ComplexityBuster-Simplifying Communication

Moving my blog to Wordpress

2010-02-05T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have moved my blog to Wordpress in order to take advantage of more features that Wordpress offers. After an unsuccessful attempt at automatically redirecting you to the new blog I am simply publishing this notice. I apologize for the inconvenience and I appreciate your interest in my blog!

http://complexitybuster.wordpress.com/

Ghostwritten blogs and a lesson from the Wizard of Oz

2010-01-29T16:14:00.000-08:00

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain! Dorothy and her friends are crushed to discover the Wizard of Oz really is no wizard at all; he’s just a man who’s been hiding behind a curtain pulling levers and making noise. They thought they were talking to a real wizard and getting to discuss what mattered to them with someone whose opinion they valued—but they weren’t. Therein lies the risk in a ghost-written blog. It’s a dilemma Todd Defren draws to light in a great piece titled “In Defense of Ghostblogging: Social Media Ethical Dilemmas.”

But leaders are busy leading and they’re not writers or they’d be doing my job instead. So I’ve ghostwritten emails, newsletters articles, and more for many years. In fact, one membership invitation I wrote received so many compliments that the leader I wrote it for was grateful when the kickoff event was over. The reason: it wore him out to pretend he wrote it. The piece worked, though, because I knew the leader so well that I could write in his voice. I knew what he would want to say and how he would say it. The piece, in essence, was from him even if it wasn’t written by him. Most important of all is that he requested the topic and he personally edited and approved the final copy.

Blogs get grayer because they live somewhere in the world of “Dear Diary” and talking over the fence or water cooler. In other words, they’re a conversation specifically between the author and the readers. They work specifically because they’re not corporate-speak from corporate writers like me. If readers figure out—or come to believe—it isn’t really the listed author doing the writing then the trust is gone.

Does that mean I think you should never ghostwrite a blog? No. It’s an awfully slippery slope, though, as soon as it shifts from editing to drafting to writing. The further it moves in the other direction, the more the Wizard of Oz becomes just the man behind the curtain. Dorothy and her friends may not have been able to walk out and “hire” a new wizard, but customers and potential customers can “walk out” on a business. Once they walk out, they almost never come back. To me it’s not worth the risk...

1 jingle and 20 years of value: music matters even for small business

2010-01-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

373-7350. 373-7350. Jake’s Pizza… It’s not nearly as catchy without the music to go with it. For the moment, though, that’s not the point. The point is that I remember the phone number and the jingle for Jake’s Pizza in Albert Lea, Minnesota over 20 years ago—even though I never lived there. I did, though, go there to visit family and every time the radio was on I heard that jingle. I couldn’t tell you the phone number for any other restaurant in America, but I will know that one until the day I die.

So, what’s the point?
Music is an underutilized tactic in any marketing or branding strategy. According to a study cited by music branding expert Ruth Simmons,

"Brands with music that fit their brand identity are 96% more likely to be recalled than those with non-fit music or no music at all”
“Respondents are 24% more likely to buy a product with music that they recall, like, and understand compared with 8% where the opposite applies"

Music helps you stand out and, I’d argue, it can be a key component in helping you move from brand recognition (consumers know who you are) —to brand value—(consumers care who you are and they’ll do business as a result).

Why does it work?

As music therapy research has shown, “music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat” and “bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening.” In other words, music creates chemical and emotional reactions that can stick with you long after you’ve stopped listening.

When should it be used?

Music tends to work best in saturated industries or unfamiliar industries and where the consumer is purchasing a product rather than a long-term relationship. In either case you’re dealing with what appears to be a virtually identical product, purchased on a one-time basis, where the service or the atmosphere is the key differentiator. Automobiles, personal injury attorneys, and even fast-food are good examples.

What doesn’t work?

Music just for the sake of music, music that’s overused (e.g., ad saturation), music that overpowers the message, or music that doesn’t fit the taste of your audience.

What does work?

It’s memorable: if you can reproduce it before bed, the shower, or car, it works.
It’s short: whether it’s your “calling card” (e.g., the Intel “bum, bum, bum bum”) or your call to action (e.g., putting your name and phone number to music to encourage the dialing of your number) aim for three seconds and cap it at ten. You want even non-singers to be able to sing or hum the key part in their head.
It sets a mood that captures your brand.

Used strategically, music can be a compelling means for setting a company apart. Used poorly, it can drive business away. And the beat goes on…

A 3rd grade report card and simplifying your business

2010-01-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

“Kevin is a joy with his ability, humor, and ambition.” No, I’m not making this up. I have the report card from 3^rd grade to prove it! I took that report card home where my mother dutifully filed it in a box. She also filed away every school music program, picture, and certificate of achievement I ever received. I was left with a stack of boxes so voluminous I was convinced Jimmy Hoffa, the Davinci Code, and several ballot boxes from the 2008 Minnesota senate race were inside them as well.

