BP or Not BP?
July 1, 2010
New Zealand farm
This is a wonderful, well-written blog post by my business collaborator Ian Waddelow. Ian is a European consultant who works with successful businesses around the world. He is a white knight crusading for a better world.
There are four types of people in the world:
Landowners: who control the world’s assets
Farmers: who are appointed by landowners to tend and maximize their assets
Sheepdogs: the trusted and loyal adjutant of farmers that tear around with tireless energy snapping at the sheep, keeping them under control and bending them to the will of the farmer.
Sheep: who bleat a lot but usually end up following the crowd and doing as they are told.
You can see this play out perfectly in the recent BP oil spill off the coast of America.
The Landowners – for BP: the shareholders -
for USA Inc: voters who own assets affected by spill -
for GB PLC: the voters with assets tied to BP (pension funds etc.)
According to Christopher Helman, a Houston-based editor with Forbes, the Gulf Oil Spill will cost BP more than $60 billion: $20 billion into the BP Trust Fund (recently set up after a lot of arm twisting from the Obama administration) $22bn in clean-up costs (two years at $30.6 million a day) and $20bn in penalties (and lawsuits)
It is clear to any financial analyst that such numbers seriously call into question BP’s ability to remain solvent. Were the company to liquidate, the shareholder – our landowners – would stand to lose $236bn in assets.
Naturally, they will fight to stop this from happening. US asset owners don’t want this to happen either unless it gives them the best chance of the biggest payout in restitution. GB PLC cannot afford for this revenue stream to disappear as it receive $5.6bn a year from BP in income tax, national insurance contributions, fuel duty and VAT.
To see BP go under has long-term far reaching consequences for all the landowners.
The Farmers – for BP: Chairman, Carl-Henric Svanberg and CEO, Tony Hayward
for USA Inc: President Barak Obama
for GB PLC: Prime Minister David Cameron
Whenever there is trouble on the farm, the farmer has to take the flak and all four are under immense pressure from their lords and masters it makes sense to come up with a deal between them.
The additional problem for Obama and Cameron is they are the appointed farmer for many landowners, some with conflicting requirements. Both heads of state are starting to realize they cannot please all their masters all the time. For Obama, he has the local population hit by the disaster desperate for restitution and punishment.
They want to see the company brought to its knees and yet 40% of BP shareholders are members of USA Inc. Pensions, investment funds, and personal savings would all be dramatically hit. Meanwhile, ExxonMobil would love to get their hands on those $236bn in BP assets for a knockdown price.
Cameron, meanwhile, was on the campaign trail when the disaster struck and has to get up to speed quickly and defend his revenue stream and one of the few remaining UK global corporations.
The Sheepdogs – The PR men
This is trial by media and so any good farmer will have some loyal and efficient sheepdogs rounding up the press and controlling public opinion. Obama’s team were the first to coral them, demanding summits and capturing the green moral high ground.
They positioned BP as ‘the evil baddy’ in the story, negligent and uncaring and put a white Stetson firmly onto Obama’s head.
Cameron was yet to walk through the door of Number 10 so could do little without a clear mandate to act.
Unfortunately, Tony Hayward’s sheepdogs watched the sheep wander all over the place and in irritation started snapping at the heels of the flock leaders. Despite spending $50m on PR, his team made a series of gaffes, including:
- initially saying the impact would be ‘very modest’(enraging Gulf coast landowners and US politicians).
- going sailing while the disaster was at its height
- pledging on a nationally broadcast TV advertisement that “We will make this right.”
- posting a public apology for the oil spill on the BP website and promising to clean up every drop of oil and “restore the shoreline to its original state”.
- telling the people in Louisiana, where oil had begun to reach parts of the state’s south-eastern marshes,. “We’re sorry for the massive disruption it’s caused their lives. There’s no one who wants this over more than I do. I would like my life back.” The statement was particularly criticized given that eleven people died in the drilling platform explosion that caused the spill.
- stating in an interview with Sky News that he was not overly concerned by the amount of oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. “I think the environmental impact of this disaster is likely to be very, very modest.”
- insisting to a Guardian reporter that the leaked oil and the dispersant being released into the sea should be put in context: “The Gulf of Mexico is a very big ocean. The amount of volume of oil and dispersant we are putting into it is tiny in relation to the total water volume.”
