Flying high and sitting pretty

Wedding Invitations, Prospecting Emails and Word Choice, Oh my!

2019-01-18T10:04:00.004-08:00

Oy vey is more like it.

I remember downing a few espresso's at a Starbucks with my fiance (now wife) as we tried to wrap our brains around the appropriate word choice for our wedding invitations.

It was downright exhausting but in the end I think those invitations we agonized over came out alright - after all, just about everyone we sent them to RSVP'd yes !

It struck me that although there are many outstanding SDR and Sales professionals in the B2B universe there are quite a few who just don't put the time in when it comes to the word choice they choose in messaging to their prospects.

Funny thing about that is - the people you invite to your wedding know (and hopefully love) you, your prospects do not !

I get it - in sales there are activity goals and the whole 'numbers game' philosophy has its place if you want to be successful in this business.

That being said, there are tools and best practices to help today's B2B SDR and Sales professionals be more efficient so we must use the time those tools help us save to ensure that the words we string together are thoughtful, personalized and speak to the potential need of our prospects.

If we don't we're just wasting the cost of a stamp so to speak - prospects will just RSVP no and miss what could have been a hell of a party, if only it was conveyed to them that way.

Have a great wknd everyone,

Joe

Lead Nurturing & Numerology - Is There a Magic Number ?

2019-01-14T15:16:00.002-08:00

I don’t think I ever thought about it as a child but as an adult I’ve grown to be fascinated with numbers, from a numerology perspective.

For my wife and I, 28 is our number and I sometimes joke that I'll write a book one day called ‘The Power of 28.’ There have been way too many amazing (to me :) run in's with this number to list but here are a few favorites.

First date: December 28th 2009
Exclusively dating: January 28th 2010
After searching for two years we found our dream home – you can guess what the address was

And when my wife asked me to write something on the bottom of her wedding shoe I racked my brain thinking how can I write something meaningful enough for the occasion and on such a small surface ! After some serious thought this is what I came up with…of course.

In professional life I’ve had many discussions and read many articles on the topic of lead nurturing. Everyone wants to know how many touches does it take to go from prospect to Sales-Ready lead ?

At the end of the day, and my fascination (obsession) with numbers aside, I know that no such magic number exists here. But I do believe there are magic behaviors. Here are three that I believe are necessary if your team wants to seriously nurture a lead.

Persistence. It certainly takes more than one outreach in this business. The folks your reaching out to have plenty going on and they don't even know you so you need to be in it for the long haul and consistent in your outreach.

Thoughtfulness. When you put yourself and/or your company ‘out there’ in front of a lead you are giving that lead the opportunity to form an impression. Whether they respond or not, it needs to be a positive one.

Purposefulness. Relationship building takes precious time (that thing no one seems to have enough of). If you are ultimately seeking a lead's time you must be mindful of what you share with them and what they’d like most from this new relationship.

I've noticed that some people respond to 'data-supported' statements, others take better to a softer approach and still others most appreciate it when messaging cuts right to the chase.

In marketing and sales we first make educated assumptions as to what should resonate with our target audience and then, as we actually get to know our leads we truly learn how to speak their language. So now, not only do you need to learn your significant other's love language, you need to learn your lead's love language too :)

But I think you'll be better for it.

After all, if you take the time to recognize what resonates with the leads you nurture, no matter how they engage, your team will eventually be able to craft messaging and an approach that gets closer and closer to feeding their minds and speaking to their (professional) heart.

As I type this I can't help but laugh at the words - this is way too deep for B2B marketing right ? But what is a 'lead' but an actual person with a potential need and what does the word 'nurture' really mean if not to purposefully encourage the development of, in our case, a relationship ?

So we might as well call it what it is: 'lead nurturing,' the thoughtful and purposeful process of forming relationships with other people.

That's as worthy an aspiration to work towards and strive for as I've ever seen.

Joe

Rip Van Winkle - That's Me I Guess

2019-01-11T09:23:00.004-08:00

Just call me Rip, Van Winkle that is.

Posting today on this blog reminds me of that classic. Has it really been almost 10 years since my last blog post ?? Well I can tell you this, unlike Rip I certainly have not been asleep in the Catskill Mountains all this time.

