Niche Marketing and The Naked Cowboy
You don’t have to be very familiar with New York City but you may have heard that “The Naked Cowboy” is running for mayor. That’s right, the 39-year-old man who spends his days at one of the busiest corners in Times Square with his hat, cowboy boots, briefs and guitar (strategically placed so it looks like he’s naked), is entering politics. (Yes, that’s me and The Naked Cowboy last September. My kids were mortified. ) And sure, I paid $2 to have my son take the picture. But I digress.
Now that The Naked Cowboy, born Jack Burck in Ohio, has announced his mayoral campaign against incumbent Mike Bloomberg, he has developed a slogan or tag line.
“Nobody has done more with less.”
I love that line and after giving it some thought, I’ve come to realize there are a few wise lessons I have learned from The Naked Cowboy. We can apply them to our own organizations and lives:
1. Go deep. Find your niche and market the hell out of it. Don’t be a jack of all trades. Differentiate yourself from others with your own personal brand.
2. Dress the part.
3. Create a buzz. Chances are The Naked Cowboy won’t come close to winning the election. If his only goal is to increase his visibility and get people talking, mission accomplished.
4. Have the courage to be yourself. You can’t make a mistake when you are authentic. You can only trip yourself up when you are trying to be someone else.
5. Balance fun and professional. The Naked Cowboy is an ace at customer service. He smiles, makes people feel comfortable and is polite. He’s got charisma. He only wanted $2 for the ”photo op” but he was so nice, I may have paid him $5. He provided an “experience”, not simply a picture. As crowded as Times Square was, he made me feel like it was just the two of us. No distractions.
This all happened on a crowded street corner in Manhattan. After that, it was over to Juniors for cheesecake. Only in New York.
10 Do’s & Don’ts of Working At Home
Setting up your home office and developing boundaries for productive days are important for entrepreneurs. Working from home demands a strong discipline and mindset. Paying attention to the small details can help you to better manage your time and be more successful.
My public relations and communications training company, Get in Front Communications, is now nine years old. I’ve worked from home with virtual support/assistants and I had an office suite with several employees. I’m offering you some tips to spare you from the frustration I have encountered. Lessons learned:
1- Do have a separate area (preferrably a room with a door) that’s dedicated solely to your work.
2- Do have your own computer so when you log on, “Dora the Explorer” or “Sports Illustrated” don’t pop up.
3- Do guard your time carefully. Avoid taking personal calls or visits from friends or neighbors during work hours.
4- Do have a website and business cards that are professionally designed. Top notch marketing is critical to your success.
5- Do set your work hours and adhere to your schedule. You probably don’t have to be available 24/7. It’s called voicemail.
6- Don’t use your home address. For safety reasons and a professional touch, rent a PO Box or office address.
7- Don’t answer the phone with barking dogs, noisy children in the background and chiming clocks.
8- Don’t invite clients or prospects into your home. Meet at a local coffee shop or restaurant.
9- Don’t create professional video’s with “homey” backgrounds that may be cluttered with family pictures, toys and papers.
10- Don’t schedule repair men or personal appointments in your home while on conference calls or on a client’s watch.
11- BONUS! Don’t turn on the TV for background noise.
These tips can apply to new entrepreneurs as well as seasoned professionals. Look, after nine years, I often have to remind myself of a few of these too, especially #5. Good luck!
Candor in Communication
Manners, honesty, and candor can make for confusing communication.
When we were kids and spoke our minds (remember that phrase “from the mouths of babes”?), we were often told by our parents and teachers to be careful of other people’s feelings. After all, we didn’t have to say everything that floated into our little heads. As a child, weren’t you told, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, then don’t say anything?” Sometimes we unknowingly said embarrassing or rude things.
At home, I used to remind my kids (now ages 15 and 13) that it’s not good manners to shriek and make weird faces with a fake smile when Grandma asks if we like her new haircut. A conversation my daughter and I once had when she was 12 years-old revolved around why she shouldn’t tell her friend Samantha that she (Samantha) wasn’t invited to Katie’s party. My daughter wanted to tell Samantha it’s because “Katie doesn’t like you.” Ouch.
Brutal honesty can sometimes put a damper on relationships and conversations. I call it editorial judgment. I prefer to follow the advice of my wise old Grandma from Brooklyn who had an interesting approach to communications. “Know when to speak up and know when to shut up.” A beautiful little gem of communications wisdom. Would you dare tell your boss or project leader that the report he put together is horrible and a third grader could have done a better job?
How many times have you tried to linguistically dance around the real truth and wound up avoiding the truth? Sparing someone’s feelings in a social situation may have different consequences than not being candid when working on a project in the office.
In the business world, candid communication is vital to success. In his book, “Winning,” Jack Welch, former General Electric CEO, devotes a whole chapter to “candor.”
