The Two Business Fundamentals Many Entrepreneurs Miss

There are tons of resources on the market on how to launch a business.  Some are completely old school...develop an idea, get a yellow page ad, rent an office, buy some stuff, and sell it.

And I’ve done it this way, and it failed miserably.  I’m not talking about a little, but a lot of fail.  The business didn’t necessarily go under, but it sucked a lot of time, cash, and resources to get off the ground with an extremely long return on investment.   I’ve launched a construction business, franchise business, material sales business, consulting businesses, and service businesses.  Some were successful, and some were not.  I was truly frustrated.  I felt like if I threw money at a problem long enough and hard enough, magic would happen.

Isn’t this how a lot of businesses are launched these days?

Throwing money at a business is not the way to solve fundamental problems.  A nice building, a ton of advertising, hiring a lot of people, and spending money on consultants will not replace the fundamentals necessary in starting a business.

What are fundamentally the most important things in business?  I think there are really just two fundamentals:

1)  Value that exceeds customer expectations

2)  A viable and sustainable business model

That’s it.  Focus on creating a crazy amount of value for your client and have a business model that allows you to do so sustainably.  Everything else stems from these two concepts.  If you provide extreme value to your customer or client, you will easily be able to market and sell.  Once you have marketing and sales, then you have operations and finance.  And, if you truly understand your business model, you will make a profit along the way.  

Isn’t that a great plan?  Focus on the value, build a business model, and make money while helping people.

I see businesses without a viable business model.  I see others that have a great idea, but are just in it for the money and don’t want to provide value to the customer.

I’ve seen businesses that have great idea, but no idea how to generate revenue, and therefore go around with their hand held out asking for money.

I just don’t get it!  There is a gap.

I’ve worked with a lot of clients who wanted to sink a tremendous amount of money into businesses, and, after going through this process, reduced the amount of money they intended to put into the business by one half or two thirds.  I’ve also helped businesses start for little to no cash, and I’ve helped others take their businesses to the next level by focusing on the value they create for customers and a solid business model.  In the end, the two things that a business has to focus on are the value provided to a client or customer and their business model.

What do you think?

An Innovative Business Model That Works: Pay What You Want

I love finding new business models that work that I can apply to my own business and apply to client's businesses.  With today's rapidly changing technology, many businesses I talk to have great ideas, concepts, and content but have trouble finding ways to monetize.   Yesterday, I listened to a Podcast about a business model that I thought was genius.  The concept is Pay What You Want.  That's right.  You put a product out there, and people pay what they want for it.

The site is TheHybridAthlete.com.  They are in the fitness industry, and, as you probably know, the fitness industry can be scammy.  There are so many options with online for fitness programs and products.  Some work, some don't, but many of us will shell out hundreds if not thousands of dollars for the chance to be fit.

TheHybridAthlete.com sells information products on workouts and nutrition programs, but there is a catch.  Everything on the site is free.  If you want to pay, you can pay $5 to thank them, or let them know you support what they are doing and pay $20.  They offer kettlebells at their cost and you can "tip" them $5 or $10 on top of the cost of the kettlebell.  I would encourage you to check out the site and the way the offer products.  Everything is very simple, and guides a visitor through the content on the site.

Many sites that offer information products offer money back guarantees to reduce the risk of purchasing an information product and build trust.  The Hybrid Athelete flipped this on it's head by offering it for free and giving you the option to purchase.

Most of the marketing is done through their Facebook site.  They provide excellent free information that is relevant to their community and workout plans.  By giving away content, they build trust with their community.  From what I can tell, the only goal these guys have is to provide value to their community.  In return, their community rewards them. 

According the podcast, in 10 months, the company has generated six figures with a six figure profit across three websits with the same model (TheHybridAthlete.com, KettlebellCardio.com, and RaceDayDomination.com)

To me, this makes total sense.  You may be thinking, "I won't give things away for free!"  But, think about how this concept of Pay What You Want could apply to your business.

