Rooted Growth

The FACE of Marketing

ernieroner — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 05:13:28 +0000

In the 1970s and 80s, most marketing efforts were focused on quality; communicating to the customer about the superiority of the product or service. In the 1990s and into the new millennium, marketing efforts focused on the use of technology. Quality, while still important, took a backseat relative to technology, as outsourcing became more prevalent among manufacturers. In the last decade, there has been a significant shift in the way businesses are looking at marketing efforts. While quality and technology are essential to the success of a business, the concept of Relationship Marketing has gained popularity. Although the great sales trainers such as Hopkins, Carnegie, or Blanchard, have already presented the concept in a few different ways, a good deal of buzz began happening in recent years.
So what does that mean for your business? What does Relationship Marketing look like? Well, it puts a face on your customer. No longer is that prospect just a name in a database representing potential dollar signs. The most important aspect of this new way of doing business is VALUE. But not the typical Westerner’s idea of value. I’m talking about valuing of PEOPLE. When we as business owners take the time to truly connect with people and get to know WHO they are, we are doing a world of good. In turn, we can grow our business with roots that are deeply established, so that when the winds of hard times come blowing, our tree remains deeply rooted with the relationships whose seeds we intentionally watered and cared for over the years. Of course, we want growth in our business. But rooted growth is what allows a business to stand the test of time and grow in a way that is healthy and robust. Think about this: Tom Hopkins went from prospecting like mad, to having a 98% word of mouth referral base in just a few years time. How did he do it? He valued people and nurtured those relationships. He made it a point to send 10 handwritten greeting cards each day. The notes may have just been a, “Hey I thought of you today. Hope you’re well…” or maybe “Happy Birthday. I like you,” or perhaps even a “Let’s meet up sometime…” Simple, right? But the important part is that he did not promote himself or his business when he sent the cards. Valuing the PERSON and not the potential dollars they may represent will give your business roots that go down deep.

By putting a face or a soul on our prospect, and by making that person feel valued and cared for, you can grow your word of mouth referral base to unimaginable levels. This link I’ve posted below is a video that shares that exact concept. It’s a philosophy that every business owner and sales professional must understand. If you want someone’s business, don’t come to them with your hand ready to take. Come to them with a hand that is ready to applaud, support, or help them stand tall. Maya Angelou said it best, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Light that path!

ernieroner — Tue, 04 May 2010 21:46:31 +0000

As we light the path for others, so we light our own way…

I wish I had been the smartypants who came up with that clever line. When I really think about what that phrase is saying, it becomes clear to me that it’s not just another fancy motivational sentence to chant into your mirror each morning. This little phrase means everything–or, at least it should when it comes to your business.

So once again, I urge you, dear brothers and sisters of business…be a source if information for others. Help others in their businesses. Help those around you. Use your FaceBook, LinkedIn, and other social networking tools in a way that is positive and pushes others toward success. Become known in your social and networking circles as a connector and provider of information. Work hard–not so you will be known as that guy who is selling something; be that guy who always presents solutions, has creative ideas, and is always willing to help .

Did you know that therapists commonly recommend a helpful prescription for those who are suffering with depression? That recommendation is one powerful word: service. When we get involved in other people’s lives and step out of our own immediate perspective, we gain a wider understanding of our place in this world and in our community. Although you may not be specifically dealing with depression, you are a human who may be struggling with making your business succeed. Watch what happens when you focus on others. Somehow what goes around comes around. Why does this concept work with those who are depressed? Because it invokes a lifestyle change. It inspires a completely new life philosophy. The idea of helping others…It works. And what’s beautiful is that as you light the path for others, you can’t help but notice that your own path has become illuminated.

Featured Tool this week…

ernieroner — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:30:40 +0000

At RootedGrowth, we love providing you with helpful tips and tools to help you do business better! This week’s featured tool is a terrific Insurance Needs Analysis Tool. Go to the tools page of our site, scroll down, and click the dollars!

INSURANCE NEEDS ANALYSIS

This is an outstanding tool to assist you in determining your life insurance needs. Answering a handful of simple questions can guide you to some incredible solutions for you and your business.

Don’t wait for the eulogy.

ernieroner — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:25:22 +0000

Julio Armijo Morales, Jr.

March 15, 1927 – March 17, 2010

So I haven’t posted in a few weeks. A few weeks back my grandfather was diagnosed with secondary cancer in his liver. He was 83 years old and we knew that he would not be able to tolerate any sort of cancer treatment. About a week later, he was hospitalized and passed away 3 days later. While this has been a very difficult time for our family, it has caused me to reflect on two important themes: Legacy and Promptings.

