Google Gives to Non-Profits

If you are Non-Profit, Not-For-Profit, or my favorite, For Impact, then I've got something cool to share with you today.

Google is giving you stuff for free.

Yes Free. They have created a specific Google Grants process for AdWords to give For Impact organizations the opportunity to reach more people. If you are a recipient of this benefit, then you also receive a number of other benefits and tools to increase your visibility and to take donations directly online through Google's tools.

There are great video's explaining how the ad ranking works, and a number of other tools to help with web design, tracking and donor communication.

Take a look at the video below which tells the story better than I.

Getting Sticky With It...

Why would people remember you? Really.

Are you one more well dressed business person at the networking event? Do you have a lovely card for people to lose amongst the rest of their cards? Is there anything about you, your business, or your presentation that separates you from every other Consultant, IT professional, Sales Rep, and Marketing specialist out there? What is it?

If you don't have that, you might have an easy answer to why you aren't getting as many calls as you would like. You've figured out how to fit in, not figure out how to stand out.
Be memorable and make a lasting impression.

When I bring my balloons to networking events I attract more attention than anything else I have tried. It does not matter that doing balloon art for events is not my main business. It is different and unique and people spend time talking with me about it, and how it evolved into the training I now do. We discuss environmental justice and diversity and how they all relate to balloons, and fun, and training.

Seth Godin, author of The Purple Cow, relates some absolutely amazing ideas on how to make your business STICK in the mind of your prospective clients.
Give him a read. You won't regret it.

"My target market is... Anyone." Yeah, Right.

Read just about any writing on marketing and promotion and they will tell you that finding your specific target market is paramount to crafting a successful marketing plan. You have to know specifically WHO it is you want to reach. Not "Anyone" or "Everyone." I have heard this repeated at networking education seminars, marketing blitzes, and even at my local Chamber of Commerce.

For some reason, this does not seem to prevent people I meet, who I know from these very same events, from repeatedly saying things like, "A good referral for me is...anyone." We are so afraid that we might lose a random client who is not even our ideal, that we don't give people any real information to actually help them think of a potential client.

We used to offer "training & consulting services for any program", we wanted to reach "anyone who did training in their office, or organization." That is a LOT of people, and thus we received very few referrals or direct leads. Once we focused our vision, things changed. We now offer "customized diversity & inclusion programs for non-profit organizations." Do we still offer other programs, of course, but we do not try to sell them. If people are interested in what our primary passion is, and they like it enough to ask if we do more, then we tell them. This shift has exponentially increased our leads and clients.

In our last program, "Planning to Fail: 100% of everything you will ever possibly need to know to see your business fail." We received a mixture of results. About half the people LOVED the funny, experiential, alternative approach to finding the barriers in their businesses. About 1/4 thought it was OK, and the other quarter were just confused, or said it wasn't their style.

Not everyone wants what we offer. For some people we are just too weird, risky, different, or odd. That's fine, we probably would be good business partners. But for those people interested in programs that push the envelope, make people uncomfortable and help them break through to a new level of understanding regarding their teammates and clients, we're the people to see.

So, quit trying to get your service and product into "everyone's" hands, and get it into the hands of the people who really want it. Those people will find you more business.

Service Comparison: HP vs. Dr. Jaime White DDS

So Hewlett-Packard is a corporate behemoth. Billion dollar company with vast resources and a global perspective on how things should be done.

The dental office of Dr Jaime White DDS is a local small town office who takes care of people's teeth and gums. They see a lot of kids and old people, cause honestly, that's who goes to the dentist most. Kids are made to go by their parents, and when you get older and your teeth are falling out, we all decide that perhaps we should go see the dentist again.

Let's look at HP to start. I go online and order a power cable for my daughter's laptop which has failed to work. I match the wattage on the "brick" to make my selection and they send me a power cord. When it arrives it is the wrong fitting and is useless. I call them to arrange an exchange for the correct model and I spend the next 4 HOURS being passed from person to person, department to department. I have to demand to speak to a supervisor so they don't make me pay for return shipping or any extra fees. I just want t right cable for my daughters computer. At the end I have my problem solved, but am unhappy, feel like my time was wasted and am fully aware that HP cares very little for my existence. I can easily call another computer company the next time I am in need of technology and I will.

In the dentist's office there are sodas and smiles. There is an elderly gentleman sitting in the waiting room when we arrive. We are filing out the paperwork required of us when the woman behind the counter comes out from behind it and said to the gentleman, "I am sorry for the delay, we had a bit of a scheduling overlap and it's taken a bit longer for us to get you in. We know you've been waiting 20-30 minutes longer than you expected, here's some movie tickets for you & your wife. We don't want to waste your time and we value you."

It took $20 and 5 minutes of their time to secure a customer and gain the loyalty of just about everyone sitting in that waiting room. Everyone looked around at each other amazed at the level of service. Existing customers smiled and felt re-connected to having chosen the right place. Us new clients were floored, which just told me how rare it is to see that level of service.

I want to see more of that. I no longer want to settle for poor or moderate service. I am going to do my best to give my business, all of it, to those companies who put out the effort to really take good care of their people. I think we all should.