C-Suite Network™

Menu
Search
Close this search box.

Category: Marketing

Categories
Best Practices Marketing Personal Development

Design Your Brand’s Logo, Catchphrase, and Name to Have Even More Impact

When many people think of CPG branding, they think of brand logos, names, and catchphrases. Even though there’s so much more to successful branding, like merchandising, distribution, packaging, and positioning, it’s the logo, name, and slogan that are most memorable.

After designing what has become the world’s most recognized wine brand, we can speak for hours about these 3 cornerstones of a CPG brand! What did we learn on our way up that made Barefoot Wine such an iconic brand?

Well, for one thing, most of what’s behind the Barefoot logo, name, and catchphrase were created to address particular conditions that already existed in the market. They weren’t some kind of isolated artistic masterpiece. We were extremely limited by the marketplace, and we understood that we didn’t have much freedom. Now, we recommend that our clients thoroughly understand the mindset and environment of everyone in the market distribution system even before they come up with their “cool idea.”

In our case, and in the average CPG’s case, our logo, name, and catchphrase were created to emphasize these below realities:

1. Poor Lighting. Unlike your backlit phone screen, stores are lit with blue casting light from above (because it’s not expensive). Your brand may be completely unlit in the back of the shelf, where your first products have sold off. This restricts your options to shapes and colors that can be noticed in poor lighting. Unlike you and your buddies who could think your idea looks “cool” 12 inches away on your phone screen, your customers could be 5 feet away!

2. Physical Packaging. Your logo and brand name exist on a physical package with its own topography—not on a sheet of paper or a screen. We placed our label on a rounded bottle. This way, only a small part of the label was actually legible in its stationary position. Despite our labels being 3.5 inches wide, just over 2 inches across could be read without rotating the bottle. Boxes, display racks, and blister packs have their own unique limitations.

3. Short Attention Spans. If you’re lucky, you’ll only get a couple seconds to make an impression. Your brand is one of thousands trying to catch the attention of all buyers. For example, your consumer could be confused by all the choices in the store, unable to pick out your brand, or be walking by so quickly that they don’t even see it. Or, maybe they just forgot your logo and/or brand name altogether.

Before we finished the Barefoot Wine label design, we gained “friends in low places.” This isn’t to speak badly of these guys, but instead to praise them. They gave us the realistic and honest insight that only stockers, warehouse people, store clerks, and truck drivers can. Through their experience, they knew what worked and what didn’t—and why.

Here’s the advice we offer our clients about logos, brand names, and catchphrases:

1. Your Brand Name. Make it in simple English, no longer than 3 syllables, and make it relate to your consumer. Make sure it’s easy to pronounce, easy to read, and, most importantly, easy to remember. It should create a mental image and a feeling that people will relate to and identify with. Pick a name that’s related to your product. Think about the feeling they’ll get from using it, or a special attribute. We picked “Barefoot” because of the original winemaking process that involved crushing grapes with bare feet. Plus, being barefoot evokes a fun, recreational image.

2. Your Logo. Make it simple, impossible to forget, and have it mirror your brand name, if at all possible. Your logo should be sharp and clean. Avoid vagaries and curlicues. Consider the surface it will be applied to. Think about the position and lighting where it will be displayed. Make sure it’s completely legible from 4 feet away. Leave plenty of white space on the label around your logo. If possible, make it an everyday, recognizable object so it seems familiar. We went with the image of a bare foot, to mirror the name.

3. Your Catchphrase. Make sure it persuades your customer to buy your product by inducing a positive feeling or solving a problem. Perhaps it has to do with the feeling consumers get when they use your products, the way they use them, or the benefits and results of your brand. It should be short and sweet. Aim for a double meaning, or try creating a rhyme. Keep it fun! And make sure a unique aspect of your brand is conveyed. Try to keep it under 10 words—shorter is better. Use an identifier—“Ants Be Gone” or “Everyone’s Favorite!”—or use a call to action or conjunction. We went with “Get Barefoot and Have a Great Time!”

When creating your brand’s name, catchphrase, and logo, don’t forget the marketplace’s strict limitations. Recognize and understand these limitations before you raise it up on the flagpole!

