Yaffe Tidbits

Have You Thanked a Writer or Editor Lately? Now is the Time

The communications field is very broad in that it reaches industries such as PR, Marketing, Social Media, Journalism, Advertising, HR and more. Here at Yaffe we know the hard work that goes into those fields and we want to wish all of you a happy Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month!

In 1894, Lone Star Publishing, a Texas publishing company, deemed September Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month in order to create awareness and appreciation for the hard work that goes in to writing and editing. Being communicators ourselves, we know lots of writing and editing happens in our everyday lives, as well as our professional lives. So we'd like to celebrate both our work and the work of others. You can too!

Here are some ways to be kind to editors and writers this month:

1. Share their work: by retweeting their links on twitter, by creating Facebook updates that include their links and by leaving comments on blog and article posts.
2. If you are in a gift-giving mood, pitch in on buying a writer the newest edition of the AP stylebook. It’s under $20!
3. Offer writers ideas on what they can write about next. There’s a term called writer’s block and it’s never fun. Getting ideas from others is always helpful and it also helps a writer figure out what their audience is itching to read about.
4. If a writer asks you to proofread their work, even though you aren’t familiar with the subject matter, still proof it. Writers love feedback!
5. Were you touched by a written piece? Send a note to the writer about how you were moved by their words.

There are plenty of other ways to be kind this month like getting writers a fresh set of pencils and red pens for editing, or a box of chocolate, because who doesn’t love a good snack, right?

To everyone who has ever written a book, article, blog post, script or proposal, we salute you. Enjoy your month, editors and writers!

What other ways can you think of to say thanks to writers and editors? Or if you've received a special thanks as a writer/editor, share your story with us. We'd love to hear it.

Jessica Mosley, writer of this blog post. You're welcome. :)

The Story on Storytelling - 3 Bloggers Who Do It Right

 

Like most of you reading this, I spend time every day reading advertising, branding and social media blogs. It's how we keep up, how we learn what's working, and sometimes what's not working. We as an industry spend a lot of time on our blogs in conversation about what people are saying, but rarely about how they're saying it. 

And for as often as I read people making the connection between good storytelling and good branding, I'm surprised that they do so only with their content and rarely with their form. Yes, these are blog posts and meant to be a somewhat free-form reaction to things in our industry. And God knows I heavily utilize that structural freedom. But on the other hand, when bloggers apply the very tools they tout for their clients to their own writing, the effect is powerful. 

Three industry bloggers stand out to me as great examples of this. They tell good stories about how to tell good stories. They show personality while talking about why it's important to show personality. 

Guided by the principal that what comes out of a writer is often inspired by what goes in, I asked each stand-out blogger to tell us what sort of storytelling most inspires them.

 

Shannon Paul

"I absolutely love reading Roger Ebert's movie reviews, and his blog. There are several dog-eared copies of his books lying around our house. My husband really got me into reading his reviews, and even though I don't always agree with his assessment, I always appreciate his point of view. The man can definitely turn a phrase, he has a wicked sense of humor and he shares so much of his experience in his reviews, I can't help but feel like I know him. Lucky for me he now has a very prolific blog and active Twitter account."

I find it fitting that one of Shannon's favorite inspirations offers his thoughts on an industry, yet his writing feels like its own kind of story in which he incorporates bits of himself in his shrewd analysis, because those are the very same reasons I enjoy reading her writing. Shannon's unique ability to give thorough and useful accounts of topics like ROI while breathing life into them with her own brand of wit is apparent even in the title of her site, the one and only Very Official Blog. 

Shannon Paul is the Social Media Manager at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. You can find her writing at her site and, my personal favorite, engage with her deft and thought-provoking debates on Twitter. 

 

Chris Reed

"There’s part of me that’s jealous of musicians. They have the luxury of people hearing their lyrics the way they were meant to be heard. Writers, no matter what kind, face the challenge of interpretation...of slow readers...of fast readers...of monotoned readers. Writers can’t italicize or bold every other word. Musicians and songwriters can. There’s a lesson in that.

It’s usually the simple things that kick my ass with their brilliance. It’s usually the simple things that make me wish I’d thought of them. The Avett Brothers, a new addition to my iTunes library, did that to me by sticking the word 'and' between those three little words: 'I And Love And You.' Seriously. Simple brilliance." 

