Marketing Results

14/07/2020

A marketer’s ‘coronavirus’ checklist: am I adding value?
(The Witness Newspaper, 10 July 2020)

Rajen Reddy’s career spans over 32 years. As an entrepreneur from humble beginnings, he has set the benchmark for the petroleum and oil industry and cemented himself as a pioneer in business. He shared his definition of success with me recently:

“Success is about adding value, once you’ve added value, then you have a transaction.”

You've read a million times about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur: Intelligence, vision, drive, perseverance, a strong work ethic, etc. Instead of analysing their behaviour, I believe you should look at how entrepreneurs think. The same is true for your clients or customers.

Last year one of my clients told me I don’t add value to their business.

This was my coronavirus moment.

A part of me died. I gave my everything. The best of my skill set. Creativity. Me. But there was no transaction.

My journey to the new normal …

Lockdown level 5: Social distancing:

Purpose: The reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.

I had lost my purpose. A period of social distancing had to be observed and then a process of contact tracing started. What was taken from me? And then trace what I believe is important, what do I identify with and what am I passionate about?

The big question during Level 5 was how my purpose translated into value for my clients? In the face of a global crisis, it’s important for small business owners to be innovative to stay afloat. South Africa is experiencing tough economic times. To survive it is critical to change the way we do things. You must join the new economy and let go of old ways of thinking. Are you adding value to your client’s business? Are you relevant?

I strongly urge you to start a conversation with your clients. You need to redefine what you do for them according to their definition of value to ensure you continue having a transaction. What is important to them? What do they define as value?

Lockdown level 4: Essential services and masks

Adding value to a product or service helps companies attract more customers, which increases revenue. The value-added is the difference between a product or services’ price and the cost of producing it. Value can be added in different ways. Are you an essential service?

In How to Fail at Almost Anything and Still Win Big, Scott Adams, introduces the concept of skill stacking. It’s hard to be the best in the world at one skill. If you learn how to combine skills in a unique way, you create a rare skill set. The rarer your skill set, the more ‘career capital’ you have and the harder you are to replace.

Create your ‘talent stack’ to stand out. First, play games you can win. Focus on strengthening your natural talents and capabilities as a foundation, then build additional skills. By doing this you multiply the effect of your effort.

And remember to wear a facemask to protect yourself. Focus, don’t get side-tracked.

Lockdown level 3: Wash your hands

Washing your hands can symbolise saying or showing that you do not want to be involved with someone or something anymore and that you are no longer responsible. Not during Level 3. I love the WHO’s guidelines on washing your hands. They say you should wash your hands long enough to sing “Happy birthday”. When communicating with your clients, make sure you wash your hands long enough to sing line 3 “dear client, we have added the value you wanted. We have achieved results”.

As we create new habits like sanitising our hands, so should be celebrating adding value.

Alta
Marketing results.
[email protected]
News24.com

22/03/2020

I am currently reading ‘dare to lead’ written by Brené Brown. Brene has done a lot of research about daring greatly and rising strong at work.

As we enter into uncharted waters with , I am really concerned for business, especially other small businesses. I was struggling to find the words to speak to staff, clients and suppliers. Then I read the following in the chapter about ‘Rumbling with Vulnerability’:

During a time of difficult change and uncertainty, daring leaders might sit with their teams and say,

“These changes are coming hard and fast, and I know there’s a lot of anxiety – I’m feeling it too, and it’s hard to work through. It’s hard not to take it home, it’s hard not to worry, and it’s easy to want to look for someone to blame. I will share everything I can about the changes with you, as soon as I can.

I want to spend the next forty-five minutes rumbling on how we’re all managing the changes. Specifically, What does support from me look like? What questions can I try to answer? Are there any stories you want to check out with me? And any other questions you have?

I’m asking everyone to stay connected and lean into each other during this churn so we can really rumble with what’s going on. In the midst of all of this we still need to produce work that makes us proud. Let’s each write down one thing that makes us proud. Let’s each write down one thing we need from this group in order to feel okay sharing and asking questions, and one thing that will get in the way.”

