A genuine smile and a hello makes all the difference.

I visited a real estate agent yesterday to do some investigation into unit prices. The sun was shining outside, I just had my 2nd coffee for the day and I was feeling particularly good about exploring different options with one of their representatives.

I walked into their office and said hello and smiled at the first receptionist I made eye contact with. And she responded with ... nothing! She looked through me and then turned away and continued with her paperwork and talking to the other receptionist. No hello, no smile, no"how can I help you today?" ... nothing. So I turned to the other receptionist who at least said hello and reluctantly asked me how she could be of assistance. I thought for a second - am I on the same planet as these people? Shouldn't these receptionists be the ones making the effort to warmly say hello and smile upon the entrance of a potential client who many be spending money with their establishment in the very near future?? Or is their paperwork and gossiping more important?

My mood changed all of a sudden and I was very tempted to just leave there and then. As it stands, I will never go back there again or recommend them to others. I wondered how these receptionists (and the directors of their office setting the tone for their business) could have lost sight of such an important responsibility in the sales cycle – an initial positive greeting. It’s not really that hard – particularly when people such as myself walking through their front door are the ones paying their wages and the rent for their office building. Fortunately, I had a completely different positive experience with the next real estate agent I visited.

Have you had a similar experience recently with a business you’ve never dealt with before? I don’t think it is out of order that these people are given a gentle reminder ‘to smile and say hello’. It really would make all the difference for the growth of their business.

A show of emotion wins fans (as experienced by Andy Murray).

I wanted Roger Federer to win the 2012 Wimbledon final. I’ve never been a big fan of Andy Murray, thinking of him as a player who didn’t give any value to his audience off the court with bland interviews. 

However, Murray’s gracious runners-up speech last night changed my mind about him. Here was the real Murray – no script, just himself honest and open. With his emotional tribute to Federer, his own inner circle and the British public he certainly won over legions of new supporters (echoed by Channel 7’s commentary team). You could feel how much Wimbledon meant to him as well as his genuine appreciation for the tremendous home support he received.

So do these same laws of appeal apply in business? Of course they do - we are all emotional creatures. If you are a leader of a business be real with your clients and employees. By honestly showing them how much you believe in what you are doing and the great value you place on their contribution you will also win over a legion of new supporters.

Check out: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/tennis/andy-murray-loses-wimbledon-final-but-wins-fans/story-fnbe6xeb-1226421087404

The delivery your audience deserves.

One of my all time favourite hard rock bands Soundgarden toured here in Sydney last month. Having followed this band since my teens, bought all their albums and read countless articles about them, I greatly anticipated their return to Australian shores at the Sydney Entertainment Centre - 15 years since they last toured here. On a Wednesday night prior to the Australia Day public holiday and accompanied by close friends who also love Soundgarden, the scene was set for a brilliant evening.

Unfortunately, it was not to be. For one reason…

The sound engineers for the band’s performance managed to absolutely screw up the audio mix. I’ve been to many concerts in my lifetime and this sound was by far the worst I have ever experienced – absolutely atrocious. As someone at the show described – it was like hearing a “bad bootleg tape live”. Soundgarden were giving it their all with powerful playing and singing, yet it was to no avail because of those irresponsible and unqualified people behind the sound mixing desk on the night.

After I calmed down over the next week or so, I had the realization that – just as Soundgarden did that night with their sound engineers - businesses go through the same frustrations and problems with the people they give responsibility to for delivering their message…

I’ve met many business owners, full of passion and purpose and with compelling back stories which amaze me. Yet, on a number of occasions I’ve visited their web-sites, received their business cards and brochures, checked out their promotional video posted online … and been disappointed by the lack of quality. Why? Because I expect and want a consistent representation of the impressive personality I'd met. But I don’t blame the business owner. I blame the creative and production people employed to communicate their message - including creative writers and directors, brand strategists, graphic designers, website developers, video producers and so on - who’ve failed to care and respect the business owner and their story with the poor execution of message delivery.

Other people shouldn’t be allowed to let down your audience.

(By the way I’m still trying to get a refund for my ticket - that is the % going to the management company, not my beloved Soundgarden!).

Oh, what a (long lasting, memorable) night!

In keeping with memorable nights with NYE upon us, we thought it would be fitting for our final 2011 blog to pay tribute to Jersey Boys, which had it's final show in Sydney earlier this month - after a record 2 years in Australia!

I attended Jersey Boys with my Mum and step-dad in 2010, during their holiday with me in Sydney. When suggested as an evening event by my Mum, I was at first apprehensive, thinking "great, a juke-box night of golden oldies ... not my thing, but I'll go along for the sake of my family".

I couldn't have been further from the truth. I was sucked into the Jersey Boys show immediately...

By now Australian audiences are as familiar as their American counterparts with the rise-and-fall stories of pop sensations. We have had the colour-by-numbers Dusty, the raucously overweening Shout! And, most recently, the lame jukebox re-tread Buddy.