Fast-forward to 2009. My cataloging and organizational skills now rival that of the head of the National Archives. At work I became the go-to person for requests of company documents, policy memos, and that one report from 1982 about some obscure topic that’s come up again. I’ve decided it’s time to turn those skills on the Library of Congress inside my house and downsize in preparation for a home sale. I’m left with four choices:

Contribute to our nation’s cultural heritage by donating everything to the Smithsonian
Hiring a crew from the TV show “Hoarders” to clean up this EPA Superfund site
Borrowing a flamethrower.
Digging in and going to work.

I am proud to say I chose Option 4 and I have emerged victorious. Among the results…

8 inches of file folder content shredded
700 computer files deleted
1 Winnebago camper decommissioned (OK, so technically it was a toy camper)
25 books donated

As for that report card? It’s now encased in glass, mounted on the wall, and lit up by two spotlights. Simplifying is important, but I’m not letting things get too out of hand!

The business lesson in all of this?

Keep half of what you think you should, keep your initiatives down to three or less at a time, and keep honing in on the one thing that you want everyone to know you do better than anybody else.

Charity challenge results

2010-01-14T15:47:00.001-08:00

This one turned out to be a non-starter. Whether you just don’t want to read these documents to begin with, you don’t want to read about them in a blog, or you had some other reason the verdict is in. Time for a little humor instead. Let me know if the next entry is more to your liking…

Take my charity challenge as I set out to make Banks and Brokers Clear and Engaging

2010-01-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

Most of what I read from banks, brokers, and insurance companies makes my eyes tired and numbs my brain. It’s time to turn the tide. Bellyaching is tempting, but I kicked the antacid habit about a year and a half ago and I’m not going back. Instead I’m going to put up or shut up so here’s my challenge:

The basic challenge
Show me the worst of the worst or simply something you just don’t “get.” I’ll rewrite it so you do and make it engaging at that. If I can’t do it—as voted on by you my website visitors—I’ll donate $25 to a charity of the submitter’s choosing. I’ll do so for up to ten submissions.

What I need from you:

The examples.
What about it confuses you or bores you and why you care enough to send it to me.
What charity you’re selecting.

What I don’t want from you:
Don’t send me anything with account numbers on it or “employees only” stamped on it. You don’t need the privacy risk and I don’t need the lawsuit.

What I promise to do:

Redesign my blog so you can see the samples and vote on them.
Tell you if I can’t or won’t use your submission and why.

Why I’m doing this:

Money makes a difference. I want you to understand it and have control of it so you’re in the best position possible to live the life you choose.
I’m committed that my work makes a difference. What I do only matters if it’s used. If you don’t get it or you’re bored by it you’re not going to read it. I’m not OK with that anymore.
I’m committed to accountability. This goes for the corporations and the consumers. When we know what we’re agreeing to we can hold each other accountable to achieving it. No excuses, no whining, no bull.
I’m committed to simplicity and workability. Life can work, it can work well, and it can be worth living every single day. That’s the world I’m committed to.
I need work samples. Most of my work prior to the layoff was proprietary. I want to show prospective employers and business owners what I can do.

Dates for this challenge:
All entries are due by Saturday, January 16, 2010. I’ll complete all ten samples chosen by Friday, January 22, 2010 at 5 p.m. Central Time.

And start saving your Help File and assembly instruction examples too. They’re my other pet peeves so I’m taking those on next. Let’s have some fun!

Morality tales in business: from AIDS to Fox and Cable System Providers

2010-01-01T12:03:00.000-08:00

So what the heck do AIDS and the current Fox/Time-Warner, et al payment disputes have in common with each other? A Shakespearian wish for a “pox to befall your both your houses?” A tempting thought, perhaps, but that’s not it. What they have in common are metaphors, morality tales determining what the facts are, how a “problem” should be resolved, and who gets to decide who wins. And it’s how business gets done more often than we probably realize.

Here’s why you might want to care:
Disputes must be resolved on the first attempt or you will lose even if you win. When customers feel powerless, confused or both they turn to morality tales, look for white knights, and you lose control. They will either:

tell their version of the story to their friends.
look to either a white knight (a competitor) to give them what they want or a white knight (laywer/regulator) to compel you to do what they want.

Result:
Money out of your pocket—either in lost revenue or time and money spent in court

So, how does AIDS tie in?
It’s a perfect example of how this process works and it’s a time-proven process I first identified over 15 years ago. Reading it may help you be aware of if/when that’s happening to you in business so you can take steps in time to stop the spiral.

When AIDS first came on the scene people were scared. Nobody really knew how it was spread or how to protect themselves. They just knew they could die from it. People filled the vacuum with guesses, pseudo-experts, and looked for someone to blame. People who had AIDS started out with the role of immoral disease carriers and, over the years, were given the new role of victims. Either way, they largely lost power over their situation and the public lost valuable time in effectively responding as virtually everyone got caught up in the blame game. More people died and millions were spent on medical care that could have gone elsewhere if effective treatments had been developed sooner.

