Reputations and Misconceptions

Posted on by
Reply
“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.” — Warren Buffett

How many of us have experienced this in some way, shape, or form?  For everyone, having a good, solid reputation is a major key to success.  For business owners and community leaders, it is integral.

A recent speech at the BYU Management Society breakfast meeting about maintaining your integrity gave me reason to think about the reputations we craft for ourselves, and misconceptions that can damage that reputation.  Today, I’ll put myself on the line and talk about how a misconception affects me and my business.

As many of you know, I wrote the songs for a couple of albums and they each qualified for Grammy nominations — 17 total.  For many people, when they hear that I qualified for 17 Grammy noms, they assume that I am a Grammy Nominee.  However, technically, that is incorrect.  I am a Grammy Qualifier, which means I made it into the first of 3 rounds.  Those that make the top 5 of the second round are officially known as Grammy Nominees. The winners of the third round, those that you see at the Grammy awards on television, are known as Grammy Winners and they get to take home that iconic trophy.

Regardless of how many times I try to clearly explain that I made it into the first round with each album and I am only a Grammy Qualifier, people often take the shortcut and just say I’m a Grammy Nominee.  They don’t do it out of malice, but because the Grammy voting process is mostly a mystery to the general public, many people feel it’s just easier to say that I received 17 Grammy nominations.

Why do I care about this misconception?  Well, if an attorney representing the Grammys thinks I am making false claims, I could get into trouble because the attorney’s job is to protect the Grammy brand.  I’m a business woman, and I understand the concept of protecting your brand.  If I look like I’m making up stuff about being a Grammy Nominee, or even a Grammy finalist, the misconception could damage my reputation and become a major liability.  Even though I have made very little money off of my music career, this misconception could potentially lead me to financial ruin.

Okay, so I’m only a Grammy Qualifier, but many would agree with me that it’s still a big deal and an honor.  Because I have many years of sales and marketing, I believe that experience was what helped me get my music heard around the world, including India and China.  This accomplishment, regardless of my Grammy Qualifier status, has given me tremendous credibility as an online marketer, and that naturally lends itself to the name of my marketing business, Rock Star Marketing.

Have I intentionally made false claims?  No.

Are there misconceptions about my accomplishments?  Yes.

What does that do to my reputation?  Well, for some, it shows that as an online marketer, I know what I’m doing and I’m doing it well.  For others who think that I’ve played into the hype, I would agree.  After all, I am a marketer, and aren’t marketers responsible for getting people excited about the products they’re selling?  You betcha!

Okay, so that’s today’s confessional about my reputation and misconceptions. I’ll say my Hail Marys and hopefully be done with it.  For public record, I want to make everyone aware that I am only but a humble “Grammy Qualifier”.  I did not appear on television at the Grammys, and I did not win an award, but I made 2 quality albums and did a pretty darned good job of doing the online marketing all by myself with my own money and tenacity.

Now, I’ll ask you.  What could be a misconception about your business that could harm your reputation?

  • Do you have poor reviews on Yelp or Google from a couple of years ago that have hurt your business, even though you have worked through those issues?
  • Do you have a former client, partner, or employee that has publicly shared stories about you when you lost your temper or cheated someone?
  • Are you feeling guilty because you bent your otherwise “straight as an arrow” code of ethics?

If you have misconceptions that negatively affect your reputation, what should you do? For me, I choose to live a life free of regrets.  If I know I have done something wrong, I apologize immediately.  If I find out that my actions negatively produced shock waves without my knowing it at the time, I accept responsibility for my errors and I make amends.

After all is said and done, if you live with high integrity, misconceptions will not damage your reputation. If you did fall out of integrity, but apologize and make up for the mistakes you’ve made, in time your reputation will eventually heal itself.  Your reputation will always be safe if you do the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons.

Do You Know What You Don’t Know?

Posted on by
Reply
A brand new client called this week and, of course, I got excited!  He’s a talented, manufactured stone expert, who is launching his own business. He admitted that he knows all about manufactured stone, but he doesn’t know everything about marketing.This made me think about all the things we know we know, all the things we kind of know, and all the things about which we have no clue. However, sometimes we have just enough knowledge to become dangerous…and that can be potentially disastrous for our business.

Let me start by saying that there are many, many things I don’t know. When I face an issue in my business where I don’t know something, or I don’t know enough, I contact an expert or a mentor who can guide me through…even if it’s a YouTube video. After all, if I don’t know what I don’t know, a friendly guide can keep me from breaking my nose and stepping on toes in my business.

How many of us think that we have the common sense, limited budget, and street smarts to just get the job done?  I think we can safely say that most of us have confronted this issue many different times in our lives. We especially do things ourselves when we lack the funds. But whether or not it’s about money, often times we’ll do a DIY project, only to find that we could have saved money or saved face in the long run.