For more, read on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/

Categories
Accounting Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Women In Business

The Value of Relationships – Long Versus Short

“Life’s value-add is perceptional. Manage your expectations to better assess the sources from which value can be attracted to your life.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

Are the relationships you’re in adding or subtracting value from your life? It’s a serious question to ponder and one to reassess daily.

Too many times we wake up one morning and realize that we’re no longer living the ideal life we seek. Depending on the severity of that realization, we go into a state of panic, brought on by thoughts of uneasiness. You know when things aren’t right in your life! It’s usually a terse feeling that emanates from your gut that delivers the message. Then, you may appear to be erratic to those who know you, which may cause them to reevaluate the value you’re bringing to their life. That can set off a vicious cycle fraught with angst and anxiety. The question then becomes, what’s a person to do to maintain some sense of equilibrium in their life? The answer lies in the relationships you have with others.

If you find yourself in toxic relationships, at work, at home, etc., change them! Seek to alter the dynamics of the relationships that drag you down emotionally and/or physically. It may be difficult to do but consider the cost of your sanity, your wellbeing. Weigh the cost of that against the difficulty that change might require.

When engaging with people, consider the value you add to their life and they to yours. Some people will be with you for life (long-term) others for a season (short-term). Accept this mentally, understand it and don’t allow it to become a conundrum when it’s time to move on. Don’t get wrapped up thinking that you have to stay with people due to the time you’ve known them; such thoughts will make you sentimental, which will jade your emotions and thought process about moving on. There are others that want to add value to your life, but you won’t find them holding on to those that don’t.

When you know you’re in short-term environments, treat those in it as though they may become long-term associates. Doing so may turn them into long-term allies, but don’t become fixated on the thought that they’ll be with you through thick and thin. Having such a mindset will allow moving on to be less jerky. If someone stays in your life longer than what had been anticipated, because they were adding value, be thankful. You’ve been blessed … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations?

With some people, a negotiation may be transactional, not intended to be of long-term value. That’s okay. Knowing the parameters of this type of relationship allows you to be better positioned to engage in the negotiation. After all, when you negotiate, you never know who will truly fit into a long-term relationship until you examine their values. Evaluate such closely and from different perspectives. What you eventually find may not be what you initially saw, and what you initially saw may be something that you initially didn’t expect.

The point is, keep your emotions grounded in all of your relationships. Accept people for the value they add to your life, and the value you add to theirs.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#NegotiatingWithABully #relationships #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveYourself #Achievement

 

 

Categories
Best Practices Body Language Entrepreneurship Human Resources Investing Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Watch Emotional Abuse When Negotiating With A Bully

“Emotional abuse only occurs when you allow the abuser to control you. To defeat him, control his abusive efforts.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

When negotiating with a bully, watch the emotional abuse you incur and mind your responses to it.

Bullies make some people experience an array of feelings in a negotiation. They do so for the pleasure of feeling superior to the other negotiator in an effort to exert their dominance. The emotional feelings they attempt to invoke can range from fear to hate to happiness. Yes, bullies can make you feel happy as the result of relinquishing the pressure they’ve applied to you. That’s another reason why you should monitor your emotions. You want to check them so you can display the proper response, based on your position in the negotiation at particular points. When it comes to watching your emotions take note of the following.

Fear:

Fear can invoke primal actions within you. When fearful, your normal thought process shuts down. Depending on the degree of fear you experience, your body prepares for a fight, flight, or freeze scenario. That deliberation can cause you to be thrown off your negotiation game (i.e. forget the negotiation strategies you’d planned to implement).

When you sense that you’re experiencing fear in a negotiation, note its cause. Consider to what degree its source will devastate you and your future position. The point is, diminish your thoughts of fear by contemplating how you can assuage it before continuing the negotiation, and recognize when it has you in its grips.

Anger:

Anger is another stealer of normal thoughts. It can be stoked by fear, which is also the reason you should control your perspective of fear and ager.

When angered, you can lose your perspective and rationalization. Thus, to negotiate from a mindset of anger will not serve you, it serves the other negotiator, instead.

Therefore, be aware of when the other negotiator is intentionally attempting to gouge you by instilling fear into the negotiation. Also, be mindful of what his attempts might look like before entering the negotiation. This can be accomplished by role-playing ahead of time. Just be mindful of elucidating your mind to how fear might be used against you, and be prepared to thwart such efforts.