He says candor allows for the exchange of ideas – no matter how good or bad. The point being that the more you engage your staff into the conversation, the bigger pool of ideas you have to draw from. It also allows for a more rapid exchange of thoughts and suggestions. In today’s highly competitive environment, the faster we move, the better our chances of beating the competition or winning.
Welch also believes that candor cuts cost. Getting to the heart of the matter eliminates unnecessary meetings, reports, and boring presentations that merely regurgitate the problem, but offer no solutions. How can we be productive and forward thinking if everything we talk about at the conference table is based on something far from the truth?
Welch notes, “You can’t afford to not have candor.” There are consequences to withholding and/or manipulating the truth. It comprises your integrity and trustworthiness – with your customers, the public, and the media. From a media and public relations standpoint, being anything less than candid with reporters is a recipe for disaster. The #1 rule in communicating with the media is to be honest. If you don’t know something, it’s ok to say you don’t know and then offer to find out.
Candor in communication. What a concept.
The Power of Silence in Communication
The Power of Silence is extraordinary. Yet so many people are afraid to use it. People are uncomfortable and nervous with silence because we are so accustomed to filling every space with words. Most of the time when we feel obligated to fill silence and keep speaking, we are polluting the air with meaningless chatter that doesn’t add much to the conversation. I teach this in my media training classes and in programs on resolving workplace conflicts, Emotional Intelligence for College Students and sales.
Consider how powerful silence can be. Certain people know how to leverage silence. Great speakers and accomplished actors use their eloquent words as melodically as they slip in their cleverly placed pauses and silence. They carefully bring you into their moment and you become enveloped in their language, movements, stories and emotions. You’re mesmerized and hooked.
Strong communicators who are keenly astute about interpersonal relationships and leadership excel in their use of silence.
At work, sales professionals aren’t the only ones who must understand a carefully placed pause. When they throw down the gauntlet to a prospect and ask the loaded question, “Are you ready to sign the contract?,” nervous overspeaking will almost always kill the deal. When you ask your boss for a raise or promotion, simply stop and allow silence into your conversation. When you ask your partner if he/she loves you…well you get the picture.
U.S. actor, author, & humorist Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945) said, “Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing.”
Silence is often more powerful than words.
Developing Strong Vocal Habits
It’s no secret that New York Senate wanna-be Caroline Kennedy is getting raked over the coals for her “you knows” and other distracting vocal habits.
Make no mistake: I am not here to criticize or evaluate what she has said or done.
I prefer to offer some tips if you are interested in improving your own speech patterns, vocal vitality and communication skills. I cover this topic in my book Communicating with Confidence: Tips & Techniques for Powerful Business Communication. I also include a lot of this information, and more, in my Powerful Public Speaking program. In fact, I even write wedding toasts and eulogies, and coach individuals on their public speaking.
You may know that Kennedy is a Harvard-educated lawyer and author. She is clearly well-educated and bright. Articulating a message, to one person, or 100, is an art that can be learned. Many people, both public and private figures, hire communication coaches to help them learn the art of public speaking. Strong leaders are typically strong communicators. They have the ability to make their words come alive, which is an integral component of communication. Reading a textbook in college is quite different that actually practicing with a coach.
In my college broadcasting classes, my favorite professor taught us that radio is “theater of the mind.” He explained that on the radio, we had to use our voices and vocal vitality to capture the essence of our words so we could create mental images for our listeners. After all, in broadcasting, there are no visuals or body language to fall back on. It’s all in the voice. We had to make our words come alive.
Even if you’re not on the radio, you probably still have to speak to people on conference calls, on voicemail messages, in meetings, and for presentations. The spoken word is a huge part of your overall communication and how you convey a message. You don’t have to sound like a blustery game show host to have a vibrant and energetic voice.
A strong voice exudes confidence, authority, integrity, passion and enthusiasm. It builds instant credibility. A weaker sounding voice can diminish all of the above. Saying “you know” and “um” are empty fillers that distract listeners and imply you are struggling to formulate your thoughts.
The good news is that you can learn how to improve your delivery and vocal habits and work with what you have.
Here are five tips to improve your vocal vitality and delivery:
1. Avoid timidity. If you sound nervous or unsure of yourself, your professional credibility will be diminished. It’s all about self-confidence. Be sure to drop your voice down when completing a sentence. If your voice goes up at the end of the sentence, you sound as if you’re asking a question, not stating a fact. Avoid the “sing-song” delivery used by a lot of teenage girls.
2. Listen to yourself. For the sole purpose of learning, tape record a few casual conversations in your home and on the phone. Let your answering machine record your conversation. Pay attention to your inflection, pacing, tone of voice and vocal habits. Critiquing yourself can be a real eye-opener.
3. Emphasize important words. By stressing a key word or phrase, you truly drive your point home. Conversely, emphasizing the wrong word can confuse the listener.
