JOHN T. PETERS

JOHN T. PETERS

What are you wearing?

October 18, 2020 No Comments

Who, me? Well, I’ve got more than a few Zoom calls today, so right now? A short-sleeved button-down and….shorts and my Crocks. My point? Because of Covid, we’re all working from home and while conference calls abound, more than a few conversations today will take place by video. I don’t know what that means for you, but for me it means never skipping a shower, always shaving, and always wearing a respectable shirt. Sure, there are days I just walk around, unshaven, in a t-shirt and shorts, but you never know who is going to text and ask; “Can you jump on a zoom call now?” Here are my tips for successful zoom calls. Your Work Environment –Taking zoom calls from home means working in an area of the house that’s appropriate and clean. If you have to work from the kitchen table, that’s totally fine, but dear Lord, please make sure I can’t see a pile of dirty dishes in the background. Oh, the things I’ve seen. I don’t mean to say you have to be in some sterile, phony environment, but come on… straighten up around you people! If you’re working in what appears to be a cyclone-hit disaster area, what does that say about you? You at least have to look neat and organized. If you work in a studio apartment and you just don’t have a background you can show (hey, that’s okay), feel free to use one of the digital backgrounds zoom offers. There are even a few companies that allow you to customize a virtual background free, as long as you don’t mind their logo appearing in it. Lighting –Who knew we’d be talking about the best lighting for video calls, but it does make all the difference in the world. Test out the camera angles, views, and background before your call. While I know you want us all to see the beautiful view at which you’re staring, avoid sitting with your camera facing the ]window because sun glare from behind you can make you look like an apparition. Books –My desk is at the back of my home office. So, it’s directly in front of some bookcases where I keep, awards, mementos from some of my previous places of employment, tchotchkes from my startups and, well, books. What you see is what I read, or have read. When you’re on video, you can be sure people look at what’s behind you. It’s human nature. So, be careful about what books you display. If you’re reading “How not to be such an ass,” it would be a good idea to remove that one. I had to remove “30 days to long-flowing hair and washboard abs” because I didn’t want to reveal my secret strategy. (Obviously, I jest.) Pets and kids are great –Look, this is life, so unless you’re giving a presentation to the Board of Directors, pets and kids show you are a real human being. A quick dog bark, an inquisitive cat, or a child popping into the screen to say hello is fine… to an extent.  A quick introduction to your favorite, four-legged friend or of course, your wandering toddler, are actually quite enjoyable. However, if you have an incessantly barking dog or pre-teens screaming and beating up on one another, you need to find a quiet place, so you don’t ruin the call for everyone. Listen, things happen, so for heaven’s sake, use the mute button and stop the video when you have to. These features exist for a reason. I think we’ve all seen an adult on a video call talking about Q3 numbers, when all of a sudden, they excuse themselves and they leave their video for a minute (forgetting to mute) and scream bloody murder at their fighting kids and come back, NOW hitting the mute button, and start talking again. Quickly they realize what happened, but the rest of the participants will never un-hear that! Take it easy –Be casual and comfortable, but not too much. Unless you’re zooming with your best friends, act like the pro you are. There’s a degree of comfort that is expected and accepted since we’re all working from home, but I see too many people who not only look like schlubs but worse, act like it. Big stretches. Yawns. Would you do that in a face-to-face meeting? No. So don’t do it on a video call!  Preparing for a call –To prepare for your call, in addition to what I’ve mentioned above, get up, walk around for a few minutes, and stretch. Wash your face. Get something to eat and drink. And, if you’ve eaten and had something to drink, hit the potty! Now, get a glass of water and keep it near your computer? Why water? I can’t tell you how many people think it’s ok to slurp their hot coffee. Don’t be on time –That’s right. Be EARLY. The early banter of a call is sometimes a great opportunity to chat with someone you’re trying to impress. Being early is also a good way to get noticed. The BIGGEST mistake I see people make is sharing their cluttered, revealing screen. If you’ve got a million tabs open and have endless files on your desktop, you need to be careful. First, you’ll easily show everyone where you spend your time. What tabs are open? What chats are visible? What pictures do you have on your desktop? What should you show? NOTHING. Close it all! Browsers, files, chats, etc. Last week I was on a Zoom call with someone who was pitching me on SEO services who shared their screen. What did I see? Bank balances, horoscopes, an email thread with a co-worker, and more. That’s a big fail. I hope this gives you something to think about. What are some of the best zoom tips you have? And oh, if we’re not connected on LinkedIn, let’s fix that right now. (Click here to connect with me on LinkedIn)

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Vacation now? In Wide-Open Spaces? Yes, consider the American West!

