Tell Me More...

Those three little words are the foundation of Web 2.0, and the centerpiece of effective branding strategy.

If you are attempting to create an online brand, or even a personal brand, you have to understand the concept of "Tell Me More..."

Think about the tools you use to tell your story: your website, your twitter account, your company collateral, or even your resume. The ideal reaction to any of these items is, of course, "I'll buy it/you/the service!" But before customers reach that decision point, they often want you to "Tell Me More.."

It's not possible to convey a complete branding message in 140 characters on twitter. The whole point of twitter is "Tell Me More..." No matter what the message, interest is the goal. Interest leads to action, and interested clients are the best kind. A website can be much more detailed, and provide brand messages, videos, blogs, etc. But, how do you get someone to your website? First, you have to create an interesting message that makes a potential customer say, "Tell Me More..." Here's a recent example - watch this video, and see what comes to mind for a "tell me more" moment:



Sophisticated storytellers think about more than just their tale; they consider the audience's reaction. Creating an online brand IS the modern equivalent of storytelling. I agree with Annette Simmons: Whoever Tells the Best Story, Wins). As you present your value proposition, think about what you would like your listener/reader/customer to do or say. Be ready for what comes next, when they say, "Tell Me More..."

For more information, visit http://westfallonline.com

Making Money for Millennials

The new rules for the new economy:

1. Get MBA

2. Get interviews

3. Get to work

For Millennials, it's not enough to have a great education. In the workplace, what you've learned is only as meaningful as your ability to apply it. For top-tier MBA programs, and undergraduate business schools, educators are learning that it takes more than just great classroom instruction to make a difference. If schools want to improve their rankings, and students want to improve their chances of getting a job, there's a need for "what they don't teach you in business school."

Every prestigious institution invites C-level executives to come in and speak. While this perspective is important, it's not especially meaningful. Think about it: If you are a twentysomething Gen Y jobseeker, how important is it to hear from a 60 year old millionaire about how they missed their bonus last year, or laid off 4,500 employees? Don't get me wrong; CEOs have a lot to offer and a lot to say. But, what they have to say won't help you to negotiate your salary, or get a promotion, or find out how things actually work in the day-to-day world of the companies they manage.

For Millennials, the need for firsthand knowledge of the workplace has never been more acute. Case studies, tests, and learning are only as important as the ability to apply that knowledge. Keep listening to executives and guest speakers, they can teach you a lot...but, if you don't really care that their diamond shoes are too tight, or where they park the jet, maybe it's time for a fresh perspective.

The video above is currently entered in Jeffrey Hayzlett's "New 118" - a contest for the best elevator pitch for the new economy. Please follow the link below (through February 6th) to VOTE: http://bit.ly/e5BYI4

Your vote will help to reach more college students on more college campuses, with a message that can make a difference!

What They Don't Teach You in Business School

College students today are faced with a dilemma: leaving school with more than just student loans. Finding a job is tough for Millennials, even from the best and most prestigious colleges.

Top MBA programs are looking for ways to help students understand how to apply the knowledge that comes from great teaching. There's a difference between "knowing things" and "knowing how to get things done".

When I was in school, I desperately wanted to know what they didn't teach in the classroom - I wanted to understand how things work, at work. I needed to learn how to put knowledge into action.



The Business of Selling YOU is a seminar that helps college students and MBA students to understand:

1. How to create and deliver a unique value proposition, in email and in person
2. What it takes, to create a powerful network
3. How MBA students can differentiate their experience and education, and create the job of their dreams

In the current economic climate, students need every possible advantage. Academic success and advanced degrees are not enough anymore; you have to understand how to 'sell' yourself, no matter what career path you choose.

What's On On Your Website?

The easiest way to increase the power of your website is to create an effective video. Yet, for corporate online videos, there are a couple of key considerations that companies face:

1. Cost and Time Investment: What will it take to create a really professional video? How much time is involved? Should the video be one minute, five minutes, 10 minutes, or...?
2. Looking Good: How do I know I won't embarrass myself on camera? Your flip video will capture the moment...but, what moment will you capture (especially if you are representing a business online)?
   

Shooting a video is simple. Shooting a good video can be complicated, but it doesn't have to be. To take your company's brand to a new level, find a professional that you can trust, with a proven track record of helping companies to look good online. It takes more than a cameraman to capture your authentic story - consider a coach that can help you to tell your story online. Because, after all, who can tell your story better than you?

