Disregard the "Fiscal Cliff", It's Irrelevant... To You.

Focus on things you can control, change and improve within your sphere of influence. Each day I see people get caught up in problems, situations or issues that they work themselves into a worry about and yet can't really do anything about them or even if they could, they don't. My advice is to forget it. Focus on controlling your environment and that means putting your attention on things you can control.

All the recent news about the 'Fiscal Cliff" is irrelevant to you. You will pay more taxes, less taxes or about the same in the future. The problems or economic challenges will be harder, easier or about the same in the future. None of it really matters. What does matter is your personal work ethic and determination. You need to be planning to succeed well in excess of any economic barrier and that will take a heck of a lot of work so your focus needs to be on things that will help you to do that.

You need to be working your tail off to drive your revenue or personal income right now. Your level of hustle, determination and focus needs to be toward "out-creating" any future issue that may arise. So ensure your sights are not set too low and then ensure the level of work or action or doingness that you are taking is way way above what seems logical or needed to attain your goals. It's really the only safe zone to play in.

Everything about your future should be elements you can control. Don't plan based on factors that you're effect of. Plan based on what can be controlled, improved and augmented for yourself. Then take action based on that plan. If you focus on elements you cannot control, it will paralyze you and most definitely hurt your ability to succeed. So ignore it and move on to what can be controlled.

List out the things that will help move you closer to your goal. Then work out what actions need to be taken. Then work out the approximately work needed to get those and be sure to heavily over-estimate the effort and then simply execute, execute, execute and don't lift your head up until you're there. It's as simple as that.

I realize that it sounds sophisticated to talk about economic problems or somehow you feel involved with what’s going on with this country but all it really amounts to is you getting worked up about something you cannot control, unless of course you planned to enter politics, which I doubt. So focus on controlling your environment and then do so and all will stay on the rails.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Happy Holidays from Richter10.2

To all of our clients, friends and contacts, we wish you all the best this holiday season and an exceptionally prosperous 2013!

Happy Holidays from Richter10.2 from Richter10.2 Media Group on Vimeo.

Happy Holidays from Richter10.2

To all of our clients, friends and contacts, we wish you all the best this holiday season and an exceptionally prosperous 2013!

Happy Holidays from Richter10.2 from Richter10.2 Media Group on Vimeo.

Be a Lifeaholic

In order to win at the game of life you need to be completely immersed in it. Not half in - all in. The term workaholic is considered derogatory these days probably because it's lacking as a full concept. You need to be a lifeaholic which is all encompassing.

What is a lifeaholic? It's someone who takes on every single facet of life to the fullest and pushes their personal potential - pushes what they're personally capable of - to the fullest. It's someone who dives into every crevice of life to make it better and mold it to meet the outcomes they visualize. It's also someone who wakes up everyday treating each day as a new day and packing that day full of each ounce of life to challenge oneself with what one can accomplish in a given 12 or 24 hour period of life.

A lifeaholic takes all divisions of life to the fullest from physical fitness such as running, playing with their children or spending time and having adventures with their spouse to learn and engage together, building teams, companies or projects with groups of people that all contribute and collaborate with one another to push each other to make things better, finding ways to improve the conditions of people and the planet to make it a better or safer environment for future generations and treating others in such a way that helps to make their day a little better.

These are some of the qualities of a lifeaholic. I challenge you to wake up tomorrow or start this new minute of time to take on this new viewpoint to become a lifeaholic. What would your life look like if you did? What could you or would you accomplish? While many complain and criticize others on a daily basis, a lifeaholic seeks to make life for themselves and other better.

I tend to consider myself a lifeaholic and feel the world could use a few more of us.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Self Motivate and Manage

One of the worst positions you can be in is one that requires someone else to motivate you, push you and supervise you to do your work and attain goals for the company. The position and mode of operation you want to adopt is for you to motivate yourself. You to push yourself. You to manage yourself. You to set your own targets and you to demand production and hustle from yourself to attain your goals.

Do not allow yourself to slack off. You can be and should be your own best motivator and manager. If you catch yourself getting distracted, re-focus your thoughts on your goals, motivation, wants and why you're doing what you're doing. Anything in life is attainable but it comes down to how bad you want it and what you're willing to do to get it.
Assess your day to see if you are effectively self managing and self motivating to hustle and nail specific targets and ensure they're attained for your own internal reasons or if you have to be managed and motivated by someone else and when you aren't, you aren't fully focused and applying yourself?

The path to real success comes when you have adopted a discipline to push yourself without being pushed by anyone else. Look at anyone that has attained huge success in life and you will see that something was driving them. Something kept them focused and clearly no one was cracking any whip to make them work and push them - they did all the pushing themselves. So push yourself, keep yourself motivated and demand production and high level of action from yourself and you'll see that you are actually the best manager and motivator you could have.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

While the world sleeps, watches TV and Movies....

Building a company or gaining success is a very committed discipline. Don’t kid yourself when you see articles about rich and famous entrepreneurs to think for one second that they got lucky or it was easy in any way. I assure you that it takes enormous hustle and action to attain anything. Most people don’t have what it takes. They lack discipline and focus to push when others relax. The temptation to watch a movie or sleep or get distracted is too great so they never make it. Every successful person I know and I know plenty, have worked their tail off. They forge ahead with unbelievable commitment. While you go to bed or go out for drinks or watch a movie, they write and execute a strategic plan, make another 30 calls, fire off emails that will take them further, board a plane that takes them to a meeting that will open a new opportunity, stay awake for one more hour to get something important done, go for a run to stay sharp or execute a project target that will take them to the next level. 

