The Dash Of Life

Last night the voters spoke and re-elected President Obama, and regardless of how you feel about the outcome there are some very important marketing lessons that any and all local businesses can learn from the Obama campaign. The Presidents team was up against a competitor that was extremely qualified and better funded. So how did they did win? They won with superior marketing!
1. They clearly identified their “ideal prospects” (middle class women) this allowed the Obama campaign to lock in on their prospects with a laser like focus. The words middle class and women’s rights where used over and over again in the debates, the ads, the interviews etc.
2. The Obama campaign created a Unique Selling Position that converted all the things that made them different into a message that was easy for their ideal prospects to remember and to embrace (Forward). By creating the meme (Forward) it implies that any idea or strategy that your competitors come up with is (Backwards). This creates Apples to Acorns comparison in the minds of their ideal prospects Apples and Acorns are both foods that grow on trees but that is where the comparison stops.
3. Governor Romney and his Super PAC supporters spent close to 100 million dollars more than the Obama campaigns and its Super PAC supporters, however the Presidents media buys where a lot more targeted. They put their money in places that they knew their ideal prospects frequented. They bought specific programs on local broadcast TV stations in swing states and then used social media and digital marketing to re-target their ideal prospects. The Romney side took more of a “machine gun” approach with their media placement.

Check out my video blog about Onesole Founder Dominique Barteet

One year from today I will be in Florida with my family preparing to bring in the new year at Disney World! As my family and I leave our Gulf View Suite at the Tradewinds Island Grand Resort in St. Pete Beach and travel on I4 towards Disney, I begin to reflect on what an amazing year 2011 was! In the 1st qtr. of 2011 I released my 1st audio cd training program “The R.E.A.L Entrepreneurs Guide to Explosive Revenue Growth”. The program was promoted successfully via the internet and with several lucrative joint ventures. In 2nd qtr. 2011 I released a second audio cd training program “Funny Motivated Selling How To Laugh Your Way to the Bank with out Tricks, Manipulation, or B.S. By 3rd qtr.2011 I had delivered the Funny Motivated employe engagement workshops to some of the most influential companies and organizations around. In 4th qtr. 2011 I released my 1st book titled “Get R.E.A.L how grow any business fast”.
Heres where you come in my friend! I need you help me be accountable to my vision. That means that each time I see you, each phone call, every lunch we share etc. instead of asking me the usual non-descriptive pleasantries. I would like you to ask me specifically about the status of the projects that I listed above. So feel free to bug, persuade,annoy, whatever, in a way that only you can. I am also sending you my dream 10 list! This is a list of organizations that I would l love to do business with this year. If you have any contacts or advise that could help me. I would truly appreciate the information!

NCAA
Disney
Indiana Black Expo
May’s Chemical
Emmis
Indianapolis Colts
Pacers Sports and Entertainment
Eli Lilly
Roche
National Association of Broadcasters
Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors

So there it is, thats what I will be doing exactly one year from today! Please feel free to send me what you are planning on doing exactly one year from today! Have an unbelievable 2011!

Two of my daughters had been playing hide and seek for around 20 minutes when I heard the “hider” franticly calling out the “seekers” name to no avail. So I asked the “seeker” if she was still playing hide and seek with her sister, and she told me “no”. I then asked the “seeker” if her sister knew that she wasn’t playing anymore and she told me “no, I am trying to keep it a secret”! After laughing until my face hurt, I started to wonder how many adults are like my five year old “seeker” daughter? They are no longer playing the game, but they are trying hard to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. However their game isn’t hide and seek it’s their job, or relationships or life in general. Life is way to short not to be actively and passionately in the game!

For decades American business schools, as well as management trainers have instructed leaders to “take the emotion out of business.” They consistently use the phrase “it’s not personal, its business.” This puts pressure on some managers to try and put their humanity aside while making decisions, and others simply hide behind the “it’s not personal, it’s business” mantra after they make an unpopular decision. A business is created by, financed by, and ran by humans. The decision making process of human beings involves emotions; therefore every business decision is at some level a personal decision. The very core of business is made up of relationships, between a company and its employees, its vendors, its investors, and its customers. So why try so hard to remove human emotions away from those relationships. Why not use to power of those emotions to enhance those relationships. Why not take a little time to find out what the other party is expecting to gain from the relationship and then try and beat those expectations. If a company beats the expectations of its employees, those employees will be inspired to beat the expectations of the company’s customers; those costumers will tell others about their experience which will create more revenue for the company. Matthew Kelly’s writes in his book The Dream Manager “An organization changes when the habits of the people in the organization change.” A manager can manage processes and systems in a very unemotionally non personal way; however people must be lead and business might not be personal but leadership is!

One of my favorite poems is titled Sermons We See, by Edgar A. Guest. The poem reminds us that when you are in any type of leadership position, parent, manager, consultant, politician, teacher, or coach. The things you say speak volumes to all those who follow you; however your words will always be drowned out by your actions. One of the most positive examples of this is Tony Dungy!
When Tony Dungy was passed over several times for a head coaching position in the NFL he remained calm, he stayed focused on the things he could control and he held fast to the belief that things would be better. When he was fired from Tampa Bay because he “couldn’t win the big one” despite taking that franchise from the laughing stock of the league to a perennial playoff team, he remained calm, stayed focused on the things that he could control, and held fast to his faith that things would get better. When he went into the Colts locker down by 21 points at the half to the very team that fired him, he remained calm, stayed focused on the things he could control, and held to the faith that things would get better. The death of Dungy’s oldest son was a tragedy that would destroy many people and divide even the strongest of families, yet he remained calm, stayed focused on the things he could control, and held to his faith that things would get better. When Coach Dungy finally reached the Super Bowl only to have the Chicago Bears run the opening kick off back for a touchdown, Dungy remained calm stayed focused on the things he could control, and held on to his faith that things would get better.
As we continue to lead our families, communities, and businesses in these unbelievable economic times, let’s all remain calm, focus on the things that we can control, and have faith. Things will get better!
PJ

Sermons We See
by Edgar A. Guest

I’d rather see a sermon
than hear one any day;
I’d rather one should walk with me
than merely tell the way.
The eye’s a better pupil
and more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
but example’s always clear;
And the best of all preachers
are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it
if you’ll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
but your tongue too fast may run.
And the lecture you deliver
may be very wise and true,
But I’d rather get my lessons
by observing what you do;
For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there’s no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.”

I came into this world in 1971; I have no idea when I am going to leave it, (not for a very long time I hope). The date of my birth and the date of death will not define me however; my life will be defined by the dash between those dates. That dash is a very powerful thing; it’s on your tombstone, your marriage license and your résumé. I will attempt to fill this virtual “dash of life” with the same things that I have tried to fill my personal dash with. Things like hope, faith, humor, inspiration and love!