The dispute isn’t nearly as significant in the Fox/cable-provider drama on today’s stage. The process, though, is very similar. Consumers don’t have a clear, objective view of the facts and they feel they have limited to no power in the situation. Many to most want to make someone wrong for this so they can be punished and everyone can move on. Whichever side they dislike the most is turned into the perpetrator and the other side is still covered with negative emotional residue simply because they’re part of this too so they must have done “something” to allow this to have happened in the first place. The consumer gets to be the victim and everyone loses.

So, what to do?

Paraphrase the customer’s complaint: make sure they know you understood what they said and what they want.
Give the consumer some power: This doesn’t mean a blank check. Just acknowledge they can choose who they do business with and give them some choices in resolving the matter.
Get the facts clear without bias or judgment: you might try a timeline approach and acknowledge that even if you disagree what to do about it, you want to be sure you and they are working from the same information. Just be sure to get agreement up front to work through the full timeline before you discuss what to do about what happened.
Be clear about what you need and want: unless it’s 100% your fault, it’s legitimate to share what you need and want for this to work for you too.
Leave the consumer with some kind of win. Even if they walk away completely, consider something like a thank you card for past business. Just be sure it’s sincere and they know it. Otherwise it’s salt in the wound and it’s worse than doing nothing.
“Keep it in the family." Sour-graping disputes to a broader audience only guarantees that you get a reputation for bad-mouthing others when things go bad. Vent with a trusted friend or colleague but never be the first to take a dispute public.

You’ll never resolve every dispute successfully, but in the end if you can resolve most successfully and keep the damage to a minimum on the rest you’ll be well on your way to continued growth and prosperity!

Spending time with family-taking a week off

2009-12-24T15:16:00.000-08:00

In order to spend time with family during this holiday season, I'm taking this week off from blogging. I wish you all safe travels and joyous times in this holiday season!

Shopping at Christmas: an uncle’s manifesto to the retail world

2009-12-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

Being the “World’s Greatest Uncle” to six girls is a more daunting task than I ever thought. This Santa is waiving the white flag. The situation is critical and I’m running out of time trying to shop for a 12, 11, and 8 year old that are still on the list. All I know is that retailers have me on the run and it’s time to fight back.

Any good battle plan starts with a cold, hard look at reality. Here it is: “Santa” is unemployed this year, still waiting for that Lexus with a big bow wrapped around it to magically appear in his driveway, and looking at a Christmas list from the girls where over half the items have at least three digits before the decimal. As the phrase “even Santa has a budget” pops into my head another dilemma arises.

You see, I’m shopping for girls who live four hours away, I have no idea what half these items are—can someone explain to me what that DS something with a light is?—and there’s no help in sight. I’ve used my lifeline to call “mom” and she’s not answering. I hear the voice of Regis Philbin in my head asking “Is that your final answer?” as I have until the end of the day to buy and ship in time for Christmas.

Thus I offer you my manifesto to the retail world.

Make clothing sizes consistent and clear. Holding something up and trying to judge if it will fit is like driving with a blindfold. I’ve now learned that 3T doesn’t fit a pre-teen. I’ve also learned not all designers use the same size charts, never mind that even when they do an X for one is XL for another. Don’t get me started on how girls’ and women’s clothes always cost more than boys’ and men’s.
Offer—and stock—larger sizes. Plus sizes for girls are rarely in stock and even more rarely stocked to begin with. That means turning to the women’s section. Let me tell you, translating from girls’ sizes to women’s sizes is like switching from “English” measurements to metric without a converter chart.
Learn the look of a guy in trouble, or who seems lost. Guys who are out shopping for the female on their list—no matter her age—can always use advice. More than once I’ve been saved on a shopping trip by identifying the nearest mom and asking her advice. They know what works, what doesn’t, and where to find it.
Use technology to offer more on-the-spot help. Play to men’s well-documented love of technology and the too-common “I won’t ask for help” egos. Webchat, smartphone apps, and Twitter personal shopping assistance with store map links would be a great start. They also play to the “sometime caveman” in just about every guy who just wants someone wise to tell them what to get and where to find it without bruising their ego by publicly asking for help.

Like most of life it all comes down to this: keep it simple, keep it relevant, and make it accessible. After all, the sight of a sobbing man in the girl’s clothing section is never pretty.

Using a snowstorm to build your brand

2009-12-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

One of the oddest lessons I’ve ever learned in business is the joy of adversity. Most of us spend our time trying to avoid failure, minimize mistakes, and maintain a good front. I’ve done the same many times myself. What I’ve come to realize, though, is adversity can be the best thing that ever happens to your business. I’ll use my recent experience being snowed in at a hotel to help make my point.

This past week I was staying at the Sheraton Hotel in West Des Moines, Iowa. A two-day stay there quickly turned into four as a storm marked by wind gusts of up to 50 mph dumped over 14 inches of snow on the city. My appointments for the trip dried up almost as quickly as the snow piled up on my car. As my attention turned to visions of food shortages and empty newspaper racks I noticed something: the hotel staff kept smiling and the hotel kept working.