 

I’m telling you it takes focus and discipline. Look at what you’re doing now and then figure out how to ramp it up 3 or 4 times. If that thought scares you or makes you feel like it sounds a little crazy then you’re thinking is more in line with what is needed. We live in a pretty cush society. It’s deceptive and distracting and it holds you back. You need to barrel through obstacles and push yourself beyond what you actually thought you were capable of. If you wrote down what you felt your potential was and then looked at where you currently are - how much of a gap would be exposed between the two? It’s an eye opener, I know. 

 

So I simply would challenge you to step up your game. Don’t get distracted. You can succeed - that much I can promise but the question is, how bad do you want it and what are you willing to do to attain it? In other words, is your drive or desire greater than the work required to accomplish it? If not, you may be screwed but on the other hand, if you can muster up a fire in your belly that will carry you to wake up at 5AM, go for a run, work while others sleep, read a book while others watch TV, execute targets while others relax, push on while many clock out.... well, you have a very good shot at accomplishing anything you can possibly dream of. 

 

Don’t think it over too much. Challenge yourself to DO and continue to DO until you’re there. I believe this country needs more people that are willing to hustle to attain their dreams - now more than ever. 

 - Robert Cornish

CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

 

Work Within the Constraints of Today

The words "tomorrow" or "next week" come up a lot in business but they aren't relevant to today. My dad used to always say, "Make a good deal today or implement a good idea today, don't wait for the perfect deal tomorrow because tomorrow never comes." So for me, I don't care about tomorrow. I focus on today. I operate within the constraints of today in terms of what I can get done today. Tomorrow is a new today which I will handle when it's today. 

Define your targets for the day and don't be reasonable about doing something tomorrow or even deferring things off to tomorrow. Only work within the constraints of today. You'll find that you can get a lot of things done by operating this way. 

- Robert Cornish

CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Work Within the Constraints of Today

The words "tomorrow" or "next week" come up a lot in business but they aren't relevant to today. My dad used to always say, "Make a good deal today or implement a good idea today, don't wait for the perfect deal tomorrow because tomorrow never comes." So for me, I don't care about tomorrow. I focus on today. I operate within the constraints of today in terms of what I can get done today. Tomorrow is a new today which I will handle when it's today. 

Define your targets for the day and don't be reasonable about doing something tomorrow or even deferring things off to tomorrow. Only work within the constraints of today. You'll find that you can get a lot of things done by operating this way. 

Want Dictates Commitment

I came across this awesome video the other day that I wanted to share. After watching it, think about how bad you want whatever it is you want and the write down what you need to do to get it and then go and execute what you wrote with complete focus. Enjoy!

 

 

Where Does Creativity Come From?

Merriam Webster defines creative as having the ability to create rather than to imitate. Creativity is about originality, imagination and in this case, the production of some kind of idea. This process is not complex. 

If creativity was complex, it would probably be easier. If it was broken down into a detailed formula or mathematical structure, creativity could be predictable and manageable. Creativity is not complex until it tries to be persuasive. The variables that come into play when trying to present a creative idea as a means of trying to get someone to do something becomes extremely complex and reliant on countless, unseen variables.

Being creative, however, is simple. Original ideas come down to a person's affinity for thinking differently and being aware of their idiosyncrasies. Everyone has a level of creativity, but the misnomer is that the most creative person can produce an original idea at will. While this is a fantastic skill to have, it is not really the most useful, especially because it is easy to believe you are creative when you're not. You can know when you are being creative by simply knowing where creativity comes from.  

Creativity comes from objectivity. Without delving too much into philosophy, it is imperative to remember that originality is a product of being separated from bias and consistent thinking. This is why anyone can be creative. It is because anyone can and will be objective at some point in regards to the creation of some kind of idea or concept. In business, proposals and campaigns are pitched to management in an effort to accomplish objective approval. The managers have an incentive to be unbiased. For that reason, a good idea must be interpreted objectively first and foremost. 

If I am creating an advertising campaign to generate sales for shoelaces, I will have a hard time if I create a concept built upon my own love of shoelaces. Creative ideas come from the practitioner who says, "What if I wore sandals everyday? What would get me to buy shoelaces? What is persuasive about shoelaces?" 

The point is that the process of creativity can be achieved through more than just meditation or thinking really hard. It takes preparation and an awareness of your own ability to produce something original and genuine. If you find that you can't produce something that your boss doesn't like even though you apparently love it, it's probably because you aren't creating something. You are imitating your own wants and desires that, in this case, have no real effect on anyone else. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

The War Against Facebook Pt. 2

As a recap, Facebook is in the midst of a true sink or swim year as they are experiencing the climax of bad press that has been building up over the years surrounding privacy issues, viruses, and people getting tired of the service. 

One important thing to note is that Facebook is a behemoth. They will hit 1 billion members absent deus ex machina. All I'm pointing out is that the service is poised for a fall now that it has hit a high peak. Could they overcome? Sure, but at this rate, it is more likely that Facebook has trying times ahead of them, and they should be prepared for the worst.

What would I do if I was their head of public relations? While I am no expert, I have observed that the most successful businesses that have achieved a high level of popularity always find unique and interesting ways to solve their problems. 

Facebook has to seriously deal with their problem of their servers not being able to accommodate so many users, causing a lot of bugs and slowdowns to ensue. Expanding their servers is a legitimate problem for Facebook, but it must be done in order for the site to keep its users happy. They need to acknowledge the problem in the press and own up to it, showing everyone that they are making steps to improve the service.

