Last time round, we warned about confusing a nod with impact.
It’s not about impact. It’s all about nods.

Here’s an example. A prominent canner of quality fish once ran a TV commercial which showed a couple dining at a restaurant. This was not your ordinary restaurant. It was filmed under water. Not looking through a window, actually in the water, with the waiter swimming up to the table. It was much awarded by the advertising cognoscenti.

The product featured disappeared off the shelves not long after. Which isn’t really that surprising. Who wants to eat anything that’s been served under water albeit for a scant 30 seconds? Water may be relevant to fish but it isn’t relevant to appetite appeal. No nods.

Here’s another TV flop.

You may remember this commercial for a glass saucepan. It showed the saucepan being used to melt an aluminum saucepan. Impact? Certainly. But it answered none of these questions any woman (statistically, they do most of the cooking) would automatically ask.
Will the handle get too hot to use?
If I accidentally drop it, will it break?
Do I need to melt aluminium? If it can melt aluminium, will it burn the food I cook in it?

Did it work? Ask yourself, when last did you see a glass saucepan anywhere?

You’ll notice our frequent use of the word ‘communicate’. Communicate means that we somehow connect with the person we are trying to reach. If we don’t, there’s no hope of getting a nod.

Note the singular: person. Not a market. Whenever we seek to connect with someone, always approach it as if it were a one to one, face to face situation. Your advertisement may run in a newspaper with a circulation of hundreds and thousands of readers but your words, no matter what medium, are directed to one person.

The person you are trying to persuade.

Have you ever watched a really good speaker in action? A good preacher perhaps. An outstanding teacher. An engaging politician – if such an animal exists. A silver-tongued salesman demonstrating a new gadget in a hardware store. Whoever.

Then you will have noticed an audience reaction – and you are part of that audience – that is common to all of them. It’s a kind of subconscious agreeing. It could be a nod. Imperceptible possibly. But a sign nevertheless. It could be a smile which signals your agreement to what the speaker is saying. It may even be a question where, even if the answer is negative, it remains a nod. Message received and understood.

I call it the Nod Factor.

Added to all your communications, in whatever medium you choose, the Nod Factor can help you grow your business, sell your ideas and win arguments in a way you never dreamed possible.

The formula is very simple. The more Nods you can engineer through what you are saying, the more likely you are to achieve whatever it is you set out to do.

In other words, the more subconscious agreements you can get from your audience, the more likely your communication is to succeed.

Let me give you an example. When, after years of a conservative Liberal government, Labour scored a resounding victory, the entire communication revolved around a single thought. “It’s Time”. A massive Nod indeed.

Is that black magic? Or just good old common sense?

You nodded. Read on.

But first things first. To whom is your message directed? That dictates everything you will be doing.

Are they young? Old? Middle-aged? Male? Female? Potential buyers of whatever it is you are trying to sell? It could be as tangible as a new can opener. Or as ephemeral as a theory on global warming.

The more you know about the people you are trying to reach, the more like you are to get them nodding.

Your common sense, the mere fact that you live on the same planet, will tell you plenty. But don’t stop there. If you are lucky, there may be research available. If not, you could do some yourself. Do it any way. Visit the factory. Stroll around your local supermarket and quietly observe your fellow humans.

Catch a bus. Travel by train. Look and listen.

Talk to people. Your wife. Your friends. Your children. Perfect strangers. The butcher. The chemist.

Pretend that you are the potential consumer. What would move you to nod? Is it price? Is it new or something you haven’t seen before? Does it perform better than similar products already on the market? Is it something you want?

A word of warning. Be cynical. Very cynical. Don’t take everything you are told as gospel. Find out for yourself. Remember, if you are not entirely truthful, nods can quickly turn into shakes.

Finally, do not confuse a nod with impact. It’s subtle. You can get impact by showing a naked lady in your communication. But unless she is relevant to what your trying to communicate, like a nudist camp or a cure for cellulite, it’s just wasted effort. Not to mention wasted money.

