How much is a piece of tape worth?

If you stop at Target, you can pick up a roll of Duct Tape for around $6-$8 plus tax.

Measure about a 6 inch length and cut it off.

Then, tape it across your mouth, and it becomes priceless.

Can you see the ordinary in extraordinary ways? If you do, you have the potential of creating something magical.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Figment Consulting looks for the extraordinary in the ordinary, bringing out fresh ideas that stick.

Turning the corner

Sometimes turning the corner is merely a precursor to going around in circles (or squares).

Sometimes turning the corner is merely to hide from what is behind you.

Sometimes turning the corner is the result of going the wrong way.

Sometimes turning the corner is exactly what you intended to do. In this instance before you make any turns, you must decide you will turn, and determine where you want to go once you make the turn.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Consulting a la carte

Are you struggling to attract new leads?

Are you wasting money on ineffective advertising?

Is your message not resonating with prospects?

Is your executive team not aligned with the core mission?

Is your marketing plan proving ineffective and inefficient, and your costs are rising?

Need help positioning your company or product effectively?

Do you simply need new ideas?

Want to know how to stand out from the competition?

Recently I have spent time on Google Hangout consulting with clients helping each one find a solution for each of the questions posed above. They didn't have the financing in place to hire a consultant full time, or they were in go-to-market mode and simply needed a one-time consultation to better align their plan with their values. So, they reached out to me and asked if we could consult with them on an hourly basis rather than full-time program.

It has proven successful for our clients over these past few months, and we are now rolling it out a little more formally as Consulting a la carte.

We work together over a Google Hangout to minimize any and all expenses, and spend the amount of time you determine you need to achieve your objective. You walk away with ideas, plans, and solutions you can measure to see the impact. You only return if you need us again. No strings attached.

Visit our web site at www.figment-consulting.com to see all of our services, and to learn more about our Google Hangout Consulting a la carte.

Or, go ahead and email me at houston@figment-consulting.com and we can arrange a time for you from the comforts of where you are.

houston@figment-consulting.com

When they go behind your back, what do you do?

You work diligently on a proposal for a new client in order to introduce them to a new market. Your research demonstrates what they can expect in returns, where they should go, even offering what they should say, and then you submit it.

You wait. Then, after a few weeks the response comes that "they can't afford you."

Fast forward a few weeks, and then you begin to see them put your plan into action.

What do you do?

You give. You give with gratitude.

You understand that you reap what you sow. And, by giving graciously with gratitude, you will reap rewards beyond measure.

This was my recommendation to a client of mine who faced this, and she has seen those rewards come far beyond what she believed possible. They didn't come from the potential client, however, they did come from the two other new clients she obtained by having the time to serve them.

In life we can either seek to take or we can search for ways to give. Choose give.

houston@figment-consulting.com

If at first you don't succeed . . .

We all know the saying so say it with me: If at first you don't succeed, try try again.

But is it worth remembering? Is it good advice? Or could a slight adjustment radically alter our thinking on it?

If at first you don't succeed, learn from your mistake, make the necessary adjustments, then try try again. Repeat.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Customer service is an investment.

It is not an expense, as some would have you believe.

It is not marketing, though it does market you.

It is not a program, though programs are involved.

It is not a department, though it may need a department.

It is not a position, though positions may be involved.

It is a culture that has been invested in by the company (the people) on a daily basis, consistently over time.

Bad customer service . . .

. . . doesn't really have to be bad, just not good enough.

. . . is not the opposite of great customer service.

. . . can simply be mediocre.

. . . is found more in the details than one would imagine.

. . . can be more about attitude than action.

. . . can overcome good intentions.

. . . can offset beautiful marketing.

. . . by one can intrude on good service from others.

. . . can easily invade the company culture and spread quickly.

. . . should not be accepted (not just by the customer, but by the company).

houston@figment-consulting.com

The IF Factor

Add if to what and the dynamic is radically altered.

