The Power of Listening

“During the darkest hours of the civil war, Lincoln wrote to an old friend in Springfield, Illinois, asking him to come to Washington. Lincoln said he had some problems he wanted to discuss with him. The old neighbor called at the White House, and Lincoln talked to him for hours about the advisability of issuing a proclamation freeing the slaves. Lincoln went over all the arguments for and against such a move, and then read letters and newspaper articles, some denouncing him for not freeing the slaves and others denouncing him for fear he was going to free them. After talking for hours, Lincoln shook hands with his old neighbor, said good night, and sent him back to Illinois without even asking for his opinion.

 Lincoln had done all the talking himself. That seemed to clarify his mind. ‘He seemed to feel easier after that talk,’ the old friend said. Lincoln hadn’t wanted advice. He had wanted merely a friendly, sympathetic listener to whom he could unburden himself. That’s what we all want when we are in trouble. That is frequently all the irritated customer wants, and the dissatisfied employee or the hurt friend.”

Excerpt from How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

 

This is my favorite passage from this book simply because of how true it is and how universally fitting it is for any situation in business, personal relationships, and professional relationships. Quite often we don’t take the time to listen to what other people are saying. Think of how much of an impact you can have on others simply by opening up your ears and taking the time and effort to understand what others are saying…

8 Tips For Not Looking Like a Total Tard At An Interview

Being a recent college grad, I know just how tough it is to get a job out there. Although I can use some good interviewing tips myself, I thought I could share some pointers with young job-hunters out there who are looking for their first job out of high school or their first job in general.

I’ve had a lot of interesting experiences as an hiring supervisor for UPS. I was privileged with being on the other side of the table asking the questions. It puts an interesting perspective on how we perceive others and how we perceive ourselves, especially during those intense, nerve-wracking interviews. Hopefully these tips can help you out a bit.

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[Note: these are tips and advice stemmed from my own personal opinion(s). These views do not necessarily express the views of UPS. Just saying...]

One (1) : Smile =)
It doesn’t matter from what culture you are from, or what region of the world you come from– smiling is universally appealing and universally attractive and universally positive. A smile can significantly change the atmosphere and can significantly change the mood. And I’m not talking about one of those oh-hi-I-like-your-outfit-let-me-talk-crap-about-you-behind-your-back-type smiles. I’m talking about a genuine smile. Just like laughter, it’s contagious and has a positive impact on people– especially your interviewer.

Dos (2): Firm Handshake
I brought in a candidate for a second interview with the manager of the operation that this particular candidate was applying for a job with. They shook hands. We commenced with the interview. We dismissed him. After the interview, I reviewed the interview with the manager, and the manager said the candidate “had a weak handshake” and “no thanks…”

Ouch.

A handshake conveys three messages: level of professionalism, degree of interest and excitement the person is feeling about the position or the person interviewing them, and the ability to actually have a firm grip. And yes, having a firm grip is very important in real life. You’d be surprised. A handshake is one of those first-impression-type deals where it can have a huge impact on whether or not you get the job. There are even corporate training videos and modules that management professionals and executives partake of that focus primarily on handshakes. It’s THAT important.

Trois (3): If nervous, it’s cool to admit it
If you’re fresh out of  high school and you’re looking for that first job, it’s okay to be nervous. And it’s fine to admit it. Because we’ve all been there. We’ve all done that. We understand. And those interviewers out there who are not empathetic to your situation are sadistic douchebags. Yes, I said it.

There may be a lot riding on this interview, and this job may be so important to you that you’re nervous enough to really not want to mess up the interview.

Interviewing for a job and being nervous about it–to me, at least– shows that the job is something that they want, and that they are stepping outside of their comfort zone to get it.  So for all of you nervous interviewees out there, I salute you! Because we have all been in your shoes, and we all know what you are going through. It’s cool, man. It’s cool.

Apat (4): Have proof. Back it up. Bite after you bark.
A resume can only go so far. If you are asked what you did for a project at school and you have some tangible proof that you actually did what you said you did, the interviewer will believe you. Sometimes we have some reservations about whether a person really did what they say they did. That’s why we interview: to uncover the truths. Having a portfolio with you is a must. All the better to showcase your abilities and competencies.