I wonder what would happen if you applied this concept to services?  What if clients pay you based on the value you provide?  How would that change the way you work?  How would that change your relationship with clients and customers?

So again, how could this apply to your business?

I hope this post provided value to you and sparked some ideas so you can think about your business a little differently and make your business better.

I would love your thoughts on this concept.  Please leave a comment below, reach out to me on Twitter @leabailes to start a conversation, or email me directly at lea@leabailes.com.

Thanks for reading!

Do You Use Numbers or Jargon to Market and Sell?

This morning, I'm sitting at Starbucks enjoying a Venti Komodo Dragon, and I couldn't help but overhear a conversation happening next to me.  It is a meeting between a construction consultant and a potential client.  I know we aren't supposed to listen into other conversations, but I set out to write a blog post and thought that this was God given inspiration.  How can you pass on this opportunity?

Here's a paraphrase of the process overview of what the consultant does:

"We develop a set of business objectives and budgets and then work to achieve those business objectives while remaining within budget.  We set up a project and bring partners to the table.  We connect the right resources to the project and effectively manage those resources.  We execute by working toward the plan and make course corrections if we start to veer of plan.  We are all Type A personalities, so we get things done."

What?

Then I realized that this sounds like me!  I tend to water down what I do for people and generalize by using business jargon and try to say the right things.  It ends up being a bunch of junk.  Clients and potential clients don't care.  They really don't care all that much about business objectives.  They want an end goal is to have more of something or less of something:  more money, more time, less expense, less hassle, and on and on and on.

We care about ourselves and what you can do for them!  

We relate to numbers.  We make calculations on whether or not this person can help us.  

So, how might this conversation sound?

"In the last year, we worked with 7 clients on projects similar to yours.  On average, we saved them 5% on the budgeted cost of their project, which totaled $14 million in savings across all clients.  We were never late and never missed a deadline. In fact, on average, our projects were ahead of schedule by 8 days.  There were no workplace injuries and no litigation resulted from any of these projects."

See the difference?  By putting concrete numbers on what you do, people can begin to better relate to what you can do for them.

Everyone has the best people and are the smartest in their field.  Just read their websites, right?

And as I was writing this, the potential client asked, "So, what's in it for me?"  The consultant bombed it.

So, here are a few questions to ask yourself:

  • What does your client or customer really care about?
  • What's in it for your client?  
  • Can you express what you do for them in numbers with concrete data and statistics? 
  • If you are a startup, are there industry statistics that you can use?

I know it's time for me to go back to the drawing board to tell people what I do.  What are your thoughts?

The Rise of the Connection Business and 7 Keys to the Connection Business Model

I enjoy studying business models that work because I am a huge nerd and so I can help my clients develop and innovate their business models.  Most recently, the business model that continues popping up on my radar is what I will call the Connection Model.  Rather than marketing a product to a consumer, you are connecting two hard to reach groups.  Connection Model businesses create mini markets.  It's certainly not easy, but the model can provide amazing value to two sets of customers:  the connectees if you will.

Connection Model businesses have exploded since 2008.  Why?  Entrepreneurs were looking for creative solutions to problems we didn't know we had.  After the economy declined, there was excess inventory available in many markets.  The problem was trying to find ways to connect people to this excess inventory.

AirBNB Example

Sites like AirBNB rose out of this search for a creative solutions to excess inventory.  It connects travelers with hosts.  If you are not familiar with AirBNB, AirBNB allows you to rent homes, condos, apartments, rooms, and even just a couch in over 34,000 cities in 192 countries.  That's impressive for a business that's only 5 years old!

As described on their site at AirBNB.com, "Founded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 33,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions."

The business connects people to unique experiences.  That is all.  Pretty simple right?!  It's not simple at all.  These businesses actually create problems and then create solutions to the problems.  Said differently, the businesses redefine the problem.  The problem:  excess inventory.  The problem we didn't know we had:  we can be a host and rent out rooms with peace of mind.  The solution:  provide a place to connect travelers and hosts, reduce risk, and increase safety.  

