Lip-Sticking

Yvonne Posts a Fit by Five X 2

ROSES for the WOMBAT: Yvonne’s Top 10 A+ Things about the WOMMA Conference in Florida:

10. Location, location, location. Traveling to the sunshine of Florida from the gloom and doom of Upstate NY was a real treat! Colorado Springs was…just okay. Sorry. The long walk to and from my room on the hard concret hurt my feet, but I know most attendees reveled in the great weather and the Disney focus. (Okay, I need to see a podiatrist...)

9. The diversity of the presenters and the attendees. That goes to more than the titles of the people there – it goes to the division of gender - there were LOTS of ladies - and to the personalities – it was one big party, with a purpose.

8. The humor – I laughed a lot at this conference. Presenters and the attendees all had a sense of humor. Nice. Bob Garfield of "The Chaos Scenario" was the BEST!

7. Good food! Breakfast was high on carbs but the snack table was fantastic! Bananas, oranges, apples, juice, and yogurt - nice change from the donuts and muffins everyone else puts out.

6. Live blogging! That’s all the rage, I know, but these bloggers were outstanding! And friendly as well as professional. Their posts had personality. (only ONE was a good friend, though all THREE are good friends, now!)

5. Having more than 3 stalls in the ladies’ rooms! WOW! A resort that understands women…I was amazed! And yet, I still had to wait in line, because there were so many women there…a testament to the power of word of mouth.

4. Presentations that actually gave relevant examples! No double-talk or business-speak. This was down-to-earth explanation…and advice.

3. Mingling…I noticed a lot of people introducing themselves, at the tables during presentations and in the hallways. I’ll bet folks left with lots of new friends. Michael D. Moore: please call or write! My dog wants to meet you!

2. Being able to put faces to names. Meeting Dana VanDen Heuvel, John Moore, Steve Rubel, Marianne Richmond, Michael Rubin, and Jackie Huba (who I did not get to meet, more’s the pity for me!)

1. And the #1 fabulous, best of all thing I loved about the WOMBAT: FREE BOOKS!

Yvonne Reviews: HSN.com

Shopping online continues to grow, with women outpacing men, if you would believe the reports at places like Shop.org. In the last few weeks, I've been surprised to have discussions with a number of women on why they do or don't shop online and...the "not me, I'm too touchy-feely" won over the, "you bet, online shopping rocks!"

That said, the reality is that even the touchy-feely women go online to research products and services, before they step foot in the physical store. AND, I'm willing to go on record saying they BUY more often than they want to admit. Granted, WHAT they buy varies widely - these are women who do gift-shopping online and probably buy books or electronics online. Seldom do they buy clothing. This year, anyway.

So, I decided to do some surfing this weekend, just to see what's out there, beyond the usual...Wal-Mart (I refuse to be a Wal-Martian), Target (I find the physical stores more appealing than the web-store) or any of the usual local department stores. Here's what happened:

I did a quick Google search on "women's business outfits." I'm always in the market for a new suit, or a dress that can be worn both for business and personal use. Out of 57,000,000 hits, I chose #5, Fashion for Real Women.

My click took me to a page listing a number of women's clothing sites; Avenue.com (a Plus-size shop that was too girlish for my tastes), Blair.com (interesting, it gave me pause, but the home-page was too crowded for me), and finally, HSN.com - where my click took me to exactly what I was looking for: an uncluttered homepage that had items I might consider purchasing.

What was it about this site, compared to the others, than convinced me to click? And, did I buy anything?

I admit it...it was the description that pulled me in. One name in particular: Susan Lucci, one of my favorite actresses of all time. I wanted to see what she had at HSN, that I might buy. Here's the actual description:

"Why spend hours trying to catch your favorite HSN designer on TV when you can find your favorite HSN brands online? Randolph Duke, Suzanne Somers, Susan Lucci and more, available at your fingertips. $$" (I'm guessing the $$ is an indication of pricing.)

Turns out Susan Lucci only has jewelry and I wasn't shopping for jewelry, so I didn't buy anything, of hers. I did go back to the homepage - a clean, well-designed page that gave me quick and easy naviation along the left-hand side, and presented just enough images to spark my interest, in the prime real estate section (above the fold...at least on my monitor, which is 21", flat-panel).

I clicked into "Fashion and Accessories" and...got totally distracted. In a good way. I forgot about my business suit, and ended up lusting after this "TravelSmith Ultra-Organized Rolling Carry-On and Tote - Item: 321-499." I really liked the description beneath the image of the ultra-organizer, AND the customer reviews! PLUS...when I scrolled back to the top, I was offered something HSN calls, Flexpay - an option to pay all at once, or in two installments. Just for fun, I opened a larger view of the image and played around with color selections.

