Turning Lemons into Lemonade

Two thoughts today.  First; the new Fiat commercial featuring Jennifer Lopez is embarassing.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm a Fiat fan from way back.  I owned an X19 which didn't fall apart and my daughters and I still enjoy Jlo in the movie, Selena.  The commercial starts fine but that dance sequence at the end had me feeling awkward in a way I thought only Steve Carrell could create.

A couple weeks ago I was on a cross country flight aboard Frontier Airlines.  Comfortable plane but, a couple references to an owl who was flying with us (painted on the tail) that I just didn't get.  We stopped in Denver but were delayed getting back off the ground.  It was 93 degrees outside but felt much warmer inside.  We sat and sat, the plane grew warmer and the flight crew remained seated and speachless.  Thirty minutes later and sweat was running down my cheek and still no announcement as to why we were delayed or when this punishment would end.

Now, I'm all for complying with FAA Regulations but, couldn't someone have at least announced what was going on?  Better yet, what if the flight crew had grabbed a drink cart and handed out ice cold beer and water to the suffering passengers.  That certainly would have left me with a better impression of Frontier than the one that was burned into me.

Hiding Behind the Veil

There's a growing trend in business to align yourself with a group.  When this group has been granted power it often speaks as "one voice".  "The 'Party Committee' has decided there will be one birthday celebration per month honoring all those born in that month".  "The 'Leadership Team' has concluded that your project does not warrant funding".
However, communication is a two-way street and I wonder if anyone considered how these messages are being received.  "Who's really responsible for this decision?"  "Who do I talk to about this?"  "Why does it feel as if someone's hiding?"  "If this succeeds we all know who will take the credit but if it fails who takes the blame?"
Group speak can get ugly and messy.  When used properly it can convey buy-in while still communicating accountability.  When used poorly, the rest of us have to pull the bodies out from under the bus.

The Right Tool for the Job

These days everyone wants you to follow them on twitter.  Just this week, my laundry soap, the guy who fixed my garage door and the produce stand where I bought some veggies all invited me to "follow" them on twitter.  Really?  Why would I want to do that??

Outside of the simple transaction I made with these entities why would I want to have a relationship with them?  I get it, everyone's on twitter so you feel you have to be too.  But, do you really understand how to use it and why people are on it?

Twitter is best used by celebrities and the semi-famous.  The rest of us are curious and want to know what's going on in their lives.  We think their lives are interesting.  Ask this same question of your business; is my produce stand interesting?  Does anyone care what we're thinking right now?

The answer becomes pretty obvious.  Don't use a hammer to drill a hole.

Those Pirates are Scurvey Killers!

You pour your heart and soul into your radio station.  You obsess over every detail; the clock, categorizing every song, the tempo of the station, the jocks, imaging, sweepers, news, traffic, weather, promotions...and then, you turn your station over to a client who knows nothing about radio for the next :60 seconds!  Unless you and your Sales Staff have obsessed over this spot as much as you have the rest of your station, you're sunk!

"I want to voice the spot myself", "I'd like my kids in the commercial", "I want this music bed", "Here, I wrote the copy myself".  What, are you kidding?!  And yet, we let these Bozo's put this junk on our station because they're paying us.  "We need to hit this month's goal".  "My Sales Guy lives on commission and he's got a kid in college".  The Pirates have taken over the ship and we're all sinking!

The average listener makes up their mind to change stations in about two seconds.  Two Seconds and we're giving them sixty!  No matter how much your listener loves you, they're leaving as soon as the local heating guy comes on with his parrot and they might not come back.

It's time to grow a backbone and put a stop to this.  Listeners don't hate commercials they hate bad commercials.  Note how many people tune into the Super Bowl just for the commercials.  If you're not delivering a Super Bowl quality spot don't air it!  That rate today will not keep you in business tomorrow.  Demand more and you're listeners will love you even more for it.

The Power of a BHAG

Quick thought before I jump into my post; I watched a few minutes of the British Open this past weekend.  The incessant buzzing of helicopter noise reminded me very much of the infamous Vuvuzela from last year's Men's World Cup in South Africa - both annoying!

Proverbs 29:18 tells us "without a vision, the people perish;".  I have found this useful when casting a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG).  This term was first coined by James Collins and Jerry Porras:

A true BHAG is clear and compelling, serves as unifying focal point of effort, and acts as a clear catalyst for team spirit. It has a clear finish line, so the organization can know when it has achieved the goal; people like to shoot for finish lines.