- telling NBC that BP was not at fault for the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon or the subsequent oil spill. “The drilling rig was a Transocean drilling rig. It was their rig and their equipment that failed, run by their people and their processes
- advertising on the web for any ideas on how to stop the oil leak
- spending the $50m on these statements – allowing Obama to cry “What I don’t wanna hear is when they’re spending that kind of money on their shareholders and spending that kind of money on TV advertising that they’re nickel and diming fishermen.” It also allowed Obama’s chief of White House staff and loyal right-hand sheep dog to chime in and say Mr. Hayward “wouldn’t be working for me after any of those statements”.
A sheepdog that doesn’t round up sheep is not a sheepdog.
The Sheep – all the stakeholders living on the farm
Life as a sheep is ultimately one of powerless frustration. Their world is filled with death, suffering and devastation but what to do? The sheep have every right to be incredulous. They are suffering but they are also just playing the game.
The solution is also not simple. You try just tightening a nut with a robot, with no purchase, 1,500 metres below the surface of the ocean. While the sheep make suggestions to stop the leak (ranging from ice plugs to nuclear weapons) they are powerless to act.
The sad thing in all of this is that had BP cut the riser during the first week and installed a second blowout preventer, a massively heavy stack the size of a five story building, then we may have been applauding Hayward for averting an horrific natural disaster.
What pains the sheep the most is it is their lives that are ruined and can do little to avert the problem. Big problems are generated by big entities and in many cases these corporate entities are bigger and more powerful than governments.
They, therefore, are the only ones capable of solving the problems that they make.
The suspicion is that the BP landowners and farmers are in a collusion of greed. They ignored the signs that their golden goose was sick and, instead of paying for a vet, decided to simply shoved their arm inside the bird to pull out whatever gold they could lay their hands on.
Modern day landowners are short term. They want their jam and bread today. They are not interested in handing over the assets to future generations but surely global companies are one day going to realize – no globe, no company.
It is time for shareholders to think bigger and longer and appoint farmers who think the same rather than maximizing their exit after three years of starving the golden goose.
So if you are a landowner or farmer, be wary for being too judgmental of Mr. Hayward. Everyone from railway companies to airlines, from pharmaceutical companies to utilities are cutting corners and the farmers that are appointed are the ones who turn a blind eye.
If you are a head of state like GB Inc you will see that selling off all your land leaves you at their beck and call. You will never be more than their hired hand.
As for the rest of us, the sheep, what to do? We appoint farmers who have sold all our assets to wealthy corporate landowners and plunged us deep into debt. Shall we just bleat?.
Are we just going meekly like lambs to the slaughter or is it time to ensure that the meek truly inherit the earth and build some new assets for us all?
My Town is Getting Hip!
June 23, 2010
Chestnut Hill
I love my town. I live in one of the most beautiful small towns called Chestnut Hill, PA, which was voted one of the top 12 Distinctive Destinations in the US.
How cool is that?
But even better than the beauty, the shopping, the cobblestone streets and the friendliness of my town is the fact that we are getting hip!
That means is that we’re getting up to speed regarding technology and social media. Yes us ole’ folks are challenging ourselves to get out of the dark ages and into the future.
If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I am a former technophobe who overcame my fears by taking a great blogging course called, Become A Blogging Maniac.
blogging
It so changed my life and my business that I started to share these skills wherever I went and last year I proposed to some folks in my town that we might join together and learn these skills.
To be honest, I met with a fair amount of resistance. I got a few blank stares, a few definite no’s and a handful of adventurers that were willing to try out a class with me.
We did ok, but it wasn’t quite the vision I had. I wanted the whole town to thrive.
So this year I tried again and the timing was right, so I’ve been working with a group of wonderful folks in our business association and teaching them how to blog.
They’re doing great!
They’re full of funny stories, great ideas and never-before-told tales of our town. You’re gonna love reading them.
So we’ve decided to expand and are creating a plan by which anyone in town can have a website, blog and be able to use social media like Facebook and Twitter.
Now this sounds like absolutely nothing to the 20-somethings who were born with this media in their back pocket, but to us of another generation, the techno-gap can be terrifying and overwhelming.
So since we have been succeeding in the business association we are now expanding to hold our first blogging class of adventurous business owners.
These brave souls will be going first to stand as role models for our town to shout and proclaim, “We can do it!!”
I’m very excited about this as it’s changed my business life entirely and I am absolutely certain that my charming town can have enormous success with this as well.
We will be updating our progress on our blog and Facebook page, so if you want to check us out and/or cheer us on, we would love to hear from you.
Be encouraged. Even those of us who are slow to get up to speed on this stuff, can catch up and we can have fun doing it. We plan to laugh, tell stories and have fun while we’re learning to promote our fabulous town in a brand new way.