Did I detect a nod?

Not so long ago advertising – they called it ʻmainstream advertising then – was all powerful. TV spots, some as long as two minutes, broadsheet full pages in the press, often in full colour, ditto in magazines and 48 sheet outdoor posters ruled the roost. The rest, even including radio, were looked down upon by the cognoscenti as ʻfringeʼ media or even worse, ʻdirect mailʼ, the very pits. But in time, as economic pressures began to bite, the latter transformed into something just a little more exciting. They called it ʻDirect Marketingʼ and it grew like Topsy under its flash new name. Until, horror of horrors, its annual expenditure actually exceeded that on traditional media, TV and the like.

Itʼs not hard to understand. Much of direct marketing demanded a response from interested consumers. It was accountable. Suddenly awards lost their gloss. Too often they were just a way of showing off the talent of their creators, often with scant regard towards the public they were supposed to convince. More than that, direct mail for example, had the power to create the goose that laid the golden egg. The database, worth its weight in gold for smart operators.

Junk mail I hear you say. Sour grapes I say. What about junk TV, junk press, junk
magazines?

Everything it seems, needs a title. And now that more and more manufacturers were hearing from their consumers, a new ʻscienceʼ emerged. It was called ʻRelationship Marketingʼ perhaps the most dynamic marketing tool today. It was a powerful case of Quality not Quantity. Which begs these questions. Do you have a database of your customers? Is it current today? Is it valid or are you just guessing? When did you last clean the list? Do you use it regularly? The smart marketers that do are reaping rich rewards. Technology has given them an extra edge with computers, Google and the internet. Finding new prospects to add to the database and getting rid of non-responders has become a lot more efficient. Results can be easily measured. But the ultimate test is not how many people responded, but how many people actually put money in your till.

Is mail dead? Itʼs strength, when used properly, is that mail is one to one, intensely personal and addressed to a selected audience most likely to be in the chosen market. It has sold millions of $ of expensive Mercedes-Benz cars, untold millions of Readers Digest and TimeLife books and magazines, who knows how many CDs, exercise devices, kitchen gadgets, cases of wine, clothes, credit cards, the list goes on and on. One of its unique advantages is the ability of a well designed mail piece to involve the recipient in some physical way. Remember those Readers Digest YES and No stamps? Where you did everything you could to make sure you used the YES one because of a suspicion that using the NO one made sure you would never win the Sweepstakes. Itʼs even possible to use simple chemical tests to prove your product is superior to the competition. Such mail packages can, on the surface, appear expensive. But the professionals continue to achieve profitable results in spite of this. The reason is abundantly clear. It works.

Today, it looks like email is shaping up to replace the letter. But like the letter, email needs to be personal and should be received as such. What potential customers donʼt need is ʻjunk emailʼ. And therein lies a dangerous trap.

Researchers have a name for it. Itʼs called ʻcognitive dissonance. It happens when people are exposed to so many different messages that their minds turn off. Itʼs the cyber equivalent of letterbox drops, householder mailings and unsolicited phone calls. The internet provides plenty of opportunities for shrewd marketers who are prepared to invest in the same qualities that made – and still makes good direct mail so effective. Today, because of the sheer number of messages on the net, it will require a whole new creative approach, a modest investment and some pinpoint selectivity to break through the clutter.

As always, faint heart never won fair lady. Fortune favors the brave.

Are you using EDM successfully, or do you still use the traditional ‘Direct Marketing’?

How do your conversions compare between traditional  DM and EDM?

Running has always been my passion. That is, until my aging knees ceased to co-operate. So, after some thought, I decided cycling might be a good idea. I have to admit that the Lycra-clad mob that met most mornings at the local coffee bar appealed to me. I rather fancy myself in Lycra. Very Italian, very espresso, very chic, sounds just like me.

