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Are You Buzzword Bingo Worthy?

Have you ever heard of Buzzword Bingo? It’s a game, somewhat prevalent in corporate America, which was conceived to poke fun at the overuse of buzzwords in place of meaningful concepts or information. It’s not a difficult game to replicate in your workplace – simply create bingo cards and fill the boxes with the corporate jargon you hear every day. When you hear the word, block it out – when you block out an entire row, you’ve got a bingo.

Are you Buzzword Bingo worthy? Consider the following questions:

• Is your product or service real-time, scalable, and user-centric? 
• Do you have the bandwidth to take on more and still reach milestones?
• Is your company uniquely qualified to offer a particular service?
• Do you provide world-class solutions to mission-critical challenges that result in a win-win-win situation?

If you tend to use the highlighted words in your sales and marketing materials and language, you’re pretty Buzzword Bingo worthy - and that's not good! In essence, you tend to use jargon in place of relevant words. And that means you're not creating a clear message for your prospects and customers about how you can help them solve their challenges or meet their objectives. Rather, you’re throwing overused buzzwords against the wall to see what sticks…and, by the way, so are most of your competitors. 

So if buzzwords are the confusing norm in the market, think how easy it can be to differentiate your company simply by clarifying your message. And you can clarify your message in three steps:

1. Choose your words carefully and define them.  People define words and phrases differently…make sure you and your prospects are on the same page by defining the buzzword rather than actually using it. For instance, what does real-time mean?  Is it instantaneous, within an hour, perhaps within half a day or even an entire day…or longer? Who’s to know unless you define it?
2. Rather than using a buzzword, tell what you help your clients do. For instance, what can your clients do because of the instantaneous information you provide them that they couldn’t do before they had it? Can they plan ahead, react faster, save time, or save money?  Say that! Take that next step and tell what getting that instantaneous information means to them and their business.
3. Tell a story that proves your claim. Nothing sells like a story. What story brings your claim to life? Tell that story – but no buzzwords please! 

Are you Buzzword Bingo worthy?  Please, please, please pass on that “honor!” Clarify your message, tell it in simple, descriptive language, and toss a story, rather than a bunch of buzzwords, to your prospects. Let your competitors win the bingo, you focus on winning the sale!

jkl

 

Focusing on You

So it's really all about you...at least in messaging. In my last blog, I asked you to look at your current sales and marketing materials and see if you were "we-ing" too much. Most companies are. So how do you turn your attention from "we" to "you," to your customers? For starters, do these three things:

1. Get into your customers' minds. What are they on they trying to achieve...what are they on the hook to deliver...what keeps them up at night?   
2. Realize that your solution, although a legend in your own mind, is only good in the minds of your prospects if it helps them sleep again at night.
3. Identify how your solution helps your prospects overcome their challenges.

Once you have these identified, you can start to get your mind – and your words - around your customer. Do this by focusing your words, whether verbal or written, on your customer rather than on your company, products, and services. Instead of "we developed the greatest [insert product] on the planet, " try something like this:  "you can overcome the challenge of [insert client challenge] and improve your ability to [insert what they can do better now] with [your solution]. 

See the difference? The first is all about "we;" the second, all about "you." And I didn't just change "we" to "you;" I changed the entire positioning of the solution. As a prospect or client, which would entice you the most? That's a very simple example, but you get the picture. Take a couple shots at this and see if your message resonates a bit differently, and better, than it did in the past. 

jkl

 

Stop We-ing So Much!

No, this is not a blog about drinking too much soda! It's about a different kind of we-ing. This blog is about the habit "we" all have of using the word "we" incessantly in marketing materials.

Take a look at your sales proposals, your marketing materials, your presentations.  How many sentences start with the words "We," "Our," or the name of your company?  I'd be willing to bet more than 50% of them, perhaps maybe even nearly 90%. And that's a symptom...a symptom of being egocentric in your customer messaging. 

The default of most companies is to talk about "our history, our product offering, our people, our technology, our solutions, our [fill in the blank]." We do this, we do that, we have something unique. Here's the problem with that...your customers don't really care what you have, they care about what you can do for them, how you can fix their problems, how you can solve their challenges.

