OK, Now for the "Magic Moment"

In my last post, I talked about how Graham employed one of the best branding principles, which is to "show 'em what you've got" rather than to blab on and on about what you can do.

I also mentioned that 99.995% of the people that I've shared this branding principle with have rejected it.

Why? For the same reasons that Graham initially rejected it ... because it's different; because it takes work to prepare; and because it feels like bragging.

I've always chosen a different path or approach; I'm not afraid of doing some extra work for ME; and if I don't tell MY story in the best possible fashion, who will?

With national unemployment now at 7.6%, I believe that it's good to be different, but enough on this.

Let's get to the "Magic Moment"

Here's how it works ...

> Every first interview that you take will likely be in an environment that is foreign to you; i.e., you've probably never been there before, and you're likely meeting with people that you've never met. This is a recipe for high anxiety, or at least a little nervousness, right?

> How do you best get control of this situation? ... by removing the awkward feeling, and by bringing you back to the times when you delivered your BEST results; i.e., the times that you were most confident and proud.

> How do you do this in someone else's office? ... by SHOWING them what you've done best in past roles. Bring along the spreadsheets, the new packaging, the business plans, or anything that has your fingerprints all over it ... the items that reflect your "sweat equity".

> And here's where the "Magic Moment" comes in ... when you put one of these items on the table and begin to discuss it, the REAL passion, commitment, competence, skills and enthusiasm come through this item on the table. You have effectively transported yourself BACK to the time and place when you delivered this positive result or contribution. And guess what ... it feels good.

So, it's your call ... go with your best suit and resume, or show 'em what you've got.

It's All About What You DO, Not What You SAY

"Well done is better than well said."

Why do so few people really get this?

Especially those among the now 7.6% unemployed and looking for a job, or those concerned about their current position.

I know one of the reasons why people don't behave as the above quote dictates ... FEAR.

Fear that comes with being in a very difficult position in the most grim recession since the Depression; fear of not having the most attractive career profile; fear of the total uncertainty that all of us are facing; fear from seeing things not work like they used to; and on and on.

So, let's go back to my first post (12/31/08), where I talked about the "brand promise". The brand promise is whatever you've determined to be the attributes and qualities that distinquish your brand (YOU) from everyone else, and ensuring that this promise is delivered 24/7.

If you have a job today, no matter how bad or uncertain it is, you have to continue to DO the things that deliver on YOUR brand promise, and that deliver added-value.

If you are looking for a job and have interviews coming up, what can you DO? ... SHOW them what you've DONE.

This is really the part that most people don't get. If I've shared this advice with 1,000 people so far, I'll bet that 995 have rejected it.

Let me tell you a quick story, and let's see if you'll accept this advice.

When I was a recruiter, a guy who had been the Marketing Director for a regional ice cream company came to me for help finding a job ... his company had been acquired by a national ice cream manufacturer, and he was out of a job. This guy, Graham, came to my office in a great suit with a resume that he had labored over, hoping that his resume captured and presented all of his career accomplishments.

As I read Graham's resume and listened to his humble overview of his career, I discovered that Graham was an all-star in his field ... among his many accomplishments, he created a new frozen ice cream product that was so popular that it caused grocery stores to create a new category in the ice cream section.

One of the key words above is "humble" ... Graham was playing the job-search game the way that it was always played ... show up in a nice suit with a sharp resume, and the rest takes care of itself. But sorry, we were in the midst of the early 90's recession, and good clothes and good-looking resumes weren't getting it done.

So, I asked Graham to leave and come back with all of his "stuff" ... the spreadsheets, and the new packaging samples, the market share reports, etc ... the stuff that made Graham feel proud.

When he returned, I paid no attention to what he was wearing and never looked at his resume ... I was just awed by Graham's real talents and abilities, when I actually saw what he had accomplished.

And guess what? ... I helped Graham get a high-level marketing position with Ocean Spray, his top target company.

How can you do this, if you're no longer in your job? Find a way to re-create these materials, starting with a list of what they were ... anything that gets you closer to that feeling of pride you had when you had these accomplishments.

Having these things always along with you helps to produce the "Magic Moment", but I'll address this in a future post.

Try it!

Branding's Biggest Blunder

In 1985, after 4 years of research and development, and taste testing with 190,000 consumers, Coca-Cola boldly announced the launch of New Coke.

According to a New York Times article this week, Coca-Cola found that people chose the new formula 55 percent of the time, and the original one 45 percent of the time. The article goes on to say that Coca-Cola "forgot to ask how people would feel about losing the traditional soda".

So, The Coca-Cola Company announced last Friday that they are dropping the "Classic" from its labels in all of its packaging by this summer.

"When people think Coke, they think classic, so more than two decades after introducing the word classic, the reason for being - quote unquote - for that word as a descriptor has disappeared," said Scott Williamson, a Coca-Cola spokesman.

More ... the article goes on to say that "The language on the side of the label where it now says 'Coke original formula' will change to say 'Coke Classic original formula'.

Got it? This is the world's most recognizeable brand, and can you believe how Coca-Cola screwed up their family jewel?

As soon as New Coke was introduced, Coca-Cola began getting hammered, according to the article. Employees had to work overtime on its complaints hotline, fielding 1,500 calls a day. People started hoarding containers of the classic formula, and formed groups like the Old Cola Drinkers of America. Ten weeks after introducing New Coke, and after publicly vowing that the original formula was gone for good, company executives brought it back.

They added "Classic" underneath the script Coca-Cola lettering to distinquish it from the new formula, and Coca-Cola Classic began to outsell New Coke almost immediately. It was "a humbling experiment", said Donald Keough, Coca-Cola president at the time. He went on to say, "Some cynics say we planned the whole thing. The truth is, we're not that dumb, and we're not that smart."

Cool. Let's be sure to treat our own brands with more common sense.

Are you "New" or "Classic"? Share your thoughts with us here.