by Kirby Hasseman
As we enter into a new world, businesses are exploring new ways to do business successfully and safely. Most of us want to get back to some sense of normalcy, but we want to do it in a smart way. That is why Hasseman Marketing is announcing a new education series called Hasseman U.
The idea is simple. We want to bring as much education and value to our customers as possible, in a safe way. So each Thursday at 11am , starting June 4th, we will feature a different speaker in order to provide ideas and inspiration on how to succeed in the new normal. Each Hasseman U session is schedule to last only 30 minutes. There is no cost to participate and there is absolutely no obligation to buy. It’s just about providing value to our customers and prospects in a new way for a new time.
The schedule for Hasseman U (so far)
June 4 at 11am: Javier LaFontaine from Showdown Displays will be joining us to explain how powerful and important proper signage can be in order to re-open and keep employees and customers safe. You can register for this first session here.
June 11 at 11am: Doug Oslance with Starline is going to talk about reconnecting with customers in a meaningful way…and how to save some money while doing it! Sign up for this class here.
June 18 at 11am: Matt Eysoldt is the Master of Branded Masks…and more. Matt is joining us to tell us the trending products that will help you stand out in a nation trying to safely open back up! Click here to get registered for this one!
We have plans for more Hasseman U sessions, so please be on the lookout. Follow us on Facebook to make sure you never miss an update.
The goal is to provide value and the tools to succeed in this new world. With that in mind, now is a great time to sign up for the FREE 5 Day Marketing Course. Each morning a new lesson gets delivered to your mailbox in order to help you market better. And did I mention is was free? Sign up for that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I was a terrible college student…when it came to education. As it turns out though, I learned a lot. You see, there is a difference between education and learning…and that is more apparent today than ever before.
Education is a form of teaching that happens TO you. It is often forced upon you. Education often includes vocabulary words, essays and pop quizzes. While most people would contend that education is important, I never really enjoyed it. I would do what I had to do (and nothing more) to fulfill the obligations of education. Often, I went to class less than I should have. I studied just as much as I needed to to get by. And to be honest, I don’t remember very much of what I learned during my “education” in college..
I was much more interested in staying in my dorm room, playing guitar, writing lyrics and performing my amateur songs for anyone who would listen. There was nothing formal about it. I did not have to take any tests. No one was looking over my shoulder. But I was insatiable about listening or reading anything I could on the subject. It had nothing to do with my education.
I was just learning.
As it turns out, the learning I was doing, while college professors saw me blowing off their education DOES have value. I was working to learn and improve my craft of playing guitar and songwriting. In addition, by using those skills to create and write, I was forced to put myself “out there” regularly. Sometimes the song was really well-received. Sometimes it was a total flop. It helped me to flex my creative muscle and be willing to try things that might not work with no guarantees.
It’s very similar, in fact, to what I do when I create content today. It takes some creativity. It takes some courage. And it is all done with the idea that, if I keep doing it, I might get better.
So while I was struggling through education, I enjoyed learning very much.
That brings me to today.
We are living in a weird and different time. Many people are working remote, and have more time on our hands. But what are you going to do with it? You can learn to speak a new language. Maybe you can take the time to learn to play an instrument. It’s your choice if you want to learn something new.
And if you want to grow your understanding of marketing your organization, we would love to help. We have created a 5 Day Marketing Course designed to help you create more effective and targeted marketing. It’s free. You can find the course here.
We hope you will take the chance to learn…and let us know what you think! Oh, and as always, feel free to keep up with all of our content on our blog here.
by Kirby Hasseman
I was talking to a young man the other day and we were discussing his life.
“How is school going?” I asked him.
“It’s going fine. But I am dropping out,” he said with his head down.
“Okay. What’s next?” I asked.
His head rose back up. “I am finishing this year of school and then I am joining the Air Force.”
