Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Is Public Fear Limiting Your Business Potential?


When I walked my daughter to her kindergarten class as she attended school for the first time she held my hand tight.  Although she was very excited and outwardly expressed that she was ready to gain her independence, I could feel the clammy coldness moister on her palms as she masked the fear of the unknown. 

It was the same fear my son had the first time I took him Trick-or-Treating on a dark Halloween night.  As we walked around the block in his favorite superhero costume, we came upon a house that was extremely decorated embracing the full spirit of the night.  It had realistic graveyards, strobe lights, bloodcurdling sounds and the most horrifying creatures standing guard of the loot ready to be handed out to brave little soles.  My son looked up at me and said, “Daddy, I don’t want to go to that house!”  Of course, that house was ours.  He had never seen the front of it in the dark on Halloween night.  He was afraid of the unknown.



We all have experienced the fear of the unknown.  Usually, our fears derived from the first time we experienced something.  Whether it was school, riding a bike, swimming, college, job, date or even our first kiss; the fear of the unknown increased our heartbeat, produced beaded droplets on our upper lip and sometimes buckled our knees.  A choice was presented as we could go forward and gain experience or avoid the discomfort and pause the anxiety for the time being. Of course, if you think back to all of the first, without facing our fears, we would not have gained the rewards that awaited on the other side of the proverbial door of the unknown.

Today, your potential customers are facing the same types of fears.  Some are still worried about a seasonal virus.  Others are scared that people who look or think different actually hate each other.  Much of these fears exist because of the media and politicians using fear to sensationalize stories, but perception becomes reality and the fear exist thus altering their buying habits.  Businesses are facing fear as well.  Finances are being scrutinized as the unemployment rate has risen to unprecedented numbers.  Global trade wars and oil production perpetuate the fear while analysts try to prognosticate the unknown.

Knowing and understanding that fear is an emotion that is induced by a perception of what could or might happen can help business owners help ease their potential customers concerns.  There are a few things a business can do to create an inviting environment to gain a larger market share.
Great Product or Service.  This is quite obvious to many, but we have to mention it.  If your product or service lacks in areas, your competition will fill the void and take away your potential customers.  Customer service should be its own mentioned item; however, we will state that people want to feel appreciated for spending their discretionary income with you.  Therefore, let your customers know that you value them.

Safety.  Whether you agree with the reports or not, the majority of the public is more knowledgeable about the spread of a virus even if it is much like the common flu.  Therefore, look into investing into PPE products to give an impression that you care about the safety of your employees as well as your potential customers.  Something as simple as making hand sanitizer available can go a long way.

Communication.  Today, people have a plethora of information at their fingertips.  They are spending more time looking at social media than ever before.  Sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have billions of users who are averaging as much as 8 hours a day on these media platforms.  It only makes sense that if your potential customers are spending half of their waking hours scrolling through content; you should focus your marketing and advertising resources communicating with them.  With the advancement of technology, you have the ability to provide a consistent message easing your customers concerns allowing them to research making the decision to conduct business with your company.  You should have a strategy that is easy to implement as well as consistent earning your potential customers trust thus limiting the fear of the unknown.

Business is no different than life and with social media your entire operation is online for the world to see.  As business around the United States are dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak and stories of racial inequality; now is the time to get back to the basics.  Many of the lessons our kids, you and me have learned through the years are applicable today.

DeliveryMaxx is a small business that takes pride in helping other small businesses succeed in an increasingly digital world.  That was our mission prior to the outbreak and news stories of racial inequality and continues to be our goal today.  If you need help navigating a transition to becoming more active on social media, building an e-commerce website, or post-sale communication with your clients we are here to help.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention. See how we have helped clients in multiple industries across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more as we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to your audience.  www.deliverymaxx.com or give us a call at 888-936-6299 today or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!

Monday, June 8, 2020

Getting Back to Basics in a Time of Uncertainty


This time of the year brings uncertainty for many 18 year olds (and their parents too).  As a parent of a graduating high school senior, I have a plethora of emotions going through my mind.  Although I am excited and can’t wait for my senior to enter the next chapter of his life as he attends a school in what seems like another continent, 1633.8 miles away to be exact; I run through a virtual checklist in my mind to make sure I have prepared him for anything that can happen while he embarks on this new adventure.

