The Underdog Effect

Ignite Boise -- it's not just for geeks and marketers anymore.

I've unintentional neglected to mention on this blog that I am actively involved with Ignite Boise. More importantly, I've failed to mention that you're invited. While tickets are long gone, you can still come by showing up at the Egyptian Theatre in downtown Boise at 5:30. Just wait in the general admission line and, viola!, you're in.

I hope you can make it. It's gonna be serious fun.

-Jeff

Ignite Boise presentation ideas.

There are only three days left for you to submit your proposal for the first-ever Ignite Boise, an event that brings together smart people to talk about interesting things. Speakers get 5 minutes and 20 slides, each of automatically rotate after 15 seconds. (Still don’t get what Ignite Boise is? Go here.)

I will not be submitting a presentation this go around. (As an Ignite Boise volunteer, I want to make sure my focus is on the behind-the-scenes stuff.)

That doesn’t mean I don’t have ideas.

Below are 50 topics that I think would be interesting for someone to present at Ignite Boise. It’s a quick list. Not perfect. Many missing. If you’ve been thinking you want to present, but have suffered from presenter’s block, perhaps it will help inspire you.

A couple of notes: (1) I’ve used “how, what and why” as a platform for my brainstorming purposes only. Ignite presentations certainly don’t have to follow that format...you can do it however you want. (2) These are unsanctioned ideas, not endorsed or approved by the Ignite Boise presentation committee -- I've gone rogue on this one. Their only purpose is to help kick-start your brain. Hope they help!

1.  How can we turn the giant hole at 8th & Main into a public space?
2.  How to build [something interesting].
3.  How to quickly glean insights from your balance sheet/P&L.
4.  How to work with difficult people.
5.  How to make a community supported agriculture work.
6.  How do I design a kick-ass web site interface?
7.  How to conduct statistically significant market research on a budget.
8.  How can I write a book in six months?
9.  How to successfully navigate [the DMV, unemployment office, city hall, etc.]
10. How to make Boise the hub of Web 4.0.
11. How to create a progressive conservative political party.
12. How can Idaho move beyond the potato?
13. How can I become a film maker?
14. How can I turn my car electric?
15. How to become a better speller.
16. How do I start a restaurant without losing my ass?
17. How to properly fillet a fish.
18. How to be a good boss.
19. How to be a good employee.
20. How to take more effective notes.
21. How to get out of jail.
22. How to get out of awkward situations.
23. How to work with a venture capitalist.
24. How to take better photos.

25. What can we learn from a cockroach?
26. What can we learn from [1954, 1845, 1972, etc.]?
27. What can we learn from JR Simplot?
28. What are the biggest hiring mistakes?
29. What are the biggest misconceptions about web design?
30. What makes a good story?
31. What are the chances that (intelligent) life exists beyond Earth?
32. What makes great logo?
33. What can we do to improve our health care system?
34. What does the government know about me?
35. What does Proctor & Gamble know about it me?
36. What can Boise do to be more [dog/pet/tech] friendly?
37. What is the purpose of CCDC?
38. What makes a bad word bad?
39. What is the history of the Egyptian Theatre?
40. What does the City of Boise’s org chart look like?

41. Why is aesthetic important?
42. Why are so many Californians drawn to Idaho, then complain about it (or is that just a myth)?
43. Why is Idaho considered part of the Northwest and what are the implications?
44. Why is Idaho considered part of the Mountain West and what are the implications?
45. Why should I use Mac vs. PC (or the other way around)?
46. Why do dogs like people so much?
47. Why do people like dogs so much?
48. Why is turning 18 make us an adult (and should it)?
49. Why are people left-handed and why are they smarter, better looking and more creative?
50. Why is everything now a “syndrome”?

Submit your presentation idea on the Ignite Boise web site.

10 tactics to keep smiling during this downturn.

This is more for me than you, but I thought I'd share. Simple reminders on how to deal with the tidal wave of bad news that surrounds us:

1) Turn off the local TV news. This just in: it adds nothings to your life. Get your weather from wunderground.com and skip hearing about the same gang shooting for three days in a row.

2) Turn off the national TV news. 90% of it is pre-packaged features, anyway.

3) Turn off the morning shows. Matt and company focus way too much on interviewing fringe lunatics and asking so-called experts to predict the future.

4) Save. I don’t care if all those mentioned above tell you the economy needs you to spend.  Save. Saving reduces fear. It gives you the power to make smart, calculated decisions.

5) Manage your personal economy. It doesn't matter what the “national average” is…of anything. All the matters now is that we make sure we each get our own act together. That means simple math: spend less than you earn.

