have a good place where they can find them, like a blog or a Flickr account or a website? Just as employers want to see your résumé, people want to see your work. Seeing what you’ve done lets them make up their mind if they want to listen to you and believe you. It’s okay to put your experience out there, just be thorough, accurate, honest and a bit humble. If you’re just getting started, well, everyone has to start somewhere and now is your time.

Trust is something that builds after they get confidence in you. What good is it to have confidence in your ability to bring information regularly, but not trust everything you say? Trust means coming to you as a prime source of information delivered in a way that let’s them use it, and so that they can also share it with friends – people rarely share things they don’t trust. For instance, a phrase you don’t hear: “Check this pistol. It’s pretty flaky so don’t get mad because it will probably shoot your finger off.” Confidence brings them to you (well, that and curiosity or a referral) and trust keeps them there.

Your audience must trust your work to be accurate and fair in what you say. Sure, you can go with bombast and incendiary topics, but audiences who respond to that are, generally speaking, fickle and fade quickly. You want a dependable, long-lasting audience.

Next is engagement. How are you going to talk with them? What can you say to engage them in a conversation? It might be one sided, but what do you have that will hold their interest? Do you have info that they can’t do without, or that you format in a way that gives lots of direction to the best sources? How is your delivery? Are you engaging on camera? Have you studied the techniques of television personalities you like?

A caution: Be honest with yourself and find someone who looks and sounds a bit like you. If you look like Jonah Hill, Bobby Hill, Eric Cartman, the dancing creepy old guy on the Six Flags ads, Tommy Lee Jones or Jack Black, don’t emulate Matt Damon, Bruce Willis or George Clooney. Sure, take hints from their delivery, but be who you are just like all the ones in the first group. Use it to your advantage – poke a little fun at yourself and go with what you have. You are the most engaging person once you get a rhythm and learn a bit about delivering lines on-camera.

Get feedback from friends (careful asking family as their boundaries can be a bit far out) and watch yourself on the screen as objectively as you can. It’s tough to get a natural delivery and only a few have a totally believable delivery (they’re called stars – see the names mentioned above), so accept that you’re an amateur and have fun with it. If you take yourself too seriously, your audience won’t take you seriously at all. It takes time and practice so, keep at it and have fun.

Think of it this way: There are lots of grocery stores and restaurants, but we usually have a favorite. We drive past others to get there and do so gladly. Your audience will listen to you for reasons you might never know, but they’re there. The size of your audience is less important than their loyalty, and your consistently good work will keep them coming back.

As to your scripts, use small words and active phrases. Avoid the words will, should, could, might, etc., and use active words like is, does, has, goes, etc. “He might have a chance if the playoffs go well,” vs. “He has a chance with good playoff performance.” Which is more engaging and exciting – yea, the second one. Make statements, but make ones you can stand behind.

That’s it for today boys and girls. Here’s another one of mine that was well received. Cheers!

Who Defines Your Brand? From Business Lexington’s “Smiley Pete TV” channel on YouTube.

Please subscribe to this blog - it’s easy. Scroll down the left side of the page, at the bottom of the lists, there’s a box titled, “Meta.” Click where it says, “Entries,” and it’ll open a window to choose how you want to receive notices (email, etc.). Thanks!!!!!

How about some Facebook – please Like my page: Frank Communications Lexington

Also, there are videos on my YouTube channel, Franky Gee Lex, or at Business Lexington’s Channel, Smiley Pete TV, where I’ve got about 35 or so videos, many with folks I’ve interviewed.

Oh, yes, there’s my LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Quora. There are more, but that’s enough. Thanks!!

Posted in Yahoo, Google, YouTube, Video, Video Production, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank, Web development, writing, Frank Communications, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

3. February 2012 by Frank Goad.

That title sounds oh, so very scintillating, doesn’t it? It comes under the heading of, “Made you look.” What is the secret? You don’t have to be Hemmingway or Ayn Rand to be a good blogger. Surprise!! The most unlikely folks have created popular blogs that have enhanced their career and expanded their world.

The secret to blogging is to: A. Go with your strengths, and; B. Write only as much as it takes. One of the things that making a living entails for me is writing, and it comes naturally. I love to play with words, ideas, a clever turn of phrase, but, to many, that’s like walking with glass shards in their shoes.

