Tag: marketing
The business of attraction
Chemistry is frequently considered in terms of human relationships, yet brands and businesses must also evaluate the chemistry they bring to their offerings.
Similar to personal relationships, initial sparks of excitement intensify interactions between business and consumer. From completed projects to the seal of a sale, emotion is embedded into business transactions. Skipping hearts and genuine smiles aren’t just for new loves; chemistry influences buying behavior.
How can brands weave chemistry into business?
As certain people are more open to the thrills of chemistry — those who are self-aware, thoughtful and personable — brands exhibiting similar traits can benefit from mindful demeanors.
Interest
Curiosity is how connection begins. When a business showcases what a client needs (or wants), the foundation for a relationship is set. To move prospects through the complete client journey, brands can plan for pleasant experiences to increase attraction and compel customers to engage in subsequent encounters.
Communication
Clear communication builds trust and rapport between entities. Communication is key for both business and relational development, ushering in assurance and confidence into business dealings. When communication is straightforward, expectations are fixed and boundaries for deliverables become reliable and well-defined.
Warmth
People and brands who present genuine, authentic traits are more likely to be perceived as considerate and understanding. Trust and loyalty hold weight in business circles, and positive dispositions enhance brands, attracting customers and keeping them returning for more.
Attraction
To be desired and perceived as desirable is something individuals and companies strive for. The most successful companies understand the value of appeal: They take time crafting beautiful products and experiences through careful branding and strategy.
Values
Values represent what you, or your company, stand for; they define why we do what we do. Businesses who match or try to amplify the values of their customers have an easier time setting long-term streams for revenue and profit.
What other traits contribute to brand chemistry? Tweet me @redheadlefthand.
1:1 coaching – in person or online
After receiving so many requests to “pick my brain,” I’m offering one-on-one coaching slots, both in-person and online. We can talk about community building, organizing, branding, marketing, personal development, and more.
What’s available:
- New York, New York (face-to-face – limited slots available)
- Denver-Boulder, Colorado (face-to-face – limited slots available)
- Worldwide – Zoom or Skype call (live and online)
If you’d like to schedule time with me or wonder how I might help you, send me a note. I enjoy watching others make the most out of life.
SEO fundamentals
Most small business owners have heard of SEO and know this is the secret sauce that can push your content up the list of search engines. But many do not know exactly what it entails or how to put it into practice. Here are some SEO basics:
Research
You have to know not only what your competition is doing but what your customers are searching for. If you are promoting and producing content that is irrelevant to consumers’ needs, all of the coding and keywords in the world cannot help you. You need to know your own brand and the words that your audiences associate with your brand to be most effective. Google Ads Keyword Planner can help.
Organization
The way your structure your site and individual pages will help search engines place priority on your content. Deciding which keywords you want to emphasize can help you think through the pages you have already created and the ones you need to build in order to meet your business goals. It is tricky to rank for words that are not included in your pages, so think about the keywords and phrases you want placed throughout your site.
Links
Links help show that your content is valuable. By sending audiences not only to relevant pages within your site but also to other sites that have equally valuable information, search crawlers can recognize you’re not producing spam or junk merely for the sake of SEO rankings.
Results
The whole point of SEO is to connect with a wider audience. Monitor your website’s traffic to make sure what you are doing is working. See where traffic is heading and how long they are staying. Hosts like Squarespace have analytics tools built in, or you can use Google Analytics for more in-depth data comparisons.
“It’s showtime.”
Audible groans fill the train. A man with a bike is asked to move, and after refusing, a much taller man carries the bike to the back of the car. Reluctantly, the biker follows. Three performers fill the empty space and press play on a steady beat. Six pack abs curl around poles as the train lurches slowly towards Brooklyn. Flipping, stomping, twirling, hopping. A second dancer begins his routine, less steady than the first. It’s impossible not to wonder if someone will be kicked in the face. You’re waiting for a slip, an accident, but miraculously it doesn’t happen.
The dancing stops, and the boys start asking for money. Except no one gives it to them. In fact, the dancers are hardly acknowledged. And they become angry.
“I’m going to quit. I’m going to stop doing this!” one performer scowls.
The commuters keep their eyes fixed on books, each other and away from the demanding, outstretched hands. “C’mon New York, where are you?” they plead. Then the insulting begins. It seems to carry on entirely too long. Their jabs become worse and more desperate and there’s a palpable tension in the air.
When we do art, when we give of ourselves and become generous with the world, we can’t ask for a certain outcome. Do your art, but make sure it’s for the right reason. Sell, market, produce, copy and manufacture all you want, but don’t demand attention. Earn it.
(H/T permission marketing, Seth Godin)
Steal skills from another industry
There are certain tools that are transferable, regardless of industry or job title.
Step inside Tiffany’s. You’ll see plenty of couples and women roaming around. Inch closer to the diamond cases and eavesdrop. You won’t hear any hard selling from the staff. The product speaks for itself. If you’ve come to Tiffany’s, you want the name on your finger.
The good sales people say very little. When they do speak, they repeat what information the customer has already provided, using empathy to build rapport with the shopper. Active listening, reframing, and reflecting statements make clients and buyers feel heard, acknowledged, respected.
What is this? Motivational interviewing. The same techniques you might find in a group therapy session, the same phrasing and tools a substance abuse counselor might use with her client, are being channeled onto the sales floor:
- Pointing out a couples’ ring selection might not mirror their commitment to each other — creating discrepancy
- Accepting a customer’s reluctance as momentum to move conversation onward — rolling with resistance
- Supporting the buyer, giving them confidence about their purchasing decision — supporting self efficacy
And questions. Lots of questions. Open ended, asking for permission — questions that help the seller gather information about the buyer and their buying needs, their spending patterns, helping identify the likelihood of the sale.
“Can we look at the princess cut?” “What does that design remind you of?” “Do you mind if we step over to this case to look at our signature bands?”
What could you borrow from a different industry? Could you lend skills to someone in another field?