June 19, 2020 No Comments

“Vacation.” Having spent my entire career in the travel and tourism industry, that word, until a few months ago, would immediately elicit instant images of beaches and tiny winding streets on Mykonos, tropical drinks, the warm water of the Aegean, freshly grilled octopus and a villa with a view of the ocean. That’s what it means for me. The images conjured in your mind when you think of vacation are likely different, but when you boil it all down, the idea is to get away, unplug, unwind, relax, see, do, and in general, experience.   Over the past weeks, I’ve spoken to dozens of people, who all want to get away, but the first thing that pops into their head is a hesitation of sorts. Where can I go that will be safe? How will I get there? Will I get stuck there? Will I have to quarantine? How are the doctors and hospitals there? I have to admit, I hesitate. This virus has been like a punch to the gut. Every part of our lives is impacted and so many people have lost their lives. It is tragic. My wife and I concluded though, we needed to get away and we needed to figure out if it could be done safely. Last week, for us, that meant a home rental on the beach in Michigan. Waking up, sipping some coffee, sitting out on the deck overlooking nothing but hundreds of miles of open water did the trick. We recharged. We connected as a family. We did puzzles together. We went to the beach together. We had meals together. Was it the most wonderful vacation we’ve EVER taken? No. But it was great, especially given what’s going on. To us, life is short. We didn’t want to take risks with our health, and this was something we were comfortable doing given we’re being very careful about where we go.  We always wear masks and we don’t go to many public places at all. We knew we wanted open-air, wide-open spaces, spectacular views and a place we could practice social distancing. We wanted to be able to get there by car without stopping much, if at all. We accomplished all of this, and it was well worth it. What’s next? Throughout my career, especially as an international tour and yacht cruise operator; I’ve been amazingly lucky to have seen so much of the world. Traveling around the Greek islands, the Indian ocean, pyramids in Egypt, the Amazon, small villages in Thailand, the Austrian Alps, and so many other places, my eyes have seen natural beauty that must have been created by God. With all my passport stamps, I’ve always known I have so much more to see. Guess what wasn’t on my list? The American West. I know, I’m embarrassed. Hear me out though… I thought I had seen our country. After all, I’ve been to almost every city for one meeting or another and traveled hundreds of thousands of air miles. I had seen the beaches on both coasts, the lakes of Wisconsin, the ski mountains of the northeast as well as the Rockies, dozens of the best small towns across America during my time at Rand McNally, and so much more. Well, over a year ago, I was asked to join the amazing team at Brush Creek Ranch, in Wyoming. Nestled on 30,000+ acres in Saratoga, Wyoming, Brush Creek Ranch is comprised of three ranches and has been voted the top resort in the USA by Travel+Leisure and Conde Nast in multiple years. The top resort? There’s no way, I thought, that I hadn’t heard of the nation’s top resort. Well, one look at the website, and I was amazed, not only at the beauty and the amenities but at the cool $1,500 per person, per night price tag. Brush Creek Ranch was looking to do a luxury retail startup of sorts, to sell everything from apparel to beef. They were going to open another facility called The Farm at Brush Creek, complete with a brewery, distillery, creamery, a wine cellar that could house 100,000 bottles of some of the finest wines in the world and finally, a top restaurant which would serve not only American Wagyu raised on the property but organic fruit and vegetables from their monstrous greenhouses. I had, in the past, done two startups and successfully sold those businesses, so I knew this would be right up my alley. On my second day on the job, we flew into the private airport in Saratoga, Wyoming, and drove the 25 minutes to the ranch. Alternatively, you can fly to Denver and drive three and a half hours to get to the ranch. It’s an incredibly easy, scenic route. I did it many times. Do you want open spaces? Beautiful views? Fantastic accommodations with some of the best fly-fishing the world? This is it! And, by the way, if you’re hearing “ranch” and imagining some dilapidated cabins, you couldn’t be more off. This is a luxury ranch. Upon driving around, one thing immediately struck me; the vastness of it all. You could see mountain ranges that were hours away. It reminded me of Patagonia in Argentina. It is simply breathtaking. And, not far away, you could find beautiful, national parks, not that you ever really need to leave Brush Creek Ranch to do anything. Let me explain. Given the area and the property, Brush Creek Ranch offers a myriad of activities. There are almost seven miles of the North Platte River that runs through the property. Brush Creek Ranch is an Orvis certified venue and has, on staff, some of the finest fly-fishing guides around, especially the Head of Activities, Matt Anderson. Matt is a fish-whisperer if I’ve ever met one. They outfit you in every conceivable piece of Orvis gear you might need, and then take you and show you where the fish are and how to catch them. You can also go horseback riding,