Stay tuned for more stories of Chestnut Hill’s success in social media!
Why Collaboration is A #1 Skill For Our Future
June 6, 2010
wrong direction
Isn’t it obvious? That if we’ve been going in the wrong direction, that we need to go in the right one?
Our world has been too divided. It’s been power over, not between and we’ve been in a hierarchy for too long. It’s obvious that this has to change. But will it?
My belief is yes.
Not just because I have innate faith in human nature. I don’t really. We’ve sorely mucked things up. But more because I see the inevitable natural evolution of things and this one is on the horizon.
Collaboration is the single biggest key to our future for the simple reason that it’s the way that everything works.
If you think about it, the entire Universe was born as one big orchestrated event. It was a collaboration of multitudinous singular processes all happening at the same time.
Isn’t that amazing?
cosmic collaboration
cosmic collaboration
We were created out of dust and gas and cosmic particles all moving in one giant whole. We could never create an event like that with our own minds.
Our entire universe is a collaborative event.
So the point is – anything other than that is against human nature itself. It’s totally going against the grain.
But eventually the tides always turn. Whenever we’ve been going the wrong direction for too long, we always end up turning another way. It’s inherent in nature.
So I do believe our time has come.
The question is – how can we translate this organic movement of the cosmos and nature into something that is and useable in our own lives???
Big question! The answer is – we can begin to act like the universe itself and start now in becoming a collaborative force for change.
This is not as easy as it sounds because while collaboration is inherent in our nature, so is separation. It is installed in us as a decisive force. Just put yourself in a room with 10 opinionated people talking about something that truly matters to you and you’ll find the separatist part of yourself very quickly!
overcoming the divide
We don’t want to be join with others when things aren’t going our way. So true collaboration requires us to overcome this innate tendency to dominate and divide. And yes, we all have it. If you don’t know your own yet, start looking. It’s there.
This is an important key to collaboration, for once you harness the separatist inside, then you’ve got the reins to working together.
The trick is to become aware as soon as you feel that energy wanting to conquer or divide, you need to use your higher brain to override that. Keep in mind as you try to collaborate this force will come up. It’s the undertow to the rising of the wave.
So though these may be obvious, it doesn’t hurt to lay them out here. Some of the key skills to true collaboration:
- make it a point to really hear others point of view – this allows you to get beyond your own thinking
- make it a point to understand all sides and to see everything outside of your own opinion – this lets you join with others and work together for a common goal
- make your point less important than you feel it is – this tames that beast that always wants to make you right.
Not easy but doable.
True collaboration is a necessary way of living for our future. I want YOU to be the one to lead the way. Are you? Let me know what you’re doing about it.
I want you to be a force for our cosmic evolution. I know you are.
Be Creative in Your Communications, Or Else!
May 18, 2010
creativity counts
creativity counts
Or else what?
Or else be left behind in the dust. These days we can no longer afford to poo-poo creativity. Time is ticking and creativity is the wave of the present and the future.
Those who are still thinking in the past will be left behind in the un-creative dust.
So you do want to be on the wave of the future, don’t you? I’m sure you do.
Being creative in your communications requires thinking outside of the box. Communications is a wide field of expression – everything from print media to video, to public speaking, to billboards.
It is everywhere we go and in today’s fast paced world, we need to use our creative brains to keep up with the pace.
It can at first seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have, because using your creative brain is actually enjoyable and energy saving. It’s your old, stuck-in-the-rut left brain that’s getting in the way.
your lizard brain
So who is this old brain that keeps you doing the same old same old? I affectionately call him Mr. Lizard and he loves doing the same things over and over again.
Mr. Lizard is the master of repetition, but needs to learn some creativity.
Why? Because he HATES change. He hates being original and he does not want to stand out in the crowd. He enjoys being one of the boring pack.
But do you?
Do you really enjoy expressing yourself like everyone else? I doubt it. You might be used to doing that but it’s probably not what you really want.
Try this test – if you’re tired or bored with what you’re putting out in your communications, then it’s a likelihood that you’re relying to much on your old lizard brain (cousin to your left brain).
Mr. Lizard doesn’t mean to but he enjoys keeping you stuck. So you’ve got to override his ideas and try something different. That’s what creativity really is – it’s the art and science of doing things differently.
Originality is creativity’s middle name.
Thinking outside the box means trying things that you haven’t tried before. And often, those that are most successful, come up with something that at first seems totally ridiculous!
Think of Se
think outside the box
th Godin’s purple cow. Silly right?
