Mind your language...

This story caught my eye this afternoon from the Minnie Star Tribune.

A woman in Wisconsin goes to see a film with her husband and friends. The theater does not accept credit cards or debit cards (I am assuming this must be a small theater) and the theater goers pay by check. Then, some sneaky types got in to the theater and the management wanted every stub checked. Instead of stopping the film, they looked whilst the film was running. Afterwards, our customer sends an email to the VP of the theater commenting on how her less than spectacular evening. He told her to go F- herself. He then sent another email saying he was stressed and should never have sent it. Too late. 3,300 Facebook fans are advocating for the boycott of this theater. Apparently, that is more people than live in the town.

How many times do we have to remind people that in the age of Twitter (think Kevin Smith and Southwest Airlines) and Facebook that you have to watch what you say more than ever? The VP did use a poor choice of words and may have had a tough evening, but he sent an email telling his client where to go. I know we all want to send emails like that from time to time, but c'mon. This is one more for the archive- mind your mouth!

Adieu.

CashScam

Anyone who has known me for some time knows I am a big Family Guy fan. I know some of you Dear Readers out there are shaking their heads but it is a fact. One of the episodes I love is when Stewie (the Baby for the uninitiated) runs a company out of his bedroom called CashScam. Brian (the Dog) needed money for worm medication so he joins Stewie as a Sales Rep. Stewie proceeds to "manage" him. How many of us have Wacky Tacky Tie Day or find good comedy a stitch?

Enjoy these three small clips.

(Note: The second has a little foul language and I apologize for the quality of the third clip).

Are you Prepared?

I just found this article on Min Online and thought I'd share.

In a nutshell the American Society of Business Publications and Northwestern University conducted a survey of B2B publishers. Their findings were pretty startling- 4 out of 5 respondents had one day or less of digital training. 36% said they had NO training. Even more, 38% said at least half of their time is spent on digital publishing and 62% said more time on digital publishing would benefit their businesses directly.

These facts illustrate a conversation I was having with my Wife and a few friends several weeks ago. We were all discussing the IPad and what it means for publishing. The consensus at the table was that more training needs to happen, but many of the publishing companies involved do not want to spend the money to train their people on these increasingly important skills. Furthermore, we all agreed that individuals should pay for their courses and submit their bill as an expense. Or, keep it and deduct it from your taxes (Please check with your accountant first).

Think of your sales- are you being trained properly? Are you ready for the digital sales environment? Is your team? Looking at the Sales 2.0 landscape, you need to be. As companies and the sales process go from pyramids to liner models you need to be prepared.

Get the training you need and get it for your team. Don't take no for an answer. If you feel left behind, check out some of these sources- as the old Saturday morning cartoon line used to say- "The more you know."

360 Training (UK): http://www.360training.co.uk/

MediaBistro: http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/

Media Recruiting Group: http://www.mediarecruiting.com/courses.htm

There and Back Again

As the title so elegantly states, travel is the act of getting There and Back Again.

Getting There is a very important part of business as a whole as the best business is conducted in a face to face setting. The important question for someone in business is how to go- planes, trains or automobiles?

Each April, the winners are announced in the Skytrex World Airline Awards. Each year, the top slots are dominated by Asian airlines: Cathay Pacific takes the 2009 Best Airline slot, followed by Singapore, Asiana, Qatar and Emirates.

Virgin America hits the US top slot for Best Cabin Staff in North America. They are followed by Westjet and Jet Blue. (They don't even touch the World's Best).

What makes an airline tops for cabin crew (or even Best Business Class)? Simple, attention to the needs of the customer.

As a customer, you have needs that need to be met. Whether you are at the supermarket or buying media, as a customer, you have needs. The cabin crew- in this case your team- need to be trained to listen to your clients and make decisions. Virgin America staff are not only allowed to provide disgruntled passengers free drinks and snacks, they can get them a free flight- no questions asked. Their cabin staff are trained to empathize with customers yet remain strong willed enough to stand by their decisions. Can your staff do that? Are they allowed to give free insertions/plans/media/product away if the client is not satisfied, or do they have to get paperwork signed and jump through hoops?