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Startup Advice — Fail Quickly, Fail Cheaply, and Fail Often

April 3, 2019 No Comments

I’ve written a lot on the topic of startup advice, but it’s still a hot issue in today’s business world especially as it relates to entrepreneurs and startups, so I’m writing about it again. The topic? The speed required by startups versus speed in the world of Corporate America. Read on. I remember speaking with a friend with whom I had worked before at two different organizations. One was my own startup, which I later successfully sold, and one was a large, well-established company. He had been having some challenges at his place of employment, specifically with the speed at which things were getting done (read that: “not done”).  We had some fun talking about the startup environment and how it differs from Corporate America. It was an interesting conversation, and I thought I’d share some of our discussion points and startup advice. Startup Advice — Speed is Everything I’ve now sold two startups, so I’ve worked in everything from small companies with less than ten employees to big, public companies with tens of thousands of employees, so my startup advice comes from the trenches. One thing is for sure, there’s nothing like the speed of a startup to keep you engaged and motivated. It’s like a special kind of drug, and one that entrepreneurs thrive on. Have an idea on Sunday, discuss it Monday morning, do a bit of research and flesh it out on Monday afternoon, start ideating on Tuesday, and start developing on Wednesday. A short time later, you launch. Sure, more complex ideas and builds take longer, but you get the idea. When things get done at this speed, you get to try things, lots of things.  If they work, great!  If something doesn’t work, fix it. If it still doesn’t work, toss it and start over. I’m someone who likes to keep things moving. Stagnancy is excruciating to me which is why I’ve always included at the top of my list of startup advice this adage: “Fail quickly, fail cheaply, and fail often.” Let me explain. Startups and Corporate America — And How They Are Similar Whether you’re running a startup or working in Corporate America, the reality is that there are often many similarities. Especially when it comes to having great ideas, implementing them as quickly as possible, and evaluating the results. Failing quickly is critically important. When it comes to failing, what you don’t want is one of those long, painful, expensive failures. Chances are good that you’re nodding about here, because you’ve found yourself in this position before. You know what I mean. The project that swallows thousands of people hours and hundreds of thousands, or even millions of dollars. Worse yet, during that time, the company isn’t really trying anything else, because everyone at the company is so focused on the project, they let their collective brains take a vacation from creativity. Then one day comes the realization or actually, it’s more like a validation, that the company’s brain-child isn’t going to be the great success everyone had hoped. Worse, there will be some people who will want to keep it going to save face until a more “suitable” time is found to kill it. Having found myself in this situation in the past, with data in hand, I would politely and appropriately and yes, sometimes even passionately, voice my concerns and offer alternative points of view. Sometimes my points were taken into consideration, sometimes not. In the end, you win some, you lose some. So goes the life of being an executive in a big company. Accomplishing Digital Transformation in Corporate America Doesn’t Have to Be Difficult As evidenced by my statement above, when I’ve worked as part of a large organization in the Corporate America world, I’ve never lost sight of the fact that being a good corporate citizen is a critical component of success. This is especially true if you’ve been hired in a role that requires you to disrupt the status quo, move the company in new directions and essentially be a “Change Agent.” Human beings inherently don’t like change, and if that’s your job, understanding how to navigate through the process of digital transformation and culture transformation is essential. The best way to do that is with a people-centric focus, working to build the proper, internal partnerships, working together to define and establish goals, gather support for your projects and initiatives, and get them approved and in motion. Getting them over the finish line? Another important goal, and you’ll have buy-in from leadership and your team supporting you on those initiatives, which will make a big difference. A Story About Innovation and Disruption: From a 150-Year-Old Company One thing I’ve learned from my experiences is the size or age of a company doesn’t predestine it to over-complication. I ran digital strategy and business development for Rand McNally, the maps and directions company. Though it was a 150-year-old company, things ran pretty quickly there. As proof, they acquired Tripology (where I was the CEO), soup to nuts, within two and a half weeks. Trust me, this 150-year-old company could move quickly and understood the importance of disrupting the business-as-usual mindset. As is often the case, this aspect of speed came from the top. Dave Muscatel, Rand McNally’s CEO at the time, understood the need for speed and how speed drives innovation. As a result, he was relentless. He pushed me and the rest of his executive team to keep things moving along at a good clip, and we did. Everyone (okay, almost everyone) was on the same page—business teams, engineers, the operations staff, and even the attorneys. Obstacles and roadblocks were dealt with quickly, together, as a team. I really enjoyed my time at Rand McNally and one of the reasons was the culture of innovation and disruption fostered by the leadership team. It felt like working at a startup, even though it wasn’t. In today’s business world, that’s often not only what you need to thrive and grow,

