RadioGuruPdx

Compete to Be Unique

In battle there is only one winner, but in business there can be many. The game of business is not about beating the competition it's about emerging as the most unique choice. The question is what do you do that's distinctive and gives your clients a one-of-a-kind experience? 

The Harvard Business Review posted a blog, "Stop Competing to Be the Best," by Joan Magretta. The article suggests a different kind of competition: compete to be unique.

Joan says, “Focus on innovating to create superior value for your chosen customers, not on imitating and matching rivals. Give customers real choice and then price becomes only one competitive variable. But understand that doing this profitably means accepting limits and making tradeoffs — you can't meet every need of every customer. Nothing is more absurd — and yet more widespread — than the belief that somehow you can do exactly what everyone else is doing and yet end up with superior results."
 
She offers the arts as an example to prove this perspective: “There can be many good singers or actors — each outstanding and successful in a distinctive way. Each finds and creates an audience.” 

So the question beckons, what makes you unique? And how do you tell that to the market place? Your ability to create a unique and consistent brand in the minds of listeners is up to you. 

• Want to learn how to find out what works and doesn't work in advertising today? 
   
• Interested in finding out master techniques in marketing strategy and Radio media buying?
   
• Go to www.JustOneWins.com 

 

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Tim Miles: Two Kinds of Compliments

“Young man, I want to pay you two compliments,” he said – with a wink in his voice before so much as a ‘hello’ in our weekly phone call.

(These calls always make me nervous. What if we’re tracking downward? What if the things we’re doing aren’t working? But, you have to make the call. You do the hard thing especially when you’re worried it’s not working.)

He and I are finishing up our first year together. We’re about ten months into our partnership.

“First,” he said, “I am humbled by your greatness. 

"Sir," I said, "It's awful early to be drinking."

“No, sir,” he said, “How in the world you listen to me ramble on and on about the business and customers and somehow come back with just the right thing to say to bring us new customers … well, I just don’t know how you do it.”

I have learned, and repeatedly practiced, saying simply, “Thank you, sir.” I do not take compliments well – particularly these kind of compliments.

“Second,” he continued, “we closed out January and made our goal by $940. Last January, we missed our goal by $81,000. And I want to thank you.”

Those kinds of compliments, I take very well. We each swung our own hammer to benefit the business. We did what needed to be done.

Today, we spent a few minutes sharing in the success, and then we got back to work. It’s a tall mountain, and we’ve only just begun to climb.

As I look outside and see the dim pallor of the day and hear the guy on the radio talk about snow coming this way, I can't help but think it’s a beautiful day.

Success is so much sweeter when shared with someone who makes you smile.

Thank you, sir.

Tim Miles
Milestones for Small Business
www.justonewins.com 

 

Tim Miles: The Three Controls of Marketing

As I mentioned on my blog, The DailyBlur, in June 2012, marketing only has three dials you can turn.

Three knobs. Three dials over which you have control. That’s it. (We’re not talking about operations, overhead or cost of goods. We’re talking about marketing.)

SOV - Share of Voice:

What percentage of all advertising done in your business category in your market is yours? How much do you dip into your pocket and spend in comparison to your competition?

Is your problem that people don’t know about you?

Dial up your share of voice. Relentlessly reach as many people as you can afford to reach with sufficient repetition so that people think of you and like you when a need for your product or service arises. 

IQ Impact Quotient:

How memorable, persuasive and sticky are your ads compared to those of your competitors? Notice, I didn’t ask how creative, funny and professional your ads were? We’re not trying to win awards. We’re trying to grow your business.

Is your problem that people think they know about you, but they really don’t?

Dial up your impact quotient. Hire a killer strategist and ad writer to help you find and address the felt needs of consumers in your market. Answer questions that they’re asking. 

PEF - Personal Experience Factor:

How well do you delight and dazzle your customers compare to your competitors? Are you employees rockstars? Is your parking lot spotless? Do you use social media as a tool to listen, reward and engage your customers? Have you raised the anticipated price of doing business with you by building value into everything that comes into contact with your customers?

Is your problem that (uh oh) people do know about you?

Remember, advertising only accelerates the inevitable. A good advertising campaign will put a bad business out of business faster. Oftentimes, the best thing a struggling company can do with its ad budget is put it into sales training and soap.

If you feel some or all of your marketing budget is being wasted, take a close look at these three controls. 

If you need a second opinion, I might know some people who can help. I'll be in Portland in October. Go visit Justonewins.com in the October Event section, see what interestes you. There is something for everyone.

Tim Miles, Partner Wizard of Ads
www.justonewins.com 

Tim Miles Part 5 of 5: It’s Elementary

Part 5 of 5

(Bragging Father’s Note: It’s worth pointing out that our son was non-verbal just a couple years ago. We never cease to be awed by his progress, his mind and the patient guidance he receives from his teachers, therapists and classmates.)

