10 Tips to Optimize Your Web Site for Higher Sales

Nov. 27, 2010

 

If you haven’t optimized your Web site for sales, you might want to reconsider. There are more and more indications that online shopping will continue to grow. Research firm comScore reports online sales totaled $9 billion in the first three weeks of November – the 2010 holiday shopping season. That’s a 13 percent increase over the comparable period in 2009.

In an article entitled, “Cyber Monday Prep: 10 Tips for Greater Sales,” Website Magazine offers some excellent strategies. They were intended to help you for Cyber Monday, but my sense is they’re great tips to keep in mind year-round.

Here’s the checklist:

1. Ad campaigns – make certain they’re consistent with all your promotions, and they have the right key words.
2. Landing pages – review and improve your landing pages for the desired results. 
3. Shipping information – make sure it’s highly visible and easy-to-understand. 
4. Return policies – should be easily read and linked to your shipping policies. 
5. Contact information – should contain telephone accessibility. 
6. Discount codes – need to be active and connected to the right products. 
7. Affiliates – should be kept in the communication loop, and be apprised of all the necessary elements (i.e. codes, creative and links). 
8. Social campaigns – have them properly orchestrated and monitored. 
9. Shopping cart – do some practice runs to make sure there are no glitches. 
10. E-mail – responses should be prompt, show appreciation, cross-selling options, and opportunities for consumers to receive your newsletters.

Finally, make certain your site is ready for a sudden increase in traffic. And ask your friends and relatives to try out your site.

From the Coach’s Corner, for more detailed information, see the full Website Magazine article: Cyber Monday Prep: 10 Tips for Greater Sales

Enthusiasm Prevails in 2010 Q4 Plans of Internet Marketers

 

Oct. 22, 2010 

 

Almost two-thirds of respondents in an Internet marketing study forecast healthy double-digit percentage increases this holiday season, according to a Website Magazine report on the Shop.org 2010 eHoliday Study.

This year 63.3 percent anticipate 15 percent or higher increases in sales. That compares to 45.8 percent of responding marketers last year.

BIGresearch conducted the study for Shop.org.

Website Magazine reported other salient data:   

• 40 percent of online retailers will begin holiday marketing by Halloween, and another 40 percent will begin by November 1 
• 84.5 percent will offer free shipping at some point during the holiday season
• 72.5 percent have increased their Facebook presence for the holidays
• 54.9 percent have enhanced or invested in product pages for cross-selling during the holidays
• 54.9 percent have optimized site search features to maximize holiday sales
• 52.9 percent have invested in customer ratings and reviews platforms in advance of the holidays
• 43.1 percent will increase their presence on Twitter this holiday season

The magazine also reports 32.2 percent of shoppers will shop online.

Here’s why:

• 35.1 percent – 24-hour convenience
• 33.1 percent – easy price comparisons
• 30.8 percent – lack of crowds

So, consider what your competitors might be planning, and strategize what’s best for you.

For other marketing insights, you might wish to review this site’s Marketing/Sales and Tech business-coaching columns. You’ll find more than 130.

Are You Web-Ready for the All-Important Q4 Sales?

 

Oct. 2, 2010

 

New data from a Bold Software survey helps businesses develop their holiday online sales strategies, according to Website Magazine.

The answers are in Bold’s Holiday Readiness Handbook. The company interviewed more than 400 employees of its 300 customers that use its live-chat technology services.

For the upcoming holidays, here are the top 10 Web site changes companies have planned:

1. Moderate design changes
2. Site navigation
3. Landing pages
4. Optimization of live chat (tie)
4. Site search (tie)
6. Search engine optimization
7. Video content
8. Purchase process changes
9. Wholesale design changes
10. Mobile commerce optimization

Here’s what businesses are offering for customers:

1. General discount coupons/codes
2. Specific product promotions
3. Free or reduced shipping
4. Free giveaways
5. Lowest-price guarantees
6. Contests/sweepstakes

They’re also maximizing their live-chat systems:

1. Evaluate canned messaging
2. Implement proactive chat
3. Empower agents to offer incentives
4. Optimize proactive rules
5. Chat window customizations

Forty-six percent of respondents made the changes in Aug. Twenty-eight percent said the changes are being implemented. Seventeen percent hadn’t launched implementation.