But first, I’ll need a bicycle. Now buying a bicycle is not like buying a car. It’s much more complicated. You need plenty of advice from experts to find your way through the carbon fibre forest (I couldn’t possibly be seen on anything less could I ?). You need to be fitted for a bike. Get it wrong and two things will happen. First, you’ll be uncomfortable, very uncomfortable. And you’ll lack power. Two, you’ll most certainly look like a beginner. Even little things like the height of your saddle will give you away. Can’t have that, no way.

Having settled the need for an appropriate cycle, one that would reflect the professionalism of its owner, I made my way to a dealer a friend had recommended. Now the trouble with most cycle dealers is the necessity to carry as much expensive stock as they can afford. So they have to compromise somewhere and it’s usually in the number of staff they employ. But selecting the right bicycle is quite complex and takes time. In my case almost half an hour before I was eventually served. We started by deciding where I would be riding followed by what kind of bike I needed. I settled for a road model, preferably very ‘Tour de France’.

Then came the measurement. This happened on a strange stationary bicycle with many adjustable bits. This takes quite a while, made longer while my sales bloke answered various technical queries from impatient customers or fellow salesmen (actually the only other fellow in the shop). I wasn’t quite sure what was going on or the reason for everything but eventually we arrived at a fundamental fact: frame size. Time lapse:35 minutes.

A right frame is all very well but then came the crunch. What do you hang on it to get it on the road? That’s when the real fun starts. Wheels. Wheel hubs. Chain set. Cranks (what length?). Pedals. Brakes. Gears. Rear cluster. Saddle. Saddle post. Head set. Handlebar stem, handlebars. Tyres. Inner tubes. Tool bag. That’s just the short list. Almost every component has several choices. Time lapse: depends on you, could take an hour or more.

Especially if you’re spending thousands of dollars to keep up with the Lycra mafia. Which reminds me, the Lycra gear. Which team colours? What Knicks? What shoes? What socks? Gloves? Helmet? Rain gear? Like I said, buying a car is a lot easier. It got me thinking how useful an iPad or two could help this business. For most bicycle retailers it isn’t possible to keep every frame colour and size in stock. There just isn’t enough space. Show them all in living colour with an iPad Presentation.

How do the gears work? Demonstrate the process on video on the iPad. In fact, there are all sorts of things that you could do video for on the iPad. Changing a tyre, adjusting brakes and gears, safe riding techniques, training exercises. How to measure up.

Next time you’re in a shop and there is a an obvious way for the shop to present better, ask the question, ‘Are you using your iPad for Business? If not, why?

Around about this time, when the cold winds blow in from the South bringing with them the blood-chilling ‘brass monkey’ weather, my thoughts turn to fishing. I have every intention of using this break from the river to overhaul my gear. But, as I am naturally a lazy person, it’s just a thought. But there’s a new tackle store opened not far from where I live and I figure it might be a good chance to kill two birds with one stone as it were. Besides there are bound to be some new gadgets worth at least a look. So that’s what I did.

Now I am a fly fisherman – or at least I try to be – and keeping up with the Isaac Waltons of that noble and ancient art is not that easy. You need someone behind the counter who knows what he or she is talking about. This is a new place and I have no idea if anyone there fills the bill.

You can imagine my surprise when, after the usual polite greeting, the  young man who served me, plonked an iPad on the counter. “What” he enquired somewhat curiously, “is your particular fishing fetish?”. “Well” I replied modestly, “I am a fly fisherman, at least I like to think I am but I need help”. “No problem” said my friend. Then, to my surprise, he turned to the iPad. The screen showed a comprehensive index with a splendid selection of subjects covering every aspect of fly fishing from equipment, clothing, fly selection, locations in my State, accommodation, guides, fish smokers, a vast collection of suitable flies (thankfully, no flashy lures),instructional videos on fly casting and fly tying and even overseas fishing tours available through the store.

It was a revelation. “Have a browse, take your time” said the young man. “We have a number of iPads here and our customers love them. It would take me all day to cover all that ground and I’m here to help when needed. It’s particularly good with flies – selection is so much easier than poking around awkward boxes to find the desired pattern in the right size. We can go through them together if you like and I’m here to answer any questions”.

