16. January 2011 by Frank Goad.

When it comes to clients, I deal with several kinds. Some of the titles are listed below are admittedly my own creations. The list goes from successful to not-s0-successful folks. Maybe you’ll spot yourself in this list:

• Free thinkers - Full of off-the-wall ideas and creative approaches, but not always practical or affordable
• Trendsetters - These are the folks out on the bleeding edge, often the ones who start a local trend; think Malcolm Gladwell’s “influencers”
• Early adopters - Maybe not the first in line, but not far back
• Practicalistics - Folks who take a practical, well-reasoned approach; willing to try new things, but need assurances that it stands a good chance of success
• Willing conservatives - They’ll listen to ideas, but would rather stay near the mainstream
• Long-rangers - These folks are some of the best to work with, and most challenging, because they take a longer view than most and want things worked out to the “nth” degree
• Glamorettes - See advertising primarily in terms of publicity, not persuasion (like to appear in their ads), and let that guide their judgment of plans and ideas (and, yes, there are better ways to approach it); remember, this ain’t Hollywood
• Hyper-hypers - They want to make a big splash with lots of hype and bombast, which doesn’t hold up over the long term; these guys have a sub-group called Megaphoners, who make lots of noise that simply annoys
• Hoppers -These folks hop back and forth between spend-don’t spend, run it-no wait, and so on; the deep and abiding value of consistency seems lost on them
• Scaredy Cats - Their thinking is almost totally governed by fear despite the probable return on their investment; sometimes cheat themselves by being fearful of losing a dollar, or often guilty of short-range thinking and shorter-range plans which, in marketing and advertising, are almost always self-defeating
• Zombies - Despite the fact that in the last five years everything has changed about advertising, marketing, communication and personal technology, they keep doing the same old thing, and often because, “That’s the way we’ve always done it,” which is the worst reason; also wonder why their business is near dead, too, and sucking the life out of them

Of these two, Scaredy Cat and Zombies are the most pitiful because they let fear (of change, adversity, the unknown, etc.) rule their thinking. Everyone knows that the Internet and mobile devices have not only changed marketing and advertising, but society and culture, too. Every year new devices arrive and add another huge wrinkle in how things work and you can adapt or be lostl

Go back to when fax machines became de rigueur in every office and sped communications and business transactions to new levels. You were considered regressive if you didn’t have one, and yet, people resisted. The same attitude exists today and is often exhibited when people say, “Oh, it’s just a fad,” or, “This is a business and Facebook is for play.”

Another example: Despite the overwhelming evidence that blogs are a boon to a business, some companies still won’t allow them because they are terrified of bad publicity. If you get a little bad publicity, so what? Bad publicity can turn out good for you and your business if you handle it well. In the end, if you’re running your business ethically and professionally, you have nothing to fear. Beyond that, how bad can something in your company be, scardey cat? Unless you’re charging for funerals and not burying the bodies, you’re probably pretty safe.

I had lunch with an insurance agent friend who’s trying hard to bring his company a bit closer to the 21st century. While he has a manager on his side, he has two “really old school” guys who can’t imagine what Facebook and Twitter can do for their business - zombies. He even had to get clearance to have a personal Facebook page. The shame of it is that they’re cheating the company out of revenues and him out of commissions.

Open your mind and look around.There are more and better ways to connect with customers than ever.

Posted in FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank Communications, writing, Frank | Print | No Comments »

13. January 2011 by Frank Goad.

You just got a coupon in the mail - wow! 50% off! You rush to the store and score a killer deal on a new whatsit by Whosis Electronics – you’ve wanted that one for months. Basking in the warm glow of zero buyer’s remorse, you decide to go back and look for other items in your mental shopping list.

Next visit, you see sale items, but discounts are a paltry 10% or 15%. After 50%, all the prices seem too high, and there’s the rub: Your expectations were set based on your first purchase.