Sixty-one percent forecast higher sales this quarter, but 37 percent don’t forecast change and 2 percent anticipate less sale volume.

From the Coach’s Corner, if you have not solved all design issues,Website Magazine also published an informative article: Four Principles of Design.

Microsoft’s adCenter Expands Negative Keyword Limits

 

Aug. 22, 2010

Now that the Yahoo-Microsoft merger is underway, Microsoft has announced a new wrinkle to its advertising program – an increase in negative keyword limits.

The change enables advertisers to increase by “thousands of negative words…both the campaign and ad group levels,” reports WebProNews.

“If you’re not familiar with negative keywords, advertisers can prevent their ads from appearing in response to certain search queries using negative keywords (specific words or phrases that help prevent ads from being displayed to customers who are unlikely to click),” explains writer Chris Crum.

“Doing so will also keep your keyword-level negatives from overriding your newly expanded lists at the higher levels,” he quotes Microsoft’s Tina Kelleher.

Here is Microsoft’s explanation of its negative keyword limits in adCenter.

“Advertisers need to upload their expanded lists of negative keywords at the campaign or ad group level with the negative keywords migration wizard in the Desktop, then remove keyword-level negatives, the company says,” adds Mr. Crum.

“Unless, of course, you’re perfectly happy with your campaigns as they are now and don’t need the increased capacity for negatives at the higher levels, then there’s no action you need to take at all,” he quotes Ms. Kelleher.

From the Coach’s Corner, for an explanation of the Yahoo-Microsoft merger, see:

Web Publishers: Are You Optimized for Bing?

Banks Have Credibility Issue with Affluent Women, Study

 

More than half of wealthy women are frustrated with their banks, according to a study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The BCG study concludes 55 percent of respondents with a quarter of a million dollars in liquid assets believe they get poor service from banks.

The women customers complained about men getting more consideration, a higher level of counseling, and better value in financial terms.

Respondents also said they feel ignored by wealth managers in discussions in favor of their male partners, even when it’s made clear that they’re the decision-maker not the man.

Women also believe they get fewer favorable choices because bankers assume they have a low-risk tolerance.

The wealth manager issues are reminiscent of the car business. Even in the 1990s, car manufacturers such as Chevrolet installed vanity mirrors only in the visor above the passenger’s front seat. Salespeople would often only address the man when a couple was in the showroom.

 “What banks need is a revolution like the automotive industry had,” said one wealthy woman, “to finally understand that women not only sit in the cars, but also choose buy and drive them.”

It’s reported that women are responsible for a third of North America’s Indeed, women control (i.e., make the decisions) 33% of North America’s affluence. Their aggregate portion is $9 trillion.

Ostensibly, wealth managers don’t know how to communicate with women. In essence, women want to be treated equally and be apprised of services designed for them.

“This may seem contradictory,” BCG reports, “but the desire for a tailored approach is really a sign that women have distinct needs and expectations as clients.”

There are several reasons why women have different concerns; they range from the birth of a child to divorce.

Preferences of women include simpler financial statements and financial goals for the long term. And women want deals structured on a friendly relationship basis – empathy, tailored counsel and trust.

My sense is that wealth managers don’t have to panic in this $4.5 trillion+ marketplace. If they start the client process with a foundation using empathy and treating the woman client like it’s an event, they should do well. Actually, that’s the same process I’d recommend for wealth managers with male clients. Simply put, wealth managers should do their homework, ask open-ended questions and be mindful of a woman’s perspective.

From the Coach’s Corner, see this site’s Marketing/Sales section for more tips for successful sales.

Business Got You Down? Tips for a Morale Boost

 

If sales are discouraging and you feel like you’re on a treadmill going nowhere, it’s probably because you’re worried about the future. Trust me, you’re not alone. The trick is taking baby steps and not worrying about the future results. Instead, focus on the positive. Business success and strong sales stem are made possible by enthusiasm, and an attitude of service and gratitude.

This means not focusing on the proverbial “results department.” That department door might not open. So only focus on footwork and simply knocking on the “results department door.” Imagine knocking on one door and then moving quickly to knock on another.

Don’t wait for the doors to open because that’s what leads to despair. It’s true that a watched pot never boils.

Moreover, this is a good time to measure your progress – not your obstacles. Consider the acronym, GO, which stands for gratitude and options.

