Three Ways to Improve Communication

Recently, I’ve focused articles on processes for improving your sales funnel conversion, defining your brand, and beating your competition. All of these areas focus on enhancing your business. None of these topics would be successful without clearly defining your needs (or problems) at your company.  So how can you rapidly identify areas for improvement? It may be as simple as going back to school. 

A client recently hired me to teach some members in Beijing, and Wednesday night’s discussion rapidly got “off topic.”  The materials being reviewed were so far removed from their sphere of operation that it made me appreciate several aspects of routine business.

1. Your words (spoken or written) frame perspective.  
2. Trendy language relays (and replays) a moment in time.
3. Without context, content (as well as message) becomes irrelevant.

Perspective

Some of the learning materials had intentional typographical errors, with the intention to convey a different social class or points of diversity, with the ultimate goal of discovering how to partner better regardless of education level, economic status, cultural impressions or work experience. Instead, the struggle became improving on a perceived team-members faults that would bring disharmony to the team and reality of how others saw or would see their team.

To resolve the laser-focus attention to the ways their Kaizen or Six Sigma processes could improve the “product” they were reviewing, I needed to reverse direction, establish historical context that was extraordinarily (but not surprisingly) absent, and then could help them identify as well as appreciate the framework as the tool; it wasn’t the project itself, but the way to get them engaged. 

Result - The pause in the process was well-worth the extra time as the group was able to better focus.

Time

In our session yesterday, it was readily apparent that the domestic approach to business was not as easily translatable as the hiring client had expected.  Rather than continuing on the fixed path, flexibility required explaining in their terms today what happened in some examples decades ago in order for them to appreciate the scenarios presented. The discussion would not have been as robust or self-illuminating, but now they applied the new information (originally not seen as relevant) to their own situation and rapidly moved ahead of the intended agenda.

Last month in an article, I referenced how industry jargon can only work if directly affected large game-changing practices—it was a direct action using correlation to time.  If your client base is not “up to speed” on the latest technology or the process improvement techniques, for example, all of your accolades are meaningless as there is no comprehension of your impact to their problems.

Result - Tying expectation to reality improves a self-guided team’s organizational performance.

Context 

To provide materials prior to the session for training was thought to be an efficiency to increase learning for the client’s needs (and frankly, to reduce costs).  However, with essentially blind delivery of their pre-selected materials for discussion, it created “avenues for creativity,” meaning each person in the group identified a unique message that applied to his or her own situation—truly fabulous, except when none of their ideas were in line with the mission of the training.

There are times when employers wish they could embolden staff and stimulate creativity, yet invariably there are situations that “prompt” it when least expected.  When we share ideas or develop an expectation for team members, it shows fallacy on the part of the manager when frameworks or “why” something is needed is not explained.  People are much more willing to help solve problems when they understand the rationale behind the request.

Result - By providing clear process, creativity can be harnessed for improved business outcomes.

Communication success depends on its thoughtfulness and inclusiveness; context and timeframe influence perspectives through all areas of business (as well as government).  It’s not only a smart global business framework, but one that can be used to improve all levels of an organization. 

Confusion reduced allows for productivity increased.

Be certain that you are reaching your intended audience appropriately by thinking more about others and less about yourself.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen

Strategic Differences Between Branding and Marketing Are Important (It Brings You More Money)

You want to do all the things that the “new year articles” encourage for businesses - new advertising, improving messages to increase sales, open business through more channels, viral advertising…

But too many people get caught in hype without understanding the importance of the alphabet.  Yes, remembering to do things in alphabetical order will improve your return on investment.  You can’t sell without marketing, but you can’t market until you define the brand.

What is branding?

It’s much more than a catch-phrase, and often times successful sales staff think their pitches are branding — they’re not really, but those pitches are based in what the strategic branding teams have tested for the marketplace and how great companies break through the noise in culture.

Branding is like the smell of freshly baking cookies when you walk into a home. It’s what lures someone to come closer in an attractive way (not as in the wicked witch with a poisoned apple technique).  It reveals the essence of what you want people to experience with the five senses.  

When you consider the things necessary for a great response to your product and company, it’s generated through branding — the strategic step communicating identity and solution-offerings.  This is the process by which the lifestyle associated with your product is articulated, the attributes of your offering is delineated with pinpoint accuracy, the crowd will be charged with excitement over your solutions. 

Like last week’s article relayed, you need to shift your approach.  Understand that B - branding - comes before M - marketing, or you will miss clarifying your image and offerings to customers.  When you’re ready for that stage, that’s marketing.

So how is marketing different than branding?

Many people get these areas of expertise confused.  If you have in the past, too, then you are in the majority.  But who wants to be lumped with the crowd (especially when the crowd is wrong)?  Here’s your chance to be better.

Marketing identifies the “who” behind your “what” in the world.  The marketing experts look at The Four Ps - product, price, position, promotion - and the Five Forces the influence the success - power of the customer, bargaining power of suppliers, new product rivals, substitutes and industry rivalry - in order to create clear concise purchase messages for the market. 

Sales teams then can use these messages because there is a lot of science in the art of marketing to generate sales. You can’t just “whip something up” in the kitchen or throw something into the marketplace expecting to be successful.  It takes time and experience to know how to make the upper-level themes useful for the gut-driven and data-crunching sales teams — this is how everyone working together makes money for the company.

What do I need to do for my company first?

Thoughtful assessment and consideration, similar to “Game Theory” in economics, are required with both branding and marketing to get the most for your dollars as a customer and as a company.  And true, while Peter Drucker identified that innovation and marketing are the only things that make money, the cost associated with branding is returned many fold when completed by those who are trained to let you be both seen and heard in the best light.

You may have to contain your excitement for getting out there and selling your concept right away or getting boots on the street to sell your new entrepreneurial idea, but having the strongest return on investment is what counts. 

The after-steps of great marketing are the launch of the sales campaign in a variety of channels using carefully crafted messaging.  Just apply patience to follow the alphabet - Branding, then Marketing… 

Next, you’ll have to consider if you want to satisfy or “be satisficing” - that will be next week as we cover another aspect of the sales funnel for services and product success.

Heather M. Hilliard is Principal and Chief Strategist for R. Roan Enterprises, LLC, a professional services consulting firm supporting businesses in pointed areas of expertise as well as with individuals for targeted projects or career development. For more articles like these, visit her posts on LinkedIn or on G+. 

#seizetheday, #makeithappen