Then, I found the leather organizer pouch and I was sold! If I'd had these two items with me during all my traveling this past year, wow, things would have been so much simpler - from day one - instead trying to decide which piece of luggage to take, I'd have had the ultra-organizer to carry the necessities, including that requisite change of clothes in case the real luggage goes to France when I'm going to Florida.

The organizer pouch would have saved me from worrying about breezing through the airports - always clutching my boarding pass and ID and wallet and whatnot, in sweaty fingers because I can never be sure when someone in a uniform is going to ask to see them.

All in all, I think I've found a site I can visit again and again. A site that understands my need for quality products at decent prices, and even offers me more than one way to pay.

Did I buy? No, not this time. I put my items in a wish-list, and...I plan on returning soon - certainly well before my next trip. I may just hint to the children that Mom knows what she wants for Mother's Day, and her birthday, and just because they love me! Why pay for gifts when you can get them for free??

Is your website as female-friendly? Are you marketing to women online or are you baffled by marketing to women in general? Visit HSN.com and learn how to do it right. Don't tell me you're too small...or too poor...or that I'm being too picky. Make me happy, and I'll make you rich. Ignore my needs and...you'll continue to be too small and too poor. It's as easy as giving me payment options, not cluttering up your sales pages with too much information (especially images that take too long to download) and allowing me to maintain a 'wish list' so I'm more likely to come back when my budget allows.

Write to me if you get to HSN and have questions on how to get your website to be as good, without spending mega-bucks. I'll do my best to give you some ideas.

Yvonne Writes a Letter to Oprah

In response to the Oprah vs. A Million Little Pieces controversy (with acknowledgment to Saturday's Washington Post editorial]:

Dear Oprah:

I'm nobody. Just a blogger, a writer and a supporter of women's issues - oh, and a publisher in my spare time. I expect you're one who would be quick to point out that 'nobody' is a relative term, and everybody is somebody.

But, in context of the furor over the Million Little Pieces book...I'm a very small voice in a very large auditorium. A nobody. Still, I have something to say.

I was so disappointed when you first said the lies James Frey told in his book, a book you so heartily endorsed, were nothing - no, excuse me, "Much ado about nothing." My disappointment wasn't for James Frey, or for his readers (no, I haven't bought the book, and probably wouldn't have regardless of your endorsement - we have enough depressing commentary in the news, I don't have to pay $$ to get more), it was for my admiration of you, which dimmed that day.

The Oprah Winfrey I've watched and felt close to for 20 years, almost a lifetime, would not have so blithely dismissed this insult to writers and readers everywhere. I could not believe you would think it okay to mislead readers with outright lies - lies designed to pad Mr. Frey's bank account and get him on your show. It was utterly beyond my belief that you thought this okay because, well...the story was a good one. The 'story' wasn't even a story! It was a fantasy perpetrated by a scam artist. The 'story' was bad prose (bad by virtue of it's masquerading as truth) written for - James Frey only knows what, because I don't.

The Oprah Winfrey I hold close to my heart as representative of the good things - of truth, justice, and the American way, would not have shrugged her shoulders and defended any writer's right to mislead readers - which is what happened with Mr. Frey. For two weeks I mulled this over in my heart, loathe to believe you truly felt it okay to continue supporting a writer that smeared the very tenets the rest of us stand on.

Now, after hearing about your show on Friday (a show I would dearly have loved to see, but was not able to tune in for though a number of good friends told me about it), I'm jubilant. THAT's the Oprah Winfrey I know and love! Of course you admire good writing! Of course you embrace the freedom of writers to write honestly and openly! And, of course, you expose lies when you discover them!

Thank you, Oprah. Thank you for clarifying the truth. Because in the end, isn't that what it's all about - truth, justice and the American way? Truth: admitting when you're wrong, and owning up to your mistakes (like bloggers do). Justice: remembering that in America, we're all created equal, women and men alike, and we protect children above all else [books like Frey's only teach children how easy it is to sell-out]. The American way: something that is rapidly disappearing - that quality of togetherness, respect, charity, understanding, and hope that our ancestors brought to this country and lay as a foundation for all future generations to build a strong tomorrow on.

I believe that writing and reading are two strong cornerstones of that foundation. That's why I object to Mr. Frey's distorting the writing process - allowing his lies, disguised as storytelling, to smear a profession that stands as the first, best defense against - lies told for the liar's sake.

Now, now that you've done the 'right' thing, as your public expects - but, more so, as your inner being requires - the world is set to rights. I hope all bloggers and writers and reporters take a lesson from you. Being deceived is not the issue - finding out you were deceived and NOT standing up to admit it, to call the deceiver to accounts, is the issue.

