Impress, Attract, Convert

One of my core responsibilities at work is to be the “voice” of my company online. I am charged with the provision of a compassionate, friendly, unique, and engaging tone in cyberspace. So, I tweet, post, respond, and manage web-content to educate the public at large. Each day, I send messages through various channels to a loyal group of followers, fans, and friends, who in theory act as brand ambassadors, magnify our messages by repeating what we say to their networks, and ultimately give us their money. My success is measured by impressions, click-thru rates, and the be-all-and-end-all, conversion rates.

Throughout the eight months I have been on the job, my team has seen vast improvements in impressions and click-thru rates. However, the conversion rate statistic is a little harder to rev up. There are slow, incremental improvements, but on the whole we have not cracked the code to securing significant developments on this metric. Basically, we are collecting more and more interested parties, and some of them have latched on, but the majority have turned us down.

Because I am always thinking about parallels between what I do at work and my personal life, I couldn't help but notice how some of our marketing strategies mirror the complications, trials, and victories in the game of dating. In my opinion, I believe finding that inevitable other doesn't always come down to happenstance or fate. Rather, I think there are some business premises that enhance one's chance of making that ultimate conversion from interested party to purchaser.

This past weekend I traveled to my hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to attend a bridal shower and bachelorette party. This was a set of events hosted and attended by my closest high school friends, who are perhaps the best looking group of girls on the planet. Every time we get together, it is like walking onto the set of Sex and the City season 2. They are dressed in the latest looks from Alice and Olivia, TIBI, Theory, Rebecca Taylor, and Dionne Von Furstenberg, with high-end accessories from the likes of Ferragamo, Prada, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton. Everyone’s hair and make-up is understated, yet perfect. They are all naturally slim, out-going, well-spoken and supremely confident.

I had to think diligently about which party dress to pull from my costume closet as I packed last Friday, so I would be prepared to enter a Saturday luncheon where I was explicitly told “not to wear jeans!” (I must say I made a very good choice, due to the large number of compliments.) I accentuated the chic dress and the tone of the afternoon with the accessorizing labels of Tory Burch, Cole-Hahn, Movado, and Chanel.

In a room filled with with friends and family members that had already pledged their allegiances to each of us, there wasn’t much selling to do. However, in the evening, when seven girls set out on the town for the bachelorette party, there was a need for differentiation and tasteful promotion to set each of us apart from the next. But how does this happen? How do seven girls with incredible genes, equal access to fantastic wardrobes, and the impeccable ability to blow-dry, apply, and style attract the coveted customer; the one that will last a lifetime?

After studying and practicing marketing and communications principles in school and on the job, I have learned that there are four basic things that any brand can manipulate and massage to make their goods and services more appealing to the consumer. One of those things is promotion. Promotion is all about attracting a buyer and increasing sales through various strategies. In the marketing world these are things like coupons, PR activities, competitions, displays, advertising campaigns, and loyalty incentive programs. For the individual, promotional activities include knowing what's best about you and finding ways to get the message out. Self-promotion is about telling your story visually, verbally, and emotively in a different way from your competitors. For the single girl looking to stand out among a bevy of beauties, there are key learnings from a successful campaign's promotional activities, that can enhance how she steps out on the town.

First, play up your most unique and amazing asset, and do it in an original way. Though women are made up of the same basic parts, there are some parts that look best on you, and other parts that look better on someone else. In MBA school, we talked a lot about "sustainable competitive advantage." Every successful company has achieved excellence through a lasting differentiating factor that they then promote to their consumers. It's the company with a focus and an investment in that focus that makes an impression. It's the company that tries to be everything to everyone that fails. Instead of following the trending topic, wearing a common look, over applying or enhancing; Try picking one part of yourself that you are proud of - make a splash with it, and then dim the less interesting parts. Along with this, try playing up your chosen asset in a unique way. For instance, if you've got a great neckline and shoulders, own the off the shoulder look. Make this a standard look that people will always associate with you. YOU are the girl with the elegant shoulders and neckline. This comment may be more or less latent to a guy, but your consistent, confident look comes with a certain feeling and memory attached to it.

