Feb 14, 2008
Happy chocolate hearts and candy kisses 
on this day when we celebrate love and relationships. On Diva Marketing there is a lot of time spent talking about the Big R (Relationship) Word.
In all honesty, I have always been a bit confused about how one has a relationship with an animate object like a box of cereal, a computer or even a red rose. However, what I do get is that I can develop a relationship with a person. That's one of the reasons why this social media world makes so much sense to me.
On Valentine's Day it seemed like a fun post to explore business relationships. How do you build great business relationships with people? Do "clients" and "partners/vendors/suppliers" (I'm never sure word to use)have different points of view about what is important for each?
I asked a few successful marketers to play along with me on this one. I'm excited to present 62 inspirational insights from people who work in a wide range of verticals: academia, packaged goods, retail, services, engineering, healthcare, high tech, online and in B2B, B2C and Not for Profit. To add a global perspective there are thoughts from marketers in India, Belgium and Canada. Special thanks to Julie Squires, Michael Rubin and M/errill Dubrow for extending the viral buzz to their networks. A heartfelt toss of the 
pink boa to all! Happy Valentine's and may all of your relationship be sweet.
How Do You Develop Great Business Relationships?
Clients
1. Hilary Weber, Kaiser Permanente - "Own" the relationship, meaning, "your pain is my pain and your success
is my success" -- if you have that from both parties, you will act as
one and success will follow naturally. (It's the business version of
"walk a mile in the other one's shoes", in a way).
2. Ken Bernhardt, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University
- Never forget that relationships 
are two-way; both parties must see
things as "win-win" (which requires an understanding of a win is for
the other side). The words vendor and supplier should be abolished in
favor of partner.
Donna Lynes-Miller, GourmetStation
- Easy as 1.2.3...First, there must be an alignment of needs to what is
being offered (product specification)...secondly, there must be clear
communication regarding ability to provide the product and/or service
(demand VS supply), and lastly there must be shared values (keeping
commitments, doing the right thing, behaving with integrity).
3. Nick Jacobs, Windber Medical Center - If you actually believe in a vendor, their product, their work, their support . . . voluntarily serve as a reference for the vendor. It's amazing how many breaks you'll get from a vendor with whom you partner to assist in their growth.
4. Tim Jackson, Masiguy - When it comes to supplier/ vendor/ client relationships, it's just like any other personal relationship- be honest and communicate the truth. (I could go on for days on this…) I straddle both worlds all the time, so I get to juggle both relationships every day- I have many vendors to work with and many retailers and even consumers to work with as well. All require a little something different, but they all get the same treatment of open and honest communications.
5. Randal Moss, American Cancer Society/Community Mobilization Blog - Practice courtship! Nothing turns me off more than a vendor that contacts me on a cold call with no frame of reference. Some of the
best solicitations ever have been from people who know me, or read enough of my stuff to know me, and engage me in a conversation and work their pitch into it. It is like dating, you have to engage me in a conversation to get to the next level of the relationship. By spending quality time with me you let me know you care, and I am much more apt to listen to you.
6. Becky Carroll, Customer Rock Blog (from the perspective of when I was with HP as Director of Marketing, UK and Ireland) - Include your vendor/supplier in your planning, where appropriate. When I worked for HP in the UK, I used to include a few key vendors in planning meetings once we had our internal idea session completed. This helped us make sure we were taking all needs into account - with the added benefit of making those vendors feel like part of the "team"!
7. RichardatDELL/Richard Binhammer, RichardatDELL Direct2Dell - "Listening”…which is more than hearing. It is interpreting, evaluating, learning, reacting, engage-deliver. Listening includes true dialogue and conversation, as a component.
8. Rob Madonna, Palisades Insurance - I like my vendors/suppliers to know my “story.” I don’t like to repeat
myself. I want them to know me so well that they can anticipate my
needs, how I will respond to situations and how those that use me as an
internal consultant need to understand issues.
- Hire your staff
wisely. Nothing bothers me more than frequent turn over which means I
have to “break in” a new project team. See item #1 about knowing my
story.
Let your project team have a life. I don’t like my team to
be fatigued. If they make a mistake then my recommendation will be
wrong. If that happens they make me look bad at the least and can put
me on the unemployment line at the worst. Keep them fresh, rested and
ready to be brilliant. Always price the latest project for the next
one. If you do the job I need and at the best possible price you will
earn my trust. I will come back to you for project after project.
9. Michael E. Rubin, GasPedal - "Don't go to bed angry." Communication is a two-way street, and if
there's a client-vendor issue, don't wait to air it out until later when it could boil over and permanently damage the relationship.
10. Joe Jarvis, Banana Florist - Make realistic promises and honor them to the letter, regardless of short-term losses (or gains).
11. Rick Short, Indium - COMMUNICATE: proactively, freely, honestly.
After you’ve followed
the fundamental tips of a) vetting out vendors so you only work with
highly-qualified people and b) working only with vendors you love and
love the vendors you work with
…then COMMUNICATE:
Proactively:
offer up your reactions, feelings, thoughts, uncertainties, and
everything you’ve got inside. If these vendors are good, and if they
truly care about you, they want and need your thoughts to better serve
you. They might not know to ask what’s on your mind – so offer it up.
Freely:
don’t wait to be asked, and don’t think that you are a nuisance. Since
your vendors care, they want to know everything you’re thinking. Be
free in your feedback – good vendors appreciate it – and will use it to
your benefit.
Honestly: sometimes we are all good, and sometimes we
aren’t so good. Don’t hide your weaknesses from your vendors – make
them obvious. Once they know your shortcomings, as a company, and as a
Marketing professional, they become able to “cover” for you and to
augment your offerings. Additionally, they can even hire complimentary
staff to complete your total package.
