Buzz Builder

My Top Three Takeaways from the National Speakers Association's (NSA) Influence '11 Conference in Anaheim

My head is still buzzing from what I learned at the National Speakers Association's (NSA) Influence '11 Conference in Anaheim, California from July 29 to August 3, 2011. This was third time I attended NSA's main conference, and I enjoyed this event far more than any other. 

Since I became an NSA member six years ago, the speaking industry has changed dramatically. Before the Great Recession, there were many speakers doing quite well giving the typical motivational talks that generations before had heard. However, since the economic downturn began in 2008, companies and associations that book speakers are seeking more than motivation. They want speakers who provide audiences with inspiration and practical tools to make positive personal and business improvements in a challenging environment. Since I'm a "high content speaker," I feel fortunate that the speaking business is moving into areas in which I'm naturally the strongest.

After attending any conference, my immediate goal is to put three ideas I learned into practice. Once I've done this initial implementation, I move on to three more ideas followed by another three. With the pages of notes that I collected, I'm sure that I'll move through the implemention of multiple rounds of ideas which I plan on sharing in future posts.

The Most Impactful Thing a Speaker Can Do Is to Be Silent

Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., a psychologist, gerontologist, documentary filmmaker, entrepreneur and best-selling author of sixteen books on aging-related issues, delivered a mesmerizing 90 minute keynote presentation on How The Age Wave is Transforming Our Lives, Our World and Our Profession. His content was great but what I'll remember most is what he didn't say. When he took his first five second pause to let us reflect on a point that he made, I thought he had lost track of his thoughts because I've never seen a speaker be quiet for such an extended period. Yet, when he did this another three or four times during the presentation, it was quite clear that his pauses were intended to give us valuable time to absorb particularly important points. 

Social Media Is About Chatting and Engaging not Broadcasting and Selling

When I heard Scott Stratten, a social media guru and the author of Unmarketing, describe how too many marketers use Twitter as a platform to talk at customers rather than engage them in conversation, I thought to myself "guilty as charged." He shared that he has tweeted over 77,000 times and 78% of those were replies to his now almost 100,000 followers. Since Twitter has been such an effective tool for the growth of Scott's speaking career, I'm commited to using my Twitter page as an engagement vehicle. Since the conference, I've noticed a bump in my followers as I've started to converse with them and share their wisdom through retweets.

Great Speech Coaching Is Rare But It Can Do Wonders

In my relatively short time in NSA, I've seen too many mediocre speakers selling their services as speaking coaches. Their students wind up worse than they started. Even excellent speakers offering coaching to speaker wannabes can be more of hindrance than a help since many try to get their students to be like them on the platform. This never works because audiences have a sixth sense about speakers who are not true to themselves and speech coaching can often casue a new speaker to appear artificial.

One of the highlights of the conference was a competition of six rising speaking stars selected from NSA chapters around the country. In the first round, each speaker had three minutes to do part of a keynote presentation. Then, three judges, Randy Gage, Roxanne Emmerich, and Glenna Salsbury provided the speakers with on-the-spot evaluations before casting their votes. After the first couple of speakers presented, I could guess what tips that Randy and Roxanne were going to make. While their advice was quite sound, it wasn't nearly as transformative as Glenna's. I was amazed at how she was able to take each speaker's exact words and recast them in such a way to make them more impactful. Also, her advice regarding posture, facial expressions, and mannerisms was tailored to the strengths of each individual speaker rather than trying to turn people into her vision of the ideal speaker.

If you attended the NSA Influence '11 Conference, please share you biggest takeaways or include a link to where you posted them in the comments section below.

Special thanks to Ian Griffin who writes the extremely useful Professionally Speaking blog for an excellent post on some of his valuable takeways from the NSA Influence '11 Conference which inspired this blog entry.

Why Enthusiasm Is the Killer App

From the July 2011 edition of my Buzz Bulletin eNewsletter (subscribe for free here and get monthly stories, tips and strategies for building your business with word of mouth marketing):

"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's a sad reality that many frontline employees go through the motions of serving customers with no real passion or pride for what they do.