On the contrary, life has been that busy, a good thing but I am excited to resurrect this 'blogger.com' blog, especially as I embark on this latest journey in my career.

I've just recently joined PureB2B and I am thrilled to be working for some Sales Leaders that I've worked with and admired for years. The last 15 years of my professional life have been spent selling enterprise technology software, procurement consulting and B2B technology advertising sales. And like everyone else who's been around, I've got stories to tell.

Stories of career highs and lows flowing alongside and inextricably tied to equally high and low memories from my personal life.

Its interesting how that works. Professional and personal life can sometimes feel entirely separate but at the same time so tightly weaved together. Makes me think of a book I love that is one part simple Italian recipe book and one part a story of love and learning about where you're from (the book I'm referring to is 'Many Beautiful Things' by Vincent Schiavelli - the 'Subway Ghost' in the movie Ghost :) I highly recommend it for the tales and for the cool recipes.

For the rest of my life I'll always remember the time I made 'Cauliflower Under Seige' !!

I've never been short on passions, interests that kind of thing so in this latest iteration of my blog I'll talk about how my many personal passions tie into my professional passion of B2B marketing and sales.

For example, I like to make cheese - in particular fresh mozzarella ! It's fun - I do it for my family and I've even done it with some of my clients.

How in the world is cheese-making related to B2B marketing you ask ? Well, both can be learned rather quickly but both take a lifetime to master !

And while we're talking cheese, here's a place that does it right :)

Here's hoping you enjoy some good cheese this wknd

Joe

Welcome distractions

2010-01-22T08:25:00.000-08:00

So yes, we are plowing through January and my blogging output has dropped significantly.

People get distracted and I am no exception. I do, however, try to avoid the types of distractions that derail me from my goals and welcome the ones that, while not directly related to any particular goal, inspire, excite and help in someway to make me a better person.

Step one
If you find yourself distracted, ask if you welcome it or not.

Step two
Prioritize, how you ask? Like so:

I can cut back on blog writing a bit but not on completing my portfolio. You can make room for the welcome distractions in your life, and you can do it by shuffling. There will always be time for the important people and things in my life no matter what anyone says.

Step three
Welcome distractions aren't really distractions at all (I'm not talking about midday snacks here people)

Call things as they are.

If you willingly make time for someone or something you are choosing to make it a priority, simple as that.

As far as the business end of things, I've been speaking to Art Directors and think I may have found one (through my good friend James!) who will do a very cool and seriously professional job. I have one campaign out there now and I'm looking forward to seeing how it will turn out!!!

I will also begin my latest Advertising class this Monday. The wind is behind me so I guess I'm still flying high and sitting pretty.

Have a great weekend world, (don't forget about me ;)

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Checking up on you

2010-01-15T09:17:00.000-08:00

How's it going? We haven't talked in a while!

In fact, the last few weeks represent the longest hiatus I've taken since starting this blog back in August.

Whether you missed me or not (or are willing to admit it) I missed you! And whats more, I've been thinking of plenty of things for us to talk about in the coming weeks.

You may or may not know that I am officially one year older and wiser (wiser is debateable I know) then when last we spoke but I am. Each year I am humbled by my family and friends, you know, the birthday cards, the gifts, and most importantly what people say.

I feel very loved and I view that love as a privledge. I use it to motivate me to work harder and be a better person and I think it works.

No matter how far I am away from my goals, I know I'll get there because while I can't see into the future I have memories, moments and signs that make me feel as though I'm heading in the right direction. They come in the form of words (books I've read), sights (images I've seen, people (family, friends, random people I meet).

These signs are past hopes and wishes now answered and they allow me to believe that future dreams will also be realized if I keep working to reach them.

Every year when I blow out the candles on the birthday cake I make a wish. But this year I thought, what about the wishes I've made on previous birthdays, have they come true?

The answer is some yes and some no.

Should I elaborate? Tell you the wishes I've made and all that? I would, trust me but I like you see? And if I told you 1. They might not come true, and 2. I'd have to kill you and thats really not my style. I will say this though:

A lot of times I make wishes for my family and I. My birthday wishes are usually pretty deep, I should write it down so I can recite it to myself in front of the cake because now that I think about it, is there any more akward place to make a thoughtful sincere wish then in front of hungry friends and family waiting anxiously to devour the cake in front of you?