12. Nick Ayres, TheHomeDepot - Never assume - always over-communicate. As simple and "basic" as it sounds, I find I get into the most trouble when I start assuming instead of asking, prodding, inquiring, and generally working to understand exactly where peoples' heads are at.
Partner, Supplier, Vendor, Knowledge Partner, Consultant, Broker/matchmaker" of Client-Vendor Relationships, Advisor, Strategic Partner, Agency
13. Pinny, Ice.com - Just like in a real relationship you need to woo the perspective woman treat your customer that way.
14. Nettie Hartsock, Hartsock Communications - Build them with the foundation of true collaboration for the long-term marathon, not the short term sprint or just the bottom line ROI.
15. Rajesh Lalwani, BlogWorks - Passion for client's business.
16. Mary Hunt, Sustainable Products Ecolutionary Selling - Client Relationships. Do you use reciprocal currency? If money wasn't involved, would there be enough value and joint mission purpose to hold the two of you together?
17. Lewis Green, L&G Business Solutions - Meet your client’s/customer’s wants and needs, not yours.
18. Steve Woodruff, Impactiviti - Here is my (battle-tested!) input - in fact, it is the core of my business model: Discover needs that may not even relate to what you have to offer, then find a way to help out.
19. Elana Centor Funny Business - Flexibility. Sometimes clients have a good reason for missing their deadline. Sometimes you have to be able to turn on a dime. Sometimes you have to give up your weekends. If the client doesn’t have a good reason, then they need to compensate you for your flexibility, or they need to become a former client.
20. Laura "@pistachio" Fitton, Pistachio Consulting - Be genuine, helpful, friendly and useful. Demand for your services is unlimited if you create value for your clients.
21. Stacy Williams, Prominent Placement - To build a successful business relationship, you have to be willing to give more than you receive and think more about how you can benefit the other person than how they 
can benefit you. -and- Business relationships are more meaningful, lasting and rewarding if you reach beyond the sometimes impersonal nature of a business connection and get to know the warm, interesting, unique person behind it, and establish a personal relationship with them as well.
22. Larry Benet, Larry Benoit The Connector - I think one of the best ways on building successful business relationships is to tell and show your partners, vendors and suppliers how much you appreciate them.I like to send personal heartfelt greeting cards along with small tokens of my appreciation. I will enclose a Starbucks gift card, or a gift certificate to something I know they might be passionate about. If they are a reader-I will send a Barnes and Nobles gift card, if they are into home improvement-a gift card to Home Depot. I do this thru a stay in touch system I use http://www.referralmagic.net
23. Lee Odden, Top Rank Results Top Rank Blog - Start right by clearly identifying and managing expectations. There is no bigger business relationship killer than the perception of over promising and under delivering.
24. Merrill Dubrow, M/A/R/CResearch -In order to build successful business relationship it needs to be a win/win for both sides.
25. Sally Falkow, Pro active - Really listen to what your client is saying. We tend to be focused on our own agenda. We’re waiting for the chance to get our point of view across and we often miss what the client needs and wants.
26. Wendy Piersall, E Moms At Home - My advice on building successful business relationships is no different than building any other kind of relationship - build a relationship with 'people' not with 'prospects' or 'clients'. :)
27. Greg Rathjen, Marketecture - Try to remember that it is not about 'me.' Have always thought that
good marketing was simply "smart empathy" in action. Same principal applies to client vendor relations. Things go best when I put myself in their shoes and feel "their pain," so to speak, and create smart ways to fix it. When I was in the agency biz and we were pitching new business I always fell on my sword to make sure the agency credentials were last, not first. Nine times out of ten, if we demonstrated smart empathy they never even asked to see the credentials.
28. Julie Squires, Soft Scribe - Read Dale Carengie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and go and do likewise. [Interesting, this book was mentioned from stage at two separate conferences I attended in the past two weeks: SoCon’08 in Atlanta and ALIS in Los Angeles. It happens to be Softscribe Inc.’s corporate manual; every new team member gets a copy.]
29. Bill Flitter, Pheedo -The key to any successful relationship (personal or business) is to engage the other person through meaningful questions and active listening.
30. Scott Monty, The Social Media Marketing Blog - When I selected my title at crayon ("Consigliere"), I wanted to convey that I was a trusted advisor, both to my colleagues as well as to business contacts, because I believe that trust is the basis of any good relationship. But it takes more than simply telling someone you can be trusted - you need to earn their trust by demonstrating your value. As in personal relationships, it helps to put the other person first. Get rid of the WIIFM ("what's in it for me?") attitude.
Advise your client without any expectation of additional work; give them the best business advice possible; even show them solutions that may involve your competitors. If you demonstrate that you're there to help them succeed, the good clients will recognize your efforts and find you indispensable.
31. Elaine Fogel, Solutions Marketing and Consulting - When you give great customer service with honesty, integrity, and quality, they will come.
32. Joe Reger, Jr., Dneero - Whenever you ask a potential client to spend $X write two numbers on a piece of paper… the $X that you want the client to spend and the amount of cash you have in the bank. Take a moment to reflect. Even if you’re fabulously wealthy, putting the $X into the context of your personal cash will sober you up and help you empathize with your client.
If you’re married and you don’t like paper you can just say this at dinner “hey honey, I just spent $X on a new [bowling ball/fishing rod/pneumatic jack]” and see how it goes. Remember to duck. Oh, and be honest, open, genuine and kind… duh.
33. John Cass, PR Communications - Instead of concentrating on what you want, concentrate on what your partner needs, take care of them first, and you will establish credibility and trust. Once established, your partner will either reciprocate or not have the common sense to respond.Don't be downhearted if you receive no immediate response, relationships are not build in one day; they take work and a steady head.
