Help Everybody Everyday

I get to look at a lot of writing during my work. I've seen marketing materials from many firms. While the visuals are often nice, most of the words just plain suck.

The other day, we were on a phone call talking to a firm Principal about a proposal effort. We were politely trying to explain why the writing that he gave for his firm was so bad.

One of the issues is that larger firms often have many different groups. Those groups try to differentiate themselves from the competition but, also in some sense, from their own firm. This causes a problem because you end up seeing language like this:

"The (enter service line here) Group is one of the most highly respected groups within our firm."

Read that again. That's a crazy thing to write to a potential client. Who cares that your internal people think highly of this group of other people within your firm?

What if I was to start using that language in my personal resume?

"Matt is the most amazing marketer that Matt has ever met."

Makes me sound like an idiot, right?

Here is another marketing cliché that always cracks me up:

"(firm name) is the 23rd largest (type of firm) firm in the country."

Here is why you are a fool to write that. You are alluding that size matters. If bigger is better, I'm going to hire the 22nd largest firm. Better yet, I'll hire the largest or second largest firm. If size matters, why would anyone hire the 23rd largest firm?

This is why your marketing words suck. You are measuring your firm's worth with your personal measuring stick. But the fact is that nobody cares about these things but you. Certainly, your clients don't.  

There has been such an evolution is web design since I started making websites back in 1996. Back then, it was primarily done by coding and it was a hobby usually conducted by college students or programmers. But in 1997, two WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) website creation programs came out that "changed the game." Both Macromedia Dreamweaver and Golive Cyber Studio, ironically both are now owned by Adobe, allowed people to develop websites visually. And the core developer of websites shifted from the programmer to the designer. Websites started to look much better and much more "professional." Thus, every company suddenly wanted a website as its own virtual brochure.  And with this new need, web design firms sprung up like wildfire. Because each page of your site had to be designed by someone who knew what they were doing, creating a large corporate website was a big expense. It usually meant hiring not only a web design consultant, but an in-house "webmaster" to keep the site updated.  

But then another evolution occurred. The blog came along and with it the popularity of the content management system (CMS). This did a couple things. First, now you didn't have to know much "about websites" to update the content on your website. And it shifted the code which makes up the design of sites away from each page and into a file (or series of files) called a cascading style sheet. These days the entire design of your site is actually outside your site. What does that mean? It means that you can redesign your entire site by changing one file rather than each page on your site. Obviously, this method makes designing and redesigning websites much cheaper. It has also created new businesses that offered customizable website templates that are cheap and well designed.

Jeff Gardner, from Smashing Magazine, a website targeted at designers explains why this is a fallacy.

"Quality-Price-Ratio (or QPR as it’s commonly referred to) is a concept that is used extensively in the wine trade. In it’s essence it’s nothing more than a measure of perceived value, of the enjoyment you receive weighed against the price you have to pay. Do you feel that the benefit your gained was worth the price you paid? If you don’t, then the product or service has a low QPR. On the other hand, if you feel like you got away with highway robbery then the product or service has a very high QPR. I’ll spare you the metaphysical comparisons between wine and design beyond this one important point: There is no correlation between price and quality when discussing wine or design."

Read the whole article here.

I wanted to take a moment to thank the readers and contributors to this site. I've been happy with the response this site has been getting. If we can help one marketer or even one AEC professional than I feel like we are doing good. A special shout out goes to the 52 registered users/contributors. Thank you for being a part of this community. And I also want to thank those who have written comments on the site. Thank you for giving us your thoughts and views. More comments please, they make my day! No voice should be unheard.

Some of you have subscribed to the site. On the right there is a link where you can choose to receive a regular email when a new article is posted. Others choose to use the link that let's you connect with services like Google Reader. You know who you are because you think I don't know the English language! I believe that writing is a process. So the subscribers often get the not so polished version of the posts. I apologize for that and will try to remedy that situation. If you are ever unsure of my education or mental state, just check back to the website for the polished post.

I'm also planning some site improvements that should make the experience better for the registered users.