—Collins and Porras, 1996

I find, at the appropriate time, a BHAG can unite an organization and help it accomplish the extraordinary.  I don't use this bullet often but, when I do I make sure my BHAG meets certain criteria.  Besides being compelling does the vision border on the impossible?  Is it bigger than any individual (people want to be part of something greater than themselves) could accomplish on their own?  Will the outcome produce something remarkable?

This year marks the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  On the K-LOVE Radio network we decided on a BHAG to commemorate the date.  "Imagine One Million people making a difference in someone's life in a single day".  One million people all going out on the very same day and selflessly doing something for someone else.  Taking a day that was meant for evil and turning it around to show love and kindness.  I can't wait to see what happens!

Are You Camera Worthy?

Anything worth watching is being recorded.  For whatever reason, we can no longer enjoy an experience and "be in the moment"; life is now consumed through a viewfinder.  This theorem was highlighted on my recent trip to New York City.  Of course, you could expect to have everyone aiming their cameras at all the usual targets; Times Square, Empire State Building and Bruno Mars performing at Rockefeller Center.  But, in our youtube society anything deemed slightly interesting is being recorded as well.  Dancers at the train station, a man spray painted silver pretending to be a robot, kids beating on empty paint cans like drums and even those creepers dressed like Sesame Street characters.  All these deemed worthy of society of consuming and sharing with others.

This brought me back to my early days of radio.  It was 1989 and we had just moved to Seattle.  I heard all the local radio stations would be out at the Evergreen State Fair performing their broadcast magic.  I couldn't wait to be dazzled!  I remember impatiently getting through traffic and finally being guided to my parking space.  I was then herded through the cramped entrance and had to quickly weave through the Carnis and Agricultural displays.  Finally, I had arrived...radio row!  Somewhere Handel's Messiah was ringing out.

At this moment I slowed, wanting to savor each one.  What new creative ideas would entice and delight my senses?  I couldn't wait to find out.  The first booth was fronted by a folding 6' table with a black table cloth.  On it were black and white photos of the "talent" that was nowhere to be found and an Enter to Win box for a trip to Ocean Shores.  In the rear of the booth sat two individuals.  They could have been empolyees or interns or even homeless people.  I'll never know because they never once engaged or even acknowledged me.  They just chatted with eachother while shoveling scones into their gaping pie holes.  Yikes, maybe it was the local AM station, surely the next one would be better.  Unfortunately, this scene was played out over and over again.  Nothing came anywhere close to my expectations and I went home bitterly disappointed in the industry I had glamorized.  At that moment I vowed to be different.

Fast-forward to this week.  I was on the phone speaking with a friend who works for a radio station in a market far, far away.  He was telling me that he was getting ready to go to a Festival and be at his station's booth with absolutely nothing going on.  Huh?  Nothing going on.  You mean I'm supposed to be enamored with you because you showed up and exposed me to your logo?  Sorry, instead you'll quickly be forgotten.  Worse yet, you'll disappoint current and potential new listeners.

Radio is entertainment!  It's engagement and community and emotion.  It's media.  If you're going out to do an event this Summer take a look at your booth.  Is there anything there that would cause me to stop, take my camera out and share what you've got going on?  If not, don't do it!  Start again and create an experience that's memorable.  You and your listeners will never regret it.

One Strike and You're Out

I just spent eight fabulous days in New York City.  That's right, eight days in the most incredible city on the planet (I'll give Paris a close second).  I got home two days ago but didn't awaken from my food coma until tonight.  For me, it's the food that puts New York City over the top.  World class cuisine delivered to your door in less than thirty minutes; now you're speaking my love language.

Why is the food so amazing in New York?  Let's see, 35% of new businesses fail within the first 90 days, over 2/3 give up within the first year.  In the city you don't get a second chance; you've got to wow people in their first visit or they will not come back.

Rewind to my first few days in the city.  I was in Brooklyn working with Metro Ministries and on Saturday we did Sunday School.  In one day they put on three full services, bussing kids in and out of the facility.  In less than seven hours we had ministered to over 4500 kids.  They staff at Metro doesn't hold anything back, there's no guarantee that they'll see all this kids again next week.

What does Metro Ministries and the city's great restaurants have in common?  Both understand the impact of the first impression.  They also "get" that this moment may be all you have with any given customer.  Very important lessons that can be applied to almost any industry.  Many of us "show up" to work. We do our "job" but not much more.  We forget how many people would love to be sitting in our seat.  We forget that we may never see many of today's customers again, ever.

I'm committing to giving my all each and every day.  To making every customer interaction memorable and adding a sense of urgency to what I do.  After all, I may never see you again.