Actually, I drive an 09' Toyota which makes the recent problems the company is experiencing hit a little closer to home. Since news first broke early last week about a faulty design causing accelerators to stick, things keep getting worse for Toyota. A global recall on more than 8 million cars, reports of brake problems with the popular Prius Hybrid, and harsh criticism of the company's CEO, Akio Toyoda, over his lack of public appearances during the crisis. What can we take away from Toyota's public relations nightmare? Solid risk management can save companies a lot of headache in the long run.
According to supply risk specialists, there are three distinct kinds of supply risks every company should be aware of: brand, commodity and disruption. Toyota is most certainly dealing heavily with two out of three... expensive disruptions in its supply chain and a huge hit to the brand. In the past, Toyota has consistently ranked among the most respected global corporations with historically high resale values by building dependable cars. Even though there are just a few models being recalled, the bad reputation that comes from a bombshell like this would permeate the entire line.
For customers like me, the recall crisis could heavily affect the expected resale value for our cars. KBB (Kelly Blue Book) and ALG (Automotive Lease Guide) agree that Toyota could see a 4% to 5% additional decrease in value on the vehicles it currently has out on the streets.
"As leases come due and used Toyotas are returned to the manufacturer, the inability of dealerships to either sell or remarket these vehicles could add to an increase in overall supply of used Toyotas," KBB writes.
The questions is, if a crisis like this one can hit the world's most respected auto manufacturer, then we all have reason to be a little more on our toes. It should force all business owners and companies with a reputation at stake to take a closer look at supply risk management and tighten the screws a bit. One thing we can tell for certain from all this is that prevention heavily outweighs the cost of correction.
No matter what, we'll have to keep watching to see how Toyota pulls out of this episode. It will no doubt prove to be long-term, influential, and very expensive.
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
Last month, Unified360's resident "legal beagle" Matt Hutchins wrote a blog entitled One Liners for the New Year. It was so popular that we decided to post a "sequel" of sorts, sent to us by a friend. Here you go...
"I really enjoyed reading your blog 'One Liners to Start a New Year' submitted by Matt Hutchins awhile back. Heck, I even used a few of them at a News Years Eve party! Matt is a good friend of mine, so I wanted to come up with a sequel to his blog.
Now for the background. A first grade teacher had 26 students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the first half of a well-known proverb and asked the class to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first-graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first-graders, 6 year olds, because the last one is a classic..."
- Don't change horses ... until they stop running.
- Strike while the ... bug is close.
- It's always darkest before ... Daylight Savings Time.
- Never underestimate the power of ... termites.
- You can lead a horse to water but ... How?
- Don't bite the hand that ... looks dirty.
- No news is ... impossible.
- A miss is as good as a ... Mr.
- You can't teach an old dog new ... math.
- If you lie down with dogs, you'll ... stink in the morning.
- Love all; trust ... me.
- The pen is mightier than the ... pigs.
- An idle mind is ... the best way to relax.
- Where there's smoke there's ... pollution.
- Happy the bride who ... gets all the presents.
- A penny saved is ... not much.
- Two's company; three's ... the Musketeers.
- Don't put off till tomorrow what ... you put on to go to bed.
- Laugh and the whole world laughs with you; cry and ... you have to blow your nose.
- There is none so blind as ... Stevie Wonder.
- Children should be seen and not ... spanked or grounded.
- If at first you don't succeed ... get new batteries.
- You get out of something only what you ... see in the picture on the box.
- When the blind lead the blind ... get out of the way.
- A bird in hand ... is going to poop on you.
- Better late than ... pregnant.
Doug Younie, Partner
Apogee Software
dougy@apogeesoftware.com
What do you think of when you think of a salesman? Do you imagine someone tall, dark and handsome, with a smooth way of talking you into buying anything? I think not. I'm sure when most of us think of a "salesman" we think of an exasperating person constantly calling our desk phone and NOT leaving messages. So, sales guys and gals, this blog is for you. In one of my recent blog reads I came across an article
Top 10 Sales Mistakes which I found quite interesting and shockingly true. How many mistakes do salespeople make a day? Remember when it comes to leads (especially in this economy) there's no room for excuses or mistakes. So, let's take it back to the basics, here are some common and avoidable mistakes I came across in the article...with my own spin on it of course.