If you are a manufacturer or software developer and working with partners, give them business initially to sweeten the relationship, its an investment in future sales opportunities. Rather than relying on an empty piece of paper for a partnership agreement, forge a real relationship with your partner/customer by calling or meeting with them on a regular basis to discuss ideas instead of sales contracts.
What's important is to work together on something, that way you will forge a relationship, and both parties will see one another in action. Don't worry in the long term the strategy will pay off and sales will follow!
34. Holly Buchanan, Grokdotcom - Don't interrupt. I know it sounds almost stupid, but don't interrupt your client when they talk. If they pause, do not rush to fill in the gap. Let them think and then complete their thought. It is MUCH harder to do than it sounds. But when your client is talking, keep your trap shut. Don't interrupt. It has this crazy effect - they think you are actually listening to them."
My two cents worth. (oops, that was probably more than one line - sorry - I do love to pontificate)
35. Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman aka The Blog SquadKeep in touch with clients by sending them links to blog posts that are relevant to their niche/field. Not only are you providing useful information, you stay top of mind with your client and position yourself as a valuable resource. For us, this has resulted in more referrals from satisfied clients.
36. Debra A Pearlman, Cambridge Buzz, Pearl Productions Love Loss Forgiveness - Like with any successful relationship, honest and open communication is key so I never try to inflate my abilities while instilling the sense that I can get the job done well.
37. Kris Krug, Static Photography - Remember names. Send bday greetings. Take blame and deflect praise. Get in where you fit in.
38. Wayne Hurlbert, Blog Business World - There is no substitute for maintaining close contact with your customers and clients. For a smaller firm, contact is maintained easily via telephone, email, social media sites, and IM. For larger client bases, a blog, social media sites, email newsletters, as well maintaining as much personal contact as possible. will maintain relationships with customers. When clients know that you are available for them to help solve their problems, and in a timely manner, they develop trust and a sense that you truly care about their concerns.
When problems arise, prompt information to the customer base is also essential. No one likes surprises, and respect will be gained for trusting your clients enough to let them know you may be experiencing some difficulties as well. Your customers can even supply the solutions to your problems, as trust and assistance are a two way street. Developing mutual trust helps everyone succeed.
39. Sherry Heyl, Empowering Concepts - When you do not know, say "I do not know"
40. Ann Green, Millard Brown - My tip would be "suspend your agenda". We should always enter business relationships with open minds and a partnership mentality.
41. Paul Chaney, Bizzuka Conversational Media Marketing - Remember that your clients aren't a number on a spreadsheet. They are real human beings with needs, passions, families and lives. As such, it's best to treat them with respect and find ways to connect on a more personal level when possible. As Seth Godin has said, "Turn strangers into customers and customers into friends." Oh, and an ancient adage still holds a timeless truth: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
42. Mark Goren, Transmission Marketing - Always listen and be as reliable as possible.
43. Jody DeVere, AskPatty.com - Become a people collector: Attend a wide variety of networking events each year as your budget and schedule allow, collect business cards, build relationships and add them all to an email address book program like constant contact or other to send a monthly fun newsy enewsletter to stay in touch and keep them up to date on what you and your business are up to!
44. Mike Sansone, ConverStations - Engage in the conversation by listening first and last.
45. Dave Taylor, The Business Blog @ Intuitive.com - Pay attention to the details. If they tell you they're not feeling well, ask them if they're better a day or two later. If their child won a prize, mention it again next time you chat.
46. Dmitriy Kruglyak, Trusted MD - IMHO, successful business relations are driven by having complementary abilities and needs. This is all about finding something that the partners or clients / vendors can help each other with. Interpersonal chemistry goes without saying.
47. Penelope Trunk, PenelopeTrunk.com - Build a successful business relationship by talking about something that's not business.
48. Drew McLellan, Drew's Marketing Minute - Always give them a little more than they’re expecting or they paid for.
49. David Berkowitz, Marketings Studio - Be giving of yourself.
50. Peter Kim, Being Peter Kim - 
Go “long” when building relationships, rather than seeking short-term dividends.
51. Des Walsh, DesWalsh.com - Love your client's business as you love your own, because in a very real sense your client's business is your own (which is probably why lawyers say "we" when they speak for their client).
52. Tom Collins, WME - See everything their way; you still may not agree with their point of view after seeing it, but this habit will give you the best chance at a long-term relationship.
53. Michelle Lamar, Online and Social Media - If YOU would not write a check for the product or service out of YOUR personal checking account, don't recommend that a client should spend the money. It helps prioritize client spending decisions for marketing.
54. Dina Mehta, MOSOCI - "Be the change you want to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi
Playing Both Sides of the Street
55. Wendy Maynard, Kinesisic - Always respect your vendors and pay them on time.
56. Ann Handley, Marketing Profs MPDailyFix.com annhandley.com
- I guess I don't really draw a distinction between business
relationships and personal relationships -- not in a weirdly
inappropriate way, but in the sense that I try to treat those I
interact with some similar fundamentals: I try to be approachable,
accessible, friendly and respectful. Until, you know, you piss me off.
: )
57. B.L. Ochman, WhatsNextOnLine - Instead of behaving like the Vice President of Sales Prevention,
concentrate on what you CAN do, not what you CAN'T; then under-promise,
over-deliver.
58. Beth Kanter, Beth's Blog - The rules of reciprocity help build successful business
relationships. Following this rule, I've never had to make this
speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1RcTeAJ6GY
59. Luc Debaisieux, mind blob - Empathy and trust. If the first one is possible (empathy) and
bilateral, the second (trust) leads to building successful business
relationships.
60. Y
vonne DiVita, Lip-Sticking
- Listen between the lines. People often don't verbalize what they
really want or mean. They skirt the issue a bit, they hem and haw, and
hope you'll read their mind. If you feel this happening (by listening
between the lines), start asking some focused questions to uncover
what's really going on. Then, solve the issue - even if it means
sending them to a competitor.
