A friend sent me a Tweet with a video that — if you are a marketer, business owner or sales pro — you absolutely MUST watch. Yes it’s funny. Because, as with all good humor; it’s based on the truth. But you’ll also cringe as you watch it because if you’ve been in business for even a few months; I guarantee you’ve met bad customers something like this.

Watch the video now, and then I’ve got one of the most critical questions you need to ask yourself if you want your business to be a source of pleasure instead of constant pain.

Ok, so pretty funny huh?! And it probably had you squirming in your seat too, right? If you’re like me, you were probably wanted to yell, “Bad customer! Bad, bad customer!”

But think about this; who created this type of customer? Like poorly trained dogs that the infamous “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan deals with; the problem is not with the dogs, but with the owners.

Customers, consumers, clients…. whatever label you want to apply — they are being trained by their “owners.” And in this fantastical metaphor, their “owners” are, well — YOU!

Maybe not you personally. I know you probably hate this type of prospect or customer. But the fact is they didn’t develop this “give it to me for free” attitude all on their own. They were TRAINED to behave like this.

A turning point

I remember in 1992 the first time I really grasped this “you train the customer on how you want to be treated” concept. At least grasped it enough to step out on a limb and put it into action. I was tired of dealing with the headaches and petty demands of clients in our Grounds Management division and had to make a change.

The only choice obvious to me was to drop the division from the company. Luckily my mentor at the time had a better solution. He told me I was responsible for the way our team in the office and in the field was being treated. I had “trained” these customers to act the way they were. I fought the idea at first, but my back was up against the wall, so I bought in.

Putting the solution into action was painful and scary at first. It involved re-training existing clients, “firing” the bad customers who would not comply, and going out to attract new clients who could be trained act the way we wanted. Add to that, we had to do all that in the middle of the recession of the early 90’s and you can imagine how “fun” that was.

But taking the responsibility and the actions my mentor guided me in transformed my business from a place where our team feared the customer, to a veritable pleasure palace in contrast. What we did in that brief span of 6-months laid the groundwork for us to turn nearly every convention of the industry literally on it’s head. So much so that within five years our profit margins were double the industry norm and our revenues matching companies with three-times the staff.

If I had not been willing to follow my mentor’s advice and had failed to accept the fact that I had created my own hell, I’d surely still be stuck back in New Jersey in that same six-figure business… miserable.

Will you be part of the problem… or part of the solution?

In large part today’s customer has been trained to expect something for nothing. And when something is given for nothing; it’s usually valued as such.

Marketers, in an attempt to extract as much money from consumers as possible by giving the customer “what he wants”, have so dumbed down the buying public that you really shouldn’t expect anything different than what you saw in the video above.

Maybe I’m wrong on this, but the most important question I think you can ask right now (and YES, even in the midst of the worst recession of our lifetimes,) is…

“Have I contributed to creating poorly trained consumers like this?”

If the answer is yes, what are you going to do about it? Will you admit it, (as painful as it might be,) and craft a plan to reverse it? Or ignore it, and let your customers rule the roost making your life a living hell?

I know my answer. I’m revisiting and resurrecting what worked for me back in 1992.

For the profit-minded and proactive there’s the “Marketing For Life” sales-success program to help reverse the ass-backward marketing that so many business owners and marketers are engaging in.

How about you?

Leave your thoughts in some graffiti down in the comment area below.

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Saturday night Deb and I stopped at Ala Moana mall before heading out to dinner in Honolulu. As Deb was doing her “shoppinnnng” thing I was on the hunt scouting for examples of Tribal Marketing. I found it at our second stop — the Jimmy Choo store.

With my shoe fetish in control I “dragged” Deb into the store. (Yeah, kicking and screaming. lol) And within two-minutes I was struck by a Tribal Seduction marketing principle I failed to pick up on in previous visits. The profit-producing power of story.

Why is that Jimmy Choo shoes command $400 to $4,000 and more?

Sure Jimmy Choo shoes are hand made (first in London by Choo himself, then after 96′ in Italy.) And yes Jimmy Choo Ltd. has a team of four designers who’s only job is to create to-die-for shoes and handbags.

But what’s the real profit power behind the Jimmy Choo brand? It’s something that as a Jimmy Choo lover you might not have realized, because it’s something that is never said. It just is. (A key in effectively using Tribal Seduction marketing.)

