The Chief Storyteller

Steak for Stock: A Clever Advertisement from Smith & Wollensky

2010-02-05T06:58:00-05:00

CNN Money yesterday reported that "New York City steakhouse Smith & Wollensky announced in a full-page ad in the New York Times business section today that starting immediately it would accept NYSE and NASDAQ stock certificates in payment for its USDA Prime steaks at both lunch and dinner."

What a great way to poke a little fun and tell your business story.

Ready for the World to End Tomorrow? Depends Upon Your Opinion

2010-02-04T06:28:00-05:00

Let's start with this question...If you were a television weather reporter, what would you do? Here is the scenario...

If you live in the Washington, DC area, then the expectation is that the world is about to end tomorrow, maybe Saturday.

To me it is a fun fest because the public is bashing the television affiliates for their refusal, yes refusal, to comment on the specifics of the weather storm.

In a nutshell, the National Weather Service has been sharing that its computer models are predicting a snow storm with accumulations of 12 to 20 inches (maybe more) starting Friday. The television affiliates are pushing back saying something to the effect, "yes we know snow is coming...we'll let you know more 24 hours in advance. Until then, no further information is provided."

Why do they do this? Because the public will scream and yell at them if the information is wrong as the public has done time and time again.

Who is right? National Weather Service, Television Stations, or the Public?

They all are. NWS's job is to predict and provide advance warning based on computer models. News stations are supposed to report accurate information and not speculate. The public wants accurate information.

Human behavior is the cause of all of this outcry, grief, and frustration. As such, each organization and the public MUST remember the source of the information, the intent behind it, and appreciate that accurate information is the goal of everyone.

If you were a television weather reporter, what would you do?

Staying Connected Through the Handwritten Note

2010-02-03T05:48:00-05:00

In this age of texting, email, tweets, and other forms of electronic and social media, when was the last time you received a handwritten note in the mail thanking you for a gift you may have given or a service you may have provided?

When someone takes the time to send a handwritten note, they are telling you they care about you, they appreciate what you have done for them, and that you matter. In short, the message they are sending is that you are special and the connection you share is personal.

Stay connected. Send a handwritten note to someone you care about. You just might make their day.

A Personal Touch to Donating

2010-01-27T05:58:00-05:00

An interview on National Public Radio a few years ago really caught my attention. It was in November, right before the holiday season. The NPR journalist was interviewing a variety of small charities with interesting niches. And what made it compelling was that there was going to be a charity day where you could meet representatives from each of these charities.

I grabbed my wife and we went to this wonderful display of passion for causes you never hear about in mainstream media. It was HeroRATS (www.HeroRat.org) that piqued my curiosity while listening to the radio and we headed straight to its table.

HeroRATS is now a charity that The Chief Storyteller donates to annually. I wanted to share a little of what we received after donating in 2009. Below is a picture of Hero Rat Allan and his trainer John along with the organization's postcard. We also received a personalized letter from Allan thanking us for our contribution. While I know that the charities that I pick all do great work, it is really nice to receive more than a thank you letter.

For this very reason, we personally inscribe and sign every one of our holiday and thank you cards.

About HeroRATS
HeroRATS are trained African giant pouched rats that detect explosives and diagnose disease. They use their highly sensitive and accurate sense of smell to identify the presence of both metal and plastic cased landmines, and can be trained to detect a number of different things like explosives, tuberculosis bacteria, tobacco, contraband, etc. Because of their light weight, the rats do not set off the landmines and are not hurt at all. Once trained, a HeroRAT can clear an area the size of two football fields per month.

Character is What You Do When You Think Nobody is Looking

2010-01-25T05:28:00-05:00

The other day as my teen aged son and I were finishing our holiday shopping, we just happened to be looking when some of our fellow shoppers thought we weren’t. Cutting in line to be the first to check out, making rude gestures to other drivers as they navigated crowded streets and parking lots, and failing to yield their seats to elderly passengers on the Metro – none of these qualify as images any of us would use to describe ourselves at a family gathering.

