heartharmony.com.au

Recently I have been having a great discussion with a colleague about the difference between selling your knowledge (doing the work for other people) and selling “how to” apply your knowledge.

If you take a look around the self help section of most book stores, you will notice that “How to” books have been taking over shelf space at a great rate of knots. People love to learn how to do things and are willing to give a lot of things a go provided they have the right information and support. But is this trend good or bad for business?

Most businesses take the “this will take away my business” approach, so horde their knowledge as effectively as squirrels store nuts for the winter. They only share information if money crosses their palms and jealously guard their hard won knowledge.

Yet other businesses take the total opposite approach. In the internet marketing world “moving the free line” is gaining massive momentum. What people used to pay for is now given away as free, with other paid items being offered to the free list later. These “back end sales” come as a result of the business having demonstrated their expertise and giving people a taste of what it would be like working with them. And people take up the paid offers in droves as a result of their experience.

But where did this approach come from? Well, free tastes have been part of history, but one of my favourite stories relates to a simple US shirtmaker in the mid 1800′s. He worked out that there were more customers out there who may be interested in learning how to make one of his shirts than would be interested in buying his shirts. So in 1863 he designed the first paper pattern in a variety of sizes, coupled with instructions on how to make his shirts. This was the first time that paper patterns had been made commercially available.

The idea was a massive success and before long he designed patterns for ladies clothes, mens trousers and childrens clothes. In fact the idea took off with such success that it became a million dollar international business.  The guys name was Ebenezer Butterick and home sewers everywhere still buy Butterick patterns today. (Thanks R. Brasch “A Bee in your bonnet?” for this story).

The point here is most businesses have something that they can teach people to do at home and this information can generate revenue either from purchase of the information product or from “back end” sales. Taking an abundance approach in terms of sharing your information can be good for your business.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance copywriter

With all the furor over iSnack 2.0 and iPad (proof we need more women in IT), it helps to go back into history to soothe frazzled business execs nerves that not all naming stuff ups are bad for business.

Think of the ubiquitous Pizza Hut. This business was started by two humble uni students in 1958 who saw how popular pizzas were at toga parties, so conned their mum into funding a pizza shop. They rented a property on a busy street corner, bought second hand equipment and hired the cheapest signwriter they could find to put the word Pizza in big letters on a sign. The signwriter must have been having one too many that day, because they painted the word “Pizza” on an angle and lopsided. The guys couldn’t afford to get a new sign done, so they worked out they could put three letters under the word Pizza. After much searching through the dictionary, they found the word “Hut” and the distinctive Pizza Hut company came into being. (We gratefully acknowledge R Brasch in his book “A bee in your bonnet?” for this story).

The Pizza Hut guys didn’t have expensive competitions, or run massive focus groups to come up with their name. They just had a problem and had to solve it, and you could argue they did it more effectively than a mountain of marketing people at Kraft and Apple.

The two boys also had a lot of the right ideas in terms of naming their business for a web 2.0 world. You see  it pays to name your company with words that include the term that most people are looking for on the net (and buy the .com to match). This means your keywords naturally appear in searches sort of like instant SEO without too much hassle, and your business is easy to find. You could get all creative with a unique name, but where there is a simple solution that gives you brilliant SEO benefits, you may want to try that first.

So, if you get stuck for a business name, certainly get some data on what people are looking for on the net, and then bung on a simple word ala Pizza Hut. You could be on a real winner!

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance copwriter

On our holidays last week we visited two iconic tourist attractions on the Sunshine Coast – The Big Pineapple and the Buderim Ginger Factory. Both have been around for about as long as each other. Both promote a particular food product (pineapples and ginger). Both have very similar offerings – a tourist shop, guided tour to learn how the food product is grown and processed, train rides, mechanical rides and restaurants. Yet the experiences could not be more extreme.

The Big Pineapple is a massive fibreglass pineapple that you can walk through. It is heritage listed as it is such a part of the Qld psyche. In its heyday you had to queue for ages to fork over large sums of money to taste one of their famous pineapple boats (parfaits). There were train rides through the pineapple plantation, rides in cute macadamia nutmobiles through the macadamia nut grove, boat ride through the future of food, and an animal nursery. While most of these attractions are still there is an air of dank decay around the place.