By way of explanation, sometimes discouragement is so bad a businessperson obsesses about what’s not working instead of relishing what is working. By focusing solely on the problems they become bigger. When that happens, it’s an endless cycle of despair. The person feels trapped.

Conversely, if a businessperson focuses on the positive, such an attitude of gratitude opens the person up to a childlike wonder and creates hope. Hope leads to options. So, with hope, anything is possible. Know that for each problem – I prefer the word challenge – there are 10 possible solutions for options.

But how can you get gratitude and options?

First create hope for growth. Examine the progress you have made and start a gratitude list. Pat yourself on the back for any footwork. Start by asking yourself, “Where, how, when, why and with whom have I made progress?” Write or type your answers. No progress is too small to list.

For some examples of progress to list, ask yourself these 10 sample questions:

1. What networking events, lunches or meetings have I attended?
2. What new acquaintances have I made?
3. What recognition or positive comments have been made by others about me?
4. What free publicity have I received either from my efforts or those of others?
5. Have I created a new Web site or marketing collateral?
6. Any new skills or knowledge?
7. Have I attracted any new clients or retained old clients?
8. Are there any companies or businesspersons indicating interest in my capabilities?
9. Have I done any pro bono or volunteer work?
10. Do I have a support system or mentor?

If you can’t give a positive answer to the 10 questions, then do what you have to do for the right answers. That’s just to get you started. Perhaps there are other pertinent questions you can ask.

Now, it’s time for a new vision for growth – here’s how:

1. Write out your vision plan. One page will do.
2. Set goals for footwork – not results.
3. Periodically, each day ask yourself, “Is what I’m doing right now, productive?” (Chances are it isn’t productive, so focus on what is.)
4. Keep records of your baby steps.
5. Honor your progress with gratitude and keep it going with affirmations.
6. Stay in close contact with your support system.
7. Get exercise, sleep and medical care when needed.
8. Practice stewardship of your assets. Focus on cleanliness and organization.
9. Focus on your favorite hobby and recreation.
10. Ask clients for feedback. If a client complains, don’t get defensive just take notes. When you’re complimented, ask for referrals to two people who might also appreciate what you have to offer.
11. Keep on practicing gratitude. Always handwrite a thank you note when someone considers buying or hiring you. Thank people for their business. In fact, in every e-mail, note, meeting or telephone conversation, remember 98 percent of the time a thank you is warranted.
12. Keep in mind the adage, “What goes around comes around.” Try to listen more and avoid treating others as though they’re invisible, and you will be accorded greater respect.
13. Keep smiling. A jovial Joe or Jane is an attraction to others.
14. Look around for someone else to help. This will help you smile.
15. As you succeed, carry this message to others.

As you go along and think of other pointers, add them to these suggestions.

Now, GO! Good luck!

From the Coach’s Corner, here are 30 Time Management, Stress Reducing Skills. 

In fact, you might wish to consider a bevy of other business-coaching columns in these categories:  Planning, Operations, Marketing/Sales, Finance and HR.

How to Win Your Major Marketing Campaign

 

In major marketing campaigns – in business or politics – there’s nothing more frustrating than losing. But a lack of funds or a small war chest is not the salient reason for defeat. It isn’t necessarily how much you spend.

There are many reasons for marketing failure of a campaign.

Here are 14 of the more important reasons:

1. Inadequate analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
2. Drawing incorrect conclusions from the analysis (leading to ineffective overall strategic planning)
3. Unrealistic budgeting
4. Ineffective testing of ideas and messaging
5. Arrogance – over confidence
6. Poor coordination with centers of influence
7. Not developing effective teamwork and communication among stakeholders
8. Targeting the wrong market
9. Lack of job descriptions – who will do what and when?
10. Wrong people in many key positions
11. Poor positioning in attributes and benefit statements
12. Ineffective allocation of promotional funds – wrong mediums preventing top-of-mind awareness in customers, or voters
13. Unproductive evaluation of the campaign and return on investment
14. Unsuccessful responses to negative surprises and failure to capitalize on opportunities

Two basic rules include: “Know thyself” and “Know thy audience.”

Not to over-simplify, in essence, the key is to properly plan but only after you perform a strategic analysis.

Identify your centers of influence and strategic partners, quantify your goals, make a budget, identify your target audience, test your messaging, implement your plan, create a positive image, create a call for action, continually evaluate your progress, and respond to challenges and create opportunities.