Lackluster performance has serious business ramifications. Most industries are so competitive that consumers have multiple options before making a buying decision. People need to be absolutely delighted to ensure that they'll come back and refer their friends.

Recently, I've had experiences that are worth sharing because they offer useful lessons for businesses seeking to leverage the power of employee enthusiasm.

Vitamix

As far as top quality blenders are concerned, there are really only two good choices: Vitamix or Blendtec. The most popular models of both blenders cost around $400, enough to inspire me to do online research before buying. Both companies have vocal online proponents who extol the virtues of one company's product line over the other in online blender communities (yes, they exist), written reviews, and side-by-side "blend offs" on You Tube which have received hundreds of thousands of views collectively.

Yet it wasn't an online video that convinced me to choose Vitamix over Blendtec. In fact, the videos made me favorably disposed towards both companies and I was unable to choose between the two. It took a simple conversation with an enthusiastic Vitamix employee to sway me into his camp.

When I called the 800 number at Vitamix, a friendly customer service representative answered my product questions. He explained that the company offered a comprehensive seven-year warranty on all its products, which was clearly superior to Blendtec's three-year warranty. More importantly, the Vitamix employee won me over with his enthusiasm. He told me that he used the blender daily and that he felt healthier than ever. In fact, Vitamix had been such a life changer for him that he bought three other blenders to give away to family and friends.

I can't remember having spoken with a customer service representative who was such a true believer. If more companies found amazing customer evangelists to talk with prospects, they would see dramatic increases in sales.

Frontline employees who are true believers are your best salespeople. What are you doing to find and train enthusiastic employees who make the first impressions?

Southwest Airlines

I used to love to fly. Now, TSA lines, flight delays, baggage charges, and so many other inconveniences have dimmed the luster of air travel. Fortunately, there are a few things about flying that I still love. One of them is Southwest Airlines which consistently outperforms the competition thanks in large part to its employees.

Southwest flight attendants impress me with their use of humor, one of the most effective yet least utilized behaviors. In fact, there are websites devoted to the funny things that Southwest Airlines flight attendants say. One of my favorite quips came after a very hard landing: "Wow, that was quite a bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

On my last Southwest flight, I observed a pilot flying as a passenger who saw a woman struggling to fold a stroller with one hand while juggling her infant with the other. While he graciously broke the stroller down, he shared the frustrations that he and his wife had with baby paraphernalia which put a smile on the woman's face. Then, without being asked, he carried the stroller down the ramp and helped mother and baby get settled into their seats.

Humor and small acts of kindness delivered with enthusiasm leave a lasting impression that make people want to come back and refer friends. How do you encourage such employee behavior?

My Local Gas Station

Gas is the ultimate commodity yet I go out of my way to frequent one family-run gas station. Why? The owner and his employees always have smiles on their faces. They chat with customers cheerfully as they gas up cars (Oregon being one of only two states that don't let consumers fill up their own gas tanks) and say good-bye with a heartfelt thank you.

Enthusiasm doesn't add any extra cost to doing business yet it builds tremendous customer loyalty. How are you building a "culture of enthusiasm"?

Assemble a team that serves customers with enthusiasm and you will enjoy greater prosperity and a happier workplace while giving customers a reason to come back and refer their friends. 

I would love to hear how you leverage the power enthusiasm in your business so I can share your story with others.

Five Public Speaking Lessons from King George VI in The King's Speech Movie

 
My wife and I are time-delayed when it comes to watching movies that interest us since we rely on Netflix instead of movie theaters. Such is life with a toddler and the complications involved in arranging for a babysitter. One movie worth the long wait for its Blu-ray availablity was The King's Speech that deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Picture.  

The movie is based on a riveting true story that provides insight into the life of English royalty in general and King George VI's struggle against a severe speaking disability. As a professional speaker, I got five excellent takewaways about public speaking from the movie: 

1. Fear can motivate

According to various studies, more people fear of public speaking than death. I love how this movie shows how one of the most powerful people in the world was fearful of speaking in front of even small groups of people. Rather than let fear keep him from speaking, King George VI realized that he needed to work hard to overcome it. It inspired him to work with a speech therapist who irritated him but knew how to help the King get over his difficulties. The King's ultimate success is an inspiring example of how to channel fear into a force that drives self-improvement.

