trust - Artful Thinkers

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017

Clarity is Key to Communicating Purpose

Purpose is defined by ambitions, actions, plans and principles. In business, our purpose is revealed through communications, both intentional and unintentional. What we say is who we are, in perception and reality. The words we choose to share in describing ourselves, our businesses and our outlook, illustrates our purpose.

Simplicity empowers the communicator. Simplicity frees the recipient from interpretation due to a lack of clarity. Complexity in content and message strangles good communications. Complexity will often leave your audience lost in intent and making assumptions in purpose and desired outcomes. Simple and clear direction produces higher quality results.

Clear and concise messaging is the key to convincing others to take action. It is no secret, business leaders are often frustrated by the lack of understanding when they “feel” they provide explicit direction or orders. The frustration comes from the failure of communications, which is often caused by lack of clarity. The associated business risks and costs of failed communications can be astronomical depending on the purpose and use. Bad communications can negatively impact revenues, growth, relationships and confidence.

Clarity improves connection and engagement because it increases trust and transparency. Clarity exposes purpose by unveiling expectations. Clarity tells people exactly what you want.

“Clarity is power.” Anthony Robbins

Testing your message reduces misinterpretation and failure in communications. Here is a quick way to test your clarity. Share one sentence with no less than 10 words and no more than 15, with a person or group. After delivery, ask that they repeat it back to you verbatim. What were the results? Are you surprised by the fact some won’t recall “exactly” what you said? Now really test your clarity, ask them to tell you what you wanted based on that sentence. Did they properly interpret your expectations and purpose?

Communication success if often defined by how close we reach an audience. Sampling tests will identify if there is clarity or your audience has a “gist” of what you are trying to say. A clarity test is a also way to show understand how people will imply their own assumptions, listen selectively and interpret the message. This presents a clear and present danger for the person delivering the message, which is why critical communications need good testing protocols.

Know your audience and set your own expectations as the communicator. Humans are not skilled in being great listeners. We also have very active brains, myriads of distractions and sadly our attention spans are less than goldfish. Yes, that is actually proven through science. Microsoft reported in a 2015 study that people now generally lose concentration after eight seconds, while goldfish can focus for nine seconds. Your message has to cut through a lot of noise to be heard, no matter the content format. Clarity makes a difference.

Definition of Clarity: Clearness or lucidity as to perception or understanding; freedom from in distinctness or ambiguity.

Seven Tips for Creating CLARITY in Communications

Concise messaging improves connection; be brief and succinct
Laser-focus on anticipated actions and intentions
Ask specifically what you want without ambiguity
Results orientation informs your audience on how you will measure success
Identify how you will measure the impact of your communications
Target your message to your audience
Yes responses confirm agreement in understanding and expectations

Another valuable bit of advice from a practiced marketer, avoid the noise. Using hyperbole and jargon complicates the message. Ideas will be lost in translation. Simplicity improves clarity. Concise communications boost understanding and retention.

Definition of Assumption: a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.

Never assume. “They didn’t get it.” “That’s not what I meant.” “You don’t understand what I’m trying to tell you.” Have you ever felt this type of frustration after delivering what you thought to be very clear communications? Communication is tricky. It’s an art. The biggest mistake made in business today is assuming others will clearly know what you are asking and what you want.

For critical communications, it is important to follow through with post analysis. The results may require sharpening the messaging or providing clarifications to ensure the message is clearly understood.

Who is to blame? When there is no clarity, the communicator often blames the audience for not understanding. When in fact, it was really just bad communications that produced unintended consequences. There was simply a lack of clarity. The owner of the message owns the results.

Let’s be clear, clarity of intended expectations will sharpen a message and improve delivery. Clarity reduces frustration resulting from perceptions and judgement. No matter the content type, whether corporate communications driven from the CEO or marketing campaigns to draw in new prospects, say what you want with clarity and purpose. You’ll be happier with the results.

Jamie Glass, CMO + President, Artful Thinkers, a sales and marketing consulting company.

March 29, 2017May 25, 2017

Building Trust with Facts and Truth in Marketing

Trust is core to any and all relationships. This is particularly true between buyers and sellers. A brands trust builds brand value and equity in the marketplace. Without trust, you don’t have buyers (or at least not for long). Trust is derived from telling the truth and truth is represented through facts.

Marketers are critical in building trust based on truth and facts. They do so by ensuring what is said by the company is factual and will be delivered to the customer. This all begins with a unwavering commitment to using truth and facts in all communication types and across all mediums.