No detail is too small: In collateral, from colors to font choices, or in developing centers of influence for the multiplier effect. But don’t get paralysis from analysis.

Plan your campaign to reach each person in your target audience with a positive message for a minimum of five times. That’s the magic number for optimal results. And be consistent to develop trust.

Remember the difference between marketing and advertising, and developing the right message.  Broadcast advertising is all about frequency, reach and cost per thousand. Internet advertising is concerned about cpm, pay-per-click, pay-per-lead, and cost-per-action. Yes, despite what you’ve heard about social media, TV, especially, TV news remains the most powerful of mediums. Radio is still strong. But marketing is not simply creating a radio, TV or Internet advertisement or harnessing social networking tools. Advertising is merely one component of marketing.

Marketing pertains to the big picture. Marketing is the understanding of your target audience for the cost-effective process of selling the right product or service at the right time and at the right price. It’s a systematic development, coordination and implementation of a myriad of initiatives – proactive events to establish a dialogue – not just a bunch of advertisements.

Social media

Make certain to orchestrate and synergize your advertising with public relations, videos, word-of-mouth and social media. Thanks to the new Digital Age, consumers are in charge. Set up a dialogue, not a monologue.

For example, if you’re targeting young adults or teenagers, it’s sad to say, but they are getting their “news” from their social media.

Your communication plan should contain timelines. Press kits are helpful, but in this green age, they are not necessary. Regarding relationships with journalists, here’s a hint: Reporters like to deal with experts. So portray yourself as one.

Choose wisely. Insert and distribute effective videos and provide the right motives for people to share. The right content has to be presented in right place.

Follow the trends to see how to get the most attention. For example, Digg.com can be helpful but remember it’s mostly a young audience – big on tech and off-the-wall stories.

Just like reporters, every generation likes experts and stories. Storytelling holds great power for you. So tell a good story, write a good headline, deliver on your promises, and cite outside participants for proof in your claims.

Value perceptions

In marketing, whether its products or political candidates, people base their buying-decisions on emotion.

To keep things simple, the following explanations refer to business but are applicable or transferrable to politics.

About 18 percent of people – blue-collar and professionals, alike – will only buy your products and services at the cheapest cost in the marketplace.

The most-valued prospects are the people who are affected by their five value perceptions – motivating them to positively respond to your call-for-action.

The five perceptions and their percentage of importance in decision-making:

Employees, Spokespersons – 52 percent. The key characteristics are integrity, judgment, friendliness and knowledge.

Remember, about 70 percent of your customers will buy elsewhere because they feel they’re being taken for granted. And customers normally will not tell you why they switched to your competitor.

Image of the organization – 15 percent. They are concerned about the image of your company in the community. Cause-related marketing is a big plus in forging a positive image. So is cleanliness and good organization.

Quality of Product or Service Utility – 13 percent. The customer is asking the question – “What will this do for me?”

Convenience –12 percent. Customers like easy accessibility to do business with you. That includes your Web site, telephoning you, and the convenience of patronizing your business. 

Price – 8 percent. Price is important, but it’s the least concern among the five value-motivating perceptions.

Seven marketing elements

Once you understand what motivates the customer to buy, there are seven steps you must take for creating a happy buying environment. Fear is a great motivator. But Americans are tired of negativity. Yes, the marketing process goes a lot easier if you can make buying fun.

For marketing in a downturn or not, every PR or advertising message should – as much as possible –contain these seven elements:

1. FEE. This is an acronym for establishing a common ground for a foundation using the principles of event and empathy. Every purchase is an event in the life of a customer – no matter how big or small.  It also helps to show concern about the welfare of the customer.
2. Research/focus groups on attitudes. Use tools to get the prospect to open up.
3. Agreement on Need. Get the prospects to agree on their need to buy a product or service.
4. Generic Value Proposition or Benefit Statement. Here’s where you explain your value proposition. Remember the difference between features vs. benefits to answer the basic marketing questions, such as the acronym, WIIFM , “What’s in it for me?” or “So What?”)
5. Fill Prospect’s Need. Depending on your audience, use more specific benefit statements.
6. Commitment – Ask for the order using a non-threatening, closed-ended question.
7. Seal the Deal. This final step has three components –

• Use the magic words:  “Thank you.”
• Prevent buyer’s remorse – remind the customer of benefits they’re receiving
• Look for an opportunity to provide the person with unexpected, perceived added value without hurting your bottom line.

