Think of the most horrible sound imaginable.

Maybe it’s fingers on a chalkboard.
Maybe it’s a baby screaming in pain.
Maybe it’s someone choking on a piece of broccoli.
Maybe it’s turning over the ignition on your car when it’s already started.

Yecch! Makes your skin crawl, huh?

Exactly. That’s the effect noise has on people.

Now think of the most beautiful music imaginable.

Maybe it’s a song from an opera.
Maybe it’s one of Mozart’s symphonies.
Maybe it’s an ambient mix of keyboards and organs.
Maybe it’s that first song you slow-danced to at your wedding.

Ahhhhhhhh. Puts your soul at ease, doesn’t it?

Of course. That’s the effect music has on people.

However.

The majority of the marketing out there isn’t music.

It’s noise.

And customers are tired of it.

PERFECT EXAMPLE: When you were watching Tivo last night, you just skipped right through those annoying commercials, didn’t you?

ANOTHER EXAMPLE: I took a flight on US Airways from Phoenix to St. Louis a few weeks back. When my delicious, hearty meal was delivered to my seat (by which I mean a cookie), I opened the tray table only to find the entire surface was covered with a colorful advertisement!

On my tray table!

I don’t even remember what product it was for. I think a home stereo or something. I didn’t care. I just wanted to get that ad out of my face.

Because it was just more noise.

FINAL EXAMPLE: I went downtown to the auto show last weekend. Lots of noise: banner ads, booths, tables, demonstrations, emcees giving short speeches about the features of the cars, all that stuff. Sensory overload. To the point of exhausting.

But then I saw something cool. Something musical.

A woman who worked for Chevy stood by a bright red ’07 Corvette. She had a digital camera on a tripod. And sitting in the driver’s seat was an eight-year old boy wearing a smile so big you could see it from the suburbs.

‘One…two…three… (CLICK) …and verrrry nice!’ She said.

The boy leaped out of the Corvette and ran over to the girl.

‘Thanks buddy! Now when you get home, go to chevy.com, login using the key code on your card, and you’ll be able to download this picture!’

“Cool! Thanks Corvette lady!” he said.

It was like music to that kid’s ears.

LESSON LEARNED: make music, not noise. Interaction, not interruption.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Does your marketing create MUSIC or NOISE?

Wearing a nametag 24-7-365 for six straight years represents a simple, yet powerful business idea: make the mundane memorable.

I’m still surprised more organizations don’t embrace this. It’s not our corporate policy. It violates our company’s handbook. We don’t want to do anything risky.

Come on. That’s garbage!

Businesses NEED to be doing this stuff. Because when companies can find a way to make the mundane memorable, fives things happen:

1) Customers start talking
2) Employees have more fun
3) The brand lives and breathes in a new way
4) Uniqueness shines through
5) Loyalty skyrockets

QuikTrip is the perfect example of this. I fill up at QT whenever possible (ahem, loyalty), just to hear the cashier say, ‘Hurry back!’

That’s what they say. In every transaction.

Not ‘Have a nice day.’
Not ‘Thank you, come again.’

They say, ‘Hurry back.’

And people do. Not to mention, they’ve made the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 3 years running. Wonder why?

Mundane into memorable.

Or Bishop’s Barbershop in Portland, where you can get a great haircut for roughly the same price as anywhere else. Except at Bishop’s, the minute you walk in the door for your appointment, the receptionist gives you a free bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

That’s just cool. I don’t even drink, but I used to go there when I lived in Portland, just to get the free beer!

Mundane into memorable.

Then there’s my favorite ad agency, The Hughes Group. When you walk into their elevator, you’ll notice 21 buttons, just like any other elevator. Except theirs doesn’t say ‘4,’ it says ‘Hughes.’ And you better believe every client, potential client or guest comments about it. Then they tell five other people about it. Awesome!

Mundane into memorable.

Or what about the parking garage down the street from my office? Every time I go there for a meeting, the guy in the little ticket box takes my slip and says, ‘That’ll be $4000!’ I go back there every month, just to hear him say it. A parking garage! It doesn’t get more mundane than that!

The point is: this stuff is easy. Yet very few companies (and people) do it.

Because they’re scared of stepping out of their corporate comfort zones.

However, for those bold few who choose to embrace the mundane, here’s what happens:

Breaking the silence = breaking the pattern.
Breaking the pattern = mundane into memorable.
Memorable moments = increased comfort.
Increased comfort = increased approachability.
More approachability = strangers into friends.
Friends = people who become loyal, aka, fans.
Fans = people who love your stuff.
More fans = more positive word of mouth.
More people talking about how much they love your stuff = 🙂 🙂 🙂

Mission accomplished.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
When was the last time someone make the mundane memorable for you?

I am That Guy.

And I didn’t even mean for it to happen. It just did.

It all started five years ago when I had a crazy idea to start wearing a nametag to make people friendlier. The only catch was, I planned to wear it all day. Everyday. For the rest of my life.

I know.

But it worked. It worked really well. And aside from the obvious jokes about my memory problems, the occasional (by which I mean constant) stares from strangers, and the initial feelings of embarrassment, it was beautiful! People acted friendlier. Approachability was in the air. And strangers said hello who otherwise would have stared at the pavement!

Then, after about 6 months, something happened. People didn’t just call me Scott anymore. They called me ‘Scott, that guy with the nametag.’ And that’s when everything changed. That’s when I became That Guy. And just like all the other business people who once discovered that they too, were That Guy, I never looked back.

And a result, being That Guy has now become the single most advantageous factor of my business.

That Guy is an individual, not an actual ‘guy.’ I ask you to please ignore the gender of the term, even though I refer to him in the masculine. That Guy is someone whose unique personality, values and lifestyle consistently pervades everything he does, thinks and says.

In other words: somebody who reminds everybody of nobody else.

Some experts call it personal branding. Knowing thy self. Starting with your strengths. Differentiation. Keeping it real. Standing out. Being unique.

Whatever.

Same skeleton, different flesh. I like the term That Guy (or if you want, THE Guy) because it humanizes the concept of individuality. You can have lunch with That Guy. You can call That Guy for advice. You can tell your friends and customers to go to That Guy’s website. Because That Guy…is just cool. And he holds permanent shelf space in your mind.

Who is That Guy?
Have you ever heard of Jared Fogel? Of course you have. Everybody knows Jared. He’s that guy who lost over 250 pounds eating nothing but Subway sandwiches for an entire year. But that was only the beginning. Jared has now made a career out of his accomplishments. In addition to being the official spokesperson for the company, Jared is the go-to guy for education about weight loss, discipline and nutrition. As a result, he has a profitable career that helps millions of people each year attain healthy lifestyles.