DEFINITION: Trust is the firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

Trust grows over time. It is often referenced that trust takes years to build and seconds to break. This requires attentive brand management through active listening posts, internally and externally.

Marketers must value the relationships a company spends years building through constant and consistent fact-telling. Say what you do and do what you say, without exception. If you can’t do it, don’t say it. Seems pretty elementary, yet it is how brands are tarnished and customers are lost every day. The easiest way to lose a customer is to not follow-through or to ignore a customer. The ultimate sin is to lie, which usually has greater repercussions.

When a brand sets an expectation through marketing, it must deliver. It is the brand promise. If the brand can’t deliver to a single consumer or marketplace, state so immediately and swiftly move into reputation management.

Facts are hardened by evidence. They are proof points that should easily define your products and services. Marketers often site facts that are obtained through customer experiences or results of use. Product tests, trials, use cases, satisfaction surveys, ratings and performance metrics are good mechanisms to produce data for fact-based marketing.

Statistical evidence is often easy to communicate and understand by buyers. A good example of how statistics are used in marketing is through published survey results. “82% of our customer’s said they would refer our company to a friend or colleague based on our latest quarterly NPS survey.” To further back-up the facts, link the inquirer to the published survey results.

DEFINITION: Fact is a thing that Is indisputably the case. Reality, actuality, certainty.

What hurts the marketing profession more than anything is when brands focus so heavily on spin, pitching and hype that they stray from the facts. Some may brush this off as “over-selling,” yet the danger is that this can often creep into communicating falsehoods. By aiming to create a viral buzz and generate demand, a truthful message can soon spin out of control downstream. Creativity in messaging and pushing to get your message heard must be held to truth standards or consumers will see through the hype and hold the brand accountable for violating their trust. Without trust, you don’t have buyers and without buyers, marketing fails.

Marketers also need to heed the warnings of making assumptions and using projections. We have heard that everyone has their “own truth” and that perception often comes through that person’s conviction and belief. One good review online can help market an experience; however, projecting it as evidence or proof of “everyone’s” expected experience is where distortion of facts leads to betrayal of trust.

There are no alternative facts. Facts should not be disputable; however, one’s truth is where we enter can into a universe of animated reality. Marketers should not bend the rules to utilize one’s truth as evidence of fact for all.

DEFINITION: Truth is the quality or state of being true.

Persuading others of what is the truth is a primary role for a marketer and that persuasion must rely on facts. There are laws that prohibit factual misrepresentations in advertising. These rules are governed by the Federal Trade Commission in the United States.

“When consumers see or hear an advertisement, whether it’s on the Internet, radio or television, or anywhere else, federal law says that ad must be truthful, not misleading, and, when appropriate, backed by scientific evidence. The Federal Trade Commission enforces these truth-in-advertising laws, and it applies the same standards no matter where an ad appears – in newspapers and magazines, online, in the mail, or on billboards or buses.” Source: FTC

An area that often challenges marketing is the reliance on spokespeople for advertising. Spokespeople are recognized as endorsers of products and services. No matter how the message is delivered, whether word-of-mouth, online videos, TV or through written communications, it is critical that the spokesperson does not set expectations or guarantees. Often it is the intention of a brand to use a spokesperson to build trust. That means the spokesperson must speak the “universal” truth, as evidenced by fact.

Unfortunately, we have a long history of barkers, pitchmen, raconteurs, braggers, blowhards and gossipers who have all engaged to sell a product or service. They have hurt the reputation of brands and marketers, as they were not viable truth tellers. Trusting paid endorsements is subject to much debate and criticism in advertising. Besides the high costs in securing reputable spokespeople to pitch your goods and services, be sure you understand all the legal concerns and risks associated with this form of advertising.

Another caution to marketers who focus on storytelling as a method for personalizing brands. It is essential that storytelling portray an actual experience. Unfortunately, there is a branding issue with storytellers. In history, they have been seen as tellers of tales, liars, minstrels, fibbers and betrayers of truth. If storytelling is key to your marketing strategy, rely on known and trusted sources that can support the messages with evidence (facts) in the stories they tell.

One way that the consumer has taken control of brand’s truth telling through stories and and endorsements is through the use of reviews. Reviews are seen as “of the people” and representative of an individual’s “truth.” Reviews are now one of the most trusted forms of advertising for brands.