How to overcome objections: If you’re at a meeting and encounter an objection, be careful with your response. Always empathize. Your first statement should be a note of empathy even if you disagree.

If you don’t know how to answer the person, explain you need more information and will get back to them later ASAP: “How about if I call you at 4?”

If you do know how to respond and in order to overcome an objection, it’s still important to use empathy.

Here are the three steps to overcoming objections:

1. Get the prospect to restate his/her concern. Then repeat the person’s words:  “If I understand you correctly, you feel…?”
2. Empathize:  “I can see how you feel that way”…or “You know, someone said the same thing last week.”
3. Overcome the objection with facts.  (Then recap the seven steps.)

After you’ve won, best-practices also call for follow-up and laying a foundation for an infrastructure that promotes long-term success.

From the Coach’s Corner, do you want a fun look back at the top 100 advertising campaigns of all time?

Here are the top 100 campaigns: http://adage.com/century/campaigns.html

Of Interest to Web Publishers, Videos Continue Surge in Popularity

 

Updated June 30, 2010

Including advertisements, here are the results of studies regarding online video viewing and usage:

Short-form Videos – Website Magazine reports Metacafe commissioned a study by Frank N. Magid Associates, which shows 80 percent of consumers prefer short-form videos. That includes movie previews, music videos and television shows.

But it represents bad news for video producers. Twenty-five percent of respondents enjoy short videos more than the actual TV shows.

Fifty-five percent of Web viewers enjoy video advertisements as much or more than on TV. That’s a 3 percent increase over 2009 results.

In demographics, online videos are most-popular with 18 to 24 year-olds. Eighty-five percent of males watch Internet videos each week – a 15 percent increase over 2009. Sixty-eight percent of females count it as a weekly routine – 27 percent higher than last year.

Conclusions about short-form videos: Keep them short and break up long videos into short segments. Make them professional. Ads, before or after your videos, are OK.

Display Ads by Format – Probably most interesting to publishers is that comScore released its study, also according to Website Magazine. comScore’s May 2010 report, shows online ad-format preferences in the United States. The No. 1 preference is JPEG display ads – 42.4 percent of impressions. Flash and rich-media ads total 40.3 percent of impressions.

Display Ads by Size – comScore also reports Leaderboard ads (728 x 90) were No. 1, preferred by 23.1 percent of respondents.

Rectangles were most-enjoyed by 23.1 percent, which were followed by medium rectangles (300 x 250) at 18.3 percent, and buttons (120 x 90) at 14.7 percent.

Note: Popup and popup under ads had less than 1 percent of the impressions.

So, if you’re a Web publisher, videos are an increasingly important indicator of your relevance to Internet users.

Videos continue to be the online rage as 33.2 billion were viewed online by 178 million in America in December, 2009, according to research firm, comScore.

comScore says the Google sites were the most popular with 13.2 billion videos for a 39.8 percent market share, thanks to YouTube. It garnered 99 percent of Google’s viewers.

Here are the other rankings of viewed videos:

 ·         No. 2 Hulu -1 billion – 3 percent

·         No.3 Microsoft – 561 million – 1.7 percent

·         No. 4 Fox Interactive Media – 550.5 million – 1.7 percent

·         No. 5 Yahoo – 539.4 million – 1.6 percent

·         No. 6 Viacom Digital – 372.6 million – 1.1 percent

·         No.7 Turner Network – 366.9 million – 1.1 percent

·         No. 8 CBS Interactive – 297.2 million – .9 percent

·         No. 9 Megavideo.com – 210.2 million – .6 percent

·         No. 10 AOL – 209.9 million – .6 percent

This also means the 178 million viewers each saw an average of 187 videos.

In view of these numbers, it isn’t surprising that Google had the most unique viewers with 135.8 million. That’s 97.5 videos per person.

From the Coach’s Corner, here’s a valuable source of information in search engine optimization:

Thanks to a tip from Web Pro News, a video featuring Google’s Matt Cutts explains the problems/solutions of stale links on your site, Watch Video Here.

Fast, Easy Ways to Create Buzz

 

Jan. 31, 2011

Who’s created some of the most buzz on social media in the past six months? The on-the-field heroics and off-the-field charitable work of Tim Tebow.