Silly but effective. Imagine yourself putting a big purple cow on your website, business card or brochure. You’re probably cringing right?
Well I’m not suggesting that YOU put a purple cow on anything. That was Seth’s original idea. But I am suggesting that you take risks like he does and think outside of the routine.
Here are some ideas to get you started, but feel free to improvise:
- Think in color, that was part of the purple cow’s effectiveness, it catches our eye and is interesting and different.
- Think ‘difference’ – take a look at something that you’ve done and ask yourself, “What could be different about this?” One small change often makes a big difference.
- If you really want to go out on an edge, and I suggest you do, then ask yourself, “What is the last thing that I’d want to do?” You can decide whether you want to do that or not, to do that or not but at least you’ve gotten yourself to think way outside of your usual box.
That’s the idea. Stirring up your creativity is good for you and good for the world, because no one wants to read or engage in your boring, ordinary communications. They just don’t, so don’t kid yourself about it.
be creative
People today, especially the younger generation like things snappy, quick and interesting and so do you if you’re honest with yourself.
Sometimes we’re afraid to make change, try something different and live outside the box. But that is old Mr. Lizard again asserting himself when he should be off taking a nap.
Today wake up Mr. Lizard and try something new. You will be glad you did.
Creativity in communications is everything. It is the wave of the future and I know you want to be on that wave.
Don’t you?
Thanks to my friend Jeannette Paladino of Write, Speak, Sell for inspiring this post!
A Story About Joe – a great way to do business
May 7, 2010
Today I walked into a frame shop in my local town of Chestnut Hill. I have to be honest – my initial urge was to go somewhere else because I really wanted to save money. I was initially going to go to one of those cheap-o framing places but I decided that I wanted to support my local businesses.
That was a big deal for me. I could feel my hesitation on the way in the door. Should I save money or buy local?
Sometimes it’s a dilemma, especially in this day and age. Do we match our values or our wallets? It can be a hard choice.
But let me tell you why I’m very glad that I chose Joe’s shop. It’s because Joe sold himself on me in the first 15 minutes. Here’s what he did.
When I walked in, he gave me a very cheery hello. He immediately jumped up from his desk and asked how he could help. First impression very good!
Joe passed the first test. He made me feel glad that I walked in the door - that he was happy to see me and happy to help me.
I told him I wanted to frame a piece of hand done artwork in a cost effective manner. Joe gave me several options without being pushy. He was honest and gave me his real opinion, but there was very little selling there.
Point number 2 for Joe – he made my experience relaxed and easy. I needed that. When someone is too pushy in a small space, I want to run.
I was still working through my wish to save money but Joe was gently winning me over even without knowing it. He wasn’t trying to do anything, he was just being himself – a natural salesman.
Then came the clincher – the price. Was it more than I had originally intended? Yes it was, but I took a breath and said, “Let’s do it!”
So why did I bank on Joe and the Chestnut Hill Gallery and Frame Shoppe? Well honestly because of Joe himself. He made me want to buy something from him and support his business.
After we decided on the price and while I was putting down a deposit, Joe mentioned that he is a musician – very cool. I asked him what kind of music he plays and he told me about his band called, “Fify-Six Men.“ I love the name!
So now, not only was I supporting a local business but I was getting to meet a local artist – two things that matter to me.
While Joe was writing up my receipt, he reached into his desk drawer and gave me a CD of his band! What a bonus – just for shopping at his gallery.
Now I loved him even more. He was easy-going, generous and a true artist. Joe is a great example of how art and business can be done well together.
But here’s the best part – after I got my receipt and was heading out the door Joe shook my hand and said, “Thanks for doing business with me.”
Wow! Little did he know that that was the whole reason that I chose him and not a price tag. Joe made the entire deal worthwhile and valuable.
I know we think this is the way that business should be, but it rarely is anymore. In this modern world where price really matters – it is genuine friendly service that can win out over anything.
Price is not the bottom line. We think it is but it’s not. This was a great reminder for me, that what I care about more than saving money is being treated with care and respect.
If everyone could make their customers feel as tended as Joe did, it would be the single best thing we can do to ensure the future of our small businesses.
Congratulations Joe! You are a real winner. Can’t wait to get my framed artwork photo and listen to my CD.
Sharing vs Selling, What’s the Difference?
April 22, 2010
Recently someone asked me how I market myself.
Oops, I don’t.
I know that sounds crazy but I really don’t ‘market’ myself. But listen carefully here because words are important.
