Lindsey’s Daily Deal: Jedi Marketing, Stop Talking and How To React If You Lose at an Award Show

By Lindsey Campbell, Captains of Industry

Hey Captains’ Readers,

Here’s your Monday Deal:

1. You must unlearn what you have learned

According Jedi Master Michael Troiano, hailing from the planet Scalable Intimacy, all we need to do to master the new world of marketing is to stop thinking in black and white (or, black and white we need to stop thinking in). These days it seems as though marketers are split on two sides. Old media versus new media. The Oldies believe that advertising isn’t dead and that pushing messages to an audience will still yield the most promising results. Newbies think that creating new content is the only way to get audiences to listen. It turns out, both sides are wrong and both sides are right. A combo of new and old media is actually the best way to market a product. Troiano explains that by following three simple steps, we too can become Jedi Masters in marketing. Check it out:

1. Learn about new marketing. Check out what new media gurus like Chris Brogan, David Meerman Scott and Louis Gray are saying about content and social media. Figure out how it’s being used and then incorporate it into your own business.
2. Brush up on Marketing 101. There are certain inalienable truths in branding, communications and media. Don’t let the fundamentals fall through the cracks. Lather, rinse, repeat as needed.
3. Make like Yoda and unlearn what you’ve learned. Don’t just stick to organizational structures, business processes, and operational metrics that are familiar simply because you’re used to them. Embrace new possibilities.

For more tips on how to resist the Dark Side, or any side, check out Troiano’s post at Scalable Intimacy. And may the marketing force be with you.

2. Are you still talking?

There’s truly nothing worse than a presenter that goes over their allotted time. In fact, as soon as you hit the point of no return, people will inevitably start checking their watches, fidgeting about, or begin exerting exaggerated sighs. Or, the worst possible situation, they’ll get up and leave and advise other people not to take the time to listen to you speak. So in an effort to help all of you “It’ll just be 10 more minutes” speakers, Paul Barsch of MarketingProfs outlines why taking more than your fair share of time might make you Presenting Enemy #1.

First of all, going over the time limit is disrespectful to your audience. We’ve got agendas. We’ve got lives. We’ve got stuff to do. So try to respect our time, and we’ll be more likely to respect yours (sans watch-checking and sigh expelling). Second, you’re dissing the people who are presenting after you. Other speakers have taken time to prepare, and if you can’t finish before they’re on, their time is cut. Lastly, overtime can sometimes cut into break time. And there’s not a soul who’d rather hear you speak than rest their brain waves for a spell, take a trip to the little boy’s or girl’s room, or snatch one of those complementary cookies before they’re all gone.

To learn how to plan your next presentation in a timely manner, check out Barsch’s tips on MarketingProfs.

3. If you break another glass, we’re going to have to ask you to leave

Have you ever gotten a good look at the person who DIDN’T win the shiny gold trophy at an award show? They always take it like a champ. In fact, they seem downright happy that their opponent won. Smile, smile. Clap, clap. Maybe a gracious nod or two. But rather than pretending like it’s OK, why not just tell it like it is? Heck, losing makes you want to lose it. Check out how Neil Hamburger keeps it real in this Lost Planet video. Comes complete with whining, expletives, breaking stuff and a police intervention.

Until tomorrow,

Captain Lindsey