Align. Lead daringly during these uncertain times.
Alta

For more about Brene Brown, please click on https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_the_power_of_vulnerability?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare
Worq

Brené Brown studies human connection -- our ability to empathize, belong, love. In a poignant, funny talk, she shares a deep insight from her research, one that sent her on a personal quest to know herself as well as to understand humanity. A talk to share.

10/02/2020

Read our latest column “To become the 1% we should communicate better” by Alta Keyter, The Witness Newspaper, 7 February 2020.

“If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions.”
Carlson Gracie

We all like to belong and that's why some great ideas can become movements. Every movement started with one person who dared to dream, stood up again and again, alone, and kept on making a noise. . They had the courage to listen to the voice in their head, believed that how they play the game is truly more important than whether they win or lose. The bravery to take a chance and accept the consequences.

What makes entrepreneurs willing to take that risk? In order to become the 1%, must you do what the 99% won’t? If I look at the current top 1%, I can’t help but think what were the consequences of the risks they took? In the case of Steve Jobs, it got him fired from a company he started. Mark Zuckerberg gave Eduardo Saverin about 5% of the company in exchange for signing a non-disclosure that has essentially kept him quiet since.

As entrepreneurs the voice in our head is louder than every other voice we hear. Others may doubt. Others may criticize. Others may judge, disparage and disapprove. You see all those opinions for what they are: not right, not wrong, just data. So, you sift through the data for the actual pieces you can use.

To get to the 1% should we communicate better. Maybe it is the nature of the beast, being a new decade after all, but I have received a high number of invitations to attend ‘vision board’ workshops. I also read that you become like the 5 people you surround yourself with daily.

The 5 people I surround myself with daily are:

Clients
Employees
Suppliers
Family and friends (That would qualify as a bonus day)

If I want to achieve my vision(s) these 5 people need to know what backing I need.

So, here’s my take on a vision board, a communication strategy I wrote called ‘Surviving Alta’:

1. I am a hopeless romantic not just in my personal life, but also in business. The urban dictionary describes us as follows:
“Hopeless romantics have larger hearts than the rest of us and they get hurt more than the regular person. A hopeless romantic is an eternal optimist. They fall in love with activities they do. They see them as living parts they need to cherish with the same care they would give another person. There’s a not-so-small part of them which will always believe in magic. And the urban dictionary believe we are one of the purest things left on this planet.”

2. Before I speak my words pass through 3 gates:
- Is it true?
- Is it necessary?
- Is it kind?
It is called EQ. When interacting with me, please adopt the above.

3. If I feel a situation is unfair it completely disturbs my equilibrium. Please treat me with the same set of rules you treat yourself.

4. We live in a society where time is a commodity. If I share my time with you, especially if I add my skill set, please respect it. I enjoy succeeding through others. Talent is obviously important, but the ability to work together, check egos at the door, and make individual sacrifices when necessary is the only way any team succeeds. This is why as entrepreneurs we focus on the individual rather than the position and the team rather than the hierarchy.

Do not be an

5. I respond very well to positive communication. Please don’t start with a negative.
How I interpret NO: Impossible isn’t something that can’t be done. It’s just something that hasn’t been done before. Which leads to number 6 …

6. Please don’t ask me to compromise for second best (Reference number 5 AGAIN: It’s just something that hasn’t been done before).

7. Choices. Most people simply choose from Column A or Column B. Entrepreneurs glance at A and B and then often create their own Column C. As Jon Burgstone said:

“Every time you want to make an important decision, there are two possible courses of action. You can look at the array of choices that present themselves, pick the best available option, and try to make it fit.

Or, you can do what the true entrepreneur does: Figure out the best conceivable option and then make it available.”

And that's why entrepreneurs often accomplish the inconceivable (Reference number 5 and 6).

Not so long ago, burning the midnight oil at Worq a fellow from Business Doctors suggested we start Entrepreneurs Anonymous. . If you are interested, please email me at [email protected]. Til next time.

17/01/2020

If you want to be a lion, you must train with lions.

We all like to belong and that's why some great ideas can become movements.

Every movement started with one person who dared to dream, stood up again and again, alone and kept on making noise.