Of course, this is all just MHO. As a nobody in the blogosphere, I doubt you will ever see my note, or have time to read it. But, it feels good to write it. Honestly.

Yvonne DiVita

Yvonne Says: Click here!

Sometimes, when I begin a post, I lapse back into the 'Jane' persona. She's a big part of who I am when I write this blog - a figment of everyone's imagination, pulled in from the mid-twentieth century days of those basal readers. I've noticed a number of 'Jane' websites, 'Jane' personas in articles on marketing to women (online and off), and just a recognition that like the name 'Mary,'  'Jane' has her place in modern society. I hope it's right next to Dick, and not trailing behind him.

Meanwhile, a number of fascinating and worthwhile announcements have come across my desk this week. I have the exciting advantage these days of being on the mailing list of a number of marvelous marketers - one very important one being Susan Getgood. I am a fond reader of her blog, Marketing Roadmaps, for the keen insight she brings to the profession of marketing. No one else that I know of quite approaches things the way Susan does. It's a testament to the way she works that she shares so much of her talent with the rest of us, via her blog.

Once again, Susan is participating in something of particular interest to me - something I thought you would like to know about. It's a charity auction via our friends (well, I don't know anyone there, but...they're friendly folk, no doubt) at HP. See Susan's update on her blog, here. The fun part is that this is all part of the Sundance Film Festival!! Whoohoo!

This is some of what Susan wrote to me:

"The Sundance auction, which benefits Habitat for Humanity, starts February 6^th, but this time, we’re blogging from the film festival. And it’s on the blog where we are first publishing the names of the stars who’ve agreed to participate in the charity auction.

"Yes, you read that right: HP is using a blog as a primary method to disseminate news. Now, granted, not news related to its core business, and definitely news well suited to online outreach. And we are also doing PR outreach in the traditional fashion. But there won’t be a traditional press release about the auction until the festival is over, whereas we are releasing the names of the stars on the blog as they join.

"Bottom line, in my opinion, it is a very positive step forward when a big company “gets it” in any fashion, large or small.

"And the blog is about more than the auction; the HP employees who are its principal writers are on the ground in Park City as volunteers and staff for HP’s many activities throughout the festival. They are blogging about being there, who they meet, where they eat. And so on…."

Do yourself and Habitat for Humanity a favor and click here. It's a win-win. Don't forget to announce it on your blog or website. Women love that kind of thing.

Smart Man Online: Scott Ginsberg - That NameTag Guy!

At last, I'm back on track with the Smart Woman Online and Smart Man Online series of interviews. Today's interview will blow you away! How can I say that? Like this, "Today's interview will blow you away!" Is that better?

I'm feeling frisky...because Scott, my interviewee, is one dynamite guy who has that effect on people. For those not in the know, Scott is world-famous - as That Guy with the NameTag. Scott wears a nametag all day, every day. Yep, 24/7. Even in the shower. Stay tuned for a pic!

I was fortunate enough to meet Scott at last week's WOMBAT, in FL. You'll hear a lot more about the conference in days to come, because I just have a lot more to say about it.

ONE of the best parts was the keynote from Scott, during lunch on the first day. Scott spoke on approachability. Read on for a lively discussion of how to get womma working for you, the Scott Ginsberg way:

Yvonne: One of the first things I noticed about you is...your youth. At first glance, you look like a high school boy. Then, you start talking and your manner is friendly but professional. Is this 'natural' or did you take speaking lessons?

Scott: Yeah, I'm young. Not a lot of  26 year olf professional speakers/authors out there! But I always quote Indiana Jones who said, "It's not the years - it's the mileage." And while a certain amount of any speaker's gift to talk in front of an audience is natural, we all gotta rehearse and practice. And those are two different things, too. For example, I never took lessons, but I did go to Toastmasters for a while. That was practice.

And for the first few years, I also used to speak for free around town to local groups A LOT. That was also practice. But for the WOMMA speech, I spoke for 35 minutes in front of 500 people. And I probably went through that speech a total of 20 hours that week to prepare. That's REHEARSAL.

Yvonne: I'm often referred to as 'The Dickless Marketing Lady'...or, 'the blog lady'...which is fun. Do you ever get tired of being referred to as 'that guy with the nametag'?

Scott: Nope. Although, in the first few years as a college student, it got a bit annoying. Especially with the irony that my name was RIGHT THERE, and some people - even my friends -  called me "tag" or "nametag" or "nametag guy." But honestly, I am damn proud to be "that guy with the nametag."