Not to mention, he probably gets lots of free sandwiches.

The best part is, Jared Fogel used to be Some Guy. But then he found a way to personify his values, uniqueness and talents into a business and life that inspired and helped others. And now, he’s That Guy.

Now, he’s somebody who reminds everybody of nobody.

Why Be That Guy?
Being That Guy is advantageous to your business in several ways. First, there’s the connection. Customers don’t buy products, they buy people they like and relate to FIRST. Then – and only then – do they buy products.

Next is trust. You see, customers no longer trust big companies due to the proliferation of corporate scandals and corruption (thanks Enron!). They want a face. A person. An individual they can confide in. So when it comes down to business, everyone trusts That Guy. Because he’s a human, not a company.

Then there’s credibility, an aura of expertise which is perceived by your customers based on your actions. Not your intentions, your actions. Because people only give you credit for what they see you do – consistently.

That Guy also projects authenticity. This is a characteristic present in any That Guy because he keeps it real. He maintains congruency between what he believes, what he says and what he does. This is essential to business success not only because your customers are smarter than ever before, but also because they have better BS meters than ever before.

Lastly, there’s confidence, the one emotion you want flowing through the mind and heart of every person you serve. Because when you’re That Guy, customers will be confident you’re the best. Confident that you will serve them better than anyone. Confident that you’re so incredibly unique, knowledgeable and valuable, that you become somebody who reminds them of nobody. And in the end, customers want to work with someone who is authentic, real and has passion for what he does. In other words, people want to work with That Guy, not Some Guy.

What Guy Are You?
The good news is, you already are That Guy. You just need to get to know him a little better. Now, although the entire process of becoming That Guy will span over a series of upcoming articles, here are some exercises to get you started.

Every time I _______________, it makes people stop, listen and say WOW
People always remember me for _________________
I’m the first and/or only person to _______________
I’m probably the only person you’ll ever meet who will _________________
If you looked up the word _______________ in the dictionary, you’d see me
If you googled the word ________________, the first ten pages would be my website
If was giving a speech to 10,000 people and I only had three sentences to use in my introduction, they would say _____________________
In my marketing materials, the words or phrases you will find that nobody else uses are ______________________
After saying _________________, I tell customers ‘…because that’s just the way I do business.’
When my coworkers need help with _____________, they always call me
As soon as I leave a conversation with a group of new people, they’re all probably thinking to themselves, ___________________
After people get to know me, they’ll never think about ________________ the same way again
When friends or family members introduce me to new people, they say_________
My whole life, people have always said I was like a _____________________
I stopped _________________, people would be disappointed
When business people introduce me to others, they say ___________________
The most remarkable thing about my life is _________________________
The most remarkable thing about my business is ____________________
When I give my business card to someone, they usually say ________________
I’m known for being ___________________
The compliment I seem to receive all the time is ______________________
There is nobody walking the planet who could share the message about
_________________ better than me

With your answers to the above exercises, it should be a piece of cake to fill out this last one:

I AM THAT GUY WHO ___________________________________________

Once you’ve figured that out, you will be ready for the next step: introducing That Guy to as many people as possible. But we’ll talk about that next time.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you That Guy?

What’s the most important word in marketing?

Free?
Why?
Truth?
Honesty?
Integrity?

At first glance, it seems like a simple question. But the more you think about it, the more complex it gets. One could probably argue any number of answers based on his beliefs, values or type of business.

But is there really one word that’s more important than all the others?
One word without which your marketing efforts will be successful?

I recently surveyed dozens of marketing professionals, authors, consultants and small business owners on www.hellomynameisblog.com. The results included a wide range of words; from the emotionally charged to the pragmatic; from the right brain to the left brain and from the customer focused to the company focus. But all of the suggested “most important words in marketing” fell into one of two categories: Traditional Marketing or Modern Marketing.

Traditional Marketing: The Old School
Traditional Marketing used to be all about advertising. It was expensive, short lived, and had little to do with the Internet or word of mouth. Also, it aimed its messages at passive audiences. Leading expert and best selling author Seth Godin calls this “Interruption Marketing,” in which the marketer talks directly to as many consumers as possible.

Now, although this traditional style of marketing has lost some of its prowess to the fierce competition of the web, it’s still a powerful medium through which companies can reach their customers. Let’s see which words the experts chose from this category.

NOTE: before you read the survey results below, take a minute to answer the question for yourself: What do you think is the most important word in marketing? Once you’ve made your decision, read on and see how your answer compares.

NEW
“NEW is probably the strongest word in marketing,” explains Ronnie Horowitz from The TRIZ Journal. “People are attracted to new products like a magnet. Introducing new products on a constant basis is the best way to get attention and invaluable free publicity for your business.”

WHY
Michael ‘The Success Doctor’ Fortin believes the most important word in marketing is WHY. ‘It is much better to communicate why you are original, special or unique; why you are better, different or superior than competitors – not just the fact that you are. Imply your superiority by specifying as much as possible.’

CUSTOMER
Sivaraman Swaminathan from Customer World says we shouldn’t overlook the obvious word, CUSTOMER. ‘I think marketing has evolved because the focus is on the customer. The soul of marketing is the customer. Period. In marketing, you will fail even if you have greatest passion for the wrong target audience; you will fail if you don’t know whom you should respect, and you will fail if you don’t know which customer to trust.’

YOU
Similarly, Robert Middleton from Action Plan Marketing said, ‘The most important word in marketing is YOU. That is, marketing needs to convey very clearly what’s in it for the client or customer.’

FREE
FREE was also touted by several experts as the most important word. Edward ‘Skip’ Masland, owner of Web Solvers says ‘FREE was, is and will always be the most powerful word in marketing. It attracts eyeballs. It gets results and responses quickly. And marketers may not profit today – or tomorrow – but if they can generate a groundswell of interest from something free, they know they will profit sooner or later.’

On the other hand, Bob Serling from Idea Quotient wrote an article claiming that FREE was the most dangerous word in marketing. ‘I’ve been advising businesses for nearly 20 years that a business model driven by attracting prospects through giving something away for free is almost always a model for failure. And it doesn’t matter whether you use this model online or offline – it will nearly always fail.’

LISTENING
Next, Karen from Dezign Matters explained that the most important word in marketing was something you DON’T say. ‘I think the word is LISTENING. A little time leaning back and listening quietly can save time, money and leave the client and customer feeling that someone truly heard what they were trying to say.’

BECAUSE
Michael Daehn, author of Marketing Ingenious explained, ‘I read a case study about cutting in lines at a copy machines. The hypothesis was that the word ‘please’ would get the best response. But the results proved that the word ‘because’ received a much better response given that the word offered a reason to let someone cut in line. Therefore, we as marketers need to give customers a reason to buy.’

