19. January 2011 by Frank Goad.

If you hire people at your company, or are involved in the interview process, what is the main thing you consider? This is a poll that I posted on LinkedIn. Please pass this along to colleagues, too.

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22. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

A CHRISTMAS PLEA: If you’re considering getting a pet for someone this Christmas, please, please, PLEASE consider adopting from a humane society. There are thousands upon thousands of loving pets waiting for homes. I can tell you from long experience that adopted dogs and cats understand how lucky they are - they are simply more loyal and loving.

The dog you see pictured here is another of our rescues and she is one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I’ve owned dogs all my life and, without a doubt, strays and adoptions from the “pound” have always been the best. Dogs have an intelligence that is different from ours, but their love is just the same. They show joy, grief, humor and a whole spectrum of other emotions. Like us, they want to belong and, after being rescued from being lost and alone, they understand the difference and appreciate being taken in.

You might say that I’m anthropomorphizing animals or projecting human values onto a “dumb animal,” but I can assure you that what I say is real and true. If you don’t know, then you’ve not allowed yourself the joy of having a companion who provides unconditional love regardless of your mood or actions; a companion whose loving and giving nature includes more forgiveness than we as humans can ever muster.

Here’s a benefit of a “mutt” that many don’t consider: Mixed breeds are quite often smarter because their bloodlines are broader. Yes, I’ve owned purebreds, too, and they were never as smart as my mixed breeds. Too many breeders stay within a bloodline and, as anyone who’s had high school biology can tell you, that’s inbreeding and that often leads to mental retardation, physical problems and even bad dispositions. My mutts are hardier and much easier to live with.

So, help out a furry friend and adopt from a Humane Society.

Posted in Adoption, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Humane society, Animals, Frank, writing, Friends, general | Print | No Comments »

7. December 2010 by Frank Goad.

Watch this video and see if you don’t feel blessed, fortified and stronger.

Posted in leadership, relationships, Frank Communications, Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, "The Frankifesto", Public relations, Marketing, blessings, Frank, PR, general | Print | No Comments »

8. May 2010 by Frank Goad.

Before I started my business, I wrote Frank’s Business Manifesto (a.k.a. the Frankifesto). Written before my business plan, it is a statement of my thinking on the business and how I would run it. Without this, the business plan could have belonged to anyone. The manifesto informed the human side of my need to work for myself and created a behavioral and ethical standard that guides my dealings with friends and clients. It helped ensure that my heart, head and will were all in line together.

I’m sharing this in the hope that others will take the time to create one for themselves and refer to it often. This is a personal statement of what’s important in your work and life. If mine suits you, please, help yourself. Short or long, having one is akin to giving yourself a compass to navigate your career.

1. I believe I have creative talents and business skills sufficient to make a good living.
2. I will carefully choose trusted advisers because there are many who are well-meaning but blessed with far more opinions than knowledge or wisdom.
3. Despite the admonitions and warnings of others, even those who mean well, I will rely on my trusted advisers for feedback and honest criticism. This helps insulate me from those whose intentions are not favorable or honorable.
4. I will seek advice knowing that everyone needs help sometimes, and not asking is a larger sign of weakness.
5. I will also seek help because going it alone can be frustrating and unfruitful, and a little encouragement is priceless.
6. I have the requisite intelligence to understand the advice I seek and to apply it accordingly.
7. To be truly successful, I must help others succeed as well. This is my prime directive.
8. I have the requisite personal skills to network effectively and develop mutually beneficial relationships.
9. To be truly happy in my career, and in reflection on previous negative career choices, I will be true to those vocations that bring me joy.
10. By being joyful in my work, I will serve others well by finding ways to share that joy with them.
11. I am fortunate in that I have talent in several areas (as do most people), and will utilize them all to be useful to others and myself.
12. In keeping with today’s markets and the rapid pace of change, I will do two things: A. Combine my skills to take advantage of a wider range of opportunities (in keeping with my self description of being “A generalist in an age of specialists,”), and; B. Always consider ways to help others by utilizing whatever skills I can bring to bear (see no. 7).
13. I will be honest with myself and all those I deal with, else I will become irrelevant and perhaps shunned –  dishonesty is not an option.
14. In the face of lean times, adversity and downright bad luck, I will remain steadfast knowing that up and down cycles are inevitable.
15. During a down cycle I will display courage – if only to myself – because strength comes from within and self-employment is fraught with challenges.
16. I will give this endeavor my very best effort. Should my successes be insufficient to allow me to continue my self-employment, I will accept this with grace and dignity because I hereby acknowledge from the beginning that many can not survive on their own despite their best efforts; sometimes, things happen.
17. Whether successful or not, I will have succeeded in pursuing a worthy goal and will have displayed significant courage if only because I dared to strike out on my own, something far more people have neither the courage, desire or vision to do.
18. I will always remember that not having tried would be the biggest failure of all.

