by Kirby Hasseman
Nearly everyone has heard the saying “People buy from people they like, know and trust.” It’s often repeated because it’s true. But in the chase for sales and profit, even the best of us can lose sight of that. It’s ironic really. As we take our eyes off the ball of being human to chase the profit, we often lose both.
That being said, sales are still important. And during these strange days, we need to think creatively to still go to market. I have talked about that here before. That is why we have created this 5 Day Marketing Course. It’s free and you can sign up here. We have also created a Weekly series called Hasseman U where we give our customers access to our best suppliers. You can learn more about that (and sign up) here.
Thinking creatively about going to market is what led us to do a day of “Sprint Calls” too.
Everyone at Hasseman Marketing got on the phone to call and check in with our clients. We spent 2 hours last Wednesday calling as many customers as we could. And while anyone in business is always interested in sales, we took a bit of a different approach. It was more of a mental health check-up.
We asked a simple question “How are you holding up?”
And many of us were pleasantly surprised by the results. You see, it turned out this was not a sales call. This was a human check in. It (hopefully) showed we cared. Most of the time, as a salesperson, you can feel like you are interrupting, or a bother. This did not feel like that at all. As a matter of fact, many times we were on the phone for quite some time!
People are hungry right now for real human interaction. Yes, we have Zoom meetings. But how often do you dig below to the surface to really check in? I know I am guilty of just checking off the box so I can get to the next thing on my To Do List. But last week showed me that I need to take more time to be human.
I saw a shirt last week that stopped me. It’s said HUMAN*Kind. Be Both. Let’s take that into business this week. We might be able to do some good…and make some profit too.
Make sure you never miss an update. Check out our blog page here.
by Kirby Hasseman
As I work to put thoughts into this blog, some days I have an idea I want to cover. But other days, I just have lots of random thoughts running through my head. Today is one of those days. So here are a bunch of “quick hit” random thoughts from quarantine.
Stop The Predictions
Each morning, I spend a bit of time on my treadmill in the basement. During that time I watch and listen to ESPN or other sports shows to pass the time. Now that there are not sports to report, I am fascinated by how much time is spent predicting when sports will restart. I am most often amused by the predictions about Football. I love the sport and would love to have it back. But it’s a fall sport, and while leaders in those leagues should be thinking about it, predictions are just silly.
None of these prognosticators were able to predict the situation we are in TWO months ago. So why would they have ANY insight into what is going to have FIVE months from now?
Listening and Reading Less
When this shutdown started I thought I would be able to read more and learn more. That has not been the case at all for me. I listen to a lot of books and with drive time and long run time gone, so has a LOT of my book time. I miss drive time.
I Will Take A Small Town
When this pandemic really started to become a reality, I was struck by how excited I was to get home to Coshocton, Ohio. Sure, it’s home. It’s where I am comfortable. But at a time when “Social Distancing” was one of the real ways to help slow the spread of the disease, I wanted to get to a place where people were not all over me. I live in a rural area for a reason. We have more room to breath. While cities have lots that small towns don’t have, I have never been more excited to live outside of those confines.
Pass The Judgement
With the build up of anxiety, fear and time, I have seen way too much snap judgement of others. To be candid, I have done it myself. We always seem to be able to justify our behavior and vilify others. I am always amused by the comments that say “I went to the grocery store and there were way too many people out and about.” Well, how would you know? Oh that’s right, you were out and about too. If you are an essential worker, great. You get a pass. But for the rest of us, take a breath before we decide everyone else is just being a selfish jerk.
Now More Than Ever…Be Kind
Which leads nicely to “be kind.” This is a bell we have been ringing for a long time. But when you can, and most of the time you can, take a minute to do something for someone else. When you feel helpless, be helpful. You won’t feel so helpless anymore.
Like I said, random thoughts. Thanks for reading. If you want to dig into more content, please head to our blog page here. We have new content nearly every day.
And in the interest of kindness, we have also created a Free 5 Day Marketing Course you can check out here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Most of us want to help. In some way, some day, most people like the idea that they can make someone’s life better. But where do you start?
With a world full of people and problems, it’s hard to know what problem to help with? Then, if you have decided about a passion project, it can be hard to decide how to help. Where do you start? Often the best answer is the simple answer. Start with “the next right step.” Take, for example, homelessness. During this brutally cold time of year, it’s easy to see that this is a need. The unfortunate fact is, there are homeless in every community. We think of homelessness as the nameless people that sleep on the street. And sometimes, those of us that are fortunate, wonder what they must have done to get there. But there is also a population of people that are homeless, and stay on couches and floors. There are men, and women, and children. It’s not a new problem. But it’s a problem, nonetheless. It’s a real challenge. So where do you start? With the next right step. From now until February 28th, we will be collecting the items below for the local homeless population. We have already begun the effort and wanted to give you the chance to help. You can drop off goods to our office at 432 Main Street in Coshocton. Don’t have anything to donate (or don’t live nearby) but want to participate and help? Awesome. Send a donation and we will gladly purchase items for you. We will take care of getting the goods to a few wonderful local people that are helping to serve the homeless population in our area. Below are items that are being accepted.
In addition, we recently did some really cool t-shirts that were imprinted with the mission: “Be Kind. Spread Joy. Embrace the hustle” These t-shirts have been a huge hit. They have a great message and they are super comfortable. Want one? You can purchase one for $25 and the proceeds will go toward this cause.
Where do we start? The next right step. Join us in helping. Be Kind. Spread Joy. Embrace the hustle. Make sure you never miss an update. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