1. Not listening: Okay sales guys, for those of you who are married this should come easily to you... I hope. Don't just listen to what the customer wants, dig a little deeper and research what they NEED. They won't necessarily care about what you have to offer at first... people are much more concerned with their own problems, so listen to them! Listen to what they want but also give them a solution to help them make their company better. Take your time, it shows you care... even if you don't care ACT like you do; they'll appreciate it later.
2. Overselling: Come on guys, keep it short and sweet. Say just enough to get them to take the bait but don't say too much. Your potential client won't want to even consider what you're offering if you become pushy or obnoxious. Learn when to stop selling.
3. Being unprepared: This mistake can be made in many areas of our lives, not just sales. Being unprepared will make you seem flaky and unorganized. Know all the details of what you are trying to sell and be ready for a game of "21 questions". Study the ins and outs of your product... Knowledge is power. You can never know too much.
4. Jumping straight to the sale: A wise man (thanks, Jim) once told me "if you see a cute boy at the bar, you don't just walk up to him and say ‘Hi my name is ____ and I would be perfect for you'. You engage in conversation and get to know him first... then start telling him about yourself and what you do". The same goes for sales. Build that relationship with your new or potential clients. Don't rush into it. If you work to create a strong relationship with your clients, you will get referred to their clients and the leads will start rolling in.
5. Not closing the sale: Well first of all, not closing a deal when promised will definitely NOT make your boss happy. After you have provided your customer with the information they need, ask them if they are ready to buy. This is where the mistake of "overselling" usually comes in. When someone is hesitant to sign a contract, we tend to panic and start overselling. Just relax... ask them if they're ready. Sometimes asking for a sale without being pushy can be just what your customer needs to make their decision.
6. Going off topic: Alright people, when I say "build relationships" I don't mean walking into your customers office and telling them a fifteen minute story about how your child just lost his or her first baby tooth. Make your customer feel comfortable. Remember, they're busy too and they aren't paying you to be there best friend. Be friendly with your customers but keep the off-topic chatter to a minimum, at least during the work day.
7. Not researching your customer: Before trying to sell a CEO something, break the ice with "I saw in your bio that you enjoy golf... I just got back from Hawaii... Played on some beautiful courses out there." Find some common interest without sounding like a stalker; keep it short and sweet. Make your potential client relate to you. The more chances they get to see that you're just like them and not just someone trying to sell them something, the better off you'll be.
8. Judging books by their covers: Never let prejudice over on race, creed, gender, ethnicity or appearance influence you.
9. Not following up on leads: If someone doesn't immediately buy from you, don't be completely discouraged. They may need your product sometime in the near future, especially if they requested information. Don't call your old leads four times a day without leaving messages. Just occasionally follow up with them to see if you can help.
10. Failing to prospect for new customers: Just because you sold that million dollar deal a few months back, doesn't mean you're done selling for the year. A sale like that should make you hungry for more. Always devote time to looking for more customers, even when sales are at their peak. No company can survive without that constant flow of reoccurring revenue and new customers. No business can afford NOT to be prospecting new clients; it just doesn't work that way.
What do you want people to think of when they think of salespeople? We don't have to perpetuate the stereotype. See where you can improve and take advice from those around you. The sale can be made! You just have to find the right way to go about it.
Felicia Cienfuegos, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
While listening to Fox News on satellite radio this weekend, I heard about a study done by a company in Florida that exposed a few of their employees spending 7 out of the 8 hours of their workday on social media sites conducting personal business. Does your company have the same problem? As the world revolutionizes into a "social media sphere" how much productivity are we really getting out of our employees? How much time in a day are they spending on personal business and social media sites?
