Finding your biggest fear.

A few years ago I was at a conference where the facilitator was working hard to get people out of their comfort zones. He was picking on individuals at random when he spotted me (they always spot me; it must be the glare off my dome). He pointed at me like I had just shot JR Ewing. "What's your biggest fear in life?" he shouted at me. "To be 59 and unemployed," I calmly and readily answered. 

I have no idea where that response came from except to guess that it was dormant in my psyche until this guy pulled it out. It was a prediction that almost became a reality. For those of you that follow the free paper industry you know that the company I spent a total of 28 years working for decided to get out of the free weekly publishing business recently, about five months after my 59th birthday. This isn't about that event or about my experience except to say that my end date with my employer was 90 days or so down the road and I was looking more and more like Nostradamus. I was very fortunate, very blessed when my friends and colleagues at Free Community Papers of NY asked if I might be interested in joining their team as a sales and training person. Oh yes, I would be very interested. I will be writing my blog/column under the FCPNY flag now and am very happy to do so. I hope you'll sign on as a follower and take advantage of what I will humbly try to offer in sales and training tips. 

Back to the real deal: what is your greatest fear? More importantly, is it possible that it might happen, even if it doesn't seem very likely at the moment? Forget about spiders and snakes, high places or cramped quarters. What might really make you stumble? What do you control and what can't you waste your time worrying about because you can't control it? What can you do differently to insure the worst fear doesn't become your worst nightmare? 

I volunteer to be a brief case study here in hopes of helping someone avoid his or her greatest fear from becoming true. Downside first. In retrospect, I wished I had written down a list of the four or five critical activities I needed to engage in to achieve more success. I would focus on doing just those things -- nothing else -- and doing them more quickly. Speed of action is everything today. You know things will change, but we don't appreciate how fast change happens in the 21st Century. Now for the upside: I am glad I have stuck to my personal ethics and ideals and didn't panic when things looked bleak. I have faith -- in God and in myself -- and it all turned out well. I never doubted it. I have a wonderful family and friend network that made it a lot easier to have great faith that everything would be.

Summary: 

1. Get out of your comfort zone often.  

2. Continue to plan and re-plan for success. 

3. Adjust activities and don't waste time on things that don't matter.

4. Spend time on things that do matter, especially family and growth, be it professional, personal, spiritual or some combination.

5. Working on skills that make you a better salesperson or manager should also make you a better person -- be true to yourself in everything you do.

New posts coming soon more focused on our industry and business at hand. Hope to see you soon!

Vote for the positive

Election Day has dawned across our land and nowhere are voters more excited than they are in Central New York. It's not because they get to exercise their privilege today but because one of the nastiest Congressional races ever will come to a close, or at least the campaigning will. Democrat Dan Maffei squares off against incumbent Ann Marie Buerkle in one of the most hotly contested -- and negative -- campaigns in the country. It's a rematch of the 2010 race when Buerkle was the challenger, Maffei the incumbent and the race came down to the absentee ballot count. Polls show similar narrow margins are also likely this time.

Both candidates ran campaigns that attacked the other but even nastier ads ran thanks to national party and PAC money that flooded the market, much to the pleasure of area TV outlets as most of the funds went to local spot buys. Buerkle made a stop at our offices last week and she was very gracious, even kidding with some of our employees that they are likely happy to see all the mudslinging come to an end. Yes, even the candidates know that voters have had enough of it. One of the local news shows this morning interviewed a university political science professor who said that a little known third party candidate in the race could see eight or nine percent of the vote come her way just from backlash voters who were sick of all the negative ads. Why, then, did they continue to blast away at each other when no one seemed happy or pleased with the results? 

Marketing and advertising are part art, part science. A good ad campaign has a target and a goal and you hit both with good planning and consistent execution. But not always. In the early days of NASA, great scientific minds -- rocket scientists -- planned and participated in rocket tests that went haywire until they found the right stuff, the technology that took us to the moon. If you're an ad rep working with clients, if you're an advertiser trying to cut through the noise in the market today don't hesitate to take a long hard look at what you're doing and don't stick to something that isn't doing what you hoped it would. Staying the course just because you authored the idea or paid good money to experts for the plan isn't smart when everyone knows it's not working. If you need a case study, Google "jc penney ad campaign" for a recent walk down the wrong marketing path. There’s probably no way to tell for sure, but I bet local voters would have gravitated to the Congressional candidate who swung back with a positive ad campaign. 

We're not scientists here at the Scotsman, but we have a lot of expertise in helping advertisers succeed with print and digital campaigns. Drop us a note at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com if we can be of help and thanks for your time today.

Weathering the storm...and I don't mean Sandy

This is the morning after, the day following Hurricane Sandy's arrival in the Northeast. All of our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been turned upside down by the event.

Here in Central NY we were spared much of what was promised by local weather forecasters. Watching local news this morning I almost got a sense of disappointment on the part of a couple meteorologists that there wasn’t as much wind and rain for us, not because they wish devastation upon their community but because they are so passionate about what they do.  Each of these local weather people have a little bit of the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore in them, that pioneer-meets-stunt man work ethic that puts them literally in the eye of the storm. You can't help but wonder what a little more enthusiasm and passion would do for all of us in our jobs and in the world we would create.