My thoughts drift back to when he still wanted to hold my hand crossing the street.  I was once his super hero that could protect him from anything.  There was a time when he would hang on my every word listening intently to my advice, stories and even laugh at my jokes.  It was an honor to get to coach him in sports at an early age, celebrate his victories and console him during his defeats.  Memories of watching him overcome obstacles and achieving success will last a lifetime and hopefully a few lessons will resonate with him as he encounters new challenges in this world.
Life is pretty simple if you slow down enough to take measure.  Most people in this world are good, but there are some that want to do you harm.  Understanding that you can vastly improve your odds of safety by avoiding hazardous situations and networking with those who are achieving success can lead you to greatness.  Realizing that every challenge presents an opportunity to allow you to change course gaining valuable experience to prepare you for the next trial that will arise will be vital to your growth.  Being transparent with others allows your true character to be exposed, but also allows you to see the true character of others.  You will not be able to please everyone, but you will be able to take solace if you think of others before yourself.  When you do something, do it with passion or don’t waste your time doing it.  Take time to celebrate the little wins and have fun while archiving the things that keep you from accomplishing your goals avoiding those things in the future.

Business is no different than life and with social media your entire operation is online for the world to see.  As business around the United States are dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak and stories of racial inequality; now is the time to get back to the basics.  Many of the lessons I have tried to teach my son are applicable to business as well.

Having a strong digital platform and the ability to implement a marketing and advertising strategy will allow your potential customers make an easy decision to solicit your services or products.  With more people than ever enamored with information instantaneously available at their fingertips; it is vital to share your message utilizing today’s technology, but also provide an opportunity for your customers to tell others about how great their experience with your company was.

DeliveryMaxx is a small business that takes pride in helping other small businesses succeed in an increasingly digital world.  That was our mission prior to the outbreak and news stories of racial inequality and continues to be our goal today.  If you need help navigating a transition to becoming more active on social media, building an e-commerce website, or post-sale communication with your clients we are here to help.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention. See how we have helped clients in multiple industries across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more as we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to your audience.  www.deliverymaxx.com or give us a call at 888-936-6299 today or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Change your Message if you really want Change


In five months the polls will open up and we will be voting for the President of the United States of America for the 59th time since 43,782 recently independent Americans voted for George Washington in 1788.  We will see the typical ads showing that President Trump is a mean spirited misogynistic anti-immigrant billionaire.  Other ads will depict Joe Biden as an out of touch old man who is the typical corrupt politician not living up to his campaign promises over the 43 years he has been in office.  In general, neither of these messages will change the way both sides of the political spectrum will vote.  They must change their message into one that is clear and precise to capture an additional voting bloc.

After hearing the same messages for the last 3 months about a virus that was sure to end the world as we know it falling well short of the 2.2 million predicted US deaths by April 15th, we are now faced with another division in our country fighting over race relations.  These arguments will be no different than the same arguments the baby boomers fought over in 1965.  The only difference is the baby boomer generation is still fighting amongst themselves and have now added a newer generation to battle on the front lines.

The problem with the Coronavirus as well as the Race Equality message is that there is no real clear message.  Originally, the Coronavirus “Flatten the Curve” message was to lessen the burden on hospitals.  As the narrative continued the message went to the extreme of eliminating a flu-like virus from the face of the earth at all cost including leading us into The 2nd Great Depression.  Now, groups like Black Lives Matter have the worldwide stage.  For the first couple of days their admirable message (with which DeliveryMaxx completely agrees) was “Justice for George” which quickly resulted in the firing and impending criminal trial of the Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin and other three officers who watched the tragedy unfold.  Quickly, the message has been diluted with various themes as reparations for all black Americans at the tune of $400,000 apiece, or completely eradicate racism while peaceful protests have been infiltrated by Antifa and other groups destroying inner cities businesses.  In both cases, the message has been lost at the expense of those trying to bring a positive message for change.  In the case of COVID-19, nobody wanted anyone to die, but like cancer, there will be unfortunate casualties that happen in life.  As for the death of George Floyd at the hands of Derek Chauvin, most people found this to be horrific and applauded how quickly Chauvin was terminated from his job and waiting in angst for his arrest.  However, much like disease we will never be able to eradicate evil from this world.  We have to make sure that the right laws to govern our society are enforced and hold our officials accountable.  The phrase, “Don’t judge everyone by one bad apple” alludes to the idiom “One bad apple spoils the bunch”.  The solution is to rid the bad apple before it spoils the bunch, and if our officials are unwilling to do this and hold the ‘bad apples’ accountable we will not see positive change.  Evil will only triumph when good people do nothing. And we believe our country is largely comprised of good people willing to stand up for what is right.