RESULTS
Lastly, Michael Cage from Small Business Marketing Systems said the most important word in marketing was RESULTS. ‘Small businesses are often suckered into fluffy, fancy marketing concepts that sound great but produce absolutely nothing in the real world. If the business owner or marketing department can’t tie what they do to results, likewise, they need to step back and get it right before passing go.’

Modern Marketing: The New School
20 years ago, nobody knew what the words ‘blog,’ ‘RSS feed,’ ‘personal branding,’ ‘viral marketing’ or ‘google’ meant. But now – at the risk of sounding cliché – the rules have changed. Business is different. Customers are smarter. And marketing isn’t the same old run-a-bunch-of-ads-and-hope-people-buy-your-stuff system.

Now, it’s all about creating an emotional connection. It’s about being unforgettable, unbelievable and unique. It’s about providing an experience that’s so fantastic, customers not only remain loyal to you – but they tell all their friends to do the same.

Here’s what the experts said about the most important words in Modern Marketing.

RESPECT
It’s not surprising that Seth Godin – author of seven best selling books about how to make your business remarkable – always emails me back within 30 minutes. I drop him a line every once in a while to pass along an interesting website or, in this case, ask a question. He replied with a brilliant one-word answer: RESPECT. Period.

AUTHENTICITY
John More, owner of Brand Autopsy, maintained the most important word in marketing was AUTHENTICITY. ‘With the world becoming one gigantic ad, consumers today can sniff out anything that smells the least bit fake and inauthentic. Success will come truer and faster if companies can design products, programs, and services that are authentic in meaning, purpose, and delivery.’

Moore dug deeper on the topic of authenticity and explained that ‘Authenticity is usually a by-product of a purpose-driven business. And unfortunately, there ain’t enough businesses out there with the purpose of making a positive difference in the world.’

PASSION
Similarly, Tom Asacker from A Clear Eye says it’s all about PASSION. ‘Passion for one’s business and for one’s calling inspires and attracts people. They want to be to believe, to belong; to become. And that’s the essence of marketing today.’

Tom and John’s posts on the blog discussion generated high amounts of support from other experts. Laura from the Smart Musings blog agreed by saying, ‘John and Tom are right. Consumers can distinguish between authentic and inauthentic marketing. Authentic messages will strike a chord with them. That may encourage them to buy. And once they become a customer, then they may too become passionate about the product. And that is the ultimate goal of marketing: not just to have passionate employees, but passionate customers.’

TRUST
Another popular word was TRUST. Kevin Berringer from Reflections on Business Blog simply said, ‘No trust = no belief = nobody listens.’

EXPERIENCE
Then, Chris Ray from Interactively Speaking voted for the word EXPERIENCE, as in The Customer Experience. ‘I believe this word summarizes respect, authenticity, passion, results, etc.’ said Ray. ‘It ultimately decides whether or not a company succeeds.’

AROMA
Next, Jim Seybert from the Jim Seybert Company offered a most unusual suggestion: AROMA. ‘Brain scientists tell me that smell is the only sense that goes directly to the limbic lobe in our brains – and triggers nothing short of primal emotions. Marketers should pay attention to the ‘aroma’ of their brand. They need to identify the unavoidable, immediate and emotional reaction customers experience upon coming into contact with their brand.’

OPEN
Another intriguing response came from Nellie Lide of The New Persuasion Blog. Her word was OPEN. ‘You’ve got to be open. Open to others. Open to customers. Open to employees. Open to new. Open to old. Open to scrutiny. Open to derision. Open to joy. Open to different.’

TRUTH
George Silverman, author of The Secrets to Word of Mouth Marketing says it’s all about TRUTH. ‘Marketing has become synonymous with hype. The truth, compellingly told, is all you need. Just tell it in an interesting way, usually with a story. This allows you to tell the truth about your product and the truth about yourself.’

No Word
The last respondent of the survey was Sean D’Souza from Psycho Tactics. He decided to take the contrarian’s point of view. ‘There is no one single word that’s the most important in marketing. Making such a claim would be like saying your heart is the most important part of your body. I think we try to make things too simplistic. In reality, marketing is a series of things that coordinate together to create magic.’

It’s All In The Hunt
In case you haven’t already figured it out, the answer to the question ‘What’s the most important word in marketing?’ is: it all depends.

Typical marketing answer, huh?

But ultimately, it’s not about the answer – it’s about the question. It’s about the creative thought process each businessperson goes through when he considers what the most important word in marketing is…to him.

Personally, I chose the word CONFIDENCE.

In other words, I want to instill confidence in the minds of potential customers that if they step onto my company’s front porch, they will be working with a credible, valuable, trustworthy individual whose unique school of thought will help them produce results.

But that’s just me. That’s how I roll.

Now, it’s up to YOU to reexamine what ‘marketing’ truly means to you and your company. In so doing, you will gain a better understanding about who you are, what you do and whom you do it for.

So, what’s the most important word in marketing…to YOU?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you think is the most important word in marketing?

I’ll never forget what my mentor told me: ‘Don’t communicate in any way to any person without the stamp of your personal brand.’

Everyone has a personal brand, whether they know it or not. And everyone has a personal brand, whether they like it or not. But only those who actively and consistently create, maintain and imprint their personal brands on the people with whom they interact will sizzle!

But what is a personal brand? Peter Montoya, author of The Brand Called You, defines it as ‘a personal identity that stimulates precise, meaningful perceptions in its audience about the values and qualities that person stands for.’ But your personal brand is only as strong as the moments in which it is manifested.

Now, because YOU are the product, because YOU are what people want, and because YOU need to make an UNFORGETTABLE first impression; everything must be stamped with your personal brand. And I’m not just talking about the obvious hot spots like your website, business cards, marketing materials and promotional items. I’m talking about those underused and overlooked places that could benefit from a little more of you.

The ‘From’ Line

Recently, my friend Paul told me to change my ‘from line’ on my outgoing mail. It used to simply have my email address, but then I changed it to say HELLO, my name is Scott, my personal brand, which also happens to be my website URL and the title of one of my books. And as soon as I made the change, Paul said it stood out amidst all the other emails and enticed him to read my message first!

The ‘from’ line is a perfect, yet underused hot spot to stamp your personal brand. Let’s say you’re known as ‘The Tax Law Queen.’ Great. Put that instead of your email! It will stand out among the hundreds of emails in your recipients’ inboxes.

Try this quick exercise – it’s deliciously fun. Go to your inbox right now, start at the top, and slowly scroll down through ALL of your emails. Then look at the ‘from’ lines. Which ones stand out?

