The Difference is Culture

  • Things we know about advertising:
    • Advertising is necessary.
    • Advertising takes many forms.
    • The best type of advertising is word of mouth.
      • If your business has no word-of-mouth advertising, you have to figure out how to create it or choose to advertise traditionally.
      • If a business is experiencing bad word of mouth, there is no amount of money that can be spent on traditional advertising to equal the damage.
      • If your business is experiencing remarkable word of mouth, there is no amount of money your competitors can spend to sway your customers from your business.
      • Traditional advertising is just a tax we pay that is determined by how “remarkable” or “unremarkable” we are as a team.
  • The only thing that can always trump price and product is culture.
  • The culture with which we intend to compete is determined by how we act and how closely aligned the things we say and do are.
  • Remarkable culture is rewarded with loyalty, gratitude, and unstoppable word of mouth.
  • The real product is YOU.
  • We have the ability create value for other people that they cannot buy anywhere else.
  • Question: In what ways can YOU be advertised effectively? Answer: By becoming the best version of you.
  • YOU are a story.
  • Examples of people who accomplished success with culture. Because people were not able to describe what it was that made them successful, they assumed they were just lucky.
    1. Joe Ades - Sold potato peelers on the side of the street and was featured in Vanity Fair magazine.
    2. Erica Feidner – Piano salesperson who worked for Steinway & Sons. 
    3. Joe Girard – Sold 13,001 cars out of one Chevrolet dealership. He stayed in touch with every customer. He commissioned a graphic artist to make 12 customized greeting cards that were hand-addressed and hand-signed for each of his customers every month. The message was “I like you”.
  • Homework Assignment: List the ways in which you can become valuable to people within your sphere of influence. 
  • Question: How can you expand your sphere of influence? Answer: By becoming more valuable.