I had a manager at Lexmark by the name of Ellen Fernandez. She was a great manager: Smart, organized, able to grasp goals and make things happen. Best of all, she is a wonderful person who believes that everyone has greatness in them and working for her was a joy. One day she said, “I’m betting I could lock you in a room with instructions to write all day, and you’d be very happy.” I agreed. She said, “That would be a day of torture for me. Ask me to spend the day analyzing spreadsheets and I’d love it. I see patterns in the numbers and trends many people miss.” Nevertheless, she was a good writer and her memos were clean, to the point and well structured.

My point is, you don’t have to create a masterpiece to share quality information. Writing is like anything else: The more you do it, the more proficient you become. You exercise the language part of the brain and it gets stronger. As the saying goes, “Begun is half done.”

If you believe you are good at what you do, and it’s something you like, then share your knowledge. Someone might live a better life after learning something you shared in a blog. Don’t worry if it’s blue ribbon prose because, if your information is accurate and understandable, people will be very forgiving. Be as brief as possible, use pictures and illustrations if you have them and, if grammar is a problem, get some help. There are plenty of services online that will critique your blog and help you eliminate any errors.

Besides sharing information, blogs also help you build a body of work that can become a reference for you and others. As time goes by, you’ll see a pattern develop and it can help you think more deeply about your career and profession. So, now the secret is out, and you have something new to share.

Please subscribe to this blog - it’s easy. Scroll down the left side of the page, at the bottom of the lists, there’s a box titled, “Meta.” Click where it says, “Entries,” and it’ll open a window to choose how you want to receive notices (email, etc.). Thanks!!!!!

Also, please Like my Facebook page: Frank Communications Lexington

Oh, yes, there are my other pages on LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Quora. There are more, but that’s enough.

Also, there are videos on my YouTube channel, Franky Gee Lex, or at Business Lexington’s Channel, Smiley Pete TV, where I’ve got about 35 or so videos, many with folks I’ve interviewed.

Posted in Social Media, FrankyGee3, Google, blogs, blogging, Frank Goad, Frank Communications, building business, The Long Tail, writing, creativity, search, Frank | Print | No Comments »

1. February 2012 by Frank Goad.

Video is about the most powerful tool on the web. YouTube has upgraded its looks and layout and has added more business-friendly features. Your YouTube or Vimeo channel can be your best marketing and advertising tool. In another post, I’ll talk about do-it-yourself video (cameras, mics, etc.), but today’s post (and a couple more in the future) is about the very basics of content.

First, remember to talk with your customers and prospects, not “at” them. Offer them information they can use in their everyday lives. If all you do is throw sales pitches out on the Web, you’ll soon be avoided, and then forgotten. Every business today must learn to help people understand why your product or service is important. If you help them understand that without resorting to a hard sell, they’ll respect you and be interested. Be an adviser, a purveyor of useful info, not a sales person.

Let’s say you sell fire extinguishers - the need for one in the home or office is obvious. What folks should also know is how to prevent fires or when to abandon that nice extinguisher and head for the door. Talk about advances in alarms and new fire-retardant fabrics. Do stories on new government regulations that might impact how they do their business, or force them to replace things to meet new fire safety codes. If you love your business, you’ll have much information to pass along in a video.

While you might be good at “winging it,” script what you want to say. Don’t get flowery or try to be profound, tell them what they should know simply and pleasantly. Put a computer monitor directly under the camera’s lens and put your script in PowerPoint. Use only the top third of the screen for your PowerPoint and have someone change the slides for you. Be sure to stand back about fifteen feet so that your script reading is less noticeable. If you’re close they’ll see your eyes looking under the lens, but standing back farther reduces that effect. Keep your shot from the waist up because close-ups can be dangerous unless you’re Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie.

Who should be on camera? You might be a great talent on video, or you might be bad, but at least give it a shot. If someone says, “Gee, you really ought to think about getting some help with that,” take it graciously. Not everyone is suited for doing video. Park your ego at the door because the last thing you want is a poor delivery distracting people from the message. The same goes for your family - just because little Sally or Johnny are really cute and smart, that doesn’t mean they or any other family member should be on the video. The main thing is to get folks to take you seriously and listen to the message, not be distracted by the person delivering it.