2. Practice is essential

Too many people put hours into a preparing well-written speeches but don't spend adequate time practicing the material. King George VI spent days rehearsing presentations that were less than ten minutes along. Although he did this becuase he had a severe stuttering problem, other speakers should follow his example. Speakers who practice usually sound much more confident and knowledgeable than those who don't spend the necessary hours to completely master their material.

3. Pauses sound good

For many speakers, the hardest thing to say is nothing. Heightened adrenaline and nerves make many speak too rapidly. Even with outstanding speech therapy, King George VI simply couldn't speak quickly an and there were many pauses in his most heralded speeches. His speech therapist told him not to worry about the slow speed and pauses since they highlighted his thoughtfulness. This is good advice for most speakers who tend to rush through their material. Rather than rush to fill the air with one's voice, it is often much effective to breathe in and pause.

4. Be authentic

It's tempting to turn admiration for another speaker into imitation of that individual's unique style. Yet, speakers will be much effective when they don't worry about being like anybody else. King George VI struggled for years to be more like his father King George V who was an excellent speaker. When King George VI spoke in his own style, pauses and all, his subjects connected with him. They appreciated his struggle to better himself as a speaker. Although it was never easy for him to speak in public, King George VI's gained recognition as the voice of British resistance against the Nazis in large part because his struggle to be a better speaker demonstrated his commitment to the nation.

5. Be brief

There is oftentimes an inverse relationship between a long speech and its lasting impact. A short, well-crafted speech that has been adequately rehearsed can cause tremendous benefits. Most of George VI's speeches were well under ten minutes, and these are the ones that made the biggest positive impact on his subjects. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a contemporary of King George VI, was surely not suprised with the King's oratorical success. Roosevelt said the recipe for successful public speaking was "be sincere, be brief, and, be seated." Roosevelt's advice remains as timely now as it was when he said it.

Bella the Boxer, Our Director of Goodwill (D.O.G.), Solidifies America's Smartest Working Dog Reputation with the Publication of Her First Book

It all started in mid-April 2008. That's when our boxer dog Bella's blog came to the attention of Marci Alboher, a New York Times reporter, and she featured Bella in her popular Shifting Careers Blog. Overnight, the popularity of Bella's blog skyrocketed and her blog traffic far surpassed anything I've ever experienced with this blog.

Bella is not a dog to rest on her laurels. Yesterday, we received shipment of 3,300 copies of Bella's brilliant book Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success which she wrote for anyone who loves animals and is looking for straightforward and simple advice on how to have fun balancing the responsibilities and challenges of modern life.  Check out a photo of Bella sitting in front of boxes containing her book in her newly redesigned blog.

I confess to initial feelings of jealousy when Bella's star began to rise but I've come to terms with it. In fact, her fame has created a nice little side gig for me. Bella is no longer merely our company's director of goodwill (D.O.G.). Rather, she's a multitasking author who keeps me busy as her spokesperson before human groups interested in learning her wisdom.

Why I've Been AWOL and 2010 Business & Blogging Outlook

Since I started this blog in 2005, I've never gone nearly so long (nearly two months) between posts. But, my life has taken a marvelous turn for the better which was so all-consuming that I decided to take a break from blogging to fully enjoy the moment. Now, with life settling back into a more normal pattern, I'm returning to this blog with a new perspective and enthusiasm.

In November 2009, I traveled to Shanghai, China to visit a former client (DressMonkey) as well as a great business prospect. I did not have great expectations for Shanghai. From press accounts, I imagined that I would discover a gritty industrial city with little of interest to see or do. However, I discovered a sophisticated, dynamic place with an impressive infrastructure, friendly residents, amazing restaurants, lovely parks, and interesting sights. As for pollution, it was not nearly as bad as I anticipated, and locals told me that it has improved a lot in the past decade due to tighter environmental controls.