Replace should with if and it opens wide the doors to possibilities.

Let if stand alone and imagination is unleashed.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Having followers does not make you a leader.

Use of fear, threats, and loss are easy and quick ways to motivate employees. It also shines a spotlight on the lack of leadership skills for the one in charge. Fake leaders do not have the ability nor the desire to put in the work of leading, Instead, they turn to the quick and easy, justify it to themselves, and continue to build the facade around them.

Real leaders inspire, encourage, and allow for others to shine. Real leaders search for solutions, not accolades. Real leaders are as concerned about the means as they are the results knowing the latter very seldom justifies the former.

A real leader is a leader irregardless of whether or not they have followers. And, having followers does not make one a leader -- it simply puts one in charge.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Be the change . . .

Be the change you wish to see in the world. Or, change the be.

It is not whether you succeed or fail but whether you try.

So, if you cannot be the change you wish to see in the world, then change the be and focus on something else that does excite you enough to take action.

houston@figment-consulting.com

I don't know.

Three simple words, and yet so difficult for many of us to say.

It took years for me to master these words, and there are times where the small voice inside me continues to provide me with doubt as to whether or not they should be said again. But, I also understand the power that comes with being able to say, "I don't know."

Saying it doesn't mean you can't learn it.

Saying it doesn't mean you can't find the answer (see google.com for that).

In fact, saying it frees you up to grow, to further your knowledge and expertise, and to become even better at what you do.

You may want to give it a try.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Two mistakes made by email marketers

Having someone's email address is of high value, and carries with it great responsibility.

For marketers, there is constant tension in how to handle the email addresses within their database, knowing the degradation rate each year.

And, many of them tend to make two primary mistakes:

1. Emailing too often

What prompted this blog post for me this morning was the fact that within a span of 30 minutes I received two emails from Rosetta Stone -- both pertaining to the same content centered around Valentine's Day. The first one had a title of "Ignite Your Child's Love of Language" and arrived at 9:13 a.m. this morning. The second one arrived at 9:37 a.m. with the title "Your Special Offer Has Arrived."

Each morning for the past week I have received an email from Rosetta Stone. But, they are not the worst. That would fall to My Publisher, in my opinion. Rosetta Stone is at least trying to offer some content-oriented incentive (love of learning, enriching experience, etc.) whereas My Publisher, in the words of Meghan Trainor, is all about the discount, bout the discount, bout the discount - no full price.

2. Not emailing often enough

I sign up for Inbound marketing from different companies to watch and learn how they utilize the permission being granted to them. And while most companies tend to make the mistake listed above, there are others that tend to be too hesitant in the use of their email database.

In today's short-attention-span world, is an email once a month enough to keep your database of families engaged?

The goal is to find that middle ground where you are contacting them regularly enough to illicit positive behavior from them, but not too often that it becomes a commodity, or worse a nuisance in their inbox.

Sure, content is the main driver, and that is expected here in this discussion -- give them something that is valuable to them (other than just discounts). But, with all of the CRM tools available today, companies should be able to determine where that middle ground of frequency lies based on the analytic information at their disposal.

Who do you think is doing the Inbound Marketing right? Who are those that are bombarding you? Interested to hear your thoughts.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Sometimes the obvious is obviously difficult to see.

With a first name of Houston, and thanks to NASA, I have had to endure introducing myself to people and then hearing the phrase, "Houston, we have a problem. Bet you have never heard that before have you?"

I have always tried to reply with a polite and oftentimes witty answer to make light of it, and make them feel at ease. Truth be told, it grew old early on in life. I always related to the actors who had delivered a memorable line, or found themselves trying to avoid being typecast because of a particular role. In interviews, they would often be asked about people approaching them on the street and asking them to say that line. Or, the comedians who would be at a gathering and people always expecting them to be funny. For me, it was similar -- new person, first introduction, okay, here we go again. "Houston huh, I bet you have never heard . . ."

