Bob Poole's Water Cooler Hangout

Animation, Cartoons, Video and Your Marketing

Here's how a new rock singer is using a team that thinks outside the box to create her marketing. Using hand-drawn, animated, video from the brain of Martin Whitmore, Megan Elizabeth Morris, and Paul Durban is one way how Emii is capturing minds eyes, ears and minds.

All these creative people know that it's getting more and more difficult to get the attention you want. You have to educate and entertain your prospects - your audience - in order to engage them and get their permission to come back with more. 

Here is my take on the idea. When you're done watching visit the sites above. You can see the Death to Auto-Tune Video here.

Thriving on Responsibility and Freedom

Last week I wrote a blog post at The Water Cooler Hangout expressing my opinion that having average employees is a recipe for failure for small companies. Actually, I think it holds true for all size companies but I'm more concerned about smaller business and start-ups like some of you might have or be contemplating.

I said:
Big businesses tolerate and cultivate average employees.
Small companies can't afford to have average employees.
Everyone working in a small company must be exceptional leaning towards extraordinary.
Average in small business leads to failure.
Always.

Today, a friend sent me a link to a slide deck written by Netflix CEO Reed Hasting that reinforces my opinion. For example, Hasting says at Netflix "adequate performance gets a generous severance package." They cannot tolerate average or adequate. I don't think of Netflix as small as they are now a public company. But, if a public company can think this way, I can only imagine how this kind of progressive thinking might help a small company.

I'm going to give you the link to the slide deck. It very well may be the best expressed description of what a company expects from itself and its employees and what it is willing to do in return that I've ever read. He calls it a Reference Guide on Freedom and Responsibility Culture. Take time to read it and see if it resonates with you. You might really enjoy reading about their vacation policy. Hint:  They don't have one! In fact, they don't have many corporate policies. I think you'll find their thinking quite unlike what you may have experienced in your careers. It doesn't have to be that way.

One last thought from the deck just to convince you to take the time to read it.

Hastings also says:

Responsible People
Thrive on Freedom,
and are Worthy of Freedom.

Maybe this is how you'd like to see your company.

Imagine the possibilities.

Average = Fail

Big businesses tolerate and cultivate average employees.

Small companies can't afford to have average employees.

Everyone working in a small company must be exceptional leaning towards extraordinary.

Average in small business leads to failure.

Always.

The Paleo Diet Interview with Dr. Loren Cordain

I had the pleasure today of interviewing Dr. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet. I personally have learned it isn't a diet but a way of eating for life. The interview is about 30 minutes long and goes quickly as I think you'll find Dr. Cordain to be fascinating.

Also, if you have a friend or relative suffering from autoimmune disorder, especially multiple sclerosis, pay attention to what he says about the last five years of his research.

And, as always, thanks for tuning in!

The Paleo Diet Interview with Dr. Loren Cordain

Selling Financial Services Door-to-Door

The doorbell rang around 10 o'clock this morning. I wasn't expecting anyone so I was surprised to see a young man wearing a tie and dressed for success.

I opened the door and he said hello and immediately told me his name is Ryan and the name of his company. I was gobsmacked as my friend Tim might say. Not only because he was engaging in cold calling by knocking on doors but because of what he was selling.

He was trying to sell investment services door to door!

Ryan's company is a nationally branded, full-service, financial investment firm. I checked them out on the web after he left. He was very polite and tried to establish some kind of rapport in the first 15 seconds by asking me questions about myself and mentioning he grew up in the area. Then he pulled out a flier, pointed to 4 types of services and asked me which ones I'm concerned with today. As you might guess, the interview didn't last too long. 

It was obvious that he is new to sales and is probably in some kind of training program. I hope he didn't pay for his training because whoever told him to go door-knock to sell financial services is doing the young man a great disservice. There are at least a dozen other things he could and should be doing instead of cold calling. And, since his rate of rejection is going to be sky-high using this technique he might give up and think he's not cut out to do this job.

That's not the case. In the few minutes I spent with Ryan, I was impressed with the young man. I also saw myself 35 years ago being taught how to do the same style of sales. However, in 1995 Amazon was created and e-commerce took off. People now have all the choices in the world of what they buy and from whom they buy. And they don't choose their financial advisers from strangers who knock at their doors.

