GrowthANSWERS » General

January 4, 2009

Get Innovative, Get Fast, and Give Back

Filed under: customer service, branding/differentiation, marketing strategy, General —

Want to survive and thrive in these tough times? If you believe the press, 2009 will be tougher than last year. So you will need to distinguish yourself and your business to stand out and succeed.

What to do?

Get innovative. Get fast. And give back. (The first two are obvious, the third less so…)

In this tight economy, you’d better get innovative - both with your marketing and with your service delivery. Innovation is simply a new way of doing things, and it generally applies to a change in your thinking, product offerings, or your systems and processes. Getting innovative may go a long way towards helping you do things better than the competition.

And you better move fast, both in delivering on your products and services, and in being first in the market place with your marketing effort. As my friend Stone Payton likes to say, “speed kills the competition.” You cannot assume that your competition will wait around - you must assume they will be out there trying to beat you to that prospect. Get moving.

And you better distinguish yourself by giving back. As I said, these are tough times, and there are a lot of people in need. There isn’t a better time to make this a cornerstone of your marketing effort.

Not a bad idea to differentiate yourself by giving back. Don’t we always say the more you give, the more you get? And with the social media boom, you now have no excuse to contribute to bettering your community. That feels good in and of itself. But it also reflects well on your personally - and your business.

How can you serve by giving back?

1. Join and serve on a charitable Board (this is what I am doing).

2. Donate services, such as PR or Social Media advice to a local charity.

3. Commit to raise money.

4. Volunteer your time.

There aren’t many guarantees in life, but there is one I can promise: The gift of giving back will make you feel good. And feeling good makes you a better person and a better businessman. And we need that in these times.

I joined a board of directors in 2008, and can’t wait to make my contribution in 2009. On these pages over the coming months, I will share with you my experiences and my learning. I hope you will comment back and tell us how you are giving back.

Todd Schnick. Be Intrepid. http://intrepid-llc.com

Want to help us out? Visit http://www.furniturebankatlanta.org/

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Comments (0)

December 30, 2008

Serve Your Competition, And You Won’t Have Any…

Filed under: web/interactive marketing, internet marketing, branding/differentiation, marketing strategy, General —

It took me a while to buy into this concept. But I get it now. And believe in it.

I first heard this phrase from Stone Payton, a friend and business partner. At first, I didn’t want to do anything to help the competition - felt that I had to protect my space. But as both myself and my business matured, I came to understand what it means.

But with Intrepid now two years old and with my growing activity in social media, this concept of service is gaining increased power and weight. Why? It is essential to building a strong brand. It helps differentiate you in the marketplace.

How does this manifest itself? Here are nine ways:

1. Never speak ill of your competition. There will come a day when they need a strategic partner, and they just might throw that business to you.

2. Don’t be afraid to throw business to competition. If you are too busy - or the new prospect is just not the best fit for you - never a bad idea to give it away. I will bet many of those same prospects will still come back to you down the road.

3. In the social media world, there are only about 1.6 million other marketing pros like me. What, am I gonna compete with all of them? Push them, promote them, forward their strong content - it all looks good on you.

4. We each have special skill sets. There will be a day when you need a competitor’s special talent to benefit your own client. Get them on board. I promise they will return the favor some day.

5. Despite what the press is reporting, there is enough business to go around. Help refer business to other competitors - and they in turn will become a secret sales force for you too.

6. Comment on the blogs of your competitors. Not to tear down their service, but rather to promote them as well as demonstrate your expertise. Some of those shopping around will land on your doorstep. Encourage your competitors to contribute to your blog too…

7. When networking - both at the local Chamber and/or on social media - introduce people to your competitors. If you have self-confidence AND a strong service offering - you won’t lose any business. And you will make friends with those in the enemy camp. That friendship will mean something someday.

8. There will come a time when you need the expertise of one of your rivals to serve your client. With your client’s best interests at heart, you WILL NOT lose your client. And at the end of the day, you will go a long, long way to cementing customer loyalty by sacrificing for their benefit.

9. When answering general questions about your industry space on social media sites like LinkedIn and Twitter, don’t be afraid to speak positively about the whole industry - not just your company. Speaking well of everyone helps the whole bunch of us, and paves the way for customers to move forward confidently. A rising tide lifts all boats.

These are just a few ways to serve. I bet you can come up with more. Please share. But at the end of the day, by serving your competition, you will actually grow your business. And while you are at it, you will slowly build a strong network of friends and allies that will ultimately benefit both your business and your clients.

Todd Schnick. Be Intrepid. http://intrepid-llc.com