The Chief Storyteller

How Come You Have a Spelling Error in Your Email Signature?

We all make mistakes, especially in writing. If you are a prolific writer, then grammar and spelling errors are often missed after re-reading a paragraph a million times, even with word processing tools.

When it comes to writing emails, I find one thing particularly fascinating. It is when I receive an email with an obvious spelling error in the email signature like yesterday.

Why? It's not because the sender has the error (if he/she saw it, he/she would fix it), it's because some amount of people chose not to tell the sender about the error after seeing the error in the email.

Why would someone purposefully not tell someone when he/she knows that he/she would be helping the sender?

Human behavior is fascinating...

We Can Only Handle about 150 Friends

An interesting article was sent to me recently about human behavior and social networks. The Economist article can be summed up by part of the last sentence: "people who are members of online social networks are not so much 'networking' as they are "broadcasting their lives..."

And for this reason, many people shy away from Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, LinkedIn, and the ever expanding world of online social networks.

Maintaining relationships takes work. According to the article, "primatologists call at least some of the things that happen on social networks 'grooming.' In the wild, grooming is time-consuming and here computerisation certainly helps. But keeping track of who to groom—and why—demands quite a bit of mental computation. You need to remember who is allied with, hostile to, or lusts after whom, and act accordingly."

Because of this complexity, we are therefore limited in our time "grooming" the various people in our network. Dr. Robin Dunbar, British anthropologist and Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Oxford University, studied the size of social networks. Dunbar's research "suggested that the size of the human brain allows stable networks of about 148." Often in presentations and writing it is rounded to 150 and referred to as "the Dunbar number."

Take a look at your various online networks. Just how many people do you groom in a given day, week, month, quarter, or year (e.g., special dates like birthdays)?

Additional Resources:
- Wiki page on Dr. Dunbar
- Wiki page on Dunbar's Number
- Bio page at the University of Oxford

Check, Check, Re-Check Before You Send that Email

The adage, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression," is true every moment. It is especially relevant when you are sending out email.

While surprising in and of itself to come from such a professional organization, it's no surprise that I was greeted with this type of email solicitation. I thought rather than delete it, let's learn from it.

I found at least 8 items of interest (see below). Before reading my suggestions, think about what you would do differently...

From: Person1@vendorname.com 
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 1:35 PM
Subject: Pre Show List

Dear Meeting Planner, Please stop by Booth #### to register for our prize at ASAE while in Toronto!  Prize:  Nintendo Wii Bundle w/ Wii Fit includes Wii Remote Controller, DreamGear 5-in-1 Fitness Bundle, Wii Fit w/Balance Board, Wii Nunchuk Controller and a Nintendo Wii Console w/ Wii Sports Game.  Value $485.00   VendorName – Booth ####  See you there!

Person2
Vice President
VendorName
(###) ###-####
www.vendorname.com

Suggestions (in no particular order):
1. Personalize with a first name. At least try to make it look like it's not a form letter.
2. Use a compelling subject line
3. Separate into sentences or bullets
4. Omit the prize information. Everyone has prizes at conferences.
5. Share a compelling message as to why I should visit your booth. We all have limited time on the conference floor, so COMPEL me to visit your booth.
6. Don't send out an email from a different address than your own (Person 1 sent out the email under Person 2's name)
7. Sign the letter
8. Ensure that the email is being sent to the right person. My name is under the category of management in the database not meeting planner (The vendor has this information).

Chrysler TV Commercials are a Winner

Chrysler recently launched the "We Build" tv commercial campaign in May. I think that they are brilliant. Why?
- Synchronized music, messaging, and visual imagery
- Use of powerful metaphors in both videos and messages
- Balanced use of people across races and genders
- Complementary music that is catchy

Here are three of them with links to the videos on YouTube along with the text of the messages.

Chrysler Town & Country

We build viewmasters, we build security cameras, we build troop transports, we build moving vans, we build tv stations...come see what we are building for you
>> YouTube link

Dodge Grand Caravan

We build dugouts, we build lockers, we build easychairs, we build radar systems, we build tv stations, we build starting gates...come see what we are building for you
>> YouTube link

Jeep Grand Cherokee

We build skyscrapers, we build fish finders, we build battery chargers, we build base camps, we build transporters, we build sanctuaries...come see what we are building for you
>> YouTube link

Additional Resources
- AutoBlog article, "Chrysler reveals more facets of 'We Build' campaign" (links to all 5 commercials)
- Reuters article, Chrysler, LLC launches new global corporate advertising campaign (gives lots of details and background)
- Chrysler Corporate Media website

In a Public Accounting Firm? Yes...then AAM is for You

Yesterday was another fun day. Andrew Rose invited me to speak again. This time it was for the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM).

The attendees were professionals in and related to accounting and marketing. Some great questions, interaction, and ideas buzzed about.

The topic was, "The Deliberate Storyteller: Develop Your Own Toolbox of  Winning Business Stories." I shared with the group two major concepts. The first was The Power in One and the second was The Power in Process.

The Power in One:
Many professionals think of the elevator speech simply as a networking tool, when it is sooooo much more. The elevator speech is the foundation of your sales and marketing efforts. It is the center of your messaging universe. Every conversation, whether in person, by telephone, in writing, or email is based on the very first sharing of your organization’s core business message—your elevator speech.