Happiness:

Most people seek happiness as a constant state of mind. Our body seeks it too. Thus, when we’re not in a state of happiness, our mind will attempt to guide our actions back towards that state. It will also do ‘things’ to stay in that state, even if those ‘things’ are to our future detriment. It’s because of the latter that you should be hyper-vigilant when you’re in a state of happiness that’s been caused by a bully’s actions. You may not be off the hook. Instead, you may have been unknowingly placed deeper onto one.

To combat a bully’s effort to mentally manipulate you through the use of happiness, understand his motives for doing so. If his efforts don’t serve you, don’t appease him by succumbing to this tactic. Remain stern.

Anyone’s emotions can be strained when negotiating with a bully. Suffice it to say, you should stay on top of your emotions when negotiating with a bully more so than with other types of negotiators. Bullies can invoke extreme passion within you, which is why it’s so important to be mindful. If you’re aware of what can ‘set you off’, and not allow it to cloud your actions or judgment under such circumstances, you’ll be able to think clearer and negotiate better. That alone will give the bully cause for doubt, which means you’ll be turning his tactics against him. Doing so will allow you to maintain greater control in the negotiation … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#bully #bullies #bullying #uncoversecrets #hiddensecrets #Negotiation #Personal Development #HandlingObjections #Negotiator #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology

Categories
Culture Management Marketing Negotiations

Commit to Clients and Customers

Consider the amount of money that goes into acquiring a new customer. Paying sales professionals, product development, marketing, advertising, media, the list is endless. Many of our business costs are associated to attract new customers for the sake of our business growth.

Imagine if companies were to spend as much attention on retaining a customer than they do try to earn a new one. When we show our clients, customers, patients, members and shoppers that we pay attention to their needs, we are not only likely to retain them, we will most certainly create advocates in them as well.

A brilliant book on elevating the customer experience is Never Lose a Customer Again by Joey Coleman, I loved this line in his book ‘it’s time to stop thinking B2B or B2C the future of business is H2H’ (human to human)

Follow these 5 strategies to give professional attention to your clients and show them the love they deserve.

1. Reach out. When was the last time you reached out and personally thanked your clients for being customers? Do you make it habit to routinely remind them of your joy in doing business with them? Consider deepening your relationship with frequent reach-outs. Find out how their business is doing and what you can do to make it better.

2. Examine the experience. Take the time to walk through the same business experience your current customers do. Call your phone number and listen to how you are addressed. Enter your workplace, office or shop as a customer and truly examine the impression being given. Evaluate your website and order your own products. Experience what your customers do when they are doing business with you. You may be surprised what you learn.

3. Know your numbers. Many companies measure their success through profitability, sales and growth. Perhaps consider adding a few extra numbers to the mix. Understand how many new sales come from repeat customers. Recognize your referral rates and most importantly know the churn your company suffers. Set meaningful goals – short and long-term – to retain more customers and improve your new sales from return clients.

4. Motivating Factors. Do you know what motivates your customer to buy from you? Maybe they buy because of price or convenience. Maybe it’s because of location or experience. Do your homework by asking your customers these questions. Know what motivates them to do business with you the first time, and continued business in the future will help you prioritize the areas of opportunity within your business.

5. Be a Partner. When was the last time your bank called you to ask how they can help you better invest your money to plan for a better future? Has your physician ever called to see how you were doing and offered you free literature on the topic you last discussed? This higher level of attention brings a personalized touch to any customer relationship. More so, it creates a partnership with you and your client that benefits their success and well-being as much as it does yours. It’s a win-win anyway you look at it. Partnering with your customer will create mutual trust and respect in the relationship.

Are you ready to pay more attention to your customers? Are you ready to heighten your professional relationships and invest more in their success? Pick up a copy of Joey Coleman’s “How Not to Lose a Customer” and read his strategies for investing time and energy in cultivating long-lasting client relationships.

Want to take your attention a step further? Pick up a copy of  Attention Pays. Learn how attention to employees will benefit your clients and ultimately your bottom line. Understand how evaluating your day-to-day activities can help you carve out time to focus on those who matter most – your customers.