It's a symbol of my values, passion, business and the validation for my existence. Plus chicks dig it. [I assume by 'chicks' Scott means YOUNG LADIES...unless, by some strange chance he'd include an aging grandma like myself in that category! Wow, would that be cool or what?]

Yvonne: One of the things you talked about at WOMMA is approachability ...gosh, I think that's the topic of your latest book, right? Give my readers 3 hints on how to be approachable. Can you also include your thoughts on WHYit's more important than ever to be approachable, in today's hide-behind the computer digital-society?

Scott: Ok. I'll do four: two personal and two professional, since approachability applies to those two areas. 

PERSONAL
1) When people ask you how you're doing, don't ever say "FINE."  FINE is an acronym for "feelings I'm not expressing." It's habitual and an emotional smokescreen that doesn't show personal availability.  Just TRY telling customers how you REALLY feel, then they will appreciate your openness and honesty and feel comfortable reciprocating. 

2) Smile when you get introduced to someone, answer the phone and say goodbye to someone, both in person and on the phone. Sounds dumb, but common sense isn't always common practice. :-)

PROFESSIONAL
1) You've got to own a word. Make sure that every person you meet says, "After talking to him, I'll never think about (your word) the same way again." Because once you own a word in someone's mind, you become the go to guy, expert, etc.  It's a marketing must - find that one word that you deserve to own. If you're not sure which word you own, Google your name and see what comes up.  Hopefully it's not "jerk." [hey, that worked for Steve Martin!]

2) Do something cool. Make sure that when you tell people about your company, products and ideas, they say, "cool." When people get your business card or come to your website, be sure they say "cool." Cool is valuable because customers remember, love and spread the word about products, ideas and companies who are cool. Read the 100 Coolest Companies online - great article, it should motivate your melon a bit.

WHY APPROCHABLE?
Because people want to do busines with their friends. Because isolated it out. Because the only profitable airline is the only approachable airline (SW). Because technology is working against us and approachability will save us.

And because I said so ;)  [that's good enough for me]

Yvonne: You and I chatted the other day, and we got on the subject of publishing. I was so excited to hear that you're a self-published author, using print-on-demand. Why did you choose to go that route? Who thought up the name of your company, Front Porch Productions? Do you have a front porch on your house? [disclosure: the following reply is completely unsolicited except for the question here; Scott is not a client. His advice is straight from the heart. And, I heartily agree with it.]

Scott: If you don't self publish, here's what happens. You have to write a book PROPOSAL (not a book) and sell it to an agent, who probably won't like it. If the agent does, she'll have to sell it to a publisher, who probably won't like it either. If the publisher does, they'll pay you a teeny tiny bit of
money so you can rewrite the book to fit their mold and compromise your intergrity, because publishers only care what sells, not what's good.  Ultimately, however, if it doesn't sell, they yank 'em off the shelves and nobody will care about your book anymore. And this whole process takes 2-3 years.  Keep in mind, none of what I just said applies if you are a) on The Apprentice, or b) named Oprah Winfrey.

My opinion: do it yourself. You can! And I promise you, it's the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. BUT, with POD and self publishing: you write what you want, finish the book in under 1 year and get all the money.  Plus, a big publisher would have you do all the marketing anyway, so that doesn't change. Even Jack Canfield once claimed, "I should have self published the whole time." Plus, when you smell that first book coming out of the box of your first run, you'll cry.  God damn it's beautiful. 
So I guess my theory is, "If I've written two books at the age of 25, it can't be that hard."

Yvonne: So, what do you want to be when you grow up? Or, like so many of your gender (she says with a smile), do you just plan on never growing up? (I expect you'll continue writing and speaking and inspiring others to be friendly, but...is there a burning desire to climb mountains, or sail the seven seas, or run a real estate conglomerate? )

Scott: When I was seven years old I wanted to be an author. Not a writer, but an author. As in, 'guy who writes books.' Why I chose that career, I'm not sure. Maybe I liked writing. Maybe I thought books were cool. Or maybe it was just the first answer I could come up with. The truth is, I never really gave it much thought. That is, not until one random day about 6 months ago when I was giving a speech to a group of 7th graders. I started telling these kids about the two books I'd written when it hit me like a ton of books. Yes, books - not bricks.

Oh my God! I thought. I really AM an author! [you am!]

But I'm an author AND a speaker, so here's how the other half came about.  The following is from an audience member at the first speech I ever gave on March 19th, 2003: 

"Scott, my name is Tom Jenkins, chairman of the Portland Rotary Clubs. I just wanted to thank you for speaking to us today. We really enjoyed your talk."

"Thanks!" I said.

"But, if you don't mind me asking...what do you do?"

"Oh. Right. Well, right now I sell couches at this furniture store downtown."

Then Tom said one word that changed my life forever...