They had the courage to listen to the voice in their head, believed that how they play the game is truly more important than whether they win or lose.

Take a chance and accept the consequences.

What makes entrepreneurs willing to take that risk? In order to become the 1%, must you do what 99% won’t?

10/11/2019

It has been a very -AWARD-ing week at Marketing Results HQ Worq. Thank you to our client, Exigo Care, for giving us the opportunity to do your strategic management and KZNTopBusiness2019 for recognising our founder, Alta Keyter, as one of the top in KZN.

Award: Winner, category at MamaMagic
Award: KZN Top Woman in Business: Finalist

Mohomed Ikram Moosa Muhammad Yaseen Moosa Grant Adlam

01/08/2019

Here’s to the next 1! Congratulations on the anniversary of your birth date Worq

21/07/2019

It has been an emotional week for South Africans. Celebrating our great Tata’s birthday, , and saying farewell to one of our great thought leaders, Johnny Clegg. Let’s celebrate the boundless creativity of our .

http://www.friendsofjohnnyclegg.com - In 2018 a group of well-known musicians came together to celebrate the life and work of Johnny Clegg and recorded a spe...

08/05/2019

Have you made your mark? Visit us at Hall's Retail, 170 Victoria Street, Pietermaritzburg, show us your finger and enjoy a coffee on us!
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Book a tour to see the future of how entrepreneurs worq in collaboration through a culture of social interaction, collaboration and sharing.

Add these fundamentals together, mix well and you get a sustainable contributor to the South African economy.

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17/12/2018

Surviving the silly season:

I am a hopeless romantic not just in my personal life, but also in business. The urban dictionary describes us as follows:

Hopeless romantics have larger hearts than the rest of us and they get hurt more than the regular person. A hopeless romantic is an eternal optimist. They fall in love with activities they do. They see them as living parts they need to cherish with the same care they would give another person. There is a not-so-small part of them which will always believe in magic.

We live in a time where it is hard to find people willing to give 100%. Hopeless romantics will give more than 100%. And the urban dictionary believe they are one of the purest things left on this planet.

As an entrepreneur you have a vision and growing that vision entails among other things recruiting a team to help you grow.

As we are fast approaching the festive season you might have noticed that employees become complacent, distracted, negligent and for the lack of a better word, “silly”. Here are some tips to survive the silly season:

• Don’t let history repeat itself: Did productivity suffer last year at this time? Identify what went wrong and come up with viable solutions, seeking input from staff where ever possible.
• Leading by example: Leadership is crucial to maintaining productivity during the silly season. If employees see their leaders staying motivated and working hard towards achieving goals, they will immediately feel more motivated to do the same.
• Setting pre-festive season goals: Did your company set financial-focused, product-focused, or other goals? Remind your employees of what these goals were and assess whether you have achieved them. Make sure goals are clearly communicated and in writing, so that employees can refer to the list as and when necessary. Rewarding your employees for reaching goals keeps both motivation and morale high, so why not try to implement specific incentives for achieving specific business goals. You can acknowledge the achievement of goals with awards to encourage employees to continue to work hard and motivate them.
• Creating a positive atmosphere: Establishing a positive environment is an important factor in keeping employees motivated. This may involve allowing the team to get into the spirit of the season by decorating their work space. A positive and enjoyable working environment will encourage employees to focus on the tasks and remain productive.
• Offering flexible hours: Flexible scheduling makes employees more focused on their work when they are in the office and, in turn, is likely to increase productivity. This is especially important ahead of the holidays, when staff are busy, not only with their work, but also at home with planning holidays away and buying gifts.
• Showing appreciation: Globoforce's Workforce Mood Tracker Report shows that there is a demonstrable link between acknowledgement and motivation, with 86% of employees saying that being recognised motivates them in their job. Take a moment to thank your employees for all their hard work throughout the year. This will make them feel appreciated and empowered, motivating them to finish the year on a good note.