84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. 91% of consumers regularly or occasionally read online reviews. Source: BrightLocal

This phenomenon has given rise to the need for significant investments in reputation and brand management functions and technologies within corporate marketing. Online customer reviews have given consumers decision-making power based on others perceptions and experiences. This can have a significant and even immediate impact to revenues. We’ve all read about how one bad review soiled a company’s reputation and value. Or as we know today, one bad tweet and you are toast! Interestingly, reviews are “one’s truth” and may not be supported in fact. It is up to the marketer to listen, learn, be prepared and act quickly!

ADDITIONAL READING ON THE IMPACT OF REVIEWS: How Online Reviews Can Either Make Or Break Your Business? by WebsiteBuilder.org

What has led to a revolution in how consumers use their own storytelling and sharing of brand experiences, now defines corporate marketing’s role.

Areas that require constant monitoring, fact-checking and focus for effective brand and reputation management, include:

Social Media Platforms
Online Consumer Forums, Location and Review Sites
E-commerce Channels and Distribution Sites
Website and Blogs
PR and Media Mentions
Search Ads, Rankings and Keywords
Online, Google Alerts

As marketers listen in, watch the online chatter and put into effect means to engage with the empowered consumers, it is essential that brands respond and stick to the facts. Tell the truth. Trust will follow. Without trust, you have nothing to market and nothing worth selling. Trust me.

Jamie Glass, President + CMO, Artful Thinkers, a sales and marketing consulting company.

EXTRA 1: Who are the most trusted brands in America? More than 5,000 Americans across the country participated in the online survey, which awards the “Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brand” title to winners in 40 product categories, including travel, food and beverage, automotive, beauty and healthcare, retail and customer service, financial services, household items, consumer electronics and more. Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand survey results are here: http://www.rd.com/trustedbrands/.

February 3, 2013June 13, 2017

Growing Your Business by Word of Mouth

If you had to solely rely on word of mouth and referrals to grow your business, could you? Would you?

It depends on your word of mouth power, the factor from which you attribute new customer acquisition by recommendations from others. The ultimate test to measure your word of mouth power is to forecast the growth of your business through a single source — referrals. Would you miss your revenue target or exceed financial expectations?

Word of mouth (WOM) requires talkers. People who are willing to stake their reputation on telling others about you, your business and your value. Word of mouth marketing (WOMM) may be the most cost effective way for you to grow your business, if you have invested in creating an army of talkers. Talkers are promoters, followers, happy customers and raving fans.

WOM marketing and advertising is often advocated as free. This is simply not true. The outcome of word of mouth may be free from cost of sales. WOM requires a significant investment. An investment in resources that will carry your message forward. An investment of time educating others on the value of your products and services. An investment in exceeding customer, partner and employee expectations. Acquiring new customers may factually require a smaller investment than buying ads and cold calling; however, it is not investment free. You need to invest in your word of mouth strategy to make sure it really pays off.

You can invest in a WOM strategy by giving people a reason to talk and by continually asking others to talk about you and your business.

Invest in WOM by giving people the proper tools to share your message. Talkers are your most valuable source for marketing, if they can speak from first hand experience. You can buy fans. Buying fans does not create loyalty or truth telling. The best talkers are those that trust you will deliver your value. They are someone who has found your solution to be worthy of sharing and promoting to others.

Knowing what others are saying about you and your business is measured by the amount of customers acquired through word of mouth. If no one is referred to you by WOM, that is a danger sign. People are not telling others about your value. A bigger red flag might translate to a reputation problem. When is the last time you asked your fans, customers or employees to spread the word? Are they enthused to get the word out or hesitant to refer others to your business?

People talk about what they like, what they trust and what they value. All of these are earned markers of success in business. You earn them by doing a great job and exceeding expectations. The markers are currency. A currency that is transferred by word of mouth referrals. Start by setting your marker to do great work and then ask people to start talking. When they start talking, you have power. You have the power to win new customers by word of mouth.

“I would rather earn 1% off a 100 people’s efforts than 100% of my own efforts.” J. Paul Getty

Jamie Glass, Founder, President and CMO of Artful Thinkers

January 20, 2013May 31, 2017

Don’t Confuse Confidence with Enthusiasm

Business leaders, entrepreneurs, sales people and marketers utilize enthusiasm to draw people to their ideas. They passionately motivate us to follow and take action. Enthusiasm creates an emotional attachment.

Beyond the emotion, we soon find ourselves wanting more. We want to trust that we should follow, not follow blindly. We need proof that the words are supported by facts. We need evidence. We are convinced by confidence.

