So, with a little understanding and some scientific data to back it up, even overworked medical professionals seeing dozens of patients every day can be taught to relate better to the emotions of others. So what does this have to do with the rest of us?

Being in a service business, we are all too familiar with anxious clients making what seem like irrational demands. A normal reaction to this kind of behavior might be defiance, resignation or exasperation. Not exactly the kind of emotions that drive professional excellence. Over my 20-ish years in the agency business, I have learned that the first step to success is to try to put ourselves in the other person’s shoes. The focus here is not just to stop feeling bad for ourselves and simply start feeling bad for him or her — that is mere sympathy and it won’t take you far enough. The point is to actually be him or her. Empathy means moving into their world emotionally and feeling it. This can often be accomplished by asking some very direct questions – on the phone or in-person. (Sorry, no email, texting or IM’s.)

Establishing Empathy: 4 Key Questions

What are you worried about right this minute?

What can we get done in the next few hours that will help alleviate that worry?

What are our biggest obstacles?

How can we overcome them?

Note that the questions gradually move from first and second-person to third person. By the time you get to the end of the conversation, you should have established a mutual goal and made the person feel your support as a member of their team. Once we can establish a position of empathy, we are working with a much different set of emotions – granted, they may not necessarily be positive emotions, but they are usually the dynamic emotions most likely to inspire action rather than passive emotions that just make us feel bad. So, rather than think about what someone is doing to you, you can start focusing on what you can do for them. Stop feeling like a victim and your problem-solving skills will take over.

What’s more, if a truly empathetic approach is effectively communicated, it can have a very calming effect on the person you are empathizing with. Like the patients who experienced more positive outcomes in Dr. Riess’ study, when people are feeling understood, they are much less likely to harangue, harass and make unreasonable demands. Empathy is an enormously empowering approach to even the most difficult situations.

Dr. Riess has founded an e-learning company called Empathetics. The initial product offering is to physicians, but the possibilities seem limitless. Let’s hope there’s an upcoming module for us gardenvariety service professionals up against the occasional bad day.

The post Practicing Empathy appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

In vivid contrast to our normal experience, once in a while a rogue sales rep makes an appearance, something we have had the unfortunate experience in dealing with recently. This rep has pestered, cajoled, threatened and complained until none of us can take it anymore. In the interest of sharing (and, yeah, perhaps a little venting) here is a list of the rep’s five most obnoxious tactics:

1. Call and email every single person in the company in rapid-fire. Don’t let up until someone answers and tells you “no” for the umpteenth time. Repeat process weekly.
2. Once you have been given a chance to brief someone at the firm on your services (in person, no less!), nag relentlessly about getting introductions to other people in the firm.
3. After you have been told “no”, start whining. Caterwaul if you must. Beg them to recommend you to the client. If they are unresponsive, proceed to step #4…
4. Contact the client yourself. Complain that the agency won’t recommend your services – or better yet, insinuate and/or declare that the agency hasn’t been responsive. Put some real pressure on. When that doesn’t work, proceed to step #5…
5. Send an email to the entire team on a Friday afternoon complaining of unfair treatment, and cc: the boss. Demand an explanation for why the agency won’t recommend you (if they’ve already given you a reason, ask for another). Go for a really plaintive tone. Whine some more. Criticize the team and then sit back and wait for a terse email slamming the door shut to all future communications, forever.

Monstrous tactics like these make us really appreciate all of the great sales people out there who work together with us in a spirit of mutual success and understanding.

As for the sales-rep-from-hell, go away. Leave us alone. Leave our clients alone. We don’t want you. We don’t want your services…

…but thanks for the blog fodder!

Posted by Alison Moore

The post How NOT to Sell appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

09/16/2009 | Jobs, Marketing

A recent job posting on LinkedIn has yielded hundreds of resumes from qualified professionals across the country. Most of the applicants sent well-written cover letters to accompany succinct and interesting resumes. Sure, we’ve seen our fair share of grammatical mistakes and typographical errors. We’ve even conducted a few interviews that ended before they started, if you know what I mean.

However, my worst moment in the recruitment process occurred today when this beauty arrived on my desktop through LinkedIn. Read it and weep for all those poor marketing people who have spent so much time in hype mode, they’ve just plain forgotten how to write.

FIRST WITHOUT COMMENTARY

Hi Alison,

I came across your listing for a communications and PR pro focused on tech and thought it might be interesting for us to at least have an initial dialogue. As a senior executive, my disciplines encompass 360-degree experience in corporate communications and PR with a sound track record of leadership and direct line C-suite reporting. With heavy thought leadership advocacy underscoring my portfolio, I’ve authored and published numerous byline feature articles and editorial focused on technologies, while targeting a wide array of global professional audiences, and I have of course written numerous news releases.

Mastery in pitching the press taken together with a deep international media network that encompasses trades, the business press as well as industry and financial analyst communities, compliments my abilities in crafting compelling messaging. In the end, my hallmark is one of building brand equity and driving top line revenue.

Should you find my credentials of interest, it would certainly be my pleasure to speak with you.