I’m not saying that I don’t share my work and make a living at it, because I do. So what the heck is the difference between selling and sharing?
If you ask me, it’s a big difference but one that we don’t often discern, but then we find that those of us in who are in a businesses of a sharing nature, often feel disappointed for one reason or another.
We often feel that we have to choose one side or the other. Either we sell ourselves (i.e market ourselves) or we give it away for free!
Ah, now we’re getting to the heart of the matter. Notice that when I said ‘give it away for free’ some part of your mind, equates that with sharing.
But that’s not sharing at all. So here is discernment Number 1 – sharing is NOT about giving things away for free. It has nothing to do with that. Here’s why:
Most of the time when we are giving something away for ‘free’, we’re really trying to get something in return.
The traditional freebie in the marketing world goes something like this: “I’ll give you this free box of whojamawatzies if you buy my bigger box of something-or-others.”
That’s a traditional freebie mentality and there is nothing wrong with that. So if you’re a traditional marketer, don’t go freaking out here. I’m not bashing you or what you do.
I am only trying to illuminate those of us who feel disheartened or disappointed in our efforts to really share ourselves with the world. So if that’s you, listen on.
Sharing is a consciousness of generosity and love, of being bigger than our small selves and of getting beyond the mindset of me, me, me and into the WE.
We can ask, “How can I serve and what can I give to the world?” But here’s the hard part, we also need to ask – “how can I let go of receiving anything in return?”
Yikes! Did she just say we’re not supposed to receive anything?
No, that’s not what I said. I said LET GO of what will return. Meaning, do the sharing for the sake of a better world, not for just yourself.
Got it? Do it for something bigger, more meaningful and more lasting than just your tiny self (or my tiny self in this case). I gotta get out of my own way and trust the Universe to provide.
Now why should I do that? Is this just some nice new age thinking????
No actually not. My thinking is much more ‘old age’. By that I mean that I try to think like the sages of ages – those great and wise souls that went before us and showed us a way that we’ve lost.
Here’s an example. Let’s imagine Jesus going into a downtown Manhattan marketing firm. He walks into a boardroom with their senior team of marketing experts and they immediately fire off a series of questions to him:
- what is your message?
- who is your target audience and whom do you want to reach?
- how much money do you want to make?
- what makes you unique?
He quietly says, “I want as much love in the world as possible and I will share my message with anyone. And the money? It will come. As soon as I start sharing some loaves and fishes, we’ll all be taken care of.”
YIKES!
This is not what they want to hear. They look unnerved, start sweating and give each other subtle looks around the board table. Then they quietly usher him out the door saying, “Have a good day and good luck with everything!”
Whew, he’s gone!
Then the next client comes in. This time it’s the Buddha, but they have no idea who the Buddha is. All they just know is that he’s dressed in some funny looking robes and carrying a begging bowl.
“Um excuse me sir but we don’t cater to beggars here.”
“But I’m not here to beg. I’m here to pray. I was walking by and had the feeling that you needed something here. So I am here to share with you.”
They look dumbfounded. ‘What the heck does this mean? What do we do now?’ They start sweating, give each other subtle looks around the boardroom table and then kindly but firmly usher Mr. Buddha-whoever-you- are, right out the door.
Whew! Back to business as usual right?
But after that something is different. Suddenly they are becoming kinder and helping each other in a way that they never did before. Hmm, what’s happening here?
And more than that, the following month their profits have soared for no good reason. This is impossible. There were no new clients, no new projects. What the heck is this? Some kind of freaking miracle???
Yes. That’s exactly what it is.
The structure of a miracle begins with sharing – getting out of our comfort zone and thinking of others first. Believe it or not, marketing can be as simple and as difficult as that.
It’s simple because it’s a simple idea. It’s difficult because it’s nearly impossible to execute. Why? Because our innate me, me, me attitude gets in the way.
It’s nearly impossible not to think about ourselves and what we will get out of things. So don’t even bother to try not to think about that! Do something else instead.
When the Buddha walks in to your office and tries to offer you something, say to him, “No it’s me that needs to share something with you. Would you like some tea?”
Today, think how the energy, the mindset and the intent of sharing can be your real goal. Money will follow.
At least this is what the sages as been telling us for ages. We just don’t want to listen.
It ain’t easy to do things that are out of our comfort zone, but do it anyway. At the end of the day you will feel peace inside and the rewards are right behind it.
Today, get out of yourself and go for something bigger.
Argh! When Did Free Become a Ploy For Getting Something?