Before AirBNB, you could list a place to rent on Craigslist, which was risky to say the least.  You could have your own website, but people would have to find you through a search engine.  You were a needle in a haystack.  There were very few reviews of these places, except the testimonials on their own site.

AirBNB's genius is in redefining the problem and providing a solid solution.  There are several keys to this type of business model to make it successful.

Keys to the Connection Business Model

1.  Excess Inventory

There must be some excess inventory available.  Rather than manufacturing a new product or service, there is an existing inventory of something somewhere that needs to be sold.  Can you identify available and unsold inventory?  

2.  Two Hard to Reach Groups

There must be two groups where the cost per acquisition of the customer makes it difficult and unprofitable to reach to sell the excess inventory.  The difficulty becomes marketing to two different groups with different needs and different messages.

3.  Ease of Connection

Your user interface must provide ease of connection for these two hard to reach groups.  The more the business is a platform and does not impede the transaction the better.  Again, the business is a platform that enables the connection and the transaction.  The business does not necessarily facilitate the transaction.

4.  Social Integration

Business like these grow primarily through word of mouth and social sharing.  They are inherently social (over 168 million social connections have been made through AirBNB) and integration with social media tools is critical.

5.  Mobile Optimized Experience

Many times, these businesses will require a mobile interface.  As mobile usage grows, this will be more and more important.

6.  Ease of Payment

As stated above, the platform should enable the transaction.  Ease of payment is critical in enabling the transaction.

7.  Ease of Transfer of Inventory and Reduction of Risk

Part of enabling the transaction is the transfer of inventory.  The business should not necessarily transfer the inventory, but provide assurances and reduce the risk in transferring inventory.

How does this apply to your business?  Can you enable a transaction between two hard to reach groups by providing a platform that meets the 7 keys listed above?  If so, you may have an excellent Connection Model.

If you have a Connection Business, would you share the link in the comments?

Give. Every. Day.

Yesterday, I was updating my list of daily, weekly, and monthly activities.  I highly recommend that everyone does this.  Knowing what you need to do on a daily basis to create results in the future is a must.

However, when I reviewed the list today, I realized that they were all about me. ALL ABOUT ME.  How terrible.  Nothing I wrote down was about anyone else.  In the end, some of it was designed to help people, but it wasn't directly about anyone else.

How selfish.

So, I reoriented myself and started writing down daily activities that I can do for others.

I decided on one daily activity for others that I think will make a great impact:  send a note to somebody every day encouraging them, thanking them, or just because.  It's simple, but it will be challenging.

I would encourage you to do the same.  Send a note to somebody every day with no ulterior motive other than to build that person up.  If you did this every day for a year, imagine the impact you would make in the lives of hundreds of people.  Imagine the impact this simple act of gratitude would make in your own heart.

HEMP Presentation Slides

Several of the folks in my HEMP presentation asked me to include the slides.  Below are the slides.  Enjoy!

A Word of Thanks...

Things are going very well for me and my business, and I am extremely blessed that I have the opportunity to help people by doing something I love.

Thank you for all of the supporters who read my stuff and clients who actually pay me to do this.  I am still astonished and having a great time.

I cannot say thank you enough!

Details Matter!

So many entrepreneurs are worried about somebody stealing their idea.  They try to protect themselves with ten page confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements that are so burdensome that many times I personally don't even want to hear the idea for fear of being sued!  The idea is only the first step.  The idea is the quickest and easiest part of starting a business.  After the idea, so many decisions have to be made that affect the direction and composition of the business.

The value is in the details.

I'm telling you this because I struggle with this myself.  As a strategist, I'm more of a vision, big picture, and idea guy.   I like coming up with big ideas, but I am not always that great at the details.  If you want your idea to be successful you have to emphasize the details.

