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Dick Larkin's Motivational Moment
I was just talking about you
June 23, 2003
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in this issue
-- People are Talking . . .
-- Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser
-- This Week in Pictures
-- Mikhail Baryshnikov's cousin Ernest
-- More Effective than "Happy Meals"
-- I always burn my mouth with Pop Tarts
-- Custom Paint Job
-- This Week's Brainteaser
People are Talking . . .
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Moe Beyer is my old friend and client. He digs water
wells and does excavation contracting. He recently
told
me that
nearly all of his business comes through referrals. His
customers speak highly of him and they tell their
friends. He swears his advertising is a waste.
He probably
does
have a pretty good reputation, but he's not exactly a
household name.
(I told him he should change
his name
to Moe's Hoes, but he didn't see the humor in it).
He wants more people talking about
him.
Granted, word-of-mouth is the best kind of
advertising. It's trustworthy, persuasive and cheap.
However, getting people to speak highly of you is
extraordinarily difficult.
If you don't believe
me, just ask Martha Stewart.
Martha
tried to restore her reputation by running a
full-page ad
in USA Today proclaiming her innocence.
Man, did
that reek or what?
Her ad would have been more
effective if it was filled with famous and influential
people proclaiming their support for her and denouncing
the public witch-hunt.
[She would have been
even
better off keeping her pie hole shut, but I suppose that
was out of the question.]
Trying
to manufacture a great reputation is like trying to
bottle the wind. You can't get it by going after it
directly. The harder you try convincing someone of
your own virtues, the lower their opinion of you is likely
to be. Your reputation is a reflection of all the
other things you do.
How do you get a good
reputation with people who don't know you?
Back to
my buddy Moe Beyer. He
satisfies his customers, but they don't talk about him
that much.
If Moe's
Yellow Pages ad proclaims,
"I have a
great reputation"
it
will carry
no
weight.
His solution is to use testimonials from
satisfied customers. Strong testimonials will
jump-start his reputation.
Here are a few quick guidelines for using testimonials in
an ad . . .
- Ask every
customer for a testimonial. Give them a typed
sheet with some positive statements that they can put
on their own letterhead. Some will use your words,
others like using their own. This will give you several
testimonials to choose from.
- Get written
permission to use their testimonial in your
ad.
- Popularity =
Credibility. Get testimonials from recognizable
people with credibility. You don't have to find a
celebrity, but a well-known community leader who
speaks highly of you will have power. Ever wonder
why restaurants put up pictures of celebrities?
It's better to be sincere rather than cute. Although, I
wouldn't mind seeing him arm in arm with Heidi Fleiss as
she proclaims "Moe knows hoes". It might not
attract the right customer, but it'd get plenty of
attention.
- Use the customer's
first and last name, city and state.
You'll need their permission, but it will make the
testimonial more believable than unrecognizable
initials.
- The quote should
be very specific.
"I was thrilled with Moe
because he used satellite maps to determine the best
location for my well, his crew was meticulous around
my landscaping, and he designed the pump system to
give my family the purest water."
- Include the smiling
customer's picture with Moe. This
visual reinforces the positive feelings that the
testimonial creates.
Bottom Line . . .
Strong testimonials broadcast your
fine reputation to people who don’t know
you. They help build your credibility and give you a
reputation to live up to.
Time to Buy "Effective Yellow Pages Advertising for Lawyers"
Answer to Last Week's Brainteaser
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Name the TV
show with these characters?
I knew WAY
too
many of these.
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Question 1:
Rudy, Theo, Olivia, and Elvin?
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Question 2:
Marcy, Bud, and Jefferson?
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Question 3:
Angela, Sam, and Mona?
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Question 4:
Andy, Alex, and Skippy?
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Question 5:
Helen, Janet, and Larry?
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Question 6:
Rachel, Eddie, Myrtle, Waldo,
and Myra?
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Question 7:
Gloria, Edith, and Michael?
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Question 8:
Buddy, Jamie, and Lilian?
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Question 9:
Woody, Carla, and Cliff?
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Question 10:
Uncle Phil, Geoffrey, Hilary and
Will?
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Question 11:
Max, Overton, and Synclaire?
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Question 12:
Gina, Pam, and Sheneneh?
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Question 13:
Blair, Tootie, and Mrs. Garrett?
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Question 14:
Mike, Carol, and Ben?
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Question 15:
Lenny, Squiggy, and Shirley?
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Question 16:
Al, Wilson, Jill, and Randy?
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Question 17:
Stan, Sophia, Dorothy, and
Miles?
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Question 18:
Whitley, Dwayne, Jaleesa, and
Ron?
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Question 19:
Hayden, Christine, and Luther?
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Question 20:
Lamont, Grady, Fred, and
Esther?
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I received an
overwhelming response to this quiz. It's funny that
more than half of the entries indicated embarrassment
at knowing so many of the answers.
Click Here for the Answers & Our Winner
This Week in Pictures
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John Kelsey sent me this picture
to remind me how out of touch I am with today's
youth.
I didn't get my nose pierced until I was in 3rd grade.
As many of you know,
John's company The Kelsey Group organizes the premier
conferences in the Yellow Pages industry.
The one coming up July 21-23 in Denver
features a President's Panel with some of my favorite
folks.
Ken Brock, President, Names and
Numbers
Gene Daly, President, Ketchum
Directory Advertising
Erik Jensen, President, ypOne
Publishing
Dane Madsen, CEO,
YellowPages.Com
Doug Myers, President & CEO, CBD
Media LLC
Maria Sol Navia, President, Publicar
This panel should be particularly interesting because
they're all pretty outspoken.
If you're attending, drop me a note
(or better still, buy me a beer).
Link to John's conference site
Mikhail Baryshnikov's cousin Ernest
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We booked the Moscow Ballet to
perform at last year's holiday party. We didn't realize
until later that it was the
Moscow, IDAHO Ballet.
Despite the confusion, their rendition of "Swine Lake"
nearly moved the audience to
tears.
Lies, Damned Lies and Salesmen
More Effective than "Happy Meals"
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There's something to be said for truth in advertising.
Ever see the movie, "Hoosiers"? This is better.
I always burn my mouth with Pop Tarts
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The package says "Wild
Berry Flavor", but I don't believe it.
How to be a doughnut, not a hole.
Custom Paint Job
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I think I'm going to get my Lamborghini painted to look
like a mini van.
I'll bet that this van gets a lot of attention.
Do you know the "Secret Handshake"? This is cool.
This Week's Brainteaser
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Buford and Festus were arguing who was faster.
Festus bet that he could turn out the light and jump
into the bed on the other side of their doublewide
trailer before the room got dark.
Buford checked to make sure there were no timers,
clappers or other gizmos hooked up to the light.
Certain to win, he bet Festus $50.
Faster than Hillary Clinton can call a press conference,
Festus flicked off the switch and was across the room
and under the covers before the room was dark.
How did he do it?
Email your answer to
puzzler@dicklarkin.com
We'll select one
entry to
receive a pump action bottle-popper.
Quote of the week . . .
"The secret of a good sermon is to have a good
beginning and a good ending and having the two as
close together as possible."
- George Burns
Contact Information
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email: newsletters@dicklarkin.com
voice: 858-614-5425
web: http://www.dicklarkin.com