Second, find and know your brand essence. As I mentioned, on the outside, we are basically equipped with a set of parts that make us blend together. Though we may have great red hair that makes us stand out in a sea of blonds, there is something else that guys can pick up on a mile away. That is our confidence, which is made up of our internal values, talents, character, and pride in all of these. This is our brand essence and it should be brought to the forefront on all occasions. If you don't know or can't find an underlying, personal essence to your outward appearance, you will just blend in among the competition. Stand up straight, SMILE, laugh heartily, be genuine, gesticulate, and love the moment you are experiencing. Everyone wants to be part of the good time - that good time should be you.

Just like a fast food hamburger restaurant, we all have the same tools to make us the better burger joint. The restaurant can dress up the burger with lettuce, pickles, onions and special sauce, but if it doesn’t associate that amazing look and taste with something bigger and more emotive, than the consumer is not going to become attached to that product. As women, we have the same access at all price-points to make-up, clothes (and generally speaking guys can’t tell the difference between the cheap and expensive stuff), diets, and hair-care techniques. We all have the ability to look great, but if your potential consumer can't see something more than a cliche, he will lose interest.

Third and finally, you can't just shout your message to a captive audience. Today, a guy's attention span is shorter than ever, and in order to captivate, you have to engage in a dialogue - to be a good promoter, you have to be a good listener. You have to know what the consumer wants, then hone your messaging to his cues. The reason that marketers have gone on-line and have started to speak to consumers on their agenda, and in their time and space, is because shouting through a box to uninterested viewers no longer works. People want to know that companies care about their individuality. They want brands to interact with them and communicate directly to them. When you enter a bar, a party, or even the grocery store, there is always an opportunity to tell your story and promote yourself, but most times it helps to know your target audience's story first.

There are so many other aspects of promotion to touch on, but these are biggies. And, there's more where this came from. In the meantime, this is a start to help you improve your conversion rate. The key take-away: Focus on strategic self-promotion when you play the dating game - strive for quality impressions, achieve higher click-thru rates, and aim for the conversion of a browser into a purchaser.

Lo

Dressed and Ready

When I was playing lacrosse at Notre Dame my coach, Tracy, told the team to be "dressed and ready to go" about three hours before the opening draw of the game. Dressed and ready meant uniform on, pump-up music off, eyes on and ears open to our all-wise and powerful head coach. "Dressed and ready" took me and my teammates out of our roles as students and into our realm as star athletes, where our following of loyal fans, which was entirely comprised of family relations, really good friends, and an odd assortment of townies and professors who adopted a cult following of women's lacrosse, would cheer us on by name and number.

My transition from student to athlete started as I stripped out of my typical art-historian wardrobe of J.Crew high waisted jeans, white t-shirt, cardigan sweater, Ann Klein loafers, and Vera Bradley tote. (Yes, I have always dressed like a 45-year-old mother-of-four.) In the locker room, and set to the rhythms and lyrics of my team's favorite rappers, I started to shed my somewhat dorky, snooty, and perceived mature persona into a rendering of a tough, brusque, and hot lacrosse player. As I misquoted Big Poppa, I would pull on my under-layer of spandex and sports-bras; and as I awkwardly bobbed to Snoop Dogg, I delved into my the outer-layer made up of my #7 jersey, gold kilt, cleats, and a sweat band that I strategically positioned under my bicep to make my arms look more defined. My long strait hair was swept into a ponytail that I would clasp again at the bottom so it would swing together as I ran down the field. Next, I would go to the mirror to complete my look - adding the finishing touch - I crowned myself with a striped head band, given to me by my brother with the explicit directions to be more gangster. Now I was officially "dressed and ready to go."

My art history, literature, Italian, and acting teachers never would have suspected that #7 was the same girl that raised her hand enthusiastically in the front row of their classes. My lacrosse garb enabled me to be something that I never thought imaginable - the first home and one of the leading scorers for the number-two team in division 1 varsity lacrosse.