In conclusion,

1. Thank you!
2. I invite you to subscribe to our email, register as a user, comment, and contribute.
3. This is not my site, it's yours!
4. More great content is on the way.
5. If there is some topic you want us to cover, just send me an email or smoke signal!

 Some people have asked about the results of the perfect CRM exercise. The result was that the objective of the exercise was realized. The seed has been planted in the brains of CRM users and, in some cases, CRM developers.

I can tell you that CRM companies like Deltek and Cosential have visited the site since we did our posts. Our voice has been heard, but let me start with a bit of history.

A few months back I had a long phone and email exchange with Dan Cornish, CEO of Cosential (Many A/E/C firms use their CRM product). This conversation was initiated by Dan (which I was impressed with). Dan and I don't necessarily agree on many of my thoughts on CRM. But I left the conversation with the realization that Dan is about as passionate as they come on the subject of CRM. That conversation may have prompted him to post about a new direction for his product. (Note: I'm not a Cosential user, expert, or spokesperson. Although, I had used it many years ago).

I also left the conversation understanding that part of Cosential's strategy is to "out innovate" the competition. And as a fan of Peter Ducker, I certainly respect that. (See Cosential's iPhone app, cloud architecture, and upcoming spreadsheet-inspired user interface option).

Dan recently posted his response to my vision of the Perfect CRM. You can read it here.

First off, Dan says that part of the problem with CRM is that the purchase of these systems is not always driven by those responsible for marketing success. So he makes the argument that the current CRM systems reflect what was asked for. But he does see a future where my vision of the Perfect CRM has a place in the market. Dan says the post “is really a great roadmap on how CRM systems should evolve.” So this little exercise may impact the CRM industry in a big way.

The debate about the Perfect CRM willl continue. We were  interviewed for an  issue of Zwieg White’s Marketing Now! publication that comes out today.  This will be the first time the authors have addressed the subject since the postings.

Lastly, next year, SMPS Marketer may further explore the issue of the perfect CRM.

Can you start or contribute to a conversation that changes our industry for the better? Yes, you can! That's what this site is all about. So, join the conversation. Let your voice be heard!

Leave a comment about your vision of the perfect CRM!

I hate to read books. Not just business books, but any book. It's true. All day at work all I do is read and edit letters, emails, proposals, etc. So the last thing I want to do when not at work is read any business books. But there are a few books that I consider must reads, because they have influenced my approach to life and work. I thought I would list them here, so others can benefit from the wisdom contained within.

I have also included links where you can buy all five of these books for a combined total of less than $35 (now that's a no-brainer!). 

Influence: Science and Practice 

http://product.half.ebay.com/Influence_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ219069 

Let me say, this book is not for the faint at heart. But it is, in my opinion, the most important book about marketing that has ever been written. Simply put. It is more of a large research study into what influences human behavior. I found it fascinating and a "game changer." It is very technical and talks in great deal about research on human behavior. But, my god, it will change the way you think about marketing or influencing others. If there was ever a secret must read business book that had all the answers...this is it. 

Book Review [Influence: Science and Practice is an examination of the psychology of compliance (i.e. uncovering which factors cause a person to say "yes" to another's request). Written in a narrative style combined with scholarly research, Cialdini combines evidence from experimental work with the techniques and strategies he gathered while working as a salesperson, fundraiser, advertiser, and in other positions inside organizations that commonly use compliance tactics to get us to say "yes." Widely used in classes, as well as sold to people operating successfully in the business world, the eagerly awaited revision of Influence reminds the reader of the power of persuasion. Cialdini organizes compliance techniques into six categories based on psychological principles that direct human behavior: reciprocation, consistency, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. ]

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity 

http://product.half.ebay.com/Getting-Things-Done_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ2346007 

I guess this is one of the business books I could talk about a little less. David Allen and his GTD system is one of the topics I talk and preach about most. Its amazing to me that anybody would read this book and say, "I'm not going to do this." I got wind of this book from someone who I didn't like, but since I have read the book...its had a huge effect on my work life. 

