Do You Know The Number One Cause of Stress That can Turn Your Business Around?

A couple of weeks ago a committee of the Food and Drug Administration made front page news because they wanted stronger warnings for the popular ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) drugs. Studies have shown that these drugs Aderall or Ritilin could cause heart attacks to people with preexisting heart disease. It made me stop and think we have an epidemic of people who have a problem with attention and focus.

First, why is anyone with heart disease taking the drug? Or why aren’t people tested before they take it? But that’s another issue for another day. Then I thought if we are having this epidemic, then what’s causing it? Many deny that this disease even exists. When I realized why, then I wondered why isn’tt it a bigger problem than it is? Let me explain-- I promise to tie it all together.

The number one cause of frustration by millions of people is “not completing tasks and not getting things done.” Being overwhelmed and being distracted causes uncompleted tasks. It applies to little things like starting a project. You get distracted, then you work on that, and just when you are ready to go back to the first thing you were working on, then something else interests you and by the end of the day you were so busy and have gotten nothing done. Is that frustrating or what?

Back to why I think ADD is even bigger is just look at battle for our minds and focus. My grandson Jason turned one year old. He got more toys at his birthday party than I think I received for my first 6 birthdays. Then 3 months later was Christmas and he got even more. But this applies to adults as well. Look at all of the choices we have in almost everything we do. We hear people talk about a simpler time. That was a time without all of the options or choices available today. Our ancestors received the news from a town crier or newspaper. Now we have a variety of newspapers, local regional , national. Then there is TV, both network and cable, magazines, radio, newsletters, and the internet. Maybe the government should be putting Ritalin in the water supply like fluoride! We have an epidemic of choices.

I knew all that but what I just learned was there is a name for that type of mental tension and unbalance. It’s called the Zeigarnik Effect named after the Gestalt theorist. I learned about it from a seasoned copywriter and author of the book Web Copy That Sells by Maria Veloso ( I recommend it highly).

How does it apply to what we do? Simplify, Simplify, Simplify. Eliminate some choices. Don’t load your wagon with too many choices. Don’t say everything is good at a restaurant, make a suggestion. In your brick and mortar store, go back to the basic good, better, best formula. Maybe now we know why it works. Everything else is an overkill. Don’t offer too many choices or buttons to pick from on your website. Tell the reader/customer what to do, where to go, and how to do it.

After spending the last 6 months researching my new book on E-Commerce, it hit me right before I read Maria’s book. Now master this simple formula and you will make millions on the internet. I call it the “Forest Gump Effect” –keep it simple and focused.

First--what are people looking to buy and what words do they search to find them?
Second--have a site that specializes in what they are looking for everything on that site must support that they want or need.

That’s why some of the highest producing sites are so simple.

That’s also why many of the biggest money earners online are not always the brightest lights and why some of the best sites are simple as well. Don’t junk up the message. If you have an itch on your left shoulder blade, then scratch the left shoulder blade. Don’t scratch the right one or tell me about your headache. Yes, it might be important but I don’t care.

Look at your website and ask if you are simplifying or just blowing your own horn. People don’t really care that you have been in town 50 years. Tell them how you are going to solve their problems and make their life better. It’s as easy as buy low and sell high. Actually it’s easier. Just don’t try to confuse it.

Shop Your Business Like A Customer

Have you ever acted or been in a school play? At first you feel uncomfortable, but when you finally let go and actually become the character, the easier it gets and the better the performance you give. That’s why we hear of so many actors who research their parts for months before they start rehearsals.

Acting like a customer in your own business shouldn’t require much research, after all you have been dealing with customers for years. You have heard all of the complaints, the attitudes, and the whining about price more times than you care to remember. It’s time to use it. Shop your store the way a customer would. Approach the front door the same way. If you have windows, look in them the way a customer would. Are they clean? Do they look professional? What kind of image do they give? What are your expectations about the business before you even enter? Do you expect better merchandise, discounted merchandise, unique or unusual, or the same as everyone else?

Once you cross the threshold what grabs your attention? Is the business clean and organized? Is it busy? Is it easy to find things? Is there merchandise that is being promoted or priced so low that you just have to buy it? Is there something that is so different that you just have to tell all your friends about it? Are there cute whimsical signs that make the shopping experience fun? Are there things that are in need of repair? Are displays fresh and full?