The morning after I’d gotten back from speaking to a group of not-for-profit organizations, Will said to me:

“Daddy, you should come speak to my class.”

“Will, what should I talk about?”

“I don’t know. Rachel’s mom talked about Hanukkah. Do you want to talk about Hanukkah?”

“Probably not, buddy.”

“Okay. You think about it.”

So I did.

Listen, I’ve spoken on a stage in front of more than a thousand people, and it didn’t produce more than a flutter of anxiety, but at that moment – trying to imagine holding the interest of a group of forty discerning elementary school students – I nearly soiled one of Baby Sarah’s diapers.

How could I engage them?

Well, with storytelling, I suppose. It’s kinda what I do.

So I thought about every Pixar movie we love and deconstructed a simple, foolproof method for inventing any story that I could then teach to the children.

I think. It’s seemed foolproof. It worked on my son. But – I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this – he’s alarmingly and unfairly intelligent. And handsome.

Daddy’s Fool-proof, Sure-fire, Rock-solid, Lots-of-hyphens Storytelling Formula

Answer these questions:

1. Who’s your story about?
2. Is anybody with them? Who?
3. Where are they going?
4. Why?
5. Is there a bad guy?
6. Who?
7. What’s in their way?
8. Why?
9. How do they get around it?
10. How do they live happily ever after?

Go ahead, try it. Tell me you couldn’t write a great story following that formula.

Oh, and tell me also – isn’t that pretty much strategic planning? Couldn’t you use it to simplify the problems facing your business? Try it the next time your worries get too big.

Yesterday, I shared a part of a presentation called Strategic Planning Made Simple.

I think Will and I have developed our next presentation. We’ll be coming soon to an elementary school near you. : )

 

Tim Miles Diagnosis: Company

Part 4 of 5

“What kind of iPad should I get?”

Being known as 3e geeeky, I get asked that question at least once a week.

I know they want an easy answer. Something like, “Black 32gig wifi,” but I always start my advice by answering their question with a question of my own:

“How do you plan to use it?”

I mention this because I’m always anxious when meeting a new client – as we are this week in Tennessee – that they’ll expect easy answers to complex questions and simple fixes to compound problems.

We want easy answers, don’t we?

We crave black and white.

We like life being a gumball machine – coin goes in, gum comes out … every time. Safe. Predictable. Just like magic.

The problem is – companies aren’t easy or simple. Life ain’t a gumball machine and things are rarely black and white.

Questions usually lead to more questions, don’t they? Or, at least, they should.

That’s the doctor’s most important job, isn’t it? The diagnosis.

Sometimes, I’m an iPad doctor. Sometimes a company doctor.

I mention this because today, when touring our new client’s training room, I spied this on one of their white boards. When I saw it, I knew we were going to be okay. They don’t tell people “Black 32gig wifi” either. 

Tim Miles, Wizard of Ads

Tim Miles Strategic Planning 101: The Same Page

Part 3 of 5

Wanna do something scary? Ask each employee the following questions, BUT … don’t let them compare answers. You want each person to answer independently because you want to see where their answers converge and diverge with yours and with each other.

• What is it we’re trying to make happen? Is it what we should be trying to make happen?
• What’s a happy ending? When we throw a HUGE blowout party to celebrate, what just happened?
• Why aren’t we there now? What’s holding us back? What’s the limiting factor?
• Back to number one – break it down? What are our goals, then, to get to the party?
• Now, prioritize them. Which one do we need to tackle first? Second? Third?
• If money was no object, how would we solve the first problem?
• Okay, so money is an object, so what’s just the first step to solving the first problem.

Do you know what your employees believe? Does it bother you that you don’t know?

Now, you want to take it a step further? Ask your customers.

Tim Miles, Wizard of Ads

Strategic Planning 101: Reverse Engineering

Part 2 of 5

In my first article Strategic Planning 101: Big X. Little x. , I tried to simplify the basic elements of growing a company or making any fundamental change in your life.

Let’s build on it, okay?

You’ve got your Big X, your treasure, the thing you’re trying to make happen.

Let’s say you want to do $1,000,000 in billing – that’s your Big X.

(If, at this time, you want to call me shallow for choosing a financial goal instead of something more altruistic like helping colorblind manatees, then you don’t know me at all.)

Let’s say you want to do $1,000,000 in colorblind manatee-loving billing.

Work backwards from there by asking questions like:

• How many customers/clients do I need to do a million?
• How much do I need to do each month?
• Can I feasibly do these things?
• If not, what needs to change? And by how much?

Get specific. See it clearly in your head. Write the answers down. Goals without plans are dreams.

This is one of the few times you’ll hear me advocate the use of spreadsheet software.