The looks on their eyes tells me they're thinking, it's bad enough the birthday boy gets the first slice, now I have to stand here as he takes his sweet time?! I'm sure no one gets that crazy over it (I have to say this since Family and Friends read this blog) but it is kind of funny to think about.

The point is that many good things already exist in my life and I believe that at one time or another I wished (worked / hoped) for them (not all but some for sure) and that gives me the faith to know that there is something on the other end of what I'm dreaming of today.

For now it's back to work, dreams don't dream themselves up afterall!

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Will you or won't you?

2010-01-02T06:09:00.000-08:00

Celebrating NYE in NYC with friends

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone out there (are you out there?) enjoyed an amazing holiday season with family and friends.

Since it's now the New Year, 2010 (do you say twenty ten or O ten? I like the former!) I am going to take a stab at the very popular "New Years Resolution" blog article. Here goes......

Last night, after an evening at my aunts house and what I like to call the last leg in the dining decathlon that is the holidays, I decided that come January 2nd morning I would wake up early and go for a run.

In fact I more than decided, I resolved.

I laid out my running clothes, complete with my usual over use of gear. I had runners tights, thermals, special gloves about 85 layers to wick away sweat, and of course my music (or I should say Pandora's music since I have zero songs on my iPhone).

I woke up at 6:30am (VICTORY #1: I want to get up earlier on weekends this year) and made a serious spiral ham, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich (VICTORY # 2: I want to eat healthier than 2009 so I subbed out the sausage).

I got dressed and threw on my favorite cycling jacket. As I walked to the door I thought, "Maybe I should wear brighter colors since it's still a bit dark outside." When I stepped out onto the porch I realized that black would pop better than any other color.

It was snowing.

I paused for a second but then remembered my resolution so into the snow I ran.

It was driving down pretty hard and hitting me right in the face. I should resolve to replace the sunglasses I lost in "twenty nine," I thought. At first it was kind of annoying but then I thought "resolve" means to reach a firm decision about, so what better way to test my resolve than this?

Satisfied, I smiled (and ran faster).

As usual, what seems like an obstacle really is a catalyst. This run through the snow has me extremely motivated for today, tomorrow and the rest of the year.

I'd love to race the sun each morning and chase it down each night.

I know this won't happen everyday. I'll sleep in, be lazy, sometimes I'll just be stupid. One thing I know is I'll always be weak. But when I am I'll remember days like today and when I sleep in I'll feel bad because I am aware. I can close my eyes and see me on that white road, snow flakes diving down. I can see my foot prints and know that I was there when no one else was.

The challenge I face is pushing forward despite my weaknesses. To me, that's the true test of strength and character. Each day I want to prove to myself that I am who my sister and my mom and my dad say that I am.

My personal resolutions for the year are as follows:

- Wake up earlier

- Go to bed earlier

- Drink less red bull

- Finish advertising portfolio (Q1 2010)

- Get job at advertising agency (ASAP)

- Appreciate the little things that give life texture and flavor

- Learn how to dance

I've got others too - This is a blog people, not a diary! ;o)

I hope you resolve to embrace your weaknesses and use them to push closer to achieving your dreams.

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Baby it's cold outside

2009-12-19T21:53:00.000-08:00

My latest DP Challenge Photo Submission - The challenge, depict boredom

Here I am with nothing to do - tossing cards into a hat and killing time

It's 1:30am and it's snowing in my part of the world.

Earlier I was out playing in the snow / decorating my house for Christmas. It was below 30 degrees and windy but I wasn't cold at all.

My kayak / camping gear saved the day. I had a ridiculous amount of layers on and kind of felt like Ralphy's little brother in A Christmas Story (My favorite Christmas DAY movie to watch!). Fortunately I was able to put my arms down when I needed to.

I've had a really nice week.

I found multiple people capable of art directing my ad campaigns. I applied for a freelance position earlier in the week for an Account Executive position at an Ad Agency (we'll see how that goes) and I popped in on my old job and met some friends that I used to work with for lunch.

I had the General Tso's Chicken. I can write a book about my thoughts regarding this dish but I'll save that for another day (for your sake, a day that won't come anytime soon!).