Though he listed several fiction titles that have influenced his love of storytelling (both his heavily dog-eared copy of Hornby's High Fidelity and Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird reflect his inclination toward straightforward prose), it was his thoughts on lyrics that I see most prominently reflected in his dynamic professional writing.

I generally agree with Chris on most things, but as a self-confessed tone-deaf reader, even I can hear the cadence in just this short excerpt. I regret to inform him that the regular beats separated by repeated ellipsis, melodic repetition of "It's usually the simple things" followed up by short, quick, heavily-punctuated bursts of words create the rhythm he envies in musicians. 

Chris Reed is a Brand Catalyst and Writer for Talent Revolution. You can read (and tap your foot to) his humble musings on branding and copy at his TR Blog, his personal site, and in smaller, poignant increments on Twitter.

Seth Simonds

 "Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck was the only book I brought with me when I got rid of all my belongings that wouldn't fit into a backpack and gym bag. His simple, matter-of-fact telling of a story that relies more on interesting characters than complicated prose stands as a constant permission for me to just write." 

I love that Seth, in a mere two sentences, tells us something about himself, offers an apt analysis of a favorite author's writing style, and a mission statement regarding his time in this space—to just write. In short [very short], his form stays true to his message. His deft strokes and straightforward approach are what keep me coming back to his writing, seeking plain talk about often tough issues, and keep me leaving feeling as though someone's respected me enough to be honest. 

Seth Simonds is a Social Strategist at Mullen and Founding Editor of RealZest.com. Find him on Twitter or occasionally, and eloquently, at Alphanox.com.

I absolutely love great synergy, where the keystrokes follow the advice they give. If you know of any others who fit this category, please share. I can't get enough.

Jen Wright, Social Strategist who is currently making her way through the works of Thomas Hardy, as she is fascinated by writers who manage to find the pulse of social conventions with their pens.

Is Your Company Delivering Happiness?

One of our clients has always been about making customers happy. Since we started working with them, they've told us incredible stories about how they've gone far above and beyond the industry norm to make sure their customers are happy. We're in the process of creating a campaign that aligns well with this corporate culture. I'll tell you more about that after it breaks, but I have to tell you about something I discovered while working on it.

While we were putting together this corporate culture based marketing campaign, Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com put out a book about their corporate culture called "Delivering Happiness, A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose." It dovetailed so nicely with what we were doing that we picked up multiple copies for the client and for ourselves to read.

I found the book fascinating. Even though I had heard plenty about Zappos and how they've rode their weird and wonderful corporate culture to big success, hearing the details from Hsieh and his people made for a great story. And I learned a lot that I can use both for our clients and for our own firm. It's an easy read; I read it over the weekend. It starts with how Hsieh's early life lead him to become the business person he is. Then it goes all the way through the struggles to keep Zappos going from a startup to a thriving business.

Any entrepreneur would find great insights that could be used in his or her own business, whether it's a huge corporate firm or a small startup. Hsieh gives solid examples of how looking at things different and making sure not only the customers are happy, but the employees, vendors and investors are all happy too leads to a much more successful business model than one driven by profit. You may even learn a bit about personal fulfillment, too.

But, it's not all touchy-feely, hippie commune mumbo-jumbo. (not that there's anything wrong with that)There is solid business reasoning behind everything they do and analytics to back it up in terms of ROI and other metrics. I highly recommend picking up a copy to read this weekend. It could change how your do business for  the better. At the very least, it'll make you think.

Mike McClure, Happy Book Lover and Business Person.

The Books of Brand Camp `09

If you're into branding, social media, creativity, achieving goals or just life in general, here's a great reading list from the speakers at the 2009 Brand Camp University conference in Detroit.

First of all, every attendee got a copy of The Branded YU Life by Brand Camp founder Hajj Flemings, It is subtitled, Rethinking who you are through personal brand management. Since Hajj comes from a graphic background, it's impact graphically is as good as the written word. Hajj also recommended a good book on creativity called Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod.

I was lucky enough to win an autographed copy of speaker Mitch Joel's new book 6 Pixels of Separation, where he talks about how we are all connected by just 6 pixels instead of 6 people in this digital age.

Our next speaker, Rohit Bhargava, has worked with a number of the world's biggest and best brands. He used those experiences to write, Personality Not Included: Why Companies Lose Their Authenticity and How Great Brands Get it Back. He also has a free eBook companion on personal branding.