When it comes to Facebook's privacy issues, it would be counterproductive for them to diminish the issue as they have been. They've taken great steps already to making their privacy settings easy for people to understand and apply to their profiles, but people still blame the site for not being transparent. Instead of ignoring these complaints or just addressing the issue through a press release, Facebook needs to find a way to turn this weakness into a strength.

The same goes with the site recently buying Instagram and offering its own Instagram clone. The problem is perception. People see Facebook trying to be "everything to everyone" through moves like this, and all it does is drive away users. It wasn't a bad move for Facebook to buy Instagram. Far from it. The real problem is that Facebook is allowing itself to be seen as a lackluster site that is buying up the competition. Both are essentially untrue, but that is what the conversation is becoming, and when enough people are saying something, enough people are believing it. 

Facebook can't control the conversation, but they can guide it. Their current strategy has been to distract its users from its drawbacks by constantly delivering new content that matches their rivals. That isn't enough anymore. The site needs to win back its loyal users that people like me join Facebook to connect with. As soon as my friends aren't on Facebook, I won't be on Facebook, and that rings true for many other people. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

Image Credit: http://cdn.ientry.com/sites/webpronews/pictures/facebook_IPO_Mark_616.jpg

 

The War Against Facebook pt. 1

Let me start off by saying I am no knight for Facebook. The day Facebook and I break up, if it will ever happen, will be just another day. Still, I can't help but notice that more and more people are taking up arms against the service, almost like it's some kind of coup. Let me explain.

I spend hours every day studying trends and opinions that are spreading around the online universe. Doing this on a daily basis has helped me develop a knack for predicting trends and accurately understanding shifts in public opinion. 

That's why the past few weeks have made me wary about Facebook's future. It's not just that the social media giant has been experiencing misfortune with it's recent shift into going public and tanking in the stock market. Stuff like that recovers and is not truly indicative of the company's future. The real trend that is scaring me is the overblown reaction to all of this bad press. It started with people deleting their Facebook accounts at a more rapid rate, seemingly doing so because they were fed up with privacy issues.

Yes, privacy. Facebook's biggest obstacle separating it from total domination, at least in my opinion. Facebook has dealt with some seriously bad PR over the years with privacy issues, turning extreme loyalists and users of the site into malevolent naysayers. The same goes with ongoing issues with viruses slipping into Facebook's scripts at an ever-increasing rate. 

Now, however, we are seeing new trends of people outright getting rid of their accounts because they are just sick of it. Many people just don't see value in the social site for reasons that range from lack of good content to it taking up their lives for little-to-no reward. It's bad enough that Eric Jackson, a credible analyst, is announcing to the world that Facebook will be a memory by 2020.  Bad press like this just seems to be a reason that the process of Facebook's end will be even sooner. 

To me, it almost seems like a conspiracy against Facebook. It's most likely not and there's really no evidence for it, but what I see is a few extreme haters of Facebook repeatedly announcing to people online that the site is, for lack of a better word, boring. Old. Tired. Done. Enough people seem to be agreeing, even though the site really hasn't changed that much these past few weeks.

Am I a Facebook hater? By no means. I love the site and I check it regularly. Unfortunately, it is waning on me. I am one of those users that finds it more and more rare to read updates I actually care about. I would much rather check my Twitter feed which is always bursting with good content, and I have even begun to dust off my Google Plus account and have been finding it rewarding. 

Time will only tell. Facebook needs to implement some kind of new PR plan in order to turn this negativity around before it becomes a problem big enough for people besides me to see. What would I do? Come back here tomorrow for the answer in pt. 2. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

 

Quick Ways to Ensure Password Protection and Security

More and more reports are coming in that over 6 million LinkedIn passwords (which is roughly .05% of LinkedIn members) have been leaked by a Russian hacker site. While this is not 100% certain, internet watchdogs are encouraging everyone to change their passwords as soon as possible to prevent their online info from being stolen.

This is a great time to discuss tips you should take to make sure your online information is always safe and secure. While online security sites like LifeLock and Equifax can be great deterrents against online attackers, there are also free ways you can keep yourself safe and protected.

It really comes down to common sense when choosing your password. I know it's tempting to have the same password for every site with only a few variations, but this doesn't fly when technology is becoming more sophisticated everyday. Your best bet is to have a different password for each facet of your life.

Your bank account, first and foremost, must always be its own and should never be integrated into any of your other passwords. You'll probably get away with having similar passwords for your various social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but remember that these sites have access to a lot of your private information. Erring on the side of caution is highly recommended.

If your main worry is forgetting your password, you should also consider staying away from listing your passwords on a document saved to your personal computer. You are much better off writing them down and storing them in a safe place. 

I love Google Chrome and how it saves all of my passwords for me so I don't have to log in to a site every time. Unfortunately, we are entering a new age of advanced technology where almost anything can be hacked and compromised. While I don't foresee Google Chrome going down this route anytime soon, it is just as well that I am constantly entering my passwords in manually if for no other reason than to memorize my passwords. 

Finally, change your passwords often. At least twice a year is pretty reasonable, but the more you change them, the better off you ultimately are. Also, if you share a password with someone for any reason, it is smart to change it soon after, no matter how much you trust that person. One good reason to do this is because they may use your password on an insecure network.

When it comes down to it, common sense is the real deciding factor between whether or not your online life will remain safe and protected. Be sure to listen to that nagging voice in your head telling you to make your password something besides "1234."

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

 

How to Survive the Beginning of the Month

It's a new month, which means all of that energy your team used to finish the last month off strong is starting to wane off. Morale is probably higher now that stress has been relieved, but your daily production is starting to diminish. What can you do to keep that energy going?