Be critical, be hard on yourself, and start to make a list of the things that bother you. I almost wrote the things that you must correct. But if you say that, you jump out of the character of being your customer.

Then ask yourself, “If I were a mystery shopper just coming into the store for the first time, what would I think and what would I write in my report? Would I be complimentary or not?” If you really want to bring this experience to another level, then go shopping other businesses and see how they compare to each other and to you. They don’t have to be in the same industry as yours. I had dinner tonight at a popular chain restaurant and asked the server what a certain pin he was wearing was for. He was proud to say he got it from a mystery shopper who awarded it to him for providing exceptional service. You would think he had just won Olympic Gold. The question that always comes up is when should you do this and do you have your employees actually wait on you? First you can do this almost anytime and it should be done at least once a quarter. NO, I don’t recommend having your staff wait on you. That can get a little too silly BUT don’t be afraid to have your staff shop you like a customer to get their feedback. Then compare your findings.

With the eyes of the customer and being in a role playing/acting frame of mind, you will discover things you just never notice. In my seminars I ask people to ask themselves if they have numbers or slashes on their watches without looking. Then I tell them to look at their watches and it amazes everyone when about 35% of the audience starts to laugh because they didn’t know. This is something we look at everyday, 20 to 30 times a day. This is the same premise. It is making you aware of the things that we take for granted and might not notice, like the stain in the ceiling which we have been planning to take care of for the last two years, or where the carpet is worn out, or the unprofessional paper signs that just junk up the business near the cash register.

As I shop stores I ask myself more times than I care to remember, and I am sure some of you say the same thing, “Do they know what their business looks like?” I really think they have just gotten used to their surroundings and just don’t notice. Try it. It will make you your own retail consultant and discover things that you never even realized.

I Had a Life Changing Experience...And So Can You

I attended a conference over the weekend and learned some great new applications for the internet and some different business building techniques that I will be sharing with you over the next few months. But I also attended one 60-minute session that effected me in a way that I can’t stop thinking about.
Let me first give you the set up. It was the last session of the conference and the program was being delivered by a colleague of mine whom I have known for years but had never heard him present. Frankly, I never wanted to hear him because he spoke about “touchy feely” types of topics that never seemed quite relevant compared to hardcore business building marketing strategies.

The title of the program was “Elevators & Trapdoors: Decision making essentials for enhancing success and diminishing fear and doubt”. Frankly, the title was not that appealing (it was too long and wasn’t that sexy), but I figured everybody needs help in making the right decision and beside that I wanted to support my colleague. I felt badly for him because he wouldn’t be drawing a big crowd because of the weak title, the timing of the presentation at the end of the conference, and also having this session competing against some real high profile people.

I was right, the crowd was sparse. And yes, he started asking these thought provoking questions. He asked the audience to think about a time where we worked at our optimum capabilities, when we were unstoppable, dynamic, resourceful, and in an almost Euphoric State. I couldn’t really think of one.
I went with a close friend of mine and she said what about when you got the standing ovation in Canada? I said, “NO. I missed a couple of slides.” What about when you first learned you got the Dummies contract or the big Microsoft project? Again I said “NO.”

The presenter then asked what are your limiting beliefs or ineffective rules that prevent you from getting to that Euphoric state? It still didn’t register with me. Then he said something that made all the bells go off for me. What do you enjoy doing so much that you spend more time than you have, do regardless of money concerns, and gain the greatest satisfaction?

That became easy for me. It is when I am able to help another business person bring their business to another level. It is when I can make a difference in their business life that will eventually make a difference in their lives. When I can help a retailer in showing them a path to make money and succeed, I feel terrific. When my partner and co-author, Darren LaCroix, won the Toastmasters International speech competition and I heard him speak in front of 2000 people, I was in that state of mind because I knew that I had helped him attain this award. When I give out the RAMAE Awards (Retail Association of Massachusetts Awards of Excellence) every year and see the reaction of the winners, it doesn’t get much better. When I get a note from a business person with whom I worked telling me that I have made a difference with an idea or point of view, it gets me pumped to work even harder.