This can become a trap and, worse, a habitual way of doing business. I’m going to talk about Kohl’s and, to be sure, I shop there often and like their stores. I’ve noticed they always seem to have (guesstimate here) roughly 50%-70% of their merch on sale. It makes me skip regular priced merch and, worse, think their retail prices are artificially high so that any sale item seems to be a bargain. They seem addicted to sales with crazy discounts.

I see companies having 50% off sales. If you’re in an inventory or tax crisis, sure, it makes sense. Short of a crisis, it devalues your image and overall value in the customer’s eyes. They ask, “If you can discount 50%, then are your regular prices too high?” It also makes customers wait to see what your next sale is going to be if they are loyal; if they’re not, they’re going to shop you to death.

So, what about Groupon, which so many people are saying is the next wave? Well, ask yourself this: When I buy, do I look for value or the cheapest price. You might say, “That depends on the item or service,” and indeed it does. But go one step further and ask: Which builds real, true value in the customer’s eyes, coupons or being the best at what we do? Obviously, the latter.

Your competition might be discounting like crazy, and that means they might be addicted to coupons. They’re trying to make up lost margin in volume, but that’s a plan with diminishing returns (and that’s a whole other post for later). Sure, every now and then, coupons are a good idea, but be very, very frugal. Build value with customers first, then discounts seem like a reward, not a desperate move.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, building business, business, Advertising, Frank, damage, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

10. January 2011 by Frank Goad.

2011 looks to be an interesting year. The economy is picking up, technology is marching ever faster and we all are going mobile.

The Environment: The world is getting greener, and that is a GREAT thing. Sure, clean air and less carbon is a good thing. Just as good is our ability to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources. Now, if our infrastructure holds up (the wires that bring us the “juice”) gets some of the additions that the utilities and the government keep discussing, we’ll be able to continue using less oil. Even diesel trucks are getting cleaner. Caterpillar released a hybrid bulldozer in 2010 - yes, it uses electricity and diesel - after years of research and it looks like a winner. That should help them continue to be a major world player. After all, the railroads have been using a system like that for years, so why shouldn’t transportation and construction benefit, too?

The bad news is that glaciers continue to melt at an ever faster pace. You might think, “So what?” It means that the delicate balance of this earth is dangerously out of kilter. This isn’t me preaching, it’s me saying that denying it is whistling past the graveyard. You don’t have to re-make your or your family’s life, just take it one little change at a time. Make one environmentally sound act a habit (recycling, taking bags to the grocery, driving a wee bit more conservatively - you know what to do) and, once that’s something you automatically do, add another.

If you need motivation, just remember this one saying: We are only borrowing this world from our children - how will you return it to them?

The Economy: Unless there is a disaster of Biblical proportions, Americans should end the year better than they started it. There are those pessimists (yes, more prognosticators) who say that the Republicans will do nothing to fix the economy until after 2012 election but, since they now have the House, that’s giving the Dems two years of ammo, and that doesn’t seem wise to me. Those darlings, Goldman-Sachs (yes, I know - they have a history, but they’re not stupid, either) said this about 2011’s economy:

“Our revised forecasts for 2011 and our first forecasts for 2012 tell a story of continued global recovery. Most striking, given our long-standing downbeat view on the US, we now show a substantial acceleration in our US growth view.”

They’re even saying that there has been growth since ‘09, but not enough to budge employment. They think that could well change this year. Let’s hope so.

As to dire economic predictions, some of these folks are clueless, some are born pessimists (”It’s gonna storm!” Ten days later it does, “See, I told you so!”) and some will do anything for a headline. In the end no one knows, but a stubborn willingness to cooperate with pessimists will make even the worst of times better. (For the ultimate proof of that philosophy, read Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning.” You’ll never see life the same way again.)
Technology: Texting is mainstream now and around 2.5 billion (yes, billion) text messages are sent every day (I think my daughter is a major contributor to that).

Last year, we saw “hacktivism” – hacking by political activists – really play out in ways we couldn’t have predicted. The Stuxnet worm that attacks the Siemens software that runs chemical plants, manufacturing facilities and (gulp) nuclear plants caused much head scratching in the security world and, for some time, was bare contained, if it was at all.