When we got into the car, I asked my teenager to describe what she saw:

• One of the attractions had obviously been affected by a storm a long while back – all the canvas was in shreds and the attraction closed (this was the first thing you saw when you drove into the carpark).
• The outdoor toilets were sealed off (and by the look of the cobwebs had been so for a long time), with portaloos the only options. The indoor toilets only had one soap dispenser – the rest had been ripped from the walls. The floor and wall tiles were cracked and only about 1/3 of the toilets were not blocked off.
• The carpark was full of potholes and untended gardens.
• The entrance was blocked – and although it was free to enter, you had to give your details to the overworked lady at the front who would try to sell tours to you. Most people gave up and just pushed the gates open themselves and went around her.
• Tours were relatively expensive and didn’t explain what you would get for the money.
• The tourist shop was full of cheap trinkets – the same as you would see at any Dollar store. There was very little unique or different. After much searching we finally spotted a few lonely pineapples (with fruit fly buzzing around them).
• The restaurant functioned (sort of). It was massive, it echoed and guests were few and far between. Parfaits were still on sale at very high prices.
• The staff wore dirty uniforms, were frazzled and didn’t know what they were doing. They were obviously not enjoying their jobs.

I asked my teen to put into a few words her experience. “Sad. The place looks uncared for, unloved and the staff obviously have taken that feeling to heart in how they treat their customers”. Her prediction “closed within 6-12 months maximum”

It was no surprise to hear later on that it was in receivership. They took what worked many years ago and then didn’t keep pace with the changes.

The Buderim Ginger Factory was a totally different experience. Again in the words of my teen.

• The carpark was neat, clean and well signposted.
• The gardens were amazing – full of flowering ginger plants.
• The opening was wide and welcoming.
• The tour desk was clearly visible – with no hard sell. Tours were clearly explained.
• Staff were warm, welcoming and efficient (and with neat uniforms).
• The guided tour was informative and ended with a tasting of products and with ideas on how to use and combine the foods into recipes.
• The Cookery School was amazing. Michelin rated chef teaching people how to cook (with ginger of course).
• Lots to keep smaller kids interested with kids tours and Gingerbread people.
• Lots of food options – from home made ice-cream store, to sweets & meals.
• Immaculate toilets.
• Store had a massive range of ginger (and honey) related products as well as the best cooking equipment range outside of Brisbane.

I personally was fascinated by how the Ginger Factory had seen the trend for the fascination for cooking and had positioned themselves to capitalise on this through their cooking school, product ranges and teaching people how to use their products in their cooking. They held regular events with guest speakers and chefs to draw people back time and again. They also had gardening experts showing the beauty of the ginger plants (and selling many ginger plants in the process).

This place was buzzing – with locals and tourists rubbing shoulders into what has become a real hub for the community. Her prediction “Will expand. I can see it going on TV on gardening and cooking shows”.

The difference? The Ginger Factory was all about the future – teaching people to buy and use their products way into the future. Yes, there was a great experience in the “now”, but the seeds were planted for future purchases.

The Big Pineapple was all about the past – We used to be good. We are an icon. People “should” come. Experiences were also only focussed on the present moment. There was no recurring income. No way people could take a bit of the pineapple with them.

So, why did I ask my teen to describe what she had seen? Just to show it is really easy for anyone to pick up which businesses are working and which ones are in trouble. The things she looked for were the same things that all customers look for:

• staff who care and know what they are on about,
• clean and well maintained facilities,
• sense of community,
• help to know how to get the most out of your product or service and
• a unique experience.

Many businesses could do with a teenager to look through their business and tell them what they see.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Copywriter

Unless you have been living under a rock this year, you would have heard about two icons and their “indiscretions” – David Letterman and Tiger Woods. What has been fascinating from those on the outside is how their respective PR agencies have handled the same issue, and the results they have generated.