Over the past couple of years, I took a big interest in fashion.  I believe good fashion provides another point of differentiation between you and everyone else.  However, my interest has taught me a lot about details.  Much of fashion is in details:  cut, colors, patterns, textures, and accessories.  It's not enough to just wear a suit and tie.  You can still look like a total slob in a suit and tie.  Last week, I wore a navy blue suit, white and blue striped shirt, and solid navy blue tie as an experiment.  In the morning, I wore that suit with no accessories.  I looked like I worked for the government.  It had very little character.  At lunch, I simply added a  white pocket square and a tie bar.  Note that I only added two small accessories and neither fancy.  The contrasts made the suit pop.  I started receiving compliments on what I was wearing from the exact same people I saw in the morning.  They couldn't figure out what it was.  They thought I changed clothes.

Details matter!

Anyone can throw on a suit.  Very few people really have the desire to go the extra mile to ensure that it fits well and has accents to make it stand out.  Nobody can personalize the suit to make it individually yours.

Your business is like that suit.  Anyone can start a business, but few will go further to make that business stand out and completely differentiate it from the competition.  But, nobody can make that business just like yours.  Your leadership will create a business that has its own character and uniqueness.  Every little thing you do could make your business a stand out.  When you add all of these little details together, you can strategically make a huge impact in differentiating your business from others.

If somebody has already "taken" your idea, don't worry about it.  Your business is uniquely yours.  Regardless of the industry you are in, you will have competitors directly or indirectly, but the details make all of the difference.  We try to find big ways to be different from our competition when we should focus on small differences.  

Details matter so your business is uniquely yours and that resonates with customers and clients.  Because of the details, customers will remember you.  Because of the details, customers will have something to share with others about your business.

What is the one detail in your business you can focus on today to make your business better?

A Quote Worth Repeating

I came across this quote in some notes today.  A good friend sent this back to me in 2011 when I was facing severely turbulent times.  Reading the quote took me back to these times, and made me realize how far I've come and how much, through the grace of God, I have overcome face marred with dust and sweat and all.  

I really appreciated the inspiration of these words from Theodore Roosevelt, and I hope you do too.

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."

Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic," Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910

The Revolutionary Power of Social Sharing

We don’t trust what is told to us.  We trust what is shared with us.

I developed this statement and principal as part of a recent presentation I gave on the topic of social media.  The line relates to social sharing, and the power it has on businesses.  Once you truly understand the power of social sharing you can revolutionize your business.

Social sharing is a major behavioral shift, and the most important so far of the 21st century.  

The information we choose to share with friends, co-workers and even strangers is redefining the idea of who we are and the idea of trust.  Social sharing leads to social proof, which affects our decision making as we are influenced by more sharing of knowledge and information.

Social sharing is as simple as it sounds.  We share with other people.  Although the concept is simple, harnessing the power of social sharing is much more complex.  The reasons we share are no less than profound.  What we share has to do with how well the content meets a fundamental human need.

Remember, though, nothing is new under the sun.  The concept of social sharing has been around since the beginning of time.  It's how every major religion spread across the world, and it's how we obtain referrals for businesses to work with.  However, the fundamental behavioral shift is occurring because of the technology that has enabled behavior that we have always engaged in but never even noticed.

I stumbled upon the concept of social sharing months ago after being asked for a quote for an article a friend was writing for the Huffington Post.  I was attempting to find the one secret for successfully marketing mobile applications.  In a sea of hundreds of thousands of apps, how did some apps rise to prominence quickly?  After a little research, I ran across the concept of social sharing.  

I conducted more research on the topic and found great information on the topic, but it wasn't discussed or shared in the business community.

The concept was referred to and talked around, but I could not find anything that focused on the topic.  I was surprised because this concept, if understood and harnessed, could revolutionize marketing and businesses.

I recently spoke for an audience at the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentor Program in Kansas City recently.  I was asked to speak on social media.  The presentation title I was given:  Social Media:  Do You Need It?  Honestly, I thought it sounded boring!  I could give the same old "This is how you use Facebook and post messages speech" or dive into something cool and take a risk.  I decided to talk about the" why" behind social media.  My thought was that once you really understand the psychology behind social media, the natural human nature that we so often overlook, you can harness the power of social sharing for your business.  I put together a presentation in just a couple of days.  I wasn't great.  It wasn't even good, but I knew I was passionate about the topic and I hoped passion would prevail over preparation.  It's not a great strategy, and one I do not endorse.

