Welcome to Day 2 of our back-to-school special feature. We're focusing on Tom Asacker's Ten Truths all week, and counting down to #1. Today, we are going to take a look at Truths #8 and #7:

Truth Eight: From Honesty to Authenticity

"People today are incredulous of marketing, institutions and the media. The only way to suspend disbelief, cut through skepticism and create trust is to act as a real human being and get to the truth. As the sages say: "Words that come from the heart can enter the heart.

"What the business world needs now is a return to the idea of amateur spirit. Now, it’s probably not the amateur spirit as you may think of it. The definition of amateur has evolved for the worse over the past few hundred years, coming to represent a dabbler or incompetent. The original spirit of amateur was a positive, noble tag to apply to someone (the Latin root for amateur is "amator," lover). An amateur pursuit was one you did for love, with a spirit of passion and authenticity. And it certainly didn't imply a lack of skill. Thomas Jefferson was an amateur writer and philosopher when he drafted the Declaration of Independence.

"Organizations - actually the people in them - must recapture this amateur spirit. Not because it is morally right, but because it's the only way to succeed in a world stunned by scandals and greed-is-good ideology. Ask yourself these simple questions: Do you want customers and employees to come to you first - and stay with you? Do you want them to recommend you to their friends and associates? Then you have to get them to do what? Trust you. And how do you go about doing that in a post-Enron economy? Certainly not by saying, "Trust me." That kind of talk immediately causes people to put up their defenses. Instead, you must get them to believe! Success today all boils down to belief. "Who should I believe? Who can I believe?" These are the critical questions. You must be believed to have any chance of success.

"But I have some bad news: No one will believe you. That’s right. In today’s court of public opinion, you are guilty until proven innocent. It’s the harsh business reality of our time. But there is a way to quickly transcend this reality. Here’s how: Within the first few seconds of meeting you or being exposed to your communications, your audience will form an impression that is easily reinforced and unlikely to change. They’ll observe your mannerisms, voice, choice of words, etc. and judge whether you are worth listening to. To cut through their innate disbelief - and very short attention span -simply push past your comfort level and be authentic! Amazingly, that’s all there is to it. Simply take off your mask - your title, your expertise, your bureaucratic language and technical jargon - and connect with them with honest, simple, and engaging language. Be on the level. Be moved to candor. Tell them what you believe and what you think. Speak the unspoken.

"(...) Say what you mean. Mean what you say. And don’t be mean when you say it. Don’t be defensive. Lighten up. Children have an inherent sense of honesty and humor that adults adore. It’s this authentic nature that you connect with. It doesn’t connect with you because it’s cute. It connects because it’s true. And you know it. So listen to your innocent, inner voice. Be childlike. Speak in a language that is natural, open, and honest. Get rid of all of the hype and toss in a dash of self-deprecating humor. State what you feel in a candid and caring, yet unapologetic way. And never - never - hide anything. People will then believe that you are being straight with them (warts and all), and as a result, you’ll be worthy of their trust.

"Daniel Boorstin wrote: "The amateur is not afraid to do something for the first time." And that's the measure of great artists, great lovers, and great entrepreneurs (not to mention children). To say, "I don't know." To ask the hard question that is on your mind (in a soft way). To take risks. To be bold. To state what you are feeling, openly. To admit your weaknesses. To adopt this amateur spirit takes courage and demonstrates your love for - and connects you on an emotional level with - your audience. They’ll believe you. It will demonstrate your trust in them, and your desire to eliminate their fears and their concerns. And it will inspire them and engender trust because it rings true."

Truth Seven: From Doing To to Doing With (and For)

"No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care. And it doesn't take a genius to tell the difference between someone who listens in order to get something, and someone who listens because she cares.

"(...) Business is no longer a simple cause and effect, transactional, quota-driven environment. Now it's all about trust and involvement - relationships. And relationships are messy. Relationships are hard to quantify. Relationships take time.

"(...) We like to believe that control is a good thing - an attribute of a strong individual. In our upside-down way of thinking, we assume that by being in control, we can prevent bad surprises and get precisely what we desire out of life. We're convinced that control keeps people secure and in their places, thereby preventing us from being disappointed by them. But nothing could be further from the truth. The need for control comes from weakness or insecurity. It is fear-based, plain and simple. Fear of the unknown, fear of failure, fear of being judged by others, fear of intimacy, fear of loss, fear of not making quota. And this fear is what prevents us from discovering our true passion and purpose. It prevents us from doing what we do best and letting others do what they do best. It stifles people's growth and eventually pushes others away from us.

"(...) Control destroys relationships. Control blinds you to opportunities. Control shuts down your inner voice. Control is driven by your ego's need to serve itself. Control is an illusion you cling to primarily to alleviate your fears. Leaders give up the need to control, come to terms with their own egos, and dedicate themselves to helping others. They inspire. They embrace change. They accept the uncertainty of the future. They trust people and help them live their dreams.

"(...) As Gandhi said: "Be the change you want to see in the world." You don't have to be part of the world that emphasizes the pursuit of wealth, reputation and conventionality. Instead, be other-focused and have boundless empathy for human frustration and suffering. Stop listening to your weak, cynical and selfish inner voice that tells you that it's "their problem." You're much greater than that. Let your mind go and feel and understand with your heart and gut. Don't be quietly cynical or apathetic. Don't push or persuade. Be open, optimistic, compassionate, and kind. Help people feel better about themselves and their place in the world. Because the true measure of success is not what people think about you nor how many people know your name, but how many people's lives you've touched."