Try rephrasing your language to focus on your customers. It's not as easy as it sounds. You can't simply replace the word "we" with "you." Rather, you really have to change your mindset. You have to get into your customers' shoes and understand what they need and want. Your have to realize that your solutions are a means to an end for them. Once you get your brain around these things, you're off to a good start, but you can't stop there. Use words your customers use, develop a rapport with them, write to them as if you're talking to them. 

I'll write more about this in my next blog...until then, take a look at your customer-facing materials. Are you we-ing too much?

jkl

Groupon – Why Did They Do It?

Two months after the Super Bowl, people are still talking about the Groupon commercials. If you happen to be one of the few people in this country that didn’t see them, the most controversial ad featured Timothy Hutton highlighting the plight of the Tibetan people – and then suddenly noting that they “still whip up an amazing fish curry,” which Groupon users can get for a great price.

The commercials unleashed immediate backlash on social media websites. People called the commercials "disgusting," "tacky," and "vulgar." What’s really odd about this whole thing is that Groupon actually intended the ads to tell viewers about their “Save the Money,” website, a philanthropic campaign to raise money for a group of organizations, including The Tibetan Fund. But no one, including me, ever got that message. Why was it missing?

Groupon's CEO wrote on the company website that the intent was to "poke fun at themselves,” not to trivialize the causes. And yet, that’s exactly what happened. Groupon blew millions of dollars creating the ads, hiring celebrities, and buying airtime to, in the opinion of millions of viewers, poke fun at the problems of others.

So what did it do for their brand?  The jury is still out.  Some say the ads were a complete gaffe and put a huge dent in the brand, evidenced by untold throngs of people opting out of their email marketing (including the person to whom I was talking two days ago).  Others say the fact that people want to save money these days supersedes bad taste.  And still others say that Groupon got exactly what they wanted – brand recognition for months, whether positive or negative.

The opinions vary, but what doesn’t vary is the fact that Groupon’s Super Bowl ads were not consistent with the brand it had built over the past two years. The company grew out of a collective action and philanthropy site, ThePoint.com, which is focused on doing good.  Groupon had built its reputation through word of mouth and limited online advertising. It was, in essence, “grass roots grown.” Focused on doing good and grass roots grown – not exactly what the commercials relayed, do you think?

Customer experience is a compilation of what your prospects and customers see, what they hear, what they touch, and how they interact with you.  In this case, what Groupon’s prospects and customers saw and heard were in direct opposition to what the supposed “intent," according to Groupon’s CEO, was. Who missed that dichotomy while the ads were being created? Where was the testing that would have quickly told them the ads were off-brand?

Messages, whether they are communicated verbally, in writing, or in interactions, are important – they can support or devalue your brand. They are worth paying attention to because although a brand takes hundreds of right moves to build, it can be damaged – or destroyed – by one bad move.

Time will tell what Groupon learned from their first foray into the big time. Don’t wait to learn the hard way – take the time and action to ensure your brand is strengthened by what you say and do.

jkl

 

The Trouble with "Just"

Have you ever thought about the word “just?” We certainly use it a lot. “It’ll be just a second.” Have you got just a minute?” “It’s just $9.99!”

We use it a lot, but in working with prospects and customers, “just’ is a troublesome word.

Take how you view yourself.  Are you “just” a son or daughter? “Just” a friend? “Just” a colleague?  Absolutely not! No one introduces you as “just” someone.  You’re a son or daughter, a friend, a colleague. But how often do you find yourself thinking or saying, “I’m just a salesperson” or “I’m just a marketing manager” or “I’m just a worker bee,” whatever your role is. The problem with “just” is that it discounts you and your role and that is damaging to your wellbeing. It undermines your confidence and lessens you in your own mind. And when you believe you’re a loser, you give off loser vibes…it comes across in your actions and your voice, and others start to believe it too, especially if they don’t know you.

Let’s move on to your words and actions. Would you ever say, “I’m just burning down the house. No big deal…just burning it down. So call me when you can.” I’m thinking not. But many people are quite happy to say, “I’m just checking on that decision to move forward with the contract.” Or “I’m just calling to set an appointment.” Here again, the word “just” discounts everything you say after it. If you’re just calling to set an appointment, it must not be that important, right? If you’re “just” checking in to see if a decision has been made on that $1 million life insurance policy, you’re probably in no hurry to have a decision. At least that’s what it sounds like on the receiving end. 