In reality, we all want the same thing in life which is to be able to provide for our family in a safe environment and watch our kids grow into productive young adults.  Most cities and towns in America exemplify this, but the mainstream news media and many politicians want to continue to divide our country.  If those that truly want change, the message must change into obtainable results and resonate with those who have different experiences.    The message cannot be hijacked by someone or a group that has ulterior motives that will only serve their self-interest.  Social Change can happen especially when the intentions are good.

Businesses today are no different than what is being played out on the daily news.  They want to provide a great service or product in a fair market.  The great equalizer is having a strong digital platform and the ability to implement a marketing and advertising strategy.  With more people than ever enamored with information instantaneously available at their fingertips; it is vital to share your message utilizing today’s technology.  Your message must be clear and precise with obtainable outcomes.

DeliveryMaxx is a small business that takes pride in helping other small businesses succeed in an increasingly digital world.  That was our mission prior to the outbreak and news stories of racial inequality and continues to be our goal today.  If you need help navigating a transition to becoming more active on social media, building an e-commerce website, or post-sale communication with your clients we are here to help.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention. See how we have helped clients in multiple industries across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more as we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to your audience.  www.deliverymaxx.com or give us a call at 888-936-6299 today or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!

Tuesday, June 2, 2020

Know how to play the Game and Play it Right


Kenny Rogers, the Country Music Hall of Fame singer who recently died in March, signature song was his 1978 hit, “The Gambler”.  It was a cross-over hit that won him a Grammy Award in 1980 and was selected in 2018 for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.  The song was about a young fellow who was a little distraught about the chaos that was happening in his life, and he came across this wise old man who poetically explained the secrets how to overcome different obstacles you would face.



The very first piece of advice the Gambler gave us was, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right.”  Sometimes you have to know when to stay the course, sometimes you need to accept a loss and move on, sometimes you need to adapt and move another direction and other times you need to do a complete paradigm shift and alter your course altogether.  Of course the song he expressed these sentiments using the analogy between life and gambling making sure we play our cards right.  He was an expert for sure because at the beginning of the song he let us know that he made a life out of reading people’s faces just by the way his challengers held their eyes.

The Gambler gave us a gem that all business owners should take heed.  He stated the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep.  The best part about his allocution was when he explained that “every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser” which I firmly believe tells us that we have opportunities to win no matter what cards we are dealt.  It just depends on how we decide to play the game and are we playing it right.

Business owners, especially small business owners have had unprecedented adversity in the year 2020.  We are in the midst of The 2nd Great Depression with over 40 million Americans filing unemployment and a real jobless rate over 23.9% (The Great Depression of 1929-1933 was 24.9%), the uncertainty of businesses being able to open up to full capacity, misinformation about a virus that has a 99.9% sure rate, looming trade wars with China and now exploitation by our media and terrorist groups on race.  (As for race relations- it is our position that there is a problem with racial inequality; however, it is by evil people of all colors, races, religions and political ideology.  We believe there are more good people in this world, but they are silenced by the media sensationalizing the bad.  
DeliveryMaxx will always do everything in our power to support those who are suppressed by others and will not stand for bigotry from anyone.)

You have a winning hand and you have a losing hand as it pertains to your business today.  With more people utilizing the internet for their information and purchases, you can adapt and reach your clients with a digital media and marketing strategy.  Understanding that many potential customers and even some of your employees have been frightened by the news media and local politicians should lead you to investing in PPE products giving the perception that your business is truly a safe place to visit.  Being transparent to both your employees and potential customers will be vital for your success, so your online content should be consistent and plentiful.  This can be a bit overwhelming for some, but as long as you are using common sense with today’s technology you will be able to survive, rebuild and ultimately thrive.  As the Gambler said before he drifted off to sleep, “There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealin’s done.”

 DeliveryMaxx is a small business that takes pride in helping other small businesses succeed in an increasingly digital world.  That was our mission prior to the outbreak and news stories of racial inequality and continues to be our goal today.  If you need help navigating a transition to becoming more active on social media, building an e-commerce website, or post-sale communication with your clients we are here to help.  Our clients experience positive Online Reputation, stronger SEO, concise content management, increase in social media engagement and advertisement and higher customer retention. See how we have helped clients in multiple industries across the country such as Automotive Dealerships, Real-Estate Brokers & Agents, Churches, Service Industry, Sports Teams, Non-Profit Organizations and more as we utilize our Patent-Pending Program to develop a digital strategy that will meet the needs of sales, service and messaging to your audience.  www.deliverymaxx.com or give us a call at 888-936-6299 today or watch the DeliveryMaxx Introduction Video!