It seems we’re in that age where a virtual vs. physical crime world is being played out, and the balance seems more and more to tip into the virtual world. We truly are headed into a 1984/Brave New World/I Robot era that will pit the best and brightest on both sides of the line against each other. The lure of easy money with diminished chances of apprehension are drawing many bright young minds into the cyber crime world. It seems the release of the new Tron is rather timely.
There is hope, though, in the form of companies like IBM, HP and other large multi-nationals buying or merging with security firms. While they’ve not ignored security, it has always seemed like an afterthought to me. With these combined forces, perhaps computer security will be stronger than ever because:
• The big companies have the resources and capital to create better security measures
• They “bake” security into their products to create systems that can better defend themselves
• They have a global view that allows them to track trends, activity and malware better
My prediction is that Blockbuster closes most of its stores in metro areas because there are so many ways to get movies streamed in … and out. Slingbox and other devices, including Dish Networks new unit (with a service called TV Anywhere), allow you to watch TV and other content anywhere you can get a reasonably fast connection (meaning Wi-Fi, 4G or LTE at this point).

Tablets and ebook readers are sprouting like dandelions and the prices (as you’d expect) continue to fall. There are rumors of a tablet coming from India that will sell for $99 or less. This means that the schools that have been pushing to get laptops into students hands can now put tablets in them for much less.

Politics: What’s coming with Congress? You have got to be kidding. Predicting what that bunch of clowns is going to do is like saying exactly where the next meteor will fall.

I think what we will see is that,  in the wake of the tragic shooting of Rep. Giffords’ and the other poor souls, some of the fiery rhetoric will taper. With any luck, folks like Beck, Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Maddow and all the other blowhards – wait, I think we’re supposed to call them pundits and broadcasters – will realize that their screeching does more than help their ratings: It causes harm.

For a long time, I’ve been a broken record saying over and over that these folks have a main, overriding purpose. It is not to espouse truth and the American Way. It is to get ratings so that the broadcasting companies can sell more ads. They act all righteous and patriotic, but the real purpose is to get more and more listeners and enrich their coffers and those of their employers.

Please, please, PLEASE don’t fool yourself into thinking that they really care. If they did, they’d run for office where they can actually roll up their sleeves, get dirty and make a difference. As it is, way too many broadcasters are shrill voices that are often wrong or mean-spirited. Even Sarah Palin has gotten smacked around a bit in the wake of the Arizona shootings for previously using what looks like cross hairs on a map of political targets. They have responded with the typical eye-rolling over-response, bleating that casting any blame on them is “disgusting” and “revolting.” Whatever.

In the end, the year will largely come down to what we make it. Mine’s going to be good with last week being an exception (much weirdness right off the bat). I hope you’ll resolve to be of the same mindset. If not, scroll down to the video of the man with no legs and only little flippers for arms, and then try to tell me you’ve got problems.

Posted in environment, the economy, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, 2011, business, left wing, backlash, right wing, Frank, shipper, responsibilities | Print | No Comments »

28. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Definition: “Delight - To take or give great pleasure or joy.”  You often hear companies being told to “Delight your customers.” You definitely should do that, but let’s go over the definition of “delight” as it is a bit overblown in some of the things I’ve been reading, especially in light of the definition I use and how it relates to brands and marketing.

Going over the top with offers and special deals is for the 20% of your customers in the 80/20 rule (80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers). Most folks don’t have the time or resources to lavish great attention on every customer, much less get employees to really care enough to do it (the last paragraph address this).

My personal definition of a brand is, “A brand is a promise of repeated delightful experiences based on a history of delightful experiences.” Given that the customer owns your brand, and you or your clients do not, it’s up to them to decide what’s delightful or not.

There are so many times when we go to see, buy or do something and the experience falls short of what is promised in ads. Consistently good results for our investment of time and/or money makes us happy - delighted, if you will - because being disappointed is so common. Getting what we feel is fair value for our time and money is delightful.