Lettermen took the “in your face” approach – as soon as the smallest whispers started, he broke the story himself, made a very public apology in person, took a week off to spend with his family and then proceeded to make fun of his own stupidity.  He dealt in a positive and supportive way with the women he had been with, reminding them that they had the right to state their side of the story if they wished. Yes the media covered the story. Yes he was the butt of jokes – but everyone quickly moved on.

Contrast this to Tiger Woods. Silence for three days. A very stilted press release that didn’t answer many of the allegations. His press release was 75% complaining about the invasion of his privacy, coupled with a few statements about letting his family down. There was no apology to the women he had been with (including his wife). The media feeding frenzy has been the equivalent of a school of sharks smelling blood.As a result of his PR approach there has been increased interest as people try to fill in the blanks, a chorus girl parade of  “other women” touting their stories and irreparable damage to Tiger’s brand.

Letterman on the other hand has come out of the same event with his reputation substantially intact, with increased brownie points for “manning up” and dealing with the issue with honesty.

If you want to read up on the psychology behind why one approach was more effective than the other, then check out “Mistakes Were Made: But not by Me” . It is a fascinating insight into why people do the things they do.

But what lessons can be learnt from the situation? It is unlikely that your business will be rocked by the same sort of scandal as Letterman and Woods, but the PR strategies are applicable no matter the disaster you sail into.

One of the best Sydney PR firms, Catriona Pollard from CP Communications had this to say on her blog:

What lessons can be learnt?
If you or your business find yourself in a crisis situation it is important to respond truthfully and quickly.  If someone refuses to respond, the immediate thought is that they are hiding something. If you really can’t release any information it is important to take control of the situation and explain why. By offering an explanation, you appear responsive and cooperative even if you are not sharing a great deal of information.

What to do if you are in a similar situation If you or your business find yourself in the midst of a crisis you should keep in mind the following suggestions:
•    Never, ever say “No Comment.” Instead tell reporters the situation is still being reviewed and you will have a statement available as soon as you have all the facts.
•    Offer as much information as possible to avoid the chance of inaccurate information being reported to the public.
•    Respond quickly to define and control public perception of how you are handling the crisis or the media will do it for you.
•    If the crisis affects members of the public, always show compassion and concern for the people involved.
•    Don’t allow for speculation. If the interviewer says something that is not factual, correct the information.
•    Report your own bad news before the media catches wind.  This will avoid the media assuming you are guilty without getting your side of the story.
•    Always admit your mistakes. Explain why the mistake occurred and what you are doing to fix the problem. Never under estimate the power of “sorry.”
•    Forget about “on the record” “off the record” promises. If you don’t want something reported, then avoid discussing it completely.

So – in a crisis, take a leaf from Letterman’s book rather than lessons from Tiger Woods.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Copywriter

Last weekend I went looking for a new car. I had narrowed it down to a Mazda 6 or a Camry after my usual many hours on the net researching all the ins and outs. I packed the kids into our car and headed out to visit the car yards.

Given my initial preference to the Mazda, we started there first.  As we entered the yard we were met by a keen young salesperson, who did a great job of showing us the different models before quickly narrowing down what we were after.  He was selling beautifully till he sat us down. We told him we wanted to buy in the next week, we would be paying cash and wanted his best price so we could make a decision which way to go – Camry or Mazda. He wandered off to see the boss, came back and told us that he wouldn’t give us a price now as we were not serious, but when we were serious next week to come back and see him.  He gave us a rough ballpark figure on the new car with the options we were looking for (after being pressed for the info).

We then moved onto the Toyota dealership. As my kids said, they could hear the crickets chirruping when we went onto the lot. The cars were very untidy – and had not been detailed for a while. New cars were jumbled next to used cars and it was almost impossible to work out which cars were available. We walked into the massive office and stood looking lost at the front desk. The office girl was on the phone and deliberately turned her back to us. We stood and stood. We wandered over to dealers sitting at desks, who studiously avoided our gaze. One kept reading his book while drinking his coffee.

