You’re guilty.

Sorry.

If you advertise today, you’re guilty until proven innocent.

Every knuckle-dragging, chain-smoking, hard-haired car dealer who ever held their once-in-a-lifetime-semi-annual sale every month?

Every furniture store that goes out of business once a year?

Every jewelry store that hires people to smoke and sit in chairs-in-bags by the road by the mall and hold signs promoting their liquidation sales?

Yeah – they’re the reason we don’t easily trust your company or your advertising.

They’re the marketing equivalent of your mother saying “and you wonder why we can’t have nice things.”

They screwed it up for the rest of us. And they’re everywhere.

So, with 5000 messages whacking you upside the head every day … and with an already skeptical – even suspicious – audience, how can you hope to break through and connect with your message?

Make your offer credible.

Really credible.

My partner and great copywriter, Ryan Patrick, and I wrote this ad I mentioned yesterday that’s working like crazy:

I get it. Makes perfect sense. So let me guarantee it all summer long.

This is Francis Pass – Pass One Hour Heating & Air – you may already know we’re always on time, or you don’t pay a dime, and that we’re offering our magnificent all points summer tune up and efficiency boost for just 89 dollars instead of the regular 115.

A couple folks have feared we’d race through our work to get on to the next job.

Let me assure you – we … do not race … guaranteed.

Let Pass One Hour tune up your system this spring for just 89 bucks. If it breaks down this summer – we will fix it for free. Yep. Boost your system’s efficiency. Get everything tested, tightened, lubricated, calibrated and combobulated.

And if it breaks down this summer. We’ll fix it for free. Day or night. You have my word – which, really, is all any of us has, don’t you think?

If we’re late, it’s free.

(Okay, so you’re probably going to rush through the job, aren’t ya?)

If it breaks, we fix it for free.

(Dang. That’s rad.)

Yep. Rad.

Now, before you run all nilly and willy and copy this ad for your business, know two things:

1) We own it. You don’t. That’s theft, yo.

2) Even if you do steal it, it may not work at all for you.

Why not?

We’ll talk about that tomorrow, along with a few other bits of housekeeping.

I’ll be in St. Louis Wednesday with Ray Seggern and several of my business partners teaching small business owners how to connect more powerfully with consumers.

I imagine we’re going to talk a lot about credibility.

Heck, one of my partners, Tom Wanek, literally wrote the book on the subject.

The phone call I got Tuesday from a heating & air conditioning client got me thinking about credibility on two levels.

We started a new ad for this client on May 7. It’s working like crazy.

Bugnuts batpoop Mad Hatter crazy.

While advertising isn’t an exact science, my eighteen years in the business lead me to two reasons for its success:

1. Credibility.
2. Credibility.

Yep. Both reasons have to do with credibility – one has to do with the credibility of the offer. The other has to do with the credibility of the company.

If both sides – short-term offer and long-term reputation – are sound, it sets a concrete-solid foundation for an arch of success to grow in the middle.

My partners and I are going to teach a bunch of lucky business owners about our principles today.

I’m excited to share them here with you as well.

I think. 

It’s a pretty scary ride to the top of the arch. I’m not sure you can handle it. I couldn’t the first few times I tried.

But, if you’re feeling brave, I’ll share the ad and its secrets on Thursday. I’ll update you on some other stuff on Friday.

In the meantime, order Tom’s book, and if you’re in the St. Louis area, stop by Wednesday at noon and join us.

The view’s terrific from up here.

Photo courtesy of Ray Seggern.

Tim is recovering from the OFFICE DISASTER* and so I am filling in for him.

I am an older, less engaging substitute, but I’m comfortable with that.

I work for a micro-urban school district of 9400 students and 1500 staff members give or take. We had an incident on Friday in which it appears a student brought something they shouldn’t have to school. We take student safety seriously and so the incident caused some major upheaval and inconvenience in Friday’s schedule for many students. In the end, the situation was resolved peacefully and no students were in danger, but a few lessons were definitely reinforced.

What does this have to do with marketing, customer service or other daily blurisms, you might ask?

We learned some things in the process.

• You cannot control the behavior of every single person. Sometimes people make bad choices. You will find this to be true in your family, your business, your church, any group large or small that you choose to be associated with. Think the best of folks, sure, but don’t let the bad stuff catch you off guard.

• You have to prepare for the worst case scenario. You have to think it through and practice it. It’s not simply enough to think you know what you will do when disaster strikes, but you need to have a written and practiced plan in place so that everyone knows what their role is in the situation. You can apply this to natural disaster, financial disaster, fashion disaster, you name it. Anyone who has a small child and has traveled even to the corner without benefit of the diaper bag knows this to be true. The scale may vary, but the value of preparation does not.

• You need good partners when disaster strikes. Our community police department was spot-on in their handling of this particular situation and as a result it was resolved safely and in a timely manner. Who are you partnering with to ensure the best outcome? Your bank, your suppliers, your ad reps should all be just what you need, or you need to look at making some changes. Those partners should make your job better, easier, brighter.

