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What Steve Jobs Can Teach Us About “Buzz”
Posted by Suzanne Bates on 04 Apr 2010 | Tagged as: Marketing, Uncategorized, leadership and communication, profitable business, sales
After reading the 1,347th article on the iPad this month, I got to thinking about buzz. What does Steve Jobs know about creating buzz that could help the rest of us take our business ideas from good to breakthrough? What does he understand that makes otherwise normal people wait on line with grungy strangers for days on end without food or porta potties to get their hands on a device that nobody has even laid eyes on?
As we all know, buzz is created when news spreads that an idea, product or service is cool and worth trying. The news usually comes through channels regarded as reliable by others; a few “knowing” early testers who have credibility with others say the word. Buzz grows as more and more credible sources spread the word. Past success doesn’t hurt; In Apple’s case its blockbuster cool factor is enough to launch a stampede.
Even if you’re a cynic, and I know many of you are because you write to me from time to time, it is intellectually dishonest to dismiss buzz as simple hype. Sure there’s some marketing voodoo involved. Computer whizzes with access to the internet and a relationship with some opinion leaders can generate buzz within hours; still there has to be something real there to build and sustain excitement. If it isn’t really cool, or if it doesn’t work, or if it isn’t of value to the buyer, the buzz dies fast.
So buzz is not smoke and mirrors – there has to be a high level of value underneath it all. You actually have to deliver something your customers really want to buy and that works very well. What gets people talking about you isn’t phony marketing hype; it’s the experience they have with your product or service that kindles the desire to share information with others.
So Steve Jobs can teach us some things about buzz that are universal. I think there are at least three factors that any of us can recreate in our own businesses.
1. Unique Value
When people believe that you or your company offer something they cannot find anywhere else, and they perceive that you or your product or service are highly valuable, they will buy it and pay top dollar for it. And if that experience confirms their suspicions and it works, they will be eager to tell others; it’s just human nature to spread the word.
Creating real, unique value for your customers or clients is the key. Apple is focused like a laser on what its customers want. They know their faithful buyers are creative; they are learners, mavericks, free thinkers who see currency in owning and using the new, new thing.
Who are your customers and what do they value? It seems like such a fundamental question but herein lays a path to breakthrough. And don’t think that you just have to ask them. Sometimes you have to know them better than they know themselves. Steve Jobs has a small creative team which includes a few top executives. They don’t rely on market research so much as their own internal compasses.
2. Obsession with Quality
Jobs is reportedly so obsessed with perfection that he is known to barge into an engineer’s office and say, “no one will understand this. You need to fix this.” Apparently he does this regularly. This is probably comforting for anyone who has ever been accused of micromanaging a project.
In noting that obsession with quality is part of creating products that generate buzz, I’m not suggesting it gives you license as a leader to breathe down people’s necks. You can’t create new stuff by reigning in creativity or punishing people for failures. However, it does suggest that quality is a huge part of the equation; which means you need to set the standard and make it known that nothing less than the best is good enough. No matter how cool the new product or service is if it doesn’t work really well, it won’t generate any buzz.
3. Innovation
Apple is considered one of the most innovative companies of our time, maybe all time. Innovation is certainly a buzz word today. Every company is talking about innovation at its team meetings. So why do so few achieve it? I think it’s because deep down they doubt themselves. They’re insecure about their own ability to create or evolve.
Returning to the Apple example, I read in the Boston Globe that Carl Yankowski, who worked with Jobs and also competed with Apple as the CEO of Palm and Sony Electronics said Apple will work with suppliers “to get them to do things that (they) don’t think they can do, like make ultra-thin, ultra-light products that incorporate all kinds of new technologies.”
So as you think about driving innovation as a leader in your company I guess I would ask what are you doing to make people believe?
Of course buzz isn’t everything. There are those people who are not swayed by buzz. Many years ago, I’ll never forget our family’s first trip to Disney World; we four kids had heard the buzz that that Space Mountain was the coolest ride. But when my dad saw the long line snaking around past the giant turkey drumstick stand he refused to wait. “I wouldn’t wait 45 minutes to see the President,” he declared with that tone of finality that wouldn’t even tempt us to challenge the decision.
But most people aren’t like my dad. Most people will stand in line to buy your stuff if they hear the buzz see value. So it really is possible, in fact likely that you’ll succeed when you execute on these principles. Always invest in marketing, but know that before you can get people talking about you, you have to create unique value, insist on quality and foster innovation. That’s how you define breakthrough.
Leadership: Positive Message in Time of Crisis
Posted by Suzanne Bates on 26 Jan 2009 | Tagged as: Communication, Leadership, Motivate Like a CEO, economic crisis, economy, executive, government, leadership style, management style, motivated employees, motivating employees, motivation, profitable business, recession
Reuters reports this morning (Monday January 26, 2009) that the U.S. business climate is the worst in 27 years. The National Association of Business Economics‘ (NABE) quarterly industry poll found that the economic slump worsened in the fourth quarter and the majority of respondents expected gross domestic product to contract at a faster pace in 2009.