"Quit."

The room fell silent.

"Scott, quit your job selling furniture. You need to become a professional speaker."

So I did.  And here I am.

Oh, and by the way, I climb mountains every day.

Yvonne: You're pretty digital...with a website and a blog. Who handles your online presence?  It looks like YOU write the blog...but, be honest, do you have someone else post in it, occasionally?

Scott: Are you kidding me? I do everything. People would have to be out of the freaking minds to NOT write their OWN blog. Ghost posting and ghost writing is bullshit. Frankly, it's unappraochble.  After all, one of the 7 Areas of Approachability is "Keeping it Real." If someone else is posting for you, you need to check yourself.

Yvonne: Do you think having a blog is dangerous? So many companies I talk to put their hands up and go white when I suggest they start a blog! "Legal won't let me!" they complain. Are they being real?

Scott: Blogging is the most important thing that ever happened to the Internet since...well...The Internet.  And you think, "Didn't people from big companies get fired because they blogged?"  No.  They got fired because they blogged stupidly.  Because not everyone knows how to do it right.  Go to Seth Godin's site.  That guys keeps it real.  And everyone in the world should blog, too. Housewives, students, kids, businesspeople, senators - everyone! 

Blogs give everyone a voice, and honestly, there's some smart people out there. A lot smarter than me!  After all, business needs to be more transparent because customers don't trust anybody anymore. You wanna talk about being approachable? Give your company a blog. And if you get into legal trouble, well, then you're not blogging correctly. Read a few books on it. You'll be great. Just let it go and realize blogging is the future. 

Yvonne: What part of the WOMBAT conference was the best? Really...was it the great weather? The great attendance? The fun programs? Mickey Mouse? Since you travel a lot, and have had occasion to speak in lots of different places...you must have different 'take aways' from each. For me,
it was the people. All the people. You, the other speakers, the attendees, Andy, and the other folks mingling about. Although the event was full of buzz, I felt that everyone was pretty approachable. Do you agree? Are all your conferences like that? [note: the pic is NOT Scott in the shower...but, as you can see, if he goes in the shower, or otherwise gets naked...he still has his nametag on!]

Scott: The best part of WOMMA was the club sandwich I ate the night before my speech. It had like 14 strips of bacon!

Just kidding. The best part was Jackie Huba's presentation about creating customer evangelists. I don't need to explain it because you can just go to The Church of the Customer and find out for yourself. She's a freakin' genius.

The weather was nice, but I don't care about that. I was there to learn, meet cool people, blow my audience away and have fun. Didn't have time to tan. Most conference are a bit more stuffy, but WOMMA was super hip, fun and laid back. Not to mention, a few speakers dropped F-bombs in their talks. You gotta love that. Not all associations could handle it. WOMMA is hard core, with-it, tech savvy marketers who "get it." They're good people. I'm already emailing and calling many of them.  Like you, my dickless friend. [blush, blush...attempts a cartwheel...ouch!...quick, call the paramedics!]

Yvonne: I have to ask...since my focus is marketing to women online, do you shop online? What, if anything, worries you about shopping online?

Scott: I once bought a (supposedly XL) Def Leppard t-shirt from ebay that would only have fit me if I lost 30 pounds. So I guess you never know what you're going to get, and an online graphic that's 2 inches tall can only tell you so much about an item. I like to touch what I'm about to buy. But that's
just me.

Yvonne: Last question...what can I do to help you sell more books, or get more speaking engagements, or just meet more people? Just say the word...

Scott: Tell everyone you know that "There's this guy named Scott who wears a nametag 24-7 to make people friendlier. He's got a cool story. Go to his website, buy his 2 books and watch his video. You'll be hooked. Then get him to speak at your company so the rest of your coworkers can get hooked too. Oh, and he's got a tattoo of a nametag on his chest. Seriously. This guy is committed. Or maybe he should be committed. Either way, he's good people."

***************************************************************

He is good people. He's better than that...he's one of the great people. We met several at WOMBAT. All I can say is that if you take Scott's advice, yes, you, too, can be approachable... and maybe even remarkable.

And, one little comment on the side...in defense of my presentation at the WOMBAT...check out this report at Psychology Today which says, "Women are always ahead of the linguistic curve." Ha! I told you so!

Hi, My Name is Yvonne

As expected, there are piles of magazines, emails, and phone messages threatening to strangle me if I don't get to them. At times like this, upon returning from a trip where I didn't bother to check email or answer my phone (what was I thinking?), I think back to a story a good friend told me several years ago.