Fünf (5): Be *clap* interesting! *clap* Be-be *clap* intere-sting!
Everyone is interesting and unique. Why fit in when you can stand out? If someone asks you what your hobbies are or what you like to do on your spare time, the worst thing you can say is, “nothing… I’m a pretty boring person.” I would know… I interviewed someone that said those exact words before. Epic. Fail.

So don’t be boring. Brag about some of your interesting adventures in life. If you like to hike, cool! If you like collecting cards or comics, awesome! If you spend all your time playing video games… umm… don’t tell me that, because I would think you’re a deadbeat with nothing better to do. Being part of a sports team or a music group tells me you are good with commitment. Volunteering at non-profit organizations or giving back to the community tells me you have a conscience (unlike a bunch of spoiled, selfish, greedy, stuck-up, good-for-nothing people out there). (Excuse my random spurts of aggression. My apologies).

Roku (6): Do your research
Poke around on the company’s website a bit. Look the company up on Wikipedia. If you know the name of the person that will be interviewing you, try finding them on LinkedIn or Facebook or Google+ or Twitter. It’s not stalkerish (kind of), but it’s a good way to get an idea of the position you are applying for, and it’s a good way to get a feel of the corporate culture you are trying to be a part of, and it’s also a good way to see if you have any common ground with the interviewer.

Sebeun (7): Make me LOL, or LMAO, or ROFLMAO
Maybe I’m not typical of an HR person… but I like candidates who can make me laugh. It shows that the person I’m interviewing has a sense of humor. It shows a certain level of comfort. Nobody likes tense atmospheres. It’s not fun and it’s not comfortable. So why not lighten the mood up with something funny– a quirky personality, an hilariously awkward but appropriate answer to an interview question… I don’t know, but make me laugh! But I’ve had candidates make me laugh before, and I remembered those candidates more than I did the ones who didn’t make me laugh. And guess what– the ones that I remember more are the ones that I consider offering the job to.

Októ (8): Dress Appropriately
It makes me giggle a little inside if someone who is applying for a minimum wage, physical-labor-intense job comes to the job interview dressed up in a three-piece suit, shiny leather dress shoes, and decked out in jewelry (nice watches, fancy earrings, etc), not to mention the Chanel perfume or the Versace cologne– it’s hilarious!

Overdressing tells me that the candidate either really really really wants the job or that they did no research on the position at all. Underdressing just tells me that the candidate isn’t really all that serious about the interview. Too much perfume or cologne makes me wish I had a cold sometimes.

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Hopefully, anyone out there reading this can gain some insight into how some interviewers out there operate. The people conducting the interview are not some emotionless drones hell-bent on making you nervous and intimidating the hell out of you! Always remember that they are people just like you, and they operate just like you. The interviewers themselves have been in your shoes before so they know just how you feel. Try imagining yourself in their position and ask yourself: “what would I be looking for in a good candidate.” Hopefully this bit of information and these tips can help you out, dear reader. \

Good luck and have a fun interview!

Cheers

Mind-Manipulation Marketing

Powerful. Successful. Cheap. Empowering. More. Soft. Luxurious. Classy. Fun. Feminine. Natural. Nurturing. Healthy. Clean. Delicious. Destructive. Strong. Sexy.

These are simple words, yet they strike a chord within all of us. Quite often, marketing messages utilize words like these to appeal to our motivation– to drive us to action. Simple words like these “push” something in all of us that “turns us on.” Get your minds out of the gutter, I’m talking about something a little more sophisticated than sex. This “button” is referred to as the reptilian hot button.

I’ve always been fascinated by this kind of marketing because it kind of doesn’t make sense.

Sigmund Freud broke down the structure of the human psyche into three distinct parts: the ego, the superego, and the id. The ego acts as the rational, logical part of the psyche. The superego acts as the moral, guilt-tripping part of the psyche. And the id is the little child– the desiring, wanting, pleasure-seeking part of the psyche.

Reptilian hot buttons appeal to the id. Excellent marketing strategies inspire people to want to buy something. How awesome is that– to get people to WANT to spend their money on a product or service. Especially in this economy, there’s something that gets us as consumers to spend more than we can afford. It goes beyond logic. It lies deeper within the human psyche. And it goes beyond emotion.