Enthusiasm opens the door, confidence is the closer. We are attracted by enthusiasm. We believe in confidence. Enthusiasm is selling, marketing and promoting. Confidence is demonstrating, providing proof and creating trust to solve problems and fulfill needs. Knowing the difference is very important. Knowing how to balance the two requires expertise.

A person that lacks confidence will often exude excessive enthusiasm to mask insecurities or lack of evidence. Have you ever found yourself so engaged by a sales person that you forget you are being sold? Enthusiasm wins. The result may be buyer remorse or worse, deception. Perhaps a new hire enthusiastically convinces you that they can “do the job” and soon the facts do not support reality. A very expensive mistake for a small business – costing the company time and money.

On the flip side, a confident person can be so overtly confident they fail to listen to others or fail to create a following. Confidence is not arrogance. Confidence can easily delude rational thinking. The love of power convinces the most confident they can not fail, thus losing all sense of humility and gratitude. When you look around you and no one is cheering you along, your confidence has removed your ability to attract others. There is no emotional appeal. You are now the leader of no one.

Confidence is defined as full trust; belief in powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing, belief in oneself and one’s powers or abilities; self-confidence; self-reliance; assurance.

Enthusiasm is defined as absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit; lively interest.

How do you create balance and avoid the extremes? The perfect blend of confidence and enthusiasm is pitchman Ron “Ronco” Popeil. He used demonstration to prove his inventions were viable and trustworthy. He used hype and selling to capture our mind share and imagination. Who can forget his famous, “But wait, there’s more!” Son of an inventor, Popeil is one of the most famous marketing pitchmen. He showed you how you could dice onions, so you won’t shed a tear. How you could depend on his electronic dehydrator to feed your children healthy fruit snacks instead of candy. The lessons in all the infomercials where about solving a problem. Confidently.

What is the financial impact when you expertly blend confidence and enthusiasm? Many of the Popeil inventions, most designed by Ron’s father, sold over 2 million. Ron Popeil is not rich solely from his fishing poles and spray on hair inventions. He is rich because he used enthusiasm to get our attention followed by confidently demonstrating how he solved our problems. He sold it. We bought it. We bought his confidence.

Whether you are pitching for investor dollars or motivating your sales team, you must build trust. Demonstrate reliability and accountability. Show the why. Why you, why your company, why your ideas, why now. Then use your persuasive personality to make sure the message is received, understood and people are left wanting more.

Enthusiasm without evidence is hype. Hype doesn’t convince anyone, only gives us reason to be suspect. Don’t oversell, don’t undersell. Confidence alone is mundane. Lead with enthusiastic confidence. A moderation of the two, equal but not separate, wins.

“Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.” Norman Vincent Peale

Jamie Glass, Founder, President and CMO of Artful Thinkers

November 4, 2012

Virtues of a Trusted Advisor

The role of a trusted advisor is honorable. A business leader believes you can help them achieve their goals, overcome their challenges and drive new opportunities. Your advice is so valuable to the business, they choose to invest valuable resources, including time and money, for your guidance, products and services. They trust you can make a difference.

In the position of power, an advisor must demonstrate characteristics of greatness. An advisor must garner the trust needed to challenge, collaborate and guide leaders in personal and professional ways. The considerable distinction of being a trusted advisor must be representative of virtues that such power bestows.

Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founders of the United States, listed his 13 virtues in a notebook. He referenced the virtues to measure how he lived each day. The virtues included temperance, silence, order, justice and humility. He developed the list of virtues when he was 20 years old and used it in some form, according to his autobiography, for the rest of his long life.

Though there are hundreds of virtuous characteristics, there are a few common virtues practiced by many high quality trusted advisors. What would you include on your list of virtues to guide you in the expected role of a trusted advisor? Here are ten virtues that top my list:

Ten Trusted Advisor Virtues

Diligent – Be a good steward. Spend other’s resources with care and great due diligence to maximize a positive impact. Value other’s money as if it is your own.
Integrity – Be honest and ethical in your role as a confidant.
Silence – Listen to learn. Advising others requires you to listen and learn before you conclude and guide.
Courage – Challenge ideas, policies, programs and standards with candor, evidence and experience. You need not be right, you need to state your beliefs with conviction. It is your role.
Credible – Prove you are worthy of trust. Believe in your ideas and recommendations. Convey your belief with proof.
Share – Take part in the business. Be a partner. Contribute by sharing ideas and making valuable connections.
Reliable – Be present in real time. Demonstrate your loyalty by being available to help when help is needed. Be on time. Deliver on time.
Logical – Solve problems with logic. Business decisions can be emotional. Provide the logical pros and cons to help others make sound decisions.
Wisdom – Use your knowledge and judgement to be resourceful. Experience has value. Speak and advise on what you know and when you don’t know, find other resources that do know.
Respect – Respect those you advise and respect your position of power. The quality of your work will be demonstrated by your ability to deliver, real and actionable advice. Earn respect by doing.