Try taking the adverb “just” out of your vocabulary. Then see what happens. It won’t be easy at first…we’ve all discounted our own selves and our actions far too long to make the switch easily. But listen to how bold it sounds when you take that one word out.

“I’m a salesperson.” “I’m a marketing manager.” “I’m a trash collector.” It doesn’t matter the role, hear how much more confident that sounds?  I once had a client who had hired me to create a corporate mission and vision for his company. I asked him, out of left field, what his personal vision was for his company. His reply, “I want this company to be a blessing to everyone with whom we work.”  Wow – that’s pretty profound and it made quite an impact on me! But how much different would it have sounded if he had said, “I just want this company to be a blessing for everyone with whom we work.” Hear the difference? The first exudes confidence and conviction; the second is kind of like a wallflower…nice, but ho hum. A huge difference by removing the dreaded “just” word.

The same goes for your prospect and customer interactions. “I’m calling to set an appointment.” Or “I’m calling to see if you’ve made a decision on that life insurance policy we discussed last week.” Now you’ve warranted some attention! A direct statement indicates you’re not messing around, you’ve taken the bull by the horns and you’re leading the process, whatever process that it.  And the funny thing is, people respond.

Get “just” out of your vocabulary and see the reaction you get!

jkl

 

...The Tough Deliver the Message

This is the second of a two-part series on delivering tough messages. The first was published in our blog yesterday.

Yesterday you delved into how to prepare to deliver a tough message. So you’ve crafted a clear message, practiced it, and set the appointment. What happens when the moment comes?

The following are some good tips for that meeting:

1. Don’t beat around the bush. We talked about avoidance in yesterday’s post – this is just another form of avoidance. Don’t you just hate it when someone makes small talk at the beginning of a very important meeting – your review, perhaps? You just want them to get to the crux of the review. The same is true with a prospect or client. If there’s a point to the meeting and it’s going to be a tough message, get to the point quickly.
2. Show compassion but be clear. Sometimes people who deliver a tough message get so wrapped up in their own feelings that they muddle the message. Other times, people are so intent on just getting through the message that they barrel through it and come across as completely insensitive. Create a balance between the two. By the way, practicing your message, like we talked about yesterday, helps with this, especially if you can practice with a partner (think significant other here) who can give you feedback on how the message – and you – are coming across.
3. Use “I” and “we” (if representing a company) more than “you” when communicating the message. Unlike sales messaging, where you want to make the customer the focus, in a dreaded discussion, the use of you simply raises the recipient’s defenses and, as a result, the likelihood of an emotional argument.
4. Don’t interrupt the recipient when they speak. It’s a natural reaction to try to stop someone who’s rebutting you. Don’t do it. Having heard a difficult message, the recipient may need to vent (and the emphasis is on may – they also may say nothing). If they do vent, allow them that time as long as they are not conveying damaging or disparaging remarks that both of you will regret later.
5. Finally, ask the recipient to recap what they just heard. In a difficult situation, people hear things differently. When more discussion takes place, statements may get confused. Ensure you are both on the same page by asking them their understanding of the message. This not only helps to reinforce the message, but also calms the situation and reduces potential downstream conflicts.

We all have to deliver tough messages every so often. Although this blog was written focusing on communication with prospects and customers, these techniques are equally effective for a tough conversation with a colleague, manager, or direct report.

No one enjoys delivering difficult messages, but it can be done and the better you are at it, the less stress it will cause on everyone involved.

jkl

 

When the Message Gets Tough...

The pain is all too familiar. There’s a tough message to be delivered to a prospect or customer and you drew the short straw – or maybe you’re the account representative so there’s no straw to be drawn – it’s always just you. And unlike George Clooney in “Up in the Air,” most people don’t enjoy delivering the dreaded message.

So how to do you it without compromising the relationship, without feeling guilty for delivering the message, or without getting angry at “them,” defined as whoever made the decision about the message you have to deliver. If customer experience is defined as the union of what a customer sees, hears, touches, and how they interact with you, tough messages are part of that customer experience. How do you continue to deliver a stellar customer experience even when you have to deliver that difficult message?