Who are you? What excites you about your business? Do you love to buy merchandise? Do you get excited when new things come in? Do you spend an extra day just shopping the market looking for that one special item that will make the store come alive? Or do you feel you must be back in the store because you have a limiting belief that says shopping would be fun but I am a retailer and I must be in my store. Change that limiting belief and spend the time shopping. Shop both retailers in your industry and other industries as well. It will make you a better retailer. Quiet the voice that says, “Stay in the store.” Do what you love to do and the money will follow. Do what you love to do and your passion will become your greatest asset.

When I partnered with Margie Johnson to do downtown revitalizing projects, I wrote a signature line for our new business endeavor. I knew this part of my business would not be the most lucrative so I, without really analyzing it, penned my true feelings in a few word positioning statement-- “making a difference in the lives of retailers.” I will modify it just a bit and replace small business people for retailer, but that is who I am and what I do.

Who are you and what turns you on in your business and in your life? It must be more than money. And then ask yourself what beliefs are holding you back? Do what you want to do and the rewards will follow. Don’t worry about the mule going blind and just load your wagon.

An Advertising Lesson from the Super Bowl

The Super Bowl has become more than just a championship game. It has become almost a national holiday, an American tradition and winter ritual. Families come together, parties are planned, and supermarkets sell extra snack food for the Super Bowl parties. It is the second largest food consumption day after Thanksgiving. Las Vegas hotels have expanded on Super Bowl weekend profits, Dominos sells over 1.5 million pizzas and beer sales explode. Last week all I have been watching are reports from Detroit , the home for this year’s game. The hype has only increased over the years, not just about the game, but about the half time show, the celebrity sightings, and of course the ads. Companies have been built and sales have sky rocketed over a single 30-second spot. The most memorable was probably the 1984 Apple spot which was used to introduce the new Macintosh Computer. And who could ever forget Mean Joe Greene throwing his game shirt to a young boy?

What caught my attention was a survey in USA Today last Friday of some of the top advertising professionals in the world regarding successful Super Bowl ads. Many of their points apply not only apply to the Super Bowl but can be interpreted for all size advertisers all of the time.

Here are my thoughts and the lessons we can all learn from those advertisers that spend 2.5 million for 30 seconds of air time:

1. Entertainment value is a must in a great ad. Add some humor--when you humorize, you humanize. Good humor makes us likeable and we all like to do business with companies and people we like. After all, laughter is the great social lubricant that breaks down sales resistance.

2. No Hard Selling—There are no hucksters here. It’s a soft image building ad that works the best. No one wants to be pushed anymore.

3. No price item ads. No one is pushing price here. When are we going to learn that it’s more than just price?

4. Make the emotional connection with your audience. Joe Greene sold lots of Coke when he tossed that shirt. When we can get our customers to say “OHHH, isn’t that nice”, it creates a connection that brings our customers closer to us and helps in becoming their preferred choice.

5. The Super Bowl is proof that animals sell. We fell in love with the Budweiser frogs and their Dalmatians. We are in love with our pets. It works just as well locally when we show our pets and even when we give them titles. One retailer made his cat the CEO of the business and every ad focused on the adventures of the CEO. At Christmastime, that cat got over 400 Christmas cards. How many did you get? (My dog is on our board of directors. We love it when she gets mail because we listed her on our corporate papers. OK, I am one of those pet crazy people too.)

6. Keep looking for, developing, or adopting a great repeatable tag line. Think of the power of Staples, “That was Easy.” It is so good they even sell an Easy Button at the stores. But let’s not forget it was the Super Bowl that gave us “I’m going to Disney World”. And Larry Bird and Michael Jordan coined “Nothing but Net” for MacDonald’s. This isn’t about how much money you have, but rather how creative you become.

7. The Super Bowl is as big as it is because it is one of the last places where one media, TV, is still dominant. Mass marketing has been replaced by pinpoint advertising over the last 40 years. Pinpointing our customers is still the big winner. We all need to realize that, with the exception of the Super Bowl, mass marketing is losing the battle to on- to-one marketing where we are sending messages of interest to those who are interested.

So let’s celebrate the Super Bowl and appreciate the days when advertising was all about mass marketing and a time where newspapers, radio, and TV were the only way to advertise. It’s a new world with many different options but the basic rules of adverting are still the basic rules that convey our messages to our customers. Some things just don’t go out of style!