The original audience that came in was not expecting what I had to share.  I asked them to hang in with me.  Afterwards, I we had get discussion and people walked away with a new view on marketing.  Guess what happened?  Those people went and told their friends to come to my next talk.  More peopled showed up next time because it was shared.  I asked them how they all knew to come listen.  Everyone said "We were told to come listen, so we did.". I laughed and said "That's exactly what we are here to discuss today.". I felt great.  The concept had legs and it had power.

This is a concept and story that must be shared.

I am writing a book on the topic of social sharing and the power it has to revolutionize and shift marketing and business.  

Over the coming days and weeks, I will be posting portions of this book on my blog to help refine my thoughts and ideas on the subject.  I would also love any feedback you would be willing to give me on the subject.  

I am extremely excited to see how this concept shapes itself into something powerful.

Would you be willing to help me write a book that will improve the lives of business owners worldwide by learning how to harness this principal?

Would you be willing to share this post with others?

The Story of Starting Sock 101

Recently, my partners and I launched Sock 101 launched at Sock101.com.

Socks are hot.  When you look through any men's fashion magazine and fashion on the street, colorful stripes and polka dots are the rage.  Across a range of professions, men are wearing colorful socks.  You will see attorneys, at least the fun attorneys, meeting with clients and in court with stylish socks.  

Personally, I started wearing colorful and stylish socks within the last year.  I really enjoy the comments I get on the socks.  It's a fun accessory that subtly adds color and flair to any outfit.  

This is a fun business, and one I am glad to be a part of!

Since we've launched, I've received some great feedback and great questions on Sock 101.  Here are some of the questions I've been asked and answers.  

Will you continue to consult with clients?

Absolutely!  Although this will require some time, it is not full time by any means, and I love consulting with clients and will continue to do so!

What is Sock 101?

We design our own colorful yet professional and stylish socks, and sell them for only $7 each. That's right, seven bucks for a great pair of socks.  Now, for a grand total of $35, you can buy socks for every day of the week to spruce up your wardrobe!  That’s the cost of three socks (not pairs) from a brand name retail store.

Sock101 exists to enhance the style, sex appeal, and success of professional men through colorful, yet professional and stylish socks.

Is Sock 101 a real business?

Yes.  It's very real.  We sell socks for $7 at Sock101.com.

Why socks?

Our question:  why not socks?  Socks are no longer your grandfather’s boring Gold Toe’s.  The idea that your socks should match your pants is long gone!  Socks are now a fun accessory that you can use to spruce up your wardrobe and appearance while remaining professional.  Socks, like ties, can add color and style to any outfit.

When did you start?

We started the endeavor on June 7, 2012 and launched in November of 2012.  We went from concept to creation in 5 months, which is great!

How did you decide to start?

Dave Feyerabend, Jason Grill, and I met for a networking coffee at the Roasterie in Brookside in Kansas City, Missouri.  It was there that Jason told Dave and I his idea to launch as business selling socks.

Being the self-proclaimed fashionable young professionals we are, we already noticed the popularity that such a small accessory as socks had in the market.  Even President George H.W. Bush was quoted in an interview as saying, “I’m a sock man!”  We fell in love with the idea, embraced the sock phenomenon, and became sock men ourselves.

Without any knowledge about the fashion business, but with passion, we were able to enlist some highly talented people to help in the design and manufacture of our socks.  

Why $7?

We saw a problem and an opportunity in the sock market.  We were tired of paying between $15 and $25 for a pair of socks.  We knew there had to be a better way.  We started with a question:  could we make high quality, high fashion, colorful, yet professional socks and sell them for $7?  It turns out, we could.

Without any knowledge about the fashion business, but with passion, we were able to enlist some highly talented people to help in the design and manufacture of our socks.  

What are your plans for Sock 101?