There are many different versions of software to monitor computer behavior and web traffic; however, I personally find it a little ridiculous that companies should even HAVE to invest in this type of software! Why should we monitor the work of employees we are paying to work a full 8 hours a day? I can definitely see the value. In these tough economic times, it is essential for businesses to be getting the most out of their employee's time and effort during the workday.
I work in a company that focuses heavily on social media which sometimes brings up the excuse of..."well, I am on it for work reasons." While I agree that sometimes we are on it for work purposes, is it truly necessary to be logged in 8 hours a day and posting all day? I remember reading a story of a girl who posted on Facebook each day how bored she was at work. One day her boss walked in and fired her on the spot because she apparently didn't have enough work to do.
So I pose the question to any employee at any company...do you think your company can see what you are doing? If so, is it WHAT you want them to see? Keep these questions in the back of your mind the next time you click on Internet Explorer or Firefox. You never know who is watching...
Kimberly Kelly, Director of Marketing
Unified360
If you are like the average American, you are working, living, and playing at a speed of light pace, finding yourself at the end of the day feeling exhausted and used up. Maybe a year has gone by, and you can't remember the last time that you took a vacation. Do you own more than three chargers for your iPhone or Blackberry? Do you create a work schedule that forces you into an eternal state of hitting deadlines and crossing items off the to do list? Serious enough to the point where you can't take time off or your "system" will fall apart? I was 100% guilty of this until my life took a turn from that state of perpetual working nonsense and I reached a breaking point. This lead me to a conversation with a very smart friend of mine. He shared a story with me that has made a huge impact on how I view life. I would like to share that story with you.
Early one morning Jacob and Edward go out to chop wood all day using axes. There is a bet on who can chop the most wood. Jacob is quite physical. Standing tall and stout at 6'4" 260 lbs. Edward is not quite the physical force; not in bad shape, just more of the average build. Jacob is very confident that because of his muscle he will chop more wood than Edward and win the bet. So the wood chopping starts.
During this axe swinging madness, Jacob notices that about every hour or so, Edward sits down for what appears to be a break. Jacob thinks to himself, "I've got this bet won." By the end of the day, Jacob is tired and hurting from his aching back and blistered hands and sits down to look at his work. He is proud of his large pile of wood. Then, Jacob's lifts his tired eyes and sees Edward standing by his pile of wood. Edward is not looking nearly as tired and exhausted as Jacob. More like he could still continue! Edward's pile of wood is bigger than Jacob's as well. Jacob, now feeling frustrated asks, "How could you have possibly cut more wood than I did Edward? You took breaks and rested and I didn't!" Edward replied to Jacob, "That is where you are wrong my strong friend. I was not just sitting and resting. I was sharpening my axe."
At this point in my life, almost 4 years later, my life is so much more fulfilling. My work ethic is still as strong as ever. My calendar is still booked consistently. There are very few differences between my current schedule and a past schedule. I found a hobby that I am truly passionate about and have created many memories and accomplishments that will stay with me forever. I have been very plugged into my local church with great relationships and opportunities to give back to my community. Meals with family and friends are scheduled so that I don't miss out on those opportunities to continue cultivating relationships. However, one of the most important items on my calendar is downtime. All facets of my life are a beautiful equation properly balanced to create an environment for growth and fulfillment.
Frank D Chiuppi
Rhonda Allison Clinical Enterprises
817-410-9899
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Yes, it's the newest shining star to come out of "über-cool" world of Apple... the
iPad. In case you've been living under a rock this week, Apple CEO Steve Jobs revealed the company's newest product on Wednesday. A lightweight, slim, and portable touch screen slab has everyone buzzing and will be available for all to use this March. It's a state-of-the-art device that gives all forms of entertainment, news and print media a chance to move their content into the digital age.
The gadget has a 9.7-inch, high-resolution screen and comes at merely half an inch thick and weighs under 1.5 pounds. It's an iPhone or iTouch on steroids and runs just about all of the 140,000 apps available at the App Store as well. The iPad without 3G arrives in about 60 days and models with cellular are due about a month later. The device lets you surf the web, play games, watch movies, listen to music and access email along with reading electronic newspapers and books. It basically puts the Amazon Kindle to shame, being much more versatile and competitive in price.