The Power in Process:
Often, marketing and communication professionals focus on the deliverables, the marketing materials themselves. Examples include website, presentations, newsletters, blogs, advertisements, search engine optimization campaigns, etc. I strongly suggest that a more strategic view occur first that looks at everything at say, a 50,000 foot level. Then prioritize as to what will benefit your organization the most in short-term, mid-term, and long-term results. Lastly, execute on the priority list (this is a very brief picture). And what ties everything together in a neat bow is the elevator speech.

Mmmmm, The Food was Delicious and the Workshop Wonderful

Last week I had the honor of presenting one of my favorite workshops, What Do You Do?, in Baltimore to the members of National Association of Catering Executives (NACE). Below is more information on the group. If you are in the catering or related fields, NACE is the organization to join. And if you are anywhere near the Baltimore, Maryland region, this chapter is the second largest and is very active.

I challenged the room full of more than 85 professionals in a variety of industries (e.g., catering, music, entertainment, flower, linen, invitation, photography, event designer, transportation, wedding magazines, event supplies (e.g., tents), and meeting planning). I challenged them to think differently, very differently about how they answer the most frequently asked question at networking events, "What do you do?"

Most people view the elevator speech as simply a tool for networking. It is so...so...much...much more. It is your core message. Everything that you communicate in writing, by email, in person, and on the web has to be synched to your value expressed in the elevator speech. It is not a gimmicky catch phrase--it truly focuses the benefits of what you have to offer in a 30 seconds or less.

I had a lot of fun, more than typical. Likely because they shared stories often based on a personal nature--these are often funnier than business stories. And because the group was so cohesive, they shared personal inside jokes during my workshop.

It was a great bunch of folks with giving hearts. The food was gourmet and delicious, the musician entertaining, flowers and linens beautiful, giveaway bags enticing, and so much more. Of course it was some of the best that I have ever experienced as these firms were also showcasing their talents.

From the NACE-Baltimore Website

NACE is the oldest and largest professional society that addresses all aspects of the catering industry. Through the collective efforts of members, local chapters, committees and the Foundation of NACE, NACE is at the forefront of the issues that directly affect you and your business.

From practical tips that you can use to provide better service to your clients, to recognition and marketing programs that enhance the credibility and professionalism of the field, NACE is on the cutting edge. From educational programs to standards, to ethics, to legislative monitoring, NACE leads the way.

Here are some pictures courtesy of Kelly from Kelly Burns Photography.

Negotiating a Car Deal via Text Messaging

Tonight I was at the National Association of Women Business Owner's (NAWBO) event. One of the attendees was actively negotiating over terms and final price with a car dealership...via text messaging.

I thought it fascinating that the dealership would leave the final negotiations to text messaging. Why not call?

Ensure that You Have all of Your Domains Covered

With domain names quite inexpensive, I suggest that you purchase all of the related domains. Purchase the ones with different top level domains (TLD)s, spelling errors, and negative ones too. Examples follow. There are two reasons to do this: (1) Ensure that people can find you anywhere, anyhow and (2) Protect your organization from competitors, squatters, and potentially malicious individuals.

Different TLDs to think about: COM, NET, ORG, US, INFO, BIZ, and NAME. If you are interested in more global representation or perhaps intellectual property protection, consider other English-speaking TLDs such as UK, AU, and EU.

Spelling Errors: Consider the potential misspellings and buy those domains. For example, my main domain is www.TheChiefStoryteller.com. Common spelling errors include:
- www.thecheifstoryteller.com (e and i switched in Chief)
- www.thechiefstorytelllers.com (three "l"s)

Potential Errors: If someone remembers the domain incorrectly and he/she perhaps adds a letter or drops a word, I have it covered. Common errors include:
- www.thechiefstorytellers.com (added "s" for plural)
- www.chiefstoryteller.com (dropped "the")

Overall, there are currently 280 TLDs managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Your Smile is a Curve that ...

My wife and I had a very nice dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. As is customary, at the end of the meal we were brought our fortune cookies.

The one below was mine. From the likely thousand plus that I have ever read, this one really resonated with me. It is another example of how little things matter in our day. What little things can you do for a member? prospect? partner? office mate?

In all Honesty, Here are Some Ways to Spot a Liar

Understanding human behavior is a passion of mine. So when a reader, Carol, sent me this article on lying from Forbes.com, I immediately read it.

"In all Honesty, Here are Some Ways to Spot a Liar" starts off...

According to an oft-cited 1996 University of Virginia study led by psychologist Bella DePaulo, lying is part of the human condition. Over the course of one week, DePaulo and her colleagues asked 147 participants, aged 18 to 71, to record in a diary all of their social interactions and all of the lies they told during them. On average, each person lied just over 10 times, and only seven participants claimed to have been completely honest.

Here are a few among many of the key take-aways:
- "Most of the time we're just trying to be nice."
- "Liars often give short or one-word responses to questions, while truth tellers are more likely to flesh out their answers."
- "Liars are often reluctant to admit ordinary storytelling mistakes. When honest people tell stories, they may realize partway through that they left out some details and would unselfconsciously backtrack to fill in holes. Liars 'are worried that someone might catch them in a lie and are reluctant to admit to such ordinary imperfections,'" says psychologist Bella DePaulo.

Look for the red highlighted text about half-way through the article to see a slideshow with 11 pictures and descriptions of when someone is generally lying. Look for: Forbes.com slideshow: 11 way to tell they’re lying.

Keep in mind, reading non-verbal cues is not an exact science. It takes years and years to master.

Additional Resources:
- Bella DePaulo, social scientist (PhD, Harvard). Author of the initial study quoted in the article.
- John E. Reid & Associates, developer of the The Reid Technique of Interviewing®, used by law enforcement professionals nationwide.