Boating Tips for Well-Intentioned Idiots

Okay boys and girls, it’s boating season! This means another season where Ol’ Skipper Hudson shares tips a’plenty with ye land lubbers. (This is how real sea-men talk.)

Now, first up is my most recent adventure in “letting” my wife see how to properly launch the Sea-Doo. Figured I start her off slowly. As I skillfully back the trailer – since that’s man’s work – I can tell she’s impressed by the way she is faking boredom.

My plan was to back the Sea-Doo in the water, let her hold the bowline whilst I park the truck, then gallantly mount said craft and ride to our dock just a couple hundred yards away. Simple enough, right? Done it a hundred times, right? Yes, but one thing changed. Just one.

And this one thing changed everything in the universe.

See, to be helpful and “sensitive” – since as all who cross my presence know that I emanate sensitivity – I added a much longer bowline. That’s because I didn’t want to back the trailer into the water and have the super-short, manly version of the bowline pull my wife into the lake, since this might greatly accelerate the reading of my will.

Admittedly, and with very soggy hindsight, I probably should’ve tied a Boy Scout-approved knot for this extended bowline. But, well, I was, you know, very busy being all sea-like and manly, and had to back the trailer and, well… something happened that I’m not all that proud of.

My wife is standing there holding the Sensitively-Extended Bowline as the Sea-Doo gracefully slid off the trailer. Perfect. Yet, the knot for said extension was a little too sensitive and scarcely even slowed the craft as it became completely untied.

From the truck, I can see she is now holding a thoroughly limp rope watching the Sea-Doo escape. This is when I used what might’ve been a colorful expression in a “non-inside” tone of voice. (Now I know why those sailors have a reputation for their language: bad knots.)

Since I’d only been planning a short journey on the Sea-Doo, I was in blue jeans, so when I jump in the lake, a sixth of the lake’s entire mass was instantly absorbed into my pant region. And though my mind was saying, “Race toward your gallant and errant steed!” my legs were saying, “Whoa. When did you put on 600 pounds?” It seemed a fair question.

I eventually captured the craft by its short, manly rope and trudged back toward the ramp, clearly having saved the day.

Yet, my wife is staring at me, holding the other rope that now looks vaguely noose-ish, with a look that seemed to say, “You have the sense of an under-achieving gerbil”.

She dutifully got into the truck, nodding her head in a disapproving and superior fashion. Clearly, she failed to understand that my launching lesson included this meaningful demonstration on “What Happens When You Tie a Dumb, Ineffective Knot”.

Epilogue:

The Sea-Doo and I made it safely home. And after 4 days in a solar furnace, my jeans dried out (though lake levels are still down). Then I reflected that any change in “routine” can summon the Gods of Practical Jokers to greatly alter the outcome.

It is this way in your “routine” of work, your “normal” drive home, your “normal” safety routine or a “normal” job that goes completely haywire. (And by the way, The Gods of Practical Jokers often make sure if ONE thing goes wrong in the routine with a customer, seven more you’ve never experienced happen with the SAME customer.)

The real lesson is to watch your addiction and complacency to routine. What is worth changing to achieve a better outcome? What have others experienced with that change? Maybe it’s time to extend your reach. But if you do, please double check the knot.

Happy Boating,

Adams Hudson

Questions for You:

1)      What have you recently changed in your “normal” routine of business? Was the outcome good, bad or still on the learning curve?

2)      What routines of yours need changing? Are your ad campaigns old and crusty? Salespeople presentations gone stale? Does your website have cobwebs on it?

3)      Is your Social Media marketing nearly anti-social and not really marketing? (In other words, are you still wondering when the leads are finally going to pay off?)

Send any answers (or other questions) to coaches@hudsonink.com. 

Creating PR-Influenced Social Media Marketing

“Can we get some free PR somewhere?” “Can’t we promote this on social media since it’s free?” We sympathize with the desire to get something for nothing. However, there’s hardly been a professional marketer who hasn’t had to explain to a client at some point why a non-paid platform isn’t the same as free marketing.