Keep the message to three minutes or less. Just about anyone will watch a three-minute video IF it’s interesting. If you can say it in two minutes, all the better. Add a short intro with your logo and a little music; at the end put contact info, your website and so on. Buy some royalty-free music online because using a popular song will get you a call from a lawyer and maybe more than that. You can buy nice music for as little as $5 for a song to use as your theme music; maybe less. Use the music at the open and close of the video.

This is barely the tip of the iceberg. Remember that the purpose is to let folks know you know what you’re doing, and to build rapport with them.  In part II of this series, we’ll talk about how to let folks know you have something for them to watch. I’ve put a link to one of the videos I’ve done so that you can see what I’m talking about. These were done in a small space with a decent camera and a couple of lights - very inexpensive, but still effective enough that Capella University picked it up for their online marketing classes. Cheers!

Positioning: A Core Element of Your Brand  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VmCx8Ic7qw&list=UUxvxQU1n03Fh301TbAzgxRQ&index=16&feature=plcp

Please subscribe to this blog - it’s easy. Scroll down the left side of the page, at the bottom of the lists, there’s a box titled, “Meta.” Click where it says, “Entries,” and it’ll open a window to choose how you want to receive notices (email, etc.). Thanks!!!!!

Or, how about some Facebook – please Like my page: Frank Communications Lexington

Also, there are videos on my YouTube channel, Franky Gee Lex, or at Business Lexington’s Channel, Smiley Pete TV, where I’ve got about 35 or so videos, many with folks I’ve interviewed.

Oh, yes, there’s my LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Quora. There are more, but that’s enough. Thanks!!

Posted in YouTube, Video, Sales, Video Production, Google, Social Media, Advertising, Public relations, business, relationships, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

15. December 2011 by Frank Goad.

My answering machine let me know I got a call after I left last night (it’s very considerate like that). It was from “Ashley” who claims to be “… the data service provider in (my) area for Google, Yahoo and Bing … ” and that she has ” … industry openings in my area.” Of course, I need to call quickly or they’ll disappear. Oh my! I’d better jump on that. … Not.

First, it was obviously a robo call because of the stutter-start where her name was repeated twice in exactly the same way, complete with recording noises. But that’s the least insidious thing about this.

Google, Yahoo and Bing don’t have a “data service provider” (?) in my area - especially for advertising - and that is a bogus claim anyway because no one agent officially handles all three search engine companies’ advertising sales. They are competitors and in no mood to share sales. This isn’t like a car dealer who can offer multiple manufacturer’s products; search engine companies don’t sell franchises. You can become certified as an expert with their products and services, but not a franchisee.

Next, she promised ” … front page placement on all three.” That’s pretty much what the search engines promise, too, and on every other page behind it when you buy from them due to their rotation system. If she could promise that on every search without having to put a huge bid figure on my ads, then I’d be interested.

To do that requires a gigantic ad budget and probably the use of black hat techniques that, if the search engine company finds out are being employed (and they usually do - they’re way smarter than 90% of the black hat folks out there), they ban you from advertising and often scrub other valuable accounts like Google Places or Yahoo Local and often delete your account. That means whatever progress you’d made on the web with search rankings is set back; sometimes, folks find themselves back at ground zero. In reality, you can place the ads yourself very easily and certainly without the markup “Ashley” is going to tack on to your bill, should you be crazy enough to use them. Worse, they might well be trolling for credit card numbers, ready to blow up your credit.

In the end, though, buying advertising without a strategy gives results that are far below what you could get if you have a strategy. Search engine ads are only one small part of the territory you have to cover these days. Knowing which things are most likely to work for you and how to employ them the right way is where I come in. Be assured, though, this isn’t an ad for me (well, maybe a little) but, instead, a plea for you to approach advertising in a planned way. The results are much better and you’ll get a far higher return from your investment.

I’ve placed a call to “Ashley” and went into “her” voice mail. I’m betting she won’t be the one calling back. I’ll continue this saga should anyone call back. I have a lot of questions for these folks and have every suspicion they’re completely bogus. Stay tuned, crime fighters!