6) Focus on your family. Listen, the worse case scenario ain’t that bad if you’re surrounded by people who you love and love you.

7) Count your blessings. Every day. Really. List them. It will make you feel better.

8) Make a to-do list. Nothing’s more powerful than a (wo)man with a plan.

9) Think small. Personally, I think it is good for humans to feel small and insignificant in the grand scheme of things. My favorite is a hike/drive in the mountains.

10) Smile. Just do it. Remind yourself to do it. Hey, your teeth don’t brush themselves, do they? You have to make a conscious effort. Same thing with smiling. And the more you do it, the better you feel.

Relate don't debate.

Last night I had a few friends over for drinks and conversation. It was the normal mix of wine-fueled catching-up, debating politics, reviewing books and movies, and unraveling the "right" solutions to the infinite challenges that face humanity. Nothing out of the ordinary.

For a brief time, the conversation turned to Twitter. I tried to explain it. The value of it. The unexpected benefits and connections that come from it. I got nothing but blank stares. So I drug out the laptop and prepared a demo. Still...nothing.

The skeptics in my kitchen simply could not get beyond the first impression of Twitter as nothing more than a narcissist-enabler. Eventually, I gave up offering different examples and analogies to try to explain it. They just didn't get it. More importantly, they didn't want to get it. Didn't want to hear it.

More importantly, they weren't ready to hear it.

My friends aren't neophytes. But their internet usage revolves around reading news, downloading music and watching tv programs -- not sharing opinions and connecting with others. They're not there yet. Only one recently got a Facebook page. And none blog.

For them to "get" Twitter I believe they first need a gateway drug.

Just as many sushi-afficienados love affair began with a California Roll and the path to a full-back tattoo often begins with a tiny butterfly on the hip, most people need a comfortable entry point into Web 2.0.

And it's not just Web 2.0, it is everything. Every day, vast amounts of money are spent trying to convert the un-convert-able. In a down economy, or any economy, this is the absolute most inefficient use of your dollars.

Here are some key ways to ease prospective customers into your product:

1) Make it easy/cheap for them to try.

2) Discuss it as an extension of what they're already comfortable with (from the beginning I thought VoIP should just be called "digital phone").

3) Simplify it.

4) Create a limited-feature sample version (freeware anyone?).

5) Guarantee performance.

6) Dig your well before your thirsty: earn trust in every interaction.

7) Sell the benefit, not the specifications.

The power of an asterisk*.

If you have to use an asterisk when making a bold offer, re-think your offer. Here's an offer I saw on an ad in the Boise airport. The ad was for a local home builder...

Is there no obligation or not? Right away, I'm suspicious. The fine print read something like "some conditions apply." OK. Is that to the no obligation or to the free design? I don't get it.

Underdogs know that the only way to win against category leaders is by cutting the bullshit, acting like an actual human being, and being honest. Asterisks get in the way of that.

* This post has not been reviewed by the underdog effect legal department and may contain errors and/or omissions. Hell, it hasn't even been proofread. Use the information herein at your own risk.

Tips for jobseekers.

Rizen Creative is hiring (an AE and production designer). Every time I go through the hiring process – at once an invigorating and frustrating experience – I learn lots am reminded that common sense ain't all that common.With so many on the job hunt, I thought it time to share some of my thinking. Some trivial. Some not so much.

I’m also going to think about tips for job fillers, but I thought it important to share this right away…

#1 Don’t waste your time applying for positions you are clearly not qualified for. Bone up your skills and get some experience anyway you can, then let’s talk.

#2 If you choose to ignore #1, don’t go the traditional resume route. Stand out from the field by demonstrating specific skills and how they can help my clients.

#3 If you choose to follow #2 (or even if you don’t), please don’t be annoying. It doesn’t earn you any points. Interruption marketing doesn’t work for companies and it won’t work for you.

#4 Spell my name right.

#5 Know what we do. Know our work. Know how you can contribute.

#6 Show your passion. Don’t worry about making an ass of yourself.

#7 Study your craft. Know its history and how we got where we are today. Curious people are usually smart people and smart people are the ones we look to hire.

#8 Follow-up. In an economy, we’re seeing a lot of resumes. Most of them crap. There’s a chance yours could get lost in the shuffle.

#9 Follow us on Twitter. You’ll know us and we’ll like you.

#10 Make your resume relevant. If you worked at Chuck E Cheese in college (like I did) and you’re going to share it on your resume, you’d better be able to explain why we should care.

#11 Don’t use buzzwords. I don’t really care if you synergistically leveraged your company’s heart share ROI. Hell, half of the time, I don’t even know what the hell your talking about.