Cordially,

(Name withheld out of pity and concern)

NOW, WITH COMMENTARY

Hi Alison,

I came across your listing for a communications and PR pro focused on tech and thought it might be interesting for us to at least have an initial dialogue (does this mean talk?). As a senior executive (clue: senior executives don’t refer to themselves as senior executives), my disciplines encompass 360-degree experience (starting to feel queasy here) in corporate communications and PR with a sound track record of leadership (how many times have you used that phrase today?) and direct line C-suite reporting (lunch starting to swirl in stomach). With heavy thought leadership advocacy (lunch lurching upward) underscoring my portfolio (huh?), I’ve authored and published numerous byline feature articles and editorial focused on technologies, while targeting a wide array of global professional audiences (really wishing I’d stuck with plain white rice), and I have of course written numerous news releases (but, of course).

Mastery (don’t go there with me, mister) in pitching the press taken together (thin ice, buster) with a deep international media network (running for the ladies’) that encompasses trades, the business press as well as industry and financial analyst communities, compliments (your thesaurus works, now try the dictionary) my abilities in crafting compelling messaging (compelling is good, I like compelling). In the end, my hallmark (as in “with my deepest sympathy kind of Hallmark?”) is one of building brand equity (so much for lunch) and driving top line revenue (I bet those sales guys think you’re swell).

Should you (I really shouldn’t, thank you) find my credentials (what credentials?) of interest, it would certainly be my pleasure to speak with you.

Cordially, (Do I know you?)

(Name withheld out of pity and concern)

SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENT

Hey Allie,

I’d like to talk with you about your job posting on LinkedIn. I’ve been around the block a few times and know how to turn a pretty phrase. I have a thesaurus and I’m not afraid to use it. CEO’s love me, and so do editors and reporters. You’ll love me, too.

Call me, babe.

(Name withheld out of pity and concern)

– Posted by Alison Moore

The post Cover Letter Hype Speak appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

• Make sure design appeals to all five stages of email viewing:
  • Stage 1 – From Name: Ensure recipients automatically recognize who the email is coming from. Always use a consistent “from” name and email address, and include the company’s name to trigger recognition from the recipient
  • Stage 2 – Subject Line: 69% of subscribers base the decision to make your email as spam on the subject line. If you’re unsure of what to go with, try A/B testing. An remember, keep it to 30-40 characters (mobile readers will see even less)
  • Stage 3 – Preview Pane: Many recipients use the preview pane to quickly look at your message before deciding to open it, so make sure your call-to-action is visible in the top 4-5 inches of the email. Also remember that unless the recipient opens the full email, your metrics will not show who simply “previews” it.
  • Stage 4 – Opened Email Pre-Scroll: Only 11% of recipients claim to view the full email, so make sure your main messages/headers are “above the fold”
  • Stage 5 – View Full Email: Keep design simple, logical and branded. Use bullets, spacing, borders, branded colors, and background boxes to effectively and consistently organize your communications
• When using forms, keep barriers of entry low – If marketing to existing contacts and requiring a registration page, only ask for an email address
• Every email should include a call-to-action, even if it’s as simple as going to the homepage
• The look of your email should match the tone of your website and other collateral pieces
• Don’t hide your text in an image – make sure you use rich text in the body of the email
• Avoid using “spam” trigger words such as “free” in your subject line. With newer and stronger spam filters, these emails will often not reach the recipient

The List

• It’s highly recommended that companies develop a permission-based email list to be compliant with all CAN-SPAM regulations without questions – this takes time, but will pay off in the end with better open rates and no spam complaints. To do this, you must provide your prospects/customers with an opportunity to opt-in to receiving email communications from your company. This may be done as a checklist on a website form, verbally during the first sales contact, as a response to the first sales email, or by written consent
• Offer alternatives – allow folks to select the frequency in which they receive your emails, or provide a feedback email link to engage them in conversation
• Maximize delivery by including an “opt-in” reminder on all emails – i.e. “You are receiving this mailing because you opted in to receiving email communications from XYZ Company. Please add abc@xyzco.com as a Safe Sender in your address book to ensure proper delivery of future messages.”
• Reduce likelihood of spam complaints by not sending to general email addresses like “sales@” or “info@”
• Mailing to emails gathered without the person’s knowledge or approval violates the CANSPAM act
• ISPs will often automatically filter emails and senders who deploy high quantities of email promotions, send to dirty lists, or generate too many spam complaints will be “blacklisted”

CAN-SPAM Act Deconstructed

• Cannot be deceptive to the recipient about the content or source of the email
• Must give recipients an opportunity to opt-out of future communications and honor such requests
• Senders are required to provide a physical mailing address in all email communications
• Only “commercial” email is regulated – not transactional (purchase confirmations/receipts, etc) or relationship messages (recall notices, employment communications, etc)
• The scope of the act includes all individuals, groups, unincorporated associations, corporations, and non-profits
• The act does not permit suits to be brought on by individuals – only certain federal agencies, state attorneys general and ISPS can enforce the act
• Mailing to email addresses gathered without the person’s knowledge or approval violates the act
• The act requires the following for all commercial email communications:
  – Must contain a valid opt-out mechanism
  – Opt-outs must be honored within 10 business days and requester shall receive no further email from the sending company – even a one-off email from a sales rep
  – Sender must include a valid physical postal address
  – Opt-out process must be operable and uncomplicated – either email-based or web-based
  – If unsolicited, email must provide a clear notice that it is promotional
  – Senders must label sexually-oriented messages
  – No false, deceptive or misleading email transmission info or subject lines
  – No Email Harvesting (scanning sites for email addresses) or Dictionary Attacks (guessing email addresses)
• When affirmative consent (permission-based/opt-in) is obtained, the commercial labeling requirements no longer apply
• CAN-SPAM act also requires that companies obtain opt-in for commercial messages sent to wireless devices or cell phones.