Flip side. Here is text from an e-mail I received yesterday from a media buyer at an ad agency we work with, asking for a rate proposal for their client's insert delivery this year (client name removed):

Tom-

Relative to the attached RFP for the Xxxxxx Xxxx 2013 insert distribution schedule, we request that your response to this RFP provides the lowest (non rate card) CPM level you will offer – the discount level is not to be compared to 2012, but based on current downward trends of newspaper circulations, in addition to the surge of other options that all annual advertisers have to consider.

We need to provide Xxxxxx Xxxx with the most cost effective way of getting their weekly promotions in front of as many customers as possible in 2013.

Woe is me! My passion is crushed! How depressing to work in the newspaper industry! At least that's the message this industry youngster is conveying in the quest for rock bottom pricing this year. My initial reaction is to run out and secure employment with one of those "surge of other options" companies, many of whom weren't here for the 2012 RFP and may not make it to the 2014. I can't blame the media buyer for her attitude, though. The fact is that during her time in college and career all she has seen and known is a declining attitude toward print, be it paid or free, home or rack delivered, newspaper or shopper. Couple that with the worst recession any of us have likely lived through and voila...drop your price because we don't see rate card value in your product any longer. 

Woe is me, and I mean it this time. I think I have always been passionate but it's not enough anymore. I think I work hard, work smart but it's not enough anymore. I know we in our industry have to find new ways to bring relevance, value and excitement to readers and clients. Jim Cantore is exciting. I need to be like Jim. And I need to do it before the next storm comes through. Hope you'll join me.

Drop us a note with comments and ideas on how to get excited in business today. Reach me at tcuskey@scotsmanmediagroup.com. Thanks for your time!

My campaign starts today!

Last night, the candidates squared off in the first of the 2012 presidential debates. The timing is odd but today in my e-mail inbox I find a message titled "Could 2013 Be Worse That 2008?” (What a happy thought). A connection? I didn't think either candidate did that poorly so perhaps the timing of this email is just coincidental. The email promotes a free seminar on how to sell, specifically by examining "what causes sales." Like what causes earthquakes, or what causes spots on glasses in the dishwasher? I am dying to find out.

I am experienced in training others on how to "cause" a sale, at least in the old school sense of selling. Things are different today in many ways. But I am equally versed in the science of what doesn't cause a sale (you are too, no doubt). And those things never seem to change. If you don't seek out new customers you won't make a sale. If you don't bring new value to old customers you won't make a sale. If you give no service, or (worse) if you give crappy service you won't make a sale. If your terms and timing aren't right you won't make a sale. If your price exceeds your value you won't make a sale. The list goes on.

If your place is like our place your sales staff & your sales colleagues come up with some of the most innovative, creative ways to explain why sales don't happen. Even I can explain in graphic detail why sales stink right now. I sometimes even convince myself that it's not my fault. "It's the economy...goes back to 2008...I keep waiting for this recovery I keep hearing about. Maybe in 2013!"

But I am wrong. It is my fault.

It’s my fault for believing that I couldn’t sell in a tough economy. It’s my fault for believing that because it stinks for everyone else it’s okay if it stinks for me. It’s my fault for thinking that the coming election will solve our woes, at least for a little while. Truth is, the only positive thing that can happen this November will be the things that I accomplish with my positive attitude in action. Positive attitude in action will cause sales. Positive attitude in action will prevent 2013 from being 2008 all over again. Positive attitude in action will help me to grow personally, professionally and financially. Maybe prevent another economic meltdown. Not Obama, not Romney. Me.

So vote for me. And I’ll vote for you. Together we can figure this out.

Attitude adjustments come free with advertising packages you invest in with Scotsman publications. Drop us a line at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com. Thank you!

It doesn't last long

A few months ago I changed my gym schedule. I switched my erratic evening gym routine to a consistent early morning gym routine. 5AM, Monday through Friday and a 7AM Saturday visit. To my surprise I have been pretty true to the schedule and feel the best I have felt in a long time. Unfortunately I gained three pounds after my first month but that's another topic for another day.  I made the change as the days were growing longer and was happy to get up at 4:45 in the pre-dawn light when even a few birds were already chirping. By late June it was definitely daylight at that hour but here at the end of July, only one month later, it's black again at 4:45AM. And it's getting a little tougher to drag my sorry self out of bed. Pray for me and my effort when winter comes and light (and warm weather) are nowhere to be found.

The point is that opportunities don't have a very long shelf life. Long days, warm weather and 5AM songbirds are here but for a brief time. In life we have to enjoy every minute of them while they are here and, if we're lucky, we may get another chance someday. The same is so true of ad sales. Opportunities that come our way today may never be back, at least not soon. Fail to take advantage of the fall home improvement/ lawn & garden season sales and you miss out on that chance for a year. Same is true of holiday selling. Missing out on advising a new client to run a door-busting grand opening campaign and you (and the advertiser) have lost that opportunity forever. Think about it. You get one chance.