We met at #1 Chinese Restaurant in lower Manhattan. I always joke that the Restaurant Manager calls the entire staff into the kitchen before each shift to give extremely motivational pep talks.

Ladies / Gentlemen, it's 10:45 and those doors will be wide open in 15 short minutes. We will have diners and people calling in orders for delivery and pick up. Our chairs will be filled with folks conducting lunch meetings, holding interviews and others who are looking to escape the office for a few fleeting minutes.

The time they spend with us is precious. Some of them will be dining with us for the first time and others chose our restaurant based on the recommendations of friends or from past experience. We have a responsibility to give them the best meal possible.

They may order General Tso's Chicken or Hunan pork with noodles, they might be picky, they might be in a bad mood but we are # 1 Chinese Restaurant and will will go out on that dining room floor and show our customers that we can handle any request.

No one goes to #2, our spring rolls are crisp and flaky and we've got the best duck sauce in town. We're #1, we're #1, we're #1........

Funny thing is the staff, while attentive, are very subdued, so if they really and truly are fired up to represent #1, they hide it very well!

Anyway, I always look forward to my fortune cookies after I eat chinese food. I'm not all that superstitious but I do get a kick out of a good fortune.

Sometimes I grab my cookie from the pile the waitress leaves on the table (choose my own destiny) other times I leave it in the hands of fate (let others choose first, good table manners you know). I like to completely eat my cookie, then read AND try to pronounce the chinese word on the back of the fortune. This time my chinese word was watermelon (gua).

My fortune, "Your future looks bright."

That is not a promise, it doesn't mean that anything will be handed to me, its only an outlook. Really it's just a mass produced "fortune" but based on the last few weeks I tend to agree with my cookie.

I have a lot to do tomorrow, the first order of business will have me clean the snow off a few cars. I have a lot of work to do if I want to turn in quality ads for my last class but good news, I have a few interesting concepts. So tomorrow is all about execution. And I will approach all of my tasks with the knowledge that good fortune smiles on those who put in the hard work.

Have a nice night world and enjoy the snow!

joeyz101

http://twitter.com/joeyz101

The good life

2009-12-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

Really great advertising is powerful.

It can make you laugh or move you to tears. Tonight we did PSA (Public Service Announcement) ads for the prevention of animal cruelty.

I spent time looking at the award winning ads in this category and was definitely moved by what I saw. One ad I really liked had the following line (I'm paraphrasing):

This is the box a mink comes in (Visual of fancy garment box)
This is the box a mink lives in (Visual of much smaller box drawn in dotted lines inside garment box)

Assuming that the dimensions of the boxes represent accurate living quarters, how can you not feel for these animals? The key to moving the viewer is taking an interesting fact (mink living small quarters) and providing a twist (showing dimensions in relation to garment box).

My PSA campaign stayed on the wall so I was very excited. There is a huge difference doing research for Scope Mouthwash and the prevention of animal cruelty...it was torture just to see some of what goes on, I'm glad that's over!

Tonight the professors spoke about their preferences regarding student portfolios.

Portfolio = website and simplicity is king.

I'm going to get a few campaigns art-directed over the next month. It's kind of exciting to get my work produced, I can't wait to see how it comes out!

My professors advised us to not be cute on our website as it only takes away from our work.

I agree. Let the work speak for itself darn it! (Maybe I'll feel differently after my 100th rejection, who knows?!)

Tomorrow is another busy day in the life of this unemployed 27 year old. I have special motivation to work hard this week as this is the last assignment of the semester and we have been instructed to create a guerrilla (ambient) campaign. My previous guerrilla attempts have sucked but I'm hopeful I can improve ;o)

The great thing about being your own boss (which I am these days) is that you can make and break, your own schedule. Here's mine for tomorrow:

7:30am - breakfast
9:00am - Yoga (I have to workout the back for tennis!)
10:30am - Advertising research
12:30pm - Lunch
1:30pm - Photography - I have to take a picture that shows boredom or enthusiasm
2:30pm - Contact Art Directors and continue with Ad research
4:30pm - Run
5:30pm - Dinner
6:30pm - Work to improve past ad campaigns for portfolio

This list will stretch out to 4am, easy (probably because I totally lied about the allotted lunch and dinner times in the schedule above!). There will be moments of intense focus and inspiration followed by periods of procrastination and digestion. Items will be added to the list and others will be completely ignored.