And then what about you? The entrepreneur. How do you stay motivated? I have been very fortunate to be invited to Margaret Hirsch’s Woman of Worth (WOW) group. I remember receiving the invite on the 8th of January at 13h42 looking at the names of the other members in the group thinking this must be a mistake! WOW has become my tribal council, as I like to refer to them, and saving grace this year. Thank you, Margaret, for loving hard and creating a platform like WOW where entrepreneurs can refuel. As we enter a time of reflection, I would like you to think about the people you are going to surround yourself with in 2019 and where you will refuel. Wishing you holiday cheer and a happy New Year.

Alta Keyter
The Witness Margaret Hirsch Hirsch's Homestore Worq

20/11/2018

How to make a brand last longer

I recently had the privilege of facilitating a session at the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation (EO) annual conference. EO was founded in 1987 and is the only global network exclusively for entrepreneurs. With over 12 000 members in 50 countries, EO helps leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow in business and beyond.

Ross Drakes, currently the President of the Johannesburg chapter, spoke about ‘How to make a brand last longer’. Ross believe that brands are communicated, not designed. “When you craft your vision, you need to build all of your communication tools to fill your brand with the right intentions before you send it out into the world”, says Ross.

It does not matter what you say but how it is heard. Here’s a few pointers on how to make your brand last longer.
Practice honesty in your branding

It sounds obvious, but to be trusted, brands must be honest. Trustworthy brands are honest and transparent. They don't lie about who they are, what they are made of or how they manufacture. Transparency about their products and their values is what defines them.

Southwest Airlines used honesty as a differentiator. The airline's campaign, "Low fares. Nothing to hide. That's Transparency," makes its position clear. For Southwest, "Transparency" is a company-wide philosophy that inspires trust in customers because it's consistent with its brand position as a low-cost airline. When they say, "We're all about being open and honest with our customers," we believe them.

Build community

Gather people around your company. Building a brand community may take slow, consistent effort, but, it creates long term wealth. Just look at one of our very successful KZN brands Defy with their . They have actively built a community that goes far beyond their product.

The most successful people and companies understand the importance of a vast and deep network of relationships. They know that mistakes will be made, competition will get fiercer, customers are fickle, communications channels and techniques will change. Yet, they know that loyalty is a human characteristic and that a sense of community is essential for all of us – even businesses. And that, is the core for any brand community.

DeWalt, the power tool brand, has absolutely nailed community building. Customer insights are the true nuts and bolts of their decision making. By embracing their online customer community, they have improved communications and trust between themselves and their customers. They have been able to get products to market faster, with features and packaging preferred by their customers, improved the quality of their products and thereby strengthened their brand. Social media has proven to be a great tool for this company.

Lead with purpose

Insights 2020, led by research firm Kantar Millward Brown, found that when companies or brands linked to a purpose, 80% of them outperformed the market. Only 32% of non-purpose led brands managed to perform better than the market.

A local brand, Avolands, have mastered this. They have managed to build a business selling a highly perishable fruit because they live their purpose: Delivering export quality, ripe and ready avocados, 52 weeks a year.

CEO’s leading by example

Should I just say Uber. Excellent case of not leading by example.
Trust is not something that can be obtained instantly. Trust must be built gradually through consistent performance over time. Brands that are honest and transparent, brands that stand up and protect their customers and brands that respond quickly to admit and repair their mistakes earn the trust of their customers. They are consistent, reliable and deliver on their promises. Over time, these brands can become beacons of inspiration, authenticity and trust.

Build trust. And in the end trust will become care. I would love to know how you keep your brand alive. Email me at [email protected].

The Witness Entrepreneurs' Organization Ross Drakes Avolands

17/11/2018

It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) in South Africa and entrepreneurship is trending. One man who has never been afraid to share the realities of being an entrepreneur is Allon Raiz, founder and CEO of Raizcorp, a business incubator. Raiz hosts The Big Small Business show, a Business Day TV sh...

13/11/2018

Social media DIY:

There was a time when social media was considered by some as a passing fad. Over time, the sceptics were proved wrong. A growing number of businesses are utilising social media as part of their marketing efforts, very cost effectively. Whether it is to increase exposure and traffic, generate leads, improve online search ranking or develop loyal fans, the jury has spoken: Social media for business is no longer optional. It really can be a positive experience, as long as we follow a few do’s and don'ts. I would like to share some of the successes and bruises I have encountered along my journey.