Today I woke up and got dressed and ready for work. This is a much less interesting process, but one that I take with the same amount of seriousness that I applied to my lacrosse game preparations. It starts by shedding layers of Under Armour and revitalizing my raw body in the tepid water of my shower. I then lather up in lotion to reduce my over-active static electricity problem, apply make-up in a methodical way, and then open my closet to assemble an outfit for work. Everyday it is basically the same (I actually wonder if my co-workers think that I don't wash my clothes.) I choose a set from a collection of strategically purchased and well-tailored black and gray pants, camisoles, sweaters, and boots.

If you've ever seen one of those movies where the main character opens up his or her closet and everything looks exactly the same, that is me. I have invested in buying not just one of two of what I like, but a whole closet of clothes that I love and inherently look exactly the same. It is because I feel comfortable and confident in the work-day uniform that I have pulled together. I feel that this ensemble perfectly promotes my persona at work - It says sound, smart, sophisticated, savvy, success-driven, with an undertone of sass.

As a side note, my weekend look comes from my other closet - my fun closet. It is where my boxes of expensive shoes, gold-lame gloves, fedora hats, scarves, small and large handbags, and a myriad of flouncy, colorful dresses live. This is my costume closet, where I play and promote the creative side of myself on the weekends.

After I blow dry my hair, I glance in the mirror one last time, apply another round of lip-gloss, smack my lips together, and say, alright dominant QSR, here I come! I finish my work-mode prep by tuning into the liberal banter of NPR morning news during my commute. This is my new version of pump-up music for the corporate games I am about to play. It prepares me to combat politics, contribute to technological conversations, and quote stock market predictions with ease.

My rituals of preparation to compete on the lacrosse field and those to compete in corporate America are quite different, but the underlying concept is still there. If I would have come out to play unfocused, tired, or scared, me and my team would have had to play a lot of catch up in the second half, which always made Tracy mad. In corporate America, my pursuits are much the same; to outsmart, outplay, out-hustle, and ultimately knock off the competition with a group of contributors fighting for the same cause. I have to be ready to go the moment I walk off the elevator each day, because if I'm not, I might end up back on the bench.

The point here:

Get pumped-up and psyched for what you are about to do today. If you are not dressed and ready to go, you might be making up some tough ground later in the day, or later in life.

Sustain that feeling throughout the day, even when it comes down to the homestretch - those last five minutes could be the game breaker.

When you have victories along the way, celebrate them with your teammates. (Cristine, watch out! I might even give you a shimmy shake, which is the lacrosse version of a chest bump, when we nail our next benchmark.)

When you've won ten games in a row, don't let up. You still have the rest of your season ahead when some young unassuming team can catch you off guard.

And I'm not thinking about the end of the game right now - I just made it off the bench, earned a starting position, and am taking steps to be a key contributor.


Lo.

Slower is Smarter

This morning I saw a great, and ever so appropriate (at least for this entry) bumper sticker. It said, "Drive Smarter. Drive Slower." For a runner that nearly gets run over every morning, I was very appreciative of this mobile marketing campaign.

Every morning I run the same big square around Naperville rain or shine, deep freeze or sweltering heat, and tempt fate as I come to various intersections. The frustrated commuters have one thing on their mind - get to work and as fast as possible. They pay no attention to the morning light, the soft snow falling, the sweet aroma of bacon from the restaurants downtown serving breakfast, and most of all to the pedestrians. As I dash across intersections a predictable drama unfolds: I take a couple steps, the driver only looking to the left tries to make a right hand turn on red, he or she nearly runs me off the road, and I shake my head at the commuter's grand apology (arms wave, brow raises, face stresses, lips silently mouth "I'm SORRY!")

This is not a scenario unique to the morning in Naperville. All over America, at all hours of the day, we move at a hurried pace from one activity to the next. I wonder if we even enjoy the things we are doing in the moment because we are always worried how and how fast we will get to the next activity.

I read a novel recently which talked a lot about the culture and tempo of Eastern Europe. The author described it as having a much slower pace than America. He said, "Everyone in American is hurrying so they can make money, but when there is no money to be made, we slow down." Is this true? Is this why everyone in America can't slow down - - because there is money out there, dangling from a string, that we will run in circles to capture?