The post Email Best Practices appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno’t mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is maninly treu for tpye set in loewr case, buaecse the mnid rezcoignes vayrnig lteter shepas and upepr csae lteters are all the smae hgeihht. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Word shapes are very powerful which is why a company name set in upper and lower case is more memorable than one set in all upper case.

The post fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

• Is the logo eye catching?
• Is it easy to read?
• Is it simple and can it be easily reproduced? Remember that the logo will almost always be used on a smaller scale than what you see on the design layouts. The simpler your logo is, the easier it will be to resize/recolor for various purposes.
• Is the personality consistent with how you want the company to be perceived? Position, colors, mark and typeface all play a role in this.
• Is it different from your competition’s logos? It should be unique and easily recognizable.
• Consider the color combinations – what jumps out at you the most? Warm colors (red, orange) tend to be more attention grabbing and convey a sense of energy, while cool colors (blues) are more conservative and bright colors (lime green) are playful.
• How does the logo render in black and white?
• Consider how the logo ties into the business. Is the mark symbolic? Will your customers easily identify with the logo?
• Can it be easily applied to all assets whether they are electronic or physical?
  Here is a list of possible logo uses to consider:
  o Website
  o PowerPoint slide template (horizontal logos work best on PPT)
  o Business cards
  o Letterhead
  o Email signatures
  o Office signage
  o Tradeshow banners

The post Criteria for evaluating a logo design appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

The post Top 10 Ways to Annoy Your Client appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

1. Understand that managing a consultant should not be a full-time job, but getting results is.
2. Adapt your processes and thinking to the client’s needs. That means making everyday interaction as simple and painless as possible.
3. All client communication and documents should be succinct and grammatically correct.
4. Develop a project brief for everything so you can be sure that you and the client are in agreement about objectives, scope, timing and budget.
5. Keep a tracker of all marketing programs and review with your client at regular intervals.
6. If a client isn’t available to review/approve, move the process ahead to the best of your ability until you have a chance to connect.
7. Be efficient, do not bombard your client with emails and do not pack meetings and conference calls with too many people. If you are planning to multi-task during a call, you probably shouldn’t be there.
8. Carefully choose the right vehicle for all communications. Phone, email, IM and in-person meetings all have their place – take a moment to think about which is best.
9. If you’ve got bad news to share, pick up the phone and talk it through with the client, right away.
10. Make your subject lines count – they are sometimes all a client has time to see. If you need immediate action on something, write it in the subject line so the client can prioritize

The post 25 Super Small Things You Can Do Support a Successful Client Engagement appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

The post Top 10 Start Up Marketing Mistakes appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.

Our clients will tell you that when you sign BluePoint up to be your outsourced marketing team, you can bet that you will get us whole-hog. All of us have numerous client email accounts and most of our clients don’t discern between the “outsourced” marketing team (ie. BluePoint) and their internal teams. This is how we want to be. Call it white-label marketing, whatever. It’s who we are and it’s how we love to work. Call us an agency, and we will cringe. Call us a vendor, and we’ll be pretty sure that we can start doing the dishes.

So, we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our own milestones and accomplishments. But, something crazy and important happened to us last week on April 1. Our BluePoint email went down. OK, you’re thinking, “Wow, Alison, that is like totally nuts”, but there’s more to the story.

We had a team of 5 people working for hours to try to figure this out. Our clients were frustrated and I was trying to do everything I could not to start giving out my personal email address, not because I am worried about client infringement on my personal life, but because my personal account is an AOL address. OK. You can snicker, but how many of you have had the same email address for 20 years?

Back to my point. We had a team of people from Boston to Pennsylvania to Pensacola, and even some clients in Israel and California trying to help us figure this out. I kept hearing that the DNS wasn’t pointing correctly. We all know the expression “that dog don’t hunt”, so I started thinking about a dog that don’t hunt. He don’t hunt if he’s got no instincts or if there’s nothing to hunt. Sure enough, I called GoDaddy and our dog wasn’t hunting because our 10-year license on the BluePoint domain had expired on March 31. The problem was hard to diagnose because it just doesn’t happen all that often. After about 10 minutes on the phone with the GoDaddy dude, I finally figured out what the username was….my little ole AOL account. Without it, we could have lost our domain and all my worst anxieties about clients not being able to reach us would have become a reality.

So, happy 10th birthday, BluePoint and a huge and hearty thanks to the friends, clients and team members who have helped us reach this terrific milestone.

The post Happy 10th Birthday appeared first on BluePoint Venture Marketing.