It’s hilarious because we as consumers like to make irrational buying decisions. Why do people spend hundreds of dollars on those hideous North Face jackets that everybody and their grandma’s already own… when they can buy a nicer, more stylish, and more durable jacket (without that weird logo on the shoulder blade) for half the price? It’s not logical. Why would people want to spend tens of thousands of dollars on a vehicle that — in the words of one of my favorite comedians, Gabriel Iglesias– kills gas like he kills tacos? It’s not practical.

I mean I’m not expert in this field– not by a long shot. But it’s still fascinating and intriguing to me how the power of words can have such a powerful influence on us. Take a look at the pamphlets, magazine ads, leaflets, store tags, etc. and just pay attention to what words are used. Believe it or not, but those specific words were chosen for a reason. It’s amazing how our minds associate certain words with certain memories and images, and–if artfully and expertly applied to marketing messages– can sway us to make some buying decisions that makes absolutely no sense at all.  And it’s quite awesome.

The Evils of Marketing – A Fierce Debate

I had a very interesting conversation/debate with a buddy of mine at my internship. We went to the same college and were in the business school together, but he focused on the entrepreneurship aspect of business. I also went for entrepreneurship, but also had a focus on marketing. This was where we clashed:

Let’s say a manufacturer makes and sells this one particular style of shirt. It sells the shirts to two businesses: Costco and Abercrombie. It costs roughly $7 dollars to make the shirt. Costco sells it for about $15. After shipping and inventory holding costs, etc… the shirt averages about $7 profit. Not too bad, right? Abercrombie, on the other hand, sells it for $125. I know. You’re probably like, “OMG WTF LOL NO WAY!” And I’m like, “LOL LMAO ROFLMAO YES WAY!” All they have to do is slap that ugly moose thingy onto the shirt, hang it on the rack, and spray about a quarter-ton of their weird smelling perfume/cologne/suffocating-aerosol outside of their stores to attract people to come in and spend $110 more on the exact same shirt that Costco sells (without the ugly moose thingy) for only $15. The sad part is that this actually happens and people actually overspend on products like that.

That is the power of marketing. It’s all about making people feel good about their purchasing decisions. It’s about making people FEEL like they have some sense of importance, some sense of belonging when they buy a particular branded product. Marketing is so powerful, it can literally make people make incredibly irrational and financially destructive decisions. Apparently, Abercrombie does such a good job at making the people who buy their insanely overpriced products feel like they made a good decision in buying their products.

That was what my buddy and I were arguing about. He says it’s unethical in that respect, and that it’s not right. It makes sense. I half-agree with him in that it’s unethical. On the other hand, marketing drives people to the business. Without this kind of marketing, businesses won’t grow, people wouldn’t have the jobs they do now, etc.

But it is because of this kind of marketing that so many young people find themselves in tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and unable to pay off their debt with their $10/hour jobs as barista at a cafe or as a  waiter/waitress at a restaurant. Or it could be that they need to change their spending habits and learn to budget effectively.

It’s not really fair because of the psychological aspects associated with marketing tactics and strategies. Simple people trying to resist the messages that are being sent by people who have devoted so many years to understanding human behavior and psychology.

The argument goes on and on.

Fitting in or Standing Out

To be typical… or not to be typical. That is the question.

When we go for a job interview, when we’re bidding on a  job, when we’re trying to win a client, when we go out to the bars or clubs, when we’re at a party, or when we’re just out and about… do we want to blend in or do we want to stand out?

The history books do not mention people that were typical. We do not remember those who have blended in with the crowd. We do not eagerly share with our BFFs that Plain Jane wore this today or that Drab Chad did that today. It’s simple: those who don’t blend in are the ones we all notice. Those who make waves are the ones that get the attention. Those who sport unique fashions are the ones who turn heads. Marketers that break through the “noise” and “clutter” are the ones who take hold of our minds and influence us in one way or another.

It’s so simple yet it seems like people just want to blend in and conform to this concept of “normal.” But why!? It’s understandable if people just want to blend in and live boring lives… But for the people out there who are trying to get famous, who are trying to make a name for themselves, who are trying to attract attention to their business, blending in just won’t do. People need to talk about you or your business in order for you to get some attention.