Ironically, in the wake of the Tiger Woods’ unfortunate situation, you might recall the buzz over the CBS decision to allow a certain commercial in its 2010 Super Bowl broadcast. The commercial featured then-college football star Tebow and his mother for an organization called the Focus on the Family in an anti-abortion appeal.

Mr. Tebow’s awards include: The Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top football player, the Davey O’Brien Award as the best quarterback in the U.S., and the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation’s most outstanding amateur athlete in any sport.

But many advertising professionals questioned the feasibility of his endorsement.

In response to an article at AdAge.com about whether such an endorsement would hurt Mr. Tebow’s potential for getting future endorsements as a pro, I wrote:

“…it will largely depend on his success on and off the field. The Tiger Woods’ situation has created a void in this sector. If he stays true to his values in words, deeds and play on the field, he’ll be in demand.

Not many of the abortion rights groups are likely to watch football or buy products preferred by fans.

Mr. Tebow is ostensibly a very special young man in that he knows he is and for what he stands – and a great football player with a winning smile. In the main, core values and acting with conviction are what ultimately matter to mainstream Americans.”

A Tebow testimonial might not work for you. It’s important to pick the right people to be your centers of influence to create an online buzz.

OK, so you don’t own a large company and can’t afford to pay a college football star to record videos to endorse your products. So what can you do? Two adages come to mind.

Start with a famous quote by the nation’s 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt:  “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

In other words, focus on making the most of your assets.

There’s another old saying I learned from a family friend and employer, Andy Andrews, as a kid growing up in Palm Springs. He hired me as a bus boy at the Palm Springs Tennis Club.  He also used to treat us to tickets to spring training games to watch the then-California Angels.

In one game, I was stunned to see Willie Mays drop three fly balls in the high desert sky – meaning it was very bright sunshine and hard to spot fly balls. It was quite an event for me as an impressionable young man because the centerfielder was at his peak. Baseball fans continually argued whether he was as good as Mickey Mantle.

And I couldn’t wait to tell friends at school about I saw. That was probably buzz the Say-Hey kid could do without.

During the excitement, Mr. Andrews said to me: “It isn’t what you know that counts, it’s who you know.”

For generating business, it was an admonition I never forgot.

Sports figures have traditionally been in demand as spokespersons.

So what if you don’t know a Tim Tebow to provide the most influence for you? Who can be a candidate to be your advocate for creating buzz in a word-of-mouth campaign?

In keeping with President Roosevelt’s advice look for a popular but respected blogger to be your advocate.

If you have salespeople, consider what Best Buy does. The chain encourages its customer service people to blog about products after trying them out. You can do this in your company by providing incentives, such as a 15 percent discount on products.

Also, look for prominent people in your community to provide testimonials. You’d be surprised if you just approach them and ask.

Loyal customers often will gladly provide word-of-mouth testimonials.

On your Web site you can enable social networking platforms.

Oh, and remember the Federal Trade Commission requirement for bloggers to disclose whether they’ve received an financial benefit for their blogs.

This is not a substitute for paid marketing but it’s a valuable, inexpensive option to create buzz.

From the Coach’s Corner, here’s a link to more tips:

How to Profit: Word-of-Mouth Advertising, Customer Service

“While it may be true that the best advertising is word-of-mouth, never lose sight of the fact it also can be the worst advertising.”

-Jef I. Richards

_________

Columnist Terry Corbell is also a business-performance consultant and profit professional. Click here to see his management services (many are available online). For a complementary chat about your business situation or to schedule Terry Corbell as a speaker, why don’t you contact him today?

Business 101 Lessons: Google vs. China’s Censors, Cybercriminals

 

January 13, 2010

So Google is finally paying attention to a free-enterprise business compass. In other words, the search engine is threatening to extract itself from China over censorship and cybercrime issues. Because it’s a huge marketplace, Google and other companies have been tolerant of such problems.

Actually, tolerating an uncontrollable, hostile environment violates principles in best-practices management. So it’s a tardy development, but let’s roll out the welcome mat.

After President Nixon bridged the diplomatic gap between the U.S. and China in 1972, companies and nations have tolerated and perhaps even encouraged China’s behavior – censorship, violation of human rights, intellectual-proprietary thefts, currency manipulation for cheap exports, other discriminatory-protectionism policies, and Communist Party activities.