This gentleman was a great entertainer [Dennis, where are you?]. I have fond memories of his funny, delightful stories. I wish he hadn't moved far, far away...but he did. Before he left, he told me a story from his marketing days. In that old Dick and Jane world of the 20th century, he was an executive at a high-end, NY marketing firm. His boss was quite the curmudgeon - but brilliant, so my friend told me. Anyway, once a quarter this influential, high-powered, wealthy businessman would clear his desk -- by sweeping his arm across it, effectively letting everything tumble into the waste paper basket. [gasp!]

Ah, if only I were so brave!

Since I must get back to the paperwork, the email notes, and the phone messages, let me steer you to some great reading today...

Over at Lisa Delman's "Heartfelt Matters" blog, you'll find a recent interview with ME...but the me you hardly ever get to talk to. Lisa interviewed the Mom, Yvonne. I need to get in and help her with the text formatting, but...check it out. And, give Lisa a holler. She's interested in doing more interviews. I'll be posting more on her up-coming Mother-Daughter project, soon. Isn't she clever... with her 'Mother's Day Cafe' focus?

Andy Wibbels, whose book Blog Wild! [available April 9th] should be out soon...is doing some fabulous podcast interviews with a number of marketing folks. I'm one of them, from a couple of weeks ago. Andy is one of those up-and-coming entrepreneurs with a whole lot of creativity, a terrific smile, and an easy-going attitude about life. His blogging expertise is phenomenal, though. I found this one to be especially helpful. Check it out...you'll never go wrong by adding Andy to your blogroll and your bloglines.

My last note is about my new best friend, Scott Ginsberg, author of The Power of Approachability. Scott was the luncheon keynote at WOMBAT, last week. I have one word to describe his presentation (which was...him...not a powerpoint or a lecture or some lame speech) and that word is: Approachable.

I was prepared to like Scott...gee, what's not to like about a nice guy who wears a nametag all the time?
I wasn't prepared to admire Scott, but I do. Admire is the second word I would use to describe Scott. He's someone you can admire because he's creative and friendly and just a regular guy, in a superior, approachable way.

Scott wrote about me, and Dickless Marketing, on his blog. And, when I left a comment...golly, didn't he call me on the phone??? We had such a delightful chat, I have to say that it made my day!So, the third word I would use to describe Scott is...exciting. In a get-on-the-phone-and- make-friends kind of way.

You need to buy Scott's book, and give his blog a look-see. 

I need to go make myself a name-tag. I just can't figure out what to put on it: Hi, my name is Yvonne? Or, Hi, my name is Jane? Or, Hi, Don't be Dickless...be Smart - Ask me how.

Readers?

From a Woman's Point of View

For what it's worth - I will be posting a great deal on the Word of Mouth Marketing Conference I just returned from. The official title, for those who haven't been following, was WOMBAT: Word of Mouth Basic Training. You can read the comments and postings of a whole lot of others, on the WOMBAT site.

I have a LOT to say, most of it complimentary, some of it critical - in a helpful way, I hope. Nonetheless, the first thing I want to say is that this was an outstanding event. Not so much because there was a lot to be learned, and I did learn a lot. But, more for the in-the-hall meetings and conversations. I know a lot of people say that's always the best part of any conference - the out of session meetings. But, I felt it more here. I saw more people connecting, I connected with more people, and the entire two days buzzed with excitement in ways I've not experienced before.

At some point I will report on my group presentation with Terri Whitesel (terrific lady: smart and very businesslike, but open and approachable at dinner) and Kevin Burke (the quintessential new millennium guy - tall, confident, friendly, and warm. Reminded me of my brother.) That report will wait, since I have so much else to say. Important impressions on the entire event and on specific sessions.

My goal is to post comments here over the next week or so, while I work on a Top 10 Benefits of Attending WOMBAT podcast, featuring yours truly. Following my Top 10 Benefits, there will be a Top 10 Wishes for the Next WOMBAT, because I wish they'd done a few things differently.

Overall, I did get to meet and shake hands with Steve Rubel of Micro-Persuasion. He sat next to me during one of the keynotes. I was a bit intimidated (who? me?) mostly because he was live blogging, and making it seem like child's play. But, I gathered my wits and my courage and I introduced myself. Here's the thing - Steve is a pretty intense guy (at least he appears that way - so stern, concentrating on the speakers, as if the rest of the room is invisible) but when he accepted my palm in a handshake, his face broke out into the friendliest smile I've ever seen. I wonder if he realizes how terrific that smile is? Suddenly, he went from stuffy to spectacular.

I wish I could have had a chat with him but he was off...before I could say much more than my name. Oh, he did take a picture of my WebBrowser pin, complete with web and spider. But, I don't see it on his blog. Awww.