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13 Best Tips for Traveling with Kids in 2019

March 12, 2019 No Comments

I’ve written about this before, and I have a feeling I might catch some heat again.  However, before you throw stones at me, read the whole post. For years, I’ve been traveling on planes listening to screaming, misbehaving, and crying kids. I must admit something very dark; I hated kids on planes. Just the sight of them made me cringe.  I would spy them in the waiting areas and try to judge how misbehaved they’d be and what my odds were that they would be sitting within one row of me or worse, next to me! I’d also look at their parents to see how attentive they were. I recall one flight when I was sitting next to a man (he in the aisle and I in the middle seat – so, as you can imagine, I was already pissed) and the two children behind us wouldn’t be quiet and were amazingly rambunctious. The man next to me continued to read his Wall Street Journalas if there was nothing wrong.  As the kids bounced and yelled, he kept reading.  Then the kids started playing “go fish.” As they did, they threw their cards, proceeded to slam the tray table connected to my seat repeatedly.  All the mother did was kept repeating “Calm down, you are bothering the nice man in front of you.”  (Ya think?) However, after one hundred times of saying this, I’m sure all the kids heard was “way to go, make more noise.” One last slam and I turned around and said to the mother something like “Look, I’m normally a nice guy, but the fact you continue to sit there and do nothing while your children bang on my chair is unbelievable to me.”  Her response? “Sorry, but they’re only children.” The slamming stopped for a few minutes, and I turned to the guy sitting and reading his newspaper.  (Note: he hadn’t moved and, to my amazement, was still calmly reading.) I commented to him, “Do you believe this?”  His response? “I’ve got four kids at home. This is nothing. I honestly don’t hear a thing.”  I couldn’t believe his response and thought for a moment that he might have been their father. You know, a dad who travels with the family but acts as if he doesn’t know them? As for me at the time, I never thought I could deal with kids on a plane. That is, until my wife became pregnant with our first child. I knew, at that moment, I was going to have to grow up and get with the program.  One thing I learned from my travel experiences was 90% of a child’s behavior on the plane was in direct proportion to the effort put forth by the parents. Yes, Mom and Dad, your children are your responsibility on planes or in hotels or anywhere else for that matter. Ignoring them in your own home is fine, but ignoring them while they significantly effect someone else’s travel by slamming the back of someone’s seat isn’t. TIPS FOR TRAVELING WITH CHILDREN Fast forward many years, I now have two children, 12 and 10. Both are avid flyers, and I wanted to share our tips, especially for younger children. The following is a list of what we did when our children were younger to make sure we, and the people around us, had a good experience. It’s not a foolproof plan, but it worked for us, so here goes. Plan. Plan out the trip and leave yourself extra time to get around, get to the gates, etc. “Winging it” with small kids is never a good idea. You’re better off being early than frantically trying to make a flight. And speaking of flights, try to time them so the kids will be sleeping. I’m not suggesting the red-eye flights, but early morning or later flights always worked well for us. Snacks! Kids love snacks. Pack plenty of them (stick to finger foods) and not the messy kind. (Think pretzels, gold fish). Since you can’t take fluids with you through security, remember to buy extra bottles of water after you get through security. Stay away from the sugary juices so they don’t get more active. Plus, drinking extra water on flights is beneficial to people of all ages to prevent dehydration.  If your children prefers milk, make sure you purchase some of that too since the drink cart on the plane doesn’t always have some. Packing. In general, don’t overpack like crazy. Yes, you’ll see me say below to bring extra clothes, but don’t go crazy. Kill Germs. Airports and planes are dirty. Bring disinfectant wipes and wipe down everything around your child on the plane: arm rests, tray tables, wall, window shade – everything. Carry Purell and wipe/disinfect their hands and yours regularly. OK, germs killed. We still do this today as a way to keep us all from getting sick. Bring Extra Supplies. For younger kids, the diaper bag has to be filled, complete with any supply that might ever be needed for any possible reason.  Extra diapers and supplies (30% more than you think you need – just in case of delays), paper towels, a cloth towel just in case you have to mop up a spill, plastic bags and Ziploc baggies and an infinite supply of wipes. Plus don’t forget and extra change of clothes.  Bring a little air-freshener too. Trust me, you may be used to your little-one’s spit-up smell, but everyone around you won’t appreciate it. My wife also has a toiletry bag that she stuffs with basic medication, just in case. A small supply of things like Tylenol, Benadryl and anything else you’ve used is good to have. You don’t want to have to find a 24-hour Walgreens at 3:00 a.m. with a sick kiddo. Keep ‘em Busy. Children’s attention spans are short at a young age.  When the kids were younger, I planned the 15-minute activity list; one surprise activity per 15 minutes. Keep them busy and they are