If you are the ad rep that makes sales calls based on ads you see (or hear) running in another medium that you are really missing out. Settling for seconds will never put you in first place.

This morning as I entered the gym I asked Jim, one of the other early AM regulars if we were "having fun yet?" He sensed my waning enthusiasm for being up early. "Being here is like going to church," he answered. "Not everybody goes but those that do can have their lives changed by it. In life it's not the big things we do but the little things we accomplish that make the difference." Jim should have been a motivational speaker. He told me exactly what I needed to hear today.

Join me in a pledge to pay more attention to the little things that make us more successful. I noted this morning that the 5AM late July sky is an amazing gradient color when you look east. Venus and Jupiter were as bright as could be; couldn't see them at this hour a month ago in the early daylight. But you can see them now. By late August there will be other amazing sights. You'll find them if you look for them and embrace them fully.

The same is true of ad sales.

If you're reading this (God, I hope someone is) then drop me a note on the little things you do that contribute to your success. I'll try to include them in a future post. I'm reading mail at tcuskey@scotsmanmediagroup.com. Thanks for your precious time today.

There's no slam dunk off the court any more

I will apologize right up front for the sports content herein. No one likes a speaker/writer that hangs his or her hat on too many sports analogies but I can't resist this one.

LeBron James has taken his Miami Heat team to the NBA championship. The man many sports fans have decided to despise (and I don't understand why -- a long story for another place) has transformed himself into a leader of men and a true champion. This isn't about him. It is about all of the analysts, the commentators and the reporters who spew ad nauseum about LeBron and all the other sports figures out there. With so many 24/7 sports channels on TV, radio and online there is a need for programming and analysis of who's hot and who's not is the standard fare. Here's my point:

It's all about "what have you done for me lately." When you win Game 1 of a seven game series, you're the best. Lose Game 2 and you're a bum. A coach leads his team through ten straight playoff victories and he's a certain Hall of Famer. His team then gets swept in the next four games and he's a certifiable numb skull.

The culture goes beyond sports. There is no loyalty. There is no long term, big picture goal for most businesses. I'm not sure there is a real appreciation for value any longer, not a great deal but real value where you get something that adds worth to your investment, more than you bargained for. Nowhere is this more the case than in advertising. Advertisers want fast results. They don't want to give away the store but they want customers to flock to their doors like they are giving it away. A 13-week campaign that isn't cooking after week two probably won't see week three. And there isn't much we can do about it. It's the world today.

I still believe advertisers will enter into long term relationships with media reps that prove their worth, but you have to prove it fast and right up front, before the first ad runs. You have to show yourself to be the consummate expert about advertising and marketing and sell yourself as such quickly. Selling print? Not good enough. You have to know radio, TV, mobile and online...especially online...practices and metrics. And you have to be a real authority, not a smart phrase dropper, but a real know it all. And if your company isn't training you, then you have to train yourself.

There is a boatload of facts and figures out there on media and marketing. That's the good news. The bad news is that it changes as quickly as a sports reporter's opinion of the superstar flavor of the day. Mediajust  changes quickly. So you're going to have to keep training and reinventing yourself as an expert every day of your career. At a minimum.

Your thoughts? Need help? Drop us a note at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com and thanks for your time!

The last word was the best

It's been a very busy spring season -- and as a result I must apologize again for the infrequent blog updates. Frankly I have found myself looking more for advice than being in a position to give it as the challenges of vying for still-limited ad dollars continue to face our sales force and our industry. One of the places I looked for ideas was the Association of Free Community Papers annual conference, held this year in Atlanta. Good conference but as the days went on I didn't think I'd come back with any "home run" experiences that might energize our efforts. That was until I left for the airport.

At 4:22AM on Sunday April 22 -- exactly the time he said he'd be there -- Mr. Ventura pulled up at my hotel driving the shuttle van to the airport. He engaged me in conversation immediately and within about two minutes time I felt like I'd known this guy all my life. At one point in his driving career, Ventura decided that he was going to become the "Top Gun driver" in his company. Every morning when he would arrive at work the owner's son would be there working in the office. A call to action for my new friend. 

"If you want to be the man, then you have to beat the man," Ventura told me.

From that day forward, he has been the first one at the office each day, and I mean each and every day because, to quote Ventura again "consistency and persistency are the keys to success." I knew that.

At our next stop, two ladies joined us for the ride, one of them remarking that Ventura was right on time. "You must get up awfully early,” she told him. 

"Yes, ma'am, I do. Every morning I get up and say 'Thank you Lord for giving me another day to enjoy.'"

Game over. Home run found.

I went looking for new technology, innovative ideas and industry best practices. What I found was that success still relies on the basics. It's still up to you and no one else. Have passion for what you do, whatever that may be. Love what you do, love your product or move on. Be genuine. Be nice to people. Talk to them. Listen to what they have to say. Work on relationships. Do what you say you're going to do. And do it all the time. Do it with a smile. And be thankful for every blessing you have. 

Paying attention to the basics is a big part of marketing your business. Give us a call at 315-472-7825 or e-mail us at info@scotsmanmediagroup.com if we can be of assistance. And thank you for giving me another opportunity to enjoy!