As many of us in the business world rush to close out another year, what will our co-workers say about our character? What behaviors have we exhibited when we thought nobody was looking? How have we treated others who we thought were subordinate to us?

Character is the fabric that is woven throughout our story. It’s the book behind the cover. It’s what gives our business stories credibility. Most importantly, it’s what compels other people to want to do business with us.

Welcome Duane Bailey as a Regular Contributor

2010-01-22T08:48:00-05:00

Just a quick note...Duane Bailey has joined The Chief Storyteller. He will be a regular contributor to the blog as well as writing articles, newsletters, tip guides, etc.

We'll post a quick bio on Duane shortly...

A New Year’s Resolution

2010-01-22T06:18:00-05:00

Looking for a New Year’s Resolution? How about joining me at the gym?

I go to the gym on a regular basis. What do I do when I’m there?

If I told you, “I go there to work up a sweat and make myself sore from lifting heavy objects,” very few of you would want to join me. If I said, “I get up before the sun rises and run three miles uphill before the office opens for the day,” I would surmise that most of you would rather sleep in. If I said, “I go to build memories with my boys – like running a 5K with them, being able to slalom around the lake on water skis with them, and hoisting a full backpack and leading them on a hike to the summit of Mt. Washington when I grow older,” then I would bet that’s a resolution many of you would find appealing and easier to keep.

Building memories with our kids…now, that’s a resolution many of us can embrace and an example of turning a story into action.

Before You Make that Call: Use Research to Stand Out from Your Competition

2010-01-21T05:58:00-05:00

Article Summary: Perform competitive intelligence research before making the call or in-person visit. You only have one chance to make a great first impression that prompts your prospect to say, “Tell me more.” You have to justify immediately why the other person should spend his or her time with you. Research to identify your prospect’s true pain points, opportunities for improvement, potential ways of doing things differently, ideas to [blank], and so on. Generic emails, telephone calls, and office visits should be things of the past. Solid research helps spot trends, turns assumptions into facts, and most importantly, makes you stand out. <<< Read complete article below >>>

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Before You Make that Call: Use Research to Stand Out from Your Competition

One of my all-time favorite print advertisements is McGraw-Hill’s “Man in the chair” from 1958. Wearing glasses, a bow tie, and a stern look, the seated older man looks right at you and says…

I don’t know who you are.
I don’t know your company.
I don’t know your company’s product.
I don’t know what your company stands for.
I don’t know your company’s customers.
I don’t know your company’s record.
I don’t know your company’s reputation.
Now—what was it you wanted to sell me?

Moral: Sales start before your salesman calls – with business publication advertising

In short, do your homework. Perform competitive intelligence research before making the call or in-person visit. You only have one chance to make a great first impression that prompts your prospect to say, “Tell me more.” You have to justify immediately why the other person should spend his or her time with you.

Research to identify your prospect’s true pain points, opportunities for improvement, potential ways of doing things differently, ideas to [blank], and so on. Generic emails, telephone calls, and office visits should be things of the past. Solid research helps spot trends, turns assumptions into facts, and most importantly, makes you stand out.

Focus your research on the stakeholder and the organization. For the stakeholder, look for education, accomplishments, resumes, affiliations, board memberships, previous employment, and other bio-data. For the organization, look for financial data, partnerships, clients, products and services, market and industry data, and so on.

As you conduct your research, here are ideas for using a variety of Internet sites to ensure that you are making the most out of your first impression and follow-on interactions. These are just a sampling of the hundreds of sources available for the United States. Note: remember to fact check.

Leverage Social Media Sites
Social media is fantastic for performing research. Information is easy to access and often plentiful. Among the hundreds of sites, start with some of the most popular, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Slideshare.net. Each site has a search tool offering comprehensive results.

Use Traditional and New Media Sources
Spend time with A) national news sources like CNN, Financial Times, Google News Search, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post; B) local newspapers where your prospect is headquartered; C) trade and industry magazines related to your prospect’s industry; D) trade and industry magazines related to your prospect’s biggest clients; and E) press release sources like Associated Press, PR Newswire, Reuters, and United Press International.