4. Take advantage of silences and pauses. These are especially important in business communications and sales. Many people feel uncomfortable with quiet. Silence is critical in sales meetings when you drop the gauntlet and ask your prospect the golden question, “Are you willing to give it a try?” or “Are there any concerns you have that are stopping you from signing the contract and getting started right now?” That moment of silence can make or break the deal.
5. Express passion in your voice. If you sound bored, dull or monotone, the people listening to you will pick up on it. They will probably be bored as well. If you are excited and truly believe in your words and message, you have a great shot at capturing their attention. Enthusiasm is contagious.
Whenever you have the opportunity, try and smile when you speak. It may seem funny, but a smile on your face translates into happiness in your voice.
The Gift
If you’re considering a goal (I’m not a big fan of New Year’s Resolutions), think about giving people the gift of your attention. It’s the best gift you will ever give and it’s the one that everyone enjoys. What’s even better is that you don’t have to shop for it or wrap it.
When you were child, didn’t you excitedly tell your parents or older siblings “Hey look at me!” or “Watch this!” You may have been swimming, playing ball, doing handstands or a mastering a cool bicycle trick. All we wanted was the attention and focus of the people we loved. Even as kids, we were astute enough to know when they were watching with only half an eye.
The way we connect with people and build rapport in all of our interpersonal relationships is to give people the gift of our attention. Neurolinguistic Programming, or NLP, focuses on rapport and behavioral outcomes. It reminds us how we can connect and bond with people on deeper and more thoughtful levels. It works hand-in-hand with Emotional Intelligence, which focuses on compassion, thoughtfulness, congeniality and self-awareness. How do you respond when people ask you questions and request your attention? Do you truly pay attention and give the gift of your concentration? Or are you simply going through the motions to appease people?
Consider the goal I made 18 months ago: to live by the mantra of “Wherever my feet are, my head is.” This means that I am fully present and in the moment. I refuse to allow mental distractions to pull my mind in different directions. There’s no question that in our busy worlds with so many distractions, gadgets and messages, this is difficult.
When I’m with my 15-year-old daughter, I give her the gift of my undivided attention. When I speak at colleges or business meetings, I don’t allow my mind to drift to an e-mail I forgot to send, dinner plans or the dry cleaning. When you’re fully present, you’re more engaging. You listen differently, and as a result, you ask better questions. Your communication skills and relationships will take on new meaning and depth. “Wherever my feet are, my head is.”
Give the gift of your attention to everyone you encounter.
Resolving Conflicts in The Workplace
Ninety percent of people who are fired lose their jobs because of attitudinal or relationship problems. Ten percent of people who are fired are let go because of lack of skill or ability. That’s according to a survey by US World & News.
Most of us spend a majority of our time in the office interacting with colleagues and supervisors. Whether you work on a college campus, in a nonprofit office or a large corporation, there are bound to be disagreements, misunderstandings and differences of opinion. Often times, communication is at the heart of these situations. A combination of skilled tact, manners, business etiquette and mature behavior to bridge communication gaps are needed to resolve these problems.
Webster’s Dictionary defines conflict as a sharp disagreement or opposition of interests or ideas. The result can be lower office morale, a drop in productivity and a jump in absenteeism.
One of the greatest challenges of both employees and managers is the handling and resolution of these differences. Emotional intelligence, or what I call “street smarts,” is a big factor. These characteristics and traits include compassion, empathy, patience and self-awareness. The good news is that these traits can be learned. If you weren’t born with them, start watching people who have these characteristics and observe how they interact with others and handle difficult people and situations. The other key piece to resolving workplace conflicts is strong communication skills. We must be able to communicate with confidence. People in leadership positions usually have excellent communication skills.
Understanding the source of conflicts and strained interpersonal communication are important when you try to settle differences. Some of the main reasons for workplace disagreements include poor communication (different styles in communication are usually at the root of this problem), different values and interests (are you more concerned about “you” and not the organization?), tight resources, and personality clashes. Poor performance is another source for conflict in the office. The current economic climate and recession add to the problem.
Aside from avoiding the issue, there are options that can help solve or at least diffuse the disagreement.
Here are three communication tips that can help you bridge communication gaps:
1. Hold a face-to-face meeting- do not try to address your problem in an e-mail, memo or on a phone call. An in-person meeting is important.
2. Express you opinion with clarity- your ability to articulate your position and opinion while being respectful that not everyone agrees is essential.
3. Stay focused on the issues- Bringing up past conflicts and name calling are a no-no. That type of behavior has no place at work. Leave it to the 10-year-olds on the playground at school.
Speaking of kids, you may need to take a time out. Sometimes stepping away from a tense environment or conversation helps to diffuse the situation and changes the dynamic of the moment. Once you return to address the issue, clearer heads may prevail and an agreement can be reached.
Avoiding the conflict is the easy way out. Sticking around to deal with it requires maturity, patience, compromise and communication.