What worked 15, 25 and 35 years ago in sales does not work anymore. I heard Ryan go to a neighbor's house and begin the exact same pitch when they came to the door. I ran upstairs to my office and grabbed a copy of Listen First - Sell Later. When I came outside to look for him I heard him three doors away. I waited while he finished his spiel and the door was closed and then I called to him and gave him the book. 

You can give a copy to anyone you know who could use some help in sales. It's free to download. It might save someone you know from all that cold calling rejection.

Give Them One On The House

Walt knows how to run a bar and restaurant and he knows how to deliver extraordinary customer service. He also knows it is a lot easier and less costly to keep the customers you have than it is to find new ones. He makes it a practice to give his customers a drink on the house on a regular basis. They appreciate it and they keep coming back. They also tell their friends about Walt's Place.

What about you and your customers? Do you make it a habit it give them one on the house to let them know you appreciate them and their business? Or, do you nickle and dime them for everything you can get?

People want to feel like they are appreciated.

People prefer to buy from people and not companies when possible.

People buy from people they like and trust.

Walt knows this and lives it.

What about you?

Paleo - Primal Diet Update

Here's the first update about my new way of eating. I told you I'd keep you posted and I'd love to hear your feedback. I've lost 23 pounds in exactly one-month and I feel fantastic. Take a look and listen. Thanks.

Going to the Cats

PET ALERT - PET ALERT!

I want to make sure you know I'm going to talk about my cats. I gave the dogs a post a few days ago and readers asked to see the cats. So here they are in all their glory. But, I wanted to put out the alert first as whenever I talk about pets it seems like one or two people unsubscribe. So this is your warning. On the other hand, you might it quite interesting as to what dogs and cats can teach you about life, sales, marketing, leadership and creativity!

Back to the cats. Since it is almost impossible to get all three of them together for one shot, I decided to make this collage.

Bear is the black cat and absolutely fearless. He thinks he is a dog - or whatever he thinks the dogs are. Most of his time is spent with the dogs. He's actually bigger than both dogs at over 20 pounds. We adopted him from a shelter. Bear loves everyone but he adores Joann.

Toby is the gray cat. We adopted him from our son who adopted him from a shelter but then had to move. Toby thinks he owns me. He has his own office chair and can usually be found on my lap if at all possible - all 16 pounds of him.

Winnie is the only girl in the house other than Joann. She's extremely shy and gets pushed around some by the male kitties. But, she stands her ground and doesn't put up with any disrespect. She's beautiful as you can see and loves to sit in the windows for neighborhood admirers. Also, adopted from a shelter, Winnie is her own cat. She used to love being with me in my office but Toby and her tend to exchange growls if they are both there at the same time. So, she sneaks in when he's somewhere else in the house.

That's it for the entire family that lives here. Thanks for letting me introduce them to you.

Recipe for Success When the World Is Falling Apart

Last week, I met with people at 6 companies who told me how well things are going in their businesses. Some of them are start-ups, one 5 years old and the rest have been in business at least 10 years. They are all very busy and making money. The only common problem I heard voiced is they are too busy and want to dial back the chaos a little bit.

What are they doing to stay both so busy and profitable? 

• They know how to tell a prospect why they should do business with them versus all the other competition including doing nothing.

This, by the way, immediately separates them from almost all their competition.

• They give exceptional customer service and have exceptional products and services.
• They follow-up with customers proactively to make sure expectations weren't met. They all want to exceed the customers expectations and they work to make that happen.
• The communicate with prospects and customers all the time using all types of media. All of them are using things like Skype video,
• To a person they follow my advice of sending out cards, letters, and pictures just to say hello, thanks, happy day, etc.
• They consistently blog and they engage their readers by asking them what they want to read.
• They make it point to talk about customers and other people on social networks at least 6 times more than they talk about themselves.

And, most importantly, every single one of them said they do not pay any attention to main stream media's cry of doomsday, that the world is ending as we know it, and all the reasons they should be afraid.

For My Dog Loving Friends

For my dog loving friends. This is Max (white dog) and Sambucca (black dog) and, of course, Joann holding them. My life is so much richer and wonderful because of the three of them.