Posted in Google, fraud, Yahoo, Bing, black hat, Internet crime, scams, building business, business, search, search engines, cyber security, Advertising | Print | No Comments »

2. November 2011 by Frank Goad.

Dumping some customers is good for business. For instance, there’s a drafthouse movie theatre out west that routinely kicks out customers. Why? For talking or texting during the movies - strictly verboten during the shows and evidently well documented on the walls and during the pre-movie trailers. One customer got escorted out for texting for which she sent an email brimming with profanityto the management. The theatre does some of its own ads and read the email in a spot aired before the movies. They closed it by saying they’re glad she’s not coming back. It’s a rather pointed warning for those in their seats, too.

A bad customer can cause good ones to leave simply because they don’t want to be around them. Yes, yes, yes — it is very tough to tell someone to hit the road and not come back. That goes against everything we have learned as business people. The number one thing we’re taught is, “The customer is always right,” and no, they’re not … well, I don’t think so. Sometimes they’re abusive, chiseling creeps who do their best to get one over, or get you to work for free and, well, you get the idea.

Generally, though, customers are right and if one customer is causing others to leave or complain, then the only reason to keep the troublesome customer is because they are giving you tons of money. If that’s the case, think creatively about how to work with them so that they’re isolated from other customers. Maybe you set up a Skype connection so that they can order without leaving their office. Maybe you visit them on their premises, or assign one person to deal with them in an office somewhere else at your place of business.

The other thing to question is, are they driving off customers and you don’t see it? Many folks just stop showing up and don’t voice their dissatisfaction or discomfort. The solution for this is to talk one-on-one with random customers as often as possible. Most won’t say anything unless it’s a fairly direct set of questions, so create a standard list that you ask all customers. You get a better sense of what’s working or not when your questions are standardized.

Don’t be afraid to cull the herd, thin the ranks, take the trash to the curb, and whatever saying you use. Sometimes, that’s all you can do, so don’t feel badly if it happens.

Posted in Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Customers, Frank Communications, retail, business, business relationships, building business, Public relations | Print | No Comments »

26. October 2011 by Frank Goad.

Before we start, I’m not trying to pick on you, belittle you or make you feel bad. This is about what you can do to improve your image and increase sales, and really good writing is a huge help. I cover this topic fairly often because I see examples daily of how people shoot themselves in the foot in the self-deluded idea that they are great communicators. Bad writing drives people away very, very quickly; good copy grabs and holds them.

Okay, back to the title: Yes, it’s sarcastic, but it’s a legitimate question: Do you really think you can write? Is it something you love to do? Have you been published more than two or three times? Have you attended workshops or webinars to improve your writing? Do you write something with at least 300 or 400 words every day, or at least several times a week? If the answer isn’t yes to these questions, you really need to think about your skill level. Writing is like any other activity – it takes regular practice to be good.

One of the things I do for a living is write and I do it for people who either don’t like writing, or don’t like it enough to want to spend the time, or they make a lot more money doing what they do best and would rather pay me. Be assured, these are smart, successful people, so their wisdom is probably something to absorb.

My point here is that if your writing isn’t really well-crafted, folks aren’t going to read it. If no one has ever paid you to write for them, that’s a sure sign you haven’t been exposed to the things that make ad copy and articles hold people’s attention and motivate them to do what you want. Good writing makes the cash register ring; bad copy does not.

By all means, though, you should write and try to improve your writing. Just as famous actors take acting lessons throughout their career, the best writers have editors, coaches and critics, too. The more you know about writing the better you express yourself in everyday life.

So, keep writing, and get help for your business needs. Yes, I’d love to work with you but, whether or not it’s me, get help. It’s an investment that pays great dividends and sets you apart from your competition.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Success, Web development, business relationships, building business, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

21. October 2011 by Frank Goad.

Social media and the Internet has changed customers expectations of their relationship with you - they expect to have a good idea of who you are, what you do, and so on, before they step foot in your place of business - and they changed the level of knowledge customers are armed with when they decide to give you their money. What does this mean? That you can find that your customers know more about your products or services than your employees know.

