Krazymarketer

Follow to lead

Leadership is no easy thing. Especially whe your people feel empowered. Oftentimes, leaders feel that they must lead by fear or by favour - and not both. The fear is that the choice is in your people either fearing and hating you, or in them being too forward (backtalk, over-criticize etc) and love you. In my own professional life, I have found it most rewarding to empower people, and for those you have high regard for, driving them hard, pushing them hard, keep their bar extra high so that they get tough fast - a baptism of fire so to speak.

They never like it as they are going through it. When I was going through my own baptism of fire - I am still going through one in some of the things I am doing, I hated it. I would lose nights wishing my mentor was dead - as I worked through out the night to finish what he had ordered me to do.

That said, there is something to be said for how to be a good mentee, to follow a leader. It calls for great energy not to be seen to sit on the same pedestal as your leader - afterall, you must at best sit at their feet. Half the time one wants to respond, correct them, show them how to be the leaders we would prefer - or at least feedback on their style and how it affects you. To keep that to yourself - and ensure that they cannot overtly see it in your actions, your expression, your tone or your words is a true test of patience and a testimony to your growth.

My experience with one mentor, who was a boss and who inadvertently took an interest in me because I was overtly in need of knowledge from them, was a difficult one. He, my mentor, would make me work twice as hard as everyone else in the team, make me think twice as hard, push me twice as hard with ridicules and jeers - he really tried to make us loose our temper or confidence... Life around him was a constant pain.

We all complained and grumbled. Until one day a few weeks into the ordeal, I decided that I would not complain any longer and I would work hard to please him and eventually anticipate him... Within a month, I had achieved it - and his abuse increased as did my areas of responsibility. The rest of the team angrily complained...

A few years later, I was up for an award for excellent executives in my field. To announce the prize, was my mentor who said.

"I am proud to know this man. He worked for me once and I was the world's worst boss. His humility and resiience sparked a resourcefulness that is now associated with him. Everyone else complained and argued. Others quit. He, adapted and survived. Today, he is among the most aggressive and astute professionals of our time."

That statement was all I needed - I knew I had passed.

Building perceived brand value

In the last couple of weeks, I have been wracking my brains, pondering (1) how to explain perceived brand value to non-marketers and (2) how to explain the tough choices that brand owners have to make in the course of increasing the brand's perceived value

Here's one shot at explaining it:

Every brand has a perceived value - which is the value that a person or customer would place on the brand. For example, there are two cars, exactly alike: both are 1800cc, four wheels, leather upholstery, power windows and even a sunroof. Both have been beautifully designed and look like executive cars that could carry a flag bearing minister. One is a Toyota and one is a Mercedes.

As per the norm, the mercedes is PERCEIVED to be of a higher quality and prestige because the brand has been built to be superior over time. Therefore the customer is content to pay more for the mercedes because of the higher value he places on the car in his mind.

For a brand to be built to be of superior stature, such as the non-profit I work for is being positioned to be, then tough choices have to be made that are consistent with the superior brand.

1. No compromise on brand investment. The inputs that make the brand, from the design to the promise that it makes to the functionality of it - all of these must be above average in their quality. This is not easy, because quality does come at a cost. But it pays.

2. Be ready to sell fewer units. The mercedes doesn't try to compete with other cars in terms of units sold. It defines its own sales targets and appreciates that as a superior brand it is not a mass market product but it is for the discerning. In the case of the non-profit I work for, charity (giving once to assuage your guilt or salve your pity) is a bad word. One has to be part of a programme for as long as it takes to make real impact in people's lives. Sustainability is a mercedes product and can only be for the discerning.

3. Price appropriately. If one is trying to differentiate their brand as different from other players in the field, then the argument that "the usual way of doing things is..." or "all other players use this price" becomes a moot point. If you are selling higher value, greater satisfaction, then the cost is going to be higher. Mercedes will cost more than Toyota. Of course that means that initially one will not get as many buyers as they seek to understand the higher cost - and the sellers responsibility is to sell the value, not reduce or bargain the cost.

4. Be comfortable to say "no". This is not an easy thing for anyone. And for anyone who is fundraising to say no to money, well, that is extra hard. Yet one has to be okay with saying no to anything that does not fit our brand. When a buyer offers the mercedes seller the price of a toyota, the appropriate response is to nod understandingly and ask him to go and come back when he is capable of handling greater responsibility. And then sell the value that the buyer should come back for when he is more capable. Clear answers framed in this way gain respect of the buyer.