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New Authorization Required for Travel to Europe!

March 9, 2019 No Comments

(This post has been updated to clarify that the ETIAS authorization is not a “visa.” Rather, the application process is for travel “authorization.”) As American citizens, we’re spoiled. We’ve got an incredibly strong passport and traveling to Europe has always been easy; just book and go. As long as you’re going for fewer than 90 days, there’s no paperwork and no hassle. Well, that’s about to change. In 2021, less than two years from now, US citizens will need a three-year, ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) authorization. The ETIAS authorization is technically not a visa, but rather it is a travel authorization to enter most European countries, including Greece, France, and Italy (full list of the 26 countries below). Apparently, it’ll be a simple online process to be done, and paid for, in advance through secure online payment. To get an authorization to enter these countries, you’ll have to apply online at the ETIAS website. To enroll, you’ll need a valid US Passport (valid for at least three months beyond your intended stay return date), a credit or debit card and a valid email address (to be able to receive the ETIAS confirmation). You’ll also have to enter a valid street address for your permanent residence and valid phone number during registration. The cost is said to be roughly $8 (eight dollars) per person, so no big deal there. According to the ETIAS website, the authorization will be multi-entry, meaning you can use it multiple times in the three-year validity period and you’ll be able to use the same authorization to visit more than one country. This authorization will specifically apply to the 26 European countries of the ETIAS Schengen zone. These include: Austria Belgium Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland The EU countries of Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Cyprus and Ireland are not part of the Schengen Area and have their own regulations regarding visas, if required. The ETIAS website states there will be few restrictions on the applications to “promote tourism while maintaining a high level of international security.” I’m all for international security, believe me. However, I’m fairly certain this will hurt European tourism, because this isn’t just for US citizens. This impacts travelers from 60 countries to which this new authorization requirement applies. Now, you’ll tell me that many people around the world are accustomed to having to apply for visas to travel, even Americans traveling to certain places. Then you’ll tell me that having am authorization system in place indicates a higher security level. That may well be true, but I still think this will hurt European tourism – though just a bit. After all, we enter our basic contact information and credit card pretty regularly online to shop on sites like Amazon. Travel however, is a little different. Having to take out your passport and apply for an authorization online will deter some people. We’ll have to see how the traveling public will react. If I were (still) an international tour operator and yacht cruise line company, I’d be preparing to make this as easy as possible for my clients. I’d immediately start working with every single middle-man vendor and travel partner in the travel booking process, to make sure the application procedure (with links) are mentioned everywhere online and with travel agents. I’d even offer tele-support assistance for the application process, despite it apparently being an easy online form. For my travel friends, all I have to say is let’s get organized and make a, hopefully, easy application even easier for travelers. For my fellow travelers, a simple online authorization application is but a small, extra step to see some of the most beautiful places on earth and have an experience of a lifetime. For more and updated information, visit the ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorization System) site for updated information.