Speaking of price... that was one of the biggest shocks at Wednesday's big reveal; $499 for a 16-gigabyte model. The iPhone cost equaled that when it first came out. And with Amazon's single-purpose Kindle costing around $260, the iPad may prove to be a game changer.
Along with being versatile and all around "magical", it looks pretty dang cool, too. Its sleek and smooth hardware makes it attractive and the soft or virtual keyboard allows for a clean workspace (although you can connect a physical keyboard if you need it).
But almost just as important as what it can do is what it can't. Apple customers may still have some concerns. The iWork software suite is still in the works, which will include Pages word processor, Numbers spreadsheet and Keynote presentation. Adobe Flash videos are not accessible on the iPad (so long, Hulu and Dailymotion), and there's no memory card slot or USB port for uploading photos or videos. And while it is a step in the right direction (smaller than a laptop, bigger than an iPhone), it doesn't quite have the ability to replace either one. So will people really carry all three? We'll have to wait and see about that.
No matter what the downfalls may be, I think the iPad will prove to be pretty popular... even with HP, Intel and Dell coming out with similar models in the near future. Apple users are loyal and love all the new flashy gadgets. I'm a Mac user myself and I have to say I'm intrigued. It combines so many media capabilities that will surely impact books, newspapers, magazines, gamers and others in ways we've never seen. I don't think Apple even knows quite how it will evolve yet. But we're all excited to see where things are headed.
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
Getting dressed for the office doesn't mean you have to leave your personal style at home. The trick is to find out which looks give you a polished, professional look and which fashions can be a career killer or which have the ladies whispering in the hallways and the men looking just a little too long.
Your goal to getting dressed for work is to project a professional, competent image, regardless of your employment level or career path. If you are like me, you love to accessorize down to the T! Just remember, sometimes less is more. However, don't save those gorgeous dangly earrings for a black tie event, you never know what tomorrow holds, wear them today! And Guys, who cares if you bought the shirt and tie off of the mannequin? It looks great! (Here's a hint, men look great in pink!)
The styles, colors, lengths and fit of your fashion choices will speak volumes about your ability to do your job. If you are concerned about your career, you'll be more concerned with looking professional than looking cute or trendy. However, I believe that you can achieve both. It's 2010 baby, and I want to look and feel all of the above. But let's not take the trendy Forever 21 thing too far. T-shirt material is t-shirt material is t-shirt material. Don't get me wrong, XXI has some amazing steals, but not everything is work appropriate there. You know what I'm talking about ladies!
One article said "In general, the more distracting a piece of clothing or jewelry is, the less appropriate it is for office wear." I don't necessarily agree. I have lots of BLINGY jewelry and loud shoes and I feel they are completely appropriate for work. Whoever said that must be an introvert and doesn't know how to take a compliment ;). There is no reason you can't look like a million bucks just because you are going to work. My rule of thumb is to dress in a way that makes me feel great. My 2nd rule of thumb is "I can do whatever I want". I don't have to answer to Joan Rivers. When you feel like you look great, you feel great! Your entire attitude is pleasant and it truly is the root of self esteem, self worth, and self confidence. Not to mention, these are all great qualities of a healthy individual, employee, and coworker. On the flip side, don't ever show up to work in something that looks like it was wadded up in your laundry chute. I think you can purchase an iron for around $7. Make the investment! Unfortunately, it really is hard to overcome a first impression. Furthermore, if you are sloppy in your appearance, what do your work ethics look like?
More guidelines to looking polished:
- Color plays a big part in professional image. Traditional career colors include red (aggressive/confident), navy (trustworthy), gray (conservative) and black (chic/classic). Most of these colors work well in pantsuits, skirts and shoes and mix back with softer feminine colors that are appropriate like ice blue, lilac, soft pink and ivory. Loud colors like hot pink and wild prints are much riskier in the office, but if you are like me, go for it! You only live once!