As we mourned the loss of grandpa/dad/brother/husband, it was comforting to hear that no one had to make up anything nice to say at the service. In fact, all the things talked about were truthful and endearing. Listening to people speak about my grandfather made me wonder what kinds of things people might say about me were I to pass on. What kind of legacy am I going to leave? Am I being intentional about building a legacy? Or am I just going through life blindly, not thinking about what kind of mark I will leave on this earth? Do my actions have intention behind them? Is that intention to help others or is it motivated by self-serving interests? How does the way I run my business reflect my true character and how does that relate to my legacy? Then I thought about all the dear friends and wonderful family with which I’ve been blessed. What would I say about them if they were to pass on? Then the thought went a bit further. If someone is special to me, why on earth would I wait for them to die to let them know what they mean to me? The eulogy I gave at grandpa’s service was a letter to him. In it I told him what he meant to me and just what a special person he was. But what if I had been able to tell him these things while he was still living? Maybe I could have sent a card every now and then with a nice little note saying, “I like your jokes…” or “You always make me feel welcome…” or “You’re a kid at heart and I love it!” How would that have enriched my relationship with him? How would those warm thoughts have made his day brighter? Could my affirming words have motivated him to be a better person? How often to we get that little tug inside, that warm thought, that inner voice reminding us why someone in our life is special? How often do we ignore that little nudge because we’re just too busy to connect? Or perhaps we might feel silly expressing our feelings to someone (by the way, I don’t think anyone ever feels silly sharing those things at a funeral). These inner feelings are what author Kody Bateman refers to as Promptings. I highly recommend his book on the subject. Read it. Be inspired.

I am going to try hard to celebrate people’s lives while they are living. Here’s my challenge to you today: send a card to your best customer, your not-so-best one, and someone you recently got to know. And send one to someone you love. Don’t wait to say nice things. By the way, if you want to send a few cards for free right now and act on your prompting, click here. If you’d rather not, just make sure that you don’t buy a stack of cards and leave them sitting until you have “time” to write them and send them and go buy stamps, etc… Do it NOW. You just might change someone’s life. Grandpa changed mine. I wish I had told him while he was still with us.

Crybaby!

ernieroner — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:29:08 +0000

Many of you know that I am a mother of two sweet little ones. For those of you who don’t particularly like kids, just know that mine are the kind that could make you change your mind. Adorable. Sweet. Practically perfect. Biased, am I? Maybe. My 4 year old is well-mannered and has a wicked sense of humor. My 8 month old has a smile that could melt even the crankiest worker at the post office. Yes, my children are wonderful… Cue the sappy music…doves flying in a heart formation…my eyes welling with tears…my little ones float around with cherub wings and sprinkle good will o’re all the earth…

WAIT A MINUTE!!! REALITY CHECK ON AISLE 9!!!

Yes, the little darlings are wonderful. But you know what? My little guy has a cold today and is trying to cut his first tooth. That means one thing and one thing only: Mr. Screamypants. So what does this have to do with establishing deeply rooted connections in your business? I do have a point, here…I swear.

Why does my little guy cry? He needs something. He cries to communicate a need. Earlier today, as I was walking down the hall to get Mr. Screamypants out of his crib, it struck me: How often do we clearly communicate a need when it comes to doing this thing called “business”? How often do we reach out to our network of associates and friends and ask for help? We are communal beings by nature. Therefore, we need an established network surrounding us. We must remember that having established relationships doesn’t just bring us business and increase our word of mouth referral base. It also helps us be better, do life better, and draw from the deep wells of information that can be found in our network. For example, let’s say that you’re a sales professional who is having a hard time following up with prospects. You might scour the web or search through books for the right tool to help you. But you find that your time is limited so, instead, you reach out to a business associate of yours in your network. You begin to pick her brain about what she does to follow up with her leads. A dialogue begins, brainstorming happens, and lightbulbs go on.

So learn from my diaper-clad little man. Communicate your need. Learn from others. And of course, be ready and willing to share your insights as well. Realize that lone-ranger thinking only gets us so far. When you reach out and communicate your need, you just might gain a new understanding that will take your business to a whole new level.

Personality

ernieroner — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:41:13 +0000

So I went to a “seminar” on Saturday that was supposed to be all about “personality and the workplace.” Another title I saw on one of the handouts said “personality in your profession,” while another said, “the power of personality.” So which was it? I still can’t tell.

Well, the presenter had a winning personality–captivating enough to make me tune in to his anecdotes every 20 minutes or so. But the presentation and the content of the “seminar” (I’m using the term loosely) did not exactly win me over. It basically stunk. But hey, since I’m all about finding the positive, I will say that I met some really wonderful people at the event and that made it all worth it.

