The Group of 8

5 minutes of Inspiration

$250,000 please

…that is what the average home owner in Saskatoon is saying right now when they go to flip their home! You get 57% more moola in your jeans today for the average house, than you would have just 6 months hence. Shut off the Saskatchewan signs and turn on the Alberta ones because this just does not happen here…until now.

I spent 12 years in Alberta and worked at the beginning of this latest oil boom…and because of the diverse economic infrastructure of this province, it is happening here too. Great to see that such a terrific province gets a turn in the sun. It is about time and it couldn’t happen to a better group of people. 

So if you are looking to buy a home in or around Saskatoon, do it now. Prices are going to continue this trend until they reach almost $300,000. If you think that price is outrageous, keep in mind that the average selling price of a detached home across Canada sells for over $450,000.

Priorities

I just read an article stating that the Wedding industry adds over $1.6 billion (yes, that’s a B) to the US economy every year. 

That is:

    almost 3 times the annual operating budget of the Saskatoon Health Region

    10 times the amount that George Bush recently committed to peace talks and aid in the Middle East

    Enough to immunize one hundred million children against childhood diseases

With 21% of the global population living on just $1 each day and a divorce rate in North America hovering around the 50% mark, maybe we should consider spending more time preparing for marriage and less money on the wedding.

Did you know that Jesus was a marketer?

I was reading an article in Marketing Magazine that noted the power of the Catholic Church’s brand and I was reminded of something my cousin said about the bible (she’s a nun so I take this on good authority).  In the bible, Jesus is described as telling parables to his followers.  He talked about sheep to the shepherds and fish to the fishermen.  He changed his message to refer to people and places that were familiar to the group he was talking to wherever he was.  People understood and bought into the messages because they were delivered in a way that they understood.

Time after time, companies struggle with their marketing because they talk in their own language and not in the language of their target market.  I once observed a focus group of farmers who were looking at an ad that made a reference to clean laundry.  The farmers didn’t get it because most farmers don’t do their own laundry – all of the marketers, graphic artists and copywriters did, but they weren’t buying the product.  The ad didn’t speak the language of the target market.  (Thank goodness we tested it in a focus group first – but that is another lesson.)  The next time you are creating words that are intended to help your customers buy from you, ask yourself the question, “What would Jesus do?”

Rhymes with environment

I think the reason you are struggling to find a rhyme is because there is only one Environment. Now, there has been so much talk lately about this topic that I think a lot of people are just getting sick about hearing it….Kyoto this “Go Green” that…blah blah blah. My stance….If the information is accurate, bring it on!  I can’t think of too many things that are more important than the environment…I mean, how would I drive my Lexus (hybrid) if I can’t go outside and breath the air? Is SPF 250 getting a little out of hand?

The next time you hear yourself thinking….’Shut up about this stinkin’ environment’, you may want to consider what would happen if we actually did really hurt the environment long term.

Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce. . .

If you can complete this list, you are showing your age and you’ve just shown that marketing theory is not just fluff.  When McDonald’s was really pushing the Big Mac back in the 70’s, it was the start of the specialty burger.  Before that, everyone ordered a hamburger, a cheeseburger or a double cheeseburger.  Not much variety.  McDonald’s had to show people that they had something different in their Big Mac, so they created ads that clearly described what they were selling.  I even got an iron on with the ingredient list from my cousin who lived in the city.

Over lunch today, a client and I were struggling to come up with a memorable tag line for his new product.  He referenced the McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” tag line as an example of what he was looking for.   The “Product Life Cycle” is an important tool to marketers and if you get a chance, you should look it up. Basically, it helps marketers decide what kind of marketing is required based on whether a product is new to the market or older.  My client has a new product – people still need to know what is in his Big Mac.  It will be a while before his brand is so recognizable that his tag line will not have to reference his product at all.  In the early stages of a product, people need clear words and messages about what you do so they don’t get confused.  Later, when the product or service function and benefits are known, you can focus on the flashy, emotional brand building that McDonald’s does so well.

For those of you who are too young to remember:  cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.

be THEE not A

Are you a THEE or are you an A?

Scott tells us Mama’s Ladas in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota is THEE place for an enchilada. Not only does Mama's Ladas serve the best enchilada in town, but they only serve enchiladas. The only choice is deciding if you want chicken or beef. No menu, no dessert tray, no wine list.

This type of service starts word of mouth, lands articles in media, and gets labeled as unique and worth while.

Are you the THEE in your industry or just another A?

You're Fired

A good friend of mine, Jay Stark, introduced me to the idea of firing clients. This involves asking clients, who pay you for your service, to conduct business elsewhere.

What?

Of course, these clients demand more work than they are worth.

It seems this idea is not that crazy. Sprint Nextel Corp, a cell phone provider in the U.S., recently announced they will be disconnecting service to more than 1,000 subscribers for calling its customer services lines too often.

Do you have clients that don't add value to your business or organization?

Do you have clients that devalue your service to other clients?

Why are they still your clients?

Rob Clark

Exactly 3 things to do

Lifespring hospital has exactly three things to do.

    1. Realize their customers have expectations.
    2. Exceed their expectations.
    3. Do better at that every single day.

Similar to the golden rule, this short list seems quite easy, but actually proves quite difficult.

Only the truly talented company would know their customer's expectations. Or at least the company and individuals that seek to discover the expectations.

Then once those expectations are known, few will have the ability and resources to exceed the expectations. Or at least have the determination and creativity to exceed.

If accomplishing these first two goals happen, then stamina and fortitude become the top priority. If you can manage to run your business at this level, you will become the starbucks of your industry.

Rob Clark

The killer app

You hear about "things" that change people's lives all the time. THAT movie changed my life. THIS program changed my life. There hasn't been many life changing events for me, but one book did change my outlook on life.

Love is the Killer App by Tim  Sanders will challenge you in a new way of thinking.

Tim states that knowledge means nothing until you give it away. Your mind is like a piggy bank. You feed it with knowledge and wisdom, but there is no value until you give it away.

This works for your network too. To fully maximize the value of your network, you must give it away. Instead of trying to extract a premium for your contacts, try connecting two people just because they should be together.

Rob Clark