• You need good people in place within your organization. The staff members at our school were exemplary throughout the afternoon. They managed with skill what could have been a chaotic situation. If you have good people on the job, you may go weeks without acknowledging that. But if one makes a mistake (see #1), you jump on the correction bandwagon immediately. Take time to tell your employees and team members what they are doing well. And when it comes time to make hiring decisions, don’t settle. Hire the best, invest in their professional development and shout to the rooftops to anyone who will listen that your business or organization has the most exceptional employees. By the way, the best people usually do not come at bargain prices, but in the end they are worth every penny.

• Once your crisis has passed, tell the truth about what this means for your organization. We will not make promises that we cannot keep (see #1), but we can promise that we will do our very best (see #2, 3, 4). The stakes for your business, your family and certainly our school district are much too high to do otherwise.

Enjoy your day,
Lynn Miles Peisker

*The 4000 cables it takes to make Tim’s business run were disconnected during a major (but sure be a functional improvement and will look like something straight out of a design magazine if I know my sister-in-law) house rearrangement. It will take Tim, my nephew Will and the entire Missouri National Guard to reattach all of them, so hang in there in the meantime.

Culture of Busy - Aurora’s a fellow Columbia writer. I hope she can find more time to write. She’s delightful.

How to Find & Delegate Tasks to Virtual Assistants - Considering this myself. Do you have any thoughts?

The Truth About Cleansing and Fasting | LIVESTRONG.COM - Considering this myself. Do you have any thoughts?

When the Ladder Becomes a Wheel - My Daddy’s a Ford man. This book is on my list.

Earblowing Space Shuttle launch - Haven’t tried it yet. I will when I get home. I want to look like the guy in the Maxell ad. 

Uncage the Soul’s “Finding Portland” - PDX just might replace Austin as my second-favorite city in America.

5 Tips on Staying Productive While Travelling

Simplicity Isn’t Simple - FINCH - Loving Segall’s book about Apple. This column’s wonderful, too.

Turning 60: The Twelve Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned So Far – Tony Schwartz – Harvard Business Review - Very nice. (Thx Keri for sharing.)

Those are mine. How bouts you? Anything worth sharing from the past week?

Enjoy your weekend!

Photo of Voodoo Doughnut courtesy of Photos by Mavis.

Yesterday, I spoke to a sold-out audience of business owners in Portland.

Here’s what we discussed:

If time permitted, I was going to answer their specific questions, but we covered too much ground in too little time.

However, I promised if they wrote down their questions, I’d answer them in a private video for all of them by the end of next week.

I was floored by the questions. While I save the answers for our Portland attendees, I wanted to share a few of the questions and give you something to think about going into the weekend.

You learn a lot about a person by the quality of her question. If these questions are par for Portland’s course, I’m very impressed with PDX:

What do you think about Groupon-type marketing?

How do you build value in a short amount of time with a transactional client?

How can you win if your potential customer has poor credit and little money?

How do you target relational customers with an internet store?

If there is one question you could ask a potential client to find out if they are a relational or transactional customer, what should that question be?

I’ve heard that if you are no on social media that you will be out of business in 5 years. What are your thoughts on this?

After you posted the words “We invest slowly and simply,” you stated “we buy only what we can own.” Can you explain what that statement about “owning” means? How do you own radio real estate?

Is using the voice of an endorsement or talent a good idea?

If I choose to use a talent, how much freedom do I give them with talking points and script?

Can you brand yourself as a sales rep?

What is the formula of knowing how to own a radio station, or even just a day part? How do I know when I have?

Who was the person you quoted at the end of your presentation? 

Okay, I’ll share the answer to the last one:

A special thanks to Jill, Kendra and Allyson from Ruby Receptionists for coming over to talk about their obsession with WowWorthy customer service.

And a special thanks to our friends and clients at Roof Life of Oregon for coming over to listen.

Thanks for having me as your guest. We’ll see you again in October!

My Uncle Paul has passed away. My mom waited to tell us until she knew I had already flown to Portland because she didn’t want me to cancel. She knew I would have.

Family matters. There was a time when it didn’t as much, and it’s my greatest regret now.

Uncle Paul was my mom’s oldest brother and the first real writer and public speaker I knew.

Irish Catholics know how to do holidays, meals and grace, and Uncle Paul wrote and delivered an original grace for every meal at every holiday for about forty years.

How can that not affect you?

His oldest son, along with fellow cousins Tom and Greg were pretty much my first best friends.

I am sad for his family and mine today, but I am also thankful.

Life goes on. Until it doesn’t.

We move on. Until we don’t.

If your early influences are still alive, pick one and call her or him today. Don’t put it off.

Say ‘thank you.’ Tell her what you learned. Tell him why he mattered.

You are, in part, what you are because of that person, and you have the gift of time and life to tell that person.

Say it. Today, please.

Before it’s too late.

Amen.

Click here if you can’t see the embedded video.

I’m reading his new book – Insanely Simple: The Obession That Drives Apple’s Success.

The book deconstructs Apple’s success in a first-hand account from someone who was in the trenches of Apple’s marketing for years. It’s tremendous and fascinating.

In it, there’s a quote from Jobs that struck me yesterday:

People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things we have done. Innovation is saying no to a thousand things.