Ultimately the Jimmy Choo brand is not only the story of the man behind the name, but also the fortuitous linking of his story with the greatest real-life fairy tale of the 20th Century.

Jimmy Choo was born in Malaysia in 1961 to a family of shoe makers and made his first shoe when he was 11 years old. OK, authenticity. Good start for a story.

After attending college in London he opened his own workshop in 1986 and gained international fame when his creations were featured in a record eight pages in a 1988 issue of Vogue magazine. Public recognition of passionate pursuit of excellence. Another good element of the story.

But the real boost in the Jimmy Choo story comes with the loyal patronage (and vocal sharing of passionate love for hand made Jimmy Choo shoes) by Princess Diana. The real-life fairy tale Princess became the catalyst for dozens of other celebrities to become Jimmy Choo Loyals as well; spreading the story, passion and love of shoes even further.

Jimmy Choo = beauty, elegance and sexiness… protected by price

Today the Jimmy Choo philosophy, as stated on jimmychoo.com is:

… to create exclusive shoes and accessories that are both luxurious and practical for all occasions, while at the same time creating a look that’s instantaneously recognized as “Jimmy Choo”. The understated distinctiveness of the brand, and its integrity, is controlled with the limited distribution of the products to a few select retailers.

Jimmy Choo shoes are void of obvious labels and logos. Yes, you are marketing and reinforcing the brand when wearing the shoes. But with a Tribal Marketing approach it’s subliminal and seductive, not in your face. It takes a true shoe lover to know and recognize Jimmy Choo’s. You know you’ve met another member of your Tribe when someone recognizes your Jimmy Choo shoes.

The story behind the brand is protected and kept intact by the unique use of materials and exclusivity of both pricing and distribution.

Sure customer service and the experience of buying Jimmy Choo shoes is part of the aura. But the true profit-producing power of the brand remains the authentic story of the founder imperceptibly linked with the fairy tale stories of the rich-and-famous Jimmy Choo Loyals. It happens when you first slip your foot into the shoe… or watch your lady slip her’s into a pair.

What about you?

• What’s your story? Have you given thought to how it relates to your business?
• Do you agree that the Jimmy Choo story teamed with the fairy tale is a big part of profit-producing power of the Jimmy Choo brand?
• Are you passionate about Jimmy Choo or any other brand because of the story behind it?

Share your thoughts in some graffiti below.

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You don’t need to have a techie or online business to benefit from the power of New Media marketing. A bigger prospect list, more sales, and higher profits are possible for just about any business — even the oldest profession in the world. The difference between winners and losers when using New Media marketing strategies is not in intelligence, technology, or industry — it’s in the strategy, mindset, and skills of influence employed.

The world’s oldest profession shows you how to (and how NOT to) market with New Media

As some of you know, the way we got to live our ideal lifestyle in Hawaii is by my starting, growing, and selling two 7-figure companies in the horticulture industry. Both were generating healthy cash flow, but my passion was always with the design/build work we did for affluent clients and owners of private estates.

Because of that, I still keep my finger on the pulse of the Landscape Design/Build industry. That includes monitoring how companies are using New Media to market their off-line business. This case study is based on one of those companies and will show you how virtually any company in any industry — online or off-line — can use New Media to market and sell more.

If you were to pick the most unlikely industry to use New Media, why not chose the oldest profession in the world. And if you’re thinking prostitution, that’s not it. Besides, I’m sure you’d agree that industry pretty much figured out how to use the Internet.

The world’s oldest profession is actually gardening. After all, that’s what God had Adam doing to keep busy before Eve ever stepped foot in the Garden of Eden, right? Well, in this case study you have some very powerful lessons laid out based on what some people in this profession have done right and wrong online with New Media.

One company used New Media Marketing to influence, persuade, and connect with new prospects and their existing client base in a memorable way. The second company got it all wrong.

The business that got it right

The landscape design/build firm Rosenlof/Lucas in Minnesota had a project that was featured in an HGTV program. But instead of relying on a single episode of a cable show to generate buzz, they created a simple four-minute video that has allowed them to maximize leverage with a single project to attract new prospects and clients using online video.

First – watch the video and the read on to learn from what they did right using the New Media marketing channel of online video. Then – we’ll take a look at what they left out and what they could have done better.

