Do Something Stupid

On By ashleyfausIn Work-Life Decisions1 Comment

I’ve been feeling particularly unmotivated the last few months, especially in my classes. I think it stems partly from my overall distaste for Statistics, and feeling like I would rather do anything but study for that class. Couple that with the discussions with my husband about being too responsible, wasting our young lives, and generally wondering if we should do “something stupid”, and I’ve got a strong case for wishing I wasn’t an adult! The adults always say that the kids never know what they have, specifically in college, where it’s, “the most amount of fun with the least amount of responsibility.” Maybe that’s true, and maybe, since I wasn’t stupid in college, I’m getting the itch to be stupid now.

The funny part, is that “stupid” amounts to watching a movie instead of studying for Stats, or sleeping in and arriving at the office on time, instead of early. It’s choosing to eat pizza instead of a salad, and only going for a 20 minute run, when I probably could’ve sucked it up for a 45 minute run. My husband mentioned that we should be stupid and just go to Spain next weekend. I responded that a trip like that wouldn’t work, because I have rehearsal and class, but maybe we could go after I finish my show and my semester! THAT’S not stupid, that’s planning! We’re both incredibly strategic about our careers, so finding the right time to be stupid has never really been an issue. Our responsibility has paid off, with good jobs, financial security, and a generally happy life.

But, then you hear the stories about those couples who randomly decided to quit their jobs and go trekking around the world for a year. We could be that couple! I am learning that the world has so many amazing experiences to offer, and sitting at a desk until we’re 60 is probably more stupid than skipping rehearsal to take a trip, or taking a semester off from school to do something I’m really passionate about in my personal life. What’s even more ironic, is that when I take the time to do something stupid, like spend a whole weekend making cards, or going to a concert instead of hitting the books, I come back to my tasks much more motivated, with a fresh perspective. I think I need to do more stupid things, because in the end, they’re not really stupid. They’re refreshing, invigorating, and generally remind me I really like my responsible, adult life. I’d like to say I’m making progress in this area, and my first thought while writing this post was to make it a challenge, where we all agree to do something stupid today. The response to such a challenge? “Well, let’s make it tomorrow, since I have an exam tonight. I can’t very well do something stupid on an exam day. Oh, this weekend is pretty free, let’s push the challenge to the weekend. Wait, no, rehearsal. Ok, hmm….” So, I must say, I can’t even issue the challenge! Help me out, readers: when is the last time you did something “stupid”, and it turned out that it wasn’t stupid at all?

Friday For All!

On By ashleyfausIn Link Round-UpLeave a comment

It’s been a quick week after my trip to Atlanta, so I’m ready to get this weekend started!

 

For those needing organizational tips, via JeremyandKathleen’s Blog: Project Management

For those dealing with firewalls and block URLs, via Forbes: Beware Best Practices: They Kill Innovation and Productivity

For those contemplating their career path, via Brave New Life: Do You Know How You’re Wired?

 

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Talking So They’ll Listen

On By ashleyfausIn Advertising, Selling, Work and OfficeLeave a comment

I just came home from a sales training session in Atlanta, GA, and we discussed some tips for talking so they’ll listen. In particular, we discussed the results of a brain dominance test that measures how you prefer to make decisions, receive information, and generally deal with people. This is similar to many different personality tests, but the results of this particular session really hit home for me.

First, I found out that I’m basically completely different than all my colleagues. Well, I already knew this! A few differences that I am well aware of: I’m a girl, I’m young, I’m “creative” instead of “technical”, I’m fast-paced and “hyper”, and I have no experience in the industry instead of 15-25 years’ experience in aviation. These obvious differences present their own challenges, but the brain dominance test revealed that I prefer to look at the big picture, instead of focusing in on every detail. Literally ALL of my colleagues are more detail-oriented vs. considering the entire picture. Neither way is right or wrong, but it sheds a little light on a particular challenge I’ve been facing with the implementation of the CRM.

To me, implementing the Customer Relationship Management System is a strategic move to improve data collection, analysis, and sharing at all levels of the organization, and across all functions of the organization. To my sales reps, it’s an extra 20 minutes each day doing data entry. I see reports of aggregate data that tell a story about the market and our place in the market, and my reps see customers’ names and phone numbers, completely unrelated to the market as a whole. Thus, while I’m hammering home the point about how great it is for everyone, they’re tuned out because they don’t see the value for their day-to-day operations.