After leaving Shanghai, I met my wife Ellen in Beijing where we went through the final training in an adoption process that has taken more than three years to complete. On 12/7/09, we flew to Changsha, the capital of China's Hunan Province, to complete our family when we picked up Anya Yuzi Galvin, a healthy, happy, and energetic 21-month-old girl. We can't believe our good fortune in having Anya. It has been a joy to discover her unique attributes over the past month such as her love of spicy food. We never thought that we would need to ask a pediatrician whether it's okay to put Tabasco sauce on a toddler's meals so she will eat them (yes, it's fine). We've also learned that our daughter has an incredible affinity for music and dances whenever she hears it (particularly ballads from female singers but today she heard Rick James' "Super Freak" on the radio and couldn't stop bobbing her head in tune to the song). We've also gained a profound appreciation for all parents as we've learned the incredible effort it takes to mind a toddler who has no sense of physical danger.

As we kick off the eighth year of Galvin Communications, our word of mouth marketing and PR firm in Portland, OR, I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Even though 2009 was a challenging year for many companies, we had one of our best years as many of our clients looked to our services as a way to retain their existing customers and attract new ones at a fraction of the cost of traditional advertising. We expect that this trend will continue in 2010.

I also remain committed to this blog for five reasons which I share now in the hopes that they might convince you to start blogging or renew a lapsed blog:

1. Blogging is "Googlelicious."

My blog is much easier to find on Google and other leading search engines than our company website. Search engines continue to rank well trafficked blogs with strong inbound links much higher than most websites.

2. Blogging helps me stand apart from my competitors.

I live in the 23rd largest metropolitan market in the United States (Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA) but I'm the only one I know of who blogs regularly about word of mouth marketing. I've attracted clients both locally and nationally because I'm perceived to be more knowledgeable than many equally or more competent colleagues who simply don't blog. Most professional categories are similar to mine in that you can quickly raise your profile through blogging because few are doing this.

3. Blogging builds my credibility.

By writing regularly about word of mouth marketing over the past four years, I've been invited to speak at conferences and meetings around the country which has enhanced my reputation leading to more speaking opportunities and the acquisition of new clients.

4. Blogging creates PR opportunities.

Some of the readers who come to this blog are journalists which has resulted in getting my quotes featured in newspapers and magazine around the country. For instance, a 7/8/09 publicity stunt that Greenpeace did on Mt. Rushmore on which I commented in this blog resulted in some great mainstream attention for me which I detailed in this post.

5. Traditional blogging is on the upswing.

An insightful post with a surprising graph appeared on TechCrunch on 11/24/09 showing how traditional blogs are growing in popularity while the microblogging phenom Twitter is waning. I've certainly noticed this trend in the analytics of this blog as my traffic picked up significantly in the second half of 2009.

Whether you decide to commit (or recommit) to blogging in 2010 or pursue other endeavors, I wish you the very best as your pursue your goals. Thanks for your continued interest in this blog despite the long hiatus without explanation.

"Marketing Without Advertising": Video Excerpts from a Presentation at the Executive Officers Club (EOC)

I gave a keynote presentation on "Marketing Without Advertising" at the Executive Officers Club (EOC)  in Portland, OR on May 21, 2009. Below are are excerpts from that presentation. If you know an association or corporation interested in learning about word of mouth marketing, please refer them to this video or my speaking web page.

Matt Weinstein in "What Bernie Madoff Couldn't Steal From Me" Video

Last December, my wife and I were extremely lucky to travel in Antarctica for nearly two weeks with a group that our client OCSC, a sailing and adventure travel company in Berkeley, had organized. The trip was even more spectacular that we had hoped. The scale and grandeur of Antarctica never ceased to amaze. But, we never expected to learn so much from a fellow traveller.

On our boat, we met Matt Weinstein, a successful professional speaker and all-around great guy. Midway through the journey, Matt was called up to the ship's bridge to take a satellite phone call from his wife Geneen Roth, an accomplished author and healthy eating expert. Geneen told Matt that they had lost nearly everything that they had saved for retirement since they had invested with the infamous Bernie Madoff.