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Creating Strategic Partnerships using LinkedIn

March 4, 2019 No Comments

Throughout my entire professional career, I have focused on creating strong, mutually beneficial, strategic partnerships. I’ve done hundreds of them. I have partnered with companies of all sizes, both public and private, for a variety of projects.  Most partnerships were successful, though some were clearly not. Even in the cases where mistakes were made, I have learned from all of these experiences and I believe I have “partnering” down to a science. Partnering is part of my professional DNA and I’ve always looked to create a culture of partnerships, both external and internal, to help me accelerate growth, drive innovation and improve the customer experience. Creating partnerships has always made perfect sense to me. Lately however, I seem to be bumping into people who don’t know how to partner with other companies or worse, people of the “I can do this myself” mindset. So, I thought I’d write about why and how to create a successful strategic partnership and include key components where I not only use, but rely on, LinkedIn.   WHY PARTNER? There are plenty of great reasons to create a strategic partnership with another, complementary organization. A good strategic partnership will allow you to: Quickly create a larger following Grow your business and drive revenue Get access to new markets, new ideas, technology, innovation and resources Speed up the time-to-market timeline for your product or service Improve customer satisfaction Spread and enhance reputation Provide extra brainpower Reduce risk Reduce costs (through economies of scale) Obtain an alternative point of view Think about it; you likely have a great idea to build, launch or promote something. Ideally, you want to do this as quickly, economically and as successfully as possible, all with the least amount of risk. What better way to accomplish this than with the help of a partner or multiple partners? Before you do however, there are some key points to consider.   UNDERSTANDING YOUR MARKET Before you start pitching a partnership idea, you have to be sure you have a solid understanding of your market. I know, your first response is “Of course I do!” Well, let me be clear; this is one of the most important aspects of a good strategic partnership. If you’re a startup, you may very well have some initial research you included in your investor pitch deck. If you’re working for an established company, you may have some applicable (but possibly dated) information. Either way, while these are good starts, you’ll need even more information and more data. Make sure your research is up to date and as complete as possible. There’s nothing worse than a partnership proposal with dated or incomplete data. It kills the validity of your proposal.   FRAMING THE CONCEPT OF THE PARTNERSHIP Picking the right partner is key. However, before you actually approach anyone about a strategic partnership, you have some work to do. You’ll first want to clearly define your goals and they shouldn’t be vague. Rather you’ll need to clearly articulate specific goals as this will make your partnership proposal more meaningful and more attractive. More importantly, they will also allow you to decide which potential partners to approach. Then, you’ll need to identify your strengths. What are you good at? What is easy for you to do? What are the best parts about your IP. This is what you’ll be bringing to the partnership and what the potential partner will most be interested in. If you walk into a partnership proposal with nothing but a list of “wants and needs” but nothing to offer in return, you’re setting yourself up for failure. The goal here is to make the proposal win-win! Next, you’ll have to be completely honest with yourself and identify your biggest weaknesses. They may be technological, financial or having to do with customer acquisition, etc. These weaknesses are your gaps and it is these gaps which will help you identify the best potential partner. In other words, you will be most successful if you find a partner who will fill as many of your gaps as possible. Remember, you’re looking for synergy here. Keep in mind you may have to partner with multiple companies to fill these gaps, even if it is for a single project. Note though, adding more than one partner at a time for any given project makes things a little more complicated. After you’ve identified your gaps, start thinking about the type of company you would like as a partner. Is it a big, established company? Is it a smaller, more nimble one? Is it a company with a large social following? Would it have to be local or could you partner with a company in another state or even another country? Taking all this information into context, you should now be able to brainstorm and make a list of the companies which fill your gaps and with which you would like to partner. Or, at the very least, you’ll have the criteria for potential partners.   INTERNAL FRAMING OF THE INITIAL, BASIC PITCH  For your initial outreach to potential partners, you’ll need basic bullet points for conversations and emails. You’ll want to concisely convey enough information about the potential partnership to get them interested, but not so much that someone else could take your idea and run with it. You also don’t want them to simply judge, from your first outreach, they’re not interested. Make sure you mention the basics of your idea, what you bring to the table, how you would like them to be involved, and how they (the company) would benefit. Remember, the goal here is to secure a time for a short, initial conversation so you can convey an exciting opportunity, over the phone or in person.   FINDING THE RIGHT PARTNERS The first thing you’ll need to do once you have a preliminary list of potential partners (or at least the criteria for potential partners) is to start your research. Clearly, the best way to do this is