Right now, we are validating the idea, and we received great feedback and have sold more pairs than we thought we would at this point.

We are launching our first line of socks with six styles:  The Dapper Dot, The Patriot, The Regal, The Porter, The Tyler, and The KC.

Our next step is to launch a team line.  We are going to make socks out of popular team colors.  Look for these to launch early in 2013.  If you have  any suggestions for team colors, please let us know!

We have also been asked about women's socks and tights.  We started with men because there were not as many options for me as women.  We also saw a need for a high quality, low cost line of socks for professionals.  However, we do see the need now for low cost, quality women's tights.  We may look at this concept for the second half of 2013.

What is your affiliate program and how do I sign up?

I've posted the information from the site below

We currently offer $2 per pair sold commission as a SOCK 101 affiliate!

Our affiliate program allows you to generate extra income by spreading the word about SOCK 101. We have developed the tools you need to be successful. You will receive your own unique URL which will automatically track all sales you generate. We even provide you with banner ads and text links that you can just choose, copy & paste! Be on your way to success today, sign up now!

Our affiliate program is run through our Volusion system.  Below is information on becoming an affiliate and managing your account.

Affiliates are customers who have requested (and been approved by an administrator). 

Types of Affiliates 

Affiliates can include bloggers, vendors, people active in various online communities - even automated ad systems such as Google AdWords.

Becoming an Affiliate 

You will first need to register as a customer, then remain logged in to register as an affiliate.  This will require your website address and Social Security number or EIN.  All information is private and secure.  The web address could be your Facebook page address or Twitter page address.

The Volusion affiliate system generates special links for you as an affiliate and can embed into websites or emails that link back to the store which monitors your success in generating click-throughs and sales. 

How to Receive Payment

Checks will be mailed to the address your provided on the 10th day of each month for the sales from the previous month.

If you have other questions or issues signing up with the affiliate system, please email me at lea@leabailes.com or lea@sock101.com.

Are you having fun?

Heck yes!

If you have any other questions on Sock 101, please let me know and email me at lea@leabailes.com.

5 Steps to Developing Your Digital Strategy

The terms digital now carries with it many meanings and connotations.  

When I talk to clients and potential clients, many times the initial conversations revolve around tactics.  I often hear "We heard we need to start doing Twitter," or "We need a Facebook page."  They might, but the most common response I have is "Why?"

Businesses want to start with throwing out a website or a social media site without truly understanding why they are doing what they are doing and who they are trying to reach.

Developing a Strategy answers the question of "What should we be doing?" by first asking the questions "Why?"  and "Who?".

Below are the key steps in developing a digital strategy.

1.  Assess

We first have to define what we are trying to accomplish.  What are the goals for the organization?  What are the current results we are seeing from our current efforts?

Next, it is important to determine who we are trying to reach, specifically.  What does our target market care about?  What problems do they want our business to solve?  What are their expectations?  Should the target market be segmented based on interests, geography or other factors?

A deep look at the organization's messaging and the perception of the organization is critical.  Do people understand who the organization is and what the organization is about?  Is the message clear and does it resonate with the target market?

A look at how the business is positioned is of great importance as well.  Does the business stand out from its competitors?  

Key Performance Indicators should be developed based on goals to measure whether or the marketing is working.

2.  Develop Positioning and Messaging

Once you have assessed the organization, the target market, the company's perception and messaging, and positioning, it's time to determine if changes should be made.

The company should be positioned appropriately in the market to fit with its true competitive advantage over other firms.  Intentional design is necessary to accomplish this.

Messaging should be created that resonates with the target market.  Stories should be created that evoke emotion and connect with the target audience.

The resulting stories and messaging should be the basis of all mess

3.  Plan

Once you assess and develop positioning and message, it's time to start picking the right platforms to use to reach your target market.

It is important to consider your target's age, geographic location, and lifestyle.  

Some of the standard options are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and now Pinterest.  However, not every platform will work for your audience.

Not only do you need to choose platforms, but you have to integrate the platforms.