Apparently, CoversationAgent.com's Valeria Maltoni didn't have a book to pitch, but she had a great reading list of her own to pass on. She suggested Mitch Joel's book (listed above), Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation and Earn Trust by Chris Brogan, Twitterville:How Businesses Can Thrive in the New Global Neighborhoods by Shel Isreal, Me 2.0: How to Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success by Dan Schawbel, The New Community Rules: Marketing On The Social Web by Tamar Weinberg and World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories by David Meerman Scott.

And finally, there's the new book by passionate and inspiring speaker Ken Brown, A Leap of Faith: Going from Welfare to Faring Well. He randomly handed out copies of his book to the crowd throughout his presentation.

There you go, a good list of reading materials to get you through the winter (Northern Hemisphere only, Southern Hemisphere, consider this your summer reading list) and get you prepared to improve you brand, your career, your life and probably your vocabulary. Enjoy

Mike McClure. The man. The brand. The Yaffe Group Social Media Brandividual

10 Things I learned at Brand Camp `09

I attended the Brand Camp University event this last Saturday and it was a fabulous day filled with wonderful and inspiring speakers. It was great a brain dump of information and inspiration. There was way too much stuff to detail in one blog, but here's some of the highlights of what I learned at Brand Camp 09:

1. It's time to Grustle.  Brand Camp organizer Hajj Flemings, kicked off the day talking about "grustle" - a combination of the daily Grind (what you have to do to make a living) and Hustle (the stuff you are passionate about and love to do) The key to personal happiness is finding your grustle; working at something you love to do.

2. Harley Davidson doesn't sell motorcycles.  Speaker Mitch Joel talked about the three conversations you need to have about your brand: internal, one-to-one and one-to-many. He said the internal conversation is about "finding the real you, what you're all about, what you like and don't like." His example of a brand knowing "what the real you is" was Harley Davidson, who says they don't sell motor vehicles, they sell the ability for 43-year-old accountants to dress up in leather and ride through a small town and have people be afraid of them.

3. The world's only Museum of the Weird is in Austin, TX.  While talking about his "10 Keys to Building a Powerful Personal Brand" speaker Rohit Bhargava's #3 item was "Find your Twist." The idea wasn't just about finding what makes your brand unique, it was also about finding your niche within your arena, whether that's within your field or your geographic region. Austin is proud of it's weird vibe, has tee-shirts proclaiming the city and it's denizens as being weird. Turning a trinket shop into a Museum of the Weird was someone finding their twist. Been meaning to get down to Austin for some time, now I have to go!

4. Participation is an ecosystem. One of the things Valeria Maltoni of CoversationAgent.com spoke about is the idea that there is a whole ecosystem to the act of participating in the conversations online. In the center is your content (for instance, you're blog). The first circle around that center is the people you know. The next circle out is the people who know the people you know. Different levels of participation allow you to move through the circles and expand them as you network.

5. PETA is everywhere.  Even in a focused and limited attendance conference PETA fanatics can raise their heads. Some protester shelled out the cash to attend just so she could attack presenter Ken Brown about McDonald's chicken killing processes. It was an interesting diversion and both the organizers and Mr. Brown handled the interruption well, quickly moving on.

6. People will pay to watch you burn... and that's a good thing.  Speaking of Ken Brown, he's a very high energy and dynamic speaker. He worked the crowd without any visual or audio aid. One thing he said was 'if you find your passion, people will pay to watch you burn." That goes for personal and corporate brands. If you are very passionate about what you do, it will come across and people will sit up and take notice.

7. You can get a room full of multi-tasking social media geeks to shut up & pay attention.  Paraplegic Olympic 100m sprint gold medal winner, April Holmes, had the room in silence (except for the occasional sniffle) with her moving and inspirational story. Not a single tweet went out on the #brandcamputwitter feed during the DVD detailing her journey.

8. We're living in an age of the Rise of the Brandividual.  Ford social media guru, Scott Monty spoke on how some personal brands are becoming as powerful as corporate brands. And some of those personal brands are inextricably tied into the corporate brand. Such is the case of Steve Jobs and Apple or Richard Branson and Virgin. He said 77% of people trust big companies less than they did last year (and last year wasn't exactly a banner year). they trust people they know and trusted 3rd party experts. So, a brandividual may carry more weight and garner more trust than the company brand alone.

