Tag Archives: marketing

Business Networking | A Huge Waste of Time, or Humanity’s Greatest Hero?

Originally posted at Pro/Vision Coaching.

A lot of people blog for their businesses simply to get better SEO (search engine optimization) for their website, thus leading to a higher search engine ranking and more clicks to their site. This is not a bad practice, whether you are in Omaha, Nebraska; Seattle, Washington; or anywhere else in the world. It is obvious (and truthfully, good practice) to make sure your business is known publicly and easily assessable. And as a business coaching firm, we would advise you to do just that. The world of the internet is a great way to make that happen (and also to sneak in wonderful keywords in THIS blog entry), but not the only way to get known and make your business successful.

Sometimes you just have to stick your face out there and be seen. Or do you? History has been faithful in teaching us that if you stick your face in front of a fan it might get cut off, or if you step out on a road you may get run over. Is growing your business really worth that risk? In the online game of Second Life—one of the fastest crazes to die in the last 10 years—you create a personal avatar (that can be you, or anyone you want to be) and go through “life” in the digital world. You are even able to buy products for your Second Life home, such as a TV from the Best Buy store in the game (which costs REAL money, by the way), or you could commit a crime inside the game and do hard time.

–Funny YouTube Clip on SecondLife–

If you are not like the 2 current members of the worldwide Second Life community, you prefer to live your life in the real world – and take note – that’s a good thing! But even so, many people are still uncomfortable with the idea of face-to-face business networking, and some of you may not even know what it is. Here are some questions I am often asked about the subject:

Q: Is it true that if you try to sell at a networking event, you will be captured and tossed into a dark cave beneath the Chamber of Commerce with a lonely, starved tiger? A: No. Ever since the Michael Vick dogfighting scandal, all the underground Chamber tigers have been released into the wild. Last I heard all but three tigers were accounted for at local area zoos.

Q: Ok, so they may not throw you to your death, but is it a bad idea to try and sell at a networking event? A: Yes. Even though your life should NEVER be at risk during networking, the goal is for you to build relationships with other networkers, thus building a community. People who come in and try to sell their wares right off the bat often miss out opportunities for future business growth.

Q: If I am allergic to shellfish and go to a networking event that serves it, should I eat it anyway and hope for the best? A: Do you always carry an EpiPen with you? Q: No. A: No. Allow me to say again that your life should NEVER be at risk during an event.

Q: Really? Last week I walked past a booth at a trade and they were literally shoving fried shrimp down my throat. Though I was able to run away, I lost my bag of goodies from the show. I think they were a rogue group of ___________________. (Mad Libs: Name an Industry of Your Choice) A: Seriously? That’s pretty crazy.

After all is said and done, if you go to a networking event with a sincere desire to meet people, learn about their businesses (first!) and then, when given the opportunity, share about how yours can be a benefit to people, you will do well. You may not end up being the hero networker, but it certainly won’t be a waste of time. Just keep an eye out for wandering tigers if you live in ___________________, __________________, or ____________________ (Mad Libs: Names of Cities).

Marketing 101 | Reach Your Customers through Their PAIN

*Originally posted on March 15, 2011 by PhilStalnaker at Pro/Vision Coaching.

Recently, I was delayed (when I say “delayed” it was more like an effort on the airline’s part to force me to move to Chicago permanently) and hunkered down at an outlet near a credit card kiosk. As I charged my phone, I couldn’t help but watch the two sales people try relentlessly to capture the attention of the hurried passers-by. The incentive they offered was actually a good deal—a free flight after the first swipe—but no one was interested. Why not? If we were to put their success rate into numbers, it would have to be less and a half percent success rate.

Let’s break it down: at Midway airport, there are 6 gates at the end of the concourse set in a semi-circle. The kiosk was perfectly located at the entrance to the semi-circle, where at least 10 flights per hour were shuffled through (coming AND going). At the average of 135 passengers per flight (according to the airline), over the course of 8 hours, that puts the foot traffic at around 21,600 people during their 8 hour stretch. FYI, I started watching during the last 30 minutes of these particular salespeople’s shift. I inquired how many credit card apps they had sold, which they embarrassedly answered “2”. That means, they literally succeeded at a rate of .000093%.

What was so wrong? Who would not be willing to take a free flight that literally took nothing from them? I say that, because I had already taken advantage of that deal and had acquired the free flight myself. Despite how friendly the salespeople were, no one cared. Curious to find out why, I interrupted a conversation between one of the salespeople and a lady who was overly against this deal. As an objective third party, I asked her why she was so against the deal. Her answer was blunt and honest, “I hate this credit card company”, she said. “They worked me over before and I won’t forgive them.”