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

How To Uncover Hidden Secrets In Negotiations

“Secrets are cloaked in darkness until they’re exposed by light. When suspension falls on hidden secrets, let the light shine brightly.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

“Don’t let what you know cause you to miss what you don’t know!” Those were the words of one negotiation partner to another, after they’d concluded a negotiation that appeared to be clouded by the doubt that there may have been hidden secrets burrowed in the words of their negotiation counterpart.

Upon reflection, the speaker of those words realized that there had been signals that he’d misperceived. He wondered about those signals as he pondered to what degree they might have covered hidden secrets.

In your negotiations, how much do you miss, due to what you think you already know? There are encoded messages within the words we use to communicate. Some contain hidden messages that carry hidden thoughts.

Note the following to gain more insight into the hidden secrets in the messages sent and received in your negotiations.

1. Take note when the real meaning of a word doesn’t carry the intent of the meaning you think it’s attempting to convey. That’s to say, note when you suspect that there may be an unspoken meaning of the word(s). You’ll experience a sensation of intuition when that occurs; take heed of this phenomenon when it happens. It will be your alert signal beckoning your attention.

  • They’ll be times when you sense there’s an implied meaning that’s not conveyed in the delivery of the words spoken. When you have such a sensation, be attentive to what you sensed that drew your attention to the feeling of suspect that you have. Uncovering that hidden meaning will allow you to uncover hidden secrets that the other negotiator may be attempting to conceal.

2. When people speak of themselves in the third person, become more attentive. They’re distancing themselves from their words.

  • When negotiating, you should always be attentive to everything that’s occurring in your environment. When it comes to someone speaking in the third person, you should become more attentive. Psychologically, he’s placing distance between himself and his words. He may be doing so due to his nervousness, his desire to protect something that you’ve gotten close to uncovering, or from sensing that he may have disclosed something about his statement that’s untrue. Regardless, his action was more than likely brought on by some action the two of you were engaged in. If you sense such is the case, pursue the line of interaction that put him in his third person state of mind. There’ll be something of interest there that may benefit you in the negotiation.

3. Compare your assumptions of what you thought would occur prior to the negotiation, to what actually occurred in the negotiation.

  • Engaging in a mental reflection process at the conclusion of a negotiation will allow you greater insights, per the way you were thinking prior to the negotiation. Your post insights will allow you to sharpen your perception about the perspective occurrences of future negotiations. That, in turn, will allow you to uncover hidden thoughts about the way you think. Knowing that, should allow you to become more circumspective as you engage in future negotiation.

There will always be some form of secrecy in any negotiation. If you possess a heightened sense of awareness when perceiving suspected hidden meanings, your reward will be in the uncovering of those secrets. That will be an insight that you can use to benefit your negotiation position … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating! 

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#uncoversecrets #hiddensecrets #Negotiation #Personal Development #HandlingObjections #Negotiator #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Women In Business

Nostalgia – Do You Remember The Good Old Days?

“No matter how difficult your current times are, one day, they will become the good old days.” -Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

He was humbled by the weight of his current circumstances. While reflecting on less challenging times, his smile beamed as he said, “those were the good old days.”

No matter the past experiences in your life, you can point to a period that brings fond memories to your mind. You probably consider such memories as, the good old days. Visiting those remembrances conjures images of times gone by. They warm your heart.

When you’re engaged with someone and the conversation heads in an unwanted direction from what you’re striving to achieve, seek to put that person in a state of nostalgia. You have to know what will stimulate them to possess such a state. What follows is how you can achieve that.

If the pace of speech has become somewhat accelerated, slow it down. Slowing down the pace of speech, from one that was previously accelerated, will serve to slow the pace of communications down. Studies suggest that this will cause the person with whom your speaking to think at a slower, more reflective pace. You’ll know to what degree you’ve achieved this state by an unfocused appearance in the eyes of the person you’re speaking to. Once you’ve succeeded at that, talk about the times they were happiest in their life. That will put them into something akin to a trance. From there, as long as they stay in that state, you’ll be able to bond and move them in the direction you wish them to go. That’s to say, as long as they perceive such direction as being beneficial to their wellbeing … and everything will be right with the world.

What does this have to do with negotiations? 

In a negotiation, altering the pace of speech is one way to alter and control the trajectory of the negotiation; invoking fond memories that the other negotiator experienced in the past is another.

