Brian and I are taking the “divide and conquer” approach at Inbound this week in order to glean as much information as possible.
Not in Boston this week? That’s not a problem, because you can follow #INBOUND15 to see the plethora of Twitter and Instagram posts being shared by participants.
Today started strong with a keynote message from influential storyteller Brené Brown, and we wrapped the day with friends at a rooftop restaurant overlooking the Boston seaport. The experience is as much about learning as it is enjoying – enjoying the hospitality, the people, the food…the food!
For lunch, the Inbound crew created a food truck rodeo of Boston’s finest mobile eateries. I went with a trio of seafood sliders, and the wait in line was worth every delicious bite!
Waiting in line for a seafood slider trio @codsquadtruck at #INBOUND15 pic.twitter.com/3ajw0CYpXO
— Jen Hoverstad (@jenhoverstad) September 9, 2015
So, what can I give to you as freebie knowledge nuggets from today? In no particular order, here are my top 3 takeaways from today’s Inbound sessions:
1. Direct mail v. junk mail is simply a matter of perspective. (Dharmesh Shah, HubSpot)
HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah preached “market unto others they way you would have them market unto you.” For those of us that produce any kind of marketing material, we see it as valuable. We think the long hours and deep brainstorming sessions produce the best material we’ve ever distributed! But, whether digital or print, thoughtful or rushed, we ultimately have to keep the consumer in mind.
The value of our marketing materials is not up to those that make them – it’s up to the consumer. So ask yourself, is your end consumer receiving a valuable piece of mail or is he tossing another piece of paper in the recycling bin?
2. Brands don’t hire, people do. (Bob Sanders, Sanders Consulting)
We all get caught up in name brands. Being able to say a big company hired you is exciting, but it’s not exactly true.
You are hired by a company through a person. In order to be hired by the person, you have to get to know the person. What’s her personality? What does his office look like? What does she do on the weekends? By getting to know the person doing the hiring, you slowly start to create a relationship. That chemistry establishes a bond that will be difficult to break.
We all want to work with people we like, people that know us. This concept is true for team members and clients. Focus on your client chemistry! Strong relationships are worth your time.
3. Write a profile with your audience in mind – are you writing it for your customer or a recruiter? (Mike Gamson, LinkedIn)
Go through your LinkedIn profile and take time to painstakingly read it. Think it sounds pretty good? Have you worded yourself to be world’s strongest and best in whatever potential employment might come your way? Would a recruiter read through your profile and say “I have to have this person!!”?
We typically only think of LinkedIn as a digital resume tool, but with profiles ranking in search engines, it’s key to acknowledge other people that may come across our LinkedIn page. Instead of writing for recruiters, ask “what if my customer read my profile?” – what would she say?
You want to come across as competent and skilled, but maybe leave off the tidbit that you “crush sales goals for breakfast.” If I’m a customer reading that statement, and then you try to sell to me, I’m going to question whether I should believe your pitch. Are you just trying to meet your quota?
Customers don’t want to be a number, they want a relationship (which takes us back to point #2).
Now, it’s your turn.