9. Only 3 things distinguish social media.  Biggby Coffee's CEO, Biggby Bob Fish said social media appears to be just another method of message distribution except in these three ways: 1. It gives your brand personality. 2. It allows for interactions and dialog with the consumer. 3. It allows you to consolidate your media.

10. I'm going to want to go again next year.  It was definitely worth the time and money. I learned a lot. I saw some very dynamic and good speakers. I walked away inspired. I got a couple free books and a tee-shirt (which my wife already stole). Speaking of books, there were a lot of good titles recommended. I put together a list of them in a separate post you can find here.

Mike McClure, The Man, The Brand, The Yaffe Group Social Media Brandividual

Win Over Customers by Responding to Online Reviews

Guest blog by Marilyn Suttle, co-author of "Who's Your Gladys? How to Turn Even Your Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan"

Today's customers research their buying decisions on the internet, comparing prices and educating themselves about the products and services they use. They don't see things from the antiquated "you're the expert," and "I am the grateful client" point-of-view. Instead, they are more likely to say, "Here's how I want my service performed."

The internet has also brought online review websites like Yelp.com, who give computer-savvy customers a way to spread the word about their experiences at your business.

Preston Wynne Spa is one of ten companies featured in the bestselling book, "Who's Your Gladys, How to Turn Even Your Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan." Spa owner Peggy Wynne Borgman knows that with a quick internet search, anyone looking for a spa in a particular city can click onto a review site and see comments and a rating system. Reviewers use pseudonyms to protect their identities, so they feel free to reveal their strongest opinions.

Preston Wynne receives many glowing customer reviews, but they have had their share of unfavorable comments. The downside of the internet review sites is that some unhappy customers are quick to complain with an online review, while leaving the business owner in the dark. Some people even do it recreationally. Peggy believes that, in general, younger consumers know their power. They know that the companies want their business and they wield their power through online reviews, almost like consumer vigilantism.

Peggy appreciates all her reviewers, even the ones who complain. "If someone has taken the time to write a review, even if it isn't good, they are more emotionally engaged with your company than someone who just walks away and never comes back," she explained. "There is an emotional investment that the complainer has, so I always respond where I can."

Yelp.com gives business owners a way to respond to reviewers while allowing them to remain anonymous. Peggy sends an online thank you to all her positive reviewers, though she gets in touch with the complainers, too. Peggy has never asked a "Yelper" to change a review, no matter how nasty. "I simply contact them and say, 'I wish I'd known about this and now that I do, I would like to make it right for you. Come back in and have the experience you deserved to have in the first place.' The vast majority of the online complainers appreciate her gesture and give the spa another chance. In every instance where she connected with the Yelper and got them to return to the spa, the reviewer modified or amended their online review on their own accord, expressing appreciation for management's commitment to customer service.

Peggy sometimes asks her online critics if they would be willing to complete a detailed secret-shopper evaluation form. The people who review on Yelp tend to see themselves as opinion leaders so when they're asked to evaluate the spa, they are usually thrilled. They also love getting a complimentary spa treatment for doing the evaluation.

"It helps us develop a really good relationship," Peggy explained. "Another really good side effect is when you put an evaluation in someone's hands, they see everything that you've done right."

What do you think?

Do your customers write reviews about your business using sites like Yelp.com? How could you improve your customer relationships by responding skillfully to both the positive and negative reviews?

Marilyn Suttle is the coauthor of the bestselling book, "Who’s Your Gladys?" How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan" She is the president of Suttle Enterprises a personal and professional growth training firm through which she has trained thousands across the country. Visit

www.whosyourgladys.com for more information.

Be the Story You Want Told and Let Your Customers Tell It

Guest blog by Lori Jo Vest, co-author of "Who's Your Gladys? How to Turn Even Your Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan"

As a frequent (too frequent) user of social media (okay, I’ll admit it, I’m addicted to Facebook), I am fascinated with what people choose to tell the other people in their world. Some complain about their jobs, others are happy and cheerful ALL THE TIME, while still another group seem to constantly promote their strong political opinions.

I’m on Facebook (a lot) and while the majority of my friends and customers use it, I’m surprised by how many business people aren’t taking advantage of this ongoing, never-ending social conversation. "I’m too busy," they say. "I don’t have time for it." Many of these folks are in their fifties or sixties and they’re expressing their truth. They just don’t have time for any more "media" in their lives, social or not.