A 2010 study by IBM found that 55% of retailers say that customers are more connected to data than are their workers. Not surprisingly, 87% of retailers said that customers are using online shopping and comparison tools to find the best deals. This is a huge problem for two reasons:
- Customers enter into your store expecting higher levels of expertise from your staff than ever and,
- With their price knowledge, you have to be more competitive, which shrinks margins, which makes freeing capital for employee education even harder.

We’ve all seen the ads where someone talks to a store employee (usually wearing a blue shirt with yellow lettering - guess who) and they bumble and fumble when trying to answer a product question. That’s a nightmare for anyone in business, especially retail, if that happens in your store.

All this means that you have to work even harder to draw the customer in, make them feel at home and believe that shopping with you is preferred even if your prices aren’t the best they can find. A 2009 study by the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania reported five core aspects customers consider key to a great shopping experience:

1. Customer engagement: This means being polite, caring and genuinely interested in customers, and being available to help and listen at all times.

2. A Positive Brand Experience: Customers want to see an attractive store that is well laid out and filled with quality merchandise. This helps customers feel more special and feel greater value in shopping with you.

3. Execution: Patience, good advice, clear explanations, product availability, ample product knowledge - these are what customers expect every time.

4. Problem Recovery: Customers expect satisfaction when problems arise, to be treated fairly and compensated for their trouble, and to get satisfaction in the end.

5. Expeditious Transactions: Quick checkouts, easy shopping and other considerations of their time show that they matter … a lot. For some, this can be their sole measure considering how time compressed we are these days.

The big job that many businesses face is instilling these five aspects in employees, and then helping them reflect them in their interactions with customers. Properly applied, they will give customers’ a strong perception of the value you offer.

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12. September 2011 by Frank Goad.

Even though I’m starting a social media and marketing school (www.facebooklexington.com), social media isn’t the be-all and end-all. You’ll notice it’s a social media AND marketing school, because too many people are giving seminars on social media, but they’re not really telling you how to use it to its best effect. Some are treating it like it’s all you need, and that’s the real fallacy – social media is only one part of your marketing and should be part of an overall strategy. Some question whether it should be in the mix at all.

There is some discussion among the marketing mavens in the uppermost floors of skyscrapers in the world’s major cities, and the discussion centers on whether social media is worth it. Some major companies are not seeing the returns they expected on huge expenditures in social media. For instance, despite going viral, there is reason to believe that the Old Spice Man videos didn’t help sales; coupons and in-store promotions did. It could be argued that it bought mind share, but how do you know?

I believe it has to do with the fact that social media misses the mark for many folks. Why? Two big reasons:

A. Not enough people are doing social media right. What’s most important is not the number of friends, how often you post, how many people see your post, and so on. It’s how many people give you their money.
B.  People are throwing time and resources at it (which equals money - it’s not free like people tell you) without a real strategy. That is a recipe for waste and disappointment. When you post, are you leading up to something? Are you finding ways to tie your posts to your products or services?

The foremost question is, are you promoting your brand?

I love this quote from Johnathan Salem Baskin: “Brands don’t exist, at least not like rocks or tax returns. Brands are ideas that have no external existence or legitimacy apart from the creative agency of human experience. Brands aren’t things but rather conclusions, and therefore have no voice, reputation, attributes, or actions that aren’t the result of somebody doing something (or something happening to them).”

My main definition of brand is this: A brand is the promise of continued delightful experiences based on a history of delightful experiences. If you’ve read this blog, you know that I rave over the service and food at Bella Notte (go there and you’ll understand). The number one reason I do is, I’m delighted every time I’m there without fail. Do your customers have that unwavering loyalty? Do they post to FourSquare, Facebook, Twitter, Scoville, Yelp, etc., etc., etc.? Eating at Bella Notte here in Lexington compels me to tell the world … on social media. In one sense, it’s not what you post, it’s what everyone else posts for you.

Is social media a fad? No, it’s a constantly morphing electronic entity that has roots running back to the 80s. First it was dial up service and bulletin boards; now it’s social media on a variety of devices (even refrigerators) and who knows what tomorrow. Be ready to change.