To determine the platforms, you should ask the following questions:

  • How do my customers search for my product or service?
  • What social platforms do they favor?
  • What will differentiate me from my competitors?
  • What role does mobile play in our digital strategy?

4.  Execute and Engage

Effective marketing is about execution.  It's also about creating engaging, authentic, and consistent content that resonates with your audience.  You must create a consistent presence integrated in all of your platforms.

I would recommend the following:

Build a content calendar.  It's best to plan your content ahead of time.  This allows you to visually see what you are posting to make sure your content is consistent and creates a pattern.

Be consistent.  Showing up regularly, but not too regularly is important.  Stay in front of your customers and be consistent in your message.

Executing is not just about posting a message and walking away.  You must participate in conversations to create engagement with your audience.

And finally, don't forget experience.  The goal of content and conversations is to create an awesome experience between your audience and your organization.

5.  Measure and Monitor

It's now time to revisit the Key Performance Indicators developed in Step 1.  How are you doing in relation to your KPI's?

This is also a time to listen.  Listen to the conversations taking place about your brand that you do not start.  Various tools exist to help you monitor your brand's presence online.  A good place to start is with Google Alerts.

Continual monitoring and evaluation of your strategy will improve your overall performance.  If something is not working, change it.  I see too many companies emotionally invested in website or Facebook page that does not generate results.  Maintain your objectivity.  If you are not achieving results, change.

With some time and effort spent in appropriate planning, execution, and measuring, your organization can create a digital strategy that actually produces results.

Just Awesome!

I used to be completely afraid to fail.  I thought that if I failed I would be a failure, and that people would forever look at me as a failure.  

Maybe you are afraid to fail.  The truth is we all fail at some point in our life.  But failing does not make you a failure.  Failing does not define you.  

This weekend, I had the opportunity to spend some time with close friends.  For the last 12 years, we gather every year in the same venue.  We used to talk about all the great things that were going on in our lives and, even though we were close, mask our struggles and failures.  In the last year, all four of our lives changed in a massive way.  This year, our talks revolved around how life shaped us into the people we are today, and how we would not trade our experiences no matter how difficult.

One friend wanted to start a business for ten years.  A whole decade!  It has been a burning desire and passion.  He has an amazing product and the willingness, but for various reasons he wouldn't take the leap.  We encouraged him to do it and offered to put him in touch with the people who can help him succeed.

Yesterday, I received a text from him thanking me for energizing him to take the next steps to start his own business.  I am so glad to know that he is moving forward with this venture and I will help him in any way I can to help him succeed.

In ten more years, if he doesn't start this venture, he will look back with regret and wish he had taken the leap.

What are you holding back?  What are you afraid to start?  What are you afraid to complete?  What are you afraid to put on display for the world to see? 

The world needs you.  Quit thinking about failing, and think about what it might look like if you actually won!  Winning when nobody thought you would, including maybe yourself?  Now that's just awesome.

16 Reasons You Should Take a Mobile First Approach to Marketing

Mobile marketing is the most exciting new form of media to spring up over the last decade.  The way we use mobile devices is changing the way marketers, brands, agencies and consumers think about marketing.  

Below are  16 reasons you need to take a mobile first approach in your marketing.

  1. Over 3 billion smart phones are SMS enabled.
  2. It takes 90 minutes for the average person to respond to an email. It takes 90 seconds for the average person to respond to a text message
  3. Mobile Internet usage will overtake desktop Internet usage by 2014.
  4. 74% of consumers will wait 5 seconds for a web page to load on their mobile device before abandoning the site.
  5. 57% of consumers will leave a mobile site if it is not mobile optimized
  6. 46% of consumers are unlikely to return to a mobile site if it didn't work properly during their last visit.
  7. One half of all local searches are performed on mobile devices.
  8. 29% of mobile users are open to scanning a mobile tag to get coupons.
  9. Mobile coupons get 10 times the redemption rate of traditional coupons.
  10. 70% of all mobile searches result in action within 1 hour.  
  11. 9 out of 10 mobile searches lead to action, over half leading to purchase.
  12. 61% of local searches on a mobile phone result in a phone call.
  13. 52% of all mobile ads result in a phone call. 
  14. 91% of mobile internet access is for social activities, versus just 79% on desktops.
  15. 44% of Facebook's users access Facebook Mobile.
  16. 50% of Twitter's users use Twitter Mobile.