It’s not rocket science that people think differently, learn differently, and make decisions differently. But talking so they’ll listen is pretty difficult, and if you’re not even sure what language they’re speaking, you’ll have miscommunications. Now that I know what language makes them listen, I’m going to start giving more detail about how the CRM provides value to them on a day-to-day basis, instead of painting such a broad picture. This is just one area that I’ve missed the mark in communicating benefits, and business requires you to move out of your communication comfort zone on a regular basis. So, next time you’re making your pitch (not just the sales pitch, but the “give me a raise” pitch, the “lower my rate for advertising” pitch, or the “my department needs better software” pitch), do you know what language your AUDIENCE is speaking? Do you know what words will make them hear you? Dig into their heads a little, and dig into your head a little, and use the information to find a way to talk so they’ll listen!

This Look Brought to You By…

On By ashleyfausIn Advertising, Branding, Outfits/WorkwearLeave a comment
Khaki with a pop of color!

 

We got a little creative in this shoot... check out the gallery for more!

Pants: NY & Co.

Tank: Target

Cardigan: Target

Necklace: Icing

Earrings: Charlotte Russe

Like the outfit? See more details here!

I talked last week about why retailers find partnerships with bloggers to be an effective strategy, so now I want to dive into “how” they go about these partnerships. Styling a look is one of the easiest ways for retailers to get their brands to a blogger’s audience. Retailers go about offering styling options to bloggers in different ways, but the goal is to show the readers of the blog how the clothes, make-up, or accessories can look in real life.

Sometimes retailers offer a head-to-toe styling, giving the blogger a shopping spree or giftcard to pick out a look completely composed of items in the store. This includes the shoes, jewelry, handbag, and main ensemble pieces. This is a great option, as it allows the retailer to showcase several different items from various areas of the store. Since there’s several options, it’s more likely that someone will like at least one piece featured in the blog post. Better yet, it gives commenters a chance to talk about different items they like, and offer up other styling suggestions for their favorite pieces.

Retailers have also used challenges to feature hard-to-style or off-beat pieces, allowing the blogger to use one piece from their line, and combine it with pieces they already have in their closet. Again, this works well to show readers that you can incorporate pieces from the featured retailer into your working wardrobe. Most people don’t have the money to regularly splurge on a full head-to-toe look, so it’s helpful to see how one piece can work in a variety of ways, and helps the reader envision that piece in their closet, working with items they already own.

Finally, some retailers partner with bloggers to create look books, fashion shows, or regular features on that blog. They may invite influential bloggers to the store for a “personal shopping” day, which pulls in the reader’s local audience. Or, they may feature the blogger in a campaign with “Blogger’s picks”, creating a win-win for the retailer and the blogger. The retailer receives a captive audience and brand champion, and the blogger receives exposure via a new outlet, which increases their readership. When a blogger regularly features a retailer, they increase awareness and confidence in the quality, versatility, and price-point of the brand, and readers are much more likely to browse through the retailer’s store or website.

I’m not very brand-loyal in my outfits, but styling options are a great way for retailers to build relationships with bloggers and their readers. Like the outfit? See more details here!

Passion

On By ashleyfausIn Work-Life DecisionsLeave a comment

My husband and I attended an Explosions in the Sky concert this past weekend, and it turns out that there was an installation art exhibit downtown as well. We walked through the exhibit, and it was pretty obvious that it was the first show for some of these artists. They were so excited when we walked under their arbor, or took a second look at their sculpture, and it was pretty cool to be part of making their dream come true. They were just happy to see someone finally considering their concept!

Then we went into the concert hall, and for an hour and a half, we watched the band pour their souls into their music. They put their whole bodies into their instruments and the music, and their love for the sounds just radiated from the stage to the audience. That’s part of the appeal of a live concert: seeing and feeling the passion and energy from performers, and the audience giving back the appreciation. It’s a cycle, where the performers and the audience feed off each other, such that neither one runs out of fuel for the evening.

So I’m back at work on this Monday morning, thinking about passion. Do I just LOVE marketing? Am I excited about my projects, thrilled that someone wants to hear my ideas, look at my ad campaigns, or experience my trade show? Do I think about it on my lunch break, or driving down the road, allowing random ideas to pop into my head, in hopes of finding brilliance? I think sometimes I get in the mind set that only “creative” endeavors warrant passion, and that surely, business doesn’t require or inspire the same level of passion that art does. But that’s a lie. If you love what you do, and you love making an impact in your own way, you’ve got just as much passion as the performers on-stage. And, if you bring that passion into the workplace, you can be unstoppable. I know people who truly love their jobs, who are passionate about their industries, and who truly get excited about making an impact in the corporate world. I’d like to think I’ve got that same level of passion for my job, my craft, and my industry. How are you using your passion today?

Happy Friday!