This became a bit of a litmus test: Was I really ready to work for myself, or did I need the safety and security of an employer, a regular check and benefits? The answer became obvious and now, Frank Communications is beginning to hum. The first three months were tough – doubts nagged me and seeing my bank account drift down made me quite uneasy at times. Now, the months of hard work are showing returns and I arise each morning excited about the day to come. It’s a lot of work, but the satisfaction of building my enterprise, creating new business relationships and having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives is a huge return on my investment of time and energy.

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3. May 2010 by Frank Goad.

There’s a lot of talk about how not following the latest marketing, branding or advertising trend means you’re destined for the trash heap. People are saying that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the other new/social media out there are the only places you should be advertising. Being told this over and over is distressing. With all the platforms (soap boxes) to shout from these days, there’s a new guru and a new must-do technique on your doorstep every day. Some of these folks are right on target, and some aren’t.

I’m kind of old school and believe that there are tried and true techniques that technology will not change. People are people and we pretty much have the same motivators that we always have. Nothing substitutes for sound business practices no matter what the latest technology and current trend is. So, before you jump on the the next band wagon, think about these first:

1. Go back to your business plan – are your daily operations in line with it? That document is the foundation of any business. Do you have a thoughtful, well-considered mission plan? Do your employees know and understand these? Case studies abound outlining how a failure to follow a company’s own core directives led many to serious trouble. Everyone in an organization needs to embrace these documents. On the other hand, are you doing well because the market changed you? If so, maybe it’s time to update it to align with what’s working now. Here are Tom Peter’s five favorite questions that business owners and managers need to ask. These can help you evaluate your business plan and mission statement:

• What is our mission?
• Who is our Customer?
• What does the Customer value?
• What are our results?
• What is our plan?

2. Remember that when someone is telling you how great a certain thing is, they likely have a personal incentive. Some folks have a truly great idea, product or service; others are just selling snake oil. If your gut says it seems wrong, listen, but do your research and talk to folks you trust. Our gut reactions are important and should be listened to, but they’re not always right either. Yes, include me in this - advice should be patiently considered to see if it aligns with your operations.

3. Do your own research because no one knows everything. Some of my favorite books are “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath and just about anything by Seth Godin. Tom Peters has been dismissed by some as being out of step, but he’s still a genius; the same goes for Peter Drucker. The American Marketing Association has a wealth of ideas on their website. Go, read, learn!

4. Remember that there is no silver bullet, magic potion or marketing amulet that will make customers magically appear. A thoughtful, balanced approach that spells out what you’ll do for the year is important. Advertising requires - repeat, requires consistency. Your marketing plan needs at least six months to be effective.

5. Track your marketing and advertising, otherwise you won’t know what’s working. It can be as simple asking customers how they heard of you. Coupons and special offers are good, trackable ways. Let’s say you put a coupon on your website, run a print ad and also have a radio promotion. The web coupon has a code of wb01; print’s is prt01 and the radio’s could be, “Just mention that you saw this ad to get 10% off your order” Make sure your employees track this, too. Once you and your employees get in the habit, it’s no extra effort at all.

6. Take your advertising and marketing’s pulse on a regular basis. Ask your salespeople what they’re hearing about your company, your competitors, the market in general. They’re an excellent source of intelligence. Likewise for delivery drivers, receptionists and all employees who talk regularly with the public. Train them to get feedback and info and give them questions to ask.

7. Do your own market research or get professional help. Surveys and questionnaires are awesome feedback mechanisms. For instance, collect email addresses from your customers, send them a simple survey that will take less than three minutes to complete and let them know that, upon completion and return to you, they will get some special offer. Or, call The Matrix Group in Lexington, one of the finest research companies around. They will get you info that covers all the market, not just your customers and uncover insights that a typically polite customer won’t say to you.

The basics don’t change even if the technology to do them does. Build on this foundation and watch your business and profits grow. Remember: Advertising and Marketing are investments, not expenses.

Posted in Frank Goad, FrankyGee3, Frank Communications, Frank, Marketing, Advertising, general | Print | 1 Comment »

28. April 2010 by Frank Goad.

“You have to start somewhere, so why not the beginning?” – Anonymous

For most folks, one blog would be enough. No, not me. This is my third (perhaps I’m a masochist?). This one is devoted to marketing, advertising (which I’ll call m/a for short) and visual communication. There are no shortage of the m/a blogs out there; there aren’t enough that deal with the tricky subject of visual communication.

Let’s say you have a beautiful website, but no click-throughs. Maybe it’s because your audience has a case of visual confusion. Their poor eyes are searching for a place to land on the page but get frustrated because nothing seems right. There are (so-called) laws of visual communication that, if violated, will run folks off like a rabid skunk. Law-abiding sites are more likely to be “sticky” and give eyeballs a good reason to hang around.

Besides the boring technical stuff, I promise to put some humor here. If you know me, you’ll know I can’t help but do that. In the end, my job is to make sure that when you visit, you leave with a bit of info that will help you make more money or live better or solve a problem or, if nothing else, feel justified in spending time here.

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