That's a tricky question to answer because employees maintaining that same energy means that they are having to sustain high levels of production, which often results in stress. Unfortunately, employees don't want to wrap their heads around being their absolute best on a daily basis, even if they are more than capable of that.

Obviously, managers know that being your absolute best on a daily basis is essential to seeing production (and everyone's wages) grow. So, how do you go about energizing your staff without stressing them out? 

It's all about wording. It's honestly that simple. If you want your team to stay upbeat and energetic, encourage them. Don't challenge them with daunting, morbid tasks about "how good" last week was. A good manager will motivate his employees to keep the energy up by setting the example and letting employees come to the conclusion that they need to stay productive themselves. 

A great example of this is how the executives at my company, Richter10.2, keep the energy up. They measure our production on a weekly basis and provide solutions for us to solve any problems we come across with our workload. The result is a fully trained staff that knows exactly what they need to do watch their numbers grow, and our morale is always high as a result.

Give your employees goals and watch them meet them. If they don't meet them, train them. Constantly telling them to hold to an arbitrary energy level just creates stress, even though the intention is to motivate. There are tons of ways to incentivize your office to increasing their production without making them feel like their jobs are on the line. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

What Does The Acquisition of Buddy Media Mean for Salesforce?

For years, Salesforce has been on the front-lines of social media marketing by providing tools and resources for organizations to measure their social media influence.

As you may have read this morning, Salesforce has purchased Buddy Media, one of the top social media marketing companies, for $689 million. The real headline is that Salesforce now has control of the world's top social media marketing companies since it also acquired Radian6 just last year. 

So, what does this mean for the Salesforce, one of the biggest cloud-based sales companies? Obviously, there is more to the story than their revenue increasing. While the company has been growing rapidly, especially with this latest acquisition, it has also been preparing a new service that has only been hinted at until now.

Michael Lazerow, CEO of Buddy Media, has commented, “The idea behind the deal is simple. By combining Buddy Media with the rest of salesforce.com’s products, including Salesforce Radian6, the leading social media listening platform, we will be able to deliver the first comprehensive Marketing Cloud that will allow customers to listen, engage, gain insight, publish, advertise and measure social marketing programs.” 

This is great news for companies looking to get the most out of their social media platforms, especially during a time when social media branding is so critical to a company's success. With the implementation of this "Marketing Cloud" on the horizon, there really seems to be no limit to how sophisticated our cloud-based technology is going to become and how agencies will dramatically change how they research and measure online impressions.

All things considered, the real question is: who will really capitalize on this new technology and who will be left behind? Salesforce is a good example of a company who refuses to be the latter.

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

Image Credit: http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/230/704/230704482_640.jpg

Which Social Media Work Best for Sales? Pt. 2

As a recap, we looked at Facebook and Twitter in part 1, carefully looking at the advantages and disadvantages of using these mediums to establish relationships with potential clients and leads. 

Next we'll go into some of the lesser known, but still large, social networks that offer something uniquely different for salespeople in particular. 

3) Google

Yes, Google (especially Gmail) is a social network that is constantly growing. The merging of email and the Google search engine behemoth was definitely welcome among a huge segment of professionals with over 350 million active users at the beginning of 2012.

The extension of this growing network into Google Plus doesn't hurt their reach either. Like Facebook and Twitter, many people have Gmail accounts, and these are the people your sales team is looking to connect with. One of the huge advantages of this jack-of-all-trades social network is, in fact, it's ability to provide tools for almost any online experience.

Want to contact a potential client? Gmail. Want to follow up in a casual way? Google Plus. Want to share a document without cramping their inbox? Google Docs. Google is a safe haven for salespeople looking to reach their clients professionally and politely for almost any type of situation. 

4) LinkedIn 

Some people forget that LinkedIn has been around for quite a while, quietly building its network and reputation as the "professional" version of Facebook (even though it launched a year before) and has transitioned from being known as a job search engine to a full-fledged hub for professional networking.

The beauty of these online resumes is that salespeople are able to do ample research on their prospects before initiating contact. They can also pay to use InMail, which allows them to message their prospects not connected to them. In return, potential clients can look at your profile and make a more informed judgment call on whether or not they want to respond to you, giving you a better shot at starting the relationship. 

Thanks to the groups function, sharing information with a huge number of people makes gathering new leads and reaches even easier. Posting articles and starting discussions on different LinkedIn groups has the potential to get your name out there among the targets you actually want to reach. In a way, LinkedIn is the ultimate cold-calling social network. 

5) Skype

Last is Skype, the authority on video messaging. If your company isn't already using Skype to some degree, you are really missing out on one of the best ways to communicate internally and externally. Although Skype is not very effective when trying to find new prospects, it is very useful in communicating with a prospect with some clout. The instant messaging features on top of video messaging make it easy for you to close deals faster by communicating more directly without pestering the client. 

In conclusion, all of these networks have their disadvantages for creating and sustaining relationships with your prospects. Careful use and practice, however, will help your sales team accurately utilize these networks to their full potential. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

Which Social Media Work Best for Sales? Pt. 1

Few will argue that the best deals are closed because the salesperson has created and fostered a relationship with their client. They've heard them out, built a rapport, and provided solutions to their problems. The best salespeople have realized this and are finding more and more ways to use new media to start these relationships. 

The question is: which social networks produce the best results? In other words, what social media should salespeople be using? Obviously, the answer to this question is too complex to provide just one answer. Below are some advantages of disadvantages of networks you're probably already using. 

1.) Facebook

The advantages of Facebook are obvious. Almost everyone is on it, it's a valuable research tool, and for some, it is checked and updated more than email. Unfortunately, the disadvantages to Facebook are also obvious. It's far too personal for solicitation, users are barraged by links and pestering requests already and controversy surrounding Facebook privacy is making its users more and more wary of people who reach out to them. 