How to increase your website conversion rates, improve sales, and enhance your Web 2.0 marketing strategy

Your brand deserves a professional video presence on the web. Here’s why:

• SEO: Maximize your impact on Google with effective video (your chances of being listed first on Google search results are 53x better with video!)
• Conversion rates increase by 200% or more on websites featuring quality videos

• Last year, the number of video views doubled to over 33 Billion, and that number is growing exponentially this
  
• Over 86% of US Households watch videos online
• Executive leaders, students and individuals can present a tech-savvy individual brand online with effective and professional video
• Customers and companies are online looking for you – and they want to know who you are and what you can do.
• The camera never lies: Video is trusted more than written words or still images. Video is widely regarded as the most authentic media online.
• Anyone can write a story, but no one can tell your story like you.

For Dallas video production services, or Fort Worth video production services, there are a number of choices. Make sure you find a company you can trust, that fits your budget. With the online audience that's out there for video, it's smart to invest in a professional service.

"I Only Want the Toughest Customers"

Asking for the toughest customers is like trying to pet a shark, or date a nun – you instantly know that it won’t end up well, so why ask for it? I was out to dinner last night with my friend, BigTime. Surprisingly, he let me know that he only wants the toughest customers. Say what–?

My friend is one of the best salespeople I know – he deals with an ultra-elite clientele in the Big Apple. This guy specializes in the demands of high-net-worth individuals with a skill that is both rare, and easygoing.

His customer logic goes like this: I want only the most difficult customers because, if they even think of shopping me with competitors, I will win every time. The toughest customers will chew up my competition, and disqualify them right out of the gate, because that’s the kind of service and solutions that my company can provide. He’s looking for the clients who are so tough and so demanding that other service providers get scared by their demands, and struggle to prove they can meet them. It’s not a problem for BigTime, and that’s the way he knows a qualified lead.

Interesting perspective. We bounced the idea around some more, and I came away with some additional thoughts. If you are faced with a tough customer, thank them for helping you to be better. If you are taking a beating over something you did, or your company did, or you are about to do, I have two words of advice: don’t duck. Here are six more: Face it, take it, fix it. It’s that simple.

Face up to the challenge of the difficult customer, and you will learn what it is that you need to know. For BigTime, he always looks forward to the toughest possible client as the greatest opportunity. He knows that he can offer what others cannot, that’s why he’s BigTime. A demanding client, in his business, means that the competition is out of the mix. The best way to defeat your competition is unequaled customer service. Disqualify your competition by being the one who doesn’t duck the tough stuff. When you resolve the really scary issues, you learn, you grow, and you create customers for life. The only way to know if you have what it takes, is to get started. If you’d like one suggestion on what you could do today, make up your mind to astonish the most difficult customer you know (and yes, the people you work with are internal customers). What can you do to make a difference, and show that when it comes to customer service, you are BigTime?

Difficult times show us what we are made of; difficult customers force us to be better and help our companies to demonstrate competitive advantage.

[ The names in this post have been changed to protect the guilty ]

Make Your Breaks - Thoughts on Serendipity

Serendipity is good - but can it be shaped?

The answer is yes, if you understand how to create the unexpected and turn it into opportunity. Serendipity means good luck in making fortunate unexpected discoveries; so how do we create the unexpected?

My dad always told me, "You practice like you play". As a former college quarterback, he knows a lot about the importance of practice. His logic goes like this: you practice your game, so that you can create unexpected events. Practice creates opportunity; skill allows you to capitalize on the unexpected. After all, the difference between "serendipity" and "surprise" is... results.

From Nathan Jamail's "Sales Leaders Playbook": Athletes spend 90% of their time practicing, and 10% on performance. In business, it's more like 1% practice, 99% "just do it", and hope for the best. Not a good strategy for serendipity, but it certainly can create a lot of surprises!

In the business world, effective practice means taking time to reflect on opportunities, to explore ideas (like this one!) with others, and exchange innovation with other thought leaders. By asking "What if...?" we can unlock the key to imagination - that's the birthplace of new discoveries (IMHO). Creativity shapes serendipity. Put that idea into practice by exchanging new ideas; prepare for the unexpected by considering it with colleagues you trust.

How to Go from Good to GREAT in Sales

I'll let you in on a little secret, about how to transform from good to great in the sales game. The one thing that makes a good salesperson great: It's always the customer.

If you have the talents of a monkey, but you are sitting in front of customer who wants to buy what you are selling, you will close a sale. Additionally, you will be able to answer the phone with your feet, but that's another story.

Westfall and Associates, How may I help You?
(phones answered by 800 pound Gorilla)

If you want to see a great salesperson in action, concentrate on what the customer is doing. Great salespeople inspire action by meeting needs. Good salespeople do a lot of demos, and keep busy saying things like, "activity breeds results!" while hoping for the best.

If you can only do one thing right, Focus on the customer. If you lose your way in the sales process, focus on the customer. The customer will bring you back on track.

If sales is about meeting needs, the needs you need to meet (great english, huh? sorry friends, it's my 9th language ;-) are only found within the customer.

For more thoughts on how to identify a buying customer, follow this link: http://bit.ly/deouak