- Jewelry that jangles (chandelier earrings, stacks of bangles) can be distracting. Opt for stud earrings or single bracelets if you have an important meeting. Otherwise, go for it Sister!
- Most of what constitutes a polished image is in the details: manicured nails, scuff-free shoes, neat clean hair.
Career Killers
Unlike a fashion faux pas, a career killer outfit can do your professional image permanent damage.
Looks to avoid in the workplace:
- Too sexy: see-through lace, miniskirts, spaghetti straps, sheer sundresses, undergarments popping up out of nowhere....
- Too casual: jeans, shorts, T-shirts, hats, flip flops, wife beaters (varies from workplace to workplace)
- Too sloppy: wrinkled clothing, too many layers, pajamas. It's never a good idea to wear your pj's to work. (unless you are working from home J )
So bottom line, use your best judgment and DRESS FOR SUCCESS! It is better to be overdressed than underdressed. If you aren't sure, go for the safe slacks and button down. But most importantly don't be afraid to have fun and look great at work!
Mandy West, Account Manager
Unified360
"There's a map for that"... five words that changed the marketing efforts of the two most popular wireless companies, Verizon and AT&T.
Verizon began running these map ads in response to AT&T's "There's an app for that" iPhone campaign. Angry AT&T executives fought back with a lawsuit, stating that the maps on Verizon's commercial were misleading. The argument was that the blank space on the AT&T map made it look like there was no coverage in those areas when actually there was, it just wasn't 3G coverage. Well, the first lawsuit didn't quite work out for the execs at AT&T, so they filed ANOTHER law suit. That one didn't work out either. As a result, Verizon came out with even more commercials bashing AT&T.
Finally, AT&T fought back :
After the back and forth "commercial bashing", Verizon finally came forth with this statement:
"AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon's 'There's A Map for That' advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon's ads are true and the truth hurts."
Verizon's response states that "the truth hurts", but what is the truth? AT&T might not have as much 3G coverage as Verizon, but they claim theirs is faster. And what about the phones? Verizon has the "coolest" phones but AT&T's are more popular? Verizon recently came out with the Motorola Droid which they say is better than the iPhone. This sparked another commercial campaign called "iDont" which claims the new Droid has better features then the iPhone.
Yes, these commercials are clever, but when is it going to stop? When I see these commercials, all I can think is: somebody's lying. They can't both be the best, can they? And what affect might this have on the customers of both carriers? There are pro's and con's to both services and the constant bashing back and forth on national television is getting a little old. What effect does this type of advertising have on you? Are you tempted to leave one carrier for the other based on the information from these commercials? What if they spent all that advertising money focusing more on their customers than their competitors? Let's call a truce AT&T and Verizon. Agree to disagree.
Felicia Cienfuegos, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360
Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIN. You Tube. Hootsuite...
Hootsuite?? Yes, you read me correctly. I didn't know what it was either, until last week. Those mentioned above, and many, many other social media forums have made their grand entrance into our lives and have been embraced in different ways by those that have opened our doors for them.
Sure, I was quick to follow the Facebook craze back in 2008. Why not? Everyone was doing it, right? It was a great way to keep up with old friends from school; see more pictures of your friend's kids than you had of your own (& even see some pictures you probably didn't want to see); find those that really have more time than they know what to do with (I really didn't need to know what you were doing every minute of every hour of every day); and show your affiliation to anything from political party to your favorite music group.
Having said that, let's dig a little deeper than the personal aspect social media has had, and focus on its relation to the business environment. Think back to the early stages of the "dot-com" era when this thing called the Information Superhighway was banging on our door. Business leaders were asking themselves "how can my company use the internet?" The web soon became more than just a marketing tactic or an avenue for communicating. Instead, it was a revolution that altered the way companies did business. This was a time of fear, confusion, and change, yet more importantly, a time for OPPORTUNITY. Many organizations struggled to adapt to these changes.