One of these people, though I don’t know him personally, is Ernie of Ernie’s Market in Oak Park, Michigan. And while he may not be a social media gadfly, his customers have dragged him into the new age of online conversations.

I’m in the throes of promoting a new book and we recently put a call out on our Facebook fan page for volunteers to appear in a YouTube video about customer service. One of our fans, Sherry Woodbeck, sent me an incredibly enthusiastic email, suggesting that we visit Ernie. "He has a great little market that makes and sells the most fantastic sandwiches in the state!" she gushed. "He is on YouTube and Facebook - NOT because he wanted to be - it was his many, many fans" that started a fan page for him.

I took a look on the YouTube video and at Ernie’s Facebook fan page and was immediately intrigued by how Ernie’s old-fashioned approach to customer service has inspired a loyal following that has created a space for him in the new world of social media.

The YouTube video was created by a customer, who took his camera into the store while Ernie was making his famous $5 sandwiches "with love" (a secret mix of spices) and calling everybody "Baby!" In the interview clips, Ernie talks about how "love" makes everything taste better and how his customers are his family. His passion for his work is obvious and makes you wish you were standing in line at Ernie’s with all of his other enthusiastic customers. Take a look at the video here.

Ernie’s Facebook fan page is pretty amazing, too. People are continually commenting on their love for Ernie and his sandwiches. They number over 1,100 as of this writing.

What is it that has inspired such ferocious enthusiasm? Ernie’s customer service is fantastic. He gives everyone his complete attention when they’re placing their order. He takes interest in them and remembers their names. He makes sure his product is fantastic and adds his own brand of "love" to every order.

He even has a special surprise for every new customer. If you tell him it’s your first time at Ernie’s, he asks you to close your eyes and he puts a chilled Hershey’s Kiss in your hand. "For some reason, those Hershey Kisses are the best you’ve ever had," mused Sherry. "My daughter loves him. When she went to college last year, she had (a picture of) Him and his $5.00 sandwich on her door."

Do you want what Ernie has created? Getting it is simple, but not always easy. It comes from holding a genuine positive regard for every customer who walks into your business. It’s about putting your passion into words, and expressing your joy as you give them your attention. Sound intimidating? It’s not about putting on an act or trying to be Ernie, particularly if your nature is more subdued. It’s about expressing in your own genuine way your passion for your profession. Customers will love you when you love them first. It starts with you. Your enthusiasm will become a mirror that will reflect back passionate customer support

– the kind that spreads virally and increases referral business. Show that they matter by what you say, what you do, and how you offer them a quality experience. Start today.

Lori Jo Vest currently manages a Michigan-based television production studio, Communicore Visual Communications. After twenty years in relationship-based sales and customer service, she recently co-authored "Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan," a customer service book slated for release through AMACOM Books/NY in September. You can learn more at

www.communicore.tv and www.whosyourgladys.com .

What Makes Seth Godin So Smart?

I’ve read 3 or 4 books written by Seth Godin and liked them a lot. I have seen him speak several times and found his speeches witty and captivating. I read his blog almost every day. I’m on the email list. Heck, before he was really famous I even met him and shook his hand. We had a cup of coffee together. Well at least we were both holding coffee cups as we met in passing in a crowded hallway. Way back then (almost 9 years ago) he was preaching from the gospel of permission based marketing. Talk about being ahead of the curve!

He still stands at that pulpit on a regular basis. However, more often than not he seems to be branching out into other topics and areas. I enjoy all of these for several reasons. I think first and foremost he writes about self reliance. A recent post of his titled Graduate school for unemployed college students gave all of those recent college grads who haven’t been able to find a job some really great advice about what to do about their situation now. Rather than bemoaning the current state of the job market and settling for something to just tide them over (which is great as long as you’re doing more than just that).

In another post, Slack, he writes;

“A lot of corporations have seen dramatic decreases in revenue and have cut back projects as well. In many cases, this is accompanied by layoffs, and so everyone is working far harder.

But in other organizations, and for a lot of freelancers, there's more time than work. In other words,slack time.

Assume for a moment you don't have money to develop and launch something new. So, what are you going to do with the slack?”

 

Not to steal the thunder in case you want to read his post the 2 suggestions are; Learn something new and earn a following and reputation.

Whether you are a employed, unemployed or freelance, these are simply invaluable and smart nuggets of wisdom.

Mike Morawski

Chief Development Office