Todd Youngblood's Cogitations

Huh? What?

November 17, 2011 – 9:31 pm

Whenever I use the either of the terms “Content Marketing” or “e-Rep,” I often get that, “Huh? What?” response. On the one hand, that delights me. Intelligent Content Marketing deployed via an e-Rep is quickly emerging as an extremely powerful sales and marketing strategy, and YPS is well-versed in helping folks apply it as part of an overall, disciplined process. This ought to turn into a heck of a profitable line of business for us!

On the other hand it dismays me.

How can such a simple concept, implementable using widely available, mostly free, “cloud” resources combined with the existing knowledge and experience of your team be so painfully ill-understood? Can I afford to wait around for demand to build up? Obviously not. So here’s a thought…

Absorb, retain and apply all the free insight into the power of Content Marketing
Recognize that the course itself is a component of our e-Rep. In other words, we’re providing value to you, at your convenience, at no cost via my “electronic alter-ego.” Hopefully that will boost our credibility with you a bit, and enhance our business relationship with you a bit.
How can you use your content, deployed via a similar e-Rep, to establish and develop relationships with your customers and prospects?

Sign up here. Learn, absorb and apply on your own. And someday – maybe – buy a bunch of services from The YPS Group e-Rep.

Think About It…

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in E-Rep | Tagged Content Marketing, E-Rep | Comments (0)

To win the “Race Against The Machine,” build an e-Rep

November 14, 2011 – 10:04 pm

The evidence builds. It becomes more and more clear all the time how computers, networks and “The Cloud” are steadily taking over more and more tasks up to now performed by humans.

And it’s not just mundane, low-skill tasks. It’s also highly specialized, high knowledge-content work that takes years of study and a ton of experience to master. (Golly whiz, sounds a bit like high-end sales, doesn’t it?)

Sales professionals cannot afford to ignore this trend. Watch my mini-rant and let me know if you agree.

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in E-Rep | Tagged blog, E-Rep, Podcast, Radio, Video | Comments (2)

The fundamental core of differentiation and greatness

November 4, 2011 – 8:49 am

“To be really great in little things, to be truly noble and heroic in the insipid details of everyday life, is a virtue so rare as to be worthy of canonization.”

–Harriet Beecher Stowe, American writer

My RSS reader threw the above quote right in my face this morning. Now, as I reflect back on yesterday – and how I:

Whined about totally re-arranging the equipment configuration in our Dreamland Radio studio 20 minutes before an important interview to get a tad better audio quality (The sound quality IS a tad better now.)
Got annoyed at my business partner’s scowl when we realized I’d forgotten to bring in a new batch of microphone sanitizers, again…
Re-sent an audio file to a client because the first version still had the pre-show briefing at the front end (Hey, the interview itself at least was edited flawlessly)
Forgot to stop the pendulum on my prized chime clock which hangs in The YPS Group’s test studio. Of course, it struck 4 exactly in the middle of a client’s perfectly articulated statement.
Realized I hadn’t returned a client’s phone call at the end of crazy busy day (Talked to him this morning and he said it was no big deal.)

I realize, I’ve still got a long way to go. How many little details did you miss yesterday?

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Differentiation | Tagged Attention to Detail, Differentiation, Greatness | Comments (0)

You’re wrong again, my friend

October 28, 2011 – 7:23 am

As my friend and business associate knows, the snarky title of this post is said with a smile… He IS, however, a little off on his reasoning in a recent post of his own. He begins by saying,

“Engaged in friendly, spirited banter with a business associate the other day. We had just returned from a trade show radio gig, and had 50 radio interviews with CEOs to edit. Naturally, we split the batch in half.

And naturally, we each named and organized our respective batch of files differently.

My associate? Named the files according to the company name. Me? I did it based on the name of the person interviewed.”

He goes on to make a case for keeping a laser-beam focus on the individual person you’re selling to vs. that person’s employer. Yes, I agree that establishing and nurturing one-to-one relationships is vital. Focusing only on the individual, though, is a recipe for repetitious disaster. The whole notion of “decision-maker” is pretty much dead. The days of clearly drawn corporate silos and individual fiefdoms are over.

As sales professionals, we must sell to the “decision network,” the whole company.

For example, assume you’re selling widget washers. You go to Norman, the VP of Maintenance at [COMPANY], and demonstrate how with your washers, the job gets done in half the time. Knocks $1,000 a month off maintenance expenses, has a payback period of 6 months and an ROI of 112%. Done deal! Congratulations! Your widget washers are installed and you and Norman enjoy a few adult beverages to celebrate. Ain’t it great to make your customer look good?

Two months later Harvey, the VP Manufacturing at [COMPANY], notes that widget production is off by almost 8%. Widget demand – as always – is high. If Allison, the VP of Sales at [COMPANY], had that 8% more widgets to sell, she could deliver an additional $10,000 per month in profit.

Jill, the CEO of [COMPANY] finds out and goes ballistic. Who’s the moron who changed the widget washing equipment? Didn’t that knucklehead realize that shutting down the production line to wait for the washer fluid to evaporate would drastically reduce output? “You mean he actually changed the widget washers (that I personally designed ten years ago) to shave a few measly bucks off the maintenance budget?” she roars.