“The NABE’s industry survey depicts the worst business conditions since the survey began in 1982, confirming the U.S. recession deepened in the fourth quarter of 2008,” said spokeswoman Sara Johnson.
I’m not posting this to promote the gloom and doom news. I’m want to talk about how leaders … how you…must act now - to focus your organizations, survive and position yourself for the future.
First, remember while times are still challenging this is historical data. There will be an economic stimulus package out of Washington. While the details are being hammered out - we can hope it will address both the credit crisis and lending, as well as job creation and infrastructure.
Moreover, what we need right now is for business leaders to step up and lead the way. We need to hear from America’s top business leaders and get their voices engaged in the public discourse. Business leaders have a role in restoring public confidence. We cannot leave it all up to Washington.
In the meantime, what we need to recognize is in our own organizations, there is a “secondary crisis” of confidence. As we started New Year - looking ahead to the inauguration of President Obama in sight, most of us felt hopeful about a recovery, if not immediately, at least this year.
But the drumbeat of economic news — and the fact that we still don’t have a stimulus package is now creating a pervasive, sense of malaise in many companies that is going to take over if we don’t manage our own emotions and give people hope.
Pessimism and doubt threaten to undermine the very qualities within your organization that will speed a recovery – productivity and creativity. This is why now more than ever, business leaders need to get out front, and motivate and inspire their teams.
As a leader, you have no control over the credit crisis or the stimulus package but you can and must manage the motivation of your own team and keep people focused on what matters now. The biggest mistake many leaders are making at this moment– they are not communicating often enough with their own teams. You need to open up the channels of communication, even on a daily basis – by email, blog, through meetings let everyone know how they can help – and solicit their ideas. In crisis mode, executive teams tend to become insulated – instead they need to put more time on their calendars for communication and make sure they are in the loop with employees and customers.
While writing Motivate Like a CEO, what I saw in the interviews and research was clear - a motivated workforce is the key to building a strong culture that will survive the ups and downs of the economy.
What’s the biggest worry on the minds of your employees? They’re hearing that 1.9 million jobs were lost in the last four months of last year. The NABE report said job losses are expected to continue in the first half of 2009.
Even if you are still uncertain about what lies ahead:
- Get out front with a positive message
- Tell people what you know
- Ask for their ideas - get them engaged
- Focus your message on the most important things they can do
- Communicate good news immediately, even if it’s small
- Be honest about where things stand - don’t sugarcoat
- Tell them you believe in them
- Reward and recognize achievements
Today ONLY, I want to let you know that we have a 24-hour complimentary offering of gifts, if you purchase a copy of my new book, Motivate Like a CEO, Communicate Your Strategic Vision and Inspire People to Act!
Purchase the book, copy your confirmation number and send it to moconnor@bates-communications.com and we will send you a full page of links where you can collect dozens of complimentary gifts like audio programs, white papers, tip sheets and other valuable offers from authors and experts like Keith Ferrazzi, (Never Eat Alone); Lois Frankel (Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office); Lynn Robinson (Divine Intuition and Trust your Gut); Sheryl Lindsell Roberts (Business Writing books galore) and many, many more!
Among those who are also “buzzing” about the book today are Jeffrey Gitomer (Little Red Book of Sales) David Allen (Getting Things Done) and we have endorsements from among others, Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).
Remember, copy and paste your confirmation number from amazon, and email it to Meredith O’Connor: moconnor@bates-communications.com
Secrets of Million Dollar Consultants
Posted by Suzanne Bates on 08 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: profit, profitable business
I just spent four days at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida with a small, incredibly accomplished group of top consultants from around the world, including the U.S., Germany and Australia. The “Million Dollar Club” was launched by Alan Weiss, author of over 20 books including the best seller, “Million Dollar Consulting.”
Alan asked each member of the group to list the qualties that made their businesses successful. Surprisingly, while all of our business models were different, there was tremendous synergy and similarity.
I’m passing these “traits” of million dollar consultants along to any and all consultants, business owners, and leaders who would like to know how to improve their businesses, make more money and have more fun. The top five are in this posting, the we will email to you if you contact Meredith O’Connor, our Marketing/Communications Director. moconnor@bates-communications.com and ask her to email you the PDF of the “30 Million Dollar Club Traits.”
5 of the 30 Traits of Million Dollar Consultants:
1. Focus and discipline: determine what’s important and be ruthless focusing on achieving and surpassing your goals.
2. Market: Identify your key markets and exploit them.
3. Leverage and scalability: when can 1 plus 1 equal 1,000? Constantly seek to leverage products, services, markets and relationships.
4. Database Intelligence: create, nurtuer grow, and cleanse databases so that they are of high quality and generate powerful returns.
5. Belief and Faith: The client doesn’t tell you how to consult and you will insist on the right way or walk.
If you’re not acquainted with Alan, I highly recommend “Million Dollar Consuting” as well as his groundbreaking book on how to dramatically increase your revenues and develop more profitable business through “Value Based Selling.” To visit Alan’s web site click here.