What happened
They proactively notified every room of their plan to move to a buffet menu for the evening meal. The next morning breakfast was on the house. Staff who were already at the hotel slept there overnight to ensure service the next morning. Two staff with a Bobcat and a brush-mounted snowblower worked through most of the day and night keeping the entrances and sidewalks cleared. The newspaper rack never ran out. The front desk and restaurant staff kept smiling. One of them commented, “hey, it’s a bonding experience for us.” Another posted a sign “It’s Iowa in December. You either love it or leave it and we’re not leaving!”

What they did that made the difference
What they did was simple: they saw the joy in adversity and the opportunity to make a difference through service that mattered. To take it down a level to the more practical they did a few other things right as well:

They focused on what they could do.
They were clear about what they couldn’t do.
They communicated proactively and succinctly.
They didn’t make the situation any more than it was or any less than it was.
They went the extra mile in ways that mattered to their customers.

Lessons learned and next steps
Companies can spend millions on advertising, marketing, and public relations but the actual user experience and word of mouth are the king and queen of success. So how to move forward?

Take the opportunity to find joy in adversity in your business.
Take the time for “the experience audit” as David Avrin talks about in his book “It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who Knows You.”

Test out your business just like a real customer would. Call your own number, read and fill out your own forms, use each product you offer, do it on at least a quarterly basis, and require that every leader in your organization do it as well. You won’t always like what you learn. Do it anyway and do it consistently. When you do fail—heck, even when you don’t “fail”—focus on creating joy out of adversity. Put it all together and you’ll have your own way to build your brand through a snowstorm.

Twelpforce needs to be tweaked

2009-12-03T16:12:00.000-08:00

Best Buy’s Twelpforce service is missing two key components: usability and clarity. How quickly and effectively Best Buy closes those gaps will determine whether this prescient move pays off or fades as another great idea that didn’t quite make it. The current situation highlights the risks and rewards that come in social media initiatives and corporate partnerships.

Guiding principles for customer service and partnerships

Before I make my case for what didn’t work and what to do next, I’ll lay out the “ground rules” I’m basing my case on.

Set clear expectations with prospects and customers for what your service is and isn’t.
Offer intuitive service—or at least make it easy to use.
Make sure your partner is equal or superior to you in brand quality and resource quality and depth.
Build the bridge to where your customers want to go—as long as it’s also where you also want and are able to go.

What happened with my first experience

I had my first experience with the Twelpforce on Thanksgiving Day when seeking advice on what cellphone to choose for my father. After searches of both Best Buy’s website and Twitter I finally managed to find the Twelpforce. Being a novice Twitter user I had difficulty determining how to send them a Tweet. I wasn’t even sure anyone actually received it until 28 minutes later when I received a response. After two Tweets the Twelpforce rep told me I’d be better off going to the store for selection support.

Built-in challenges for Best Buy

The learning curve for using Twitter is surprisingly steep. Twitter’s tutorials and Help articles leave a lot to be desired.
Twitter doesn’t readily support “hold time” estimating the way a phone queue or instant message chat queue can.

Where Best Buy could improve the experience

Be clearer in the ads who and what the service is for. The TV ads imply that the non-techie can go to Twelpforce for “instant” advice that includes product selection. Tweets are time-consuming if the consumer is clueless on where to start. Refine the ads so the examples shown very clearly show what the service does—and doesn’t—offer.
Make it easier to find the Twelpforce. Even if the corporate website isn’t where you want them to go, when you’re launching something new consumers will go to what they know to find the new thing they want. Build them the bridge—even if it’s a temporary bridge.
Make it easier for the Twitter novice or newbie. When your partner isn’t up to speed it’s incumbent on you to make sure the gap is bridged. In this case Best Buy might have its own “Help Library” or links to other best-in-class resources for how to start on Twitter, how to send the Twelpforce a message, etc.
Create a way to monitor response times. Someone should be in place to set expectations when staff is inordinately busy. A non-response says we’re either uninterested or unable to pursue your business.
Teach staff how to ask concise clarifying questions. Twitter doesn’t let you provide much context, so when I started with a broad picture of what I was trying to do the service rep stopped there and sent me to the store. 30 seconds of description at my wireless carrier’s store lead to an instant response with exactly the right phone for my needs. The right clarifying question could have done the same on Twitter.

The bottom line

Great ideas are only as good as their execution. Usability for the consumer is 2nd only to the quality of the product itself in making that execution successful.

Searching for a home on the spin cycle

2009-11-25T10:51:00.000-08:00

Searching for a home can be like shopping on Black Friday or wandering through the desert. After GPS systems that got me lost, websites that made my head spin, and homes that sold before I even walked in I’ve learned a few things. These are some of my tips for the search.