61. Christopher Carfi, Social Customer - Stop creating tired brochures and cookie-cutter websites and templated press releases, and instead to actually interact at a human level with your customers and prospects.
62. Toby Bloomberg, Diva Marketing - Leave your ego at the door but bring your skills, passion and values to the party. Know when it's time to leave the party too.
63. Your Ideas ...
Dec 12, 2007
Many of the folks who pop into Diva Marketing are consultants. Some people are traditional consultants who serve many different clients. Other are internal consultants whose job it is to provide support within their own organizations.
Consulting is a profession where head and heart are both critical. In fact, often the person with the best technical skills may not succeed to the extent as the person with the best people skills. The ability to form and sustain collaborative relationships is key.
One of my favorite undertakings has been co-teaching a management consulting class at
Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. This is my 4th year as part of this innovative course where undergraduate (juniors and seniors) students are matched with non profit "clients" and assume 95% of managing client relations. This unique program was profiled in Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell's ebook Creating Customer
Evangelists - click on Bloomberg Marketing and highlighted in the Atlanta Business
Chronicle.
It's always a time of fun learning for me. This year I had the pleasure of working with a great class and with one of the most talented consultants in O&M (organization and management)- Prof. Peter Topping. 2007 clients were: AHMENhousing, PeopleTV, Camp Horizon, Cobb Medical Society, Literacy Action, Theatre In The Square, It's A Journey, Atlanta Police Foundation
At our pizza party last class the students told us some of their lessons learned about consulting.
- There is no set path you have to be ready to change as you go along.
- I will never forget how important it is to define the scope.
- You need to know if the client has the ability to implement your recommendations.
- It would be nice to know if the client will actually do anything with your strategy.
- Never know how much red tape there will be and what will be simple or easy to get (note in terms of data from the client) or more difficult.
- I learned I don't want to be a consultant.
- Understanding the organizational structure and who to go to for information.
- Everything takes longer than you think.
- Opinions (about what to do and how to do it) can vary within an organization.
- Every time we met with the client there was a new piece of information that could have helped us if we had known it sooner.
- The client's list of stuff he wanted from the project seemed to grow every time we met.
- Every project is different and you have to adjust to the company (culture).
- Keep your eyes on the primary goals.
Agree? Disagree? What are your lessons learned from consulting or from working with a consultant?
Sep 28, 2007
Today's post is a Two-for-One. It's Friday Fun - Friday Fun is Diva Marketing's virtual happy hour from cosmos to
Jack to lemonade. A waiting for the weekend 'playground' time to be
sophisticated-silly. Or sometimes just plain silly. Combine with Biz Blog Profile - Biz Blog Profiles! is a behind the scene look at how corporations, non profits, higher education institutions and the arts are using blogs to support their marketing goals.
Take a brand with an image challenge. Add a unique positioning strategy targeting a new segment. Overlay it with the limitations (people and money) of a not for profit. Sprinkle with an innovative, never been done before social media strategy. Toss in a few vintage dresses.
Mix well. Welcome to the world of the
Goodwill of Greater Washington.
About Goodwill of Greater Washington
Goodwill of Greater Washington provides job training and employment services to people with disadvantages and disabilities throughout the greater Washington, DC region. We fund our mission through diverse lines of business including our chain of nine retail stores, two e-commerce sites, landscaping, pest control and janitorial contract services, as well as a small amount of traditional fundraising (about 10%).
About Brendan Hurley
I have been a marketing professional for 15 years, with a BA in Communications and an MS in Marketing. I spent most of my career in the “for profit” sector, working primarily in the radio industry marketing for a variety of radio groups including Clear Channel Communications. I came to Goodwill as the VP of Marketing when Clear Channel’s Regional Senior VP became Goodwill’s CEO in late 2003. What I enjoy about Goodwill is that it is a charitable agency that helps the community, but also runs more like a business than a traditional non profit.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Vintage shopping is great fun but Brendan, I must admit when I think of diva, cool places to discover cute clothes Goodwill is not top of mind. However, you not only are changing the image of Goodwill of Greater Washington but are creating a new positioning for the organization … from thrift shop to vintage fashion.
How and why did an organization, that is not known for innovation in marketing, decide to step into the world of social media to support and promote that new direction?
Brendan Hurley: There is an interesting disparity in the vintage and classic fashion world. If you spend $150 on an outfit at a high end vintage retailer, it’s considered hip, but if you buy the same outfit at a Goodwill store or “thrift” store, many consumers perceive it as old and used.
We didn’t want to alienate our core customers, many of whom are bargain shoppers, but we needed to find a way to grow a secondary market segment for Goodwill that we felt we could impact with the right positioning: young, professional females, who tend to be a primary market segment for vintage retailers. Ultimately we felt that a social media strategy would help us address this need.
Toby/Diva Marketing: In a recent guest blog post on The Buzz Bin you said something very interesting:
It wasn’t until I started developing our 2007 strategic marketing plan that I finally figured out my problem: I was trying too hard to develop a social networking strategy instead of incorporating social networking into my marketing strategy.
It’s the concept that I’ve been trying to help marketers understand. Would you please discuss that a bit more? How did you “get it.”
Brendan Hurley: Like many marketers (I think), I didn’t fully understand social networking as a “tactic” incorporated into a strategy. I kept wondering how we could integrate social networking into our marketing plan (trying to force it) rather than identifying our organizational challenges and applying the best marketing methods to address those challenges.
Once I did that, the answer became clear: The use of social networking would achieve multiple strategic objectives. It was like a light bulb went off. An integrated social networking and new media plan would help us reach the audience we were targeting without alienating our core shopper, drive traffic to our virtual fashion show that we knew would convince visitors we had a good product, then provide them with an easy portal to our online retail store to make a quick purchase. By integrating mission messages into each step along the way, we could also educate the population on the nature of Goodwill’s mission, thereby developing greater passion for our cause while generating brand loyalty. The flow seemed very natural.
