We are very honored to announce that City of Ridgeland recently asked us to come up with a design for their fleet of new police cruisers.

We all know of the bell curve. Most of us learned about it in the context of school where it is often applied to normalize grades.

The Bell Curve of Performance

The idea of the bell curve illustrates the notion that there are a few that always succeed no matter the circumstances and a few that do not succeed no matter the circumstances. In terms of performance, this occurs without adjusting scores. There are always outliers on the over-achiever (over-performance) and the under-achiever (under-performance) sides. The school and classroom may be poorly run, the teacher may not be organized, but over-achieving students, regardless of the situation, will succeed. Likewise, there are those on the other end of the bell curve who, in spite of an excellent educational environment and in spite of having excellent mentoring and teaching, just will not make it.

Common Practice

Unfortunately, what feels like the right thing to do sometimes is not. This is the case for people trying to maximize performance. Take teaching. Where does the teacher feel time is best spent. With the overachievers? The underachievers? Or the average audience in the middle?

It is not uncommon for us to want to help the helpless, or to help those exhibiting greatness succeed! We love to participate in stories of exception, rather than those of normality.

The Heartfelt Pitfall

When we focus on the exceptionally successful or the exceptionally challenged, we often do very little in terms of impact. The teachers who spend extra time with over- and underachievers have much less effect on their classroom as a whole because the under achievers and over achievers will perform very much the same with or without the attention.

The fact of the matter is that attention spent on those in the middle can and will reap the greatest rewards. The large population in the middle are on the fence of succeeding to a greater degree. They often just need a push and some dedication. They have the greatest potential for improvement and there are more people in this category — a win-win. Teachers focusing on this group can change the performance of the classroom as a whole from the average “C” to an average of a “B”.

If you are responsible for teaching or having an impact on a population, the hard truth is that your efforts are best spent in areas where you can sway performance most effectively, and that is on the middle of the curve, the average audience with the less exceptional story, where the rewards are obvious and bountiful.

The power of the Bell Curve.

Universal Law

The bell curve applies to circumstances of performance all around us. Education, sports, the workplace. Even in personal practices involving skill acquisition, personal achievement, and relationship, the same rules apply. As you come to understand the implications of this philosophy, you come to realize the power of strategically putting these laws into place to see real impact in everything you do.

A Newly Recognized Marketing Truth

Awareness is an amazing state. Once you recognize the truth of the bell curve and are able to apply it, you begin to exercise the power of its philosophy. And, it is simple.

Plain Business English

In your particular line of business, you will typically have those that will always buy from you and those who will not, and finally a lot of “maybes.” Somewhere on the top of the bell curve hill of maybes lies the fence. On one side you have the “probablies,” and on the other the “probably nots.” If you are thinking clearly, your job is to move the fence so that you have a lot more probablies and a lot fewer probably nots. This is how you can best impact sales. Just as the teachers have little impact on the guaranteed successes, you will have less impact on the guaranteed yeses.

If you are advertising, doing public relations, or other marketing related tasks, imagine the bell curve and how it fits your target population. If you have a message going out to help position a product then appeal to the maybe audience and move the fence line. If you are a politician, the base you should be appealing to is not the base of guaranteed votes, it is the base of maybes. The conversion of maybes to probablies is what wins elections.

Move the fence. Add to the probablies. Have real impact. Be an effective teacher, marketer, manager, and person. Apply the bell curve and reap the rewards of efficiency and achievement. Move the needle by providing the biggest bang for every ounce of effort. You will greatly accelerate your place in the world.
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Author Bryan Carter is President of thinkWEBSTORE.com, a company known for online marketing, advertising and social media including website design, facebook integration, advertising, messaging and delivery strategies.  They have become a one-stop shop for many businesses in Jackson, Ridgeland, Flowood and Madison.  thinkWEBSTORE is located in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive next to Primos Cafe and can be contacted at (601)856-2000 or online at www.thinkWEBSTORE.com, where you can see many work examples.

Many advertisers make basic mistakes.  Make sure to get your message and your presentation right, or suffer the consequences.

Whenever you advertise as a business you have the opportunity to make a real connection with your customers.  The most powerful connection you can make is through a meaningful message.

There is a tendency in advertising to go for exceptionally clever ways to present company messages.  Unfortunately the focus often become the “clever,” not the message.

Cleverness and pretty don’t count if there is no real underlying value or if they get in the way of what you are trying to say.  We have all seen “over-the-top” advertisements.  They are only effective when the value is communicated.  Some of the best good examples of over-the-top advertisements that work are those at the half-time during the Super Bowl.  These are messages that have been cleverly crafted at great cost and are being presented to an audience that is expecting something over the top to begin with.  In fact, the more over the top the better!  There is a world of difference between Super Bowl moments and the rest of life.  It is also not uncommon for advertisers to run their Super Bowl commercial only at the Super Bowl, then choose to run different campaigns outside of the Super Bowl.