And then, an epiphany of sorts (though after this length of time, not sure it can be called an epiphany) in that I realized that perhaps I was looking at this all wrong. After all, Prince was a great name for a musician, thought he did change his name to a symbol (maybe I should consider that). No, the real answer, the real solution here is to realize the potential of this and even send NASA a thank-you letter.

I have spent my life, in essence, solving problems. I work with companies and schools to solve their customer loyalty problems, and relationship problems. I work with individuals to solve their self-esteem, minimal vision, and internal belief problems. And, I work with organizations to solve their branding, messaging, and communication problems.

In fact, if it weren't for problems, I am not sure what I would be doing each day. It's hard to solve for success, but problems present opportunities.

As Jimmy Fallon would say, "Thank you NASA for placing your space center in Houston, and for having problems."

Let me encourage you to consider what may be right in front of you. Are you overlooking something so obvious that it is difficult to see? Are you avoiding something that when embraced might actually be an asset?

For me, it has taken over 28 years of a professional life to embrace the obvious. When people call me and say, "Houston, we have a problem" it is actually the best call I can receive.

Now, what is the phone number to the Copyright Office?

houston@figment-consulting.com

The Power of AND

And is such a small word yet packed with powerful potential. Yet, we tend to turn to Or much more often.

"I can either do this or that." "I can be this or that."

With Or we limit ourselves. With And we open up the possibilities. And expands the mind, Or compresses. And increases, Or decreases.

Be a teacher and a learner.

Be a leader and a follower.

Be inspired and inspire.

Fail and succeed.

Do this and that, be this and that.

Think And before Or then see what happens within you.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Delight or fear?

Will you overwhelm me with delight, positiveness, and tell me a fascinating story that makes me want to buy from you?

Or, will you try to strike fear into me and motivate me that way?

Which one builds long-term loyalty? Which one do you care about most? - short-term sale, or long-term loyalty?

houston@figment-consulting.com

Ruts and tire tracks

The ruts that are most difficult to spot are those that appear to be tire tracks.

It may seem smooth but eventually you find out you are still stuck.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The "meconomy"

We live in a world today that allows companies to talk to each customer individually, and tailor messages related to their individual needs.

More importantly, today's customer now expects this type of relationship more and more. It's what I call the "me economy" or "meconomy." Programmatic or transaction emails are fine as long as they are not emails but memails. Customers want the relationship to feel like it is a one-on-one interaction yet know they are part of a larger tribe too.

It takes energy, effort, and even thinking differently but companies need to understand the meconomy is here, and it is here to stay.

houston@figment-consulting.com

The power of generosity, delight, and an abundant attitude.

One of my passions is excellent customer service. It is difficult for me to go anywhere without thinking about, paying attention to, and seeing ways in which the service being provided could be improved. Many times, it does not take a budget, instead it can be the little things that make all the difference.

The link below shares some heart-warming stories on customer service. Within each you can see the two primary ingredients (generosity and delight), and the main foundation (attitude of abundance - the more freely I give, the more I will receive) upon which excellent customer service is built.

10 Customer Service Stories that will Restore Your Faith in Humanity
by Gregory Ciotti

houston@figment-consulting.com

I expect you will listen to me. I hope you will hear me.

Listening to your customers merely means you are paying attention to them in order to hear what they have to say. That much they expect of you.

Hearing them goes much deeper where you perceive, discern, apprehend, and even comprehend.

You can applaud yourself for all of the ways you listen to your customers, but if you never hear what they are telling you, it only creates frustration.

Focus on hearing them, on discerning what they are telling you, on understanding their wants that they are trying to convey. If you can serve their wants, you can delight them.

houston@figment-consulting.com

Celebrating failure . . .

. . . may be exactly what you need to do.

If everything has to be done perfectly, then new ideas and innovation will suffer.

On the other hand, if failure (with good intent) is viewed equally with success, then you might just change the world.

houston@figment-consulting.com