Yvonne Spreads Word of Mouth

Tomorrow I leave for Florida. For regular readers, you'll remember that I'm off to WOMBAT: the word of mouth basic training camp to join Terri Whitesel of Interpret-Her and Kevin Burke of Lucid Marketing as a panel member discussing How-to Get Women Talking.

Sometimes I think the better question is: how do you get women to STOP talking? [yes, that's meant to be funny, you can laugh]

I'll be happy to leave this dreary, rainy weather behind. There's nothing worse than chilly rain during January. It's worse than snow. At least snow is pretty - and makes you want to curl up in bed with a favorite book, glad you don't have to be out spoiling the pristine sparkle of untouched snow. With rain, there's nothing but wind and cold and the ache in your bones that wants spring to come early.

At any rate, I'm pretty excited about this trip. There are a LOT of folks I want to meet face-to-face, at WOMMA. I've already met Andy Sernovitz, and interviewed him on this blog. He's an innovative soul. But, I'm really hoping to see Zane Safrit - whom I met last year and have exchanged emails with periodically in 2005. Another outstanding gentleman who gets it when it comes to women, marketing, and being online.

I don't personally know Steve Rubel of Micro Persuasion, so I hope I can at least shake his hand. He's connected to lots of other folks I do know. If you want to talk A-list bloggers, I believe Steve is one. And yet...I hear he's just a regular guy.

Toby Bloomberg of Diva Marketing, one of my favorite ladies online, will be blogging, and I am determined to steal her away for a nice long chat, just the two of us. Why? Because we have this mutual-admiration society going on and it's time we took a few minutes to tell jokes, sip wine, and just be girls. Toby is connected - which means I know when I visit her blog that I'll LEARN something. And, will possibly have some fun. She's always got the latest news...and commentary.

There are a number of other folks I can't wait to put a face to. Folks I've met recently via this invitation, and folks who helped convince me I should attend the event - well, of course, I don't like turning down speaking engagements. But, if it's possible to get Mark Hughes to sign my copy of his book, Buzz Marketing, whoohoo! I'll be a happy camper [and if he finally agrees to be interviewed...WOW! won't you be lucky!].

Oh, I certainly hope I get to stand in Jackie Hubba's aura...she's the master on customer evangelists.

Is that enough name dropping? Understand this: I'm there for YOU! I'm there to make sure the ladies get proper representation (along with Terri and Kevin, who are both experts in this space, also), and to see what I can learn and pass along after I return. Word-of-mouth can be a powerful tool, if you know how to use it.

There are a whole lot of people going to this event - will you be there?- who know the ins and outs of word-of-mouth, from employing word-of-mouth for your book, to using it to announce new products, to using it in your blog. We all do this, on a regular basis, but how many of us actually see it for what it is, and actually engage our customers or clients in word-of-mouth on a regular basis? Here's a thought-provoking question: how do you measure Word-of-mouth??

Watch this space: there will be secrets to tell!

Yvonne here - filling in for Jane

I'm a fond reader of stories. Anyone who's anyone these days is reporting on the power of story-telling, but few people really seem to understand what that means.

Using stories to promote a business is not the, "Once upon a time..." way to a woman's heart. Nor is the, "Frankie and Johnny" type of story the way to go about using stories to appeal to women.

Here's how you do it: you be honest. You get personal. You show a little heart.

For example: this blog is normally written by 'Jane'...as representative of all women, young and not necessarily young. This year I decided to give 'Jane' a rest...primarily because I've concluded, over the last two years, that 'Jane' is representative of ME...more than anyone else. She tries to represent her sisters and daughters...but, the truth is - how can one woman be the voice of millions? The only way is by showing readers who I really am, and telling stories they can relate to.

That's not to say that I don't represent a whole lotta ladies, dear readers. (and yes, you're dear readers to me, also; where do you think 'Jane' got that from?)

My hope is that I can bring some light to an otherwise fuzzy world - the world of marketing to women...online. Marketing to women includes girls, by the way. Girls, ladies, women, Jane, Sally, Stephanie, Brittany, Carla, Maryanne, Kelly, Barbara, Betsy, Carmen, Rose, whatever. We all share the same body parts and we all have similar mindsets.

Similar, mind you. Not the same...that's key to learning how to market to women: understanding that we're all different, even though we like to go to the bathroom in twos. That's for the 'chatter'... of course.

Like other marketing professionals, I often refer to certain demographics when talking about how to market successfully to women. But, those labels are just that - labels. They represent a figurative view of women - they try to categorize us into groups - and, though they are sometimes relevant - in the long haul, they are just words put on paper. Reality dictates that you look at each of us as unique and separate - if you would have us buy from you.