To be clear, it’s not a bad thing to go out and try something new to learn, grow, and figure out how to improve. It’s just that we need to reign in our ego a bit at times and admit that we think we know what we’re doing, but it’s better to find someone who can do it better.

For example, I’m good at balancing my checkbook, but I am not aware of all the ever-changing tax laws that my CPA, Leslie Bruhn, knows. I certainly know how to run my businesses, but I call upon my mentors when I get into a situation that could benefit from an outsider’s perspective. Lastly, my new client, who knows everything there is to know about manufactured stone, doesn’t know all the nuances about website design, Search Engine Optimization, and the laws around telemarketing like I do. That’s what makes business collaboration so fun. I rely on my mentors, clients, friends, and partners to help me avoid getting into trouble by leveraging their knowledge.

So, today’s homework, if you choose to accept it, is to review the areas in your life where you know something fairly well, but you could benefit from the help of an expert. Once you’ve targeted the area you could improve, contact an expert and collaborate to improve. Trust me, you’ll make fewer mistakes — especially on important items like wills, taxes, and insurance.

Re-Organizing for a Stronger Business

Posted on by
1

I was inspired to re-organize Rock Star Marketing so I could make my business stronger, and offer better services to my clients.  After thinking about it for a while, I decided to expand and streamline my marketing services so my clients can get a broader presence in the market place. We have plans to create an email announcing our new services, but I thought I’d give our blog readers a preview of what’s coming.

Often, I promote our business to clients and take care of their current needs.  However, I confess, that I forget to let my clients…both existing and future…all the services we can provide them down the road.

Here’s what we are offering in our 3 divisions under Rock Star Marketing:

Online Marketing

  • Website design or rebuild
  • SEO website content
  • Blog writing
  • Facebook and Twitter management
  • YouTube channel management

Telemarketing

  • Cold calls
  • Touch calls with existing customers
  • Survey calls
  • Schedule appointments

Booking/Brand Management

  • Schedule events
  • Schedule tours
  • Public personal outreach
  • Networking events

That’s the structure of the 3 divisions within Rock Star Marketing…and I’m working on a new website, email and telemarketing campaign to announce to the public what we’re up to.

So, why am I sharing this with you?  Well, I’m doing it to check in with you and ask you about your marketing strategy for 2012.

What is your existing marketing strategy for your business?

Do you have more clients than you can handle?  If so, it looks like your marketing plan doesn’t need tweaking.

If you still need new customers paying you for your services, ask yourself the same questions I did for my own business:

  1. Does my website look fresh and is it current?
  2. Am I staying on top of my advertising outreach in print, social media, radio, and video?
  3. Based on the number of new customers I’m getting, does it justify the cost of my marketing dollars spent in those areas?
  4. Is my website appearing on the first page of Google?  If not, am I adequately Search Engine Optimized on my website and social media posts?

If you find there are some weak links in your marketing strategy, contact us. We frequently give free advice for simple answers, but we can certainly help you if you have a marketing task that will take longer than a couple of hours.

Contact us any time for marketing help of any sort at jennifer@rock-star-mktg.com or 831-324-0816.

Creating Healthy Wealth for the New Year

Posted on by
3
Here it is…the end of 2011. Wishes for a Happy New Year abound and many are looking forward to putting 2011 to rest. Many weren’t thrilled with 2011, but it was one of my best years yet.  Why? Because the need for online marketing is growing by leaps and bounds, and that happens to be a good bellwether for our economy.As for 2012, I have already created my dream board outlining what it is that I wish to accomplish. If you’ve not created a dream board of your own, let me tell you, it is fun to do and produces tangible results.

I’ve been doing dream boards each year for over 15 years, and when I create my dream boards, they are a visual representation of what I’d like to accomplish. My dream boards are always prominently displayed where I can see them on a daily basis. At times, I’ve had my dream boards on my bedroom wall, on my bathroom wall with its reflection in the mirror, in my office, and in my garage. I also have a tendency to keep my dream boards over the years so I can remind myself of all the things I’ve accomplished and all the things I am grateful for.

There are 2 ways to create a dream board:
1) Manually, by cutting out images from magazines and gluing them onto poster board.
2) Digitally, by creating a slide show via Keynote or PowerPoint software.

Whichever method you prefer, the idea is to gather images that convey what it is you want to accomplish. Only select things that really matter, for these are the goals and events you deeply desire to come true. Don’t waste your time posting images or phrases that don’t make your heart sing. If you wish to bring more customers to your business, find the love of your life, or take a vacation to Italy, add it to your dream board. You’ll be amazed at how many of your dreams will come true.

