Laura's Winning Ideas

Customers, whether internal or external, appreciate people who streamline the learning curve and keep the details simple.

When you brainstorm names, acronyms are easier to invent than an original word. They are also MUCH easier for your audience to remember.

For instance: The on-line service to research in the knowledge management system at one large company is called MINT. The Marketing Information Network Team (MINT) is at the service of everyone needing information from a variety of company databases.

Make the branding easier by choosing a name shared with an object. How many ideas can you come up with to illustrate MINT as an internal promotion?

• Tins of Altoids Mints with a new label about your offering glued on top
• Wrapped hard-candy mints with a small band of paper added under the cellophane that says MINT: Marketing Information Network Team
• Andes brand mints with your own outside wrapping
• you get the idea.

When you install a CRM or KM system, you’ll need someone(s) providing data and technical support. Your resume or project description databases certainly have someone who is the caretaker.

In one firm, we created MINT rather than confuse people with a particular person (or two or three) who might change over time. MINT stands for Marketing Information Network Team, and if you are with a technical firm, you know they love their accronyms!

MINT@yourcompany.com is the address and they even snagged the phone extension that spelled MINT. Ten years later, MINT is still the place that manages those databases, answers questions and helps with research.

The individuals who receive messages addressed to MINT are several and have changed completely over the years, but it is nice that no one in the organization had to bother learning any of those details.

One address, one place to go.

Today I visited a blog written by an executive recruiter, Daniel R. Sweet, who posts to the Free Resume And CAreer Toolbox. He has a post about improving your career by improving yourself.

Yesterday I read Fortune Magazine’s article about Teamwork, the new buzz word, responsibility. Dr. Christopher Avery, a friend of mine, wrote THE book about responsibility, Teamwork is an Individual Skill and was cited in the Fortune article.

And Tom Peters has been ranting and spitting about Brand You for several years.

In case the message is unclear, no one else is responsible for your career, work satisfaction, or success. It’s just you. Well, not “just you,” it’s YOU!

When people whine about what is keeping them from succeeding, I hear about their boss, their co-workers, their family, their upbringing, and so on.

The fact is, you have unlimited resources available anytime you are ready to improve your skills, mind or opportunities. If your firm doesn’t offer training classes, check out the local colleges and industry organizations.  If your firm can’t/won’t help with the expenses, use your own money.  Assign your own reading list and do independent study. If you can’t buy the books, check them out at your library.

Someone (I’ve forgotten who) said they reserved one percent of their gross salary to “give back” and reinvest in their career. Therefore, if you make $45,000 a year, you should be spending at least $450 on your career. In the beginning of my career I spent this on books and classes. Later, I spent it on the people who were making me successful. Those expenses that don’t meet the company reimbursement criteria I was happy to pick up, knowing it added to my “give back” contribution.

The truth is, that almost everything I know is available from another source someplace. Heck, you could learn what I know by being especially well-read. At least that was what I used to think.

Another truth is that in order to change behavior people need someone to model the change. That’s where I come in.

Another truth is that when you are up to your eyeballs in alligators, it doesn’t help to have a book about swamp drainage delivered to your in-box. You need specific suggestions, for the issue at hand, NOW. That’s where I come in.

Another truth is that there is an amazing amount of drivel, bad advice and suspicious recommendations floating around by folks who think winning proposals is simply a writing exercise. No one I know has raised their hit rate by improving their grammar. That’s where I come in.