First, it may help to remember two things:

1. Everyone has to deliver tough messages at points in their lives and businesses. The person to whom you’re about to speak has had to do it so is not immune to being on your side of the table.
2. Everyone has heard a difficult message, so you can’t be immune to being on the other side of the table.

That may not make it any easier to do the deed, but at least you know it’s not the one time in the world that this has ever – or will ever – happen. And you can survive it.

Second, there are a few tips that can help you prepare to deliver that message in the best manner possible so that you bolster, rather than harm, the customer experience.

1. Define the message. What is the real crux of the message? Take some time to think about it to ensure you aren’t communicating a symptom of the issue, but the issue itself. When you take time to define and clarify the message – over a few hours or days, not seconds – you lessen the level of anxiety and emotion you have. Remember the adage that you should never hit the send button on an email written in frustration or anger? The same thing goes with crafting a difficult message – take time, think about it, go away and revisit it…just don’t do that for weeks as a way to avoid or delay delivering the message.
2. Practice the message. About the worst thing you can do is “wing it” with a difficult message. Try practicing in a mirror. This helps you determine what facial and body expressions you need to exhibit calmness and sensitivity while delivering a message that must be heard. If you have a significant other, practice with him/her and get feedback.
3. Take control over your own avoidance tactics. Avoidance usually occurs because you don’t want to “hurt someone’s feelings.” But is it better to potentially let the situation get worse? Here are ways to determine if you need to deliver the message now.

• Is delivering the message now in the best interests of the recipient and your company?
• Will the situation continue to escalate – potentially with harmful ramifications – if you wait?
• Is delivering the message consistent with your company’s reputation?
• Are the justifications you have for not delivering the message driven by emotional factors, such as fear of rejection, lack of confidence, or not wanting to hurt someone’s feelings?

If your answer is “yes” to each of these, you need to think about the timing, not whether to deliver the message.

So you’ve crafted a clear message, practiced it, and set the appointment. What happens when the moment comes? Check in on tomorrow’s blog and I’ll give you some tips on how to actually deliver the message.

Until then…

jkl

Stories That Capture Your Audience

Last Thursday, I wrote about telling your value story and how to create a consistent story…one that can be repeated by your entire sales force or, better yet, by everyone in your company.

And maybe you remember me saying, “Telling a consistent story about your company is critical. Telling the right story is equally important. Weaving the elements of your story together is an art, but it has to be a process as well.” 

In the case of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, everyone knows the story because someone by the name of Charles Perrault took the time to weave the elements of the story together in a particular way. And if you take the time to weave the elements (aka products and services) of your story together you, too, create a consistent story that can be retold by anyone in your company.

But don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating a “one size fits all” approach in customer messaging. You're not done once you've written the story. Your next step is to tailor the story to your audience.

Let’s go back to Little Red Riding Hood. Think about how you might tailor that story when telling it to a 2-year old versus an 8-year old. The 2-year-olds will keep you up all night if you spend too much time on the wolf, so you downplay how awful he is and spend time on the sweet little grandmother. But 8-year-olds live for scary stuff, so you go into great detail about the wolf’s long, yellow fangs, sharp, nasty claws, and dark, evil eyes. In both instances, you’re telling the same basic story, but you’re tailoring it to your audience. Your business value story is no different. Tell a consistent baseline story, but tailor it to be relevant to your audience.

How do you do that? Ask questions so you know how to make your story relevant to your prospects. What challenges is the organization facing? What goals need to be achieved this next year – and beyond? How will success be measured? Now think of how your offering can help your prospect achieve those things and tell your story in that manner. This approach changes the entire dynamic of “sales.” Your sales team is more consultative, your proposals are more relevant, and prospects are more receptive. Why? Because your story captures them. And this approach isn’t just for sales…every customer-facing employee should be able to tell and tailor the story.

Create your story. Test it out and make changes as necessary. Then once you get it, let your employees know how to tell it consistently and how to tailor it for their particular audiences. May Little Red Riding Hood be your guide.

jkl

What's Love Got to Do With It?

We hear it all the time, don’t we? “My gosh, I LOVE that restaurant!” Or perhaps, “I LOVE that store!” Or even, “I LOVE that car!” “I LOVE that song!” “I LOVE that beer!” I could go on and on. When did a word reserved for our deepest emotion for people (and yes, our pets) become a way to describe our emotional attachment to things? Why do we love to love things?