OK, so it may be pretty obvious what they did right at the end of the video, but let’s start at the beginning and go through the online persuasion strategies they incorporated with this New Media foray.

Online Persuasion done right

1: Use a personal/informal tone. The video starts with an informal and completely “personal” intro to the company. You feel as if you’re riding along with Matt Olsen.

2: Grab your target audiences attention up front & disqualify tire-kickers. The initial intro to Rosenlof/Lucas is brief and immediately defines what differentiates their design/build firm from the competition.

Don’t be afraid of losing people. If you don’t turn off (and turn away) some people, you’re not going to really turn-on anybody either. For example; not everyone likes contemporary design. But Rosenlof/Lucas specializes in that styles, so they’d be foolish to not make that clear. Who cares if people who don’t like contemporary design tune out. That’s not their target audience.

With my Design/Build company our style was based on French Provincial estates of Europe. We specialized in that style for several reasons, but one was to immediately turn most people away.

The French Provincial design style is inherently elite and costly, which helped to prospects to disqualify themselves before any of our time was required. Simultaneously, because of a strong stand on exclusivity, we were building rapport with the truly affluent before they even picked up the phone to schedule a consultation. Influence and persuasion not spoken is the most powerful.

3: Tell a story. Matt starts the story feel right in the beginning of the video and that continues throughout the four minute clip. He and the owners of the subject property (owners of Hive Modular Homes) share their personal thoughts, inspirations, and most importantly — their passion for what they do.

4: Unique camera shots. The video uses a simple yet edgy New Media shooting and editing style. Angles are unique, transitions are rapid and different, and there is a good blend of music and voice overlays. All work to keep the viewers attention from wandering throughout the four minute video.

5: Engage and capture the attention of your target audience. Throughout the entire video the things that make Rosenlof/Lucas unique are highlighted. And the passion of Matt stacks on top of the more practical visual displays of their expertise.

6: End with a congruent call-to-action. Notice that Rosenlof/Lucas didn’t go the mass media route and end their video with an infommercial-style boardwalk pitch. Rosenlof/Lucas didn’t offer a free consultation or anything so drab and boring. They invited people to take a much more natural step in taking the relationship to the next level. Viewers were invited to a “Showcase Party.” Obviously the invitation to enjoy the landscaping, the home, food, drinks, and music is lot more inviting than getting a “free consultation.”

Stepping It Up

Let’s take a look at three simple things Rosenlof/Lucas could have added to their video foray into New Media Marketing. Three things that would have had an even greater impact on their bottom line.

#1. Encourage immediate action: Along with the invitation shown at the end of the video there could have been a URL added to a simple landing page where an “Invite Acceptance” was completed by the viewer. They could have motivated the viewer to get to the page and complete the registration by offering a special gift that they’d get when they show up to the live event.

This one added step would do three things very powerful things from a marketing standpoint –

A. The pre-qualified viewers contact info would be captured for later follow-up whether he or she actually shows up at the party or not.

B. By completing the “Invite Acceptance” the viewer will have taken a small action that psychologically motivates them to follow through and actually show up on October 5th. Plus they get a special gift by pre-registering and showing up.

C. With full contact info collected, all confirmed attendees could be mailed a post card confirmation and sent an email reminder the day before the party.

#2. Reward immediate action: To really create anticipation and excitement Rosenlof/Lucas could have added a contest to the “Invite Acceptance” process. Something as simple as offering all “Confirmed Guests” the chance to win one $5,000 design/build certificate would go a long way in getting people jazzed about the event. And a further note that the winner would be announced at 8pm the day of the party, and that the invitee had to either be there to win the prize.

#3. Leverage the Hub Site: This is the simplest addition to this entire optimized process – linkage to Rosenlof/Lucas’s business Hub Site*. (A Hub Site is a single destination where attraction, connection and conversion can all take place.) Sadly they don’t even have a blog, never mind a New Media based Hub Site.

Look, this is one of the easiest ways to continue the rapport-building momentum. If you were to employ the two online persuasion strategies highlighted above, then after the registration form for the “Invite Acceptance” was completed, you’d set the system to take the new registrant to a special post on the company business blog where they are encouraged to share their opinions on the video or what they’d like to see more of.