On By ashleyfausIn Link Round-UpLeave a comment

It turned cold here in Texas, so I’m looking forward a fall-feeling weekend! I’m also looking forward to a music-filled weekend, as my husband and I are attending an “Explosions in the Sky” concert tonight, I’ve got a 2 hour rehearsal for my show, and I’m singing on Sunday. Amid all that performing, I should probably study for statistics… but here’s what I’m reading to post-pone the studying as long as possible:

 

For those feeling stuck in a rut, via Study Hacks: Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving What You Do

For the retailers and forecasters, via Forbes: It’s Beginning to Look  a lot Like Christmas

For anyone doing a presentation, via Seth’s Blog: Really Bad PowerPoint (great post and applicable to everyone!)

For the marketers, via TIME: McRib Fanatics and the Amazing Power of Limited Availability

 

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Retail Marketing

On By ashleyfausIn Advertising, Branding, Outfits/Workwear, Social Media5 Comments

 

A feisty outfit after a long absence!

Dress: JC Penney

Shoes: Alfani

Earrings: NY & Co.

Like the outfit? See more details here!

After a long absence, the outfits are making an appearance on the blog again! As I’m not a fashion blogger, the outfits may come and go in spurts, but a recent comment on Corporette sparked my interest in doing another outfit post. I read Corporette regularly, more for the comments than the actual posts. Occasionally, a “what are you wearing today” comment thread pops up, and the women will describe their outfit, shoes, and accessories for the day. During one of these threads, a commenter noted that she felt like it was a prompt from a retail marketer to get insight. While this is definitely not the case for that thread, it’s not unusual for retailers to target influential bloggers for partnerships, features, and information. It’s a great strategy that combines thought leadership, “real” marketing, and the bright (not so) new toy, social media.

First, this strategy is effective because you’re reaching a targeted audience through a credible source. The blogger is already a thought leader with strong influence over their readers, so a recommendation from this blogger is almost like a recommendation from a close friend. And, who do we believe more? The greedy advertisers with a profit motive, or the friendly blogger who just wants to help us look great? Retailers know that reaching an audience through a blogger offers mass-media effects, with much less skepticism from customers.

Second, people love to see “real” marketing, and a blogger wearing an outfit makes a bigger impact than an airbrushed model or a mannequin. How many people honestly have a model’s figure? Many people, especially women, think that they must have a model’s body to pull off an outfit, so seeing it on a real woman (or man, though the prevalence of fashion blogging is higher among women) makes them feel like they, too, could wear the outfit featured in the post. On Corporette, for example, “The Skirt” is a closet staple, regularly reported on by commenters and blog owner alike. “The Skirt” is a Halogen skirt at Nordstrom’s, with rave reviews from an influential blogger, and a backing from the whole community.

The concept of “community” leads me to the third reason this strategy is effective: social media. The ability to really connect to a brand is higher now than it has ever been. Blogs allow people to connect with not only the owner, but the wider community on the web. Thus, as a retailer, you want to plug into that community, and partnering with the blogger at the head of the community is a great place to deliver your message. Once the community embraces your brand message, it’s no longer about a corporation “selling” an item, but a community championing an item.

This post details the “why” of retailers working with bloggers, and I plan to take a look at the “how” over several posts in the coming weeks. Like the outfit? See more details here!

My Corporate Life

On By ashleyfausIn My Corporate Life1 Comment

I’m excited to announce a new series on the blog, My Corporate Life. My goal is to bring in some other corporate perspectives and career paths, so that we can all learn from some other corporate areas and environments. If you would like to be featured in the “My Corporate Life” series, please contact me for the details. I’ll be featuring the guest posts as time permits in my regular posting schedule, and I would love to hear from you!


So, without further delay, I’d like to introduce Joe Kiszka’s Corporate Life. In addition to his day job, you’ll find Joe sharing some culinary insights on his quirky blog Dine @ Joe’s, and pursuing his MBA at UT Dallas.

 

What’s your title and industry?

My title is “Business Development Manager.”  I work for a global manufacturing company, specializing in electrical components.  I work most closely with three of our brands, though our “Commercial Data Communications” side:  Ortronics, Cablofil, and Wiremold.

 

Describe the top 3-5 skills that are most necessary in your position

-Problem Solving and foresight.  (Being able to think ten steps ahead through problems, a goal, or a plan and then execute those ten steps.)

-Communication honesty and transparency.  (Being up front a and clear about expectations and commitment, and being able to deliver that commitment.)

-Resourcefulness. (Could be a lot of things–including being able to answer any question thrown at you, or how to find and contact a person at a new target customer.)

 

What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?

My job isn’t that closely “defined,” so it changes very rapidly.  For example, two weeks ago, it was consistency of marketing message and working with customers.  Last week, it was communication with partners.  This week, it could be something totally different.