Book Review [With first-chapter allusions to martial arts, "flow," "mind like water," and other concepts borrowed from the East (and usually mangled), you'd almost think this self-helper from David Allen should have been called Zen and the Art of Schedule Maintenance.

Not quite. Yes, Getting Things Done offers a complete system for downloading all those free-floating gotta-do's clogging your brain into a sophisticated framework of files and action lists--all purportedly to free your mind to focus on whatever you're working on. However, it still operates from the decidedly Western notion that if we could just get really, really organized, we could turn ourselves into 24/7 productivity machines. (To wit, Allen, whom the New Economy bible Fast Company has dubbed "the personal productivity guru," suggests that instead of meditating on crouching tigers and hidden dragons while you wait for a plane, you should unsheathe that high-tech saber known as the cell phone and attack that list of calls you need to return.)

As whole-life-organizing systems go, Allen's is pretty good, even fun and therapeutic. It starts with the exhortation to take every unaccounted-for scrap of paper in your workstation that you can't junk, The next step is to write down every unaccounted-for gotta-do cramming your head onto its own scrap of paper. Finally, throw the whole stew into a giant "in-basket"

That's where the processing and prioritizing begin; in Allen's system, it get a little convoluted at times, rife as it is with fancy terms, subterms, and sub-subterms for even the simplest concepts. Thank goodness the spine of his system is captured on a straightforward, one-page flowchart that you can pin over your desk and repeatedly consult without having to refer back to the book. That alone is worth the purchase price. Also of value is Allen's ingenious Two-Minute Rule: if there's anything you absolutely must do that you can do right now in two minutes or less, then do it now, thus freeing up your time and mind tenfold over the long term. It's commonsense advice so obvious that most of us completely overlook it, much to our detriment; Allen excels at dispensing such wisdom in this useful, if somewhat belabored, self-improver aimed at everyone from CEOs to soccer moms (who we all know are more organized than most CEOs to start with). --Timothy Murphy] 

 Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time 

Amazon Link 

This is a great business book about developing and maintaining relationships. Enough said. Although, I must admit that i always eat lunch alone. But that's simply because I run with a group of people during lunch time.  

Book Review [Ferrazzi grew up in rural Pennsylvania, the son of a steelworker and a cleaning lady, yet his ability to connect with others led to a scholarship at Yale, a Harvard MBA, and a prestigious partnership at Deloitte Consulting. His skills at creating and maintaining a network of contacts are nothing short of those of a serious presidential contender. All business hopefuls seek to enter a sphere of players more powerful than themselves, and Ferrazzi says that sometimes all it takes is asking. The book is dense with suggestions. Seek out mentors to guide you and introduce you to the people you need to know and then become a mentor yourself. Use your initial conversation to show the other person what you have to offer them, and never keep score. Make others feel important by remembering their names and birthdays. And don't be afraid to open up and show vulnerability--it's a great icebreaker. Ferrazzi presents a whirlwind of ideas to widen your circle of contacts that goes way beyond the usual stale concepts of "networking." David Siegfried Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved] 

How to Win Friends and Influence People 

http://product.half.ebay.com/How-to-Win-Friends-and-Influence-People_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ713865 

This business book teaches you how to deal with people. Yes, nobody wants to be walking around with this book in his/her hand. The title alone makes you feel like an idiot. But you must remember, this book was written in 1937.  It is said to be responsible for the whole public relations industry! These tactics worked in 1937 and believe me they work in 2009 (and will work in 2999). 

Book Review [This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated. Financial success, Carnegie believed, is due 15 percent to professional knowledge and 85 percent to "the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people." He teaches these skills through underlying principles of dealing with people so that they feel important and appreciated. He also emphasizes fundamental techniques for handling people without making them feel manipulated. Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person." Carnegie illustrates his points with anecdotes of historical figures, leaders of the business world, and everyday folks. --Joan Price] 

First Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers to Differently 

http://product.half.ebay.com/First-Break-All-the-Rules_W0QQprZ886796QQtgZinfo 

This business book was given to my wife when she was promoted to a manager's position. It sat around my house for a while. I picked it up and started reading it when I started managing. What's great about this book is that it is based on research, unlike most business books out there. It teaches you how to be an effective leader and manager. This book is to management, what Influence: Science and Practice is to marketing. And again, its another must read.