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What a trip to Whole Foods will teach you about branding and company culture.

November 18, 2017 No Comments

A few weeks ago I went food shopping at my local (but regional chain) grocery store. I shop for food in a few places as I can’t seem to find one store that offers me everything. I wandered the store gathering my items when I realized I couldn’t find this one type of snack my daughter likes. I swear I went up and down every aisle, but no luck. I finally found an employee walking my way and I asked politely if she knew where these snacks were. “Aisle twelve I think” and she kept walking. She was polite enough and clearly had someplace to go, but she wasn’t very helpful. I went to aisle twelve, again, but still no luck. I was exasperated and left without the snacks. My experience definitely soured me on the store and the brand. This got me thinking about branding and how clearly the company hadn’t aligned their brand building efforts with their customer service actions. But what is a ‘brand’ really? What is a Brand, Really? So, what is a brand, really? There are many definitions of ‘brand’ of which you might be aware. Since you’re not likely branding your cattle (the older definition of brand), let’s focus on what people think is the newer definition. A brand is a logo and what it stands for – what comes to mind when people think about a company or something it offers. Think search engine, think Google. Think fast internet product delivery, think Amazon Prime. Think organic, think Whole Foods. You get the idea. Here’s the problem. The older definition of brand limits us to what people see. The newer definition of a brand limits us to what people think. Guess what? They’re both wrong as far as definitions go. They’re wrong because they only focus on perception, on what happens in the eyes of the customer and potential customer outside the company walls. But your brand is more than your logo, more than what’s in your ads, more than what’s on your website and more than what’s in your sales presentations. Your brand is who you are, what you believe in. It’s the relationships that you’ve made; both internal and external. Your brand is how your employees feel when they show up for work. Your brand is your operational processes. Your brand is your core purpose and this is something you can’t broadcast, rather it is something that is believed and built by everyone working at your organization and by every one of your customers and potential customers. Your Brand is Who You Are You ARE your brand. You might not think so, but every single employee has a role to play in working together to build your brand. From the front-line folks to the back-office staff to the team out in the factory to the executive management – all of you are your brand. How you talk to and interact with customers, how you treat employees – THIS is your brand and this goes far beyond the cool logo and website you’ve created or even the unique service you offer that you think people care about. How Do You Build That Brand? So how do you build a brand, that brand, the brand that personifies you and your company? You do it by working together to deliver unique value. Doing that in a polite, responsible, meaningful way is the only way to build your brand. Don’t forget, each day your customers are besieged with ads, calls, emails; literally thousands of messages. And, if you don’t have the budget to outspend your competition on marketing, you can compete with value. But in the end, what really matters is this: People will remember how you made them feel more than they’ll remember what you said. People like to do business with people they like. So, in addition to offering a wonderful product or service that your clients need, you can build your brand through the experiences you offer customers. How were they treated when they called your office? How were they treated when they had a complaint? Did you deliver on your promises? Did you make them wait days or weeks for an email response or transfer their call three times? Did you, even once, point to some fine print during a customer service issue? It all comes down to human insight. Do you really know your customer? Do you know what drives them? Do you have the human insight to really connect with them? You have to tailor your approaches to clients based on their personality and ambitions. You already know you have to offer value, but you have to do so in a way that makes them feel good about doing business with you. When you understand your clients on a human level, you can create win-win relationships based on who your customer really is. Again, this can’t be broadcast. Your marketing is purely a way to begin a dialogue with customers. Then you have to deliver value with every interaction, not just value for money, but value for their time and value for their trust. Make them FEEL special. THIS is your brand. So, how do you build your brand? It starts with you. It starts when you believe you ALWAYS have to be at your best to truly offer value to your customers. Being at your best takes insight, it takes empathy and imagination on how you might connect with customers better, on how you’ll make them FEEL. Why a Trip to Whole Foods Can Teach You About Branding Last week I went to my local Whole Foods store. As I walked in, I was greeted by the person behind the juice bar. As I shopped, I realized (again) that I couldn’t find something so I asked someone who was stocking shelves; “Excuse me, do you know where the fig bars are located?” I waited for him to tell me they were in aisle twelve, but instead he stopped