Do not start unless you have the time to maintain it. Having a page or Twitter account isn't enough. You have to maintain your accounts to make them work for you.

Setting up your business page properly is critical for organic growth. Make sure your profiles are branded and explain what services or products you provide. Include a link to your website or how people can get in touch with you.

Social media isn't one-size-fits-all. Understand which platform(s) are best for your business. If you want to improve your SEO, then YouTube might be your best choice. If you want to drive traffic to your site or improve your customer engagement, then Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest might be a better fit.

You have to have a plan! Many companies go about their social media activities without any planning or social strategy in place. If you expect to see results, having a clear strategy will help you set goals, measure return on investment and keep your social channels timely and fresh.

Know your customers. Your social media pages should be tailored to your consumer base, not based on your own personal interests. Post stories that they can relate to. Follow the 80/20 rule. That is, 80 percent of your content should be relevant to your target audience, while 20 percent should be specifically about your business, products or services.

Be active on social media, but don't post so often that you overwhelm or annoy people. This could lead to two problems: 1) Too much information can cause your followers to stop following your posts, and 2) Your posts can get lost within their newsfeeds and they won't see the content that could be really valuable to them.

Engage with your audience. This is going to be crucial for survival with the new algorithm. To engage users, you must have something to say or share. Present yourself as an expert in your field. Make sure your posts are interesting and keep your messages consistent with your brand’s identity. Like people, brands are living entities that have personalities and relationships.

Before your company heads to social media, it’s crucial to develop and understand your brand identity and the voice you will use on social platforms. Nobody knows your product, service or company better than you, so give it some thought and plan how to best communicate it.

Be a storyteller. Jonah Berger, the author of Contagious, says, “People don’t share information; they tell stories”. Embed your products and services in stories that people want to tell. Make your message so integral to the narrative that people can’t tell the story without you.

Make your content stand out. Variety is key when it comes to types of content being shared. Include a mix of images, blog posts, infographics, tips, authoritative content and video. Time is short so having content that is easy on the eye and quick to digest is key. I have a lot of respect for Terry Marshall, author of The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Advertising. Two principles Terry advocates for is that not every business can benefit from Facebook Advertising and “Selling on the front porch”. This echo’s our philosophy at Marketing Results: Offer relevant conversation and value-added information.

Maintain one voice. Social media is great for sharing, but make sure you have an integrated marketing strategy across all channels: website, newsletter, social media, etc.

Be original and have a personality. Take a chance and be creative with your posts. Show your personality. Help people see what makes you different from the competition. When your main goal is to bring in customers, you have to stand out and make people remember you!

Don't be spammy. Nobody likes spam, whether it is via email or social media. Social media should be used to inform and show your expertise, not just to hard sell.

Be careful of the things you share. Far too often, businesses push agendas that have nothing to do with their main role of selling products or providing services. Regardless of the business you’re in, avoid hot-button issues. Involving your company in controversial subject matter will only risk damaging your brand personality and the reputation you’ve worked hard to build.

Don't ignore comments and don’t delete negative comments. It is vital to engage with your customers. With no engagement, they may feel as if you don't care about their question, comment or concern. It all comes back to customer service. Use it as an opportunity to interact with your followers. Addressing negative comments shows that your company is proactive in resolving issues and that you aim to serve your customers.

Ask for reviews or to be recommended: If you receive an email from a customer thanking you ask them if they would mind doing a review or recommend you on your social media platforms.

Time does matter. Experiment by posting at different times and pay attention to the analytics. Find out when your followers are most active on social media and post during those time frames.

Hashtags help to get your posts seen. Branded, unique hashtags can help users to find your content faster and more easily, as well as establishing your brand. Use hashtags but don’t overdo it. No-one likes a post with a thousand hashtags in it. Industry best practice says 2-3 key phrases and try to use them naturally within sentences instead of lumping them at the end.

Social media is all about community so reshare and engage with the content of others that is relevant to your audience. It’s a great way to build connections and show support to the business community you’re a part of.

I want to encourage you to implement just one tip this month. Let me know how you get on at [email protected].