Google Earth is your friend. Photos aren’t always current, but even so, entire neighborhoods typically don’t change overnight. You’ll get a good sense of how it all fits together and how close parks and retail actually are compared to “minutes away.”
Read the local newspaper online. Where are the new retail developments? What’s being revitalized? Is the city council in the news? Why? Which neighborhoods does the media focus on for crime stories?
Spend a weekday and a Sunday driving around. Weekdays let you get lost, turn around and stare at your dream home without having neighbors dial 9-1-1. Sundays are when most people are home so you can see who your neighbors would actually be.
See what’s in the driveways. Changing cars is easier than changing homes. If you want to know where people are at and what they aspire to, watch what they drive.
Talk to a barber or coffee shop owner. Barbers are confidants. They’ll know what people really think about their city, what they’re concerned about, what they’re interested in, and what they’d change.
Watch a show like House Hunters. I’ve learned more than I expected on how—and how not—to evaluate a home.
Use web sites judiciously! Use real estate web sites to get the lay of the land and to narrow down your search. If you can’t remember whether you looked at a house or not, it’s time to stop! (I know from experience!) Happy house-hunting!

Deciding where to relocate and deciding on Des Moines, Iowa

2009-11-17T15:37:00.000-08:00

I could have chosen to move anywhere after I was laid off. I'm choosing Des Moines. So, why might you care how I decided what I did? Because who moves in and who moves out shape the tax base, job opportunities, and livability of where you are now. My intention with this entry is two-fold:

To give you something to think about that you can use to make a difference in your own community.
To make the case for the Des Moines metro.

I’d love to hear from you why you chose to live where you did. Here’s my story…

Why I chose Des Moines:
I should start with one caveat: whether it’s the city of Des Moines or one of its suburbs has not yet been decided.

1. Proximity to family. It’s the type of trump card that overrules virtually all other factors, but a key factor to consider for cities and states that are losing population and looking to reverse that trend. Help people to rethink their childhood stomping grounds and you’d be amazed and who—and how many—might come back. Proximity to family got me to take my first look, but the remaining reasons are what sold me on the deal.

2. A strong core industry with a large, white collar community. Des Moines is one of the world’s insurance capitals. It’s also the home to a surprising number of social media companies, financial services companies, agribusiness, and more. Several companies like Kemin Industries, Pioneer Hi-Bred, and Principal Financial Group have international operations. I want to live in a highly educated community, as well as one that reaches beyond its borders.

3. Friendliness and groundedness. This applies to all of Iowa, really, but it certainly was a key draw for Des Moines. I’ve found people there are friendly and they mean it. They’re also grounded so that they have a clear sense of who they are and what matters to them. They’ve struck me as humble enough to know what they aren’t and sufficiently prideful and ambitious to compete with just about anyone.

4. Affordability and accessibility. Boston, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle were all on the short list. I began to question how much some of the amenities mattered if I had to either live somewhere dramatically smaller or farther out than I wanted. Either way, if you can’t afford to do it, there’s a limit to how much you benefit from having it nearby.

5. A scenic and growing downtown. Whether I ultimately live in the core city or not I’m committed to their health. A scenic downtown is critical to a growing downtown. The Principal Riverwalk in Des Moines’ may not compare to San Antonio but it’s still beautiful. The new Pappajohn Sculpture Park is arguably world class.

6. Pride and energy. 10 years ago people in Des Moines looked at me like I was insane when I said I might relocate there. Now, there’s an amazing sense of pride and energy. I keep discovering new cultural arts amenities, there’s an awesome social media community, the Iowa Cubs a Triple-A baseball team and the 17,000 seat Wells Fargo arena (opened in 2005) that gets national acts far sooner than you’d ever imagine.

What would make a difference in Des Moines

Downtown retail to go with the great downtown restaurants.
More theaters and museums. I’m spoiled by a metro with the 2nd higher per capita number of theaters in the US, so the game plan is quality over quantity.
More access to water. Des Moines has great places like the Principal River Walk, Saylorville Lake, and Grey’s Lake. A magic wand would provide more artificial lakes in future developments and more affordable, accessible ways to access the water spots Des Moines does offer.
More green space. Iowa is among the lowest in the nation in the amount of public land. Great parks nurture serenity.
A larger university presence. Iowa State is only 30 miles away but it’s just not the same as having it in the city. Check out Madison, Wisconsin and see the difference. Grow Drake University and Grandview University by 50% each as a start. Use the land between Ames and Des Moines to spawn new communities and research facilities akin to the Research Triangle in North Carolina.
Greater city-suburban cooperation. The Greater Des Moines Partnership is doing a marvelous job of this. The more Des Moines vs. West Des Moines vs. Johnston vs. Waukee the less the region succeeds. Create a slice of the pie for each region of the metro and market the region as a whole.