Customers should be delighted every time they do business with you or your client; i.e., they should be quite pleased or feel a bit of joy. Coke and McDonald’s delight customers with every purchase. How so? Well, water, bread and lunch meat will satisfy hunger and thirst but, on a hot, dusty, day, a cold Coke is (say it with me) delightful. When you’re pressed for time, a hot, grilled chicken sandwich on a whole grain bun with lettuce, tomato and mayo is a damn sight better than a pack of cheese crackers from a gas station, especially if an ice cold Coke is served with it. If I’m really, really hungry and an hour from anywhere that sells food, finding a pack of cheese crackers is - you guessed it - delightful. I’m not overjoyed by my discovery (unless it’s my first meal in days), but I am delighted.

Let’s say I own a junk yard and a person calls me looking for a part after calling five other yards. I have the part and they’re delighted, and I was simply doing was my job. That puts me at the top of their list for next time. When they call again - and I’ll likely be the first call after being their part savior before - and I don’t have the part, I offer to locate it for them, and that makes them happy. To go one further (and keep the business), I offer to get it sent to my store, they’re delighted and, again, I’m just doing what I do. Even junk yards can delight customers.

I’m delighted when:

• I can help my clients set higher marketing and advertising standards

• We educate all  their employees about the value and importance of those standards and how their contributions help everyone (”A rising tide lifts all boats”)

• We put systems and rewards in place to ensure that measurable goals are achieved and perpetuated

• They make excellent internal and external communications about their products, services and company the rule

Why am I delighted and not overjoyed? Because what I described is my job as a marketer. I’m overjoyed when they come back and have added ten, twenty or thirty percent to what I set out. Now, THAT’S some serious, overwhelming, tear-jerking joy! 

Posted in retail, Branding, building business, Success, delight, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank Communications, business relationships, business, advertisers, responsibilities, Advertising, Frank, "The Frankifesto", training, business plan, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

28. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

This video contains words of wisdom for anyone. He talks about the character and qualities of men, but what coach Lombardi says applies to anyone, anytime, anywhere. Suggestion: Copy this link and watch this often.

Posted in Winning, Discipline, Success, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Character, Friends, relationships, Frank, business relationships, building business, leadership, responsibilities | Print | No Comments »

24. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Mission statements should be living documents, and Wendy’s is one of the best I’ve ever seen. A person could adopt theirs as their own and do well in life. Mission statements are important and, when done thoughtfully and thoroughly, can keep a company moving forward. I like Wendy’s in particular because it’s concise and uses easily understandable language. Nothing fancy, just good, old-fashioned operating principles that point straight ahead.

While many mission statements are full of lofty, often obtuse language, the one below is simple and unmistakable. The one we had at Lexmark was over-the-top and laden with too many points. A mission statement’s main points should be easily remembered and get to the very deepest core of what is important. It should serve as a guiding light to everyone in the organization, and to your customers as an assurance that your goal is to take care of them.

Wendy’s Mission Statement, “What We Believe,” is a list of simple, easy-to-remember guidelines that serve as an internal mission statement and an external customer service goal. Any company or person that follows this mission statement will have friends and customers for life.

* QUALITY IS OUR RECIPE - We don’t cut corners on our products, service, or employees.

* TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT - Be genuine and kind and lend each other a helping hand.

* DO THE RIGHT THING - Honesty and integrity are rules we live by.

* PROFIT MEANS GROWTH - Teamwork is the key to our success.

* GIVE BACK - Make your community better every day. 

Posted in retail, building business, leadership, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, business relationships, relationships, Frank, responsibilities, "The Frankifesto", business plan, business, Advertising | Print | No Comments »

22. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

A CHRISTMAS PLEA: If you’re considering getting a pet for someone this Christmas, please, please, PLEASE consider adopting from a humane society. There are thousands upon thousands of loving pets waiting for homes. I can tell you from long experience that adopted dogs and cats understand how lucky they are - they are simply more loyal and loving.