Book Review [Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman expose the fallacies of standard management thinking in First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently. In seven chapters, the two consultants for the Gallup Organization debunk some dearly held notions about management, such as "treat people as you like to be treated"; "people are capable of almost anything"; and "a manager's role is diminishing in today's economy." "Great managers are revolutionaries," the authors write. "This book will take you inside the minds of these managers to explain why they have toppled conventional wisdom and reveal the new truths they have forged in its place."

The authors have culled their observations from more than 80,000 interviews conducted by Gallup during the past 25 years. Quoting leaders such as basketball coach Phil Jackson, Buckingham and Coffman outline "four keys" to becoming an excellent manager: Finding the right fit for employees, focusing on strengths of employees, defining the right results, and selecting staff for talent--not just knowledge and skills. First, Break All the Rules offers specific techniques for helping people perform better on the job. For instance, the authors show ways to structure a trial period for a new worker and how to create a pay plan that rewards people for their expertise instead of how fast they climb the company ladder. "The point is to focus people toward performance," they write. "The manager is, and should be, totally responsible for this." Written in plain English and well organized, this book tells you exactly how to improve as a supervisor. --Dan Ring]   

And For Those Looking for Extra Credit!

The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done 

Yes, there is a 6th among the must read business books. I did not include it because I feel that "Getting Things Done" is the productivity book that you must read. BUT if you were to read two productivity-related business books, the Effective Executive would be #2. Peter Drucker is probably the most important business writer ever. If you read "The Essential Drucker" its like a complete education in business. But its too broad to include in this list. The Effective Executive talks simply about how to be effective at work.  Don't shy away from this book if you are not a Vice President, or Principal, or even a Manager. Drucker explains that an executive is someone who executes (makes things happen). 

http://product.half.ebay.com/The-Effective-Executive_W0QQprZ45588744QQtgZinfo

Book Review [Peter Drucker begins this book by pointing out that there is no science of how to improve executive effectiveness, nor any naturally-occurring effective executives. The redeeming point of this problem is that he argues that executive effectiveness can be learned.

The principles begin with a focus on time management. We can get greater quantities of every other resource we need, except time. Drucker reports that executives spend their time much differently than they think they do and much differently than they would like to. His solution is to begin by measuring how you spend your time, and compare it with an ideal allocation. Than begin to systematically get rid of the unimportant in favor of the important. His suggestions include stopping some things, delegation, creating policy decisions to replace ad hoc decisions, staying out of things that others should do, and so forth. Any student of time management will recognize the list he suggests. One of the best points is to give yourself large blocks of uninterrupted time to do more significant tasks. He also cautions us not to cut down on time spent with other people. If an hour is required, don't try to do it in 15 minutes.

Next, Drucker argues that we should focus on what will make a difference rather than unimportant questions. Otherwise, we will fill our time with motion rather than proceeding towards results.

Beyond that, he points out that we have to build on our own strengths and those of the people in our organization. That is how we can outperform the competition and accomplish much more.

We also need to be systems thinkers, getting to the core of the issue first. If we are weak on new products, we need to work on the new product development process before fine-tuning our marketing. If we reverse the order of these activities, our results will be far less.

Perhaps the best section in the book has to do with executive decision-making, when to make a decision, about what, and what principles to apply. If you only read this section, you would be well rewarded for studying this fine book.

I especially liked the familiar Drucker use of important historical examples to make his points. You'll remember the principles better because the examples are so vivid.

Although this book was written some time ago, it retains the strength of its insight today. Truly , this is a timeless way to achieve greater effectiveness.

You may be concerned about how you are going to learn to apply these concepts. That is actually quite easy. Drucker provides questions in each section that will guide you, step-by-step, to focus your attention on the most promising areas.