Public relations has long been about communicating with your market through non-paid media – but never free, because it always employed certain strategies and content development. Now, social media is also tantalizing by its “free distribution” but it still takes strategy. Apart from Facebook and PPC ads and the like – which are designed to generate leads and get clicks to your landing pages –  most social media communication is about building relationships.

Facebook – Here you can have conversations through comments, likes and shares. Feedback in any of those forms is a good sign because your interaction is generating connection. Be sure to respond to any feedback through your own comments and messages.

Twitter – It’s a good location for networking, following trends and getting news. Search for content that is interesting to you. Follow those accounts. As you favor and retweet their tweets, you’re building connections and followers as well. Good tip: use a hashtag for topics, such as #saveenergy or #electricalsafety, or an industry, such as #plumbing.

Blogs – When blogs are placed on your website, and their content includes keywords that your searchers use to find you, they improve search engine results through the act of adding fresh content and through keywords that bring relevant searchers to your site.

Another upside from a public relations angle is that you no longer have to pitch to the media to cover or publish your story; you can do it yourself on your own timetable. But be sure to make this content of value – informative, entertaining – and reinforce your value proposition.

 Ask a Hudson, Ink Coach how you can boost your social media marketing. Email one today at coaches@hudsonink.com. 

Measurement That Matters

We’re warned that pride is a bad thing. And I fully understand. Pride entraps its victim in a blanket of mock superiority on its way to personal doom. Boasting becomes pride. Pride becomes conceit. Conceit becomes no one.

Funny, but the ever-boasting blowhard of self-achievement ‘thinks’ that their accomplishments make them more attractive, more fun to be around, more likable. None are true. Just as this paragraph started, they make you a blowhard. Knowing all this…

I am extremely proud of my children. There, I said it. Both are very accomplished and excel further than I could have ever imagined. And all this was achieved with at least half of their parents not being all that great of a student. (Guess which one!)

If my chest pokes out any further, I will have Eva Mendez’ profile… or snap a rib. So, I’ll stop.

In the job world, the surface measurement of success is usually money. This – along with pride – is another set up for the Scriptural Sin Grab Bag. Sure, many worthy alternative definitions of success abound: title, influence, responsibility, result, impact. All are important; all are worthy of your focus. Harder to measure, but worthy.

Yet, here is THE problem with most contractors’ measurement and focus –

Most don’t measure, OR focus on measurements that matter. Look at your business license. Unless it says “charitable organization,” your obligation is to earn a profit. This profit – unlike the snide redefinition by the largely unproductive that consider profit as pure evil – became yours when customers paid you more than you paid for it. Simplified, but true.

I’ll go so far to suggest that accolades, unless they add to your cache, boost your position in the marketplace, distinguish you from competition or can be monetized, mean little. Even the Boy Scouts plot Merit Badges toward a larger goal.

Yet, many businesses don’t make the measurement ‘connection.’ They look at some surface indicators and skip to the next. Just like a “great” student can be a common-sense village idiot, one needs to look deeper, ask the better question.

The oft-braggy points of “followers on Twitter,” “friends” and “connections” are fine gold stars, but unless convertible thereto by sales alchemy, they mean little. A friend of mine who runs a fine business here was awarded as a “Top Emerging Business” from the Chamber. When I congratulated him, he quipped, “Now if I could only use that award to make payroll.” He has his head screwed on very straight.

So, what do you measure, and how do you measure up?