The dog you see pictured here is another of our rescues and she is one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I’ve owned dogs all my life and, without a doubt, strays and adoptions from the “pound” have always been the best. Dogs have an intelligence that is different from ours, but their love is just the same. They show joy, grief, humor and a whole spectrum of other emotions. Like us, they want to belong and, after being rescued from being lost and alone, they understand the difference and appreciate being taken in.

You might say that I’m anthropomorphizing animals or projecting human values onto a “dumb animal,” but I can assure you that what I say is real and true. If you don’t know, then you’ve not allowed yourself the joy of having a companion who provides unconditional love regardless of your mood or actions; a companion whose loving and giving nature includes more forgiveness than we as humans can ever muster.

Here’s a benefit of a “mutt” that many don’t consider: Mixed breeds are quite often smarter because their bloodlines are broader. Yes, I’ve owned purebreds, too, and they were never as smart as my mixed breeds. Too many breeders stay within a bloodline and, as anyone who’s had high school biology can tell you, that’s inbreeding and that often leads to mental retardation, physical problems and even bad dispositions. My mutts are hardier and much easier to live with.

So, help out a furry friend and adopt from a Humane Society.

Posted in Adoption, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Humane society, Animals, Frank, writing, Friends, general | Print | No Comments »

14. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

 For anyone who says Facebook is evil, or that LinkedIn is nothing but a time-suck, you might want to think again. “Trend spotter” Marian Salzman, in her latest work, “11 Trends for 2011,” points out something about social media you might want to consider when making your advertising and marketing plans for next year.

“People around the world are losing faith. Many Americans, for example, have lost trust in their politicians, their institutions, heir media and the direction of the nation. To compensate because they haven’t lost trust in self-reliance and faith in echnology), they are looking to their networks, turbocharged by omputers and the Internet.The Network Effect is making good n its promise. …

“With almost 2 billion Internet users worldwide (including 239 million in the U.S., 51 million in the U.K., 45 million in France, 81 million in India and a whopping 420 million in China), there’s a virtually unlimited supply of people out there who can meet anyone’s networking needs—whether it’s old friends, new buddies, lovers, advocates, employers, partners, suppliers, fellow enthusiasts, fellow sufferers, co-religionists or people to just
hang out with. There’s a new sense of unlimited possible partners for anything from recovery to marriage.

“As world citizens continue to embrace social media—from Facebook,Twitter and LinkedIn to Orkut, QQ and Copains ’avant—they are realizing that keyboards and mobile devices can also facilitate real conversations and mediate real human connections. (Although, in a related aside, we’ve been witnessing an interesting decline in people’s personas on social media— from an authentic expression of self to a measured, calculated
projection of values—with attendant societal implications both online and off.*) The more niche the passion, the more social the match experience. And as time goes by, the interactions will build into rich, detailed connections and an ongoing sense of ambient awareness—true connectedness to a wider network of
people. ”

*I believe it’s because people are smarter and realize that, once you post something online, it’s there forever, like it or not.

Posted in Web development, Branding, building business, writing, retail, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, Frank Communications, business relationships, relationships, PR, Frank, Advertising, Public relations, The Long Tail, business, self-employment, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

8. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

I am absolutely furious and know there’s not one damn thing I can do about it. A person close to me - one of the sweetest, most gentle people on earth - was humiliated in an airport recently. It was uncalled for and showed how dangerous our government is getting. Why dangerous? Because we’re putting systems in place that have inadequate quality measures. Put another way, we’re putting incompetent, untrained people in positions of authority without proper guidance and oversight, then wonder why there are so many stories of abuse and humiliation in public places.

The person was going to board a plane, hence had to go through TSA security, and opted out of being irradiated in the x-ray machines (not the real device name, I know, but the effect is the same). They chose the manual search instead because this person has an ostomy bag – a huge burden unto itself – and didn’t want that displayed on a screen for all to see. The TSA agent feels the bag and takes them into a room for a search. But wait, it gets much worse.