March 22, 2010
I am spitting mad. I hate, absolutely hate when someone tries to sell me something for ‘free.’ Free is free folks. It is not a sales ploy to get something.
Today I got an email that suggested that I was an absolutely perfect person for their completely free service. Given that their service was seminars and motivational speaking, I decided to take a look.
Now let me ask you this – when you hear the words - absolutely free – what happens to you? For me the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. It’s an immediate visceral response from my Komodo dragon-like lizard brain who leaps into defense mode. My inner lizard can’t help himself. He doesn’t like the word free anymore. He’s had too many bad experiences with it.
I wrote them back a polite reply saying something to the effect of – if you’d like to hire me to be a speaker for you, yes I’d be happy to talk to you. You weren’t thinking of selling me something were you?? (tee hee, this was my way to flush out the turkey waiting in the bush)
Her colleague wrote me back and said: “No, our goal wasn’t for you to take our classes, although you may feel free to do so. Our goal, hopefully realized by Barbara’s smartly worded email introduction, is to have you decide to lead a teleclass, on the subject of your choice, to between 500-1000 live listeners.”
Wait a minute here? Barbara’s ‘smartly worded email introduction?’ You know what this means don’t you? It is code for ‘schmaltzy dis-honest copy.’ I was starting to get annoyed now. He went on:
“At the end of this teleclass you can market any product or service you wish and keep 100% of the sales. It is our fervent desire you would also capture dozens of new email addresses.”
Fervent desire?? Puleeeze! This is something right out of one of those trashy romance novels. You have a ‘fervent desire’ for me to get new email addresses? Gross! Besides you don’t even know me. I’m having a hard time believing that you’d really care this much to be fervent about me. Now I was really mad. He followed with the clincher:
“In return we ask but a pittance. You send two emails to your newsletter list which we require to be at least 5000 stron).”
Ask but a pittance??? Wasn’t this phrase last used in the film Oliver Twist? Isn’t it a phrase that a beggar uses – may I have just a pittance sir?’ No one uses the word pittance anymore and it should definitely NOT be used in this context. Having access to my personal 5,000 person private email list is NOT just a pittance.
Arrgh! Now I was ready to fight back, but not yet, just one more little bit to top of his email:
“This is completely without cost to you, other than sending out the emails, and you can lovingly participate 3 or 4 times a year. Each time you would be exposed to a completely new group of people.”
Oh no. This guy read the book “Love is the Killer App,” and got confused. The word lovingly absolutely should NOT be used in this context. It just doesn’t work. Lovingly participate? What does that mean?
I think he got his scrabble game mixed up before he wrote this. Lovingly goes with words like wife, husband, child. It’s like pairing wine and cheese. Do not mix this word with someone you have never met before like me! I ain’t feeling so lovingly towards you. But he didn’t stop there he had to topped of his email with with, get this:
“If this sounds like a “heck yes” to you then let’s schedule a 10 minute phone call to fill in the gaps.”
Heck yes? Who are you Orville Redenbacher? No one uses the phrase heck yes anymore. I know what you’re trying to do – if you use the work ‘heck’ then you’ll sound kind of home-style and make me feel like you’re a buddy of mine right? I get the ploy but it ain’t working. I’m remembering that we’ve never even met before.
So the gist of it was that they would give me their absolutely free service of letting me lead a seminar if I would do them the very teensy weensy favor of sending out emails on my 5,000 person mailing list.
WHAT?????
First of all – when did free become the new – let me try to get something very valuable from you??
Second of all – when did giving you my access to my 5,000 person personal email list become a teensy weensy favor??
Last but not least of all – how dare you ask me for something like that and then tell me that I need to provide you with a specific number (5,0000 people). Weren’t I just doing you a favor a minute ago?
ARGH! I hate this kind of schmaltzy, fake, untruthful, snake-in-the-grass type marketing. Please don’t fake me out. Please use ordinary, plan old language on me. I’m just not smart enough for this type of ‘smart copy.’
So here is the letter that I wrote back to them. Names have been change to preserve the not-so-innocent.
Dear Mr. Bill,
I am sure that you are trying to do a good service for the world but may I be blunt? When you are offering someone something for ‘free’ that means free. Not free but…..(wheres the catch?) Get what I mean?
I don’t connect with that style of marketing at all. I know it’s used a lot in the business world but it’s not honest or authentic and one can smell it a mile away. That is why I asked you more specifically what you wanted, because it had the slight smell of a used car salesman technique and given the wonderful service that you provide, I’m pretty certain that is not what you want.
People feel the truth.