Virtues are often referred to as ethics. Virtues are your moral compass, how you conduct yourself. As a trusted advisor, you have the responsibility to demonstrate the value of your advice. Trust is earned. It is not to be taken for granted. Your word, your actions, your work, your products, your services, all must represent the values you profess.

If you are so bold to declare your personal and professional virtues, take the time to measure the impact of your chosen words. Do your virtues help you to better help those paying for your guidance? Deliver what you say you will deliver. Be virtuous and then you will be trusted. A Trusted Advisor.

“So our virtues lie in the interpretation of the time.” – Shakespeare

By Jamie Glass, CMO & President of Artful Thinkers and Managing Director of Sales & Marketing Practice at CKS Advisors.

Entrepreneurial Lessons from Your First Job

We have all had one. A first job. Someone looked you in the eye and said, “You are hired!” The decision confirms they trusted you to represent their business. They were willing to invest in you, train you, teach you how to earn a paycheck.

Your confidence swells with the first yes. Your stride is more brisk, your smile broadens. You did it! You are accepted, wanted and needed. Someone recognizes you for being a contributor. Then, the apprehension begins. What if they don’t like me? What happens if I make a mistake? Can I do this job? The overwhelming reality of being responsible of earning a wage is measured by the sudden onset of nervous excitement.

Many of the emotions and fears of starting your first job are similar to starting your first business. Entrepreneurs have to balance the adrenaline associated with being in complete control with the reality that businesses fail. Lingering in the bravado are facts from the Small Business Administration (SBA) that nearly a third of businesses fail within the first two years. Reverting to your confidence that says “just do it” because you are different and better, you focus on the statistical favor that you do have a 66% chance you will make it.

The first time you do anything is valuable experience. Recalling what you learned at your first job is an excellent way to apply past experience to a new first – starting your own business. Here are some tips to take from your first job that are nuggets of wisdom to apply to your startup venture:

1. Embrace the Fear of Failing – You have an option to be paralyzed in fear or embrace the opportunity that if you try, you may succeed. We all know examples of the person who tried over and over again, failing countless times before they finally made it! They never quit. Using the knowledge of each failure, big or small, prepare yourself for the possibility of next time.

2. Take Pride in Your Work – Others are counting on you to help them. Any business is defined by satisfying a need. If they need you, take satisfaction in your ability to help. In the early stage of a new business, people will flock to those that are confident in what they deliver. Uncertainty creates worrisome customers, or even worse, potential customers who never buy.

3. Always Be Learning – You are glowing green at your first job. You are a blank slate. Your training is the groundwork for how you will perform. Soaking up expertise from those that proceeded you is smart business. What you don’t know today, can propel your business to the next level. Find expertise. Be a knowledge consumer.

4. Businesses Reward Hard Work – As you master the skills necessary to do your first job and do it well, you soon learn that businesses reward performance. Promotions and raises are given to those that work hard and do more than their peers. Your customers will reward you for your hard work. Their loyalty is associated to your ability to outperform your competition.

5. Listening Skills are Important – Listening to your customers in your first job and in your first business is elementary. Your customer is paramount to delivering products and services that meet the customer’s needs. Failing to listen increases your odds of an unhappy customer. Unhappy customers tell others of their experience. Listening improves potential for high customer satisfaction.

6. Time Management is Critical – There are no rewards for showing up late or missing work. One of the most important skills acquired in the first job is how to manage your time. You soon learn there are no acceptable excuses. Juggling priorities becomes primary to your success. Owning a business depends on the genius of multitasking. You will work harder and that means you have to work smarter to get the job done.

7. Handling Money Builds Trust – When you take money for any product or service, you are now accepting the currency of trust. You are expected to provide equal or greater value in the exchange of cash for goods. Exceeding expectations builds credibility. Manage others money with the same respect you demand from those that manage yours.

The knowledge acquired from a first job is fundamental to a startup. How you apply that knowledge and skill will often result in similar or better experience as an entrepreneur. The mistakes are lessons of how to do something different. The successes are foundations to build upon.

Challenge yourself to reflect on your first job. What was the best lesson learned on your first job? Can you instill this in your values, culture and standards as a business owner today?

Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely. ~Auguste Rodin