Perhaps I just typed it. Perhaps it’s not actually a description of an emotion in and of itself, but rather a way to describe our emotional attachment to something. After all, it’s pretty commonplace knowledge that emotion sells. Why else would we have sappy, funny, clever commercials? They create emotional attachment!

Business decisions are no less immune to emotions. People, even the ones you think only decide on the pros and cons, ROI, and features and benefits, are still people. And emotions play a big part in decision-making. Consider a couple examples. Are you more likely to try to make something you can afford solve your pain or figure out how to afford something that solves your pain? Are you more likely to rationalize an emotional decision or love a rational decision? Going a bit further...look at the following words. Which have the most energy to them, either positive or negative? Maddening, Sane, Equal, Frustrating, Return on Investment, Angry, Excited.  Honing in on emotion sets the brain in motion more quickly and more passionately than logic.

Is there no logic to decision-making, even in business? I think logic definitely plays a part, but it doesn't dominate the decision as we think it does. When you show up and flaunt numbers and stats and specs in front of your prospect, you are relying on logic...and you may make a connection. But that logical connection certainly won't be as strong as if you focus on what frustrates them, or what makes them mad, and then show how your product or service can ease that frustration or take away the anger…now you’re talking! The connection you make is emotional, then backed up with logic that provides rationale.

So if you want to get someone to make a decision, use emotion. Hone in on those things that make them crazy, angry, frustrated, excited, relieved. Make them feel their pain, then show them a way to get rid of it. After all, you LOVE what you sell, right?

Stay tuned…in my next blog, I’ll delve into keeping that love strong through the customer experience.

jkl

 

Listen Up!

How well do you listen?  Seriously, now, how well do you listen? 

I imagine most of us think we're pretty good listeners. But would your customers say the same thing? Think about the people you like to go to for advice. Do they spend more time talking...or do they spend the majority of their time listening to you, helping you work through your challenge. Think of a psychiatrist...do they spend more time talking...or listening? 

Listening is, and has been, a critical component of effective communication. Yet listening seems to be a lost art in our society. We talk a lot! But if you want to set yourself apart from your competition in the customer experience, one way to do it is listen. Customers want to be heard, whether they are purchasing a product or service or having a problem with it.

So how do you improve your listening skills? Here are a few thoughts:

• Be an active listener. Think about the actions of people who don't listen to you...write them down if you need to and be aware of them when you're listening to others. Chances are, you're practicing some of them yourself. Now think about the actions practiced by those who do listen. Write them down as well and be aware of them.

• Remove distractions. Remember, the person speaking is the only thing happening at that time for you. If you are a busy part of your office or store, suggest you move to an area or office that's quiet. That way you don't see people walking past out of the corner of your eye and have that incredible urge to see who it is. If you're in front of your computer, turn it off, go to another room, or turn away, like Greg recommended yesterday. That's especially true if you're listening on the phone...it's way too easy to be multi-tasking and totally space what the other person is saying.

• Ask questions. Don't assume you know someone's situation or challenge. If you try to imagine yourself in their shoes, and can't, ask more questions. You need to get there to truly understand where they are. Clarify with questions, paraphrase with, "What I heard you say was..." 

• Don't interrupt. This is a difficult one because our minds work much faster than our mouths. But I'm sure we've all been in the situation where we've been cut off mid-sentence while trying to make a point. How annoying is that? Process what that person is saying and then...and only then...respond with a question or comment.

• Remove your filters. We all have filters based on our background, current position, knowledge...what I like to call our baggage. Be aware of how you filter information and try to remove as many barriers as possible. Listen openly, without judgment, without prejudice, and without trying to fix things immediately.

• Listen with empathy. Empathy is accepting and understanding people for who they are and what they are experiencing in their situation. Listen, accept what they are say, and determine your reaction. Don't assume you know what they want. 

• Be aware of non-verbal signs. Up to 75% of our communication can be non-verbal. So if you're interacting in person, listen to the tone of the speaker's voice, the look on their face, their movements. Do they match the words being spoken? If you aren't interacting in person, go back to the third bullet in this post. Clarify, clarify, clarify. 

Everyone one of us wants to be heard. Are you listening, truly listening to your customers?  If not, try on some of the suggestions above and see how they work for you and your customers.

jkl