So we then decided to sit in the demonstrator car in front of his desk, and took great joy in adjusting things, opening and closing doors and boots. After 10 minutes someone came over “Are you right”.  “Well actually we want to buy a car”. He was of the “don’t speak until are spoken to” school of sales, so every piece of information was drawn out of him as if he was on the rack. He did share that they had a deal on at present and what the deal included. It sounded good. But he then handed us a brochure and told us to call him when we wanted to buy before ushering us out the door.

OK – by now I was starting to get a complex. I mean I had told each of the salesmen “I want to buy a car. I would be paying cash.” All they needed to do was convince me of their product.

Enter car yard three. We went to a different Toyota dealer as the youngest child wanted to re-check the fabric on the seats. (She has a thing about soft fabric car seats). A very different experience. We were met when we walked onto the lot and seamlessly passed onto the new car salesman, who seamlessly called in his boss (given it was the salesman’s first week on the job this was understandable). In this yard the cars were detailed, even if there was the same jumble of new/used cars.

Both had a beautiful sales process, running through a series of trial closes removing any objections in the process, before moving into a final close. (Occupational hazard – I watch the process more than I listen to the words). It was a slick sales process without being slimy.They clarified the details of the special, double checking the facts as the previous Toyota person had misunderstood what was actually included in the new model car as a standard (and not optional) feature.

The people took the time to sell, listened to our buying clues (by then we had them painted in red 12 foot high letters), made no assumptions on our seriousness or otherwise of purchase, removed objections to buying then and there and as a result we bought the Camry from the third car yard.

As we were driving home, the Mazda salesman rang us to ask what we thought of the Camry and when he could book us in for another visit. I took great delight in letting him know we had bought the Camry and wouldn’t be needing his services.

What are the lessons? Well the most obvious one is how poorly trained most salespeople really are – they need to improve their skills if they really want to sell. Businesses also need to look at the simple things – how are people greeted, tidiness of their properties, and basic amenities.

What has your experience been with car dealers?

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Writer

Yesterday I visited a business colleague and friend of many years in their new office space. The VM Group provides great training in Brisbane Australia on topics ranging from leadership through to time management. Reay and the team are also known for their creativity and innovative thinking, so when they were looking for office space for their training rooms, they put on their creative thinking caps.

You see, in this part of the world office space is at a premium (literally). If you want a large space that is reasonably priced, close to the city and has a pleasant outlook, then the proverbial needle in the haystack  is easier to find. Reay also knew this, but he also knew his local soccer club was struggling. They had great grounds and fantastic facilities, but patron numbers had dropped away in recent times. So Reay organised a creative alliance – he leased the entire ground floor of the club for his company. The top floor remains the dressing rooms and other facilities for the club, but the ground level is now the VM group’s home.

This is a brilliant example of win-win. The club has increased security through the week as people are coming and going for training, combined with a regular income. Reay and the team get fantastic facilities with a lovely green outlook at a great rate. The space is big enough for a large training room with three smaller rooms (including video cameras so role plays could be filmed), plus a few break out areas for group work. And it is only 5 minutes from the CBD! Yes, the VM Group also let others use their training facilities when they are not running a course, so the creative sharing of space continues.

As I was driving home I suddenly saw all of the golf clubs, bowls clubs, football clubs, PCYC’s etc with a new set of eyes. Each of them had the potential for creative alliances such as the one the VM Group organised.  Love clever thinkers!

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Writer

For some time I have been grappling with the concept of having a live answering service. You see, I love to be accessible to my clients, but when I am deep in thought or writing then I let the phone go through to our message bank. Having an phone answering service seemed like a great idea, until a friend of mine told me of her experience yesterday.

You see, she wanted to get in touch with her excavator operator. When she called the phone went through to what she now knows was a call answering service.

For starters they go the name of the company wrong, and when she asked if to speak with with the excavator guy, the operator fumbled around – not sure if the guy worked for that company.  Once he finally was encouraged to check his piece of paper and found out who his client was, he spun into desperation – ranting about the company, how he was only new at the job and hadn’t been trained correctly.