Prime example: Lady Gaga. She certainly knows how to get people talking about her. So many people out there talk a lot of crap about her. And so many people praise her to high heaven. But what it really comes down to is that she’s famous– what it comes down to is that people TALK ABOUT her. Plain and simple.  A LOT of people talk about her. And people will always remember her because she’s so memorable. (How can one forget exploding cleavage and Kermit The Frog outfits?)

On the other hand, it’s not necessarily good if people say negative things about you or your business or company… One would hope it doesn’t come to that. But getting people to talk about your business, your company, your products, or just you should be a goal for a lot of people, or risk succumbing to obscurity  like a grain of sand on a beach.

Historical figures: these are people who didn’t blend in like everyone else did. These are people that had some sort of impact– positive or negative– on the world. Ghandi. Hitler. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Abraham Lincoln. Malcolm X. Either good or bad, these people stood out. They went against the norm of their times. They stood out– and that’s the key! People are remembered if they stand out!

It’s good to stand out. From a customer’s perspective we’re drawn to products and services that are appealing. From an employer’s perspective we hire interviewees that are outstanding, and from an average person’s perspective we notice that which is out of the ordinary. With all of that in mind, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to stand out than to simply try to fit in? I mean c’mon, it takes so much time and effort to try and fit in with all the other nobodys… Why settle for normal or ordinary, when you could be outstanding, inspirational, amazing, influential, legendary?

…just a thought….

Notorious Nordstrom’s No-Credit-Card Policy: WTF?

When one thinks of “customer service” one of the few companies or brands that come to mind most often is, of course, Nordstrom. The retail giant, besides being known for their (supposedly) high-quality clothing and accessories, is notorious for providing a superior customer service experience to their clientele. One hears of stories of people trading in their ugly (to begin with) Northface jackets that they didn’t buy from Nordstrom, with no receipt, and all beat up, for a brand new jacket just like that. They will exchange for you your used and worn shoes that are three years old and beat up for some brand new shoes or a cash refund. They take care of their customers…

MadTV (rest in peace) actually did a skit that kind of pokes fun at this return policy.

I can’t argue that they don’t have really good customer service and that they provide this excellent shopping experience for customers and patrons to keep their profits growing. They take care of their customers, but do they take care of their employees? Is their bottom line more important than their own people?

The reason I ask this question is because I learned from a friend that Nordstrom has probably one of the most ridiculous policies implemented that I have ever heard in my entire existence. Employees working at Nordstrom are naturally given discounts when they purchase something from the store. But did you know that employees of Nordstrom can and WILL get fired simply for using a credit card to make the purchase? Yes, a credit card. According to my friend, employees have to use cash or debit. Otherwise, goodbye hard-working employe… No, seriously… they will fire a Nordstrom employee if they are caught making a Nordstrom purchase with a credit card. BS? I think so.

I mean I understand that this is discouraged because credit card companies charge the retailer some percentage for the credit use. But is the small savings really worth more than the employees– the human resources, which is THE MOST IMPORTANT asset of ANY company, let alone Nordstrom? Are the employees, which are the primary means for this company to achieve success and their reputation for superior customer service, really not as important as saving a few bucks from the credit card use? Talk about cheap. Yes, I said “cheap.”

Nordstrom is willing to take the hit from taking back and exchanging worn, used, bacteria-infested articles of clothing and accessories that they didn’t carry or didn’t sell to the customer in the first place, but they are not willing to let their employees purchase anything in their store with a personal credit card…

Can someone please explain this to me?

It’s almost as dumb as Washington state’s law that makes it illegal for people who have the common cold to be out and about walking around in the streets (yes, this is a law–don’t believe me? Look it up). It sounds to me like they don’t really care about their employees. I know of a couple of people who absolutely HATES working at Nordstrom. Too much stress. Over-worked. Under-paid. Rude, snotty management and owners. Firing employees for using a credit card to make purchases at the store. bleh.

Doing Good: Building Trust Into Your Brand

Screw everyone else. They don’t matter. As long as I benefit, it’s all good. Right?

Wrong.

It seems that nowadays, everyone is so concerned with their own selfish ambitions. If you found a wallet that was obviously lost by someone, what do you do first– look to see how much cash its got in it or see who the wallet belongs to? What’s your intent? What’s your motivation? Are you going to return the wallet but take the cash first? What would you hope someone did for you if you lost your wallet? Would you go out of your way to literally track that someone down, go to their house and knock on their door to return the wallet in person? Maybe even give them a call to let them know you found their wallet and want to return it? Isn’t that the right thing to do?

