Speed Thrills

Kudos to Dallas-based colleague Vince Poscente for his USA Today business bestseller The Age of Speed.

It's a perfect example of a savvy Authorpreneur who is staying "on brand" with his message.

If you've attended a corporate event or association meeting in the past 10 years, you may have had the pleasure and privilege of seeing Vince in action.

Poscente, a business consultant who's been honored as a member of the Speaker Hall of Fame (along with such respected orators as Art Linkletter, Og Mandino and Ronald Reagan), reached the gold medal round of the Olympic speed-skiing competition in Albertville, France.

What's perhaps most intriguing and unique about this achievement is that Vince started with NO racing experience and accomplished this feat in an unheard-of four years. How? By strategically accessing the top masters in every aspect of the sport to expedite his acquisition of this daring skill.

When Vince speaks, he gets up on a chair and assumes the "skiers' crouch" to demonstrate the aerodynamic shape necessary to acheive top speeds. He keeps audiences on the edge of their seats with his thrilling re-living of his death-defying run down the hill at speeds in excess of 100 mph. One slip would mean disaster.

Vince is known for his focus on how individuals and organizations can accomplish big goals in the shortest time possible. That's his brand.

Which is why it was so smart of him to make sure his newest book has the word "Speed" in its title. That's what people associate with Vince, that's what they want to hear from him, that's what they'll buy, that's what cements and perpetuates the perception that he is THE go-to expert on the topic of achieving and accelerating results, FAST.

Even his Table of Contents features speed-related titles such as A More-Faster-Now Revolution, The Big Blur and Racing Across a Tightrope.

Look at your business activities. Are they "on brand?" Are they centered around what customers expect, need and want from you? Does the language in your newsletters, reports and marketing material emphasize the words that are associated with your strength - what you're known for?

If so, good for you. If not, buy a copy of Vince Poscente's book The Age of Speed and learn from a master how to stay "on brand."

Amazon.com is Shaping Up by Shipping Out

As an expert in branding who helps individuals and organizations stand out from the crowd, I'm always looking for companies that are POPing out for all the right reasons.

Amazon.com is setting a shining example.

An article in today's USA Today entitled "Amazon won't go down with the ship" quotes CEO Jeff Bezos as saying, "I love to kerfuffle Wall Street."

How so? Industry analysts predicted disaster when Amazon first started offering PRIME - their unprecedented offer of unlimited, FREE, two-day shipping for $79 a year which covers everything from toothbrushes to lawn mowers. (Yes, Amazon.com offers those items in addition to books and CDs.)

However, the retail giant just reported a rise in sales for its second quarter, now at a 7 year high.

Bezos said, "We know in our bones that siding with the customer pays off for everyone in the end."

Please reread that last sentence. What a profound philosophy. That commitment to providing value for customers is a PRIMary reason Amazon is now turning a profit.

Do you know a company that is turning a profit because it "sides with its customers?"

Tell us about it. Be one of the first three contributors and you'll receive a free copy of my book POP! Stand out in Any Crowd, about which Edelman Sr. VP Marilynn Mobley said, "If you liked Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, you'll love Sam Horn's POP!"

Create Sticky Messages with POP! and John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing

Best-selling author Elmore Leonard was once asked why he thought his books were so popular. His answer? “I try to leave out the parts people skip.”

I had the pleasure of sharing my POP! tips on a podcast recently with John Jantsch – author of Duct Tape Marketing and creator of Forbes’ and Fast Company’s #1 rated blog on small business and marketing.

As you may already know, POP! stands for Purposeful, Original, and Pithy – the three prerequisites to sticky messages that capture and keep your attention.

John modeled the POP! process with his succinct definition of marketing. He said, “Marketing is getting somebody who has a need to know you, like you, and trust that you can supply it for them.”

John also mentioned his sure-fire system for test-marketing his material to make sure it POP!s. He runs it by his four teenaged daughters to see if they “get it and want it.” He added, “They’re imaginative, playful and have no time for B.S. If it doesn’t pass their litmus test, it’s back to the editing room.”

Look at your marketing messages and elevator speech.

Are you leaving out the parts people skip? Have you condensed the definition of what you do into a succinct sound-bite? Do you have a litmus test to see if people “get and want” what you have to offer?

If so, kudos. If not, it’s back to the drawing board or . . . listen to our podcast that talks about how you can market your business by developing attention-grabbing names, slogans, and ad campaigns at www.DuctTapeMarketing.com.

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Best Wishes.

Sam Horn