I’m driving. On an off ramp from the (brand new) Golden Ears Bridge. Here in MyTown (Langley, BC). When I spot a sign. That reads: “Odd number addresses are on the right side of this street.” I look to my left. And there is another sign. That reads: “Even number addresses are on the left side of this street.” Are you kidding? Are the designers of this route actually telling us how to find the address we’re looking for? Yes. Yes, they are. This actually happened – yesterday. Have you ever seen anything like it? I never have. And I am blown away.

> The Key Point:

It’s like stepping off the elevator when you’re heading for your hotel room. Which way do you go? Left? Or right? The best hotels (the most helpful) put up arrows telling you which way to go, depending on your room number. The worst hotels (seems like about 90%) tell you nothing. Same in underground parking lots. (Okay, where is the elevator?). Key point: Do your customers have to stop and think? Or search? Or try to imagine – what to do about any aspect of doing business with you? If so, now would be a good time to….      See you next Tuesday.

News alert: On Thursday, February 11 at 9 a.m. (PST) Neil will present during a f-r*ee sales training event called The Sales TeleSummit. He will be one of 18 international speakers and authors. The theme of the Summit: “How to end self sabotage in selling.” Neil will describe how to avoid making a great sales call – or sending a great quote – then not being able to reach your prospect again (Ouch!).  For details please go to:  http://www.profcs.com/app/?af=1121737 and scroll down to review the presenters (as you will see, Neil is in very good company).

People buy from people. Not from companies. And not from ads. So. Let’s get personal in our marketing. Let’s connect, human-to-human, with the strangers who visit our websites, or see our media advertising, or our social media posts, or even our vehicle signage. Today: Three examples. Each one an inspiration – to me and now (hopefully) to you. Here we go.

First example: The Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Tourism Department. As I exercise in the morning, I watch the news. An ad shows us beautiful images of this incredible place (I’ve been there on several speaking engagements so I ‘know’ how exceptional ‘the rock’ really is). The commercial closes with a screen that says, “Want to know more? Call Jillian at 1.800.563.6353.” Call Jillian? Call a person? Okay. So today I called Jillian, and yes, she is not an avatar, but a real person. I was blown away. Example Two: An email from MD Gold Member, Gordon Holley, CEO of BeanKeepers Professional Bookkeeping Service, a national franchise just getting underway. He shared this link to a sorority fund-raising site that is totally focused on each individual they ask to contribute. It’s astounding. (Go have a look, but come right back). Example Three: One of my clients, decorative painter, Hans Haest. Hans sent me a link to his new website  and asked for my feedback. Here it is, Hans: “Brilliant.” The site simply features Hans speaking in a video, with illustrations of his work in the background. Not all the usual “stuff.” Just one human being telling another (each individual visitor) what inspired him to start, and examples of what he does and how he does it. The idea, of course, is “getting personal” and all three do it beautifully.

 > The Risk:

People worry. We worry about using our real names on the net. But we forget that the phone book (do they still print those?) has been full of our names, our addresses and our telephone numbers for years. And (of course) every time we pay a restaurant bill with our credit card, we expose ourselves to a potential agony of identify theft – but do it anyway. Message: Get over it! And get out there!

 > The Reward:

Can you imagine how much more effective that sorority fund raiser is – when compared to the usual guilt-inducing solicitation? Do you think Hans is going to get more action from his new site than his (ordinary) old site? Do you think others will “call Jillian” in Newfoundland? A safe bet on every one.

 > The Call to Action:

So. Here we are. Just you and I. Person to person. And, here is the question: What are ‘we’ gonna do? I have a welcome video on my website that talks about my personal passion around entrepreneurship (vs. dependency on jobs, paychecks, and bosses who do our thinking for us). Now I’m thinking about “doing a Hans,” and making a new video that is the total center of attention on my home page. And you?

News alert: On Thursday, February 11 at 9 a.m. (PST) Neil will present during a f-r*ee sales training event called The Sales TeleSummit. He will be one of 18 international speakers and authors. The theme of the Summit: “How to end self sabotage in selling.” Neil will describe how to avoid making a great sales call – or sending a great quote – then not being able to reach your prospect again (Ouch!).  For details please go to:  http://www.profcs.com/app/?af=1121737 and scroll down to review the presenters (as you will see, Neil is in very good company).

I had no choice. There it was. A full page ad. For Moreno’s Market & Deli. Right here in My Town (aka Langley, BC). With literally dozens of Home Run Hits – on literally dozens of Marketing Hot Buttons. Let me (try to) explain.

The ideas here are numerous. But. The Big Idea is Differentiation (again, still, always?). In this case, Trevor Moreno places a personal message at the top of his ad. His personal mission statement – which is to bring us foods available nowhere else locally. Then he explains how he has partnered with Vancouver’s Italian SUPER market, Bosa Foods, to bring in more than 2000 of their items – all at the same retail prices – so we no longer have to travel to the city to get ‘em. Good. Then he tells us that Jeff, his in-store butcher, reigns over Langley’s longest meat counter – and that he’s there to give us “exactly what you want, how you want it!” (I was a regular at Moreno’s before I saw this jaw-dropping ad, and I can vouch for Jeff – and his meats – and his creations).

 > The Risk:

Trevor’s ad touts a “try before you buy” program (I called him this afternoon to ask what this meant, and he said that when a shopper is looking at something – like an unfamiliar sauce or salad dressing – that his staff offer to crack the bottle and give them a taste). “Wait,” I said, “what about the cost involved?” “No problem,” Trevor replied, “because we won’t buy from any vendor who doesn’t agree – in advance – to support our try before you buy policy.” He added that it’s a win-win-win anyway – obviously!

 > The Reward:

I could go on and on about Moreno’s – free run chicken; BC’s first taste of Spolumbo Sausage from Alberta; a huge and growing stock of organic produce – important to me – fresh fish; a “request list” that invites us to tell them what else we’d like to see in store (I called the other day and asked if they could bring in Herb’s Crushed Garlic from Bosa, where I buy it now). It literally just goes on and on…and on.

 > The Call to Action:

Trevor is not one of my clients (I wish he was), but he’s doing exactly what I set out to do with every company I work with: Get creative. Never stop asking what your clients want. Figure out how to give ‘em what they want. Don’t worry about cost – think about the lifetime (repeat and referral) value of delighted customers. And. Don’t worry about competition. Instead, create your own market. What a brilliant example. Thank you, Trevor. (See you Thursday).

News alert #1: Neil will be presenting at a tremendous f-r*ee event called The Virtual Success Expo – a showcase of international speakers – all focused on what it takes to create the results we want and need in our business and personal lives. Complete details at:  http://www.1automationwiz.com/app/?af=1118255

News alert #2: Neil will also present during a f-r*ee sales training event called The SalesTeleSummit, at month end…along with 14 other international speakers and authors. For details please go to:  http://www.profcs.com/app/?af=1121737 and scroll down to read about the presenters (as you will see, Neil is in very good company).