“Makes sense to me,” I said, but quickly responded with another question. “Why not sign up, use your swipe to buy a gallon of milk, get your free flight, and then discontinue the card? You would be out nothing, but would have successfully enacted revenge on the company you are angry towards, and you are taking the flight from them.” Without hesitation she turned, filled out the application with a smile, then walked over to me after and thanked me for my help.

5 minutes later that exact same situation repeated itself with a married couple. Again I interrupted the conversation (I also had to include some advice on where to find the pizza that everyone else had while walking around), and again the result was exactly the same. These salespeople, in the last 5 minutes of their shift signed 2 credit card applications from people who were audibly NOT fans of their company. All they had to do was speak to their pain. I’ve already typed over 500 words at this point, so hopefully the lesson is evident, as I doubt I can make the next 500 interesting enough for you to read. Of course, this could never have happened if my flight wasn’t delayed for over 5 hours…

By the way, the credit card companies have no problem with giving people easy ways to opt out after getting the incentive, because statistics show that less than 5% of people will actually go to the effort of discontinuing the card. Laziness, and the credit card companies, win out in the end.

I’m also posting a picture of the shirt that the sales people gave me as a thank-you for getting them those sales.

NET Radio Features JM’s Phil Stalnaker on Internet Marketing

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

At last week’s MarkeTech Conference, hosted by GROW Nebraska, JM’s VP of Marketing and Sales Phil Stalnaker spoke on Internet Profitability.  He was able to draw from his seven-plus years of marketing experience to teach small businesses how to maximize their presence on-line.

NET Radio took an interest in this conference, as well, and interviewed Stalnaker after his seminar. Check it out!

What’s the Difference Between Underwear and a Website?

Update: This article was originally written in 2010, but most still applies (including the unfortunate truth that Courtney Love is still making headlines and “The View” is still on the air). Since I have recently relocated and started work at another high-level web design firm, I thought it appropriate to reshare an old memory. The original link to this article post is here. I hope you all can enjoy this (and maybe even learn a deeper lesson) with me. Thanks!

With such an obviously sensationalistic title as that, I better quickly give you a reason not to hate me and send threatening letters to my boss. Though it may not seem like it, there is definitely a method to my madness. In my ever creative mind – which is a place that would make Stephen King an author for children’s books – I wanted to parley the importance of a website to your company’s credibility while at the same time not boring you to the point of squirting the toothpaste sitting in your medicine cabinet all over your face in an attempt to go blind. That’s where I came up with the question of the week, which is “What’s the difference between underwear and a website?” My answer – none at all. Allow me to explain why before reporting me to the FCC. There are four reasons that make a very easy comparison to what underwear does for you as opposed to a website.

1. Ratty or torn underwear can undermine your best outfit. Ok, so this actually happened to me within the last few weeks. I went to visit the doctor and needed an x-ray, which meant that I had to go into a private room, strip down to only my boxers, and put on a gown. The problem was that I had been wearing an old pair of torn up boxers and was embarrassed for someone to see me. When the technician came to get me, I had that gown tied as tightly as I could to make sure no one saw anything. Fear is never a fun way to live. The comparison to this is simple: if you look bad on your website, do you really think anyone is going to want to do business with you?

2. The right underwear provides foundation support that hides your flaws. If you have ever watched “The View” then we might need to have a different conversation, but they talk about ways for women to make themselves look as good as possible. This means, for most humans anyway, that we have to hide our flaws. If you have a big belly, what better way to hide it than a girdle? Although “Lethal Weapon 3” is the only example of a man wearing a girdle that I can think of, the theory holds true for both genders. One of the wonderful things a website can do for your company is make you appear bigger, stronger, and more capable by presenting yourself as well as possible. This of course can go too far – but those instances will be brought to light if your website shows you in a suit and tie and you are still in your robe when customers walk into your place of business.

3. The right underwear can provide the spark needed to capture your target’s interest. Alright guys, let’s be honest here – a girl who knows how to dress properly and “wear her clothes right” is usually going to win the battle of the sexes. The flash of a bra strap or stockings coyly shown goes a long way in winning a man’s attention. The creativity in the design of your website can accomplish the same thing – get people interested in you. Once they are interested, all you have to do is close the deal. Just make sure not to look your best and then forget to use mouthwash once they start talking to you.