Negotiators can get caught up in the moment. Their mind can become bombarded by thoughts of strategies and maneuvers they’ll implement. In such environments, things can become very tense. To diffuse the environment, go nostalgic. Do so by invoking fond memories that occurred in her past. If accomplished successfully, the level of tension will decrease, along with the level of resistance that previously existed in the negotiation. Prior to invoking this state, you should have prepared for the actions you’d engage in going forward. Now would be the time to implement such actions. Tie her current state of emotion to the outcome sought for the negotiation. That will be a powerful ploy!

You’ve more than likely heard that all is fair in love and war. The same is true when negotiating. Thus, when you’re in a tumultuous negotiation, try this tact and observe what occurs. You might be surprised by the reward of a better than expected outcome.

#Nostalgia #GoodOldDays #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #ControlEmotions #Psychology #Perception #ControlLife #Control #leadership #HowToImproveyourself #Achievement

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

Three Cheap Ways to Know What Content Your Customers Want

There are time-honored ways of determining customers needs, ranging from surveys to focus groups. And your organization probably has spent years using these and other methods to determine how to deliver want customers want through your products and services. But do you know what content they want?

That question has become critically important with the rise of content marketing. We often know what product features our customers care about, but we aren’t sure of which content subjects will draw them to our products. And the traditional surveys and focus groups won’t answer the question, because they are too expensive to use for this purpose.

Instead, we present three cheap ways to know what your customers are interested in, so you can provide that content to them:

1. Web and other content analytics. Start with the content you already have. Which pages are visited the most? Which lead to conversions? Which emails get opened? Which social shares are clicked? Start with understanding which content is already performing and identify those subjects as ones to tackle more.

2. Search keywords. What are your customers searching for? Yes, look at Google Trends or other keyword tools to find out big trends, but how about your own customers using your site search? Do you know even what those subjects are? You might be surprised that you aren’t covering some of the most important subjects.

3. Social conversations. What are people talking about? Better, what are they complaining about? Those problems are what content marketing can solve. How do you listen to social conversations?

These digital methods of listening to what your customers want are:

  • Cheap
  • Up-to-the-minute
  • Unprompted

That last one is especially important because surveys and focus groups get answers only to the questions that are asked. Knowing what people are thinking about before you ask tells you what they will be searching for–which is how your content marketing attracts.

Categories
Management Marketing Personal Development Sales

Value Discipline Shapes Best Practices in Product Training

Every Sales professional is familiar with a common first order of business:  getting trained up on the products and services of their organization.

I’ve gone through many of these, and as a product manager long ago, created and delivered product training. I’ve seen good, bad, and everything in between.  Today, I’ve decided to share good:  some best practices.

There are several areas that good…and great product training needs to cover:

The Basics:

Yes every product must include the basic product features, standards, specs…speeds and feeds information. While compulsory, this is the least interesting from a differentiation/value point of view. Which means while it’s interesting to the product people and a few technically-oriented buyers, it’s the least relevant to top-performing sellers.

Common Advantages, AKA Differentiation:

 All product training programs should also include advantages:potential benefits (here, I define benefits as advantages with personal relevance to a specific buying influence).  The job of sales is to provide each member of a B2B group buying decision with an individualized motivation to buy.  Product trainers need to share best practices of which advantages tend to turn into benefits for which personas, but the “boots on the ground” salesperson is responsible for a bespoke fit.

Common Applications, AKA Use Cases:

How is the product/service used by customers?  What problems or issues does it solve for them?  What outcomes does it help them achieve?

How does it make the customer more profitable or more competitive, and how much?

What hidden problems has it solved?.

Typical value maps (graphic representations of related value, personas, etc.)

Competition…Specifically, Value-centered Competitive Analysis

Basic product training usually gives a nod to major competitors.  Competent product training covers comparisons/differences from a specs/performance standpoint.

Best Practices: Value differentials.  Good product training can articulate not just differentials in features and capabilities, but how those advantages turn into benefits.  Great product training equips sellers to understand the customer implications – in financial terms.  A tiny component which reduces the downtime in a major industrial customer’s process can have value thousands of times its price.  Sellers need to know how to walk through that math with a customer…or be susceptible to unwarranted discounting pressure.