Criteria for a great city

2009-11-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

It’s ironic that the Public Relations Princess just wrote a blog entry on What Des Moines Iowa Needs. I’ve been thinking for some time about what makes a great city—especially since I made the decision to relocate out of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Claire’s column is prompting me to share my own thoughts on what makes a great city. My next entry will focus on why I chose Des Moines as my next home and how I think it measures up.

1. Distinctive identity. Every great or growing city in the world has a unique character. Even “upstart” cities like Austin and Nashville carve out an element that makes them noticeably different from anywhere else. All great and growing cities welcome everyone but they don’t try to be everything to everyone.

2. Architecture or other scenic beauty. People are attracted to icons and the outdoors. They inspire us, relax us, and help define us. Check out Paul Goldberger's book Why Architecture Matters for more thoughts on this element.

3. Parks, trails and wide sidewalks. Animals of every kind need room to roam. Even if you don’t know all your neighbors, at least seeing them helps you feel like you belong and creates a sense of energy. Sidewalks get people strolling through their neighborhoods and that gets people feeling connected and secure. Sidewalks that aren’t wide enough for two are sidewalks that are difficult to navigate. That brings fewer able-bodied people out and keeps the less physically able stuck in their home or apartment.

4. Strong, distinct neighborhoods. Cities can swallow people up. Suburbs can devolve into character-free rows of tract homes. Strong, distinct neighborhoods create the sense of community, identity, and safety that make a place livable and enjoyable.

5. Convenient public transportation including rail. Busses should run at least 18 hours a day on core routes to move the people who can’t or don’t want to drive but actually make the city work. They also have some type of rail system that helps manage freeway congestion and help draw into the core city the middle and upper economic rungs of people who perceive busses as unsafe or too time-consuming. Sunset cities—those that “roll up the sidewalks” when the sun goes down—soon die.

6. Livability retail in the core city. When you have a critical mass of people living in the core city your whole metro thrives. To live in the core you need places to buy and do the things you need to live day-to-day. This means you need a Target or Wal-Mart style store, a pharmacy, a hardware store, and places to get breakfast and dinner seven days a week. Croissants at Starbucks don’t count as a breakfast restaurant.

7. Arts and Culture. One of the great strengths of my current home is an amazing arts and culture scene. Even if you’re not an arts and culture person these venues attract the Creative Class that makes a community vibrant.

8. Sports—preferably professional. Love sports or hate them they bring visibility on the national stage and they help create a common identity. That visibility and identity get you on the emotional map that puts you on the short list for bean counters to consider when (re)locating their businesses. A set of professional sports or a strong Division I sports presence does that.

9. A stable, growing core industry. Cities that rely on one industry (e.g., Detroit or the old versions of Pittsburgh or Seattle) spell trouble. A core industry that’s better than anyone else’s is critical, and then wrap it in either a diversified economy or a recession-proof economy (e.g., the Madison, Wisconsin model of a major research university and the home of state government).

10. Perceived good schools. However you define “good schools” is irrelevant. As long as both prospective and current residents and businesses perceive a good school system you’re fine. The truism of today’s youth are tomorrow’s leaders and the perceived quality of the school speaks directly to whether you see an area as growing, surviving or dying. If people think your school system is poor or average all the statistics in the world to the contrary won’t matter.

11. Safe nightlife and sporting events. Even “rough” cities like New York keep the middle and upper classes safe in the major nightlife areas and at sporting events. Do people in the lower economic classes matter? Absolutely—and more than they’re given credit for. The reality, though, is the middle and upper economic classes who drive job creation will not live or work where they don’t feel completely safe. It’s another reason businesses and the people who drive the economy keep moving further and further out from the core city.

12. Unique restaurants and retail. We all love to eat and almost all of us love to shop for at least something--whether it's handbags or hunting supplies. If your retail is the same as my retail why would I bother to live or shop there as opposed to wherever I already live.

13. Pride and honesty. New York is my quintessential model. They will grip and scream like there’s no tomorrow about what a horrible city New York is. Then they’ll shred you like a mother bear defending her cub if you attack it. They know what New York is and isn’t and they don’t apologize for it.

14. A research university. Research universities bring young adults who bring energy and creativity. They also spawn business innovation and leaders. Here’s the other key: the university needs to be IN the city to matter. Within 30 miles can still make a difference for business growth, but the real impact to growth and character comes when the university is part of the core city.

15. A strong core city. The apple core metaphor is apt. When the core city/cities and the suburbs fight each other or try to ignore each other they’ll never reach full potential. This is not a criticism of the suburbs and why they so often want to stay distinct. In a global economy division damages us all.

16. Water. With a few exceptions most vibrant cities have a large river or lake in their midst. Again, the key is that they are IN the city. Ideally they should support pleasure craft as a way to bring people together. If not, they need to be large enough to support barge traffic or cruise ships so they add to the economy.

17. Relocation support. I’m amazed by how many cities I look at who make it SO hard for you to find out what the city is like to live in, what it costs to live there, or how to find the support services you need to choose where to live in the city and actually make the move. If someone has to work at it they probably aren’t going to do it—unless the relocation is compelled by the relocation of their job.