5. Increase the value offering everytime. One has to innovate and make the experience of dealing with the brand better every time. Innovation and discarding of the "usual way it is done" become vital. The better the best becomes, the easier it is for the customer to justify paying a higher cost.

Now, all this talk of customers could make one think that I have forgotten that we are dealing with a non-profit. I have not.

Non-profits compete just as much as companies for support, contributions and partnerships. They even engage in pseudo-business - such as sponsored events, selling artifacts etc. For a non-profit to succeed, branding is an imperative and increasing its brand value is a must.

Why my non profit will do no appeals.

My non-profit will not do appeals. I stated this to a marketing colleague in an international NGO, as we discussed and compared marketing strategy. He was perplexed. There were titters of laughter and a round agreement that I was crazy.

We were at a mutual friend's posh residence in the leafy surburbs sipping drinks by his pool and it was by dubious coincidence that we all work in communications and in the non-profit sector. As we chatted, it was inevitable that we would end up talking shop and as the youngest in the group, I generally remained silent.

The conversation aimlessly meandered through the trends in the non-profit sector (what organisations are shifting focus on what areas in terms of funding and which ones are becoming even more lucrative employers), the developments in global politics and how they were affecting work and the global economic crisis and the havoc and boon it is causing around the non-profit sector. Of course the conversation was heavily peppered with self-righteous tones as we discussed what we each do and the importance of the work that we do - very much sounded like mine's-bigger-than-yours sort of conversation.

We eventually came round to marketing techniques and there, I was quiet because I was curious what these gurus of 'development communications' had in mind. "Oh, we have some marvelous ideas this year. Very innovative ways to appeal to a wider audience," said the most experienced and celebrated of us. "We are using text messaging and informatials to really touch the people out there to send us money via MPESA."

There were coos of agreement at how innovative this was and the bald guy from America chimed in with a detailed description of their online appeal strategy and how they would be using photographs and videos of the "the terribly needy people" to fundraise. Online? Wow, went the group.

Then there was a litany of fundraising events and golf tournaments all of which were followed by general approval all round.

"Krazy," Miss experienced-and-Celebrated turned to me, "you are quiet. Taking in how its done, eh?" Laughter and winks.

"Oh, we are not doing any appeals," I replied quietly much to their consternation.

"Krazy, dear," launched Miss experienced-and-celebrated in an impressive 'oh, you misguided twit' tone. "In the non-profit world, your funding must come from somewhere and at the core of philanthropy is appeals."

The group proceeded to educate me that there really is no other way to raise serious money. Internationally, they advised, one must target the big boys - the countries and the large philanthropic foundations by ensuring you find out what their focus is and align your proposal to that agenda. And you have to appeal to individuals - much in the way organisations globally have fundraised for Africa, with heart wrenching pictures and video.

At length, I said, that I am not convinced and that I still will not appeal to the public - certainly not using photos of hunger stricken, sick and troubled people. My reasons were succinctly given:

1. We live in a different world. People are a lot more knowledgable and a lot more connected. Knowledge by its very nature reduces fear and sadness and instead engenders aversion and numbness to those issues. Why, I asked, has there been little response to Sms appeals to worthy causes by highly reputable organisations and yet, in Kenya, mobile based transactions are hugely successful and promotions are even more so?

I am convinced that the best way to reach a person's heart to give is to align yourself to his or her quest. They want to be happy, they want to succeed in life, they want to make an impact in other people's lives and they want to be remembered for something worthwhile. So why not work with them towards that?

2. It is true. What we see unlocks what envision with our minds. And yes, when we see emaciated people ridden by plagues of various kinds we are quick to give, if only to assuage our guilt and then we look away. But when we see a future that we believe in, we go above and beyond our normal predelictions and work to make it come true. I want to show pictures of prosperity and success. So that people buy into the vision and always want to be involved.

3. People are driven by self-interest. Preach all you want to them but they will invest in what has direct benefit for them. Benefit to them comes in three things: Money, Fame, Esteem. Offer any of these and people will get involved.

4. Show what you have done - truly, believably. This way, I want to give rather than I feel I should conform to these unspoken societal preassures.

We, I repeated, will not do appeals.