Isn’t that something? On the plane, I read it over and over and over again.

Focus is about saying ‘no.’

Not just to bad ideas. To good ones.

Focus is about knowing what to leave out – even when it’s really flippin’ good.

It’s hard – whether you’re building a staff or starting a new company or writing a book or giving a workshop.

I’m doing all four of these things. Right now. That quote hit me like a shovel upside.

Another brilliant thinker, Michele Miller, used to tell me to wake up in the morning and figure out what to say ‘no’ to each day.

Something to think about today – for you and me.

To what will you say “no” today?

Pick carefully.

And it breaks your heart. But you go, dude. You go.

Here are nine things I do to make road trips more productive and bearable.

Yep. I sure did. Sorry.

1. Be kind. Be kind to airline folks. Be kind to hotel personnel. Be kind to your hosts. Be kind to your guests. Go out of your way to do unto others on the road. This may sound nuts until you realize how easy it is to play the victim and ruin not only your day but at least one other person’s. Don’t. You haven’t grabbed a rifle and been asked to man a post. You’re flying to a city and staying in a hotel. Shut up about your inconvenience and be kind.

2. Keep the TV off in your hotel room. This has changed my life the last 18 months. I’ve written a book largely in hotel rooms as a result of keeping the TV off. I keep up with work. I read. I get to bed earlier, and I’m not watching absolute CRAP. Isn’t that what you watch in hotel rooms anyway? There’s typically no guide, so you end up watching the latest stretch-of-reality show, and then another, and then another. Then it’s 3 a.m. Oops.

3. Hydrate. If you’re going to be at a place for more than a couple days, go to a neighborhood store and buy water. Drink at least eight glasses a day. You should be doing this every day, but even more so when you’re on the road – where soda (and booze for the drinkers reading this) lurks around every corner.

4. Noise machine. Use a white noise app or machine to lull yourself to sleep at night. Also asking for a room away from the elevator helps if you’re a light sleeper. All-natural melatonin spray or time-release capsules can help, too.

5. Make a packing list by day. Check the weather channel, then plan out what you’re going to wear each day – including shoes. It’ll help you minimize the amount of junk you pack. I’m not a wash my underwear in the sink kinda guy, but I do like packing minimally. Preparing means you can trim any excess. Traveling light means traveling with freedom. It makes traveling 10000% more bearable.

6. Exercise. This is a new one for me, but it’s an important one. Make space for a pair of running shoes. Use the fitness center – or better yet – go for a walk on the Willamette or the Charles. But walk. You don’t need to run ten miles. Walk two. But do it.

7. Take a picture of where you parked and your room number with your phone. Especially if you travel bunches and you get confused. You laugh at the ‘wait – what day is this and what city is this’ jokes, until you’re in your 25th airport in 45 days. Take the picture.

8. Unpack. Don’t live out of your suitcase. Take time to put stuff in closets and drawers. Put away your suitcase. It makes things a little more orderly and bearable.

9. Schedule times for FaceTime or Skype before you leave. Make time. Keep these appointments sacred. These supersede last-minute client invitations to dinners, shows or clubs. Remember the real reason you’re on the road and honor your family. They miss you. You miss them.

Bye, Choo Choo. Be kind to Bubs. See you soon. Luhz you.

Hi there.

Beginning a week from today: Monday, May 7, I’ll be running a 10-day series of interviews with leaders - asking each the same short series of questions – on The Daily Blur. You’ll see answers and insights to one question per day.

Then … the fun stuff starts …

I’m going to turn all that great leadership insight – along with some other content – into an eBook with all profits going to help my first mentor and leader, Bruce Welker, who’s recovering from a stroke.

If you and/or some people you know lead others, would you be willing to answer these questions or pass them along by Sunday, May 6th?

I got them from the brilliant Michael Smith courtesy of a post from Michael Hyatt.

Bruce means a lot to me. He’s a great man and father and leader. He’s doing very well in his recovery and therapy, but the bills are huge, and this is the best way I know to help him, plus help people gain valuable insight about leadership from people who walk the walk.

Simply email me your answers and a bit about yourself. I really appreciate it! Have a great day.

Leadership Interview Questions

NAME:

A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF (as brief as you like – please include how/where you’re
a leader):

LINK YOU’D LIKE TO DIRECT PEOPLE TO (optional):

1. What are the most important decisions you make as a leader of your organization?
2. As an organization gets larger there can be a tendency for the ”institution” to dampen the “inspiration.” How do you keep this from happening?
3. How do you ensure your organization and its activities are aligned with your “core values”?
4. How do you help a new employee understand the culture of your organization?
5. When faced with two equally-qualified candidates, how do you determine whom to hire?
6. What is one characteristic that you believe every leader should possess?
7. What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
8. What are a few resources you would recommend to someone looking to gain insight into becoming a better leader?
9. What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
10. What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

That’s it. I hope you’ll enjoy the series, and I hope you enjoy the expanded copy coming in the eBook … for which I also need a title if you have any suggestions. If I pick your name, you get credit, a hug, and cookies.

Email me by Sunday, May 6th. 

Thanks!