First, when going into a meeting, turn off your cell phone.  That’s an easy thing and no one should have to be reminded.  Take out your pen, and put your cell phone on vibrate.

Next, if you are in a public place, put your cell phone on vibrate.  The meeting we were having was in a small coffee shop so when the person at the next table received a phone call.  It rang so loud we all jumped.

When you answer the phone, think about the people around you.  I can’t tell you how many conversations I can recount to you from the last week of paying attention that were people just talking loudly on their cell phones.  I’m tempted to start commenting – wouldn’t the person on the phone be surprised?!

Keep conversations short when you are in public.  In you are in line somewhere or at a restaurant, keep it short. It is frustrating when you are holding up the world so you can finish your conversation.  And exactly how is a company suppose to provide you customer service if you are on the phone the whole time?

Be conscious of when you check your phone during a conversation with someone else.  If you know there’s an important call coming in that you have to take, warn the person up front.  If the phone rings and it might be a school or other issue, let the person know you have to check for that reason.  Otherwise, focus on the person in front of you and let the phone go for awhile.

And just to invoke a little common sense, if it would be reasonable for another person to say, “shhhh” to you in that location, don’t take a phone call. The library, a church, a lobby of an office, a movie theater, a quiet restaurant, etc. are all places we would shush you so do it yourself!

The bottom line here is as the face of your company, your behavior speaks volumes about who you are and what your company is about.  If you are rude with your phone, regardless of your intentions, your company will be judged that way.  If you take my call and are in public, I will wonder who can hear what we’re saying and how conscience you are of confidentiality.  If you infringe on my lunch or meeting with your phone, I will assume you are insensitive and don’t care about other people.  Not the right messages, right?

I bring this up because this has happened to me a number of times lately. Either I was the speaker or I was an attendee who got to spend a great deal of time with the speaker because the organizer didn’t show up early. For the one the organizer got there right before it started and the other he arrived on time but then had to get coffee, etc. so we didn’t start on time. So what did they communicate?

In both cases someone sitting near me said, “I’ll have to remember this the next time I’m rushing to get here”. Great. Now at the next meeting of this group someone else isn’t going to show up on time. In one meeting someone took the initiative to make sure everyone was introduced and had a short discussion on why they were there. When the organizer sat down, she was already behind and everyone looked to the guy who had introduced them to run the meeting. Loss of respect was NOT what she was going for at that meeting!

So what should have happened? If you are in charge, get there early. That isn’t a big deal, just schedule the meeting 30 minutes earlier in your calendar. Next, have a plan for what happens when people get there. Will they sign in, will they be introduced to someone, etc. Finally, be sure you own the meeting and run it. Clearly people came when you called, so they already have a reason to listen. Be sure to make it worth their while so they will come back the next time.

I love to build marketing messages based on sales objections.  You already know what issues people bring to the table and how to answer it, so do so before they even get there! Leading with those objection-answers gives you a chance to show you do understand your customers and why they should make the call.  These can be done as a series of emails, a series of blog posts, testimonials that give the reader insight into why the customer was skeptical and how you overcame it, or voice mails that are left for prospects.  Here’s an example of how to work this:

I recently met with a client who’s prospects don’t trust them.  There are some unscrupulous people in their industry and they are always fighting an uphill battle to overcome those concerns.  We developed a list of what other companies have done wrong, and used it as our messages.  We did an email marketing series as well as used them in voice mails.  We pointed out that there are some companies who have experienced X.  We don’t do that – we do this.  It was extremely effective and yielded 40% more inbound contacts.

It was tough for this customer to come up with marketing messages in the past, but now that the sales team is giving them objections and answers, the possibilities have really opened up.  Try this technique and then let me know how it goes!

There was a time when people didn’t have processes.  Then, it was vital to mention you had one and clients wanted details.  How could you ensure you would be able to replicate your results if you didn’t have a process?  Today, most people talk about a process so it has lost the impact.  Today, you have to illustrate your process differently.

For some of my clients, we design a graphic to illustrate their process.  These pictures convey exactly how the process will repeat the success and are easy to follow.  In fact, I’ve had a couple of clients that when we tried to draw their process we couldn’t and they have gone back and simplified the whole thing!  Another option is to name the process.  Giving it a name gives it meaning as well and also an opportunity to discuss where the name came from, how it works, etc. A third option is to highlight a key step in the process – “we focus on the “XYZ” of our process to ensure world-changing results”.  Again, this changes the game and gives the client something to talk about instead of blowing off your process as just another process.

Generic words that are used by everyone shouldn’t be part of your brand unless you are using them in an unconventional way.  Instead, use pictures, names or call outs to really bring your message home.

Our second variable to look at is whether your company has a strong company brand. Strong company brands are obviously a help in marketing efforts because your clients know who you are. We consider a strong company brand one that is prevalent and correct.

For many clients, having a prevalent brand is vital. When you say the company you are calling from, a prevalent company brand means the customer already has a set of expectations and understanding of what you do. Typically a strong company brand is built through more traditional advertising as the message has to hit home often.

We say “correct” because there are times when a brand message is out in the market place but it isn’t the message the company wants. I once worked with a company that had a brand perception in the marketplace as “sleepy”. That was the word used to describe their over 50 year presence in their market space! Clearly this was not something they wanted their clients to say so we had to attack the brand message knowing we were counteracting “sleepy”.

If you aren’t sure if your company brand is strong, consider how people react when you tell them where you work. Do they immediately know what your company does, or do they look at you expectantly needing more information? From there, you need to determine what message you want with your brand. With that in mind, we are able to build a program to meet that objective!

Loaay Ahmed of Knight’s Capital suggested, “A brand vision is to know where you want to be. A brand mission is to know what needs to be done to get you there.” Do you know where you want to be? It is hard to develop a plan if you don’t know where you need to end up!

Rob Ackerman said “Think of you and your image in the third person.” It is an interesting way to look at yourself and your marketing information. Who are you, really?
Barkri of Clink and Inc. said, “It’s like going to the hardware store thinking that you want a drill, when in fact you actually just need a hole.” What is your GOAL rather than the methodology you want to use to get there?

At the end of the day, a personal brand must have goals, direction and careful review.

We will have more on personal branding in a series appearing on our blog over the next several weeks.

But I bring this up here because this is a brand I have known for as long as I can remember. I know what they are and what to do with a Pringle. What about your brand? Have people known your brand as one thing all along when really there is a question about that?  If someone did question your brand, would it stand up?  Honestly, I don’t expect to stop buying Pringles any time soon – we like them. But it was a surprise to read that. What would surprise your customers?  And would they decide the information was right, wrong or irrelevant? Your brand must withstand outside forces.  Do you have enough potato content?

UPDATED NOTE: I did buy Pringles this week – they have plenty of potato content.