18. Philanthropy. Philanthropy is a great barometer for how invested a community is in itself and how much it believes a better future lies ahead. People who aren’t invested in their community are people who either leave or become a tax burden on their community.

19. Affordable, varied housing stock. For core cities to keep and attract the working class that make a city work and the families that keep a city stable and safe you need affordable and varied housing. The overlooked factor here is the three bedroom, two-bath or larger, two car garage home that most families want these days.

Related links:
Creative Class map:

City Personality Map:

The power of a name in drawing client interest

2009-11-05T15:02:00.000-08:00

Have you ever gotten business from an overheard conversation? That actually happened to me recently. I’m sharing my story to show the power of a clear brand message, networking, and timing.

I was at Zanzibar’s coffee shop in Des Moines, Iowa (awesome smoothies, btw!). The woman I was with mentioned to me how much she enjoyed her recent trip to Minneapolis and thanked me for my recommendations about what to do in my current place of residence. The fellow at the table next to us said he was going to Minneapolis in a couple of weeks and asked where she had stayed. I gave him my card and offered to be his personal visitor’s bureau for the upcoming trip. Here’s where it gets interesting…

He looked at my tag line “Complexity Buster,” turned to me and said: “that’s exactly what I need!” His challenge: he was a former head of Research and Development who was struggling with how to clearly and concisely market his new business at trade shows. He asked me on the spot if he could hire me to help him write and edit a new brochure and support materials.

Good branding, marketing and public relations strategies can make a big difference for any business. None of them, however, will make any long-term difference if you can’t clearly and concisely articulate what you offer and why that matters to prospective clients or customers. If you can say it in a sentence—or less—you’re probably on to something. If you can’t, it’s time to step back. Simply put, simplicity sells.

And that’s the story behind the strangest way I ever got hired.

Goldman Sachs and responding to a public backlash

2009-10-29T13:41:00.000-07:00

The Public Relations Princess recently wrote about “What Goldman Sachs Can Learn from Bill Gates and the World Food Prize.” I love her suggestion and I also have a different perspective to offer. First, though, should they even respond?

Factors to consider
1) Is the criticism valid?
2) Do you need to respond?
3) Can you win or work things out?

If the answers to questions two and three are yes, (e.g., damaging regulations be imposed or you could lose a critical volume of business) you need to respond. If not, generally it’s time to move on. Assuming that leadership is committed to the type of response and the resources needed to respond, here is what I recommend for guiding principles:

Guiding principles
•Validate the criticizer. 1) Acknowledge their right to interpret the facts as they see fit and acknowledge the validity of their response if one accepts their interpretation.
•Reframe the issue. If it’s valid, reframe the issue the way you think it should be debated.
•Oversize any positive response. Go a step beyond what’s expected up to the point that it looks like a cover-up or and admission of guilt.
•Acknowledge your mistakes.
•Have the courage to be honest.

Putting the principles into practice: how Goldman might respond
Question one is the key is the key here. If they answer that yes, the only thing to do is reform compensation in an outsized way that makes them a leader in the industry. If their answer is no, then here’s how I would respond:
•Acknowledge that your compensation is “outsized” compared to most Americans’ compensation.
•Make the case for needing “outsized” compensation to compete for outsized talent. Do so succinctly and in a way the average person can understand.
•Address the emotions behind the criticism: give a significant amount-and significant people resources--on an ongoing basis in an area that supports the financial well-being of the average American. They may not be Goldman’s core market, but they are regulators’ core market. At the same time acknowledge this doesn’t address the crux of the criticism but reframe the issue by saying you believe it addresses one of the legitimate underlying problems.

The bottom line
At the end of the day whatever your audience decides is true is what’s true—but being honest and being clear in your commitment will go a long way in resolving any issue effectively.

Handling failure in business

2009-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

One of the first rules of business is to be consistent. This column will speak to my failure to publish consistently. The intention is to demonstrate the model I live by in handling failure.

If you are the one who failed
Intentions are important. Results are what matter. The impact on the other party is the same where you have a “good” explanation or not.

Where to start
1) Acknowledge the failure as soon as you know about it-especially if you see it coming and it can’t be stopped.
2) Be honest and powerful. Victimhood only makes it worse. Acknowledgeyou’re your failure affected them—and be sure that’s how they see it too. Be honest with yourself as well. If you can’t or won’t do whatever it is then say so.
3) Offer a course of action and ask what they want. Don’t try to “make up for it” and don’t “give away the farm.”
4) Give them the opportunity to clear the air. Give them a set amount of time to say whatever they need to say to put this in the past.

So what’s my story?
1) A family situation out of state had a big impact on me for an extended time. Getting a house ready for sale added to the challenge.
2) I failed to provide a timely explanation and that impacts trust. Out of character for me? Yes. Unacceptable? Yes.
3) My commitment is to write a weekly entry going forward and to tell you in advance if/when I won’t. Next entry: financial services branding in the age of TARP.
4) Any feedback for me? I’d be honored to receive it.