Anyhow, sitting there listening to the presenter basically read his powerpoint slides and adlib his way down memory lane made me think about how many people approach their prospects in this way. Sure, they may have winning personalities. They may have lots of nice catch phrases and lines about solutions and remedies. But do they really take the time to get to know the prospect as an individual? Or are they just spouting out their sales pitch? Worse yet, are they saying things like my favorite *most hated* sales line, “I am honest and will be honest with you as my customer…” (sidebar: if you have to tell me you’re honest, it makes me question your honesty–but anyway, I digress…)

As professionals, we can’t hit prospects and leads with a one-size-fits-all sales approach. We can’t assume that just because the powerpoint has been created, if you will, we can apply that template each and every time we connect with people. Take the time to get to know people so that you may learn how to be a true source of value to them. This goes beyond dollars and cents, folks! To build rooted relationships, we must provide something relevant and offer real solutions–not weak “template-type seminars” of rehearsed lines and phrases. Yes, bring your personality. But also get to know theirs. This is the only way to build your word of mouth referral base. Value others. See them as more than a sale. Now THAT’S a winning personality.

Potluck

ernieroner — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 22:09:25 +0000

Ever been invited to a potluck and shown up with not a thing to share? Oops. Or maybe you drive by the local Walgreens and pick up a 2 liter and a sack of Doritos to contribute. I’m not bagging on your lack of cooking ability. Really, I’m not. But come on. Someone went to the trouble of planning the event (true, it’s just a potluck, but still…), and you decided to participate, but only halfway. Well, a lot of folks approach networking and business in this same way. They come to the mixer, ready to take advantage of the opportunity to meet folks, hand out their cards, and tell as many people as they can about what they do. In essence, they are chowing down on the casserole that someone worked so hard on, and going back for seconds and thirds. May I encourage you to show up with something to share? Take some time to think about what problem you solve or who you could connect. Yes, hand out your own business cards, but be mindful about what you’re doing. Be careful about showing up to the potluck and just chowing down. Savvy business owners know that they don’t just have a product or service. They have a solution. Even savvier (is that a word) business owners know that if they can be a source of help for other business owners, they will reap the benefits of fostering solid relationships.

So maybe you can’t bring a casserole, but maybe you will be the one to pass out Rolaids to everyone at the potluck. Who knows? But be an active participant! Be a source of help for others! I love this quote: When we light the path for others, we naturally light our own way. Said another way: when we feed others, we also can nourish ourselves. So dig in! Bon appetit!

What part of NO didn’t you understand?

ernieroner — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:03:16 +0000

I remember one Christmas when I was a kid my mom gave my dad a navy blue sweatshirt with bright block letters that read, “What part of NO didn’t you understand?” All the grownups in the family laughed as dad pulled the shirt out of the box and read it aloud. It seemed to me that he wore that sweatshirt all the time…to my school events, when washing his car, even to church. Everyone thought it was so funny and clever. I thought it was dumb. Of course I was 12 and the only thing that was cool to me at the time was New Kids On The Block. Wow. Did I just admit that on my professional blog? Anyway, I remember that silly sweatshirt and how it’s message is clear: my no means no and that’s that. As professionals, how do we handle NO? Do we give up and walk away, or do we see it as a chance to push and push until we get our way? Do we see it as a negative force or do we see it as a good thing? I’m in the process of re-reading a great little book entitled Go for No! by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz. I’ve included a brief video below about it. When you change your perception of NO, it becomes your best friend in sales! It’s the only word you will want to hear! After reading this powerful little book, you won’t find yourself cringing at the sound of no, like I did when dad wore that sweatshirt to my jr. high dance… You will happily embrace NO! Go for NO and see your successes grow!

Thanks…for everything.

ernieroner — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:08:21 +0000

A huge part of maintaining relationships is expressing gratitude for the people in your life. Applying this to business relationships is no exception. We all know that saying thank you is polite, yet we often fail to live in a state of gratitude. Sure, we say thanks to the barista as he hands us our latte. We say thanks when someone holds the door for us. We send a thank you note in response to a gift that was given. Each of these scenarios reveals the basic fact about saying thank you: it is the response warranted when something is received. Did you ever stop to think about how much we receive? Did you thank your friend for the referral you received from him? Did you thank your assistant for all his hard work and the shining light you received as a result? What was your attitude this morning when you received the noise of your alarm clock? When you start living a life of gratitude, you gain a more aligned attidue: an attitude that is in alignment with success.

I know a guy, let’s call him Mr. Crankypants, who is constantly struggling in his business. He likes to talk a lot and when I meet him at a mixer or for a quick coffee meetup, he goes on and on about how annoyed he is with his prospects since no one actually answers their phone anymore, how awful the coffee in his office is, how his networking group is a bunch of dull bulbs who never give him any warm leads. Oh yes, and of course he always is sure to mention the economy at some point in the conversation. Phew! Must take a whole lot of energy to complain so much. I’m sure we’ve all met Mr. Crankypants. He gets around. Be careful, he’s been known to be contagious.

You see, much of our current situation depends on our approach to life. Wait, am I saying that your approach to business life has to go down deeper and start from a core, more philosophical level? Wait, are we talking about personal development as it relates to my business? YOU BET. For more on the subject, I highly recommend Appreciation Marketing by Tommy Wyatt & Curtis Lewsey. This powerful little book will help you achieve greatness through gratitude. Click on the link for more info…