The most critical piece of any advertising is your message. For it to be powerful a couple of things have to happen:

1. It must be true.  If it is not true, you can do more harm than good.
2. It must be clear.  If it is not clear, then the message and the opportunity are lost with some or most of your audience.

There is nothing worse for your marketing ego than spending money and hurting your company and brand.

If your advertising is clever, that can be good.  If it is pretty, that can be good.  A strong, clear and true message is critical if it is going to actually work.

Don’t get caught up in the world of over-the-top, “adsy-creative” competition.  Winning local advertising awards does not necessarily win you business. Clearly communicating the value you bring to customers seeking your type of products and services is a tried and true method of success, over and over again.

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thinkWEBSTORE.com is known for online marketing, advertising and social media including website design, facebook integration, advertising, messaging and delivery strategies.  They have become a one-stop shop for many businesses in Jackson, Ridgeland, Flowood and Madison.  thinkWEBSTORE is located in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive next to Primos Cafe and can be contacted at (601)856-2000 or online at www.thinkWEBSTORE.com, where you can see many work examples.

Have you ever wondered how some businesses just seem to have their act together? Have you ever felt confidence in a business more quickly than anticipated? Have you ever felt your confidence and trust in a business fade, perhaps without a coherent reason? The causal function of any of these circumstances can often be explained by consistency.

Consistency Builds Trust

Trust is something you continually build. It is never secured. It is constantly earned and renewed. If you are a company that delivers, the quicker you can develop customer trust, the quicker you can accelerate your work and become even more productive for your client. This will allow you to reach the pinnacle of a working relationship with your client, and thus put you in a position where the work is yours to do and the client is yours to lose.

The quickest way to earn customer trust is through consistency. Every point of contact with your customer must set the same tone and same expectations. Whether the contact is through a meeting, the handing of a business card, a customer visit, the appearance of your office, an experience with an employee, a phone call, or even a bill, every discussion is an opportunity to deliver on expectations and build trust.

Delivering on expectations is more than an extension of your brand. It is the foundation of your brand. Without the delivery of your promise, your brand is empty as will be your bank account if you don’t figure this out in time.

Hiccups

When your customer experience has inconsistencies, your customers will take pause. This delays and may even cost your relationship depending on how big a question the inconsistency presents.

If you are a dollar store, it does not matter how much your business pays for a website — it had better look cheap — like a dollar store website! If you are an attorney, and you have walnut desks and Persian rugs, and you hand your client a cheap feeling business card, expect the client to switch their focus to the cheap feeling cards. A doctors office with an unswept floor generates questions of sterility — an expected quality in a medical office. This “hiccup” in the customer experience does not necessarily reflect the quality of your work, just your customer’s focus and perception. A business needs to keep the client focused on the business at hand.

Focus on Predictability

The fastest client path from “I don’t know you” to “Do whatever you think is right” is consistency in all client encounters and predictability in experience. Your client will be able to test their expectations and feel confident in your company’s ability to deliver after a smooth customer experience without hiccups.

When it comes to extending your brand to your logo, website and printed materials, it is critical that those client contacts reflect your business in a consistent way. They are all part of an overall business identity. If any of those items are out of synch, you jeopardize your client experience and will certainly slow down your progress toward a healthy client relationship. Be sure to consider all facets of your business when designing and planning any one of them. You will see and feel the benefit.

Want to build your business?
Consistency = Shortest Time to Client Trust

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Bryan Carter is the Managing Partner at thinkWEBSTORE.com, a marketing and technology company located on Lake Harbour Drive in Ridgeland, Mississippi that helps businesses with branding, websites, graphic design, search engine optimization and social marketing.

One of the keys to business success, start-up and otherwise, is to be known for something, just one, single something. It allows you to specialize rather than be simply categorized.

Rule Number One: Be known for something

Five Guys is known for burgers and fries. Abner’s is known for chicken. Batteries Plus is known for batteries! By being known for a thing, a business can accelerate its market presence more than with any other single strategy. It allows businesses like Batteries Plus to compete with category stores like Walmart. That is not to say that Walmart is not successful or known for anything. Walmart spends a lot of money pushing the message of low prices. McDonald’s is undeniably the fast food king. However, it is not known for a single item, such as hamburgers. They promote fast food items from salad to fish to wraps to McRib Sandwiches. Category businesses are known for more general attributes such as price, speed or convenience. Again, by being known for a single thing a business can more easily draw business from category leaders.

Rule Number Two: Just because you can do something does not mean you should.

If you are regularly in the company of entrepreneurs, then you know how many creative ideas flow from their innate inspiration and natural ability to take concepts and craft businesses. Over a beer or a cup of coffee, commercial empires are conceptualized and put to rest within a conversation.