If Rosenlof/Lucas had done this, they would have boosted interaction and participation and built more rapport and trust before the prospect even met Matt or his partner.

Also, I can’t comment on how much (if any) effort Rosenlof/Lucas put into using this video with their existing client list, how they used other New Media channels, or if they took advantage of any off-line PR, publicity, or promotional opportunities. I know that with a solid click-and-mortar marketing approach this New Media Marketing blitz would be the type of HUGE list building event that would have kept their business swamped with new work for months.

How NOT to use online video

Now, to save the second company in this case study the pain of humiliation and shame with deep analysis let’s just take a look at their video and make a quick summary. Watch this one minute video and be prepared for a BIG difference.

Obviously this isn’t much different than some boring old-school commercial you’d see on your local cable station. And actually, that’s probably where this video came from. It looks like a recycled cable commercial for this landscape company.

What’s worst is that they are CLEARLY using stock photos in the video that are not photos of their actual work. And even with that shortcut, the photos they chose STILL have no congruent message. These two mistakes alone are complete trust-killers and rapport breakers.

From a New Media Marketing standpoint — why would anyone pass this video along and share it with family or friends? There’s no online persuasion here. Heck, there’s not even any clear call to action at the end of the video other than “Stop by today…” so even by direct response marketing standards, it’s useless.

Apply what you learned in this case study

If a landscape company can use New Media to market their business so can you!

You see here how there’s no excuse for missing out on the impact and effectiveness of marketing with any New Media channel; whether it’s online video, blogs, podcasts, social networks, or social filters. If the oldest profession, and lowest tech industries, in the world can effectively market with New Media to get new business and new profits — so can you.

What’s your take?

• What were the new ideas for YOUR business that you got from this New Media marketing case study?
• Did you see some other things that Rosenlof/Lucas could have done better with their online video? Differently?
• Have you done something similar practicing online persuasion through video? Share your story with some graffiti in the comment area down below.

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Madison Avenue advertising firms do it. Mainstream marketers do it. Political campaigns do it. They all piggy-back on the emotional anchoring created by famous singers, actors, and sports figures. It’s a marketing strategy with a proven track-record. People bond emotionally with people, with personal brands, and with your Primal Key™.

But what about online you when you’re marketing with New Media? How can you harness the momentum created by emotional anchoring and piggy-back off of words, quotes, images, or sounds that people are already familiar with?

It starts by understanding the simple truth of why emotional anchoring works in marketing. That is…

People buy what they like, and they like what they know

Familiarity breeds comfort. When you’re familiar with something or someone, you know what to expect. That makes things comfortable. More importantly (for marketing and sales purposes) familiarity and it’s offspring comfort both act to turn off the natural defense mechanism (skepticism) we all employ to protect ourselves.

Leveraging emotional anchors works so well in marketing because it accelerates familiarity and comfort. Its’ impact is instant, subconscious, and undeniable when it comes to boosting conversions.

Now, you may not be able to afford to pay Beyonce or Tiger Woods to appear in commercials for you. But you CAN leverage existing visual and auditory anchors, and using New Media Marketing — tie them to you, your product or your service. And you can do it in much easier, and much more cost effective way!

Here’s an example to get those Tribal Seduction mindset wheels spinning in your head.

A few good marketing ideas…

If I say "You can’t handle the truth!"… what movie do you immediatley think of?

"A Few Good Men." Right! It’s one of the most often quoted movie lines.

On the outside chance you haven’t actually seen the movie, you probably know what movie it came from and the context in which it was said. It’s familiar and it’s comfortable because it’s known.

The line was used in the climax of the movie. In what also was the most emotionally charged scene of the movie.

So where does New Media come in on this?And how does this help you with your marketing?

Well, lets take a look at a couple examples of how this famous movie quote was used in online videos. A few notes on what was done right. What could be done better. And what creative ideas you can come up with after looking at this mini-case study.

First the original clip

Let’s put things in context with the actual unedited clip from the movie.

OK, pretty powerful scene right? One of the most memorable in recent movie history.

So what can be done with this in New Media?

Follow along with me for a few minutes and find out.

Now, two examples: the good, the bad, and the "could be better"…

First; here’s funny adaptation that you’ll get a kick out of… especially if you’ve ever been attacked for being a good creative marketer.