For new media resources, look to blogs and newsletters. Start with blogs authored by the prospect’s organization and employees, especially individuals you expect to meet. Look to newsletters by the organization as well as newsletters by its clients, partners, competitors, and industry gurus. Additionally, you can often download presentations and papers from conference sites.

Use Analysts, Research Houses, and Bureaus
You have to open your wallet for access to this premier information. Some offer limited no-cost and low-cost resources. Visit D&B, Dow Jones Factiva, FreeEdgar, Frost & Sullivan, Gartner, Hoovers, Yahoo Financial, Yankee Group, and Zoominfo.

Knowledge is Power
Early in my career, I fell into the “not enough research” camp. Today, I use a variety of sources to ensure that I am as well prepared as possible. On more than one occassion I have found contacts in LinkedIn who have provided invaluable insights into a prospective organization. In Slideshare, I have located interesting and highly relevant product/service presentations. Arming myself with a wealth of information about the prospective organization and its stakeholders has both accelerated and deepened the effectiveness of those sales calls and visits.

Louis Pasteur, noted French chemist and microbiologist, said, “Le hasard ne favorise que les esprits préparés.” In English: “Chance favors only the prepared mind.” Use competitive intelligence research to stack the odds of success in your favor.

Ira Koretsky is the president of The Chief Storyteller®, a firm that turns your business stories and messages into results, with keynotes, workshops, training, and consulting. He can be reached at tbmag@thechiefstoryteller.com or www.TheChiefStoryteller.com.

Do They See What You Want Them to See on Your Website

2010-01-13T10:28:00-05:00

Yesterday I was reviewing a website on a beautiful 24" monitor. The images were crisp and attracted the eye, there was plenty of white space, and the call-to-action buttons easy to see.

Then...I suggested that we look at the website on a some laptops, especially an ultraportable. The viewing experience changed dramatically, especially when it came to the pictures. They now consumed too much of the viewing area. And the information on the bottom area required scrolling to read.

Generally, first time visitors are eye scanning, starting from the top left (for Western hemisphere visitors). Ensure that your home page is viewer-friendly on all of the major formats such as ultraportable, 17", 19" monitor, and 24" monitor. Also look at your website under different screen resolutions. And lastly, look at the website with each of the major Internet browsers (e.g., Firefox, Explorer, Chrome, and Safari).

MENG Survey Reveals the Top 20 Marketing Blogs That Marketing Executives Read

2010-01-11T17:38:00-05:00

I'm a member of the Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG). It is an excellent organization for executive-level marketers who share their passion and expertise to ensure each member’s success (see below for more information on MENG). Since I joined a few years ago, MENG keeps expanding its services and educational resources.

And speaking of resources, today MENG released the findings of its recent survey. MENG surveyed their nearly 2,000 members from around the world to determine which marketing blogs, written by non-MENG members for objectivity, were being read.

I thought that it was an interesting insight into what "marketing executives are reading."

The top five include:

1. Seth Godin
2. Mashable, "The Social Media Guide"
3. Chris Brogan "Learn how human business works"
4. Guy Kawasaki's "How to Change the World"
5. Tom Peters
5. John Jantsch's "Duct Tape Marketing"

I'm familiar with many of the blog's listed. Denise Lee Yohn's "Brand as business bites" and Avinash Kaushik’s Occam’s Razor are two that I am going to read through and explore.

Hope that you find something to pique your interest and help. To see the entire list, click here.

About MENG:
The Marketing Executives Networking Group (MENG) is the premiere international community of executive-level marketers who share their passion and expertise to ensure each member’s success. This
not-for-profit organization of nearly 2,000 members fosters career and personal success across virtually all industries and marketing specialties by providing networking opportunities and the ability to share knowledge and best practices. Members must have reached at least the VP level in their organization. Eighty four percent of members have Fortune 500 experience and 70% have earned graduate degrees, the majority of which are from top-20 business schools. To learn more about MENG, post executive level marketing positions, or to access MENG’s database of marketing executives, speakers and consultants, visit www.MENGonline.com. MENG can also be found on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/MENGonline.