Here are some of the ‘from’ lines in my inbox:

J-RITZ (Rapper/Producer in Portland, OR)

Paul & The Ripples Project (The President of a non-profit)

Warp Speed Errands (Personal Concierge Business)

Dan Poynter & Para Publishing (Author/Publisher/Seminar Leader)

EZ Way Web Connections (Website Designer)

DON the IDEA GUY (Writer/Creative Consultant)

NOTE: My inbox has 511 emails, and these were the only 6 that stood out. That’s exactly 1.1%. What does that tell you?!

Signatures

Email signatures are wonderful. Use them. But don’t put TOO much information. Whatever program you use for email – Outlook, Eudora, Yahoo, Hotmail – find out how to customize your signature. There’s nothing more frustrating than receiving an email from someone who wants to talk further, get together or have you send her something, that doesn’t have any personal information in the email. At the end of every email you send, cross reference the following information:

*Name
*Title
*Company/Organization
*Mailing address
*Phone numbers
*Email address
*Website
*A few sentences about yourself, your company or your job

Think how many emails you send out each day: what if each one reinforced your personal brand?

Answering the Phone

I once read an article about a seedy bar in North Carolina called ‘He’s Not Here.’ The name originated from an owner who was accused of attracting customers of the, shall we say, unfaithful nature. And because of the fear of jealous wives rampaging for their husbands, the bartender always answered the phone by saying, ‘He’s not here!’

Now, although the personal brand of that business isn’t exactly proper, you’ve got to admit – that’s a damn clever way to answer the phone. And consistent. And memorable. And funny.

Sadly, only a small percentage of people do this; either because they’re too lazy, they’d rather just utter the canned ‘This is Jim…’ or they can’t think of anything creative to say.

A few years ago I was invited to be a guest on a local morning show to talk about my first book, HELLO, my name is Scott. But I knew the DJ’s would give me a hard time. So, when they dialed my number (on the air) and waited for me to pick up, I answered with, ‘HELLO, my name is Scott…?’

The three DJ’s started laughing so hard, I had to hold the phone away from my ear! They were dying! They even complimented my creative approach to answering the phone. And so, ever since then, I’ve never answered the phone another way – and people still laugh almost every time.

Voicemail

Among all the mediums through which we communicate, voicemail always gets treated like the redheaded stepchild:

‘Hi this is Randy. Leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you.’

This is an example of a typical outgoing message that makes callers feel like they really are talking to a machine. Now, we all hear this cookie cutter message about a dozen times daily. And it doesn’t necessarily make a voicemail message bad; but it does mean the voicemail is not being fully leveraged.

My friend Gina owns a company called It’s Your Stuff. She is a Professional Home Stylist who creates a designer look in people’s homes with their existing furnishings, art and accessories. I called her the other day, and although I missed her, here’s what her voicemail said:

‘Hi you’ve reached Gina of It’s Your Stuff. Sorry I missed your call, but I’m out making someone’s home beautiful! Please leave a message.’

Perfect.

These examples should stimulate some great ideas to find ways to incorporate more of you in all that you do. Remember: your personal brand underscores all that you do and say. But don’t forget to make it manifest in all the media through which you do and say it.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who’s got the best voicemail you’ve ever heard? Is yours that good?

I’ve been to 97 concerts in my lifetime. I know this because every ticket stub of every show I’ve ever seen since I was 12 lay under a sheet of glass on my coffee table. Some of the stubs are signed by my favorite musicians; some are tattered and torn from the pouring rain through which I stood and sung for hours. Some of the tickets aren’t even tickets! They’re napkins or flyers I stole from the venue because I just HAD to get a memento from every event.

And each day when I look at those faded pieces of cardstock, I don’t just think about some of the greatest memories of my life.

I think about being a fan.

A fan who would stop at nothing to watch his favorite bands play live – even if he’d already seen them 8 times before; even if he had to drive three hours each way; even if he had to skip school to wait in line to get tickets; and even if it meant staying out all night and failing his marketing exam the next morning.

Because that’s what fans do.

But does the term ‘fan’ ONLY refer to a music lover, sports enthusiast or dedicated follower of a performing art? What about business?

Let’s ask Webster. It defines a fan as an ‘enthusiastic devotee or an ardent admirer or enthusiast.’ They also have related words for fan like: addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fanatic, fancier, fiend, freak, lover, maniac, nut, groupie; admirer, collector, connoisseur, dilettante; authority, expert; cultist, disciple, follower, votary; backer, patron, promoter, supporter; partisan, zealot; booster, rooter and well-wisher.

Aha! Interesting. So it isn’t just painted faces and screaming audience members; it’s simply someone who ‘loves your stuff.’ For example, maybe someone’s been to your website before. Bought your products before. Worked with your people before. Stayed at your hotel before.

Then one day they come to you and say, ‘You know, I just LOVE your stuff.’

If you ever hear those beautiful words come out of your customer’s mouth, congratulations – you have a fan. And fans are the most important people in your business.

Fans are better than customers because they’re devoted to you and your company. They stick with you and come back for more. And most importantly, they tell all their friends to do the same.

So the question is: how can companies create and keep their fans?

Well, since the term ‘fan’ is most often associated with music, let’s look at four great musical performers and bands – and see what they do.

Riding with the King
B.B. King has been playing the blues since he was 18 years old. Recently, I saw The King in concert on his 80th Birthday Tour. Wow! That means he’s been creating and keeping fans for over 62 years.

After the show, I figured out why he’s known as ‘The King of the Blues.’ It’s not because he’s a precise, gifted guitar player. It’s not because he sings with more soul than a church choir. It’s because he’s a storyteller. And his stories throughout the concert captivated 5000 screaming fans who will never forget “riding with the king.”

And why? Because it wasn’t a concert – it was an experience. It was unlike any of the other 96 other concerts I’d ever seen. That’s why I’ll go see B.B. next time he comes through town. That’s why I’ll buy his next album. And that why I’m using him as an example in this article that I’ll email to all of my clients and friends.

FAN CLUB RULE #1: Fans crave an experience.

The Best of What’s Around
I’ve been a hard core Dave Matthews Band fan since 1994 when his debut album changed the face of ‘jam rock’ forever. And by hard core I mean: I’ve seen him in concert I-can’t-remember-how-many times; I can play every song he’s ever written on the guitar; I’ve bought every album, every DVD, every t-shirt; even joined his fan club online so I can get advanced notice (and priority seating) for upcoming shows!

But then, in February of 2001, something happened. Something that almost killed me. DMB released their 7th album, Everyday.

And I hated it.

I listened to the CD twice on the day I bought – and never listened to it again. The reviews were terrible. And all of my fan-friends agreed that it was the band’s worst album to date. I was so disappointed, I felt sick. After all, this was my favorite band in the world and they’d let me down!