In 2006, I wrote that I was disappointed by the decisions of Internet companies that decided to acquiesce to China’s behavior and environment. It’s one thing to accept it, but another to condone it and build a business model around it.

My reasons:

• Values matter
• The free-enterprise system works best
• Economic and political freedoms are connected – lose one and you lose the other

Business Leadership

To be a business leader, it’s important to know who you are…what your roots are…plan strategically…and always try to do the right thing – even if your decisions and actions are unpopular.

Actually, this principle applies to all facets of life and even sports. And I love writing sports metaphors for business topics.

For example, many Seattle Seahawks’ fans were delighted with the selection of Pete Carroll as coach, especially, after his initial press conference upon being hired away from the University of Southern California. That was when he explained why he was previously unsuccessful in the NFL. By any standard, he was dominant in his tenure at USC.

Before coaching at USC, his pro football teams – the New York Jets and New England Patriots – were mediocre. It was refreshing when he admitted in Seattle that he didn’t know himself or who he was in his earlier pro jobs.

In referring to his new team he made this comment: “When we start this thing off, they’re going to know where I’m coming from, because I know where I’m coming from.”

One of his Seattle predecessors, Cleveland Browns executive Mike Holmgren, had success as coach of the Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. But he was unsuccessful his first four years in Seattle because he was both coach and general manager. It was only after the management responsibilities were taken from him that he coached the team to the Super Bowl in 2005. During that time, I speculated that his lack of success stemmed from the Peter Principle. In essence, people rise to their level of incompetence.

Few people are equipped to handle both responsibilities. Even if they have all the technical and management skills, their attention to detail, energy and efficiency will plummet.

So possibly, the Google brain trust needed to learn about themselves and the downsides from conducting business while abandoning their values.

Socrates was right

Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is known for his aphorism: “Know thyself.” And it’s right out of my human resources training materials.

For individuals, a complete self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses is the key to success. Once an employee knows who she or he is, then it’s possible to effectively set goals. Then, execution comes into play.

For success in business, an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats will pave the way for writing a productive strategic plan and a business plan. And again, it’s important to execute.

Google’s courage will help other businesses to fully realize about the problems associated with foregoing their values in order to do business in China. Certainly, it will be a catalyst for discussion.

Google believes its security was violated by hackers based in China. But there is probably another motivation.

The search giant has relatively little to lose unlike companies such as General Motors. China is a profit source for GM. Depending on your preferred source of information, Google’s search market share ranges from less than 20 percent to 35 percent. But it isn’t enjoying bountiful profits because e-commerce is not as big in China as the rest of the world.

Here is Google’s explanation  of its new perspective.

Let’s hope others are paying attention.

From the Coach’s Corner, what is your profit forecast this year?

Here is a top-10 checklist for profits:  

1. Review and fine-tune your business plan. Be sure to discern your competitive landscape and benchmark your main competitors.
2. Bring on the A team – both in staff and advisors. Recruitment and training will remain important, and seek the best mentors and professionals for inspiration to help you sustain growth.
3. Remember Pareto’s Principle – the 80/20 rule – that applies to you and your business in a variety of ways. It means, for example, that 80 percent of your revenue comes from 20 percent of your customers. So evaluate how you spend your time and resources.
4. Enhance your staying power by concentrating on your most profitable customers while identifying new revenue sources.
5. In prospecting and marketing, select and target the right customers.
6. Add sizzle by improving your niche-performance. Uniqueness will count even more in this year.
7. Watch your cash flow and your firm’s overall budget each week.
8. Focus on quality in your business processes – make it your No. 1 job.
9. Innovate – plan for more marketplace changes and evolving consumer preferences.
10. Practice the art of mental toughness. Remember when it’s appropriate to ignore the opinions of others, and to persevere in your dreams against seemingly insurmountable odds. I’m still marveling at the success of my mother, who is in her eighties. She was diagnosed with macular degeneration, which meant she couldn’t read the newspaper. A couple of years ago, she had life-threatening complications from back surgery. A few weeks later, she was back in intensive care and doctors warned she wouldn’t walk again. Well, guess what? She’s walking, passed her driver’s test, and once again insists on preparing full-course meals, especially at family gatherings.  Mmm, delicious! Go mom!

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