In their infinite paranoia, the TSA agent orders them to put their clothes around their ankles and under their arm pits with everything inbetween exposed. They decide to swab for gunpowder - yes, gunpowder on an ostomy bag - get in the middle of the procedure, leave the room for another swab and leave the door wide open exposing my friend to everyone passing by. That is unforgivable and humiliating. If the agent were working for a private company, they’d have recourse. Since they’re a government agent, all the aggrieved can do is file a complaint, and that has all the impact of a paper fan in a hurricane. Even if the complaint is filed, it’s quite likely the employee will hear nothing whatsoever, meaning their incompetence will be perpetuated.

Now, imagine if that was you or someone you love. Who deserves that sort of rank humiliation? How totally incompetent or stupid can someone be? What’s worse is that, if you raise hell, then they lock you up and further humiliate you for hours to spite you for daring to show anything but ultimate patience in the face of unreasonable or incompetent behavior. We are at the mercy of employees who are often not suited for dealing with the public, much less security issues. To be sure, the TSA has some good employees, but what recourse do we have when dealing with those like this person had to deal with?

What’s worse is that, now that I’ve dared to speak up about this, it’s not unlikely that I’ll be put on some sort of watch list. I could well be the next person humiliated by a TSA agent and subjected to harassment. To be honest, I sort of expect it now. Why? There are myriad stories of folks who speak up and find themselves in the situation they protest about. As an American, this galls me.

This is bad, folks, and we’re the cattle they’re herding. Please spread this post because our liberties and right to dignity are going down the tubes. Perhaps George Orwell was right.

Posted in strip search, airport security, watch list, Frank Communications, FrankyGee3, Frank Goad, TSA, training, Frank, backlash, damage, PR, Public relations, responsibilities | Print | No Comments »

7. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Watch this video and see if you don’t feel blessed, fortified and stronger.

Posted in leadership, relationships, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, "The Frankifesto", Public relations, Marketing, blessings, Frank, PR, general | Print | No Comments »

2. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Lexington, Kentucky, is truly blessed to have Ronnie Bastin as our police chief. I’ve know him for around twenty years and he has always been an outstanding man. We met not long after he was promoted to sergeant and, even then, you could tell that he was going to have a great career. Bastin is intelligent, thoughtful and a born leader.

He graciously agreed to be my subject for the Business Lexington “Quick Biz Bites” videos that I do. During the interview, he said something that I think crystallizes the attitude a true leader has. He said, “It kind of gets under my skin when I hear someone say that they ‘… have thirty people working for them.’ When people ask me how many I have working for me, I say that ‘I work for over four hundred people.’” He recognizes the responsibility he has to his staff, his managers and the city of Lexington and is quite humble about it.

He is working hard to train his squads to know what great leadership looks like and leads by example. The department’s progress is outstanding. We should all be grateful to have a man with such sterling character leading the people who guard our town. Thank you, chief.

Posted in leadership, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, balance, business relationships, Frank, Public relations, business, blessings | Print | No Comments »

23. November 2010 by Frank Goad.

Consistency and brevity are critical factors in getting lodged deeply into your customer’s minds. Finding one thing that says, “This is me,” and using it every time is a major part of getting remembered. We all remember what IBM, UPS, FBI and GM stand for. Here are some tips on creating that same sort of brief, memorable image for yourself. Before we start, though, what I’m describing will probably need the help of a good graphic artist. No matter how simple it is, if it’s executed well, it will do wonders over time; if done poorly, it will disappoint.

Here’s an example: A. What did your husband or wife wear yesterday?; B. What did they wear one week ago today? You might answer A, but few can answer B. What was the UPS guy wearing yesterday and one week ago? Everyone gets that one, and that’s the power of simplicity and consistency. UPS has used “Brown” to multiply their marketing dollars by ensuring that many folks will think of UPS if someone says “brown.” Your goal is to find something very, very simple in previous ads, brochures and other marketing things to create something that identifies you and you alone. An easy place to start is picking a certain color and using it everywhere as UPS has. Paint your trucks or your offices and building with that color.