While an entrepreneur’s enthusiasm for new business ventures is a fundamental strength, when it cannot be contained, it is also an Achilles heal. A typical scenario that plagues a start-up business happens after the initial concept for the business begins executing. As soon as the business begins to shift to operational mode, the entrepreneurial spirit rises up and threatens to break the “Be known for something” rule. Call it creativity or boredom, but whatever it is that takes hold, the entrepreneur’s mind begins to think up more ways to make money and wants to promote the new ideas alongside the “one big thing”. Diversifying the business’s “known for” begins to push the business into the unspecific world of category, where it is extremely difficult to compete.

Rule Number Three: Know your lead and your follow.

Just because you are known for one thing, it does not mean that is all you do. Any business is going to have complementary products or services. Complementary products and services are a benefit to the customer and in many cases complete the business model. However, just because you have complementary products and services does not mean you should dilute your “known for.”

Always lead with your big thing and follow with your other products or services. Don’t dilute your message. Instead, add value with your “follow” messages, products and services.

Stick to your guns, business owners and marketing directors. Stay with your one big thing. Be excellent at it. Be known for it. Let it rev your business’s engine and give you the edge and advantage that helps propel you to success.

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Bryan Carter is the Managing Partner at thinkWEBSTORE.com, a marketing and technology company located on Lake Harbour Drive in Ridgeland, Mississippi that specializes in online marketing and website services, and of course, offers many complementary services.

Maison Weiss (Jackson, MS), a Jackson, Mississippi icon for its generations of designer fashions, launches its new Facebook web property, www.facebook.com/maisonweiss. Facebook (FBML) pages allow businesses to create websites within Facebook and actually engage their audiences. Owner Ken Szilasi is proud to announce this launch in unison with new website and Twitter online presences. See a list of thinkWEBSTORE.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.

Maison Weiss (Jackson, MS), a Jackson, Mississippi icon for it’s generations of designer fashions, launches it’s new website design, www.maisonweiss.com. Owner Ken Szilasi is proud to announce this launch in unison with new Facebook and Twitter online presences. See a list of thinkWEBSTORE.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.

Today’s landscape of communication options can be overwhelming for any sized business, let alone small and mid-sized businesses that already feel crunched when it comes to time and resources for self promotion. However, the plethora of options has also come with advances in the technology that can be used to manage those communications.

In Ridgeland, Mississippi, thinkWEBSTORE is helping clients face these challenges and understand the tools that make it possible to communicate with customers in many new ways.

According to Bryan Carter, President of thinkWEBSTORE, there is no silver bullet. “People often ask what specific message to create for which specific platform,” he said. “They are trying to choose specific technologies to reach specific audiences. But it’s more about opening the lines of communication so that people get your message however THEY choose to receive it. Be that email, Facebook, Twitter or in traditional media. Today’s opt-in approach in the social marketing segments has allowed people to actually ask to communicate with you and your company.”

A year ago, audiences were more segmented and had less tolerance for receiving the same message in multiple formats. But today people (customers) are embracing multiple ways to communicate. And, they don’t mind getting some repeat communications from their different channels. Using social networking channels also means that a positive message can spread far beyond its initial recipients. That said, every communication must be relevant. Otherwise, your audience members will begin opting out.

Website

Your website is still your most important communication hub for your customers. It is the place that defines your look, visuals, content, deep content and messaging.

Facebook

With the introduction of FBML, Website pages on Facebook have debuted and taken off with vigour. Time will tell how much of ‘The Next Big Thing’ they prove to be. But, as of now, they are having real impact despite having only recently been introduced.

Instead of looking for a silver bullet, try seven. Use each method or media for its strength and don’t be afraid to overlap a little. As long as the message is well received, customers will still be fans.

Seven Standard Ways of Communication for Today’s Business

• Web
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Phone or Chat
• In Person
• Third Party (Referral and Word of Mouth)

For more information and insight into integrating your marketing and communication strategies across multiple media channels, building websites and building new Facebook web pages, contact thinkWEBSTORE.com in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Lake Harbour Drive next to Primos Cafe.

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Located next to Primos Cafe on Lake Harbor Drive in Ridgeland, thinkWEBSTORE is a leader in online presence in the Jackson metro area. Their services include website design, social marketing, hosting, logos, search engine optimization and graphic design. They can be found online at www.thinkwebstore.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thinkWEBSTORE and on Twitter @thinkWEBSTORE. Contact thinkWEBSTORE.com by phone at (601) 856-2000.

>> Ichiban Buffet (www.ichibanbuffetms.com)

>> Ichiban Sushi and Hibachi Grill (www.ichibangrillms.com)

>> Ichiban Dining (www.ichibandining.com)

The new websites feature menus and other restaurant information in unique, translucent website designs. See a list of thinkWEBSTORE.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.

AgVest Land Company (Madison, MS) launches it’s new real estate website design, www.agvestlandco.com, where visitors can view various agricultural land tracks online. All properties are Google mapped by longitude and latitude coordinates since addresses do not apply with farm land. See a list of thinkWEBSTORE.com websites at www.thinkwebstore.com/websites.