#12 Make your resume look decent. Nice even. Aesthetics matter. In this business more than most.

#13 Be referred. We take recommendations from colleagues and vendors very seriously.

#14 Don’t oversell.

#15 Smile. People like people who smile.

#16 Ask questions. Good, thoughtful questions: about our approach, philosophies, what we want.

#17 Tell stories. Don't list facts.

#18 Never lie. This happens all the time and it is usually obvious. Not only will it kill your chances, it won't be easy to live down.

#19 Treat industry vendors right. We value their opinion.

#20 Show less, but better work. If you are a graphic designer, we don't need to see everything. After two or three samples, we know a lot about you. Often by simply what you chose to show.

#21 Be on time, but not too early. Late is poor form, too early is kinda weird.

#22 Don't be afraid. Relax. Be yourself. You're great. Let it show through.

Weekly looks inside a boise advertising/marketing/creative studio.

The drama of deadlines. The thrills of proof-reading. You'll find it all on Rizen Creative's (relatively) new blog. Updated every Friday, including this one. Please...check it out.

Business 2.0 > Marketing 2.0 > Web 2.0

Seth's latest post articulates two of the major issues facing social media:

1) Traditional companies and (the marketing tactics they employ) are selfish and lazy. They're not looking at transforming their company to fit the new world order, but instead just trying to manipulate the "hot" tactics of the day.

2) By diving in to the social medial world, brands are creating more clutter, making it the medium less and less useful, valuable and, yes, even fun.

Does that mean social media is a waste of time and resources for your brand? No.

But it does mean that's time to look beyond Web 2.0 to Business 2.0 (or perhaps its Business 7.4 by now). It is time to start re-building your product and your processes from the ground up to add a real, tangible value in the ways your customers want to consume it. And just as importantly, it is time to stop cramming your old approaches into the new marketing environment we've found ourselves in.

If you don't, you're just adding to the mess.

The good news is that underdog brands have a very distinctive advantage. You can afford to take risks. To adapt quickly. To make substantive changes without 4-day committee meetings.

In the coming weeks, we'll take a look at some SPECIFIC actions underdog brands can take.

Start the conversation with your customer.

It's official: the excitement of Web 2.0 has finally reached  "non-techy" marketers and business owners.  Everyone (myself included) is all a'flitter about Twitter. And Facebook. And blogs. And just about every other social media tool.

The opportunity to share information, build relationships and start conversations with customers and prospects has never been easier or cheaper. Yahooo! Yippeeee! Now what?!

Now what?!
Now what?!!
Now what?!!!

That’s right, many of us there is still have no idea what to do next now. We’re paralyzed by the newness of it all.

Well, I’m here to tell you this: none of it is all that new. And I want you to spread the word. To your boss. To your clients. To your marketing manager. It is just conversation.

You’ve been starting conversations with your clients for years now. Through holiday cards and corporate newsletters and sales calls and promotions and web sites. You’ve been attempting to pique interest and elicit reaction. You’ve been trying to move prospects along in the sales process and retain customers by sharing useful information.

That’s all social media is. A new way to do all the same stuff that you’ve always been doing.

Sure, it is different. It is intrinsically two-way. It is fundamentally more informal. And it has a low tolerance for bullshit. But it’s still basically the same.

Yes, I know you don’t have a line item for any of it in your budget. But because it is basically the same, you can just re-direct some of your “customer newsletter” or “ad development budget.” Trust me, nobody will care (they probably won’t even notice). Because -- again -- the new stuff you’ll be doing is essentially the same stuff you’ve always been doing. And it most certainly shares the same objectives.

Still not sure what do to now?

Do something. Anything. I suggest starting a Twitter account (because it is so easy and doesn’t cost anything). Your boss will think you’re a hero. Your clients will think you’re “cutting edge” and the CFO will think you’re fiscally responsible.

You have nothing to lose.

And if anyone does question your judgment or motives, just tell them you’re doing the same stuff you’ve always done.

Just different.

Put more energy into creating fewer objections instead of overcoming them.

Much of traditional sales training is based on the idea that getting someone to buy something is just a matter of overcoming all of their objections. They don't think its the right size? Tell them it can be altered. They were looking for automatic volume control? Point out the ease-of-use of the remote.

For (almost) every objection, so the argument goes, there is something that can overcome it. Companies spend thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars to predict objections and develop scripts to overcome them.

Underdog companies should put very little effort into this. Simply put: if you are spending a bunch of time overcoming objections, you need to change something about your product, your process or your sales team.