The Golden Rule: Do unto others what you would want done unto you.

Maybe it just has something to do with my own moral values, but isn’t it better to do good than to do bad? I tell myself all the time that if I were to fall into a predicament like losing my wallet, I would hope that someone would return the wallet to me, with all my cash and cards still in it. I would be most grateful, and I’d do what I can to reward the person somehow.

Now here’s where I’m going with this thought: doing good unto others builds your personal brand.

People buy brands that people trust. People follow brands they believe in. And People believe in what is good, right? If you consistently do the right thing by being a good, moral person, your reputation benefits, right? Just like how major corporations make it mandatory to do some volunteering or donating to build the company’s image, you can do good things for others and benefit by building your own image (personal branding).

If you return that wallet, why not give the person your personal business/networking card. Don’t have one? MAKE ONE! It’s always a good thing to keep in contact with the people that you’ve helped out. It’s always nice to make new friends that way. What might happen is that that someone for whom you bestowed your act of kindness upon might tell someone about your good deed(s) and spread the word about you. If they have your personal networking/business card, then they have a name to match the good deed with. And on that note, why not do some volunteering? It’s always a good thing to make some friends in the act of kindness.

It’s combining PR, social responsibility, networking, and personal brand building all into one glorious act of doing good unto others. It doesn’t hurt to try; it can only help. Who knows, maybe that one act of returning a lost wallet could turn into a good job, a profitable venture, or a loyal client. Worth much more than the paper and plastic in the wallet, right?

What’s the nicest thing you’ve ever done?

The Army and… The X-Men?!?!

This awesomeness courtesy of Livio27

After your initial distraction by the above work of art– an interesting portrayal of my all-time favorite fictional comic book character– wears off, watch the first minute of this video. The rest is kinda….bleh

I think it’s pretty interesting. The army is sponsoring the X-Men First Class movie in hopes of appealing to younger viewers and inspiring them to join the army. I watched the X-Men First Class movie, which in my honest opinion is (insert swear word here) amazing. I think I’ll go watch it again. But when I saw the advertisement before the movie, I thought that it was quite ironic:

The X-men symbolism-the metaphor- is about people who don’t fit in. People who are rejected by society or are treated differently and horribly because of who they are– people who are just “different” for lack of a more fitting word. A couple of prime examples are racial and religious minorities and LGBT people. But the US Army is trying to play on that concept of “standing out” and “being different” by joining the army. The irony: Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, anyone? Until recently, DADT was just repealed. But in any case, it was a weird advertisement…

Maybe the advertisement was a bit misplaced. Just a thought.

Competition For Jobs: Personal Branding Is a Head Start

You are one of these people. You don't stand out...

It seems that now more than ever the job market is saturated with college graduates. The saying that “a bachelor’s degree is the new high school diploma” is true, as there are more and more people with a higher education and more and more people with comparable skills.

This is especially true since competition for jobs is not limited to just the country you are in; your competition for that high-salaried job with great benefits comprises the people in your graduating class, the people in your graduating class from other schools, and the people in other countries that have like… three degrees, and can cure cancer, or whatnot.

In this day and age, what’s an effective way of making yourself appeal more to prospective employers over your competitors that pretty much have everything you do and that have all the skills and experience you do? Pretty much, everyone appears to be just the same as everyone else.

Image courtesy of www.sharpastoast.com

Two words: Personal Branding

Just like the millions of products out there that are in direct competition with another (toothpaste, deodorant, cars, etc) that virtually do the exact same thing and have the exact same properties as its competitors, the branding and brand image has a huge impact on whether or not the product, or in this case the individual looking for a job, appeals to potential employers (buyers). You have to make yourself stand out somehow. Make yourself memorable to the people you network with, the employers that interview you, and the friends that you make.

In my experience of interviewing many candidates for a job, I don’t remember every single person that I interviewed. In fact, I interview so many people that I forget their names, I forget their faces– it’s as if the interview never happened… UNLESS, of course, particular candidates stand out. And that’s the key: standing out. Whatever they did to stand out, whatever they possess to stand out among their co-interviewees (quirky personality, spot-on answers, fierce determination, bringing some sort of personality to the interview, etc.).  Although “standing out” may not necessarily be a good thing all the time, standing out will definitely get you remembered by the HR person. And it’s those who stand out that usually get the job.