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The greatest email you’ll ever send.

November 20, 2014 No Comments

I was recently on a plane. This isn’t unusual for me as I’m on a plane a few times a week. I proudly use “Road Warrior” as a description of myself because I’m in travel, so you can say I practice my trade all the time. Like most road warriors, I’m always surrounded by people, though amazingly, it’s still very easy to be lonely while traveling. Days, weeks and months pass (airline miles and hotel points rack up) and time seems to disappear before your eyes. While I consider myself pretty good about keeping in touch with people (via phone, social media, etc.) I started to think about all the things I’d want people to know in the event, well, that I wasn’t around anymore. I know, it’s a bit morbid so hear me out. In the event you weren’t here on this earth tomorrow, what would you want the important people in your life to know? So, I started to type an email. I imagined not being able to ever speak to anyone ever again. I typed and poured my heart out and I kept typing. I’m not going to give you all the details, but the evolution of the email was pretty amazing and what I’m going to do with the email might interest you. I started with my wife. I reminded her about all the things I love and admire about her.  I reminisced about when we met, how I felt, etc. Mostly, I thanked her and told her how much I appreciated her, because I don’t do that enough. I imagined we were having the last conversation we’d ever have, and these were my notes. I also reminded her of my washboard abs and long flowing hair, not because I actually have those, but I wanted to be sure she’d smile. You can imagine, the words kept flowing from my brain onto the screen. Then I wrote to my children. Both under ten years of age, I needed to keep it relevant to their lives now. I wrote about how much I love them and how proud I am of them, especially how kind they are. Then I thought I should write things that would be pertinent to them as they grew up. Again, I told them how much I loved them, but now I added things like how they needed to cherish one another and yes, take care of Mommy. As I kept writing, I had to change my tone, giving advice for the things I know were likely to happen as they grew up; love, heartbreak, picking the right friends, the right job and making all sorts of decisions. Then I wrote to my parents. I told them about how much I loved them and I thanked them for everything they’ve ever done for me. I also apologized for nearly burning down the house when I was a kid, but that’s another post. Then I wrote to my sister and then to my extended family and then to my best friends. Then, I even wrote my last social media post entitled “If you’re reading this, it was nice knowing you.” When I thought I was done with the email, I re-read it and made changes. Turns out, this continued for many flights.  Honestly, I’m still not done, but I have to say, writing this email has been an amazing experience. I have since taken the time to call people just to tell them I love them, to thank them and basically tell them everything I wrote, using it as a script. So what am I going to do with this email (after a few more additions)? I’m going to send it to the people I love. Why wait? What is worth saying, is worth saying now. Breathe. Think. Type. You’ll enjoy this as will the people you love. 

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JOHN T. PETERS

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