As you help Norman update his resume, you might want to consider how vital it is to relentlessly maintain a holistic view of your customer’s entire company. An individual perspective simply doesn’t cut the mustard.

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Value Propositions | Tagged Decision Network, Decision Process, Value, Value Proposition | Comments (1)

Community Service – 11 reasons why NOT doing it is crazy

October 27, 2011 – 6:21 am

Many business people miss the point when it comes to Community Service. Typically, we feel this vague sense of guilt that we should be “giving back” more than we are. Such a narrow perspective…

In fact, that phrase “giving back” has always bugged me. Frankly, I’ve worked pretty darned hard to achieve the success I’ve had. Every truly successful business person I know has worked hard. Sure they’ve all had some good luck too; along with lots of help from lots of others including the community at large. That said, the honest ones haven’t “taken” anything. In other words, there isn’t anything to give back!

Just plain, “giving” pieces of your time and treasure to your community results in a huge amount of “getting back.”

The memory of the moment I became official as a member of the Cobb Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors is quite clear. The business lessons learned have been piling up every day since that day. And all that time I didn’t have to spare? Somehow – without trying all that hard – it keeps appearing.

Now, the newly renamed Georgia Symphony Orchestra is taking yet another leap forward, building on its proud 61 year history. The level of excitement from being right in the middle of it all is …well… exciting! And it doesn’t feel anything like fulfilling some touchy-feely, externally imposed obligation. It feels exactly like any other good business decision. Here are 11 things you can learn:

It makes you realize that ideas are a dime a dozen and that execution is the only thing that really matters. Important business lesson.
You learn how to stretch a dollar. Non-profits are really hurting for cash these days. It’s “doing more with less” writ large. Important business lesson.
You see and learn about real, deep, genuine passion. The musicians I’ve met have passion for what they do at a whole different level. It’s remarkable. Important business lesson.
You get really, really good at collaboration. It’s virtually all volunteers. Nobody can order anybody around. Things still need to get done. Important business lesson.
It hones your leadership skills. Everybody around you knows how it “should be done.” Leading that herd of cats teaches you a thing or two about leading. Important business lesson.
You get way better at Crisis Management. (See #2) The big corporate donor goes bankrupt whacking your budget. The big grant you expected doesn’t happen, whacking your budget. Individuals still give, but give less, whacking your budget. And on and on and on… Important business lesson.
You get good at calming the waters. It’s mostly volunteers doing all the hard work right? And it’s a herd of cats, right? So things simply are never as well coordinated as you’d like. Efforts clash. Personalities clash. Egos get bruised. Feelings get hurt. Now and then a few critical folks get really, really bent out of shape. You gotta’ deal with it. Important business lesson.
Time management skills get honed. You really don’t have enough time. But you made a commitment, so you’re obligated to find it; to make it all fit into the day. Important business lesson.
It’s intensely rewarding at a personal level. When something big works out, you can look back on what it took to get there. Makes you want to find another dragon to slay. Important business lesson.
You learn how to sell. In my case, I’m raising money for a symphony. Great cause yes, but competing with starving children, cancer patients, flood victims and whole host of other awesomely great and noble causes. Talk about practice in shining up your value proposition! Important business lesson.
It makes your community better, stronger, richer, more vibrant, a better place to live. i.e., a better place to run a profitable business. Important business lesson.

Go volunteer for something. NOW!!! You’ll end up being part of an awesome organization like the one in the video below.

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Work Ethic | Tagged Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Knowledge, Learn! | Comments (4)

I’m Elite! (…according to Delta Airlines)

October 20, 2011 – 3:04 pm

Virtually all of us settle for achieving far less than we could actually achieve. Mostly it’s because we’re constantly inundated with an endless barrage of baloney about how special we are.

Work for a large corporation? How often are you fed some version of the message, “Our people are our most important asset,” or “Respect for the individual,” or “Our success began with you?”

Employed anywhere? How often are you told what a fine job you’re doing? Even when nobody, including you, your boss and your boss’s boss, has no idea just how to measure the value of what you contribute?

How often do you feel really, really good about some task you just completed? You know, when you feel like King Kong because in your heart you know you exceeded your own expectations? (These situations are the most potent – and therefore the most dangerous – senders of BS, feel-good messages.)

We all need to be on the alert for false praise. Especially when WE are the source. Otherwise, we’ll be on a relentless path toward mediocrity. Here’s yet another example that got me re-focused.

I rolled into LAX after two intense days working a Dreamland Radio gig at a WEFTEC trade show for our client, Water Online. My partner and I conducted 47 interviews with C-Level execs that were broadcast live. Exhilarating, interesting, hugely educational, fun and mentally D-R-A-I-N-I-N-G.

No worries… In just two days, we had met and established relationships with 47 decision-making executives, 100% of which could benefit from our services. Every one of them is now an active prospect. I was feelin’ like King Freakin’ Kong!