There was an uncomfortable silence before our host, smiled and offered, "more wine?" And we then talked about sports.

On blogging, writing and development

I have been trying to encourage key people within my organisation to start blogging. I find that the impediment so far has been in them agreeing to begin to make a habit of it. I know one thing for a fact. The non-profit that speaks honestly about what it does, without over-managing information - one that tells stories that are simply about their own experiences, is likely to reach and connect with more people just because we all do connect with authentic people, companies, products and causes.

One of these people I am trying to encourage, a fairly young person, is concerned about “being made into a writer” and yet their interest is more in development work. I figure that I need to make the point that being able to write well, enables one to learn and practice to structure their ideas in simple comprehensible ways and exercises the brains power to analyse and make some comprehension of the stimuli that hits one in the course of their work. I have learnt in my time that the most successful people have  made a point to regularly and incessantly communicate their ideas and “education” (the learning that comes with working in an industry.

The other one of these people I am encouraging to start blogging is at the other end of the sphere – older, a leader with many years’ experience under the belt. She may harbour the perception that she does not have the time to blog. Writing is not easy for the average person, writing regularly is even harder – especially in the circumstances that have her running an organisation with many strands – all of which she must be on top of; managing boards and running her own personal household to boot! That time is a resource that is available to her to do as she please – and therefore she is able to make some priority to her blog, to record her thoughts for the world’s information (whatever it is worth is a challenging thing.

I foresee that in due course, as the world of blogging becomes clearer to both this people, they will begin to see value. And posterous is a good tool.

Making the pitch to the Corporate

Had a successful meeting with CEOs of various companies. Spent the weekend in the office preparing for that meeting – and my team came and spent the weekend with me. We put together a real kick-butt presentation and that went well. What bliss. This breakfast went a long way in confirming what I have always believed in terms of the imperatives for non-profits to deal with corporates:-

·         Thorough preparation is crucial

·         Branding is important. It sets your credibility – in the same way that a good suit is likely to, therefore allowing people to listen to you.

·         A good story goes a long way

·         Keep it simple – use simple words, explain simple concepts, focus on a central theme, do not be literal

·         Do not make people feel guilty, instead inspire their optimism

·         Enable them to react and respond

·         Venue is an important thing

·         Follow up is crucial

I think the best places that non-profits could learn to pitch (as well as many of the rest of us) to companies in the private sector and the wider public is on ted.com.

Check out Jacquelene Novogratz on TED…

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jacqueline_novogratz_invests_in_ending_poverty.html

Her pitch may have disturbing undertones that some of us may hear, but it is delivered very well.

The rationale of being Crazy

Team amok around market - without conviction

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I have a wonderful team that I work with. They have joined me in running amok in the non-profit market place with enthusiasm to the consternation of older workmates. I suppose the fact that we all joined at around the same time may have something to do with it. As they follow me in being crazy, wantonly disregarding set culture and developing a new one – one that is more geared towards delivery of excellence, at the speed of light, through unique and unconventional methods to achieve higher goals than envisioned.

Of course, to do this, I have a responsibility to them. To demand excellence, high levels of integrity and to ensure that they can be leaders in their own right. And so I have become more than a leader – much like some of my mentors have been – I became a lecturer too. As often as is reasonable, I try to ensure that they understand a train of thought and the thought construction of leadership to enable them to develop the confidence to be unconventional in the work that we have to do.

The rationale is simple. That for a substantial change to happen in the culture of the organization – in such a way as to ensure that we are a responsive and communicative (in normal language) organisation, we have to be on the extreme end of crazy and fairly provocative. This license to be crazy is earned though, I say to the hapless colleagues (who wonder what they ever did to deserve such lectures). It is earned by delivering every little task on time, with excellence that goes beyond whatever expectations other already had, and from this, the confidence to defend their position, in the crazy things that they propose to do to better the organisation.

At the end of the day, I expect, what I do is to confound them further. One supposes if they observe my own habits towards excellence, they may be able to relate them to what I say and perhaps pretend to emulate… or one may despair – over one’s dead carcass!

... So I work in a non-profit...

Throughout my professional life, I have had a real disdain for non-profits because they looked bad, behaved badly (well, most did), talked too much and in a in a different language from the rest of us. When I decided to take a sabbatical from my business, to work in government and then in the private sector, I had to grit my teeth.