Next, couple that with a very simple figure to create a sort of icon. UPS has the shield and IBM has the shutter-looking logo. Start by looking at the tools of your trade. If you are you a plumber, then maybe a pipe wrench held in a hand is a good icon. Pick something and get a graphic artist to make a simplified visual representation of it – the simpler the better. It might take a few tries, but sooner or later, you’ll find something that “speaks to you.”

For instance, about twenty years ago, I designed the logo for Central Kentucky Research Associates. It is simply one line for the profile of a face which looks into a microscope that is only two lines – three lines total. You can see it today on the building that houses their offices on Richmond Road.

Next, look at your customers and figure out what description fits most of them. That is to say, are they business customers or consumers? Are they old, middle-aged or young? Do they live in the city or the country? What is their income? If you’ve never done this, it’s very, very important to know this because it helps focus on customers that bring you the most business, and helps you frame your efforts in ways that speak to them. What it does, though, is help you determine the style. If your products appeal to young folks, then do something light hearted. Older folks might appreciate something solid, like the column of a building.

This can also be combined to create a statement. Using the hand holding a pipe wrench example, perhaps you use the word “TRUST” under it. This makes a very simple statement: “We’re the plumber you can trust.” After a while, you can use the icon or the word separately, but go slowly on that. You have to be sure they know it well first. When they do, it becomes a visual shorthand for your company’s name. We all know UPS means United Parcel Service, but we prefer UPS because it’s short, convenient and memorable.

Here’s today’s question: What is the shorthand for you or your company or brand?

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Branding, building business, Advertising, Frank, UPS, Marketing | Print | No Comments »

23. November 2010 by Frank Goad.

I get an email in my box from time to time telling me that I have a new subscriber. Some of them are legit, but some have names like “free annual credit report.” So, do me a favor: If you’re a subscriber, comment on this post and tell me why you subscribed. What do you want to see? What have you read that you liked? Even the bogus ones of you out there, let me know how you found this blog. Were you simply scraping for emails?

It’s really a small thing that I ask because my career is based on the ability to communicate ideas from one source to an audience. If you asked why I do it, I suppose I’d have to say that I’m a hopeless do-gooder who thinks that enriching other’s lives is important. I do that by spreading (ostensibly) useful info.

So, if anything I’ve written has been helpful or interesting in any way no matter how small, let me hear from you.

Posted in Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, writing, "The Frankifesto", responsibilities, Frank, Left-handed cow milkers, welcome | Print | No Comments »

26. October 2010 by Frank Goad.

“Dwell time” is an oft overlooked but highly valuable time your customer spends considering your company. It’s defined as the time a customer spends with you in the absence of buying or being assisted with a sale. It’s when they’re browsing, waiting to talk with someone or simply killing time because someone else is involved with you or your personnel. 

Believe it or not, you want to increase your customer’s dwell time, but you want to guide them in it. You have the power to make it enjoyable and entertaining with some attention to detail. For instance, do you have a showroom? Is it clean and well organized? Is the lighting appropriate for the displays? Are there comfortable chairs? Can they get a drink of water or a cup of coffee? Are the merchandise displays laid out in a way that encourages customers to leisurely browse? Does it provide a positive sensory experience?

If you don’t have a showroom, then you must make the main contact point as friendly, inviting and engaging as possible. If it’s a brochure, is it small and packed tightly to save money? If so, you probably cost yourself more money than you could ever save because, if customers won’t read it, you don’t get sales. The most inviting print pieces have plenty of open space (white space, negative space, etc.). If a page is too busy or crowded, the reader’s brain quickly passes it by because it causes mental or emotional confusion or conflict. Packing as much as possible in to persuade them can actually do the opposite. In design terms, less is more.