Were they about to lose me as a fan?

No way.

Because I knew that someday, they’d win me back. Even the great DMB was capable of making a mistake! And sure enough, one year later, they released their 8th album, Busted Stuff. And it was unbelievable. I listened to it over and over again. Then I paid $72 to see them in concert for the umpteenth time.

And why? One word: loyalty.

FAN CLUB RULE #2: Fans will stick with you, even when you make a mistake.

Gimme Shelter
VH1 once did a countdown of ‘The Greatest Rock and Roll Bands of All Time.’ Their number one pick: The Rolling Stones. And I remember watching the program with my dad (another dedicated fan) who said, ‘I can’t believe they beat out the Beatles!’

‘Yeah, but the Beatles’ last concert was in 1966,’ I said. ‘The Stones are in their 60’s are they’re still rockin!’

That why, three weeks later, I skipped school to stand in line outside of a record store for three hours freezing my butt off with $700 worth of my friends’ ticket money in my pocket.

Because it was the Stones, man. THE STONES!

The show was unparalleled to anything we’d ever seen before – or would ever see in the future. My friends thanked me non-stop for three weeks. And I knew that everything I’d gone through was worth it.

Because that’s what fans do.

Come on, you do it too. How many times have you driven that extra few miles just to eat at the restaurant you love so much? How many times have you gone to store after store, looking to re-buy that ONE item you can’t live with out?

Just imagine if your customers did that for YOU.

FAN CLUB RULE #3: Fans will go to the ends of the earth for you.

With Or Without You
I first heard the song ‘Vertigo’ by U2 while driving to a speech one morning. After the song was over, the DJ said, ‘And that’s the new hit single from U2! Their new album just hit stores today. It’s called…’

And that’s all I needed to know.

I immediately exited off the highway and drove right over to my local record store. Within 5 minutes I had their new album in my CD player. I listened to it 7 times that day. Then I called every other U2 fan I knew and told them to go buy it. Then I burned copies for my friends. Then I listened to it three more times the next day. Then I spent $172 dollars to see them in concert when they came through town 9 months later.

Because when it comes to U2, nothing else matters. I just love them THAT much. I’m such a die hard fan that I don’t care what the critics say about the new album; I don’t care how much the ticket costs; I don’t care what else I have to do that day. I need my U2. And that’s that.

Would your customers do that for you?

FAN CLUB RULE #4: Fans don’t need to be sold.

Fans, Not Customers
The business world is obsessed with the word ‘customer.’ In fact, if you type in the word ‘customer’ on Amazon, 174,906 books come up. And if you type in the word ‘fan,’ 5,418 books come up.

My opinion? Customers, schmustomers. You need fans. Fans are people who will do your marketing for you, encourage and support everything you do, and most importantly, tell all their friends to become fans of yours too.

So, if you want to create and keep those fans, remember these four things:

Fans crave an experience.
Fans will stick with you, even when you make a mistake.
Fans will go to the ends of the earth for you.
Fans don’t need to be sold.

That reminds me: I was recently contacted by the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) to give the keynote address at their 2006 convention. Right before signing the contract, I asked my newly acquired client an important question, ‘Why me?’

And do you know what he said?

‘I love your stuff.’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you a fan of?

The word ‘cool’ dates back almost 100 years. According to The Online Etymology Dictionary, tenor saxophonist Lester Young popularized the term in jazz circles in the late 1920’s.

‘Cool tune baby. I dig it,’ he’d say.

And that was that. People knew exaclty what he meant. Because if someone described a song or a person or a bar as ‘cool,’ that was enough information to communicate value.

Little did The King of Cool know that his expression would become an essential element to the success of modern marketing. Because the truth is: customers love, remember and spread the word about companies, ideas and products that are COOL.

So maybe you should ask yourself:

Is your company cool?
Is your product cool?
Is your idea cool?
Are you cool?

As you ponder your answers, let’s look at a few examples that personify The Power of Cool.

Keep It Real
In November of 2005, an NBC station from Washington ran the following story:

‘A new and unique store-front is attracting a lot of attention and stopping people dead in their tracks. All the commotion is over a store choosing to put live models in the window to show off diamond jewelry. The models spend six hours a day posing and prancing to lure customers into Mervis Jewlers.

‘You gotta take a double take. At first, I thought it was a model, a mannequin, and then she starts moving and you think, Oh my God!’ said one of the shocked onlookers. ‘I’m likely to spend the next hour standing here.’’

Wow. That’s cool. Even if it is a bit extreme. But think about it: Do new customers spend unexpected hours at your store? What about on your website? And what if they did? How could that add more value to your business?

COOL CLUE #1: Write down three ways you could you captivate your customers’ attention with something cool.

Take That, Spam!
Every year, Fortune magazine announces its annual List of Cool Companies. In 2004, a San Francisco company called Brightmail caught my attention. Here’s why…

According to the article, Brightmail operates some two million decoy e-mail addresses that it uses to attract spam. Once its Probe Network lures a spammer into its web, it transmits kill-that-address information to its customers.

Now THAT’S cool. Especially for website owners like myself who get more Viagra spam than Hugh Heffner.

But all kidding aside, this company, Brightmail, is SO cool, that Fortune referenced it in an article. Which brings us to an interesting question: Is your product or company SO cool that it might someday be used as an example in an article? And what if it was? How could that enhance your reputation?

COOL CLUE #2: Read a business magazine and ask yourself, ‘Is my company cool enough to be featured in next month’s issue?’

Dude, No Way!
Since 2000, I’ve told approximately 3-5 inquiring people a day that ‘I wear a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier and more approachable.’ And in all those years, the most frequent response has been, ‘Dude, no way! That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!’

What’s more, these same people will get back to me days, weeks, months, even years later and say: ‘Hey Scott! I told my friends about your nametag idea and they think it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever heard!’

Wow, thanks! I say.

This is the type of conversation I’ve had hundreds of times since I started my business. And I can attribute I-don’t-know-how-many books sold, speeches booked or new relationships created as a result. So the point is: this is the type of dialogue you must strive to create between your customers. Because ultimately, cool creates two emotions in customers’ minds:

1) It makes your idea UNFORGETTABLE
2) It makes your idea UNCONCEALABLE

Yes, that last word I made up. But stay with me here, because this is how ‘unconcealable’ works:

On the way back from lunch, a potential customer hears something cool about your business. He thinks to himself, ‘Dude, no way!’ When he gets back to the office, he hops on Google, types in a few key words; then arrives at your website. He reads all about you, your business and your idea; all the while nodding his head, smiling and thinking to himself, ‘This is SO cool.’

