The Gatekeepers

Maurie the doorman stands with his arms crossed outside the football teams locker room and lets the TV Crew enter.  It wasn't like that in the old days he thinks to himself.

Gatekeeper (plural gatekeepers)

1. A person who guards or monitors passage through a gate
2. A person or group who controls access to something or somebody
3. A common butterfly, Pyronia tithonus.

From the earliest days of society we built walls around our towns and cities to stop attacks and keep our people and businesses safe.

In most sports, arts and business we have also have gatekeepers - those burly guards at the door of football team locker rooms, nightclub or building; the Artist Manager; the CEO's Secretary or Personal Assistant filtering calls, interruptions and potential time wasters.  All diligently protecting the jewel from the masses.   

As people we also build our own walls and our own personal gatekeepers.  

Emails, Advertising and Marketing Communications

Today we're all bombarded with thousands of messages per day trying to get us to do something or sell us something we mostly think we don't need.

All those messages a bit like rock star fans screaming for attention and action.

Our mind, as the gatekeeper, constantly filtering our sensory inputs for what is important. 

Not everything has the same level of importance and there is ofter a difference in perspective to what is important between the sender and the gatekeeper.

Maurie has a job to do and he'll do it to the best of his ability. 

More than often, the gatekeeper is unaware of the any bigger picture issues and problems but if the gate is closed then no solution can gets in.

Understanding Problems and Discovering Solutions

Every person and business has challenges - more time, more money, more happiness.

Back in the old days solutions weren't as easy to find as a Google Search but a "solution" is much more than a product or service.

What makes us select this product or service over someone else?  What are the most important elements to sales and marketing success?

• A real solution to a customers problem
• Getting past the Gatekeeper
• Trust in you to deliver the solution
• The price the customer is prepared to pay

The greatest influences on our decisions - trusted Word of Mouth (WOM) referral - and that's were Digital Media Strategy (DMS) and online social media marketing comes in.

Marketing and making waves - beware the dumpers

Surfers watch weather maps for low pressure systems that will generate big waves in the days ahead.

Experience tells you which breaks will get the best waves - the best spots are usually busy.

Out in the surf pack on big days there is a strong hierarchy, a pecking order, a combination of experience, talent and bravado. 

In any group there are usually those who make their presence known quietly and others who bully and yell like greedy anxious seagull waiting for the next chip.

No matter what type of surfer you are - with every big wave you catch you have to wary of the dumpers that close out, the ones that suddenly explode out of control, sucking and grabbing you into the white water turbulence and smashing you across the reef.

There's always a risk in whatever we do - in surfing, the nirvanic reward, a perfect tube - the self realisation, the hoots from your peers, the applause from the crowd.

It's how you handle the situation that counts.

From the observers point of view standing safely on the cliffs above, the "spectacle" of both victories and defeats at the hands of the elements - that's sport, that's entertainment, that's business and relationships.

AND there is a significant difference between those doing the surfing and those observing from the shoreline.

Up on the hills and out in the water there's little sympathy for the weasel bloke smashed across the reef, picking up the pieces of his expensive broken board, crawling up the rocks and out of the water.  The chorused boos and indifference of the crowd.

"At least I was in the water" he says defiant and raising his finger, oblivious to the quick buck mentality road of destruction.

It's not the destination but "the journey", the "how we got here" that echos idol collective.

A new day, more waves to conquer, another surfer paddles out.

Trouble reading this - view online http://www.maxys.com.au/20090804189/News/Latest/maxys-report-august-5th-2009.html

Maxys Report - August 2009

From Bricks to Clicks and back again

I'm sitting in a non descript coffee shop in Melbourne putting together some thoughts on Internet Retailing, a smiling waitress brings my coffee and BLT across to "table 23".

As we know the only reason a business exists is to service a customer - the rest, accounting, production, operations etc is just how you achieve that position.

"God this is good!", the sandwich I've just bitten into is fresh - it melts in my mouth.  I sip my coffee "ohhhh fantastic".  That's what I love about Melbourne, 9/10 times you get a great coffee - whether it's the weather being cooler than Sydney or just greater competition raising the standard?  Who knows?

From a retail marketing perspective - Yes online social media has fundamentally changed corporate communications and the advertising landscape BUT the fundamentals of customer service are still the same.

Most business simply treat the web like a brochure - smart internet retailers treat it like a store.

Why do less than 40% of small businesses have a website?  Why are most websites boring?

Most websites don't engage with their visitor, they're boring and driven by technologists not business owners.

"Hi Max, would you like another coffee?"  

Hmmm, the only way they knew my name was when I ordered 40 minutes ago - nice personal touch.   I speak with the owner, there are over 150 coffee shops within a 500m radius - every small details counts - word of mouth is critical. Customers now travel several blocks.

With so many web developers and new media gurus out there it makes you naturally ask the question how many have ever run a real bricks n mortar business dealing face to face with a demanding public?

Key point to understand is that social media technologies are just a series of new tools, like a carpenter has a nail gun and electric saw.  To get results you still need to know the theory to know how to knock a frame together and integrate into the rest of the building.

The new web is social - the challenge is to engage, not force your message down everyone's throat.

The only thing really new here is the speed and ease in which people easily share good and bad experiences.

As a business you either choose to ignore or embrace your communities.

There is an investment to make in online customer engagement and most businesses don't get it.  Business need to realise that today many new customer first impressions and interactions are through their website and with average conversions of 1% (and best practice of 15%) there certainly is room for improvement.

Drive from a customer perspective - a builder has to follow an architects plans - an engineer makes sure it's structure is sound. 

The architect designs based on the clients (your) needs and desires - not what is going to win them an award!

Many businesses will not get results of their online programs because of poorly thought through strategy and selection. 

How does your website connect with the rest of your marketing and corporate communications?

More: HOW TO: 7 Ways to Survive in Internet Retailing

The challenge for retailers is to make their websites as engaging as their stores (should be).