Is their first contact a product sample? This is where the “first impressions last” rule must be considered. If possible, make a sample its own little presentation. Rather than have only the product be what they see, use a printed bag or box with a picture, the name and a some basic information on the back – keep it very simple. This does two things: A. It makes it seem like a present (and not just extra stock), plus it’s a bit like unwrapping one, and; B. It helps ensure that they remember your product’s name and image. Yes, this does cost more, but the emotional experience helps build your brand more strongly in their mind and gets them to dwell on your product longer. When you might have only one shot and you can’t be there to talk about it, it better be good.

If you have a showroom, look at the lighting. The human eye is drawn to the brightest thing within its field of vision. You want display areas well lit, and you also want to have the room light lower than the highlights on your displays. This creates attractive zones for the eyes, highlights the products and helps the customer’s brain focus on what you want them to see. Again, if your showroom is crowded, simplify it because people like a feeling of space and room (Americans are particularly needful of this).

Take the way Apple does its stores. They are somewhat Spartan, clean-looking and they use spotlights to bring out their electronics – you almost have to look at their products if only because there are so few distractions. How do you know it works? They can barely keep product in their stores – do you have that problem? Another example is large retail chains like Macy’s. Look at their ceilings and notice how many spotlights they use. They know that lighting leads people where they want them to go by creating attractive visual zones.

If you have e-commerce on your site, it’s a natural tendency to try to tell folks everything all at once, but that’s not how we learn, or buy. If they linger on the site, they are more likely to buy because they’ve had a pleasant experience. So, keep your home page uncluttered and provide lots of navigation clues so that they can always tell where they are and how they got there - the first sign of confusion means they’ll likely bolt. Do usability testing on your site (or as you’re building it – don’t wait until the end as that’s too late) by putting a customer in a chair, put a video camera on the screen and see where they go. Are they going where you want them to? Where do they linger? After you’ve done a few of these, you’ll have a very good idea whether or not your design is working.

So, dwell for a time on your spaces and see where you would dwell.

Frank Goad is president of Frank Communications, a marketing and advertising consulting firm specializing in helping small- and medium-sized businesses grow and prosper. www.frankcomlex.com, 859-619-5050

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19. August 2010 by Frank Goad.

A friend of mine admitted today that he needs help with his advertising copy. It took courage to admit that. The sad thing is, there are so many people who won’t admit it (or their ego says that they’re good), and then they wonder why their ad doesn’t “pull” or their brochures are met with jaw-breaking yawns. I’m amazed at how many people are convinced that they can write good ad copy despite having no experience or training. Getting A’s in college English is not a good measure of your ability nor is having a neighbor say, “Wow, you oughta be a writer.”

For instance (and I’ve seen similar examples dozens of times), someone writes, “and best of all, it’s free!” If being free (or low cost or inexpensive or … ) is the best thing about your product, then you don’t have much to offer. The sentence degrades the product or service and psychologically pushes them away from you.

A local direct mail piece came to me the other day with this sentence:”You will have more enjoyment from this (product) than you will expect to have!” That is one of the weakest sentences ever written, besides being a mish-mash. Despite sounding like the text on many foreign websites, it was sent by a Lexington company. That’s an extreme example, but lesser offenses push people away from you, too.

Local P.R. guru Douglas Alexander and I have often discussed the differences in our writing styles. We have somewhat settled on this difference (and this is not hard and fast): P.R. is more reactive in nature and marketing is more proactive. He often writes in response to something (like a pending piece of legislation), and I often write to cause something (like getting someone to be my client’s customer). My writing often carries more “force” because it has a CTA (call to action) that is designed to compel the reader to do something.

Neither is better than the other and our discussions center on why one style fits a situation better than another. We have different roles and have shaped our writing skills over decades of experience to adopt the best tone and style based on the target audience, publication it’s published in and the product/service/issue/etc.

If you need a video, you don’t hire the neighbor’s fourteen-year-old son … well, I hope you don’t. Likewise, if you want to tell the world why they should come see you, get someone who knows best how to do that. So, unless you write for publication or advertising for outside interests, get some help. Whether you hire me or someone else, work with a professional writer.

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