Then he sends an email to everyone in his office with a subject heading that looks like this: ‘You’ve got to check out this company’s website!’ Finally, that afternoon you get a dozen new orders from people who, prior to getting a random email that day, had no idea who you were.

But now, they do. And now they’re your fans, not just your customers. All because of some guy who thought you were SO cool, that he just HAD to tell everyone.

Unconcealable. Write that one down.

So…WHAT IF your company/idea/product was SO cool that your customers just HAD to tell someone else about it? Would that change your opinion on the value of word of mouth?

COOL CLUE #3: What can you do tomorrow to make one of your customers say, ‘Dude, no way!’?

The Power of Cool
In the past week, you’ve probably uttered the phrase ‘Hey…that’s cool!’ at least five times. And whether you were talking about a TV show, soft drink, health club, website or non-profit organization; there was obviously something that caught your attention.

So, in your quest to become cool (or increase your present coolness), it’s important to do two things. First of all, pay attention to instances in which you or the people around you comment on cool stuff. Listen attentively. Note the commonalities. Keep a Cool Journal if you want! Anything that will give you insight into the properties of coolness.

Secondly, make it your new business objective to do cool stuff more often. I know it sounds silly, but if you seriously consider it, it really does work wonders for your brain and your bottom line. For example, every day before work I affirm to myself, ‘Today I am going to do something cool!’ And every night when I finish up, I think back on the day and ask myself, ‘Ok, now: what cool thing did I do today?’

Give it a shot. Make an effort to harness The Power of Cool. Make Lester Young smile down from The Great Bandstand In The Sky and say, ‘Cool tune baby. I dig it.’

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Honestly: are you cool? is your company cool? are your ideas cool?

One of the first principles I teach in my books and speeches is that approachability is a two-way street. The word comes from the Latin verb apropriare, or ‘to come nearer to.’ This means that in addition to being proactive in approaching customers, prospects and friends; you also must position yourself, your company, your ideas, your value and your services in a way that magnetizes them to YOU.

A few years ago I was explaining this theory to one of my clients. She interrupted and asked, ‘Scott, I’ve been wondering this for a few months now: does wearing a nametag 24-7 ever help you get dates?’

Ha! If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me that.

But while I explained to Pam that my nametag was a signal for friendship – not a pick-up tool – something dawned on me.

Marketing and dating are the exact same thing.

Let’s look at dating first. Let’s say you’re out at a club, coffee house or cocktail party. You notice a handful of prospects whose looks, personality or charm catch your eye.

Does that mean you just walk up to every one of them and start firing away?

For some people, yes. And those individuals might have some success. But more than likely, the people being ‘fired upon’ are probably thinking to themselves, ‘Ugh, just another person trying to pick me up.’

Not good.

But what if you reversed the attraction? What if you positioned yourself in a way that invited them TO YOU?

Never thought of it that way, did ya?!

Here’s how it works. You’re sitting around in a club with some of your friends. Laughing, smiling, having a good time, acting friendly to everyone: strangers, friends and bartenders alike. As a result, you don’t give off an image of being goal oriented or ‘on a mission.’ You’re just chillin’. Being yourself.

You know what happens?

The exact people you’re trying to attract will notice. And they will be magnetized to you. Because you’re comfortable. You’re non-threatening. You seem cool. Fun. Nice. Honest. Approachable. After all, there is nothing more approachable than authenticity.

And I speak from experience when I say: this stuff works.

In all my years of bachelorhood, I’ve never walked into a room, club, bar, coffee shop or party, saw someone I liked and said, ‘That’s her. Over there by the wall. I’m gonna go pick her up.’

Because it just doesn’t work. Instead, I invited them to come to me.

Perfect example. I was at a club with my college roommate in June of 2005. At the time, both of us were single. And at the time, both of us were trying to meet someone new.

About halfway through the night Jake said, ‘Scott, we’re striking out here! Come on, you’re the approachability expert – what should we do?’

‘Follow me.’

The two of us made our way to a nearly empty dance floor.

‘Are you crazy? We’re like, the only people out here!’ Jake complained.

‘Exactly.’

‘Huh?’

‘Take a look at every other single guy in the room,’ I said. ‘They’re all positioned proactively. They’re just bouncing from girl to girl, spitting out cheesy lines, trying to buy them drinks. And every girl knows it. That’s why none of those fools are making any progress.’

‘So?’ Jake said.

‘Look. Just start dancing. Smile non-stop. Sing your butt off! And don’t worry about me, I’ll be doing the same thing over there,’ I pointed.

‘Just have fun. You watch what happens.’

Within five minutes there was a crowd of girls on the dance floor. It was like magic! They sidled up to us with comments like, ‘You two are the life of the party!’ and ‘At least some guys are brave enough to dance!’

Long story short, Jake and I met two very cool girls. Two girls we probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. (Now, as far as what happened after the bar, well, that’s another story.)

But that’s not the point. The next day, Jake’s comment was, ‘…but we didn’t even do anything!

Or did we?

Maybe we reversed the attraction and created a magnetic field.
Maybe we positioned ourselves and invited the girls to take the first step.

In other words, maybe we enabled people to buy, instead of trying to sell.

It’s exactly the same with marketing. Let’s say you have the names and numbers of 100 hot prospects whose needs perfectly fit your target market.

Does that mean you just cold call every one of them and sell sell sell!

For some people, yes. And those individuals might have some success. But more than likely, the people being cold called are probably thinking the same thing as those girls in the club: ‘Ugh, just another person trying to sell me something.’

But what if, just like Jake and I, you reversed the attraction? What if you positioned your company, your product, your website, your ideas and your organization’s value in a way that magnetized prospects TO YOU?

See where I’m going with this?

Let’s say you start a company blog, for example. Every day you post interesting, unique, valuable and informative posts about products and important issues facing the people in your target market. And you encourage comments and emails from customers, friends, competitors and strangers alike.

In other words, you build a community. Just like on the dance floor.

But you don’t give off an image of being sales oriented or ‘on a mission,’ like your competitors. You’re just sharing your expertise. Your value.

In other words, you courageously throw yourself out there. Just like on the dance floor.

Waiting for them to come to you.

You know what will happen next?

The exact customers you’re trying to attract will notice. And they will be magnetized to your company. To your products. To YOU! Because you’re the expert. You’re That Guy (or That Girl!)

And you’re not trying to sell them. You just seem like a smart, cool, trustworthy, credible, fun, nice, honest and approachable professional who they’d like to do business with.

Look, the Law of Attraction works. It’s the foundation of both my dating AND marketing strategies! Since I started my speaking business in 2003, I can honestly say that I’ve never made a cold call in my life. I’ve never dialed up a strange meeting planner, HR director or conference coordinator and tried to sell them on my speeches, books and workshops.

