Weather’s preventing Ryan, Dee, and me from being where we’re supposed to be today: Austin, Texas. Twice each year, we gather with our special-brand-of-crazy business partners to discuss what’s working, what isn’t, and why.
Because we’re all paid on our clients’ growth as opposed to how much our clients spend with us, it’s important for us all to keep an eye and ear toward the future when it comes to what’s working. I’d made a list of things I was going to share with them. Even though our flights were cancelled, I’m still going to share my list with them… and you, too… here.
As our business grew quickly this year, we found Gino Wickman’s book Traction really helpful. It provided our company with a sound way of planning and measuring and communicating with our staff. I highly recommend it as Joe Schmitter recommended it to me.
We’re learning our strength is helping our clients by using our methods their way. Once we uncover our clients’ goals and values, we next learn their preferred methods for doing business. We can then use our principles of good customer delight, messaging, and media in the construct of their preferred methods of doing business. It requires a lot of listening and a little confidence. You have to be able to clearly explain why you make the choices that you make.
We’re bigger than we’ve ever been, and I’m personally studying more than I ever have. More… not less. I believe it’s the primary reason we’re bigger than we’ve ever been.
We’re saying “no” more than “yes.” It’s not always the easy thing to do – passing on something that’s not a good fit – but it’s always the right thing to do.
Internet video – done the right way – is captivating and incredibly effective. We’re so thankful to Rex and Jake Williams at SunPop for showing us the right way this year. We’re utilizing it with about a third of our clients now, and we hope to use it with even more this year.
Clamoring for credit is the sure sign of an amateur. Pros know that the people who matter see the good work they’re doing.
Speaking of which, I highly recommend you check out the marketing blogs of Mike Slover and Morty Silber. They’re humble, smart, and they’re hard workers. Your business will be better for following their work and words.
Pretty much every client who’s hired us in the past few years has come as a direct result of the fact that we write on our blog every weekday. Yet, people still come to me and ask me what our secret is. I tell them what I just told you, and they don’t believe me, or they don’t listen.
Is it any wonder we’re fans of content marketing? We’re living proof of its success…
Be very mindful and deliberate in choosing how to measure success.
Give way more than you get. No one ever complained, “Man! Are they too generous!”
As my mentor and partner, Roy H. Williams, recently said:
“The coming year will be fun, adventure-filled, and profitable for companies who have their wits about them.”
If you have your wits about you, and you need some help telling your story in this Age of Rapid Distraction, let me know. I know some good people who can help. In fact, I wish I was with them in Austin today.