I am a big believer in letting the Rep. make a decision on the ground to quickly resolve any dicey situation with a client. They are trained over and over again (like the VA staff) to empathize with the clients and not become doormats. I train them to use a problem scale. If something is minor (whatever that could be), talk through it. The larger the situation, the larger the remedy need be with the final option being free media. Naturally, if you give away free media all the time your clients will become an army of Pavlov's Dogs and my training explains that there is a fine line.

Is your team trained properly? Do they have these skills? This type of plan?

I know some of this is general. Well, a reminder is always good. AND- if you think about this piece, I have done my job.

How's your team?

Monty/ Michael Follow Up

My previous Post- Are you a Monty or a Michael has generated quite a bit of buzz over the last few days. I have had several calls and meetings with colleagues and friends who have seriously been asking themselves what type of manager they are.

I feel pretty good that this post elicited such a reaction as that is what many of these are designed to do- to get you to stop and think. As a follow up to this post, I came across another area on ERE for a contest called- Is Your Boss an Ogre? It just makes me giggle.

Are you a Monty or a Michael? Done any soul searching? If so, share it with me. I'd love to know.

Montgomery vs. Michael

vs.

We know them both. Monty Burns and Michael Scott. Both have positives and negatives. Monty tried to block the sun from Springfield, stole a lolly from a baby and was shot. Whilst Michael lead sales calls that resulted in his driving in to a lake and sponsoring "Rabies Awareness." I used them in this post not to make fun of one or the other. But to make a point as to what they represent.

I found this great article posted on Advertising Age this week. Sally Hogshead looks at two types of bosses and asks the question- who would you rather work for: The Talented Jerk or the Sweetheart Hack?

Needless to say, the Talented Jerk wins every time. Why? They push the boundaries and care for the organization they are with. They win even more when they can criticize work but still motivate people and keep the group on focus. Unfortunately, the Hack, well, they hide, lack creativity and generally "lead from the rear. " The perfect storm happens when you have both the Jerk and Talentless Hack come together. Oh dear.

As a Manager, you are a teacher. You are also bound by your goals and your responsibilities to the organization you are in. You need to lead. The tricky part is bridging the two areas- can you be nice and a jerk? A nice jerk? It is finding this point where the two grey areas meet that is the most tricky.

The axiom that "pooh rolls downhill" is very true. In sales the numbers must be met, expectations are high and deadlines (as well as tempers) are shorter and shorter. Throw in some job insecurity and some bad news and it is easy to cross the line to Permajerk. However, we all don't have to succumb to the Permajerk status. Your team is your team. You must be forceful but not heavy handed. Show them by example and coach, coach, coach. Make sure to correct bad work and call a spade a spade. Don't mince words. We all like to be patted on the back, but it is the true critique of our work that we most value.

Combine this with leading by example, communicating expectations clearly and taking an individualized approach to your teams needs you will find a formula to help them succeed- and they will follow you.

It is easy to be a Jerk. Being a Talented Jerk takes work and experience. Going the other route and being the Hack is an easy path. Are you a Monty? Michael? A combination of both??

2 Comments on Etiquette

2 things caught my eye today.

The first was an article on the "Online Spin" about business card etiquette. So many people forget that your card is you and your company. It speaks volumes about you. Fling it across the table? Maybe you don't care. Is it dingy and dark? See previous comment.

Working in the life sciences exposed me to a ton of conferences and meetings. At many, I was very surprised at how many people just threw their card to me like it was a piece of candy (maybe it came with the candy too). At some agencies, young reps. would throw their card across the table where it would slide to the floor and I am left scrambling to pick it up.

In 2008, I was surprised when I lived in India. There, the business card is sacred. You hold your card by the upper left and right corners and pass it to the person you are speaking to so they can read the information. They will in turn do the same. It is right up there with the Japanese sans bowing. It is great. The ultimate conferring of respect and it says- "I have looked at your information."

The second thing, is from Freep.com. GM has informed its dealers that many need to clean up their stores, train their reps. on customer retention and online marketing. So far, only 20% of GM's stores have followed this. No wonder they've been bailed out.

In life you have 10 seconds to make an impression. Don't hand a client a hot, lint laden card that smells like mints and has a thumbprint in the middle of it (you don't have to bow either). Make sure your place of business is clean, bright and you and your team work hard to satisfy every customer.

Remember, you only get one chance....