The only problem was that while I had read blogs before, I had never written one, so I didn’t understand the strategy behind it and how to make it compelling and sustainable. Fortunately, I knew Geoff Livingston of Livingston Communications from a marketing committee we both serve on at the Greater Washington Board of Trade and I asked him if he would consult us on finding appropriate vintage fashion websites on which to advertise, and on launching our blog.
It was Geoff that taught me that we had to treat the blog just like any other product with a mission statement, logo, positioning statement, etc. Doing so has helped us stay focused and forced us to maintain product integrity so that the blog doesn’t become another blatant advertisement that will simply turn off any half educated reader. The content has value and I believe that is what keeps readers coming back.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Let’s talk about your exciting initiatives.
First the Goodwill Fashion Blog. Was it difficult to get buy-in from your board and how was it presented to them?
Brendan Hurley: Our board LOVED the idea. They believed that the use of new media was quite innovative in the non profit sector. And certainly the use of fashion to help educate others on our mission was a very unique strategy. While they seemed quite confident, my team and I were responsible for the execution of this complex initiative, so I was a a bit nervous having never launched such an effort before. Fortunately, I have a fantastic team. Our blogger, “The DC Goodwill Fashionista”, is an employee, Em Hall, who is very keen on fashion. She loves writing the blog and is very talented.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Did you establish success measures or goals and if so what were they?
Brendan Hurley: We set financial goals for the fashion show, which we’ve already achieved. We also set a goal on the number of unique visitors to the fashion show (10,000) which we are close to hitting now and we haven’t even posted the video on YouTube yet. Right now, the only place the fashion show can be seen is on our website.
We have a financial goal for our silent auction, but it hasn’t ended yet, so I can’t tell you whether or not we’ll hit that number. However, I can tell you that we’ve already successfully converted better than 14% of our fashion show viewers into Goodwill online shoppers. That is a number I had no idea we’d achieve. Our brick and mortar retail sales increased measurably as well in the two weeks since the fashion show launched. However, I can’t say whether those numbers are sustainable at this point and how much the virtual fashion show and blog influenced that growth.
As for the blog, I would have been happy with 100 visitors a week and a retention rate of 25% after less than 90 days, but we’re presently averaging about 700 visitors a week and a retention rate of close to 40%. The blog has also become the second largest referral source for our fashion show.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Did you perceive any risks in stepping into the blogosphere with a blog that has open comments? What strategies are in place to mitigate risk?
Brendan Hurley: When we decided to pursue a blogging strategy, it was an easy decision for us to establish a policy of posting both positive and negative comments, provided they were not inappropriate. No comments go live without our review first. However, I am a firm believer in transparency and integrity and if someone criticizes us, it will be seen.
Toby/Diva Marketing: The DC Goodwill Fashionista
seems to be having such fun with her posts but why did you choose to go the anonymous blogger route?
Brendan Hurley: That was a strategic decision to protect the long term sustainability of the blog. We decided to give the blogger an alias because at some point, the author of the blog may change.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Then you took a step into wild side with the launch of what may be the first online fashion show from a not for profit - The Fashion of Goodwill Virtual Runway Show and Virtual Auction. Please tell us the back-story.
Brendan Hurley: For three years we have held an annual Goodwill Fashion Show that was designed primarily as a fundraiser and secondarily as an attempt to help change perceptions of the quality of fashions available at Goodwill Stores. Unfortunately, while the unique fashion show received some good publicity, only a limited number of people could attend the event because it had a high ticket price attached to it.
By converting our live fashion show into a virtual fashion show that we could post on our website and promote through social networks, we believed we could reach a broader and younger market segment by providing entertaining and compelling content that would interest and excite the viewer. This would also make our sponsors happy because we’d be reaching thousands of people rather than a few hundred who could attend a live event.
Creating a fashion blog and pages on social networking sites like MySpace would not only help drive traffic to the fashion show and our online auction site, but also give us access to influential social networks that may help position Goodwill as a knowledgeable resource on vintage and contemporary fashion, while also positioning our stores as untapped destinations for inexpensive vintage and contemporary fashions, rather than stores for low income shoppers. So far the virtual fashion show has been a big hit!
Toby/Diva Marketing: How is the eBay Auction working for you?
Sidebar: Today - 9-28-07 - is the last day of the auction.
Take a break and do a little virtual shopping for a few cute vintage pieces .. at bargain prices! Send me a photo of you in your new outfit and I'll post it on Diva.
Brendan Hurley: Since the auction hasn’t ended yet, I can’t tell you if we’ve hit our financial goal, but I believe we will. We’ve got a lot of watchers on our site. Our fashion show has become the second biggest referral source to our eBay store behind eBay itself.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Were there any surprises along the way in terms of what people bid or perhaps who bid?
Brendan Hurley: Yes, there are people bidding on some items I didn’t think would get much interest and other items I thought would be popular that few people are watching. We did discover through some additional research that a Versace china collection is worth much more than we had originally thought. The interest in that china has really skyrocketed. There is also an interesting vintage circa 1920s clutch purse that I am not personally fond of, but is getting a great deal of interest from eBay shoppers. Then again, I don’t know a lot about purses.
Toby/Diva Marketing: Hmm .. eBay today .. perhaps Second Life next year. A few diva-type 
questions .. Who were the models?
Brendan Hurley: The models were fantastic. They were all local and supplied by Tu-Anh. Tu-Anh is a locally based, but internationally experienced fashion designer and consultant who volunteered her time. She runs a professional fashion consultancy called Polished. She knew exactly who to ask and all of them modeled for free.