Because it just doesn’t work. Not anymore.

Not in a culture where the average person is exposed to over 3000 advertising messages a day.
Not in a world where you only have a few seconds to make a first impression. And not in a business environment where people buy people first.

However, with the right kind of positioning of your expertise, your unique value and your personality, you CAN get them to come to you first. Let’s explore another example.

Make It About Them
At the tail end of my senior year in college, I posted my resume on Monster.com. Considering the number of potential candidates I was competing against, I knew that I had to find a way to stand out from the crowd instead of fade into the multitude.

So, right before my resume went live, I checked out the ‘headlines’ of several dozen students. (If you’ve never been on Monster.com before, a headline is a short phrase that describes you to prospective employees.)

Most of them said something like, ‘Talented & Creative Marketing Student,’ or ‘10 Years of Sales Experience.’

(Cue snoring sound here.)

My thought was, ‘I need to convey value. To show them that hiring me will help bring about change in their organization, not to brag about how great I am.

So, this is what my headline read:

SCOTT GINSBERG WILL CHANGE YOUR COMPANY!

I got more emails that I knew what to do with. Companies from around the country requested interviews and resumes! And while I didn’t end up working for any of them (I ended up starting my own business instead), I think the lesson is clear: make it about them.

The same goes for dating. Check this out…

I never wanted to post my profile on Match.com, but then again, nobody does. At least, that’s what most people say.

Anyway, it sounded like fun. So I paid the $50 bucks for three months and gave it a shot. And you know what? It was actually a great experience.

Now, just like Monster.com, I was required to write a headline to attract potential prospects; or in this case, dates.

So of course, I checked out my competition. I read the headlines of several dozen guys with similar profiles as my own.

And 98% of them sucked.

Their shallow, dull headlines included descriptions like, ‘Athletic, tall guy from Miami,’ ‘Super Stud Seeking Princess’ and ‘Sk8er Dude w/ Tattoos and Piercings.’

If you think you’re going to attract dates like that, good luck!

Instead, I thought back to Monster.com. What could my headline say to show these girls that I’m actually taking an interest in someone other than myself?

So, my headline read the following:

IF YOU’RE A HUGE DORK, WE’LL GET ALONG GREAT!

After all, that’s the kind of girl I like: a big dork. A geek. A nerd. In other words, someone just like me. And all my friends know this.

You might say that I ‘know my perfect customer.’

Gotcha! Marketing and dating really are the same, aren’t they?

LET ME ASK YA THIS: Do you know your perfect customer? Do your colleagues, friends and coworkers know it? And are you positioning yourself, your company and your value in a way that reminds the customers that they ARE perfect for you?

Nice Band Aid Ya Got There
Marketing and dating: one in the same. Both require you to be yourself, both require you to be approachable and both require you to be UNFORGETTABLE.

Last (and best) example.

On September 15th, 2005, I walked into my local Kinko’s to place an order. The girl behind the counter was a cute little redhead with thick glasses, light green eyes and smile that reminded me of those old Twizzlers commercials.

She greeted me as I spread out my papers on the counter. Right before I started telling her about my project, I noticed a STAR WARS band aid on her thumb.

‘Hey, cool band aid!’ I said.

‘Thanks,’ she squeaked. ‘Yeah, I’m not much of a STAR WARS fan, but this was all the doctor had. Honestly, I was really hoping for a Mario Brothers band aid. Gosh, that would be so awesome!’ she said.

‘Yeah, I know,’ she continued, ‘I’m a huge dork.’

Oh. My. God. I’m in love.

Jackie continued to help me set up my project as we discussed our favorite Nintendo games, movies and the like. As she worked, I noticed her computer skills were faster than anyone I’d ever seen. Her design ability was also quite impressive. And for the next 10 minutes I kept thinking, Man, there is something about this girl…

The next day I returned to Kinko’s to pick up my brochures. To my delight, Jackie was working again.

Yes! I thought.

She grinned at me as I approached the counter. Meanwhile, my stomach was tied in knots because of the crazy stunt I was about to pull.

As she rang up my order, I reached into my cargo pocket. My heart beat a hundred times a minute as I pulled out a small box. Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m about to do this…

‘Well Jackie, I couldn’t find Mario Brothers, so I thought Scoobie Doo would be the next best thing.’

Resting on the counter in front of Jackie’s keyboard was a box of cartoon band aids.

I swear to you, I have never seen a woman blush faster and redder in my life. She was utterly speechless. And I just stood there with a big fat grin on my face.

Five minutes later, we had exchanged emails.
Seven days later, we were out on a date.
Nine months later, we were in love.

Which brings us to today: still together, still in love.

So, what does this have to do with marketing?

Everything.

First of all, during our initial conversation, I listened to and remembered exactly what Jackie liked. Her preferences. Her needs. Her likes and dislikes. Then I followed through and gave her exactly what she wanted.

What about you? Do you listen to and remember your customers’ needs? And does your marketing represent your company’s ability to deliver those needs?

Secondly, I was creative. After all, I could have simply asked Jackie out on a date. Straight up. No bells and whistles. Slapped down my business card and said, ‘Call me if you want to hang out and play Mario Brothers sometime.’

But I didn’t.

Because that’s what she was expecting.
Because that’s what every other guy would’ve done.

Instead, I did something completely out of left field. And it worked.

What about you? How could your marketing be more creatively unexpected? How could you position your brand in a way that catches people off guard?

Lastly, I was unforgettable. A few months after we started dating, I met several of Jackie’s friends and family members. And most of them asked me, ‘Hey, are you The Band Aid Guy?!’

Yes I am.

Apparently, Jackie told that story to everyone!

Because that’s what happens when you’re unforgettable – you’re un-concealable. If marketing truly is the same thing as dating, you have to ask yourself:

Are your marketing materials so unique and so unforgettable that customers go out of their way to tell their friends about it?

Secret to Success
So, what’s the secret to dating?

I’d say: trust, honesty and a unique personal connection.

Gosh, those sound like marketing words, don’t they?

You’re damn right.

If your marketing doesn’t earn TRUST, you lose.
If your marketing isn’t HONEST, you lose.
If your marketing isn’t UNIQUE, you lose.
And if your marketing doesn’t create a PERSONAL CONNECTION, you lose.

But if you’re unforgettable, if you’re That Guy (or That Girl!) and if you’re willing to throw your authentic self out into the world for all to see…

…then you win. You win people and customers for life.

You could argue that free is bad:

That free gives no value.
That free wastes people’s time.
That free is setting your business up for failure.

Or you could argue that free is good:

That free DOES give value.
That free captures attention.
That free brings customers into your sales funnel.