Video Example #1:

The Good:

• Excellent voice over impersonating Jack Nicholson for Anchor Bridging
• Professional editing
• Emotional bonding with target audience through humor that anyone in marketing or advertising will "get".
• Using the "language" of the Tribe (in this case marketing and advertising pros)

The Bad:

• Questionable use of copyrighted material
• No Tribal Call-to-action

The "could be better"

The lack of a Tribal Call-to-action could easily be overcome by adding a "Holy Grail Trail" for the target audience to follow.

For example: Get viewers involved by running a contest that is promoted with a non-intrusive footer and/or closing credits screen. The contest could be as simple as an invitation i.e.: "Got a inter-departmental power struggle story? Share your story at www.CreativeMarketersUnite.com/contest/ and get a shot at winning a new Apple iPhone!"

Even a simple "More creative humor brought to you by…" as closing credits would have been better than the lack of any Call-to-action as this video had.

FACT: unless the lack of an obvious call-to-action is strategic (a good thing, especially with a Holy Grail Trail) — the number of views on a video doesn’t mean diddly to you as a New Media Marketer. It’s your Tribe taking action that puts dollars in the bank.

Video Example #2:

Next; another funny variation… this one completely original

The Good:

• No issues with copyrights
• Anchor Bridging and humor with the obvious baldness of the CEO of Tyco
• Emotional bonding with target audience… in this case Traders and Investors, best described by their tag line "Stock culture meets pop culture."
• Using "experiences" the Tribe can relate to. A totally different take on why a stock is trading at all time highs or lows.
• Channel congruity when viewers visit the WallStrip.com site. (Video leads to video.)
• Seducing the audience into discovering what Wallstrip’s main site has for them. By strategically creating a "hidden" trail for your audience to discover on their own, you can trigger a stronger commitment since the visitor feels that they are taking action on their own.

The Bad:

• No clear Tribal Call-to-action. A simple tagline in addition to the WallStrip branding would clraify that this is for investors, brokers and traders. People are pressed for time. Unless you create a direct bridge from the video content to a relative benefit waiting for viewers from your ideal audience, they’re not likely to go on the Holy Grail mission I just mentioned above.
• On some WallStrip videos on YouTube they had non-congruent, interruption-style advertisement overlaid on the video player. This is a distraction from the WallStrip brand, and more importantly — a weakening of the emotional anchors they are trying to leverage.

The "could be better"

• This is better than the first video, even though it still has no clear Tribal Call-to-action. WallStrip is looking to attract their Tribe of investment-types with their humorous parodies of corporate life. And based on their dozens of other custom content videos, it seems their lack of a clear call-to-action is strategic. Again; something as simple as a tagline added to the WallStrip logo would have a stronger pull on their Tribe.
• I came across some other Wallstrip videos that had a lack of congruity between the "tone" of the videos and the advertisements slapped on to the end. Their videos are fun, loose, and humorous and then they have some corporate looking person closing it out with an advertisement. That causes a break in rapport.

Your ideas…

• So what do you think? Which style video did you like better? Why?

• Did this mini case study give you a couple ideas to use in your New Media Marketing?

• What established emotional anchors could you piggy-back off to grow your Tribe?

Share your thoughts and ideas in a comment below. We’d love to hear what you’re thinking.

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Plurk, Jaiku, identi.ca. All New Media marketing channels. Services that are trying to topple the king of the micro-blogging hill — Twitter. But they’re all falling short. And understanding why they’re failing will help you attract, grow and protect your business — no matter whether you’re selling widgets in Peoria or downloads worldwide.

See — it’s not just the Twitter API or its coding that is insulating Twitter.

Nope! Far from it.

And it’s not all the cool apps that have been built around Twitter (like Summize, Twemes, Twhirl, etc.) They help solidify Twitter’s position. But they’re all actually a RESULT of Twitter’s leadership, not the cause of it.

The reason Twitter still stands as the top choice for the #1 choice of micro-blogging for New Media marketing goes much deeper than coding, apps or APIs.

It’s all about seduction…

Three Tribal Seduction™ principles keeping Twitter at #1

Let’s take a look at the real reasons for Twitter’s current ability to fend off all comers, and see how you can apply these lessons in your own business.