Now remember, all my friend wanted to do was leave her name and number, but instead she ended up making “there, there” noises to a near suicidal phone operator who had no idea who his clients were.  It would have made a hilarious recording (unless of course your business happened to be the excavator one and you were paying for a small business answering service).

Another professional colleague found her lovely local answering service had outsourced their services to India. She only discovered this fact after many of her clients complained about the difficulty in leaving a message with the operator due to their broken English (and after many messages about calls had not been forwarded).

But answering machines and message banks are not immune from problems. I have lost count of the bored and depressed cell phone voice messages I have listened to – people sound like they really hate their job which makes me question if I really want to leave my details.

Others struggle with pronouncing their own name without an um or an ah while sounding like Bob Hawke on a bad day, while some are premature message recorders – ratting off the message as if they were calling the Melbourne Cup.

Then of course you have the children’s TV presenter message banks, with very forced cheerfulness and extreme pronunciation of every letter.

The bottom line is all businesses need to periodically call their phone system and hear what their customers hear. Get a few people to try it out for you and tell you what they think.  It may be very enlightening.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Writer

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

As regular readers know, I love niche businesses – those quirky one-off businesses that fit a very small niche of people. But not all businesses can find a niche to dominate. What about if you are in a business that has a lot of competition. How can you stand out? Well … putting it simply … you do the same thing as everyone else, but with a twist.

One of the best examples I have seen lately is an Acapella singing group called “The Voca People“. Music groups are a dime a dozen … so what makes this group stand out? Yes, they have talent, but so do a lot of groups.

They have two key twists – they blended a regular acappella group with two beat-boxers, and then created a very unique “look” for the group. And the results? Well see for yourself …

Clever. Brilliant. In demand (and over 3.4 million views on You Tube)

How can you give a little twist to what everyone else is doing?

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance copywriter

On our recent jaunt (Sydney to Brisbane via Lightning Ridge) I was amazed by the massive flocks of Grey Nomads on the road. I mean there were so many flying along the roads in their 4WD with caravans hitched to the back that I swear there is not a single older person over the age of 60 remaining in any major city for more than a few days at a time.

A Grey Nomad is defined as someone over 50 who is travelling around Australia in a caravan of some description for extended periods of time. They are also known as snowbirds and grey voyagers in the USA and Canada.

This migratory species of the population are all hell bent on making up for lost time – seeing all the things they wished they had seen when they were younger. Their universal mantra seems to be “If I knew at 18 what I know now the world wouldn’t be big enough”.

Soaking in the bore baths at Lightning Ridge with a dozen or so of the Grey Nomads, we got talking about their life. Many of them do have a “home base” that they pop back to once or twice a year when the weather is warm and balmy, but the rest of the time they are on the road to nowhere in particular.

Why do they do it? Freedom, adventure, enjoyment of beauty, learning and exploration. They do it because they can!

Don’t think they are all the same though – you have the perpetual sun seeking Grey Nomads. These are the ones who winter in Port Douglas and summer in Tasmania. There are the circumnavigation nomads – the ones who do the loop of Australia. These tend to travel in packs – continually bumping into the same people on their trek. You also have the job hoppers – those who travel from casual job to casual job, doing the tasks normally reserved for young Swedish back-packers.  There are solo nomads as well as pairs and friendship groups. Some have their dog along for the ride – others bring along the grandkids during holidays. You even have full-timers – people who have no other home than their nomadic caravan.

They compare details of their “rigs” or caravans with all the fervor of kids with the latest collector cards. Most are remarkably tech savvy – demanding good internet connections to keep in touch. They are very active on forums and share their experiences with local businesses (both good and bad) with other nomads coming along behind. Give bad service and the nomads will tell everyone about it – they are not backward in coming forward!

Grey Nomads as a group create all sorts of demographic challenges. It is only in recent census times that this group of the population was officially counted and the scope of their group was known.

So what sort of impacts are we talking about? Health services including pharmacies need to be able to cope with the massive swelling of the population at certain times of the year. Towns such as Lightning Ridge are becoming full of retired people who live there 9 months of the year – which means aged care services are needed 9/12 months. This also impacts on retail, petrol stations and tourism operators in these areas, with a large part of their business disappearing in the hotter months.