If you want something from me, anything, please tell me that at the top. NO smart wording, no tricky copy. It makes me suspicious and does not garner my trust or my rapport which I am sure you would want if you were to do business with me.
If you would like to have an honest business relationship with me of integrity than we can start over but working like this does not work for one as truthful as me.
warmly and truthfully yours,
Annie Hart
Free is free. It’s not a ploy to get something. The next person who tries this on me is going to be very sorry!
The Transformative Power of Stories for Children
February 17, 2010
Annie: This is a beautiful story sent to me by Mike Blackstone a friend, colleague and blog reader of mine. He told some stories to his children with truly magical results. This really invites us to realize the transformative power of story. Thanks for sharing Mike. It really opened my heart.
Mike: A month ago I was invited to a lecture that was to take place last Sunday afternoon. I had completely forgotten about this lecture until it popped back into my mind 25 minutes before it was to begin. Interestingly, I had spent some quality time with my two little boys that morning, had all my “chores” done, so I told my wife Maureen I was going.
When I got to the lecture, I found out the speaker was an “ageless wisdom” guy which I don’t know much about. His theme was “Unfolding the Soul’s Purpose,” and among many things, he talked a little about reincarnation and astrology. I enjoyed it.
When I got home, I did a little research on the internet about him and about some of his subjects. I came across one little tidbit in an online astrology chart about focusing on “raising one’s children well,” and that struck a little heart chord. Hmm, could be a bit of a life purpose in there?
A couple of hours later I had this impulse and decided to tell my 6 year-old a story, and base it on the concept that we had lived other lives together. I completely improvised it. Here is the gist:
We were young brothers (Native Americans) in the 1800s. Out on an exploratory adventure, we were attacked by a mountain lion. It took all of our wits (mostly his) to both come out of it alive. Later we were attacked by a she-bear when we accidentally stumbled upon her cubs. Again our wits, mostly his, saved the day.
Several times during the story he said, with his head cocked to one side and his eyes narrowed, “Dad, you’re making this up, aren’t you?” Of course I denied it saying that that’s what I “remember.” But each time he asked me to keep telling the story.
About an hour later, my 9 year-old, Elliot, comes into my office and asks, very intently, “What did you tell Euan?” I said, “Why are you asking?” He replied, “Well, Euan said you TOLD him something!” “Do you want me to tell you something, too?” “Yes.” So I told Elliot a story, completely improvised, that went like this.
We were neighbor kids in the tenements of New York City in the late 1920s—best buddies who lived about a block apart. One day we were hanging out in the neighborhood, but I was about a block away around the corner with a couple of the guys. I heard loud voices and we came around the corner to see what was going on.
“I saw you (Elliot) surrounded by four rough guys from another neighborhood, and one started threatening you that they were going to beat you up. That kid turned, looked at his buddies to smile, and as he turned his head back, your fist lashed out, caught him square in the nose and knocked him clean onto his back.
There was blood everywhere. The other three were about to set on you but saw me and the other guys, grabbed their fallen comrade and beat a hasty retreat. They never came back.”
When I was done, Elliot floored me by saying, “Thanks, Dad, for telling me that story. And you know the part I liked the best? I didn’t need you to save me.”
I was dumbfounded in some wonderful way. The next morning, as I was taking them to school, Elliot said, “Thanks again for telling me that story, Dad, I really liked it.” And I wondered again what that was all about. He had never thanked me before for telling a story.
A few nights later I was tucking the boys in bed, I told Euan another story where we were both bridge builders, but he was a bridge designer. Right at that moment he nodded his head deeply in some sort of agreement, and he saved my life on a bridge-building site during an earthquake. Remember, he was the skeptic.
This time HE thanked me for telling him that story.
When he nodded his head it was pretty funny because he’s lately been into wearing a blindfold to bed—the kind you get on an airplane. So, I’m right by his face, softly telling him the story, he’s wearing his blindfold, and he starts to nod in agreement when I get to the “bridge designer” part. It melted my heart.
There have been a few more stories since, and, with how much they seem to love them, there WILL be many more.
I am still digesting all this, but I find it amazing. A couple of clues I’m looking at—Euan (6yrs) loves to build things and is a Lego maniac. Elliot (9 yrs) loves everything about the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and is determined to make his living as a pro wrestler.
Annie: Don’t you love this story? Sweet, simple ways to make a difference in the minds of children. Thanks Mike for sharing the transformative power of story.
