Tag Archives: differentiation

Authenticity During A Crises

Posted on by
1
authenticity, effUmarketing, be yourself

First – check out this 20 minute video on advertising in a crises. It gets real hot at the 10 minute mark. It comes from the NYT best selling author and Wizard of Ads, Roy Williams (who I’ve been a student of for over a decade). It also relates to what I wrote about a couple weeks ago before the shit hit the fan.

On to the goods…

Now more than ever YOU have to be YOU. You have to be your authentic self. I don’t know who’s going to come out above this crises. It may be a different version of your business or even a different version of you.

It took me awhile to realize who I was (more on that at the bottom of this post). Plus, I continue to discover new things on a seemingly daily basis (reminder – I do have a toddler). I literally spent 20 minutes last night discussing with my wife what she thinks I do well. After all – we have lots of time on our hands. Find some time and ask your partner or a friend what they think you’re good at.

What is authenticity?

I’ve been on quite the authenticity trip lately, and here’s why – it’s imperative to your brand. Whether it be a personal brand or professional brand, people will see through your BS.

My wife, and I started our e-commerce store, Ever Rose, with the mindset of being as transparent as possible. The same holds true for my ‘Guy with the Bow Tie’ brand, and the community magazines I used to publish. Be authentic, and you’ll start to see amazing results.

How real are you?

Stop and ask yourself this. When you wake up in the morning are you excited about doing what you’re doing? Even in these times.

Maybe you are, maybe you aren’t, and I’m not going to preach about ‘doing what you love’. I want you to get real, because if you aren’t REAL you’re robbing this world of your natural talents. And if you aren’t being real when you step into work whether it’s your business or not – you’re only hurting your bottom line.

It’s inevitable your business will kind of be like you.

It will stand for your values, and your beliefs. You are your business, and your business is you. And that’s okay. It’s when you or your business starts to be something it’s not that you start to lose.

There are so many options available to consumers to poke holes in your BS. If you claim to be the world’s best chef, but a quick Google search discovers you’ve only flipped burgers at McDonald’s, well BS meters are going to start going off. Just be yourself, and someone somewhere will have a connection with who you are, and what you stand for.

If you think you’re boring, then tell people about it. Say, you’re really boring, but damn do you ever make a good pizza or build a great garage. The more genuine, and open you are, the more genuine, and open people will be back to you.

This comes to mind as I’m working with an inspiring entrepreneur who’s going to be launching an online platform shortly where you can use Bitcoin to book hotels online.

He lives in the Southern US, and is originally from India. He runs a couple hotels, and as such he started getting fed up with OTA sites (Expedia, Trivago, Travelocity, etc…) eating into his margins, and taking away from his LOCAL business, and the LOCAL economy. So, he does what any entrepreneur or savvy business owner would do – he’s fighting back. He’s so passionate about creating a fair, online portal for hotel seekers that he decided to build his own platform, and it’s going to be launching soon. His company is a reflection of his personal beliefs, and feelings. He’s REAL.

Your Personal Brand

Jordan with wife
A little photo with my wife

You hear it, I hear it, we all hear it…BE YOURSELF! And it’s so true when it comes to business, and especially in times of a crises. When I was starting out, I was trying to be something I wasn’t. I thought I knew it all. I thought the world was at my finger-tips, and I was humbled quickly…very quickly.

Whether you like it or not, you’re being judged everyday. People are Googling you and colleagues interact with you at work as they try to figure you out. On this note – have you Googled yourself lately? What comes up? Anything?

When I made the change from the corporate world to being self-employed, I was going back to my original self. The guy who I am at home, and on weekends. The guy who I knew I wanted to be when I was growing up. I dropped the act, stopped caring about what others thought, and started being REAL.

It’s not easy – it took me 10-years to figure out who I REALLY was, but it all started with my gut. How I felt in the morning was a HUGE indicator of who I was and what I wanted to do. I went from wanting to hit the snooze button repeatedly to bouncing out of bed, and ready for the day ahead.

I can’t tell you how many strong connections I’ve made by showing people who I truly am. I even let people in to tell them about my childhood, and my biological father who I never, and still don’t know. You won’t find that in a sales or business book anywhere, but it’s who I am, and it’s what allowed me to make the connections I have.

I no longer have visions of me quitting my job while I brushed my teeth in the morning. I’m doing what I want, and what I’m supposed to be doing…at this point in my life anyway.

Start being your authentic self and the rest will follow.

Love you,

Jordan ‘The Guy with the Bow Tie’ Rycroft

Ps. It’s a shitty time we’re in right now. If you need help, whether it’s financial, emotional, mental – let me know. I’m here for you.

Advertisement

Investing In Yourself…and Business

Posted on by
1
wallet, no money, marketing
Marketing dollars?

How much should I invest in myself or my business? First off – you should have money to market your business and / or yourself.

Do you have a sales budget aka how much revenue do you expect to make this year? What’s your salary? What’s your expected commission?

Good. You have that number. Now – at a bare minimum – take 2% of that number. There’s your marketing budget. It would be best to have 10%, but let’s start with 2%. The same goes when trying to figure out how much to invest in yourself.

Oh you don’t invest in yourself? START!

Read a book, invest in a course, invest in a gym membership, a magazine subscription…do it.