 

What’s the most rewarding aspect of your job?

This is directly tied to the most challenging aspect, actually.  The fact that my job isn’t strictly “defined.”  Every day brings a new challenge, and it can be very rewarding.

 

What does career advancement look like for your type of position and skill set?

I’d like to be a manager someday, though I’m not certain what kind of manager. I would imagine my current career path would go from Business Development Manager, to a Global Account Manager, to a Director of Sales for one of the business units within my company,  to VP of Sales.  As for the timeline,  it’s largely based upon success and  personal capabilities to relative other employees. As you move up the ladder, you are responsible for a larger territory and direct reports, and ultimately, the division. I used to think I wanted to be CEO of a huge company, but the more I learn professionally (and the more I learn about life), I’m not quite as sure about that.  I may still want that, but perhaps on my own terms.

What’s the best aspect of your company culture?

The general lack of politics at my current company.  There’s still some, but it seems like management has been very open, honest, and approachable about everything.

 

Thanks, Joe, for writing about your corporate life!

Pricing and “Deals”

On By ashleyfausIn PricingLeave a comment

 

A great deal on the surface, but dig a little deeper!

 

A bigger deal is a better deal right? I say, WRONG! I subscribe to Living Social, the daily deal site that offers nice discounts for local activities, direct to my inbox! However, a recent daily deal had me baffled on the pricing and “deal” nature of the coupon.

The deal advertises $80 to spend at Mi Piaci Italian Restaurant, on sale for $40. It does not include alcoholic beverages, so I was pretty curious to see the menu prices at this Italian restaurant. Upon clicking over to the menu, the appetizers, entrees, and desserts seemed pretty low-priced for a $40 coupon for $80 worth of food. In fact, my husband and I could both order the most expensive entree and just barely over-spend our coupon! Essentially, the coupon is over-priced for the restaurant. Why would I pay $40 for a coupon for $80 worth of food, when I could go to the restaurant outright and spend about $40 without the coupon? The goal of a coupon is to get a person to either return in the future, or spend beyond the coupon amount when they redeem the coupon. Thus, with this pricing scheme, it’s going to be hard for me to do either one! Instead, I would suggest pricing this Living Social deal at $20 for $40 worth of food, as it would encourage diners to splurge on higher-margin items like alcohol or dessert. Currently, the coupon amount allows me to order an appetizer, semi-expensive entree, and dessert, meaning that I probably won’t feel the need to order other “extras” to increase my total ticket. If, however, I had less to spend from the coupon, but still a significant reduction in my total check, I might be inclined to order a glass of wine or dessert.

“Deals” are actually a pretty complex mind-game. You want people to feel like they’re getting something great for the price of something good, but you don’t want to stifle their “need” to spend a little more. If you make the deal too sweet, you kill the desire to over-spend the coupon, which decreases your profit margin on the coupon. You also alter the anchor number for the customer’s next purchase experience, making it more difficult for you to recoup your promotion costs. I’ve seen this happen with pizza, where coupons have significantly lowered my anchor number for the cost of pizza. I never pay full-price for pizza, as there’s always some kind of promotion at any of the major pizza chains. After years of receiving $10 large, 5-topping pizza deals, I’m not willing to pay more than $10 for a pizza! In this case, my anchor number will probably be set higher. I’ll remember that my check from the restaurant came to $80, but I doubt I’d see $80 worth of value from that meal (since the prices are low), reducing the chances that I’d return to Mi Piaci when I’m in the mood to spend either $40 or $80 on a dinner date.

By mis-pricing this coupon, Mi Piaci and Living Social have effectively changed my price-point expectations, and lowered the profit-margin, as I have no need to over-spend my coupon. And, as I’m concerned that I’d be able to meet the $80 limit in one dinner, I’m inclined not to buy the coupon at all! Everyone loses in this situation, and I think a reduced coupon price for a reduced redemption value would actually better serve this whole transaction!

Friday For All!

On By ashleyfausIn Link Round-Up2 Comments

It’s been a start-and-stop week, going from fast-pace to sluggish-pace every few days. I’ve got some Stats studying to do, and rehearsals start for “A Christmas Carol” this Saturday! I’m so excited to get back to the stage… it’s been too long 🙂 So, let’s kick off the weekend with a few good reads:

 

For the entrepreneurs, via Business Insider: Why Do We Praise Start-Up Fundraisers?

For those considering more education, via TIME: The Myth of the Millionaire College Dropout

For the social media maven, via The Daily Muse: Own It! What Facebook Timeline Means for Your Identity

For the less senior, via Business Women’s Finishing School: Managing Up

 

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