We hypothesize a lot in our culture about winning the lottery. If we win millions and strike it rich, then we can take it easy. At this hypothetical, ultimate and perfect point in our lives, then we can relax and enjoy life. For some, a culmination of the frenzied pace may come in the form of an unprecedented corporate bonus, for others it may come at retirement. However, until you reach your rest cycle, I urge you to find one or two activities in your life, where you strive to take things a little slower. Give attention to and appreciate each beat in your life's rhythm.

Though I don't hold myself as an ideal or a shining example of someone who has overcome the rush, I believe I have made some big strides in the way I approach two aspects of my daily routine. After work, I go from a sprint, to a walking pace - for music lovers, an adagio, and I have witnessed the quality within these parts of my day progress from amateur to more refined.

First, Cooking

I have written about it before, but cooking is one of my passions. It is a hobby that I research, practice, and converse about on a daily basis. In one of my marketing classes last year, we traced the image and branding of the Betty Crocker Cookbook from her roots as a homemaker with a heritage and portfolio of lovingly prepared meals, to a working woman who needed to be equipped with meal solutions which could be prepared quickly and efficiently. Though I celebrate and perhaps embody the working woman who wants to do it all, I also abhor the 30 minute meal.

I cooked from my new Lidia Bastianich cookbook on Saturday evening. I had just watched a show about the local ingredients, flavors and preparation techniques from the Basilicata region of Italy, and decided to try one of Lidia's recipes from that region: A traditional Primi, a baked cherry tomato pasta dish that would go well with my boyfriend's Secondi preferiti, "un Bistecca."

I was dicing garlic, sweet onions, and cherry tomatoes when my boyfriend asked if I wanted to use a food processor. I immediately scoffed at the suggestion. The local women of Italy do not cook with processors. They pit each olive by hand, half each tomato without damaging its sun-kissed skin, and slowly simmer ingredients until each flavor blends together into a mutually beneficial marriage. I love to chop, cook, and savor aromas, because it is the part of my day where I get to slow down. I get to pour a glass of wine and work through each step at my own speed. There is no deadline, except perhaps a stomach growl, but that can easily be mending by said glass of wine and a ripe creamy piece of St. Andre cheese.

If you don't have kids or a husband asking when dinner will be ready, cook slowly. It is an amazing activity, that you should enjoy through and through.

Second, Consuming

When I was in grade school, Thursday nights were rough. After school I went directly to field hockey, basketball or play practice, then to piano, then home to a heaping portion of Linguini with Clam Sauce that I proceeded to inhale, then to a double session of dance class. Though I had become accustomed to scarfing down food for fuel, I used to have to take a break about ten minutes into class some nights, because my babysitter, Debbie's, monstrous portion of pasta, had gotten the better of me.

When younger, there was steep competition between the winner of the who-can-complete-a-meal-faster race. For a good part of my youth, I believe I held the title, but my brother became a master in his high school years, because he knew that the longer he stayed at the table eating, the more questions he would have to field from my mom and dad. While honing my skills of rapid consumption came in handy at various points of my life (Thursdays nights like the ones I described, halftime of lacrosse games when I would scarf down Cheerios to propel my efforts in the second half, and a very un-lady-like Freshman year of college when I was a champion shot gunner) the side effects of indigestion and weight gain were reason enough to change my habits.

Recommendations to take it easy while consuming came a lot in my later years. My parents would say slow down, Katy would say, "Wow, stop drinking so hard," Kristen would look up in amazement as I polished off my salad and she took her first bite. However, I would say I took a major leap in slowing down the pace of consumption this year. The trick for me (and it may not be for everyone, as I am not condoning alcoholism) is to have one glass of wine before dinner and one during dinner. It acts as a catalyst to transition from the frenzy of the workday, into a time set aside for relaxation. It also acts as a prelude and finale to each bite, enhancing each flavor, and it opens taste buds to the complexities and melodies that come from the symphony of flavors.

Though I am still proud of the day I polished off a Tessaro's hamburger in three bites so I could make it to the 7:15 PM show, I am glad to leave scarfing behind.

So ... this evening, as you put another day to rest, think of a way or two that you can slow down your rapid routines. Or at least, if anyone from the city of Naperville is reading, please drive smarter and slower tomorrow morning, and watch out for the friendly runner in the yellow Steelers hat.