1) Fantasy (or “story”)

Twitter, Tweets, the Twitter Fail Whale and the entire cast of cartoon-like characters in Twitterland — they all make using Twitter fun. It’s engaging and entertaining.

It’s a fantasy land where you can make up your own stories.

2) Insider language

If you use Twitter you’ve probably grown accustomed to using terminology like Twemes, TwitCast, TwitAholic, follow, @, DM’s, and more.

It’s an environment we can escape into using a language that “outsiders” just don’t understand. That’s key in Tribal Seduction for the same reason it’s key to the power of cults. It makes members of the Tribe “insiders.” You’re in-the-know and everyone else is on the outside.

But most importantly…

3) The Tribal Factor™

The Tribal Factor™ is something that’s bigger than you, your product or your service.

• It can be a movement (like the “green” movement.)
• It can be an ideological-based loyalty (like Apple / Mac users.)
• It can be a life-enhancing value that’s accessed and reinforced by subconscious social beliefs. (Like Twitter, where connection and attention are attained AND retained by popularity. Much like your high-school days.)

Of course it can be all three blended together, which is even more powerful. Event then the Tribal Factor™ is much deeper than these individual approaches, but they at least give you a good idea.

The bottom line is —

Seduction trumps function every time!

Benefits. Functionality. Value.

BLAH! Fagedaboudit!
Go flush that crap down the toilet!

Listen, true value only comes when you take a core function (open source or proprietary), add a human interface that leverages embedded psychological triggers and wrap it all in a blanket of Tribal interaction.

At a quick example to really bring it home

A service like identi.ca is the result of the typical left-brain dominated techie-geek mindset of the open source community. Plurk tries to be different, but its interface looks like the result of a night coding by some drugged-up hippie programmer. Jaiku, well we won’t even go there.

The bottom line is in all the cases of Twitter wanna-be competitors, they’re missing critical Tribal Marketing principles. The story, the language, the Tribal Factor, the embedded social triggers — they’re all missing!

Why loyalty is king of the hill

All three of these Tribal Seduction™ principles have more impact on loyalty than you can imagine. Twitter has attracted, seduced, and gained the loyalty of a Tribe.

And that’s pretty powerful when you consider the fact that users of Twitter experience regular downtime and frustrating “Fail Whales.”

The Twitter Twibe may have many bands and clans within it. And many will test competitive services as they come along. But they’ll only leave Twitter when the rides at another amusement park are more fun and exciting.

The question you have to answer for yourself is —

how will you seduce your Tribe and turn your marketing, brand and business into an amusement park your Loyals will rave about for life?

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Last night I was at Ala Moana Shopping mall in Honolulu. Coach Deb was trying on what seemed like an endless rack of clothes. And the two girls helping her didn’t seem to have an end to their “suggestions.”

So of course I did what any guy does in this situation. I went on the prowl for some examples of Tribal Seduction marketing. And what I found was shocking!

Now what I’m about to show you is not the most subtle marketing you’ve ever seen, but women — tell me if this does not speak to you?

Honestly ladies – you’ve gotta admit this speaks to just about any woman regardless of age, shape or size. Doesn’t it?

I mean Coach Deb plays tennis for two-hours 5x per week. And she can run circles around me aerobically. But she still went ga-ga over this new line of pants and jeans at Cache. And the two girls helping her (both of which had rail-like model bodies) were raving about them too.

The truth is this Tribal Seduction marketing at it’s best

It’s simple. To the point. And hits on every trigger ingrained in women’s subconscious since they were little girls playing dress-up.

This is a great example of the Tribal Seduction CHARM Formula in action.

But what makes this the ultimate Tribal Seduction (at least from our experience at Ala Moana Mall,) was the way the manager and her assistant made us feel. Like a Tiffany Charm in the little blue box, they wrapped it with a ribbon of passionate support.

They locked the store down at 9pm, their normal closing time. But then they turned all their attention to making sure I was comfortable, and that Deb had an endless rack of suggested clothes to try on.

We walked out of there at 10:20pm! Both of us were thrilled with the 90-minute experience. (Though I must admit, I thought we left with far too many bags. But Deb thought it was just the right number for some reason. )

What about you?

How would you have felt if that all happened to you?
Do you agree it was a great example of Tribal Seduction?
(Including the “raised rear” and “drop in one size”?)

Share it in some graffiti down below.

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