So, when is Facebook a good tool for sales? Remember that Facebook is intended to mostly maintain relationships, not start them. If you are trying to market on a lead with a person you already have somewhat of a rapport with, Facebook can be very effective. They'll see your name and respond to it. Facebook can be disastrous, however, when used for cold calls. 

2.) Twitter

As you can see, we are starting with the more popular networks to get them out of the way for this list. Like Facebook, Twitter can be extremely useful because many people use it, especially the big names that you are probably going after for clientele. Twitter works well because starting a conversation is simple and easy for recipients of your tweets to see and respond to. The downside is that it is very difficult to predict the reach for your tweet. Depending on who you're reaching out to, they may be getting dozens of mentions while yours gets lost in a black hole. This can be avoided through direct messaging, although more and more users are disabling direct messaging unless they follow you back.

Overall, there is little to lose when attempting to build relationships through Twitter, but it tends to happen when you don't expect it. Because responses are difficult to predict, this is a network that is dangerous to bet on even though it should be used regularly. Also, character limits draw the conversation out and make it difficult for you to be as informative as you may want to be. 

Pt. 2 will delve into Gmail, Google Plus, and LinkedIn. If you have any suggestions for a network that should be mentioned, comment below. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

The Recipe For Your Perfect Pitch

Is there any such thing as a perfect pitch? In regards to marketing and communications campaigns, probably not. There are, however, ways to make your pitch irresistable. 

Pitches are like a recipe. It takes more than just solid research and a good strategy. It takes more than just creativity and a good idea. This is because you are selling one idea to potentially one person or group of people. By the end of the pitch, they need to know exactly what you're offering and how you're attempting to execute it. 

The group hearing you out is looking for two main things: a good idea and a realistic strategy. They need to know that they are signing a proposal that your team has thought through completely. They may love your idea and think that you've captured exactly what they're looking for, but if you're budget or evaluation plan is not based on a realistic approach, your pitch falls flat. 

Plus, there's one more ingredient to making a two-fold pitch three-fold. Once you have a creative idea and a solid strategy, you need to add the unspoken ingredient: cohesiveness. This is subtle and often missing from proposals and campaigns. If the message that your strategy is built on does not directly and obviously precede your great idea, then it's not going to click. 

A good example is the Obama campaign in 2008. No matter what side people were on politically, many lauded the campaign for its strategic use of the concept of "change" throughout the entire campaign. It was an idea that was used cohesively with every tactic that was executed, and it definitely produced results. 

Coming up a creative idea is not difficult. Doing your research and being grounded is not difficult. Making these two practices come together cohesively, however, is what separates the so-so pitch from your perfect pitch. 

Social Media is not Cliche Yet

For a lot of older professionals, social media has become somewhat of a cure-all for all of their strategic problems. It creates huge leads and reaches at a fraction of the cost of traditional media, and it appears to be the next big series of outlets that almost every target is accessing.

Unfortunately, social media fatigue is becoming a dangerous reality for a lot of younger professionals and users of social media. What is social media fatigue? It is the weakening of a once strong force, and in this case, the effectiveness of social media as a tool to influence people.

Don't get me wrong, the spread of social media is only getting stronger, but we are seeing fatigue among age groups that were once hugely influenced by big social networks like facebook, twitter, and linkedin. A lot of companies and brands are plastering their messages all over social media, making the once exclusive outlets for creativity and escape (at least for younger demographics) become tiresome and (dare we say it) corporate.

But there is hope. It's not that social media has become cliche. It's not that simple. What's really happening is what happens to all shifts in technology and the "next big thing." Liken it to the rise of television. Though it has been widely abused and over-used in the past, television has become essential, thus in no danger of losing relevance. Instead of diminishing, television has changed and adapted to the needs of its consumers.

For all we know, the medium of being able to watch a television show may change dramatically to becoming completely online, as we are starting to see with new outlets like Netflix, Hulu and Vudu. The essence of television, however, has not really changed.

The same should be said of social media. The idea of using social networks across the globe to make and maintain relationships with people will likely become just as essential as being able to watch a television show. The real winners of the day are the business leaders who anticipate these trends and adapt accordingly.

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

How Leaders are Chosen pt. 2

Choosing a leader is sometimes the easiest thing to do in the world. When I was the director of a small public relations firm in college, I didn't have to do much of the decision-making. Several candidates were brought to my attention and it just worked out that they were perfect for each of the roles they were suggested for. 

It wasn't until sometime later that two of my account executives resigned and I had to fill their spots in a hurry. This time, I had way more people to choose from and big clients riding on whomever I had in place. From my perspective, I was anxious to find someone just willing to go for it and grasp for the position.

While this may not be a universal rule, management is typically waiting for someone to just step up and show interest in their position. When I do have two people vying for the same role, it tends to come down to who wants it more, which is covered in pt. 1. 

Alongside that, commitment is a huge quality management is looking for. As soon as a candidate expressed concern that their lives would be hectic if they took the role, I pretty much dismissed the prospect. It's harsh, but necessary. If a person is not willing to take on more responsibility at that moment, what can you expect of them when the unpredictable happens? 

When it comes down to it, loyalists rule the day when it comes down to decision-making. The person who is excited and energized about your company is the one you will gravitate to. Just one word of caution: do your research before you select that leader. 

