Rule #1: Think before You Link

With 200 million subscribers and climbing, in mercenary hands LinkedIn can be a weapon of self-destruction.

We’ve all connected with people whose self-serving discharge leaves us hoping LinkedIn will introduce a “hate” button.

But one comment arrived in my inbox last week that should earn for its author the LinkedIn Lummox of the Year Award.

She attached her tone-deaf comment to a 100-day old post by the manager of an interest group I follow.

The manager’s post asked readers to remember a beloved colleague and group member who’d died, suddenly and prematurely, two weeks earlier.

The self-promoter's comment read:

Sorry for your loss. I help companies with their tradeshows and events. Give me your marketing list and I will turn it into $$. Call 800-523-4635.

Clearly she hasn’t learned LinkedIn Rule #1.

It's All in the Name

Your product's name is arguably the most important aspect of its brand.

That's because names connote.

Apple once considered naming the iPhone the Mobi, according to adman Ken Segall.

My parents once considered naming me Adolph (after my mom's dad).

Be careful about the name you choose.

Brand Strategy Insider suggests there are ten possibilities for product names:

People’s names. Names that are both real and fictional. Examples include Bing and Peter Pan.

Real words. Words that have been re-purposed. Examples include Amazon and Vox.

Tweaked words. Names derived from words that have been altered. Examples include eBay and iTunes.

Affixed words. Unique names derived by adding a prefix or suffix to a real word. Examples include Friendster and Omnidrive.

Made-up words. Fabrications. Examples include Bebo and Plaxo.

Compounds. Names comprising two words. Examples include Facebook and LightScribe.

Blends. Names comprising real and partial or made-up words. Examples include Farmville and Wikipedia.

Phrases. Compounds that are phrase-like. Examples include GoToMeeting and StumbleUpon. 

Puns. Word-twists that suggest a double meaning. Examples include Farecast and Writely.

Acronyms. Names derived from the official name. Examples include AOL and M&Ms.

Always Be Opening

Drive author Daniel Pink's new book draws on a decade of social-science research to topple worn-out beliefs about sales.

The books is a must-read for every marketer.
To Sell is Human makes the case for moving beyond used-car "hoodwinkery" to embrace a kinder, gentler form of persuasion.

Pink argues that we should replace the A-B-C made famous by Glengarry Glen Ross, "Always be closing," with an up-to-the-minute mantra he calls "Attunement-Bouyancy-Clarity." While I can't imagine Alec Baldwin barking this to the troops, the formula works.

By Attunement, Pink means ceding power to prospects, to a degree that would make Baldwin-esque closers quiver.

By Bouyancy, he means remaining upbeat despite rejection, not with Tony Robbins CDs, but through "interrogative self-talk."

 

By Clarity, Pink means identifying problems instead of "selling solutions."

 

Pink expertly supports his ideas with experimental results and salespeople's anecdotes, offering throughout the book tons of tips for putting them into action.

 

The third and last part of To Sell is Human rocks.

 

In it, Pink explains how to pitch, both in person and in writing. His instructions for pitching are clever, simple and exceedingly original.

PS: Don't miss Dan Pink's guest post on writing effective emails. 

Why Event Planners Should Use Distinctive Imagery

Part 5 of a 5-part series on event design

Want your event to be memorable?

Use distinctive imagery.

According to neuroscience research, we pay attention to imagery that's novel and surprising.

Moreover, we recall images that are salient; we forget images that are common.

Thanks to Ron Graham of Freeman for providing this event-deisgn tip.

NOTE: I wrote this post in 2013, not imagining that two years later I'd be employed by Freeman. Wonders never cease. 

Why Event Planners Should Still Embrace Print

Part 4 of a 5-part series on event design

Like most forward-thinking businesspeople, event planners are going green.

They're systematically eliminating printed handouts—programs, floorplans, directories, catalogs, flyers, brochures and booklets—in favor of digital publications.

But planners should think twice.

According to neuroscience research, publications printed on paper strike a deeper emotional chord than digital publications, because they engage the brain's spatial memory.

So if you want a handout to create impact, print it on paper.

Digital does have one big advantage over print, however, when it comes to stirring emotions.

It can incorporate audio and video.

Thanks to Ron Graham of Freeman for providing this event-design tip.

NOTE: I wrote this post in 2013, not imagining that two years later I'd be employed by Freeman. Wonders never cease.