Lo

A New Year, A New Me?

It is officially 2010. Although I rang in the New Year with my family in Puerto Rico and toasted the New Year on Sunday night with Peter, bay scallops, and a wonderful bottle of Marchesa Prosecco, it was the return to my routine yesterday that marked the New Year for me.

My team at work engaged in some thorough "twenty-ten planning" over the past couple of months to gear up for the start of the New Year. I felt poised, ready and raring to go on the job front yesterday. With all this work related planning though, I forgot to do any personal 2010 planning. I used my routine run yesterday to brainstorm on how I could put some of the great pieces of advice I received over the past couple of days to use in 2010.

NPR, the visiting priest at St. Peter's and Paul of Naperville, my family and boyfriend, and my friend Meredith each offered some words of wisdom to me over the past 4 days, which will shape how I want to approach this new year. I have provided the long and short versions below, because sometimes my readers just want to get straight to the point ; )

1. As I mentioned before, my family and I were in Puerto Rico during the change from 2009 to 2010. During a great and relaxing week, there were many opportunities for competitive sport. Whether it was on the volleyball court or running trail, during a silly paddle ball game or hearts game, in the pool, kitchen, or at the dining room table. There were many opportunities where one could claim (if one won) that he or she was the champion of the world. I had to tell myself over and over again:

"I don't need to have the most knowledge on a subject"

"It doesn't matter if I lose a card game"

"There are other people that can cook very well in my family"

"It's okay if I didn't complete the longest list of activities for the day."

When I lost, which seemed to happen a lot on this particular vacation, my ego was bruised and I wanted to take it out on my competitor. (I am still working on the whole concept of friendly competition - for me it has always been more like I-hate-you-if-you-beat-me competition.) With nudging and coaching here and there from my boyfriend, my inner competitive demon starting to fade through the week though. Basically, he has taught me that there's no need to be #1 in a family, because ultimately your family doesn't love you for winning, they love you for playing. I believe in 2010, I will make major strides in putting Competo to rest.

Less fierce competition, more friendly play.

2. I talked to my friend Meredith last night who had some great advice. She told me in so many words that I should enjoy every moment and not worry about the next. She said sometimes when you start looking at your peers, you feel the pressure to be like them, have the same things as them, look like them. However, each of us have unique situations and what's right for one person is probably all wrong for the other person. So don't make life a competition - there is no starting point and finish line. You will win regardless if you are happy through each stage. Such great advice.

Life is not a competition.

3. NPR provided my third bit of advice. They showcased a story about a man with a debilitating disease called spinal muscular atrophy yesterday on their morning show. Most with his disease don't live past the age of 4, but he has thrived. He turned 47 this year, has his own family, and is a successful writer in LA who is working on a memoir. He spoke yesterday about how, at the start of this new year, he isn't so much looking ahead, but looking back on 2009 which sincere thankfulness. He said although nothing really exciting happened in 2009, it was a year that was "blessedly drama free," which in his life means a lot. No medical complications, hospital visits, or extremely stressful situations. He ended his remarks by saying sometimes being normal is good enough. I was struck by this comment immediately, and couldn't agree with it more.

Being normal is great.

4. Finally, in mass on Sunday, a visiting priest talked about the celebration of Epiphany in a great way. He spoke about those that wander in the desert, and how they do so at night, because they can navigate better guided by astronomy. The Three Kings were guided by a particularly bright star that led them to the baby Jesus. The priest said that in this day and age, we are called to be lights for others. We are meant to be beacons for people who have lost their way or need some direction. Although, the application from mass is to guide people to the Church, I want to take this into the secular realm as well. I want to very happy and satisfied in 2010 no matter what, because I have been very blessed, and help show others how to be happy as well.

Happiness is the beacon I want to shed.

So in 2010 I am not looking to catapult my personage into the next level of excellence. I am trying to just be happy old me. The me that I know, my family and boyfriend knows, and my lifelong friends know. I have nagging strains that want to be bigger and better than everyone else at everything that I do, but my goal this new year, is to be satisfied with what I have been given, become comfortable and thankful for being normal, and let my satisfaction and smile be a beacon for those that are less happy.

Happy New Year,

Lo