I’m gonna go with door #1. For 6 reasons:

FREE helps others. Don’t be selfish with your knowledge. Give stuff – information, ideas and like – away for free to help people.

FREE pays it forward. How many times have you been give priceless pieces of wisdom? Did you pay for it? Doubtful. Return the favor. Except, don’t return it; pay it forward. Great example here.

FREE gives value first. Huge rule in business. Free information shows that you have knowledge and expertise. I’ve given dozens of free speeches in my life, and subsequently booked paying gig as a result. So, give it away for free the first time, and the people who received value from it will come back to you the second time. And the third, and the fourth, and the fifth…

FREE wins fans. How many times have you heard a song on the radio, LOVED IT, then went out and bought the album? Probably lots. Because you were a fan of the music. Hence, free creates (and ultimately helps retain) fans. Think iTunes’ free music Tuesday. Brilliant. It’s a simple formula: break the silence, make the mundane memorable, turn strangers into friends, friends into fans and fans into sales.

FREE tests the waters. Maybe you have new ideas that you’re not sure about yet. I say, post them on a blog and get free feedback before you break the bank. Maybe people will see stuff you never thought of. Maybe people will love your ideas! Maybe people will say, ‘That sucks!’ Either way, it’s good to know.

FREE culture of dishonesty. Thanks to Enron, James Frey and a multitude of other big name liars, customers are skeptical before buying stuff. So, give something to them for free first, disarm their immediate preoccupation, and win them over. If they like you, they’ll be back.

The reason I posted about this today is because a woman called me recently and said (jokingly, I think), ‘Scott, you have way too much free stuff on your website! I’ve been there all afternoon!’

First of all, thanks! All afternoon? Wow. Most web users stay on the average sit for 90 seconds. Nice.

Secondly, are you complaining?

Thirdly, maybe you’re right. Maybe 100+ articles, 5 FREE ebooks and several videos are too many things to give away for FREE. Maybe I’m afraid to sell. Maybe I’m afraid that charging people will lose people.

Maybe.

All I know is, in the history of my business, FREE has been the absolute #1 most valuable marketing technique for spreading WOM, attracting fans and increasing visibility, thus increasing sales.

So there.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you giving away for free?

Radio ads. Billboards. Wall Posters. Yellow pages. Pamphlets. Leaflets. Brochures. TV commercials. Newspapers ads. Magazine ads. Pop ups. Fax Outs. Hiring a fat guy to stand out on the street corner during traffic with a big sandwich board three blocks down the street from your restaurant. Pitching the media to do stories about you. Standing at a big flashy booth at a trade show giving away free pens. Blinking web ads. Direct Email. Cold calls. Direct Mail. Driving down the street, slowing down in front of pedestrians, rolling down your window and asking them, ‘Hey, you wanna buy a home stereo?’

That last example actually happened to me last week while walking down the street in downtown Chicago. It was ridiculous!

And it got me thinking: what do all of those marketing techniques have in common?

A few things, really:

• They suck
• They annoy people
• They cost money
• They waste money
• They waste trees
• They are antiquated, boring and ineffective marketing channels created around interruption

Interruption, I say!

And they don’t work any more.

Because people are tired of being interrupted and being YELLED AT to buy stuff.

Bestselling author Seth Godin first noticed this trend in 1998. His revolutionary interview in FastCompany magazine quoted him as saying, ‘There’s too much going on in our lives for us to enjoy being interrupted anymore. So, our natural response is to ignore the interruptions.’

Gets worse.

In 2004, a UCLA study reported that the average consumer sees 3000 marketing messages in one day. Course, that was a few years ago. By now, I bet it’s well over 5000.

Interruption.

This word has been on my mind a lot lately, and here’s why…

See, tomorrow is November 1st. Which means my company will celebrate its four-year anniversary in a few months. (Woo hoo!)

Now, I will tell you that, for the few years of my company’s existence, I didn’t make much money.

OK, fine. I didn’t make ANY money.

However, 2006 was a stellar year. I almost tripled my projected revenue. I surpassed most of my year-end goals by October. I even managed to take some time off! (Double woo hoo!)

And so to me, I take this as a sign that my marketing efforts are (finally!) paying off.

But, I have a confession to make. In fact, I have three of them.

In the history of my career as an entrepreneur:

1) I’ve never made a cold call.
2) I’ve never run an advertisement.
3) I’ve never ‘pitched’ the media.

I know. Doesn’t seem normal, does it?

Well, that’s just the way I do business.

Because any day of the week, I’d rather: concentrate my marketing efforts on creating a sense of attraction, a sense of gravity; that magnetizes customers, prospects and fans toward my company through a process of delivering value in the vehicle known as my brand…

…than run some crappy ad. Or interrupt someone’s day with an annoying cold call. Or send out a direct mail piece. Or…

You get the point: interruption.

Therefore, if interruption is the enemy of successful marketing, what’s the ally?

My theory: interaction.

Look. I’ve been wearing a nametag 24-7 for just over 6 years now. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from tens of thousands of encounters – with new people I otherwise never would have met – it’s this: interruption sucks, interaction rocks.

Now, what exactly do I mean by interaction? I’m talking about direct contact with your customers and prospects. Building community. Making friends. Creating and keeping fans. Hanging out. Delivering value. Developing relationships.

Specifically, stuff like…

Posting on your blog. Commenting on somebody else’s blog. Publishing articles in your community’s newspaper. Giving speeches at Chamber meetings. Lunches with friends. Lunches with customers. Lunches with potential customers. Publishing an ezine. Doing an audio podcast. Chat rooms. Bulletin boards. Speaking at trade shows. Attending networking functions. Doing a video podcast. Posting your pictures on Flickr. Instant messaging. Widgets. RSS feeds. MySpace. MyYearbook. Tagworld. Digg. Delicious. Squidoo. LinkdIn. Flickr. Wikipedia. Friendster. Facebook. LiveJournal. Match.com. Online discussion boards. Facilitating word of mouth. Throwing an open house or party at your office. Doing an interview on the radio. Going on a talk show. Talking to strangers!

And the list goes on an on.

So. Big question of the day: what do all of those marketing channels have in common?

A few things, really:

• They’re fun
• They connect with people
• They cost little or no money
• They save money
• They save time
• They are fresh, cool and effective marketing created around interaction

Interaction, I say!

And they work. They work really, really, really well.

Because customers are excited about interacting and participating with cool stuff, people and ideas that make them feel comfortable and respected.

So, I said it once and I’ll say it again: interruption sucks, interaction rocks.

(This post was inspired by Andy Sernovitz’s kick-ass new book.)

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Is your marketing interrupting or interacting?