I left the store some hours later with everything I needed for a mind blowing new trout season and a weeks fishing in Belize after the legendary bonefish, something I hadn’t planned on but, what the hell. Life is short and you might as well live a little. Importantly, that with a little imagination, what a wonderful business tool the iPad can be. It certainly got me thinking about how it could help business. Maybe after the Belize trip…

How are you using the iPad for business? Have you seen any great examples of businesses presenting their warez on the iPad? Let us know by leaving comments below.

How often have you heard marketing people swear by the adage that ‘word of mouth’ is the best form of advertising there is? Some even go so far as to claim that it’s so valuable an asset that you can’t put a value on it. “Priceless” they cry, “Priceless!”. I’ll bet you have probably even professed it yourself – I know I have on more than one occasion. And it’s funny how some advertising generates word of mouth which, of course, isn’t always favorable. Take for example, a recent billboard campaign for treating erectile dysfunction. “Do it longer” was the simple headline. It generated heaps of talk, particularly amongst the wowser brigade who attempted, unsuccessfully, to have it withdrawn. I don’t have any figures as to its success or otherwise. It’s still around though, unashamedly in your face and, as Oscar Wilde so wittily observed, any publicity is good publicity. I don’t disagree with him though I would prefer the good stuff.

Today, word of mouth advertising has received a massive dose of adrenalin. It’s called the Internet and its going gangbusters. It’s opened a vast storehouse of information on literally any subject under the sun. Social media like Facebook and Twitter have made word of mouth – the expression of opinions good or bad, warts and all – as simple as falling off a log.

With the phenomenal growth of easy to use, versatile devices like Apple’s iPad, more and more people are using this magical invention than the less convenient laptops and desktop computers to shop online. More than that, it make it possible for the users to easily comment, to praise or to criticize their experience. It’s an extremely potent source of “word of mouth” recommendation or otherwise, made anonymously.

The portability, the use it anywhere form must play a large part in its popularity. There’s plenty of evidence that it’s happening here too. In Australia, 7.4 million tablets were sold last year and Deloittes estimate that, by 2016, 11 million Australians will have one. In America, the magazine Adweek reports that four years from now 50 million tablet devices will be sold annually in the United States – that’s a mighty one third of US adults will own a tablet by 2016.

Whatever else it does, this means that more and more companies will turn to the iPad and similar devices to streamline their operations. It doesn’t take much imagination to see what huge benefits will stem from this hand-held revolution. No more expensive, woefully unwieldy printed catalogues. That’s just the beginning because for business, you will be able to take your whole office with you wherever you go.

Does that make the iPad a ‘virtual office’ ? It’s certainly looking that way. A hairdressing salon keeps a couple of iPads for waiting customers to use. Sure as hell beats out of date magazines with half their pages torn out. Qantas is replacing its in flight entertainment system with an iPad for each passenger. Building site foremen are using the iPad to keep track of operations without having to resort to the site office all the time. Art gallery owners are using their iPads to show paintings on offer. Doctors are keeping patient records and even X-rays on the iPad. Architects are showing 3D drawings to clients. And sales people everywhere thrive on the iPad because, as a business tool, the iPad has no peer.

Next time you’re in a store that sells the iPad, watch a while as people play with it. You will be left with no doubt about the outcome. It’s love at first sight.

Remember when conversations over the back fence were the Internet of their day? When referrals were pure gold? And trust was the order of the day?

If say, you needed a plumber, you asked your next door neighbor, a good friend, the guy at the local servo or other such trustworthy acquaintance, if they knew of someone reliable. Invariably, if they recommended someone, you knew you could rely on it one hundred percent. Similarly, if someone asked you for a reliable contact, you’d certainly not give a bum steer. After all, it was your judgement on the line as well.

Today it’s a vastly different story. The Internet has opened up a storage house of information on literally, any subject under the sun.

All of which sounds like a marketers paradise. But beware, there are traps for the unwary, particularly when it comes to social media.