We continued to chat about the transition. He talked about going through MEPS and when he might leave for Basic Training. He was finishing another semester and then moving on to the military. The thing is, he seemed excited about the new chapter, but there was something that bothered me about the conversation.
“Stop saying you are ‘dropping out,'” I told him. “You are not quitting and you did not fail. You spent a year learning in school and in life. You discovered this was not the right path, but you did not disgrace yourself. Joining the military, going to work, heading back to school, getting a new job or whatever…these are not reasons to be embarrassed. They are the next step. You did not drop out. You found the next right step. Be proud of yourself.”
I think there are a couple of lessons in here for all of us.
Be Careful How You Talk To Yourself
There is no one that talks to us more than ourselves. Our self talk is so critical in the quality and happiness of our lives. Make sure you don’t spend all of your time giving yourself the wrong message. That young man will not have “dropped out.” Instead, he finished a year of school. The amount of school is exactly the same. The message is wildly different. One of these messages knocks your confidence down. One lifts it up.
Be Intentional About How You Tell Your Own Story
The same is true with how you tell your story to others. I am not recommending that you life, or even embellish. But the way you tell your story is up to you. Be intentional about it. Own it.
I am proud of the “next right step” he is taking. I hope he is too.
Find more content on our blog page all of the time. You can find that here. And of course if you want to have it delivered to your mailbox, just sign up to become a VIP. You can do that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Once a month, over the fall and winter months, a group of guys in my community get together to play poker. We are not expert poker players, by any means. Sure…some of the guys are better than others…but none of us have found ourselves in Las Vegas at the World Series of Poker. And that’s just fine. It’s not about the Poker. Each month I look forward to getting together, catching up, and laughing with this good group. Sure…all of us want to win. But that’s not the point. The point is to reconnect and to re-energize. That’s how I feel about some industry events. I might be going to a Trade show, but the products at the Trade show are often not the point. It’s about growing the relationship with supplier partners…or the education. Why does this matter? Because it’s important how you gauge success. If I only go to Poker to win a few dollars, I am missing the point. In addition, I am missing out on the best part of the experience. The same is true for events or other activity in our lives. Make sure you recognize and decide what you are there for. Then focus on that. Then you might get something from the exercise. Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
Tell me if this sounds familiar to you. You invest the time and money to attend an educational event in your industry. You struggle to get all of your work done in advance, so you can “really focus” while you are there. (With me so far?) Great news! You attend the event and it really speaks to you! You leave the conference fired up. You are committed to making real change in your office…and in your business. You head back to the office…and…nothing. Either you can’t convince your team, or you can’t convince your boss, or you can’t focus. Whatever. The amazing and inspiring plans you have fade away…into the whirlwind of your day to day. Sound familiar? Yeah. Me too. I had this happen enough times. So I came up with a few strategies to get more ideas implemented in my business. Here are a few thoughts… One Big Idea: I recently attended an event called Skucamp (I talk about that here) and my head was swimming. It was almost too much! So I decided that I needed to settle on just one idea that I could implement. I made a list so I could move on after I knocked #1 off the list. But my goal was to start with just one idea. That helped me not be overwhelmed and focus. Take an Extra Day: My wife and I attended an event called an EME. It’s like speed-dating for business. We had approximately 48 (20 minute) meetings, one after another. The event takes 2.5 days and you leave completely exhausted. It’s truly like drinking from a firehose. Amy and I had done the events before, and the results were okay. Then one year we decided to take an extra day. We sat around the pool and discussed all our notes from the previous three days. It was amazingly productive and we left with a plan. It was a total game changer for that event for us. Keep the Journal Book: Many events you attend will give you some sort of custom journal book for taking notes at the event. I love these. And in order to keep the “mojo” going after the event, I keep using it. It helps me to reconnect to the event mentally, and gives me quick access to the notes I took. Those are just a few ideas for getting back into the swing of things after a big event. What are yours? Make sure you never miss an update! Sign up for our VIP newsletter by signing up below!