Toby/Diva Marketing: How were the garments chosen and who put together the outfits?
Brendan Hurley: All of the items were literally taken off the racks from our nine DC area Goodwill Retail Stores by Tu-Anh and her staff. It didn’t take them long. I think they were only hunting for a few days before they had an entire collection. What can I say…the stuff you can find at Goodwill is pretty good! You just need to look.
Toby/Diva Marketing: How will you sustain this new positioning and does social media fit into the Goodwill of Greater Washington’s long-term marketing strategy?
Brendan Hurley: I suspect that we’ll see a bit of a drop off once the auction ends and the initial excitement over the fashion show starts to fade, but we’re committed to a long term blogging presence and will very likely do another virtual fashion show next year. The challenge now is sustaining and building upon our early success.
Toby/Diva Marketing: What were a few of the lessons learned?
Brendan Hurley: First, treat your blog like a product, not a strategy. Second, to be successful at a blog you need to be willing to make the commitment. A blog requires much more research and time than I would have ever thought.
Toby/Diva Marketing: What advise would you give a not for profit who wanted to step into the social media space?
Brendan Hurley: I would tell them something that sounds like a cliché: Think out of the box. If you want to engage a new audience and educate them on your mission, you don’t necessarily have to force your mission upon them.
Engage them using a common interest. If your cause is homelessness, maybe think about developing a blog about homeowner related issues and weave your mission into the blog content. You’ll reach a broader variety of people, develop a personal relationship with them and then gain their trust and support. The population that is already passionate about your cause is going to support you anyway. Use the blog as a way to acquire new untapped supporters.
Brendan Hurley On Social Media
Your take on using social media as a marketing / business strategy. Your get the last word (smile)
I’m amazed at how others are willing to market your product or service for you if they feel it has value. Build an online product with significance and treat it with the respect you would give any more tangible product or service. If you do, you won’t have a problem finding people willing to help you communicate your message.
Sep 20, 2007
On the AMA road again with BBFs Dana Van Heuvel and Bill Flitter. This time we are talking about not only blogs but social media .. from Second Life to widgets to how to ensure that social meets begins to get the respect we believe it's due as a credible marketing strategy. It was great fun talking social media with so many great people.
Next Stop: Chicago on October 26th. Next Next Stop: Las Vegas on November 9th. More Information.
Dana posted many of the links that we talked about today; it's a great resource for all.
The following are some questions along with responses that came out of the session.
B2B Versus B2C Blog Strategy/Expectations
Q: Is there a difference in expectations between Business-to-business versus Business-to-consumer blogging?
A: B2B may not receive as many comments but the bloggers may receive more direct emails. Especially if the industry is very competitive your community may not want to engage in direct comment conversation. Including an email link is critical .. funny to me how so many business blogs don't add an email link as a way to contact the blogger/s.
A: The credibility of B2B bloggers should be established. Build blogger profiles to include both professional credentials, as well as, a bit of personal background. Of course, since this is part of a blog the tone will be conversational not corporate speak.
Widgets
Q: What makes a widget a widget?
A: Dynamic content, download-able, interactive (does something), pulls content from a feed
Q: Widgets - do they require any behind the scene manual maintenance?
A: Nope .. or not usually.
A: Widget distribution directories: Facebook, Widgetbox, Snipperoo, Clearspring
A: Widget code is not universal. For example the widgets created for Facebook can not be added to a blog or website.
Q: Are widgets and other social media tools 508 (handicap) compliant?
A: Widgets do not appear to be; however, since blogs are websites they (blogs) could be made 508 compliant.
Content
Q: How much of your content came from your head alone to the outside?
A: As you continue to blog and build community ideas come from other people within your community who link to you and comment; also ideas come from other bloggers who write on similar topics who are also part of your extended community.
Blog Platform
Q: What are some blog platforms?
A: Hosted Solutions
Blogger
Blog Harbor
Typepad
Non Hosted Solutions
WordPress
Comparison chart - hosted and non hosted solution
The Nay Sayers
Q: What do you tell people who say I can't see the relevancy .. I don't get it.
A: Start with your customers. As with any marketing strategy, it comes down to the supremacy of the customer and what the customer wants. It's not about you.
Updated: Interesting interview with corporate CEOs on negative comments
Q: How do you get people to come to your new blog in addition to search engine?
A: Social media press room - Shift Communications
A; Anyway you promote a website you can promote your blog. Add to your email signature, your business card, collateral materials, send emails or direct mail to your contact list.
A: Social media optimization: tagging, del.icio.us account, blog directories, claim your blog in Technorati, join your community in conversation including linking and trackback, widgets.
A: Hold a launch celebration and invite your bloggers, staff, customers and friends to an in-house party.
Q: In healthcare do customers trust peer-to-peer or medical sites/blogs?
A: Post on Diva Marketing links to research done by Economic and Research Council.
Aug 1, 2007
Bloggers are a funny lot. We love to chat it up. We love to build relationships. As we've seen time and again we are quick to come to our own conclusions. Maybe too quick at times. Limited information, not understanding the context and cultural nuances make it so easy to misconstrue some one's intentions. I raise my hand to doing that .. and having that done to me. No one is granted immunity on this one.
Social spaces from blogs to Twitter to Facebook and M-or-e provide easy, free ways to tell our closest friends and friends we don't even know our opinions. That's great for the most part. And no girlfriend bloggers are not researchers or even journalists but sometimes we might want to go an extra step. Especially when it might result in a better conversation.
This week I wrote a post, Blogger Relations: A Side Step To Buy Buzz, and included information and links to several interesting research projects. Part of that information was pulled from a media release from Agency.com about their study, Who Is Driving Social Media, an analysis of what they term influencers - "uploaders." Here's a clip from the post.
The big strategic implication of the Uploaders study is clear – brands need to think of these digital influencers as a resource, not a target. - Dr. Paul Marsden.