If you only read one book about how to improve your personal effectiveness as an executive, you will find this to be a rewarding choice. - Amazon Reviewer]

What are your Top 5 Must Read Business Books? Add a comment with your list!!!

 I just read a ton of blog posts and comments about the general topic of "what is a marketing expert?" I caught wind of this discussion when Mel Lester posted what I thought was a good piece on how a marketer can increase their value.

Mel got the age old comment. It goes something like this, "a marketer’s success is limited by the Principal's support of marketing." Here is the link to that.

That article referred to a discussion about "what is a marketing expert?" posted by David Maister a few years ago.

I was shaking my head ruefully while reading these posts. So, maybe I can clear a few things up.

What is an Expert?

Does working in a field for 20 years make you an expert? No. Does a fancy title make you an expert? No. Does an industry certification make you an expert? No. Does a large degree of success make you an expert? No. Does an advanced degree or number of degrees make you an expert? Nope.

So, what makes someone an expert? An expert is simply someone who has contributed to the industry body of knowledge in his or her profession. And in the world of AEC marketing, there are not a whole lot of experts out there.

The notion that a marketing expert has to worry about a marketing expert being hired at their firm is quite ridiculous. It would be such a rare occurrence, that it's not even worth talking about. Even if that were to happen, "experts" wouldn't start googling your blog to find a solution.

The butcher that can cut you a pound of meat without weighing it is not an expert. He's just a darn good butcher. The butcher who created a better way to slice up a cow and documented it, that's your expert.

Many of us are darn good marketers. We do stuff and people ask, "How do you make it look so easy?" The answer is simply we have done it a million times. So, like the butcher, we verbalized it with "I dunno."

Most likely, you are not a marketing expert. With a lot of practice and smarts, you may become a darn good marketer. Most everybody else is an advanced novice, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Experts are rare.

The Principal Dilemma

I have yet to meet the in house marketing professional that got fired for bringing in too much business. Let's stop with the cop outs. The problem that most marketers have is not a lack of resources; it's a lack of resourcefulness.

Your boss won't spring for the new website? Build it. Find or create solutions that are so good that your boss doesn't say no.

Boss won't pay for that conference? Take a sick day and pay for it yourself. If it's that great an opportunity, you'll make it back on bonus or commission. If not, you just bought a good education.

Tim Klabunde started the DCN network and essentially brought the conference to him. That is resourcefulness.

Mel explained in his response that he was “living proof that you can sometimes change the paradigm.”

Again, it's a lack of resourcefulness that is your problem.

Blaming your lack of success on the business climate, your boss, or the phase of the moon indicates one thing...you are no expert.

Influence = Marketing

One of the posts complained that experts find themselves being bested by influencers. If you are a marketer that does not have the skill or ability to influence other people's decisions, here is a newsflash for you, you suck at your job.

I'm sorry to be the one to break that to you. McDonalds may be hiring.

It's Not Easy to Become an Expert

Out of the hundreds of construction industry professionals I know, I can count the experts on one hand. All of these have been called to the witness stand as an expert in their field. All have had their expertise aggressively, but unsuccessfully, challenged by the best lawyers in the business. All have significantly contributed to the industry body of knowledge. One, in my opinion, has saved countless lives because of his contributions to the construction of nuclear power plants.

Of all the marketers I have met, I can honestly count the experts on one finger. That's a harsh reality.

The Only Person Who Has Control of Your Doughnut is You

Like Mel said, You have control of your success. Don't waste your time worrying about the hole. Don’t concern yourself with that which is outside your sphere of influence. Focus on the doughnut. You have control of the doughnut, not the hole.

I understand people call themselves experts to market their services. Lets face it, the word expert appears somewhere on every professional services firm website.

Throwing words around is fine. Creating perception is one of the things that marketers do. But realize the words eventually become meaningless.

What we are left with is Managers who don't manage, Directors who don't direct anything, and worst of all Experts with no expertise.

Don't agree? Tell me in the comments section.