There’s more! I was on Delta’s list for an upgrade to a first class seat. I displayed my Million-Miler luggage tag. I reflected on the at least weekly notifications of my exalted status for years …decades actually. I was thanked at check-in for being such an important, high-status customer. I got a free cup of coffee. Not only am I an awesome businessman, Delta knows it and treats me accordingly! So I check on that upgrade. There’s a first class seat open!

I’m 36th on the list.

36th!!! Seriously??? Me? The super-special me? Talk about putting things back in perspective.

So here I sit. In coach. Typing out this story on my iPad. (At least having an iPad makes me cool, right?). Having come back to earth, the doubts creep back… Do those 47 execs really have a notion of the power of Trade Show Radio to drive revenue? Is my follow-up plan strong enough to close deals with them? Will I actually be able to execute the plan effectively?

Eeeeessssshhhhhhh… I guess I still need to get up tomorrow and work my butt off. Nobody out there seems to truly appreciate my genius.

And you, my gentle reader… Have you ever met with, talked with and planted a super-sticky, business-related memory into the minds of 47 C-Level execs in less than 48 hours? Schnick and I just did. With Trade Show Radio. Maybe you ought to click the link, read about it, then call one of us.

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Radio | Tagged Differentiation, Prospecting, Radio, Trade Show Radio | Comments (0)

How unwittingly annoying are you?

October 10, 2011 – 10:46 am

Every time I become aware that I have inadvertently annoyed a business associate (i.e., customer, co-worker, colleague, whatever) I try to write down what I did. Writing about something fixes the memory strongly and permanently. This is one of those situations.

Trust me. You do this, and you are annoying.

Time management. There is not enough time. We need to invest every minute wisely. The cell phone is an outstanding tool in this regard. We all have phone calls to make that are of secondary importance. Most (not all!) of us can drive and focus enough on a “B” level sort of conversation simultaneously. So consider this scenario…

I’ve got a 45 minute ride ahead of me. I need to call you about one of those “B” items, so I do. With say, 30 of my 45 minutes to productively fill, I decide to add a little relationship-building and ask about your son’s baseball game, and tell you about my daughter’s vacation, and comment on the driving skills of those around me. With still 20 minutes to productively fill, I bounce a few strategic ideas off you, “because your opinion is really valuable with this sort of thing.” With still 10 more minutes to productively fill, I ask about what’s on your strategic plate. With one more minute to productively fill, I tell you about the new implementation schedule for Project X; the only reason I called to begin with. Then I abruptly tell you I have arrived at my destination and need to go, g-bye.

Wow! Great time management! For me… Meanwhile, you were up to your pa-toot in alligators dealing with 37 critical issues and just had yours truly blow 29 vital minutes right out of the middle of your day discussing miscellaneous “stuff.”

I won’t ask if you have ever done this to someone, because there are two better questions.

When was the last time you filled your dead time by unwittingly stealing someone else’s crunch time?
How often do you fill your dead time by unwittingly stealing someone else’s crunch time?

Just exactly how unwittingly annoying are you?

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Best Practices | Tagged Best Practices, Consideration, Time Management | Comments (2)

Learning a thing or two about my own area of “expertise”

October 9, 2011 – 1:17 pm

Every time I begin think I really have a handle on this whole sales and marketing thing, somebody comes along and makes me realize I still have lots to learn. Actually, that’s what makes my work with Dreamland Radio so challenging and interesting.

My cohort Todd & I recently interviewed Eric Marjoram, owner of Marjoram Creative on Business-To-Technology radio. His approach to understanding a new client’s marketing and branding needs is simultaneously simple and deeply thought-provoking:

Who are you?
Who is your audience?
Do they think you are who you say you are?

The lessons went on from there… Eric’s one guy well worth listening to!

Business-To-Technology Radio is sponsored by AML Communications.

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Differentiation | Tagged Branding, Customer Focus | Comments (0)

I wish I had said all that… Thanks, Steve

October 6, 2011 – 7:22 pm

The speech ends with the notion, ”Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish!” Preceding that are five other thoughts I find hard to ignore.

“Connect the dots.” (With the insightful acknowledgement that the connecting is only possible after the fact. i.e., Remember all the dots!)
“Do what you love.”
“Don’t settle!”
“I’ll be dead soon.” ”If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?
“Follow your heart and intuition.”

Thanks, Steve. Rest in peace.

By Todd Youngblood | Posted in Best Practices | Tagged Inspiration, Steve Jobs | Comments (0)

Total Cost of Ownership – A Powerful Selling Tool

September 30, 2011 – 9:18 am

It’s so easy to forget to use the right selling tools, and somehow the notion of Total Cost of Ownership is one that gets ignored on a regular basis. AGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

I got a reminder yesterday during an interview on Business-To-Technology Radio with Sheldon Michaels, President of Southern Office Machines. He talked about “TCO” in terms of the “free” printer that often comes with the purchase of a PC. Sure the printer is free, but the ink cartridge costs 80 bucks! If you use one up every month, that comes to $4,800 over five years. A $500 printer that uses $40 print cartridges has a TCO of only$2,900. Free printer anyone?