That's an interesting concept. Agency.com doesn't say brands should build relationships and expand community with bloggers but instead suggests that bloggers should be positioned as a "resource." And what is a "target?" I've sent off an eMail to Marianne Stefanowicz, Assoc. Director, PR & Marketing Agency.com Worldwide asking for clarification. Ms Stefanowicz was indicated as a contact on the release. Perhaps she'll drop a comment or respond back. If she does I'll let you know.
Marianne Stefanowicz, Assoc. Director, PR & Marketing Agency.com Worldwide graciously responded to my email and agreed to let me post her response. Now we have a better understanding of what was behind Dr. Marsden's remark. And a nice little road map of how to engage bloggers.
Hi Toby - and thank you for your inquiry.
I fielded your question in the direction of James Clifton and this was his response:
The Ultimate Answer is an answer to the Ultimate Question which is a school of thinking led by Bain and Co http://bain.com/theultimatequestion/home.asp
The essence of the quote is that we need to treat people as a ‘resource’ - so listen to them, make them brand advisors by involving them in marketing and product innovation. By doing this, you create genuine dialogue and engagement which helps to make them advocates of a brand.
We should NOT to treat them as a passive ‘target audience’ which we simply message at through advertising.
Hope this helps. Please reach out if you want further information or to talk to James directly.
I did a little more digging and followed Marianne's link which led to the book written by Fred Reichheld, The Ultimate Question. The book addresses how to build community and customer loyalty by answering one, seemingly simple question: Would you recommend us to a friend or colleague? By the way, Mr. Reichheld has a blog and Dr. Marsden blogs too. Sweet. I sent Fred Reichheld an email. Perhaps he'll drop by and leave a few words of wisdom. Who knows .. strange and wonderful things happen all the time in the blogosphere.
Lessons Learned: Reach out. You may find someone like Marianne who is happy to help ensure understanding. And if you pass that along to your community .. that's a powerful way to use social media tools.
Jul 26, 2007
In 2005, I met a cool divo by the name of Peter Flaschner, The Blog Studio, who presented me with an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.
Peter offered to create a custom new blog “skin” for Diva Marketing. Through a series of posts, that included all the comps, we involved the community in the redesign. The invaluable feedback strongly influenced the design you're viewing. It was an awesome and fun experience and we all learned together what makes a great blog design.
A few weeks ago (at the SITC New Media Nouveaux) I met a cool divo by the name of Ken Yarmosh, Viget Labs, who presented me with an opportunity I couldn’t refuse. Ken offered to take a look at the mysterious tech side of Diva Marketing and provide some suggestions on how to optimize Diva.
Ken’s suggestions will range from functionality to some SEO stuff and perhaps some design ideas. We'll also review the flow and navigation. But Ken went one step further. Not only did he present this great opportunity to me but to the cool divo - Geoff Livingston, The Blog Buzz.
As with the Diva design, I thought it would be another great experience to share with you and Ken agreed. So over the next few weeks Diva and The Blog Buzz will get a check up (Ken promised it wouldn’t hurt). Geoff and I will keep you posted on what the “Blog Docs” at Viget Labs find.
In case you’re wondering why Geoff and I would trust our “babies” to 
Viget Labs, Viget Labs is a web consulting firm, of talented developers and marketers, based outside of Washington DC.
They’ve done some amazing work including the development of Seth Godin’s Squidoo and Brittany Spears' website. Hmm .. from Seth to Brittany .. and The Buzz Blog and Diva Marketing .. what a range! This is sure to be an interesting adventure.
May 23, 2007
Last Sunday I was flipping channels and came across the Frank Capra film Mr. Smith Goes To Washington. You remember .. the flick about this naive senator, played by Jimmy Stewart, who stands up for truth, justice and the American dream.
But it wasn't the political aspects that drew me in to watch this film on a beautiful spring afternoon. It was the story of how in 1939 Mr. Smith was at the mercy of big money, who owned the press, and the media in general, to tell his story. I wanted to cry out .. blog .. podcast .. Twitter!
Flash into 2007 and the media and big bucks don't control the flow of information. There are millions of people who talk to millions of people every day. And millions of people who are listening to those conversations. Bloggers. They are called bloggers. People who write about what makes them laugh and
sometimes what makes them cry. People who write about what is important
to them. Links build pathways for extended conversations. Along the way they connect with others who feel the same way
and create friendships which often morph ito larger communities.
Now a funny thing happened. The very people, who like our friend Mr. Smith, tried so hard to get noticed by the media suddenly found themselves in a position where they influenced opinion. PR and advertising professionals and brand marketers began to knock at their virtual doors. Here was a new channel where promotional messages could be passed along to a target audience. Rather like little online newspapers. Or so it seemed.
Well, not quite. Bloggers are not The Press. They are not Journalists. They are just
.. well, people. But the pr and advertising and brand professionals seemed not to notice. They send silly press releases or emails that pretend to "know" the bloggers. They send messages that are often too jolly, often too crafted and often too slick. They play by the rules of old media relations not of new social media communication.
The Agency's Pitch: Hopefully you're not just learning about the social network
Facebook.com from That Girl. But the truth is, today's media
landscape is shifting too fast for even many bloggers to keep up with
on their own.
Diva Marketing's Response To The Agency: BTW .. I've been working in the social media space since 2004 ... gosh
darn I think that was before [agency] entered the space. So
nope .. guess I've been learning about social media from more than from
just Facebook; although Facebook is nothing to sneeze about.
So what does a blogger do when she's frustrated with yet one more lame pitch? She reaches out to her friends who have been down this road more times than she .. like BL Ochman and Jeneane Sessum and Yvonne Divita. Remember she's part of a community so she just might share her views with more than a few friends. She might share her views with her readers and Google searchers as well. Although the pr and advertising and brand marketers were hoping for some buzz, this wasn't what they quite had in mind. For the pr and advertising and brand marketers who are new to social media .. this one is for you!