I work with some clients on product/marketing/sales alignment, and one of the tools I often uses is called product concept statements (some authors also call them product charter statements).  This is a 1 or 2-sentence statement of the outcome the  product produces for the customer.

Common Buying Personas/Buying Influences

 While I strongly believe that every customer makes every buying decision differently every time, there are almost always some recurring themes, plus a few common variants to buying decisions.  The more product training prepares sellers on what to expect, the better. A best practice in product training is to overview the common personas encountered in a typical sale. For each major market segment, sellers should leave product training knowing:

  • Typical buying ecosystems: personas, and role in the decision.
  • Common buyer Journey overviews
  • High-leverage personas: those who typically have high value-affinity for the product’s unique advantages.
  • Mapping advantages to common personas. Especially important:  how and when to expand the buying ecosystem to capitalize on additional value creation.
  • Creative additions to the buying ecosystem which creative sellers have uncovered, previously discovered unique value propositions/
  • My Value Network tool (contact me, or wait for my upcoming book) helps create and articulate how differentiated features/advantages map to specific, personalized value creation with a variety of personas.

Selling Resources

Playbooks.  In some companies with widely varied products, there can be different selling playbooks in place.  Introduce and overview all you have.

Selling resource libraries and policies.  Where are the brochures and white papers kept, and how do they map to specific portions of buying journeys?  A best practice is to capture common “sticking points” in typical buyer journeys, and to develop content which helps salespeople and customers navigate those sticking points more effectively.  Making it easy for sellers to do this is a hallmark of world class product training.

CRM, and collaboration tools.  Introducing tools for the sales force to become a “group learning organism”, and to disseminate challenges and success throughout the company  is also a best practice.

How does this differ with the product training your sales force receives?  What do you think those differences impact sales performance? What best practices would you like to add to this list?  Post below, or contact me directly.

To Your Success!

Categories
Best Practices Entrepreneurship Human Resources Management Marketing Negotiations Sales Skills Women In Business

Don’t Fall Prey To The First Enemy Of Uncertainty

“When it comes to uncertainty, it’s okay to pray about the direction to take. Just be sure not to fall prey to the uncertainty of that direction. Know when to follow and know when to lead.” –Greg Williams, The Master Negotiator & Body Language Expert

As he walked past an unseen man lying on the ground that he could not see, he heard someone exclaim, “he looks like he’s dying!” He thought to himself, “I’m uncertain of what to do. Others seem to be handling this. I’m not going to get involved.” He later discovered that unseen man was his father.

Are you aware of when you fall prey to the first enemy of uncertainty in a negotiation (You’re always negotiating)? Do you know what that is? The first enemy of uncertainty in a negotiation is the emotions, actions, and reactions you engage in, based on what those around you are doing or do. The opening statement highlights that point. The first enemy of uncertainty is doubt.

When you’re in an environment and you’re not sure of what to do, you seek direction from others in the environment; you may do this in a quiet mindset to assuage your mind of the lack of direction it’s offering you. Your uncertainty is the driver that’s not sure of where to go, so you seek the opinions and insights of others to direct you. Thus, by observing their actions or reactions, you gain a sense of what you might do.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with following the lead of the other negotiator; you can obtain great insights from doing so. The challenge lies in when you should lead from the front, lead from behind, or allow him to lead. If you’re in a leadership position up to that point, relinquishing the lead may seem or feel tenuous. You may even feel that your lack of direction is splayed for all to see, which might call your perceived leadership into question. If such is the case, realize that uncertainty has crept into your mind. The way you deal with it will determine the direction you take in the negotiation.  Don’t be mentally constrained by such a thought. Here are a few things to be aware of.

  1. You’re more likely to be influenced into some form of action based on where you see yourself in relation to the other negotiator (i.e. superior, in a controlling position, inferior, etc.)

 

  1. Based on what’s occurred prior to the point of uncertainty, you may be more or less circumspective. Be aware of this because it too will impact your perception and the actions you engage in.

 

  1. While you’re in a stage of mental siege, take note of what the other negotiator is doing. In particular, note the degree that he studies your actions. If he cues off of your actions, he may be wondering about your position or to what degree you’re contemplating his. If you sense the latter, don’t relieve him of his quandary. You can use that time to think about your next move.