Grey nomads also tend to be conscious of their money – looking for good deals and interesting experiences on a budget. They look for warm, friendly camping grounds and sound advice on road conditions on the way ahead. They self-cater a lot of the time rather than rely on the local milk bar for meals.  But – they have more disposable income than traditional backpacking groups and are not afraid to spend money on useful museums and interesting tours.

Yet, given the size of this group (I would suggest reaching similar numbers to overseas backpackers in areas) it is surprising how few businesses actually are catering to that market. There are only a few websites and even fewer books available.  Motoring associations as a group tend to ignore them (which considering that pretty much 100% of the nomads are Gold members of their local association is a massive oversight).

Here is a huge potential market that is not being adequately served by most businesses. What could you do to make the Grey Nomads welcome in your part of the world?

And if you don’t hear from me for a week or so – you can assume the lure of the Grey Nomad lifestyle has caught me.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Writer

Today we booked into a hotel where the paint is barely dry on the walls – the Citigate Mt Panorama, Bathurst the only hotel on the famous Mt Panorama motor race circuit.

We found them using a standby website – picking up a great rate for an executive room complete with spa and view over Conrod Straight.

So what have they done right (and bits to work on)?  The booking system drops you straight from the hotel switch to the standard Mirvac call centre. This call centre has all the warmth & charm of a Telstra call centre. Be prepared to wait (a long time) before speaking with a human. Yes, they did efficiently take our booking – but with all the warmth of an internal surgical exam.

We weren’t offered directions to the place (not helpful when the place is still not on most maps), so followed the signs to Mt Panorama and figured we would work it out.

Well as I headed along the starting grid,  this seemed a bit naive. We then did the Mt Panorama circuit at a very sedate pace – with the kids laughing at my Sunday drive speed. The kids obviously watch more car racing than I do, because they told me we needed to go through the Essess and down the hill before we would get to Conrod Straight.

Needless to say the hotel is not signed as yet – with zero directional signage to the entry. We were about to head around the mountain again when the kids spotted a track behind the motor museum. Yep – this track was the way to the hotel. (Note to new businesses – if you are open for business and about to be descended upon by literally tens of thousands of cars, you may want to signpost your business).

The reception lady was very friendly, warm and a lovely person – but excrutiatingly slow.  Great when  you only have a few guests but… Yes, speed comes with confidence and experience – build enough training into all new launches to build speed (Speaking from experience here – I opened a 500 employee retail store from scratch that took over $1mill in sales on the opening day. You need to get it right from day one).

Of course our booking had not been notified to the hotel by the call centre. If you have a central system taking your bookings, make sure the computers talk.

We were given a quick run down on the features of the hotel and headed to our room. We have an executive suit with spa. The room is large and well appointed. Brilliant kitchen so you can self cater if you choose & great spa.  The balcony has front row seats to the races.

The only niggles – the on-screen hotel info was very sketchy and missed most essentials (like the location of the gym, restaurant etc). Getting our second bed made up took 1 1/2 hours – not exactly speedy.

However the room service menu was a surprise with a solid range of meals at the same prices as the restaurant (and super fast delivery). The pool was still being finished, but the gym has 4 state of the art pieces to keep you busy.

A few other minor niggles – there are no bedside lamps to read with, and when you want to turn off the lights you have to hop out of bed and cross the room as there is no main light switch by the bed. That said the smoke alarms above the beds flash bright green LED twice every 5 seconds (yes I counted them) so unless you wear an eye mask to bed you feel like you are in a disco all night. (A bit TOO bright guys!)

On a plus the motel is well sound-proofed and the rooms are very quiet.

So, if you are a rev head and heading up to Mt Panorama you may want to book trackside. Once these teething issues are sorted, it will be a great place to stay. If you are not in the market for a hotel stay, but are going to launch a new business, take the lessons from the Citigate.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

We put your business into words

Heart Harmony – Freelance Writer