For a start, the internet operates in what is largely an unregulated environment. And it operates almost entirely under the cloak of anonymity. That pretty much gives social media in particular, the license to say and do what they please. Sadly, the days when one’s word was one’s bond and simple trust are long since gone. Where a single person, perhaps carrying a grudge, can do untold damage to an individual’s reputation or worse still, a company’s public image. Thats why more and more savvy companies, anxious not to commit brand suicide, are approaching social media with caution. Rightly so, when spineless individuals hiding under some clever pseudonym, can say what they like, true or often not. Forget about polite good manners. Today, people have no hesitation saying exactly what they think, favourable or otherwise, with no fear of personal exposure. Immediately!

Remember, the public are not morons. They pay attention to viewer reviews and use them as a guide to the quality or otherwise, of the goods or services they explore. You’ve probably read in the papers recently, of what is called ‘cyber bullying’. It’s generally cases of younger people, usually at school or university. It’s a growing concern, very difficult to combat and can often have devastating consequences.

It can happen to small business and large companies alike. And, as more and more companies are discovering the accessibility and online power of the iPad as a business tool, it’s worth bearing in mind. Treat every hit, every enquiry as a potential customer, treat them as you would anyone in a one-on-one situation and you won’t go far wrong. Just be careful with anything you put out there. It’s there forever.

Because no matter where the message comes from, cyber or not, it still is and will forever remain so, all about service. Reputations are built on it.

Do you have any experiences with bad comments?

Choosing a medium to sell your goods and services used to be simple. Depending on your budget, you could spend your money on Print advertising in news papers and magazines. Or, for a change of pace, radio advertising or Outdoor bill boards. If you were really flush TV would be an obvious choice. Or a combination of all the available media. Then some bright spark coined the terms ‘Above the line’. And the pits ‘Below the line’. Of course the former referred to Press, Radio TV advertising and Outdoor, media that were in the public eye as it were.

And yes, you probably guessed it, “Below the line” was another way of saying “Junk Mail” only slightly more politely. Plus all the other hangers on like letterbox drops, bumper stickers, telemarketing and the like. Stuff well-bred advertising folk would turn their noses up at. And now we can add the Social media. Facebook. Twitter. Google and the Internet. To my mind it’s all a load of crap.

I object strongly to the notion of that mythical ‘Line’. Strip away all those descriptors and what are you left with? What is the true purpose of all those different media, no matter how trivial they may seem? I can tell you in one word: COMMUNICATION. At the core of it all, regardless of what you care to call it, that’s what it’s all about. And savvy users will always gravitate to where they get the best results. How many hits. How many coupons. How many phone calls. How many store visits. How many minds changed. All great but, in the end, the only measurement worth a cracker carries a dollar sign before it.

There are exceptions. Take the real estate developers with a new residential estate. Paradoxically, too many visits on the weekend often depresses the number of contracts they sign. The reason is simple. Buying a home is a big deal. Too many people mean the the sales guys don’t get the chance to spend quality time with prospects.

Talking of quality time makes me think of primary schools. Specifically, Show and Tell. Teachers have found this method hugely successful in teaching young children the how and why of all sorts of different things. It’s different, involving, seldom boring and makes learning very effective.

Now think about how how Show and Tell, can be applied to business. You can use it in elaborate presentations. Or in expensive printed literature. Seminars. Even in a time restricted TV commercial. Today, more and more businesses, large and small, are finding a better, less expensive way. It’s called the iPad and it’s revolutionizing the way they do business.

It let’s you carry your office around with you wherever you go. All in what has to be the most involving, most intimate form of introduction around. As sales people around the world have discovered, the sheer simplicity of the iPad is the greatest ice breaker around. Prospects cannot resist involving themselves with it. You have a clever video presentation? Show it right there on your iPad, no Internet connection required. Need to sift through hundreds of small but important parts like medical hardware? Load it all on your iPad and forget about lugging around expensive, unwieldy catalogues that soon look the worse for wear. It’s all at your fingertips in a flash. Incorporate Order Forms and Invoices so everything can be done on the spot. Forms that can even be digitally signed, securely. Communicate with your teams in the field instantly, automatically update any changes as they occur. These are all great ways to use your iPad for business.