I've seen this happen countless times at various jobs. A person who was committed, wanted it, and likeable turned out to be all talk. The manager at the time didn't thoroughly check out this person's track record, maybe because they were disconnected with the goings-on of the office or business. Don't be afraid to get testimonials about the person from people you trust within the company, and always be on the lookout for little signals like how often they come into work late and past issues they've had with other employees. 

In conclusion, the selection of a leader is very subjective, and these tips don't offer a beat-all method of getting that promotion you want. All you can really do is be persistant in your company and prove that you have what it takes to move up on your company. Sometimes, you just have to figure out exactly how you can prove that on a daily basis.

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

 

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How Leaders are Chosen pt. 1

In regards to the shift of power within an organization or small group, leadership can be a tricky thing. When handled correctly, the passing of the torch can be almost seamless and accepted by the majority of the group involved. Incorrectly, this can lead to doubt, confusion, and mistrust.

Maybe you want to be a leader within your organization, but don't know how you can set yourself apart. At that point, you have completed the first step to getting ahead in your company: wanting it. It seems simple, but many people look back on their career and wish that they had gone for a promotion here and a job opportunity there. By then, it's too late. They didn't want it. 

Once you are in a position where you want that position of leadership, you are then faced with two choices: keep up what you're doing or change. Change should always be your choice. If you were good enough in your current position to warrant a new role as leader, you wouldn't want it. You would expect it. If you truly desire to reach the next step, you're going to have to change up your tactics. Adapt, or die. 

For some people, leadership comes easy. They might be naturally outgoing and transparent about their accomplishments. Just liking a person makes them a great candidate for leadership. It may seem superficial, but being likeable is a major trait in any business.

Let's say I'm the CEO of a shoe company. I need to hire someone to oversee 35 employees in a new factory I'm opening. I'm promoting from within and notice that Bill is very good at what he does. He meets all of his quotas and always goes the extra mile. Unfortunately, Bill doesn't get along with any of the staff because he is irritable and pompous.

He may want it, but he is not willing to change. He is also not likeable, maybe even to me. I don't want him as a manager because it's just going to cause resentment from the staff, a headache that I will eventually have to deal with. Bill is going to lose out to Joe, the employee that puts out good, if not great, numbers and gets along with everyone. 

Still, there are more factors that come into play. Part 2 on May 25th. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

How to Say No

You're sitting at your desk. You've just heard a pitch that you like, but you just don't like. Maybe you want to go in a different direction. Maybe the pitch just doesn't quite sit well. 

It's easy to say no to something terrible, but how do you say no to an idea that has potential? 

Don't say maybe. "Maybe" could be the most honest answer, but that doesn't mean it is the most strategic one. Unfortunately, "maybe" connotates to the listener that you have just said "no" in a nice way to spare their feelings. Even if that's not true, you still run the risk of unintentionally patronizing your team, which doesn't help anyone.

Redirection is key. The strategic way to say "maybe" is to show that you understand the idea by repeating the idea back to them and paraphrasing. Show that you aren't just saying "no," but you are actually hearing the person out and giving constructive feedback.

Don't be afraid to criticize. In fact, criticism is something that your employees expect and need from you (even if they don't realize it).

Before you say no, ask enough questions first. Once you've shown that you understand the pitch, it is then wise to gauge how well they really understand their own pitch. Your uncertainty could just be an extension of theirs, clearly seen in their presentation. 

The best part about this is that they will realize themselves that maybe there pitch isn't finished or hasn't been thought through. At that point, they are in a position where they can help themselves and don't need quite as much of a dramatic push from you. "No" becomes a second chance. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

 

Where the Millennials are Going

And how you can find them. -Jon Negroni 

As the age of New Media continues to march along, many new target markets are being more and more defined. One of the most exciting new target markets? Millennials. Young men and women between the ages of 18 and 29 are becoming the most important generation that marketing managers have their eyes on.  

Morley Winograd and Michael Hais, co-authors of Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America, state that there are over 95 million millennials born between 1982 and 2003, and they have become America’s “largest generation.” 

So, how can your business succeed in reaching this wide and diverse target? Social media has become the go-to method for reaching millennials and for a good reason. According to eMarketer, millennials are the most active users of social media and are most likely to engage in new social media. 

For marketers, this means that the most interactive and forward-thinking media tools win the day. Simple advertisements won’t work anymore, which we’ve already seen through Facebook. Just a few days ago, General Motors dumped their Facebook ads claiming that they were “not delivering results.” This validates the TNS study from last year citing a .05% click-through rate for Facebook ads. 

So, what does work? At Richter10.2 Media Group, one of our main strategies for effective marketing is using proven, empirical methods of generating interest from our target publics, or what we like to call, “reaches.” This involves using various databases and research tools to find out where the target is and what messages are going to resonate with them. For us, social media is a tool, not a solution.  

For example, let’s say that your business specializes in making laptops geared towards college students. To be successful, this business will have to sell itself to millennials using a persuasive strategy that will gain and keep their attention. 

Videos highlighting the clear features and benefits of these products would be essential in effectively drawing in new laptop customers. (Click here to see the benefits of videos as a reach method)

At Richter10.2, we would create your video based on a quality tier system of your choosing and even show you what media channels the video can be placed on to bring about the most effective reaches. That’s where social media comes in. With our help, your business will have the resources to place the video where it will be seen the most, which includes social media channels determined to be the most appropriate for your target public. 

Through this strategy, you will identify clear increases in sales correlating with video impressions, resulting in a comprehensive outreach campaign that gave you high returns at minimal costs. Plus, this is just one example of how your business can use Richter10.2 services.  