Pictures are all that matter

2009-09-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

The written word is irrelevant. The picture is all that matters. Is this a bit of an overstatement? Yes, but I contend it’s not nearly as much so as you might think.
To sell someone on an idea and have them take action, two pictures are critical:
1) the literal picture taken with a camera
2) the mental picture that captures the benefit of your product, service or idea

In the world of event marketing, I believe pictures are essential. You have literally a second to grab the ad viewer’s attention and perhaps three more to make the sale. Dense ad copy won’t cut it. Your ad will be ignored by all but your diehard fans if you have no picture. If you do have a picture, it should be compelling and tell the key story all by itself to make the sale.

Jumping over to social networking sites, consider this statistic from Harvard Business School researcher Mikolaj Jan Piskorski in Understanding Users of Social Networks: “Seventy percent of all actions [on social networking sites] are related to viewing pictures or viewing other people’s profiles.” For websites in general, research has shown that people make their initial assessment in less than half a second. All subsequent judgments on relevance, credibility and usability are based off of that initial assessment. In either case, I believe the essential point is the same: people want a mental snapshot that conveys both emotion and substances in three seconds or less.

So what exactly do I mean by a mental picture? It’s that image people create—usually subconsciously—that captures the main characters, the mood, and the main action or outcome of any event in their lives. You might think of it as the movie poster. Try asking your sales team, project member or customer sometime if they were to create a movie poster describing product/project “x” who would be on it and what it would look like. If they can’t create a vivid scene, you haven’t made the sale. If you can’t do the same at the outset, I contend you shouldn’t move ahead with your marketing.

The bottom line is this: we’re now in an age where “purchases”—whether literal or figurative—are visually driven. Creating pictures is an underutilized opportunity that I believe is absolutely critical to success.

A comma can cost a million dollars

2009-09-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Readers can afford to breeze through your content. Can you afford to do the same? The obvious answer is “no,” but even the best writer or marketer does it sooner or later. So, what’s the real line in the sand?

Guiding principle: any time you make an explicit promise it pays to use an expert writer and have it reviewed by qualified legal counsel.

A case in point: A 2006 contract dispute between Canadian cable company Rogers Communications and telephone company Bell Aliant hinged on how the placement of a comma was interpreted. Read one way it meant a contract could be ended with one year’s notice. Read the other way it meant the contract could be ended with five year’s notice. At stake: approximately $2 million.

Here’s the actual contract language in question:
"This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party."

How it turned out
On appeal the court ruled that Bell Aliant could not terminate the contract early. Bell Aliant would have saved $2 million if they had been able to terminate early. Regardless of who won the case everyone involved lost. They lost in time, legal fees, and good will. Can you afford to do any of the same with your clients or prospects?

Sources
The New York Times

Slaw—a cooperative Canadian weblog on all things legal

YourDictionary.com

Consumer Email Frequency and Multiple Subscriptions

2009-08-27T12:20:00.000-07:00

Managing email frequency with consumers is relatively easy if it's just one product or one publication they're subscribing to. But what happens when they go to multiple subscriptions? And how much is too much? My thoughts are below. The caveat? These are opinions based on professional experience; they are not statistically validated or formally researched conclusions.

Kevin's Cardinal Rule:
Only communicate when you can make a tangible difference for the consumer--and never more than once a week. The exception?

Responding to a consumer-initiated contact

For any other circumstances (e.g., a communication by industry or government regulations) consider skipping the regularly scheduled communication.

Managing multiple subscriptions
Always have a master editorial calendar to coordinate topics and timing across publications. Once a week should still be the maximum across all publications. If this isn't possible for some reason (e.g., a large organization where you don't control all publications) do everything you can to at least advocate for a proactive opt-in approach to the affected consumers.

Impact on the brand if you cross the line

Case #1: I recently subscribed to four different newsletters from one of the most respected names in the consulting industry. Between the newsletters, upgrade offers and partner offers I was contacted at least every other day. Attempts to unsubscribe took days to take affect and I still receive communications more than once a week. While my logical self understands the consultancy's challenges the emotional self doesn't care. Quite simply, their reputation will never be the same with me. Fair? Perhaps not, but consumers get to be right either way and once they walk they rarely come back.

Case #2: I recently signed an online petition for a cause I'm committed to and agreed to be on the organization's mailing list. Between regularly scheduled communications and action alerts there were sometimes multiple contacts per day. After I unclicked all my subscriptions and hit "OK" I received a pop-up. It asked if I would consider staying subscribed for only "essential" alerts with a promise never to communicate more than once a week no matter what. I was thrilled with the option and surprised by their savvy. They saved their reputation and retained my support.

The bottom line: Put the consumer in control. Ask them, listen to them and don't assume no news is good news. If they aren't telling you they love what you're doing you're underperforming.