As always, the day will unfold and I'll roll with the punches. It'll go fast and that's why I'm taking a moment right now to stop and enjoy the fact that unemployment has been treating me well.

I'm living the good life and hope you are too!

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Conquer yourself

2009-12-11T10:01:00.000-08:00

I have one goal when I wake up, to conquer myself.

To not be lazy
To stay on task
To get out of my own way

Sometimes I feel like everything I do is a test. It can annoying at first but the presence of many challenges means the opportunity for many victories.

Today I woke up and raked leaves in the front of my house, in the wind.

I was really frustrated, and cold and pissed off. I was in a bad mood and the job was not getting done. Each time I raked a pile a strong wind would blow them everywhere except the bag.

I went back inside, warmed up, and read something that focused me.

When I went back outside the job got done, I actually had fun and now, after the normally boring and frustrating chore of raking leaves, I am pretty damn fired up! I met the challenge head on.

So what changed?

I stopped complaining and got resourceful. I got inside of the garbage bag, raked leaves, hopped close to the pile and shoveled them in.

I'm sure there are other better ways to rake leaves in the wind, but my method worked fine, and I got to hop around in a hefty bag, what's cooler than that?

Oh, and no leaves escaped my rake.

Give all of yourself in everything you do. No challenge is too small, each one can make you stronger.

joeyz101
http://twitter.com/joeyz101

Always take the stairs

2009-12-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

My hand caught on fire this past Saturday night, It was kind of cool :o)

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of blogs about what people in the advertising industry should be thankful about.
0
In the words of Johnny Mac (Enroe, for you non-tennis fans) You cannot be serious!
0
The job market sucks, AgencySpy is reporting layoffs every other day and companies are slashing advertising budgets and killing projects. What does anyone have to be thankful about?

Everyone agreed that 2009 was rough but full of perspective. Anyone working in, or trying to break into the business was given plenty to think about.
0
That's a good thing and for me, this year has been one long test.
0
The two toughest questions I had to answer were: do I really want this and can I really do this?
0
I do want this. I spent a large part of this year convincing myself that I can be a copywriter. Maybe it’s true, the more you say it, the more you believe it (I should print business cards or get a tattoo, don’t tell my mom about the tattoo!).
0
Aside from art direction, I’m halfway done with my portfolio. One week after a review with my professors and I have three completely completed campaigns and 3 semi-completed campaigns.
0
I found a cool website last week called findyouryang.com. It’s a place where copywriters and art directors can team up to complete their portfolios or begin working together in the business.
0
I plan to contact art directors over the next few weeks and will provide an update on the value of this website (which is really a Facebook group), so stay tuned. If anyone knows any art directors that would be interested in working together or making some extra $$ to art direct my ads, leave a comment and let me know!
0
0
In other news, the two professors who taught my first advertising class have been telling their current students to contact me and ask how they can join a “Secret Society of Ex Advertising Students.”
0
Sounds mysterious and exciting, is there really such a group?
0
As a matter of fact there is!
0
The first advertising class I took was more than great, it was a homerun, a semester worth of stars, and it was what really inspired me to take myself seriously.
0
I will forever be grateful to those professors and the people I met in that class for encouraging me along this path. If anyone wants to join my Advertising Facebook Group, please send me a friend request on Facebook and I will send you an invite.
0
For all those students currently in class with those two awesome professors, enjoy your last class and be sure to ask yourself the tough questions when you wake up on Wednesday morning.
0
I ask and answer those questions every day. Some days I respond so confidently I scare myself and other days my voice cracks.
0
Breaking into this business is not easy. You have to want it. You have to have the right mindset and be willing to push yourself to think more creatively, to constantly work on your book, to take yourself seriously, etc, etc. I know that’s the only way I will ever make it in this business.
0
Push yourself constantly, race walk random people on the street, wake up one hour earlier than you planned, don’t hit the snooze button when the alarm rings.
0
Take the stairs, not the elevator.
0
People may look at you like your crazy and that’s ok, plenty of creative people are crazy (check out the movie Crazy People, if you haven’t seen it already!). You always go further when you avoid the easy way (and you’ll get some exercise on the way up :o)
0
joeyz101
http://joeyz101.blogspot.com