Rethinking the Definition of Marketing

The American Marketing Association defines marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”

I am going to focus on the following part of this definition:  “offerings that have value.”

Traditionally, offerings are viewed as discounts and other compelling offers.  Offerings have been comprised of the right arrangement of compelling words to make a customer take action.

What if you viewed your offering as your product and service itself, and not and arrangement of words?  In other words, what if marketing is really more internally focused than externally focused?

The goal of any business should not be just to provide a high level of value for people, but to actually improve and better the lives of the people it serves:  employees, customers, and the general public. 

If you are just creating a better hook to get somebody to buy a product or service, you are doing that person a disservice.  If the goal is to sell more of something, you are doing society a disservice.  If the goal is life improvement, how could you be wrong?

What if you created a business that was so compelling and so improved people’s lives that people wanted to do business with you?  You don’t have to create a compelling story with words.  The compelling story is your business.  The right message still matters, but it should be a true reflection of your business.

Don’t just tell a story, create a compelling story by improving your business so that improves the lives of others.  Once you’ve created the compelling story, tell your compelling story to everyone!  They will need to hear! 

Engage Mobile Open House Featuring RareWire and Wire Clash!

Click Here to Register!

RareWire Demo & Wire Clash

6pm "Appy Hour"

6:30 Event

Tuesday October 23

Engage Mobile • 112 E Missouri Ave, KC, MO 64106 (Above Harry's Country Club)

Join Kansas City's own RareWire, as they showcase their award-winning apps and demo the production version of their App Creation Studio and the XML-based WIRE language. They'll also announce their Wire Clash Contest to see who can build the most killer app on the RareWire Platform in the weeks following the demo.

Pshaw you say? The toolset offers valuable features for mobile developers and your clients, such as Real Time Device Testing, Content Management, Live App Updates, an Extensible API and access to native elements like Animations, Camera, Maps and others. You can also integrate with datasources using XML, SQLite, JSON and social media APIs like Twitter and Facebook. You should really check it out, I believe it's a tool that can save time/increase profits when the
project fits.

But wait, there's more - the winner of the contest will be eligible for a $7500 development contract to work with RareWire on a project and 12 months of free apps (1 per month).

We're still working on the terms/criteria but hey, it's the opportunity to win a $7500 contract, an excuse to support a great local company, enjoy some food&beverages and see how your skills match up to the best in the city.

RSVP now and stay tuned for more details regarding the contest.

3 Components to Designing Your Success

If you want to be successful at anything, you must do so by design.

A famous study was conducted at Yale University in 1953. Graduates were surveyed, and only 3% had goals that were established and written down.

Some of their goals included: ‘being a best-selling novelist, starting a computer company and taking it public, and running for President.’

The other 97% of the students had no clearly defined goals written down. Many of them chose the whatever happens, happens mindset. A mindset of hope with no definition.

Twenty years later, a follow up study revealed that the students who wrote down their goals earned a combined income three times greater than the combined income of the other 97%.

Although this post is not about goal setting, it shows the power of design.

In my view, there are three very basic components to defining success:

Define Success: What do you want? What do you have a burning desire to get? Whether this is tangible or intangible, have you defined what you really want? Define a Strategy: What is your strategy to get what you want? What are you willing to overcome and what obstacles are you willing to overcome to get what you want? Execute: Follow your strategy. Change is some as necessary, but live every day in search of success. Success must be designed.

If you want to be successful in your business or career, you have to define what success is, define a strategy, and then execute. If you lack any of these, you may reach some level of success, but not the one you always dreamed of.

Don’t just let life happen living in hope of success. Design it.