In the end, social media is a way to measure sentiment and gauge your performance. You have to “prime the well” (a saying lost on many who use social media because they’re too young) and create conversations, then find ways to listen closely. You need to make it part of all your marketing. It needs a plan, goals, measurements and ways to judge the ROI. Don’t think it’s free because that will really cost you.

If you want help making it the most it can be with the least “wasted motion,” give us a call. It does work, if you know how.

Frank Communications Lexington, 859-335-8742, our Website (click here), our Facebook page

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24. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

I find there are three kinds of questions that my clients ask: A. Those of piercing insight; B. Those of curiosity or the need for more info, and; C. Those that tax any form of belief.

A. I love, love, love getting the A-types. They make my job so much easier and the clients see much better results. Sometimes they occur when a concept I’m explaining lights up inside their head and they see the big(ger) picture; other times, they happen when they take what they’re given and come up with something entirely new. These questions (or observations) are a bit rare and usually come when I’ve been working with someone for awhile.

B. These make up the majority of questions that I get and occur during the discovery and strategy portions of our relationship. Given that Frank Communication’s modus operandi is pretty comprehensive (we look at the whole company/picture, not just a small aspect), and that we ask a LOT of questions, clients don’t always see the connections we’re working toward. As we spend time together, they see what’s going on and get excited, and then the questions come: “Hey, what if …?”, “That sounds like something I saw last week – did you see … ?”, or “Ohh, I get it … does this mean we’ve been … ?” These are exciting because these questions lead to an A question if they’re going to happen.

C. The incredible ones in this category aren’t what you might think: They usually don’t come from ignorance but, instead, come from misinformation. They can start with “Well, I’ve got a friend who said X, so don’t you think we should … ?”, or,  ”Yeah, well, I heard about X and heard about someone who tried it and X happened – shouldn’t we try that?”, or a variation of those.

C-type questions are understandable, though, because so much has changed about advertising and marketing in the last six years, and some changes are a bit drastic. Folks are often taking advice from people who are shooting in the dark (often at their foot), or they’re reading books written by someone who’s really persuasive but ill-suited to be giving advice, or who is simply giving bad advice. Sometimes it’s because folks are desperately confused and grabbing at straws or, even more bewildering and touchy, a good friend tried something that worked for them, but which doesn’t work so well for my client for one or more reasons (timing, content, budget, etc.).

When I get C-type questions, I’m glad because that means we’re making progress. It often happens that when folks have a bad experience, although they might be wary, they now have a base of information that helps them make sense of what will help.

The most important thing is to keep asking questions. Sure, sometimes the questions sound dumb, but that’s okay because that’s how we learn, and the more we learn the better off we are. A, B or C, it doesn’t matter because you’ll probably only have to ask any of them once.

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18. August 2011 by Frank Goad.

My wife, Deborah, and I went back to Bella Notte tonight mostly because, as I’ve said before, you always get a great meal there plus great service, and also to see what sort of reaction there was to my posts after the last visit. This was by no means a test, but it would tell me several things. What did I find out … I mean besides the fact that the food and service were excellent as always?

I saw that they get the whole service thing in ways many business owners haven’t begun to fathom. Not only did let the entire staff know what was said the next day after they hit the Internet, they also thanked me tonight for the posts - servers and manager alike. This is important for several reasons, including:

A. It shows they communicate with their staff … a lot
B. They are watching the Web for comments being made about them and using them as a tool
C. They have a very good grasp of the power of Web 2.0 (or 2.5 or whatever someone decides we’re up to)
D. They are integrating this smart marketing into their daily customer relations

There are many other reasons why this is important, but none more so than letting a customer know that you really care about their thoughts, feelings and satisfaction time and time again. Who checks on this? Mr. Toyoda himself.

Kuni Toyoda, the founder of Bella Notte, Fazoli’s and Smashing Tomato, is a smart marketer and, by all accounts, a good man. He and his wife eat at their restaurants almost every night. This is more than “eating one’s own cooking” (to quoin a phrase), it’s leadership. This shows his staff that he cares and pays attention to what they’re doing and what the customer reactions to his product and service are.

So, again, if you want a great meal and a really good lesson in customer service, tool on over to Bella Notte. Tell’em I sent you, but don’t expect anything for that - special treatment is standard whether my name is mentioned or not.

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