Yours in always sharing the stories that matter,
Annie
Corey’s Story Journey: Hanging a Picture Frame Around Your Life
January 22, 2010
When I started working with Annie Hart and Katie Gutierrez Painter on my book, I really had no idea where it was headed, or how it would all come together. In fact, like so many of my own clients, I often felt lost throughout this process.
Over the last eight months the three of us got together weekly and Annie pulled out my most poignant business, creative, and personal stories so that Katie could document them. But remaining objective was something I have not been able to do well. My view of my life is infinite, it has no edges, and yet, we have to put a frame around my stories to build the book. We have to give the stories context.
A short lesson on context. One thing I have learned through working with so many books is that readers, as they read, are constantly pulling information, ideas and lessons from what they are reading and are subconsciously filing them in their brain as they travel down the page. If an author fails to provide their reader with enough context, files quickly get backed up and create clutter as the brain slows down and tries to determine how to categorize them. For most readers, a single uncategorizable file can knock the reading experience off course. I call this a roadblock.
The brain starts directing extra focus towards determining how to unclog the road block. But information, like cars, is still being added to the equation. So now attention is being split between trying to unclog the road block and trying to direct new traffic to where it needs to go. One little road block can lead to a pile-up if an author is not careful. And a pile-up is a quick indication to a reader to drive in the other direction—away from what they’re reading!
Throughout the process of telling my stories, I have been waiting for the context to become apparent. I’m a strong believer in not forcing it, and so I have been patient. Then yesterday it happened. Annie and Katie and I were coming to the end of the storytelling portion of our work together and over the last couple weeks we had begun pulling out the themes we saw running through my life.
Simultaneously, I’ve been dealing with some very difficult company setbacks and trying to untangle some rough terrain. To be candid, I felt recently like I was watching my company fall down around me. From an authentic conversation around my life and the business, my picture frame popped out and into view. What a joyous moment to arrive at, and we did it together.
This weekend I plan on taking my first stab at the introduction to the book, and next week, Katie and I will begin to assemble my stories based on our new context. Phase 1 is over. Now we breath and enter phase 2.
From Annie: Corey has been a delight and a joy to work with over these months. Together we dove deep into the stories of his life and I am so happy that he’s able to go to phase 2 now. What a beautiful journey!
Taking Your Business Global – Tips From Women Who’ve Done It (including me)
December 29, 2009
Recently I was featured in a wonderful article by the National Association of Women Business Owners on taking your business international.
Going global was a dream of my for a long time but I could never create the access that I wanted to, until I starting to blogging and using social media.
Within six months, no kidding, I had attained an international presence. I was making contacts in Spain, Italy, England, France, Australia, New Zealand and my biggest blog following was in Sweden. How cool is that? From this I’ve started to develop client relationships and new work opportunities. And who said that social media was only for children!
Here is the article, hope you enjoy it:
Taking your small business global is no easy feat. It requires lots of research, loans, connections and patience. Here are some tips from fellow women business owners who have already expanded their businesses overseas that will make your transition easier.
When it comes to taking your business global, there are three main things you must have: a support system, knowledge about yourself and networking skills. According to Annie Hart, personal coach, consultant and owner of “Stories Change the World,” taking your business overseas is tricky, but feasible. “Breaking technology barriers was probably the most difficult part,” says Annie of taking her business global.
She began by using social media as a way to communicate with potential clients and make connections. Through this, she was able to expand her business to Europe and gain clients from Sweden, France and England.
As a personal coach and consultant, Annie feels that when expanding your business globally, you need to simply be yourself. “People try too hard,” she says. “Hone in on who you are in a simple and natural way.” This will help you brand yourself and make real connections with potential clients.
As for Penny Barr, M.D. and CEO of Barr Management Consultancy, she recommends conducting an in-depth study of the market and targeting who your competitors are. This will lend valuable insight as to whom you will be working with and against. By knowing the strengths of your competitors, you are better able to reformat your business so that you stand out among the others.
Barr also recommends The Ease of Doing Business Reports by The World Bank. In this report, economies are ranked on their ease of doing business, from 1 to 183, with 1 being the easiest. A high ranking on the ease of doing business index means the regulatory environment is conducive to the operation of business.
The main thing that both Annie and Penny agree upon is the importance of having a support system and networks of colleagues who will offer advice to help you through your global expansion. Penny says, “the most important lesson that I’ve learned was to ensure that I had a well-experienced, knowledgeable contact in that market for advice when needed.”
From Annie: They are a wonderful organization and if you are a women business owner you might think of joining. And if you’d like to help getting over the social media hump, feel free to contact me!
Connect With Annie Hart
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