Ø  Lead Generation – This is the ‘surface’ seekers determinant of future sales. A good measure, resultant from good and steady marketing – italics intended. Yet, many contractors who get low lead counts don’t measure that about 60% of the marketing dollars should be in Direct Response marketing. More leads should result in higher…

Ø  Monthly Sales – Another surface measurement of health, but the more “telling” figures are just beneath: a) What is the average transaction compared to year ago, b) What are the source of leads that got these sales? Usually, people DON’T ask the preceding, but jump straight to…

Ø  Sales Closing Ratio – The number of transactions resulting from the number of leads spits out this over-rated measurement. Since profit is the business’ goal, the deeper motive should probe: a) Gross margin per sale, b) Gross profit per salesperson, c) Source of highest margin sales. Closing ratio is important, but only within meaningful profit ranges. Seek both. Higher profit allows for excellent customer service, more marketing presence and the wise businessperson’s Holy Grail toward the measurement of…

Ø  Customer Retention Rate – Most don’t measure this, so here’s my first installment of Dummy’s Guide to Business Math. If you’re acquiring customers at a 15% rate (contractor average) but losing 15%, then the ‘next level’ will remain elusive. I figured that out by myself. You think the “15% loss” is over-stated? Contractor average is between 9 and 11%. If you’re making no effort to keep, you’ll eventually run out of “new” customers to acquire, and will have paid a fortune for that lesson. You’re going to lose 5% of them because they died or moved, which makes them very difficult to service. Work at Customer Retention, and you’ll naturally get this…

Ø  Customer Referral Rate – Another unscratched area that can have a profound impact on your business. Most contractors “accept” referrals – who wouldn’t? – but what if you pursued them? Reward, incentive, remind, request, just plain ASK for them in a polite, non-threatening way, and you’ll eclipse most of the dead-heads “waiting” on them to happen.

Our job, your job, is to earn a profit. In the end, the marketplace will tell you if you’re entitled. Repeat customers and referrals tell you even louder. Having the brightest employees show up to compete to work there says it louder still.

Measure the right things.

Make your customers proud to call you their own.

Adams Hudson

Question: What is a measurement YOU use successfully in your business? Answers to coaches@hudsonink.com. 

How to Integrate Email into Just About Everything

What’s in your email outbox? The communications that depart your company with your strategic outreach are still vital players in marketing today. So don’t throw out your outbox for the cooler, hipper social media. Or the be-all-end-all PPC. Keep it and apply creative strategies that include elements of social media and website integration.

How Can You Use Facebook to Build Email Lists?  

Let’s say you’re running a contest on Facebook for oldest AC, heat pump, etc., and the prize goes to the homeowner with the oldest equipment provided they pay for installation. So… you could make the email address a required part of the signup form. Create personalized emails to update entrants on the contest and to announce the winner.

Also, to boost your Facebook likes, you can place your contest behind a fan-gated Facebook tab so that they have to like the page to get the details and sign up. Another side benefit: you’ve got a list of leads and email addresses for future marketing – in this case, to people who think their system is pretty old, or in almost any case, people who have expressed an interest in services your company provides.

See how things just sort of connect? There’s a word for that: integrated.

Also, you can build an email opt-in form on Facebook to build your list. You don’t necessarily need a contest to encourage entrants but using an incentive of some type is highly advisable – whether it’s $35 off the next service call or a free whatever.

How Can You Use Email to Build Social Media Connections?

Make sure you include social media icons in your emails – but you don’t have to leave them for the bottom, as an afterthought. Go ahead and place them at the top, near your header, and you’re planting the seed for people to connect with you through social media. Also: encourage sharing. It’s not so hard – maybe just use the words “Share this email” above your social media icons. Doesn’t that sound pretty clear?

As a side note, don’t forget your blog. By all means, give your blog readers the option to receive posts by email – another useful way to build your list.

How Can You Integrate Email with Off-Line Marketing?

Make a point to include your email address in your call to action, such as “call us at or email us at .” Your email address should be an extension of your URL. (If it’s not, that’s not good; it lacks professionalism and legitimacy.)  Also, place your email address (or email links) prominently on your site, so prospects can very quickly click to get in touch.

Make it easy, make it happen. And the email addresses are yours to keep.