Here’s the point. When you’re in a negotiation, at the first sign of uncertainty, stop and think. Don’t be mentally belabored by the perception of pending doom, or the fear of looking stupid. When it comes to uncertainty, we seek the leadership of others to lead us, or we can call upon our prior actions for that purpose. To combat uncertainty, know which source to choose.

When you heighten your sense of awareness about uncertainty, you’ll have greater insight into how to control it. Controlling it will be the key that unlocks the blockade where uncertainty lurks. That will allow you to banish the enemy of uncertainty, which is doubt … and everything will be right with the world.

Remember, you’re always negotiating!

After reading this article, what are you thinking? I’d really like to know. Reach me at Greg@TheMasterNegotiator.com

To receive Greg’s free 5-minute video on reading body language or to sign up for the “Negotiation Tip of the Week” and the “Sunday Negotiation Insight” click here http://www.themasternegotiator.com/greg-williams/

#Enemy #Uncertainty #Negotiation #HandlingObjections #Negotiator #HowToNegotiateBetter #CSuite #TheMasterNegotiator #psychology #CombatDisinformation

Categories
Marketing Personal Development

Boost Brand-Building Online with Physical Distribution

These days, we spend a lot of money and time on online brand-building. There are tons of marketers online that promise to revamp your sales. They’ll write copy, buy you social media ads, and build you funnels. But who does all this go to? A massive population at the very top of the funnel. You’d be lucky to get 2% buy in. Seems inefficient, doesn’t it?

This could be fine for selling digital products, personal branding, and even personal services, but when it comes to consumer packaged goods (CPG), the effort isn’t nearly as effective as starting with good physical distribution.

Many consumer brand-builders decide to sell their products online, not because they want to, but because they have to. Retailers won’t take them! So, they try to execute the same type of campaigns that seem to be successful for personal brands. If you have a lot of money for TV ads, it may rub off as support for your online efforts. But now you’re breaking the bank, and your ROI is in jeopardy.

On the other hand, online consumer brand promotions that are already in retail can see a handsome ROI, since the consumer has already seen the brand. We notice that, before making their first purchase, consumers will be aware of a brand after several visits to the store. Online promotion can shorten that time by making the consumer more familiar with your brand’s benefits and features by offering incentives or by providing third-party endorsements. But it must be at retail first!

Most importantly, an online initiative can provide where-to-buys. Your field salespeople can use this to promote displays and specials in physical stores.

So why not sell online in addition to in-store? To put it simply, retailers won’t go near it if it’s one cent less anywhere online than what they can sell it for. This is why many consumer brand-builders list a purposely inflated price—just to make room for the retailer.

Think about subscription models, like the Dollar Shave Club for example. They’re somewhat successful, but how many subscriptions does a consumer want to get the hundreds of products they need? How often do they want their deliveries? What if they miss one? Eventually, one trip to the retailer seems like the better option.

In retail, the new trend is to go to the store, pick out what you want, and have the items delivered same-day. This is kind of a mash-up between physical choice, personalized attention, and instant gratification. Or, like at Target, Walmart, and many other retailers, you can order online and pick the items up in-store without paying a delivery fee. This reduces the store’s need to carry large inventories by satisfying specific consumer orders for on-demand products.

Even with the above changes and many more to come, ensuring physical distribution is the easiest way for people to find you. It’s the best way to utilize online promotion. But, it’s the most difficult challenge that consumer brand builders face. So why do it, then? Because the best discovery, volume, and large transactions that keep CPG business going are still at retail.

And there’s no magic formula. Getting on the shelf isn’t the real challenge. The real challenge is staying on the shelf! Don’t take your first big break lightly. But, if you can get in at retail level and then get discontinued (possibly due to your unfamiliarity of how to service your customers), the entire industry will know. Your competition will be happy to warn others not to purchase your “non-starter.” Make sure your first few shots at retail give you the reputation of a “hot mover.” You’ll need that to expand your distribution!

Then, once you put all that money into promotion and online ads, it’ll have somewhere to go—into the store, where customers have seen that brand before!

To help you out, we’ve created a course called Shelf Smarts. Check it out! Discover how you can get your product on the shelf, and keep it there!

For more, read on: http://c-suitenetworkadvisors.com/advisor/michael-houlihan-and-bonnie-harvey/