Deconstruct what your Big X looks and feels like operationally. Can you swing the hammer? If not, what has to change to help get you there?

Along the way, you also have to consciously decide what must not change.

As you grow toward your goals, what are your uncompromising principles?

If you’re having trouble seeing this vision of your company or yourself once you’ve reached your goal … if you have trouble making it real … then maybe you’ve chosen the wrong Big X.

Tim Miles, Wizard of Ads

Strategic Planning 101: Big X. Little x.

Part 1 of 5

Sometimes it’s as simple as asking someone:

“What is it you’re trying to make happen?”

‘yada yada yada’

Beware the yada. Did they answer you clearly? After working with 400+ companies, I’m no longer surprised by how many lack a clear vision of what it is, specifically, they’re trying to do.

You really can’t proceed with planning until you’ve got a consensus answer to that first crucial question.

I often use a treasure map metaphor.

Draw out an island. Put a little ‘x’ and a big ‘x’ on there. The little ‘x’ is where they are today. The big ‘x’ is where they want to be.

Start by asking them to describe what the big ‘x’ looks and feels like. Then ask them to describe the little ‘x’ – where they are today.

Then draw a dotted line between the two and ask them how long it’s going to take us to get from one to the other.

Once they answer that question – ask them – “Why aren’t you there already? What’s in your way?”

Listen.

Then, after everything, ask them simply … “what do you think is the first step?”

You can guess what’s next.

Tim Miles, Wizard of Ads

 

Save-the-Date: Tim Miles is Coming this May!

Tim Miles Sold Out last year. 

He'll be presenting a whole new program that will inspire 
you and give you new tools to grow your business.

How well did your marketing
and advertising work last year?
Do you think it could work better?

"Tim Miles uses common sense, kindness and an unquenchable curiosity as tools to help hundreds of  businesses, meet force with force, and do the work to be more successful more quickly." - David Freeman

“At first I thought you were nuts. Now that I see the finished product, I’m pretty sure you’re a genius.” – Alan Hardwick, Lavine’s Heating and Air Conditioning, Oakland, CA

Save-the-Date
May 1-3, 2012 

 You can check out his most recent blogs
at Radiogurupdx.com or visit his site The Daily Blur.

Get on the reservation list now! Space is limited.

Email Melissa Kunde to reserve your seat in advance.

Grow Your Business with Public Relations 101

This week meet our guest blogger Denny Shleifer, the President & CEO of Shleifer Marketing Communications, Inc. 

A Public Relations 101 Lesson Plan for Business Owners

Why prospect for business? It very seldom works. Instead, you should market your business using the tested and proven methods of public relations and advertising. Every business must consider becoming its own public relations manager and seek help and advice when needed from a marketing consultant. Here are some helpful tips:

Press Releases & Interviews

Develop a list of editors and reporters who cover the business beat. Write a press release with their needs in mind. Email information with your phone number, photo and an explanation of why you think your business is newsworthy.

Magazine & Trade Journal Articles

Contact editors and reporters at the publications that your clients and prospects read. Inquire about writing an article. Suggest some topics, but remain open to editor-requested topics. Never hype yourself in the article, but ask that a one or two sentence biography appear at the conclusion of the article.

Public Speeches & Lectures

Business and civic groups often use outside speakers. Contact program directors to discuss delivering a speech.

Professional & Trade Association Meetings

It’s good to visit as many as you can. A major benefit will come when you become active in one or more at the board level.

Formal & Informal Networking

Get involved in a networking group that strives to communicate with others whose contacts are helpful to you and your company. Sharing information is crucial in developing new leads.

Letters of Referral & Recommendations

Ask a client to write a letter to you that describes what your business achieved for him/her. With the clients’ permission, reproduce and circulate the letter. You can get referrals from clients by asking them to write to or call a prospect. Comments from a satisfied customer will carry clout in the business world.

Social Media

This is a topic that gets a ton of media attention. If your business is not using it to show your expertise, you’re missing a major opportunity. Don’t believe it’s the end-all to be-all solution, but using Facebook, Twitter and other networks will offer other ways to showcase your expertise.

Mass E-Mailings

Non-personalized e-mailing can be somewhat effective. The key is to match an appropriate list to an effective marketing piece. Make sure you include a response device.

Promotion

Gain exposure through joint promotion with another organization. Strategic alliances will benefit in so many ways. Contribute to a non-profit group and reap the benefits of publicity. Offer an appropriate premium or incentive item to remind customers of your presence.

Public Relations/Advertising/Web/SEO counsel

Seek advice. Trained professionals can get you the exposure you need.

 
Denny Shleifer is the President & CEO of Shleifer Marketing Communications, Inc. The Portland based Shleifer is a diverse marketing professional with over 30 years experience specializing in business-to-business marketing communications. The former Emmy award winning journalist also works as a freelance producer for CBS News.