12 Blogger Relations Secrets For PR, Advertising and Brand Marketers
1. Read my blog - more than one post would be nice
2. Read the About page
3. Targeted is better than slick. Relevant is key. I may write for "me" but I also write for the awesome divas and divos who read Diva. Want to know the secret to that? See #1.
4. Tell who you are and who you are working with/for; a signature line would be helpful.
5. Respond to email requests for additional information
6. Provide live links
7. Offer access to interviews and additional information
8. Ask if I want to receive future emails from you/your organization - and take me off your email list if I do not want to play with you.
9. Join me in the conversations. Drop a comment on a post. Send me an email note about a post I wrote.
10. Remember what your Mama taught you. A follow-up thank you for mentions would really be over the top.
11. Be a bit bloggy .. people like to do business with people they like. Let's face it .. I'm helping you do your job. By providing relevant information you may be helping me with content ideas but your competitors are knocking on my door too and I only write so many posts.
12. Vino,chocolate, trips to Paris are good. Max likes treats too .. only kidding! Don't know who Max is .. guess you haven't read my blog. See #1.
Bonus: In the world of social media relationships are the new currency.
Read more
Diva Marketing - From Blogger Relation to Blogger Relations Programs
Marketing Roadmaps - More Blogger Relations
Lip-Sticking - Why Should I Care About You?
whatsnextblog - Vocus Demonstrates How To Screw Up Blogger Relations
Allied - Bad Blogger Pitch Week
Apr 3, 2007
In the summer of 2006, 
Coca Cola learned a lesson that reflects it's 1970 tagline "It's The Real Thing" when EppyBird dumped a bunch of Mentos in some diet coke bottles and created a viral video that rocked the fizz off of the World's Most Valuable Brand.
Sidebar: Being Reasonable has an interesting post about the history of Coke taglines.
Coke executives saw first hand how consumers can take over the perception of a carefully crafted brand message. The Real Thing was what the consumers made it .. not the message controlled by the brand. Even a brand as powerful as Atlanta-based Coca Cola. Read more: Media Post article (free registration required)
The story's gone round and round from blog-to-blog for months. What is new is the lessons learned that Tom Daly, Coca Cola Global Interactive Marketing, shared at the Atlanta Interactive Marketing Association, AiMA, meeting last week. Congrats! to Wade Forst, Spunlogic, who chaired the event.
Tom's presentation focused on Coke's entree into consumer generated branding. His talk was especially interesting to me since we had volleyed emails last summer about the Diet Coke/Mentos buzz on the blogopshere. I encouraged him to join the conversation but seems Coke wasn't ready go that route.
Sidebar: An organization's culture is a major determining factor of when (let's not say "if") employees can actively participate. In the meantime, monitoring the discussion is the first step and Coke is doing that. But that's a post for another day.*
Tom described two video strategies. The first was "Poetry in Motion Challenge" hosted and judged by the EppyBird Guys.
The second was a winter holiday v-card (video) strategy - Holiday Wishcast - developed in conjunction with YouTube. Coke provided people with the opportunity to create viral v-cards on YouTube. Video insert options included creating your own, downloading a YouTube video or a classic Coke commercial. Max loved this CGM video where the pooch sings carols .. he joined right in .. virtual worlds and offline worlds intersecting!
People could then choose to send their cards to friends and relatives or share them with the world at Coca Cola's Wishcast site. As with text e-cards the v-cards could be customized with a personal greeting.
Marketing included traditional, interactive and blogger relations: press campaigns by YouTube and Coca-Cola, targeted search and online marketing, animated Web ads, communication to influential bloggers and podcasters. In addition Coke's presence on the v-card provided a viral reinforcement of offering.
7 Lessons Learned
Branding 2.0: The New Online Community
1. This is Complex - It’s complex and it carries risk
- The campaign was designed quickly, with holiday-driven dates as immovable.
- Many corporate and business functions were impacted, and mitigation strategies to distribute workload and traffic with partners made design and execution even more complex.
2. Fish Where the Fish Are - Stop trying to get them into your pool first. The prize isn’t the Prize. The Experience is the Prize
- The campaign offered intuitive user experiences.
- Coke saw immensely more engagement and response to calls to action in this one promotion than in all other efforts to date combined.
3. Users Love to Watch Our Ads - More than they hate advertising.
- No contest was run – no finalists, no judges, no prizes.
- Everybody “won” and the reward was near-immediate.
<
on this day when we celebrate love and relationships. On Diva Marketing there is a lot of time spent talking about the Big R (Relationship) Word. 
pink boa to all! Happy Valentine's and may all of your relationship be sweet.
are two-way; both parties must see
things as "win-win" (which requires an understanding of a win is for
the other side). The words vendor and supplier should be abolished in
favor of partner.
Proactively:
offer up your reactions, feelings, thoughts, uncertainties, and
everything you’ve got inside. If these vendors are good, and if they
truly care about you, they want and need your thoughts to better serve
you. They might not know to ask what’s on your mind – so offer it up.
can benefit you. -and- Business relationships are more meaningful, lasting and rewarding if you reach beyond the sometimes impersonal nature of a business connection and get to know the warm, interesting, unique person behind it, and establish a personal relationship with them as well.
Go “long” when building relationships, rather than seeking short-term dividends.
vonne DiVita, Lip-Sticking
- Listen between the lines. People often don't verbalize what they
really want or mean. They skirt the issue a bit, they hem and haw, and
hope you'll read their mind. If you feel this happening (by listening
between the lines), start asking some focused questions to uncover
what's really going on. Then, solve the issue - even if it means
sending them to a competitor.