Social Media has and will continue to bring these same types of changes to the business environment. Now take a minute and reflect on this well known quote: "Those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it". Ouch. That took many of us back to the late nineties didn't it?
So what can we expect and how can we prepare?
- The internet was initially dismissed as a playground for kids & geeks. (sound familiar to social media discussions you may have had recently?) It became evident that its usage was making its way quickly across age, gender, race and almost every other demographic. More importantly, was recognizing that while virtually everyone was going to be "surfing" (online shopping, reading newspapers, using search engines, etc.), not all would use in the same manner. Therefore, organizations couldn't then, and can't now, rely on a single online strategy to reach their intended audience.
- Businesses must understand the needs & expectations of their prospective targets. There is not a "sure-fire" way or a simple checklist that every company should follow to guarantee immediate success with social media. The key is......you have to play the game. Take risks. Get involved. Educate yourself and your employees. Try new ideas. Some will work, some will fail. Those that sit on the sidelines and wait for it all to get sorted out will quickly find themselves at a competitive disadvantage.
With the Super Bowl right around the corner, here's an interesting article regarding one of the "Marketing Giants" of our time (Pepsi) and how, for the first time in 23 years, they will not be purchasing a commercial spot for this year's big game. Instead, they are sinking $20M into a social media program that they expect will have a huge effect on the community.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/pepsis-big-gamble-ditching-super-bowl-social-media/story?id=9402514
How will your organization adapt and react to Social Media??
Brian Day, Account Consultant
Unified360
Last Thursday, I attended an event hosted by the Social Media Club of Dallas. First off, I want to give props to those who helped make it such a great experience. For the cost of my ticket I got a meal catered by Margarita Ranch, a drink ticket, a great seat in a theater at the Angelika and the chance to learn from one of the biggest influencers of social media, Chris Brogan (and a copy of his NY Times bestseller to boot).
Along with a getting a few new one-liner's ("I've been plugging my tail into horses for a long time") and a lot more Twitter contacts, I actually learned a lot about this business of social media networking and what I need to do to keep up!
Here I was thinking that I already knew most of the basics to be successful in the world of inbound marketing. Boy was I wrong! Like my dad always tells me: "you don't even know what you don't know... you still have a lot to learn." And it's true; there is so much to be uncovered. There is so much that can be gotten out of networks like Twitter and Facebook and the world of blogging. It's all there for a reason; everything should be considered a valuable resource for your business. As I listened to Chris Brogan speak, I began to get some answers to the questions I had about social media and what I can do to make it work for me and my business.
One of the first things Chris pointed out was that EVERYONE'S in customer service, no matter what your occupation! And we're all in sales; it's in everyone's job description. So as people in sales and customer service we should think of media as an extension of ourselves... a way to reach out to and communicate with our customers and potential clients. What's the biggest key to doing this? Staying away from only networking vertically. It's smarter to reach out to people in other networks as well as your own. When your group of contacts grows in all different directions, the possibilities for communication are endless.
"Marketing should be 2 parts connecting, 2 parts helping and 1 part selling."
This piece of advice really hit home with me. Since I started managing social networking sites for my company, I have been solely focused on selling. When Chris said this, the world of social media grew ten times bigger for me. What I learned was that your connections do matter. It's not just about getting the most followers or the most fans, but it's how you cultivate those relationships. Yes, it's important to post important information about your own company, but you should be 12 times more active about other people and businesses than your own. Use the connections you have to give back and find ways to write about other people and their interests instead of just your company.
It makes sense, doesn't it? People are more likely to use your business if they already know you; if they already trust you. Social media is about listening at least 40% of the time. Find out what other people are saying about your business, about current events, about their business... and use those forms of communication to give back by commenting on other blogs and Facebook posts, or @replying or Retweeting them on Twitter. Cultivate those relationships and watch your business grow.
Dad says "you don't know what you don't know"... it's so true. You never stop learning. Let's quit looking vertically and start building more valuable relationships.
Tara Young, Marketing Coordinator
Unified360