Tomorrow, we'll look at #6 and #5: Going from facts to storytelling, and from branding to bonding.

Have a great Tuesday, everyone. :)

Technorati Tags: Tom Asacker, marketing,back to school, business lessons, customer service, marketing 101, corante, branding

Hi everyone!

Yes, the hiatus is over. Summer's coming to an end, the projects that have kept me away are almost complete, and I am finally back. (Yey!)

Aside from my long-awaited return (ahem), since this is "back to school" week in the US, let's focus on a handful (actually, two handfuls) of great marketing lessons, rather than on the usual timely and insightful commentary on the latest trends in the ever-changing marketing world. (No worries, we'll get caught up next week.)

Whether you're just starting in your marketing track in college this year or have been in the business world for fifty years, if the advice you find in this column over the next few days doesn't help you breathe new life into your business and make it even better than it already was, my name ain't Nathan Arizona! (Thanks to Tom Asacker for the incredible series of posts that this week will be based upon.) This stuff really should be taught in college. Maybe even high school.

Note: These bits of advice are way to good to be refered to as "the basics..." so let's just call them "the new basics."

Hmmm... that kind of has a ring to it.

Okay, let's get started with #10 and #9:

Truth Ten: From Rah Rah! to Ah Ha!

"To flourish in a rapidly changing world you need the ah-ha’s! and not simply the rah-rah’s! Success is a by-product of childlike inquisitiveness and rapid experimentation. And it comes from a culture of curiosity and caring, not from a head down, plow ahead mentality."

Pow! Take a minute or two to digest that. Go brew yourself a cup of tea or press yourself a cup of coffee, file a few folders, return a phone call or two, then come back and read it again. It's worth it.

"When they asked Wayne Gretsky, arguably the greatest hockey player of all time, what made him more successful than other players, he replied, "Most players tend to play where the puck is, whereas I play where the puck is going to be." Or as the professional trend-spotter may explain, Gretsky smartly followed the "drift" or "general course" of the puck. Now, to anyone who has played a game in which hitting or catching a moving object is essential, Gretsky’s insight is absurdly obvious. And to anyone who has developed a successful business from the ground floor up, so is trend-spotting customer behavior (regardless of the fact that major corporations spend a ton of money to frequently have it done for them). Because the truth about trends - and staying ahead - is that it has nothing to do with the future. It’s about being intimately involved with your audience today! Being part of the dynamics of change now!

"(...) Disturb the comfortable. Comfort the disturbed. Never let your brand become bland. Surprise people! You’re not in the "make stuff" and "do stuff" business. You’re in the life improvement business. So use your brand to heal the psychologically wounded, and to bring some excitement to the complacent and uninspired. Remember: Feelings are the only value proposition left in our developed economy. So rediscover your unbridled imagination and idealistic hopes and tap into that proposition and create new and preemptive benefits. Shatter what conventional wisdom tells you that your audience needs. Try wild ideas. Go for the extremes. Stay passionate!

Truth Nine: From Knowledge to Wisdom

"Knowledge speaks. Wisdom listens. Go into every situation with an inwardly calm mind, and be a learner, not a teacher.

"... Wisdom is all about aligning interests. It’s about using the best means to achieve the best ends. Knowledge, on the other hand, tries to win. To out-reason, to conquer. Knowledge is one sided. Wisdom works reciprocally. Knowledge is about getting the deal done. Wisdom understands that the purpose of each interaction is to grow the strength of the relationship. I meet a lot of very knowledgeable people in my business travels, but very few wise ones. Most people feel that they have to do all of the talking to prove their value, and to show how smart and dynamic they are. In fact, the key to building enduring relationships is to forget about you, be attentively silent and help the other person feel appreciated and valued.

"Why do we forget? Why do we continue to push our agenda, instead of doing what’s best for our audience? Because we’re in a hurry, goal driven and attention hungry. We’re listening to the facts and to the little voice in our head, trying to quickly figure out how to get others around to our way of thinking. Instead, we should be listening to their feelings. Slow down, relax, be engaged, try to understand, be empathic. Tune out your turbulent thoughts - your techniques, obsessions and personal biases - and tune in your audience’s need to be heard, acknowledged and uniquely understood. Thoreau once wrote: The greatest compliment that was ever paid to me was when someone asked me what I thought and attended to my answer. There is no greater gift you can give others than to be fully present with them, to make them feel that they are at they very heart of things.

"Empathic listening is the very first step in making people feel good about themselves and in creating richer relationships and deeper trust. And it’s also the first step towards a compassionate heart. And it’s compassion that inspires us to improve people’s lives with our creativity and resourcefulness. To make them feel loved, appreciated and cared for. In fact, the closer we get to our audience and their problems, the more unbearable we find their suffering. We feel a responsibility to improve their well-being. We are compelled to take action. I love inventor David Levy’s curse method for developing new products: "Whenever I hear someone curse, it’s a sign to invent something." And that desire to improve life is the key to innovation, differentiation and success in today’s marketplace."

Tomorrow, we will look at truths # 8 and 7: Authenticity and caring.

Have a great Monday, everyone.

Technorati Tags: Tom Asacker, marketing,web designback to school, business lessons, customer service, marketing 101, corante, branding