So you have a budget now. What do you do with it? Whether it’s $500 or $500,000 find as many things as possible that you can own.

What do I mean?

Marketing dollars are often spent throwing money at this thing, and that thing. IT’S BETTER TO OWN SOMETHING! Take your $100, print some sales letters (here are some of my personal B2B examples) or brochures you did up in Word, and deliver them to every single apartment in the complex beside your business (or to every house on a street located near your business). Then do it again a week or two later. You need to hit as many people over the head with your message. The tricky part is ensuring the message MATTERS TO THEM. More on that here…

(Remember – I don’t give a shit about you, until you can do something for me. Whether it’s nourish me, allow me to keep extra jingle in my jeans, or help me out in some way, shape or form.)

You need to do this repeatedly. SOOOO many of you try something out once, don’t see results, and then say, “Well, that didn’t work.” Of course it didn’t work. Repetition Repetition Repetition.

Remember how you were taught in school? It probably went something like this… At the beginning of the class (or semester) your teacher would tell you what they were going to teach you, then teach you it, then review what they taught you. Repetition Repetition Repetition.

This is how our brains have been programmed since kindergarten, so start using the philosophy in your marketing. Find something you can own. Then repeat repeat repeat.

It sometimes takes me 12 – 15 contacts until I make a sale. I repeat, repeat, repeat my process. And you know what, when I call, walk into an appointment or see one of my prospects at an event…they immediately KNOW WHO I AM. It should be the same way with you and your business.

If you’re buying radio ads (for example), and you don’t have money to throw around like the ‘big guys’, again find something you can own. Maybe it’s an hour every Monday over the next few weeks. Maybe it’s an entire week. Whatever it is, find something you can own, then repeat repeat repeat.

1) Find money or find time to focus on marketing
2) Find something you can own
3) Repeat Repeat Repeat

Tell me ONE marketing opportunity you have at the moment (print, direct mail, radio, tv, social media, whatever…) and leave it in the comments below. I’ll tell you how to EXPLOIT that opportunity with repetition. I’ve purchased nearly every type of media, and used as many media channels as possible to further the brands, and people I work with (including myself). For being a loyal reader it’s the least I can do.

Love you,

Jordan ‘The Guy With The Bow Tie’ Rycroft

Ps. If you didn’t catch this further up the page – check out my personal one pagers I hand out or leave after a presentation.

Punch in your email addy above to get more complimentary ideas, tips and strategies sent direct to your inbox. I also ramble, so be prepared for that…

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.

Start Using This Sales Tool Today – “How Do I Get To The Next Level?”

Posted on by
Reply
next level, ladder, climb, business

It’s the climb…

How many times have you heard “Needs Analysis”? I used to hear it daily, as this was always on my sales manager’s mind when it came to meeting with any prospect. I used to have a laundry list of questions, 9 times out of 10, supplied to me. “These will help get you closer to closing the deal,” said the sales manager. Meanwhile, my eyes were rolling so hard you would have thought I was dead.

Your prospects time is limited. If you’re able to get in front of them (in person, video chat, phone, whatever) don’t waste your time going through a laundry list of questions that makes it seem like an interrogation. Hit ’em with the Force Field Analysis, and maybe just maybe they’ll give you a hug.

Within minutes you’ll put the focus on your prospects business and you will immediately uncover their pain points. It’s the fastest Survey Monkey survey ever. At the very least, you’ll position yourself as a sales person who’s different and an ally for your prospect rather than a nuisance. 

This is also a great way to qualify your prospect. Maybe what their business really needs is something you can’t offer them. This gives you the chance to part ways amicably. This could also open the door for you to refer them to someone you know who can help them.

Best case scenario – it opens the door for you to help them out and get closer to signing the deal.

Force Field Analysis, Guy With The Bow Tie, Jordan Rycroft

Action step: Test out the Force Field Analysis on yourself. 
Take a piece of paper, and draw a horizontal line. Mark it as “Day 1.” Then draw three arrows going up from that line, and draw another line. Label it “Today.” Then ask yourself, “What are three things that took you from Day 1 to where you are today?”

Then draw another horizontal line above the “Today” line, and label it “Next Level.” Draw three arrows down from this line, then ask yourself, “What are three things preventing me from getting to the next level?”

This will clear your mind, and allow you to focus in on what’s really important. Then circle one of those items you wrote down that’s preventing you from getting to the next level and devote your time to it. Maybe it’s investing in yourself, which you’ve already done by doing the Force Field Analysis. The Force Field Analysis may not be the right thing for you, but I’ve found it to work time, and time again for my clients and myself. I’ve even done it on the back of a golf scorecard and on a napkin at a pancake breakfast. You can damn near do it anywhere, which makes it an excellent tool for your sales toolkit.

If you need more direction on this or if you’re stuck trying to analyze yourself – shoot me an email at effumarketing@gmail.com. Or leave a comment below. I read every message, and I’d be happy to help, as long as you aren’t an asshole.

Love you,

Jordan ‘The Guy with the Bow Tie’ Rycroft

PS. If you want more tips like this direct to your inbox – sign up for my newsletter below.

You can opt-out at anytime and I’ll never share your information with anyone aside from a few Nigerian Princes…

Processing…
Success! You're on the list.