But truly great musicals - which have their audiences coming back for more and spreading the word - have great storytelling. Jersey Boys brought to life the fascinating and largely unknown story of the 1960s pop group Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and in the process connected with myself and thousands of others. A musical tracing three working-class Italian tough guys from Newark, New Jersey (plus one from the Bronx) who became one of the best-selling groups in pop-music history - full of laughs and tears, love and heartache, triumph and disaster.

Scriptwriters Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice dug deep to make Jersey Boys successful (and arguably bigger than the group it is based on!), finding the heart of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons journey and crafting a well told underdog narrative - something the other aforementioned productions lacked.

As we approach a new year, owners of meaningful businesses everywhere should know they also an authentic, compelling tale of rise and fall, triumph over adversity and ambition fulfilled. It just needs to be recognized, crafted and told with emotional resonance through every possible channel to connect with their audiences on the same level.

http://www.showbiz.com.au/jerseyboys/

Why Joe Frazier doesn't have a statue in Philadelphia. And why Rocky does.

Joe Frazier, from Philadelphia USA, was one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions that ever lived. Frazier passed away recently.

Frazier was both the undisputed world champion in the 1970s (the golden age of boxing) and a formidable opponent matched against Mohammed Ali three times. Yet the City of Philadelphia chose to erect a statue of the fictitious Hollywood character "Rocky" instead of the real life boxing legend.

Why?

The appealing narrative of the mythical "Rocky" is at play here. And the absence of a clearly articulated Joe Frazier story, who unfortunately wasn't turned into a brand that could have been marketed. Frazier died poor.

So why did "Rocky" - a work of fiction - work so well? "Rocky" is a story (set in Philadelphia) that we want to believe. "Rocky" successfully pandered to the base emotions that drive humanity. Triumph over adversity. In a word: hope. "Rocky" and all five "Rocky" sequels told an enthralling tale - each ending on an inspirational note, reinforcing and perpetuating the legacy of the "Rocky" brand.

Effectively, the "Rocky" brand appealed to the audience's dreams. We became rooted in the wonder and enchantment of an iconic story. We willingly suspended disbelief to enter the captivating world "Rocky" created.

We all have within us the imaginative ability to drive people to believe whatever strongly appeals to their inner yearnings. "Rocky" made our hearts feel good. So we bonded with him - and "Rocky" made a fortune at the box-office.

A skilfully created and compelling story from a business / organization will likewise resonate with their audience - consumers and employees alike - on an emotional level. And create fans for their brands.

http://blogs.phillymag.com/the_philly_post/2011/11/11/frazier-rocky/

Escapism means sales for video games. And businesses of all kinds.

This month the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 video game has broken all sales records for any entertainment product release ever, taking in over $400 million in the UK and US alone.

So what does this say about us as consumers? Well, we love to escape into another world if we're not satisfied with what's going on in our lives. Escapism is gaming's greatest asset.

On another level, businesses who recognize how they can create a compelling environment for consumers to escape to also succeed. Have you ever wandered into an Apple store to browse and left hours later because the entire product, service and creative experience is too inviting to leave; been intoxicated by everything chocolate from the hot drinks to the design of a Max Brenner cafe and stayed far longer than you had planned for just a coffee; embarked on your own adventure and discovery in an Australian Geographic store; found the attraction of the bright colours and fun feel of a Smiggle retail shop to difficult for your inner child to resist; visited your nearest Body Shop or T2 on a whim and forgotten any worries you may have had that day as you're sucked into the enticing worlds they have created?

The list goes on of heroic brands who engage with consumers by providing them with somewhere wonderful and interesting to escape to. But any business can create this world - with their story, design, service, music, incentives and more. Like video games, the businesses who do will have people returning for the experience again and again.

Retail sector shows sign of recovery: Truly Value the Customer.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that retail sales nationally increased 0.5 per cent in July 2011, to about $431 million, in seasonally adjusted terms.

It is possible for retail businesses to build on this small gain. The best way to do this to enhance the shopper’s experience by treating shoppers as valued individuals.

Of course, shoppers want value for money but what many shop assistants often overlook is the "feeling dimension" of the interaction. This is key to making a sale.

Begin by creating an atmosphere in which your customer feels free to express his/her feelings. Be customer focused at all times. That is, what the customer is saying should determine what you say to the customer. Helping the customer is very much about supporting them to express his/her feelings.

Secondly, shop assistants can establish and maintain a trusting relationship with customers by consistently demonstrating empathy – appreciating the client’s feelings from his/her point of view.

Thirdly, shop assistants must demonstrate unconditional positive regard - non-judgment, respect and acceptance - for customers at all times.

In a nutshell, client focus, empathy and unconditional positive regard are the three pillars for building and maintaining an effective relationship with customers and acquiring and retaining customers. In the lead up to Christmas, a critical time for retailers, these pillars need to be recognized and applied to achieve additional growth in a highly competitive market.

See: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-02/20110902-retail-shows-signs-of-recovery/2868012?section=business