4. The style of your underwear determines the style of your clothes. According to the fashion stylists of the world (motto: pain = style), a person’s choice of undergarments has a great deal to do with the outfit on top. Infomercial after infomercial discusses ways to “hide panty lines”, and no one except for Courtney Love would wear a normal bra with a backless dress. Thus, if you want to present yourself in a certain way, then you need to plan accordingly the underwear of the day. I saw an advertisement for a company that sells social media marketing options on the internet last month – and they didn’t have a website! It makes sense that if you want your customers to find you, you should probably have the right system set up for that to happen – don’t be caught reaching an audience that likes the internet with a phone book ad. I would definitely consider that a “web faux pas”. So, what’s the point? At least that was what my friends asked me when previewing this article. My answer – delayed slightly by a few glugs of Red Bull – was simple. Medicine tastes better when mixed with a spoonful of sugar. If a business wants to splash their information on the internet, all the power to them – but if they want to sell, then they better make it hot.

by Phil Stalnaker

Philip Stalnaker to Speak at Omaha Chamber Event

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

Phil Stalnaker, vice president of marketing and sales at JM Web Designs, is the Omaha Chamber Academy’s keynote speaker Wednesday, March 24.

The event will be held at the Greater Omaha Chamber downtown office, 1301 Harney St., from 8 to 10 a.m.

Stalnaker will look at several tools marketers use to effectively meet their goals in the areas of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing. He will help you discover how you can develop a solid online strategy to improve how your website is found by search engines.

Grow Nebraska Announces Phil Stalnaker as Speaker for MarketTech Conference

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

GROW Nebraska has announced JM’s Vice President of Marketing and Sales, Phil Stalnaker, as a presenter for the 2010 MarkeTech Conference, scheduled for April 22 in Lincoln, Neb.,  from 8 am to 5 pm at the 27th Street Conference Center.

Stalnaker will be discussing Internet Profitability 101, drawing from his five plus years of Internet advertising experience. He will guide you through the beginning steps of representing your company and reaching your target audience through the medium of the internet. Learn how to show up well in search engines, where good places are to advertise online, and how to make sure that your web site will sell once potential customers arrive. You will learn the search engine requirements for high search rankings, understand where and how to advertise online (including the different types of online advertising) and learn what it takes to make sure your web site really works for you.

Stalnaker is excited about the opportunity to partner with GROW Nebraska and to educate Nebraska businesses on how to put a valuable resource to work for their company.

JM Web Designs’ Marketing Director Appointed President of Local BNI Chapter

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

Phil Stalnaker was recently appointed as President of his local Business Networking International [BNI] Chapter, Network Connections.  Since joining the chapter in October of 2008, he has shown advanced leadership through superior performance, high commitment to attendance, and a marked desire to go above and beyond his expectations.

BNI is a member group with one member per industry allowed per chapter in order to eliminate competition.  This is a structured group with their focus on “Givers Gain”, which means that you are expected to give to all members in the group, which in turn means that you will receive from all members of the group.

“I am excited to take my turn as leader of such a great group of people.  Their commitment to each other and the group as a whole will make my tenure as President fun and rewarding.”  Phil has committed to a one year stint as President and will be evaluated on the number of members and quality of referrals passed back and forth.  Since serving as the chapter’s Educational Coordinator (he began that role in January of 2009), he feels that he has been allowed to step into the Presidency easily, with significant time to learn his responsibilities.

Omaha’s Best Dressed Nominee | Phil Stalnaker

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

Though he is marketing director for JM Web Designs, Phil Stalnaker wears many hats.  His roles include networking, business development, human resources, marketing, and sales.  He believes this is only possible by having such a great team of people around him, not only at JM, but also around Omaha through the numerous networking groups with which he is involved.  He earned a Masters’ Degree in 2007 in Business Management and has been given leadership positions in the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, his BNI Chapter, and the Sarpy Chamber of Commerce.

When Phil is not out networking, he is spending time with his wife, Nita.  They got married in the summer of 2008 and are enjoying each day together.  He is also active in his church, Steadfast Bible Fellowship, and loves to travel – especially if it includes Atlanta Braves Baseball.

JM Web Designs’ Marketing Director Named to Sarpy Chamber of Commerce’s Marketing Committee

Originally posted at JM Web Designs.

Phil Stalnaker is honored to receive recognition from the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce as the newest member of their marketing committee.  With over seven years of experience in the marketing field and a specialty in social networking strategies, he will bring a fresh set of ideas to the Chamber.

“This is an exciting opportunity to serve the Sarpy Chamber, as they have been an integral part of JM’s emergence as Omaha’s premier web design firm,” I said when asked about this appointment. I am excited to bring my wisdom and education to this new commitment and for JM’s influence to spread throughout the Omaha community.  This charge is something we take with honor and heavy responsibility.