For 2012, the theme I chose for myself is “Healthy Wealth”, and I created my dream board digitally. I Googled images based off of key words like “healthy wealth” and “positive energy”, then saved the images to my computer desktop. Since I have a Mac, I used Keynote to create a slide show using the images I chose. After I finished my Keynote slide show, I saved it to my desktop so I could see it every day. I also saved it in PDF format so I could print it out and put it on my wall next to my desk. I’ve considered making my dream board into a small book, which is very possible on a Mac, but I’m not sure if I’ll do it yet.

To get inspired for your dream board, feel free to check mine out.  You can view it online at http://public.iwork.com/document/?a=p1065982457&d=Jen_39_s_2012_Dream_Board.key Happy New Year, everyone!  May 2012 be everything you want it to be!

An Archive Favorite — “Your Vehicle’s New Year’s Resolutions”

Posted on by
1

Rock Star Marketing writes a lot of blog content for clients and we have tremendous fun doing it. The main goal is to capture the “voice” of the company, and when that “voice” allows for fun, frivolity, and a sense of humor, sometimes we create a real gem.

Here is a favorite from the archive that is appropriate for this year’s New Year’s resolutions. It was written for Robert’s Auto Repair in Monterey, California:

I, my human’s vehicle, do solemnly swear to make the following New Year’s Resolutions for 2012.

  1. I resolve to carry my humans and their precious cargo safely wherever they drive me.
  2. I resolve to stop as quickly as possible when faced with an emergency situation.
  3. I resolve to respond quickly when my gas pedal is pushed, my steering wheel is turned, my brakes are applied, and when my human is running late.
  4. I resolve to provide warmth when it’s cold, air conditioning when it’s hot, and shelter from the rain, wind, sleet, snow, and hail.
  5. I resolve to never hydroplane, slide, or lose control of myself on the road.
  6. I resolve to use gasoline efficiently, helping my human’s money stretch as far as possible.
  7. I resolve to avoid all accidents, scratches, pot holes, and any damage that would harm me or make my insurance go up.
  8. I resolve to always serve my humans reliably, safely, comfortably, and be ready to go anytime they need me.
  9. I resolve to do everything I can to prevent my humans from locking their keys inside me.

I, my human’s vehicle, will be fully equipped to meet all of my 2012 New Year’s Resolutions if my humans remember that I am part of the family and that I need regular maintenance if I am able to keep my promises.

I, my human’s vehicle, will be delighted to uphold my promises if they take me in for a check-up, repair, some detailing work, some tire work, and/or some body work at Robert’s Auto Repair, located at 234 Ramona Avenue in Monterey, California 93940.

I will even be happy to use my on-board phone system (if I have one) to call Robert’s Auto Repair at 831-373-1534 on their behalf to schedule an appointment for myself so my humans don’t have to worry about my health and safety…

…If only my human could authorize me to sign the credit card.

Dependably,
Your Beloved Vehicle

Christmas Cheer This Time Of Year

Posted on by
Reply

As of late, there have been a lot of comments about the expression of “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays”, and I wanted to throw my two cents in…

Whatever you celebrate, I wish you the best in health, merriment, joy, peace, and love.

I have family members and friends who are Jewish and I wish them all Happy Hanukkah to show my respect and love for them. They feed me delicious latkes and invite me to their various religious celebrations. They don’t take offense at this time of year when I slip in phrases like “Have a Merry Christmas” and make references to Jesus. They love and respect me for who I am, born into the Catholic church, and now a practicing Unitarian Universalist. I love them just they way they are, too.

I have sung with the Monterey Peninsula Gospel Community Choir, and though there are people in that group who celebrate all faiths, we come together and sing gospel music, designed with beautiful, soulful, and spiritually lifting music about our Lord God and Jesus Christ. To them, I might say “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukkah”, “Happy Kwanzaa”, “Happy Ramadan”, etc., but to make it easier, I say “Happy Holidays” to everyone, because they know that I love and respect each and every one of them.

I have also married into a family with Jehovah’s Witness faithful, who are deeply religious, but do not celebrate Christmas because every day is a reason to celebrate life and love.

Sadly, I’ve seen emails going around lately, discouraging shoppers from entering retail stores with signs saying “Happy Holidays”. Their point is to only spend money with those that say “Merry Christmas”. As a marketer and business owner, I find that behavior very damaging.

For businesses who wish to include their employees, customers, suppliers, and new prospects into their warm wishes, it seems awfully excluding to just say “Merry Christmas”. Seriously, if your largest client is Jewish, why would you, as a business owner push your religious point of view onto this person and risk offending him or her?

All the major religions of the world tend to celebrate their lunar calendar year end and religious celebrations within weeks of each other, so why not say “Happy Holidays”? As a business owner, it is in your best interest to show respect for everyone who comes into your circle, wishing them all a “Happy Holiday”.

With that said, here’s wishing you all very merry “Happy Holidays”, filled with peace, love, respect, joy, happiness, family, friends, warmth and blessings. I love and respect you all.