The question, “where are millennials going,” has a simple answer. Everywhere. It’s not a matter of where marketers need to ambush this target. This is a matter of tailoring your message to the location and profile of each and every individual segment you want to reach. Instead of trying to create trends, our agency focuses on identifying and predicting trends, which leads to a personalized, effective strategy.

Interested in trying this out for your business? Give us a call. Shoot us an email. We look forward to taking it from there. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter10.2, check out our introduction video here.

References:

PBS: "New Book Explores How Millennials Shape American Life, Culture." 

eMarketer: "US Social Network User Penetration, by Age, 2009-2013."

Technorati: "GM Scraps Facebook Ads Stating Ineffective Returns."

Where the Millennials are Going

And how you can find them. -Jon Negroni 

As the age of New Media continues to march along, many new target markets are being more and more defined. One of the most exciting new target markets? Millennials. Young men and women between the ages of 18 and 29 are becoming the most important generation that marketing managers have their eyes on.  

Morley Winograd and Michael Hais, co-authors of Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is Remaking America, state that there are over 95 million millennials born between 1982 and 2003, and they have become America’s “largest generation.” 

So, how can your business succeed in reaching this wide and diverse target? Social media has become the go-to method for reaching millennials and for a good reason. According to eMarketer, millennials are the most active users of social media and are most likely to engage in new social media. 

For marketers, this means that the most interactive and forward-thinking media tools win the day. Simple advertisements won’t work anymore, which we’ve already seen through Facebook. Just a few days ago, General Motors dumped their Facebook ads claiming that they were “not delivering results.” This validates the TNS study from last year citing a .05% click-through rate for Facebook ads. 

So, what does work? At Richter 10.2 Media Group, one of our main strategies for effective marketing is using proven, empirical methods of generating interest from our target publics, or what we like to call, “reaches.” This involves using various databases and research tools to find out where the target is and what messages are going to resonate with them. For us, social media is a tool, not a solution.  

For example, let’s say that your business specializes in making laptops geared towards college students. To be successful, this business will have to sell itself to millennials using a persuasive strategy that will gain and keep their attention. 

Videos highlighting the clear features and benefits of these products would be essential in effectively drawing in new laptop customers. (Click here to see the benefits of videos as a reach method)

At Richter 10.2, we would create your video based on a quality tier system of your choosing and even show you what media channels the video can be placed on to bring about the most effective reaches. That’s where social media comes in. With our help, your business will have the resources to place the video where it will be seen the most, which includes social media channels determined to be the most appropriate for your target public. 

Through this strategy, you will identify clear increases in sales correlating with video impressions, resulting in a comprehensive outreach campaign that gave you high returns at minimal costs. Plus, this is just one example of how your business can use Richter 10.2 services.  

The question, “where are millennials going,” has a simple answer. Everywhere. It’s not a matter of where marketers need to ambush this target. This is a matter of tailoring your message to the location and profile of each and every individual segment you want to reach. Instead of trying to create trends, our agency focuses on identifying and predicting trends, which leads to a personalized, effective strategy.

Interested in trying this out for your business? Give us a call. Shoot us an email. We look forward to taking it from there. 

Jon Negroni is the Director of Public Relations, Promotion, and Marketing at Richter 10.2 Media Group. For more information regarding Richter 10.2, check out our introduction video here.

References:

PBS: "New Book Explores How Millennials Shape American Life, Culture." 

eMarketer: "US Social Network User Penetration, by Age, 2009-2013."

Technorati: "GM Scraps Facebook Ads Stating Ineffective Returns."

Order Taker Vs. Salesperson

Sales is a funny game. In my opinion there are two kinds of people in sales - order takers and salespeople. An order taker is someone who waits for a prospect to walk through the door, calls them, emaisl them and then simply defines what they sell and handles the order for the prospect as needed and then makes the sale only when the prospect sells themselves essentially. A salesperson is someone who actively works the deal, handles the prospects concerns, objections and considerations and makes the deal happen. A salesperson makes sales happen. An order-taker simply facilitates a sale.

Being an order-taker is easy. Being a salesperson is challenging, takes discipline and takes skill, confidence and control to make deals happen. Salespeople are rare. Order-takers are abundant. Make a conscious choice to be a salesperson and then really decide in your own mind to become a PRO. Study everything and work your deals to make them happen. Focus on the next steps needed to be executed and go and execute them. Write down the considerations, objections or concerns, come up with handlings and call the prospect to handle them. MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. Conclude deals and push cycles to a done. Salespeople control cycles to cause the outcome they want and they push each step forward until it's done. Don't use the word "wait"... that's for order-takers.

If you want to win in sales, be a salesperson not an order-taker.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Considerations Bog Sales

If you have ever experienced a sale that seems to come to a slow halt and moves into waiting mode.... it’s due to a consideration that has not been handled by the sales rep. In other words, the prospect has a concern that your product or service won’t handle their problem or some other concern about it that they aren’t telling you.

So, you need to find out what those concerns or considerations are in order to handle them. The second you can get the prospect to tell you what they are, you can then move to sell and close the deal but up to that point, it’s basically dead in the water.

Once handled, the cycle can go from something that was quickly becoming a future cycle or possibly never, to one that happens now. It’s a massive time saver.

A great way to handle this is to email the prospect and ask them point blank, “is there any consideration or concern you have that I haven’t gone over with you that would prevent you from moving forward.... let me know so I can help...” Then once you have gotten the feedback, handle it with whatever is needed, a case study, client testimonial, video that really sells the product, phone call to walk them through the process etc.

Hope this helps you with your sales!