So what can can you do to stand out?

There are so many tools out there that can help you develop your own unique brand and to help you get your personal brand (your name) out there for people to see and get acquainted with. Setting up your own blog (er-hem), being active with social networking sites, making your own logo, your own business/networking cards, making your resume stand out, making use of SEO if you have your own website, creating your own website, etc. Everyone is unique. Everyone has their own personalities and core competencies that make that person who they are. It’s just a matter of making that uniqueness visible and almost tangible for people to see and grasp.

Atmospherics: Marketing Straight To The Brain

Image Credit to MusicForBusines.com

One concept that I’ve always thought fascinating in the world of marketing is the concept of atmospherics. Atmospherics is the art of stimulating the five senses to psychologically influence people’s behavior(s). Put simply, it’s the guerrilla marketing strategy that involves manipulating the environment to attract/retain customers. In the many marketing courses I’ve taken, it’s a sad shame that it was only briefly mentioned in only one of my classes, Consumer Behavior. It’s a really interesting concept, as it is something that’s very observable in every day life.

For example, fast-paced and high-energy music playing in gyms and dance clubs. The fast tempo has a higher frequency which affects the brain in a way that influences people hearing the music to be a little more on edge, a little more anxious, and more tempted to move about. Contrast this with slower, elevator-type music. It’s a bit more relaxing, a bit more calming. It’s very effective, especially in shopping malls and some dine-in restaurants. The slower tempo and lower frequency of the music affect the brain in a way that gets people in the mood to just relax, enjoy the moment, and enjoy the shopping.

Faster music tends to get people to be more anxious, and likely end up spending less time in an area. And slower music tends to get people to stick around longer. The longer a customer spends in a store = more opportunities for the customer to spend money. On the other hand, some businesses prefer customers to be in and out relatively quickly, and may likely try to create an environment that is less hospitable in a sense.

One prominent example of a business abusing the hell out of this strategy is Abercombie & Fitch. When walking around a mall, you happen to approach the A&F store. But before you can even reach the storefront, your nose is immediately assaulted with the smell of their signature cologne/perfume/o-zone-killing-aerosol pheromones. I’m not really sure what they were aiming for, maybe trying to make their place smell like sex? HAHA I’m kidding (not really). Some people are attracted to the smell of baby prostitutes. I, on the other hand, detest the smell. It gets hard to breathe around the A&F stores. I don’t know how those middle-of-the-mall island shop representatives can stand being situated so close to or in front of the A&F storefront. But anyway, I digress…

Lighting is another very cool thing to toy around with. Very nice, upscale restaurants like to have low, dim lighting to create a more romantic feel. Customers tend to stay longer, enjoy their experience more, and spend more money, or come back again and again. Ever notice how many fast food restaurant chains have the most uncomfortable, ugly furnishings imaginable, not to mention the cheap, fluorescent lighting and odd-colored floors and walls? That, my friends, is no accident. “Fast food” literally means fast food; go in, buy food, eat it, leave.

Now, I’m no expert on the subject; I wish I could get acquainted with someone who is. It’s really intriguing, fascinating stuff. It almost seems so common-sense, but it’s really effective, I’d say. If someone were to start a business, like a restaurant or spa, if they can manage to effectively implement the use of atmospherics (I’d gather they most certainly need to be very effective at this, or else fail miserably), the entrepreneur can expect to be very successful.

Well, this had me thinking… it’s a very good idea to develop a brand for one’s self (I’ll talk about personal branding sometime in the future). Creating a unique, personal logo and creating a sort of unique, identifiable image for one’s self is like creating a brand. What if one were to implement atmospherics into personal branding, and take it very seriously? Like what if someone went so far as to smell like a specific scent.

People buy colognes and perfumes, and people wear them like they wear clothes. And I can sometimes smell people before I even see them and just know that that particular person is in the area (Kind of like how you know you’re getting close to the baby prostitute store before you even make it there when you walk around a mall). This is not uncommon. But imagine if people were to actually leverage that in a way professionally. Like, they can market themselves to employers effectively by taking advantage of scents, sounds, etc. Hmm……………………………