Here's an interesting factoid that I uncovered in a recent search online, from Lucid Marketing, a company that helps folks reach the Mom market- one that 'Jane' will tell you is well worth your time. Lucid says, "Her Salary Does NOT Matter -- Mom Manages the Money." The story says, "We already know that moms are making 80% of household purchase decisions, but not it is also clear the dominant role moms play in how money is managed and invested."

This is great insight into women, from the Mom angle. Understand that even women who do not have children, fit this category. Because - their friends and relatives have children. Because they, like all of us, interact with children on a daily basis.

Let me end with a story, to show you what I mean. About how women are the same but different, and how we're all Moms at heart.

My company is growing. Old news, I know. Applause all around...thank you, thank you (obviously, I'm a frustrated Academy Award winner). The growth of the publishing business set my mind to thinking...of ways to help improve business, of ways to bring my local community in to the business - since I believe that books are the bastions of communication, and communication is the foundation of all human interaction.

This led me to think I should be investigating funding for expansion. Expansion that would allow employees to work from home - especially if they have children at home - and, expansion that would also allow employees to have flexible work schedules, the better to attend children's school functions. [my hope is to be able to attend some of my two nieces' school functions, something I have not been able to do before this].

Hence, over the last few weeks, I've been exploring property in and around Upstate, NY. It's a lot of fun, even if I don't ever get the funding to purchase any of it. But, best of all, scouring the real estate section of the local paper (online and off), and trapsing about on weekends, has introduced me to a whole lot of new faces. Faces I wouldn't otherwise have had chance to meet, let alone carry on a conversation with.

Faces of -- women.

Women of differing experiences, differing ages, differing viewpoints...women who, while eager to close a real estate deal, are also interested in Me...in the person poking around these big buildings.

The men...and there have been a few men...are not nearly as chatty or interested in ME. They size me up quickly, make a determination of whether or not I'm serious, whether or not I can afford to pay, and they either court me [the buyer of the property, not the lady] or dismiss me. Not one of them has ventured into more than polite conversation. In fact, for the most part, I they pay more attention to Tom, who is usually with me, than to me. As if HE is the prospective client, not I.

The women, however, ask dozens of questions. They encourage me to stay and talk. They usually know someone who's writing a book or they, themselves, reveal that they've been thinking of writing a book. They are eager to hear more -- more about me, about the business, and more about how I plan on using the building. More than once, I've heard them say, "That's fascinating."

I don't know whether or not I'll be successful in my quest for a new location. This year. But, I do know that in the last few weeks, I've met dozens of women who are now actively spreading the word about my business all over the Upstate, NY region. Word of mouth marketing at work.

And, if and when the opportunity materializes...one of them will get my business.

Funny, I don't much remember the male real estate agents we met. I wonder why?

Jane Takes Time Off - Welcome Yvonne

Yvonne here - Jane is taking a break. Maybe the truth is that I'm taking a break, from trying to be two different women. Jane will reappear at selected moments...but, for the most part, you're stuck with me, dear readers.

It's Sunday. Cold, bitter, white, and slippery here in Upstate, NY. We braved the weather at 11:00 a.m. this morning to walk the dog, and discovered we should have taken our ice-skates along!

As we begin the 3rd week of January, in the New Year, let's see what marketing to women online dirt I can share...

First, in case you doubt my word, I refer you all to the Pew and Internet Life Project for the latest on how men and women shop online. For instance, their report says,

"women are enthusiastic online communicators, and they use email in a more robust way. Women are more likely than men to use email to write to friends and family about a variety of topics: sharing news and worries, planning events, forwarding jokes and funny stories."

This tells me that you should be approaching the women's market by being friendly, newsy, helpful, and funny. If you're having trouble getting your head around being friendly, newsy, helpful or funny...I suggest you get some ladies on board to show you how.

Depending on your target market - women of a certain age (often called baby boomers), women with young kids (often referred to as echo boomers or Gen Xers), as well as college students (Gen Ys), and teens or tweens...the up and coming consumers of tomorrow - you'll need to spend some time getting a clear picture of how your core market (remember: that small, eager group of women on the lookout for what you sell) shops, where they congregate, and who, among them, influences them. Blogs are good for that. And, this blog, in particular, has a new project we'll be launching soon...to help you figure out what women really want.

In the meantime, I suggest adding pets to your arsenal. Women are big on pets. According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Assoc. (APPMA), 63% of U.S. households own a pet. 45% of them own more than one pet. Favorite pets: no big surprise, it's Dogs followed by Cats. I have one of each...and, yes, they are definitely members of the family. The dog sleeps in her own bed, right next to mine, and the cat snuggles up on the bed...at my feet.

In the near future, I'll have information on Pet Insurance, too.

Stay tuned.