- Robert Cornish

CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Push Yourself

It's pretty easy to sort of coast in life because while most people want to attain their goals, many don't actually want the extra headache involved with making it happen. Because the extra amount of work is sufficient, no two ways about it. But know this, to attain success or any goal it only requires you to push yourself a little more than you are now. The funny thing is, most don't push themselves very hard at all. They just sort of do what is necessary. So you can bank on that. This means that if you're one of the few that push yourself harder than most, the chances of success or attaining any given goal is quite good.

Just look at any goal you're trying to attain and write down what you think you would do to attain it or what would be normal for you and then step everything up a notch. Using fitness as an example, if you wanted to attain a certain physique and felt that you could run 1 mile 3 times per week to attain it, then write down that instead you will up it to 4 times per week and run 2 miles each time. Yes, it's added work and it requires you to push yourself relatively hard but you have to ask yourself.... "how bad do you actually want to get in shape?"

By doing this exercise, you may find that 1. you really want to attain the goal and are willing to push yourself to do what it takes to get it or 2. you don't really want it bad enough and so settle with the idea that you won't ever attain it. I use running and getting in shape as an example because it has a great correlation to business and success in general. It takes physical push to attain anything and you need to assess what your willing to do and how bad you actually want the goal you've named out because it will play a key role in how much you push yourself to attain it. It's also not a one time thing. You're not going to decide once and then all is good. You need to decide and then remind yourself every single day, every hour why you are doing it and what you want so you keep yourself motivated to attain the goal and you keep pushing yourself along. You are you're best personal coach you could have. You need to push yourself because no one else will.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

What Does It Take?

Have you ever really looked at what it takes to attain a goal? It's easy to make a goal and then go to work towards it but it's really only half the exercise. You need to break it down. What are the component parts of the goal and what are all of the steps needed to attain it?

Once you start working out the actual steps and any numbers associated with attaining the goal, beef up your numbers because I can almost equivocally assure you that your numbers will be low. People are masters at underestimating what is needed to attain a goal. You need to do your homework upfront, work out the actions needed and work out the correct effort needed to attain the goal. If you feel you have overestimated it, that's OK because it means your either right on track or you may produce slightly more which is a plus-point.

So for your next project or goal, take some time to plan what it takes to make it happen. Don't just write down the plan or goal and then start pursuing it. Work out all of the actions to pull it off. This will help shift your reality and open your eyes to the work involved to make it happen. You can then plan and predict better and execute the actions needed which will make the target infinitely easier to attain and the overall probability of attainment will skyrocket.

- Robert Cornish

CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Why Behavioral Advertising is Absurd

OK, so there are a huge amount of digital ad companies out there coming up with the new cutting edge method to control the consumers buying habits and get them to buy their clients product or service. So, in the chase for the best method, they've developed tools that track sites you visit and then attempt to predict what ads you should see over and over so you buy that product.

Sounds pretty good in theory. I mean, that makes sense right? If I go to a site, then it would serve to logic that I am interested in that product or service and therefore I should see ads related to it that should cause me to buy. Except, I'm not interested in them and here's why. I was doing some research for one of my clients related to other similar companies pricing scales etc which caused me to go to a few sites that I wouldn't normally go to. I then proceeded to see ads all over the place for these companies. I then was looking into possible ideas for the weekly bonuses for my sales team and while looking came across sites like Disney and then again proceeded to see ads all over the place. This caused me to start looking at all the ads and I realized that I had no interest in many of them. I then started thinking about how many ads these behavioral strategies are making me miss. In other words, the ads I should be seeing, I'm not.

See the full gallery on Posterous

So, the question is, how do the ads actually get to the right person at the right time? I'm not in the digital ad business but we do know the answer to this question, however, I don't want to make this blog a pitch for our services so I leave you with that thought.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

Don't Get Too Serious

As we grow a little older and become more involved in business which includes the ups and downs that sometimes occur, it's easy to get a little too serious about it all. We tend to become a little edgier with people. A little less polite at times. A little less friendly. All the while working toward being successful but the irony is that being serious is very counter-productive to success.

Richard Branson is someone I admire in business. If you know a little about him, then you know that he’s not remotely serious about his work and yet his success is enormous both financially and in general. One could argue that he has a lot to be happy for and that would be true but he’s been this way all along. If you inspect the points in your life that worked out the best. The times when everything seemed to go your way - I'm willing to bet that it was the time when you were having the most fun and were playful in spirit.

Monitor your level of "seriousness" and focus on making yourself act and be less serious and you’ll see greater success. You can always be determined and professional and focused on what you're doing but keep a light heart and have fun with it - because if your not having fun, you may as well get out now.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group

There's a Combination to Sales

When you're selling a prospect you need to understand that it's similar to a lock combination. There are several digits that you need to get right in order to open the lock. The lock combinations are considerations or objections from the prospect. More consideration really. So, you need to know that. If the prospect tells you they are sold but they still are not buying right then and there (the contract isn't signed and money isn't collected) then you haven't actually nailed all of the combinations and for all intents and purposes - the lock is still locked.

So continue selling all the way through. Keep thinking about why the prospect is even talking with you. What do they need? What problem are they trying to handle? Once you have answered these questions, keep selling them on this until you have handled every consideration and nailed the combo to open the lock and close the deal. See, you may have handled 7 out of 8 considerations the prospect may have but the deal won't close because there is still one left. You need to continue to sell until you handle that remaining point that completes the deal, opens the lock and concludes the sale.

Do not buy the prospects reason for why they haven't bought (budget, timing, delays, other reasons etc) it's none of them. You need to handle the real considerations and once you do, the deal is done. You'll know it when you get there. It's as clear as seeing a lock click and the vault door open.

- Robert Cornish
CEO, Richter10.2 Media Group