Every day, businesses are discovering new ways to put the iPad to work for them. Why only today I passed a large building site in the city. I came across a worker, resplendent in his fluoro vest and hard hat which you’d expect. What you wouldnt expect is that, around his neck an iPad was slung, obviously being used to regularly check something. If I see him again I’ll make sure to find out what he uses it for.

Well, there you go. There’s one thing you can guarantee when you explore this versatile device.

Expect the unexpected.

It turned out that on this particular day, the school took delivery of 8 iPads. What impressed my son so much, no stranger to Mac computers, was how the Grade One children took to the new device. With no more instruction than the location of the home button they were off and running, discovering for themselves all sorts of new things, even typing away on the keyboard, checking out the available apps and searching for games. Of course! And he described the experience in one word: “Awesome!”.

It’s not surprising. For a start, the iPad is very sexy. Its the perfect size, not to big for little hands, not to small that it can’t be carried around easily. There are no wires to tangle. It has a terrific screen and it’s infinitely versatile. Already, it’s being used very successfully to help autistic children to read, the combination of pictures and words the ideal tool. More than anything else, particularly when it comes to young children, it’s FUN. Let’s face it, to them it’s more like a new toy until they discover all the exciting things it can do.

A recent test conducted in three Sydney primary schools, involving 90 pupils and 5 teachers, found that the iPad enhanced learning. Pupils were more engaged, more motivated, better able to collaborate and could personalise their learning. There’s still a way to go but the future is looking decidedly promising. If the iPad can do all that for schools, just imagine what it can do for business.

The Liquid Enterprise App turns the iPad into a powerful ipad sales tool so it’s no wonder businesses both large and small, around the world are embracing this versatile means of effective communication to build sales and in the process, cut costs.

It literally allows you to carry your office with you, wherever you go. You can access your files from anywhere. Your desktop. Email. Dropbox. Google documents. Even in other iPad Applications. Embed videos, product demonstrations and instructions directly into Presentations. To play anywhere, without Internet connection, on your or your team’s iPads. Using the iPad for business gives mobile sales teams a strong shot in the arm and provides them with all they need to make dynamic presentations anywhere, any time. Without lugging around heavy equipment. Or finding things don’t work like the should or worse, still not at all.

Versatile? There is almost no end to the possibilities it offers. Airlines have found that providing passengers with an iPad works perfectly without fuss. Unlike some of the entertainment systems around. Salesmen can carry around a catalogue of many thousand items, all on their iPad. Instead of a bulky printed version that costs a small fortune to produce.

Simple? You better believe it.

For those old enough to remember, the little MG sports car was a fine example. If you passed another MG or saw one on the other side of the road you always acknowledged its presence with a friendly toot, a wave or, if you could manage it, flashed your lights. It made you feel like you belonged to a kind of exclusive club and was a powerful reassurance that you made the right choice of brand.

And I got to thinking, isn’t that just like Apple today. You’ve probably noticed that Mac users, be it an iMac, iPod, iPhone or iPad, are passionately loyal followers and, more than that, fierce defenders of the brand. The value of which is beyond measure. Such loyalty cannot be bought by ‘frequent flyer’ schemes or aggressive discounting. It is inherent in the product itself. The elegant design, the genuine user friendliness and just the feel of a Mac device are powerful persuaders. Plus the feeling of belonging to an elite community of which you are a valued member.

You may also have noticed that Mac users are a friendly bunch and always happy to show you new ways to get the most out of whatever it is you’re using. This is particularly noticeable when every day we see how enthusiastically companies of all sizes have embraced the iPad as a potent business tool and dare we say it, a powerful brand builder for any kind of organization we can think of.

What brands are you in love with?