Unable to rush home since there are no flights out of Antarctica, Matt still had about a week left on the journey. During this time, when we talked with him, we were amazed that he didn't demonstrate much anger or grief. Surely, we thought, he must be in a state of shock which would morph into rage as time passed. But, over the past few months, we've seen that Matt possesses an amazing ability to reflect on what's really important in life. While he and Geneen will likely only recoup a small percentage of the money that Madoff stole, he has earned something of greater value.

Below is a video of Matt presenting an insightful and entertaining speech on "What Bernie Madoff Couldn't Steal from Me." It's the best eight-minute presentation I've ever seen. If you like it, please forward it to a friend. Here's wishing that Matt gets a lot of groups to hire him to speak about what's really important in life!

Buzz Marketing Camp Launching in San Francisco Bay Area - Learn How to Get People Buzzing & Buying on a Tight Budget

Many businesses are struggling to attract customers with reduced marketing dollars. Even companies that have kept their marketing budgets intact are finding it increasingly difficult to meet their sales objectives since consumers are buying less and not responding to traditional advertising. That's why I'm launching Buzz Camp which is a results-producing, idea-generating half-day workshop designed to help businesses of all sizes break through the commercial clutter and get people buzzing and buying in spite of a challenging economic environment. The first Buzz Camp will take place on 4/23/09 in Berkeley, CA in association with the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce.

Buzz Camp will cover:

• The latest trends in buzz marketing and what they mean for your business.
• How to build a cohesive brand message that drives business growth.
• Buzz secrets from America’s most successful companies.
• How to create buzz through online newsletters, seminars, special events, blogs, networking (both face-to-face and online including Facebook and LinkedIn), consumer review websites (Angie’s List, CitySearch, Yelp, etc.), and viral videos.
• The inside scoop on what the media and bloggers want and how to generate free publicity that greatly exceeds what you could afford to purchase in advertising.
• How to obtain free and prominent media and blogger coverage using a simple three-step process that Patrick developed to land his clients in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Business Week, Forbes, Boston Globe, InStyle, Inc. Magazine, Entrepreneur Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Business Times, San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, The View from the Bay (KGO TV), NBC News, Evening Magazine (KPIX TV) , KTVU News, Home & Garden Television, etc.
• Techniques to increase the loyalty and enthusiasm of your customers and prospects that drive repeat sales and referrals.
• How to get to the top of Google and other leading search engines through search engine optimization (SEO) without wasting money on pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

Check out details and registration information for Buzz Camp here.

How to Inspire Referrals and Business Growth with a Balloon, T-Shirt, and Thank You Card

Today, I heard Anthony Miller, a friend and colleague in the Oregon Chapter of the National Speakers Association give an outstanding presentation on how business can succeed in tough economic times. Anthony, who is the president of a sales training company called Stepping Stones Solutions, told an insightful story about how one of his friends is thriving in the mortgage business when many competitors are going bankrupt in today's difficult economic environment.

Anthony said his friend attributes his success to a laser focus on customer service and building a referral based business. For instance, when a customer completes the arduous mortgage approval process and receives a loan, Anthony's friend sends a box to the customer's office containing a big helium balloon that pops out when the it is opened. Inside the box is a handwritten thank you note, a t-shirt with the name of the mortgage company, and a few business cards. Invariably, people notice the balloon and have questions. Commonly, the story of the successful mortgage process is told which oftentimes leads the person hearing the story to ask for information about the mortgage broker and a business card is passed. The mortgage broker who spends about $15 for for the contents and delivery of each balloon package has gotten many great referrals and sales from this effort and considers it his most successful marketing tactic.

What do you do to wow satisfied customers once you've made the sale? How do you still instill excitement that gets people to refer their friends and colleagues? If you have limited marketing dollars, you have to make sure that you spend them wisely in a way that will be noticed. I would be curious to hear what you do.

Word of Mouth Marketing Radio Interview

I recently posted a streaming audio  radio interview  featuring me on KUIK in Oregon speaking about the power of word mouth marketing. I talked about my first experience with buzz marketing when I broke the Guinness World Record for hammock swinging as a way to attract attention for my father's hammock stores. I succeeded in landing prominent coverage in newspapers and television stations throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and hammock sales surged. Also, you'll enjoy some of my  easy-to-implement tips and ideas that any company seeking media attention should use.